title: Mitogen-activated protein kinases, Erk and p38, phosphorylate and regulate Foxo1.
abstract: The members of the transcription factor Foxo family regulate the expression of genes concerned with the stress response, cell cycle and gluconeogenesis. Foxo1 (FKHR) contains 15 consensus phosphorylation sites for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. Therefore, we hypothesized that MAPKs could directly regulate the transcriptional activity of Foxo1 via phosphorylation. In vitro kinase assay showed that Foxo1 was phosphorylated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) and p38 MAPK (p38) but not by c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). In NIH3T3 cells, epidermal growth factor or anisomycin increased phosphorylation of exogenous Foxo1, which was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with an MEK 1 inhibitor, PD98059, or a p38 inhibitor, SB203580. Two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping using mutation of phosphorylation sites for MAPK revealed that the nine serine residues in Foxo1 are specifically phosphorylated by Erk and that five of the nine residues are phosphorylated by p38 in vivo. Moreover, we also found that Foxo1 interacts with Ets-1 and functions as a coactivator for Ets-1 on the fetal liver kinase (Flk)-1 promoter in bovine carotid artery endothelial cells. Mutation of the nine phosphorylation sites for Erk in Foxo1 was shown to lead to less binding and synergistic activity for Ets-1 on the Flk-1 promoter when compared with wild-type Foxo1. These results suggest that Foxo1 is specifically phosphorylated by Erk and p38, and that this phosphorylation regulates the function of Foxo1 as a coactivator for Ets-1.
authors.affiliation: Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daitoku
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.forename: Hidehito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwashita
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kako
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: Yoshitoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasuya
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukamizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000841:Anisomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002460:Cell Line; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071161:Forkhead Box Protein O1; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D000071161:Forkhead Box Protein O1; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C467200:Foxo1 protein, mouse; D007093:Imidazoles; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D011725:Pyridines; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D000841:Anisomycin; D008156:Luciferases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093642:SB 203580; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one