Publications

• Mitotic phosphorylation by NEK6 and NEK7 reduces the microtubule affinity of EML4 to promote chromosome congression.

  Adib R., Montgomery J.M., Atherton J., O'Regan L., Richards M.W., Straatman K.R., Roth D., Straube A., Bayliss R., Moores C.A., Fry A.M.

  EML4 is a microtubule-associated protein that promotes microtubule stability. We investigated its regulation across the cell cycle and found that EML4 was distributed as punctate foci along the microtubule lattice in interphase but exhibited reduced association with spindle microtubules in mitosis ... >> More

  EML4 is a microtubule-associated protein that promotes microtubule stability. We investigated its regulation across the cell cycle and found that EML4 was distributed as punctate foci along the microtubule lattice in interphase but exhibited reduced association with spindle microtubules in mitosis. Microtubule sedimentation and cryo-electron microscopy with 3D reconstruction revealed that the basic N-terminal domain of EML4 mediated its binding to the acidic C-terminal tails of α- and β-tubulin on the microtubule surface. The mitotic kinases NEK6 and NEK7 phosphorylated the EML4 N-terminal domain at Ser¹⁴⁴ and Ser¹⁴⁶ in vitro, and depletion of these kinases in cells led to increased EML4 binding to microtubules in mitosis. An S144A-S146A double mutant not only bound inappropriately to mitotic microtubules but also increased their stability and interfered with chromosome congression. In addition, constitutive activation of NEK6 or NEK7 reduced the association of EML4 with interphase microtubules. Together, these data support a model in which NEK6- and NEK7-dependent phosphorylation promotes the dissociation of EML4 from microtubules in mitosis in a manner that is required for efficient chromosome congression. << Less

  Sci. Signal. 12:0-0(2019) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Molecular cloning and characterisation of a novel putative protein-serine kinase related to the cAMP-dependent and protein kinase C families.

  Coffer P.J., Woodgett J.R.

  Highly degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed from regions conserved between protein-serine kinases have been used specifically to amplify human epithelial (HeLa) cDNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of several novel cDNA fragments encoding putative kinases thus isolated, one was furt ... >> More

  Highly degenerate oligonucleotide primers designed from regions conserved between protein-serine kinases have been used specifically to amplify human epithelial (HeLa) cDNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of several novel cDNA fragments encoding putative kinases thus isolated, one was further characterised. Screening of human fibroblast and bovine brain cDNA libraries with the PCR fragment yielded several clones with an open reading frame of 479 amino acids containing all of the conserved sequence motifs of protein-serine kinases. The predicted protein was most similar to the protein kinase C (PKC)/cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) families and its gene has thus been termed pkb. Expression of the pkb gene is general but highest in brain, heart and lung. Translation of pkb RNA in vitro generated a 57-kDa protein (PKB) recognised by antisera raised to a bacterially expressed PKB/TrpE fusion protein. Transfection of COS cells with the kinase cDNA resulted in the synthesis of a 60-kDa protein which was partially purified by Mono Q anion-exchange chromatography. Column fractions containing PKB-immunoreactive protein exhibited elevated histone H1 kinase activity compared with similar fractions from control cells, demonstrating the enzymatic activity of this protein kinase. << Less

  Eur. J. Biochem. 201:475-481(1991) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Molecular cloning and identification of a serine/threonine protein kinase of the second-messenger subfamily.

  Jones P.F., Jakubowicz T., Pitossi F.J., Maurer F., Hemmings B.A.

  A partial cDNA was isolated that encoded a protein kinase, termed rac (related to the A and C kinases). This cDNA was subsequently used to screen libraries derived from the human cell lines MCF-7 and WI38 and led to the isolation of full-length cDNA clones. DNA sequence analysis identified an open ... >> More

  A partial cDNA was isolated that encoded a protein kinase, termed rac (related to the A and C kinases). This cDNA was subsequently used to screen libraries derived from the human cell lines MCF-7 and WI38 and led to the isolation of full-length cDNA clones. DNA sequence analysis identified an open reading frame of 1440 base pairs encoding a protein of 480 amino acids (Mr, 55,716). This result was supported by the synthesis of a Mr 58,000 protein in an in vitro translation system that used RNA transcribed from cloned cDNAs with SP6 RNA polymerase. The predicted protein contains consensus sequences characteristic of a protein kinase catalytic domain and shows 73% and 68% similarity to protein kinase C and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, respectively. Northern (RNA) analysis revealed a single mRNA transcript of 3.2 kilobases that varied up to 300-fold between different cell lines. Specific antisera directed towards the carboxyl terminal of the rac protein kinase were prepared and used to identify that phosphorylated several substrates in immunoprecipitates prepared with the rac-specific antisera. << Less

  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88:4171-4175(1991) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Citron kinase controls a molecular network required for midbody formation in cytokinesis.

  Bassi Z.I., Audusseau M., Riparbelli M.G., Callaini G., D'Avino P.P.

  Cytokinesis partitions cytoplasmic and genomic materials at the end of cell division. Failure in this process causes polyploidy, which in turn can generate chromosomal instability, a hallmark of many cancers. Successful cytokinesis requires cooperative interaction between contractile ring and cent ... >> More

  Cytokinesis partitions cytoplasmic and genomic materials at the end of cell division. Failure in this process causes polyploidy, which in turn can generate chromosomal instability, a hallmark of many cancers. Successful cytokinesis requires cooperative interaction between contractile ring and central spindle components, but how this cooperation is established is poorly understood. Here we show that Sticky (Sti), the Drosophila ortholog of the contractile ring component Citron kinase (CIT-K), interacts directly with two kinesins, Nebbish [the fly counterpart of human kinesin family member 14 (KIF14)] and Pavarotti [the Drosophila ortholog of human mitotic kinesin-like protein 1 (MKLP1)], and that in turn these kinesins interact with each other and with another central spindle protein, Fascetto [the fly ortholog of protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1)]. Sti recruits Nebbish to the cleavage furrow, and both proteins are required for midbody formation and proper localization of Pavarotti and Fascetto. These functions require Sti kinase activity, indicating that Sti plays both structural and regulatory roles in midbody formation. Finally, we show that CIT-K's role in midbody formation is conserved in human cells. Our findings indicate that CIT-K is likely to act at the top of the midbody-formation hierarchy by connecting and regulating a molecular network of contractile ring components and microtubule-associated proteins. << Less

  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110:9782-9787(2013) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.

• Citron kinase, a Rho-dependent kinase, induces di-phosphorylation of regulatory light chain of myosin II.

  Yamashiro S., Totsukawa G., Yamakita Y., Sasaki Y., Madaule P., Ishizaki T., Narumiya S., Matsumura F.

  Citron kinase is a Rho-effector protein kinase that is related to Rho-associated kinases of ROCK/ROK/Rho-kinase family. Both ROCK and citron kinase are suggested to play a role in cytokinesis. However, no substrates are known for citron kinase. We found that citron kinase phosphorylated regulatory ... >> More

  Citron kinase is a Rho-effector protein kinase that is related to Rho-associated kinases of ROCK/ROK/Rho-kinase family. Both ROCK and citron kinase are suggested to play a role in cytokinesis. However, no substrates are known for citron kinase. We found that citron kinase phosphorylated regulatory light chain (MLC) of myosin II at both Ser-19 and Thr-18 in vitro. Unlike ROCK, however, citron kinase did not phosphorylate the myosin binding subunit of myosin phosphatase, indicating that it does not inhibit myosin phosphatase. We found that the expression of the kinase domain of citron kinase resulted in an increase in MLC di-phosphorylation. Furthermore, the kinase domain was able to increase di-phosphorylation and restore stress fiber assembly even when ROCK was inhibited with a specific inhibitor, Y-27632. The expression of full-length citron kinase also increased di-phosphorylation during cytokinesis. These observations suggest that citron kinase phosphorylates MLC to generate di-phosphorylated MLC in vivo. Although both mono- and di-phosphorylated MLC were found in cleavage furrows, di-phosphorylated MLC showed more constrained localization than did mono-phosphorylated MLC. Because citron kinase is localized in cleavage furrows, citron kinase may be involved in regulating di-phosphorylation of MLC during cytokinesis. << Less

  Mol Biol Cell 14:1745-1756(2003) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.