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Brockmöller S, Worek F, Rothmiller S. Protein networking: nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and their protein-protein-associations. Mol Cell Biochem 2024; 479:1627-1642. [PMID: 38771378 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-024-05032-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are complex transmembrane proteins involved in neurotransmission in the nervous system and at the neuromuscular junction. nAChR disorders may lead to severe, potentially fatal pathophysiological states. To date, the receptor has been the focus of basic and applied research to provide novel therapeutic interventions. Since most studies have investigated only the nAChR itself, it is necessary to consider the receptor as part of its protein network to understand or elucidate-specific pathways. On its way through the secretory pathway, the receptor interacts with several chaperones and proteins. This review takes a closer look at these molecular interactions and focuses especially on endoplasmic reticulum biogenesis, secretory pathway sorting, Golgi maturation, plasma membrane presentation, retrograde internalization, and recycling. Additional knowledge regarding the nAChR protein network may lead to a more detailed comprehension of the fundamental pathomechanisms of diseases or may lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Brockmöller
- Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
| | - Franz Worek
- Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Simone Rothmiller
- Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
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2
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Jühlen R, Grauer L, Martinelli V, Rencurel C, Fahrenkrog B. Alteration of actin cytoskeletal organisation in fetal akinesia deformation sequence. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1742. [PMID: 38242956 PMCID: PMC10799014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS) represents the severest form of congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), a diverse group of inherited disorders characterised by impaired neuromuscular transmission. Most CMS originate from defects in the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, but the underlying molecular pathogenesis is only poorly understood. Here we show that RNAi-mediated silencing of FADS-related proteins rapsyn and NUP88 in foetal fibroblasts alters organisation of the actin cytoskeleton. We show that fibroblasts from two independent FADS individuals have enhanced and shorter actin stress fibre bundles, alongside with an increased number and size of focal adhesions, with an otherwise normal overall connectivity and integrity of the actin-myosin cytoskeleton network. By proximity ligation assays and bimolecular fluorescence complementation, we show that rapsyn and NUP88 localise nearby adhesion plaques and that they interact with the focal adhesion protein paxillin. Based on these findings we propose that a respective deficiency in rapsyn and NUP88 in FADS alters the regulation of actin dynamics at focal adhesions, and thereby may also plausibly dictate myofibril contraction in skeletal muscle of FADS individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Jühlen
- Laboratory Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Lukas Grauer
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Valérie Martinelli
- Laboratory Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | | | - Birthe Fahrenkrog
- Laboratory Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
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An Inside Job: Molecular Determinants for Postsynaptic Localization of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26113065. [PMID: 34063759 PMCID: PMC8196675 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) mediate fast synaptic transmission at neuromuscular and autonomic ganglionic synapses in the peripheral nervous system. The postsynaptic localization of muscle ((α1)2β1γδ) and neuronal ((α3β4)2β4) nicotinic receptors at these synapses is mediated by interactions between the nAChR intracellular domains and cytoplasmic scaffolding proteins. Recent high resolution structures and functional studies provide new insights into the molecular determinants that mediate these interactions. Surprisingly, they reveal that the muscle nAChR binds 1–3 rapsyn scaffolding molecules, which dimerize and thereby form an interconnected lattice between receptors. Moreover, rapsyn binds two distinct sites on the nAChR subunit cytoplasmic loops; the MA-helix on one or more subunits and a motif specific to the β subunit. Binding at the latter site is regulated by agrin-induced phosphorylation of βY390, and increases the stoichiometry of rapsyn/AChR complexes. Similarly, the neuronal nAChR may be localized at ganglionic synapses by phosphorylation-dependent interactions with 14-3-3 adaptor proteins which bind specific motifs in each of the α3 subunit cytoplasmic loops. Thus, postsynaptic localization of nAChRs is mediated by regulated interactions with multiple scaffolding molecules, and the stoichiometry of these complexes likely helps regulate the number, density, and stability of receptors at the synapse.
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Ohkawara B, Ito M, Ohno K. Secreted Signaling Molecules at the Neuromuscular Junction in Physiology and Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052455. [PMID: 33671084 PMCID: PMC7957818 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Signal transduction at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is affected in many human diseases, including congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS), myasthenia gravis, Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome, Isaacs’ syndrome, Schwartz–Jampel syndrome, Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and sarcopenia. The NMJ is a prototypic cholinergic synapse between the motor neuron and the skeletal muscle. Synaptogenesis of the NMJ has been extensively studied, which has also been extrapolated to further understand synapse formation in the central nervous system. Studies of genetically engineered mice have disclosed crucial roles of secreted molecules in the development and maintenance of the NMJ. In this review, we focus on the secreted signaling molecules which regulate the clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the NMJ. We first discuss the signaling pathway comprised of neural agrin and its receptors, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (Lrp4) and muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK). This pathway drives the clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) to ensure efficient signal transduction at the NMJ. We also discuss three secreted molecules (Rspo2, Fgf18, and connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf)) that we recently identified in the Wnt/β-catenin and fibroblast growth factors (FGF) signaling pathways. The three secreted molecules facilitate the clustering of AChRs by enhancing the agrin-Lrp4-MuSK signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bisei Ohkawara
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-52-744-2447; Fax: +81-52-744-2449
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Xing G, Xiong WC, Mei L. Rapsyn as a signaling and scaffolding molecule in neuromuscular junction formation and maintenance. Neurosci Lett 2020; 731:135013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Belotti E, Schaeffer L. Regulation of Gene expression at the neuromuscular Junction. Neurosci Lett 2020; 735:135163. [PMID: 32553805 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression in skeletal muscle is profoundly changed upon innervation. 50 years of research on the neuromuscular system have greatly increased our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these changes. By controlling the expression and the activity of key transcription factors, nerve-evoked electrical activity in the muscle fiber positively and negatively regulates the expression of hundreds of genes. Innervation also compartmentalizes gene expression into synaptic and extra-synaptic regions of muscle fibers. In addition, electrically-evoked, release of several factors (e.g. Agrin, Neuregulin, Wnt ligands) induce the clustering of synaptic proteins and of a few muscle nuclei. The sub-synaptic nuclei acquire a particular chromatin organization and develop a specific gene expression program dedicated to building and maintaining a functional neuromuscular synapse. Deciphering synapse-specific, transcriptional regulation started with the identification of the N-box, a six base pair element present in the promoters of the acetylcholine δ and ε subunits. Most genes with synapse-specific expression turned out to contain at least one N-box in their promoters. The N-box is a response element for the synaptic signals Agrin and Neuregulins as well as a binding site for transcription factors of the Ets family. The Ets transcription factors GABP and Erm are implicated in the activation of post-synaptic genes via the N-box. In muscle fibers, Erm expression is restricted to the NMJ whereas GABP is expressed in all muscle nuclei but phosphorylated and activated by the JNK and ERK signaling pathways in response to Agrin and Neuregulins. Post-synaptic gene expression also correlates with chromatin modifications at the genomic level as evidenced by the strong enrichment of decondensed chromatin and acetylated histones in sub-synaptic nuclei. Here we discuss these transcriptional pathways for synaptic specialization at NMJs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwige Belotti
- INMG, Inserm U1217, CNRS UMR5310, Université Lyon 1, Université De Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Laurent Schaeffer
- INMG, Inserm U1217, CNRS UMR5310, Université Lyon 1, Université De Lyon, Lyon, France; Centre De Biotechnologie Cellulaire, Hospices Civils De Lyon, Lyon, France.
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Koppel N, Friese MB, Cardasis HL, Neubert TA, Burden SJ. Vezatin is required for the maturation of the neuromuscular synapse. Mol Biol Cell 2019; 30:2571-2583. [PMID: 31411944 PMCID: PMC6740198 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-06-0313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Key genes, such as Agrin, Lrp4, and MuSK, are required for the initial formation, subsequent maturation, and long-term stabilization of mammalian neuromuscular synapses. Additional molecules are thought to function selectively during the evolution and stabilization of these synapses, but these molecular players are largely unknown. Here, we used mass spectrometry to identify vezatin, a two-pass transmembrane protein, as an acetylcholine receptor (AChR)–associated protein, and we provide evidence that vezatin binds directly to AChRs. We show that vezatin is dispensable for the formation of synapses but plays a later role in the emergence of a topologically complex and branched shape of the synapse, as well as the stabilization of AChRs. In addition, neuromuscular synapses in vezatin mutant mice display premature signs of deterioration, normally found only during aging. Thus, vezatin has a selective role in the structural elaboration and postnatal maturation of murine neuromuscular synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Koppel
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Matthew B Friese
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Helene L Cardasis
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Thomas A Neubert
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
| | - Steven J Burden
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
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Cetin H, Liu W, Cheung J, Cossins J, Vanhaesebrouck A, Maxwell S, Vincent A, Beeson D, Webster R. Rapsyn facilitates recovery from desensitization in fetal and adult acetylcholine receptors expressed in a muscle cell line. J Physiol 2019; 597:3713-3725. [PMID: 31158924 PMCID: PMC6767687 DOI: 10.1113/jp277819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Key points The physiological significance of the developmental switch from fetal to adult acetylcholine receptors in muscle (AChRs) and the functional impact of AChR clustering by rapsyn are not well studied. Using patch clamp experiments, we show that recovery from desensitization is faster in the adult AChR isoform. Recovery from desensitization is determined by the AChR isoform‐specific cytoplasmic M3–M4 domain. The co‐expression of rapsyn in muscle cells induced AChR clustering and facilitated recovery from desensitization in both fetal and adult AChRs. In fetal AChRs, facilitation of recovery kinetics by rapsyn was independent of AChR clustering. These effects could be crucial adaptations to motor neuron firing rates, which, in rodents, have been shown to increase around the time of birth when AChRs cluster at the developing neuromuscular junctions.
Abstract The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the site of a number of autoimmune and genetic disorders, many involving the muscle‐type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), although there are aspects of normal NMJ development and function that need to be better understood. In particular, there are still questions regarding the implications of the developmental switch from fetal to adult AChRs, as well as how their functions might be modified by rapsyn that clusters the AChRs. Desensitization of human muscle AChRs was investigated using the patch clamp technique to measure whole‐cell currents in muscle‐type (TE671/CN21) and non‐muscle (HEK293) cell lines expressing either fetal or adult AChRs. Desensitization time constants were similar with both AChR isoforms but recovery time constants were shorter in cells expressing adult compared to fetal AChRs (P < 0.0001). Chimeric experiments showed that recovery from desensitization was determined by the M3–M4 cytoplasmic loops of the γ‐ and ε‐subunits. Expression of rapsyn in TE671/CN21 cells induced AChR aggregation and also, surprisingly, shortened recovery time constants in both fetal and adult AChRs. However, this was not dependent on clustering because rapsyn also facilitated recovery from desensitization in HEK293 cells expressing a δ‐R375H AChR mutant that did not form clusters in C2C12 myotubes. Thus, rapsyn interactions with AChRs lead not only to clustering, but also to a clustering independent faster recovery from desensitization. Both effects of rapsyn could be a necessary adjustment to the motor neuron firing rates that increase around the time of birth. The physiological significance of the developmental switch from fetal to adult acetylcholine receptors in muscle (AChRs) and the functional impact of AChR clustering by rapsyn are not well studied. Using patch clamp experiments, we show that recovery from desensitization is faster in the adult AChR isoform. Recovery from desensitization is determined by the AChR isoform‐specific cytoplasmic M3–M4 domain. The co‐expression of rapsyn in muscle cells induced AChR clustering and facilitated recovery from desensitization in both fetal and adult AChRs. In fetal AChRs, facilitation of recovery kinetics by rapsyn was independent of AChR clustering. These effects could be crucial adaptations to motor neuron firing rates, which, in rodents, have been shown to increase around the time of birth when AChRs cluster at the developing neuromuscular junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Cetin
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.,Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wei Liu
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Jonathan Cheung
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Judith Cossins
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - An Vanhaesebrouck
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Susan Maxwell
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Angela Vincent
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - David Beeson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard Webster
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
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Oury J, Liu Y, Töpf A, Todorovic S, Hoedt E, Preethish-Kumar V, Neubert TA, Lin W, Lochmüller H, Burden SJ. MACF1 links Rapsyn to microtubule- and actin-binding proteins to maintain neuromuscular synapses. J Cell Biol 2019; 218:1686-1705. [PMID: 30842214 PMCID: PMC6504910 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201810023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oury et al. show that the scaffolding protein MACF1 links Rapsyn, which binds acetylcholine receptors, to the microtubule- and actin-network at neuromuscular synapses. MACF1 thereby plays a role in synaptic maturation in mice, and mutations of MACF1 are associated with congenital myasthenia in humans. Complex mechanisms are required to form neuromuscular synapses, direct their subsequent maturation, and maintain the synapse throughout life. Transcriptional and post-translational pathways play important roles in synaptic differentiation and direct the accumulation of the neurotransmitter receptors, acetylcholine receptors (AChRs), to the postsynaptic membrane, ensuring for reliable synaptic transmission. Rapsyn, an intracellular peripheral membrane protein that binds AChRs, is essential for synaptic differentiation, but how Rapsyn acts is poorly understood. We screened for proteins that coisolate with AChRs in a Rapsyn-dependent manner and show that microtubule actin cross linking factor 1 (MACF1), a scaffolding protein with binding sites for microtubules (MT) and actin, is concentrated at neuromuscular synapses, where it binds Rapsyn and serves as a synaptic organizer for MT-associated proteins, EB1 and MAP1b, and the actin-associated protein, Vinculin. MACF1 plays an important role in maintaining synaptic differentiation and efficient synaptic transmission in mice, and variants in MACF1 are associated with congenital myasthenia in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Oury
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Medical School, New York, NY
| | - Yun Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Ana Töpf
- John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Slobodanka Todorovic
- Clinic for Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth, Belgrade, Serbia and Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Esthelle Hoedt
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Medical School, New York, NY
| | | | - Thomas A Neubert
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Medical School, New York, NY
| | - Weichun Lin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Hanns Lochmüller
- Department of Neuropediatrics and Muscle Disorders, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg, Germany.,Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico, Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Steven J Burden
- Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Medical School, New York, NY
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Regulation of mammalian neuromuscular junction formation and maintenance by Wnt signaling. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Wen-Cheng Xiong
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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Ohno K, Ohkawara B, Ito M. Agrin-LRP4-MuSK signaling as a therapeutic target for myasthenia gravis and other neuromuscular disorders. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:949-958. [PMID: 28825343 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2017.1369960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Signal transduction at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is compromised in a diverse array of diseases including myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, Isaacs' syndrome, congenital myasthenic syndromes, Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and sarcopenia. Except for sarcopenia, all are orphan diseases. In addition, the NMJ signal transduction is impaired by tetanus, botulinum, curare, α-bungarotoxin, conotoxins, organophosphate, sarin, VX, and soman to name a few. Areas covered: This review covers the agrin-LRP4-MuSK signaling pathway, which drives clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and ensures efficient signal transduction at the NMJ. We also address diseases caused by autoantibodies against the NMJ molecules and by germline mutations in genes encoding the NMJ molecules. Expert opinion: Representative small compounds to treat the defective NMJ signal transduction are cholinesterase inhibitors, which exert their effects by increasing the amount of acetylcholine at the synaptic space. Another possible therapeutic strategy to enhance the NMJ signal transduction is to increase the number of AChRs, but no currently available drug has this functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinji Ohno
- a Division of Neurogenetics , Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine , Nagoya , Japan
| | - Bisei Ohkawara
- a Division of Neurogenetics , Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine , Nagoya , Japan
| | - Mikako Ito
- a Division of Neurogenetics , Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine , Nagoya , Japan
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Takamori M. Synaptic Homeostasis and Its Immunological Disturbance in Neuromuscular Junction Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18040896. [PMID: 28441759 PMCID: PMC5412475 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18040896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the neuromuscular junction, postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) clustering, trans-synaptic communication and synaptic stabilization are modulated by the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. The synaptic functions are based presynaptically on the active zone architecture, synaptic vesicle proteins, Ca2+ channels and synaptic vesicle recycling. Postsynaptically, they are based on rapsyn-anchored nAChR clusters, localized sensitivity to ACh, and synaptic stabilization via linkage to the extracellular matrix so as to be precisely opposed to the nerve terminal. Focusing on neural agrin, Wnts, muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (a mediator of agrin and Wnts signalings and regulator of trans-synaptic communication), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (the receptor of agrin and Wnts and participant in retrograde signaling), laminin-network (including muscle-derived agrin), extracellular matrix proteins (participating in the synaptic stabilization) and presynaptic receptors (including muscarinic and adenosine receptors), we review the functional structures of the synapse by making reference to immunological pathogenecities in postsynaptic disease, myasthenia gravis. The synapse-related proteins including cortactin, coronin-6, caveolin-3, doublecortin, R-spondin 2, amyloid precursor family proteins, glia cell-derived neurotrophic factor and neurexins are also discussed in terms of their possible contribution to efficient synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaharu Takamori
- Neurological Center, Kanazawa-Nishi Hospital, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0025, Japan.
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Muscle Yap Is a Regulator of Neuromuscular Junction Formation and Regeneration. J Neurosci 2017; 37:3465-3477. [PMID: 28213440 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2934-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Yes-associated protein (Yap) is a major effector of the Hippo pathway that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation during development and restricts tissue growth in adult animals. However, its role in synapse formation remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized Yap's role in the formation of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). In HSA-Yap-/- mice where Yap was mutated specifically in muscle cells, AChR clusters were smaller and were distributed in a broader region in the middle of muscle fibers, suggesting that muscle Yap is necessary for the size and location of AChR clusters. In addition, HSA-Yap-/- mice also exhibited remarkable presynaptic deficits. Many AChR clusters were not or less covered by nerve terminals; miniature endplate potential frequency was reduced, which was associated with an increase in paired-pulse facilitation, indicating structural and functional defects. In addition, muscle Yap mutation prevented reinnervation of denervated muscle fibers. Together, these observations indicate a role of muscle Yap in NMJ formation and regeneration. We found that β-catenin was reduced in the cytoplasm and nucleus of mutant muscles, suggesting compromised β-catenin signaling. Both NMJ formation and regeneration deficits of HSA-Yap-/- mice were ameliorated by inhibiting β-catenin degradation, further corroborating a role of β-catenin or Wnt-dependent signaling downstream of Yap to regulate NMJ formation and regeneration.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This paper explored the role of Yes-associated protein (Yap) in neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation and regeneration. Yap is a major effector of the Hippo pathway that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation during development and restricts tissue growth in adult animals. However, its role in synapse formation remains poorly understood. We provide evidence that muscle Yap mutation impairs both postsynaptic and presynaptic differentiation and function and inhibits NMJ regeneration after nerve injury, indicating a role of muscle Yap in these events. Further studies suggest compromised β-catenin signaling as a potential mechanism. Both NMJ formation and regeneration deficits of HSA-Yap-/- mice were ameliorated by inhibiting β-catenin degradation, corroborating a role of β-catenin or Wnt-dependent signaling downstream of Yap to regulate NMJ formation and regeneration.
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Eiber N, Simeone L, Hashemolhosseini S. Ablation of Protein Kinase CK2β in Skeletal Muscle Fibers Interferes with Their Oxidative Capacity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2017; 10:ph10010013. [PMID: 28106831 PMCID: PMC5374417 DOI: 10.3390/ph10010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The tetrameric protein kinase CK2 was identified playing a role at neuromuscular junctions by studying CK2β-deficient muscle fibers in mice, and in cultured immortalized C2C12 muscle cells after individual knockdown of CK2α and CK2β subunits. In muscle cells, CK2 activity appeared to be at least required for regular aggregation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which serves as a hallmark for the presence of a postsynaptic apparatus. Here, we set out to determine whether any other feature accompanies CK2β-deficient muscle fibers. Hind limb muscles gastrocnemius, plantaris, and soleus of adult wildtype and CK2β-deficient mice were dissected, cross-sectioned, and stained histochemically by Gomori trichrome and for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) enzymatic activities. A reduction of oxidative enzymatic activity was determined for CK2β-deficient muscle fibers in comparison with wildtype controls. Importantly, the CK2β-deficient fibers, muscle fibers that typically exhibit high NADH dehydrogenase and SDH activities, like slow-type fibers, showed a marked reduction in these activities. Altogether, our data indicate additional impairments in the absence of CK2β in skeletal muscle fibers, pointing to an eventual mitochondrial myopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nane Eiber
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Fahrstrasse 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Luca Simeone
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Fahrstrasse 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Said Hashemolhosseini
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Fahrstrasse 17, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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The origins of rimmed vacuoles and granulovacuolar degeneration bodies are associated with the Wnt signaling pathway. Neurosci Lett 2017; 638:55-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein Deletion in Efferent Olivocochlear Neurons Perturbs Afferent Synaptic Maturation and Reduces the Dynamic Range of Hearing. J Neurosci 2015; 35:9236-45. [PMID: 26085645 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4384-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Normal hearing requires proper differentiation of afferent ribbon synapses between inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) that carry acoustic information to the brain. Within individual IHCs, presynaptic ribbons show a size gradient with larger ribbons on the modiolar face and smaller ribbons on the pillar face. This structural gradient is associated with a gradient of spontaneous rates and threshold sensitivity, which is essential for a wide dynamic range of hearing. Despite their importance for hearing, mechanisms that direct ribbon differentiation are poorly defined. We recently identified adenomatous polyposis coli protein (APC) as a key regulator of interneuronal synapse maturation. Here, we show that APC is required for ribbon size heterogeneity and normal cochlear function. Compared with wild-type littermates, APC conditional knock-out (cKO) mice exhibit decreased auditory brainstem responses. The IHC ribbon size gradient is also perturbed. Whereas the normal-developing IHCs display ribbon size gradients before hearing onset, ribbon sizes are aberrant in APC cKOs from neonatal ages on. Reporter expression studies show that the CaMKII-Cre used to delete the floxed APC gene is present in efferent olivocochlear (OC) neurons, not IHCs or SGNs. APC loss led to increased volumes and numbers of OC inhibitory dopaminergic boutons on neonatal SGN fibers. Our findings identify APC in efferent OC neurons as essential for regulating ribbon heterogeneity, dopaminergic terminal differentiation, and cochlear sensitivity. This APC effect on auditory epithelial cell synapses resembles interneuronal and nerve-muscle synapses, thereby defining a global role for APC in synaptic maturation in diverse cell types. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study identifies novel molecules and cellular interactions that are essential for the proper maturation of afferent ribbon synapses in sensory cells of the inner ear, and for normal hearing.
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Wu H, Barik A, Lu Y, Shen C, Bowman A, Li L, Sathyamurthy A, Lin TW, Xiong WC, Mei L. Slit2 as a β-catenin/Ctnnb1-dependent retrograde signal for presynaptic differentiation. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26159615 PMCID: PMC4498096 DOI: 10.7554/elife.07266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromuscular junction formation requires proper interaction between motoneurons and muscle cells. β-Catenin (Ctnnb1) in muscle is critical for motoneuron differentiation; however, little is known about the relevant retrograde signal. In this paper, we dissected which functions of muscle Ctnnb1 are critical by an in vivo transgenic approach. We show that Ctnnb1 mutant without the transactivation domain was unable to rescue presynaptic deficits of Ctnnb1 mutation, indicating the involvement of transcription regulation. On the other hand, the cell-adhesion function of Ctnnb1 is dispensable. We screened for proteins that may serve as a Ctnnb1-directed retrograde factor and identified Slit2. Transgenic expression of Slit2 specifically in the muscle was able to diminish presynaptic deficits by Ctnnb1 mutation in mice. Slit2 immobilized on beads was able to induce synaptophysin puncta in axons of spinal cord explants. Together, these observations suggest that Slit2 serves as a factor utilized by muscle Ctnnb1 to direct presynaptic differentiation. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07266.001 Motor nerves are like electrical wires that connect our spinal cord to the muscles in our body. These nerves communicate with muscles across a connection called the neuromuscular junction. To first form a neuromuscular junction, the motor nerves and muscles each produce molecular cues that tell each other to do their part to build a connection. Beta-catenin in the muscle is known to regulate motor nerve development. However, beta-catenin has two different roles: it helps to coordinate whether neighboring cells stick together, and it can regulate which genes are ‘transcribed’ to produce proteins. It was not known which of these roles is necessary for forming neuromuscular junctions. Wu, Barik et al. now investigate this question by creating mice with mutant forms of beta-catenin in their muscles. Some mice had muscle beta-catenin that could not help cells stick together, and others had beta-catenin that could not control gene transcription. Only mutations that affected the ability of beta-catenin to control transcription caused abnormalities in the neuromuscular junction. However, these problems could be fixed by adding either normal beta-catenin or the mutant form that cannot help cells stick together. Wu, Barik et al. then used molecular tools to explore which genes are turned on by beta-catenin. The experiments showed that beta-catenin causes muscle fibers to produce a protein called Slit2—a developmental cue that controls where neurons grow. Furthermore, the neuromuscular junction defects found in mice without beta-catenin in their muscles could be reduced by making the muscle fibers produce more Slit2. However, not all defects in beta-catenin mutant mice are rescued by Slit2. Future research is needed to identify other beta-catenin-controlled signals and to determine whether such a pathway is altered in neuromuscular disorders. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.07266.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Arnab Barik
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Yisheng Lu
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Chengyong Shen
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Andrew Bowman
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Anupama Sathyamurthy
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Thiri W Lin
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Wen-Cheng Xiong
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, United States
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Tintignac LA, Brenner HR, Rüegg MA. Mechanisms Regulating Neuromuscular Junction Development and Function and Causes of Muscle Wasting. Physiol Rev 2015; 95:809-52. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00033.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuromuscular junction is the chemical synapse between motor neurons and skeletal muscle fibers. It is designed to reliably convert the action potential from the presynaptic motor neuron into the contraction of the postsynaptic muscle fiber. Diseases that affect the neuromuscular junction may cause failure of this conversion and result in loss of ambulation and respiration. The loss of motor input also causes muscle wasting as muscle mass is constantly adapted to contractile needs by the balancing of protein synthesis and protein degradation. Finally, neuromuscular activity and muscle mass have a major impact on metabolic properties of the organisms. This review discusses the mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of the neuromuscular junction, the consequences of and the mechanisms involved in its dysfunction, and its role in maintaining muscle mass during aging. As life expectancy is increasing, loss of muscle mass during aging, called sarcopenia, has emerged as a field of high medical need. Interestingly, aging is also accompanied by structural changes at the neuromuscular junction, suggesting that the mechanisms involved in neuromuscular junction maintenance might be disturbed during aging. In addition, there is now evidence that behavioral paradigms and signaling pathways that are involved in longevity also affect neuromuscular junction stability and sarcopenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel A. Tintignac
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; and INRA, UMR866 Dynamique Musculaire et Métabolisme, Montpellier, France
| | - Hans-Rudolf Brenner
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; and INRA, UMR866 Dynamique Musculaire et Métabolisme, Montpellier, France
| | - Markus A. Rüegg
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; and INRA, UMR866 Dynamique Musculaire et Métabolisme, Montpellier, France
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20
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Stokes C, Treinin M, Papke RL. Looking below the surface of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2015; 36:514-23. [PMID: 26067101 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2015.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The amino acid sequences of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) from diverse species can be compared across extracellular, transmembrane, and intracellular domains. The intracellular domains are most divergent among subtypes, yet relatively consistent among species. The diversity indicates that each nAChR subtype has a unique language for communication with its host cell. The conservation across species also suggests that the intracellular domains have defining functional roles for each subtype. Secondary structure prediction indicates two relatively conserved alpha helices within the intracellular domains of all nAChRs. Among all subtypes, the intracellular domain of α7 nAChR is one of the most well conserved, and α7 nAChRs have effects in non-neuronal cells independent of generating ion currents, making it likely that the α7 intracellular domain directly mediates signal transduction. There are potential phosphorylation and protein-binding sites in the α7 intracellular domain, which are conserved and may be the basis for α7-mediated signal transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Stokes
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Millet Treinin
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Hadassah Medical School, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Roger L Papke
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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21
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Abstract
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a synapse between motor neurons and skeletal muscle fibers, and is critical for control of muscle contraction. Its formation requires neuronal agrin that acts by binding to LRP4 to stimulate MuSK. Mutations have been identified in agrin, MuSK, and LRP4 in patients with congenital myasthenic syndrome, and patients with myasthenia gravis develop antibodies against agrin, LRP4, and MuSK. However, it remains unclear whether the agrin signaling pathway is critical for NMJ maintenance because null mutation of any of the three genes is perinatal lethal. In this study, we generated imKO mice, a mutant strain whose LRP4 gene can be deleted in muscles by doxycycline (Dox) treatment. Ablation of the LRP4 gene in adult muscle enabled studies of its role in NMJ maintenance. We demonstrate that Dox treatment of P30 mice reduced muscle strength and compound muscle action potentials. AChR clusters became fragmented with diminished junctional folds and synaptic vesicles. The amplitude and frequency of miniature endplate potentials were reduced, indicating impaired neuromuscular transmission and providing cellular mechanisms of adult LRP4 deficiency. We showed that LRP4 ablation led to the loss of synaptic agrin and the 90 kDa fragments, which occurred ahead of other prejunctional and postjunctional components, suggesting that LRP4 may regulate the stability of synaptic agrin. These observations demonstrate that LRP4 is essential for maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the NMJ and that loss of muscle LRP4 in adulthood alone is sufficient to cause myasthenic symptoms.
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22
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Barik A, Zhang B, Sohal GS, Xiong WC, Mei L. Crosstalk between Agrin and Wnt signaling pathways in development of vertebrate neuromuscular junction. Dev Neurobiol 2014; 74:828-38. [PMID: 24838312 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Revised: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a cholinergic synapse where motor neurons elicit muscle contraction. Agrin and its coreceptors LRP4 and MuSK are critical for vertebrate NMJ formation. This paper reviews recent evidence for Wnts and Wnt signaling molecules in NMJ formation including a possible retrograde mechanism by muscle β-catenin. We also present data that Wnt3a, 7a, 8a and 10b could inhibit agrin-mediated AChR clustering. Together with the stimulating effect of Wnt9a, 9b, 10b, 11 and 16 on AChR clustering in the absence of agrin, these results suggest diverse roles for Wnt ligands in NMJ development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Barik
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, 30912
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23
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Wang JY, Chen F, Fu XQ, Ding CS, Zhou L, Zhang XH, Luo ZG. Caspase-3 cleavage of dishevelled induces elimination of postsynaptic structures. Dev Cell 2014; 28:670-84. [PMID: 24631402 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
During the development of vertebrate neuromuscular junction (NMJ), agrin stabilizes, whereas acetylcholine (ACh) destabilizes AChR clusters, leading to the refinement of synaptic connections. The intracellular mechanism underlying this counteractive interaction remains elusive. Here, we show that caspase-3, the effector protease involved in apoptosis, mediates elimination of AChR clusters. We found that caspase-3 was activated by cholinergic stimulation of cultured muscle cells without inducing cell apoptosis and that this activation was prevented by agrin. Interestingly, inhibition of caspase-3 attenuated ACh agonist-induced dispersion of AChR clusters. Furthermore, we identified Dishevelled1 (Dvl1), a Wnt signaling protein involved in AChR clustering, as the substrate of caspase-3. Blocking Dvl1 cleavage prevented induced dispersion of AChR clusters. Finally, inhibition or genetic ablation of caspase-3 or expression of a caspase-3-resistant form of Dvl1 caused stabilization of aneural AChR clusters. Thus, caspase-3 plays an important role in the elimination of postsynaptic structures during the development of NMJs.
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MESH Headings
- Acetylcholine/metabolism
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/antagonists & inhibitors
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism
- Agrin/physiology
- Animals
- Caspase 3/metabolism
- Cells, Cultured
- Dishevelled Proteins
- Electrophysiology
- Embryo, Mammalian/cytology
- Embryo, Mammalian/metabolism
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
- Immunoenzyme Techniques
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Motor Neurons/cytology
- Motor Neurons/metabolism
- Muscle, Skeletal/cytology
- Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism
- Neuromuscular Junction/physiology
- Phosphoproteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Phosphoproteins/genetics
- Phosphoproteins/metabolism
- RNA, Small Interfering/genetics
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Cholinergic/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Synaptic Potentials/physiology
- Synaptic Transmission
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Yuan Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Fei Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiu-Qing Fu
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Chuang-Shi Ding
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 319 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Hui Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhen-Ge Luo
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Graduate School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 319 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
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24
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Poon VY, Choi S, Park M. Growth factors in synaptic function. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2013; 5:6. [PMID: 24065916 PMCID: PMC3776238 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2013.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are increasingly recognized as key structures that malfunction in disorders like schizophrenia, mental retardation, and neurodegenerative diseases. The importance and complexity of the synapse has fuelled research into the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission, and plasticity. In this regard, neurotrophic factors such as netrin, Wnt, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and others have gained prominence for their ability to regulate synaptic function. Several of these factors were first implicated in neuroprotection, neuronal growth, and axon guidance. However, their roles in synaptic development and function have become increasingly clear, and the downstream signaling pathways employed by these factors have begun to be elucidated. In this review, we will address the role of these factors and their downstream effectors in synaptic function in vivo and in cultured neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Y Poon
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Singapore
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25
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Takamori M. Structure of the neuromuscular junction: function and cooperative mechanisms in the synapse. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1274:14-23. [PMID: 23252893 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06784.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As an overview of the structure of the neuromuscular junction, three items are described focusing on cooperative mechanisms involving the synapse and leading to muscle contraction: (1) presynaptic acetylcholine release regulated by vesicle cycling (exocytosis and endocytosis); the fast-mode of endocytosis requires a large influx of external Ca(2+) and is promoted by the activation of G protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases; (2) postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor clustering mediated by the muscle-specific, Dok7-stimulated tyrosine kinase (MuSK) through two signaling mechanisms: one via agrin-Lrp4-MuSK (Ig1/2 domains) and the second via Wnt-MuSK (Frizzled-like cysteine-rich domain)-adaptor Dishevelled; Wnts/MuSK and Lrp4 direct a retrograde signal to presynaptic differentiation; (3) muscle contractile machinery regulated by Ca(2+) -release and Ca(2+) -influx channels, including the depolarization-activated ryanodine receptor-1 and the receptor- and/or store-operated transient receptor potential canonical. The first mechanism is dysfunctional in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, the second in anti-acetylcholine receptor-negative myasthenia gravis (MG), and the third in thymoma-associated MG.
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26
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Rudell JB, Ferns MJ. Regulation of muscle acetylcholine receptor turnover by β subunit tyrosine phosphorylation. Dev Neurobiol 2013; 73:399-410. [PMID: 23325468 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2012] [Revised: 11/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the postsynaptic localization of muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR) is regulated by neural signals and occurs via several processes including metabolic stabilization of the receptor. However, the molecular mechanisms that influence receptor stability remain poorly defined. Here, we show that neural agrin and the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, pervanadate slow the degradation of surface receptor in cultured muscle cells. Their action is mediated by tyrosine phosphorylation of the AChR β subunit, as agrin and pervandate had no effect on receptor half-life in AChR-β(3F/3F) muscle cells, which have targeted mutations of the β subunit cytoplasmic tyrosines. Moreover, in wild type AChR-β(3Y) muscle cells, we found a linear relationship between average receptor half-life and the percentage of AChR with phosphorylated β subunit, with half-lives of 12.7 and 23 h for nonphosphorylated and phosphorylated receptor, respectively. Surprisingly, pervanadate increased receptor half-life in AChR-β(3Y) myotubes in the absence of clustering, and agrin failed to increase receptor half-life in AChR-β(3F/3F) myotubes even in the presence of clustering. The metabolic stabilization of the AChR was mediated specifically by phosphorylation of βY390 as mutation of this residue abolished β subunit phosphorylation but did not affect δ subunit phosphorylation. Receptor stabilization also led to higher receptor levels, as agrin increased surface AChR by 30% in AChR-β(3Y) but not AChR-β(3F/3F) myotubes. Together, these findings identify an unexpected role for agrin-induced phosphorylation of β(Y390) in downregulating AChR turnover. This likely stabilizes AChR at developing synapses, and contributes to the extended half-life of AChR at adult NMJs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B Rudell
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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27
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Kusiak AN, Selzer ME. Neuroplasticity in the spinal cord. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2013; 110:23-42. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-52901-5.00003-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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28
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Wang J, Luo ZG. The role of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in postsynaptic differentiation. Commun Integr Biol 2012; 1:158-60. [PMID: 19704879 DOI: 10.4161/cib.1.2.7099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2008] [Accepted: 09/30/2008] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synapses are basic units that mediate the communication between neurons and their target cells. The formation of synapse is regulated by secreted factors, receptors, adhesion molecules and intracellular signaling molecules. The interplay between positive and negative factors determines synapse assembling, remodeling and elimination, resulting in the formation of precise synaptic connections. However, compared to the abundant identified positive factors, negative factors are largely unknown. We have recently shown that Wnt3a acts as a negative factor that inhibits postsynaptic differentiation at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the synapse formed between motor neurons and skeletal muscle fibers. The clustering of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) guarantees efficient and accurate neurotransmission and is a hallmark for postsynaptic differentiation at the NMJ. We found that treatment with Wnt3a or upregulation of beta-catenin inhibited the formation of AChR clusters. Furthermore, we investigated the underlying mechanism and found that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling negatively regulated AChR clustering by downregulating the expression of Rapsyn, an AChR-associated protein required for formation and stabilization of AChR clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and Key Laboratory of Neurobiology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shanghai P.R. China
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29
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Onouchi T, Takamori N, Senda T. Colocalization of APC and PSD-95 in the nerve fiber as well as in the post-synapse of matured neurons. Med Mol Morphol 2012; 45:152-60. [DOI: 10.1007/s00795-011-0552-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Accepted: 05/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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30
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Singhal N, Martin PT. Role of extracellular matrix proteins and their receptors in the development of the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 71:982-1005. [PMID: 21766463 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate neuromuscular junction (NMJ) remains the best-studied model for understanding the mechanisms involved in synaptogenesis, due to its relatively large size, its simplicity of patterning, and its unparalleled experimental accessibility. During neuromuscular development, each skeletal myofiber secretes and deposits around its extracellular surface an assemblage of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that ultimately form a basal lamina. This is also the case at the NMJ, where the motor nerve contributes additional factors. Before most of the current molecular components were known, it was clear that the synaptic ECM of adult skeletal muscles was unique in composition and contained factors sufficient to induce the differentiation of both pre- and postsynaptic membranes. Biochemical, genetic, and microscopy studies have confirmed that agrin, laminin (221, 421, and 521), collagen IV (α3-α6), collagen XIII, perlecan, and the ColQ-bound form of acetylcholinesterase are all synaptic ECM proteins with important roles in neuromuscular development. The roles of their many potential receptors and/or binding proteins have been more difficult to assess at the genetic level due to the complexity of membrane interactions with these large proteins, but roles for MuSK-LRP4 in agrin signaling and for integrins, dystroglycan, and voltage-gated calcium channels in laminin-dependent phenotypes have been identified. Synaptic ECM proteins and their receptors are involved in almost all aspects of synaptic development, including synaptic initiation, topography, ultrastructure, maturation, stability, and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Singhal
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio 43205, USA
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31
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Schmidt N, Basu S, Sladecek S, Gatti S, van Haren J, Treves S, Pielage J, Galjart N, Brenner HR. Agrin regulates CLASP2-mediated capture of microtubules at the neuromuscular junction synaptic membrane. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 198:421-37. [PMID: 22851317 PMCID: PMC3413356 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201111130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Agrin regulates acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction by locally stabilizing microtubules through the plus end tracking proteins CLASP2 and CLIP-170. Agrin is the major factor mediating the neuronal regulation of postsynaptic structures at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction, but the details of how it orchestrates this unique three-dimensional structure remain unknown. Here, we show that agrin induces the formation of the dense network of microtubules in the subsynaptic cytoplasm and that this, in turn, regulates acetylcholine receptor insertion into the postsynaptic membrane. Agrin acted in part by locally activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and inactivating GSK3β, which led to the local capturing of dynamic microtubules at agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters, mediated to a large extent by the microtubule plus-end tracking proteins CLASP2 and CLIP-170. Indeed, in the absence of CLASP2, microtubule plus ends at the subsynaptic muscle membrane, the density of synaptic AChRs, the size of AChR clusters, and the numbers of subsynaptic muscle nuclei with their selective gene expression programs were all reduced. Thus, the cascade linking agrin to CLASP2-mediated microtubule capturing at the synaptic membrane is essential for the maintenance of a normal neuromuscular phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Schmidt
- Department of Biomedicine, Institute of Physiology, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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32
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Abstract
Wnt proteins are best known for their profound roles in cell patterning, because they are required for the embryonic development of all animal species studied to date. Besides regulating cell fate, Wnt proteins are gaining increasing recognition for their roles in nervous system development and function. New studies indicate that multiple positive and negative Wnt signaling pathways take place simultaneously during the formation of vertebrate and invertebrate neuromuscular junctions. Although some Wnts are essential for the formation of NMJs, others appear to play a more modulatory role as part of multiple signaling pathways. Here we review the most recent findings regarding the function of Wnts at the NMJ from both vertebrate and invertebrate model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Koles
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, 01605, USA
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33
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Molecular mechanisms underlying maturation and maintenance of the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. Trends Neurosci 2012; 35:441-53. [PMID: 22633140 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2012.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a peripheral synapse formed between motoneuron and skeletal muscle, is characterized by a protracted postnatal period of maturation and life-long maintenance. In neuromuscular disorders such as congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMSs), disruptions of NMJ maturation and/or maintenance are frequently observed. In particular, defective neuromuscular transmission associated with structural and molecular abnormalities at the pre- and postsynaptic membranes, as well as at the synaptic cleft, has been reported in these patients. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of molecular and cellular events that mediate NMJ maturation and maintenance. The underlying regulatory mechanisms, including key molecular regulators at the presynaptic nerve terminal, synaptic cleft, and postsynaptic muscle membrane, are discussed.
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34
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Wu H, Lu Y, Barik A, Joseph A, Taketo MM, Xiong WC, Mei L. β-Catenin gain of function in muscles impairs neuromuscular junction formation. Development 2012; 139:2392-404. [PMID: 22627288 DOI: 10.1242/dev.080705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation requires proper interaction between motoneurons and muscle cells. β-Catenin is required in muscle cells for NMJ formation. To understand underlying mechanisms, we investigated the effect of β-catenin gain of function (GOF) on NMJ development. In HSA-β-cat(flox(ex3)/+) mice, which express stable β-catenin specifically in muscles, motor nerve terminals became extensively defasciculated and arborized. Ectopic muscles were observed in the diaphragm and were innervated by ectopic phrenic nerve branches. Moreover, extensive outgrowth and branching of spinal axons were evident in the GOF mice. These results indicate that increased β-catenin in muscles alters presynaptic differentiation. Postsynaptically, AChR clusters in HSA-β-cat(flox(ex3)/+) diaphragms were distributed in a wider region, suggesting that muscle β-catenin GOF disrupted the signal that restricts AChR clustering to the middle region of muscle fibers. Expression of stable β-catenin in motoneurons, however, had no effect on NMJ formation. These observations provide additional genetic evidence that pre- and postsynaptic development of the NMJ requires an intricate balance of β-catenin activity in muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Wu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA
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35
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Park M, Shen K. WNTs in synapse formation and neuronal circuitry. EMBO J 2012; 31:2697-704. [PMID: 22617419 DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2012.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt proteins play important roles in wiring neural circuits. Wnts regulate many aspects of neural circuit generation through their receptors and distinct signalling pathways. In this review, we discuss recent findings on the functions of Wnts in various aspects of neural circuit formation, including neuronal polarity, axon guidance, synapse formation, and synaptic plasticity in vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikyoung Park
- Center for Functional Connectomics, Brain Science Institute, Seoul, Korea.
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36
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Barik A, Xiong WC, Mei L. MuSK: A Kinase Critical for the Formation and Maintenance of the Neuromuscular Junction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-824-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
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37
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Liu Y, Sugiura Y, Wu F, Mi W, Taketo MM, Cannon S, Carroll T, Lin W. β-Catenin stabilization in skeletal muscles, but not in motor neurons, leads to aberrant motor innervation of the muscle during neuromuscular development in mice. Dev Biol 2012; 366:255-67. [PMID: 22537499 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2012] [Revised: 04/04/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
β-Catenin, a key component of the Wnt signaling pathway, has been implicated in the development of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in mice, but its precise role in this process remains unclear. Here we use a β-catenin gain-of-function mouse model to stabilize β-catenin selectively in either skeletal muscles or motor neurons. We found that β-catenin stabilization in skeletal muscles resulted in increased motor axon number and excessive intramuscular nerve defasciculation and branching. In contrast, β-catenin stabilization in motor neurons had no adverse effect on motor innervation pattern. Furthermore, stabilization of β-catenin, either in skeletal muscles or in motor neurons, had no adverse effect on the formation and function of the NMJ. Our findings demonstrate that β-catenin levels in developing muscles in mice are crucial for proper muscle innervation, rather than specifically affecting synapse formation at the NMJ, and that the regulation of muscle innervation by β-catenin is mediated by a non-cell autonomous mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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38
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Henríquez JP, Salinas PC. Dual roles for Wnt signalling during the formation of the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2012; 204:128-36. [PMID: 21554559 DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2011.02295.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Wnt proteins play prominent roles in different aspects of neuronal development culminating with the formation of complex neuronal circuits. Here, we discuss new studies addressing the function of Wnt signalling at the peripheral neuromuscular junction (NMJ). In both, invertebrate and vertebrate organisms, Wnt signalling promotes and also inhibits the assembly of the neuromuscular synapse. Here, we focus our attention on recent studies at the vertebrate NMJ that demonstrate that some Wnt proteins collaborate with the Agrin-MuSK signalling to induce post-synaptic differentiation. In contrast, Wnts that activate the Wnt/β-catenin signalling inhibit post-synaptic differentiation. The dual function of different Wnts might finely modulate the proper apposition of the pre- and post-synaptic terminals during NMJ formation and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Henríquez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
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39
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Agrin triggers the clustering of raft-associated acetylcholine receptors through actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Biol Cell 2011; 103:287-301. [PMID: 21524273 DOI: 10.1042/bc20110018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Cholesterol/sphingolipid-rich membrane microdomains or membrane rafts have been implicated in various aspects of receptor function such as activation, trafficking and synapse localization. More specifically in muscle, membrane rafts are involved in AChR (acetylcholine receptor) clustering triggered by the neural factor agrin, a mechanism considered integral to NMJ (neuromuscular junction) formation. In addition, actin polymerization is required for the formation and stabilization of AChR clusters in muscle fibres. Since membrane rafts are platforms sustaining actin nucleation, we hypothesize that these microdomains provide the suitable microenvironment favouring agrin/MuSK (muscle-specific kinase) signalling, eliciting in turn actin cytoskeleton reorganization and AChR clustering. However, the identity of the signalling pathways operating through these microdomains still remains unclear. RESULTS In this work, we attempted to identify the interactions between membrane raft components and cortical skeleton that regulate, upon signalling by agrin, the assembly and stabilization of synaptic proteins of the postsynaptic membrane domain at the NMJ. We provide evidence that in C2C12 myotubes, agrin triggers the association of a subset of membrane rafts enriched in AChR, the -MuSK and Cdc42 (cell division cycle 42) to the actin cytoskeleton. Disruption of the liquid-ordered phase by methyl-β-cyclodextrin abolished this association. We further show that actin and the actin-nucleation factors, N-WASP (neuronal Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome protein) and Arp2/3 (actin-related protein 2/3) are transiently associated with rafts on agrin engagement. Consistent with these observations, pharmacological inhibition of N-WASP activity perturbed agrin-elicited AChR clustering. Finally, immunoelectron microscopic analyses of myotube membrane uncovered that AChRs were constitutively associated with raft nanodomains at steady state that progressively coalesced on agrin activation. These rearrangements of membrane domains correlated with the reorganization of cortical actin cytoskeleton through concomitant and transient recruitment of the Arp2/3 complex to AChR-enriched rafts. CONCLUSIONS The present observations support the notion that membrane rafts are involved in AChR clustering by promoting local actin cytoskeleton reorganization through the recruitment of effectors of the agrin/MuSK signalling cascade. These mechanisms are believed to play an important role in vivo in the formation of the NMJ.
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40
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Zhao Y, Wang X, Wang T, Hu X, Hui X, Yan M, Gao Q, Chen T, Li J, Yao M, Wan D, Gu J, Fan J, He X. Acetylcholinesterase, a key prognostic predictor for hepatocellular carcinoma, suppresses cell growth and induces chemosensitization. Hepatology 2011; 53:493-503. [PMID: 21274871 DOI: 10.1002/hep.24079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2010] [Accepted: 09/08/2010] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) plays important roles in the cholinergic system, and its dysregulation is involved in a variety of human diseases. However, the roles and implications of ACHE in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive. Here we demonstrate that ACHE was significantly down-regulated in the cancerous tissues of 69.2% of HCC patients, and the low ACHE expression in HCC was correlated with tumor aggressiveness, an elevated risk of postoperative recurrence, and a low survival rate. Both the recombinant ACHE protein and the enhanced expression of ACHE significantly inhibited HCC cell growth in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. Further study showed that ACHE suppressed cell proliferation via its enzymatic activity of acetylcholine catalysis and degradation. Moreover, ACHE could inactivate mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidyl inositol-3'-phosphate kinase/protein kinase B pathways in HCC cells and thereby increase the activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and lead to β-catenin degradation and cyclin D1 suppression. In addition, increased ACHE expression could remarkably sensitize HCC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs (i.e., adriamycin and etoposide). CONCLUSION For the first time, we describe the function of ACHE as a tumor growth suppressor in regulating cell proliferation, the relevant signaling pathways, and the drug sensitivity of HCC cells. ACHE is a promising independent prognostic predictor for HCC recurrence and the survival of HCC patients. These findings provide new insights into potential strategies for drug discovery and improved HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjun Zhao
- Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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41
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Wang J, Fu XQ, Lei WL, Wang T, Sheng AL, Luo ZG. Nuclear factor kappaB controls acetylcholine receptor clustering at the neuromuscular junction. J Neurosci 2010; 30:11104-13. [PMID: 20720118 PMCID: PMC6633475 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2118-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2010] [Revised: 06/29/2010] [Accepted: 07/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
At the vertebrate neuromuscular junction (NMJ), acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering is stimulated by motor neuron-derived glycoprotein Agrin and requires a number of intracellular signal or structural proteins, including AChR-associated scaffold protein Rapsyn. Here, we report a role of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), a well known transcription factor involved in a variety of immune responses, in regulating AChR clustering at the NMJ. We found that downregulating the expression of RelA/p65 subunit of NF-kappaB or inhibiting NF-kappaB activity by overexpression of mutated form of IkappaB (inhibitor kappaB), which is resistant to proteolytic degradation and thus constitutively keeps NF-kappaB inactive in the cytoplasma, impeded the formation of AChR clusters in cultured C2C12 muscle cells stimulated by Agrin. In contrast, overexpression of RelA/p65 promoted AChR clustering. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanism by which NF-kappaB regulates AChR clustering. Interestingly, we found that downregulating the expression of RelA/p65 caused a marked reduction in the protein and mRNA level of Rapsyn and upregulation of RelA/p65 enhanced Rapsyn promoter activity. Mutation of NF-kappaB binding site on Rapsyn promoter prevented responsiveness to RelA/p65 regulation. Moreover, forced expression of Rapsyn in RelA/p65 downregulated muscle cells partially rescued AChR clusters, suggesting that NF-kappaB regulates AChR clustering, at least partially through the transcriptional regulation of Rapsyn. In line with this notion, genetic ablation of RelA/p65 selectively in the skeletal muscle caused a reduction of AChR density at the NMJ and a decrease in the level of Rapsyn. Thus, NF-kappaB signaling controls AChR clustering through transcriptional regulation of synaptic protein Rapsyn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiu-Qing Fu
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wen-Liang Lei
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Tong Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ai-Li Sheng
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Zhen-Ge Luo
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
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42
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Avila ME, Sepúlveda FJ, Burgos CF, Moraga-Cid G, Parodi J, Moon RT, Aguayo LG, Opazo C, De Ferrari GV. Canonical Wnt3a modulates intracellular calcium and enhances excitatory neurotransmission in hippocampal neurons. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:18939-47. [PMID: 20404321 PMCID: PMC2881816 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.103028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2010] [Revised: 04/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A role for Wnt signal transduction in the development and maintenance of brain structures is widely acknowledged. Recent studies have suggested that Wnt signaling may be essential for synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission. However, the direct effect of a Wnt protein on synaptic transmission had not been demonstrated. Here we show that nanomolar concentrations of purified Wnt3a protein rapidly increase the frequency of miniature excitatory synaptic currents in embryonic rat hippocampal neurons through a mechanism involving a fast influx of calcium from the extracellular space, induction of post-translational modifications on the machinery involved in vesicle exocytosis in the presynaptic terminal leading to spontaneous Ca(2+) transients. Our results identify the Wnt3a protein and a member of its complex receptor at the membrane, the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) coreceptor, as key molecules in neurotransmission modulation and suggest cross-talk between canonical and Wnt/Ca(2+) signaling in central neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel E. Avila
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and
| | - Fernando J. Sepúlveda
- Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción P.O. Box 4070386, Chile
| | | | - Gustavo Moraga-Cid
- Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción P.O. Box 4070386, Chile
| | - Jorge Parodi
- Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción P.O. Box 4070386, Chile
| | - Randall T. Moon
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Pharmacology and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195, and
| | - Luis G. Aguayo
- Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción P.O. Box 4070386, Chile
| | - Carlos Opazo
- Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción P.O. Box 4070386, Chile
| | - Giancarlo V. De Ferrari
- From the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and
- the Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago P.O. Box 8370134, Chile
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43
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Wu H, Xiong WC, Mei L. To build a synapse: signaling pathways in neuromuscular junction assembly. Development 2010; 137:1017-33. [PMID: 20215342 DOI: 10.1242/dev.038711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 379] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Synapses, as fundamental units of the neural circuitry, enable complex behaviors. The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a synapse type that forms between motoneurons and skeletal muscle fibers and that exhibits a high degree of subcellular specialization. Aided by genetic techniques and suitable animal models, studies in the past decade have brought significant progress in identifying NMJ components and assembly mechanisms. This review highlights recent advances in the study of NMJ development, focusing on signaling pathways that are activated by diffusible cues, which shed light on synaptogenesis in the brain and contribute to a better understanding of muscular dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Wu
- Program of Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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44
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Farías GG, Godoy JA, Cerpa W, Varela-Nallar L, Inestrosa NC. Wnt signaling modulates pre- and postsynaptic maturation: therapeutic considerations. Dev Dyn 2010; 239:94-101. [PMID: 19681159 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling regulates a wealth of aspects of nervous system development and function in embryonic stages and in adulthood. The expression of Wnt ligands and components of the Wnt signaling machinery in early stages of neural development has been related to its role in neurite patterning and in synaptogenesis. Moreover, its expression in the mature nervous system suggests a role for this pathway in synaptic maintenance and function. Therefore, it is of crucial relevance the understanding of the mechanisms by which Wnt signaling regulates these processes. Herein, we discuss how different Wnt ligands, acting through different Wnt signaling pathways, operate in pre- and postsynaptic regions to modulate synapse structure and function. We also elaborate on the idea that Wnt signaling pathways are a target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that affect synaptic integrity, such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ginny G Farías
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración (CARE), Instituto Milenio (MIFAB), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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45
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Roman J, Koval M. Control of lung epithelial growth by a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: the other side of the coin. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2009; 175:1799-801. [PMID: 19815701 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.090689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This Commentary provides a perspective on an article in the current issue of the American Journal of Pathology by Maouche et al, which demonstrates that alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors play a key role in regulating airway regeneration by limiting basal epithelial cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Roman
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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46
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Abstract
Although WNTs have been long thought of as regulators of cell fate, recent studies highlight their involvement in crucial aspects of synaptic development in the nervous system. Particularly compelling are recent studies of the neuromuscular junction in nematodes, insects, fish and mammals. These studies place WNTs as major determinants of synapse differentiation and neurotransmitter receptor clustering.
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47
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Carcereny E, Ramirez JL, Sanchez-Ronco M, Isla D, Cobo M, Moran T, de Aguirre I, Okamoto T, Wei J, Provencio M, Lopez-Vivanco G, Camps C, Domine M, Alberola V, Sanchez JM, Massuti B, Mendez P, Taron M, Rosell R. Blood-based CHRNA3 single nucleotide polymorphism and outcome in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients. Lung Cancer 2009; 68:491-7. [PMID: 19733931 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2009.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2009] [Revised: 07/29/2009] [Accepted: 08/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are associated with resistance to gemcitabine, cisplatin and paclitaxel in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CHRNA3, CHRNA5 and LOC123688 increase lung cancer risk. These SNPs may have influenced outcome in patients treated in our phase III trial. Stage IV NSCLC patients were treated with customized chemotherapy based on ERCC1 (excision repair cross-complementing 1) mRNA expression. Patients in the control arm received docetaxel/cisplatin; patients in the genotypic arm with low levels of ERCC1 received docetaxel/cisplatin; patients in the genotypic arm with high levels of ERCC1 received docetaxel/gemcitabine. DNA was extracted from lymphocytes, and CHRNA3 (rs1051730), CHRNA5 (rs16969968) and LOC123688 (rs8034191) SNPs were genotyped with the Taqman allele discrimination assay. A significant interaction was found for CHRNA3 and PS (P=0.02). In patients with PS 0, CT patients had a better response than both CC (P=0.01) and TT (P=0.02) patients, and patients in the low genotypic group also had a better response (P=0.01). When the CHRNA3 genotype was added in the multivariate analysis for progression-free survival, an improvement was observed in the low genotypic group in PS 0 patients (P=0.02). PS 0 patients in the low genotypic group with the CT genotype attained an 84% response rate, 12.1-month progression-free survival, and 19-month median survival. CHRNA3 (rs1051730) genotyping can improve customized chemotherapy based on tumor assessment of ERCC1 mRNA in stage IV NSCLC with PS 0.
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Abstract
Clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) in muscle fibers prior to innervation by motor neurons is thought to be involved in neuromuscular junction formation. Jing et al. now report in Neuron that this prepatterning of AChRs, via a novel MuSK-dependent Wnt pathway, may guide motor axons to the central region of muscle fibers for synapse formation in zebrafish.
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49
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Wnt signals organize synaptic prepattern and axon guidance through the zebrafish unplugged/MuSK receptor. Neuron 2009; 61:721-33. [PMID: 19285469 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2008] [Revised: 11/13/2008] [Accepted: 12/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Early during neuromuscular development, acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) accumulate at the center of muscle fibers, precisely where motor growth cones navigate and synapses eventually form. Here, we show that Wnt11r binds to the zebrafish unplugged/MuSK ectodomain to organize this central muscle zone. In the absence of such a zone, prepatterned AChRs fail to aggregate and, as visualized by live-cell imaging, growth cones stray from their central path. Using inducible unplugged/MuSK transgenes, we show that organization of the central muscle zone is dispensable for the formation of neural synapses, but essential for AChR prepattern and motor growth cone guidance. Finally, we show that blocking noncanonical dishevelled signaling in muscle fibers disrupts AChR prepatterning and growth cone guidance. We propose that Wnt ligands activate unplugged/MuSK signaling in muscle fibers to restrict growth cone guidance and AChR prepatterns to the muscle center through a mechanism reminiscent of the planar cell polarity pathway.
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50
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Nam S, Min K, Hwang H, Lee HO, Lee JH, Yoon J, Lee H, Park S, Lee J. Control of rapsyn stability by the CUL-3-containing E3 ligase complex. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:8195-206. [PMID: 19158078 PMCID: PMC3282941 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m808230200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2008] [Revised: 01/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapsyn is a postsynaptic protein required for clustering of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) at the neuromuscular junction. Here we report the mechanism for posttranslational control of rapsyn protein stability. We confirmed that C18H9.7-encoded RPY-1 is a rapsyn homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans by showing that human rapsyn rescued rpy-1 mutant phenotypes in nematodes, as determined by levamisole assays and micropost array behavioral assays. We found that RPY-1 was degraded in the absence of functional UNC-29, a non-alpha subunit of the receptor, in an allele-specific manner, but not in the absence of other receptor subunits. The cytoplasmic loop of UNC-29 was found to be critical for RPY-1 stability. Through RNA interference screening, we found that UBC-1, UBC-12, NEDD-8, and RBX-1 were required for degradation of RPY-1. We identified cullin (CUL)-3 as a component of E3 ligase and KEL-8 as the substrate adaptor of RPY-1. Mammalian rapsyn was ubiquitinated by the CUL3/KLHL8-containing E3 ligase in vitro, and the knockdown of KLHL-8, a mammalian KEL-8 homolog, inhibited rapsyn ubiquitination in vivo, implying evolutionary conservation of the rapsyn stability control machinery. kel-8 suppression and rpy-1 overexpression in C. elegans produced a phenotype similar to that of a loss-of-function mutation of rpy-1, suggesting that control of rapsyn abundance is important for proper function of the receptor. Our results suggest a link between the control of rapsyn abundance and congenital myasthenic syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunghee Nam
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Kyoengwoo Min
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Hyejin Hwang
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Hae-ock Lee
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Jung Hwa Lee
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Jongbok Yoon
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Hyunsook Lee
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Sungsu Park
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
| | - Junho Lee
- Research Center for
Cellulomics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, School of Biological
Sciences, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea, the
Division of Nano Sciences (BK21),
Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea,
Protein Network Research Center,
Department of Biochemistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon, 120-749 Seoul,
Korea
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