Kou Miyazaki

A novel HECT-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, NEDL2, stabilizes p73 and enhances its transcriptional activity.

Expression of p73, a p53 family member regulating cell growth and apoptosis, is maintained at low levels in mammalian cells, and cellular activation of p73 is usually controlled at the protein level. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which p73 stability is regulated are unclear. During the search for interacting molecules with the COOH-terminal proline-rich region of p73, we identified a novel NEDD4-related protein (termed as NEDL2) which contains a C2 domain at its NH(2)-terminus, two WW domains, and a HECT domain at its COOH-terminus. As expected, NEDL2 catalyzed the ubiquitination of bacterial cellular proteins in vitro. Reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation experiments and in vitro pull-down assays revealed that NEDL2 bound to p73, which carries two putative PY motifs. p73 was efficiently ubiquitinated but stabilized in a NEDL2-dependent manner. Accordingly, p73 decayed at faster rates in the absence of NEDL2 than in its presence. Consistent with the NEDL2-mediated stabilization of p73, NEDL2 enhanced the p73-dependent transcriptional activation. Thus, our results suggest that NEDL2 activates the function of p73 by increasing its stability.

Protein stability and function of p73 are modulated by a physical interaction with RanBPM in mammalian cultured cells

Upon a certain DNA damage including cisplatin treatment, p73 is stabilized and exerts its growth-suppressive and/or proapoptotic function. However, the precise molecular basis by which the intracellular levels of p73 are regulated remains unclear. In the present study, we have identified RanBPM as a novel binding partner of p73α by yeast-based two-hybrid screening, and also found that RanBPM has an ability to stabilize p73α. GST pull-down assays and co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that RanBPM directly bound to the extreme COOH-terminal region of p73α, whereas it failed to interact with p53. Co-expression of RanBPM with p73α resulted in the nuclear translocation of RanBPM, and both proteins co-localized in cell nucleus as examined by indirect immunofluorescent staining. It is worth noting that the expression of RanBPM inhibited the ubiquitination of p73α, and thereby prolonged its half-life. Subsequent studies demonstrated that the proapoptotic activity of p73α was significantly enhanced in the presence of RanBPM. Taken together, our present findings implicate a novel role for RanBPM in the regulation of p73 stability and function.

Physical Interaction of p73 with c-Myc and MM1, a c-Myc-binding Protein, and Modulation of the p73 Function

p73 shares high sequence homology with the tumor suppressor p53. Like p53, ectopic overexpression of p73 induces cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis, and these biological activities are linked to its sequence-specific transactivation function. The COOH-terminal region of p73 is unique and has a function to modulate DNA-binding ability and transactivation activity. To identify and characterize cellular proteins that interact with the COOH-terminal region of p73α and regulate its activity, we employed a yeast-based two-hybrid screen with a human fetal brain cDNA library. We found MM1, a nuclear c-Myc-binding protein, was associated with p73α in both yeast two-hybrid and in vitro pull-down assays. In mammalian cells, MM1 co-immunoprecipitated with p73α, whereas p73β and tumor suppressor p53 did not interact with MM1. Overexpression of MM1 in p53-deficient osteosarcoma SAOS-2 cells enhanced the p73α-dependent transcription from the p53/p73-responsiveBax and PG13 promoters, whereas p73β- and p53-mediated transcriptional activation was unaffected in the presence of MM1. MM1 also stimulated the p73α-mediated growth suppression in SAOS-2 cells. More importantly, we found that c-Myc was physically associated with p73α and significantly impaired the transcriptional activity of p73α on Bax and p21 waf1 promoters. Expression of MM1 strongly reduced the c-Myc-mediated inhibitory activity on p73α. These results suggest that MM1 may act as a molecular partner for p73 to prevent the c-Myc-mediated inhibitory effect on its activity.

Function of p73, not of p53, is inhibited by the physical interaction with RACK1 and its inhibitory effect is counteracted by pRB

The newly identified p53-related gene, p73, encodes a nuclear transcription factor. Unlike p53, p73 has various isoforms with different NH2- and COOH-terminal tails. p73α with the longest COOH-terminal extension is most abundantly expressed in many tissues and cells among those splicing isoforms of p73 and the COOH-terminal region appears to have an autoregulatory function. To isolate and characterize the cellular protein(s) that interacts with the unique COOH-terminal region of p73α, we employed a yeast two-hybrid screen with a human fetal brain and 293 cell cDNA libraries. We identified the receptor for activated C kinase (RACK1) as a new member of p73α-binding proteins. The interaction was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation experiments, whereas RACK1 did not interact with p53 or p73β. Ectopic overexpression of RACK1 in SAOS-2 cells reduced the p73α-mediated transcription from the p53/p73-responsive promoters, and inhibited the p73α-dependent apoptosis. On the other hand, the p53-dependent transcriptional activation as well as apoptosis was unaffected in the presence of RACK1. Furthermore, we found that pRB physically bound to RACK1, and repressed the RACK1-dependent inhibition of p73α. Taken together, our observations suggest that pRB diminishes the RACK1-mediated inhibition of p73α activity through the interaction with RACK1.

LOW EXPRESSION OF HUMAN TUBULIN TYROSINE LIGASE AND SUPPRESSED TUBULIN TYROSINATION/DETYROSINATION CYCLE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPAIRED NEURONAL DIFFERENTIATION IN NEUROBLASTOMAS WITH POOR PROGNOSIS

Neuroblastoma (NBL), one of the most common childhood solid tumors, has a distinct nature in different prognostic subgroups. However, the precise mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains largely unknown. To understand the molecular and genetic bases of neuroblastoma, we have generated its cDNA libraries and identified a human ortholog of tubulin tyrosine ligase gene (hTTL/Nbla0660) as a differentially expressed gene at high levels in a favorable subset of the tumor. Tubulin is subjected to several types of evolutionarily conserved posttranslational modification, including tyrosination and detyrosination. Tubulin tyrosine ligase catalyzes ligation of the tyrosine residue to the COOH terminus of the detyrosinated form of α‐tubulin. The measurement of hTTL mRNA expression in 74 primary neuroblastomas by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription‐PCR revealed that its high expression was significantly associated with favorable stages (1, 2 and 4s; p = 0.0069), high TrkA expression (p = 0.002), a single copy of MYCN (p < 0.00005), tumors found by mass screening (p = 0.0042), nonadrenal origin (p = 0.0042) and good prognosis (p = 0.023). The log‐rank test showed that high expression of hTTL was an indicator of favorable prognosis (p = 0.026). Immunohistochemical analysis using specific antibodies generated by us demonstrated that tyrosinated tubulin (Tyr‐tubulin), detyrosinated tubulin (Glu‐tubulin) and hTTL as well as Δ2‐tubulin were positive in favorable tumors, whereas only Δ2‐tubulin was positive in the tumors with MYCN amplification. In an RTBM1 neuroblastoma cell line, hTTL was increased after treating the cells with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) or all‐trans retinoic acid (RA), which induced neuronal differentiation. These results suggest that the deregulated tubulin tyrosination/detyrosination cycle caused by decreased expression of hTTL is associated with inhibition of neuronal differentiation and enhancement of cell growth in the primary neuroblastomas with poor outcome.

Clustered cysteine residues in the kinase domain of v-Src: critical role for protein stability, cell transformation and sensitivity to herbimycin A

We have previously reported the activation of Src by mercuric chloride based on the sulfhydryl modification. To evaluate the significance of cysteine residues in v-Src, we replaced each cysteine to alanine by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis and examined its effect on cell transformation. Of ten cysteine residues scattered over v-Src, four cysteines clustered in kinase domain, Cys483, Cys487, Cys496 and Cys498, were important for protein stability and cell transformation, whereas those in SH2 domain were dispensable. A single mutation in Cys498 yielded suppression of kinase activity and a temperature-sensitivity in anchorage independent growth. Double mutation either in Cys483/Cys487 or in Cys496/Cys498 yielded clear temperature-sensitivity in cell transformation and in stability of Src protein. Instability of Src protein was magnified by quadruple mutation in the cysteines, which decreased the half-life of Src to be less than one quarter of that of wild-type. In addition, both Cys483/Cyr487 and Cys496/Cys498 kinases became resistant to in vitro inactivation by herbimycin A, which directly inactivates v-Src in addition to its effect on HSP90. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that the cysteine clustered motif of v-Src are critical for protein stability, cell transformation and in vitro inactivation by herbimycin A.

UFD2a mediates the proteasomal turnover of p73 without promoting p73 ubiquitination

p73 protein level is kept extremely low in mammalian cultured cells and its stability may be regulated by not only the ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent proteolysis but also through other unidentified mechanisms. Here, we found for the first time that p73 is physically as well as functionally associated with the U-box-type E3/E4 ubiquitin ligase UFD2a. The immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that this interaction is mediated by the COOH-terminal region of p73α containing SAM domain. During the cisplatin-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, p73α accumulated at a protein level, whereas the endogenous UFD2a was significantly reduced in response to cisplatin. Ectopic expression of UFD2a decreased the half-life of p73α in association with a significant inhibition of the p73α-mediated transactivation as well as proapoptotic activity. Downregulation of endogenous UFD2a by antisense strategy resulted in a remarkable accumulation of p73α. Unexpectedly, UFD2a-mediated degradation of p73α was sensitive to the proteasomal inhibitor, however, UFD2a did not affect the ubiquitination levels of p73α. Taken together, our present findings imply that UFD2a might promote the proteasomal turnover of p73 in a ubiquitination-independent manner, and also suggest that UFD2a might play an important role in the regulation of cisplatin-induced apoptosis mediated by p73.

Acetylputrescine deacetylase from Micrococcus luteus K-11

Abstract An acetylputrescine deacetylase was induced in Micrococcus luteus K-11, and was partially purified and characterized briefly. The enzyme was most active toward acetylputrescine, followed by N 8 -acetylspermidine and acetylcadaverine, but was inactive toward N 1 -acetylspermidine and N 1 -acetylspermine. The K m value for acetylputrescine was 0.321 mM. It was almost unaffected by -SH blocking agents but was inhibited by metal ions such as Cu 2+ and Ni 2+ . Its molecular weight estimated by Sephacryl S-200 column chromatography was 115000.

v-Src suppresses SHPS-1 expression via the Ras-MAP kinase pathway to promote the oncogenic growth of cells.

We investigated the effect of cell transformation by v-src on the expression and tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1, a putative docking protein for SHP-1 and SHP-2. We found that transformation by v-src virtually inhibited the SHPS-1 expression at mRNA level. While nontransforming Src kinases including c-Src, nonmyristoylated forms of v-Src had no inhibitory effect on SHPS-1 expression, transforming Src kinases including wild-type v-Src and chimeric mutant of c-Src bearing v-Src SH3 substantially suppressed the SHPS-1 expression. In cells expressing temperature sensitive mutant of v-Src, suppression of the SHPS-1 expression was temperature-dependent. In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of SHPS-1 was rather activated in cells expressing c-Src or nonmyristoylated forms of v-Src. SHPS-1 expression in SR3Y1 was restored by treatment with herbimycin A, a potent inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, or by the expression of dominant negative form of Ras. Contrary, active form of Mek1 markedly suppressed SHPS-1 expression. Finally, overexpression of SHPS-1 in SR3Y1 led to the drastic reduction of anchorage independent growth of the cells. Taken together, our results suggest that the suppression of SHPS-1 expression is a pivotal event for cell transformation by v-src, and the Ras-MAP kinase cascade plays a critical role in the suppression.

Isolation and characterization of a novel human gene (NESH) which encodes a putative signaling molecule similar to e3B1 protein

Using a conventional cloning technique, a novel full-length cDNA was isolated and sequenced from a human placental cDNA library. This cDNA consists of 2129 bp and has a predicted open reading frame encoding 366 amino acids. It possesses a Src homology 3 (SH3) motif, proline-rich region, serine-rich region and no catalytic domain, suggesting that it seems to be a signaling protein most similar to e3B1, an eps8 SH3 binding protein. PCR-based mapping with both a monochromosomal hybrid panel and radiation hybrid cell panels placed the gene to human chromosome 17q21.3 near the marker D17S1795.