title: Evidence that Ser87 of BimEL is phosphorylated by Akt and regulates BimEL apoptotic function.
abstract: Bim, the Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death, is a member of the BH3-only family of pro-apoptotic proteins. Recent studies have demonstrated that the apoptotic activity of Bim can be regulated through a post-translational mechanism whereby ERK phosphorylation serves as a signal for Bim ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. In this report, we investigated the signaling pathways leading to Bim phosphorylation in Ba/F3 cells, an interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent B-cell line. IL-3 stimulation induced phosphorylation of Bim(EL), one of the predominant isoforms of Bim expressed in cells, at multiple sites, as evidenced by the formation of at least three to four bands by Western blotting that were sensitive to phosphatase digestion. The appearance of multiple, phosphorylated species of Bim(EL) correlated with Akt, and not ERK, activation. The PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, blocked IL-3-stimulated Akt activity and partially blocked Bim(EL) phosphorylation. In vitro kinase assays showed that recombinant Akt could directly phosphorylate a GST-Bim(EL) fusion protein and identified the Akt phosphorylation site in the Bim(EL) domain as Ser(87). Further, we demonstrated that cytokine stimulation promotes Bim(EL) binding to 14-3-3 proteins. Finally, we show that mutation of Ser(87) dramatically increases the apoptotic potency of Bim(EL). We propose that Ser(87) of Bim(EL) is an important regulatory site that is targeted by Akt to attenuate the pro-apoptotic function of Bim(EL), thereby promoting cell survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Wildey
authors.forename: Philip H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Howe
mesh_terms: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009154:Mutation; D010766:Phosphorylation; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012694:Serine / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; C000606778:Bcl2l11 protein, rat; D002867:Chromones; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007377:Interleukin-3; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009025:Morpholines; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; D012694:Serine; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex