scholarly journals Possible Intracellular Regulators of Female Sexual Maturation

2015 ◽  
pp. 379-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. KOLESAROVA ◽  
A. V. SIROTKIN ◽  
M. MELLEN ◽  
S. ROYCHOUDHURY

Protein kinases, transcription factors and other apoptosis- and proliferation-related proteins can regulate reproduction, but their involvement in sexual maturation remains to be elucidated. The general aim of the in vivo and in vitro experiments with porcine ovarian granulosa cells was to identify possible intracellular regulators of female sexual maturation. For this purpose, proliferation (expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen – PCNA, mitogen-activated protein kinases – ERK 1,2 related MAPK and cyclin B1), apoptosis (expression of the apoptotic protein Bax and apoptosis regulator Bcl-2 protein), expression of some protein kinases (cAMP dependent protein kinase – PKA, cGMP-dependent protein kinase – PKG, tyrosine kinase – TK) and cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB-1) was examined in granulosa cells isolated from ovaries of immature and mature gilts. Expression of PCNA, ERK1,2 related MAPK, cyclin B1, Bcl-2, Bax, PKA, CREB-1, TK and PKG in porcine granulosa cells were detected by immunocytochemistry. Sexual maturation was associated with significant increase in the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, PKA, CREB-1 and TK and with decrease in the expression of ERK1,2 related MAPK, cyclin B1 and PKG in granulosa cells. No significant difference in PCNA expression was noted. The present data obtained from in vitro study indicate that sexual maturation in females is influenced by puberty-related changes in porcine ovarian signaling substances: increase in Bcl-2, Bax, PKA, CREB-1, TK and decrease in ERK1,2 related MAPK, cyclin B1 and PKG. It suggests that these signaling molecules could be potential regulators of porcine sexual maturation.

1993 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
pp. 1369-1376 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.E. Walczak ◽  
D.L. Nelson

Paramecium dyneins were tested as substrates for phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, cGMP-dependent protein kinase, and two Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinases that were partially purified from Paramecium extracts. Only cAMP-dependent protein kinase caused significant phosphorylation. The major phosphorylated species was a 29 kDa protein that was present in both 22 S and 12 S dyneins; its phosphate-accepting activity peaked with 22 S dynein. In vitro phosphorylation was maximal at five minutes, then decreased. This decrease in phosphorylation was inhibited by the addition of vanadate or NaF. The 29 kDa protein was not phosphorylated by a heterologous cAMP-dependent protein kinase, the bovine catalytic subunit. Phosphorylation of dynein did not change its ATPase activity. In sucrose gradient fractions from the last step of dynein purification, phosphorylation by an endogenous kinase occurred. This phosphorylation could not be attributed to the small amounts of cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases known to be present, nor was it Ca(2+)-dependent. This previously uncharacterized ciliary protein kinase used casein as an in vitro substrate.


2012 ◽  
Vol 448 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Haesendonckx ◽  
Vanesa Tudisca ◽  
Karin Voordeckers ◽  
Silvia Moreno ◽  
Johan M. Thevelein ◽  
...  

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.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (2) ◽  
pp. C123-C139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davis Bradford ◽  
Viswanathan Raghuram ◽  
Justin L. L. Wilson ◽  
Chung-Lin Chou ◽  
Jason D. Hoffert ◽  
...  

In the renal collecting duct, binding of AVP to the V2 receptor triggers signaling changes that regulate osmotic water transport. Short-term regulation of water transport is dependent on vasopressin-induced phosphorylation of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) at Ser256. The protein kinase that phosphorylates this site is not known. We use Bayes' theorem to rank all 521 rat protein kinases with regard to the likelihood of a role in Ser256 phosphorylation on the basis of prior data and new experimental data. First, prior probabilities were estimated from previous transcriptomic and proteomic profiling data, kinase substrate specificity data, and evidence for kinase regulation by vasopressin. This ranking was updated using new experimental data describing the effects of several small-molecule kinase inhibitors with known inhibitory spectra (H-89, KN-62, KN-93, and GSK-650394) on AQP2 phosphorylation at Ser256 in inner medullary collecting duct suspensions. The top-ranked kinase was Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMK2), followed by protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase B (AKT). Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based in vitro phosphorylation studies compared the ability of three highly ranked kinases to phosphorylate AQP2 and other inner medullary collecting duct proteins, PKA, CAMK2, and serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase (SGK). All three proved capable of phosphorylating AQP2 at Ser256, although CAMK2 and PKA were more potent than SGK. The in vitro phosphorylation experiments also identified candidate protein kinases for several additional phosphoproteins with likely roles in collecting duct regulation, including Nedd4-2, Map4k4, and 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1. We conclude that Bayes' theorem is an effective means of integrating data from multiple data sets in physiology.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Jun Gao ◽  
Xu-Dong Sun ◽  
Yan-Ping Luo ◽  
Hua-Sheng Pang ◽  
Xing-Ming Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Echinococcosis, which is caused by the larvae of cestodes of the genus Echinococcus, is a parasitic zoonosis that poses a serious threat to the health of humans and animals globally. Albendazole is the drug of choice for the treatment of echinococcosis, but it is difficult to meet clinical goals with this chemotherapy due to its low cure rate and associated side effects after its long-term use. Hence, novel anti-parasitic targets and effective treatment alternatives are urgently needed. A previous study showed that verapamil (Vepm) can suppress the growth of Echinococcus granulosus larvae; however, the mechanism of this effect remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the anti-echinococcal effect of Vepm on Echinococcus with a particular focus on the regulatory effect of Vepm on calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (Ca2+/CaM-CaMKII) in infected mice. Methods The anti-echinococcal effects of Vepm on Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces (PSC) in vitro and Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes in infected mice were assessed. The morphological alterations in Echinococcus spp. induced by Vepm were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the changes in calcium content in both the parasite and mouse serum and liver were measured by SEM-energy dispersive spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and alizarin red staining. Additionally, the changes in the protein and mRNA levels of CaM and CaMKII in infected mice, and in the mRNA levels of CaMKII in E. granulosus PSC, were evaluated after treatment with Vepm by immunohistochemistry and/or real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results In vitro, E. granulosus PSC could be killed by Vepm at a concentration of 0.5 μg/ml or higher within 8 days. Under these conditions, the ultrastructure of PSC was damaged, and this damage was accompanied by obvious calcium loss and downregulation of CaMKII mRNA expression. In vivo, the weight and the calcium content of E. multilocularis metacestodes from mice were reduced after treatment with 40 mg/kg Vepm, and an elevation of the calcium content in the sera and livers of infected mice was observed. In addition, downregulation of CaM and CaMKII protein and mRNA expression in the livers of mice infected with E. multilocularis metacestodes was found after treatment with Vepm. Conclusions Vepm exerted a parasiticidal effect against Echinococcus both in vitro and in vivo through downregulating the expression of Ca2+/CaM-CaMKII, which was over-activated by parasitic infection. The results suggest that Ca2+/CaM-CaMKII may be a novel drug target, and that Vepm is a potential anti-echinococcal drug for the future control of echinococcosis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document