• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2020

Calcium is one of the important secondary signaling molecules in plant cells. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPK)-the sensor proteins of Ca²⁺ and phosphorylating enzymes-are the most abundant serine/threonine kinases in plant cells. They convert and transmit signals in response to various stimuli, resulting in specific responses in plants. In rice, 31 CDPK gene families have been identified, which are mainly involved in plant growth and development and are known to play roles in response to various stress conditions. However, little is known about the biochemical characteristics of CDPK proteins. In this study, OsCPK11-a CDPK in rice-was partially purified, and its biochemical characteristics were found. Partially purified OsCPK11 from rice seedlings was obtained by three-step column chromatography that involved anion exchange chromatography consisting of DEAE, hydrophobic interaction chromatography consisting of phenyl-Sepharose, and gel filtration chromatography consisting of Sephacryl-200HR. An in vitro kinase assay using partially purified OsCPK11 was also performed. This partially purified OsCPK11 had a molecular weight of 54 kDa and showed a strong hydrophobic interaction with the hydrophobic resin. In vitro kinase assay showed that the OsCPK11 also had Ca²⁺-dependent autophosphorylation activity. The OsCPK11 phosphorylated histone III-S, and the optimum pH for its kinase activity was found to be 7.5~8.0. The native OsCPK11 shared several biochemical characteristics with recombinant OsCPK11 studied previously, and both had Ca²⁺-dependent autophosphorylation activity and favored histone III-S as a substrate for kinase activity, which also had a Ca²⁺-dependence.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.203-208
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• 2013

As the abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis and vascular restenosis, a candidate drug with antiproliferative properties is needed. We investigated the antiproliferative action and underlying mechanism of a newly synthesized naphthoquinone derivative, 5,8-dimethoxy-2-nonylamino-naphthalene-1,4-dione (2-nonylamino-DMNQ), using VSMCs treated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). 2-Nonylamino-DMNQ inhibited proliferation and cell number of VSMCs induced by PDGF, but not epidermal growth factor (EGF), in a concentration-dependent manner without any cytotoxicity. This derivative suppressed PDGF-induced $[^3H]$-thymidine incorporation, cell cycle progression from $G_0/G_1$ to S phase, and the phosphorylation of phosphor-retinoblastoma protein (pRb) as well as the expression of cyclin E/D, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 2/4, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Importantly, 2-nonylamino-DMNQ inhibited the phosphorylation of PDGF receptor${\beta}$(PDGF-$R{\beta}$) enhanced by PDGF at $Tyr^{579}$, $Tyr^{716}$, $Tyr^{751}$, and $Tyr^{1021}$ residues. Subsequently, 2-nonylamino-DMNQ inhibited PDGF-induced phosphorylation of STAT3, ERK1/2, Akt, and $PLC{\gamma}1$. Therefore, our results indicate that 2-nonylamino-DMNQ inhibits PDGF-induced VSMC proliferation by blocking PDGF-$R{\beta}$ autophosphorylation, and subsequently PDGF-$R{\beta}$-mediated downstream signaling pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1393-1402
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• 2017

In plants, calcium ($Ca^{2+}$)-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are important sensors of $Ca^{2+}$ signals. Previous research demonstrated the expression of the OsCPK11 gene in various tissues at the transcription level, but its developmental and biochemical functions at the protein level were not determined. This study was aimed to identify biochemical characteristics of OsCPK11. GST- OsCPK11 was expressed in E. coli and used for an in vitro kinase assay. Biochemical analyses identified OsCPK11 as a CDPK. OsCPK11 autophosphorylated itself and transphosphorylated histone III-s and MBP as substrates in the presence of $Ca^{2+}$. The activity of the recombinant OsCPK11 was influenced by $Mg^{2+}$, with optimum activity detected at pH 7.0-7.5. OsCPK11 activity was not affected by $Mg^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, or $Na^+$ in the presence of a high level of $Ca^{2+}$. Autophosphorylation of OsCPK11 decreased $Ca^{2+}$ sensitivity of OsCPK11. An anti-OsCPK11 rabbit antibody recognized 95.5 kD of GST-OsCPK11, as shown by an immunoblot analysis. These results shed light on the function of OsCPK11 in $Ca^{2+}$-mediated signaling in rice.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.428-436
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• 2012

Protein phosphorylation is a universal mechanism that regulates cellular activities. The brassinosteroid (BR) signal transduction pathway is a relay of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation cascades. It starts with the BR-induced activation of the membrane receptor kinase brassinosteroid insensitive 1 (BRI1), resulting in the dephosphorylation of transcription factors such as BZR1/BES2 and BZR2/BES1 followed by BR-induced gene expression. Brassinosteroid signal transduction research has progressed rapidly by identifying the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation site(s) of the BR-regulated kinase and phosphatase substrates with a simultaneous pursuit of mutant phenotypes. Autophosphorylation, transphosphorylation, and serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor protein kinases BRI1 and BRI1-associated kinase (BAK1) have increased the understanding of the regulatory role of those kinases during physiological and developmental processes in plants. The phosphorylation event initiated by BR is also found in the regulation of receptor-mediated endocytosis and the subsequent degradation of the receptor. However, the basic molecular links of the BR signal transduction pathway are not well understood regarding this phosphorylation/dephosphorylation event. This review summarizes the current state of BR signal transduction research to uncover the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation networks and suggests directions for future research on steroid signal transduction to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the process.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.133-141
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• 2020

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a member of the ErbB family (EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3 and ErbB4), plays a crucial role in regulating various cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, and survival. As a result, aberrant activation of EGFR, mostly mediated through different classes of genomic alterations occurring within EGFR, is closely associated with the pathogenesis of numerous human cancers including lung adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma, and colorectal cancer. Thus, specific suppression of oncogenic activity of mutant EGFR with its targeted drugs has been routinely used in the clinic as a very effective anti-cancer strategy in treating a subset of tumors driven by such oncogenic EGFR mutants. However, the clinical efficacy of EGFR-targeted therapy does not last long due to several resistance mechanisms that emerge in the patients following the drug treatment. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of novel therapeutic tactics specifically targeting mutant EGFR with the focus on the unique biological features of various mutant EGFR. Regarding this point, our review specifically emphasizes the recent findings about distinct requirements of receptor dimerization and autophosphorylation, which are critical steps for enzymatic activation of EGFR and signaling cascades, respectively, among wildtype and mutant EGFR and further discuss their clinical significance. In addition, the molecular mechanisms regulating EGFR dimerization and enzymatic activity by a key negative feedback inhibitor Mig6 as well as the clinical use for developing potential novel drugs targeting it are described in this review.

• Rapid Communication in Photoscience
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.56-59
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• 2013

Plant phytochromes, molecular light switches that regulate various aspects of plant growth and development, are known as autophosphorylating serine/threonine kinases. Although recent studies reveal that phytochrome autophosphorylation plays an important role in the regulation of phytochrome signaling through the control of phyA protein stability, the in vivo functional roles of phytochrome kinase activity in plant light signaling are largely unknown. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the detailed function of phytochrome as a protein kinase, which might include mapping of kinase domain on the phytochrome molecule, searching for substrates that could be phosphorylated by phyA, and in vivo functional analysis of the kinase activity with phytochrome mutants displaying reduced kinase activity. Our recent studies reveal that the kinase activity of phytochrome plays a positive role in plant light signaling. Therefore, we highlight the current knowledge about the functional roles of phytochrome kinase activity in the light signal transduction of plants, based on our recent results.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.249-252
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• 2005

The mammalian unfolded protein response (UPR) protects the cell. against the stress of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It has recently demonstrated that IRE1, PERK, ATF6, and X-box protein 1 (XBP-l) directly or indirectly participate in this process. Upon accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the ER lumen, release of BiP from Ire1p permits dimerization and autophosphorylation to activate its kinase and endoribonulease activities to initiate XBP-1 mRNA splicing. Spliced XBP-1 mRNA removed middle part of 23 bp and encodes a potent transcription factor, XBP-l protein that binds to the unfolded protein response element (UPRE) or endoplasmic reticulum stress element (ERSE) sequence of many UPR target genes and produces several kind of ER chaperones. In this study, we described both the result and the detailed experimental procedures of XBP-1 mRNA splicing induced by ER stress, this result might help to elucidate the roles of the UPR and early diagnosis in a number of human diseases involving endoplasmic reticulum storage disease (ERSD).

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.73-81
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• 1998

Light signals constitute major factors in regulating gene expression and morphogenesis in plants and fungi. Phytochrome A and B were well characterized red and far-red light receptors in plants. Red light signals increased the phosphorylation of 18 kDa protein, which was identified to be nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase. The NDP kinase catalyzed autophosphorylation and had a protein kinase activity similar to MAP (mitogen activated protein) kinase. As candidates for blue light photoreceptors, cDNAs for CRY1 and CRY2 were isolated. The N-teminal regions of these proteins showed a high hornology to DNA photolyase. The 120 kDa protein first detected in Pisurn sativurn, which showed blue light induced phosphorylation was also detected in Arabidopsis thaliana. The 120 kDa protein was encoded by the nphl gene, which regulated positive phototropism of the plant. In Neurospora crassa, blue light irradiation of the membrane fraction prepared from roycelia stimulated the phosphorylation of the 15 kDa protein, which was also identifmd to be an NDP kinase. Recent progress in understanding early events in light signal transduction mainly in Pisum sativum Alaska, Arabidopsis thaliana and Neurospora crassa was summarized.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 2009

Over-expression of phospholipase D (PLD) 1 or PLD2 down-regulated CKII activity in NIH3T3 cells. The same results were found with catalytically inactive mutants of PLD isozymes, indicating that the catalytic activity of PLD is not required for PLD-mediated CKII inhibition. Consistent with this, 1-butanol did not alter CKII activity. The reduction in CKII activity in PLD-over-expressing NIH3T3 cells was due to reduced protein level, but not mRNA level, of the $CKII{\beta}$ subunit. This PLD-induced $CKII{\beta}$ degradation was mediated by ubiquitin-proteasome machinery, but MAP kinase and mTOR were not involved in $CKII{\beta}$ degradation. PLD isozymes interacted with the $CKII{\beta}$ subunit. Immunocytochemical staining revealed that PLD and $CKII{\beta}$ colocalize in the cytoplasm of NIH3T3 cells, especially in the perinuclear region. PLD binding to $CKII{\beta}$ inhibited $CKII{\beta}$ autophosphorylation, which is known to be important for $CKII{\beta}$ stability. In summary, the current data indicate that PLD isozymes can down-regulate CKII activity through the acceleration of $CKII{\beta}$ degradation by ubiquitin-proteasome machinery.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 1998

Column-purified double-stranded RNA binding factor (RBF) protein was tested for its binding affinity for the different forms of nucleic acids structure such as single-stranded(ss) and double-stranded(ds)RNA and ss- and dsDNA. The RBF protein was incubated with each of these nucleic acid structures in separate reactions and its comparative binding affnity was visualized by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The RBF protein bound to the dsRNA molecule to form a tight RNA:protein complex in agreement with previous studies, but not to the other nucleic acid molecules confirming its distinctive affinity for the dsRNA structure. In phosphorylation assay in vito, the purified RBF protein significantly inhibited the autophosphorylation of the PKR derived from not only human but mouse source in the presence of poly(I):poly(C). It is suggesting that PKR vs. RBF is similarly under a competitive interaction among different eukaryotic organisms during protein synthesis.