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Sci. STKE, 25 May 2004
Vol. 2004, Issue 234, p. tr4
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.2342004tr4]

TEACHING RESOURCES

Regulation of GABA Receptor Activity by Neurosteroids and Phosphorylation

Jeffrey Tasker

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA.

Abstract: These two animations show two models for how neurosteroids regulate the flow of chloride ions (Cl-) through ionotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. In the first model, binding of the neurosteroid allows a protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation site to become accessible. Phosphorylation of the channel increases flux through the channel. In the second model, phosphorylation by PKC allows the neurosteroid to bind and increase flux through the channel. The animations have two parts: (i) a diagrammatic representation of the sequence of events at the channel in the membrane and (ii) a representative current trace of data obtained using electrophysiological techniques. These animations would be useful in teaching how allosteric modulators (neurosteroids) and covalent modulators (kinases) can work together as regulators of protein activity.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: tasker{at}tulane.edu

Citation: J. Tasker, Regulation of GABA Receptor Activity by Neurosteroids and Phosphorylation. Sci. STKE 2004, tr4 (2004).

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