CK2 phosphorylation of C/EBPdelta regulates its transcription factor activity.

Protein kinase CK2 plays an essential role in cell viability in lower and higher eukaryotes. As a global regulator it phosphorylates and thereby regulates a broad array of cellular targets including a large number of transcription factors. Here, we have identified the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein delta (C/EBPdelta) as a new substrate for CK2. Using point mutants of C/EBPdelta the major phosphorylation site for CK2 was mapped to serine 57, which is located within the transactivation domain of C/EBPdelta. For proper functioning as a transcription factor C/EBPdelta has to be translocated into the nucleus where it forms heterodimers with other members of the C/EBP family of proteins and ATF4. Here, we found that CK2 phosphorylation does neither influence the subcellular localization of C/EBPdelta nor its interaction with C/EBPbeta, but rather does CK2 phosphorylation modulate the transcriptional activity of C/EBPdelta. Moreover, we found that CK2 bound to C/EBPdelta, which might help to target CK2 to the transcriptional machinery where it can phosphorylate other transcription factors or co-activators.