GABAAR-PPT1 palmitoylation homeostasis controls synaptic transmission and circuitry oscillation in CLN1 disease

Summary CLN1 disease, also called infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in the CLN1 gene encoding palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1). To identify depalmitoylation substrate of PPT1 is crucial to understand CLN1 disease. In this study, we found that PPT1 depalmitoylates GABA A R α1 subunit at Cystein-260, while binding to Cystein-165 and −179. Mutations of PPT1 or its GABA A R α1 subunit binding site result in enhanced inhibitory synaptic transmission, strengthened and oscillation but disrupted phase coupling in CA1 region and impaired learning and memory in 1- to 2-months-old PPT1-deficient and Gabra1 em1 mice. Our study highlights the critical role of PPT1 in maintaining GABA A R palmitoylation homeostasis and reveals a previously unknown molecular pathway in PPT1 induced diseases.