Identification of the ATP.Mg-dependent protein phosphatase activator (FA) as a synapsin I kinase that inhibits cross-linking of synapsin I with brain microtubules

Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta is complexed with tau protein in brain microtubules

In Alzheimer's disease, microtubule-associated protein tau is hyperphosphorylated by an unknown mechanism and is aggregated into paired helical filaments. Hyperphosphorylation causes loss of tau function, microtubule instability, and neurodegeneration. Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta) has been implicated in the phosphorylation of tau in normal and Alzheimer's disease brain. The molecular mechanism of GSK3beta-tau interaction has not been clarified. In this study, we find that when microtubules are disassembled, microtubule-associated GSK3beta dissociates from microtubules. From a gel filtration column, the dissociated GSK3beta elutes as an approximately 400-kDa complex. When fractions containing the approximately 400-kDa complex are chromatographed through an anti-GSK3beta immunoaffinity column, tau co-elutes with GSK3beta. From fractions containing the approximately 400-kDa complex, both tau and GSK3beta co-immunoprecipitate with each other. GSK3beta binds to nonphosphorylated tau, and the GSK3beta-binding region is located within the N-terminal projection domain of tau. In vitro, GSK3beta associates with microtubules only in the presence of tau. From brain extract, approximately 6-fold more GSK3beta co-immunoprecipitates with tau than GSK3alpha. These data indicate that, in brain, GSK3beta is bound to tau within a approximately 400-kDa microtubule-associated complex, and GSK3beta associates with microtubules via tau.

GSK-3 and the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia

The Neurodevelopmental Hypothesis of schizophrenia suggests that interaction between genetic and environmental events occurring during critical early periods in neuronal growth may negatively influence the way by which nerve cells are laid down, differentiated and selectively culled by apoptosis. Recent advances offer insights into the regulation of brain development. The Wnt family of genes plays a central role in normal brain development. Activation of the Wnt cascade leads to inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), accumulation and activation of beta-catenin and expression of genes involved in neuronal development. Alteration in the Wnt transduction cascade, which may represent an aberrant neurodevelopment in schizophrenia, is discussed. Programmed cell death is also an essential component of normal brain development. Abnormal neuronal distribution found in schizophrenic patients' brains may imply aberrant programmed cell death. GSK-3 participates in the signal transduction cascade of apoptosis. The possible role of aberrant GSK-3 in the etiology of schizophrenia is discussed.

Yeast glycogen synthase kinase 3 is involved in protein degradation in cooperation with Bul1, Bul2, and Rsp5

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has four genes, MCK1, MDS1 (RIM11), MRK1, and YOL128c, that encode glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) homologs. The gsk-3 null mutant, in which these four genes are disrupted, shows temperature sensitivity, which is suppressed by the expression of mammalian GSK-3beta and by an osmotic stabilizer. Suppression of temperature sensitivity by an osmotic stabilizer is also observed in the bul1 bul2 double null mutant, and the temperature sensitivity of the bul1 bul2 double null mutant is suppressed by multiple copies of MCK1. We have screened rog mutants (revertants of gsk-3) which suppress the temperature sensitivity of the mck1 mds1 double null mutant and found that two of them, rog1 and rog2, also suppress the temperature sensitivity of the bul1 bul2 double null mutant. Bul1 and Bul2 have been reported to bind to Rsp5, a hect (for homologous to E6-associated-protein carboxyl terminus)-type ubiquitin ligase, but involvement of Bul1 and Bul2 in protein degradation has not been demonstrated. We find that Rog1, but not Rog2, is stabilized in the gsk-3 null and the bul1 bul2 double null mutants. Rog1 binds directly to Rsp5, and their interaction is dependent on GSK-3. Furthermore, Rog1 is stabilized in the npi1 mutant, in which RSP5 expression levels are reduced. These results suggest that yeast GSK-3 regulates the stability of Rog1 in cooperation with Bul1, Bul2, and Rsp5.

Modulation of Wnt signaling by Axin and Axil

The Wnt signaling pathway is conserved in various species from worms to mammals, and plays important roles in development, cellular proliferation, and differentiation. The molecular mechanisms by which the Wnt signal regulates cellular functions are becoming increasingly well understood. Wnt stabilizes cytoplasmic beta-catenin, which stimulates the expression of genes including c-myc, c-jun, fra-1, and cyclin D1. Axin and its homolog Axil, newly recognized as components of the Wnt signaling pathway, negatively regulate this pathway. Other components of the Wnt signaling pathway, including Dvl, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), beta-catenin, and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), interact with Axin, and the phosphorylation and stability of beta-catenin are regulated in the Axin complex. Axil has similar functions to Axin. Thus, Axin and Axil act as scaffold proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway, thereby modulating the Wnt-dependent cellular functions.

Insulin transiently increases tau phosphorylation: involvement of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta and Fyn tyrosine kinase

The modulation of tau phosphorylation in response to insulin was examined in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Insulin treatment resulted in a transient increase in tau phosphorylation followed by a decrease in tau phosphorylation that correlated directly with a sequential activation and deactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta). The insulin-induced increase in tau phosphorylation and concurrent activation of GSK-3beta was rapid (<2 min) and transient, and was associated with increased tyrosine phosphorylation of GSK-3beta. The increase in GSK-3beta tyrosine phosphorylation corresponded directly to an increase in the association of Fyn tyrosine kinase with GSK-3beta, and Fyn immunoprecipitated from cells treated with insulin for 1 min phosphorylated GSK-3beta to a significantly greater extent than Fyn immunoprecipitated from control cells. Subsequent to the increase in GSK-3beta activation and tau phosphorylation, treatment of cells with insulin for 60 min resulted in a dephosphorylation of tau and a decrease in GSK-3beta activity. Thus, insulin rapidly and transiently activated GSK-3beta and modulated tau phosphorylation, alterations that may contribute to neuronal plasticity.

Tau is phosphorylated by GSK-3 at several sites found in Alzheimer disease and its biological activity markedly inhibited only after it is prephosphorylated by A-kinase

Alzheimer disease is characterized by a specific type of neuronal degeneration in which the microtubule associated protein tau is abnormally hyperphosphorylated causing the disruption of the microtubule network. We have found that the phosphorylation of human tau (tau3L) by A-kinase, GSK-3 or CK-1 inhibits its microtubule assembly-promoting and microtubule-binding activities. However, the inhibition of these activities of tau by GSK-3 is significantly increased if tau is prephosphorylated by A-kinase or CK-1. The most potent inhibition is observed by combination phosphorylation of tau with A-kinase and GSK-3. Under these conditions, only very few microtubules are seen by electron microscopy. Sequencing of 32P-labeled trypsin phosphopeptides from tau prephosphorylated by A-kinase (using unlabeled ATP) and further phosphorylated by GSK-3 in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP revealed that Ser-195, Ser-198, Ser-199, Ser-202, Thr-205, Thr-231, Ser-235, Ser-262, Ser-356 and Ser-404 are phosphorylated, whereas if tau is not prephosphorylated by A-kinase, GSK-3 phosphorylates it at Thr-181, Ser-184, Ser-262, Ser-356 and Ser-400. These data suggest that (i) prephosphorylation of tau by A-kinase makes additional and different sites accessible for phosphorylation by GSK-3; (ii) phosphorylation of tau at these additional sites further inhibits the biological activity of tau in its ability to bind to microtubules and promote microtubule assembly. Thus a combined role of A-kinase and GSK-3 should be considered in Alzheimer neurofibrillary degeneration.

Axin, a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway, forms a complex with GSK-3beta and beta-catenin and promotes GSK-3beta-dependent phosphorylation of beta-catenin

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) mediates epidermal growth factor, insulin and Wnt signals to various downstream events such as glycogen metabolism, gene expression, proliferation and differentiation. We have isolated here a GSK-3beta-interacting protein from a rat brain cDNA library using a yeast two-hybrid method. This protein consists of 832 amino acids and possesses Regulators of G protein Signaling (RGS) and dishevelled (Dsh) homologous domains in its N- and C-terminal regions, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequence of this GSK-3beta-interacting protein shows 94% identity with mouse Axin, which recently has been identified as a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway; therefore, we termed this protein rAxin (rat Axin). rAxin interacted directly with, and was phosphorylated by, GSK-3beta. rAxin also interacted directly with the armadillo repeats of beta-catenin. The binding site of rAxin for GSK-3beta was distinct from the beta-catenin-binding site, and these three proteins formed a ternary complex. Furthermore, rAxin promoted GSK-3beta-dependent phosphorylation of beta-catenin. These results suggest that rAxin negatively regulates the Wnt signaling pathway by interacting with GSK-3beta and beta-catenin and mediating the signal from GSK-3beta to beta-catenin.

Selective interaction of protein kinase FA/glycogen synthase kinase-3alpha with membrane phospholipids

Previously we reported that the activity of protein kinase FA/glycogen synthase kinase-3alpha (kinase FA/GSK-3alpha) can be detected in several brain membrane fractions. In this report, we examined whether kinase FA/GSK-3alpha can directly interact with membrane phospholipids by using anti-kinase FA/GSK-3alpha antibody as a more specific studying tool. It was found that kinase FA/GSK-3alpha can associate with NaOH-extracted brain membranes and selectively interact with several kinds of reconstituted phospholipid vesicles including phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), phosphatidyl inositol (PI), and phosphatidyl serine (PS) vesicles. Increasing ionic strength in the reaction could disrupt the interaction between kinase FA/GSK-3alpha and PA, PI, or PE vesicles but had no effect on the interaction between kinase FA/GSK-3alpha and PS vesicles, indicating that both ionic and non-ionic interactions are involved in this process, respectively. Moreover, both kinase activity and protease sensitivity of kinase FA/GSK-3alpha can be affected profoundly by these phospholipid vesicles and different forms of the kinase can be produced when it binds to distinct types of phospholipid vesicles. Taken together, the results demonstrate a direct interaction of kinase FA/GSK-3alpha with membrane phospholipids and suggest that membrane phospholipids may be directly involved in regulating kinase FA/GSK-3alpha activity.

Tyrosine dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 is involved in its extracellular signal-dependent inactivation

We examined whether extracellular signals regulate glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) activity through tyrosine dephosphorylation of GSK-3. In resting Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing the human insulin receptor (CHO-IR cells), GSK-3 was tyrosine-phosphorylated and active. Insulin and 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) induced inactivation and tyrosine dephosphorylation of GSK-3. It is known that Ser-9 of GSK-3beta is phosphorylated in response to insulin and that the phosphorylation of this amino acid residue causes inactivation of GSK-3beta. However, the ectopically expressed GSK-3beta(delta9), in which the N-terminal nine amino acids of GSK-3beta were deleted, was still inactivated and tyrosine-dephosphorylated in response to insulin. Protein phosphatase 2A treatment partially reversed insulin-induced GSK-3beta inactivation, but did not change GSK-3beta(delta9) inactivation. In CHO-IR cells where protein kinase C was down-regulated, TPA neither inactivated nor tyrosine-dephosphorylated GSK-3. However, insulin inactivated and tyrosine-dephosphorylated GSK-3, although to a lesser degree than in the control cells. These results suggest that in addition to serine phosphorylation, tyrosine dephosphorylation of GSK-3 is also important for the regulation of GSK-3 activity in response to extracellular signals and that insulin regulates GSK-3 activity through both protein kinase C-dependent as well as protein kinase C-independent pathways.

Calphostin C induces tyrosine dephosphorylation/inactivation of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in a pathway independent of tumor promoter phorbol ester-mediated down-regulation of protein kinase C

The signal transduction mechanism of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha by tyrosine phosphorylation in A431 cells was investigated using calphostin C as an inhibitor for protein kinase C (PKC). Kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha could be tyrosine-dephosphorylated and inactivated to approximately 10% of control in a concentration-dependent manner by 0.1-10 microM calphostin C (IC50, approximately 1 microM), as demonstrated by immunoprecipitation of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha from cell extracts, followed by phosphoamino acid analysis and by immunodetection in an antikinase FA/GSK-3 alpha immunoprecipitate kinase assay. In sharp contrast, down-regulation of PKC by 0.05 microM calphostin C (IC50, approximately 0.05 microM for inhibiting PKC in cells) or by tumor promoter phorbol ester TPA was found to have stimulatory effect on the cellular activity of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha, when processed under identical conditions. Furthermore, TPA-mediated down-regulation of PKC was found to have no effect on calphostin C-mediated tyrosine dephosphorylation/inactivation of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha. Taken together, the results provide initial evidence that the PKC inhibitor calphostin C may induce tyrosine dephosphorylation/inactivation of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in a pathway independent of TPA-mediated down-regulation of PKC, representing a new mode of signal transduction for the regulation of this multisubstrate/multifunctional protein kinase by calphostin C in cells. Since kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha is a possible carcinoma dedifferentiation/progression-promoting factor, the results further suggest calphostin C as a potential anticancer drug involved in blocking carcinoma dedifferentiation/progression, possibly via inactivation of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in tumor cells.

Dysfunction of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in lymphocytes of patients with schizophrenic disorder

As compared to normal people, the lymphocytes of patients with schizophrenia were found to have an impairment of ATP.Mg-dependent protein phosphatase activation. More importantly, the impaired protein phosphatase activation in the lymphocytes of schizophrenic patients could be consistently and completely restored to normal by exogenous pure protein kinase FA/glycogen synthase kinase-3 alpha (kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha) (the activating factor of ATP.Mg-dependent protein phosphatase), indicating that the molecular mechanism for the impaired protein phosphatase activation in schizophrenic patients may be due to a functional loss of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha. Immunoblotting and kinase activity analysis in an anti-kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha immunoprecipitate further demonstrate that both cellular activities and protein levels of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in the lymphocytes of schizophrenic patients were greatly impared as compared to normal controls. Statistical analysis revealed that the lymphocytes isolated from 37 normal people contain kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha activity in the high levels of 14.8 +/- 2.4 units/mg of cell protein, whereas the lymphocytes of 48 patients with schizophrenic disorder contain kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha activity in the low levels of 2.8 +/- 1.6 units/mg, indicating that the different levels of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha activity between schizophrenic patients and normal people are statistically significant. Taken together, the results provide initial evidence that patients with schizophrenic disorder may have a common impairment in the protein levels and cellular activities of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha, a multisubstrate protein kinase and a multisubstrate protein phosphatase activator in their lymphocytes.

Tumor promoter phorbol ester reversibly modulates tyrosine dephosphorylation/inactivation of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in A431 cells

The signal transduction mechanism of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha by tyrosine phosphorylation in A431 cells was investigated. Kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha was found to exist in a highly tyrosine-phosphorylated/activated state in resting cells but could be tyrosine-dephosphorylated and inactivated to approximately 60% of the control level when cells were acutely treated with 1 microM tumor promoter phorbol ester (TPA) at 37 degrees C for 30 min, as demonstrated by metabolic 32P-labeling the cells, followed by immunoprecipitation and two-dimensional phosphoamino acid analysis and by immunodetection in an antikinase FA/GSK-3 alpha immunoprecipitate kinase assay. Conversely, when cells were chronically treated with 1 microM TPA at 37 degrees C for 24 h and processed under identical conditions, kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha was found to be rephosphorylated on tyrosine residue and reactivated to approximately 130% of the original control level. Taken together, the results provide initial evidence that the phosphotyrosine content and cellular activity of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha can be modulated in a reversible manner by short-term and long-term exposure of A431 cells to TPA. Since acute exposure of cells to TPA causes up-regulation of cellular protein kinase C (PKC) activity and prolonged exposure to TPA causes down-regulation of PKC, the results further suggest that the TPA-mediated modulation of PKC may play a role in the regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation and concurrent activation of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in cells, representing a new mode of signal transduction pathway for the regulation of this multisubstrate/multifunctional protein kinase in cells.

Tyrosine dephosphorylation and concurrent inactivation of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha by genistein in A431 cells

Modulation of protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha by tyrosine phosphorylation in A431 cells was investigated. Kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha was found to exist in a highly tyrosine-phosphorylated/activated state in resting cells but could become tyrosine-dephosphorylated and inactivated down to less than 30% of control values in a concentration-dependent manner by 50-400 microM genistein (a specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor), as demonstrated by metabolic 32P-labeling of the cells followed by immunoprecipitation and two-dimensional phosphoamino acid analysis and by immunodetection in an antikinase FA/GSK-3 alpha immunoprecipitate kinase assay. Taken together, the results provide evidence that kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha may exist in a highly tyrosine-phosphorylated/activated state in resting cells which can be tyrosine-dephosphorylated and inactivated by extracellular stimulus and that tyrosine kinase(s) and/or tyrosine phosphatase(s) may play a role in the modulation of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha activity in cells.

Protein kinase FA/glycogen synthase kinase-3 predominantly phosphorylates the in vivo site Thr97-Pro in brain myelin basic protein: evidence for Thr-Pro and Ser-Arg-X-X-Ser as consensus sequence motifs

In a previous study, protein kinase FA/glycogen synthase kinase-3 (FA/GSK-3) was identified as a myelin basic protein (MBP) kinase associated with intact brain myelin. In this report, the phosphorylation sites of MBP by kinase FA/GSK-3 were further determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis/TLC, phosphoamino acid analysis, tryptic peptide mapping, Edman degradation, and direct sequencing. Kinase FA/GSK-3 phosphorylates MBP on both threonine and serine residues. Three tryptic phosphopeptide peaks were resolved by C18 reverse-phase HPLC. Sequential manual Edman degradation together with direct sequence analysis revealed that T(p)PPPSQGK is the phosphorylation site sequence for the first major phosphopeptide peak. When mapping with the bovine brain MBP sequence, we finally demonstrate Thr97-Pro, one of the in vivo phosphorylation sites in MBP, as the major site phosphorylated by kinase FA/GSK-3, implicating a physiologically relevant role of FA/GSK-3 in the regulation of brain myelin function. By using the same approach, we also identified NIVT94(p)PR as the phosphorylation site sequence in the second major tryptic phosphopeptide derived from [32P]MBP phosphorylated by kinase FA/GSK-3, further indicating that kinase FA/GSK-3 represents a Thr-Pro motif-directed MBP kinase involved in the phosphorylation of brain myelin.

Immunological and biochemical study on tissue and subcellular distributions of protein kinase FA (an activating factor of ATP.Mg-dependent protein phosphatase): a simplified and efficient procedure for high quantity purification from brain

Although protein kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha (an activating factor of ATP.Mg-dependent protein phosphatase) has been established as a cytosolic enzyme in mammalian nonnervous tissues involved in the metabolic regulation, immunological and biochemical studies on tissue and subcellular distributions demonstrate that kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha is in fact a membrane-associated enzyme and most abundantly exists in brain particulate membrane fractions depending on the tissue homogenization conditions. For instance, when brain was homogenized in Polytron without 0.32 M sucrose, approximately 40% of the total FA/GSK-3 alpha was found in the cytosol. However, when brain was homogenized in buffer containing 0.32 M sucrose and in a glass homogenizer with Teflon pestle, more than 80% of the total FA/GSK-3 alpha was found associated with the particulate membrane fractions. By manipulating these findings, we have developed a simplified procedure for purification of homogeneous kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in high recovery and in a substantial amount from brain tissue. The data explain why kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha cannot be isolated in a reasonable amount from most mammalian tissues for the past years. The specific pure antibody that can specifically recognize kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha from crude tissue extracts together with the high quantity purification of the enzyme as presented in this report provides an initial key step for studies on the role of kinase FA/GSK-3 alpha in the regulation of brain functions especially in the brain particulate membrane fractions.

Cyclic modulation of cross-linking interactions of microtubule-associated protein-2 with actin and microtubules by protein kinase FA

The ATP.Mg-dependent type-1 protein phosphatase activating factor (factor FA) was identified as a brain protein kinase that could phosphorylate microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and thereby inhibit cross-linking interactions of MAP-2 with actin filaments and microtubules isolated from porcine brain. The phosphorylation sites were found to be equally located on both projection and microtubule-binding domains of MAP-2. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed that the phosphorylation sites were on both serine and threonine residues, indicating that factor FA is a serine/threonine-specific MAP-2 kinase. Conversely, factor FA was further identified as a MAP-2 phosphatase activator that could promote the dephosphorylation of 32P-MAP-2 phosphorylated by factor FA itself and thereby potentiate cross-linking interactions of MAP-2 with actin and microtubules. Furthermore, the two opposing functions of factor FA can be selectively modulated in a reciprocal manner by pH change. For instance, alkaline pH could stimulate factor FA to work as a MAP-2 kinase but simultaneously block it to work as a MAP-2 phosphatase activator to potentiate the inhibition on the cross-linking interactions of MAP-2 with actin and microtubules. Taken together, the results provide initial evidence that a cyclic modulation of cross-linking interactions of MAP-2 with actin filaments and microtubules can be controlled by factor FA, representing an efficient cyclic cascade control mechanism for rapid structural and functional regulation of neuronal cytoskeletal system.