title: Retinoblastoma protein contains a C-terminal motif that targets it for phosphorylation by cyclin-cdk complexes.
abstract: Stable association of certain proteins, such as E2F1 and p21, with cyclin-cdk2 complexes is dependent upon a conserved cyclin-cdk2 binding motif that contains the core sequence ZRXL, where Z and X are usually basic. In vitro phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein, pRB, by cyclin A-cdk2 and cyclin E-cdk2 was inhibited by a short peptide spanning the cyclin-cdk2 binding motif present in E2F1. Examination of the pRB C terminus revealed that it contained sequence elements related to ZRXL. Site-directed mutagenesis of one of these sequences, beginning at residue 870, impaired the phosphorylation of pRB in vitro. A synthetic peptide spanning this sequence also inhibited the phosphorylation of pRB in vitro. pRB C-terminal truncation mutants lacking this sequence were hypophosphorylated in vitro and in vivo despite the presence of intact cyclin-cdk phosphoacceptor sites. Phosphorylation of such mutants was restored by fusion to the ZRXL-like motif derived from pRB or to the ZRXL motifs from E2F1 or p21. Phospho-site-specific antibodies revealed that certain phosphoacceptor sites strictly required a C-terminal ZRXL motif whereas at least one site did not. Furthermore, this residual phosphorylation was sufficient to inactivate pRB in vivo, implying that there are additional mechanisms for directing cyclin-cdk complexes to pRB. Thus, the C terminus of pRB contains a cyclin-cdk interaction motif of the type found in E2F1 and p21 that enables it to be recognized and phosphorylated by cyclin-cdk complexes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Sellers
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taya
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kaelin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016213:Cyclins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D016213:Cyclins; D017931:DNA Primers; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases