Molecular Characterization of an Anchor Protein (AKAPCE) That Binds the RI Subunit (RCE) of Type I Protein Kinase A from Caenorhabditis elegans

Classical A kinase anchor proteins (AKAPs) preferentially tether type II protein kinase A (PKAII) isoforms to sites in the cytoskeleton and organelles. It is not known if distinct proteins selectively sequester regulatory (R) subunits of type I PKAs, thereby diversifying functions of these critical enzymes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, a single type I PKA mediates all aspects of cAMP signaling. We have discovered a cDNA that encodes a binding protein (AKAPCE) for the regulatory subunit (RCE) of C. elegans PKAICE. AKAPCE is a novel, highly acidic RING finger protein composed of 1,280 amino acids. It binds RI-like RCE with high affinity and neither RIIalpha nor RIIbeta competitively inhibits formation of AKAPCE.RCE complexes. The RCE-binding site was mapped to a segment of 20 amino acids in an N-terminal region of AKAPCE. Several hydrophobic residues in the binding site align with essential Leu and Ile residues in the RII-selective tethering domain of prototypic mammalian AKAPs. However, the RCE-binding region in AKAPCE diverges sharply from consensus RII-binding sites by inclusion of three aromatic amino acids, exclusion of a highly conserved Leu or Ile at position 8 and replacement of C-terminal hydrophobic amino acids with basic residues. AKAPCE.RCE complexes accumulate in intact cells.