KEPI, a PKC-dependent protein phosphatase 1 inhibitor regulated by morphine.

cDNAs encoding KEPI, a novel protein kinase C (PKC)-potentiated inhibitory protein for type 1 Ser/Thr protein phosphatase (PP1), were identified. They were found among morphine-regulated brain mRNAs identified using subtracted differential display techniques. Full-length rat, mouse, and human cDNA and genomic sequences were elucidated with library screening and data base searching. Rat, mouse, and human KEPI cDNAs encode 164-165 amino acid proteins with calculated isoelectric points of 5.2. Each species' amino acid sequence contains consensus sequences for phosphorylation by PKC (KVT(72)VK), protein kinase A (RKLS(154)), and casein kinase II (S(43)SRE, S(120)EEE). Multiple KEPI N-terminal myristoylation consensus sites provide potential regions for membrane anchoring. Subcellular fractionation and Western analyses revealed that most KEPI immunoreactivity was associated with P2 and P3 membrane-enriched fractions and little in cytosolic fractions. 2.6-kb KEPI mRNAs were detected in brain, especially in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and in heart and skeletal muscle. Brain KEPI mRNA was up-regulated by both acute and chronic morphine treatments. The human KEPI gene contains four exons extending over more than 100 kb of genomic sequence on 6q24-q25, near the mu opiate receptor gene. These sequences displayed sufficient homology with the porcine PP1 inhibitor CPI-17 that we asked whether KEPI could share the ability of CPI-17 to modulate PP1 activity in a PKC-dependent fashion. Recombinant mouse KEPI is phosphorylated by PKC with a K(m) of 2.6 microm and a t(1/2) of 20 min. Phospho-KEPI inhibits PP1alpha with an IC(50) of 2.7 nm, a potency more than 600-fold greater than that displayed by unphosphorylated KEPI. Neither phospho- nor dephospho-KEPI inhibits protein phosphatase 2A. Up-regulation of KEPI expression by morphine, an agonist at PKC-regulating G-protein-coupled mu receptors, provides a novel signaling paradigm in which the half-lives of serine/threonine phosphorylation events can be influenced by activities at G(i)/G(o)-coupled receptors that modulate KEPI expression, KEPI phosphorylation, and KEPI regulation of PP1 activity.     

The epithelial calcium channel, ECaC, is activated by hyperpolarization and regulated by cytosolic calcium.

The recently cloned epithelial Ca(2+) channel, ECaC, which is expressed in the apical membrane of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)-responsible epithelia, was characterized in Xenopus laevis oocytes by measuring the Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) current which is a sensitive read-out of the Ca(2+) influx. ECaC-expressing oocytes responded to a voltage ramp with a maximal inward current of -2.1 +/- 0.3 microA at a holding potential of -99 +/- 1 mV. The inward current decreased progressively at less negative potentials and at +50 mV a small Ca(2+)-induced outward current was observed. The Ca(2+) influx-evoked current at a hyperpolarizing pulse to -100 mV displayed a fast activation followed by a rapid but partial inactivation. Loading of the oocytes with the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA delayed the activation and blocked the inactivation of ECaC. When a series of brief hyperpolarizing pulses were given a significant decline in the peak response and subsequent plateau phase was observed. In conclusion, the distinct electrophysiological features of ECaC are hyperpolarization-dependent activation, Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of channel conductance and desensitization during repetitive stimulation.     

LBL, a novel, developmentally regulated, laminin-binding lectin.

A 190/220-kDa complex found in integrin preparations was purified, and monoclonal antibodies were raised against it. The immunoaffinity-purified complex appears to be a trimer of very similar or identical 70-kDa subunits. It is a novel extracellular matrix molecule as determined by its subunit composition, N-terminal amino acid sequence, and in vivo localization. It is distributed widely in basement membranes including those from muscle, nerve, and kidney. It is also present in connective tissue regions such as perineurium and perimysium. It has the unusual property that it is initially expressed very late in avian development near the time of hatching. This protein is found to copurified with integrin because it binds to the carbohydrate support in Sepharose. Hemagglutination assays with mono- and disaccharides show that it functions as a lectin with galactoside-binding specificity. This protein is also found to bind strongly and specifically to laminin at a site distinct from its lectin activity, but does not bind to fibronectin or type IV collagen. The protein appears to be conserved and is a common contaminant of many laminin preparations. We call this novel protein "LBL" for laminin-binding lectin.     

Arabidopsis TCH4, regulated by hormones and the environment, encodes a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase.

Adaptation of plants to environmental conditions requires that sensing of external stimuli be linked to mechanisms of morphogenesis. The Arabidopsis TCH (for touch) genes are rapidly upregulated in expression in response to environmental stimuli, but a connection between this molecular response and developmental alterations has not been established. We identified TCH4 as a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase by sequence similarity and enzyme activity. Xyloglucan endotransglycosylases most likely modify cell walls, a fundamental determinant of plant form. We determined that TCH4 expression is regulated by auxin and brassinosteroids, by environmental stimuli, and during development, by a 1-kb region. Expression was restricted to expanding tissues and organs that undergo cell wall modification. Regulation of genes encoding cell wall-modifying enzymes, such as TCH4, may underlie plant morphogenetic responses to the environment.     

Platelet tyrosine-specific protein phosphorylation is regulated by thrombin.

Intact human platelets, terminally differentiated cells with no growth potential, were found to possess unusually high levels of tyrosine-specific protein phosphorylation. The physiological platelet activator thrombin transiently elevated platelet phosphotyrosine content, apparently through stimulation of one or more tyrosine-specific protein kinases. Immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antiserum showed that thrombin caused dramatic changes in the tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of individual protein bands and that these changes occurred in three distinct temporal waves. Most but not all of the protein bands phosphorylated at tyrosine in response to thrombin were also tyrosine phosphorylated in response to chilling or the combination of ionophore A23187 and tetradecanoylphorbol acetate. Thrombin stimulated the phosphorylation of the tyrosine kinase pp60c-src, primarily at Ser-12 and Tyr-527, although the effects of these phosphorylations on platelet pp60c-src function were not apparent. Together, these results suggest that tyrosine-specific protein kinases of uncertain identity are involved in signal transduction in platelets.     

PRAK, a novel protein kinase regulated by the p38 MAP kinase.

We have identified and cloned a novel serine/ threonine kinase, p38-regulated/activated protein kinase (PRAK). PRAK is a 471 amino acid protein with 20-30% sequence identity to the known MAP kinase-regulated protein kinases RSK1/2/3, MNK1/2 and MAPKAP-K2/3. PRAK was found to be expressed in all human tissues and cell lines examined. In HeLa cells, PRAK was activated in response to cellular stress and proinflammatory cytokines. PRAK activity was regulated by p38alpha and p38beta both in vitro and in vivo and Thr182 was shown to be the regulatory phosphorylation site. Activated PRAK in turn phosphorylated small heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) at the physiologically relevant sites. An in-gel kinase assay demonstrated that PRAK is a major stress-activated kinase that can phosphorylate small heat shock protein, suggesting a potential role for PRAK in mediating stress-induced HSP27 phosphorylation in vivo.     

Arabidopsis rbcS genes are differentially regulated by light.

Individual members of the Arabidopsis thaliana ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase small subunit (rbcS) gene family are differentially regulated by light of different qualities. In 10-d-old etiolated seedlings, the expression of only three of the four genes is under inductive phytochrome control. rbcS mRNA levels reach a maximum (3- to 5-fold higher than the dark level) about 6 h after a red light pulse, but the rate of decay differs among the genes. Moreover, rbcS 2B requires a higher fluence for induction. At early stages of development, rbcS 1A, 2B, and 3B are highly expressed in the dark and cannot be further induced by red light, indicating a developmental component in the overall regulatory mechanism. Continuous light experiments indicate that high-irradiance responses may play a role in the induction of at least three of the four rbcS genes. Under conditions of phytochrome saturation, rbcS 1A is insensitive to blue light pulses, whereas among the three B locus genes, at least rbcS 3B appears to respond to a blue-light photoreceptor. These results add to the data suggesting that individual members of rbcS gene families in higher plants may be subject to a variety of differing regulatory mechanisms.     

Dynamic assembly of FtsZ regulated by GTP hydrolysis.

FtsZ forms a cytokinetic ring, designated the Z ring, that directs cytokinesis in prokaryotes. It has limited sequence similarity to eukaryotic tubulins and, like tubulin, it has GTPase activity and the ability to assemble into various structures including protofilaments, bundles and minirings. By using both electron microscopy and sedimentation, we demonstrate that FtsZ from Escherichia coli undergoes a strictly GTP-dependent polymerization and the polymers disappear as the GTP is consumed. Thus, FtsZ polymerization, like that of tubulin, is dynamic and regulated by GTP hydrolysis. These results provide the basis for the dynamics of the Z ring and favor a model in which the Z ring is formed by a nucleation event.     

Visual arrestin activity may be regulated by self-association.

Visual arrestin is the protein responsible for rapid quenching of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. Arrestin exists as a latent inhibitor which must be 'activated' upon contact with a phosphorylated receptor. X-ray crystal structures of visual arrestin exhibit a tetrameric arrangement wherein an asymmetric dimer with an extensive interface between conformationally different subunits is related to a second asymmetric dimer by a local two-fold rotation axis. To test the biological relevance of this molecular organization in solution, we carried out a sedimentation equilibrium analysis of arrestin at both crystallographic and physiological protein concentrations. While the tetrameric form can exist at the high concentrations used in crystallography experiments, we find that arrestin participates in a monomer/dimer equilibrium at concentrations more likely to be physiologically relevant. Solution interaction analysis of a proteolytically modified, constitutively active form of arrestin shows diminished dimerization. We propose that self-association of arrestin may provide a mechanism for regulation of arrestin activity by (i) ensuring an adequate supply for rapid quenching of the visual signal and (ii) limiting the availability of active monomeric species, thereby preventing inappropriate signal termination.     

Bradyrhizobium japonicum glnB, a putative nitrogen-regulatory gene, is regulated by NtrC at tandem promoters.

The glnB gene from Bradyrhizobium japonicum, the endosymbiont of soybeans (Glycine max), was isolated and sequenced, and its expression was examined under various culture conditions and in soybean nodules. The B. japonicum glnB gene encodes a 12,237-dalton polypeptide that is highly homologous to the glnB gene products from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. The gene is located directly upstream from glnA (encoding glutamine synthetase), a linkage not observed in enteric bacteria. The glnB gene from B. japonicum is expressed from tandem promoters, which are differentially regulated in response to the nitrogen status of the medium. Expression from the downstream promoter involves the B. japonicum ntrC gene product (NtrC) in both free-living and symbiotic cells. Thus, glnB, a putative nitrogen-regulatory gene in B. japonicum, is itself Ntr regulated, and NtrC is active in B. japonicum cells in their symbiotic state.     

Yeast pseudohyphal growth is regulated by GPA2, a G protein alpha homolog.

Pseudohyphal differentiation, a filamentous growth form of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is induced by nitrogen starvation. The mechanisms by which nitrogen limitation regulates this process are currently unknown. We have found that GPA2, one of the two heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit homologs in yeast, regulates pseudohyphal differentiation. Deltagpa2/Deltagpa2 mutant strains have a defect in pseudohyphal growth. In contrast, a constitutively active allele of GPA2 stimulates filamentation, even on nitrogen-rich media. Moreover, a dominant negative GPA2 allele inhibits filamentation of wild-type strains. Several findings, including epistasis analysis and reporter gene studies, indicate that GPA2 does not regulate the MAP kinase cascade known to regulate filamentous growth. Previous studies have implicated GPA2 in the control of intracellular cAMP levels; we find that expression of the dominant RAS2(Gly19Val) mutant or exogenous cAMP suppresses the Deltagpa2 pseudohyphal defect. cAMP also stimulates filamentation in strains lacking the cAMP phosphodiesterase PDE2, even in the absence of nitrogen starvation. Our findings suggest that GPA2 is an element of the nitrogen sensing machinery that regulates pseudohyphal differentiation by modulating cAMP levels.     

Protein ubiquitination is regulated by phosphorylation. An in vitro study.

Protein ubiquitination has been implicated in ATP-dependent protein turnover and in a number of biological processes in eukaryotic cells. The ubiquitination activating enzyme, E1, and ubiquitin carrier protein, E2, are two essential enzymes in the protein ubiquitination machinery. Using purified E1 and E2 from rabbit reticulocytes and various protein kinases, which include cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, and protein tyrosine kinase, we demonstrated that E1 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C, with a stoichiometry of 0.65 mol of phosphate/mol of E1, and one of the E2 isoforms, E2(32kDa), is phosphorylated by protein tyrosine kinase to 2 eq of phosphate/mol of protein. Phosphorylation of E1 causes a 2-fold enhancement of its activity as monitored by ubiquitin-dependent ATP in equilibrium PPi exchange. When 1 eq of phosphate was incorporated into E2(32kDa), a 2.4-fold activation was also observed for its activity to catalyze the ubiquitination of histone H2A. The regulatory significance of this finding is discussed.     

Detection of spatially regulated gene expression by hybridization histochemistry.

Steady state measurements of kidney androgen-regulated protein (KAP) mRNA suggested that KAP gene expression was unusually sensitive to low hormone-receptor levels. Two of the criteria used to reach this conclusion involved relative insensitivity to treatment with a competitive antiandrogen and a partial androgen response of the gene in Tfm/Y androgen receptor (AR) deficient mice. These data may indicate the ability of the KAP gene to respond to an extremely low level of androgen-AR complex or that the effect of androgens is, at least in part, indirect. Hybridization in situ revealed that KAP mRNA expression was restricted to proximal tubule epithelial cells in the juxtamedullary region of castrated animals rather than throughout the cortex as in intact males. Examination of sections of kidneys from Tfm/Y mice before and after testosterone (T) treatment revealed that only the juxtamedullary tubules expressed KAP mRNA and that T increased the level of KAP mRNA in these cells. Treatment of Tfm/Y animals with other steroids showed that beta-estradiol treatment mimicked the effect of T while dihydrotestosterone (DHT) had no effect. The facts that DHT and T both stimulate cortical expression of KAP mRNA in normal animals but DHT has no effect on the juxtamedullary cells in the Tfm/Y variant may indicate that the action of T is due to an estrogenic metabolite. Castrated, hypophysectomized males exhibited no KAP gene expression, while in the presence of T, expression was observed throughout the cortex as in intact males. These results clearly indicate the involvement of pituitary hormones in KAP gene expression in the juxtamedullary tubules. These studies have shown that the regulation of KAP gene expression in the mouse kidney is much more complex than originally believed. Future studies will further investigate the roles of estrogen and specific pituitary hormones in KAP gene expression.