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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, RESULTS. Meshes: Animals, Cells, Cultured, Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein, GTPase-Activating Proteins, HeLa Cells, Hippocampus, Humans, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Membrane Proteins, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Neurons, Precipitin Tests, Rats, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Two-Hybrid System Techniques, rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins.
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Is sPAL , a Rap-specific GTPase activating protein , present in the NMDA receptor-PSD-95 complex in the hippocampus? Context: The PSD-95 family of proteins possesses multiple protein binding domains, including three PDZ domains, an SH3 domain, a HOOK domain and a guanylate kinase-like (GK) domain. The PSD-95 proteins function as scaffolding proteins that link ion channels such as the N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptors (NMDA-Rs) with cytoskeletal networks and signalling molecules, thereby controlling synaptic plasticity and learning. We found that the PSD-95 family proteins interact via their GK domains with SPA-1-like protein (SPAL), a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) that is specific for Rap1. SPAL was contained within the NMDA-R-PSD-95 complex, and co-localized with PSD-95 and NMDA-R at the synapses in cultured hippocampal neurones. Furthermore, NMDA stimulation induced the dephosphorylation of SPAL in cultured hippocampal neurones.
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Our findings suggest that SPAL may be involved in the NMDA-mediated organization of cytoskeletal networks and signal transduction. Final Decision: yes