A role for CKII phosphorylation of the cactus PEST domain in dorsoventral patterning of the Drosophila embryo

Regulated proteolysis of Cactus, the cytoplasmic inhibitor of the Rel-related transcription factor Dorsal, is an essential step in patterning of the Drosophila embryo. Signal-induced Cactus degradation frees Dorsal for nuclear translocation on the ventral and lateral sides of the embryo, establishin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Genes & development 1997-12, Vol.11 (24), p.3413-3422
Main Authors: Liu, Z P, Galindo, R L, Wasserman, S A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Binding Sites
Body Patterning
Casein Kinase II
DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism
Drosophila - embryology
Drosophila Proteins
Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism
Glutamic Acid
Molecular Sequence Data
Mutation
Nuclear Proteins - metabolism
Phosphoproteins - metabolism
Phosphorylation
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases - genetics
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism
Research Paper
Serine - metabolism
Signal Transduction
Transcription Factors
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Summary:Regulated proteolysis of Cactus, the cytoplasmic inhibitor of the Rel-related transcription factor Dorsal, is an essential step in patterning of the Drosophila embryo. Signal-induced Cactus degradation frees Dorsal for nuclear translocation on the ventral and lateral sides of the embryo, establishing zones of gene expression along the dorsoventral axis. Cactus stability is regulated by amino-terminal serine residues necessary for signal responsiveness, as well as by a carboxy-terminal PEST domain. We have identified Drosophila casein kinase II (CKII) as a Cactus kinase and shown that CKII specifically phosphorylates a set of serine residues within the Cactus PEST domain. These serines are phosphorylated in vivo and are required for wild-type Cactus activity. Conversion of these serines to alanine or glutamic acid residues differentially affects the levels and activity of Cactus in embryos, but does not inhibit the binding of Cactus to Dorsal. Taken together, these data indicate that wild-type axis formation requires CKII-catalyzed phosphorylation of the Cactus PEST domain.
ISSN:0890-9369
1549-5477
DOI:10.1101/gad.11.24.3413