IMR Press / FBL / Volume 27 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2702053
Open Access Original Research
PKG II secreted via the classical endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi apparatus secretory pathway blocks the activation of EGFR through phosporalting its threonine 406 and has an anti-tumor effect
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1 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 212013 Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
2 Analytical and Testing Center, Nanjing Medical University, 211166 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
3 Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, 210009 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
4 Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, 211166 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
*Correspondence: 1000007247@ujs.edu.cn (Yongchang Chen); wuyan81@ujs.edu.cn; jsdxwuyan@163.com (Yan Wu)
These authors contributed equally.
Academic Editors: Zahid Pranjol and Georgios Giamas
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2022, 27(2), 53; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2702053
Submitted: 18 December 2021 | Revised: 17 January 2022 | Accepted: 19 January 2022 | Published: 11 February 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Protein kinase G type II (PKG II) is a serine/threonine-protein kinase that was originally isolated from the small intestinal mucosa with primary functions in the secretion of small intestinal mucosal cells, secretion of renin and aldosterone, and chondrocyte activities. Recent studies have shown that PKG II exerts anti-tumor effects, while a previous study by our group confirmed that PKG II inhibited the proliferation and migration of cancer cells. Interestingly, PKG II, which was typically bound to the intracellular side of the membrane, was detected in the serum and cell culture medium as a diagnostic biomarker of tumor growth. Thus, the aim of the present study was to elucidate the function and the targets of PKG II, and the mechanism underlying the secretion of this kinase. Methods: Construction of peptides and plasmids, RNA interference, Immunoelectron microscopy, Co-immunoprecipitation, N-glycosylation assay and Isolation of the Golgi apparatus were applied to investigate the secretory mechanism, and the targets and function of PKG II. Results: PKG II was secreted by enterochromaffin (EC) cells, which were components of the endocrine system in the gastrointestinal tract. Myristoylation of glycine 2 and the N-terminal sequence, especially the amino acids 3–30, acted as a signal peptide to induce the secretion of PKG II via the conventional protein secretory pathway. Moreover, recombinant PKG II inhibited the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced activation of the EGF receptor via phosphorylating the T406 of the extracellular domain and blocked EGF-triggered proliferation of various cancer cells. Conclusions: These results revealed a correlation between the endocrine system and the secretion of protein kinase, suggesting a novel protein secretory pathway. The resuls also indicated that secreted PKG II was a potential diagnostic biomarker and an inhibitor of tumor.

Keywords
enterochromaffin cells
protein kinase G type II
protein secretion
epidermal growth factor receptor
threonine 406
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