Nuclear accumulation of NFAT4 opposed by the JNK signal transduction pathway.

Chow, C W; Rincón, M; Cavanagh, J; Dickens, M; Davis, R J · Science · 1997

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) group of transcription factors is retained in the cytoplasm of quiescent cells. NFAT activation is mediated in part by induced nuclear import. This process requires calcium-dependent dephosphorylation of NFAT caused by the phosphatase calcineurin. The c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylates NFAT4 on two sites. Mutational removal of the JNK phosphorylation sites caused constitutive nuclear localization of NFAT4. In contrast, JNK activation in calcineurin-stimulated cells caused nuclear exclusion of NFAT4. These findings show that the nuclear accumulation of NFAT4 promoted by calcineurin is opposed by the JNK signal transduction pathway.

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