Mechanisms controlling the metabotropic ␥-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA B ) cell surface stability are still poorly understood. In contrast with many other G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), it is not subject to agonist-promoted internalization, but is constitutively internalized and rapidly downregulated. In search of novel interacting proteins regulating receptor fate, we report that the ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14) interacts with the GABA B(1b) subunit's second intracellular loop. Probing the receptor for ubiquitination using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET), we detected a constitutive and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced ubiquitination of the receptor at the cell surface. PMA also increased internalization and accelerated receptor degradation. Overexpression of USP14 decreased ubiquitination while treatment with a small molecule inhibitor of the deubiquitinase (IU1) increased receptor ubiquitination. Treatment with the internalization inhibitor Dynasore blunted both USP14 and IU1 effects on the receptor ubiquitination state, suggesting a post-endocytic site of action. Overexpression of USP14 also led to an accelerated degradation of GABA B in a catalytically independent fashion. We thus propose a model whereby cell surface ubiquitination precedes endocytosis, after which USP14 acts as an ubiquitin-binding protein that targets the ubiquitinated receptor to lysosomal degradation and promotes its deubiquitination.G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) 5 are the largest family of cell-surface proteins in the human genome and represent the target of a large proportion of current pharmacological agents. Regulation of GPCR activity in response to different stimuli provides cells with important mechanisms to fine tune the response to natural ligands as well as drugs.For most GPCRs, desensitization results from agonist-promoted phosphorylation by second messenger-activated and GPCR kinases (GRK) (1), leading to -arrestin-promoted uncoupling from the G protein and subsequent endocytosis. In contrast, the metabotropic ␥-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA B ), an obligatory hetero-oligomer composed of two different 7TM proteins, GABA B(1) and GABA B(2) , which provides the metabotropic response to the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (2) , does not undergo -arrestin engagement and receptor endocytosis following agonist stimulation. Two GRK isoforms (GRK4 and GRK5) (3) have been proposed to play a role in GABA B desensitization. In the case of GRK4, this effect was found to be independent of its kinase activity, as its regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain alone is sufficient for desensitization of the receptor (4). Also, in contrast with most GPCR, GABA B activity is not correlated with the overall phosphorylation state of the receptor. Agonist-promoted protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation decreases receptor activity (5) while phosphorylation by adenosine monophosphate activated-kinase (AMPK) on GABA B(2) serine 783 (6) and by protein kinase A on GABA B(2) serine 893 (...