Functional conservation between the human, nematode, and yeast CK2 cell cycle genes.
Protein kinase CK2 (formerly casein kinase II) is a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase ubiquitous in eukaryotic organisms. Previously, we have shown that CK2 is required for cell cycle progression and essential for the viability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We now report that either the human or the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans CK2alpha catalytic subunit can substitute for the yeast catalytic subunits. Additionally, expression of the human CK2 regulatory subunit (CK2beta) can suppress the temperature sensitivity of either of the two yeast CK2 mutant catalytic subunits. Taken together, these observations reinforce the view that the CK2 cell cycle progression genes have been highly conserved during evolution from yeast to humans, not only in structure but also in function.
Dotan
I
I
Department of Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
Ziv
E
E
Dafni
N
N
Beckman
J S
JS
McCann
R O
RO
Glover
C V
CV
Canaani
D
D
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D002384:Catalysis; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006801:Humans; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature
D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases