scholarly journals The kinase PERK and the transcription factor ATF4 play distinct and essential roles in autophagy resulting from tunicamycin-induced ER stress

2019 ◽  
Vol 294 (20) ◽  
pp. 8197-8217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Luhr ◽  
Maria Lyngaas Torgersen ◽  
Paula Szalai ◽  
Adnan Hashim ◽  
Andreas Brech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Autophagic Activity ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is thought to activate autophagy via unfolded protein response (UPR)-mediated transcriptional up-regulation of autophagy machinery components and modulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3). The upstream UPR constituents pancreatic EIF2-α kinase (PERK) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) have been reported to mediate these effects, suggesting that UPR may stimulate autophagy via PERK and IRE1. However, how the UPR and its components affect autophagic activity has not been thoroughly examined. By analyzing the flux of LC3 through the autophagic pathway, as well as the sequestration and degradation of autophagic cargo, we here conclusively show that the classical ER stressor tunicamycin (TM) enhances autophagic activity in mammalian cells. PERK and its downstream factor, activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), were crucial for this induction, but surprisingly, IRE1 constitutively suppressed autophagic activity. TM-induced autophagy required autophagy-related 13 (ATG13), Unc-51–like autophagy-activating kinases 1/2 (ULK1/ULK2), and GABA type A receptor–associated proteins (GABARAPs), but interestingly, LC3 proteins appeared to be redundant. Strikingly, ATF4 was activated independently of PERK in both LNCaP and HeLa cells, and our further examination revealed that ATF4 and PERK regulated autophagy through separate mechanisms. Specifically, whereas ATF4 controlled transcription and was essential for autophagosome formation, PERK acted in a transcription-independent manner and was required at a post-sequestration step in the autophagic pathway. In conclusion, our results indicate that TM-induced UPR activates functional autophagy, and whereas IRE1 is a negative regulator, PERK and ATF4 are required at distinct steps in the autophagic pathway.

The effect of baicalein on endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy on liver damage

2021 ◽  
pp. 096032712110036
Author(s):  
MC Üstüner ◽  
C Tanrikut ◽  
D Üstüner ◽  
UK Kolaç ◽  
Z Özdemir Köroğlu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Liver Damage ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Tem Analysis ◽  
Stress Markers ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Wistar Albino Rats

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a toxic chemical that causes liver injury. CCl4 triggers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR triggers autophagy to deal with the damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of baicalein, derived from Scutellaria baicalensis, on CCl4-induced liver damage concerning ER stress and autophagy. Two groups of Wistar albino rats (n = 7/groups) were treated with 0.2 ml/kg CCl4 for 10 days with and without baicalein. Histological and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, autophagy, and ER stress markers measurements were carried out to evaluate the effect of baicalein. Histological examinations showed that baicalein reduced liver damage. TEM analysis indicated that baicalein inhibited ER stress and triggered autophagy. CCl4-induced elevation of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), glucose-regulating protein 78 (GRP78), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), inositol requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), pancreatic ER kinase (PERK), and active/spliced form of X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP1s) ER stress markers were decreased by baicalein. Baicalein also increased the autophagy-related 5 (ATG5), Beclin1, and Microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3-phosphatidylethanolamine-conjugated form (LC3-II) autophagy marker levels. In conclusion, baicalein reduced the CCl4-induced liver damage by inhibiting ER stress and the trigger of autophagy.

scholarly journals Activating Transcription Factor 4 Is Translationally Regulated by Hypoxic Stress

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (17) ◽  
pp. 7469-7482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime D. Blais ◽  
Vasilisa Filipenko ◽  
Meixia Bi ◽  
Heather P. Harding ◽  
David Ron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Microarray Analysis ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Hypoxic Stress ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

ABSTRACT Hypoxic stress results in a rapid and sustained inhibition of protein synthesis that is at least partially mediated by eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) phosphorylation by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) kinase PERK. Here we show through microarray analysis of polysome-bound RNA in aerobic and hypoxic HeLa cells that a subset of transcripts are preferentially translated during hypoxia, including activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), an important mediator of the unfolded protein response. Changes in mRNA translation during the unfolded protein response are mediated by PERK phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α at Ser-51. Similarly, PERK is activated and is responsible for translational regulation under hypoxic conditions, while inducing the translation of ATF4. The overexpression of a C-terminal fragment of GADD34 that constitutively dephosphorylates eIF2α was able to attenuate the phosphorylation of eIF2α and severely inhibit the induction of ATF4 in response to hypoxic stress. These studies demonstrate the essential role of ATF4 in the response to hypoxic stress, define the pathway for its induction, and reveal that GADD34, a target of ATF4 activation, negatively regulates the eIF2α-mediated inhibition of translation. Taken with the concomitant induction of additional ER-resident proteins identified by our microarray analysis, this study suggests an important integrated response between ER signaling and the cellular adaptation to hypoxic stress.

scholarly journals Role of Activating Transcription Factor 4 in Murine Choroidal Neovascularization Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8890
Author(s):  
Hiroto Yasuda ◽  
Miruto Tanaka ◽  
Anri Nishinaka ◽  
Shinsuke Nakamura ◽  
Masamitsu Shimazawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Choroidal Neovascularization ◽  
Retinal Pigment ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) featuring choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the principal cause of irreversible blindness in elderly people in the world. Integrated stress response (ISR) is one of the intracellular signals to be adapted to various stress conditions including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. ISR signaling results in the upregulation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), which is a mediator of ISR. Although recent studies have suggested ISR contributes to the progression of some age-related disorders, the effects of ATF4 on the development of CNV remain unclear. Here, we performed a murine model of laser-induced CNV and found that ATF4 was highly expressed in endothelial cells of the blood vessels of the CNV lesion site. Exposure to integrated stress inhibitor (ISRIB) reduced CNV formation, vascular leakage, and the upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid-sclera complex. In human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs), ISRIB reduced the level of ATF4 and VEGF induced by an ER stress inducer, thapsigargin, and recombinant human VEGF. Moreover, ISRIB decreased the VEGF-induced cell proliferation and migration of HRMECs. Collectively, our findings showed that pro-angiogenic effects of ATF4 in endothelial cells may be a potentially therapeutic target for patients with nAMD.

scholarly journals Concomitant Nrf2- and ATF4-activation by Carnosic Acid Cooperatively Induces Expression of Cytoprotective Genes

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 1706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junsei Mimura ◽  
Atsushi Inose-Maruyama ◽  
Shusuke Taniuchi ◽  
Kunio Kosaka ◽  
Hidemi Yoshida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Carnosic Acid ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Antioxidant Genes ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Rosmarinus Officinalis L ◽  
Ngf Gene

: Carnosic acid (CA) is a phytochemical found in some dietary herbs, such as Rosmarinus officinalis L., and possesses antioxidative and anti-microbial properties. We previously demonstrated that CA functions as an activator of nuclear factor, erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor in human and rodent cells. CA enhances the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and antioxidant genes, such as HO-1 in an Nrf2-dependent manner in U373MG human astrocytoma cells. However, CA also induces NGF gene expression in an Nrf2-independent manner, since 50 μM of CA administration showed striking NGF gene induction compared with the classical Nrf2 inducer tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) in U373MG cells. By comparative transcriptome analysis, we found that CA activates activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) in addition to Nrf2 at high doses. CA activated ATF4 in phospho-eIF2α- and heme-regulated inhibitor kinase (HRI)-dependent manners, indicating that CA activates ATF4 through the integrated stress response (ISR) pathway. Furthermore, CA activated Nrf2 and ATF4 cooperatively enhanced the expression of NGF and many antioxidant genes while acting independently to certain client genes. Taken together, these results represent a novel mechanism of CA-mediated gene regulation evoked by Nrf2 and ATF4 cooperation.

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) upregulation via the mTORC1-ATF4 pathway activation contributes to palmitate-induced lipotoxicity in hepatocytes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Griffiths ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Qing Song ◽  
Iredia D. Iyamu ◽  
Lifeng Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor 4 ◽  
Pathway Activation ◽  
Hepatic Lipotoxicity ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
Transcription Factor 4

Defined as the dysfunction and/or cell death caused by toxic lipids accumulation in hepatocytes, hepatic lipotoxicity plays a pathological role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying lipotoxicity remain to be elucidated. In this study, using AML12 cells, a non-transformed murine hepatocyte cell line, exposed to palmitate (a 16-C saturated fatty acid) as an experimental model, we investigated the role and mechanisms of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), a methyltransferase catalyzing nicotinamide methylation and degradation, in hepatic lipotoxicity. We initially identified activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) as a major transcription factor for hepatic NNMT expression. Here, we demonstrated that palmitate upregulates NNMT expression via activating ATF4 in a mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependent mechanism in that mTORC1 inhibition by both Torin1 and rapamycin attenuated ATF4 activation and NNMT upregulation. We further demonstrated that the mTORC1-dependent ATF4 activation is an integral signaling event of unfolded protein response (UPR) as both ATF4 activation and NNMT upregulation by tunicamycin, a well-documented endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inducer, are blunted when hepatocytes were pretreated with Torin1. Importantly, our data uncovered that NNMT upregulation contributes to palmitate-induced hepatotoxicity as NNMT inhibition, via either pharmacological (NNMT inhibitors) or genetic approach (siRNA transfection), provided protection against palmitate lipotoxicity. Our further mechanistic exploration identified protein kinase A (PKA) activation to contribute, at least, partially to the protective effect of NNMT inhibition against lipotoxicity. Collectively, our data demonstrated that NNMT upregulation by the mTORC1-ATF4 pathway activation contributes to the development of lipotoxicity in hepatocytes.

scholarly journals Distinct roles of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) in transcription during the mammalian unfolded protein response

2002 ◽  
Vol 366 (2) ◽  
pp. 585-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya OKADA ◽  
Hiderou YOSHIDA ◽  
Rieko AKAZAWA ◽  
Manabu NEGISHI ◽  
Kazutoshi MORI
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Double Stranded Rna ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Activating Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Response

In response to accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a homoeostatic response, termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), is activated in all eukaryotic cells. The UPR involves only transcriptional regulation in yeast, and approx. 6% of all yeast genes, encoding not only proteins to augment the folding capacity in the ER, but also proteins working at various stages of secretion, are induced by ER stress [Travers, Patil, Wodicka, Lockhart, Weissman and Walter (2000) Cell (Cambridge, Mass.) 101, 249–258]. In the present study, we conducted microarray analysis of HeLa cells, although our analysis covered only a small fraction of the human genome. A great majority of human ER stress-inducible genes (approx. 1% of 1800 genes examined) were classified into two groups. One group consisted of genes encoding ER-resident molecular chaperones and folding enzymes, and these genes were directly regulated by the ER-membrane-bound transcription factor activating transcription factor (ATF) 6. The ER-membrane-bound protein kinase double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase-like ER kinase (PERK)-mediated signalling pathway appeared to be responsible for induction of the remaining genes, which are not involved in secretion, but may be important after cellular recovery from ER stress. In higher eukaryotes, the PERK-mediated translational-attenuation system is known to operate in concert with the transcriptional-induction system. Thus we propose that mammalian cells have evolved a strategy to cope with ER stress different from that of yeast cells.

scholarly journals Dynamic changes in oligomeric complexes of UPR sensors induced by misfolded proteins in the ER

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arunkumar Sundaram ◽  
Suhila Appathurai ◽  
Malaiyalam Mariappan
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Er Stress ◽  
Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Misfolded Proteins ◽  
Dynamic Changes ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Stressed Cells ◽  
Protein Response

AbstractThe endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localized unfolded protein response (UPR) sensors, IRE1α, PERK, and ATF6α, are activated upon accumulation of misfolded proteins caused by ER stress. It is debated whether these UPR sensors are activated either by the release of their negative regulator BiP chaperone or directly binding to misfolded proteins during ER stress. Here we simultaneously examined oligomerization and activation of all three endogenous UPR sensors. We found that UPR sensors existed as preformed oligomers even in unstressed cells, which shifted to large oligomers for PERK and small oligomers for ATF6α, but little changed for IRE1α upon ER stress. Neither depletion nor overexpression of BiP had significant effects on oligomeric complexes of UPR sensors both in unstressed and stressed cells. Thus, our results find less evidence for the BiP-mediated activation of UPR sensors in mammalian cells and support that misfolded proteins bind and activate the preformed oligomers of UPR sensors.

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