Visualizing active enzyme complexes using a photoreactive inhibitor for proximity ligation--application on γ-secretase

PLoS One. 2013 May 24;8(5):e63962. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063962. Print 2013.

Abstract

Here, we present a highly sensitive method to study protein-protein interactions and subcellular location selectively for active multicomponent enzymes. We apply the method on γ-secretase, the enzyme complex that catalyzes the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to generate amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), the major causative agent in Alzheimer disease (AD). The novel assay is based on proximity ligation, which can be used to study protein interactions in situ with very high sensitivity. In traditional proximity ligation assay (PLA), primary antibody recognition is typically accompanied by oligonucleotide-conjugated secondary antibodies as detection probes. Here, we first performed PLA experiments using antibodies against the γ-secretase components presenilin 1 (PS1), containing the catalytic site residues, and nicastrin, suggested to be involved in substrate recognition. To selectively study the interactions of active γ-secretase, we replaced one of the primary antibodies with a photoreactive γ-secretase inhibitor containing a PEG linker and a biotin group (GTB), and used oligonucleotide-conjugated streptavidin as a probe. Interestingly, significantly fewer interactions were detected with the latter, novel, assay, which is a reasonable finding considering that a substantial portion of PS1 is inactive. In addition, the PLA signals were located more peripherally when GTB was used instead of a PS1 antibody, suggesting that γ-secretase matures distal from the perinuclear ER region. This novel technique thus enables highly sensitive protein interaction studies, determines the subcellular location of the interactions, and differentiates between active and inactive γ-secretase in intact cells. We suggest that similar PLA assays using enzyme inhibitors could be useful also for other enzyme interaction studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / chemistry
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Embryonic Stem Cells
  • Enzyme Assays
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein Transport / drug effects

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Stiftelsen gamla tjänarinnor and Gun and Bertil Stohnes stiftelse. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.