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CaMKII activation persistently segregates postsynaptic proteins via liquid phase separation

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Hosokawa, Tomohisa, Liu, Pin-Wu, Cai, Qixu, Ferreira, Joana S., Levet, Florian, Butler, Corey, Sibarita, Jean-Baptiste, Choquet, Daniel +4 more·2021·Nature Neuroscience

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Abstract

Transient information input to the brain leads to persistent changes in synaptic circuits, contributing to the formation of memory engrams. Pre- and postsynaptic structures undergo coordinated functional and structural changes during this process, but how such changes are achieved by their component molecules remains largely unknown. We found that activated CaMKII, a central player of synaptic plasticity, undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation with the NMDA-type glutamate receptor subunit GluN2B. Due to CaMKII autophosphorylation, the condensate stably persists even after Ca 2+ is removed. The selective binding of activated CaMKII with GluN2B cosegregates AMPA receptors and the synaptic adhesion molecule neuroligin into a phase-in-phase assembly. In this way, Ca 2+-induced liquid-liquid phase separation of CaMKII has the potential to act as an activity-dependent mechanism to crosslink postsynaptic proteins, which may serve as a platform for synaptic reorganization associated with synaptic plasticity.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41593-021-00843-3

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  • In the LLPS study, the CaMKII-GluN2B CTD dissipated after removal of Ca2+ unless the kinase was allowed to autophosphorylate.

    “However, in the LLPS study, even after long incubation the CaMKII-GluN2B CTD dissipated after removal of Ca2+ unless the kinase was allowed to autophosphorylate, albeit slowly.”

    From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [323]

    The 'Autophosphorylation of CaMKII is required for persistence of protein condensate' section reports that CaMKII–GluN2Bc condensates dissolved after Ca²⁺ chelation when ATP was absent or CaMKII could not autophosphorylate at T286. It does not establish the claim's 'even after long incubation' qualification. Its turbidity results instead report a return to baseline within 30 seconds after chelation for the T286A mutant, rather than slow dissipation. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • As long as Ca2+/CaM is present, binding and phase separation are maintained even with a phosphonull mutant of T286 (T286A) or with a kinase-dead mutant of CaMKII, although the binding of CaMKII to GluN2B is modestly enhanced by T286 phosphorylation.

    “As long as Ca2+/CaM is present, binding and phase separation are maintained even with a phosphonull mutant of T286 (T286A) (78, 169, 323, 377) or with a kinase-dead mutant of CaMKII (169, 323, 378, 379), although the binding of CaMKII to GluN2B is modestly enhanced by T286 phosphorylation (378).”

    From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [323]

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • Such a CaMKII-GluN2B hub may be the driver of increased AMPAR/TARPs that is the basis for LTP expression.

    “Such a CaMKII-GluN2B hub may be the driver of increased AMPAR/TARPs that is the basis for LTP expression.”

    From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [323]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) proposes a CaMKII–GluN2B condensate that may enrich AMPARs beneath transmitter-release sites, and the results use the TARP stargazin as an AMPAR proxy. The paper links this mechanism to synaptic plasticity, but does not establish an increase in AMPAR/TARP abundance or show that it is the basis of LTP expression. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Our findings in HEK cells confirm prior results with cell-free assays indicating that Ca2+/CaM stimulation is sufficient for the induction of condensation but that pT286 is required for its maintenance beyond the initial stimulus.

    “For CaMKII co-condensation with GluN2B, our findings in HEK cells confirm prior results with cell-free assays20,21 indicating that Ca2+/CaM stimulation is sufficient for the induction of condensation but that pT286 is required for its maintenance beyond the initial stimulus.”
  • When AMPAR/TARPs and PSD-95 are added, activation of CaMKII in the presence of ATP partitions AMPAR/TARPs and NMDARs into two different phases.

    “Furthermore, when AMPAR/TARPs (represented by the CTD of the auxiliary TARP subunit Stargazin) and PSD-95 are added to the system, activation of CaMKII in the presence of ATP partitions AMPAR/TARPs and NMDARs into two different phases (FIGURE 8).”

    From Synaptic memory and CaMKII (2023) · cites this paper as [323]

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Authors
Hosokawa, T., Liu, P.-W., Cai, Q., Ferreira, J. S., Levet, F., Butler, C., Sibarita, J.-B., Choquet, D., Groc, L., Hosy, E., Zhang, M., & Hayashi, Y.
Affiliations
  • Kyoto University (JP)
  • Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK)
  • Université de Bordeaux (FR)
Corresponding author
  • Zhang, Mingjie
  • Hayashi, Yasunori
Venue
Nature Neuroscience
Published
2021-04-29
Volume
24
Issue
6
Pages
777-785
ISSN
  • 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-1726
OpenAlex
W3157311560
Cited by
146
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 10
FWCI
10.86
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Simons Foundation (510178)
  • Naito Foundation
  • Takeda Science Foundation
  • Novartis Foundation
  • Japan Foundation for Applied Enzymology
  • Uehara Memorial Foundation
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche
  • Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (17K14947, 18H04733, 22110006, 18H05434, 20240032, 18KK0421)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
  • Research Foundation for Opto-Science and Technology
  • National Institutes of Health (16H01292)
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (20240032, 16H01292, 20K21462, 22110006, 18H05428, 18H05434, 18H04733, 18KK0421, 22KF0163, 19K06885, 17K14947)
  • RIKEN (22110006, 20240032, 18H04733, 18H05434)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
Keywords
CaMKII, liquid-liquid phase separation, GluN2B, NMDA receptor, AMPA receptors, neuroligins, postsynaptic proteins, synaptic plasticity, calcium signaling, autophosphorylation, memory engrams, synaptic transmission
MeSH terms
Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Enzyme Activation, Female, Male, Membrane Proteins, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Receptors, AMPA, Mice, Rats, Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2, Liquid-Liquid Extraction

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