MKP-1 modulates Ubiquitination/Phosphorylation of TLR signaling

Ubiquitination and phosphorylation are reversible post-translational protein modifications regulating physiological and pathological processes. MAPK phosphatase (MKP)-1 regulates innate and adaptive immunity. The multifaceted roles of MKP-1 were attributed to dephosphorylation of p38 and JNK mitogen activated kinases (MAPKs). We show that the lack of MKP-1 modulates the landscape of ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinase enzymes (DUBs). MKP-1 deficient mice showed an aberrant regulation of several DUBs and increased expression of proteins and genes involved in IL-1/TLR signaling upstream of MAPK, including IL-1R1, IRAK1, TRAF6, phosphorylated TAK1 and an increased K63-polyubiquitination on TRAF6. Increased K63-polyubiquitination on TRAF6 was associated with an enhanced phosphorylated form of A20. Among abundant DUBs, Ubiquitin-specific-protease-13 (USP13), which cleaves polyubiquitin- chains on client proteins, was substantially enhanced in murine MKP-1 deficient BMDMs. An inhibitor of USP13 decreased the K63-polyubiquitination on TRAF6, TAK1-phosphorylation, IL-1β and TNF-α induction in response to LPS in BMDMs. Our data show for the first time that MKP-1 modulates the ligase activity of TRAF6 through modulation of specific DUBs.