Stability of homologue of Slimb F-box protein is regulated by availability of its substrate

The homologue of Slimb (HOS) F-box protein is a receptor of the Skp1-Cullin1-F-box protein (SCF(HOS)) E3 ubiquitin ligase, which mediates ubiquitination and degradation of beta-catenin and the inhibitor of NFkappaB, IkappaB. We found that HOS itself is an unstable protein that undergoes ubiquitination and degradation in a 26 S proteasome-dependent manner. A HOS mutant lacking the F-box that is deficient in binding to the core SCF components underwent ubiquitination less efficiently and was more stable than the wild type protein. Furthermore, ubiquitination and degradation of HOS was impaired in ts41 cells, in which the activities of Cullin-based ligases were decreased because the NEDD8 pathway was abrogated. Whereas HOS was directly ubiquitinated within the SCF(HOS) complex in vitro, the addition of phosphorylated IkappaBalpha inhibited this ubiquitination. Increasing cellular levels of HOS substrate (phosphorylated IkappaBalpha) by activating IkappaB kinase inhibited HOS ubiquitination and led to stabilization of HOS, indicating that interaction between HOS and its substrate might protect HOS from proteolysis. Taken together, our data suggest that proteolysis of HOS depends on its interaction with active components of the SCF complex and that HOS stability is regulated by a bound substrate. These findings may define a mechanism for maintaining activities of specific SCF complexes based on availability of a particular substrate.     

Functionally significant mutations in the Epstein-Barr virus <Emphasis Type="Italic">LMP1</Emphasis> gene and their role in activation of cell signaling pathways

Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) of the Epstein-Barr virus is a constitutively activated analog of the tumor necrosis factor receptor TNF-R1. LMP1 serves as a viral oncogene able to transform human B-lymphocytes and rodent fibroblasts via activation of numerous cellular signal cascades. Two specific motifs within LMP1 are responsible for interaction of this viral protein with the receptor protein beta-TrCP/HOS SCF of the ubiquitin ligase E3 complex, playing an important role in degradation of numerous cellular proteins including NF-kappaB inhibitor IkappaBalpha. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the importance of point mutations affecting HOS-recognizing motifs of LMP1 for activation of NF-kappaB, AP1, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. It has also been shown that rat fibroblast cell lines (Rat-1) expressing different HOS mutants of LMP1 produce different amounts of reactive nitrogen species. Our data confirm the hypothesis that point mutations in the C-terminal region of the LMP1 cytoplasmic domain can influence the transforming potential of the Epstein-Barr virus.     

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase/90-KDA ribosomal S6 kinase/nuclear factor-kappa B pathway mediates phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced megakaryocytic differentiation of K562 cells

Two signaling pathways, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-dependent pathway and the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)-dependent pathway, have been known to mediate megakaryocytic differentiation of K562 cells induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). In this study, we examined whether 90-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK), known as a substrate of ERK/MAPK and a signal-inducible IkappaBalpha kinase, would link two pathways during the differentiation. RSK1 was activated in a time- and dose-dependent manner during the PMA-induced differentiation. Overexpression of wild-type or dominant inhibitory mutant (D205N) of RSK1 enhanced or suppressed PMA-stimulated NF-kappaB activation and megakaryocytic differentiation as shown by morphology, nonspecific esterase activity, and expression of the CD41 megakaryocytic marker, respectively. In addition, overexpression of the dominant inhibitory mutant (S32A/S36A) of IkappaBalpha inhibited PMA-stimulated and RSK1-enhanced megakaryocytic differentiation, indicating that NF-kappaB mediates a signal for megakaryocytic differentiation downstream of RSK1. PMA-stimulated activation of ERK/MAPK, RSK1, and NF-kappaB and the PMA-induced megakaryocytic differentiation were prevented by pretreatment with PD98059, a specific inhibitor of the mitogen-activated ERK kinase (MEK). Therefore, these results demonstrate that the sequential ERK/RSK1/NF-kappaB pathway mediates PMA-stimulated megakaryocytic differentiation of K562 cells.     

TLR8-mediated NF-kappaB and JNK activation are TAK1-independent and MEKK3-dependent

TLR8-mediated NF-kappaB and IRF7 activation are abolished in human IRAK-deficient 293 cells and IRAK4-deficient fibroblast cells. Both wild-type and kinase-inactive mutants of IRAK and IRAK4, respectively, restored TLR8-mediated NF-kappaB and IRF7 activation in the IRAK- and IRAK4-deficient cells, indicating that the kinase activity of IRAK and IRAK4 is probably redundant for TLR8-mediated signaling. We recently found that TLR8 mediates a unique NF-kappaB activation pathway in human 293 cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, accompanied only by IkappaBalpha phosphorylation and not IkappaBalpha degradation, whereas interleukin (IL)-1 stimulation causes both IkappaBalpha phosphorylation and degradation. The intermediate signaling events mediated by IL-1 (including IRAK modifications and degradation and TAK1 activation) were not detected in cells stimulated by TLR8 ligands. TLR8 ligands trigger similar levels of IkappaBalpha phosphorylation and NF-kappaB and JNK activation in TAK1(-/-) mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) as compared with wild-type MEFs, whereas lack of TAK1 results in reduced IL-1-mediated NF-kappaB activation and abolished IL-1-induced JNK activation. The above results indicate that although TLR8-mediated NF-kappaB and JNK activation are IRAK-dependent, they do not require IRAK modification and are TAK1-independent. On the other hand, TLR8-mediated IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, NF-kappaB, and JNK activation are completely abolished in MEKK3(-/-) MEFs, whereas IL-1-mediated signaling was only moderately reduced in these deficient MEFs as compared with wild-type cells. The differences between IL-1R- and TLR8-mediated NF-kappaB activation are also reflected at the level of IkappaB kinase (IKK) complex. TLR8 ligands induced IKKgamma phosphorylation, whereas IKKalpha/beta phosphorylation and IKKgamma ubiquitination that can be induced by IL-1 were not detected in cells treated with TLR8 ligands. We postulate that TLR8-mediated MEKK3-dependent IKKgamma phosphorylation might play an important role in the activation of IKK complex, leading to IkappaBalpha phosphorylation.     

Chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection of myeloid cells disrupts the autoregulatory control of the NF-kappaB/Rel pathway via enhanced IkappaBalpha degradation.

Productive human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection causes sustained NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity in chronically infected monocytic cells. A direct temporal correlation exists between HIV infection and the appearance of NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity in myelomonoblastic PLB-985 cells. To examine the molecular basis of constitutive NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity in HIV1 -infected cells, we analyzed the phosphorylation and turnover of IkappaBalpha protein, the activity of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) and the intracellular levels of NF-kappaB subunits in the PLB-985 and U937 myeloid cell models. HIV-1 infection resulted in constitutive, low-level expression of type 1 interferon (IFN) at the mRNA level. Constitutive PKR activity was also detected in HIV-1-infected cells as a result of low-level IFN production, since the addition of anti-IFN-alpha/beta antibody to the cells decreased PKR expression. Furthermore, the analysis of IkappaBalpha turnover demonstrated an increased degradation of IkappaBalpha in HIV-1-infected cells that may account for the constitutive DNA binding activity. A dramatic increase in the intracellular levels of NF-kappaB subunits c-Rel and NF-kappaB2 p100 and a moderate increase in NF-kappaB2 p52 and RelA(p65) were detected in HIV-1-infected cells, whereas NF-kappaB1 p105/p50 levels were not altered relative to the levels in uninfected cells. We suggest that HIV-1 infection of myeloid cells induces IFN production and PKR activity, which in turn contribute to enhanced IkappaBalpha phosphorylation and subsequent degradation. Nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB subunits may ultimately increase the intracellular pool of NF-kappaB/IkappaBalpha by an autoregulatory mechanism. Enhanced turnover of IkappaBalpha and the accumulation of NF-kappaB/Rel proteins may contribute to the chronically activated state of HIV-1-infected cells.     

Phosphorylation by the protein kinase CK2 promotes calpain-mediated degradation of IkappaBalpha.

Rapid IkappaBalpha turnover has been implicated in the high basal NF-kappaB activity in WEHI 231 B immature IgM(+) B cells. Here we show that treatment of WEHI 231 cells with apigenin, a selective inhibitor of the protein kinase CK2, decreased the rate of IkappaBalpha turnover and nuclear levels of NF-kappaB. Turnover of IkappaBalpha in these cells is mediated in part by the protease calpain. Since both CK2 and calpain target the proline-glutamic acid-serine-threonine (PEST) domain, we investigated the role of CK2 in the degradation of IkappaBalpha by calpain using an in vitro phosphorylation/degradation assay. CK2 phosphorylation enhanced mu-calpain-mediated degradation of wild-type IkappaBalpha, but not of mutant 3CIkappaBalpha, with S283A, T291A, and T299A mutations in phosphorylation sites within the PEST domain. Roles for CK2 and calpain in IkappaBalpha turnover were similarly shown in CH31 immature and CH12 mature IgM(+) B cells, but not in A20 and M12 IgG(+) B cells. These findings demonstrate for the first time that CK2 phosphorylation of serine/threonine residues in the PEST domain promotes calpain-mediated degradation of IkappaBalpha and thereby increases basal NF-kappaB levels in IgM(+) B cells.