scholarly journals Multiple mechanisms for the phosphorylation of C-terminal regulatory sites in rabbit muscle glycogen synthase expressed in COS cells

1996 ◽  
Vol 313 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander V. SKURAT ◽  
Peter J. ROACH

Glycogen synthase can be inactivated by sequential phosphorylation at the C-terminal residues Ser652 (site 4), Ser648 (site 3c), Ser644 (site 3b) and Ser640 (site 3a) catalysed by glycogen synthase kinase-3. In vitro, glycogen synthase kinase-3 action requires that glycogen synthase has first been phosphorylated at Ser656 (site 5) by casein kinase II. Recently we demonstrated that inactivation is linked only to phosphorylation at site 3a and site 3b, and that, in COS cells, modification of these sites can occur by alternative mechanisms independent of any C-terminal phosphorylations [Skurat and Roach (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 12491-12497]. To address these mechanisms multiple Ser → Ala mutations were introduced in glycogen synthase such that only site 3a or site 3b remained intact. Additional mutation of Arg637 → Gln eliminated phosphorylation of site 3a, indicating that Arg637 may be important for recognition of site 3a by its corresponding protein kinase(s). Similarly, additional mutation of Pro645 → Ala eliminated phosphorylation of site 3b, indicating a possible involvement of ‘proline-directed’ protein kinase(s). Mutation of Arg637 alone did not activate glycogen synthase as expected from the loss of phosphorylation at site 3a. Rather, mutation of both Arg637 and the Ser → Ala substitution at site 3b was required for substantial activation. The results suggest that sites 3a and 3b can be phosphorylated independently of one another by distinct protein kinases. However, phosphorylation of site 3b can potentiate phosphorylation of site 3a, by an enzyme such as glycogen synthase kinase-3.

2004 ◽  
Vol 379 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne KUMA ◽  
David G. CAMPBELL ◽  
Ana CUENDA

The endogenous glycogen synthase in extracts from mouse skeletal muscle, liver and brain bound specifically to SAPK2b (stress-activated protein kinase 2b)/p38β, but not to other members of the group of SAPK/p38 kinases. Glycogen synthase was phosphorylated in vitro more efficiently by SAPK2b/p38β than by SAPK2a/p38α, SAPK3/p38γ or SAPK4/p38δ. SAPK2b/p38β phosphorylated glycogen synthase in vitro at residues Ser644, Ser652, Thr718 and Ser724, two of which (Ser644 and Ser652) are also phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase 3. Thr718 and Ser724 are novel sites not known to be phosphorylated by other protein kinases. Glycogen synthase becomes phosphorylated at Ser644 in response to osmotic shock; this phosphorylation is prevented by pretreatment of the cells with SB 203580, which inhibits SAPK2a/p38α and SAPK2b/p38β activity. In vitro, phosphorylation of glycogen synthase by SAPK2b/p38β alone had no significant effect on its activity, indicating that phosphorylation at residue Ser644 itself is insufficient to decrease glycogen synthase activity. However, after phosphorylation by SAPK2b/p38β, subsequent phosphorylation at Ser640 by glycogen synthase kinase 3 decreased the activity of glycogen synthase. This decrease was not observed when SAPK2b/p38β activity was blocked with SB 203580. These results suggest that SAPK2b/p38β may be a priming kinase that allows glycogen synthase kinase 3 to phosphorylate Ser640 and thereby inhibit glycogen synthase activity.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 2099-2110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianjun Fang ◽  
Shuangxing Yu ◽  
Janos L. Tanyi ◽  
Yiling Lu ◽  
James R. Woodgett ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a natural phospholipid with multiple biological functions. We show here that LPA induces phosphorylation and inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase. The effect of LPA can be reconstituted by expression of Edg-4 or Edg-7 in cells lacking LPA responses. Compared to insulin, LPA stimulates only modest phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent activation of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) that does not correlate with the magnitude of GSK-3 phosphorylation induced by LPA. PI3K inhibitors block insulin- but not LPA-induced GSK-3 phosphorylation. In contrast, the effect of LPA, but not that of insulin or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), is sensitive to protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors. Downregulation of endogenous PKC activity selectively reduces LPA-mediated GSK-3 phosphorylation. Furthermore, several PKC isotypes phosphorylate GSK-3 in vitro and in vivo. To confirm a specific role for PKC in regulation of GSK-3, we further studied signaling properties of PDGF receptor β subunit (PDGFRβ) in HEK293 cells lacking endogenous PDGF receptors. In clones expressing a PDGFRβ mutant wherein the residues that couple to PI3K and other signaling functions are mutated with the link to phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ) left intact, PDGF is fully capable of stimulating GSK-3 phosphorylation. The process is sensitive to PKC inhibitors in contrast to the response through the wild-type PDGFRβ. Therefore, growth factors, such as PDGF, which control GSK-3 mainly through the PI3K-PKB/Akt module, possess the ability to regulate GSK-3 through an alternative, redundant PLCγ-PKC pathway. LPA and potentially other natural ligands primarily utilize a PKC-dependent pathway to modulate GSK-3.


2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (6) ◽  
pp. E1169-E1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziva Liberman ◽  
Batya Plotkin ◽  
Tamar Tennenbaum ◽  
Hagit Eldar-Finkelman

Serine/threonine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is an important negative modulator of insulin signaling. Previously, we showed that glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) phosphorylates IRS-1 at Ser332. However, the fact that GSK-3 requires prephosphorylation of its substrates suggested that Ser336 on IRS-1 was the “priming” site phosphorylated by an as yet unknown protein kinase. Here, we sought to identify this “priming kinase” and to examine the phosphorylation of IRS-1 at Ser336 and Ser332 in physiologically relevant animal models. Of several stimulators, only the PKC activator phorbol ester PMA enhanced IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser336. Treatment with selective PKC inhibitors prevented this PMA effect and suggested that a conventional PKC was the priming kinase. Overexpression of PKCα or PKCβII isoforms in cells enhanced IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser336 and Ser332, and in vitro kinase assays verified that these two kinases directly phosphorylated IRS-1 at Ser336. The expression level and activation state of PKCβII, but not PKCα, were remarkably elevated in the fat tissues of diabetic ob/ob mice and in high-fat diet-fed mice compared with that from lean animals. Elevated levels of PKCβII were also associated with enhanced phosphorylation of IRS-1 at Ser336/332 and elevated activity of GSK-3β. Finally, adenoviral mediated expression of PKCβII in adipocytes enhancedphosphorylation of IRS-1 at Ser336. Taken together, our results suggest that IRS-1 is sequentially phosphorylated by PKCβII and GSK-3 at Ser336 and Ser332. Furthermore, these data provide evidence for the physiological relevance of these phosphorylation events in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in fat tissue.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Robin Park ◽  
Andrew L. Coveler ◽  
Ludimila Cavalcante ◽  
Anwaar Saeed

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta is a ubiquitously and constitutively expressed molecule with pleiotropic function. It acts as a protooncogene in the development of several solid tumors including pancreatic cancer through its involvement in various cellular processes including cell proliferation, survival, invasion and metastasis, as well as autophagy. Furthermore, the level of aberrant glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta expression in the nucleus is inversely correlated with tumor differentiation and survival in both in vitro and in vivo models of pancreatic cancer. Small molecule inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta have demonstrated therapeutic potential in pre-clinical models and are currently being evaluated in early phase clinical trials involving pancreatic cancer patients with interim results showing favorable results. Moreover, recent studies support a rationale for the combination of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta inhibitors with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, warranting the evaluation of novel combination regimens in the future.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 7909-7919 ◽  
Author(s):  
K S Bowdish ◽  
H E Yuan ◽  
A P Mitchell

Many yeast genes that are essential for meiosis are expressed only in meiotic cells. Known regulators of early meiotic genes include IME1, which is required for their expression, and SIN3 and UME6, which prevent their expression in nonmeiotic cells. We report here the molecular characterization of the RIM11 gene, which we find is required for expression of several early meiotic genes. A close functional relationship between RIM11 and IME1 is supported by two observations. First, sin3 and ume6 mutations are epistatic to rim11 mutations; prior studies have demonstrated their epistasis to ime1 mutations. Second, overexpression of RIM11 can suppress an ime1 missense mutation (ime1-L321F) but not an ime1 deletion. Sequence analysis indicates that RIM11 specifies a protein kinase related to rat glycogen synthase kinase 3 and the Drosophila shaggy/zw3 gene product. Three partially defective rim11 mutations alter residues involved in ATP binding or catalysis, and a completely defective rim11 mutation alters a tyrosine residue that corresponds to the site of an essential phosphorylation for glycogen synthase kinase 3. Immune complexes containing a hemagglutinin (HA) epitope-tagged RIM11 derivative, HA-RIM11, phosphorylate two proteins, p58 and p60, whose biological function is undetermined. In addition, HA-RIM11 immune complexes phosphorylate a functional IME1 derivative but not the corresponding ime1-L321F derivative. We propose that RIM11 stimulates meiotic gene expression through phosphorylation of IME1.


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