Title: p85alpha acts as a novel signal transducer for mediation of cellular apoptotic response to UV radiation.
Authors: Song, Lun; Li, Jingxia; Ye, Jianping; Yu, Gang; Ding, Jin; Zhang, Dongyun; Ouyang, Weiming; Dong, Zigang; Kim, Sung O; Huang, Chuanshu
Published In Mol Cell Biol, (2007 Apr)
Abstract: Apoptosis is an important cellular response to UV radiation (UVR), but the corresponding mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we report that the p85alpha regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) exerted a proapoptotic role in response to UVR through the induction of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) gene expression. This special effect of p85alpha was unrelated to the PI-3K-dependent signaling pathway. Further evidence demonstrated that the inducible transcription factor NFAT3 was the major downstream target of p85alpha for the mediation of UVR-induced apoptosis and TNF-alpha gene transcription. p85alpha regulated UVR-induced NFAT3 activation by modulation of its nuclear translocation and DNA binding and the relevant transcriptional activities. Gel shift assays and site-directed mutagenesis allowed the identification of two regions in the TNF-alpha gene promoter that served as the NFAT3 recognition sequences. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further confirmed that the recruitment of NFAT3 to the endogenous TNF-alpha promoter was regulated by p85alpha upon UVR exposure. Finally, the knockdown of the NFAT3 level by its specific small interfering RNA decreased UVR-induced TNF-alpha gene transcription and cell apoptosis. The knockdown of endogenous p85alpha blocked NFAT activity and TNF-alpha gene transcription, as well as cell apoptosis. Thus, we demonstrated p85alpha-associated but PI-3K-independent cell death in response to UVR and identified a novel p85alpha/NFAT3/TNF-alpha signaling pathway for the mediation of cellular apoptotic responses under certain stress conditions such as UVR.
PubMed ID:
17242187
MeSH Terms: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Animals; Apoptosis*; Cell Nucleus/metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Fibroblasts/metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Mutation; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics; NFATC Transcription Factors/physiology*; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/physiology*; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Protein Subunits/genetics; Protein Subunits/physiology; Signal Transduction; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/physiology*; Ultraviolet Rays*