Ubiquitin-specific protease 4 (USP4) targets TRAF2 and TRAF6 for deubiquitination and inhibits TNFα-induced cancer cell migration

TRAF [TNF (tumour necrosis factor)-receptor-associated factor] 2 and 6 are essential adaptor proteins for the NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) signalling pathway, which play important roles in inflammation and immune response. Polyubiquitination of TRAF2 and TRAF6 is critical to their activities and functions in TNFα- and IL (interleukin)-1β-induced NF-κB activation. However, the regulation of TRAF2 and TRAF6 by deubiquitination remains incompletely understood. In the present study, we identified USP (ubiquitin-specific protease) 4 as a novel deubiquitinase targeting TRAF2 and TRAF6 for deubiquitination. We found that USP4 specifically interacts with TRAF2 and TRAF6, but not TRAF3. Moreover, USP4 associates with TRAF6 both in vitro and in vivo, independent of its deubiquitinase activity. The USP domain is responsible for USP4 to interact with TRAF6. Ectopic expression of USP4 inhibits the TRAF2- and TRAF6-stimulated NF-κB reporter gene and negatively regulates the TNFα-induced IκBα (inhibitor of NF-κBα) degradation and NF-κB activation. Knockdown of USP4 significantly increased TNFα-induced cytokine expression. Furthermore, we found that USP4 deubiquitinates both TRAF2 and TRAF6 in vivo and in vitro in a deubiquitinase activity-dependent manner. Importantly, the results of the present study showed that USP4 is a negative regulator of TNFα- and IL-1β-induced cancer cell migration. Taken together, the present study provides a novel insight into the regulation of the NF-κB signalling pathway and uncovers a previously unknown function of USP4 in cancer.     

构建抑制NF-κB信号通路的药物筛选模型

NF—κB已被证明在肿瘤和炎症过程中起到至关重要的作用。因此,建立抑制NF-κB信号通路的药物筛选模型至关重要。利用荧光素酶报告基因技术与蛋白印迹技术分别探索TNFα处理浓度及时间对NF-κB报告基因表达和NF—κB抑制亚单位It〈Bα降解的影响,进而构建NF—κB信号通路抑制剂药物筛选模型。实验结果表明,0．01nmol／LTNFα作用24h即能刺激HEK293T细胞中NF—κB报告基因较高水平的表达,且其表达量与TNFα的剂量和处理时间呈正相关性;0．01nmol／LTNFα作用5min即能使Panc-28细胞中IκBα明显降解,20min～30min几乎降解完全,之后IκBα含量又开始增加。NF-κB阳性抑制剂藤黄酸验证表明NF-κB萤光素酶报告基因检测筛选体系和NF—κB抑制亚单位降解筛选体系两种体系稳定可行。结果证明,两种模型可以用于NF—κB信号通路抑制剂药物的筛选。     

TRAF2 Suppresses Basal IKK Activity in Resting Cells and TNFα Can Activate IKK in TRAF2 and TRAF5 Double Knockout Cells

Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) and TRAF5 are adapter proteins involved in TNFα-induced activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways. Currently, TNFα-induced NF-κB activation is believed to be impaired in TRAF2 and TRAF5 double knockout (T2/5 DKO) cells. Here, we report instead that T2/5 DKO cells exhibit high basal IκB kinase (IKK) activity and elevated expression of NF-κB-dependent genes in unstimulated conditions. Although TNFα-induced receptor-interacting protein 1 ubiquitination is indeed impaired in T2/5 DKO cells, TNFα stimulation further increases IKK activity in these cells, resulting in significantly elevated expression of NF-κB target genes to a level higher than that in wild-type cells. Inhibition of NIK in T2/5 DKO cells attenuates basal IKK activity and restores robust TNFα-induced IKK activation to a level comparable with that seen in wild-type cells. This suggests that TNFα can activate IKK in the absence of TRAF2 and TRAF5 expression and receptor-interacting protein 1 ubiquitination. In addition, both the basal and TNFα-induced expression of anti-apoptotic proteins are normal in T2/5 DKO cells, yet these DKO cells remain sensitive to TNFα-induced cell death, due to the impaired recruitment of anti-apoptotic proteins to the TNFR1 complex in the absence of TRAF2. Thus, our data demonstrate that TRAF2 negatively regulates basal IKK activity in resting cells and inhibits TNFα-induced cell death by recruiting anti-apoptotic proteins to the TNFR1 complex rather than by activating the NF-κB pathway.     

Optineurin is required for CYLD-dependent inhibition of TNFα-induced NF-κB activation

The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) regulates genes that function in diverse cellular processes like inflammation, immunity and cell survival. The activation of NF-κB is tightly controlled and the deubiquitinase CYLD has emerged as a key negative regulator of NF-κB signalling. Optineurin, mutated in certain glaucomas and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is also a negative regulator of NF-κB activation. It competes with NEMO (NF-κB essential modulator) for binding to ubiquitinated RIP (receptor interacting protein) to prevent NF-κB activation. Recently we identified CYLD as optineurin-interacting protein. Here we have analysed the functional significance of interaction of optineurin with CYLD. Our results show that a glaucoma-associated mutant of optineurin, H486R, is altered in its interaction with CYLD. Unlike wild-type optineurin, the H486R mutant did not inhibit tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced NF-κB activation. CYLD mediated inhibition of TNFα-induced NF-κB activation was abrogated by expression of the H486R mutant. Upon knockdown of optineurin, CYLD was unable to inhibit TNFα-induced NF-κB activation and showed drastically reduced interaction with ubiquitinated RIP. The level of ubiquitinated RIP was increased in optineurin knockdown cells. Deubiquitination of RIP by over-expressed CYLD was abrogated in optineurin knockdown cells. These results suggest that optineurin regulates NF-κB activation by mediating interaction of CYLD with ubiquitinated RIP thus facilitating deubiquitination of RIP.