Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience (Oct 2022)

Protein phosphatase-1 inhibitor-2 promotes PP1γ positive regulation of synaptic transmission

  • Karl Foley,
  • Karl Foley,
  • Haider Altimimi,
  • Hailong Hou,
  • Yu Zhang,
  • Cody McKee,
  • Cody McKee,
  • Makaía M. Papasergi-Scott,
  • Hongtian Yang,
  • Abigail Mayer,
  • Nancy Ward,
  • David M. MacLean,
  • Angus C. Nairn,
  • David Stellwagen,
  • Houhui Xia,
  • Houhui Xia

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsyn.2022.1021832
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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Inhibitor-2 (I-2) is a prototypic inhibitor of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1), a major serine-threonine phosphatase that regulates synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. Although I-2 is a potent inhibitor of PP1 in vitro, our previous work has elucidated that, in vivo, I-2 may act as a positive regulator of PP1. Here we show that I-2 and PP1γ, but not PP1α, positively regulate synaptic transmission in hippocampal neurons. Moreover, we demonstrated that I-2 enhanced PP1γ interaction with its major synaptic scaffold, neurabin, by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)/Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) studies, while having a limited effect on PP1 auto-inhibitory phosphorylation. Furthermore, our study indicates that the effect of I-2 on PP1 activity in vivo is dictated by I-2 threonine-72 phosphorylation. Our work thus demonstrates a molecular mechanism by which I-2 positively regulates PP1 function in synaptic transmission.

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