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Context-dependent regulation of Hox protein functions by CK2 phosphorylation sites

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Abstract

Variations in Hox protein sequences and functions have been proposed to contribute to evolutionary changes in appendage shape and number in crustaceans and insects. One model is that insect Hox proteins of the Ultrabithorax (UBX) ortholog class evolved increased abilities to repress Distal-less (Dll) transcription and appendage development in part through the loss of serine and threonine residues in casein kinase 2 (CK2) phosphorylation sites. To explore this possibility, we constructed and tested the appendage repression function of chimeric proteins with insertions of different CK2 consensus sites or phosphomimetics of CK2 sites in C-terminal regions of Drosophila melanogaster UBX. Our results indicate that CK2 sites C-terminal to the homeodomain can inhibit the appendage repression functions of UBX proteins, but only in the context of specific amino acid sequences. Our results, combined with previous findings on evolutionary changes in Hox protein, suggest how intra-protein regulatory changes can diversify Hox protein function, and thus animal morphology.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Rob White for providing antiserum directed against UBX protein, to Dave Kosman for the help with confocal microscopy and staining, and to the members of the McGinnis lab for intellectual and practical assistance in many areas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section in Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

    Cheryl Hsia & William McGinnis

  2. Neuroscience & Aging Research Center, The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, 10901 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA

    Ouarda Taghli-Lamallem

  3. The Healing Foundation Centre, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK

    Matthew Ronshaugen

Authors
  1. Ouarda Taghli-Lamallem
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  2. Cheryl Hsia
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  3. Matthew Ronshaugen
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  4. William McGinnis
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Correspondence to William McGinnis.

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Communicated by C. Desplan

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Taghli-Lamallem, O., Hsia, C., Ronshaugen, M. et al. Context-dependent regulation of Hox protein functions by CK2 phosphorylation sites. Dev Genes Evol 218, 321–332 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-008-0224-1

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