Tuning the regulator: Phosphorylation of KCC2 at two specific sites is critical for neurodevelopment.

The K+/Cl- cotransporter KCC2 is a molecular switch between excitatory and inhibitory effects of GABAergic inputs into neurons. In a pair of exciting studies, Watanabe et al. and Pisella et al. elucidate the role of KCC2 dephosphorylation in this process and reveal its consequences for neurodevelopment and nervous system pathology.