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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Studying RNA Interactors of Protein Kinase RNA-Activated during the Mammalian Cell Cycle
Published on: March 5, 2019
Control of PKA stability and signalling by the RING ligase praja2
Luca Lignitto1, Annalisa Carlucci, Maria Sepe
1Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare L. Califano, Universitá Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Abstract:
Activation of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mobilizes compartmentalized pulses of cyclic AMP. The main cellular effector of cAMP is protein kinase A (PKA), which is assembled as an inactive holoenzyme consisting of two regulatory (R) and two catalytic (PKAc) subunits. cAMP binding to R subunits dissociates the holoenzyme and releases the catalytic moiety, which phosphorylates a wide array of cellular proteins. Reassociation of PKAc and R components terminates the signal. Here we report that the RING ligase praja2 controls the stability of mammalian R subunits. Praja2 forms a stable complex with, and is phosphorylated by, PKA. Rising cAMP levels promote praja2-mediated ubiquitylation and subsequent proteolysis of compartmentalized R subunits, leading to sustained substrate phosphorylation by the activated kinase. Praja2 is required for efficient nuclear cAMP signalling and for PKA-mediated long-term memory. Thus, praja2 regulates the total concentration of R subunits, tuning the strength and duration of PKA signal output in response to cAMP.
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