Regulation of phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate signaling by Pin1 determines sensitivity to oxidative stress

Oxidative signaling and oxidative stress contribute to aging, cancer, and diseases resulting from neurodegeneration. Pin1 is a proline isomerase that recognizes phosphorylated substrates and regulates the localization and conformation of its targets. Pin1-/- mice show phenotypes associated with premature aging, yet mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from these mice are resistant to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell death. We found that the abundance of phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate (PtdIns5P) was increased in response to H2O2, an effect that was enhanced in Pin1-/- MEFs. Reduction of H2O2-induced PtdIns5P compromised cell viability in response to oxidative stress, suggesting that PtdIns5P contributed to the enhanced cell viability of Pin1-/- MEFs exposed to oxidative stress. The increased PtdIns5P in the Pin1 -/- MEFs stimulated the expression of genes involved in defense against oxidative stress and reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Pin1 and PtdIns5P 4-kinases (PIP4Ks), enzymes that phosphorylate and thereby reduce the amount of PtdIns5P, interacted in a manner dependent on the phosphorylation of PIP4K. Although reintroduction of Pin1 into the Pin1 -/- MEFs reduced the amount of PtdIns5P produced in response to H2O2, in vitro assays indicated that the isomerase activity of Pin1 inhibited PIP4K activity. Whether this isomerise-mediated inhibition of PIP4K occurs in cells remains an open question, but the data suggest that the regulation of PIP4K by Pin1 may be complex.