CaMKII-mediated displacement of AIDA-1 out of the postsynaptic density core

Ankyrin repeat and sterile alpha motif domain-containing protein 1B (ANKS1B, also known as AIDA-1) is a major component of the postsynaptic density (PSD) in excitatory neurons where it concentrates at the electron-dense core under basal conditions and moves out during activity. This study investigates the molecular mechanism underlying activity-induced displacement of AIDA-1. Experiments with PSD fractions from brain indicate phosphorylation of AIDA-1 upon activation of endogenous CaMKII. Immuno-electron microscopy studies show that treatment of hippocampal neurons with NMDA results in an ~ 30 nm shift in the median distance of the AIDA-1 label from the postsynaptic membrane, an effect that is blocked by the CaMKII inhibitor tatCN21. CaMKII-mediated redistribution of AIDA-1 is similar to that observed for SynGAP. CaMKII-mediated removal of two abundant PSD-95-binding proteins from the PSD core during activity is expected to initiate a molecular reorganization at the PSD.