Protein kinase a in postmortem brain of depressed suicide victims: altered expression of specific regulatory and catalytic subunits

Activation of protein kinase A (cAMP-dependent protein kinase; PKA) triggers insulin secretion in the β-cell. Adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT), a bacterial exotoxin with adenylate cyclase activity, and forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, both dose-dependently increased insulin secretion in the presence, but not the absence, of glucose in insulin-secreting βTC3 cells. The stimulation of cAMP release by either agent was dose-dependent but glucose-independent. Omission of extracellular Ca2+ totally abolished the effects of ACT on insulin secretion and cytosolic cAMP accumulation. ACT and forskolin caused rapid and dramatic increases in cytosolic Ca2+, which were blocked by nifedipine and the omission of extracellular Ca2+. Omission of glucose completely blocked the effects of forskolin and partially blocked the effects of ACT on cytosolic Ca2+. PKA α, β and γ catalytic subunits (Cα, Cβ and Cγ respectively) were identified in βTC6 cells by confocal microscopy. Glucose and glucagon-like polypeptide-1 (GLP-1) caused translocation of Cα to the nucleus and of Cβ to the plasma membrane and the nucleus, but did not affect the distribution of Cγ. In conclusion, glucose and GLP-1 amplify insulin secretion via cAMP production and PKAβ activation.

Download Full-text

Protein Kinase A Regulates MYC Protein through Transcriptional and Post-translational Mechanisms in a Catalytic Subunit Isoform-specific Manner

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1074/jbc.m112.432377 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 288 (20) ◽

pp. 14158-14169 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Achuth Padmanabhan ◽

Xiang Li ◽

Charles J. Bieberich

Keyword(s):

Protein Kinase ◽

Protein Kinase A ◽

Term Effect ◽

Catalytic Subunit ◽

Short Term ◽

Catalytic Subunits ◽

Multiple Substrates ◽

Pka Catalytic Subunit ◽

Kinase A ◽

In Cells

MYC levels are tightly regulated in cells, and deregulation is associated with many cancers. In this report, we describe the existence of a MYC-protein kinase A (PKA)-polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) signaling loop in cells. We report that sequential MYC phosphorylation by PKA and PLK1 protects MYC from proteasome-mediated degradation. Interestingly, short term pan-PKA inhibition diminishes MYC level, whereas prolonged PKA catalytic subunit α (PKACα) knockdown, but not PKA catalytic subunit β (PKACβ) knockdown, increases MYC. We show that the short term effect of pan-PKA inhibition on MYC is post-translational and the PKACα-specific long term effect on MYC is transcriptional. These data also reveal distinct functional roles among PKA catalytic isoforms in MYC regulation. We attribute this effect to differential phosphorylation selectivity among PKA catalytic subunits, which we demonstrate for multiple substrates. Further, we also show that MYC up-regulates PKACβ, transcriptionally forming a proximate positive feedback loop. These results establish PKA as a regulator of MYC and highlight the distinct biological roles of the different PKA catalytic subunits.

Download Full-text