A novel mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase plays a critical role in mitochondrial dynamics.

In this study, we have identified a novel mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase, designated MITOL, which is localized in the mitochondrial outer membrane. MITOL possesses a Plant Homeo-Domain (PHD) motif responsible for E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and predicted four-transmembrane domains. MITOL displayed a rapid degradation by autoubiquitination activity in a PHD-dependent manner. HeLa cells stably expressing a MITOL mutant lacking ubiquitin ligase activity or MITOL-deficient cells by small interfering RNA showed an aberrant mitochondrial morphology such as fragmentation, suggesting the enhancement of mitochondrial fission by MITOL dysfunction. Indeed, a dominant-negative expression of Drp1 mutant blocked mitochondrial fragmentation induced by MITOL depletion. We found that MITOL associated with and ubiquitinated mitochondrial fission protein hFis1 and Drp1. Pulse-chase experiment showed that MITOL overexpression increased turnover of these fission proteins. In addition, overexpression phenotype of hFis1 could be reverted by MITOL co-overexpression. Our finding indicates that MITOL plays a critical role in mitochondrial dynamics through the control of mitochondrial fission proteins.

The phenoxazine derivative Phx-1 suppresses IgE-mediated degranulation in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells.

Antigen-induced aggregation of the high affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonRI) on mast cells induces degranulation to release chemical mediators, leading to acute allergic inflammation. We have demonstrated that the treatment of rat mast cells, RBL-2H3, with a phenoxazine derivative Phx-1 (2-amino-4,4alpha-dihydro-4alpha,7-dimethyl-3H-phenoxazine-3-one) suppresses the antigen-induced degranulation. Biochemical analysis reveals that the complementary signaling pathway through Gab2 and Akt is inhibited by this compound in mast cells. These findings suggest that phenoxazine derivatives may have a therapeutic potential for allergic diseases by inhibiting mast cell degranulation.

Activation of Syk protein tyrosine kinase in response to osmotic stress requires interaction with p21-activated protein kinase Pak2/gamma-PAK.

The p21-activated serine/threonine protein kinase Pak2/gamma-PAK and the nonreceptor type of protein tyrosine kinase Syk are known to be activated when the cells are exposed to osmotic stress. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether Pak2 and Syk functionally cooperate in cellular signaling. Cotransfection studies revealed that Pak2 associates with Syk in COS cells. The constitutively active form of Cdc42 increases the association of Pak2 with Syk. Pak2 coexpressed with an inactive form of Cdc42 or kinase-inactive Pak2 interacts to a lesser extent with Syk, suggesting that Pak2-Syk association is enhanced by Pak2 activation. Interaction with Pak2 enhances the intrinsic kinase activity of Syk. This is supported by in vitro studies showing that Pak2 phosphorylates and activates Syk. Treatment of cells with sorbitol to induce hyperosmolarity results in the translocation of Pak2 and Syk to the region surrounding the nucleus and in dramatic enhancement of their association. Furthermore, cotransfection of Pak2 and Syk leads to the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) under hyperosmotic conditions. Pak2 short interfering RNA suppresses sorbitol-mediated activation of endogenous Syk and JNK, thus identifying a novel pathway for JNK activation by Cdc42. These results demonstrate that Pak2 and Syk positively cooperate to regulate cellular responses to stress.

Negative regulation of FcepsilonRI-mediated mast cell activation by a ubiquitin-protein ligase Cbl-b.

Aggregation of the high-affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor (FcepsilonRI) on mast cells induces a number of biochemical events, including protein-tyrosine phosphorylation leading to degranulation and multiple cytokine gene transcription. Here, we have demonstrated that a second member of the Cbl family of ubiquitin-protein ligase Cbl-b translocates into the lipid raft after FcepsilonRI engagement. Overexpression of Cbl-b in the lipid raft inhibits FcepsilonRI-mediated degranulation and cytokine gene transcription through the distinct mechanism. A point mutation of Cys373 in the RING finger domain of Cbl-b abrogates the suppression of FcepsilonRI-mediated degranulation but not cytokine gene transcription. The antigen-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of FcepsilonRI, Syk, phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma), activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappaB kinase (IKK), and Ca++ influx were all suppressed in the cells overexpressing Cbl-b in the lipid raft. In particular, the expression amount of Gab2 protein and thereby its FcepsilonRI-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation were dramatically down-regulated by ubiquitin-protein ligase activity of Cbl-b. These results suggest that Cbl-b is a negative regulator of both Lyn-Syk-LAT and Gab2mediated complementary signaling pathways in FcepsilonRI-mediated mast cell activation.

Negative regulation of Lyn protein-tyrosine kinase by c-Cbl ubiquitin-protein ligase in Fc epsilon RI-mediated mast cell activation.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that c-Cbl functions as a ubiquitin-protein ligase toward immune receptors and non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinase Syk by facilitating their ubiquitination and subsequent targeting to proteasomes. However, it was not clear whether Src family kinase Lyn is regulated by the Cbl family of ubiquitin-protein ligases. RESULTS: Aggregation of the high affinity IgE receptor (Fc epsilon RI) induces the rapid ubiquitination of Lyn in rat basophilic leukaemia RBL-2H3 cells. Treatment of cells with a proteasome inhibitor enhances the ubiquitination of Lyn. Stimulation of Fc epsilon RI results in the association of Lyn with c-Cbl and Cbl-b, both of which then become tyrosine phosphorylated. Co-transfection study shows that both c-Cbl and Cbl-b could induce the ubiquitination of activated Lyn in COS cells. Furthermore, over-expression of membrane-anchored form of c-Cbl inhibits the Fc epsilon RI-mediated degranulation and cytokine gene production in RBL-2H3 cells by the down-regulation of the kinase activity of Lyn through the enhanced ubiquitination. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that Lyn is down-regulated by c-Cbl-mediated ubiquitination and subsequent degradation in proteasome after Fc epsilon RI stimulation in mast cells. Targeting of c-Cbl in the lipid raft results in the inhibition of Fc epsilon RI-mediated mast cell activation.

Adaptor protein 3BP2 is a potential ligand of Src homology 2 and 3 domains of Lyn protein-tyrosine kinase.

Adaptor protein 3BP2, a c-Abl-Src homology 3 (SH3) domain-binding protein, is known to play a regulatory role in T-cell receptor-mediated transcriptional activation of nuclear factor of activated T cell and activator protein 1 by interacting with Syk/ZAP-70 protein-tyrosine kinase. We have previously demonstrated that aggregation of high affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonRI) induces tyrosine phosphorylation of 3BP2, and overexpression of the 3BP2-SH2 domain suppresses antigen-induced degranulation in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 mast cell line. In this report, we attempt to analyze the biological relevance of 3BP2 tyrosine phosphorylation. By using the transient expression system in COS-7 cells, we have demonstrated that 3BP2 was predominantly phosphorylated on Tyr174, Tyr183, and Tyr446 when it was coexpressed with Syk. An in vitro binding study revealed that phosphorylation of Tyr446 by Syk was likely to create a binding site for the Lyn-SH2 domain in RBL-2H3 cells. In addition, proline-rich region of 3BP2 bound to the Lyn-SH3 domain. Conformational microscopic analysis showed that Lyn and 3BP2 are constitutively colocalized in RBL-2H3 cells. Overexpression of 3BP2 in RBL-2H3 cells resulted in an enhancement of Lyn autophosphorylation. These results suggest that the adaptor protein 3BP2 is a potential regulator of Lyn protein-tyrosine kinase as a ligand of its SH3/SH2 domains in FcepsilonRI-mediated signaling in mast cells.

Regulation of FcepsilonRI-mediated degranulation by an adaptor protein 3BP2 in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells.

Aggregation of high-affinity IgE receptor FcepsilonRI induces sequential activation of nonreceptor-type protein-tyrosine kinases and subsequent tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins, leading to degranulation in mast cells. A hematopoietic cell-specific adaptor protein, 3BP2, that was originally identified as an Abl SH3-binding protein was rapidly tyrosine phosphorylated by the aggregation of FcepsilonRI on rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells. Tyrosine phosphorylation of 3BP2 did not depend on calcium influx from external sources. To examine the role of 3BP2 in mast cells, we overexpressed the SH2 domain of 3BP2 in the RBL-2H3 cells. Overexpression of 3BP2-SH2 domain resulted in a suppression of antigen-induced degranulation as assessed by beta-hexosaminidase release. Even though overall tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular protein was not altered, antigen-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma) and calcium mobilization were significantly suppressed in the cells overexpressing the 3BP2-SH2 domain. Furthermore, antigen stimulation induced the association of 3BP2-SH2 domain with LAT and other signaling molecule complexes in the RBL-2H3 cells. FcepsilonRI-mediated phosphorylation of JNK and ERK was not affected by the overexpression of 3BP2-SH2 domain. These data indicate that 3BP2 functions to positively regulate the FcepsilonRI-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-gamma and thereby the signals leading to degranulation.