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Molecular and Cellular Biology, October 2006, p. 7086-7102, Vol. 26, No. 19
0270-7306/06/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/MCB.00231-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Julia Von Blume,2,
Didier Vertommen,3
Emily Lecomte,1
Nathalie Mari,1
Marie-France Heinen,1
Malte Bachmann,4
Jean-Claude Twizere,1
Mei Chris Huang,5
Mark H. Rider,3
Helen Piwnica-Worms,5,6,7
Thomas Seufferlein,2 and
Richard Kettmann1
Cellular and Molecular Biology Unit, Faculty of Agronomy, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium,1 Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Ulm, 89081 Ulm, Germany,2 Hormone and Metabolic Research Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain and Christian de Duve Institute of Cellular Pathology, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium,3 Pharmazentrum Frankurt/ZAFES, Allgemeine Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University of Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany,4 Department of Internal Medicine,5 Department of Cell Biology and Physiology,6 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 631107
Received 8 February 2006/ Returned for modification 12 March 2006/ Accepted 17 July 2006
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The adapter domain of class IIa HDACs is also subject to various posttranslational modifications such as proteolytic cleavage (2, 20, 33), ubiquitination (18), sumoylation (16, 36), and, most importantly, phosphorylation. Phosphorylation has recently emerged as the primary mechanism in the regulation of class IIa HDACs-mediated repression (49). In response to various stimuli, a number of serine residues in the adapter domain of class IIa HDACs are phosphorylated and become docking sites for 14-3-3 proteins. Association with 14-3-3 induces CMR1-dependent nuclear export and cytoplasmic accumulation of class IIa HDACs with concomitant derepression of their target promoters (13, 15, 22, 46). This nuclear export mechanism allows for signal-dependent activation of class IIa HDACs target genes and has proven to be crucial for various developmental programs such as muscle differentiation (24) and activity (27), cardiac hypertrophy (5, 50), T-cell apoptosis (8), bone development (43), and neuron survival (3, 19).
Different signaling pathways converge on the signal-responsive serine residues of class IIa HDACs. It is now well established that members of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) promote nuclear export of class IIa HDACs (6, 7, 15, 19, 24, 25). Recently, we along with others have reported that specific stimuli can induce nuclear export of class IIa HDACs through a Ca2+-independent mechanism involving protein kinase C (PKC). Protein kinase D (PKD; also known as PKCµ), a downstream effector in PKC signaling, was, indeed, shown to directly phosphorylate HDAC5 and HDAC7 on the serine residues that control their nucleocytoplasmic trafficking (9, 34, 42). In addition, several reports suggest that other protein kinases might also be involved in signal-dependent phosphorylation and subcellular localization of class IIa HDACs (50, 52). More interestingly, recent observations indicate that subcellular localization of class IIa HDACs might also be constitutively regulated in a signal-independent manner (3, 21).
In this study, we identified the hPar-1/MARK (microtubule affinity-regulating kinase) kinases, EMK and C-TAK1, as constitutively active kinases regulating subcellular trafficking of class IIa HDACs. Both kinases directly phosphorylate class IIa HDACs on their N-terminal adapter domain, promoting their nuclear export and leading to derepression of MEF2-dependent transcription. Unexpectedly, we found that, among the multiple, conserved residues previously involved in nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of class IIa HDACs, MARK/Par-1 kinases specifically target a unique site. More importantly, phosphorylation of this site is a prerequisite for subsequent phosphorylation at other serine residues. These results support a model of hierarchical class IIa HDAC phosphorylation and establish a new role for MARK/Par-1 kinases in the control of gene expression.
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Anti-FLAG, anti-panPKC, anti-pan14-3-3, anti-c-jun, anti-HDAC7, anti-HDAC1, anti-actin, and anti-tubulin antibodies were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechonology (Santa Cruz, CA). Anti-C-TAK1, anti-ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (RSK1) and anti-RSK2, and anti-mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1) and anti-MSK2 were obtained from Upstate Biotech (Lake Placid, NY). Monoclonal antibody against EMK has been described elsewhere (14). Polyclonal antibodies against phosphorylated Ser155 and phosphorylated Ser181 were generated by 21st Century Biochemicals (Marlboro, MA). Rabbits were immunized with the KLH-linked peptides HFPLRKTVpS155EPNLKLRYKP (where pS155 is phosphorylated Ser155) and KNPLLRKEpS181APPSLRRRP, respectively, and sera were collected and purified according to the company's procedures.
Staurosporine (Alexis Biochemical Corp., Lausen, Switzerland) and leptomycin B (Merck Biosciences Inc, Darmstadt, Germany) were used at concentrations of 1 µM and 10 ng/ml, respectively.
Cell culture. The following cell lines were used in these experiments: Cos7, African green monkey, simian virus 40-transformed kidney cells (ATCC CRL-1651); HeLa, human cervical epitheloid carcinoma (ATCC CCL-2.1); HEK293, transformed human kidney (ATCC CRL-1573); and Do11.10 T-cell hybridomas (47). Cell lines were grown in recommended medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium [DMEM] for HeLa, HEK293, and Cos7 and RPMI 1640 medium for Do11.10 cells) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 2 mM glutamine, and 50 U/ml of streptomycin-penicillin at 37°C in a humidified incubator.
RNAi. Functionally validated Stealth RNA interference (RNAi) Duopacks, each containing two nonoverlapping Stealth RNAi molecules (duplex 1 and duplex 2) directed against C-TAK1 or EMK, and corresponding Stealth RNAi Negative Control were purchased from Invitrogen (Carlsbad, Calif.). HeLa cells were plated to achieve 60 to 80% confluence at the time of transfection. GFP-HDAC7 (for immunofluorescence analysis) or FLAG-HDAC7 (for Western blotting analysis) proteins were transfected along with either pooled small interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes 1 for EMK and C-TAK1 (50 nM of each duplex) or control siRNA using Lipofectamine 2000 according to the manufacturer's instructions. Twenty-four hours after this first transfection, cells were transfected with pooled siRNA duplexes 2 for each kinase or with control siRNA. Cells were then left to recover in complete medium for an additional 36 to 48 h before being processed for immunofluorescence or Western blotting analysis as described below.
Confocal microscopy.
For
steady-state immunofluorescence experiments, GFP constructs were
transiently transfected by the standard calcium phosphate method (for
Cos7 and 293 HEKcells) or with Lipofectamine 2000 (HeLa cells)
according to the manufacturer's instructions (Invitrogen, California).
Localization of the fluorescent proteins was assessed on fixed cells
(for Cos7 and HeLa) or live cells (for HEK293) by confocal microscopy
(Axivert 200 with and LSM 510 laser scanning microscope; Carl Zeiss
Microscopy). When indicated, the average percentage of cells showing
nuclear exclusion of the GFP-tagged protein was assessed by examining
at least three independent fields, each containing more than 50 cells.
Imaging of living Cos7 cells was performed after transfection with
FUGENE 6 (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland) on a confocal laser
scanning microscope (LSM 510 META; Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany) equipped
with a 488-nm argon laser. Cells were grown and transfected in MatTek
glass-bottomed dishes (MatTek, Ashland, MA). Forty-eight hours after
transfection, cells were maintained in DMEM supplemented with 30 mM
HEPES, pH 7.0. During the measurements, the medium was kept at
37°C in an atmosphere containing 5% CO2 using an LSM
510 Incubator S (Carl Zeiss). Quantitative analysis of the nuclear and
cytoplasmic fluorescence intensity levels was performed on images of
the midsection of living cells. The midsection was first determined by
a Z-stack. The nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio of fluorescence intensity was
quantified using the Image J public domain Java image processing
program
(http://rsb.info.nih.gov/ij/download.htm).
For quantification, the fluorescence intensity in the cytoplasmic or
nuclear compartment was determined in a 0.5- by 0.5-µm square
that was centered in the nucleus or cytoplasm, respectively (two values
per cell). Results are the means of the fluorescence intensity
determined in 20 cells expressing the GFP fusion HDAC7 proteins. The
relative nuclear fluorescence intensity (FI) was calculated
using the following equation: relative FInuc =
(FInuc/n)/
(FIcyt/n),
where FInuc is the fluorescence intensity in the nucleus,
FIcyt is the relative fluorescence intensity in the
cytoplasm, and n is the number of cells
examined.
For fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP) experiments, a time series of images recorded live was collected as described above. The bleach rate for each series of images was calculated and used to correct the fluorescence intensities of the images. For qualitative FLIP analysis, cells were imaged using the 488-nm line of an argon laser of a Zeiss LSM510 META confocal microscope operating at 40% laser power and 5% transmission (imaging intensity). Four imaging scans of a single cell were performed. Then, the cytoplasm was chosen as region of interest by the LSM 510 META software and selectively bleached four times with 100% transmission (bleaching intensity), 30 s each, followed by imaging scans at the times indicated in the figures. At least 10 data sets were analyzed for each time point. The background corrected nuclear fluorescence at the time before the initial photobleaching was set as 100%.
GST fusion proteins: expression, purification, and pull-downs. HDACs portions and human EMK and C-TAK1 were purified as GST fusion proteins in BL21 RIP (receptor-interacting protein) (Stratagene) according to protocols described elsewhere (9). For in vitro kinase (IVK) assays, purified GST-hEMK and GST-hC-TAK1 were first eluted from the beads by incubation in 25 mM reduced glutathione and 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8. Recombinant, active GST-PKD1 was produced and purified from mammalian cells as described previously (44).
Pull-down reactions and immunoaffinity purifications from cell extracts were performed exactly as previously described (8, 9).
SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot analysis were performed according to standard procedures (37). Western blots were developed with an ECL detection kit (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech).
IVK assay and in-gel kinase (IGK) assay.
Purified GST
fusion proteins were incubated with a dilution of recombinant active
protein kinase (0.5 µg/ml) in 30 µl of phosphorylation
mix containing 10 µM ATP with 10 µCi of
[
-32P]ATP, 25 mM Tris, pH 7.5, and 10 mM
MgCl2. After 30 min at 30°C, reactions were
terminated by adding an equal amount of 2x SDS-PAGE sample
buffer and resolved by SDS-PAGE analysis, and phosphorylated proteins
were visualized by autoradiography.
The IGK assay protocol was a
slightly modified version of
(38). Briefly, pull-down
reactions were resolved by standard SDS-PAGE analysis with no exogenous
substrate incorporation in the gel matrix. After electrophoresis, the
gel was soaked in 20% 2-propanol in 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, and then in
buffer A (50 mM Tris-HCl with 5 mM dithiothreitol) to remove SDS.
Resolved proteins were denatured by incubating the gel for 1
h in a solution of 6 M guanidine-HCl in buffer A and then renatured in
buffer A containing 0.04% Tween 20 overnight at 4°C. The gel
was preincubated in the phosphorylation buffer (see above) omitting the
[
-32P]ATP. A 10 µM concentration of ATP
with 100 µCi of [
-32P]ATP was then added,
and the phosphorylation was allowed to proceed for 1 h at
30°C. Finally, the gel was washed in 5% (wt/vol)
trichloroacetic acid plus 1% (wt/vol) sodium pyrophosphate, dried, and
analyzed by autoradiography to detect autophosphorylated
proteins.
Reporter assays. Transient transfections of Do11.10 cells using the DEAE-dextran method and dual luciferase (Promega) reporter assays have been described before (8, 9).
Metabolic labeling and phosphorylation site analysis. For in vivo phosphorylation site mapping, Do11.10 cells or transfected HEK293 cells were incubated for 3 h at 37°C in phosphate-free DMEM containing 500 µCi of [32P]orthophosphate per ml. Cells were then washed twice in ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline and lysed in IPLS buffer (12).Labeled proteins were purified by immunoaffinity. In vitro phosphorylation reactions of GST-HDAC7Nter by purified GST-hC-TAK1, GST-EMK, or GST-PKD were performed following the IGK protocol described above.
Purified proteins were resolved by SDS-PAGE analysis and Coomassie staining. Phosphorylated proteins were in-gel digested with trypsin. The phosphorylated peptides were separated by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a Thermo Hypercarb column (2.1 mm by 15 cm) in an acetonitrile gradient in 0.1% (vol/vol) trifluoroacetic acid (solvent A). Elution was performed with the following gradient program: 5 to 100% solvent B (70% [vol/vol] acetonitrile in solvent A) over 100 min at a flow rate of 200 µl/min generated by a model 1100 Agilent HPLC system. Radioactive peaks were detected by Cerenkov counting, dried under vacuum, redissolved in 5 µl of 50% (vol/vol) acetonitrile-0.3% (vol/vol) acetic acid, and analyzed by nano-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in an LCQ Deca XP Plus ion-trap mass spectrometer (Thermo Finnigan, San Jose, CA). Spectra were taken in full MS and zoom scan mode to determine parent ion monoisotopic masses and their charge states. Phosphopeptides were identified in MS/MS mode as by the loss of H3PO4 (98 Da) under low-collision-induced dissociation energy, and the phosphorylated residue was pinpointed in MS3 mode.
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As a step toward the identification of these new class IIa HDACs kinases, we first investigated whether endogenous HDAC7 could be phosphorylated under normal growing conditions. In vivo, HDAC7 is predominantly expressed in double-positive thymocytes (8). Logically, we found that among numerous cell lines tested, T-cell hybridomas express high levels of the HDAC7 protein (data not shown). Do11.10 T-cell hybridoma cells were thus metabolically labeled with inorganic 32P, and endogenous HDAC7 was recovered by immunoprecipitation. As shown in Fig. 1A, HDAC7 appeared as a phosphorylated protein after SDS-PAGE analysis and autoradiography. Interestingly, phosphorylation of endogenous HDAC7 was almost completely abolished by treatment with staurosporine, a general serine/threonine kinase inhibitor (Fig. 1A).
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FIG. 1. Class
IIa HDACs are constitutively phosphorylated, bound to 14-3-3 proteins,
and subjected to phosphorylation-dependent nucleo-cytoplasmic
shuttling. (A) Do11.10 cells were labeled with
[32P]orthophosphate and subsequently treated with
staurosporine (+) or left untreated (). Endogenous
HDAC7 was immunoprecipitated and analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by
Western blotting ( -HDAC7) or autoradiography (32P).
(B) Do11.10 cells, transduced with FLAG-tagged HDAC7 (right)
or not (left), were left untreated or treated with staurosporine for
1 h. Endogenous (left) or ectopically expressed HDAC7 (right)
was immunoprecipitated from cell lysates using the indicated
antibodies. Immunoprecipitated material was then subjected to Western
blot analysis with antibodies directed against endogenous HDAC7
( -HDAC7), the FLAG epitope ( -FLAG), or 14-3-3
proteins ( -14-3-3). (C) HeLa cells expressing
GFP-HDAC4 or GFP-HDAC7 were either left untreated (No Treatment) or
treated with staurosporine. After 1 h of treatment, the
subcellular distribution of GFP-HDACs was determined using confocal
microscopy. Bar histograms represent the mean percentages of cells
showing predominant cytoplasmic localization of GFP-HDACs in each
condition. Stauro, staurosporine; IP,
immunoprecipitation.
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HDAC7 constitutively shuttles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Phosphorylation of class IIa HDACs and association with 14-3-3 proteins controls their distribution between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We thus examined the steady-state subcellular localization of GFP-HDAC4 and -HDAC7 in HeLa cells (Fig. 1C). Under normal growth conditions, the vast majority of cells showed predominantly cytoplasmic localization of both HDAC4 and HDAC7 (Fig. 1C, No Treatment). In contrast, under hypophosphorylating conditions induced by staurosporine, both HDACs accumulated in the nucleus (Fig. 1C).
It is now well
known that class IIa HDACs show differential subcellular localization
depending on the cell line examined
(11,
15,
46). This suggests that
the machinery controlling nuclear export of class IIa HDACs is
differently effective in different cell types. To generalize the above
observations, we examined the effect of staurosporine in Cos7 cells,
where ectopically expressed class IIa HDACs have been shown to localize
primarily in the nucleus
(11,
25,
26). In the majority of
the transfected cells, GFP-HDAC7 was, for the most part, found in the
nucleus, with only a small fraction of the protein present in the
cytoplasm. However, in about 25% of the cells, HDAC7 was predominantly
detected in the
cytoplasm (Fig. 2A,
No treatment). Similarly to HeLa cells, treatment with staurosporine
was associated with significant nuclear retention of HDAC7. Indeed,
after 1 h of treatment, the protein was almost exclusively
localized in the nucleus, and the proportion of cells with predominant
cytoplasmic staining dropped to less than 5% (Fig.
2A). Of note,
staurosporine also increased nuclear retention of GFP-HDAC7 in HEK293
cells, where it distributes equally between the nucleus and the
cytoplasm in untreated cells (data available on request). Our
observations so far clearly unraveled basal phosphorylation and 14-3-3
binding of class IIa HDACs and point toward a constitutive,
phosphorylation-dependent nuclear efflux of these enzymes in various
normally growing cell lines. To challenge this model, we examined the
intracellular mobility of HDAC7 in Cos7 cells, which appear to be the
least potent in exporting class IIa HDACs from the nucleus to the
cytoplasm. GFP-HDAC7 was thus expressed in Cos7 cells, and its nuclear
efflux was examined on live cells using the FLIP technology. For this
purpose, the cytoplasm of transfected cells was selectively and
repeatedly bleached, and loss of fluorescence was monitored in the
nucleus. FLIP experiments revealed a substantial loss of nuclear
fluorescence of GFP-HDAC7 in living Cos7 cells after bleaching of the
cytoplasm (Fig. 2B). This
loss of nuclear fluorescence was completely blocked by leptomycin B, an
inhibitor of CRM1-dependent nuclear export (Fig.
2B). Quantification of the
data confirmed these observations and showed a 50% decrease in nuclear
fluorescence of GFP-HDAC7 wild type (wt) 25 min after
cytoplasmic bleaching (Fig.
2C, HDAC7wt). In
accordance with the steady-state localization data (Fig.
2A), staurosporine
treatment totally abolished constitutive nuclear export of HDAC7 (Fig.
2B and C). A similar
effect was observed when the four 14-3-3 binding sites of HDAC7
(Ser155, Ser181, Ser321, and
Ser449 [9])
were mutated to alanines (Fig. 2B and
C, HDAC7
P). These results clearly demonstrate a
constitutive efflux of HDAC7 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm under
normal growing conditions. In addition, they are consistent with a
model in which the dynamic nuclear export of class IIa HDACs is
dependent on the constitutive phosphorylation of their conserved 14-3-3
binding sites. This thus implies the existence of additional class IIa
HDACs kinases.
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FIG.2. Class
IIa HDACs are subjected to phosphorylation-dependent nucleocytoplasmic
efflux. (A) Recombinant GFP-HDAC7 was transfected into Cos7
cells. Forty-eight hours posttransfection, cells were left untreated
(No Treatment) or treated with staurosporine (Stauro) for 1 h
before the localization of HDAC7 was examined by confocal microscopy.
(B) Cos7 cells were transfected with constructs expressing
GFP fusion proteins corresponding to HDAC7 (HDAC7wt) or a mutant of
HDAC7 in which the residues Ser155, Ser181,
Ser321, and Ser449 were mutated to alanines
(HDAC7 P). Forty-eight hours after transfection, cells were
left untreated or treated with staurosporine (Stauro) or leptomycin B
(LMB) as indicated. The cytoplasm of transfected cells was repeatedly
bleached, and the loss of fluorescence in the nuclear region was
assessed by confocal microscopy. (C) Relative loss of
fluorescence in the nuclear region was determined as described in
Materials and Methods. FLIP data are represented as nonlinear fit
curves according to the legend at right of the graph. HDACwt
+LMB, HDAC7 wt with leptomycin B treatment;
HDAC7wt+Stauro, HDAC7 wt with staurosporine
treatment.
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FIG. 3. The
N terminus of class IIa HDACs associates with an 85-kDa
autophosphorylating kinase. (A) The N terminus of HDAC7 was
expressed as a GST fusion protein (GST-Nter) and incubated with total
cellular extracts from unstimulated, normally growing HEK293 cells. A
control reaction was performed in parallel with the GST protein alone.
Associated autophosphorylating kinase activities were revealed by IGK
assay and autoradiography. The input lane corresponds to 10% of the
lysate engaged in the pull-down. (B) GST fusion proteins
corresponding to the sequences surrounding the four phosphorylatable
serine residues in HDAC7 (GST-S155, GST-S181, GST-S321, and GST-S449)
were used in independent pull-down reactions with lysates from HEK293
cells. Autophosphorylating protein kinase activities in the associated
material were detected by IGK assay. The gel was stained with
Coomassie, dried, and analyzed by autoradiography. The lane marked
"input" equals 10% of the cell lysate used in the
reaction. (C) A GST fusion protein corresponding to the
sequences around Ser155 of HDAC7 (GST-S155) was incubated
with HEK293 cell extracts in a pull-down assay. A mutant fusion protein
harboring a serine to alanine substitution (GST-A155) was used as
control. Pull-down reactions were resolved by SDS-PAGE and analyzed by
IGK assay. The gel was stained with Coomassie and dried, and
autophosphorylating protein kinase activity was visualized by
autoradiography. Input amounts to 10% of the cell lysate were used in
each reaction. (D) GST fusion proteins corresponding to
Ser246 of HDAC4, Ser259 of HDAC5, and
Ser155 of HDAC7 (GST-HDAC4, GST-HDAC5, and GST-HDAC7,
respectively) were incubated with extracts from HEK293 cells. A control
reaction was performed with the GST protein alone. Pull-down reactions
were analyzed by IGK and autoradiography to visualize
autophosphorylating kinase activities. The input lane corresponds to
10% of the material used in each reaction. IGKA, IGK
assay.
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The 85-kDa autophosphorylating kinase activity includes hPar-1 kinases, C-TAK1 and EMK. The apparent molecular weight observed in IGK assays precludes the autophosphorylating kinase(s) from being a member of the CaMK or PKD families. To identify this new class IIa HDACs-associated kinase, we screened the human kinome for constitutively active serine/threonine protein kinases with apparent molecular sizes between 80 and 100 kDa (23) and showing autophosphorylation in an IGK assay. This search identified members of the PKC, RSK, MARK/Par-1, and MSK families. We then tested if any of these kinases could interact with Ser155 of HDAC7. Pull-down assays were carried out with GST-S155 or GST-A155 and GST as a control and analyzed by sequential Western blotting with antibodies directed against PKC family members, RSK1/2, the MARK/Par-1 kinase C-TAK1, and MSK1/2. Among these, GST-S155 specifically associated with endogenous C-TAK1 (Fig. 4A). More importantly, mutation of Ser155 into alanine greatly reduced the amount of bound C-TAK1. Because these results strongly suggested that C-TAK1 could be the 85-kDa autophosphorylating kinase described above, we then tested the ability of C-TAK1 to associate with other class IIa members. As expected, GST fusion proteins corresponding to Ser246 and Ser259 of HDAC4 and HDAC5, respectively, were also able to specifically recruit endogenous C-TAK1 in pull-down assays (Fig. 4B).
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FIG. 4. MARK/Par-1
kinases, C-TAK1 and EMK, associate with the N terminus of HDAC7.
(A) GST fusion proteins corresponding to Ser155 of
HDAC7 (GST-S155), to the serine-to-alanine mutant (GST-A155), or to GST
alone were incubated with HEK293 cell extracts in a pull-down assay.
Reactions were resolved by SDS-PAGE and analyzed for the presence of
endogenous PKC family members ( -PKC), RSK1 and RSK2
( -RSK), C-TAK1 ( -C-TAK1), and MSK1 and MSK2
( -MSK) by Western blotting. (B) Binding of
endogenous C-TAK1 to GST fusion proteins corresponding to
Ser246 of HDAC4, Ser259 of HDAC5, and
Ser155 of HDAC7 (GST-HDAC4, GST-HDAC5, and GST-HDAC7,
respectively) after a pull-down assay was analyzed by Western blotting
or Coomassie staining for loading control. (C) Pull-down
reactions described in panel A were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, followed by
Western blotting for detection of associated endogenous EMK or by
Coomassie staining for control loading. Input equals 10% of the cell
extract used in each reaction. The arrow indicates the band
corresponding to EMK in the pull-down reactions. Other bands result
from cross-reactivity of the anti-EMK antiserum with bacterial proteins
copurifying with the GST-fusion proteins. WB, Western
blotting.
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C-TAK1 phosphorylates serine 155 of HDAC7 in vitro. We next asked whether C-TAK1 could directly phosphorylate the N terminus of HDAC7, which contains the four phosphorylatable serines involved in nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HDAC7 (i.e., Ser155, Ser181, Ser321, and Ser449). For this purpose, the N- or C-terminal domains of HDAC7 were expressed as GST fusion proteins and incubated with purified recombinant C-TAK1 in an IVK assay. Since C-TAK1 has been shown to phosphorylate Cdc25C on serine 216 (32, 35), we used GST-Cdc25C wt and GST-Cdc25C(S216A) as controls. By comparison with GST-Cdc25C wt, the N terminus of HDAC7 was very efficiently phosphorylated by recombinant C-TAK1 (Fig. 5A). In contrast, C-TAK1 was unable to phosphorylate the C terminus of HDAC7 or the Cdc25C(S216A) mutant (Fig. 5A).
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FIG. 5. C-TAK1
and EMK specifically phosphorylates Ser155 of HDAC7 in
vitro. (A) The C- and N-terminal domains of HDAC7 and
wild-type or S216A mutant Cdc25C were produced as GST fusion proteins
[GST-HDAC7Cter, GST-HDAC7Nter, GST-Cdc25Cwt, and GST-Cdc25C(S216A),
respectively]. Equal amounts of purified recombinant proteins were used
in IVK assays with recombinant active C-TAK1. IVK reactions were
analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Coomassie staining (bottom) prior to
autoradiography (top). The arrow indicates the signal resulting from
autophosphorylated C-TAK1 (rC-TAK1). (B) Sequences around the
four phosphorylatable serine residues in HDAC7 match with the canonical
C-TAK1 phosphorylation motif. (C) GST-fusion proteins
corresponding to the sequences surrounding Ser155,
Ser181, Ser321, and Ser449 of HDAC7
were used as substrates in independent IVK assays with active
recombinant C-TAK1. Reactions were resolved by SDS-PAGE, and the gel
was stained with Coomassie (bottom), dried, and analyzed by
autoradiography (top). (D) The N terminus of HDAC7 was
expressed as a GST fusion protein and used as a substrate for
recombinant PKD or C-TAK1 in IVK assays. Labeled proteins were resolved
by SDS-PAGE and digested with trypsin. The resulting peptides were then
separated by HPLC. Positions of the peptides containing each
phosphorylatable serine are indicated on the radioactivity profile (as
confirmed by mass spectrometry). (E) GST fusion proteins
corresponding to the N-terminal domain of HDAC7 (GST-Nter) or to the
same region with a serine to alanine substitution at position
Ser155 (GST-NterS155A) were phosphorylated in vitro by EMK
or C-TAK1. IVK reactions were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Coomassie
staining (bottom) prior to autoradiography (top). MW, molecular
weight.
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EMK and C-TAK1 display site preference among the four serine residues of HDAC7.
To confirm and extend
these observations, we performed an exhaustive analysis of C-TAK1
target sites in the N terminus of HDAC7. This region of HDAC7 was
incubated with [
-32P]ATP and recombinant C-TAK1 in
vitro. A control reaction was performed in parallel with PKD, which
phosphorylates Ser155, Ser181, Ser321,
and Ser449 in vitro
(9). Labeled proteins were
digested with trypsin, and the resulting peptides were separated by
HPLC. Radioactive fractions were then analyzed by mass spectrometry to
identify the phosphorylated residue(s). Labeling with PKD led to four
major radioactive peaks (Fig.
5D), which corresponded to
the formerly identified Ser155, Ser181,
Ser321, and Ser449. In contrast, after
phosphorylation with C-TAK1, the HPLC profile exhibited a single major
phosphorylation peak (Fig.
5D). Mass spectrometry
analysis showed that this peak corresponded to phosphorylated
Ser155. In contrast to PKD, which targets all four serine
residues implicated in the nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of HDAC7,
these results demonstrate that C-TAK1 specifically phosphorylates
Ser155 (Fig. 5C and
D).
Our results showed that EMK can associate with the N-terminal Ser155 of HDAC7 (Fig. 4C). In addition, sequences around this serine residue, which are conserved in all class IIa HDACs (Ser246, Ser259, Ser155, and Ser220 of HDAC4, HDAC5, HDAC7, and HDAC9, respectively), match with the KXGS motif phosphorylated by EMK in Tau (10). We therefore investigated whether EMK, similarly to C-TAK1, could phosphorylate Ser155 of HDAC7. As expected, the entire N-terminal domain of HDAC7, which contains all four 14-3-3 binding sites, was very efficiently phosphorylated by purified C-TAK1 or EMK in IVK assays (Fig. 5E, GST-Nter). More importantly, when the sole Ser155 was mutated to alanine, phosphorylation by both kinases was totally abolished (Fig. 5E, GST-NterS155A). Taken together, these results demonstrate the specificity of C-TAK1 and EMK for Ser155 over the three other serine residues previously involved in the nuclear cytoplasmic shuttling of HDAC7.
HDAC7 is phosphorylated on Ser155 in vivo.
We
next examined the phosphorylation status of Ser155 on
endogenous HDAC7 in vivo. For this purpose, we first developed an
antibody that specifically recognizes the phosphorylated form of HDAC7
Ser155 (data of antibody characterization available on
request). Total extracts from Do.11.10 T-cell hybridomas, which express
high levels of endogenous HDAC7, were examined by Western blotting with
the phospho-specific antibody for Ser155. As shown in Fig.
6A, strong basal phosphorylation of HDAC7 was consistently observed at
Ser155 in normally growing cells (Fig.
6A,
-pS155). More
importantly, Ser155 phosphorylation was totally lost when
cells were treated with staurosporine.
![]() View larger version (26K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 6. HDAC7
is phosphorylated on Ser155 in vivo. (A) Total
cell lysates were prepared from Do11.10 cells which were first treated
with staurosporine (+) for 1 h or left untreated
(). Phosphorylation of endogenous HDAC7 was detected by
Western blotting with the antibody specific for phosphorylated
Ser155 ( -pS155). As a loading control, the same
membrane was stripped and immunoblotted with an antibody against
endogenous HDAC7 ( -HDAC7). (B) HEK293 cells were
transiently transfected with expression vectors encoding FLAG-tagged
versions of wild-type HDAC4, HDAC5, and HDAC7 or the empty vector
(Empty). Total cellular extracts were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and
subjected to immunoblotting using antibodies directed either against
the FLAG epitope ( -FLAG) or phosphorylated Ser155
( -pS155). (C) Nuclear (Nuc) and cytoplasmic (Cyto)
extracts were prepared from HEK293 cells transiently expressing
FLAG-tagged HDAC7 or HDAC4. Both extracts were analyzed by Western
blotting with antibodies against the FLAG epitope ( -FLAG) and
phosphorylated Ser155 ( -pHDACs). As a control,
extracts were also analyzed by Western blotting with antisera against
the cytoplasmic protein tubulin ( -tubulin) and the nuclear
protein HDAC1 ( -HDAC1). (D) Nuclear (Nuc) and
cytoplasmic (Cyto) extracts were prepared from HeLa or Cos7 cells
transiently expressing FLAG-tagged HDAC7. Equal protein amounts from
each extract were analyzed by Western blotting with antisera against
the FLAG epitope ( -FLAG) and phosphorylated Ser155
( -pS155). As a control, extracts were also analyzed by Western
blotting with antibody against the cytoplasmic protein tubulin
( -tubulin) and the nuclear protein HDAC1 ( -HDAC1).
Stauro,
staurosporine.
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-pS155).
Confirming our observations on endogenous HDAC7, all three class IIa
HDACs showed basal phosphorylation of their respective serine residue,
which was significantly reduced upon treatment with
staurosporine. The above findings suggest that phosphorylation of Ser155 in HDAC7 (or Ser246 and Ser259 in HDAC4 and HDAC5, respectively) might be important for constitutive nuclear export. To test this hypothesis, we fractionated extracts from HEK293 cells transiently transfected with FLAG-tagged HDAC4 or HDAC7 into nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions. Confirming our immunofluorescence data (data available on request), comparable amounts of HDAC4- or HDAC7-FLAG were found in both fractions (Fig. 6C). However, Western blot analysis with the phospho-specific antibody revealed that HDAC7-phosphorylated at Ser155 and HDAC4-phosphorylated at Ser246 were highly enriched in the cytoplasm (Fig. 6C). To confirm and extend these observations, we performed a similar experiment in HeLa and Cos7 cells expressing FLAG-tagged HDAC7. In accordance with the immunofluorescence data (Fig. 1 and 2), HDAC7 localized primarily in the cytoplasm of HeLa cells, where it is phosphorylated on Ser155 (Fig. 6D). In contrast, HDAC7 was found almost exclusively in the nucleus of Cos7 cells, and no phosphorylation of Ser155 could be detected (Fig. 6D). Taken together, these results establish a strong correlation between phosphorylation of Ser155 and cytoplasmic localization of HDAC7.
EMK and C-TAK1 alter nuclear export of class IIa HDACs and regulate their repressive activity. Our results so far strongly suggest that in the absence of extracellular stimuli, EMK and C-TAK1 control localization of class IIa HDACs by phosphorylating their most N-terminal 14-3-3 binding sites (i.e., Ser246, Ser259, and Ser155 in HDAC4, HDAC5, and HDAC7, respectively). In Cos7 cells, class IIa HDACs are mainly found in the nucleus, probably because the mechanisms controlling their nuclear export are poorly efficient in these cells. To test our model, we examined the steady-state localization of HDAC7 in the presence of overexpressed EMK or C-TAK1 in Cos7 cells. As observed before, HDAC7 was mainly found in the nucleus of Cos7 cells when expressed alone (Fig. 7A). In contrast, coexpression of EMK and C-TAK1 induced dramatic cytoplasmic accumulation of HDAC7. However, we did not observe convincing colocalization of HDAC7 with either MARK members in the cytosol (Fig. 7A, merged). To generalize these observations, we tested the effect of EMK and C-TAK1 on the subcellular localization of HDAC4. By comparison with HDAC7, HDAC4 was even more sensitive to cytoplasmic retention by MARK kinases, with approximately 80% of cells showing predominant cytoplasmic staining (Fig. 7B). We next tested whether cytoplasmic accumulation of class IIa HDACs induced by MARK/Par-1 kinases resulted directly from an increase in their nuclear export. FLIP experiments revealed a remarkable increase in the nucleocytoplasmic efflux of HDAC7 by both EMK and C-TAK1, resulting in less than 10% of the initial fluorescence left in the nucleus after 25 min (Fig. 7C).
![]() View larger version (28K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 7. EMK
and C-TAK1 control nuclear export of class IIa HDACs and regulate their
repressive activity. (A) Cos7 cells were transfected with
expression vectors for GFP-HDAC7 and FLAG-tagged EMK or C-TAK1. The
intracellular localization of HDAC7 was detected by direct
immunofluorescence (GFP) while MARKs were revealed by indirect
immunofluorescence using an AlexaFluor 568-labeled anti-FLAG antibody
(FLAG). (B) Cos7 cells were transfected with expression
vectors for GFP-HDAC4 or GFP-HDAC7 and constructs for EMK or C-TAK1.
The subcellular distribution of the GFP-fused HDACs proteins was
examined by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Bar histograms
represent the mean percentages of cells showing predominant cytoplasmic
staining. (C) A construct encoding GFP-HDAC7 was transfected
into Cos7 cells, either with expressing vectors for EMK, C-TAK1, or a
control plasmid (Empty). The cytoplasm of GFP-positive cells was
repeatedly bleached, and FLIP measurements were performed as described
in Materials and Methods. Analyses of the FLIP data from three
independent experiments are shown as fit curves. (D) Do11.10
cells were transiently transfected with a luciferase reporter plasmid
driven by the Nur77 promoter and the expression plasmids for the
indicated proteins. Luciferase activities are presented relative to the
basal luciferase activity of the reporter. Results are from five
independent experiments, each performed in triplicate. (E)
Total cellular lysates were prepared from Cos7 cells transiently
expressing FLAG-tagged versions of EMK and C-TAK1. Cell lysates were
examined by Western blotting with antisera for c-jun, FLAG, and
actin.
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To further assess the functional consequences of phosphorylation of class IIa HDACs by MARK/Par-1 kinases, we examined the ability of EMK and C-TAK1 to activate c-jun expression, another class IIa HDAC-repressed gene (45). For this purpose, EMK and C-TAK1 were independently expressed in Cos7 cells, and levels of endogenous c-jun were examined by Western blotting. As expected, ectopic expression of EMK or C-TAK1 was associated with a marked increase in c-jun levels (Fig. 7E).
Taken together, these data demonstrate that the MARK/Par-1 kinases EMK and C-TAK1 are physiologically relevant kinases for class IIa HDACs and strongly support a novel role for these kinases in gene regulation.
EMK and C-TAK1 regulate phosphorylation and cytoplasmic localization of class IIa HDACs in the absence of extracellular stimuli. We have previously shown that PKD efficiently phosphorylates Ser155 of HDAC7, even when the leucine residue at position 5 (Leu150) is replaced with an alanine (9). Interestingly, all C-TAK1 substrates identified so far have a leucine at position 5 of the targeted serine (Fig. 5B). While testing the importance of this leucine residue in EMK and C-TAK1 target recognition, we found out that the substitution of HDAC7 Leu150 to alanine totally abolished phosphorylation of Ser155 by both kinases (data available on request).
Based on these results, we generated an HDAC7 mutant specifically deficient for phosphorylation by EMK/C-TAK1 where Leu150 was mutated to alanine [HDAC7(L150A)]. We examined the in vivo phosphorylation of Ser155 in the context of this mutant using the phospho-specific antibody. As observed above (Fig. 6), HDAC7wt showed strong basal phosphorylation of Ser155 and robust association with 14-3-3 proteins (Fig. 8A). Interestingly, the L150A mutation totally inhibited phosphorylation of Ser155. In addition, the same mutation also reduced association with 14-3-3 proteins.
![]() View larger version (22K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 8. EMK
and c-TAK1 phosphorylate Ser155 of HDAC7 in vivo. (A)
FLAG-tagged versions of wild-type HDAC7 (HDAC7wt) or the HDAC7(L150A)
mutant were transiently expressed in HEK293 cells, immunoprecipitated,
and examined by Western blot analysis with antibodies directed against
the FLAG epitope ( -FLAG), 14-3-3 family members
( -14-3-3), or HDAC7 phosphorylated at Ser155
( -pS155). (B) HeLa cells were transfected with
constructs encoding GFP fusion proteins of wild-type HDAC7 (HDAC7wt) or
the HDAC7(L150A) mutant. Subcellular localization of the fluorescent
proteins was observed by confocal microscopy. (C) Cos7 cells
were transfected with constructs encoding GFP-tagged wild-type or L150A
HDAC7. Cytoplamsic photobleaching and FLIP measurements were performed
as described in Materials and Methods. Graphical analyses of the FLIP
data from at least three independent experiments are shown as fit
curves. (D) HeLa cells were transfected with FLAG-tagged
HDAC7, along with pooled siRNA against EMK and C-TAK1 or with control
siRNA. The next day, cells were transfected with a mix of siRNAs
targeting an alternative sequence both in EMK and C-TAK1 or with
control siRNA (see Materials and Methods). Seventy-two hours after the
initial transfection, cells were harvested and lysed. Whole-cell
lysates were analyzed by Western blotting with antibodies against EMK,
C-TAK1, actin, the FLAG epitope or phosphorylated Ser155. (E)
HeLa cells were transfected with an expression vector for GFP-HDAC7
along with pools of siRNAs directed against two different sequences of
both EMK and C-TAK1 or control siRNA, as described in panel D. Sixty
hours after the initial transfection, localization of GFP-HDAC7 was
examined by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Bar histograms
represent the mean percentages of cells showing predominant cytoplasmic
staining.
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65% of its initial value after 25 min (Fig.
8C). These experiments
show that the L150A HDAC7 mutant is greatly impaired in its ability to
exit the nucleus, which results in an altered steady-state subcellular
localization. These results thus strongly suggest that EMK and/or
C-TAK1 specifically target Ser155 of HDAC7 to control its
nuclear export. To establish this hypothesis more firmly, we used RNAi to inhibit endogenous C-TAK1 and EMK activities in HeLa cells. A combination of siRNAs directed against both C-TAK1 and EMK reduced the endogenous levels of both kinases (Fig. 8D, left). Coincident with this reduction, we observed a substantial decrease in the phosphorylation of Ser155 in HDAC7 (Fig. 8D, right). As expected, knockdown of EMK and C-TAK1 also altered subcellular distribution of HDAC7. Indeed, when HeLa cells were cotransfected with GFP-HDAC7 and siRNAs against EMK and C-TAK, the proportion of cells showing a predominant cytoplasmic staining decreased significantly (Fig. 8E).
Altogether, these data strongly suggest that MARK/Par-1 kinases EMK and C-TAK1 phosphorylate class IIa HDACs on their most upstream 14-3-3 binding site and regulate their constitutive nuclear export in vivo.
The 14-3-3 binding sites are hierarchically phosphorylated in HDAC7.
The biological significance behind the
specific constitutive phosphorylation of HDAC7 Ser155 (and
corresponding HDAC4 Ser246, HDAC5 Ser259, and
HDAC9 Ser220) by MARK/Par-1 kinases remained elusive. To
address the role of Ser155 phosphorylation in the
signal-independent nuclear efflux of HDAC7, we examined the dynamic
nuclear export of an HDAC7 protein where Ser155 was mutated
into alanine [HDAC7(S155A)]. Results from FLIP analysis were compared
with data obtained with wild-type HDAC7 and the HDAC7
P mutant.
Surprisingly, mutation of Ser155 alone had an effect
comparable to mutating simultaneously the four serine residues and
almost completely abolished constitutive nuclear export, as
demonstrated by a constant postbleach relative nuclear fluorescence in
HDAC7(S155A)-expressing cells (Fig.
9A). This observation demonstrates that Ser155 plays a dominant
role in HDAC7 constitutive phosphorylation, association with 14-3-3,
and nuclear export.
![]() View larger version (25K): [in a new window] |
FIG. 9. The
14-3-3 binding sites in HDAC7 are hierarchically phosphorylated.
(A) Cos7 cells were transfected with constructs expressing
GFP fusion proteins corresponding to wild-type HDAC7 (HDAC7wt), a
mutant of HDAC7 in which the residues Ser155 was mutated to
alanine alone [HDAC7(S155A)], or together with Ser181,
Ser321, and Ser449 (HDAC7 P). Forty-eight
hours posttransfection, the cytoplasm of fluorescent cells was
bleached, and relative loss of fluorescence in the nuclear region was
measured, as described in Materials and Methods. FLIP data are
represented as nonlinear fit curves according to the legend at the
right of the graph. (B) HEK293 cells expressing wild-type or
S155A HDAC7 were labeled in vivo with [32P]orthophosphate.
The labeled proteins were purified by immunoaffinity, digested with
trypsin, and examined by HPLC analysis as described in Materials and
Methods. (C) Expression constructs for FLAG-tagged wild-type
HDAC7 (HDAC7wt) or mutant of HDAC7 in which the residues
Ser155, Ser181, Ser321, or
Ser449 were mutated to alanine independently [HDAC7(S155A),
HDAC7(S181A), HDAC7(S321A), and HDAC7(S449A), respectively] or together
(HDAC7 P) were transiently expressed in HEK293 cells. Cell
extracts were examined by Western blotting with antibodies directed
against the FLAG epitope ( -FLAG) or the phosphorylated forms
of Ser155 ( -pS155) or Ser181
( -pS181). (D) HEK293 cells were transiently
transfected with expression vectors encoding FLAG-tagged versions of
wild-type HDAC7 (HDAC7wt) or the L150A mutant [HDAC7(L150A)]. Total
cellular extracts were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and subjected to
immunoblotting using antibodies directed against either the FLAG
epitope ( -FLAG) or HDAC7 phosphorylated at Ser155
( -pS155) or Ser181 ( -pS181). (E)
HEK293 cells expressing the L150A HDAC7 mutant were labeled in vivo
with [32P]orthophosphate. The labeled protein was purified
by immunoaffinity, digested with trypsin, and examined by HPLC analysis
as described in Materials and
Methods.
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We next tested whether phosphorylation of Ser181 could be also dependent on the two other 14-3-3 sites, Ser321 or Ser449. HDAC7 mutants, where each of the phosphorylatable serine residues was independently mutated to alanine [HDAC7(S155A), HDAC(S181A), HDAC7(S321A), and HDAC7(S449A)] were thus examined by Western blotting with antibodies specific for the phosphorylated forms of Ser155 and Ser181 (Fig. 9C) (data of antibody characterization available on request). As expected, phosphorylation of Ser155 was detected for all constructs except for HDAC7(S155A). Basal phosphorylation of Ser181 was undetectable after staurosporine treatment (data not shown) or in the HDAC7(S181A) mutant, confirming the specificity of the phospho-Ser181 antibody (Fig. 9C). In accordance with the HPLC data, phosphorylation of Ser181 was totally abolished when Ser155 was mutated into alanine (Fig. 9C). Phosphorylation of Ser181 was uniquely dependent on Ser155 as it was unaltered by the S321A or S449A mutations. These observations thus confirm that the presence and/or the phosphorylation of Ser155 are required for subsequent phosphorylation of Ser181 in vivo.
To discriminate between both hypotheses, we examined the phosphorylation levels of Ser181 in the HDAC7(L150A) mutant, where Ser155 is present but poorly phosphorylated (Fig. 8A) both by Western blotting and HLPC analysis (Fig. 9D and E, respectively). Interestingly, the L150A mutant also showed a concomitant reduction of Ser181 phosphorylation (Fig. 9D and E). These results demonstrate that basal phosphorylation of Ser155 is required for phosphorylation of Ser181 and raised the exciting possibility that class IIa HDACs may be regulated through a process of hierarchical phosphorylation.
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Par-1 kinases substrate specificity. The human MARK/Par-1 protein kinases include hPar-1a/C-TAK1 (MARK3/p78), hPar-1b/EMK (MARK2), hPar-1c (MARK1), and hPar-1d (MARK4/MARKL1). EMK and hPar-1c were originally identified based on their ability to phosphorylate Tau and the related MAP proteins MAP2 and MAP4 on their homologous KXGS motif (10). Recently, hPar-1d was also shown to phosphorylate the same KXGS motif (41). Strikingly, the KTVS motif around Ser155 of HDAC7 (conserved in other class IIa HDACs as KTAS) is very homologous to the KXGS consensus for hPar-1b, -c, and -d. Although it remains to be formally tested, it is logical to speculate that, in addition to EMK and C-TAK1, hPar-1c and hPar-1d could also phosphorylate class IIa HDACs.
Aside from other family members, C-TAK1/Par-1a
exhibits specific substrate requirements. An extensive mutational
analysis has defined
aXRXXS
XXX
a(where
and
a are, respectively, a
hydrophobic and a hydrophobic aliphatic residue) as its optimal
substrate phosphorylation motif
(30). From this study,
the arginine residue at the 3 position relative to the
phosphorylated serine, as well as hydrophobic amino acids at
the +1 and +5 positions, was proven to be
essential for efficient phosphorylation by C-TAK1. Surprisingly, none
of these crucial amino acids is found around the serine residue
phosphorylated by Par-1 kinases in class IIa HDACs (Ser246,
Ser259, Ser155, and Ser220 of HDAC4,
HDAC 5, HDAC7, and HDAC9, respectively) (Fig.
5B). Moreover, because
they contain a hydrophobic residue at the +5
position, motifs around other phosphorylatable serines of HDAC7,
Ser181, Ser321, and Ser449 (and
corresponding residues in other class IIa HDACs) are very homologous to
the optimal C-TAK1 consensus. Nonetheless, C-TAK1 does not
phosphorylate (Fig. 5C and
D) nor does it interact with (data not shown) any of these
serine residues in vitro.
Previously identified substrates of C-TAK1 include the Cdc25C phosphatase (32, 35), the tyrosine phosphatase PTPH1 (51), the mitogen-activated protein kinase scaffolding protein KSR1, and plakophilin 2 (29, 30). Strikingly, for all known substrates of C-TAK1, the phosphorylated residue generates a 14-3-3 binding site. The identification of class IIa HDACs as C-TAK1 substrates thus provides additional evidence that C-TAK1 may function as a master regulator in the subcellular distribution of several proteins with diverse cellular functions. Identification of additional endogenous substrates for C-TAK1 should confirm this hypothesis.
Convergence of multiple families of protein kinases on class IIa HDACs. The 14-3-3 binding sites of class IIa HDACs are efficiently phosphorylated by members of multiple families of protein kinases. In response to Ca2+ signaling, CaMKI, -II, and -IV have proven to be able to induce nuclear exclusion and cytoplasmic accumulation of class IIa HDACs in various cell types (49). Similarly, PKC signaling leads to the activation of PKD1, which directly phosphorylates the multiple signal-responsive serine residues on class IIa HDACs (9, 42). We have accumulated new evidence that PKD2 and PKD3, the two other PKD family members, can also do so (T. Seufferlein and F. Dequiedt, unpublished observations). Here, we show that EMK and C-TAK1, two members of the MARK/Par-1 family, can target one of the 14-3-3 binding sites in the N terminus of HDAC4 and HDAC7 (and presumably other class IIa members). It thus appears that the adapter domain of class IIa HDACs is targeted by multiple members of multiple protein kinase families. This has been illustrated in an elegant expression screen which was published while this article was in preparation (4). Looking for modulators of HDAC5 phosphorylation, the authors identified multiple protein kinases, including MARK2.
Experimentally, the convergence of multiple protein kinase families on the adapter domain of class IIa HDACs makes it difficult to fortify conclusions with convincing loss-of-function data. Knockdown of either EMK or C-TAK1 alone had no impact on the phosphorylation of Ser155 in HDAC7 (data not shown). As shown in Fig. 9D, only simultaneous knockdown of both EMK and C-TAK1 led to a reduced Ser155 phosphorylation. The existence of multiple class IIa HDACs kinases confirms that these enzymes are regulated by different signaling pathways and emphasizes the importance that class IIa HDACs may have in various genetic programs. In addition, it also highlights the fact that the functional relevance of each proposed HDAC kinase should be envisioned in a cellular/signaling context-dependent manner.
Multisite and hierarchical phosphorylation of class IIa HDACs. Multisite phosphorylation often offers a sophisticated means to regulate protein functions. In most cases, each site impacts differently on a specific property of the protein, such as stability, cellular localization, catalytic activity, etc. The N terminus of class IIa HDACs contains multiple phosphorylation sites, with HDAC7 having four identified phosphorylatable serine residues within a 300-amino-acid region. Prior to the current study, these sites were thought to be phosphorylated indistinguishably by the same protein kinases in response to the same signals and equally important for class IIa HDACs nuclear export. In this context, why class IIa HDACs would have multiple phosphorylation sites in their N terminus remained obscure. Here, we establish the uniqueness and prominence of the most upstream phosphorylatable serine residue (Ser246, Ser259, and Ser155 in HDAC4, HDAC5, and HDAC7, respectively). First, we demonstrate that this site is uniquely and specifically phosphorylated by hPar-1 kinases in a constitutive manner. In addition, we establish the primary role of this residue in the constitutive nuclear export of class IIa HDACs. In exploring the functional relevance of these observations for HDAC7, we unexpectedly discovered that basal phosphorylation of Ser155 was a prerequisite to the phosphorylation of Ser181. For the first time, these findings demonstrate that class IIa HDACs undergo hierarchical phosphorylation of their 14-3-3 binding sites. Although it remains to be formally tested, it is tempting to speculate that similar hierarchical phosphorylations exist for other sites on HDAC7 and for other members of the class IIa family.
Par-1 kinases are constitutively active enzymes, and, accordingly, we observed constitutive phosphorylation of the most upstream phosphorylatable serine residue in class IIa HDACs. In this context, phosphorylation of the Par-1 target site has two important functions. First, it recruits 14-3-3 proteins and regulates the nucleocytoplasmic fluxes of the class IIa HDACs in the absence of any extracellular signaling. Second, phosphorylation of this particular site in HDAC7 allows subsequent phosphorylation of another 14-3-3 binding site, Ser181, which is also important for nuclear efflux (data not shown). These findings thus confer a central role to the most upstream phosphorylatable serine residue of class IIa HDACs. The precise mechanism by which phosphorylation of this residue would promote phosphorylation at other sites of class IIa HDACs remains unknown. Incorporation of a phosphate group at this site could alter conformation of class IIa HDACs and render other serine residues accessible. Alternatively, phosphorylation of Ser155 could also create a docking site for other, still unknown, kinases that require a priming phosphorylation in order to phosphorylate their substrate (e.g., glycogen synthase kinase 3). Finally, binding of 14-3-3 proteins at this serine residue, subsequently to its phosphorylation, could induce drastic conformational changes and have a similar effect. Mutants of class IIa HDACs that can still be phosphorylated at their most upstream serine residue, but deficient in 14-3-3 recruitment, should allow to discriminate between these options.
In this study, we provide multiple demonstrations that
Ser155 phosphorylation is crucial for HDAC7 nuclear efflux.
First, we show that phosphorylation of Ser155 coincides with
cytoplasmic localization (Fig. 6C and
D). In addition, mutation of Ser155 to alanine
has an effect comparable to mutating the four serine residues
simultaneously (Fig. 9A).
However, phosphorylation of Ser155 has no impact on the
phosphorylation of Ser321 or Ser449 of HDAC7
(Fig. 9B). These
observations thus suggest that Ser155/Ser181
phosphorylation is necessary for nuclear export of HDAC7.
Interestingly, HDAC7 nuclear localization signal (NLS) spans amino
acids 160 to 168, exactly between Ser155 and
Ser181. One speculative model would be that
Ser155 would function as a "gatekeeper"
(48) whose constitutive
phosphorylation is necessary for binding of a 14-3-3 dimer but may not
be sufficient for nuclear export. By a still unknown mechanism,
phosphorylation of Ser155 would favor subsequent
phosphorylation of Ser181 by a signal-responsive kinase or a
still unidentified constitutively active kinase, depending on the
cellular context. Dual phosphorylation of
Ser155/Ser181 would simultaneously engage both
monomeric subunits of a 14-3-3 dimer, which would prevent recognition
of the NLS by importin
. Whether masking of the NLS by a
14-3-3 dimer would be sufficient for nuclear export or would
necessitate signal-mediated phosphorylation of Ser321 and/or
Ser449 remains unclear.
Our study provides experimental evidence that the multiple phosphorylation sites in class IIa HDACs display specific properties. In this context, combinatorial phosphorylation of these enzymes by multiple kinases would allow for a flexible and sophisticated control of their functions. Sequential or/and coordinated actions of the various protein kinases on the N terminus of class IIa HDACs would constitute a tightly regulated mechanism to rapidly, adequately, and reversibly induce expression of specific target genes in response to specific signals. Although the pieces are starting to fall into place, more efforts are required to fully understand regulation of class IIa HDACs by multisite phosphorylation.
M.M.
and J.V.B. contributed equally to this work. ![]()
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