scholarly journals Dynamic remodeling of scaffold interactions in dendritic spines controls synaptic excitability

2012 ◽  
Vol 198 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enora Moutin ◽  
Fabrice Raynaud ◽  
Jonathan Roger ◽  
Emilie Pellegrino ◽  
Vincent Homburger ◽  
...  

Scaffolding proteins interact with membrane receptors to control signaling pathways and cellular functions. However, the dynamics and specific roles of interactions between different components of scaffold complexes are poorly understood because of the dearth of methods available to monitor binding interactions. Using a unique combination of single-cell bioluminescence resonance energy transfer imaging in living neurons and electrophysiological recordings, in this paper, we depict the role of glutamate receptor scaffold complex remodeling in space and time to control synaptic transmission. Despite a broad colocalization of the proteins in neurons, we show that spine-confined assembly/disassembly of this scaffold complex, physiologically triggered by sustained activation of synaptic NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors, induces physical association between ionotropic (NMDA) and metabotropic (mGlu5a) synaptic glutamate receptors. This physical interaction results in an mGlu5a receptor–mediated inhibition of NMDA currents, providing an activity-dependent negative feedback loop on NMDA receptor activity. Such protein scaffold remodeling represents a form of homeostatic control of synaptic excitability.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (21) ◽  
pp. 11727
Author(s):  
Maria J. Sarmento ◽  
Luís Borges-Araújo ◽  
Sandra N. Pinto ◽  
Nuno Bernardes ◽  
Joana C. Ricardo ◽  
...  

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) is an essential plasma membrane component involved in several cellular functions, including membrane trafficking and cytoskeleton organization. This function multiplicity is partially achieved through a dynamic spatiotemporal organization of PI(4,5)P2 within the membrane. Here, we use a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) approach to quantitatively assess the extent of PI(4,5)P2 confinement within the plasma membrane. This methodology relies on the rigorous evaluation of the dependence of absolute FRET efficiencies between pleckstrin homology domains (PHPLCδ) fused with fluorescent proteins and their average fluorescence intensity at the membrane. PI(4,5)P2 is found to be significantly compartmentalized at the plasma membrane of HeLa cells, and these clusters are not cholesterol-dependent, suggesting that membrane rafts are not involved in the formation of these nanodomains. On the other hand, upon inhibition of actin polymerization, compartmentalization of PI(4,5)P2 is almost entirely eliminated, showing that the cytoskeleton network is the critical component responsible for the formation of nanoscale PI(4,5)P2 domains in HeLa cells.


2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1850-1860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiyuki Takaya ◽  
Takahiro Kamio ◽  
Michitaka Masuda ◽  
Naoki Mochizuki ◽  
Hirofumi Sawa ◽  
...  

R-Ras is a Ras-family small GTPase that regulates various cellular functions such as apoptosis and cell adhesion. Here, we demonstrate a role of R-Ras in exocytosis. By the use of specific anti-R-Ras antibody, we found that R-Ras was enriched on both early and recycling endosomes in a wide range of cell lines. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based probe for R-Ras activity, R-Ras activity was found to be higher on endosomes than on the plasma membrane. This high R-Ras activity on the endosomes correlated with the accumulation of an R-Ras effector, the Rgl2/Rlf guanine nucleotide exchange factor for RalA, and also with high RalA activity. The essential role played by R-Ras in inducing high levels of RalA activity on the endosomes was evidenced by the short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated suppression of R-Ras and by the expression of R-Ras GAP. In agreement with the reported role of RalA in exocytosis, the shRNA of either R-Ras or RalA was found to suppress calcium-triggered exocytosis in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. These data revealed that R-Ras activates RalA on endosomes and that it thereby positively regulates exocytosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e201900600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Hertlein ◽  
Hector Flores-Romero ◽  
Kushal K Das ◽  
Sebastian Fischer ◽  
Michael Heunemann ◽  
...  

The contacts between the ER and mitochondria play a key role in cellular functions such as the exchange of lipids and calcium between both organelles, as well as in apoptosis and autophagy signaling. The molecular architecture and spatiotemporal regulation of these distinct contact regions remain obscure and there is a need for new tools that enable tackling these questions. Here, we present a new bioluminescence resonance energy transfer–based biosensor for the quantitative analysis of distances between the ER and mitochondria that we call MERLIN (Mitochondria–ER Length Indicator Nanosensor). The main advantages of MERLIN compared with available alternatives are that it does not rely on the formation of artificial physical links between the two organelles, which could lead to artifacts, and that it allows to study contact site reversibility and dynamics. We show the applicability of MERLIN by characterizing the role of the mitochondrial dynamics machinery on the contacts of this organelle with the ER.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1596
Author(s):  
Elsa Ronzier ◽  
Claire Corratgé-Faillie ◽  
Frédéric Sanchez ◽  
Christian Brière ◽  
Tou Cheu Xiong

Post-translational regulations of Shaker-like voltage-gated K+ channels were reported to be essential for rapid responses to environmental stresses in plants. In particular, it has been shown that calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) regulate Shaker channels in plants. Here, the focus was on KAT2, a Shaker channel cloned in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, where is it expressed namely in the vascular tissues of leaves. After co-expression of KAT2 with AtCPK6 in Xenopuslaevis oocytes, voltage-clamp recordings demonstrated that AtCPK6 stimulates the activity of KAT2 in a calcium-dependent manner. A physical interaction between these two proteins has also been shown by Förster resonance energy transfer by fluorescence lifetime imaging (FRET-FLIM). Peptide array assays support that AtCPK6 phosphorylates KAT2 at several positions, also in a calcium-dependent manner. Finally, K+ fluorescence imaging in planta suggests that K+ distribution is impaired in kat2 knock-out mutant leaves. We propose that the AtCPK6/KAT2 couple plays a role in the homeostasis of K+ distribution in leaves.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (34) ◽  
pp. 23194-23203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debashis Majhi ◽  
Moloy Sarkar

With the aim to understand the role of the ionic constituents of ionic liquids (ILs) in their structural organization, resonance energy transfer (RET) studies between ionic liquids (donor) and rhodamine 6G (acceptor) have been investigated.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (40) ◽  
pp. 9923-9928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Gonzalez-Perez ◽  
Manu Ben Johny ◽  
Xiao-Ming Xia ◽  
Christopher J. Lingle

Structural symmetry is a hallmark of homomeric ion channels. Nonobligatory regulatory proteins can also critically define the precise functional role of such channels. For instance, the pore-forming subunit of the large conductance voltage and calcium-activated potassium (BK, Slo1, or KCa1.1) channels encoded by a single KCa1.1 gene assembles in a fourfold symmetric fashion. Functional diversity arises from two families of regulatory subunits, β and γ, which help define the range of voltages over which BK channels in a given cell are activated, thereby defining physiological roles. A BK channel can contain zero to four β subunits per channel, with each β subunit incrementally influencing channel gating behavior, consistent with symmetry expectations. In contrast, a γ1 subunit (or single type of γ1 subunit complex) produces a functionally all-or-none effect, but the underlying stoichiometry of γ1 assembly and function remains unknown. Here we utilize two distinct and independent methods, a Forster resonance energy transfer-based optical approach and a functional reporter in single-channel recordings, to reveal that a BK channel can contain up to four γ1 subunits, but a single γ1 subunit suffices to induce the full gating shift. This requires that the asymmetric association of a single regulatory protein can act in a highly concerted fashion to allosterically influence conformational equilibria in an otherwise symmetric K+channel.


Hypertension ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C Villela ◽  
Anke Teichmann ◽  
Sebastian Kirsch ◽  
Maibritt Mardahl ◽  
Lisa M Münter ◽  
...  

The angiotensin AT2-receptor (AT2R) and the receptor MAS share a strinkingly similar spectrum of signaling mechanisms and protective, physiological actions. Furthermore, cross-inhibition by the respective receptor antagonists has been observed. Therefore we hypothesised that a physical interaction between these two receptors may exist. HEK-293 cells were transfected with vectors encoding MAS or AT2R fused in the C-terminus with the fluorophores CFP or YFP for FRET and GFP or mCherry for FCCS. FRET with photobleaching was used to detect, whether MAS and AT2R are localised in very close proximity (1-10nm) in cell membranes thus indicating dimerisation. FCCS was used to follow simultaneously occurring fluctuations in fluorescence intensity of both labeled molecules. Several controls were applied such as co-transfection of equal amounts of fused and non-fused MAS/AT2R expression vectors for competition, co-tranfection of coding and uncoding pcDNA vectors or co-transfection with an unrelated transmembrane receptor. Experiments were conducted under baseline conditions and in cells treated with AT2R/MAS agonists and antagonists Significant FRET efficiency of 10.8±0.8% was measured for AT2-YFP/MAS-CFP strongly indicating heterodimerisation. FRET efficiency was not altered by AT2R or MAS agonists or antagonists. Non-fluorescent MAS and AT2R competed with fluorescent receptors as indicated by a 50% reduction in FRET efficiency (6.0±0.6%), while empty vectors did not compete (9.6±0.6%). No FRET efficiency was observed with an unrelated transmembrane receptor (0.44±1.44%) indicating specificity of receptor interactions. Both, MAS and AT2R also formed homodimers (7.4±0.8% for MAS, 9.2±0.8% for AT2R). Hetero- and homodimerisations were absent if amino acid C35 of the AT2R was mutated (3,9 ± 1,2%). FCCS corroborated the FRET results and revealed a significantly enhanced cross correlation in cells tranfected with fluorophore-tagged MAS/AT2R when compared to vectors only expressing the fluorophores (8.5±3% vs 11.1±4%; p<0.0001). Our data strongly suggest that MAS and the AT2R form homo- and heterodimers. Studies to investigate the physiological relevance of MAS/AT2R dimerisation are currently being conducted.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N Grammatika Pavlidou ◽  
S Pecha ◽  
H Reichenspurner ◽  
T Christ ◽  
V O Nikolaev ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cardiac arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), are often related to remodeling of membrane receptors and alterations in cAMP-dependent regulation of Ca2+ handling mechanisms. For instance, decreased L-type calcium current (ICa,L) density but upregulated RyR2 are major hallmarks of AF. These inhomogeneous AF-associated changes of protein phosphorylation point to a local regulation of PKA activity within these intracellular compartments. Local cAMP compartmentation and the role of phosphodiesterase (PDEs) have ben extensively studied in ventricular myocytes from animals. However, only a few studies have evaluated the contribution of PDEs to the pathophysiology of AF and the reason for the persistent AF-associated hypophosphorylation of the L-type calcium channel (LTCC) is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a change in the expression level of PDE8 in human atrium may affects cAMP nearby LTCC promoting the reduction of the ICa,L observed in persistent AF. Methods Atrial myocytes were isolated from tissue of 47 patients in sinus rhythm (SR) and with AF. Cells were then transfect with an adenovirus (Epac1-camps or pm-Epac1-camps) in order to express the (cytosolic or membrane, respectively) FRET-based cAMP sensor and cultured during 48 hours. Föster-resonance energy transfer (FRET) was used to measure cAMP in 232 isolated human atrial myocytes. Ro-20-1724 (10 μM), Cilostamide (1 μM) and PF-04957325 (30 nM) and IBMX (100 μM) were used as PDE4, PDE3, PDE8 and non-selective phosphodiesterases (PDEs) inhibitor respectively. Results Effects of PDE4 and especially PDE3 inhibition on cytosolic [cAMP] are reduced in AF. Pharmacological PDE8 inhibition induces only a small increase in basal intracellular [cAMP] in AF but it showed a big synergic effect when PDE4 was inhibit at the same time. By contrast, PDE8 inhibition dramatically increased basal [cAMP] in the subsarcolemmal compartment in AF while PDE3 or PDE4 inhibition had a smaller effect that didn't change between SR and AF. Conclusions PDE8 controls basal cytosolic cAMP levels in human atrial myocytes from patients with persistent AF while PDE3 effects tends to be reduced in these patients. Furthermore, PDE8 is the main PDE in controlling cAMP levels at the membrane in persistent AF. Thus, our study may provide a clue for the reported reduction of the ICa,L in persistent AF.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (35) ◽  
pp. 21711-21722
Author(s):  
Hongkang Liu ◽  
Ping Yi ◽  
Wenjing Zhao ◽  
Yuling Wu ◽  
Francine Acher ◽  
...  

Many membrane receptors are regulated by nutrients. However, how these nutrients control a single receptor remains unknown, even in the case of the well-studied calcium-sensing receptor CaSR, which is regulated by multiple factors, including ions and amino acids. Here, we developed an innovative cell-free Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based conformational CaSR biosensor to clarify the main conformational changes associated with activation. By allowing a perfect control of ambient nutrients, this assay revealed that Ca2+alone fully stabilizes the active conformation, while amino acids behave as pure positive allosteric modulators. Based on the identification of Ca2+activation sites, we propose a molecular basis for how these different ligands cooperate to control CaSR activation. Our results provide important information on CaSR function and improve our understanding of the effects of genetic mutations responsible for human diseases. They also provide insights into how a receptor can integrate signals from various nutrients to better adapt to the cell response.


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