Centre for Advanced Computational Solutions (C-fACS), Department of Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
Department of Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7674, New Zealand.
Molecules. 2022 Sep 14;27(18):5974. doi: 10.3390/molecules27185974.
NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus consists of two opposing forces: long-term potentiation (LTP), which strengthens synapses and long-term depression (LTD), which weakens synapses. LTP and LTD are associated with memory formation and loss, respectively. Synaptic plasticity is controlled at a molecular level by Ca-mediated protein signaling. Here, Ca binds the protein, calmodulin (CaM), which modulates synaptic plasticity in both directions. This is because Ca-bound CaM activates both LTD-and LTP-inducing proteins. Understanding how CaM responds to Ca signaling and how this translates into synaptic plasticity is therefore important to understanding synaptic plasticity induction. In this paper, CaM activation by Ca and calmodulin binding to downstream proteins was mathematically modeled using differential equations. Simulations were monitored with and without theoretical knockouts and, global sensitivity analyses were performed to determine how Ca/CaM signaling occurred at various Ca signals when CaM levels were limiting. At elevated stimulations, the total CaM pool rapidly bound to its protein binding targets which regulate both LTP and LTD. This was followed by CaM becoming redistributed from low-affinity to high-affinity binding targets. Specifically, CaM was redistributed away from LTD-inducing proteins to bind the high-affinity LTP-inducing protein, calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII). In this way, CaMKII acted as a dominant affecter and repressed activation of opposing CaM-binding protein targets. The model thereby showed a novel form of CaM signaling by which the two opposing pathways crosstalk indirectly. The model also found that CaMKII can repress cAMP production by repressing CaM-regulated proteins, which catalyze cAMP production. The model also found that at low Ca stimulation levels, typical of LTD induction, CaM signaling was unstable and is therefore unlikely to alone be enough to induce synaptic depression. Overall, this paper demonstrates how limiting levels of CaM may be a fundamental aspect of Ca regulated signaling which allows crosstalk among proteins without requiring directly interaction.
海马体中 NMDA 受体依赖的突触可塑性由两种相反的力量组成:长时程增强(LTP),它增强突触;长时程抑制(LTD),它削弱突触。LTP 和 LTD 分别与记忆的形成和丧失有关。突触可塑性在分子水平上受到 Ca 介导的蛋白信号的控制。在这里,Ca 结合蛋白钙调蛋白(CaM),CaM 调节着两个方向的突触可塑性。这是因为 Ca 结合的 CaM 激活了 LTD 和 LTP 诱导蛋白。因此,了解 CaM 如何响应 Ca 信号以及这种信号如何转化为突触可塑性对于理解突触可塑性的诱导非常重要。在本文中,使用微分方程对 Ca 对 CaM 的激活和 CaM 与下游蛋白的结合进行了数学建模。模拟在有无理论敲除的情况下进行监测,并进行全局敏感性分析,以确定在 CaM 水平有限的情况下,不同 Ca 信号下 Ca/CaM 信号如何发生。在高刺激下,总 CaM 池迅速与调节 LTP 和 LTD 的蛋白结合靶标结合。随后,CaM 从低亲和力结合靶标重新分布到高亲和力结合靶标。具体而言,CaM 从 LTD 诱导蛋白重新分布到高亲和力的 LTP 诱导蛋白钙调蛋白依赖性激酶 II(CaMKII)。通过这种方式,CaMKII 充当主要的影响因子,抑制了相反的 CaM 结合蛋白靶标的激活。该模型因此展示了一种新的 CaM 信号形式,通过这种形式,两种相反的途径间接进行串扰。该模型还发现,CaMKII 可以通过抑制催化 cAMP 产生的 CaM 调节蛋白来抑制 cAMP 的产生。该模型还发现,在典型的 LTD 诱导的低 Ca 刺激水平下,CaM 信号不稳定,因此不太可能单独足以诱导突触抑制。总的来说,本文证明了 CaM 的限制水平可能是 Ca 调节信号的一个基本方面,它允许蛋白之间进行串扰,而无需直接相互作用。