Extensive crosstalk between O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation regulates cytokinesis

Sci Signal. 2010 Jan 12;3(104):ra2. doi: 10.1126/scisignal.2000526.

Abstract

Like phosphorylation, the addition of O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAcylation) is a ubiquitous, reversible process that modifies serine and threonine residues on nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Overexpression of the enzyme that adds O-GlcNAc to target proteins, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), perturbs cytokinesis and promotes polyploidy, but the molecular targets of OGT that are important for its cell cycle functions are unknown. Here, we identify 141 previously unknown O-GlcNAc sites on proteins that function in spindle assembly and cytokinesis. Many of these O-GlcNAcylation sites are either identical to known phosphorylation sites or in close proximity to them. Furthermore, we found that O-GlcNAcylation altered the phosphorylation of key proteins associated with the mitotic spindle and midbody. Forced overexpression of OGT increased the inhibitory phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) and reduced the phosphorylation of CDK1 target proteins. The increased phosphorylation of CDK1 is explained by increased activation of its upstream kinase, MYT1, and by a concomitant reduction in the transcript for the CDK1 phosphatase, CDC25C. OGT overexpression also caused a reduction in both messenger RNA expression and protein abundance of Polo-like kinase 1, which is upstream of both MYT1 and CDC25C. The data not only illustrate the crosstalk between O-GlcNAcylation and phosphorylation of proteins that are regulators of crucial signaling pathways but also uncover a mechanism for the role of O-GlcNAcylation in regulation of cell division.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylglucosamine / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antigens, Nuclear / metabolism
  • Binding Sites / genetics
  • Blotting, Western
  • CDC2 Protein Kinase / genetics
  • CDC2 Protein Kinase / metabolism*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Centrosome / metabolism
  • Cytokinesis / genetics
  • Cytokinesis / physiology*
  • Glycosylation
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / genetics
  • N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins / metabolism
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Binding
  • Proteomics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction
  • Spindle Apparatus / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, Nuclear
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • EMSY protein, human
  • NUMA1 protein, human
  • NUP153 protein, human
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins
  • Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases
  • O-GlcNAc transferase
  • CDC2 Protein Kinase
  • Acetylglucosamine