title: Bioinformatic exploration of RIO protein kinases of parasitic and free-living nematodes.
abstract: Despite right open reading frame kinases (RIOKs) being essential for life, their functions, substrates and cellular pathways remain enigmatic. In the present study, gene structures were characterised for 26 RIOKs from draft genomes of parasitic and free-living nematodes. RNA-seq transcription profiles of riok genes were investigated for selected parasitic nematodes and showed that these kinases are transcribed in developmental stages that infect their mammalian host. Three-dimensional structural models of Caenorhabditis elegans RIOKs were predicted, and elucidated functional domains and conserved regions in nematode homologs. These findings provide prospects for functional studies of riok genes in C. elegans, and an opportunity for the design and validation of nematode-specific inhibitors of these enzymes in socioeconomic parasitic worms.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Breugelmans
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Aaron R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jex
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Pasi K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mangiola
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Neil D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Sternberg
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Boag
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Structural Chemistry Program, Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: robinbg@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Robin B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gasser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019295:Computational Biology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009348:Nematoda / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011487:Protein Conformation; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D010770:Phosphotransferases
keywords: Function; Parasitic nematode; RIO kinase; Structure