Cellular and viral Fos proteins are degraded by different proteolytic systems

Regulation of TRIB1 abundance in hepatocyte models in response to proteasome inhibition

Tribbles related homolog 1 (TRIB1) contributes to lipid and glucose homeostasis by facilitating the degradation of cognate cargos by the proteasome. In view of the key metabolic role of TRIB1 and the impact of proteasome inhibition on hepatic function, we continue our exploration of TRIB1 regulation in two commonly used human hepatocyte models, transformed cell lines HuH-7 and HepG2. In both models, proteasome inhibitors potently upregulated both endogenous and recombinant TRIB1 mRNA and protein levels. Increased transcript abundance was unaffected by MAPK inhibitors while ER stress was a weaker inducer. Suppressing proteasome function via PSMB3 silencing was sufficient to increase TRIB1 mRNA expression. ATF3 was required to sustain basal TRIB1 expression and support maximal induction. Despite increasing TRIB1 protein abundance and stabilizing bulk ubiquitylation, proteasome inhibition delayed but did not prevent TRIB1 loss upon translation block. Immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that TRIB1 was not ubiquitylated in response to proteasome inhibition. A control bona fide proteasome substrate revealed that high doses of proteasome inhibitors resulted in incomplete proteasome inhibition. Cytoplasm retained TRIB1 was unstable, suggesting that TRIB1 lability is regulated prior to its nuclear import. N-terminal deletion and substitutions were insufficient to stabilize TRIB1. These findings identify transcriptional regulation as a prominent mechanism increasing TRIB1 abundance in transformed hepatocyte cell lines in response to proteasome inhibition and provide evidence of an inhibitor resistant proteasome activity responsible for TRIB1 degradation.

Specific and Fuzzy Interactions Cooperate in Modulating Protein Half-Life

Protein degradation is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis. The 20S proteasome is selective for unfolded, extended polypeptide chains without ubiquitin tags. Sequestration of such segments by protein partners, however, may provide a regulatory mechanism. Here we used the AP-1 complex to study how c-Fos turnover is controlled by interactions with c-Jun. We show that heterodimerization with c-Jun increases c-Fos half-life. Mutations affecting specific contact sites (L165V, L172V) or charge separation (E175D, E189D, K190R) with c-Jun both modulate c-Fos turnover, proportionally to their impact on binding affinity. The fuzzy tail beyond the structured b-HLH/ZIP domain (~165 residues) also contributes to the stabilization of the AP-1 complex, removal of which decreases c-Fos half-life. Thus, protein turnover by 20S proteasome is fine-tuned by both specific and fuzzy interactions, consistently with the previously proposed "nanny" model.

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand-induced nuclear factor of activated T cells (C1) autoregulates its own expression in osteoclasts and mediates the up-regulation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase

Osteoclasts are large multinucleated, bone-resorbing cells derived from hematopoietic precursors in response to receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL). RANKL activates a number of signal transduction pathways, which stimulate, in turn, a series of specific transcription factors that initiate the process of osteoclastogenesis. Perhaps the most important of these is nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), a DNA-binding protein that upon activation translocates to the nucleus where it stimulates transcription. The objective of this study was to explore the process whereby RANKL induces NFATc1 and to assess the role of this factor in the activation of an additional key osteoclast target gene. We found that whereas several NFAT members are expressed in RAW264.7 cells, soluble RANKL-induced up-regulation is limited to NFATc1 through a mechanism that is largely autoregulatory. Thus, although we observed the presence of resident NFAT members at the inducible Nfatc1 P1 promoter at very early times after RANKL treatment, a selective and time-dependent increase in the binding of up-regulated NFATc1 to Nfatc1 was observed beginning at 12 h. Several additional factors that are activated by soluble RANKL and also participate in NFATc1 up-regulation include c-Fos and RNA polymerase II. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis also revealed a similar, time-dependent accumulation of NFATc1 at multiple sites on the Acp5 promoter, thereby highlighting a central contributing role for NFATc1 in the activation of this gene as well. Our studies provide additional molecular detail regarding the mechanisms through which RANKL induces NFATc1 in osteoclast precursors and into mechanisms by which NFATc1 induces the expression of at least one gene responsible for the osteoclast phenotype.

N-Terminal c-Fos tyrosine phosphorylation regulates c-Fos/ER association and c-Fos-dependent phospholipid synthesis activation

c-Fos dephosphorylated on tyrosine (c-Fos), a component of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) family of transcription factors, is expressed at very low levels in resting cells. However, its expression is rapidly upregulated in cells undergoing G(0) to S phase transition leading to AP-1-dependent gene transcription responses. In addition, cytoplasmic c-Fos associates to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and activates phospholipid synthesis during cell growth and differentiation. Herein, it is shown that in T98G cells, c-Fos/ER association and consequently phospholipid synthesis activation is regulated by the phosphorylated state of c-Fos tyrosine (tyr) residues. The small amount of c-Fos present in quiescent T98G cells is tyr-phosphorylated and not ER-membrane bound. In growing cells, it is dephosphorylated, associated to ER membranes and promotes phospholipid synthesis activation. Impairing tyr-dephosphorylation abrogates phospholipid synthesis activation and reduces proliferation rates to those of quiescent cells. Substitution of tyr residues 10, 30, 106 and 337 evidence tyr 10 and 30 as relevant for this regulatory phenomenon. It is concluded that phosphorylation of tyr residues 10 and 30 of c-Fos regulate the rate of synthesis of phospholipids by regulating c-Fos/ER association.

Viral mutations enhance the Max binding properties of the vMyc b-HLH-LZ domain

Interaction with Max via the helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper (HLH-LZ) domain is essential for Myc to function as a transcription factor. Myc is commonly upregulated in tumours, however, its activity can also be potentiated by virally derived mutations. vMyc, derived from the virus, MC29 gag-Myc, differs from its cellular counterpart by five amino acids. The N-terminal mutation stabilizes the protein, however, the significance of the other mutations is not known. We now show that vMyc can sustain longer deletions in the LZ domain than cMyc before complete loss in transforming activity, implicating the viral mutations in contributing to Myc:Max complex formation. We confirmed this both in vitro and in vivo, with loss of Max binding correlating with a loss in the biological activity of Myc. A specific viral mutation, isoleucine383>leucine (I383>L) in helix 2 of the HLH domain, extends the LZ domain from four to five heptad repeats. Significantly, introduction of I383>L into a Myc mutant that is defective for Max binding substantially restored its ability to complex with Max in vitro and in vivo. We therefore propose that this virally derived mutation is functional by significantly contributing to establishing a more hydrophobic interface between the LZs of Myc and Max.

Cytoplasmic-to-nuclear volume ratio affects AP-1 complex formation as an indicator of cell cycle responsiveness

Cytoplasmic volume undergoes a series of changes during mitosis in eukaryotes; in turn, signaling events such as osmotic stress can regulate the cytoplasmic volume in cells. In some organisms, increase in cytoplasmic-to-nuclear volume ratio was seen to affect the growth potential in cells, however, the mechanistics of such a regulation, if at all present, was unclear. In a computational model, we have constructed a growth factor-induced signaling pathway leading to AP-1 heterodimer formation through transcriptional regulation, and analyzed the effects of increasing the cytoplasmic-to-nuclear ratio on c-jun transcription and AP-1 complex. We have observed that larger cytoplasmic volumes caused both an increase in the final AP-1 product and a delay in the time of AP-1 accumulation.

c-Fos phosphorylation induced by H2O2 prevents proteasomal degradation of c-Fos in cardiomyocytes

Oxidants cause activation of the AP-1 transcription factor in cardiomyocytes. c-Fos, a component of the AP-1 transcription factor, is transiently induced by H2O2 and the induction is sensitive to the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. With high percentage gel electrophoresis, multiple c-Fos bands were resolved by Western blot analyses, indicating post-translational modification of newly synthesized c-Fos protein after H2O2 exposure. Treatment of immunoprecipitated c-Fos protein with the type 2 serine/threonine phosphatase A (PP2A) and immunoblotting of c-Fos protein with antibodies against phosphorylated serine or threonine demonstrated that c-Fos was phosphorylated at serine residues. A pharmacological inhibitor of JNKs inhibited the formation of multiple c-Fos bands without affecting c-fos transcription. The proteasomal inhibitor MG132 and Proteasome Inhibitor I extended the time course of c-Fos protein elevation. An increase in ubiquitin was detectable in c-Fos protein from H2O2-treated cells. Interestingly, treating the whole cell lysates with PP2A, but not calcineurin (i.e. PP2B), resulted in disappearance of c-Fos protein and MG132 was able to prevent this loss. H2O2 caused an elevation of PP2B and total phosphatase activity. The phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, but not PP2B inhibiter cypermethrin, extended the time course of c-Fos protein elevation after H2O2 exposure. These data suggest that JNK-mediated phosphorylation of newly synthesized c-Fos protects the protein from being degraded by the proteasome. PP2B independent dephosphorylation contributes to degradation of c-Fos protein during oxidative stress response of cardiomyocytes.

Multiple degradation pathways for Fos family proteins

c-Fos protooncoprotein is a short-lived transcription factor with oncogenic potential. It is massively degraded by the proteasome in vivo under various experimental conditions. Those include consititutive expression in exponentially growing cells and transient induction in cells undergoing the G0/G1 phase transition upon stimulation by serum. Though there is evidence that c-Fos can be ubiquitinylated in vitro, the unambigous demonstration that prior ubiquitinylation is necessary for degradation by the proteasome in vivo is still lacking. c-Jun, one of the main dimerization partners of c-Fos within the AP-1 transcription complex, is also an unstable protein. Its degradation is clearly proteasome dependent. However, several lines of evidence indicate that the mechanisms by which it addresses the proteasome are different from those operating on c-Fos. Moreover, genetic analysis has indicated that c-Fos is addressed to the proteasome via pathways that differ depending on the conditions of expression. c-Fos has been transduced by two murine osteosarcomatogenic retroviruses in mutated forms, which are more stable and more oncogenic. The stabilization is not simply accounted for by simple deletion of one of the main c-Fos destabilizers but, rather, by a complex balance between opposing destabilizing and stabilizing mutations. However, although viral Fos proteins have acquired full resistance to proteasomal degradation, stabilization is limited because the mutations they have accumulated, during or after c-fos gene transduction, confer sensitivity to an unidentified proteolytic system(s). This observation is consistent with the idea that fos-expressing viruses have evolved expression machineries to ensure controlled protein levels in order to maintain an optimal balance between prooncogenic and proapoptotic activities of v-Fos proteins.

Identification of a C-terminal tripeptide motif involved in the control of rapid proteasomal degradation of c-Fos proto-oncoprotein during the G(0)-to-S phase transition

c-Fos proto-oncoprotein is rapidly and transiently expressed in cells undergoing the G(0)-to-S phase transition in response to stimulation for growth by serum. Under these conditions, the rapid decay of the protein occurring after induction is accounted for by efficient recognition and degradation by the proteasome. PEST motifs are sequences rich in Pro, Glu, Asp, Ser and Thr which have been proposed to constitute protein instability determinants. c-Fos contains three such motifs, one of which comprises the C-terminal 20 amino acids and has already been proposed to be the major determinant of c-Fos instability. Using site-directed mutagenesis and an expression system reproducing c-fos gene transient expression in transfected cells, we have analysed the turnover of c-Fos mutants deleted of the various PEST sequences in synchronized mouse embryo fibroblasts. Our data showed no role for the two internal PEST motifs in c-Fos instability. However, deletion of the C-terminal PEST region led to only a twofold stabilization of the protein. Taken together, these data indicate that c-Fos instability during the G0-to-S phase transition is governed by a major non-PEST destabilizer and a C-terminal degradation-accelerating element. Further dissection of c-Fos C-terminal region showed that the degradation-accelerating effect is not contributed by the whole PEST sequence but by a short PTL tripeptide which cannot be considered as a PEST motif and which can act in the absence of any PEST environment. Interestingly, the PTL motif is conserved in other members of the fos multigene family. Nevertheless, its contribution to protein instability is restricted to c-Fos suggesting that the mechanisms whereby the various Fos proteins are broken down are, at least partially, different. MAP kinases-mediated phosphorylation of two serines close to PTL, which are both phosphorylated all over the G(0)-to-S phase transition, have been proposed by others to stabilize c-Fos protein significantly. We, however, showed that the PTL motif does not exert its effect by counteracting a stabilizing effect of these phosphorylations under our experimental conditions.

Degradation of cellular and viral Fos proteins

c-Fos proto-oncoprotein is a short-lived transcription factor with oncogenic potential. We have shown that it is massively degraded by the proteasome in vivo under various experimental conditions. Other proteolytic systems including lysosomes and calpains, might, however, also marginally operate on it. Although there is evidence that c-Fos can be ubiquitinylated in vitro, the unambiguous demonstration that ubiquitinylation is necessary for its addressing to the proteasome in vivo is still lacking. c-Jun, one of the main dimerization partners of c-Fos within the AP-1 transcription complex, is also an unstable protein. Its degradation is clearly proteasome- and ubiquitin-dependent in vivo. Interestingly, several lines of evidence indicate that the addressing of c-Fos and c-Jun to the proteasome is, at least in part, governed by different mechanisms. c-Fos has been transduced by two murine osteosarcomatogenic retroviruses under mutated forms which are more stable and more oncogenic. The stabilization is not simply accounted for by simple deletion of c-Fos main destabilizer but, rather, by a complex balance between opposing destabilizing and stabilizing mutations. Though mutations in viral Fos proteins confer full resistance to proteasomal degradation, stabilization is limited because mutations also entail sensitivity to an unidentified proteolytic system. This observation is consistent with the idea that Fos-expressing viruses have evolved to ensure control protein levels to avoid high protein accumulation-linked apoptosis. In conclusion, the unveiling of the complex mechanism network responsible for the degradation of AP-1 family members is still at its beginning and a number of issues regarding the regulation of this process and the addressing to the proteasome are still unresolved.