title: Dexamethasone causes sustained expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatase 1 and phosphatase-mediated inhibition of MAPK p38.
abstract: The stress-activated protein kinase p38 stabilizes a number of mRNAs encoding inflammatory mediators, such as cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2). In HeLa cells the anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid dexamethasone destabilizes Cox-2 mRNA by inhibiting p38 function. Here we demonstrate that this effect is phosphatase dependent. Furthermore, in HeLa cells dexamethasone induced the sustained expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1), a potent inhibitor of p38 function. The inhibition of p38 and the induction of MKP-1 by dexamethasone occurred with similar dose dependence and kinetics. No other known p38 phosphatases were induced by dexamethasone, and other cell types which failed to express MKP-1 also failed to inhibit p38 in response to dexamethasone. The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 (IL-1) induced MKP-1 expression in a p38-dependent manner and acted synergistically with dexamethasone to induce MKP-1 expression. In HeLa cells treated with IL-1 or IL-1 and dexamethasone, the dynamics of p38 activation mirrored the expression of MKP-1. These observations suggest that MKP-1 participates in a negative-feedback loop which regulates p38 function and that dexamethasone may inhibit proinflammatory gene expression in part by inducing MKP-1 expression.
authors.affiliation: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London W6 8LH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lasa
authors.forename: Sonya M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boucheron
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saklatvala
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D054638:Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054645:Protein Phosphatase 1; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D020871:RNA Stability; D013997:Time Factors; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007093:Imidazoles; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011725:Pyridines; D003907:Dexamethasone; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D054645:Protein Phosphatase 1; C517019:DUSP1 protein, human; D054638:Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; C093642:SB 203580