SIK2: a key player in FGF2-induced proliferation and insulin-induced survivale/hyperglycemia-dependent apoptosis in müller cells

Abstract

Salt inducible kinase 2 (SIK2), a serine/threonine kinase, is primarily expressed in insulin-responsive tissues. It was suggested that SIK2 might be involved in type 2 diabetes by phosphorylating S789 residue of IRS1. In the initial experiments we observed rapid and transient increase of SIK2 activity upon FGF2 stimulation, confirming that the kinase is part of this pathway. Subsequently it was demonstrated that FGF2 dependent ERK and Akt activation was reduced significantly by SIK2 overexpression. SIK2 silencing, on the other hand, enhanced the intensity and the duration of active ERK and Akt levels, and led to a dramatic increase in FGF2-dependent Müller cell proliferation. Gab1 phosphorylation by SIK2 was verified in vitro, their interaction was revealed by coimmunoprecipitation. pSer of Gab1 was diminished significantly by SIK2 silencing. In the same time frame, pTyr levels and binding partner associations (p85/Gab1, Shp2/Gab1, Grb2/Gab1) were increased. Based on this data we propose that SIK2 involved in the negative feedback mechanisms acting on FGF/Ras/ERK and FGF/PI3K/Akt pathways and Müller cell proliferation at the level of Gab1 serine phosphorylation. In the context of insulin pathway we established enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS1, followed by Akt activation resulting in increased Müller cell survival. SIK2 knockdown leads to considerably earlier FGF2-dependent Akt activation. Its overexpression, hampers Akt activation and cell survival. Coimmunoprecipitation studies indicated IRS1 as an in vivo SIK2 substrate. We observed lower IRS1 expression and tyrosine phosphorylation, enhanced SIK2 activity/expression and downregulation of both basal and insulin-induced Akt activation in MIO-M1 cells under hyperglycemia. SIK2 gene silencing under hyperglycemia restored pAkt level, under normoglycemia in cells overexpressing SIK2, Akt phosphorylation was decreased and apoptosis increased. Based on these observations, we suggest that SIK2 is a negative modulator of insulin-induced IRS1/Akt mediated Müller glial survival pathway, which may contribute to the glial death observed in diabetes.