Ubiquitination mediates Kv1.3 endocytosis as a mechanism for protein kinase C-dependent modulation

Sci Rep. 2017 Feb 10:7:42395. doi: 10.1038/srep42395.

Abstract

The voltage-dependent potassium channel Kv1.3 plays essential physiological functions in the immune system. Kv1.3, regulating the membrane potential, facilitates downstream Ca2+ -dependent pathways and becomes concentrated in specific membrane microdomains that serve as signaling platforms. Increased and/or delocalized expression of the channel is observed at the onset of several autoimmune diseases. In this work, we show that adenosine (ADO), which is a potent endogenous modulator, stimulates PKC, thereby causing immunosuppression. PKC activation triggers down-regulation of Kv1.3 by inducing a clathrin-mediated endocytic event that targets the channel to lysosomal-degradative compartments. Therefore, the abundance of Kv1.3 at the cell surface decreases, which is clearly compatible with an effective anti-inflammatory response. This mechanism requires ubiquitination of Kv1.3, catalyzed by the E3 ubiquitin-ligase Nedd4-2. Postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), a member of the MAGUK family, recruits Kv1.3 into lipid-raft microdomains and protects the channel against ubiquitination and endocytosis. Therefore, the Kv1.3/PSD-95 association fine-tunes the anti-inflammatory response in leukocytes. Because Kv1.3 is a promising multi-therapeutic target against human pathologies, our results have physiological relevance. In addition, this work elucidates the ADO-dependent PKC-mediated molecular mechanism that triggers immunomodulation by targeting Kv1.3 in leukocytes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Clathrin / metabolism
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects
  • Dendritic Cells / metabolism
  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein / metabolism
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Endocytosis* / drug effects
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Kv1.3 Potassium Channel / metabolism*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Lysosomes / drug effects
  • Lysosomes / metabolism
  • Macrophage Activation / drug effects
  • Membrane Microdomains / drug effects
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases / metabolism
  • Protein Kinase C / metabolism*
  • Protein Stability / drug effects
  • Rats
  • Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / pharmacology
  • Ubiquitination* / drug effects

Substances

  • Clathrin
  • DLG4 protein, human
  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein
  • Kv1.3 Potassium Channel
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Nedd4 Ubiquitin Protein Ligases
  • Nedd4 protein, human
  • Protein Kinase C
  • Adenosine
  • Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate