Abstract
Postsynaptic density-95 (PSD95), a major scaffolding protein, is critical in coupling N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) to cellular signaling networks in the central nervous system. A couple of cysteine residues in the N-terminus of PSD95 are potential sites for disulfide bonding, S-nitrosylation and/or palmitoylation. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) reduces disulfide bonds (S-S) to free thiol (-SH) on various proteins. However, the involvement of PDI in disulfide bond formation/S-nitrosylation of PSD95 and its role in epilepsy are still unknown. In the present study, acute seizure activity significantly increased the bindings of PDI to NR2A, but not to PSD95, while it decreased the NR2A-PSD95 binding. In addition, pilocarpine-induced seizures increased the amount of nitrosylated (SNO-) thiols, not total (free and SNO-) thiols, on PSD95. Unlike acute seizure, spontaneous seizing rats showed the increases in PDI-PSD95 binding, total- and SNO-thiol levels on PSD95, and NR2A-PSD95 interaction. PDI siRNA effectively reduced spontaneous seizure activity with decreases in total thiol level on PSD95 and NR2A-PSD95 association. These findings indicate that PDI-mediated reduction of disulfide-bond formations may facilitate the NR2A-PSD95 binding and contribute to spontaneous seizure generation in epileptic animals.