Phosphorylation of threonine-19 of PSD-95 by GSK-3β is required for PSD-95 mobilization and long-term depression

J Neurosci. 2013 Jul 17;33(29):12122-35. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0131-13.2013.

Abstract

Activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is required for long-term depression (LTD) via molecular mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Here, we report that PSD-95, a major scaffold protein of the postsynaptic density (PSD) that promotes synaptic strength, is phosphorylated on threonine-19 (T19) by GSK-3β. In cultured rat hippocampal neurons, phosphorylation of T19 increases rapidly with chemical LTD and is attenuated by pharmacologic or genetic suppression of GSK-3β. In organotypic rat hippocampal slices, we find that a nonphosphorylatable PSD-95 mutant (T19A) tagged with photoactivatable green fluorescent protein (PAGFP) shows enhanced stability in dendritic spines versus wild-type PSD-95, whereas the phosphomimetic mutant (PSD-95-T19D) is more readily dispersed. Further, overexpression of PSD-95-T19A, but not WT-PSD-95, impairs AMPA receptor internalization and the induction of LTD. These data indicate that phosphorylation on T19 by GSK-3β destabilizes PSD-95 within the PSD and is a critical step for AMPA receptor mobilization and LTD.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Hippocampus / drug effects
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Indoles / pharmacology
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Lithium Chloride / pharmacology
  • Long-Term Synaptic Depression / drug effects
  • Long-Term Synaptic Depression / physiology*
  • Maleimides / pharmacology
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Rats
  • Receptors, AMPA / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Synapses / drug effects
  • Synapses / metabolism*
  • Threonine / metabolism*

Substances

  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein
  • Dlg4 protein, rat
  • Indoles
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Maleimides
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Receptors, AMPA
  • SB 216763
  • Threonine
  • GSK3B protein, human
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Gsk3b protein, rat
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
  • Lithium Chloride