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Molecular and Cellular Biology, January 2006, p. 19-27, Vol. 26, No. 1
0270-7306/06/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.26.1.19-27.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, University Departments at the Vienna Biocenter, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Received 6 October 2005/ Accepted 11 October 2005
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3ß1 integrin (17) cannot be ruled out, clustering of ApoER2 and/or VLDLR is sufficient to induce Dab1 phosphorylation in primary neurons (45). Phosphorylation of Dab1 in response to Reelin is mediated by members of the Src family of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases (3, 7). The PTB domain of Dab1 mediates not only binding to the intracellular domains of ApoER2 and VLDLR (21) but also binding to phosphoinositide head groups, which results in membrane localization of Dab1 (8, 44). Recent publications have demonstrated that the PTB domain-mediated membrane localization of Dab1 is indispensable for proper Reelin signaling in primary neurons (23, 43). In contrast to this initial part of the pathway, our knowledge on events downstream of Dab1 phosphorylation is still scarce. Activation of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase and subsequent phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt are involved (8). Phosphorylation of critical tyrosine residues of Dab1 regulates
3 integrin levels in migrating neurons and their timely detachment from the radial glial fibers (38). In addition, direct interaction of phosphorylated Dab1 with other intracellular proteins was shown; for instance, interaction with members of the Crk family might connect the Reelin pathway to integrin-mediated adhesion and migration of neurons (5, 11). Reelin-induced remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton might be mediated by binding of Nckß (35) and association with N-WASP (46). Lis1 appears to interact with phosphorylated Dab1 and might link the Reelin pathway to cellular structures directly involved in neuronal migration (4). A major problem in delineating the molecular details of the Reelin signaling pathway is, besides primary neurons derived from embryonic brains, the lack of an appropriate cell line. Here we demonstrate for the first time that the Reelin signaling pathway can be reconstituted in mouse fibroblasts by expressing Dab1 and either ApoER2 or VLDLR. Using these fibroblasts we show that ApoER2 and VLDLR reside in distinct subdomains of the plasma membrane and that signaling activity of the Reelin receptors is not related to a localization of the receptors to lipid rafts and/or caveolae. In addition, we could demonstrate that phosphorylated Dab1 stays bound to ApoER2, thus suggesting that any higher order protein complex recruited to phosphorylated Dab1 assembles on the receptor tails.
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VLDLR splice variants in murine brain. Poly(A)+ RNA from murine cerebrum and cerebellum was prepared using the Micro-FastTrack mRNA isolation kit (Invitrogen). First-strand cDNA synthesis was performed using an oligo(dT) primer and SuperScript II Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen) in accordance with the manufacturer's protocol. The subsequent PCR was performed using the oligonucleotides VLDLR-O/S 5'GCCCAAGACATCATTGTCTA-3' and VLDLR-O/AS 5'-ACCTACTGCTGCCATCACTA-3'. PCR products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis.
Plasmids.
Plasmids used for retroviral transduction of murine fibroblasts are based either on the pMSCVpuro vector (Becton-Dickinson and Co.) or the bicistronic retroviral vector pMSCV-IRES-GFP in which the puromycin resistance cassette was replaced by an internal ribosome entry site and the gene coding for green fluorescent protein (GFP). pMSCV-IRES-GFP was a kind gift of Florian Grebien (Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria). The cDNA for full-length murine Dab1 (555) (GenBank accession no. Y08379) was amplified by PCR from a plasmid (Dab wt-1FKBP; 45) using the oligonucleotides Dab1/S, 5'-TTGAATTCATGTCAACTGAGACAGAACTTC-3' (introduced EcoRI sites are underlined), and Dab1/AS, 5'-TTGAATTCCTAGCTACCGTCTTGTGGAC-3'. The resulting fragment was cloned into the EcoRI restriction site of pMSCV-IRES-GFP, yielding the plasmid pMSCV-Dab1. The cDNAs for full-length murine ApoER2 harboring LA repeats 1 to 3, 7, and 8, containing (+) or lacking () the proline-rich cytoplasmic insert (GenBank accession no. NM_053073), were amplified from the corresponding plasmids (ApoER2
4-6; 9) by PCR using the oligonucleotides ApoER2/S, 5'-ATGAATTCATGGGCCGCCCAGAACTGG-3', and ApoER2/AS, 5'-ATGAATTCTCAGGGCAGTCCATCATCTTC-3'. The resulting fragments were cloned into the EcoRI restriction site of pMSCVpuro. The cDNA for VLDLR lacking the "O-linked sugar domain" (GenBank accession no. XM_123381) was amplified by PCR from a cDNA pool derived from mouse brain using the oligonucleotides VLDLR/A, 5'-ATGAATTCTCAGGGCAGTCCATCATCTTC-3', and VLDLR/AS, 5'-ATGAATTCAAGCCAGATCATCATCTGTGCTTAC-3'. The resulting fragment was cloned into the EcoRI restriction site of pMSCVpuro. pCMV5-c-src (murine neuronal) was a kind gift from Joachim Herz (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex.).
Production of stable NIH 3T3 cell lines. For producing retroviral particles, the Phoenix Retrovirus Expression System (Orbigen) was used according to the manufacturer's protocol. The murine fibroblast cell line NIH 3T3 was transduced with the pMSCV-Dab1 plasmid, and positive cells (termed 3T3 D) were obtained by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Cells were checked for expression of Dab1 by Western blotting and were subjected to a second infection procedure using cDNAs coding for ApoER2 containing (A+) or lacking (A) the proline-rich cytoplasmic insert or VLDLR (V) cloned into the pMSCVpuro backbone. Transduced cells were cultivated in selection medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium [DMEM] supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, antibiotics, and 1.5 µg/ml puromycin) and kept under a high puromycin concentration (1.5 µg/ml) for 7 days before reducing the concentration of puromycin to 0.75 µg/ml. Puromycin-resistant cells (termed 3T3 A+/D, A/D, and V/D) were grown in growth medium lacking puromycin for 24 h before use.
Expression of recombinant proteins, preparation of cell extracts, electrophoresis, and Western blotting. Reelin was expressed in stably transfected 293 cells, and conditioned medium was prepared as described previously (9). Reelin-conditioned medium was analyzed by Western blotting using the anti-Reelin antibody G10. Total cell extracts from 3T3 or 293-HEK cells were obtained after washing the cells twice with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.4), scraping them into Hunt buffer (20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 150 mM NaCl, 0.5% NP-40, and Complete protease inhibitor cocktail [Roche]), and centrifugation for 30 min at 20,000 x g. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed according to the method of Laemmli (27), and proteins were transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes by semidry blotting. For Western blotting with antibodies 220 and 74, nitrocellulose membranes were blocked for 1 h in PBS-0.1% Tween 20 containing 5% milk powder. For Western blotting using PY99, D4, G10, and anti-phospho-PKB/Akt, 5% bovine serum albumin instead of milk powder was used. Appropriate horseradish peroxidase-conjugated antibodies (1:20,000; Jackson ImmunoResearch) were used for detection with enhanced chemiluminescence (Pierce).
Reelin binding assay. NIH 3T3 cells were seeded into 6-well dishes (300,000 cells/well) and cultivated for 24 h. Cells were put on ice for 30 min, and the growth medium was removed and replaced by Reelin-conditioned medium. After incubation for 30 min at 4°C, cells were extensively washed with Tris-buffered saline (TBS; pH 7.4) and lysed in Hunt buffer for 30 min on ice. The lysates were centrifuged at 20,000 x g for 30 min, and the supernatants were boiled in reducing Laemmli buffer prior to SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The presence of Reelin was tested using G10 as primary antibody for Western blotting. Horseradish peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-mouse antibody (1:20,000; Jackson ImmunoResearch) was used for detection with enhanced chemiluminescence (Pierce).
Purification of Reelin from conditioned medium. Reelin was purified as described previously (29). Briefly, Reelin-conditioned medium from 293 cells was centrifuged for 2 h at 200,000 x g. The resulting pellet was washed with TBS and resuspended in TBS.
Dab1 phosphorylation assay. Dab1 phosphorylation was measured essentially as described previously (18). Briefly, cells stably expressing the indicated proteins (see the figures) were grown on 10-cm-diameter dishes, washed once with PBS, and incubated with different media containing the indicated ligands (see the figures). After 20 min at 37°C, cells were washed again, scraped into 1 ml of Hunt buffer containing 50 mM NaF and 2 mM Na3VO4, and lysed for 30 min on ice. The lysates were centrifuged at 20,000 x g for 30 min, and the supernatants were immediately used for immunoprecipitation of Dab1 using 5 µl of anti-Dab1 antiserum. After 2 h at 4°C, 20 µl of a suspension containing protein A beads (Amersham) was added, and the mixture was incubated for 2 h at 4°C. The beads were washed with Hunt buffer and boiled in reducing Laemmli buffer prior to SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.
Dab1 degradation assay. Dab1 degradation was measured essentially as described previously (2). Briefly, 1.6 x 106 3T3 cells stably expressing one of the Reelin receptors and Dab1 were seeded into 10-cm dishes. Cells were starved in plain DMEM containing 20 µg cycloheximide/ml for 60 min and subsequently treated with Reelin or control medium containing 20 µg cycloheximide/ml for the indicated time period. Cells were washed with TBS, lysed in Hunt buffer containing 50 mM NaF and 2 mM Na3VO4, and lysed for 30 min on ice. The lysates were centrifuged at 20,000 x g for 30 min, and the supernatants were immediately used for immunoprecipitation of Dab1 as described for the Dab1 phosphorylation assay.
Phosphorylation of PKB/Akt. Phosphorylation of PKB/Akt was measured directly in total cell extracts derived from stimulated NIH 3T3 fibroblasts starved for 6 h using plain DMEM to reduce background phosphorylation of PKB/Akt. Briefly, equal amounts of protein (10 µg) from cell lysates were separated by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotted using an antibody directed against phospho-PKB/Akt.
Dab1 pulldown. 293-HEK cells were transiently transfected with plasmids coding for Dab1 or Dab1 and src using PolyFect (QIAGEN) according to the manufacturer's protocol. Forty-eight hours after transfection, cells were washed twice with PBS, lysed in Hunt buffer for 30 min on ice, and centrifuged at 20,000 x g for 30 min. The lysate was incubated with 25 µl of purified GST-ApoER2-tail containing the proline-rich insert coupled to glutathione Sepharose for 2 h at 4°C as described previously (42). The beads were collected by centrifugation (500 x g, 2 min), washed twice with Hunt buffer, and boiled in reducing Laemmli sample buffer before SDS-PAGE and Western blotting with the indicated antibodies.
Sodium carbonate-based isolation of caveolin-rich light membranes (CLM). NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were grown to confluence in 10-cm dishes. CLM were prepared using a detergent-free method as described previously (51). All procedures were carried out at 4°C. Briefly, cells from a 10-cm dish were washed with TBS, scraped into 2 ml of MBS buffer (25 mM morpholinethanesulfonic acid, 150 mM NaCl, pH 6.5) containing 500 mM sodium carbonate and Complete protease inhibitors (Roche), and lysed by sonication (6 times for 15 s with 100% sonication cycle time and 70% power using a Bandelin Sonopuls HD70 sonicator). Cell homogenates were mixed with 2 ml of 90% (wt/vol) sucrose in MBS and transferred to a 12-ml ultracentrifuge tube. A discontinuous sucrose gradient was formed above the homogenate by layering on 4 ml of 35% (wt/vol) sucrose in MBS, followed by 4 ml of 5% (wt/vol) sucrose in MBS. After centrifugation at 160,000 x g for 18 h in a Beckman SW40Ti rotor at 4°C, 1-ml fractions were collected from the top of the tube. Fraction 4 at the interface between the 5% and 35% sucrose boundary was designated the CLM fraction. Fraction 12 at the bottom of the tube (45% sucrose) was designated the noncaveolar membrane fraction (NCM). Fractions 4 and 12 were used for Western blotting and immunoprecipitation of ApoER2.
Detergent-based isolation of caveolin-rich light membranes (CLM). CLM were prepared from stable NIH 3T3 fibroblasts grown to confluence in 15-cm dishes. All procedures were carried out at 4°C. Briefly, cells were washed with TBS, scraped, and pelleted by centrifugation (5 min, 1,400 x g). The supernatant was removed, and cells were solubilized in TBS containing 2% Brij 78P (Fluka) and Complete protease inhibitors (Roche) by passaging the cells 10 times through a 23-gauge needle. Cell debris was removed by centrifugation (10 min, 21,000 x g), and the lysate (0.6 ml) was mixed with 0.6 ml of 90% (wt/vol) sucrose in MBS and transferred to a 4.3-ml ultracentrifuge tube. A discontinuous sucrose gradient was formed above the homogenate by layering on 2.5 ml of 35% (wt/vol) sucrose in MBS, followed by 0.6 ml of 5% (wt/vol) sucrose in MBS. After centrifugation at 160,000 x g for 20 h in a Beckman SW60Ti rotor at 4°C, 0.44-ml fractions were collected from the top of the tube. Fraction 2 at the interface between the 5% and 35% sucrose boundaries was designated the CLM fraction.
Immunoprecipitation of ApoER2. ApoER2 was immunoprecipitated from fractions 4 and 12 derived from a sodium carbonate-based isolation of CLM. Briefly, 500 µl of each fraction was diluted with 1 ml Hunt buffer, and 5 µl antiserum (Ab 186) was added to precipitate ApoER2. After 2 h at 4°C, 20 µl of a suspension containing protein A beads was added, and the mixture was incubated for 2 h at 4°C. The beads were washed with Hunt buffer and boiled in reducing Laemmli buffer prior to SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.
Wound healing assay. Cell migration was determined as described previously (37). Briefly, 6-cm dishes were coated overnight with 10 µg/ml fibronectin, washed, and blocked with 2 mg bovine serum albumin/ml for 60 min. 3T3 A/D cells (1 x 106) were seeded into the coated dishes and allowed to adhere for 4 h at 37°C in a 7.5% CO2 incubator. A wound was created relative to a marking on the culture dish as a reference point by scraping the cell monolayer with a pipette tip, the cells were washed with DMEM containing antibiotics and 2% fetal calf serum, and 5 ml of the same medium was added. Images were acquired using a Zeiss Axiovert 135 microscope immediately after creating the wound and after an incubation time of 15 h. The pictures of the wounded area were overlaid with a grid, and cells within this area were counted.
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FIG. 1. Analysis of VLDLR splice variants in murine brain and expression of Reelin receptors and Dab1 in NIH 3T3 cells. (A) cDNA coding for murine VLDLR containing (lane 1) or lacking (lane 4) exon 16 coding for the "O-linked sugar domain" and cDNA derived by reverse transcription of mRNA from murine cerebrum (lane 2) and cerebellum (lane 3) was used for PCR amplification using a primer pair flanking exon 16. Amplified products were separated by DNA electrophoresis on a 1.8% agarose gel. Molecular size markers are shown (in base pairs). (B) Total cell extracts derived from NIH 3T3 cells (lanes 1 to 4) and NIH 3T3 cells stably expressing Dab1 and ApoER2 containing the proline-rich cytoplasmic insert (lanes 5 and 6) (3T3 A+/D), Dab1, ApoER2 lacking the proline-rich cytoplasmic insert (lanes 7 and 8) (3T3 A/D), and Dab1 and VLDLR lacking the "O-linked sugar domain" (lanes 9 and 10) (3T3 V/D) were separated on an SDS-8% PAGE gel and immunoblotted. Primary antibodies used for detection were D4 for Dab1, 220 for ApoER2, and 74 for VLDLR. Molecular size markers are shown (in kilodaltons). WB, Western blot.
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FIG. 2. 3T3 cells expressing ApoER2 or VLDLR bind Reelin. Cells expressing the Reelin receptors and Dab1 (3T3 A+/D, lane 1; 3T3 A/D, lane 2; 3T3 V/D, lane 3; 3T3, lane 4) were chilled on ice and subsequently incubated with Reelin-conditioned medium at 4°C. Unbound Reelin was removed by extensive washing, and cells were lysed. Extracts were separated by SDS-PAGE on a 4% gel and immunoblotted using the Reelin-specific antibody G10. Molecular size markers are shown (in kilodaltons).
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FIG. 3. Reelin-induced Dab1 phosphorylation in 3T3 cells is qualitatively indistinguishable from that in primary neurons. (A) Reelin-induced Dab1 phosphorylation was measured after immunoprecipitation of Dab1 from cell lysates derived from 3T3 cells expressing Dab1 or Dab1 and the Reelin receptors as indicated. The immunoprecipitates were separated on an SDS-8% PAGE gel, and Western blotting was performed using antiphosphotyrosine ( PY) and anti-Dab1 antibodies as described in Materials and Methods. 3T3 cells expressing Dab1 or Dab1 and one of the Reelin receptors were stimulated with mock- () or Reelin-conditioned (+) medium. (B) 3T3 A+/D cells were stimulated with mock-conditioned medium (lane 1), Reelin-conditioned medium (lane 2), Reelin-conditioned medium plus PP2 [4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo(3,4-D)pyramidine; 10 µM] (lane 3), antibody 186 (lane 4), antibody 74 (lane 5), antibody 20 (lane 6), or antibody 197 (lane 7). Dab1 phosphorylation was measured as described for panel A.
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FIG. 4. Reelin induces PKB/Akt phosphorylation in 3T3 A+/D cells. 3T3 A+/D cells were starved in serum-free medium for 6 h to reduce background phosphorylation of PKB/Akt and subsequently stimulated with plain DMEM (lane 1), purified Reelin (lane 2), or control medium (see the text) (lane 3). Dab1 was immunoprecipitated from cell lysates and analyzed by Western blotting using the indicated antibodies. Phosphorylation of PKB/Akt was analyzed by Western blotting of total cell lysates using an anti-phospho-Akt antibody. The lower band in the anti-phospho-Akt blot is unspecific and serves as a loading control. PY, phosphotyrosine antibody.
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FIG. 5. Reelin stimulation induces proteasome-dependent degradation of phosphorylated Dab1 in 3T3 cells. (A) 3T3 A/D cells were starved for 60 min using DMEM supplemented with 20 µg cycloheximide/ml and subsequently treated with Reelin (lanes 2, 4, 6, and 8)- or mock (lanes 1, 3, 5, and 7)-conditioned medium for the indicated time period in the presence of 20 µg cycloheximide/ml. Dab1 was precipitated from total cell lysates and analyzed by Western blotting using an antiphosphotyrosine antibody ( PY). Total Dab1 and ApoER2 were detected from total lysates by Western blotting. Arrowheads emphasize the decrease of receptor levels. (B) 3T3 V/D cells were treated with Reelin (lanes 2, 4, 6, and 8)- or mock (lanes 1, 3, 5, and 7)-conditioned medium for the indicated time period in the presence of 20 µg cycloheximide/ml. Dab1 was precipitated from total cell lysates and analyzed by Western blotting using an antiphosphotyrosine antibody ( PY). Total Dab1 and VLDLR were detected as described for panel A. (C) 3T3 A/D cells were treated for 1 h (lanes 1 and 2) or 6 h (lanes 3 to 6) with mock (lanes 1, 3, and 5)- or Reelin (lanes 2, 4, and 6)-conditioned medium in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (lanes 3 and 4) or 10 µM epoxomicin (Epoxo) (lanes 5 and 6). Total and phosphorylated Dab1 were detected after immunoprecipitation of Dab1.
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FIG. 6. ApoER2 but not VLDLR is localized to lipid rafts. (A) Lipid rafts from 3T3 cells expressing ApoER2 (3T3 A+) or VLDLR (3T3 A) were isolated by a detergent-based procedure as described in Materials and Methods. Fractions were analyzed by Western blotting using the indicated antibodies. Closed and open arrowheads correspond to the mature and precursor forms of ApoER2, respectively. (B) 3T3 A/D or 3T3 V/D cells were incubated with mock- or Reelin-conditioned medium, and caveolin-rich light membranes (CLM) (lanes 1 and 3) were separated from NCM (lanes 2 and 4) as described for panel A. (C) 3T3 A/D cells were incubated with Optimem or Optimem containing 5 mM methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (CDX) or 15 µg nystatin (Nys)/ml, and lipid rafts were isolated as described for panel A. Fractions were analyzed by immunoblotting using an ApoER2-specific antibody. Additionally, 3T3 A/D cells were incubated for 60 min with DMEM, DMEM containing 5 mM CDX, or DMEM containing 15 µg Nys/ml and subsequently stimulated for 60 min with Reelin-conditioned medium (upper panel), Reelin-conditioned medium containing 5 mM CDX (middle panel), or 15 µg Nys/ml (lower panel). Cells were lysed, Dab1 was immunoprecipitated, and the immunoprecipitate was analyzed for Dab1 phosphorylation (phosph.) by Western blotting using the indicated antibodies.
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FIG. 7. Phosphorylated Dab1 binds to a recombinant ApoER2 tail fragment. (A) 293-HEK cells were transiently transfected with plasmids coding for Dab1 (lane 1) or Dab1 and src (lane 2). Forty-eight hours after transfection, total cell lysates were analyzed by Western blotting for the presence of Dab1 and phosphorylated Dab1 using the indicated antibodies. (B) Cell extracts shown in panel A were incubated with Sepharose beads coupled to GST (lane 3) or to a fusion protein containing GST and the ApoER2 tail plus insert (lanes 4 and 5), and the precipitated material was analyzed by Western blotting using the indicated antibodies. PY, phosphotyrosine.
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FIG. 8. Dab1 phosphorylated by Reelin is bound to the receptor tail. (A) 3T3 A+/D cells were stimulated with Reelin for 20 min at 37°C, and the caveolin-containing light membrane fraction was prepared as described in Materials and Methods. The caveolin-enriched fraction (lane 2) and the fraction at the bottom of the tube (lane 1) were analyzed by Western blotting using the indicated antibodies. (B) ApoER2 from these fractions was immunoprecipitated, and the precipitates were analyzed by Western blotting for the presence of total Dab1 and phosphorylated Dab1 (lanes 3 and 4). PY, phosphotyrosine.
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As already demonstrated in primary neurons from mice lacking either VLDLR or ApoER2, the presence of one of the Reelin receptors is sufficient to activate the pathway (45). This system has allowed us to evaluate whether the proline-rich insert facultatively present in receptor variants in the mouse brain is involved in Reelin-induced Dab1 phosphorylation. As demonstrated here, both variants (with and without the insert) support this event equally well.
Having established and characterized these cell lines, we used them to study the membrane localization of the receptors and whether the localization has functional implications for the signaling pathway. In addition, we tackled the question of whether phosphorylated Dab1 is released from the receptor. Prior attempts to solve these problems were unsuccessful, since meaningful preparations of caveolin-rich membranes from primary neurons failed because of the lack of sufficient cell mass, and coimmunoprecipitation of Dab1 from primary neurons with antibodies against one of the receptors turned out to be very inefficient. As demonstrated here, this is now possible using the fibroblast-based cell system.
Preparations of CLM from these cells confirmed previous findings that mature ApoER2 is strictly localized to this cholesterol-rich subdomain of the plasma membrane (36). VLDLR, however, is strictly excluded from this domain, and, even more importantly, VLDLR is not shifted into the CLM fraction by Reelin binding. Translocation of the B-cell receptor, which is excluded from the lipid raft fraction in resting B cells, into this subdomain of the membrane is a prerequisite of B-cell activation (for a review see reference 34). On cross-linking by antigen binding, a significant portion of the amount of B-cell receptors becomes transiently associated with lipid rafts where the receptor is phosphorylated and the signaling cascade is initiated. Apparently, clustering of VLDLR by Reelin (45) does not increase the affinity of the receptor for CLM and still leads to Dab1 phosphorylation indistinguishable from that induced by Reelin binding to ApoER2. In addition, disruption of rafts by CDX which results in a complete loss of ApoER2 from this fraction and blocking the function of raft-associated processes by nystatin does not inhibit ApoER2-mediated Dab1 phosphorylation. This is in contrast to previous results with CDX, which was reported to inhibit Reelin-induced Dab1 phosphorylation in neurons (8). However, overall phosphorylation was also significantly reduced in these experiments, whereas in our experiments the CDX concentration was adjusted to a level where overall phosphorylation was only minimally inhibited but ApoER2 was completely lost from the CLM fraction. These findings demonstrate that lipid rafts or caveolae are not involved in the primary signaling event of the Reelin pathway.
Furthermore, using this cell system we could demonstrate that Dab1 phosphorylated by Reelin activation of ApoER2 indeed stays associated with the receptor. This was shown by pull-down experiments using a recombinant fusion protein containing GST and the cytoplasmic domain of ApoER2 as well as by coimmunoprecipitation with antibodies against ApoER2. In a recent publication it was shown that Dab1 does not associate stably with the receptor in the resting state; rather, it associates with the receptor upon Reelin binding and dissociates from the receptor upon internalization of Reelin (32). Here, we enriched for the mature form of ApoER2 which resides at the plasma membrane by preparing the CLM fraction of the cells. Using this fraction for immunoprecipitation with antibodies against the receptor resulted in coimmunoprecipitation of phosphorylated Dab1. This demonstrates that initial phosphorylation of Dab1 does not lead to a dissociation of the adapter from the receptor. This is compatible with the possibility that other proteins known to interact with phosphorylated Dab1, such as members of the Crk family (5), Nckß (35), N-WASP (46), or Lis1 (4), assemble a complex signalosome on the receptor tail which may dissociate from the receptor upon internalization of the receptor.
Finally, using the fibroblast cell model, we could demonstrate that Reelin has no influence on the basic migratory behavior of these cells. This supports the concept that neuronal migration per se is not influenced by Reelin.
We thank Harald Rumpler for excellent technical assistance. Antibodies against Reelin and Dab1 were a generous gift from Andre Goffinet (University of Louvain Medical School). The expression plasmid for Reelin was generously provided by Tom Curran (Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN).
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