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We have developed a method for the inexpensive, high-level expression of antigenic protein fragments of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in Escherichia coli. Our approach uses the thermophilic family 9 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM9) as an N-terminal carrier protein and affinity tag. The CBM9 module was joined to SARS-CoV-2 protein fragments via a flexible proline–threonine linker, which proved to be resistant to E. coli proteases. Two CBM9-spike protein fragment fusion proteins and one CBM9-nucleocapsid fragment fusion protein largely resisted protease degradation, while most of the CBM9 fusion proteins were degraded at some site in the SARS-CoV-2 protein fragment. All of the fusion proteins were highly expressed in E. coli and the CBM9-ID-H1 fusion protein was shown to yield 122 mg/L of purified product. Three purified CBM9-SARS-CoV-2 fusion proteins were tested and found to bind antibodies directed to the appropriate SARS-CoV-2 antigenic regions. The largest intact CBM9 fusion protein, CBM9-ID-H1, incorporates spike protein amino acids 540–588, which is a conserved region overlapping and C-terminal to the receptor binding domain that is widely recognized by human convalescent sera and contains a putative protective epitope.

CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase-alpha (CCTα) and CCTβ catalyze the rate-limiting step in phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis. CCTα is activated by association of its α-helical M-domain with nuclear membranes, which is negatively regulated by phosphorylation of the adjacent P-domain. To understand how phosphorylation regulates CCT activity, we developed phosphosite-specific antibodies for pS319 and pY359+pS362 at the N- and C-termini of the P-domain, respectively. Oleate treatment of cultured cells triggered CCTα translocation to the nuclear envelope (NE) and nuclear lipid droplets (nLDs) and rapid dephosphorylation of pS319. Removal of oleate led to dissociation of CCTα from the NE and increased phosphorylation of S319. Choline depletion of cells also caused CCTα translocation to the NE and S319 dephosphorylation. In contrast, Y359 and S362 were constitutively phosphorylated during oleate addition and removal, and CCTα-pY359+pS362 translocated to the NE and nLDs of oleate-treated cells. Mutagenesis revealed that phosphorylation of S319 is regulated independently of Y359+S362, and that CCTα-S315D+S319D was defective in localization to the NE. We conclude that the P-domain undergoes negative charge polarization due to dephosphorylation of S319 and possibly other proline-directed sites and retention of Y359 and S362 phosphorylation, and that dephosphorylation of S319 and S315 is involved in CCTα recruitment to nuclear membranes.

As part of the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, we published a Registered Report (Bhargava et al., 2016) that described how we intended to replicate selected experiments from the paper “RAF inhibitors prime wild-type RAF to activate the MAPK pathway and enhance growth” (Hatzivassiliou et al., 2010). Here we report the results. We found two unrelated RAF inhibitors, PLX4720 or GDC-0879, selectively inhibited BRAF(V600E) cell proliferation, while the MEK inhibitor, PD0325901, inhibited BRAF(V600E), wild-type RAF/RAS, and mutant RAS cancer cell proliferation, similar to the original study (Figure 1A; Hatzivassiliou et al., 2010). We found knockdown of CRAF, but not BRAF, in mutant RAS cells attenuated the phospho-MEK induction observed after PLX4720 treatment, similar to the original study (Figure 2B; Hatzivassiliou et al., 2010). The original study reported analogous results with GDC-0879, which was not observed in this replication, although unexpected control results confound the interpretation. We also attempted a replication of an assay with recombinant proteins to test the differential effect of RAF inhibitors on BRAF-CRAF heterodimerization (Figure 4A; Hatzivassiliou et al., 2010). Although we were unable to conduct the experiment as planned, we observed differential binding of BRAF by RAF inhibitors; however, it was between BRAF and beads, independent of CRAF. While these data were unable to address whether, under the conditions of the original study, the same observations could be observed, we discuss key differences between the original study and this replication that are important to consider for further experiments. Finally, where possible, we report meta-analyses for each result.

Vaccines have been developed under accelerated timelines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Although they are considered the best approach for preventing mortality, when assessing the safety of these vaccines, pregnant women have not been included in clinical trials. Thus, vaccine safety for this demographic, as well as for the developing fetus and neonate, remains to be determined. A global effort has been underway to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated despite the uncertain risk posed to them and their offspring. Given this, post-hoc data collection, potentially for years, will be required to determine the outcomes of COVID-19 and vaccination on the next generation. Most COVID-19 vaccine reactions include injection site erythema, pain, swelling, fatigue, headache, fever and lymphadenopathy, which may be sufficient to affect fetal/neonatal development. In this review, we have explored components of the first-generation viral vector and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines that are believed to contribute to adverse reactions and which may negatively impact fetal and neonatal development. We have followed this with a discussion of the potential for using an ovine model to explore the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination during the prenatal and neonatal periods.

Preexisting cross-reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 occurs in the absence of prior viral exposure. However, this has been difficult to quantify at the population level due to a lack of reliably defined seroreactivity thresholds. Using an orthogonal antibody testing approach, we estimated that about 0.6% of nontriaged adults from the greater Vancouver, Canada, area between May 17 and June 19, 2020, showed clear evidence of a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, after adjusting for false-positive and false-negative test results. Using a highly sensitive multiplex assay and positive/negative thresholds established in infants in whom maternal antibodies have waned, we determined that more than 90% of uninfected adults showed antibody reactivity against the spike protein, receptor-binding domain (RBD), N-terminal domain (NTD), or the nucleocapsid (N) protein from SARS-CoV-2. This seroreactivity was evenly distributed across age and sex, correlated with circulating coronaviruses' reactivity, and was partially outcompeted by soluble circulating coronaviruses' spike. Using a custom SARS-CoV-2 peptide mapping array, we found that this antibody reactivity broadly mapped to spike and to conserved nonstructural viral proteins. We conclude that most adults display preexisting antibody cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2, which further supports investigation of how this may impact the clinical severity of COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responses.

Protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been effective for treatment of early stages of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, BCR-ABL-dependent resistance mechanisms and TKI-unresponsive quiescent leukemic stem cells (LSCs) can result in drug resistance and disease relapse. We have demonstrated that Abelson helper integration site-1 (AHI-1) is a highly deregulated protein in CML LSCs. It interacts with BCR-ABL through the AHI-1 WD40 domain and with other proteins, like dynamin-2 (DNM2), through its SH3 domain, to enhance leukemic-initiating activities and TKI resistance. To uncover downstream effects of the AHI-1-BCR-ABL-DNM2 complex and its biological role in mediating TKI resistance in CML stem/progenitor cells, an advanced antibody microarray analysis was then used to investigate differences in the proteome and phosphorylation landscape of BCR-ABL + cells co-transduced with wild-type Ahi-1 or Ahi-1 SH3 Δ mutant in the presence or absence of imatinib (IM). The microarray simultaneously quantified the differences in expression and phosphorylation sites of proteins in multiple signaling pathways using 1325 antibodies in duplicate measurements, and each microarray analysis was performed in duplicate. Significant changes in antibody signals for protein expression or phosphorylation were determined using limma. This analysis revealed that the overexpression of wild-type Ahi-1 (WT Ahi-1) has a profound differential effect, compared to the SH3 domain deleted Ahi-1 (Ahi-1 SH3 Δ), on the expression and phosphorylation status of proteins in BCR-ABL + cells with and without IM treatment. BCR-ABL + cells co-expressing WT Ahi-1 had a greater number of significantly differential antibody signals (7 increases, 42 decreases) when compared to BCR-ABL + cells, while Ahi-1 SH3 Δ expressing cells resulted in fewer significantly differential antibody signals (12 increases, 2 decreases) compared to BCR-ABL + cells. IM treatment resulted in WT Ahi-1 expressing cells having the greatest number of significantly differential antibody signals (7 increases, 56 decreases) compared to BCR-ABL + cells (5 decreases) and those co-expressing Ahi-1 SH3 Δ (2 increases, 9 decreases). Pathway enrichment analysis, using gProfiler, identified that the targets with significantly increased differential antibody signal after IM treatment in WT Ahi-1 cells were related to the regulation of translation initiation complex (p>0.0001). Interestingly, our RNA-seq dataset analysis further identified several members of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F) complex to be significantly upregulated in CD34 + CML patient cells compared to normal bone marrow, particularly eIF4G1, the scaffold protein of the eIF4F complex involved in translation initiation (2-fold, p=0.001), as well as mTOR, a key regulator that controls the assembly of the eIF4F complex. This finding prompted us to further explore the regulation of translation initiation and the members of the eIF4F complex in BCR-ABL + cells. Immunoblotting demonstrated that BCR-ABL + cells co-transduced with WT Ahi-1 showed increased expression of eIF4G1 (3-fold) and eIF4B (2-fold), a cofactor that regulates the helicase activity of the eIF4F complex, compared to BCR-ABL + cells. Additionally, Cyclin D3, a gene reported to be sensitive to eIF4F translational activity, was found to have slightly increased expression (1.4-fold) in WT Ahi-1 cells compared to BCR-ABL + cells. Most interestingly, these results were also demonstrated in IM-resistant CML cells as compared to IM-sensitive cells, with an increase in eIF4G1 expression (2-fold), phosphorylation of eIF4B (5-fold, p=0.003), and Cyclin D3 expression (4-fold, p Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Prostate cancer (PCa) treatment remains challenging, especially in advanced stages, where the lack of sensitivity and specificity of available biomarkers makes it difficult to establish an accurate prognosis. Therefore, it is imperative to study PCa biology to identify key molecules that can improve PCa management. In this study, eight prostate tumor tissues and paired normal tissues were analyzed using two approaches-Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for spectroscopic profiling of biomolecules and antibody microarray for signaling proteins-with the main goal of identifying metabolic and proteomic changes that enable the distinction between normal and tumor conditions. Principal component analysis of FT-IR spectra revealed different spectroscopic signals for each condition. The most relevant changes in prostate tumor tissues identified by FT-IR were dysregulation in lipid metabolism, lower polysaccharide and glycogen content, higher nucleic acid content, and increased protein phosphorylation. Using an antibody microarray, 42 proteins were identified as differentially regulated between the two conditions; 14 of those revealed changes in their phosphorylation status. These proteins include transcription factors and kinases and constitute a highly-interconnected interaction network. Altogether, our data reveal metabolic and proteomic alterations that may be of interest in future translational studies aimed at establishing PCa prognosis and treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: Prostate tumor tissues and adjacent benign tissues were analyzed using two approaches-Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for biomolecules and an antibody microarray for signaling proteins, which allowed to identify a panel of metabolic and proteomic alterations that may be of interest in future translational studies to enable the distinction between normal and tumor conditions.

Habituation is a ubiquitous form of non-associative learning observed as a decrement in responding to repeated stimulation that cannot be explained by sensory adaptation or motor fatigue. One of the defining characteristics of habituation is its sensitivity to the rate at which training stimuli are presented—animals habituate faster in response to more rapid stimulation. The molecular mechanisms underlying this interstimulus interval (ISI)-dependent characteristic of habituation remain unknown. In this article, we use behavioural neurogenetic and bioinformatic analyses in the nematode Caenorhabiditis elegans to identify the first molecules that modulate habituation in an ISI-dependent manner. We show that the Caenorhabditis elegans orthologues of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinases CaMK1/4, CMK-1 and O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase, OGT-1, both function in primary sensory neurons to inhibit habituation at short ISIs and promote it at long ISIs. In addition, both cmk-1 and ogt-1 mutants display a rare mechanosensory hyper-responsive phenotype (i.e. larger mechanosensory responses than wild-type). Overall, our work identifies two conserved genes that function in sensory neurons to modulate habituation in an ISI-dependent manner, providing the first insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the universally observed phenomenon that habituation has different properties when stimuli are delivered at different rates.

The ability to learn is an evolutionarily conserved adaptation that remains incompletely understood. Genetically tractable model organisms facilitate mechanistic explanations of learning that span genetic, neural circuit, and behavioural levels. Many aspects of neural physiology, including processes that underlie learning (e.g. neurotransmitter release and long-lasting changes in synaptic strength), are regulated by brief and local changes in [μm] levels of free intracellular Ca2+. On this scale, changes in [Ca2+] activate many Ca2+-sensors, including the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs). Here we reveal that the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of CaMK1/4, CMK-1, functions in primary sensory neurons to regulate responses to mechanical stimuli and behavioral plasticity, specifically habituation, a conserved form of non-associative learning. The habituation phenotypes of cmk-1 mutants were dependent on interstimulus interval (ISI), such that CMK-1 slows habituation at short ISIs, but promotes it at long ISIs. We predicted potential CaMK phosphorylation targets from catalytic site analysis of the human and C. elegans CaMKs and mutant analysis of these candidates implicated O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase, OGT-1, in mechanosensitivity and learning. Cell specific rescue and knockdown experiments showed that both CMK-1 and OGT-1 function cell autonomously in mechanosensory neurons to modulate learning. Interestingly, despite their similar mutant phenotypes, detailed behavioral analysis of double mutants demonstrated that CMK-1 and OGT-1 act in parallel genetic pathways. Our research identifies CMK-1 and OGT-1 as co-expressed yet independent regulators of mechanosensitivity and learning.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is driven by the BCR-ABL1 oncoprotein with constitutively active protein-tyrosine kinase activity, perturbing multiple signaling pathways. Although therapies with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can effectively treat early phase CML, relapses and emergence of TKI resistance are problematic, due to BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations and TKI unresponsive quiescent leukemic stem cells (LSCs). These observations point towards a need for alternate treatment strategies to prevent the development of resistant LSCs. We previously demonstrated that Abelson helper integration site-1 (AHI-1) is a highly deregulated protein in CML LSCs and that its WD40-repeat domain physically interacts with BCR-ABL, enhancing leukemia-initiating activity. AHI-1 also contains an SH3 domain, which mediates TKI resistance in LSCs. This domain interacts with dynamin-2 (DNM2) and forms a complex with BCR-ABL, to enhance the phosphorylation and activity of DNM2. The AHI-1-BCR-ABL-DNM2 complex is shown to regulate leukemic properties in patient LSCs, including increased ROS production, endocytosis and autophagy. Interestingly, deletion of the Ahi-1 SH3 domain (Ahi-1 SH3Δ) results in a defect in Ahi-1 localization, with most being present in the nucleus. To test whether Ahi-1 SH3 domain activity directly affects cytoplasmic anchoring and localization, we have generated two Ahi-1 mutants, using site-directed mutagenesis: a mutation in the key tryptophan residue (W939A) involved in SH3 domain binding and in a non-conserved surface residue (M906A), as a negative control, based on the crystal structure of the AHI-1 SH3 domain. Interestingly, the cytoplasm-to-nucleus signal ratio of Ahi-1 W939A was significantly reduced compared to the negative control or wildtype Ahi-1, as assessed by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy (70% reduction, p Disclosures Pelech: Kinexus Bioinformatics Corporation: Equity Ownership.

Phosphorylation is a major regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic cells performed by the concerted actions of kinases and phosphatases (PPs). Protein phosphorylation has long been relevant to sperm physiology, from acquisition of motility in the epididymis to capacitation in the female reproductive tract. While the precise kinases involved in the regulation of sperm phosphorylation have been studied for decades, the PPs have only recently received research interest. Tyrosine phosphorylation was first implicated in the regulation of several sperm-related functions, from capacitation to oocyte binding. Only afterwards, in 1996, the inhibition of the serine/threonine-PP phosphoprotein phosphatase 1 (PPP1) by okadaic acid and calyculin-A was shown to initiate motility in caput epididymal sperm. Today, the current mechanisms of sperm motility acquisition based on PPP1 and its regulators are still far from being fully understood. PPP1CC2, specifically expressed in mammalian sperm, has been considered to be the only sperm-specific serine/threonine-PP, while other PPP1 isoforms were thought to be absent from sperm. This article examines the “Omics” of human sperm, and reports, for the first time, the identification of three new serine/threonine-protein PPs, PPP1CB, PPP4C, and PPP6C, in human sperm, together with two tyrosine-PPs, MKP1 and PTP1C. We specifically localized in sperm PPP1CB and PPP1CC2 from the PPP1 subfamily, and PPP2CA, PPP4C, and PPP6C from the PPP2 subfamily of the serine/threonine-PPs. A semi-quantitative analysis was performed to determine the various PPs' differential expression in sperm head and tail. These findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of human sperm PPs, and warrant further research for their clinical and therapeutic significance.

Unraveling the complexity of cell regulatory systems and monitoring their operations under normal and pathological circumstances is one of the major outstanding biomedical challenges. The phosphoproteome has emerged as a rich source of biomarkers for tracking cell signaling and disease, and many of the kinases that phosphorylate proteins represent attractive targets for drug development. Over 100,000 phosphorylation sites distributed in most of the 23,000 proteins encoded by the human genome have already been identified in a non-targeted fashion by mass-spectrometry. Antibody microarrays permit ultra-sensitive, semi-quantitative measurements of the levels of hundreds of target proteins and their phosphorylation in parallel with specimens from cells and tissues. Conversely, reverse-phase protein microarrays (RPPMs) that are printed with crude cell/tissue lysates allow tracking of a target protein with a probing antibody in hundreds to thousands of cell and tissue samples simultaneously. While more than half a million commercial antibodies are available, the identification of highly specific and potent antibodies for use in microarrays remains a major impediment. Antibody cross-reactivity is an issue for both antibody microarrays and RPPMs. The low abundance of signal transduction proteins and their substoichiometric levels of phosphorylation are also problematic. Finally, non-denaturing conditions used with standard antibody microarrays permit protein complexes, which can produce false positives and false negatives. Changes in the level of an interacting protein may be misinterpreted as alterations in the amount of a target protein or its phosphorylation state. It is critical that leads from both types of microarrays are validated by complementary approaches such as immunoblotting and ELISA. More than a hundred reports have appeared in the scientific literature that have benefited from utilization of antibody and protein lysate microarrays. We have highlighted some of the pioneering works in this field and provided recent examples of their successful deployment as tools for broad-based, targeted proteomics research.

Habituation is a ubiquitous form of non-associative learning observed as a decrement in responding to repeated stimulation that cannot be explained by sensory adaptation or motor fatigue. One of the defining characteristics of habituation is its sensitivity to the rate at which training stimuli are presented—animals habituate faster in response to more rapid stimulation. The molecular mechanisms underlying this interstimulus interval (ISI)-dependent characteristic of habituation remain unknown. In this article, we use behavioural neurogenetic and bioinformatic analyses in the nematode Caenorhabiditis elegans to identify the first molecules that modulate habituation in an ISI-dependent manner. We show that the Caenorhabditis elegans orthologues of Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent kinases CaMK1/4, CMK-1 and O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase, OGT-1, both function in primary sensory neurons to inhibit habituation at short ISIs and promote it at long ISIs. In addition, both cmk-1 and ogt-1 mutants display a rare mechanosensory hyper-responsive phenotype (i.e. larger mechanosensory responses than wild-type). Overall, our work identifies two conserved genes that function in sensory neurons to modulate habituation in an ISI-dependent manner, providing the first insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the universally observed phenomenon that habituation has different properties when stimuli are delivered at different rates.

Pertussis toxin (PTX) is an ancillary adjuvant used to elicit experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), the principal autoimmune model of multiple sclerosis. One mechanism whereby PTX potentiates EAE is to increase blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. To elucidate further the mechanism of action of PTX on the BBB, we investigated the genomic and proteomic responses of isolated mouse brain endothelial cells (MBEC) following intoxication. Among approximately 14,000 mouse genes tracked by cDNA microarray, 34 showed altered expression in response to PTX. More than one-third of these genes have roles in angiogenesis. Accordingly, we show that intoxication of MBEC induces tube formation in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo. The global effect of PTX on signaling protein levels and phosphorylation in MBEC was investigated by using Kinex antibody microarrays. In total, 113 of 372 pan-specific and 58 of 258 phospho-site-specific antibodies revealed changes >or=25% following intoxication. Increased STAT1 Tyr-701 and Ser-727 phosphorylation; reduced phosphorylation of the activating phospho-sites in Erk1, Erk2, and MAPKAPK2; and decreased phosphorylation of arrestin beta1 Ser-412 and Hsp27 Ser-82 were confirmed by Kinetworks multi-immunoblotting. The importance of signal transduction pathways on PTX-induced MBEC tube formation was evaluated pharmacologically. Inhibition of phospholipase C, MEK1, and p38 MAP kinase had little effect, whereas inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase partially blocked tube formation. Taken together, these findings are consistent with the concept that PTX may lead to increased BBB permeability by altering endothelial plasticity and angiogenesis.

To better understand the interaction between motor neuron dysfunction and denervation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we have evaluated motor neuron number and the retrograde uptake and transport of fluorogold by motor neurons in mice overexpressing mutant superoxide dismutase (mSOD), and wild-type controls. N-CAM immunoreactivity and protein kinase expression were determined in skeletal muscle during denervation. We found that in severely affected mSOD mice, motor neuron loss is moderate (approximate 40% reduction), whereas retrograde uptake/transport as assessed using fluorogold is profoundly impaired (approximately 90% reduction). The impairment in fluorogold uptake/transport corresponds to measures of progressive muscle denervation such as increased N-CAM immunoreactivity of muscle and increased expression of protein kinase B (PKB) in denervated muscle. These data suggest that the debility in the mSOD mouse model of ALS is produced, in part, by impaired retrograde uptake/transport in motor neuron axons in spite of regenerative support from muscle such as elevated expression of PKB.

Objective To determine the correlation between semen basic parameters and the expression and activity of signaling proteins. Design In vitro studies with human spermatozoa. Setting Academic research institute. Patient(s) Thirty-seven men provided semen samples for routine analysis. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Basic semen parameters tracked included sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), the expression levels of 75 protein kinases, and the phosphorylation/cleavage patterns of 18 signaling proteins in human spermatozoa. Result(s) The results indicated that the phosphorylated levels of several proteins (Bad, GSK-3β, HSP27, JNK/SAPK, mTOR, p38 MAPK, and p53), as well as cleavage of PARP (at D214) and Caspase-3 (at D175), were significantly correlated with motility parameters. Additionally, the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa demonstrated a significant positive correlation with the phosphorylated levels of p70 S6 kinase and, in turn, head defects and the teratozoospermia index (TZI) showed a significant negative correlation with the phosphorylated levels of Stat3. There was a significant positive correlation between SDF and the teratozoospermia index, as well as the presence of head defects. In contrast, SDF negatively correlated with the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa and the phosphorylation of Akt and p70 S6 kinase. Subjects with varicocele demonstrated a significant negative correlation between head morphological defects and the phosphorylated levels of Akt, GSK3β, p38 MAPK, and Stat1. Additionally, 34 protein kinases were identified as expressed in their total protein levels in normozoospermic samples. Conclusion(s) This study contributed toward establishing a biomarker "fingerprint" to assess sperm quality on the basis of molecular parameters.

Microarrays enable the observation of gene expression in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with implications for the human pathology. Histopathologically, AD is characterized by Abeta-containing plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles. Here, we used a human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell system to assess the role of P301L mutant human tau expression, and treatment with or without Abeta on gene regulation. We found that Abeta and P301L tau expression independently affect the regulation of genes controlling cell proliferation and synaptic elements. Moreover, Abeta and P301L tau act synergistically on cell cycle and DNA damage genes, yet influence specific genes within these categories. By using neuronally differentiated P301L tau cells, we can show that Abeta treatment induces an early upregulation of cell cycle control and synaptic genes. At the protein level, by using Kinetworks multi-immunoblotting and BrdU labelling, we found that although P301L tau and Abeta both affected levels of cell cycle proteins, their effects were distinct, in particular concerning DNA damage proteins. Moreover, DNA synthesis was observed only when SH-SY5Y cells overexpressed human wild-type or P301L tau and were incubated with Abeta. Thus, our study shows that Abeta treatment and human tau overexpression in an AD cell culture model act synergistically to promote aberrant cell cycle re-entry, supporting the mitosis failure hypothesis in AD.

We have used a two-transgene tetracycline system to reversibly express oncogenic H-Ras(V12G) in mouse skin and primary keratinocytes culture using the bovine keratin 5 promoter. Induction of H-Ras(V12G) expression in skin at 30 days after birth causes epidermal basal cell hyperplasia, an eruption of keratinous cysts and loss of hair follicles by 3 weeks. Subsequent H-Ras(V12G) de-induction for 3 days results in massive apoptosis in the non-H-Ras(V12G)-expressing stroma as well as in the suprabasal cells of the epidermis. Several procaspases such as CASP3, 1alpha, 5 and 12 disappeared, whereas the pro-apoptotic proteins AIF, Bax and Fas ligand were induced in H-Ras(V12G) de-induction skin. This process is followed by a wave of cell division at 14 days as hair follicles regrew, returning to near normal histology and skin appearance by 30 days. Using Kinetworkstrade mark multi-immunoblotting screens, the phosphorylation status of 37 proteins and expression levels of 75 protein kinases in the skin were determined in three samples: (i) wild-type skin, (ii) hyperplastic H-Ras(V12G)-expressing skin and (iii) skin where H-Ras(V12G) expression was suppressed for 7 days. Following H-Ras(V12G) induction, 16 kinases were increased over 2-fold, and 2 kinases were reduced over 50%. This included increased phosphorylation of both known downstream H-Ras(V12G) targets and unknown H-Ras(V12G) targets. After H-Ras(V12G) suppression, many but not all protein changes were reversed. These results from skin and primary keratinocytes are organized to reflect the molecular events that cause the histological changes observed. These proteomic changes identify markers that may mediate the oncogenic addiction paradigm.

The reversible phosphorylation of proteins catalyzed by protein kinases in eukaryotes supports an important role for eukaryotic protein kinases (ePKs) in the emergence of nucleated cells in the third superkingdom of life. Choline kinases (ChKs) could also be critical in the early evolution of eukaryotes, because of their function in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, which is unique to eukaryotic membranes. However, the genomic origins of ePKs and ChKs are unclear. The high degeneracy of protein sequences and broad expansion of ePK families have made this fundamental question difficult to answer. In this study, we identified two class-I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases with high similarities to consensus amino acid sequences of human protein-serine/threonine kinases. Comparisons of primary and tertiary structures supported that ePKs and ChKs evolved from a common ancestor related to glutaminyl aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, which may have been one of the key factors in the successful of emergence of ancient eukaryotic cells from bacterial colonies.

Autosomal dominant Parkinson disease (PD) is caused by duplication or triplication of the alpha-synuclein gene as well as by the A30P, E46K, and A53T mutations. The mechanisms are unknown. Reactive astrocytes in the substantia nigra of PD and MPTP-treated monkeys display high levels of the inflammatory mediator intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), indicating that chronic inflammation contributes to the degeneration. Here we report that alpha-synuclein strongly stimulates human astrocytes as well as human U-373 MG astrocytoma cells to up-regulate both interleukin (IL)-6 and ICAM-1 (ED50=5 microg ml(-1)). The mutated forms are more potent stimulators than wild-type (WT) alpha-synuclein in these assays. We demonstrate by immunoblotting analysis that this up-regulation is associated with activation of the major mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. It is also attenuated by PD 98059, an inhibitor of the MAPK/extracellular-regulated kinase kinase MEK1/2, SP 600125, an inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and SB 202190, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK. The inhibitory effects on human astrocytes have IC50 values of 2, 5, and 1.5 microM respectively. We hypothesize that the neuroinflammation stimulated by release of an excess of normal alpha-synuclein or by release of its mutated forms can be involved in the pathobiology of PD.

Protein serine/threonine phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulates a wide variety of cellular signal transduction pathways. The predominant form of PP2A in cells is a heterotrimeric holoenzyme consisting of a scaffolding (A) subunit, a regulatory (B) subunit, and a catalytic (C) subunit. Although PP2A is known to regulate Raf1-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling at multiple steps in this pathway, the specific PP2A holoenzymes involved remain unclear. To address this question, we established tetracycline-inducible human embryonic kidney 293 cell lines for overexpression of FLAG-tagged Balpha/delta regulatory subunits by approximately 3-fold or knock-down of Balpha by greater than 70% compared with endogenous levels. The expression of functional epitope-tagged B subunits was confirmed by the detection of A and C subunits as well as phosphatase activity in FLAG immune complexes from extracts of cells overexpressing the FLAG-Balpha/delta subunit. Western analysis of the cell extracts using phosphospecific antibodies for MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 demonstrated that activation of these kinases in response to epidermal growth factor was markedly diminished in Balpha knock-down cells but elevated in Balpha- and Bdelta-overexpressing cells as compared with control cells. In parallel with the activation of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2, the inhibitory phosphorylation site of Raf1 (Ser-259) was dephosphorylated in cells overexpressing Balpha or Bdelta. Pharmacological inhibitor studies as well as reporter assays for ERK-dependent activation of the transcription factor Elk1 revealed that the PP2A holoenzymes ABalphaC and ABdeltaC act downstream of Ras and upstream of MEK1 to promote activation of this MAPK signaling cascade. Furthermore both PP2A holoenzymes were found to associate with Raf1 and catalyze dephosphorylation of inhibitory phospho-Ser-259. Together these findings indicate that PP2A ABalphaC and ABdeltaC holoenzymes function as positive regulators of Raf1-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling by targeting Raf1.

We used an experimental in vitro model of human ovarian surface epithelium (OSE), the tissue of origin of >90% of ovarian cancers, to more precisely define the contribution of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to various OSE phenotypes at different stages of neoplastic progression. Neoplastic transformation of OSE in cultures was achieved by multiple genetic manipulations, resulting in the nontumorigenic line IOSE-29, the tumorigenic IOSE-Ov29, and the tumor-derived, more highly malignant IOSE-Ov29/T4. We demonstrate here that, compared to IOSE-29, IOSE-Ov29 and IOSE-Ov29/T4 exhibited higher levels of the HGF receptor Met and an increasing duration of ERK1/2 activation with malignant progression, in conjunction with other neoplastic properties. HGF activated Met signaling in all lines but elicited different responses: HGF induced cell dispersion (scattering) and collagen gel invasion in IOSE-Ov29 and IOSE-Ov29/T4 but did not alter the growth pattern of IOSE-29. Inhibition with PD98059 and LY294002 independently prevented HGF-induced invasive growth. Furthermore, our results show that HGF-induced invasion can be mediated through a rapamycin-sensitive p70 S6K cascade, which demonstrates that p70S6K can regulate cell motility in addition to its well-established role in protein synthesis. Taken together, our data correlate specific responses to HGF-mediated signaling with specific signaling pathways and with progressive neoplastic changes.

The role of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in the activation of human neutrophils and repression of TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in response to plasma opsonized crystals of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) was investigated. We monitored the endogenous phosphotransferase activity of p38 kinase in neutrophils stimulated with CPPD crystals (25 mg/ml) alone or in the presence of TNF-alpha (10 ng/ml), and with TNF-alpha alone. CPPD crystals induced a 2-fold activation of p38 kinase activity over the basal activity that was observed in untreated neutrophils. Furthermore, CPPD crystals repressed the TNF-alpha associated 6-fold induction of p38 kinase phosphotransferase activity to levels associated with CPPD crystal incubation alone in a PD98059 (20 ng/ml) and Wortmannin (100 nM) sensitive manner. Inhibition of CPPD crystal-induced activation of the neutrophil inflammatory response as measured by chemiluminescence, superoxide anion generation and degranulation as determined by myeloperoxidase and lysozyme release was observed in the presence of the specific p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580 (5 microM). CPPD crystal associated repression of TNF-alpha-induced activation of neutrophil apoptosis as determined by DNA fragmentation correlated with the CPPD crystal mediated inhibition of p38 kinase activity, probably through crystal inhibition of caspase 3. Together, our results indicate that the CPPD crystal associated inflammatory response is regulated through the activation of p38 kinase to sub-apoptotic levels, and that the repression of the TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis program in neutrophils is mediated via the repression of caspase 3 mediated apoptosis-associated p38 kinase activity.

Our previous studies showed that bacterial heat shock protein 60 (hsp60) induces cultured epithelial cell proliferation within 24 h. Here we investigated the long-term effects of heat shock protein 60 isolated from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans on skin keratinocyte (HaCaT cell line) viability and the cell signaling involved. Prolonged incubation in the presence of hsp60 increased the rate of epithelial cell death. The number of viable cells in hsp60-treated culture was 37% higher than the number in the control at 24 h but 27% lower at 144 h. A kinetics study of the effect of hsp60 on the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) involving Western blotting with phospho-specific antibodies showed that in addition to a transient early increase in p38 levels, a second peak appeared in keratinocytes 24 h after the addition of hsp60. In contrast, prolonged incubation with hsp60 caused a decrease in the level of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) compared with that in the controls, possibly as a result of protein phosphatase activity. We found that hsp60 increased the levels of several phosphatases, including MAP-2, which strongly dephosphorylates ERK1/2. Moreover, hsp60 increased the level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in culture medium in a dose-dependent manner. TNF-α added to culture showed a cytotoxic effect on epithelial cells, particularly with longer incubation periods. TNF-α also induced the phosphorylation of p38. Finally, our results show that bacterial hsp60 inhibited stress-induced synthesis of cellular hsp60. Therefore, several cell behavior changes caused by long-term exposure to bacterial hsp60 may lead to impaired epithelial cell viability.

Bacterial heat shock proteins (hsps) can have various effects on human cells. We investigated whether bacterial hsp60s can protect epithelial cells from cell death by affecting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal pathways. Cell protection was studied by adding bacterial hsp60s to skin keratinocyte cultures (HaCaT cell line) before UV radiation. The results show that hsp60 significantly protected against UV radiation-induced cell death. Effects of UV radiation and exogenous hsp60 on phosphorylation of MAPKs and on activation of caspase 3 were examined by Western blot analysis. UV radiation strongly induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and formation of active caspase 3. A p38 inhibitor, SB 203580, totally blocked UV radiation-mediated activation of caspase 3. Preincubation with hsp60 strongly induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and inhibited UV radiation-mediated activation of caspase 3. PD 98059, a specific inhibitor of the ERK1/2 pathway, blocked this inhibitory effect of exogenous hsp60. Studies on the association between activity of MAPKs or caspase 3 and cell death showed that the ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor reversed protective effect of hsp60 while specific inhibition of p38 and caspase 3 reduced cell death. These results indicate that in HaCaT cells UV radiation mediates cell death through activation of p38 followed by caspase 3 activation. Exogenous hsp60 partially protects against UV radiation-mediated epithelial cell death through activation of ERK1/2, which inhibits caspase 3 activation.

Human neural stem cells (NSCs) grown in culture responded to extracellularly applied adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and the rate of proliferation increased as shown by immunocytochemical and RT-PCR analysis. Activation of P2 purinoceptors by ATP is coupled to the release of intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)) from thapsigargin-sensitive intracellular stores. ATP-induced proliferation was blocked by thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase. Neither EGTA, a calcium chelator, nor caffeine had any effect on ATP-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increases. Multiblot kinase analysis, by which activation of 24 different kinases could be determined, showed that application of ATP to NSCs predominantly activated p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70 S6 kinase). As well, rapamycin, a p70 S6 kinase inhibitor, blocked the ATP-mediated proliferative response in NSCs. After outlining a role for p70 S6 kinase in ATP-mediated NSC proliferation, we examined the possibility that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) acts upstream of p70 S6 kinase. The application of wortmannin, a PI3-kinase inhibitor, decreased both ATP-mediated p70 S6 kinase activation and NSC proliferation. From these results, we conclude that ATP application to NSCs induces release of Ca(2+) from intracellular Ca(2+) stores and that this increase in intracellular Ca(2+) in turn promotes NSC proliferation. The increase in NSC proliferation observed following ATP application can also be mediated by PI3-kinase-dependent p70 S6 kinase activation.

The Kinetworks™ multi-immunoblotting technique was used to evaluate the expressions of 78 protein kinases, 24 protein phosphatases and phosphorylation states of 31 phosphoproteins in thoracic spinal cord tissue from control subjects and patients having the sporadic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In both the cytosolic (C) and particulate (P) fractions of spinal cord from ALS patients as compared with controls, there were increased levels of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase (CaMKK; C = 120% increase/P = 580% increase;% change, compared with control), extracellular regulated kinase 2 (ERK2; C = 120% increase/P = 170% increase), G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2; C = 140% increase/P = 140% increase), phospho-Y279/216 glycogen synthase kinase 3 α/β (GSK3α/β; C = 90% increase/P = 220% increase), protein kinase B α (PKBα; C = 360% increase/P = 200% increase), phospho-T638 PKCα/β (C = 630% increase/P = 170% increase), cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG; C = 100% increase/P = 75% increase), phospho-T451 dsRNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR; C = 2600% increase/P = 3330% increase), ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (RSK1; C = 750% increase/P = 630% increase), phospho-T389 p70 S6 kinase (S6K; C = 1000% increase/P = 460% increase), and protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1 δ (PTP1δ; C = 43% increase/P = 70% increase). Cytosolic increases in phospho-α-S724/γ-S662 adducin (C = 15650% increase), PKCα (C = 100% increase) and PKCζ (C = 190% increase) were found in ALS patients as compared with controls, while particulate increases in cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA; 43% increase), protein kinase C β (PKCβ; 330% increase), and stress-activated protein kinase β (SAPKβ; 34% increase) were also observed. Cyclin-dependent kinase-associated phosphatase (KAP) was apparently translocated, as it was reduced (31% decrease) in cytosolic fractions but elevated (100% increase) in particulate fractions of ALS spinal cord tissue. Our observations indicate that ALS is associated with the elevated expression and/or activation of many protein kinases, including PKCα, PKCβ, PKCζ and GSK3α/β, which may augment neural death in ALS, and CaMKK, PKBα, Rsk1, S6K, and SAPK, which may be a response to neuronal injury that potentially can mitigate cell death.

Microtubule-interfering agents are widely used in cancer chemotherapy, and prognostic results vary significantly from tumor to tumor, depending on the p53 status. In preliminary experiments, we compared the expression and phosphorylation profiles of more than 100 protein kinases and protein phosphatases in human colorectal carcinoma cell line HCT116 between p53+/+ and p53−/− cells in response to short term nocodazole treatment through application of Kinetworks™ immunoblotting screens. Among the proteins tracked, the regulation of the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2 at Thr-183/Tyr-185 was the major difference between p53+/+ and p53−/− cells. With the loss of the p53 gene, the levels of phosphorylation of Ser-63 of c-Jun and Thr-183/Tyr-185 of JNK1/2 in p53−/− cells did not increase as markedly as in p53+/+ cells in response to a 1-h treatment with nocodazole or other microtubule-disrupting drugs such as vinblastine and colchicine. Similar observations were also made in MCF-7 and A549 tumor cells, which were rendered p53-deficient by E6 oncoprotein expression. However, arsenate-induced JNK activation in p53−/− cells was preserved. Inhibition of p53 expression by its antisense oligonucleotide also attenuated nocodazole-induced JNK activation in p53+/+ cells. Surprisingly, cotransfection of p53+/+ cells with dominant negative mutants of JNK isoforms and treatment of p53+/+ cells with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 actually further enhanced apoptosis in p53+/+ cells by up to 2-fold in response to nocodazole. These findings indicate that inhibition of p53-mediated JNK1/2 activity in certain tumor cells could serve to enhance the apoptosis-inducing actions of cancer chemotherapeutic agents that disrupt mitotic spindle function.

The factors responsible for ALS-parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS-PDC), the unique neurological disorder of Guam, remain unresolved, but identification of causal factors could lead to clues for related neurodegenerative disorders elsewhere. Earlier studies focused on the consumption and toxicity of the seed of Cycas circinalis, a traditional staple of the indigenous diet, but found no convincing evidence for toxin-linked neurodegeneration. We have reassessed the issue in a series of in vitro bioassays designed to isolate non-water soluble compounds from washed cycad flour and have identified three sterol beta-d-glucosides as potential neurotoxins. These compounds give depolarizing field potentials in cortical slices, induce alterations in the activity of specific protein kinases, and cause release of glutamate. They are also highly toxic, leading to release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Theaglycone form, however, is non-toxic. NMDA receptor antagonists block the actions of the sterol glucosides, but do not compete for binding to the NMDA receptor. The most probable mechanism leading to cell death may involve glutamate neuro/excitotoxicity. Mice fed cycad seed flour containing the isolated sterol glucosides show behavioral and neuropathological outcomes, including increased TdT-mediated biotin-dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) positivity in various CNS regions. Astrocytes in culture showed increased caspase-3 labeling after exposure to sterol glucosides. The present results support the hypothesis that cycad consumption may be an important factor in the etiology of ALS-PDC and further suggest that some sterol glucosides may be involved in other neurodegenerative disorders.

Elucidation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) signalling pathways in cancer cells has helped to define the mechanisms for their neoplastic transformation and potential drug targets for therapeutic intervention. Antibody microarrays are promising tools to evaluate alterations in the levels and phosphorylation status of hundreds of proteins of interest with only microgram amounts of crude cell and tissue lysate protein. However, interpretations of the results from traditional antibody microarray approaches have been hampered by the problems associated with sample preparation and protein detection, even when reliable antibodies are deployed in these arrays. The Kinex™ KAM-900P antibody microarray permitted semi-quantitative measurements of the expressions, post-translational modifications and interactions of proteins with 100 µg or less of lysate proteins. These microarrays utilize approximately 878 different pan- and phosphosite-specific antibodies for tracking protein kinases, phosphatases and other low abundance regulatory proteins. Multiple detection protocols were developed with the KAM-900P slides to enable high depth profiling of protein levels, phosphorylation and protein-protein interactions in A431 cells in response to EGF treatment. One method (KAM) involved the capture of in vitro biotin-labeled proteins, followed by their detection with a secondary dye-labeled anti-biotin antibody. False positive signals from associated proteins in complexes with the targets were reduced by chemical cleavage with NTCB prior to their capture on the array, and this also produced more uniformity of the dye signals for protein targets despite vast differences in their sizes. Transient changes in protein phosphorylation in EGF treated cells that were typically lost when processed by conventional methods were better preserved by chemical cleavage right at time of sample homogenization. Biotin-labeling and subsequent detection of the protein on the array with a dye-labeled secondary antibody further reduced non-specific background signals, allowed for a greater dynamic range of detection, and enhanced discrimination of subtle changes. In conjunction with other detection protocols, such as the usage of dye-labeled reporter antibodies for generic protein-tyrosine phosphorylation in sandwich antibody microarrays (SAM format) or generic protein phosphorylation with nanoparticles such as pAMIGO (PAM format), it is also feasible to monitor changes in general post-translational modifications of target proteins or their specific association with other adapter, scaffolding and chaperone proteins of interest for which antibody probes are available. Citation Format: Lambert Yue, Steven Pelech. Tracking expression, post-translational modifications and interactions of EGF signalling proteins in A431 cells with antibody microarrays [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 216. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-216

Excessive activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors leads to cell death in human embryonic kidney-293 (HEK) cells which have been transfected with recombinant NMDA receptors. To evaluate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) activation in NMDA-mediated toxicity, we have analyzed the survival of transfected HEK cells using trypan blue exclusion. We found that NMDA-mediated death of HEK cells transfected with NR1/NR2A subunits was increased by exposure to phorbol esters and reduced by inhibitors of PKC activation, or PKC down-regulation. The region of NR2A that provides the PKC-induced enhancement of cell death was localized to a discrete segment of the C-terminus. Use of isoform-specific PKC inhibitors showed that Ca2+- and lipid-dependent PKC isoforms (cPKCs), specifically PKCβ1, was responsible for the increase in cell death when phorbol esters were applied prior to NMDA in these cells. PKC activity measured by an in vitro kinase assay was also increased in NR1A/NR2A-transfected HEK cells following NMDA stimulation. These results suggest that PKC acts on the C-terminus of NR2A to accentuate cell death in NR1/NR2A-transfected cells and demonstrate that this effect is mediated by cPKC isoforms. These data indicate that elevation of cellular PKC activity can increase neurotoxicity mediated by NMDA receptor activation.

p53 undergoes phosphorylation on several residues in response to cellular stresses that include UV and ionizing radiation, however the influence of spindle damage on this parameter is relatively unclear. Consequently, the effect of nocodazole on serine 392 phosphorylation was examined in two epithelial cell lines. We show that this process is dependent upon the stepwise activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and protein kinase casein kinase 2 (CK2). Furthermore, this activation correlated with the biochemical regulation of the maturation-promoting factor (MPF, cdc2/cyclin B), as both DRB and antisense depletion of CK2, as well as SB203580 were associated with an inhibition of its activation in response to nocodazole. Strikingly, when the cell cycle characteristics of nocodazole treated cells were examined, we observed that depletion or inhibition of the catalytic subunit of CK2, in the presence of microtubule inhibitors, resulted in a compromise of the G2 arrest (spindle checkpoint). Furthermore, CK2-depleted, nocodazole treated cells demonstrated a dramatic reduction in the apoptotic cell fraction, confirming that these cells had been endowed with oncogenic properties. These changes were observed in both HeLa cells and HCT116 cells. We also show that this effect is dependent on the presence of functional wild-type p53, as this phenomenon is not apparent in HCT116 p53(-/-) cells. Collectively, our results indicate two novel roles for CK2 in the spindle checkpoint arrest, in concert with p53. Firstly, to maintain increased cyclinB/cdc2 kinase activity, as a component of G2 arrest, and secondly, a role in p53-mediated apoptosis. These findings may have implications for an improved understanding of abnormalities of the spindle checkpoint in human cancers, which is a prerequisite for defining future therapies.

Objective. The aim of this study was to study the pattern of protein kinase expression in a culture model of epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis. Methods. Cultures of normal human ovarian surface epithelium (OSE), OSE from women with BRCA1 mutations, a cell culture model of preneoplastic (SV40 T-antigen-immortalized, nontumorigenic) and neoplastic (SV40-E-cadherin transfected, tumorigenic) OSE, and three ovarian cancer cell lines were used to represent OSE phenotypes of different genetic backgrounds and at different, progressive stages of neoplastic transformation. The protein kinase network signaling was studied by Western blotting, simultaneously using multiple antibodies for specific protein kinases. Results. High levels of cGMP-dependent protein kinase were found in normal and preneoplastic OSE, but were absent in neoplastic OSE. In contrast, expression of MEK6 was detected exclusively in neoplastic OSE. The expressions of casein kinase II (CK2), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), cyclin-dependent kinase, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) effectors Akt2 and p70 S6 kinase (S6K) were several-fold higher in neoplastic OSE than in normal OSE, whereas the expressions of the MAPKs extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1 and -2 were unchanged. Importantly, constitutive phosphorylation of Akt2 and p70 S6K, as found in neoplastic OSE, was also observed in overtly normal OSE from women with predisposing BRCA1 gene mutations. Conclusions. These data demonstrate that different repertoires of downstream signaling proteins, particularly those of the MEK6–p38 MAPK–CK2 pathway and the PI3K pathway, are correlated with phenotypic manifestations of a cell culture model of OSE at progressive stages in the development of ovarian cancer. Changes in PI3K effectors are already found in overtly normal OSE from women with BRCA1 mutations.

Heat shock proteins (hsp) have important roles in the regulation and protection of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, especially during environmental stress. Hsps are also important bacterial virulence factors. We investigated whether bacterial hsp60 can alter epithelial cell mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and cell proliferation. Human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT cell line) were cultured in the presence of hsp60 purified from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, an important oral pathogen. Protein kinases in the ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways were probed with kinase-specific and phosphorylation-site-specific antibodies on Western blots. In quiescent cultures, hsp60 increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation in a sustained manner and p38 phosphorylation transiently. Hsp60 also increased epithelial cell proliferation by about 30%. Inhibition of the ERK1/2 pathway by PD 98059 (a MEK1 inhibitor) reversed partially ERK1/2 phosphorylation and totally cell proliferation indicating that the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway is involved in the hsp60-induced cell growth. This was supported by findings that hsp60 stimulated phosphorylation of RSK1/2 and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein and increased expression of transcription factors c-Jun and c-Fos. Recombinant human hsp60 did not alter ERK1/2 or p38 phosphorylation and had no effect on epithelial cell proliferation. Inhibition of p38 MAPK pathway by SB 203580 increased both ERK1/2 phosphorylation and cell proliferation demonstrating that the inhibitor can either directly or indirectly activate the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway. The results show that exogenous bacterial hsp60 is able to activate ERK1/2 phosphorylation and thereby cause increased epithelial proliferation. In case of mucosal infection this effect may either lead to increased wound repair or participate in the pathological mechanism of some bacterial diseases that involve increased epithelial proliferation.

A murine model of motoneuron disease, the pmn/pmn mouse, shows a reduction in the retrograde transport of fluorescent probes applied directly onto the cut end of sciatic nerve. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), when co-applied with fluorescent tracers, increases the number of retrograde labelled motoneurons. We demonstrate here that spinal cord tissue from pmn/pmn mice had significantly reduced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and expression in the particulate fraction compared to controls, without changes in the activities or expression of the downstream kinases, protein kinase B/Akt or Erk1. Systemic administration of BDNF augmented phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase specific activity in spinal cord tissue from pmn/pmn and control mice, with a greater elevation in the particulate fractions of pmn/pmn mice than in controls. We examined the effect of inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase on the retrograde labelling of motoneurons, 24 h following the direct application of inhibitors and Fluorogold to the cut end of sciatic nerve in control and pmn/pmn mice (labelling index). The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor PD 98059 had no effect on the labelling index in control or pmn/pmn mice. In the absence of exogenous BDNF, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors reduced the number of labelled motoneurons in control mice, without changing the labelling index in pmn/pmn. Co-application of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors with BDNF to the cut end of sciatic nerve blocked the action of BDNF on retrograde labelling in pmn/pmn mice. These results indicate that the retrograde labelling of motoneurons is mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent and -independent pathways. In pmn/pmn mice, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity in spinal neurons is below the level required for optimal retrograde labelling of motoneurons and labelling can be augmented by the administration of growth factors stimulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity. The data indicate that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity is important in the uptake and/or retrograde transport of substances by motoneurons and is altered in this model of motoneuron diseases.

Udgivelsesdato: 2000-Jun-2 Protein kinase CK2 has been implicated in the regulation of a wide range of proteins that are important in cell proliferation and differentiation. Here we demonstrate that the stress signaling agents anisomycin, arsenite, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha stimulate the specific enzyme activity of CK2 in the human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells by up to 8-fold, and this could be blocked by the p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580. We show that p38alpha MAP kinase, in a phosphorylation-dependent manner, can directly interact with the alpha and beta subunits of CK2 to activate the holoenzyme through what appears to be an allosteric mechanism. Furthermore, we demonstrate that anisomycin- and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced phosphorylation of p53 at Ser-392, which is important for the transcriptional activity of this growth suppressor protein, requires p38 MAP kinase and CK2 activities.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) have been shown to stimulate protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the actions of these two agents in cardiomyocytes are less well understood. To investigate the signal transduction pathways of AVP and LPA, freshly isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes were examined. Both AVP and LPA induced concentration- and time-dependent stimulation of the phosphotransferase activities of p90 ribosomal S6 kinases (RSK) and their upstream activators, extracellularly regulated kinases (ERK) 1 and 2. The activation of ERK1 and ERK2 by LPA was PKC- and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase)-dependent. However, AVP-induced activation of RSK2, a downstream substrate of ERK1 and ERK2, was PKC-dependent and PI 3-kinase-independent. AVP and LPA were also observed to increase the phosphotransferase activity of p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70 S6K) in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The activation of p70 S6K by LPA and AVP was PI 3-kinase-dependent. PKC was necessary in AVP- but not in LPA-induced activation of p70 S6K. Since RSK and p70 S6K have been implicated in the regulation of translational control of protein synthesis, we concluded that AVP and LPA may stimulate the growth of cardiomyocytes through these two protein kinase cascades.

Abstract —Recent studies suggest that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) may be involved in ischemic preconditioning (PC). To further test this possibility, the regulation of MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAPK2), a kinase immediately downstream from p38 MAPK, and the activity of c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase (JNK), a second MAPK, were examined in preconditioned hearts. Isolated, perfused rabbit hearts were subjected to 20 to 30 minutes of global ischemia. Ventricular biopsies before treatment and after 20 minutes of ischemia were homogenized, and the activities of MAPKAPK2 and JNK were evaluated. For the MAPKAPK2 experiments, 7 groups were studied, as follows: control hearts; preconditioned hearts; hearts treated with 500 nmol/L R(–) N 6 -(2-phenylisopropyl) adenosine (PIA), an A 1 -adenosine receptor agonist; preconditioned hearts pretreated with 100 μmol/L 8-( p -sulfophenyl) theophylline (SPT), an adenosine receptor antagonist; preconditioned hearts also treated with SB 203580, a potent inhibitor of p38 MAPK activation; hearts treated with 50 ng/mL anisomycin (a p38 MAPK/JNK activator); and hearts treated with both anisomycin (50 ng/mL) and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein (50 μmol/L). MAPKAPK2 activity was not altered in control hearts after 20 minutes of global ischemia. By contrast, there was a 3.8-fold increase in activity during ischemia in preconditioned hearts. Activation of MAPKAPK2 in preconditioned hearts was blocked by both SPT and SB 203580. MAPKAPK2 activity during ischemia increased 3.5-fold and 3.3-fold in hearts pretreated with PIA or anisomycin, respectively. MAPKAPK2 activation during ischemia in hearts pretreated with anisomycin was blocked by genistein. In separate hearts, anisomycin mimicked the anti-infarct effect of PC, and that protection was abolished by genistein. JNK activity was measured in control and preconditioned hearts. There was a comparable, modest decline in activity during 30 minutes of global ischemia in both groups. As a positive control, a third group of hearts was treated with anisomycin before global ischemia, and in these, JNK activity increased by 290% above baseline. These results confirm that the p38 MAPK/MAPKAPK2 pathway is activated during ischemia only if the heart is in a preconditioned state. These data further support p38 MAPK as an important signaling component in ischemic PC.

Protein kinase C (PKC), p38 MAP kinase, and mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated kinases 2 and 3 (MAPKAPK2 and MAPKAPK3) have been implicated in ischemic preconditioning (PC) of the heart to reduce damage following a myocardial infarct. This study examined whether extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) 1, p70 ribosomal S6 kinase (p70 S6K), casein kinase 2 (CK2), and other hsp27 kinases are also activated by PC, and if they are required for protection in rabbit hearts. CK2 and hsp27 kinase activities declined during global ischemia in control hearts, whereas PC with 5 min ischemia and 10 min reperfusion increased their activities during global ischemia. Resource Q chromatography resolved two distinct peaks of hsp27 phosphotransferase activities; the first peak (at 0.36 M NaCl) appeared to correspond to the 55-kDa MAPKAPK2. Erk1 activity was elevated in both control and PC hearts after post-ischemic reperfusion, but no change was observed in p70 S6K activity. Infarct size (measured by triphenyltetrazolium staining) in isolated rabbit hearts subjected to 30 min regional ischemia and 2 h reperfusion was 31.0 ± 2.6% of the risk zone in controls and was 10.3 ± 2.2% in PC hearts (p < 0.001). Neither the CK2 inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-1-β-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB) nor the Mek1/2 inhibitor PD98059 infused during ischemia blocked protection by PC. The activation of CK2 and Erk1 in ischemic preconditioned hearts appear to be epiphenomena and not required for the reduction of infarction from myocardial ischemia.Key words: Erk1, MAPKAPK2, PD98059, p38 MAPK.

Two ribosomal protein S6 kinases (i.e., pp52(S6K) and pp70(S6K)) of the p70 S6 kinase family were markedly activated during meiotic maturation of Pisaster ochraceus sea star oocytes. A rapid protocol was developed for the purification from the oocyte cytosol of pp52(S6K) by approximately 50,000-fold with a specific enzyme activity of 1.6 micromol per min per mg. The purified enzyme apparently featured the N- and C-terminal regions of pp70(S6K) as it immunoreacted with antibodies directed to peptides patterned after these amino acid sequences in mammalian pp70(S6K). pp52(S6K) was inhibited by fluoride (IC(50) approximately 60 mM), but was relatively insensitive to beta-glycerolphosphate, EGTA, dithiothreitol, spermine, heparin, NaCl, and metal ions such as Mn(2+), Zn(2+), and Ca(2+). The consensus sequence for substrate phosphorylation was determined to be RXXSXR, which was partially distinct from mammalian p70(S6K) in its requirement for an amino-terminal arginine. Phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 by p52(S6K) occurred exclusively on serine on at least five tryptic peptides. Inhibition of sea star p52(S6K) phosphotransferase activity after treatment with protein serine/threonine phosphatases confirmed that p52(S6K) was still regulated by phosphorylation. The sea star S6 kinase was purified to near homogeneity with the regulatory and catalytic subunits of protein-serine phosphatase 2A and the heat shock protein 60. The association of an S6 kinase with phosphatase 2A was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation of S6 kinase activity with phosphatase 2A-specific antibodies. The purified S6 kinase and the sea star oocyte system will be useful for analysis of upstream and downstream signaling events that lead to phosphorylation of the S6 protein and other targets.

The myelin basic protein (MBP)-phosphorylating enzymes present during maturation and early embryogenesis of the sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) were investigated. The major maturation-activated MBP kinase (p45 Mapk) was molecularly cloned based on tryptic sequence information obtained with the purified enzyme and shown to be highly related to human Erk1 with 76% amino acid identity. Kinase assays and immunoblotting studies revealed that Mapk remained highly active until 12 h post-fertilization (PF), after which it declined. By 4 days PF, Mapk protein was no longer detectable. At 3 h PF, about half of the detectable MBP phosphotransferase activity could be attributed to a 75 kDa protein kinase that was distinct from Mapk. Like Mapk, this protein phosphorylated MBP mostly on threonine residues, but it failed to phosphorylate a peptide (APRTPGGRR) based upon the Thr-97 MAP kinase phosphorylation site in MBP. Rather, it phosphorylated a peptide (AAQKRPSQRTKYLA) patterned after the N-terminus of MBP. Our studies also showed a dramatic increase in MBP phosphotransferase activity occurred by 4 days PF that arose from a third kinase that phosphorylated MBP solely on serine residues. This kinase exhibited the following substrate substrate preference: AAQKRPSQRTKYLA, peptide substrate for S6 kinases (AKRRRLSSLRASTSKSESSQK) > MBP > histone H1 > prota-mine > casein > APRTPGGRR. This kinase was not appreciably affected by addition of phosphatidylserine/diacylglycerol, or the staurosporine analogue Roche Compound 3, but it was partly inhibited by a protein kinase C pseudosubstrate peptide. Gel filtration analysis revealed an apparent molecular mass of 41 kDa for the enzyme. Therefore, at least two novel MBP-phosphorylating enzymes distinct from Mapk are preferentially activated following fertilization and early embryogenesis of the sea star.

The effects of tail-vein insulin injection (2 U/kg) on the regulation of protein-serine kinases in hindlimb skeletal muscle were investigated in hyperinsulinemic hypertensive fructose-fed (FF) animals that had been fasted overnight. Basal protein kinase B (PKB) activity was elevated about twofold in FF rats and was not further stimulated by insulin. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), which lies upstream of PKB, was increased approximately 3.5-fold within 2-5 min by insulin in control rats. Basal and insulin-activated PI3K activities were further enhanced up to 2-fold and 1.3-fold, respectively, in FF rats. The 70-kDa S6 kinase (S6K) was stimulated about twofold by insulin in control rats. Both basal and insulin-stimulated S6K activity was further enhanced up to 1.5-fold and 3.5-fold, respectively, in FF rats. In control rats, insulin caused a 40-50% reduction of the phosphotransferase activity of the beta-isoform of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3beta), which is a PKB target in vitro. Basal GSK-3beta activity was decreased by approximately 40% in FF rats and remained unchanged after insulin treatment. In summary, 1) the PI3K --PKB --S6K pathway was upregulated under basal conditions, and 2) insulin stimulation of PI3K and S6K activities was enhanced, but both PKB and GSK-3 were refractory to the effects of insulin in FF rats.

A growing body of evidence indicates that regulation of protein-serine/threonine phosphatase 2A (PP2A) involves its association with other cellular and viral proteins in multiprotein complexes. PP2A-containing protein complexes may exist that contribute to PP2A's important regulatory role in many cellular processes. To identify such protein complexes, PP2A was partially purified from rat brain soluble extracts following treatment with a reversible cross-linker to stabilize large molecular size forms of PP2A. Compared with native (uncross-linked) PP2A, cross-linked PP2A revealed an enrichment of p70 S6 kinase and two p21-activated kinases (PAK1 and PAK3) in the PP2A complex, indicating these kinases may associate with PP2A. The existence of protein kinase-PP2A complexes in rat brain soluble extracts was further substantiated by the following results: 1) independent immunoprecipitation of the kinases revealed that PP2A co-precipitated with p70 S6 kinase and the two PAK isoforms; 2) glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins of p70 S6 kinase and PAK3 each isolated PP2A; and 3) PAK3 and p70 S6 kinase bound to microcystin-Sepharose (an affinity resin for PP2A-PP1). Cumulatively, these findings provide evidence for association of PP2A with p70 S6 kinase, PAK1, and PAK3 in the context of the cellular environment. Moreover, together with the recent reports describing associations of PP2A with Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (Westphal, R. S., Anderson, K. A., Means, A. R., and Wadzinski, B. E. (1998) Science 280, 1258-1261) and casein kinase IIalpha (Heriche, J. K., Lebrin, F., Rabilloud, T., Leroy, D., Chambaz, E. M., and Goldberg, Y. (1997) Science 276, 952-955), the present data provide compelling evidence for the existence of protein kinase-PP2A signaling modules as a new paradigm for the control of various intracellular signaling cascades.

The control of glucose uptake and glycogen metabolism by insulin in target organs is in part mediated through the regulation of protein-serine/ threonine kinases. In this study, the expression and phosphotransferase activity levels of some of these kinases in rat heart ventricle were measured to investigate whether they might mediate the shift in the energy dependency of the developing heart from glycogen to fatty acids. Following tail-vein injection of overnight fasted adult rats with 2 U of insulin per kg body weight, protein kinase B (PKB), the 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (S6K), and casein kinase 2 (CK2) were activated (30–600%), whereas the MAP/ extracellular regulated kinases (ERK)1 and ERK2 were not stimulated under these conditions. When the expression levels of the insulin-activated kinases were probed with specific antibodies in ventricular extracts from 1-, 10-, 20-, 50-, and 365-day-old rats, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), PKB, S6K, and CK2 were downregulated (40–60%) with age. By contrast, ventricular glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) protein levels were maintained during postnatal development. Similar findings were obtained when the expression of these kinases was investigated in freshly isolated ventricular myocytes, where they were detected predominantly in the cytosolic fraction of the myocytes. Compared to other adult rat tissues such as brain and liver, the levels of PI3K, PKB, S6K, and GSK3β were relatively low in the heart. Even though CK2 protein and activity levels were reduced by ∼60% in 365 day as compared to 1-day-old rats, expression of CK2 in the adult heart was as high as detected in any of the other rat tissues. The high basal activities of CK2 in early neonatal heart may be associated with the proliferating state of myocytes. J. Cell. Biochem. 71:328–339, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Catabolic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is subject to regulatory control by protein kinases. We hypothesized that this regulation involves sequential activation of the enzymes mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK). In the present investigation, we provide evidence that MEK is critically involved in regulating APP processing by both nerve growth factor and phorbol esters. Western blot analysis of the soluble N-terminal APP derivative APPsdemonstrated that the synthetic MEK inhibitor PD 98059 antagonized nerve growth factor stimulation of both APPsproduction and ERK activation in PC12 cells. Moreover, PD 98059 inhibited phorbol ester stimulation of APPsproduction and activation of ERK in both human embryonic kidney cells and cortical neurons. Furthermore, overexpression of a kinase-inactive MEK mutant inhibited phorbol ester stimulation of APP secretion and activation of ERK in human embryonic kidney cell lines. Most important, PD 98059 antagonized phorbol ester-mediated inhibition of Aβ secretion from cells overexpressing human APP695carrying the “Swedish mutation.” Taken together, these data indicate that MEK and ERK may be critically involved in protein kinase C and nerve growth factor regulation of APP processing. The mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade may provide a novel target for altering catabolic processing of APP.