Post-synaptic competition between calcineurin and PKA regulates mammalian sleep-wake cycles

Phosphorylation of synaptic proteins is a pivotal biochemical reaction that controls the sleep-wake cycle in mammals. Protein phosphorylation in vivo is reversibly regulated by kinases and phosphatases. In this study, we investigated a pair of kinases and phosphatases that reciprocally regulate sleep duration. Through comprehensive screening of Protein kinase A (PKA) and phosphoprotein phosphatase (PPP) family genes via the generation of 40 gene knockout mouse lines including post-natal CRISPR targeting, we identified a regulatory subunit of PKA (Prkar2b), a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase (PP) 1 (Pppr1r9b), and catalytic and regulatory subunits of PP2B (calcineurin) (Ppp3ca and Ppp3r1) as sleep control genes. AAV-mediated stimulation of PKA and PP1/calcineurin activities confirmed PKA as a wake-promoting kinase, while PP1 and calcineurin function as sleep-promoting phosphatases. The importance of these phosphatases in sleep regulation is supported by the dramatic changes in sleep duration associated with their increased and decreased activity, ranging from approximately 17.3 hours/day (PP1 expression) to 6.7 hours/day (post-natal CRISPR targeting of calcineurin). For these phosphatases to exert their sleep-promoting effects, localization signals to the excitatory post-synapse were necessary. Furthermore, the wake-promoting effect of PKA localized to the excitatory post-synapse negated the sleep-promoting effect of calcineurin, suggesting that PKA and calcineurin construct a hierarchical phosphorylation control network for sleep regulation at excitatory post-synapses.