The brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway includes two receptor-like kinases (BRI1 and BAK1), a plasma membrane-associated kinase (BSK1), two phosphatases (BSU1 and PP2A), a GSK3-like kinase (BIN2), ...and two homologous transcription factors (BZR1 and BES1/BZR2). But the mechanisms of signal relay are not fully understood. Here, we show that a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase named CDG1 mediates signal transduction from BRI1 to BSU1. Transgenic experiments confirm that CDG1 and its homolog CDL1 positively regulate BR signaling and plant growth. Mass spectrometry analysis identified BRI1 phosphorylation sites in CDG1 and CDG1 phosphorylation sites in BSU1. Mutations of these phosphorylation sites compromised the BR signaling functions. The results demonstrate that BRI1 phosphorylates S234 to activate CDG1 kinase, and CDG1 in turn phosphorylates S764 to activate BSU1, which inactivates BIN2 by dephosphorylating Y200 of BIN2. This study thus demonstrates a complete phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascade linking a steroid-activated receptor kinase to a GSK3-like kinase in plants.
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► CDG1, a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK), positively regulates BR signaling ► CDG1 activates the BSU1 phosphatase by phosphorylating S764 of BSU1 ► BRI1 phosphorylates CDG1 to enhance its ability to activate BSU1 ► CDG1 and BSU1 are sufficient for BRI1 to induce tyrosine dephosphorylation of BIN2
Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics allow the identification and quantitation of thousands of posttranslational modification (PTM) sites in a single experiment. This follows ...from the development of more effective class enrichment strategies, new high performance instrumentation and bioinformatic algorithms with rigorous scoring strategies. More widespread use of these combined capabilities have led to a vast expansion in our knowledge of the complexity of biological processes mediated by PTMs. The classes most actively pursued include phosphorylation, ubiquitination, O-GlcNAcylation, methylation, and acetylation. Very recently succinylation, SUMOylation, and citrullination have emerged. Among the some 260 000 PTM sites that have been identified in the human proteome thus far, only a few have been assigned to key regulatory and/or other biological roles. Here, we provide an update of MS-based PTM analyses, with a focus on current enrichment strategies coupled with revolutionary advances in high performance MS. Furthermore, we discuss examples of the discovery of recently described biological roles of PTMs and address the challenges of defining site-specific functions.
Rapid action potential propagation in myelinated axons requires Na+ channel clustering at nodes of Ranvier. However, the mechanism of clustering at CNS nodes remains poorly understood. Here, we show ...that the assembly of nodes of Ranvier in the CNS involves three mechanisms: a glia-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) complex containing proteoglycans and adhesion molecules that cluster NF186, paranodal axoglial junctions that function as barriers to restrict the position of nodal proteins, and axonal cytoskeletal scaffolds (CSs) that stabilize nodal Na+ channels. We show that while mice with a single disrupted mechanism had mostly normal nodes, disruptions of the ECM and paranodal barrier, the ECM and CS, or the paranodal barrier and CS all lead to juvenile lethality, profound motor dysfunction, and significantly reduced Na+ channel clustering. Our results demonstrate that ECM, paranodal, and axonal cytoskeletal mechanisms ensure robust CNS nodal Na+ channel clustering.
•A complex extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounds CNS nodes and binds to NF186•Mutant mice lacking two mechanisms have impaired Na+ channel clustering•ECM, paranodal, and cytoskeletal mechanisms assemble CNS nodes
Susuki et al. elucidate the molecular mechanisms that assemble nodes of Ranvier in the CNS. They show that extracellular matrix molecules, a paranodal diffusion barrier, and axonal cytoskeletal scaffolds cluster Na+ channels at nodes to ensure rapid and efficient nerve conduction.
Inhibitors of Apoptosis Protein (IAPs) are guardian ubiquitin ligases that keep classic proapoptotic proteins in check. Systematic identification of additional IAP substrates is challenged by the ...heterogeneity and sheer number of ubiquitinated proteins (>5,000). Here we report a powerful catalytic tagging tool, the NEDDylator, which fuses a NEDD8 E2-conjugating enzyme, Ubc12, to the ubiquitin ligase, XIAP or cIAP1. This permits transfer of the rare ubiquitin homolog NEDD8 to the ubiquitin E3 substrates, allowing them to be efficiently purified for LC-MS/MS identification. We have identified >50 potential IAP substrates of both cytosolic and mitochondrial origin that bear hallmark N-terminal IAP binding motifs. These substrates include the recently discovered protein phosphatase PGAM5, which we show is proteolytically processed, accumulates in cytosol during apoptosis, and sensitizes cells to death. These studies reveal mechanisms and antagonistic partners for specific IAPs, and provide a powerful technology for labeling binding partners in transient protein-protein complexes.
► An orthogonal ligase was designed to tag ubiquitin ligase substrate with NEDD8 ► NEDDylator-based proteomic screen identified >50 potential IAP substrates ► Most IAP substrate candidates bear hallmark N-terminal IAP binding motifs ► PGAM5 is a proapoptotic neo-IBM class mitochondrial IAP substrate
The microtubule-associated protein tau has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Reducing tau levels ameliorates AD-related synaptic, ...network, and behavioral abnormalities in transgenic mice expressing human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP). We used mass spectrometry to characterize the post-translational modification of endogenous tau isolated from wild-type and hAPP mice. We identified seven types of tau modifications at 63 sites in wild-type mice. Wild-type and hAPP mice had similar modifications, supporting the hypothesis that neuronal dysfunction in hAPP mice is enabled by physiological forms of tau. Our findings provide clear evidence for acetylation and ubiquitination of the same lysine residues; some sites were also targeted by lysine methylation. Our findings refute the hypothesis of extensive O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification of endogenous tau. The complex post-translational modification of physiological tau suggests that tau is regulated by diverse mechanisms.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Aberrant protein aggregation is a hallmark of many age-related diseases, yet little is known about whether proteins aggregate with age in a non-disease setting. Using a systematic proteomics ...approach, we identified several hundred proteins that become more insoluble with age in the multicellular organism Caenorhabditis elegans. These proteins are predicted to be significantly enriched in beta-sheets, which promote disease protein aggregation. Strikingly, these insoluble proteins are highly over-represented in aggregates found in human neurodegeneration. We examined several of these proteins in vivo and confirmed their propensity to aggregate with age. Different proteins aggregated in different tissues and cellular compartments. Protein insolubility and aggregation were significantly delayed or even halted by reduced insulin/IGF-1-signaling, which also slows aging. We found a significant overlap between proteins that become insoluble and proteins that influence lifespan and/or polyglutamine-repeat aggregation. Moreover, overexpressing one aggregating protein enhanced polyglutamine-repeat pathology. Together our findings indicate that widespread protein insolubility and aggregation is an inherent part of aging and that it may influence both lifespan and neurodegenerative disease.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Posttranslational modifications play central roles in myriad biological pathways including circadian regulation. We employed a circadian proteomic approach to demonstrate that circadian timing of ...phosphorylation is a critical factor in regulating complex GSK3β-dependent pathways and identified O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) as a substrate of GSK3β. Interestingly, OGT activity is regulated by GSK3β; hence, OGT and GSK3β exhibit reciprocal regulation. Modulating O-GlcNAcylation levels alter circadian period length in both mice and Drosophila; conversely, protein O-GlcNAcylation is circadianly regulated. Central clock proteins, Clock and Period, are reversibly modified by O-GlcNAcylation to regulate their transcriptional activities. In addition, O-GlcNAcylation of a region in PER2 known to regulate human sleep phase (S662–S674) competes with phosphorylation of this region, and this interplay is at least partly mediated by glucose levels. Together, these results indicate that O-GlcNAcylation serves as a metabolic sensor for clock regulation and works coordinately with phosphorylation to fine-tune circadian clock.
► O-GlcNAc transferase and GSK3β exhibit reciprocal regulation ► O-GlcNAcylation modulates the functions of molecular clock components ► O-GlcNAcylation and molecular clock reciprocally regulate each other ► Competition between O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation regulates clock speed
During cell division, remodelling of the nuclear envelope enables chromosome segregation by the mitotic spindle
. The reformation of sealed nuclei requires ESCRTs (endosomal sorting complexes ...required for transport) and LEM2, a transmembrane ESCRT adaptor
. Here we show how the ability of LEM2 to condense on microtubules governs the activation of ESCRTs and coordinated spindle disassembly. The LEM motif of LEM2 binds BAF, conferring on LEM2 an affinity for chromatin
, while an adjacent low-complexity domain (LCD) promotes LEM2 phase separation. A proline-arginine-rich sequence within the LCD binds to microtubules and targets condensation of LEM2 to spindle microtubules that traverse the nascent nuclear envelope. Furthermore, the winged-helix domain of LEM2 activates the ESCRT-II/ESCRT-III hybrid protein CHMP7 to form co-oligomeric rings. Disruption of these events in human cells prevented the recruitment of downstream ESCRTs, compromised spindle disassembly, and led to defects in nuclear integrity and DNA damage. We propose that during nuclear reassembly LEM2 condenses into a liquid-like phase and coassembles with CHMP7 to form a macromolecular O-ring seal at the confluence between membranes, chromatin and the spindle. The properties of LEM2 described here, and the homologous architectures of related inner nuclear membrane proteins
, suggest that phase separation may contribute to other critical envelope functions, including interphase repair
and chromatin organization
.
A complete, 52-protein, 2.5 million dalton, Mediator-RNA polymerase II pre-initiation complex (Med-PIC) was assembled and analyzed by cryo-electron microscopy and by chemical cross-linking and mass ...spectrometry. The resulting complete Med-PIC structure reveals two components of functional significance, absent from previous structures, a protein kinase complex and the Mediator-activator interaction region. It thereby shows how the kinase and its target, the C-terminal domain of the polymerase, control Med-PIC interaction and transcription.
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•Isolation of a 52-protein, 2.5 MDa Mediator-RNA polymerase II initiation complex•Structural elucidation of the complex by cryo-EM and chemical cross-linking•Model for the regulation of CTD phosphorylation during transcription initiation•Mediator Tail module architecture and dynamics
Visualizing a complete Mediator-RNA polymerase II pre-initiation complex suggests a model explaining the basis for control of transcription initiation by the pol II C-terminal domain.