Akt Regulates TNFα Synthesis Downstream of RIP1 Kinase Activation during Necroptosis

Necroptosis is a regulated form of necrotic cell death that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases including intestinal inflammation and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). In this work, we investigated the signaling mechanisms controlled by the necroptosis mediator receptor interacting protein-1 (RIP1) kinase. We show that Akt kinase activity is critical for necroptosis in L929 cells and plays a key role in TNFα production. During necroptosis, Akt is activated in a RIP1 dependent fashion through its phosphorylation on Thr308. In L929 cells, this activation requires independent signaling inputs from both growth factors and RIP1. Akt controls necroptosis through downstream targeting of mammalian Target of Rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Akt activity, mediated in part through mTORC1, links RIP1 to JNK activation and autocrine production of TNFα. In other cell types, such as mouse lung fibroblasts and macrophages, Akt exhibited control over necroptosis-associated TNFα production without contributing to cell death. Overall, our results provide new insights into the mechanism of necroptosis and the role of Akt kinase in both cell death and inflammatory regulation

Akt Regulates TNF? Synthesis Downstream of RIP1 Kinase Activation during Necroptosis

Necroptosis is a regulated form of necrotic cell death that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases including intestinal inflammation and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). In this work, we investigated the signaling mechanisms controlled by the necroptosis mediator receptor interacting protein-1 (RIP1) kinase. We show that Akt kinase activity is critical for necroptosis in L929 cells and plays a key role in TNF? production. During necroptosis, Akt is activated in a RIP1 dependent fashion through its phosphorylation on Thr308. In L929 cells, this activation requires independent signaling inputs from both growth factors and RIP1. Akt controls necroptosis through downstream targeting of mammalian Target of Rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Akt activity, mediated in part through mTORC1, links RIP1 to JNK activation and autocrine production of TNF?. In other cell types, such as mouse lung fibroblasts and macrophages, Akt exhibited control over necroptosis-associated TNF? production without contributing to cell death. Overall, our results provide new insights into the mechanism of necroptosis and the role of Akt kinase in both cell death and inflammatory regulation

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Late Thr308 phosphorylation of Akt contributes to necroptosis.

<p>(A) L929 cells were treated with zVAD.fmk and bFGF or PDGF, with or without Nec-1, for the indicated periods of time. (B,C) L929 cells were stimulated by zVAD.fmk or TNFα (B) or bFGF/zVAD.fmk under serum free conditions (C). Akt inh. VIII was added 15 min before necroptotic stimulation (Pre) or at indicated times after stimulation. Viability was measured 24 hr after activation of necroptosis. (D) L929 cells were stimulated with bFGF/zVAD under serum free conditions. PD173074 was added 15 min before or 1 hr after FGF/zVAD. Samples for western blot were collected at 15 min and 9 hr time points. (E) Cells were pretreated with PD173074 or it was added 1 hr after bFGF/zVAD.fmk, followed by viability assessment at 24 hr. In all graphs, average±SD was plotted.</p

mTORC1 contributes to the regulation of necroptosis.

<p>(A) L929 cells were treated with zVAD.fmk or TNFα for 9 hr and harvested for western blot. (B) Cell under serum free condition were treated with bFGF or bFGF/zVAD.fmk for the indicated amounts of time, followed by western blotting using the indicated antibodies. (C) Necroptosis was induced by zVAD.fmk or TNFα in L929 cell in the presence of inhibitors of Akt(Akt inh. VIII) and mTOR (rapamycin, Torin-1 and PI-103). (D) L929 cells with mTOR siRNA knockdown were harvested for western blot or treated with zVAD.fmk or TNFα for 24 hrs. Cell viability was determined 24 hr after activation of necroptosis. In all graphs, average±SD was plotted.</p

Akt signaling contributes to autocrine TNFα production in multiple cell types.

<p>FADD deficient Jurkat cells were treated with TNFα followed by measurement of (A) human TNFα mRNA levels by qRT-PCR and normalized using human 18S RNA or (B) western blot at 9 hr. RAW 264.7 or J774A.1 cells were treated with zVAD.fmk (100 uM or 50 uM respectively) followed by (C,E) measurement of TNFα mRNA levels by qRT-PCR or (D,F) western blot at 9 hr. (G) Akt null mouse lung fibroblasts expressing Myr-Akt or K179M were treated with zVAD.fmk and TNFα followed by measurement of TNFα mRNA levels by qRT-PCR at 9 hr. (H) Mouse lung fibroblasts expressing only endogenous Akt1 or Akt2 were treated with zVAD.fmk and TNFα followed by measurement of TNFα mRNA levels by qRT-PCR at 9 hr.</p

bFGF and IGF-1 promote necroptosis in concert with zVAD.fmk.

<p>(A) L929 cells were treated with TNFα or zVAD.fmk under normal serum (10% FBS) or serum free conditions. Cell viability was determined after 24 hr using the CellTiter-Glo Viability assay. The concentrations of all necroptosis-inducing agents are listed in the <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0056576#s4" target="_blank"><i>Materials and Methods</i></a> section or indicated in the figures. (B) Cells were treated with zVAD.fmk, the indicated growth factors, and Nec-1 under serum free conditions for 24 hrs followed by measurement of cell viability. (C) Cells under serum free conditions were treated with FGF, zVAD.fmk, or both for 24 hrs followed by viability assay. (D) Cell death was induced by zVAD.fmk or TNFα under full serum condition in the presence of 2 µM PD173074 and 20 µM PD166866. In all graphs, average±SD was plotted.</p

Akt contributes to necroptosis induced by zVAD.fmk and TNFα.

<p>(A,B) Necroptosis was induced by zVAD.fmk or TNFα (full serum, A) or growth factors/zVAD.fmk (serum free, B) in the presence of inhibitors of Akt (Akt inhibitor VIII), JNK (SP600125), p38 (PD169316), and Erk (UO126). Cell viability was determined after 24 hrs. (C) L929 cells transfected with Akt1, Akt2, and Akt3 siRNAs for 72 hrs were treated with zVAD.fmk or TNFα for 9 hrs. Cell viability and Akt expression levels were determined after 24 hrs. In all graphs, average±SD was plotted.</p

RIP1 kinase-dependent phosphorylation of Akt and JNK during necroptosis.

<p>(A) L929 cells were treated with zVAD.fmk or TNFα for 9 hr, followed by western blotting with indicated antibodies. (B,C) L929 cells were treated with zVAD.fmk (B) or bFGF/zVAD.fmk (serum free conditions, C) and samples were collected at the indicated time points for western blot. (D) Nec-1 was added to the cells stimulated with bFGF or bFGF/zVAD (serum free conditions) for 15 min or 9 hr followed by western blot with the indicated antibodies.</p