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The MAP kinase p38 is part of Drosophila melanogaster's circadian clock.

ABSTRACT: All organisms have to adapt to acute as well as to regularly occurring changes in the environment. To deal with these major challenges organisms evolved two fundamental mechanisms: the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, a major stress pathway for signaling stressful events, and circadian clocks to prepare for the daily environmental changes. Both systems respond sensitively to light. Recent studies in vertebrates and fungi indicate that p38 is involved in light-signaling to the circadian clock providing an interesting link between stress-induced and regularly rhythmic adaptations of animals to the environment, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms remained largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate by immunocytochemical means that p38 is expressed in Drosophila melanogaster's clock neurons and that it is activated in a clock-dependent manner. Surprisingly, we found that p38 is most active under darkness and, besides its circadian activation, additionally gets inactivated by light. Moreover, locomotor activity recordings revealed that p38 is essential for a wild-type timing of evening activity and for maintaining ? 24 h behavioral rhythms under constant darkness: flies with reduced p38 activity in clock neurons, delayed evening activity and lengthened the period of their free-running rhythms. Furthermore, nuclear translocation of the clock protein Period was significantly delayed on the expression of a dominant-negative form of p38b in Drosophila's most important clock neurons. Western Blots revealed that p38 affects the phosphorylation degree of Period, what is likely the reason for its effects on nuclear entry of Period. In vitro kinase assays confirmed our Western Blot results and point to p38 as a potential "clock kinase" phosphorylating Period. Taken together, our findings indicate that the p38 MAP Kinase is an integral component of the core circadian clock of Drosophila in addition to playing a role in stress-input pathways.

SUBMITTER: Dusik V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4140665 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The MAP kinase p38 is part of Drosophila melanogaster's circadian clock.

Dusik Verena V Senthilan Pingkalai R PR Mentzel Benjamin B Hartlieb Heiko H Wülbeck Corinna C Yoshii Taishi T Raabe Thomas T Helfrich-Förster Charlotte C

PLoS genetics 20140821 8

All organisms have to adapt to acute as well as to regularly occurring changes in the environment. To deal with these major challenges organisms evolved two fundamental mechanisms: the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, a major stress pathway for signaling stressful events, and circadian clocks to prepare for the daily environmental changes. Both systems respond sensitively to light. Recent studies in vertebrates and fungi indicate that p38 is involved in light-signaling to the ...[more]

PMID: 25144774

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Project description:BackgroundConventional p38α inhibitors have limited efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis, possibly because p38 blockade suppresses the counter-regulatory mechanisms that limit inflammation. In contrast, targeting the upstream MAP kinase kinases, MKK3 and MKK6, partially maintains p38-mediated anti-inflammatory responses in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). In this study, we explored the mechanisms that preserve anti-inflammatory gene expression by evaluating differential regulation of IL-10 and p38-dependent anti-inflammatory genes in MKK3-/-, MKK6-/-, and p38 inhibitor-treated wildtype cells.MethodsBMDM from wild type (WT), MKK3-/-, and MKK6-/- mice were pre-treated with p38 inhibitor SB203580 (SB), JNK inhibitor SP600125 (SP), and/or ERK inhibitor PD98059 (PD) and stimulated with LPS. Supernatant protein levels were measured by multiplex bead immunoassay. mRNA expression was determined by qPCR and protein expression by Western blot analysis. De novo IL-10 mRNA synthesis was quantified in cells treated with ethynyl-uridine and LPS followed by reverse transcription and qPCR. mRNA half-life was measured in LPS-treated cells that were then incubated with actinomycin D ± SB203580.ResultsPre-treatment of WT BMDM with p38 inhibitor significantly reduced IL-10 production in the three groups, while ERK and JNK inhibitors had minimal effects. IL-10 production was significantly decreased in MKK3-/- BMDM compared with either WT or MKK6-/- cells. IL-10 mRNA expression was modestly reduced in MKK3-/- BMDM but was preserved in MKK6-/- cells compared with WT. De novo IL-10 mRNA synthesis was inhibited in MKK3-/- and p38 inhibitor pre-treated cells, but not MKK6-/- cells compared with WT. IL-10 mRNA half-life was markedly reduced in p38 inhibitor-treated WT cells while MKK-deficiency had minimal effect. DUSP1 mRNA levels were preserved in MKK-deficient cells but not in p38 inhibitor-treated WT cells. Tristetraprolin mRNA and protein levels were reduced in p38 inhibitor-treated WT cells compared with MKK6-/- cells.ConclusionUnlike p38-inhibition, the absence of MKK6 mostly preserves IL-10 and TTP protein expression in BMDM. MKK6-deficiency also spares DUSP1 and IL-1RA, which are key negative regulators of the inflammatory response. Together, these data suggest that MKK6 is a potential therapeutic target in RA.

Project description:Cell-autonomous feedback loops underlie the molecular oscillations that define circadian clocks. In Drosophila the transcription factor Clk activates multiple clock components of feedback loops many of which feed back and regulate Clk expression or activity. Previously the authors evoked similar molecular oscillations in putatively naïve neurons in Drosophila by ectopic expression of a single gene, Clk, suggesting a master regulator function. Using molecular oscillations of the core clock component PERIOD (PER), the authors observed dramatic and widespread molecular oscillations throughout the brain in flies expressing ectopic Clk. Consistent with the master regulator hypothesis, they found that Clk is uniquely capable of inducing ectopic clocks as ectopic induction of other clock components fails to induce circadian rhythms. Clk also induces oscillations even when expression is adult restricted, suggesting that ectopic clocks can even be induced in differentiated cells. However, if transgene expression is discontinued, PER expression disappears, indicating that Clk must be continually active to sustain ectopic clock function. In some cases Clk-mediated PER induction was observed without apparent synchronous cycling, perhaps due to desynchronization of rhythms between clocks or truly cell autonomous arrhythmic PER expression, indicating that additional factors may be necessary for coherent rhythms in cells ectopically expressing Clk. To determine minimal requirements for circadian clock induction by Clk, the authors determined the genetic requirements of ectopic clocks. No ectopic clocks are induced in mutants of Clk's heterodimeric partner cyc. In addition, noncycling PER is observed when ectopic Clk is induced in a cryb mutant background. While other factors may contribute, these results indicate that persistent Clock induction is uniquely capable of broadly inducing ectopic rhythms even in adults, consistent with a special role at the top of a clock gene hierarchy.

Project description:BackgroundTranscriptional feedback loops are central to circadian clock function. However, the role of neural activity and membrane events in molecular rhythms in the fruit fly Drosophila is unclear. To address this question, we expressed a temperature-sensitive, dominant negative allele of the fly homolog of dynamin called shibire(ts1) (shi(ts1)), an active component in membrane vesicle scission.Principal findingsBroad expression in clock cells resulted in unexpectedly long, robust periods (>28 hours) comparable to perturbation of core clock components, suggesting an unappreciated role of membrane dynamics in setting period. Expression in the pacemaker lateral ventral neurons (LNv) was necessary and sufficient for this effect. Manipulation of other endocytic components exacerbated shi(ts1)'s behavioral effects, suggesting its mechanism is specific to endocytic regulation. PKA overexpression rescued period effects suggesting shi(ts1) may downregulate PKA pathways. Levels of the clock component PERIOD were reduced in the shi(ts1)-expressing pacemaker small LNv of flies held at a fully restrictive temperature (29 degrees C). Less restrictive conditions (25 degrees C) delayed cycling proportional to observed behavioral changes. Levels of the neuropeptide PIGMENT-DISPERSING FACTOR (PDF), the only known LNv neurotransmitter, were also reduced, but PERIOD cycling was still delayed in flies lacking PDF, implicating a PDF-independent process. Further, shi(ts1) expression in the eye also results in reduced PER protein and per and vri transcript levels, suggesting that shibire-dependent signaling extends to peripheral clocks. The level of nuclear CLK, transcriptional activator of many core clock genes, is also reduced in shi(ts1) flies, and Clk overexpression suppresses the period-altering effects of shi(ts1).ConclusionsWe propose that membrane protein turnover through endocytic regulation of PKA pathways modulates the core clock by altering CLK levels and/or activity. These results suggest an important role for membrane scission in setting circadian period.

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The MAP kinase p38 is part of Drosophila melanogaster's circadian clock.

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The MAP kinase p38 is part of Drosophila melanogaster's circadian clock.

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