Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2051537 | FEBS Letters | 2007 | 8 Pages |
GRASP-1 is a neuronally enriched protein that interacts with the AMPA-type glutamate receptor/GRIP complex. GRASP-1 can be cleaved by Caspase-3 in both normal and ischemic brains although the functional significance of this cleavage remains elusive. We investigated signal transduction pathways that might lie downstream of GRASP-1 and found that GRASP-1 potently activates JNK pathway signaling, with no effect on ERK signaling. Such JNK pathway activating activity requires binding of GRASP-1 to both JNK and the upstream JNK pathway activator MEKK-1. Furthermore, mutations that prevent Caspase 3-cleavage of GRASP-1 dramatically inhibit the JNK pathway activating activity of GRASP-1, suggesting a novel link between Caspase-3 activation and JNK pathway signaling. These results suggest that GRASP-1 serves as a scaffold protein to facilitate MEKK-1 activation of JNK signaling in neurons.