FMRP regulates presynaptic localization of neuronal voltage gated calcium channels.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common form of inherited intellectual disability and autism, results from the loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). We have recently identified a direct interaction of FMRP with voltage-gated Ca channels that modulates neurotransmitter release. In the present study we used a combination of optophysiological tools to investigate the impact of FMRP on the targeting of voltage-gated Ca channels to the active zones in neuronal presynaptic terminals. We monitored Ca transients at synaptic boutons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons using the genetically-encoded Ca indicator GCaMP6f tagged to synaptophysin. We show that knock-down of FMRP induces an increase of the amplitude of the Ca transient in functionally-releasing presynaptic terminals, and that this effect is due to an increase of N-type Ca channel contribution to the total Ca transient. Dynamic regulation of Ca2.2 channel trafficking is key to the function of these channels in neurons. Using a Ca2.2 construct with an α-bungarotoxin binding site tag, we further investigate the impact of FMRP on the trafficking of Ca2.2 channels. We show that forward trafficking of Ca2.2 channels from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane is reduced when co-expressed with FMRP. Altogether our data reveal a critical role of FMRP on localization of Ca channels to the presynaptic terminals and how its defect in a context of FXS can profoundly affect synaptic transmission.