Home Blog of Signal Transduction PI3K/Akt/mTOR Akt Optogenetic clustering of CNK1 reveals mechanistic insights in RAF and AKT signalling controlling cell fate decisions

Category

Archives

Popular Post

ESKM, a novel therapeutic agent for sensitive and resistant PH+ leukemias

The mechanism of resistance to JAK2 inhibitor in myeloproliferative neoplasms patients

Effects of PARP inhibitors in BRCA gene-mutated ovarian cancer

DASATINIB; An inhibitor of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase

GP130/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway induces multiple myeloma

Optogenetic clustering of CNK1 reveals mechanistic insights in RAF and AKT signalling controlling cell fate decisions

Scaffold proteins such as the multidomain protein CNK1 orchestrate the signalling network by integrating and controlling the underlying pathways. Using an optogenetic approach to stimulate CNK1 uncoupled from upstream effectors, we identified selective clusters of CNK1 that either stimulate RAF-MEK-ERK or AKT signalling depending on the light intensity applied. OptoCNK1 implemented in MCF7 cells induces differentiation at low light intensity stimulating ERK activity whereas stimulation of AKT signalling by higher light intensity promotes cell proliferation. CNK1 clustering in response to increasing EGF concentrations revealed that CNK1 binds to RAF correlating with ERK activation at low EGF dose. At higher EGF dose active AKT binds to CNK1 and phosphorylates and inhibits RAF. Knockdown of CNK1 protects CNK1 from this AKT/RAF crosstalk. In C2 skeletal muscle cells CNK1 expression is induced with the onset of differentiation. Hence, AKT-bound CNK1 counteracts ERK stimulation in differentiated but not in proliferating cells. Ectopically expressed CNK1 facilitates C2 cell differentiation and knockdown of CNK1 impaired the transcriptional network underlying C2 cell differentiation. Thus, CNK1 expression, CNK1 clustering and the thereto related differential signalling processes decide on proliferation and differentiation in a cell type- and cell stage-dependent manner by orchestrating AKT and RAF signalling.

Related Products

Cat.No. Product Name Information
S1558 AT7867 AT7867 is a potent ATP-competitive inhibitor of Akt1/2/3 and p70S6K/PKA with IC50 of 32 nM/17 nM/47 nM and 85 nM/20 nM in cell-free assays, respectively; little activity outside the AGC kinase family.

Related Targets

Akt S6 Kinase