scholarly journals Transforming Growth Factor-β-Activated Protein Kinase 1-Binding Protein (TΑΒ)-1α, But Not ΤΑΒ1β, Mediates Cytokine-Induced p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphorylation and Cell Death in Insulin-Producing Cells

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 302-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Makeeva ◽  
Godfried M. Roomans ◽  
Jason W. Myers ◽  
Nils Welsh

Previous studies have indicated that the p38 MAPK participates in signaling events that lead to the death of the insulin-producing β-cell. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the role of the TGF-β-activated protein kinase 1-binding protein 1 (TAB1) in the cytokine-induced activation of p38. Levels of TAB1 mRNA and protein were analyzed by real-time PCR and immunoblotting, and TAB1 expression in mouse and human islet cells was down-regulated using lipofection of diced-small interfering RNA. TAB1 overexpression in β-TC6 cells was achieved by transient transfections followed by fluorescence activated cell sorting. Phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and ERK was assessed by immunoblotting, and viability was determined using vital staining with bisbenzimide and propidium iodide. We observed that TAB1 is expressed in insulin-producing cells. Cytokine (IL-1β + interferon-γ)-stimulated p38 phosphorylation was significantly increased by ΤΑΒ1α overexpression, but not ΤΑΒ1β overexpression, in β-TC6 cells. The ΤΑΒ1α-augmented p38 phosphorylation was paralleled by an increased cell death rate. Treatment of islet cells with diced-small interfering RNA specific for TAB1, but not for TGF-β-activated kinase 1, resulted in lowered cytokine-induced p38 phosphorylation and protection against cell death. The cytokine-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and ERK was not affected by changes in TAB1 levels. Finally, TAB1 phosphorylation was decreased by the p38 inhibitor SB203580. We conclude that ΤΑΒ1α, but not ΤΑΒ1β, plays an important role in the activation of p38 in insulin-producing cells and therefore also in cytokine-induced β-cell death.

Endocrinology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 149 (6) ◽  
pp. 3046-3053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dariush Mokhtari ◽  
Jason W. Myers ◽  
Nils Welsh

The aim of the present investigation was to characterize the role of the MAPK kinase kinase-1 (MEKK-1) in stress-induced cell death of insulin producing cells. We observed that transient overexpression of the wild type MEKK-1 protein in the insulin-producing cell lines RIN-5AH and βTC-6 increased c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation and augmented cell death induced by diethylenetriamine/nitroso-1-propylhydrazino)-1-propanamine (DETA/NO), streptozotocin (STZ), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Furthermore, DETA/NO or STZ induced a rapid threonine phosphorylation of MEKK-1. Silencing of MEKK-1 gene expression in βTC-6 and human dispersed islet cells, using in vitro-generated diced small interfering RNA, resulted in protection from DETA/NO, STZ, H2O2, and tunicamycin induced cell death. Moreover, in DETA/NO-treated cells diced small interfering RNA-mediated down-regulation of MEKK-1 resulted in decreased activation of JNK but not p38 and ERK. Inhibition of JNK by treatment with SP600125 partially protected against DETA/NO- or STZ-induced cell death. In summary, our results support an essential role for MEKK-1 in JNK activation and stress-induced β-cell death. Increased understanding of the signaling pathways that augment or diminish β-cell MEKK-1 activity may aid in the generation of novel therapeutic strategies in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.


2005 ◽  
Vol 391 (2) ◽  
pp. 433-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Rousseau ◽  
Mark Peggie ◽  
David G. Campbell ◽  
Angel R. Nebreda ◽  
Philip Cohen

The neurite outgrowth inhibitor protein Nogo is one of 300 proteins that contain a reticulon homology domain, which is responsible for their association with the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we have found that the Nogo-B spliceform becomes phosphorylated at Ser107 in response to lipopolysaccharide in RAW264 macrophages or anisomycin in HeLa cells. The phosphorylation is prevented by SB 203580, an inhibitor of SAPK2a (stress-activated protein kinase 2a)/p38α and SAPK2b/p38β, and does not occur in embryonic fibroblasts generated from SAPK2a/p38α-deficient mice. Nogo-B is phosphorylated at Ser107in vitro by MAPKAP-K2 [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)-activated protein kinase-2] or MAPKAP-K3, but not by other protein kinases that are known to be activated by SAPK2a/p38α. The anisomycin-induced phosphorylation of Ser107 in HeLa cells can be prevented by ‘knockdown’ of MAPKAP-K2 using siRNA (small interfering RNA). Taken together, our results identify Nogo-B as a new physiological substrate of MAPKAP-K2.


2007 ◽  
Vol 193 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shin Tsunekawa ◽  
Naoki Yamamoto ◽  
Katsura Tsukamoto ◽  
Yuji Itoh ◽  
Yukiko Kaneko ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo and in vitro effects of exendin-4, a potent glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist, on the protection of the pancreatic β-cells against their cell death. In in vivo experiments, we used β-cell-specific calmodulin-overexpressing mice where massive apoptosis takes place in their β-cells, and we examined the effects of chronic treatment with exendin-4. Chronic and s.c. administration of exendin-4 reduced hyperglycemia. The treatment caused significant increases of the insulin contents of the pancreas and islets, and retained the insulin-positive area. Dispersed transgenic islet cells lived only shortly, and several endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related molecules such as immunoglobulin-binding protein (Bip), inositol-requiring enzyme-1α, X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP-1), RNA-activated protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase, activating transcription factor-4, and C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) were more expressed in the transgenic islets. We also found that the spliced form of XBP-1, a marker of ER stress, was also increased in β-cell-specific calmodulin-overexpressing transgenic islets. In the quantitative real-time PCR analyses, the expression levels of Bip and CHOP were reduced in the islets from the transgenic mice treated with exendin-4. These findings suggest that excess of ER stress occurs in the transgenic β-cells, and the suppression of ER stress and resultant protection against cell death may be involved in the anti-diabetic effects of exendin-4.


2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1644-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-Jin Kim ◽  
Cuilan Nian ◽  
Scott Widenmaier ◽  
Christopher H. S. McIntosh

ABSTRACT The cyclic AMP (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) cascade plays a central role in β-cell proliferation and apoptosis. Here, we show that the incretin hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) stimulates expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 gene in pancreatic β cells through a pathway involving AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), cAMP-responsive CREB coactivator 2 (TORC2), and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Stimulation of β-INS-1 (clone 832/13) cells with GIP resulted in increased Bcl-2 promoter activity. Analysis of the rat Bcl-2 promoter revealed two potential cAMP response elements, one of which (CRE-I [GTGACGTAC]) was shown, using mutagenesis and deletion analysis, to be functional. Subsequent studies established that GIP increased the nuclear localization of TORC2 and phosphorylation of CREB serine 133 through a pathway involving PKA activation and reduced AMPK phosphorylation. At the nuclear level, phospho-CREB and TORC2 were demonstrated to bind to CRE-I of the Bcl-2 promoter, and GIP treatment resulted in increases in their interaction. Furthermore, GIP-mediated cytoprotection was partially reversed by small interfering RNA-mediated reduction in BCL-2 or TORC2/CREB or by pharmacological activation of AMPK. The antiapoptotic effect of GIP in β cells is therefore partially mediated through a novel mode of transcriptional regulation of Bcl-2 involving cAMP/PKA/AMPK-dependent regulation of CREB/TORC2 activity.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Krug ◽  
Nabanita Chatterjee ◽  
Rebeca Borges-Monroy ◽  
Stephen Hearn ◽  
Wen-Wei Liao ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are two incurable neurodegenerative disorders that exist on a symptomological spectrum and share both genetic underpinnings and pathophysiological hallmarks. Functional abnormality of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), an aggregation-prone RNA and DNA binding protein, is observed in the vast majority of both familial and sporadic ALS cases and in ∼40% of FTLD cases, but the cascade of events leading to cell death are not understood. We have expressed human TDP-43 (hTDP-43) inDrosophilaneurons and glia, a model that recapitulates many of the characteristics of TDP-43-linked human disease including protein aggregation pathology, locomotor impairment, and premature death. We report that such expression of hTDP-43 impairs small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing, which is the major post-transcriptional mechanism of retrotransposable element (RTE) control in somatic tissue. This is accompanied by de-repression of a panel of both LINE and LTR families of RTEs, with somewhat different elements being active in response to hTDP-43 expression in glia versus neurons. hTDP-43 expression in glia causes an early and severe loss of control of a specific RTE, the endogenous retrovirus (ERV)gypsy. We demonstrate thatgypsycauses the degenerative phenotypes in these flies because we are able to rescue the toxicity of glial hTDP-43 either by genetically blocking expression of this RTE or by pharmacologically inhibiting RTE reverse transcriptase activity. Moreover, we provide evidence that activation of DNA damage-mediated programmed cell death underlies both neuronal and glial hTDP-43 toxicity, consistent with RTE-mediated effects in both cell types. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism in which RTE activity contributes to neurodegeneration in TDP-43-mediated diseases such as ALS and FTLD.AUTHOR SUMMARYFunctional abnormality of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), an aggregation-prone RNA and DNA binding protein, is observed in the vast majority of both familial and sporadic ALS cases and in ∼40% of FTLD cases, and mutations in TDP-43 are causal in a subset of familial ALS cases. Although cytoplasmic inclusions of this mostly nuclear protein are a hallmark of the disease, the cascade of events leading to cell death are not understood. We demonstrate that expression of human TDP-43 (hTDP-43) inDrosophilaneurons or glial cells, which results in toxic cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, causes broad expression of retrotransposons. In the case of glial hTDP-43 expression, the endogenous retrovirus (ERV) gypsy causally contributes to degeneration because inhibiting gypsy genetically or pharmacologically is sufficient to rescue the phenotypic effects. Moreover, we demonstrate that activation of DNA damage-mediated programmed cell death underlies hTDP-43 and gypsy mediated toxicity. Finally, we find that hTDP-43 pathology impairs small interfering RNA silencing, which is an essential system that normally protects the genome from RTEs. These findings suggest a novel mechanism in which a storm of retrotransposon activation drives neurodegeneration in TDP-43 mediated diseases such as ALS and FTLD.


2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gian Felice De Nicola ◽  
E D Martin ◽  
Rekha Bassi ◽  
Sharwari Verma ◽  
Maria Conte ◽  
...  

Activation of p38α MAPK (p38α), by phosphorylation of two residues in the TGY motif of the activation loop, can occur independently of upstream kinases. One such mechanism involves the scaffolding protein Transforming Growth Factor-β-activated protein kinase binding protein 1 (TAB1). Under certain circumstances, such as myocardial ischemia, this activation can aggravate lethal injury. It is one of a few examples of activating autophosphorylation and poses a conundrum. How does an inactive kinase, and therefore with low affinity for ATP, phosphorylate its own activation loop when ATP binding is a prerequisite step for phosphotransfer? The aim of this study was to characterize the TAB1 binding of p38α. The binding characteristics of p38α and TAB1 were determined by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, followed by the binding of p38α and ATPγS, a slowly hydrolysable form of ATP, in the presence and absence of TAB1. The binding of TAB1 to p38α increased significantly the affinity of p38α for ATP. Following the identification of a key region in TAB1 responsible for p38α binding, a synthetic peptide encompassing this region was used to analyze the biophysical and biological consequences of TAB1 binding. In vitro kinase assays were used to test the biochemical characteristics using a combination of wildtype kinase, kinase dead (K53M) or both in the absence or presence of TAB1(371-416). Using an antibody specific to the dual phosphorylation of the TGY motif as a readout, TAB1 binding to p38α increased p38α autophosphorylation in cis . NMR was employed to map the interaction surfaces between of p38α and TAB1 and to analyze the effect of TAB1-binding on p38α. The residues identified as important for the interaction between TAB1 and p38α were mutated and tested in cell free and biological systems to confirm their role as critical determinants for binding. In conclusion, we have further elucidated a mechanism whereby TAB1 binding to p38α alters the conformation of p38α, increasing its affinity for ATP and thereby facilitating autophosphorylation. We have identified the binding contacts of TAB1 and p38α that may be important in the design of therapeutics enabling selective and circumstance-specific inhibition of p38α activation.


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