Interactions of the NPXY microdomains of the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1

The low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) mediates internalization of a large number of proteins and protein-lipid complexes and is widely implicated in Alzheimer's disease. The cytoplasmic domain of LRP1 (LRP1-CT) can be phosphorylated by activated protein-tyrosine kinases at two NPXY motifs in LRP1-CT; Tyr 4507 is readily phosphorylated and must be phosphorylated before phosphorylation of Tyr 4473 occurs. Pull-down experiments from brain lysate revealed numerous proteins binding to LRP1-CT, but the results were highly variable. To separate which proteins bind to each NPXY motif and their phosphorylation dependence, each NPXY motif microdomain was prepared in both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms and used to probe rodent brain extracts for binding proteins. Proteins that bound specifically to the microdomains were identified by LC-MS/MS, and confirmed by Western blot. Recombinant proteins were then tested for binding to each NPXY motif. The NPXY(4507) (membrane distal) was found to interact with a large number of proteins, many of which only bound the tyrosine-phosphorylated form. This microdomain also bound a significant number of other proteins in the unphosphorylated state. Many of the interactions were later confirmed to be direct with recombinant proteins. The NPXY(4473) (membrane proximal) bound many fewer proteins and only to the phosphorylated form.