Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK)-1 mediates apoptosis through activation of JNK1 following engagement of membrane immunoglobulin

Engagement of membrane immunoglobulin (mIg) on WEHI-231 mouse B lymphoma cells results in growth arrest at the G1 phase of the cell cycle, followed by a reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and apoptosis. WEHI-231 cells resemble immature B cells in terms of the cell surface phenotype and sensitivity to mIg engagement. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying mIg-induced loss of ΔΨm and apoptosis have not yet been established. In this study, we show that apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)-c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) signaling pathway participates in mIg-induced apoptosis through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Stimulation of WEHI-231 cells with anti-IgM induces phosphorylation and subsequent activation of ASK1, leading to JNK activation. Anti-IgM stimulation immediately (5 min) induces hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production with a substantial increase during later time points (36-48 h), accompanied by loss of ΔΨm and an increase in cells with sub-G1 DNA content. The anti-IgM-induced late-phase H₂O₂ production, loss of ΔΨm, and increase in the sub-G1 fraction were all reduced substantially in WEHI-231 cells overexpressing a dominant-negative form of ASK1, compared with control vector alone, but enhanced substantially in cells overexpressing a constitutively active form of ASK1. These mIg-mediated events were also partially abrogated by ROS scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). Taken together, these results suggest that mIg engagement induces H₂O₂ production leading to activation of ASK1-JNK1 pathway, creating a feedback amplification loop of ROS-ASK/JNK that leads to loss of ΔΨm and finally apoptosis.     

Growth regulation of the B lymphoma cell line WEHI-231 by anti-immunoglobulin, lipopolysaccharide, and other bacterial products

The growth of WEHI-231, a murine immature B lymphoma cell line, was inhibited by anti-IgM antibodies. The inhibition of proliferation, as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation, occurred between 16 and 28 hr after addition of anti-IgM. Moreover, the growth arrest was irreversible: cells that were cultured with anti-IgM for 18 hr and then recultured without it failed to recover the ability to proliferate, even though cells treated for up to 30 hr with anti-IgM remained viable, as measured by trypan blue exclusion. Three polyclonal B cell activators obtained from bacteria, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan from Staphylococcus aureus, and gliding bacterial adjuvant from Cytophaga (GBA), were able to protect WEHI-231 cells from anti-IgM-induced growth arrest. The protection was transient, ending after approximately 56 hr. This transience was shown to be due to desensitization of the cells to the bacterial products. Interestingly, pretreatment of WEHI-231 cells with any of the bacterial products desensitized the cells to all of the bacterial products. The heterologous nature of this desensitization suggests that all three of these bacterial products may act through a common signaling pathway despite their diverse chemical natures.     

Prevention of anti-IgM-induced apoptosis accompanying G1 arrest in B lymphoma cells overexpressing dominant-negative mutant form of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1

A family of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases comprising the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), and p38 MAP kinases are involved in proliferation and apoptosis. However, there are some arguments concerning the role of these kinases in Ag-induced B cell apoptosis. Two of the B lymphoma cell lines (CH31 and WEHI-231) susceptible to anti-IgM-induced apoptosis were used as a model. To address these issues, we examined the kinetics of anti-IgM-induced activation of MAP kinases and established cell lines overexpressing a dominant-negative (dn) mutant form of JNK1 (dnJNK1). Anti-IgM induced a sustained JNK1 activation with a peak at 8 h, with a marginal activation of ERK1/ERK2 in CH31 cells. The sustained JNK1 activation was not a secondary event through a caspase activation. The peak point of the JNK1 activation was just before the onset of a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential, which preceded anti-IgM-induced cell death. Following anti-IgM stimulation, dnJNK1 prevented a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential at 24 h, with a prolonged inhibition up to 72 h in WEHI-231, although it did so only partially during a later time period in CH31. The dnJNK1 cells also demonstrated diminished procaspase-3 activation and a decreased rate of apoptosis upon anti-IgM stimulation, with a concomitant increased arrest in G(1) phase, which could be explained by enhanced levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) protein. Thus, anti-IgM-induced JNK activation might be implicated in cell cycle progression as well as in apoptosis regulation, probably involving p27(Kip1) protein.     

Antigen receptor-induced cell cycle arrest in WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells depends on the duration of signaling before the G1 phase restriction point.

Stimulation of antigen receptors on WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells with anti-receptor antibodies (anti-immunoglobulin M [IgM]) causes irreversible growth arrest. This may be a model for antigen-induced tolerance to self components in the immune system. Antigen receptor stimulation also causes inositol phospholipid hydrolysis, producing diacylglycerol, which activates protein kinase C, and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, which causes release of calcium from intracellular stores. To better understand the nature of the antigen receptor-induced growth arrest of WEHI-231 cells, we have examined the basis for it. WEHI-231 cells in various phases of the cell cycle were isolated by centrifugal elutriation, and their response was evaluated following treatment with either anti-IgM or pharmacologic agents that raise intracellular free calcium levels and activate protein kinase C. Treatment with anti-IgM or the pharmacologic agents did not lengthen the cell cycle. Instead, growth inhibition was solely the result of arrest in the G1 phase. The efficiency of G1 arrest increased with the length of time during which the cells received signaling before reaching the G1 phase arrest point. Maximum efficiency of arrest was achieved after approximately one cell cycle of receptor signaling. These results imply that anti-IgM causes G1 arrest of WEHI-231 cells by slowly affecting components required for S phase progression, rather than by rapidly inhibiting such components or by rapidly activating a suicide mechanism. Antigen receptor stimulation was twice as effective as stimulation via the mimicking reagents phorbol dibutyrate and ionomycin. Thus, although the phosphoinositide second messengers diacylglycerol and calcium probably play roles in mediating the effects of anti-IgM on WEHI-231 cells, other second messengers may also be involved.     

Arginine methylation of Sam68 and SLM proteins negatively regulates their poly(U) RNA binding activity

Sam68 (Src substrate associated during mitosis) and its homologues, SLM-1 and SLM-2 (Sam68-like mammalian proteins), are RNA binding proteins and contain the arg-gly (RG) repeats, in which arginine residues are methylated by the protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1). However, it remains unclear whether the arginine methylation affects an RNA binding. Here, we report that methylation of Sam68 and SLM proteins markedly reduced their poly(U) binding ability in vitro. The RG repeats of Sam68 bound poly(U), but arginine methylation of the RG repeats abrogated its poly(U) binding ability in vitro. Overexpression of PRMT1 increased arginine methylation of Sam68 and SLM proteins in cells, which resulted in a decrease of their poly(U) binding ability. The results suggest that the RG repeats conserved in Sam68 and SLM proteins may function as an auxiliary RNA binding domain and arginine methylation may eliminate or reduce an RNA binding ability of the proteins.     

CD40 signaling in B cells regulates the expression of the Pim-1 kinase via the NF-kappa B pathway.

The ability of CD40 signaling to regulate B cell growth, survival, differentiation, and Ig class switching involves many changes in gene expression. Using cDNA expression arrays and Northern blotting, we found that CD40 signaling increased the mRNA levels for pim-1, a protooncogene that encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase. Subsequent experiments showed that CD40 engagement also increased both Pim-1 protein levels and Pim-1 kinase activity in B cells. We then investigated the signaling pathways by which CD40 regulates Pim-1 expression and found that CD40 up-regulates Pim-1 primarily via the activation of NF-kappaB. Inhibiting the activation of NF-kappaB, either by treating cells with a chemical inhibitor, BAY11-7082, or by inducibly expressing a superrepressor form of IkappaBalpha, significantly impaired the ability of CD40 to increase Pim-1 protein levels. Because Pim-1 expression is associated with cell proliferation and survival, we asked whether this correlated with the ability of CD40 signaling to prevent anti-IgM-induced growth arrest in the WEHI-231 murine B cell line, a model for Ag-induced clonal deletion. We found that the anti-IgM-induced growth arrest in WEHI-231 cells correlated with a substantial decrease in Pim-1 levels. In contrast, culturing WEHI-231 cells with either anti-CD40 Abs or with the B cell mitogen LPS, both of which prevent the anti-IgM-induced growth arrest, also prevented the rapid decline in Pim-1 levels. This suggests that Pim-1 could regulate the survival and proliferation of B cells.     

Role of phosphoinositide-derived second messengers in mediating anti-IgM-induced growth arrest of WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells

Anti-IgM irreversibly inhibits the growth of WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells and induces phosphoinositide hydrolysis--producing diacylglycerol, which activates protein kinase C, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, which induces the release of calcium from intracellular storage sites into the cytoplasm, and other inositol polyphosphates. The roles of two of the possible second messengers, cytoplasmic free calcium and diacylglycerol, in mediating the action of anti-IgM on WEHI-231 cells were assessed by elevating [Ca2+]i with ionomycin and by activating protein kinase C with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PdBu). The combination of 250 nM ionomycin and 4 to 7 nM PdBu was found to cause growth arrest and cell volume decrease responses in WEHI-231 cells which were similar to those caused by anti-IgM, although clearly slower. Both anti-IgM and the combination of mimicking reagents induced growth arrest of WEHI-231 cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. In both cases, this growth arrest was mitigated by addition of bacterial LPS. Moreover, 250 nM ionomycin plus 4 to 7 nM PdBu did not inhibit the growth of two other murine B lymphoma cell lines, each of which did exhibit increased phosphoinositide hydrolysis but not growth arrest in response to anti-Ig. Taken together, these results suggest that ionomycin and PdBu, at the concentrations used, did not inhibit WEHI-231 growth by general toxicity, but rather by mimicking the effects of the natural second messengers generated from Ag receptor cross-linking. Thus, the phosphoinositide-derived second messengers Ca2+i and diacylglycerol are capable of playing important roles in mediating the action of anti-IgM on WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells. However, the response of WEHI-231 cells to anti-IgM could not be fully reproduced with ionomycin and phorbol diester. These results suggest that another second messenger induced by anti-IgM may also play an important role in mediating the growth arrest of these cells.     

The CD40-inducible Bcl-2 family member A1 protects B cells from antigen receptor-mediated apoptosis

CD40 activation is necessary for thymus-dependent humoral immune responses and rescuing both phenotypically immature WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells from B cell antigen receptor-induced cell death and germinal center B cells from spontaneous apoptosis. As some effects of CD40 are probably mediated by differences in gene expression, cDNA expression arrays and RNase protection assays were used to identify the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 homolog A1 as a CD40-inducible gene in B cell lines and purified germinal center B cells. Sustained CD40-induced A1 upregulation correlated with CD40-mediated rescue of WEHI-231 cells from anti-IgM-induced apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of A1 specifically protected WEHI-231 cells from anti-IgM-induced apoptosis but not cell death triggered by certain other stimuli.     

Unique Features of Human Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 9 (PRMT9) and Its Substrate RNA Splicing Factor SF3B2

Human protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) 9 symmetrically dimethylates arginine residues on splicing factor SF3B2 (SAP145) and has been functionally linked to the regulation of alternative splicing of pre-mRNA. Site-directed mutagenesis studies on this enzyme and its substrate had revealed essential unique residues in the double E loop and the importance of the C-terminal duplicated methyltransferase domain. In contrast to what had been observed with other PRMTs and their physiological substrates, a peptide containing the methylatable Arg-508 of SF3B2 was not recognized by PRMT9 in vitro. Although amino acid substitutions of residues surrounding Arg-508 had no great effect on PRMT9 recognition of SF3B2, moving the arginine residue within this sequence abolished methylation. PRMT9 and PRMT5 are the only known mammalian enzymes capable of forming symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) residues as type II PRMTs. We demonstrate here that the specificity of these enzymes for their substrates is distinct and not redundant. The loss of PRMT5 activity in mouse embryo fibroblasts results in almost complete loss of SDMA, suggesting that PRMT5 is the primary SDMA-forming enzyme in these cells. PRMT9, with its duplicated methyltransferase domain and conserved sequence in the double E loop, appears to have a unique structure and specificity among PRMTs for methylating SF3B2 and potentially other polypeptides.     

CD40 ligand rescues inhibitor of differentiation 3-mediated G1 arrest induced by anti-IgM in WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells

The engagement of membrane-bound Igs (mIgs) results in growth arrest, accompanied by apoptosis, in the WEHI-231 murine B lymphoma cells, a cell line model representative of primary immature B cells. Inhibitor of differentiation (Id) proteins, members of the helix-loop-helix protein family, functions in proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in a variety of cell types. In this study, we analyzed the involvement of Id protein in mIg-induced growth arrest and apoptosis in WEHI-231 cells. Following stimulation with anti-IgM, expression of Id3 was up-regulated at both the mRNA and protein levels; this up-regulation could be reversed by CD40L treatment. Retrovirus-mediated transduction of the Id3 gene into WEHI-231 cells resulted in an accumulation of the cells in G(1) phase, but did not induce apoptosis. E box-binding activity decreased in response to anti-IgM administration, but increased after stimulation with either CD40L alone or anti-IgM plus CD40L, suggesting that E box-binding activity correlates with cell cycle progression. WEHI-231 cells overexpressing Id3 accumulated in G(1) phase, which was accompanied by reduced levels of cyclin D2, cyclin E, and cyclin A, and a reciprocal up-regulation of p27(Kip1). Both the helix-loop-helix and the C-terminal regions of Id3 were required for growth-suppressive activity. These data suggest that Id3 mimics mIg-mediated G(1) arrest in WEHI-231 cells.     

A protein arginine N-methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) and 2 heteromeric interaction increases PRMT1 enzymatic activity

Protein arginine N-methyltransferases (PRMTs) act in signaling pathways and gene expression by methylating arginine residues within target proteins. PRMT1 is responsible for most cellular arginine methylation activity and can work independently or in collaboration with other PRMTs. In this study, we demonstrate a direct interaction between PRMT1 and PRMT2 using co-immunoprecipitation, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and enzymatic assays. As a result of this interaction, PRMT2 stimulated PRMT1 activity, affecting its apparent V(max) and K(M) values in vitro and increasing the production of methylarginines in cells. Active site mutations and regional deletions from PRMT1 and -2 were also investigated, which demonstrated that complex formation required full-length, active PRMT1. Although the inhibition of methylation by adenosine dialdehyde prevented the interaction between PRMT1 and -2, it did not prevent the interaction between PRMT1 and a truncation mutant of PRMT2 lacking its Src homology 3 (SH3) domain. This result suggests that the SH3 domain may mediate an interaction between PRMT1 and -2 in a methylation-dependent fashion. On the basis of our findings, we propose that PRMT1 serves as the major methyltransferase in cells by forming higher-order oligomers with itself, PRMT2, and possibly other PRMTs.     

Human protein arginine methyltransferase 7 (PRMT7) is a type III enzyme forming ω-NG-monomethylated arginine residues

Full-length human protein arginine methyltransferase 7 (PRMT7) expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli was initially found to generate only ω-N(G)-monomethylated arginine residues in small peptides, suggesting that it is a type III enzyme. A later study, however, characterized fusion proteins of PRMT7 expressed in bacterial and mammalian cells as a type II/type I enzyme, capable of producing symmetrically dimethylated arginine (type II activity) as well as small amounts of asymmetric dimethylarginine (type I activity). We have sought to clarify the enzymatic activity of human PRMT7. We analyzed the in vitro methylation products of a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-PRMT7 fusion protein with robust activity using a variety of arginine-containing synthetic peptides and protein substrates, including a GST fusion with the N-terminal domain of fibrillarin (GST-GAR), myelin basic protein, and recombinant human histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. Regardless of the methylation reaction conditions (incubation time, reaction volume, and substrate concentration), we found that PRMT7 only produces ω-N(G)-monomethylarginine with these substrates. In control experiments, we showed that mammalian GST-PRMT1 and Myc-PRMT5 were, unlike PRMT7, able to dimethylate both peptide P-SmD3 and SmB/D3 to give the expected asymmetric and symmetric products, respectively. These experiments show that PRMT7 is indeed a type III human methyltransferase capable of forming only ω-N(G)-monomethylarginine, not asymmetric ω-N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginine or symmetric ω-N(G),N(G')-dimethylarginine, under the conditions tested.     

Dynamic Arginine Methylation of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Receptor-associated Factor 6 Regulates Toll-like Receptor Signaling

Arginine methylation is a common post-translational modification, but its role in regulating protein function is poorly understood. This study demonstrates that, TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in innate immune signaling, is regulated by reversible arginine methylation in a range of primary and cultured cells. Under basal conditions, TRAF6 is methylated by the methyltransferase PRMT1, and this inhibits its ubiquitin ligase activity, reducing activation of toll-like receptor signaling. In response to toll-like receptor ligands, TRAF6 is demethylated by the Jumonji domain protein JMJD6. Demethylation is required for maximal activation of NF-κB. Loss of JMJD6 leads to reduced response, and loss of PRMT1 leads to basal pathway activation with subsequent desensitization to ligands. In human primary cells, variations in the PRMT1/JMJD6 ratio significantly correlate with TRAF6 methylation, basal activation of NF-κB, and magnitude of response to LPS. Reversible arginine methylation of TRAF6 by the opposing effects of PRMT1 and JMJD6 is, therefore, a novel mechanism for regulation of innate immune pathways.     

Mutational analysis of antigen receptor regulation of B lymphocyte growth. Evidence for involvement of the phosphoinositide signaling pathway.

Stimulation of the antigen receptor of WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells with anti-receptor antibodies (anti-IgM) induces irreversible growth arrest. Anti-IgM stimulates two kinds of transmembrane signaling events, phosphorylation of proteins on tyrosyl residues and breakdown of inositol phospholipids, which results in increases of inositol phosphates, diacylglycerol, and calcium. The roles of these reactions in mediating the growth arrest of the B lymphoma cells have not been established. To examine this issue, we took a genetic approach. Mutants of WEHI-231 cells were isolated that were resistant to anti-IgM-induced growth arrest. Five out of seven independent mutants analyzed had normal cell-surface expression of antigen receptors. Although each of these five mutants had tyrosine protein phosphorylation patterns comparable to wild-type cells, they exhibited alterations in the phosphoinositide signaling pathway. Four of the mutants had decreased phosphoinositide breakdown, probably due to an alteration in phospholipase C. Decreased second messenger production may be responsible for the growth-resistant phenotype. Full growth arrest was restored upon addition of the calcium ionophore ionomycin, suggesting that the limiting second messenger was intracellular free calcium. The final mutant appeared to be altered in a component(s) that responds to diacylglycerol and calcium. Taken together, these results provide further evidence that the phosphoinositide pathway is at least partly responsible for mediating antigen receptor regulation of B lymphoma cell growth.     

Phorbol esters and dioctanoylglycerol block anti-IgM-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in the murine B cell lymphoma WEHI-231

Cross-linking of membrane IgM (mIgM) on both normal resting B cells and on the murine B cell lymphoma WEHI-231 activates the phosphoinositide signal transduction pathway. The initial event in this pathway is the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP2), which results in the generation of two second-messengers: inositol trisphosphate (InsP3), which can cause the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores, and diacylglycerol (DG), which activates protein kinase C. In examining the effects of exogenous activation of protein kinase C on WEHI-231 cells, we found that phorbol esters blocked some of the biologic effects of anti-IgM on WEHI-231 cells. The mechanism of this effect was investigated. Phorbol ester treatment of WEHI-231 cells blocked the ability of anti-IgM to stimulate production of inositol phosphates and accumulation of phosphatidic acid, the phosphorylated product of DG. Phorbol esters also blocked the ability of anti-IgM to cause an increase in intracellular Ca2+. Thus, it is clear that phorbol esters block anti-IgM-stimulated PtdInsP2 hydrolysis in WEHI-231 cells. In addition, a synthetic DG, dioctanoylglycerol (diC8), also blocked anti-IgM-stimulated inositol phosphate production and the anti-IgM-stimulated rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+. The ability of phorbol esters and diC8 to block mIgM-mediated signaling may reflect a feedback inhibition mechanism by which activated protein kinase C limits the magnitude and duration of receptor signaling.