Abstract
Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a highly complex heterotrimeric Ser/Thr phosphatase that regulates many cellular processes. The role of PP2A as a tumor suppressor has been extensively studied and reviewed. However, emerging evidence suggests PP2A constrains inflammatory responses and is important in autoimmune and neuroinflammatory diseases. Here, we reviewed the existing literature on the role of PP2A in T-cell differentiation and autoimmunity. We have also discussed the modulation of PP2A activity by endogenous inhibitors and its small-molecule activators as potential therapeutic approaches against autoimmunity.
Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A)
Protein phosphorylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) and is indispensable in cell signaling regulation. Mechanistically, by altering the charge on a protein, phosphorylation alters the conformation, which alters the protein’s subcellular localization, interactions with other proteins, and functions. Protein phosphorylation is regulated by enzyme kinases and phosphatases, which catalyze phosphate’s addition or removal, respectively. The altered activity of these enzymes is one of the major defects in the development of various diseases, such as cancers, neurological and autoimmune disorders (–).
Although kinases and phosphatases regulate protein phosphorylation, the focus has been on kinases for several reasons: more genes encode kinases, and the consideration that phosphorylation acts as a response to perturbation while dephosphorylation as mean to restore equilibrium (). However, recent studies indicate that phosphatase inhibition is also a common signature in several human diseases (). In addition, the phosphatases are inherently more complex due to the combinatorial diversity of phosphatase regulatory subunits that results in a greater functional number of phosphatases. Nevertheless, there is a growing realization that phosphatases are equally important and hold therapeutic potential for disease treatments.
In this review, we will discuss the role of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in T-cell differentiation and autoimmunity. The tumor-suppressive function of PP2A has been reviewed elsewhere (–). PP2A is a highly conserved serine/threonine heterotrimeric phosphatase with an essential role in many cellular processes (). PP2A activity is inhibited in several cancers (, , ). Multiple mechanisms have been proposed for the altered PP2A activity in cell transformation in cancer (, , ). In addition, PP2A is inhibited in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease (–).
PP2A contains three subunits. The “A” scaffolding subunit and “C” catalytic subunit together form a dimer of the core enzyme. A variable size “B” regulatory subunit binds the AC dimer. These subunits exist either as AC dimers, ABC trimers (called holoenzyme), or free inactive catalytic C subunits stabilized due to interactions with protein PME-1 or α4, also known as immunoglobulin binding protein 1 (IGBP1) (–) (Figure 1). In humans, the A, B, and C PP2A subunits are located on different chromosomes, and isoforms of each subunit, especially B subunits, form the diversity of the PP2A enzymes.
Figure 1
Expression of the A and C subunits is ubiquitous and promiscuous. Two distinct and non-redundant genes PPP2R1A and PPP2R1B, encode A subunits, PP2A Aα and PP2A Aβ, respectively. Similarly, PPP2CA and PPP2CB encode catalytic C subunits, PP2A Cα and PP2A Cβ, respectively (Figure 1). Higher levels of expression of α isoforms than the β isoforms of A and C subunits in most human tissues is due to a 7–10-fold stronger promoter of their respective genes (
The B subunits confer enzyme-substrate specificity, and their expression and localization vary with the cell type, creating diversity. PP2A-B subunits are classified into four groups: B [PPP2R2A, PPP2R2B, PPP2R2C, and PPP2R2D), B′ (PPP2R5A, PPP2R5B, PPP2R5C, PPP2R5D, and PPP2R5E), B″ (PPP2R3A, PPP2R3B, and PPP2R3C), and B″′ (STRN, striatin family)]. The B subunits proteins are structurally different in each group, and their binding to the PP2A holoenzyme is due to the intrinsic flexibility of the scaffolding A subunit. Further, the binding of the B subunit to the dimer is mutually exclusive, i.e., only one B subunit at a time interacts with the dimer to form a holoenzyme (
Regulation of PP2A Activity
PP2A activity is regulated at the level of gene expression, generation of splice variants, and combinatorial diversity due to a large number of regulatory subunits. Notably, the generation of PP2A active holoenzyme in cells is tightly regulated to avoid the formation of enzymes with impaired substrate specificity. Besides these, PP2A activity is also regulated by post-translational modification (PTM) of different subunits or interaction with other proteins. The carboxy-terminal of the PP2A catalytic C subunit is the hotspot for PTM (
Methylation on leucine-309 (L309) residue of C subunit is well known to control PP2A enzymatic activity and composition (
PTM of PP2A regulatory B subunits has also been reported. For instance, phosphorylation of the PPP2R5D subunit by protein kinase A led to an increase in PP2A activity (
PP2A activity is also regulated by its interactions with other proteins. PP2A-C is activated by binding of phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activator (PTPA) (
PP2A Inhibitors
PP2A activity is regulated by endogenous inhibitors encoded in the genome as well as chemical small molecule inhibitors. PP2A endogenous inhibitors acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32A (ANP32A), also known as PP2A inhibitor 1, and SET, also known as PP2A inhibitor 2 are members of the SET family. SET directly interacts with PP2A-C to suppress its activity, and enhanced SET expression is associated with several cancers (
Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A; KIAA1524; p90) is another endogenous inhibitor of PP2A. CIP2A-PP2A interaction prevents c-Myc S62 dephosphorylation and proteolytic degradation, leading to cell transformation (
Proteins PME-1 and α4 are also considered as PP2A inhibitors by controlling heterotrimeric holoenzyme assembly. PME-1 overexpression is reported in cancer cells, whereas its inhibition enhanced PP2A activity (
Okadaic acid is a naturally occurring small-molecule inhibitor of phosphatases, including PP2A. Okadaic acid is isolated from the marine dinoflagellates and causes shellfish poisoning (
PP2A Activators
Researchers have tried various compounds to activate PP2A as potential cancer treatments. Some activate PP2A indirectly by inhibiting its inhibitors. For instance, small-molecule PME-1 inhibitors aza-β-lactam (ABL) and sulfonyl acrylonitrile are associated with PP2A activation (
Cell-endogenous lipid metabolite ceramide activates PP2A in immune and cancer cells. Ceramides de-repress PP2A activity by direct interaction with PP2A endogenous inhibitor SET (
Anti-psychotic phenothiazine drugs, such as chlorpromazine also activate PP2A. However, their anti-cholinergic effects limit their use as anti-cancer agents. Further developments in this line led to identification of small-molecule activators of PP2A (SMAPs), such as DBK-1154, DT-061, and iHAPs (improved heterocyclic activators of PP2A). SMAP binding stabilizes and promotes PP2A heterotrimeric holoenzyme assembly with robust activation (
PP2A in CD4+ T-Cell Activation and Differentiation
PP2A is required to limit T-cell activation. It limits protein kinase C (PKC-θ) dependent CARMA1 phosphorylation, which recruits signaling mediators important for T-cell activation (
PP2A also contributes to CD4+ T-cell differentiation. Genetic deletion of a PP2A regulatory subunit PPP2R2A in mice led to reduction in Th1 differentiation in vitro as measured by IFNγ expression (
Depleting PP2A catalytic subunit α in mice led to a reduction in Th17 cell differentiation and development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) (
In contrast to mice, silencing the PP2A scaffolding subunit A in human Th17 cells or inhibiting its activity by okadaic acid upregulated IL17 expression (
PP2A activity is also required for the Treg cell-mediated suppression of effector T cells responses (
Figure 2

PP2A activation in Treg cells. Foxp3 direct sgms1 gene promoter binding and inhibits sgms1 expression in Treg. SMS1 (encoded by sgms1) reduction results in ceramide accumulation. Ceramide accumulates only in Treg cells, and the interaction with TCR-activated PP2A endogenous inhibitor SET activates PP2A. On the other hand, PP2A activity in Treg cells is important to inhibit mTORC1 and ADAM10 to the IL-2 receptor. Enhanced IL-2 signaling promotes STAT5 and Foxp3 expression in Treg cells. Lastly, PP2A dephosphorylation activates Foxo1, which positively regulates Treg-cell differentiation but inhibits Th17 cells. Figure 2 is modified from the thesis (
PP2A-mediated Treg modulation through Foxo1, another transcription factor is also fascinating. FOXO1 inhibits transcriptional activity of RORγt to its target genes, such as Il17a and Il23r (
PP2A in Autoimmunity
PP2A has not been extensively studied in the context of autoimmunity. However, owing to its important role in T cell activation and differentiation PP2A may be important for development of autoimmunity. MS is an autoimmune disease characterized by immune-mediated destruction of the myelin sheath of neurons. Myelin-reactive T cells egress from the lymph node and migrate to central nervous system to Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) gradient, which is high in body fluids and tissues, including the central nervous system. Current MS treatment seeks to minimize lymphocyte egress and migration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to prevent inflammation and destruction of neurons. FTY720, an analog of S1P, binds to S1PR on lymphocytes and is a common immunosuppressive compound that is approved to treat MS. It has been proposed to act through S1PR internalization and degradation in autoreactive lymphocytes, rendering the lymphocytes unresponsive to the S1P gradient.
Besides regulating the egress and migration of autoreactive T cells to the central nervous system, FTY720 may also limit MS by activating PP2A in T cells. However, whether PP2A activation and immunosuppressive function are inter-related remains to be clarified. Phosphorylated FTY720 is considered immunosuppressive and different from the non-phosphorylated PP2A activators and antitumor forms (
Besides MS, PP2A also has a role in other autoimmune diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by widespread inflammation due to immune cell activation. Like MS, SLE is also ameliorated by FTY720 treatment in a mouse model (
Conclusions
PP2A is one of the most abundant proteins in the cell and the most prominent serine-threonine phosphatase. It controls a range of cellular processes and is highly conserved from yeast to mammals and is required for T-cell activation. PP2A has a complex role in CD4+ T cell differentiation to distinct subsets. However, it clearly promotes Treg differentiation, suggesting PP2A activation as an attractive strategy for immunosuppression. The recent development of small-molecule compounds that directly activate PP2A might provide means for the development of therapeutics for immune cell-mediated diseases. However, further work is needed to study specificity and mode of action of these compounds.
Funding
MMK was supported by the University of Turku graduate school on Turku Doctoral Programme of Molecular Medicine (TuDMM) and a central grant from the Finnish Cultural Foundation. UK was supported by Varsinais-Suomi regional Fund from Finnish Cultural Foundation. RL was supported by the Academy of Finland, AoF, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Systems Immunology and Physiology Research (2012-2017) grant 250114; by the AoF grants 292335, 294337, 292482, 31444, 335435, 331793, 329277, and by grants from the JDRF, the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation and the Finnish Cancer Foundation.
Publisher’s Note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Statements
Author contributions
All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
References
1
Castro-SanchezPTeagleARPradeSZamoyskaR. Modulation of TCR Signaling by Tyrosine Phosphatases: From Autoimmunity to Immunotherapy. Front Cell Dev Biol (2020) 8:608747. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.608747
2
HeRJYuZHZhangRYZhangZY. Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases as Potential Therapeutic Targets. Dev (2014) 57:1227–46. doi: 10.1038/aps.2014.80
3
CohenP. Immune Diseases Caused by Mutations in Kinases and Components of the Ubiquitin System. Nat Immunol (2014) 15:521–9. doi: 10.1038/ni.2892
4
ClarkAROhlmeyerM. Protein Phosphatase 2A as a Therapeutic Target in Inflammation and Neurodegeneration. Pharmacol Ther (2019) 201:181–201. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.05.016
5
O’ConnorCMPerlALeonardDSangodkarJNarlaG. Therapeutic Targeting of PP2A. Int J Biochem Cell Biol (2018) 96:182–93. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.10.008
6
SangodkarJFarringtonCCMcClinchKGalskyMDKastrinskyDBNarlaG. All Roads Lead to PP2A: Exploiting the Therapeutic Potential of This Phosphatase. FEBS J (2016) 283:1004–24. doi: 10.1111/febs.13573
7
KaukoOWestermarckJ. Non-Genomic Mechanisms of Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) Regulation in Cancer. Int J Biochem Cell Biol (2018) 96:157–64. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.01.005
8
MeeusenBJanssensV. Tumor Suppressive Protein Phosphatases in Human Cancer: Emerging Targets for Therapeutic Intervention and Tumor Stratification. Int J Biochem Cell Biol (2018) 96:98–134. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.10.002
9
WestermarckJHahnWC. Multiple Pathways Regulated by the Tumor Suppressor PP2A in Transformation. Trends Mol Med (2008) 14:152–60. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2008.02.001
10
HaesenDSentsWLemaireKHoorneYJanssensV. The Basic Biology of PP2A in Hematologic Cells and Malignancies. Front Oncol (2014) 4:347. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2014.00347
11
EichhornPJACreyghtonMPBernardsR. Protein Phosphatase 2A Regulatory Subunits and Cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta - Rev Cancer (2009) 1795:1–15. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2008.05.005
12
LambrechtCHaesenDSentsWIvanovaEJanssensV. Structure, Regulation, and Pharmacological Modulation of PP2A Phosphatases. Methods Mol Biol (2013) 1053:283–305. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-562-0_17
13
WuJLouHAlerteTNMStachowskiEKChenJSingletonABet al. Lewy-Like Aggregation of α-Synuclein Reduces Protein Phosphatase 2A Activity In Vitro and In Vivo. Neuroscience (2012) 207:288–97. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.01.028
14
TaymansJMBaekelandtV. Phosphatases of α-Synuclein, LRRK2, and Tau: Important Players in the Phosphorylation-Dependent Pathology of Parkinsonism. Front Genet (2014) 5:382. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00382
15
ParkHLeeKParkESOhSYanRZhangJet al. Dysregulation of Protein Phosphatase 2A in Parkinson Disease and Dementia With Lewy Bodies. Ann Clin Transl Neurol (2016) 3:769–80. doi: 10.1002/acn3.337
16
HuaGXiaoleiLWeiweiYHaoWYuangangZDongmeiLet al. Protein Phosphatase 2A Is Involved in the Tyrosine Hydroxylase Phosphorylation Regulated by α-Synuclein. Neurochem Res (2015) 40:428–37. doi: 10.1007/s11064-014-1477-x
17
BraithwaiteSPVoronkovMStockJBMouradianMM. Targeting Phosphatases as the Next Generation of Disease Modifying Therapeutics for Parkinson’s Disease. Neurochem Int (Pergamon) (2012) 61(6):899–906. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2012.01.031
18
VoronkovMBraithwaiteSPStockJB. Phosphoprotein Phosphatase 2A: A Novel Druggable Target for Alzheimer’s Disease. Future Med Chem (2011) 3:821–33. doi: 10.4155/fmc.11.47
19
SontagJMSontagE. Protein Phosphatase 2A Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Mol Neurosci (2014) 7:16. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2014.00016
20
LonginSJordensJMartensEStevensIJanssensVRondelezEet al. An Inactive Protein Phosphatase 2A Population Is Associated With Methylesterase and Can be Re-Activated by the Phosphotyrosyl Phosphatase Activator. Biochem J (2004) 380:111–9. doi: 10.1042/BJ20031643
21
PokharelYRSaarelaJSzwajdaARuppCRokkaAKarnaSKLet al. Relevance Rank Platform (RRP) for Functional Filtering of High Content Protein-Protein Interaction Data. Mol Cell Proteomics (2015) 14:3274–83. doi: 10.1074/mcp.M115.050773
22
XingYLiZChenYStockJBJeffreyPDShiY. Structural Mechanism of Demethylation and Inactivation of Protein Phosphatase 2A. Cell (2008) 133:154–63. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2008.02.041
23
KongMDitsworthDLindstenTThompsonCB. α4 is an Essential Regulator of PP2A Phosphatase Activity. Mol Cell (2009) 36:51–60. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2009.09.025
24
KhanMM. Role of Cancerous Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A in the Regulation of T-Cell Response - UTUPub. (2021). Available at: https://www.utupub.fi/handle/10024/152779 [Accessed December 23, 2021].
25
Khew-GoodallYHemmingsBA. Tissue-Specific Expression of Mrnas Encoding α- and β-Catalytic Subunits of Protein Phosphatase 2A. FEBS Lett (1988) 238:265–8. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(88)80493-9
26
JanssensVGorisJ. Protein Phosphatase 2A: A Highly Regulated Family of Serine/Threonine Phosphatases Implicated in Cell Growth and Signalling. Biochem J (2001) 353:417–39. doi: 10.1042/bj3530417
27
XuYXingYChenYChaoYLinZFanEet al. Structure of the Protein Phosphatase 2A Holoenzyme. Cell (2006) 127:1239–51. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2006.11.033
28
GrovesMRHanlonNTurowskiPHemmingsBABarfordD. The Structure of the Protein Phosphatase 2A PR65/a Subunit Reveals the Conformation of its 15 Tandemly Repeated HEAT Motifs. Cell (1999) 96:99–110. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80963-0
29
ChoUSXuW. Crystal Structure of a Protein Phosphatase 2A Heterotrimeric Holoenzyme. Nature (2007) 445:53–7. doi: 10.1038/nature05351
30
ReynhoutSJanssensV. Physiologic Functions of PP2A: Lessons From Genetically Modified Mice. Biochim Biophys Acta - Mol Cell Res (2019) 1866:31–50. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2018.07.010
31
KaurAWestermarckJ. Regulation of Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) Tumor Suppressor Function by PME-1. Biochem Soc Trans (2016) 44:1683–93. doi: 10.1042/BST20160161
32
AhnJHMcAvoyTRakhilinSVNishiAGreengardPNairnAC. Protein Kinase a Activates Protein Phosphatase 2A by Phosphorylation of the B56δ Subunit. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2007) 104:2979–84. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0611532104
33
HornbeckPVZhangBMurrayBKornhauserJMLathamVSkrzypekE. Phosphositeplus, 2014: Mutations, Ptms and Recalibrations. Nucleic Acids Res (2015) 43:D512–20. doi: 10.1093/nar/gku1267
34
TranHTNimickMUhrigRGTempletonGMorriceNGourlayRet al. Arabidopsis Thaliana Histone Deacetylase 14 (HDA14) is an α-Tubulin Deacetylase That Associates With PP2A and Enriches in the Microtubule Fraction With the Putative Histone Acetyltransferase ELP3. Plant J (2012) 71:263–72. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2012.04984.x
35
Nunbhakdi-CraigVSchuechnerSSontagJMontgomeryLPallasDCJunoCet al. Expression of Protein Phosphatase 2A Mutants and Silencing of the Regulatory Bα Subunit Induce a Selective Loss of Acetylated and Detyrosinated Microtubules. J Neurochem (2007) 101:959–71. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2007.04503.x
36
GuoFStanevichVWlodarchakNSenguptaRJiangLSatyshurKAet al. Structural Basis of PP2A Activation by PTPA, an Atpdependent Activation Chaperone. Cell Res (2014) 24:190–203. doi: 10.1038/cr.2013.138
37
JiangLStanevichVSatyshurKAKongMWatkinsGRWadzinskiBEet al. Structural Basis of Protein Phosphatase 2A Stable Latency. Nat Commun (2013) 4:1699. doi: 10.1038/ncomms2663
38
FellnerTLacknerDHHombauerHPiribauerPMudrakIZaragozaKet al. A Novel and Essential Mechanism Determining Specificity and Activity of Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) In Vivo. Genes Dev (2003) 17:2138–50. doi: 10.1101/gad.259903
39
SwitzerCHChengRYSVitekTMChristensenDJWinkDAVitekMP. Targeting SET/I2 PP2A Oncoprotein Functions as a Multi-Pathway Strategy for Cancer Therapy. Oncogene (2011) 30:2504–13. doi: 10.1038/onc.2010.622
40
JunttilaMRPuustinenPNiemeläMAholaRArnoldHBöttzauwTet al. CIP2A Inhibits PP2A in Human Malignancies. Cell (2007) 130:51–62. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2007.04.044
41
WangJOkkeriJPavicKWangZKaukoOHalonenTet al. Oncoprotein CIP2A Is Stabilized via Interaction With Tumor Suppressor PP2A/B56. EMBO Rep (2017) 18:437–50. doi: 10.15252/embr.201642788
42
KhanMMVälikangasTKhanMHMoulderRUllahUBhosaleSDet al. Protein Interactome of the Cancerous Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) in Th17 Cells. Curr Res Immunol (2020) 1:10–22. doi: 10.1016/j.crimmu.2020.02.001
43
ShentuYPHuoYFengXLGilbertJZhangQLiuyangZYet al. CIP2A Causes Tau/APP Phosphorylation, Synaptopathy, and Memory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease. Cell Rep (2018) 24:713–23. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.009
44
GuoBWuSZhuXZhangLDengJLiFet al. Micropeptide CIP 2A- BP Encoded by LINC 00665 Inhibits Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression. EMBO J (2020) 39(1):e102190. doi: 10.15252/embj.2019102190
45
BialojanCTakaiA. Inhibitory Effect of a Marine-Sponge Toxin, Okadaic Acid, on Protein Phosphatases. Specificity and Kinetics. Biochem J (1988) 256:283–90. doi: 10.1042/bj2560283
46
ShiY. Serine/Threonine Phosphatases: Mechanism Through Structure. Elsevier B.V (2009) 139(3):468–84. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.10.006
47
D’ArcyBMSwingleMRPapkeCMAbneyKABouskaESPrakashAet al. The Antitumor Drug LB-100 Is a Catalytic Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A (PPP2CA) and 5 (PPP5C) Coordinating With the Active-Site Catalytic Metals in PPP5C. Mol Cancer Ther (2019) 18:556–66. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-17-1143
48
BachovchinDAMohrJTSpeersAEWangCBerlinJMSpicerTPet al. Academic Cross-Fertilization by Public Screening Yields a Remarkable Class of Protein Phosphatase Methylesterase-1 Inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2011) 108:6811–6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1015248108
49
BachovchinDAZuhlAMSpeersAEWolfeMRWeerapanaEBrownSJet al. Discovery and Optimization of Sulfonyl Acrylonitriles as Selective, Covalent Inhibitors of Protein Phosphatase Methylesterase-1. J Med Chem (2011) 54:5229–36. doi: 10.1021/jm200502u
50
MukhopadhyayASaddoughiSASongPSultanIPonnusamySSenkalCEet al. Direct Interaction Between the Inhibitor 2 and Ceramide via Sphingolipid-Protein Binding is Involved in the Regulation of Protein Phosphatase 2A Activity and Signaling. FASEB J (2009) 23:751–63. doi: 10.1096/fj.08-120550
51
SaddoughiSAGencerSPetersonYKWardKEMukhopadhyayAOaksJet al. (2013) 5. doi: 10.1002/emmm.201201283. No Title.
52
LiuQZhaoXFrissoraFMaYSanthanamRJarjouraDet al. FTY720 Demonstrates Promising Preclinical Activity for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma. Blood (2008) 111:275–84. doi: 10.1182/blood-2006-10-053884
53
MatsuokaYNagaharaYIkekitaMShinomiyaT. A Novel Immunosuppressive Agent FTY720 Induced Akt Dephosphorylation in Leukemia Cells. Br J Pharmacol (2003) 138:1303–12. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0705182
54
NevianiPSanthanamROaksJJEiringAMNotariMBlaserBWet al. FTY720, a New Alternative for Treating Blast Crisis Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia and Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. J Clin Invest (2007) 117:2408–21. doi: 10.1172/JCI31095
55
NevianiPHarbJGOaksJJSanthanamRWalkerCJEllisJJet al. PP2A-Activating Drugs Selectively Eradicate Tki-Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemic Stem Cells. J Clin Invest (2013) 123:4144–57. doi: 10.1172/JCI68951
56
PippaRDominguezAChristensenDJMoreno-MirallesIBlanco-PrietoMJVitekMPet al. Effect of FTY720 on the SET-PP2A Complex in Acute Myeloid Leukemia; SET Binding Drugs Have Antagonistic Activity. Leukemia (2014) 28:1915–8. doi: 10.1038/leu.2014.141
57
YangYHuangQLuYLiXHuangS. Reactivating PP2A by FTY720 as a Novel Therapy for AML With C-KIT Tyrosine Kinase Domain Mutation. J Cell Biochem (2012) 113:1314–22. doi: 10.1002/jcb.24003
58
KastrinskyDBSangodkarJZawareNIzadmehrSDhawanNSNarlaGet al. Reengineered Tricyclic Anti-Cancer Agents. Bioorg Med Chem (2015) 23:6528–34. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.07.007
59
MoritaKHeSNowakRPWangJZimmermanMWFuCet al. Allosteric Activators of Protein Phosphatase 2A Display Broad Antitumor Activity Mediated by Dephosphorylation of MYBL2. Cell (2020) 181:702–15.e20. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.051
60
LeonardDHuangWIzadmehrSO’ConnorCMWiredjaDDWangZet al. Selective PP2A Enhancement Through Biased Heterotrimer Stabilization. Cell (2020) 181:688–701.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.03.038
61
WestermarckJNeelBG. Piecing Together a Broken Tumor Suppressor Phosphatase for Cancer Therapy. Cell (2020) 181:514–7. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.04.005
62
EitelhuberACWarthSSchimmackGDüwelMHadianKDemskiKet al. Dephosphorylation of Carma1 by PP2A Negatively Regulates T-Cell Activation. EMBO J (2011) 30:594–605. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2010.331
63
CômeCCvrljevicAKhanMMTreiseIAdlerTAguilar-PimentelJAet al. CIP2A Promotes T-Cell Activation and Immune Response to Listeria Monocytogenes Infection. PLoS One (2016) 11:1–18. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152996
64
BreuerRBeckerMSBrechmannMMockTArnoldRKrammerPH. The Protein Phosphatase 2A Regulatory Subunit B56?? Mediates Suppression of T Cell Receptor (TCR)-Induced Nuclear Factor-??B (NF-??B) Activity. J Biol Chem (2014) 289:14996–5004. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.533547
65
PanWNagpalKSuárez-FueyoAFerrettiAYoshidaNTsokosMGet al. The Regulatory Subunit PPP2R2A of PP2A Enhances Th1 and Th17 Differentiation Through Activation of the GEF-H1/Rhoa/ROCK Signaling Pathway. J Immunol (2021) 206:1719–28. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001266
66
HoWSWangHMaggioDKovachJSZhangQSongQet al. Pharmacologic Inhibition of Protein Phosphatase-2A Achieves Durable Immune-Mediated Antitumor Activity When Combined With PD-1 Blockade. Nat Commun (2018) 9:1–15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04425-z
67
RoySGoelRAggarwalSAsthanaSYadavAKAwasthiA. Proteome Analysis Revealed the Essential Functions of Protein Phosphatase PP2A in the Induction of Th9 Cells. Sci Rep (2020) 10:1–11. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67845-2
68
XuQJinXZhengMRohilaDFuGWenZet al. Phosphatase PP2A Is Essential for TH17 Differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2019) 116:982–7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1807484116
69
SharabiAKasperIRTsokosGC. The Serine/Threonine Protein Phosphatase 2A Controls Autoimmunity. Clin Immunol (2018) 186:38–42. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2017.07.012
70
ApostolidisSARauenTHedrichCMTsokosGCCrispínJC. Protein Phosphatase 2A Enables Expression of Interleukin 17 (IL-17) Through Chromatin Remodeling. J Biol Chem (2013) 288:26775–84. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.483743
71
KhanMMUllahUKhanMHKongLMoulderRVälikangasTet al. CIP2A Constrains Th17 Differentiation by Modulating STAT3 Signaling. iScience (2020) 23:100947. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100947
72
Dominguez-VillarMRaddassiKDanielsenACGuarnacciaJHaflerDA. Fingolimod Modulates T Cell Phenotype and Regulatory T Cell Plasticity in Vivo. J Autoimmun (2019) 96:40–9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaut.2018.08.002
73
TripathiSKVälikangasTShettyAKhanMMMoulderRBhosaleSDet al. Quantitative Proteomics Reveals the Dynamic Protein Landscape During Initiation of Human Th17 Cell Polarization. iScience (2019) 11:334–55. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.12.020
74
TuomelaSRautioSAhlforsHÖlingVSaloVUllahUet al. Comparative Analysis of Human and Mouse Transcriptomes of Th17 Cell Priming. Oncotarget (2016) 7:13416–28. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.7963
75
ApostolidisSARodríguez-RodríguezNSuárez-FueyoADioufaNOzcanECrispínJCet al. Phosphatase PP2A is Requisite for the Function of Regulatory T Cells. Nat Immunol (2016) 17:556–64. doi: 10.1038/ni.3390
76
SharabiAKasperIRTsokosGC. (2018) 186:38–42. doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2017.07.012. No Title.
77
LainéAMartinBLukaMMirLAuffrayCLucasBet al. Foxo1 Is a T Cell–Intrinsic Inhibitor of the Rorγt-Th17 Program. J Immunol (2015) 195:1791–803. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1500849
78
WuCYosefNThalhamerTZhuCXiaoSKishiYet al. Induction of Pathogenic TH17 Cells by Inducible Salt-Sensing Kinase SGK1. Nature (2013) 496:513–7. doi: 10.1038/nature11984
79
Gubbels BuppMREdwardsBGuoCWeiDChenGWongBet al. T Cells Require Foxo1 to Populate the Peripheral Lymphoid Organs. Eur J Immunol (2009) 39:2991–9. doi: 10.1002/eji.200939427
80
ToopHDDunMDRossBKFlanaganHMVerrillsNMMorrisJC. Development of Novel PP2A Activators for Use in the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Org Biomol Chem (2016) 14:4605–16. doi: 10.1039/c6ob00556j
81
SmithAMDunMDLeeEMHarrisonCKahlRFlanaganHet al. Activation of Protein Phosphatase 2A in FLT3+ Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells Enhances the Cytotoxicity of FLT3 Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. Oncotarget (2016) 7:47465–78. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.10167
82
CollisonAHatchwellLVerrillsNWarkPABDe SiqueiraAPToozeMet al. The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Midline 1 Promotes Allergen and Rhinovirus-Induced Asthma by Inhibiting Protein Phosphatase 2A Activity. Nat Med (2013) 19:232–7. doi: 10.1038/nm.3049
83
BrinkmannVDavisMDHeiseCEAlbertRCottensSHofRet al. The Immune Modulator FTY720 Targets Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors. J Biol Chem (2002) 277:21453–7. doi: 10.1074/jbc.C200176200
84
BrinkmannV. FTY720 (Fingolimod) in Multiple Sclerosis: Therapeutic Effects in the Immune and the Central Nervous System. Br J Pharmacol (2009) 158(5):1173–82. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00451.x
85
ManiRChiangCLFrissoraFWYanRMoXBaskarSet al. ROR1-Targeted Delivery of OSU-2S, a Nonimmunosuppressive FTY720 Derivative, Exerts Potent Cytotoxicity in Mantle-Cell Lymphoma In Vitro and In Vivo. Exp Hematol (2015) 43:770–4.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.exphem.2015.04.008
86
ManiRYanRMoXChenC-SPhelpsMAKlisovicRet al. Non-Immunosuppressive FTY720-Derivative OSU-2S Mediates Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Cytotoxicity in Canine B-Cell Lymphoma. Vet Comp Oncol (2017) 15:1115–8. doi: 10.1111/vco.12221
87
OmarHATolbaMFHungJ-HAl-TelTH. OSU-2S/Sorafenib Synergistic Antitumor Combination Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Role of Pkcδ/P53. Front Pharmacol (2016) 7:463. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00463
88
RobertsKGSmithAMMcDougallFCarpenterHHoranMNevianiPet al. Essential Requirement for PP2A Inhibition by the Oncogenic Receptor C-KIT Suggests PP2A Reactivation as a Strategy to Treat C-KIT+ Cancers. Cancer Res (2010) 70:5438–47. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-2544
89
TzartosJSFrieseMACranerMJPalaceJNewcombeJEsiriMMet al. Interleukin-17 Production in Central Nervous System-Infiltrating T Cells and Glial Cells is Associated With Active Disease in Multiple Sclerosis. Am J Pathol (2008) 172:146–55. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2008.070690
90
KebirHKreymborgKIferganIDodelet-DevillersACayrolRBernardMet al. Human TH17 Lymphocytes Promote Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption and Central Nervous System Inflammation. Nat Med (2007) 13:1173–5. doi: 10.1038/nm1651
91
MehlingMLindbergRRaulfFKuhleJHessCKapposLet al. Th17 Central Memory T Cells are Reduced by FTY720 in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis. Neurology (2010) 75:403–10. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181ebdd64
92
MehlingMBrinkmannVAntelJBar-OrAGoebelsNVedrineCet al. FTY720 Therapy Exerts Differential Effects on T Cell Subsets in Multiple Sclerosis. Neurology (2008) 71:1261–7. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000327609.57688.ea
93
ShiDTianTYaoSCaoKZhuXZhangMet al. FTY720 Attenuates Behavioral Deficits in a Murine Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Brain Behav Immun (2018) 70:293–304. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.03.009
94
RossEANaylorAJO’NeilJDCrowleyTRidleyMLCroweJet al. Treatment of Inflammatory Arthritis via Targeting of Tristetraprolin, a Master Regulator of Pro-Inflammatory Gene Expression. Ann Rheum Dis (2017) 76:612–9. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209424
95
VenkateshaSHYuHRajaiahRTongLMoudgilKD. Celastrus-Derived Celastrol Suppresses Autoimmune Arthritis by Modulating Antigen-Induced Cellular and Humoral Effector Responses. J Biol Chem (2011) 286:14138–46. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.226365
96
VenkateshaSHDudicsSAstryBMoudgilKD. Control of Autoimmune Inflammation by Celastrol, a Natural Triterpenoid. Pathog Dis (2016) 74:ftw059. doi: 10.1093/femspd/ftw059
Summary
Keywords
PP2A, inflammatory, PP2A activating drugs, T cell differentiation, autoimmune disease
Citation
Khan MM, Kalim UU, Khan MH and Lahesmaa R (2022) PP2A and Its Inhibitors in Helper T-Cell Differentiation and Autoimmunity. Front. Immunol. 12:786857. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.786857
Received
30 September 2021
Accepted
14 December 2021
Published
05 January 2022
Volume
12 - 2021
Edited by
William Hawse, University of Pittsburgh, United States
Reviewed by
Christian Kosan, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Kai Yang, Indiana University School of Medicine–Lafayette, United States
Updates

Check for updates
Copyright
© 2022 Khan, Kalim, Khan and Lahesmaa.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Riitta Lahesmaa, rilahes@utu.fi
This article was submitted to T Cell Biology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Immunology
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.