Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is activated by binding to its activators, p35 and p39. The level of Cdk5 activity is determined by the amount of p35 and p39, which is regulated not only by transcription but also via proteasomal degradation. Alternatively, calpain-induced cleavage of p35 to p25 can induce aberrant Cdk5 activation. As the regulation of p35 and p39 proteolysis is not well understood, we have studied here the mechanisms governing their degradation and cleavage. We find that p35 and p39 undergo proteasomal degradation in neurons, with p39 showing a slower degradation rate than p35. Degradation of the activators is dependent on their respective N-terminal p10 region, as indicated by experiments in which cognate p10 regions were swapped between p35 and p39. The effect of the p10 region on degradation and cleavage could be assigned to its membrane binding properties, mediated predominantly by myristoylation. Together, these results indicate that both proteasomal degradation and calpain cleavage of p35 and p39 are stimulated by membrane association, which is in turn mediated via myristoylation of their p10 regions. However, p35 and p39 show differences in degradation and cleavage rates, which may in fact underlie the distinct physiological and pathological functions of these two Cdk5 activators.

The β-secretase called BACE1 is a membrane-associated protease that initiates the generation of amyloid β-protein, a key event in Alzheimer’s disease. However, the mechanism of inraneuronal regulation of BACE1 is poorly understood.

J. Neurochem. (2011) 117, 504–515. Abstract Cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a Ser/Thr kinase that is activated by binding to its regulatory subunit, p35. The calpain‐mediated cleavage of p35 to p25 and the resulting aberrant activity and neurotoxicity of Cdk5 have been implicated in neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. To gain further insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathological function of Cdk5, we investigated the role of the calpain inhibitor protein calpastatin (CAST), in controlling the aberrant production of p25. For this purpose, brain tissue from wild‐type, CAST‐over‐expressing (transgenic), and CAST knockout mice were analyzed. Cleavage of p35 to p25 was increased in extracts from CAST knockout mice, compared with wild‐type. Conversely, generation of p25 was not detected in brain lysates from CAST‐over‐expressing mice. CAST expression was 5‐fold higher in mouse cerebellum than cerebral cortex. Accordingly, p25 production was lower in the cerebellum than the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, the Ca2+‐dependent degradation of p35 by proteasome was evident when calpain was inhibited. Taken together, these results suggest that CAST is a crucial regulator of calpain activity, the production of p25, and, hence, the deregulation of Cdk5. Therefore, impairment of CAST expression and its associated mechanisms may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders.

TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) is a major component of most ubiquitin-positive neuronal and glial inclusions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). A number of missense mutations in the TARDBP gene have been identified in patients with familial and sporadic ALS, as well as familial FTLD with ALS. In the diseased states, TDP-43 proteins exhibit characteristic alterations, including truncation, abnormal phosphorylation, and altered subcellular distribution. However, the mechanisms by which TDP-43 mutations induce neurodegeneration remain unclear at present. In the current study, we analyzed protein turnover and subcellular distribution of wild-type TDP-43 and two disease-associated mutants (G298S and A382T) in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells stably expressing TDP-43 with a C-terminal tag. Cycloheximide chase experiments revealed more rapid turnover of TDP-43 mutant proteins than their wild-type counterpart. The decrease in the TDP-43 level after cycloheximide treatment was partially recovered upon co-treatment with the proteasome inhibitor, epoxomicin, but not the lysosomotropic agent, chloroquine, suggesting involvement of the proteasomal pathway in TDP-43 degradation. Analysis of the subcellular distribution of TDP-43 revealed predominant localization in the nuclear fraction, whereas the relative level in the cytoplasm remained unaltered in cells expressing either mutant protein, compared with wild-type protein. Our results suggest that higher turnover of disease-associated mutant TDP-43 proteins through the ubiquitin proteasome system is pathogenetically relevant and highlight the significance of proteolysis in the pathogenetic mechanism of TDP-43 proteinopathy.

Cdk5 is a versatile protein kinase that is involved in various neuronal activities, such as the migration of newborn neurons, neurite outgrowth, synaptic regulation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Cdk5 requires the p35 regulatory subunit for activation. Because Cdk5 is more abundantly expressed in neurons compared with p35, the p35 protein levels determine the kinase activity of Cdk5. p35 is a protein with a short half-life that is degraded by proteasomes. Although ubiquitination of p35 has been previously reported, the degradation mechanism of p35 is not yet known. Here, we intended to identify the ubiquitination site(s) in p35. Because p35 is myristoylated at the N-terminal glycine, the possible ubiquitination sites are the lysine residues in p35. We mutated all 23 Lys residues to Arg (p35 23R), but p35 23R was still rapidly degraded by proteasomes at a rate similar to wild-type p35. The degradation of p35 23R in primary neurons and the Cdk5 activation ability of p35 23R suggested the occurrence of ubiquitin-independent degradation of p35 in physiological conditions. We found that p35 has the amino acid sequence similar to the ubiquitin-independent degron in the NKX3.1 homeodomain transcription factor. An Ala mutation at Pro-247 in the degron-like sequence made p35 stable. These results suggest that p35 can be degraded by two degradation pathways: ubiquitin-dependent and ubiquitin-independent. The rapid degradation of p35 by two different methods would be a mechanism to suppress the production of p25, which overactivates Cdk5 to induce neuronal cell death. Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks)2 are a family of Ser/Thr kinases that are activated by binding a regulatory subunit called cyclin. Most members of Cdks are expressed in proliferating cells to promote cell cycle progression (1). In contrast, Cdk5 is activated by p35 or p39 non-cyclin proteins, which are mainly expressed in post-mitotic neurons (2). Cdk5 is a versatile kinase that is involved in many neuronal activities, including neuronal cell layer formation, synaptic transmission, membrane trafficking, and neuron cell death (3). p35 and p39 appear to share common and/or distinct functions for Cdk5, with p35 being the predominant activator. This is shown by the phenotypes of knock-out (KO) mice; p35 KO mice display abnormal neural layers in the cerebral cortex (4), and p39 KO mice do not show apparent abnormalities, whereas p35 and p39 double KO mice are perinatal lethal with abnormal neural layers, as are the Cdk5 KO mice (5-7). To understand the precise function of Cdk5-p35 in various neuronal activities, it is important to reveal the regulation mechanism of Cdk5 activity.As well as being cell cycle Cdks, Cdk5 is a stable protein and is expressed more abundantly than p35 in neurons (8, 9). Therefore, Cdk5 activity is determined primarily by the available amount of activator protein p35, and the protein amounts of p35 are regulated by the balance between synthesis and degradation (2). Although the synthesis of p35 is stimulated by NGF or BDNF (10, 11), the...