Assembly of acetylcholinesterase tetramers by peptidic motifs from the proline-rich membrane anchor, PRiMA: competition between degradation and secretion pathways of heteromeric complexes

J Biol Chem. 2007 Feb 9;282(6):3487-97. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M607221200. Epub 2006 Dec 8.

Abstract

The membrane-bound form of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) constitutes the major component of this enzyme in the mammalian brain. These molecules are hetero-oligomers, composed of four AChE catalytic subunits of type T (AChE(T)), associated with a transmembrane protein of type 1, called PRiMA (proline-rich membrane anchor). PRiMA consists of a signal peptide, an extracellular domain that contains a proline-rich motif (14 prolines with an intervening leucine, P4LP10), a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. Expression of AChE(T) subunits in transfected COS cells with a truncated PRiMA, without its transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains (P(stp54) mutant), produced secreted heteromeric complexes (T4-P(stp54)), instead of membrane-bound tetramers. In this study, we used a series of deletions and point mutations to analyze the interaction between the extracellular domain of PRiMA and AChE(T) subunits. We confirmed the importance of the polyproline stretches and defined a peptidic motif (RP4LP10RL), which induces the assembly and secretion of a heteromeric complex with four AChE(T) subunits, nearly as efficiently as the entire extracellular domain of PRiMA. It is noteworthy that deletion of the N-terminal segment preceding the prolines had little effect. Interestingly, short PRiMA mutants, truncated within the proline-rich motif, reduced both cellular and secreted AChE activity, suggesting that their interaction with AChE(T) subunits induces their intracellular degradation.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / chemistry*
  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism
  • Acetylcholinesterase / physiology
  • Amino Acid Motifs / genetics
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • COS Cells
  • Catalytic Domain / genetics
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Cricetinae
  • Extracellular Space / chemistry
  • Extracellular Space / genetics
  • Extracellular Space / physiology
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multiprotein Complexes / chemistry
  • Multiprotein Complexes / genetics
  • Multiprotein Complexes / metabolism
  • Multiprotein Complexes / physiology*
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology*
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Peptides / genetics
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Peptides / physiology
  • Protein Transport / genetics
  • Rats
  • Sequence Deletion / genetics
  • Signal Transduction* / genetics

Substances

  • Membrane Proteins
  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • PRiMA1 protein, rat
  • Peptides
  • prima1 protein, mouse
  • Acetylcholinesterase