Interactions of CCCH zinc finger proteins with mRNA: non-binding tristetraprolin mutants exert an inhibitory effect on degradation of AU-rich element-containing mRNAs

Tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a small family of CCCH tandem zinc finger (TZF) domain proteins, is a physiological stimulator of instability of the mRNAs encoding tumor necrosis factor-alpha and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor in certain cell types. TTP stimulates mRNA turnover after binding to class II AU-rich elements (AREs) within the 3'-untranslated regions of both mRNAs. In turn, this binding is dependent upon the key CCCH residues in the TZF domain. To evaluate other primary sequence requirements for ARE binding in this novel mRNA-binding domain, we mutated many of the conserved residues within the TZF domain of human TTP and evaluated the effects of these mutations on RNA binding in a cell-free system and TTP-induced mRNA instability in cell transfection experiments. These mutations revealed a number of conserved amino acids that were required for binding and begin to define the primary protein sequence requirements for this novel mRNA-binding motif. Unexpectedly, all of the point mutations that prevented TTP binding to RNA also caused an increase in steady-state levels of ARE-containing mRNAs in cell transfection experiments. Actinomycin D experiments suggested that this effect was due to inhibition of mRNA turnover. Although expression of the mutant form of TTP could also inhibit the destruction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA by wild-type TTP, the primary mechanism did not involve heterodimerization with wild-type TTP because the 293 cells used in these studies express no detectable endogenous TTP. These data suggest that TTP may act, at least in part, by physically interacting with an enzyme activity or protein complex and functionally stimulating its ability to deadenylate class II ARE-containing mRNAs.

Decreased sensitivity of tristetraprolin-deficient cells to p38 inhibitors suggests the involvement of tristetraprolin in the p38 signaling pathway

Treatment of macrophages with pyridinyl imidazole inhibitors of p38 protein kinases can inhibit lipopolysaccharide-stimulated tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion. However, bone marrow-derived macrophages from tristetraprolin (TTP)-deficient mice were less sensitive than normal macrophages to this effect of p38 inhibitors, despite evidence for normal p38 activation in response to lipopolysaccharide. TTP is known to cause decreased stability of tumor necrosis factor alpha and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNAs after binding to an AU-rich element in their 3'-untranslated regions. A recombinant TTP fusion protein could be phosphorylated by a recombinant p38 kinase in cell-free assays and was phosphorylated to the same extent by immunoprecipitated p38 derived from normal and TTP-deficient cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide; in both cases, the enzyme activity was inhibited by the p38 inhibitors. TTP phosphorylation also was increased in intact macrophages after lipopolysaccharide stimulation, an effect that was blocked by the p38 inhibitors. Finally, TTP in mammalian cell extracts bound less well to an AU-rich element RNA probe than did the same amount of TTP following dephosphorylation. These results suggest that TTP may be a component of the signaling cascade, initiated by inflammatory stimuli and mediated in part by activation of p38, that ultimately leads to enhanced secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Roles of tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor subtypes in the pathogenesis of the tristetraprolin-deficiency syndrome

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a member of the CCCH tandem zinc-finger class of proteins. It can bind to and destabilize mRNAs encoding tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Conversely, mice deficient in TTP develop a complex syndrome characterized by cachexia, myeloid hyperplasia, and joint and skin inflammation. Studies using anti-TNF-alpha neutralizing antibodies demonstrated that this syndrome, at least in part, is a consequence of the excess production of TNF-alpha in the absence of TTP. To evaluate the role played by each TNF-alpha receptor in the pathogenesis of this syndrome, mice were generated that were deficient in TTP and either or both of the known TNF-alpha receptors (TNFRs), type 1 (TNFR1) and type 2 (TNFR2). Mice deficient in TTP and TNFR1, or in TTP and both receptors, were protected from developing the TNF-alpha-induced cachexia and inflammation. In contrast, mice deficient in TNFR2 were more severely affected than mice deficient in TTP alone, suggesting that TNFR2 might play a protective role in the development of the syndrome. In cultured cells derived from these mice, apparent cooperation between the TNFRs was required to achieve normal TNF-alpha-induced expression of TTP, TNF-alpha, and GM-CSF mRNAs. Finally, the results showed that TNFR1 plays an important role in mediating TNF-alpha-induced changes in TNF-alpha and GM-CSF mRNA stability.

Overexpression of the myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate inhibits cell adhesion to extracellular matrix components

Mice lacking the myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate, or MARCKS protein, exhibit abnormalities consistent with a defect in the ability of neurons to migrate appropriately during forebrain development. To investigate the possibility that this phenotype could be due to disruption of normal cellular adhesion to extracellular matrix, an assay was developed in which 293 cells co-expressing MARCKS and green fluorescent protein were tested for their adhesion competence on various substrates. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting of adherent and non-adherent green fluorescent protein-expressing cells demonstrated that wild-type MARCKS inhibited adhesion of cells to fibronectin, whereas a non-myristoylated mutant did not inhibit adhesion of cells to a variety of substrates. The fibronectin competitive inhibitor RGD peptide inhibited adhesion of cells expressing all MARCKS variants equally. Cytochalasin D inhibited the adhesion of cells expressing non-myristoylated MARCKS, but did not further decrease the adhesion of cells expressing adhesion-inhibitory proteins. Confocal microscopy demonstrated the presence of inhibitory, myristoylated MARCKS at the plasma membrane, suggesting that localization at this region might be important for MARCKS to inhibit cellular adhesion. These data suggest a possible myristoylation-dependent function of MARCKS to inhibit cellular adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins, indicating a potential mechanism for the cell migration defects seen in the MARCKS-deficient mice.

Interleukin-10 targets p38 MAPK to modulate ARE-dependent TNF mRNA translation and limit intestinal pathology

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a key inhibitory signal of inflammatory responses that regulates the production of potentially pathogenic cytokines like tumor necrosis factor (TNF). We show here that the development of chronic intestinal inflammation in IL-10-deficient mice requires the function of TNF, indicating that the IL-10/TNF axis regulates mucosal immunity. We further show that IL-10 targets the 3' AU-rich elements (ARE) of TNF mRNA to inhibit its translation. Moreover, IL-10 does not alter TNF mRNA stability, and its action does not require the presence of the stability-regulating ARE binding factor tristetraprolin, indicating a differential assembly of stability and translation determinants on the TNF ARE. Inhibition of TNF translation by IL-10 is exerted mainly by inhibition of the activating p38/MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 pathway. These results demonstrate a physiologically significant cross-talk between the IL-10 receptor and the stress-activated protein kinase modules targeting TNF mRNA translation. This cross-talk is necessary for optimal TNF production and for the maintenance of immune homeostasis in the gut.

Interactions of CCCH zinc finger proteins with mRNA: tristetraprolin-mediated AU-rich element-dependent mRNA degradation can occur in the absence of a poly(A) tail

The CCCH family of tandem zinc finger proteins has recently been shown to promote the turnover of certain mRNAs containing class II AU-rich elements (AREs). In the case of one member of this family, tristetraprolin (TTP), absence of the protein in knockout mice leads to stabilization of two mRNAs containing AREs of this type, those encoding tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. To begin to decipher the mechanism by which these zinc finger proteins stimulate the breakdown of this class of mRNAs, we co-transfected TTP and its related CCCH proteins into 293 cells with vectors encoding full-length TNFalpha, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and interleukin-3 mRNAs. Co-expression of the CCCH proteins caused the rapid turnover of these ARE-containing mRNAs and also promoted the accumulation of stable breakdown intermediates that were truncated at the 3'-end of the mRNA, even further 5' than the 5'-end of the poly(A) tail. To determine whether an intact poly(A) tail was necessary for TTP to promote this type of mRNA degradation, we inserted the TNFalpha ARE into a nonpolyadenylated histone mRNA and also attached a histone 3'-end-processing sequence to the 3'-end of nonpolyadenylated interleukin-3 and TNFalpha mRNAs. In all three cases, TTP stimulated the turnover of the ARE-containing mRNAs, despite the demonstrated absence of a poly(A) tail. These studies indicate that members of this class of CCCH proteins can promote class II ARE-containing mRNA turnover even in the absence of a poly(A) tail, suggesting that the processive removal of the poly(A) tail may not be required for this type of CCCH protein-stimulated mRNA turnover.

The NIEHS Xenopus maternal EST project: interim analysis of the first 13,879 ESTs from unfertilized eggs

The sequencing of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from Xenopus laevis has lagged behind efforts on many other common experimental organisms and man, partly because of the pseudotetraploid nature of the Xenopus genome. Nonetheless, large collections of Xenopus ESTs would be useful in gene discovery, oligonucleotide-based knockout studies, gene chip analyses of normal and perturbed development, mapping studies in the related diploid frog X. tropicalis, and for other reasons. We have created a normalized library of cDNAs from unfertilized Xenopus eggs. These cells contain all of the information necessary for the first several cell divisions in the early embryo, as well as much of the information needed for embryonic pattern formation and cell fate determination. To date, we have successfully sequenced 13,879 ESTs out of 16,607 attempts (83.6% success rate), with an average sequence read length of 508 bp. Using a fragment assembly program, these ESTs were assembled into 8,985 'contigs' comprised of up to 11 ESTs each. When these contigs were used to search publicly available databases, 46.2% bore no relationship to protein or DNA sequences in the database at the significance level of 1e-6. Examination of a sample of 100 of the assembled contigs revealed that most ( approximately 87%) were comprised of two apparent allelic variants. Expression profiles of 16 of the most prominent contigs showed that 12 exhibited some degree of zygotic expression. These findings have implications for sequence-specific applications for Xenopus ESTs, particularly the use of allele-specific oligonucleotides for knockout studies, differential hybridization techniques such as gene chip analysis, and the establishment of accurate nomenclature and databases for this species.

Interactions of CCCH zinc finger proteins with mRNA. Binding of tristetraprolin-related zinc finger proteins to Au-rich elements and destabilization of mRNA

Macrophages derived from tristetraprolin (TTP)-deficient mice exhibited increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) release as a consequence of increased stability of TNFalpha mRNA. TTP was then shown to destabilize TNFalpha mRNA after binding directly to the AU-rich region (ARE) of the 3'-untranslated region of the TNFalpha mRNA. In mammals and in Xenopus, TTP is the prototype of a small family of three known zinc finger proteins containing two CCCH zinc fingers spaced 18 amino acids apart; a fourth more distantly related family member has been identified in Xenopus and fish. We show here that representatives of all four family members were able to bind to the TNFalpha ARE in a cell-free system and, in most cases, promote the breakdown of TNFalpha mRNA in intact cells. Because the primary sequences of these CCCH proteins are most closely related in their tandem zinc finger domains, we tested whether various fragments of TTP that contained both zinc fingers resembled the intact protein in these assays. We found that amino- and carboxyl-terminal truncated forms of TTP, as well as a 77 amino acid fragment that contained both zinc fingers, could bind to the TNFalpha ARE in cell-free cross-linking and gel shift assays. In addition, these truncated forms of TTP could also stimulate the apparent deadenylation and/or breakdown of TNFalpha mRNA in intact cells. Alignments of the tandem zinc finger domains from all four groups of homologous proteins have identified invariant residues as well as group-specific signature amino acids that presumably contribute to ARE binding and protein-specific activities, respectively.

Evidence that tristetraprolin is a physiological regulator of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor messenger RNA deadenylation and stability

Deficiency of tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of the CCCH zinc finger proteins, results in a complex inflammatory syndrome in mice. Most aspects of the syndrome are secondary to excess circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, a consequence of increased stability of TNF-alpha messenger RNA (mRNA) in TTP-deficient macrophages. TTP can bind directly to the AU-rich element in TNF-alpha mRNA, increasing its lability. Here we show that TTP deficiency also results in increased cellular production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and increased stability of its mRNA, apparently secondary to decreased deadenylation. Similar findings were observed in mice also lacking both types of TNF-alpha receptors, excluding excess TNF-alpha production as a cause of the increased GM-CSF mRNA levels and stability. TTP appears to be a physiological regulator of GM-CSF mRNA deadenylation and stability. (Blood. 2000;95:1891-1899)

Phagocytic and macropinocytic activity in MARCKS-deficient macrophages and fibroblasts

Macrophages express high levels of the myristoylated, alanine-rich, C kinase substrate (MARCKS), an actin cross-linking protein. To investigate a possible role of MARCKS in macrophage function, fetal liver-derived macrophages were generated from wild-type and MARCKS knockout mouse embryos. No differences between the wild-type and MARCKS-deficient macrophages with respect to morphology (Wright's stain) or actin distribution (staining with rhodamine-phalloidin, under basal conditions or after treatment with phorbol esters, lipopolysaccharide, or both) were observed. We then evaluated phagocytosis mediated by different receptors: Fc receptors tested with IgG-coated sheep red blood cells, complement C3b receptors tested with C3b-coated yeast, mannose receptors tested with unopsonized zymosan, and nonspecific phagocytosis tested with latex beads. We also studied fluid phase endocytosis in macrophages and mouse embryo fibroblasts by using FITC-dextran to quantitate this process. In most cases, there were no differences between the cells derived from wild-type and MARCKS-deficient mice. However, a minor but significant and reproducible difference in rates of zymosan phagocytosis at 45-60 min was observed, with lower rates of phagocytosis in the MARCKS-deficient cells. Our data indicate that MARCKS deficiency may lead to slightly decreased rates of zymosan phagocytosis.

Evidence that tristetraprolin binds to AU-rich elements and promotes the deadenylation and destabilization of tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA

Mice deficient in tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a family of CCCH zinc finger proteins, develop an inflammatory syndrome mediated by excess tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Macrophages derived from these mice oversecrete TNF-alpha, by a mechanism that involves stabilization of TNF-alpha mRNA, and TTP can bind directly to the AU-rich element (ARE) in TNF-alpha mRNA (E. Carballo, W. S. Lai, and P. J. Blackshear, Science 281:1001-1005, 1998). We show here that TTP binding to the TNF-alpha ARE is dependent upon the integrity of both zinc fingers, since mutation of a single cysteine residue in either zinc finger to arginine severely attenuated the binding of TTP to the TNF-alpha ARE. In intact cells, TTP at low expression levels promoted a decrease in size of the TNF-alpha mRNA as well as a decrease in its amount; at higher expression levels, the shift to a smaller TNF-alpha mRNA size persisted, while the accumulation of this smaller species increased. RNase H experiments indicated that the shift to a smaller size was due to TTP-promoted deadenylation of TNF-alpha mRNA. This CCCH protein is likely to be important in the deadenylation and degradation of TNF-alpha mRNA and perhaps other ARE-containing mRNAs, both in normal physiology and in certain pathological conditions.

Identification of four CCCH zinc finger proteins in Xenopus, including a novel vertebrate protein with four zinc fingers and severely restricted expression

Tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a class of CCCH zinc finger proteins, is a phosphoprotein that is rapidly and transiently induced by growth factors and serum in fibroblasts. Recent evidence suggests that a physiological function of TTP is to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion from macrophages by binding to and destabilizing its mRNA (Carballo, E., Lai, W.S., Blackshear, P.J., 1998. Science, 281, 1001-1005). To investigate possible functions of CCCH proteins in early development of Xenopus, we isolated four Xenopus cDNAs encoding members of this class. Based on 49% overall amino acid identity and 84% amino acid identity within the double zinc finger domain, one of the Xenopus proteins (XC3H-1) appears to be the homologue of TTP. By similar analyses, XC3H-2 and XC3H-3 are homologues of ERF-1 (cMG1, TIS11B) and ERF-2 (TIS11D). A fourth protein, XC3H-4, is a previously unidentified member of the CCCH class of vertebrate zinc finger proteins; it contains four Cx8Cx5Cx3H repeats, two of which are YKTEL Cx8Cx5Cx3H repeats that are closely related to sequences found in the other CCCH proteins. Whereas XC3H-1, XC3H-2, and XC3H-3 were widely expressed in adult tissues, XC3H-4 mRNA was not detected in any of the adult tissues studied except for the ovary. Its expression appeared to be limited to the ovary, oocyte, egg and the early embryonic stages leading up to the mid-blastula transition. Its mRNA was highly expressed in oocytes of all ages, and was enriched in the animal pole cytosol of mature oocytes. Maternal expression was also seen with the other three messages, suggesting the possibility that these proteins are involved in regulating mRNA stability in oocyte maturation and/or early embryogenesis.

Early biochemical events in insulin-stimulated fluid phase endocytosis

We examined the initial molecular mechanisms by which cells nonselectively internalize extracellular solutes in response to insulin. Insulin-stimulated fluid phase endocytosis (FPE) was examined in responsive cells, and the roles of the insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI 3'-kinase), Ras, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) were assessed. Active insulin receptors were essential, as demonstrated by the stimulation of FPE by insulin in HIRc-B cells (Rat-1 cells expressing 1.2 x 10(6) normal insulin receptors/cell) but not in untransfected Rat-1 cells or in Rat-1 cells expressing the inactive A/K1018 receptor. IRS-1 expression augmented insulin-stimulated FPE, as assessed in 32D cells, a hematopoietic precursor cell line lacking endogenous IRS-1. Insulin-stimulated FPE was inhibited in mouse brown adipose tissue (BAT) cells expressing the 17N dominant negative mutant Ras and was augmented in cells expressing wild-type Ras. The MEK inhibitor PD-98059 had little effect on insulin-stimulated FPE in BAT cells. In 32D cells, but not in HIRc-B and BAT cells, insulin-stimulated FPE was inhibited by 10 nM wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI 3'-kinase. The results indicate that the insulin receptor, IRS-1, Ras, and, perhaps in certain cell types, PI 3'-kinase are involved in mediating insulin-stimulated FPE.

Effect of reduced myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate expression on hippocampal mossy fiber development and spatial learning in mutant mice: transgenic rescue and interactions with gene background

The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a prominent protein kinase C (PKC) substrate in brain that is expressed highly in hippocampal granule cells and their axons, the mossy fibers. Here, we examined hippocampal infrapyramidal mossy fiber (IP-MF) limb length and spatial learning in heterozygous Macs mutant mice that exhibit an approximately 50% reduction in MARCKS expression relative to wild-type controls. On a 129B6(N3) background, the Macs mutation produced IP-MF hyperplasia, a significant increase in hippocampal PKCepsilon expression, and proficient spatial learning relative to wild-type controls. However, wild-type 129B6(N3) mice exhibited phenotypic characteristics resembling inbred 129Sv mice, including IP-MF hypoplasia relative to inbred C57BL/6J mice and impaired spatial-reversal learning, suggesting a significant contribution of 129Sv background genes to wild-type and possibly mutant phenotypes. Indeed, when these mice were backcrossed with inbred C57BL/6J mice for nine generations to reduce 129Sv background genes, the Macs mutation did not effect IP-MF length or hippocampal PKCepsilon expression and impaired spatial learning relative to wild-type controls, which now showed proficient spatial learning. Moreover, in a different strain (B6SJL(N1), the Macs mutation also produced a significant impairment in spatial learning that was reversed by transgenic expression of MARCKS. Collectively, these data indicate that the heterozygous Macs mutation modifies the expression of linked 129Sv gene(s), affecting hippocampal mossy fiber development and spatial learning performance, and that MARCKS plays a significant role in spatial learning processes.

Transgenic complementation of MARCKS deficiency with a nonmyristoylatable, pseudo-phosphorylated form of MARCKS: evidence for simultaneous positive and dominant-negative effects on central nervous system development

MARCKS is a widely expressed protein kinase C substrate that is essential for normal prenatal development of the central nervous system in mice. MARCKS-deficient mice exhibit universal perinatal mortality and numerous developmental abnormalities of the brain and retina. To determine which domains of the protein were important in complementing these neurodevelopmental anomalies, we have interbred MARCKS knockout mice with transgenic mice expressing an epitope-tagged human MARCKS transgene that can completely correct the MARCKS-deficient phenotype. Previous structure-function studies showed that a nonmyristoylatable form of MARCKS could correct all of the neuroanatomical abnormalities, and resulted in approximately 25% viable pups that grew to adulthood and were fertile. The present experiment attempted a similar complementation strategy in which a nonmyristoylatable, "pseudo-phosphorylated" form of the protein was used, which has been shown to be almost completely cytosolic in cell expression studies. Surprisingly, this transgene was able to complement almost all of the cerebral anatomical abnormalities characteristic of the knockout mice. However, these mice also exhibited a universal, novel phenotype: profound retinal ectopia, in which retinal tissue was often found in the vitreous humor as well as extraocularly. Retrospective evaluation of the original MARCKS knockout phenotype revealed that this anomaly was present in about 43% of the knockout mice, and was clearly detectable as early as embryonic day 12.5, before retinal cell differentiation begins. These data suggest that a nonmyristoylatable, pseudo-phosphorylated form of MARCKS can complement most if not all cerebral aspects of the MARCKS-deficient phenotype, but that it appears to worsen a retinal phenotype, perhaps by exerting a dominant-negative effect on a coexpressed MARCKS homologue.

Feedback inhibition of macrophage tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by tristetraprolin

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a major mediator of both acute and chronic inflammatory responses in many diseases. Tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a class of Cys-Cys-Cys-His (CCCH) zinc finger proteins, inhibited TNF-alpha production from macrophages by destabilizing its messenger RNA. This effect appeared to result from direct TTP binding to the AU-rich element of the TNF-alpha messenger RNA. TTP is a cytosolic protein in these cells, and its biosynthesis was induced by the same agents that stimulate TNF-alpha production, including TNF-alpha itself. These findings identify TTP as a component of a negative feedback loop that interferes with TNF-alpha production by destabilizing its messenger RNA. This pathway represents a potential target for anti-TNF-alpha therapies.

Protein kinase C regulates the nuclear localization of diacylglycerol kinase-zeta

Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) terminate signalling from diacylglycerol by converting it to phosphatidic acid. Diacylglycerol regulates cell growth and differentiation, and its transient accumulation in the nucleus may be particularly important in this regulation. Here we show that a fraction of DGK-zeta is found in the nucleus, where it regulates the amount of nuclear diacylglycerol. Reducing nuclear diacylglycerol levels by conditional expression of DGK-zeta attenuates cell growth. The nuclear-localization signal of DGK-zeta is located in a region that is homologous to the phosphorylation-site domain of the MARCKS protein. This is, to our knowledge, the first evidence that this domain, which is a major target for protein kinase C, can localize a protein to the nucleus. Two isoforms of protein kinase C, but not others, regulate the localization of DGK-zeta. Our results define a cycle in which diacylglycerol activates protein kinase C, which then regulates the metabolism of diacylglycerol by alternating the intracellular location of DGK-zeta. This may be a general mechanism to control mitogenic signals that depend on nuclear diacylglycerol.

Promoter sequence, expression, and fine chromosomal mapping of the human gene (MLP) encoding the MARCKS-like protein: identification of neighboring and linked polymorphic loci for MLP and MACS and use in the evaluation of human neural tube defects

The MARCKS-like protein (MLP), also known as F52, MacMARCKS, or MARCKS-related protein, is a widely distributed substrate for protein kinase C (PKC). Recent studies using gene disruption in vivo have demonstrated the importance of both MARCKS and MLP to the development of the central nervous system; specifically, mice lacking either protein exhibit a high frequency of neural tube defects. We isolated a genomic clone for human MLP and discovered a directly linked polymorphism (MLP1) useful for genetic linkage analysis. The MLP promoter was 71% identical over 433 bp to that of the corresponding mouse gene, Mlp, with conservation of many putative transcription factor-binding sites; it was only 36% identical over 433 bp to the promoter of the human gene, MACS, which encodes the MLP homologue MARCKS. This 433-bp fragment drove expression of an MLP-beta-galactosidase transgene in a tissue-specific and developmental expression pattern that was similar to that observed for the endogenous gene, as shown by in situ hybridization histochemistry. In contrast to MACS, the MLP and Mlp promoters contain a TATA box approximately 40 bp 5' of the presumed transcription initiation site. MLP was localized to chromosome 1p34-->1pter by analysis of human-mouse somatic cell hybrid DNA and to 1p34 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Radiation hybrid mapping of MLP placed it between genetic markers D1S511 (LOD > 3.0) and WI9232. MACS was localized to 6q21 between D6S266 (LOD > 3.0) and AFM268uh5 by the same technique. We tested the novel MLP1 polymorphism and the MACS flanking markers in a series of 43 Caucasian simplex families in which the affected child had a lumbosacral myelomeningocele. We found no evidence of linkage disequilibrium, suggesting that these loci were not major genes for spina bifida in these families. Nonetheless, the identification of linked and neighboring polymorphisms for MACS and MLP should permit similar genetic studies in other groups of patients with neural tube defects and other neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

Characteristics of the intron involvement in the mitogen-induced expression of Zfp-36

Zfp-36, the gene encoding the putative zinc finger protein tristetraprolin (TTP), is rapidly induced in fibroblasts by a variety of growth factors. Recent gene knockout experiments have shown that TTP-deficient mice developed arthritis, cachexia, and autoimmunity, all apparently mediated by an excess of tumor necrosis factor alpha. We recently showed that full serum inducibility of Zfp-36 requires elements in the promoter; in addition, removal of the single intron strikingly inhibited serum-induced TTP expression. We show here that replacement of the intron with unrelated sequences, or removal of 95% of the intron but retention of the splice sites, each resulted in the maintenance of approximately 45 and 19%, respectively, of full serum-induced expression. In addition, deletion of intron sequences base pairs 601-655 decreased the serum-induced expression of TTP by 65%. Sequence base pairs 618-626 bound specifically to the transcription factor Sp1; mutation of this binding motif decreased TTP expression by 70%, suggesting that Sp1 binding to this motif contributes to serum induction of Zfp-36. We conclude that full serum-induced expression of Zfp-36 depends on the activation of conventional promoter elements as well as elements in the single intron, and that the presence per se of the intron in its natural location also contributes significantly to the regulated expression of this gene.

Disruption of the gene encoding the mitogen-regulated translational modulator PHAS-I in mice

PHAS-I is the prototype of a group of eIF4E-binding proteins that can regulate mRNA translation in response to hormones and growth factors. To investigate the importance of PHAS-I in the physiology of the intact animal, we disrupted the PHAS-I gene in mice. Tissues and cells derived from the knockout mice contained no detectable PHAS-I protein. A related protein, PHAS-II, and eIF4E were readily detectable in tissues from these animals, but neither appeared to be changed in a compensatory manner. Mice lacking PHAS-I appeared normal at birth. However, male knockout mice weighed approximately 10% less than controls at all ages, whereas female weights were similar to those of controls. Both males and females were fertile. Tissues from adult animals appeared to be normal by routine histological staining techniques, as were routine blood cell counts and chemistries. Fibroblasts derived from PHAS-I-deficient mouse embryos exhibited normal rates of growth and overall protein synthesis, responded normally to serum stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase activity and cell growth, and rapamycin inhibition of cell growth. Under these experimental conditions, PHAS-I is apparently not required for the normal development and reproductive behavior of female mice, but is required for normal body weight in male mice; the mechanisms responsible for this phenotype remain to be determined.

Mechanisms of MARCKS gene activation during Xenopus development

The myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) is a high affinity cellular substrate for protein kinase C. The MARCKS gene is under multiple modes of transcriptional control, including cytokine- and transformation-dependent, cell-specific, and developmental regulation. This study evaluated the transcriptional control of MARCKS gene expression during early development of Xenopus laevis. Xenopus MARCKS was highly conserved with its mammalian and avian homologues; its mRNA and protein were abundant in the maternal pool and increased after the mid-blastula transition (MBT). The Xenopus MARCKS gene was similar to those of other species, except that a second intron interrupted the 5'- untranslated region. By transiently transfecting XTC-2 cells and microinjecting Xenopus embryos with reporter gene constructs containing serial deletions of 5'-flanking MARCKS sequences, we identified a 124-base pair minimal promoter that was critical for promoter activity. Developmental gel shift assays revealed that a CBF/NF-Y/CP-1-like factor and an Sp1-like factor bound to this region in a manner correlating with the onset of Xenopus MARCKS transcription at MBT. Mutations in the promoter that abolished binding of these two factors also completely inhibited transcriptional activation of the MARCKS gene at MBT. The binding sites for these two factors are highly conserved in the human and mouse MARCKS promoters, suggesting that these elements might also regulate MARCKS transcription in other species. These studies not only increase our knowledge of the transcriptional regulation of the MARCKS genes but also have implications for the mechanisms responsible for zygotic activation of the Xenopus genome at MBT.

Identification and characterization of cathepsin B as the cellular MARCKS cleaving enzyme

The importance of regulating the cellular concentrations of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), a major cellular substrate of protein kinase C, is indicated by the fact that mice lacking MARCKS exhibit gross abnormalities of central nervous system development and die shortly after birth. We previously identified a novel means of regulating cellular MARCKS concentrations that involved a specific proteolytic cleavage of the protein and implicated a cysteine protease in this process (Spizz, G., and Blackshear, P. J. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 553-562). Here we show that p40, the carboxyl-terminal fragment resulting from this cleavage of MARCKS, was associated with the mitochondrial/lysosomal pellet fraction of human diploid fibroblasts and that its generation in cells was sensitive to treatment with NH4Cl. These data suggest the involvement of lysosomes in the generation and/or stability of p40. The MARCKS-cleaving enzyme (MCE) activity was peripherally associated with a 10,000 x g pellet fraction from bovine liver, and it co-purified with the activity and immunoreactivity of a lysosomal protease, cathepsin B. Cathepsin B catalyzed the generation of p40 from MARCKS in a cell-free system and behaved similarly to the MCE with respect to mutants of MARCKS previously shown to be poor substrates for the MCE. Treatment of fibroblasts with a cell-permeable, specific inhibitor of cathepsin B, CA074-Me, resulted in parallel time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of cathepsin B and MCE activity. Incubation of a synthetic MARCKS phosphorylation site domain peptide with purified cathepsin B resulted in cleavage of the peptide at sites consistent with preferred cathepsin B substrate sites. These data provide evidence for the identity of the MCE as cathepsin B and suggest that this cleavage most likely takes place within lysosomes, perhaps as a result of specific lysosomal targeting sequences within the MARCKS primary sequence. The data also suggest a direct interaction between MARCKS and cathepsin B in cells and leave open the possibility that MARCKS may in some way regulate the protease for which it is a substrate.

Bone marrow transplantation reproduces the tristetraprolin-deficiency syndrome in recombination activating gene-2 (-/-) mice. Evidence that monocyte/macrophage progenitors may be responsible for TNFalpha overproduction

Tristetraprolin-deficient [TTP (-/-)] mice exhibit a complex syndrome of myeloid hyperplasia, cachexia, dermatitis, autoimmunity, and erosive arthritis. Virtually the entire syndrome can be prevented by the repeated injection of anti-TNFalpha antibodies (Taylor, G.A., E. Carballo, D.M. Lee, W.S. Lai, M.J. Thompson, D.D. Patel, D.I. Schenkman, G.S. Gilkeson, H.E. Broxmeyer, B.F. Haynes, and P.J. Blackshear. 1996. Immunity. 4:445-454). In the present study, we transplanted bone marrow from TTP (-/-) and (+/+) mice into recombination activating gene-2 (-/-) mice. After a lag period of several months, marrow transplantation from the (-/-) but not the (+/+) mice resulted in the full syndrome associated with TTP deficiency, suggesting that hematopoietic progenitors are responsible for the development of the syndrome. Western blot analysis of supernatants from cultured TTP-deficient macrophages derived from the peritoneal cavity or bone marrow of adult TTP (-/-) mice, or from fetal liver, demonstrated an increased accumulation of TNFalpha after stimulation with LPS compared to control cells, and also increased accumulation of TNFalpha mRNA. This difference was not observed with cultured fibroblasts or T and B lymphocytes. These data suggest that macrophages are among the cells responsible for the effective excess of TNFalpha that leads to the pathology reported in TTP (-/-) animals, and that macrophage progenitors may be involved in the transplantability of this syndrome.

Widespread neuronal ectopia associated with secondary defects in cerebrocortical chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and basal lamina in MARCKS-deficient mice

Mice deficient in MARCKS, a prominent neural substrate for protein kinase C (PKC), die before or shortly after birth. They exhibit high frequencies of exencephaly, universal agenesis of forebrain commissures, and abnormalities of cerebral cortical and retinal lamination. We show here that these mice have wide-spread and severe neuronal ectopia in the outer layers of the developing forebrain, manifested by the migration of clusters of developing neuroblasts through the basal lamina and often through the pial membrane and into the subarachnoid space. This abnormality became apparent by Embryonic Day (E) 13 or 14, shortly after the formation of the early marginal zone. MARCKS deficiency was associated with decreased staining for marginal zone chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans; this decrease was detectable earlier in development than the neuronal ectopia. Later in development, there was also marked disruption of the basal lamina at the pial-glial interface, as evidenced by gross abnormalities in laminin and reticulin staining; however, the basal lamina appeared normal at E9.5. These data indicate that MARCKS is required for the prevention of neuronal ectopia during development. Potential mechanisms responsible for the neuronal ectopia in the MARCKS-deficient mice include decreased expression or increased proteolytic destruction of basal lamina proteins and marginal zone chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the developing brain.

The heterotrimeric G protein G alpha i2 mediates lysophosphatidic acid-stimulated induction of the c-fos gene in mouse fibroblasts

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) utilizes a heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide regulatory (G) protein-coupled receptor to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and induce mitogenesis in fibroblasts and other cells. A single cell assay system was used to examine the functional interaction of the LPA receptor with G proteins in intact mouse fibroblasts, by measuring LPA-stimulated induction of the immediate-early gene, c-fos, as read out by a stably expressed fos-lacZ reporter gene. Pretreatment of these cells with pertussis toxin at 100 ng/ml almost completely abolished LPA-stimulated c-fos induction. Western blotting revealed that two pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G proteins, G alpha i2 and G alpha i3, were present in membranes prepared from these cells, and Northern blotting confirmed the absence of message for other PTX-sensitive subunits. Microinjection of an alpha il/alpha i2-specific antibody into living cells decreased LPA-stimulated induction of c-fos by 60%, whereas introduction of antibodies to either alpha i3 or alpha 16, a subtype not present in these cells but used as a control, decreased LPA-stimulated c-fos induction by only 19%. In contrast, the alpha i1/alpha i2-specific antibody had no effect on insulin-induced c-fos expression, which is thought to utilize a G protein-independent mechanism of signaling. In addition, cellular expression of an epitope-tagged PTX-resistant mutant of G alpha i2, but not PTX-resistant G alpha i3, restored LPA-stimulated c-fos induction in cells in which endogenous G protein a subunits were uncoupled from the receptor by pretreatment with PTX. Together, these results provide conclusive in vivo evidence that G alpha i2 is the PTX-sensitive G protein a subunit which mediates LPA-stimulated c-fos induction and perhaps mitogenesis in these cells.

Calcium binding and conformational properties of calmodulin complexed with peptides derived from myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) and MARCKS-related protein (MRP)

The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) and the MARCKS-related protein (MRP) are members of a distinct family of protein kinase C(PKC) substrates that bind calmodulin (CaM) in a manner regulated by Ca2+ and phosphorylation by PKC. The CaM binding region overlaps with the PKC phosphorylation sites, suggesting a potential coupling between Ca(2+)-CaM signalling and PKC-mediated phosphorylation cascades. We have studies Ca2+ binding of CaM complexed with CaM binding peptides from MARCKS and MRP using flow dialysis, NMR and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The wild-type MARCKS and MRP peptides induced significant increases in the Ca2+ affinity of CaM (pCa 6.1 and 5.8, respectively, compared to 5.2, for CaM in the absence of bound peptides), whereas a modified MARCKS peptide, in which the four serine residues susceptible to phosphorylation in the wild-type sequence have been replaced with aspartate residues to mimic phosphorylation, had smaller effect (pCa 5.6). These results are consistent with the notions that phosphorylation of MARCKS reduces its binding affinity for CaM and that the CaM binding affinity of the peptides is coupled to the Ca2+ affinity of CaM. All three MARCKS/MRP peptides perturbed the backbone NMR resonances of residues in both the N- and C-terminal domains of CaM and, in addition, the wild-type MARCKS and the MRP peptides induced strong positive cooperativity in Ca2+ binding by CaM, suggesting that the peptides interact with the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains of CaM simultaneously. NMR analysis of the Ca(2+)-CaM-MRP peptide complex, as well as CD measurements of Ca(2+)-CaM in the presence and absence of MARCKS/MRP peptides suggest that the peptide bound to CaM is non-helical, in contrast to the alpha-helical conformation found in the CaM binding regions of myosin light-chain kinase and CaM-dependent protein kinase II. The adaptation of the CaM molecule for binding the peptide requires disruption of its central helical linker between residues Lys-75 and Glu-82.

Developmental expression of MARCKS and protein kinase C in mice in relation to the exencephaly resulting from MARCKS deficiency

The roles of protein kinase C and its substrates in development are poorly understood. Recently, we disrupted the mouse gene for a major cellular substrate for protein kinase C, the MARCKS protein (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 944-948, 1995). The resulting phenotype consisted of universal perinatal lethality, agenesis of the corpus callosum and other forebrain commissures, and neuronal ectopia and other cortical and retinal lamination disturbances. These mice also had high frequencies of exencephaly (25% overall, 35% in females). In the present study, we have examined the normal expression of MARCKS and the various isozymes of protein kinase C at the time of cranial neural tube closure, in an attempt to correlate MARCKS expression in time and anatomical location with the exencephaly characteristic of MARCKS deficiency. Failure of neural tube closure occurred at various sites in the cranial neural tube, suggesting a cellular functional defect that was not limited to a specific location. Non-exencephalic MARCKS-deficient embryos appeared to be anatomically normal on embryonic day (E) 8.5-9.5. MARCKS and PKC alpha were expressed at the plasma membrane of the neuroepithelial cells comprising the future neural tube, as well as in the surface ectoderm and underlying mesenchyme. Endogenous protein kinase C species, comprising either or both alpha and delta, were capable of phosphorylating MARCKS in intact E8.5 embryos. Thus, MARCKS is expressed at the plasma membranes of the specific cell types involved in cranial neurulation; its deficiency presumably results in a still-to-be-elucidated functional defect in these cells that leads to exencephaly in a high proportion of cases.

Nonmyristoylated MARCKS complements some but not all of the developmental defects associated with MARCKS deficiency in mice

The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate, or MARCKS protein, is a widely expressed, prominent substrate for protein kinase C. Although the exact function of MARCKS has not been elucidated, targeted disruption of the MARCKS gene (Macs) in mice has shown that MARCKS plays a crucial role in the development of the central nervous system. Mice deficient in MARCKS exhibited universal perinatal death with defects in neurulation, fusion of the cerebral hemispheres, formation of the great forebrain commissures, and retinal and cortical lamination (Stumpo et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 944-948, 1995). In the present studies, a transgene consisting of approximately 3.4 kb of promoter from the human MARCKS gene (MACS), with an epitope tag sequence inserted at the carboxyl terminus of the MARCKS coding region, was able to complement completely MARCKS deficiency in mice. Thus, the human transgene contained all of the elements necessary for normal developmental expression of MARCKS. To test the importance of MARCKS myristoylation to its developmental role, an otherwise identical transgene was constructed in which the glycine at the amino terminus of MARCKS was mutated to an alanine. This mutation, which resulted in the expression of nonmyristoylated MARCKS, was successful in partially rescuing the Macs null phenotype. Specifically, about 25% of these mice survived the perinatal period; these survivors appeared to develop normally except for slightly decreased body size. In both the survivors and the nonsurvivors, all of the known anatomical defects associated with MARCKS deficiency were corrected by expression of the nonmyristoylated human protein. These results indicate that myristoylation of MARCKS is not required for the protein to correct many of the developmental abnormalities characteristic of its deficiency.

Cloning and characterization of two yeast genes encoding members of the CCCH class of zinc finger proteins: zinc finger-mediated impairment of cell growth

Members of the CCCH zinc finger (Zf) protein family have in common two or more repeats of a novel Zf motif consisting of Cys and His residues in the form Cx8Cx5Cx3H [where x is a variable amino acid (aa)]. We used a degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy to clone members of this gene family from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The deduced aa sequences encoded by these genes, designated CTH1 and CTH2, share 46% overall identity and 59% similarity, largely due to the two highly conserved Zf domains. We found readily detectable expression of a 1.4-kb mRNA encoding Cth1p. The 1.1-kb mRNA encoding Cth2p was barely detectable under normal growth conditions; however, disruption of CTH1 resulted in at least a threefold increase in CTH2 mRNA accumulation. No change in phenotype was detected following disruption of CTH1 and CTH2, either singly or together. In contrast, overexpression of the CTH genes or one of the related mammalian genes, tris-tetraprolin (TTP), caused delayed entry of cell cultures into exponential growth, and a decrease in final cell density. Removal of the Zf domain of Cth1p by truncation or deletion completely reversed this slow growth phenotype, indicating that it was mediated through this highly conserved structural motif.

Myristoylation-dependent and electrostatic interactions exert independent effects on the membrane association of the myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate protein in intact cells

The myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) is a widely expressed, prominent substrate for protein kinase C. MARCKS is largely associated with membranes in cells, and hydrophobic interactions involving the amino-terminal myristoyl moiety are thought to play a role in anchoring MARCKS to cellular membranes. In addition, experiments in cell-free systems have suggested that electrostatic interactions between the positively charged phosphorylation site/calmodulin binding domain (PSD) of MARCKS and negatively charged membrane lipids are also involved in this association. Although it has been inferred from phosphorylation experiments, the electrostatic nature of the interaction between the PSD and membranes has not been demonstrated directly in intact cells. We expressed human MARCKS mutated in the myristoylation site and the PSD in REF52 cells; the cells were then fractionated by ultracentrifugation. Both nonmyristoylatable MARCKS and MARCKS in which the four serines in the PSD were mutated to aspartic acids, mimicking phosphorylation, exhibited decreased membrane affinity when compared to the fully myristoylated, wild-type, tetra-Ser protein or a myristoylated, tetra-Asn mutant. A double mutant, nonmyristoylatable protein in which the four serines in the PSD were mutated to aspartic acids exhibited negligible membrane association. Similar results were obtained in 293 cells that stably expressed chicken MARCKS mutated in the same domains. The double mutant, nonmyristoylatable tetra-Asp chicken protein exhibited little membrane association as determined by both subcellular fractionation and immunoelectron microscopy. These results indicate that myristoylation and electrostatic interactions involving the PSD exert independent, essentially additive effects on the membrane association of MARCKS in intact cells.

A pathogenetic role for TNF alpha in the syndrome of cachexia, arthritis, and autoimmunity resulting from tristetraprolin (TTP) deficiency

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a widely expressed potential transcription factor that contains two unusual CCCH zinc fingers and is encoded by the immediate-early response gene, Zfp-36. Mice made deficient in TTP by gene targeting appeared normal at birth, but soon manifested marked medullary and extramedullary myeloid hyperplasia associated with cachexia, erosive arthritis, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, glomerular mesangial thickening, and high titers of anti-DNA and antinuclear antibodies. Myeloid progenitors from these mice showed no increase in sensitivity to growth factors. Treatment of young TTP-deficient mice with antibodies to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) prevented the development of essentially all aspects of the phenotype. These results indicate a role for TTP in regulating TNF alpha synthesis, secretion, turnover, or action. TTP-deficient mice may serve as useful models of the autoimmune inflammatory state resulting from chronic effective TNF alpha excess.

Characterization and purification of a protein kinase C substrate in human B cells. Identification as lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1)

Incubation of B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells with phorbol esters resulted in the phosphorylation of two major PKC substrates, MARCKS (myristoylated, alanine-rich C kinase substrate) and MRP (MARCKS-related protein), and of a third protein, with an apparent m.w. of 60,000 that was the most prominent protein kinase C substrate in these cells. p60 phosphorylation was time and PMA dose dependent, and was induced by cell-permeable diacylglycerol, but not by inactive phorbol esters. Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of the protein phosphorylation pattern from the B cell line CESS demonstrated the identity between the p60 protein expressed in this cell line and that expressed in B-CLL cells. p60 was purified from CESS cells and peptide microsequencing of this protein revealed that it was lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1), that is here characterized as the most prominent protein kinase C substrate in B cells.

Characterization and purification of a protein kinase C substrate in human B cells. Identification as lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1)

Incubation of B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells with phorbol esters resulted in the phosphorylation of two major PKC substrates, MARCKS (myristoylated, alanine-rich C kinase substrate) and MRP (MARCKS-related protein), and of a third protein, with an apparent m.w. of 60,000 that was the most prominent protein kinase C substrate in these cells. p60 phosphorylation was time and PMA dose dependent, and was induced by cell-permeable diacylglycerol, but not by inactive phorbol esters. Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of the protein phosphorylation pattern from the B cell line CESS demonstrated the identity between the p60 protein expressed in this cell line and that expressed in B-CLL cells. p60 was purified from CESS cells and peptide microsequencing of this protein revealed that it was lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1), that is here characterized as the most prominent protein kinase C substrate in B cells.

Mitogens stimulate the rapid nuclear to cytosolic translocation of tristetraprolin, a potential zinc-finger transcription factor

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is the prototype of a group of potential transcription factors that contain two or more unusual CCCH zinc fingers. TTP is encoded by the immediate-early response gene Zfp-36, which is rapidly induced in fibroblasts in response to insulin and other growth factors. Indirect evidence suggests that TTP might function as an inhibitory transcription factor. The present studies evaluated the effect of mitogens on the subcellular localization of TTP using Western blotting of cellular nuclear and cytosolic fractions. In NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts that constitutively express TTP, 70% of the protein was located in the nucleus of quiescent, serum-deprived cells. Immunoreactive TTP began to increase in the cytosolic compartment within 1 min of serum stimulation of the cells; this increase in cytosolic protein was essentially complete within 5 min of serum stimulation (81% of total) and was accompanied by a commensurate decrease in nuclear TTP. This translocation was complete well before the increase in TTP synthesis that occurred after serum stimulation. Similar experiments in cells expressing a mutant TTP, in which the major mitogen-activated protein kinase site (serine 220) had been mutated to alanine, revealed normal nuclear to cytosolic translocation after serum stimulation, indicating that phosphorylation of this site is not necessary for this translocation to occur. These results suggest that TTP is rapidly modified in response to mitogens so that it is rapidly released from the nucleus to the cytosol, or that proteins retaining TTP in the nucleus are modified to release it into the cytosol. Thus, TTP's proposed function as a transcription factor, possibly an inhibitory one, may be regulated in cells in part by a novel mechanism, i.e. that of rapid, mitogen-stimulated translocation out of the cellular nucleus.

Protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation of the myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate protects it from specific proteolytic cleavage

The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a major cellular substrate of protein kinase C. Its concentration in cells is important for the normal development of the central nervous system, and perhaps other physiological processes. We found that MARCKS concentrations in cells were regulated in part by a specific proteolytic cleavage; this resulted in two fragments, each representing about half of the intact protein, that co-existed with MARCKS in cells and tissues. These fragments were present in significant concentrations in quiescent fibroblasts; they disappeared, and the amount of intact MARCKS increased, within 15 s of activation of protein kinase C by serum. In vitro experiments demonstrated that phosphorylated MARCKS was a poor substrate for a protease activity present in cell extracts, whereas dephosphorylated MARCKS was a good substrate. Both the protease activity and the specific MARCKS cleavage products were essentially absent in brain, but present in many other cells and tissues. The protease activity, which had the characteristics of a cysteine protease, cleaved MARCKS between Asn147 and Glu148 of the bovine sequence, three amino acids to the amino-terminal side of the MARCKS phosphorylation site domain. These studies demonstrate that MARCKS is subjected to specific cleavage by a cellular protease, in a manner dependent on the phosphorylation state of the substrate. This represents a novel means of regulating cellular MARCKS concentrations; these data also raise the interesting possibility that MARCKS is involved in regulating the activity of this novel cellular protease.

MARCKS phosphorylation by individual protein kinase C isozymes in insect Sf9 cells

Relatively little is known about the substrate specificity of individual protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes, particularly with respect to physiologically relevant substrates. One class of prominent cellular substrates for PKC is represented by the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate, or MARCKS, protein. In the present study, we have used a baculovirus expression system to coexpress human MARCKS with eight different isozymes of PKC, to determine which isozymes are capable of phosphorylating MARCKS in intact cells. In Sf9 cells, coexpression of MARCKS with individual PKC isozymes led to the following increases in MARCKS phosphorylation: alpha, 3.6-fold; beta iota, 4.6-fold; beta mu, 2.7-fold; gamma, 4.8-fold; delta, 3.0-fold; epsilon, 4.3-fold; and eta, 4.9-fold. In most cases, stimulation of cells with a phorbol ester led to a slight increase (20-30%) in MARCKS phosphorylation. PKC zeta did not phosphorylate MARCKS to any appreciable extent above control. In addition, in vitro kinetic analysis of PKC zeta showed that it has a 1000-fold lower affinity for a synthetic peptide comprising the MARCKS phosphorylation site domain compared to mixed conventional PKC isozymes from rat brain. These data indicate that MARCKS is a substrate in intact cells for at least seven isozymes of PKC: alpha; beta iota; beta mu; gamma; delta; epsilon; and eta. The isozyme PKC zeta does not appear to phosphorylate MARCKS in vivo or with significant affinity in vitro. Thus, PKC zeta, which is not activated by phorbol esters or diacylglycerol, also appears to behave differently with respect to this class of important cellular PKC substrates.

Promoter analysis of Zfp-36, the mitogen-inducible gene encoding the zinc finger protein tristetraprolin

The gene encoding the putative zinc finger protein tristetraprolin (TTP), Zfp-36, is rapidly induced by a variety of mitogens and growth factors. We show here that 77 base pairs 5' of the transcription start site are sufficient for full serum inducibility of the mouse Zfp-36 promoter. This region of the promoter includes consensus sequences for the binding of the transcription factors EGR-1, AP2, and Sp1. In addition, we have identified a previously undescribed element, TTP promoter element 1 (TPE1); this 10-base pair sequence includes a palindrome and is identical in the human, bovine, and mouse genes. Each of the three binding elements, EGR-1, AP2, and TPE1, contribute to the serum induction of Zfp-36 and can confer serum-inducible expression on a heterologous minimal promoter. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrated the formation of complexes consisting of this region of the promoter and cellular nuclear proteins and demonstrated that the extent of complex formation could be altered by treatment of the cells with serum or insulin. These results suggest that the response of Zfp-36 to serum and other mitogens is mediated by a series of cis-acting elements acting in concert to confer full inducible transcription of this gene.

Control of PHAS-I by insulin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Synthesis, degradation, and phosphorylation by a rapamycin-sensitive and mitogen-activated protein kinase-independent pathway

PHAS-I levels increased 8-fold as 3T3-L1 fibroblasts differentiated into adipocytes and acquired sensitivity to insulin. Insulin increased PHAS-I protein (3.3-fold after 2 days), the rate of PHAS-I synthesis (3-fold after 1 h), and the half-life of the protein (from 1.5 to 2.5 days). Insulin also increased the phosphorylation of PHAS-I and promoted dissociation of the PHAS-I eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF-4E) complex, effects that were maximal within 10 min. With recombinant [H6]PHAS-I as substrate, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase was the only insulin-stimulated PHAS-I kinase detected after fractionation of extracts by Mono Q chromatography; however, MAP kinase did not readily phosphorylate [H6]PHAS-I when the [H6]PHAS-I.eIF-4E complex was the substrate. Thus, while MAP kinase may phosphorylate free PHAS-I, it is not sufficient to dissociate the complex. Moreover, rapamycin attenuated the stimulation of PHAS-I phosphorylation by insulin and markedly inhibited dissociation of PHAS-I.eIF-4E, without decreasing MAP kinase activity. Rapamycin abolished the effects of insulin on increasing phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 and on activating p70S6K. The MAP kinase kinase inhibitor, PD 098059, markedly decreased MAP kinase activation by insulin, but it did not change PHAS-I phosphorylation or the association of PHAS-I with eIF-4E. In summary, insulin increases the expression of PHAS-I and promotes phosphorylation of multiple sites in the protein via multiple transduction pathways, one of which is rapamycin-sensitive and independent of MAP kinase. Rapamycin may inhibit translation initiation by increasing PHAS-I binding to eIF-4E.

Phosphorylation of tristetraprolin, a potential zinc finger transcription factor, by mitogen stimulation in intact cells and by mitogen-activated protein kinase in vitro

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is a potential transcription factor that contains three PPPPG repeats and two putative CCCH zinc fingers. TTP is encoded by the early response gene Zfp-36, which is highly expressed in response to growth factors and in several hematopoietic cell lines. In the present studies, we investigated the possibility that TTP is phosphorylated in intact cells. In NIH/3T3 cells that were made to overexpress TTP constitutively, we found that the protein was phosphorylated on serine residues, and that this phosphorylation was rapidly (within 10 min) stimulated by several mitogens. In cell-free assays, recombinant mouse TTP was a substrate for the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. By a combination of protease digestion experiments and site-directed mutagenesis strategies, we found that serine 220 was phosphorylated by p42 MAP kinase in vitro. Expression of mutant TTP in fibroblasts confirmed that serine 220 was one of the major, mitogen-stimulated phosphorylation sites on the protein in intact cells. These results suggest that TTP may be phosphorylated by MAP kinases in vivo and that this phosphorylation may regulate its function.

Membrane association of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) protein. Mutational analysis provides evidence for complex interactions

The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) protein, a prominent cellular substrate for protein kinase C, is associated with membranes in various cell types. MARCKS is myristoylated at its amino terminus; this modification is thought to play the major role in anchoring MARCKS to cellular membranes. Recent studies have suggested that the protein's basic phosphorylation site/calmodulin binding domain may also be involved in the membrane association of MARCKS through electrostatic interactions. The present studies used mutations in the primary structure of the protein to investigate the nature of the association between MARCKS and cell membranes. In chick embryo fibroblasts, activation of protein kinase C led to a decrease in MARCKS membrane association as determined by cell fractionation techniques. Cell-free assays revealed that nonmyristoylated MARCKS exhibited almost no affinity for fibroblast membranes, despite readily demonstrable binding of the wild-type protein. Similar experiments in which the four serines in the phosphorylation site domain were mutated to aspartic acids, mimicking phosphorylation, decreased, but did not eliminate, membrane binding when compared to either the wild-type protein or a comparable tetra-asparagine mutant. Addition of calmodulin in the presence of Ca2+ also inhibited binding of the wild-type protein to membranes, presumably by neutralizing the phosphorylation site domain, or by physically interfering with its membrane association. Surprisingly, expression of a nonmyristoylatable mutant form of MARCKS in intact cells led to only a 46% decrease in its plasma membrane association, as determined by cell fractionation and immunoelectron microscopy. These results are consistent with a complex model of the interaction of MARCKS with cellular membranes, in which the myristoyl moiety, the positively charged phosphorylation site domain, and possibly other domains make independent contributions to membrane binding in intact cells.

Phosphorylation of the MARCKS family of protein kinase C substrates in human B chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Incubation of B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells with phorbol esters resulted in the phosphorylation of three Triton-soluble, heat-stable, acidic proteins with apparent M(r) of 80 KDa, 60 KDa and 43 KDa. The characteristics of the three proteins suggested that they could be related to the myristoylated, alanine-rich, C-kinase substrate (MARCKS). p80 was immunoprecipitated with an antibody against the N-terminal peptide of MARCKS. p43 co-migrated with mouse MRP/Mac-MARCKS (MARCKS-related protein). p60 is the most prominent substrate of protein kinase C in B-CLL cells.

Chromosomal localization of the gene encoding the human DNA helicase RECQL and its mouse homologue

We have determined the chromosomal location of the human and mouse genes encoding the RECQL protein, a putative DNA helicase homologous to the bacterial DNA helicase, RecQ. RECQL was localized to human chromosome 12 by analysis of human-rodent somatic cell hybrid DNA; fine mapping of RECQL by fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed its chromosomal location to be 12p11-p12. The corresponding mouse gene, Recql, was mapped to the telomeric end of mouse chromosome 6 by analysis of DNA from an interspecific cross.

Zinc inhibits turnover of labile mRNAs in intact cells

For immediate early genes such as the c-fos proto-oncogene, mRNA breakdown is very rapid and is largely responsible for the transient nature of mRNA accumulation after transcription is stimulated. We found that in several types of cultured cells and in mice, Zn++ caused marked accumulation of c-fos mRNA and that of another labile mRNA, that encoding the tristetraprolin (TTP) protein. Exposure of TK-L cells to 100 microM ZnSO4 caused an increase of c-fos and TTP mRNA levels within 1 h that reached peak levels in 4-8 h and remained constant to 12 h. Increases in fos protein accumulation were also noted. When the cells were exposed to Zn++ for 4 h and then exposed to actinomycin D, both c-fos and TTP mRNA levels remained constant for up to 10 h, indicating that Zn++ was preventing the breakdown of both c-fos and TTP mRNA. Also, 100 microM ZnSO4 inhibited protein synthesis in TK-L cells, suggesting that the effect on mRNA accumulation could have been an indirect effect resulting from inhibited protein synthesis. Zn++ was unable to inhibit the breakdown of TTP and c-fos mRNA in vitro; however, extracts from cells exposed to Zn++ were less able to cause the breakdown of TTP and c-fos mRNAs than were extracts from control cells, again suggesting that Zn++ indirectly affects mRNA stability through inhibition of protein synthesis. These studies suggest that in addition to their effects on gene transcription, Zn++ and other divalent cations may regulate gene expression by affecting mRNA stability.

MARCKS deficiency in mice leads to abnormal brain development and perinatal death

The MARCKS protein is a widely distributed cellular substrate for protein kinase C. It is a myristoylprotein that binds calmodulin and actin in a manner reversible by protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation. It is also highly expressed in nervous tissue, particularly during development. To evaluate a possible developmental role for MARCKS, we disrupted its gene in mice by using the techniques of homologous recombination. Pups homozygous for the disrupted allele lacked detectable MARCKS mRNA and protein. All MARCKS-deficient pups died before or within a few hours of birth. Twenty-five percent had exencephaly and 19% had omphalocele (normal frequencies, < 1%), indicating high frequencies of midline defects, particularly in cranial neurulation. Nonexencephalic MARCKS-deficient pups had agenesis of the corpus callosum and other forebrain commissures, as well as failure of fusion of the cerebral hemispheres. All MARCKS-deficient pups also displayed characteristic lamination abnormalities of the cortex and retina. These studies suggest that MARCKS plays a vital role in the normal developmental processes of neurulation, hemisphere fusion, forebrain commissure formation, and formation of cortical and retinal laminations. We conclude that MARCKS is necessary for normal mouse brain development and postnatal survival.

Cloning and characterization of RECQL, a potential human homologue of the Escherichia coli DNA helicase RecQ

A potential human DNA helicase, RECQL, was partially purified from HeLa cells, and a cDNA encoding this protein was subsequently cloned from a HeLa library. The RECQL cDNA contains a protein coding region of 1977 base pairs, and encodes a 659-amino-acid polypeptide with a predicted M(r) 72,000. This predicted protein sequence contains several domains that have extensive sequence identity with similar domains of the RecQ protein from Escherichia coli that has been shown to be an ATP-dependent DNA helicase. Overall amino acid sequence identity between the two proteins is 32%; overall sequence similarity is 57%. The similarities between the two sequences are particularly high in the seven consecutive domains characteristic of DNA and RNA helicases. Expression of the RECQL cDNA in reticulocyte lysates and in transiently transfected cells confirms the M(r) 72,000 of the protein; this protein reacted with antibodies raised against synthetic peptides comprising both the predicted amino- and carboxyl-terminal sequences. These antibodies demonstrated that RECQL is located predominantly in the nucleus of human fibroblasts. Based on its sequence similarity to the E. coli RecQ protein, it is possible that the putative human helicase RECQL may play a role in the repair of DNA that is damaged by ultraviolet light or other mutagens.

Insulin and other growth factors induce binding of the ternary complex and a novel protein complex to the c-fos serum response element

Rapid, transient induction of c-fos transcription follows treatment of cells with insulin and other growth factors. This is mediated through the serum response element (SRE), which binds the serum response factor (SRF), as well as accessory factors such as p62 ternary complex factor. Using a gel shift assay we found that formation of the ternary complex increased transiently within 2 min of insulin or phorbol ester treatment of several insulin-sensitive cell lines. However, mutations that prevented formation of this ternary complex did not inhibit insulin- or phorbol ester-stimulated induction of c-fos transcription in these cell lines. We also identified a novel SRF-containing multiprotein complex that forms on the SRE within 2 min following insulin, phorbol ester, or other growth factor treatment. Formation of this novel complex, called band 3, occurred rapidly and transiently, with a time course parallel to the induction of c-fos transcription. Band 3 also formed with gamma-actin and zif268/3 SRE probes. Methylation and carboxy ethylation interference analysis, as well as extensive SRE mutagenesis, suggest that only the SRF directly contacts the SRE in forming band 3. Formation of this novel complex appears to involve protein-protein interactions between SRF and other nuclear protein(s) that may play a role in growth factor stimulation of c-fos transcription.

Protein kinase C isozyme distribution and down-regulation in relation to insulin-stimulated c-fos induction

Insulin can stimulate the expression of c-fos and other immediate early genes in many insulin-sensitive cell types. We found previously that this effect of insulin was essentially normal in cells in which protein kinase C (PKC) was down-regulated by 16 h of exposure to 16 microM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). However, recent studies by other groups have suggested that much of the insulin response was lost in down-regulated cells and that at least part of the remaining response could be due to a species of PKC beta that is resistant to down-regulation. To resolve these discrepancies, we performed PKC enzyme assays and immunoblots on HIRc-B, H4IIEC3, and BC3H-1 cells before and after down-regulation with PMA. PKC enzyme activity was undetectable in the first two cell types after down-regulation; in addition, in all three cells the expressed PKC isozymes other than PKC zeta were completely down-regulated by the PMA exposure. Neither PKC beta 1 nor beta 2 was expressed in any of the cells, as determined by immunoblotting with isotype-specific antibodies. As in our previous studies, c-Fos mRNA accumulation in response to insulin was essentially normal in the down-regulated HIRc-B and H4IIEC3 cells, whereas the response to re-added PMA was completely abolished. PKC zeta was expressed in all three cell types and was not down-regulated by PMA; these and other considerations leave open the possibility that this and other "atypical" PKC isotypes could play a role in insulin action.

Phosphorylation reverses the membrane association of peptides that correspond to the basic domains of MARCKS and neuromodulin

Several groups have observed that phosphorylation causes the MARCKS (Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate) protein to move off cell membranes and phospholipid vesicles. Our working hypothesis is that significant membrane binding of MARCKS requires both hydrophobic insertion of the N-terminal myristate into the bilayer and electrostatic association of the single cluster of basic residues in the protein with acidic lipids and that phosphorylation reverses this electrostatic association. Membrane binding measurements with myristoylated peptides and phospholipid vesicles show this hydrophobic moiety could, at best, barely attach proteins to plasma membranes. We report here membrane binding measurements with basic peptides that correspond to the phosphorylation domains of MARCKS and neuromodulin. Binding of these peptides increases sigmoidally with the percent acidic lipid in the phospholipid vesicle and can be described by a Gouy-Chapman/mass action theory that explains how electrostatics and reduction of dimensionality produce apparent cooperativity. The electrostatic affinity of the MARCKS peptide for membranes containing 10% acidic phospholipids (10(4) M-1 = chi/[P], where chi is the mole ratio of peptide bound to the outer monolayer of the vesicles and [P] is the concentration of peptide in the aqueous phase) is the same as the hydrophobic affinity of the myristate moiety for bilayer membranes. Phosphorylation decreases the affinity of the MARCKS peptide for membranes containing 15% acidic lipid about 1000-fold and produces a rapid (t1/2 < 30 s) dissociation of the peptide from phospholipid vesicles.

Protein kinase C-mediated phosphorylation and calmodulin binding of recombinant myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) and MARCKS-related protein

The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) and the MARCKS-related protein (MRP) are members of a distinct family of protein kinase C (PKC) substrates that also bind calmodulin in a manner regulated by phosphorylation by PKC. The kinetics of PKC-mediated phosphorylation and the calmodulin binding properties of intact, recombinant MARCKS and MRP were investigated and compared with previous studies of synthetic peptides spanning the PKC phosphorylation site/calmodulin binding domains (PSCBD) of these proteins. Both MARCKS and MRP were high affinity substrates for the catalytic fragment of PKC, and their phosphorylation occurred with positive cooperativity (MARCKS: S0.5 = 100 nM, KH = 1.43; MRP: S0.5 = 238 nM, KH = 1.72). These affinities are similar to the values determined from studies of their respective PSCBD peptides. Two-dimensional mapping of MRP and its synthetic PSCBD peptide yielded identical patterns of tryptic phosphopeptides, indicating that, as in the case of MARCKS, all of the PKC phosphorylation sites in MRP lie within the 24-amino acid PSCBD. Sequence analysis of tryptic phosphopeptides revealed that the first and third, but not the second, serines in the MRP PSCBD were phosphorylated by PKC. Both MARCKS and MRP bound dansyl-calmodulin with high affinity, with a Kapp of 4.6 and 9.5 nM, respectively. Phosphorylation of MARCKS and MRP by PKC disrupted the protein-calmodulin complexes, with half-lives of 4.0 and 3.5 min, respectively. These studies suggest that intact, recombinant MARCKS and MRP are accurately modeled by their synthetic PSCBD peptides with respect to PKC phosphorylation kinetics and their phosphorylation-dependent calmodulin binding properties.