Functional conservation of 14-3-3 isoforms in inhibiting bad-induced apoptosis.

14-3-3 proteins are a family of homologous eukaryotic molecules with seven distinct isoforms in mammalian cells. Isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins interact with diverse ligands and are involved in the regulation of mitogenesis, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis. However, whether different 14-3-3 isoforms are responsible for distinct functions remains elusive. Here we report that multiple isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins were capable of binding to several ligands, Bad, Raf-1, and Cbl. In a functional assay of 14-3-3 isoforms, all mammalian 14-3-3 isoforms could inhibit Bad-induced apoptosis. Thus, 14-3-3 function in regulating one of its ligands, Bad, is conserved among mammalian isoforms. We addressed whether 14-3-3 isoforms are differentially expressed in tissues, which may in part determine isoform-specific interactions. In situ hybridization revealed that 14-3-3zeta was present in most tissues tested, but sigma was preferentially expressed in epithelial cells. Thus, isoforms of 14-3-3 can interact and control the function of selected protein ligands, and differential tissue distribution of 14-3-3 isoforms may contribute to their specific interactions and subsequent downstream signaling events.     

14-3-3 proteins as potential therapeutic targets

The 14-3-3 family of phosphoserine/phosphothreonine-binding proteins dynamically regulates the activity of client proteins in various signaling pathways that control diverse physiological and pathological processes. In response to environmental cues, 14-3-3 proteins orchestrate the highly regulated flow of signals through complex networks of molecular interactions to achieve well-controlled physiological outputs, such as cell proliferation or differentiation. Accumulating evidence now supports the concept that either an abnormal state of 14-3-3 protein expression, or dysregulation of 14-3-3/client protein interactions, contributes to the development of a large number of human diseases. In particular, clinical investigations in the field of oncology have demonstrated a correlation between upregulated 14-3-3 levels and poor survival of cancer patients. These studies highlight the rapid emergence of 14-3-3 proteins as a novel class of molecular target for potential therapeutic intervention. The current status of 14-3-3 modulator discovery is discussed.     

Tuberous sclerosis genes regulate cellular 14-3-3 protein levels

The genes TSC1, encoding hamartin, and TSC2, encoding tuberin are responsible for tuberous sclerosis. This autosomal dominant tumor suppressor gene syndrome affects about 1 in 6000 individuals. A variety of tumors characteristically occur in different organs of tuberous sclerosis patients and are believed to result from defects in cell cycle/cell size control. We performed a proteomics approach of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with subsequent mass spectrometrical identification of protein spots after ectopic overexpression of human TSC1 or TSC2. We found the cellular levels of four isoforms of the 14-3-3 protein family, 14-3-3 gamma, 14-3-3, 14-3-3 sigma, and 14-3-3 zeta, to be regulated by the two tuberous sclerosis gene products. In the same experiments the protein levels of keratin 7, capZ alpha-1 subunit, ezrin, and nedasin were not affected by ectopic TSC1 or TSC2. Western blot analyses confirmed the deregulation of 14-3-3 proteins upon ectopic overexpression of TSC1 and TSC2. A TSC1 mutant not encoding the transmembrane domain and the tuberin-binding domain but harbouring most of the coiled-coil region and the ERM protein interaction domain of hamartin did not affect 14-3-3 protein levels. The here presented findings suggest that deregulation of 14-3-3 protein amounts might contribute to the development of tumors in tuberous sclerosis patients. These data provide important new insights into the molecular development of this disease especially since both, the TSC genes and the 14-3-3 proteins, are known to be involved in mammalian cell cycle control.     

The Cdk-like protein PCTAIRE-1 from mouse brain associates with p11 and 14-3-3 proteins

PCTAIRE-1 is a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk)-like class of proteins, and is localized mainly in the mammalian brain. Using the yeast two-hybrid system we screened a mouse brain cDNA library with PCTAIRE-1 as bait, and isolated several clones coding for the mouse homologs of the following proteins: p11 (also known as calpactin I light chain) and the η, θ (also known asτ) and ζ isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins. We confirmed that these four proteins interact with PCTAIRE-1 by demonstrating the biochemical interactions using the pure recombinant proteins. The fact that 14-3-3 proteins are known to interact with many other intracellular proteins (such as C-kinase, Raf, Bcr, PI3-kinase) and p11 with annexin II (a major pp60^v-src and C-kinase substrate) suggests that PCTAIRE-1 might be part of multiple signal transduction cascades and cellular protein networks. Received: 23 September 1996 / Accepted: 10 January 1997     

Subcellular Localisation of 14-3-3 Isoforms in Rat Brain Using Specific Antibodies

Abstract: The 14-3-3 protein family, which is present at particularly high concentrations in mammalian brain, is known to be involved in various cellular functions, including protein kinase C regulation and exocytosis. Despite the fact that most of the 14-3-3 proteins are cytosolic, a small but significant proportion of 14-3-3 in brain is tightly and selectively associated with some membranes. Using a panel of isoform-specific antisera we find that the ε, η, γ, β, and ζ isoforms are all present in purified synaptic membranes but absent from mitochondrial and myelin membranes. In addition, the η, ε, and γ isoforms but not the β and ζ isoforms are associated with isolated synaptic junctions. When different populations of synaptosomes were fractionated by a nonequilibrium Percoll gradient procedure, the ε and γ isoforms were present and the β and ζ isoforms were absent from the membranes of synaptosomes sedimenting in the more dense parts of the gradient. The finding that these proteins are associated with different populations of synaptic membranes suggests that they are selectively expressed in different classes of neurones and raises the possibility that some or all of them may influence neurotransmission by regulating exocytosis and/or phosphorylation.     

Molecular evolution of the 14-3-3 protein family

Members of the highly conserved and ubiquitous 14-3-3 protein family modulate a wide variety of cellular processes. To determine the evolutionary relationships among specific 14-3-3 proteins in different plant, animal, and fungal species and to initiate a predictive analysis of isoform-specific differences in light of the latest functional and structural studies of 14-3-3, multiple alignments were constructed from forty-six 14-3-3 sequences retrieved from the GenBank and SwissProt databases and a newly identified second 14-3-3 gene fromCaenorhabditis elegans. The alignment revealed five highly conserved sequence blocks. Blocks 2–5 correlate well with the alpha helices 3, 5, 7, and 9 which form the proposed internal binding domain in the three-dimensional structure model of the functioning dimer. Amino acid differences within the functional and structural domains of plant and animal 14-3-3 proteins were identified which may account for functional diversity amongst isoforms. Protein phylogenic trees were constructed using both the maximum parsimony and neighbor joining methods of the PHYLIP(3.5c) package; 14-3-3 proteins fromEntamoeba histolytica, an amitochondrial protozoa, were employed as an outgroup in our analysis. Epsilon isoforms from the animal lineage form a distinct grouping in both trees, which suggests an early divergence from the other animal isoforms. Epsilons were found to be more similar to yeast and plant isoforms than other animal isoforms at numerous amino acid positions, and thus epsilon may have retained functional characteristics of the ancestral protein. The known invertebrate proteins group with the nonepsilon mammalian isoforms. Most of the current 14-3-3 isoform diversity probably arose through independent duplication events after the divergence of the major eukaryotic kingdoms. Divergence of the seven mammalian isoforms beta, zeta, gamma, eta, epsilon, tau, and sigma (stratifin/ HME1) occurred before the divergence of mammalian and perhaps before the divergence of vertebrate species. A possible ancestral 14-3-3 sequence is proposed. Correspondence to: D.C. Shakes     

14-3-3 proteins as signaling integration points for cell cycle control and apoptosis

14-3-3 proteins play critical roles in the regulation of cell fate through phospho-dependent binding to a large number of intracellular proteins that are targeted by various classes of protein kinases. 14-3-3 proteins play particularly important roles in coordinating progression of cells through the cell cycle, regulating their response to DNA damage, and influencing life-death decisions following internal injury or external cytokine-mediated cues. This review focuses on 14-3-3-dependent pathways that control cell cycle arrest and recovery, and the influence of 14-3-3 on the apoptotic machinery at multiple levels of regulation. Recognition of 14-3-3 proteins as signaling integrators that connect protein kinase signaling pathways to resulting cellular phenotypes, and their exquisite control through feedforward and feedback loops, identifies new drug targets for human disease, and highlights the emerging importance of using systems-based approaches to understand signal transduction events at the network biology level.     

14-3-3蛋白家族及其临床应用研究进展

14-3-3蛋白家族是一组高度保守的可溶性酸性蛋白质,分子量在28～33kD之间,广泛分布于各种真核生物之中。该蛋白能够特异地结合含有磷酸化丝氨酸或苏氨酸的肽段,参与多种信号转导途径。14-3-3蛋白调节着许多重要细胞生命活动,如:新陈代谢、细胞周期、细胞生长发育、细胞的存活和凋亡以及基因转录,该蛋白家族异常与疾病的发生密切相关,尤其是14-3-3蛋白在脑脊液中的分布与一些神经系统疾病密切相关。14-3-3蛋白已成为一些疾病的临床诊断指标,其作为疾病治疗的靶点也在研究之中。主要阐述了14-3-3蛋白的结构、功能、及其在疾病治疗中的应用。     

Post-translational modification of 14-3-3 isoforms and regulation of cellular function

14-3-3 is now well established as a family of dimeric proteins that can modulate interaction between proteins involved in a wide range of functions. In many cases, these proteins show a distinct preference for a particular isoform(s) of 14-3-3 and in many cases a specific repertoire of dimer formation influences the particular proteins that 14-3-3 interact. Well over 200 proteins have been shown to interact with 14-3-3. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the recently identified post-translational modifications of 14-3-3 isoforms and how this regulates function, interaction, specificity of dimerisation between isoforms and cellular location of target proteins. The association between 14-3-3 and its targets usually involves phosphorylation of the interacting protein which has been the subject of many reviews and discussion of this is included in other reviews in this series. However, it is now realised that in some cases the phosphorylation and a number of other, novel covalent modifications of 14-3-3 isoforms may modulate interaction and dimerisation of 14-3-3. Since this aspect is now emerging to be of major importance in the mechanism of regulation by 14-3-3 isoforms and has not been the focus of previous reviews, this will be detailed here.     

Subcellular localization of 14-3-3 proteins in Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites and evidence for a lipid raft-associated form

A polyclonal antibody was raised against a Toxoplasma gondii 14-3-3-gluthatione S-transferase fusion protein obtained by cloning a 14-3-3 cDNA sequence determined from the T. gondii database. This antibody specifically recognized T. gondii 14-3-3 without any cross-reaction with mammalian proteins. Immunofluorescence microscopy studies of the tachyzoites or the T. gondii-infected cells suggested cytosolic and membranous localizations of 14-3-3 protein. Different subcellular fractions were prepared for electrophoresis analysis and immunodetection. 14-3-3 proteins were found in the cytosol, the membrane fraction and Triton X-100-resistant membranes. Two 14-3-3 isoforms were detected. The major one was mainly cytoplasmic and to a lesser extent membrane-associated, whereas the minor isoform was associated with the detergent-resistant lipid rafts.     

The role of stratifin in fibroblast–keratinocyte interaction

Stratifin is a member of 14-3-3 protein family, a highly conserved group of proteins constituted by seven isoforms. They are involved in numerous crucial intracellular functions such as cell cycle and apoptosis, regulation of signal transduction pathways, cellular trafficking, cell proliferation and differentiation, cell survival, and protein folding and processing, among others. At epidermal level, stratifin (also called 14-3-3 sigma) has been described as molecule with relevant functions. For instance, this isoform is a marker associated with keratinocyte differentiation. In this maturation process, the presence of dominant negative molecules of p53 induces a “stemness condition” of keratinocyte precursor cells and suppression of stratifin expression. In addition, the recently described keratinocyte-releasable form of stratifin is involved in dermal fibroblast MMP-1 over-expression through c-Fos and c-Jun activity. This effect is mediated, at least in part, by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Other MMP family members such as stromelysin-1 (MMP-3), stromelysin-2 (MMP-10), neutrophil collagenase (MMP-8), and membrane-type MMP-24 (MT5-MMP) are also up-regulated by stratifin. Within fibroproliferative disorder of skin, hypertrophic scar and keloids exhibit a high content of collagen, proteoglycans, and fibronectin. Thus, the MMP profile induced by stratifin is an interesting starting point to establish new therapeutic tools to control the process of wound healing. In this review, we will focus on site of synthesis and mode of action of stratifin in skin and wound healing.     

14-3-3蛋白参与植物应答非生物胁迫的研究进展

14-3-3蛋白是一种在真核生物细胞中普遍存在且高度保守的蛋白。该蛋白在大多数物种中由一个基因家族编码,并以同源或异源二聚体的形式存在。不同的14-3-3蛋白同工型具有不同的细胞特异性,可通过识别特异的磷酸化或非磷酸化序列与靶蛋白相互作用。14-3-3蛋白在植物生长和发育的各个方面都起重要作用。本文主要围绕植物14-3-3蛋白的种类、结构、磷酸化或非磷酸化识别序列及其响应干旱、冷冻、盐碱、营养和机械胁迫等的分子机制研究进展进行综述。     

Five new 14-3-3 isoforms from Nicotiana tabacum L.: implications for the phylogeny of plant 14-3-3 proteins

About thirty years after the initial identification of 14-3-3 proteins in mammalian brain, they are now thought to be ubiquitous among eukaryotes. We identified five cDNAs encoding 14-3-3 proteins of Nicotiana tabacum L. using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based screening strategy. A phylogenetic analysis was carried out with 14-3-3 amino-acid sequences from twelve plant species. The results showed that 14-3-3 proteins of plants can be divided into at least five different subgroups. Four of these subgroups resulted from early gene duplication events that happened prior to the speciation of most of the plant species considered. Interestingly, 14-3-3 epsilon isoforms from mammals and insects form one subgroup together with epsilon-like isoforms from plants. The 14-3-3 genes known from monocots descend from the same ancestor, forming the fifth subgroup. Received: 30 June 1997 / Accepted: 29 August 1997     

The cyclin-dependent kinase 11 interacts with 14-3-3 proteins

Cyclin-dependent kinase 11 isoforms (CDK11) are members of the p34(cdc2) superfamily. They have been shown to play a role in RNA processing and apoptosis. In the present study, we investigate whether CDK11 interacts with 14-3-3 proteins. Our study shows that the putative 14-3-3 binding site (113-RHRSHS-118) within the N-terminal domain of CDK11(p110) is functional. Endogenous CDK11(p110) binds directly to 14-3-3 proteins and phosphorylation of the serine 118 within the RHRSHS motif seems to be required for the binding. Besides, CDK11(p110) is capable of interacting with several different isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins both in vitro and in vivo. The interaction of 14-3-3 gamma with CDK11(p110) occurs throughout the entire cell cycle and reaches maximum at the G2/M phase. Interestingly, 14-3-3 gamma shows strong interaction with N-terminal portion of caspase-cleaved CDK11(p110) (CDK11(p60)) product at 48 h after Fas treatment, which correlates with the maximal cleavage level of CDK11(p110) and the maximum activation level of CDK11 kinase activity during apoptosis. Collectively, these results suggest that CDK11 kinases could be regulated by interaction with 14-3-3 proteins during cell cycle and apoptosis.     

Differential expression and accumulation of 14-3-3 paralogs in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and differentiated cells

The 14-3-3 protein family interacts with more than 2000 different proteins in mammals, as a result of its specific phospho-serine/phospho-threonine binding activity. Seven paralogs are strictly conserved in mammalian species. Here, we show that during adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, the level of each 14-3-3 protein paralog is regulated independently. For instance 14-3-3β, γ, and η protein levels are increased compared to untreated cells. In contrast, 14-3-3ε protein levels decreased after differentiation while others remained constant. In silico analysis of the promoter region of each gene showed differences that explain the results obtained at mRNA and protein levels.