title: Protein phosphatase with EF-hand domains 2 (PPEF2) is a potent negative regulator of apoptosis signal regulating kinase-1 (ASK1).
abstract: The function of protein phosphatases with EF-hand domains (PPEF) in mammals is not known. Large-scale expression profiling experiments suggest that PPEF expression may correlate with stress protective responses, cell survival, growth, proliferation, or neoplastic transformation. Apoptosis signal regulating kinase-1 (ASK1) is a MAP kinase kinase kinase implicated in cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. ASK1 is activated by oxidative stress and induces pro-apoptotic or inflammatory signalling, largely via sustained activation of MAP kinases p38 and/or JNK. We identify human PPEF2 as a novel interacting partner and a negative regulator of ASK1. In COS-7 or HEK 293A cells treated with H(2)O(2), expression of PPEF2 abrogated sustained activation of p38 and one of the JNK p46 isoforms, and prevented ASK1-dependent caspase-3 cleavage and activation. PPEF2 efficiently suppressed H(2)O(2)-induced activation of ASK1. Overexpessed as well as endogenous ASK1 co-immunoprecipitated with PPEF2. PPEF2 was considerably more potent both as a suppressor of ASK1 activation and as its interacting partner as compared to protein phosphatase 5 (PP5), a well-known negative regulator of ASK1. PPEF2 was found to form complexes with endogenous Hsp70 and to a lesser extent Hsp90, which are also known interacting partners of PP5. These data identify, for the first time, a possible downstream signalling partner of a mammalian PPEF phosphatase, and suggest that, despite structural divergence, PPEF and PP5 phosphatases may share common interacting partners and functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology (MC 868), University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. m.kutuzov@usa.net
authors.forename: Mikhail A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kutuzov
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Alexandra V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Andreeva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D020832:EF Hand Motifs / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5; D010749:Phosphoprotein Phosphatases; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7