Abstract
The diffusible second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) originates from multiple G
protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) cascades activating the intracellular key
effector protein kinase A (PKA). Spatially and temporally restricted cAMP-fluxes
are directly sensed by macromolecular PKA complexes. The consequences are
alterations of molecular interactions, which lead to activation of
compartmentalized PKA phosphotransferase activities, regulating a vast array of
cellular functions. To decode cell-type and cell-compartment specific PKA
functions, the spatio-temporal dynamics of small molecule:protein interactions,
protein:protein interactions (PPIs), cAMP-mobilization, and phosphotransferase
activities need to be determined directly in the appropriate cellular context. A
collection of cell-based reporters has been developed to either visualize or
quantitatively measure kinase activities or PKA complex formation/dissociation.
In this review, we list a collection of unimolecular and bimolecular PKA
biosensors, followed by the specification of the modular design of a
Renilla luciferase based protein-fragment complementation assay (PCA)
platform for measuring PKA network interactions. We discuss the application
spectrum of the PCA reporter to identify, quantify, and dissect dynamic and
transient PKA complexes downstream of specific GPCR activities. We specify the
implementation of a PCA PKA platform to systematically quantify the concurrent
involvement of receptor-cAMP signaling, post-translational modifications, and
kinase subunit mutations/perturbations in PKA activation. The systematic
quantification of transient PKA network interactions will contribute to a better
understanding how GPCR-recognized input signals are streamlined through the
compartmentalized and cAMP-interacting PKA signalosome.
Key words
molecular interactions - post-translational modifications - biosensor - PPI reporter - signal transduction - signaling crosstalk