Rad23 and Rpn10 play synergistic roles in the recognition of ubiquitinated proteins by the proteasome, and loss of both proteins causes growth and proteolytic defects. However, the physiological targets of Rad23 and Rpn10 have not been well defined. We report that rad23Δ rpn10Δ is unable to grow in the presence of translation inhibitors, and this sensitivity was suppressed by translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A). This discovery suggested that Rad23 and Rpn10 perform a role in translation quality control. Certain inhibitors increase translation errors during protein synthesis and cause the release of truncated polypeptide chains. This effect can also be mimicked by ATP depletion. We determined that eEF1A interacted with ubiquitinated proteins and the proteasome following ATP depletion. eEF1A interacted with the proteasome subunit Rpt1, and the turnover of nascent damaged proteins was deficient in rpt1. An eEF1A mutant (eEF1A^D156N) that conferred hyperresistance to translation inhibitors was much more effective at eliminating damaged proteins and was detected in proteasomes in untreated cells. We propose that eEF1A is well suited to detect and promote degradation of damaged proteins because of its central role in translation elongation. Our findings provide a mechanistic foundation for defining how cellular proteins are degraded cotranslationally.

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, a.k.a. CCN2) is inflammatory mediator and abundantly expressed in osteoarthritis (OA). Angiogenesis is essential for OA progression. Here, we investigated the role of CTGF in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production and angiogenesis in OA synovial fibroblasts (OASFs). We showed that expression of CTGF and VEGF in synovial fluid were higher in OA patients than in controls. Directly applying CTGF to OASFs increased VEGF production then promoted endothelial progenitor cells tube formation and migration. CTGF induced VEGF by raising miR-210 expression via PI3K, AKT, ERK, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/ELK1 pathways. CTGF-mediating miR-210 upregulation repressed glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1-like (GPD1L) expression and PHD activity and subsequently promoted hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α-dependent VEGF expression. Knockdown of CTGF decreased VEGF expression and abolished OASF-conditional medium-mediated angiogenesis in vitro as well as angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane and Matrigel-plug nude mice model in vivo. Taken together, our results suggest CTGF activates PI3K, AKT, ERK, and NF-κB/ELK1 pathway, leading to the upregulation of miR-210, contributing to inhibit GPD1L expression and prolyl hydroxylases 2 activity, promoting HIF-1α-dependent VEGF expression and angiogenesis in human synovial fibroblasts.

Sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation does not always correlate with its upstream Ras-Raf-mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 (MKK1/2) signal cascade in cancer cells, and the mechanism remains elusive. Here we report a novel mechanism by which sustained ERK1/2 activation is established. We demonstrate that Pb(II), a carcinogenic metal, persistently induces ERK1/2 activity in CL3 human lung cancer cells and that Ras-Raf-MKK1/2 signaling cannot fully account for such activation. It is intriguing that Pb(II) treatment reduces mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP-1) protein levels in time- and dose-dependent manners, which correlates with sustained ERK1/2 activation, and that Pb(II) also induces mRNA and de novo protein synthesis of MKP-1. In Pb(II)-treated cells, MKP-1 is polyubiquitinated, and proteasome inhibitors markedly alleviate the ubiquitination and degradation of MKP-1. Inhibiting the Pb(II)-induced ERK1/2 activation by PD98059 greatly suppresses MKP-1 ubiquitination and degradation. It is remarkable that constitutive activation of MKK1/2 triggers endogenous MKP-1 ubiquitination and degradation in various mammalian cell lines. Furthermore, expression of functional MKP-1 decreases ERK1/2 activation and the c-Fos protein level and enhances cytotoxicity under Pb(II) exposure. Taken together, these results demonstrate that activated ERK1/2 can trigger MKP-1 degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, thus facilitating long-term activation of ERK1/2 against cytotoxicity.

YWHAZ, also known as 14-3-3zeta, has been reportedly elevated in many human tumors, including non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) but little is known about its specific contribution to lung cancer malignancy. Through a combined array-based comparative genomic hybridization and expression microarray analysis, we identified YWHAZ as a potential metastasis enhancer in lung cancer. Ectopic expression of YWHAZ on low invasive cancer cells showed enhanced cell invasion, migration in vitro, and both the tumorigenic and metastatic potentials in vivo. Gene array analysis has indicated these changes associated with an elevation of pathways relevant to epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), with an increase of cell protrusions and branchings. Conversely, knockdown of YWHAZ levels with siRNA or short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in invasive cancer cells led to a reversal of EMT. We observed that high levels of YWHAZ protein are capable of activating β-catenin–mediated transcription by facilitating the accumulation of β-catenin in cytosol and nucleus. Coimmunoprecipitation assays showed a decrease of ubiquitinated β-catenin in presence of the interaction between YWHAZ and β-catenin. This interaction resulted in disassociating β-catenin from the binding of β-TrCP leading to increase β-catenin stability. Using enforced expression of dominant-negative and -positive β-catenin mutants, we confirmed that S552 phosphorylation of β-catenin increases the β-catenin/YWHAZ complex formation, which is important in promoting cell invasiveness and the suppression of ubiquitnated β-catenin. This is the first demonstration showing YWHAZ through its complex with β-catenin in mediating lung cancer malignancy and β-catenin protein stability. Mol Cancer Res; 10(10); 1319–31. ©2012 AACR.