Oncostatin M induces growth arrest by inhibition of Skp2, Cks1, and cyclin A expression and induced p21 expression.

Oncostatin M has been characterized as a potent growth inhibitor for various tumor cells. Oncostatin M-treated glioblastoma cells cease proliferation and instigate astrocytal differentiation. The oncostatin M-induced cell cycle arrest in G(1) phase is characterized by increased level of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitory proteins p21(Cip1/Waf1/Sdi1) and p27(Kip1). Induction of p21 protein corresponds to increased mRNA level, whereas p27 accumulates due to increased stability of the protein. Interestingly, stabilization of p27(Kip1) occurs even in S phase, showing that p27 stabilization is a direct consequence of oncostatin M signaling and not a result of the cell cycle arrest. Degradation of p27 in late G(1) and S phase is initiated by the ubiquitin ligase complex SCF-Skp2/Cks1. Oncostatin M inhibits expression of two components of this E3 ligase complex (Skp2 and Cks1). Although combined overexpression of Skp2 and Cks1 rescues p27 degradation in S phase, it can not override p27 accumulation in G(1) phase and cell cycle arrest by oncostatin M. In addition to increasing Cdk inhibitor level, oncostatin M also impairs cyclin A expression. Cyclin A mRNA and protein level decline shortly after oncostatin M addition. The accumulation of two CDK inhibitor proteins and the repression of cyclin A expression may explain the broad and potent antiproliferative effect of the cytokine.