Dystrophin R16/17-syntrophin PDZ fusion protein restores sarcolemmal nNOSµ.

BACKGROUND: Loss of sarcolemmal nNOSµ is a common manifestation in a wide variety of muscle diseases and contributes to the dysregulation of multiple muscle activities. Given the critical role sarcolemmal nNOSµ plays in muscle, restoration of sarcolemmal nNOSµ should be considered as an important therapeutic goal. METHODS: nNOSµ is anchored to the sarcolemma by dystrophin spectrin-like repeats 16 and 17 (R16/17) and the syntrophin PDZ domain (Syn PDZ). To develop a strategy that can independently restore sarcolemmal nNOSµ, we engineered an R16/17-Syn PDZ fusion construct and tested whether this construct alone is sufficient to anchor nNOSµ to the sarcolemma in three different mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). RESULTS: Membrane-associated nNOSµ is completely lost in DMD. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery of the R16/17-Syn PDZ fusion construct successfully restored sarcolemmal nNOSµ in all three models. Further, nNOS restoration was independent of the dystrophin-associated protein complex. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the R16/17-Syn PDZ fusion construct is sufficient to restore sarcolemmal nNOSµ in the dystrophin-null muscle.

The Schizophrenia-Related Protein Dysbindin-1A Is Degraded and Facilitates NF-Kappa B Activity in the Nucleus.

Dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1), a gene encoding dysbindin-1, has been identified as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Functioning with partners in synapses or the cytoplasm, this gene regulates neurite outgrowth and neurotransmitter release. Loss of dysbindin-1 affects schizophrenia pathology. Dysbindin-1 is also found in the nucleus, however, the characteristics of dysbindin in the nucleus are not fully understood. Here, we found that dysbindin-1A is degraded in the nucleus via the ubiquitin-proteasome system and that amino acids 2-41 at the N-terminus are required for this process. By interacting with p65, dysbindin-1A promotes the transcriptional activity of NF-kappa B in the nucleus and positively regulates MMP-9 expression. Taken together, the data obtained in this study demonstrate that dysbindin-1A protein levels are highly regulated in the nucleus and that dysbindin-1A regulates transcription factor NF-kappa B activity to promote the expression of MMP-9 and TNF-α.

Phosphorylation within the cysteine-rich region of dystrophin enhances its association with ß-dystroglycan and identifies a potential novel therapeutic target for skeletal muscle wasting.

Mutations in dystrophin lead to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is among the most common human genetic disorders. Dystrophin nucleates assembly of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC), and a defective DGC disrupts an essential link between the intracellular cytoskeleton and the basal lamina, leading to progressive muscle wasting. In vitro studies have suggested that dystrophin phosphorylation may affect interactions with actin or syntrophin, yet whether this occurs in vivo or affects protein function remains unknown. Utilizing nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, we identified 18 phosphorylated residues within endogenous dystrophin. Mutagenesis revealed that phosphorylation at S3059 enhances the dystrophin-dystroglycan interaction and 3D modeling utilizing the Rosetta software program provided a structural model for how phosphorylation enhances this interaction. These findings demonstrate that phosphorylation is a key mechanism regulating the interaction between dystrophin and the DGC and reveal that posttranslational modification of a single amino acid directly modulates the function of dystrophin.

Syntrophin proteins as Santa Claus: role(s) in cell signal transduction.

Syntrophins are a family of cytoplasmic membrane-associated adaptor proteins, characterized by the presence of a unique domain organization comprised of a C-terminal syntrophin unique (SU) domain and an N-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain that is split by insertion of a PDZ domain. Syntrophins have been recognized as an important component of many signaling events, and they seem to function more like the cell's own personal 'Santa Claus' that serves to 'gift' various signaling complexes with precise proteins that they 'wish for', and at the same time care enough for the spatial, temporal control of these signaling events, maintaining overall smooth functioning and general happiness of the cell. Syntrophins not only associate various ion channels and signaling proteins to the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC), via a direct interaction with dystrophin protein but also serve as a link between the extracellular matrix and the intracellular downstream targets and cell cytoskeleton by interacting with F-actin. They play an important role in regulating the postsynaptic signal transduction, sarcolemmal localization of nNOS, EphA4 signaling at the neuromuscular junction, and G-protein mediated signaling. In our previous work, we reported a differential expression pattern of alpha-1-syntrophin (SNTA1) protein in esophageal and breast carcinomas. Implicated in several other pathologies, like cardiac dys-functioning, muscular dystrophies, diabetes, etc., these proteins provide a lot of scope for further studies. The present review focuses on the role of syntrophins in membrane targeting and regulation of cellular proteins, while highlighting their relevance in possible development and/or progression of pathologies including cancer which we have recently demonstrated.

ß2-Syntrophin is a Cdk5 substrate that restrains the motility of insulin secretory granules.

The molecular basis for the interaction of insulin granules with the cortical cytoskeleton of pancreatic ß-cells remains unknown. We have proposed that binding of the granule protein ICA512 to the PDZ domain of ß2-syntrophin anchors granules to actin filaments and that the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of ß2-syntrophin regulates this association. Here we tested this hypothesis by analyzing INS-1 cells expressing GFP-ß2-syntrophin through the combined use of biochemical approaches, imaging studies by confocal and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy as well as electron microscopy. Our results support the notion that ß2-syntrophin restrains the mobility of cortical granules in insulinoma INS-1 cells, thereby reducing insulin secretion and increasing insulin stores in resting cells, while increasing insulin release upon stimulation. Using mass spectrometry, in vitro phosphorylation assays and ß2-syntrophin phosphomutants we found that phosphorylation of ß2-syntrophin on S75 near the PDZ domain decreases its binding to ICA512 and correlates with increased granule motility, while phosphorylation of S90 has opposite effects. We further show that Cdk5, which regulates insulin secretion, phosphorylates S75. These findings provide mechanistic insight into how stimulation displaces insulin granules from cortical actin, thus promoting their motility and exocytosis.

Association of dystrobrevin and regulatory subunit of protein kinase A: a new role for dystrobrevin as a scaffold for signaling proteins.

The dystrophin-related and -associated protein dystrobrevin is a component of the dystrophin-associated protein complex, which directly links the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. It is now thought that this complex also serves as a dynamic scaffold for signaling proteins, and dystrobrevin may play a role in this context. Since dystrobrevin involvement in signaling pathways seems to be dependent on its interaction with other proteins, we sought new insights and performed a two-hybrid screen of a mouse brain cDNA library using beta-dystrobrevin, the isoform expressed in non-muscle tissues, as bait. Among the positive clones characterized after the screen, one encodes the regulatory subunit RIalpha of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA). We confirmed the interaction by in vitro and in vivo association assays, and mapped the binding site of beta-dystrobrevin on RIalpha to the amino-terminal region encompassing the dimerization/docking domain of PKA regulatory subunit. We also found that the domain of interaction for RIalpha is contained in the amino-terminal region of beta-dystrobrevin. We obtained evidence that beta-dystrobrevin also interacts directly with RIIbeta, and that not only beta-dystrobrevin but also alpha-dystrobrevin interacts with PKA regulatory subunits. We show that both alpha and beta-dystrobrevin are specific phosphorylation substrates for PKA and that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is associated with dystrobrevins. Our results suggest a new role for dystrobrevin as a scaffold protein that may play a role in different cellular processes involving PKA signaling.

Binding of PTEN to specific PDZ domains contributes to PTEN protein stability and phosphorylation by microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinases.

The tumor suppressor phosphatase PTEN is a key regulator of cell growth and apoptosis that interacts with PDZ domains from regulatory proteins, including MAGI-1/2/3, hDlg, and MAST205. Here we identified novel PTEN-binding PDZ domains within the MAST205-related proteins, syntrophin-associated serine/threonine kinase and MAST3, characterized the regions of PTEN involved in its interaction with distinctive PDZ domains, and analyzed the functional consequences on PTEN of PDZ domain binding. Using a panel of PTEN mutations, as well as PTEN chimeras containing distinct domains of the related protein TPTE, we found that the PTP and C2 domains of PTEN do not affect PDZ domain binding and that the C-terminal tail of PTEN (residues 350-403) provides selectivity to recognize specific PDZ domains from MAGI-2, hDlg, and MAST205. Binding of PTEN to the PDZ-2 domain from MAGI-2 increased PTEN protein stability. Furthermore, binding of PTEN to the PDZ domains from microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinases facilitated PTEN phosphorylation at its C terminus by these kinases. Our results suggest an important role for the C-terminal region of PTEN in the selective association with scaffolding and/or regulatory molecules and provide evidence that PDZ domain binding stabilizes PTEN and targets this tumor suppressor for phosphorylation by microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinases.