SCF(β-TRCP)-mediated degradation of NEDD4 inhibits tumorigenesis through modulating the PTEN/Akt signaling pathway

Oncotarget. 2014 Feb 28;5(4):1026-37. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.1675.

Abstract

The HECT domain-containing ubiquitin E3 ligase NEDD4 is widely expressed in mammalian tissues and plays a crucial role in governing a wide spectrum of cellular processes including cell growth, tissue development and homeostasis. Recent reports have indicated that NEDD4 might facilitate tumorigenesis through targeted degradation of multiple tumor suppressor proteins including PTEN. However, the molecular mechanism by which NEDD4 stability is regulated has not been fully elucidated. Here we report that SCF(β-TRCP) governs NEDD4 protein stability by targeting it for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation in a Casein Kinase-I (CKI) phosphorylation-dependent manner. Specifically, depletion of β-TRCP, or inactivation of CKI, stabilized NEDD4, leading to down-regulation of its ubiquitin target PTEN and subsequent activation of the mTOR/Akt oncogenic pathway. Furthermore, we found that CKIδ-mediated phosphorylation of Ser347 and Ser348 on NEDD4 promoted its interaction with SCF(β-TRCP) for subsequent ubiquitination and degradation. As a result, compared to ectopic expression of wild-type NEDD4, introducing a non-degradable NEDD4 (S347A/S348A-NEDD4) promoted cancer cell growth and migration. Hence, our findings revealed the CKI/SCF(β-TRCP) signaling axis as the upstream negative regulator of NEDD4, and further suggested that enhancing NEDD4 degradation, presumably with CKI or SCF(β-TRCP) agonists, could be a promising strategy for treating human cancers.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Carcinogenesis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport / genetics
  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport / metabolism*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / genetics
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / genetics*
  • SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transfection
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitination

Substances

  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport
  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases
  • Nedd4 protein, human
  • SKP Cullin F-Box Protein Ligases
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human