Jonathan Q. Davis

Ankyrin-B coordinates the Na/K ATPase, Na/Ca exchanger, and InsP3 receptor in a cardiac T-tubule/SR microdomain.

We report identification of an ankyrin-B-based macromolecular complex of Na/K ATPase (alpha 1 and alpha 2 isoforms), Na/Ca exchanger 1, and InsP3 receptor that is localized in cardiomyocyte T-tubules in discrete microdomains distinct from classic dihydropyridine receptor/ryanodine receptor “dyads.” E1425G mutation of ankyrin-B, which causes human cardiac arrhythmia, also blocks binding of ankyrin-B to all three components of the complex. The ankyrin-B complex is markedly reduced in adult ankyrin-B+/− cardiomyocytes, which may explain elevated [Ca2+]i transients in these cells. Thus, loss of the ankyrin-B complex provides a molecular basis for cardiac arrhythmia in humans and mice. T-tubule-associated ankyrin-B, Na/Ca exchanger, and Na/K ATPase are not present in skeletal muscle, where ankyrin-B is expressed at 10-fold lower levels than in heart. Ankyrin-B also is not abundantly expressed in smooth muscle. We propose that the ankyrin-B-based complex is a specialized adaptation of cardiomyocytes with a role for cytosolic Ca2+ modulation.

Structural Requirements for Association of Neurofascin with Ankyrin

This paper presents the first structural analysis of the cytoplasmic domain of neurofascin, which is highly conserved among the L1CAM family of cell adhesion molecules, and describes sequence requirements for neurofascin-ankyrin interactions in living cells. The cytoplasmic domain of neurofascin dimerizes in solution, has an asymmetric shape, and exhibits a reversible temperature-dependent β-structure. Residues Ser56–Tyr81 are necessary for ankyrin binding but do not contribute to either dimerization or formation of structure. Transfected neurofascin recruits GFP-tagged 270-kDa ankyrinG to the plasma membrane of human embryo kidney 293 cells. Deletion mutants demonstrate that the sequence Ser56–Tyr81 contains the major ankyrin-recruiting activity of neurofascin. Mutations of the FIGQY tyrosine (Y81H/A/E) greatly impair neurofascin-ankyrin interactions. Mutation of human L1 at the equivalent tyrosine (Y1229H) is responsible for certain cases of mental retardation (Van Camp, G., Fransen, E., Vits, L., Raes, G., and Willems, P. J. (1996) Hum. Mutat. 8, 391). Mutations F77A and E73Q greatly impair ankyrin binding activity, whereas mutation D74N and a triple mutation of D57N/D58N/D62N result in less loss of ankyrin binding activity. These results provide evidence for a highly specific interaction between ankyrin and neurofascin and suggest that ankyrin association with L1 is required for L1 function in humans.

Ankyrin-G Is a Molecular Partner of E-cadherin in Epithelial Cells and Early Embryos

E-cadherin is a ubiquitous component of lateral membranes in epithelial tissues and is required to form the first lateral membrane domains in development. Here, we identify ankyrin-G as a molecular partner of E-cadherin and demonstrate that ankyrin-G and β-2-spectrin are required for accumulation of E-cadherin at the lateral membrane in both epithelial cells and early embryos. Ankyrin-G binds to the cytoplasmic domain of E-cadherin at a conserved site distinct from that of β-catenin. Ankyrin-G also recruits β-2-spectrin to E-cadherin-β-catenin complexes, thus providing a direct connection between E-cadherin and the spectrin/actin skeleton. In addition to restricting the membrane mobility of E-cadherin, ankyrin-G and β-2-spectrin also are required for exit of E-cadherin from the trans-Golgi network in a microtubule-dependent pathway. Ankyrin-G and β-2-spectrin co-localize with E-cadherin in preimplantation mouse embryos. Moreover, knockdown of either ankyrin-G or β-2-spectrin in one cell of a two-cell embryo blocks accumulation of E-cadherin at sites of cell-cell contact. E-cadherin thus requires both ankyrin-G and β-2-spectrin for its cellular localization in early embryos as well as cultured epithelial cells. We have recently reported that ankyrin-G and β-2-spectrin collaborate in biogenesis of the lateral membrane ( Kizhatil, K., Yoon, W., Mohler, P. J., Davis, L. H., Hoffman, J. A., and Bennett, V. (2007) J. Biol. Chem. 282, 2029-2037 ). Together with the current findings, these data suggest a ankyrin/spectrin-based mechanism for coordinating membrane assembly with extracellular interactions of E-cadherin at sites of cell-cell contact.

An ankyrin-based mechanism for functional organization of dystrophin and dystroglycan.

beta-dystroglycan (DG) and the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) are localized at costameres and neuromuscular junctions in the sarcolemma of skeletal muscle. We present evidence for an ankyrin-based mechanism for sarcolemmal localization of dystrophin and beta-DG. Dystrophin binds ankyrin-B and ankyrin-G, while beta-DG binds ankyrin-G. Dystrophin and beta-DG require ankyrin-G for retention at costameres but not delivery to the sarcolemma. Dystrophin and beta-DG remain intracellular in ankyrin-B-depleted muscle, where beta-DG accumulates in a juxta-TGN compartment. The neuromuscular junction requires ankyrin-B for localization of dystrophin/utrophin and beta-DG and for maintenance of its postnatal morphology. A Becker muscular dystrophy mutation reduces ankyrin binding and impairs sarcolemmal localization of dystrophin-Dp71. Ankyrin-B also binds to dynactin-4, a dynactin subunit. Dynactin-4 and a subset of microtubules disappear from sarcolemmal sites in ankyrin-B-depleted muscle. Ankyrin-B thus is an adaptor required for sarcolemmal localization of dystrophin, as well as dynactin-4.

Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Localization and Stability in Neonatal Cardiomyocytes Requires Interaction with Ankyrin-B

The molecular mechanisms required for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) targeting to specialized endoplasmic reticulum membrane domains are unknown. We report here a direct, high affinity interaction between InsP3R and ankyrin-B and demonstrate that this association is critical for InsP3R post-translational stability and localization in cultures of neonatal cardiomyocytes. Recombinant ankyrin-B membrane-binding domain directly interacts with purified cerebellar InsP3R (Kd = 2 nm). 220-kDa ankyrin-B co-immunoprecipitates with InsP3R in tissue extracts from brain, heart, and lung. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of the ankyrin-B ANK (ankyrin repeat) repeat β-hairpin loop tips revealed that consecutive ANK repeat β-hairpin loop tips (repeats 22-24) are required for InsP3R interaction, thus providing the first detailed evidence of how ankyrin polypeptides associate with membrane proteins. Pulse-chase biosynthesis experiments demonstrate that reduction or loss of ankyrin-B in ankyrin-B (+/-) or ankyrin-B (-/-) neonatal cardiomyocytes leads to ∼3-fold reduction in half-life of newly synthesized InsP3R. Furthermore, interactions with ankyrin-B are required for InsP3R stability as abnormal InsP3R phenotypes, including mis-localization, and reduced half-life in ankyrin-B (+/-) cardiomyocytes can be rescued by green fluorescent protein (GFP)-220-kDa ankyrin-B but not by GFP-220-kDa ankyrin-B mutants, which do not associate with InsP3R. These new results provide the first physiological evidence of a molecular partner required for early post-translational stability of InsP3R.

Isoform Specificity of Ankyrin-B A SITE IN THE DIVERGENT C-TERMINAL DOMAIN IS REQUIRED FOR INTRAMOLECULAR ASSOCIATION

Ankyrins contain significant amino acid identity and are co-expressed in many cell types yet maintain unique functions in vivo. Recent studies have identified the highly divergent C-terminal domain in ankyrin-B as the key domain for driving ankyrin-B-specific functions in cardiomyocytes. Here we identify an intramolecular interaction between the C-terminal domain and the membrane-binding domain of ankyrin-B using pure proteins in solution and the yeast two-hybrid assay. Through extensive deletion and alanine-scanning mutagenesis we have mapped key residues for interaction in both domains. Amino acids 1597EED1599 located in the ankyrin-B C-terminal domain and amino acids Arg37/Arg40 located in ANK repeat 1 are necessary for inter-domain interactions in yeast two-hybrid assays. Furthermore, conversion of amino acids EED1597 to AAA1597 leads to a loss of function in the localization of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors in ankyrin-B mutant cardiomyocytes. Physical properties of the ankyrin-B C-terminal domain determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy and hydrodynamic parameters reveal it is unstructured and highly extended in solution. Similar structural studies performed on full-length 220-kDa ankyrin-B harboring alanine substitutions, 1597AAA1599, reveal a more extended conformation compared with wild-type ankyrin-B. Taken together these results suggest a model of an extended and unstructured C-terminal domain folding back to bind and potentially regulate the membrane-binding domain of ankyrin-B.

Cholinergic Augmentation of Insulin Release Requires Ankyrin-B

The scaffolding protein ankyrin-B is needed for maximal insulin release, and loss of function is a risk factor for diabetes. Risk Factor for Diabetes In addition to the glucose that enters the bloodstream, the parasympathetic nervous system also stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin in response to eating a meal. Healy et al. show that loss of a single copy of the gene encoding ankyrin-B (ankB) in mice impaired insulin secretion in response to ingested glucose, causing glucose intolerance. In isolated pancreatic islets, ankB haploinsufficiency resulted in reduced abundance of the inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), a calcium channel localized to the endoplasmic reticulum, and impaired calcium signaling in response to cholinergic stimulation. Although islets secrete insulin in response to glucose, the addition of a cholinergic agonist (to mimic parasympathetic stimulation) enhances the amount of insulin released. Islets from the ankB haploinsufficient mice failed to show this potentiation of insulin secretion. Healy et al. also found that, in humans, a loss-of-function mutation in AnkB, which is associated with heart disease, was also associated with diabetes. Thus, mutations in this scaffolding protein that cause aberrant calcium signaling may be a risk factor in multiple diseases. Parasympathetic stimulation of pancreatic islets augments glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by inducing inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R)–mediated calcium ion (Ca2+) release. Ankyrin-B binds to the IP3R and is enriched in pancreatic beta cells. We found that ankyrin-B–deficient islets displayed impaired potentiation of insulin secretion by the muscarinic agonist carbachol, blunted carbachol-mediated intracellular Ca2+ release, and reduced the abundance of IP3R. Ankyrin-B–haploinsufficient mice exhibited hyperglycemia after oral ingestion but not after intraperitoneal injection of glucose, consistent with impaired parasympathetic potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The R1788W mutation of ankyrin-B impaired its function in pancreatic islets and is associated with type 2 diabetes in Caucasians and Hispanics. Thus, defective glycemic regulation through loss of ankyrin-B–dependent stabilization of IP3R is a potential risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Ankyrin-B Interactions with Spectrin and Dynactin-4 Are Required for Dystrophin-based Protection of Skeletal Muscle from Exercise Injury

Costameres are cellular sites of mechanotransduction in heart and skeletal muscle where dystrophin and its membrane-spanning partner dystroglycan distribute intracellular contractile forces into the surrounding extracellular matrix. Resolution of a functional costamere interactome is still limited but likely to be critical for understanding forms of muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy. Dystrophin binds a set of membrane-associated proteins (the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex) as well as γ-actin and microtubules and also is required to align sarcolemmal microtubules with costameres. Ankyrin-B binds to dystrophin, dynactin-4, and microtubules and is required for sarcolemmal association of these proteins as well as dystroglycan. We report here that ankyrin-B interactions with β2 spectrin and dynactin-4 are required for localization of dystrophin, dystroglycan, and microtubules at costameres as well as protection of muscle from exercise-induced injury. Knockdown of dynactin-4 in adult mouse skeletal muscle phenocopied depletion of ankyrin-B and resulted in loss of sarcolemmal dystrophin, dystroglycan, and microtubules. Moreover, mutations of ankyrin-B and of dynactin-4 that selectively impaired binary interactions between these proteins resulted in loss of their costamere-localizing activity and increased muscle fiber fragility as a result of loss of costamere-associated dystrophin and dystroglycan. In addition, costamere-association of dynactin-4 did not require dystrophin but did depend on β2 spectrin and ankyrin-B, whereas costamere association of ankyrin-B required β2 spectrin. Together, these results are consistent with a functional hierarchy beginning with β2 spectrin recruitment of ankyrin-B to costameres. Ankyrin-B then interacts with dynactin-4 and dystrophin, whereas dynactin-4 collaborates with dystrophin in coordinating costamere-aligned microtubules.

A PIK3C3–Ankyrin-B–Dynactin pathway promotes axonal growth and multiorganelle transport

Interactions between ankyrin-B and both dynactin and phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate lipids promote fast axonal transport of organelles.

E-cadherin Polarity Is Determined by a Multifunction Motif Mediating Lateral Membrane Retention through Ankyrin-G and Apical-lateral Transcytosis through Clathrin

Background: E-cadherin targets to the epithelial lateral membrane. Results: Ankyrin-G and clathrin cooperate to control E-cadherin localization. Conclusion: A multifunction motif on E-cadherin interacts with multiple pathways. Significance: This finding provides novel insights into how basolateral targeting motifs function. We report a highly conserved motif in the E-cadherin juxtamembrane domain that determines apical-lateral polarity by conferring both restricted mobility at the lateral membrane and transcytosis of apically mis-sorted protein to the lateral membrane. Mutations causing either increased lateral membrane mobility or loss of apical-lateral transcytosis result in partial mis-sorting of E-cadherin in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. However, loss of both activities results in complete loss of polarity. We present evidence that residues required for restricted mobility mediate retention at the lateral membrane through interaction with ankyrin-G, whereas dileucine residues conferring apical-lateral transcytosis act through a clathrin-dependent process and function in an editing pathway. Ankyrin-G interaction with E-cadherin is abolished by the same mutations resulting in increased E-cadherin mobility. Clathrin heavy chain knockdown and dileucine mutation of E-cadherin both cause the same partial loss of polarity of E-cadherin. Moreover, clathrin knockdown causes no further change in polarity of E-cadherin with dileucine mutation but does completely randomize E-cadherin mutants lacking ankyrin-binding. Dileucine mutation, but not loss of ankyrin binding, prevented transcytosis of apically mis-sorted E-cadherin to the lateral membrane. Finally, neurofascin, which binds ankyrin but lacks dileucine residues, exhibited partial apical-lateral polarity that was abolished by mutation of its ankyrin-binding site but was not affected by clathrin knockdown. The polarity motif thus integrates complementary activities of lateral membrane retention through ankyrin-G and apical-lateral transcytosis of mis-localized protein through clathrin. Together, the combination of retention and editing function to ensure a high fidelity steady state localization of E-cadherin at the lateral membrane.