Src phosphorylation converts Mdm2 from a ubiquitinating to a neddylating E3 ligase.

Murine double minute-2 protein (Mdm2) is a multifaceted phosphorylated protein that plays a role in regulating numerous proteins including the tumor suppressor protein p53. Mdm2 binds to and is involved in conjugating either ubiquitin or Nedd8 (Neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 8) to p53. Although regulation of the E3 ubiquitin activity of Mdm2 has been investigated, regulation of the neddylating activity of Mdm2 remains to be defined. Here we show that activated c-Src kinase phosphorylates Y281 and Y302 of Mdm2, resulting in an increase in Mdm2 stability and its association with Ubc12, the E2 enzyme of the neddylating complex. Mdm2-dependent Nedd8 conjugation of p53 results in transcriptionally inactive p53, a process that is reversed with a small molecule inhibitor to either Src or Ubc12. Thus, our studies reveal how Mdm2 may neutralize and elevate p53 in actively proliferating cells and also provides a rationale for using therapies that target the Nedd8 pathway in wild-type p53 tumors.

c-Abl phosphorylation of Mdm2 facilitates Mdm2-Mdmx complex formation.

Mdm2 and Mdmx are oncoproteins that have essential yet nonredundant roles in development and function as part of a multicomponent ubiquitinating complex that targets p53 for proteasomal degradation. However, in response to DNA damage, Mdm2 and Mdmx are phosphorylated and protect p53 through various mechanisms. It has been predicted that Mdm2-Mdmx complex formation modulates Mdm2 ligase activity, yet the mechanism that promotes formation of Mdm2-Mdmx complexes is unknown. Here, we show that optimal Mdm2-Mdmx complex formation requires c-Abl phosphorylation of Mdm2 both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, Abl phosphorylation of Mdm2 is required for efficient ubiquitination of Mdmx in vitro, and eliminating c-Abl signaling, using c-Abl(-/-) knock-out murine embryonic fibroblasts, led to a decrease in Mdmx ubiquitination. Further, p53 levels are not induced as efficiently in c-Abl(-/-) murine embryonic fibroblasts following DNA damage. Overall, these results define a direct link between genotoxic stress-activated c-Abl kinase signaling and Mdm2-Mdmx complex formation. Our results add an important regulatory mechanism for the activation of p53 in response to DNA damage.

Induction of apoptotic genes by a p73-phosphatase and tensin homolog (p73-PTEN) protein complex in response to genotoxic stress.

The p53 family member, p73, has been characterized as a tumor suppressor and functions in a similar manner as p53 to induce cellular death. The phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) can function as a dual specificity lipid/protein phosphatase. However, recent data have described multiple roles for nuclear PTEN independent of its lipid phosphatase activity. PTEN can directly or indirectly activate p53 to promote apoptosis. We examined whether PTEN would interact and regulate p73 independent of p53. Co-localization in the nucleus and complex formation of p73/PTEN were observed after DNA damage. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that p73α/PTEN proteins directly bind one another. Both overexpressed and endogenous p73-PTEN interactions were determined to be the strongest in the nuclear fraction after DNA damage, which suggested formation of a transcriptional complex. We employed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and found that p73 and PTEN were associated with the PUMA promoter after genotoxic stress in TP53-null cells. We found that another p73 target, BAX, had an increased expression in the presence of p73 and PTEN. In addition, in virus-transduced cell lines stably expressing p73, PTEN, or both p73/PTEN, we found that the p73/PTEN cells were more sensitive to genotoxic stress and cellular death as measured by increased poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and PUMA/Bax induction. Conversely, knockdown of PTEN dramatically reduced Bax and PUMA levels. Thus, a p73-PTEN protein complex is engaged to induce apoptosis independent of p53 in response to DNA damage.

Integration of DNA damage and repair with murine double-minute 2 (Mdm2) in tumorigenesis.

The alteration of tumorigenic pathways leading to cancer is a degenerative disease process typically involving inactivation of tumor suppressor proteins and hyperactivation of oncogenes. One such oncogenic protein product is the murine double-minute 2, or Mdm2. While, Mdm2 has been primarily associated as the negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor protein there are many p53-independent roles demonstrated for this oncogene. DNA damage and chemotherapeutic agents are known to activate Mdm2 and DNA repair pathways. There are five primary DNA repair pathways involved in the maintenance of genomic integrity: Nucleotide excision repair (NER), Base excision repair (BER), Mismatch repair (MMR), Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). In this review, we will briefly describe these pathways and also delineate the functional interaction of Mdm2 with multiple DNA repair proteins. We will illustrate the importance of these interactions with Mdm2 and discuss how this is important for tumor progression, cellular proliferation in cancer.

Serdemetan antagonizes the Mdm2-HIF1α axis leading to decreased levels of glycolytic enzymes.

Serdemetan (JNJ-26854165), an antagonist to Mdm2, was anticipated to promote the activation of p53. While regulation of p53 by Mdm2 is important, Mdm2 also regulates numerous proteins involved in diverse cellular functions. We investigated if Serdemetan would alter the Mdm2-HIF1α axis and affect cell survival in human glioblastoma cells independently of p53. Treatment of cells with Serdemetan under hypoxia resulted in a decrease in HIF1α levels. HIF1α downstream targets, VEGF and the glycolytic enzymes (enolase, phosphoglycerate kinase1/2, and glucose transporter 1), were all decreased in response to Serdemetan. The involvement of Mdm2 in regulating gene expression of glycolytic enzymes raises the possibility of side effects associated with therapeutically targeting Mdm2.

Controlling the Mdm2-Mdmx-p53 Circuit.

The p53 tumor suppressor is a key protein in maintaining the integrity of the genome by inducing either cell cycle arrest or apoptosis following cellular stress signals. Two human family members, Mdm2 and Mdmx, are primarily responsible for inactivating p53 transcription and targeting p53 protein for ubiquitin-mediated degradation. In response to genotoxic stress, post-translational modifications to p53, Mdm2 and Mdmx stabilize and activate p53. The role that phosphorylation of these molecules plays in the cellular response to genotoxic agents has been extensively studied with respect to cancer biology. In this review, we discuss the main phosphorylation events of p53, Mdm2 and Mdmx in response to DNA damage that are important for p53 stability and activity. In tumors that harbor wild-type p53, reactivation of p53 by modulating both Mdm2 and Mdmx signaling is well suited as a therapeutic strategy. However, the rationale for development of kinase inhibitors that target the Mdm2-Mdmx-p53 axis must be carefully considered since modulation of certain kinase signaling pathways has the potential to destabilize and inactivate p53.

DNA-dependent conformational changes in the Ku heterodimer.

Ionizing radiation induces DNA double-strand breaks which are repaired by the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway. NHEJ is initiated upon Ku binding to the DNA ends and facilitating an interaction with the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). This heterotrimeric DNA-PK complex is then active as a serine/threonine protein kinase. The molecular mechanisms involved in DNA-PK activation are unknown. Considering the crucial role of Ku in this process, we therefore determined the influence of DNA binding on the structure of the Ku heterodimer. Chemical modification with NHS-biotin and mass spectrometry were used to identify sites of modification. Biotinylation of free Ku revealed several reactive lysines on Ku70 and Ku80 which were reduced or eliminated upon DNA binding. Interestingly, in the predicted C-terminal SAP domain of Ku70, biotinylation patterns were observed which suggest a structural change in this region of the protein induced by DNA binding. Limited proteolytic digests of free and DNA-bound Ku revealed a series of unique peptides, again, indicative of a change in the accessibility of the Ku70 and Ku80 C-terminal domains. A 10 kDa peptide was also identified which was preferentially generated under non-DNA-bound conditions and mapped to the C-terminus of Ku70. These results indicate a DNA-dependent movement or structural change in the C-terminal domains of Ku70 and Ku80 that may contribute to DNA-PKcs binding and activation. These results represent the first demonstration of DNA-induced changes in Ku structure and provide a framework for analysis of DNA-PKcs and the mechanism of DNA-PK activation.

Therapeutic considerations for Mdm2: not just a one trick pony.

BACKGROUND: The mdm2 proto-oncogene is elevated in numerous late stage cancers. The Mdm2 protein manifests its oncogenic properties in part through inactivation of the tumor suppressor protein p53. Recent efforts in anti-cancer drug design have focused on the identification of small molecules that disrupt the Mdm2-p53 interaction, in hopes of re-engaging the p53 pathway. OBJECTIVE: In addition to binding p53, Mdm2 complexes with numerous proteins involved in DNA repair, translation, metabolic activities, tumor growth and apoptosis. Additional biochemical analysis is required to understand how Mdm2 integrates into all of these cellular processes. Post-translational modifications to Mdm2 can alter its ability to associate with numerous proteins. Changes in protein structure may also affect the ability of small molecule inhibitors to effectively antagonize Mdm2. CONCLUSION: The complexity of Mdm2 modification has been largely neglected during the development of previous Mdm2 inhibitors. Future high-throughput or in silico screening efforts will need to recognize the importance of post-translational modifications to Mdm2. Furthermore, the identification of molecules that target other domains in Mdm2 may provide a tool to prevent other pivotal p53-independent functions of Mdm2. These aims provide a useful roadmap for the discovery of new Mdm2 binding compounds with therapeutic potency that may exceed its predecessors.

Kinetic analysis of the Ku-DNA binding activity reveals a redox-dependent alteration in protein structure that stimulates dissociation of the Ku-DNA complex.

Ku is a heterodimeric protein comprising 70- and 80-kDa subunits that participate in the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway for rejoining DNA double strand breaks. We have analyzed the pre-steady state binding of Ku with various DNA duplex substrates and identified a redox-sensitive Ku-DNA interaction. Pre-steady state analysis of Ku DNA binding was monitored via intrinsic Ku quenching upon binding DNA and revealed that, under fully reduced conditions, binding occurred in a single-step process. Reactions performed under limited reduction revealed a two-step binding process, whereas under fully oxidized conditions, we were unable to detect quenching of Ku fluorescence upon binding DNA. The differential quenching observed under the different redox conditions could not be attributed to two Ku molecules binding to a single substrate or Ku sliding inward on the substrate. Although only modest differences in Ku DNA binding activity were observed in the stoichiometric anisotropy and electrophoretic mobility shift assay studies, as a function of redox conditions, a dramatic difference in the rate of Ku dissociation from DNA was observed. This effect was also induced by diamide treatment of Ku and could be abrogated by dithiothreitol treatment, demonstrating a reversible redox effect on the stability of the Ku-DNA complex. The redox-dependent alteration in Ku-DNA interactions is manifested by a redox-dependent alteration in Ku structure, which was confirmed by limited proteolysis and mass spectrometry analyses. The results support a model for the interaction of Ku with DNA that is regulated by redox status and is achieved by altering the dissociation of the Ku-DNA complex.

Molecular crosstalk between p70S6k and MAPK cell signaling pathways.

We report here for the first time that the specific MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, PD-98059, completely knocked out granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-stimulated MAPK activity but also partially inactivated the ribosomal kinase p70S6K. Since a connection between the two major signaling pathways, Ras/MEK/MAPK and PI3-K/p70S6K was suspected, experiments were designed to prove a molecular crosstalk between those. First, p70S6K protein could be co-immunoprecipitated with anti-MAPK antibodies, MAPK protein was similarly present in anti-p70S6K immunoprecipitates, indicating close spatial proximity of both signaling molecules. Second, p70S6K enzymatic activity was found in anti-MAPK immunoprecipitates and MAPK in anti-p70S6K immunoprecipitates, being the latter activity higher in samples derived from GM-CSF-treated cells. Since an upstream activator of p70S6K, phosphatidylinositol (PI)3-kinase, has been associated to cell movement in phagocytic cells, we studied a possible participation of p70S6K in chemotaxis and whether MAPK had an input. Our data show that functional chemotaxis was inhibited by rapamycin, a specific p70S6K inhibitor, as well as by PD-98059. Thus, a connection between these two kinases extends from the molecular level to cell migration, a key functionality in non-proliferative, mature phagocytes such as neutrophils.

Mechanism of ribosomal p70S6 kinase activation by granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in neutrophils: cooperation of a MEK-related, THR421/SER424 kinase and a rapamycin-sensitive, m-TOR-related THR389 kinase.

We report here for the first time the detection of the ribosomal p70S6 kinase (p70S6K) in a hematopoietic cell, the neutrophil, and the stimulation of its enzymatic activity by granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). GM-CSF modified the Vmax of the enzyme (from 7.2 to 20.5 pmol/min/mg) and induced a time- and dose-dependent phosphorylation on p70S6K residues Thr389 and Thr421/Ser424. The immunosuppressant macrolide rapamycin caused either a decrease in intensity of phospho-Thr389 bands in Western blots, or as a downshift in the relative mobility of phospho-Thr421/Ser424 bands (consistent with the loss of phosphate), but not both simultaneously. The immunosuppressant FK506 failed to inhibit p70S6K activation, but was able to rescue the rapamycin-induced downshift, pointing to a role for the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase. Rapamycin also caused an inhibition (IC50 0.2 nm) of the in vitro enzymatic activity of p70S6K. However, the inhibition of activity was not complete, but only a 40-50%, indicating that neutrophil p70S6K activity has a rapamycin-resistant component. This component was totally inhibited by pre-incubating the cells with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD-98059 prior to treatment with rapamycin. This indicated that a kinase from the MEK/MAPK pathway also plays a role in p70S6K activation. Thus, GM-CSF causes the dual activation of a rapamycin-resistant, MAPK-related kinase, that targets Thr421/Ser424 S6K phosphorylation, and a rapamycin-sensitive, mTOR-related kinase, that targets Thr389, both of which are needed in cooperation to achieve full activation of neutrophil p70S6K.