title: Tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase is mediated by TRAF2.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) a pro-inflammatory cytokine is an endogenous mediator of septic shock, inflammation, anti-viral responses and apoptotic cell death. TNF alpha elicits its complex biological responses through the individual or cooperative action of two TNF receptors of mol. wt 55 kDa (TNF-RI) and mol. wt 75 kDa (TNF-RII). To determine signaling events specific for TNF-RII we fused the extracellular domain of the mouse CD4 antigen to the intracellular domain of TNF-RII. Crosslinking of the chimeric receptor using anti-CD4 antibodies initiates exclusively TNF-RII-mediated signals. Our findings show that: (i) TNF-RII is able to activate two members of the MAP kinase family: extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK); (ii) TRAF2, a molecule that binds TNF-RII and associates indirectly with TNF-RI, is sufficient to activate JNK upon overexpression; (iii) dominant-negative TRAF2 blocks TNF alpha-mediated JNK activation and (iv) TRAF2 signals the activation of JNK and NF-kappaB through different pathways. Our findings suggest that TNF alpha-mediated JNK activation in fibroblasts is independent of the cell death pathway and that TRAF2 occupies a key role in TNF receptor signaling to JNK.
authors.affiliation: Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reinhard
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shamoon
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shyamala
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D016466:CHO Cells; D019556:COS Cells; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death; D006224:Cricetinae; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D051379:Mice; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2; D014162:Transfection / Q000235:genetics; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011506:Proteins; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases