The C-terminal tail of Arabidopsis 14-3-3omega functions as an autoinhibitor and may contain a tenth alpha-helix

The eukaryotic regulatory protein 14-3-3 is involved in many important plant cellular processes including regulation of nitrate assimilation through inhibition of phosphorylated nitrate reductase (pNR) in darkened leaves. Divalent metal cations (Me2+) and some polyamines interact with the loop 8 region of the 14-3-3 proteins and allow them to bind and inhibit pNR in vitro. The role of the highly variant C-terminal regions of the 14-3-3 isoforms in regulation by polycations is not clear. In this study, we carried out structural analyses on the C-terminal tail of the Arabidopsis 14-3-3omega isoform and evaluated its contributions to the inhibition of pNR. Nested C-terminal truncations of the recombinant 14-3-3omega protein revealed that the removal of the C-terminal tail renders the protein partially Mg2+-independent in both pNR binding and inhibition of activity, suggesting that the C-terminus functions as an autoinhibitor. The C-terminus of 14-3-3omega appears to undergo a conformational change in the presence of polycations as demonstrated by its increased trypsin cleavage at Lys-247. C-terminal truncation of 14-3-3omega at Thr-255 increased its interaction with antibodies to the C-terminus of 14-3-3omega in non-denaturing conditions, but not in denaturing conditions, suggesting that the C-terminal tail contains ordered structures that might be disrupted by the truncation. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis of a C-terminal peptide, from Trp-234 to Lys-249, revealed that the C-terminal tail might contain a tenth alpha-helix, in agreement with the in silico predictions. The function of the putative tenth alpha-helix is not clear because substituting two prolyl residues within the predicted helix (E245P/I246P mutant), which prevented the corresponding peptide from adopting a helical conformation, did not affect the inhibition of pNR activity in the presence or absence of Mg2+. We propose that in the absence of polycations, access of target proteins to their binding groove in the 14-3-3 protein is restricted by the C-terminus, which acts as part of a gate that opens with the binding of polycations to loop 8.     

Regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase by stress-activated protein kinases

Recombinant human tyrosine hydroxylase (hTH1) was found to be phosphorylated by mitogen and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1) at Ser40 and by p38 regulated/activated kinase (PRAK) on Ser19. Phosphorylation by MSK1 induced an increase in Vmax and a decrease in Km for 6-(R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), while these kinetic parameters were unaffected as a result of phosphorylation by PRAK. Phosphorylation of both Ser40 and Ser19 induced a high-affinity binding of 14-3-3 proteins, but only the interaction of 14-3-3 with Ser19 increased the hTH1 activity. The 14-3-3 proteins also inhibited the rate of dephosphorylation of Ser19 and Ser40 by 82 and 36%, respectively. The phosphorylation of hTH1 on Ser19 caused a threefold increase in the rate of phosphorylation of Ser40. These studies provide new insights into the possible roles of stress-activated protein kinases in the regulation of catecholamine biosynthesis.     

14-3-3 epsilon modulates the stimulated secretion of endopeptidase 24.15

Endopeptidase 24.15 (ep24.15: EC3.4.24.15), a secreted protein involved in peptide metabolism, is unusual in that it does not contain a signal peptide sequence. In this work, we describe the physical interaction between ep24.15 and 14-3-3 epsilon, one isoform of a family of ubiquitous phosphoserine/threonine-scaffold proteins that organizes cell signaling and is involved in exocytosis. The interaction between ep24.15 and 14-3-3 epsilon increased following phosphorylation of ep24.15 at Ser(644) by protein kinase A (PKA). The co-localization of ep24.15 and 14-3-3 epsilon was increased by exposure of HEK293 cells (human embryonic kidney cells) to forskolin (10 microm). Overexpression of 14-3-3 epsilon in HEK293 cells almost doubled the secretion of ep24.15 stimulated by A23187 (7.5 microm) from 10%[1.4 +/- 0.24 AFU/(min 10(6) cells)] to 19%[2.54 +/- 0.24 AFU/(min 10(6) cells)] (p < 0.001) of the total intracellular enzyme activity. Treatment with forskolin had a synergistic effect on the A23187-stimulated secretion of ep24.15 that was totally blocked by the PKA inhibitor KT5720. The ep24.15 point mutation S644A reduced the co-localization of ep24.15 and 14-3-3 in stably transfected HEK293 cells. Indeed, secretion of the ep24.15 S644A mutant from these cells was only slightly stimulated by A23187 and insensitive to forskolin, in contrast to that of the wild type enzyme. Together, these data suggest that prior interaction with 14-3-3 is an important step in the unconventional stimulated secretion of ep24.15.     

Nuclear localization and interaction of RolB with plant 14-3-3 proteins correlates with induction of adventitious roots by the oncogene rolB

The rooting-locus gene B (rolB) on the T-DNA of the root-inducing (Ri) plasmid in Agrobacterium rhizogenes is responsible for the induction of transformed adventitious roots, although the root induction mechanism is unknown. We report here that the RolB protein of pRi1724 (1724RolB) is associated with Nicotianatabacum14-3-3-like protein omegaII (Nt14-3-3 omegaII) in tobacco bright yellow (BY)-2 cells. Nt14-3-3 omegaII directly interacts with 1724RolB protein. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused 1724RolB is localized to the nucleus. GFP-fused mutant 1724RolB proteins having a deletion or amino acid substitution are unable to interact with Nt14-3-3 omegaII and also show impaired nuclear localization. Moreover, these 1724RolB mutants show decreased capacity for adventitious root induction. These results suggest that adventitious root induction by 1724RolB protein correlates with its interaction with Nt14-3-3 omegaII and the nuclear localization of 1724RolB protein.     

Tyrosine phosphorylation inhibits the interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

Interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with their targets depends not only on the phosphorylation status of the target but also on that of 14-3-3 (Fu et al., 2000). In this work we demonstrated that the maize 14-3-3 isoform GF14-6 is a substrate of the tyrosine kinase insulin growth factor receptor 1. By means of site-directed mutants of GF14-6, we identified Tyr-137 as the specific tyrosine residue phosphorylated by the insulin growth factor receptor 1. Phosphorylation of GF14-6 on Tyr-137 lowered its affinity for a peptide mimicking the 14-3-3 binding site of the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Moreover, phosphorylation in planta of 14-3-3 tyrosine residues, resulting from incubation with the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, phenylarsine oxide, decreased their association to the H+-ATPase.     

Constitutively and autonomously active protein kinase C associated with 14-3-3 zeta in the rodent brain

Persistent activation of protein kinase C (PKC) is required for the expression of synaptic plasticity in the brain. There are several mechanisms proposed that can lead to the prolonged activation of PKC. These include long lasting production of lipid activators (diacylglycerol and fatty acid) through mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway, and a modification of PKC by reactive oxygen species. In nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells, we found that constitutive and autonomous Ca2+-independent PKC activity is associated with 14-3-3 zeta. Because PKC and 14-3-3 zeta are both involved in synaptic plasticity and learning and memory, we examined whether PKC interacts with 14-3-3 zeta in the brain and whether the PKC/14-3-3 zeta complex has autonomous activity. Here we show that three subclasses of PKC, Ca2+-dependent classical PKC, Ca2+-independent novel PKC, and Ca2+-independent and diacylglycerol-insensitive atypical PKC, all interact with 14-3-3 zeta in the rodent brain. The pool size of 14-3-3 zeta bound form of PKC is small (1-4% of each PKC isoform), but they show constitutive and autonomous activity. Our study indicates that the binding of PKC with 14-3-3 zeta is at least in part independent of phosphorylation of PKC and that the C1 domain of PKC is involved in the binding. As both molecules are enriched in synaptic locus, the constitutive PKC activity and its interaction with 14-3-3 zeta could be a mechanism for the persistent PKC activation in the brain.     

Cyclin-dependent kinase 11p110 and casein kinase 2 (CK2) inhibit the interaction between tyrosine hydroxylase and 14-3-3

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is regulated by the reversible phosphorylation of serines 8, 19, 31 and 40. Upon initiation of this study, serine 19 was unique due to its requirement of 14-3-3 binding after phosphorylation for optimal enzyme activity, although it has been more recently demonstrated that phosphorylated serine 40 also binds 14-3-3. To identify proteins that interact with TH following phosphorylation of serine 19, this amino acid was mutated to alanine and THS19A was used as bait in a yeast two-hybrid system. From this, mouse-derived cyclin-dependent kinase 11 (CDK11)p110 was identified as an interacting partner with THS19A. The interaction was confirmed using human CDK11p110 cDNA in a mammalian system. Previous research has demonstrated that casein kinase 2 (CK2) interacts with CDK11p110, and both were observed to phosphorylate TH in vitro. In addition, CDK11p110 overexpression was observed to inhibit the interaction between TH and 14-3-3. A mechanism contributing to disruption of the interaction between TH and 14-3-3 may be due to CK2 phosphorylation of specific 14-3-3 isoforms, i.e. 14-3-3 tau. Collectively, these results imply that CDK11p110 and CK2 negatively regulate TH catecholamine biosynthetic activity since phosphoserine 19 of TH requires 14-3-3 binding for optimal enzyme activity and a decreased rate of dephosphorylation.     

Interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGFIR): evidence for a role of 14-3-3 proteins in IGFIR signaling

We have extended our previous yeast two-hybrid findings to show that 14-3-3beta also interacts with the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGFIR) in mammalian cells overexpressing both proteins and that the interaction involves serine 1283 and is dependent on receptor activation. Treatment of cells with the phorbol ester PMA stimulates the interaction of 14-3-3beta with the IGFIR in the absence of receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting that receptor activation leads to activation of an endogenous protein kinase that catalyzes the phosphorylation of serine 1283. To investigate the role of 14-3-3 proteins in IGF signal transduction, IGFIR structure-function studies were performed. Mutation of serine 1283 alone (S1283A) (a mutation that decreases but does not abolish the interaction of the IGFIR with 14-3-3) did not affect anchorage-independent growth of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts overexpressing the mutant receptor. However, the simultaneous mutation of this residue and the truncation of the C-terminal 27 residues of the receptor (Delta1310/S1283A) abolished the interaction of the receptor with 14-3-3 and reversed the enhanced colony formation observed with the IGFIR truncation mutation alone (Delta1310). The difference between the Delta1310 and Delta1310/S1283A transfectants in the soft agar assay was confirmed by tumorigenesis experiments. These findings suggest that 14-3-3 proteins interact with the IGFIR in vivo and that this interaction may play a role in a transformation pathway signaled by the IGFIR.     

Interaction specificity of Arabidopsis 14-3-3 proteins with phototropin receptor kinases

Phototropin receptor kinases play an important role in optimising plant growth in response to blue light. Much is known regarding their photochemical reactivity, yet little progress has been made to identify downstream signalling components. Here, we isolated several interacting proteins for Arabidopsis phototropin 1 (phot1) by yeast two-hybrid screening. These include members of the NPH3/RPT2 (NRL) protein family, proteins associated with vesicle trafficking, and the 14-3-3 lambda (λ) isoform from Arabidopsis. 14-3-3λ and phot1 were found to colocalise and interact in vivo. Moreover, 14-3-3 binding to phot1 was limited to non-epsilon 14-3-3 isoforms and was dependent on key sites of receptor autophosphorylation. No 14-3-3 binding was detected for Arabidopsis phot2, suggesting that 14-3-3 proteins are specific to phot1 signalling.

Structured summary

MINT-7146953: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0915) with ARF7 (uniprotkb:Q9LFJ7) by two hybrid (MI:0018)MINT-7147335: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0914) with 14-3-3 phi (uniprotkb:P46077) by far Western blotting (MI:0047)MINT-7146854: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0915) with RPT2 (uniprotkb:Q682S0) by two hybrid (MI:0018)MINT-7147215: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0914) with 14-3-3 lambda (uniprotkb:P48349) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)MINT-7147044, MINT-7147185, MINT-7147200, MINT-7147413: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0914) with 14-3-3 lambda (uniprotkb:P48349) by far Western blotting (MI:0047)MINT-7146983: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0915) with 14-3-3 lambda (uniprotkb:P48349) by two hybrid (MI:0018)MINT-7146871: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0915) with NPH3-like (uniprotkb:Q9S9Q9) by two hybrid (MI:0018)MINT-7146905: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0915) with ARF2 (uniprotkb:Q9M1P5) by two hybrid (MI:0018)MINT-7147364: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0914) with 14-3-3 upsilon (uniprotkb:P42645) by far Western blotting (MI:0047)MINT-7147234: PHOT1 (uniprotkb:O48963) physically interacts (MI:0914) with 14-3-3 kappa (uniprotkb:P48348) by far Western blotting (MI:0047)     

Subcellular localization of 14-3-3 proteins in Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites and evidence for a lipid raft-associated form

A polyclonal antibody was raised against a Toxoplasma gondii 14-3-3-gluthatione S-transferase fusion protein obtained by cloning a 14-3-3 cDNA sequence determined from the T. gondii database. This antibody specifically recognized T. gondii 14-3-3 without any cross-reaction with mammalian proteins. Immunofluorescence microscopy studies of the tachyzoites or the T. gondii-infected cells suggested cytosolic and membranous localizations of 14-3-3 protein. Different subcellular fractions were prepared for electrophoresis analysis and immunodetection. 14-3-3 proteins were found in the cytosol, the membrane fraction and Triton X-100-resistant membranes. Two 14-3-3 isoforms were detected. The major one was mainly cytoplasmic and to a lesser extent membrane-associated, whereas the minor isoform was associated with the detergent-resistant lipid rafts.     

Sustained phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase at serine 40: a novel mechanism for maintenance of catecholamine synthesis

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis. Its activity is known to be controlled acutely (minutes) by phosphorylation and chronically (days) by protein synthesis. Using bovine adrenal chromaffin cells we found that nicotine, acting via nicotinic receptors, sustained the phosphorylation of TH at Ser40 for up to 48 h. Nicotine also induced sustained activation of TH, which for the first 24 h was completely independent of TH protein synthesis, and the phosphorylation of TH at Ser31. Imipramine did not inhibit the acute phosphorylation of TH at Ser40 or TH activation induced by nicotine, but did inhibit the sustained responses to nicotine seen at 24 h. The protein kinase(s) responsible for TH phosphorylation at Ser40 switched from being protein kinase C (PKC) independent in the acute phase to PKC dependent in the sustained phase. Sustained phosphorylation and activation of TH were also observed with histamine and angiotensin II. Sustained phosphorylation of TH at Ser40 provides a novel mechanism for increasing TH activity and this leads to increased catecholamine synthesis. Sustained phosphorylation of TH may be a selective target for drugs or pathology in neurons that contain TH and synthesize dopamine, noradrenaline or adrenaline.     

Divalent cations and polyamines bind to loop 8 of 14-3-3 proteins, modulating their interaction with phosphorylated nitrate reductase

Binding of 14-3-3 proteins to nitrate reductase phosphorylated on Ser543 (phospho-NR) inhibits activity and is responsible for the inactivation of nitrate reduction that occurs in darkened leaves. The 14-3-3-dependent inactivation of phospho-NR is known to require millimolar concentrations of a divalent cation such as Mg2+ at pH 7.5. We now report that micromolar concentrations of the polyamines, spermidine(4+) and spermine(3+), can substitute for divalent cations in modulating 14-3-3 action. Effectiveness of the polyamines decreased with a decrease of polycation charge: spermine(4+) > spermidine(3+) > cadavarine(2+) approximately putrescine(2+) approximately agmatine(2+) approximately N1-acetylspermidine(2+), indicating that two primary and at least one secondary amine group were required. C-terminal truncations of GF14 omega, which encodes the Arabidopsis 14-3-3 isoform omega, indicated that loop 8 (residues 208-219) is the likely cation-binding site. Directed mutagenesis of loop 8, which contains the EF hand-like region identified in earlier studies, was performed to test the role of specific amino acid residues in cation binding. The E208A mutant resulted in a largely divalent cation-independent inhibition of phospho-NR activity, whereas the D219A mutant was fully Mg(2+)-dependent but had decreased affinity for the cation. Mutations and C-terminal truncations that affected the Mg(2+) dependence of phospho-NR inactivation had similar effects on polyamine dependence. The results implicate loop 8 as the site of divalent cation and polyamine binding, and suggest that activation of 14-3-3s occurs, at least in part, by neutralization of negative charges associated with acidic residues in the loop. We propose that binding of polyamines to 14-3-3s could be involved in their regulation of plant growth and development.     

The cyclin-dependent kinase 11 interacts with 14-3-3 proteins

Cyclin-dependent kinase 11 isoforms (CDK11) are members of the p34(cdc2) superfamily. They have been shown to play a role in RNA processing and apoptosis. In the present study, we investigate whether CDK11 interacts with 14-3-3 proteins. Our study shows that the putative 14-3-3 binding site (113-RHRSHS-118) within the N-terminal domain of CDK11(p110) is functional. Endogenous CDK11(p110) binds directly to 14-3-3 proteins and phosphorylation of the serine 118 within the RHRSHS motif seems to be required for the binding. Besides, CDK11(p110) is capable of interacting with several different isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins both in vitro and in vivo. The interaction of 14-3-3 gamma with CDK11(p110) occurs throughout the entire cell cycle and reaches maximum at the G2/M phase. Interestingly, 14-3-3 gamma shows strong interaction with N-terminal portion of caspase-cleaved CDK11(p110) (CDK11(p60)) product at 48 h after Fas treatment, which correlates with the maximal cleavage level of CDK11(p110) and the maximum activation level of CDK11 kinase activity during apoptosis. Collectively, these results suggest that CDK11 kinases could be regulated by interaction with 14-3-3 proteins during cell cycle and apoptosis.     

14-3-3 Binding to Cyclin Y contributes to cyclin Y/CDK14 association

Cyclin Y is a highly conserved cyclin among eumetazoans, yet its function and regulation are poorly understood. To search for Cyclin Y-interacting proteins, we screened a yeast two-hybrid library using human Cyclin Y （CCNY） as a bait and identified the following interactors： CDK14 and four members of the 14-3-3 family （ε,β,η,τ）. The interaction between CCNY and 14-3-3 proteins was confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that Ser-100 and Ser-326 residues in CCNY were crucial for 14-3-3 binding. Interestingly, binding of CCNY to 14-3-3 significantly enhanced the association between CCNY and CDK14. Our findings may add a new layer of regulation of CCNY binding to its kinase partner.     

Five new 14-3-3 isoforms from Nicotiana tabacum L.: implications for the phylogeny of plant 14-3-3 proteins

About thirty years after the initial identification of 14-3-3 proteins in mammalian brain, they are now thought to be ubiquitous among eukaryotes. We identified five cDNAs encoding 14-3-3 proteins of Nicotiana tabacum L. using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based screening strategy. A phylogenetic analysis was carried out with 14-3-3 amino-acid sequences from twelve plant species. The results showed that 14-3-3 proteins of plants can be divided into at least five different subgroups. Four of these subgroups resulted from early gene duplication events that happened prior to the speciation of most of the plant species considered. Interestingly, 14-3-3 epsilon isoforms from mammals and insects form one subgroup together with epsilon-like isoforms from plants. The 14-3-3 genes known from monocots descend from the same ancestor, forming the fifth subgroup. Received: 30 June 1997 / Accepted: 29 August 1997     

Isolation and characterization of a rice cDNA similar to the bovine brain-specific 14-3-3 protein gene

We isolated a rice cDNA clone which is similar to the bovine brain-specific 14-3-3 protein (an activator protein of tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylase involved in the synthetic pathway of monoamine) gene. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA indicated a surprising similarity to a potent inhibitor of Ca²⁺-phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C. DNA blot analysis indicated that this gene is located at more than a single locus in rice genome DNA. Expression of this gene is regulated by external stresses.     

Identification of Novel 14-3-3 Residues That Are Critical for Isoform-specific Interaction with GluN2C to Regulate N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) Receptor Trafficking

The 14-3-3 family of proteins is widely distributed in the CNS where they are major regulators of essential neuronal functions. There are seven known mammalian 14-3-3 isoforms (ζ,, τ, ϵ, η, β, and σ), which generally function as adaptor proteins. Previously, we have demonstrated that 14-3-3ϵ isoform dynamically regulates forward trafficking of GluN2C-containing NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in cerebellar granule neurons, that when expressed on the surface, promotes neuronal survival following NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. Here, we report 14-3-3 isoform-specific binding and functional regulation of GluN2C. In particular, we show that GluN2C C-terminal domain (CTD) binds to all 14-3-3 isoforms except 14-3-3σ, and binding is dependent on GluN2C serine 1096 phosphorylation. Co-expression of 14-3-3 (ζ and ϵ) and GluN1/GluN2C promotes the forward delivery of receptors to the cell surface. We further identify novel residues serine 145, tyrosine 178, and cysteine 189 on α-helices 6, 7, and 8, respectively, within ζ-isoform as part of the GluN2C binding motif and independent of the canonical peptide binding groove. Mutation of these conserved residues abolishes GluN2C binding and has no functional effect on GluN2C trafficking. Reciprocal mutation of alanine 145, histidine 180, and isoleucine 191 on 14-3-3σ isoform promotes GluN2C binding and surface expression. Moreover, inhibiting endogenous 14-3-3 using a high-affinity peptide inhibitor, difopein, greatly diminishes GluN2C surface expression. Together, these findings highlight the isoform-specific structural and functional differences within the 14-3-3 family of proteins, which determine GluN2C binding and its essential role in targeting the receptor to the cell surface to facilitate glutamatergic neurotransmission.