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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

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PIP-on-a-chip: A Label-free Study of Protein-phosphoinositide Interactions
Published on: July 27, 2017
PI 3-kinase: structural and functional analysis of intersubunit interactions
The EMBO Journal
|February 1, 1994
Summary
Researchers identified specific binding sites between the p85 regulatory subunit and the p110 catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase). This interaction is crucial for PI 3-kinase complex formation and regulation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Signaling
- Protein Interactions
Background:
- Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is a critical enzyme in cellular signaling pathways.
- PI 3-kinase comprises regulatory (p85) and catalytic (p110) subunits.
- The p85 subunit contains SH2 domains that mediate interactions with activated tyrosine kinase receptors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the molecular basis of the interaction between p85 and p110 subunits of PI 3-kinase.
- To identify the specific amino acid regions responsible for mediating this intersubunit binding.
- To understand the structural implications of this interaction for PI 3-kinase regulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins to map binding sites on the p85 subunit.
- Employed deletion mutants of the p85 inter-SH2 region to define the minimal binding sequence.
- Performed transient expression of mutant p85 alpha in mouse L cells to assess in vivo binding.
- Mapped the complementary interaction site on the N-terminal region of the p110 subunit.
Main Results:
- Identified a 104-amino acid region within the p85 inter-SH2 domain that directly binds p110.
- Further refined the p85 binding site to a 35-amino acid sequence.
- Demonstrated that a mutant p85 alpha lacking this binding region cannot associate with PI 3-kinase activity in vivo.
- Localized the p110 binding site to an 88-amino acid region in its N-terminus, mediating interaction with both p85 alpha and p85 beta.
- Predicted a coiled-coil structure for the p85 inter-SH2 region.
Conclusions:
- The inter-SH2 region of p85 is a key module for binding the p110 catalytic subunit.
- Specific amino acid sequences within p85 and p110 mediate their stable complex formation.
- The structural prediction of the p85 inter-SH2 region provides insight into subunit interactions.
- Understanding these interactions is vital for comprehending PI 3-kinase complex regulation and function.
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