Biology subjects

Ganji, R. S.

Publications and source records attributed to Ganji, R. S..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Molecular mechanisms behind the functional (non)redundancy of CK1 paralogs in the Wnt pathway

The casein kinase 1 (CK1) family of serine/threonine protein kinases consists of seven isoforms in humans. CK1 family members are important regulators of the Wnt/{beta}-catenin signaling pathway. Using a comprehensive panel of CRISPR/Cas9-generated knockout cell lines, we demonstrated the opposing roles of endogenous CK1 (negative, via phosphorylation of {beta}-catenin in the destruction complex) and CK1{delta}/{epsilon} (positive, via phosphorylation of DVL in the signalosome), while no phenotype was observed for CK1{gamma}1/2/3 triple knockout cells. Using in vitro kinase assays and TurboID-based interactomics, we revealed that this functional divergence between CK1 and CK1{epsilon} is not due to the intrinsically different capacity to phosphorylate {beta}-catenin or DVL but rather due to different affinities for the destruction complex and signalosome in the cellular environment. Through functional analysis of CK1-CK1{epsilon} chimeras containing both N-terminal and C-terminal domain swaps, we identified the N-terminal lobe of CK1 and the C-terminus of CK1{epsilon} as determinants mediating increased affinity towards the degradasome and signalosome, respectively. We further show that the CK1 N-lobe not only drives cellular activity toward {beta}-catenin but also underlies the CK1-specific interaction with the scaffolding protein SACK1G (also known as FAM83G and PAWS1). Additionally, despite clearly distinct physiological roles of CK1 and CK1{delta}/{epsilon}, we provide evidence that, in the absence of CK1, CK1{delta} and CK1{epsilon} can physically and functionally substitute for CK1 in the {beta}-catenin destruction complex. This rewires CK1{delta} and CK1{epsilon} as negative regulators acting via phosphorylation of {beta}-catenin in the destruction complex. These findings resolve prior contradictions by (i) clarifying context-dependent CK1 roles, (ii) identifying mechanistic determinants navigating CK1 and CK1{epsilon} to different substrates, and (iii) defining the limitations of these affinity-based subcellular distributions that become apparent especially in the physical absence of the physiological, high-affinity kinase. An important implication of our findings is the identification of a mechanism that changes the ultimate outcome of CK1{delta}/{epsilon} inhibitor treatment from Wnt/{beta}-catenin pathway inhibition to its robust activation.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Proximity interactomics identifies RAI14, EPHA2 and PHACTR4 as essential components of Wnt/planar cell polarity pathway in vertebrates

Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling cascade playing an inevitable role in cell biology. Deregulation of Wnt/PCP leads to severe developmental defects or cancer progression. Here, we applied proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) to capture the intracellular interactome of key Wnt/PCP components: transmembrane ROR1, ROR2 and VANGL2, and cytoplasmic DVL3 and PRICKLE1. Mapping of individual preys across the baits and subcellular compartments identified a group of 30 proteins that we tested by loss-of-function in zebrafish. Among those rai14, epha2 and phactr4 were essential for several Wnt/PCP-dependent processes such as zebrafish convergent extension, orientation of lateral organ cells, or migration of melanoma cells. Mechanistically, RAI14, EPHA2 and PHACTR4 connect the receptor complex to effector actomyosin. In summary, this study identified novel essential components of vertebrate WNT/PCP pathway and provides a detailed characterization of PCP complex composition that can serve as comprehensive resource for further analysis of Wnt/PCP function.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

A new mechanism of posttranslational polyglutamylation regulates phase separation and signaling of the Wnt pathway protein Dishevelled.

Polyglutamylation is a reversible post-translational modification that is catalyzed by enzymes from the tubulin tyrosine ligase-like (TTLL) family. Here, we found that TTLL11 generates a previously unknown type of polyglutamylation initiated by the addition of a glutamate residue to the free C-terminal carboxyl group of a substrate protein. TTLL11 efficiently polyglutamylates the Wnt signaling protein Disheveled 3 (DVL3), thereby changing the interactome of DVL3, as well as it increases its capacity to get phosphorylated, to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), and to act in the non-canonical Wnt pathway. Both carboxyterminal polyglutamylation and the resulting reduction in LLPS capacity of DVL3 were reverted by the deglutamylating enzyme CCP6, which demonstrates the causal relationship between TTLL11-mediated polyglutamylation and LLPS. We thus discovered a novel type of posttranslational modification, which significantly broadens the range of proteins that can be modified by polyglutamylation and provides the first evidence that polyglutamylation can act as a regulator of protein LLPS.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A complex role of Arabidopsis CDKD;3 in meiotic progression and cytokinesis

Meiosis is a specialized cell division that halves the number of chromosomes in two consecutive rounds of chromosome segregation. In angiosperm plants is meiosis followed by mitotic divisions to form rudimentary haploid gametophytes. In Arabidopsis, termination of meiosis and transition to gametophytic development is governed by TDM1 and SMG7 that mediate inhibition of translation. Mutants deficient in this mechanism do not form tetrads, but instead undergo multiple cycles of aberrant nuclear divisions, that are likely caused by the failure to downregulate cyclin dependent kinases during meiotic exit. A suppressor screen to identify genes that contribute to meiotic exit uncovered a mutation in CDKD;3 that alleviates meiotic defects in smg7 deficient plants. The CDKD;3 deficiency prevents aberrant meiotic divisions observed in smg7 mutants, or delays their onset after initiation of cytokinesis, which permits formation of functional microspores. Although CDKD;3 acts as an activator of CDKA;1, the main cyclin dependent kinase that regulates meiosis, cdkd;3 mutation appears to promote meiotic exit independently of CDKA;1. Furthermore, analysis of CDKD;3 interactome revealed enrichment for proteins implicated in cytokinesis suggesting a more complex function of CDKD;3 in cell cycle regulation.

plant biology↗