The mouse Plk gene: structural characterization, chromosomal localization and identification of a processed Plk pseudogene

Phospho-Ser/Thr-binding domains: navigating the cell cycle and DNA damage response

Coordinated progression through the cell cycle is a complex challenge for eukaryotic cells. Following genotoxic stress, diverse molecular signals must be integrated to establish checkpoints specific for each cell cycle stage, allowing time for various types of DNA repair. Phospho-Ser/Thr-binding domains have emerged as crucial regulators of cell cycle progression and DNA damage signalling. Such domains include 14-3-3 proteins, WW domains, Polo-box domains (in PLK1), WD40 repeats (including those in the E3 ligase SCF(βTrCP)), BRCT domains (including those in BRCA1) and FHA domains (such as in CHK2 and MDC1). Progress has been made in our understanding of the motif (or motifs) that these phospho-Ser/Thr-binding domains connect with on their targets and how these interactions influence the cell cycle and DNA damage response.

The transcription factor SP1 regulates centriole function and chromosomal stability through a functional interaction with the mammalian target of rapamycin/raptor complex

Specificity protein 1 (SP1) is an essential transcription factor implicated in the regulation of genes that control multiple cellular processes, including cell cycle, apoptosis, and DNA damage. Very few nontranscriptional roles for SP1 have been reported thus far. Using confocal microscopy and centrosome fractionation, we identified SP1 as a centrosomal protein. Sp1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts and cells depleted of SP1 by RNAi have increased centrosome number associated with centriole splitting, decreased microtubule nucleation, chromosome misalignment, formation of multipolar mitotic spindles and micronuclei, and increased incidence of aneuploidy. Using mass spectrometry, we identified P70S6K, an effector of the mTOR/raptor (mTORC1) kinase complex, as a novel interacting protein of SP1. We found that SP1-deficient cells have increased phosphorylation of the P70S6K effector ribosomal protein S6, suggesting that SP1 participates in the regulation of the mTORC1/P70S6K/S6 signaling pathway. We previously reported that aberrant mTORC1 activation leads to supernumerary centrosomes, a phenotype rescued by the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin. Similarly, treatment with rapamycin rescued the multiple centrosome phenotype of SP1-deficient cells. Taken together, these data strongly support the hypothesis that SP1 is involved in the control of centrosome number via regulation of the mTORC1 pathway, and predict that loss of SP1 function can lead to aberrant centriole splitting, deregulated mTORC1 signaling, and aneuploidy, thereby contributing to malignant transformation.

The use of in vitro peptide-library screens in the analysis of phosphoserine/threonine-binding domain structure and function

Phosphoserine/threonine-binding domains integrate intracellular signal transduction events by forming multiprotein complexes with substrates of protein serine/threonine kinases. These phosphorylation-dependent molecular recognition events are responsible for coordinating the precise temporal and spatial response of cells to a wide range of stimuli, particularly those involved in cell cycle control and the response to DNA damage. The known families of phosphoserine/threonine-binding modules include 14-3-3 proteins, WW domains, FHA domains, WD40 repeats, and the Polo-box domains of Polo-like kinases. Peptide-library experiments reveal the optimal sequence motifs recognized by these domains, and facilitate high-resolution structural studies elucidating the mechanisms of phospho-dependent binding and the molecular basis for domain function within intricate signaling networks. Information emerging from these studies is critical for the design of novel experimental and therapeutic tools aimed at altering signal transduction cascades in normal and diseased cells.

Cell cycle dependent expression of Plk1 in synchronized porcine fetal fibroblasts

Enzymes of the Polo-like kinase (Plk) family are active in the pathways controlling mitosis in several species. We have cloned cDNA fragments of the porcine homologues of Plk1, Plk2, and Plk3 employing fetal fibroblasts as source. All three partial cDNAs showed high sequence homology with their mouse and human counterparts and contained the Polo box, a domain characteristic for all Polo kinases. The expression levels of Plk1 mRNA at various points of the cell cycle in synchronized porcine fetal fibroblasts were analyzed by both RT-PCR and the ribonuclease protection assay. Plk1 mRNA was barely detectable in G0 and G1, increased during S phase and peaked after the G2/M transition. A monoclonal antibody was generated against an in vitro expressed porcine Plk1-protein fragment and used to detect changes in Plk1 expression at the protein level. Plk1 protein was first detected by immunoblotting at the beginning of S phase and was highest after the G2/M transition. In summary, the Plk1 expression pattern in the pig is similar to that reported for other species. The absence of Plk1 mRNA and protein appears to be a good marker for G0/G1 and thus for the selection of donor cells for nuclear transfer based somatic cloning.

Cloning of mammalian Ire1 reveals diversity in the ER stress responses

Cells modify their gene expression pattern in response to stress signals emanating from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The well-characterized aspect of this response consists of the activation of genes that encode protein chaperones and other ER resident proteins, and is conserved between mammals and yeast. In mammalian cells, however, ER stress also activates other pathways, including the expression of the transcription factor CHOP/GADD153 and its downstream target genes. ER stress is also linked to the development of programmed cell death, a phenomenon in which CHOP plays an important role. Here we report on the cloning of a murine homolog of yeast IRE1, an essential upstream component of the ER stress-response in yeast. The mammalian Ire1 is located in the ER membrane and its over-expression in mammalian cells activates both the endogenous ER chaperone GRP78/BiP and CHOP-encoding genes. Over-expression of a dominant-negative form of Ire1 blocks the induction of GRP78/BiP and CHOP in response to the ER stress induced by tunicamycin treatment. Over-expression of murine Ire1 also leads to the development of programmed cell death in transfected cells. These results indicate that a single upstream component, Ire1, plays a role in multiple facets of the ER stress-response in mammalian cells.