Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B regulates TGFβ1-induced Smad2 activation through PI3 kinase-dependent pathway

IGF-1R modulation of acute GH-induced STAT5 signaling: role of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity

GH is a potent anabolic and metabolic factor that binds its cell surface receptor (GHR), activating the GHR-associated tyrosine kinase, Janus kinase 2, which phosphorylates and activates the latent transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). Some GH actions are mediated by the elaboration of IGF-1, which exerts effects by binding and activating the heterotetrameric tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor, IGF-1R. In addition to this GH-GHR-IGF-1-IGF-1R scheme, we have demonstrated in primary osteoblasts and in islet β-cells that then deletion or silencing of IGF-1R results in diminished GH-induced STAT5 phosphorylation, suggesting that the presence of IGF-1R may facilitate GH signaling. In this study, we explore potential roles for protein tyrosine phosphatase activity in modulating GH-induced signaling, comparing conditions in which IGF-1R is present or diminished. We confirm that in mouse primary osteoblasts harboring loxP sites flanking the IGF-1R gene, infection with an adenovirus that expresses the Cre recombinase results in IGF-1R deletion and diminished acute GH-induced STAT5 phosphorylation. Furthermore, we present a new model of IGF-1R silencing, in which expression of short hairpin RNA directed at IGF-1R greatly reduces IGF-1R abundance in LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. In both models, treatment with a chemical inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B), but not one of src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphotase-1 (SHP-1) and SHP-2, reverses the loss of GH-induced STAT5 phosphorylation in cells lacking IGF-1R but has no effect in cells with intact IGF-1R. Furthermore, expression of either a dominant-negative PTP-1B or the PTP-1B-interacting inhibitory protein, constitutive photomorphogenesis 1, also rescues acute GH-induced STAT5 signaling in IGF-1R-deficient cells but has no effect in IGF-1R replete cells. By expressing a substrate-trapping mutant PTP-1B, we demonstrate that tyrosine phosphorylated Janus kinase-2 is a PTP-1B substrate only in cells lacking IGF-1R. Collectively, our data suggest that IGF-1R positively regulates acute GH signaling by preventing access of PTP-1B activity to Janus kinase 2 and thereby preventing PTP-1B-mediated suppression of GH-induced STAT5 activation.

Selenate enhances STAT3 transcriptional activity in endothelial cells: differential actions of selenate and selenite on LIF cytokine signaling and cell viability

Sodium selenate may have utility in treating Alzheimer's disease and diabetes; however, its impact on the associated proinflammatory cytokine signaling of endothelial cells has not been investigated. We report that treatment of human microvascular endothelial cells with sodium selenate at a pharmacological dose (100 μM) enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of nuclear STAT3 on Y705 in response to IL-6-type cytokine, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), indicative of enhanced STAT3 activity. Accordingly, STAT3 nuclear binding to DNA was increased, as well as LIF-induced gene expression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2). CCL2 plays a key role in inflammatory processes associated with neuronal degenerative and vascular diseases. The enhancing action of selenate on LIF-induced STAT3 Y705 phosphorylation was replicated by vanadate and a specific inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 1 (PTP1B). Moreover, we observed that selenite, the cellular reduction bioproduct of selenate but not selenate itself, inhibited enzymatic activity of human recombinant PTP1B. Our findings support the conclusion that in human microvascular endothelial cells selenate has a vanadate-like effect in inhibiting PTP1B and enhancing proinflammatory STAT3 activation. These findings raise the possibility that beneficial actions of supranutritional levels of selenate for treating Alzheimer's and diabetes may be offset by a proinflammatory action on endothelial cells.

Activation of protein serine/threonine phosphatase PP2Cα efficiently prevents liver fibrosis

Background

Over-activation of TGFβ signaling pathway and uncontrolled cell proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play pivotal roles in liver fibrogenesis, while the protein serine/threonine phosphatase PP2Cα was reported to negatively regulate TGFβ signaling pathway and cell cycle. Our study aimed to investigate the role of PP2Cα in liver fibrogenesis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The effects of PP2Cα activation on liver fibrosis were investigated in human HSCs and primary rat HSCs in vitro using western blotting, real-time PCR, nuclear translocation, cell viability and cell cycle analyses. The antifibrogenic effects in carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)- and bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced mice in vivo were assessed using biochemical, histological and immunohistochemical analyses. The results demonstrated that activation of PP2Cα by overexpression or the new discovered small molecular activator NPLC0393 terminated TGFβ-Smad3 and TGFβ-p38 signaling pathways, induced cell cycle arrest in HSCs and decreased α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, collagen deposition and hepatic hydroxyproline (HYP) level in CCl₄- and BDL-induced mice.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings suggested that PP2Cα activation might be an attractive new strategy for treating liver fibrosis while the small molecular activator NPLC0393 might represent a lead compound for antifibrogenic drug development. Moreover, our study might provide the first evidence for the role of PP2C family members in the fibrotic disease.

Review Article: High-Content Screening: A Decade of Evolution

In the past decade, high-content screening has become a highly developed approach to obtaining richly descriptive quantitative phenotypic data using automated microscopy. From early use in drug screening, the technique has evolved to embrace a diverse range of applications in both academic and industrial sectors and is now widely recognized as providing an efficient and effective approach to large-scale programs investigating cell biology in situ and in context.

'Vive la Résistance!'--the PI3K-Akt pathway can determine target sensitivity to regulatory T cell suppression

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells have emerged as important regulators of immune responses but the mechanisms through which Treg cells mediate suppression are still unclear. Recently, several studies have identified murine models of spontaneous autoimmunity or genetically engineered mice in which the Treg cells function normally but the CD4+CD25- T effector (Teff) cells are resistant to Treg-mediated suppression. Here, we postulate that the activation status of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway in Teff cells is a primary determinant of Teff cell sensitivity to Treg cell-mediated suppression, and that when the PI3K-Akt pathway is hyperactivated in Teff cells, these cells are resistant to Treg cell-mediated suppression. We further postulate that this paradigm can mechanistically link abnormalities in the PI3K-Akt pathway to the development of autoimmunity.

Hyrtiosal, a PTP1B Inhibitor from the Marine SpongeHyrtios erectus, Shows Extensive Cellular Effects on PI3K/AKT Activation, Glucose Transport, and TGFβ/Smad2 Signaling

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) negatively regulates insulin signaling, and PTP1B inhibitors have been seen as promising therapeutic agents against obesity and type 2 diabetes. Here we report that the marine natural product hyrtiosal, from the marine sponge Hyrtios erectus, has been discovered to act as a PTP1B inhibitor and to show extensive cellular effects on PI3K/AKT activation, glucose transport, and TGFbeta/Smad2 signaling. This inhibitor wad able to inhibit PTP1B activity in dose-dependent fashion, with an IC(50) value of 42 microM in a noncompetitive inhibition mode. Further study with an IN Cell Analyzer 1000 cellular fluorescence imaging instrument showed that hyrtiosal displayed potent activity in abolishing the retardation of AKT membrane translocation caused by PTP1B overexpression in CHO cells. Moreover, it was found that this newly identified PTP1B inhibitor could dramatically enhance the membrane translocation of the key glucose transporter Glut4 in PTP1B-overexpressed CHO cells. Additionally, in view of our recent finding that PTP1B was able to modulate insulin-mediated inhibition of Smad2 activation, hyrtiosal was also tested for its capabilities in the regulation of Smad2 activity through the PI3K/AKT pathway. The results showed that hyrtiosal could effectively facilitate insulin inhibition of Smad2 activation. Our current study is expected to supply new clues for the discovery of PTP1B inhibitors from marine natural products, while the newly identified PTP1B inhibitor hyrtiosal might serve as a potential lead compound for further research.