TRAIL/MEKK4/p38/HSP27/Akt survival network is biphasically modulated by the Src/CIN85/c-Cbl complex.

Previously, we showed that mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-related kinase 4 (MEKK4) is responsible for p38 activation and that its activation during tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) treatment also increases the catalytic activity of Akt. Here, we further investigated how the TRAIL-induced MEKK4/p38/heat shock protein (HSP27)/Akt survival network is modulated by the Src/c-Cbl interacting protein of 85kDa (CIN85)/c-Cbl complex. TRAIL-induced activation of Akt catalytic activity and phosphorylation were highly correlated with p38/HSP27 phosphorylation, whereas the phosphorylation of p38/HSP27 increased further during incubation with curcumin and TRAIL, which caused significant apoptotic cell death. CIN85, a c-Cbl-binding protein, plays an essential role in connecting cell survival to cell death. The interaction of CIN85 with MEKK4 was increased during the late phase of TRAIL incubation, suggesting that sustained p38 and HSP27 phosphorylation protects cells by preventing further cell death. However, further increases in p38/HSP27 phosphorylation induced by cotreatment with curcumin and TRAIL converted cell fate to death. Taken together, these data demonstrate that phosphorylated p38/HSP27 as biphasic modulators act in conjunction with CIN85 to determine whether cells survive or die in response to apoptotic stress.

HSP27 modulates survival signaling networks in cells treated with curcumin and TRAIL.

The combination of curcumin and TRAIL and their role in enhancing apoptotic cell death has been reported by many studies. However, the exact molecular mechanism of apoptosis mediated by curcumin and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is not yet completely understood. In this study, we observed a close connection between dephosphorylated Akt and an increase in phosphorylated heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) during combined treatment with curcumin and TRAIL. Akt dephosphorylation was cumulatively regulated by protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1), and src. PP1 and PDK1 directly interacted with HSP27, whereas src indirectly interacted with HSP27 via the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 complex. In conclusion, HSP27 modulated cell survival by its interactions with various binding partners, depending on the level of phosphorylated HSP27.

MEKK1/MEKK4 are responsible for TRAIL-induced JNK/p38 phosphorylation.

The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) depending on caspase and mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 activations. However, the upstream molecule of MAPKs has not yet been identified. The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1 (MEKK1) and the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) are considered to be possible candidates for the action of MAPKKKs induced by TRAIL and the possibility of reactive oxygen species involvement has also been investigated. We found that MEKK1/MEKK4 as opposed to ASK1, are responsible for TRAIL-induced c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) or p38 activation, and that their catalytic activity is repressed by the caspase-8 inhibitor, suggesting that the caspase-8 activation induced by TRAIL is indispensible for MEKK activation. The 14-3-3 θ was also shown to interact with and to dissociate from MEKK1 by TRAIL treatment, thus implicating the 14-3-3 protein as a negative regulator of MEKK1 activation. Taken together, we show herein that the upstream molecule of the TRAIL-induced MAPK activation is MEKK, as opposed to ASK1, via the mediation of its signal through JNK/p38 in a caspase-8-dependent manner.

TRAIL-induced caspase/p38 activation is responsible for the increased catalytic and invasive activities of Akt.

We previously observed that TRAIL induces acquired TRAIL resistance coinciding with increased Akt phosphorylation brought about by the Src-PI3K-Akt signaling pathways and mediated by c-Cbl. c-Cbl, a ubiquitously expressed cytoplasmic adaptor protein, is simultaneously involved in the rapid degradation of TRAIL receptors and Akt phosphorylation during TRAIL treatment. Here, we show that Akt phosphorylation is not exclusively responsible for acquired TRAIL resistance. Akt catalytic activation is known to increase during metabolic oxidative stress, but we show that TRAIL also dramatically induces the catalytic activation of Akt in TRAIL-sensitive cells, but not in TRAIL-resistant cells. This suggests that Akt catalytic activation during TRAIL-induced apoptosis is likely to play a compensatory role in the maintenance of cell homeostasis. In addition, activated p38 and phosphorylated HSP27 were found to act as downstream effector molecules of p38 during TRAIL treatment and were shown to be responsible for increased Akt catalytic and invasive activities.

c-Cbl acts as a mediator of Src-induced activation of the PI3K-Akt signal transduction pathway during TRAIL treatment.

We have previously observed that TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) induces acquired TRAIL resistance by increasing Akt phosphorylation and Bcl-xL expression. In this study, we report that Src, c-Cbl, and PI3K are involved in the phosphorylation of Akt during TRAIL treatment. Data from immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting assay reveal that Src interacts with c-Cbl and PI3K. Data from immune complex kinase assay demonstrate that Src can directly phosphorylate c-Cbl and PI3K p85 subunit protein. Data from gene knockdown experiments with an RNA interference (RNAi) technique show that c-Cbl is involved in the interaction between Src and PI3K p85 during TRAIL treatment, playing an important role in TRAIL-induced Akt phosphorylation. Taken together, c-Cbl may act as a mediator to regulate the Src-PI3K-Akt signal transduction pathway during TRAIL treatment.