Casein kinase 1alpha interacts with RIP1 and regulates NF-kappaB activation

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) triggers a signaling pathway converging on the activation of NF-kappaB, which forms the basis for many physiological and pathological processes. In a kinase gene screen using a NF-kappaB reporter, we observed that overexpression of casein kinase 1alpha (CK1alpha) enhanced TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB activation, and a CK1alpha kinase dead mutant, CK1alpha (K46A), reduced NF-kappaB activation induced by TNFalpha. We subsequently demonstrated that CK1alpha interacted with receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1) but not with TRADD, TRAF2, MEKK3, IKKalpha, IKKbeta, or IKKgamma in mammalian cells. RIP1 is an indispensable molecule in TNFalpha/NF-kappaB signaling. We demonstrated that CK1alpha interacted with and phosphorylated RIP1 at the intermediate domain. Finally, we showed that CK1alpha enhanced RIP1-mediated NF-kappaB activation. Taken together, our studies suggest that CK1alpha is another kinase that regulates RIP1 function in NF-kappaB activation.     

Involvement of retinoid X receptor alpha in coenzyme Q metabolism

The nuclear retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) is the heterodimer partner in several nuclear receptors, some of them regulating lipid biosynthesis. Since coenzyme Q (CoQ) levels are greatly modified in aging and a number of diseases, we have investigated the involvement of RXRalpha in the biosynthetic regulation of this lipid by using a hepatocyte-specific RXRalpha-deficient mouse strain (RXRalpha-def). In the receptor-deficient liver, the amount of CoQ decreased to half of the control, and it was demonstrated that this decrease was caused by a significantly lowered rate of biosynthesis. On the other hand, induction of CoQ was extensive in both control and RXRalpha-def liver using the peroxisomal inducer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP). Since the RXRalpha deficiency was specific to liver, no change in CoQ content or biosynthesis was observed in kidney. The other mevalonate pathway lipids, cholesterol and dolichol, were unchanged in the RXRalpha-def liver. Upon treatment with DEHP, cholesterol decreased in the control but remained unchanged in the receptor-deficient mice. In control mice, cold exposure elevated CoQ levels by 60%, but this induction did not occur in the liver of RXRalpha-def mice. In contrast, PPARalpha-null mice, which lack induction upon treatment with peroxisomal inducers, respond to cold exposure and CoQ content is increased. The amount of cholesterol decreased in both control and RXRalpha-def liver upon cold treatment. The results demonstrate that RXRalpha is required for CoQ biosynthesis and for its induction upon cold treatment, but does not appear to be involved in the basic synthesis of cholesterol and dolichol. The receptor is not involved in the elevated CoQ biosynthesis during peroxisomal induction.     

Liver X receptor alpha interferes with SREBP1c-mediated Abcd2 expression. Novel cross-talk in gene regulation

The peroxisomal ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter adrenoleukodystrophy-related protein, encoded by ABCD2, displays functional redundancy with the X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy-associated protein, making ABCD2 up-regulation of therapeutic value. Cholesterol lowering activates human ABCD2 in cultured cells. To investigate in vivo regulation by sterols, we first characterized a sterol regulatory element (SRE) in the murine Abcd2 promoter that is directly bound by SRE-binding proteins (SREBPs). Intriguingly, this element overlaps with a direct repeat 4, which serves as binding site for liver X receptor (LXR)/retinoid X receptor heterodimers, suggesting novel cross-talk between SREBP and LXR/retinoid X receptor in gene regulation. Using fasting-refeeding and cholesterol loading, SREBP accessibility to the SRE/direct repeat 4 was tested. Results suggest that adipose Abcd2 is induced by SREBP1c, whereas hepatic Abcd2 expression is down-regulated by concurrent activation of LXRalpha and SREBP1c. In cell culture, SREBP1c-mediated Abcd2 induction is counteracted by ligand-activated LXRalpha. Finally, hepatic Abcd2 expression in LXRalpha,beta-deficient mice is inducible to levels vastly exceeding wild type. Together, we identify LXRalpha as negative modulator of Abcd2, acting through a novel regulatory mechanism involving overlapping SREBP and LXRalpha binding sites.     

Casein kinase 1 delta (CK1delta) interacts with the SNARE associated protein snapin

In this study we identified snapin as an interaction partner of the CK1 isoform delta (CK1delta) in the yeast two-hybrid system and localized the interacting domains of both proteins. The interaction of CK1delta with snapin was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Snapin was phosphorylated by CK1delta in vitro. Both proteins localized in close proximity in the perinuclear region, wherein snapin was found to associate with membranes of the Golgi apparatus. The identification of snapin as a new substrate of CK1delta points towards a possible function for CK1delta in modulating snapin specific functions.     

Double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase interacts with apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1. Implications for apoptosis signaling pathways.

Double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR), a serine/threonine kinase, is activated in virus-infected cells and acts as an antiviral machinery of type I interferons. PKR controls several stress response pathways induced by double-stranded RNA, tumor necrosis factor-alpha or lipopolysaccharide, which result in the activation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and p38 of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family. Here we showed a novel interaction between PKR and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), one of the members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase family, which is activated in response to a variety of apoptosis-inducing stimuli. PKR and ASK1 showed predominant cytoplasmic localization in COS-1 cells transfected with both cDNAs, and coimmunoprecipitated from the cell extracts. A dominant negative mutant of PKR (PKR-KR) inhibited both the apoptosis and p38 activation induced by ASK1 in vivo. Consistently, PKR-KR inhibited the autophosphorylation of ASK1 in vitro, and exposure to poly(I)-poly(C) increased the phosphorylation of ASK1 in vivo. These results indicate the existence of a link between PKR and ASK1, which modifies downstream MAPK.     

Kinetic and thermodynamic analysis of 9-cis-retinoic acid binding to retinoid X receptor alpha.

The interaction of retinoid X receptor alpha with 9-cis-retinoic acid was studied using stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. Transient kinetic analyses of this interaction suggest a two-step binding mechanism involving a rapid, enthalpically driven pre-equilibrium followed by a slower, entropically driven reaction that may arise from a conformational change within the ligand binding domain of the receptor. The assignment of this kinetic mechanism was supported by agreement between the overall equilibrium constant, Kov, derived from kinetic studies with that determined by equilibrium fluorescence titrations. Although these analyses do not preclude ligand-induced alteration in the oligomerization state of the receptor in solution, the simplest model that can be applied to these data involves the stoichiometric interaction of 9-cis-retinoic acid with retinoid X receptor alpha monomers.