ATM-dependent dissociation of B55 regulatory subunit from nuclear PP2A in response to ionizing radiation

Ionizing radiation (IR) is known to activate multiple cell cycle checkpoints that are thought to enhance the ability of cells to respond to DNA damage. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) has been implicated in IR-induced activation of checkpoints; therefore, Jurkat cells were exposed to an activating dose of IR or sham treatment as control, and nuclear extracts were analyzed for PP2A by Mono Q anion exchange chromatography and microcystin affinity chromatography. PP2A exists in eukaryotic cells both as a heterodimer consisting of a 65-kDa scaffolding subunit (A) plus a 36-kDa catalytic subunit (C) and as ABC heterotrimers, containing one of a variety of regulatory (B) subunits. Here we show that IR produces a transient and reversible reduction in the amount of nuclear AB55C heterotrimer without affecting the AB'C heterotrimer or AC heterodimer. In ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)-deficient cells the amount of nuclear PP2A heterotrimer relative to heterodimer was not reduced by radiation, but the radiation response was restored by transfection of these cells with plasmids encoding ATM. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of kinases such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, also prevented the IR-induced reduction in nuclear PP2A heterotrimer. The changes in nuclear PP2A occurred without a noticeable difference in the carboxyl-terminal methylation of the C subunit, which is known to influence association with B subunits. We conclude a novel ATM-dependent mechanism is regulating association of B55 subunits with nuclear PP2A in response to IR.