scholarly journals Regulation of the transforming growth factor β pathway by reversible ubiquitylation

Open Biology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 120082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mazin A. Al-Salihi ◽  
Lina Herhaus ◽  
Gopal P. Sapkota

The transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signalling pathway plays a central role during embryonic development and in adult tissue homeostasis. It regulates gene transcription through a signalling cascade from cell surface receptors to intracellular SMAD transcription factors and their nuclear cofactors. The extent, duration and potency of signalling in response to TGFβ cytokines are intricately regulated by complex biochemical processes. The corruption of these regulatory processes results in aberrant TGFβ signalling and leads to numerous human diseases, including cancer. Reversible ubiquitylation of pathway components is a key regulatory process that plays a critical role in ensuring a balanced response to TGFβ signals. Many studies have investigated the mechanisms by which various E3 ubiquitin ligases regulate the turnover and activity of TGFβ pathway components by ubiquitylation. Moreover, recent studies have shed new light into their regulation by deubiquitylating enzymes. In this report, we provide an overview of current understanding of the regulation of TGFβ signalling by E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitylases.

2005 ◽  
Vol 386 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Go KURATOMI ◽  
Akiyoshi KOMURO ◽  
Kouichiro GOTO ◽  
Masahiko SHINOZAKI ◽  
Keiji MIYAZAWA ◽  
...  

Inhibitory Smad, Smad7, is a potent inhibitor of TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) superfamily signalling. By binding to activated type I receptors, it prevents the activation of R-Smads (receptor-regulated Smads). To identify new components of the Smad pathway, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening using Smad7 as bait, and identified NEDD4-2 (neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 4-2) as a direct binding partner of Smad7. NEDD4-2 is structurally similar to Smurfs (Smad ubiquitin regulatory factors) 1 and 2, which were identified previously as E3 ubiquitin ligases for R-Smads and TGF-β superfamily receptors. NEDD4-2 functions like Smurfs 1 and 2 in that it associates with TGF-β type I receptor via Smad7, and induces its ubiquitin-dependent degradation. Moreover, NEDD4-2 bound to TGF-β-specific R-Smads, Smads 2 and 3, in a ligand-dependent manner, and induced degradation of Smad2, but not Smad3. However, in contrast with Smurf2, NEDD4-2 failed to induce ubiquitination of SnoN (Ski-related novel protein N), although NEDD4-2 bound to SnoN via Smad2 more strongly than Smurf2. We showed further that overexpressed NEDD4-2 prevents transcriptional activity induced by TGF-β and BMP, whereas silencing of the NEDD4-2 gene by siRNA (small interfering RNA) resulted in enhancement of the responsiveness to TGF-β superfamily cytokines. These data suggest that NEDD4-2 is a member of the Smurf-like C2-WW-HECT (WW is Trp-Trp and HECT is homologous to the E6-accessory protein) type E3 ubiquitin ligases, which negatively regulate TGF-β superfamily signalling through similar, but not identical, mechanisms to those used by Smurfs.


2000 ◽  
Vol 7 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 89-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Schönherr ◽  
Heinz-JüRgen Hausser

The extracellular matrix (ECM) as well as soluble mediators like cytokines can influence the behavior of cells in very distinct as well as cooperative ways. One group of ECM molecules which shows an especially broad cooperativety with cytokines and growth factors are the proteoglycans. Proteoglycans can interact with their core proteins as well as their glycosaminoglycan chains with cytokines. These interactions can modify the binding of cytokines to their cell surface receptors or they can lead to the storage of the soluble factors in the matrix. Proteoglycans themselves may even have cytokine activity. In this review we describe different proteoglycans and their interactions and relationships with cytokines and we discuss in more detail the extracellular regulation of the activity of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) by proteoglycans and other ECM molecules. In the third part the interaction of heparan sulfate chains with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2, basic FGF) as a prototype example for the interaction of heparin-binding cytokines with heparan sulfate proteoglycans is presented to illustrate the different levels of mutual dependence of the cytokine network and the ECM.


2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
IRENE KUHN ◽  
MARTY F. BARTHOLDI ◽  
HUGH SALAMON ◽  
RICHARD I. FELDMAN ◽  
RICHARD A. ROTH ◽  
...  

AKT/protein kinase B plays a critical role in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) pathway regulating cell growth, differentiation, and oncogenic transformation. Akt1-regulated genes were identified by cDNA array hybridization analysis using an inducible AKT1 protein, MERAKT. Treatment of MERAkt cells with estrogen receptor ligands resulted in phosphorylative activation of MERAKT. Genes differentially expressed in MERAkt/NIH3T3 cells treated with tamoxifen, raloxifene, ICI-182780, and ZK955, were identified at 3 and 20 h. AKT activation resulted in the repression of c-myc, early growth response 1 (EGR1), transforming growth factor β receptor III (TGF-βr III), and thrombospondin-1 (THBS1). Although c-myc induction is often associated with oncogenic transformation, the c-myc repression observed here is consistent with the anti-apoptotic function of AKT. Repression of THBS1 and EGR1 is consistent with the known pro-angiogenic functions of AKT. AKT-regulated genes were found to be largely distinct from platelet-derived growth factor-β (PDGFβ)-regulated genes; only T-cell death-associated gene 51 (TDAG51) was induced in both cases. In contrast to their repression by AKT, c-myc, THBS1, and EGR1 were induced by PDGFβ, indicating negative interference between elements upstream and downstream of AKT1 in the PDGFβ signal transduction pathway.


2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (16) ◽  
pp. 4455-4466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Francis ◽  
Jacqueline Bergsied ◽  
Christian E. Isaac ◽  
Courtney H. Coschi ◽  
Alison L. Martens ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a crucial mediator of breast development, and loss of TGF-β-induced growth arrest is a hallmark of breast cancer. TGF-β has been shown to inhibit cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity, which leads to the accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRB. However, unlike other components of TGF-β cytostatic signaling, pRB is thought to be dispensable for mammary development. Using gene-targeted mice carrying subtle missense changes in pRB (Rb1 ΔL and Rb1NF ), we have discovered that pRB plays a critical role in mammary gland development. In particular, Rb1 mutant female mice have hyperplastic mammary epithelium and defects in nursing due to insensitivity to TGF-β growth inhibition. In contrast with previous studies that highlighted the inhibition of cyclin/CDK activity by TGF-β signaling, our experiments revealed that active transcriptional repression of E2F target genes by pRB downstream of CDKs is also a key component of TGF-β cytostatic signaling. Taken together, our work demonstrates a unique functional connection between pRB and TGF-β in growth control and mammary gland development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (33) ◽  
pp. e2111401118
Author(s):  
Yewei Liu ◽  
Adam Lehar ◽  
Renata Rydzik ◽  
Harshpreet Chandok ◽  
Yun-Sil Lee ◽  
...  

Skeletal muscle and bone homeostasis are regulated by members of the myostatin/GDF-11/activin branch of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, which share many regulatory components, including inhibitory extracellular binding proteins and receptors that mediate signaling. Here, we present the results of genetic studies demonstrating a critical role for the binding protein follistatin (FST) in regulating both skeletal muscle and bone. Using an allelic series corresponding to varying expression levels of endogenous Fst, we show that FST acts in an exquisitely dose-dependent manner to regulate both muscle mass and bone density. Moreover, by employing a genetic strategy to target Fst expression only in the posterior (caudal) region of the animal, we show that the effects of Fst loss are mostly restricted to the posterior region, implying that locally produced FST plays a much more important role than circulating FST with respect to regulation of muscle and bone. Finally, we show that targeting receptors for these ligands specifically in osteoblasts leads to dramatic increases in bone mass, with trabecular bone volume fraction being increased by 12- to 13-fold and bone mineral density being increased by 8- to 9-fold in humeri, femurs, and lumbar vertebrae. These findings demonstrate that bone, like muscle, has an enormous inherent capacity for growth that is normally kept in check by this signaling system and suggest that the extent to which this regulatory mechanism may be used throughout the body to regulate tissue mass may be more significant than previously appreciated.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 1411-1425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Qing ◽  
Cheng Liu ◽  
Lisa Choy ◽  
Rui-Yun Wu ◽  
Joseph S. Pagano ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The rapid induction of alpha interferon (IFN-α) and IFN-β expression plays a critical role in the innate immune response against viral infection. We studied the effects of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and its intracellular effectors, the Smads, on the function of IRF-7, an essential transcription factor for IFN-α and -β induction. IRF-7 interacted with Smads, and IRF-7, but not IRF-3, cooperated with Smad3 to activate IFN-β transcription. This transcriptional cooperation occurred at the IRF-binding sequences in the IFN-β promoter, and dominant-negative interference with TGF-β receptor signaling and Smad3 function decreased IRF-7-mediated transcription. Furthermore, elimination of Smad3 expression in Smad3−/− fibroblasts delayed and decreased double-stranded RNA-induced expression of endogenous IFN-β, whereas restoration of Smad3 expression enhanced IFN-β induction. The IRF-7-Smad3 cooperativity resulted from the regulation of the transactivation activity of IRF-7 by Smad3, and dominant-negative interference with Smad3 function decreased IRF-7 activity. Consistent with the regulation by Smad3, the transcriptional activity of IRF-7 depended on and was regulated by TGF-β signaling. Our studies underscore a role of TGF-β/Smad3 signaling in IRF-7-mediated induction of IFN-β expression.


2000 ◽  
Vol 275 (46) ◽  
pp. 36295-36302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuko Yamamura ◽  
Xianxin Hua ◽  
Svetlana Bergelson ◽  
Harvey F. Lodish

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1141-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.P. Ramji ◽  
N.N. Singh ◽  
P. Foka ◽  
S.A. Irvine ◽  
K. Arnaoutakis

The regulation of macrophage cholesterol homoeostasis is of crucial importance in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, an underlying cause of heart attack and stroke. Several recent studies have revealed a critical role for the cytokine TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β), a key regulator of the immune and inflammatory responses, in atherogenesis. We discuss here the TGF-β signalling pathway and its role in this disease along with the outcome of our recent studies on the action of the cytokine on the expression of key genes implicated in the uptake or efflux of cholesterol by macrophages and the molecular mechanisms underlying such regulation.


2012 ◽  
Vol 302 (8) ◽  
pp. C1213-C1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Zhang ◽  
Chek Kun Tan ◽  
Craig McFarlane ◽  
Mridula Sharma ◽  
Nguan Soon Tan ◽  
...  

Myostatin (Mstn) is a secreted growth and differentiation factor that belongs to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily. Mstn has been well characterized as a regulator of myogenesis and has been shown to play a critical role in postnatal muscle regeneration. Herein, we report for the first time that Mstn is expressed in both epidermis and dermis of murine and human skin and that Mstn-null mice exhibited delayed skin wound healing attributable to a combination of effects resulting from delayed epidermal reepithelialization and dermal contraction. In epidermis, reduced keratinocyte migration and protracted keratinocyte proliferation were observed, which subsequently led to delayed recovery of epidermal thickness and slower reepithelialization. Furthermore, primary keratinocytes derived from Mstn-null mice displayed reduced migration capacity and increased proliferation rate as assessed through in vitro migration and adhesion assays, as well as bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and Western blot analysis. Moreover, in dermis, both fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transformation and collagen deposition were concomitantly reduced, resulting in a delayed dermal wound contraction. These decreases are due to the inhibition of TGF-β signaling. In agreement, the expression of decorin, a naturally occurring TGF-β suppressor, was elevated in Mstn-null mice; moreover, topical treatment with TGF-β1 protein rescued the impaired skin wound healing observed in Mstn-null mice. These observations highlight the interplay between TGF-β and Mstn signaling pathways, specifically through Mstn regulation of decorin levels during the skin wound healing process. Thus we propose that Mstn agonists might be beneficial for skin wound repair.


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