title: Nuclear accumulation of NFAT4 opposed by the JNK signal transduction pathway.
abstract: The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) group of transcription factors is retained in the cytoplasm of quiescent cells. NFAT activation is mediated in part by induced nuclear import. This process requires calcium-dependent dephosphorylation of NFAT caused by the phosphatase calcineurin. The c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylates NFAT4 on two sites. Mutational removal of the JNK phosphorylation sites caused constitutive nuclear localization of NFAT4. In contrast, JNK activation in calcineurin-stimulated cells caused nuclear exclusion of NFAT4. These findings show that the nuclear accumulation of NFAT4 promoted by calcineurin is opposed by the JNK signal transduction pathway.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rincón
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dickens
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D019556:COS Cells; D019703:Calcineurin / Q000378:metabolism; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D009154:Mutation; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; C494008:NFATC3 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016572:Cyclosporine; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D019703:Calcineurin