Phosphorylation Of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E Research Articles

Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E phosphorylation acts a switch for its binding to 4E-BP1 and mRNA cap assembly

Translational regulation has invited considerable interest consequent of its circumstantial dysregulation during cancer genesis. eIF4E (Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E) has been identified as an important factor involved in tumor progression by way of instrumenting the convergence of oncogenic signals for up-regulation of Cap-dependent translation. In the backdrop of dramatic eIF4E over-expression in a large population of human cancers, we suggest that the tumorigenic property of eIF4E is strictly attributed to its phosphorylation state. We provide evidence that while phosphorylated eIF4E fails to be sequestered by 4E-BP1, its dephosphorylated form shows overwhelming binding with 4E-BP1 without any consideration to the state of 4E-BP1 phosphorylation to suggest that eIF4E-4EBP1 binding is governed by eIF4E phosphorylation instead of 4E-BP1. We also show that eIF4E engages in Cap-assembly formation preferably in a phosphorylation-dependent manner to suggest that eIF4E phosphorylation rather than 4E-BP1 regulates its availability for Cap-assembly.

Inhibition of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation by cercosporamide selectively suppresses angiogenesis, growth and survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Mnk kinase is required for the phosphorylation and activation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), which regulates translation of proteins involve in important aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we investigated whether an antifungal agent, cercosporamide, which had been recently identified as a potent Mnk inhibitor, is active against HCC and angiogenesis. We showed that cercosporamide significantly inhibited growth and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis on numerous HCC cell lines, while sparing normal liver cells. In addition, cercosporamide impaired HCC angiogenesis via inhibiting HCC-endothelial cells (HCC-EC) capillary network formation, migration, proliferation and survival. Importantly, cercosporamide sensitized HCC cells to cisplatin in in vitro cell culture and in vivo HCC xenograft mouse model. Cercosporamide blocked the phosphorylation of eIF4E but not Erk or p38 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in HCC and HCC-EC cells, suggesting that suppression of eIF4E phosphorylation was the result of inhibition of Mnk but not Mnk upstream pathways. Overexpression of constitutively active eIF4E (S209D) but not the nonphosphorylatable eIF4E (S209A) abolished the inhibitory effects of cercosporamide in HepG2 cells. Altogether, our work demonstrates that cercosporamide acts as a Mnk inhibitor through blockage of eIF4E phosphorylation and selectively exhibits anti-HCC activities. Our work suggests that targeting MNK-eIF4E pathway represents a therapeutic strategy to overcome chemo-resistance for HCC treatment.

Abstract A28: Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation in human malignant melanoma

Abstract Malignant melanoma continues to be a challenge both in terms of understanding the biologic mechanisms behind its behavior, as well as applying that information toward developing new therapeutic interventions. From 1992 through 2006, the incidence of malignant melanoma increased annually in the United States among non-Hispanic whites in all age groups, with death rates increased in patients 65 years and older. Approximately 70,000 new cases of invasive melanoma are anticipated in 2014. The need for better therapeutic strategies to combat these alarming statistics is paramount. While melanoma is a disease that primarily arises in the skin, it is a derivative of neural crest. During embryogenesis, an epithelial to mesenchymal transition occurs in order to form these cells. Once formed, these neural crest cells migrate to various locations in the body and differentiate into cells of the central and peripheral nervous system, medullary cells of the adrenal glands, various craniofacial connective tissues, and melanocytes. The histopathologic progression in melanocytic transformation is described by Chin, et al., (1998) as follows: (1) Normal skin has an even distribution of dendritic melanocytes throughout the basal layer; (2) Benign proliferation of melanocytes - in a nevus, nevoid melanocytes are organized into uniform nests of cells; (3) Melanocyte dysplasia - a dysplastic nevus has irregular and bridging nests of cells consisting of large atypical melanocytes; (4) In-situ melanoma, radial growth phase (RGP) - single dysplastic cells are present in the epidermis (Pagetoid spread); (5) Malignant melanoma, the vertical growth phase (VGP). Breslow thickness, the thickness of the melanoma from the most superficial nucleated layer, the granular layer, to the deepest level of invasion, has a strong predictive value in the prognosis of patients with non-metastatic melanomas. In our present study of 75 FFPE archived surgical specimens from 52 melanoma patients, we examined immunohistochemically detected cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and phosphorylated eIF4E in the four major subtypes of cutaneous melanoma (superficial spreading melanoma, nodular melanoma, lentigo maligna melanoma and acral lentiginous melanoma), as well as in benign nevi, in relation to clinical outcome. Although the importance of activation of eIF4E through phosphorylation for cell proliferation and transformation in cultured cells and animal models of epithelial derived carcinomas has been documented, the role of eIF4E phosphorylation in transformation and histopathologic progression of melanocytes to melanomas has not previously been reported. We find that both eIF4E and phosphorylated eIF4E are increased in all major subtypes of human cutaneous malignant melanomas relative to benign dermal nevi. Importantly, in a subset of these specimens, nuclear phosphorylated eIF4E is significantly increased in nodular and metastatic melanomas compared to superficial spreading melanomas (P = 0.02). Survival analyses indicate that increased nuclear phosphorylated eIF4E is significantly associated with reduced survival (P = 0.0019, 3.994 Hazard Ratio). Since it has recently been reported (Konicek, et al., 2011) that inhibition of eIF4E phosphorylation with an orally bioavailable inhibitor of MAPK-interacting kinases (MNK) reduces lung metastases in the B16 mouse melanoma model, the present data may point to a novel cancer therapeutic strategy for treatment of human malignant melanoma, namely inhibition of eIF4E phosphorylation. Citation Format: Julia H. Carter, Reed Spaulding, James A. Deddens, Bruce M. Colligan, Grant Lewis, Jackson O. Pemberton, Jeremy R. Graff, Larry E. Douglass. Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation in human malignant melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(14 Suppl):Abstract nr A28.

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Protein Phosphatase 2A Negatively Regulates Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E Phosphorylation and eIF4F Assembly through Direct Dephosphorylation of Mnk and eIF4E

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is frequently overexpressed in human cancers and is associated with cellular transformation, tumorigenesis, and metastatic progression. It is known that Mnks can phosphorylate eIF4E. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) functions as a tumor suppressor, and it was previously suggested to regulate eIF4E phosphorylation. However, how PP2A regulates eIF4E phosphorylation has not been fully addressed. In this study, we have not only validated the role of PP2A in regulation of eIF4E phosphorylation but also demonstrated the mechanism underlying this process. Inhibition of PP2A using either okadaic acid or PP2A small interfering RNA (siRNA) increased eIF4E phosphorylation, which could be abolished by the presence of the Mnk inhibitor CGP57380 or deficiency of Mnk genes. Thus, Mnks are involved in PP2A-mediated regulation of eIF4E phosphorylation. Moreover, a dephosphorylation assay revealed that PP2A could directly dephosphorylate Mnk1 and eIF4E. m7GTP pull-down assay detected more eIF4G and phospho-eIF4E and less 4EBP-1 in PP2A siRNA-transfected cells than in control siRNA-transfected cells, indicating an increased cap binding of eIF4F complex. Accordingly, okadaic acid treatment or PP2A knockdown increased the levels of c-Myc and Mcl-1, which are proteins known to be regulated by a cap-dependent translation mechanism. Taken together, we conclude that PP2A negatively regulates eIF4E phosphorylation and eIF4F complex assembly through dephosphorylation of Mnk and eIF4E, thus suggesting a novel mechanism by which PP2A exerts its tumor-suppressive function.

Catabolic mediators of cancer cachexia

This review compares the catabolic actions of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and proteolysis-inducing factor (PIF) and their involvement in human cancer cachexia. TNF-alpha has a direct catabolic effect on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, whereas PIF only has an effect on skeletal muscle. Both produce muscle atrophy through a depression of protein synthesis and an increase in protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway, and this involves formation of reactive oxygen species leading to upregulation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). TNF-alpha depresses protein synthesis through decreased phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF4E) binding protein (4E-BP1) leading to increased binding of eIF4E and a reduction in the active eIF4F complex, whereas with PIF depression of protein synthesis is due to an increased phosphorylation of eIF2 on the alpha-subunit. In general, serum levels of TNF-alpha do not correlate with weight loss in cancer patients and attempts to treat cachexia by interfering with TNF-alpha production, or action, have not been successful. Most studies show that PIF is detectable in the urine of cachectic cancer patients and its presence is indicative of weight loss. It is best to confirm that the band on Western blotting is PIF using both antibodies to the core peptide and the oligosaccharide chains. These results suggest that blocking the PIF receptor or signalling pathways in skeletal muscle might yield new types of agents for the treatment of cancer cachexia.

Phospholipase Cγ-Erk Axis in Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-induced Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E Phosphorylation and Protein Synthesis in Renal Epithelial Cells

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increases protein synthesis and induces hypertrophy in renal tubular epithelial cells (Senthil, D., Choudhury, G. G., McLaurin, C., and Kasinath, B. S. (2003) Kidney Int. 64, 468-479). We examined the role of Erk1/2 MAP kinase in protein synthesis induced by VEGF. VEGF stimulated Erk phosphorylation that was required for induction of protein synthesis. VEGF-induced Erk activation was not dependent on phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase activation but required sequential phosphorylation of type 2 VEGF receptor, PLCgamma and c-Src, as demonstrated by inhibitors SU1498, U73122, and PP1, respectively. c-Src phosphorylation was inhibited by U73122, indicating it was downstream of phospholipase (PL)Cgamma. Studies with PP1/2 showed that phosphorylation of c-Src was required for tyrosine phosphorylation of Raf-1, an upstream regulator of Erk. VEGF also stimulated phosphorylation of Pyk-2; VEGF-induced phosphorylation of Pyk2, c-Src and Raf-1 could be abolished by BAPTA/AM, demonstrating requirement for induction of intracellular calcium currents. We examined the downstream events following the phosphorylation of Erk. VEGF stimulated phosphorylation of Mnk1 and eIF4E and induced Mnk1 to shift from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon phosphorylation. VEGF-induced phosphorylation of Mnk1 and eIF4E required phosphorylation of PLCgamma, c-Src, and Erk. Expression of dominant negative Mnk1 abrogated eIF4E phosphorylation and protein synthesis induced by VEGF. VEGF-stimulated protein synthesis could be blocked by inhibition of PLCgamma by a chemical inhibitor or expression of a dominant negative construct. Our data demonstrate that VEGF-stimulated protein synthesis is Erk-dependent and requires the activation of VEGF receptor 2, PLCgamma, c-Src, Raf, and Erk pathway. VEGF also stimulates Erk-dependent phosphorylation of Mnk1 and eIF4E, crucial events in the initiation phase of protein translation.

4E-Binding Protein Phosphorylation and Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4E Release Are Required for Airway Smooth Muscle Hypertrophy

The molecular mechanisms of airway smooth muscle hypertrophy, a feature of severe asthma, are poorly understood. We previously established a conditionally immortalized human bronchial smooth muscle cell line with a temperature-sensitive SV40 large T antigen. Temperature shift and loss of large T cause G1-phase cell cycle arrest that is accompanied by increased airway smooth muscle cell size. In the present study, we hypothesized that phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF4E)-binding protein (4E-BP), which subsequently releases eIF4E and initiates cap-dependent mRNA translation, was required for airway smooth muscle hypertrophy. Treatment of cells with chemical inhibitors of PI 3-kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin blocked protein synthesis and cell growth while decreasing the phosphorylation of 4E-BP and increasing the binding of 4E-BP to eIF4E, consistent with the notion that 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and eIF4E function are required for hypertrophy. To test this directly, we infected cells with a retrovirus encoding a phosphorylation site mutant of 4E-BP1 (AA-4E-BP-1) that dominantly inhibits eIF4E. Upon temperature shift, cells infected with AA-4E-BP-1, but not empty vector, failed to undergo hypertrophic growth. We conclude that phosphorylation of 4E-BP, eIF4E release, and cap-dependent protein synthesis are required for hypertrophy of human airway smooth muscle cells.

Suppression of human Mnk1 by small interfering RNA increases the eukaryotic initiation factor 4F activity in HEK293T cells

Short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have proved to be a useful tool in studying gene function in plants, invertebrates and mammalian systems. Herein, we report the use of siRNAs for targeting the human MAP kinase-interacting kinase Mnk1 gene. This study demonstrates the efficacy of the designed siRNA in silencing Mnk1 in the human cell line HEK293T and shows that Mnk1 suppression decreases eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation without causing any change in global protein synthesis rate and cell proliferation. Interestingly, suppression of Mnk1 results in a significant increase in eukaryotic initiation factor 4F complex formation after 72 h of transfection.

Transcriptional and translational control of ornithine decarboxylase during Ras transformation.

ODC (ornithine decarboxylase) activity is induced following ras activation. However, the Ras effector pathways responsible are unknown. These experiments used NIH-3T3 cells expressing partial-loss-of-function Ras mutants to activate selectively pathways downstream of Ras and examined the contribution of each pathway to ODC induction. Overexpression of Ras12V, a constitutively active mutant, resulted in ODC activities up to 20-fold higher than controls. Stable transfections of Ras partial-loss-of-function mutants and constitutively active forms of MEK (MAPK kinase) and Akt indicated that activation of more than one Ras effector pathway is necessary for the complete induction of ODC activity. The increase in ODC activity in Ras12V-transformed cells is not owing to a substantial change in ODC protein half-life, which increased by <2-fold. Northern-blot analysis and reporter assays suggested that the mechanism of ODC induction involves both a modest increase in the transcription of ODC mRNA and a much more considerable increase in the translation of mRNA into protein. ODC transcription was controlled through a pathway dependent on Raf/MEK/ERK (where ERK stands for extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) activation, whereas activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase and the Raf/MEK/ERK pathways were necessary for translational regulation of ODC. The increase in ODC synthesis was accompanied by changes in phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E and its binding protein 4E-BP1. Results show that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway regulates phosphorylation of both proteins, whereas the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway affects only the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation.

Oxidative stress increases eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation in vascular cells.

Dysregulated cell growth can be caused by increased activity of protein synthesis eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E. Dysregulated cell growth is also characteristic of atherosclerosis. It is postulated that exposure of vascular cells, such as endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and monocytes/macrophages, to oxidants, such as oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), leads to the elaboration of growth factors and cytokines, which in turn results in smooth muscle cell hyperproliferation. To investigate whether activation of eIF4E might play a role in this hyperproliferative response, vascular cells were treated with oxLDL, oxidized lipid components of oxLDL and several model oxidants, including H(2)O(2) and dimethyl naphthoquinone. Exposure to each of these compounds led to a dose- and time-dependent increase in eIF4E phosphorylation in all three types of vascular cells, correlated with a modest increase in overall translation rate. No changes in eIF4EBP, eIF2 or eIF4B modification state were observed. Increased eIF4E phosphorylation was paralleled by increased presence of eIF4E in high-molecular-mass protein complexes characteristic of its most active form. Anti-oxidants at concentrations typically employed to block oxidant-induced cell signalling likewise promoted eIF4E phosphorylation. The results of this study indicate that increased eIF4E activity may contribute to the pathophysiological events in early atherogenesis by increasing the expression of translationally inefficient mRNAs encoding growth-promoting proteins.

Regulation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation in the nervous system of Aplysia californica.

We have used an antibody that specifically recognizes eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) when it is phosphorylated at Ser(207) to characterize eIF4E phosphorylation in the nervous system of APLYSIA: The level of phosphorylated eIF4E, but not the level of total eIF4E, was significantly correlated with the basal rate of translation measured from different animals. Serotonin (5-HT), a transmitter that regulates the rate of translation in APLYSIA: neurons, had mixed effects on eIF4E phosphorylation. 5-HT decreased eIF4E phosphorylation in sensory cell clusters through activation of protein kinase C. 5-HT increased eIF4E phosphorylation in the whole pleural ganglia. In the APLYSIA: nervous system, eIF4E phosphorylation correlated with phosphorylation of the p38 MAP kinase, but not the p42 MAP kinase (ERK). Furthermore, an inhibitor of the p38 MAP kinase significantly decreased basal eIF4E phosphorylation, but an inhibitor of the MAP or ERK kinase (MEK) did not. Despite the correlation of eIF4E phosphorylation with the basal rate of translation, inhibition of eIF4E phosphorylation by an inhibitor of the p38 MAP kinase did not significantly decrease the rate of translation.

Novel phosphorylation sites of eukaryotic initiation factor-4F and evidence that phosphorylation stabilizes interactions of the p25 and p220 subunits.

Only serine phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF-4E) has been previously reported in intact cells. We found that treatment of HepG2 cells with okadaic acid resulted in as much as 20% of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-4E phosphorylation occurring on threonine residues and that tryptic phosphopeptide maps showed several previously unrecognized phosphopeptides. Analysis of p220 from control and okadaic acid-treated cells demonstrated serine and threonine phosphorylation under both conditions. However, a unique pattern of phosphopeptides in okadaic acid-treated cells was observed. The most notable finding was that hyperphosphorylation of eIF-4E and p220 increased binding of p220 but not eIF-4E to the m7GTP cap structure. We suggest that phosphorylation of eIF-4E is more complicated than previously recognized and that hyperphosphorylation of eIF-4E and p220 recruits more p220 into the protein complex that associates with mRNA caps. A better understanding of these protein-protein and protein-mRNA interactions may aid the design of anti-sense directed chemistries that disrupt such interactions for a specific target mRNA (Baker, B.F., Miraglia, L., and Hagedorn, C. H. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 11495-11499).