The WW domain of dystrophin requires EF-hands region to interact with beta-dystroglycan

Biol Chem. 1999 Apr;380(4):431-42. doi: 10.1515/BC.1999.057.

Abstract

Skeletal muscle dystrophin is a 427 kDa protein thought to act as a link between the actin cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Perturbations of the dystrophin-associated complex, for example, between dystrophin and the transmembrane glycoprotein beta-dystroglycan, may lead to muscular dystrophy. Previously, the cysteine-rich region and first half of the carboxy-terminal domain of dystrophin were shown to interact with beta-dystroglycan through a stretch of fifteen amino acids at the carboxy-terminus of beta-dystroglycan. This region of dystrophin implicated in binding beta-dystroglycan contains four modular protein domains: a WW domain, two putative Ca2+-binding EF-hand motifs, and a putative zinc finger ZZ domain. The WW domain is a globular domain of 38-40 amino acids with two highly conserved tryptophan residues spaced 20-22 amino acids apart. A subset of WW domains was shown to bind ligands that contain a Pro-Pro-x-Tyr core motif (where x is any amino acid). Here we elucidate the role of the WW domain of dystrophin and surrounding sequence in binding beta-dystroglycan. We show that the WW domain of dystrophin along with the EF-hand motifs binds to the carboxy-terminus of beta-dystroglycan. Through site-specific mutagenesis and in vitro binding assays, we demonstrate that binding of dystrophin to the carboxy-terminus of beta-dystroglycan occurs via a beta-dystroglycan Pro-Pro-x-Tyr core motif. Targeted mutagenesis of conserved WW domain residues reveals that the dystrophin/beta-dystroglycan interaction occurs primarily through the WW domain of dystrophin. Precise mapping of this interaction could aid in therapeutic design.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • DNA Primers
  • Dystroglycans
  • Dystrophin / chemistry
  • Dystrophin / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Protein Binding
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • DAG1 protein, human
  • DNA Primers
  • Dystrophin
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Dystroglycans