Background: Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR5) are coupled to inositol trisphosphate/Ca2+ signaling via G proteins and play an important role in excitatory synaptic transmission. To explore the regulation of group 1 mGluR function, we applied the yeast two-hybrid system using the intracellular carboxy-terminal domain of group 1 mGluRs (group 1 ct-mGluRs) and attempted to identify novel protein-protein interactions of group 1 mGluRs.
Results: The two-hybrid screening revealed a specific interaction between group 1 ct-mGluRs and Siah-1A, the mammalian homolog of Drosophila seven in absentia which is involved in photoreceptor cell differentiation via the ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent mechanism. This interaction occurs within a homologous 27-28 amino acid stretch within group 1 ct-mGluRs and requires the latter two-thirds of Siah-1A. Following coexpression in COS-7 cells, myc-tagged Siah-1A was coimmunoprecipitated with the flag-tagged ct-mGluR1 by anti-flag antibody. Furthermore, in vitro binding revealed that Siah-1A and Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) binding sites overlap, such that Siah-1A binding is competitively inhibited by CaM in a Ca2+-dependent manner.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate a direct interaction between group 1 mGluRs and Siah-1A and suggest a novel modulatory mechanism mediated by a competitive interaction between Ca2+/CaM and Siah-1A.