FRET-ing over scaffolds

Opposites really do attract. Results on page 101 by Oliveria et al. show that, although they perform opposing functions, a kinase and a phosphatase linked to synaptic plasticity are close neighbors at the plasma membrane. The two are brought together by the scaffolding protein AKAP79 into a complex that may be important for efficient learning.The close proximity of the three proteins is uncovered by a powerful microscopy technique, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Using this technique in COS cells, the group shows that protein kinase A (PKA) and the phosphatase calcineurin (CaN) bind to sites on membrane-targeted AKAP79 that are spaced only nanometers apart. In neurons, AKAP79 is known to associate with SAP97, a scaffolding protein that links the signaling complex to glutamate receptors. Now, using standard...