1.A unique phenylalanine in the transmembrane domain strengthens homodimerization of the syndecan-2 transmembrane domain and functionally regulates syndecan-2.
Kwon MJ1, Choi Y1, Yun JH2, Lee W2, Han IO3, Oh ES4. J Biol Chem. 2015 Feb 27;290(9):5772-82. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M114.599845. Epub 2015 Jan 8.
The syndecans are a type of cell surface adhesion receptor that initiates intracellular signaling events through receptor clustering mediated by their highly conserved transmembrane domains (TMDs). However, the exact function of the syndecan TMD is not yet fully understood. Here, we investigated the specific regulatory role of the syndecan-2 TMD. We found that syndecan-2 mutants in which the TMD had been replaced with that of syndecan-4 were defective in syndecan-2-mediated functions, suggesting that the TMD of syndecan-2 plays one or more specific roles. Interestingly, syndecan-2 has a stronger tendency to form sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-resistant homodimers than syndecan-4. Our structural studies showed that a unique phenylalanine residue (Phe(167)) enables an additional molecular interaction between the TMDs of the syndecan-2 homodimer. The presence of Phe(167) was correlated with a higher tendency toward oligomerization, and its replacement with isoleucine significantly reduced the SDS-resistant dimer formation and cellular functions of syndecan-2 (e.
2.The Conserved Phenylalanine in the Transmembrane Domain Enhances Heteromeric Interactions of Syndecans.
Kwon MJ1, Park J1, Jang S2, Eom CY2, Oh ES3. J Biol Chem. 2016 Jan 8;291(2):872-81. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M115.685040. Epub 2015 Nov 24.
The transmembrane domain (TMD) of the syndecans, a family of transmembrane heparin sulfate proteoglycans, is involved in forming homo- and heterodimers and oligomers that transmit signaling events. Recently, we reported that the unique phenylalanine in TMD positively regulates intramolecular interactions of syndecan-2. Besides the unique phenylalanine, syndecan-2 contains a conserved phenylalanine (SDC2-Phe-169) that is present in all syndecan TMDs, but its function has not been determined. We therefore investigated the structural role of SDC2-Phe-169 in syndecan TMDs. Replacement of SDC2-Phe-169 by tyrosine (S2F169Y) did not affect SDS-resistant homodimer formation but significantly reduced SDS-resistant heterodimer formation between syndecan-2 and -4, suggesting that SDC2-Phe-169 is involved in the heterodimerization/oligomerization of syndecans. Similarly, in an in vitro binding assay, a syndecan-2 mutant (S2(F169Y)) showed a significantly reduced interaction with syndecan-4.
