Mechanism of protein kinase CK2 association with nuclear matrix: Role of disulfide bond formation

Nuclear matrix (NM) appears to be an intranuclear locale for significant and dynamic association of the ubiquitous multifunctional messenger- independent serine/threonine protein kinase CK2 that has been implicated in growth control [Tawfic et al. (1996): J Cell Biochem 61:165-171]. We have examined the nature of the association of CK2 with the NM. Nuclei prepared in the presence of a sulfhydryl-blocking reagent such as iodoacetamide demonstrate a reduction in the amount of CK2 associated with the NM to less than 5% of the control. On the other hand, when nuclei are treated with the sulfhydryl crosslinking reagent sodium tetrathionate, NM-associated CK2 increases severalfold. Treatment of nuclei with sodium tetrathionate followed by 2-mercaptoethanol blocks this increase. Nuclei isolated from rat liver and prostate behaved similarly, suggesting an identical mode of association of CK2 with the NM regardless of the organ. These results indicate a role of sulfhydryl interactions such that NM anchoring of CK2 occurs via its β subunit, which contains several vicinal cysteine residues. Further, various sulfhydryl-blocking reagents inhibited CK2 activity in a concentration- dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect was reversed by agents such as dithiothreitol, implying that cysteine residues in the CK2 play a role in its catalytic activity.