Autoinhibition of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) and activation by soluble inositol hexakisphosphate
Abstract
Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk), a Tec-family tyrosine kinase, is essential for B-cell function. We present crystallographic and biochemical analyses of Btk, which together reveal molecular details of its autoinhibition and activation. Autoinhibited Btk adopts a compact conformation like that of inactive c-Src and c-Abl. A lipid-binding PH-TH module, unique to Tec kinases, acts in conjunction with the SH2 and SH3 domains to stabilize the inactive conformation. In addition to the expected activation of Btk by membranes containing phosphatidylinositol triphosphate (PIP3), we found that inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6), a soluble signaling molecule found in both animal and plant cells, also activates Btk. This activation is a consequence of a transient PH-TH dimerization induced by IP6, which promotes transphosphorylation of the kinase domains. Sequence comparisons with other Tec-family kinases suggest that activation by IP6 is unique to Btk.
Article and author information
Author details
Reviewing Editor
- Philip A Cole, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
Version history
- Received: December 13, 2014
- Accepted: February 19, 2015
- Accepted Manuscript published: February 20, 2015 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: April 2, 2015 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2015, Wang et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Further reading
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- Biochemistry and Chemical Biology
- Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics
Bruton's tyrosine kinase, an enzyme that is important for B cell function, can be activated in a number of ways.
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- Biochemistry and Chemical Biology
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