Raf-1 is a binding partner of DSCR1

Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1) is recognized as an endogenous calcineurin inhibitor. DSCR1 is induced in endothelial cells and may play an important role in inflammation and angiogenesis. To address a novel function of DSCR1, we searched interacting partners of DSCR1. We performed pull-down analysis using DSCR1 as a bait and identified Raf-1 as a binding partner. The association of Raf-1 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation in GM7373 cells expressing green fluorescence protein tagged DSCR1. We determined two Raf-1 binding regions in DSCR1; one in the N-terminus and the other in the C-terminus regions. We further demonstrated that calpain cleaved DSCR1 and generated fragments with different binding affinity to Raf-1 or calcineurin. These results constitute the first demonstration of Raf-1 as a binding partner of DSCR1, and suggest a novel role of DSCR1.