| First Author | Kotzka J | Year | 2012 |
| Journal | PLoS One | Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | e32609 |
| PubMed ID | 22384276 | Mgi Jnum | J:185294 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5428078 | Doi | 10.1371/journal.pone.0032609 |
| Citation | Kotzka J, et al. (2012) Preventing phosphorylation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1a by MAP-kinases protects mice from fatty liver and visceral obesity. PLoS One 7(2):e32609 |
| abstractText | The transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1a plays a pivotal role in lipid metabolism. Using the SREBP-1a expressing human hepatoma cell line HepG2 we have shown previously that human SREBP-1a is phosphorylated at serine 117 by ERK-mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). Using a combination of cell biology and protein chemistry approach we show that SREBP-1a is also target of other MAPK-families, i.e. c-JUN N-terminal protein kinases (JNK) or p38 stress activated MAP kinases. Serine 117 is also the major phosphorylation site in SREBP-1a for JNK. In contrast to that the major phosphorylation sites of p38 MAPK family are serine 63 and threonine 426. Functional analyses reveal that phosphorylation of SREBP-1a does not alter protein/DNA interaction. The identified phosphorylation sites are specific for both kinase families also in cellular context. To provide direct evidence that phosphorylation of SREBP-1a is a regulatory principle of biological and clinical relevance, we generated transgenic mice expressing mature transcriptionally active N-terminal domain of human SREBP-1a variant lacking all identified phosphorylaton sites designed as alb-SREBP-1aDeltaP and wild type SREBP-1a designed as alb-SREBP-1a liver specific under control of the albumin promoter and a liver specific enhancer. In contrast to alb-SREBP-1a mice the phosphorylation-deficient mice develop no enlarged fatty livers under normocaloric conditions. Phenotypical examination reveales a massive accumulation of adipose tissue in alb-SREBP-1a but not in the phosphorylation deficient alb-SREBP-1aDeltaP mice. Moreover, preventing phosphorylation of SREBP-1a protects mice also from dyslipidemia. In conclusion, phosphorylation of SREBP-1a by ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK-families resembles a biological principle and plays a significant role, in vivo. |
