Oxidative stress-dependent regulation of Forkhead box O4 activity by nemo-like kinase

Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors are involved in various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, stress resistance, metabolism, and longevity. Regulation of FOXO transcriptional activity occurs mainly through a variety of post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. Here we describe nemo-like kinase (NLK) as a novel regulator of FOXOs. NLK binds to and phosphorylates FOXO1, FOXO3a, and FOXO4 on multiple residues. NLK acts as a negative regulator of FOXO transcriptional activity. For FOXO4 we show that NLK-mediated loss of FOXO4 activity co-occurs with inhibition of FOXO4 monoubiquitination. Previously, we have shown that oxidative stress-induced monoubiquitination of FOXO4 stimulates its transactivation, which leads to activation of an antioxidant defensive program. Conversely, NLK-dependent inhibition of FOXO4 activity can provide a means to downregulate this defensive program, when oxidative stress reaches a level beyond which repair is no longer feasible and cells need to undergo apoptosis.