KCTD Hetero-oligomers confer unique kinetic properties on Hippocampal GABA B Receptor-Induced K + Currents

GABAB receptors are the G-protein coupled receptors for the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, GABA. GABAB receptors were shown to associate with homo-oligomers of auxiliary KCTD8, KCTD12, KCTD12b, and KCTD16 subunits (named after their T1 K+-channel tetramerization domain) that regulate G-protein signaling of the receptor. Here we provide evidence that GABAB receptors also associate with hetero-oligomers of KCTD subunits. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that two-thirds of the KCTD16 proteins in the hippocampus of adult mice associate with KCTD12. We show that the KCTD proteins hetero-oligomerize through self-interacting T1 and H1 homology domains. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer measurements in live cells reveal that KCTD12/KCTD16 hetero-oligomers associate with both the receptor and the G-protein. Electrophysiological experiments demonstrate that KCTD12/KCTD16 hetero-oligomers impart unique kinetic properties on G-protein-activated Kir3 currents. During prolonged receptor activation (one min) KCTD12/KCTD16 hetero-oligomers produce moderately desensitizing fast deactivating K+ currents, whereas KCTD12 and KCTD16 homo-oligomers produce strongly desensitizing fast deactivating currents and nondesensitizing slowly deactivating currents, respectively. During short activation (2 s) KCTD12/KCTD16 hetero-oligomers produce nondesensitizing slowly deactivating currents. Electrophysiological recordings from hippocampal neurons of KCTD knock-out mice are consistent with these findings and indicate that KCTD12/KCTD16 hetero-oligomers increase the duration of slow IPSCs. In summary, our data demonstrate that simultaneous assembly of distinct KCTDs at the receptor increases the molecular and functional repertoire of native GABAB receptors and modulates physiologically induced K+ current responses in the hippocampus

Carbon Dynamics, Development and Stress Responses in Arabidopsis: Involvement of the APL4 Subunit of ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase (Starch Synthesis)

An Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA insertional mutant was identified and characterized for enhanced tolerance to the singlet-oxygen-generating herbicide atrazine in comparison to wild-type. This enhanced atrazine tolerance mutant was shown to be affected in the promoter structure and in the regulation of expression of the APL4 isoform of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, a key enzyme of the starch biosynthesis pathway, thus resulting in decrease of APL4 mRNA levels. The impact of this regulatory mutation was confirmed by the analysis of an independent T-DNA insertional mutant also affected in the promoter of the APL4 gene. The resulting tissue-specific modifications of carbon partitioning in plantlets and the effects on plantlet growth and stress tolerance point out to specific and non-redundant roles of APL4 in root carbon dynamics, shoot-root relationships and sink regulations of photosynthesis. Given the effects of exogenous sugar treatments and of endogenous sugar levels on atrazine tolerance in wild-type Arabidopsis plantlets, atrazine tolerance of this apl4 mutant is discussed in terms of perception of carbon status and of investment of sugar allocation in xenobiotic and oxidative stress responses

The PDZ protein MPP2 interacts with c-Src in epithelial cells

c-Src is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in regulating cell proliferation, cell migration and cell invasion and is tightly controlled by reversible phosphorylation on regulatory sites and through protein-protein interactions. The interaction of c-Src with PDZ proteins was recently identified as novel mechanism to restrict c-Src function. The objective of this study was to identify and characterise PDZ proteins that interact with c-Src to control its activity. By PDZ domain array screen, we identified the interaction of c-Src with the PDZ protein Membrane Protein Palmitoylated 2 (MPP2), a member of the Membrane-Associated Guanylate Kinase (MAGUK) family, to which also the Discs large (Dlg) tumour suppressor protein belongs. The function of MPP2 has not been established and the functional significance of the MPP2 c-Src interaction is not known. We found that in non-transformed breast epithelial MCF-10A cells, endogenous MPP2 associated with the cytoskeleton in filamentous structures, which partially co-localised with microtubules and c-Src. MPP2 and c-Src interacted in cells, where c-Src kinase activity promoted increased interaction of c-Src with MPP2. We furthermore found that MPP2 was able to negatively regulate c-Src kinase activity in cells, suggesting that the functional significance of the MPP2-c-Src interaction is to restrict Src activity. Consequently, the c-Src-dependent disorganisation of the cortical actin cytoskeleton of epithelial cells expressing c-Src was suppressed by MPP2. In conclusion we demonstrate here that MPP2 interacts with c-Src in cells to control c-Src activity and morphological function

Pharmacological characterization of GABAB receptor subtypes assembled with auxiliary KCTD subunits

GABAB receptors (GABABRs) are considered promising drug targets for the treatment of mental health disorders. GABABRs are obligate heteromers of principal GABAB1 and GABAB2 subunits. GABABRs can additionally associate with auxiliary KCTD8, 12, 12b and 16 subunits, which also bind the G-protein and differentially regulate G-protein signaling. It is unknown whether the KCTDs allosterically influence pharmacological properties of GABABRs. Here we show that KCTD8 and KCTD16 slightly but significantly increase GABA affinity at recombinant receptors. However, KCTDs clearly do not account for the 10-fold higher GABA affinity of native compared to recombinant GABABRs. The positive allosteric modulator (PAM) GS39783, which binds to GABAB2, increases both potency and efficacy of GABA-mediated G-protein activation ([(35)S]GTPgammaS binding, BRET between G-protein subunits), irrespective of whether KCTDs are present or not. Of note, the increase in efficacy was significantly larger in the presence of KCTD8, which likely is the consequence of a reduced tonic G-protein activation in the combined presence of KCTD8 and GABABRs. We recorded Kir3 currents to study the effects of GS39783 on receptor-activated G-protein betagamma-signaling. In transfected CHO cells and cultured hippocampal neurons GS39783 increased Kir3 current amplitudes activated by 1 muM of baclofen in the absence and presence of KCTDs. Our data show that auxiliary KCTD subunits exert marginal allosteric influences on principal GABABR subunits. PAMs at principal subunits will therefore not be selective for receptor subtypes owing to KCTD subunits. However, PAMs can differentially modulate the responses of receptor subtypes because the KCTDs differentially regulate G-protein signaling

Up-regulation of GABA(B) receptor signaling by constitutive assembly with the K+ channel tetramerization domain-containing protein 12 (KCTD12)

GABA(B) receptors are the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) for GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Native GABA(B) receptors comprise principle and auxiliary subunits that regulate receptor properties in distinct ways. The principle subunits GABA(B1a), GABA(B1b), and GABA(B2) form fully functional heteromeric GABA(B(1a,2)) and GABA(B(1b,2)) receptors. Principal subunits regulate forward trafficking of the receptors from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane and control receptor distribution to axons and dendrites. The auxiliary subunits KCTD8, -12, -12b, and -16 are cytosolic proteins that influence agonist potency and G-protein signaling of GABA(B(1a,2)) and GABA(B(1b,2)) receptors. Here, we used transfected cells to study assembly, surface trafficking, and internalization of GABA(B) receptors in the presence of the KCTD12 subunit. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation and metabolic labeling, we show that GABA(B) receptors associate with KCTD12 while they reside in the endoplasmic reticulum. Glycosylation experiments support that association with KCTD12 does not influence maturation of the receptor complex. Immunoprecipitation and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer experiments demonstrate that KCTD12 remains associated with the receptor during receptor activity and receptor internalization from the cell surface. We further show that KCTD12 reduces constitutive receptor internalization and thereby increases the magnitude of receptor signaling at the cell surface. Accordingly, knock-out or knockdown of KCTD12 in cultured hippocampal neurons reduces the magnitude of the GABA(B) receptor-mediated K(+) current response. In summary, our experiments support that the up-regulation of functional GABA(B) receptors at the neuronal plasma membrane is an additional physiological role of the auxiliary subunit KCTD12