A CK2 alpha ' mutant indicating why CK2 alpha and CK2 alpha ', the isoforms of the catalytic subunit of human protein kinase CK2, deviate in affinity to CK2 beta.
Werner, C., Eimermacher, S., Harasimowicz, H., Fischer, D., Pietsch, M., Niefind, K.(2025) Biol Chem 
- PubMed: 40223482 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2024-0157
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
9HK5 - PubMed Abstract: 
Protein kinase CK2 (casein kinase 2) mainly exists as heterotetrameric holoenzyme with two catalytic subunits (CK2¦Á or CK2¦Á') bound to a homodimer of non-catalytic subunits (CK2¦Â). With CSNK2A1 and CSNK2A2 , the human genome contains two paralogs encoding catalytic CK2 subunits. Both gene products, called CK2¦Á and CK2¦Á', strongly interact with CK2¦Â. An earlier report that CK2¦Á' has a lower CK2¦Â affinity than CK2¦Á is confirmed via isothermal titration calorimetry in this study. Furthermore, we show with a fluorescence-anisotropy assay that a CK2¦Â-competitive peptide binds less strongly to CK2¦Á' than to CK2¦Á. The reason for the reduced affinity of CK2¦Á' to CK2¦Â and CK2¦Â competitors is puzzling: both isoenzymes have identical amino acid compositions at their CK2¦Â interfaces, but the ¦Â4¦Â5 loop, a component of this interface, is conformationally less adaptable in CK2¦Á' than in CK2¦Á due to intramolecular constraints. To release these constraints, we constructed a CK2¦Á' mutant that was equalized to CK2¦Á at the backside of the ¦Â4¦Â5 loop. Concerning thermostability, affinity to CK2¦Â or CK2¦Â competitors and 3D-structure next to the ¦Â4¦Â5 loop, this CK2¦Á' mutant is more similar to CK2¦Á than to its own wild-type, suggesting a critical role of the ¦Â4¦Â5 loop adaptability for CK2¦Â affinity.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Z¨¹lpicher Str. 47, D-50674 Cologne, Germany.