Bimp1, a MAGUK family member linking protein kinase C activation to Bcl10-mediated NF-kappaB induction

Bcl10 and MALT1, products of distinct chromosomal translocations in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, cooperate in activating NF-kappaB. Mice lacking Bcl10 demonstrate severe immunodeficiency associated with failure of lymphocytes to activate nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) in response to antigen receptor stimulation and protein kinase C activation. We characterize Bimp1, a new signaling protein that binds Bcl10 and activates NF-kappaB. Bimp1-mediated NF-kappaB activation requires Bcl10 and IkappaB kinases, indicating that Bimp1 acts upstream of these mediators. Bimp1, Bcl10, and MALT1 form a ternary complex, with Bcl10 bridging the Bimp1/MALT1 interaction. A dominant negative Bimp1 mutant inhibits NF-kappaB activation by anti-CD3 ligation, phorbol ester, and protein kinase C expression. These results suggest that Bimp1 links surface receptor stimulation and protein kinase C activation to Bcl10/MALT1, thus leading to NF-kappaB induction.     

Multiple protein domains mediate interaction between Bcl10 and MALT1

Bcl10 and MALT1 are essential mediators of NF-kappaB activation in response to the triggering of a diverse array of transmembrane receptors, including antigen receptors. Additionally, both proteins are translocation targets in MALT lymphoma. Thus, a detailed understanding of the interaction between these mediators is of considerable biological importance. Previous studies have indicated that a 13-amino acid region downstream of the Bcl10 caspase recruitment domain (CARD) is responsible for interacting with the immunoglobulin-like domains of MALT1. We now provide evidence that the death domain of MALT1 and the CARD of Bcl10 also contribute to Bcl10-MALT1 interactions. Although a direct interaction between the MALT1 death domain and Bcl10 cannot be detected via immunoprecipitation, FRET data strongly suggest that the death domain of MALT1 contributes significantly to the association between Bcl10 and MALT1 in T cells in vivo. Furthermore, analysis of point mutants of conserved residues of Bcl10 shows that the Bcl10 CARD is essential for interaction with the MALT1 N terminus. Mutations that disrupt proper folding of the Bcl10 CARD strongly impair Bcl10-MALT1 interactions. Molecular modeling and functional analyses of Bcl10 point mutants suggest that residues Asp(80) and Glu(84) of helix 5 of the Bcl10 CARD directly contact MALT1. Together, these data demonstrate that the association between Bcl10 and MALT1 involves a complex interaction between multiple protein domains. Moreover, the Bcl10-MALT1 interaction is the second reported example of interactions between a CARD and a non-CARD protein region, which suggests that many signaling cascades may utilize CARD interactions with non-CARD domains.     

A Novel TRAF6 binding site in MALT1 defines distinct mechanisms of NF-kappaB activation by API2middle dotMALT1 fusions

The recurrent translocation t(11;18)(q21;q21) associated with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma results in the expression of an API2.MALT1 fusion protein that constitutively activates NF-kappaB. The first baculovirus IAP repeat (BIR) domain of API2 and the C terminus of MALT1, which contains its caspase-like domain, are present in all reported fusion variants and interact with TRAF2 and TRAF6, respectively, suggesting their contribution to NF-kappaB signaling by API2.MALT1. Also, the involvement of BCL10 has been suggested via binding to BIR1 of API2 and via its interaction with the immunoglobulin domains of MALT1, present in half of the fusion variants. However, conflicting reports exist concerning their roles in API2.MALT1-induced NF-kappaB signaling. In this report, streptavidin pulldowns of biotinylated API2.MALT1 fusion variants showed that none of the fusion variants interacted with endogenous BCL10; its role in NF-kappaB signaling by API2.MALT1 was further questioned by RNA interference experiments. In contrast, TRAF6 was essential for NF-kappaB activation by all fusion variants, and we identified a novel TRAF6 binding site in the second immunoglobulin domain of MALT1, which enhanced NF-kappaB activation when present in the fusion protein. Furthermore, inclusion of both immunoglobulin domains in API2.MALT1 further enhanced NF-kappaB signaling via intramolecular TRAF6 activation. Finally, binding of TRAF2 to BIR1 contributed to NF-kappaB activation by API2.MALT1, although additional mechanisms involving BIR1-mediated raft association are also important. Taken together, these data reveal distinct mechanisms of NF-kappaB activation by the different API2.MALT1 fusion variants with an essential role for TRAF6.     

Anti-apoptotic action of API2-MALT1 fusion protein involved in t(11;18)(q21;q21) MALT lymphoma

At least three distinct chromosomal translocations, t(11;18)(q21;q21), t(1;14)(p22;q32) and t(14;18)(q32;q21) involving the API2 (also known as c-IAP2)-MALT1 fusion protein, BCL10, and MALT1, respectively, have been implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Our findings showed that several variants of the API2-MALT1 fusion protein can occur in patients with t(11;18)(q21;q21), and that API2-MALT1 can potently enfance activation of nuclear factor (NF)-B signaling, which may be relevant to the pathogenesis of MALT lymphomas. We also found that MALT1 is rapidly degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, as is the case with API2, but upon the synthesis of fusion, API2-MALT1 becomes stable against this pathway. This stability of API2-MALT1 may thus result in inappropriate nuclear factor (NF)-B activation, thereby contributing to the pathogenesis of MALT lymphoma. Recent biochemical and genetic studies have clearly shown that BCL10 and MALT1 form a physical and functional complex and are both required for NF-B activation by antigen receptor stimulation in T and B lymphocytes. It has also been shown that CARMA1, a newly discovered member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) families, is critical for antigen receptor-stimulated NF-B activation. It can be assumed that API2-MALT1 can bypass this normal BCL10/MALT1 cellular signaling pathway linked to NF-B activation, thereby inducing antigen receptor-independent proliferation of lymphocytes. Furthermore, BCL10/MALT1- and API2-MALT1-induced NF-B activation may contribute to anti-apoptotic action probably through NF-B-mediated upregulation of apoptotic inhibitor genes. We recently provided direct evidence that API2-MALT1 indeed exerts anti-apoptotic action, in part, through its direct interaction with apoptotic regulators including Smac. Taken together, these findings prompt us to hypothesize that the anti-apoptotic action of API2-MALT1 may be mediated partly by the direct interaction with apoptotic regulators as well as partly by upregulation of apoptotic inhibitor genes. Further studies can be expected to stimulate research into the development of therapeutic drugs that specifically inhibit the antigen receptor signaling-stimulated NF-B activation pathway: such molecule targeting drugs should be useful for interfering with inappropriate proliferation of lymphocytes associated with inflammatory and neoplastic disorders.     

API2-MALT1 oncoprotein promotes lymphomagenesis via unique program of substrate ubiquitination and proteolysis

Lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue(MALT lymphoma) is the most common extranodal B cell tumor and accounts for 8% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Gastric MALT lymphoma is the best-studied example and is a prototypical neoplasm that occurs in the setting of chronic inflammation brought on by persistent infection or autoimmune disease. Cytogenetic abnormalities are commonly acquired during the course of disease and the most common is chromosomal translocation t(11;18)(q21;q21), which creates the API2-MALT1 fusion oncoprotein. t(11;18)-positive lymphomas can be clinically aggressive and have a higher rate of dissemination than t(11;18)-negative tumors. Many cancers, including MALT lymphomas, characteristically exhibit deregulated over-activation of cellular survival pathways, such as the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) pathway. Molecular characterization of API2-MALT1 has revealed it to be a potent activator of NF-κB, which is required for API2-MALT1-induced cellular transformation, however the mechanisms by which API2-MALT1 exerts these effects are only recently becoming apparent. The API2 moiety of the fusion binds tumor necrosis factor(TNF) receptor associated factor(TRAF) 2 and receptor interacting protein 1(RIP1), two proteins essential for TNF receptor induced NF-κB activation. By effectively mimicking ligand-bound TNF receptor, API2-MALT1 promotes TRAF2-dependent ubiquitination of RIP1, which then acts as a scaffold for nucleating and activating the canonical NF-κB machinery. Activation occurs, in part, through MALT1 moiety-dependent recruitment of TRAF6, which can directly modify NF-κB essential modulator, the principal downstream regulator of NF-κB. While theintrinsic MALT1 protease catalytic activity is dispensable for this canonical NF-κB signaling, it is critical for noncanonical NF-κB activation. In this regard, API2-MALT1 recognizes NF-κB inducing kinase(NIK), the essential upstream regulator of non-canonical NF-κB, and cleaves it to generate a stable, constitutively active fragment. Thus, API2-MALT1 harnesses multiple unique pathways to achieve deregulated NF-κB activation. Emerging data from our group and others have also detailed additional gain-of-function activities of API2-MALT1 that extend beyond NF-κB activation. Specifically, API2-MALT1 recruits and subverts multiple other signaling factors, including LIM domain and actin-binding protein 1(LIMA1) and Smac/DIABLO. Like NIK, LIMA1 represents a unique substrate for API2-MALT1 protease activity, but unlike NIK, its cleavage sets in motion a major NF-κB-independent pathway for promoting oncogenesis. In this review, we highlight the most recent results characterizing these unique and diverse gain-of-function activities of API2-MALT1 and how they contribute to lymphomagenesis.     

CIAP2 Inhibits Anigen Receptor Signaling by Targeting Bcl10 for Degredation

The cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2 (cIAP2) is a RING-containing protein ubiquitin ligase. In a high percentage of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas, cIAP2 is fused to MALT1/paracaspase as a result of the t(11;18)(q21;q21) translocation. The physiological function of cIAP2 in lymphocytes and how this function may be affected by the translocation are not well understood. We have shown that cIAP2 normally inhibits antigen receptor signaling by mediating the ubiquitination and degradation of Bcl10, a critical component for antigenic signaling to NF-κB. The cIAP2-MALT1 fusion protein lacks this E3 activity and is incapable of ubiquitinating Bcl10, likely causing enhanced Bcl10 expression. Furthermore, cIAP2-MALT1 and Bcl10 synergistically activate NF-κB. These results reveal a physiological function of cIAP2, identify Bcl10 upregulation as a unifying molecular mechanism for MALT lymphomas, and define the mechanism and effects of this upregulation in t(11;18)-positive MALT lymphomas.     

Identification of paracaspases and metacaspases: two ancient families of caspase-like proteins, one of which plays a key role in MALT lymphoma

Caspases are cysteine proteases essential to apoptosis. We have identified two families of caspase-like proteins, Paracaspases (found in metazoans and Dictyostelium) and metacaspases (found in plants, fungi, and protozoa). Metazoan paracaspase prodomains contain a death domain and immunoglobulin domains. Several plant metacaspase prodomains contain zinc finger motifs resembling those in the plant hypersensitive response/cell death protein Isd-1. The human paracaspase prodomain binds Bcl10, a protein involved in the t(1;14)(p22;q32) translocation of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Another MALT lymphoma translocation, t(11;18)(q21;q21), fuses the IAP-2 gene to the MLT1/MALT1 locus, which encodes the human paracaspase. We find that this fusion activates NF-kappaB and that the caspase domain is required for this function, since mutation of the conserved catalytic cysteine attenuates NF-kappaB activation.     

Bcl10 links saturated fat overnutrition with hepatocellular NF-kB activation and insulin resistance

Excess serum free fatty acids (FFAs) are fundamental to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. With high-fat feeding, FFAs activate NF-kB in target tissues, initiating negative crosstalk with insulin signaling. However, the mechanisms underlying FFA-dependent NF-kB activation remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the saturated FA, palmitate, requires Bcl10 for NF-kB activation in hepatocytes. Uptake of palmitate, metabolism to diacylglycerol, and subsequent activation of protein kinase C (PKC) appear to mechanistically link palmitate with Bcl10, known as a central component of a signaling complex that, along with CARMA3 and MALT1, activates NF-kB downstream of selected cell surface receptors. Consequently, Bcl10-deficient mice are protected from hepatic NF-kB activation and insulin resistance following brief high-fat diet, suggesting that Bcl10 plays a major role in the metabolic consequences of acute overnutrition. Surprisingly, while CARMA3 also participates in the palmitate response, MALT1 is completely dispensable, thereby revealing an apparent nonclassical role for Bcl10 in NF-kB signaling.     

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II is a modulator of CARMA1-mediated NF-kappaB activation

CARMA1 is a central regulator of NF-kappaB activation in lymphocytes. CARMA1 and Bcl10 functionally interact and control NF-kappaB signaling downstream of the T-cell receptor (TCR). Computational analysis of expression neighborhoods of CARMA1-Bcl10MALT 1 for enrichment in kinases identified calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) as an important component of this pathway. Here we report that Ca(2+)/CaMKII is redistributed to the immune synapse following T-cell activation and that CaMKII is critical for NF-kappaB activation induced by TCR stimulation. Furthermore, CaMKII enhances CARMA1-induced NF-kappaB activation. Moreover, we have shown that CaMKII phosphorylates CARMA1 on Ser109 and that the phosphorylation facilitates the interaction between CARMA1 and Bcl10. These results provide a novel function for CaMKII in TCR signaling and CARMA1-induced NF-kappaB activation.     

p53 Proteasomal Degradation: Poly-Ubiquitination is Not the Whole Story

Interactions between survival pathways and apoptotic cascades play a determinant role in the maintenance of neoplastic clone proliferation and impaired response to apoptosis. Recently, we established a novel interplay between the NF-kappaB survival- and p53 death- pathways in a tumor model system that represents the most common extranodal lymphoid cell neoplasia, MALT (Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue) lymphoma. MALTs are genetically characterized by the t(11;18)(q21;q21) chromosomal translocation that results in API2/MALT1 fusion products. It was shown that distinct API2/MALT1 chimeric proteins function as oncogenes that bilaterally confer a proliferative advantage to the neoplastic clone by activating the NF-kappaB signaling pathway and also inhibiting p53 mediated cell death. Here, we demonstrate that API2/MALT1 mediated inhibition of apoptosis is p53 specific, as distinct API2/MALT1 fusion proteins fail to protect cells from FAS induced cell death. Furthermore, we demonstrate that API2/MALT1 mediated NF-kappaB activation does not alter p53 protein levels or subcellular localization suggesting a post-translational or indirect mechanism of p53 deregulation.     

The IRAK-1-BCL10-MALT1-TRAF6-TAK1 cascade mediates signaling to NF-kappaB from Toll-like receptor 4

Our previous studies have revealed that the signaling protein BCL10 plays a major role in adaptive immunity by mediating NF-kappaB activation in the LPS/TLR4 pathway. In this study, we show that IRAK-1 acts as the essential upstream adaptor that recruits BCL10 to the TLR4 signaling complex and mediates signaling to NF-kappaB through the BCL10-MALT1-TRAF6-TAK1 cascade. Following dissociation from IRAK-1, BCL10 is translocated into the cytosol along with TRAF6 and TAK1, in a process bridged by a direct BCL10-Pellino2 interaction. RNA interference against MALT1 markedly reduced the level of NF-kappaB activation stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in macrophages, which suggests that MALT1 plays a major role in the LPS/TLR4 pathway. MALT1 interacted with BCL10 and TRAF6 to facilitate TRAF6 self-ubiquitination in the cytosol, which was strictly dependent on the dissociation of BCL10 from IRAK-1. We show that BCL10 oligomerization is a prerequisite for BCL10 function in LPS signaling to NF-kappaB and that IRAK-1 dimerization is an important event in this process.     

CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-kappaB activation is mediated by recruitment of protein kinase C-theta, Bcl10, and IkappaB kinase beta to the immunological synapse through CARMA1

CARMA1 (also known as CARD11) is a scaffold molecule and contains a caspase-recruitment domain (CARD) and a membrane-associated guanylate kinase-like (MAGUK) domain. It plays an essential role in mediating CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-kappaB activation. However, the molecular mechanism by which CARMA1 mediates costimulatory signals remains to be determined. Here, we show that CARMA1 is constitutively associated with the cytoplasmic membrane. This membrane association is essential for the function of CARMA1, since a mutant of CARMA1, CARMA1(L808P), that is defective in the membrane association cannot rescue CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-kappaB activation in JPM50.6 CARMA1-deficient T cells. Although CD3/CD28 costimulation effectively induces the formation of the immunological synapse in CARMA1-deficient T cells, the recruitment of protein kinase C-theta (PKC-theta), Bcl10, and IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta) into lipid rafts of the immunological synapse is defective. Moreover, expression of wild-type CARMA1, but not CARMA1(L808P), restores the recruitment of PKC-theta, Bcl10, and IKKbeta into lipid rafts in CARMA1-deficient T cells. Consistently, expression of a mutant CARMA1, CARMA1(DeltaCD), that cannot associate with Bcl10 failed to restore CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-kappaB activation in JPM50.6 cells, whereas expression of Bcl10-CARMA(DeltaCD) fusion protein effectively restored this NF-kappaB activation. Together, these results indicate that CARMA1 mediates CD3/CD28 costimulation-induced NF-kappaB activation by recruiting downstream signaling components into the immunological synapse.     

Protease activity of MALT1: a mystery unravelled

Constitutive NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) activation in B-cell lymphomas relies greatly on the CARMA1 [CARD (caspase recruitment domain)-containing MAGUK (membrane-associated guanylate kinase) 1]-Bcl10-MALT1 (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue translocation gene 1) signalling complex. Within this protein complex, MALT1 possesses a rather unique enzymatic activity, which allows it to cleave Bcl10, RelB and CYLD, among other substrates. The catalytic activity of MALT1 promotes activation of canonical and non-canonical NF-κB as well as other signalling pathways. However, even after a decade of intense research on MALT1, many mechanistic aspects of its enzymatic activity remain elusive. A recent article by Hachmann, Snipas, van Raam, Cancino, Houlihan, Poreba, Kasperkiewicz, Drag and Salvesen [(2012) Biochem. J. 443, 287-295] provides novel insight into the activation mechanism and the substrate specificity of MALT1. These intriguing findings convincingly demonstrate the importance of MALT1 dimerization for its catalytic activity and pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches that target this crucial regulator of lymphoma survival and proliferation.     

Non-canonical NF-κB activation and abnormal B cell accumulation in mice expressing ubiquitin protein ligase-inactive c-IAP2

Chromosomal translocations between loci encoding MALT1 and c-IAP2 are common in MALT lymphomas. The resulting fusion proteins lack the c-IAP2 RING domain, the region responsible for its ubiquitin protein ligase (E3) activity. Ectopic expression of the fusion protein activates the canonical NF-κB signaling cascade, but how it does so is controversial and how it promotes MALT lymphoma is unknown. Considering recent reports implicating c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 E3 activity in repression of non-canonical NF-κB signaling, we asked if the c-IAP2/MALT fusion protein can initiate non-canonical NF-κB activation. Here we show that in addition to canonical activation, the fusion protein stabilizes NIK and activates non-canonical NF-κB. Canonical but not non-canonical activation depended on MALT1 paracaspase activity, and expression of E3-inactive c-IAP2 activated non-canonical NF-κB. Mice in which endogenous c-IAP2 was replaced with an E3-inactive mutant accumulated abnormal B cells with elevated non-canonical NF-κB and had increased numbers of B cells with a marginal zone phenotype, gut-associated lymphoid hyperplasia, and other features of MALT lymphoma. Thus, the c-IAP2/MALT1 fusion protein activates NF-κB by two distinct mechanisms, and loss of c-IAP2 E3 activity in vivo is sufficient to induce abnormalities common to MALT lymphoma.     

Caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-dependent cytoplasmic filaments mediate bcl10-induced NF-kappaB activation

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas are associated with overexpression and constitutive activity of bcl10, a caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-containing protein that activates NF-kappaB. Here, we show that arrangement of overexpressed bcl10 protein in cytoplasmic filaments is essential for recruitment of signal transducer molecules-involved NF-kappaB activation. We also show that cytoskeleton elements regulate bcl10 signaling.Thus, organized assemblage of proteins in ordered structures linked to the cytoskeleton network may represent a general mechanism for intracellular signaling.     

The inhibitor of apoptosis protein fusion c-IAP2.MALT1 stimulates NF-kappaB activation independently of TRAF1 AND TRAF2

The inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) are a family of cell death inhibitors found in viruses and metazoans. All members of the IAP family have at least one baculovirus IAP repeat (BIR) motif that is essential for their anti-apoptotic activity. The t(11, 18)(q21;q21) translocation fuses the BIR domains of c-IAP2 with the paracaspase/MALT1 (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) protein, a critical mediator of T cell receptor-stimulated activation of NF-kappaB. The c-IAP2.MALT1 fusion protein constitutively activates the NF-kappaB pathway, and this is considered critical to malignant B cell transformation and lymphoma progression. The BIR domains of c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 interact with tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors 1 and 2 (TRAF1 and TRAF2). Here we investigated the importance of TRAF1 and TRAF2 for c-IAP2.MALT1-stimulated NF-kappaB activation. We identified a novel epitope within the BIR1 domains of c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 that is crucial for their physical interaction with TRAF1 and TRAF2. The c-IAP2.MALT1 fusion protein associates with TRAF1 and TRAF2 using the same binding site. We explored the functional relevance of this interaction and established that binding to TRAF1 and TRAF2 is not required for c-IAP2.MALT1-stimulated NF-kappaB activation. Furthermore, gene ablation of TRAF2 or combined down-regulation of TRAF1 and TRAF2 did not affect c-IAP2.MALT1-stimulated signaling. However, TRAF1/2-binding mutants of c-IAP2.MALT1 still oligomerize and activate NF-kappaB, suggesting that oligomerization might be important for signaling of the fusion protein. Therefore, the t(11, 18)(q21;q21) translocation creating the c-IAP2.MALT1 fusion protein activates NF-kappaB and contributes to human malignancy in the absence of signaling adaptors that might otherwise regulate its activity.