Fe65 Is Phosphorylated on Ser289 after UV-Induced DNA Damage

Fe65 undergoes a phosphatase-sensitive gel mobility shift after DNA damage, consistent with protein phosphorylation. A recent study identified Ser228 as a specific site of phosphorylation, targeted by the ATM and ATR protein kinases, with phosphorylation inhibiting the Fe65-dependent transcriptional activity of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The direct binding of Fe65 to APP not only regulates target gene expression, but also contributes to secretase-mediated processing of APP, producing cytoactive proteolytic fragments including the APP intracellular domain (AICD) and cytotoxic amyloid β (Aβ) peptides. Given that the accumulation of Aβ peptides in neural plaques is a pathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), it is essential to understand the mechanisms controlling Aβ production. This will aid in the development of potential therapeutic agents that act to limit the deleterious production of Aβ peptides. The Fe65-APP complex has transcriptional activity and the complex is regulated by multiple post-translational modifications and other protein binding partners. In the present study, we have identified Ser289 as a novel site of UV-induced phosphorylation. Interestingly, this phosphorylation was mediated by ATM, rather than ATR, and occurred independently of APP. Neither phosphorylation nor mutation of Ser289 affected the Fe65-APP interaction, though this was markedly decreased after UV treatment, with a concomitant decrease in the protein levels of APP in cells. Using mutagenesis, we demonstrated that Fe65 Ser289 phosphorylation did not affect the transcriptional activity of the Fe65-APP complex, in contrast to the previously described Ser228 site.