Regulation of GABAA Receptor Dynamics by Interaction with Purinergic P2X2 Receptors

摘要

γ-Aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) in the spinal cord are evolving as an important target for drug development against pain. Purinergic P2X2 receptors (P2X2Rs) are also expressed in spinal cord neurons and are known to cross-talk with GABAARs. Here, we investigated a possible “dynamic” interaction between GABAARs and P2X2Rs using co-immunoprecipitation and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) studies in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells along with co-localization and single particle tracking studies in spinal cord neurons. Our results suggest that a significant proportion of P2X2Rs forms a transient complex with GABAARs inside the cell, thus stabilizing these receptors and using them for co-trafficking to the cell surface, where P2X2Rs and GABAARs are primarily located extra-synaptically. Furthermore, agonist-induced activation of P2X2Rs results in a Ca²⁺-dependent as well as an apparently Ca²⁺-independent increase in the mobility and an enhanced degradation of GABAARs, whereas P2X2Rs are stabilized and form larger clusters. Antagonist-induced blocking of P2XRs results in co-stabilization of this receptor complex at the cell surface. These results suggest a novel mechanism where association of P2X2Rs and GABAARs could be used for specific targeting to neuronal membranes, thus providing an extrasynaptic receptor reserve that could regulate the excitability of neurons. We further conclude that blocking the excitatory activity of excessively released ATP under diseased state by P2XR antagonists could simultaneously enhance synaptic inhibition mediated by GABAARs.