Three different genes in S. cerevisiae encode the catalytic subunits of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase

We have isolated three genes (TPK1, TPK2, and TPK3) from the yeast S. cerevisiae that encode the catalytic subunits of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Gene disruption experiments demonstrated that no two of the three genes are essential by themselves but at least one TPK gene is required for a cell to grow normally. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequences of the TPK genes indicates conserved and variable domains. The carboxy-terminal 320 amino acid residues have more than 75% homology to each other and more than 50% homology to the bovine catalytic subunit. The amino-terminal regions show no homology to each other and are heterogeneous in length. The TPK1 gene carried on a multicopy plasmid can suppress both a temperature-sensitive ras2 gene and adenylate cyclase gene.     

Expression in Escherichia coli of BCY1, the regulatory subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Purification and characterization

The regulatory (R) subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was expressed in Escherichia coli by engineering the gene for yeast R, BCY1, into an E. coli expression vector that contained a promoter from phage T7. Oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis was used to create an NdeI restriction site at the natural ATG of the yeast R. This facilitated construction of the T7 expression vector so that the sequence of the protein produced was identical to the natural R subunit. Yeast R was highly expressed in a soluble form. 20 mg of purified yeast R was obtained from 4 liters of E. coli. N-terminal amino acid sequencing revealed that the expressed protein began with the natural sequence. 60% of the molecules contained an N-terminal methionine, and 40% initiated with valine, the second amino acid of yeast R. The protein produced in E. coli migrated on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel with an Mr of 52,000. The yeast R bound 2 mol of cAMP/mol of R monomer with a Kd of 76 nM. The protein was treated with urea to remove bound cAMP. Sedimentation values before and after the urea treatment were identical (s20,w = 5.1). Addition of purified R subunit to a preparation of yeast C subunit (TPK1) rendered catalytic activity cAMP-dependent with an activity ratio of 4.6. The yeast R was autophosphorylated by yeast C to a level of 0.8 mol of phosphate/mol of R monomer. By these criteria, the R subunit produced in E. coli was structurally and functionally identical to the natural yeast R subunit and similar to mammalian type II R subunits.     

Cross regulation between Candida albicans catalytic and regulatory subunits of protein kinase A

In the pathogen Candida albicans protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit is encoded by two genes TPK1 and TPK2 and the regulatory subunit by one gene, BCY1. PKA mediates several cellular processes such as cell cycle regulation and the yeast to hyphae transition, a key factor for C. albicans virulence. The catalytic isoforms Tpk1p and Tpk2p share redundant functions in vegetative growth and hyphal development, though they differentially regulate glycogen metabolism, the stress response pathway and pseudohyphal formation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae it was earlier reported that BCY1 overexpression not only increased the amount of TPK3 mRNA but also its catalytic activity. In C. albicans a significant decrease in Bcy1p expression levels was already observed in tpk2Δ null strains. In this work we showed that the upregulation in Bcy1p expression was observed in a set of strains having a TPK1 or TPK2 allele reintegrated in its own locus, as well as in strains expressing the TPKs under the control of the constitutive ACT1 promoter. To confirm the cross regulation event between Bcy1p and Tpkp expression we generated a mutant strain with the lowest PKA activity carrying one TPK1 and a unique BCY1 allele with the aim to obtain two derived strains in which BCY1 or TPK1 were placed under their own promoters inserted in the RPS10 neutral locus. We found that placing one copy of BCY1 upregulated the levels of Tpk1p and its catalytic activity; while TPK1 insertion led to an increase in BCY1 mRNA, Bcy1p and in a high cAMP binding activity. Our results suggest that C. albicans cells were able to compensate for the increased levels of either Tpk1p or Tpk2p subunits with a corresponding elevation of Bcy1 protein levels and vice versa, implying a tightly regulated mechanism to balance holoenzyme formation.     

Mammalian cAMP-dependent protein kinase functionally replaces its homolog in yeast

The cDNA encoding the catalytic subunit (C alpha) from mouse cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PK) was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By a plasmid swap procedure, we demonstrated that the mammalian C alpha subunit can functionally replace its yeast homolog to maintain the viability of a yeast strain containing genetic disruptions of the three TPK genes encoding the yeast C subunits. C alpha subunit produced in yeast was purified and its biochemical properties were determined. The protein isolated from yeast appears to be myristylated, as has been found for C subunits from higher eukaryotic cells. This system would be useful for studying the biochemistry of the mammalian enzyme in vitro and its biological role in a model in vivo system. These studies demonstrate that the PK substrate(s) required for viability are recognized by the mammalian enzyme. In general terms, these results demonstrate that heterologous proteins with only 50% sequence conservation with their yeast counterparts can be functional in yeast. This is an important result because it validates the use of yeast to identify the biological role of newly cloned genes from heterologous systems, a key tenet of the Human Genome Initiative.     

Protein kinase A encoded by TPK2 regulates dimorphism of Candida albicans

External signals induce the switch from a yeast to a hyphal growth form in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. We demonstrate here that the catalytic subunit of a protein kinase A (PKA) isoform encoded by TPK2 is required for internal signalling leading to hyphal differentiation. TPK2 complements the growth defect of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae tpk1-3 mutant and Tpk2p is able to phosphorylate an established PKA-acceptor peptide (kemptide). Deletion of TPK2 blocks morphogenesis and partially reduces virulence, whereas TPK2 overexpression induces hyphal formation and stimulates agar invasion. The defective tpk2 phenotype is suppressed by overproduction of known signalling components, including Efg1p and Cek1p, whereas TPK2 overexpression reconstitutes the cek1 but not the efg1 phenotype. The results indicate that PKA activity of Tpk2p is an important contributing factor in regulating dimorphism of C. albicans.     

Distinct and redundant roles of the two protein kinase A isoforms Tpk1p and Tpk2p in morphogenesis and growth of Candida albicans

TPK1 and TPK2 encode both isoforms of protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunits in Candida albicans. Mutants lacking both TPK1 alleles showed defective hyphal morphogenesis on solid inducing media, whereas in liquid hypha, formation was affected slightly. In contrast, tpk2 mutants were only partially morphogenesis defective on solid media, whereas a strong block was observed in liquid. In addition, the yeast forms of tpk2-- but not tpk1-- mutants were completely deficient in invading agar. Because Tpk1p and Tpk2p differ in their N-terminal domains of approximately 80--90 amino acids, while the catalytic portions are highly homologous, the functions of hybrid Tpk proteins with exchanged N-terminal domains were tested. The results demonstrate that the catalytic portions mediate Tpk protein specificities with regard to filamentation, whereas agar invasion is mediated by the N-terminal domain of Tpk2p. Homozygous tpk1 and tpk2 mutants grew normally; however, a tpk2 mutant strain containing a single regulatable TPK1 allele (PCK1p-TPK1) at low expression levels was severely growth defective. It was completely blocked in hyphal morphogenesis and was stress resistant to high osmolarities or temperatures. Thus, both Tpk isoforms in C. albicans share growth functions but, unlike Saccharomyces cerevisiae isoforms, they have positive, specific roles in filament formation in different environments.     

Expression levels and subcellular localization of Bcy1p in Candida albicans mutant strains devoid of one BCY1 allele results in a defective morphogenetic behavior

We investigated expression, functionality and subcellular localization of C. albicans Bcy1p, the PKA regulatory subunit, in mutant strains having one BCY1 allele fused to a green fluorescent protein (GFP). DE-52 column chromatography of soluble extracts of yeast cells from strains bearing one BCY1 allele (fused or not to GFP) showed co-elution of Bcy1p and Bcy1p-GFP with phosphotransferase activity, suggesting that interaction between regulatory and catalytic subunits was not impaired by the GFP tag. Subcellular localization of Bcy1p-GFP supports our previous hypothesis on the nuclear localization of the regulatory subunit, which can thus tether the PKA catalytic subunit to the nucleus. Protein modeling of CaBcy1p, showed that the fusion of the GFP tag to Bcy1p C-terminus did not significantly disturb its proper folding. Bcy1p levels in mutant strains having one or both BCY1 alleles, led us to establish a direct correlation between the amount of protein and the number of alleles, indicating that deletion of one BCY1 allele is not fully compensated by overexpression of the other. The morphogenetic behavior of several C. albicans mutant strains bearing one or both BCY1 alleles, in a wild-type and in a TPK2 null genetic background, was assessed in N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) liquid medium at 37 degrees C. Strains with one BCY1 allele tagged or not, behaved similarly, displaying pseudohyphae and true hyphae. In contrast, hyphal morphology was almost exclusive in strains having both BCY1 alleles, irrespective of the GFP insertion. It can be inferred that a tight regulation of PKA activity is needed for hyphal growth.     

Heat stress regulates the expression of TPK1 gene at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae cAMP regulates different cellular processes through PKA. The specificity of the response of the cAMP-PKA pathway is highly regulated. Here we address the mechanism through which the cAMP-PKA pathway mediates its response to heat shock and thermal adaptation in yeast. PKA holoenzyme is composed of a regulatory subunit dimer (Bcy1) and two catalytic subunits (Tpk1, Tpk2, or Tpk3). PKA subunits are differentially expressed under certain growth conditions. Here we demonstrate the increased abundance and half-life of TPK1 mRNA and the assembly of this mRNA in cytoplasmic foci during heat shock at 37 °C. The resistance of the foci to cycloheximide-induced disassembly along with the polysome profiling analysis suggest that TPK1 mRNA is impaired for entry into translation. TPK1 expression was also evaluated during a recurrent heat shock and thermal adaptation. Tpk1 protein level is significantly increased during the recovery periods. The crosstalk of cAMP-PKA pathway and CWI signalling was also studied. Wsc3 sensor and some components of the CWI pathway are necessary for the TPK1 expression upon heat shock. The assembly in foci upon thermal stress depends on Wsc3. Tpk1 expression is lower in a wsc3? mutant than in WT strain during thermal adaptation and thus the PKA levels are also lower. An increase in Tpk1 abundance in the PKA holoenzyme in response to heat shock is presented, suggesting that a recurrent stress enhanced the fitness for the coming favourable conditions. Therefore, the regulation of TPK1 expression by thermal stress contributes to the specificity of cAMP-PKA signalling.     

The two isoforms of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit are involved in the control of dimorphism in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans

We have cloned the Candida albicans TPK2 gene encoding a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) catalytic subunit and generated a tpk2 homozygous null mutant to assess its ability to germinate in liquid media. N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc)-induced germ-tube formation was attenuated in the tpk2 strain and enhanced by compounds that are known to increase the PKA activity in situ. Germination was completely blocked in the presence of the myristoylated derivative of the heat-stable PKA inhibitor (MyrPKI). These results indicate that TPK1 acts positively in regulating the morphogenetic transition in C. albicans in the absence of the TPK2 gene. We were able to identify an mRNA from this second form of PKA in both wild-type and tpk2 null mutant cells. We found that PKA activity measured in the mutant lacking the TPK2 gene was about 10% of that displayed by the wild-type. The finding that the germinative response of tpk2 null mutant to serum was severely diminished at low serum concentrations indicates that the level of PKA is an important determinant of filamentous growth at low serum concentrations. The extent of germination attained at higher serum concentrations (5%) was similar in the wild-type and in the tpk2 null mutant strains suggesting that under these conditions germination was triggered through a PKA-independent pathway.     

In vivo and in vitro phosphorylation of two isoforms of yeast pyruvate kinase by protein kinase A

Saccharomyces cerevisiae pyruvate kinase 1 (Pyk1) was demonstrated to be associated to an immunoprecipitate of yeast protein kinase A holoenzyme (HA-Tpk1.Bcy1) and to be phosphorylated in a cAMP-dependent process. Both glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Pyk1 and GST-Pyk2 were phosphorylated in vitro by the bovine heart protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit and by immobilized yeast HA-Tpk1. The specificity constant for the phosphorylation of GST-Pyk1 and GST-Pyk2 by bovine catalytic subunit was in the range of the value for Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly (Kemptide). Both fusion proteins were phosphorylated in vivo, in intact cells overexpressing the protein, or in vitro using crude extracts, as source of protein kinase A, when a wild type strain was used but were not phosphorylated when using a strain with only one TPK gene with an attenuated mutation (tpk1(w1)). The effect of phosphorylation on Pyk activity was assayed in partially purified preparations from three strains, containing different endogenous protein kinase A activity levels. Pyk1 activity was measured at different phosphoenolpyruvate concentrations in the absence or in the presence of the activator fructose 1,6-bisphosphate at 1.5 mm. Preliminary kinetic results derived from the comparison of Pyk1 obtained from extracts with the highest versus those from the lowest protein kinase A activity indicate that the enzyme is more active upon phosphorylation conditions; in the absence of the activator it shows a shift in the titration curve for phosphoenolpyruvate to the left and an increase in the Hill coefficient, whereas in the presence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate it shows an n(H) value of 1.4, as compared with an n(H) of 2 for the Pyk1 obtained from extracts with almost null protein kinase A activity.     

The G protein-coupled receptor Gpr1 and the Galpha protein Gpa2 act through the cAMP-protein kinase A pathway to induce morphogenesis in Candida albicans

We investigated the role in cell morphogenesis and pathogenicity of the Candida albicans GPR1 gene, encoding the G protein-coupled receptor Gpr1. Deletion of C. albicans GPR1 has only minor effects in liquid hypha-inducing media but results in strong defects in the yeast-to-hypha transition on solid hypha-inducing media. Addition of cAMP, expression of a constitutively active allele of the Galpha protein Gpa2 or of the catalytic protein kinase A subunit TPK1 restores the wild-type phenotype of the CaGPR1-deleted strain. Overexpression of HST7, encoding a component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, does not suppress the defect in filamentation. These results indicate that CaGpr1 functions upstream in the cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. We also show that, in the presence of glucose, CaGpr1 is important for amino acid-induced transition from yeast to hyphal cells. Finally, as opposed to previous reports, we show that CaGpa2 acts downstream of CaGpr1 as activator of the cAMP-PKA pathway but that deletion of neither CaGpr1 nor CaGpa2 affects glucose-induced cAMP signaling. In contrast, the latter is abolished in strains lacking CaCdc25 or CaRas1, suggesting that the CaCdc25-CaRas1 rather than the CaGpr1-CaGpa2 module mediates glucose-induced cAMP signaling in C. albicans.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A truncated variant of TPK1, the yeast cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, was overexpressed in an engineered strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, purified by liquid chromatography, and crystallized from solutions of 2-propanol and magnesium at alkaline pH. The crystals are hexagonal dipyramids, space group P6(1)22 (P6(5)22), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 61 A, c = 320 A. Large single crystals suitable for diffraction analysis are obtainable by microseeding, and diffract beyond 2.8-A resolution. Crystal density measurements reveal 12 kinase monomers per unit cell with a single kinase monomer per asymmetric unit.     

Multiple genes encode the translation elongation factor EF-1 gamma in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A gene encoding a yeast homologue of translation elongation factor 1 gamma (EF-1 gamma), TEF3, was isolated as a gene dosage extragenic suppressor of the cold-sensitive phenotype of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae drs2 mutant. The drs2 mutant is deficient in the assembly of 40S ribosomal subunits. We have identified a second gene, TEF4, that encodes a protein highly related to both the Tef3p protein (Tef3p), and EF-1 gamma isolated from other organisms. In contrast to TEF3, the TEF4 gene contains an intron. Gene disruptions showed that neither gene is required for mitotic growth. Haploid spores containing disruptions of both genes are viable and have no defects in ribosomal subunit composition or polyribosomes. Unlike TEF3, extra copies of TEF4 do not suppress the cold-sensitive 40S ribosomal subunit deficiency of a drs2 strain. Low-stringency genomic Southern hybridization analysis indicates there may be additional yeast genes related to TEF3 and TEF4.     

Glucose-induced hyperaccumulation of cyclic AMP and defective glucose repression in yeast strains with reduced activity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase.

Addition of glucose or related fermentable sugars to derepressed cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae triggers a RAS-mediated cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal that induces a protein phosphorylation cascade. In yeast mutants (tpk1w1, tpk2w1, and tpk3w1) containing reduced activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, fermentable sugars, as opposed to nonfermentable carbon sources, induced a permanent hyperaccumulation of cAMP. This finding confirms previous conclusions that fermentable sugars are specific stimulators of cAMP synthesis in yeast cells. Despite the huge cAMP levels present in these mutants, deletion of the gene (BCY1) coding for the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase severely reduced hyperaccumulation of cAMP. Glucose-induced hyperaccumulation of cAMP was also observed in exponential-phase glucose-grown cells of the tpklw1 and tpk2w1 strains but not the tpk3w1 strain even though addition of glucose to glucose-repressed wild-type cells did not induce a cAMP signal. Investigation of mitochondrial respiration by in vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed the tpk1w1 and tpk2w1 strains, to be defective in glucose repression. These results are consistent with the idea that the signal transmission pathway from glucose to adenyl cyclase contains a glucose-repressible protein. They also show that a certain level of cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation is required for glucose repression. Investigation of the glucose-induced cAMP signal and glucose-induced activation of trehalase in derepressed cells of strains containing only one of the wild-type TPK genes indicates that the transient nature of the cAMP signal is due to feedback inhibition by cAMP-dependent protein kinase.     

重组牛肠激酶轻链基因在毕赤酵母中的表达与纯化

目的:构建重组牛肠激酶轻链的基因工程菌,并进行表达和纯化,以获得高纯度和高活性的重组牛肠激酶轻链蛋白。方法:以GenBank公共数据库中的牛肠激酶轻链基因序列(AccessionNo.NM174439)设计引物,利用RT-PCR合成牛肠激酶轻链基因片段,并克隆进pPIC9K载体,同时在基因N端插进6个组氨酸标签,转化毕赤酵母GS115,进行筛选和诱导表达。产物经镍离子螯和层析和Q-SepharoseFF柱纯化,并酶切融合蛋白检测其活性。结果:培养液中重组牛肠激酶轻链蛋白表达量为3.0mg/L。对含有肠激酶酶切位点的IL-11/MBP融合蛋白进行酶切,结果表明,酶解率可达到90%以上。结论:表达并获得了高纯度的重组肠激酶轻链蛋白,为大规模生产打下了基础。     

The nucleotide sequence of the fission yeast DNA topoisomerase II gene: structural and functional relationships to other DNA topoisomerases.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of a 5.3-kb long genomic DNA fragment of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe that encodes DNA topoisomerase II. It contains a 4293 bp long single open reading frame. The predicted polypeptide has 1431 residues (mol. wt 162,000) and shows three characteristic domains; the large C-terminal region, which consists of alternating acidic-basic stretches and might be a chromatin-binding domain, the NH2 half domain homologous to the ATP-binding gyrB subunit of bacterial gyrase and the central-to-latter part which is homologous to the NH2 domain of the catalytic gyrA subunit, suggesting a possible evolutionary consequence of the gene fusion of the bacterial gyrase subunits into the eucaryotic DNA topoisomerase II gene. We have found that the cloned fission yeast TOP2 gene can complement the budding yeast top2 mutation, although the fission yeast TOP2 protein sequence is only 50% homologous to the recently determined sequence of budding yeast (J.C. Wang, personal communication). Conversely, the budding yeast TOP2 gene can complement the fission yeast top2 mutations, indicating that their DNA topoisomerase II genes are functionally exchangeable.     

Phosphorylation of the catalytic subunit of type-1 protein phosphatase by the v-abl tyrosine kinase.

The catalytic subunit of type-1 protein phosphatase (PP1) was phosphorylated by the tyrosine kinase v-abl as follows: (i) cytosolic PP1 was phosphorylated more (0.73 mol/mol) than PP1 obtained from the glycogen particles (0.076 mol/mol), while free catalytic subunit isolated in the active or inactive form from cytosolic PP1 was phosphorylated even less and catalytic subunit complexed with inhibitor-2 was not phosphorylated; (ii) phosphorylation stoichiometry was dependent on the concentration of PP1 and 3 h incubation at 30 degrees C was required for maximal phosphorylation; (iii) phosphorylation was on a tyrosine residue located in the C-terminal region of PP1 which is lost during proteolysis; (iv) phosphorylation did not affect enzyme activity but allowed conversion from the active to the inactive form upon incubation with inhibitor-2 of a PP1 form that in its dephospho-form did not convert.     

Candida albicans lacking the gene encoding the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A displays a defect in hyphal formation and an altered localization of the catalytic subunit

The fungal pathogen Candida albicans switches from a yeast-like to a filamentous mode of growth in response to a variety of environmental conditions. We examined the morphogenetic behavior of C. albicans yeast cells lacking the BCY1 gene, which encodes the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A. We cloned the BCY1 gene and generated a bcy1 tpk2 double mutant strain because a homozygous bcy1 mutant in a wild-type genetic background could not be obtained. In the bcy1 tpk2 mutant, protein kinase A activity (due to the presence of the TPK1 gene) was cyclic AMP independent, indicating that the cells harbored an unregulated phosphotransferase activity. This mutant has constitutive protein kinase A activity and displayed a defective germinative phenotype in N-acetylglucosamine and in serum-containing medium. The subcellular localization of a Tpk1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein was examined in wild-type, tpk2 null, and bcy1 tpk2 double mutant strains. The fusion protein was observed to be predominantly nuclear in wild-type and tpk2 strains. This was not the case in the bcy1 tpk2 double mutant, where it appeared dispersed throughout the cell. Coimmunoprecipitation of Bcy1p with the Tpk1-GFP fusion protein demonstrated the interaction of these proteins inside the cell. These results suggest that one of the roles of Bcy1p is to tether the protein kinase A catalytic subunit to the nucleus.