Signaling by the epidermal growth factor receptor requires an allosteric interaction between the kinase domains of two receptors, whereby one activates the other. We show that the intracellular juxtamembrane segment of the receptor, known to potentiate kinase activity, is able to dimerize the kinase domains. The C-terminal half of the juxtamembrane segment latches the activated kinase domain to the activator, and the N-terminal half of this segment further potentiates dimerization, most likely by forming an antiparallel helical dimer that engages the transmembrane helices of the activated receptor. Our data are consistent with a mechanism in which the extracellular domains block the intrinsic ability of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains to dimerize and activate, with ligand binding releasing this block. The formation of the activating juxtamembrane latch is prevented by the C-terminal tails in a new structure of an inactive kinase domain dimer, suggesting how alternative dimers can prevent ligand-independent activation.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II (CaMKII) is unique among protein kinases for its dodecameric assembly and its complex response to Ca2+. The crystal structure of the autoinhibited kinase domain of CaMKII, determined at 1.8 A resolution, reveals an unexpected dimeric organization in which the calmodulin-responsive regulatory segments form a coiled-coil strut that blocks peptide and ATP binding to the otherwise intrinsically active kinase domains. A threonine residue in the regulatory segment, which when phosphorylated renders CaMKII calmodulin independent, is held apart from the catalytic sites by the organization of the dimer. This ensures a strict Ca2+ dependence for initial activation. The structure of the kinase dimer, when combined with small-angle X-ray scattering data for the holoenzyme, suggests that inactive CaMKII forms tightly packed autoinhibited assemblies that convert upon activation into clusters of loosely tethered and independent kinase domains.

ZAP-70, a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase required for T cell antigen receptor signaling, is controlled by a regulatory segment that includes a tandem SH2 unit responsible for binding to immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs). The crystal structure of autoinhibited ZAP-70 reveals that the inactive kinase domain adopts a conformation similar to that of cyclin-dependent kinases and Src kinases. The autoinhibitory mechanism of ZAP-70 is, however, distinct and involves interactions between the regulatory segment and the hinge region of the kinase domain that reduce its flexibility. Two tyrosine residues in the SH2-kinase linker that activate ZAP-70 when phosphorylated are involved in aromatic-aromatic interactions that connect the linker to the kinase domain. These interactions are inconsistent with ITAM binding, suggesting that destabilization of this autoinhibited ZAP-70 conformation is the first step in kinase activation.

SUMMARY ISWI-family enzymes remodel chromatin by sliding nucleosomes along DNA, but the nucleosome translocation mechanism remains unclear. Here we use single-molecule FRET to probe nucleosome translocation by ISWI-family remodelers. Distinct ISWI-family members translocate nucleosomes with a similar stepping pattern maintained by the catalytic subunit of the enzyme. Nucleosome remodeling begins with a 7-bp step of DNA translocation followed by 3-bp subsequent steps towards the exit side of nucleosomes. These multi-bp, compound steps are comprised of 1-bp substeps. DNA movement on the entry side of the nucleosome occurs only after 7 bp of exit-side translocation and each entry-side step draws in a 3-bp equivalent of DNA that allows three additional base pairs to be moved to the exit side. Our results suggest a remodeling mechanism with precise coordination at different nucleosomal sites featuring DNA translocation towards the exit side in 1-bp steps preceding multi-bp steps of DNA movement on the entry side.

The dodecameric holoenzyme of calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) responds to high-frequency Ca(2+) pulses to become Ca(2+) independent. A simple coincidence-detector model for Ca(2+)-frequency dependency assumes noncooperative activation of kinase domains. We show that activation of CaMKII by Ca(2+)-calmodulin is cooperative, with a Hill coefficient of approximately 3.0, implying sequential kinase-domain activation beyond dimeric units. We present data for a model in which cooperative activation includes the intersubunit 'capture' of regulatory segments. Such a capture interaction is seen in a crystal structure that shows extensive contacts between the regulatory segment of one kinase and the catalytic domain of another. These interactions are mimicked by a natural inhibitor of CaMKII. Our results show that a simple coincidence-detection model cannot be operative and point to the importance of kinetic dissection of the frequency-response mechanism in future experiments.

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ADP-ribosylation, a modification of proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites, confers broad functions, including roles in stress responses elicited for example by DNA damage and viral infection and is involved in intra-and extracellular signaling, chromatin and transcriptional regulation, protein biosynthesis and cell death. ADP-ribosylation is catalyzed by ADPribosyltransferases, which transfer ADP-ribose from NAD + onto substrates. The modification, which occurs as mono-or poly-ADP-ribosylation, is reversible due to the action of different ADPribosylhydrolases. Importantly, inhibitors of ADP-ribosyltransferases are approved or are being developed for clinical use. Moreover, ADP-ribosylhydrolases are being assessed as therapeutic targets, foremost as anti-viral drugs and for oncological indications. Due to the development of novel reagents and major technological advances that allow the study of ADP-ribosylation in unprecedented detail, an increasing number of cellular processes and pathways are being

The tyrosine ZAP-70 (zeta-associated protein of 70 kDa) kinase plays a critical role in activating many downstream signal transduction pathways in T cells following T-cell receptor (TCR) engagement. The importance of ZAP-70 is evidenced by the severe combined immunodeficiency that occurs in ZAP-70-deficient mice and humans. In this review, we describe recent analyses of the ZAP-70 crystal structure, revealing a complex regulatory mechanism of ZAP-70 activity, the differential requirements for ZAP-70 and spleen tyrosine kinase (SyK) in early T-cell development, as well as the role of ZAP-70 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and autoimmunity. Thus, the critical importance of ZAP-70 in TCR signaling and its predominantly T-cell-restricted expression pattern make ZAP-70 an attractive drug target for the inhibition of pathological T-cell responses in disease.