Disturbed flow: p53 SUMOylation in the turnover of endothelial cells

J Cell Biol. 2011 May 30;193(5):805-7. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201104140.

Abstract

Disturbed blood flow induces apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells, which causes atherosclerosis. In this issue, Heo et al. (2011. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.201010051) sheds light on p53's role in this phenomenon. Disturbed flow induces peroxynitrite production, which activates protein kinase C ζ and it's binding to the E3 SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) ligase PIASy (protein inhibitor of activated STATy). This leads to p53 SUMOylation and its export to the cytosol, where it binds to the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 to induce apoptosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis
  • Cytosol / metabolism
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Endothelial Cells / pathology
  • Humans
  • Peroxynitrous Acid / biosynthesis
  • Peroxynitrous Acid / metabolism
  • Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
  • Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase C / metabolism
  • Protein Transport
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • Regional Blood Flow*
  • Sumoylation*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*

Substances

  • PIAS4 protein, human
  • Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
  • Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Peroxynitrous Acid
  • protein kinase C zeta
  • Protein Kinase C