Project description:Mitogen-activated protein kinases are inactivated by dual specificity phosphatases (DUSPs), whose activities are tightly regulated during cell differentiation. Using knockdown screening and single-cell transcriptional analysis, we determined that DUSP4 is the phosphatase that specifically inactivates p38 kinase for the promotion of megakaryocyte (Mk) differentiation. Mechanistically, PRMT1-mediated methylation of DUSP4 triggers its ubiquitinylation by an E3 ligase HUWE1. Interestingly, the mechanistic axis of the DUSP4 degradation and p38 activation is also associated with a transcriptional signature of immune activation in Mk cells. In the context of thrombocytopenia observed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), we demonstrated that high levels of p38 MAPK and PRMT1 are associated with low platelet counts and adverse prognosis, while pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK or PRMT1 stimulates megakaryopoiesis. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the role of the PRMT1-DUSP4-p38 axis on Mk differentiation and present a targeting strategy for treatment of thrombocytopenia associated with MDS.
Project description:Regulation of p53 phosphorylation is critical to control its stability and biological activity. Dual-specificity phosphatase 26 (DUSP26) is a brain phosphatase highly overexpressed in neuroblastoma, which has been implicated in dephosphorylating phospho-Ser20 and phospho-Ser37 in the p53 transactivation domain. In this paper, we report the 1.68 Å crystal structure of a catalytically inactive mutant (Cys152Ser) of DUSP26 lacking the first 60 N-terminal residues (ΔN60-C/S-DUSP26). This structure reveals the architecture of a dual-specificity phosphatase domain related in structure to Vaccinia virus VH1. DUSP26 adopts a closed conformation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)-binding loop, which results in an unusually shallow active site pocket and buried catalytic cysteine. A water molecule trapped inside the PTP-binding loop makes close contacts both with main chain and with side chain atoms. The hydrodynamic radius (R(H)) of ΔN60-C/S-DUSP26 measured from velocity sedimentation analysis (R(H) ∼ 22.7 Å) and gel filtration chromatography (R(H) ∼ 21.0 Å) is consistent with an ∼18 kDa globular monomeric protein. Instead in crystal, ΔN60-C/S-DUSP26 is more elongated (R(H) ∼ 37.9 Å), likely because of the extended conformation of C-terminal helix α9, which swings away from the phosphatase core to generate a highly basic surface. As in the case of phosphatase MKP-4, we propose that a substrate-induced conformational change, possibly involving rearrangement of helix α9 with respect to the phosphatase core, allows DUSP26 to adopt a catalytically active conformation. The structural characterization of DUSP26 presented in this paper provides the first atomic insight into this disease-associated phosphatase.
Project description:Laforin is the only phosphatase in the animal kingdom that contains a carbohydrate-binding module. Mutations in the gene encoding laforin result in Lafora disease, a fatal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, which is diagnosed by the presence of intracellular deposits of insoluble complex carbohydrates known as Lafora bodies. We demonstrate that laforin interacts with proteins known to be involved in glycogen metabolism and rule out several of these proteins as potential substrates. Surprisingly, we find that laforin displays robust phosphatase activity against a phosphorylated complex carbohydrate. Furthermore, this activity is unique to laforin, since several other phosphatases are unable to dephosphorylate polysaccharides. Finally, fusing the carbohydrate-binding module of laforin to the dual specific phosphatase VHR does not result in the ability of this phosphatase to dephosphorylate polysaccharides. Therefore, we hypothesize that laforin is unique in its ability to utilize a phosphorylated complex carbohydrate as a substrate and that this function may be necessary for the maintenance of normal cellular glycogen.
Project description:Glial cells missing homolog 1 (GCM1) is a transcription factor essential for placental development. GCM1 promotes syncytiotrophoblast formation and placental vasculogenesis by activating fusogenic and proangiogenic gene expression in placenta. GCM1 activity is regulated by multiple post-translational modifications. The cAMP/PKA-signaling pathway promotes CBP-mediated GCM1 acetylation and stabilizes GCM1, whereas hypoxia-induced GSK-3?-mediated phosphorylation of Ser322 causes GCM1 ubiquitination and degradation. How and whether complex modifications of GCM1 are coordinated is not known. Here we show that the interaction of GCM1 and dual-specificity phosphatase 23 (DUSP23) is enhanced by PKA-dependent phosphorylation of GCM1 on Ser269 and Ser275. The recruitment of DUSP23 reverses GSK-3?-mediated Ser322 phosphorylation, which in turn promotes GCM1 acetylation, stabilization and activation. Supporting a central role in coordinating GCM1 modifications, knockdown of DUSP23 suppressed GCM1 target gene expression and placental cell fusion. Our study identifies DUSP23 as a novel factor that promotes placental cell fusion and reveals a complex regulation of GCM1 activity by coordinated phosphorylation, dephosphorylation and acetylation.
Project description:The Cdc14 dual-specificity phosphatases regulate key events in the eukaryotic cell cycle. However, little is known about the function of mammalian CDC14B family members. Here, we demonstrate that subcellular localization of CDC14B protein is cell cycle regulated. CDC14B can bind, bundle, and stabilize microtubules in vitro independently of its catalytic activity. Basic amino acid residues within the nucleolar targeting domain are important for both retaining CDC14B in the nucleolus and preventing microtubule bundling. Overexpression of CDC14B resulted in the formation of cytoplasmic CDC14B and microtubule bundles in interphase cells. These microtubule bundles were resistant to microtubule depolymerization reagents and enriched in acetylated alpha-tubulin. Expression of cytoplasmic forms of CDC14B impaired microtubule nucleation from the microtubule organization center. CDC14B is thus a novel microtubule-bundling and -stabilizing protein, whose regulated subcellular localization may help modulate spindle and microtubule dynamics in mitosis.
Project description:PIR1 is an atypical dual-specificity phosphatase (DSP) that dephosphorylates RNA with a higher specificity than phosphoproteins. Here we report the atomic structure of a catalytically inactive mutant (C152S) of the human PIR1 phosphatase core (PIR1-core, residues 29-205), refined at 1.20 Å resolution. PIR1-core shares structural similarities with DSPs related to Vaccinia virus VH1 and with RNA 5'-phosphatases such as the baculovirus RNA triphosphatase and the human mRNA capping enzyme. The PIR1 active site cleft is wider and deeper than that of VH1 and contains two bound ions: a phosphate trapped above the catalytic cysteine C152 exemplifies the binding mode expected for the γ-phosphate of RNA, and ∼6 Å away, a chloride ion coordinates the general base R158. Two residues in the PIR1 phosphate-binding loop (P-loop), a histidine (H154) downstream of C152 and an asparagine (N157) preceding R158, make close contacts with the active site phosphate, and their nonaliphatic side chains are essential for phosphatase activity in vitro. These residues are conserved in all RNA 5'-phosphatases that, analogous to PIR1, lack a "general acid" residue. Thus, a deep active site crevice, two active site ions, and conserved P-loop residues stabilizing the γ-phosphate of RNA are defining features of atypical DSPs that specialize in dephosphorylating 5'-RNA.
Project description:Using an expression cloning strategy, we isolated a cDNA encoding a human protein-tyrosine-phosphatase. Bacteria expressing the kinase domain of the keratinocyte growth factor receptor (bek/fibroblast growth factor receptor 2) were infected with a fibroblast cDNA library in a phagemid prokaryotic expression vector and screened with a monoclonal anti-phosphotyrosine antibody. Among several clones showing decreased anti-phosphotyrosine recognition, one displayed phosphatase activity toward the kinase in vitro. The 4.1-kilobase cDNA encoded a deduced protein of 185 amino acids with limited sequence similarity to the vaccinia virus phosphatase VH1. The purified recombinant protein dephosphorylated several activated growth factor receptors, as well as serine-phosphorylated casein, in vitro. Both serine and tyrosine phosphatase activities were completely abolished by mutagenesis of a single cysteine residue conserved in VH1 and the VH1-related (VHR) human protein. These properties suggest that VHR is capable of regulating intracellular events mediated by both tyrosine and serine phosphorylation.
Project description:Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes are the myelinating cells of the peripheral and central nervous system, respectively. Despite having different myelin components and different transcription factors driving their terminal differentiation there are shared molecular mechanisms between the two. Sox10 is one common transcription factor required for several steps in development of myelinating glia. However, other factors are divergent as Schwann cells need the transcription factor early growth response 2/Krox20 and oligodendrocytes require Myrf. Likewise, some signaling pathways, like the Erk1/2 kinases, are necessary in both cell types for proper myelination. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms that control this shared signaling pathway in myelinating cells remain only partially characterized. The hypothesis of this study is that signaling pathways that are similarly regulated in both Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes play central roles in coordinating the differentiation of myelinating glia. To address this hypothesis, we have used genome-wide binding data to identify a relatively small set of genes that are similarly regulated by Sox10 in myelinating glia. We chose one such gene encoding Dual specificity phosphatase 15 (Dusp15) for further analysis in Schwann cell signaling. RNA interference and gene deletion by genome editing in cultured RT4 and primary Schwann cells showed Dusp15 is necessary for full activation of Erk1/2 phosphorylation. In addition, we show that Dusp15 represses expression of several myelin genes, including myelin basic protein. The data shown here support a mechanism by which early growth response 2 activates myelin genes, but also induces a negative feedback loop through Dusp15 to limit over-expression of myelin genes.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Signaling cascades, such as the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, play vital roles in early vertebrate development. Signals through these pathways are initiated by a growth factor or hormone, are transduced through a kinase cascade, and result in the expression of specific downstream genes that promote cellular proliferation, growth, or differentiation. Tight regulation of these signals is provided by positive or negative modulators at varying levels in the pathway, and is required for proper development and function. Two members of the dual-specificity phosphatase (Dusp) family, dusp6 and dusp2, are believed to be negative regulators of the ERK pathway and are expressed in both embryonic and adult zebrafish, but their specific roles in embryogenesis remain to be fully understood. RESULTS:Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, we generated zebrafish lines harboring germ line deletions in dusp6 and dusp2. We do not detect any overt defects in dusp2 mutants, but we find that approximately 50% of offspring from homozygous dusp6 mutants do not proceed through embryonic development. These embryos are fertilized, but are unable to proceed past the first zygotic mitosis and stall at the 1-cell stage for several hours before dying by 10 h post fertilization. We demonstrate that dusp6 is expressed in gonads of both male and female zebrafish, suggesting that loss of dusp6 causes defects in germ cell production. Notably, the 50% of homozygous dusp6 mutants that complete the first cell division appear to progress through embryogenesis normally and give rise to fertile adults. CONCLUSIONS:The fact that offspring of homozygous dusp6 mutants stall prior to activation of the zygotic genome, suggests that loss of dusp6 affects gametogenesis and/or parentally-directed early development. Further, since only approximately 50% of homozygous dusp6 mutants are affected, we postulate that ERK signaling is tightly regulated and that dusp6 is required to keep ERK signaling within a range that is permissive for proper embryogenesis. Lastly, since dusp6 is expressed throughout zebrafish embryogenesis, but dusp6 mutants do not exhibit defects after the first cell division, it is possible that other regulators of the ERK pathway compensate for loss of dusp6 at later stages.