Complement membrane attack complexes (MACs) promote inflammatory functions in endothelial cells (ECs) by stabilizing NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) and activating noncanonical NF-κB signaling. Here we report a novel endosome-based signaling complex induced by MACs to stabilize NIK. We found that, in contrast to cytokine-mediated activation, NIK stabilization by MACs did not involve cIAP2 or TRAF3. Informed by a genome-wide siRNA screen, instead this response required internalization of MACs in a clathrin-, AP2-, and dynamin-dependent manner into Rab5 + endosomes, which recruited activated Akt, stabilized NIK, and led to phosphorylation of IκB kinase (IKK)-α. Active Rab5 was required for recruitment of activated Akt to MAC + endosomes, but not for MAC internalization or for Akt activation. Consistent with these in vitro observations, MAC internalization occurred in human coronary ECs in vivo and was similarly required for NIK stabilization and EC activation. We conclude that MACs activate noncanonical NF-κB by forming a novel AktT he complement system contributes to both host defense and immunopathology (1). Using serum with high-titer panel reactive antibody (PRA) from sensitized transplant candidates as a source of complement-fixing human anti-HLA alloantibodies, we identified noncanonical NF-κB signaling as a novel effector pathway used by complement membrane attack complexes (MACs) to induce proinflammatory changes in endothelial cells (ECs) that resulted in increased recruitment and activation of alloreactive effector memory T cells (2).Noncanonical NF-κB signaling is generally initiated by ligand engagement of TNF receptor (TNFR) superfamily members (3, 4). In the absence of ligand, NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) protein is persistently translated and sequestered into a complex containing cIAP1, cIAP2, TRAF2, and TRAF3, where it is polyubiquitinylated by cIAP2 and targeted for proteasomal degradation (5). Following ligand activation, TRAF3 along with its associated proteins are recruited to the cytoplasmic tail of the activated receptor (5-7), where the ubiquitin ligase activity of cIAP2 is diverted away from NIK to TRAF3 (8), causing degradation of TRAF3 accompanied by release and stabilization of NIK, which initiates signaling. In this sequence, TRAF3 degradation is necessary and sufficient for NIK accumulation (9, 10). In contrast to canonical NF-κB activation by TNF-α or IL-1, which occurs rapidly within 15 min, noncanonical signaling typically requires ∼8 h for initial detection (11). Here we demonstrate that MAC stabilization of NIK occurs within 30 min independent of the cIAP2-TRAF3-containing signalosome, and that furthermore, an endosome-based Akt-and Rab5-dependent signaling mechanism mediates NIK stabilization by MACs.
ResultsStabilization of NIK by MACs Occurs Rapidly and Independently of cIAP2-TRAF3 Signalosome Formation. We recently reported that cultured human umbilical vein ECs treated with high-titer PRA from sensitized transplant candidates selectively activated noncanonical but not canonical NF...