Peng Xinyu, Liu Kefu, Chen Guodong, Sun Shengjie
Department of Biomedical Informatic, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
Life (Basel). 2025 Aug 19;15(8):1316. doi: 10.3390/life15081316.
Janus kinase is critical for cytokine-mediated signaling, and its hyperactivation due to mutations drives various diseases. The activation of Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) involves a conformational transition from a closed to an open state, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study investigates the roles of two tyrosine residues, Y1034 and Y1035, within the activation loop of the tyrosine kinase domain. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that phosphorylation, particularly bisphosphorylation at Y1034 and Y1035, promotes the transition to the open conformation, with pY1035 exerting a greater influence than pY1034. Phosphorylation increases the negative charge on the TK domain surface, facilitating its dissociation from the FERM domain, while also weakening TK-FERM interactions. However, the loop between the TK and PK domains formed stable hydrogen bonds with other domains, hindering the full activation process. Using 1 µs molecular dynamics simulations is not sufficient for full activation. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing the JAK1 initial activation and provide insights for targeting its regulation in disease contexts.
Janus激酶对于细胞因子介导的信号传导至关重要,其因突变导致的过度激活会引发多种疾病。Janus激酶1(JAK1)的激活涉及从关闭状态到开放状态的构象转变,但其潜在机制仍不清楚。本研究调查了酪氨酸激酶结构域激活环内的两个酪氨酸残基Y1034和Y1035的作用。分子动力学模拟表明,磷酸化,特别是Y1034和Y1035的双磷酸化,促进了向开放构象的转变,pY1035的影响比pY1034更大。磷酸化增加了TK结构域表面的负电荷,促进其与FERM结构域的解离,同时也削弱了TK-FERM相互作用。然而,TK和PK结构域之间的环与其他结构域形成了稳定的氢键,阻碍了完全激活过程。使用1微秒的分子动力学模拟不足以实现完全激活。这些发现阐明了控制JAK1初始激活的分子机制,并为在疾病背景下靶向其调节提供了见解。