title: Pin1 mediates neural-specific activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery.
abstract: Apoptosis of neurons plays fundamental roles in brain development and disease. Although neurons share with other cell types components of the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery, how this machinery is specifically activated in neurons remains poorly understood. Remarkably, phosphorylation of the BH3-only protein BIMEL at Ser65 triggers apoptosis in neurons but suppresses cell death in non-neural cells. Here, we report that the prolyl isomerase Pin1 interacts with Ser65-phosphorylated BIMEL in neurons. Pin1 is enriched at the mitochondrial membrane in neurons, where it forms a physical complex with the neuron-specific JNK scaffold protein JIP3. Activation of JNK signaling induces the dissociation of Pin1 from JIP3 and concomitantly promotes Pin1 binding to phosphorylated BIMEL. The interaction of Pin1 with phosphorylated BIMEL stabilizes BIMEL and thereby activates neuronal apoptosis. These findings define a neural-specific mechanism of cell death whereby Pin1 couples phosphorylation of BH3-only proteins to activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Esther B E
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Azad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonni
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000378:metabolism; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000502:physiology; D000072340:NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020320:Oligoribonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / Q000502:physiology*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; C000606778:Bcl2l11 protein, rat; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; C485750:MAPK8IP3 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072340:NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020320:Oligoribonucleotides, Antisense; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D012694:Serine; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; C000606846:PIN1 protein, human; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase