Diacylglycerol kinase delta and protein kinase C(alpha) modulate epidermal growth factor receptor abundance and degradation through ubiquitin-specific protease 8

J Biol Chem. 2010 Mar 5;285(10):6952-9. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.055731. Epub 2010 Jan 11.

Abstract

Many human epithelial cancers are characterized by abnormal activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is often caused by its excessive expression in tumor cells. The abundance of EGFR is modulated, in part, by its ubiquitination, which targets it for degradation. The components responsible for adding ubiquitin to EGFR are well characterized, but this is a reversible process, and the mechanisms that modulate the removal of ubiquitin from the EGFR are not well known. We found that de-ubiquitination of EGFR was regulated by diacylglycerol kinase delta (DGKdelta), a lipid kinase that terminates diacylglycerol signaling. In DGKdelta-deficient cells, ubiquitination of EGFR was enhanced, which attenuated the steady-state levels of EGFR and promoted its ligand-induced degradation. These effects were not caused by changes in the ubiquitinating apparatus, but instead were due to reduced expression of the de-ubiquitinase, ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8). Depletion of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha), a target of diacylglycerol, rescued the levels of USP8 and normalized EGFR degradation in DGKdelta-deficient cells. Moreover, the effects of PKCalpha were caused by its inhibition of Akt, which stabilizes USP8. Our data indicate a novel mechanism where DGKdelta and PKCalpha modulate the levels of ubiquitinated EGFR through Akt and USP8.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Diacylglycerol Kinase / genetics
  • Diacylglycerol Kinase / metabolism*
  • Endocytosis / physiology
  • Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport / genetics
  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport / metabolism*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate
  • Protein Kinase C-alpha / genetics
  • Protein Kinase C-alpha / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / genetics
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitinated Proteins / genetics
  • Ubiquitinated Proteins / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination

Substances

  • Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Ubiquitinated Proteins
  • Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl
  • DGKD protein, human
  • Diacylglycerol Kinase
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Protein Kinase C-alpha
  • Endopeptidases
  • Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
  • Usp8 protein, mouse