title: Inhibition of CK2 activity by TGF-beta1 promotes IkappaB-alpha protein stabilization and apoptosis of immortalized hepatocytes.
abstract: Nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) is an antiapoptotic factor involved in development, regeneration, and neoplastic progression of the liver. Previously, we have shown that stabilization of inhibitor kappaB (IkappaB)-alpha protein following treatment of hepatocytes with transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 promoted NF-kappaB repression, which then permitted induction of AP-1/SMAD-mediated liver cell death. Because basal IkappaB-alpha protein turnover is regulated by protein kinase CK2, here we have elucidated the regulation of CK2 kinase activity and its role in control of NF-kappaB levels following treatment with TGF-beta1. We show that both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of the CK2alpha catalytic subunit are down-regulated following TGF-beta1 stimulation in murine hepatocyte cells. The ensuing inhibition of CK2 kinase activity promotes stabilization of IkappaB protein, which is followed by the shutoff of constitutive NF-kappaB activity and induction of apoptosis. Ectopic expression of CK2alpha inhibits TGF-beta1-induced apoptosis through sustained activation of NF-kappaB. Conversely, expression of a kinase-dead mutant of CK2alpha potentiates TGF-beta1 cell killing. Importantly, we show that hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) derived from TGF-beta1 transgenic mice and human HCC cell lines display enhanced CK2 IkappaB kinase activity that contributes in part to an elevated NF-kappaB activity in vivo. In conclusion, inhibition of CK2 expression levels by TGF-beta1 is crucial for the induction of apoptosis of hepatocytes. Circumvention of this process by up-regulation of CK2 activity in transformed cells may contribute to the promotion of TGF-beta1-induced liver carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Center for Anticancer Drug Research, University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, College of Medicine, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
authors.forename: Lakita G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Cavin
authors.forename: Raphaelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romieu-Mourez
authors.forename: Ganesh R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Panta
authors.forename: Jiyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Valentina M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Factor
authors.forename: Snorri S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Thorgeirsson
authors.forename: Gail E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Sonenshein
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arsura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1
chemical_list: D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606204:NFKBIA protein, human; C000606205:Nfkbia protein, mouse; C508960:TGFB1 protein, human; C508961:Tgfb1 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D047390:Casein Kinase II; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases