Differential regulation of KCC2 function, trafficking, and degradation by Ca2+-dependent signaling pathways

Regulation of the K+-Cl- cotransporter KCC2 is a critical determinant of the efficacy of inhibition in the central nervous system and KCC2 hypofunction appears at the root of several neurological disorders. Both BDNF-TrkB and NMDAR signaling regulate KCC2, but how they interact remains unknown. Here we show that these two signaling pathways act synergistically to differentially modulate KCC2 function and expression through post-translational regulation, via distinct Ca2+ signalling modes. Blocking ryanodine-dependent intracellular Ca2+ release prevented TrkB-, but not NMDAR-mediated downregulation. TrkB-signalling in absence of NMDAR activation modulated KCC2 function but not expression. In contrast, NMDAR activation induced KCC2 internalization dependent on extracellular Ca2+ influx. In turn, calpain-mediated KCC2 degradation, but not internalization, required Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. While TrkB-activation potentiated the effect of NMDAR on KCC2, the reverse was not true. Yet, strong NMDAR activation was sufficient to cause TrkB-independent KCC2 downregulation. Finally, prolonged, but not short-term inhibition of KCC2 activity caused NMDAR-dependent KCC2 downregulation. These findings reveal, for the first time, that a co-transporter function can be regulated through other means than membrane expression: through a continuum of interwoven synergistic processes, from function to internalization to degradation, scaling with time and stimulus strength.