Endothelial nitric oxide synthase regulates N-Ras activation on the Golgi complex of antigen-stimulated T cells.

Ras/ERK signaling plays an important role in T cell activation and development. We recently reported that endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-derived NO regulates T cell receptor (TCR)-dependent ERK activation by a cGMP-independent mechanism. Here, we explore the mechanisms through which eNOS exerts this regulation. We have found that eNOS-derived NO positively regulates Ras/ERK activation in T cells stimulated with antigen on antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Intracellular activation of N-, H-, and K-Ras was monitored with fluorescent probes in T cells stably transfected with eNOS-GFP or its G2A point mutant, which is defective in activity and cellular localization. Using this system, we demonstrate that eNOS selectively activates N-Ras but not K-Ras on the Golgi complex of T cells engaged with APC, even though Ras isoforms are activated in response to NO from donors. We further show that activation of N-Ras involves eNOS-dependent S-nitrosylation on Cys(118), suggesting that upon TCR engagement, eNOS-derived NO directly activates N-Ras on the Golgi. Moreover, wild-type but not C118S N-Ras increased TCR-dependent apoptosis, suggesting that S-nitrosylation of Cys(118) contributes to activation-induced T cell death. Our data define a signaling mechanism for the regulation of the Ras/ERK pathway based on the eNOS-dependent differential activation of N-Ras and K-Ras at specific cell compartments.

Shoc2/Sur8 protein regulates neurite outgrowth.

The Shoc2 protein has been implicated in the positive regulation of the Ras-ERK pathway by increasing the functional binding interaction between Ras and Raf, leading to increased ERK activity. Here we found that Shoc2 overexpression induced sustained ERK phosphorylation, notably in the case of EGF stimulation, and Shoc2 knockdown inhibited ERK activation. We demonstrate that ectopic overexpression of human Shoc2 in PC12 cells significantly promotes neurite extension in the presence of EGF, a stimulus that induces proliferation rather than differentiation in these cells. Finally, Shoc2 depletion reduces both NGF-induced neurite outgrowth and ERK activation in PC12 cells. Our data indicate that Shoc2 is essential to modulate the Ras-ERK signaling outcome in cell differentiation processes involved in neurite outgrowth.

Sprouty2 and Spred1-2 proteins inhibit the activation of the ERK pathway elicited by cyclopentenone prostanoids.

Sprouty and Spred proteins have been widely implicated in the negative regulation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor-extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. In considering the functional role of these proteins, we explored their effects on ERK activation induced by cyclopentenone prostanoids, which bind to and activate Ras proteins. We therefore found that ectopic overexpression in HeLa cells of human Sprouty2, or human Spred1 or 2, inhibits ERK1/2 and Elk-1 activation triggered by the cyclopentenone prostanoids PGA(1) and 15d-PGJ(2). Furthermore, we found that in HT cells that do not express Sprouty2 due to hypermethylation of its gene-promoter, PGA(1)-provoked ERK activation was more intense and sustained compared to other hematopoietic cell lines with unaltered Sprouty2 expression. Cyclopentenone prostanoids did not induce Sprouty2 tyrosine phosphorylation, in agreement with its incapability to activate tyrosine-kinase receptors. However, Sprouty2 Y55F, which acts as a defective mutant upon tyrosine-kinase receptor stimulation, did not inhibit cyclopentenone prostanoids-elicited ERK pathway activation. In addition, Sprouty2 did not affect the Ras-GTP levels promoted by cyclopentenone prostanoids. These results unveil both common and differential features in the activation of Ras-dependent pathways by cyclopentenone prostanoids and growth factors. Moreover, they provide the first evidence that Sprouty and Spred proteins are negative regulators of the ERK/Elk-1 pathway activation induced not only by growth-factors, but also by reactive lipidic mediators.

Modification and activation of Ras proteins by electrophilic prostanoids with different structure are site-selective.

Cyclopentenone prostanoids (cyP) arise as important modulators of inflammation and cell proliferation. Although their physiological significance has not been fully elucidated, their potent biological effects have spurred their study as leads for the development of therapeutic agents. A key determinant of cyP action is their ability to bind to thiol groups in proteins or in glutathione through Michael addition. Even though several protein targets for cyP addition have been identified, little is known about the structural determinants from the protein or the cyP that drive this modification. The results herein presented provide the first evidence that cyP with different structures target distinct thiol sites in a protein molecule, namely, H-Ras. Whereas 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) and Delta12-PGJ2 preferentially target the C-terminal region containing cysteines 181 and 184, PGA1 and 8-iso-PGA1 bind mainly to cysteine 118, located in the GTP-binding motif. The biological counterparts of this specificity are the site-selective modification and activation of H-Ras in cells and the differential interaction of cyP with H, N, and K-Ras proteins. Cysteine 184 is unique to H-Ras, whereas cysteine 118 is present in the three Ras homologues. Consistent with this, PGA1 binds to and activates H-, N-, and K-Ras, thus differing from the preferential interaction of 15d-PGJ2 with H-Ras. These results put forward the possibility of influencing the selectivity of cyP-protein addition by modifying cyP structure. Furthermore, they may open new avenues for the development of cyP-based drugs.