Differential regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1) by phosphorylation directed by the cyclin encoded by Murine Herpesvirus 68

Members of the gamma2-herpesvirus family encode cyclin-like proteins that have the ability to deregulate mammalian cell cycle control. Here we report the key features of the viral cyclin encoded by Murine Herpesvirus 68, M cyclin. M cyclin preferentially associated with and activated cdk2; the M cyclin/cdk2 holoenzyme displayed a strong reliance on phosphorylation of the cdk T loop for activity. cdk2 associated with M cyclin exhibited substantial resistance to the cdk inhibitor proteins p21(Cip) and p27(Kip). Furthermore, M cyclin directed cdk2 to phosphorylate p27(Kip1) on threonine 187 (T187) and cellular expression of M cyclin led to down-regulation of p27(Kip1) and the partial subversion of the associated G1 arrest. Mutation of T187 to a non-phosphorylatable alanine rendered the p27(Kip1)-imposed G1 arrest resistant to M cyclin expression. Unlike the related K cyclin, M cyclin was unable to circumvent the G1 arrest associated with p21(Cip1) and was unable to direct its associated catalytic subunit to phosphorylate this cdk inhibitor. These results imply that M cyclin has properties that are distinct from other viral cyclins and that M cyclin expression alone is insufficient for S phase entry.     

p27Kip1 inhibits the cell cycle through non-canonical G1/S phase-specific gatekeeper mechanism

The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p27Kip1 has been shown to regulate cellular proliferation via inhibition of CDK activities. It is now recognized that p27Kip1 can regulate cellular processes through non-canonical, CDK-independent mechanisms. We have developed an inducible p27Kip1 model in cultured cells to explore CDK-independent p27Kip1 regulation of biological processes. We present evidence that p27Kip1 can function in a CDK-independent manner to inhibit entry and/or progression of S phase. Even though this p27Kip1 mechanism is non-canonical it does requires the intact cyclin-binding motif in p27Kip1. We suggest a mechanism similar to that proposed in post-mitotic neural cells whereby p27Kip1 functions to coordinate growth arrest and apoptosis. Our hypothesis supports the concept that p27Kip1 is a gatekeeper for the entry and progression of S phase through interaction with specific protein(s) or via binding to specific DNA sequences in a CDK-independent manner.     

Epithelial morphological reversion drives Profilin-1-induced elevation of p27kip1 in mesenchymal triple-negative human breast cancer cells through AMP-activated protein kinase activation

Profilin-1 (Pfn1) is an important regulator of actin polymerization that is downregulated in human breast cancer. Previous studies have shown Pfn1 has a tumor-suppressive effect on mesenchymal-like triple-negative breast cancer cells, and Pfn1-induced growth suppression is partly mediated by upregulation of cell-cycle inhibitor p27^kip1 (p27). In this study, we demonstrate that Pfn1 overexpression leads to accumulation of p27 through promoting AMPK activation and AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of p27 on T198 residue, a post-translational modification that leads to increased protein stabilization of p27. This pathway is mediated by Pfn1-induced epithelial morphological reversion of mesenchymal breast cancer through cadherin-mediated restoration of adherens junctions. These findings not only elucidate a potential mechanism of how Pfn1 may inhibit proliferation of mesenchymal breast cancer cells, but also highlight a novel pathway of cadherin-mediated p27 induction and therefore cell-cycle control in cells.     

The Down syndrome-related protein kinase DYRK1A phosphorylates p27Kip1 and Cyclin D1 and induces cell cycle exit and neuronal differentiation

A fundamental question in neurobiology is how the balance between proliferation and differentiation of neuronal precursors is maintained to ensure that the proper number of brain neurons is generated. Substantial evidence implicates DYRK1A (dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A) as a candidate gene responsible for altered neuronal development and brain abnormalities in Down syndrome. Recent findings support the hypothesis that DYRK1A is involved in cell cycle control. Nonetheless, how DYRK1A contributes to neuronal cell cycle regulation and thereby affects neurogenesis remains poorly understood. In the present study we have investigated the mechanisms by which DYRK1A affects cell cycle regulation and neuronal differentiation in a human cell model, mouse neurons, and mouse brain. Dependent on its kinase activity and correlated with the dosage of overexpression, DYRK1A blocked proliferation of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells within 24 h and arrested the cells in G₁ phase. Sustained overexpression of DYRK1A induced G₀ cell cycle exit and neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, we provide evidence that DYRK1A modulated protein stability of cell cycle-regulatory proteins. DYRK1A reduced cellular Cyclin D1 levels by phosphorylation on Thr286, which is known to induce proteasomal degradation. In addition, DYRK1A phosphorylated p27^Kip1 on Ser10, resulting in protein stabilization. Inhibition of DYRK1A kinase activity reduced p27^Kip1 Ser10 phosphorylation in cultured hippocampal neurons and in embryonic mouse brain. In aggregate, these results suggest a novel mechanism by which overexpression of DYRK1A may promote premature neuronal differentiation and contribute to altered brain development in Down syndrome.     

Far upstream element binding protein 1 activates translation of p27Kip1 mRNA through its internal ribosomal entry site

The cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27 plays an important role in controlling the eukaryotic cell cycle by regulating progression through G1 and entry into S phase. It is often elevated during differentiation and under conditions of cellular stress. In contrast, it is commonly downregulated in cancer cells and its levels are generally inversely correlated with favorable prognosis. The cellular levels of p27 are regulated, in part, by translational control mechanisms. The 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the p27 mRNA harbors an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) which may facilitate synthesis of p27 in certain conditions. In this study, Far Upstream Element (FUSE) Binding Protein 1 (FBP1) was shown to directly bind to the human p27 5′-UTR and to promote IRES activity. An eight-nucleotide element downstream of a U-rich region within the 5′-UTR was important for FBP1 binding and p27 IRES activity. Overexpression of FBP1 enhanced endogenous p27 levels and stimulated translation initiation. In contrast, repression of FBP1 by siRNA transfection downregulated endogenous p27 protein levels. Using rabbit reticulocyte lysates, FBP1 stimulated p27 mRNA translation in vitro. The central domain of FBP1, containing four K homology motifs, was required for p27 5′-UTR RNA binding and the N terminal domain was important for translational activation. These findings indicate that FBP1 is a novel activator of p27 translation upon binding to the 5′-UTR.     

Retinoic acid inhibits the growth of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and induces p27Kip1 and p16INK4A up-regulation

The importance of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in hemopoiesis has been definitely demonstrated. Thus, their impairment might cause profound alteration on production and maturation of blood cells. In the present paper, we investigated, for the first time, the effect of retinoic acid, an important antileukemic molecule, on the proliferation of primary cultures of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. We demonstrated that retinoic acid, at a pharmacological concentration, hampers strongly the growth of the cells, without inducing osteoblastic differentiation. The analysis of cell division cycle machinery showed that the antiproliferative effect is associated with (i) the up-regulation of two cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, namely p27^Kip1 and p16^INK4A, and (ii) the down-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 activity and pRB phosphorylation. The reported findings represent novel insights into the antileukemic effects of the drug and contribute in clarifying the molecular mechanism of its pharmacological activity.     

Regulation of p27Kip1 by mitogen-induced tyrosine phosphorylation

Extracellular mitogen signal transduction is initiated by ligand binding to specific receptors of target cells. This causes a cellular response that frequently triggers the activation of tyrosine kinases. Non-receptor kinases like Src and Lyn can directly phosphorylate the Cdk inhibitor protein p27^Kip1. Tyrosine phosphorylation can cause impaired Cdk-inhibitory activity and decreased stability of p27. In addition to these non-receptor tyrosine kinases, the receptor-associated tyrosine kinase Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) was recently identified to phosphorylate p27. JAK2 becomes activated through binding of various cytokines and growth factors to their corresponding receptors and can directly bind and selectively phosphorylate tyrosine residue 88 (Y88) of the Cdk inhibitor p27. This impairs Cdk inhibition by p27 and promotes its ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation. Via this mechanism, JAK2 can link cytokine and growth factor initiated signal transduction to p27 regulation, whereas oncogenes like JAK2V617F or BCR-Abl can use this mechanism to inactivate the Cdk inhibitor.     

The non-canonical functions of p27Kip1 in normal and tumor biology

p27^Kip1 was first discovered as a key regulator of cell proliferation. The canonical function of p27^Kip1 is inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity. In addition to its initial identification as a CDK inhibitor, p27^Kip1 has also emerged as an intrinsically unstructured, multifunctional protein with numerous non-canonical, CDK-independent functions that exert influence on key processes such as cell cycle regulation, cytoskeletal dynamics and cellular plasticity, cell migration, and stem-cell proliferation and differentiation. Many of these non-canonical functions, depending on the cell-specific contexts such as oncogenic activation of signaling pathways, have the ability to turn pro-oncogenic in nature and even contribute to tumor-aggressiveness and metastasis. This review discusses the various non-canonical, CDK-independent mechanisms by which p27^Kip1 functions either as a tumor-suppressor or tumor-promoter.     

Mutations of phosphorylation sites Ser10 and Thr187 of p27Kip1 abolish cytoplasmic redistribution but do not abrogate G0/1 phase arrest in the HepG2 cell line

The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p27(Kip1) is an important regulator of cell cycle progression as it negatively regulates G(0/1) progression and plays a major role in controlling the cell cycle. The screening of the p27(Kip1) sequence identified many potential phosphorylation sites. Although Ser(10) and Thr(187) were shown to be important for p27(Kip1) function, the effects of a combined deletion of both sites on p27(Kip1) function are still unknown. To investigate the effects of the overexpression of exogenous p27(Kip1) protein lacking both the Ser(10) and Thr(187) sites on subcellular localization, cell cycle, and proliferation, a plasmid was constructed containing mutations of p27(Kip1) at Ser(10) and Thr(187) (S10A/T187A p27), and transfected into the HepG(2) cell line with Lipofectamine. Wild-type and mutant p27 plasmids S10A and T187A were transfected separately as control groups. As a result, the proliferation of HepG(2) cells was greatly inhibited and cell cycle was arrested in G(0/1) phase after exogenous p27(Kip1) double-mutant expression. All recombinant p27(Kip1) constructs were distributed in the nucleus after synchronization in G(0) phase by treatment with leptomycin B. The expressed wild-type and T187A p27(Kip1) proteins were translocated from the nucleus into cytoplasm when cells were exposed to 20% serum for 8 h, whereas the S10A p27(Kip1) and S10A/T187A p27(Kip1) proteins remained in the nucleus. FACS profiles and cell growth curves indicated that the Ser(10) and Thr(187) double mutant has no significant effect on the biological activities of cell cycle control and growth inhibition. Our results suggest that expression of the p27(Kip1) double-mutant abolishes its cytoplasmic redistribution but does not abrogate G(0/1) phase arrest in the HepG(2) cell line.     

Mitochondrial ribosomal protein L41 mediates serum starvation-induced cell-cycle arrest through an increase of p21(WAF1/CIP1)

Ribosomal proteins not only act as components of the translation apparatus but also regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis. A previous study reported that MRPL41 plays an important role in p53-dependent apoptosis. It also showed that MRPL41 arrests the cell cycle by stabilizing p27(Kip1) in the absence of p53. This study found that MRPL41 mediates the p21(WAF1/CIP1)-mediated G1 arrest in response to serum starvation. The cells were released from serum starvation-induced G1 arrest via the siRNA-mediated blocking of MRPL41 expression. Overall, these results suggest that MRPL41 arrests the cell cycle by increasing the p21(WAF1/CIP1) and p27(Kip1) levels under the growth inhibitory conditions.     

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces differentiation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells into osteoclasts through the induction of p21(WAF1/Cip1)

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a multifunctional cytokine that mediates inflammation and induces bone loss caused by excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts. The interaction of TNF-alpha with its receptor activates several signal transduction pathways, including those of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases (p38, JNK, and ERK) and NF-kappaB. Signaling from these molecules has been shown to play an important role in osteoclastogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of TNF-alpha-induced osteoclast differentiation in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We found that TNF-alpha alone greatly induced differentiation of PBMCs into osteoclasts. The osteoclast differentiation induced by TNF-alpha was independent of RANKL binding to its receptor RANK on PBMCs. Furthermore, TNF-alpha potently activated p38 MAPK, JNK, and NF-kappaB. Western blotting analysis revealed that p21(WAF1/Cip1), a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor, is significantly induced upon TNF-alpha stimulation. The induction of p21(WAF1/Cip1) during differentiation is responsible for arrest at G(0)/G(1) phase and associated with the JNK pathway. These results suggest that TNF-alpha regulates osteoclast differentiation through p21(WAF1/Cip1) expression and further shows that these events require JNK activity.     

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species originating from Romo1 exert an important role in normal cell cycle progression by regulating p27Kip1 expression

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) steady-state levels are required for entry into the S phase of the cell cycle in normal cells, as well as in tumour cells. However, the contribution of mitochondrial ROS to normal cell proliferation has not been well investigated thus far. A previous report showed that Romo1 was responsible for the high ROS levels in tumour cells. Here, we show that endogenous ROS generated by Romo1 are indispensable for cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase in normal WI-38 human lung fibroblasts. The ROS level in these cells was down-regulated by Romo1 knockdown, resulting in cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. This arrest was associated with an increase in the level of p27^Kip1. These results demonstrate that mitochondrial ROS generated by Romo1 expression is required for normal cell proliferation and it is suggested that Romo1 plays an important role in redox signalling during normal cell proliferation.     

A cell-autonomous requirement for Cip/Kip cyclin-kinase inhibitors in regulating neuronal cell cycle exit but not differentiation in the developing spinal cord

Control over cell cycle exit is fundamental to the normal generation of the wide array of distinct cell types that comprise the mature vertebrate CNS. Here, we demonstrate a critical role for Cip/Kip class cyclin-kinase inhibitory (CKI) proteins in regulating this process during neurogenesis in the embryonic spinal cord. Using immunohistochemistry, we show that all three identified Cip/Kip CKI proteins are expressed in both distinct and overlapping populations of nascent and post-mitotic neurons during early neurogenesis, with p27(Kip1) having the broadest expression, and both p57(Kip2) and p21(Cip1) showing transient expression in restricted populations. Loss- and gain-of-function approaches were used to establish the unique and redundant functions of these proteins in spinal cord neurogenesis. Using genetic lineage tracing, we provide evidence that, in the absence of p57, nascent neurons re-enter the cell cycle inappropriately but later exit to begin differentiation. Analysis of p57(Kip2);p27(Kip1) double mutants, where p21 expression is confined to only a small population of interneurons, demonstrates that Cip/Kip CKI-independent factors initiate progenitor cell cycle exit for the majority of interneurons generated in the developing spinal cord. Our studies indicate that p57 plays a critical cell-autonomous role in timing cell cycle exit at G1/S by opposing the activity of Cyclin D1, which promotes cell cycle progression. These studies support a multi-step model for neuronal progenitor cell cycle withdrawal that involves p57(Kip2) in a central role opposing latent Cyclin D1 and other residual cell cycle promoting activities in progenitors targeted for differentiation.     

The human ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Cdc34 controls cellular proliferation through regulation of p27Kip1 protein levels

Ubiquitin-mediated degradation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1 was shown to be required for the activation of key cyclin-dependent kinases, thereby triggering the onset of DNA replication and cell cycle progression. Although the SCFSkp2 ubiquitin ligase has been reported to mediate p27Kip1 degradation, the nature of the human ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme involved in this process has not yet been determined at the cellular level. Here, we show that antisense oligonucleotides targeting the human ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Cdc34 downregulate its expression, inhibit the degradation of p27Kip1, and prevent cellular proliferation. Elevation of p27Kip1 protein level is found to be the sole requirement for the inhibition of cellular proliferation induced upon downregulation of Cdc34. Indeed, reducing the expression of p27Kip1 with a specific antisense oligonucleotide is sufficient to reverse the anti-proliferative phenotype elicited by the Cdc34 antisense. Furthermore, downregulation of Cdc34 is found to specifically increase the abundance of the SCFSkp2) ubiquitin ligase substrate p27Kip1, but has no concomitant effect on the level of IkBalpha and beta-catenin, which are known substrates of a closely related SCF ligase.     

Oxidized low density lipoprotein induces the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(waf1) and the tumor suppressor Rb

Oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) is known to be cytotoxic towards different cell types of the arterial wall, leading to progression of an atherosclerotic plaque. We previously reported that OxLDL activates the tumor suppressor p53 in human fibroblasts [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 276 (2000) 718]. In the present work, we demonstrate that OxLDL increased intracellular levels of the kinase inhibitor p21(waf1) (p21) and of the tumor suppressor Rb. Concomitantly, level of the hypophosphorylated active form of Rb (HypoP-Rb) was also enhanced. Cycloheximide prevented the OxLDL-induced increase in p21, Rb, and HypoP-Rb, whereas okadaic acid had no effect. This increase was also prevented by the antioxidant vitamin E. In addition, the lipid extract of OxLDL, which includes the lipid peroxidation products, reproduced the action of the OxLDL particle itself. OxLDL and its lipid extract induced an oxidative stress, as assessed by the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation products. Finally, OxLDL induced a dose-dependent inhibition of DNA synthesis as assessed by thymidine incorporation. These results demonstrate that OxLDL or its lipid peroxidation products, by generation of an oxidative stress, enhances the expression of p21 and Rb genes, leading to an accumulation of the Hypo-P active form of the tumor suppressor Rb. This phenomenon is in accordance with the fact that p21 is a mediator of p53-dependent cell-cycle arrest in G1 and is most probably involved in the cytotoxicity of OxLDL.