PCP4 explained

Purkinje cell protein 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PCP4 gene.^{[1] [2] [3]} Also known as PEP-19, PCP4 is a 7.6 kDa protein with an IQ-motif that binds to calmodulin (CaM).^[4] PCP4 is abundant in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, and plays an important role in synaptic plasticity.^[5]

Function

PCP4 knockout mice have been reported to exhibit impaired locomotor learning and markedly altered synaptic plasticity in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. PCP4 accelerates both the association and dissociation of calcium (Ca²⁺) with calmodulin (CaM), which is postulated to influence the activity of CaM-dependent enzymes, especially CaM kinase II (CaMK-II).^{[6] [7]}

Further reading

• Hubert RS, Korenberg JR . PCP4 maps between D21S345 and P31P10SP6 on chromosome 21q22.2→q22.3. . Cytogenet. Cell Genet. . 78 . 1 . 44–5 . 1997 . 9345904 . 10.1159/000134623 .
• Utal AK, Stopka AL, Roy M, Coleman PD . PEP-19 immunohistochemistry defines the basal ganglia and associated structures in the adult human brain, and is dramatically reduced in Huntington's disease. . Neuroscience . 86 . 4 . 1055–63 . 1998 . 9697113 . 10.1016/S0306-4522(98)00130-4 . 13251786 . free .
• Hu YH, Warnatz HJ, Vanhecke D, Wagner F, Fiebitz A, Thamm S, Kahlem P, Lehrach H, Yaspo ML, Janitz M . Cell array-based intracellular localization screening reveals novel functional features of human chromosome 21 proteins. . BMC Genomics . 7 . 155 . 2006 . 16780588 . 1526728 . 10.1186/1471-2164-7-155 . free .

Notes and References

1. Chen H, Bouras C, Antonarakis SE . Cloning of the cDNA for a human homolog of the rat PEP-19 gene and mapping to chromosome 21q22.2-q22.3 . Hum Genet . 98 . 6 . 672–7 . Jan 1997 . 8931698 . 10.1007/s004390050282 . 19837689 .
2. Cabin DE, Gardiner K, Reeves RH . Molecular genetic characterization and comparative mapping of the human PCP4 gene . Somat Cell Mol Genet . 22 . 3 . 167–75 . Dec 1996 . 8914602 . 10.1007/BF02369907 . 41800640 .
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: PCP4 Purkinje cell protein 4.
4. Wei P, Blundon JA, Rong Y, Zakharenko SS, Morgan JI . Impaired locomotor learning and altered cerebellar synaptic plasticity in pep-19/PCP4-null mice . Mol. Cell. Biol. . 31 . 14 . 2838–44 . 2011 . 21576365 . 3133400 . 10.1128/MCB.05208-11 .
5. Sangameswaran L, Hempstead J, Morgan JI . Molecular cloning of a neuron-specific transcript and its regulation during normal and aberrant cerebellar development . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 86 . 14 . 5651–5 . 1989 . 2748608 . 297682 . 10.1073/pnas.86.14.5651. 1989PNAS...86.5651S . free .
6. Putkey JA, Kleerekoper Q, Gaertner TR, Waxham MN . A new role for IQ motif proteins in regulating calmodulin function. . J. Biol. Chem. . 278 . 50 . 49667–70 . 2004 . 14551202 . 10.1074/jbc.C300372200 . free .
7. Kleerekoper QK, Putkey JA . PEP-19, an intrinsically disordered regulator of calmodulin signaling . J. Biol. Chem. . 284 . 12 . 7455–64 . 2009 . 19106096 . 2658041 . 10.1074/jbc.M808067200 . free .