The carboxy terminal BRCT domains of the breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) bind to a plethora of phosphorylated proteins through a pSXXF consensus recognition motif. BRCT-protein binding regulates key cellular functions such as lipogenesis, cell-cycle checkpoint control and DNA damage response. Identification of the minimal binding sequence and defining the key interactions responsible for biological activity are critical steps in the peptidomimetic design process. Here, we report a systematic structure activity relationship study that maps the BRCT(BRCA1)-pSXXF binding interface. The study has led to the identification of peptides with nanomolar binding affinities comparable to the previously reported 13-mer peptides. The results also provide a clear description of the pSXXF-BRCT interface, which is essential for developing small molecule inhibitors via the peptidomimetic approach.

Translation is a tightly regulated process that ensures optimal protein quality and enables adaptation to energy/nutrient availability. The α-kinase eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K), a key regulator of translation, specifically phosphorylates the guanosine triphosphatase eEF-2, thereby reducing its affinity for the ribosome and suppressing the elongation phase of protein synthesis. eEF-2K activation requires calmodulin binding and autophosphorylation at the primary stimulatory site, T348. Biochemical studies predict a calmodulin-mediated activation mechanism for eEF-2K distinct from other calmodulin-dependent kinases. Here, we resolve the atomic details of this mechanism through a 2.3-Å crystal structure of the heterodimeric complex of calmodulin and the functional core of eEF-2K (eEF-2KTR). This structure, which represents the activated T348-phosphorylated state of eEF-2KTR, highlights an intimate association of the kinase with the calmodulin C-lobe, creating an “activation spine” that connects its amino-terminal calmodulin-targeting motif to its active site through a conserved regulatory element.

Picornaviruses have a 22-24 amino acid peptide, VPg, bound covalently at the 5' end of their RNA, that is essential for replication. VPgs are uridylylated at a conserved Tyrosine to form VPgpU, the primer of RNA synthesis by the viral polymerase. This first complete structure for any uridylylated VPg, of poliovirus type 1 (PV1)-VPgpU, shows that conserved amino acids in VPg stabilize the bound UMP, with the uridine atoms involved in base pairing and chain elongation projected outward. Comparing this structure to PV1-VPg and partial structures of VPg/VPgpU from other picornaviruses suggests that enteroviral polymerases require a more stable VPg structure than does the distantly related aphthovirus, foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV). The glutamine residue at the C-terminus of PV1-VPgpU lies in back of the uridine base and may stabilize its position during chain elongation and/or contribute to base specificity. Under in vivo-like conditions with the authentic cre(2C) hairpin RNA and Mg ++ , 5-methylUTP cannot compete with UTP for VPg uridylyation in an in vitro uridylyation assay, but both nucleotides are equally incorporated by PV1-polymerase with Mn ++ and a poly-A RNA template. This indicates the 5 position is recognized under in vivo conditions. The compact VPgpU structure docks within the active site cavity of the PV-polymerase, close to the position seen for the fragment of FMDV-VPgpU with its polymerase. This structure could aid in design of novel enterovirus inhibitors, and stabilization upon uridylylation may also be pertinent for post-translational uridylylation reactions that underlie other biological processes.

Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K) regulates protein synthesis by phosphorylating eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2), thereby reducing its affinity for the ribosome and suppressing global translational elongation rates. eEF-2K is regulated by calmodulin (CaM) through a mechanism that is distinct from that of other CaM-regulated kinases. We had previously identified a minimal construct of eEF-2K (TR) that is activated similarly to the wild-type enzyme by CaM in vitro and retains its ability to phosphorylate eEF-2 efficiently in cells. Here, we employ solution nuclear magnetic resonance techniques relying on Ile δ1-methyls of TR and Ile δ1and Met ε-methyls of CaM, as probes of their mutual interaction and the influence of Ca 2+ thereon. We find that in the absence of Ca 2+ , CaM exclusively utilizes its C-terminal lobe (CaM C ) to engage the N-terminal CaM-binding domain (CBD) of TR in a high-affinity interaction. Avidity resulting from additional weak interactions of TR with the Ca 2+ -loaded N-terminal lobe of CaM (CaM N ) at increased Ca 2+ levels serves to enhance the affinity further. These latter interactions under Ca 2+ saturation result in minimal perturbations in the spectra of TR in the context of its complex with CaM, suggesting that the latter is capable of driving TR to its final, presumably active conformation, in the Ca 2+ -free state. Our data are consistent with a scenario in which Ca 2+ enhances the affinity of the TR/CaM interactions, resulting in the increased effective concentration of the CaM-bound species without significantly modifying the conformation of TR within the final, active complex. K E Y W O R D Scalmodulin-regulated kinase, eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K), methyl NMR spectroscopy, phosphorylation, translational regulation

The Casitas-B-lineage Lymphoma (Cbl) proteins play an important role in regulating signal transduction pathways by functioning as E3-ubiquitin ligases. The Cbl proteins contain a conserved tyrosine kinase binding (TKB) domain that bind over a dozen proteins, including protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) in a phosphorylation dependent manner. The cell surface expression levels of the PTKs are regulated by Cbl-mediated ubiquitination, internalization, and degradation. Dysfunction in this signaling cascade has resulted in prolonged activation of the PTKs and therefore implicated in inflammatory diseases and various cancers. Due to this negative regulatory function, Cbl has been largely ignored as a therapeutic target. However recent studies such as the identification of (a) gain of function c-Cbl mutations in subsets of myeloid cancer and (b) c-Cbl as a prostate basal cell marker that correlates with poor clinical outcome, suggests otherwise. Here we report the development of a competitive high throughput fluorescence polarization assay in a 384-well format to identify inhibitors of Cbl(TKB). The high throughput screen (HTS) readiness of the assay was demonstrated by screening the Prestwick chemical library ® .