title: Identification of novel phosphorylation sites required for activation of MAPKAP kinase-2.
abstract: MAP kinase-activated protein (MAPKAP) kinase-2 is activated in vivo by reactivating kinase (RK), a MAP kinase (MAPK) homologue stimulated by cytokines and cellular stresses. Here we show that in vitro RK phosphorylates human GST-MAPKAP kinase-2 at Thr25 in the proline-rich N-terminal region Thr222 and Ser272 in the catalytic domain and Thr334 in the C-terminal domain. Using novel methodology we demonstrate that activation of MAPKAP kinase-2 requires the phosphorylation of any two of the three residues Thr222, Ser272 and Thr334. Ser9, Thr25, Thr222, Ser272, Thr334 and Thr338 became 32P-labelled in stressed KB cells and labelling was prevented by the specific RK inhibitor SB 203580, establishing that RK phosphorylates Thr25, Thr222, Ser272 and Thr334 in vivo. The 32P-labelling of Thr338 is likely to result from autophosphorylation. GST-MAPKAP kinase-2 lacking the N-terminal domain was inactive, but activated fully when phosphorylated at Thr222, Ser272 and Thr334 by p42 MAPK or RK. In contrast, full-length GST-MAPKAP kinase-2 was phosphorylated at Thr25 (and not activated) by p42 MAPK, suggesting a role for the N-terminal domain in specifying activation by RK in vivo. The mutant Asp222/Asp334 was 20% as active as phosphorylated MAPKAP kinase-2, and this constitutively active form may be useful for studying its physiological roles.
authors.affiliation: CRC Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Institute for Cancer Research, London, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben-Levy
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Leighton
authors.forename: Y N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Doza
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Attwood
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morrice
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018053:Arsenites / Q000494:pharmacology; D001665:Binding Sites; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010748:Phosphopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010768:Phosphoserine / Q000378:metabolism; D010769:Phosphothreonine / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D000099190:MAP-Kinase-Activated Kinase 2
chemical_list: D018053:Arsenites; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D010748:Phosphopeptides; D010768:Phosphoserine; D010769:Phosphothreonine; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014357:Trypsin; D000099190:MAP-Kinase-Activated Kinase 2; C015001:arsenite