Abstract: The present invention is directed to the production of PKC isozyme &egr; (PKC&egr;)-deficient cells and non-human animals. The present invention is further directed to the identification of PKC&egr; as a target for drugs that reduce anxiety. According to the present invention, PKC&egr;-inhibiting compounds act in synergy with drugs acting at the GABAA receptor. The present invention is also directed to the use of modulators of PKC&egr; to modulate alcohol consumption, self-administration of other drugs of abuse, and the effects of alcohol consumption as well as the use of inhibitors of PKC&egr;, either alone or in conjunction with allosteric agonists of GABAA receptors, to treat conditions, such as addiction, withdrawal syndrome, skeletal muscle spasms, convulsive seizures, and epilepsy, that are amenable to treatment by allosteric agonists of GABAA receptors.