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CLICK-III/CaMKIγ is a lipid-anchored neuronal isoform of multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, which mediates BDNF-dependent dendritogenesis in cultured cortical neurons. We found that two distinct lipidation states of CaMKIγ, namely, prenylation and palmitoylation, controlled its association with detergent-resistant microdomains in the dendrites and were essential for its dendritogenic activity. However, the impact of each lipid modification on membrane targeting/trafficking and how it specifies functional coupling leading to polarized changes in neuronal morphology are not clear. Here, we show that prenylation induces membrane anchoring of CaMKIγ, permitting access to the Golgi apparatus, and a subsequent palmitoylation facilitates association with cholesterol-enriched lipid microdomains or lipid rafts, in particular at the Golgi. To specifically test the role of palmitoylated CaMKγ in neurite extension, we identified and took advantage of a cell system, PC12, which, unlike neurons, conveniently lacked CaMKIγ and was deficient in the activity-dependent release of a neuritogenic growth factor while possessing the ability to activate polarized rafts signaling for morphogenesis. This system allowed us to rigorously demonstrate that an activity-dependent, lipid rafts-restricted Rac activation leading to neuritogenesis could be functionally rescued by dually lipidated CaMKIγ expression, revealing that not only prenylation but also palmitoylation is essential for CaMKIγ to activate a compartmentalized STEF-Rac1 pathway. These results shed light on the significance of recruiting prenylated and palmitoylated CaMKIγ into the coalescing signalosomes at lipid rafts together with Rac1 and its specific GEF and STEF and forming a compartmentalized Ca2+ signaling pathway that underlies activity-dependent neuritogenesis and morphogenesis during axodendritic polarization critical for brain development and circuitogenesis.

CaMKIIα plays a fundamental role in learning and memory and is a key determinant of synaptic plasticity. Its kinase activity is regulated by the binding of Ca2+/CaM and by autophosphorylation that operates in an activity-dependent manner. Though many mutations in CAMK2A were linked to a variety of neurological disorders, the multiplicity of its functional substrates renders the systematic molecular phenotyping challenging. In this study, we report a new case of CAMK2A P212L, a recurrent mutation, in a patient with an intellectual disability. To quantify the effect of this mutation, we developed a FRET-based kinase phenotyping strategy and measured aberrance in Ca2+/CaM-dependent activation dynamics in vitro and in synaptically connected neurons. CaMKIIα P212L revealed a significantly facilitated Ca2+/CaM-dependent activation in vitro. Consistently, this mutant showed faster activation and more delayed inactivation in neurons. More prolonged kinase activation was also accompanied by a leftward shift in the CaMKIIα input frequency tuning curve. In keeping with this, molecular phenotyping of other reported CAMK2A de novo mutations linked to intellectual disability revealed aberrant facilitation of Ca2+/CaM-dependent activation of CaMKIIα in most cases. Finally, the pharmacological reversal of CAMK2A P212L phenotype in neurons was demonstrated using an FDA-approved NMDA receptor antagonist memantine, providing a basis for targeted therapeutics in CAMK2A-linked intellectual disability. Taken together, FRET-based kinase mutation phenotyping sheds light on the biological impact of CAMK2A mutations and provides a selective, sensitive, quantitative, and scalable strategy for gaining novel insights into the molecular etiology of intellectual disability.

Summary: We present a protocol to prepare mouse cranial window implantation for in vivo two-photon wide-field calcium imaging. This protocol uses G-CaMP9a transgenic mice, which express a genetically encoded calcium indicator with high signal-to-noise ratio. We describe in utero electroporation, followed by headplate fixation and cranial window implantation. This protocol can be used for measuring neural activity and is suitable for long-term imaging in large populations. Moreover, this protocol does not require preparation of Flp-expressing transgenic mice.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Sakamoto et al. (2022). : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

CaMKIIa plays a fundamental role in learning and memory and is a key determinant of synaptic plasticity. Its kinase activity is regulated by the binding of Ca2+/CaM and by autophosphorylation that operates in an activity-dependent manner. Though many mutations in CAMK2A were linked to a variety of neurological disorders, the multiplicity of its functional substrates renders the systematic molecular phenotyping challenging. In this study, we report a new case of CAMK2A P212L, a recurrent mutation, in a patient with an intellectual disability. To quantify the effect of this mutation, we developed a FRET-based kinase phenotyping strategy and measured aberrance in Ca2+/CaM-dependent activation dynamics in vitro and in synaptically connected neurons. CaMKIIa P212L revealed a significantly facilitated Ca2+/CaM-dependent activation in vitro. Consistently, this mutant showed faster activation and more delayed inactivation in neurons. More prolonged kinase activation was also accompanied by a leftward shift in the CaMKIIa input frequency tuning curve. In keeping with this, molecular phenotyping of other reported CAMK2A de novo mutations linked to intellectual disability revealed aberrant facilitation of Ca2+/CaM-dependent activation of CaMKIIa in most cases. Finally, the pharmacological reversal of CAMK2A P212L phenotype in neurons was demonstrated using an FDA-approved NMDA receptor antagonist memantine, providing a basis for targeted therapeutics in CAMK2A-linked intellectual disability. Taken together, FRET-based kinase mutation phenotyping sheds light on the biological impact of CAMK2A mutations and provides a selective, sensitive, quantitative, and scalable strategy for gaining novel insights into the molecular etiology of intellectual disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]