A secreted tyrosine kinase acts in the extracellular environment.

Although tyrosine phosphorylation of extracellular proteins has been reported to occur extensively in vivo, no secreted protein tyrosine kinase has been identified. As a result, investigation of the potential role of extracellular tyrosine phosphorylation in physiological and pathological tissue regulation has not been possible. Here, we show that VLK, a putative protein kinase previously shown to be essential in embryonic development, is a secreted protein kinase, with preference for tyrosine, that phosphorylates a broad range of secreted and ER-resident substrate proteins. We find that VLK is rapidly and quantitatively secreted from platelets in response to stimuli and can tyrosine phosphorylate coreleased proteins utilizing endogenous as well as exogenous ATP sources. We propose that discovery of VLK activity provides an explanation for the extensive and conserved pattern of extracellular tyrosine phosphophorylation seen in vivo, and extends the importance of regulated tyrosine phosphorylation into the extracellular environment.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase inhibition activates a pathway that branches from the canonical amino acid response in mammalian cells.

Signaling pathways that sense amino acid abundance are integral to tissue homeostasis and cellular defense. Our laboratory has previously shown that halofuginone (HF) inhibits the prolyl-tRNA synthetase catalytic activity of glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS), thereby activating the amino acid response (AAR). We now show that HF treatment selectively inhibits inflammatory responses in diverse cell types and that these therapeutic benefits occur in cells that lack GCN2, the signature effector of the AAR. Depletion of arginine, histidine, or lysine from cultured fibroblast-like synoviocytes recapitulates key aspects of HF treatment, without utilizing GCN2 or mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 pathway signaling. Like HF, the threonyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor borrelidin suppresses the induction of tissue remodeling and inflammatory mediators in cytokine-stimulated fibroblast-like synoviocytes without GCN2, but both aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) inhibitors are sensitive to the removal of GCN1. GCN1, an upstream component of the AAR pathway, binds to ribosomes and is required for GCN2 activation. These observations indicate that aaRS inhibitors, like HF, can modulate inflammatory response without the AAR/GCN2 signaling cassette, and that GCN1 has a role that is distinct from its activation of GCN2. We propose that GCN1 participates in a previously unrecognized amino acid sensor pathway that branches from the canonical AAR.

Dynein light chain LC8 alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by inhibiting NF-κB signaling and reducing oxidative stress.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a liver disease characterized by fat accumulation and chronic inflammation in the liver. Dynein light chain of 8 kDa (LC8) was identified previously as an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a key regulator of inflammation, however, its role in NASH remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether LC8 can alleviate NASH using a mouse model of methionine and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH and examined the underlying mechanism. LC8 transgenic (Tg) mice showed lower hepatic steatosis and less progression of NASH, including hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, compared to wild-type (WT) mice after consuming an MCD diet. The hepatic expression of lipogenic genes was lower, while that of lipolytic genes was greater in LC8 Tg mice than WT mice, which might be associated with resistance of LC8 Tg mice to hepatic steatosis. Consumption of an MCD diet caused oxidative stress, IκBα phosphorylation, and subsequent p65 liberation from IκBα and nuclear translocation, resulting in induction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. However, these effects of MCD diet were reduced by LC8 overexpression. Collectively, these results suggest that LC8 alleviates MCD diet-induced NASH by inhibiting NF-κB through binding to IκBα to interfere with IκBα phosphorylation and by reducing oxidative stress via scavenging reactive oxygen species. Thus, boosting intracellular LC8 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with NASH.

Cyclophilin A Promotes Osteoblast Differentiation by Regulating Runx2.

Cyclophilin A (CypA) is a ubiquitously expressed and highly conserved protein with peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity that is involved in various biological activities by regulating protein folding and trafficking. Although CypA has been reported to positively regulate osteoblast differentiation, the mechanistic details remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism of CypA-mediated regulation of osteoblast differentiation. Overexpression of CypA promoted osteoblast differentiation in bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4)-treated C2C12 cells, while knockdown of CypA inhibited osteoblast differentiation in BMP4-treated C2C12. CypA and Runx2 were shown to interact based on immunoprecipitation experiments and CypA increased Runx2 transcriptional activity in a dose-dependent manner. Our results indicate that this may be because CypA can increase the DNA binding affinity of Runx2 to Runx2 binding sites such as osteoblast-specific cis-acting element 2. Furthermore, to identify factors upstream of CypA in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation, various kinase inhibitors known to affect osteoblast differentiation were applied during osteogenesis. Akt inhibition resulted in the most significant suppression of osteogenesis in BMP4-induced C2C12 cells overexpressing CypA. Taken together, our results show that CypA positively regulates osteoblast differentiation by increasing the DNA binding affinity of Runx2, and Akt signaling is upstream of CypA.

Secreted tyrosine kinase Vlk negatively regulates Hedgehog signaling by inducing lysosomal degradation of Smoothened.

Vlk is a secreted tyrosine kinase that plays crucial roles during vertebrate embryonic development including skeletal formation. Genetic studies suggest that Vlk can modulate the Hedgehog signaling pathway during skeletal development. Despite its potential roles as an extracellular regulator of signaling pathways, little is known regarding the molecular functions of Vlk. Here we show that Vlk can negatively regulate the Hedgehog signaling pathway. We found that Vlk can induce lysosomal degradation of Smoothened, a crucial transmembrane signal transducer of the Hedgehog pathway, through the interaction with the extracellular domain of Smoothened (Smo-ECD). In addition, we observed that Vlk can attenuate Hedgehog signaling-induced ciliary localization of Smoothened. Furthermore, Vlk-mediated suppression of Hedgehog signaling can be diminished by tyrosine-to-phenylalanine substitutions in Smo-ECD. Taken together, these results suggest that Vlk may function as a signaling regulator in extracellular space to modulate the Hedgehog pathway.

Xenopus laevis FGF receptor substrate 3 (XFrs3) is important for eye development and mediates Pax6 expression in lens placode through its Shp2-binding sites.

Members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family play important roles during various developmental processes including eye development. FRS (FGF receptor substrate) proteins bind to FGFR and serve as adapters for coordinated assembly of multi-protein complexes involved in Ras/MAPK and PI3 kinase/Akt pathways. Here, we identified Xenopus laevis Frs3 (XFrs3), a homolog of vertebrate Frs3, and investigated its roles during embryogenesis. XFrs3 is expressed maternally and zygotically with specific expression patterns throughout the early development. Knockdown of XFrs3 using a specific antisense morpholino oligonucleotide (MO) caused reduction of Pax6 expression in the lens placode, and defects in the eye ranging from microphthalmia to anophthalmia. XFrs3 MO-induced defects were alleviated by wild type XFrs3 or a mutant XFrs3 (XFrs3-4YF), in which the putative tyrosine phosphorylation sites served as Grb2-binding sites are mutated. However, another XFrs3 mutant (XFrs3-2YF), in which the putative Shp2-binding sites are mutated, could not rescue the defects of XFrs3 morphants. In addition, we found that XFrs3 is important for FGF or IGF-induced ERK activation in ectodermal tissue. Taken together, our results suggest that signaling through Shp2-binding sites of XFrs3 is necessary for the eye development in Xenopus laevis.

Smurf2 regulates the degradation of YY1.

Transcription factor YY1 plays important roles in cell proliferation and differentiation. For example, YY1 represses the expression of muscle-specific genes and the degradation of YY1 is required for myocyte differentiation. The activity of YY1 can be regulated by various post-translational modifications; however, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms for YY1 degradation. In this report, we attempted to identify potential E3 ubiquitin ligases for YY1, and found that Smurf2 E3 ubiquitin ligase can negatively regulate YY1 protein level, but not mRNA level. Smurf2 interacted with YY1, induced the poly-ubiquitination of YY1 and shortened the half-life of YY1 protein. Conversely, an E3 ubiquitin ligase-defective mutant form of Smurf2 or knockdown of Smurf2 increased YY1 protein level. PPxY motif is a typical target recognition site for Smurf2, and the PPxY motif in YY1 was important for Smurf2 interaction and Smurf2-induced degradation of YY1 protein. In addition, Smurf2 reduced the YY1-mediated activation of a YY1-responsive reporter whereas Smurf2 knockdown increased it. Finally, Smurf2 relieved the suppression of p53 activity by YY1. Taken together, our results suggest a novel regulatory mechanism for YY1 function by Smurf2 in which the protein stability and transcriptional activity of YY1 are regulated by Smurf2 through the ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated degradation of YY1.

Protein kinase A regulates the osteogenic activity of Osterix.

Osterix belongs to the SP gene family and is a core transcription factor responsible for osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Activation of protein kinase A (PKA), a serine/threonine kinase, is essential for controlling bone formation and BMP-induced osteoblast differentiation. However, the relationship between Osterix and PKA is still unclear. In this report, we investigated the precise role of the PKA pathway in regulating Osterix during osteoblast differentiation. We found that PKA increased the protein level of Osterix; PKA phosphorylated Osterix, increased protein stability, and enhanced the transcriptional activity of Osterix. These results suggest that Osterix is a novel target of PKA, and PKA modulates osteoblast differentiation partially through the regulation of Osterix.

Protein kinase a phosphorylates Dlx3 and regulates the function of Dlx3 during osteoblast differentiation.

Protein kinase A (PKA), a serine/threonine kinase, regulates bone formation, and enhances Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-induced osteoblast differentiation. However, the mechanisms of how PKA controls the cellular response to BMP are not well known. We investigated the effects of modulating PKA activity during BMP2-induced osteoblast differentiation, and found that PKA regulates the function of Dlx3. Dlx3 plays crucial roles in osteoblast differentiation and it is expressed in most skeletal elements during development. We found that PKA activation increases BMP2-induced expression of Dlx3 protein, and enhances the protein stability, DNA binding, and transcriptional activity of Dlx3. In addition, PKA activation induces the phosphorylation of Dlx3 at consensus PKA phosphorylation target site(s). Lastly, substitution of serine 10 in Dlx3 to alanine significantly reduces, if not completely abolishes, the phosphorylation of Dlx3 and the regulation of Dlx3 function by PKA. These results suggest that Dlx3 is a novel target of PKA, and that PKA mediates BMP signaling during osteoblast differentiation, at least in part, by phosphorylating Dlx3 and modulating the protein stability and function of Dlx3.

Halofuginone and other febrifugine derivatives inhibit prolyl-tRNA synthetase.

Febrifugine, the bioactive constituent of one of the 50 fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine, has been characterized for its therapeutic activity, though its molecular target has remained unknown. Febrifugine derivatives have been used to treat malaria, cancer, fibrosis and inflammatory disease. We recently demonstrated that halofuginone (HF), a widely studied derivative of febrifugine, inhibits the development of T(H)17-driven autoimmunity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis by activating the amino acid response (AAR) pathway. Here we show that HF binds glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS), inhibiting prolyl-tRNA synthetase activity; this inhibition is reversed by the addition of exogenous proline or EPRS. We further show that inhibition of EPRS underlies the broad bioactivities of this family of natural product derivatives. This work both explains the molecular mechanism of a promising family of therapeutics and highlights the AAR pathway as an important drug target for promoting inflammatory resolution.

PKC signaling inhibits osteogenic differentiation through the regulation of Msx2 function.

Protein kinase C (PKC) signaling regulates osteoblast differentiation, but little is known about its downstream effectors. We examined the effect of modulating PKC activity on osteogenic transcription factors and found that the protein level of Msx2 is affected. Msx2 is induced by osteogenic signals such as BMPs and it plays critical roles in bone formation and osteoblast differentiation. Here, we examined the role of PKC signaling in regulating the function of Msx2. We found that the inhibition of PKC signaling enhances osteogenic differentiation in BMP2-stimulated C2C12 cells. Treatment with inhibitors of PKC activity or overexpression of kinase-defective (KD), dominant-negative mutant PKC isoforms strongly reduced the level of Msx2 protein. Several PKC isoforms (α, ß, δ, and ζ) interacted with Msx2, and PKCß phosphorylated Msx2 at Thr135 and Thr141. Msx2 repressed the transcriptional activity of the osteogenic transcription factor Runx2, and this repression was relieved by inhibition of PKC activity or overexpression of the KD mutant PKC isoforms. In addition, PKC prolonged the half-life of Msx2 protein. These results suggest that PKC signaling modulates osteoblast differentiation, at least in part, through the regulation of Msx2.

A mutation in TGFB3 associated with a syndrome of low muscle mass, growth retardation, distal arthrogryposis and clinical features overlapping with Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

The transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) family of growth factors are key regulators of mammalian development and their dysregulation is implicated in human disease, notably, heritable vasculopathies including Marfan (MFS, OMIM #154700) and Loeys-Dietz syndromes (LDS, OMIM #609192). We described a syndrome presenting at birth with distal arthrogryposis, hypotonia, bifid uvula, a failure of normal post-natal muscle development but no evidence of vascular disease; some of these features overlap with MFS and LDS. A de novo mutation in TGFB3 was identified by exome sequencing. Several lines of evidence indicate the mutation is hypomorphic suggesting that decreased TGF-ß signaling from a loss of TGFB3 activity is likely responsible for the clinical phenotype. This is the first example of a mutation in the coding portion of TGFB3 implicated in a clinical syndrome suggesting TGFB3 is essential for both human palatogenesis and normal muscle growth.

Cyclophilin E (CypE) Functions as a Positive Regulator in Osteoblast Differentiation by Regulating the Transcriptional Activity of Runx2.

Cyclophilin E (CypE) belongs to the cyclophilin family and exhibits peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) activity. It participates in various biological processes through the regulation of peptidyl-prolyl isomerization. However, the specific role of CypE in osteoblast differentiation has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we first discovered the positive impact of CypE on osteoblast differentiation through gain or loss of function experiments. Mechanistically, CypE enhances the transcriptional activity of Runx2 through its PPIase activity. Furthermore, we identified the involvement of the Akt signaling pathway in CypE's function in osteoblast differentiation. Taken together, our findings indicate that CypE plays an important role in osteoblast differentiation as a positive regulator by increasing the transcriptional activity of Runx2.

Akt phosphorylates and regulates the function of Dlx5.

Akt, a phosphoinositide-dependent serine/threonine protein kinase, acts as a key regulator in bone formation. Akt can be activated by several osteogenic signaling molecules, but its precise function and downstream targets in bone development are unknown. Dlx5 transcription factor plays important roles during bone development and osteoblast differentiation. Its expression is regulated by several osteogenic signals. In addition, Dlx5 function is also regulated through post-translational modification by several kinases. In this report, we have investigated a potential regulation of Dlx5 function by Akt. Our results indicate that Akt interacts with and phosphorylates Dlx5. In addition, we provide evidences that Akt kinase activity is important for Akt to enhance the protein stability and transcriptional activity of Dlx5. These results suggest that Dlx5 is a novel target of Akt and that the activity of Dlx5 could be modulated by a novel mechanism involving Akt during osteoblast differentiation.

Akt phosphorylates and regulates the osteogenic activity of Osterix.

Osterix (Osx), a zinc-finger transcription factor is required for osteoblast differentiation and new bone formation during embryonic development. Akt is a member of the serine/threonine-specific protein kinase and plays important roles in osteoblast differentiation. The function of Osterix can be also modulated by post-translational modification. But, the precise molecular signaling mechanisms between Osterix and Akt are not known. In this study, we investigated the potential regulation of Osterix function by Akt in osteoblast differentiation. We found that Akt phosphorylates Osterix and that Akt activation increases protein stability, osteogenic activity and transcriptional activity of Osterix. We also found that BMP-2 increases the protein level of Osterix in an Akt activity-dependent manner. These results suggest that Akt activity enhances the osteogenic function of Osterix, at least in part, through protein stabilization and that BMP-2 regulates the osteogenic function of Osterix, at least in part, through Akt.

Protein kinase A phosphorylates and regulates the osteogenic activity of Dlx5.

Dlx5 transcription factor plays important roles in osteoblast differentiation and its transcription is regulated by many osteogenic signals including BMP-2. Recent studies suggest that the function of Dlx5 is also regulated post-translationally by protein kinases such as p38 and CaMKII. Protein kinase A (PKA) is involved in several steps of osteoblast differentiation and its activity has been shown necessary, yet not sufficient, for BMP-induced osteoblast differentiation. PKA is a ubiquitous cellular kinase that phosphorylates serine and threonine residues(s) of target proteins. In this study, we investigated the potential regulation of Dlx5 function by PKA in osteoblast differentiation. We found that PKA phosphorylates Dlx5 and that PKA activation increases the protein stability, osteogenic activity and transcriptional activity of Dlx5. We also found that BMP-2 increases the protein level of Dlx5 in a PKA activity-dependent manner. These results suggest that PKA activity enhances the osteogenic function of Dlx5, at least in part, through protein stabilization and that BMP-2 regulates the osteogenic function of Dlx5, at least in part, through PKA.

Acetylation of histone deacetylase 6 by p300 attenuates its deacetylase activity.

Protein acetyltransferases and deacetylases affect the activities of each other. This is well documented by the acetylation and inhibition of HDAC1 by p300, a transcriptional co-activator with protein acetyltransferase activity. However, the relationship between HDAC6 and p300 is poorly understood. HDAC6 is a class II histone deacetylase and differs from other members of HDAC family in that it contains two HDAC domains and an ubiquitin-binding motif. HDAC6 is a microtubule-associated deacetylase. It predominantly deacetylates non-histone proteins, including alpha-tubulin, and regulates cell motility. Here, we report that p300 interacts with and acetylates HDAC6 resulting down-regulation of HDAC6 deacetylase activity. Furthermore, we provide evidences that acetylation of HDAC6 by p300 inhibits tubulin deacetylation and suppression of Sp1 transcriptional activity by HDAC6. Our results demonstrate that p300 can inactivate HDAC6 by acetylation, and that p300 may regulate the activity of Sp1 indirectly through HDAC6 in addition to its direct modification of Sp1.

Calmodulin-dependent kinase II regulates Dlx5 during osteoblast differentiation.

Calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) acts as a key regulator of osteoblast differentiation. CaMKII is a Ca(2+)-activated serine/threonine kinase and it regulates the activity of target proteins by phosphorylation. Dlx5 transcription factor plays crucial roles in osteoblast differentiation. The expression of Dlx5 is regulated by several osteogenic signaling pathways from early stages of osteoblastogenesis. In addition, Dlx5 can be phosphorylated and activated by p38, suggesting that the function of Dlx5 can be also modulated by post-translational modification. Although CaMKII and Dlx5 both play crucial roles during osteoblast differentiation, the interaction between CaMKII and Dlx5 has not been investigated. In the current study, we examined the effects CamKII on the function of Dlx5. We found that CaMKII phosphorylates Dlx5, and that CaMKII increases the protein stability and the osteoblastogenic transactivation activity of Dlx5. Conversely, a CaMKII inhibitor KN-93 decreased the osteogenic and transactivation activities of Dlx5. These results indicate that CaMKII regulates osteoblast differentiation, at least in part, by increasing the protein stability and the transcriptional activity of Dlx5.

Sirt2 interacts with 14-3-3 beta/gamma and down-regulates the activity of p53.

Sirt2 is a mammalian member of the Sirtuin family of NAD(+) (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)-dependent protein deacetylases. Although Sir-2.1 (a Caenorhabditis elegans Sirt2 ortholog) has been reported to interact with PAR-5/FTT-2 (a C. elegans 14-3-3 homolog), the molecular significance of the interaction between Sirt2 and 14-3-3 proteins in mammalian cell is not understood. Here, we report that Sirt2 interacts with 14-3-3 beta and gamma among various 14-3-3 isoforms, and that this interaction is strengthened by AKT. Furthermore, Sirt2 deacetylates and down-regulates the transcriptional activity of p53, and 14-3-3 beta/gamma augment deacetylation and down-regulation of the p53 transcriptional activity by Sirt2 in an AKT-dependent manner. Treatment of cells with nicotinamide, an inhibitor of Sirtuins, relieves the inhibition of p53 by Sirt2 and 14-3-3 beta/gamma. Therefore, our results suggest that the interaction between Sirt2 and 14-3-3 beta/gamma is a novel mechanism for the negative regulation of p53 beside the well-characterized Mdm2-mediated repression.

Acetylation of Sirt2 by p300 attenuates its deacetylase activity.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are subdivided into three classes--HDAC I, HDAC II, and Sir2. Sirt proteins are mammalian members of the Sir2 family of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)-dependent protein deacetylases. The balance between acetylation and deacetylation of histone and non-histone proteins, regulated by protein acetyltransferases and deacetylases, affects the expression of genes involved in a variety of cellular processes. In addition, HDAC1 is acetylated and regulated by p300, a transcriptional co-activator with protein acetyltransferase activity, suggesting that protein acetyltransferases and deacetylases they control the activities of each other. Although the regulation of HDAC1 by p300 is well characterized, the relationship between Sir2 homologs and p300 is not understood. Here, we report that p300 interacts with Sirt2, a member of the Sir2 family, and triggers the acetylation and subsequent down-regulation of the deacetylation activity of Sirt2, and that the acetylation of Sirt2 by p300 relieves the inhibitory effect of Sirt2 on the transcriptional activity of p53. These observations demonstrate that p300 can inactivate Sirt2 by acetylation and that p300 may regulate the activity of p53 indirectly through Sirt2 in addition to its direct modification of p53.