Mediation of TNF receptor-associated factor effector functions by apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (ASK1).

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), a major inflammatory cytokine, generates a wide variety of cellular responses via key cytoplasmic adaptor molecules named TNF receptor-associated factors (TRAFs). We report that TRAF2, TRAF5 and TRAF6 associate with apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), and a catalytically-inactive ASK1 mutant blocks stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation by these TRAFs. A truncated derivative of TRAF2, which inhibits SAPK activation by TNF, blocks TNF-induced ASK1 activation. Furthermore, protection from TNF-induced cell death conferred by an ASK1 mutant is dependent upon TRAF2. Hence, ASK1 is a common mediator of TRAF-regulated SAPK and apoptosis signaling, and the TRAF2 - ASK1 connection completes the signaling cascade from TNF to SAPK/JNK activation.     

G1 to S phase transition protein 1 induces apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 activation by dissociating 14-3-3 from ASK1

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase family, plays a critical role in mediating apoptosis signals initiated by a variety of death stimuli such as hydrogen peroxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Owing to its critical role in inducing apoptosis, the activity of ASK1 is tightly regulated by various mechanisms such as post-translational modifications and protein-protein interactions. Here we describe the identification of G(1) to S phase transition protein 1 (GSPT1), which is associated with protein translation, as a regulator of ASK1. GSPT1 interacts with ASK1 and enhances ASK1-induced apoptotic activity through the activation of caspase-3. In vitro kinase assay data show that GSPT1 enhances ASK1 autophosphorylation and its kinase activity. Cell cycle-dependent GSPT1 induction and small interfering RNA analyses show that ASK1 autophosphorylation is dependent on the expression level of endogenous GSPT1 in cells. GSPT1 inhibits the binding of ASK1 to the 14-3-3 protein, an ASK1 inhibitor, while GSPT1 has no effect on the interaction between ASK1 and TRAF2, a C-terminal-binding activator of ASK1. Thus, our results reveal a novel role of GSPT1 in the regulation of ASK1-mediated apoptosis.     

GSTP1 affects chemoresistance against camptothecin in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) is known as a xenobiotic enzyme through conjugation of glutathione and also as an inhibitor of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). We intended to investigate whether GSTP1 affects chemoresistance against camptothecin in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Camptothecin induced GSTP1 expression. Downregulation of GSTP1 increased necrosis induced by camptothecin in A549 cells but not in PC-14 and RERF-LC-KJ cells. This phenomenon in A549 cells was hardly changed by JNK inhibitor SP600125 but was almost diminished by l-buthionine-sulfoximine. These results suggest that GSTP1 has protective effects against camptothecin-induced necrosis in subset of human lung adenocarcinoma through glutathione conjugation.     

MEKK1/MEKK4 are responsible for TRAIL-induced JNK/p38 phosphorylation

The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) depending on caspase and mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 activations. However, the upstream molecule of MAPKs has not yet been identified. The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1) and the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) are considered to be possible candidates for the action of MAPKKKs induced by TRAIL and the possibility of reactive oxygen species involvement has also been investigated. We found that MEKK1/MEKK4 as opposed to ASK1, are responsible for TRAIL-induced c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) or p38 activation, and that their catalytic activity is repressed by the caspase-8 inhibitor, suggesting that the caspase-8 activation induced by TRAIL is indispensible for MEKK activation. The 14-3-3 θ was also shown to interact with and to dissociate from MEKK1 by TRAIL treatment, thus implicating the 14-3-3 protein as a negative regulator of MEKK1 activation. Taken together, we show herein that the upstream molecule of the TRAIL-induced MAPK activation is MEKK, as opposed to ASK1, via the mediation of its signal through JNK/p38 in a caspase-8-dependent manner.     

Signal pathway of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha phosphorylation and its interaction with von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein during ischemia in MiaPaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells.

PURPOSE AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Previously, we observed that the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK1) is mediated through the activation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) as a result of the reactive oxygen species-mediated dissociation of glutaredoxin and thioredoxin from ASK1. In this study, we examined whether p38 MAPK and JNK1 are involved in the accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) during ischemia. Human pancreatic cancer MiaPaCa-2 cells were exposed to low glucose (0.1 mmol/L) with hypoxia (0.1% O(2)). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: During ischemia, p38 MAPK and JNK1 were activated in MiaPaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells. The activated p38 MAPK, but not JNK1, phosphorylated HIF-1alpha. Data from in vivo binding assay of von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein with HIF-1alpha suggests that the p38-mediated phosphorylation of HIF-1alpha contributed to the inhibition of HIF-1alpha and von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein interaction during ischemia. SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK, inhibited HIF-1alpha accumulation during ischemia, probably resulting from the ubiquitination and degradation of HIF-1alpha.     

Differential effects of glutathione S-transferase pi (GSTP1) haplotypes on cell proliferation and apoptosis

Expression of the glutathione S-transferase, GSTP1, is associated with phase 1 detoxification of the products of oxidative stress. Recently, GSTP1 expression has been implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis through direct interaction with the c-Jun N-terminal kinase, (JNK). GSTP1 is polymorphic and allelic variants have been associated with disease susceptibility and clinical outcome. However, the influence of GSTP1 alleles on proliferation and apoptosis has not been studied previously. To investigate this, we have examined the effects of inducible expression of wild-type GSTP1*A and mutant GSTP1*C haplotypes on cell proliferation and apoptosis in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Cells expressing GSTP1*A displayed increased doubling times and a delayed G1-S phase transition compared with cells expressing GSTP1*C. Both GSTP1*A and GSTP1*C haplotypes protected cells from undergoing apoptosis when exposed to oxidative stress. However, analysis of JNK status revealed that only GSTP1*C expression led to a reduction in JNK activity compared with GSTP1*A-expressing cells and non-induced cells. We further examined the effect of GSTP1 alleles on colony-forming efficiency (CFE) in soft agar following exposure to oxidative stress and found that GSTP1*A-expressing clones had increased CFE compared with non-induced and GSTP1*C-expressing clones. Our data suggest that GSTP1 alleles have differential effects on proliferation and apoptosis; GSTP1*A reduces cellular proliferation and protects against apoptosis through a JNK-independent mechanism. In contrast, GSTP1*C does not influence cellular proliferation but protects cells from apoptosis through JNK-mediated mechanisms.     

The mechanism of geranylgeraniol-induced apoptosis involves activation, by a caspase-3-like protease, of a c-jun N-terminal kinase signaling cascade and differs from mechanisms of apoptosis induced by conventional chemotherapeutic drugs

In the present study, we investigated the effects of geranylgeraniol (GGO), a potent inducer of apoptosis in various lines of human tumor cells, on signal transduction cascades involved in apoptosis in human leukemia cells. GGO strongly induced the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK/SAPK) within 2 h in U937 and K562 cells, while neither ERK nor p38 was activated to any considerable extent during GGO-induced apoptosis. Transient expression of a constitutively active mutant form of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1), deltaMEKK1, or of deltaMEKK1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) in K562 cells activated JNK, but not a caspase-3-like protease, and was insufficient to induce cell death but rendered cells susceptible to GGO-induced cell death. Stable expressions of deltaMEKK1-GFP in U937 cells gave similar results. In contrast to VP-16-induced apoptosis, GGO-induced activation of JNK was almost completely inhibited by benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-DEVD) and by benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-CH2OC[O]-2,6,-dichlorobenzene (Z-Asp), indicating that the JNK-activation step is located downstream of the caspase signaling pathway in GGO-induced apoptosis. Moreover, apoptosis induced by GGO was significantly inhibited in two lines of cells with a dominant-negative deletion mutation in c-Jun, indicating a requirement for JNK signaling. In addition, unlike the effects on other inducers of apoptosis, the activation of JNK and of the caspase-3-like protease by GGO was significantly delayed by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), suggesting that the site of inhibition by TPA might be located upstream of the protease and JNK in the GGO-induced apoptotic signaling pathway.     

Apoptosis caused by chemotherapeutic inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB activation

Both the protein kinase C (alpha/beta) inhibitor Go6976 and expression of dominant-negative nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB inhibitor kinase mutants: (a) blocked the growth and caused regression of a mammary tumor insyngeneic mice; (b) inhibited epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced activation, nuclear translocation, and DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB; and (c) caused apoptosis of EGF-stimulated cultured mammary tumor cells. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that these treatments reversed the expression changes of a subset of genes altered by EGF treatment. These included: up-regulation of proapoptotic genes of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway, death-associated protein (DAP) kinase, p53, and p21/Waf1; and down-regulation of inhibitors of apoptosis: inhibitor of apoptosis(IAP)-1 and X-IAP, TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF)-2, and factors OX40 and 4-1BB. These results and our previous studies suggest the practicality of a target-directed chemotherapy for EGF-responsive breast cancers, by blocking NF-kappaB activation and thereby reinstating apoptosis.     

Proapoptotic role of Hsp90 by its interaction with c-Jun N-terminal kinase in lipid rafts in edelfosine-mediated antileukemic therapy

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a survival signaling chaperone and a cancer chemotherapeutic target. However, we have found that inhibitors of Hsp90 diminished the apoptotic response induced in leukemic cells by the antitumor alkyl-lysophospholipid analog edelfosine, which acts through lipid raft reorganization. Edelfosine treatment recruited Hsp90, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and apoptotic molecules in lipid rafts, but not the JNK regulators apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and Daxx, or the survival signaling molecules extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt. Following edelfosine treatment, Hsp90 bound to JNK in lipid rafts and Hsp90-JNK clusters were identified at the plasma membrane by immunoelectron microscopy. Hsp90 inhibition reduced JNK protein level in lipid rafts and turned proapoptotic persistent JNK activation into a transient response in edelfosine-treated cells. Decrease in edelfosine-induced JNK activation and apoptosis by Hsp90 inhibition was prevented through proteasome inhibition, suggesting that Hsp90 inhibition diminishes apoptosis by promoting JNK protein degradation. Expression of ASK1 dominant negative mutant did not affect JNK activation and apoptosis following edelfosine treatment. These data indicate that lipid raft-recruited JNK is ASK1-independent and becomes a novel Hsp90 client protein. Our results reveal a new chaperoning role of Hsp90 on JNK-mediated apoptosis following its recruitment in lipid rafts.     

TRAF interactions with raft-like buoyant complexes, better than TRAF rates of degradation, differentiate signaling by CD40 and EBV latent membrane protein 1

The CD40 receptor and the Epstein-Barr virus oncoprotein LMP1 are both members of the TNF-receptor family and share several signaling mediators, including TRAF2 and TRAF3. Depending on the cell lineage and stage of maturation, LMP1 and CD40 can have synergistic, antagonist or unrelated effects. Previous publications have suggested that both TRAF2 and TRAF3 move into lipid rafts upon LMP1 expression or CD40 activation, whereas their proteolysis is only enhanced by CD40. However CD40-induced proteolysis of TRAF2 has only been reported in murine cells, and there are conflicting data regarding translocation of TRAF2 into lipid rafts. We therefore investigated TRAF2 and TRAF3 modifications induced by CD40 and LMP1 signaling in a panel of human cell lines of lymphoid and epithelial origins. Upon CD40 stimulation, a marked redistribution of TRAF2 into the buoyant raft fraction was observed in all cell lines and was often associated with a similar redistribution of TRAF3. In contrast, only TRAF3 was redistributed into the raft fraction upon LMP1 expression. Moreover parallel changes in subcellular distribution of TRAF2 and TRAF3 were recorded by electron microscopy. A significant decrease in TRAF2 and TRAF3 concentrations triggered by CD40 ligation was observed in only 1 cell line and there was no evidence that this decrease was required for the negative feed-back on JNK activation. TRAF2 redistribution into raft-like complexes thus appears as the most significant event distinctive of CD40 and LMP1 signaling. On the other hand, the parallel influence of CD40 and LMP1 on TRAF3 redistribution is consistent with functional similarities between the CD40-TRAF3 and LMP1-TRAF3 axes.     

Cyclic GMP mediates apoptosis induced by sulindac derivatives via activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1.

Sulindac sulfone (Exisulind) induces apoptosis and exhibits cancer chemopreventive activity, but in contrast to sulindac, it does not inhibit cyclooxygenases 1 or 2. We found that sulindac sulfone and two potent derivatives, CP248 and CP461, inhibited the cyclic GMP (cGMP) phosphodiesterases (PDE) 2 and 5 in human colon cells, and these compounds caused rapid and sustained activation of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1). Rapid activation of stress-activated protein/ERK kinase 1 (SEK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MEKK1), which are upstream of JNK1, was also observed. Other compounds that increase cellular levels of cGMP also activated JNK1, and an inhibitor of protein kinase G (PKG), Rp-8-pCPT-cGMPS, inhibited JNK1 activation by the sulindac sulfone derivatives. Expression of a dominant-negative JNK1 protein inhibited CP248-induced cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, a marker of apoptosis. Thus, it appears that sulindac sulfone and related compounds induce apoptosis, at least in part, through activation of PKG, which then activates the MEKK1-SEK1-JNK1 cascade. These studies also indicate a role for cGMP and PKG in the JNK pathway.     

Hsp90-Akt phosphorylates ASK1 and inhibits ASK1-mediated apoptosis

Hsp90 client protein Akt has been shown to inhibit cell apoptosis in part by inhibiting proapoptotic kinase ASK1 (apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1) activity. In the present study, we show that Hsp90 inhibits hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced ASK1-p38 activation in endothelial cells (EC). The inhibitory effect of Hsp90 on ASK1-p38 activities is diminished when the Akt phosphorylation site on ASK1 (pSer83) is absent or when Akt is genetically deleted in cells, suggesting that Hsp90 and Akt function together to inhibit ASK1-p38 signaling. Thus, inhibition of Hsp90 by 17-allyamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) LY294002 induced and synergized ASK1 activation and ASK1-mediated EC apoptosis. Furthermore, we show that in resting EC Hsp90, Akt and ASK1 form a ternary complex in which both Akt and ASK1 bind to the middle domain of Hsp90, suggesting that Hsp90 may hold Akt and ASK1 in close proximity. The N-terminal domain of ASK1 containing the Akt phosphorylation site (pSer83) associates with Akt in resting state. However, Akt is released from the N-terminal domain concomitant with binding to the C-terminal domain of ASK1 in response to ASK1 activator H(2)O(2), inhibitor of Hsp90 17-AAG and Akt inhibitor LY294002, leading to a more stable Hsp90-Akt-ASK1 complex. We conclude that Hsp90-Akt forms a complex with ASK1 and protect EC from stress-induced apoptosis.     

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus encoded vFLIP induces cellular IL-6 expression: the role of the NF-kappaB and JNK/AP1 pathways

The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes a FADD-like interferon converting enzyme or caspase 8 (FLICE) inhibitory protein (vFLIP) that prevents death receptor-mediated apoptosis by inhibiting the recruitment and activation of FLICE. Since vFLIP physically interacts with tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 2 (TRAF2) and TRAF2 mediates activation of the jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK)/activation protein 1 (AP1) pathway, we hypothesized that vFLIP might also activate this pathway. To evaluate this hypothesis, we transiently and stably transfected a vFLIP expression construct and performed several complementary assays to document that vFLIP activates the JNK/AP1 pathway and does so in a TRAF-dependent fashion. As vFLIP also activates the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway and the NF-kappaB and JNK/AP1 pathways both modulate cellular interleukin-6 (cIL-6) expression, we postulated that vFLIP induces expression of this cytokine. We show that vFLIP induces cIL-6 expression and activates the cIL-6 promoter, and maximal activation of the cIL-6 promoter by vFLIP requires NF-kappaB and AP1 activation. In addition, vFLIP and latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA), another KSHV-encoded latent protein, potentiate each other's ability to activate the cIL-6 promoter. Gene silencing experiments by RNA interference demonstrate that vFLIP in BCBL-1 endogenously infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells mediates JNK/AP1 activation and cIL-6 expression. Thus, we conclude that vFLIP, in addition to its known effects on NF-kappaB activation, also modulates the JNK/AP1 pathway and induces gene expression from the cIL-6 promoter in a JNK/AP1-dependent fashion.