Autophagy is a cellular catabolic process critical for cell viability and homeostasis. Inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex-1 (mTORC1) activates autophagy. A puzzling observation is that amino acid starvation triggers more rapid autophagy than pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1, although they both block mTORC1 activity with similar kinetics. Here we find that in addition to mTORC1 inactivation, starvation also causes an increase in phosphatase activity toward ULK1, an mTORC1 substrate whose dephosphorylation is required for autophagy induction. We identify the starvation-stimulated phosphatase for ULK1 as the PP2A-B55α complex. Treatment of cells with starvation but not mTORC1 inhibitors triggers dissociation of PP2A from its inhibitor Alpha4. Furthermore, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells (PDACs), whose growth depends on high basal autophagy, possess stronger basal phosphatase activity toward ULK1 and require ULK1 for sustained anchorage-independent growth. Taken together, concurrent mTORC1 inactivation and PP2A-B55α stimulation fuel ULK1-dependent autophagy.

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Scope: The accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein in dopaminergic neurons is the leading cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Resveratrol (RV), a polyphenolic compound derived from grapes and red wine, exerts a wide range of beneficial effects via activation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and induction of vitagenes. Here, we assessed the role of RV in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced mouse model of PD and explored its potential mechanisms. Methods and results: RV and EX527, a specific inhibitor of SIRT1, were administered before and after MPTP treatment. RV protected against MPTP-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons, and decreases in tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine levels, as well as behavioral impairments. Meanwhile, RV administration activated SIRT1. Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) was then deacetylated and redistributed from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, which provoked the autophagic degradation of α-synuclein in dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, EX527 antagonized the neuroprotective effects of RV by reducing LC3 deacetylation and subsequent autophagic degradation of α-synuclein. Conclusion: We showed that RV ameliorated both motor deficits and pathological changes in MPTP-treated mice via activation of SIRT1 and subsequent LC3 deacetylation-mediated autophagic degradation of α-synuclein. Our observations suggest that RV may be a potential prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for PD.

The complex interplay between caspase-8 and receptor-interacting protein (RIP) kinase RIP 3 (RIPK3) driving extrinsic apoptosis and necroptosis is not fully understood. Murine cytomegalovirus triggers both apoptosis and necroptosis in infected cells; however, encoded inhibitors of caspase-8 activity (M36) and RIP3 signaling (M45) suppress these antiviral responses. Here, we report that this virus activates caspase-8 in macrophages to trigger apoptosis that gives rise to secondary necroptosis. Infection with double-mutant ΔM36/M45mutRHIM virus reveals a signaling pattern in which caspase-8 activates caspase-3 to drive apoptosis with subsequent RIP3-dependent activation of mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) leading to necroptosis. This combined cell death signaling is highly inflammatory, greater than either apoptosis induced by ΔM36 or necroptosis induced by M45mutRHIM virus. IL-6 production by macrophages is dramatically increased during double-mutant virus infection and correlates with faster antiviral responses in the host. Collaboratively, M36 and M45 target caspase-8 and RIP3 pathways together to suppress this proinflammatory cell death. This study reveals the effect of antiviral programmed cell death pathways on inflammation, shows that caspase-8 activation may go hand-in-hand with necroptosis in macrophages, and revises current understanding of independent and collaborative functions of M36 and M45 in blocking apoptotic and necroptotic cell death responses.