Phosphorylation of transcription factors

Phosphorylation of Microglial IRF5 and IRF4 by IRAK4 Regulates Inflammatory Responses to Ischemia

Background: Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF) 5 and 4 play a determinant role in regulating microglial pro- and anti-inflammatory responses to cerebral ischemia. How microglial IRF5 and IRF4 signaling are activated has been elusive. We hypothesized that interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) phosphorylates and activates IRF5 and IRF4 in ischemic microglia. We aimed to explore the upstream signals of the two IRFs, and to determine how the IRAK4-IRF signaling regulates the expression of inflammatory mediators, and impacts neuropathology. Methods: Spontaneously Immortalized Murine (SIM)-A9 microglial cell line, primary microglia and neurons from C57BL/6 WT mice were cultured and exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), followed by stimulation with LPS or IL-4. An IRAK4 inhibitor (ND2158) was used to examine IRAK4′s effects on the phosphorylation of IRF5/IRF4 and the impacts on neuronal morphology by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP)/Western blot, ELISA, and immunofluorescence assays. Results: We confirmed that IRAK4 formed a Myddosome with MyD88/IRF5/IRF4, and phosphorylated both IRFs, which subsequently translocated into the nucleus. Inhibition of IRAK4 phosphorylation quenched microglial pro-inflammatory response primarily, and increased neuronal viability and neurite lengths after ischemia. Conclusions: IRAK4 signaling is critical for microglial inflammatory responses and a potential therapeutic target for neuroinflammatory diseases including cerebral ischemia.

Cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation of human CDC5 regulates RNA processing

CDC5 proteins are components of the pre-mRNA splicing complex and essential for cell cycle progression in yeast, plants and mammals. Human CDC5 is phosphorylated in a mitogen-dependent manner, and its association with the spliceosome is ATP-dependent. Examination of the amino acid sequence suggests that CDC5L may be phosphorylated at up to 28 potential consensus recognition sequences for known kinases, however, the identity of actual phosphorylation sites, their role in regulating CDC5L activity, and the kinases responsible for their phosphorylation have not previously been determined. Using two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping and nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry, we now show that CDC5L is phosphorylated on at least nine sites in vivo. We demonstrate that while CDC5L is capable of forming homodimers in vitro and in vivo, neither homodimerization nor nuclear localization is dependent on phosphorylation at these sites. Using an in vitro splicing assay, we show that phosphorylation of CDC5L at threonines 411 and 438 within recognition sequences for CDKs are required for CDC5L-mediated pre-mRNA splicing. We also demonstrate that a specific inhibitor of CDK2, CVT-313, inhibits CDC5L phosphorylation in both in vitro kinase assays and in vivo radiolabeling experiments in cycling cells. These studies represent the first demonstration of a regulatory role for phosphorylation of CDC5L, and suggest that targeting these sites or the implicated kinases may provide novel strategies for treating disorders of unguarded cellular proliferation, such as cancer.

Phosphorylation of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase: experience with a GST-fusion protein and a new pull-down assay

We showed recently that human O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), a key target for enhancing the efficacy of anticancer alkylating agents, is regulated by phosphorylation in brain tumor cells. This report describes the problems we encountered in using a glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged AGT as the substrate in our search for cellular AGT kinases, validation of a new pull-down assay for AGT phosphorylation, and its wide applicability for quantitating protein kinases in crude extracts and purified fractions. The GST-tag present in the fusion protein, by itself, was found to undergo significant phosphorylation by tumor cell extracts and contribute to spurious results. Instead, we used a histidine-tagged AGT protein, and its micro-scale purification with Talon resin as the basis for a quantitative pull-down assay, and applied it for measuring AGT phosphorylation by protein kinase C (PKC) and other cellular kinases. The pull-down procedure can be easily adopted for quantitating protein kinases in a variety of settings, as it overcomes the need for substrate immunoprecipitation when whole cell extracts are used, and eliminates the autophosphorylated kinase proteins, when purified kinases are used. Our observations call for caution in interpreting the results with GST-fusion proteins in phosphorylation studies.

Stress-activated protein kinases are negatively regulated by cell density

Stimulation by UV irradiation, TNFalpha, as well as PDGF or EGF activates the JNK/SAPK signalling pathway in mouse fibroblasts. This results in the phosphorylation of the N-terminal domain of c-Jun, increasing its transactivation potency. Using an antibody that specifically recognizes c-Jun phosphorylated at Ser63, we show that culture confluency drastically inhibited c-Jun N-terminal phosphorylation due to the inhibition of the JNK/SAPK pathway. Transfection experiments demonstrate that the inhibition occurs at the same level as, or upstream of, the small G-proteins cdc42 and Rac1. In contrast, the classical MAPK pathway was insensitive to confluency. The inhibition of JNK/SAPK activation depended on the integrity of the actin microfilament network. These results were confirmed and extended in monolayer wounding experiments. After PDGF, EGF or UV stimulation, c-Jun was predominantly phosphorylated in cells bordering the wound, which are the cells that move to occupy the wounded area. Thus, modulation of the stress-dependent signal cascade by confluency will restrict c-Jun N-terminal phosphorylation in response to mitogenic or chemotactic agents to cells that border a wounded area.

Preferential activation of the p46 isoform of JNK/SAPK in mouse macrophages by TNF alpha

A pleiotropic cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), regulates the expression of multiple macrophage gene products and thus contributes a key role in host defense. In this study, we have investigated the specificity and mechanism of activation of members of the c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) subfamily of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in mouse macrophages in response to stimulation with TNF alpha. Exposure of macrophages to TNF alpha stimulated a preferential increase in catalytic activity of the p46 JNK/SAPK isoform compared with the p54 JNK/SAPK isoform as determined by: (i) separation of p46 and p54 JNK/SAPKs by anion exchange liquid chromatography and (ii) selective immunodepletion of the p46 JNK/SAPK from macrophage lysates. To investigate the level of regulation of p46 JNK/SAPK activation, we determined the ability of MKK4/SEK1/JNKK, an upstream regulator of JNK/SAPKs, to phosphorylate recombinant kinase-inactive p46 and p54 JNK/SAPKs. Endogenous MKK4 was able to transphosphorylate both isoforms. In addition, both the p46 and p54 JNK/SAPK isoforms were phosphorylated on their TPY motif in response to TNF alpha stimulation as reflected by immunoblotting with a phospho-specific antibody that recognizes both kinases. Collectively, these results suggest that the level of control of p46 JNK/SAPK activation is distal not only to MKK4 but also to the p54 JNK/SAPK. Preferential isoform activation within the JNK/SAPK subfamily of MAPKs may be an important mechanism through which TNF alpha regulates macrophage phenotypic heterogeneity and differentiation.

Ligation of membrane IgM stimulates a novel c-Jun amino-terminal domain kinase activity in Daudi human B cells

Stress-activated protein kinases (SAPK; also known as JNK for c-Jun N-terminal kinase) phosphorylate Ser63 and Ser73 in the amino-terminus of the c-Jun protein and potentiate its transcriptional activity. We have analysed phosphorylation of GST fusion proteins containing the c-Jun N-terminal domain by lysates of Daudi human B lymphoblastoid cells stimulated with medium or anti-IgM. Crosslinking membrane IgM (mIgM) results in an increase in phosphorylation of GST-c-Jun (5-89) in an antibody dose-dependent manner. The kinase activity specifically phosphorylates the c-Jun N-terminal domain since it does not phosphorylate GST or GST-JunB. The activity preferentially phosphorylates the substrate that contains the sites for in vivo phosphorylation by SAPK/JNK and requires the delta domain of c-Jun, which is also required for SAPK/JNK activity. However, the c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity induced by mIgM ligation is not precipitatable with anti-SAPK/JNK antibodies. In addition, unlike SAPK/JNKs, the mIgM-dependent c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity is not detectable in assays for renaturable kinase activity (in-gel assay) or in assays that test activities that bind to c-Jun (solid-phase assay). The increased phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal domain in response to mIgM ligation is unlikely to be due to mIgM-activated ERKs as it was not suppressed by a selective MEK inhibitor. Thus, the mIgM-induced activity is distinct from the known SAPK/JNKs and may represent a novel mechanism for c-Jun phosphorylation in response to mIgM engagement in human B cells.