Impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system by cellular FLIP

Genes Cells. 2007 Jun;12(6):735-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2007.01087.x.

Abstract

Cellular FLIP (cFLIP) is a homologue of caspase-8 without protease activity that inhibits the apoptosis signaling initiated by death receptor ligation. We previously reported that a long form of cFLIP (cFLIP-L) inhibits ubiquitylation of beta-catenin and enhances Wnt signaling. Here we show that cFLIP-L impairs the function of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), and increases the accumulation of various short-lived proteins, such as GFP conjugated with destabilization sequence, beta-catenin and HIF1 alpha, that are subjected to rapid ubiquitylation and degradation by proteasomes. Accordingly, beta-catenin- and HIF1 alpha-mediated gene expressions are induced in the cFLIP-L-expressing cells. Exogenously expressed cFLIP-L accumulates in aggregates at the peri-nuclear region in the cells, and the cFLIP-L aggregates are refractory to solubilization. Like exogenously expressed cFLIP-L, the endogenous cFLIP in A549 lung cancer cells displays particulate distribution in the cells and more than 60% of cFLIP-L is refractory to solubilization. Down-regulation of cFLIP in A549 cells by RNA-mediated interference reduced beta-catenin- and HIF1 alpha-mediated gene expression. These results suggest that cFLIP-L is prone to aggregate and impairs UPS function, which could be involved in the pathological function of cFLIP-L expressed in certain cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis
  • CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Down-Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / chemistry*
  • RNA Interference
  • Signal Transduction
  • Ubiquitin / chemistry*
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein
  • HIF1A protein, human
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • Ubiquitin
  • beta Catenin
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex