title: Protein kinase CK2 is implicated in early steps of the differentiation of pre-adipocytes into adipocytes.
abstract: Protein kinase CK2 is a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine kinase which is composed of two catalytic α- or α'-subunits and two non-catalytic β-subunits. CK2 has been shown to be implicated in embryogenesis, spermatogenesis, and the development of certain organs but its role in basal differentiation processes is only sparsely analyzed. 3T3-L1 cells, which are murine pre-adipocytes, can be induced to differentiate into mature adipocytes within 2 weeks using a combination of insulin, dexamethasone, and isobutylmethylxanthine. We found that the activity of CK2 slightly increases until day 6 and subsequently, decreases in fully differentiated adipocytes. The decrease in activity goes along with a lower expression of all the three subunits of CK2. After inhibition of CK2 with 2-dimethylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H-benzimidazole (DMAT) or 1,2,5,8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone (quinalizarin), before day 6, 3T3-L1 cells did not differentiate into adipocytes; inhibition of CK2 after day 6 had no effect on the differentiation process. These results indicated a role of CK2 in early events of the differentiation process and that CK2 is dispensable for late stages of differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Biochemie und Molekularbiologie, Universität des Saarlandes, Gebäude 44, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kostelnik
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Götz
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montenarh
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D047390:Casein Kinase II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D015870:Gene Expression; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: C492322:2-dimethylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H-benzimidazole; D000880:Anthraquinones; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C543211:1,2,5,8-tetrahydroxy anthraquinone; D005993:Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase; D047390:Casein Kinase II