Human DNA-activated protein kinase phosphorylates serines 15 and 37 in the amino-terminal transactivation domain of human p53

Artemis C-terminal region facilitates V(D)J recombination through its interactions with DNA Ligase IV and DNA-PKcs

Interactions of Artemis with DNA Ligase IV and DNA-PKcs are required for efficient coding joint formation.

Artemis is an endonuclease that opens coding hairpin ends during V(D)J recombination and has critical roles in postirradiation cell survival. A direct role for the C-terminal region of Artemis in V(D)J recombination has not been defined, despite the presence of immunodeficiency and lymphoma development in patients with deletions in this region. Here, we report that the Artemis C-terminal region directly interacts with the DNA-binding domain of Ligase IV, a DNA Ligase which plays essential roles in DNA repair and V(D)J recombination. The Artemis–Ligase IV interaction is specific and occurs independently of the presence of DNA and DNA–protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), another protein known to interact with the Artemis C-terminal region. Point mutations in Artemis that disrupt its interaction with Ligase IV or DNA-PKcs reduce V(D)J recombination, and Artemis mutations that affect interactions with Ligase IV and DNA-PKcs show additive detrimental effects on coding joint formation. Signal joint formation remains unaffected. Our data reveal that the C-terminal region of Artemis influences V(D)J recombination through its interaction with both Ligase IV and DNA-PKcs.

Trp-tRNA synthetase bridges DNA-PKcs to PARP-1 to link IFN-γ and p53 signaling

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) engenders strong antiproliferative responses, in part through activation of p53. However, the long-known IFN-γ-dependent upregulation of human Trp-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS), a cytoplasmic enzyme that activates tryptophan to form Trp-AMP in the first step of protein synthesis, is unexplained. Here we report a nuclear complex of TrpRS with the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) and with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), the major PARP in human cells. The IFN-γ-dependent poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of DNA-PKcs (which activates its kinase function) and concomitant activation of the tumor suppressor p53 were specifically prevented by Trp-SA, an analog of Trp-AMP that disrupted the TrpRS-DNA-PKcs-PARP-1 complex. The connection of TrpRS to p53 signaling in vivo was confirmed in a vertebrate system. These and further results suggest an unexpected evolutionary expansion of the protein synthesis apparatus to a nuclear role that links major signaling pathways.

Reciprocal repression between P53 and TCTP

Screening for genes that reprogram cancer cells for the tumor reversion switch identified TCTP (encoding translationally controlled tumor protein) as a crucial regulator of apoptosis. Here we report a negative feedback loop between P53 and TCTP. TCTP promotes P53 degradation by competing with NUMB for binding to P53-MDM2-containing complexes. TCTP inhibits MDM2 auto-ubiquitination and promotes MDM2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of P53. Notably, Tctp haploinsufficient mice are sensitized to P53-dependent apoptosis. In addition, P53 directly represses TCTP transcription. In 508 breast cancers, high-TCTP status associates with poorly differentiated, aggressive G3-grade tumors, predicting poor prognosis (P < 0.0005). Tctp knockdown in primary mammary tumor cells from ErbB2 transgenic mice results in increased P53 expression and a decreased number of stem-like cancer cells. The pharmacological compounds sertraline and thioridazine increase the amount of P53 by neutralizing TCTP's action on the MDM2-P53 axis. This study links TCTP and P53 in a previously unidentified regulatory circuitry that may underlie the relevance of TCTP in cancer.

The HDAC inhibitor depsipeptide transactivates the p53/p21 pathway by inducing DNA damage

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been proven to be effective therapeutic agents to kill cancer cells through inhibiting HDAC activity or altering the structure of chromatin. As a potent HDAC inhibitor, depsipeptide not only modulates histone deacetylation but also activates non-histone protein p53 to inhibit cancer cell growth. However, the mechanism of depsipeptide-induced p53 transactivity remains unknown. Here, we show that depsipeptide causes DNA damage through induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, as demonstrated by a comet assay and by detection of the phosphorylation of H2AX. Depsipeptide induced oxidative stress was confirmed to relate to a disturbance in reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions through inhibition of the transactivation of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) in human cancer cells. Upon treatment with depsipeptide, p53 phosphorylation at threonine 18 (Thr18) was specifically induced. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that phosphorylation of p53 at Thr18 is required for p53 acetylation at lysine 373/382 and for p21 expression in response to depsipeptide treatment. Our results demonstrate that depsipeptide plays an anti-neoplastic role by generating ROS to elicit p53/p21 pathway activation.

Involvement of Akt and mTOR in chemotherapeutic- and hormonal-based drug resistance and response to radiation in breast cancer cells

Elucidating the response of breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic and hormonal based drugs and radiation is clearly important as these are common treatment approaches. Signaling cascades often involved in chemo-, hormonal- and radiation resistance are the Ras/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and p53 pathways. In the following studies we have examined the effects of activation of the Ras/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR cascade in the response of MCF-7 breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic- and hormonal-based drugs and radiation. Activation of Akt by introduction of conditionally-activated Akt-1 gene could result in resistance to chemotherapeutic and hormonal based drugs as well as radiation. We have determined that chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin or the hormone based drug tamoxifen, both used to treat breast cancer, resulted in the activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway which is often associated with a pro-proliferative, anti-apoptotic response. In drug sensitive MCF-7 cells which have wild-type p53; ERK, p53 and downstream p21 (Cip-1 ) were induced upon exposure to doxorubicin. In contrast, in the drug resistant cells which expressed activated Akt-1, much lower levels of p53 and p21 (Cip1) were induced upon exposure to doxorubicin. These results indicate the involvement of the Ras/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and p53 pathways in the response to chemotherapeutic and hormonal based drugs. Understanding how breast cancers respond to chemo- and hormonal-based therapies and radiation may enhance the ability to treat breast cancer more effectively.

The association of DNA-dependent protein kinase activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes with prognosis of cancer

BACKGROUND

Repair of various types of DNA damages is critical for genomic stability. DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) has an important role in DNA double-strand break repair. We examined whether there may be a correlation between DNA-PK activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and survival percentages in various cancer patients. We also investigated the changes of DNA-PK activity in PBLs after radiotherapy.

METHODS

A total of 167 of untreated cancer patients participated in this study. Peripheral blood was collected, separated, and centrifuged. DNA-PK activity was measured by DNA-pull-down assay. Chromosomal aberrations were examined by cytogenetic methods.

RESULTS

DNA-PK activity of PBLs in advanced cancer patients was significantly lower than that in early stage. The patients with lower DNA-PK activity in PBLs tended to have the lower disease-specific survivals and distant metastasis-free survivals than those with higher DNA-PK activity in advanced stages. There was also a tendency of inverse correlation between DNA-PK activity and excess fragments. The DNA-PK activity of PBLs in most patients decreased in response to radiation as the equivalent whole-body dose increased.

CONCLUSION

Cancer patients in advanced stage, with lower DNA-PK activity of PBLs might have higher distant metastasis and exhibit poorer prognosis. Therefore, DNA-PK activity in PBLs could be used as a marker to predict the chromosomal instability and poorer prognosis.

Interaction of mutant hepatitis B X protein with p53 tumor suppressor protein affects both transcription and cell survival

This study examines the differential activities between wild-type Hepatitis B virus X protein (WtHBx) and a mutant HBx (MutHBx), which bears a hotspot mutation at nucleotides 1,762 and 1,764, resulting in a lysine to methionine change at codon 130 and a valine to isoleucine change at codon 131. This mutation leads to hepatocellular carcinoma, and we evaluated how WtHBx and MutHBx proteins differ in their interactions with the p53 tumor suppressor protein. This was experimentally addressed through co-immunoprecipitation assays examining the interaction between WtHBx and MutHBx proteins with p53, reporter assays determining the impact of the HBx proteins on p53-mediated gene transcription, and clonogenic survival assays evaluating the effect of HBx on cell growth in lines of varying p53-expression status. Both WtHBx and MutHBx proteins physically interact with p53 protein, but have different impacts on p53-mediated gene transcription. WtHBx did not effect p53-mediated gene transcription, whereas MutHBx inhibited it (P < 0.01). MutHBx inhibited colony formation in p53-proficient cells (P < 0.01), but not p53-deficient lines. Although both HBx proteins interact with p53, they affect p53-mediated gene transcription differently. WtHBx has no effect, whereas MutHBx inhibits it. In clonogenic survival assays, MutHBx inhibited cell growth in p53-proficient cells rather than enhanced it. This suggests that for MutHBx to behave oncogenically, the p53 pathway must be crippled or absent. This study has identified some important novel ways in which WtHBx and MutHBx differentially interact with p53 and this could begin to form the cellular explanation for the association between this particular mutant and liver cancer.

A structural model for regulation of NHEJ by DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation

The DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and Ku heterodimer together form the biologically critical DNA-PK complex that plays key roles in the repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks through the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway. Despite elegant and informative electron microscopy studies, the mechanism by which DNA-PK co-ordinates the initiation of NHEJ has been enigmatic due to limited structural information. Here, we discuss how the recently described small angle X-ray scattering structures of full-length Ku heterodimer and DNA-PKcs in solution, combined with a breakthrough DNA-PKcs crystal structure, provide significant insights into the early stages of NHEJ. Dynamic structural changes associated with a functionally important cluster of autophosphorylation sites play a significant role in regulating the dissociation of DNA-PKcs from Ku and DNA. These new structural insights have implications for understanding the formation and control of the DNA-PK synaptic complex, DNA-PKcs activation and initiation of NHEJ. More generally, they provide prototypic information for the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-like (PIKK) family of serine/threonine protein kinases that includes Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated (ATM) and ATM-, Rad3-related (ATR) as well as DNA-PKcs.

Mutant huntingtin impairs Ku70-mediated DNA repair

Mutant huntingtin prevents interaction of the DNA damage repair complex component Ku70 with damaged DNA, blocking repair of double-strand breaks.

DNA repair defends against naturally occurring or disease-associated DNA damage during the long lifespan of neurons and is implicated in polyglutamine disease pathology. In this study, we report that mutant huntingtin (Htt) expression in neurons causes double-strand breaks (DSBs) of genomic DNA, and Htt further promotes DSBs by impairing DNA repair. We identify Ku70, a component of the DNA damage repair complex, as a mediator of the DNA repair dysfunction in mutant Htt–expressing neurons. Mutant Htt interacts with Ku70, impairs DNA-dependent protein kinase function in nonhomologous end joining, and consequently increases DSB accumulation. Expression of exogenous Ku70 rescues abnormal behavior and pathological phenotypes in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington’s disease (HD). These results collectively suggest that Ku70 is a critical regulator of DNA damage in HD pathology.

Role of nuclear factor-kappaB and P53 in radioadaptive response in Chang live cells

Understanding the mechanism governing radioadaptive response (RAR) has important implication for cancer risk assessment of a low-dose radiation (LDR). However the related knowledge especially the key gene of RAR is still limited. In this study, Chang liver cells were irradiated with a priming dose of 0.016 Gy, 0.08 Gy, or 0.16 Gy of gamma-rays, and with 4 h interval, they were irradiated again with a challenging dose of 2 Gy or 3 Gy. It was found that only 0.08 Gy, but not 0.016 Gy or 0.16 Gy, induced RAR of micronuclei induction to the challenging irradiation. This RAR could be slightly reduced by pifithrin-alpha, an inhibitor of P53, however it was completely suppressed by BAY11-7082, an inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). Further assays using western blotting and luciferase reporter gene found that nuclear NF-kappaB and its activity could be triggered by the priming irradiation of 0.08 Gy so that the expressions of them in the primed cells were higher than those in the cells exposed to the challenging dose alone. In contrast, LDR neither influenced the expressions of both P53 and phospho-P53 (ser15) nor enhanced P53 activity; the expression of phospho-P53 and the activity of P53 in the primed cells were lower than that in the non-primly challenged cells. Our results demonstrate that the induction of RAR relays on an optimum priming irradiation dose and it is NF-kappaB rather than P53 that contributes to RAR.

Interaction of the double-strand break repair kinase DNA-PK and estrogen receptor-alpha

Here we show that, upon estrogen stimulation, DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) forms a complex with estrogen receptor-α in a breast cancer cell line (MELN). Inhibition of DNA-PK by siRNA technology demonstrated that estrogen-induced ERα activation and cell cycle progression is, at least, partially dependent on DNA-PK.

Estrogens are suggested to play a role in the development and progression of proliferative diseases such as breast cancer. Like other steroid hormone receptors, the estrogen receptor-α (ERα) is a substrate of protein kinases, and phosphorylation has profound effects on its function and activity. Given the importance of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) for DNA repair, cell cycle progression, and survival, we hypothesized that it modulates ERα signaling. Here we show that, upon estrogen stimulation, DNA-PK forms a complex with ERα in a breast cancer cell line (MELN). DNA-PK phosphorylates ERα at Ser-118. Phosphorylation resulted in stabilization of ERα protein as inhibition of DNA-PK resulted in its proteasomal degradation. Activation of DNA-PK by double-strand breaks or its inhibition by siRNA technology demonstrated that estrogen-induced ERα activation and cell cycle progression is, at least, partially dependent on DNA-PK.

Significant correlation of species longevity with DNA double strand break recognition but not with telomere length

The identification of the cellular mechanisms responsible for the wide differences in species lifespan remains one of the major unsolved problems of the biology of aging. We measured the capacity of nuclear protein to recognize DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and telomere length of skin fibroblasts derived from mammalian species that exhibit wide differences in longevity. Our results indicate DNA DSB recognition increases exponentially with longevity. Further, an analysis of the level of Ku80 protein in human, cow, and mouse suggests that Ku levels vary dramatically between species and these levels are strongly correlated with longevity. In contrast mean telomere length appears to decrease with increasing longevity of the species, although not significantly. These findings suggest that an enhanced ability to bind to DNA ends may be important for longevity. A number of possible roles for increased levels of Ku and DNA-PKcs are discussed.

Suppression of DNA-PKcs enhances FGF-2 dependent human endothelial cell proliferation via negative regulation of Akt

Angiogenesis initiation is crucially dependent on endothelial proliferation and can be stimulated by the fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2). The DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), long known for its importance in repairing DNA double strand breaks, belongs to the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3-K) super family and has recently been identified as one of the enzymes phosphorylating and activating Akt. Due to its similarity with PI3-K, we hypothesized that DNA-PK may have similar effects on endothelial angiogenic processes and signalling. We used primary endothelial cells (HUVEC and PAEC) and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC) to study the role of DNA-PK in endothelial proliferation and signalling. DNA-PKcs suppression with the compound NU7026 or with siRNA induced basal endothelial cell proliferation as well as enhanced FGF-2 dependent proliferation. This was associated with an increase in phosphorylated Akt. Tube formation was not affected by DNA-PKcs clearly showing that the role of DNA-PK in endothelial processes differs from that of PI3-K. Our findings indicate DNA-PK as an important enzyme maintaining the quiescent endothelial phenotype by actively inhibiting Akt thus restraining endothelial cell proliferation preventing excessive growth.

Radioresistant cervical cancer shows upregulation of the NHEJ proteins DNA-PKcs, Ku70 and Ku86

Background:

Radiotherapy is central in the treatment of cervical cancer. The formation of DNA double-strand breaks is considered to be critical for the radiotherapeutic effect. The non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) proteins DNA–PKcs, Ku70 and Ku86 have a major role in repairing DNA lesions. The objective of this study was to analyse if the expression of DNA–PKcs, Ku70 and Ku86 and their downstream signalling molecules p53, p21 and Mdm-2 are altered in residual cervical tumours after radiotherapy.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of 127 patients with cervical cancer stage IB-IIA treated with preoperative radiotherapy and radical surgery, revealed residual tumour in the cervical specimen in 30 patients. In 22 cases tumour material from residual and corresponding primary tumour were retrieved and the expression of DNA–PKcs, Ku86, Ku70, p53, p21 and Mdm-2 were assessed by immunohistochemistry.

Results:

Residual tumours showed increased frequency of DNA–PKcs (P=0.037), Ku70 (P=0.018), Ku86 (P=0.008) positive cells. A correlation in DNA–PKcs expression between primary and residual tumours was found. The frequency of p21-positive cells was decreased (P=0.007) in residual tumours whereas no change in p53 or Mdm-2-positive cells were observed.

Conclusion:

Our results show that cervical carcinoma surviving radiotherapy have an increased DNA–PK expression. Studies on larger patient cohorts are needed to allow an interpretation that an upregulation of DNA–PK function may be part of a radioresistance mechanism within this tumour type.

The human telomerase RNA component, hTR, activates the DNA-dependent protein kinase to phosphorylate heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1

Telomere integrity in human cells is maintained by the dynamic interplay between telomerase, telomere associated proteins, and DNA repair proteins. These interactions are vital to suppress DNA damage responses and unfavorable changes in chromosome dynamics. The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is critical for this process. Cells deficient for functional DNA-PKcs show increased rates of telomere loss, accompanied by chromosomal fusions and translocations. Treatment of cells with specific DNA-PK kinase inhibitors leads to similar phenotypes. These observations indicate that the kinase activity of DNA-PK is required for its function at telomeres possibly through phosphorylation of essential proteins needed for telomere length maintenance. Here we show that the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) is a direct substrate for DNA-PK in vitro. Phosphorylation of hnRNP A1 is stimulated not only by the presence of DNA but also by the telomerase RNA component, hTR. Furthermore, we show that hnRNP A1 is phosphorylated in vivo in a DNA-PK-dependent manner and that this phosphorylation is greatly reduced in cell lines which lack hTR. These data are the first to report that hTR stimulates the kinase activity of DNA-PK toward a known telomere-associated protein, and may provide further insights into the function of DNA-PK at telomeres.

Time and dose-dependent activation of p53 serine 15 phosphorylation among cell lines with different radiation sensitivity

PURPOSE

Proper detection of DNA damage and signal transduction to other proteins following irradiation (IR) is essential for cellular integrity. The serine 15 (Ser15) on p53 is crucial for p53 stabilization and a requirement for transient and permanent cell cycle arrest. Here, we sought to determine the relationship between p53 serine 15 phosphorylation (p53-p-Ser15) on cellular sensitivity and if this modification is associated with DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight lymphoblastoid cell lines including ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) and radiosensitive patient derived cell lines were irradiated with 1 Gy, 2 Gy and 5 Gy. Then growth inhibition, p53 induction and phosphorylation on Ser15 as assessed by immunoblotting and DNA DSB repair as assessed by constant field gel electrophoresis were examined.

RESULTS

Phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15 in control cells rapidly increased, peaking at 3-6 hours and then sustained a low level of phosphorylation for up to 6 days following IR. For these cell lines, the amount of p53-p-Ser15 corresponded to the sensitivity of cells and the amount of DNA DSB. In A-T cells, p53-p-Ser15 was reduced in spite of increased DNA DSB. NBS cells had similar phosphorylation dynamics as the control cell line, which was not consistent with their increased sensitivity. Radiosensitive patients' cell lines differed only slightly from controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Cells that are competent in signal transduction have p53-p-Ser15 kinetics corresponding to cellular radiosensitivity as assessed by clonogenicity and DNA DSB repair, and cells impaired in signal transduction lack this correspondence. Therefore, using p53-p-Ser15 as a general marker of radiation sensitivity has confounding factors which may impair proper radiosensitivity prediction.

A novel ataxia-telangiectasia mutated autoregulatory feedback mechanism in murine embryonic stem cells

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is known to play a central role in effecting the DNA damage response that protects somatic cells from potentially harmful mutations, and in this role it is a key anti-cancer agent. However, it also promotes repair of therapeutic damage (e.g. radiotherapy) and so frustrates the efficacy of some treatments. A better understanding of the mechanisms of ATM regulation is therefore important both in prevention and treatment of disease. While progress has been made in elucidating the key signal transduction pathways that mediate damage response in somatic cells, relatively little is known about whether these function similarly in pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells where ATM is also implicated in our understanding of adult stem cell ageing and in improvements in regenerative medicine. There is some evidence that different mechanisms may operate in ES cells and that our understanding of the mechanisms of ATM regulation is therefore incomplete. We investigated the behaviour of the damage response signalling pathway in mouse ES cells. We subjected the cells to the DNA-damaging agent doxorubicin, a drug that induces double-strand breaks, and measured ATM expression levels. We found that basal ATM gene expression was unaffected by doxorubicin treatment. However, following ATM kinase inhibition using a specific ATM inhibitor, we observed a significant increase in ATM and ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3 related transcription. We demonstrate the use of a dynamical modelling approach to show that these results cannot be explained in terms of known mechanisms. Furthermore, we show that the modelling approach can be used to identify a novel feedback process that may underlie the anomalies in the data. The predictions of the model are consistent both with our in vitro experiments and with in vivo studies of ATM expression in somatic cells in mice, and we hypothesize that this feedback operates in both somatic and ES cells in vivo. The results point to a possible new target for ATM inhibition that overcomes the restorative potential of the proposed feedback.

15-lipoxygenase-1 activates tumor suppressor p53 independent of enzymatic activity

15-LOX-1 and its metabolites are involved in colorectal cancer. Recently, we reported that 15-LOX-1 overexpression in HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells inhibited cell growth by induction of p53 phosphorylation (4). To determine whether the 15-LOX-1 protein or its metabolites are responsible for phosphorylation of p53 in HCT-116 cells, we used HCT-116 cells that expressed a mutant 15-LOX-1. The mutant 15-LOX-1 enzyme, with a substitution of Leu at residue His361, was devoid of enzymatic activity. HCT-116 cells transiently transfected with either native or mutant 15-LOX-1 showed an increase in p53 phosphorylation and an increase in the expression of downstream genes. Thus, 15-LOX-1 induces p53 phosphorylation independent of enzymatic activity. Treatment of A549 human lung carcinoma cells with IL-4 increased the expression of 15-LOX-1 and also increased the expression of downstream targets of p53. This confirmed that the activation of p53 was also observed in wild-type cells expressing physiological 15-LOX-1. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that 15-LOX-1 interacts with, and binds to, DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). The binding of 15-LOX-1 to DNA-PK caused an approximate 3.0-fold enhancement in kinase activity, resulting in increased p53 phosphorylation at Ser15. Knockdown of DNA-PK by small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly reduced p53 phosphorylation. Furthermore, confocal microscopy demonstrated a colocalization of 15-LOX and DNA-PK in the cells. We propose that the 15-LOX-1 protein binds to DNA-PK, increasing its kinase activity and results in downstream activation of the tumor suppressor p53, thus revealing a new mechanism by which lipoxygenases (LOX) may influence the phenotype of tumor cells.

Dysbindin-1, a schizophrenia-related protein, functionally interacts with the DNA- dependent protein kinase complex in an isoform-dependent manner

DTNBP1 has been recognized as a schizophrenia susceptible gene, and its protein product, dysbindin-1, is down-regulated in the brains of schizophrenic patients. However, little is known about the physiological role of dysbindin-1 in the central nervous system. We hypothesized that disruption of dysbindin-1 with unidentified proteins could contribute to pathogenesis and the symptoms of schizophrenia. GST pull-down from human neuroblastoma lysates showed an association of dysbindin-1 with the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) complex. The DNA-PK complex interacts only with splice isoforms A and B, but not with C. We found that isoforms A and B localized in nucleus, where the kinase complex exist, whereas the isoform C was found exclusively in cytosol. Furthermore, results of phosphorylation assay suggest that the DNA-PK complex phosphorylated dysbindin-1 isoforms A and B in cells. These observations suggest that DNA-PK regulates the dysbindin-1 isoforms A and B by phosphorylation in nucleus. Isoform C does not contain exons from 1 to 6. Since schizophrenia-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) occur in these introns between exon 1 and exon 6, we suggest that these SNPs might affect splicing of DTNBP1, which leads to impairment of the functional interaction between dysbindin-1 and DNA-PK in schizophrenic patients.

DNA-dependent protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation of protein kinase B requires a specific recognition sequence in the C-terminal hydrophobic motif

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) has been implicated in a variety of nuclear processes including DNA double strand break repair, V(D)J recombination, and transcription. A recent study showed that DNA-PK is responsible for Ser-473 phosphorylation in the hydrophobic motif of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) in genotoxic-stressed cells, suggesting a novel role for DNA-PK in cell signaling. Here, we report that DNA-PK activity toward PKB peptides is impaired in DNA-PK knock-out mouse embryonic fibroblast cells when compared with wild type. In addition, human glioblastoma cells expressing a mutant form of DNA-PK (M059J) displayed a lower DNA-PK activity when compared with glioblastoma cells expressing wild-type DNA-PK (M059K) when PKB peptide substrates were tested. DNA-PK preferentially phosphorylated PKB on Ser-473 when compared with its known in vitro substrate, p53. A consensus hydrophobic amino acid surrounding the Ser-473 phospho-acceptor site in PKB containing amino acids Phe at position +1 and +4 and Tyr at position -1 are critical for DNA-PK activity. Thus, these data define the specificity of DNA-PK action as a Ser-473 kinase for PKB in DNA repair signaling.

DNA-PK suppresses a p53-independent apoptotic response to DNA damage

p53 is required for DNA damage-induced apoptosis, which is central to its function as a tumour suppressor. Here, we show that the apoptotic defect of p53-deficient cells is nearly completely rescued by inactivation of any of the three subunits of the DNA repair holoenzyme DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Intestinal crypt cells from p53 nullizygous mice were resistant to radiation-induced apoptosis, whereas apoptosis in DNA-PK(cs)/p53, Ku80/p53 and Ku70/p53 double-null mice was quantitatively equivalent to that seen in wild-type mice. This p53-independent apoptotic response was specific to the loss of DNA-PK, as it was not seen in ligase IV (Lig4)/p53 or ataxia telangiectasia mutated (Atm)/p53 double-null mice. Furthermore, it was associated with an increase in phospho-checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2), and cleaved caspases 3 and 9, the latter indicating engagement of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. This shows that there are two separate, but equally effective, apoptotic responses to DNA damage: one is p53 dependent and the other, engaged in the absence of DNA-PK, does not require p53.

Physical and in silico approaches identify DNA-PK in a Tax DNA-damage response interactome

Background

We have initiated an effort to exhaustively map interactions between HTLV-1 Tax and host cellular proteins. The resulting Tax interactome will have significant utility toward defining new and understanding known activities of this important viral protein. In addition, the completion of a full Tax interactome will also help shed light upon the functional consequences of these myriad Tax activities. The physical mapping process involved the affinity isolation of Tax complexes followed by sequence identification using tandem mass spectrometry. To date we have mapped 250 cellular components within this interactome. Here we present our approach to prioritizing these interactions via an in silico culling process.

Results

We first constructed an in silico Tax interactome comprised of 46 literature-confirmed protein-protein interactions. This number was then reduced to four Tax-interactions suspected to play a role in DNA damage response (Rad51, TOP1, Chk2, 53BP1). The first-neighbor and second-neighbor interactions of these four proteins were assembled from available human protein interaction databases. Through an analysis of betweenness and closeness centrality measures, and numbers of interactions, we ranked proteins in the first neighborhood. When this rank list was compared to the list of physical Tax-binding proteins, DNA-PK was the highest ranked protein common to both lists. An overlapping clustering of the Tax-specific second-neighborhood protein network showed DNA-PK to be one of three bridge proteins that link multiple clusters in the DNA damage response network.

Conclusion

The interaction of Tax with DNA-PK represents an important biological paradigm as suggested via consensus findings in vivo and in silico. We present this methodology as an approach to discovery and as a means of validating components of a consensus Tax interactome.

Death in the AIRE

When thymic epithelia begin to synthesize peripheral tissue antigens such as insulin, we are seeing the result of autoimmune regulator (AIRE) activity and the workings of central tolerance. AIRE is an extraordinary protein that repatterns the transcriptome of medullary thymic epithelia (mTECs) to produce a stroma decorated with peripheral self-peptides. These peptidic arrays are used to purge self-reactive T cells, thereby averting autoimmunity. We now propose that an inherently cytotoxic event such as global chromatin modification paves the way for AIRE action. This injury stimulus might impose temporal restrictions for the T-cell education process and is endured, at least transiently, by the unique cellular environment provided by the medullary thymic epithelia.

Enhanced DNA-PK-mediated RPA2 hyperphosphorylation in DNA polymerase eta-deficient human cells treated with cisplatin and oxaliplatin

The chemotherapeutic drugs cisplatin and oxaliplatin act by induction of DNA damage, including monoadducts, intrastrand and interstrand crosslinks. An increased understanding of the repair and replication of platinum-damaged DNA is required to improve the effectiveness of these drugs in killing cancer cells. We have investigated the effect of expression of DNA polymerase eta (poleta), a translesion synthesis (TLS) enzyme, on the response of human cell lines to cisplatin and oxaliplatin. Poleta-deficient cells are more sensitive to both drugs than are normal cells. In poleta-deficient cells, drug treatment leads to prolonged S-phase arrest, and increased phosphorylation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-related protein kinase (PIKK) substrates Chk1, p95/Nbs1 and RPA2, the 34kDa subunit of replication protein A. Cisplatin- and oxaliplatin-induced hyperphosphorylation of RPA2, and association of the hyperphosphorylated protein with chromatin, is elevated in poleta-deficient cells. Cisplatin-induced phosphorylation of RPA2 on serine 4/serine 8, but not on serine 33, is inhibited by the DNA-PK inhibitor, NU7441, but not by the ATM inhibitor, KU-55933. Cisplatin-induced DNA-PK-dependent hyperphosphorylation of RPA2 on serine 4/serine 8 occurs after recruitment of RPA to chromatin, as determined by immunofluorescence and by subcellular fractionation. ATR is required both for recruitment of RPA2 to chromatin and its subsequent hyperphosphorylation on serine 4/serine 8 by DNA-PK, since CGK733, an inhibitor of ATM and ATR, blocked both recruitment and hyperphosphorylation. Thus, increased sensitivity to cisplatin and oxaliplatin in DNA poleta-deficient cells is associated with prolonged S-phase arrest, and enhanced PIKK-signalling, in particular activation of DNA-PK-dependent hyperphosphorylation of RPA2 on serines 4 and 8.

The role of DNA damage and repair in aging: new approaches to an old problem

DNA damage and mutations have been implicated as key causal events in the biological process of aging. In this context, it has been hypothesized that the complex of genome maintenance systems acts as a longevity assurance system by signaling and repairing damage or removing cells that are beyond repair. In the past, various approaches have been taken to clarify the importance of preserving genome integrity for healthy aging. Here I will briefly review these approaches in the context of the progress made in improving our understanding of the interrelationship between DNA damage, genome maintenance and mutations.

DNA-PK contributes to the phosphorylation of AIRE: importance in transcriptional activity

The autoimmune regulator (AIRE) protein is a key mediator of the central tolerance for tissue specific antigens and is involved in transcriptional control of many antigens in thymic medullary epithelial cells (mTEC). Mutations in the AIRE gene cause a rare disease named autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED). Here we report using GST pull-down assay, mass-spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation that a heterotrimeric complex of DNA-Dependent Protein Kinase (DNA-PK), consisting of Ku70, Ku80 and DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), is a novel interaction partner for AIRE. In vitro phosphorylation assays show that the residues Thr68 and Ser156 are DNA-PK phosphorylation sites in AIRE. In addition, we demonstrate that DNA-PKcs is expressed in AIRE positive mTEC cell population and that introduction of mutations into the AIRE phosphorylation sites decrease the capacity of AIRE to activate transcription from reporter promoters. In conclusion, our results suggest that phosphorylation of the AIRE protein at Thr68 and Ser156 by DNA-PK influences AIRE transactivation ability and might have impact on other aspects of the functional regulation of the AIRE protein.

Age-dependent upregulation of p53 and cytochrome c release and susceptibility to apoptosis in skeletal muscle fiber of aged rats: role of carnitine and lipoic acid

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the regulation of myofiber loss during aging, possibly by apoptotic pathways. However, the mitochondrial-mediated pathway of apoptosis by cytochrome c in skeletal muscle remains ambiguous. To understand this, we have studied the upstream and downstream events of cytochrome c release, and assessed the efficacy of carnitine and lipoic acid cosupplementation. The results show that elevated levels of cytosolic cytochrome c activate apoptosis in aged rats, and was confirmed further by in vitro caspase-3 assay. Interestingly, the exogenous addition of cytochrome c results in a much higher increase of caspase-3 activity in aged treated rats than age-matched control rats, strongly suggesting that cytochrome c is a limiting factor for caspase-3 activation in the cytosol. Carnitine and lipoic acid supplement decreased apoptosis in aged rats by maintaining mitochondrial membrane integrity and thereby preventing further loss of cytochrome c in vivo. Furthermore, the upregulation of p53 observed in aged rats is attributed to the loss of outer mitochondrial membrane integrity and subsequent release of cytochrome c through BH3-only proteins. In conclusion, the p53-dependent activation of the mitochondrial-cytochrome c pathway of apoptosis in the present study suggests the existence of cross talk between mitochondria and nucleus. However, the exact molecular mechanism remains to be explored. Oral supplements of carnitine and lipoic acid play an antiapoptotic role in aged rat skeletal muscle by protecting mitochondrial membrane integrity.

Functional role of Zic2 phosphorylation in transcriptional regulation

Zic2 is a transcriptional activator that plays a crucial role in mammalian forebrain development. It activates the transcription of target genes by DNA binding and recruitment of RNA helicase A (RHA). We recently reported that the Zic2-RHA interaction is decreased by phosphatase treatment in vitro. We have now identified the phosphorylation site (serine 200) in mouse Zic2. Zic2S200A was defective in RHA-binding, and its transcriptional activation ability was diminished. These data indicate that Zic2S200 is a target for phosphorylation by DNA-dependent protein kinase, regulating Zic2-mediated transcriptional activation.

Phosphorylation of CBP by IKKalpha promotes cell growth by switching the binding preference of CBP from p53 to NF-kappaB

CBP plays a central role in coordinating and integrating multiple signaling pathways. Competition between NF-kappaB and p53 for CBP is a crucial determinant of whether a cell proliferates or undergoes apoptosis. However, how the CBP-dependent crosstalk between these two transcription factors is regulated remains unclear. Here, we show that IKKalpha phosphorylates CBP at serine 1382 and serine 1386 and consequently increases CBP's HAT and transcriptional activities. Importantly, such phosphorylation enhances NF-kappaB-mediated gene expression and suppresses p53-mediated gene expression by switching the binding preference of CBP from p53 to NF-kappaB, thus promoting cell growth. The CBP phosphorylation also correlates with constitutive IKKalpha activation in human lung tumor tissue compared with matched nontumor lung tissue. Our results suggest that phosphorylation of CBP by IKKalpha regulates the CBP-mediated crosstalk between NF-kappaB and p53 and thus may be a critical factor in the promotion of cell proliferation and tumor growth.

PRAK is essential for ras-induced senescence and tumor suppression

Like apoptosis, oncogene-induced senescence is a barrier to tumor development. However, relatively little is known about the signaling pathways mediating the senescence response. p38-regulated/activated protein kinase (PRAK) is a p38 MAPK substrate whose physiological functions are poorly understood. Here we describe a role for PRAK in tumor suppression by demonstrating that PRAK mediates senescence upon activation by p38 in response to oncogenic ras. PRAK deficiency in mice enhances DMBA-induced skin carcinogenesis, coinciding with compromised senescence induction. In primary cells, inactivation of PRAK prevents senescence and promotes oncogenic transformation. Furthermore, we show that PRAK activates p53 by direct phosphorylation. We propose that phosphorylation of p53 by PRAK following activation of p38 MAPK by ras plays an important role in ras-induced senescence and tumor suppression.

ZIC2-dependent Transcriptional Regulation Is Mediated by DNA-dependent Protein Kinase, Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase, and RNA Helicase A

The Zic family of zinc finger proteins is essential for animal development, as demonstrated by the holoprosencephaly caused by mammalian Zic2 mutation. To determine the molecular mechanism of Zic-mediated developmental control, we characterized two types of high molecular weight complexes, including Zic2. Complex I was composed of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), Ku70/80, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; complex II contained Ku70/80 and RNA helicase A; all the components interacted directly with Zic2 protein. Immunoprecipitation, subnuclear localization, and in vitro phosphorylation analyses revealed that the DNA-PKcs in complex I played an essential role in the assembly of complex II. Stepwise exchange from complex I to complex II depended on phosphorylation of Zic2 by DNA-PK and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Phosphorylated Zic2 protein made a stable complex with RNA helicase A, and complex II could interact with RNA polymerase II. Phosphorylation-dependent transformation of Zic2-containing molecular complexes may occur in transcriptional regulation.

Posttranslational phosphorylation of mutant p53 protein in tumor development

p53 has been called the "cellular gatekeeper" and the "genome guard," because in response to exposure to DNA-damaging agents, it induces cell-cycle arrest in G1 or apoptosis and also directly affects DNA replication. Multiple mechanisms regulate p53 activity and posttranslational modification, including multisite phosphorylation of wild-type p53, in particular. Normal functions of wild-type p53 are abrogated by mutation of this gene, and oncogenic studies have revealed that p53 mutation is among the most common genetic alteration in human cancers. It is generally accepted that mutant p53 protein may not only lose the tumor suppressor functions of wild-type p53 but also acquire additional tumorigenetic roles, including dominant-negative effects and gain of function. Although many studies have revealed such aberrant functions of mutant p53, less is known about the posttranslational phosphorylation status of mutant p53 and novel biological functions of phosphorylation in carcinogenesis.

Expression of DNA damage response proteins and complete remission after radiotherapy of stage IB-IIA of cervical cancer

The primary aim of this study was to investigate if the expression of the DNA damage identifying protein DNA-PKcs known to be involved in DNA repair after treatment with ionising radiation can be used as a predictive marker for radiotherapy (RT) response in cervical cancer. Formalin-fixed primary tumour biopsies from 109 patients with cervical cancer, FIGO-stage IB–IIA, treated with preoperative brachytherapy followed by radical surgery were analysed by immunohistochemistry. In addition, correlation studies between early pathological tumour response to radiation and expression of Ku86, Ku70, Mdm-2, p53 and p21 in primary tumours were also performed. We found that tumour-transformed tissue shows positive immunostaining of DNA-PKcs, Ku86 and Ku70, while non-neoplastic squamous epithelium and tumour-free cervix glands show negative immunoreactivity. Expression of DNA-PKcs positively correlated with both Ku86 and Ku70, and a statistically significant correlation between the Ku subunits was also found. After RT, 85 patients demonstrated pathologic complete remission (pCR), whereas 24 patients had residual tumour in the surgical specimen (non-pCR). The main finding of our study is that there was no correlation between the outcome of RT and the expression of DNA-PK subunits. Positive p53 tumours were significantly more common among non-pCR cases than in patients with pCR (P=0.031). Expression of p21 and Mdm-2 did not correlate with the outcome of RT.

Uteroplacental insufficiency increases p53 phosphorylation without triggering the p53-MDM2 functional circuit response in the IUGR rat kidney

Uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI) leads to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which predisposes infants toward renal insufficiency early in life and increases the risk of kidney-related adult morbidities, such as hypertension. This compromised in utero environment has been demonstrated to impair nephrogenesis, as evidenced by a reduced nephron endowment in humans and in rats rendered IUGR by UPI. Concordantly, we have observed that IUGR rats have increased kidney p53 protein levels associated with increased apoptosis. Several factors can regulate p53 gene expression and activity, including posttranslational modifications and protein-protein interactions in the cell. Among these, two important mechanisms are 1) phosphorylation of the amino terminal serine 15 [phospho-p53 (Ser15)], which increases p53 stability and apoptotic activity, and 2) the murine double-minute (MDM2) functional circuit that limits further p53-induced apoptosis by promoting proteosomal degradation of p53. We hypothesize that UPI induces an increase in phospho-p53 (Ser15) in association with an absent MDM2 response, predisposing the kidney to increased apoptosis. To test our hypothesis, we induced IUGR through bilateral uterine artery ligation of the pregnant rat. UPI significantly increased phospho-p53 (Ser15), as well as ataxia teleangiectasia-mutated kinase/A-T-related kinase and dsDNA-activated protein kinase kinase levels, which induce phosphorylation of p53. In contrast, UPI induced no increase in kidney MDM2 mRNA and protein levels in IUGR pups. We conclude that among multiple mechanisms that affect nephrogenesis, UPI induces an increase in p53 phosphorylation without a corresponding increase in MDM2 expression, and we speculate that this response may contribute to the increased apoptosis previously described in the IUGR kidney.

Protein serine/threonine phosphatase-1 dephosphorylates p53 at Ser-15 and Ser-37 to modulate its transcriptional and apoptotic activities

We have previously demonstrated that the serine/threonine protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) plays an important role in promoting cell survival. However, the molecular mechanisms by which PP-1 promotes survival remain largely unknown. In the present study, we provide evidence to show that PP-1 can directly dephosphorylate a master regulator of apoptosis, p53, to negatively modulate its transcriptional and apoptotic activities, and thus to promote cell survival. As a transcriptional factor, the function of p53 can be greatly regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. While the kinases responsible for phosphorylation of the 17 serine/threonine sites have been identified, the dephosphorylation of these sites remains largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that PP-1 can dephosphorylate p53 at Ser-15 and Ser-37 through co-immunoprecipitation, in vitro and in vivo dephosphorylation assays, overexpression and silence of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit for PP-1. We further show that mutations mimicking constitutive dephosphorylation or phosphorylation of p53 at these sites attenuate or enhance its transcriptional activity, respectively. As a result of the changed p53 activity, expression of the downstream apoptosis-related genes such as bcl-2 and bax is accordingly altered and the apoptotic events are either largely abrogated or enhanced. Thus, our results demonstrate that PP-1 directly dephosphorylates p53, and dephosphorylation of p53 has as important impact on its functions as phosphorylation does. In addition, our results reveal that one of the molecular mechanisms by which PP-1 promotes cell survival is to dephosphorylate p53, and thus negatively regulate p53-dependent death pathway.

Multiple actions of pifithrin-alpha on doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in rat myoblastic H9c2 cells

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a chemotherapeutic agent that causes significant cardiotoxicity. We showed previously that Dox activates p53 and induces apoptosis in mouse hearts. This study was designed to elucidate the molecular events that lead to p53 stabilization, to examine the pathways involved in Dox-induced apoptosis, and to evaluate the effectiveness of pifithrin-alpha (PFT-alpha), a p53 inhibitor, in blocking apoptosis of rat H9c2 myoblasts. H9c2 cells that were exposed to 5 muM Dox had elevated levels of p53 and phosphorylated p53 at Ser15. Dox also triggered a transient activation of p38, p42/p44ERK, and p46/p54JNK MAP kinases. Caspase activity assays and Western blot analysis showed that H9c2 cells treated with Dox for 16 h had marked increase in the levels of caspases-2, -3, -8, -9, -12, Fas, and cleaved poly(ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP). There was a concomitant increase in p53 binding activity, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis. These results suggest that Dox can trigger intrinsic, extrinsic, and endoplasmic reticulum-associated apoptotic pathways. Pretreatment of cells with PFT-alpha followed by Dox administration attenuated Dox-induced increases in p53 levels and p53 binding activity and partially blocked the activation of p46/p54JNK and p42/p44ERK. PFT-alpha also led to decreased levels of caspases-2, -3, -8, -9, -12, Fas, PARP, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis. Our results suggest that p53 stabilization is a focal point of Dox-induced apoptosis and that PFT-alpha interferes with multiple steps of Dox-induced apoptosis.

The DNA repair complex DNA-PK, a pharmacological target in cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy

A line of investigation in the search for sensitizing tumor cells to chemotherapy or radiotherapy relies on the selection of DNA repair inhibitors. In the area of DNA repair mechanisms, DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) represents a key complex. Indeed DNA-PK is involved in the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) process that corresponds to the major activity responsible for cell survival after ionizing radiation or chemotherapeutic treatment producing DNA double strand breaks. DNA-PK belongs to the PI3-K related kinase family and specific inhibitors have been recently selected and evaluated as radio- and chemo-sensitizers. These drugs, along with other ways to inhibit the DSBs repair process, are presented and discussed.

Selective cytotoxicity of benzyl isothiocyanate in the proliferating fibroblastoid cells

In the present study, experiments using presynchronization culture cells demonstrated that benzyl ITC (BITC), previously isolated from a tropical papaya fruit extract, induced the cytotoxic effect preferentially in the proliferating human colon CCD-18Co cells to the quiescent ones. Quiescent CCD-18Co cells were virtually unaffected by BITC and marginal cytotoxicity was observed at 15 microM. We observed that BITC dramatically induced the p53 phosphorylation and stabilization only in the quiescent (G(0)/G(1) phase-arrested) cells, but not significantly in the proliferating human colon CCD-18Co cells when compared with quiescent ones. We also observed ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) phosphorylation in the quiescent cells. The BITC-induced p53 phosphorylation was counteracted by caffeine treatment, implying the involvement of an ATM/ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase signaling pathway. Moreover, downregulation of p53 by a siRNA resulted in the enhancement of susceptibility to undergo apoptosis by BITC. We also showed here that depletion of p53 abrogated G(0)/G(1) arrest accompanied by the declined expression of p21(waf1/cip1) and p27(kip1) in CCD-18Co cells. In conclusion, we identified p53 as a potential negative regulator of the apoptosis induction by BITC in the normal colon CCD-18Co cells through the inhibition of cell-cycle progression at the G(0)/G(1) phase.

The DNA-dependent Protein Kinase Catalytic Subunit Phosphorylation Sites in Human Artemis

Artemis protein has irreplaceable functions in V(D)J recombination and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) as a hairpin and 5' and 3' overhang endonuclease. The kinase activity of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) is necessary in activating Artemis as an endonuclease. Here we report that three basal phosphorylation sites and 11 DNA-PKcs phosphorylation sites within the mammalian Artemis are all located in the C-terminal domain. All but one of these phosphorylation sites deviate from the SQ or TQ motif of DNA-PKcs that was predicted previously from in vitro phosphorylation studies. Phosphatase-treated mammalian Artemis and Artemis that is mutated at the three basal phosphorylation sites still retain DNA-PKcs-dependent endonucleolytic activities, indicating that basal phosphorylation is not required for the activation. In vivo studies of Artemis lacking the C-terminal domain have been reported to be sufficient to complement V(D)J recombination in Artemis null cells. Therefore, the C-terminal domain may have a negative regulatory effect on the Artemis endonucleolytic activities, and phosphorylation by DNA-PKcs in the C-terminal domain may relieve this inhibition.

The proteasome inhibitor MG-132 sensitizes PC-3 prostate cancer cells to ionizing radiation by a DNA-PK-independent mechanism

BACKGROUND

By modulating the expression levels of specific signal transduction molecules, the 26S proteasome plays a central role in determining cell cycle progression or arrest and cell survival or death in response to stress stimuli, including ionizing radiation. Inhibition of proteasome function by specific drugs results in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and radiosensitization of many cancer cell lines. This study investigates whether there is also a concomitant increase in cellular radiosensitivity if proteasome inhibition occurs only transiently before radiation. Further, since proteasome inhibition has been shown to activate caspase-3, which is involved in apoptosis, and caspase-3 can cleave DNA-PKcs, which is involved in DNA-double strand repair, the hypothesis was tested that caspase-3 activation was essential for both apoptosis and radiosensitization following proteasome inhibition.

METHODS

Prostate carcinoma PC-3 cells were treated with the reversible proteasome inhibitor MG-132. Cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, DNA-PKcs protein levels and DNA-PK activity were monitored. Radiosensitivity was assessed using a clonogenic assay.

RESULTS

Inhibition of proteasome function caused cell cycle arrest and apoptosis but this did not involve early activation of caspase-3. Short-time inhibition of proteasome function also caused radiosensitization but this did not involve a decrease in DNA-PKcs protein levels or DNA-PK activity.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that caspase-dependent cleavage of DNA-PKcs during apoptosis does not contribute to the radiosensitizing effects of MG-132.

DNA-dependent protein kinase enhances DNA damage-induced apoptosis in association with Friend gp70

Friend leukemia virus (FLV) infection strongly enhances gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis of hematopoietic cells of C3H hosts leading to a lethal anemia. Experiments using p53 knockout mice with the C3H background have clarified that the apoptosis is p53-dependent and would not be associated with changes of cell populations caused by the infection with FLV. In bone marrow cells of FLV + total body irradiation (TBI)-treated C3H mice, the p53 protein was prominently activated to overexpress p21 and bax suggesting that apoptosis-enhancing mechanisms lay upstream of p53 protein in the signaling pathway. Neither of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK)-deficient SCID mice nor ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene knockout mice with the C3H background exhibited a remarkable enhancement of apoptosis or p53 activation on FLV + TBI-treatment indicating that DNA-PK and ATM were both essential. ATM appeared necessary for introducing DNA damage-induced apoptosis, while DNA-PK enhanced p53-dependent apoptosis under FLV-infection. Surprisingly, viral envelope protein, gp70, was co-precipitated with DNA-PK but not with ATM in FLV + TBI-treated C3H mice. These results indicated that FLV-infection enhances DNA damage-induced apoptosis via p53 activation and that DNA-PK, in association with gp70, might play critical roles in modulating the signaling pathway.

Backup pathways of NHEJ are suppressed by DNA-PK

In cells of higher eukaryotes double strand breaks (DSBs) induced in the DNA after exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) are rapidly rejoined by a pathway of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) that requires DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and is therefore termed here D-NHEJ. When this pathway is chemically or genetically inactivated, cells still remove the majority of DSBs using an alternative, backup pathway operating independently of the RAD52 epistasis group of genes and with an order of magnitude slower kinetics (B-NHEJ). Here, we investigate the role of DNA-PK in the functional coordination of D-NHEJ and B-NHEJ using as a model end joining by cell extracts of restriction endonuclease linearized plasmid DNA. Although DNA end joining is inhibited by wortmannin, an inhibitor of DNA-PK, the degree of inhibition depends on the ratio between DNA ends and DNA-PK, suggesting that binding of inactive DNA-PK to DNA ends not only blocks processing by D-NHEJ, but also prevents the function of B-NHEJ. Residual end joining under conditions of incomplete inhibition, or in cells lacking DNA-PK, is attributed to the function of B-NHEJ operating on DNA ends free of DNA-PK. Thus, DNA-PK suppresses alternative pathways of end joining by efficiently binding DNA ends and shunting them to D-NHEJ.

The development and applications of nonradioactive plate-formatted DNA-binding assay for Ku70/80, a multifunctional DNA-binding protein complex

Ku is a heterodimer composed of p70 and p80, and is the regulatory subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase. As a multifunctional DNA-binding protein complex, Ku plays important roles in DNA damage repair through non-homologous end joining and in V(D)J recombination. In addition, Ku has also been implicated in various biological functions including growth control, cell proliferation, cell cycle, chromosome maintenance, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, and viral infection. In particular, using our Inverse Genomics (Immusol, Inc., San Diego, CA) platform technology, we recently identified Ku80 as an essential co-factor for human immunodeficiency virus replication. Although Ku has been studied extensively in the past years, its in-depth study as well as development as a drug target has been limited by conventional DNA-binding activity assay. Here we describe the development and applications of a nonradioactive DNA binding assay in the 96-well format. We show that this plate-formatted assay is more sensitive and allows for direct quantification when compared with an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The establishment of this assay will not only facilitate structure and function studies on Ku, but also help the development of Ku protein or its DNA repair enzyme complex as a drug target.

The DNA-dependent protein kinase: the director at the end

Efficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks is essential for the maintenance of chromosomal integrity. In higher eukaryotes, non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) DNA is the primary pathway that repairs these breaks. NHEJ also functions in developing lymphocytes to repair strand breaks that occur during V(D)J recombination, the site-specific recombination process that provides for the assembly of functional antigen-receptor genes. If V(D)J recombination is impaired, B- and T-lymphocyte development is blocked resulting in severe combined immunodeficiency disease. In the last decade, an intensive research effort has focused on NHEJ resulting in a reasonable understanding of how double-strand breaks are resolved. Six distinct gene products have been identified that function in this pathway (Ku70, Ku86, XRCC4, DNA ligase IV, Artemis, and DNA-PKcs). Three of these comprise one complex, the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). This protein complex is central during NHEJ, because DNA-PK initially recognizes and binds to the damaged DNA and then targets the other repair activities to the site of DNA damage. In this review, we discuss recent developments that have provided insight into how DNA-PK functions, once bound to DNA ends.

Biochemical characterization of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein from human cells

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a central role in controlling the cellular response to ionizing radiation and other DNA-damaging agents. ATM is a 3056 amino acid polypeptide that is present in low abundance in the nucleus of human cells. Here, we describe the purification and characterization of ATM from the nuclear fraction of HeLa cells. Microgram quantities of highly stable, kinase-active ATM were prepared. Purified ATM was phosphorylated on serine 1981 and was active towards a variety of known ATM substrates, including p53 and the Bloom Syndrome helicase, BLM. The protein kinase activity of ATM was selectively inhibited by wortmannin, caffeine and LY294002 and was stimulated by charged biological polymers, including single-stranded M13 DNA (ssDNA), sheared double-stranded calf thymus DNA, heparin sulfate and poly ADP-ribose (PAR), raising the possibility that charged structures may contribute to regulation of ATM activity. However, chemical inhibition of the formation of poly ADP-ribose in cells had no effect on the activation of ATM-dependent pathways by ionizing radiation. Using gel filtration chromatography, we also show that purified ATM, as well as ATM in crude nuclear extracts from unirradiated and irradiated cells elutes with an estimated native molecular weight of approximately 600 kDa. Moreover, dephosphorylation of serine 1981 did not affect the apparent molecular weight of ATM in irradiated extracts. Our results suggest that phosphorylation of serine 1981 alone may not directly regulate the subunit composition of ATM.