Article

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 inhibits hepatocarcinogenesis by controlling the tumor-suppressing function of stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase.

Department of Gastroenterology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Hepatology (impact factor: 11.66). 04/2011; 54(1):185-95. DOI:10.1002/hep.24357
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT The stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 have been implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis. Although the many interrelated functions of JNK and p38 are precisely regulated by upstream signaling molecules, little is known about upstream regulators. We investigated the role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), a major player in the regulation of JNK and p38 activities, in hepatocarcinogenesis using a mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model. ASK1-deficient (ASK1(-/-) ) and wildtype (WT) mice were treated with diethylnitrosamine on postnatal day 14. Strikingly, after 7 months, approximately three times as many tumors developed in ASK1(-/-) mice as in WT mice. Although JNK and p38 activation were attenuated in ASK1(-/-) HCCs relative to WT HCCs, cell proliferation was comparable in HCCs from both types of mice. On the other hand, both cancer cell apoptosis and hyperphosphorylation of BimEL, a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member, were suppressed in the ASK1(-/-) HCCs. ASK1(-/-) mice showed remarkable resistance to Fas-induced hepatocyte apoptosis in vivo, probably because of attenuated JNK-mediated BimEL phosphorylation and mitochondrial apoptotic pathway activation. The reintroduction of ASK1 to ASK1(-/-) mouse liver using an adenoviral vector restored Fas-induced hepatocyte death and phosphorylation of JNK and BimEL. Similar findings were obtained in tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced hepatocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, ASK1 was involved in DNA damage-induced p21 up-regulation through a p38 pathway. CONCLUSION: ASK1 is involved in death receptor-mediated apoptosis and DNA-damage response by way of stress-activated MAPK in the liver, and thus acts as a tumor suppressor in hepatocarcinogenesis. This study provides new insight into the regulation of stress- activated MAPK signaling in hepatocarcinogenesis.

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    Article: Differential p38-dependent signalling in response to cellular stress and mitogenic stimulation in fibroblasts.
    Dagmar Faust, Christina Schmitt, Franz Oesch, Barbara Oesch-Bartlomowicz, Ilona Schreck, Carsten Weiss, Cornelia Dietrich
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: p38 MAP kinase is known to be activated by cellular stress finally leading to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. Furthermore, a tumour suppressor role of p38 MAPK has been proposed. In contrast, a requirement of p38 for proliferation has also been described. To clarify this paradox, we investigated stress- and mitogen-induced p38 signalling in the same cell type using fibroblasts. We demonstrate that - in the same cell line - p38 is activated by mitogens or cellular stress, but p38-dependent signalling is different. Exposure to cellular stress, such as anisomycin, leads to a strong and persistent p38 activation independent of GTPases. As a result, MK2 and downstream the transcription factor CREB are phosphorylated. In contrast, mitogenic stimulation results in a weaker and transient p38 activation, which upstream involves small GTPases and is required for cyclin D1 induction. Consequently, the retinoblastoma protein is phosphorylated and allows G1/S transition. Our data suggest a dual role of p38 and indicate that the level and/or duration of p38 activation determines the cellular response, i.e either proliferation or cell cycle arrest.
    Cell Communication and Signaling 03/2012; 10:6. · 5.50 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1
 
ASK1-deficient
 
attenuated JNK-mediated BimEL phosphorylation
 
c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase
 
cancer cell apoptosis
 
death receptor-mediated apoptosis
 
DNA damage-induced p21 up-regulation
 
Fas-induced hepatocyte apoptosis
 
Fas-induced hepatocyte death
 
mitochondrial apoptotic pathway activation
 
mouse hepatocellular carcinoma
 
p38 activation
 
postnatal day 14
 
proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member
 
remarkable resistance
 
stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinases
 
tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced hepatocyte apoptosis
 
upstream regulators
 
upstream signaling molecules
 
WT HCCs