BAD Ser-155 phosphorylation regulates BAD/Bcl-XL interaction and cell survival

The BH3 domain of BAD mediates its death-promoting activities via heterodimerization to the Bcl-XL family of death regulators. Growth and survival factors inhibit the death-promoting activity of BAD by stimulating phosphorylation at multiple sites including Ser-112 and Ser-136. Phosphorylation at these sites promotes binding of BAD to 14-3-3 proteins, sequestering BAD away from the mitochondrial membrane where it dimerizes with Bcl-XL to exert its killing effects. We report here that the phosphorylation of BAD at Ser-155 within the BH3 domain is a second phosphorylation-dependent mechanism that inhibits the death-promoting activity of BAD. Protein kinase A, RSK1, and survival factor signaling stimulate phosphorylation of BAD at Ser-155, blocking the binding of BAD to Bcl-XL. RSK1 phosphorylates BAD at both Ser-112 and Ser-155 and rescues BAD-mediated cell death in a manner dependent upon phosphorylation at both sites.