title: Cloning and characterization of shk2, a gene encoding a novel p21-activated protein kinase from fission yeast.
abstract: We describe the characterization of a novel gene, shk2, encoding a second p21(cdc42/rac)-activated protein kinase (PAK) homolog in fission yeast. Like other known PAKs, Shk2 binds to Cdc42 in vivo and in vitro. While overexpression of either shk2 or cdc42 alone does not impair growth of wild type fission yeast cells, cooverexpression of the two genes is toxic and leads to highly aberrant cell morphology, providing evidence for functional interaction between Cdc42 and Shk2 proteins in vivo. Fission yeast shk2 null mutants are viable and exhibit no obvious phenotypic defects. Overexpression of shk2 restores viability and normal morphology but not full mating competence to fission yeast cells carrying a shk1 null mutation. Additional genetic data suggest that Shk2, like Cdc42 and Shk1, participates in Ras-dependent morphological control and mating response pathways in fission yeast. We also show that overexpression of byr2, a gene encoding a Ste11/MAPK kinase kinase homolog, suppresses the mating defect of cells partially defective for Shk1 function, providing evidence of a link between PAKs and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in fission yeast. Taken together, our results suggest that Shk2 is partially overlapping in function with Shk1, with Shk1 being the dominant protein in function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kansra
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Pimental
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gilbreth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marcus
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D020846:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein, Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; C095212:CLA4 protein, S cerevisiae; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases; C094341:shk1 protein, S pombe; C515914:shk2 protein, S pombe; C077892:BYR2 protein, S pombe; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases; C078754:STE20 protein, S cerevisiae; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D020846:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein, Saccharomyces cerevisiae