Studies into the effect of tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor phenylarsine oxide on NFkappaB activation in T lymphocytes during aging: evidence for altered IkappaB-alpha phosphorylation and degradation.

Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFkappaB) is a critical regulator of several genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses. Treatment of T cells with a variety of stimuli, including TNF-alpha, leads to the translocation of the active p65-50 heterodimer to the nucleus, albeit at a lower level in T cells from the elderly. We demonstrate here that pretreatment with PAO results in the inhibition of NFkappaB induction in TNF-alpha treated T cells, suggesting a role for PAO-sensitive phosphatase in the activation of the NFkappaB via this pathway in human T cells. Furthermore, it demonstrates that aging does not influence the sensitivity of this phosphatase. Treatment with DMP prior to treatment with PAO and TNF abolishes the inhibition induced by PAO, in T cells from both young and old donors, alike. Finally, we demonstrate that a failure to degrade IkappaB-alpha in cytosols of TNF-treated T cells pretreated with PAO is due to its interference with the phosphorylation of IkappaB-alpha and not due to its inhibitory effect on proteasomal degradation. These data collectively suggest that PAO interferes with the phosphorylation and the regulated degradation of IkappaB-alpha, induced by TNF, without affecting the chymotryptic activity of the proteasome, independent of age.