Identification and characterization of PS-GAP as a novel regulator of caspase-activated PAK-2

J Biol Chem. 2004 Dec 17;279(51):53653-64. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M410530200. Epub 2004 Oct 7.

Abstract

p21-activated protein kinase (PAK)-2 is a member of the PAK family of serine/threonine kinases. PAKs are activated by the p21 G-proteins Rac and Cdc42 in response to a variety of extracellular signals and act in pathways controlling cell growth, shape, motility, survival, and death. PAK-2 is unique among the PAK family members because it is also activated through proteolytic cleavage by caspase-3 or similar proteases to generate the constitutively active PAK-2p34 fragment. Activation of full-length PAK-2 by Rac or Cdc42 stimulates cell survival and protects cells from cell death, whereas caspase-activated PAK-2p34 induces a cell death response. Caspase-activated PAK-2p34 is rapidly degraded by the 26 S proteasome, but full-length PAK-2 is not. Stabilization of PAK-2p34 by preventing its polyubiquitination and degradation results in a dramatic stimulation of cell death. Although many proteins have been shown to interact with and regulate full-length PAK-2, little is known about the regulation of caspase-activated PAK-2p34. Here, we identify PS-GAP as a regulator of caspase-activated PAK-2p34. PS-GAP is a GTPase-activating protein for Cdc42 and RhoA that was originally identified by its interaction with the tyrosine kinase PYK-2. PS-GAP interacts specifically with caspase-activated PAK-2p34, but not active or inactive full-length PAK-2, through a region between the GAP and SH3 domains. The interaction with PS-GAP inhibits the protein kinase activity of PAK-2p34 and changes the localization of PAK-2p34 from the nucleus to the perinuclear region. Furthermore, PS-GAP decreases the stimulation of cell death induced by stabilization of PAK-2p34.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Blotting, Western
  • Caspase 3
  • Caspases / metabolism*
  • Cell Death
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Survival
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Genetic Variation
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / chemistry
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Transfection
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism
  • p21-Activated Kinases

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Ubiquitin
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Glutathione Transferase
  • PAK2 protein, human
  • Pak2 protein, mouse
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • p21-Activated Kinases
  • CASP3 protein, human
  • Casp3 protein, mouse
  • Caspase 3
  • Caspases
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
  • ATP dependent 26S protease
  • cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY179965
  • GENBANK/AY179966
  • GENBANK/AY179967