HTLV-1 Tax-mediated TAK1 activation involves TAB2 adapter protein

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax is an oncoprotein that plays a crucial role in the proliferation and transformation of HTLV-1-infected T lymphocytes. It has recently been reported that Tax activates a MAPKKK family, TAK1. However, the molecular mechanism of Tax-mediated TAK1 activation is not well understood. In this report, we investigated the role of TAK1-binding protein 2 (TAB2) in Tax-mediated TAK1 activation. We found that TAB2 physically interacts with Tax and augments Tax-induced NF-κB activity. Tax and TAB2 cooperatively activate TAK1 when they are coexpressed. Furthermore, TAK1 activation by Tax requires TAB2 binding as well as ubiquitination of Tax. We also found that the overexpression of TRAF2, 5, or 6 strongly induces Tax ubiquitination. These results suggest that TAB2 may be critically involved in Tax-mediated activation of TAK1 and that NF-κB-activating TRAF family proteins are potential cellular E3 ubiquitin ligases toward Tax.     

Oxindole derivatives as inhibitors of TAK1 kinase

Several series of oxindole analogues were synthesized and screened for inhibitory activity against transforming growth factor-β-activating kinase 1 (TAK1). Modifications around several regions of the lead molecules were made, with a distal hydroxyl group in the D region being critical for activity. The most potent compound 10 shows an IC₅₀ of 8.9 nM against TAK1 in a biochemical enzyme assay, with compounds 3 and 6 showing low micromolar cellular inhibition.     

Phosphorylation-dependent activation of TAK1 mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase by TAB1

TAK1 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) that is involved in the c-Jun N-terminal kinase/p38 MAPKs and NF-kappaB signaling pathways. Here, we characterized the molecular mechanisms of TAK1 activation by its specific activator TAB1. Autophosphorylation of two threonine residues in the activation loop of TAK1 was necessary for TAK1 activation. Association with TAK1 and induction of TAK1 autophosphorylation required the C-terminal 24 amino acids of TAB1, but full TAK1 activation required additional C-terminal Ser/Thr rich sequences. These results demonstrated that the association between the kinase domain of TAK1 and the C-terminal TAB1 triggered the phosphorylation-dependent TAK1 activation mechanism.     

TAK1 Prevents Endothelial Apoptosis and Maintains Vascular Integrity

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RIPK3 contributes to TNFR1-mediated RIPK1 kinase-dependent apoptosis in conditions of cIAP1/2 depletion or TAK1 kinase inhibition

Receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK) 1 and RIPK3 have emerged as essential kinases mediating a regulated form of necrosis, known as necroptosis, that can be induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling. As a consequence, inhibiting RIPK1 kinase activity and repressing RIPK3 expression levels have become commonly used approaches to estimate the contribution of necroptosis to specific phenotypes. Here, we report that RIPK1 kinase activity and RIPK3 also contribute to TNF-induced apoptosis in conditions of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1 and 2 (cIAP1/2) depletion or TGF-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) kinase inhibition, implying that inhibition of RIPK1 kinase activity or depletion of RIPK3 under cell death conditions is not always a prerequisite to conclude on the involvement of necroptosis. Moreover, we found that, contrary to cIAP1/2 depletion, TAK1 kinase inhibition induces assembly of the cytosolic RIPK1/Fas-associated protein with death domain/caspase-8 apoptotic TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) complex IIb without affecting the RIPK1 ubiquitylation status at the level of TNFR1 complex I. These results indicate that the recruitment of TAK1 to the ubiquitin (Ub) chains, and not the Ub chains per se, regulates the contribution of RIPK1 to the apoptotic death trigger. In line with this, we found that cylindromatosis repression only provided protection to TNF-mediated RIPK1-dependent apoptosis in condition of reduced RIPK1 ubiquitylation obtained by cIAP1/2 depletion but not upon TAK1 kinase inhibition, again arguing for a role of TAK1 in preventing RIPK1-dependent apoptosis downstream of RIPK1 ubiquitylation. Importantly, we found that this function of TAK1 was independent of its known role in canonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Our study therefore reports a new function of TAK1 in regulating an early NF-κB-independent cell death checkpoint in the TNFR1 apoptotic pathway. In both TNF-induced RIPK1 kinase-dependent apoptotic models, we found that RIPK3 contributes to full caspase-8 activation independently of its kinase activity or intact RHIM domain. In contrast, RIPK3 participates in caspase-8 activation by acting downstream of the cytosolic death complex assembly, possibly via reactive oxygen species generation.     

TAK1 is critical for IkappaB kinase-mediated activation of the NF-kappaB pathway

Cytokine treatment stimulates the IkappaB kinases, IKKalpha and IKKbeta, which phosphorylate the IkappaB proteins, leading to their degradation and activation of NF-kappaB regulated genes. A clear definition of the specific roles of IKKalpha and IKKbeta in activating the NF-kappaB pathway and the upstream kinases that regulate IKK activity remain to be elucidated. Here, we utilized small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) directed against IKKalpha, IKKbeta and the upstream regulatory kinase TAK1 in order to better define their roles in cytokine-induced activation of the NF-kappaB pathway. In contrast to previous results with mouse embryo fibroblasts lacking either IKKalpha or IKKbeta, which indicated that only IKKbeta is involved in cytokine-induced NF-kappaB activation, we found that both IKKalpha and IKKbeta were important in activating the NF-kappaB pathway. Furthermore, we found that the MAP3K TAK1, which has been implicated in IL-1-induced activation of the NF-kappaB pathway, was also critical for TNFalpha-induced activation of the NF-kappaB pathway. TNFalpha activation of the NF-kappaB pathway is associated with the inducible binding of TAK1 to TRAF2 and both IKKalpha and IKKbeta. This analysis further defines the distinct in vivo roles of IKKalpha, IKKbeta and TAK1 in cytokine-induced activation of the NF-kappaB pathway.     

TAK1siRNA对C2C12细胞内TAK1基因表达的影响

目的:高效下调TAK1基因表达的小干扰RNA(siRNA)分子的获得.方法:采用脂质体转染方法,将3对(siRNA ID#94455、siRNA ID # 94549、siRNA ID # 189006)人工合成的TAK1基因特异的小干扰RNA(siRNA)分子分别导入小鼠成肌细胞C2C12中,采用实时荧光定量PCR方法分析细胞内TAK1基因的相对表达.结果:和对照组相比,siRNA ID # 94455、siRNA ID # 94549和siRNA ID # 189006分别下调了细胞内TAK1基因的mRNA表达水平33.34%、46.73%和79.97%.结论:实验获得了能够高效下调TAK1基因表达的siRNA.     

NF-kB 通路中TAK1 靶点对胃癌细胞系AGS增殖的抑制作用

目的：探讨NF-kB信号传导通路中转化生长因子激活激酶1(TAK1)靶点对胃癌AGS 细胞系增殖的影响。方法：利用siRNA 沉默胃癌AGS细胞系中的TAK1 基因，通过Western Blot 验证细胞中TAK1 基因的沉默情况，双项荧光素酶报告基因系统检测 TAK1 基因沉默对AGS细胞系NF-资B信号传导通路活性的影响，软琼脂克隆形成实验检测沉默TAK1 基因对胃癌AGS 细胞系 成瘤能力的影响，MTT 法检测沉默TAK1 基因对胃癌AGS细胞系增殖能力的影响。结果：与对照组Sis-Con 细胞相比，TAK1 基 因沉默组Sir-TAK1-1/Sir-TAK1-2 细胞中NF-kB信号传导通路活性明显受抑制；TAK1 基因沉默组Sir-TAK1-1/Sir-TAK1-2 细胞 软琼脂克隆形成的集落数目明显减少，差异具有统计学意义(P＜0.05)，且细胞生长的速度明显减慢。结论：TAK1 是NF-kB信号 传导通路激活的关键因子，沉默TAK1 基因可以抑制AGS胃癌细胞系的成瘤性和增殖力。     

Discovery of 7-aminofuro[2,3-c]pyridine inhibitors of TAK1: Optimization of kinase selectivity and pharmacokinetics

The kinase selectivity and pharmacokinetic optimization of a series of 7-aminofuro[2,3-c]pyridine inhibitors of TAK1 is described. The intersection of insights from molecular modeling, computational prediction of metabolic sites, and in vitro metabolite identification studies resulted in a simple and unique solution to both of these problems. These efforts culminated in the discovery of compound 13a, a potent, relatively selective inhibitor of TAK1 with good pharmacokinetic properties in mice, which was active in an in vivo model of ovarian cancer.     

Structural basis for recruitment of the CHK1 DNA damage kinase by the CLASPIN scaffold protein

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Structural basis for recognition of an endogenous peptide by the plant receptor kinase PEPR1

The endogenous peptides AtPep1-8 in Arabidopsis mature from the conserved C-terminal portions of their precursor proteins PROPEP1-8, respectively. The two homologous leucine-rich repeat-receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) PEPR1 and PEPR2 act as receptors of AtPeps. AtPep binding leads to stable association of PEPR1,2 with the shared receptor LRR-RK BAK1, eliciting immune responses similar to those induced by pathogens. Here we report a crystal structure of the extracellular LRR domain of PEPR1 (PEPR1LRR) in complex with AtPep1. The structure reveals that AtPep1 adopts a fully extended conformation and binds to the inner surface of the superhelical PEPR1LRR. Biochemical assays showed that AtPep1 is capable of inducing PEPR1LRR-BAK1LRR heterodimerization. The conserved C-terminal portion of AtPep1 dominates AtPep1 binding to PEPR1LRR, with the last amino acid of AtPep1 Asn23 forming extensive interactions with PEPR1LRR. Deletion of the last residue of AtPep1 significantly compromised AtPep1 interaction with PEPR1LRR. Together, our data reveal a conserved structural mechanism of AtPep1 recognition by PEPR1, providing significant insight into prediction of recognition of other peptides by their cognate LRR-RKs.     

Interaction of SNF1 protein kinase with its activating kinase Sak1

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SNF1 protein kinase, a member of the SNF1/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family, is activated by three kinases, Sak1, Tos3, and Elm1, which phosphorylate the Snf1 catalytic subunit on Thr-210 in response to glucose limitation and other stresses. Sak1 is the primary Snf1-activating kinase and is associated with Snf1 in a complex. Here we examine the interaction of Sak1 with SNF1. We report that Sak1 coimmunopurifies with the Snf1 catalytic subunit from extracts of both glucose-replete and glucose-limited cultures and that interaction occurs independently of the phosphorylation state of Snf1 Thr-210, Snf1 catalytic activity, and other SNF1 subunits. Sak1 interacts with the Snf1 kinase domain, and nonconserved sequences C terminal to the Sak1 kinase domain mediate interaction with Snf1 and augment the phosphorylation and activation of Snf1. The Sak1 C terminus is modified in response to glucose depletion, dependent on SNF1 activity. Replacement of the C terminus of Elm1 (or Tos3) with that of Sak1 enhanced the ability of the Elm1 kinase domain to interact with and phosphorylate Snf1. These findings indicate that the C terminus of Sak1 confers its function as the primary Snf1-activating kinase and suggest that the physical association of Sak1 with SNF1 facilitates responses to environmental change.     

Structural basis for the interaction between focal adhesion kinase and CD4

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and CD4 fulfil vital functions in cellular signal transduction: FAK is a central component in integrin signalling, whereas CD4 plays essential roles in the immune defence. In T lymphocytes, FAK and CD4 localise to the same signalling complexes after stimulation by either the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gp120 glycoprotein or an antigen, suggesting the concerted action of FAK and CD4 in these cells. Using crystallography and microcalorimetry, we here show that the focal adhesion targeting (FAT) domain of FAK binds specifically to the CD4 endocytosis motif in vitro. This FAT-CD4 complex is structurally and thermodynamically similar to the one FAT forms with paxillin LD motifs. The CD4 binding site on FAT presents the same features as the established CD4 binding site on the HIV-1 Nef protein. The binding of FAT to CD4 is incompatible with the binding of Lck to CD4. We further show that HIV-1 gp120 triggers the association of CD4 with FAK in T cells, under conditions that are known to dissociate Lck from CD4. Our results suggest that the FAK-CD4 complex represents an alternative route for eliciting T-cell-specific signals and that it links gp120 engagement to distinctive T-cell signalling during HIV infection. In infected cells, HIV-1 Nef may displace FAK from CD4 to protect the cells from apoptosis.     

TAB1beta (transforming growth factor-beta-activated protein kinase 1-binding protein 1beta ), a novel splicing variant of TAB1 that interacts with p38alpha but not TAK1

The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play an important role in a variety of biological processes. Activation of MAPKs is mediated by phosphorylation on specific regulatory tyrosine and threonine sites. We have recently found that activation of p38alpha MAPK can be carried out not only by its upstream MAPK kinases (MKKs) but also by p38alpha autophosphorylation. p38alpha autoactivation requires an interaction of p38alpha with TAB1 (transforming growth factor-beta-activated protein kinase 1-binding protein 1). The autoactivation mechanism of p38alpha has been found to be important in cellular responses to a number of physiologically relevant stimuli. Here, we report the characterization of a splicing variant of TAB1, TAB1beta. TAB1 and TAB1beta share the first 10 exons. The 11th and 12th exons of TAB1 were spliced out in TAB1beta, and an extra exon, termed exon beta, downstream of exons 11 and 12 in the genome was used as the last exon in TAB1beta. The mRNA of TAB1beta was expressed in all cell lines examined. The TAB1beta mRNA encodes a protein with an identical sequence to TAB1 except the C-terminal 69 amino acids were replaced with an unrelated 27-amino acid sequence. Similar to TAB1, TAB1beta interacts with p38alpha but not other MAPKs and stimulates p38alpha autoactivation. Different from TAB1, TAB1beta does not bind or activate TAK1. Inhibition of TAB1beta expression with RNA interference in MDA231 breast cancer cells resulted in the reduction of basal activity of p38alpha and invasiveness of MDA231 cells, suggesting that TauAlphaBeta1beta is involved in regulating p38alpha activity in physiological conditions.     

Structural basis for RKIP binding with its substrate Raf1 kinase

Raf1 kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) negatively regulates the Raf1/MEK/ERK pathway which is vital for cell growth and differentiation. It is also a biomarker in clinical cancer diagnosis. RKIP binds to the N-terminus of Raf1 kinase but little is known about the structural basis of RKIP binding with Raf1. Here, we demonstrate that the N-terminus of human Raf1 kinase (hRaf1_1-147aa) binds with human RKIP (hRKIP) at its ligand-binding pocket, loop “127–149”, and the C-terminal helix by NMR experiments. D70, D72, E83, Y120, and Y181 were further verified as the key residues participating in the interaction of hRKIP and hRaf1_1-147aa. G143-R146 fragment was also critical for hRKIP binding with hRaf1_1-147aa, for its deletion decreased the binding affinity around 300 times, from 154 to 0.46 mM^?1. Our results provide important structural clues for designing the lead compound that disrupts RKIP–Raf1 interaction.