5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) supports the growth of aggressive experimental human breast cancer tumors.

Rapid tumor growth can establish metabolically stressed microenvironments that activate 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a ubiquitous regulator of ATP homeostasis. Previously, we investigated the importance of AMPK for the growth of experimental tumors prepared from HRAS-transformed mouse embryo fibroblasts and for primary brain tumor development in a rat model of neurocarcinogenesis. Here, we used triple-negative human breast cancer cells in which AMPK activity had been knocked down to investigate the contribution of AMPK to experimental tumor growth and core glucose metabolism. We found that AMPK supports the growth of fast-growing orthotopic tumors prepared from MDA-MB-231 and DU4475 breast cancer cells but had no effect on the proliferation or survival of these cells in culture. We used in vitro and in vivo metabolic profiling with [(13)C]glucose tracers to investigate the contribution of AMPK to core glucose metabolism in MDA-MB-231 cells, which have a Warburg metabolic phenotype; these experiments indicated that AMPK supports tumor glucose metabolism in part through positive regulation of glycolysis and the nonoxidative pentose phosphate cycle. We also found that AMPK activity in the MDA-MB-231 tumors could systemically perturb glucose homeostasis in sensitive normal tissues (liver and pancreas). Overall, our findings suggest that the contribution of AMPK to the growth of aggressive experimental tumors has a critical microenvironmental component that involves specific regulation of core glucose metabolism.

Transcriptional regulation of gene expression during osmotic stress responses by the mammalian target of rapamycin.

Although stress can suppress growth and proliferation, cells can induce adaptive responses that allow them to maintain these functions under stress. While numerous studies have focused on the inhibitory effects of stress on cell growth, less is known on how growth-promoting pathways influence stress responses. We have approached this question by analyzing the effect of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a central growth controller, on the osmotic stress response. Our results showed that mammalian cells exposed to moderate hypertonicity maintained active mTOR, which was required to sustain their cell size and proliferative capacity. Moreover, mTOR regulated the induction of diverse osmostress response genes, including targets of the tonicity-responsive transcription factor NFAT5 as well as NFAT5-independent genes. Genes sensitive to mTOR-included regulators of stress responses, growth and proliferation. Among them, we identified REDD1 and REDD2, which had been previously characterized as mTOR inhibitors in other stress contexts. We observed that mTOR facilitated transcription-permissive conditions for several osmoresponsive genes by enhancing histone H4 acetylation and the recruitment of RNA polymerase II. Altogether, these results reveal a previously unappreciated role of mTOR in regulating transcriptional mechanisms that control gene expression during cellular stress responses.

5'-AMP-activated protein kinase activity is elevated early during primary brain tumor development in the rat.

We found that adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is considered the "fuel sensor" of mammalian cells because it directly responds to the depletion of the fuel molecule ATP, is strongly activated by tumor-like hypoxia and glucose deprivation. We also observed abundant AMPK activity in tumor cells in vivo, using subcutaneous tumor xenografts prepared from cells transformed with oncogenic H-Ras. Such rapidly growing transplants of tumor cells, however, represent fully developed tumors that naturally contain energetically stressed microenvironments that can activate AMPK. Therefore, to investigate the induction of AMPK activity during experimental tumorigenesis, we used an established model of brain tumor (glioma) development in the offspring of rats exposed prenatally to the mutagen N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea. We observed that immunostaining for a specific readout of AMPK activity (AMPK-dependent phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase) was prominent during N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-initiated neurocarcinogenesis, from the occurrence of early hyperplasia (microtumors) to the emergence of large gliomas. Moreover, we observed that immunostaining for activating phosphorylation of AMPK correlated with the same stages of glioma development, notably in mitotic tumor cells in which the signal showed punctate as well as cytoplasmic patterns associated with spindle formation. Based on these observations, we propose that neurocarcinogenesis requires AMPK-dependent regulation of cellular energy metabolism.

SR16388: a steroidal antiangiogenic agent with potent inhibitory effect on tumor growth in vivo.

Angiogenesis is one of the major processes controlling growth and metastasis of tumors. Angiogenesis inhibitors have been targeted for the treatment of various cancers for more than 2 decades. We have developed a novel class of steroidal compounds aimed at blocking the angiogenic process in cancerous tissues. Our lead compound, SR16388, is a potent antiangiogenic agent with binding affinity to estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) and -ß (ER-ß) at the nanomolar range. This compound inhibited the proliferation of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) and various types of human cancer cells in vitro. SR16388 inhibited embryonic angiogenesis as measured in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The blood vessel density in the CAM was greatly reduced after the embryos were treated with 3 µg/CAM of SR16388 for 24 h. SR16388 at a dose of 2 µM prevented tube formation in Matrigel after HMVEC cells were treated for 8 h. In a modified Boyden chamber assay, SR16388 inhibited the migration of HMVECs by 80% at 500 nM. Using a novel in vivo Fibrin Z-chamber model, we demonstrated that SR16388 at a single daily oral dose of 3 mg/kg for 12 days significantly inhibited the granulation tissue (GT) thickness and the microvessel density of the GT as compared to control. More importantly, SR16388 down-regulated the pro-angiogenic transcription factors, hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Together, these effects of SR16388 can lead to the reduction of vascularization and tumor growth in vivo.

The rational design of a novel potent analogue of the 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase inhibitor compound C with improved selectivity and cellular activity.

We have designed and synthesized analogues of compound C, a non-specific inhibitor of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), using a computational fragment-based drug design (FBDD) approach. Synthesizing only twenty-seven analogues yielded a compound that was equipotent to compound C in the inhibition of the human AMPK (hAMPK) α2 subunit in the heterotrimeric complex in vitro, exhibited significantly improved selectivity against a subset of relevant kinases, and demonstrated enhanced cellular inhibition of AMPK.

5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is induced by low-oxygen and glucose deprivation conditions found in solid-tumor microenvironments.

Low oxygen gradients (hypoxia and anoxia) are important determinants of pathological conditions under which the tissue blood supply is deficient or defective, such as in solid tumors. We have been investigating the relationship between the activation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), the primary transcriptional regulator of the mammalian response to hypoxia, and 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), another regulatory system important for controlling cellular energy metabolism. In the present study, we used mouse embryo fibroblasts nullizygous for HIF-1alpha or AMPK expression to show that AMPK is rapidly activated in vitro by both physiological and pathophysiological low-oxygen conditions, independently of HIF-1 activity. These findings imply that HIF-1 and AMPK are components of a concerted cellular response to maintain energy homeostasis in low-oxygen or ischemic-tissue microenvironments. Finally, we used transformed derivatives of wild-type and HIF-1alpha- or AMPKalpha-null mouse embryo fibroblasts to determine whether AMPK is activated in vivo. We obtained evidence that AMPK is activated in authentic hypoxic tumor microenvironments and that this activity overlaps with regions of hypoxia detected by a chemical probe. We also showed that AMPK is important for the growth of this tumor model.

Selective deficiency of HIF-1alpha in myeloid cells influences secondary intention wound healing in mouse skin.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) influences myeloid cell function. In this study we examined the role of myeloid cell HIF-1alpha on wound healing in vivo using a cell-specific knockout (KO) mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HIF-1alpha KO mice and wild-type (WT) controls received 8 mm full thickness dorsal dermal wounds. Wound dimensions were measured until full closure. Tissue was obtained from 3-day-old wounds for (immuno-)histochemical analysis. Production of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and nitric oxide (NO) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or desferrioxamine (DFX) was examined in vitro. RESULTS: Early wound closure occurred significantly faster in HIF-1alpha KO mice than in WT mice. Wounds of KO mice contained similar numbers of neutrophils and macrophages, but more activated keratinocytes, consistent with accelerated re-epithelialization. Interestingly, while LPS and LPS+DFX elicited a similar IL-1beta response in macrophages from the 2 mouse types, NO production was blunted in HIF-1alpha KO macrophages. CONCLUSION: Absence of HIF-1alpha in myeloid cells accelerates the early phase of secondary intention wound healing in vivo. This may be associated with a deficient ability of myeloid cells to initiate an appropriate NO production response. Pharmacologic modulators of HIF-1alpha should be explored in situations with abnormal wound healing.

Glucose utilization is essential for hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha-dependent phosphorylation of c-Jun.

Hypoxia and anoxia are important microenvironmental stresses that contribute to pathological events such as solid-tumor development. We have been investigating the effects of hypoxia and anoxia on expression of the proto-oncogene c-jun and the regulation of c-Jun/AP-1 transcription factors. In earlier work using genetically manipulated mouse embryo fibroblasts (mEFs), we found a functional relationship among c-jun expression, c-Jun N-terminal phosphorylation, and the presence of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha), the oxygen-regulated subunit of the HIF-1 transcription factor. Both the induction of c-jun mRNA expression and c-Jun N-terminal phosphorylation in cells exposed to hypoxia or anoxia were found to be dependent on the presence of HIF-1 alpha, but this was not the case in cells exposed to less-severe hypoxia. Here we describe new findings concerning HIF-1-dependent c-Jun N-terminal phosphorylation in cells exposed to hypoxia or anoxia. Specifically, we report that hypoxia-inducible c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity, which involves JNKs or stress-activated protein kinases (SAPKs), is dependent on enhanced glucose utilization mediated by HIF-1. These results suggest a model in which hypoxia-inducible JNK activity is connected to oxygen sensing through increased glucose absorption and/or glycolytic activity regulated by the HIF-1 system. We also found that basal threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation (within the TEY motif) of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and the corresponding ERK1/2 activity were defective in hypoxic HIF-1 alpha-null mEFs but not in wild-type mEFs, independently of glucose uptake. Therefore, the activities of both JNKs/SAPKs and ERK1/2 are sensitive to HIF-1-dependent processes in cells exposed to hypoxia or anoxia.

The response of c-jun/AP-1 to chronic hypoxia is hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha dependent.

Hypoxia (low-oxygen tension) is an important physiological stress that influences responses to a wide range of pathologies, including stroke, infarction, and tumorigenesis. Prolonged or chronic hypoxia stimulates expression of the stress-inducible transcription factor gene c-jun and transient activation of protein kinase and phosphatase activities that regulate c-Jun/AP-1 activity. Here we describe evidence obtained by using wild-type and HIF-1 alpha nullizygous mouse embryonic fibroblasts (mEFs) that the induction of c-jun mRNA expression and c-Jun phosphorylation by prolonged hypoxia are completely dependent on the presence of the oxygen-regulated transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha). In contrast, transient hypoxia induced c-jun expression in both types of mEFs, showing that the early or rapid induction of this gene is independent of HIF-1 alpha. These findings indicate that the c-jun gene has a biphasic response to hypoxia consisting of inductions that depend on the degree or duration of exposure. To more completely define the relationship between prolonged hypoxia and c-Jun phosphorylation, we used mEFs from mice containing inactivating mutations of critical phosphorylation sites in the c-Jun N-terminal region (serines 63 and 73 or threonines 91 and 93). Exposure of these mEFs to prolonged hypoxia demonstrated an absolute requirement for N-terminal sites for HIF-1 alpha-dependent phosphorylation of c-Jun. Taken together, these findings suggest that c-Jun/AP-1 and HIF-1 cooperate to regulate gene expression in pathophysiological microenvironments.

SU11248 (sunitinib) directly inhibits the activity of mammalian 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK).

AMPK has been termed the fuel sensor of mammalian cells because it directly responds to the depletion of the fuel molecule ATP. In previous work, we found that AMPK is strongly activated by tumor-like hypoxia and glucose deprivation, independently of the oxygen response system associated with HIF-1. We also observed high levels of AMPK activity in tumor cells in vivo, using different model tumors. These findings suggested the hypothesis that modulation of AMPK activity could have therapeutic value for the treatment of solid tumors. To investigate this hypothesis, we have been conducting a SAR study of potential small-molecule modulators of AMPK activity. Here we report that the chemotherapeutic drug SU11248 (sunitinib) is at least as potent an inhibitor of AMPK as compound C, which is a commonly used experimental direct inhibitor of the enzyme. We also provide a computational model of the binding pose of SU11248 to an AMPKα subunit, which suggests a structural basis for the affinity of the drug for the ATP site of the catalytic domain. The ability of SU11248 to inhibit AMPK has potential clinical significance--there may be populations of SU11248-treated patients in which AMPK activity is inhibited in normal as well as in tumor tissue.

The metal-responsive transcription factor-1 protein is elevated in human tumors.

We previously identified metal-responsive transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) as a positive contributor to mouse fibrosarcoma growth through effects on cell survival, proliferation, tumor angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodeling. In the present study, we investigated MTF-1 protein expression in human tissues by specific immunostaining of both normal and tumor tissue samples. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of a human tissue microarray (TMA), using a unique anti-human MTF-1 antibody, indicated constitutive MTF-1 expression in most normal tissues, with liver and testis displaying comparatively high levels of expression. Nevertheless, MTF-1 protein levels were found to be significantly elevated in diverse human tumor types, including breast, lung and cervical carcinomas. IHC analysis of a separate panel of full-size tissue sections of human breast cancers, including tumor and normal adjacent, surrounding tissue, confirmed and extended the results of the TMA analysis. Taken with our previous findings, this new study suggests a role for MTF-1 in human tumor development, growth or spread. Moreover, the study suggests that MTF-1 could be a novel therapeutic target that offers the opportunity to manipulate metal or redox homeostasis in tumor cells.

A novel steroidal inhibitor of estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERR alpha).

The orphan nuclear receptor estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) has been implicated in the development of various human malignancies, including breast, prostate, ovary, and colon cancer. ERRalpha, bound to a co-activator protein (e.g., peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma co-activator-1alpha, PGC-1alpha), regulates cellular energy metabolism by activating transcription of genes involved in various metabolic processes, such as mitochondrial genesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid oxidation. Accumulating evidence suggests that ERRalpha is a novel target for solid tumor therapy, conceivably through effects on the regulation of tumor cell energy metabolism associated with energy stress within solid tumor microenvironments. This report describes a novel steroidal antiestrogen (SR16388) that binds selectively to ERRalpha, but not to ERRbeta or ERRgamma, as determined using a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. SR16388 potently inhibits ERRalpha's transcriptional activity in reporter gene assays, and prevents endogenous PGC-1alpha and ERRalpha from being recruited to the promoters or enhancers of target genes. Representative in vivo results show that SR16388 inhibited the growth of human prostate tumor xenografts in nude mice as a single agent at 30mg/kg given once daily and 100mg/kg given once weekly. In a combination study, SR16388 (10mg/kg, once daily) and paclitaxel (7.5mg/kg, twice weekly) inhibited the growth of prostate tumor xenografts in nude mice by 61% compared to untreated xenograft tumors. SR16388 also inhibited the proliferation of diverse human tumor cell lines after a 24-h exposure to the compound. SR16388 thus has utility both as an experimental antitumor agent and as a chemical probe of ERRalpha biology.

A novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta antagonist, SR13904, has anti-proliferative activity in human cancer cells.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) is a ligand-activated, nuclear receptor transcription factor that has a documented role in glucose and lipid homeostasis. Recent studies have implicated this nuclear receptor in numerous aspects of oncogenesis. We report herein the characterization of a novel small-molecule (SR13904) that inhibits PPARdelta agonist-induced transactivation and functions as a PPARdelta antagonist. SR13904 also antagonizes PPARgamma transactivation, albeit with much weaker potency. SR13904 displays inhibitory effects on cellular proliferation and survival in several human carcinoma lines, including lung, breast and liver. These inhibitory effects of SR13904 on tumor cells were linked to a G(1)/S cell cycle block and increased apoptosis. Molecular studies show that SR13904 treatment of a lung cancer cell line, A549, results in markedly reduced levels of a number of cell cycle proteins including cyclin A and D, and cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 2 and 4. The inhibitory effects on CDK2 appear to be transcriptional. Several of these cell cycle-related genes are known to be upregulated by PPARdelta. The antitumor activities of SR13904 suggest that antagonism of PPARdelta-mediated transactivation may inhibit tumorigenesis and that pharmacological inhibition of PPARdelta may be a potential strategy for treatment or prevention of cancer.

Integrated analysis of breast cancer cell lines reveals unique signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a heterogeneous disease resulting from the accumulation of genetic defects that negatively impact control of cell division, motility, adhesion and apoptosis. Deregulation in signaling along the EgfR-MAPK pathway is common in breast cancer, though the manner in which deregulation occurs varies between both individuals and cancer subtypes. RESULTS: We were interested in identifying subnetworks within the EgfR-MAPK pathway that are similarly deregulated across subsets of breast cancers. To that end, we mapped genomic, transcriptional and proteomic profiles for 30 breast cancer cell lines onto a curated Pathway Logic symbolic systems model of EgfR-MAPK signaling. This model was composed of 539 molecular states and 396 rules governing signaling between active states. We analyzed these models and identified several subtype-specific subnetworks, including one that suggested Pak1 is particularly important in regulating the MAPK cascade when it is over-expressed. We hypothesized that Pak1 over-expressing cell lines would have increased sensitivity to Mek inhibitors. We tested this experimentally by measuring quantitative responses of 20 breast cancer cell lines to three Mek inhibitors. We found that Pak1 over-expressing luminal breast cancer cell lines are significantly more sensitive to Mek inhibition compared to those that express Pak1 at low levels. This indicates that Pak1 over-expression may be a useful clinical marker to identify patient populations that may be sensitive to Mek inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: All together, our results support the utility of symbolic system biology models for identification of therapeutic approaches that will be effective against breast cancer subsets.

AMP-activated protein kinase inhibits transforming growth factor-beta-induced Smad3-dependent transcription and myofibroblast transdifferentiation.

In wound healing, myofibroblast transdifferentiation (MFT) is a metaplastic change in phenotype producing profibrotic effector cells that secrete and remodel the extracellular matrix. Unlike pathways that induce MFT, the molecular mechanisms that negatively regulate MFT are poorly understood. Here, we report that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) blocks MFT in response to transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta). Pharmacological activation of AMPK inhibited TGFbeta-induced secretion of extracellular matrix proteins collagen types I and IV and fibronectin. AMPK activation also prevented induction of the myofibroblast phenotype markers alpha-smooth muscle actin and the ED-A fibronectin splice variant. AMPK activators did not prevent MFT in cells transduced with an adenovirus expressing dominant negative, kinase-dead AMPKalpha2. Moreover, AMPK activators did not inhibit MFT induction in AMPK(alpha1,2)(-/-) fibroblasts, demonstrating a requirement for AMPK(alpha) expression. Adenoviral transduction of constitutively active AMPK(alpha2) was sufficient to prevent TGFbeta-induced collagen I, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and ED-A fibronectin. AMPK did not reduce TGFbeta-stimulated Smad3 COOH-terminal phosphorylation and nuclear translocation, which are necessary for MFT. However, AMPK activation inhibited TGFbeta-induced transcription driven by Smad3-binding cis-elements. Consistent with a role for AMPK in transcriptional regulation, nuclear translocation of AMPKalpha2 correlated with the appearance of active AMPKalpha in the nucleus. Collectively, these results demonstrate that AMPK inhibits TGFbeta-induced transcription downstream of Smad3 COOH-terminal phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Furthermore, activation of AMPK is sufficient to negatively regulate MFT in vitro.

The interaction between HIF-1 and AP-1 transcription factors in response to low oxygen.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a critical regulator of the transcriptional response to low oxygen conditions (hypoxia/anoxia) experienced by mammalian cells in both physiological and pathophysiological circumstances. As our understanding of the biology and biochemistry of HIF-1 has grown, it has become apparent that cells adapt to signals generated by low oxygen through a network of stress responsive transcription factors or complexes, which are influenced by HIF-1 activity. This review summarizes our current understanding of the interaction of HIF-1 with AP-1, a classic example of a family of pleiotropic transcription factors that impact on diverse cellular processes and phenotypes, including the adaptation to low oxygen stress. The review focuses on experimental studies involving cultured cells exposed to hypoxia/anoxia, and describes both established and possible interactions between HIF-1 and AP-1 at different levels of cellular organization.

The metal-responsive transcription factor-1 contributes to HIF-1 activation during hypoxic stress.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), the major transcriptional regulator of the mammalian cellular response to low oxygen (hypoxia), is embedded within a complex network of signaling pathways. We have been investigating the importance of another stress-responsive transcription factor, MTF-1, for the adaptation of cells to hypoxia. This article reports that MTF-1 plays a central role in hypoxic cells by contributing to HIF-1 activity. Loss of MTF-1 in transformed Mtf1 null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) results in an attenuation of nuclear HIF-1alpha protein accumulation, HIF-1 transcriptional activity, and expression of an established HIF-1 target gene, glucose transporter-1 (Glut1). Mtf1 null (Mtf1 KO) MEFs also have constitutively higher levels of both glutathione (GSH) and the rate-limiting enzyme involved in GSH synthesis--glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit--than wild type cells. The altered cellular redox state arising from increased GSH may perturb oxygen-sensing mechanisms in hypoxic Mtf1 KO cells and decrease the accumulation of HIF-1alpha protein. Together, these novel findings define a role for MTF-1 in the regulation of HIF-1 activity.

Pathway logic: symbolic analysis of biological signaling.

The genomic sequencing of hundreds of organisms including homo sapiens, and the exponential growth in gene expression and proteomic data for many species has revolutionized research in biology. However, the computational analysis of these burgeoning datasets has been hampered by the sparse successes in combinations of data sources, representations, and algorithms. Here we propose the application of symbolic toolsets from the formal methods community to problems of biological interest, particularly signaling pathways, and more specifically mammalian mitogenic and stress responsive pathways. The results of formal symbolic analysis with extremely efficient representations of biological networks provide insights with potential biological impact. In particular, novel hypotheses may be generated which could lead to wet lab validation of new signaling possibilities. We demonstrate the graphic representation of the results of formal analysis of pathways, including navigational abilities, and describe the logical underpinnings of the approach. In summary, we propose and provide an initial description of an algebra and logic of signaling pathways and biologically plausible abstractions that provide the foundation for the application of high-powered tools such as model checkers to problems of biological interest.