scholarly journals The Caenorhabditis elegans unc-64 Locus Encodes a Syntaxin That Interacts Genetically with Synaptobrevin

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1235-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owais Saifee ◽  
Liping Wei ◽  
Michael L. Nonet
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Vesicle Fusion ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Hydrophobic Membrane ◽  
Coiled Coil Domain ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle Fusion

We describe the molecular cloning and characterization of theunc-64 locus of Caenorhabditis elegans. unc-64 expresses three transcripts, each encoding a molecule with 63–64% identity to human syntaxin 1A, a membrane- anchored protein involved in synaptic vesicle fusion. Interestingly, the alternative forms of syntaxin differ only in their C-terminal hydrophobic membrane anchors. The forms are differentially expressed in neuronal and secretory tissues; genetic evidence suggests that these forms are not functionally equivalent. A complete loss-of-function mutation in unc-64 results in a worm that completes embryogenesis, but arrests development shortly thereafter as a paralyzed L1 larva, presumably as a consequence of neuronal dysfunction. The severity of the neuronal phenotypes of C. elegans syntaxin mutants appears comparable to those ofDrosophila syntaxin mutants. However, nematode syntaxin appears not to be required for embryonic development, for secretion of cuticle from the hypodermis, or for the function of muscle, in contrast to Drosophila syntaxin, which appears to be required in all cells. Less severe viable unc-64 mutants exhibit a variety of behavioral defects and show strong resistance to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb. Extracellular physiological recordings from pharyngeal muscle of hypomorphic mutants show alterations in the kinetics of transmitter release. The lesions in the hypomorphic alleles map to the hydrophobic face of the H3 coiled-coil domain of syntaxin, a domain that in vitro mediates physical interactions with similar coiled-coil domains in SNAP-25 and synaptobrevin. Furthermore, the unc-64 syntaxin mutants exhibit allele-specific genetic interactions with mutants carrying lesions in the coiled-coil domain of synaptobrevin, providing in vivo evidence for the significance of these domains in regulating synaptic vesicle fusion.

scholarly journals Simultaneous lipid and content mixing assays for in vitro reconstitution studies of synaptic vesicle fusion

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2014-2028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxia Liu ◽  
Alpay Burak Seven ◽  
Junjie Xu ◽  
Victoria Esser ◽  
Lijing Su ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Vesicle Fusion ◽  
In Vitro Reconstitution ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle Fusion

scholarly journals Drosophila CLIP-190 and mammalian CLIP-170 display reduced microtubule plus end association in the nervous system

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1491-1508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Beaven ◽  
Nikola S. Dzhindzhev ◽  
Yue Qu ◽  
Ines Hahn ◽  
Federico Dajas-Bailador ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Axon Extension ◽  
Coiled Coil Domain ◽  
C Terminus

Axons act like cables, electrically wiring the nervous system. Polar bundles of microtubules (MTs) form their backbones and drive their growth. Plus end–tracking proteins (+TIPs) regulate MT growth dynamics and directionality at their plus ends. However, current knowledge about +TIP functions, mostly derived from work in vitro and in nonneuronal cells, may not necessarily apply to the very different context of axonal MTs. For example, the CLIP family of +TIPs are known MT polymerization promoters in nonneuronal cells. However, we show here that neither Drosophila CLIP-190 nor mammalian CLIP-170 is a prominent MT plus end tracker in neurons, which we propose is due to low plus end affinity of the CAP-Gly domain–containing N-terminus and intramolecular inhibition through the C-terminus. Instead, both CLIP-190 and CLIP-170 form F-actin–dependent patches in growth cones, mediated by binding of the coiled-coil domain to myosin-VI. Because our loss-of-function analyses in vivo and in culture failed to reveal axonal roles for CLIP-190, even in double-mutant combinations with four other +TIPs, we propose that CLIP-190 and -170 are not essential axon extension regulators. Our findings demonstrate that +TIP functions known from nonneuronal cells do not necessarily apply to the regulation of the very distinct MT networks in axons.

scholarly journals GALNT2 regulates ANGPTL3 cleavage in cells and in vivo of mice

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuedan Li ◽  
Yiliang Zhang ◽  
Minzhu Zhang ◽  
Yan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Lipoprotein Metabolism ◽  
Endothelial Lipase ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Proprotein Convertase ◽  
Primary Hepatocytes ◽  
Coiled Coil Domain

Abstract Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) is an important inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase and endothelial lipase that plays critical roles in lipoprotein metabolism. It specifically expresses in the liver and undergoes proprotein convertase-mediated cleavage during secretion, which generates an N-terminal coiled-coil domain and C-terminal fibrinogen-like domain that has been considered as the activation step for its function. Previous studies have reported that the polypeptide GalNAc-transferase GALNT2 mediates the O-glycosylation of the ANGPTL3 near the cleavage site, which inhibits the proprotein convertase (PC)-mediated cleavage in vitro and in cultured cells. However, loss-of-function mutation for GALNT2 has no effect on ANGPTL3 cleavage in human. Thus whether GALNT2 regulates the cleavage of ANGPTL3 in vivo is unclear. In present study, we systematically characterized the cleavage of Angptl3 in cultured cells and in vivo of mice. We found that endogenous Angptl3 is cleaved in primary hepatocytes and in vivo of mice, and this cleavage can be blocked by Galnt2 overexpression or PC inhibition. Moreover, suppressing galnt2 expression increases the cleavage of Angptl3 in mice dramatically. Thus, our results support the conclusion that Galnt2 is a key endogenous regulator for Angptl3 cleavage both in vitro and in vivo.

scholarly journals Alpha-Synuclein and Calpains Disrupt SNARE-Mediated Synaptic Vesicle Fusion During Manganese Exposure in SH-SY5Y Cells

Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Wang ◽  
Zhuo Ma ◽  
Dong-Ying Yan ◽  
Chang Liu ◽  
Yu Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Vesicle ◽  
Vesicle Fusion ◽  
Alpha Synuclein ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Attachment Protein ◽  
Over Expression ◽  
Synaptic Vesicle Fusion

Synaptic vesicle fusion is mediated by an assembly of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptors (SNAREs), composed of syntaxin 1, soluble NSF-attachment protein (SNAP)-25, and synaptobrevin-2/VAMP-2. Previous studies have suggested that over-exposure to manganese (Mn) could disrupt synaptic vesicle fusion by influencing SNARE complex formation, both in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. Here we employed calpeptin, an inhibitor of calpains, along with a lentivirus vector containing alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) shRNA, to examine whether specific SNAP-25 cleavage and the over-expression of α-Syn disturbed the formation of the SNARE complex in SH-SY5Y cells. After cells were treated with Mn for 24 h, fragments of SNAP-25-N-terminal protein began to appear; however, this effect was reduced in the group of cells which were pre-treated with calpeptin. FM1-43-labeled synaptic vesicle fusion decreased with Mn treatment, which was consistent with the formation of SNARE complexes. The interaction of VAMP-2 and α-Syn increased significantly in normal cells in response to 100 μM Mn treatment, but decreased in LV-α-Syn shRNA cells treated with 100 μM Mn; similar results were observed in terms of the formation of SNARE complexes and FM1-43-labeled synaptic vesicle fusion. Our data suggested that Mn treatment could increase [Ca2+]i, leading to abnormally excessive calpains activity, which disrupted the SNARE complex by cleaving SNAP-25. Our data also provided convincing evidence that Mn could induce the over-expression of α-Syn; when combined with VAMP-2, α-Syn prevented VAMP-2 from joining the SNARE complex cycle.

scholarly journals Stepping stone: a cytohesin adaptor for membrane cytoskeleton restraint in the syncytial Drosophila embryo

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 711-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangshu Liu ◽  
Donghoon M. Lee ◽  
Cao Guo Yu ◽  
Stephane Angers ◽  
Tony J. C. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Drosophila Embryo ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Interacting Protein ◽  
Stepping Stone ◽  
Membrane Cytoskeleton ◽  
Coiled Coil Domain

Cytohesin Arf-GEFs are conserved plasma membrane regulators. The sole Drosophila cytohesin, Steppke, restrains Rho1-dependent membrane cytoskeleton activity at the base of plasma membrane furrows of the syncytial embryo. By mass spectrometry, we identified a single major Steppke-interacting protein from syncytial embryos, which we named Stepping stone (Sstn). By sequence, Sstn seems to be a divergent homologue of the mammalian cytohesin adaptor FRMD4A. Our experiments supported this relationship. Specifically, heterophilic coiled-coil interactions linked Sstn and Steppke in vivo and in vitro, whereas a separate C-terminal region was required for Sstn localization to furrows. Sstn mutant and RNAi embryos displayed abnormal, Rho1-dependent membrane cytoskeleton expansion from the base of pseudocleavage and cellularization furrows, closely mimicking Steppke loss-of-function embryos. Elevating Sstn furrow levels had no effect on the steppke phenotype, but elevating Steppke furrow levels reversed the sstn phenotype, suggesting that Steppke acts downstream of Sstn and that additional mechanisms can recruit Steppke to furrows. Finally, the coiled-coil domain of Steppke was required for Sstn binding and in addition homodimerization, and its removal disrupted Steppke furrow localization and activity in vivo. Overall we propose that Sstn acts as a cytohesin adaptor that promotes Steppke activity for localized membrane cytoskeleton restraint in the syncytial Drosophila embryo.

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