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Protein phosphatase‐1 (PP1) complexed to nuclear inhibitor of PP1 (NIPP1) limits DNA repair through dephosphorylation of NIPP1‐recruited substrates. However, the PP1:NIPP1 holoenzyme is completely inactive under basal conditions, hinting at a DNA damage‐regulated activation mechanism. Here, we report that DNA damage caused the activation of PP1:NIPP1 after a time delay of several hours through phosphorylation of NIPP1 at the C‐terminal tyrosine 335 (Y335) by a Src‐family kinase. PP1:NIPP1 activation partially resulted from the dissociation of the C terminus of NIPP1 from the active site of PP1. In addition, the released Y335‐phosphorylated C terminus interacted with the N terminus of NIPP1 to enhance substrate recruitment by the flanking forkhead‐associated (FHA) domain. Constitutive activation of PP1:NIPP1 by knock‐in of a phospho‐mimicking (Y335E) NIPP1 mutant led to the hypo‐phosphorylation of FHA ligands and an accumulation of DNA double‐strand breaks. Our data indicate that PP1:NIPP1 activation through circularization of NIPP1 is a late response to DNA damage that contributes to the timely recovery from damage repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of the COOH-terminal domain of A-kinase anchoring protein 149 (AKAP149), which is found in mitochondria and in the endoplasmic reticulum-nuclear envelope network, are investigated. The results have shown that the KH-Tudor-containing domain of AKAP149 binds RNA in vitro and in RNA coprecipitation.

The ubiquitously expressed nuclear protein NIPP1 (also known as PPP1R8) recruits phosphoproteins for regulated dephosphorylation by the associated protein phosphatase PP1. To bypass the PP1 titration artifacts seen upon NIPP1 overexpression, we have engineered covalently linked fusions of PP1 and NIPP1, and demonstrate their potential to selectively explore the function of the PP1:NIPP1 holoenzyme. By using inducible stable cell lines, we show that PP1--NIPP1 fusions cause replication stress in a manner that requires both PP1 activity and substrate recruitment via the ForkHead Associated domain of NIPP1. More specifically, PP1--NIPP1 expression resulted in the build up of RNA--DNA hybrids (R-loops), enhanced chromatin compaction and a diminished repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), culminating in the accumulation of DSBs. These effects were associated with a reduced expression of DNA damage signaling and repair proteins. Our data disclose a key role for dephosphorylation of PP1:NIPP1 substrates in setting the threshold for DNA repair, and indicate that activators of this phosphatase hold therapeutic potential as sensitizers for DNA-damaging agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ppp1r8 gene encodes NIPP1, a nuclear interactor of protein phosphatase PP1. The deletion of NIPP1 is embryonic lethal at the gastrulation stage, which has hampered its functional characterization in adult tissues. Here, we describe the effects of a conditional deletion of NIPP1 in mouse liver epithelial cells. Ppp1r8−/− livers developed a ductular reaction, that is, bile-duct hyperplasia with associated fibrosis. The increased proliferation of biliary epithelial cells was at least partially due to an expansion of the progenitor cell compartment that was independent of liver injury. Gene-expression analysis confirmed an upregulation of progenitor cell markers in the liver knockout livers but showed no effect on the expression of liver-injury associated regulators of cholangiocyte differentiation markers. Consistent with an inhibitory effect of NIPP1 on progenitor cell proliferation, Ppp1r8−/− livers displayed an increased sensitivity to diet-supplemented 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine, which also causes bile-duct hyperplasia through progenitor cell expansion. In contrast, the liver knockouts responded normally to injuries (partial hepatectomy, single CCl4 administration) that are restored through proliferation of differentiated parenchymal cells. Our data indicate that NIPP1 does not regulate the proliferation of hepatocytes but is a suppressor of biliary epithelial cell proliferation, including progenitor cells, in the adult liver. S tem C ells 2016;34:2256-2262 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Emmanuelle Viré; Carmen Brenner; Rachel Deplus; Loïc Blanchon; Mario Fraga; Céline Didelot; Lluis Morey; Aleyde Van Eynde; David Bernard; Jean-Marie Vanderwinden; Mathieu Bollen; Manel Esteller; Luciano Di Croce; Yvan [...]

The serine/threonine protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) complex is a key regulator of the cell cycle. However, the redundancy of PP1 isoforms and the lack of specific inhibitors have hampered studies on the global role of PP1 in cell cycle progression in vertebrates. Here, we show that the overexpression of nuclear inhibitor of PP1 (NIPP1; also known as PPP1R8) in HeLa cells culminated in a prometaphase arrest, associated with severe spindle-formation and chromosome-congression defects. In addition, the spindle assembly checkpoint was activated and checkpoint silencing was hampered. Eventually, most cells either died by apoptosis or formed binucleated cells. The NIPP1-induced mitotic arrest could be explained by the inhibition of PP1 that was titrated away from other mitotic PP1 interactors. Consistent with this notion, the mitoticarrest phenotype could be rescued by the overexpression of PP1 or the inhibition of the Aurora B kinase, which acts antagonistically to PP1. Finally, we demonstrate that the overexpression of NIPP1 also hampered colony formation and tumor growth in xenograft assays in a PP1-dependent manner. Our data show that the selective inhibition of PP1 can be used to induce cancer cell death through mitotic catastrophe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK), a serine/threonine protein kinase, has oncogenic properties and is overexpressed in many cancer cells. The oncogenic function of MELK is attributed to its capacity to disable critical cell-cycle checkpoints and reduce replication stress. Most functional studies have relied on the use of siRNA/shRNAmediated gene silencing. In the present study, we have explored the biological function of MELK using MELK-T1, a novel and selective small-molecule inhibitor. Strikingly, MELK-T1 triggered a rapid and proteasome-dependent degradation of the MELK protein. Treatment of MCF-7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7) breast adenocarcinoma cells with MELKT1 induced the accumulation of stalled replication forks and double-strand breaks that culminated in a replicative senescence phenotype. This phenotype correlated with a rapid and long-lasting ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) activation and phosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2). Furthermore, MELK-T1 induced a strong phosphorylation of p53 (cellular tumour antigen p53), a prolonged up-regulation of p21 (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1) and a down-regulation of FOXM1 (Forkhead Box M1) target genes. Our data indicate that MELK is a key stimulator of proliferation by its ability to increase the threshold for DNA-damage tolerance (DDT). Thus, targeting MELK by the inhibition of both its catalytic activity and its protein stability might sensitize tumours to DNA-damaging agents or radiation therapy by lowering the DNA-damage threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a very heterogeneous disease with respect to clinical outcome. This study explored differential DNA methylation in a priori selected genes to diagnose PCa and predict clinical failure (CF) in high-risk patients. Methods: A quantitative multiplex, methylation-specific PCR assay was developed to assess promoter methylation of the APC, CCND2, GSTP1, PTGS2 and RARB genes in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 42 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and radical prostatectomy specimens of patients with high-risk PCa, encompassing training and validation cohorts of 147 and 71 patients, respectively. Log-rank tests, univariate and multivariate Cox models were used to investigate the prognostic value of the DNA methylation. Results: Hypermethylation of APC, CCND2, GSTP1, PTGS2 and RARB was highly cancer-specific. However, only GSTP1 methylation was significantly associated with CF in both independent high-risk PCa cohorts. Importantly, trichotomization into low, moderate and high GSTP1 methylation level subgroups was highly predictive for CF. Patients with either a low or high GSTP1 methylation level, as compared to the moderate methylation groups, were at a higher risk for CF in both the training (Hazard ratio [HR], 3.65; 95% CI, 1.65 to 8.07) and validation sets (HR, 4.27; 95% CI, 1.03 to 17.72) as well as in the combined cohort (HR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.42 to 5.27) in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Classification of primary high-risk tumors into three subtypes based on DNA methylation can be combined with clinico-pathological parameters for a more informative risk-stratification of these PCa patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical gradients are present in many developing and regenerating tissues and around tumours. Mimicking endogenous electric fields in vitro has profound effects on the behaviour of many cell types. Intriguingly, specific cell types migrate cathodally, others anodally and some polarise with their long axis perpendicular to the electric vector. These striking phenomena are likely to have in vivo relevance since one of the determining factors during cancer metastasis is the ability to switch between attractive and repulsive migration in response to extracellular guidance stimuli. We present evidence that the cervical cancer cell line HeLa migrates cathodally in a direct current electric field of physiological intensity, while the strongly metastatic prostate cancer cell line PC-3-M migrates anodally. Notably, genetic disruption of protein serine/ threonine phosphatase-1 (PP1) and its regulator NIPP1 decrease directional migration in these cell lines. Conversely, the inducible expression of NIPP1 switched the directional response of HeLa cells from cathodal to slightly anodal in a PP1- dependent manner. Remarkably, induction of a hyperactive PP1/NIPP1 holoenzyme, further shifted directional migration towards the anode. We show that PP1 association with NIPP1 upregulates signalling by the GTPase Cdc42 and demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of Cdc42 in cells overexpressing NIPP1 recovered cathodal migration. Taken together, we provide the first evidence for regulation of directional cell migration by NIPP1. In addition, we identify PP1/NIPP1 as a novel molecular compass that controls directed cell migration via upregulation of Cdc42 signalling and suggest a way by which PP1/NIPP1 may contribute to the migratory properties of cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autotaxin (NPP2) is an extracellular protein that is upregulated in various malignancies, including breast and lung cancer. It potently stimulates cell proliferation, cell motility and angiogenesis, which is accounted for by its intrinsic lysophospholipase-D activity that generates the lipid mediators lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine-1-phosphate. Based on its structural similarities with the better characterized nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase NPP1, it has always been assumed that NPP2 is also synthesized as a type-II integral membrane protein and that extracellular NPP2 is generated from this membrane precursor. We show here, however, using domain swapping and mutagenesis experiments as well as N-terminal protein sequencing, that NPP2 is actually synthesized as a pre-pro-enzyme and that the proteolytically processed protein is secreted. Following the removal of a 27-residue signal peptide by the signal peptidase, NPP2 is subsequently cleaved by proprotein convertases (PCs). The removal of an N-terminal octapeptide by PCs is associated with an enhanced activity of NPP2 as a lysophospholipase D. These novel insights in the maturation of NPP2 have also implications for the development of NPP2 inhibitors as potential anti-cancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NIPP1 (nuclear inhibitor of protein phosphatase 1) is a ubiquitously expressed nuclear scaffold protein that has been implicated in both transcription and RNA processing. Among its protein ligands are a protein kinase, a protein phosphatase, two splicing factors, and a transcriptional regulator, and the binding of these proteins to NIPP1 is tightly regulated by phosphorylation. To study the function of NIPP1 in vivo, we have used homologous recombination to generate mice that are deficient in NIPP1. NIPP1-/+ mice developed normally. However, NIPP1-/- embryos showed severely retarded growth at embryonic day 6.5 (E6.5) and were resorbed by E8.5. This early embryonic lethality was not associated with increased apoptosis but correlated with impaired cell proliferation. Blastocyst outgrowth experiments and the RNA interference-mediated knockdown of NIPP1 in cultured cells also revealed an essential role for NIPP1 in cell proliferation. In further agreement with this function, no viable NIPP1-/- cell lines were obtained by derivation of embryonic stem (ES) cells from blastocysts of NIPP1-/+ intercrosses or by forced homogenotization of heterozygous ES cells at high concentrations of Geneticin. We conclude that NIPP1 is indispensable for early embryonic development and cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear protein NIPP1 (nuclear inhibitor of protein Ser/Thr ohosphatase-1) interacts with the splicing factors SAP155 and CDC5L and is involved in a late step of spliceosome assembly. In addition, NIPP1 is an interactor of protein phosphatase-1 and a COOH-terminal NIPP1 fragment displays an RNase E like endoribonuclease activity. A yeast two-hybrid screening resulted in the identification of the Polycomb group protein EED (embryonic ectoderm development), an established transcriptional repressor, as a novel NIPP1 interactor. NIPP1 only interacted with full-length EED, whereas two EED interaction domains were mapped to the central and COOH-terminal thirds of NIPP1. The NIPP1EED interaction was potentiated by the binding of (d)Grich nucleic acids to the central domain of NIPPI. Nucleic acids also decreased the potency of NIPP1 as an inhibitor of PPi, but they did not prevent the formation of a ternary NIPP1-EED-PP1 complex. EED had no effect on the function of NIPP1 as a splicing factor or as an endoribonuclease. However, similar to EED, NIPP1 acted as a transcriptional repressor of targeted genes and this NIPP1 effect was mediated by the EED interaction domain. Also, the histone deacetylase 2 was present in a complex with NIPP1. Our data are in accordance with a role for NIPP1 as a DNA-targeting protein for EED and associated chromatin-modifying enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the structure and splice products of the human gene encoding sds22. Description of sds22; Role of sds22 in the completion of mitosis in yeast; Component of sds22.

Examines the cloning and structural characterization of human nuclear inhibitor of protein phosphatase-1. Use of in situ hybridization; Components of PPP1R8; Generation of other transcripts by exon skipping and alternative polyadenylation.

Reports on transient transfection of COS-1 cells with an expression vector for NIPP-1, a nuclear subunit of protein phosphatase-1, which did not result in an overexpression of NIPP-1 protein, although the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) encoding NIPP-1 increased. Finding that mutation of the start codon abolished NIPP-1 protein production; Inhibition of the translation of the beta-galactosidase mRNA in COS-1 cells.

A-Kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) control the subcellular localization and temporal specificity of protein phosphorylation mediated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase. AKAP149 (AKAP1) is found in mitochondria and in the endoplasmic reticulum−nuclear envelope network where it anchors protein kinases, phosphatases, and a phosphodiesterase. AKAP149 harbors in its COOH-terminal part one KH and one Tudor domain, both known to be involved in RNA binding. We investigated the properties of the COOH-terminal domain of AKAP149. We show here that AKAP149 is a self-associating protein with RNA binding features. The KH domain of AKAP149 is sufficient for self-association in a RNA-dependent manner. The Tudor domain is not necessary for self-association, but it is required together with the KH domain for targeting to well-defined nuclear foci. These foci are spatially closely related to nucleolar subcompartments. We also show that the KH-Tudor-containing domain of AKAP149 binds RNA in vitro and in RNA coprecipitation experiments. AKAP149 emerges as a scaffolding protein involved in the integration of intracellular signals and possibly in RNA metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protein Ser/Thr phosphatase PP1 catalyzes an important fraction of protein dephosphorylation events and forms highly specific holoenzymes through an association with regulatory interactors of protein phosphatase one (RIPPOs). The functional characterization of individual PP1 holoenzymes is hampered by the lack of straightforward strategies for substrate mapping. Because efficient substrate recruitment often involves binding to both PP1 and its associated RIPPO, here we examined whether PP1-RIPPO fusions can be used to trap substrates for further analysis. Fusions of an hypoactive point mutant of PP1 and either of four tested RIPPOs accumulated in HEK293T cells with their associated substrates and were co-immunoprecipitated for subsequent identification of the substrates by immunoblotting or MS analysis. Hypoactive fusions were also used to study RIPPOs themselves as substrates for associated PP1. In contrast, substrate trapping was barely detected with active PP1-RIPPO fusions or with nonfused PP1 or RIPPO subunits. Our results suggest that hypoactive fusions of PP1 subunits represent an easy-to-use tool for substrate identification of individual holoenzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]