Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor-Associated Protein (GABARAP) is a ligand-gated chloride channel protein that mediates inhibitory neurotransmission and belongs to the MAP1 LC3 family. GABARAP is highly positively charged in its N-terminus and shares sequence similarity with light chain-3 of microtubule-associated proteins 1A and 1B. GABARAP clusters neurotransmitter receptors by mediating interaction with the cytoskeleton. Autophagy is the process by which cells recycle cytoplasm and dispose of excess or defective organelles. This process is suggested to be involved development, differentiation, growth regulation and tissue remodeling in multicellular organisms. An important inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, acts on GABA receptors that are ubiquitously expressed in the CNS. GABARAP has been shown to play a important role in intracellular transport of GABA(A) receptors and its interaction with the cytoskeleton.
