${alpha}$-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) 수용체는 중추신경계에 널리 발현하며, 연접부위에서 글루타메이트에 의한 흥분성 신경전달의 역할을 행한다. 이러한 수용체의 조절은 학습과 기억에 관여한다. 본 연구에서는 AMPA receptor subunit glutamate receptor-interacting protein 1 (GRIP1)과 결합하는 단백질로 armadillo family인 p0071/plakophilin-4을 분리하였다. GRIPl 단백질은 p0071/plakophilin-4 단백질의 C-말단과 결합하며, armadillo family 단백질 중 p0071/plakophilin-4 과만 결합한다. 효모 two-hybrid assay에서 GRIPl의 Postsynaptic density-95/Discs large/Zona occludens-1 (PDZ) 영역이 p0071/plakophilin-4 단백질과의 결합에 관여하며, p0071/plakophilin-4 단백질의 C-말단 아미노산인 "S-X-V" 배열이 결합에 필수적이었다. 이러한 결합은 뇌 균질액에서 Glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay와 공면역침강법으로 확인하였다. 이러한 결과들은 AMPA 수용체가 연접후막에 안정적으로 위치하는 새로운 역할을 시사한다.
${alpha}$-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptors are widespread throughout the central nervous system and appear to serve as synaptic receptors for fast excitatory synaptic transmission mediated by glutamate. Their modulation is believed to affect learning and memory. To identify the interaction proteins for the AMPA receptor subunit glutamate receptor-interacting protein 1 (GRIPl), GRIP1 interactions with armadillo family protein p0071/plakophilin-4 were investigated. GRIP1 protein bound to the tail region of p0071/plakophilin-4 but not to other armadillo family protein members in a yeast two-hybrid assay. The "S-X-V" motif at the carboxyl (C)-terminal end of p0071/plakophilin-4 is essential for interaction with GRIP1. p0071/plakophilin-4 interacted with the Postsynaptic density-95/Discs large/Zona occludens-1 (PDZ) domains of GRIPI in the yeast two-hybrid assay, as is indicated also by Glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down, and co-immunoprecipitated with GRIP1 antibody in brain fraction. The findings of this study provide evidence that p0071/plakophilin-4 is an interactor of GRIP1.
