Control of HIPK2 stability by ubiquitin ligase Siah-1 and checkpoint kinases ATM and ATR.

The tumour suppressor HIPK2 is an important regulator of cell death induced by DNA damage, but how its activity is regulated remains largely unclear. Here we demonstrate that HIPK2 is an unstable protein that colocalizes and interacts with the E3 ubiquitin ligase Siah-1 in unstressed cells. Siah-1 knockdown increases HIPK2 stability and steady-state levels, whereas Siah-1 expression facilitates HIPK2 polyubiquitination, degradation and thereby inactivation.

Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 is the ionizing radiation-activated p53 serine 46 kinase and is regulated by ATM.

Phosphorylation of p53 at Ser(46) is important to activate the apoptotic program. The protein kinase that phosphorylates p53 Ser(46) in response to DNA double-strand breaks is currently unknown. The identification of this kinase is of particular interest because it may contribute to the outcome of cancer therapy.