Loss of the oxidative stress sensor NPGPx compromises GRP78 chaperone activity and induces systemic disease.

NPGPx is a member of the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) family; however, it lacks GPx enzymatic activity due to the absence of a critical selenocysteine residue, rendering its function an enigma. Here, we show that NPGPx is a newly identified stress sensor that transmits oxidative stress signals by forming the disulfide bond between its Cys57 and Cys86 residues. This oxidized form of NPGPx binds to glucose-regulated protein (GRP)78 and forms covalent bonding intermediates between Cys86 of NPGPx and Cys41/Cys420 of GRP78. Subsequently, the formation of the disulfide bond between Cys41 and Cys420 of GRP78 enhances its chaperone activity. NPGPx-deficient cells display increased reactive oxygen species, accumulated misfolded proteins, and impaired GRP78 chaperone activity. Complete loss of NPGPx in animals causes systemic oxidative stress, increases carcinogenesis, and shortens life span. These results suggest that NPGPx is essential for releasing excessive ER stress by enhancing GRP78 chaperone activity to maintain physiological homeostasis.

Diphosphothreonine-specific interaction between an SQ/TQ cluster and an FHA domain in the Rad53-Dun1 kinase cascade.

Forkhead-associated (FHA) domains recognize phosphothreonines, and SQ/TQ cluster domains (SCDs) contain concentrated phosphorylation sites for ATM/ATR-like DNA-damage-response kinases. The Rad53-SCD1 has dual functions in regulating the activation of the Rad53-Dun1 checkpoint kinase cascade but with unknown molecular mechanisms. Here we present structural, biochemical, and genetic evidence that Dun1-FHA possesses an unprecedented diphosphothreonine-binding specificity. The Dun1-FHA has >100-fold increased affinity for diphosphorylated relative to monophosphorylated Rad53-SCD1 due to the presence of two separate phosphothreonine-binding pockets. In vivo, any single threonine of Rad53-SCD1 is sufficient for Rad53 activation and RAD53-dependent survival of DNA damage, but two adjacent phosphothreonines in the Rad53-SCD1 and two phosphothreonine-binding sites in the Dun1-FHA are necessary for Dun1 activation and DUN1-dependent transcriptional responses to DNA damage. The results uncover a phospho-counting mechanism that regulates the specificity of SCD, and provide mechanistic insight into a role of multisite phosphorylation in DNA-damage signaling.

A cis-element with mixed G-quadruplex structure of NPGPx promoter is essential for nucleolin-mediated transactivation on non-targeting siRNA stress.

We reported that non-targeting siRNA (NT-siRNA) stress induces non-selenocysteine containing phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (NPGPx) expression to cooperate with exoribonuclease XRN2 for releasing the stress [Wei,P.C., Lo,W.T., Su,M.I., Shew,J.Y. and Lee,W.H. (2011) Non-targeting siRNA induces NPGPx expression to cooperate with exoribonuclease XRN2 for releasing the stress. Nucleic Acids Res., 40, 323-332]. However, how NT-siRNA stress inducing NPGPx expression remains elusive. In this communication, we showed that the proximal promoter of NPGPx contained a mixed G-quadruplex (G4) structure, and disrupting the structure diminished NT-siRNA induced NPGPx promoter activity. We also demonstrated that nucleolin (NCL) specifically bonded to the G4-containing sequences to replace the originally bound Sp1 at the NPGPx promoter on NT-siRNA stress. Consistently, overexpression of NCL further increased NPGPx promoter activity, whereas depletion of NCL desensitized NPGPx promoter to NT-siRNA stress. These results suggest that the cis-element with mixed G4 structure at the NPGPx promoter plays an essential role for its transactivation mediated by NCL to release cells from NT-siRNA stress.

How a low-fidelity DNA polymerase chooses non-Watson-Crick from Watson-Crick incorporation.

A dogma for DNA polymerase catalysis is that the enzyme binds DNA first, followed by MgdNTP. This mechanism contributes to the selection of correct dNTP by Watson-Crick base pairing, but it cannot explain how low-fidelity DNA polymerases overcome Watson-Crick base pairing to catalyze non-Watson-Crick dNTP incorporation. DNA polymerase X from the deadly African swine fever virus (Pol X) is a half-sized repair polymerase that catalyzes efficient dG:dGTP incorporation in addition to correct repair. Here we report the use of solution structures of Pol X in the free, binary (Pol X:MgdGTP), and ternary (Pol X:DNA:MgdGTP with dG:dGTP non-Watson-Crick pairing) forms, along with functional analyses, to show that Pol X uses multiple unprecedented strategies to achieve the mutagenic dG:dGTP incorporation. Unlike high fidelity polymerases, Pol X can prebind purine MgdNTP tightly and undergo a specific conformational change in the absence of DNA. The prebound MgdGTP assumes an unusual syn conformation stabilized by partial ring stacking with His115. Upon binding of a gapped DNA, also with a unique mechanism involving primarily helix αE, the prebound syn-dGTP forms a Hoogsteen base pair with the template anti-dG. Interestingly, while Pol X prebinds MgdCTP weakly, the correct dG:dCTP ternary complex is readily formed in the presence of DNA. H115A mutation disrupted MgdGTP binding and dG:dGTP ternary complex formation but not dG:dCTP ternary complex formation. The results demonstrate the first solution structural view of DNA polymerase catalysis, a unique DNA binding mode, and a novel mechanism for non-Watson-Crick incorporation by a low-fidelity DNA polymerase.

Non-targeting siRNA induces NPGPx expression to cooperate with exoribonuclease XRN2 for releasing the stress.

Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) target specific mRNAs for their degradation mediated by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Persistent activation of siRNA-RISC frequently leads to non-targeting toxicity. However, how cells mediate this stress remains elusive. In this communication, we found that the presence of non-targeting siRNA selectively induced the expression of an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident protein, non-selenocysteine containing phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (NPGPx), but not other ER-stress proteins including GRP78, Calnexin and XBP1. Cells suffering from constant non-targeting siRNA stress grew slower and prolonged G1 phase, while NPGPx-depleted cells accumulated mature non-targeting siRNA and underwent apoptosis. Upon the stress, NPGPx covalently bound to exoribonuclease XRN2, facilitating XRN2 to remove accumulated non-targeting siRNA. These results suggest that NPGPx serves as a novel responder to non-targeting siRNA-induced stress in facilitating XRN2 to release the non-targeting siRNA accumulation.

Glucagon regulates ACC activity in adipocytes through the CAMKKß/AMPK pathway.

Glucagon is important for regulating lipid metabolism in part through its inhibition of fatty acid synthesis in adipocytes. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) is the rate-limiting enzyme for fatty acid synthesis. Glucagon has been proposed to activate cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), which phosphorylates ACC1 to attenuate the lipogenic activity of ACC1. Because AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) also inhibits fatty acid synthesis by phosphorylation of ACC1, we examined the involvement of AMPK and its upstream kinase in the glucagon-elicited signaling in adipocytes in vitro and in vivo. LC-MS-MS analysis suggested that ACC1 was phosphorylated only at Ser(79), an AMPK-specific site, in glucagon-treated adipocytes. Pharmacological inhibitors and siRNA knockdown of AMPK or PKA in adipocytes demonstrate that glucagon regulates ACC1 and ACC2 activity through AMPK but not PKA. By using Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase-ß knockout (CaMKKß(-/-)) mice and cultured adipocytes, we further show that glucagon activates the CaMKKß/AMPK/ACC cascade. Additionally, fasting increases the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC in CaMKKß(+/+) but not CaMKKß(-/-) mice. These results indicate that CaMKKß/AMPK signaling is an important molecular component in regulating lipid metabolism in adipocytes responding to glucagon and could be a therapeutic target for the dysregulation of energy storage.

AMP-activated protein kinase functionally phosphorylates endothelial nitric oxide synthase Ser633.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a central role in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis by controlling NO bioavailability. The activity of eNOS in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) largely depends on posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation. Because the activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in ECs can be increased by multiple cardiovascular events, we studied the phosphorylation of eNOS Ser633 by AMPK and examined its functional relevance in the mouse models. Shear stress, atorvastatin, and adiponectin all increased AMPK Thr172 and eNOS Ser633 phosphorylations, which were abolished if AMPK was pharmacologically inhibited or genetically ablated. The constitutively active form of AMPK or an AMPK agonist caused a sustained Ser633 phosphorylation. Expression of gain-/loss-of-function eNOS mutants revealed that Ser633 phosphorylation is important for NO production. The aorta of AMPKalpha2(-/-) mice showed attenuated atorvastatin-induced eNOS phosphorylation. Nano-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) confirmed that eNOS Ser633 was able to compete with Ser1177 or acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase Ser79 for AMPKalpha phosphorylation. Nano-LC/MS/MS confirmed that eNOS purified from AICAR-treated ECs was phosphorylated at both Ser633 and Ser1177. Our results indicate that AMPK phosphorylation of eNOS Ser633 is a functional signaling event for NO bioavailability in ECs.