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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Measurements of Physiological Stress Responses in C. Elegans
Published on: May 21, 2020
Structural basis of a redox-dependent conformational switch that regulates the stress kinase p38α
Joan Pous1, Blazej Baginski1,2, Pau Martin-Malpartida1
1Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Many functional aspects of the protein kinase p38α have been illustrated by more than three hundred structures determined in the presence of reducing agents. These structures correspond to free forms and complexes with activators, substrates, and inhibitors. Here we report the conformation of an oxidized state with an intramolecular disulfide bond between Cys119 and Cys162 that is conserved in vertebrates. The structure of the oxidized state does not affect the conformation of the catalytic site, but alters the docking groove by partially unwinding and displacing the short αD helix due to the movement of Cys119 towards Cys162. The transition between oxidized and reduced conformations provides a mechanism for fine-tuning p38α activity as a function of redox conditions, beyond its activation loop phosphorylation. Moreover, the conformational equilibrium between these redox forms reveals an unexplored cleft for p38α inhibitor design that we describe in detail.
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