title: Signaling by proinflammatory cytokines: oligomerization of TRAF2 and TRAF6 is sufficient for JNK and IKK activation and target gene induction via an amino-terminal effector domain.
abstract: Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) stimulate transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kappaB through activation of the MAP kinases JNK and p38 and the IkappaB kinase (IKK), respectively. The TNF-alpha and IL-1 signals are transduced through TRAF2 and TRAF6, respectively. Overexpressed TRAF2 or TRAF6 activate JNK, p38, or IKK in the absence of extracellular stimulation. By replacing the carboxy-terminal TRAF domain of TRAF2 and TRAF6 with repeats of the immunophilin FKBP12, we demonstrate that their effector domains are composed of their amino-terminal Zn and RING fingers. Oligomerization of the TRAF2 effector domain results in specific binding to MEKK1, a protein kinase capable of JNK, p38, and IKK activation, and induction of TNF-alpha and IL-1 responsive genes. TNF-alpha also enhances the binding of native TRAF2 to MEKK1 and stimulates the kinase activity of the latter. Thus, TNF-alpha and IL-1 signaling is based on oligomerization of TRAF2 and TRAF6 leading to activation of effector kinases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093-0636 USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baud
authors.forename: Z G
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karin
mesh_terms: D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; D020104:Immunophilins / Q000502:physiology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000502:physiology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2; D048029:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6; D022021:Tacrolimus Binding Proteins; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D011506:Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2; D048029:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C496559:CHUK protein, human; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; C496560:IKBKB protein, human; C496565:IKBKE protein, human; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; C482576:MAP3K1 protein, human; D022021:Tacrolimus Binding Proteins; D020104:Immunophilins