The cAMP-PKA signalling crosstalks with CWI and HOG-MAPK pathways in yeast cell response to osmotic and thermal stress.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used in food and non-food industries. During industrial fermentation yeast strains are exposed to fluctuations in oxygen concentration, osmotic pressure, pH, ethanol concentration, nutrient availability and temperature. Fermentation performance depends on the ability of the yeast strains to adapt to these changes. Suboptimal conditions trigger responses to the external stimuli to allow homeostasis to be maintained. Stress-specific signalling pathways are activated to coordinate changes in transcription, translation, protein function, and metabolic fluxes while a transient arrest of growth and cell cycle progression occur. cAMP-PKA, HOG-MAPK and CWI signalling pathways are turned on during stress response. Comprehension of the mechanisms involved in the responses and in the adaptation to these stresses during fermentation is key to improving this industrial process. The scope of this review is to outline the advancement of knowledge about the cAMP-PKA signalling and the crosstalk of this pathway with the CWI and HOG-MAPK cascades in response to the environmental challenges heat and hyperosmotic stress.

Riboproteome remodeling during quiescence exit in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The quiescent state is the prevalent mode of cellular life in most cells. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a useful model for studying the molecular basis of the cell cycle, quiescence, and aging. Previous studies indicate that heterogeneous ribosomes show a specialized translation function to adjust the cellular proteome upon a specific stimulus. Using nano LC-MS/MS, we identified 69 of the 79 ribosomal proteins (RPs) that constitute the eukaryotic 80S ribosome during quiescence. Our study shows that the riboproteome is composed of 444 accessory proteins comprising cellular functions such as translation, protein folding, amino acid and glucose metabolism, cellular responses to oxidative stress, and protein degradation. Furthermore, the stoichiometry of both RPs and accessory proteins on ribosome particles is different depending on growth conditions and among monosome and polysome fractions. Deficiency of different RPs resulted in defects of translational capacity, suggesting that ribosome composition can result in changes in translational activity during quiescence.

Heat stress regulates the expression of TPK1 gene at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae cAMP regulates different cellular processes through PKA. The specificity of the response of the cAMP-PKA pathway is highly regulated. Here we address the mechanism through which the cAMP-PKA pathway mediates its response to heat shock and thermal adaptation in yeast. PKA holoenzyme is composed of a regulatory subunit dimer (Bcy1) and two catalytic subunits (Tpk1, Tpk2, or Tpk3). PKA subunits are differentially expressed under certain growth conditions. Here we demonstrate the increased abundance and half-life of TPK1 mRNA and the assembly of this mRNA in cytoplasmic foci during heat shock at 37 °C. The resistance of the foci to cycloheximide-induced disassembly along with the polysome profiling analysis suggest that TPK1 mRNA is impaired for entry into translation. TPK1 expression was also evaluated during a recurrent heat shock and thermal adaptation. Tpk1 protein level is significantly increased during the recovery periods. The crosstalk of cAMP-PKA pathway and CWI signalling was also studied. Wsc3 sensor and some components of the CWI pathway are necessary for the TPK1 expression upon heat shock. The assembly in foci upon thermal stress depends on Wsc3. Tpk1 expression is lower in a wsc3∆ mutant than in WT strain during thermal adaptation and thus the PKA levels are also lower. An increase in Tpk1 abundance in the PKA holoenzyme in response to heat shock is presented, suggesting that a recurrent stress enhanced the fitness for the coming favourable conditions. Therefore, the regulation of TPK1 expression by thermal stress contributes to the specificity of cAMP-PKA signalling.

Core Fermentation (CoFe) granules focus coordinated glycolytic mRNA localization and translation to fuel glucose fermentation.

Glycolysis is a fundamental metabolic pathway for glucose catabolism across biology, and glycolytic enzymes are among the most abundant proteins in cells. Their expression at such levels provides a particular challenge. Here we demonstrate that the glycolytic mRNAs are localized to granules in yeast and human cells. Detailed live cell and smFISH studies in yeast show that the mRNAs are actively translated in granules, and this translation appears critical for the localization. Furthermore, this arrangement is likely to facilitate the higher level organization and control of the glycolytic pathway. Indeed, the degree of fermentation required by cells is intrinsically connected to the extent of mRNA localization to granules. On this basis, we term these granules, core fermentation (CoFe) granules; they appear to represent translation factories, allowing high-level coordinated enzyme synthesis for a critical metabolic pathway.

A prion-like domain of Tpk2 catalytic subunit of protein kinase A modulates P-body formation in response to stress in budding yeast.

Low complexity regions are involved in the assembly and disassembly of P-bodies (PBs). Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three genes encoding the protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit: TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3. Tpk2 and Tpk3 isoforms localize to PBs upon glucose starvation showing different mechanisms and kinetics of accumulation. In contrast to the other two isoforms, Tpk2 harbors a glutamine-rich prion-like domain (PrLD) at the N-terminus. Here we show that the appearance of Tpk2 foci in response to glucose starvation, heat stress or stationary phase was dependent on its PrLD. Moreover, the PrLD of Tpk2 was necessary for efficient PB and stress granule aggregation during stress conditions and in quiescent cells. Deletion of PrLD does not affect the in vitro and in vivo kinase activity of Tpk2 or its interaction with the regulatory subunit Bcy1. We present evidence that the PrLD of Tpk2 serves as a scaffold domain for PB assembly in a manner that is independent of Pat1 phosphorylation by PKA. In addition, a mutant strain where Tpk2 lacks PrLD showed a decrease of turnover of mRNA during glucose starvation. This work therefore provides new insight into the mechanism of stress-induced cytoplasmic mRNP assembly, and the role of isoform specific domains in the regulation of PKA catalytic subunit specificity and dynamic localization to cytoplasmic RNPs granules.

Chromatin remodeling and transcription of the TPK1 subunit of PKA during stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In response to environmental changes cells rapidly rearrange their gene expression pattern in order to adapt to the new conditions. Chromatin remodeling is critical for this process playing a major role in the induction of genes involved in stress responses. We demonstrated previously that TPK1, encoding one of the catalytic subunits of PKA from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is upregulated under heat shock. Herein, we investigate the chromatin remodeling of the TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3 promoters under heat stress. The TPK1 promoter is the only one that presents three positioned nucleosomes. Upon heat stress or osmostress these nucleosomes are evicted in clear correlation with promoter activation and upregulation of TPK1 mRNA levels. We find that remodelers SWI/SNF, RSC, INO80 and ISW1 participate in chromatin remodeling of the TPK1 promoter under thermal stress conditions. RSC and INO80 are necessary for nucleosomes positioning and contribute to repression of the TPK1 promoter under normal conditions while SWI/SNF participates in the eviction of nucleosomes after heat stress. SWI/SNF complex is recruited to the TPK1 promoter upon heat shock in a Msn2/4-dependent manner. Finally, both Tpk1 and Tpk2 catalytic subunits are recruited to the TPK1 promoter with opposite association patterns. Tpk1 catalytic activity is necessary for nucleosome rearrangement on the TPK1 promoter while Tpk2 and Tpk3 inhibit the promoter activity and maintain a repressive chromatin conformation. This work enlightens the mechanism of regulation of TPK1 expression during heat-stress, contributing to the knowledge of specificity in fine-tuning the cAMP-PKA signaling circuit.

Translation factor mRNA granules direct protein synthetic capacity to regions of polarized growth.

mRNA localization serves key functions in localized protein production, making it critical that the translation machinery itself is present at these locations. Here we show that translation factor mRNAs are localized to distinct granules within yeast cells. In contrast to many messenger RNP granules, such as processing bodies and stress granules, which contain translationally repressed mRNAs, these granules harbor translated mRNAs under active growth conditions. The granules require Pab1p for their integrity and are inherited by developing daughter cells in a She2p/She3p-dependent manner. These results point to a model where roughly half the mRNA for certain translation factors is specifically directed in granules or translation factories toward the tip of the developing daughter cell, where protein synthesis is most heavily required, which has particular implications for filamentous forms of growth. Such a feedforward mechanism would ensure adequate provision of the translation machinery where it is to be needed most over the coming growth cycle.

The role of PKA in the translational response to heat stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Cellular responses to stress stem from a variety of different mechanisms, including translation arrest and relocation of the translationally repressed mRNAs to ribonucleoprotein particles like stress granules (SGs) and processing bodies (PBs). Here, we examine the role of PKA in the S. cerevisiae heat shock response. Under mild heat stress Tpk3 aggregates and promotes aggregation of eIF4G, Pab1 and eIF4E, whereas severe heat stress leads to the formation of PBs and SGs that contain both Tpk2 and Tpk3 and a larger 48S translation initiation complex. Deletion of TPK2 or TPK3 impacts upon the translational response to heat stress of several mRNAs including CYC1, HSP42, HSP30 and ENO2. TPK2 deletion leads to a robust translational arrest, an increase in SGs/PBs aggregation and translational hypersensitivity to heat stress, whereas TPK3 deletion represses SGs/PBs formation, translational arrest and response for the analyzed mRNAs. Therefore, this work provides evidence indicating that Tpk2 and Tpk3 have opposing roles in translational adaptation during heat stress, and highlight how the same signaling pathway can be regulated to generate strikingly distinct physiological outputs.

Transcriptional regulation of the protein kinase a subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during fermentative growth.

Yeast cells can adapt their growth in response to the nutritional environment. Glucose is the favourite carbon source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which prefers a fermentative metabolism despite the presence of oxygen. When glucose is consumed, the cell switches to the aerobic metabolism of ethanol, during the so-called diauxic shift. The difference between fermentative and aerobic growth is in part mediated by a regulatory mechanism called glucose repression. During glucose derepression a profound gene transcriptional reprogramming occurs and genes involved in the utilization of alternative carbon sources are expressed. Protein kinase A (PKA) controls different physiological responses following the increment of cAMP as a consequence of a particular stimulus. cAMP-PKA is one of the major pathways involved in the transduction of glucose signalling. In this work the regulation of the promoters of the PKA subunits during respiratory and fermentative metabolism are studied. It is demonstrated that all these promoters are upregulated in the presence of glycerol as carbon source through the Snf1/Cat8 pathway. However, in the presence of glucose as carbon source, the regulation of each PKA promoter subunits is different and only TPK1 is repressed by the complex Hxk2/Mig1 in the presence of active Snf1. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identification of novel transcriptional regulators of PKA subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by quantitative promoter-reporter screening.

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) signaling is a broad pathway that plays important roles in the transduction of environmental signals triggering precise physiological responses. However, how PKA achieves the cAMP-signal transduction specificity is still in study. The regulation of expression of subunits of PKA should contribute to the signal specificity. Saccharomyces cerevisiae PKA holoenzyme contains two catalytic subunits encoded by TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3 genes, and two regulatory subunits encoded by BCY1 gene. We studied the activity of these gene promoters using a fluorescent reporter synthetic genetic array screen, with the goal of systematically identifying novel regulators of expression of PKA subunits. Gene ontology analysis of the identified modulators showed enrichment not only in the category of transcriptional regulators, but also in less expected categories such as lipid and phosphate metabolism. Inositol, choline and phosphate were identified as novel upstream signals that regulate transcription of PKA subunit genes. The results support the role of transcription regulation of PKA subunits in cAMP specificity signaling. Interestingly, known targets of PKA phosphorylation are associated with the identified pathways opening the possibility of a reciprocal regulation. PKA would be coordinating different metabolic pathways and these processes would in turn regulate expression of the kinase subunits.

PKA-chromatin association at stress responsive target genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Gene expression regulation by intracellular stimulus-activated protein kinases is essential for cell adaptation to environmental changes. There are three PKA catalytic subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Tpk1, Tpk2, and Tpk3 and one regulatory subunit: Bcy1. Previously, it has been demonstrated that Tpk1 and Tpk2 are associated with coding regions and promoters of target genes in a carbon source and oxidative stress dependent manner. Here we studied five genes, ALD6, SED1, HSP42, RPS29B, and RPL1B whose expression is regulated by saline stress. We found that PKA catalytic and regulatory subunits are associated with both coding regions and promoters of the analyzed genes in a stress dependent manner. Tpk1 and Tpk2 recruitment was completely abolished in catalytic inactive mutants. BCY1 deletion changed the binding kinetic to chromatin of each Tpk isoform and this strain displayed a deregulated gene expression in response to osmotic stress. In addition, yeast mutants with high PKA activity exhibit sustained association to target genes of chromatin-remodeling complexes such as Snf2-catalytic subunit of the SWI/SNF complex and Arp8-component of INO80 complex, leading to upregulation of gene expression during osmotic stress. Tpk1 accumulation in the nucleus was stimulated upon osmotic stress, while the nuclear localization of Tpk2 and Bcy1 showed no change. We found that each PKA subunit is transported into the nucleus by a different ß-karyopherin pathway. Moreover, ß-karyopherin mutant strains abolished the chromatin association of Tpk1 or Tpk2, suggesting that nuclear localization of PKA catalytic subunits is required for its association to target genes and properly gene expression.

Regulation of PKA activity by an autophosphorylation mechanism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase) activity, as well as that of other AGC members, is regulated by multiple phosphorylations of its catalytic subunits. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the PKA regulatory subunit is encoded by the gene BCY1, and the catalytic subunits are encoded by three genes: TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3. Previously, we have reported that, following cAMP/PKA pathway activation, Tpk1 increases its phosphorylation status. Now, in vivo genetic and in vitro experiments indicate an autophosphorylation mechanism for Tpk1. Using array peptides derived from Tpk1, we identified Ser179 as a target residue. Tpk1 is phosphorylated on Ser179 in vivo during glucose stimulus. Reduction of the activation loop Thr241 phosphorylation increases Ser179 autophosphorylation. To evaluate the role of phosphorylation on Ser179, we made strains expressing tpk1S179A or tpk1S179D as the sole PKA kinase source. Our results suggest that Ser179 phosphorylation increases the reactivity towards the substrate without affecting the formation of the holoenzyme. Phenotypic readout analysis showed that Ser179 phosphorylation increases in vivo PKA activity, reducing cell survival, stress and lifespan. Ser179 phosphorylation increases Tpk1 cytoplasmic accumulation in glucose-grown cells. These results describe for the first time that an autophosphorylation mechanism on Tpk1 controls PKA activity in response to glucose availability.

The activation loop of PKA catalytic isoforms is differentially phosphorylated by Pkh protein kinases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PDK1 (phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1) phosphorylates and activates PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase) in vitro. Docking of the HM (hydrophobic motif) in the C-terminal tail of the PKA catalytic subunits on to the PIF (PDK1-interacting fragment) pocket of PDK1 is a critical step in this activation process. However, PDK1 regulation of PKA in vivo remains controversial. Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains three PKA catalytic subunits, TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3. We demonstrate that Pkh [PKB (protein kinase B)-activating kinase homologue] protein kinases phosphorylate the activation loop of each Tpk in vivo with various efficiencies. Pkh inactivation reduces the interaction of each catalytic subunit with the regulatory subunit Bcy1 without affecting the specific kinase activity of PKA. Comparative analysis of the in vitro interaction and phosphorylation of Tpks by Pkh1 shows that Tpk1 and Tpk2 interact with Pkh1 through an HM-PIF pocket interaction. Unlike Tpk1, mutagenesis of the activation loop site in Tpk2 does not abolish in vitro phosphorylation, suggesting that Tpk2 contains other, as yet uncharacterized, Pkh1 target sites. Tpk3 is poorly phosphorylated on its activation loop site, and this is due to the weak interaction of Tpk3 with Pkh1 because of the atypical HM found in Tpk3. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that Pkh protein kinases contribute to the divergent regulation of the Tpk catalytic subunits.

PKA isoforms coordinate mRNA fate during nutrient starvation.

A variety of stress conditions induce mRNA and protein aggregation into mRNA silencing foci, but the signalling pathways mediating these responses are still elusive. Previously we demonstrated that PKA catalytic isoforms Tpk2 and Tpk3 localise with processing and stress bodies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we show that Tpk2 and Tpk3 are associated with translation initiation factors Pab1 and Rps3 in exponentially growing cells. Glucose starvation promotes the loss of interaction between Tpk and initiation factors followed by their accumulation into processing bodies. Analysis of mutants of the individual PKA isoform genes has revealed that the TPK3 or TPK2 deletion affects the capacity of the cells to form granules and arrest translation properly in response to glucose starvation or stationary phase. Moreover, we demonstrate that PKA controls Rpg1 and eIF4G(1) protein abundance, possibly controlling cap-dependent translation. Taken together, our data suggest that the PKA pathway coordinates multiple stages in the fate of mRNAs in association with nutritional environment and growth status of the cell.

Characterization of substrates that have a differential effect on Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein kinase A holoenzyme activation.

The specificity in phosphorylation by kinases is determined by the molecular recognition of the peptide target sequence. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the protein kinase A (PKA) specificity determinants are less studied than in mammalian PKA. The catalytic turnover numbers of the catalytic subunits isoforms Tpk1 and Tpk2 were determined, and both enzymes are shown to have the same value of 3 s(-1). We analyze the substrate behavior and sequence determinants around the phosphorylation site of three protein substrates, Pyk1, Pyk2, and Nth1. Nth1 protein is a better substrate than Pyk1 protein, and both are phosphorylated by either Tpk1 or Tpk2. Both enzymes also have the same selectivity toward the protein substrates and the peptides derived from them. The three substrates contain one or more Arg-Arg-X-Ser consensus motif, but not all of them are phosphorylated. The determinants for specificity were studied using the peptide arrays. Acidic residues in the position P+1 or in the N-terminal flank are deleterious, and positive residues present beyond P-2 and P-3 favor the catalytic reaction. A bulky hydrophobic residue in position P+1 is not critical. The best substrate has in position P+4 an acidic residue, equivalent to the one in the inhibitory sequence of Bcy1, the yeast regulatory subunit of PKA. The substrate effect in the holoenzyme activation was analyzed, and we demonstrate that peptides and protein substrates sensitized the holoenzyme to activation by cAMP in different degrees, depending on their sequences. The results also suggest that protein substrates are better co-activators than peptide substrates.

Characterization of yeast pyruvate kinase 1 as a protein kinase A substrate, and specificity of the phosphorylation site sequence in the whole protein.

Pyk1 (pyruvate kinase 1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was characterized as a substrate for PKA (protein kinase A) from bovine heart and yeast. By designing Pyk1 synthetic peptides containing potential PKA sequence targets (Ser22, Thr94 and Thr478) we determined that the peptide S22 was a substrate for PKA in vitro, with a K(sp)* (specificity constant) 10-fold and 3-fold higher than Kemptide for bovine heart and yeast PKA respectively. In vitro phosphorylation of the Pyk1 S22A mutant protein was decreased by as much as 90% when compared with wild-type Pyk1 and the Pyk1 T94A mutant. The K(sp)* values for Pyk1 and Pyk1 T94A were the same, indicating that both proteins are phosphorylated at the same site by PKA. Two-dimensional PAGE of Pyk1 and Pyk1 S22A indicates that in vivo the S22A mutation prevented the formation of one of the Pyk1 isoforms. We conclude that in yeast the major PKA phosphorylation site of Pyk1 is Ser22. Phosphorylation of Ser22 leads to a Pyk1 enzyme that is more active in the absence of FBP (fructose 1,6-bisphosphate). The specificity of yeast and mammalian PKA towards the S22 peptide and towards whole Pyk1 protein was measured and compared. The K(sp)* for the S22 peptide is higher than that for Pyk1, indicating that the peptide modelled on Pyk1 is a much better substrate than Pyk1, regardless of which tissue was used as the source of PKA. However, the K(m) of Pyk1 protein is lower than that of the better substrate, the S22 peptide, indicating that ground-state substrate binding is not the major determinant of substrate specificity for PKA.

Glucose-dependent activation of protein kinase A activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and phosphorylation of its TPK1 catalytic subunit.

Protein kinase A (PKA), in yeast, plays a major role in controlling metabolism and gene expression in connection with the available nutrient conditions. We here measure, for the first time, a transient change in the in vivo PKA activity, along a cAMP peak produced by 100 mM glucose addition to glycerol-growing cells as well as a change in the phosphorylation state of its catalytic subunit (Tpk1p) following PKA activation. PKA activity was measured in situ in permeabilized cells, preserving its intracellular localization. Comparison of total PKA activity, measured in situ in permeabilized cells with data obtained from in vitro assays in crude extracts, underscores the inhibitory potency of the regulatory subunit within the cell. Tpk1p phosphorylation was detected through non-denaturing gel electrophoresis. Phosphorylation of Tpk1p increases its specificity constant toward kemptide substrate. The use of mutants of the cAMP pathway showed that phosphorylation depends on the activation of PKA via the G-protein coupled receptor pathway triggered by glucose. The phosphorylation state of Tpk1p was followed during the diauxic shift. Tpk1p phosphorylation is dynamic and reversible: its up-regulation correlates with a fully fermentative metabolism, while its down-regulation with stationary phase or respiratory metabolism. Reversible phosphorylation can thus be considered a new control mechanism possibly pointing to a fine-tuning of PKA activity in response to environmental conditions.

Activation state of protein kinase A as measured in permeabilised Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells correlates with PKA-controlled phenotypes in vivo.

Protein kinase A (PKA) activity was measured in situ in permeabilised Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in the absence and the presence of cAMP. Four strains genetically predicted to have differential PKA-dependent phenotypes were used: a wild-type strain and a strain containing a bcy1-14 mutation (with almost constitutively active PKA), and the same strains with overexpression of the wild-type or mutant BCY1 gene, respectively. Cells were grown on galactose or glucose. The measured phenotypic characteristics were: trehalose and glycogen levels and the activity of a reporter gene under control of the NTH1 promoter. The 'endogenous' PKA activity (measured in situ in the absence of cAMP) showed the best correlation with the PKA-dependent phenotypes determined in vivo. We propose that this parameter offers a good estimate for the degree of activation of PKA in vivo.

In vivo and in vitro phosphorylation of two isoforms of yeast pyruvate kinase by protein kinase A.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae pyruvate kinase 1 (Pyk1) was demonstrated to be associated to an immunoprecipitate of yeast protein kinase A holoenzyme (HA-Tpk1.Bcy1) and to be phosphorylated in a cAMP-dependent process. Both glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Pyk1 and GST-Pyk2 were phosphorylated in vitro by the bovine heart protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit and by immobilized yeast HA-Tpk1. The specificity constant for the phosphorylation of GST-Pyk1 and GST-Pyk2 by bovine catalytic subunit was in the range of the value for Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly (Kemptide). Both fusion proteins were phosphorylated in vivo, in intact cells overexpressing the protein, or in vitro using crude extracts, as source of protein kinase A, when a wild type strain was used but were not phosphorylated when using a strain with only one TPK gene with an attenuated mutation (tpk1(w1)). The effect of phosphorylation on Pyk activity was assayed in partially purified preparations from three strains, containing different endogenous protein kinase A activity levels. Pyk1 activity was measured at different phosphoenolpyruvate concentrations in the absence or in the presence of the activator fructose 1,6-bisphosphate at 1.5 mm. Preliminary kinetic results derived from the comparison of Pyk1 obtained from extracts with the highest versus those from the lowest protein kinase A activity indicate that the enzyme is more active upon phosphorylation conditions; in the absence of the activator it shows a shift in the titration curve for phosphoenolpyruvate to the left and an increase in the Hill coefficient, whereas in the presence of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate it shows an n(H) value of 1.4, as compared with an n(H) of 2 for the Pyk1 obtained from extracts with almost null protein kinase A activity.

Evaluation of in vivo activation of protein kinase A under non-dissociable conditions through the overexpression of wild-type and mutant regulatory subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

BCY1-encoded protein kinase A (PKA) wild-type and mutant regulatory (R) subunits from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were inducibly overexpressed in their corresponding background strains containing the same mutation in the bcy1 gene. The aim of this approach was to shift the catalytic activity of PKA within the cell to the undissociated holoenzyme form(s) in order to evaluate whether the wild-type or the mutant forms of the holoenzyme could display catalytic activity. Two mutants of R subunits were used: bcy1-16, with a complete deletion of cAMP-binding domain B; and bcy1-14, with a small deletion in the carboxy terminus of cAMP-binding domain A. Their overexpression caused an increase in the level of R subunits in the range 40-90-fold, as detected by cAMP-binding activity, Coomasie-stained SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. The change in PKA activity attained by overexpression of R was assessed in three ways: (i) through the analysis of PKA-dependent phenotypes, and (ii, iii) by measurement of PKA activity -/+ cAMP using the specific substrate kemptide in crude extracts (ii) and permeabilized cells (iii). Upon overexpression of the R subunits, PKA-dependent phenotypes were less severe when compared with their own background. However, a gradient in the degree of severity of phenotypes bcy1-14>bcy1-16> wild-type was observed in the background strains and was maintained in the strains overexpressing the R subunits. cAMP levels measured in background and in R-overexpressing strains showed an increase of around two orders accompanying the overexpression of the R subunits. Three main conclusions could be drawn from the PKA activity measurements -/+ cAMP in crude extracts: (i) catalytic activity was not increased in compensation for the increase in R subunits in any of the three cases (wild-type, bcy1-16 or bcy1-14 overexpression); (ii) PKA activity assayed in the absence of cAMP was lower in the case of extracts from strains overexpressing wild-type or bcy1-16 R subunits when compared with the corresponding extracts without overexpression; and (iii) in these two cases, the great excess of R subunits in the crude extracts displayed additional inhibitory capacity towards exogenously added catalytic (C) subunits. To provide an estimate of the in vivo activation of PKA, permeabilized cells from control strains and strains transformed with either wild-type, bcy1-16 or bcy1-14 R subunits were used to measure PKA activity in the presence of variable concentrations of cAMP. There were two main observations from the results: (i) the activity of PKA detected in the absence of exogenous cAMP was decreased in the strains overexpressing the R subunits when compared to their corresponding backgrounds, and (ii) the sensitivity to activation by cAMP was decreased or almost nil. The biochemical and genetic results obtained are consistent with the hypothesis that within the cell it is possible to have catalytically active, cAMP-bound, undissociated PKA holoenzyme.