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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 280, Issue 19, 18853-18861, May 13, 2005
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From the
Departments of
Physiology and Neuroscience and 
Biochemistry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, the ¶Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, the ||Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, and the **Molecular and Cellular Biology Department, Ferring Research Institute, San Diego, California 92121
Received for publication, September 15, 2004 , and in revised form, January 6, 2005.
| ABSTRACT |
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| INTRODUCTION |
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DPP10 is prominently expressed in the brain as well as adrenal glands and trachea, but its functions remain to be discovered. The human DPP10 gene was recently identified as a candidate for susceptibility to asthma, a common disease of the airways involving atopic inflammation and hyper-responsiveness to various agents (6). Consistent with this report, independent mouse genome screens have linked airway hyper-responsiveness in mice to a region homologous to the location of DPP10 in humans (7, 8). Insight into how DPP10 relates to human physiology and disease is hindered by the lack of understanding of its cellular functions. In this study, we attempt to ascribe a function to this potentially important protein.
Within the DPPIV-like class of proteins, DPP10 is most closely related to DPPX (also known as DPP6). In DPPX, an aspartic residue replaces the serine of the catalytic triad, rendering the protein inactive against substrates cleaved by DPPIV and other S9B prolyl oligopeptidases. The catalytic serine residue is also mutated in DPP10; accordingly, DPP10 was found to lack DPP activity (1). These observations suggest that DPPX and DPP10 may not act as enzymes in vivo, whereas peptidase activity is a defining property of the DPPIV-like class of proteins.
We recently found that DPPX is associated with the poreforming subunits of Kv4-mediated A-type K+ channels and modulates the cellular trafficking, membrane targeting, and functional properties of these channels (9). Given the sequence similarities between DPP10 and DPPX and in an attempt to understand the functions of DPP10, we investigated its ability to modulate Kv4-mediated A-type K+ channels. We found striking similarities to DPPX in the ability of DPP10 to traffic Kv4.2 proteins to the membrane and to modulate the functional properties of Kv4.2 channels. In contrast, DPPIV had more modest effects on Kv4.2 channels. We constructed chimeras lacking the extracellular portion of the protein, including the entire catalytic domain. These DPPX and DPP10 chimeras displayed significant Kv4 modulatory activity, strongly suggesting that this function is not mediated by enzymatic activity.
Moreover, in situ hybridization showed that DPP10 is expressed in neuronal populations also known to express Kv4 products (10, 11), and DPP10 protein was found to coprecipitate with Kv4.2 channel complexes from brain membranes, further suggesting that the in vitro effects likely occur in native cells of the central nervous system. Together, these results distinguish DPPX and DPP10 as a functional DPP subfamily able to effectively traffic and modulate Kv4 channels, a unique property within the larger DPPIV-like class of proteins. This function of DPP10 on potassium currents of excitable membranes is the first demonstrated activity of DPP10 and could be important in determining asthma susceptibility.
| EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES |
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ImmunocytochemistryCHO cells were transfected as described above. In some experiments, we utilized a hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged Kv4.2 construct instead of Kv4.2 cDNA. At 48 h post-transfection, the cells were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; 140 mM NaCl, 2.7 mM KCl, 10 mM Na2HPO4, and 1.8 mM KH2PO4) and fixed for 20 min at 37 °C in 4% paraformaldehyde and 4% sucrose. After washing with PBS, cells were permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 in PBS for 10 min at room temperature and washed again with PBS. The sample was blocked with 2% bovine serum albumin, 5% normal goat serum, and 0.2% gelatin in PBS (blocking solution) at 37 °C for 1 h. Cells were incubated with mouse anti-HA monoclonal antibody (0.1 ng/µl; Roche Diagnostics) in blocking solution at 4 °C overnight to detect HA-tagged Kv4.2 or with rabbit anti-Kv4.2 polyclonal antibody (1:1000 dilution; Sigma) to detect Kv4.2. After washing with PBS, cells were incubated with Cy3-conjugated goat anti-mouse or anti-rabbit IgG (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, Inc., West Grove, PA) in PBS for 1 h. Cells were washed with PBS and then coverslipped. To visualize the fluorescence, we used a Zeiss LSM510 Meta laser scanning confocal microscope with a 30-milliwatt argon laser.
Electrophysiological AnalysisWhole cell currents were obtained at room temperature with the whole cell configuration of the patch clamp technique in tissue culture dishes on the stage of an inverted microscope using an Axopatch 200A amplifier (Axon Instruments, Inc., Foster City, CA). Patch pipettes with 25-megaohm resistance were filled with solution containing 144 mM potassium gluconate, 0.2 mM EGTA, 3 mM MgCl2, 10 mM Hepes, 4 mM MgATP, and 0.5 mM NaGTP (pH adjusted to 7.4 with KOH). The extracellular solution contained 135 mM NaCl, 3.5 mM KCl, 1.8 mM CaCl2, 2 mM MgCl2, 10 mM glucose, and 10 mM Hepes (pH adjusted to 7.3 with NaOH). Seal resistance was typically >2 gigaohms. Currents were low pass-filtered at 2 kHz using an eight-pole Bessel filter (Frequency Devices Inc.) and digitized at 2.5 kHz. Clampex Version 8 software (Axon Instruments, Inc.) was used to generate voltage clamp protocols and for data acquisition and analysis. Junction potential was determined as 12.5 mV using a salt-agar bridge. This was consistent with a theoretical calculation of 12 mV using Clampex Junction Potential Calculator software. Accordingly, voltages were corrected by 12 mV after experimentation.
Protein ModelingThe Jigsaw 3D server (available at www.bmm.icnet.uk/servers/3djigsaw/) was used to predict the structures of human DPPX and DPP10. The predicted structures were aligned and color-coded for sequence diversity using the Swiss Protein Database software package.
Generation of Myc-tagged Truncations of DPPsTagged DPPs were generated by fusing PCR-generated fragments (see Fig. 5A) of DPPIV (GenBankTM/EBI accession number M74777 [GenBank] ), DPPX (accession number M76427 [GenBank] , and DPP10 (accession number AY172661 [GenBank] ) cDNAs in the mammalian expression vector pCS2+MT (6-myc tags) (12).
Cell Surface BiotinylationCells were transfected with Kv4.2 cDNA and DPP or chimeric cDNA. At 48 h post-transfection, cells were rinsed twice with cold PBS containing 1 mM MgCl2 and 0.1 mM CaCl2 and incubated with 1 mg/ml N-hydroxysulfosuccinimidobiotin (Pierce) diluted in the same buffer for 1 h at 4 °C. Afterward, cells were rinsed twice with 0.1 M glycine in PBS containing 1 mM MgCl2 and 0.1 mM CaCl2 and incubated for 20 min in the same buffer to quench free biotin. Finally, cells were lysed in TTNE buffer (50 mM Tris (pH 7.4), 1% Triton X-100, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM EDTA) containing 10% glycerol, 2 µg/ml leupeptin, 2 µg/ml pepstatin A, 2 µg/ml aprotinin, and 100 µg/ml phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and solubilized for 30 min at 4 °C, and samples were centrifuged at 13,000 x g to obtain the solubilized fraction. The biotinylated proteins were recovered from the solubilized cell lysates by incubation with 50 µl of packed immobilized streptavidin-agarose beads (Sigma). Bound proteins were eluted from the beads in Laemmli sample buffer and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting as described previously (13). The blot was incubated with anti-Kv4.2 or anti-HA primary antibody, followed by horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibody (Promega), and developed with enhanced chemiluminescent reagent (Pierce).
Immunopurification of Kv4.2 Channel ComplexesNondenaturing detergent extracts of brain membranes from adult Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared as described previously (9), except that whole brain rather than only cerebellum was used. In some experiments, extracts from membranes treated with a membrane-permeable cross-linker were used as described previously (9). Membrane extracts were used to immunopurify Kv4.2 channel complexes as described previously (9). Briefly, after preclearing the membrane extracts with protein A-Sepharose 4B beads (Amersham Biosciences), the supernatant was incubated overnight at 4 °C with protein A-Sepharose 4B beads cross-linked to anti-Kv4.2 antibody with dimethyl pimelimidate·2HCl (Pierce). The complexed beads were washed four times by centrifugation/resuspension with TTNE buffer, and the bound Kv4.2 complexes were eluted from the beads by adding sample buffer containing 2.5% 2-mercaptoethanol (which dissociates cross-linked complexes), 1 mM EDTA, 1.5% SDS, and 10% glycerol in 50 mM Tris (pH 6.7). Eluted proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE (7.5% Criterion gel, Bio-Rad). The gels were either silver-stained or used for immunoblotting.
Immunoblot AnalysisImmunoblots prepared as described previously (9) were incubated at 4 °C for 14 h with anti-Kv4.2 polyclonal antibody (1:1000 dilution), anti-DPPX polyclonal antibody (1:1000 dilution) (14), or anti-DPP10 polyclonal antibody COO-12 (1:250 dilution; a generous gift of Dr. William Cookson). Bound antibodies were detected by chemiluminescence using an ECL detection kit (Pierce).
Mass Spectrometry and Protein IdentificationSilver-stained protein bands were excised from SDS-polyacrylamide gels under a tissue culture hood to minimize contamination, destained, and digested with trypsin as described previously (9). The peptides were extracted and analyzed by mass spectrometry as described previously (9) in the New York University Protein Analysis Facility.
RNA Probes for in Situ HybridizationDPPX and DPP10 riboprobes were prepared from regions of low nucleotide identity to ensure specificity. Rat DPP10 cDNA (GenBankTM/EBI accession number AY557199 [GenBank] ) was a kind gift from Dr. Koichi Takimoto. PCR primers CTGACCCTCTGTGATGCCACCAC and TGAGGCATAGAGTTTGAAGTCCGTTATCG were utilized to amplify a 1029-bp fragment of DPPX; primers GGAAATACGAAATGACATCTGACACCTGG and GAGGCATACAACTTCATGTCTGAGATGGG were used to amplify a 982-bp fragment of DPP10 cDNA (DPP10-A). A second 805-bp DPP10 probe (DPP10-B) was amplified using primers GGTAGTATGCTCCCTCATCACAATGTCTG and GGGTGGCATCAGCTCCAAAGTATG. PCR amplification products were cloned into the TOPO TA cloning vector for sequencing (Invitrogen), and the vector was linearized with the appropriate restriction enzyme. Antisense digoxigenin (Roche)-labeled RNA probes were made by in vitro transcription with T3 RNA polymerase. The quality of the probes was verified as described previously (15).
Nonradioactive in Situ HybridizationNonradioactive in situ hybridization was conducted as described previously (15). 40-µm sections were taken from 10-week-old C57/BL6 mice. Floating sections were prehybridized at 60 °C for 2 h and then hybridized at the same temperature for 15 h. Post-hybridization washes were conducted at 65 °C. Detection of digoxigenin labeling proceeded for 713 h. Images were acquired with an Olympus Provis microscope equipped with a Magna-Fire digital camera.
StatisticsThe two-population (independent) t test (Origin Version 6.1) was used for statistical comparisons. Traces of inactivating currents were fit to second-order exponentials using the standard exponential algorithm of Clampfit Version 8.2, constraining parameters to positive values. For correlation analysis, linear regressions with confidence intervals were determined using Origin Version 6.1 software.
| RESULTS |
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A key feature of the effects of DPPX on Kv4 channels is the acceleration of the rate of macroscopic inactivation of the transient A-type current during a depolarizing step (9). This is an important effect of this protein because the native A-type K+ current in neurons inactivates at faster rates than the currents expressed by Kv4 proteins alone (9, 17). DPP10 produced an even stronger effect than DPPX on inactivation rates (Fig. 2). The average t0.5 (time to achieve half-inactivation) when depolarized to 18 mV was 32.4 ± 6.7 ms for Kv4.2 plus DPPX (n = 7) and 17.1 ± 4.7 ms for Kv4.2 plus DPP10 (n = 5), both significantly faster than Kv4.2 alone at 61.5 ± 23 ms (n = 7).
To further characterize the difference in inactivation rates of the currents expressed by Kv4.2 subunits in the presence of DPPX or DPP10 protein, we fitted the decline of the transient Kv4-mediated current with exponential functions. A double exponential was required to fit the decline of the currents in the presence of DPPX and DPP10, as reported previously for Kv4-mediated currents with DPPX in Xenopus oocytes and for the transient K+ current in many neurons (9, 17). In comparing DPP10 with DPPX, we found that the fast time constant was significantly different (18.8 ± 4.9 ms for DPP10 (n = 5) and 35.0 ± 5.9 ms for DPPX (n = 7), p < 0.001). Differences in the slow time constant and contributions of each component did not reach statistical significance, suggesting that the difference in inactivation rates in the presence of DPP10 or DPPX is due mainly to changes in the rate of the process(es) underlying the fast time constant of inactivation. However, the mechanism responsible for this difference in inactivation rates is currently unknown.
DPPX and DPP10 also drastically increased the rate of recovery from inactivation. For the representative examples shown in Fig. 3, the
of recovery at 112 mV decreased from 220 ms for the currents produced by Kv4.2 alone (Fig. 3A) to 41 and 23 ms for cells expressing Kv4.2 with DPPX (Fig. 3C) or DPP10 (Fig. 3D), respectively. On average, DPP10 and DPPX produced a similar acceleration of the recovery from inactivation (
DPP10 = 55 ± 26 ms (n = 7) and
DPPX = 43 ± 17 ms (n = 7), p = 0.36;
Kv4.2 = 299 ± 98 ms (n = 7), p < 0.0001 compared with
DPPX) (Fig. 3E).
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(voltage yielding half-maximal conductance) of Kv4.2 channels with DPPX coexpression in CHO cells (Fig. 2F). DPP10 similarly shifted the voltage dependence of Kv4.2 channel activation 19.6 mV in the hyperpolarizing direction. Interestingly, there was no measurable effect of DPPIV on this parameter (Fig. 2F), which is of physiological significance given the importance of subthreshold activation of A-type currents in neurons. Interestingly, the differences in inactivation rates were the only parameter analyzed in which differences between DPPX and DPP10 reached statistical significance (p = 0.0014). To further analyze the relationship between kinetic parameters, we carried out a correlation analysis in which the kinetic values of individual experiments were plotted for each population. Fig. 4A shows that time to peak and the rate of recovery from inactivation are highly correlated parameters (R = 0.929) among all experiments as well as within each population. In turn, the rate of inactivation was highly correlated with the rate of recovery from inactivation (R = 0.932) (Fig. 4B) and time to peak (R = 0.936) (Fig. 4C) for Kv4.2 alone and for Kv4.2 with DPPIV or DPP10. However, most of the experimental points for Kv4.2 plus DPPX are outside the 95% confidence limit of the correlation. For Kv4.2 plus DPPX, the relationship between the rate of inactivation and other kinetic parameters was shifted such that inactivation was slower than would be predicted by the effects of DPPX on time to peak and recovery from inactivation.
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DPP10 Is Closely Related to DPPXThe DPP10 amino acid sequence shares 51% identity with DPPX compared with 32% identity with DPPIV (1). Phylogenetic analysis showed that DPP10 and DPPX form an evolutionarily divergent subfamily within the extended DPPIV-like family (1). Considering the similarity in function between DPPX and DPP10, we used primary sequence comparisons and protein modeling to further characterize the structural similarities between DPP10 and DPPX and to identify possible regional determinants of Kv4 modulatory activity. Fig. 5A shows an alignment of the primary sequences of the transmembrane domains and immediate intracellularly neighboring residues, or juxtamembrane region, of DPPX, DPP10, and DPPIV. Conservative replacements and identical amino acids are shaded. DPPX and DPP10 are remarkably similar in these domains: DPP10 shares 92% similarity with DPPX compared with 41% similarity between DPP10 and DPPIV.
Fig. 5 (BD) depicts the backbone structure of the extracellular domains of DPPX, DPP10, and DPPIV. The structures of the extracellular domains of DPPX and DPP10 were modeled using the crystal structure of the extracellular domain of DPPIV as a template (Protein Data Bank code 1N1M [PDB] ) (18). In Fig. 5B, the backbone of the extracellular domain of DPPX is aligned with that of DPP10, whereas in Fig. 5 (C and D), the extracellular domains of DPP10 and DPPX, respectively, are aligned with that of DPPIV. The color in these alignments reflects the degree of conservation at each residue, using the root mean square deviation and 20 orderly colors of the B-factor palette (blue, most conserved; red, least conserved). All three proteins show a similar folding pattern. However, when the backbones of DPPX and DPP10 are superimposed, there is so little deviation in the predicted structures that, throughout most of the alignment, there appears to be a single backbone. This is contrasted with the alignment of DPP10 or DPPX and DPPIV shown in Fig. 5 (C and D, respectively), where deviation is much more evident. The modeling predicts a root mean square deviation of 0.69 Å for the extracellular domains of DPP10 and DPPX and 1.29 and 1.49 Å for the extracellular domains of DPP10 or DPPX and DPPIV, respectively.
The extracellular portion of DPPIV contains two highly conserved domains: a
-propeller and an 
-hydrolase fold. The repeating
-sheets of the
-propeller are oriented diagonally in the superior field of Fig. 5 (BD), whereas the hydrolase domain is inferior. The similarities between DPPX or DPP10 and DPPIV (Fig. 5, C and D, blue) are distributed throughout the extracellular domain. However, the similarities between DPPX and DPP10 (Fig. 5B) are stronger in the
-propeller compared with the hydrolase domain. This pattern of sequence conservation is especially intriguing when considering that both DPPX and DPP10 are mutated in their catalytic site and inactive against DPPIV-specific substrates. Together, the results of Fig. 5 show strong structural similarity between DPP10 and DPPX in the juxtamembrane, transmembrane, and
-propeller domains.
Transmembrane and Juxtamembrane Domains of DPPX and DPP10 Modulate Kv4.2 ChannelsTo begin investigating the contribution of different structural regions of DPPX and DPP10 to potassium channel modulation, we created chimeric proteins with extracellular domains replaced by a series of Myc tags (XXMyc, 1010Myc, and IVIVMyc) (Fig. 6A). The chimeras had complete intracellular and transmembrane domains, yet lacked the entire hydrolase domain and
-propeller. To test whether the expression of the chimeric proteins was efficient and stable, we cotransfected CHO cells with Kv4.2 cDNA and the cDNA of one of the chimeras and then treated the cells for immunohistochemistry with anti-Myc antibody. All the chimeras described here produced significant and stable Myc staining, indicating that the protein was efficiently expressed in the cultured cells (data not shown).
The ability of the chimeras to traffic Kv4.2 protein to the membrane was tested by two methods. CHO cells were transiently transfected with Kv4.2 cDNA or HA-tagged Kv4.2 cDNA and a single DPP or chimera. Intact (nonpermeabilized) transfected cells were biotinylated to label surface protein. The biotin-tagged protein was isolated using streptavidin beads, separated by electrophoresis, and transferred to nitrocellulose paper, and the blot was treated with anti-Kv4.2 or anti-HA antibody, thereby detecting the Kv4.2 protein that effectively trafficked to the cell surface. As shown in Fig. 6B, XXMyc and 1010Myc dramatically increased detection of surface Kv4.2 protein, resembling the effect of DPPX. The same population of transfected cells was also analyzed by electrophysiological recording. Depolarizing steps to 48 mV induced large transient currents when XXMyc or 1010Myc was cotransfected with Kv4.2 cDNA (Fig. 6C), consistent with the results from the biotinylation experiment.
Chimeras of DPPX and DPP10 were also able to modulate the kinetic and voltage-dependent properties of Kv4.2 channels (Fig. 7). For each parameter analyzed, the effects of XXMyc and 1010Myc were in the same direction and usually of the similar magnitude compared with the effects of the original DPPs; XXMyc and 1010Myc coexpression with Kv4.2 resulted in faster current rise, inactivation, and recovery from inactivation and produced a shift in the voltage dependence of activation to hyperpolarized potentials. These results suggest that the juxtamembrane and transmembrane domains are important in the trafficking and modulation of Kv4.2 channels. Furthermore, as the chimeras lacked the entire hydrolase domain, these experiments strongly support the contention that the trafficking and modulation of Kv4 channels by DPPX and DPP10 are not mediated by enzymatic activity.
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The effects of DPPIV on Kv4.2-mediated currents tended to be much smaller than those of DPPX and DPP10 (Figs. 2, 6C, and 7). Interestingly and in contrast to what we observed with the DPPX and DPP10 chimeras, all the effects of DPPIV were lost upon removal of the extracellular domain. The currents resulting from coexpression of IVIVMyc and Kv4.2 were statistically undistinguishable from those produced by Kv4.2 subunits alone for every parameter analyzed. Considering the structural similarities of the intracellular and juxtamembrane domains in DPPX, DPP10, and DPPIV (Fig. 5A), these results highlight the importance of specific residues in these regions in the interaction with Kv4.2 protein.
DPP10 Is Prominently Expressed in Neuronal Populations Expressing Kv4 ProteinsPrevious Northern blot analysis indicated that DPP10 is expressed mainly in brain tissue (1, 6). We used nonradioactive in situ hybridization of brain slices to resolve the cellular populations expressing DPP10 and to compare DPP10 and DPPX expression patterns. DPP10 transcripts were predominantly expressed in neurons and not in glia. The transcripts were widely expressed in many neuronal populations and were prominent in populations known to express Kv4 products (10), including neurons in the cerebellum, hippocampus, thalamus, olfactory bulb, neocortex, and specific brain-stem nuclei (Fig. 8A). Two probes against DPP10 (DPP10-A and DPP10-B; see "Experimental Procedures") were constructed, and both produced similar patterns of expression.
DPPX and DPP10 expression appeared to overlap in certain Kv4-expressing neuronal populations, such as pyramidal cells of the neocortex, and in the globus pallidus (Fig. 8, B and C) as well as within the thalamus and olfactory bulb. Interestingly, in other neuronal populations where Kv4 channels are prominent and A-type potassium currents have been extensively studied (10, 11), neurons predominantly expressed either DPPX or DPP10. For example, DPPX expression was notable in the principal cells of the hippocampus, including CA1CA3 pyramidal cells and granule cells of the dentate gyrus (Fig. 8, D and F). In the same population of neurons, DPP10 was weakly expressed (Fig. 8, E and G). In contrast, within the hippocampus, DPP10 was strongly expressed in GABAergic interneurons (Fig. 8, E and G). Similarly, DPPX was expressed in the neurons of the caudate/putamen and in cerebellar granule cells (Fig. 8, B and H), where DPP10 expression was weak (Fig. 8, C and I). DPP10 was strongly expressed, however, in cerebellar Purkinje cells (Fig. 8I), where DPPX expression was weak (Fig. 8H).
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Fig. 9 shows immunoblots of the proteins immunoprecipitated with anti-Kv4.2 antibody and stained for Kv4.2, DPPX, and DPP10. In addition to immunoprecipitating Kv4.2 (Fig. 9A) and DPPX (Fig. 9B), as previously observed with cerebellar membrane extracts (9), anti-Kv4.2 antibody also immunoprecipitated DPP10 from whole brain membrane extracts (Fig. 9C). This indicates that both DPP10 and DPPX are components of native Kv4 channel complexes in the brain. Kv4.2, DPPX, and DPP10 proteins were not recovered when the immunoprecipitation was conducted in the presence of excess antigenic peptide or with control beads lacking anti-Kv4.2 antibody (Fig. 9, AC, lanes 3 and 4). Anti-DPP10 antibody, although useful for immunoblotting, was unsuccessful in immunoprecipitations, and therefore, we could not conduct the reciprocal experiment to demonstrate recovery of Kv4.2 protein from immunoprecipitates using anti-DPP10 antibody.
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| DISCUSSION |
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DPP10 is prominently expressed in the brain (1, 6), is notably present in neuronal populations that also express Kv4 proteins (Fig. 8), associates with native Kv4.2 channels in brain membranes (Fig. 9), and therefore likely contributes to the molecular composition of A-type currents in the central nervous system. Accordingly, DPP10 joins DPPX and KChIPs as putative Kv4 channel-associated proteins. Subthreshold-activating, somatodendritic A-type K+ currents have fundamental roles in neuronal function, contributing to delayed excitation, spike repolarization, regulation of frequency of repetitive firing, and signal processing in dendrites (1928). These functions depend on the unique properties and cellular distribution of the underlying channels, including rapid transient activation in the subthreshold range of membrane potentials, fast inactivation, fast recovery from inactivation, and enrichment in somatodendritic neuronal membrane. DPP10 and DPPX are particularly interesting in that they modulate the kinetic properties and shift the voltage dependence of Kv4 channels such that the resultant current resembles more closely the A-type currents recorded in native neurons.
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We compared the expression patterns of DPPX and DPP10 in the brain by in situ hybridization. Although expression seemed to overlap in some neuronal populations, other neuronal populations expressed predominantly DPPX or DPP10. This was most obvious in the principal cells of the hippocampus, in neurons in the caudate/putamen, and in cerebellar granule cells expressing predominantly DPPX compared with the GABAergic interneurons of the hippocampus and cerebellar Purkinje cells expressing mainly DPP10. This distribution is more interesting considering that Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 share a similar reciprocal distribution in these populations, with Kv4.2 present in the same regions as DPPX and Kv4.3 co-localizing with DPP10 (10, 11). This could explain why we did not detect DPP10 in immunopurified Kv4.2 channels from cerebellar membranes in our last study (9). Furthermore, these results raise the possibility that, in neurons expressing predominantly the Kv4.3 isoform, DPP10 and not DPPX is the main associated DPP protein.
DPP10 and DPPX share nearly identical juxtamembrane and transmembrane sequences and a similar
-propeller structural motif. Interestingly, there is somewhat more divergence within the hydrolase domain (Fig. 5). Both DPPX and DPP10 have mutated catalytic sites, probably compromising the serine peptidase activity fundamental to the larger S9B prolyl oligopeptidase family (1, 14). The sequence divergence within the hydrolase domain may reflect an evolutionary drift of DPPIV-like proteins that no longer function as enzymes.
The chimeric proteins of DPPX and DPP10, consisting of only the DPP intracellular and transmembrane domains and six extracellular Myc tags, modulated Kv4 channels in a similar manner to the complete DPP proteins (Figs. 6C and 7). These chimeras lacked the entire catalytic domain, confirming that even if DPPX and DPP10 are enzymes, the ability to modulate Kv4 channels is not mediated by catalytic activity. The results also suggest that DPPX or DPP10 protein interacts with Kv4.2 subunits through the transmembrane and/or juxtamembrane domain and that these interactions within the membrane are important in modifying channel structure. Interestingly, the chimeric protein based on DPPIV (IVIVMyc) was inactive as a Kv4 modulatory protein. The efficacy of XXMyc and 1010Myc and the lack of activity of IVIVMyc argue for the importance of specific residues in the transmembrane and juxtamembrane domains in determining functional interactions with Kv4 proteins.
The activities of DPPX and DPP10 were greater in magnitude than those of XXMyc and 1010Myc, respectively, for every parameter analyzed. The lesser activity of all chimeras compared with that of the original DPPs suggests that the extracellular domain also contributes to their association with Kv4 subunits. The extracellular domain may stabilize the transmembrane and intracellular protein-protein interactions. A role for the extracellular domain is also supported by the observation that DPPIV had modest effects on Kv4.2 channel function, all of which were lost upon removal of the extracellular domain.
DPP10 was recently identified as a candidate gene for asthma (6). The function of DPP10 in airway physiology and its dysfunction in asthma remain to be studied. However, in cells coexpressing DPP10 and Kv4.2, down-regulation or dysfunction of DPP10 would be predicted to decrease the magnitude of the A-type K+ current, thereby increasing the excitability of the cell membrane. DPP10 is expressed in the trachea at moderate levels (6), and A-type currents are present in many smooth muscle types (30). It will be of interest to investigate whether there are changes in A-type K+ currents in airway tissues from asthmatic patients.
| FOOTNOTES |
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* This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grants NS045217 and NS30989 and National Science Foundation Grant IBN-0078297 (to B. R.). The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. ![]()
Supported by a fellowship from the American Heart Association Heritage Affiliate. Present address: Unitat de Neurofarmacologia, Facultat de Ciències de la Salut i de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. ![]()

To whom correspondence should be addressed: Dept. of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, 442 MSB, 550 First Ave., New York, NY 10016. Tel.: 212-263-0431; Fax: 212-689-9060; E-mail: rudyb01{at}med.nyu.edu.
1 The abbreviations used are: DPP, dipeptidyl peptidase; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary; HA, hemagglutinin; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline. ![]()
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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| REFERENCES |
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