JNK inactivation suppresses osteogenic differentiation, but robustly induces osteopontin expression in osteoblasts through the induction of inhibitor of DNA binding 4 (Id4).

Osteoblasts are versatile cells involved in multiple whole-body processes, including bone formation and immune response. Secretory amounts and patterns of osteoblast-derived proteins such as osteopontin (OPN) and osteocalcin (OCN) modulate osteoblast function. However, the regulatory mechanism of OPN and OCN expression remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that p54/p46 c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibition suppresses matrix mineralization and OCN expression but increases OPN expression in MC3T3-E1 cells and primary osteoblasts treated with differentiation inducers, including ascorbic acid, bone morphogenic protein-2, or fibroblast growth factor 2. Preinhibition of JNK before the onset of differentiation increased the number of osteoblasts that highly express OPN but not OCN (OPN-OBs), indicating that JNK affects OPN secretory phenotype at the early stage of osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, we identified JNK2 isoform as being critically involved in OPN-OB differentiation. Microarray analysis revealed that OPN-OBs express characteristic transcription factors, cell surface markers, and cytokines, including glycoprotein hormone α2 and endothelial cell-specific molecule 1. Moreover, we found that inhibitor of DNA binding 4 is an important regulator of OPN-OB differentiation and that dual-specificity phosphatase 16, a JNK-specific phosphatase, functions as an endogenous regulator of OPN-OB induction. OPN-OB phenotype was also observed following LPS from Porphyromonas gingivalis stimulation during osteogenic differentiation. Collectively, these results suggest that the JNK-Id4 signaling axis is crucial in the control of OPN and OCN expression during osteoblastic differentiation.-Kusuyama, J., Amir, M. S., Albertson, B. G., Bandow, K., Ohnishi, T., Nakamura, T., Noguchi, K., Shima, K., Semba, I., Matsuguchi, T. JNK inactivation suppresses osteogenic differentiation, but robustly induces osteopontin expression in osteoblasts through the induction of inhibitor of DNA binding 4 (Id4).

MAPK phosphatase 7 regulates T cell differentiation via inhibiting ERK-mediated IL-2 expression.

Members of the MAPK phosphatase (MKP) protein family play critical roles in immune responses through differential regulation of MAPK activation. In this study, we show that MKP7, also known as dual-specificity phosphatase 16, was required for CD4(+) T cell responses in vivo. Mkp7(-/-) CD4(+) T cells exhibited enhanced ERK and JNK activation, and produced increased amount of IL-2 compared with Mkp7(+/+) cells upon activation. Mkp7(-/-) CD4(+) T cells were selectively defective in Th17 differentiation in vitro, which was rescued by blocking IL-2 or inhibition of ERK activation. Furthermore, mice carrying Mkp7(-/-) T cells were deficient in generation of Th17 and T follicular helper cells in vivo, and were resistant to autoimmune experimental encephalomyelitis. Our results thus demonstrate an essential role of MKP7 in effector T cell function.

Knockdown of dual specificity phosphatase 4 enhances the chemosensitivity of MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR breast cancer cells to doxorubicin.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the major cause of cancer-related deaths in females world-wide. Doxorubicin-based therapy has limited efficacy in breast cancer due to drug resistance, which has been shown to be associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the molecular mechanisms linking the EMT and drug resistance in breast cancer cells remain unclear. Dual specificity phosphatase 4 (DUSP4), a member of the dual specificity phosphatase family, is associated with cellular proliferation and differentiation; however, its role in breast cancer progression is controversial. METHODS: We used cell viability assays, Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining, combined with siRNA interference, to evaluate chemoresistance and the EMT in MCF-7 and adriamycin-resistant MCF-7/ADR breast cancer cells, and investigate the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: Knockdown of DUSP4 significantly increased the chemosensitivity of MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR breast cancer cells to doxorubicin, and MCF-7/ADR cells which expressed high levels of DUSP4 had a mesenchymal phenotype. Furthermore, knockdown of DUSP4 reversed the EMT in MCF-7/ADR cells, as demonstrated by upregulation of epithelial biomarkers and downregulation of mesenchymal biomarkers, and also increased the chemosensitivity of MCF-7/ADR cells to doxorubicin. CONCLUSIONS: DUSP4 might represent a potential drug target for inhibiting drug resistance and regulating the process of the EMT during the treatment of breast cancer.

Statins affect ETS1-overexpressing triple-negative breast cancer cells by restoring DUSP4 deficiency.

We investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying statin-induced growth suppression of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that overexpress the transcription factor ets proto-oncogene 1(ets-1) and downregulate dual specific protein phosphatase 4(dusp4) expression. We examined the gene expression of BC cell lines using the nCounter expression assay, MTT viability assay, cell proliferation assay and Western blot to evaluate the effects of simvastatin. Finally, we performed cell viability testing in TNBC cell line-transfected DUSP4. We demonstrated that ETS1 mRNA and protein were overexpressed in TNBC cells compared with other BC cell lines (P = <0.001) and DUSP4 mRNA was downregulated (P = <0.001). MTT viability assay showed that simvastatin had significant antitumor activity (P = 0.002 in 0.1 µM). In addition, simvastatin could restore dusp4 deficiency and suppress ets-1 expression in TNBC. Lastly, we found that si-DUSP4 RNA transfection overcame the antitumor activity of statins. MAPK pathway inhibitor, U0126 and PI3KCA inhibitor LY294002 also decreased levels of ets-1, phosphor-ERK and phosphor-AKT on Western blot assay. Accordingly, our study indicates that simvastatin potentially affects the activity of transcriptional factors such as ets-1 and dusp4 through the MAPK pathway. In conclusion, statins might be potential candidates for TNBC therapy reducing ets-1 expression via overexpression of dusp4.

DUSP16 ablation arrests the cell cycle and induces cellular senescence.

Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are a family of protein phosphatases that dephosphorylate both phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine/phosphothreonine residues. DUSPs are de-regulated in many human diseases, including cancers. However, the function of DUSPs in tumorigenesis remains largely unknown. Here, using short hairpin RNA-based gene knockdown, we found that several members of the DUSP family play critical roles in regulating cell proliferation. In particular, we showed that DUSP16 ablation leads to a G1/S transition arrest, reduced incorporation of 5-bromodeoxyuridine, enhanced senescence-associated ß-galactosidase activity, and formation of senescence-associated heterochromatic foci. Mechanistically, DUSP16 silencing causes cellular senescence by activating the tumor suppressors p53 and Rb. The phosphatase activity of DUSP16 is necessary for antagonizing cellular senescence. Importantly, the expression levels of DUSP16 are up-regulated in human liver cancers, and are positively correlated with tumor cell proliferation. Taken together, our findings indicate that DUSP16 plays a role in tumorigenesis by protecting cancer cells from senescence.

DUSP4 deficiency caused by promoter hypermethylation drives JNK signaling and tumor cell survival in diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

The epigenetic dysregulation of tumor suppressor genes is an important driver of human carcinogenesis. We have combined genome-wide DNA methylation analyses and gene expression profiling after pharmacological DNA demethylation with functional screening to identify novel tumor suppressors in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We find that a CpG island in the promoter of the dual-specificity phosphatase DUSP4 is aberrantly methylated in nodal and extranodal DLBCL, irrespective of ABC or GCB subtype, resulting in loss of DUSP4 expression in 75% of >200 examined cases. The DUSP4 genomic locus is further deleted in up to 13% of aggressive B cell lymphomas, and the lack of DUSP4 is a negative prognostic factor in three independent cohorts of DLBCL patients. Ectopic expression of wild-type DUSP4, but not of a phosphatase-deficient mutant, dephosphorylates c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK) and induces apoptosis in DLBCL cells. Pharmacological or dominant-negative JNK inhibition restricts DLBCL survival in vitro and in vivo and synergizes strongly with the Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib. Our results indicate that DLBCL cells depend on JNK signaling for survival. This finding provides a mechanistic basis for the clinical development of JNK inhibitors in DLBCL, ideally in synthetic lethal combinations with inhibitors of chronic active B cell receptor signaling.

Activation of MAPK pathways due to DUSP4 loss promotes cancer stem cell-like phenotypes in basal-like breast cancer.

Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is an aggressive disease that lacks a clinically approved targeted therapy. Traditional chemotherapy is effective in BLBC, but it spares the cancer stem cell (CSC)-like population, which is likely to contribute to cancer recurrence after the initial treatment. Dual specificity phosphatase-4 (DUSP4) is a negative regulator of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway that is deficient in highly aggressive BLBCs treated with chemotherapy, leading to aberrant MAPK activation and resistance to taxane-induced apoptosis. Herein, we investigated how DUSP4 regulates the MAP-ERK kinase (MEK) and c-jun-NH2-kinase (JNK) pathways in modifying CSC-like behavior. DUSP4 loss increased mammosphere formation and the expression of the CSC-promoting cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. These effects were caused in part by loss of control of the MEK and JNK pathways and involved downstream activation of the ETS-1 and c-JUN transcription factors. Enforced expression of DUSP4 reduced the CD44(+)/CD24(-) population in multiple BLBC cell lines in a MEK-dependent manner, limiting tumor formation of claudin-low SUM159PT cells in mice. Our findings support the evaluation of MEK and JNK pathway inhibitors as therapeutic agents in BLBC to eliminate the CSC population.

Profiling of residual breast cancers after neoadjuvant chemotherapy identifies DUSP4 deficiency as a mechanism of drug resistance.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) induces a pathological complete response (pCR) in ~30% of patients with breast cancer. However, many patients have residual cancer after chemotherapy, which correlates with a higher risk of metastatic recurrence and poorer outcome than those who achieve a pCR. We hypothesized that molecular profiling of tumors after NAC would identify genes associated with drug resistance. Digital transcript counting was used to profile surgically resected breast cancers after NAC. Low concentrations of dual specificity protein phosphatase 4 (DUSP4), an ERK phosphatase, correlated with high post-NAC tumor cell proliferation and with basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) status. BLBC had higher DUSP4 promoter methylation and gene expression patterns of Ras-ERK pathway activation relative to other breast cancer subtypes. DUSP4 overexpression increased chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, whereas DUSP4 depletion dampened the response to chemotherapy. Reduced DUSP4 expression in primary tumors after NAC was associated with treatment-refractory high Ki-67 scores and shorter recurrence-free survival. Finally, inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) synergized with docetaxel treatment in BLBC xenografts. Thus, DUSP4 downregulation activates the Ras-ERK pathway in BLBC, resulting in an attenuated response to anti-cancer chemotherapy.