Protein kinase G activates the JNK1 pathway via phosphorylation of MEKK1.
We recently obtained evidence that treatment of human colon cancer cells with exisulind (sulindac sulfone) and related compounds induces apoptosis by activation of protein kinase G (PKG) and c-Jun kinase (JNK1). The present study further explores this mechanism. We demonstrate that in NIH3T3 cells a constitutively active mutant of PKG causes a dose-dependent activation of JNK1 and thereby transactivates c-Jun and stimulates transcription from the AP-1 enhancer element. The activation of JNK1 and the transactivation of c-Jun by this mutant of PKG were inhibited by a dominant negative MEKK1. In vitro assays showed that a purified PKG directly phosphorylated the N-terminal domain of MEKK1. PKG also directly phosphorylated a full-length MEKK1, and this was associated with enhanced MEKK1 phosphorylation. Thus, it appears that PKG activates JNK1 through a novel PKG-MEKK1-SEK1-JNK1 pathway, by directly phosphorylating and activating MEKK1.
Department of Medicine, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
J W
JW
Soh
Y
Y
Mao
L
L
Liu
W J
WJ
Thompson
R
R
Pamukcu
I B
IB
Weinstein
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016758:Genes, jun; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection
D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017869:Cyclic GMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048728:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 1; C482576:MAP3K1 protein, human; C482578:Map3k1 protein, mouse; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; C482559:MAP2K4 protein, human; C482562:Map2k4 protein, mouse; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases