Stabilization of urokinase and urokinase receptor mRNAs by HuR is linked to its cytoplasmic accumulation induced by activated mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2

The mRNAs of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor, uPAR, contain instability-determining AU-rich elements (AREs) in their 3' untranslated regions. The cellular proteins binding to these RNA sequences (ARE(uPA/uPAR)) are not known. We show here that the mRNA-stabilizing factor HuR functionally interacts with these sequences. HuR stabilized an ARE(uPA)-containing RNA substrate in vitro and stabilized in HeLa Tet-off cells both endogenous uPA and uPAR mRNAs and a beta-globin reporter mRNA containing the ARE(uPA). RNAi-mediated depletion of HuR in BT-549 and MDA-MB-231 cells significantly reduced the steady-state levels of endogenous uPA and uPAR mRNAs. Furthermore, we show that a constitutively active form of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), MK2-EE, has an ARE-mRNA-stabilizing effect that correlates with its ability to enhance the cytoplasmic accumulation of endogenous HuR, but not in cells cotransfected with a dominant negative version of MK2, MK2-K76R. These effects were mimicked by hydrogen peroxide treatment (oxidative stress), which resulted in the phosphorylation of endogenous MK2. In addition, hydrogen peroxide treatment enhanced the cytoplasmic binding of HuR to the ARE(uPA), which was abrogated in cells transfected with MK2-K76R. These results indicate a role for HuR and MK2 in regulating the expression of uPA and uPAR genes at the posttranscriptional level.