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Summary: Akt activation is a hallmark of human cancers. Here, we report a critical mechanism for regulation of Akt activity by the splicing kinase SRPK1, a downstream Akt target for transducing growth signals to regulate splicing. Surprisingly, we find that SRPK1 has a tumor suppressor function because ablation of SRPK1 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts induces cell transformation. We link the phenotype to constitutive Akt activation from genome-wide phosphoproteomics analysis and discover that downregulated SRPK1 impairs the recruitment of the Akt phosphatase PHLPP1 (pleckstrin homology (PH) domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase) to Akt. Interestingly, SRPK1 overexpression is also tumorigenic because excess SRPK1 squelches PHLPP1. Thus, aberrant SRPK1 expression in either direction induces constitutive Akt activation, providing a mechanistic basis for previous observations that SRPK1 is downregulated in some cancer contexts and upregulated in others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic sequencing reveals similar but limited numbers of protein-coding genes in different genomes, which begs the question of how organismal diversities are generated. Alternative pre-mRNA splicing, a widespread phenomenon in higher eukaryotic genomes, is thought to provide a mechanism to increase the complexity of the proteome and introduce additional layers for regulating gene expression in different cell types and during development. Among a large number of factors implicated in the splicing regulation are the SR protein family of splicing factors and SR protein-specific kinases. Here, we summarize the rules for SR proteins to function as splicing regulators, which depend on where they bind in exons versus intronic regions, on alternative exons versus flanking competing exons, and on cooperative as well as competitive binding between different SR protein family members on many of those locations. We review the importance of cycles of SR protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation in the splicing reaction with emphasis on the recent molecular insight into the role of SR protein phosphorylation in early steps of spliceosome assembly. Finally, we highlight recent discoveries of SR protein-specific kinases in transducing growth signals to regulate alternative splicing in the nucleus and the connection of both SR proteins and SR protein kinases to human diseases, particularly cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

previously reported, a novel gene P28GANK conferred a multidrug resistant phenotype in gastric cancer cells. The aim of this study was to explore the role of P28GANK in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in osteosarcoma cells. P28GANK gene was found to be overexpressed at the mRNA level and the protein level in a cisplatin induced MDR osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2/CDDP compared to its parent cell line Saos-2. Here, we transfected the osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2 with eukaryotic expression vector of P28GANK. In vitro drug sensitivity assay suggested that Saos-2- P28GANK cells conferred resistance to both P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-related and P-gp-nonrelated drugs. Blocking P28GANK expression in MDR osteosarcoma cells Saos-2/CDDP by P28GANK-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) increased the cell sensitivity to various chemotherapeutic drugs. Flow cytometry examination suggested that P28GANK gene expression could suppress Adriamycin-induced apoptosis accompanied by decreased accumulation and increased release of Adriamycin. Semiquantitative RT-PCR, Western blot and Luciferase reporter assay suggested that P28GANK gene could significantly up-regulate the expression of MDR-1 and Bcl-2, transcription of the MDR-1 gene and down-regulate the expression of Bax. In addition, inhibition of P28GANK expression by RNA interference or P-gp inhibition could partially reverse P28GANK-mediated MDR. Taken together, our findings suggest that down-regulation of P28GANK gene expression could sensitize osteosarcoma cells to chemotherapeutic drugs by down-regulation of the MDR-1 and Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax gene expression, without altering the glutathione S-transferase activity, or intracellular glutathione content in osteosarcoma cells. Further study on biological function of P28GANK may be helpful for understanding MDR mechanism of osteosarcoma and developing a strategy for osteosarcoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]