Daming Gao

Phosphorylation by Akt1 promotes cytoplasmic localization of Skp2 and impairs APCCdh1-mediated Skp2 destruction.

Deregulated Skp2 function promotes cell transformation, and this is consistent with observations of Skp2 overexpression in many human cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying elevated Skp2 expression are still unknown. Here we show that the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt1, but not Akt2, directly controls Skp2 stability by a mechanism that involves degradation by the APC–Cdh1 ubiquitin ligase complex. We show further that Akt1 phosphorylates Skp2 at Ser 72, which is required to disrupt the interaction between Cdh1 and Skp2. In addition, we show that Ser 72 is localized within a putative nuclear localization sequence and that phosphorylation of Ser 72 by Akt leads to cytoplasmic translocation of Skp2. This finding expands our knowledge of how specific signalling kinase cascades influence proteolysis governed by APC–Cdh1 complexes, and provides evidence that elevated Akt activity and cytoplasmic Skp2 expression may be causative for cancer progression.

mTOR drives its own activation via SCF(βTrCP)-dependent degradation of the mTOR inhibitor DEPTOR.

The activities of both mTORC1 and mTORC2 are negatively regulated by their endogenous inhibitor, DEPTOR. As such, the abundance of DEPTOR is a critical determinant in the activity status of the mTOR network. DEPTOR stability is governed by the 26S-proteasome through a largely unknown mechanism. Here we describe an mTOR-dependent phosphorylation-driven pathway for DEPTOR destruction via SCF(βTrCP). DEPTOR phosphorylation by mTOR in response to growth signals, and in collaboration with casein kinase I (CKI), generates a phosphodegron that binds βTrCP. Failure to degrade DEPTOR through either degron mutation or βTrCP depletion leads to reduced mTOR activity, reduced S6 kinase activity, and activation of autophagy to reduce cell growth. This work expands the current understanding of mTOR regulation by revealing a positive feedback loop involving mTOR and CKI-dependent turnover of its inhibitor, DEPTOR, suggesting that misregulation of the DEPTOR destruction pathway might contribute to aberrant activation of mTOR in disease.

Cell-cycle-regulated activation of Akt kinase by phosphorylation at its carboxyl terminus

Akt, also known as protein kinase B, plays key roles in cell proliferation, survival and metabolism. Akt hyperactivation contributes to many pathophysiological conditions, including human cancers, and is closely associated with poor prognosis and chemo- or radiotherapeutic resistance. Phosphorylation of Akt at S473 (ref. 5) and T308 (ref. 6) activates Akt. However, it remains unclear whether further mechanisms account for full Akt activation, and whether Akt hyperactivation is linked to misregulated cell cycle progression, another cancer hallmark. Here we report that Akt activity fluctuates across the cell cycle, mirroring cyclin A expression. Mechanistically, phosphorylation of S477 and T479 at the Akt extreme carboxy terminus by cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2)/cyclin A or mTORC2, under distinct physiological conditions, promotes Akt activation through facilitating, or functionally compensating for, S473 phosphorylation. Furthermore, deletion of the cyclin A2 allele in the mouse olfactory bulb leads to reduced S477/T479 phosphorylation and elevated cellular apoptosis. Notably, cyclin A2-deletion-induced cellular apoptosis in mouse embryonic stem cells is partly rescued by S477D/T479E-Akt1, supporting a physiological role for cyclin A2 in governing Akt activation. Together, the results of our study show Akt S477/T479 phosphorylation to be an essential layer of the Akt activation mechanism to regulate its physiological functions, thereby providing a new mechanistic link between aberrant cell cycle progression and Akt hyperactivation in cancer.

Phosphorylation by Casein Kinase I promotes the turnover of the Mdm2 oncoprotein via the SCFβ-TRCP ubiquitin ligase

Mdm2 is the major negative regulator of the p53 pathway. Here, we report that Mdm2 is rapidly degraded after DNA damage and that phosphorylation of Mdm2 by casein kinase I (CKI) at multiple sites triggers its interaction with, and subsequent ubiquitination and destruction, by SCF(beta-TRCP). Inactivation of either beta-TRCP or CKI results in accumulation of Mdm2 and decreased p53 activity, and resistance to apoptosis induced by DNA damaging agents. Moreover, SCF(beta-TRCP)-dependent Mdm2 turnover also contributes to the control of repeated p53 pulses in response to persistent DNA damage. Our results provide insight into the signaling pathways controlling Mdm2 destruction and further suggest that compromised regulation of Mdm2 results in attenuated p53 activity, thereby facilitating tumor progression.

Acetylation-Dependent Regulation of Skp2 Function

Aberrant Skp2 signaling has been implicated as a driving event in tumorigenesis. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive, cytoplasmic Skp2 correlates with more aggressive forms of breast and prostate cancers. Here, we report that Skp2 is acetylated by p300 at K68 and K71, which is a process that can be antagonized by the SIRT3 deacetylase. Inactivation of SIRT3 leads to elevated Skp2 acetylation, which leads to increased Skp2 stability through impairment of the Cdh1-mediated proteolysis pathway. As a result, Skp2 oncogenic function is increased, whereby cells expressing an acetylation-mimetic mutant display enhanced cellular proliferation and tumorigenesis in vivo. Moreover, acetylation of Skp2 in the nuclear localization signal (NLS) promotes its cytoplasmic retention, and cytoplasmic Skp2 enhances cellular migration through ubiquitination and destruction of E-cadherin. Thus, our study identifies an acetylation-dependent regulatory mechanism governing Skp2 oncogenic function and provides insight into how cytoplasmic Skp2 controls cellular migration.

Protein Phosphatase 2A Reactivates FOXO3a through a Dynamic Interplay with 14-3-3 and AKT

This article describes a functional interaction between PP2A and FOXO3a in which PP2A promotes rapid dephosphorylation of FOXO3a at its conserved AKT phosphorylation sites, leading to FOXO3a dissociation from 14-3-3, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activation in response to inhibition of PI3K signaling.

Skp2: A novel potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed tumor in men and the second most common cause of cancer-related death for males in the United States. It has been shown that multiple signaling pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, such as androgen receptor (AR), Akt, Wnt, Hedgehog (Hh) and Notch. Recently, burgeoning amounts of evidence have implicated that the F-box protein Skp2 (S-phase kinase associated protein 2), a well-characterized oncoprotein, also plays a critical role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Therefore, this review discusses the recent literature regarding the function and regulation of Skp2 in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Furthermore, we highlight that Skp2 may represent an attractive therapeutic target, thus warrants further development of agents to target Skp2, which could have significant therapeutic impact on prostate cancer.

SCF β-TRCP suppresses angiogenesis and thyroid cancer cell migration by promoting ubiquitination and destruction of VEGF receptor 2

The E3 ubiquitin ligase β-TRCP, acting in concert with casein kinase I, drives ubiquitination and degradation of VEGFR2, and renders human papillary thyroid cancer cells resistant to the VEGFR2 inhibitor sorafenib.

Cdh1 Regulates Osteoblast Function through an APC/C-Independent Modulation of Smurf1

The APC/Cdh1 E3 ubiquitin ligase plays an essential role in both mitotic exit and G1/S transition by targeting key cell-cycle regulators for destruction. There is mounting evidence indicating that Cdh1 has other functions in addition to cell-cycle regulation. However, it remains unclear whether these additional functions depend on its E3 ligase activity. Here, we report that Cdh1, but not Cdc20, promotes the E3 ligase activity of Smurf1. This is mediated by disruption of an autoinhibitory Smurf1 homodimer and is independent of APC/Cdh1 E3 ligase activity. As a result, depletion of Cdh1 leads to reduced Smurf1 activity and subsequent activation of multiple downstream targets, including the MEKK2 signaling pathway, inducing osteoblast differentiation. Our studies uncover a cell-cycle-independent function of Cdh1, establishing Cdh1 as an upstream component that governs Smurf1 activity. They further suggest that modulation of Cdh1 is a potential therapeutic option for treatment of osteoporosis.

Cdh1 Regulates Cell Cycle through Modulating the Claspin/Chk1 and the Rb/E2F1 Pathways

APC/Cdh1 is a major cell cycle regulator and its function has been implicated in DNA damage repair; however, its exact role remains unclear. Using affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry, we identified Claspin as a novel Cdh1-interacting protein and further demonstrated that Claspin is a novel Cdh1 ubiquitin substrate. As a result, inactivation of Cdh1 leads to activation of the Claspin/Chk1 pathway. Previously, we demonstrated that Rb interacts with Cdh1 to influence its ability to degrade Skp2. Here, we report that Cdh1 reciprocally regulates the Rb pathway through competing with E2F1 to bind the hypophosphorylated form of Rb. Although inactivation of Cdh1 in HeLa cells, with defective p53/Rb pathways, led to premature S phase entry, acute depletion of Cdh1 in primary human fibroblasts resulted in premature senescence. Acute loss of many other major tumor suppressors, including PTEN and VHL, also induces premature senescence in a p53- or Rb-dependent manner. Similarly, we showed that inactivation of the p53/Rb pathways by overexpression of SV40 LT-antigen partially reversed Cdh1 depletion-induced growth arrest. Therefore, loss of Cdh1 is only beneficial to cells with abnormal p53 and Rb pathways, which helps explain why Cdh1 loss is not frequently found in many tumors.