Mutations causing DOK7 congenital myasthenia ablate functional motifs in Dok-7

J Biol Chem. 2008 Feb 29;283(9):5518-24. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M708607200. Epub 2007 Dec 29.

Abstract

Dok-7 is a cytoplasmic activator of muscle-specific receptor-tyrosine kinase (MuSK). Both Dok-7 and MuSK are required for neuromuscular synaptogenesis. Mutations in DOK7 underlie a congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) associated with small and simplified neuromuscular synapses likely due to impaired Dok-7/MuSK signaling. The overwhelming majority of patients with DOK7 CMS have at least one allele with a frameshift mutation that causes a truncation in the COOH-terminal region of Dok-7 and affects MuSK activation. Dok-7 has pleckstrin homology (PH) and phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains in the NH2-terminal moiety, both of which are indispensable for MuSK activation in myotubes, but little is known about additional functional elements. Here, we identify a chromosome region maintenance 1-dependent nuclear export signal (NES) in the COOH-terminal moiety and demonstrate that the NES-mediated cytoplasmic location of Dok-7 is essential for regulating the interaction with MuSK in myotubes. The NH2-terminal PH domain is responsible for the nuclear import of Dok-7. We also show that the Src homology 2 target motifs in the COOH-terminal moiety of Dok-7 are active and crucial for MuSK activation in myotubes. In addition, CMS-associated missense mutations found in the PH or PTB domain inactivate Dok-7. Together, these findings demonstrate that, in addition to the NH2-terminal PH and PTB domains, the COOH-terminal NES and Src homology 2 target motifs play key roles in Dok-7/MuSK signaling for neuromuscular synaptogenesis. Ablation or disruption of these functional elements in Dok-7 probably underlies the neuromuscular junction synaptopathy observed in DOK7 CMS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Amino Acid Motifs / genetics
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Enzyme Activation / genetics
  • Frameshift Mutation
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / pathology
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / genetics
  • Myasthenia Gravis / metabolism*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / pathology
  • Neuromuscular Junction / genetics
  • Neuromuscular Junction / metabolism*
  • Neuromuscular Junction / pathology
  • Nuclear Localization Signals / genetics
  • Nuclear Localization Signals / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary / genetics
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / genetics
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Syndrome

Substances

  • DOK7 protein, human
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Nuclear Localization Signals
  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • MUSK protein, human
  • MuSK protein, mouse
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases