Isolation of cDNA clones encoding two isoforms of nucleoside diphosphate kinase from bovine retina

The cDNA encoding bovine retinal isoforms of nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDP-kinase, EC 2.7.4.6) has been cloned and sequenced. Based on the partial amino acid sequence of the enzyme determined after trypsin digestion of purified NDP-kinase, primers were synthesized and used to isolate two different cDNA clones encoding the full length of two NDP-kinase isoforms. The nucleotide sequences of these clones contained open reading frames encoding 152-residue polypeptides with calculated molecular masses of 17.262 and 17.299 kDa, similar to that determined for the subunits of purified enzyme (17.5 and 18.5 kDa). The deduced NDP-kinase sequences showed high similarity with the known NDP-kinase sequences from other sources.     

The microtubule-associated nucleoside diphosphate kinase

Microtubule protein prepared by cycles of assembly-disassembly contains a nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDP kinase) activity. We have isolated the NDP kinase responsible for this activity from twice-polymerized bovine brain microtubule protein by a five-step chromatographic procedure. The molecular weight of this enzyme was 103,000 +/- 7,000 daltons as determined by sedimentation equilibrium experiments performed with a Beckman Airfuge. A doublet of subunit bands with molecular masses of about 18,000 daltons was detected by silver staining after gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of this preparation. We conclude that the enzyme is a hexamer, although we cannot identify the mix of subunits. We were able to isolate only nanogram quantities of this enzyme, too little for extensive studies, so we isolated the enzyme directly from bovine brain without a preliminary microtubule protein isolation. The whole-brain NDP kinase was isolated by the same chromatographic steps as the enzyme from microtubule protein preparations. Both enzymes had a doublet of subunits at the same molecular weights and both were the same isozyme, chromatofocusing at a pH of 8.0. Both enzymes had similar kinetic properties and similar thermal inactivation profiles. These similar properties of the two enzymes suggest that they are identical. Both subunits of NDP kinase could be reversibly phosphorylated by ATP. Phosphorylation of the native enzyme created multiple, more acidic forms that retained activity. The isolation of this NDP kinase, which can copurify with microtubule protein through cycles of assembly-disassembly, will facilitate future studies on the role of this enzyme in the mechanism and regulation of microtubule assembly.     

Regulation of dynamin by nucleoside diphosphate kinase

Nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase is required for multiple cellular functions, including cell growth, motility, and differentiation, and its loss is associated with pathologies including tumor metastasis. A recent study has revealed a previously unknown function for NDP kinase as positive regulator of dynamin, a GTPase essential for endocytosis. In this review we describe the evidence that NDP kinase function is essential for endocytosis and also elaborate on a mechanism for NDP kinase regulation of dynamin. Recently documented interactions between endocytosis and cell signaling have revealed new insights into potential mechanisms of cancer. In this context, we discuss the possible relevance of NDP kinase and dynamin interaction for tumor suppression.     

X-ray structure of nucleoside diphosphate kinase.

The X-ray structure of a point mutant of nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDP kinase) from Dictyostelium discoideum has been determined to 2.2 A resolution. The enzyme is a hexamer made of identical subunits with a novel mononucleotide binding fold. Each subunit contains an alpha/beta domain with a four stranded, antiparallel beta-sheet. The topology is different from adenylate kinase, but identical to the allosteric domain of Escherichia coli ATCase regulatory subunits, which bind mononucleotides at an equivalent position. Dimer contacts between NDP kinase subunits within the hexamer are similar to those in ATCase. Trimer contacts involve a large loop of polypeptide chain that bears the site of the Pro----Ser substitution in Killer of prune (K-pn) mutants of the highly homologous Drosophila enzyme. Properties of Drosophila NDP kinase, the product of the awd developmental gene, and of the human enzyme, the product of the nm23 genes in tumorigenesis, are discussed in view of the three-dimensional structure and of possible interactions of NDP kinase with other nucleotide binding proteins.     

Phosphorylation of anti-HIV nucleoside analogs by nucleoside diphosphate kinase.

The reaction of NDP kinase with antiviral nucleoside triphosphates used in antiviral therapies was studied at the presteady state by fluorescence stopped-flow and compared with the steady-state parameters. The affinity of the analogs was determined by fluorescence titration of a mutated enzyme with an inserted Trp in the binding site. The lack of the 3' hydroxyl in analogs is shown to decrease the kcat more than the KD.     

Post-translational processing of Drosophila nucleoside diphosphate kinase

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) was purified from Drosophila melanogaster by a combination of anion-exchange, hydroxyapatite, and reversed-phase chromatography. The identity of the purified enzyme was confirmed by sequencing internal peptides (the N-terminus appeared to be blocked). Post-translational modifications were investigated by using protein chemical and mass spectrometric methods. Analysis by nanoelectrospray ionization-mass spectrometry revealed that the mass of the enzyme was considerably smaller than that predicted from its amino acid sequence. Although its open-reading frame predicts a 153-residue polypeptide, the mature enzyme was found to comprise 152 amino acids, being modified by proteolytic removal of the initiator Met and N-acetylation of Ala2. This explains why the observed pI of the Drosophila enzyme is more acidic than that predicted from its amino acid sequence. No additional post-translational modifications such as glycosylation or O-phosphorylation, which have been identified on homologous NDPKs from other organisms, were detected on the Drosophila enzyme.     

Molecular interactions involving Escherichia coli nucleoside diphosphate kinase

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase plays a distinctive metabolic role as the enzyme poised between the last reaction of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) biosynthesis and the DNA polymerization apparatus. In bacteriophage T4 infection, NDP kinase is one of very few enzymes of host cell origin to participate in either dNTP synthesis or DNA replication. Yet NDP kinase forms specific contacts with phage-coded proteins of dNTP and DNA synthesis. This article summarizes work from our laboratory that identifies and characterizes these interactions. Despite these specific interactions, the enzyme appears to be dispensable, both for T4 replication and for growth of the host, Escherichia coli, because site-specific disruption of ndk, the structural gene for NDP kinase, does not interfere with growth of the host cell and only partly inhibits phage replication. However, ndk disruption unbalances the dNTP pools and stimulates mutagenesis. We discuss our attempts to understand the basis for this enhanced mutagenesis.     

Autophosphorylation of nucleoside diphosphate kinase from Myxococcus xanthus.

The nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDP kinase) from Myxococcus xanthus has been purified to homogeneity and crystallized (J. Munoz-Dorado, M. Inouye, and S. Inouye, J. Biol. Chem. 265:2702-2706, 1990). In the presence of ATP, the NDP kinase was autophosphorylated. Phosphoamino acid analysis was carried out after acid and base hydrolyses of phosphorylated NDP kinase. It was found that the protein was phosphorylated not only at a histidine residue but also at a serine residue. Replacement of histidine 117 with a glutamine residue completely abolished the autophosphorylation and nucleotide-binding activity of the NDP kinase. Since histidine 117 is the only histidine residue that is conserved in all known NDP kinases so far characterized, the results suggest that the phosphohistidine intermediate is formed at this residue during the transphosphorylation reaction from nucleoside triphosphates to nucleoside diphosphates. Preliminary mutational analysis of putative ATP-binding sites is also presented.     

NMR studies on the flexibility of nucleoside diphosphate kinase

Human NDP kinase B, product of the nm23-H2 gene, binds DNA. It has been suggested that a helix hairpin on the protein surface, part of the nucleotide substrate binding site, could accommodate DNA binding by swinging away. The presence of flexible regions was therefore investigated by ¹H NMR dynamic filtering. Although TOCSY peaks could be assigned to five residues at the N terminus of Dictyostelium NDP kinase, no flexible region was detected in the human enzyme. These data favor the idea that the protein offers different binding sites to mono- and polynucleotides. Proteins 28:150–152, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss Inc.     

Aspergillus fumigatus calcineurin interacts with a nucleoside diphosphate kinase

The Ca²⁺-calcineurin pathway affects virulence and morphogenesis in filamentous fungi. Here, we identified 37 CalA-interacting proteins that interact with the catalytic subunit of calcineurin (CalA) in Aspergillus fumigatus, including the nucleoside diphosphate kinase (SwoH). The in vivo interaction between CalA and SwoH was validated by bimolecular fluorescence complementation. A. fumigatus swoH is an essential gene. Therefore, a temperature-sensitive conditional mutant strain with a point mutation in the active site, SwoH^V83F, was constructed, which demonstrated reduced growth and increased sensitivity to elevated temperatures. The SwoH^V83F mutation did not cause a loss in virulence in the Galleria mellonella infection model. Taken together these results imply that CalA interacts with SwoH.     

Characterization of nucleoside diphosphate kinase from moderately halophilic eubacteria.

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase was purified to apparent homogeneity from naturally isolated moderately halophilic eubacteria by ATP-agarose and phenyl-5PW column chromatographies. The molecular mass of this enzyme was 15 kDa by time-of-flight mass-spectrometry. This protein showed anomalous mobility on SDS-PAGE which is typical of a halophilic protein. It was stable and active over a wide range of salt concentrations, from 0 to 4.0 M NaCl.     

Putative functions of nucleoside diphosphate kinase in plants and fungi

The putative functions of NDP (nucleoside diaphosphate) kinases from various organisms focusing to fungi and plants are described. The biochemical reactions catalyzed by NDP kinase are as follows. (i) Phosphotransferring activity from mainly ATP to cognate NDPs generating nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs). (ii) Autophosphorylation activity from ATP and GTP. (iii) Protein kinase (phosphotransferring) activity phosphorylating such as myelin basic protein. NDP kinase could function to provide NTPs as a housekeeping enzyme. However, recent works proved possible functions of the NDP kinases in the processes of signal transduction in various organisms, as described below. By use of the extracts of the mycelia of a filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa blue-light irradiation could increase the phosphorylation of a 15-kDa protein, which was purified and identified to be NDP kinase (NDK-1). By use of the etiolated seedlings of Pisum sativum cv Alaska and Oryza sativa red-light irradiation of intact plants increased the phosphorylation of NDP kinase. However, successive irradiation by red–far-red reversed the reaction, indicating that phytochrome-mediated light signals are transduced to the phosphorylation of NDP kinase. NDP kinase localizing in mitochondria is encoded by nuclear genome and different from those localized in cytoplasm. NDP kinase in mitochondria formed a complex with succinyl CoA synthetase. In Spinicia oleraceae two different NDP kinases were detected in the chloroplast, and in Pisum sativum two forms of NDP kinase originated from single species of mRNA could be detected in the choloroplast. However, the function of NDP kinases in the choloroplast is not yet known. In Neurospora crassa a Pro72His mutation in NDP kinase (ndk-1 ^Pro72His ) deficient in the autophosphorylation and protein kinase activity resulted in lacking the light-induced polarity of perithecia. In wild-type directional light irradiation parallel to the solid medium resulted in the formation of the perithecial beak at the top of perithecia, which was designated as light-induced polarity of perithecia. In wild-type in darkness the beak was formed at random places on perithecia, and in ndk ^Pro72His mutant the perithecial beak was formed at random places even under directional light illumination. The introduction of genomic DNA and cDNA for ndk-1 demonstrated that the wild-type DNAs suppressed the mutant phenotype. With all these results except for the demonstration in Neurospora, most of the phenomena are elusive and should be solved in the molecular levels concerning with NDP kinases.