p38 MAPK Signaling Mediates Retinoic Acid-Induced Expression of a Novel Tumor Suppressor Protein Programmed Cell Death 4 (PDCD4) in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells.

Programmed-cell-death-4 (PDCD4) is a novel tumor suppressor protein that suppresses tumor promoter-induced neoplastic transformation. PDCD4 specifically inhibits the helicase activity of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) and translation initiation and cap-dependent mRNA translation in vitro and in vivo. Loss or underexpression of PDCD4 is associated with carcinogenesis and chemoresistance in solid tumors. The role and regulation of PDCD4 in the the hematopoietic system and myeloid leukemia cells are not known. We previously reported that ATRA induces translational suppression through multiple posttranscriptional mechanisms during terminal cell differentiation (Harris et al, Blood, 104 (5) 2004). Therefore, in this study, we investigated the expression and regulation of PDCD4 during myeloid cell differentiation. All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) induces terminal differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and promyelocytic (APL) cells, a well established model for myeloid cell differentiation. We found that treatment of HL60 (M2 type AML) and NB4 APL (M3 type AML) cells with ATRA (1 mM) induced PDCD4 protein and mRNA expression during granulocytic differentiation detected by western blot and RT-PCR analysis, respectively. We also demonstrated that inhibition of PDCD4 by siRNA reduced granulocytic differentiation induced by ATRA, suggesting that PDCD4 plays a role in granuliocytic differentiation. To determine mechanisms regulating PDCD4 we investigated the role of pP38 MAPK (Mitogen activated protein kinase) in reugulation of PDCD4 expression. ATRA induced PDCD4 expression correlated with activation of p38 MAPK (Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase) pathway in NB4 cells. To test the hypothesis that p38 MAPK signaling pathway mediates retinoic acid induced PDCD4 expression we treated cells with a specific p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, ATRA or combination with ATRA. We observed that p38 inhibitor inhibited ATRA-induced expression of PDCD4 in NB4 cells. Basal level of PDCD4 expression was also markedly downregulated in the presence of p38 inhibitor when compared to untreated control cells, suggesting that p38 pathway is involved in ATRA-dependent and independent PDCD4 expression. Currently we are investigating whether inhibition of p38 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) will prevent expression of ATRA induced PDCD4 in APL cells. We are also trying to identify whether ATF2 transcription factor, a downstream of p38, is involved in PDCD4 expression. p38-mediated induction of PDCD4 pathway reveals a novel mechanism of PDCD4 regulation and ATRA action, providing a new insight into understanding terminal differentiation of myeloid cells. Better understanding the role of PDCD4 and posttranscriptional control of gene expression may offer targets for the differentiation therapy and chemo preventive strategies.