Characterization of the interactions between human cdc25C, cdks, cyclins and cdk-cyclin complexes

Mechanism of herpesvirus UL24 protein regulating viral immune escape and virulence

Herpesviruses have evolved a series of abilities involved in the process of host infection that are conducive to virus survival and adaptation to the host, such as immune escape, latent infection, and induction of programmed cell death for sustainable infection. The herpesvirus gene UL24 encodes a highly conserved core protein that plays an important role in effective viral infection. The UL24 protein can inhibit the innate immune response of the host by acting on multiple immune signaling pathways during virus infection, and it also plays a key role in the proliferation and pathogenicity of the virus in the later stage of infection. This article reviews the mechanism by which the UL24 protein mediates herpesvirus immune escape and its effects on viral proliferation and virulence by influencing syncytial formation, DNA damage and the cell cycle. Reviewing these studies will enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of herpesvirus infection and provide evidence for new strategies to combat against viral infection.

Regulation of neural stem cell self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation by the RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor Arhgef 1

The role of the Arhgef1 as a RhoA-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor has been widely investigated in the immune system. Our previous findings reveal that Arhgef 1 is highly expressed in neural stem cells (NSCs) and controls the process of neurite formation. However, the functional role of Arhgef 1 in NSCs remains poorly understood. In order to investigate the role of Arhgef 1 in NSCs, Arhgef 1 expression in NSCs was reduced by using lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA interference. Our results indicate that down-regulated expression of Arhgef 1 reduced the self-renewal, proliferation capacity of NSCs and affect cell fate determination. In addition, the comparative transcriptome analysis from RNA-seq data determines the mechanisms of deficits in Arhgef 1 knockdown NSCs. Altogether, our present studies show that Arhgef 1 down-regulation leads to interruption of the cell cycle procession. The importance of Arhgef 1 for regulating self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation in NSCs is reported for the first time.

Functional cdc25C dual-specificity phosphatase is required for S-phase entry in human cells

In view of the common regulatory mechanism that induces transcription of the mitotic phosphatase cdc25C and cyclin A at the beginning of S-phase, we investigated whether cdc25C was required for S-phase transit. Here, we show that in both nontransformed human fibroblasts and HeLa cells, cdc25C protein levels significantly increased concomitant with S-phase onset and cyclin A synthesis. Activity measurements on immunoprecipitates from synchronized HeLa cells revealed a sharp rise in cdc25C-associated phosphatase activity that coincided with S-phase. Microinjection of various antisense-cdc25C molecules led to inhibition of DNA synthesis in both HeLa cells and human fibroblasts. Furthermore, transfection of small interfering RNA directed against cdc25C specifically depleted cdc25C in HeLa cells without affecting cdc25A or cdc25B levels. Cdc25C RNA interference was also accompanied by S-phase inhibition. In cells depleted of cdc25C by antisense or siRNA, normal cell cycle progression could be re-established through microinjection of wild-type cdc25C protein but not inactive C377S mutant protein. Taken together, these results show that cdc25C not only plays a role at the G2/M transition but also in the modulation of DNA replication where its function is distinct from that of cdc25A.

The RRASK motif in Xenopus cyclin B2 is required for the substrate recognition of Cdc25C by the cyclin B-Cdc2 complex

The FLRRXSK sequence is conserved in the second cyclin box fold of B-type cyclins. We show that this conserved sequence in Xenopus cyclin B2, termed the RRASK motif, is required for the substrate recognition by the cyclin B-Cdc2 complex of Cdc25C. Mutations to charged residues of the RRASK motif of cyclin B2 abolished its ability to activate Cdc2 kinase without affecting its capacity to bind to Cdc2. Cdc2 bound to the cyclin B2 RRASK mutant was not dephosphorylated by Cdc25C, and as a result, the complex was inactive. The cyclin B2 RRASK mutants can form a complex with the constitutively active Cdc2, but a resulting active complex did not phosphorylate a preferred substrate Cdc25C in vitro, although it can phosphorylate the non-specific substrate histone H1. The RRASK mutations prevented the interaction of Cdc25C with the cyclin B2-Cdc2 complex. Consistently, the RRASK mutants neither induced germinal vesicle breakdown in Xenopus oocyte maturation nor activated in vivo Cdc2 kinase during the cell cycle in mitotic extracts. These results suggest that the RRASK motif in Xenopus cyclin B2 plays an important role in defining the substrate specificity of the cyclin B-Cdc2 complex.

Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) monomers or dimers phosphorylate Cdc25C after DNA damage regardless of threonine 68 phosphorylation

We have purified and characterized human Chk2 both from baculovirus-infected insect cells and from either untreated or DNA damage-stressed human HCT116 cells. Chk2 from unstressed human cells is largely monomeric and inactive in phosphorylating its substrate, Cdc25C. It is also unphosphorylated at Thr-68, a site that is the target of the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated protein kinase. After treatment of HCT116 cells with a radiomimetic compound neocarzinostatin, active Chk2 exists as stable Thr-68-phosphorylated dimers as well as interconvertable Thr-68-unphosphorylated monomers and dimers. Interestingly, Chk2 from insect cells behaves by all criteria tested like active Chk2 from neocarzinostatin-treated HCT116 cells. Based on Stokes radius and sedimentation coefficient values, Chk2 monomers and dimers have asymmetric rather than globular shapes. Both Thr-68-phosphorylated and Thr-68-unphosphorylated forms of active Chk2 are capable of phosphorylating Cdc25C. Thus, although phosphorylation of Thr-68 may be required for initial oligomerization and activation of Chk2, it is not needed for maintenance of dimerization or kinase activity.

Cyclin specificity: how many wheels do you need on a unicycle?

Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity is essential for eukaryotic cell cycle events. Multiple cyclins activate CDKs in all eukaryotes, but it is unclear whether multiple cyclins are really required for cell cycle progression. It has been argued that cyclins may predominantly act as simple enzymatic activators of CDKs; in opposition to this idea, it has been argued that cyclins might target the activated CDK to particular substrates or inhibitors. Such targeting might occur through a combination of factors, including temporal expression, protein associations, and subcellular localization.

Specificity of natural and artificial substrates for human Cdc25A

Cdc25A is a dual-specific protein phosphatase involved in the regulation of the kinase activity of Cdk-cyclin complexes in the eukaryotic cell cycle. To understand the mechanism of this important regulator, we have generated highly purified biochemical reagents to determine the kinetic constants for human Cdc25A with respect to a set of peptidic, artificial, and natural substrates. Cdc25A and its catalytic domain (dN25A) demonstrate very similar kinetics toward the artificial substrates p-nitrophenyl phosphate (k(cat)/K(m) = 15-25 M(-1) s(-1)) and 3-O-methylfluorescein phosphate (k(cat)/K(m) = 1.1-1.3 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1)). Phospho-peptide substrates exhibit extremely low second-order rate constants and a flat specificity profile toward Cdc25A and dN25A (k(cat)/K(m) = 1 to 10 M(-1) s(-1)). In contrast to peptidic substrates, Cdc25A and dN25A are highly active phosphatases toward the natural substrate, T14- and Y15-bis-phosphorylated Cdk2/CycA complex (Cdk2-pTpY/CycA) with k(cat)/K(m) values of 1.0-1.1 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). In the context of the Cdk2-pTpY/CycA complex, phospho-threonine is preferred over phospho-tyrosine by more than 10-fold. The highly homologous catalytic domain of Cdc25c is essentially inactive toward Cdk2-pTpY/CycA. Taken together these data indicate that a significant degree of the specificity of Cdc25 toward its Cdk substrate resides within the catalytic domain itself and yet is in a region(s) that is outside the phosphate binding site of the enzyme.

An essential phosphorylation-site domain of human cdc25C interacts with both 14-3-3 and cyclins

Human cdc25C is a dual-specificity phosphatase involved in the regulation of cell cycle progression in both unperturbed cells and in cells subject to DNA damage or replication checkpoints. In this study, we describe the structure-function relationship of an essential domain of human cdc25C that interacts with 14-3-3 proteins. We show that this domain is a bi-functional interactive motif that interacts with cyclins primarily through their P-box motif in addition to 14-3-3 proteins. Characterization of the structural features of this domain by NMR and circular dichroism reveals two distinct alpha helical moieties interconnected by a loop carrying the 14-3-3 binding site. Moreover, the helical folding is induced upon binding to 14-3-3, suggestive of a conformational regulation of this domain of cdc25C through interactions with partner proteins in vivo. Combining our structural and biochemical data, we propose a detailed model of the molecular mechanism of cdc25C regulation by differential association with 14-3-3 and cdc2-cyclin B.

Poly(A) polymerase phosphorylation is dependent on novel interactions with cyclins

We have previously shown that poly(A) polymerase (PAP) is negatively regulated by cyclin B-cdc2 kinase hyperphosphorylation in the M phase of the cell cycle. Here we show that cyclin B(1) binds PAP directly, and we demonstrate further that this interaction is mediated by a stretch of amino acids in PAP with homology to the cyclin recognition motif (CRM), a sequence previously shown in several cell cycle regulators to target specifically G(1)-phase-type cyclins. We find that PAP interacts with not only G(1)- but also G(2)-type cyclins via the CRM and is a substrate for phosphorylation by both types of cyclin-cdk pairs. PAP's CRM shows novel, concentration-dependent effects when introduced as an 8-mer peptide into binding and kinase assays. While higher concentrations of PAP's CRM block PAP-cyclin binding and phosphorylation, lower concentrations induce dramatic stimulation of both activities. Our data not only support the notion that PAP is directly regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases throughout the cell cycle but also introduce a novel type of CRM that functionally interacts with both G(1)- and G(2)-type cyclins in an unexpected way.