Protein Phosphatase Family Research Articles

PPM1G promotes the progression of lung adenocarcinoma by inhibiting p38 activation via dephosphorylation of MEK6.

The p38 MAP kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is a key signal transduction cascade that cancer cells employ to sense and adapt to a plethora of environmental stimuli and has attracted much attention as a promising target for cancer therapy. Although the kinases that phosphorylate p38 have been extensively studied, the negative regulation of p38 phosphorylation remains to be elucidated. Here, we found that PPM1G was highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) compared to normal tissues, and higher levels of PPM1G were observed in adverse staged LUAD. Furthermore, the higher levels of PPM1G were highly correlated with poor prognosis, according to the Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. Most importantly, we identified phospho-MEK6 as a direct substrate of PPM1G. PPM1G, a metal-dependent protein phosphatase family phosphatase, could reduce p38 phosphorylation via MEK6 dephosphorylation and contribute to the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of LUAD. Our study highlighted the essential role of PPM1G in LUAD and shed new light on unveiling the regulation of p38 activity via direct dephosphorylation of MEK6 in malignant transformation. Together, this study provides new insight into the complexity of regulating the versatile p38 signaling and suggests new directions in intervening in p38 MAPK signaling.

Protein Phosphatases: A Neglected Target Family for Drug Discovery

The gene family of protein phosphatases is a rich but under-exploited source of therapeutically validated drug targets modulating signal transduction pathways. Unlike the kinase family, research and development activities have not yet yielded any approved small-molecule drugs against a phosphatase. Approximately 20 years ago, the phosphatase family was classified as undruggable and intractable. This was primarily due to the spectacular failure of the cumulated industry-wide drug discovery efforts to develop PTP1B inhibitors. Recently, allosteric inhibitors against SHP2, a member of the phosphatase family, have entered clinical trails, which has reawakened industry’s interest towards this neglected enzyme family. This contribution reviews the recent R&D trends around small-molecule efforts towards phosphatase modulators over the last years, rather than providing an exhaustive review of the field of allosteric phosphatase inhibitors.

The early molecular events leading to COFILIN phosphorylation during mouse sperm capacitation are essential for acrosomal exocytosis

The actin cytoskeleton reorganization during sperm capacitation is essential for the occurrence of acrosomal exocytosis (AR) in several mammalian species. Here, we demonstrate that in mouse sperm, within the first minutes of exposure upon capacitating conditions, the activity of RHOA/C and RAC1 is essential for LIMK1 and COFILIN phosphorylation. However, we observed that the signaling pathway involving RAC1 and PAK4 is the main player in controlling actin polymerization in the sperm head necessary for the occurrence of AR. Moreover, we show that the transient phosphorylation of COFILIN is also influenced by the Slingshot family of protein phosphatases (SSH1). The activity of SSH1 is regulated by the dual action of two pathways. On one hand, RHOA/C and RAC1 activity promotes SSH1 phosphorylation (inactivation). On the other hand, the activating dephosphorylation is driven by okadaic acid—sensitive phosphatases. This regulatory mechanism is independent of the commonly observed activating mechanisms involving PP2B and emerges as a new finely tuned modulation that is, so far, exclusively observed in mouse sperm. However, persistent phosphorylation of COFILIN by SSH1 inhibition or okadaic acid did not altered actin polymerization and the AR. Altogether, our results highlight the role of small GTPases in modulating actin dynamics required for AR.

A comprehensive overview of PPM1A: From structure to disease.

PPM1A (magnesium-dependent phosphatase 1 A, also known as PP2Cα) is a member of the Ser/Thr protein phosphatase family. Protein phosphatases catalyze the removal of phosphate groups from proteins via hydrolysis, thus opposing the role of protein kinases. The PP2C family is generally considered a negative regulator in the eukaryotic stress response pathway. PPM1A can bind and dephosphorylate various proteins and is therefore involved in the regulation of a wide range of physiological processes. It plays a crucial role in transcriptional regulation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis and has been suggested to be closely related to the occurrence and development of cancers of the lung, bladder, and breast, amongst others. Moreover, it is closely related to certain autoimmune diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we provide an insight into currently available knowledge of PPM1A, including its structure, biological function, involvement in signaling pathways, and association with diseases. Lastly, we discuss whether PPM1A could be targeted for therapy of certain human conditions.

Role of protein phosphatases in the regulation of nitrogen nutrition in plants

The reversible protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation mediated by protein kinases and phosphatases regulate different biological processes and their response to environmental cues, including nitrogen (N) availability. Nitrate assimilation is under the strict control of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mediated post-translational regulation. The protein phosphatase family with approximately 150 members in Arabidopsis and around 130 members in rice is a promising player in N uptake and assimilation pathways. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) enhances the activation of nitrate reductase (NR) by deactivating SnRK1 and reduces the binding of inhibitory 14-3-3proteins on NR. The functioning of nitrate transporter NPF6.3 is regulatedby phosphorylation of CBL9 (Calcineurin B like protein 9) and CIPK23 (CBL interacting protein kinase 23) module. Phosphorylation by CIPK23 inhibits theactivity of NPF6.3, whereas protein phosphatases (PP2C) enhance the NPF6.3-dependentnitrate sensing. PP2Cs and CIPK23 also regulate ammonium transporters (AMTs). Under either moderate ammonium supply or high N demand, CIPK23 is bound and inactivated by PP2Cs. Ammoniumuptake is mediated by nonphosphorylated and active AMT1s. Whereas, under high ammonium availability, CIPK23 gets activated and phosphorylate AMT1;1 and AMT1;2 rendering them inactive. Recent reports suggest the critical role of protein phosphatases in regulating N use efficiency (NUE). In rice, PP2C9 regulates NUE by improving N uptake and assimilation. Comparative leaf proteome of wild type and PP2C9 over-expressing transgenic rice lines showed 30 differentially expressed proteins under low N level. These proteins are involved in photosynthesis, N metabolism, signalling, and defence.

Metal dependent protein phosphatase PPM family in cardiac health and diseases

Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation is central to signal transduction in nearly every aspect of cellular function, including cardiovascular regulation and diseases. While protein kinases are often regarded as the molecular drivers in cellular signaling with high specificity and tight regulation, dephosphorylation mediated by protein phosphatases is also gaining increasing appreciation as an important part of the signal transduction network essential for the robustness, specificity and homeostasis of cell signaling. Metal dependent protein phosphatases (PPM, also known as protein phosphatases type 2C, PP2C) belong to a highly conserved family of protein phosphatases with unique biochemical and molecular features. Accumulating evidence also indicates important and specific functions of individual PPM isoform in signaling and cellular processes, including proliferation, senescence, apoptosis and metabolism. At the physiological level, abnormal PPM expression and activity have been implicated in major human diseases, including cancer, neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Finally, inhibitors for some of the PPM members have been developed as a potential therapeutic strategy for human diseases. In this review, we will focus on the background information about the biochemical and molecular features of major PPM family members, with emphasis on their demonstrated or potential roles in cardiac pathophysiology. The current challenge and potential directions for future investigations will also be highlighted.

Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis of TOPP-type protein phosphatases in soybean (Glycine max L.) reveal the role of GmTOPP13 in drought tolerance.

In response to various abiotic stressors such as drought, many plants engage different protein phosphatases linked to several physiological and developmental processes. However, comprehensive analysis of this gene family is lacking for soybean. This study was performed to identify the TOPP-type protein phosphatase family in soybean and investigate the gene's role under drought stress. Soybean genome sequences and transcriptome data were downloaded from the Phytozome v.12, and the microarray data were downloaded from NCBI GEO datasets GSE49537. Expression profiles of GmTOPP13 were obtained based on qRT-PCR results. GmTOPP13 gene was transformed into tobacco plants via Agrobacterium mediated method, and the drought tolerance was analyzed by water deficit assay. 15 GmTOPP genes were identified in the soybean genome database (GmTOPP1-15). GmTOPP genes were distributed on 9 of 20 chromosomes, with similar exon-intron structure and motifs arrangement. All GmTOPPs contained Metallophos and STPPase_N domains as well as the core catalytic sites. Cis-regulatory element analysis predicted that GmTOPPs were widely involved in plant development, stress and hormone response in soybean. Expression profiles showed that GmTOPPs expressed in different tissues and exhibited divergent expression patterns in leaf and root in response to drought stimulus. Moreover, GmTOPP13 gene was isolated and expression pattern analysis indicated that this gene was highly expressed in seed, root, leaf and other tissues detected, and intensively induced upon PEG6000 treatment. In addition, overexpression of GmTOPP13 gene enhanced the drought tolerance in tobacco plants. The transgenic tobacco plants showed regulation of stress-responsive genes including CAT, SOD, ERD10B and TIP during drought stress. This study provides valuable information for the study of GmTOPP gene family in soybean, and lays a foundation for further functional studies of GmTOPP13 gene under drought and other abiotic stresses.

Critical Functions of PP2A-Like Protein Phosphotases in Regulating Meiotic Progression.

Meiosis is essential to the continuity of life in sexually-reproducing organisms through the formation of haploid gametes. Unlike somatic cells, the germ cells undergo two successive rounds of meiotic divisions after a single cycle of DNA replication, resulting in the decrease in ploidy. In humans, errors in meiotic progression can cause infertility and birth defects. Post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation, ubiquitylation and sumoylation have emerged as important regulatory events in meiosis. There are dynamic equilibrium of protein phosphorylation and protein dephosphorylation in meiotic cell cycle process, regulated by a conservative series of protein kinases and protein phosphatases. Among these protein phosphatases, PP2A, PP4, and PP6 constitute the PP2A-like subfamily within the serine/threonine protein phosphatase family. Herein, we review recent discoveries and explore the role of PP2A-like protein phosphatases during meiotic progression.

Functional Study of BpPP2C1 Revealed Its Role in Salt Stress in Betula platyphylla.

PP2C protein phosphatase family is one of the largest gene families in the plant genome. Many PP2C family members are involved in the regulation of abiotic stress. We found that BpPP2C1 gene has highly up-regulated in root under salt stress in Betula platyphylla. Thus, transgenic plants of Betula platyphylla with overexpression and knockout of BpPP2C1 gene were generated using a zygote transformation system. Under NaCl stress treatment, we measured the phenotypic traits of transgenic plants, chlorophyll-fluorescence parameters, peroxidase (POD) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. We found that BpPP2C1 overexpressed lines showed obvious salt tolerance, while BpPP2C1 knocked out plants were sensitive to salt stress. Transcriptome analysis identified significantly amount of differentially expressed genes associated with salt stress in BpPP2C1 transgenic lines, especially genes in abscisic acid signaling pathway, flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, oxidative stress and anion transport. Functional study of BpPP2C1 in Betula platyphylla revealed its role in salt stress.

Identification of Secondary Structure of Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase (ERK) Interacting Proteins and Their Domain: An in Silico Study

ERK is involved in multiple cell signaling pathways through its interacting proteins. By in silico analysis, earlier we have identified 22 putative ERK interacting proteins namely; ephrin type-B receptor 2 isoform 2 precursor (EPHB2), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), interleukin-17 receptor D precursor (IL17RD), WD repeat domain containing 83 (WDR83), tescalcin (Tesc), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAPP3K4), kinase suppressor of Ras2 (KSR2), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 (MAP3K6), UL16 binding protein 2 (ULBP2), UL16 binding protein 1 (ULBP1), dual specificity phosphatase 14 (DUSP14), dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (RHAMM), kinase D interacting substrate of 220 kDa (KININS220), membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGI3), phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes 15 (PEA15), typtophenyl-tRNA synthetase, cytoplasmic (WARS), dual specificity phosphatase 9 (DUSP9), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1 (MAP3K1), UL16 binding protein 3 (ULBP3), SLAM family member 7 isoform a precursor (SLAMMF7) and mitogen activated protein kinase kinase kinase 11 (MAP3K11) (Table 1). However, prediction of secondary structure and domain/motif present in aforementioned ERK interacting proteins is not studied. In this paper, in silico prediction of secondary structure of ERK interacting proteins was done by SOPMA and motif/domain identification using motif search. Briefly, SOPMA predicted higher random coil and alpha helix percentage in these proteins (Table 2) and motif scan predicted serine/threonine kinases active site signature and protein kinase ATP binding region in majority of ERK interacting proteins. Moreover, few have commonly dual specificity protein phosphatase family and tyrosine specific protein phosphatase domains (Table 3). Such study may be helpful to design engineered molecules for regulating ERK dependent pathways in disease condition.

The Arabidopsis phosphatase PP2C49 negatively regulates salt tolerance through inhibition of AtHKT1;1.

Type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) are the largest protein phosphatase family. PP2Cs dephosphorylate substrates for signaling in Arabidopsis, but the functions of most PP2Cs remain unknown. Here, we characterized PP2C49 (AT3G62260, a Group G PP2C), which regulates Na+ distribution under salt stress and is localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus. PP2C49 was highly expressed in root vascular tissues and its disruption enhanced plant tolerance to salt stress. Compared with wild type, the pp2c49 mutant contained more Na+ in roots but less Na+ in shoots and xylem sap, suggesting that PP2C49 regulates shoot Na+ extrusion. Reciprocal grafting revealed a root-based mechanism underlying the salt tolerance of pp2c49. Systemic Na+ distribution largely depends on AtHKT1;1 and loss of function of AtHKT1;1 in the pp2c49 background overrode the salt tolerance of pp2c49, resulting in salt sensitivity. Furthermore, compared with plants overexpressing PP2C49 in the wild-type background, plants overexpressing PP2C49 in the athtk1;1 mutant background were sensitive to salt, like the athtk1;1 mutants. Moreover, protein-protein interaction and two-voltage clamping assays demonstrated that PP2C49 physically interacts with AtHKT1;1 and inhibits the Na+ permeability of AtHKT1;1. This study reveals that PP2C49 negatively regulates AtHKT1;1 activity and thus determines systemic Na+ allocation during salt stress.

Abstract 295: Protein phosphatase, Mg2+/Mn2+ dependent 1G promotes proliferation via modulating phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and associates with poor outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract The serine/threonine protein phosphatase family has been demonstrated involved in a variety of cellular processes. Here, we identified that protein phosphatase, Mg2+/Mn2+ -dependent 1G (PPM1G) is an oncogene-associated protein in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is associated with the progression of HCC. In this study, we carried out a series of in vitro (MTT, colony formation, immunoblot analysis, IHC, and Q-PCR) as well as in vivo (Hepatocellular carcinoma cell xenograft mouse model) experiments to determine the biological roles of PPM1G in HCC. Our results showed that PPM1G expression was significantly increased in HCC tissues, compared with the adjacent non-tumorous tissues. Further analysis revealed that high expression of PPM1G is associated with advanced clinical characters including advanced clinical stage and tumor recurrence. Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that a high level of PPM1G is correlated to unfavorable overall survival (P < 0.0001) as well as disease-free survival (P = 0.004) in patients with HCC. Furthermore, overexpression of PPM1G promoted cell proliferation while this effect can be attenuated by the knockdown of PPM1G in in vitro and in vivo studies. Notably, our findings showed that the tumor suppressor gene expression (e.g. pRb phosphorylation and p53 protein) was inhibited upon the silencing of PPM1G. Taken together, our study demonstrated that PPM1G plays an crucial role in HCC cell proliferation by modulating pRb phosphorylation as well as p53 expression. Furthermore, this study provides strong clinical implications of PPM1G in prognostic prediction in patients with HCC. Citation Format: Wen Hu, Xin Yuan Guan, Lei Li, Yinghui Zhu, Yan Li, Ting Ting Zeng, Yun Fei Wen. Protein phosphatase, Mg2+/Mn2+ dependent 1G promotes proliferation via modulating phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and associates with poor outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 295.

The role of PHLPP in regulating mitochondrial dynamics in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women combined in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 100,000 new CRC cases and 50,000 CRC‐related deaths are estimated in 2019. A better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying tumor initiation and progression in CRC is urgently needed. We have shown previously that the PH domain leucine‐rich‐repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) family of phosphatases function as tumor suppressors by inhibiting several oncogenic signaling pathways, including the PI3K/Akt and RAS/RAF signaling. In our studies to determine the role of PHLPP in regulating cellular metabolism, we uncovered a novel link between PHLPP and Drp1, a member of the dynamin family of GTPases that plays a key role in regulating mitochondrial dynamics. Phosphorylation of Drp1 at S616 has been shown to increase its activity and induce mitochondrial fission. A number of protein kinases have been implicated in phosphorylating S616 site, however, how phosphorylation of Drp1 is regulated by phosphatases remains largely unknown. We found that knockdown of PHLPP increased, whereas overexpression of PHLPP decreased, the phosphorylation of Drp1 at S616, suggesting that PHLPP may negatively regulate Drp1 activity. As a consequence, increased levels of mitochondrial fragmentation were observed in PHLPP knockdown cells. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis of normal and tumor samples in TCGA dataset showed that the expression of Drp1 (DNM1L) gene is significantly increased in colon adenocarcinoma supporting a role of Drp1 in promoting tumorigenesis in CRC. Taken together, we identified PHLPP as a regulator of Drp1‐dependent mitochondrial fission. Results from our studies will provide novel insights into the functional significance of PHLPP‐mediated regulation of mitochondrial dynamics in CRC.Support or Funding Information5R01CA133429‐12 THE ROLE OF PHLPP IN COLON CANCER

Tumor cell survival in EYA4 knockdown cells exposed to cytotoxic drugs

Eyes Absent 4 (EYA4) belongs to a family of protein phosphatases initially identified in Drosophila melanogaster as a compound of a network of transcriptional regulators associated with eye development. In the recent years, it has been demonstrated that EYA4 is deregulated in different types of cancer, acting as an oncogene in MPNST and as a tumor suppressor gene in esophageal adenocarcinoma, colon and colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, acute myeloid leukemia and pancreatic cancer. Despite its association with different pathologies, the exact function of EYA4 is still unknown. A better understanding of the novel role of EYA4 in the maintenance of genome integrity and its implication in tumorigenesis and cancer development would help determining if EYA4 could be a new potential cancer therapeutic target. As part of this effort, colony formation assays have been performed after the exposure to different cytotoxic/genotoxic drugs, in order to study cell survival in EYA4 knocked down cells, and gain knowledge in sensitivity/resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. It was proven that EYA4 knockdowns and control has no resistance to MMC and MMS.

The Phosphatase PHLPP2 Plays a Key Role in the Regulation of Pancreatic Beta-Cell Survival.

Currently available antidiabetic treatments fail to halt, and may even exacerbate, pancreatic β-cell exhaustion, a key feature of type 2 diabetes pathogenesis; thus, strategies to prevent, or reverse, β-cell failure should be actively sought. The serine threonine kinase Akt has a key role in the regulation of β-cell homeostasis; among Akt modulators, a central role is played by pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) family. Here, taking advantage of an in vitro model of chronic exposure to high glucose, we demonstrated that PHLPPs, particularly the second family member called PHLPP2, are implicated in the ability of pancreatic β cells to deal with glucose toxicity. We observed that INS-1 rat pancreatic β cell line maintained for 12–15 passages at high (30 mM) glucose concentrations (INS-1 HG) showed increased expression of PHLPP2 and PHLPP1 both at mRNA and protein level as compared to INS-1 maintained for the same number of passages in the presence of normal glucose levels (INS-1 NG). These changes were paralleled by decreased phosphorylation of Akt and by increased expression of apoptotic and autophagic markers. To investigate if PHLPPs had a casual role in the alteration of INS-1 homeostasis observed upon chronic exposure to high glucose concentrations, we took advantage of shRNA technology to specifically knock-down PHLPPs. We obtained proof-of-concept evidence that modulating PHLPPs expression may help to restore a healthy β cell mass, as the reduced expression of PHLPP2/1 was accompanied by a recovered balance between pro- and antiapoptotic factor levels. In conclusion, our data provide initial support for future studies aimed to identify pharmacological PHLPPs modulator to treat beta-cell survival impairment. They also contribute to shed some light on β-cell dysfunction, a complex and unsatisfactorily characterized phenomenon that has a central causative role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

Abstract C015: Limited proteolysis coupled to mass spectrometry (LiP-Quant), a novel drug target deconvolution strategy

Abstract Background: High attrition rates in target-centric drug development approaches, as well as a limited number of targets, have shifted the focus of drug development back towards phenotypic screening. In parallel, novel proteomics-based target deconvolution approaches to drug target identification have gained popularity. Limited proteolysis coupled with mass spectrometry (LiP-MS) is a new target deconvolution technique that exploits protein structural alterations, as well as steric effects driven by drug binding. A major advantage of LiP-MS is its unique focus on detection of signature peptides that report on ligand binding, which are generated by a limited digestion and identified by proteomic analysis. Here we demonstrate the performance of LiP-MS using two well-characterized kinase inhibitors, Selumetinib (SE) and Staurosporine (ST), as well as two natural product-derived phosphatase inhibitors Calyculin A and Fostriecin in HeLa cell lysate. Additionally, we introduce a LiP workflow that can be used to dissect protein-drug interactions in a more nuanced manner. Results Herein, we demonstrate the ability of our LiP-MS approach to identify unique peptides generated by the binding of either a highly-specific (SE) or broad specificity (ST) kinase inhibitor. Taking the top 200 identified target candidate peptides ranked by LiP score from the broad inhibitor (staurosporine), GO enrichment analysis confirmed a highly significant 3-fold enrichment for kinase targets (p < 2E-5). For the more challenging selumetinib experiment, the direct targets MEK1 and MEK2 were clearly identified as main hits with 5 peptides in the top 16 (sorted by LiP score). This represents a highly specific enrichment given that we quantified > 100,000 peptide precursors in this experiment. These findings confirm our approach’s ability to identify genuine drug targets regardless of drug specificity. To characterize the specificity of LiP-MS, we treated lysate with two separate protein phosphatase inhibitors. According to literature calyculin A targets protein phosphatase 1 and 2 (PP1A and PP2A) and fostriecin also targets PP2A, in addition to protein phosphatase 4 (PP4C) but does not bind PP1A. We identified both targets of calyculin A, with 14 of the top 15 peptides by LiP score being from either PP2A or PP1A. Robust phosphatase identification (three main targets PP2A, PP4C and PP6C) was also observed with fostriecin treatment with a different profile from calyculin A. In line with literature, the hits of fostriecin did not include PP1A, despite the high homology of the protein phosphatase family. Finally, taking advantage of the peptide resolution of LiP-MS, we employed this workflow to investigate the Ca2+-induced conformational switch in the recombinant protein calmodulin by monitoring structure-specific peptides which cover its entire amino acid sequence. Conclusions Collectively, this data demonstrates that LiP-MS can be used to effectively identify protein drug targets and characterize the binding properties, regardless of the specificity of the compound. These capabilities make LiP-MS a powerful target deconvolution and identification strategy. In addition, we envision the development of LiP-MS for recombinant proteins as a high-throughput strategy for binding site characterization of protein-small molecule and protein-protein interactions. Citation Format: Yuehan Feng, Nigel Beaton, Roland Bruderer, Ilaria Piazza, Paola Picotti, Lukas Reiter. Limited proteolysis coupled to mass spectrometry (LiP-Quant), a novel drug target deconvolution strategy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C015. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-C015

Physiologically relevant orthogonal assays for the discovery of small-molecule modulators of WIP1 phosphatase in high-throughput screens

WT P53-Induced Phosphatase 1 (WIP1) is a member of the magnesium-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase (PPM) family and is induced by P53 in response to DNA damage. In several human cancers, the WIP1 protein is overexpressed, which is generally associated with a worse prognosis. Although WIP1 is an attractive therapeutic target, no potent, selective, and bioactive small-molecule modulator with favorable pharmacokinetics has been reported. Phosphatase enzymes are among the most challenging targets for small molecules because of the difficulty of achieving both modulator selectivity and bioavailability. Another major obstacle has been the availability of robust and physiologically relevant phosphatase assays that are suitable for high-throughput screening. Here, we describe orthogonal biochemical WIP1 activity assays that utilize phosphopeptides from native WIP1 substrates. We optimized an MS assay to quantify the enzymatically dephosphorylated peptide reaction product in a 384-well format. Additionally, a red-shifted fluorescence assay was optimized in a 1,536-well format to enable real-time WIP1 activity measurements through the detection of the orthogonal reaction product, Pi. We validated these two optimized assays by quantitative high-throughput screening against the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Pharmaceutical Collection and used secondary assays to confirm and evaluate inhibitors identified in the primary screen. Five inhibitors were further tested with an orthogonal WIP1 activity assay and surface plasmon resonance binding studies. Our results validate the application of miniaturized physiologically relevant and orthogonal WIP1 activity assays to discover small-molecule modulators from high-throughput screens.

Type one protein phosphatases (TOPPs) contribute to the plant defense response in Arabidopsis.

Plant immunity must be tightly controlled to avoid activation of defense mechanisms in the absence of pathogen attack. Protein phosphorylation is a common mechanism regulating immune signaling. In Arabidopsis thaliana, nine members of the type one protein phosphatase (TOPP) family (also known as protein phosphatase 1, PP1) have been identified. Here, we characterized the autoimmune phenotype of topp4-1, a previously identified dominant-negative mutant of TOPP4. Epistasis analysis showed that defense activation in topp4-1 depended on NON-RACE-SPECIFIC DISEASE RESISTANCE1, PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT4, and the salicylic acid pathway. We generated topp1/4/5/6/7/8/9 septuple mutants to investigate the function of TOPPs in plant immunity. Elevated defense gene expression and enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 in the septuple mutant indicate that TOPPs function in plant defense responses. Furthermore, TOPPs physically interacted with mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and affected the MAPK-mediated downstream defense pathway. Thus, our study reveals that TOPPs are important regulators of plant immunity.

Amyloid-like Assembly Activates a Phosphatase in the Developing Drosophila Embryo.

Prion-like proteins can assume distinct conformational and physical states in the same cell. Sequence analysis suggests that prion-like proteins are prevalent in various species; however, it remains unclear what functional space they occupy in multicellular organisms. Here, we report the identification of a prion-like protein, Herzog (CG5830), through a multimodal screen in Drosophila melanogaster. Herzog functions as a membrane-associated phosphatase and controls embryonic patterning, likely being involved in TGF-β/BMP and FGF/EGF signaling pathways. Remarkably, monomeric Herzog is enzymatically inactive and becomes active upon amyloid-like assembly. The prion-like domain of Herzog is necessary for both its assembly and membrane targeting. Removal of the prion-like domain impairs activity, while restoring assembly on the membrane using a heterologous prion-like domain and membrane-targeting motif can restore phosphatase activity. This study provides an example of a prion-like domain that allows an enzyme to gain essential functionality via amyloid-like assembly to control animal development.

Populus trichocarpa clade A PP2C protein phosphatases: their stress-induced expression patterns, interactions in core abscisic acid signaling, and potential for regulation of growth and development.

Overexpression of the poplar PP2C protein phosphatase gene PtrHAB2 resulted in increased tree height and altered leaf morphology and phyllotaxy, implicating PP2C phosphatases as growth regulators functioning under favorable conditions. We identified and studied Populus trichocarpa genes, PtrHAB1 through PtrHAB15, belonging to the clade A PP2C family of protein phosphatases known to regulate abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. PtrHAB1 through PtrHAB3 and PtrHAB12 through PtrHAB15 were the most highly expressed genes under non-stress conditions. The poplar PP2C genes were differentially regulated by drought treatments. Expression of PtrHAB1 through PtrHAB3 was unchanged or downregulated in response to drought, while all other PtrHAB genes were weakly to strongly upregulated in response to drought stress treatments. Yeast two-hybrid assays involving seven ABA receptor proteins (PtrRCAR) against 12 PtrHAB proteins detected 51 interactions involving eight PP2Cs and all PtrRCAR proteins with 22 interactions requiring the addition of ABA. PtrHAB2, PtrHAB12, PtrHAB13 and PtrHAB14 also interacted with the sucrose non-fermenting related kinase 2 proteins PtrSnRK2.10 and PtrSnRK2.11, supporting conservation of a SnRK2 signaling cascade regulated by PP2C in poplar. Additionally, PtrHAB2, PtrHAB12, PtrHAB13 and PtrHAB14 interacted with the mitogen-activated protein kinase protein PtrMPK7. Due to its interactions with PtrSnRK2 and PtrMPK7 proteins, and its reduced expression during drought stress, PtrHAB2 was overexpressed in poplar to test its potential as a growth regulator under non-stress conditions. 35S::PtrHAB2 transgenics exhibited increased growth rate for a majority of transgenic events and alterations in leaf phyllotaxy and morphology. These results indicate that PP2Cs have additional roles which extend beyond canonical ABA signaling, possibly coordinating plant growth and development in response to environmental conditions.