Sensitive and Selective Next-Generation FRET-based PKA Biosensors.

A recent study from this laboratory [A. R. Gwosdow, N. A. O'Connell, and A. B. Abou-Samra. Am. J. Physiol. 263 (Endocrinol. Metab. 26): E461-E466, 1992] showed that the inflammatory mediator interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) stimulates catecholamine release from primary cultures of rat adrenal cells. The present studies were conducted to determine whether 1) IL-1 alpha stimulates catecholamine/dopamine release from the adrenal medullary cell line PC-12 and 2) the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway is involved in IL-1 alpha-induced dopamine release from PC-12 cells. The results indicate that IL-1 alpha significantly (P < 0.05) elevated dopamine release after a 24-h incubation period. IL-1 alpha did not stimulate cAMP accumulation at any time period between 5 min and 2 h. In contrast, forskolin-treated cells elevated (P < 0.05) intracellular cAMP levels and increased dopamine release. Because IL-1 alpha did not affect cAMP accumulation, the effect of IL-1 alpha on PKA activity was investigated. IL-1 alpha increased (P < 0.05) PKA activity at 15 and 30 min and returned to control levels by 1 h. Forskolin also increased (P < 0.05) PKA activity. The type of PKA activated (P < 0.05) by IL-1 alpha was type II PKA. In contrast, forskolin activated (P < 0.05) type I and type II PKA. Inhibition of PKA with the PKA inhibitor H-8 blocked PKA activity and dopamine secretion by both IL-1 alpha and forskolin in PC-12 cells. These observations demonstrate that 1) IL-1 alpha stimulated dopamine release from PC-12 cells by activating PKA, 2) the mechanism of IL-1 alpha activation of PKA does not involve detectable increases in intracellular cAMP accumulation, and 3) IL-1 alpha activates type II PKA, which is used by IL-1 alpha to stimulate dopamine secretion from PC-12 cells.

We have previously shown that direct activation of protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) induced changes in the expression of genes coding for PKA RII beta and C alpha subunit isoforms in cultured anterior pituitary cells, suggesting the possibility of interconnected regulation at this point. To evaluate whether the cell content of PKA protein subunits could be similarly altered, the catalytic (C) and regulatory type I (RI) and type II (RII) subunits were identified by Western blot analysis using specific immunoaffinity-purified antibodies. Activation of PKA by the permeant cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) analogue 8-Br-cAMP induced a dramatic time- and concentration-dependent decline of C subunit to a residual level that may represent 10-15% of that in untreated cells. The most profound decrease occurred during the first 5 h following treatment with 0.5-2 mM analogue (by 65 +/- 14 and 79 +/- 5%, respectively). Under identical conditions, RII was increased by about 40% at the higher concentrations, while RI increased slightly, but only at low concentrations (below 1 mM 8-Br-cAMP), and then gradually decreased. Exposure of cells to the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) also resulted in decreased levels of the PKA C subunit, however, with a different concentration-dependent profile. In particular, a decline in PKA C was most pronounced (60%) at a low concentration of TPA (10 nM) as compared with the concentrations equal to or above 20 nM (40% decrease). TPA at 10 nM also depressed notably (by 25%) the level of RII subunit, but higher concentrations were essentially ineffective, although a slight and statistically not significant elevation of the cell subunit content was observed as for RI. Simultaneous activation of both PKA and PKC pathways resulted in further depletion of PKA C and an important loss (50%) of RII, a subunit which was enhanced by the activation of either system alone. Finally, gonadotropin-releasing hormone, a neuropeptide that has the potentiality to activate both PKA and PKC signaling in gonadotropes, was able to alter PKA subunit cell content: PKA C was significantly reduced at either a subliminal (0.1 nM) or maximal (10 nM) concentration, whereas RII increased at the low concentration and decreased at the high concentration. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that the pituitary cell contents of RI, RII, and C subunits of PKA are regulated under the activation of PKA itself as well as PKC in a manner that can exhibit further alteration when both systems come simultaneously into play. Changes in the PKA subunit levels in certain cases may correlate with a variation of the mRNAs suggesting multiple control mechanisms, including an alteration of gene expression and changes in subunit degradation, synthesis, and/or turnover. These data, together with those obtained in the presence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, provide further support for a hormonally induced interplay between PKA and PKC signaling pathways at the crucial level of PKA in the pituitary gland including gonadotropes.

Cyclic AMP response element-binding protein-binding protein (CBP) functions as a transcriptional coactivator through interactions with a number of cellular and viral transcription factors. It has been suggested to play a central integrative role in gene regulation. However, little is known about signal cascades that can regulate CBP activity. Here we show that either nerve growth factor (NGF) or cAMP treatment led to enhanced activity of CBP in PC12 cells. The C-terminal glutamine-rich activation domain of CBP was shown to be responsible for induction by NGF and cAMP. NGF-induced enhancement of CBP activity was also observed in protein kinase A (PKA)-deficient PC12 cells, whereas cAMP failed to increase the transcriptional activity of CBP in these cells. Moreover, the specific PKA inhibitor H-89 blocked cAMP-induced but not NGF-induced up-regulation of CBP activity. The up-regulation of CBP transcriptional activity in response to NGF was, however, prevented by the specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase (p42/44(MAPK)) activation, PD98059, which had no effect on the up-regulation induced by cyclic AMP, indicating that activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathway is specifically involved in the NGF-induced activation of CBP. In addition, expression of a dominant-negative interfering mutant of p42/44(MAPK) can prevent the NGF-mediated induction of the CBP activity, whereas expression of a p42/44(MAPK) constitutively active mutant can enhance the transcriptional activity of CBP. These data indicate that activation of the p42/p44(MAPK) cascade mediates the up-regulation of the transcriptional activity of CBP by NGF, whereas the similar up-regulation induced by cyclic AMP is mediated by PKA activation.

CUTL1, also known as CDP (CCAAT Displacement Protein), Cut, or Cux-1, is a homeodomain transcription factor known to play an essential role in development and cell cycle progression. Previously, we identified CUTL1 as modulator of cell motility and invasiveness. Here we report that protein kinase A (PKA), known to inhibit tumor progression in various tumor types, directly phosphorylates CUTL1 at serine 1215 in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. The PKA-induced phosphorylation results in decreased DNA binding affinity of CUTL1 and diminished CUTL1-mediated cell cycle progression and cell motility. Furthermore, the expression of several CUTL1 target genes involved in proliferation and migration, such as DNA polymerase A and DKK2, was modulated by PKA-induced phosphorylation. These data identify CUTL1 as a novel target of PKA through which this protein kinase can modulate tumor cell motility and tumor progression.

Live imaging of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase and protein kinase A activities during thrombus formation in mice expressing biosensors based on Förster resonance energy transfer

Autoantibody Mediated Protein Kinase a Upregulation in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Protein Implicated in Nonsyndromic Mental Retardation Regulates Protein Kinase A (PKA) Activity

The striatum is a key neural substrate that controls selection of reward-seeking and aversive behaviors (Bromberg-Martin et al., Neuron, 2010; Graybiel, Annu Rev Neurosci, 2008). Striatal transmission is mediated by two distinct neuronal subpopulations consisting of D1 and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (dMSNs, iMSNs) and is regulated by protein kinase A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascades (Luo et al., J. Neurosci, 2011). However, the in vivo roles and signaling mechanisms of dMSNs and iMSNs remain largely elusive, because of the lack of techniques to monitor such kinase activities in behaving animals. Here we report that the activities of PKA and ERK are coordinately and reciprocally regulated in dMSNs and iMSNs of the dorsal striatum by rewarding and aversive stimuli. This finding was made by developing a novel in vivo method in which Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors of PKA and ERK were specifically expressed in either dMSNs (D1-PKA and D1-ERK) or iMSNs (D2-PKA and D2-ERK) (Kamioka et al., Cell Struct Funct, 2012; Gong et al., J Neurosci, 2007; Valjent et al., Trends Neurosci, 2009), with fluorescence changes optically recorded by micro-endoscopy in freely moving mice. Cocaine administration rapidly and continuously activated both D1-PKA and D1-ERK but markedly suppressed both D2-PKA and D2-ERK. Conversely, prominent activation of D2-PKA and D2-ERK together with strong suppression of D1-PKA and D1-ERK was evoked in response to electric foot shocks. Importantly, D1-PKA and D1-ERK were activated during the mating reaction of male mice; but D1-PKA was promptly inactivated upon ejaculation. In contrast, D2-PKA and D2-ERK were elevated when male mice became indifferent to mating. Manipulation of cAMP levels by DREADDs successfully induced PKA response of either dMSNs or iMSNs and concomitantly affected mating behaviors, indicating its causality. Thus, a dynamic regulatory shift of PKA and ERK between dMSNs and iMSNs underlies the rapid selection of reward-directed and aversive behaviors.

In fetal sheep, we found that the augmentation of cardiac contractility by beta-adrenergic receptor (beta-AR) stimulation was reduced after exposure to long-term hypoxia. However, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production after beta-AR stimulation was higher in long-term hypoxic fetal sheep than in normoxic ones. Therefore, we studied the potential role of changes in myocardial protein kinase A (PKA) activity and troponin I (TnI) isoforms in fetal and nonpregnant sheep exposed to approximately 112 days of hypoxia at high altitude (3820 m). Resting and maximally stimulated (by cAMP) PKA activity was measured by phosphorylation of the artificial peptide, Kemptide. Specificity was confirmed by inhibition with PKI, a specific PKA inhibitor. For TnI isoforms, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to resolve the proteins. We used monoclonal anti-cardiac TnI antibody (clone C5), which also cross-reacted with slow skeletal muscle TnI, to identify TnI isoforms. For the fetal hearts, resting PKA activity was significantly higher in the high-altitude group than the control group, but total PKA activity was not different between the normoxic and hypoxic groups. In the adult hearts, no significant difference was observed in either resting or total PKA activity between normoxic and hypoxic groups. For both the fetal and adult sheep, the predominant TnI was the cardiac isoform, and hypoxic exposure produced no change in the TnI isoform composition. Neither a reduction in PKA activity nor a change in TnI isoforms could explain the reduction in beta-receptor augmentation of cardiac contractility in fetal sheep exposed to long-term hypoxia.

Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) has a strong protective effect on the gastric mucosa in vivo; however, the molecular mechanism of a direct cytoprotective effect of PGE(2) on gastric mucosal cells has yet to be elucidated. Although we reported previously that PGE(2) inhibited gastric irritant-induced apoptotic DNA fragmentation in primary cultures of guinea pig gastric mucosal cells, we show here that PGE(2) inhibits the ethanol-dependent release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Of the four main subtypes of PGE(2) receptors, we also demonstrated, using subtype-specific agonists, that EP(2) and EP(4) receptors are involved in the PGE(2)-mediated protection of gastric mucosal cells from ethanol-induced apoptosis. Activation of EP(2) and EP(4) receptors is coupled with an increase in cAMP, for which a cAMP analogue was found here to inhibit the ethanol-induced apoptosis. The increase in cAMP is known to activate both protein kinase A (PKA) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathways. An inhibitor of PKA but not of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase blocked the PGE(2)-mediated protection of cells from ethanol-induced apoptosis, suggesting that a PKA pathway is mainly responsible for the PGE(2)-mediated inhibition of apoptosis. Based on these results, we considered that PGE(2) inhibited gastric irritant-induced apoptosis in gastric mucosal cells via induction of an increase in cAMP and activation of PKA, and that this effect was involved in the PGE(2)-mediated protection of the gastric mucosa from gastric irritants in vivo.

Histamine Induces Melanogenesis and Morphologic Changes by Protein Kinase A Activation via H2 Receptors in Human Normal Melanocytes

Differential Activation of Protein Kinase A in Various Regions of Myocardium during Sepsis

Trastuzumab has dramatically improved the adjuvant therapy of Her2-positive breast cancer. However, acquired resistance to trastuzumab frequently occurs. Breast cancer cells in vitro selected for trastuzumab resistance exhibit over-expression of t-Darpp, a truncated form of the 32 kDa dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein (Darpp-32). t-Darpp over-expression has previously been demonstrated to confer trastuzumab resistance and to result in increased protein kinase A (PKA) activity and signaling. Phosphorylation of Darpp-32 at threonine 75 has been shown to promote inhibition (not activation) of PKA by a yet unknown mechanism. T75 phosphorylation on t-Darpp is required for its trastuzumab resistance activity but the role of T75 phosphorylation in PKA activation by t-Darpp is not known and the molecular mechanism by which t-Darpp enhances PKA activity has not been reported. We used cells stably over-expressing either wild type t-Darpp or a T75A mutant of t-Darpp. Using proximity ligation assays, we found that t-Darpp binds directly to the RI regulatory subunit of PKA leading to 75% less RI subunit bound to the catalytic subunit of PKA (PKAc), compared to parental cells. In contrast, the t-Darpp-T75A mutant does not bind RI and those cells have only 34% less RI bound to PKAc compared to parental. These results suggest a direct effect of t-Darpp on PKA activation by binding the regulatory subunit RI and thereby preventing RI from inhibiting PKAc. The T75 phosphorylation site appears to be required for this activity. Using enzymatic and caspase activity assays, we also show that cells over-expressing t-Darpp, but not t-Darpp-T75A, have increased proliferation, up to 4-fold more cellular ATP, and diminished apoptotic response to etoposide, relative to parental cell controls. So far, this data suggests a dual mode of t-Darpp action: modulation of cell metabolism (possibly via effects on ATP production) and direct effects on PKA holoenzyme. Ultimately, pro-apoptotic response is diminished. Further studies will determine whether PKA activation by t-Darpp is responsible for, or separately influenced by, the metabolic effects of t-Darpp. Citation Format: Lenz G, Theile D, Kane SE. t-Darpp enhances protein kinase A signaling through direct effects on PKA holoenzyme and indirectly influences cell metabolism, proliferation and apoptosis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-06-10.

cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is important in processes requiring localized cell protrusion, such as cell migration and axonal path finding. Here, we used a membrane-targeted PKA biosensor to reveal activation of PKA at the leading edge of migrating cells. Previous studies show that PKA activity promotes protrusion and efficient cell migration. In live migrating cells, membrane-associated PKA activity was highest at the leading edge and required ligation of integrins such as alpha4beta1 or alpha5beta1 and an intact actin cytoskeleton. alpha4 integrins are type I PKA-specific A-kinase anchoring proteins, and we now find that type I PKA is important for localization of alpha4beta1 integrin-mediated PKA activation at the leading edge. Accumulation of 3' phosphorylated phosphoinositides [PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3)] products of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) is an early event in establishing the directionality of migration; however, polarized PKA activation did not require PI3-kinase activity. Conversely, inhibition of PKA blocked accumulation of a PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3)-binding protein, the AKT-pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, at the leading edge; hence, PKA is involved in maintaining cell polarity during migration. In sum, we have visualized compartment-specific PKA activation in migrating cells and used it to reveal that adhesion-mediated localized activation of PKA is an early step in directional cell migration.

Background Phosphorylation of L-type calcium channels (LTCC) by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) increases calcium current (ICa). However, it is unclear if PKA-dependent regulation of ICa is impaired in heart failure (HF) despite evidence for impaired β-adrenergic signaling. Recently, a novel PKA activation pathway by oxidation of regulatory subunit I (RI) has been identified. Objective We investigated the impact of redox-activated PKA for regulation of ICa, intracellular calcium (Ca) handling and contractile function in a pressure overload heart failure mouse model. Methods Knock-in mice (KI) that lack redox-dependent PKA activation (exchange of cysteine 17 of RI with serine) were compared to wild-type (WT) at baseline, 7 days and 6 weeks after transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Mouse echocardiography was performed to evaluate in-vivo cardiac function. ICa was measured by whole-cell patch clamp, PKA activity, cAMP levels, and protein levels of central Ca handling proteins were assessed at different time points in vitro. Results At baseline, no alterations of left ventricular (LV) function (echocardiography) were observed between WT and KI. TAC induced a significant RI oxidation in WT but not KI mice. Despite this difference, at 7 days after TAC, development of LV hypertrophy and impairment of systolic LV function in vivo were similar between WT and KI. Compared to baseline, 7 days after TAC a significant stimulation of peak ICa was observed in WT. In contrast to WT, the stimulation of peak ICa was absent in KI mice at 7 days after TAC. This impairment in peak ICa occurred despite a comparable increase in global PKA activity (ELISA), which was most likely due to increased cAMP levels in our TAC model (assessed by FLIM-FRET). Notably, cAMP levels were comparably increased in between groups (ELISA). Importantly, at 6 weeks after TAC, WT mice showed a mild additional deterioration of systolic LV function in vivo. In contrast, LV function was significantly more impaired in KI mice 6 weeks after TAC, which was accompanied by a significant increase in KI mice mortality. Comparing 6 weeks to 7 days after TAC, there was no stimulation of peak ICa in WT and even a significant decrease in peak ICa in KI mice. In accordance, PKA-dependent LTCC phosphorylation was absent in KI mice 6 weeks after TAC (western blotting). Conclusion Redox-activated PKA seems to exert a protective role by stimulation of ICa during pressure overload. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft