A RAS-CaMKKβ-AMPKα2 pathway promotes senescence by licensing post-translational activation of C/EBPβ through a novel 3'UTR mechanism.

ABSTRACT: Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is an intrinsic tumor suppression mechanism that requires the p53 and RB pathways and post-translational activation of C/EBPβ through the RAS-ERK cascade. We previously reported that in transformed/proliferating cells, C/EBPβ activation is inhibited by G/U-rich elements (GREs) in its 3'UTR. This mechanism, termed "3'UTR regulation of protein activity" (UPA), maintains C/EBPβ in a low-activity state in tumor cells and thus facilitates senescence bypass. Here we show that C/EBPβ UPA is overridden by AMPK signaling. AMPK activators decrease cytoplasmic levels of the GRE binding protein HuR, which is a key UPA component. Reduced cytoplasmic HuR disrupts 3'UTR-mediated trafficking of Cebpb transcripts to the peripheral cytoplasm-a fundamental feature of UPA-the

SUBMITTER: Basu SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6023738 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature