Posttranslational Regulation of Smads
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Downloaded from http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/ on September 26, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Posttranslational Regulation of Smads Pinglong Xu,1 Xia Lin,2 and Xin-Hua Feng1,2,3 1Life Sciences Institute and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China 2Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 3Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 Correspondence: [email protected] Transforming growth factor b (TGF-b) family signaling dictates highly complex programs of gene expression responses, which are extensively regulated at multiple levels and vary depending on the physiological context. The formation, activation, and destruction of two major functional complexes in the TGF-b signaling pathway (i.e., the TGF-b receptor com- plexes and the Smad complexes that act as central mediators of TGF-b signaling) are direct targets for posttranslational regulation. Dysfunction of these complexes often leads or con- tributes to pathogenesis in cancer and fibrosis and in cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases. Here we discuss recent insights into the roles of posttranslational modifications in the functions of the receptor-activated Smads in the common Smad4 and inhibitory Smads, and in the control of the physiological responses to TGF-b. It is now evident that these modifications act as decisive factors in defining the intensity and versatility of TGF-b responsiveness. Thus, the characterization of posttranslational modifications of Smads not only sheds light on how TGF-b controls physiological and pathological processes but may also guide us to manipulate the TGF-b responses for therapeutic benefits. he transforming growth factor b (TGF-b) main of the receptor upon TGF-b1 binding Tfamily consists of structurally related poly- provides the basis for signal transduction. Li- peptide dimers that are involved in a diversity of gand binding stabilizes the interaction of TGF- physiological processes in all metazoans. They b type II receptor (TbRII) dimers with dimers regulate cell functions, cell and tissue differen- of the TGF-b type I receptor, TbRI, also called tiation, and morphogenesis. As a result, dereg- activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK-5), enabling ulation of TGF-b family activities leads to or TbRII to phosphorylate serines and threonines contributes to the pathogenesis of cancer and in the short juxtamembrane Gly-Ser (GS) mo- fibrosis, cardiovascular and autoimmune dis- tifs of TbRI receptors (Souchelnytskyi et al. eases, and developmental defects. 1996). This phosphorylation event triggers con- The signal transduction pathway activated formational changes in TbRI that allow a sur- by TGF-b family proteins appears quite face of TbRI to interact with a basic patch of the straightforward. Viewing TGF-b1 as the proto- Mad homology 2 (MH2) domain of the recep- type, phosphorylation in the cytoplasmic do- tor-regulated Smads (R-Smads) and phosphor- Editors: Rik Derynck and Kohei Miyazono Additional Perspectives on The Biology of the TGF-b Family available at www.cshperspectives.org Copyright # 2016 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved Advanced Online Article. Cite this article as Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a022087 1 Downloaded from http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/ on September 26, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press P. Xu et al. ylation of R-Smads by TbRI on distal two ser- activated in response to stimulation of TGF-b, ines of the conserved carboxy-terminal SSXS nodal, and activin, whereas Smad1, Smad5, motif (Huse et al. 2001; Shi and Massague´ and Smad8 respond to bone-morphogenetic 2003). Subsequently, two phosphorylated R- proteins (BMPs) and growth and differentia- Smads form a heterotrimeric complex with tion factors (GDFs) (Heldin and Moustakas the common Smad4 (co-Smad). The resulting 2012). Characterized by a highly conserved ami- trimeric complex is rapidly translocated into no-terminal MH1 and carboxy-terminal MH2 the nucleus where it elicits transcriptional re- domains, and separated by a variable serine- sponses (Feng and Derynck 2005; Massague´ and proline-rich linker region, these R-Smads et al. 2005; Schmierer and Hill 2007). The act as main effectors for TGF-b family signaling Smad complex associates with a wide range of (Shi and Massague´ 2003). Like many key signal- DNA-binding transcription factors and cofac- ing mediators, the expression level and activity tors (e.g., coactivators and corepressors) to de- of R-Smads are under stringent control, partic- liver diverse transcriptional responses on the ularly through PTMs including (de)phosphor- DNA in a context-dependent manner. Besides ylation, (de)ubiquitylation, sumoylation, (de)- the canonical Smad-dependent pathway, ligand acetylation, methylation, and ADP-ribosylation binding to cognate receptor complexes also (Fig. 1). leads to activation of non-Smad signaling path- ways, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and the phosphoinositide 3- kinase (PI3K)-Akt-mTOR pathway (Derynck Phosphorylation and Dephosphorylation and Zhang 2003). These non-Smad pathways of R-Smads play an important role in some TGF-b-regulat- Phosphorylation of the SSXS Motif by TGF-b ed processes, such as the generation of regula- Type I Receptor and Other Kinases tory Treg (T) and TH17 cells (Korn et al. 2009). All signaling mediators in the TGF-b path- R-Smads are activated through ligand-induced way are subject to extensive posttranslational phosphorylation by the type I receptors of modifications (PTMs). Taking TGF-b receptors two serines in their carboxy-terminal SSXS mo- as examples, a variety of modifications have tif. The TGF-b-specific type I receptor TbRI/ been identified in recent years. These include ALK-5 phosphorylates Smad2 and Smad3, phosphorylation (Lawler et al. 1997; Galliher whereas the BMP-specific type I receptors and Schiemann 2007; Lee et al. 2007b), ubiqui- ALK-3/BMPRIA (BMP receptor, type IA) and tylation, sumoylation (Kang et al. 2008), ned- ALK-6/BMPRIB phosphorylate Smad1, 5, and dylation (Zuo et al. 2013), and ectodomain 8. This phosphorylation leads to the dissocia- shedding (Atfi et al. 2007; Liu et al. 2009a; Xu tion of R-Smads from their type I receptors, and and Derynck 2010; Mu et al. 2011), which con- homo- or heterodimerization of phosphorylat- tribute to the spatial and temporal regulation in ed R-Smads. After association of two R-Smads TGF-b responsiveness and function in distinct with Smad4, the R-Smad/Smad4 complexes contexts. PTMs of TGF-b receptors have been translocate into the nucleus, in which they elicit reviewed elsewhere (Xu et al. 2012). We now transcriptional responses by interacting with a focus our discussion on the current knowledge variety of transcription factors and transcrip- of the dynamic regulation of distinct Smads by tional coregulators. PTMs, and its pivotal roles in controlling TGF- In addition to this canonical model of TGF- b family functions. b signaling through Smad2 and Smad3, some TGF-b family ligands were shown to initiate unexpected phosphorylation of a noncanonical POSTTRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATIONS R-Smad. Specifically, in addition to the ex- OF R-Smads pected Smad2 and Smad3 activation, TGF-b The eight Smads identified in vertebrates com- induces Smad1 and Smad5 phosphorylation. prise five R-Smads. Smad2 and Smad3 are In endothelial cells, the TGF-b-specific type I 2 Advanced Online Article. Cite this article as Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a022087 Downloaded from http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/ Advanced Online Article. Cite this article as P Phosphorylation SCP1/2/3 Rock U Monoubiquitylation p38 MAPK GSK3 Ac Acetylation MPK38 PP2A ERK p300/CBP MTMR4 USP15 ERK JNK PPM1A Ac SCP1/2/3 Smurf2 CDK8/9 CDK8/9 MPS1 onSeptember26,2021-PublishedbyColdSpringHarborLaboratoryPress CDK2/4 GSK3β NEDD4 CDK2/4 CDK2/4 PKG Smurf2 PKG CK1γ 2 TβR1 Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol P PPPPPPUUUP T8 T66 K81 T179 S204 S208 S213 S309 K333 K378 S388 S418 S423 S425 Smad3 MH1 Linker MH2 doi: 10.1101 Smad2 MH1 Linker MH2 Posttranslational Regulation of Smads T8 K19 K20 K39 / T197 T220 T255 S110 S240 S245 S250 S260 S417 S465 S467 cshperspect.a022087 PP P Ac PPPP PAK2 TβR1 ERK p300 CaMK II GRK2 ERK CaMK II PAK2 P/CAF CDK8/9 Araf PAK4 ERK PPM1A MPK38 MTMR4 Figure 1. Defined modifications and modifying enzymes of Smad2 and Smad3. Domain structures are indicated. Blue triangles represent modifications that promote Smad signaling, whereas red triangles (upside down) represent modifica- tions that attenuate Smad signaling. 3 Downloaded from http://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/ on September 26, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press P. Xu et al. receptor TbRI/ALK-5 as well as the BMP family type I TGF-b family receptor kinases. For exam- type I receptor ALK-1 are essential for TGF- ple, Mps1, a kinase that regulates mitotic pro- b-induced Smad1 and Smad5 phosphoryla- gression, can phosphorylate the SSXS motif tion, together with the accessory receptor en- of Smad2 and Smad3, although it is unclear doglin (Goumans et al. 2002, 2003; Lebrin whether it activates the Smad pathway (Zhu et al. 2004). Although TbRI/ALK-5-mediated et al. 2007). The oncogenic kinase p21 pro- Smad2 and Smad3 activation leads to inhibition tein-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) can phosphory- of cell migration and proliferation, ALK-1-me- late Ser465 in the SSXS motif of Smad2, which diated Smad1 and Smad5 activation results in leads to Smad2 proteasomal degradation. Ac- opposite effects. Therefore, a fine balance be- cordingly, a marked increase in phospho-S465 tween TbRI/ALK-5 and ALK-1 signaling de- Smad2 level, concomitant with a lower total fines the roles of TGF-b in endothelium (Gou- Smad2 protein level, has been observed in gas- mans et al. 2002, 2003; Lebrin et al. 2004). A tric cancer tissues (Wang et al. 2014a). The similar scenario is also observed in dermal fi- physiological significance of R-Smad phos- broblasts, in which TGF-b stimulates Smad1 phorylation and activation by these kinases re- phosphorylation and Smad1-mediated tran- mains to be further explored.