Two protein kinases, PK1 and PK2, work sequentially in an intracellular signaling pathway

Question

You create cells that contain inactivating mutations in the genes that encode either PK1 or PK2 and find that these cells no longer respond to a particular extracellular signal. You also create cells containing a version of PK1 that is permanently active and find that the cells behave as though they are receiving the signal even when the signal is not present. When you introduce the permanently active version of PK1 into cells that have an inactivating mutation in PK2, you find that these cells also behave as though they are receiving the signal even when no signal is present.
A. From these results, does PK1 activate PK2, or does PK2 activate PK1? Explain your answer.
B. You now create a permanently active version of PK2 and find that cells containing this version behave as though they are receiving the signal even when the signal is not present. What do you predict will happen if you introduce the permanently active version of PK2 into cells that have an inactivating mutation in PK1?

Answer 1

A. Normally, PK2 activates PK1. We are told that PK1 and PK2 normally work sequentially in an intracellular signaling pathway. If PK1 is permanently activated, a response is seen independently of whether or not PK2 is present. If PK1 activated PK2, no response should be seen if PK1 were activated in the absence of PK2.
B. You would predict that no response to the signal would be observed. This is because PK2 normally needs to activate PK1 for the cells to respond to the signal. When PK2 is permanently activated in the absence of PK1, PK1 is not there to relay the signal.