Can KTIM be a regulatory site widely used by cytosolic kinases?

Identification of Key Cytosolic Kinases Containing Evolutionarily Conserved Kinase Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motifs (KTIMs).

Posted by: Issa Abu-Dayyeh

I have posted an earlier article to talk about our PLoS NTD paper where we have described a novel strategy by which Leishmania was able to inhibit TLR-mediated macrophage activation through its ability to inhibit IRAK-1 kinase activity by activating the protein tyrosine phosphatase  (PTP) SHP-1.

We have identified the site of binding between SHP-1 and IRAK-1 to be an evolutionarily conserved ITIM-like motif, which we called a kinase tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (KTIM). In this newly-published paper in Developmental and Comparative Immunology, Abu-Dayyeh et al. present evolutinary as well as experimental data that propose that KTIMs could potentially represent a novel regulatory site involved in the control of the kinase activity of many key kinases involved in siganlling pathways of immune cells. Although this work awaits to be further explored by other researches, I believe this work could open various doors towards many important discoveries in the field of immunology.

Here is the abstract of the paper:

We previously reported that SHP-1 regulates IRAK-1 activity by binding to an ITIM-like motif found within its kinase domain, which we named Kinase Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif (KTIM). Herein, we further investigated the presence, number, location, and evolutionary time of emergence of potential KTIMs in many cytosolic kinases, all known to play important roles in the signalling and function of immune cells. We unveil that several kinases contain potential KTIMs, mostly located within their kinase domain and appearing predominantly at the level of early vertebrates becoming highly conserved thereafter. Regarding the KTIMs that were found conserved in both vertebrates and invertebrates, we provide experimental data suggesting that such motifs may have constituted readily-available sites that performed new regulatory functions as soon as their binding partners (e.g. SHP-1) appeared in vertebrates. We thus propose KTIMs as novel regulatory motifs in kinases that function through binding to SH2 domain-containing proteins such as SHP-1. Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PMID: 20043942

doi:10.1016/j.dci.2009.12.012

Leishmania-induced IRAK-1 inactivation via host SHP-1 activation

Posted by Issa Abu-Dayyeh

I will hereby post the author summary of my most recent publication regarding modulation of macrophage signaling by the Leishmania parasite. The paper has been published on the 23rd of December 2008 in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) Neglected Tropical Diseases, and demonstrates for the first time the ability of Leishmania to inactivate IRAK-1 through its ability to activate host PTP-SHP-1.

Citation: Abu-Dayyeh I, Shio MT, Sato S, Akira S, Cousineau B, et al. (2008) Leishmania-Induced IRAK-1 Inactivation Is Mediated by SHP-1 Interacting with an Evolutionarily Conserved KTIM Motif. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2(12): e305. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000305

Here is the author summary of the paper:

Leishmania developed several methods to seize control of macrophage signalling pathways in an effort to inactivate their killing abilities. One effective method utilized by the parasite is the activation of host protein tyrosine phosphatases, specifically SHP-1. This increased phosphatase activity contributes to the inactivation of signalling molecules involved in critical macrophage functions such as NO and cytokine production. Interestingly, the absence of SHP-1 results in stronger macrophage inflammatory responses to a bacterial cell wall component known as LPS, a molecule detected by macrophages through Toll-like receptors (TLRs). This observation suggested a role for SHP-1 in the regulation of TLR signalling. Our study reveals that upon Leishmania infection, SHP-1 is able to rapidly bind to and inactivate a critical kinase (IRAK-1) in this pathway. This regulatory binding was shown to be mediated by an evolutionarily conserved motif identified in the kinase. This motif was also present in other kinases involved in Toll signalling and therefore could represent a regulatory mechanism of relevance to many kinases. This work not only reports a unique mechanism by which Leishmania can avoid harmful TLR signalling, but also provides a platform on which extensive investigation on host evasion mechanisms and regulation of cellular kinases can be gained.

For further information please check the citation below to read the whole paper. PLoS is an open-access journal and therefore offers free access to its contents to anybody anywhere in the world!

P.S.: Abstract translations are also available in the following languages: Arabic, French, Spanish, and Farsi.

We know Nirtic Oxide is produced when SHP-1 is absent, but why??

Posted by: Issa Abu-Dayyeh

The exact role played by the protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP-1) in the negative regulation of macrophage functions has been an active area of research for many years. In fact, SHP-1 deficient mice are hyper-inflammatory. They lose their hair “for God’s sake” due to exaggerated inflammatory responses in the skin area! (hence their name motheaten). But what does this tell us? It tells us a lot of pathways are simply “on fire”. To dissect every single pathway controlled by this PTP is a humongous job, and the best approach in my opinion is to try to focus, and dissect a pathway at a time and a function at a time. So, what did we attempt to do in our most recent publication (Blanchette, J. et al.) in Immunology (2008)?

The paper explores the signaling pathways that seem to be major contributors to NO production in SHP-1 deficient macrophages. NO production is driven by a gene known as iNOS whose expression is driven by several transcription factors, most importantly: Nf-kB, STAT, and AP-1. One of those transcription factors “AP-1″ is activated by a MAP kinase called JNK.

This work utilizes inhibitors of many of these members to see which of them will be able to suppress that excess NO production observed in SHP-1 deficient macrophages in an effort to understand how SHP-1 causes this increased NO production.

To save you the dull experimental details…Results showed that the exaggerated NO production in SHP-1-/- macrophages seems to be due to an increased JNK/AP-1 and not NF-kB activity.

And so what? some people might ask!

Well…I agree a finding like this might not find a cure to leishmaniasis. Nevertheless, bearing in mind that NF-kB translocation is increased in the absence of SHP-1, this paper then suggests something rather important. This increased NF-kB activity is not contributing to iNOS transcription. What is it doing then? and how can iNOS be differentially regulated? These are questions that await answers. (If somebody has answers, I will be glad to hear from them).

This work simply broadens our knowledge about where SHP-1 exerts its effects, and by knowing how, we can probably try to eventually revert some of those actions during the course of a Leishmania infection and help find an effective drug against leishmaniasis that is not as toxic as the ones available nowadays…

A block added to the wall. that is how I see it.

If you are interested in viewing the paper, please visit it here

Enjoy,

Issa