Kim U. Birkenkamp

Survival signals elicited by cytokines include the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), which in turn promotes the activation of protein kinase B (PKB). Recently, PKB has been demonstrated to phosphorylate and inactivate forkhead transcription factor FKHR-L1, a potent inducer of apoptosis. To explore the mechanisms underlying the induction of apoptosis after cytokine withdrawal or FKHR-L1 activation, we used a cell line in which FKHR-L1 activity could be specifically induced. Both cytokine withdrawal and FKHR-L1 activation induced apoptosis, which was preceded by an upregulation in p27KIP1 and a concomitant decrease in cells entering the cell cycle. Induction of apoptosis by both cytokine withdrawal and activation of FKHR-L1 correlated with the disruption of mitochondrial membrane integrity and cytochrome c release. This was preceded by upregulation of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim. Ectopic expression of an inhibitory mutant of FKHR-L1 substantially reduced the levels of apoptosis observed after cytokine withdrawal. Activation of PKB alone was sufficient to promote cell survival, as measured by maintenance of mitochondrial integrity and the resultant inhibition of effector caspases. Furthermore, hematopoietic stem cells isolated from Bim-/- mice exhibited reduced levels of apoptosis upon inhibition of PI3K/PKB signaling. These data demonstrate that activation of FKHR-L1 alone can recapitulate all known elements of the apoptotic program normally induced by cytokine withdrawal. Thus PI3K/PKB--mediated inhibition of this transcription factor likely provides an important mechanism by which survival factors act to prevent programmed cell death.

Cell cycle arrest by FoxO transcription factors involves transcriptional repression of cyclin D, although the exact mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we used the BCR-ABL-expressing cell line BV173 as a model system to investigate the mechanisms whereby FoxO3a regulates cyclin D2 expression. Inhibition of BCR-ABL by STI571 results in down-regulation of cyclin D2 expression, activation of FoxO3a activity, and up-regulation of BCL6 expression. Using reporter gene assays, we demonstrate that STI571, FoxO3a, and BCL6 can repress cyclin D2 transcription through a STAT5/BCL6 site located within the cyclin D2 promoter. We propose that BCR-ABL inhibition leads to FoxO3a activation, which in turn induces the expression of BCL6, culminating in the repression of cyclin D2 transcription through this STAT5/BCL6 site. This process was verified by mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses. We find that conditional activation of FoxO3a leads to accumulation of BCL6 and down-regulation of cyclin D2 at protein and mRNA levels. Furthermore, silencing of FoxO3a and BCL6 in BCR-ABL-expressing cells abolishes STI571-mediated effects on cyclin D2. This report establishes the signaling events whereby BCR-ABL signals are relayed to cyclin D2 to mediate cell cycle progression and defines a potential mechanism by which FoxO proteins regulate cyclin D2 expression.

Regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity has been demonstrated to be critical for correct lymphocyte function. The molecular targets of this lipid kinase have been the subject of extensive research, and many functional effects of PI3K activation are thought to be mediated by the serine-threonine kinase protein kinase B (PKB/c-akt). Genetic analyses in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans have identified a novel PI3K-regulated signaling pathway that regulates organism lifespan through inhibition of a Forkhead (FOX) transcription factor, DAF-16. Recent studies have subsequently revealed an evolutionarily conserved signaling module in higher eukaryotes in which PKB can directly phosphorylate and inactive a family of Forkhead box class O (FOXO) transcription factors. Phosphorylation results in nuclear exclusion and inhibition of transcription. FOXO transcription factors have been found to play critical roles in regulation of proliferation, apoptosis and control of oxidative stress. This occurs through both activation and repression of target gene expression by multiple mechanisms. Here the regulation and function of these transcription factors is discussed with specific relevance to immune homeostasis. A greater understanding of the regulation and function of this signaling pathway in lymphocytes may provide novel therapeutic opportunities for immune diseases.

In the present study we investigated the possible involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family members extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in mediating IL-6 gene expression in human monocytes, in particular their role in enhancing NF-kappa B activity. Freshly isolated monocytes treated with the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid secreted high levels of IL-6 protein, which coincided with enhanced binding activity of NF-kappa B as well as with phosphorylation and activation of the ERK1/2 and JNK proteins. The ERK pathway-specific inhibitor PD98059 inhibited IL-6 secretion from monocytes. Transient overexpression of inactive mutants of either Raf-1 or JNK1 showed that both pathways were involved in kappa B-dependent IL-6 promoter activity. By using PD98059, we demonstrated that the Raf1/MEK1/ERK1/2 pathway did not affect the DNA binding of NF-kappa B but, rather, acted at the level of transcriptional activity of NF-kappa B. Interestingly, it was shown that NF-kappa B-mediated gene transcription, both in the context of the IL-6 promoter as well as on its own, was dependent on both serine kinase activity and interaction with c-Jun protein. We conclude that okadaic acid-induced IL-6 gene expression is at least partly mediated through the ERK1/2 and JNK pathway-dependent activation of NF-kappa B transcriptional capacity. Our results suggest that the JNK pathway may regulate NF-kappa B-mediated gene transcription through its phosphorylation and activation of c-Jun.