title: Molecular characterization of disrupted in schizophrenia-1 risk variant S704C reveals the formation of altered oligomeric assembly.
abstract: DISC1 (Disrupted in schizophrenia-1) plays essential roles in neuronal proliferation, neuronal migration and axon guidance and has been implicated in schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders. DISC1 forms a functional complex with nuclear distribution element-like protein-1 (NDEL1), a key component that regulates microtubule organization during cell division and neuronal migration. DISC1 polymorphisms at the binding interface of DISC1-NDEL1 complex have been implicated in schizophrenia. However, it is unknown how schizophrenia risk polymorphisms perturb its interaction with NDEL1 and how they change the inherent biochemical properties of DISC1. Here, we characterize the oligomerization and binding property of DISC1 and its natural schizophrenia risk variant, S704C. Our results show that DISC1 forms octamers via dimers as building blocks and directly interacts with tetramers of NDEL1. The schizophrenia risk variant S704C affects the formation of octamers of DISC1 and exhibits higher-order self-oligomerization. However, the observed formation of new oligomeric species did not influence its binding with NDEL1. These results suggest that the improper oligomeric assembly of DISC1-S704C may underlie the observed phenotypic variation due to the polymorphism.
authors: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors: Saravanakumar
authors: S
authors: Narayanan
authors: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors: Haribabu
authors: H
authors: Arthanari
authors: Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors: Michael S
authors: MS
authors: Wolfe
authors: Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115. Electronic address: Gerhard_wagner@hms.harvard.edu.
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000378:metabolism; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D025941:Protein Interaction Mapping / Q000379:methods; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; C412476:DISC1 protein, human; C421108:NDEL1 protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins