Osman N. Ozes

NF-κB activation by tumour necrosis factor requires the Akt serine–threonine kinase

Activation of the nuclear transcription factor NF-κB by inflammatory cytokines requires the successive action of NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) and an IκB-kinase (IKK) complex composed of IKKα and IKKβ. Here we show that the Akt serine–threonine kinase is involved in the activation of NF-κB by tumour necrosis factor (TNF). TNF activates phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) and its downstream target Akt (protein kinase B). Wortmannin (a PI(3)K inhibitor), dominant-negative PI(3)K or kinase-dead Akt inhibits TNF-mediated NF-κB activation. Constitutively active Akt induces NF-κB activity and this effect is blocked by dominant-negative NIK. Conversely, NIK activates NF-κB and this is blocked by kinase-dead Akt. Thus, both Akt and NIK are necessary for TNF activation of NF-κB. Akt mediates IKKα phosphorylation at threonine 23. Mutation of this amino acid blocks phosphorylation by Akt or TNF and activation of NF-κB. These findings indicate that Akt is part of a signalling pathway that is necessary for inducing key immune and inflammatory responses.

A phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/mTOR pathway mediates and PTEN antagonizes tumor necrosis factor inhibition of insulin signaling through insulin receptor substrate-1

Tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) by the insulin receptor permits this docking protein to interact with signaling proteins that promote insulin action. Serine phosphorylation uncouples IRS-1 from the insulin receptor, thereby inhibiting its tyrosine phosphorylation and insulin signaling. For this reason, there is great interest in identifying serine/threonine kinases for which IRS-1 is a substrate. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibited insulin-promoted tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and activated the Akt/protein kinase B serine-threonine kinase, a downstream target for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase). The effect of TNF on insulin-promoted tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 was blocked by inhibition of PI 3-kinase and the PTEN tumor suppessor, which dephosphorylates the lipids that mediate PI 3-kinase functions, whereas constitutively active Akt impaired insulin-promoted IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Conversely, TNF inhibition of IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation was blocked by kinase dead Akt. Inhibition of IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation by TNF was blocked by rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a downstream target of Akt. mTOR induced the serine phosphorylation of IRS-1 (Ser-636/639), and such phosphorylation was inhibited by rapamycin. These results suggest that TNF impairs insulin signaling through IRS-1 by activation of a PI 3-kinase/Akt/mTOR pathway, which is antagonized by PTEN.

Cell Type-specific Expression of the IκB Kinases Determines the Significance of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Signaling to NF-κB Activation

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase/Akt signaling activates NF-κB through pleiotropic, cell type-specific mechanisms. This study investigated the significance of PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced NF-κB activation in transformed, immortalized, and primary cells. Pharmacological inhibition of PI 3-kinase blocked TNF-induced NF-κB DNA binding in the 293 line of embryonic kidney cells, partially affected binding in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, HeLa and ME-180 cervical carcinoma cells, and NIH 3T3 cells but was without significant effect in H1299 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, cell types in which TNF activated Akt. NF-κB is retained in the cytoplasm by inhibitory proteins, IκBs, which are phosphorylated and targeted for degradation by IκB kinases (IKKα and IKKβ). Expression and the ratios of IKKα and IKKβ, which homo- and heterodimerize, varied among cell types. Cells with a high proportion of IKKα (the IKK kinase activated by Akt) to IKKβ were most sensitive to PI 3-kinase inhibitors. Consequently, transient expression of IKKβ diminished the capacity of the inhibitors to block NF-κB DNA binding in 293 cells. Also, inhibitors of PI 3-kinase blocked NF-κB DNA binding in Ikkβ–/– but not Ikkα–/– or wild-type cells in which the ratio of IKKα to IKKβ is low. Thus, noncoordinate expression of IκB kinases plays a role in determining the cell type-specific role of Akt in NF-κB activation.

Cell type specific expression of the IkB kinases determines the significance of PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling to NF-kB activation

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase/Akt signaling activates NF-κB through pleiotropic, cell type-specific mechanisms. This study investigated the significance of PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced NF-κB activation in transformed, immortalized, and primary cells. Pharmacological inhibition of PI 3-kinase blocked TNF-induced NF-κB DNA binding in the 293 line of embryonic kidney cells, partially affected binding in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, HeLa and ME-180 cervical carcinoma cells, and NIH 3T3 cells but was without significant effect in H1299 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, cell types in which TNF activated Akt. NF-κB is retained in the cytoplasm by inhibitory proteins, IκBs, which are phosphorylated and targeted for degradation by IκB kinases (IKKα and IKKβ). Expression and the ratios of IKKα and IKKβ, which homo- and heterodimerize, varied among cell types. Cells with a high proportion of IKKα (the IKK kinase activated by Akt) to IKKβ were most sensitive to PI 3-kinase inhibitors. Consequently, transient expression of IKKβ diminished the capacity of the inhibitors to block NF-κB DNA binding in 293 cells. Also, inhibitors of PI 3-kinase blocked NF-κB DNA binding in Ikkβ–/– but not Ikkα–/– or wild-type cells in which the ratio of IKKα to IKKβ is low. Thus, noncoordinate expression of IκB kinases plays a role in determining the cell type-specific role of Akt in NF-κB activation.

Stat4 Regulates Multiple Components of IFN-γ-Inducing Signaling Pathways

Stat4 is activated in response to IL-12. Most functions of IL-12, including the induction of IFN-γ, are compromised in the absence of Stat4. Since the precise role of Stat4 in IFN-γ induction has not been established, experiments were conducted to examine Stat4 activation of IFN-γ and other genes required for cytokine-induced expression of IFN-γ. We first examined IL-12 signaling components. Basal expression of IL-12Rβ1 and IL-12Rβ2 is decreased in Stat4-deficient cells compared with that in control cells. However, IL-12 was still capable of inducing equivalent phosphorylation of Jak2 and Tyk2 in wild-type and Stat4-deficient activated T cells. We have further determined that other cytokine signaling pathways that induce IFN-γ production are defective in the absence of Stat4. IL-18 induces minimal IFN-γ production from Stat4-deficient activated T cells compared with control cells. This is due to defective IL-18 signaling, which results from the lack of IL-12-induced, and Stat4-dependent, expression of the IL-18R. Following IL-12 pretreatment to induce IL-18R, wild-type, but not Stat4-deficient, activated T cells demonstrated IL-18-induced NF-κB DNA-binding activity. In addition, IL-12-pretreated Stat4-deficient activated T cells have minimal IFN-γ production followed by stimulation with IL-18 alone or in combination with IL-12 compared with control cells. Thus, Stat4 activation by IL-12 is required for the function of multiple cytokine pathways that result in induction of IFN-γ.

Type 1 TNF Receptor Forms a Complex with and Uses Jak2 and c-Src to Selectively Engage Signaling Pathways That Regulate Transcription Factor Activity

The type 1 TNFR (TNFR1) contains a death domain through which it interacts with other death-domain proteins to promote cellular responses. However, signaling through death-domain proteins does not explain how TNFR1 induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular proteins, which are important to cellular responses induced by TNFR1. In this study, we show that TNFR1 associates with Jak2, c-Src, and PI3K in various cell types. Jak2 and c-Src constitutively associate with and are constitutively active in the TNFR1 complex. Stimulation with TNF induces a time-dependent change in the level of Jak2, c-Src, and PI3K associated with TNFR1. The tyrosine kinase activity of the complex varies with the level of tyrosine kinase associated with TNFR1. TNFR1/c-Src plays a role in activating Akt, but not JNK or p38 MAPK, whereas TNFR1/Jak2 plays a role in activating p38 MAPK, JNK, and Akt. TNFR1/c-Src, but not TNFR1/Jak2, plays an obligate role in the activation of NF-κB by TNF, whereas TNFR1/Jak2, but not TNFR1/c-Src, plays an obligate role in the activation of STAT3. Activation of TNFR1 increased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, p21WAF1/CIP1, and manganese superoxide dismutase in MCF7 breast cancer cells, and increased the expression of CCl2/MCP-1 and IL-1β in THP-1 macrophages. Inhibitors of Jak2 and c-Src impaired the induction of each of these target proteins. These observations show that TNFR1 associates with and uses nonreceptor tyrosine kinases to engage signaling pathways, activate transcription factors, and modulate gene expression in cells.

Suppression of TNF-alpha mediated apoptosis by EGF in TNF-alpha sensitive human cervical carcinoma cell line.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. The function of p53 is not restricted to “guarding” against oncogenic stress, but also p53 can guard against the presence of DNA damage. One of the principal mechanisms by which cells achieve this is by regulating the p53 protein level although its phosphorylation and cellular localization also contribute to the regulation of its function. Since many tumors secrete growth factor(s) that inhibit apoptosis and support the growth of cancer cells, we investigated the effects of human epidermal growth factor (EGF) on human TNF-α-mediated induction of p53 and its transcriptional target, p21 in TNF-α sensitive human cervical carcinoma cell line, ME180S. We found that TNF-α can increase the cellular levels of p53, p21 and induce apoptosis in ME180S cells. However, pretreatment of cells with EGF can suppress all these effects of TNF-α. To determine which kinase(s) pathway was utilized by EGF to show these suppressive effects, cells were pretreated with inhibitors of MAPK, PI3K and PKC pathways. Among these only PKC inhibitor reversed all the suppressive effects of EGF. We also found that ME180S cells express only ζ, λ, ϵ, ι, δ, θ, β PKC subtypes and among these EGF treatment activate only PKC-δ redistribution to the membrane from the cytosol. An inhibitor of PKC, GF 109203X inhibited EGF-mediated suppression of TNF-α-induced accumulation of p53, p21 and induction of apoptosis. In summary, we concluded that EGF can protect ME180S cells from TNF-α-induced apoptosis through activation of PKC-δ.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-Induced Accumulation of Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 and Cyclin-dependent Protein Kinase Inhibitory Protein p21 Is Inhibited by Insulin in ME-180S Cells

Abstract The tumor suppressor protein p53 plays an important role in the protection against the development of cancer and is inactivated in many human malignancies. Since p53 is an important inhibitor of cell growth, keeping p53 function under control is critical for survival of cell. One of the principal mechanisms by which cells achieve this is by regulating the p53 protein level, although its phosphorylation and cellular localization also contribute to the regulation of its function. Since many tumors secrete growth factor(s) that inhibit apoptosis and support the growth of cancer cells, we wanted to know whether insulin would have an effect on antitumor and p53-inducing activities of human tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Here we show that treatment of human cervical carcinoma cell line, ME-180S, with TNF-α results in time-dependent accumulation of p53 and its transcriptional target, p21. However, pretreatment of these cells with insulin inhibits TNF-α-dependent cell killing, induction of p53, p21 and apoptosis.

Cytokine and natural killing regulation of growth of a hairy cell leukemia-like cell line: the role of interferon-alpha and interleukin-2.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder of B-lymphocytes, with pathological manifestations usually including splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Naturally occurring and recombinant interferons (IFNs), specifically of the alpha subtype, have shown a significant anti-tumor effect in HCL patients, with improvement of hematologic parameters within the first few months of treatment. The mechanisms responsible for the beneficial action of IFN-alpha in HCL patients are unclear, but several hypotheses have been suggested. Recently, a continuous line of cells (Eskol) from a patient diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia was established and shown to have several properties of a leukemic hairy cell. In the present study, we investigated the direct effect of IFN-alpha and interleukin (IL-2) on the Eskol cell line, and lymphokine regulation of natural killing (NK) activity against these cells. It was found that IFN-alpha has a direct antiproliferative effect on Eskol cells. Furthermore, Eskol cells were found to be completely resistant to NK-cell mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) but were somewhat sensitive to either IFN-alpha-primed NK or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells-CMC. The resistance of Eskol cells to NK-CMC is due to a low binding ability to effector cells. Moreover, it was found that like IFN, IL-2 can protect Eskol cells from activated NK-CMC. Both cytokines reduced the ability of Eskol cells to induce NK-cytotoxic factor (NKCF) release from NK cells following conjugate formation between Eskol cells and effector cells. Moreover, cycloheximide treatment abolished the protective effect against NK-CMC induced by IFN-alpha or by IL-2. Therefore, it seems that the protective effect against NK-CMC induced by both cytokines is mediated via the same mechanism.

reply: Kinase regulation in inflammatory response

Ozes et al. replyDelhase et al. take issue with our claim that Akt induces activation of NF-κB by phosphorylating IKKα, contending that IKKα plays no role in the activation by TNF of NF-κB, and consequently that Akt could not affect NF-κB through IKKα. They point out that Hu et al. have shown that cells deficient in IKKα have normal TNF-induced NF-κB activity, but this has been refuted by Li et al., who reported significant reduction of TNF-induced NF-κB in IKKα-deficient cells. Indeed, the observations of Hu et al. show that degradation of IκBα is diminished in cells from IKKα-deficient mice and are therefore not consistent with the conclusion that IKKα plays no role in TNF induction of NF-κB. Furthermore, deficiency of IKKβ only partially impairs TNF-induced NF-κB activation, which reserves a role for IKKα in this pathway. Others have shown that activation of the IKK complex is dependent on the kinase activity of IKKα to activate IKKβ. Thus, strong evidence supports a role for IKKα in TNF induction of NF-κB.