(A) Quantification of cell surface expression of the indicated HA-tagged GB1 and Flag-tagged GB2 constructs by ELISA in transfected HEK293 cells. Data are normalized by the WT receptor and shown as means ± SEM of 3–18 biologically independent experiments. GB1/2 corresponds to the chimeric subunit made of GB1 ECD and GB2 TMD, and GB2/1 to the chimeric subunit composed of GB2 ECD and GB1 TMD. GB1TM7 stands for the GB1 subunit that is deleted of most of its TMD leaving the seventh helix only. DECD indicates the deletion of the ECD domain. (B–F) Intracellular Ca2+ responses mediated by the indicated constructs upon stimulation with rac-BHFF (B, C, F) or GABA (D, E). Data are normalized by WT response of 100 μM rac-BHFF (B, C, F) or 1 mM GABA (D, E) and shown as means ± SEM of 3–6 biologically independent experiments. Cartoons illustrate the subunit compositions corresponding to the red curves. ASA corresponds to the mutated GB1 subunit in which the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal RSR has been mutated to ASA to allow its efficient trafficking to the cell surface in the absence of GB2. DCRC corresponds to the GB1 mutant in which D6492.59 and R6653.32 in TMD were replaced by cysteines. This mutation is shown as a red cross in panels (E) and (F).