Opposing changes in phosphorylation of specific sites in synapsin I during Ca2+-dependent glutamate release in isolated nerve terminals.

Synapsins are major neuronal phosphoproteins involved in regulation of neurotransmitter release. Synapsins are well established targets for multiple protein kinases within the nerve terminal, yet little is known about dephosphorylation processes involved in regulation of synapsin function. Here, we observed a reciprocal relationship in the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of the established phosphorylation sites on synapsin I. We demonstrate that, in vitro, phosphorylation sites 1, 2, and 3 of synapsin I (P-site 1 phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase; P-sites 2 and 3 phosphorylated by Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II) were excellent substrates for protein phosphatase 2A, whereas P-sites 4, 5, and 6 (phosphorylated by mitogen-activated protein kinase) were efficiently dephosphorylated only by Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase 2B-calcineurin. In isolated nerve terminals, rapid changes in synapsin I phosphorylation were observed after Ca(2+) entry, namely, a Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation of P-sites 1, 2, and 3 and a Ca(2+)-dependent dephosphorylation of P-sites 4, 5, and 6. Inhibition of calcineurin activity by cyclosporin A resulted in a complete block of Ca(2+)-dependent dephosphorylation of P-sites 4, 5, and 6 and correlated with a prominent increase in ionomycin-evoked glutamate release. These two opposing, rapid, Ca(2+)-dependent processes may play a crucial role in the modulation of synaptic vesicle trafficking within the presynaptic terminal.

Constitutive endocytosis of GABAA receptors by an association with the adaptin AP2 complex modulates inhibitory synaptic currents in hippocampal neurons.

Type A GABA receptors (GABA(A)) mediate the majority of fast synaptic inhibition in the brain and are believed to be predominantly composed of alpha, beta, and gamma subunits. Although changes in cell surface GABA(A) receptor number have been postulated to be of importance in modulating inhibitory synaptic transmission, little is currently known on the mechanism used by neurons to modify surface receptor levels at inhibitory synapses. To address this issue, we have studied the cell surface expression and maintenance of GABA(A) receptors. Here we show that constitutive internalization of GABA(A) receptors in hippocampal neurons and recombinant receptors expressed in A293 cells is mediated by clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Furthermore, we identify an interaction between the GABA(A) receptor beta and gamma subunits with the adaptin complex AP2, which is critical for the recruitment of integral membrane proteins into clathrin-coated pits. GABA(A) receptors also colocalize with AP2 in cultured hippocampal neurons. Finally, blocking clathrin-dependant endocytosis with a peptide that disrupts the association between amphiphysin and dynamin causes a large sustained increase in the amplitude of miniature IPSCs in cultured hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that GABA(A) receptors cycle between the synaptic membrane and intracellular sites, and their association with AP2 followed by recruitment into clathrin-coated pits represents an important mechanism in the postsynaptic modulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission.

Synapsins as mediators of BDNF-enhanced neurotransmitter release.

We examined enhancement of synaptic transmission by neurotrophins at the presynaptic level. In a synaptosomal preparation, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increased mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-dependent synapsin I phosphorylation and acutely facilitated evoked glutamate release. PD98059, used to inhibit MAP kinase activity, markedly decreased synapsin I phosphorylation and concomitantly reduced neurotransmitter release. The stimulation of glutamate release by BDNF was strongly attenuated in mice lacking synapsin I and/or synapsin II. These results indicate a causal link of synapsin phosphorylation via BDNF, TrkB receptors and MAP kinase with downstream facilitation of neurotransmitter release.

Generation and regulation of beta-amyloid peptide variants by neurons.

Studies of processing of the Alzheimer beta-amyloid precursor protein (betaAPP) have been performed to date mostly in continuous cell lines and indicate the existence of two principal metabolic pathways: the "beta-secretase" pathway, which generates beta-amyloid (A beta(1-40/42); approximately 4 kDa), and the "alpha-secretase" pathway, which generates a smaller fragment, the "p3" peptide (A beta(17-40/42); approximately 3 kDa). To determine whether similar processing events underlie betaAPP metabolism in neurons, media were examined following conditioning by primary neuronal cultures derived from embryonic day 17 rats. Immunoprecipitates of conditioned media derived from [35S]methionine pulse-labeled primary neuronal cultures contained 4- and 3-kDa A beta-related species. Radiosequencing analysis revealed that the 4-kDa band corresponded to conventional A beta beginning at position A beta(Asp1), whereas both radiosequencing and immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry analyses indicated that the 3-kDa species in these conditioned media began with A beta(Glu11) at the N terminus, rather than A beta(Leu17) as does the conventional p3 peptide. Either activation of protein kinase C or inhibition of protein phosphatase 1/2A increased soluble betaAPP(alpha) release and decreased generation of both the 4-kDa A beta and the 3-kDa N-truncated A beta. Unlike results obtained with continuously cultured cells, protein phosphatase 1/2A inhibitors were more potent at reducing A beta secretion by neurons than were protein kinase C activators. These data indicate that rodent neurons generate abundant A beta variant peptides and emphasize the role of protein phosphatases in modulating neuronal A beta generation.

Estrogen reduces neuronal generation of Alzheimer beta-amyloid peptides.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of cerebral plaques composed of 40- and 42-amino acid beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptides, and autosomal dominant forms of AD appear to cause disease by promoting brain Abeta accumulation. Recent studies indicate that postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy may prevent or delay the onset of AD. Here we present evidence that physiological levels of 17beta-estradiol reduce the generation of Abeta by neuroblastoma cells and by primary cultures of rat, mouse and human embryonic cerebrocortical neurons. These results suggest a mechanism by which estrogen replacement therapy can delay or prevent AD.

Neurotrophins stimulate phosphorylation of synapsin I by MAP kinase and regulate synapsin I-actin interactions.

The ability of neurotrophins to modulate the survival and differentiation of neuronal populations involves the Trk/MAP (mitogen-activated protein kinase) kinase signaling pathway. More recently, neurotrophins have also been shown to regulate synaptic transmission. The synapsins are a family of neuron-specific phosphoproteins that play a role in regulation of neurotransmitter release, in axonal elongation, and in formation and maintenance of synaptic contacts. We report here that synapsin I is a downstream effector for the neurotrophin/Trk/MAP kinase cascade. Using purified components, we show that MAP kinase stoichiometrically phosphorylated synapsin I at three sites (Ser-62, Ser-67, and Ser-549). Phosphorylation of these sites was detected in rat brain homogenates, in cultured cerebrocortical neurons, and in isolated presynaptic terminals. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor upregulated phosphorylation of synapsin I at MAP kinase-dependent sites in intact cerebrocortical neurons and PC12 cells, respectively, while KCl- induced depolarization of cultured neurons decreased the phosphorylation state at these sites. MAP kinase-dependent phosphorylation of synapsin I significantly reduced its ability to promote G-actin polymerization and to bundle actin filaments. The results suggest that MAP kinase-dependent phosphorylation of synapsin I may contribute to the modulation of synaptic plasticity by neurotrophins and by other signaling pathways that converge at the level of MAP kinase activation.