title: Role of translation initiation factor 2B in control of cell survival by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3beta signaling pathway.
abstract: The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase)/Akt signaling pathway is an important mediator of growth factor-dependent survival of mammalian cells. A variety of targets of the Akt protein kinase have been implicated in cell survival, including the protein kinase glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta). One of the targets of GSK-3beta is translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B), linking global regulation of protein synthesis to PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling. Because of the central role of protein synthesis, we have investigated the involvement of eIF2B, which is inhibited as a result of GSK-3beta phosphorylation, in programmed cell death. We demonstrate that expression of eIF2B mutants lacking the GSK-3beta phosphorylation or priming sites is sufficient to protect both Rat-1 and PC12 cells from apoptosis induced by overexpression of GSK-3beta, inhibition of PI 3-kinase, or growth factor deprivation. Consistent with these effects on cell survival, expression of nonphosphorylatable eIF2B prevented inhibition of protein synthesis following treatment of cells with the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. Conversely, cycloheximide induced apoptosis of PC12 and Rat-1 cells, further indicating that protein synthesis was required for cell survival. Inhibition of translation resulting from treatment with cycloheximide led to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, similar to the effects of inhibition of PI 3-kinase. Expression of nonphosphorylatable eIF2B prevented cytochrome c release resulting from PI 3-kinase inhibition but did not affect cytochrome c release or apoptosis induced by cycloheximide. Regulation of translation resulting from phosphorylation of eIF2B by GSK-3beta thus appears to contribute to the control of cell survival by the PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway, acting upstream of mitochondrial cytochrome c release.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pap
authors.forename: Geoffrey M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D020717:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D009154:Mutation; D016716:PC12 Cells; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D003513:Cycloheximide; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D020717:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2B; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D038341:Glycogen Synthase Kinases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat