A conserved MST-FOXO signaling pathway mediates oxidative-stress responses and extends life span.
Oxidative stress influences cell survival and homeostasis, but the mechanisms underlying the biological effects of oxidative stress remain to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that the protein kinase MST1 mediates oxidative-stress-induced cell death in primary mammalian neurons by directly activating the FOXO transcription factors. MST1 phosphorylates FOXO proteins at a conserved site within the forkhead domain that disrupts their interaction with 14-3-3 proteins, promotes FOXO nuclear translocation, and thereby induces cell death in neurons. We also extend the MST-FOXO signaling link to nematodes. Knockdown of the C. elegans MST1 ortholog CST-1 shortens life span and accelerates tissue aging, while overexpression of cst-1 promotes life span and delays aging. The cst-1-induced life-span extension occurs in a daf-16-dependent manner. The identification of the FOXO transcription factors as major and evolutionarily conserved targets of MST1 suggests that MST kinases play important roles in diverse biological processes including cellular responses to oxidative stress and longevity.
Lehtinen
Maria K
MK
Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Yuan
Zengqiang
Z
Boag
Peter R
PR
Yang
Yue
Y
Villén
Judit
J
Becker
Esther B E
EB
DiBacco
Sara
S
de la Iglesia
Núria
N
Gygi
Steven
S
Blackwell
T Keith
TK
Bonni
Azad
A
D048948:14-3-3 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology*; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000502:physiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000502:physiology; D000071161:Forkhead Box Protein O1; D000099317:Hippo Kinases
D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C074639:Foxo1 protein, rat; D000071161:Forkhead Box Protein O1; C490660:Stk4 protein, mouse; D000099317:Hippo Kinases; C511957:Stk4 protein, rat