Posttranslational modifications of Bcl2 family members--a potential therapeutic target for human malignancy

Apoptosis is a process that can occur normally, such as during tissue remodeling, embryogenesis or abnormally during certain pathologies, such as cancer. The identification of the Bcl2 as well as IAP family members has suggested that excessive inhibition of apoptosis may constitute a common feature of all known human cancers-the ability to influence their onset, progression and outcome. Bcl2 family proteins are frequently regulated by phosphorylation that affects their activity and conformation. The structural analysis of antiapoptotic members of Bcl2 family has contributed to a better understanding of the functional domains including the discovery of an unstructured "loop region" (LR) near the N-terminus exposed to the cytoplasm. The antiapoptotic members of Bcl2 family such as Bcl2/Bcl-xL/Mcl-1 are phosphorylated on specific serine/threonine residues within this unstructured loop in response to diverse stimuli including treatment with chemotherapeutic taxanes, survival factor addition or chemopreventive agents. In most instances, such phosphorylation has been associated with the loss of their biological function. The chemoresistant tumors overexpress Bcl2/Bcl-xL/Mcl-1. To this end, the apoptosis yielding effect due to phosphorylation of antiapoptotic Bcl2 family members is quite interesting. Phosphorylation-dephosphorylation pathway of these antiapoptotic proteins should be an ideal molecular target for therapy of subpopulation of cancer in which these death repressors are essential prognostic markers. Thus, further gaining the knowledge on the mechanism of inactivation of Bcl2/Bcl-xL/Mcl-1 by phosphorylation might be of paramount importance to therapy for human malignancies in which overexpression of these antiapoptotic proteins plays an essential role.

Proteasomal degradation of human peptidyl prolyl isomerase pin1-pointing phospho Bcl2 toward dephosphorylation

Microtubule inhibitor-induced Bcl2 phosphorylation is detrimental to its antiapoptotic function. Phosphorylation of Bcl2 predominantly occurs on two serine residues (70 and 87) in cells arrested at G2-M phase by microtubule disarraying agents. Phospho Bcl2 can associate with a cis-trans peptidyl prolyl isomerase, Pin1. Pin1 and its homologues are known to target the proline residue carboxyl terminal to the phosphorylated threonine or serine residue of mitotic phosphoproteins, such as Bcl2. However, it was not clear how an extranuclear protein could associate with nuclear Pin1. The confocal images of the immunofluorescence studies employing phospho Bcl2-specific antibody developed in the laboratory demonstrated the translocation of phospho Bcl2 inside the nucleus. Interestingly, proteasomal degradation of Pin1 facilitates dephosphorylation of phospho Bcl2 due to longer exposure of Taxol. Here we show for the first time that proteasomal degradation of Pin1 is the key factor to determine the fate of phosphoforms of Bcl2. When Pin1 is degraded by proteasomes, phospho Bcl2 is converted to its native form. Thus, transient conformational change of Bcl2 due to association with peptidyl prolyl isomerase can contribute to irreversible apoptotic signaling.

Identification of Omi/HtrA2 as a mitochondrial apoptotic serine protease that disrupts inhibitor of apoptosis protein-caspase interaction

To identify human proteins that bind to the Smac and caspase-9 binding pocket on the baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) repeat 3 (BIR3) domain of human XIAP, we used BIR3 as an affinity reagent, followed by elution with the BIR3 binding peptide AVPIA, microsequencing, and mass spectrometry. The mature serine protease Omi (also known as HtrA2) was identified as a mitochondrial direct BIR3-binding protein and a caspase activator. Like mature Smac (also known as Diablo), mature Omi contains a conserved IAP-binding motif (AVPS) at its N terminus, which is exposed after processing of its N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence upon import into the mitochondria. Mature Omi is released together with mature Smac from the mitochondria into the cytosol upon disruption of the outer mitochondrial membrane during apoptosis. Finally, mature Omi can induce apoptosis in human cells in a caspase-independent manner through its protease activity and in a caspase-dependent manner via its ability to disrupt caspase-IAP interaction. Our results provide clear evidence for the involvement of a mitochondrial serine protease in the apoptotic pathway, emphasizing the critical role of the mitochondria in cell death.

Clathrin assembly protein AP-3 is phosphorylated and glycosylated on the 50-kDa structural domain

AP-3 (AP180) in rat sympathetic neurons maintained in culture was analyzed by pulse-chase labeling with [35S]methionine to look for post-translational modifications. At early times, two lower molecular weight precursors of the mature species were detected. By 10 min, all of the AP-3 was found in the mature form which is stable for at least 9 h. We show here that at least one of these processing events is due to the addition of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) which is present on the mature form of the protein. Wheat germ agglutinin, a GlcNAc-specific probe, bound to AP-3 and the binding was blocked by excess GlcNAc but not by excess mannose. Purified AP-3, and AP-3 in coated vesicles derived from bovine brain, served as substrates for beta-D-galactosyltransferase which is specific for terminal GlcNAc residues. Analysis of the disaccharide released by beta-elimination indicated that single GlcNAc residues are attached to AP-3 through an O-glycosidic linkage to threonine or serine residues. In vivo 32P-labeled AP-3, the result of serine phosphorylation (Keen, J. H., and Black, M.M. (1986) J. Cell Biol. 102, 1325-1333), bound to wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose indicating that phosphorylation and glycosylation can occur simultaneously on the same molecule. Both modifications have been mapped to the central 50-kDa structural domain that is responsible for the anomalous migration of AP-3. Consistent with localization to the nonclathrin binding domain, the O-GlcNAc modification does not play a discernible role in the interaction of AP-3 with clathrin.

Posttranslational processing of p21 ras proteins involves palmitylation of the C-terminal tetrapeptide containing cysteine-186

The p21 proteins of ras oncogenes are synthesized as precursors in the cytosol. After processing, which involves acylation, the products are associated with the plasma membrane in eucaryotic cells. The p21 overproduced in Escherichia coli, however, is not processed by acylation. A synthetic tetrapeptide of the p21 C terminus is used to identify the acylation site in eucaryotic p21 as cysteine-186. The same peptide of bacterial p21 is not acylated. Although p21 of Harvey murine sarcoma virus-transformed NRK cells can be metabolically labeled with either [3H]palmitate or [3H]myristate, the lipid moiety of the hydrophobic peptide is identified as palmitic acid. We suggest that the enzymatic mechanism for p21 palmitylation may be different from N-terminal myristylation of many other membrane proteins.