Positive regulation of cdc2 gene activity by protein phosphatase type 2A

Induction of a feed forward pro-apoptotic mechanistic loop by nitric oxide in a human breast cancer model

We have previously demonstrated that relatively high concentrations of NO [Nitric Oxide] as produced by activated macrophages induced apoptosis in the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468. More recently, we also demonstrated the importance of endogenous H₂O₂ in the regulation of growth in human breast cancer cells. In the present study we assessed the interplay between exogenously administered NO and the endogenously produced reactive oxygen species [ROS] in human breast cancer cells and evaluated the mechanism[s] in the induction of apoptosis. To this end we identified a novel mechanism by which NO down regulated endogenous hydrogen peroxide [H₂O₂] formation via the down-regulation of superoxide [O₂^.−] and the activation of catalase. We further demonstrated the existence of a feed forward mechanistic loop involving protein phosphatase 2A [PP2A] and its downstream substrate FOXO1 in the induction of apoptosis and the synthesis of catalase. We utilized gene silencing of PP2A, FOXO1 and catalase to assess their relative importance and key roles in NO mediated apoptosis. This study provides the potential for a therapeutic approach in treating breast cancer by targeted delivery of NO where NO donors and activators of downstream players could initiate a self sustaining apoptotic cascade in breast cancer cells.

Amino-terminal phosphorylation of activation-induced cytidine deaminase suppresses c-myc/IgH translocation

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is a mutator enzyme that initiates class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes (Ig) in B lymphocytes. However, AID also produces off-target DNA damage, including mutations in oncogenes and double-stranded breaks that can serve as substrates for oncogenic chromosomal translocations. AID is strictly regulated by a number of mechanisms, including phosphorylation at serine 38 and threonine 140, which increase activity. Here we show that phosphorylation can also suppress AID activity in vivo. Serine 3 is a novel phospho-acceptor which, when mutated to alanine, leads to increased class switching and c-myc/IgH translocations without affecting AID levels or catalytic activity. Conversely, increasing AID phosphorylation specifically on serine 3 by interfering with serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) leads to decreased class switching. We conclude that AID activity and its oncogenic potential can be downregulated by phosphorylation of serine 3 and that this process is controlled by PP2A.

The use of okadaic acid to elucidate the intracellular role(s) of protein phosphatase 2A: Lessons from the mast cell model system

In recent years a heightened appreciation has emerged for the role(s) that phosphatases play in regulating signal transduction pathways and other cellular processes. The tumor-promoting agent okadaic acid (OA) has been an invaluable tool in efforts aimed at delineating the contributions of the most abundant mammalian serine/threonine phosphatase, protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), to intracellular signaling and cell function. PP2A, which is ubiquitous and vital in virtually every cell system studied, continues to be the focus of much research on phosphorylation control machinery. Mast cells represent an excellent in vitro model for the study of protein phosphorylation events because they possess a number of distinct signaling pathways that lead to the production and/or release of discreet mediators in response to different stimuli. The utility of OA in analyzing PP2A function has been demonstrated in mast cells across several species. Results of these studies have contributed to the current recognition that PP2A plays a crucial role in the biology of mast cells and other cell types.

Protein Phosphatase 4 Is a Positive Regulator of Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1

Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a hematopoietic specific mammalian Ste20-like protein kinase and has been implicated in many cellular signaling pathways including T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. However, little is known about the in vivo regulation of HPK1. We present evidence that HPK1 is positively regulated by protein phosphatase 4 (PP4; also called PPX and PPP4), a serine/threonine phosphatase. We found that PP4 interacted with HPK1 and that the proline-rich region of HPK1 was necessary and sufficient for this interaction. We also found that PP4 had phosphatase activity toward HPK1 in vivo and that co-transfection of PP4 with HPK1 resulted in specific kinase activation of HPK1. Moreover, we found that the PP4-induced HPK1 kinase activation was accompanied by an increase in protein expression of HPK1. Pulse-chase analysis showed that PP4 increased the half-life of HPK1. Further studies showed that HPK1 was subject to regulation by ubiquitination and ubiquitin-targeted degradation and that PP4 inhibited HPK1 ubiquitination. In addition, we found that TCR stimulation enhanced the PP4-HPK1 interaction and that wild-type PP4 enhanced, whereas a phosphatase-dead PP4 mutant inhibited, TCR-induced activation of HPK1 in Jurkat T cells. Combined with the observation that PP4 enhanced HPK1-induced JNK activation, our studies identify PP4 as a positive regulator for HPK1 and the HPK1-JNK signaling pathway.

Protein phosphatase 4 is involved in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase

Protein phosphatase 4 (PP4, previously named protein phosphatase X (PPX)), a PP2A-related serine/threonine phosphatase, has been shown to be involved in essential cellular processes, such as microtubule growth and nuclear factor kappa B activation. We provide evidence that PP4 is involved in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha signaling in human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells. Treatment of HEK293T cells with TNF-alpha resulted in time-dependent activation of endogenous PP4, peaking at 10 min, as well as increased serine and threonine phosphorylation of PP4. We also found that PP4 is involved in relaying the TNF-alpha signal to c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) as indicated by the ability of PP4-RL, a dominant-negative PP4 mutant, to block TNF-alpha-induced JNK activation. Moreover, the response of JNK to TNF-alpha was inhibited in HEK293 cells stably expressing PP4-RL in comparison to parental HEK293 cells. The involvement of PP4 in JNK signaling was further demonstrated by the specific activation of JNK, but not p38 and ERK2, by PP4 in transient transfection assays. However, no direct PP4-JNK interaction was detected, suggesting that PP4 exerts its positive regulatory effect on JNK in an indirect manner. Taken together, these data indicate that PP4 is a signaling component of the JNK cascade and involved in relaying the TNF-alpha signal to the JNK pathway.

Protein phosphatase 2A modulates the proliferation of human multiple myeloma cells via regulation of the production of reactive oxygen intermediates and anti-apoptotic factors

To understand the roles of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) in Fas-mediated apoptosis of myeloma cells, the effects of antioxidants were tested. Fas-mediated apoptosis was further increased in the presence of antioxidants such as N-acetyl-L-cysteine and glutathione, but it was decreased when hydrogen peroxide was added. The intracellular ROI level was significantly decreased in myeloma cells treated with okadaic acid, an inhibitor of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A (PP1/PP2A). To clarify the direct roles of PP2A in myeloma cell growth, the PP2A transfected cell lines, sense- or antisense-PP2A transfectants, were established. Spontaneous cell growth of antisense-PP2A transfectants was reduced compared with that of vector transfectants. The intracellular ROI level was significantly decreased in antisense-PP2A transfectants but increased in sense-PP2A transfectants compared with vector controls. In addition, anti-apoptotic factors such as bcl-2 and IL-6 were reduced in antisense-PP2A transfectants. Taken together, these results indicate that PP2A is an essential factor for survival and growth of myeloma cells via regulation of intracellular ROI and anti-apoptotic factors.

Colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) receptor-mediated macrophage differentiation in myeloid cells: a role for tyrosine 559-dependent protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity

M1 myeloid cells transfected with the wild-type (WT) colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) receptor (CSF-1R; M1/WT cells) undergo CSF-1-dependent macrophage differentiation. By mutation studies, we have provided prior evidence that tyrosine 559 in the CSF-1R cytoplasmic domain governs the Src-dependent differentiation pathway. Further components of this pathway were then sought. We report that the extent of CSF-1-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), and the associated loss of its activity were reduced in M1 cells transfected with the CSF-1R with a tyrosine-to-phenylalanine mutation at position 559 (M1/559 cells), compared with the corresponding responses in CSF-1-treated M1/WT cells. This evidence for an involvement of a reduction in PP2A activity in the differentiation process was supported by the restoration of the defect in the CSF-1-mediated differentiation of M1/559 cells by the addition of the PP2A inhibitor, okadaic acid. It was also found that the degree of activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activities by CSF-1 was reduced in M1/559 cells, suggesting their involvement in the differentiation process. These data suggest that PP2A and ERK form part of the Src-dependent signal-transduction cascade governing CSF-1-mediated macrophage differentiation in M1 cells.

Stimulation of hepatocyte growth factor production in human fibroblasts by the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid

In this study, we examined whether the production of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in fibroblasts is regulated by protein phosphatase(s). Inhibitors of the enzymes okadaic acid and calyculin A were used for this purpose. Both inhibitors markedly stimulated HGF production in human skin fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of okadaic acid and calyculin A were maximal at 25-37.5 and 1.25 nM, respectively. Highly active HGF production in MRC-5 human embryonic lung fibroblasts was also promoted by both inhibitors. The effect of okadaic acid was accompanied by an up-regulation of HGF gene expression. The stimulating effect of okadaic acid on HGF production was synergistic with that of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), whereas it was additive to the effect of cholera toxin. The protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF 109203X inhibited the effect of PMA, but not of okadaic acid and EGF. The effect of okadaic acid as well as EGF was not inhibited, but rather enhanced in human skin fibroblasts pretreated for 24 hr with a high dose of PMA to deplete PKC, as compared with its effect in untreated cells. PD 98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase, suppressed the effects of okadaic acid and EGF, but not those of cholera toxin and 8-bromo-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). These results suggest that HGF production in human skin fibroblasts is down-regulated by protein phosphatase(s) and that HGF production stimulated by okadaic acid is, at least in part, dependent on the activation of the MAP kinase cascade.

Distinct roles for PP1 and PP2A in phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein. PP2a regulates the activities of G(1) cyclin-dependent kinases

The function of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) in controlling the G(1) to S transition is regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation on serine and threonine residues. While the roles of cyclin-dependent kinases in phosphorylating and inactivating pRB have been characterized in detail, the roles of protein phosphatases in regulating the G(1)/S transition are not as well understood. We used cell-permeable inhibitors of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A to assess the contributions of these phosphatases in regulating cyclin-dependent kinase activity and pRB phosphorylation. Treating asynchronously growing Balb/c 3T3 cells with PP2A-selective concentrations of either okadaic acid or calyculin A caused a time- and dose-dependent decrease in pRB phosphorylation. Okadaic acid and calyculin A had no effect on pRB phosphatase activity even though PP2A was completely inhibited. The decrease in pRB phosphorylation correlated with inhibitor-induced suppression of G(1) cyclin-dependent kinases including CDK2, CDK4, and CDK6. The inhibitors also caused decreases in the levels of cyclin D2 and cyclin E, and induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1). The decrease in cyclin-dependent kinase activities were not dependent on induction of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors since CDK inhibition still occurred in the presence of actinomycin D or cycloheximide. In contrast, selective inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 with tautomycin inhibited pRB phosphatase activity and maintained pRB in a highly phosphorylated state. The results show that protein phosphatase 1 and protein phosphatase 2A, or 2A-like phosphatases, play distinct roles in regulating pRB function. Protein phosphatase 1 is associated with the direct dephosphorylation of pRB while protein phosphatase 2A is involved in pathways regulating G(1) cyclin-dependent kinase activity.

p53 negatively regulates cdc2 transcription via the CCAAT-binding NF-Y transcription factor

The p53 tumor suppressor protein regulates the transcription of regulatory genes involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. We have reported previously that inducible expression of the p53 gene leads to the cell cycle arrest both at G(1) and G(2)/M in association with induction of p21 and reduction of mitotic cyclins (cyclin A and B) and cdc2 mRNA. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which p53 regulates transcription of the cdc2 gene. Transient transfection analysis showed that wild type p53 represses whereas various dominant negative mutants of p53 increase cdc2 transcription. The cdc2 promoter activity is not repressed in cells transfected with a transactivation mutant, p53(22/23). An adenovirus oncoprotein, E1B-55K inhibits the p53-mediated repression of the cdc2 promoter, while E1B-19K does not. Since the cdc2 promoter does not contain a TATA sequence, we performed deletion and point mutation analyses and identified the inverted CCAAT sequence located at -76 as a cis-acting element for the p53-mediated regulation. We found that a specific DNA-protein complex is formed at the CCAAT sequence and that this complex contains the NF-Y transcription factor. Consistently, a dominant negative mutant of the NF-YA subunit, NF-YAm29, decreases the cdc2 promoter, and p53 does not further decrease the promoter activity in the presence of NF-YAm29. These results suggest that p53 negatively regulates cdc2 transcription and that the NF-Y transcription factor is required for the p53-mediated regulation.

Reduction of Ha-ras-induced cellular transformation by elevated expression of protein phosphatase type 2A

The role of serine/threonine protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A) in cellular growth control has not yet been thoroughly established. Earlier experiments with okadaic acid, a phosphatase inhibitor, suggested that PP2A may act as an anti-oncogene, although a direct role for this enzyme in the transformation process has not been demonstrated. We therefore investigated whether altered levels of PP2A expression would affect the transformation of mouse fibroblasts by the Ha-ras oncogene. Here we report that cells with elevated levels of PP2A expression were more resistant to focus formation induced by Ha-ras. At the molecular level, this was paralleled by the reduced Ha-ras-stimulated expression of the c-fos promoter, a proto-oncogene target for Ha-ras signaling. Thus, our results support a negative role for PP2A in the process of cellular transformation and may ascribe tumor-suppressing functions to this enzyme.

The cellular localization of the murine serine/arginine-rich protein kinase CLK2 is regulated by serine 141 autophosphorylation

Pre-mRNA splicing is catalyzed by a multitude of proteins including serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins, which are thought to play a crucial role in the formation of spliceosomes and in the regulation of alternative splicing. SR proteins are highly phosphorylated, and their kinases are believed to regulate the recruitment of SR proteins from nuclear storage compartments known as speckles. Recently, a family of autophosphorylating kinases termed CLK (CDC2/CDC28-like kinases) was shown to phosphorylate SR proteins and to influence alternative splicing in overexpression systems. Here we used endogenous CLK2 protein to demonstrate that it displays different biochemical characteristics compared with its overexpressed protein and that it is differentially phosphorylated in vivo. Furthermore, CLK2 changed its nuclear localization upon treatment with the kinase inhibitor 5, 6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole. We have also identified a CLK2 autophosphorylation site, which is highly conserved among all CLK proteins, and we show by site-directed mutagenesis that its phosphorylation influences the subnuclear localization of CLK2. Our data suggest that CLK2 localization and possibly activity are influenced by a balance of CLK2 autophosphorylation and the regulation by CLK2 kinases and phosphatases.

Regulation of cyclin G1 during murine hepatic regeneration following Dipin-induced DNA damage

Cyclin G1 has been linked to both positive and negative growth regulation. The expression of cyclin G1 is induced by transforming growth factor beta1 and p53, as well as by multiple mitogenic stimuli in mammalian cells in culture. However, the physiological role of cyclin G1 remains unclear. To examine the cell-cycle regulation of cyclin G1 in vivo, two models of coordinated cell proliferation induced by partial hepatectomy (PH) in the presence or absence of DNA damage were used. To introduce DNA damage, mice were treated with the alkylating drug, 1,4-bis[N,N'-di(ethylene)-phosphamide]piperazine (Dipin) 2 hours before PH. Cell-cycle progression was monitored by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation into the DNA, the frequency of mitoses, the expression of cell-cycle control genes, and by flow cytometry. Dipin treatment resulted in cell-cycle arrest at the G2/M boundary without affecting G0/G1 and G1/S transitions. While the hepatocytes progressively entered G2 phase arrest, the cyclin G1 mRNA and protein levels increased more than five- and eightfold, respectively. Cyclin G1 had a nuclear localization in all interphase cells with clear absence from nucleoli. In contrast, during mitosis, cyclin G1 was undetectable by immunohistochemistry. Taken together, our data provide evidence for a putative role of cyclin G1 in G2/M checkpoint control.

Autoregulation of protein phosphatase type 2A expression

Protein phosphatases are involved in many cellular processes. One of the most abundant of these enzymes, the serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A), is present in most eukaryotic cells and serves a variety of functions. However, the detailed study of its regulation and function has been hampered by the difficulty of manipulating its expression level in cell culture. By using a new mammalian expression vector to forcibly overexpress PP2A in the mouse fibroblast cell line NIH3T3, we now show that the catalytic subunit of PP2A is subject to a potent autoregulatory mechanism that adjusts PP2A protein to constant levels. This control is exerted at the translational level and does not involve regulation of transcription or RNA processing. Thus, our results demonstrate tight control of PP2A expression, and provide an explanation for the difficulty of increasing PP2A expression experimentally.

Reversible protein phosphorylation regulates jasmonic acid-dependent and -independent wound signal transduction pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plants responses to mechanical injury are complex and include the induced expression of defence-related genes. The phytohormone JA has been reported to mediate some of these responses. To elucidate further the signal transduction processes involved, the action of specific agonists and antagonists of known signalling effectors on the response of Arabidopsis thaliana plantlets to JA and wounding was investigated. The identification and characterization of a reversible protein phosphorylation step in a transduction pathway leading to JA-induced gene transcription is reported. This phosphorylation event involved the opposing activities of a staurosporine-sensitive protein kinase, negatively regulating the pathway, and a protein phosphatase, most probably of type 2 A, which activated JA-responsive gene expression. JA activation via this pathway was blocked in the A. thaliana JA-insensitive mutants jin1, jin4 and coi1, and by exogenous application of cycloheximide or auxins. Wound-induced activation of JA-responsive genes was also regulated by this protein phosphorylation step. An alternative wound signalling pathway, independent of JA, was also identified, leading to the transcriptional activation of a different set of genes. This JA-independent pathway was also regulated by a protein phosphorylation switch, in which the protein kinase positively regulated the pathway while the protein phosphatase negatively regulated it. Moreover, a labile protein apparently repressed the expression of these genes. One of the genes analysed, JR3, had a complex pattern of expression, possibly because it was regulated via both of the wound signalling pathways identified. According to the function of an homologous gene, JR3 may be involved in feedback inhibition of the JA response.

Constitutively active protein phosphatase 1alpha causes Rb-dependent G1 arrest in human cancer cells

BACKGROUND

The retinoblastoma protein (Rb) needs to be phosphorylated by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) before mammalian cells can enter the S phase of the cell cycle. As protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activates Rb and is itself a target for inhibitory phosphorylation by CDKs in vitro, we asked whether any effects of PP1 on cell cycle progression depend on its phosphorylation and are mediated through Rb.

RESULTS

Using electrotransfer of recombinant protein into Rb-positive and Rb-negative cells, we have compared the effects of a wild-type PP1 catalytic subunit, PP1alpha, and a constitutively active mutant of this subunit (PP1alphaT320A) on G1 progression, proliferation rates, and cell viability. In treated cells, PP1alpha levels were elevated 6-16-fold and remained stable for at least 48 hours. In Rb-positive cells, PP1alphaT320A, but not PP1alpha, caused cell cycle arrest in late G1, which was associated with a lack of Rb phosphorylation. In Rb-negative cells, neither wild-type nor mutant phosphatase caused any change in cell cycle progression. Increased cell death was observed in both Rb-positive and Rb-negative cells, however, upon introduction of excess PP1alpha.

CONCLUSIONS

The difference between the effects of wild-type and mutant forms of PP1alpha suggests that PP1alpha has the potential to arrest cell growth in G1 unless it is inactivated by periodic phosphorylation at Thr320, presumably by CDKs that regulate passage through the G1-S cell cycle transition. Together, the effects in both cell types suggest that PP1alpha requires functional Rb to induce growth arrest, and that possibly another pool of PP1alpha induces cell death. This identifies PP1 as a potential target for therapeutic anti-proliferative strategies.