DNA damage induces the accumulation of Tiam1 by blocking β-TrCP-dependent degradation

The Rac1/JNK cascade plays important roles in DNA damage-induced apoptosis. However, how this cascade is activated upon DNA damage remains to be fully understood. We show here that, in untreated cells, Tiam1, a Rac1-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor, is phosphorylated by casein kinase 1 (CK1) at its C terminus, leading to Skp, Cullin, F-box-containing(β-TrCP) recognition, ubiquitination, and proteasome-mediated degradation. Upon DNA-damaging anticancer drug treatment, CK1/β-TrCP-mediated Tiam1 degradation is abolished, and the accumulated Tiam1 contributes to downstream activation of Rac1/JNK. Consistently, tumor cells overexpressing Tiam1 are hypersensitive to DNA-damaging drug treatment. In xenograft mice, Tiam1-high cells are more susceptible to doxorubicin treatment. Thus, our results uncover that inhibition of proteasome-mediated Tiam1 degradation is an upstream event leading to Rac1/JNK activation and cell apoptosis in response to DNA-damaging drug treatment.