title: Calcineurin acts in synergy with PMA to inactivate I kappa B/MAD3, an inhibitor of NF-kappa B.
abstract: The interleukin-2 (IL-2) promoter consists of several independent T cell receptor (TcR) responsive elements. The induction of promoters dependent on these elements is inhibitable by the immunosuppressants cyclosporin A (CsA) and tacrolimus (FK-506). Calcineurin, a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, is the FK-506- and CsA-sensitive enzyme required for TcR mediated activation of the IL-2 promoter. We report that a constitutively active form of calcineurin partially substitutes for the Ca2+ co-stimulus required to activate the IL-2 promoter elements IL-2A (which binds the factors OAP and Oct-1) and IL-2E (which binds NF-AT), and completely substitutes for the Ca2+ co-stimulus required to stimulate an NF-kappa B-dependent element. Calcineurin stimulates the NF-kappa B element by enhancing inactivation of I kappa B/MAD3, an inhibitor of NF-kappa B, thereby increasing the amount of nuclear NF-kappa B DNA binding activity. These data provide the first demonstration in vivo that activation of a protein phosphatase can inactivate I kappa B, and suggest one possible explanation for mechanism-based toxicities associated with FK-506 and CsA by demonstrating that these drugs can inhibit the calcineurin-dependent activation of a virtually ubiquitous transcription factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Immunology, Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ 07065.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frantz
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Nordby
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bren
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Steffan
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Paya
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kincaid
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tocci
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: O'Neill
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D019703:Calcineurin; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051841:Transcription Factor RelB; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606204:NFKBIA protein, human; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C497593:RELB protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D051841:Transcription Factor RelB; D004247:DNA; D019703:Calcineurin; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate