Local protein kinase A action proceeds through intact holoenzymes

Hormones can transmit signals through adenosine 3’,5’-monophosphate (cAMP) to precise intracellular locations. The fidelity of these responses relies on the activation of localized protein kinase A (PKA) holoenzymes. Association of PKA regulatory (RII) subunits with A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) confers location, and catalytic (C) subunits phosphorylate substrates. Single-particle electron microscopy demonstrated that AKAP79 constrains RII-C sub-assemblies within 150 to 250Å of its targets. Native mass spectrometry established that these macromolecular assemblies incorporated stoichiometric amounts of cAMP. Chemical-biology and live-cell imaging techniques revealed that catalytically active PKA holoenzymes remained intact within the cytoplasm. In contrast, little, if any PKA activity was detected in the nucleus. Hence the parameters of anchored PKA holoenzyme action are much more restricted than originally anticipated

Analysis of the key elements of FFAT-like motifs identifies new proteins that potentially bind VAP on the ER, including two AKAPs and FAPP2.

Two phenylalanines (FF) in an acidic tract (FFAT)-motifs were originally described as having seven elements: an acidic flanking region followed by 6 residues (EFFDA-E). Such motifs are found in several lipid transfer protein (LTP) families, and they interact with a protein on the cytosolic face of the ER called vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein (VAP). Mutation of which causes ER stress and motor neuron disease, making it important to determine which proteins bind VAP. Among other proteins that bind VAP, some contain FFAT-like motifs that are missing one or more of the seven elements. Defining how much variation is tolerated in FFAT-like motifs is a preliminary step prior to the identification of the full range of VAP interactors

A scaffold protein that chaperones a cysteine-sulfenic acid in H2O2 signaling

International audienceIn $Saccharomyces\ cerevisiae$, Yap1 regulates an H$_2$O$_2$-inducible transcriptional response that controls cellular H$_2$O$_2$ homeostasis. H$_2$O$_2$ activates Yap1 by oxidation through the intermediary of the thiol peroxidase Orp1. Upon reacting with H$_2$O$_2$, Orp1 catalytic cysteine oxidizes to a sulfenic acid, which then engages into either an intermolecular disulfide with Yap1, leading to Yap1 activation, or an intramolecular disulfide that commits the enzyme into its peroxidatic cycle. How the first of these two competing reactions, which is kinetically unfavorable, occurs was previously unknown. We show that the Yap1-binding protein Ybp1 brings together Orp1 and Yap1 into a ternary complex that selectively activates condensation of the Orp1 sulfenylated cysteine with one of the six Yap1 cysteines while inhibiting Orp1 intramolecular disulfide formation. We propose that Ybp1 operates as a scaffold protein and as a sulfenic acid chaperone to provide specificity in the transfer of oxidizing equivalents by a reactive sulfenic acid species