The homophilic receptor PTPRK selectively dephosphorylates multiple junctional regulators to promote cell–cell adhesion

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.44597
• Publication Date: 2019-03-29T13:00:27Z
• Authors: Gareth W Fearnley; Katherine A Young; James R Edgar; Robin Antrobus; Iain M Hay; Wei-Ching Liang; Nadia Martinez-Ma...; WeiYu Lin; Janet E Deane; Hayley J Sharpe
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Delta Catenin; QH301-705.5; Science; Cell Cycle Proteins; Cell Line; 03 medical and health sciences; proteomics; cell biology; Cell Adhesion; Humans; human; Biology (General); Phosphorylation; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; 0303 health sciences; Q; Microfilament Proteins; R; Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 2; Catenins; Epithelial Cells; Cell Biology; dephosphorylation; Tyrosine phosphatase; cell-cell adhesion; Medicine; signaling; Protein Processing, Post-Translational

Cell-cell communication in multicellular organisms depends on the dynamic and reversible phosphorylation of protein tyrosine residues. The receptor-linked protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) receive cues from the extracellular environment and are well placed to influence cell signaling. However, the direct events downstream of these receptors have been challenging to resolve. We report here that the homophilic receptor PTPRK is stabilized at cell-cell contacts in epithelial cells. By combining interaction studies, quantitative tyrosine phosphoproteomics, proximity labeling and dephosphorylation assays we identify high confidence PTPRK substrates. PTPRK directly and selectively dephosphorylates at least five substrates, including Afadin, PARD3 and δ-catenin family members, which are all important cell-cell adhesion regulators. In line with this, loss of PTPRK phosphatase activity leads to disrupted cell junctions and increased invasive characteristics. Thus, identifying PTPRK substrates provides insight into its downstream signaling and a potential molecular explanation for its proposed tumor suppressor function.