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Yang W, Mei FC, Lin W, White MA, Li L, Li Y, Pan S, Cheng X. Protein SUMOylation promotes cAMP-independent EPAC1 activation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:283. [PMID: 38963422 PMCID: PMC11335207 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05315-y] [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: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Protein SUMOylation is a prevalent stress-response posttranslational modification crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Herein, we report that protein SUMOylation modulates cellular signaling mediated by cAMP, an ancient and universal stress-response second messenger. We identify K561 as a primary SUMOylation site in exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC1) via site-specific mapping of SUMOylation using mass spectrometry. Sequence and site-directed mutagenesis analyses reveal that a functional SUMO-interacting motif in EPAC1 is required for the binding of SUMO-conjugating enzyme UBC9, formation of EPAC1 nuclear condensate, and EPAC1 cellular SUMOylation. Heat shock-induced SUMO modification of EPAC1 promotes Rap1/2 activation in a cAMP-independent manner. Structural modeling and molecular dynamics simulation studies demonstrate that SUMO substituent on K561 of EPAC1 promotes Rap1 interaction by increasing the buried surface area between the SUMOylated receptor and its effector. Our studies identify a functional SUMOylation site in EPAC1 and unveil a novel mechanism in which SUMOylation of EPAC1 leads to its autonomous activation. The findings of SUMOylation-mediated activation of EPAC1 not only provide new insights into our understanding of cellular regulation of EPAC1 but also will open up a new field of experimentation concerning the cross-talk between cAMP/EPAC1 signaling and protein SUMOylation, two major cellular stress response pathways, during cellular homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Yang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fang C Mei
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wei Lin
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mark A White
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Li Li
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center, 2130 W Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sheng Pan
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaodong Cheng
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Zhang T, Dolga AM, Eisel ULM, Schmidt M. Novel crosstalk mechanisms between GluA3 and Epac2 in synaptic plasticity and memory in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 191:106389. [PMID: 38142840 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106389] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which accounts for the most cases of dementia worldwide. Impaired memory, including acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval, is one of the hallmarks in AD. At the cellular level, dysregulated synaptic plasticity partly due to reduced long-term potentiation (LTP) and enhanced long-term depression (LTD) underlies the memory deficits in AD. GluA3 containing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) are one of key receptors involved in rapid neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. Recent studies revealed a novel form of GluA3 involved in neuronal plasticity that is dependent on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), rather than N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). However, this cAMP-dependent GluA3 pathway is specifically and significantly impaired by amyloid beta (Aβ), a pathological marker of AD. cAMP is a key second messenger that plays an important role in modulating memory and synaptic plasticity. We previously reported that exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 2 (Epac2), acting as a main cAMP effector, plays a specific and time-limited role in memory retrieval. From electrophysiological perspective, Epac2 facilities the maintenance of LTP, a cellular event closely associated with memory retrieval. Additionally, Epac2 was found to be involved in the GluA3-mediated plasticity. In this review, we comprehensively summarize current knowledge regarding the specific roles of GluA3 and Epac2 in synaptic plasticity and memory, and their potential association with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, Netherlands
| | - Amalia M Dolga
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, GRIAC, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, Netherlands
| | - Martina Schmidt
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, GRIAC, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Yang W, Mei FC, Lin W, White MA, Li L, Li Y, Pan S, Cheng X. Protein SUMOylation promotes cAMP-independent EPAC1 activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574738. [PMID: 38260470 PMCID: PMC10802480 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC1) mediates the intracellular functions of a critical stress-response second messenger, cAMP. Herein, we report that EPAC1 is a cellular substrate of protein SUMOylation, a prevalent stress-response posttranslational modification. Site-specific mapping of SUMOylation by mass spectrometer leads to identifying K561 as a primary SUMOylation site in EPAC1. Sequence and site-directed mutagenesis analyses reveal a functional SUMO-interacting motif required for cellular SUMOylation of EPAC1. SUMO modification of EPAC1 mediates its heat shock-induced Rap1/2 activation in a cAMP-independent manner. Structural modeling and molecular dynamics simulation studies demonstrate that SUMO substituent on K561 of EPAC1 promotes Rap1 interaction by increasing the buried surface area between the SUMOylated receptor and its effector. Our studies identify a functional SUMOylation site in EPAC1 and unveil a novel mechanism in which SUMOylation of EPAC1 leads to its autonomous activation. The findings of SUMOylation-mediated activation of EPAC1 not only provide new insights into our understanding of cellular regulation of EPAC1 but also will open up a new field of experimentation concerning the cross-talk between cAMP/EPAC1 signaling and protein SUMOylation, two major cellular stress response pathways, during cellular homeostasis.
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