Browsing by Subject "Phosphatase"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Lafora disease offers a unique window into neuronal glycogen metabolism
    (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018-05-11) Gentry, Matthew S.; Guinovart, Joan J.; Minassian, Berge A.; Roach, Peter J.; Serratosa, Jose M.; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine
    Lafora disease (LD) is a fatal, autosomal recessive, glycogen-storage disorder that manifests as severe epilepsy. LD results from mutations in the gene encoding either the glycogen phosphatase laforin or the E3 ubiquitin ligase malin. Individuals with LD develop cytoplasmic, aberrant glycogen inclusions in nearly all tissues that more closely resemble plant starch than human glycogen. This Minireview discusses the unique window into glycogen metabolism that LD research offers. It also highlights recent discoveries, including that glycogen contains covalently bound phosphate and that neurons synthesize glycogen and express both glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase.
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    Mechanisms Regulating the Association of Protein Phosphatase 1 with Spinophilin and Neurabin
    (American Chemical Society, 2018-11-21) Edler, Michael C.; Salek, Asma B.; Watkins, Darryl S.; Kaur, Harjot; Morris, Cameron W.; Yamamoto, Bryan K.; Baucum, Anthony J., II; Biology, School of Science
    Protein phosphorylation is a key mediator of signal transduction, allowing for dynamic regulation of substrate activity. Whereas protein kinases obtain substrate specificity by targeting specific amino acid sequences, serine/threonine phosphatase catalytic subunits are much more promiscuous in their ability to dephosphorylate substrates. To obtain substrate specificity, serine/threonine phosphatases utilize targeting proteins to regulate phosphatase subcellular localization and catalytic activity. Spinophilin and its homologue neurabin are two of the most abundant dendritic spine-localized protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) targeting proteins. The association between spinophilin and PP1 is increased in the striatum of animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, mechanisms that regulate the association of spinophilin and neurabin with PP1 are unclear. Here, we report that the association between spinophilin and PP1α or PP1γ1 was increased by CDK5 expression and activation in a heterologous cell system. This increased association is at least partially due to phosphorylation of PP1. Conversely, CDK5 expression and activation decreased the association of PP1 with neurabin. As with dopamine depletion, methamphetamine (METH) abuse causes persistent alterations in dopamine signaling which influence striatal medium spiny neuron function and biochemistry. Moreover, both METH toxicity and dopamine depletion are associated with deficits in motor control and motor learning. Pathologically, we observed a decreased association of spinophilin with PP1 in rat striatum evaluated one month following a binge METH paradigm. Behaviorally, we found that loss of spinophilin recapitulates rotarod pathology previously observed in dopamine-depleted and METH-treated animals. Together, these data have implications in multiple disease states associated with altered dopamine signaling such as PD and psychostimulant drug abuse and delineate a novel mechanism by which PP1 interactions with spinophilin and neurabin may be differentially regulated.
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    The Secreted Acid Phosphatase Domain-Containing GRA44 from Toxoplasma gondii Is Required for c-Myc Induction in Infected Cells.
    (American Society for Microbiology, 2020-02-19) Blakely, William J.; Holmes, Michael J.; Arrizabalaga, Gustavo; Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine
    During host cell invasion, the eukaryotic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii forms a parasitophorous vacuole to safely reside within the cell, while it is partitioned from host cell defense mechanisms. From within this safe niche, parasites sabotage multiple host cell systems, including gene expression, apoptosis, and intracellular immune recognition, by secreting a large arsenal of effector proteins. Many parasite proteins studied for active host cell manipulative interactions have been kinases. The translocation of effectors from the parasitophorous vacuole into the host cell is mediated by a putative translocon complex, which includes the proteins MYR1, MYR2, and MYR3. Whether other proteins are involved in the structure or regulation of this putative translocon is not known. We have discovered that the secreted protein GRA44, which contains a putative acid phosphatase domain, interacts with members of this complex and is required for host cell effects downstream of effector secretion. We have determined that GRA44 is processed in a region with homology to sequences targeted by protozoan proteases of the secretory pathway and that both major cleavage fragments are secreted into the parasitophorous vacuole. Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that GRA44 interacts with a large number of secreted proteins, including MYR1. Importantly, conditional knockdown of GRA44 resulted in a lack of host cell c-Myc upregulation, which mimics the phenotype seen when members of the translocon complex are genetically disrupted. Thus, the putative acid phosphatase GRA44 is crucial for host cell alterations during Toxoplasma infection and is associated with the translocon complex which Toxoplasma relies upon for success as an intracellular pathogen.IMPORTANCE Approximately one-third of humans are infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii Toxoplasma infections can lead to severe disease in those with a compromised or suppressed immune system. Additionally, infections during pregnancy present a significant health risk to the developing fetus. Drugs that target this parasite are limited, have significant side effects, and do not target all disease stages. Thus, a thorough understanding of how the parasite propagates within a host is critical in the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Toxoplasma replication requires that it enter the cells of the infected organism. In order to survive the environment inside a cell, Toxoplasma secretes a large repertoire of proteins, which hijack a number of important cellular functions. How these Toxoplasma proteins move from the parasite into the host cell is not well understood. Our work shows that the putative phosphatase GRA44 is part of a protein complex responsible for this process.
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    Spinophilin-dependent regulation of GluN2B-containing NMDAR-dependent calcium influx, GluN2B surface expression, and cleaved caspase expression
    (Wiley, 2023) Salek, Asma B.; Claeboe, Emily T.; Bansal, Ruchi; Berbari, Nicolas F.; Baucum, Anthony J., II.; Biology, School of Science
    N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are calcium-permeable ion channels that are ubiquitously expressed within the glutamatergic postsynaptic density. Phosphorylation of NMDAR subunits defines receptor conductance and surface localization, two alterations that can modulate overall channel activity. Modulation of NMDAR phosphorylation by kinases and phosphatases regulates the amount of calcium entering the cell and subsequent activation of calcium-dependent processes. The dendritic spine enriched protein, spinophilin, is the major synaptic protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) targeting protein. Depending on the substrate, spinophilin can act as either a PP1 targeting protein, to permit substrate dephosphorylation, or a PP1 inhibitory protein, to enhance substrate phosphorylation. Spinophilin limits NMDAR function in a PP1-dependent manner. Specifically, we have previously shown that spinophilin sequesters PP1 away from the GluN2B subunit of the NMDAR, which results in increased phosphorylation of Ser-1284 on GluN2B. However, how spinophilin modifies NMDAR function is unclear. Herein, we utilize a Neuro2A cell line to detail that Ser-1284 phosphorylation increases calcium influx via GluN2B-containing NMDARs. Moreover, overexpression of spinophilin decreases GluN2B-containing NMDAR activity by decreasing its surface expression, an effect that is independent of Ser-1284 phosphorylation. In hippocampal neurons isolated from spinophilin knockout animals, there is an increase in cleaved caspase-3 levels, a marker of calcium-associated apoptosis, compared with wildtype mice. Taken together, our data demonstrate that spinophilin regulates GluN2B containing NMDAR phosphorylation, channel function, and trafficking and that loss of spinophilin enhances neuronal cleaved caspase-3 expression.
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    Ssu72 and Rtr1 Serine 5 Phosphates and Their Role in NNS and CPF Transcription Termination
    (2020-05) Victorino, Jose Fabian; Mosley, Amber; Roach, Peter; Georgiadis, Millie; Liu, Yunlong; Arrizabalaga, Gustavo
    Polyadenylation dependent transcription termination is dependent on the Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factor complex (CPF) which is essential for the termination and processing of mature RNA. Polyadenylation (PolyA) independent transcription termination is carried out by the NNS (Nrd1-Nab3-Sen1) termination pathway, which helps regulate termination and processing of non-coding RNA (ncRNA). The disruption of these pathways can impact expression of nearby genes, both protein coding and noncoding. Recruitment of termination pathway components is achieved through a domain unique to the largest subunit of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) referred to as the Cterminal domain (CTD), which contains a repeating heptad sequence, Y1S2P3T4S5P6S7, and acts as a docking site for transcription regulatory proteins. Ssu72 is a serine 5 phosphatase and an essential member of the CPF complex. Rtr1 is also a serine 5 phosphatase, but its mechanism of action is less well characterized. Both Rtr1 and Ssu72 regulate transcription machinery recruitment through control of the phosphorylation status of the CTD. My studies have focused on Rtr1 and Ssu72 mutants in yeast which show evidence of transcription termination related phenotypes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation of RNAPII followed by exonuclease treatment (ChIP-exo) studies provide evidence of RNAPII transcription continuing through termination sites at ncRNA genes as a result of a hyperactive Ssu72-L84F mutant, while an RTR1 knockout results in increased premature RNAPII transcription termination. Northern blots and RNA sequencing confirm premature transcription termination and decreased total RNA expression in the RTR1 knockout and increased length of ncRNA transcripts as well as total RNA expression in the Ssu72-L84F mutant. Mass spectrometry analysis has identified changes in the protein-protein interactions (PPI) within the CPF complex in the Ssu72-L84F mutant and decreased PPIs between different transcription machinery in RTR1 knockout cells. My results show that the CTD phosphatases Rtr1 and Ssu72 play unique roles in the regulation of RNAPII termination in eukaryotes.
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    The protein phosphatase PPKL is a key regulator of daughter parasite development in Toxoplasma gondii
    (American Society for Microbiology, 2023-10-25) Yang, Chunlin; Doud, Emma H.; Sampson, Emily; Arrizabalaga, Gustavo; Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine
    Apicomplexan parasites, including Toxoplasma gondii, encode many plant-like proteins, which play significant roles and present attractive targets for drug development. In this study, we have characterized the plant-like protein phosphatase PPKL, which is unique to the parasite and absent in its mammalian host. We have shown that its localization changes as the parasite divides. In non-dividing parasites, it is present in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and preconoidal region. As the parasite begins division, PPKL is enriched in the preconoidal region and the cortical cytoskeleton of nascent parasites. Later in the division, PPKL is present in the basal complex ring. Conditional knockdown of PPKL showed that it is essential for parasite propagation. Moreover, parasites lacking PPKL exhibit uncoupling of division, with normal DNA duplication but severe defects in forming daughter parasites. While PPKL depletion does not impair the duplication of centrosomes, it affects the stability of cortical microtubules. Both co-immunoprecipitation and proximity labeling identified the kinase DYRK1 as a potential functional partner of PPKL. Complete knockout of DYRK1 causes parasites to exhibit division defects with predominantly asynchronous divisions. Global phosphoproteomics analysis revealed a significant increase in phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein SPM1 in PPKL-depleted parasites, suggesting that PPKL regulates cortical microtubules by mediating the phosphorylation state of SPM1. More importantly, the phosphorylation of cell cycle-associated kinase Crk1, a known regulator of daughter cell assembly, is altered in PPKL-depleted parasites. Thus, we propose that PPKL regulates daughter parasite development by influencing the Crk1-dependent signaling pathway. IMPORTANCE: Toxoplasma gondii can cause severe disease in immunocompromised or immunosuppressed patients and during congenital infections. Treating toxoplasmosis presents enormous challenges since the parasite shares many biological processes with its mammalian hosts, which results in significant side effects with current therapies. Consequently, proteins that are essential and unique to the parasite represent favorable targets for drug development. Interestingly, Toxoplasma, like other members of the phylum Apicomplexa, has numerous plant-like proteins, many of which play crucial roles and do not have equivalents in the mammalian host. In this study, we found that the plant-like protein phosphatase PPKL appears to be a key regulator of daughter parasite development. With the depletion of PPKL, the parasite shows severe defects in forming daughter parasites. This study provides novel insights into the understanding of parasite division and offers a new potential target for the development of antiparasitic drugs.