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MK2 phosphorylation of RIPK1 regulates TNF-mediated cell death

Nature Cell Biology volume 19, pages 1237–1247 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

TNF is a master proinflammatory cytokine whose pathogenic role in inflammatory disorders can, in certain conditions, be attributed to RIPK1 kinase-dependent cell death. Survival, however, is the default response of most cells to TNF stimulation, indicating that cell demise is normally actively repressed and that specific checkpoints must be turned off for cell death to proceed. We identified RIPK1 as a direct substrate of MK2 in the TNFR1 signalling pathway. Phosphorylation of RIPK1 by MK2 limits cytosolic activation of RIPK1 and the subsequent assembly of the death complex that drives RIPK1 kinase-dependent apoptosis and necroptosis. In line with these in vitro findings, MK2 inactivation greatly sensitizes mice to the cytotoxic effects of TNF in an acute model of sterile shock caused by RIPK1-dependent cell death. In conclusion, we identified MK2-mediated RIPK1 phosphorylation as an important molecular mechanism limiting the sensitivity of the cells to the cytotoxic effects of TNF.

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Figure 1: MK2-phosphorylated RIPK1 is detected in TNFR1 complex I and in the cytosol.
Figure 2: MK2 phosphorylates RIPK1 on Ser321 and Ser336 in the cytosol but not in TNFR1 complex I.
Figure 3: Inhibition of MK2 phosphorylation of RIPK1 sensitizes MEFs to RIPK1 kinase-dependent necroptosis.
Figure 4: Inhibition of MK2 phosphorylation of RIPK1 sensitizes MEFs and bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) to TNF-mediated RIPK1 kinase-dependent death in IKKα/IKKβ-inactivated conditions.
Figure 5: MK2 phosphorylation of RIPK1 restricts its cytosolic activation and subsequent integration into the death complex IIb/necrosome.
Figure 6: MK2 phosphorylation of RIPK1 protects against the cytotoxic effect of TNF under physiological conditions.

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Acknowledgements

Research in the groups of M.J.M.B. and P.V. is supported by grants from the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), from the ‘Foundation against Cancer’ (2012-188 and FAF-F/2016/865), from Ghent University (MRP, GROUP-ID consortium), from the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen (FWO) (G017212N, G013715N, G078713N), from the Flemish Government (Methusalem BOF09/01M00709 and BOF16/MET_V/007), and from the Belgian science policy office (BELSPO) (IAP 7/32). Y.D. was paid by the agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie (IWT), followed by FWO grant G017212N and G013715N, and Methusalem. T.D. and D.P. have a strategic basic research PhD fellowship from the FWO. D.R.-R. is paid by FWO grant G013715N and T.D. is financed by the FWO grant G0A5413N and G0C3714N and Methusalem. F.V.H. was paid by European Consortium Apo-Sys (FP7-HEALTH-2007-A-200767). We thank M. Gaestel (Hannover Medical School, Germany) for the MK2-deficient MEFs and W. Declercq (VIB-UGent) for constructive discussions.

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Author notes

  1. Yves Dondelinger and Tom Delanghe: These authors contributed equally to this work.

  2. Diego Rojas-Rivera and Dario Priem: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inflammation Research Center, VIB, Technologiepark 927, Zwijnaarde-Ghent, 9052, Belgium

    Yves Dondelinger, Tom Delanghe, Diego Rojas-Rivera, Dario Priem, Tinneke Delvaeye, Inge Bruggeman, Franky Van Herreweghe, Peter Vandenabeele & Mathieu J. M. Bertrand

  2. Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, Zwijnaarde-Ghent, 9052, Belgium

    Yves Dondelinger, Tom Delanghe, Diego Rojas-Rivera, Dario Priem, Tinneke Delvaeye, Inge Bruggeman, Franky Van Herreweghe, Peter Vandenabeele & Mathieu J. M. Bertrand

  3. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Physiology Group, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Tinneke Delvaeye

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Contributions

Y.D. and M.J.M.B. designed the study. Y.D., T.D., D.R.-R., D.P. and M.J.M.B. designed the experiments. Y.D., T.D., D.R.-R., D.P., T.D., I.B., F.V.H. and M.J.M.B. performed the experiments. M.J.M.B. wrote the manuscript. Y.D., T.D. and P.V. revised the manuscript.

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Integrated supplementary information

Supplementary Figure 1 TNF-induced phosphorylation of RIPK1 in the cytosol is 2 MK2-dependent.

WT MEFs (a–c) and MEFs of the indicated genotypes (d) where 3 preincubated with the indicated compounds for 30 min before stimulation with 20 ng/ml 4 hTNF for the indicated amount of time. Protein levels and RIPK1 phosphorylation were 5 determined by immunoblotting. (e) Proposed model of MK2 activation and MK2-dependent 6 RIPK1 phosphorylation. Unprocessed original scans of blots are shown in Supplementary 7 Fig. 7. The representative results shown were confirmed in at least two independent 8 experiments. 9 10

Supplementary Figure 2 MK2-mediated phosphorylation of RIPK1 does not affect 11 TNF-induced signaling to NF-κB or MAPKs.

(a) WT MEFs were preincubated with MK2i 12 when indicated for 30 min and subsequently stimulated with 2 μg/ml FLAG-hTNF. TNFR1 13 complex I was then FLAG immunoprecipitated. (b–f) WT MEFs were treated with 20 ng/ml 14 hTNF in the presence or absence of the MK2 inhibitor for the indicated time. (c–f) RNA was 15 isolated and relative mRNA levels were determined by RT-PCR. RT-PCR results are presented as the mean of n = 2 or 3 independent experiments. (g) Ripk1−/− 16 MEFs lentivirally 17 reconstituted with full length RIPK1 (WT) or the quadruple Ser321Ala Ser332Ala Ser334Ala 18 Ser336Ala RIPK1 mutant (4SA) were stimulated with 20 ng/ml hTNF for the indicated time. 19 Proteins levels were determined by immunoblotting (a,b,g). Unprocessed original scans of 20 blots are shown in Supplementary Fig. 7. Raw data from independent experiments are 21 provided in Supplementary Table 1. The representative results shown were confirmed in at 22 least two independent experiments. 23 24

Supplementary Figure 3 MK2 inhibition in MEFs and BMDMs results in increased Caspase-3 activity following TNF stimulation in IKK inactivated conditions.

(a) Ikkα−/− 25 Ikkβ−/− 26 MEFs were pretreated for 30 min with the indicated compounds and then treated with 27 80 pg/ml hTNF. (b) WT BMDMs were pretreated for 30 min with the indicated compounds 28 and then treated with 100 pg/ml hTNF. Caspase activity was measured in function of time by 29 DEVD-AMC fluorescence. The results presented in (a) are representative of n = 3 independent 30 experiments. The results presented in (b) represent the mean ± s.e.m. of n = 3 independent 31 experiments. Statistical significance was determined using two-way ANOVA followed by a 32 Tukey post-hoc test. Significance between samples is indicated in the figures as followed: ∗: 33 p < 0.05; ∗∗: p < 0.01; ∗∗∗: p < 0.001; NS, non-significant. Raw data from independent 34 experiments are provided in Supplementary Table 1. 35 36

Supplementary Figure 4 MK2 inhibition facilitates recruitment of RIPK1 to complex IIb/necrosome.

(a–d) Ikkα−/− Ikkβ−/− 37 MEFs were pretreated for 30 min with indicated 38 compounds and stimulated with 20 ng/ml hTNF for indicated time points (a,c) or for 1 hour 39 (b) or 2 h (c). Complex IIb/necrosome was isolated by FADD immunoprecipitation 40 followed by USP2 treatment and/or lambda phosphatase (PPase) when indicated. Protein 41 levels were determined by immunoblotting. Ubiquitylation of RIPK1 (b) or MK2 42 phosphorylation of RIPK1 (c) is shown. Unprocessed original scans of blots are shown in 43 Supplementary Fig. 7. The representative results shown were confirmed in at least two 44 independent experiments. 45 46

Supplementary Figure 5 MK2 protects mice from TNF-induced RIPK1 kinase- 47 dependent lethal hypothermia.

C57BL/6J female mice were injected with the indicated 48 compounds 15 min prior to a challenge with 5 μg mTNF per 20 g of body weight. (a–c) Body 49 temperature were determined in function of time. Dead mice are considered to be at 22 °C. 50 These graphs are dot plot representations of the results presented in Fig. 6g. Raw data from 51 independent experiments are provided in Supplementary Table 1. Vehicle (n = 9 mice), Nec-1s 52 (n = 5 mice), MK2i (n = 9 mice) and MK2i + Nec-1s (n = 9 mice). 53 54

Supplementary Figure 6 Increased cell death resulting from MK2 inhibition is not 55 originating from autocrine production of TNF.

WT MEFs (a,b), GFP- or MK2- reconstituted Mapkapk2−/− MEFs (c), Ripk1−/− 56 MEFs lentivirally reconstituted with full length 57 RIPK1 (WT) or the quadruple Ser321Ala Ser332Ala Ser334Ala Ser336Ala RIPK1 mutant 58 (4SA) (d) were pretreated with the murine specific anti-TNF blocking antibody XT-22 for 30 59 min when indicated and stimulated with either 750 pg/ml (a,b), 0.33 pg/ml (c) or 80 pg/ml 60 (d) hTNF. Cell death was measured in function of time by SytoxGreen positivity. Cell death 61 data are presented as mean ± s.e.m. of n independent experiments (n = 3 independent 62 experiments for a,d) (n = 4 independent experiments for b) (n = 5 independent experiments for 63 c). Statistical significance was determined using two-way ANOVA followed by a Tukey 64 post-hoc test. Significance between samples is indicated in the figures as followed: ∗ : p < 65 0.05; ∗∗: p < 0.01; ∗∗∗: p < 0.001; NS, non-significant. Raw data from independent 66 experiments are provided in Supplementary Table 1. 67 68

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Dondelinger, Y., Delanghe, T., Rojas-Rivera, D. et al. MK2 phosphorylation of RIPK1 regulates TNF-mediated cell death. Nat Cell Biol 19, 1237–1247 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3608

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