Arabidopsis Rab-E GTPases exhibit a novel interaction with a plasma-membrane phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase

Rab GTPases of the Arabidopsis Rab-E subclass are related to mammalian Rab8 and are implicated in membrane trafficking from the Golgi to the plasma membrane. Using a yeast two-hybrid assay, Arabidopsis phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase 2 (PtdIns(4)P 5-kinase 2; also known as PIP5K2), was shown to interact with all five members of the Rab-E subclass but not with other Rab subclasses residing at the Golgi or trans-Golgi network. Interactions in yeast and in vitro were strongest with RAB-E1d[Q74L] and weakest with the RAB-E1d[S29N] suggesting that PIP5K2 interacts with the GTP-bound form. PIP5K2 exhibited kinase activity towards phosphatidylinositol phosphates with a free 5-hydroxyl group, consistent with PtdIns(4)P 5-kinase activity and this activity was stimulated by Rab binding. Rab-E proteins interacted with PIP5K2 via its membrane occupancy and recognition nexus (MORN) domain which is missing from animal and fungal PtdIns(4)P 5-kinases. In plant cells, GFP:PIP5K2 accumulated at the plasma membrane and caused YFP:RAB-E1d to relocate there from its usual position at the Golgi. GFP:PIP5K2 was rapidly turned over by proteasomal activity in planta, and overexpression of YFP:PIP5K2 caused pleiotropic growth abnormalities in transgenic Arabidopsis. We propose that plant cells exhibit a novel interaction in which PIP5K2 binds GTP-bound Rab-E proteins, which may stimulate temporally or spatially localized PtdIns(4,5)P₂ production at the plasma membrane.