scholarly journals Htt is a repressor of Abl activity required for APP-induced axonal growth

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e1009287
Author(s):  
Claire Marquilly ◽  
Germain U. Busto ◽  
Brittany S. Leger ◽  
Ana Boulanger ◽  
Edward Giniger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Axon Growth ◽  
Axon Outgrowth ◽  
Developmental Defects ◽  
Abl Kinase ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Polyglutamine Tract

Huntington’s disease is a progressive autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine tract at the N-terminus of a large cytoplasmic protein. The Drosophila huntingtin (htt) gene is widely expressed during all developmental stages from embryos to adults. However, Drosophila htt mutant individuals are viable with no obvious developmental defects. We asked if such defects could be detected in htt mutants in a background that had been genetically sensitized to reveal cryptic developmental functions. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Appl is the Drosophila APP ortholog and Appl signaling modulates axon outgrowth in the mushroom bodies (MBs), the learning and memory center in the fly, in part by recruiting Abl tyrosine kinase. Here, we find that htt mutations suppress axon outgrowth defects of αβ neurons in Appl mutant MB by derepressing the activity of Abl. We show that Abl is required in MB αβ neurons for their axon outgrowth. Importantly, both Abl overexpression and lack of expression produce similar phenotypes in the MBs, indicating the necessity of tightly regulating Abl activity. We find that Htt behaves genetically as a repressor of Abl activity, and consistent with this, in vivo FRET-based measurements reveal a significant increase in Abl kinase activity in the MBs when Htt levels are reduced. Thus, Appl and Htt have essential but opposing roles in MB development, promoting and suppressing Abl kinase activity, respectively, to maintain the appropriate intermediate level necessary for axon growth.

Detection of c-abl tyrosine kinase activity in vitro permits direct comparison of normal and altered abl gene products

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3116-3123
Author(s):  
J B Konopka ◽  
O N Witte
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Myelogenous Leukemia ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Activity ◽  
Abl Kinase ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Assay Conditions

The v-abl transforming protein P160v-abl and the P210c-abl gene product of the translocated c-abl gene in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia cells have tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. Under similar assay conditions the normal c-abl gene products, murine P150c-abl and human P145c-abl, lacked detectable kinase activity. Reaction conditions were modified to identify conditions which would permit the detection of c-abl tyrosine kinase activity. It was found that the Formalin-fixed Staphylococcus aureus formerly used for immunoprecipitation inhibits in vitro abl kinase activity. In addition, the sodium dodecyl sulfate and deoxycholate detergents formerly used in the cell lysis buffer were found to decrease recovered abl kinase activity. The discovery of assay conditions for c-abl kinase activity now makes it possible to compare P150c-abl and P145c-abl kinase activity with the altered abl proteins P160v-abl and P210c-abl. Although all of the abl proteins have in vitro tyrosine kinase activity, they differ in the way they utilize themselves as substrates in vitro. Comparison of in vitro and in vivo tyrosine phosphorylation sites of the abl proteins suggests that they function differently in vivo. The development of c-abl kinase assay conditions should be useful in elucidating c-abl function.

scholarly journals Detection of c-abl tyrosine kinase activity in vitro permits direct comparison of normal and altered abl gene products.

1985 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3116-3123 ◽  
Author(s):  
J B Konopka ◽  
O N Witte
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Myelogenous Leukemia ◽  
Gene Products ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Activity ◽  
Abl Kinase ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Assay Conditions

The v-abl transforming protein P160v-abl and the P210c-abl gene product of the translocated c-abl gene in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia cells have tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. Under similar assay conditions the normal c-abl gene products, murine P150c-abl and human P145c-abl, lacked detectable kinase activity. Reaction conditions were modified to identify conditions which would permit the detection of c-abl tyrosine kinase activity. It was found that the Formalin-fixed Staphylococcus aureus formerly used for immunoprecipitation inhibits in vitro abl kinase activity. In addition, the sodium dodecyl sulfate and deoxycholate detergents formerly used in the cell lysis buffer were found to decrease recovered abl kinase activity. The discovery of assay conditions for c-abl kinase activity now makes it possible to compare P150c-abl and P145c-abl kinase activity with the altered abl proteins P160v-abl and P210c-abl. Although all of the abl proteins have in vitro tyrosine kinase activity, they differ in the way they utilize themselves as substrates in vitro. Comparison of in vitro and in vivo tyrosine phosphorylation sites of the abl proteins suggests that they function differently in vivo. The development of c-abl kinase assay conditions should be useful in elucidating c-abl function.

scholarly journals HTT is a repressor of ABL activity required for APP induced axonal growth

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Marquilly ◽  
Germain Busto ◽  
Brittany S. Leger ◽  
Edward Giniger ◽  
James A. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Axon Growth ◽  
Axonal Growth ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Mushroom Bodies ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Downstream Effector ◽  
Similar Phenotype ◽  
Clear Increase

ABSTRACTABL tyrosine kinase activity controls several aspects of development including axon patterning. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is linked to Alzheimer’s disease and previous work established that ABL is a downstream effector in an Appl, the Drosophila App ortholog, signaling pathway which modulates axon outgrowth in the mushroom bodies (MBs), the fly memory center. Here we show that Abl is required for the MB neuron axonal growth. Importantly, both Abl overexpression and lack of expression produce a similar phenotype in the MBs indicating the necessity of tightly regulating ABL activity. We find that the fly huntingtin protein (HTT), the homolog of the protein involved in Huntington’s disease, behaves genetically as a repressor of ABL activity. Supporting this, FRET-based measurements of in vivo ABL activity in the MBs reveal a clear increase in its activity when HTT levels are reduced. Thus, in addition to its many other reported roles, HTT acts as a negative regulator of ABL activity, at least in the MBs, to maintain its appropriate physiological levels necessary for axon growth.

In Vitro and In Vivo Inhibition of the T315I Mutant BCR/ABL Kinase.

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 2182-2182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Zhu ◽  
Ehab Hanna ◽  
Dan Lohse ◽  
Silva Stoughton ◽  
Betty Tam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Pharmacokinetic Profile ◽  
Atp Binding Site ◽  
Abl Kinase ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Medical Need ◽  
T315i Mutation ◽  
Mutant Kinase

Abstract The T315I point mutation situated at the ATP-binding site of BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase remains to be the major unmet medical need in treating CML patients. None of the marketed CML drugs, including Imatinib or the recently approved Dasatinib, are able to inhibit this clinically most prevalent mutant of BCR/ABL kinase. To overcome the T315I mutation-presented hurdle, a novel small molecule BCR/ABL inhibitor, TG101223, has been synthesized and characterized in vitro and in vivo. Enzymatic activity of T315I mutant kinase and proliferation of BaF3:BCR/ABLT315I cells were inhibited with an IC50 of 50 nM and EC50 of 500 nM respectively. However, little effect of TG101223 was observed on the proliferation of the control BaF3 cells (IC50≥5,000 nM). Consistent with these observations, 24 hour treatment with 2,000 nM TG101223 induced DNA fragmentation in BCR/ABLT315I cells, but not in the control BaF3 cells. Furthermore, caspase-3 activation was detected in BCR/ABLT315I cells by an in-cell caspase assay following 4 h treatment with 2,000 nM TG101223. The above results strongly suggest that TG101223 inhibits BCR/ABLT315I-mediated cell proliferation and survival. In contrast, Imatinib did not inhibit AblT315I enzyme nor BCR/ABLT315I cell proliferation. The kinase selectivity of TG101223 was determined using a commercial enzyme assay with a panel of 49 phylogentically diverse protein kinases. Only Abl, Flt3 and the mutants of those two kinases were inhibited by more than 80% with 500 nM TG101223. Importantly, TG101223 demonstrated a desirable pharmacokinetic profile in mouse (oral bioavailability: 40%, clearance: 23 mL/min/kg and T½: 5 h). The tumorogenicity of BCR/AblT315I cells were confirmed by the observation that tail vein infusion with BCR/ABLT315I cells induced splenomegaly in SCID mice and death by day 14. To assess the in vivo activities of TG101223, mice were dosed orally once with TG101223 on day 13, followed by harvesting of their spleens 7 hours after dosing for Western blot-based protein phosphorylation analysis. A significant induction in phosphorylation of both CrkL and BCR/ABL was observed in the spleens of T315I cell recipient mice, supporting the notion that splenomegaly is a result of the infiltration of proliferating BCR/ABLT315I cells. The above induction in spleen CrkL and BCR/ABL phosphorylation was inhibited by TG101223. These data suggest that TG101223 is a promising candidate for treating the drug resistant CML patients.

p27 Is Mislocalized to the Cytoplasm by BCR-ABL In a Kinase-Independent Manner and Contributes to Leukemogenesis

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 512-512
Author(s):  
Anupriya Agarwal ◽  
Ryan J Meckenzie ◽  
Thomas O'Hare ◽  
Kavin B Vasudevan ◽  
Dorian H LaTocha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Suppressor ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Immunofluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Histopathological Analysis ◽  
Imatinib Treatment ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Abl Kinase

Abstract Abstract 512 Background: BCR-ABL promotes cell cycle progression by interfering with the regulatory functions of p27, a cyclin dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor and tumor suppressor. We have previously shown that BCR-ABL kinase activity promotes degradation of nuclear p27 (Agarwal, A. et al. Blood 2008). Additionally, in primary CML cells, p27 is mislocalized to the cytoplasm, thereby relieving Cdks from p27 inhibition. Results from studies of solid tumors show that cytoplasmic p27 can actively contribute to oncogenesis, raising the question of whether cytoplasmic p27 in CML cells may actively promote leukemogenesis rather than merely compromise Cdk inhibition. We hypothesize that BCR-ABL disrupts p27 function in a dual manner by reducing nuclear p27, where p27 normally serves as a tumor suppressor, and by increasing cytoplasmic p27, where it might have oncogenic activity. Experimental Approach and Results: Immunoblotting of nuclear and cytoplasmic lysates of CD34+ cells from 11 CML patients revealed that p27 localization is predominantly cytoplasmic in the majority of patients (10/11; 91%) irrespective of disease phase, while p27 was mostly nuclear in normal controls. Similar results were obtained by immunofluorescence microscopy. Imatinib treatment increased nuclear p27 suggesting that nuclear p27 levels are regulated by BCR-ABL kinase activity. However, imatinib does not alter cytoplasmic p27 levels, suggesting that cytoplasmic mislocalization of p27 is a kinase-independent effect of BCR-ABL. Kinase-independent regulation of cytoplasmic p27 localization was also tested by immunofluorescence microscopy of p27−/− MEFs engineered to express active or kinase-dead BCR-ABL in combination with wild-type p27. In these cells cytoplasmic p27 abundance was increased both by kinase-active or kinase-dead BCR-ABL as compared to the vector control. To interrogate the role of p27 in vivo we retrovirally transduced p27+/+ or p27−/− bone marrow with BCR-ABL-GFP retrovirus and sorted Lin-/c-Kit+/Sca-I+ cells by FACS, allowing for injection of exactly matched numbers of BCR-ABL-expressing GFP+ cells (5000/animal). Median survival was significantly reduced for recipients of p27−/− marrow as compared to p27+/+ controls (34 days vs. 93 days p<0.0001). Recipients of p27−/− marrow also exhibited significantly increased white blood cell (4.5-fold) and platelet counts (3.9-fold) as well as spleen size (6-fold) and liver size (1.6-fold). Accordingly, there was more pronounced leukemic infiltration of myeloid precursors on histopathology as compared to controls. An in vivo competition experiment performed by injecting equal numbers of BCR-ABL-transduced p27−/− and p27+/+ marrow cells in congenic recipients resulted in leukemias in recipient mice (N=8) that were derived exclusively from p27−/− cells. In total, these results suggest that the net function of p27 in CML is tumor suppressive. To functionally dissect the role of nuclear and cytoplasmic p27, we used p27T187A transgenic mice (in which nuclear p27 degradation is reduced) and p27S10A mice (in which p27 export to the cytoplasm is reduced resulting in predominantly nuclear p27). Mice of matched genetic background were used as p27WT controls in CML retroviral transduction/transplantation experiments. In both cases, survival was prolonged compared to controls: 25 vs. 21 days for p27T187A (p=0.05) and 32 vs. 23 days for p27S10A (p=0.01). This suggests that stabilization of nuclear p27 (p27T187A) and more significantly lack of cytoplasmic p27 (p27S10A) attenuate BCR-ABL-mediated leukemogenesis. Consistent with this, autopsy and histopathological analysis revealed reduced hepatosplenomegaly (p27T187A mice) and improved cell differentiation with a relative increase of mature neutophils (p27S10A mice) as compared to wild-type controls. Conclusions: These results provide in vivo evidence that p27 has genetically separable dual roles in CML as both a nuclear tumor suppressor and cytoplasmic oncogene. A kinase-independent activity of BCR-ABL contributes to leukemogenesis through aberrant p27 localization to the cytoplasm. This oncogene activity is independent from the kinase-dependent degradation of nuclear p27. We speculate that the inability of tyrosine kinase inhibitors to reverse cytoplasmic p27 mislocalization may contribute to disease persistence despite effective inhibition of BCR-ABL kinase activity. Disclosures: Deininger: Novartis: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Ariad: Consultancy; genzyme: Research Funding.

scholarly journals Activation of tyrosinase kinase and microfilament-binding functions of c-abl by bcr sequences in bcr/abl fusion proteins.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1553-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R McWhirter ◽  
J Y Wang
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Fusion Proteins ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Myelogenous Leukemia ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Activity ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Binding Function

Chronic myelogenous leukemia and one type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia are characterized by a 9;22 chronosome translocation in which 5' sequences of the bcr gene become fused to the c-abl proto-oncogene. The resulting chimeric genes encode bcr/abl fusion proteins which have deregulated tyrosine kinase activity and appear to play an important role in induction of these leukemias. A series of bcr/abl genes were constructed in which nested deletions of the bcr gene were fused to the c-abl gene. The fusion proteins encoded by these genes were assayed for autophosphorylation in vivo and for differences in subcellular localization. Our results demonstrate that bcr sequences activate two functions of c-abl; the tyrosine kinase activity and a previously undescribed microfilament-binding function. Two regions of bcr which activate these functions to different degrees have been mapped: amino acids 1 to 63 were strongly activating and amino acids 64 to 509 were weakly activating. The tyrosine kinase and microfilament-binding functions were not interdependent, as a kinase defective bcr/abl mutant still associated with actin filaments and a bcr/abl mutant lacking actin association still had deregulated kinase activity. Modification of actin filament functions by the bcr/abl tyrosine kinase may be an important event in leukemogenesis.

Survivin silencing sensitizes imatinib-resistant CML cells to the cytotoxic effect of hydroxyurea

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 13119-13119
Author(s):  
F. Stagno ◽  
E. Conte ◽  
S. Stella ◽  
E. Tirrò ◽  
L. Manzella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Cytotoxic Effect ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Survivin Expression ◽  
Over Expression ◽  
Abl Kinase ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Apoptosis Protein

13119 Background: Imatinib Mesylate (IM), a semi-specific inhibitor of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase, is currently the treatment of choice for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). However, about one third of CML patients treated with IM develop resistance to the drug because of reactivation of BCR-ABL kinase activity. This phenomenon is usually ascribed to the amplification of the BCR-ABL gene or to the selection of leukemic clones harboring point mutations that abrogate IM binding. To identify novel anti-apoptotic signaling pathways employed by BCR-ABL and devise strategies capable of killing IM-resistant CML cells, we investigated the interplay between BCR-ABL and the Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein Survivin. Methods: Murine hematopoietic cells (32D) transduced with p210 BCR-ABL and human cell lines either positive (K562, KCL22, KYO1 and LAMA84) or negative (HL60) for the BCR-ABL oncoprotein, were analyzed for Survivin expression by western blot before and after IM treatment. Three different pathways (MAPK, PI3K and JAK2/STA3) potentially involved in BCR-ABL-mediated induction of Survivin were studied using inhibitors specific for each signaling cascade. The effect of Survivin on the proliferation and viability of IM-sensitive and IM-resistant CML cells was investigated after silencing Survivin expression with small interfering RNAs. Results: BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase activity induced an over-expression of Survivin in both human and murine hematopoietic cell lines. This over-expression was both at the transcriptional and the translational level and required the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Survivin silencing by siRNA increased IM cytotoxicity in IM-sensitive cells but failed to restore IM efficacy in IM-resistant cells. However, Survivin silencing sensitized CML cells to the cytotoxic effect of hydroxyurea and enhanced the efficacy of this compound on three different murine cell lines are insensitive to IM because of point mutations in the BCR-ABL kinase domain (Ba/F3p210Y253F, Ba/F3p210D276G and Ba/F3p210T315I). Conclusions: Reduction of Survivin expression improves the efficacy of IM and increases the sensitivity of IM-resistant CML cells to hydroxyurea. Survivin may represent an attractive therapeutic target for both IM-sensitive and IM-resistant CML patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Dissection of Bcr-abl Structural Domains Relating to Kinase Auto-Inhibition Using a Forward Mutational Screen with the Non-ATP Competitive Inhibitor GNF-2.

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 1021-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Powers ◽  
Mohammad Azam ◽  
Nathanael S. Gray ◽  
George Q. Daley
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Sh3 Domain ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Binding Partner ◽  
Abl Kinase ◽  
Indirect Mechanism ◽  
Resistance Model

Abstract The Bcr-abl kinase is the causative agent for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and has been established as the primary clinical target for treatment of the disease through extensive use of Imatinib. Imatinib is the defining member of a class of ATP-binding site competitive inhibitors that lock Bcr-abl in an inactive conformation. Mutational screens of Bcr-abl using Imatinib and its derivatives as probes have been highly informative in prediction of clinically relevant mutations of Bcr-abl as well as in revealing the structure/function relationship of the kinase in general. Using compounds with a distinct mechanism of action from the Imatinib class to interrogate Bcr-abl will contribute to both more complete understanding of kinase function as well as to potential combination therapies for more effective treatment of CML. GNF-2, a recently identified inhibitor of Bcr-abl, establishes a new class of non-ATP competitive Bcr-abl family kinase inhibitors that may be developed as therapeutic agents for CML. GNF-2 effectively impairs the in vivo kinase activity of Bcr-abl and the growth of Bcr-abl transformed cells. GNF-2 functions at least in part through association with the myristate binding pocket of Bcr-abl. In order to further elucidate the mechanism of GNF-2 action as well as clinically relevant GNF-2 resistant mutants of Bcr-abl, a mutational screen coupling Bcr-abl mutagenesis to selection of drug resistance was performed using GNF-2 as probe. A number of functionally distinct resistant Bcr-abl mutations were recovered. Over half of all GNF-2 resistant clones harbored Bcr-abl mutations affecting the myristate binding pocket or the abl-SH3 domain, suggesting two potential methods of mutational resistance. The myristate binding domain mutants support a direct resistance model whereby GNF-2 association with Bcr-abl is impaired by disruption of the myristate binding pocket. Given a previous report that GNF-2 cannot inhibit Bcr-abl kinase activity in vitro, a novel model emerges for indirect resistance to GNF-2 by SH3 mutants that lose affinity for an inhibitory associated protein. The indirect resistance model specifically suggests that GNF-2 association confers a structural state of wildtype Bcr-abl which facilitates association to a putative inhibitory binding partner, thereby affecting inhibition. Indeed, the strongest of several candidate inhibitory binding partners, the Abl-SH3 domain binding inhibitor Abi-2 was observed to co-immunoprecipitate with Bcr-abl in the presence of GNF-2. This association correlated with reduced Bcr-abl auto-phosphorylation levels. These observations provide preliminary support for an indirect mechanism of Bcr-abl inhibition by GNF-2. Additional experiments involving shRNA knockdown of Abi-2 are being completed to determine the requirement of this Bcr-abl binding partner for GNF-2 activity. Further characterization of the SH3 and myristate binding domain mutants in the context of Abi-2 and GNF-2 binding affinities may establish a previously undescribed indirect mechanism of Bcr-abl inhibition by an allosteric non-ATP inhibitor.

Activation of tyrosinase kinase and microfilament-binding functions of c-abl by bcr sequences in bcr/abl fusion proteins

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1553-1565
Author(s):  
J R McWhirter ◽  
J Y Wang
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Fusion Proteins ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Myelogenous Leukemia ◽  
Tyrosine Kinase Activity ◽  
Abl Tyrosine Kinase ◽  
Binding Function

Chronic myelogenous leukemia and one type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia are characterized by a 9;22 chronosome translocation in which 5' sequences of the bcr gene become fused to the c-abl proto-oncogene. The resulting chimeric genes encode bcr/abl fusion proteins which have deregulated tyrosine kinase activity and appear to play an important role in induction of these leukemias. A series of bcr/abl genes were constructed in which nested deletions of the bcr gene were fused to the c-abl gene. The fusion proteins encoded by these genes were assayed for autophosphorylation in vivo and for differences in subcellular localization. Our results demonstrate that bcr sequences activate two functions of c-abl; the tyrosine kinase activity and a previously undescribed microfilament-binding function. Two regions of bcr which activate these functions to different degrees have been mapped: amino acids 1 to 63 were strongly activating and amino acids 64 to 509 were weakly activating. The tyrosine kinase and microfilament-binding functions were not interdependent, as a kinase defective bcr/abl mutant still associated with actin filaments and a bcr/abl mutant lacking actin association still had deregulated kinase activity. Modification of actin filament functions by the bcr/abl tyrosine kinase may be an important event in leukemogenesis.

scholarly journals Dictyostelium myosin heavy chain kinase A regulates myosin localization during growth and development.

1996 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
M F Kolman ◽  
L M Futey ◽  
T T Egelhoff
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Catalytic Domain ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Significant Similarity ◽  
Dictyostelium Myosin ◽  
A Cells

Phosphorylation of the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain (MHC) has a key role in regulating myosin localization in vivo and drives filament disassembly in vitro. Previous molecular analysis of the Dictyostelium myosin II heavy chain kinase (MHCK A) gene has demonstrated that the catalytic domain of this enzyme is extremely novel, showing no significant similarity to the known classes of protein kinases (Futey, L. M., Q. G. Medley, G. P. Côté, and T. T. Egelhoff. 1995. J. Biol. Chem. 270:523-529). To address the physiological roles of this enzyme, we have analyzed the cellular consequences of MHCK A gene disruption (mhck A- cells) and MHCK A overexpression (MHCK A++ cells). The mhck A- cells are viable and competent for tested myosin-based contractile events, but display partial defects in myosin localization. Both growth phase and developed mhck A- cells show substantially reduced MHC kinase activity in crude lysates, as well as significant overassembly of myosin into the Triton-resistant cytoskeletal fractions. MHCK A++ cells display elevated levels of MHC kinase activity in crude extracts, and show reduced assembly of myosin into Triton-resistant cytoskeletal fractions. MHCK A++ cells show reduced growth rates in suspension, becoming large and multinucleated, and arrest at the mound stage during development. These results demonstrate that MHCK A functions in vivo as a protein kinase with physiological roles in regulating myosin II localization and assembly in Dictyostelium cells during both growth and developmental stages.

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