Analyzing the degradation of PERIOD protein by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in cultured Drosophila cells

Codon usage affects the structure and function of the Drosophila circadian clock protein PERIOD

Fu et al. show that Drosophila period (dper) codon usage is important for circadian clock function. Codon optimization of dper resulted in conformational changes of dPER protein, altered dPER phosphorylation profile and stability, and impaired dPER function in the circadian negative feedback loop, which manifests into changes in molecular rhythmicity and abnormal circadian behavioral output.

Codon usage bias is a universal feature of all genomes, but its in vivo biological functions in animal systems are not clear. To investigate the in vivo role of codon usage in animals, we took advantage of the sensitivity and robustness of the Drosophila circadian system. By codon-optimizing parts of Drosophila period (dper), a core clock gene that encodes a critical component of the circadian oscillator, we showed that dper codon usage is important for circadian clock function. Codon optimization of dper resulted in conformational changes of the dPER protein, altered dPER phosphorylation profile and stability, and impaired dPER function in the circadian negative feedback loop, which manifests into changes in molecular rhythmicity and abnormal circadian behavioral output. This study provides an in vivo example that demonstrates the role of codon usage in determining protein structure and function in an animal system. These results suggest a universal mechanism in eukaryotes that uses a codon usage “code” within genetic codons to regulate cotranslational protein folding.

Identification of Light-Sensitive Phosphorylation Sites on PERIOD That Regulate the Pace of Circadian Rhythms in Drosophila

The main components regulating the pace of circadian (≅24 h) clocks in animals are PERIOD (PER) proteins, transcriptional regulators that undergo daily changes in levels and nuclear accumulation by means of complex multisite phosphorylation programs. In the present study, we investigated the function of two phosphorylation sites, at Ser826 and Ser828, located in a putative nuclear localization signal (NLS) on the Drosophila melanogaster PER protein. These sites are phosphorylated by DOUBLETIME (DBT; Drosophila homolog of CK1δ/ε), the key circadian kinase regulating the daily changes in PER stability and phosphorylation. Mutant flies in which phosphorylation at Ser826/Ser828 is blocked manifest behavioral rhythms with periods slightly longer than 1 h and with altered temperature compensation properties. Intriguingly, although phosphorylation at these sites does not influence PER stability, timing of nuclear entry, or transcriptional autoinhibition, the phospho-occupancy at Ser826/Ser828 is rapidly stimulated by light and blocked by TIMELESS (TIM), the major photosensitive clock component in Drosophila and a crucial binding partner of PER. Our findings identify the first phosphorylation sites on core clock proteins that are acutely regulated by photic cues and suggest that some phosphosites on PER proteins can modulate the pace of downstream behavioral rhythms without altering central aspects of the clock mechanism.

The role of casein kinase I in the Drosophila circadian clock

The circadian clock mechanism in organisms as diverse as cyanobacteria and humans involves both transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of key clock components. One of the roles for the posttranslational regulation is to time the degradation of the targeted clock proteins, so that their oscillation profiles are out of phase with respect to those of the mRNAs from which they are translated. In Drosophila, the circadian transcriptional regulator PERIOD (PER) is targeted for degradation by a kinase (DOUBLETIME or DBT) orthologous to mammalian kinases (CKIɛ and CKIδ) that also target mammalian PER. Since these kinases are not regulated by second messengers, the mechanism (if any) for their regulation is not known. We are investigating the possibility that regulation of DBT is conferred by other proteins that associate with DBT and PER. In this chapter, the methods we are employing to identify and analyze these factors are discussed. These methods include expression of wild type and mutant proteins with the GAL4/UAS binary expression approach, analysis of DBT in Drosophila S2 cells, in vitro kinase assays with DBT isolated from S2 cells, and proteomic analysis of DBT-containing complexes and of DBT phosphorylation with mass spectrometry. The work has led to the discovery of a previously unrecognized circadian rhythm component (Bride of DBT, a noncanonical FK506-binding protein) and the mapping of autophosphorylation sites within the DBT C-terminal domain with potential regulatory roles.

NEMO/NLK phosphorylates PERIOD to initiate a time-delay phosphorylation circuit that sets circadian clock speed

The speed of circadian clocks in animals is tightly linked to complex phosphorylation programs that drive daily cycles in the levels of PERIOD (PER) proteins. Using Drosophila, we identify a time-delay circuit based on hierarchical phosphorylation that controls the daily downswing in PER abundance. Phosphorylation by the NEMO/NLK kinase at the "per-short" domain on PER stimulates phosphorylation by DOUBLETIME (DBT/CK1δ/ɛ) at several nearby sites. This multisite phosphorylation operates in a spatially oriented and graded manner to delay progressive phosphorylation by DBT at other more distal sites on PER, including those required for recognition by the F box protein SLIMB/β-TrCP and proteasomal degradation. Highly phosphorylated PER has a more open structure, suggesting that progressive increases in global phosphorylation contribute to the timing mechanism by slowly increasing PER susceptibility to degradation. Our findings identify NEMO as a clock kinase and demonstrate that long-range interactions between functionally distinct phospho-clusters collaborate to set clock speed.

A hierarchical phosphorylation cascade that regulates the timing of PERIOD nuclear entry reveals novel roles for proline-directed kinases and GSK-3beta/SGG in circadian clocks

The daily timing of when PERIOD (PER) proteins translocate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus is a critical step in clock mechanisms underpinning circadian rhythms in animals. Numerous lines of evidence indicate that phosphorylation plays a prominent role in regulating various aspects of PER function and metabolism, including changes in its daily stability and subcellular distribution. In this report, we show that phosphorylation of serine 661 (Ser661) by a proline-directed kinase(s) is a key phospho-signal on the Drosophila PER protein (dPER) that regulates the timing of its nuclear accumulation. Mutations that block phosphorylation at Ser661 do not affect dPER stability but delay its nuclear entry in key pacemaker neurons, yielding longer behavioral rhythms. Intriguingly, abolishing phosphorylation at Ser661 also attenuates the extent of dPER hyperphosphorylation in vivo, suggesting the phosphorylated state of Ser661 regulates phosphorylation at other sites on dPER. Indeed, we identify Ser657 as a site that is phosphorylated by the glycogen synthase kinase GSK-3β (SHAGGY; SGG) in a manner dependent on priming at Ser661. Although not as dramatic as mutating Ser661, mutations that abolish phosphorylation at Ser657 also lead to longer behavioral periods, suggesting that a multi-kinase hierarchical phosphorylation module regulates the timing of dPER nuclear entry. Together with evidence in mammalian systems, our findings implicate proline-directed kinases in clock mechanisms and suggest that PER proteins are key downstream targets of lithium therapy, a potent inhibitor of GSK-3β used to treat manic depression, a disorder associated with clock malfunction in humans.

The 4th dimension and adult stem cells: Can timing be everything?

The rotation of the earth on its axis influences the physiology of all organisms. A highly conserved set of genes encoding the core circadian regulatory proteins (CCRP) has evolved across species. The CCRP acts through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms to direct the oscillatory expression of genes essential for key metabolic events. In addition to the light:dark cycle, the CCRP expression can be entrained by changes in feeding and physical activity patterns. While mammalian CCRP were originally associated with the central clock located within the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, there is a growing body of evidence documenting the presence of the CCRP in peripheral tissues. It is now evident that the CCRP play a role in regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and function of adult stem cells in multiple organs. This concise review highlights findings concerning the role of the CCRP in modulating the adult stem cell activities. Although the manuscript focuses on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and cancer stem cells, it is likely that the contribution of the CCRP merits consideration and evaluation in all stem cell pathways.

A PER/TIM/DBT interval timer for Drosophila's circadian clock

Circadian rhythms in Drosophila are supported by a negative feedback loop, in which PERIOD (PER) and Timeless (TIM) shut down their own transcription as they translocate once a day from the cytoplasm of clock-containing cells to the nucleus. Period length is partially determined by an interval of cytoplasmic retention of the TIM and PER proteins. To study this process, we examined PER/TIM/Doubletime (DBT) physical interactions and nuclear translocation by imaging individual cultured Drosophila cells. Using live cell video microscopy and green fluorescent protein (GFP) tags, we observed dynamic patterns of stability and localization for DBT, PER, and TIM that resembled those previously found in vivo. These studies suggest that a cytoplasmic interval timer regulates nuclear translocation of these proteins. The cultured cell assay provides a potent system to study interactions among new and known genes involved in the generation of circadian behavior.