Evidence for a role of MEK and MAPK during signal transduction by protein kinase C zeta.

Protein kinase C zeta (zeta PKC) is critically involved in the control of a number of cell functions, including proliferation and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation. Previous studies indicate that zeta PKC is an important step downstream of Ras in the mitogenic cascade. The stimulation of Ras initiates a kinase cascade that culminates in the activation of MAP kinase (MAPK), which is required for cell growth. MAPK is activated by phosphorylation by another kinase named MAPK kinase (MEK), which is the substrate of a number of Ras-activated serine/threonine kinases such as c-Raf-1 and B-Raf. We show here that MAPK and MEK are activated in vivo by an active mutant of zeta PKC, and that a kinase-defective dominant negative mutant of zeta PKC dramatically impairs the activation of both MEK and MAPK by serum and tumour necrosis factor (TNF alpha). The stimulation of other kinases, such as stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) or p70S6K, is shown here to be independent of zeta PKC. The importance of MEK/MAPK in the signalling mechanisms activated by zeta PKC was addressed by using the activation of a kappa B-dependent promoter as a biological read-out of zeta PKC.     

A dominant negative protein kinase C zeta subspecies blocks NF-kappa B activation.

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) plays a critical role in the regulation of a number of genes. NF-kappa B is a heterodimer of 50- and 65-kDa subunits sequestered in the cytoplasm complexed to inhibitory protein I kappa B. Following stimulation of cells, I kappa B dissociates from NF-kappa B, allowing its translocation to the nucleus, where it carries out the transactivation function. The precise mechanism controlling NF-kappa B activation and the involvement of members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of isotypes have previously been investigated. It was found that phorbol myristate acetate, (PMA) which is a potent stimulant of phorbol ester-sensitive PKC isotypes, activates NF-kappa B. However, the role of PMA-sensitive PKCs in vivo is not as apparent. It has recently been demonstrated in the model system of Xenopus laevis oocytes that the PMA-insensitive PKC isotype, zeta PKC, is a required step in the activation of NF-kappa B in response to ras p21. We demonstrate here that overexpression of zeta PKC is by itself sufficient to stimulate a permanent translocation of functionally active NF-kappa B into the nucleus of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and that transfection of a kinase-defective dominant negative mutant of zeta PKC dramatically inhibits the kappa B-dependent transactivation of a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter plasmid in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. All these results support the notion that zeta PKC plays a decisive role in NF-kappa B regulation in mammalian cells.     

Protein kinase C alpha and zeta regulate nitric oxide-induced NF-kappa B activation that mediates cyclooxygenase-2 expression and apoptosis but not dedifferentiation in articular chondrocytes

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates differentiation, survival, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in articular chondrocytes. NO-induced apoptosis and dedifferentiation are mediated by p38 kinase activity and p38 kinase-independent and -dependent inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC)alpha and zeta. Because p38 kinase also activates NF-kappa B, we investigated the functional relationship between PKC and NF-kappa B signaling and the role of NF-kappa B in apoptosis, dedifferentiation, and COX-2 expression. We found that NO-stimulated NF-kappa B activation was inhibited by ectopic PKC alpha and zeta expression, whereas NO-stimulated inhibition of PKC alpha and zeta activity was not affected by NF-kappa B inhibition. Inhibition of NO-induced NF-kappa B activity did not affect inhibition of type II collagen expression but did abrogate COX-2 expression and apoptosis. Taken together, our results indicate that NO-induced inhibition of PKC alpha and zeta activity is required for the NF-kappa B activity that regulates apoptosis and COX-2 expression but not dedifferentiation in articular chondrocytes.     

Potentiation of protein kinase C zeta activity by 15-deoxy-delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) induces an imbalance between mitogen-activated protein kinases and NF-kappa B that promotes apoptosis in macrophages

Activation of the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transiently activates protein kinase C zeta (PKC zeta) and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) through a phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3-kinase)-dependent pathway. Incubation of LPS-treated cells with the cyclopentenone 15-deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) (15dPGJ(2)) promoted a sustained activation of PKC zeta and JNK and inhibited I kappa B kinase (IKK) and NF-kappa B activity. Accordingly, 15dPGJ(2) induced an imbalance between JNK and IKK activities by increasing the former signaling pathway and inhibiting the latter signaling pathway. Under these conditions, apoptosis was significantly enhanced; this response was very dependent on PKC zeta and JNK activation. The effect of 15dPGJ(2) on PKC zeta activity observed in LPS-activated macrophages was not dependent on a direct action of this prostaglandin on the enzyme but was due to the activation of a step upstream of PI3-kinase. Moreover, LPS promoted the redistribution of activated PKC zeta from the cytosol to the nucleus, a process that was enhanced by treatment of the cells with 15dPGJ(2) that favored a persistent and broader distribution of PKC zeta in the nucleus. These results indicate that 15dPGJ(2) and other cyclopentenone prostaglandins, through the sustained activation of PKC zeta, might contribute significantly to the process of resolution of inflammation by promoting apoptosis of activated macrophages.     

Cardioprotection involves activation of NF-kappa B via PKC-dependent tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of I kappa B-alpha

Previous studies indicated that activation of PKC and Src tyrosine kinases by ischemic preconditioning (PC) may participate in the activation of NF-kappa B. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying activation of NF-kappa B during ischemic PC remain unknown. In the hearts of conscious rabbits, it was found that ischemic PC (6 cycles of 4-min coronary occlusion and 4-min reperfusion) significantly induced both tyrosine (+226.9 +/- 42%) and serine (+137.0 +/- 36%) phosphorylation of the NF-kappa B inhibitory protein I kappa B-alpha, concomitant with increased activation of the I kappa B-alpha kinases IKK alpha (+255.0 +/- 46%) and IKK beta (+173.1 +/- 35%). Furthermore, both tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of I kappa B-alpha were blocked by pretreatment with either the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor lavendustin-A (LD-A) or the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine (Che) (both given at doses previously shown to block ischemic PC). Interestingly, Che completely abolished PC-induced activation of IKK alpha/beta, whereas LD-A had no effect. In addition, I kappa B-alpha protein level did not change during ischemic PC. Together, these data indicate that ischemic PC-induced activation of NF-kappa B occurs through both tyrosine and serine phosphorylation of I kappa B-alpha and is regulated by nonreceptor tyrosine kinases and PKC.     

SHIP negatively regulates IgE + antigen-induced IL-6 production in mast cells by inhibiting NF-kappa B activity

We demonstrate in this study that IgE + Ag-induced proinflammatory cytokine production is substantially higher in Src homology-2-containing inositol 5'-phosphatase (SHIP)(-/-) than in SHIP(+/+) bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). Focusing on IL-6, we found that the repression of IL-6 mRNA and protein production in SHIP(+/+) BMMCs requires the enzymatic activity of SHIP, because SHIP(-/-) BMMCs expressing wild-type, but not phosphatase-deficient (D675G), SHIP revert the IgE + Ag-induced increase in IL-6 mRNA and protein down to levels seen in SHIP(+/+) BMMCs. Comparing the activation of various signaling pathways to determine which ones might be responsible for the elevated IL-6 production in SHIP(-/-) BMMCs, we found the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PKB), extracellular signal-related kinase (Erk), p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and protein kinase C (PKC) pathways are all elevated in IgE + Ag-induced SHIP(-/-) cells. Moreover, inhibitor studies suggested that all these pathways play an essential role in IL-6 production. Looking downstream, we found that IgE + Ag-induced IL-6 production is dependent on the activity of NF-kappa B and that I kappa B phosphorylation/degradation and NF-kappa B translocation, DNA binding and transactivation are much higher in SHIP(-/-) BMMCs. Interestingly, using various pathway inhibitors, it appears that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/PKB and PKC pathways elevate IL-6 mRNA synthesis, at least in part, by enhancing the phosphorylation of I kappa B and NF-kappa B DNA binding while the Erk and p38 pathways enhance IL-6 mRNA synthesis by increasing the transactivation potential of NF-kappa B. Taken together, our data are consistent with a model in which SHIP negatively regulates NF-kappa B activity and IL-6 synthesis by reducing IgE + Ag-induced phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate levels and thus PKB, PKC, Erk, and p38 activation.     

Inhibition of protein kinase C zeta subspecies blocks the activation of an NF-kappa B-like activity in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) plays a critical role in the regulation of a large variety of cellular genes. However, the mechanism whereby this nuclear factor is activated remains to be determined. In this report, we present evidence that in oocytes from Xenopus laevis, (i) ras p21- and phospholipase C (PLC)-mediated phosphatidylcholine (PC) hydrolysis activates NF-kappa B and (ii) protein kinase C zeta subspecies is involved in the activation of NF-kappa B in response to insulin/ras p21/PC-PLC. Thus, the microinjection of either ras p21 or PC-PLC, or the exposure of oocytes to insulin, promotes a significant translocation to the nucleus of an NF-kappa B-like activity. This effect is not observed when oocytes are incubated with phorbol myristate acetate or progesterone, both of which utilize a ras p21-independent pathway for oocyte activation. These data strongly suggest a critical role of the insulin/ras p21/PC-PLC/protein kinase C zeta pathway in the control of NF-kappa B activation.     

Inhibition of I kappa B-alpha phosphorylation and degradation and subsequent NF-kappa B activation by glutathione peroxidase overexpression

We report here that both kappa B-dependent transactivation of a reporter gene and NF-kappa B activation in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha) or H2O2 treatments are deficient in human T47D cell transfectants that overexpress seleno-glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx). These cells feature low reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and decreased intracellular ROS burst in response to TNF alpha treatment. Decreased ROS levels and NF-kappa B activation were likely to result from GSHPx increment since these phenomena were no longer observed when GSHPx activity was reduced by selenium depletion. The cellular contents of the two NF-kappa B subunits (p65 and p50) and of the inhibitory subunit I kappa B-alpha were unaffected by GSHPx overexpression, suggesting that increased GSHPx activity interfered with the activation, but not the synthesis or stability, of Nf-kappa B. Nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B as well as I kappa B-alpha degradation were inhabited in GSHPx-overexpressing cells exposed to oxidative stress. Moreover, in control T47D cells exposed to TNF alpha, a time correlation was observed between elevated ROS levels and I kappa B- alpha degradation. We also show that, in growing T47D cells, GSHPx overexpression altered the isoform composition of I kappa B-alpha, leading to the accumulation of the more basic isoform of this protein. GSHPx overexpression also abolished the TNF alpha-mediated transient accumulation of the acidic and highly phosphorylated I kappa B-alpha isoform. These results suggest that intracellular ROS are key elements that regulate the phosphorylation of I kappa B-alpha, a phenomenon that precedes and controls the degradation of this protein, and then NF- kappa B activation.