Biomedical subjects

Xinmin Cao

Publications and source records attributed to Xinmin Cao.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Structure, function, and regulation of STAT proteins.

The Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) family of proteins was first discovered in the 1990's as key proteins in cytokine signaling. Since then, the field has greatly advanced in the past 15 years, providing significant insight into the structure, function, and regulation of STATs. STATs are latent cytoplasmic transcription factors consisting of seven mammalian members. They are Tyr phosphorylated upon activation, a post-translational modification critical for dimerization, nuclear import, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation. In recent years, unphosphorylated STATs have also been observed to dimerize and drive transcription, albeit by yet an obscure mechanism. In addition, the function of cytoplasmic STATs is beginning to emerge. Here, we describe the structure, function, and regulation of both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated STATs. STAT isoforms from alternative splicing or proteolytic processing, and post-translational modifications affecting STAT activities are also discussed.

Acetylation↗

PubMed2006

Phosphorylation of STAT3 serine-727 by cyclin-dependent kinase 1 is critical for nocodazole-induced mitotic arrest.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) mediates cellular responses to diverse cytokines and growth factors by modulating the expression of specific target genes. While phosphorylation of STAT3 at Tyr-705 has been demonstrated to be a prerequisite for STAT3 dimerization, nuclear translocation, and activation of gene transcription, the role of Ser-727 in regulation of STAT3 activity is controversial. Kinetworks KPSS-1.1 phospho-site screening of nocodazole-treated HeLa cells revealed that STAT3 Ser-727 phosphorylation was enhanced during mitosis, and this correlated with a reduction of Tyr-705 phosphorylation. Overexpression of STAT3 mutants in which these phosphorylation sites were separately abolished revealed that phosphorylation at these sites appeared to be mutually antagonistic. The nocodazole-induced STAT3 Ser-727 phosphorylation was reduced by selective inhibition of CDK1 phosphotransferase activity, and CDK1 could directly phosphorylate GST-STAT3 Ser-727 in vitro and co-immunoprecipitate with STAT3 in vivo. Blocking Ser-727 phosphorylation enhanced STAT3 DNA-binding activity toward its target gene promoters, implying a negative effect of Ser-727 phosphorylation on its transcriptional activity. Interference of Ser-727 phosphorylation resulted in an exit from mitotic arrest induced by nocodazole treatment and a cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, as indicated by the accumulation of 2N cell population and enhanced expression of G1 cell cycle regulators including p21(CIP1/WAF1), p27(Kip1), and cyclin E. Taken together, our observations point to a novel role of STAT3 Ser-727 phosphorylation in control of the onset and maintenance of the M phase during the cell cycle through downregulation of CDK inhibitors.

CDC2 Protein Kinase↗

PubMed2006

Stat3 regulates microtubules by antagonizing the depolymerization activity of stathmin.

Stat3 is a member of the signal transducer and activator of transcription family, which is important in cytokine signaling. Gene ablation studies have revealed a requirement for Stat3 in diverse biological processes (Akira, S. 2000. Oncogene. 19: 2607-2611; Levy, D.E., and C.K. Lee. 2002. J. Clin. Invest. 109:1143-1148). Previously, the function of Stat3 had been attributed exclusively to its transcriptional activity in the nucleus. In this study, we reveal an interaction between Stat3 and the microtubule (MT)-destabilizing protein stathmin. Stathmin did not overtly affect ligand-stimulated Stat3 activation. In contrast, the expression of Stat3 is required for the stabilization of MTs and cell migration. We further demonstrate that Stat3-containing cells are resistant to the MT-destabilizing effect of stathmin overexpression. In addition, down-regulation of stathmin protein levels in Stat3-deficient cells partially reversed the MT and migration deficiencies. Recombinant Stat3 was also capable of reversing stathmin inhibition of tubulin polymerization in vitro. Our results indicate that Stat3 modulates the MT network by binding to the COOH-terminal tubulin-interacting domain of stathmin and antagonizing its MT destabilization activity.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Regulation of Stat3 nuclear import by importin alpha5 and importin alpha7 via two different functional sequence elements.

Regulated import of STAT proteins into the nucleus through the nuclear pores is a vital event. We previously identified Arg214/215 in the coiled-coil domain and Arg414/417 in the DNA binding domain involved in the ligand-induced nuclear translocation of Stat3. In this study, we investigated the mechanism for Stat3 nuclear transport. We report here that among five ubiquitously expressed human importin alphas, importin alpha5 and alpha7, but not importin alpha1, alpha3, and alpha4, bind to Stat3 upon cytokine stimulation. Similar results were observed for Stat1, but not for Stat5a and 5b, which were unable to interact with any of the importin alphas. The C-terminus of importin alpha5 is necessary but not sufficient for Stat3 binding. Truncation mutant of Stat3 (aa1-320) that contains Arg214/215 exhibits specific binding to importin alpha5, and an exclusive nuclear localization. Point mutations of Arg214/215 in this mutant destroy importin alpha5 binding and its nuclear localization. In contrast, the truncation mutant (aa320-770) including Arg414/417 fails to interact with importin alpha5 and is localized in the cytoplasm. However, both sequence elements are necessary for the full-length Stat3's interaction with importin alpha5. These results suggest that Arg214/215 is likely the binding site for importin alpha5, whereas Arg414/417 may not be involved in the direct binding, but necessary for maintaining the proper conformation of Stat3 dimer for importin binding. A model for Stat3 nuclear translocation is proposed based on these data.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2005

Increased dosage of Runx1/AML1 acts as a positive modulator of myeloid leukemogenesis in BXH2 mice.

The RUNX1/AML1 gene on chromosome 21 is most frequently inactivated in human leukemias. In addition, an increased dose of RUNX1 is suggested as a basis for several kinds of leukemias. Amplifications of chromosome 21 or the RUNX1 gene are shown to be associated with leukemias with lymphoid lineage, whereas its involvement in myeloid lineage remains unclear. In this study, we generated GATA-1 promoter-driven Runx1 transgenic (Tg) mice, which showed a transient mild increase of megakaryocyte marker-positive myeloid cells but no spontaneous leukemia. These mice were then crossed with BXH2 mice, which have a replication-competent retrovirus in the mouse and develop myeloid leukemia due to insertional mutagenesis by random integration of the virus. Overexpressed Runx1 transgene in BXH2 mice resulted in shortening of the latency of leukemia with increased frequency of megakaryoblastic leukemia, suggesting that increased Runx1 dosage is leukemogenic in myeloid lineage. Identifications of retroviral integration sites revealed the genetic alterations that may cooperate with Runx1 overdose in myeloid leukemogenesis. This mouse model may be useful for analysing the pathogenesis of myeloid leukemias with RUNX1 overdose, especially to examine whether an extra-copy of RUNX1 by trisomy 21 is causally related to Down's syndrome-related acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (DS-AMKL).

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Modulation of the interleukin-6 receptor subunit glycoprotein 130 complex and its signaling by LMO4 interaction.

The interleukin (IL)-6-type cytokines play major roles in a variety of biological processes by signaling through a common receptor subunit, glycoprotein (gp) 130. We performed yeast two-hybrid screening to identify new binding partners of the activated gp130 and the associated Janus kinases. LMO4, a LIM domain-containing protein that belongs to a family of oncogenes, was identified in this assay. Further studies show that LMO4 associates with gp130 and Janus kinase1 in several mammalian cell types. It also interacts with protein-tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3). The binding domains involved in these interactions were mapped, and the interactions were shown to be in a direct manner by in vitro binding assays. It is likely that LMO4 exists in the gp130 complex. The cellular localization of LMO4 was detected primarily in the nucleus with a substantial amount also detected in the cytoplasm in several cell types. The effect of LMO4 in IL-6 signaling was subsequently examined. Overexpression of LMO4 enhanced the transcriptional activity and target gene expression of Stat 3 (signal transducers and activators of transcription 3). Consistent with this, silencing LMO4 expression in stable cell lines expressing the small interfering RNA of LMO4 decreased Stat3 activity. Furthermore, the half-life of gp130 was shortened, and the production of acute phase proteins induced by IL-6 was reduced. Together, our data reveal a positive regulatory role of LMO4 in IL-6 signaling, possibly by acting as a scaffold for stabilization of the gp130 complex. These studies may open up a link between the oncogenic effect of LMO proteins and their regulatory role in cytokine signaling in general.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2005

The LIM/homeodomain protein Islet1 recruits Janus tyrosine kinases and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and stimulates their activities.

Islet1 (Isl1) belongs to the LIM homeodomain transcription factor family. Its roles in differentiation of motor neurons and organogenesis of pancreas and heart have been revealed. However, less is known about its regulatory mechanism and the target genes. In this study, we identified interactions between Isl1 and Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK), as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat)3, but not Stat1 and Stat5, in mammalian cells. We found that Isl1 not only forms a complex with Jak1 and Stat3 but also triggers the tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak1 and its kinase activity, thereby elevating the tyrosine phosphorylation, DNA binding activity, and target gene expression of Stat3. In vivo, the tyrosine-phosphorylated Stat3 was colocalized with Isl1 in the nucleus of the mouse motor neurons in spinal cord after nerve injury. Correspondingly, electroporation of Isl1 and Stat3 into the neural tube of chick embryos resulted in the activation of a reporter gene expression controlled by a Stat3 regulatory sequence, and cotransfection of Isl1 and Stat3 promoted the proliferation of the mouse motor neuron cells. Our data suggest a novel role of Isl1 as an adaptor for Jak1 and Stat3 and reveal a possible functional link between LIM homeodomain transcription factors and the Jak-Stat pathway.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Stat3 signaling is present and active during development of the central nervous system and eye of vertebrates.

Stat3, a member of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family, plays a central role in mediating cell growth, differentiation, and survival signals. In this report, we show that Stat3 immunoreactivity was localized to specific regions in the developing mouse brain, neural tube, and eye from embryonic day 10.5 to postnatal day 0. The active form of Stat3 protein, which is phosphorylated on tyrosine 705 (pYStat3), was also found in the developing neural tube with more restricted distribution. An in ovo chick embryo electroporation assay showed that the endogenous chick Stat3 could drive consensus sis-inducible element-directed reporter gene expression. These results demonstrate that the active Stat3 protein is present and might play a role during the development of the central nervous system and eye.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

GRIM-19, a cell death regulatory protein, is essential for assembly and function of mitochondrial complex I.

Mitochondria play essential roles in cellular energy production via the oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) consisting of five multiprotein complexes and also in the initiation of apoptosis. NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is the largest complex that catalyzes the first step of electron transfer in the OXPHOS system. GRIM-19 was originally identified as a nuclear protein with apoptotic nature in interferon (IFN)- and all-trans-retinoic acid (RA)-induced tumor cells. To reveal its biological role, we generated mice deficient in GRIM-19 by gene targeting. Homologous deletion of GRIM-19 causes embryonic lethality at embryonic day 9.5. GRIM-19(-/-) blastocysts show retarded growth in vitro and, strikingly, display abnormal mitochondrial structure, morphology, and cellular distribution. We reexamined the cellular localization of GRIM-19 in various cell types and found its primary localization in the mitochondria. Furthermore, GRIM-19 is detected in the native form of mitochondrial complex I. Finally, we show that elimination of GRIM-19 destroys the assembly and electron transfer activity of complex I and also influences the other complexes in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Our result demonstrates that GRIM-19, a gene product with a specific role in IFN-RA-induced cell death, is a functional component of mitochondrial complex I and is essential for early embryonic development.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Grb2 regulates Stat3 activation negatively in epidermal growth factor signalling.

EGF (epidermal growth factor) binding to its receptor (EGFR) induces dimerization and autophosphorylation of the receptor at multiple tyrosine residues, which serve as docking sites for recruitment of proteins with SH2 (Src homology 2) domains that activate multiple downstream signalling pathways. The adaptor protein Grb2 (growth factor receptor-binding protein 2) binds to EGFR, which leads to activation of Ras-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) cascade. The latent transcription factors, STAT (signal transduction and activator of transcription), can also be activated by EGF in certain cell types. Since Ras-MAPK and STAT pathways are simultaneously stimulated by EGF, and Tyr-1086 and Tyr-1068 of EGFR are reported to be the binding sites for both Grb2 and Stat3, we investigated the possible regulatory role of Grb2 in STAT activation. In the present study, we report that transient expression of Grb2 specifically down-regulates EGF-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat3, which leads to a repression of Stat3 transcriptional activity. In contrast, depletion of Grb2 by RNA interference substantially increases Stat3 tyrosine phosphorylation induced by EGF. The inhibition is neither mediated by a direct interaction between Grb2 and Stat3 nor via activation of tyrosine phosphatases. However, the repression was abolished by a mutation in the SH2 domain, but not the SH3 domains of Grb2, suggesting that inhibition involves binding of the receptor. Indeed, Grb2 inhibits the interaction between Stat3 and EGFR by competitive binding to the EGFR. On the other hand, Grb2 does not interact with the same sites as Stat3 on the interleukin-6 receptor and, therefore, has no effect on interleukin-6-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat3. Taken together, our results demonstrate that, in EGF signalling, Grb2 regulates Stat3 activation negatively at the receptor level.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2003

A novel sequence in the coiled-coil domain of Stat3 essential for its nuclear translocation.

Stat3 is activated by cytokines and growth factors via specific tyrosine phosphorylation, dimerization, and nuclear translocation. However, the mechanism involved in its nuclear translocation is unclear. In this study, by systematic deletion and site-directed mutagenesis we identified Arg-214/215 in the alpha-helix 2 region of the coiled-coil domain of Stat3 as a novel sequence element essential for its nuclear translocation, stimulated by epidermal growth factor as well as by interleukin-6. Furthermore, we identified Arg-414/417 in the DNA binding domain as also required for the nuclear localization of Stat3. This sequence element corresponds to Lys-410/413 of Stat1, a reported sequence for Stat1 nuclear translocation. On the other hand, Leu-411 of Stat3, corresponding to Leu-407 of Stat1, a necessary residue for Stat1 nuclear transport, is not essential for Stat3 nuclear import. The mutant of Arg-214/215 or Arg-414/417 was shown to be tyrosyl-phosphorylated normally but failed to enter the nucleus in response to epidermal growth factor or interleukin-6. The defect, however, can be rescued by the wild-type Stat3 but cannot be compensated by these two mutants. Mutations on Arg-414/417, but not Arg-214/215, destroy the DNA binding activity of Stat3. Our data for the first time identified a sequence element located in the coiled-coil domain that is involved in the ligand-induced nuclear translocation of Stat3. This novel sequence together with a conserved sequence element in the DNA binding domain coordinates to mediate the nuclear translocation of Stat3.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

GRIM-19, a death-regulatory gene product, suppresses Stat3 activity via functional interaction.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) is a latent cytoplasmic transcription factor that can be activated by cytokines and growth factors. Stat3 plays important roles in cell growth, anti-apoptosis and cell transformation, and is constitutively active in various cancers. We examined its potential regulators by yeast two-hybrid screening. GRIM-19, a gene product related to interferon-beta- and retinoic acid-induced cancer cell death, was identified and demonstrated to interact with Stat3 in various cell types. The interaction is specific for Stat3, but not for Stat1 and Stat5a. The interaction regions in both proteins were mapped, and the cellular localization of the interaction was examined. GRIM-19 itself co-localizes with mitochondrial markers, and forms aggregates at the perinulear region with co-expressed Stat3, which inhibits Stat3 nuclear translocation stimulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF). GRIM-19 represses Stat3 transcriptional activity and its target gene expression, and also suppresses cell growth in Src-transformed cells and a Stat3-expressing cell line. Our data suggest that GRIM-19 is a novel negative regulator of Stat3.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2002

Protein kinase C delta associates with the interleukin-6 receptor subunit glycoprotein (gp) 130 via Stat3 and enhances Stat3-gp130 interaction.

The transcriptional regulation of Stat proteins is controlled through their C-terminal domains, which harbor both a tyrosine phosphorylation site, required for dimerization and subsequent nuclear translocation, and a serine phosphorylation site, required for maximum transcriptional activity. Previously, we reported that protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta) phosphorylates and interacts with Stat3 in an interleukin (IL)-6-dependent manner. In this study, we further characterized this interaction, and investigated the potential role of such an interaction. We show here that the catalytic domain of PKCdelta interacts with the Src homology 2 domain and part of the adjacent C-terminal transactivation domain of Stat3. This interaction, which does not seem to involve a classical phosphotyrosine SH2-mediated binding, however, significantly enhances the interaction of Stat3 and the IL-6 receptor subunit glycoprotein (gp) 130, which is the initial step for Stat3 activation by IL-6. Expression of a dominant negative PKCdelta or depletion of the endogenous PKCdelta by phorbol 12-myristate 3-acetate treatment abrogates the association of Stat3 with gp130. At the same time, PKCdelta is recruited to gp130 via association with Stat3, which may facilitate its phosphorylation on the gp130 receptor. Finally, we identified Thr-890, a putative PKC phosphorylation site on gp130, to be critical for the effect of PKCdelta. Our data indicate that PKCdelta plays important regulatory roles in IL-6 signaling.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Interdomain interaction of Stat3 regulates its Src homology 2 domain-mediated receptor binding activity.

Activation of Stat proteins by cytokines is initiated by their Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-mediated association with the cytokine receptors. Previously, we identified an essential role of the coiled-coil domain of Stat3 in binding of the receptor peptides derived from the interleukin-6 receptor subunit, gp130. In this study, we further investigated the molecular basis of this regulation. We found that the C-terminal domain of Stat3 negatively regulates its receptor binding activity only in the absence of the first alpha-helix of the coiled-coil domain, which leads to a hypothesis of intramolecular interaction. Physical interactions between the coiled-coil domain and the C-terminal domain, as well as the SH2 domain, were indeed detected. Furthermore, a sub-region of the C-terminal domain (amino acids 720-740), which is also involved in the interaction with the coiled-coil domain, was demonstrated to be critical for the regulation of the receptor binding. Correspondingly, phosphorylation on Ser-727 within this region inhibits this interaction. In agreement with the peptide binding results, both the coiled-coil domain and the C-terminal sub-region are necessary for the functional recruitment of Stat3 to the cellular gp130 in response to interleukin-6, suggesting that the interdomain interaction is a prerequisite for the SH2-mediated receptor binding in interleukin-6 signaling.

Animals↗