The remarkable diversity of plant PEPC (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase): recent insights into the physiological functions and post-translational controls of non-photosynthetic PEPCs

Brendan O'Leary; Joonho Park; William C. Plaxton

doi:10.1042/bj20110078

The remarkable diversity of plant PEPC (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase): recent insights into the physiological functions and post-translational controls of non-photosynthetic PEPCs

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj20110078 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 436 (1) ◽

pp. 15-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 167

Author(s):

Brendan O'Leary ◽

Joonho Park ◽

William C. Plaxton

Keyword(s):

Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase ◽

Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle ◽

Critical Role ◽

Subcellular Location ◽

Serine Phosphorylation ◽

Regulatory Subunit ◽

Physiological Functions ◽

Intrinsically Disordered ◽

Class 1

PEPC [PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate) carboxylase] is a tightly controlled enzyme located at the core of plant C-metabolism that catalyses the irreversible β-carboxylation of PEP to form oxaloacetate and Pi. The critical role of PEPC in assimilating atmospheric CO2 during C4 and Crassulacean acid metabolism photosynthesis has been studied extensively. PEPC also fulfils a broad spectrum of non-photosynthetic functions, particularly the anaplerotic replenishment of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates consumed during biosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation. An impressive array of strategies has evolved to co-ordinate in vivo PEPC activity with cellular demands for C4–C6 carboxylic acids. To achieve its diverse roles and complex regulation, PEPC belongs to a small multigene family encoding several closely related PTPCs (plant-type PEPCs), along with a distantly related BTPC (bacterial-type PEPC). PTPC genes encode ~110-kDa polypeptides containing conserved serine-phosphorylation and lysine-mono-ubiquitination sites, and typically exist as homotetrameric Class-1 PEPCs. In contrast, BTPC genes encode larger ~117-kDa polypeptides owing to a unique intrinsically disordered domain that mediates BTPC's tight interaction with co-expressed PTPC subunits. This association results in the formation of unusual ~900-kDa Class-2 PEPC hetero-octameric complexes that are desensitized to allosteric effectors. BTPC is a catalytic and regulatory subunit of Class-2 PEPC that is subject to multi-site regulatory phosphorylation in vivo. The interaction between divergent PEPC polypeptides within Class-2 PEPCs adds another layer of complexity to the evolution, physiological functions and metabolic control of this essential CO2-fixing plant enzyme. The present review summarizes exciting developments concerning the functions, post-translational controls and subcellular location of plant PTPC and BTPC isoenzymes.

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St. John’s Wort Has Metabolically Favorable Effects on AdipocytesIn Vivo

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2014/862575 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Scott Fuller ◽

Allison J. Richard ◽

David M. Ribnicky ◽

Robbie Beyl ◽

Randall Mynatt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adipose Tissue ◽

White Adipose Tissue ◽

Critical Role ◽

Fasting Blood Glucose ◽

Serine Phosphorylation ◽

Whole Body ◽

Storage Site ◽

St John’S Wort ◽

St John's Wort

In addition to serving as a storage site for reserve energy, adipocytes play a critical role in whole-body insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. St. John’s Wort (SJW) is a botanical supplement widely used as an over-the-counter treatment of depression and a variety of other conditions associated with anxiety and nerve pain. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that SJW inhibits insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and adipocyte differentiation in cultured murine and mature human adipocytes. To investigate the effects of SJW on adipocyte functionin vivo, we utilized C57BL/6J mice. In our studies, mice were administered SJW extract (200 mg/kg) once daily by gavage for two weeks. In contrast to ourin vitrostudies, mice treated with SJW extract showed increased levels of adiponectin in white adipose tissue in a depot specific manner(P<0.01). SJW also exerted an insulin-sensitizing effect as indicated by a significant increase in insulin-stimulated Akt serine phosphorylation in epididymal white adipose tissue(P<0.01). Food intake, body weight, fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin did not differ between the two groups. These results are important as they indicate that SJW does not promote metabolic dysfunction in adipose tissuein vivo.

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A Ral GAP complex links PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling to RalA activation in insulin action

Molecular Biology of the Cell ◽

10.1091/mbc.e10-08-0665 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 141-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

Xiao-Wei Chen ◽

Dara Leto ◽

Tingting Xiong ◽

Genggeng Yu ◽

Alan Cheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Glucose Transporter ◽

Critical Role ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Small Gtpase ◽

Regulatory Subunit ◽

Hydrolysis Of ◽

Identification And Characterization

Insulin stimulates glucose transport in muscle and adipose tissue by translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane. We previously reported that activation of the small GTPase RalA downstream of PI 3-kinase plays a critical role in this process by mobilizing the exocyst complex for GLUT4 vesicle targeting in adipocytes. Here we report the identification and characterization of a Ral GAP complex (RGC) that mediates the activation of RalA downstream of the PI 3-kinase/Akt pathway. The complex is composed of an RGC1 regulatory subunit and an RGC2 catalytic subunit (previously identified as AS250) that directly stimulates the guanosine triphosphate hydrolysis of RalA. Knockdown of RGC proteins leads to increased RalA activity and glucose uptake in adipocytes. Insulin inhibits the GAP complex through Akt2-catalyzed phosphorylation of RGC2 in vitro and in vivo, while activated Akt relieves the inhibitory effect of RGC proteins on RalA activity. The RGC complex thus connects PI 3-kinase/Akt activity to the transport machineries responsible for GLUT4 translocation.

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IκB kinase β (IKKβ) does not mediate feedback inhibition of the insulin signalling cascade

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj20112037 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 442 (3) ◽

pp. 723-732 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Graeme I. Lancaster ◽

Beata Skiba ◽

Christine Yang ◽

Hayley T. Nicholls ◽

Katherine G. Langley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tyrosine Phosphorylation ◽

Feedback Inhibition ◽

Insulin Signalling ◽

Serine Phosphorylation ◽

Regulatory Subunit ◽

Iκb Kinase ◽

Pkb Phosphorylation ◽

Signalling Cascade

In the present study, we have examined whether IKKβ [IκB (inhibitor of nuclear factor κB) kinase β] plays a role in feedback inhibition of the insulin signalling cascade. Insulin induces the phosphorylation of IKKβ, in vitro and in vivo, and this effect is dependent on intact signalling via PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), but not PKB (protein kinase B). To test the hypothesis that insulin activates IKKβ as a means of negative feedback, we employed a variety of experimental approaches. First, pharmacological inhibition of IKKβ via BMS-345541 did not potentiate insulin-induced IRS1 (insulin receptor substrate 1) tyrosine phosphorylation, PKB phosphorylation or 2-deoxyglucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. BMS-345541 did not prevent insulin-induced IRS1 serine phosphorylation on known IKKβ target sites. Secondly, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of wild-type IKKβ in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes did not suppress insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake, IRS1 tyrosine phosphorylation, IRS1 association with the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K or PKB phosphorylation. Thirdly, insulin signalling was not potentiated in mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking IKKβ. Finally, insulin treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes did not promote the recruitment of IKKβ to IRS1, supporting our findings that IKKβ, although activated by insulin, does not promote direct serine phosphorylation of IRS1 and does not contribute to the feedback inhibition of the insulin signalling cascade.

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Direct Binding of BCOR, but Not CBX8, to MLL-AF9 Is Essential for MLL-AF9 Leukemia Via Regulation of the EYA1/SIX1 Gene Network

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2018-99-111388 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 1316-1316

Author(s):

John H. Bushweller ◽

Charles Schmidt ◽

Nicholas Achille ◽

Aravinda Kuntimaddi ◽

Adam Boulton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcriptional Activation ◽

Gene Network ◽

Target Genes ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Critical Role ◽

Histone H3 ◽

Embryonic Stem ◽

Acute Leukemias ◽

Intrinsically Disordered

Abstract The mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) protein is a histone methyltransferase that writes the histone H3 lysine 4 trimethyl (H3K4me3) mark at the promoters of target genes such as HOXA9 and MEIS1. MLL is the target of chromosomal translocations that fuse it in frame to one of over 90 partners, leading to acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemias (AML and ALL, respectively) characterized by poor prognoses1. MLL fusions activate transcription by recruiting the AF4 family/ENL family/P-TEFb (AEP) complex and the DOT1L-AF10 family-ENL family complex (DOT1L complex or DotCom). Transcriptional activation via AF4 recruitment and transcriptional maintenance via DOT1L recruitment are required for MLL leukemias. Despite the large number of fusion partners, members of the AEP complex account for nearly 70% of MLL rearrangements1. These fusions constitutively activate MLL targets by bypassing recruitment via ENL (MLLT1) and AF9 (MLLT3) YEATS domain binding to crotonylated or acetylated histone H3. The AF9 ANC1 homology domain (AHD), retained in MLL fusions, is intrinsically disordered, but undergoes coupled folding and binding upon interaction with its binding proteins2. The AHD recruits AF4 and DOT1L, which support transcriptional elongation, as well as the BCL6 corepressor (BCOR) and chromobox homolog 8 (CBX8), which are implicated in transcriptional repression. CBX8 (HPC3) is a mammalian ortholog of Drosophila polycomb that binds trimethylated histone H3 lysine 9 and 27 (H3K9me3 and H3K27me3) with variable affinity. Previous reports indicate CBX8 is required for MLL-AF9 and MLL-ENL. BCOR is a transcriptional corepressor that augments BCL6-mediated repression. The BCL6 POZ domain forms a ternary complex with BCOR and SMRT, repressing targets via recruitment of PRC1.1 and HDAC3. BCOR translocations and mutations have been found in a range of cancers. Although it is broadly expressed throughout the hematopoietic system (Bloodspot), little is known about BCOR function in hematopoiesis. Recently, BCOR was shown to have a role in maintenance of human embryonic stem cell pluripotency. BCOR has also been implicated in regulation of myeloid cell proliferation and differentiation and is necessary for MLL-AF9 leukemogenesis. While the roles of the direct MLL-AF9/AF4 and MLL-AF9/DOT1L interactions have been the subject of previous structural and functional studies2-4, the roles of the direct interactions of MLL-AF9 with CBX8 and BCOR remain relatively uncharacterized. We determined the structures of the AF9 AHD-CBX8 and AF9 AHD-BCOR complexes. Based on the structures, we developed point mutants to increase and decrease affinity of CBX8 for AF9. Increased affinity decreased colony forming ability and induced differentiation of MLL-AF9-transformed cells, while decreased affinity had no effect. An additional point mutant was developed to selectively disrupt BCOR binding to AF9. In the context of MLL-AF9, this mutant increases proliferative ability without an effect on colony formation and is unable to cause leukemia in vivo. RNAseq analysis reveals that this mutant affects a different set of genes than loss of DOT1L or AF4 binding or gain of CBX8 binding, leading to a phenotype distinct from that seen with perturbation of other AF9 interactions, functionally distinguishing proliferative capacity from in vivo leukemogenesis. In particular, substantial effects were observed on EYA1 expression, suggesting a critical role for the EYA1/SIX gene network in MLL-AF9 leukemia. 1 Meyer, C. et al. The MLL recombinome of acute leukemias in 2017. Leukemia32, 273-284, doi:10.1038/leu.2017.213 (2018). 2 Leach, B. I. et al. Leukemia fusion target AF9 is an intrinsically disordered transcriptional regulator that recruits multiple partners via coupled folding and binding. Structure21, 176-183, doi:10.1016/j.str.2012.11.011 (2013). 3 Kuntimaddi, A. et al. Degree of recruitment of DOT1L to MLL-AF9 defines level of H3K79 Di- and tri-methylation on target genes and transformation potential. Cell reports11, 808-820, doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2015.04.004 (2015). 4 Lokken, A. A. et al. Importance of a specific amino acid pairing for murine MLL leukemias driven by MLLT1/3 or AFF1/4. Leukemia research38, 1309-1315, doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2014.08.010 (2014). Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Phospholemman is not required for the acute stimulation of Na+-K+-ATPase α2-activity during skeletal muscle fatigue

AJP Cell Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpcell.00205.2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 309 (12) ◽

pp. C813-C822 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Palanikumar Manoharan ◽

Tatiana L. Radzyukevich ◽

Hesamedin Hakim Javadi ◽

Cory A. Stiner ◽

Julio A. Landero Figueroa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skeletal Muscle ◽

Exercise Capacity ◽

Skeletal Muscles ◽

Contractile Activity ◽

Critical Role ◽

Regulatory Subunit ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Evoked Contractions ◽

Stimulation Of

The Na+-K+-ATPase α2-isoform in skeletal muscle is rapidly stimulated during muscle use and plays a critical role in fatigue resistance. The acute mechanisms that stimulate α2-activity are not completely known. This study examines whether phosphorylation of phospholemman (PLM/FXYD1), a regulatory subunit of Na+-K+-ATPase, plays a role in the acute stimulation of α2 in working muscles. Mice lacking PLM (PLM KO) have a normal content of the α2-subunit and show normal exercise capacity, in contrast to the greatly reduced exercise capacity of mice that lack α2 in the skeletal muscles. Nerve-evoked contractions in vivo did not induce a change in total PLM or PLM phosphorylated at Ser63 or Ser68, in either WT or PLM KO. Isolated muscles of PLM KO mice maintain contraction and resist fatigue as well as wild type (WT). Rb+ transport by the α2-Na+-K+-ATPase is stimulated to the same extent in contracting WT and contracting PLM KO muscles. Phosphorylation of sarcolemmal membranes prepared from WT but not PLM KO skeletal muscles stimulates the activity of both α1 and α2 in a PLM-dependent manner. The stimulation occurs by an increase in Na+ affinity without significant change in Vmax and is more effective for α1 than α2. These results demonstrate that phosphorylation of PLM is capable of stimulating the activity of both isozymes in skeletal muscle; however, contractile activity alone is not sufficient to induce PLM phosphorylation. Importantly, acute stimulation of α2, sufficient to support exercise and oppose fatigue, does not require PLM or its phosphorylation.

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Phosphorylation of the Mitotic Regulator Protein Hec1 by Nek2 Kinase Is Essential for Faithful Chromosome Segregation

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1074/jbc.m207069200 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 277 (51) ◽

pp. 49408-49416 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Yumay Chen ◽

Daniel J. Riley ◽

Lei Zheng ◽

Phang-Lang Chen ◽

Wen-Hwa Lee

Keyword(s):

Chromosome Segregation ◽

Critical Role ◽

Coiled Coil ◽

Serine Phosphorylation ◽

Yeast Cells ◽

Temperature Sensitive ◽

Chromosomal Segregation ◽

M Phase

Hec1 (highlyexpressed incancer) plays essential roles in chromosome segregation by interacting through its coiled-coil domains with several proteins that modulate the G2/M phase. Hec1 localizes to kinetochores, and its inactivation either by genetic deletion or antibody neutralization leads to severe and lethal chromosomal segregation errors, indicating that Hec1 plays a critical role in chromosome segregation. The mechanisms by which Hec1 is regulated, however, are not known. Here we show that human Hec1 is a serine phosphoprotein and that it binds specifically to the mitotic regulatory kinase Nek2 during G2/M. Nek2 phosphorylates Hec1 on serine residue 165, bothin vitroandin vivo. Yeast cells are viable without scNek2/Kin3, a close structural homolog of Nek2 that binds to both human and yeast Hec1. When the same yeasts carry an scNek2/Kin3 (D55G) or Nek2 (E38G) mutation to mimic a similar temperature-sensitivenimamutation inAspergillus, their growth is arrested at the nonpermissive temperature, because the scNek2/Kin3 (D55G) mutant binds to Hec1 but fails to phosphorylate it. Whereas wild-type human Hec1 rescues lethality resulting from deletion of Hec1 inSaccharomyces cerevesiae, a human Hec1 mutant or yeast Hec1 mutant changing Ser165to Ala or yeast Hec1 mutant changing Ser201to Ala does not. Mutations changing the same Ser residues to Glu, to mimic the negative charge created by phosphorylation, partially rescue lethality but result in a high incidence of errors in chromosomal segregation. These results suggest that cell cycle-regulated serine phosphorylation of Hec1 by Nek2 is essential for faithful chromosome segregation.

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The PNUTS-PAD domain recruits MYC to the PNUTS:PP1 phosphatase complex via the oncogenic MYC-MB0 region

10.1101/2021.12.02.470928 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yong Wei ◽

Alexandra Ahlner ◽

Cornelia Redel ◽

Alexander Lemak ◽

Isak Johansson-Åkhe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solution Structure ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Binding Pocket ◽

Intramolecular Interactions ◽

Regulatory Subunit ◽

Structural Domain ◽

List Type ◽

Intrinsically Disordered

SummaryDespite MYC dysregulation in most human cancers, strategies to target this potent oncogenic driver remains an urgent unmet need. Recent evidence shows the PP1 phosphatase and its regulatory subunit PNUTS control MYC phosphorylation and stability, however the molecular basis remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that MYC interacts directly with PNUTS through the MYC homology Box 0 (MB0), a highly conserved region recently shown to be important for MYC oncogenic activity. MB0 interacts with PNUTS residues 1-148, a functional unit here termed, PNUTS amino-terminal domain (PAD). Using NMR spectroscopy we determined the solution structure of PAD, and characterised its interaction with MYC. Point mutations of residues at the MYC-PNUTS interface significantly weaken their interaction both in vitro and in vivo. These data demonstrate the MB0 binding pocket of the PAD represents an attractive site for pharmacological disruption of the MYC-PNUTS interaction.In BriefSolving the structure of MYC-PNUTS direct interaction reveals how the intrinsically disordered MYC-Box0 (MB0) region anchors into a binding pocket in the N-terminal PAD domain of PNUTS. These data provide insight into the molecular mechanism of how the PNUTS:PP1 phosphatase complex regulates MYC phosphorylation.HighlightsA region critical for MYC oncogenesis, MYC-Box0 (MB0), directly interacts with PNUTSPNUTS amino-terminal domain (PAD) is a structural domain that interacts with MYC MB0Mutation of single residues at the interaction interface disrupts MYC-PNUTS binding in cellsMYC-PNUTS binding releases MYC intramolecular interactions to enable PP1substrate access

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Phosphorylation of bacterial-type phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase at Ser425 provides a further tier of enzyme control in developing castor oil seeds

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj20101361 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 433 (1) ◽

pp. 65-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Brendan O'Leary ◽

Srinath K. Rao ◽

William C. Plaxton

Keyword(s):

Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase ◽

Castor Oil ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Phosphorylation Site ◽

Physiological Status ◽

Spectrometric Analysis ◽

Oil Seeds ◽

Class 1 ◽

Bacterial Type

PEPC [PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate) carboxylase] is a tightly controlled anaplerotic enzyme situated at a pivotal branch point of plant carbohydrate metabolism. Two distinct oligomeric PEPC classes were discovered in developing COS (castor oil seeds). Class-1 PEPC is a typical homotetramer of 107 kDa PTPC (plant-type PEPC) subunits, whereas the novel 910-kDa Class-2 PEPC hetero-octamer arises from a tight interaction between Class-1 PEPC and 118 kDa BTPC (bacterial-type PEPC) subunits. Mass spectrometric analysis of immunopurified COS BTPC indicated that it is subject to in vivo proline-directed phosphorylation at Ser425. We show that immunoblots probed with phosphorylation site-specific antibodies demonstrated that Ser425 phosphorylation is promoted during COS development, becoming maximal at stage IX (maturation phase) or in response to depodding. Kinetic analyses of a recombinant, chimaeric Class-2 PEPC containing phosphomimetic BTPC mutant subunits (S425D) indicated that Ser425 phosphorylation results in significant BTPC inhibition by: (i) increasing its Km(PEP) 3-fold, (ii) reducing its I50 (L-malate and L-aspartate) values by 4.5- and 2.5-fold respectively, while (iii) decreasing its activity within the physiological pH range. The developmental pattern and kinetic influence of Ser425 BTPC phosphorylation is very distinct from the in vivo phosphorylation/activation of COS Class-1 PEPC's PTPC subunits at Ser11. Collectively, the results establish that BTPC's phospho-Ser425 content depends upon COS developmental and physiological status and that Ser425 phosphorylation attenuates the catalytic activity of BTPC subunits within a Class-2 PEPC complex. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence for protein phosphorylation as a mechanism for the in vivo control of vascular plant BTPC activity.

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