Papers by Mihail Iordanov
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1998
The ribotoxic stress response, which is conserved between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, is a cellul... more The ribotoxic stress response, which is conserved between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, is a cellular reaction to cytotoxic interference with the function of the 3-end of the large (23 S/28 S) ribosomal RNA. The 3-end of the large rRNA is directly involved in the three sequential steps of translational elongation: the aminoacyl-tRNA binding, the peptidyl transfer, and the ribosomal translocation. In mammalian cells, the ribotoxic stress response involves activation of the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and transcriptional induction of immediate early genes such as c-fos and c-jun. Active ribosomes are essential mediators of the ribotoxic stress response. We demonstrate here that the transcriptional response

UV-induced signal transduction
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-biology, 1997
Irradiation of cells with wavelength ultraviolet (UVA, B and C) induces the transcription of many... more Irradiation of cells with wavelength ultraviolet (UVA, B and C) induces the transcription of many genes. The program overlaps with that induced by oxidants and alkylating agents and has both protective and other functions. Genes transcribed in response to UV irradiation include genes encoding transcription factors, proteases and viral proteins. While the transcription factor encoding genes is initiated in minutes after UV irradiation (immediate response genes) and depends exclusively on performed proteins, the transcription of protease encoding occurs only many hours after UV irradiation. Transcription factors controlling the activity of immediate response genes are activated by protein kinases belonging to the group of proline directed protein kinases immediately after UV irradiation. Experimental evidence suggests that these kinases are activated in UV irradiated cells through pathways which are used by growth factors. In fact, the first cellular reaction detectable in UV irradiated cells is the phosphorylation of several growth factor receptors at tyrosine residues. This phosphorylation does not depend on UV induced DNA damage, but is due to an inhibition of the activity of tyrosine phosphatases. In contrast, for late cellular reactions to UV, an obligatory role of DNA damage in transcribed regions of the genome can be demonstrated. Thus, UV is absorbed by several target molecules relevant for cellular signaling, and it appears that numerous signal transduction pathways are stimulated. The combined action of these pathways establishes the genetic program that determines the fate of UV irradiated cells.
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2006
2 The abbreviations used are: CtBP, carboxyl-terminal-binding protein; MEF, mouse embryonic fibro... more 2 The abbreviations used are: CtBP, carboxyl-terminal-binding protein; MEF, mouse embryonic fibroblast; HIPK2, homeodomain-interacting protein kinase-2; JNK1, c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase 1; TNF␣, tumor necrosis factor ␣.

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1999
Irradiation of mammalian cells with ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) triggers the activation of a g... more Irradiation of mammalian cells with ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) triggers the activation of a group of stress-activated protein kinases known as c-Jun NH 2terminal kinases (JNKs). UV-B activates JNKs via UV-Binduced ribotoxic stress. Because oxidative stress also activates JNKs, we have addressed the question of whether the ribotoxic and the oxidative stress responses are mechanistically similar. The pro-oxidants sodium arsenite, cadmium chloride, and hydrogen peroxide activated JNK1 with slow kinetics, whereas UV-B potentiated the activity of JNK1 rapidly. N-acetyl cysteine (a scavenger of reactive oxygen intermediates) abolished the ability of all oxidative stressors tested to activate JNK1, but failed to affect the activation of JNK1 by UV-B or by another ribotoxic stressor, the antibiotic anisomycin. In contrast, emetine, an inhibitor of the ribotoxic stress response, was unable to inhibit the activation of JNK1 by oxidative stressors. Although UV-A and long wavelength UV-B are the spectral components of the ultraviolet solar radiation that cause significant oxidative damage to macromolecules, the use of a filter to eliminate the radiation output from wavelengths below 310 nm abolished the activation of JNK1 by UV. Our results are consistent with the notion that UV-B and oxidative stressors trigger the activation of JNK1 through different signal transduction pathways.
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1998
The tumor promoter palytoxin has been found to activate the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun... more The tumor promoter palytoxin has been found to activate the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase 1 (SAPK/JNK1), and it also potentiates, as demonstrated here, the p38/HOG1 mitogen-activated protein kinase and the upstream activator of SAPK/ JNK1, SEK1/MKK4. In search of possible mechanisms for both the cytotoxicity and the activation of stress kinases by palytoxin, we found that palytoxin is a potent inhibitor of cellular protein synthesis. The inhibition of translation by palytoxin does not result from its direct binding to the translational apparatus. We have previously demonstrated that ribotoxic stressors (Iordanov, M. S., Pribnow, D., Magun, J. L., Dinh, T.-H., Pearson, J. A., Chen, S. L.-Y., and Magun, B. E. (1997) Mol. Cell.

Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2006
Fas ligand (FasL) causes apoptosis of epidermal keratinocytes and triggers the appearance of spon... more Fas ligand (FasL) causes apoptosis of epidermal keratinocytes and triggers the appearance of spongiosis in eczematous dermatitis. We demonstrate here that FasL also aggravates inflammation by triggering the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules in keratinocytes. In HaCaT cells and in reconstructed human epidermis (RHE), FasL triggered a NF-kB-dependent mRNA accumulation of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-a, IL-6, and IL-1b), chemokines (CCL2/MCP-1, CXCL1/GROa, CXCL3/GROg, and CXCL8/IL-8), and the adhesion molecule ICAM-1. Oligomerization of Fas was required both for apoptosis and for gene expression. Inhibition of caspase activity abolished FasL-dependent apoptosis; however, it failed to suppress the expression of FasL-induced genes. Additionally, in the presence of caspase inhibitors, but not in their absence, FasL triggered the accumulation of CCL5/RANTES (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted) mRNA. Our findings identify a novel proinflammatory role of FasL in keratinocytes that is independent of caspase activity and is separable from apoptosis. Thus, in addition to causing spongiosis, FasL may play a direct role in triggering and/or sustaining inflammation in eczemas.

Inhibition of protein synthesis per se does not potentiate the stress-activated protein kinases (... more Inhibition of protein synthesis per se does not potentiate the stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs; also known as cJun NH 2 -terminal kinases [JNKs]). The protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin, however, is a potent activator of SAPKs/JNKs. The mechanism of this activation is unknown. We provide evidence that in order to activate SAPK/JNK1, anisomycin requires ribosomes that are translationally active at the time of contact with the drug, suggesting a ribosomal origin of the anisomycin-induced signaling to SAPK/JNK1. In support of this notion, we have found that aminohexose pyrimidine nucleoside antibiotics, which bind to the same region in the 28S rRNA that is the target site for anisomycin, are also potent activators of SAPK/JNK1. Binding of an antibiotic to the 28S rRNA interferes with the functioning of the molecule by altering the structural interactions of critical regions. We hypothesized, therefore, that such alterations in the 28S rRNA may act as recognition signals to activate SAPK/JNK1. To test this hypothesis, we made use of two ribotoxic enzymes, ricin A chain and ␣-sarcin, both of which catalyze sequence-specific RNA damage in the 28S rRNA. Consistent with our hypothesis, ricin A chain and ␣-sarcin were strong agonists of SAPK/JNK1 and of its activator SEK1/MKK4 and induced the expression of the immediate-early genes c-fos and c-jun. As in the case of anisomycin, ribosomes that were active at the time of exposure to ricin A chain or ␣-sarcin were able to initiate signal transduction from the damaged 28S rRNA to SAPK/JNK1 while inactive ribosomes were not.
BMC Cell Biology, 2006
The family of c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinases (JNK) plays important roles in embryonic development a... more The family of c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinases (JNK) plays important roles in embryonic development and in cellular responses to stress. Toxic metals and their compounds are potent activators of JNK in mammalian cells. The mechanism of mammalian JNK activation by cadmium and sodium arsenite involves toxicant-induced oxidative stress. The study of mammalian signaling pathways to JNK is complicated by the significant degree of redundancy among upstream JNK regulators, especially at the level of JNK kinase kinases (JNKKK).

American Journal of Pathology, 2005
Our previous studies showed that depurination of the 28S rRNA by ricin results in the inhibition ... more Our previous studies showed that depurination of the 28S rRNA by ricin results in the inhibition of translation and the coordinate activation of the stress-activated protein kinases JNK and p38 MAPK. In RAW 264.7 macrophages, ricin induced the activation of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK, the accumulation of mRNA encoding tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-␣, interleukin (IL)-1, the transcription factors c-Fos, c-Jun, and EGR1, and the appearance of TNF-␣ protein in the culture medium. Using specific inhibitors of MAPKs, we demonstrated the nonredundant roles of the individual MAPKs in mediating proinflammatory gene activation in response to ricin. Similarly, the intravenous administration of ricin to mice led to the activation of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK in the kidneys, and increases in plasma-borne TNF-␣, IL-1, and IL-6. Ricin-injected mice developed the hallmarks of hemolytic uremic syndrome, including thrombotic microangiopathy, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. Microarray analyses demonstrated a massive proinflammatory transcriptional response in the kidneys, coincidental with the symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Therapeutic management of the inflammatory response may affect the outcome of intoxication by ricin. Address reprint requests to Bruce Magun,

Differential Requirement for the Stress-Activated Protein Kinase/c-Jun NH 2Terminal Kinase in RNA Damage-Induced Apoptosis in Primary and in Immortalized Fibroblasts
Molecular Cell Biology Research Communications, 2000
Onconase, an anticancer ribonuclease, damages cellular tRNA and causes caspase-dependent apoptosi... more Onconase, an anticancer ribonuclease, damages cellular tRNA and causes caspase-dependent apoptosis in targeted cells (M. S. Iordanov, O. P. Ryabinina, J. Wong, T. H. Dinh, D. L. Newton, S. M. Rybak, and B. E. Magun. Cancer Res. 60, 1983-1994, 2000). The proapoptotic action of onconase depends on its RNase activity, but the molecular mechanisms leading to RNA damage-induced caspase activation are completely unknown. In this study, we have investigated whether onconase activates two signal-transduction pathways commonly stimulated by conventional chemo- and radiotherapy, namely the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) cascade and the pathway leading to the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB). We found that, in all cell types tested, onconase is a potent activator of SAPK1 (JNK1 and JNK2) and SAPK2 (p38 MAP kinase), but that it is incapable of activating NF-kappaB. Inhibition of p38 MAP kinase activity with a pharmacological inhibitor, SB203580, demonstrated that p38 MAP kinase is not required for onconase cytotoxicity. Using explanted fibroblasts from mice that contain targeted disruption of both jnk1 and jnk2 alleles, we found that JNKs are important mediators of onconase-induced cytotoxicity. Surprisingly, following the immortalization of these same cells with human papilloma virus (HPV16) gene products E6 and E7, additional proapoptotic pathways (exclusive of JNK) were provoked by onconase. Our results demonstrate that onconase may activate proapoptotic pathways in tumor cells that are not able to be accessed in normal cells. These results present the possibility that the cytotoxic activity of onconase in normal cells may be reduced by blocking the activity of JNKs.
Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology, 2001
Targeting CD22 on human B-cells with a monoclonal antibody conjugated to a cytotoxic RNAse causes... more Targeting CD22 on human B-cells with a monoclonal antibody conjugated to a cytotoxic RNAse causes potent and specific killing of the lymphoma cells in vitro. This translates to anti-tumor effects in human lymphoma models in SCID mice. RNA www.elsevier.com/locate/critrevonc : S 1 0 4 0 -8 4 2 8 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 1 1 6 -0 D.L. Newton et al. / Critical Re6iews in Oncology/Hematology 39 (2001) 79-86 80

Apoptosis, 2005
Rapid elimination of virus-infected cells by apoptosis is an efficient anti-viral strategy. Doubl... more Rapid elimination of virus-infected cells by apoptosis is an efficient anti-viral strategy. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), a viral product, is potently and rapidly apoptogenic in susceptible cells. Caspase 8 plays an important role in the dsRNA-induced apoptosis; however, the mechanisms of caspase 8 activation in response to dsRNA are unknown. We demonstrate here that, in HeLa cells, the dsRNA-triggered activation of caspase 8 is independent of ongoing proteins synthesis (and is, therefore, independent of changes in pro- and anti-apoptotic gene expression) and involves the formation of multiprotein dsRNA-triggered death inducing signaling complexes (dsRNA-DISCs). DsRNA-DISCs contain FADD, TRADD, and caspase 8; however, several experimental approaches suggest that death ligands and death receptors (such as Fas/Apo1 and DR4/Apo2) are not involved in the formation of dsRNA-DISCs.

The p38MAPK Inhibitor SB203580 Alleviates Ultraviolet-Induced Phosphorylation at Serine 389 but Not Serine 15 and Activation of p53
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1999
Phosphorylation of p53 at serine 389 has been shown to be responsive uniquely to UV but not gamma... more Phosphorylation of p53 at serine 389 has been shown to be responsive uniquely to UV but not gamma irradiation. This report describes identification of the UV-responsive p38MAPK protein as a serine 389 kinase. The immunoprecipitated p38MAPK from UV-irradiated murine embryonic testicular carcinoma F9 cells phosphorylated the serine 392 residue but not serine 15 of the human p53 protein in vitro and this phosphorylation was inhibited by a p38MAPK-specific chemical inhibitor SB203580. The inhibitor also remarkably alleviated the UV-caused induction and serine 389 but not serine 15 phosphorylation of the murine p53 protein in vivo. Subsequently, this compound suppressed transcriptional activity of p53 and partially retarded UV-induced apoptosis. Moreover, p53 bound to p38 as revealed by immunoprecipitation with anti-p53 antibodies from UV-treated F9 cells. Thus, these results suggest that UV-stimulated p53 phosphorylation at serine 389 is mediated by the stress-responsive p38MAPK.

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2001
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of viral origin triggers two programs of the innate immunity in virus... more Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of viral origin triggers two programs of the innate immunity in virusinfected cells. One is intended to decrease the rate of host cell protein synthesis and thus to prevent viral replication. This program is mediated by protein kinase R (PKR) and by RNase L and contributes, eventually, to the self-elimination of the infected cell via apoptosis. The second program is responsible for the production of antiviral (type I) interferons and other alarmone cytokines and serves the purpose of preparing naive cells for the viral invasion. This second program requires the survival of the infected cell and depends on the expression of antiapoptotic genes through the activation of the NF-B transcription factor. The second program therefore relies on ongoing transcription and translation. It has been proposed that PKR plays an essential role in the activation of NF-B by dsRNA. Here we present evidence that the dsRNA-induced NF-B activity and the expression of beta interferon and inflammatory cytokines do not require either PKR or RNase L. Our results indicate, therefore, that the two dsRNA-activated programs are separate and can function independently of each other.

Apoptosis, 2005
Viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a ubiquitous intracellular “alert signal” used by cells to d... more Viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a ubiquitous intracellular “alert signal” used by cells to detect viral infection and to mount anti-viral responses. DsRNA triggers a rapid (complete within 2–4 h) apoptosis in the highly-susceptible HeLa cell line. Here, we demonstrate that the apical event in this apoptotic cascade is the activation of procaspase 8. Downstream of caspase 8, the apoptotic signaling cascade bifurcates into a mitochondria-independent caspase 8/caspase 3 arm and a mitochondria-dependent, caspase 8/Bid/Bax/Bak/cytochrome c arm. Both arms impinge upon, and activate, procaspase 9 via two different cleavage sites within the procaspase 9 molecule (D330 and D315, respectively). This is the first in vivo demonstration that the “effector” caspase 3 plays an “initiator” role in the regulation of caspase 9. The dsRNA-induced apoptosis is potentiated by the inhibition of protein synthesis, whose role is to accelerate the execution of all apoptosis steps downstream of, and including, the activation of caspase 8. Thus, efficient apoptosis in response to viral dsRNA results from the co-operation of the two major apical caspases (8 and 9) and the dsRNA-activated protein kinase R (PKR)/ribonuclease L (RNase L) system that is essential for the inhibition of protein synthesis in response to viral infection.

Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2005
Recent findings have implicated Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) in mediating the death of keratinocytes in ... more Recent findings have implicated Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) in mediating the death of keratinocytes in spongiotic lesions. We asked whether dying keratinocytes could potentially initiate a protective response of the skin to limit the destruction of the epidermis in the spongiotic areas. In addition to apoptosis, treatment of keratinocyte cultures in vitro with FasL triggers a profound phoshorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and of its downstream effectors ERK and protein kinase B (PKB/Akt). Using a variety of inhibitors and blocking antibodies, we demonstrated that: (i) apoptosis is required for the generation of the signal(s) leading to the activation of EGFR, ERK, and Akt; (ii) the activation of EGFR, ERK, and Akt by FasL is indeed mediated by its bona fide receptor Fas; (iii) the activation of EGFR is essential for the subsequent activation of ERK and Akt; and (iv) apoptotic keratinocytes secrete soluble EGFR ligands (including amphiregulin) that are processed from membrane-bound proligand forms by metalloproteinase(s). Our findings demonstrate a potential mechanism for the restriction and repair of spongiotic damage in eczemas.

Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2002
In mammals, UVB radiation is of biological relevance primarily for the cells of the epidermis. We... more In mammals, UVB radiation is of biological relevance primarily for the cells of the epidermis. We report here the existence of a UVB response that is specific for proliferating human epidermal keratinocytes. Unlike other cell types that also display a UVB response, keratinocytes respond to UVB irradiation with a transient but potent downregulation of the Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascade. The downregulation of ERK precedes a profound decrease in the steady-state levels of cyclin D1, a mediator of the proliferative action of ERK. Keratinocytes exhibit high constitutive activity of the Ras-ERK signaling cascade even in culture medium lacking supplemental growth factors. The increased activity of Ras and phosphorylation of ERK in these cells are maintained by the autocrine production of secreted molecules that activate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Irradiation of keratinocytes increases the phosphorylation of EGFR on tyrosine residues Y845, Y992, Y1045, Y1068, Y1086, Y1148, and Y1173 above the basal levels and leads to the increased recruitment of the adaptor proteins Grb2 and ShcA and of a p55 form of the regulatory subunit of the phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase to the UVB-activated EGFR. Paradoxically, however, UVB causes, at the same time, the inactivation of Ras and a subsequent dephosphorylation of ERK. By contrast, the signaling pathway leading from the activated EGFR to the phosphorylation of PKB/Akt1 is potentiated by UVB. The UVB response of keratinocytes appeared to be a manifestation of the more general ribotoxic stress response inasmuch as the transduction of the UVB-generated inhibitory signal to Ras and ERK required the presence of active ribosomes at the time of irradiation.

Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2009
T helper (Th) 17 cells have recently been implicated in psoriasis pathogenesis, but mechanisms of... more T helper (Th) 17 cells have recently been implicated in psoriasis pathogenesis, but mechanisms of how these cells traffic into inflamed skin are unknown. By immunostaining for interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-22, we show numerous cells present in psoriasis lesions that produce these cytokines. We next found that Th17 cytokines (IL-17A, IL-22, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a) markedly increased the expression of CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 20, a CC chemokine receptor (CCR)6 ligand, in human keratinocyte monolayer and raft cultures in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Lastly, we showed in mice that subcutaneous injection with recombinant IL-17A, IL-22, or TNF-a led to the upregulation of both CCL20 and CCR6 expression in skin as well as cutaneous T-cell infiltration. Taken together, these data show that Th17 cytokines stimulate CCL20 production in vitro and in vivo, and thus provide a potential explanation of how CCR6-positive Th17 cells maintain their continual presence in psoriasis through a positive chemotactic feedback loop.

Fas Ligand-induced Proinflammatory Transcriptional Responses in Reconstructed Human Epidermis: RECRUITMENT OF THE EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR AND ACTIVATION OF MAP KINASES
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2007
Fas ligand (FasL) exerts potent proapoptotic and proinflammatory actions on epidermal keratinocyt... more Fas ligand (FasL) exerts potent proapoptotic and proinflammatory actions on epidermal keratinocytes and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of eczema, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and drug-induced skin eruptions. We used reconstructed human epidermis to investigate the mechanisms of FasL-induced inflammatory responses and their relationships with FasL-triggered caspase activity. Caspase activity was a potent antagonist of the pro-inflammatory gene expression triggered by FasL prior to the onset of cell death. Furthermore, we found that FasL-stimulated autocrine production of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands, and the subsequent activation of EGFR and ERK1 and ERK2 mitogen-activated protein kinases, were obligatory extracellular steps for the FasL-induced expression of a subset of inflammatory mediators, including CXCL8/interleukin (IL)-8, ICAM-1, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, CCL20/MIP-3alpha, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin. These results expand the known physiological role of EGFR and its ligands from promoting keratinocyte mitogenesis and survival to mediating FasL-induced epidermal inflammation.
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Papers by Mihail Iordanov