PP2A is required for centromeric localization of Sgo1 and proper chromosome segregation.

Loss of sister-chromatid cohesion triggers chromosome segregation in mitosis and occurs through two mechanisms in vertebrate cells: (1) phosphorylation and removal of cohesin from chromosome arms by mitotic kinases, including Plk1, during prophase, and (2) cleavage of centromeric cohesin by separase at the metaphase-anaphase transition. Bub1 and the MEI-S332/Shugoshin (Sgo1) family of proteins protect centromeric cohesin from mitotic kinases during prophase. We show that human Sgo1 binds to protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). PP2A localizes to centromeres in a Bub1-dependent manner. The Sgo1-PP2A interaction is required for centromeric localization of Sgo1 and proper chromosome segregation in human cells. Depletion of Plk1 by RNA interference (RNAi) restores centromeric localization of Sgo1 and prevents chromosome missegregation in cells depleted of PP2A_Aalpha. Our findings suggest that Bub1 targets PP2A to centromeres, which in turn maintains Sgo1 at centromeres by counteracting Plk1-mediated chromosome removal of Sgo1.

PR55α Subunit of Protein Phosphatase 2A Supports the Tumorigenic and Metastatic Potential of Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Sustaining Hyperactive Oncogenic Signaling.

The protein phosphatase 2 (PP2A) holoenzyme consists of a catalytic subunit, a scaffold subunit, and a regulatory subunit. Based on loss-of-function analysis using PP2A catalytic inhibitors or inhibition via tumor viral antigens, limited studies suggest that PP2A is a putative tumor suppressor. However, PP2A has also been shown to facilitate the activation of oncogenic signaling pathways when associated with specific regulatory subunits. In this study, we investigated the possible oncogenic role of PP2A in pancreatic cancer. We found a striking increase in the expression of PR55α (PPP2R2A), a PP2A regulatory subunit, in pancreatic cancer cells compared with normal pancreatic epithelial cells. Consistently, PR55α expression was markedly elevated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues compared with adjacent normal pancreatic tissues (P < 0.0001) and correlated with poor survival of pancreatic cancer patients (P < 0.0003). RNAi-mediated depletion of PR55α in pancreatic cancer cell lines resulted in diminished phosphorylation of both AKT and ERK1/2 (MAPK3/1) and decreased protein levels of ß-catenin (CTNNB1). Accordingly, pancreatic cancer cells with reduced PR55α expression exhibited significantly impaired properties of transformation, including attenuated cell growth, clonogenicity, mobility, and anchorage-independent growth. Moreover, orthotopic implantation of PR55α-depleted pancreatic cancer cells into nude mice resulted in markedly reduced tumorigenicity (P < 0.001) and distant metastases. Together, these results suggest that PR55α promotes pancreatic cancer development by sustaining hyperactivity of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways, including AKT, ERK, and Wnt. These studies also provide a basis for exploring PR55α as a diagnostic or therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2243-53. ©2016 AACR.

Analysis of protein phosphatase function in Drosophila cells using RNA interference.

Double stranded RNA-mediated RNA interference is an effective method to downregulate the levels of protein phosphatases in Drosophila S2 cells. In many cases, nearly complete ablation of the targeted protein can be achieved. RNAi-mediated knockdown of protein phosphatases is akin to pharmacological inhibition with drugs and can be used to determine the roles of specific protein phosphatases in intact cells. RNAi can avoid the problems associated with less than adequate specificity of phosphatase inhibitors. Although information about the signaling pathways present in Drosophila S2 cells is not as well developed as many mammalian cell lines, the Drosophila system is particularly attractive for the study of oligomeric phosphatases like PP2A. Drosophila has far fewer isoforms for the phosphatases we have examined. This is especially true of the genes for PP2A regulatory subunits where over 50 isoforms are present in mammals but only four are present in Drosophila. Once hypotheses regarding phosphatase function have been generated from RNAi experiments in S2 cells, they can potentially be tested utilizing recent advances in the use of siRNAs to conduct RNAi experiments in mammalian cell lines. RNAi in Drosophila S2 cells has proven to be a powerful technique for identifying physiological functions of signaling proteins. The RNAi method is straightforward and works routinely with almost all proteins. RNAi in S2 cells can be used to assess the role of signaling proteins in specific pathways and as a screening tool to identify new roles for signaling molecules. For example, results from RNAi analysis of PP2A show that regulation of MAP kinase signaling involves the R2/B regulatory subunit and that the R5/B56 subunits play a previously unidentified role in apoptosis. While RNAi in Drosophila S2 cells is a powerful tool for analyzing protein function, the method does have limitations. Foremost, cells may exhibit an RNAi response to any nonspecific dsRNA, even in the absence of interferon. Therefore, physiological processes that respond to nonspecific dsRNA will be difficult to study. A second limitation is the need to produce antibodies that react with Drosophila isoforms. We have found that many antibodies to mammalian protein phosphatases do not cross-react with the corresponding Drosophila proteins. Finally, the physiology and signaling pathways of S2 cells have not been extensively studied. This lack of information limits the number of available readouts that can be used when assessing the effects of protein knockdowns.

Structure of the Ca2+-dependent PP2A heterotrimer and insights into Cdc6 dephosphorylation.

The B″/PR72 family of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is an important PP2A family involved in diverse cellular processes, and uniquely regulated by calcium binding to the regulatory subunit. The PR70 subunit in this family interacts with cell division control 6 (Cdc6), a cell cycle regulator important for control of DNA replication. Here, we report crystal structures of the isolated PR72 and the trimeric PR70 holoenzyme at a resolution of 2.1 and 2.4 Å, respectively, and in vitro characterization of Cdc6 dephosphorylation. The holoenzyme structure reveals that one of the PR70 calcium-binding motifs directly contacts the scaffold subunit, resulting in the most compact scaffold subunit conformation among all PP2A holoenzymes. PR70 also binds distinctively to the catalytic subunit near the active site, which is required for PR70 to enhance phosphatase activity toward Cdc6. Our studies provide a structural basis for unique regulation of B″/PR72 holoenzymes by calcium ions, and suggest the mechanisms for precise control of substrate specificity among PP2A holoenzymes.

Protein phosphatase 2A is targeted to cell division control protein 6 by a calcium-binding regulatory subunit.

The cell division control protein 6 (Cdc6) is essential for formation of pre-replication complexes at origins of DNA replication. Phosphorylation of Cdc6 by cyclin-dependent kinases inhibits ubiquitination of Cdc6 by APC/C(cdh1) and degradation by the proteasome. Experiments described here show that the PR70 member of the PPP2R3 family of regulatory subunits targets protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) to Cdc6. Interaction with Cdc6 is mediated by residues within the C terminus of PR70, whereas interaction with PP2A requires N-terminal sequences conserved within the PPP2R3 family. Two functional EF-hand calcium-binding motifs mediate a calcium-enhanced interaction of PR70 with PP2A. Calcium has no effect on the interaction of PR70 with Cdc6 but enhances the association of PP2A with Cdc6 through its effects on PR70. Knockdown of PR70 by RNA interference results in an accumulation of endogenous and expressed Cdc6 protein that is dependent on the cyclin-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sites on Cdc6. Knockdown of PR70 also causes G(1) arrest, suggesting that PR70 function is critical for progression into S phase. These observations indicate that PP2A can be targeted in a calcium-regulated manner to Cdc6 via the PR70 subunit, where it plays a role in regulating protein phosphorylation and stability.

Functional analysis of the PP2A subfamily of protein phosphatases in regulating Drosophila S6 kinase.

Phosphorylation and activation of ribosomal S6 protein kinase is an important link in the regulation of cell size by the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein kinase. A combination of selective inhibition and RNA interference were used to test the roles of members of the PP2A subfamily of protein phosphatases in dephosphorylation of Drosophila S6 kinase (dS6K). Treatment of Drosophila Schneider 2 cells with calyculin A, a selective inhibitor of PP2A-like phosphatases, resulted in a 7-fold increase in the basal level of dS6K phosphorylation at the TOR phosphorylation site (Thr398) and blocked dephosphorylation following inactivation of TOR by amino acid starvation or rapamycin treatment. Knockdown of the PP2A catalytic subunit increased basal dS6K phosphorylation and inhibited dephosphorylation induced by amino acid withdrawal. In contrast, depletion of the catalytic subunits of the other two members of the subfamily did not enhance dS6K phosphorylation. Knockdown of PP4 caused a 20% decrease in dS6K phosphorylation and knockdown of PP6 had no effect. Knockdown of the Drosophila B56-2 subunit resulted in enhanced dephosphorylation of dS6K following removal of amino acids. In contrast, knockdown of the homologs of the other PP2A regulatory subunits had no effects. Knockdown of the Drosophila homolog of the PP2A/PP4/PP6 interaction protein alpha4/Tap42 did not affect S6K phosphorylation, but did induce apoptosis. These results indicate that PP2A, but not other members of this subfamily, is likely to be a major S6K phosphatase in intact cells and is consistent with an important role for this phosphatase in the TOR pathway.

A functional genomics analysis of the B56 isoforms of Drosophila protein phosphatase 2A.

Members of the B56 family of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulatory subunits play crucial roles in Drosophila cell survival. Distinct functions of two B56 subunits were investigated using a combination of RNA interference, DNA microarrays, and proteomics. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of the B56-1 subunit (PP2A-B') but not the catalytic (mts) or B56-2 subunit (wdb) of PP2A resulted in increased expression of the apoptotic inducers reaper and sickle. Co-knockdown of B56-1 with reaper, but not with sickle, reduced the apoptosis caused by depletion of the B56 subunits. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry identified proteins modified in cells depleted of PP2A subunits. These included generation of caspase-dependent cleavage products, increases in protein abundance, and covalent modifications. Results suggested that up-regulation of the ribosome-associated protein stubarista can serve as a sensitive marker of apoptosis. Up-regulation of transcripts for multiple glutathione transferases and other proteins suggested that loss of PP2A affected pathways involved in the response to oxidative stress. Knockdown of PP2A elevated basal JNK activity and substantially decreased activation of ERK in response to oxidative stress. The results reveal that the B56-containing isoform of PP2A functions within multiple signaling pathways, including those that regulate expression of reaper and the response to oxidative stress, thus promoting cell survival in Drosophila.

The glycine 90 to aspartate alteration in the Abeta subunit of PP2A (PPP2R1B) associates with breast cancer and causes a deficit in protein function.

Mutations of the PPP2R1B gene, which encodes the Abeta scaffolding subunit of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), have been identified in several types of cancer including lung and breast carcinoma. One of these mutations results in an alteration of glycine 90 to aspartic acid (G90D), which has been found in both tumor and genomic DNA, raising the possibility that it is associated with an increased risk for cancer. A novel microarray-based technology was used to screen for this single-nucleotide polymorphism in 387 cancer patients and 329 control individuals. These data were used for case-control and family-based comparisons in order to study the association of this polymorphism with susceptibility to lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The frequency of the G90D polymorphism in breast cancer patients was significantly higher in cases (3%) than in controls (0.3%). The wild-type Abeta subunit interacted with the B56gamma (PPP2R5C), PR72 (PPP2R3A), and PR48 subunits of PP2A but did not interact with the B55alpha (PPP2R2A), B56alpha (PPP2R5A), or B56beta (PPP2R5B) regulatory subunits in an in vitro binding assay. The G90D alteration inhibited the interaction of Abeta with the B56gamma subunit but had no effect on binding to the PR72 subunit. These results provide evidence that the G90D alteration of the Abeta subunit of PP2A is associated with a low frequency of breast carcinoma and that the role of this alteration in transformation is likely to involve decreased interaction with the B56gamma regulatory subunit.

The gatekeeper residue controls autoactivation of ERK2 via a pathway of intramolecular connectivity.

Studies of protein kinases have identified a "gatekeeper" residue, which confers selectivity for binding nucleotides and small-molecule inhibitors. We report that, in the MAP kinase ERK2, mutations at the gatekeeper residue unexpectedly lead to autoactivation due to enhanced autophosphorylation of regulatory Tyr and Thr sites within the activation lip that control kinase activity. This occurs through an intramolecular mechanism, indicating that the gatekeeper residue indirectly constrains flexibility at the activation lip, precluding access of the phosphoacceptor residues to the catalytic base. Other residues that interact with the gatekeeper site to form a hydrophobic cluster in the N-terminal domain also cause autoactivation when mutated. Hydrogen-exchange studies of a mutant within this cluster reveal perturbations in the conserved DFG motif, predicting a route for side chain connectivity from the hydrophobic cluster to the activation lip. Mutations of residues along this route support this model, explaining how information about the gatekeeper residue identity can be transmitted to the activation lip. Thus, an N-terminal hydrophobic cluster that includes the gatekeeper forms a novel structural unit, which functions to maintain the "off" state of ERK2 before cell signal activation.

Actions of PP2A on the MAP kinase pathway and apoptosis are mediated by distinct regulatory subunits.

Individual subunits of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), protein phosphatase 4, and protein phosphatase 5 were knocked out in Drosophila Schneider 2 cells by using RNA interference. Ablation of either the scaffold (A) or catalytic (C) subunits of PP2A caused the disappearance of all PP2A subunits. Treating cells with double-stranded RNA targeting all four of the Drosophila PP2A regulatory subunits caused the disappearance of both the A and C subunits. The loss of PP2A subunits was associated with decreased protein stability indicating that only the heterotrimeric forms of PP2A are stable in intact cells. Ablation of total PP2A by using double-stranded RNA against either the A or C subunit, or specific ablation of the R2/B regulatory subunit, enhanced insulin-induced ERK activation. These results indicated that the R2/B subunit targets PP2A to the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade in Schneider 2 cells, where it acts as a negative regulator. A severe loss of viability occurred in cells in which total PP2A or both isoforms of the Drosophila R5/B56 subunit had been ablated. The reduced viability of these cells correlated with the induction of markers of apoptosis including membrane blebbing and stimulation of caspase-3-like activity. These observations indicated that PP2A has a powerful antiapoptotic activity that is specifically mediated by the R5/B56 regulatory subunits. In contrast to PP2A, ablation of protein phosphatase 4 caused only a slight reduction in cell growth but had no effect on MAP kinase signaling or apoptosis. Depletion of protein phosphatase 5 had no effects on MAP kinase, cell growth, or apoptosis.