Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling enhances nuclear localization and transcriptional activity of BRCA1.

Abstract

Signaling pathways involved in regulating nuclear-cytoplasmic distribution of BRCA1 have not been previously reported. Here, we provide evidence that heregulin beta1-induced activation of the Akt pathway increases the nuclear content of BRCA1. First, treatment of T47D breast cancer cells with heregulin beta1 results in a two-fold increase in nuclear BRCA1 as assessed by FACS analysis, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. This heregulin-induced increase in nuclear BRCA1 is blocked by siRNA-mediated down-regulation of Akt. Second, mutation of threonine 509 in BRCA1, the site of Akt phosphorylation, to an alanine, attenuates the ability of heregulin to induce BRCA1 nuclear accumulation. These data suggest that Akt-catalyzed phosphorylation of BRCA1 is required for the heregulin-regulated nuclear concentration of BRCA1. Because most functions ascribed to BRCA1 occur within the nucleus, we postulated that phosphorylation-dependent nuclear accumulation of BRCA1 would result in enhanced nuclear activity, specifically transcriptional activity, of BRCA1. This postulate is affirmed by our observation that the ability of BRCA1 to transactivate GADD45 promoter constructs was enhanced in T47D cells treated with heregulin beta1. Furthermore, the heterologous expression of BRCA1 in HCC1937 human breast cancer cells, which have constitutively active Akt, also induces GADD45 promoter activity, whereas the expression of BRCA1 in which threonine 509 has been mutated to an alanine is able to only minimally induce promoter activity. These findings implicate Akt in upstream events leading to BRCA1 nuclear localization and function.

• Authors: Cimona V Hinton, Latricia D Fitzgerald, Marilyn E Thompson
• Journal: Experimental cell research (Exp Cell Res) Vol. 313 Issue 9 Pg. 1735-44 (May 15 2007) ISSN: 0014-4827 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17428466 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Chemical References

• BRCA1 Protein
• Cell Cycle Proteins
• GADD45A protein, human
• Neuregulin-1
• Nuclear Proteins
• RNA, Small Interfering
• heregulin beta1
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

Topics

• Active Transport, Cell Nucleus (genetics)
• BRCA1 Protein (drug effects, genetics, metabolism)
• Breast Neoplasms (genetics, metabolism)
• Cell Cycle Proteins (genetics)
• Cell Line
• Cell Nucleus (genetics, metabolism)
• Cytoplasm (genetics, metabolism)
• Down-Regulation (drug effects, physiology)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (genetics)
• HeLa Cells
• Humans
• Mutation (genetics)
• Neuregulin-1 (metabolism, pharmacology)
• Nuclear Proteins (genetics)
• Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases (genetics, metabolism)
• Phosphorylation (drug effects)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (genetics, metabolism)
• RNA, Small Interfering
• Signal Transduction (genetics)
• Transcriptional Activation (drug effects, genetics)
• Up-Regulation (drug effects, physiology)