Inhibitory effect of NAP-22 on the phosphatase activity of synaptojanin-1.

Endocytosis of the synaptic vesicle is a complicated process, in which many proteins and lipids participate. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2) ) plays important roles in the process, and the dynamic regulation of this lipid is one of the key events. Synaptojanin is a PIP(2) phosphatase, and dephosphorylation of PIP(2) of the clathrin coated-vesicle results in the uncoating of the vesicle. NAP-22 is one of the major proteins of the neuronal detergent-resistant membrane microdomain and localizes in both the presynaptic plasma membrane and the synaptic vesicle. To elucidate the role of NAP-22 in synaptic function, a screening of the NAP-22 binding proteins through pull-down assay was performed. In addition to CapZ protein, synaptojanin-1 was detected by LC-MS/MS, and Western blotting using antisynaptojanin-1 confirmed this result. The interaction seems to be important in the course of synaptic vesicle endocytosis, because NAP-22 inhibited the phosphatase activity of synaptojanin in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory region for 5-phosphatase and the binding region for PIP(2) overlapped in the amino acid sequence of NAP-22, so elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of the PIP(2) binding ability of NAP-22 could be important in understanding the membrane dynamics at the presynaptic region.

The effects of phospholipids and fatty acids on the oligomer formation of NAP-22.

Recovery of various signal transduction molecules in the detergent-resistant membrane microdomain (DRM) fraction suggests the importance of this region in cellular functions. NAP-22 (also called BASP1 or CAP-23) is a neuron-enriched calmodulin-binding protein and one of the major proteins in the DRM fraction of the neuronal cell membrane. Previous studies showed tight binding activity of NAP-22 to acidic membrane lipids and the self-interaction of NAP-22, i.e., oligomerization. In this study, the effect of various phospholipids, lysophospholipids and fatty acids on the oligomerization of NAP-22 was studied through SDS-PAGE after chemical cross-linking and electron microscopic observation. High molecular mass oligomers were detected by SDS-PAGE after incubation in solutions containing over 20 mM NaCl at pH 6.5-8.5, even in the absence of lipid addition, and the addition of Ca2+/calmodulin abolished oligomerization. Higher molecular mass oligomer formation after incubation with acidic phospholipids was detected with gradient SDS-PAGE. Much higher mass oligomers were detected in the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Electron microscopic analysis of the samples after SDS treatment showed tangled rope-like structures. Liposome-bound NAP-22 showed small oval or annular structures after cross-linking and SDS treatment. These oligomers were suggested to make the tangled rope-like structures, for annular structures of the same size were observed in the structure. These results suggest the participation of NAP-22 to liquid-liquid phase separation through oligomerization.

Biochemical interaction of an actin-capping protein, CapZ, with NAP-22.

NAP-22 is a neuronal protein localized in the presynaptic membrane and synaptic vesicles and recovered in a Triton-insoluble low-density microdomain fraction after biochemical fractionation of the synaptic plasma membrane. NAP-22 organizes membrane microdomains through binding to membrane lipids such as cholesterol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. In this study, NAP-22-binding proteins were screened through the pull-down assay using brain-derived NAP-22 bound to Sepharose 4B. An actin-capping protein, CapZ, was identified in the precipitate through mass spectrometry and Western blotting. CapZ was then expressed in E. coli and the purified protein-bound NAP-22 directly. Because bacterially expressed NAP-22 bound CapZ, it was determined that the N-terminal myristoyl moiety of NAP-22 is not necessary for the binding. The binding of NAP-22 showed no effect on the actin nucleation activity of CapZ measured with centrifugation and viscometric assays. Hence, the CapZ-NAP-22 complex could work as the nucleation site of actin polymerization or as the actin filament-anchoring site on the membrane microdomain.

Interaction of NAP-22 with brain glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD).

NAP-22 (also called BASP1 or CAP-23) is a neuron-enriched protein localized mainly in the synaptic vesicles and the synaptic plasma membrane. Biochemically, it is recovered in the lipid raft fraction. In order to understand the physiological function of the neuronal lipid raft, NAP-22 binding proteins were screened with a pull-down assay. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) was detected through LC-MS/MS, and Western blotting using a specific antibody confirmed the result. Two isoforms of GAD, GAD65 and GAD67, were expressed in bacteria as GST-fusion forms and the interaction with NAP-22 was confirmed in vitro. Partial co-localization of NAP-22 with GAD65 and GAD67 was also observed in cultured neurons. The binding showed no effect on the enzymatic activity of GAD65 and GAD67. These results hence suggest that NAP-22 could participate in the transport of GAD65 and GAD67 to the presynaptic termini and their retention on the synaptic vesicles as an anchoring protein.