C/EBPβ-LAP*/LAP Expression Is Mediated by RSK/eIF4B-Dependent Signalling and Boosted by Increased Protein Stability in Models of Monocytic Differentiation

PLoS One. 2015 Dec 8;10(12):e0144338. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144338. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The transcription factor C/EBPβ plays a key role in monocytic differentiation and inflammation. Its small isoform LIP is associated with proliferation at early premonocytic developmental stages and regulated via mTOR-dependent signalling. During later stages of (pre)monocytic differentiation there is a considerable increase in the large C/EBPβ isoforms LAP*/LAP which inhibit proliferation thus supporting terminal differentiation. Here, we showed in different models of monocytic differentiation that this dramatic increase in the LAP*/LAP protein and LAP/LIP ratio was accompanied by an only modest/retarded mRNA increase suggesting an important role for (post)translational mechanisms. We found that LAP*/LAP formation was induced via MEK/RSK-dependent cascades, whereas mTOR/S6K1 were not involved. Remarkably, LAP*/LAP expression was dependent on phosphorylated eIF4B, an acceleratory protein of RNA helicase eIF4A. PKR inhibition reduced the expression of eIF4B and C/EBPβ in an eIF2α-independent manner. Furthermore, under our conditions a marked stabilisation of LAP*/LAP protein occurred, accompanied by reduced chymotrypsin-like proteasome/calpain activities and increased calpastatin levels. Our study elucidates new signalling pathways inducing LAP*/LAP expression and indicates new alternative PKR functions in monocytes. The switch from mTOR- to RSK-mediated signalling to orchestrate eIF4B-dependent LAP*/LAP translation, accompanied by increased protein stability but only small mRNA changes, may be a prototypical example for the regulation of protein expression during selected processes of differentiation/proliferation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / metabolism*
  • Calpain / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chymotrypsin / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factors / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Models, Biological*
  • Monocytes / cytology*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Stability
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*

Substances

  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta
  • Eukaryotic Initiation Factors
  • eIF-4B
  • Chymotrypsin
  • Calpain

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (grant SFB 566/B17 to KB; www.dfg.de) and the Deutsche Vereinte Gesellschaft für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin (DGKL; Stiftung für Pathobiochemie und Molekulare Diagnostik; grant 2012/14 to KB and DP, grant 2014/15 to MC; www.dgkl.de). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.