ERK phosphorylation drives cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNP-K and inhibition of mRNA translation.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP-K) is one of a family of 20 proteins that are involved in transcription and post-transcriptional messenger RNA metabolism. The mechanisms that underlie regulation of hnRNP-K activities remain largely unknown. Here we show that cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNP-K is phosphorylation-dependent. Mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) efficiently phosphorylates hnRNP-K both in vitro and in vivo at serines 284 and 353. Serum stimulation or constitutive activation of ERK kinase (MEK1) results in phosphorylation and cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNP-K. Mutation at ERK phosphoacceptor sites in hnRNP-K abolishes the ability to accumulate in the cytoplasm and renders the protein incapable of regulating translation of mRNAs that have a differentiation-control element (DICE) in the 3' untranslated region (UTR). Similarly, treatment with a pharmacological inhibitor of the ERK pathway abolishes cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNP-K and attenuates inhibition of mRNA translation. Our results establish the role of MAPK/ERK in phosphorylation-dependent cellular localization of hnRNP-K, which is required for its ability to silence mRNA translation.
Ruttenberg Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
H
H
Habelhah
K
K
Shah
L
L
Huang
A
A
Ostareck-Lederer
A L
AL
Burlingame
K M
KM
Shokat
M W
MW
Hentze
Z
Z
Ronai
D001093:Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase / Q000235:genetics; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D034641:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D034641:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K; D034441:Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D001093:Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one