Linkage between alpha(1) adrenergic receptor and the Jak/STAT signaling pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells

The Jak/STAT pathway is activated following stimulation of the type I angiotensin II receptor. To examine whether this pathway is shared among other G-protein-coupled receptors, we studied the linkage between the alpha(1) adrenergic receptor and this pathway. The alpha(1) agonist phenylephrine induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak2, Tyk2, and STAT1 in vascular smooth muscle cells. The phosphorylation of Jak2 was prevented by the alpha(1) receptor antagonists prazosin and chloroethylclonidine, but not by WB4101, and that of STAT1 was inhibited by prazosin and the Jak2 inhibitor AG490. After stimulation with phenylephrine, Jak2 and STAT1 were found to associate with alpha(1B) receptor. Phenylephrine stimulated the DNA binding activity of STAT1. Protein synthesis promoted by phenylephrine was inhibited by prazosin, AG490, and the introduction of a decoy oligonucleotide for STAT1. These results suggested that alpha(1) receptor is linked to the Jak/STAT pathway and that this pathway mediates alpha(1) agonist-induced smooth muscle hypertrophy.     

AG490 prevents cell death after exposure of rat astrocytes to hydrogen peroxide or proinflammatory cytokines: involvement of the Jak2/STAT pathway

Janus kinases/STAT pathway mediates cellular responses to certain oxidative stress stimuli and cytokines. Here we examine the activation of Stat1 and Stat3 in rat astrocyte cultures and its involvement in cell death. H(2)O(2), interferon (INF)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-6 but not IL-10 caused cell death. Stat1 was phosphorylated on tyrosine (Tyr)-701 after exposure to H(2)O(2), INF-gamma or IL-6 but not IL-10. Tyr-705 pStat3 was observed after H(2)O(2), IL-6 and IL-10. Also, H(2)O(2) induced serine (Ser)-727 phosphorylation of Stat1 but not Stat3. The degree of Tyr-701 pStat1 by the different treatments positively correlated with the corresponding reduction of cell viability. AG490, a Jak2 inhibitor, prevented Tyr-701 but not Ser-727, Stat1 phosphorylation. Also, AG490 inhibited Tyr-705 Stat3 phosphorylation induced by H(2)O(2) and IL-6 but did not prevent that induced by IL-10. Furthermore, AG490 conferred strong protection against cell death induced by INF-gamma, IL-6 and H(2)O(2). These results suggest that Jak2/Stat1 activation mediates cell death induced by proinflammatory cytokines and peroxides. However, we found evidence suggesting that AG490 reduces oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2), which further shows that H(2)O(2) and/or derived reactive oxygen species directly activate Jak2/Stat1, but masks the actual involvement of this pathway in H(2)O(2)-induced cell death.     

Jak2 tyrosine kinase mediates oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells

In vascular smooth muscle cells, Jak2 tyrosine kinase becomes activated in response to oxidative stress in the form of hydrogen peroxide. Although it has been postulated that hydrogen peroxide-induced Jak2 activation promotes cell survival, this has never been tested. We therefore examined the role that Jak2 plays in vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis following hydrogen peroxide treatment. Here, we report that Jak2 tyrosine kinase activation by hydrogen peroxide is required for apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells. Upon treatment of primary rat aortic smooth muscle cells with hydrogen peroxide, we observed laddering of genomic DNA and nuclear condensation, both hallmarks of apoptotic cells. However, apoptosis was prevented by either the expression of a dominant negative Jak2 protein or by the Jak2 pharmacological inhibitor AG490. Moreover, expression of the proapoptotic Bax protein was induced following hydrogen peroxide treatment. Again, expression of a dominant negative Jak2 protein or treatment of cells with AG490 prevented this Bax induction. Following Bax induction by hydrogen peroxide, mitochondrial membrane integrity was compromised, and caspase-9 became activated. In contrast, in cells expressing a Jak2 dominant negative we observed that mitochondrial membrane integrity was preserved, and no caspase-9 activation occurred. These data demonstrate that the activation of Jak2 tyrosine kinase by hydrogen peroxide is essential for apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, this report identifies Jak2 as a potential therapeutic target in vascular diseases in which vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis contributes to pathological progression.     

DNA damage stress and inhibition of Jak2-V617F cause its degradation and synergistically induce apoptosis through activation of GSK3β

The cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase Jak2 plays a crucial role in cytokine receptor signaling in hematopoietic cells. The activated Jak2-V617F mutant is present in most cases of BCR/ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms and constitutively activates downstream signals from homodimeric cytokine receptors, such as the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR). Here we examine the effects of DNA damage stress on Jak2 or Jak2-V617F and on induction of apoptosis in hematopoietic cells. Etoposide or doxorubicin dose-dependently decreased the expression level of Jak2 in UT7 or 32D cells expressing EpoR in the absence of Epo and that of exogenously expressed Jak2-V617F in UT7 cells when cotreated with the Jak2 inhibitor JakI-1 or AG490. Studies with pharmacological inhibitors and genetic manipulations further showed that downregulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway leading to the activation of GSK3β may be involved in downregulation of Jak2 or Jak2-V617F as well as in synergistic induction of Bax activation and apoptosis. The downregulation of Jak2 was inhibited by the proteasome inhibitor MG132 or by expression of both of loss-of-function mutants of c-Cbl and Cbl-b, E3 ubiquitin ligases which facilitated ubiquitination of Jak2-V617F when co-expressed in 293T cells. The pan-caspase inhibitor Boc-d-fmk also inhibited the Jak2 downregulation as well as appearance of a 100-kDa fragment that contained the N-terminal portion of Jak2 in response to DNA damage. Together, these data suggest that DNA damage stress with simultaneous inhibition of the kinase activity causes degradation of Jak2 or Jak2-V617F by caspase cleavage and proteasomal degradation through GSK3β activation, which is closely involved in synergistic induction of apoptosis in hematopoietic cells.     

Structure-Function Correlation of G6, a Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor of Jak2: INDISPENSABILITY OF THE STILBENOID CORE*

Somatic mutations in the Jak2 protein, such as V617F, cause aberrant Jak/STAT signaling and can lead to the development of myeloproliferative neoplasms. This discovery has led to the search for small molecule inhibitors that target Jak2. Using structure-based virtual screening, our group recently identified a novel small molecule inhibitor of Jak2 named G6. Here, we identified a structure-function correlation of this compound. Specifically, five derivative compounds of G6 having structural similarity to the original lead compound were obtained and analyzed for their ability to (i) inhibit Jak2-V617F-mediated cell growth, (ii) inhibit the levels of phospho-Jak2, phospho-STAT3, and phospho-STAT5; (iii) induce apoptosis in human erythroleukemia cells; and (iv) suppress pathologic cell growth of Jak2-V617F-expressing human bone marrow cells ex vivo. Additionally, we computationally examined the interactions of these compounds with the ATP-binding pocket of the Jak2 kinase domain. We found that the stilbenoid core-containing derivatives of G6 significantly inhibited Jak2-V617F-mediated cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. They also inhibited phosphorylation of Jak2, STAT3, and STAT5 proteins within cells, resulting in higher levels of apoptosis via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Finally, the stilbenoid derivatives inhibited the pathologic growth of Jak2-V617F-expressing human bone marrow cells ex vivo. Collectively, our data demonstrate that G6 has a stilbenoid core that is indispensable for maintaining its Jak2 inhibitory potential.     

Gab1 transduces PI3K-mediated erythropoietin signals to the Erk pathway and regulates erythropoietin-dependent proliferation and survival of erythroid cells

In this study, we examined the biological functions of Gab1 in erythropoietin receptor (EPOR)-mediated signaling in vivo. Knockdown of Gab1 by the introduction of the Gab1 siRNA expression vector into F-36P human erythroleukemia (F-36P-Gab1-siRNA) cells resulted in a reduction of cell proliferation and survival in response to EPO. EPO-induced activation of Erk1/2 but not of Akt was significantly suppressed in F-36P-Gab1-siRNA cells compared with mock-transfected F-36P cells. The co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed an EPO-enhanced association of Gab1 with the Grb2–SOS1 complex and SHP-2 in F-36P cells. A selective inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) LY294002 and short interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes targeting the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K (p85-siRNA) independently suppressed tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1; its association with Grb2, SHP-2 and p85; and the activation of Erk in EPO-treated F-36P cells. LY294002 inhibited EPO-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1 and its association with Grb2 in human primary EPO-sensitive erythroid cells. The co-immunoprecipitation experiments using the Jak inhibitor AG490 or siRNA duplexes targeting Jak2 and in vitro binding experiments demonstrated that Jak2 regulated Gab1-mediated Erk activation through tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1. Taken together, these results suggest that Gab1 couples PI3K-mediated EPO signals with the Ras/Erk pathway and that Gab1 plays an important role in EPOR-mediated signal transduction involved in the proliferation and survival of erythroid cells.     

c-Src/Jak2/PDGFR/PKCδ-Dependent MMP-9 Induction Is Required for Thrombin-Stimulated Rat Brain Astrocytes Migration

Among matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-9 has been observed in patients with brain inflammatory diseases and may contribute to the pathology of brain diseases. Thrombin has been known as a regulator of MMP-9 expression and cells migration. However, the mechanisms underlying thrombin-induced MMP-9 expression in rat brain astrocytes (RBA-1 cells) were not completely understood. Here, we demonstrated that thrombin induced the expression of pro-form MMP-9 in RBA-1 cells and cells migration which were attenuated by pretreatment with the inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinase (Genistein), c-Src (PP1), Jak2 (AG490), PDGFR (AG1296), PI3K (LY294002), Akt (SH-5), PKCs (Ro318220), PKCδ (Rottlerin), or NF-κB (Bay11-7082) and transfection with siRNA of c-Src, PDGFR, Akt, PKCδ, ATF2, p65, IKKα, or IKKβ. In addition, thrombin-stimulated c-Src, Jak2, or PDGFR phosphorylation was inhibited by a thrombin inhibitor (PPACK), PP1, AG490, or AG1296. Thrombin further stimulated c-Src and PDGFR complex formation in RBA-1 cells. Thrombin also stimulated Akt and PKCδ phosphorylation and PKCδ translocation which were reduced by PPACK, PP1, AG490, AG1296, or LY294002. We further observed that thrombin markedly stimulated ATF2 or IκBα phosphorylation and NF-κB p65 translocation which were inhibited by Rottlerin or LY294002. Finally, thrombin stimulated in vivo binding of p65 to the MMP-9 promoter, which was reduced by pretreatment with Rottlerin or LY294002. These results concluded that in RBA-1 cells, thrombin activated a c-Src/Jak2/PDGFR/PI3K/Akt/PKCδ pathway, which in turn triggered ATF2 and NF-κB activation and ultimately induced MMP-9 expression associated with cell migration.     

shRNA-mediated silencing of Gli2 gene inhibits proliferation and sensitizes human hepatocellular carcinoma cells towards TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has been reported in various cancer types including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As a key effector of this signaling, Gli2 plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis, including the activation of genes encoding apoptosis inhibitors and cell-cycle regulators. In this study, we examined the role of Gli2 proliferation and survival of HCC cells. First, the expression levels of Hh pathway components were detected in a subset of HCC cell lines. To establish the role of Gli2 in maintaining the tumorigenic properties of HCC cells, we developed small hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting Gli2 and transfected it into SMMC-7721 cell, which was selected with high level of Hh signaling expression. Next, effects of Gli2 gene silencing, on cell proliferation and on the expression of cell cycle-related proteins were evaluated, then, whether down-regulation of Gli2 renders HCC cell susceptible to TRAIL was examined in vitro. Knockdown of Gli2 inhibited cell proliferation and induced G1 phase arrest of cell cycle in SMMC-7721 cell through down-regulation of cyclin D1, cyclinE2, and up-regulation of p21-WAF1. Also, Gli2 gene siliencing sensitized SMMC-7721 cell to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-induced apoptosis by reducing the expression of the long and short isoform of c-FLIP and Bcl-2, and then augmented the activation of initiator caspases-8/-9 and effector caspases-3, which induces PARP cleavage. In conclusion, our data suggest that Gli2 plays a predominant role in the proliferation and apoptosis resistance of HCC cells, and that knockdown of Gli2 may be a novel anticancer strategy for the treatment of HCC.     

Thrombopoietin acts synergistically with LIF to maintain an undifferentiated state of embryonic stem cells homozygous for a Shp-2 deletion mutation

Thrombopoietin (Tpo) and its receptor, c-mpl, are expressed in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. ES cells are maintained in a pluripotent state by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) via activation of the Janus kinase (Jak)-STAT3 signaling pathway. Tpo, like LIF, activates STAT3. We report that Tpo increases the number of undifferentiated colonies derived from wild type or Shp-2 mutant (Shp-2(Delta46-110)) ES cells. Tpo plus LIF acted synergistically on the Shp-2(Delta46-110) ES cells to maintain undifferentiated colonies but no evidence of synergism via Jak-STAT3 activation was detected. Collectively, these data suggest that Tpo can play a role in preventing ES cell differentiation via Jak-STAT3 activation and perhaps via novel pathways that are enhanced in the absence of functional Shp-2.