title: SNAP-25 is a target of protein kinase C phosphorylation critical to NMDA receptor trafficking.
abstract: Protein kinase C (PKC) enhances NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-mediated currents and promotes NMDAR delivery to the cell surface via SNARE-dependent exocytosis. Although the mechanisms of PKC potentiation are established, the molecular target of PKC is unclear. Here we show that synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25), a SNARE protein, is functionally relevant to PKC-dependent NMDAR insertion, and identify serine residue-187 as the molecular target of PKC phosphorylation. Constitutively active PKC delivered via the patch pipette potentiated NMDA (but not AMPA) whole-cell currents in hippocampal neurons. Expression of RNAi targeting SNAP-25 or mutant SNAP-25(S187A) and/or acute disruption of the SNARE complex by treatment with BoNT A, BoNT B or SNAP-25 C-terminal blocking peptide abolished NMDAR potentiation. A SNAP-25 peptide and function-blocking antibody suppressed PKC potentiation of NMDA EPSCs at mossy fiber-CA3 synapses. These findings identify SNAP-25 as the target of PKC phosphorylation critical to PKC-dependent incorporation of synaptic NMDARs and document a postsynaptic action of this major SNARE protein relevant to synaptic plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Rose F. Kennedy Center, Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
authors.forename: C Geoffrey
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takayasu
authors.forename: Alma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodenas-Ruano
authors.forename: Ana V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Paternain
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lerma
authors.forename: Michael V L
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: R Suzanne
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Zukin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D018390:Gene Targeting; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D050825:Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25; D011493:Protein Kinase C