Phosphorylation and regulation of Akt/PKB by the rictor-mTOR complex

Deregulation of Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) is implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer and diabetes. Akt/PKB activation requires the phosphorylation of Thr308 in the activation loop by the phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) and Ser473 within the carboxyl-terminal hydrophobic motif by an unknown kinase. We show that in Drosophila and human cells the target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase and its associated protein rictor are necessary for Ser473 phosphorylation and that a reduction in rictor or mammalian TOR (mTOR) expression inhibited an Akt/PKB effector. The rictor-mTOR complex directly phosphorylated Akt/PKB on Ser473 in vitro and facilitated Thr308 phosphorylation by PDK1. Rictor-mTOR may serve as a drug target in tumors that have lost the expression of PTEN, a tumor suppressor that opposes Akt/PKB activation.     

Phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein by viral protein with cyclin-dependent kinase function

As obligate intracellular parasites, viruses expertly modify cellular processes to facilitate their replication and spread, often by encoding genes that mimic the functions of cellular proteins while lacking regulatory features that modify their activity. We show that the human cytomegalovirus UL97 protein has activities similar to cellular cyclin-cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) complexes. UL97 phosphorylated and inactivated the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor, stimulated cell cycle progression in mammalian cells, and rescued proliferation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking CDK activity. UL97 is not inhibited by the CDK inhibitor p21 and lacks amino acid residues conserved in the CDKs that permit the attenuation of kinase activity. Thus, UL97 represents a functional ortholog of cellular CDKs that is immune from normal CDK control mechanisms.     

Phosphorylation of ULK1 (hATG1) by AMP-activated protein kinase connects energy sensing to mitophagy

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a conserved sensor of intracellular energy activated in response to low nutrient availability and environmental stress. In a screen for conserved substrates of AMPK, we identified ULK1 and ULK2, mammalian orthologs of the yeast protein kinase Atg1, which is required for autophagy. Genetic analysis of AMPK or ULK1 in mammalian liver and Caenorhabditis elegans revealed a requirement for these kinases in autophagy. In mammals, loss of AMPK or ULK1 resulted in aberrant accumulation of the autophagy adaptor p62 and defective mitophagy. Reconstitution of ULK1-deficient cells with a mutant ULK1 that cannot be phosphorylated by AMPK revealed that such phosphorylation is required for mitochondrial homeostasis and cell survival during starvation. These findings uncover a conserved biochemical mechanism coupling nutrient status with autophagy and cell survival.     

Insulin resistance and a diabetes mellitus-like syndrome in mice lacking the protein kinase Akt2 (PKB beta)

Glucose homeostasis depends on insulin responsiveness in target tissues, most importantly, muscle and liver. The critical initial steps in insulin action include phosphorylation of scaffolding proteins and activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. These early events lead to activation of the serine-threonine protein kinase Akt, also known as protein kinase B. We show that mice deficient in Akt2 are impaired in the ability of insulin to lower blood glucose because of defects in the action of the hormone on liver and skeletal muscle. These data establish Akt2 as an essential gene in the maintenance of normal glucose homeostasis.     

Phosphorylation of muscle membranes: identification of a membrane-bound protein kinase

A membrane-bound protein kinase occurs in membranes derived from rat skeletal muscle and appears limited to a surface membrane fraction. The enzyme is magnesium dependent, is only minimally stimulated by cyclic nucleotides, and phosphorylates serine and to a lesser extent threonine residues of three membrane proteins with molecular weights of less than 30,000.     

中1医药治疗膝骨关节炎临床与实验进展＊

膝骨关节炎(knee osteoarthritis,KOA)是一种以退行性病理改变为基础的疾患,是一种常见的老年多发慢性病[ ]。临床上,初起的KOA患者可能无明显异常感觉及症状,或感觉膝关节发凉。随着病情发平常可表现为膝部关节疼痛,劳累后症状加重或伴膝关节红肿、僵直不适感,活动屈伸受限,上下楼梯困难,也会有患者表现关节肿胀、弹响、积液等,如不能及时得到治疗,则会引起关节畸形,留下残疾。     

Cell cycle regulation of myosin-V by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Organelle transport by myosin-V is down-regulated during mitosis, presumably by myosin-V phosphorylation. We used mass spectrometry phosphopeptide mapping to show that the tail of myosin-V was phosphorylated in mitotic Xenopus egg extract on a single serine residue localized in the carboxyl-terminal organelle-binding domain. Phosphorylation resulted in the release of the motor from the organelle. The phosphorylation site matched the consensus sequence of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), and inhibitors of CaMKII prevented myosin-V release. The modulation of cargo binding by phosphorylation is likely to represent a general mechanism regulating organelle transport by myosin-V.     

洋桔梗簇叶化现象探析

系统阐述了洋桔梗簇叶化的识别方法,分析了洋桔梗产生簇叶化的原因,提出了降低洋桔梗簇化率的方法。     

玉米大斑病菌NAD(H)激酶蛋白的鉴定及分析

NAD(H)激酶是NADP(H)从头合成途径的关键物质,对生物体的生长、发育具有重要作用。本研究以稻瘟病菌中3个NAD(H)激酶蛋白为查询序列,搜索玉米大斑病菌蛋白质组序列库,结果发现在玉米大班病菌中均有同源序列,分别为127652、103052和163223。利用生物信息学的方法对3个基因的结构进行分析,结果表明只有163223为断裂基因,包含5个外显子和4个内含子,127652和103052为单外显子;163223和103052呈现酸性,而127652则呈现碱性;103052为稳定蛋白,而另两者为不稳定蛋白;通过高级结构分析发现这3种蛋白在N端一侧α螺旋较多,C端一侧延伸链和β转角较多,并且这3种蛋白质有2个在结构和功能上的相似的结构域。     

Raf蛋白在犬乳腺肿瘤中的表达及临床意义

目的:检测B-Raf和Raf1蛋白在犬乳腺肿瘤组织中的差异表达,明确其在犬乳腺肿瘤发生发展中的作用。方法:采用病理组织学技术对临床疑似肿瘤进行良恶性质鉴定,免疫组织化学技术检测犬乳腺肿瘤中Raf1和B-Raf蛋白的差异表达。结果:Raf1蛋白的阳性表达率为94.74%(18/19),B-Raf蛋白的阳性表达率为47.37%(9/19),两种蛋白在犬乳腺肿瘤中的表达呈显著性差异(P0.01)。不同性质的犬乳腺肿瘤中Raf1表达未见显著性差异,恶性肿瘤中导管内癌和浸润性乳腺癌Raf1蛋白的表达呈边缘显著性差异(P=0.072)。结论:Raf1蛋白和B-Raf蛋白对犬乳腺肿瘤的发生发展起促进作用,Raf1蛋白发挥着更为广泛和重要的促进肿瘤恶性变的作用。Raf1可作为兽医临床潜在的肿瘤检测指标。     

Cl- channels in CF: lack of activation by protein kinase C and cAMP-dependent protein kinase

Secretory chloride channels can be activated by adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase in normal airway epithelial cells but not in cells from individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). In excised, inside-out patches of apical membrane of normal human airway cells and airway cells from three patients with CF, the chloride channels exhibited a characteristic outwardly rectifying current-voltage relation and depolarization-induced activation. Channels from normal tissues were activated by both cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C. However, chloride channels from CF patients could not be activated by either kinase. Thus, gating of normal epithelial chloride channels is regulated by both cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C, and regulation by both kinases is defective in CF.     

梨CDPK基因家族全基因组序列鉴定分析

CDPK是植物特有的一类丝氨酸/苏氨酸型蛋白激酶,在介导植物生育信号和逆境信号转导中具有重要作用。为揭示CDPK基因在梨生长发育与抗逆防御机制中的作用,本研究通过生物信息学手段,结合梨基因组注释信息,鉴定梨基因组中CDPK家族基因成员,利用MEGA6.0程序进行多序列比对、分类并构建系统进化树;利用per1程序以及GSDS工具进行基因结构与保守性分析,为植物CDPK基因功能分析与利用提供依据。结果表明,本研究成功鉴定出26个CDPK家族成员,根据系统发育树分析,所有Pb CDPK被分为4类;基因结构预测结果表明,大多数Pb CDPK均含有6~7个内含子;且预测的Pb CDPK氨基酸序列绝大多数含4个EF-hand功能域;为了深入分析梨与其他物种的同源进化关系,构建了梨与拟南芥、水稻的CDPK基因系统进化树,进化树聚类分析结果将所有的CDPK蛋白分为四类。综上所述,目前已初步获得26个梨CDPK基因,为在基因组范围内研究CDPK基因在梨生长发育与逆境响应中的功能奠定了基础。     

Requirement for B cell linker protein (BLNK) in B cell development

Linker proteins function as molecular scaffolds to localize enzymes with substrates. In B cells, B cell linker protein (BLNK) links the B cell receptor (BCR)-activated Syk kinase to the phosphoinositide and mitogen-activated kinase pathways. To examine the in vivo role of BLNK, mice deficient in BLNK were generated. B cell development in BLNK-/- mice was blocked at the transition from B220+CD43+ progenitor B to B220+CD43- precursor B cells. Only a small percentage of immunoglobulin M++ (IgM++), but not mature IgMloIgDhi, B cells were detected in the periphery. Hence, BLNK is an essential component of BCR signaling pathways and is required to promote B cell development.     

Targeted protein degradation and synapse remodeling by an inducible protein kinase

Synaptic plasticity involves the reorganization of synapses at the protein and the morphological levels. Here, we report activity-dependent remodeling of synapses by serum-inducible kinase (SNK). SNK was induced in hippocampal neurons by synaptic activity and was targeted to dendritic spines. SNK bound to and phosphorylated spine-associated Rap guanosine triphosphatase activating protein (SPAR), a postsynaptic actin regulatory protein, leading to degradation of SPAR. Induction of SNK in hippocampal neurons eliminated SPAR protein, depleted postsynaptic density-95 and Bassoon clusters, and caused loss of mature dendritic spines. These results implicate SNK as a mediator of activity-dependent change in the molecular composition and morphology of synapses.     

A mutation in the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase that disrupts regulation

A mutant catalytic subunit of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase has been isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is no longer subject to regulation yet retains its catalytic activity. Biochemical analysis of the mutant subunit indicates a 100-fold decreased affinity for the regulatory subunit. The mutant catalytic subunit exhibits approximately a threefold increase in Michaelis constant for adenosine triphosphate and peptide cosubstrates, and is essentially unchanged in its catalytic rate. The nucleotide sequence of the mutant gene contains a single nucleotide change resulting in a threonine-to-alanine substitution at amino acid 241. This residue is conserved in other serine-threonine protein kinases. These results identify this threonine as an important contact between catalytic and regulatory subunits but only a minor contact in substrate recognition.     

Pulmonary surfactant protein B (SP-B): structure-function relationships

SP-B is a protein in pulmonary surfactant that is, in greatest part, responsible for resistance to surface tension and prevention of collapse of pulmonary alveoli. Peptides of 21 residues, synthesized following the sequence of SP-B or resembling the hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains of SP-B (such as RLLLLRLLLLRLLLLRLLLLR, R, Arg, and L, Leu), enhanced the abilities of phospholipids to reduce surface tension both in vitro and in vivo. Intermittent positively charged residues were essential for this activity. The SP-B-like peptides were found by tryptophan fluorescence to partition within the phospholipid layer in contact with both polar head groups and acyl side chains. These data, together with findings that the SP-B-related peptides increase inter- and intramolecular order of the phospholipid layer, suggest that SP-B resists surface tension by increasing lateral stability of the phospholipid layer.     

玉米蛋白激酶基因ZmCIPK的序列及表达特性分析

以玉米为材料,采用序列分析及半定量RT-PCR等方法对ZmCIPK基因功能进行了初步研究.序列分析结果推测,AY104819,EU974290和EU968441均属于CIPK蛋白家族.半定量RT-PCR结果表明,NaCl和ABA均能迅速诱导玉米基因AY104819,EU974290和EU968441的表达.     

Plant development: regulation by protein degradation

Many aspects of eukaryotic development depend on regulated protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. This highly conserved pathway promotes covalent attachment of ubiquitin to protein substrates through the sequential action of three enzymes called a ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2), and a ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3). Most ubiquitinated proteins are then targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome. Recent studies have also shown that the ubiquitin-related protein RUB/Nedd8 and the proteasome-related COP9 signalosome complex cooperate with the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway to promote protein degradation. Most of these components are conserved in all three eukaryotic kingdoms. However, the known targets of the pathway in plants, and the developmental processes they regulate, are specific to the plant kingdom.