A lentivirus-mediated genetic screen identifies dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) as a modulator of beta-catenin/GSK3 signaling

PLoS One. 2009 Sep 3;4(9):e6892. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006892.

Abstract

The multi-protein beta-catenin destruction complex tightly regulates beta-catenin protein levels by shuttling beta-catenin to the proteasome. Glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta), a key serine/threonine kinase in the destruction complex, is responsible for several phosphorylation events that mark beta-catenin for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Because modulation of both beta-catenin and GSK3beta activity may have important implications for treating disease, a complete understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the beta-catenin/GSK3beta interaction is warranted. We screened an arrayed lentivirus library expressing small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting 5,201 human druggable genes for silencing events that activate a beta-catenin pathway reporter (BAR) in synergy with 6-bromoindirubin-3'oxime (BIO), a specific inhibitor of GSK3beta. Top screen hits included shRNAs targeting dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), the target of the anti-inflammatory compound methotrexate. Exposure of cells to BIO plus methotrexate resulted in potent synergistic activation of BAR activity, reduction of beta-catenin phosphorylation at GSK3-specific sites, and accumulation of nuclear beta-catenin. Furthermore, the observed synergy correlated with inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK3beta and was neutralized upon inhibition of phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Linking these observations to inflammation, we also observed synergistic inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFalpha, IL-6, and IL-12), and increased production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to GSK3 inhibitors and methotrexate. Our data establish DHFR as a novel modulator of beta-catenin and GSK3 signaling and raise several implications for clinical use of combined methotrexate and GSK3 inhibitors as treatment for inflammatory disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Line
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Indoles / metabolism
  • Interleukin-12 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Lentivirus / metabolism*
  • Methotrexate / pharmacology
  • Models, Biological
  • Oximes / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / metabolism*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Indoles
  • Interleukin-6
  • Oximes
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • beta Catenin
  • Interleukin-12
  • Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
  • Methotrexate