Phosphomimicking mutations of human 14-3-3ζ affect its interaction with tau protein and small heat shock protein HspB6

Effect of phosphomimicking mutations of 14-3-3ζ on its interaction with phosphorylated shortest isoform of human tau protein and phosphorylated human small heat shock protein HspB6 (Hsp20) was analyzed. Chemical crosslinking and native gel electrophoresis indicate that mutations S184E and T232E weakly affect interaction of 14-3-3 with phosphorylated tau protein, whereas mutations S58E and S58E/S184E/T232E significantly impair interaction of 14-3-3 and tau. Size-exclusion chromatography, chemical crosslinking and immunoprecipitation revealed that phosphomimicking mutations S58E and S58E/S184E/T232E strongly decrease, mutation T232E weakly affects and mutation S184E improves interaction of 14-3-3 with phosphorylated HspB6. Thus, mutation mimicking phosphorylation of Ser58 dramatically decreases interaction of 14-3-3 with two target proteins and this effect might be due to destabilization of the dimeric structure of 14-3-3 and/or conformational changes of the target-binding site. The mutation mimicking phosphorylation of Thr232 weakly affects interaction of 14-3-3 with both proteins. The mutation mimicking phosphorylation of Ser184 does not markedly affect interaction with tau protein and improves the interaction of 14-3-3 with HspB6. Thus, effect of 14-3-3 phosphorylation depends on the nature of the target protein and therefore, phosphorylation of 14-3-3 might affect its target specificity.

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► Binding of phosphomimicking mutants of 14-3-3 to tau protein and HspB6 was analyzed.
► Mutation S58E inhibits binding of 14-3-3ζ to phosphorylated tau protein and HspB6.
► Interaction with tau was not markedly affected by mutations S184E/T232E of 14-3-3.
► Mutation S184E improved binding of 14-3-3ζ to phosphorylated HspB6.
► Binding of phosphorylated HspB6 was weakly inhibited by T232E mutation of 14-3-3ζ.