Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitro

Obscurin is a giant muscle protein (>800 kDa) featuring multiple signalling domains, including an SH3-DH-PH domain triplet from the Trio-subfamily of guanosine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). While previous research suggests that these domains can activate the small GTPases RhoA and RhoQ in c...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Daniel Koch, Ay Lin Kho, Atsushi Fukuzawa, Alexander Alexandrovich, Kutti J. Vanaanen, Andrew Beavil, Mark Pfuhl, Martin Rees, Mathias Gautel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10118190/?tool=EBI
_version_ 1797842317289193472
author Daniel Koch
Ay Lin Kho
Atsushi Fukuzawa
Alexander Alexandrovich
Kutti J. Vanaanen
Andrew Beavil
Mark Pfuhl
Martin Rees
Mathias Gautel
author_facet Daniel Koch
Ay Lin Kho
Atsushi Fukuzawa
Alexander Alexandrovich
Kutti J. Vanaanen
Andrew Beavil
Mark Pfuhl
Martin Rees
Mathias Gautel
author_sort Daniel Koch
collection DOAJ
description Obscurin is a giant muscle protein (>800 kDa) featuring multiple signalling domains, including an SH3-DH-PH domain triplet from the Trio-subfamily of guanosine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). While previous research suggests that these domains can activate the small GTPases RhoA and RhoQ in cells, in vitro characterization of these interactions using biophysical techniques has been hampered by the intrinsic instability of obscurin GEF domains. To study substrate specificity, mechanism and regulation of obscurin GEF function by individual domains, we successfully optimized recombinant production of obscurin GEF domains and found that MST-family kinases phosphorylate the obscurin DH domain at Thr5798. Despite extensive testing of multiple GEF domain fragments, we did not detect any nucleotide exchange activity in vitro against 9 representative small GTPases. Bioinformatic analyses show that obscurin differs from other Trio-subfamily GEFs in several important aspects. While further research is necessary to evaluate obscurin GEF activity in vivo, our results indicate that obscurin has atypical GEF domains that, if catalytically active at all, are subject to complex regulation.
first_indexed 2024-04-09T16:45:55Z
format Article
id doaj.art-833ce13322bd4ec0b24df6daefd1e60b
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-09T16:45:55Z
publishDate 2023-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-833ce13322bd4ec0b24df6daefd1e60b2023-04-23T05:31:34ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01184Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitroDaniel KochAy Lin KhoAtsushi FukuzawaAlexander AlexandrovichKutti J. VanaanenAndrew BeavilMark PfuhlMartin ReesMathias GautelObscurin is a giant muscle protein (>800 kDa) featuring multiple signalling domains, including an SH3-DH-PH domain triplet from the Trio-subfamily of guanosine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). While previous research suggests that these domains can activate the small GTPases RhoA and RhoQ in cells, in vitro characterization of these interactions using biophysical techniques has been hampered by the intrinsic instability of obscurin GEF domains. To study substrate specificity, mechanism and regulation of obscurin GEF function by individual domains, we successfully optimized recombinant production of obscurin GEF domains and found that MST-family kinases phosphorylate the obscurin DH domain at Thr5798. Despite extensive testing of multiple GEF domain fragments, we did not detect any nucleotide exchange activity in vitro against 9 representative small GTPases. Bioinformatic analyses show that obscurin differs from other Trio-subfamily GEFs in several important aspects. While further research is necessary to evaluate obscurin GEF activity in vivo, our results indicate that obscurin has atypical GEF domains that, if catalytically active at all, are subject to complex regulation.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10118190/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Daniel Koch
Ay Lin Kho
Atsushi Fukuzawa
Alexander Alexandrovich
Kutti J. Vanaanen
Andrew Beavil
Mark Pfuhl
Martin Rees
Mathias Gautel
Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitro
PLoS ONE
title Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitro
title_full Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitro
title_fullStr Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitro
title_full_unstemmed Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitro
title_short Obscurin Rho GEF domains are phosphorylated by MST-family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards Rho GTPases in vitro
title_sort obscurin rho gef domains are phosphorylated by mst family kinases but do not exhibit nucleotide exchange factor activity towards rho gtpases in vitro
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10118190/?tool=EBI
work_keys_str_mv AT danielkoch obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT aylinkho obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT atsushifukuzawa obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT alexanderalexandrovich obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT kuttijvanaanen obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT andrewbeavil obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT markpfuhl obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT martinrees obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro
AT mathiasgautel obscurinrhogefdomainsarephosphorylatedbymstfamilykinasesbutdonotexhibitnucleotideexchangefactoractivitytowardsrhogtpasesinvitro