Zinc-induced PTEN protein degradation through the proteasome pathway in human airway epithelial cells.
The tumor suppressor PTEN is a putative negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway. Exposure to Zn2+ ions induces Akt activation, suggesting that PTEN may be modulated in this process. Therefore, the effects of Zn2+ on PTEN were studied in human airway epithelial cells and rat lungs. Treatment with Zn2+ resulted in a significant reduction in levels of PTEN protein in a dose- and time-dependent fashion in a human airway epithelial cell line. This effect of Zn2+was also observed in normal human airway epithelial cells in primary culture and in rat airway epithelium in vivo. Concomitantly, levels of PTEN mRNA were also significantly reduced by Zn2+ exposure. PTEN phosphatase activity evaluated by measuring Akt phosphorylation decreased after Zn2+ treatment. Pretreatment of the cells with a proteasome inhibitor significantly blocked zinc-induced reduction of PTEN protein as well as the increase in Akt phosphorylation, implicating the involvement of proteasome-mediated PTEN degradation. Further study revealed that Zn2+-induced ubiquitination of PTEN protein may mediate this process. A phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor blocked PTEN degradation induced by Zn2+, suggesting that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase may participate in the regulation of PTEN. However, both the proteasome inhibitor and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor failed to prevent significant down-regulation of PTEN mRNA expression in response to Zn2+. In summary, exposure to Zn2+ ions causes PTEN degradation and loss of function, which is mediated by an ubiquitin-associated proteolytic process in the airway epithelium.
Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. Weidong_Wu@med.unc.edu.
Weidong
W
Wu
Xinchao
X
Wang
Wenli
W
Zhang
William
W
Reed
James M
JM
Samet
Young E
YE
Whang
Andrew J
AJ
Ghio
D000818:Animals; D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
D002867:Chromones; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009025:Morpholines; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D015032:Zinc