Expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is highly induced by many stresses, including exposure to short-wavelength UV light (UVC), which increases p21 mRNA stability. Investigation into the mechanisms underlying this stabilization process revealed that proteins present in cytoplasmic lysates of human RKO colorectal carcinoma cells formed complexes with p21 mRNA that were inducible by treatment with UVC and other stress agents. The ubiquitous Elav-type RNA-binding protein HuR was identified within the p21 mRNA-protein complexes, as antibodies recognizing HuR supershifted these complexes and revealed HuR-immunoreactive proteins complexing with p21 mRNA on Western blots. Lowering of endogenous HuR levels through expression of antisense HuR decreased p21 RNA-protein complexes, greatly reduced the UVC inducibility and half-life of p21 mRNA, and prevented UVC-mediated induction of luciferase activity in p21 3 untranslated region-containing reporter constructs. Our findings indicate that HuR plays a major role in regulating stress-induced p21 expression by enhancing p21 mRNA stability and that these effects are coupled to HuR's elevated presence in the cytoplasm.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1) has been shown to play a critical role in mediating the feedback control of MAP kinase cascades in a variety of cellular processes, including proliferation and stress responsiveness. Although MKP-1 expression is induced by a broad array of extracellular stimuli, the mechanisms mediating its induction remain poorly understood. Here we show that MKP-1 mRNA was potently induced by arsenite and ultraviolet light and modestly increased by heat shock and hydrogen peroxide. Interestingly, arsenite also dramatically induces phosphorylation-acetylation of histone H3 at a global level which precedes the induction of MKP-1 mRNA. The transcriptional induction of MKP-1, histone H3 modification, and elevation in MKP-1 mRNA in response to arsenite are all partially prevented by the p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580, suggesting that the p38 pathway is involved in these processes. Finally, analysis of the DNA brought down by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) reveals that arsenite induces phosphorylation-acetylation of histone H3 associated with the MKP-1 gene and enhances binding of RNA polymerase II to MKP-1 chromatin. ChIP assays following exposure to other stress agents reveal various degrees of histone H3 modification at the MKP-1 chromatin. The differential contribution of p38 and ERK MAP kinases in mediating MKP-1 induction by different stress agents further illustrates the complexity and versatility of stress-induced MKP-1 expression. Our results strongly suggest that chromatin remodeling after stress contributes to the transcriptional induction of MKP-1.The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases play a central role in orchestrating many short-and long-term changes in the cell in response to extracellular stimuli (50). To date, three major MAP kinase subfamilies have been well characterized in mammalian cells: the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), the c-Jun N-terminal kinases/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK), and p38 (11,40,50). Thus far, numerous proteins with a wide spectrum of biological functions have been identified as the targets of MAP kinase cascades, including protein kinases, cytoskeletal components, phospholipase A2, stalhmin, and the Na ϩ /H ϩ antipump NHE1 (6,23,42). In addition to the proteins that function on the membrane or in the cytoplasm, MAP kinases also play a crucial role in regulating gene transcription. Upon activation, MAP kinases translocate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where they phosphorylate and activate a multitude of transcription factors, including c-Myc, c-Jun, c-Fos, Elk-1, and ATF-2, ultimately resulting in enhanced gene transcription (8,24,58). The fact that a broad variety of extracellular signals conscript MAP kinase cascades to convey their specific messages suggests that MAP kinase cascades serve a myriad of purposes and the cascades need to be tightly controlled.The activities of all MAP kinases are regulated through reversible phosphorylation of two different amino acid residues (threonine ...

MKP-2 is a member of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase family which has been suggested to play an important role in the feedback control of MAP kinase-mediated gene expression. Although MKP-2 preferentially inactivates extracellular signalregulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase (JNK) MAP kinase subfamilies, the mechanisms underlying its own regulation remain unclear. In this report, we have examined the MKP-2 interaction with and catalytic activation by distinct MAP kinase subfamilies. We found that the catalytic activity of MKP-2 was enhanced dramatically by ERK and JNK but was affected only minimally by p38. By contrast, p38 and ERK bound MKP-2 with comparably strong affinities, whereas JNK and MKP-2 interacted very weakly. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we defined the ERK/p38-binding site as a cluster of arginine residues in the NH 2 -terminal domain of MKP-2. Mutation of the basic motif abrogated its interaction with both ERK and p38 and severely compromised the catalytic activation of MKP-2 by these kinases. Unexpectedly, such mutations had little effect on JNK-triggered catalytic activation. Both in vitro and in vivo, wild type MKP-2 effectively inactivated ERK2 whereas MKP-2 mutants incapable of binding to ERK/ p38 did not. Finally, in addition to its role as a docking site for ERK and p38, the MKP-2 basic motif plays a role in regulating its nuclear localization. Our studies provided a mechanistic explanation for the substrate preference of MKP-2 and suggest that catalytic activation of MKP-2 upon binding to its substrates is crucial for its function.

No abstract

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) is the archetypal member of the dual-specificity protein phosphatase family, the expression of which can be rapidly induced by a variety of growth factors and cellular stress. Since MKP-1 protein localizes in the nucleus, it has been suggested to play an important role in the feedback control of MAP kinase-regulated gene transcription. Recently it has been demonstrated that the interaction of several cytosolic MAP kinase phosphatases with MAP kinases can trigger the catalytic activation of the phosphatases. It is unclear whether such a regulatory mechanism can apply to nuclear MAP kinase phosphatases and serve as an additional apparatus for the feedback control of MAP kinase-mediated gene expression. Here we have shown that MKP-1 associates directly with p38 MAP kinase both in vivo and in vitro, and that this interaction enhances the catalytic activity of MKP-1. The point mutation Asp-316-->Asn in the C-terminus of p38, analogous to the ERK2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 2) sevenmaker mutation, dramatically decreases its binding to MKP-1 and substantially compromises its stimulatory effect on the catalytic activity of this phosphatase. Consistent with its defective interaction with MKP-1, this p38 mutant also displays greater resistance to dephosphorylation by the phosphatase. Our studies provide the first example of catalytic activation of a nuclear MAP kinase phosphatase through direct binding to a MAP kinase, suggesting that such a regulatory mechanism may play an important role in the feedback control of MAP kinase signalling in the nuclear compartment.

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-␤1, a pleiotropic cytokine involved in regulating growth and differentiation, can exert both pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic effects depending on the cell type or circumstances. We observed that TGF-␤1 blocked apoptosis resulting from serum withdrawal in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. This was associated with suppression of JNK activation that occurs concomitant with the onset of apoptosis in the absence of TGF-␤1, suggesting that JNK plays an active role in the death process and that TGF-␤1 exerts its protective influence by altering JNK activity. Overexpression of a dominant negative mutant form of SEK1, an upstream activator of JNK, likewise suppressed JNK activation and inhibited apoptosis. Investigation of early events following TGF-␤1 treatment revealed an early induction and phosphorylation of c-Jun that was absent in cells subjected to serum withdrawal alone. That TGF-␤1-induced expression of c-Jun is important for survival was supported by the finding that overexpression of non-phosphosphorylatable dominant negative mutant c-Jun, c-Jun(S73A), attenuated the protective influence of TGF-␤1. Our findings suggest that JNK activation is a late but essential event in serum deprivation-induced apoptosis in A549 cells. TGF-␤1 prevents apoptosis, in part, through the early induction and phosphorylation of c-Jun, which in turn results in attenuated JNK activation.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) is the archetypal member of the dual-specificity protein phosphatase family, the expression of which can be rapidly induced by a variety of growth factors and cellular stress. Since MKP-1 protein localizes in the nucleus, it has been suggested to play an important role in the feedback control of MAP kinase-regulated gene transcription. Recently it has been demonstrated that the interaction of several cytosolic MAP kinase phosphatases with MAP kinases can trigger the catalytic activation of the phosphatases. It is unclear whether such a regulatory mechanism can apply to nuclear MAP kinase phosphatases and serve as an additional apparatus for the feedback control of MAP kinase-mediated gene expression. Here we have shown that MKP-1 associates directly with p38 MAP kinase both in vivo and in vitro, and that this interaction enhances the catalytic activity of MKP-1. The point mutation Asp-316-->Asn in the C-terminus of p38, analogous to the ERK2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 2) sevenmaker mutation, dramatically decreases its binding to MKP-1 and substantially compromises its stimulatory effect on the catalytic activity of this phosphatase. Consistent with its defective interaction with MKP-1, this p38 mutant also displays greater resistance to dephosphorylation by the phosphatase. Our studies provide the first example of catalytic activation of a nuclear MAP kinase phosphatase through direct binding to a MAP kinase, suggesting that such a regulatory mechanism may play an important role in the feedback control of MAP kinase signalling in the nuclear compartment.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the proliferative capacity of cells declines with age. Using rat primary hepatocytes as a model system, we recently demonstrated that this age-related decline in the proliferative response to mitogenic stimulation is associated with decreased activities of both extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p70 S6 kinase (p70(S6k)). To unravel the molecular basis for age-related defects in the ERK pathway, we have now characterized the upstream signaling events that occur after epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation in young and aged hepatocytes. As previously noted for ERK, the activities of both MEK (the kinase immediately upstream of ERK) and Ras following EGF stimulation were significantly lower in aged hepatocytes. An examination of the EGF receptor (EGFR) revealed a similar amount of EGFR in the two age groups. Likewise, EGFR and Shc, an adaptor protein that plays a crucial role in linking EGFR to Ras activation, underwent tyrosine phosphorylation to a similar degree in both young and aged hepatocytes. However, in aged cells Shc was unable to form stable complexes with EGFR after EGF stimulation. Our results suggest that a decrease in the association between Shc and EGFR in aged cells underlies the age-related declines in the ERK signaling cascade and in proliferative capacity.