The neuronal connexin36 interacts with and is phosphorylated by CaMKII in a way similar to CaMKII interaction with glutamate receptors

Cantas Alev, Stephanie Urscheld, Stephan Sonntag, Georg Zoidl, Alfredo G. Fort, Thorsten Höher, Mamoru Matsubara, Klaus Willecke, David C. Spray, Rolf Dermietzel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

108 Scopus citations

Abstract

Electrical synapses can undergo activity-dependent plasticity. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) appears to play a critical role in this phenomenon, but the underlying mechanisms of how CaMKII affects the neuronal gap junction protein connexin36 (Cx36) are unknown. Here we demonstrate effective binding of 35S-labeled CaMKII to 2 juxtamembrane cytoplasmic domains of Cx36 and in vitro phosphorylation of this protein by the kinase. Both domains reveal striking similarities with segments of the regulatory subunit of CaMKII, which include the pseudosubstrate and pseudotarget sites of the kinase. Similar to the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor both Cx36 binding sites exhibit phosphorylation-dependent interaction and autonomous activation of CaMKII. CaMKII and Cx36 were shown to be significantly colocalized in the inferior olive, a brainstem nucleus highly enriched in electrical synapses, indicating physical proximity of these proteins. In analogy to the current notion of NR2B interaction with CaMKII, we propose a model that provides a mechanistic framework for CaMKII and Cx36 interaction at electrical synapses.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)20964-20969
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume105
Issue number52
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 30 2008

Keywords

  • Brain
  • Electrical synapse
  • Gap junction
  • Protein-protein interaction
  • Synaptic plasticity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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