MAPK-activated Protein Kinase Research Articles

Selective suppression of the α isoform of p38 MAPK rescues late-stage tau pathology.

BackgroundHyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau protein are the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies. We previously demonstrated that the microglial activation induces tau hyperphosphorylation and cognitive impairment via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in the hTau mouse model of tauopathy that was deficient for microglial fractalkine receptor CX3CR1.MethodWe report an isoform-selective, brain-permeable, and orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of p38α MAPK (MW181) and its effects on tau phosphorylation in vitro and in hTau mice.ResultsFirst, pretreatment of mouse primary cortical neurons with MW181 completely blocked inflammation-induced p38α MAPK activation and AT8 (pS199/pS202) site tau phosphorylation, with the maximum effect peaking at 60–90 min after stimulation. Second, treatment of old (~20 months of age) hTau mice with MW181 (1 mg/kg body weight; 14 days via oral gavage) significantly reduced p38α MAPK activation compared with vehicle-administered hTau mice. This also resulted in a significant reduction in AT180 (pT231) site tau phosphorylation and Sarkosyl-insoluble tau aggregates. Third, MW181 treatment significantly increased synaptophysin protein expression and resulted in improved working memory. Fourth, MW181 administration reduced phosphorylated MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (pMK2) and phosphorylated activating transcription factor 2 (pATF2), which are known substrates of p38α MAPK. Finally, MW181 reduced the expression of interferon-γ and interleukin-1β.ConclusionsTaken together, these studies support p38α MAPK as a valid therapeutic target for the treatment of tauopathies.

Identification of a Novel Inhibitory Allosteric Site in p38α

In the present study, we report the discovery of a novel allosteric inhibitory site for p38α, a subclass of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) family. The putative site was discovered after inspection of the crystallographic structure of the p38α-MK2 complex. MK2 (MAPK-activated protein kinase 2) is an interesting protein playing a dual role as modulator and substrate of p38α. This intriguing behavior is due to the ability of the two proteins to form distinctive heterodimers when p38α is phosphorylated or not. We hypothesized that the regulatory action of MK2 is due to its capability to keep p38α in an inactive conformation and consequently, we investigated the atomic structure of the p38α-MK2 complex to understand such regulatory behavior at the molecular level. After inspection of the complex structure, two peptides designed from the MK2 regulatory loop in contact with p38α with sequences Tyr1-Ser2-Asn3-His4-Gly5-Leu6 (peptide-1) and [Phe0]-peptide-1 (peptide-2) in their zwitterionic form were investigated for their phosphorylation inhibitory capability in vitro. Since both peptides exhibited inhibitory capability of the p38α kinase mediated phosphorylation of MEF2A, in a subsequent step we pursued the discovery of small molecule peptidomimetics. For this purpose we characterized in detail the peptide-p38α interaction using molecular dynamics simulations, leading to the definition of a pharmacophore for the peptide-protein interaction. This hypothesis was used as query for a in silico screening, leading to the discovery of a fused ring compound with micromolar inhibitory activity. Site-directed mutagenesis studies support that the compound binds to the putative novel allosteric site in p38α.

MK2/3 Are Pivotal for IL-33–Induced and Mast Cell–Dependent Leukocyte Recruitment and the Resulting Skin Inflammation

The IL-1R family member IL-33R mediates Fcε-receptor-I (FcεRI)-independent activation of mast cells leading to NF-κB activation and consequently the production of cytokines. IL-33 also induces the activation of MAPKs, such as p38. We aimed to define the relevance of the p38-targets, the MAPK-activated protein kinases 2 and 3 (MK2 and MK3) in IL-33-induced signaling and the resulting mast cell effector functions in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that the IL-33-induced IL-6 and IL-13 production strongly depends on the MK2/3-mediated activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K signaling. Furthermore, in the presence of the stem cell factors, IL-33 did induce an MK2/3-, ERK1/2- and PI3K-dependent production of TNF-α. In vivo, the loss of MK2/3 in mast cells decreased the IL-33-induced leukocyte recruitment and the resulting skin inflammation. Therefore, the MK2/3-dependent signaling in mast cells is essential to mediate IL-33-induced inflammatory responses. Thus, MK2/3 are potential therapeutic targets for suppression of IL-33-induced inflammation skin diseases such as psoriasis.

RIP3 antagonizes a TSC2-mediated pro-survival pathway in glioblastoma cell death

Glioblastomas are the deadliest type of brain cancer and are frequently associated with poor prognosis and a high degree of recurrence despite removal by surgical resection and treatment by chemo- and radio-therapy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment well known to induce mainly necrotic and apoptotic cell death in solid tumors. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-based PDT was recently shown to sensitize human glioblastoma cells (LN-18) to a RIP3 (Receptor Interacting Protein 3)-dependent cell death which is counter-acted by activation of autophagy. These promising results led us to investigate the pathways involved in cell death and survival mechanisms occurring in glioblastoma following PDT. In the present study, we describe a new TSC2 (Tuberous Sclerosis 2)-dependent survival pathway implicating MK2 (MAPKAPK2) kinase and 14-3-3 proteins which conducts to the activation of a pro-survival autophagy. Moreover, we characterized a new RIP3/TSC2 complex where RIP3 is suggested to promote cell death by targeting TSC2-dependent survival pathway. These results highlight (i) a new role of TSC2 to protect glioblastoma against PDT-induced cell death and (ii) TSC2 and 14-3-3 as new RIP3 partners.

Abstract A43: MAPK-activated protein kinase MK2 exerts immune regulatory functions in the microenvironment of orthotopic tumors

Abstract The MAPK signaling pathway represents a central player in inflammatory processes. As a downstream target of p38, MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) contributes to signal transduction regulating the expression and translation of various targets, among them several cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α. While MK2 was shown to promote an inflammatory macrophage phenotype, we have reported its Th1-attenuating function in dendritic cells (DCs). These observations of differential regulatory functions prompted us to investigate MK2 in the context of DCs and other myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment. Murine DCs lacking MK2 activity exhibit an enhanced potential to differentiate Th1 cells upon Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligation in vitro and in vivo. In line with this finding, we observe significantly reduced B16.F10 melanoma growth in CD11cCre-MK2fl/fl mice upon DC activation by administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) together with whole tumor cell lysate as compared to wildtype littermate controls. Interestingly, CD11cCre-MK2fl/fl mice show an overall reduced myeloid cell tumor infiltration. Looking at MK2 expression in DCs isolated from orthotopic B16.F10 tumor-bearing mice, we find elevated MK2 levels in tumor-resident as opposed to splenic DCs, which has also been confirmed in a model of intracranial glioma (GL-261). This MK2 up-regulation in glioma-infiltrating DCs is associated with an enhanced expression of IL-10. Furthermore, tumor-resident myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) show elevated MK2 expression, further underlining its potential involvement in immunosuppressive mechanisms in the myeloid lineage. In DCs we have observed cross-regulation of MAPK signaling by MK2, which promotes ERK1/2 while attenuating p38 activation and is further implicated to enhance STAT3 phosphorylation – all together contributing to a tolerogenic DC phenotype. Therefore we are now looking to unravel mechanisms by which MK2 impacts on signaling networks involved in myeloid immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Our data contrast the previously described role of MK2 in pro-inflammatory mechanisms of the p38 signaling route and suggest an additional immunosuppressive feedback function in myeloid cells, which might be exploited by tumor cells to escape immune recognition and elimination. These indications are particularly interesting with regard to glioma, since the glioma microenvironment has been shown to be rich in various cytokines promoting favourable conditions for tumor growth. Finally, MK2 represents a promising target for combination therapy, as it has been reported to mediate chemo- as well as radioresistance in different types of tumors. Nevertheless, its function in tumor-infiltrating immune cells remains to be elucidated. We therefore aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between extra- and intracellular signaling molecules regulating tumor as well as immune cell phenotypes. Citation Format: Klara Soukup, Angela Halfmann, Fiona Poyer, Katharina Martin, Bernadette Blauensteiner, Bastien Huber, Mario Kuttke, Gernot Schabbauer, Lydia Zopf, Jelena Zinnanti, Alexander Michael Dohnal. MAPK-activated protein kinase MK2 exerts immune regulatory functions in the microenvironment of orthotopic tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Function of Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression; 2016 Jan 7–10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(15 Suppl):Abstract nr A43.

The MNK-1/eIF4E pathway as a new therapeutic pathway to target inflammation and remodelling in asthma

Therapeutic targets in asthma are reduction of airway inflammation and remodelling, the latter is not affected by available drugs. Here we present data that inhibition of MAPK-activated protein kinase (MNK)-1 reduces inflammation and remodelling. MNK-1 regulates protein expression by controlling mRNA stability, nuclear export and translation through the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Airway smooth muscle cells were derived from asthmatic and non-asthmatic donors. Cells were pre-treated with CGP57380 (MNK-1 inhibitor) or MNK-1 siRNA, before TNF-α stimulation. Cytokine and protein expression was analysed by ELISA, real time PCR and immunoblotting. Proliferation was monitored by cell counts. TNF-α activated MNK-1 phosphorylation between 15 and 30min. and subsequently eIF4E between 15 and 60min. EIF4E activity was inhibited by CGP57380 dose-dependently. Inhibition of MNK-1 by CGP57380 or MNK-1 siRNA significantly reduced TNF-α induced CXCL10 and eotaxin mRNA expression and secretion, but had no effect on IL-8. However, CXCL10 mRNA stability or NF-κB activity were not affected by MNK-1 inhibition. Furthermore, eIF4E was detected in the cytosol and the nucleus, but TNF-α did not affected its export from the nucleus. Cytokine array assessment showed that in addition to eotaxin and CXCL10, asthma relevant GRO α and RANTES were down-regulated by MNK-1 inhibition. In addition, MNK-1 inhibition significantly reduced FCS and PDGF-BB induced cell proliferation. We are the first to report that MNK-1 controls chemokine secretion and proliferation in human airway smooth muscle cells. Therefore we suggest that MNK-1 inhibition may present a new target to limit inflammation and remodelling in asthmatic airways.

Phosphorylation of the RNA-binding protein Dazl by MAPKAP kinase 2 regulates spermatogenesis.

Developing male germ cells are exquisitely sensitive to environmental insults such as heat and oxidative stress. An additional characteristic of these cells is their unique dependence on RNA-binding proteins for regulating posttranscriptional gene expression and translational control. Here we provide a mechanistic link unifying these two features. We show that the germ cell-specific RNA-binding protein deleted in azoospermia-like (Dazl) is phosphorylated by MAPKAP kinase 2 (MK2), a stress-induced protein kinase activated downstream of p38 MAPK. We demonstrate that phosphorylation of Dazl by MK2 on an evolutionarily conserved serine residue inhibits its interaction with poly(A)-binding protein, resulting in reduced translation of Dazl-regulated target RNAs. We further show that transgenic expression of wild-type human Dazl but not a phosphomimetic form in the Drosophila male germline can restore fertility to flies deficient in boule, the Drosophila orthologue of human Dazl. These results illuminate a novel role for MK2 in spermatogenesis, expand the repertoire of RNA-binding proteins phosphorylated by this kinase, and suggest that signaling by the p38-MK2 pathway is a negative regulator of spermatogenesis via phosphorylation of Dazl.

Mechanism of Enhanced Cellular Uptake and Cytosolic Retention of MK2 Inhibitory Peptide Nano-polyplexes.

Electrostatic complexation of a cationic MAPKAP kinase 2 inhibitory (MK2i) peptide with the anionic, pH-responsive polymer poly(propylacrylic acid) (PPAA) yields MK2i nano-polyplexes (MK2i-NPs) that significantly increase peptide uptake and intracellular retention. This study focused on elucidating the mechanism of MK2i-NP cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking in vascular smooth muscle cells. Small molecule inhibition of various endocytic pathways showed that MK2i-NP cellular uptake involves both macropinocytosis and clathrin mediated endocytosis, whereas the free peptide exclusively utilizes clathrin mediated endocytosis for cell entry. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that MK2i-NPs, but not free MK2i peptide, induce cellular membrane ruffling consistent with macropinocytosis. TEM confirmed that MK2i-NPs induce macropinosome formation and achieve MK2i endo-lysosomal escape and cytosolic delivery. Finally, a novel technique based on recruitment of Galectin-8-YFP was utilized to demonstrate that MK2i-NPs cause endosomal disruption within 30 minutes of uptake. These new insights on the relationship between NP physicochemical properties and cellular uptake and trafficking can potentially be applied to further optimize the MK2i-NP system and more broadly toward the rational engineering of nano-scale constructs for the intracellular delivery of biologic drugs.

Does the MK2-dependent Production of TNFα Regulate mGluR-dependent Synaptic Plasticity?

The molecular mechanisms and signalling cascades that trigger the induction of group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (GI-mGluR)-dependent long-term depression (LTD) have been the subject of intensive investigation for nearly two decades. The generation of genetically modified animals has played a crucial role in elucidating the involvement of key molecules regulating the induction and maintenance of mGluR-LTD. In this review we will discuss the requirement of the newly discovered MAPKAPK-2 (MK2) and MAPKAPK-3 (MK3) signalling cascade in regulating GI-mGluR-LTD. Recently, it has been shown that the absence of MK2 impaired the induction of GI-mGluR-dependent LTD, an effect that is caused by reduced internalization of AMPA receptors (AMPAR). As the MK2 cascade directly regulates tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) production, this review will examine the evidence that the release of TNFα acts to regulate glutamate receptor expression and therefore may play a functional role in the impairment of GI-mGluR-dependent LTD and the cognitive deficits observed in MK2/3 double knockout animals. The strong links of increased TNFα production in both aging and neurodegenerative disease could implicate the action of MK2 in these processes.

Nebulized delivery of the MAPKAP kinase 2 peptide inhibitor MMI‐0100 protects against ischemia‐induced systolic dysfunction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) results in systolic dysfunction, myocarditis and fibrotic remodeling, which causes irreversible pathological remodeling of the heart. Associated cell death and inflammation cause cytokine release, which activates the p38 MAPK signaling pathway to propagate damaging signals via MAPKAP kinase 2 (MK2). Previously we showed that intraperitoneal injection of a cell permeable peptide inhibitor of MK2, MMI‐0100, protects against fibrosis, apoptosis and systolic dysfunction in a mouse model of AMI, left‐anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation. Here we tested a new route of administration of MMI‐0100: inhalation of nebulized peptide. When given within 30 minutes of AMI and daily for 2 weeks thereafter, both inhaled and injected MMI‐0100 improved cardiac function as measured by conscious echocardiography. Limited fibrosis was observed after two weeks by Massons trichrome staining, suggesting that MMI‐0100 protects the heart prior to the formation of significant fibrosis. These results support a nebulized route of administration of MMI‐0100 can protect the myocardium from ischemic damage.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01HL104129 to M.W.), a Fellowship from the Jefferson‐Pilot Corporation (to M.W.), and the Leducq Foundation (to M.W.).

Nebulized Delivery of the MAPKAP Kinase 2 Peptide Inhibitor MMI-0100 Protects Against Ischemia-Induced Systolic Dysfunction.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) results in systolic dysfunction, myocarditis and fibrotic remodeling, which causes irreversible pathological remodeling of the heart. Associated cell death and inflammation cause cytokine release, which activates the p38 MAPK signaling pathway to propagate damaging signals via MAPKAP kinase 2 (MK2). Previously we showed that intraperitoneal injection of a cell permeable peptide inhibitor of MK2, MMI-0100, protects against fibrosis, apoptosis and systolic dysfunction in a mouse model of AMI induced by left-anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation. Here we tested a new route of administration of MMI-0100: inhalation of nebulized peptide. When given within 30 min of AMI and daily for 2 weeks thereafter, both inhaled and injected MMI-0100 improved cardiac function as measured by conscious echocardiography. Limited fibrosis was observed after 2 weeks by Massons trichrome staining, suggesting that MMI-0100 protects the heart prior to the formation of significant fibrosis. These results support a nebulized route of administration of MMI-0100 can protect the myocardium from ischemic damage.

MAPK-Activated Protein Kinases (MKs): Novel Insights and Challenges.

Downstream of MAPKs, such as classical/atypical ERKs and p38 MAPKs, but not of JNKs, signaling is often mediated by protein kinases which are phosphorylated and activated by MAPKs and, therefore, designated MAPK-activated protein kinases (MAPKAPKs). Recently, novel insights into the specificity of the assembly of MAPK/MAPKAPK hetero-dimeric protein kinase signaling complexes have been gained. In addition, new functional aspects of MKs have been described and established functions have been challenged. This short review will summarize recent developments including the linear motif (LM) in MKs, the ERK-independent activation of RSK, the RSK-independent effects of some RSK-inhibitors and the challenged role of MK5/PRAK in tumor suppression.

Deciphering the true antiproliferative target of an MK2 activation inhibitor in glioblastoma.

There has been much interest in developing inhibitors of the checkpoint kinases Chk1/2 to augment the effects of DNA-damaging agents for chemotherapy.1 In addition to Chk1/2, Wee1 and MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 (MK2) have emerged as additional key regulators of cell-cycle checkpoints.2 Evidence has accumulated that implicates MK2 as a target for chemo-sensitization in both p53-proficient and deficient tumors.3 MK2 is an attractive target for cancer treatment as MK2 inhibition has the potential to regulate the cell-cycle effects of the p38–MAPK pathway without inhibition of poly-functional p38 itself, which regulates many cellular signaling networks. MK2 inhibition in the absence of synergistic chemotherapy had not been investigated for its inherent cytotoxicity, and Munoz published a study aimed to fill this gap in our knowledge of MK2.4 For their MK2 cytotoxicity study in glioblastoma cells, Munoz et al. combined the use of siRNA and chemical probes. Three MK2 inhibitors were chosen for their distinct structures and mechanism of action (Figure 1a). CMPD1 is a non-ATP competitive inhibitor, which prevents phosphorylation and activation of MK2 via binding to p38–MAPK (Ki 330 nM).5 CMPD1 is not simply a non-selective p38 inhibitor as it shows no inhibition of the phosphorylation of two other p38 substrates, ATF2 and MBP. MK2i is a classical ATP-competitive kinase inhibitor, which inhibits MK2 (IC50 126 nM).2 PF-3644022 is a more potent ATP-competitive MK2 inhibitor (Ki 5 nM).6 Although MK2i and PF-3644022 are both ATP-competitive MK2 inhibitors, they differ significantly in potency and are structurally orthogonal.7

Structural Basis of Ribosomal S6 Kinase 1 (RSK1) Inhibition by S100B Protein: MODULATION OF THE EXTRACELLULAR SIGNAL-REGULATED KINASE (ERK) SIGNALING CASCADE IN A CALCIUM-DEPENDENT WAY

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) promote MAPK-activated protein kinase activation. In the MAPK pathway responsible for cell growth, ERK2 initiates the first phosphorylation event on RSK1, which is inhibited by Ca(2+)-binding S100 proteins in malignant melanomas. Here, we present a detailed in vitro biochemical and structural characterization of the S100B-RSK1 interaction. The Ca(2+)-dependent binding of S100B to the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK)-type domain of RSK1 is reminiscent of the better known binding of calmodulin to CaMKII. Although S100B-RSK1 and the calmodulin-CAMKII system are clearly distinct functionally, they demonstrate how unrelated intracellular Ca(2+)-binding proteins could influence the activity of the CaMK domain-containing protein kinases. Our crystallographic, small angle x-ray scattering, and NMR analysis revealed that S100B forms a "fuzzy" complex with RSK1 peptide ligands. Based on fast-kinetics experiments, we conclude that the binding involves both conformation selection and induced fit steps. Knowledge of the structural basis of this interaction could facilitate therapeutic targeting of melanomas.

PP2A Level in Colorectal Cancer Cells Predicts the Response of p38 Targeted Therapy

PP2A Level in Colorectal Cancer Cells Predicts the Response of p38 Targeted Therapy

Stimulation of Cell Migration by Flagellin Through the p38 MAP Kinase Pathway in Cultured Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) is a receptor for flagellin and is present on the basolateral surface of intestinal epithelial cells. However, the pathological roles of TLR5 in intestinal epithelial cells are not clear at present. In previous reports, we demonstrated that treatment of cultured alveolar epithelial cells with flagellin activated the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). In translating our findings in alveolar epithelial cells to intestinal epithelial cells, we found that both flagellin and TGF-β1 activated p38 MAPK and its downstream protein kinase, MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 (MAPKAPK-2) in an IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cell line. The phosphorylation of HSP27, one of the substrates for MAPKAPK-2, was also increased. TGF-β1 increased the protein level of α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), and flagellin enhanced the effect of TGF-β1. A wound healing assay revealed that flagellin and TGF-β1 stimulated the migration of cells. SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK, and an inhibitor of MAPKAPK-2 inhibited flagellin-stimulated migration. These results suggested that TLR5 is involved in the migration of intestinal epithelial cells through activation of the p38 MAPK pathway.

Abstract B46: MAPK-activated protein kinase MK2 attenuates TH1 differentiation mediated by dendritic cells – implications for autoimmunity and cancer immunotherapy

Abstract Dendritic cells (DCs) represent important mediators at the interface of innate and adaptive immunity. Our research focuses on the immune regulatory phenotype of DCs, which can be induced following stimulation via toll-like receptor ligands such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We identified the p38 substrate MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) as a potential candidate molecule involved in directing DCs into the regulatory phenotype. As we are interested in enhancing effector T cell functions in the context of DC-based cancer immunotherapy, we investigated the role of MK2 in inflammation and immune regulation mediated by DCs using both conditional MK2 knock-out mice (CD11cCre-MK2fl/fl) and the MK2-specific small molecule kinase inhibitor MK2-I3. Bone marrow- and tissue-derived murine DCs lacking MK2 activity exhibit an enhanced potential to differentiate TH1 effector cells upon LPS stimulation. MK2-deficient DCs show an altered cytokine profile leading to significantly increased IL-12 along with reduced IL-10 secretion. These observations correlate with higher levels of phosphorylated p38 and a down-modulation of JAK/STAT3 signaling. Accordingly, numbers of IFN-γ producing CD4+ T cells, as well as proliferation and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells are elevated as demonstrated in vitro and in vivo using ovalbumin as a model antigen. In a murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, we saw severely enhanced disease progression in CD11cCre-MK2fl/fl mice compared to wildtype littermate controls. We found clinical EAE manifestation to be mediated via IFN-γ producing cells, as symptoms are abrogated upon administration of an IFN-γ blocking antibody. Finally, we studied effects of MK2 deficiency in DCs on tumor growth in murine transplantable B16 and MC-38 models, showing significantly reduced tumor growth in CD11cCre-MK2fl/fl mice upon DC activation by administration of LPS together with whole tumor cell lysate as compared to wildtype littermate controls. Furthermore, in a model of DC-based immunotherapy, LPS-activated MK2-I3-treated DCs exhibit enhanced capacity to reduce tumor burden after injection into wildtype tumor bearing mice. Our data contrast the previously described role of MK2 in pro-inflammatory mechanisms of the p38 signaling route and suggest an additional anti-inflammatory feedback function, which might be important in preventing DCs from prolonging excessive inflammation. Taken together, these findings provide novel strategies for the improvement of current DC-based tumor immunotherapy approaches by enhancing TH1-priming capacities of DCs. Citation Format: Klara Soukup, Angela Halfmann, Fiona Poyer, Thomas Felzmann, Alexander Michael Dohnal. MAPK-activated protein kinase MK2 attenuates TH1 differentiation mediated by dendritic cells – implications for autoimmunity and cancer immunotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy: A New Chapter; December 1-4, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2015;3(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B46.

Quercetin and hydroxytyrosol attenuates xanthine/xanthine oxidase-induced toxicity in H9c2 cardiomyocytes by regulation of oxidative stress and stress-sensitive signaling pathways.

The increased activity of xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) has been suggested as a risk factor for heart disease and herbal polyphenols exhibits cardioprotection in vitro and in vivo. To understand the cardioprotective action mechanisms of polyphenol quercetin and hydroxytyrosol, the expression levels of stress-responsive proteins were studied in X/XO-induced toxicity model of H9c2 cardiomyocyocytes. Pretreatment with each polypenol (0.1-10 μg/ml; 24 h) enhanced viability (p < 0.01; MTT test) and inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation (p < 0.001; H2DCFDA assay) against 12 h exposure to a free radical generating system, X (0.5 mM) and XO (5 mU/ml). Western blotting experiments showed that X/XO increases the phosphorylation of downstream substrate of p38, MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAPK-2), p44/42-MAPK (Erk1/2) and cleaved caspase-3 (p < 0.001, vs. Control), however inhibits the levels of phosphorylated c-Jun and Hsp27 (p < 0.01, vs. Control). Pretreatment with quercetin or hydroxytyrosol attenuated the phosphorylation of MAPKAPK-2 and cleaved caspase-3 in X/XO-exposed cells (p < 0.01, vs. X/XO). Hydroxytyrosol enhanced the reduction of phosphorylation of a transcriptional target c-Jun and led to overphosphorylation in protective proteins, p44/42-MAPK and Hsp27 in X/XO-exposed cells (p < 0.01, vs. X/XO). Our data suggest that quercetin and hydroxytyrosol protects cardiomyocytes against X/XO-induced oxidative toxicity by diminishing intracellular ROS and the regulation of stress-sensitive protein kinase cascades and transcription factors.

MicroRNA-761 regulates mitochondrial biogenesis in mouse skeletal muscle in response to exercise

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to play critical roles in skeletal muscle in response to exercise. Previous study has shown that miR-761 was involved in a novel model regulating the mitochondrial network. However, its role in mitochondrial biogenesis remains poorly understood. Therefore, the current study was aimed to examine the effect of miR-761 on mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated that aberrantly expressed miR-761 is involved in exercise activity and miR-761 is decreased by exercise training compared with the sedentary control mice. miR-761 suppresses mitochondrial biogenesis of C2C12 myocytes by targeting the 3′-UTR of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) coactivator-1 (PGC-1α). Overexpression of miR-761 was capable of inhibiting the protein expression levels of PGC-1α. Moreover, miR-761 overexpression suppressed the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and down-regulated the expression of phosphorylated MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 (P-MK2), a downstream kinase of p38 MAPK. The phosphorylation of activating transcription factors 2 (ATF2) that plays a functional role in linking the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway to enhanced transcription of the PGC-1α was also inhibited by the overexpression of miR-761. These findings revealed a novel regulation mechanism for miR-761 in skeletal myocytes, and contributed to a better understanding of the modulation of skeletal muscle in response to exercise.

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature