CK2 and GAK/auxilin2 are major protein kinases in clathrin-coated vesicles

Several peripheral membrane proteins associated with clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) are reversibly phosphorylated, but it is not clear precisely which protein kinases are involved. In order to address this question directly, we have isolated highly purified CCVs from porcine brain. The peripheral membrane proteins have been removed and assayed for kinase activity using the CCV peripheral membrane proteins as substrate. The major kinase activity identified has a molecular mass of 40 kDa, is inhibited by known specific inhibitors of the protein kinase CK2 and is recognised by an antibody specific to CK2. We show that CK2 is responsible for the phosphorylation of the majority of CCV-associated proteins that are subject to phosphorylation. Intriguingly, CK2 is inactive when associated with CCVs but becomes active once the clathrin coat has been removed. The medium subunit of the AP2 adaptor complex (μ2) is not a substrate for CK2, but is phosphorylated by a second kinase that we show to be cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK/auxilin2). Unlike the situation for the CK2 substrates, μ2 is a substrate for GAK/auxilin2, both in intact CCVs and in solution. In addition, we show that the 'stripped' CCV membranes that remain once the peripheral membrane proteins have been removed from CCVs inhibit CK2 but not GAK/auxilin2 activity.     

Differential phosphorylation of band 3 and glycophorin in intact and extracted erythrocyte membranes

This report presents an analysis of the phosphorylation of human and rabbit erythrocyte membrane proteins which migrate in NaDodSO₄-polyacrylamide gels in the area of the Coomassie Blue-stained proteins generally known as band 3. The phosphorylation of these proteins is of interest as band 3 has been implicated in transport processes. This study shows that there are at least three distinct phosphoproteins associated with the band 3 region of human erythrocyte membranes. These are band 2.9, the major band 3, and PAS-1. The phosphorylation of these proteins is differentially catalyzed by solubilized membrane and cytoplasmic cyclic AMP-dependent and -independent erythrocyte protein kinases. Band 2.9 is present and phosphorylated in unfractionated human and rabbit erythrocyte ghosts but not in NaI- or dimethylmaleic anhydride (DMMA)-extracted membranes. These latter membrane preparations are enriched in band 3 and in sialoglycoproteins. The NaI-extracted ghosts contain residual protein kinase activity which can catalyze the autophosphorylation of band 3 whereas the DMMA-extracted ghosts are usually devoid of any kinase activity. However, both NaI- and DMMA-extracted ghosts, as well as Triton X-100 extracts of the DMMA-extracted ghosts, can be phosphorylated by various erythrocyte protein kinases. The kinases which preferentially phosphorylate the major band 3 protein are inactive towards PAS-1 while the kinases active towards PAS-1 are less active towards band 3. The band 3 protein in the DMMA-extracted ghosts can be cross-linked with the Cu²⁺ -σ-phenanthroline complex. The cross-linking of band 3 does not affect its capacity to serve as a phosphoryl acceptor nor does phosphorylation affect the capacity of band 3 to form cross-links. In addition to band 2.9, the major band 3 and PAS-1, another minor protein component appears to be present in the band 3 region in human erythrocyte membranes. This protein is specifically phosphorylated by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases isolated from the cytoplasm of rabbit erythrocytes. The rabbit erythrocyte membranes lack PAS-1 and the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase substrate.     

Time-co-ordinated control of glycogen synthase, protein phosphatase 2A and protein kinase CK2 during culture growth in Yarrowia lipolytica in relation to glycogen metabolism

In the growth course of the lipolytic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, the activities of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and glycogen synthase (GS) rise during the exponential phase and concomitantly glycogen storage occurs in the cells. There is also an increase in the independence ratio (RI) indicating a shift from an inactive phosphorylated GS form to an active dephosphorylated GS form. During the early stationary phase, an increase in protein kinase CK2 (CK2) activity, a reversion of RI variation and a glycogen content decrease are observed. GS activity proved to be a good indicator of early culture growth phase. Experiments carried out with enzymes purified from Y. lipolytica show strong RI variations upon the action of CK2 and PP2Ac, and 32P incorporation into GS protein through phosphorylation by CK2. GS activity would be controlled by the sequential action of PP2A and CK2.     

Regulation of CK2 activity by phosphatidylinositol phosphates

The process of clathrin-coated vesicle (CCV) formation/disassembly involves numerous proteins that act cooperatively. Phosphorylation is an important regulatory mechanism governing protein interactions in CCVs, and many of the core and accessory proteins of the CCV machinery are reversibly phosphorylated in vivo. CK2 is highly enriched in CCVs and is capable of phosphorylating a number of peripheral membrane proteins involved in the process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. At least some of these phosphorylation events have been shown to be inhibitory for CCV assembly, and CK2 has been shown to be inactive when associated with intact CCVs. Here we show that CCV membranes inhibit CK2 activity even after incubation in trypsin, indicating that a component of the lipid bilayer may be the inhibitory factor. Consistent with this, we showed that liposomes containing phosphatidylinositol phosphates inhibit the activity of CK2 and that CK2 binds to those liposomes. Notably, liposomes containing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P(2)), a component of CCVs, bind CK2 and inhibit its activity. Furthermore, we showed that the binding of CK2 to PtdIns(4,5)P(2)-containing liposomes is via the active site of CK2, thus providing a molecular explanation for the inhibition of CK2 activity when it is bound to PtdIns(4,5)P(2)-containing liposomes. Thus CK2 is inactive in CCVs because of the fact that it is bound to the CCV membrane via an interaction between PtdIns(4,5)P(2) in the CCV membrane and the active site in CK2.     

Protein kinase CK2 catalyzes tyrosine phosphorylation in mammalian cells

Protein kinase CK2 exhibits oncogenic activity in mice and is over-expressed in a number of tumors or leukemic cells. On the basis of its amino acid sequence and a wealth of experimental information, CK2 has traditionally been classified as a protein serine/threonine kinase. In contrast to this traditional view of CK2, recent evidence has shown that CK2 can also phosphorylate tyrosine residues under some circumstances in vitro and in yeast. In this study, we provide definitive evidence demonstrating that CK2 also exhibits tyrosine kinase activity in mammalian cells. Tyrosine phosphorylation of CK2 in cells and in CK2 immunoprecipitates is dependent on CK2 activity and is inhibited by the CK2 selective inhibitor 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole. Examination of phosphotyrosine profiles in cells reveals a number of proteins, including CK2 itself, which exhibit increased tyrosine phosphorylation when CK2 levels are increased. Peptide arrays to evaluate the specificity determinants for tyrosine phosphorylation by CK2 reveal that its specificity for tyrosine phosphorylation is distinct from its specificity for serine/threonine phosphorylation. Of particular note is the requirement for an aspartic acid immediately C-terminal to the phosphorylatable tyrosine residue. Collectively, these data provide conclusive evidence that CK2 catalyzes the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in mammalian cells, a finding that adds a new level of complexity to the challenge of elucidating its cellular functions. Furthermore, these results raise the possibility that increased CK2 levels that frequently accompany transformation may contribute to the increased tyrosine phosphorylation that occurs in transformed cells.     

The nuclease sensitivity of active genes.

Brief micrococcal nuclease digestion of chick embryonic red blood cells results in preferential excision and solubilization of monomer nucleosomes associated with beta-globin sequences and also 5'-sequences flanking the beta-globin gene. Both regions are DNAse-I sensitive in nuclei. Such salt-soluble nucleosomes are enriched in all four major HMG proteins but HMG1 and 2 are only weakly associated. These nucleosomes appear to have lost much of the DNAse-I sensitivity of active genes. The HMG14 and 17-containing salt-soluble nucleosomes separated by electrophoresis are not DNAse-I sensitive and contain inactive gene sequences as well as active sequences. Reconstitution of HMG proteins onto bulk nucleosomes or chromatin failed to reveal an HMG-dependent sensitivity of active genes as assayed by dot-blot hybridization and it was found that the DNAse-I sensitivity of ASV proviral sequences as assayed by dot-blot hybridization was not HMG-dependent. These results indicate that higher order chromatin structures might be responsible for nuclease sensitivity of active genes.     

Transient hypoxia induces sequestration of M1 and M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors

Oxidative stress has been implicated in impairing muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) signaling activity. It remains unclear, however, whether alterations in the cell surface distribution of mAChRs following oxidative stress contribute to the diminished mAChR signaling activity. We report here that M1 and M2 mAChRs, stably expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, undergo sequestration following transient hypoxic-induced oxidative stress (2% O2). Sequestration of M1 and M2 mAChRs following transient hypoxia was associated with an increase in phosphorylation of these receptors. Over-expression of a catalytically inactive G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2 K220R) blocked the increased phosphorylation and sequestration of the M2, but not M1, mAChRs following transient hypoxia. Hypoxia induced phosphorylation and sequestration of the M1 mAChR was, however, blocked by over-expression of a catalytically inactive casein kinase 1 alpha (CK1alpha K46R). These results are the first demonstration that M1 and M2 mAChRs undergo sequestration following transient hypoxia. The data suggest that increased phosphorylation of M1 and M2 mAChRs underlies the mechanism responsible for sequestration of these receptors following transient hypoxia. We report here that distinct pathways involving CK1alpha and GRK2 mediated sequestration of M1 and M2 mAChRs following transient hypoxic-induced oxidative stress.     

Presence of non-histone proteins in nucleosomes

It has been established that nucleosomes are made of histones and DNA fragments. The purpose of this work to establish whether some non-histone proteins are also present in these chromatin subunits. We have found that nucleosome preparations contain phosphorylated non-histone proteins and protein kinases by sucrose gradient analysis. In order to establish whether these proteins are actually bound to nucleosomes or if they represent unbound or aggregated proteins, the following experiments were performed. (a) Free non-histone proteins and proteins released from chromatin by DNase overdigestion were analyzed by sucrose gradient centrifugation. No phosphoproteins but some phosvitin kinase activity was found in the part of the gradient which contained the nucleosomes. It could be assumed that part of the phosphoproteins are bound to nucleosomes. (b) A digestion of nucleosomes with DNase I suppressed the phosvitin kinase activity in the 11-S region of the gradient. (c) High ionic strength, which extracted non-histone proteins, suppressed the phosvitin kinase activity in the nucleosome region. Part of phosvitin kinase and of nuclear phosphoproteins are therefore bound to nucleosomes and are released by nuclease digestion and by high ionic strength.     

Phosphorylation of maize and Arabidopsis HMGB proteins by protein kinase CK2alpha

In plants, a variety of chromatin-associated high mobility group (HMG) proteins belonging to the HMGB family have been identified. We have examined the phosphorylation of the HMGB proteins from the monocotyledonous plant maize and the dicotyledonous plant Arabidopsis by protein kinase CK2alpha. Maize CK2alpha phosphorylates the maize HMGB1 and HMGB2/3 proteins and the Arabidopsis HMGB1, HMGB2/3, and HMGB4 proteins. Maize HMGB4 and HMGB5 and Arabidopsis HMGB5 are not phosphorylated by CK2alpha. Depending on the HMGB protein up to five amino acid residues are phosphorylated in the course of the phosphorylation reaction. The HMGB1 proteins from both plants are markedly more slowly phosphorylated by CK2alpha than the other HMGB substrate proteins, indicating that certain HMGB proteins are clearly preferred substrates for CK2alpha. The rate of the phosphorylation reaction appears to be related to the ease of interaction between CK2alpha and the HMGB proteins, as indicated by chemical cross-linking experiments. MALDI/TOF mass spectrometry analyses demonstrate that the HMGB1 and HMGB2/3 proteins occur in various phosphorylation states in immature maize kernels. Thus, HMGB1 exists as monophosphorylated, double-phosphorylated, triple-phosphorylated, and tetraphosphorylated protein in kernel tissue, and the tetraphosphorylated form is the most abundant version. The observed in vivo phosphorylation states indicate that protein kinase(s) other than CK2alpha contribute(s) to the modification of the plant HMGB proteins. The fact that the HMGB proteins are phosphorylated to various extents reveals that the existence of differentially modified forms increases the number of distinct HMGB protein variants in plant chromatin that may be adapted to certain functions.