Our understanding of the molecular control of many disease pathologies requires the identification of direct substrates targeted by specific protein kinases. Here we describe an integrated proteomic strategy, termed kinase assay linked with phosphoproteomics, which combines a sensitive kinase reaction with endogenous kinase-dependent phosphoproteomics to identify direct substrates of protein kinases. The unique in vitro kinase reaction is carried out in a highly efficient manner using a pool of peptides derived directly from cellular kinase substrates and then dephosphorylated as substrate candidates. The resulting newly phosphorylated peptides are then isolated and identified by mass spectrometry. A further comparison of these in vitro phosphorylated peptides with phosphopeptides derived from endogenous proteins isolated from cells in which the kinase is either active or inhibited reveals new candidate protein substrates. The kinase assay linked with phosphoproteomics strategy was applied to identify unique substrates of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), a protein-tyrosine kinase with duel properties of an oncogene and a tumor suppressor in distinctive cell types. We identified 64 and 23 direct substrates of Syk specific to B cells and breast cancer cells, respectively. Both known and unique substrates, including multiple centrosomal substrates for Syk, were identified, supporting a unique mechanism that Syk negatively affects cell division through its centrosomal kinase activity.P rotein kinases and their substrates represent the largest signaling network that regulates protein-protein interactions, subcellular localization, and ultimately cellular functions (1, 2). Deregulation of the signaling network often leads to disease states such as human malignancies, diabetes, and immune disorders. Although many kinases are excellent therapeutic targets, the precise connection between protein kinases and their direct substrates has not been fully elucidated for a majority of protein kinases. Besides classical genetic and biochemical methods, there have been a number of high throughput approaches for the identification of potential kinase substrates. Common methods include in vitro kinase assays using libraries of synthetic peptides (3), phase expression libraries (4), protein/peptide arrays (5-7), or cell extracts (8, 9), but these methods can often be misleading and provide many false positive results. The discovery of physiological substrates for specific protein kinases has remained challenging, even with recent advances in mass spectrometry.Mass spectrometry-based proteomics has become a powerful tool and been applied to map protein interaction networks, including kinase/phosphatase-substrate networks (10). Large-scale phosphoproteomics, however, does not typically reveal precise connections between protein kinases and their direct substrates (11,12). In recent years, there have been increasing attempts to develop mass spectrometry-based proteomic strategies for the identification of elusive kinase substrates (7,13,1...

Background: Glycolytic enzymes (GEs) are membrane-bound in oxygenated erythrocytes, but some GEs do not bind to the NH 2 terminus of band 3. Results: Additional GE binding sites are identified on erythrocyte membrane proteins that associate with band 3. Conclusion: Complexes of GEs exist on the membrane in areas where ATP is consumed. Significance: The architecture of the GE complex is defined in greater detail.

The Ras/MAPK signaling cascade regulates various biological functions, including cell growth and proliferation. As such, this pathway is frequently deregulated in several types of cancer, including most cases of melanoma. RSK (p90 ribosomal S6 kinase) is a MAPKactivated protein kinase required for melanoma growth and proliferation, but relatively little is known about its exact function and the nature of its substrates. Herein, we used a quantitative phosphoproteomics approach to define the signaling networks regulated by RSK in melanoma. To more accurately predict direct phosphorylation substrates, we defined the RSK consensus phosphorylation motif and found significant overlap with the binding consensus of 14-3-3 proteins. We thus characterized the phosphodependent 14-3-3 interactome in melanoma cells and found that a large proportion of 14-3-3 binding proteins are also potential RSK substrates. Our results show that RSK phosphorylates the tumor suppressor PDCD4 (programmed cell death protein 4) on two serine residues (Ser76 and Ser457) that regulate its subcellular localization and interaction with 14-3-3 proteins. We found that 14-3-3 binding promotes PDCD4 degradation, suggesting an important role for RSK in the inactivation of PDCD4 in melanoma. In addition to this tumor suppressor, our results suggest the involvement of RSK in a vast array of unexplored biological functions with relevance in oncogenesis.

Greatwall kinase relocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is required at mitotic entry and is mediated by a phosphorylation-dependent mechanism targeting its central region.