Activation of procaspases by FK506 binding protein-mediated oligomerization

Optogenetically controlled inflammasome activation demonstrates two phases of cell swelling during pyroptosis

Inflammasomes are multiprotein platforms that control caspase-1 activation, which process the inactive precursor forms of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, leading to an inflammatory type of programmed cell death called pyroptosis. Studying inflammasome-driven processes, such as pyroptosis-induced cell swelling, under controlled conditions remains challenging because the signals that activate pyroptosis also stimulate other signaling pathways. We designed an optogenetic approach using a photo-oligomerizable inflammasome core adapter protein, apoptosis-associated speck-like containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), to temporally and quantitatively manipulate inflammasome activation. We demonstrated that inducing the light-sensitive oligomerization of ASC was sufficient to recapitulate the classical features of inflammasomes within minutes. This system showed that there were two phases of cell swelling during pyroptosis. This approach offers avenues for biophysical investigations into the intricate nature of cellular volume control and plasma membrane rupture during cell death.

FK506 Attenuates the MRP1-Mediated Chemoresistant Phenotype in Glioblastoma Stem-Like Cells

Poor response to current treatments for glioblastoma has been attributed to the presence of glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). GSCs are able to expel antitumor drugs to the extracellular medium using the multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) transporter. Tacrolimus (FK506) has been identified as an MRP1 regulator in differentiated glioblastoma (GBM) cells (non-GSCs); however, the effect of FK506 on GSCs is currently unknown. The objective of the following research is to evaluate the effect of FK506 on the MRP1-related chemo-resistant phenotype of GSCs. For this, U87MG and C6 glioma cell lines were used to generate non-GSCs and GSCs. mRNA and MRP1-positive cells were evaluated by RT-qPCR and flow cytometry, respectively. A Carboxyfluorescein Diacetate (CFDA)-retention assay was performed to evaluate the MRP1 activity. Apoptosis and MTT assays were employed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of FK506 plus Vincristine (MRP1 substrate). GSC-derived subcutaneous tumors were generated to evaluate the in vivo effect of FK506/Vincristine treatment. No differences in transcript levels and positive cells for MRP1 were observed in FK506-treated cells. Lesser cell viability, increased apoptosis, and CFDA-retention in the FK506/Vincristine-treated cells were observed. In vivo, the FK506/Vincristine treatment decreased the tumor size as well as ki67, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), and nestin expression. We conclude that FK506 confers a chemo-sensitive phenotype to MRP1-drug substrate in GSCs.

RIPK1 both positively and negatively regulates RIPK3 oligomerization and necroptosis

Necroptosis is a form of programmed cell death that depends on the activation of receptor interacting protein kinase-1 (RIPK1) and RIPK3 by receptors such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-1. Structural studies indicate that activation of RIPK3 by RIPK1 involves the formation of oligomers via interactions of the RIP homotypic interaction motif (RHIM) domains shared by both proteins; however, the molecular mechanisms by which this occurs are not fully understood. To gain insight into this process, we constructed versions of RIPK3 that could be induced to dimerize or oligomerize in response to a synthetic drug. Using this system, we find that although the formation of RIPK3 dimers is itself insufficient to trigger cell death, this dimerization seeds a RHIM-dependent complex, the propagation and stability of which is controlled by caspase-8 and RIPK1. Consistent with this idea, we find that chemically enforced oligomerization of RIPK3 is sufficient to induce necroptosis, independent of the presence of the RHIM domain, TNF stimulation or RIPK1 activity. Further, although RIPK1 contributes to TNF-mediated RIPK3 activation, we find that RIPK1 intrinsically suppresses spontaneous RIPK3 activation in the cytosol by controlling RIPK3 oligomerization. Cells lacking RIPK1 undergo increased spontaneous RIPK3-dependent death on accumulation of the RIPK3 protein, while cells containing a chemically inhibited or catalytically inactive form of RIPK1 are protected from this form of death. Together, these data indicate that RIPK1 can activate RIPK3 in response to receptor signaling, but also acts as a negative regulator of spontaneous RIPK3 activation in the cytosol.

A20 ubiquitin ligase-mediated polyubiquitination of RIP1 inhibits caspase-8 cleavage and TRAIL-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma

The TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) apoptotic pathway has emerged as a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer. However, clinical trials have proven that the vast majority of human cancers are resistant to TRAIL apoptotic pathway-targeted therapies. We show that A20-mediated ubiquitination inhibits caspase-8 cleavage and TRAIL-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma through 2 signaling complexes. A20 is highly expressed in glioblastomas and, together with the death receptor 5 and receptor-interacting protein 1, forms a plasma membrane-bound preligand assembly complex under physiologic conditions. Treatment with TRAIL leads to the recruitment of caspase-8 to the plasma membrane-bound preligand assembly complex for the assembly of a death-inducing signaling complex. In the death-inducing signaling complex, the C-terminal zinc finger (Znf) domain of the A20 ubiquitin ligase mediates receptor-interacting protein 1 polyubiquitination through lysine-63-linked polyubiquitin chains, which bind to the caspase-8 protease domain and inhibit caspase-8 dimerization, cleavage, and the initiation of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma-derived cell lines and tumor-initiating cells.

SIGNIFICANCE

These results identify A20 E3 ligase as a therapeutic target whose inhibition can overcome TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand resistance in glioblastoma and thus have an impact on ongoing clinical trials of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-targeted combination cancer therapies.

Regulation of the Ste20-like kinase, SLK: involvement of activation segment phosphorylation

Expression and activation of the Ste20-like kinase, SLK, is increased during kidney development and recovery from ischemic acute kidney injury. SLK promotes apoptosis, and it may regulate cell survival during injury or repair. This study addresses the role of phosphorylation in the regulation of kinase activity. We mutated serine and threonine residues in the putative activation segment of the SLK catalytic domain and expressed wild type (WT) and mutant proteins in COS-1 or glomerular epithelial cells. Compared with SLK WT, the T183A, S189A, and T183A/S189A mutants showed reduced in vitro kinase activity. SLK WT, but not mutants, increased activation-specific phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 kinase. Similarly, SLK WT stimulated activator protein-1 reporter activity, but activation of activator protein-1 by the three SLK mutants was ineffective. To test if homodimerization of SLK affects phosphorylation, the cDNA encoding SLK amino acids 1-373 (which include the catalytic domain) was fused with a cDNA for a modified FK506-binding protein, Fv (Fv-SLK 1-373). After transfection, the addition of AP20187 (an FK506 analog) induced regulated dimerization of Fv-SLK 1-373. AP20187-stimulated dimerization enhanced the kinase activity of Fv-SLK 1-373 WT. In contrast, kinase activity of Fv-SLK 1-373 T183A/S189A was weak and was not enhanced after dimerization. Finally, apoptosis was increased after expression of Fv-SLK 1-373 WT but not T183A/S189A. Thus, phosphorylation of Thr-183 and Ser-189 plays a key role in the activation and signaling of SLK and could represent a target for novel therapeutic approaches to renal injury.

Activity of the Ste20-like kinase, SLK, is enhanced by homodimerization

The expression and activation of the Ste20-like kinase, SLK, is increased during renal development and recovery from ischemic acute renal failure. SLK promotes apoptosis, and during renal injury and repair, transcriptional induction or posttranscriptional control of SLK may, therefore, regulate cell survival. SLK contains protein interaction (coiled-coil) domains, suggesting that posttranslational homodimerization may also modulate SLK activity. We therefore expressed coiled-coil regions in the C-terminal domain of SLK as fusion proteins and demonstrated their homodimerization. By gel-filtration chromatography, endogenous and heterologously expressed SLK were detected in a macromolecular protein complex. To test the role of homodimerization in kinase activation, we constructed a fusion protein consisting of the SLK catalytic domain (amino acids 1-373) and a modified FK506 binding protein, Fv (Fv-SLK 1-373). Addition of AP20187 (an analog of FK506) enhanced the homodimerization of Fv-SLK 1-373. In an in vitro kinase assay, the dimeric Fv-SLK 1-373 displayed greater kinase activity than the monomeric form. In cells expressing Fv-SLK 1-373, homodimerization increased activation-specific phosphorylation of the proapoptotic kinases, c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 kinase. Compared with the monomer, dimeric Fv-SLK 1-373 enhanced the activation of a Bax promoter-luciferase reporter. Finally, expression of Fv-SLK 1-373 induced apoptosis, and the effect was increased by homodimerization. Thus the activity, downstream signaling, and functional effects of SLK are enhanced by dimerization of the kinase domain.

Catalytic activity of the caspase-8-FLIP(L) complex inhibits RIPK3-dependent necrosis

Caspase-8 has two opposing biological functions--it promotes cell death by triggering the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis, but also has a survival activity, as it is required for embryonic development, T-lymphocyte activation, and resistance to necrosis induced by tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and related family ligands. Here we show that development of caspase-8-deficient mice is completely rescued by ablation of receptor interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK3). Adult animals lacking both caspase-8 and RIPK3 display a progressive lymphoaccumulative disease resembling that seen with defects in CD95 or CD95-ligand (also known as FAS and FASLG, respectively), and resist the lethal effects of CD95 ligation in vivo. We have found that caspase-8 prevents RIPK3-dependent necrosis without inducing apoptosis by functioning in a proteolytically active complex with FLICE-like inhibitory protein long (FLIP(L), also known as CFLAR), and this complex is required for the protective function.

The paracaspase MALT1 controls caspase-8 activation during lymphocyte proliferation

Caspase-8, an initiator caspase involved in lymphocyte apoptosis, is paradoxically required for lymphocyte proliferation. It is not understood how caspase-8 is controlled during antigenic signaling to allow for activation while averting the triggering of apoptosis. Here, we show that caspase-8 undergoes limited activation upon antigenic stimulation, and this activation is dependent on the paracaspase MALT1. The paracaspase domain of MALT1, in a protease-independent manner, induces caspase-8 activation through direct association. MALT1 diminishes the activation of apoptotic effector caspases, but it does not alter the activity of caspase-8 toward c-FLIP(L), which is required for antigenic signaling. Mutants of MALT1 that fail to activate caspase-8 and permit c-FLIP(L) cleavage cannot facilitate NF-kappaB activation or IL-2 induction. Our results reveal a mechanism that utilizes a protease potentially deadly to the cell for proliferative signaling and demonstrate a functional connection between the caspase and paracaspase families to enable nonapoptotic processes.

Interdimer processing mechanism of procaspase-8 activation

The execution of apoptosis depends on the hierarchical activation of caspases. The initiator procaspases become autoproteolytically activated through a less understood process that is triggered by oligomerization. Procaspase-8, an initiator caspase recruited to death receptors, is activated through two cleavage events that proceed in a defined order to generate the large and small subunits of the mature protease. Here we show that dimerization of procaspase-8 produces enzymatically competent precursors through the stable homophilic interaction of the procaspase-8 protease domain. These dimers are also more susceptible to processing than individual procaspase-8 molecules, which leads to their cross-cleavage. The order of the two interdimer cleavage events is maintained by a sequential accessibility mechanism: the separation of the large and small subunits renders the region between the large subunit and prodomain susceptible to further cleavage. In addition, the activation process involves an alteration in the enzymatic properties of caspase-8; while procaspase-8 molecules specifically process one another, mature caspases only cleave effector caspases. These results reveal the key steps leading to the activation of procaspase-8 by oligomerization.