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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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Trajanovska S, Ban J, Huang J, Gregorevic P, Morsch M, Allen DG, Phillips WD. Muscle specific kinase protects dystrophic mdx mouse muscles from eccentric contraction-induced loss of force-producing capacity. J Physiol 2019; 597:4831-4850. [PMID: 31340406 DOI: 10.1113/jp277839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Adeno-associated viral vector was used to elevate the expression of muscle specific kinase (MuSK) and rapsyn (a cytoplasmic MuSK effector protein) in the tibialis anterior muscle of wild-type and dystrophic (mdx) mice. In mdx mice, enhanced expression of either MuSK or rapsyn ameliorated the acute loss of muscle force associated with strain injury. Increases in sarcolemmal immunolabelling for utrophin and β-dystroglycan suggest a mechanism for the protective effect of MuSK in mdx muscles. MuSK also caused subtle changes to the structure and function of the neuromuscular junction, suggesting novel roles for MuSK in muscle physiology and pathophysiology. ABSTRACT Muscle specific kinase (MuSK) has a well-defined role in stabilizing the developing mammalian neuromuscular junction, but MuSK might also be protective in some neuromuscular diseases. In the dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, limb muscles are especially fragile. We injected the tibialis anterior muscle of 8-week-old mdx and wild-type (C57BL10) mice with adeno-associated viral vectors encoding either MuSK or rapsyn (a cytoplasmic MuSK effector protein) fused to green fluorescent protein (MuSK-GFP and rapsyn-GFP, respectively). Contralateral muscles injected with empty vector served as controls. One month later mice were anaesthetized with isoflurane and isometric force-producing capacity was recorded from the distal tendon. MuSK-GFP caused an unexpected decay in nerve-evoked tetanic force, both in wild-type and mdx muscles, without affecting contraction elicited by direct electrical stimulation of the muscle. Muscle fragility was probed by challenging muscles with a strain injury protocol consisting of a series of four strain-producing eccentric contractions in vivo. When applied to muscles of mdx mice, eccentric contraction produced an acute 27% reduction in directly evoked muscle force output, affirming the susceptibility of mdx muscles to strain injury. mdx muscles overexpressing MuSK-GFP or rapsyn-GFP exhibited significantly milder force deficits after the eccentric contraction challenge (15% and 14%, respectively). The protective effect of MuSK-GFP in muscles of mdx mice was associated with increased immunolabelling for utrophin and β-dystroglycan in the sarcolemma. Elevating the expression of MuSK or rapsyn revealed several distinct synaptic and extrasynaptic effects, suggesting novel roles for MuSK signalling in muscle physiology and pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Trajanovska
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Ban
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Huang
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - P Gregorevic
- Department of Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - M Morsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - D G Allen
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - W D Phillips
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Morsch M, Protti DA, Cheng D, Braet F, Chung RS, Reddel SW, Phillips WD. Cannabinoid-induced increase of quantal size and enhanced neuromuscular transmission. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4685. [PMID: 29549349 PMCID: PMC5856814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22888-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoids exert dynamic control over many physiological processes including memory formation, cognition and pain perception. In the central nervous system endocannabinoids mediate negative feedback of quantal transmitter release following postsynaptic depolarization. The influence of cannabinoids in the peripheral nervous system is less clear and might have broad implications for the therapeutic application of cannabinoids. We report a novel cannabinoid effect upon the mouse neuromuscular synapse: acutely increasing synaptic vesicle volume and raising the quantal amplitudes. In a mouse model of myasthenia gravis the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212 reversed fatiguing failure of neuromuscular transmission, suggesting future therapeutic potential. Our data suggest an endogenous pathway by which cannabinoids might help to regulate transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Morsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia. .,Discipline of Physiology and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Dario A Protti
- Discipline of Physiology and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Delfine Cheng
- School of Medical Sciences (Discipline of Anatomy and Histology), The Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Filip Braet
- School of Medical Sciences (Discipline of Anatomy and Histology), The Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis (ACMM), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Roger S Chung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Stephen W Reddel
- Departments of Molecular Medicine & Neurology, Concord Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - William D Phillips
- Discipline of Physiology and Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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Yeo HL, Lim JYN, Fukami Y, Yuki N, Lee CW. Using Xenopus tissue cultures for the study of myasthenia gravis pathogenesis. Dev Biol 2015; 408:244-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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5
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Tse N, Morsch M, Ghazanfari N, Cole L, Visvanathan A, Leamey C, Phillips WD. The neuromuscular junction: measuring synapse size, fragmentation and changes in synaptic protein density using confocal fluorescence microscopy. J Vis Exp 2014:52220. [PMID: 25590231 PMCID: PMC4354481 DOI: 10.3791/52220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the large, cholinergic relay synapse through which mammalian motor neurons control voluntary muscle contraction. Structural changes at the NMJ can result in neurotransmission failure, resulting in weakness, atrophy and even death of the muscle fiber. Many studies have investigated how genetic modifications or disease can alter the structure of the mouse NMJ. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to directly compare findings from these studies because they often employed different parameters and analytical methods. Three protocols are described here. The first uses maximum intensity projection confocal images to measure the area of acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-rich postsynaptic membrane domains at the endplate and the area of synaptic vesicle staining in the overlying presynaptic nerve terminal. The second protocol compares the relative intensities of immunostaining for synaptic proteins in the postsynaptic membrane. The third protocol uses Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to detect changes in the packing of postsynaptic AChRs at the endplate. The protocols have been developed and refined over a series of studies. Factors that influence the quality and consistency of results are discussed and normative data are provided for NMJs in healthy young adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel Tse
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney
| | - Marco Morsch
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Group, Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University
| | | | - Louise Cole
- Advanced Microscopy Facility, Bosch Institute, University of Sydney
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6
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Phillips WD, Christadoss P, Losen M, Punga AR, Shigemoto K, Verschuuren J, Vincent A. Guidelines for pre-clinical animal and cellular models of MuSK-myasthenia gravis. Exp Neurol 2014; 270:29-40. [PMID: 25542979 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) autoantibodies are the hallmark of a form of myasthenia gravis (MG) that can challenge the neurologist and the experimentalist. The clinical disease can be difficult to treat effectively. MuSK autoantibodies affect the neuromuscular junction in several ways. When added to muscle cells in culture, MuSK antibodies disperse acetylcholine receptor clusters. Experimental animals actively immunized with MuSK develop MuSK autoantibodies and muscle weakness. Weakness is associated with reduced postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor numbers, reduced amplitudes of miniature endplate potentials and endplate potentials, and failure of neuromuscular transmission. Similar impairments have been found in mice injected with IgG from MG patients positive for MuSK autoantibody (MuSK-MG). The active and passive models have begun to reveal the mechanisms by which MuSK antibodies disrupt synaptic function at the neuromuscular junction, and should be valuable in developing therapies for MuSK-MG. However, translation into new and improved treatments for patients requires procedures that are not too cumbersome but suitable for examining different aspects of MuSK function and the effects of potential therapies. Study design, conduct and analysis should be carefully considered and transparently reported. Here we review what has been learnt from animal and culture models of MuSK-MG, and offer guidelines for experimental design and conduct of studies, including sample size determination, randomization, outcome parameters and precautions for objective data analysis. These principles may also be relevant to the increasing number of other antibody-mediated diseases that are now recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- W D Phillips
- School of Medical Sciences (Physiology) and Bosch Institute, Anderson Stuart Bldg (F13), University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - P Christadoss
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - M Losen
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - A R Punga
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - K Shigemoto
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - J Verschuuren
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - A Vincent
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Ghazanfari N, Morsch M, Reddel SW, Liang SX, Phillips WD. Muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) autoantibodies suppress the MuSK pathway and ACh receptor retention at the mouse neuromuscular junction. J Physiol 2014; 592:2881-97. [PMID: 24860174 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.270207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) autoantibodies from myasthenia gravis patients can block the activation of MuSK in vitro and/or reduce the postsynaptic localization of MuSK. Here we use a mouse model to examine the effects of MuSK autoantibodies upon some key components of the postsynaptic MuSK pathway and upon the regulation of junctional ACh receptor (AChR) numbers. Mice became weak after 14 daily injections of anti-MuSK-positive patient IgG. The intensity and area of AChR staining at the motor endplate was markedly reduced. Pulse-labelling of AChRs revealed an accelerated loss of pre-existing AChRs from postsynaptic AChR clusters without a compensatory increase in incorporation of (newly synthesized) replacement AChRs. Large, postsynaptic AChR clusters were replaced by a constellation of tiny AChR microaggregates. Puncta of AChR staining also appeared in the cytoplasm beneath the endplate. Endplate staining for MuSK, activated Src, rapsyn and AChR were all reduced in intensity. In the tibialis anterior muscle there was also evidence that phosphorylation of the AChR β-subunit-Y390 was reduced at endplates. In contrast, endplate staining for β-dystroglycan (through which rapsyn couples AChR to the synaptic basement membrane) remained intense. The results suggest that anti-MuSK IgG suppresses the endplate density of MuSK, thereby down-regulating MuSK signalling activity and the retention of junctional AChRs locally within the postsynaptic membrane scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Ghazanfari
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Marco Morsch
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Stephen W Reddel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Concord Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, 2139, Australia
| | - Simon X Liang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Liaoning Medical University, China
| | - William D Phillips
- Physiology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
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8
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Structure and superorganization of acetylcholine receptor-rapsyn complexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:10622-7. [PMID: 23754381 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301277110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The scaffolding protein at the neuromuscular junction, rapsyn, enables clustering of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in high concentration and is critical for muscle function. Patients with insufficient receptor clustering suffer from muscle weakness. However, the detailed organization of the receptor-rapsyn network is poorly understood: it is unclear whether rapsyn first forms a wide meshwork to which receptors can subsequently dock or whether it only forms short bridges linking receptors together to make a large cluster. Furthermore, the number of rapsyn-binding sites per receptor (a heteropentamer) has been controversial. Here, we show by cryoelectron tomography and subtomogram averaging of Torpedo postsynaptic membrane that receptors are connected by up to three rapsyn bridges, the minimum number required to form a 2D network. Half of the receptors belong to rapsyn-connected groups comprising between two and fourteen receptors. Our results provide a structural basis for explaining the stability and low diffusion of receptors within clusters.
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9
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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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10
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Pan NC, Ma JJ, Peng HB. Mechanosensitivity of nicotinic receptors. Pflugers Arch 2012; 464:193-203. [PMID: 22733356 PMCID: PMC3395360 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-012-1132-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2012] [Revised: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are heteropentameric ligand-gated ion channels that mediate excitatory neurotransmission at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and other peripheral and central synapses. At the NMJ, acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are constantly exposed to mechanical stress resulting from muscle contraction. It is therefore of interest to understand if their function is influenced by mechanical stimuli. In this study, patch-clamp recordings showed that AChR channel activity was enhanced upon membrane stretching in both cultured Xenopus muscle cells and C2C12 myotubes. To examine how this property is physiologically regulated, effects of membrane-intrinsic and membrane-extrinsic factors on AChRs expressed in HEK293T cells were studied. As in muscle cells, AChR single channel currents recorded under cell-attached configuration were significantly increased-without change in current amplitude-when negative pressure was applied through the patch pipette. GsMTx-4, a peptide toxin that blocks mechanically activated cation channels, inhibited this effect on AChRs. The mechanosensitivity decreased when cells were treated with MβCD, latrunculin A or cytochalasin D, but increased when exposed to lysophosphatidylcholine, indicating contributions from both membrane lipids and the cytoskeleton. Rapsyn, which binds to AChRs and mediates their cytoskeletal interaction in muscle, suppressed AChR mechanosensitivity when co-expressed in HEK293T cells, but this influence of rapsyn was impaired following the deletion of rapsyn's AChR-binding domain or upon cytoskeletal disruption by cytochalasin D. These results suggest a mechanism for regulating AChR's mechanosensitivity through its cytoskeletal linkage via rapsyn, which may serve to protect the receptors and sarcolemmal integrity under high mechanical stress encountered by the NMJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Clara Pan
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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11
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Choi KR, Berrera M, Reischl M, Strack S, Albrizio M, Röder IV, Wagner A, Petersen Y, Hafner M, Zaccolo M, Rudolf R. Rapsyn mediates subsynaptic anchoring of PKA type I and stabilisation of acetylcholine receptor in vivo. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:714-23. [PMID: 22331361 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.092361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The stabilisation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the neuromuscular junction depends on muscle activity and the cooperative action of myosin Va and protein kinase A (PKA) type I. To execute its function, PKA has to be present in a subsynaptic microdomain where it is enriched by anchoring proteins. Here, we show that the AChR-associated protein, rapsyn, interacts with PKA type I in C2C12 and T-REx293 cells as well as in live mouse muscle beneath the neuromuscular junction. Molecular modelling, immunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation approaches identify an α-helical stretch of rapsyn to be crucial for binding to the dimerisation and docking domain of PKA type I. When expressed in live mouse muscle, a peptide encompassing the rapsyn α-helical sequence efficiently delocalises PKA type I from the neuromuscular junction. The same peptide, as well as a rapsyn construct lacking the α-helical domain, induces severe alteration of acetylcholine receptor turnover as well as fragmentation of synapses. This shows that rapsyn anchors PKA type I in close proximity to the postsynaptic membrane and suggests that this function is essential for synapse maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyeong-Rok Choi
- Institut für Toxikologie und Genetik, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
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Gervásio OL, Phillips WD, Cole L, Allen DG. Caveolae respond to cell stretch and contribute to stretch-induced signaling. J Cell Sci 2011; 124:3581-90. [PMID: 22045729 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.084376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Caveolae are invaginations of the plasma membrane that are formed by caveolins. Caveolar membranes are also enriched in cholesterol, glycosphingolipids and signaling enzymes such as Src kinase. Here we investigate the effect of cell stretch upon caveolar dynamics and signaling. Transfection of C2 myoblasts with caveolin-3-YFP led to the formation of caveolae-like membrane pits 50-100 nm in diameter. Glycosphingolipids became immobilized and tightly packed together within caveolin-rich regions of the plasma membrane. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was used to assess the degree of glycosphingolipid packing. Myoblasts were subjected to a brief (1 minute) stretch on an elastic substratum. Stretch caused a reduction in glycosphingolipid FRET, consistent with a reversible unfolding of caveolar pits in response to membrane tension. Cells expressing caveolin-3-YFP also displayed an enhanced stretch-induced activation of Src kinase, as assessed by immunofluorescence. Repeated stretches resulted in the trafficking and remodeling of caveolin-3-rich membrane domains and accelerated turnover of membrane glycosphingolipids. The stretch-induced unfolding of caveolae, activation of Src and redistribution of caveolin and glycosphingolipids might reflect mechanisms of the cellular adaptation to mechanical stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Othon L Gervásio
- School of Medical Sciences, Discipline of Physiology (F13), Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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13
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Borroni V, Barrantes FJ. Cholesterol modulates the rate and mechanism of acetylcholine receptor internalization. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:17122-32. [PMID: 21357688 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.211870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Stability of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) at the cell surface is key to the correct functioning of the cholinergic synapse. Cholesterol (Chol) is necessary for homeostasis of AChR levels at the plasmalemma and for ion translocation. Here we characterize the endocytic pathway followed by muscle-type AChR in Chol-depleted cells (Chol(-)). Under such conditions, the AChR is internalized by a ligand-, clathrin-, and dynamin-independent mechanism. Expression of a dominant negative form of the small GTPase Rac1, Rac1N17, abolishes receptor endocytosis. Unlike the endocytic pathway in control CHO cells (1), accelerated AChR internalization proceeds even upon disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. Under Chol(-) conditions, AChR internalization is furthermore found to require the activity of Arf6 and its effectors Rac1 and phospholipase D. The Arf6-dependent mechanism may constitute the default endocytic pathway followed by the AChR in the absence of external ligands, membrane Chol levels acting as a key homeostatic regulator of cell surface receptor levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Borroni
- Instituto Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca, C Carrindanga Km 7, B8000FWB Bahía Blanca, Argentina
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Yampolsky P, Pacifici PG, Lomb L, Giese G, Rudolf R, Röder IV, Witzemann V. Time lapse in vivo visualization of developmental stabilization of synaptic receptors at neuromuscular junctions. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:34589-96. [PMID: 20813841 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.168880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The lifetime of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) is increased from <1 day to >1 week during early postnatal development. However, the exact timing of AChR stabilization is not known, and its correlation to the concurrent embryonic to adult AChR channel conversion, NMJ remodeling, and neuromuscular diseases is unclear. Using a novel time lapse in vivo imaging technology we show that replacement of the entire receptor population of an individual NMJ occurs end plate-specifically within hours. This makes it possible to follow directly in live animals changing stabilities of end plate receptors. In three different, genetically modified mouse models we demonstrate that the metabolic half-life values of synaptic AChRs increase from a few hours to several days after postnatal day 6. Developmental stabilization is independent of receptor subtype and apparently regulated by an intrinsic muscle-specific maturation program. Myosin Va, an F-actin-dependent motor protein, is also accumulated synaptically during postnatal development and thus could mediate the stabilization of end plate AChR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pessah Yampolsky
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Cole RN, Ghazanfari N, Ngo ST, Gervásio OL, Reddel SW, Phillips WD. Patient autoantibodies deplete postsynaptic muscle-specific kinase leading to disassembly of the ACh receptor scaffold and myasthenia gravis in mice. J Physiol 2010; 588:3217-29. [PMID: 20603331 PMCID: PMC2976017 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.190298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2010] [Accepted: 07/02/2010] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The postsynaptic muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) coordinates formation of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) during embryonic development. Here we have studied the effects of MuSK autoantibodies upon the NMJ in adult mice. Daily injections of IgG from four MuSK autoantibody-positive myasthenia gravis patients (MuSK IgG; 45 mg day(1)i.p. for 14 days) caused reductions in postsynaptic ACh receptor (AChR) packing as assessed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). IgG from the patients with the highest titres of MuSK autoantibodies caused large (51-73%) reductions in postsynaptic MuSK staining (cf. control mice; P < 0.01) and muscle weakness. Among mice injected for 14 days with control and MuSK patient IgGs, the residual level of MuSK correlated with the degree of impairment of postsynaptic AChR packing. However, the loss of postsynaptic MuSK preceded this impairment of postsynaptic AChR. When added to cultured C2 muscle cells the MuSK autoantibodies caused tyrosine phosphorylation of MuSK and the AChR beta-subunit, and internalization of MuSK from the plasma membrane. The results suggest a pathogenic mechanism in which MuSK autoantibodies rapidly deplete MuSK from the postsynaptic membrane leading to progressive dispersal of postsynaptic AChRs. Moreover, maintenance of postsynaptic AChR packing at the adult NMJ would appear to depend upon physical engagement of MuSK with the AChR scaffold, notwithstanding activation of the MuSK-rapsyn system of AChR clustering.
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Affiliation(s)
- R N Cole
- Physiology, Anderson Stuart Bldg (F13), University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia
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16
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Luo Z. Synapse formation and remodeling. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2010; 53:315-321. [PMID: 20596925 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-010-0069-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2009] [Accepted: 01/19/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Synapses are specialized structures that mediate information flow between neurons and target cells, and thus are the basis for neuronal system to execute various functions, including learning and memory. There are around 10(11) neurons in the human brain, with each neuron receiving thousands of synaptic inputs, either excitatory or inhibitory. A synapse is an asymmetric structure that is composed of pre-synaptic axon terminals, synaptic cleft, and postsynaptic compartments. Synapse formation involves a number of cell adhesion molecules, extracellular factors, and intracellular signaling or structural proteins. After the establishment of synaptic connections, synapses undergo structural or functional changes, known as synaptic plasticity which is believed to be regulated by neuronal activity and a variety of secreted factors. This review summarizes recent progress in the field of synapse development, with particular emphasis on the work carried out in China during the past 10 years (1999-2009).
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Affiliation(s)
- ZhenGe 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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17
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Abstract
CollagenQ (ColQ) plays an important structural role at vertebrate neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) by anchoring and accumulating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Moreover, ColQ interacts with perlecan/dystroglycan and the muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK), key molecules in the NMJ formation. MuSK promotes acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering in a process mediated by rapsyn, a cytoplasmic protein that stimulates AChR packing in clusters and regulates synaptic gene transcription. Here, we investigated a regulatory role for ColQ by comparing the clustering and expression of synaptic proteins in wild type and ColQ-deficient muscle cells in culture and at NMJ. We show first that AChR clusters are smaller and more densely packed in the absence of ColQ both in vitro and in vivo. Second, we find that like AChRs and rapsyn, MuSK mRNA levels are increased in cultured cells but not in muscles lacking ColQ. However, membrane-bound MuSK is decreased both in vitro and in vivo suggesting that ColQ controls MuSK sorting or stabilization in the muscle membrane. In line with this, our data show that activation of the MuSK signaling pathway is altered in the absence of ColQ leading to (1) perturbation of AChR clustering and/or beta-AChR subunit phosphorylation and (2) modifications of AChR mRNA level due to the lack of ColQ-MuSK interaction. Together, our results demonstrate that ColQ, in addition to its structural role, has important regulatory functions at the synapse by controlling AChR clustering and synaptic gene expression through its interaction with MuSK.
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Yampolsky P, Pacifici PG, Witzemann V. Differential muscle-driven synaptic remodeling in the neuromuscular junction after denervation. Eur J Neurosci 2010; 31:646-58. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07096.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Lee Y, Rudell J, Ferns M. Rapsyn interacts with the muscle acetylcholine receptor via alpha-helical domains in the alpha, beta, and epsilon subunit intracellular loops. Neuroscience 2009; 163:222-32. [PMID: 19482062 PMCID: PMC2728176 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.05.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2009] [Revised: 05/01/2009] [Accepted: 05/25/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
At the developing vertebrate neuromuscular junction, the acetylcholine receptor becomes aggregated at high density in the postsynaptic muscle membrane. Receptor localization is regulated by the motoneuron-derived factor, agrin, and requires an intracellular, scaffolding protein called rapsyn. However, it remains unclear where rapsyn binds on the acetylcholine receptor and how their interaction is regulated. In this study, we identified rapsyn's binding site on the acetylcholine receptor using chimeric constructs where the intracellular domain of CD4 was substituted for the major intracellular loop of each mouse acetylcholine receptor subunit. When expressed in heterologous cells, we found that rapsyn clustered and cytoskeletally anchored CD4-alpha, beta and epsilon subunit loops but not CD4-delta loop. Rapsyn-mediated clustering and anchoring was highest for beta loop, followed by epsilon and alpha, suggesting that rapsyn interacts with the loops with different affinities. Moreover, by making deletions within the beta subunit intracellular loop, we show that rapsyn interacts with the alpha-helical region, a secondary structural motif present in the carboxyl terminal portion of the subunit loops. When expressed in muscle cells, rapsyn co-immunoprecipitated together with a CD4-alpha helical region chimera, independent of agrin signaling. Together, these findings demonstrate that rapsyn interacts with the acetylcholine receptor via an alpha-helical structural motif conserved between the alpha, beta and epsilon subunits. Binding at this site likely mediates the critical rapsyn interaction involved in localizing the acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Lee
- Department of Anesthesiology and Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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20
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Pawlikowski BT, Maimone MM. Formation of complex AChR aggregates in vitro requires alpha-dystrobrevin. Dev Neurobiol 2009; 69:326-38. [PMID: 19224566 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Efficient function at the neuromuscular junction requires high-density aggregates of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) to be precisely aligned with the motor nerve terminal. A collaborative effort between the motor neuron and muscle intrinsic factors drives the formation and maintenance of these AChR aggregates. alpha-Dystrobrevin (alpha DB), a cytoplasmic protein found at the postsynaptic membrane, has been implicated in the regulation of AChR aggregate density and patterning. To investigate the contribution of alpha DB to the muscle intrinsic program regulating AChR aggregate development, we analyzed the formation of complex, pretzel-like AChR aggregates on primary muscle cell cultures derived from alpha DB knockout (alpha DB-KO) mice in the absence of nerve or agrin. In myotubes lacking alpha DB, complex AChR aggregates failed to form, whereas aggregates formed readily in wildtype myotubes. Five major isoforms of alpha DB are expressed in skeletal muscle: alpha DB1, alpha DB1(-), alpha DB2, alpha DB2(-), and alpha DB3. Expression of alpha DB1 or alpha DB1(-) in alpha DB-KO myotubes restored formation of complex AChR aggregates similar to those in wildtype myotubes. In contrast, individual expression of alpha DB2, alpha DB2(-), alpha DB3, or an alpha DB1 phosphorylation mutant resulted in the formation of few, if any, complex AChR aggregates. Collectively, these data suggest that alpha DB is a significant component of the muscle intrinsic program that mediates the formation of complex AChR aggregates and that alpha DB's tyrosine phosphorylation sites are of particular functional importance to this program. Although the muscle intrinsic program appears to influence synaptogenesis, the formation of complex mature AChR aggregates in alpha DB-KO mice (with the motor neuron present) suggests the motor neuron, not the muscle intrinsic program, is the major stimulus driving the maturation of AChRs from plaque to pretzel in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley T Pawlikowski
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA.
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Martínez-Martínez P, Phernambucq M, Steinbusch L, Schaeffer L, Berrih-Aknin S, Duimel H, Frederik P, Molenaar P, De Baets MH, Losen M. Silencing rapsyn in vivo decreases acetylcholine receptors and augments sodium channels and secondary postsynaptic membrane folding. Neurobiol Dis 2009; 35:14-23. [PMID: 19344765 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2009.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2008] [Revised: 02/23/2009] [Accepted: 03/18/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The receptor-associated protein of the synapse (rapsyn) is required for anchoring and stabilizing the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) during development. Here we studied the role of rapsyn in the maintenance of the adult NMJ by reducing rapsyn expression levels with short hairpin RNA (shRNA). Silencing rapsyn led to the average reduction of the protein levels of rapsyn (31% loss) and AChR (36% loss) at the NMJ within 2 weeks, corresponding to previously reported half life of these proteins. On the other hand, the sodium channel protein expression was augmented (66%) in rapsyn-silenced muscles. Unexpectedly, at the ultrastructural level a significant increase in the amount of secondary folds of the postsynaptic membrane in silenced muscles was observed. The neuromuscular transmission in rapsyn-silenced muscles was mildly impaired. The results suggest that the adult NMJ can rapidly produce postsynaptic folds to compensate for AChR and rapsyn loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Martínez-Martínez
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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Identification of a motif in the acetylcholine receptor beta subunit whose phosphorylation regulates rapsyn association and postsynaptic receptor localization. J Neurosci 2008; 28:11468-76. [PMID: 18987183 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2508-08.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
At the neuromuscular junction, the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) is specifically clustered in the postsynaptic membrane via interactions with rapsyn and other scaffolding proteins. However, it remains unclear where these proteins bind on the AChR and how the interactions are regulated. Here, we define a phosphorylation-dependent binding site on the receptor that mediates agrin-induced clustering. Using chimeric proteins in which CD4 is fused to the large intracellular loop of each of the AChR subunits we found that agrin induced clustering of only chimeras containing the beta subunit loop. By making deletions in the beta loop we defined a 20 amino-acid sequence that is sufficient for clustering. The sequence contains a conserved tyrosine (Y390) whose phosphorylation is induced by agrin and whose mutation abolished clustering of beta loop chimeras and their ability to inhibit agrin-induced clustering of the endogenous AChR. Phosphorylation of the AChR beta subunit is correlated with increased rapsyn/AChR binding, suggesting that the effect of betaY390 phosphorylation on clustering is mediated by rapsyn. Indeed, we found that rapsyn associated with CD4-beta loop chimeras in a phosphorylation-dependent manner, and that agrin increased the ratio of rapsyn binding to wild type AChR but not to AChR-beta(3F/3F), which lacks beta loop tyrosine phosphorylation sites. Together, these findings suggest that agrin-induced phosphorylation of the beta subunit motif increases the stoichiometry of rapsyn binding to the AChR, thereby helping to stably cluster the receptor and anchor it at high density in the postsynaptic membrane.
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Brockhausen J, Cole RN, Gervásio OL, Ngo ST, Noakes PG, Phillips WD. Neural agrin increases postsynaptic ACh receptor packing by elevating rapsyn protein at the mouse neuromuscular synapse. Dev Neurobiol 2008; 68:1153-69. [PMID: 18506821 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments at neuromuscular junctions in the mouse tibialis anterior muscle show that postsynaptic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) become more tightly packed during the first month of postnatal development. Here, we report that the packing of AChRs into postsynaptic aggregates was reduced in 4-week postnatal mice that had reduced amounts of the AChR-associated protein, rapsyn, in the postsynaptic membrane (rapsyn(+/-) mice). We hypothesize that nerve-derived agrin increases postsynaptic expression and targeting of rapsyn, which then drives the developmental increase in AChR packing. Neural agrin treatment elevated the expression of rapsyn in C2 myotubes by a mechanism that involved slowing of rapsyn protein degradation. Similarly, exposure of synapses in postnatal muscle to exogenous agrin increased rapsyn protein levels and elevated the intensity of anti-rapsyn immunofluorescence, relative to AChR, in the postsynaptic membrane. This increase in the rapsyn-to-AChR immunofluorescence ratio was associated with tighter postsynaptic AChR packing and slowed AChR turnover. Acute blockade of synaptic AChRs with alpha-bungarotoxin lowered the rapsyn-to-AChR immunofluorescence ratio, suggesting that AChR signaling also helps regulate the assembly of extra rapsyn in the postsynaptic membrane. The results suggest that at the postnatal neuromuscular synapse agrin signaling elevates the expression and targeting of rapsyn to the postsynaptic membrane, thereby packing more AChRs into stable, functionally-important AChR aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Brockhausen
- School of Medical Sciences (Physiology), Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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24
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Chevessier F, Girard E, Molgo J, Bartling S, Koenig J, Hantai D, Witzemann V. A mouse model for congenital myasthenic syndrome due to MuSK mutations reveals defects in structure and function of neuromuscular junctions. Hum Mol Genet 2008; 17:3577-95. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddn251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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Gervásio OL, Whitehead NP, Yeung EW, Phillips WD, Allen DG. TRPC1 binds to caveolin-3 and is regulated by Src kinase - role in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Cell Sci 2008; 121:2246-55. [PMID: 18544631 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.032003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1), a widely expressed calcium (Ca(2+))-permeable channel, is potentially involved in the pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Ca(2+) influx through stretch-activated channels, possibly formed by TRPC1, induces muscle-cell damage in the mdx mouse, an animal model of DMD. In this study, we showed that TRPC1, caveolin-3 and Src-kinase protein levels are increased in mdx muscle compared with wild type. TRPC1 and caveolin-3 colocalised and co-immunoprecipitated. Direct binding of TRPC1-CFP to caveolin-3-YFP was confirmed in C2 myoblasts by fluorescence energy resonance transfer (FRET). Caveolin-3-YFP targeted TRPC1-CFP to the plasma membrane. Hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased Src activity and enhanced Ca(2+) influx, but only in C2 myoblasts co-expressing TRPC1 and caveolin-3. In mdx muscle, Tiron, a ROS scavenger, and PP2, a Src inhibitor, reduced stretch-induced Ca(2+) entry and increased force recovery. Because ROS production is increased in mdx/DMD, these results suggest that a ROS-Src-TRPC1/caveolin-3 pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of mdx/DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Othon L Gervásio
- School of Medical Sciences, Discipline of Physiology (F13), Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Cole RN, Reddel SW, Gervásio OL, Phillips WD. Anti-MuSK patient antibodies disrupt the mouse neuromuscular junction. Ann Neurol 2008; 63:782-9. [DOI: 10.1002/ana.21371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Losen M, Martínez-Martínez P, Phernambucq M, Schuurman J, Parren PW, De Baets MH. Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis by Preventing Acetylcholine Receptor Modulation. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2008; 1132:174-9. [DOI: 10.1196/annals.1405.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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28
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Localized acetylcholine receptor clustering dynamics in response to microfluidic focal stimulation with agrin. Biophys J 2008; 95:3009-16. [PMID: 18502803 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.107.128173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Agrin is a proteoglycan secreted by the motor neuron's growing axon terminal upon contact with the muscle during embryonic development. It was long thought that agrin's role was to trigger the clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) to nascent synapse sites. However, agrin-predating, protosynaptic AChR clusters are present well before innervation in the embryo and in myotube cultures, yet no role has been conclusively ascribed to agrin. We used a microfluidic device to focally deliver agrin to protosynaptic AChR clusters in micropatterned myotube cultures. The distribution of AChRs labeled with fluorescent bungarotoxin was imaged at various time points over >24 h. We find that a 4-h focal application of agrin (100 nM) preferentially reduces AChR loss at agrin-exposed clusters by 17% relative to the agrin-deprived clusters on the same myotube. In addition, the focal application increases the addition of AChRs preferentially at the clusters by 10% relative to the agrin-exposed, noncluster areas. Taken together, these findings suggest that a focal agrin stimulus can play a key stabilizing role in the aggregation of AChRs at the early stages of synapse formation. This methodology is generally applicable to various developmental processes and cell types, including neurons and stem cells.
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