Binding and Phosphorylation of Par-4 by Akt Is Essential for Cancer Cell Survival

• Published in: Molecular cell Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 33 - 44
• Main Authors: Goswami, Anindya, Burikhanov, Ravshan, de Thonel, Aurelie, Fujita, Naoya, Goswami, Mamta, Zhao, Yanming, Eriksson, John E., Tsuruo, Takashi, Rangnekar, Vivek M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 07-10-2005; Cell Press
• Subjects: Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis - physiology; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins - metabolism; Cell Line; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cell Survival - physiology; Chromones - pharmacology; Enzyme Activation - drug effects; Enzyme Activation - physiology; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Humans; Leucine Zippers - physiology; Life Sciences; Male; Morpholines - pharmacology; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Prostatic Neoplasms - metabolism; Protein Structure, Tertiary - physiology; PTEN Phosphohydrolase - metabolism; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - physiology
• ISSN: 1097-2765; 1097-4164
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2005.08.016

Activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway by loss of tumor suppressor PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) function, increased growth factor signaling, or oncogene expression renders cancer cells resistant to apoptotic signals and promotes tumor growth. Although Akt acts as a global survival signal, the molecular circuits of this pathway have not been completely established. We report that Akt physically binds to the pro-apoptotic protein Par-4 via the Par-4 leucine zipper domain and phosphorylates Par-4 to inhibit apoptosis. Suppression of Akt activation by the PI3K-inhibitor PTEN or LY294002, Akt expression by RNA-interference, or Akt function by dominant-negative Akt caused apoptosis in cancer cells. Apoptosis induced by inhibiting Akt was blocked by inhibition of Par-4 expression, but not by inhibition of other apoptosis agonists that are Akt substrates, suggesting that inhibition of the PI3K-Akt pathway leads to Par-4-dependent apoptosis. Thus, Par-4 is essential for PTEN-inducible apoptosis, and inactivation of Par-4 by Akt promotes cancer cell survival.