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Genes & Dev. 14 (3): 301-312

Copyright © 2000 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 301-312, February 1, 2000

RESEARCH PAPER
c-Kit triggers dual phosphorylations, which couple activation and degradation of the essential melanocyte factor Mi

Min Wu,1,2 Timothy J. Hemesath,1,2,3 Clifford M. Takemoto,1,2 Martin A. Horstmann,2 Audrey G. Wells,2 E. Roydon Price,2 Daniel Z. Fisher,4 and David E. Fisher2,5

2 Division of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 USA; 3 Decode Genetics, Lynghals 1, Reykjavik 110, Iceland; 4 Department of Cardiology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655 USA

Microphthalmia (Mi) is a bHLHZip transcription factor that is essential for melanocyte development and postnatal function. It is thought to regulate both differentiated features of melanocytes such as pigmentation as well as proliferation/survival, based on phenotypes of mutant mouse alleles. Mi activity is controlled by at least two signaling pathways. Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) promotes transcription of the Mi gene through cAMP elevation, resulting in sustained Mi up-regulation over many hours. c-Kit signaling up-regulates Mi function through MAP kinase phosphorylation of Mi, thereby recruiting the p300 transcriptional coactivator. The current study reveals that c-Kit signaling triggers two phosphorylation events on Mi, which up-regulate transactivation potential yet simultaneously target Mi for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. The specific activation/degradation signals derive from MAPK/ERK targeting of serine 73, whereas serine 409 serves as a substrate for p90 Rsk-1. An unphosphorylatable double mutant at these two residues is at once profoundly stable and transcriptionally inert. These c-Kit-induced phosphorylations couple transactivation to proteasome-mediated degradation. c-Kit signaling thus triggers short-lived Mi activation and net Mi degradation, in contrast to the profoundly increased Mi expression after MSH signaling, potentially explaining the functional diversity of this transcription factor in regulating proliferation, survival, and differentiation in melanocytes.

[Key Words: Microphthalmia; c-Kit; steel factor; MAPK; p90 Rsk; ubiquitin]

1 These authors contributed equally to this work.

5 Corresponding author.

GENES & DEVELOPMENT 14:301-312 © 2000 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press  ISSN 0890-9369/00 $5.00

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