Polycystic kidney diseases (PKD) are disorders characterised by large numbers of cysts distributed throughout grossly-enlarged kidneys. Cystdevelopment is associated with impairment of kidney function, and ultimately kidney failure and death [, ]. Most cases of autosomal dominant PKD result from mutations in the PKD1 gene that cause premature protein termination. A second gene for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease has been identified by positional cloning []. The predicted 968-amino acid sequence of the PKD2 gene product (polycystin-2) contains 6 transmembrane domains, with intracellular N- and C-termini. Polycystin-2 shares some similarity with the family of voltage-activated calcium (and sodium) channels, and contains a potential calcium-binding domain [].Polycystin-2 is strongly expressed in ovary, foetal and adult kidney, testis, and small intestine. Polycystin-1 requires the presence of this protein for stable expression and is believed to interact with it via its C terminus. All mutations between exons 1 and 11 result in a truncated polycystin-2 that lacks a calcium-binding EF-hand domain and the cytoplasmic domains required for the interaction of polycystin-2 with polycystin-1 []. PKD2, although clinically milder than PKD1, has a deleterious impact on life expectancy.This entry contains proteins belonging to the polycystin family including Mucolipin and Polycystin-1 and -2 (PKD1 and PKD2). The domain contains the cation channel region of PKD1 and PKD2 proteins. PKD1 and PKD2 may function through a common signalling pathway that is necessary for normal tubulogenesis. The PKD2 gene product has six transmembrane spans with intracellular amino- and carboxyl-termini [].Mucolipin is a cationic channel which probably plays a role in the endocytic pathway and in the control of membrane trafficking of proteins and lipids. It could play a major role in the calcium ion transport regulating lysosomal exocytosis [, , ].
The REJ (Receptor for Egg Jelly) domain is found in PKD1 and the sperm receptor for egg jelly []. The exact function of this domain is unknown. The domain is 600 amino acids long so is probably composed of multiple structural domains. There are six completely conserved cysteine residues that may form disulphide bridges. This region contains tandem PKD-like domains.Sequence similarity between a region of the autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) protein, polycystin-1 and a sea urchin sperm glycoprotein involved in fertilization, the receptor for egg jelly (suREJ) has been known for some time. The suREJ protein binds the glycoprotein coat of the egg (egg jelly), triggering the acrosomereaction, which transforms the sperm into a fusogenic cell. The sequence similarity and expression pattern suggests that the predicted human PKDREJ protein is a mammalian equivalent of the suREJ protein and therefore may have a central role in human fertilization [].
The polycystic kidney disease (PKD) domain is an 80-90 amino acid module originally found in 16 copies in the extracellular segment of polycystin-1, a large cell surface glycoprotein. Polycystin-1 is encoded by the PKD1 gene, which is mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).Although its function is unknown, it may be involved in protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions based on its predicted domain structure. One or more copies of the PKD domain are also found in several other extracellular proteins from higher organisms, eubacteria, and archaebacteria. Singles copies of the PKD domain are found in the melanocytes heavily glycosylated cell-surface proteins Pmel 17, MMP and Nmp. Some bacterial collagenases and proteases also contain a single PKD domain adjacent to their catalytic domains, whereas four copies are present in the heavily glycosylated surface layer protein of archaebacteria []. The PKD modules are often observed, within a same protein sequence, in association with FnIII domains [].The most conserved motif is the WDFGDGS sequence that is found in the central part of many PKD domains and could play a structural role [, ]. Determination of the solution structure of the first PKD domain from human polycystin-1 has shown that the module is built from two β-sheet, one of three strands and one of four strands, which are packed face-to-face [].
Protein phosphorylation, which plays a key role in most cellular activities, is a reversible process mediated by protein kinases and phosphoprotein phosphatases. Protein kinases catalyse the transfer of the gamma phosphate from nucleotide triphosphates (often ATP) to one or more amino acid residues in a protein substrate side chain, resulting in a conformational change affecting protein function. Phosphoprotein phosphatases catalyse the reverse process. Protein kinases fall into three broad classes, characterised with respect to substrate specificity []:Serine/threonine-protein kinasesTyrosine-protein kinasesDual specificity protein kinases (e.g. MEK - phosphorylates both Thr and Tyr on target proteins)Protein kinase function is evolutionarily conserved from Escherichia coli to human []. Protein kinases play a role in a multitude of cellular processes, including division, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation []. Phosphorylation usually results in a functional change of the target protein by changing enzyme activity, cellular location, or association with other proteins. The catalytic subunits of protein kinases are highly conserved, and several structures have been solved [], leading to large screens to develop kinase-specific inhibitors for the treatments of a number of diseases [].The protein kinase D family of enzymes consists of three isoforms: PKD1 (PKCmu), PKD2, and PKD3 (PKCnu). They all share a similar architecture with regulatory sub-domains that play specific roles in the activation, translocation and function of the enzymes. The PKD enzymes have recently been implicated in very diverse cellular functions, including Golgi organisation and plasma membrane directed transport, metastasis, immune responses, apoptosis and cell proliferation []. Each isoform is differentially regulated through phosphorylation [].
Polycystic kidney diseases (PKD) are disorders characterised by large numbers of cysts distributed throughout grossly-enlarged kidneys. Cystdevelopment is associated with impairment of kidney function, and ultimately kidney failure and death [, ]. Most cases of autosomal dominant PKD result from mutations in the PKD1 gene that cause premature protein termination. A second gene for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease has been identified by positional cloning []. The predicted 968-amino acid sequence of the PKD2 gene product (polycystin-2) contains 6 transmembrane domains, with intracellular N- and C-termini. Polycystin-2 shares some similarity with the family of voltage-activated calcium (and sodium) channels, and contains a potential calcium-binding domain [].Polycystin-2 is strongly expressed in ovary, foetal and adult kidney, testis, and small intestine. Polycystin-1 requires the presence of this protein for stable expression and is believed to interact with it via its C terminus. All mutations between exons 1 and 11 result in a truncated polycystin-2 that lacks a calcium-binding EF-hand domain and the cytoplasmic domains required for the interaction of polycystin-2 with polycystin-1 []. PKD2, although clinically milder than PKD1, has a deleterious impact on life expectancy.
The polycystic kidney disease (PKD) domain is an 80-90 amino acid module originally found in 16 copies in the extracellular segment of polycystin-1, a large cell surface glycoprotein. Polycystin-1 is encoded by the PKD1 gene, which is mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).Although its function is unknown, it may be involved in protein-protein and protein-carbohydrate interactions based on its predicted domain structure. One or more copies of the PKD domain are also found in several other extracellular proteins from higher organisms, eubacteria, and archaebacteria. Singles copies of the PKD domain are found in the melanocytes heavily glycosylated cell-surface proteins Pmel 17, MMP and Nmp. Some bacterial collagenases and proteases also contain a single PKD domain adjacent to their catalytic domains, whereas four copies are present in the heavily glycosylated surface layer protein of archaebacteria []. The PKD modules are often observed, within a same protein sequence, in association with FnIII domains [].The most conserved motif is the WDFGDGS sequence that is found in the central part of many PKD domains and could play a structural role [, ]. Determination of the solution structure of the first PKD domain from human polycystin-1 has shown that the module is built from two β-sheet, one of three strands and one of four strands, which are packed face-to-face [].
