v-Abl signaling disrupts SOCS-1 function in transformed pre-B cells

The v-Abl oncogene activates Jak-Stat signaling during transformation of pre-B cells in mice. Disrupting Jak activation by deleting the Jak binding domain of v-Abl or by expressing a dominant-negative Jak1 decreases v-Abl transformation efficiency. As SOCS-1 is a known potent inhibitor of Jak kinases, the mechanism by which v-Abl bypasses SOCS-1 regulation to constitutively activate Jak kinases was investigated. SOCS-1 is expressed in v-Abl-transformed cells but is unable to inhibit v-Abl-mediated Jak-Stat signaling. In v-Abl transformants, SOCS-1 can inhibit cytokine signals, but it is more efficient at doing so when the cells are treated with STI571, an Abl kinase inhibitor. Downstream effects of v-Abl signaling include phosphorylation of SOCS-1 on nontyrosine residues, disruption of the interaction between SOCS-1 and the Elongin BC complex, and inhibition of SOCS-1-mediated proteasomal targeting of activated Jaks. These findings reveal a mechanism by which Jak-dependent oncogenes may bypass SOCS-1 inhibition.     

Regulatory effect of SOCS on NF-kappaB activity in murine monocytes/macrophages

The suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) group of proteins has been implicated in regulation of various cytokine signaling and in a negative crosstalk between distinct signaling pathways. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and LPS were known to induce expression of SOCS-3 in neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages. IL-10 was also reported to inhibit a proinflammatory signal-induced NF-kappaB activation in monocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes. The effects of increased SOCS-3 expression upon IL-10 regulation of NF-kappaB activation have not yet been demonstrated. Here we examined the effects of SOCS-3 on NF-kappaB activity. SOCS-3 did not induce any alterations in NF-kappaB activity induced by LPS or TNF-alpha. However, it enhanced RelA-dependent kappaB promoter activity when cotransfected with RelA. Similar results were observed with SOCS-1. In contrast, SOCS-2 did not show any regulatory effects on RelA activity. Analysis of C-terminal truncation mutants of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 demonstrated that the SOCS box and its N-terminal region, a less well-conserved linker region were important for SOCS-3 activation of RelA. In contrast, the SOCS box itself was critical for SOCS-1 to activate RelA. These results suggest that SOCS proteins can enhance the effects of NF-kappaB/Rel proteins, and therefore, further modulate immune and inflammatory responses.     

Insulin induces SOCS-6 expression and its binding to the p85 monomer of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, resulting in improvement in glucose metabolism

The suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family is thought to act largely as a negative regulator of signaling by cytokines and some growth factors. Surprisingly, the SOCS-6 transgenics had no significant defects in the cytokine signaling and hematopoietic system but displayed significant improvements in glucose metabolism. Insulin stimulation of Akt/protein kinase B was also potentiated. Biochemical analysis showed that, after insulin stimulation, SOCS-6 interacted with the monomeric p85 subunit of class-Ia phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase but not with p85/p110 dimers. Furthermore, SOCS-6 expression is transiently increased by serum and insulin in normal fibroblasts. However, both the mRNA and protein of SOCS-6 were rapidly degraded after induction by insulin. The degradation of the SOCS-6 protein was partially inhibited by a proteasome inhibitor, suggesting a proteasome-mediated degradation mechanism. In contrast, SOCS-6-associated p85 was not degraded and could be recruited to the newly synthesized SOCS-6 molecules in the presence of insulin, suggesting that SOCS-6 expression and its interaction with p85, but not the degradation, is regulated by insulin. The phenotype of SOCS-6 transgenic mice bears a striking resemblance to p85 knock-out mouse models in which glucose metabolism stimulated by insulin is significantly improved despite reduced activation of PI 3-kinase. This suggests that monomeric p85 might play a physiologically important role in attenuating signaling through PI 3-kinase-dependent pathways in unstimulated cells. Therefore, our results indicate that SOCS-6 may provide a dynamically regulated mechanism by which insulin can transiently overcome the negative effects that p85 monomers have on signaling via PI 3-kinase-dependent signaling pathways.     

SOCS-1 localizes to the microtubule organizing complex-associated 20S proteasome

The regulation of cytokine signaling is critical for controlling cellular proliferation and activation during an immune response. SOCS-1 is a potent inhibitor of Jak kinase activity and of signaling initiated by several cytokines. SOCS-1 protein levels are tightly regulated, and recent data suggest that SOCS-1 may regulate the protein levels of some signaling proteins by the ubiquitin proteasome pathway; however, the cellular mechanism by which SOCS-1 directs proteins for degradation is unknown. In this report, SOCS-1 is found to colocalize and biochemically copurify with the microtubule organizing complex (MTOC) and its associated 20S proteasome. The SOCS-1 SH2 domain is required for the localization of SOCS-1 to the MTOC. Overexpression of SOCS-1 targets Jak1 in an SH2-dependent manner to a perinuclear distribution resembling the MTOC-associated 20S proteasome. Analysis of MTOCs fractionated from SOCS-1-deficient cells demonstrates that SOCS-1 may function redundantly to regulate the localization of Jak1 to the MTOC. Nocodazole inhibits the protein turnover of SOCS-1, demonstrating that the minus-end transport of SOCS-1 to the MTOC-associated 20S proteasome is required to regulate SOCS-1 protein levels. These data link SOCS-1 directly with the proteasome pathway and suggest another function for the SH2 domain of SOCS-1 in the regulation of Jak/STAT signaling.     

Suppressors of cytokine signaling-1 and -6 associate with and inhibit the insulin receptor. A potential mechanism for cytokine-mediated insulin resistance

Insulin resistance contributes to a number of metabolic disorders, including type II diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6, and hormones, such as growth hormone, are known to cause insulin resistance, but the mechanisms by which they inhibit the cellular response to insulin have not been elucidated. One mechanism by which these agents could cause insulin resistance is by inducing the expression of cellular proteins that inhibit insulin receptor (IR) signaling. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins are negative regulators of cytokine signaling pathways, the expression of which is regulated by certain cytokines. SOCS proteins are therefore attractive candidates as mediators of cytokine-induced insulin resistance. We have found that SOCS-1 and SOCS-6 interact with the IR when expressed in human hepatoma cells (HepG2) or in rat hepatoma cells overexpressing the human IR. In SOCS-1-expressing cells, insulin treatment increases the extent of interaction with the IR, whereas in SOCS-6-expressing cells the association with the IR appears to require insulin treatment. SOCS-1 and SOCS-6 do not inhibit insulin-dependent IR autophosphorylation, but both proteins inhibit insulin-dependent activation of ERK1/2 and protein kinase B in vivo and IR-directed phosphorylation of IRS-1 in vitro. These results suggest that SOCS proteins may be inhibitors of IR signaling and could mediate cytokine-induced insulin resistance and contribute to the pathogenesis of type II diabetes.     

Suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 has IFN-gamma-independent actions in T cell homeostasis

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1 is a member of a family of proteins that negatively regulate cytokine signaling pathways. We have previously established that SOCS-1 is a key regulator of IFN-gamma signaling and that IFN-gamma is responsible for the complex inflammatory disease that leads to the death of SOCS-1-deficient mice. In this study, we provide evidence that SOCS-1 is also a critical regulator of IFN-gamma-independent immunoregulatory factors. Mice lacking both SOCS-1 and IFN-gamma, although outwardly healthy, have clear abnormalities in their immune system, including a reduced ratio of CD4:CD8 T cells in lymphoid tissues and increased expression of T cell activation markers. To examine the contribution of TCR Ag specificity to these immune defects, we have generated two lines of SOCS-1-deficient mice expressing a transgenic TCR specific for an exogenous Ag, OVA (OT-I and OT-II). Although TCR transgenic SOCS-1(-/-) mice have a longer lifespan than nontransgenic SOCS-1(-/-) mice, they still die as young adults with inflammatory disease and the TCR transgenic SOCS-1(-/-) T cells appear activated despite the absence of OVA. This suggests that both Ag-dependent and -independent mechanisms contribute to the disease in SOCS-1-deficient mice. Thus, SOCS-1 is a critical regulator of T cell activation and homeostasis, and its influence extends beyond regulating IFN-gamma signaling.     

Biological evidence that SOCS-2 can act either as an enhancer or suppressor of growth hormone signaling

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-2 is a member of a family of intracellular proteins implicated in the negative regulation of cytokine signaling. The generation of SOCS-2-deficient mice, which grow to one and a half times the size of their wild-type littermates, suggests that SOCS-2 may attenuate growth hormone (GH) signaling. In vitro studies indicate that, while SOCS-2 can inhibit GH action at low concentrations, at higher concentrations it may potentiate signaling. To determine whether a similar enhancement of signaling is observed in vivo or alternatively whether increased SOCS-2 levels repress growth in vivo, we generated and analyzed transgenic mice that overexpress SOCS-2 from a human ubiquitin C promoter. These mice are not growth-deficient and are, in fact, significantly larger than wild-type mice. The overexpressed SOCS-2 was found to bind to endogenous GH receptors in a number of mouse organs, while phosphopeptide binding studies with recombinant SOCS-2 defined phosphorylated tyrosine 595 on the GH receptor as the site of interaction. Together, the data implicate SOCS-2 as having dual effects on GH signaling in vivo.     

SOCS-3 inhibits insulin signaling and is up-regulated in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the adipose tissue of obese mice

SOCS (suppressor of cytokine signaling) proteins are inhibitors of cytokine signaling involved in negative feedback loops. We have recently shown that insulin increases SOCS-3 mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. When expressed, SOCS-3 binds to phosphorylated Tyr(960) of the insulin receptor and prevents Stat 5B activation by insulin. Here we show that in COS-7 cells SOCS-3 decreases insulin-induced insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) tyrosine phosphorylation and its association with p85, a regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase. This mechanism points to a function of SOCS-3 in insulin resistance. Interestingly, SOCS-3 expression was found to be increased in the adipose tissue of obese mice, but not in the liver and muscle of these animals. Two polypeptides known to be elevated during obesity, insulin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), induce SOCS-3 mRNA expression in mice. Insulin induces a transient expression of SOCS-3 in the liver, muscle, and the white adipose tissue (WAT). Strikingly, TNF-alpha induced a sustained SOCS-3 expression, essentially in the WAT. Moreover, transgenic ob/ob mice lacking both TNF receptors have a pronounced decrease in SOCS-3 expression in the WAT compared with ob/ob mice, providing genetic evidence for a function of this cytokine in obesity-induced SOCS-3 expression. As SOCS-3 appears as a TNF-alpha target gene that is elevated during obesity, and as SOCS-3 antagonizes insulin-induced IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, we suggest that it is a player in the development of insulin resistance.     

The role of SOCS-3 in leptin signaling and leptin resistance.

We earlier demonstrated that leptin induces expression of SOCS-3 mRNA in the hypothalamus. Furthermore, transfection data suggest that SOCS-3 is an inhibitor of leptin signaling. However, little is known about the regulation of SOCS-3 expression by leptin and the mechanism by which SOCS-3 inhibits leptin action. We here show that in CHO cells stably expressing the long form of the leptin receptor (CHO-OBRl), leptin induces transient expression of endogenous SOCS-3 mRNA but not of CIS, SOCS-1, or SOCS-2 mRNA. SOCS-3 protein levels were maximal after 2-3 h of leptin treatment and remained elevated at 20 h. Furthermore, in leptin-pretreated CHO-OBRl cells, proximal leptin signaling was blocked for more than 20 h after pretreatment, thus correlating with increased SOCS-3 expression. Leptin pretreatment did not affect cell surface expression of leptin receptors as measured by (125)I-leptin binding assays. In transfected COS cells, forced expression of SOCS-3 results in inhibition of leptin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2. Finally, JAK2 co-immunoprecipitates with SOCS-3 in lysates from leptin-treated COS cells. These results suggest that SOCS-3 is a leptin-regulated inhibitor of proximal leptin signaling in vivo. Excessive SOCS-3 activity in leptin-responsive cells is therefore a potential mechanism for leptin resistance, a characteristic feature in human obesity.     

Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1 and SOCS-3 are induced by CpG-DNA and modulate cytokine responses in APCs

During infection, the functional status of the innate immune system is tightly regulated. Although signals resulting in activation have been well characterized, counterregulative mechanisms are poorly understood. Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins have been characterized as cytokine-inducible negative regulators of Janus kinase/STAT signaling in cells of hemopoietic origin. To analyze whether SOCS proteins could also be induced by pathogen-derived stimuli, we investigated the induction of SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 after triggering of macrophage cell lines, bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, and peritoneal macrophages with CpG-DNA. In this study, we show that CpG-DNA, but not GpC-DNA, induces expression of mRNA for SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 in vitro and in vivo. SOCS mRNA expression could be blocked by chloroquine and was independent of protein synthesis. Inhibitors of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway triggered by CpG-DNA were able to impede induction of SOCS mRNA. CpG-DNA triggered synthesis of SOCS proteins that could be detected by Western blotting. SOCS proteins were functional because they inhibited IFN-gamma as well as IL-6- and GM-CSF-induced phosphorylation of STAT proteins. Furthermore, IFN-gamma-induced up-regulation of MHC class II molecules was also prevented. The same effects could be achieved by overexpression of SOCS-1. Hence, the results indicate a substantial cross-talk between signal pathways within cells. They provide evidence for regulative mechanisms of Janus kinase/STAT signaling after triggering Toll-like receptor signal pathways.     

Suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 attenuates the duration of interferon gamma signal transduction in vitro and in vivo

Suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) is a cytokine-inducible intracellular protein that functions to negatively regulate cytokine signal transduction pathways. Studies in vitro have shown that constitutive overexpression of SOCS-1 inhibits signaling in response to a range of cytokines, including interferons (IFN). Mice lacking SOCS-1 die from a complex disease characterized by liver degeneration and massive inflammation. Whereas there is clear evidence of increased IFNgamma signaling in SOCS-1(-/-) mice, it is unclear to what extent this is due to increased IFNgamma levels or to increased IFNgamma sensitivity. Here we have used SOCS-1(-/-) IFNgamma(-/-) mice, which remain healthy and produce no endogenous IFNgamma, to demonstrate that in vitro and in vivo hepatocytes lacking SOCS-1 exhibit a prolonged response to IFNgamma and that this correlates with a dramatically increased sensitivity to the toxic effects of IFNgamma in vivo. Thus, SOCS-1 is required for the timely attenuation of IFNgamma signaling in vivo.     

SOCS-6 binds to insulin receptor substrate 4, and mice lacking the SOCS-6 gene exhibit mild growth retardation

SOCS-6 is a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family of proteins (SOCS-1 to SOCS-7 and CIS) which each contain a central SH2 domain and a carboxyl-terminal SOCS box. SOCS-1, SOCS-2, SOCS-3, and CIS act to negatively regulate cytokine-induced signaling pathways; however, the actions of SOCS-4, SOCS-5, SOCS-6, and SOCS-7 remain less clear. Here we have used both biochemical and genetic approaches to examine the action of SOCS-6. We found that SOCS-6 and SOCS-7 are expressed ubiquitously in murine tissues. Like other SOCS family members, SOCS-6 binds to elongins B and C through its SOCS box, suggesting that it might act as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets proteins bound to its SH2 domain for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. We investigated the binding specificity of the SOCS-6 and SOCS-7 SH2 domains and found that they preferentially bound to phosphopeptides containing a valine in the phosphotyrosine (pY) +1 position and a hydrophobic residue in the pY +2 and pY +3 positions. In addition, these SH2 domains interacted with a protein complex consisting of insulin receptor substrate 4 (IRS-4), IRS-2, and the p85 regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. To investigate the physiological role of SOCS-6, we generated mice lacking the SOCS-6 gene. SOCS-6(-/-) mice were born in a normal Mendelian ratio, were fertile, developed normally, and did not exhibit defects in hematopoiesis or glucose homeostasis. However, both male and female SOCS-6(-/-) mice weighed approximately 10% less than wild-type littermates.     

The Self-Limiting Dynamics of TGF-β Signaling In Silico and In Vitro,with Negative Feedback through PPM1A Upregulation

The TGF-β/Smad signaling system decreases its activity through strong negative regulation. Several molecular mechanisms of negative regulation have been published, but the relative impact of each mechanism on the overall system is unknown. In this work, we used computational and experimental methods to assess multiple negative regulatory effects on Smad signaling in HaCaT cells. Previously reported negative regulatory effects were classified by time-scale: degradation of phosphorylated R-Smad and I-Smad-induced receptor degradation were slow-mode effects, and dephosphorylation of R-Smad was a fast-mode effect. We modeled combinations of these effects, but found no combination capable of explaining the observed dynamics of TGF-β/Smad signaling. We then proposed a negative feedback loop with upregulation of the phosphatase PPM1A. The resulting model was able to explain the dynamics of Smad signaling, under both short and long exposures to TGF-β. Consistent with this model, immuno-blots showed PPM1A levels to be significantly increased within 30 min after TGF-β stimulation. Lastly, our model was able to resolve an apparent contradiction in the published literature, concerning the dynamics of phosphorylated R-Smad degradation. We conclude that the dynamics of Smad negative regulation cannot be explained by the negative regulatory effects that had previously been modeled, and we provide evidence for a new negative feedback loop through PPM1A upregulation. This work shows that tight coupling of computational and experiments approaches can yield improved understanding of complex pathways.     

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS-1) and SOCS-3 cause insulin resistance through inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate proteins by discrete mechanisms

Insulin resistance is a pathophysiological component of type 2 diabetes and obesity and also occurs in states of stress, infection, and inflammation associated with an upregulation of cytokines. Here we show that in both obesity and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia there is an increase in suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins, SOCS-1 and SOCS-3, in liver, muscle, and, to a lesser extent, fat. In concordance with these increases by LPS, tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR) is partially impaired and phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins is almost completely suppressed. Direct overexpression of SOCS-3 in liver by adenoviral-mediated gene transfer markedly decreases tyrosine phosphorylation of both IRS-1 and IRS-2, while SOCS-1 overexpression preferentially inhibits IRS-2 phosphorylation. Neither affects IR phosphorylation, although both SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 bind to the insulin receptor in vivo in an insulin-dependent fashion. Experiments with cultured cells expressing mutant insulin receptors reveal that SOCS-3 binds to Tyr960 of IR, a key residue for the recognition of IRS-1 and IRS-2, whereas SOCS-1 binds to the domain in the catalytic loop essential for IRS-2 recognition in vitro. Moreover, overexpression of either SOCS-1 or SOCS-3 attenuates insulin-induced glycogen synthesis in L6 myotubes and activation of glucose uptake in 3T3L1 adipocytes. By contrast, a reduction of SOCS-1 or SOCS-3 by antisense treatment partially restores tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced downregulation of tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS proteins in 3T3L1 adipocytes. These data indicate that SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 act as negative regulators in insulin signaling and serve as one of the missing links between insulin resistance and cytokine signaling.