Abstract
The quantitative model of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) function states that cyclins temporally order cell cycle events at different CDK activity levels, or thresholds. The model lacks a mechanistic explanation, as it is not understood how different thresholds are encoded into substrates. We show that a multisite phosphorylation code governs the phosphorylation of CDK targets and that phosphorylation clusters act as timing tags that trigger specific events at different CDK thresholds. Using phospho-degradable CDK threshold sensors with rationally encoded phosphorylation patterns, we were able to predictably program thresholds over the entire range of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle. We defined three levels of CDK multisite phosphorylation encoding: (i) serine−threonine swapping in phosphorylation sites, (ii) patterning of phosphorylation sites, and (iii) cyclin-specific docking combined with modulation of CDK activity. Thus, CDK can signal via hundreds of differentially encoded targets at precise times to provide a temporally ordered phosphorylation pattern required for cell division.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank D. Morgan, P. Pryciak, D. Kellogg, M. Kõivomägi, and J. Skotheim for valuable comments on the manuscript. We thank M. Peter (ETH Zürich) for providing NES-Cdc4 construct and J. Mihhejev for technical assistance. The work was supported by ERC Consolidator Grant 649124 and Estonian Science Agency grants Nr. IUT2–21 and PRG550 to M.L.
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M.Ö. and M.L. directed the study. M.Ö., K.M., A.A., R.V., and I.F. cloned the constructs and made the strains. M.Ö., R.K. and E.V. purified the proteins. M.Ö. performed the microscopy and in vitro kinase experiments, M.Ö., K.M., and A.A. performed the western blotting. M.Ö. and M.L. wrote the manuscript.
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Supplementary Figure 1 Quantification of sensor-GFP dynamics and analysis of sensor phosphorylation by western blotting.
(a, b) Plots showing examples of degradation timing and duration quantification for an early sensor (WT RxL in ‘a’) and a late sensor (T33+4 in ‘b’). To determine the sensor degradation timing and duration values for individual cells, the nuclear fluorescence levels of the sensor-GFP were plotted over time and fitted with a Gaussian function. Timing denotes the time from 50% nuclear exit of Whi5-mCherry in late G1 to sensor levels dropping to 50% of peak level. Degradation duration marks the time of sensor level decreasing from 80% to 20%. (c) Western blot images that show multisite phosphorylation and degradation of the threshold sensors (described in Fig. 1h) in the cell cycle. Cells were arrested in G1 using pheromone and released to cell cycle. The lysates were separated using Phos-tag SDS-PAGE. Source Data.
Supplementary Figure 2 Cdk1 thresholds based on serine-threonine swapping in phosphorylation sites.
(a) Degradation duration values for the indicated sensors in single cells. The numbers above the plot show the mean values for each sensor, the error bars are 95% CI of the mean. (b) Multisite phosphorylation and degradation dynamics of the 5SP-3TP and 5TP-3SP sensors were analyzed by western blotting of synchronized cultures. The cells were arrested in G1 using pheromone arrest and released to cell cycle. The lysates were separated using Phos-tag SDS-PAGE, the western blot images are shown. (c) Degradation duration values for individual cells expressing the indicated sensors. The numbers above the plot show the mean values for each sensor, the error bars are 95% CI of the mean. (d) Plots showing the mean nuclear levels of the indicated threshold sensors in wild-type and Cdc55 non-expressing strain backgrounds. (e, f) Timing and degradation duration values for individual cells of the wild-type and cdc55 strain backgrounds. The numbers above the plot show the mean values for each sensor, the error bars are 95% CI. Source Data.
Supplementary Figure 3 Localization and quantitative expression profiles of cyclins.
The localization and levels of cyclin-Citrine fusion proteins were followed in unperturbed cell cycles of single cells using time-lapse microscopy. (a) Images from fluorescent channels fused with phase-contrast images show the nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of Whi5-mCherry and the expression of indicated cyclin-Citrine fusion proteins. Images were taken every 3 minutes. The export of 50% of Whi5-mCherry at Start takes place at time 0 in the cell marked with an asterisk. (b) The times of cyclin-Citrine nuclear levels reaching 50% of their peak levels after Start in single cells. (c) Peak nuclear fluorescence intensities of cyclin-Citrine fusion proteins in the cell cycle in individual cells. The error bars in ‘b’ and ‘c’ show 95% CI of the mean. Source Data.
Supplementary Figure 4 Cyclin docking motifs and cyclin hydrophobic patch control the degradation timing of the CDK threshold sensors.
(a–c) Plots showing the degradation duration of indicated sensors in individual cells. The numbers above the plots show mean degradation durations, the error bars show 95% CI. (d) The dynamics of the mean ±SEM intensities of threshold sensors based on T33(+4) with or without RxL motif in wild-type or clb5(hpm) clb3(hpm) cells from Start. (e, f) Similar plots as in ‘d’ showing the effect of PxF motif in the threshold sensors based on T33(+4) in wild-type or clb3(hpm) cells, and the LxF motif in wild-type or clb2(hpm) cells. (g-i) Plots showing the 50% degradation timing values for individual cells of the strains presented on the graphs ‘d-f’. The error bars show 95% CI of the mean. (j-l) Plots showing the degradation duration values for individual cells of the strains presented on the graphs ‘d-f’. (m-q) Quantified phosphorylation signals from the in vitro kinase assays presented in Figure 3 ‘i’. The error bars show standard deviation. Source Data.
Supplementary Figure 5 Comparison of phosphorylation and degradation of threshold sensors in the nucleus and cytoplasm.
(a) Cytoplasmic fluorescence intensities of cyclins fused to Citrine averaged over a population of cells synchronized at the time of 50% of Whi5 nuclear export in late G1. See also Supplementary Fig 3a. The graph shows mean ±SEM. (b) The time of cyclin-Citrine cytoplasmic levels reaching 50% of peak levels after Start in single cells. The error bars show 95% CI of the mean. (c) Peak cytoplasmic fluorescence intensities of cyclin-Citrine fusion proteins in the cell cycle of individual cells. The error bars show 95% CI of the mean. (d) Diagrams of the threshold sensors used in ‘e’ and ‘h’. (e) Graph showing the dynamics of the threshold sensors with NES and different cyclin-specific docking motifs. Plot shows mean ±SEM. (f, g) Cells expressing the wild-type threshold sensor without cyclin docking motifs under the ADH1 promoter from pRS315 vector were synchronized in G1 using pheromone arrest and released to cell cycle. Western blot images that show the multisite phosphorylation and degradation of the sensor with either NLS or NES. The proteins were separated using Phos-tag SDS-PAGE. (h) Graphs showing the mean intensities of the indicated cytoplasmic threshold sensors. The error bars are ±SEM. Source Data.
Supplementary Figure 6 Multisite phosphorylation code in ordering of CDK substrate phosphorylation.
(a, b) Graphs showing the dynamics of an intermediate (T33(+4)) and late (T5S T33S) threshold sensors with and without S-CDK- (RxL) and M-CDK-specific (LxF) docking motifs. The plot shows mean nuclear fluorescence intensities of the sensors, the error bars are ±SEM. Due to the poor intrinsic activity of S-CDK compared to M-CDK, the compensatory effect of docking motifs of the intermediate and late sensors is different. (c) The degradation timing from Start of indicated sensors containing different number of phosphorylation sites in single cells. (d) The degradation duration of the sensors in individual cells. (e) The timing of degradation of 50% of the indicated sensors from Start in single cells. In ‘c-e’, the numbers above the plot show mean values for each sensor, the error bars are 95% CI of the mean. (f) Full set of differentially encoded CDK threshold sensors used in this study covering the entire span of the cell cycle are plotted relatively to Start as t=0 (50% Whi5-mCherry nuclear exit). The plot shows mean nuclear levels of the sensors. (g) The barcodes showing predicted phosphorylation sites and potential cyclin docking motifs in disordered regions of a selected set of Cdk1 targets with different degrees of docking connectivity. The arrows below each substrate are the predicted Cks1-mediated connections and the arrows above each substrate show cyclin docking mediated phosphorylation of indicated sites. Source Data.
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Supplementary Figures 1–6, Supplementary Notes 1–8, Supplementary Data Set 1
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Örd, M., Möll, K., Agerova, A. et al. Multisite phosphorylation code of CDK. Nat Struct Mol Biol 26, 649–658 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-019-0256-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-019-0256-4
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