scholarly journals Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling of STATs. A Target for Intervention?

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1815
Author(s):  
Sabrina Ernst ◽  
Gerhard Müller-Newen

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are transcription factors that in the latent state are located predominantly in the cytoplasm. Activation of STATs through phosphorylation of a single tyrosine residue results in nuclear translocation. The requirement of tyrosine phosphorylation for nuclear accumulation is shared by all STAT family members but mechanisms of nuclear translocation vary between different STATs. These differences offer opportunities for specific intervention. To achieve this, the molecular mechanisms of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of STATs need to be understood in more detail. In this review we will give an overview on the various aspects of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of latent and activated STATs with a special focus on STAT3 and STAT5. Potential targets for cancer treatment will be identified and discussed.

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1405-1408 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.J. Palvimo

Transcriptional activity of signal-dependent transcription factors, including nuclear receptors, relies on interacting co-regulator proteins, many of which possess protein-modifying activity. SUMOs (small ubiquitin-related modifiers) and their conjugation pathway components act as co-regulator proteins for numerous transcription factors that also are often targets for SUMO modification. PIAS [protein inhibitor of activated STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription)] proteins promote SUMOylation in a manner that resembles the action of RING-type ubiquitin E3 ligases. PIAS proteins were initially named for their ability to interact with STAT proteins and inhibit their activity, but their interactions and functions are not restricted to the STATs. Moreover, PIAS proteins do not operate merely as SUMO E3s, since their co-regulator effects are often independent of their RING finger but dependent on their SIM (SUMO-interacting motif) or SAP (scaffold attachment factor-A/B/acinus/PIAS) domain capable of interacting with DNA. The modulator activity imparted by the PIAS/SUMO system involves altered subnuclear targeting and/or assembly of transcription complexes. PIAS proteins may act as platforms that facilitate both removal and recruitment of other regulatory proteins in the transcription complexes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Ma ◽  
Ning Wang ◽  
Yurong Zhang ◽  
Cun Wang ◽  
Tianxiang Ge ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and the cause of most cancer-related deaths. The molecular mechanisms that are involved in NSCLC development are currently not well understood. Accumulating evidence shows that histone demethylases play important roles in the regulation of pathological developmental processes in many diseases, including various types of cancers. Methods: Mitochondrial membrane potential assays, migration and invasion assays, caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity assays and western blot analysis were used in this research. Results: We found that overexpression of KDM6B, a demethylase that acts on histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27), inhibited cell growth by initiating mitochondria-dependent apoptosis and by attenuating the invasion-metastasis cascade in NSCLC cells. Moreover, our results showed that KDM6B directly interacted with FOXO1 and that overexpression of KDM6B promoted nuclear accumulation of FOXO1. The effects of KDM6B on cell apoptosis and metastasis were weakened by knockdown of FOXO1 expression. On the contrary, knocking down expression of KDM6B inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted cell growth by mitigating the nuclear translocation of FOXO1 in NSCLC cells. Conclusions: These findings suggest that KDM6B may act in a pro-apoptotic role in NSCLC by causing the nuclear translocation of FOXO1.


2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1679-1690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunio Kondoh ◽  
Kazuya Terasawa ◽  
Hiroko Morimoto ◽  
Eisuke Nishida

ABSTRACT Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, plays an important role in growth factor signaling to the nucleus. However, molecular mechanisms regulating subcellular localization of ERK5 have remained unclear. Here, we show that nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of ERK5 is regulated by a bipartite nuclear localization signal-dependent nuclear import mechanism and a CRM1-dependent nuclear export mechanism. Our results show that the N-terminal half of ERK5 binds to the C-terminal half and that this binding is necessary for nuclear export of ERK5. They further show that the activating phosphorylation of ERK5 by MEK5 results in the dissociation of the binding between the N- and C-terminal halves and thus inhibits nuclear export of ERK5, causing its nuclear import. These results reveal the mechanism by which the activating phosphorylation of ERK5 induces its nuclear import and suggest a novel example of a phosphorylation-dependent control mechanism for nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of proteins.


2020 ◽  
pp. jcs.250217
Author(s):  
Elisa De Luca ◽  
Andrea Perrelli ◽  
Harsha Swamy ◽  
Mariapaola Nitti ◽  
Mario Passalacqua ◽  
...  

KRIT1 is a scaffolding protein that regulates multiple molecular mechanisms, including cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion and redox homeostasis and signaling. However, rather little is known about how KRIT1 is itself regulated. KRIT1 is found in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus, yet the upstream signaling proteins and mechanisms that regulate KRIT1 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling are not well understood. Here, we identify a key role for protein kinase C (PKC). In particular, we found that PKC activation promotes the redox-dependent cytoplasmic localization of KRIT1, whereas inhibition of PKC or treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine leads to KRIT1 nuclear accumulation. Moreover, we demonstrated that the N-terminal region of KRIT1 is crucial for the ability of PKC to regulate KRIT1 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, and may be a target for PKC-dependent regulatory phosphorylation events. Finally, we found that silencing of PKCα, but not PKCδ, inhibits phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-induced cytoplasmic enrichment of KRIT1, suggesting a major role for PKCα in regulating KRIT1 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. Overall, our findings identify PKCα as a novel regulator of KRIT1 subcellular compartmentalization, thus shedding new light on the physiopathological functions of this protein.


2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 991-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preamrudee Poomthavorn ◽  
Sheena H X Wong ◽  
Sandra Higgins ◽  
George A Werther ◽  
Vincenzo C Russo

The hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) is a key regulator of oxygen homeostasis, modulating cell survival, and growth in cells exposed to hypoxia. In this study, neuroblastoma (NB) cells SH-SY5Y and SK-N-MC were employed to determine the mechanisms regulating adaptation to hypoxia. NB cells were cultured in a serum-free medium in the presence or absence of CoCl2 (100 μM, hypoxia mimic) for up to 48 h. SH-SY5Y and SK-N-MC cell numbers were not affected by CoCl2 treatment, while mitochondrial activity was reduced by ∼50% in SH-SY5Y cells and by ∼70% in SK-N-MC cells. Intracellular accumulation of HIF1α protein was detected as early as 30 min of post-hypoxia, followed by the increase of mRNA for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nuclear accumulation of the ID1–2 transcription factors by 4 h. In hypoxic SH-SY5Y NB cells, real-time PCR analysis showed that the genes involved in maintenance of cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions (i.e. adenomatosis polyposis coli, E-cadherin, catenin, EphB2, fibronectin-1, HTATIP2, tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-4) were down-regulated by up to 90%, while genes involved in enhancement of metastatic behavior (integrin a7b1, hepatocyte growth factor receptor, transforming growth factor-β1, VEGF, kisspeptin, interleukin-1β) were dramatically up-regulated above 200%. These changes were all consistent with the induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition. We have thus demonstrated that NB cell adaptation to hypoxia, in addition to the modulation of HIF1α and VEGF expression and nuclear translocation of ID1 and ID2 transcription factors, involve in the activation of a gene expression program consistent with the pro-metastatic events. These processes are probably responsible for the NB cell transition from an adherent phenotype to a highly migratory, invasive and aggressive NB cell type.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 453
Author(s):  
Susana M. Chuva de Sousa Lopes ◽  
Marta S. Alexdottir ◽  
Gudrun Valdimarsdottir

Emerging data suggest that a trophoblast stem cell (TSC) population exists in the early human placenta. However, in vitro stem cell culture models are still in development and it remains under debate how well they reflect primary trophoblast (TB) cells. The absence of robust protocols to generate TSCs from humans has resulted in limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that regulate human placental development and TB lineage specification when compared to other human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). As placentation in mouse and human differ considerably, it is only with the development of human-based disease models using TSCs that we will be able to understand the various diseases caused by abnormal placentation in humans, such as preeclampsia. In this review, we summarize the knowledge on normal human placental development, the placental disease preeclampsia, and current stem cell model systems used to mimic TB differentiation. A special focus is given to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) family as it has been shown that the TGFβ family has an important role in human placental development and disease.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1074
Author(s):  
Giuseppina Divisato ◽  
Silvia Piscitelli ◽  
Mariantonietta Elia ◽  
Emanuela Cascone ◽  
Silvia Parisi

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the extraordinary properties to indefinitely proliferate and self-renew in culture to produce different cell progeny through differentiation. This latter process recapitulates embryonic development and requires rounds of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is characterized by the loss of the epithelial features and the acquisition of the typical phenotype of the mesenchymal cells. In pathological conditions, EMT can confer stemness or stem-like phenotypes, playing a role in the tumorigenic process. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a subpopulation, found in the tumor tissues, with stem-like properties such as uncontrolled proliferation, self-renewal, and ability to differentiate into different cell types. ESCs and CSCs share numerous features (pluripotency, self-renewal, expression of stemness genes, and acquisition of epithelial–mesenchymal features), and most of them are under the control of microRNAs (miRNAs). These small molecules have relevant roles during both embryogenesis and cancer development. The aim of this review was to recapitulate molecular mechanisms shared by ESCs and CSCs, with a special focus on the recently identified classes of microRNAs (noncanonical miRNAs, mirtrons, isomiRs, and competitive endogenous miRNAs) and their complex functions during embryogenesis and cancer development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 2893
Author(s):  
Asami Watahiki ◽  
Seira Hoshikawa ◽  
Mitsuki Chiba ◽  
Hiroshi Egusa ◽  
Satoshi Fukumoto ◽  
...  

Lipin2 is a phosphatidate phosphatase that plays critical roles in fat homeostasis. Alterations in Lpin2, which encodes lipin2, cause the autoinflammatory bone disorder Majeed syndrome. Lipin2 limits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages. However, little is known about the precise molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory function. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the molecular link between the loss of lipin2 function and autoinflammatory bone disorder. Using a Lpin2 knockout murine macrophage cell line, we showed that lipin2 deficiency enhances innate immune responses to LPS stimulation through excessive activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, partly because of TAK1 signaling upregulation. Lipin2 depletion also enhanced RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis and osteoclastic resorption activity accompanied by NFATc1 dephosphorylation and increased nuclear accumulation. These results suggest that lipin2 suppresses the development of autoinflammatory bone disorder by fine-tuning proinflammatory responses and osteoclastogenesis in macrophages. Therefore, this study provides insights into the molecular pathogenesis of monogenic autoinflammatory bone disorders and presents a potential therapeutic intervention.


Author(s):  
Éva Leiter ◽  
Tamás Emri ◽  
Klaudia Pákozdi ◽  
László Hornok ◽  
István Pócsi

Abstract Regulation of signal transduction pathways is crucial for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and organismal development in fungi. Transcription factors are key elements of this regulatory network. The basic-region leucine zipper (bZIP) domain of the bZIP-type transcription factors is responsible for DNA binding while their leucine zipper structural motifs are suitable for dimerization with each other facilitiating the formation of homodimeric or heterodimeric bZIP proteins. This review highlights recent knowledge on the function of fungal orthologs of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Atf1, Aspergillus nidulans AtfA, and Fusarium verticillioides FvAtfA, bZIP-type transcription factors with a special focus on pathogenic species. We demonstrate that fungal Atf1-AtfA-FvAtfA orthologs play an important role in vegetative growth, sexual and asexual development, stress response, secondary metabolite production, and virulence both in human pathogens, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor circinelloides, Penicillium marneffei, and Cryptococcus neoformans and plant pathogens, like Fusarium ssp., Magnaporthe oryzae, Claviceps purpurea, Botrytis cinerea, and Verticillium dahliae. Key points • Atf1 orthologs play crucial role in the growth and development of fungi. • Atf1 orthologs orchestrate environmental stress response of fungi. • Secondary metabolite production and virulence are coordinated by Atf1 orthologs.


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