Cellular prion protein and Caveolin-1 interaction in a neuronal cell line precedes FYN / ERK1/2 signal transduction

none7It has been reported that cellular prion protein (PrPc) is enriched in caveolae or caveolae-like domains with caveolin-1 (Cav-1) participating to signal transduction events by Fyn kinase recruitment. By using the Glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-fusion proteins assay we observed that PrPc strongly interacts in vitro with Cav-1. Thus, we ascertained the PrPc caveolar localization in a hypothalamic neuronal cell line (GN11), by confocal microscopy analysis, flotation on density gradient and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Following the anti-PrPc antibody-mediated stimulation of live GN11 cells, we observed that PrPc clustered on plasma membrane domains rich in Cav-1 in which Fyn kinase converged to be activated. After these events, a signaling cascade through p42/44 MAP kinase (Erk 1/2) was triggered, suggesting that following translocation from rafts to caveolae or caveolae-like domains PrPc could interact with Cav-1 and induce signal transduction events.noneM.Toni; E.Spisni; C.Griffoni; S.Santi; M.Riccio; P.Lenaz; V. TomasiM.Toni; E.Spisni; C.Griffoni; S.Santi; M.Riccio; P.Lenaz; V. Tomas