| First Author | Densham RM | Year | 2009 |
| Journal | Mol Cell Biol | Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 24 | Pages | 6380-90 |
| PubMed ID | 19822666 | Mgi Jnum | J:155119 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:4412321 | Doi | 10.1128/MCB.00116-09 |
| Citation | Densham RM, et al. (2009) MST kinases monitor actin cytoskeletal integrity and signal via c-Jun N-terminal kinase stress-activated kinase to regulate p21Waf1/Cip1 stability. Mol Cell Biol 29(24):6380-90 |
| abstractText | As well as providing a structural framework, the actin cytoskeleton plays integral roles in cell death, survival, and proliferation. The disruption of the actin cytoskeleton results in the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathway; however, the sensor of actin integrity that couples to the JNK pathway has not been characterized in mammalian cells. We now report that the mammalian Ste20-like (MST) kinases mediate the activation of the JNK pathway in response to the disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. One consequence of actin disruption is the JNK-mediated stabilization of p21(Waf1/Cip1) (p21) via the phosphorylation of Thr57. The expression of MST1 or MST2 was sufficient to stabilize p21 in a JNK- and Thr57-dependent manner, while the stabilization of p21 by actin disruption required MST activity. These data indicate that, in addition to being components of the Salvador-Warts-Hippo tumor suppressor network and binding partners of c-Raf and the RASSF1A tumor suppressor, MST kinases serve to monitor cytoskeletal integrity and couple via the JNK SAPK pathway to the regulation of a key cell cycle regulatory protein. |