A phosphoserine/threonine-binding pocket in AGC kinases and PDK1 mediates activation by hydrophobic motif phosphorylation.

TY - JOUR

T1 - A phosphoserine/threonine-binding pocket in AGC kinases and PDK1 mediates activation by hydrophobic motif phosphorylation.

AU - Frödin, Morten

AU - Antal, Torben L

AU - Dümmler, Bettina A

AU - Jensen, Claus J

AU - Deak, Maria

AU - Gammeltoft, Steen

AU - Biondi, Ricardo M

N1 - Keywords: Amino Acid Motifs; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Binding Sites; Conserved Sequence; Enzyme Activation; Growth Substances; Humans; Hydrophobicity; Immediate-Early Proteins; Mice; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Nuclear Proteins; Phosphorylation; Phosphoserine; Phosphothreonine; Protein Kinases; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Recombinant Proteins; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 90-kDa; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Signal Transduction

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - The growth factor-activated AGC protein kinases RSK, S6K, PKB, MSK and SGK are activated by serine/threonine phosphorylation in the activation loop and in the hydrophobic motif, C-terminal to the kinase domain. In some of these kinases, phosphorylation of the hydrophobic motif creates a specific docking site that recruits and activates PDK1, which then phosphorylates the activation loop. Here, we discover a pocket in the kinase domain of PDK1 that recognizes the phosphoserine/phosphothreonine in the hydrophobic motif by identifying two oppositely positioned arginine and lysine residues that bind the phosphate. Moreover, we demonstrate that RSK2, S6K1, PKBalpha, MSK1 and SGK1 contain a similar phosphate-binding pocket, which they use for intramolecular interaction with their own phosphorylated hydrophobic motif. Molecular modelling and experimental data provide evidence for a common activation mechanism in which the phosphorylated hydrophobic motif and activation loop act on the alphaC-helix of the kinase structure to induce synergistic stimulation of catalytic activity. Sequence conservation suggests that this mechanism is a key feature in activation of >40 human AGC kinases.

AB - The growth factor-activated AGC protein kinases RSK, S6K, PKB, MSK and SGK are activated by serine/threonine phosphorylation in the activation loop and in the hydrophobic motif, C-terminal to the kinase domain. In some of these kinases, phosphorylation of the hydrophobic motif creates a specific docking site that recruits and activates PDK1, which then phosphorylates the activation loop. Here, we discover a pocket in the kinase domain of PDK1 that recognizes the phosphoserine/phosphothreonine in the hydrophobic motif by identifying two oppositely positioned arginine and lysine residues that bind the phosphate. Moreover, we demonstrate that RSK2, S6K1, PKBalpha, MSK1 and SGK1 contain a similar phosphate-binding pocket, which they use for intramolecular interaction with their own phosphorylated hydrophobic motif. Molecular modelling and experimental data provide evidence for a common activation mechanism in which the phosphorylated hydrophobic motif and activation loop act on the alphaC-helix of the kinase structure to induce synergistic stimulation of catalytic activity. Sequence conservation suggests that this mechanism is a key feature in activation of >40 human AGC kinases.

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 12374740

SN - 0261-4189

VL - 21

SP - 5396

EP - 5407

JO - EMBO Journal

JF - EMBO Journal

IS - 20

ER -