Pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP): a new player in cell signaling

Precise balance between phosphorylation, catalyzed by protein kinases, and dephosphorylation, catalyzed by protein phosphatases, is essential for cellular homeostasis. Deregulation of this balance leads to pathophysiological states that drive diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. The recent discovery of the PHLPP (pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase) family of Ser/Thr phosphatases adds a new player to the cast of phosphate-controlling enzymes in cell signaling. PHLPP isozymes catalyze the dephosphorylation of a conserved regulatory motif, the hydrophobic motif, on the AGC kinases Akt, PKC, and S6 kinase, as well as an inhibitory site on the kinase Mst1, to inhibit cellular proliferation and induce apoptosis. The frequent deletion of PHLPP in cancer, coupled with the development of prostate tumors in mice lacking PHLPP1, identifies PHLPP as a novel tumor suppressor. This minireview discusses the structure, function, and regulation of PHLPP, with particular focus on its role in disease.     

Spliced X-box binding protein 1 induces liver cancer cell death via activating the Mst1-JNK-mROS signalling pathway

Previous studies have found that the primary pathogenesis of liver cancer progression is linked to excessive cancer cell proliferation and rapid metastasis. Although therapeutic advances have been made for the treatment of liver cancer, the mechanism underlying the liver cancer progression has not been fully addressed. In the present study, we explored the role of spliced X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) in regulating the viability and death of liver cancer cells in vitro. Our study demonstrated that XBP1 was upregulated in liver cancer cells when compared to the primary hepatocytes. Interestingly, the deletion of XBP1 could reduce the viability of liver cancer cells in vitro via inducing apoptotic response. Further, we found that XBP1 downregulation was also linked to proliferation arrest and migration inhibition. At the molecular levels, XBP1 inhibition is followed by activation of the Mst1 pathway which promoted the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Then, the active Mst1-JNK pathway mediated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) overproduction and then excessive ROS induced cancer cell death. Therefore, our study demonstrated a novel role played by XBP1 in modulating the viability of liver cancer cells via the Mst1-JNK-mROS pathways.     

Threonine-120 phosphorylation regulated by phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin pathway signaling limits the antitumor activity of mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1

Mst1/Stk4, a hippo-like serine-threonine kinase, is implicated in many cancers, including prostate cancer. However, the mechanisms regulating Mst1 remain obscure. Here, we characterized the effects of phospho-Thr-120 on Mst1 in prostate cancer cells. We demonstrated that phospho-Thr-120 did not alter the nuclear localization or cleavage of Mst1 in a LNCaP or castration-resistant C4-2 prostate tumor cell model, as revealed by a mutagenesis approach. Phospho-Thr-120 appeared to be specific to cancer cells and predominantly localized in the nucleus. In contrast, phospho-Thr-183, a critical regulator of Mst1 cell death, was exclusively found in the cytoplasm. As assessed by immunohistochemistry, a similar distribution of phospho-Mst1-Thr-120/Thr-183 was also observed in a prostate cancer specimen. In addition, the blockade of PI3K signaling by a small molecule inhibitor, LY294002, increased cytoplasmic phospho-Mst1-Thr-183 without having a significant effect on nuclear phospho-Mst1-Thr-120. However, the attenuation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity by a selective pharmacologic inhibitor, Ku0063794 or CCI-779, caused the up-regulation of nuclear phospho-Mst1-Thr-120 without affecting cytoplasmic phospho-Mst1-Thr-183. This suggests that PI3K and mTOR pathway signaling differentially regulate phospho-Mst1-Thr-120/Thr-183. Moreover, mutagenesis and RNAi data revealed that phospho-Thr-120 resulted in C4-2 cell resistance to mTOR inhibition and reduced the Mst1 suppression of cell growth and androgen receptor-driven gene expression. Collectively, these findings indicate that phospho-Thr-120 leads to the loss of Mst1 functions, supporting cancer cell growth and survival.     

Scribble-mediated membrane targeting of PHLPP1 is required for its negative regulation of Akt

PHLPP1 (PH domain leucine-rich-repeats protein phosphatase) is a Ser/Thr protein phosphatase that acts as a tumour suppressor by negatively regulating Akt. Here, we show that PHLPP1 is recruited to the cell membrane by binding to a scaffolding protein: Scribble. Knockdown of Scribble (Scrib) results in redistribution of PHLPP1 from the membrane to the cytoplasm and an increase in Akt phosphorylation, whereas overexpression of Scrib has the opposite effect. Furthermore, PHLPP1-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation is facilitated by the formation of a Scrib, PHLPP1 and Akt trimeric complex. Thus, our findings identify a functional interaction between PHLPP1 and Scrib in negatively regulating Akt signalling.     

Phosphatase PHLPP2 regulates the cellular response to metabolic stress through AMPK

PHLPP2 is a member of the PHLPP family of phosphatases, known to suppress cell growth by inhibiting proliferation or promoting apoptosis. Oncogenic kinases Akt, S6K, and PKC, and pro-apoptotic kinase Mst1, have been recognized as functional targets of the PHLPP family. However, we observed that, in T-leukemia cells subjected to metabolic stress from glucose limitation, PHLPP2 specifically targets the energy-sensing AMP-activated protein kinase, pAMPK, rather than Akt or S6K. PHLPP2 dephosphorylates pAMPK in several other human cancer cells as well. PHLPP2 and pAMPK interact with each other, and the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain on PHLPP2 is required for their interaction, for dephosphorylating and inactivating AMPK, and for the apoptotic response of the leukemia cells to glucose limitation. Silencing PHLPP2 protein expression prolongs the survival of leukemia cells subjected to severe glucose limitation by promoting a switch to AMPK-mediated fatty acid oxidation for energy generation. Thus, this study reveals a novel role for PHLPP2 in suppressing a survival response mediated through AMPK signaling. Given the multiple ways in which PHLPP phosphatases act to oppose survival signaling in cancers and the pivotal role played by AMPK in redox homeostasis via glucose and fatty acid metabolism, the revelation that AMPK is a target of PHLPP2 could lead to better therapeutics directed both at cancer and at metabolic diseases.Subject terms: Cancer metabolism, Stress signalling     

mTOR-dependent regulation of PHLPP expression controls the rapamycin sensitivity in cancer cells

PHLPP belongs to a novel family of protein phosphatases that serve as negative regulators of Akt. There are two isoforms, PHLPP1 and PHLPP2, identified in this family. Our previous studies indicated a tumor suppressor role of both PHLPP isoforms in colon cancer. Here we report that the expression of PHLPP is controlled by mTOR-dependent protein translation in colon and breast cancer cells. Treating cells with rapamycin or knockdown of mTOR using RNAi results in a marked decrease of PHLPP protein expression. In contrast, stable knockdown of TSC2, a negative regulator of mTOR activity, increases PHLPP expression. The rapamycin-mediated down-regulation of PHLPP is blocked by expression of a rapamycin-insensitive mutant of p70S6K. In addition, depletion of 4E-BP1 expression by RNAi results in an increase of PHLPP expression and resistance to rapamycin-induced down-regulation. Moreover, inhibition of mTOR activity by amino acid or glucose starvation reduces PHLPP expression in cells. Functionally, we show that rapamycin-mediated inhibition of PHLPP expression contributes to rapamycin resistance in colon cancer cells. Thus, our studies identify a compensatory feedback regulation in which the activation of Akt is inhibited by up-regulation of PHLPP through mTOR, and this mTOR-dependent expression of PHLPP subsequently determines the rapamycin sensitivity of cancer cells.     

PHLPP-mediated dephosphorylation of S6K1 inhibits protein translation and cell growth

PHLPP is a family of Ser/Thr protein phosphatases that contains PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 isoforms. We have shown previously that PHLPP functions as a tumor suppressor by negatively regulating Akt signaling in cancer cells. Here we report the identification of ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) as a novel substrate of PHLPP. Overexpression of both PHLPP isoforms resulted in a decrease in S6K1 phosphorylation in cells, and this PHLPP-mediated dephosphorylation of S6K1 was independent of its ability to dephosphorylate Akt. Conversely, S6K1 phosphorylation was increased in cells depleted of PHLPP expression. Furthermore, we showed that the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) expression and insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation were significantly decreased as the result of activation of the S6K-dependent negative feedback loop in PHLPP knockdown cells. Functionally, the phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6) and the amount of phosphorylated rpS6 bound to the translation initiation complex were increased in PHLPP-knockdown cells. This correlated with increased cell size, protein content, and rate of cap-dependent translation. Taken together, our results demonstrate that loss of PHLPP expression activates the S6K-dependent negative feedback loop and that PHLPP is a novel player involved in regulating protein translation initiation and cell size via direct dephosphorylation of S6K1.     

Mst1 controls lymphocyte trafficking and interstitial motility within lymph nodes

The regulation of lymphocyte adhesion and migration plays crucial roles in lymphocyte trafficking during immunosurveillance. However, our understanding of the intracellular signalling that regulates these processes is still limited. Here, we show that the Ste20-like kinase Mst1 plays crucial roles in lymphocyte trafficking in vivo. Mst1^−/− lymphocytes exhibited an impairment of firm adhesion to high endothelial venules, resulting in an inefficient homing capacity. In vitro lymphocyte adhesion cascade assays under physiological shear flow revealed that the stopping time of Mst1^−/− lymphocytes on endothelium was markedly reduced, whereas their L-selectin-dependent rolling/tethering and transition to LFA-1-mediated arrest were not affected. Mst1^−/− lymphocytes were also defective in the stabilization of adhesion through α4 integrins. Consequently, Mst1^−/− mice had hypotrophic peripheral lymphoid tissues and reduced marginal zone B cells and dendritic cells in the spleen, and defective emigration of single positive thymocytes. Furthermore, Mst1^−/− lymphocytes had impaired motility over lymph node-derived stromal cells and within lymph nodes. Thus, our data indicate that Mst1 is a key enzyme involved in lymphocyte entry and interstitial migration.     

Mst1 inhibits Sirt3 expression and contributes to diabetic cardiomyopathy through inhibiting Parkin-dependent mitophagy

Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to heart failure induced mortality in approximately 80% of diabetic patients. Mitophagy degrades defective mitochondria and maintains a healthy mitochondrial population, which is essential for cardiomyocyte survival in diabetic stress. Herein, we determined whether Mst1 regulated mitophagy and investigated the downstream signaling pathway in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Mst1 deficiency promoted elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria in diabetic cardiomyopathy without affecting mitochondrial biogenesis. Enhanced mitophagy was observed in Mst1 interfering cardiomyocytes subjected to high glucose treatment using 3-Methyladenine and Chloroquine. Consistent with these results, in vivo and in vitro loss of function experiments indicated that Mst1 participated in the development of DCM by inhibiting Parkin-dependent mitophagy. Mst1 deficiency alleviated the detrimental phenotype of DCM. Interestingly, the protective effects of Mst1 knockout on DCM were compromised in diabetic Parkin^−/− mice. Mechanistically, Mst1 knockdown significantly enhanced Parkin expression and translocation to the mitochondria, as evidenced by immunofluorescence study and Western blot analysis. Furthermore, Sirt3 deletion abolished the detrimental effects of Mst1 on DCM. Collectively, Mst1 inhibits Sirt3 expression thus participates in the development of DCM by inhibiting cardiomyocyte mitophagy. The mechanism is associated with Parkin inhibition.     

Exosomal Mst1 transfer from cardiac microvascular endothelial cells to cardiomyocytes deteriorates diabetic cardiomyopathy

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) injury and cardiomyocyte (CM) dysfunction. Exosomes mediated cellular communication between CMECs and CM has emerging roles in the pathogenesis of DCM, but the underlining mechanisms are unclear. Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1), a key component in Hippo pathway which participates in regulating organ size, apoptosis and autophagy, is involved in the development of DCM. We generated the endothelial-specific Mst1 transgenic mice (Tg-Mst1^EC) and constructed diabetic model with streptozotocin (STZ). Interestingly, Tg-Mst1^EC mice suffered from worse cardiac function and aggravated insulin resistance compared with non-transgenic (NTg) diabetic mice. The content of Mst1 protein was increased, while Mst1 mRNA had no significant change in CM isolated from diabetic Tg-Mst1^EC mice. In vitro, CMECs-derived exosomes were taken up by CM and increased Mst1 protein content which inhibited autophagy, as well as enhanced apoptosis in high glucose (HG) cultured CM as evidenced by immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. In addition, Mst1 inhibited glucose uptake under diabetic condition by disrupting the glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) membrane translocation through decreasing the interaction between Daxx and GLUT4, as well as enhancing the association of Mst1 and Daxx. Our study exemplifies pleiotropic effects of Mst1-enriched exosomes released from CMECs on inhibiting autophagy, promoting apoptosis and suppressing the glucose metabolism in CM.     

Relationship between polycomb‐group protein BMI‐1 and phosphatases regulating AKT phosphorylation level in endometrial cancer

The PI3K/AKT pathway is frequently activated in endometrial carcinoma. BMI‐1 (B‐lymphoma Mo‐MLV insertion region 1) protein affects expression of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) in some cancers, but its significance for endometrial tumorigenesis is not known. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between BMI‐1 and expression of factors affecting AKT (protein kinase B) phosphorylation level in endometrial cancer. The expression of proteins and mRNAs was investigated in endometrial cancer specimens and samples of non‐neoplastic endometrial tissue by Western blot and RT‐PCR, respectively. The impact of BMI‐1 down‐regulation on AKT phosphorylation and expression of genes coding for several phosphatases were studied in HEC1A cells. The results showed that BMI‐1 depletion caused increase in PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 (PH domain and leucine‐rich repeat protein phosphatases 1/2) expression and decrease in phospho‐AKT (pAKT) level. In more advanced tumours with higher metastatic potential, the expression of BMI‐1 was lower compared to tumours less advanced and without lymph node metastasis. There were significant inverse correlations between BMI‐1 and PHLPPs, especially PHLPP1 in normal endometrial samples. The inverse correlation between BMI‐1 and PHLPP1/PHLPP2 expression was observed in PTEN positive but not PTEN negative cancers. Low PHLPP2 expression in tumours predicted poorer overall survival. BMI‐1 impacts on AKT phosphorylation level in endometrial cells by regulation of PHLPP expression.     

Involvement of Mst1 in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis of endothelial cells

Mammalian sterile 20-kinase 1 (Mst1), a member of the sterile-20 family protein kinase, plays an important role in the induction of apoptosis. However, little is know about the physiological activator of Mst1 and the role of Mst1 in endothelial cells (ECs). We examined whether Mst1 is involved in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced apoptosis of ECs. Western blot analysis revealed that TNF-α induced activation of caspase 3 and Mst1 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. TNF-α-induced Mst1 activation is almost completely prevented by pretreatment with Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase 3 inhibitor. Nuclear staining with Hoechst 33258 and fluorescence-activated cell sorting of propidium iodide-stained cells showed that TNF-α induced apoptosis of EC. Diphenyleneiodonium, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, and N-acetylcysteine, a potent antioxidant, also inhibited TNF-α-induced activation of Mst1 and caspase 3, as well as apoptosis. Knockdown of Mst1 expression by short interfering RNA attenuated TNF-α-induced apoptosis but not cleavage of caspase 3. These results suggest that Mst1 plays an important role in the induction of TNF-α-induced apoptosis of EC. However, positive feedback mechanism between Mst1 and caspase 3, which was shown in the previous studies, was not observed. Inhibition of Mst1 function may be beneficial for maintaining the endothelial integrity and inhibition of atherogenesis.     

SGT1 regulates Akt signaling by promoting beta-TrCP-dependent PHLPP1 degradation in gastric cancer cells

SGT1 (suppressor of G2 allele of Skp1) plays a role in various cellular processes including kinetochore assembly and protein ubiquitination by interacting with Skp1, a component of SCF E3 ligase complex. However, the function of SGT1 in cancer is largely unknown. Here, we showed that SGT1 was over-expressed in gastric cancer tissues and silencing of SGT1 by siRNAs significantly inhibited the growth and colony formation of gastric cancer cells. We further showed that SGT1 could regulate Akt signaling pathway by modulating Akt ser473 phosphorylation status. Moreover, we found that SGT1 was able to regulate the stability of PHLPP1, which is the direct phosphatase for Akt ser473 phosphorylation. Immunoprecipitation assay revealed that SGT1 could enhance the binding between PHLPP1 and beta-TrCP which has been documented to be able to target PHLPP1 for destruction. Decreased PHLPP1 in SGT1 over-expressed gastric cancer cells failed to dephosphorylate Akt and resulted in increased Akt ser473 phosphorylation and amplified downstream Akt signaling. Thus, our data revealed a previously uncovered role of SGT1 in gastric cancer development, and suggested that SGT1 could be a promising anti-cancer target to against gastric cancer.     

MicroRNA-141 promotes the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cells by regulating expression of PHLPP1 and PHLPP2

The dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is crucially implicated in the development of various cancers. In this study, we explored the biological role of miR-141 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). miR-141 expression was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissues, and its overexpression accelerated NSCLC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. We subsequently identified the antagonists of PI3K/AKT signaling, PH domain leucine-rich-repeats protein phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) and PHLPP2, as direct targets of miR-141. Re-introduction of PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 abrogated miR-141-induced proliferation of NSCLC cells. Together, the results of this study suggest that miR-141 and its targets PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 play critical roles in NSCLC tumorigenesis, and provide potential therapeutic targets for NSCLC treatment.     

Downregulation of PHLPP induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress promotes eIF2α phosphorylation and chemoresistance in colon cancer

Aberrant activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by extrinsic and intrinsic factors contributes to tumorigenesis and resistance to chemotherapies in various cancer types. Our previous studies have shown that the downregulation of PHLPP, a novel family of Ser/Thr protein phosphatases, promotes tumor initiation, and progression. Here we investigated the functional interaction between the ER stress and PHLPP expression in colon cancer. We found that induction of ER stress significantly decreased the expression of PHLPP proteins through a proteasome-dependent mechanism. Knockdown of PHLPP increased the phosphorylation of eIF2α as well as the expression of autophagy-associated genes downstream of the eIF2α/ATF4 signaling pathway. In addition, results from immunoprecipitation experiments showed that PHLPP interacted with eIF2α and this interaction was enhanced by ER stress. Functionally, knockdown of PHLPP improved cell survival under ER stress conditions, whereas overexpression of a degradation-resistant mutant PHLPP1 had the opposite effect. Taken together, our studies identified ER stress as a novel mechanism that triggers PHLPP downregulation; and PHLPP-loss promotes chemoresistance by upregulating the eIF2α/ATF4 signaling axis in colon cancer cells.Subject terms: Biochemistry, Cancer     

Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Interacts with Proapoptotic Kinase Mst1 to Promote Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis

Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1) is a critical component of the Hippo signaling pathway, which regulates a variety of biological processes ranging from cell contact inhibition, organ size control, apoptosis and tumor suppression in mammals. Mst1 plays essential roles in the heart disease since its activation causes cardiomyocyte apoptosis and dilated cardiomyopathy. However, the mechanism underlying Mst1 activation in the heart remains unknown. In a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human heart cDNA library with Mst1 as bait, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was identified as an Mst1-interacting protein. The interaction of GAPDH with Mst1 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation in both co-transfected HEK293 cells and mouse heart homogenates, in which GAPDH interacted with the kinase domain of Mst1, whereas the C-terminal catalytic domain of GAPDH mediated its interaction with Mst1. Moreover, interaction of Mst1 with GAPDH caused a robust phosphorylation of GAPDH and markedly increased the Mst1 activity in cells. Chelerythrine, a potent inducer of apoptosis, substantially increased the nuclear translocation and interaction of GAPDH and Mst1 in cardiomyocytes. Overexpression of GAPDH significantly augmented the Mst1 mediated apoptosis, whereas knockdown of GAPDH markedly attenuated the Mst1 activation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in response to either chelerythrine or hypoxia/reoxygenation. These findings reveal a novel function of GAPDH in Mst1 activation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and suggest that disruption of GAPDH interaction with Mst1 may prevent apoptosis related heart diseases such as heart failure and ischemic heart disease.     

Mst1 deletion reduces septic cardiomyopathy via activating Parkin-related mitophagy

Cardiomyocyte function and viability are highly modulated by mammalian Ste20-like kinase 1 (Mst1)-Hippo pathway and mitochondria. Mitophagy, a kind of mitochondrial autophagy, is a protective program to attenuate mitochondrial damage. However, the relationship between Mst1 and mitophagy in septic cardiomyopathy has not been explored. In the present study, Mst1 knockout mice were used in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic cardiomyopathy model. Mitophagy activity was measured via immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pathway blocker and small interfering RNA were used to perform the loss-of-function assay. The results demonstrated that Mst1 was rapidly increased in response to LPS stress. Knockout of Mst1 attenuated LPS-mediated inflammation damage, reduced cardiomyocyte death, and improved cardiac function. At the molecular levels, LPS treatment activated mitochondrial damage, such as mitochondrial respiratory dysfunction, mitochondrial potential reduction, mitochondrial ATP depletion, and caspase family activation. Interestingly, in response to mitochondrial damage, Mst1 deletion activated mitophagy which attenuated LPS-mediated mitochondrial damage. However, inhibition of mitophagy via inhibiting parkin mitophagy abolished the protective influences of Mst1 deletion on mitochondrial homeostasis and cardiomyocyte viability. Overall, our results demonstrated that septic cardiomyopathy is linked to Mst1 upregulation which is followed by a drop in the protective mitophagy.