Aurora B kinase, a key regulator of cell division, localizes to specific cellular locations, but the regulatory mechanisms responsible for phosphorylation of substrates located remotely from kinase enrichment sites are unclear. Here, we provide evidence that this activity at a distance depends on both sites of high kinase concentration and the bistability of a coupled kinase-phosphatase system. We reconstitute this bistable behavior and hysteresis using purified components to reveal co-existence of distinct high and low Aurora B activity states, sustained by a two-component kinase autoactivation mechanism. Furthermore, we demonstrate these non-linear regimes in live cells using a FRET-based phosphorylation sensor, and provide a mechanistic theoretical model for spatial regulation of Aurora B phosphorylation. We propose that bistability of an Aurora B-phosphatase system underlies formation of spatial phosphorylation patterns, which are generated and spread from sites of kinase autoactivation, thereby regulating cell division.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10644.001

Human thymidine kinase 1 (hTK1) and structurally related TKs from other organisms catalyze the initial phosphorylation step in the thymidine salvage pathway. Though ATP is known to be the preferred phosphoryl donor for TK1-like enzymes, its exact binding mode and effect on the oligomeric state has not been analyzed. Here we report the structures of hTK1 and of the Thermotoga maritima thymidine kinase (TmTK) in complex with the bisubstrate inhibitor TP4A. The TmTK-TP4A structure reveals that the adenosine moiety of ATP binds at the subunit interface of the homotetrameric enzyme and that the majority of the ATP-enzyme interactions occur between the phosphate groups and the P-loop. In the hTK1 structure the adenosine group of TP4A exhibited no electron density. This difference between hTK1 and TmTK is rationalized by a difference in the conformation of their quaternary structure. A more open conformation, as seen in the TmTK-TP4A complex structure, is required to provide space for the adenosine moiety. Our analysis supports the formation of an analogous open conformation in hTK1 upon ATP binding.

Human UMP/CMP kinase plays a crucial role in supplying precursors for nucleic acid synthesis by catalyzing the conversion of UMP, CMP, and dCMP into their diphosphate form. In addition, this kinase is an essential component of the activation cascade of medicinally relevant nucleoside analog prodrugs such as AraC, gemcitabine, and ddC. During the catalytic cycle the enzyme undergoes large conformational changes from open in the absence of substrates to closed in the presence of both phosphoryl donor and phosphoryl acceptor. Here we report the crystal structure of the substrate-free, open form of human UMP/CMP kinase. Comparison of the open structure with the closed state previously reported for the similar Dictyostelium discoideum UMP/CMP kinase reveals the conformational changes that occur upon substrate binding. We observe a classic example of induced fit where substrate-induced conformational changes in hinge residues result in rigid body movements of functional domains to form the catalytically competent state. In addition, a homology model of the human enzyme in the closed state based on the structure of D. discoideum UMP/CMP kinase aids to rationalize the substrate specificity of the human enzyme.UMP/CMP kinase plays a critical role in the pathway that supplies nucleotide precursors for DNA and RNA synthesis. The physiological substrates UMP, CMP, and dCMP are reversibly converted by UMP/CMP kinase into their diphosphate form according to the following reaction scheme.Subsequent phosphorylation by nucleoside diphosphate kinase results in the triphosphorylated form of these nucleotides, which are the substrates for DNA and RNA polymerases. Additionally, UMP/CMP kinase participates in the activation of clinically relevant nucleoside analog prodrugs that are used in cancer and viral chemotherapy. Therefore, understanding the determinants of substrate specificity, the precise roles played by its catalytic residues, and the conformational changes that take place during the catalytic cycle is of paramount importance for the development of more effective anti-cancer and anti-viral agents.Despite the physiological and medicinal importance of this enzyme, the human form was cloned only in 1999 (1). This work was followed by biochemical characterization of the enzyme, which revealed its ability to phosphorylate synthetic nucleosides (2-4). Important examples are the monophosphate form of the cytidine analogs 1-␤-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (AraC) 1 and 2Ј,2Ј-difluorodeoxycytidine (gemcitabine), a mainstay of leukemia and lymphoma therapy. The first step in the conversion of these cytidine analogs to their pharmacologically active triphosphorylated form is catalyzed by deoxycytidine kinase. We have recently published the structure of human deoxycytidine kinase in complex with AraC, gemcitabine, and its physiological substrate deoxycytidine (5). The second step of AraC and gemcitabine activation, from the monophosphate to the diphosphate form, is catalyzed by UMP/CMP kinase. The third phosphate group is added by the non...

The p300 and CBP transcriptional coactivator paralogs (p300/CBP) regulate a variety of different cellular pathways, in part, by acetylating histones and more than 70 non-histone protein substrates. Mutation, chromosomal translocation, or other aberrant activities of p300/CBP are linked to many different diseases, including cancer. Because of its pleiotropic biological roles and connection to disease, it is important to understand the mechanism of acetyl transfer by p300/CBP, in part so that inhibitors can be more rationally developed. Toward this goal, a structure of p300 bound to a Lys-CoA bisubstrate HAT inhibitor has been previously elucidated, and the enzyme’s catalytic mechanism has been investigated. Nonetheless, many questions underlying p300/CBP structure and mechanism remain. Here, we report a structural characterization of different reaction states in the p300 activity cycle. We present the structures of p300 in complex with an acetyl-CoA substrate, a CoA product, and an acetonyl-CoA inhibitor. A comparison of these structures with the previously reported p300/Lys-CoA complex demonstrates that the conformation of the enzyme active site depends on the interaction of the enzyme with the cofactor, and is not apparently influenced by protein substrate lysine binding. The p300/CoA crystals also contain two poly(ethylene glycol) moieties bound proximal to the cofactor binding site, implicating the path of protein substrate association. The structure of the p300/acetonyl-CoA complex explains the inhibitory and tight binding properties of the acetonyl-CoA toward p300. Together, these studies provide new insights into the molecular basis of acetylation by p300 and have implications for the rational development of new small molecule p300 inhibitors.