Extracellular zinc activates p70 S6 kinase through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway.
We have studied a possible role of extracellular zinc ion in the activation of p70S6k, which plays an important role in the progression of cells from the G(1) to S phase of the cell cycle. Treatment of Swiss 3T3 cells with zinc sulfate led to the activation and phosphorylation of p70S6k in a dose-dependent manner. The activation of p70S6k by zinc treatment was biphasic, the early phase being at 30 min followed by the late phase at 120 min. The zinc-induced activation of p70S6k was partially inhibited by down-regulation of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-responsive protein kinase C (PKC) by chronic treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, but this was not significant. Moreover, Go6976, a specific calcium-dependent PKC inhibitor, did not significantly inhibit the activation of p70S6k by zinc. These results demonstrate that the zinc-induced activation of p70S6k is not related to PKC. Also, extracellular calcium was not involved in the activation of p70S6k by zinc. Further characterization of the zinc-induced activation of p70S6k using specific inhibitors of the p70S6k signaling pathway, namely rapamycin, wortmannin, and LY294002, showed that zinc acted upstream of mTOR/FRAP/RAFT and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), because these inhibitors caused the inhibition of zinc-induced p70S6k activity. In addition, Akt, the upstream component of p70S6k, was activated by zinc in a biphasic manner, as was p70S6k. Moreover, dominant interfering alleles of Akt and PDK1 blocked the zinc-induced activation of p70S6k, whereas the lipid kinase activity of PI3K was potently activated by zinc. Taken together, our data suggest that zinc activates p70S6k through the PI3K signaling pathway.
Kim
S
S
Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Kusong-Dong, Yusong, Taejon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
Jung
Y
Y
Kim
D
D
Koh
H
H
Chung
J
J
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000730:Androstadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077191:Wortmannin; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000730:Androstadienes; D002867:Chromones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009025:Morpholines; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases; D020123:Sirolimus; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D000077191:Wortmannin; D015032:Zinc; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one