Homeodomain-Interacting Protein Kinase (HPK-1) regulates stress responses and ageing in C. elegans.

Proteins of the Homeodomain-Interacting Protein Kinase (HIPK) family regulate an array of processes in mammalian systems, such as the DNA damage response, cellular proliferation and apoptosis. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has a single HIPK homologue called HPK-1. Previous studies have implicated HPK-1 in longevity control and suggested that this protein may be regulated in a stress-dependent manner. Here we set out to expand these observations by investigating the role of HPK-1 in longevity and in the response to heat and oxidative stress. We find that levels of HPK-1 are regulated by heat stress, and that HPK-1 contributes to survival following heat or oxidative stress. Additionally, we show that HPK-1 is required for normal longevity, with loss of HPK-1 function leading to a faster decline of physiological processes that reflect premature ageing. Through microarray analysis, we have found that HPK-1-regulated genes include those encoding proteins that serve important functions in stress responses such as Phase I and Phase II detoxification enzymes. Consistent with a role in longevity assurance, HPK-1 also regulates the expression of age-regulated genes. Lastly, we show that HPK-1 functions in the same pathway as DAF-16 to regulate longevity and reveal a new role for HPK-1 in development.

Altered proteostasis in aging and heat shock response in C. elegans revealed by analysis of the global and de novo synthesized proteome.

Protein misfolding and aggregation as a consequence of impaired protein homeostasis (proteostasis) not only characterizes numerous age-related diseases but also the aging process itself. Functionally related to the aging process are, among others, ribosomal proteins, suggesting an intimate link between proteostasis and aging. We determined by iTRAQ quantitative proteomic analysis in C. elegans how the proteome changes with age and in response to heat shock. Levels of ribosomal proteins and mitochondrial chaperones were decreased in aged animals, supporting the notion that proteostasis is altered during aging. Mitochondrial enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the electron transport chain were also reduced, consistent with an age-associated energy impairment. Moreover, we observed an age-associated decline in the heat shock response. In order to determine how protein synthesis is altered in aging and in response to heat shock, we complemented our global analysis by determining the de novo proteome. For that, we established a novel method that enables both the visualization and identification of de novo synthesized proteins, by incorporating the non-canonical methionine analogue, azidohomoalanine (AHA), into the nascent polypeptides, followed by reacting the azide group of AHA by 'click chemistry' with an alkyne-labeled tag. Our analysis of AHA-tagged peptides demonstrated that the decreased abundance of, for example, ribosomal proteins in aged animals is not solely due to degradation but also reflects a relative decrease in their synthesis. Interestingly, although the net rate of protein synthesis is reduced in aged animals, our analyses indicate that the synthesis of certain proteins such as the vitellogenins increases with age.

Solution structure of the THAP domain from Caenorhabditis elegans C-terminal binding protein (CtBP).

The THAP (Thanatos-associated protein) domain is a recently discovered zinc-binding domain found in proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, cell-cycle control, apoptosis and chromatin modification. It contains a single zinc atom ligated by cysteine and histidine residues within a Cys-X(2-4)-Cys-X(35-53)-Cys-X(2)-His consensus. We have determined the NMR solution structure of the THAP domain from Caenorhabditis elegans C-terminal binding protein (CtBP) and show that it adopts a fold containing a treble clef motif, bearing similarity to the zinc finger-associated domain (ZAD) from Drosophila Grauzone. The CtBP THAP domain contains a large, positively charged surface patch and we demonstrate that this domain can bind to double-stranded DNA in an electrophoretic mobility-shift assay. These data, together with existing reports, indicate that THAP domains might exhibit a functional diversity similar to that observed for classical and GATA-type zinc fingers.