A conserved GXXXG motif in APH-1 is critical for assembly and activity of the gamma-secretase complex

J Biol Chem. 2004 Feb 6;279(6):4144-52. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M309745200. Epub 2003 Nov 19.

Abstract

The multipass membrane protein APH-1, found in the gamma-secretase complex together with presenilin, nicastrin, and PEN-2, is essential for Notch signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos and is required for intramembrane proteolysis of Notch and beta-amyloid precursor protein in mammalian and Drosophila cells. In C. elegans, a mutation of the conserved transmembrane Gly123 in APH-1 (mutant or28) leads to a notch/glp-1 loss-of-function phenotype. In this study, we show that the corresponding mutation in mammalian APH-1aL (G122D) disrupts the physical interaction of APH-1aL with hypoglycosylated immature nicastrin and the presenilin holoprotein as well as with mature nicastrin, presenilin, and PEN-2. The G122D mutation also reduced gamma-secretase activity in intramembrane proteolysis of membrane-tethered Notch. Moreover, we found that the conserved transmembrane Gly122, Gly126, and Gly130 in the fourth transmembrane region of mammalian APH-1aL are part of the membrane helix-helix interaction GXXXG motif and are essential for the stable association of APH-1aL with presenilin, nicastrin, and PEN-2. These findings suggest that APH-1 plays a GXXXG-dependent scaffolding role in both the initial assembly and subsequent maturation and maintenance of the active gamma-secretase complex.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Animals
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • Cell Line
  • Endopeptidases / chemistry*
  • Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Peptide Hydrolases
  • Presenilin-1
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • PSEN1 protein, human
  • PSENEN protein, human
  • Presenilin-1
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • nicastrin protein
  • APH1A protein, human
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Endopeptidases
  • Peptide Hydrolases
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • BACE1 protein, human