Association of PP1 with Its Regulatory Subunit AKAP149 Is Regulated by Serine Phosphorylation Flanking the RVXF Motif of AKAP149

Molecular Mechanisms of AMPA Receptor Trafficking in the Nervous System

Synaptic plasticity enhances or reduces connections between neurons, affecting learning and memory. Postsynaptic AMPARs mediate greater than 90% of the rapid excitatory synaptic transmission in glutamatergic neurons. The number and subunit composition of AMPARs are fundamental to synaptic plasticity and the formation of entire neural networks. Accordingly, the insertion and functionalization of AMPARs at the postsynaptic membrane have become a core issue related to neural circuit formation and information processing in the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the related mechanisms of AMPAR expression and trafficking. The proteins related to AMPAR trafficking are discussed in detail, including vesicle-related proteins, cytoskeletal proteins, synaptic proteins, and protein kinases. Furthermore, significant emphasis was placed on the pivotal role of the actin cytoskeleton, which spans throughout the entire transport process in AMPAR transport, indicating that the actin cytoskeleton may serve as a fundamental basis for AMPAR trafficking. Additionally, we summarize the proteases involved in AMPAR post-translational modifications. Moreover, we provide an overview of AMPAR transport and localization to the postsynaptic membrane. Understanding the assembly, trafficking, and dynamic synaptic expression mechanisms of AMPAR may provide valuable insights into the cognitive decline associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

Dephosphorylation in nuclear reassembly after mitosis

In most animal cell types, the interphase nucleus is largely disassembled during mitotic entry. The nuclear envelope breaks down and chromosomes are compacted into separated masses. Chromatin organization is also mostly lost and kinetochores assemble on centromeres. Mitotic protein kinases play several roles in inducing these transformations by phosphorylating multiple effector proteins. In many of these events, the mechanistic consequences of phosphorylation have been characterized. In comparison, how the nucleus reassembles at the end of mitosis is less well understood in mechanistic terms. In recent years, much progress has been made in deciphering how dephosphorylation of several effector proteins promotes nuclear envelope reassembly, chromosome decondensation, kinetochore disassembly and interphase chromatin organization. The precise roles of protein phosphatases in this process, in particular of the PP1 and PP2A groups, are emerging. Moreover, how these enzymes are temporally and spatially regulated to ensure that nuclear reassembly progresses in a coordinated manner has been partly uncovered. This review provides a global view of nuclear reassembly with a focus on the roles of dephosphorylation events. It also identifies important open questions and proposes hypotheses.

Targeted disruption of PKC from AKAP signaling complexes

Protein Kinase C (PKC) is a member of the AGC subfamily of kinases and regulates a wide array of signaling pathways and physiological processes. Protein-protein interactions involving PKC and its scaffolding partners dictate the spatiotemporal dynamics of PKC activity, including its access to activating second messenger molecules and potential substrates. While the A Kinase Anchoring Protein (AKAP) family of scaffold proteins universally bind PKA, several were also found to scaffold PKC, thereby serving to tune its catalytic output. Targeting these scaffolding interactions can further shed light on the effect of subcellular compartmentalization on PKC signaling. Here we report the development of two hydrocarbon stapled peptides, CSTAD5 and CSTAD6, that are cell permeable and bind PKC to disrupt PKC-gravin complex formation in cells. Both constrained peptides downregulate PMA-induced cytoskeletal remodeling that is mediated by the PKC-gravin complex as measured by cell rounding. Further, these peptides downregulate PKC substrate phosphorylation and cell motility. To the best of our knowledge, no PKC-selective AKAP disruptors have previously been reported and thus CSTAD5 and CSTAD6 are novel disruptors of PKC scaffolding by AKAPs and may serve as powerful tools for dissecting AKAP-localized PKC signaling.

Co-ordinated control of the Aurora B abscission checkpoint by PKCε complex assembly, midbody recruitment and retention

A requirement for PKCε in exiting from the Aurora B dependent abscission checkpoint is associated with events at the midbody, however, the recruitment, retention and action of PKCε in this compartment are poorly understood. Here, the prerequisite for 14-3-3 complex assembly in this pathway is directly linked to the phosphorylation of Aurora B S227 at the midbody. However, while essential for PKCε control of Aurora B, 14-3-3 association is shown to be unnecessary for the activity-dependent enrichment of PKCε at the midbody. This localisation is demonstrated to be an autonomous property of the inactive PKCε D532N mutant, consistent with activity-dependent dissociation. The C1A and C1B domains are necessary for this localisation, while the C2 domain and inter-C1 domain (IC1D) are necessary for retention at the midbody. Furthermore, it is shown that while the IC1D mutant retains 14-3-3 complex proficiency, it does not support Aurora B phosphorylation, nor rescues division failure observed with knockdown of endogenous PKCε. It is concluded that the concerted action of multiple independent events facilitates PKCε phosphorylation of Aurora B at the midbody to control exit from the abscission checkpoint.

Controlling Ser/Thr protein phosphatase PP1 activity and function through interaction with regulatory subunits

Protein phosphatase 1 is a major Ser/Thr protein phosphatase activity in eukaryotic cells. It is composed of a catalytic polypeptide (PP1C), with little substrate specificity, that interacts with a large variety of proteins of diverse structure (regulatory subunits). The diversity of holoenzymes that can be formed explain the multiplicity of cellular functions under the control of this phosphatase. In quite a few cases, regulatory subunits have an inhibitory role, downregulating the activity of the phosphatase. In this chapter we shall introduce PP1C and review the most relevant families of PP1C regulatory subunits, with particular emphasis in describing the structural basis for their interaction.

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Alter the Cellular Phosphoproteome in A549 Cells

TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the most produced NPs worldwide and are used in many consumer products. Their impact on human health, especially through inhalation, has been studied for more than two decades. TiO₂ is known for its strong affinity towards phosphates, and consequently interaction with cellular phosphates may be one of the mechanisms driving its toxicity. In the present study, we used a phosphoproteomics approach to document the interaction of TiO₂-NP with phosphoproteins from A549 human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells. Cells were exposed to 21 nm anatase/rutile TiO₂-NPs, then their phosphopeptides were extracted and analyzed using shotgun proteomics. By comparing the phosphoprotein content, phosphorylation status and phosphorylation sites of exposed cells with that of control cells, our results show that by affecting the phosphoproteome, TiO₂-NPs affect cellular processes such as apoptosis, linked with cell cycle and the DNA damage response, TP53 being central to these pathways. Other pathways including inflammation and molecular transport are also affected. These molecular mechanisms of TiO₂-NP toxicity have been reported previously, our study shows for the first time that they may derive from phosphoproteome modulation, which could be one of their upstream regulators.

Potential for therapeutic targeting of AKAP signaling complexes in nervous system disorders

A common feature of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders is a breakdown in the integrity of intracellular signal transduction pathways. Dysregulation of ion channels and receptors in the cell membrane and the enzymatic mediators that link them to intracellular effectors can lead to synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death. However, therapeutic targeting of these ubiquitous signaling elements can lead to off-target side effects due to their widespread expression in multiple systems of the body. A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) are multivalent scaffolding proteins that compartmentalize a diverse range of receptor and effector proteins to streamline signaling within nanodomain signalosomes. A number of essential neurological processes are known to critically depend on AKAP-directed signaling and an understanding of the role AKAPs play in nervous system disorders has emerged in recent years. Selective targeting of AKAP protein-protein interactions may be a means to uncouple pathologically active signaling pathways in neurological disorders with a greater degree of specificity. In this review we will discuss the role of AKAPs in both regulating normal nervous system function and dysfunction associated with disease, and the potential for therapeutic targeting of AKAP signaling complexes.

Yessotoxin, a Promising Therapeutic Tool

Yessotoxin (YTX) is a polyether compound produced by dinoflagellates and accumulated in filter feeding shellfish. No records about human intoxications induced by this compound have been published, however it is considered a toxin. Modifications in second messenger levels, protein levels, immune cells, cytoskeleton or activation of different cellular death types have been published as consequence of YTX exposure. This review summarizes the main intracellular pathways modulated by YTX and their pharmacological and therapeutic implications.

BRI2 and BRI3 are functionally distinct phosphoproteins

Three BRI protein family members have been identified. Among these are BRI3 and BRI2, the latter is associated with Familial Danish and Familial British dementias. 'In silico' sequence analysis identified putative PP1 binding sites in BRI2 and BRI3. This is singularly important, given that protein phosphorylation is a major mechanism regulating intracellular processes. Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) interacting proteins (PIPs) are fundamental in determining substrate specificity and subcellular localization of this phosphatase. More than 200 PIPs have thus far been reported. Both BRI2 and BRI3 are type II transmembrane glycoproteins relevant in neuronal systems. Using Myc-BRI2 and Myc-BRI3, wild type and PP1 binding mutant constructs, it was possible to show, for the first time, that in fact BRI2 and BRI3 bind PP1. The complexes BRI2:PP1 and BRI3:PP1 were validated in vitro and in vivo. The subcellular distribution of BRI2 and BRI3 is similar; both localize to the perinuclear area and Golgi apparatus in non-neuronal cells. However, in SH-SY5Y cells, BRI2 and BRI3 could also be detected in elongated cellular projections ('processes') and in rat cortical neurons both are broadly distributed throughout the cell body, neuritis and the nucleus. Consistently, co-localization of BRI2 and BRI3 with PP1 was evident. The functional significance of these complexes is apparent given that both BRI proteins are substrates of PP1, thus simultaneously this is the first report of BRI2 and BRI3 as phosphoproteins. Moreover, we show that when BRI2 is phosphorylated a significant increase in neuronal outgrowth and differentiation is evident. Interestingly, the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein (APP), forms a trimeric complex composed of PP1 and Fe65, with PP1 having the capacity to dephosphorylate APP at Thr668 residue. The emerging consensus appears to be that PP1 containing complexes are crucial in regulating signaling events underlying neuropathological conditions.

Nuclear Reformation at the End of Mitosis

Cells have developed highly sophisticated ways to accurately pass on their genetic information to the daughter cells. In animal cells, which undergo open mitosis, the nuclear envelope breaks down at the beginning of mitosis and the chromatin massively condenses to be captured and segregated by the mitotic spindle. These events have to be reverted in order to allow the reformation of a nucleus competent for DNA transcription and replication, as well as all other nuclear processes occurring in interphase. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of how, in animal cells, the highly compacted mitotic chromosomes are decondensed at the end of mitosis and how a nuclear envelope, including functional nuclear pore complexes, reassembles around these decondensing chromosomes.

Role of AKAP 149-PKA-PDE4A complex in cell survival and cell differentiation processes

The cellular localization of A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs), protein kinase A (PKAs) and phosphodiesterases (PDEs) is a key step to the spatiotemporal regulation of the second messenger adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). In this paper the cellular distribution of the mitochondrial AKAP 149-PKA-PDE4A complex and its implications in the cell death induced by YTX treatment, a known PDE modulator, was studied. K-562 cell line was incubated with YTX for 24 or 48 h. Under these conditions AKAP 149, PKA and type-4A PDE (PDE4A) levels were measured in the cytosol, in the plasma membrane and in the nucleus. Apoptotic hallmarks were also measured after the same conditions. In addition, YTX effect on cell viability was checked after AKAP 149 and PDE4A silencing. The results obtained show a decrease in AKAP 149-PKA-PDE4A levels in cytosol after YTX exposure. 24h after the toxin addition, the complex expression increased in the plasma membrane and after 48 h in the nucleus domain. Furthermore Bcl-2 levels were decreased and the expression of caspase 3 together with caspase 8 activity were increased after 24h of toxin incubation but not after 48 h. These results suggest apoptotic cell death at 24h and a non-apoptotic cell death after 48 h. When AKAP 149 and PDE4A were silenced YTX did not induce cellular death. In summary, AKAP 149-PKA-PDE4A complex localization is related with YTX effect in K-562 cell line. When this complex is mainly located in the plasma membrane apoptosis is activated while when the complex is in the nuclear domain non-apoptotic cellular death or cellular differentiation is activated. Therefore AKAP 149-PKA-PDE4A distribution and integrity have a key role in cellular survival.

Rif1 controls DNA replication by directing Protein Phosphatase 1 to reverse Cdc7-mediated phosphorylation of the MCM complex

Initiation of eukaryotic DNA replication requires phosphorylation of the MCM complex by Dbf4-dependent kinase (DDK), composed of Cdc7 kinase and its activator, Dbf4. We report here that budding yeast Rif1 (Rap1-interacting factor 1) controls DNA replication genome-wide and describe how Rif1 opposes DDK function by directing Protein Phosphatase 1 (PP1)-mediated dephosphorylation of the MCM complex. Deleting RIF1 partially compensates for the limited DDK activity in a cdc7-1 mutant strain by allowing increased, premature phosphorylation of Mcm4. PP1 interaction motifs within the Rif1 N-terminal domain are critical for its repressive effect on replication. We confirm that Rif1 interacts with PP1 and that PP1 prevents premature Mcm4 phosphorylation. Remarkably, our results suggest that replication repression by Rif1 is itself also DDK-regulated through phosphorylation near the PP1-interacting motifs. Based on our findings, we propose that Rif1 is a novel PP1 substrate targeting subunit that counteracts DDK-mediated phosphorylation during replication. Fission yeast and mammalian Rif1 proteins have also been implicated in regulating DNA replication. Since PP1 interaction sites are evolutionarily conserved within the Rif1 sequence, it is likely that replication control by Rif1 through PP1 is a conserved mechanism.

Mitochondria: a kinase anchoring protein 1, a signaling platform for mitochondrial form and function

Mitochondria are best known for their role as cellular power plants, but they also serve as signaling hubs, regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival. A kinase anchoring protein 1 (AKAP1) is a scaffold protein that recruits protein kinase A (PKA) and other signaling proteins, as well as RNA, to the outer mitochondrial membrane. AKAP1 thereby integrates several second messenger cascades to modulate mitochondrial function and associated physiological and pathophysiological outcomes. Here, we review what is currently known about AKAP1's macromolecular interactions in health and disease states, including obesity. We also discuss dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), the enzyme that catalyzes mitochondrial fission, as one of the key substrates of the PKA/AKAP1 signaling complex in neurons. Recent evidence suggests that AKAP1 has critical roles in neuronal development and survival, which are mediated by inhibitory phosphorylation of Drp1 and maintenance of mitochondrial integrity.

Repo-Man-PP1: a link between chromatin remodelling and nuclear envelope reassembly

Coordination of late mitotic events is crucial for the maintenance of genome stability and for the control of gene expression after cell division. Reversible protein phosphorylation regulates this process by de-phosphorylation of mitotic phospho-proteins in a sequential and coordinated manner: this allows an orderly sequence of events to take place during mitotic exit. We have identified Repo-Man/PP1 as a phosphatase complex that regulates temporally and spatially chromatin re-organization and nuclear envelope re-formation during anaphase-telophase.

The different function of single phosphorylation sites of Drosophila melanogaster lamin Dm and lamin C

Lamins' functions are regulated by phosphorylation at specific sites but our understanding of the role of such modifications is practically limited to the function of cdc 2 (cdk1) kinase sites in depolymerization of the nuclear lamina during mitosis. In our study we used Drosophila lamin Dm (B-type) to examine the function of particular phosphorylation sites using pseudophosphorylated mutants mimicking single phosphorylation at experimentally confirmed in vivo phosphosites (S(25)E, S(45)E, T(435)E, S(595)E). We also analyzed lamin C (A-type) and its mutant S(37)E representing the N-terminal cdc2 (mitotic) site as well as lamin Dm R(64)H mutant as a control, non-polymerizing lamin. In the polymerization assay we could observe different effects of N-terminal cdc2 site pseudophosphorylation on A- and B-type lamins: lamin Dm S(45)E mutant was insoluble, in contrast to lamin C S(37)E. Lamin Dm T(435)E (C-terminal cdc2 site) and R(64)H were soluble in vitro. We also confirmed that none of the single phosphorylation site modifications affected the chromatin binding of lamin Dm, in contrast to the lamin C N-terminal cdc2 site. In vivo, all lamin Dm mutants were incorporated efficiently into the nuclear lamina in transfected Drosophila S2 and HeLa cells, although significant amounts of S(45)E and T(435)E were also located in cytoplasm. When farnesylation incompetent mutants were expressed in HeLa cells, lamin Dm T(435)E was cytoplasmic and showed higher mobility in FRAP assay.

Mutually exclusive binding of PP1 and RNA to AKAP149 affects the mitochondrial network

A-kinase-anchoring protein 149 (AKAP149) is a membrane protein of the mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum/nuclear envelope network. AKAP149 controls the subcellular localization and temporal order of protein phosphorylation by tethering protein kinases and phosphatases to these compartments. AKAP149 also includes an RNA-binding K homology (KH) domain, the loss of function of which has been associated in other proteins with neurodegenerative syndromes. We show here that protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) binding occurs through a conserved RVXF motif found in the KH domain of AKAP149 and that PP1 and RNA binding to this same site is mutually exclusive and controlled through a novel, phosphorylation-dependent mechanism. A collapse of the mitochondrial network is observed upon introduction of RNA-binding deficient mutants of AKAP149, pointing to the importance of RNA tethering to the mitochondrial membrane by AKAP149 for mitochondrial distribution.

AKAP149 binds to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and is involved in the reverse transcription

Like all retroviruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) undergoes reverse transcription during its replication cycle. The cellular cofactors potentially involved in this process still remain to be identified. We show here that A-kinase anchoring protein 149 (AKAP149) interacts with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) in both the yeast two-hybrid system and human cells. The AKAP149 binding site has been mapped to the RNase H domain of HIV-1 RT. AKAP149 silencing by RNA interference in HIV-1-infected cells inhibited viral replication at the reverse transcription step. We selected single-point mutants of RT defective for AKAP149 binding and demonstrated that mutant G462R, despite retaining significant intrinsic RT activity in vitro, failed to carry out HIV-1 reverse transcription correctly in infected cells. This suggests that the interaction between RT and AKAP149 in infected cells may play an important role in HIV-1 reverse transcription.

Phosphorylation of CK1delta: identification of Ser370 as the major phosphorylation site targeted by PKA in vitro and in vivo

The involvement of CK1 (casein kinase 1) delta in the regulation of multiple cellular processes implies a tight regulation of its activity on many different levels. At the protein level, reversible phosphorylation plays an important role in modulating the activity of CK1delta. In the present study, we show that PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase), Akt (protein kinase B), CLK2 (CDC-like kinase 2) and PKC (protein kinase C) alpha all phosphorylate CK1delta. PKA was identified as the major cellular CK1deltaCK (CK1delta C-terminal-targeted protein kinase) for the phosphorylation of CK1delta in vitro and in vivo. This was implied by the following evidence: PKA was detectable in the CK1deltaCK peak fraction of fractionated MiaPaCa-2 cell extracts, PKA shared nearly identical kinetic properties with those of CK1deltaCK, and both PKA and CK1deltaCK phosphorylated CK1delta at Ser370 in vitro. Furthermore, phosphorylation of CK1delta by PKA decreased substrate phosphorylation of CK1delta in vitro. Mutation of Ser370 to alanine increased the phosphorylation affinity of CK1delta for beta-casein and the GST (gluthatione S-transferase)-p53 1-64 fusion protein in vitro and enhanced the formation of an ectopic dorsal axis during Xenopus laevis development. Anchoring of PKA and CK1delta to centrosomes was mediated by AKAP (A-kinase-anchoring protein) 450. Interestingly, pre-incubation of MiaPaCa-2 cells with the synthetic peptide St-Ht31, which prevents binding between AKAP450 and the regulatory subunit RII of PKA, resulted in a 6-fold increase in the activity of CK1delta. In summary, we conclude that PKA phosphorylates CK1delta, predominantly at Ser370 in vitro and in vivo, and that site-specific phosphorylation of CK1delta by PKA plays an important role in modulating CK1delta-dependent processes.

What MAN1 does to the Smads

The inner nuclear membrane protein MAN1 has been identified as an important factor in transforming growth factor beta/bone morphogenic protein (TGFbeta/BMP) signaling. Loss of MAN1 results in three autosomal dominant diseases in humans; all three characterized by increased bone density. Xenopus embryos lacking MAN1 develop severe morphological defects. Both in humans and in Xenopus embryos the defects originate from deregulation of TGFbeta/BMP signaling. Several independent studies have shown that MAN1 is antagonizing TGFbeta/BMP signaling through binding to regulatory Smads. Here, recent progress in understanding MAN1 functions is summarized and a model for MAN1-dependent regulation of TGFbeta/BMP signaling is proposed.

Lining the pockets of kinases and phosphatases

The regulation of the activity of kinases and phosphatases is an essential aspect of intracellular signal transduction. Recently determined structures of AGC protein kinases, including isoforms of PKB, PKC, GRK and ROCK, indicate that occupancy of a hydrophobic pocket in the kinase N-lobe by a segment of the protein immediately C terminal to the kinase domain provides a mechanism for regulating kinase activity. In addition, crystal structures of Aurora-A and Aurora-B, which are closely related to AGC family kinases, in complex with their activators, TPX2 and INCENP, respectively, show how allosteric kinase activation is achieved by the binding of the activator protein to an equivalent hydrophobic pocket. Hence, regulation of kinase activity by analogous interactions is a shared regulatory mechanism of these kinases. Two crystal structures have explained the molecular basis of PKA anchoring through its regulatory subunits by members of the AKAP family of scaffold proteins. AKAPs can also interact directly with protein kinase and phosphatase catalytic domains. The crystal structure of the PP1 catalytic subunit in complex with the targeting subunit MYPT1 indicates that there is also scope for intimate phosphatase regulation by scaffold proteins.