Modulation of growth hormone receptor abundance and function: roles for the ubiquitin-proteasome system

Abstract

Growth hormone plays an important role in regulating numerous functions in vertebrates. Several pathways that negatively regulate the magnitude and duration of its signaling (including expression of tyrosine phosphatases, SOCS and PIAS proteins) are shared between signaling induced by growth hormone itself and by other cytokines. Here we overview downregulation of the growth hormone receptor as the most specific and potent mechanism of restricting cellular responses to growth hormone and analyze the role of several proteolytic systems and, specifically, ubiquitin-dependent pathways in this regulation.

Figure 1

GH signaling pathways. GH binds to the cell surface dimerized GHR, causing JAK2 activation and activation of downstream pathways, including STAT5, PI3-kinase, and ERK pathways.

Figure 2

JAK2 association affects endoplasmic reticulum to cell surface GHR trafficking. In cells harboring GHR and JAK2 molecules that can associate, GHR moves from the ER to the Golgi, matures, and reaches the cell surface efficiently. In cells lacking JAK2 or with GHR molecules that cannot associate with JAK2, GHR undergoes endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) and inefficiently matures and trafficks to the cell surface.

Figure 3

GHR undergoes sequential TACE and gamma-secretase cleavage. Surface GHR undergoes constitutive and inducible cleavage in the extracellular domain stem region by TACE in a process called “alpha-secretase” cleavage. This yields the shed GHBP and the GHR remnant. Remnant is then cleaved by gamma-secretase within the membrane to yield the GHR stub (soluble intracellular domain), which localizes to the nucleus, where it may affect gene expression.

Figure 4

JAK2 association affects the constitutive (GH-independent) fate of surface GHR. In cells harboring GHR and JAK2 molecules that can associate, surface GHR is downregulated at a low constitutive rate and its half-life is long. In cells that lack JAK2 or have GHR and JAK2 molecules that cannot associate, GHR undergoes enhanced constitutive downregulation and exhibits a short half-life.