Isoprenylation of RhoB is necessary for its degradation. A novel determinant in the complex regulation of RhoB expression by the mevalonate pathway

J Biol Chem. 2002 Dec 20;277(51):49389-96. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M204049200. Epub 2002 Oct 15.

Abstract

Statins improve vascular functions by mechanisms independent from their cholesterol-lowering effect. Rho GTPases are emerging as key targets for the vascular effects of statins. RhoB is a short-lived, early-response inducible protein involved in receptor endocytosis, apoptosis, and gene expression. Here we show that statins regulate RhoB expression by acting at multiple levels. Simvastatin increased RhoB protein levels by 8- to 10-fold. This effect was related to a depletion of isoprenoid intermediates, as deduced from the observation that several metabolites of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, namely, mevalonate and geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate, attenuated simvastatin-induced RhoB up-regulation. Moreover, prenyltransferase inhibitors mimicked simvastatin effect. Cholesterol supplementation did not prevent simvastatin-elicited up-regulation but increased RhoB levels per se. Simvastatin moderately augmented RhoB transcript levels, but markedly impaired the degradation of RhoB protein, which accumulated in the cytosol in its non-isoprenylated form. Inhibition of RhoB isoprenylation was apparently required for simvastatin-induced up-regulation, because levels of an isoprenylation-deficient RhoB mutant were not affected by simvastatin. Moreover, this mutant was found to be markedly more stable than the wild-type protein. These results show that RhoB isoprenylation is necessary for rapid turnover of this protein and identify a novel link between the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and the regulation of G-protein expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Animals
  • Anticholesteremic Agents / pharmacology
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cattle
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Cholesterol / pharmacology
  • DNA, Complementary / metabolism
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Endothelium, Vascular / cytology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Mevalonic Acid / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Models, Biological
  • Mutation
  • Pertussis Toxin / pharmacology
  • Plasmids / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Prenylation
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Simvastatin / pharmacology
  • Subcellular Fractions
  • Time Factors
  • Transfection
  • Up-Regulation
  • rhoB GTP-Binding Protein / chemistry
  • rhoB GTP-Binding Protein / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anticholesteremic Agents
  • DNA, Complementary
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Cholesterol
  • Simvastatin
  • Pertussis Toxin
  • rhoB GTP-Binding Protein
  • Mevalonic Acid