Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Bone is a dynamic organ that responds to its external environment. Cell signaling cascades are initiated within bone cells when changes in mechanical loading occur. To describe these molecular signaling networks that sense a mechanical signal and convert it into a transcriptional response, we proposed the mechanosome model. “GO” and “STOP” mechansomes contain an adhesion-associated protein and a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling transcription factor. “GO” mechanosomes functions to promote the anabolic response of bone to mechanical loading, while “STOP” mechanosomes function to suppress the anabolic response of bone to mechanical loading. While much work has been done to describe the molecular mechanisms that enhance the anabolic response of bone to loading, less is known about the signaling mechanisms that suppress bone’s response to loading. We studied two adhesion-associated proteins, Src and Pyk2, which may function as “STOP” mechanosomes. Src kinase is involved in a number of signaling pathways that respond to changes in external loads on bone. An inhibition of Src causes an increase in the expression of the anabolic bone gene osteocalcin. Additionally, mechanical stimulation of osteoblasts and osteocytes by fluid shear stress further enhanced expression of osteocalcin when Src activity was inhibited. Importantly, fluid shear stress stimulated an increase in nuclear Src activation and activity. The mechanism by which Src participates in attenuating anabolic gene transcription remains unknown. The studies described here suggest Src and Pyk2 increase their association in response to fluid shear stress. Pyk2, a protein-tyrosine kinase, exhibits nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, increased association with methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MBD2), and suppression of osteopontin expression in response to fluid shear stress. MBD2, known to be involved in DNA methylation and interpretation of DNA methylation patterns, may aid in fluid shear stress-induced suppression of anabolic bone genes. We conclude that both Src and Pyk2 play a role in regulating bone mass, possibly through a complex with MBD2, and function to limit the anabolic response of bone cells to fluid shear stress through the suppression of anabolic bone gene expression. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that “STOP” mechanosomes exist and their activity is simulated in response to fluid shear stress.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Mammary ductal epithelial cell growth is controlled by microenvironmental signals in serum under both normal physiological settings and during breast cancer progression. Importantly, the effects of several of these microenvironmental signals are mediated by the activities of the tumor suppressor protein kinases of the Hippo pathway. Canonically, Hippo protein kinases inhibit cellular growth through the phosphorylation and inactivation of the oncogenic transcriptional co-activator Yes-Associated Protein (YAP). This study defines an alternative mechanism whereby Hippo protein kinases induce growth arrest via the phosphorylation of the long isoform of Angiomotin (Amot130). Specifically, serum starvation is found to activate the Hippo protein kinase, Large Tumor Suppressor (LATS), which phosphorylates the adapter protein Amot130 at serine-175. Importantly, wild-type Amot130 potently inhibits mammary epithelial cell growth, unlike the Amot130 serine-175 to alanine mutant, which cannot be phosphorylated at this residue. The growth-arrested phenotype of Amot130 is likely a result of its mechanistic response to LATS signaling. Specifically, LATS activity promotes the association of Amot130 with the ubiquitin ligase Atrophin-1 Interacting Protein 4 (AIP4). As a consequence, the Amot130-AIP4 complex amplifies LATS tumor suppressive signaling by stabilizing LATS protein steady state levels via preventing AIP4-targeted degradation of LATS. Additionally, AIP4 binding to Amot130 leads to the ubiquitination and stabilization of Amot130. In turn, the Amot130-AIP4 complex signals the ubiquitination and degradation of YAP. This inhibition of YAP activity by Amot130 requires both AIP4 and the ability of Amot130 to be phosphorylated by LATS. Together, these findings significantly modify the current view that the phosphorylation of YAP by Hippo protein kinases is sufficient for YAP inhibition and cellular growth arrest. Based upon these results, the inhibition of cellular growth in the absence of serum more accurately involves the stabilization of Amot130 and LATS, which together inhibit YAP activity and mammary epithelial cell growth.