title: Identification of a novel Wee1 isoform.
abstract: We have identified a novel isoform of Wee1 kinase (Wee1i), which uses Met215 of Wee1 as its initiation codon. RT-PCR, Western blot, and in situ hybridization verified wee1i expression in mammalian cells, rat brain, and rat thymus. Recombinant and partially purified Wee1i from rat thymus displayed kinase activity comparable to or higher than Wee1. The N-terminal 214 residues of Wee1 facilitate its ubiquitin-dependent degradation to trigger mitotic entry. Since Wee1i, lack of these 214 residues, it may evade this degradation and thus provide constitutive Wee1-like kinase activity to inhibit mitotic cell proliferation. Thus, Wee1i may play an important role in differentiation and in tumor suppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lizhi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: Jerry H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Damu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018387:Codon, Initiator / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D018387:Codon, Initiator; D007527:Isoenzymes; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C499348:Wee1 protein, mouse