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The Crystal Structure of the Active Form of the C-Terminal Kinase Domain of Mitogen- and Stress-Activated Protein Kinase 1

Journal Article · · J. Mol. Biol.

Mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1) is a growth-factor-stimulated serine/threonine kinase that is involved in gene transcription regulation and proinflammatory cytokine stimulation. MSK1 is a dual kinase possessing two nonidentical protein kinase domains in one polypeptide. We present the active conformation of the crystal structures of its C-terminal kinase domain in apo form and in complex with a nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue at 2.0 {angstrom} and 2.5 {angstrom} resolutions, respectively. Structural analysis revealed substantial differences in the contacts formed by the C-terminal helix, which is responsible for the inactivity of other autoinhibited kinases. In the C-terminal kinase domain of MSK1, the C-terminal {alpha}L-helix is located in the surface groove, but forms no hydrogen bonds with the substrate-binding loop or nearby helices, and does not interfere with the protein's autophosphorylation activity. Mutational analysis confirmed that the {alpha}L-helix is inherently nonautoinhibitory. Overexpression of the single C-terminal kinase domain in JB6 cells resulted in tumor-promoter-induced neoplastic transformation in a manner similar to that induced by the full-length MSK1 protein. The overall results suggest that the C-terminal kinase domain of MSK1 is regulated by a novel {alpha}L-helix-independent mechanism, suggesting that a diverse mechanism of autoinhibition and activation might be adopted by members of a closely related protein kinase family.

Research Organization:
Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1002469
Journal Information:
J. Mol. Biol., Journal Name: J. Mol. Biol. Journal Issue: (1) ; 05, 2010 Vol. 399; ISSN JMOBAK; ISSN 0022-2836
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH

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