Dr Zuzana Kadlecova

Integration of NAK kinases with membrane trafficking machinery

Despite the critical role that endocytosis plays in health and disease, surprisingly little is known about how it is regulated through post-translational modification of its components. Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events could finely tune the locations of endocytic accessory proteins, their activities and cargo specificities to maintain cellular fitness under conditions of stress. However, it is poorly understood which kinases and phosphatases influence endocytosis, despite their potential as therapeutic targets in a number of diseases. We are a cell biology laboratory interested in gaining a better understanding of the molecular regulation of endocytosis and its integration within wider cell signaling and metabolic homeostasis.

Recently, our collaborative efforts identified the molecular basis of the NAK kinase-mediated phosphorylation of the most abundant clathrin adaptor, AP2 (link to paper). We showed that AP2 phosphorylation not only leads to changes in its interactome, but is a major decision point in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, capable of affecting its rates.

We are building on these findings by exploring systematically and mechanistically how kinases and phosphatases regulate clathrin-mediated endocytosis. We focus on NAK kinases, which are also recent drug development targets for neuropathic pain, and were linked by GWAS to an increased neurodegeneration risk.