Transcriptional regulation of the protein kinase A subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Autoregulatory role of the kinase A activity
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS
Authors: Pautasso, Constanza; Rossi, Silvia
Abstract
Protein kinase A (PKA) is a broad specificity protein kinase that controls a physiological response following the increment of cAMP as a consequence of a particular stimulus. The specificity of cAMP-signal transduction is maintained by several levels of control acting all together. Herein we present the study of the regulation of the expression of each PICA subunit, analyzing the activity of their promoters. The promoter of each isoform of TPK and of BCY1 is differentially activated during the growth phase. A negative mechanism of isoform-dependent autoregulation directs TPKs and BCY1 gene expressions. TPK1 promoter activity is positively regulated during heat shock and saline stress. The kinase Rim15, but not the kinase Yak1, positively regulates TPK1 promoter. Msn2/4, Gis1, and Sok2 are transcription factors involved in the regulation of TPK1 expression during stress. TPK2, TPK3, and BCY1 promoters, unlike TPK1, are not activated under stress conditions, although all the promoters are activated under low or null protein kinase A activity. These results indicate that subunits share an inhibitory autoregulatory mechanism but have different mechanisms involved in response to heat shock or saline stress. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The activation loop of PKA catalytic isoforms is differentially phosphorylated by Pkh protein kinases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
Authors: Haesendonckx, Steven; Tudisca, Vanesa; Voordeckers, Karin; Moreno, Silvia; Thevelein, Johan M.; Portela, Paula
Abstract
PDK1 (phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1) phosphorylates and activates PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase) in vitro. Docking of the HM (hydrophobic motif) in the C-terminal tail of the PKA catalytic subunits on to the PIF (PDK1-interacting fragment) pocket of PDK1 is a critical step in this activation process. However, PDK1 regulation of PKA in vivo remains controversial. Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three PKA catalytic subunits, TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3. We demonstrate that Pkh [PKB (protein kinase B)-activating kinase homologue] protein kinases phosphorylate the activation loop of each Tpk in vivo with various efficiencies. Pkh inactivation reduces the interaction of each catalytic subunit with the regulatory subunit Bcy1 without affecting the specific kinase activity of PKA. Comparative analysis of the in vitro interaction and phosphorylation of Tpks by Pkh1 shows that Tpk1 and Tpk2 interact with Pkh1 through an HM-PIF pocket interaction. Unlike Tpk1, mutagenesis of the activation loop site in Tpk2 does not abolish in vitro phosphorylation, suggesting that Tpk2 contains other, as yet uncharacterized, Pkh1 target sites. Tpk3 is poorly phosphorylated on its activation loop site, and this is due to the weak interaction of Tpk3 with Pkh1 because of the atypical HM found in Tpk3. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that Pkh protein kinases contribute to the divergent regulation of the Tpk catalytic subunits.