Interaction of synaptic scaffolding molecule and Beta -catenin

J Neurosci. 2002 Feb 1;22(3):757-65. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.22-03-00757.2002.

Abstract

Synaptic scaffolding molecule (S-SCAM) is a synaptic membrane-associated guanylate kinase with inverted domain organization (MAGI) that interacts with NMDA receptor subunits and neuroligin. In epithelial cells, the non-neuronal isoform of S-SCAM (MAGI-1) is localized at tight or adherens junctions. Recent studies have revealed that the polarized targeting of MAGI-1 to the lateral membrane is mediated by its C-terminal region and that MAGI-1 interacts with beta-catenin in epithelial cells. In this article, we report that S-SCAM interacts with beta-catenin in neurons. beta-Catenin is coimmunoprecipitated with S-SCAM from rat brain. Both S-SCAM and beta-catenin are localized at synapses and are partially colocalized. The C-terminal region of S-SCAM binds to the C-terminal region of beta-catenin. We have tested how the interaction between S-SCAM and beta-catenin plays a role in the synaptic targeting of S-SCAM and beta-catenin. S-SCAM is targeted to synapses via the C-terminal postsynaptic density-95/Dlg-A/ZO-1 (PDZ) domain. beta-Catenin is targeted to synapses with armadillo repeats. The overexpressed C-terminal region of beta-catenin blocks the synaptic targeting of S-SCAM. The overexpressed C-terminal region of S-SCAM is partially targeted to synapses and forms a small number of clusters. In the presence of overexpressed beta-catenin, the C-terminal region of S-SCAM forms more clusters at synapses. These data suggest that the synaptic targeting of S-SCAM is mediated by the interaction with beta-catenin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cricetinae
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Guanylate Kinases
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase / metabolism
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / genetics
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / physiology
  • Protein Subunits
  • Rats
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Synapses / metabolism*
  • Trans-Activators*
  • Transfection
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques
  • beta Catenin

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Ctnnb1 protein, rat
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Magi2 protein, rat
  • Protein Subunits
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • beta Catenin
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Nucleoside-Phosphate Kinase
  • Guanylate Kinases