Phosphorylation of mixed lineage kinase MLK3 by cyclin-dependent kinases CDK1 and CDK2 controls ovarian cancer cell division

Mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3) is a serine/threonine mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase that promotes the activation of multiple mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways and is required for invasion and proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Inhibition of MLK activity causes G2/M arrest in HeLa cells; however, the regulation of MLK3 during ovarian cancer cell cycle progression is not known. Here, we found that MLK3 is phosphorylated in mitosis and that inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) prevented MLK3 phosphorylation. In addition, we observed that c-Jun N-terminal kinase, a downstream target of MLK3 and a direct target of MKK4 (SEK1), was activated in G2 phase when CDK2 activity is increased and then inactivated at the beginning of mitosis concurrent with the increase in CDK1 and MLK3 phosphorylation. Using in vitro kinase assays and phosphomutants, we determined that CDK1 phosphorylates MLK3 on Ser548 and decreases MLK3 activity during mitosis, whereas CDK2 phosphorylates MLK3 on Ser770 and increases MLK3 activity during G1/S and G2 phases. We also found that MLK3 inhibition causes a reduction in cell proliferation and a cell cycle arrest in ovarian cancer cells, suggesting that MLK3 is required for ovarian cancer cell cycle progression. Taken together, our results suggest that phosphorylation of MLK3 by CDK1 and CDK2 is important for the regulation of MLK3 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activities during G1/S, G2, and M phases in ovarian cancer cell division.     

BRCA1 phosphorylation by Aurora-A in the regulation of G2 to M transition

Aurora-A/BTAK/STK15 localizes to the centrosome in the G(2)-M phase, and its kinase activity regulates the G(2) to M transition of the cell cycle. Previous studies have shown that the BRCA1 breast cancer tumor suppressor also localizes to the centrosome and that BRCA1 inactivation results in loss of the G(2)-M checkpoint. We demonstrate here that Aurora-A physically binds to and phosphorylates BRCA1. Biochemical analysis showed that BRCA1 amino acids 1314-1863 binds to Aurora-A. Site-directed mutagenesis indicated that Ser(308) of BRCA1 is phosphorylated by Aurora-A in vitro. Anti-phospho-specific antibodies against Ser(308) of BRCA1 demonstrated that Ser(308) is phosphorylated in vivo. Phosphorylation of Ser(308) increased in the early M phase when Aurora-A activity also increases; these effects could be abolished by ionizing radiation. Consistent with these observations, acute loss of Aurora-A by small interfering RNA resulted in reduced phosphorylation of BRCA1 Ser(308), and transient infection of adenovirus Aurora-A increased Ser(308) phosphorylation. Mutation of a single phosphorylation site of BRCA1 (S308N), when expressed in BRCA1-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts, decreased the number of cells in the M phase to a degree similar to that with wild type BRCA1-mediated G(2) arrest induced by DNA damage. We propose that BRCA1 phosphorylation by Aurora-A plays a role in G(2) to M transition of cell cycle.     

Analysis of dynamic changes in post-translational modifications of human histones during cell cycle by mass spectrometry

The N-terminal tails of the four core histones are subject to several types of covalent post-translational modifications that have specific roles in regulating chromatin structure and function. Here we present an extensive analysis of the core histone modifications occurring through the cell cycle. Our MS experiments characterized the modification patterns of histones from HeLa cells arrested in phase G1, S, and G2/M. For all core histones, the modifications in the G1 and S phases were largely identical but drastically different during mitosis. Modification changes between S and G2/M phases were quantified using the SILAC (stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture) approach. Most striking was the mitotic phosphorylation on histone H3 and H4, whereas phosphorylation on H2A was constant during the cell cycle. A loss of acetylation was observed on all histones in G2/M-arrested cells. The pattern of cycle-dependent methylation was more complex: during G2/M, H3 Lys27 and Lys36 were decreased, whereas H4 Lys20 was increased. Our results show that mitosis was the period of the cell cycle during which many modifications exhibit dynamic changes.     

Phosphorylation of Skp2 regulated by CDK2 and Cdc14B protects it from degradation by APC(Cdh1) in G1 phase

The p27(Kip1) ubiquitin ligase receptor Skp2 is often overexpressed in human tumours and displays oncogenic properties. The activity of SCF(Skp2) is regulated by the APC(Cdh1), which targets Skp2 for degradation. Here we show that Skp2 phosphorylation on Ser64/Ser72 positively regulates its function in vivo. Phosphorylation of Ser64, and to a lesser extent Ser72, stabilizes Skp2 by interfering with its association with Cdh1, without affecting intrinsic ligase activity. Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)2-mediated phosphorylation of Skp2 on Ser64 allows its expression in mid-G1 phase, even in the presence of active APC(Cdh1). Reciprocally, dephosphorylation of Skp2 by the mitotic phosphatase Cdc14B at the M --> G1 transition promotes its degradation by APC(Cdh1). Importantly, lowering the levels of Cdc14B accelerates cell cycle progression from mitosis to S phase in an Skp2-dependent manner, demonstrating epistatic relationship of Cdc14B and Skp2 in the regulation of G1 length. Thus, our results reveal that reversible phosphorylation plays a key role in the timing of Skp2 expression in the cell cycle.     

Regulation of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme hHR6A by CDK-mediated phosphorylation

Cell cycle progression in eukaryotes is mediated by phosphorylation of protein substrates by the cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). We screened a cDNA library by solid-phase phosphorylation and isolated hHR6A as a CDK2 substrate. hHR6A is the human homologue of the product of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD6/UBC2 gene, a member of the family of ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes. hHR6A is phosphorylated in vitro by CDK-1 and -2 on Ser120, a residue conserved in all hHR6A homologues, resulting in a 4-fold increase in its ubiquitin-conjugating activity. In vivo, hHR6A phosphorylation peaks during the G2/M phase of cell cycle transition, with a concomitant increase in histone H2B ubiquitylation. Mutation of Ser120 to threonine or alanine abolished hHR6A activity, while mutation to aspartate to mimic phosphorylated serine increased hHR6A activity 3-fold. Genetic complementation studies in S.cerevisiae demonstrated that hHR6A Ser120 is critical for cellular proliferation. This is the first study to demonstrate regulation of UBC function by phosphorylation on a conserved residue and suggests that CDK-mediated phosphorylation of hHR6A is an important regulatory event in the control of cell cycle progression.     

Regulation of progesterone receptor activity by cyclin dependent kinases 1 and 2 occurs in part by phosphorylation of the SRC-1 carboxyl-terminus

We described previously a novel role for cyclin A2/Cdk2 as a progesterone receptor (PR) coactivator. In reporter gene assays, cyclin A2 overexpression enhanced PR activity while inhibition of Cdk2 activity using the chemical inhibitor roscovitine or Cdk2 siRNA strongly inhibited PR activity. We demonstrate here that both Cdk1 and Cdk2 contribute to maximal induction of endogenous progestin responsive genes in T47D breast cancer cells. Our earlier studies suggested that the mechanism by which cyclin A2/Cdk2 enhances PR activity is via phosphorylation of steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), which increases PR-SRC-1 interactions. To assess the importance of SRC-1 phosphorylation in the regulation of PR activity, SRC-1 was phosphorylated by cyclin A2/Cdk2 in vitro and seventeen phosphorylation sites were identified using biochemical techniques. We show that one of these sites, T1426 (adjacent to the C-terminal LXXLL nuclear receptor interaction motif), is an in vivo target of Cdks in mammalian cells and an in vitro target of Cdk1 and Cdk2. Phosphorylation of T1426 also contributes to SRC-1 coactivation potential, as mutation of the threonine target site to alanine results in reduced stimulation of PR activity by SRC-1. Together, these results suggest a role for Cdk1 and Cdk2 in the regulation of endogenous PR activity in part through phosphorylation of SRC-1.     

Differential phosphorylation of vertebrate p34cdc2 kinase at the G1/S and G2/M transitions of the cell cycle: identification of major phosphorylation sites.

The cdc2 kinase is a key regulator of the eukaryotic cell cycle. The activity of its catalytic subunit, p34cdc2, is controlled by cell cycle dependent interactions with other proteins as well as by phosphorylation--dephosphorylation reactions. In this paper, we examine the phosphorylation state of chicken p34cdc2 at various stages of the cell cycle. By peptide mapping, we detect four major phosphopeptides in chicken p34cdc2; three phosphorylation sites are identified as threonine (Thr) 14, tyrosine (Tyr) 15 and serine (Ser) 277. Analysis of synchronized cells demonstrates that phosphorylation of all four sites is cell cycle regulated. Thr 14 and Tyr 15 are phosphorylated maximally during G2 phase but dephosphorylated abruptly at the G2/M transition, concomitant with activation of p34cdc2 kinase. This result suggests that phosphorylation of Thr 14 and/or Tyr 15 inhibits p34cdc2 kinase activity, in line with the location of these residues within the putative ATP binding site of the kinase. During M phase, p34cdc2 is also phosphorylated, but phosphorylation occurs on a threonine residue distinct from Thr 14. Finally, phosphorylation of Ser 277 peaks during G1 phase and drops markedly as cells progress through S phase, raising the possibility that this modification may contribute to control the proposed G1/S function of the vertebrate p34cdc2 kinase.     

M phase-specific phosphorylation of BRCA2 by Polo-like kinase 1 correlates with the dissociation of the BRCA2-P/CAF complex

BRCA2 is a breast tumor susceptibility gene encoding a 390-kDa protein with functions in maintaining genomic stability and cell cycle progression. Evidence has been accumulated to support the concept that BRCA2 has a critical role in homologous recombination of DNA double-stranded breaks by interacting with RAD51. In addition, BRCA2 may have chromatin modifying activity through interaction with a histone acetyltransferase protein, p300/CBP-associated factor (P/CAF). To explore how the functions of BRCA2 may be regulated, the post-translational modifications of BRCA2 throughout the cell cycle were examined. We found that BRCA2 is hyperphosphorylated specifically in M phase and becomes dephosphorylated as cells exit M phase and enter interphase. This specific phosphorylation of BRCA2 was not observed in cells treated with DNA-damaging agents. Systematic mapping of the potential mitosis specific phosphorylation sites revealed the N-terminal 284 amino acids of BRCA2 (BR-N1) as the major region of phosphorylation and mass spectrometric analysis identified two phosphopeptides that contain "phosphorylation consensus motifs" for Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1). Phosphorylation of BR-N1 with Plk1 recapitulated the electrophoretic mobility change as seen in BR-N1 isolated from M phase cells. Plk1 interacts with BRCA2 in vivo, and mutation of Ser193, Ser205/206, and Thr203/207 to Ala in BR-N1 abolished Plk1 phosphorylation, suggesting that BRCA2 is the substrate of Plk1. Furthermore, both the hyperphosphorylated and hypophosphorylated forms of BRCA2 bind to RAD51, whereas the M phase hyperphosphorylated form of BRCA2 no longer associates with the P/CAF, suggesting that the dissociation of P/CAF-BRCA2 complex is regulated by phosphorylation. Taken together, these results implicate a potential role of BRCA2 in modulating M phase progression.     

BCL-2 is phosphorylated and inactivated by an ASK1/Jun N-terminal protein kinase pathway normally activated at G(2)/M

Multiple signal transduction pathways are capable of modifying BCL-2 family members to reset susceptibility to apoptosis. We used two-dimensional peptide mapping and sequencing to identify three residues (Ser70, Ser87, and Thr69) within the unstructured loop of BCL-2 that were phosphorylated in response to microtubule-damaging agents, which also arrest cells at G(2)/M. Changing these sites to alanine conferred more antiapoptotic activity on BCL-2 following physiologic death signals as well as paclitaxel, indicating that phosphorylation is inactivating. An examination of cycling cells enriched by elutriation for distinct phases of the cell cycle revealed that BCL-2 was phosphorylated at the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle. G(2)/M-phase cells proved more susceptible to death signals, and phosphorylation of BCL-2 appeared to be responsible, as a Ser70Ala substitution restored resistance to apoptosis. We noted that ASK1 and JNK1 were normally activated at G(2)/M phase, and JNK was capable of phosphorylating BCL-2. Expression of a series of wild-type and dominant-negative kinases indicated an ASK1/Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1 (JNK1) pathway phosphorylated BCL-2 in vivo. Moreover, the combination of dominant negative ASK1, (dnASK1), dnMKK7, and dnJNK1 inhibited paclitaxel-induced BCL-2 phosphorylation. Thus, stress response kinases phosphorylate BCL-2 during cell cycle progression as a normal physiologic process to inactivate BCL-2 at G(2)/M.     

Studies of Schizosaccharomyces pombe DNA polymerase alpha at different stages of the cell cycle.

The status of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast) DNA polymerase alpha was investigated at different stages of the cell cycle. S.pombe DNA polymerase alpha is a phosphoprotein, with serine being the exclusive phosphoamino acid. By in vivo pulse labeling experiments DNA polymerase alpha was found to be phosphorylated to a 3-fold higher level in late S phase cells compared with cells in the G2 and M phases, but the steady-state level of phosphorylation did not vary significantly during the cell cycle. Tryptic phosphopeptide mapping demonstrated that the phosphorylation sites of DNA polymerase alpha from late S phase cells were not the same as that from G2/M phase cells. DNA polymerase alpha partially purified from G1/S cells had a different mobility in native gels from that from G2/M phase cells. The partially purified polymerase alpha from G1/S phase cells had a higher affinity for single-stranded DNA than that from G2/M phase cells. Despite the apparent differences in cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation, mobility in native gels and affinity for DNA, the in vitro enzymatic activity of the partially purified DNA polymerase alpha did not appear to vary during the cell cycle. The possible biological significance of these cell cycle-dependent characteristics of DNA polymerase alpha is discussed.     

Cell cycle arrest by monochloramine through the oxidation of retinoblastoma protein

Impairment of cell cycle control has serious effects on inflammation, tissue repair, and carcinogenesis. We report here the G1 cell cycle arrest by monochloramine (NH2Cl), a physiological oxidant derived from activated neutrophils, and its mechanism. When Jurkat cells were treated with NH2Cl (70 microM, 10 min) and incubated for 24 h, the S phase population decreased significantly with a slight increase in the hypodiploid cell population. The G0/ G1 phase and G2/M phase populations did not show marked changes. Three hours after NH2Cl treatment, the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) was dephosphorylated especially at Ser780 and Ser795, both of which are important phosphorylation sites for the G1 checkpoint function. The phosphorylation at Ser807/811 showed no apparent change. The expression of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors showed no apparent change. Moreover, the kinase activity that phosphorylates pRB remained constant even after NH2Cl treatment. The protein phosphatase activity that dephosphorylates pRB showed a marginal increase. Notably, when the recombinant pRB was oxidized by NH2Cl in vitro, the oxidized pRB became difficult to be phosphorylated by kinases, especially at Ser780 and Ser795, but not at Ser807/811. Amino acid analysis of oxidized pRB showed methionine oxidation to methionine sulfoxide. The NH2Cl-treated Jurkat cell proteins also showed a decrease in methionine. These observations suggested that direct pRB oxidation was the major cause of NH2Cl-induced cell cycle arrest. In the presence of 2 mM NH4+, NaOCl (200 microM) or activated neutrophils also induced a G1 cell cycle arrest. As protein methionine oxidation has been reported in inflammation and aging, cell cycle modulation by pRB oxidation may occur in various pathological conditions.     

Ser149 is another potential PKA phosphorylation target of Cdc25B in G2/M transition of fertilized mouse eggs

It is well documented that protein kinase A (PKA) acts as a negative regulator of M phase promoting factor (MPF) by phosphorylating cell division cycle 25 homolog B (Cdc25B) in mammals. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we identified PKA phosphorylation sites in vitro by LC-MS/MS analysis, including Ser(149), Ser(229), and Ser(321) of Cdc25B, and explored the role of Ser(149) in G(2)/M transition of fertilized mouse eggs. The results showed that the overexpressed Cdc25B-S149A mutant initiated efficient MPF activation by direct dephosphorylation of Cdc2-Tyr(15), resulting in triggering mitosis prior to Cdc25B-WT. Conversely, overexpression of the phosphomimic Cdc25B-S149D mutant showed no significant difference in comparison with the control groups. Furthermore, we found that Cdc25B-Ser(149) was phosphorylated at G(1) and S phases, whereas dephosphorylated at G(2) and M phases, and the phosphorylation of Cdc25B-Ser(149) was modulated by PKA in vivo. In addition, we examined endogenous and exogenous Cdc25B, which were expressed mostly in the cytoplasm at the G(1) and S phases and translocated to the nucleus at the G(2) phase. Collectively, our findings provide evidence that Ser(149) may be another potential PKA phosphorylation target of Cdc25B in G(2)/M transition of fertilized mouse eggs and Cdc25B as a direct downstream substrate of PKA in mammals, which plays important roles in the regulation of early development of mouse embryos.     

Cell cycle analysis of foreign gene (beta-galactosidase) expression in recombinant mouse cells under control of mouse mammary tumor virus promoter

The cell cycle dependency of foreign gene expression in recombinant mouse L cells was investigated. Two different recombinant mouse L cell lines having the glucocorticoid receptor-encoding gene and the lacZ reporter gene were used in this study. The lacZ gene expression was controlled by the glucocorticoid-inducible mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter in both cell lines. In "M4" cells the gr gene was under the control of another MMTV promoter, but in "R2" cells it was under the control of the constitutive Rous sarcoma virus promoter. These normally attachment-grown cells were adapted to suspension culture, and a dual-laser flow cytometer was used to simultaneously determine the DNA and foreign protein (beta-galactosidase) content of single living cells. Expression of beta-galactosidase as a function of cell cycle phase was evaluated for cells in exponential growth without any addition of the glucocorticoid inducer, dexamethasone. Cell cycle positions in the S phase were estimated on the basis of DNA content per cell, and position in the G1 phase was estimated on the basis of cell size as measured by pulse-width time of flight. The results showed that beta-galactosidase synthesis occurred through all cell cycle phases, but the expression rate in the G1 phase was much lower than that in the S and G2/M phases in both cell lines. On the basis of cell size analysis, beta-galactosidase expression in M4 cells (with autoinducible promoter) was found to be higher than that in R2 cells (with inducible promoter) during the G1 phase. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.