title: CASK and Dlg form a PDZ protein complex at the mammalian neuromuscular junction.
abstract: Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) are modular adapter proteins that serve as scaffolding molecules and anchor channels and receptors via their PDZ (PSD-95, Dlg, Zo-1) domains. Calcium, calmodulin-associated serine/threonine kinase (CASK) is a MAGUK that is critical at synapses in the central nervous system and at cell-cell junctions because of its interactions with channels, receptors, and structural proteins. We show via confocal microscopy that CASK and another MAGUK, Discs Large (Dlg), are present at the mammalian neuromuscular junction in skeletal muscle. Immunoprecipitation data from mouse muscle show that CASK associates with Dlg, providing evidence of a MAGUK protein complex at this synapse. These data indicate that CASK and Dlg may act as a scaffold for organizing receptors and channels at the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, 410 Hamilton Hall, 1645 Neil Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Tessily A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mays
authors.forename: Jill A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rafael-Fortney
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000074288:Discs Large Homolog 1 Protein; D051528:Guanylate Kinases; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000074288:Discs Large Homolog 1 Protein; C000614189:Dlg1 protein, mouse; C501119:Dlg1 protein, rat; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C106868:CASK kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D051528:Guanylate Kinases