In vivo conditions to identify Prkci phosphorylation targets using the analog-sensitive kinase method in zebrafish

An analog sensitive allele permits rapid and reversible chemical inhibition of PKC-3 activity in C. elegans

Engineered analog sensitive kinases provide a highly effective method for acute, controllable, and highly selective inhibition of kinase activity. Here we describe the design and characterization of an analog sensitive allele of the polarity kinase, PKC-3. This allele supports normal function as measured by its ability to exclude PAR-2 from the anterior membrane of zygotes, and is rapidly and reversibly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the ATP analog 1NA-PP1. This allele provides a new tool to explore the role of PKC-3 in diverse contexts within C. elegans , particularly those in which acute and reversible control of PKC-3 kinase activity may be desired.

Phospho-regulation of mitotic spindle assembly

The assembly of the bipolar mitotic spindle requires the careful orchestration of a myriad of enzyme activities like protein posttranslational modifications. Among these, phosphorylation has arisen as the principle mode for spatially and temporally activating the proteins involved in early mitotic spindle assembly processes. Here, we review key kinases, phosphatases, and phosphorylation events that regulate critical aspects of these processes. We highlight key phosphorylation substrates that are important for ensuring the fidelity of centriole duplication, centrosome maturation, and the establishment of the bipolar spindle. We also highlight techniques used to understand kinase-substrate relationships and to study phosphorylation events. We conclude with perspectives on the field of posttranslational modifications in early mitotic spindle assembly.

A Screen for PKN3 Substrates Reveals an Activating Phosphorylation of ARHGAP18

Protein kinase N3 (PKN3) is a serine/threonine kinase implicated in tumor progression of multiple cancer types, however, its substrates and effector proteins still remain largely understudied. In the present work we aimed to identify novel PKN3 substrates in a phosphoproteomic screen using analog sensitive PKN3. Among the identified putative substrates we selected ARHGAP18, a protein from RhoGAP family, for validation of the screen and further study. We confirmed that PKN3 can phosphorylate ARHGAP18 in vitro and we also characterized the interaction of the two proteins, which is mediated via the N-terminal part of ARHGAP18. We present strong evidence that PKN3-ARHGAP18 interaction is increased upon ARHGAP18 phosphorylation and that the phosphorylation of ARHGAP18 by PKN3 enhances its GAP domain activity and contributes to negative regulation of active RhoA. Taken together, we identified new set of potential PKN3 substrates and revealed a new negative feedback regulatory mechanism of Rho signaling mediated by PKN3-induced ARHGAP18 activation.

The Bump-and-Hole Tactic: Expanding the Scope of Chemical Genetics

Successful mapping of the human genome has sparked a widespread interest in deciphering functional information encoded in gene sequences. However, because of the high degree of conservation in sequences along with topological and biochemical similarities among members of a protein superfamily, uncovering physiological role of a particular protein has been a challenging task. Chemical genetic approaches have made significant contributions toward understanding protein function. One such effort, dubbed the bump-and-hole approach, has convincingly demonstrated that engineering at the protein-small molecule interface constitutes a powerful method for elucidating the function of a specific gene product. By manipulating the steric component of protein-ligand interactions in a complementary manner, an orthogonal system is developed to probe a specific enzyme-cofactor pair without interference from related members. This article outlines current efforts to expand the approach for diverse protein classes and their applications. Potential future innovations to address contemporary biological problems are highlighted as well.

Thiol-ene-Enabled Detection of Thiophosphorylation as a Labeling Strategy for Phosphoproteins

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) analogue adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATPγS) has been applied as a tool to study kinase-substrate phosphorylation. Not only does the transfer of a thiophosphate group represent a unique modification amid the phosphoproteome, but it can also be stable to phosphatase activity. However, detection of this species is complicated due to the similar chemical reactivity of thiophosphate and proteinaceous thiols. Here, we describe a novel method for detection of protein thiophosphorylation utilizing the thiol-ene reaction. By first chemoselectively capping protein thiols through radical chemistry, kinase-catalyzed thiophosphorylation can be visualized specifically.

Proteomics beyond large-scale protein expression analysis

Proteomics is commonly referred to as the application of high-throughput approaches to protein expression analysis. Typical results of proteomics studies are inventories of the protein content of a sample or lists of differentially expressed proteins across multiple conditions. Recently, however, an explosion of novel proteomics workflows has significantly expanded proteomics beyond the analysis of protein expression. Targeted proteomics methods, for example, enable the analysis of the fine dynamics of protein systems, such as a specific pathway or a network of interacting proteins, and the determination of protein complex stoichiometries. Structural proteomics tools allow extraction of restraints for structural modeling and identification of structurally altered proteins on a proteome-wide scale. Other variations of the proteomic workflow can be applied to the large-scale analysis of protein activity, location, degradation and turnover. These exciting developments provide new tools for multi-level 'omics' analysis and for the modeling of biological networks in the context of systems biology studies.

Zebrafish pronephros tubulogenesis and epithelial identity maintenance are reliant on the polarity proteins Prkc iota and zeta

The zebrafish pronephros provides an excellent in vivo system to study the mechanisms of vertebrate nephron development. When and how renal progenitors in the zebrafish embryo undergo tubulogenesis to form nephrons is poorly understood, but is known to involve a mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) and the acquisition of polarity. Here, we determined the precise timing of these events in pronephros tubulogenesis. As the ternary polarity complex is an essential regulator of epithelial cell polarity across tissues, we performed gene knockdown studies to assess the roles of the related factors atypical protein kinase C iota and zeta (prkcι, prkcζ). We found that prkcι and prkcζ serve partially redundant functions to establish pronephros tubule epithelium polarity. Further, the loss of prkcι or the combined knockdown of prkcι/ζ disrupted proximal tubule morphogenesis and podocyte migration due to cardiac defects that prevented normal fluid flow to the kidney. Surprisingly, tubule cells in prkcι/ζ morphants displayed ectopic expression of the transcription factor pax2a and the podocyte-associated genes wt1a, wt1b, and podxl, suggesting that prkcι/ζ are needed to maintain renal epithelial identity. Knockdown of genes essential for cardiac contractility and vascular flow to the kidney, such as tnnt2a, or elimination of pronephros fluid output through knockdown of the intraflagellar transport gene ift88, was not associated with ectopic pronephros gene expression, thus suggesting a unique role for prkcι/ζ in maintaining tubule epithelial identity separate from the consequence of disruptions to renal fluid flow. Interestingly, knockdown of pax2a, but not wt1a, was sufficient to rescue ectopic tubule gene expression in prkcι/ζ morphants. These data suggest a model in which the redundant activities of prkcι and prkcζ are essential to establish tubule epithelial polarity and also serve to maintain proper epithelial cell type identity in the tubule by inhibiting pax2a expression. These studies provide a valuable foundation for further analysis of MET during nephrogenesis, and have implications for understanding the pathways that affect nephron epithelial cells during kidney disease and regeneration.

A neo-substrate that amplifies catalytic activity of parkinson's-disease-related kinase PINK1

Mitochondria have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Mutations in the mitochondrial kinase PINK1 that reduce kinase activity are associated with mitochondrial defects and result in an autosomal-recessive form of early-onset PD. Therapeutic approaches for enhancing the activity of PINK1 have not been considered because no allosteric regulatory sites for PINK1 are known. Here, we show that an alternative strategy, a neo-substrate approach involving the ATP analog kinetin triphosphate (KTP), can be used to increase the activity of both PD-related mutant PINK1(G309D) and PINK1(WT). Moreover, we show that application of the KTP precursor kinetin to cells results in biologically significant increases in PINK1 activity, manifest as higher levels of Parkin recruitment to depolarized mitochondria, reduced mitochondrial motility in axons, and lower levels of apoptosis. Discovery of neo-substrates for kinases could provide a heretofore-unappreciated modality for regulating kinase activity.

Protein kinase C pharmacology: refining the toolbox

PKC (protein kinase C) has been in the limelight since the discovery three decades ago that it acts as a major receptor for the tumour-promoting phorbol esters. Phorbol esters, with their potent ability to activate two of the three classes of PKC isoenzymes, have remained the best pharmacological tool for directly modulating PKC activity. However, with the discovery of other phorbol ester-responsive proteins, the advent of various small-molecule and peptide modulators, and the need to distinguish isoenzyme-specific activity, the pharmacology of PKC has become increasingly complex. Not surprisingly, many of the compounds originally touted as direct modulators of PKC have subsequently been shown to hit many other cellular targets and, in some cases, not even directly modulate PKC. The complexities and reversals in PKC pharmacology have led to widespread confusion about the current status of the pharmacological tools available to control PKC activity. In the present review, we aim to clarify the cacophony in the literature regarding the current state of bona fide and discredited cellular PKC modulators, including activators, small-molecule inhibitors and peptides, and also address the use of genetically encoded reporters and of PKC mutants to measure the effects of these drugs on the spatiotemporal dynamics of signalling by specific isoenzymes.