title: Calcineurin preferentially synergizes with PKC-theta to activate JNK and IL-2 promoter in T lymphocytes.
abstract: Costimulation of the T cell receptor (TCR) and CD28 is required for optimal interleukin-2 (IL-2) induction. These signals, which can be replaced by the pharmacological agents phorbol ester (PMA) and Ca2+ ionophore, synergistically activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) JNK. Cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of the Ca2+-dependent phosphatase calcineurin which blocks IL-2 induction, abrogates Ca2+-triggered synergistic JNK activation. As protein kinase C (PKC) downregulation inhibits PMA+ionophore-induced JNK activation, we examined whether a particular PKC isoform is preferentially involved in this response. We found that PKC-theta but neither PKC-alpha nor PKC-epsilon participates in JNK activation, whereas all three PKCs lead to ERK MAPK activation. PKC-theta specifically cooperates with calcineurin, and together their signals converge on (or upstream of) Rac leading to potent JNK activation. Similarly, calcineurin and PKC-theta specifically synergize to induce transcription of reporters driven by the c-jun and IL-2 promoters. PKC-theta and calcineurin are also partially responsible for the synergistic activation of JNK following TCR and CD28 ligation. Preferential cooperation between PKC-theta and calcineurin is observed in Jurkat T cells but not in HeLa cells. These results indicate that PKC isozymes have distinct biological functions and suggest that synergistic JNK activation is an important function for PKC-theta in T-cell activation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0636, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Werlen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jacinto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karin
mesh_terms: D019703:Calcineurin / Q000502:physiology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000502:physiology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000502:physiology*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology*; D000074121:Protein Kinase C-theta; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D007527:Isoenzymes; D011494:Protein Kinases; C076233:PRKCQ protein, human; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D000074121:Protein Kinase C-theta; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D019703:Calcineurin; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins