TY - JOUR A1 - Ramírez-Zavala, Bernardo A1 - Krüger, Ines A1 - Wollner, Andreas A1 - Schwanfelder, Sonja A1 - Morschhäuser, Joachim T1 - The Ypk1 protein kinase signaling pathway is rewired and not essential for viability in \(Candida\) \(albicans\) JF - PLoS Genetics N2 - Abstract Protein kinases are central components of almost all signaling pathways that control cellular activities. In the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the paralogous protein kinases Ypk1 and Ypk2, which control membrane lipid homeostasis, are essential for viability, and previous studies strongly indicated that this is also the case for their single ortholog Ypk1 in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Here, using FLP-mediated inducible gene deletion, we reveal that C. albicans ypk1Δ mutants are viable but slow-growing, explaining prior failures to obtain null mutants. Phenotypic analyses of the mutants showed that the functions of Ypk1 in regulating sphingolipid biosynthesis and cell membrane lipid asymmetry are conserved, but the consequences of YPK1 deletion are milder than in S. cerevisiae. Mutational studies demonstrated that the highly conserved PDK1 phosphorylation site T548 in its activation loop is essential for Ypk1 function, whereas the TORC2 phosphorylation sites S687 and T705 at the C-terminus are important for Ypk1-dependent resistance to membrane stress. Unexpectedly, Pkh1, the single C. albicans orthologue of Pkh1/Pkh2, which mediate Ypk1 phosphorylation at the PDK1 site in S. cerevisiae, was not required for normal growth of C. albicans under nonstressed conditions, and Ypk1 phosphorylation at T548 was only slightly reduced in pkh1Δ mutants. We found that another protein kinase, Pkh3, whose ortholog in S. cerevisiae cannot substitute Pkh1/2, acts redundantly with Pkh1 to activate Ypk1 in C. albicans. No phenotypic effects were observed in cells lacking Pkh3 alone, but pkh1Δ pkh3Δ double mutants had a severe growth defect and Ypk1 phosphorylation at T548 was completely abolished. These results establish that Ypk1 is not essential for viability in C. albicans and that, despite its generally conserved function, the Ypk1 signaling pathway is rewired in this pathogenic yeast and includes a novel upstream kinase to activate Ypk1 by phosphorylation at the PDK1 site. Author summary Protein kinases are key components of cellular signaling pathways, and elucidating the specific roles of individual kinases is important to understand how organisms adapt to changes in their environment. The protein kinase Ypk1 is highly conserved in eukaryotic organisms and crucial for the maintenance of cell membrane homeostasis. It was previously thought that Ypk1 is essential for viability in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans, as in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, by using forced, inducible gene deletion, we reveal that C. albicans mutants lacking Ypk1 are viable but have a strong growth defect. The phenotypes of the mutants indicate that the known functions of Ypk1 are conserved in C. albicans, but loss of this kinase has less severe consequences than in S. cerevisiae. We also unravel the puzzling previous observation that C. albicans mutants lacking the Ypk1-activating kinase Pkh1, which is essential in S. cerevisiae, have no obvious growth defects. We show that the protein kinase Pkh3, which has not previously been implicated in the Ypk1 signaling pathway, can substitute Pkh1 and activate Ypk1 in C. albicans. These findings provide novel insights into this conserved signaling pathway and how it is rewired in a human-pathogenic fungus. KW - Ypk1 KW - protein kinase KW - signaling pathway KW - Candida albicans Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-350076 VL - 19 IS - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ramírez-Zavala, Bernardo A1 - Betsova, Darina A1 - Schwanfelder, Sonja A1 - Krüger, Ines A1 - Mottola, Austin A1 - Krüger, Thomas A1 - Kniemeyer, Olaf A1 - Brakhage, Axel A. A1 - Morschhäuser, Joachim T1 - Multiple phosphorylation sites regulate the activity of the repressor Mig1 in \(Candida\) \(albicans\) JF - mSphere N2 - ABSTRACT The highly conserved heterotrimeric protein kinase SNF1 is important for metabolic adaptations in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. A key function of SNF1 is to inactivate the repressor protein Mig1 and thereby allow the expression of genes that are required for the utilization of alternative carbon sources when the preferred carbon source, glucose, is absent or becomes limiting. However, how SNF1 controls Mig1 activity in C. albicans has remained elusive. Using a phosphoproteomics approach, we found that Mig1 is phosphorylated at multiple serine residues. Replacement of these serine residues by nonphosphorylatable alanine residues strongly increased the repressor activity of Mig1 in cells lacking a functional SNF1 complex, indicating that additional protein kinases are involved in the regulation of Mig1. Unlike wild-type Mig1, whose levels strongly decreased when the cells were grown on sucrose or glycerol instead of glucose, the levels of a mutant Mig1 protein lacking nine phosphorylation sites remained high under these conditions. Despite the increased protein levels and the absence of multiple phosphorylation sites, cells with a functional SNF1 complex could still sufficiently inhibit the hyperactive Mig1 to enable wild-type growth on alternative carbon sources. In line with this, phosphorylated forms of the mutant Mig1 were still detected in the presence and absence of a functional SNF1, demonstrating that Mig1 contains additional, unidentified phosphorylation sites and that downstream protein kinases are involved in the control of Mig1 activity by SNF1. IMPORTANCE The SNF1 protein kinase signaling pathway, which is highly conserved in eukaryotic cells, is important for metabolic adaptations in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. However, so far, it has remained elusive how SNF1 controls the activity of one of its main effectors, the repressor protein Mig1 that inhibits the expression of genes required for the utilization of alternative carbon sources when glucose is available. In this study, we have identified multiple phosphorylation sites in Mig1 that contribute to its inactivation. Mutation of these sites strongly increased Mig1 repressor activity in the absence of SNF1, but SNF1 could still sufficiently inhibit the hyperactive Mig1 to enable growth on alternative carbon sources. These findings reveal features of Mig1 that are important for controlling its repressor activity. Furthermore, they demonstrate that both SNF1 and additional protein kinases regulate Mig1 in this pathogenic yeast. KW - Candida albicans KW - SNF1 KW - Mig1 KW - protein kinase KW - signaling pathway Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-350060 VL - 8 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ramírez-Zavala, Bernardo A1 - Krüger, Ines A1 - Dunker, Christine A1 - Jacobsen, Ilse D. A1 - Morschhäuser, Joachim T1 - The protein kinase Ire1 has a Hac1-independent essential role in iron uptake and virulence of Candida albicans JF - PLoS Pathogens N2 - Protein kinases play central roles in virtually all signaling pathways that enable organisms to adapt to their environment. Microbial pathogens must cope with severely restricted iron availability in mammalian hosts to invade and establish themselves within infected tissues. To uncover protein kinase signaling pathways that are involved in the adaptation of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans to iron limitation, we generated a comprehensive protein kinase deletion mutant library of a wild-type strain. Screening of this library revealed that the protein kinase Ire1, which has a conserved role in the response of eukaryotic cells to endoplasmic reticulum stress, is essential for growth of C. albicans under iron-limiting conditions. Ire1 was not necessary for the activity of the transcription factor Sef1, which regulates the response of the fungus to iron limitation, and Sef1 target genes that are induced by iron depletion were normally upregulated in ire1Δ mutants. Instead, Ire1 was required for proper localization of the high-affinity iron permease Ftr1 to the cell membrane. Intriguingly, iron limitation did not cause increased endoplasmic reticulum stress, and the transcription factor Hac1, which is activated by Ire1-mediated removal of the non-canonical intron in the HAC1 mRNA, was dispensable for Ftr1 localization to the cell membrane and growth under iron-limiting conditions. Nevertheless, expression of a pre-spliced HAC1 copy in ire1Δ mutants restored Ftr1 localization and rescued the growth defects of the mutants. Both ire1Δ and hac1Δ mutants were avirulent in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis, indicating that an appropriate response to endoplasmic reticulum stress is important for the virulence of C. albicans. However, the specific requirement of Ire1 for the functionality of the high-affinity iron permease Ftr1, a well-established virulence factor, even in the absence of endoplasmic reticulum stress uncovers a novel Hac1-independent essential role of Ire1 in iron acquisition and virulence of C. albicans. KW - protein kinase KW - Ire1 KW - Candida albicans Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300225 VL - 18 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beck, Katherina A1 - Ehmann, Nadine A1 - Andlauer, Till F. M. A1 - Ljaschenko, Dmitrij A1 - Strecker, Katrin A1 - Fischer, Matthias A1 - Kittel, Robert J. A1 - Raabe, Thomas T1 - Loss of the Coffin-Lowry syndrome-associated gene RSK2 alters ERK activity, synaptic function and axonal transport in Drosophila motoneurons JF - Disease Models & Mechanisms N2 - Plastic changes in synaptic properties are considered as fundamental for adaptive behaviors. Extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-mediated signaling has been implicated in regulation of synaptic plasticity. Ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2) acts as a regulator and downstream effector of ERK. In the brain, RSK2 is predominantly expressed in regions required for learning and memory. Loss-of-function mutations in human RSK2 cause Coffin-Lowry syndrome, which is characterized by severe mental retardation and low IQ scores in affected males. Knockout of RSK2 in mice or the RSK ortholog in Drosophila results in a variety of learning and memory defects. However, overall brain structure in these animals is not affected, leaving open the question of the pathophysiological consequences. Using the fly neuromuscular system as a model for excitatory glutamatergic synapses, we show that removal of RSK function causes distinct defects in motoneurons and at the neuromuscular junction. Based on histochemical and electrophysiological analyses, we conclude that RSK is required for normal synaptic morphology and function. Furthermore, loss of RSK function interferes with ERK signaling at different levels. Elevated ERK activity was evident in the somata of motoneurons, whereas decreased ERK activity was observed in axons and the presynapse. In addition, we uncovered a novel function of RSK in anterograde axonal transport. Our results emphasize the importance of fine-tuning ERK activity in neuronal processes underlying higher brain functions. In this context, RSK acts as a modulator of ERK signaling. KW - mrsk2 KO mouse KW - S6KII RSK KW - transmission KW - neuromuscular junction KW - synapse KW - MAPK signaling KW - axonal transport KW - motoneuron KW - RSK KW - Drosophila KW - mechanisms KW - plasticity KW - protein kinase KW - signal transduction pathway KW - mitochondrial transport KW - glutamate receptor Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-145185 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Planes, Maria D. A1 - Niñoles, Regina A1 - Rubio, Lourdes A1 - Bissoli, Gaetano A1 - Bueso, Eduardo A1 - García-Sánchez, María J. A1 - Alejandro, Santiago A1 - Gonzalez-Guzmán, Miguel A1 - Hedrich, Rainer A1 - Rodriguez, Pedro L. A1 - Fernández, José A. A1 - Serrano, Ramón T1 - A mechanism of growth inhibition by abscisic acid in germinating seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana based on inhibition of plasma membrane \(H^+\)-ATPase and decreased cytosolic pH, \(K^+\), and anions JF - Journal of Experimental Botany N2 - The stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) induces expression of defence genes in many organs, modulates ion homeostasis and metabolism in guard cells, and inhibits germination and seedling growth. Concerning the latter effect, several mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with improved capability for \(H^+\) efflux (wat1-1D, overexpression of AKT1 and ost2-1D) are less sensitive to inhibition by ABA than the wild type. This suggested that ABA could inhibit \(H^+\) efflux (\(H^+\)-ATPase) and induce cytosolic acidification as a mechanism of growth inhibition. Measurements to test this hypothesis could not be done in germinating seeds and we used roots as the most convenient system. ABA inhibited the root plasma-membrane H+-ATPase measured in vitro (ATP hydrolysis by isolated vesicles) and in vivo (\(H^+\) efflux from seedling roots). This inhibition involved the core ABA signalling elements: PYR/PYL/RCAR ABA receptors, ABA-inhibited protein phosphatases (HAB1), and ABA-activated protein kinases (SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3). Electrophysiological measurements in root epidermal cells indicated that ABA, acting through the PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors, induced membrane hyperpolarization (due to \(K^+\) efflux through the GORK channel) and cytosolic acidification. This acidification was not observed in the wat1-1D mutant. The mechanism of inhibition of the \(H^+\)-ATPase by ABA and its effects on cytosolic pH and membrane potential in roots were different from those in guard cells. ABA did not affect the in vivo phosphorylation level of the known activating site (penultimate threonine) of (\(H^+\)-ATPase in roots, and SnRK2.2 phosphorylated in vitro the C-terminal regulatory domain of (\(H^+\)-ATPase while the guard-cell kinase SnRK2.6/OST1 did not. KW - ABA receptors KW - cytosolic pH KW - ion channels KW - microelectrodes KW - protein kinase KW - proton efflux Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-121221 VL - 66 IS - 3 ER - TY - THES A1 - Latz, Andreas T1 - Lokalisation, Funktion und Regulation pflanzlicher Tandem-Poren-Kaliumkanäle in Arabidopsis thaliana T1 - Localization, function and regulation of plant tandem-pore potassium-channels in Arabidopsis thaliana N2 - Lokalisation - Alle TPKs bis auf TPK4, der in der Plasmamembran lokalisiert ist, sind im Tonoplasten lokalisiert. - Das 14-3-3-Bindemotiv bzw. der komplette N-Terminus spielt im Gegensatz zu den tierischen TPK´s keine Rolle beim Targeting (und evtl. auch beim Assembly), da ein Austausch der N-Termini bzw. Mutationen im 14-3-3- Bindemotiv keinen Einfluss auf die subzelluläre Lokalisation hat. - Im C-Terminus ist möglicherweise ein strukturelles Motiv bzw. eine Erkennungssequenz für das Targeting in unterschiedliche Zielmembranen lokalisiert. Eventuell ist hier auch eine Assembly-Domäne für den Zusammenbau der unterschiedlichen Kanaluntereinheiten vorhanden. TPK4 - Der Kaliumkanal TPK4 wird nach Agro-Infiltration in dem pflanzlichen Expressionssystem Nicotiana benthamiana exprimiert. - TPK4 ist auch in diesem Expressionssystem in der Plasmamembran der Zelle lokalisiert. - Die Ströme, welche aus Mesophyllzellen von TPK4 infiltrierten Blättern abgeleitet wurden, gleichen denen, von TPK4 exprimierenden Oocyten von Xenopus laevis. Somit hat TPK4 in beiden Expressionssystemen die gleichen elektrophysiologischen Eigenschaften. TPK1 - TPK1 bindet über die C-terminalen EF-Hände Calcium und wird durch diese Interaktion aktiviert. - TPK1 interagiert phosphospezifisch und isotypspezifisch mit dem 14-3-3- Protein GRF6. Diese Interaktion führt zur Aktivierung des Kanals. - Die Kinasen CPK3 und CPK29, welche das 14-3-3-Bindemotiv von TPK1 phosphorylieren um eine Interaktion mit 14-3-3-Proteinen zu ermöglichen, gehören zur Familie der CDPKs - Diese Kinasen sind selbst Calcium aktiviert und aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach unter physiologischen Bedingungen inaktiv. Erst ein Anstieg der freien Calciumkonzentration führt zur Aktivierung der Kinase in der Zelle und damit zur Aktivierung des Kanals. - Das 14-3-3-Bindemotiv ist das einzige Target der CDPK´s im N-Terminus von TPK1 - Die Phosphatase, welche das 14-3-3-Bindemotiv von TPK1 dephosphoryliert gehört zur Familie der PP2A-Proteinphosphatasen. - Es ist möglich, dass die Kinase und damit auch der Kanal durch Salzstress und durch Kaliumunterversorgung aktiviert werden und somit die Signalkaskade für die Aktivierung von TPK1 über Kinasen/14-3-3/Calcium in einen stressphysiologischen Kontext involviert ist. - tpk1.3- und cpk3.1-Verlustmutanten zeigen eine Reduktion in der Keimungsrate unter Salzstress und limitierten Kaliumangebot. Es kann über einen funktionalen Komplex bestehend aus TPK1 und TPC1 zur Aufrechterhaltung der Na+/K+-Homeostase und der elektroneutralen Aufnahme von Na+ in die Vakuole unter Salzstressbedingungen spekuliert werden. N2 - Localization - All TPK´s with the exception of TPK4 are located in the tonoplast. TPK4 however is localized in the plasmamembrane. - The 14-3-3 binding motif and the whole N-terminus does not play a role in the targeting process because swapping the N-termini has no effect on the targeting - The C-terminus might harbour a targeting motif as well as an assembly domain TPK4 - TPK4 is expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana after agro-infiltration and is localized in the plasmamembrane. - The electrophysiological properties of TPK4 expressed in tobacco are similar to TPK4 expressed in oocytes of Xenopus laevis. TPK1 - TPK1 interacts with the 14-3-3 protein GRF6 in a phosphospecific and isotypspecific manner. - Interaction of TPK1 with GRF6 leads to channel activation. - The kinases CPK3 and CPK29 are able to phosphorylate the 14-3-3 binding motif of TPK1 in vitro. - These kinases are activated by elevated levels of free cytosolic calcium. - The phosphatase responsible for the dephosphorylation of the 14-3-3 binding domain of TPK1 belongs to the family of the PP2A proteinphosphatases. - It is possible that the kinases are activated under salt stress conditions and thereby phosphorylate the 14-3-3 binding domain of TPK1 leading to the interaction with GRF1 and activation of TPK1. - Germination is reduced under salt stress conditions and limited K+ supply in tpk1.3 and cpk3.1 knockout plants. KW - Ackerschmalwand KW - Signaltransduktion KW - Vakuole KW - Kaliumkanal KW - Salzstress KW - 14-3-3 KW - Calcium KW - Proteinkinase KW - 14-3-3 . calcium KW - protein kinase Y1 - 2007 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-24915 ER -