Bipartite interaction between neurofibromatosis type I protein (neurofibromin) and syndecan transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans

J Neurosci. 2001 Jun 1;21(11):3764-70. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.21-11-03764.2001.

Abstract

The neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene encodes a large tumor suppressor protein (neurofibromin). Although it is known to possess Ras GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity, the cellular role of neurofibromin remains unclear. Here we used yeast two-hybrid screening to identify neurofibromin-interacting proteins. Syndecan-2, a transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), was isolated as a binding partner for two distinct regions of the neurofibromin protein. We subsequently found that neurofibromin can bind all four mammalian syndecans. NF1 interaction requires the transmembrane domain and a membrane-proximal region of the cytoplasmic tail of syndecan, but not the C terminus of syndecan known to bind to CASK, a membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK). Neurofibromin, syndecans, and CASK have overlapping subcellular distributions in axons and synapses of neurons, as shown by biochemical fractionation and immunostaining. Moreover, neurofibromin exists in a complex with syndecan and CASK in vivo, as evidenced by their coimmunoprecipitation from rat brain. Our findings suggest that interaction with different members of the syndecan family may be a mechanism for localizing neurofibromin to specialized domains of the plasma membrane.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain Chemistry
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases*
  • Guanylate Kinases
  • Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurofibromatosis 1 / genetics
  • Neurofibromin 1
  • Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase / metabolism
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / physiology
  • Proteoglycans / genetics
  • Proteoglycans / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Saccharomyces / genetics
  • Subcellular Fractions / chemistry
  • Subcellular Fractions / metabolism
  • Syndecan-2
  • Syndecan-3
  • Syndecans
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neurofibromin 1
  • Proteoglycans
  • SDC2 protein, human
  • SDC3 protein, human
  • Sdc2 protein, rat
  • Sdc3 protein, rat
  • Syndecan-3
  • Syndecans
  • Syndecan-2
  • CASK kinases
  • Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
  • Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase
  • Guanylate Kinases