Interaction of the ERC family of RIM-binding proteins with the liprin-alpha family of multidomain proteins

J Biol Chem. 2003 Oct 24;278(43):42377-85. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M307561200. Epub 2003 Aug 15.

Abstract

Liprin-alpha/SYD-2 is a family of multidomain proteins with four known isoforms. One of the reported functions of liprin-alpha is to regulate the development of presynaptic active zones, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here we report that liprin-alpha directly interacts with the ERC (ELKS-Rab6-interacting protein-CAST) family of proteins, members of which are known to bind RIMs, the active zone proteins that regulate neurotransmitter release. In vitro results indicate that ERC2/CAST, an active zone-specific isoform, interacts with all of the known isoforms of liprin-alpha and that liprin-alpha1 associates with both ERC2 and ERC1b, a splice variant of ERC1 that distributes to both cytosolic and active zone regions. ERC2 colocalizes with liprin-alpha1 in cultured neurons and forms a complex with liprin-alpha1 in brain. Liprin-alpha1, when expressed alone in cultured neurons, shows a partial synaptic localization. When coexpressed with ERC2, however, liprin-alpha1 is redistributed to synaptic sites. Moreover, roughly the first half of ERC2, which contains the liprin-alpha-binding region, is sufficient for the synaptic localization of liprin-alpha1 while the second half is not. These results suggest that the interaction between ERC2 and liprin-alpha may be involved in the presynaptic localization of liprin-alpha and the molecular organization of presynaptic active zones.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing*
  • Animals
  • Brain Chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Embryo, Mammalian
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Humans
  • Mesothelin
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / chemistry
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein Transport
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Rats
  • Synapses / chemistry
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • ERC1 protein, human
  • ERC1 protein, rat
  • ERC2 protein, human
  • ERC2 protein, rat
  • Msln protein, rat
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • PPFIA1 protein, human
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Ppfia4 protein, rat
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Mesothelin