Functional divergence of dafachronic acid pathways in the control of C. elegans development and lifespan.

Steroid hormone and insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathways control development and lifespan in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans by regulating the activity of the nuclear receptor DAF-12 and the FoxO transcription factor DAF-16, respectively. The DAF-12 ligands Delta(4)- and Delta(7)-dafachronic acid (DA) promote bypass of the dauer diapause and proper gonadal migration during larval development; in adults, DAs influence lifespan. Whether Delta(4)- and Delta(7)-DA have unique biological functions is not known. We identified the 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3betaHSD) family member HSD-1, which participates in Delta(4)-DA biosynthesis, as an inhibitor of DAF-16/FoxO activity. Whereas IIS promotes the cytoplasmic sequestration of DAF-16/FoxO, HSD-1 inhibits nuclear DAF-16/FoxO activity without affecting DAF-16/FoxO subcellular localization. Thus, HSD-1 and IIS inhibit DAF-16/FoxO activity via distinct and complementary mechanisms. In adults, HSD-1 was required for full lifespan extension in IIS mutants, indicating that HSD-1 interactions with IIS are context-dependent. In contrast to the Delta(7)-DA biosynthetic enzyme DAF-36, HSD-1 is dispensable for proper gonadal migration and lifespan extension induced by germline ablation. These findings provide insights into the molecular interface between DA and IIS pathways and suggest that Delta(4)- and Delta(7)-DA pathways have unique as well as overlapping biological functions in the control of development and lifespan.

Caenorhabditis elegans EAK-3 inhibits dauer arrest via nonautonomous regulation of nuclear DAF-16/FoxO activity.

Insulin regulates development, metabolism, and lifespan via a conserved PI3K/Akt pathway that promotes cytoplasmic sequestration of FoxO transcription factors. The regulation of nuclear FoxO is poorly understood. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, insulin-like signaling functions in larvae to inhibit dauer arrest and acts during adulthood to regulate lifespan. In a screen for genes that modulate C. elegans insulin-like signaling, we identified eak-3, which encodes a novel protein that is specifically expressed in the two endocrine XXX cells. The dauer arrest phenotype of eak-3 mutants is fully suppressed by mutations in daf-16/FoxO, which encodes the major target of C. elegans insulin-like signaling, and daf-12, which encodes a nuclear receptor regulated by steroid hormones known as dafachronic acids. eak-3 mutation does not affect DAF-16/FoxO subcellular localization but enhances expression of the direct DAF-16/FoxO target sod-3 in a daf-16/FoxO- and daf-12-dependent manner. eak-3 mutants have normal lifespans, suggesting that EAK-3 decouples insulin-like regulation of development and longevity. We propose that EAK-3 activity in the XXX cells promotes the synthesis and/or secretion of a hormone that acts in parallel to AKT-1 to inhibit the expression of DAF-16/FoxO target genes. Similar hormonal pathways may regulate FoxO target gene expression in mammals.

Novel protein and Mg2+ configurations in the Mg2+GDP complex of the SRP GTPase ffh.

Ffh is the signal sequence recognition and targeting subunit of the prokaryotic signal recognition particle (SRP). Previous structural studies of the NG GTPase domain of Ffh demonstrated magnesium-dependent and magnesium-independent binding conformations for GDP and GMPPNP that are believed to reflect novel mechanisms for exchange and activation in this member of the GTPase superfamily. The current study of the NG GTPase bound to Mg(2+)GDP reveals two new binding conformations-in the first the magnesium interactions are similar to those seen previously, however, the protein undergoes a conformational change that brings a conserved aspartate into its second coordination sphere. In the second, the protein conformation is similar to that seen previously, but the magnesium coordination sphere is disrupted so that only five oxygen ligands are present. The loss of the coordinating water molecule, at the position that would be occupied by the oxygen of the gamma-phosphate of GTP, is consistent with that position being privileged for exchange during phosphate release. The available structures of the GDP-bound protein provide a series of structural snapshots that illuminate steps along the pathway of GDP release following GTP hydrolysis.

EAK-7 controls development and life span by regulating nuclear DAF-16/FoxO activity.

FoxO transcription factors control development and longevity in diverse species. Although FoxO regulation via changes in its subcellular localization is well established, little is known about how FoxO activity is regulated in the nucleus. Here, we show that the conserved C. elegans protein EAK-7 acts in parallel to the serine/threonine kinase AKT-1 to inhibit the FoxO transcription factor DAF-16. Loss of EAK-7 activity promotes diapause and longevity in a DAF-16/FoxO-dependent manner. Whereas akt-1 mutation activates DAF-16/FoxO by promoting its translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, eak-7 mutation increases nuclear DAF-16/FoxO activity without influencing DAF-16/FoxO subcellular localization. Thus, EAK-7 and AKT-1 inhibit DAF-16/FoxO activity via distinct mechanisms. Our results implicate EAK-7 as a FoxO regulator and highlight the biological impact of a regulatory pathway that governs the activity of nuclear FoxO without altering its subcellular location.

Role of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and extracellular regulated kinase pathways in the induction of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 activity and the HIF-1 target vascular endothelial growth factor in ovarian granulosa cells in response to follicle-stimulating hormone.

FSH stimulation of granulosa cells (GCs) results in increased hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha protein levels and HIF-1 activity that is necessary for up-regulation of certain FSH target genes including vascular endothelial growth factor. We report that the role of the phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3-kinase/AKT pathway in increasing HIF-1alpha protein in FSH-stimulated GCs extends beyond an increase in mammalian target of rapamycin-stimulated translation. FSH increases phosphorylation of the AKT target mouse double-minute 2 (MDM2); a phosphomimetic mutation of MDM2 is sufficient to induce HIF-1 activity. The PI3-kinase/AKT target forkhead box-containing protein O subfamily 1 (FOXO1) also effects the accumulation of HIF-1alpha as evidenced by the ability of a constitutively active FOXO1 mutant to inhibit the induction by FSH of HIF-1alpha protein and HIF-1 activity. Activation of the PI3-kinase/AKT pathway in GCs by IGF-I is sufficient to induce HIF-1alpha protein but surprisingly not HIF-1 activity. HIF-1 activity also appears to require a PD98059-sensitive protein (kinase) activity stimulated by FSH that is both distinct from mitogen-activated ERK kinase1/2 or 5 and independent of the PI3-kinase/AKT pathway. These results indicate that FSH-stimulated HIF-1 activation leading to up-regulation of targets such as vascular endothelial growth factor requires not only PI3-kinase/AKT-mediated activation of mammalian target of rapamycin as well as phosphorylation of FOXO1 and possibly MDM2 but also a protein (kinase) activity that is inhibited by the classic ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 but not ERK1/2 or 5. Thus, regulation of HIF-1 activity in GCs by FSH under normoxic conditions is complex and requires input from multiple signaling pathways.

Induction of cyclin D2 in rat granulosa cells requires FSH-dependent relief from FOXO1 repression coupled with positive signals from Smad.

Ovarian follicles undergo exponential growth in response to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), largely as a result of the proliferation of granulosa cells (GCs). In vitro under serum-free conditions, rat GCs differentiate in response to FSH but do not proliferate unless activin is also present. In the presence of FSH plus activin, GCs exhibit enhanced expression of cyclin D2 as well as inhibin-alpha, aromatase, steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), cholesterol side chain (SCC), and epiregulin. In this report we sought to identify the signaling pathways by which FSH and activin promote GC proliferation and differentiation. Our results show that these responses are associated with prolonged Akt phosphorylation relative to time-matched controls and are dependent on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) and Smad2/3 signaling, based on the ability of the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 or infection with adenoviral dominant negative Smad3 (DN-Smad3) mutant to attenuate induction of cyclin D2, inhibin-alpha, aromatase, SCC, SF-1, and epiregulin. The DN-Smad3 mutant also abolished prolonged Akt phosphorylation stimulated by FSH plus activin 24 h post-treatment. Infection with the adenoviral constitutively active forkhead box-containing protein, O subfamily (FOXO)1 mutant suppressed induction of cyclin D2, aromatase, inhibin-alpha, SF-1, and epiregulin. Transient transfections of GCs with constitutively active FOXO1 mutant also suppressed cyclin D2, inhibin-alpha, and epiregulin promoter-reporter activities. Chromatin immunoprecipitation results demonstrate in vivo the association of FOXO1 with the cyclin D2 promoter in untreated GCs and release of FOXO1 from the cyclin D2 promoter upon addition of FSH plus activin. These results suggest that proliferation and differentiation of GCs in response to FSH plus activin requires both removal of FOXO1-dependent repression and positive signaling from Smad2/3.

Follicle-stimulating hormone activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is necessary for induction of select protein markers of follicular differentiation.

We sought to elucidate the role of AKT in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-mediated granulosa cell (GC) differentiation. Our results define a signaling pathway in GCs whereby the inactivating phosphorylation of tuberin downstream of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase/AKT activity leads to Rheb (Ras homolog enriched in brain) and subsequent mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) activation. mTOR then stimulates translation by phosphorylating p70 S6 kinase and, consequently, the 40 S ribosomal protein S6. Activation of this pathway is required for FSH-mediated induction of several follicular differentiation markers, including luteinizing-hormone receptor (LHR), inhibin-alpha, microtubule-associated protein 2D, and the PKA type IIbeta regulatory subunit. FSH also promotes activation of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). FSH-stimulated HIF-1 activity is inhibited by the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002, the Rheb inhibitor FTI-277 (farnesyltransferase inhibitor-277), and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. Finally, we find that the FSH-mediated up-regulation of reporter activities for LHR, inhibin-alpha, and vascular endothelial growth factor is dependent upon HIF-1 activity, because a dominant negative form of HIF-1alpha interferes with the up-regulation of these genes. These results show that FSH enhances HIF-1 activity downstream of the PI 3-kinase/AKT/Rheb/mTOR pathway in GCs and that HIF-1 activity is necessary for FSH to induce multiple follicular differentiation markers.

Neuronal microtubule-associated protein 2D is a dual a-kinase anchoring protein expressed in rat ovarian granulosa cells.

A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) function to target protein kinase A (PKA) to specific locations within the cell. AKAPs are functionally identified by their ability to bind the type II regulatory subunits (RII) of PKA in an in vitro overlay assay. We previously showed that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) induces the expression of an 80-kDa AKAP (AKAP 80) in ovarian granulosa cells as they mature from a preantral to a preovulatory phenotype. In this report, we identify AKAP 80 as microtubule-associated protein 2D (MAP2D), a low molecular weight splice variant of the neuronal MAP2 protein. MAP2D is induced in granulosa cells by dexamethasone and by FSH in a time-dependent manner that mimics that of AKAP 80, and immunoprecipitation of MAP2D depletes extracts of AKAP 80. MAP2D is the only MAP2 protein present in ovaries and is localized to granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles and to luteal cells. MAP2D is concentrated at the Golgi apparatus along with RI and RII and, based on coimmunoprecipitation results, appears to bind both RI and RII in granulosa cells. Reduced expression of MAP2D resulting from treatment of granulosa cells with antisense oligonucleotides to MAP2 inhibited the phosphorylation of cAMP-response element-binding protein. These results suggest that this classic neuronal RII AKAP is a dual RI/RII AKAP that performs unique functions in ovarian granulosa cells that contribute to the preovulatory phenotype.