The MYC-associated protein CDCA7 is phosphorylated by AKT to regulate MYC-dependent apoptosis and transformation

Mol Cell Biol. 2013 Feb;33(3):498-513. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00276-12. Epub 2012 Nov 19.

Abstract

Cell division control protein A7 (CDCA7) is a recently identified target of MYC-dependent transcriptional regulation. We have discovered that CDCA7 associates with MYC and that this association is modulated in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. The prosurvival kinase AKT phosphorylates CDCA7 at threonine 163, promoting binding to 14-3-3, dissociation from MYC, and sequestration to the cytoplasm. Upon serum withdrawal, induction of CDCA7 expression in the presence of MYC sensitized cells to apoptosis, whereas CDCA7 knockdown reduced MYC-dependent apoptosis. The transformation of fibroblasts by MYC was reduced by coexpression of CDCA7, while the non-MYC-interacting protein Δ(156-187)-CDCA7 largely inhibited MYC-induced transformation. These studies provide insight into a new mechanism by which AKT signaling to CDCA7 could alter MYC-dependent growth and transformation, contributing to tumorigenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 14-3-3 Proteins / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • 14-3-3 Proteins
  • CDCA7 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt