title: Posttranslational regulation of tristetraprolin subcellular localization and protein stability by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways.
abstract: The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, acting through the downstream kinase MK2, regulates the stability of many proinflammatory mRNAs that contain adenosine/uridine-rich elements (AREs). It is thought to do this by modulating the expression or activity of ARE-binding proteins that regulate mRNA turnover. MK2 phosphorylates the ARE-binding and mRNA-destabilizing protein tristetraprolin (TTP) at serines 52 and 178. Here we show that the p38 MAPK pathway regulates the subcellular localization and stability of TTP protein. A p38 MAPK inhibitor causes rapid dephosphorylation of TTP, relocalization from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, and degradation by the 20S/26S proteasome. Hence, continuous activity of the p38 MAPK pathway is required to maintain the phosphorylation status, cytoplasmic localization, and stability of TTP protein. The regulation of both subcellular localization and protein stability is dependent on MK2 and on the integrity of serines 52 and 178. Furthermore, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway synergizes with the p38 MAPK pathway to regulate both stability and localization of TTP. This effect is independent of kinases that are known to be synergistically activated by ERK and p38 MAPK. We present a model for the actions of TTP and the p38 MAPK pathway during distinct phases of the inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, 1 Aspenlea Rd., Hammersmith, London W6 8LH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.forename: Carmen R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Tchen
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santalucia
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McIlrath
authors.forename: J Simon C
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saklatvala
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051816:Tristetraprolin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D051816:Tristetraprolin; C497553:Zfp36 protein, mouse; D012694:Serine; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex