Biomedical subjects
L Hengst
Publications and source records attributed to L Hengst.
Complete inhibition of Cdk/cyclin by one molecule of p21(Cip1).
Cell-cycle phase transitions are controlled by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks). Key to the regulation of these kinase activities are Cdk inhibitors, proteins that are induced in response to various antiproliferative signals but that can also oscillate during cell-cycle progression, leading to Cdk inactivation. A current dogma is that kinase complexes containing the prototype Cdk inhibitor p21 transit between active and inactive states, in that Cdk complexes associated with one p21 molecule remain active until they associate with additional p21 molecules. However, using a number of different techniques including analytical ultracentrifugation of purified p21/cyclin A/Cdk2 complexes we demonstrate unambiguously that a single p21 molecule is sufficient for kinase inhibition and that p21-saturated complexes contain only one stably bound inhibitor molecule. Even phosphorylated forms of p21 remain efficient inhibitors of Cdk activities. Therefore the level of Cdk inactivation by p21 is determined by the fraction of kinase complexed with the inhibitor and not by the stoichiometry of inhibitor bound to the kinase or the phosphorylation state of the Cdk inhibitor.
Inhibitors of the Cip/Kip family.
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Effects of p21(Cip1/Waf1) at both the G1/S and the G2/M cell cycle transitions: pRb is a critical determinant in blocking DNA replication and in preventing endoreduplication.
It has been proposed that the functions of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21(Cip1/Waf1) and p27Kip1 are limited to cell cycle control at the G1/S-phase transition and in the maintenance of cellular quiescence. To test the validity of this hypothesis, p21 was expressed in a diverse panel of cell lines, thus isolating the effects of p21 activity from the pleiotropic effects of upstream signaling pathways that normally induce p21 expression. The data show that at physiological levels of accumulation, p21, in addition to its role in negatively regulating the G1/S transition, contributes to regulation of the G2/M transition. Both G1- and G2-arrested cells were observed in all cell types, with different preponderances. Preponderant G1 arrest in response to p21 expression correlated with the presence of functional pRb. G2 arrest was more prominent in pRb-negative cells. The arrest distribution did not correlate with the p53 status, and proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) binding activity of p21 did not appear to be involved, since p27, which lacks a PCNA binding domain, produced similar arrest distributions [corrected], DNA endoreduplication occurred in pRb-negative but not in pRb-positive cells, suggesting that functional pRb is necessary to prevent DNA replication in p21 G2-arrested cells. These results suggest that the primary target of the Cip/Kip family of inhibitors leading to efficient G1 arrest as well as to blockade of DNA replication from either G1 or G2 phase is the pRb regulatory system. Finally, the tendency of Rb-negative cells to undergo endoreduplication cycles when p21 is expressed may have negative implications in the therapy of Rb-negative cancers with genotoxic agents that activate the p53/p21 pathway.
Structural studies of p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1 in the free and Cdk2-bound state: conformational disorder mediates binding diversity.
The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21Waf1/Cip1/Sdi1, important for p53-dependent cell cycle control, mediates G1/S arrest through inhibition of Cdks and possibly through inhibition of DNA replication. Cdk inhibition requires a sequence of approximately 60 amino acids within the p21 NH2 terminus. We show, using proteolytic mapping, circular dichroism spectropolarimetry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, that p21 and NH2-terminal fragments that are active as Cdk inhibitors lack stable secondary or tertiary structure in the free solution state. In sharp contrast to the disordered free state, however, the p21 NH2 terminus adopts an ordered stable conformation when bound to Cdk2, as shown directly by NMR spectroscopy. We have, thus, identified a striking disorder-order transition for p21 upon binding to one of its biological targets, Cdk2. This structural transition has profound implications in light of the ability of p21 to bind and inhibit a diverse family of cyclin-Cdk complexes, including cyclin A-Cdk2, cyclin E-Cdk2, and cyclin D-Cdk4. Our findings suggest that the flexibility, or disorder, of free p21 is associated with binding diversity and offer insights into the role for structural disorder in mediating binding specificity in biological systems. Further, these observations challenge the generally accepted view of proteins that stable secondary and tertiary structure are prerequisites for biological activity and suggest that a broader view of protein structure should be considered in the context of structure-activity relationships.
Translational control of p27Kip1 accumulation during the cell cycle.
Cell cycle phase transitions in eukaryotic cells are driven by regulation of the activity of protein kinases known as cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks). A broad spectrum of Cdk-inhibitory activity associated with a 28-kilodalton protein (p28lck1) was induced in cells treated with the drug lovastatin or upon density-mediated growth arrest and was periodic in the cell cycle, with peak activity in G1. The p28lck1 protein was shown to be identical to p27Kip1, and the periodic or induced inhibitory activity resulted from a periodic accumulation of the protein. Variations in the amount of p27 protein occurred, whereas the abundance of the p27 messenger RNA remained unchanged. In every instance investigated, the posttranscriptional alteration of p27 protein levels was achieved in part by a mechanism of translational control, although in density-arrested fibroblasts and thymidine-arrested HeLa cells the half-life of the protein was also changed.
Cyclin A-associated kinase activity is rate limiting for entrance into S phase and is negatively regulated in G1 by p27Kip1.
We have created fibroblast cell lines that express cyclin A under the control of a tetracycline-repressible promoter. When stimulated to reenter the cell cycle after serum withdrawal, these cells were advanced prematurely into S phase by induction of cyclin A. In an asynchronous population, induction of cyclin A caused a decrease in the percentage of cells in G1. These results demonstrate that expression of cyclin A is rate limiting for the G1-to-S transition and suggest that cyclin A can function as a G1 cyclin. Although the level of exogenous cyclin A was constant throughout the cell cycle, its associated kinase activity increased as cells approached S phase. Low kinase activity in early G1 was found to correlate with the presence of p27Kip1 in cyclin A-associated complexes, while high kinase activity in late G1 was correlated with its absence. These results suggest that a function of p27Kip1 in G1 is to prevent premature activation of cyclin A-associated kinase. Cyclin A expression in early G1 led to phosphorylation of the product of the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (pRb). Thus, cyclin A expression can be rate limiting for pRb phosphorylation, implicating pRb as a physiological substrate of the cyclin A-dependent kinase. Taken together, these results demonstrate that deregulated expression of cyclin A can perturb the normal regulation of the G1-to-S transition.
A cell cycle-regulated inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases.
Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) previously have been shown to drive the major cell cycle transitions in eukaryotic organisms ranging from yeast to humans. We report here the identification of a 28-kDa protein, p28Ick (inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase), that binds to and inhibits the kinase activity of preformed Cdk/cyclin complexes from human cells. p28 inhibitory activity fluctuates during the cell cycle with maximal levels in G1 and accumulates in G1- and G0-arrested cells. These results suggest that control of the G1/S transition may be influenced by a family of Cdk inhibitors that include p28Ick and the recently described inhibitors p21Cip1/Waf1/Cap20 and p16Ink4.
A small GTP-binding protein from Arabidopsis thaliana functionally complements the yeast YPT6 null mutant.
A clone designated A.t.RAB6 encoding a small GTP-binding protein was isolated from a cDNA library of Arabidopsis thaliana leaf tissue. The predicted amino acid sequence was highly homologous to the mammalian and yeast counterparts, H.Rab6 and Ryh1/Ypt6, respectively. Lesser homology was found between the predicted Arabidopsis protein sequence and two small GTP-binding proteins isolated from plant species (44% homology to Zea mays Ypt1 and 43% homology to Nicotiana tabacum Rab5). Conserved stretches in the deduced amino acid sequence of A.t.Rab6 include four regions involved in GTP-binding, an effector region, and C-terminal cysteine residues required for prenylation and subsequent membrane attachment. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that A.t.Rab6 mRNA was expressed in root, leaf, stem, and flower tissues from A. thaliana with the highest levels present in roots. Escherichia coli produced histidine-tagged A.t.Rab6 protein-bound GTP, whereas a mutation in one of the guanine nucleotide-binding sites (asparagine122 to isoleucine) rendered it incapable of binding GTP. Functionally, the A.t.RAB6 gene was able to complement the temperature-sensitive phenotype of the YPT6 null mutant in yeast. The isolation of this gene will aid in the dissection of the machinery involved in soluble protein sorting at the trans-Golgi network of plants.
A novel inhibitor of cyclin-Cdk activity detected in transforming growth factor beta-arrested epithelial cells.
Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a potent inhibitor of epithelial cell growth. Cyclins E and A in association with Cdk2 have been shown to play a role in the G1-to-S phase transition in mammalian cells. We have studied the effects of TGF-beta-mediated growth arrest on G1/S cyclins E and A. Inhibition of cyclin A-associated kinase by TGF-beta is primarily due to a decrease in cyclin A mRNA and protein. By contrast, while TGF-beta inhibits accumulation of cyclin E mRNA, the reduction in cyclin E protein is minimal. Instead, we find that the activation of cyclin E-associated kinase that normally accompanies the G1-to-S phase transition is inhibited. A novel inhibitor of cyclin-Cdk complexes was detected in TGF-beta-treated cell lysates. Inhibition is mediated by a heat-stable protein that targets both Cdk2 and Cdc2 kinases. In G0-arrested cells, a similar inhibitor of Cdk2 kinase was detected. These data suggest the existence of an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases induced under different conditions to mediate antiproliferative responses.
G1 control in mammalian cells.
Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) control the major cell cycle transitions in eukaryotic cells. On the basis of a variety of experiments where cyclin function either is impaired or enhanced, D-type cyclins as well as cyclins E and A have been linked to G1 and G1/S phase roles in mammalian cells. We therefore sought to determine if agents that block the G1/S phase transition do so at the level of regulating the Cdk activities associated with these cyclins. A variety of conditions that lead to G1 arrest were found to correlate with accumulation of G1-specific Cdk inhibitors, including treatment of fibroblasts with ionizing radiation, treatment of epithelial cells with TGF-beta, treatment of HeLa cells with the drug lovastatin, and removal of essential growth factors from a variety of different cell types. Mechanistically, inhibition of Cdks was found to involve the stoichiometric binding of Cdk inhibitor proteins. p21Waf1/Cip1 was associated with DNA damage induced arrest while p27Kip1/p28Ick1 accumulated under a variety of antiproliferative conditions.
Endocytosis in yeast: evidence for the involvement of a small GTP-binding protein (Ypt7p).
From the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, we have cloned a gene, YPT7, that encodes a GTP-binding protein belonging to the Ypt family of ras-related proteins. The 208 amino acid protein shares identical effector domain and C-terminal sequences with the mammalian Rab7 protein. YPT7 gene disruption did not impair cellular growth at temperatures ranging from 17 degrees C to 37 degrees C. ypt7 null mutants are characterized by highly fragmented vacuoles and differential defects of vacuolar protein transport and maturation. The uptake of alpha factor pheromone by wild-type and Ypt7p-deficient cells was found to be indistinguishable, but in mutant cells lacking Ypt7p, degradation of the endocytosed pheromone was severely inhibited. Our findings suggest a role of Ypt7p in protein transport between endosome-like compartments.
Ypt proteins in yeast.
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The ryh1 gene in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe encoding a GTP-binding protein related to ras, rho and ypt: structure, expression and identification of its human homologue.
A gene, ryh1, of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe encoding a GTP-binding protein of 201 amino acids and belonging to the ras superfamily was isolated using the protein-coding region of the cloned Saccharomyces cerevisiae YPT1 gene as hybridization probe. The ryh1 gene is interrupted by three introns. ryh1 null mutants are viable but unable to grow at temperatures greater than 35.5 degrees C. Invertase of ryh1- cells is properly secreted but has a faster electrophoretic mobility compared to that of wild-type cells. The temperature-sensitive phenotype of ryh1 null mutants is complemented by the human rab6 cDNA expressed either under transcriptional control of the S.pombe adh or the SV40 early promoter.
Complexity of nucleus-encoded genes of mammalian cytochrome c oxidase.
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