title: Crystal structure of a phosphorylated Smad2. Recognition of phosphoserine by the MH2 domain and insights on Smad function in TGF-beta signaling.
abstract: Ligand-induced phosphorylation of the receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads) is essential in the receptor Ser/Thr kinase-mediated TGF-beta signaling. The crystal structure of a phosphorylated Smad2, at 1.8 A resolution, reveals the formation of a homotrimer mediated by the C-terminal phosphoserine (pSer) residues. The pSer binding surface on the MH2 domain, frequently targeted for inactivation in cancers, is highly conserved among the Co- and R-Smads. This finding, together with mutagenesis data, pinpoints a functional interface between Smad2 and Smad4. In addition, the pSer binding surface on the MH2 domain coincides with the surface on R-Smads that is required for docking interactions with the serine-phosphorylated receptor kinases. These observations define a bifunctional role for the MH2 domain as a pSer-X-pSer binding module in receptor Ser/Thr kinase signaling pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seoane
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huse
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rigotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kyin
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fairman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Massagué
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010768:Phosphoserine / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; C497796:SMAD4 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D010768:Phosphoserine; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases