PTEN Regulation

Transcription of the PTEN gene is regulated at multiple levels. Epigenetic repression involves the recruitment of Mi-2/NuRD upon SALL4 binding to the PTEN promoter or EVI1-mediated recruitment of the polycomb repressor complex (PRC) to the PTEN promoter. Transcriptional regulation is also elicited by negative regulators, including NR2E1:ATN1 (atrophin-1) complex, JUN (c-Jun), SNAIL and SLUG and positive regulators such as TP53 (p53), MAF1, ATF2, EGR1 or PPARG.

MicroRNAs miR-26A1, miR-26A2, miR-22, miR-25, miR-302, miR-214, miR-17-5p, miR-19 and miR-205 bind PTEN mRNA and inhibit its translation into protein. These microRNAs are altered in cancer and can account for changes in PTEN levels (Meng et al. 2007, Xiao et al. 2008, Yang et al. 2008, Huse et al. 2009, Kim et al. 2010, Poliseno, Salmena, Riccardi et al. 2010, Cai et al. 2013). In addition, coding and non-coding RNAs can prevent microRNAs from binding to PTEN mRNA. These RNAs are termed competing endogenous RNAs or ceRNAs. Transcripts of the pseudogene PTENP1 and mRNAs transcribed from SERINC1, VAPA and CNOT6L genes exhibit this activity (Poliseno, Salmena, Zhang et al. 2010, Tay et al. 2011, Tay et al. 2014).

PTEN can translocate from the cytosol to the nucleus after undergoing monoubiquitination. PTEN's ability to localize to the nucleus contributes to its tumor suppressive role. The ubiquitin protease USP7 (HAUSP) targets monoubiquitinated PTEN in the nucleus, resulting in PTEN deubiquitination and nuclear exclusion. PML, via an unknown mechanism that involves USP7- and PML-interacting protein DAXX, inhibits USP7-mediated deubiquitination of PTEN, thus promoting PTEN nuclear localization. Disruption of PML function in acute promyelocytic leukemia, through a chromosomal translocation that results in expression of a fusion protein PML-RARA, leads to aberrant PTEN localization.

Several ubiquitin ligases, including NEDD4, WWP2, STUB1 (CHIP), RNF146, XIAP and MKRN1, polyubiquitinate PTEN and target it for proteasome-mediated degradation (Wang et al. 2007, Van Themsche et al. 2009, Ahmed et al. 2011, Maddika et al. 2011, Lee et al. 2015, Li et al. 2015). The ubiquitin proteases USP13 and OTUD3, frequently down-regulated in breast cancer, remove polyubiquitin chains from PTEN, thus preventing its degradation and increasing its half-life. The catalytic activity of PTEN is negatively regulated by PREX2 binding and TRIM27-mediated ubiquitination, most likely through altered PTEN conformation.

In addition to ubiquitination, PTEN also undergoes SUMOylation (Gonzalez-Santamaria et al. 2012, Da Silva Ferrada et al. 2013, Lang et al. 2015, Leslie et al. 2016). SUMOylation of the C2 domain of PTEN may regulate PTEN association with the plasma membrane as well as nuclear localization of PTEN. PIASx-alpha, a splicing isorom of E3 SUMO-protein ligase PIAS2 has been implicated in PTEN SUMOylation. SUMOylation of PTEN may be regulated by activated AKT. Reactions describing PTEN SUMOylation will be annotated when mechanistic details become available.

Phosphorylation affects the stability and activity of PTEN. FRK tyrosine kinase (RAK) phosphorylates PTEN on tyrosine residue Y336, which increases PTEN half-life by inhibiting NEDD4-mediated polyubiquitination and subsequent degradation of PTEN. FRK-mediated phosphorylation also increases PTEN enzymatic activity. Casein kinase II (CK2) constitutively phosphorylates the C-terminal tail of PTEN on serine and threonine residues S370, S380, T382, T383 and S385. CK2-mediated phosphorylation increases PTEN protein stability but results in ~30% reduction in PTEN lipid phosphatase activity.

PTEN localization and activity are affected by acetylation of its lysine residues. PTEN can undergo oxidation, which affects its function, but the mechanism is poorly understood.