title: Pelle kinase is activated by autophosphorylation during Toll signaling in Drosophila.
abstract: The Drosophila Pelle kinase plays a key role in the evolutionarily conserved Toll signaling pathway, but the mechanism responsible for its activation has been unknown. We present in vivo and in vitro evidence establishing an important role for concentration-dependent autophosphorylation in the signaling process. We first show that Pelle phosphorylation can be detected transiently in early embryos, concomitant with activation of signaling. Importantly, Pelle phosphorylation is enhanced in a gain-of-function Toll mutant (Toll(10b)), but decreased by loss-of-function Toll alleles. Next we found that Pelle is phosphorylated in transfected Schneider L2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner such that significant modification is observed only at high Pelle concentrations, which coincide with levels required for phosphorylation and activation of the downstream target, Dorsal. Pelle phosphorylation is also enhanced in L2 cells co-expressing Toll(10b), and is dependent on Pelle kinase activity. In vitro kinase assays revealed that recombinant, autophosphorylated Pelle is far more active than unphosphorylated Pelle. Importantly, unphosphorylated Pelle becomes autophosphorylated, and activated, by incubation at high concentrations. We discuss these results in the context of Toll-like receptor mediated signaling in both flies and mammals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Baohe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Manley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C068721:Tl protein, Drosophila; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; C079896:pll protein, Drosophila; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases