Characterization at the Molecular Level using Robust Biochemical Approaches of a New Kinase Protein

Summary

We characterized a new kinase protein using robust biochemical approaches: Western Blot analysis with a dedicated specific antibody on different cell lines and tissues, interactions by coimmunoprecipitation experiments, kinase activity detected by Western Blot using a phospho-specific antibody and by γ[³²P] ATP labeling.

Abstract

Extensive whole genome sequencing has identified many Open Reading Frames (ORFs) providing many potential proteins. These proteins may have important roles for the cell and may unravel new cellular processes. Among proteins, kinases are major actors as they belong to cell signaling pathways and have the ability to switch on or off many processes crucial to the fate of the cell, such as cell growth, division, differentiation, motility, and death.

In this study, we focused on a new potential kinase protein, LIMK2-1. We demonstrated its existence by Western Blot using a specific antibody. We evaluated its interaction with an upstream regulating protein using coimmunoprecipitation experiments. Coimmunoprecipitation is a very powerful technique able to detect the interaction between two target proteins. It may also be used to detect new partners of a bait protein. The bait protein may be purified either via a tag engineered to its sequence or via an antibody specifically targeting it. These protein complexes may then be separated by SDS-PAGE (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate PolyAcrylamide Gel) and identified using mass spectrometry. Immunoprecipitated LIMK2-1 was also used to test its kinase activity in vitro by γ[³²P] ATP labeling. This well-established assay may use many different substrates, and mutated versions of the bait may be used to assess the role of specific residues. The effects of pharmacological agents may also be evaluated since this technique is both highly sensitive and quantitative. Nonetheless, radioactivity handling requires particular caution. Kinase activity may also be assessed with specific antibodies targeting the phospho group of the modified amino acid. These kinds of antibodies are not commercially available for all the phospho modified residues.

Introduction

For many decades, numerous signaling pathways have been elucidated and their involvement in crucial cellular processes such as cell division, differentiation, motility, programmed cell death, immunity and neurobiology, has been shown. Kinases play a significant role in these signaling pathways as they often finely regulate their activation or inactivation and are part of transient versatile complexes that respond to external stimuli^1,2,3. Mutation and dysregulation of kinases often lead to diseases in humans, and they have therefore become one of the most important drug targe....

Protocol

1. Cell preparation for transfection

CAUTION: All the steps of the cell culture must be performed in a dedicated laboratory, and cells are manipulated within a Class 2 microbiological cabinet.

1. Seed HEK-293 (Human Embryonic Kidney) cells in Ø 10 cm plates in 10 mL of DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. Culture for 3 to 5 days under 5% CO₂, at 37 °C, until the cells reach ~90% confluence.
2. Treat Ø 10 cm plates with Collagen R to increase cell adhesion to the plastic plates.
   1. Add 5 mL of a solution of Collagen R, 200-fold diluted in Phosp....

Results

LIMK2-1 protein is synthesized
LIMK2-1 is mentioned in databanks, but thus far only one paper has shown the existence of its mRNA¹⁸. Compared to its two homologs, LIMK2a and LIMK2b, LIMK2-1 has an extra C-terminal domain identified as a Protein Phosphatase 1 Inhibitory domain (PP1i). We designed an antibody that targets a peptide of this domain, amino acids 671-684 (Figure 1A).
BLAST research against human prot.......

Discussion

Herein, we have used robust biochemical tools to characterize at the molecular level a new protein, LIMK2-1, believed to be a kinase based on its sequence and on its homologs, LIMK2a and LIMK2b²⁰.

Firstly, we demonstrated the existence of LIMK2-1 at the protein level using Western Blot analysis with a specific antibody. Following this, we evaluated its interaction with the upstream kinase ROCK1, which is known to regulate LIMK2a and LIMK2b, the homologs of LIMK2-1. Fina.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Antibody anti-actin	Sigma-Aldrich	A1978	for Western Blot
Antibody anti-c-Myc	Invitrogen	MA1-21316	for Western Blot
Antibody anti-cofilin	Cell signaling Technology	3312/5175	for Western Blot
Antibody anti-GFP	Santa Cruz	sc-9996	for Western Blot
Antibody anti-HA	Roche Applied Science	11687423001	for Western Blot
Antibody anti-phospho-cofilin	Cell signaling Technology	3313	for Western Blot
Antibody Anti-PP1i	Eurogentec	designed for this study	for Western Blot
Aprotinin	Euromedex	A-162B	for lysis buffer
ATP	Invitrogen	PV3227	for γ[32P] labeling
γ[32P] ATP	Perkin Elmer	NEG502A	for γ[32P] labeling
BES buffered saline	Sigma-Aldrich	14280	for transfection
β-glycerophosphate	Sigma-Aldrich	G9422	for lysis and kinase buffer
β-mercaptoethanol	Sigma-Aldrich	M3148	for Laemmli
BSA	Sigma-Aldrich	A3059	for blocking buffer
Bromophenol Blue	Sigma-Aldrich	B0126	for Laemmli
CaCl2	Sigma-Aldrich	C3881	for transfection
Centrifuge	Sigma	111-541
Collagen R	Pan Biotech	P06-20166	for transfection
Control siRNA	Ambion	AM4611	for PP1i antibody specificity
Coomassie PageBlue Protein Staining Solution	Thermo-Fisher	24620	for gel staining
EDTA	Sigma-Aldrich	3690	for lysis buffer
Electrophoresis Unit	Biorad	Mini-Protean	for Western Blot
EZview Red anti-HA affinity gel	Sigma-Aldrich	E6779	for immunoprecipitation
GeneSys software	Ozyme		for Western Blot acquisition
GeneTolls software	Ozyme		for Western Blot quantification
GFP-trap beads	Chromtek		for immunoprecipitation
Glycine	Euromedex	26-128-6405	for transfer buffer
GST-cofilin	Upstate Cell signaling	12-556	for γ[32P] labeling
Hamilton syringe 100 mL	Hamilton	710	to remove carefully supernatant from beads without aspirating them
HEPES	Sigma-Aldrich	H3375	for kinase buffer
ImageQuant TL software	GE Healthcare		for radioactivity acquisition and quantification
LIMK2 siRNA	Ambion	s8191	for PP1i antibody specificity
Leupeptin	Sigma-Aldrich	SP-04-2217	for lysis and kinase buffer
MBP	Upstate Cell signaling	13-173	for γ[32P] labeling
MgCl2	Sigma-Aldrich	M8266	for kinase buffer
MnCl2	Sigma-Aldrich	244589	for kinase buffer
NaCl	Euromedex	1112	for lysis and kinase buffer
NaF	Sigma-Aldrich	S-1504	for lysis and kinase buffer
Okaidic acid	Euromedex	0-2220	for lysis buffer
PMSF	Sigma-Aldrich	78830	for lysis and kinase buffer
p-nitrophenylphosphate	Euromedex	1026	for lysis buffer
PVDF membrane Immobillon-P	Merck-Millipore	IPVH00010 pore size 0,45 mm	for Western Blot
Rotating wheel	Labinco		for bead incubation
Safe lock eppendorf	Eppendorf	0030120.086	for kinase assay
SDS	Sigma-Aldrich	5030	for Laemmli and migration buffer
Sodium orthovanadate	LC Laboratories	S8507	for lysis and kinase buffer
Sodium pyrophosphate	Fluka	71501	for lysis buffer
Super Signal West Dura	Protein Biology	34075	for Western Blot
Syngene Pxi	Ozyme		for Western Blot
Tissue extracts	Biochain	P1234035 Brain P12345152 Lung P1234149 Liver P1234188 Pancreas P1234260 Testis	for Western Blot analysis
Transfer Unit	Biorad	Mini-Trans-Blot	for Western Blot
Tris	Euromedex	26-128-3094 B	for lysis buffer
Tween-20	Sigma-Aldrich	P7949	for blocking buffer
Typhoon FLA9500	GE Healthcare		to read autoradiography
Typhoon Trio	Amersham Bioscience		to read autoradiography
Whatman paper	GE Healthcare	3030-672	for Western Blot