RESUMO
Oncogene-induced senescence is a stable proliferative arrest that serves as a tumor-suppressing defense mechanism. p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) has been implicated in oncogene-induced senescence and tumor suppression. However, the specific role of each of the four p38 isoforms in oncogene-induced senescence is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that p38δ mediates oncogene-induced senescence through a p53- and p16(INK4A)-independent mechanism. Instead, evidence suggests a link between p38δ and the DNA damage pathways. Moreover, we have discovered a novel mechanism that enhances the expression of p38δ during senescence. In this mechanism, oncogenic ras induces the Raf-1-MEK-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, which, in turn, activates the AP-1 and Ets transcription factors that are bound to the p38δ promoter, leading to increased transcription of p38δ. These findings indicate that induction of the prosenescent function of p38δ by oncogenic ras is achieved through 2 mechanisms, transcriptional activation by the Raf-1-MEK-ERK-AP-1/Ets pathway, which increases the cellular concentration of the p38δ protein, and posttranslational modification by MKK3/6, which stimulates the enzymatic activity of p38δ. In addition, these studies identify the AP-1 and Ets transcription factors as novel signaling components in the senescence-inducing pathway.
Assuntos
Senescência Celular/genética , Proteína Quinase 13 Ativada por Mitógeno/genética , Ativação Transcricional , Proteínas ras/genética , Western Blotting , Linhagem Celular , Células Cultivadas , Inibidor p16 de Quinase Dependente de Ciclina/genética , Inibidor p16 de Quinase Dependente de Ciclina/metabolismo , Células HEK293 , Humanos , MAP Quinase Quinase 3/genética , MAP Quinase Quinase 3/metabolismo , MAP Quinase Quinase 6/genética , MAP Quinase Quinase 6/metabolismo , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases/genética , Masculino , Proteína Quinase 13 Ativada por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas/genética , Ligação Proteica , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/genética , Proteína Proto-Oncogênica c-ets-1/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-raf/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-raf/metabolismo , Interferência de RNA , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Fator de Transcrição AP-1/genética , Fator de Transcrição AP-1/metabolismo , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismo , Proteínas ras/metabolismoRESUMO
Oncogene-induced senescence is a tumor-suppressive defense mechanism triggered upon activation of certain oncogenes in normal cells. Recently, the senescence response to oncogene activation has been shown to act as a bona fide barrier to cancer development in vivo. Multiple previous studies have implicated the importance of the p38 MAPK pathway in oncogene-induced senescence. However, the contribution of each of the four p38 isoforms (encoded by different genes) to senescence induction is unclear. In the current study, we demonstrated that p38alpha and p38gamma, but not p38beta, play an essential role in oncogenic ras-induced senescence. Both p38alpha and p38gamma are expressed in primary human fibroblasts and are activated upon transduction of oncogenic ras. Small hairpin RNA-mediated silencing of p38alpha or p38gamma expression abrogated ras-induced senescence, whereas constitutive activation of p38alpha and p38gamma caused premature senescence. Furthermore, upon activation by oncogenic ras, p38gamma stimulated the transcriptional activity of p53 by phosphorylating p53 at Ser(33), suggesting that the ability of p38gamma to mediate senescence is at least partly achieved through p53. However, p38alpha contributed to ras-inducted senescence via a p53-indepdendent mechanism in cells by mediating ras-induced expression of p16(INK4A), another key senescence effector. These findings have identified p38alpha and p38gamma as essential components of the signaling pathway that regulates the tumor-suppressing senescence response, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential involvement of the p38 isoforms in senescence induction.
