Abstract
As well as providing a structural framework, the actin cytoskeleton plays integral roles in cell death, survival, and proliferation. The disruption of the actin cytoskeleton results in the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway; however, the sensor of actin integrity that couples to the JNK pathway has not been characterized in mammalian cells. We now report that the mammalian Ste20-like (MST) kinases mediate the activation of the JNK pathway in response to the disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. One consequence of actin disruption is the JNK-mediated stabilization of p21(Waf1/Cip1) (p21) via the phosphorylation of Thr57. The expression of MST1 or MST2 was sufficient to stabilize p21 in a JNK- and Thr57-dependent manner, while the stabilization of p21 by actin disruption required MST activity. These data indicate that, in addition to being components of the Salvador-Warts-Hippo tumor suppressor network and binding partners of c-Raf and the RASSF1A tumor suppressor, MST kinases serve to monitor cytoskeletal integrity and couple via the JNK SAPK pathway to the regulation of a key cell cycle regulatory protein.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 6380-90 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Molecular and Cellular Biology |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 24 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2009 |
Keywords
- Actins
- Animals
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21
- Cytoskeleton
- Emetine
- Enzyme Activation
- Enzyme Stability
- HeLa Cells
- Humans
- Mice
- Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8
- Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
- NIH 3T3 Cells
- Protein Synthesis Inhibitors
- Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases
- RNA Interference
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins
- Signal Transduction