SUMO-1 modification of the C-terminal KVEKVD of Axin is required for JNK activation but has no effect on Wnt signaling

The scaffold protein AXIN1: gene ontology, signal network, and physiological function

AXIN1, has been initially identified as a prominent antagonist within the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway, and subsequently unveiled its integral involvement across a diverse spectrum of signaling cascades. These encompass the WNT/β-catenin, Hippo, TGFβ, AMPK, mTOR, MAPK, and antioxidant signaling pathways. The versatile engagement of AXIN1 underscores its pivotal role in the modulation of developmental biological signaling, maintenance of metabolic homeostasis, and coordination of cellular stress responses. The multifaceted functionalities of AXIN1 render it as a compelling candidate for targeted intervention in the realms of degenerative pathologies, systemic metabolic disorders, cancer therapeutics, and anti-aging strategies. This review provides an intricate exploration of the mechanisms governing mammalian AXIN1 gene expression and protein turnover since its initial discovery, while also elucidating its significance in the regulation of signaling pathways, tissue development, and carcinogenesis. Furthermore, we have introduced the innovative concept of the AXIN1-Associated Phosphokinase Complex (AAPC), where the scaffold protein AXIN1 assumes a pivotal role in orchestrating site-specific phosphorylation modifications through interactions with various phosphokinases and their respective substrates.

Regulation of SUMOylation Targets Associated With Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a delicate and complex signal transduction pathway mediated by multiple signaling molecules, which plays a significant role in regulating human physiology and pathology. Abnormally activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a crucial role in promoting malignant tumor occurrence, development, recurrence, and metastasis, particularly in cancer stem cells. Studies have shown that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway controls cell fate and function through the transcriptional and post-translational regulation of omics networks. Therefore, precise regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling as a cancer-targeting strategy may contribute to the treatment of some malignancies. SUMOylation is a post-translational modification of proteins that has been found to play a major role in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Here, we review the complex regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by SUMOylation and discuss the potential targets of SUMOylation therapy.

Axin Family of Scaffolding Proteins in Development: Lessons from C. elegans

Scaffold proteins serve important roles in cellular signaling by integrating inputs from multiple signaling molecules to regulate downstream effectors that, in turn, carry out specific biological functions. One such protein, Axin, represents a major evolutionarily conserved scaffold protein in metazoans that participates in the WNT pathway and other pathways to regulate diverse cellular processes. This review summarizes the vast amount of literature on the regulation and functions of the Axin family of genes in eukaryotes, with a specific focus on Caenorhabditis elegans development. By combining early studies with recent findings, the review is aimed to serve as an updated reference for the roles of Axin in C. elegans and other model systems.

Integrative analysis of vascular endothelial cell genomic features identifies AIDA as a coronary artery disease candidate gene

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of loci associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and blood pressure (BP) or hypertension. Many of these loci are not linked to traditional risk factors, nor do they include obvious candidate genes, complicating their functional characterization. We hypothesize that many GWAS loci associated with vascular diseases modulate endothelial functions. Endothelial cells play critical roles in regulating vascular homeostasis, such as roles in forming a selective barrier, inflammation, hemostasis, and vascular tone, and endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of atherosclerosis and hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we generate an integrated map of gene expression, open chromatin region, and 3D interactions in resting and TNFα-treated human endothelial cells.

RESULTS

We show that genetic variants associated with CAD and BP are enriched in open chromatin regions identified in endothelial cells. We identify physical loops by Hi-C and link open chromatin peaks that include CAD or BP SNPs with the promoters of genes expressed in endothelial cells. This analysis highlights 991 combinations of open chromatin regions and gene promoters that map to 38 CAD and 92 BP GWAS loci. We validate one CAD locus, by engineering a deletion of the TNFα-sensitive regulatory element using CRISPR/Cas9 and measure the effect on the expression of the novel CAD candidate gene AIDA.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data support an important role played by genetic variants acting in the vascular endothelium to modulate inter-individual risk in CAD and hypertension.

The carboxy-terminus, a key regulator of protein function

All proteins end with a carboxyl terminus that has unique biophysical properties and is often disordered. Although there are examples of important C-termini functions, a more global role for the C-terminus is not yet established. In this review, we summarize research on C-termini, a unique region in proteins that cells exploit. Alternative splicing and proteolysis increase the diversity of proteins and peptides in cells with unique C-termini. The C-termini of proteins contain minimotifs, short peptides with an encoded function generally characterized as binding, posttranslational modifications, and trafficking. Many of these activities are specific to minimotifs on the C-terminus. Approximately 13% of C-termini in the human proteome have a known minimotif, and the majority, if not all of the remaining termini have conserved motifs inferring a function that remains to be discovered. C-termini, their predictions, and their functions are collated in the C-terminome, Proteus, and Terminus Oriented Protein Function INferred Database (TopFIND) database/web systems. Many C-termini are well conserved, and some have a known role in health and disease. We envision that this summary of C-termini will guide future investigation of their biochemical and physiological significance.

Axin phosphorylation in both Wnt-off and Wnt-on states requires the tumor suppressor APC

The aberrant activation of Wnt signal transduction initiates the development of 90% of colorectal cancers, the majority of which arise from inactivation of the tumor suppressor Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). In the classical model for Wnt signaling, the primary role of APC is to act, together with the concentration-limiting scaffold protein Axin, in a “destruction complex” that directs the phosphorylation and consequent proteasomal degradation of the transcriptional activator β-catenin, thereby preventing signaling in the Wnt-off state. Following Wnt stimulation, Axin is recruited to a multiprotein “signalosome” required for pathway activation. Whereas it is well-documented that APC is essential in the destruction complex, APC’s role in this complex remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate in Drosophila that Axin exists in two distinct phosphorylation states in Wnt-off and Wnt-on conditions, respectively, that underlie its roles in the destruction complex and signalosome. These two Axin phosphorylation states are catalyzed by glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), and unexpectedly, completely dependent on APC in both unstimulated and Wnt-stimulated conditions. In a major revision of the classical model, we show that APC is essential not only in the destruction complex, but also for the rapid transition in Axin that occurs after Wnt stimulation and Axin’s subsequent association with the Wnt co-receptor LRP6/Arrow, one of the earliest steps in pathway activation. We propose that this novel requirement for APC in Axin regulation through phosphorylation both prevents signaling in the Wnt-off state and promotes signaling immediately following Wnt stimulation.

The Wnt signal transduction pathway directs fundamental cellular processes during development and in homeostasis. Wnt signaling is deregulated in 90% of colorectal cancers, most of which are triggered by inactivation of the tumor suppressor Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). In the classical model, APC’s sole role in Wnt signaling is to target the transcriptional coactivator β-catenin for phosphorylation and subsequent degradation, and thereby to inhibit signaling in the unstimulated state. However, the mechanisms by which APC functions remain unknown. Herein, we provide evidence in Drosophila that supports a major role for APC in the direct regulation of the scaffold protein Axin in both Wnt-on and Wnt-off conditions. Our results indicate that APC promotes Axin phosphorylation, which is required not only to inhibit signaling in the unstimulated state, but also to activate signaling following Wnt stimulation. These unanticipated findings support a more active and multifaceted role for APC in Wnt signaling than previously known, and force revision of the current model for APC function.

SUMO E3 Ligase PIASy Mediates High Glucose-Induced Activation of NF-κB Inflammatory Signaling in Rat Mesangial Cells

Background

Sumoylation is extensively involved in the regulation of NF-κB signaling. PIASy, as a SUMO E3 ligase, has been proved to mediate sumoylation of IκB kinase γ (IKKγ) and contribute to the activation of NF-κB under genotoxic agent stimulation. However, the association of PIASy and NF-κB signaling in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) has not been defined.

Methods

Rat glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) were stimulated by high glucose; siRNA was constructed to silence the expression of PIASy; the expression of PIASy, SUMO isoforms (SUMO1, SUMO2/3), and NF-κB signaling components was analyzed by Western blot; the interaction between IKKγ and SUMO proteins was detected by coimmunoprecipitation; and the release of inflammatory cytokines MCP-1 and IL-6 was assayed by ELISA.

Results

High glucose significantly upregulated the expression of PIASy, SUMO1, and SUMO2/3 in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P < 0.05), induced the phosphorylation and sumoylation of IKKγ (P < 0.05), and then triggered NF-κB signaling whereas MCP-1 and IL-6 were released from GMCs (P < 0.05). Moreover, these high glucose-induced effects were observably reversed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of PIASy (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The SUMO E3 ligase PIASy mediates high glucose-induced activation of NF-κB inflammatory signaling, suggesting that PIASy may be a potential therapeutic target of DN.

Novel SUMO-Protease SENP7S Regulates β-catenin Signaling and Mammary Epithelial Cell Transformation

SUMO post-translational modification of proteins or SUMOylation ensures normal cell function. Disruption of SUMO dynamics prompts various pathophysiological conditions, including cancer. The burden of deSUMOylating the large SUMO-proteome rests on 6 full-length mammalian SUMO-proteases or SENP. While multiple SENP isoforms exist, the function of these isoforms remains undefined. We now delineate the biological role of a novel SENP7 isoform SENP7S in mammary epithelial cells. SENP7S is the predominant SENP transcript in human mammary epithelia but is significantly reduced in precancerous ductal carcinoma in situ and all breast cancer subtypes. Like other SENP family members, SENP7S has SUMO isopeptidase activity but unlike full-length SENP7L, SENP7S is localized in the cytosol. In vivo, SUMOylated β-catenin and Axin1 are both SENP7S-substrates. With knockdown of SENP7S in mammary epithelial cells, Axin1-β-catenin interaction is lost and β-catenin escapes ubiquitylation-dependent proteasomal degradation. SUMOylated β-catenin accumulates at the chromatin and activates multiple oncogenes. Hence, non-tumorigenic MCF10-2A cells with reduced SENP7S exhibit greater cell proliferation and anchorage-dependent growth. SENP7S depletion directly potentiates tumorigenic properties of MCF10-2A cells with induction of anchorage-independent growth and self-renewal in 3D-spheroid conditions. Collectively, the results identify SENP7S as a novel mediator of β-catenin signaling and normal mammary epithelial cell physiology.

Sumoylation in Craniofacial Disorders

Craniofacial development requires a complex series of coordinated and finely tuned events to take place, during a relatively short time frame. These events are set in motion by switching on and off transcriptional cascades that involve the use of numerous signalling pathways and a multitude of factors that act at the site of gene transcription. It is now well known that amidst the subtlety of this process lies the intricate world of protein modification, and the posttranslational addition of the small ubiquitin -like modifier, SUMO, is an example that has been implicated in this process. Many proteins that are required for formation of various structures in the embryonic head and face adapt specific functions with SUMO modification. Interestingly, the main clinical phenotype reported for a disruption of the SUMO1 locus is the common birth defect cleft lip and palate. In this chapter therefore, we discuss the role of SUMO1 in craniofacial development, with emphasis on orofacial clefts. We suggest that these defects can be a sensitive indication of down regulated SUMO modification at a critical stage during embryogenesis. As well as specific mutations affecting the ability of particular proteins to be sumoylated, non-genetic events may have the effect of down-regulating the SUMO pathway to give the same result. Enzymes regulating the SUMO pathway may become important therapeutic targets in the preventative and treatment therapies for craniofacial defects in the future.

Role of SUMO activating enzyme in cancer stem cell maintenance and self-renewal

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have key roles in treatment resistance, tumour metastasis and relapse. Using colorectal cancer (CC) cell lines, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tissues and patient tissues, here we report that CC CSCs, which resist chemoradiation, have higher SUMO activating enzyme (E1) and global SUMOylation levels than non-CSCs. Knockdown of SUMO E1 or SUMO conjugating enzyme (E2) inhibits CC CSC maintenance and self-renewal, while overexpression of SUMO E1 or E2 increases CC cell stemness. We found that SUMOylation regulates CSCs through Oct-1, a transcription factor for aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs). ALDH activity is not only a marker for CSCs but also important in CSC biology. SUMO does not modify Oct-1 directly, but regulates the expression of TRIM21 that enhances Oct-1 ubiquitination and, consequently, reducing Oct-1 stability. In summary, our findings suggest that SUMOylation could be a target to inhibit CSCs and ultimately to reduce treatment resistance, tumour metastasis and relapse.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have key roles in tumor initiation and metastasis. Here, the authors show that the SUMO E1 and global sumoylation levels are high in colorectal CSCs and that depletion of the catalytic subunit of the SUMO E1, SAE2, affects CSCs self-renewal through TRIM21-mediated degradation of the Oct1, a transcription factor for ALDH.

14-3-3 Binding and Sumoylation Concur to the Down-Modulation of β-catenin Antagonist chibby 1 in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

The down-modulation of the β-catenin antagonist Chibby 1 (CBY1) associated with the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) contributes to the aberrant activation of β-catenin, particularly in leukemic stem cells (LSC) resistant to tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitors. It is, at least partly, driven by transcriptional events and gene promoter hyper-methylation. Here we demonstrate that it also arises from reduced protein stability upon binding to 14-3-3σ adapter protein. CBY1/14-3-3σ interaction in BCR-ABL1+ cells is mediated by the fusion protein TK and AKT phosphorylation of CBY1 at critical serine 20, and encompasses the 14-3-3σ binding modes I and II involved in the binding with client proteins. Moreover, it is impaired by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation of 14-3-3σ at serine 186, which promotes dissociation of client proteins. The ubiquitin proteasome system UPS participates in reducing stability of CBY1 bound with 14-3-3σ through enhanced SUMOylation. Our results open new routes towards the research on molecular pathways promoting the proliferative advantage of leukemic hematopoiesis over the normal counterpart.

Oligonol suppresses lipid accumulation and improves insulin resistance in a palmitate-induced in HepG2 hepatocytes as a cellular steatosis model

Background

Oligonol is a low molecular weight form of polyphenol polymers derived from lychee fruits. Several studies suggest that Oligonol has an anti-obesity effect. Since obesity is tightly associated with insulin resistance, we investigated a possible remission effect of Oligonol on lipid accumulation and insulin resistance in human hepatic HepG2 cells.

Methods

HepG2 cells were treated with palmitate for 24 h to induce cellular hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance. The cells were then treated with Oligonol at subtoxic concentrations and examined for lipid metabolism, cytokine production, and insulin signaling using quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analysis.

Results

Oligonol treatment reversed the palmitate-induced intracellular lipid accumulation, down regulated the expression of lipogenic genes, and up-regulated genes for fatty acid degradation. Oligonol restored insulin sensitivity, as was determined by the phosphorylation states of IRS-1. Oligonol also inhibited STAT3-SOCS3 signaling and increased AMPK phosphorylation in HepG2 cells.

Conclusion

Oligonol treatment improved palmitate-induced cellular steatosis and insulin resistance in HepG2 cells with concomitant reduction of inflammatory cytokines and decrease in STAT3-SOCS3 and AMPK-mTOR pathways. Oligonol may have beneficial effects in lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in the liver.

LMP1-Induced Sumoylation Influences the Maintenance of Epstein-Barr Virus Latency through KAP1

As a herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes a latent infection that can periodically undergo reactivation, resulting in lytic replication and the production of new infectious virus. Latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1), the principal viral oncoprotein, is a latency-associated protein implicated in regulating viral reactivation and the maintenance of latency. We recently found that LMP1 hijacks the SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 via its C-terminal activating region-3 (CTAR3) and induces the sumoylation of cellular proteins. Because protein sumoylation can promote transcriptional repression, we hypothesized that LMP1-induced protein sumoylation induces the repression of EBV lytic promoters and helps maintain the viral genome in its latent state. We now show that with inhibition of LMP1-induced protein sumoylation, the latent state becomes less stable or leakier in EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines. The cells are also more sensitive to viral reactivation induced by irradiation, which results in the increased production and release of infectious virus, as well as increased susceptibility to ganciclovir treatment. We have identified a target of LMP1-mediated sumoylation that contributes to the maintenance of latency in this context: KRAB-associated protein-1 (KAP1). LMP1 CTAR3-mediated sumoylation regulates the function of KAP1. KAP1 also binds to EBV OriLyt and immediate early promoters in a CTAR3-dependent manner, and inhibition of sumoylation processes abrogates the binding of KAP1 to these promoters. These data provide an additional line of evidence that supports our findings that CTAR3 is a distinct functioning regulatory region of LMP1 and confirm that LMP1-induced sumoylation may help stabilize the maintenance of EBV latency.

IMPORTANCE

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) plays an important role in the maintenance of viral latency. Previously, we documented that LMP1 targets cellular proteins to be modified by a ubiquitin-like protein (SUMO). We have now identified a function for this LMP1-induced modification of cellular proteins in the maintenance of EBV latency. Because latently infected cells have to undergo viral reactivation in order to be vulnerable to antiviral drugs, these findings identify a new way to increase the rate of EBV reactivation, which increases cell susceptibility to antiviral therapies.

Regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by posttranslational modifications

The canonical Wnt signaling pathway (or Wnt/β-catenin pathway) plays a pivotal role in embryonic development and adult homeostasis; deregulation of the Wnt pathway contributes to the initiation and progression of human diseases including cancer. Despite its importance in human biology and disease, how regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is achieved remains largely undefined. Increasing evidence suggests that post-translational modifications (PTMs) of Wnt pathway components are essential for the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. PTMs create a highly dynamic relay system that responds to Wnt stimulation without requiring de novo protein synthesis and offer a platform for non-Wnt pathway components to be involved in the regulation of Wnt signaling, hence providing alternative opportunities for targeting the Wnt pathway. This review highlights the current status of PTM-mediated regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway with a focus on factors involved in Wnt-mediated stabilization of β-catenin.

New insights into the regulation of Axin function in canonical Wnt signaling pathway

The Wnt signaling pathway plays crucial roles during embryonic development, whose aberration is implicated in a variety of human cancers. Axin, a key component of canonical Wnt pathway, plays dual roles in modulating Wnt signaling: on one hand, Axin scaffolds the “β-catenin destruction complex” to promote β-catenin degradation and therefore inhibits the Wnt signal transduction; on the other hand, Axin interacts with LRP5/6 and facilitates the recruitment of GSK3 to the plasma membrane to promote LRP5/6 phosphorylation and Wnt signaling. The differential assemblies of Axin with these two distinct complexes have to be tightly controlled for appropriate transduction of the “on” or “off” Wnt signal. So far, there are multiple mechanisms revealed in the regulation of Axin activity, such as post-transcriptional modulation, homo/hetero-polymerization and auto-inhibition. These mechanisms may work cooperatively to modulate the function of Axin, thereby playing an important role in controlling the canonical Wnt signaling. In this review, we will focus on the recent progresses regarding the regulation of Axin function in canonical Wnt signaling.

SUMO: a (oxidative) stressed protein

Redox species are produced during the physiological cellular metabolism of a normal tissue. In turn, their presence is also attributed to pathological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases. Many are the molecular changes that occur during the unbalance of the redox homeostasis. Interestingly, posttranslational protein modifications (PTMs) play a remarkable role. In fact, several target proteins are modified in their activation, localization, aggregation, and expression after the cellular stress. Among PTMs, protein SUMOylation represents a very important molecular modification pathway during "oxidative stress". It has been reported that this ubiquitin-like modification is a fine sensor for redox species. Indeed, SUMOylation pathway efficiency is affected by the exposure to oxidative species in a different manner depending on the concentration and time of application. Thus, we here report updated evidence that states the role of SUMOylation in several pathological conditions, and we also outline the key involvement of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and small ubiquitin modifier pathway cross talk.

SUMO and Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline and is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Histopathologically, AD features insoluble aggregates of two proteins in the brain, amyloid-β (Aβ) and the microtubule-associated protein tau, both of which have been linked to the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO). A large body of research has elucidated many of the molecular and cellular pathways that underlie AD, including those involving the abnormal Aβ and tau aggregates. However, a full understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease has remained elusive. Consequently, there are currently no effective therapeutic options that can modify the disease progression and slow or stop the decline of cognitive functioning. As part of the effort to address this lacking, there needs a better understanding of the signaling pathways that become impaired under AD pathology, including the regulatory mechanisms that normally control those networks. One such mechanism involves SUMOylation, which is a post-translational modification (PTM) that is involved in regulating many aspects of cell biology and has also been found to have several critical neuron-specific roles. Early studies have indicated that the SUMO system is likely altered with AD-type pathology, which may impact Aβ levels and tau aggregation. Although still a relatively unexplored topic, SUMOylation will likely emerge as a significant factor in AD pathogenesis in ways which may be somewhat analogous to other regulatory PTMs such as phosphorylation. Thus, in addition to the upstream effects on tau and Aβ processing, there may also be downstream effects mediated by Aβ aggregates or other AD-related factors on SUMO-regulated signaling pathways. Multiple proteins that have functions relevant to AD pathology have been identified as SUMO substrates, including those involved in synaptic physiology, mitochondrial dynamics, and inflammatory signaling. Ongoing studies will determine how these SUMO-regulated functions in neurons and glial cells may be impacted by Aβ and AD pathology. Here, we present a review of the current literature on the involvement of SUMO in AD, as well as an overview of the SUMOylated proteins and pathways that are potentially dysregulated with AD pathogenesis.

Sumoylation in neurodegenerative diseases

The yeast SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) orthologue SMT3 was initially discovered in a genetic suppressors screen for the centromeric protein Mif2 (Meluh and Koshland in Mol Bio Cell 6:793-807, 1). Later, it turned out that the homologous mammalian proteins SUMO1 to SUMO4 are reversible protein modifiers that can form isopeptide bonds with lysine residues of respective target proteins (Mahajan et al. in Cell 88:97-107, 2). This was the discovery of a post-translational modification called sumoylation, which enzymatically resembles ubiquitination. However, very soon it became clear that SUMO attachments served a far more diverse role than ubiquitination. Meanwhile, numerous cellular processes are known to be subject to the impact of SUMO modification, including transcription, protein targeting, protein solubility, apoptosis or activity of various enzymes. In many instances, SUMO proteins create new protein interaction surfaces or block existing interaction domains (Geiss-Friedlander and Melchior in Nat Rev in Mol Cell Biol 8:947-956, 3). For the past few years, sumoylation attracted increasing attention as a versatile regulator of toxic protein properties in neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we summarize the growing knowledge about the involvement of sumoylation in neurodegeneration, and discuss the underlying molecular principles affected by this multifaceted and intriguing post-translational modification.

A Comprehensive Overview of Skeletal Phenotypes Associated with Alterations in Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Humans and Mice

The Wnt signaling pathway plays key roles in differentiation and development and alterations in this signaling pathway are causally associated with numerous human diseases. While several laboratories were examining roles for Wnt signaling in skeletal development during the 1990s, interest in the pathway rose exponentially when three key papers were published in 2001-2002. One report found that loss of the Wnt co-receptor, Low-density lipoprotein related protein-5 (LRP5), was the underlying genetic cause of the syndrome Osteoporosis pseudoglioma (OPPG). OPPG is characterized by early-onset osteoporosis causing increased susceptibility to debilitating fractures. Shortly thereafter, two groups reported that individuals carrying a specific point mutation in LRP5 (G171V) develop high-bone mass. Subsequent to this, the causative mechanisms for these observations heightened the need to understand the mechanisms by which Wnt signaling controlled bone development and homeostasis and encouraged significant investment from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to develop methods to activate Wnt signaling to increase bone mass to treat osteoporosis and other bone disease. In this review, we will briefly summarize the cellular mechanisms underlying Wnt signaling and discuss the observations related to OPPG and the high-bone mass disorders that heightened the appreciation of the role of Wnt signaling in normal bone development and homeostasis. We will then present a comprehensive overview of the core components of the pathway with an emphasis on the phenotypes associated with mice carrying genetically engineered mutations in these genes and clinical observations that further link alterations in the pathway to changes in human bone.

Influenza virus A/Beijing/501/2009(H1N1) NS1 interacts with β-tubulin and induces disruption of the microtubule network and apoptosis on A549 cells

NS1 of influenza A virus is a key multifunctional protein that plays various roles in regulating viral replication mechanisms, host innate/adaptive immune responses, and cellular signalling pathways. These functions rely on its ability to participate in a multitude of protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions. To gain further insight into the role of NS1, a tandem affinity purification (TAP) method was utilized to find unknown interaction partner of NS1. The protein complexes of NS1 and its interacting partner were purified from A549 cell using TAP-tagged NS1 as bait, and co-purified cellular factors were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). We identified cellular β-tubulin as a novel interaction partner of NS1. The RNA-binding domain of NS1 interacts with β-tubulin through its RNA-binding domain, as judged by a glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay with the GST-fused functional domains of NS1. Immunofluorescence analysis further revealed that NS1 with β-tubulin co-localized in the nucleus. In addition, the disruption of the microtubule network and apoptosis were also observed on NS1-transfected A549 cells. Our findings suggest that influenza A virus may utilize its NS1 protein to interact with cellular β-tubulin to further disrupt normal cell division and induce apoptosis. Future work will illustrate whether this interaction is uniquely specific to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus.

SUMO-conjugating enzyme E2 UBC9 mediates viral immediate-early protein SUMOylation in crayfish to facilitate reproduction of white spot syndrome virus

Successful viruses have evolved superior strategies to escape host defenses or exploit host biological pathways. Most of the viral immediate-early (ie) genes are essential for viral infection and depend solely on host proteins; however, the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we focused on the modification of viral IE proteins by the crayfish small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) and investigated the role of SUMOylation during the viral life cycle. SUMO and SUMO ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 (UBC9) involved in SUMOylation were identified in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Both SUMO and UBC9 were upregulated in crayfish challenged with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). Replication of WSSV genes increased in crayfish injected with recombinant SUMO or UBC9, but injection of mutant SUMO or UBC9 protein had no effect. Subsequently, we analyzed the mechanism by which crayfish SUMOylation facilitates WSSV replication. Crayfish UBC9 bound to all three WSSV IE proteins tested, and one of these IE proteins (WSV051) was covalently modified by SUMO in vitro. The expression of viral ie genes was affected and that of late genes was significantly inhibited in UBC9-silenced or SUMO-silenced crayfish, and the inhibition effect was rescued by injection of recombinant SUMO or UBC9. The results of this study demonstrate that viral IE proteins can be modified by crayfish SUMOylation, prompt the expression of viral genes, and ultimately benefit WSSV replication. Understanding of the mechanisms by which viruses exploit host components will greatly improve our knowledge of the virus-host "arms race" and contribute to the development of novel methods against virulent viruses.

Modularity and functional plasticity of scaffold proteins as p(l)acemakers in cell signaling

Cells coordinate and integrate various functional modules that control their dynamics, intracellular trafficking, metabolism and gene expression. Such capacity is mediated by specific scaffold proteins that tether multiple components of signaling pathways at plasma membrane, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus and in more specialized subcellular structures such as focal adhesions, cell-cell junctions, endosomes, vesicles and synapses. Scaffold proteins act as "pacemakers" as well as "placemakers" that regulate the temporal, spatial and kinetic aspects of protein complex assembly by modulating the local concentrations, proximity, subcellular dispositions and biochemical properties of the target proteins through the intricate use of their modular protein domains. These regulatory mechanisms allow them to gate the specificity, integration and crosstalk of different signaling modules. In addition to acting as physical platforms for protein assembly, many professional scaffold proteins can also directly modify the properties of their targets while they themselves can be regulated by post-translational modifications and/or mechanical forces. Furthermore, multiple scaffold proteins can form alliances of higher-order regulatory networks. Here, we highlight the emerging themes of scaffold proteins by analyzing their common and distinctive mechanisms of action and regulation, which underlie their functional plasticity in cell signaling. Understanding these mechanisms in the context of space, time and force should have ramifications for human physiology and for developing new therapeutic approaches to control pathological states and diseases.

Axin1 prevents Salmonella invasiveness and inflammatory response in intestinal epithelial cells

Background

Axin1 and its homolog Axin2 are scaffold proteins essential for regulating Wnt signaling. Axin-dependent regulation of Wnt is important for various developmental processes and human diseases. However, the involvement of Axin1 and Axin2 in host defense and inflammation remains to be determined.

Methods/Principal Findings

Here, we report that Axin1, but not Axin2, plays an essential role in host-pathogen interaction mediated by the Wnt pathway. Pathogenic Salmonella colonization greatly reduces the level of Axin1 in intestinal epithelial cells. This reduction is regulated at the posttranslational level in early onset of the bacterial infection. Further analysis reveals that the DIX domain and Ser614 of Axin1 are necessary for the Salmonella-mediated modulation through ubiquitination and SUMOylation.

Conclusion/Significance

Axin1 apparently has a preventive effect on bacterial invasiveness and inflammatory response during the early stages of infection. The results suggest a distinct biological function of Axin1 and Axin2 in infectious disease and intestinal inflammation while they are functionally equivalent in developmental settings.

Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) C-terminal-activating region 3 contributes to LMP1-mediated cellular migration via its interaction with Ubc9

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), the principal viral oncoprotein and a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is a constitutively active membrane signaling protein that regulates multiple signal transduction pathways via its C-terminal-activating region 1 (CTAR1) and CTAR2, and also the less-studied CTAR3. Because protein sumoylation among other posttranslational modifications may regulate many signaling pathways induced by LMP1, we investigated whether during EBV latency LMP1 regulates sumoylation processes that control cellular activation and cellular responses. By immunoprecipitation experiments, we show that LMP1 interacts with Ubc9, the single reported SUMO-conjugating enzyme. Requirements for LMP1-Ubc9 interactions include enzymatically active Ubc9: expression of inactive Ubc9 (Ubc9 C93S) inhibited the LMP1-Ubc9 interaction. LMP1 CTAR3, but not CTAR1 and CTAR2, participated in the LMP1-Ubc9 interaction, and amino acid sequences found in CTAR3, including the JAK-interacting motif, contributed to this interaction. Furthermore, LMP1 expression coincided with increased sumoylation of cellular proteins, and disruption of the Ubc9-LMP1 CTAR3 interaction almost completely abrogated LMP1-induced protein sumoylation, suggesting that this interaction promotes the sumoylation of downstream targets. Additional consequences of the disruption of the LMP1 CTAR3-Ubc9 interaction revealed effects on cellular migration, a hallmark of oncogenesis. Together, these data demonstrate that LMP1 CTAR3 does in fact function in intracellular signaling and leads to biological effects. We propose that LMP1, by interaction with Ubc9, modulates sumoylation processes, which regulate signal transduction pathways that affect phenotypic changes associated with oncogenesis.

The SUMO E3-ligase PIAS1 couples reactive oxygen species-dependent JNK activation to oxidative cell death

Human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) mount a hypersumoylation response in a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent manner. The mechanism that couples JNK signaling to the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) pathway and its functional consequences are not understood. We show that ROS-dependent JNK activation converges on the SUMO pathway via PIAS1 (protein inhibitor of activated STAT1). Unexpectedly, PIAS1 knockdown not only prevented ROS-dependent hypersumoylation but also enhanced JNK signaling in HESCs. Conversely, PIAS overexpression increased sumoylation of various substrates, including c-Jun, yet inhibited basal and ROS-dependent JNK activity independently of its SUMO ligase function. Expression profiling demonstrated that PIAS1 knockdown enhances and profoundly modifies the transcriptional response to oxidative stress signals. Using a cutoff of 2-fold change or more, a total of 250 ROS-sensitive genes were identified, 97 of which were not dependent on PIAS1. PIAS1 knockdown abolished the regulation of 43 genes but also sensitized 110 other genes to ROS. Importantly, PIAS1 silencing was obligatory for the induction of several cellular defense genes in response to oxidative stress. In agreement, PIAS1 knockdown attenuated ROS-dependent caspase-3/7 activation and subsequent apoptosis. Thus, PIAS1 determines the level of JNK activity in HESCs, couples ROS signaling to the SUMO pathway, and promotes oxidative cell death.

Methylation by protein arginine methyltransferase 1 increases stability of Axin, a negative regulator of Wnt signaling

Axin, a negative regulator of Wnt signaling, is a key scaffold protein for the β-catenin destruction complex. It has been previously shown that multiple post-translational modification enzymes regulate the level of Axin. Here, we provide evidence that protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) directly interacts with and methylates the 378th arginine residue of Axin both in vitro and in vivo. We found that the transient expression of PRMT1 led to an increased level of Axin and that knockdown of endogenous PRMT1 by short hairpin RNA reduced the level of Axin. These results suggest that methylation by PRMT1 enhanced the stability of Axin. Methylation of Axin by PRMT1 also seemingly enhanced the interaction between Axin and glycogen synthase kinase 3β, leading to decreased ubiquitination of Axin. Consistent with the role of PRMT1 in the regulation of Axin, knockdown of PRMT1 enhanced the level of cytoplasmic β-catenin as well as β-catenin-dependent transcription activity. In summary, we show that the methylation of Axin occurred in vivo and controlled the stability of Axin. Therefore, methylation of Axin by PRMT1 may serve as a finely tuned regulation mechanism for Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Drosophila Smt3 negatively regulates JNK signaling through sequestering Hipk in the nucleus

Post-translational modification by the small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) is important for a variety of cellular and developmental processes. However, the precise mechanism(s) that connects sumoylation to specific developmental signaling pathways remains relatively less clear. Here, we show that Smt3 knockdown in Drosophila wing discs causes phenotypes resembling JNK gain of function, including ectopic apoptosis and apoptosis-induced compensatory growth. Smt3 depletion leads to an increased expression of JNK target genes Mmp1 and puckered. We show that, although knockdown of the homeodomain-interacting protein kinase (Hipk) suppresses Smt3 depletion-induced activation of JNK, Hipk overexpression synergistically enhances this type of JNK activation. We further demonstrate that Hipk is sumolylated in vivo, and its nuclear localization is dependent on the sumoylation pathway. Our results thus establish a mechanistic connection between the sumoylation pathway and the JNK pathway through the action of Hipk. We propose that the sumoylation-controlled balance between cytoplasmic and nuclear Hipk plays a crucial role in regulating JNK signaling.

Covalent modification by SUMO is required for efficient disruption of PML oncogenic domains by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus latent protein LANA2

The multifunctional Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) latent protein latency-associated nuclear antigen 2 (LANA2) has a critical role in KSHV-induced B-cell malignancies. LANA2 increases the level of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)2-ubiquitin-modified PML and induces the disruption of PML oncogenic domains (PODs) by a process that requires a non-covalent SUMO interaction domain (SIM) in LANA2. We now demonstrate that LANA2 is covalently conjugated to SUMO1 and SUMO2 both in vitro and in latently KSHV-infected B-cells. We show that a LANA2 SIM mutant exhibits a slightly altered sumoylation pattern, which suggests that non-covalent SUMO interactions represent a mechanism for determining SUMO substrate recognition and modification. In addition, several lysine residues were mapped as SUMO conjugation sites. A sumoylation-deficient mutant shows impaired ability to induce disruption of PODs, which suggests that either directly bound or covalently conjugated SUMO moieties may act as a bridge for interaction between LANA2 and other SUMO-modified or SUMO-interacting proteins required for disruption of PODs.

Targets and consequences of protein SUMOylation in neurons

The post-translational modification of proteins is critical for the spatial and temporal regulation of signalling cascades. This is especially important in the CNS where the processes affecting differentiation, growth, targeting and communication between neurones are highly complex and very tightly regulated. In recent years it has emerged that modification of proteins by members of the SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) family of proteins play key roles in neuronal function. SUMOylation involves the covalent conjugation of a member of the SUMO family to lysine residues in target proteins. Multiple nuclear and perinuclear SUMOylation targets have been reported to be involved in nuclear organisation and transcriptional regulation. In addition, a growing number of extranuclear SUMO substrates have been identified that can have important acute effects on neuronal function. The SUMOylation of both intra- and extranuclear proteins have been implicated in a diverse array of processes that have far-reaching implications for neuronal function and pathophysiology. Here we review the current understanding of the targets and consequences of protein SUMOylation in the brain and examine its established and potential involvement in a wide range of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Both the RGS domain and the six C-terminal amino acids of mouse Axin are required for normal embryogenesis

Axin is a negative regulator of canonical Wnt signaling, which promotes the degradation of beta-catenin, the major effector in this signaling cascade. While many protein-binding domains of Axin have been identified, their significance has not been evaluated in vivo. Here, we report the generation and analysis of mice carrying modified Axin alleles in which either the RGS domain or the six C-terminal amino acids (C6 motif) were deleted. The RGS domain is required for APC-binding, while the C6 motif has been implicated in the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, but is not required for the effects of Axin on the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, in vitro. Both mutant Axin alleles caused recessive embryonic lethality at E9.5-E10.5, with defects indistinguishable from those caused by a null allele. As Axin-DeltaRGS protein was produced at normal levels, its inability to support embryogenesis confirms the importance of interactions between Axin and APC. In contrast, Axin-DeltaC6 protein was expressed at only 25-30% of the normal level, which may account for the recessive lethality of this allele. Furthermore, many Axin(DeltaC6/DeltaC6) embryos that were heterozygous for a beta-catenin null mutation survived to term, demonstrating that early lethality was due to failure to negatively regulate beta-catenin.

SUMO-specific protease 2 is essential for modulating p53-Mdm2 in development of trophoblast stem cell niches and lineages

SUMO-specific protease 2 (SENP2) modifies proteins by removing SUMO from its substrates. Although SUMO-specific proteases are known to reverse sumoylation in many defined systems, their importance in mammalian development and pathogenesis remains largely elusive. Here we report that SENP2 is highly expressed in trophoblast cells that are required for placentation. Targeted disruption of SENP2 in mice reveals its essential role in development of all three trophoblast layers. The mutation causes a deficiency in cell cycle progression. SENP2 has a specific role in the G-S transition, which is required for mitotic and endoreduplication cell cycles in trophoblast proliferation and differentiation, respectively. SENP2 ablation disturbs the p53-Mdm2 pathway, affecting the expansion of trophoblast progenitors and their maturation. Reintroducing SENP2 into the mutants can reduce the sumoylation of Mdm2, diminish the p53 level and promote trophoblast development. Furthermore, downregulation of p53 alleviates the SENP2-null phenotypes and stimulation of p53 causes abnormalities in trophoblast proliferation and differentiation, resembling those of the SENP2 mutants. Our data reveal a key genetic pathway, SENP2-Mdm2-p53, underlying trophoblast lineage development, suggesting its pivotal role in cell cycle progression of mitosis and endoreduplication.

The spindle positioning protein Kar9p interacts with the sumoylation machinery in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Accurate positioning of the mitotic spindle is important for the genetic material to be distributed evenly in dividing cells, but little is known about the mechanisms that regulate this process. Here we report that two microtubule-associated proteins important for spindle positioning interact with several proteins in the sumoylation pathway. By two-hybrid analysis, Kar9p and Bim1p interact with the yeast SUMO Smt3p, the E2 enzyme Ubc9p, an E3 Nfi1p, as well as Wss1p, a weak suppressor of a temperature-sensitive smt3 allele. The physical interaction between Kar9p and Ubc9p was confirmed by in vitro binding assays. A single-amino-acid substitution in Kar9p, L304P disrupted its two-hybrid interaction with proteins in the sumoylation pathway, but retained its interactions with the spindle positioning proteins Bim1p, Stu2p, Bik1p, and Myo2p. The kar9-L304P mutant showed defects in positioning the mitotic spindle, with the spindle located more distally than normal. Whereas wild-type Kar9p-3GFP normally localizes to only the bud-directed spindle pole body (SPB), Kar9p-L304P-3GFP was mislocalized to both SPBs. Using a reconstitution assay, Kar9p was sumoylated in vitro. We propose a model in which sumoylation regulates spindle positioning by restricting Kar9p to one SPB. These findings raise the possibility that sumoylation could regulate other microtubule-dependent processes.

SUMOylation target sites at the C terminus protect Axin from ubiquitination and confer protein stability

Axin is a scaffold protein for the beta-catenin destruction complex, and a negative regulator of canonical Wnt signaling. Previous studies implicated the six C-terminal amino acids (C6 motif) in the ability of Axin to activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and identified them as a SUMOylation target. Deletion of the C6 motif of mouse Axin in vivo reduced the steady-state protein level, which caused embryonic lethality. Here, we report that this deletion (Axin-DeltaC6) causes a reduced half-life in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and an increased susceptibility to ubiquitination in HEK 293T cells. We confirmed the C6 motif as a SUMOylation target in vitro, and found that mutating the C-terminal SUMOylation target residues increased the susceptibility of Axin to polyubiquitination and reduced its steady-state level. Heterologous SUMOylation target sites could replace C6 in providing this protective effect. These findings suggest that SUMOylation of the C6 motif may prevent polyubiquitination, thus increasing the stability of Axin. Although C6 deletion also caused increased association of Axin with Dvl-1, this interaction was not altered by mutating the lysine residues in C6, nor could heterologous SUMOylation motifs replace the C6 motif in this assay. Therefore, some other specific property of the C6 motif seems to reduce the interaction of Axin with Dvl-1.

Intrinsic disorder in scaffold proteins: getting more from less

Regulation, recognition and cell signaling involve the coordinated actions of many players. Signaling scaffolds, with their ability to bring together proteins belonging to common and/or interlinked pathways, play crucial roles in orchestrating numerous events by coordinating specific interactions among signaling proteins. This review examines the roles of intrinsic disorder (ID) in signaling scaffold protein function. Several well-characterized scaffold proteins with structurally and functionally characterized ID regions are used here to illustrate the importance of ID for scaffolding function. These examples include scaffolds that are mostly disordered, only partially disordered or those in which the ID resides in a scaffold partner. Specific scaffolds discussed include RNase, voltage-activated potassium channels, axin, BRCA1, GSK-3beta, p53, Ste5, titin, Fus3, BRCA1, MAP2, D-AKAP2 and AKAP250. Among the mechanisms discussed are: molecular recognition features, fly-casting, ease of encounter complex formation, structural isolation of partners, modulation of interactions between bound partners, masking of intramolecular interaction sites, maximized interaction surface per residue, toleration of high evolutionary rates, binding site overlap, allosteric modification, palindromic binding, reduced constraints for alternative splicing, efficient regulation via posttranslational modification, efficient regulation via rapid degradation, protection of normally solvent-exposed sites, enhancing the plasticity of interaction and molecular crowding. We conclude that ID can enhance scaffold function by a diverse array of mechanisms. In other words, scaffold proteins utilize several ID-facilitated mechanisms to enhance function, and by doing so, get more functionality from less structure.

Sumoylation differentially regulates Goosecoid-mediated transcriptional repression

Goosecoid (Gsc), a paired-like homeobox gene expressed in the vertebrate organizer, functions as a transcriptional repressor either by direct DNA binding to paired TAAT homeodomain sites or through recruitment by the forkhead/winged helix transcription factor Foxh1. Here, we report that Gsc is post-translationally modified by small ubiquitin-like modifier proteins (SUMO). Members of the PIAS family of proteins enhance Gsc sumoylation and this modification occurs on at least six lysine residues. Stable expression of a SUMO-defective Gsc mutant (Gsc 6Km) in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells results in morphological changes giving rise to cells with increased cell area. We demonstrate that Gsc 6Km can effectively repress Foxh1-mediated induction of the Mixl1 promoter, indicating that sumoylation is not required for Gsc-mediated repression of promoters where recruitment occurs through Foxh1. In contrast, Gsc 6Km exhibits a decreased ability to repress the induction of promoters to which it is directly recruited through paired-homeodomain binding sites, including its own promoter and that of the Xenopus Brachyury gene. Taken together, our data suggests that regulation of Gsc repressive activity by SUMO modification is promoter specific and may serve to differentially regulate genes that function to control cell morphology during early development and cancer.

Emerging extranuclear roles of protein SUMOylation in neuronal function and dysfunction

Post-translational protein modifications are integral components of signalling cascades that enable cells to efficiently, rapidly and reversibly respond to extracellular stimuli. These modifications have crucial roles in the CNS, where the communication between neurons is particularly complex. SUMOylation is a post-translational modification in which a member of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) family of proteins is conjugated to lysine residues in target proteins. It is well established that SUMOylation controls many aspects of nuclear function, but it is now clear that it is also a key determinant in many extranuclear neuronal processes, and it has also been implicated in a wide range of neuropathological conditions.

A beta-catenin-independent dorsalization pathway activated by Axin/JNK signaling and antagonized by aida

Axin is a scaffold protein that controls multiple important pathways, including the canonical Wnt pathway and JNK signaling. Here we have identified an Axin-interacting protein, Aida, which blocks Axin-mediated JNK activation by disrupting Axin homodimerization. During investigation of in vivo functions of Axin/JNK signaling and aida in development, it was found that Axin, besides ventralizing activity by facilitating beta-catenin degradation, possesses a dorsalizing activity that is mediated by Axin-induced JNK activation. This dorsalizing activity is repressed when aida is overexpressed in zebrafish embryos. Whereas Aida-MO injection leads to dorsalized embryos, JNK-MO and MKK4-MO can ventralize embryos. The anti-dorsalization activity of aida is conferred by its ability to block Axin-mediated JNK activity. We further demonstrate that dorsoventral patterning regulated by Axin/JNK signaling is independent of maternal or zygotic Wnt signaling. We have thus identified a dorsalization pathway that is exerted by Axin/JNK signaling and its inhibitor Aida during vertebrate embryogenesis.

SUMOylation modulates transcriptional repression by TRPS1

Mutations or deletions of the TRPS1 gene on human chromosome 8q.24.1 cause the tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndromes (TRPS), which are characterized by craniofacial and skeletal malformations. The gene encodes a transcription factor that functions as a repressor for GATA-mediated transcription. The activity of transcription factors is often controlled by posttranslational modifications. We show here that TRPS1 is SUMOylated at multiple sites, both in vivo and in vitro, through interaction with UBC9. Overexpression of wild-type UBC9 enhances TRPS1-mediated transcriptional repression. In contrast, a SUMOylation-deficient UBC9 mutant, which nevertheless still binds TRPS1, has no effect. Of the five potential TRPS1 SUMO-target sites, which were predicted based on a minimal SUMOylation consensus sequence (MCS), two are located within the C-terminal repression domain (RD) at lysine residues 1192 (termed S4) and 1201 (S5). S5 was identified as the major acceptor site within this region, and a point mutation of S5 strongly decreases TRPS1-RD-mediated transcriptional repression. Additional mutation of S4 results in abrogation of SUMOylation at the TRPS1-RD and almost complete loss of the repressive properties of TRPS1. These results identify SUMOylation at the TRPS1-RD as a major mechanism that regulates the function of TRPS1.

An acetylation/deacetylation-SUMOylation switch through a phylogenetically conserved psiKXEP motif in the tumor suppressor HIC1 regulates transcriptional repression activity

Tumor suppressor HIC1 (hypermethylated in cancer 1) is a gene that is essential for mammalian development, epigenetically silenced in many human tumors, and involved in a complex pathway regulating P53 tumor suppression activity. HIC1 encodes a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor containing five Krüppel-like C(2)H(2) zinc fingers and an N-terminal BTB/POZ repression domain. Here, we show that endogenous HIC1 is SUMOylated in vivo on a phylogenetically conserved lysine, K314, located in the central region which is a second repression domain. K314R mutation does not influence HIC1 subnuclear localization but significantly reduces its transcriptional repression potential, as does the mutation of the other conserved residue in the psiKXE consensus, E316A, or the overexpression of the deSUMOylase SSP3/SENP2. Furthermore, HIC1 is acetylated in vitro by P300/CBP. Strikingly, the K314R mutant is less acetylated than wild-type HIC1, suggesting that this lysine is a target for both SUMOylation and acetylation. We further show that HIC1 transcriptional repression activity is positively controlled by two types of deacetylases, SIRT1 and HDAC4, which increase the deacetylation and SUMOylation, respectively, of K314. Knockdown of endogenous SIRT1 by the transfection of short interfering RNA causes a significant loss of HIC1 SUMOylation. Thus, this dual-deacetylase complex induces either a phosphorylation-dependent acetylation-SUMOylation switch through a psiKXEXXSP motif, as previously shown for MEF2, or a phosphorylation-independent switch through a psiKXEP motif, as shown here for HIC1, since P317A mutation severely impairs HIC1 acetylation. Finally, our results demonstrate that HIC1 is a target of the class III deacetylase SIRT1 and identify a new posttranslational modification step in the P53-HIC1-SIRT1 regulatory loop.

Differential requirement of MKK4 and MKK7 in JNK activation by distinct scaffold proteins

Different scaffold proteins play distinct roles in various signaling pathways by recruiting different downstream molecules. Here, using MKK4(-/-) and MKK4(-/-)/7(-/-) murine embryonic fibroblast cells, we examined differential employment of MKK4 and MKK7 by scaffold proteins Axin, Dvl, and Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) in mediating JNK activation. We present evidence that Axin depends mainly on MKK7 for activation of JNK, while Dvl depends almost equally on MKK4 and MKK7 for JNK activation, In contrast, LMP-1-induced JNK activation is primarily dependent on MKK4. Our results demonstrate that Axin, Dvl, and LMP-1 differentially utilize MKK4 and MKK7 for JNK activation.

Negative Modulation of RXRα Transcriptional Activity by Small Ubiquitin-related Modifier (SUMO) Modification and Its Reversal by SUMO-specific Protease SUSP1

Retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) belongs to a family of ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate many aspects of metazoan life. Here we demonstrate that RXRalpha is a target substrate of a small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-specific protease, SUSP1, which is capable of controlling the transcriptional activity of RXRalpha. RXRalpha was modified by SUMO-1 in vivo as well as in vitro, and the Lys-108 residue within the IKPP sequence of RXRalpha AF-1 domain was identified as the major SUMO-1 acceptor site. Prevention of SUMO modification by Lys-to-Arg mutation led to an increase not only in the transcriptional activity of RXRalpha but also in the activity of its heterodimeric complex with retinoic acid receptor-alpha or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma). SUSP1 co-localized with RXRalpha in the nucleus and removed SUMO-1 from RXRalpha but not from androgen receptor or PPARgamma. Moreover, overexpression of SUSP1 caused an increase in the transcriptional activity of RXRalpha, whereas small hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous SUSP1 led to a decrease in RXRalpha activity. These results suggest that SUSP1 plays an important role in the control of the transcriptional activity of RXRalpha and thus in the RXRalpha-mediated cellular processes.

Mammalian RGS proteins: Multifunctional regulators of cellular signalling

Regulators of G-protein signalling (RGS) proteins are a large and diverse family initially identified as GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) of heterotrimeric G-protein Galpha-subunits. At least some can also influence Galpha activity through either effector antagonism or by acting as guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs). As our understanding of RGS protein structure and function has developed, so has the realisation that they play roles beyond G-protein regulation. Such diversity of function is enabled by the variety of RGS protein structure and their ability to interact with other cellular molecules including phospholipids, receptors, effectors and scaffolds. The activity, sub-cellular distribution and expression levels of RGS proteins are dynamically regulated, providing a layer of complexity that has yet to be fully elucidated.

Interactions between PIAS Proteins and SOX9 Result in an Increase in the Cellular Concentrations of SOX9

We have identified PIAS1 (protein inhibitor of activated STAT-1), -3, -xalpha, and -xbeta as SOX9-associated polypeptides using the Gal4-based yeast two-hybrid system and a cDNA library derived from a chondrocytic cell line. These PIAS proteins were shown to interact directly with SOX9 in two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitation, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. SOX9 was sumoylated in cotransfection experiments with COS-7 cells using PIAS and SUMO-1 (small ubiquitin-like modifier-1) expression vectors. SOX9 was also sumoylated in vitro by PIAS proteins in the presence of SUMO-1, the SUMO-activating enzyme, and the SUMO-conjugating enzyme. In COS-7 cells, PIAS proteins stimulated the SOX9-dependent transcriptional activity of a Col2a1 promoter-enhancer reporter. This increase in reporter activity was paralleled by an increase in the cellular levels of SOX9. Cotransfection with a SUMO-expressing vector further enhanced the transcriptional activity of this SOX9-dependent Col2a1 reporter in COS-7 cells, and this additional activation was inhibited in the presence of either SUMO-1 mutants or PIAS RING domain mutants or by coexpression of a desumoylation enzyme. Immunofluorescence microscopy of SOX9-transfected COS-7 cells showed that the subnuclear distribution of SOX9 became more diffuse in the presence of PIAS1 and SUMO-1. Our results suggest that, by controlling the cellular concentrations of SOX9, PIAS proteins and sumoylation may be part of a major regulatory system of SOX9 functions.

Sumoylation delimits KLF8 transcriptional activity associated with the cell cycle regulation

KLF8 (Krüppel-like factor 8) is a member of the Krüppel transcription factor family that binds CACCC elements in DNA and activates or represses their target genes in a context-dependent manner. Here we present sumoylation as a novel mechanism that regulates KLF8 post-translationally. We found that KLF8 can be covalently modified by small ubiqitin-like modifier (SUMO)-1, SUMO-2, and SUMO-3 in vivo. We showed that KLF8 interacted with the PIAS family of SUMO E3 ligases PIAS1, PIASy, and PIASxalpha but not with E2 SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the E2 and E3 ligases enhanced the sumoylation of KLF8. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis identified lysine 67 as the major sumoylation site on KLF8. Lysine 67 to arginine mutation strongly enhanced activity of KLF8 as a repressor or activator to its physiological target promoters and as an inducer of the G(1) cell cycle progression. Taken together, our results demonstrated that sumoylation of KLF8 negatively regulates its transcriptional activity and cellular functions.

Axin is a scaffold protein in TGF-beta signaling that promotes degradation of Smad7 by Arkadia

TGF-beta signaling involves a wide array of signaling molecules and multiple controlling events. Scaffold proteins create a functional proximity of signaling molecules and control the specificity of signal transduction. While many components involved in the TGF-beta pathway have been elucidated, little is known about how those components are coordinated by scaffold proteins. Here, we show that Axin activates TGF-beta signaling by forming a multimeric complex consisting of Smad7 and ubiquitin E3 ligase Arkadia. Axin depends on Arkadia to facilitate TGF-beta signaling, as their small interfering RNAs reciprocally abolished the stimulatory effect on TGF-beta signaling. Specific knockdown of Axin or Arkadia revealed that Axin and Arkadia cooperate with each other in promoting Smad7 ubiquitination. Pulse-chase experiments further illustrated that Axin significantly decreased the half-life of Smad7. Axin also induces nuclear export of Smad7. Interestingly, Axin associates with Arkadia and Smad7 independently of TGF-beta signal, in contrast to its transient association with inactive Smad3. However, coexpression of Wnt-1 reduced Smad7 ubiquitination by downregulating Axin levels, underscoring the importance of Axin as an intrinsic regulator in TGF-beta signaling.

Down-regulation of c-Fos/c-Jun AP-1 dimer activity by sumoylation

The inducible transcriptional complex AP-1, composed of c-Fos and c-Jun proteins, is crucial for cell adaptation to many environmental changes. While its mechanisms of activation have been extensively studied, how its activity is restrained is poorly understood. We report here that lysine 265 of c-Fos is conjugated by the peptidic posttranslational modifiers SUMO-1, SUMO-2, and SUMO-3 and that c-Jun can be sumoylated on lysine 257 as well as on the previously described lysine 229. Sumoylation of c-Fos preferentially occurs in the context of c-Jun/c-Fos heterodimers. Using nonsumoylatable mutants of c-Fos and c-Jun as well as a chimeric protein mimicking sumoylated c-Fos, we show that sumoylation entails lower AP-1 transactivation activity. Interestingly, single sumoylation at any of the three acceptor sites of the c-Fos/c-Jun dimer is sufficient to substantially reduce transcription activation. The lower activity of sumoylated c-Fos is not due to inhibition of protein entry into the nucleus, accelerated turnover, and intrinsic inability to dimerize or to bind to DNA. Instead, cell fractionation experiments suggest that decreased transcriptional activity of sumoylated c-Fos is associated with specific intranuclear distribution. Interestingly, the phosphorylation of threonine 232 observed upon expression of oncogenically activated Ha-Ras is known to superactivate c-Fos transcriptional activity. We show here that it also inhibits c-Fos sumoylation, revealing a functional antagonism between two posttranslational modifications, each occurring within a different moiety of a bipartite transactivation domain of c-Fos. Finally we report that the sumoylation of c-Fos is a dynamic process that can be reversed via multiple mechanisms. This supports the idea that this modification does not constitute a final inactivation step that necessarily precedes protein degradation.

Novel interaction between nuclear coactivator CBP and the protein inhibitor of activated Stat1 (PIAS1)

cAMP response element binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP) is a multifunctional transcriptional coactivator that plays important roles in gene regulation. CBP is expressed in murine embryonic orofacial tissue, where it is developmentally regulated. To identify nuclear factors associated with CBP in developing orofacial tissue, a yeast two-hybrid screen of a cDNA library derived from embryonic orofacial tissue from gestational days 11-13 mouse embryos was conducted. Using the carboxy terminal region of CBP as bait, the protein inhibitor of activated Stat1 (PIAS1) was identified as a novel CBP binding protein. The association of PIAS1 with CBP was confirmed in vitro by glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays and in vivo by coimmunoprecipitation. Reporter assays demonstrated that PIAS1 inhibited CBP-mediated transcriptional activation in the presence or absence of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). These results identify PIAS1 as a novel binding partner for CBP and inhibitor of CBP-mediated transcription, suggesting that PIAS1 might play a role in regulating cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation during embryonic development.