Interactions between Extracellular Signal-regulated Protein Kinase 1, 14-3-3ϵ, and Heat Shock Factor 1 during Stress (original) (raw)

Protein Kinase A Binds and Activates Heat Shock Factor 1

PLoS ONE, 2010

Background: Many inducible transcription factors are regulated through batteries of posttranslational modifications that couple their activity to inducing stimuli. We have studied such regulation of Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1), a key protein in control of the heat shock response, and a participant in carcinogenisis, neurological health and aging. As the mechanisms involved in the intracellular regulation of HSF1 in good health and its dysregulation in disease are still incomplete we are investigating the role of posttranslational modifications in such regulation. Methodology/Principal Findings: In a proteomic study of HSF1 binding partners, we have discovered its association with the pleiotropic protein kinase A (PKA). HSF1 binds avidly to the catalytic subunit of PKA, (PKAca) and becomes phosphorylated on a novel serine phosphorylation site within its central regulatory domain (serine 320 or S320), both in vitro and in vivo. Intracellular PKAca levels and phosphorylation of HSF1 at S320 were both required for HSF1 to be localized to the nucleus, bind to response elements in the promoter of an HSF1 target gene (hsp70.1) and activate hsp70.1 after stress. Reduction in PKAca levels by small hairpin RNA led to HSF1 exclusion from the nucleus, its exodus from the hsp70.1 promoter and decreased hsp70.1 transcription. Likewise, null mutation of HSF1 at S320 by alanine substitution for serine led to an HSF1 species excluded from the nucleus and deficient in hsp70.1 activation. Conclusions: These findings of PKA regulation of HSF1 through S320 phosphorylation add to our knowledge of the signaling networks converging on this factor and may contribute to elucidating its complex roles in the stress response and understanding HSF1 dysregulation in disease.

Heat shock factor-4 (HSF-4a) is a repressor of HSF-1 mediated transcription

Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 2001

Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) regulate the expression of heat shock proteins and other molecular chaperones that are involved in cellular processes from higher order assembly to protein degradation and apoptosis. Among the human HSFs, HSF-4 is expressed as at least two splice variants. One isoform (HSF-4b) possesses a transcriptional activation domain, but this region is absent in the other isoform (HSF-4a). We have recently shown that the HSF-4a isoform represses basal transcription from heterologous promoters both in vitro and in vivo. Here we show that HSF-4a and HSF-4b have dramatically different effects on HSF-1-containing nuclear bodies, which form after heat shock. While the expression of HSF-4b colocalizes with nuclear granules, the expression of HSF-4a prevents their formation. In addition, there is a concurrent reduction of HSF-1 in the nucleus, and there is reduction in its DNA binding activity and in HSE-dependent transcription of a reporter gene. To better understand the mechanism by which HSF-4a represses transcription, we inducibly expressed HSF-4a in cells and found that HSF-4a binds to the heat shock element (HSE) during attenuation of the heat shock response. Thus HSF-4a is an active repressor of HSF-1-mediated transcription. This repressor function makes the HSF-4a isoform unique within the HSF family.

Transcription Regulation of HYPK by Heat Shock Factor 1

PLoS ONE, 2014

HYPK (Huntingtin Yeast Partner K) was originally identified by yeast two-hybrid assay as an interactor of Huntingtin, the protein mutated in Huntington's disease. HYPK was characterized earlier as an intrinsically unstructured protein having chaperone-like activity in vitro and in vivo. HYPK has the ability of reducing rate of aggregate formation and subsequent toxicity caused by mutant Huntingtin. Further investigation revealed that HYPK is involved in diverse cellular processes and required for normal functioning of cells. In this study we observed that hyperthermia increases HYPK expression in human and mouse cells in culture. Expression of exogenous Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1), upon heat treatment could induce HYPK expression, whereas HSF1 knockdown reduced endogenous as well as heat-induced HYPK expression. Putative HSF1binding site present in the promoter of human HYPK gene was identified and validated by reporter assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed in vivo interaction of HSF1 and RNA polymerase II with HYPK promoter sequence. Additionally, acetylation of histone H4, a known epigenetic marker of inducible HSF1 binding, was observed in response to heat shock in HYPK gene promoter. Overexpression of HYPK inhibited cells from lethal heat-induced death whereas knockdown of HYPK made the cells susceptible to lethal heat shock-induced death. Apart from elevated temperature, HYPK was also upregulated by hypoxia and proteasome inhibition, two other forms of cellular stress. We concluded that chaperone-like protein HYPK is induced by cellular stress and under transcriptional regulation of HSF1.

Inactivation of Dual-Specificity Phosphatases Is Involved in the Regulation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases by Heat Shock and Hsp72

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2003

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1) and ERK2 (ERK1/2) dramatically enhance survival of cells exposed to heat shock. Using Cos-7 cells and primary human fibroblasts (IMR90 cells), we demonstrated that heat shock activates ERKs via two distinct mechanisms: stimulation of the ERK-activating kinases, MEK1/2, and inhibition of ERK dephosphorylation. Under milder heat shock conditions, activation of ERKs proceeded mainly through stimulation of MEK1/2, whereas under more severe heat shock MEK1/2 could no longer be activated and the inhibition of ERK phosphatases became critical. In Cos-7 cells, nontoxic heat shock caused rapid inactivation of the major ERK phosphatase, MKP-3, by promoting its aggregation, so that in cells exposed to 45°C for 20 min, 90% of MKP-3 became insoluble. MKP-3 aggregation was reversible and, 1 h after heat shock, MKP-3 partially resolubilized. The redistribution of MKP-3 correlated with an increased rate of ERK dephosphorylation. Similar heat-induced ag...

Targeted disruption ofhsf1 leads to lack of thermotolerance and defines tissue-specific regulation for stress-inducible Hsp molecular chaperones

Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 2002

The rapid synthesis of heat shock proteins (Hsps) in cells subjected to environmental challenge is controlled by heat shock transcription factor-1 (Hsf1). Regulation of Hsps by Hsf1 is highly complex and, in the whole organism, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we have used mouse embryo fibroblasts and bone marrow progenitor cells from hsf1 À/À mice as well as hsp70.3-lacZ knock-in mice bred on the hsf1deficient genetic background (hsf1 À/À -hsp70.3 þ/À -lacZ), to further elucidate the function of Hsf1 and its participation as a transcriptional activator of Hsp70 synthesis under normal or heat-induced stress conditions in vitro and in vivo. The results revealed that heatinduced Hsp70 expression in mouse tissue is entirely controlled by Hsf1, whereas its activity is not required for tissuespecific constitutive Hsp70 expression. We further demonstrate that Hsf1 is critical for maintaining cellular integrity after heat stress and that cells from hsf1 À/À mice lack the ability to develop thermotolerance. This deficiency is explained by the elimination of stress-inducible Hsp70 and Hsp25 response in the absence of Hsf1 activity, leading to a lack of Hspmediated inhibition of apoptotic cell death via both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways. The pivotal role of the Hsf1 transactivator in regulating rapid synthesis of Hsps as a critical cellular defense mechanism against environmental stress-induced damage is underlined.

Human heat shock factors 1 and 2 are differentially activated and can synergistically induce hsp70 gene transcription

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 1994

Two members of the heat shock transcription factor (HSF) family, HSF1 and HSF2, both function as transcriptional activators of heat shock gene expression. However, the inducible DNA-binding activities of these two factors are regulated by distinct pathways. HSF1 is activated by heat shock and other forms of stress, whereas HSF2 is activated during hemin-induced differentiation of human K562 erythroleukemia cells, suggesting a role for HSF2 in regulating heat shock gene expression under nonstress conditions such as differentiation and development. To understand the distinct regulatory pathways controlling HSF2 and HSF1 activities, we have examined the biochemical and physical properties of the control and activated states of HSF2 and compared these with the properties of HSF1. Our results reveal that the inactive, non-DNA-binding forms of HSF2 and HSF1 exist primarily in the cytoplasm of untreated K562 cells as a dimer and monomer, respectively. This difference in the control oligome...