Loss of NDRG2 enhanced activation of the NF-κB pathway by PTEN and NIK phosphorylation for ATL and other cancer development

Sci Rep. 2015 Aug 13:5:12841. doi: 10.1038/srep12841.

Abstract

The activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling has a central role in the development of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and many other cancers. However, the activation mechanism of the NF-κB pathways remains poorly understood. Recently, we reported that N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is a negative regulator of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway by promoting the active dephosphorylated form of PTEN at its C-terminus via the recruitment of PP2A. Additionally, the down-regulation of NDRG2 expression promotes the inactive phosphorylated form of PTEN, which results in constitutively active PI3K/AKT signaling in various cancer cell types. Here, we investigated the involvement of NDRG2 in modulating NF-κB signaling. The forced expression of NDRG2 in ATL cells down-regulates not only the canonical pathway by inhibiting AKT signaling but also the non-canonical pathway by inducing NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) dephosphorylation via the recruitment of PP2A. Therefore, NDRG2 works as a PP2A recruiter to suppress not only PI3K/AKT signaling but also NF-κB signaling, which is particularly important in host defenses or immune responses to Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. Furthermore, the loss of NDRG2 expression might play an important role in the progression of tumor development after HTLV-1 infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / genetics
  • Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / pathogenicity
  • Humans
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / genetics*
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / pathology
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / virology
  • NF-kappa B / genetics
  • NF-kappaB-Inducing Kinase
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / biosynthesis
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / genetics*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / biosynthesis
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • NDRG2 protein, human
  • NF-kappa B
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human