2017). Our data link ubiquitination to risk for excessive consumption. The precise mechanisms are unknown but we note here that ubiquitination has a key role in glutamate receptor trafficking (Widagdo et al., 2017). The functions of Tankyrase-1 (Tank-1) in the brain have not been investigated. However, Tank-1 is a member of a large family of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs). PARP-1 is thought to have key role(s) in the neuroinflammatory cascade associated with binge ethanol consumption (Tajuddin et al., 2018). To our knowledge, Pcdhαc2 has no function remarkably different from the other members of the αPcdh family; however relatively little is known about functions of the individual gene products. What the data presented previously (Colville et al., 2017) and again confirmed here clearly illustrates that selection for ethanol preference engages a large number of the clustered protocadherins. Again with a focus on glutamate neurotransmission, Suo et al. (2012) have shown that both the α and γ protocadherin clusters are involved in the inhibition of Pyk2 (protein tyrosine kinase 2), which results in the disinhibition of Rac1 (Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1) that in turn can facilitate the proper assembly of dendritic spines (see Figure 8 in Suo et al., 2012).
