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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with a limited number of known driver mutations but considerable cancer cell heterogeneity. Phosphoproteomics provides a direct read‐out of aberrant signaling and the resultant clinically relevant phenotype. Mass spectrometry (MS)‐based proteomics and phosphoproteomics were applied to 42 PDAC tumors. Data encompassed over 19 936 phosphoserine or phosphothreonine (pS/T; in 5412 phosphoproteins) and 1208 phosphotyrosine (pY; in 501 phosphoproteins) sites and a total of 3756 proteins. Proteome data identified three distinct subtypes with tumor intrinsic and stromal features. Subsequently, three phospho‐subtypes were apparent: two tumor intrinsic (Phos1/2) and one stromal (Phos3), resembling known PDAC molecular subtypes. Kinase activity was analyzed by the Integrative iNferred Kinase Activity (INKA) scoring. Phospho‐subtypes displayed differential phosphorylation signals and kinase activity, such as FGR and GSK3 activation in Phos1, SRC kinase family and EPHA2 in Phos2, and EGFR, INSR, MET, ABL1, HIPK1, JAK, and PRKCD in Phos3. Kinase activity analysis of an external PDAC cohort supported our findings and underscored the importance of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways, among others. Interestingly, unfavorable patient prognosis correlated with higher RTK, PAK2, STK10, and CDK7 activity and high proliferation, whereas long survival was associated with MYLK and PTK6 activity, which was previously unknown. Subtype‐associated activity profiles can guide therapeutic combination approaches in tumor and stroma‐enriched tissues, and emphasize the critical role of parallel signaling pathways. In addition, kinase activity profiling identifies potential disease markers with prognostic significance.

Abstract Severe cardiac remodeling leading to heart failure in individuals harboring pathogenic LMNA variants, known as cardiolaminopathy, poses a significant clinical challenge. Currently, there is no effective treatment for lamin-related diseases. Exploring the intricate molecular landscape underlying this condition, with a specific focus on abnormal mechanotransduction, will propel our understanding of cardiolaminopathy. The LMNA gene undergoes alternative splicing to create A-type lamins, a part of the intermediate filament protein family. A-type lamins are located underneath the nuclear envelope, and given their direct interaction with chromatin, they serve as mechanosensory of the cell by interacting with the cytoskeleton and safeguarding the transcriptional program of cells. Nucleated cells in the cardiovascular system depend on precise mechanical cues for proper function and adaptation to stress. Mechanosensitive signaling pathways are essential in regulating mechanotransduction. They play a pivotal role in various molecular and cellular processes and commence numerous downstream effects, leading to transcriptional activation of target genes involved in proliferation, migration, and (anti-)apoptosis. Most pathways are known to be regulated by kinases, and this area remains largely understudied in cardiomyopathies. Heart failure is linked to disrupted mechanotransduction, where LMNA mutations affect nuclear integrity, impacting the response to extracellular matrix signals and the environment. The Hippo pathway, anchored by YAP1/WWTR1, emerges as a central player by orchestrating cellular responses to mechanical signals. However, the involvement of Hippo and YAP1/WWTR1 in cardiolaminopathy is unclear and likely mutation- and tissue-specific, warranting further investigation. Here, we highlight the involvement of multiple signaling pathways in mechanotransduction in cardiolaminopathy. We delve into (non-)canonical functions of key signaling components, which may hold critical clues for understanding disease pathogenesis. In summary, we comprehensively examine the mechanobiology of A-type lamins, the role of mechanosensitive signaling pathways, and their intricate interplay in the pathogenesis of cardiolaminopathy. A better understanding of these mechanisms is paramount for developing targeted therapies and interventions for individuals afflicted with this debilitating cardiac condition. Prior studies overlooked accurate gene nomenclature in protein and pathway names. Our review addresses this gap, ensuring precision by aligning names with correct gene nomenclature.

Summary: Leucine‐rich repeat receptor‐like kinases (LRR‐RLKs) comprise the largest class of membrane‐localized receptor‐like kinases in plants. Leucine‐rich repeat receptor‐like kinases are key immune sectors contributing to pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI), but whether LRR‐RLK mediates effector‐triggered immunity (ETI) in plants remains unclear.In this study, we evaluated the function of LRR‐RLKs in regulating ETI by using a virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS)‐based reverse genetic screening assay, and identified a LRR‐RLK named ETI‐dependent receptor‐like kinase 1 (EDK1) required for ETI triggered by the avirulence effector AVRblb2 secreted by Phytophthora infestans and its cognate receptor Rpi‐blb2. Silencing or knockout of EDK1 compromised immunity mediated by Rpi‐blb2 and the cell death triggered by recognition of AVRblb2.NLR‐required for cell death 4 (NRC4), a signaling component acts downstream of Rpi‐blb2, was identified that interacts with EDK1 using the LC–MS analysis and the interaction was further evaluated by co‐immunoprecipitation. EDK1 promotes protein accumulation of NRC4 in a kinase‐dependent manner and positively regulates resistance to P. infestans in Nicotiana benthamiana.Our study revealed that EDK1 positively regulates plant ETI through modulating accumulation of the NLR signaling component NRC4, representing a new regulatory role of the membrane‐localized LRR‐RLKs in plant immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe cardiac remodeling leading to heart failure in individuals harboring pathogenic LMNA variants, known as cardiolaminopathy, poses a significant clinical challenge. Currently, there is no effective treatment for lamin-related diseases. Exploring the intricate molecular landscape underlying this condition, with a specific focus on abnormal mechanotransduction, will propel our understanding of cardiolaminopathy. The LMNA gene undergoes alternative splicing to create A-type lamins, a part of the intermediate filament protein family. A-type lamins are located underneath the nuclear envelope, and given their direct interaction with chromatin, they serve as mechanosensory of the cell by interacting with the cytoskeleton and safeguarding the transcriptional program of cells. Nucleated cells in the cardiovascular system depend on precise mechanical cues for proper function and adaptation to stress. Mechanosensitive signaling pathways are essential in regulating mechanotransduction. They play a pivotal role in various molecular and cellular processes and commence numerous downstream effects, leading to transcriptional activation of target genes involved in proliferation, migration, and (anti-)apoptosis. Most pathways are known to be regulated by kinases, and this area remains largely understudied in cardiomyopathies. Heart failure is linked to disrupted mechanotransduction, where LMNA mutations affect nuclear integrity, impacting the response to extracellular matrix signals and the environment. The Hippo pathway, anchored by YAP1/WWTR1, emerges as a central player by orchestrating cellular responses to mechanical signals. However, the involvement of Hippo and YAP1/WWTR1 in cardiolaminopathy is unclear and likely mutation- and tissue-specific, warranting further investigation. Here, we highlight the involvement of multiple signaling pathways in mechanotransduction in cardiolaminopathy. We delve into (non-)canonical functions of key signaling components, which may hold critical clues for understanding disease pathogenesis. In summary, we comprehensively examine the mechanobiology of A-type lamins, the role of mechanosensitive signaling pathways, and their intricate interplay in the pathogenesis of cardiolaminopathy. A better understanding of these mechanisms is paramount for developing targeted therapies and interventions for individuals afflicted with this debilitating cardiac condition. Prior studies overlooked accurate gene nomenclature in protein and pathway names. Our review addresses this gap, ensuring precision by aligning names with correct gene nomenclature. Plain English Summary: Mutations in the A-type lamin gene (LMNA) can cause a laminopathy. A specific manifestation of this disease leads to cardiolaminopathy, a serious heart condition. The lamin network, located at the inner nuclear membrane, is a central player in transforming forces within cells. As cells move and function, they rely on the ability to sense and respond to these forces, a process named mechanosensing and -response. This review provides an overview of the key molecular pathways involved in the development of heart failure. The molecular mechanisms underlying LMNA cardiomyopathy are poorly understood because the interaction between the signaling pathways is challenging to elucidate. Deciphering these pathways is key to understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease and finding novel targets to alter the pathways and lessen the symptoms of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontal defects' localization affects wound healing and bone remodeling, with faster healing in the upper jaw compared to the lower jaw. While differences in blood supply, innervation, and odontogenesis contribute, cell-intrinsic variances may exist. Few studies explored cell signaling in periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC), overlooking mandible-maxilla disparitiesUsing kinomics technology, we investigated molecular variances in PDLSC. Characterization involved stem cell surface markers, proliferation, and differentiation capacities. Kinase activity was analyzed via multiplex kinase profiling, mapping differential activity in known gene regulatory networks. Upstream kinase analysis identified stronger EphA receptor expression in the mandible, potentially inhibiting osteogenic differentiation. The PI3K-Akt pathway showed higher activity in lower-jaw PDLSC. PDLSC from the upper jaw exhibit superior proliferation and differentiation capabilities. Differential activation of gene regulatory pathways in upper vs. lower-jaw PDLSC suggests implications for regenerative therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: After blue-light exposure, ubiquitination of PHOTOTROPIN1 lysine 526 enhances phototropic responses. Arabidopsis blue-light photoreceptor, PHOTOTROPIN1 (PHOT1) mediates a series of blue-light responses that function to optimize photosynthesis efficiency. Blue-light sensing through the N-terminal sensory domain activates the C-terminal kinase activity of PHOT1, resulting in autophosphorylation. In addition to phosphorylation, PHOT1 lysine residue 526 (Lys526), after blue-light exposure, was found to carry a double glycine attachment, indicative of a possible ubiquitination modification. The functionality of PHOT1 Lys526 was investigated by reverse genetic approaches. Arginine replacements of PHOT1 Lys526, together with Lys527, complemented phot1-5 phot2-1 double mutant with attenuated phototropic bending, while blue-light responses: leaf expansion and stomatal opening, were restored to wild type levels. Transgenic seedlings were not different in protein levels of phot1 Lys526 527Arg than the wild type control, suggesting the reduced phototropic responses was not caused by reduction in protein levels. Treating the transformants with proteosome inhibitor, MG132, did not restore phototropic sensitivity. Both transgenic protein and wild type PHOT1 also had similar dark recovery of kinase activity, suggesting that phot1 Lys526 527Arg replacement did not affect the protein stability to cause the phenotype. Together, our results indicate that blocking Lys526 ubiquitination by arginine substitution may have caused the reduced phototropic phenotype. Therefore, the putative ubiquitination on Lys526 functions to enhance PHOT1-mediated phototropism, rather than targeting PHOT1 for proteolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic information is transcribed from genomic DNA to mRNA, which is then translated into threedimensional proteins. mRNAs can undergo various post-transcriptional modifications, including RNA editing that alters mRNA sequences, ultimately affecting protein function. In this study, RNA editing was identified at the 499th base (c.499) of human vaccinia-related kinase 2 (VRK2). This RNA editing changes the amino acid in the catalytic domain of VRK2 from isoleucine (with adenine base) to valine (with guanine base). Isoleucine-containing VRK2 has higher kinase activity than the valine-containing VRK2, which leads to an increase in tumor cell proliferation. Earlier we reported that VRK2 directly interacts with dystrobrevin-binding protein (dysbindin) and results in reducing its stability. Herein, we demonstrate that isoleucine-containing VRK2 decreases the level of dysbindin than valinecontaining VRK2. Dysbindin interacts with cyclin D and thereby regulates its expression and function. The reduction in the level of dysbindin by isoleucine-containing VRK2 further enhances the cyclin D expression, resulting in increased tumor growth and reduction in survival rates. It has also been observed that in patient samples, VRK2 level was elevated in breast cancer tissue compared to normal breast tissue. Additionally, the isoleucine form of VRK2 exhibited a greater increase in breast cancer tissue. Therefore, it is concluded that VRK2, especially dependent on the 167th variant amino acid, can be one of the indexes of tumor progression and proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Greatwall-family protein kinase Rim15 is associated with the nutrient starvation response, whereas its role in oxidative stress responses remains unclear. Here, acetic acid and peroxide were used as two oxidative stress elicitors. The antioxidant indicator assay under acetic acid stress revealed the impaired growth in rim15Δ related to the regulation of antioxidant systems. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are predicted to be mostly regulated by oxidative stress-responsive transcriptional factor Yap1. Among the DEGs, acetic acid stress-induced genes were found, and YAP1 disruption also inhibited their induction. The deletion of Rim15 or the Rim15 kinase domain in yap1Δ did not further decrease the gene expression, suggesting that Rim15 functions together with Yap1 in regulating acetic acid stress-induced genes, which requires Rim15 kinase activity. Additionally, Rim15 regulated H2O2 stress tolerance through partially similar but special mechanisms in that Rim15 kinase activity impacted acetic acid and H2O2 stress tolerance in different degrees, indicating the different mechanisms underlying Rim15-mediated redox regulation against different stressors. These results benefit the better understanding of stress signaling pathways related to Rim15. Given that Rim15 and some of its target genes are conserved across eukaryotes, these results also provide a basis for studies of oxidative stress-related processes in other organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The articles in this special issue highlight how modern cellular, biochemical, biophysical and computational techniques are allowing deeper and more detailed studies of allosteric kinase regulation.

Abstract Phosphorylation proteomics is the basis for the study of abnormally activated kinase signaling pathways in breast cancer, which facilitates the discovery of new oncogenic agents and drives the discovery of potential targets for early diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer. In this study, we have explored the aberrantly active kinases in breast cancer development and to elucidate the role of PRKCD_pY313 in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression. We collected 47 pairs of breast cancer and paired far-cancer normal tissues and analyzed phosphorylated tyrosine (pY) peptides by Superbinder resin and further enriched the phosphorylated serine/threonine (pS/pT) peptides using TiO2 columns. We mapped the kinases activity of different subtypes of breast cancer and identified PRKCD_pY313 was upregulated in TNBC cell lines. Gain-of-function assay revealed that PRKCD_pY313 facilitated the proliferation, enhanced invasion, accelerated metastasis, increased the mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced ROS level of TNBC cell lines, while Y313F mutation and low PRKCD_pY313 reversed these effects. Furthermore, PRKCD_pY313 significantly upregulated Src_pY419 and p38_pT180/pY182, while low PRKCD_pY313 and PRKCD_Y313F had opposite effects. Dasatinib significantly inhibited the growth of PRKCD_pY313 overexpression cells, and this effect could be enhanced by Adezmapimod. In nude mice xenograft model, PRKCD_pY313 significantly promoted tumor progression, accompanied by increased levels of Ki-67, Bcl-xl and Vimentin, and decreased levels of Bad, cleaved caspase 3 and ZO1, which was opposite to the trend of Y313F group. Collectively, the heterogeneity of phosphorylation exists in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. PRKCD_pY313 activates Src and accelerates TNBC progression, which could be inhibited by Dasatinib.

Phosphorylation proteomics is the basis for the study of abnormally activated kinase signaling pathways in breast cancer, which facilitates the discovery of new oncogenic agents and drives the discovery of potential targets for early diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer. In this study, we have explored the aberrantly active kinases in breast cancer development and to elucidate the role of PRKCD_pY313 in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression. We collected 47 pairs of breast cancer and paired far-cancer normal tissues and analyzed phosphorylated tyrosine (pY) peptides by Superbinder resin and further enriched the phosphorylated serine/threonine (pS/pT) peptides using TiO2 columns. We mapped the kinases activity of different subtypes of breast cancer and identified PRKCD_pY313 was upregulated in TNBC cell lines. Gain-of-function assay revealed that PRKCD_pY313 facilitated the proliferation, enhanced invasion, accelerated metastasis, increased the mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced ROS level of TNBC cell lines, while Y313F mutation and low PRKCD_pY313 reversed these effects. Furthermore, PRKCD_pY313 significantly upregulated Src_pY419 and p38_pT180/pY182, while low PRKCD_pY313 and PRKCD_Y313F had opposite effects. Dasatinib significantly inhibited the growth of PRKCD_pY313 overexpression cells, and this effect could be enhanced by Adezmapimod. In nude mice xenograft model, PRKCD_pY313 significantly promoted tumor progression, accompanied by increased levels of Ki-67, Bcl-xl and Vimentin, and decreased levels of Bad, cleaved caspase 3 and ZO1, which was opposite to the trend of Y313F group. Collectively, the heterogeneity of phosphorylation exists in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. PRKCD_pY313 activates Src and accelerates TNBC progression, which could be inhibited by Dasatinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein kinase CK2 (formerly known as casein kinase 2 or II), a ubiquitous and constitutively active enzyme, is widely recognized as one of the most pleiotropic serine/threonine kinases. It plays a critical role in numerous signaling pathways, with hundreds of bona fide substrates. However, despite considerable research efforts, our understanding of the entire CK2 substratome and its functional associations with the majority of these substrates is far from being completely deciphered. In this context, we aim to provide an overview of how CK2 recognizes its substrates. We will discuss the pros and cons of the existing methods to manipulate CK2 activity in cells, as well as exploring the dynamic response of substrate phosphorylation to CK2 modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an essential phytohormone for plant responses to complex and variable environmental conditions. The molecular basis of the ABA signaling pathway has been well elucidated. SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3 are key protein kinases participating in ABA responses, and the regulation of their activity plays an important role in signaling. Previous mass spectroscopy analysis of SnRK2.3 suggested that ubiquitin and homologous proteins may bind directly to the kinase. Ubiquitin typically recruits E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes to target proteins, marking them for degradation by the 26S proteasome. Here, we show that SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3 interact with ubiquitin but are not covalently attached to the protein, resulting in the suppression of their kinase activity. The binding between SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3, and ubiquitin is weakened under prolonged ABA treatment. Overexpression of ubiquitin positively regulated the growth of seedlings exposed to ABA. Our results thus demonstrate a novel function for ubiquitin, which negatively regulates ABA responses by directly inhibiting SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3 kinase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontal defects’ localization affects wound healing and bone remodeling, with faster healing in the upper jaw compared to the lower jaw. While differences in blood supply, innervation, and odontogenesis contribute, cell-intrinsic variances may exist. Few studies explored cell signaling in periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC), overlooking mandible-maxilla disparitiesUsing kinomics technology, we investigated molecular variances in PDLSC. Characterization involved stem cell surface markers, proliferation, and differentiation capacities. Kinase activity was analyzed via multiplex kinase profiling, mapping differential activity in known gene regulatory networks. Upstream kinase analysis identified stronger EphA receptor expression in the mandible, potentially inhibiting osteogenic differentiation. The PI3K-Akt pathway showed higher activity in lower-jaw PDLSC. PDLSC from the upper jaw exhibit superior proliferation and differentiation capabilities. Differential activation of gene regulatory pathways in upper vs. lower-jaw PDLSC suggests implications for regenerative therapies.

The article discusses the ALPK3 gene and its potential role in cardiomyopathies. While there are conflicting findings regarding ALPK3's kinase activity, recent studies suggest that ALPK3 functions as a pseudokinase rather than a true kinase. The article presents evidence from in vitro and in vivo experiments, including an in vitro phosphorylation assay and the generation of knock-in mice with a mutated ALPK3 gene. These findings suggest that ALPK3 variants associated with cardiomyopathy may affect other aspects of the protein rather than its kinase activity. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: MAPKs are universal eukaryotic signaling factors whose functioning is assumed to depend on the recognition of a common docking motif (CD) by its activators, substrates, and inactivators.We studied the role of the CD domain of Arabidopsis MPK4 by performing interaction studies and determining the ligand‐bound MPK4 crystal structure.We revealed that the CD domain of MPK4 is essential for interaction and activation by its upstream MAPKKs MKK1, MKK2, and MKK6. Cys181 in the CD site of MPK4 was shown to become sulfenylated in response to reactive oxygen species in vitro. To test the function of C181 in vivo, we generated wild‐type (WT) MPK4‐C181, nonsulfenylatable MPK4‐C181S, and potentially sulfenylation mimicking MPK4‐C181D lines in the mpk4 knockout background. We analyzed the phenotypes in growth, development, and stress responses, revealing that MPK4‐C181S has WT activity and complements the mpk4 phenotype. By contrast, MPK4‐C181D cannot be activated by upstream MAPKK and cannot complement the phenotypes of mpk4.Our findings show that the CD motif is essential and is required for activation by upstream MAPKK for MPK4 function. Furthermore, growth, development, or immunity functions require upstream activation of the MPK4 protein kinase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is frequently mutated in haematological malignancies. Although canonical FLT3 mutations including internal tandem duplications (ITDs) and tyrosine kinase domains (TKDs) have been extensively studied, little is known about the clinical significance of non‐canonical FLT3 mutations. Here, we first profiled the spectrum of FLT3 mutations in 869 consecutively newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients. Our results showed four types of non‐canonical FLT3 mutations depending on the affected protein structure: namely non‐canonical point mutations (NCPMs) (19.2%), deletion (0.7%), frameshift (0.8%) and ITD outside the juxtamembrane domain (JMD) and TKD1 regions (0.5%). Furthermore, we found that the survival of patients with high‐frequency (>1%) FLT3‐NCPM in AML was comparable to those with canonical TKD. In vitro studies using seven representative FLT3‐deletion or frameshift mutant constructs showed that the deletion mutants of TKD1 and the FLT3‐ITD mutant of TKD2 had significantly higher kinase activity than wild‐type FLT3, whereas the deletion mutants of JMD had phosphorylation levels comparable with wild‐type FLT3. All tested deletion mutations and ITD were sensitive to AC220 and sorafenib. Collectively, these data enrich our understanding of FLT3 non‐canonical mutations in haematological malignancies. Our results may also facilitate prognostic stratification and targeted therapy of AML with FLT3 non‐canonical mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a progressive multisystemic neurodegenerative disease. The phenotypic spectrum includes conditions (variant A-T) with mild, late-onset, and atypical clinical presentations characterized by the prevalence of dyskinetic rather than ataxic features. Cases: We describe the clinical presentations of 3 siblings with early-onset truncal ataxia without obvious neurological deterioration or biological markers of classic A-T phenotype. We performed functional and genetic evaluation of 3 siblings with very mild neurological phenotype. Genetic evaluation with a next-generation sequencing panel for genes causative of cerebellar ataxia detected 2 known ATM gene variants, missense c.9023G>A p.(Arg3008His), and leaky splicing c.1066-6T>G variants. Functional studies showed mildly reduced ATM expression and residual kinase activity in the probands compared with healthy controls. Conclusions: These results suggest the importance of investigating ATM variants even in the presence of clinical and biological atypical cases to ensure specific therapeutic regimens and oncological surveillance in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The NF-κB pathway is an essential signalling cascade in the defence against viral infections, including African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection. ASFV encodes more than 151 proteins via its own transcription machinery and possesses a great capacity to evade or subvert antiviral innate immune responses. Although some of these viral proteins have been reported, many remain unknown. Here, we show that pD345L, an ASFV-encoded lambda-like exonuclease, acts as an inhibitor of cGAS/STING-mediated NF-κB signalling by blocking the IkappaB kinase (IKKα/β) activity. Specifically, we showed that overexpression of pD345L suppresses cGAS/STING-induced IFNβ and NF-κB activation, resulting in decreased transcription of IFNβ and several proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα. In addition, we showed that pD345L acts at or downstream of IKK and upstream of p65. Importantly, we found that pD345L associates with the KD and HLH domains of IKKα and the LZ domain of IKKβ and thus interrupts their kinase activity towards the downstream substrate IκBα. Finally, we showed that pD345L-mediated inhibition of NF-κB signalling was independent of its exonuclease activity. Considering these results collectively, we concluded that pD345L blocks IKKα/β kinase activity via protein–protein interactions and thus disrupts cGAS/STING-mediated NF-κB signalling.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. The pro-viral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 (PIM1) is a proto-oncogene and belongs to the serine/threonine kinase family, which are involved in cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) is a tyrosine kinase that has been implicated in cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. Small molecule HCI-48 is a derivative of chalcone, a class of compounds known to possess anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. However, the underlying mechanism of chalcones against colorectal cancer remains unclear. This study reports that HCI-48 mainly targets PIM1 and FGFR1 kinases, thereby eliciting antitumor effects on colorectal cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. HCI-48 inhibited the activity of both PIM1 and FGFR1 kinases in an ATP-dependent manner, as revealed by computational docking models. Cell-based assays showed that HCI-48 inhibited cell proliferation in CRC cells (HCT-15, DLD1, HCT-116 and SW620), and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase through modulation of cyclin A2. HCI-48 also induced cellular apoptosis, as evidenced by an increase in the expression of apoptosis biomarkers such as cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase 3 and cleaved caspase 7. Moreover, HCI-48 attenuated the activation of downstream components of the PIM1 and FGFR1 signaling pathways. Using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) murine tumor models, we found that treatment with HCI-48 diminished the PDX tumor growth of implanted CRC tissue expressing high protein levels of PIM1 and FGFR1. This study suggests that the inhibitory effect of HCI-48 on colorectal tumor growth is mainly mediated through the dual-targeting of PIM1 and FGFR1 kinases. This work provides a theoretical basis for the future application of HCI-48 in the treatment of clinical CRC. HCI-48 inhibits PIM1 and FGFR1 activity directly and attenuates their downstream signaling pathways, indicating that HCI-48 can inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer in vivo and in vitro. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex host interaction network of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) involves the regulatory protein kinase pUL97, which represents a viral cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) ortholog. pUL97 interacts with the three human cyclin types T1, H, and B1, whereby the binding region of cyclin T1 and the pUL97 oligomerization region were both assigned to amino acids 231-280. We further addressed the question of whether HCMVs harboring mutations in ORF-UL97, i.e., short deletions or resistance-conferring point mutations, are affected in the interaction with human cyclins and viral replication. To this end, clinically relevant UL97 drug-resistance-conferring mutants were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing and used for genetic marker transfer experiments. The recombinant HCMVs indicated conservation of pUL97–cyclin interaction, since all viral UL97 point mutants continued to interact with the analyzed cyclin types and exerted wild-type-like replication fitness. In comparison, recombinant HCMVs UL97 Δ231-280 and also the smaller deletion Δ236-275, but not Δ241-270, lost interaction with cyclins T1 and H, showed impaired replication efficiency, and also exhibited reduced kinase activity. Moreover, a cellular knock-out of cyclins B1 or T1 did not alter HCMV replication phenotypes or pUL97 kinase activity, possibly indicating alternative, compensatory pUL97–cyclin interactions. In contrast, however, cyclin H knock-out, similar to virus deletion mutants in the pUL97–cyclin H binding region, exhibited strong defective phenotypes of HCMV replication, as supported by reduced pUL97 kinase activity in a cyclin H-dependent coexpression setting. Thus, cyclin H proved to be a very relevant determinant of pUL97 kinase activity and viral replication efficiency. As a conclusion, the results provide evidence for the functional importance of pUL97–cyclin interaction. High selective pressure on the formation of pUL97–cyclin complexes was identified by the use of clinically relevant mutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal tract malignancy. Previous reports have shown that cancerous phenotypes in the intestine are dependent on c-MYC target gene expression. Unfortunately, finding c-MYC inhibitors has proven difficult because c-MYC does not have a deep surface-binding pocket. Considering that c-MYC is maintained upregulated through β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activation and ERK-mediated post-translational stabilization, and since we have previously demonstrated that c-MYC transcriptional activation is affected by p38α as a β-catenin chromatin-associated kinase, here, we investigated p38α's involvement in c-MYC protein stabilization in CRC. Interestingly, we found that p38α sustains c-MYC's stability by preventing its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Moreover, we showed that p38α inhibitors exhibit a synthetic lethality effect when used in combination with MEK inhibitors in CRC cells. Our findings identify p38α as a promising therapeutic target that acts on the pharmacologically "undruggable" c-MYC protein, with implications for countering c-MYC-mediated CRC proliferation, metastasization, and chemoresistance. c-MYC is one of the most important factors involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation and progression; indeed, it is found to be upregulated in up to 80% of sporadic cases. During colorectal carcinogenesis, c-MYC is maintained upregulated through β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activation and ERK-mediated post-translational stabilization. Our data demonstrate that p38α, a kinase involved in CRC metabolism and survival, contributes to c-Myc protein stability. Moreover, we show that p38α, like ERK, stabilizes c-MYC protein levels by preventing its ubiquitination. Of note, we found that p38α phosphorylates c-MYC and interacts with it both in vitro and in cellulo. Extensive molecular analyses in the cellular and in vivo models revealed that the p38α kinase inhibitors, SB202190 and ralimetinib, affect c-MYC protein levels. Ralimetinib also exhibited a synthetic lethality effect when used in combination with the MEK1 inhibitor trametinib. Overall, our findings identify p38α as a promising therapeutic target, acting directly on c-MYC, with potential implications for countering c-MYC-mediated CRC proliferation, metastatic dissemination, and chemoresistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CDK4/6‐Rb axis is a crucial target of cancer therapy and several selective inhibitors of it have been approved for clinical application. However, current therapeutic efficacy evaluation mostly relies on anatomical imaging, which cannot directly reflect changes in drug targets, leading to a delay in the selection of optimal treatment. In this study, we constructed a novel fluorescent probe, CPP30‐Lipo/CDKACT4, for real‐time monitoring of CDK4 activity and the therapeutic efficacy of its inhibitor in HR+/HER2– breast cancer. CPP30‐Lipo/CDKACT4 exhibited good optical stability and targetability. The signal of the probe in living cells decreased after CDK4 knockdown or palbociclib treatment. Moreover, the fluorescence intensity of the tumors after 7 days of palbociclib treatment was significantly lower than that before treatment, while no significant change in tumor diameter was observed under magnetic resonance imaging. Overall, we developed an innovative fluorescent probe that can monitor CDK4 activity and the early therapeutic response to CDK4 inhibitors in living cells and in vivo. It may provide a new strategy for evaluating antitumor therapeutic efficacy in a clinical context and for drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ·FGFR1 is functionally identified to a correlation between the expression levels and colorectal cancer progression. • ·It was proposed that β,β -dimethylacrylalkannin is a novel FGFR1 inhibitor able to suppress colorectal cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. • ·This study provides a basis for the clinical investigation of β,β -dimethylacrylalkannin, and suggest that clinical outcome and quality of life may be improved in FGFR1-driven cancer patients upon treatment. Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a major global health challenge, ranking as a top cause of cancer-related mortality. Alarmingly, the five-year survival rate for CRC patients hovers around a mere 10–30 %. The disruption of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFRs) signaling pathways is significantly implicated in the onset and advancement of CRC, presenting a promising target for therapeutic intervention in CRC management. Further investigation is essential to comprehensively elucidate FGFR1′s function in CRC and to create potent therapies that specifically target FGFR1. This study aims to demonstrate the oncogenic role of FGFR1 in colorectal cancer and to explore the potential of β,β -dimethylacrylalkannin (β,β -DMAA) as a therapeutic option to inhibit FGFR1. In this research, we employed a comprehensive suite of techniques including tissue array, kinase profiling, computational docking, knockdown assay to predict and explore the inhibitor of FGFR1. Furthermore, we utilized kinase assay, pull-down, cell proliferation tests, and Patient derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models to further investigate a novel FGFR1 inhibitor and its impact on the growth of CRC. In our research, we discovered that FGFR1 protein is markedly upregulated in colorectal cancer tissues, suggesting a significant role in regulating cellular proliferation, particularly in patients with colorectal cancer. Furthermore, we conducted a computational docking, kinase profiling analysis, simulation and identified that β,β -DMAA could directly bind with FGFR1 within ATP binding pocket domain. Cell-based assays confirmed that β,β -DMAA effectively inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cells and also triggered cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and altered FGFR1-mediated signaling pathways. Moreover, β,β -DMAA effectively attenuated the development of PDX tumors in mice that were FGFR1-positive, with no notable toxicity observed. In summary, our study highlights the pivotal role of FGFR1 in colorectal cancer, suggesting that inhibiting FGFR1 activity could be a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention. We present strong evidence that targeting FGFR1 with β,β -DMAA is a viable approach for the management of colorectal cancer. Given its low toxicity and high efficacy, β,β -DMAA, as an FGFR1 inhibitor, warrants further investigation in clinical settings for the treatment of FGFR1-positive tumors. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic interface between invading viral pathogens and programmed cell death (PCD) of the host is a finely regulated process. Host cellular demise at the end of the viral life cycle ensures the release of progeny virions to initiate new infection cycles. Rotavirus (RV), a diarrheagenic virus with double-stranded RNA genome, has been reported to trigger different types of PCD such as apoptosis and pyroptosis in a highly regulated way to successfully disseminate progeny virions. Recently our lab also showed that induction of MLKL-driven programmed necroptosis by RV. However, the host cellular machinery involved in RV-induced necroptosis and the upstream viral trigger responsible for it remained unaddressed. In the present study, the signalling upstream of MLKL-driven necroptosis has been delineated where the involvement of Receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 3 (RIPK3) and 1 (RIPK1) from the host side and RV non-structural protein 4 (NSP4) as the viral trigger for necroptosis has been shown. Interestingly, RV-NSP4 was found to be an integral component of the necrosome complex by interacting with RIPK1, thereby bypassing the requirement of RIPK1 kinase activity. Subsequently, NSP4-driven elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration and Ca2+-binding to NSP4 lead further to RHIM domain-dependent RIPK1-RIPK3 interaction, RIPK3-dependent MLKL phosphorylation, and eventual necroptosis. Overall, this study presents the interplay between RV-NSP4 and the host cellular necrosome complex to induce necroptotic death of host cells. [Display omitted] • RV harnesses the kinase-dependent function of RIPK3 and kinase-independent function of RIPK1 to promote necroptosis. • RV non-structural protein 4 is the major viral modulator of necroptosis. • RV-NSP4 associates with RIPK1 which further assembles into the necrosome containing RIPK1-RIPK3-MLKL leading to necroptosis. • RV-NSP4 driven ER-to-cytosol calcium efflux facilitates necroptosis by fostering the integrity of the necrosome complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The CDK4/6‐Rb axis is a crucial target of cancer therapy and several selective inhibitors of it have been approved for clinical application. However, current therapeutic efficacy evaluation mostly relies on anatomical imaging, which cannot directly reflect changes in drug targets, leading to a delay in the selection of optimal treatment. In this study, we constructed a novel fluorescent probe, CPP30‐Lipo/CDKACT4, for real‐time monitoring of CDK4 activity and the therapeutic efficacy of its inhibitor in HR+/HER2– breast cancer. CPP30‐Lipo/CDKACT4 exhibited good optical stability and targetability. The signal of the probe in living cells decreased after CDK4 knockdown or palbociclib treatment. Moreover, the fluorescence intensity of the tumors after 7 days of palbociclib treatment was significantly lower than that before treatment, while no significant change in tumor diameter was observed under magnetic resonance imaging. Overall, we developed an innovative fluorescent probe that can monitor CDK4 activity and the early therapeutic response to CDK4 inhibitors in living cells and in vivo. It may provide a new strategy for evaluating antitumor therapeutic efficacy in a clinical context and for drug development.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation is considered a useful strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is unclear whether the expression and/or activity of AMPK in adipocytes is dysregulated in obesity. Also, the expression/activity pattern of AMPKβ isoforms, which are targets for AMPK activators, in adipocytes remains elusive. In this study we show that the two AMPKβ isoforms make roughly equal contributions to AMPK activity in primary human and mouse adipocytes, whereas in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes of mouse origin and in primary rat adipocytes, β1-associated activity clearly dominates. Additionally, we found that obesity is not associated with changes in AMPK subunit expression or kinase activity in adipocytes isolated fromsubcutaneous adipose tissue from individuals with various BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eukaryotic cell cycle is driven by the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). CDK activity rises over 50-fold during the cell cycle, from a low level in G1 to a high level in mitosis. However, it is not known whether the entire range of CDK activity is necessary for cell cycle progression, or whether cells can tolerate a reduction in CDK activity level. Here, in fission yeast, we show that sublethal CDK inhibition lengthens the time cells spend in mitosis but does not cause misordering of mitotic events. Maximum attainable CDK activity exceeds the amount necessary for mitosis, and thus forms a CDK activity buffer between sufficient and maximal possible CDK activities. This CDK activity buffer is needed for mitotic completion when CDK activity is compromised, and CDK inhibition only becomes lethal to cells when this buffer is exhausted. Finally, we explore what factors influence this CDK activity buffer, and find that it is influenced by CDK-counteracting phosphatases. Therefore, maximum attainable CDK activity is not necessary for mitosis but provides robustness to CDK activity reduction to ensure mitotic completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disease caused by the acquisition of t(9;22) generating the fusion tyrosine kinase BCR::ABL1. However, despite the crucial role of this protein in the dysregulation of numerous signal transduction pathways, a direct measure of BCR::ABL1 kinase activity in chronic phase (CP) CML was never accomplished due to intense degradative activity present in mature leukocytes. Therefore, we developed a procedure suitable to preserve BCR::ABL1 protein under non-denaturing, neutral pH conditions in primary, chronic phase (CP)-CML samples. As a result, specific kinase activity was detected utilizing a biotinylated peptide substrate highly selective for c-ABL1. Furthermore, through this approach, BCR::ABL1 kinase activity was barely detectable in CP-CML compared to Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia primary samples, where kinase activity is comparable to those measured in Ph+ cell lines. These in vitro findings provide the first direct measure of BCR::ABL1 kinase activity in primary CP-CML and reveal the presence of a still uncharacterized inhibitory mechanism that maintains BCR::ABL1 in a low activity state in CP-CML despite its overexpression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with a limited number of known driver mutations but considerable cancer cell heterogeneity. Phosphoproteomics provides a direct read-out of aberrant signaling and the resultant clinically relevant phenotype. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics and phosphoproteomics were applied to 42 PDAC tumors. Data encompassed over 19 936 phosphoserine or phosphothreonine (pS/T; in 5412 phosphoproteins) and 1208 phosphotyrosine (pY; in 501 phosphoproteins) sites and a total of 3756 proteins. Proteome data identified three distinct subtypes with tumor intrinsic and stromal features. Subsequently, three phospho-subtypes were apparent: two tumor intrinsic (Phos1/2) and one stromal (Phos3), resembling known PDAC molecular subtypes. Kinase activity was analyzed by the Integrative iNferred Kinase Activity (INKA) scoring. Phospho-subtypes displayed differential phosphorylation signals and kinase activity, such as FGR and GSK3 activation in Phos1, SRC kinase family and EPHA2 in Phos2, and EGFR, INSR, MET, ABL1, HIPK1, JAK, and PRKCD in Phos3. Kinase activity analysis of an external PDAC cohort supported our findings and underscored the importance of PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways, among others. Interestingly, unfavorable patient prognosis correlated with higher RTK, PAK2, STK10, and CDK7 activity and high proliferation, whereas long survival was associated with MYLK and PTK6 activity, which was previously unknown. Subtype-associated activity profiles can guide therapeutic combination approaches in tumor and stroma-enriched tissues, and emphasize the critical role of parallel signaling pathways. In addition, kinase activity profiling identifies potential disease markers with prognostic significance., (© 2024 The Authors. Molecular Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

The articles in this special issue highlight how modern cellular, biochemical, biophysical and computational techniques are allowing deeper and more detailed studies of allosteric kinase regulation., Competing Interests: AA, VD No competing interests declared, (© 2024, Andreotti and Dötsch.)

Abstract Background Despite the introduction of targeted therapies, most patients with myeloid malignancies will not be cured and progress. Genomics is useful to elucidate the mutational landscape but remains limited in the prediction of therapeutic outcome and identification of targets for resistance. Dysregulation of phosphorylation-based signaling pathways is a hallmark of cancer, and therefore, kinase-inhibitors are playing an increasingly important role as targeted treatments. Untargeted phosphoproteomics analysis pipelines have been published but show limitations in inferring kinase-activities and identifying potential biomarkers of response and resistance. Methods We developed a phosphoproteomics workflow based on titanium dioxide phosphopeptide enrichment with subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We applied a novel Kinase-Activity Enrichment Analysis (KAEA) pipeline on differential phosphoproteomics profiles, which is based on the recently published SetRank enrichment algorithm with reduced false positive rates. Kinase activities were inferred by this algorithm using an extensive reference database comprising five experimentally validated kinase-substrate meta-databases complemented with the NetworKIN in-silico prediction tool. For the proof of concept, we used human myeloid cell lines (K562, NB4, THP1, OCI-AML3, MOLM13 and MV4–11) with known oncogenic drivers and exposed them to clinically established kinase-inhibitors. Results Biologically meaningful over- and under-active kinases were identified by KAEA in the unperturbed human myeloid cell lines (K562, NB4, THP1, OCI-AML3 and MOLM13). To increase the inhibition signal of the driving oncogenic kinases, we exposed the K562 (BCR-ABL1) and MOLM13/MV4–11 (FLT3-ITD) cell lines to either Nilotinib or Midostaurin kinase inhibitors, respectively. We observed correct detection of expected direct (ABL, KIT, SRC) and indirect (MAPK) targets of Nilotinib in K562 as well as indirect (PRKC, MAPK, AKT, RPS6K) targets of Midostaurin in MOLM13/MV4–11, respectively. Moreover, our pipeline was able to characterize unexplored kinase-activities within the corresponding signaling networks. Conclusions We developed and validated a novel KAEA pipeline for the analysis of differential phosphoproteomics MS profiling data. We provide translational researchers with an improved instrument to characterize the biological behavior of kinases in response or resistance to targeted treatment. Further investigations are warranted to determine the utility of KAEA to characterize mechanisms of disease progression and treatment failure using primary patient samples. Graphical abstract

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation is considered a useful strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is unclear whether the expression and/or activity of AMPK in adipocytes is dysregulated in obesity. Also, the expression/activity pattern of AMPKβ isoforms, which are targets for AMPK activators, in adipocytes remains elusive. In this study we show that the two AMPKβ isoforms make roughly equal contributions to AMPK activity in primary human and mouse adipocytes, whereas in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes of mouse origin and in primary rat adipocytes, β1-associated activity clearly dominates. Additionally, we found that obesity is not associated with changes in AMPK subunit expression or kinase activity in adipocytes isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue from individuals with various BMI.

The NF-κB pathway is an essential signalling cascade in the defence against viral infections, including African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection. ASFV encodes more than 151 proteins via its own transcription machinery and possesses a great capacity to evade or subvert antiviral innate immune responses. Although some of these viral proteins have been reported, many remain unknown. Here, we show that pD345L, an ASFV-encoded lambda-like exonuclease, acts as an inhibitor of cGAS/STING-mediated NF-κB signalling by blocking the IkappaB kinase (IKKα/β) activity. Specifically, we showed that overexpression of pD345L suppresses cGAS/STING-induced IFNβ and NF-κB activation, resulting in decreased transcription of IFNβ and several proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα. In addition, we showed that pD345L acts at or downstream of IKK and upstream of p65. Importantly, we found that pD345L associates with the KD and HLH domains of IKKα and the LZ domain of IKKβ and thus interrupts their kinase activity towards the downstream substrate IκBα. Finally, we showed that pD345L-mediated inhibition of NF-κB signalling was independent of its exonuclease activity. Considering these results collectively, we concluded that pD345L blocks IKKα/β kinase activity via protein–protein interactions and thus disrupts cGAS/STING-mediated NF-κB signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein kinases (PKs) are established gameplayers in biological signalling pathways, and a large body of evidence points to their dysregulation in diseases, in particular cancer, where rewiring of PK networks occurs frequently. Fluorescent biosensors constitute attractive tools for probing biomolecules and monitoring dynamic processes in complex samples. A wide variety of genetically encoded and synthetic biosensors have been tailored to report on PK activities over the last decade, enabling interrogation of their function and insight into their behaviour in physiopathological settings. These optical tools can further be used to highlight enzymatic alterations associated with the disease, thereby providing precious functional information which cannot be obtained through conventional genetic, transcriptomic or proteomic approaches. This review focuses on fluorescent peptide biosensors, recent developments and strategies that make them attractive tools to profile PK activities for biomedical and diagnostic purposes, as well as insights into the challenges and opportunities brought by this unique toolbox of chemical probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe chemokine receptor CXCR4 (CD184) and its natural ligand CXCL12 contribute to many physiological processes, including decisions about cell death and survival in the central nervous system. In addition, CXCR4 is a co-receptor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and mediates the neurotoxicity of the viral envelope protein gp120. However, we previously observed that CXCL12 also causes toxicity in cerebrocortical neurons but the cellular mechanism remained incompletely defined.MethodsPrimary neuronal-glial cerebrocortical cell cultures from rat were exposed to a neurotoxicity-inducing CXCL12 concentration for different times and the activity of the stress-associated mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 (p38 MAPK) was assessed using an in vitro kinase assay. Neurotoxicity of CXCL12 and cellular localization of p38 MAPK was analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Pharmacological inhibition of NMDA-type glutamate receptor-gated ion channels (NMDAR) of L-type Ca2+ channels was employed during 12- and 24-h exposure to neurotoxic amounts of CXCL12 to study the effects on active p38 MAPK and neuronal survival by Western blotting and microscopy, respectively. Neurotoxicity of CXCL12 was also assessed during pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK.ResultsHere, we show that a neurotoxic amount of CXCL12 triggers a significant increase of endogenous p38 MAPK activity in cerebrocortical cells. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting experiments with mixed neuronal-glial and neuron-depleted glial cerebrocortical cells revealed that the majority of active/phosphorylated p38 MAPK was located in neurons. Blockade of NMDAR-gated ion channels or L-type Ca2+ channels both abrogated an increase of active p38 MAPK and toxicity of CXCL12 in cerebrocortical neurons. Inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels with nimodipine kept the active kinase at levels not significantly different from baseline while blocking NMDAR with MK-801 strongly reduced phosphorylated p38 MAPK below baseline. Finally, we confirmed that directly blocking p38 MAPK also abrogated neurotoxicity of CXCL12.ConclusionsOur findings link CXCL12-induced neuronal death to the regulation of NMDAR-gated ion channels and L-type Ca2+ channels upstream of p38 MAPK activation.

EGFR mutations are strong predictive markers for EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although NSCLC patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations have better prognoses, some patients exhibit worse prognoses. We hypothesized that various activities of kinases could be potential predictive biomarkers for EGFR-TKI treatment among NSCLC patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations. In 18 patients with stage IV NSCLC, EGFR mutations were detected and comprehensive kinase activity profiling was performed using the peptide array PamStation12 for 100 tyrosine kinases. Prognoses were observed prospectively after the administration of EGFR-TKIs. Finally, the kinase profiles were analyzed in combination with the prognoses of the patients. Comprehensive kinase activity analysis identified specific kinase features, consisting of 102 peptides and 35 kinases, in NSCLC patients with sensitizing EGFR mutations. Network analysis revealed seven highly phosphorylated kinases: CTNNB1, CRK, EGFR, ERBB2, PIK3R1, PLCG1, and PTPN11. Pathway analysis and Reactome analysis revealed that the PI3K-AKT and RAF/ MAPK pathways were significantly enriched in the poor prognosis group, being consistent with the outcome of the network analysis. Patients with poor prognoses exhibited high activation of EGFR, PIK3R1, and ERBB2. Comprehensive kinase activity profiles may provide predictive biomarker candidates for screening patients with advanced NSCLC harboring sensitizing EGFR mutations.

Introduction: The signalling cascades that contribute to lupus pathogenesis are incompletely understood. We address this by using an unbiased activity‐based kinome screen of murine lupus. Methods: An unbiased activity‐based kinome screen (ABKS) of 196 kinases was applied to two genetically different murine lupus strains. Systemic and renal lupus were evaluated following in vivo PLK1blockade. The upstream regulators and downstream targets of PLK1 were also interrogated. Results: Multiple signalling cascades were noted to be more active in murine lupus spleens, including PLK1. In vivo administration of a PLK1‐specific inhibitor ameliorated splenomegaly, anti‐dsDNA antibody production, proteinuria, BUN and renal pathology in MRL.lpr mice (P < 0.05). Serum IL‐6, IL‐17 and kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM‐1) were significantly decreased after PLK1 inhibition. PLK1 inhibition reduced germinal centre and marginal zone B cells in the spleen, but changes in T cells were not significant. In vitro, splenocytes were treated with anti‐mouse CD40 Ab or F(ab')2 fragment anti‐mouse IgM. After 24‐h stimulation, IL‐6 secretion was significantly reduced upon PLK1 blockade, whereas IL‐10 production was significantly increased. The phosphorylation of mTOR was assessed in splenocyte subsets, which revealed a significant change in myeloid cells. PLK1 blockade reduced phosphorylation associated with mTOR signalling, while Aurora‐A emerged as a potential upstream regulator of PLK1. Conclusion: The Aurora‐A → PLK1 → mTOR signalling axis may be central in lupus pathogenesis, and emerges as a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosome segregation in mitosis is orchestrated by the dynamic interactions between the kinetochore and spindle microtubules. Our recent studies show that mitotic motor CENP-E cooperates with SKAP and forms a link between kinetochore core MIS13 complex and spindle microtubule plus-ends to achieve accurate chromosome alignment in mitosis. However, it remains elusive how SKAP regulates kinetochore attachment from lateral association to end-on attachment during metaphase alignment. Here, we identify a novel interaction between Aurora B and SKAP that orchestrates accurate interaction between the kinetochore and dynamic spindle microtubules. Interestingly, SKAP spontaneously phase-separates in vitro via weak, multivalent interactions into droplets with fast internal dynamics. SKAP and Aurora B form heterogeneous coacervates in vitro , which recapitulate the dynamics and behavior of SKAP comets in vivo. Importantly, SKAP interaction with Aurora B via phase separation is essential for accurate chromosome segregation and alignment. Based on those findings, we reason that SKAP–Aurora B interaction via phase separation constitutes a dynamic pool of Aurora B activity during the lateral to end-on conversion of kinetochore–microtubule attachments to achieve faithful cell division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinase activity in signaling networks frequently depends on regulatory subunits that can both inhibit activity by interacting with the catalytic subunits and target the kinase to distinct molecular partners and subcellular compartments. Here, using a new synthetic molecular interaction system, we show that translocation of a regulatory subunit of the protein kinase A (PKA-R) to the plasma membrane has a paradoxical effect on the membrane kinase activity. It can both enhance it at lower translocation levels, even in the absence of signaling inputs, and inhibit it at higher translocation levels, suggesting its role as a linker that can both couple and decouple signaling processes in a concentration-dependent manner. We further demonstrate that superposition of gradients of PKA-R abundance across single cells can control the directionality of cell migration, reversing it at high enough input levels. Thus, complex in vivo patterns of PKA-R localization can drive complex phenotypes, including cell migration.

Abstract Introduction The signalling cascades that contribute to lupus pathogenesis are incompletely understood. We address this by using an unbiased activity‐based kinome screen of murine lupus. Methods An unbiased activity‐based kinome screen (ABKS) of 196 kinases was applied to two genetically different murine lupus strains. Systemic and renal lupus were evaluated following in vivo PLK1blockade. The upstream regulators and downstream targets of PLK1 were also interrogated. Results Multiple signalling cascades were noted to be more active in murine lupus spleens, including PLK1. In vivo administration of a PLK1‐specific inhibitor ameliorated splenomegaly, anti‐dsDNA antibody production, proteinuria, BUN and renal pathology in MRL.lpr mice (P

Nucleoside diphosphate kinases (NDK) are ubiquitous enzymes that catalyse the transfer of the γ phosphate from nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) to nucleoside diphosphate (NDPs), to maintain appropriate NTP levels in cells. NDKs are associated with signal transduction, cell development, proliferation, differentiation, tumor metastasis, apoptosis and motility. The critical role of NDK in bacterial virulence renders it a potential drug target. The present manuscript reports crystal structure and functional characterization of Vibrio cholerae NDK (VNDK). The 16 kDa VNDK was crystallized in a solution containing 30% PEG 4000, 100 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.5 and 200 mM sodium acetate in orthorhombic space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 with unit cell parameters a = 48.37, b = 71.21, c = 89.14 Å, α = β = γ = 90° with 2 molecules in asymmetric unit. The crystal structure was solved by molecular replacement and refined to crystallographic R factor and R free values of 22.8% and 25.8% respectively. VNDK exists as both dimer and tetramer in solution as confirmed by size exclusion chromatography, glutaraldehyde crosslinking and small angle X-ray scattering while the crystal structure appears to be a dimer. The biophysical characterization states that VNDK has kinase and DNase activity with maximum stability at pH 8–9 and temperature up to 40 °C. VNDK shows elevated thermolability as compared to other NDK and shows preferential binding with GTP rationalized using computational studies. • Structure elucidation of Vibrio Cholera Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase (VNDK). • VNDK shows highest affinity for GTP amongst NTPs. • VNDK possesses kinase and DNase activities. • VNDK is maximally stable between pH 8 and 9, and exhibits elevated thermolability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammals, environmental cold sensing conducted by peripheral cold thermoreceptor neurons mostly depends on TRPM8, an ion channel that has evolved to become the main molecular cold transducer. This TRP channel is activated by cold, cooling compounds, such as menthol, voltage, and rises in osmolality. TRPM8 function is regulated by kinase activity that phosphorylates the channel under resting conditions. However, which specific residues, how this post-translational modification modulates TRPM8 activity, and its influence on cold sensing are still poorly understood. By mass spectrometry, we identified four serine residues within the N-terminus (S26, S29, S541, and S542) constitutively phosphorylated in the mouse ortholog. TRPM8 function was examined by Ca21 imaging and patchclamp recordings, revealing that treatment with staurosporine, a kinase inhibitor, augmented its cold- and menthol-evoked responses. S29A mutation is sufficient to increase TRPM8 activity, suggesting that phosphorylation of this residue is a central molecular determinant of this negative regulation. Biophysical and total internal reflection fluorescence-based analysis revealed a dual mechanism in the potentiated responses of unphosphorylated TRPM8: a shift in the voltage activation curve toward more negative potentials and an increase in the number of active channels at the plasma membrane. Importantly, basal kinase activity negatively modulates TRPM8 function at cold thermoreceptors from male and female mice, an observation accounted for by mathematical modeling. Overall, our findings suggest that cold temperature detection could be rapidly and reversibly fine-tuned by controlling the TRPM8 basal phosphorylation state, a mechanism that acts as a dynamic molecular brake of this thermo-TRP channel function in primary sensory neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

c-MYC is one of the most important factors involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation and progression; indeed, it is found to be upregulated in up to 80% of sporadic cases. During colorectal carcinogenesis, c-MYC is maintained upregulated through β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activation and ERK-mediated post-translational stabilization. Our data demonstrate that p38α, a kinase involved in CRC metabolism and survival, contributes to c-Myc protein stability. Moreover, we show that p38α, like ERK, stabilizes c-MYC protein levels by preventing its ubiquitination. Of note, we found that p38α phosphorylates c-MYC and interacts with it both in vitro and in cellulo. Extensive molecular analyses in the cellular and in vivo models revealed that the p38α kinase inhibitors, SB202190 and ralimetinib, affect c-MYC protein levels. Ralimetinib also exhibited a synthetic lethality effect when used in combination with the MEK1 inhibitor trametinib. Overall, our findings identify p38α as a promising therapeutic target, acting directly on c-MYC, with potential implications for countering c-MYC-mediated CRC proliferation, metastatic dissemination, and chemoresistance.

CK2 is a constitutively active protein kinase that assuring a constant level of phosphorylation to its numerous substrates supports many of the most important biological functions. Nevertheless, its activity has to be controlled and adjusted in order to cope with the varying needs of a cell, and several examples of a fine-tune regulation of its activity have been described. More importantly, aberrant regulation of this enzyme may have pathological consequences, e.g. in cancer, chronic inflammation, neurodegeneration, and viral infection. Our review aims at summarizing our current knowledge about CK2 regulation. In the first part, we have considered the most important stimuli shown to affect protein kinase CK2 activity/expression. In the second part, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which CK2 can be regulated, discussing controversial aspects and future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many pathologies, including cancer, have been associated with aberrant phosphorylation-mediated signaling networks that drive altered cell proliferation, migration, metabolic regulation, and can lead to systemic inflammation. Phosphoproteomics, the large-scale analysis of protein phosphorylation sites, has emerged as a powerful tool to define signaling network regulation and dysregulation in normal and pathological conditions. We provide an overview of methodology for global phosphoproteomics as well as enrichment of specific subsets of the phosphoproteome, including phosphotyrosine and phospho-motif enrichment of kinase substrates. We review quantitative methods, advantages and limitations of different mass spectrometry acquisition formats, and computational approaches to extract biological insight from phosphoproteomics data. Throughout, we discuss various applications and their challenges in implementation. Over the past 20 years the field of phosphoproteomics has advanced to enable deep biological and clinical insight through the quantitative analysis of signaling networks. Future areas of development include Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-approved methods for analysis of clinical samples, continued improvements in sensitivity to enable analysis of small numbers of rare cells and tissue microarrays, and computational methods to integrate data resulting from multiple systems-level quantitative analytical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the introduction of targeted therapies, most patients with myeloid malignancies will not be cured and progress. Genomics is useful to elucidate the mutational landscape but remains limited in the prediction of therapeutic outcome and identification of targets for resistance. Dysregulation of phosphorylation-based signaling pathways is a hallmark of cancer, and therefore, kinase-inhibitors are playing an increasingly important role as targeted treatments. Untargeted phosphoproteomics analysis pipelines have been published but show limitations in inferring kinase-activities and identifying potential biomarkers of response and resistance.Methods: We developed a phosphoproteomics workflow based on titanium dioxide phosphopeptide enrichment with subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We applied a novel Kinase-Activity Enrichment Analysis (KAEA) pipeline on differential phosphoproteomics profiles, which is based on the recently published SetRank enrichment algorithm  with reduced false positive rates. Kinase activities were inferred by this algorithm using an extensive reference database comprising five experimentally validated kinase-substrate meta-databases complemented with the NetworKIN in-silico prediction tool. For the proof of concept, we used human myeloid cell lines (K562, NB4, THP1, OCI-AML3, MOLM13 and MV4-11) with known oncogenic drivers and exposed them to clinically established kinase-inhibitors.Results: Biologically meaningful over- and under-active kinases were identified by KAEA in the unperturbed human myeloid cell lines (K562, NB4, THP1, OCI-AML3 and MOLM13). To increase the inhibition signal of the driving oncogenic kinases, we exposed the K562 (BCR-ABL1) and MOLM13/MV4-11 (FLT3-ITD) cell lines to either Nilotinib or Midostaurin kinase inhibitors, respectively. We observed correct detection of expected direct (ABL, KIT, SRC) and indirect (MAPK) targets of Nilotinib in K562 as well as indirect (PRKC, MAPK, AKT, RPS6K) targets of Midostaurin in MOLM13/MV4-11, respectively. Moreover, our pipeline was able to characterize unexplored kinase-activities within the corresponding signaling networks.Conclusions: We developed and validated a novel KAEA pipeline for the analysis of differential phosphoproteomics MS profiling data. We provide translational researchers with an improved instrument to characterize the biological behavior of kinases in response or resistance to targeted treatment. Further investigations are warranted to determine the utility of KAEA to characterize mechanisms of disease progression and treatment failure using primary patient samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor tyrosine kinase ROR1 plays an essential role in embryogenesis and is overexpressed in many types of malignant tumors. Studies have demonstrated that it plays an important role in oncogenesis by activating cell survival signaling events, particularly the non-canonical WNT signaling pathway. Antibody-based immunotherapies targeting ROR1 have been developed and evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies with promising outcomes. However, small molecule inhibitors targeting ROR1 are underappreciated because of the initial characterization of ROR1 as a peusdokinase. The function of ROR1 as a tyrosine kinase remains poorly understood, although accumulating evidence have demonstrated its intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. In this review, we analyzed the structural and functional features of ROR1 and discussed therapeutic strategies targeting this kinase.

Receptor tyrosine kinase ROR1 plays an essential role in embryogenesis and is overexpressed in many types of malignant tumors. Studies have demonstrated that it plays an important role in oncogenesis by activating cell survival signaling events, particularly the non-canonical WNT signaling pathway. Antibody-based immunotherapies targeting ROR1 have been developed and evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies with promising outcomes. However, small molecule inhibitors targeting ROR1 are underappreciated because of the initial characterization of ROR1 as a peusdokinase. The function of ROR1 as a tyrosine kinase remains poorly understood, although accumulating evidence have demonstrated its intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. In this review, we analyzed the structural and functional features of ROR1 and discussed therapeutic strategies targeting this kinase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myxoid liposarcoma is a rare mesenchymal malignancy, which is characterized by a FUS-DDIT3 fusion known as chromosomal translocation t(12;16)(q13;p11) and arises in the fat tissue. Although surgery with radiation has been established as a standard treatment, myxoid liposarcoma shows frequent recurrence and poor prognosis, thus requiring new therapeutic approaches. Patient-derived cell lines represent a critical tool for basic and preclinical research. However, only two such myxoid liposarcoma cell lines have been reported, and they are not available in cell banks. The aim of this study was to establish and characterize a novel myxoid liposarcoma cell line. Using surgically resected tumor tissue from a 47-year-old male patient, we established the NCC-MLPS1-C1 cell line. NCC-MLPS1-C1 cells were characterized by FUS-DDIT3 fusion, slow growth, spheroid formation, and invasive capability. We screened the effect of anti-cancer agents on the proliferation of NCC-MLPS1-C1 cells. The cells displayed a remarkable response to multitarget kinase inhibitors of RET, PDGFR-β, VEGFR, or FGFR. NCC-MLPS1-C1 cells and the tumor tissue shared common profiles of kinase activity including identified drug targets, such as RET and PDGFR-β. We believe that NCC-MLPS1-C1 cells will represent a useful tool for basic and preclinical studies of myxoid liposarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]