Structural basis for PTPA interaction with the invariant C-terminal tail of PP2A

Biol Chem. 2014 Jul;395(7-8):881-9. doi: 10.1515/hsz-2014-0106.

Abstract

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a highly abundant heterotrimeric Ser/Thr phosphatase involved in the regulation of a variety of signaling pathways. The PP2A phosphatase activator (PTPA) is an ATP-dependent activation chaperone, which plays a key role in the biogenesis of active PP2A. The C-terminal tail of the catalytic subunit of PP2A is highly conserved and can undergo a number of posttranslational modifications that serve to regulate the function of PP2A. Here we have studied structurally the interaction of PTPA with the conserved C-terminal tail of the catalytic subunit carrying different posttranslational modifications. We have identified an additional interaction site for the invariant C-terminal tail of the catalytic subunit on PTPA, which can be modulated via posttranslational modifications. We show that phosphorylation of Tyr307(PP2A-C) or carboxymethylation of Leu309(PP2A-C) abrogates or diminishes binding of the C-terminal tail, whereas phosphorylation of Thr304(PP2A-C) is of no consequence. We suggest that the invariant C-terminal residues of the catalytic subunit can act as affinity enhancer for different PP2A interaction partners, including PTPA, and a different 'code' of posttranslational modifications can favour interactions to one subunit over others.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / chemistry
  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Biocatalysis
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / chemistry
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Phosphatase 2 / chemistry*
  • Protein Phosphatase 2 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases
  • Protein Phosphatase 2
  • PTPA protein, human