Different mechanisms of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-1 (JNK1) activation by ultraviolet-B radiation and by oxidative stressors

Mihail S. Iordanov, Bruce E. Magun

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

Irradiation of mammalian cells with ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) triggers the activation of a group of stress-activated protein kinases known as c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs). UV-B activates JNKs via UV-B-induced ribotoxic stress. Because oxidative stress also activates JNKs, we have addressed the question of whether the ribotoxic and the oxidative stress responses are mechanistically similar. The pro-oxidants sodium arsenite, cadmium chloride, and hydrogen peroxide activated JNK1 with slow kinetics, whereas UV-B potentiated the activity of JNK1 rapidly. N-acetyl cysteine (a scavenger of reactive oxygen intermediates) abolished the ability of all oxidative stressors tested to activate JNK1, but failed to affect the activation of JNK1 by UV-B or by another ribotoxic stressor, the antibiotic anisomycin. In contrast, emetine, an inhibitor of the ribotoxic stress response, was unable to inhibit the activation of JNK1 by oxidative stressors. Although UV-A and long wavelength UV-B are the spectral components of the ultraviolet solar radiation that cause significant oxidative damage to macromolecules, the use of a filter to eliminate the radiation output from wavelengths below 310 nm abolished the activation of JNK1 by UV. Our results are consistent with the notion that UV-B and oxidative stressors trigger the activation of JNK1 through different signal transduction pathways.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)25801-25806
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume274
Issue number36
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 3 1999

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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