Targeting low molecular weight cyclin E (LMW-E) in breast cancer.

Low molecular weight cyclin E (LMW-E) plays an important oncogenic role in breast cancer. LMW-E, which is not found in normal tissue, can promote the formation of aggressive tumors and can lead to increased genomic instability and tumorigenesis. Additionally, breast cancer patients whose tumors express LMW-E have a very poor prognosis. Therefore, we investigated LMW-E as a potential specific target for treatment either alone or in combination therapy. We hypothesized that because LMW-E binds to CDK2 more efficiently than full length cyclin E, resulting in increased activity, CDK inhibitors could be used to target tumors with LMW-E bound to CDK2. To test the hypothesis, an inducible full length and LMW-E MCF7-Tet-On system was established. Cyclin E (full length (EL) or LMW-E) is only expressed upon induction of the transgene. The doubling times of cells were unchanged when the transgenes were induced. However, upon induction, the kinase activity associated with LMW-E was much higher than that in the EL induced cells or any of the uninduced cells. Additionally only the LMW-E induced cells underwent chromosome aberrations and increased polyploidy. By examining changes in proliferation and survival in cells with induced full length and LMW-E, CDK inhibitors alone were determined to be insufficient to specifically inhibit LMW-E expressing cells. However, in combination with doxorubicin, the CDK inhibitor, roscovitine (seliciclib, CYC202), synergistically led to increased cell death in LMW-E expressing cells. Clinically, the combination of CDK inhibitors and chemotherapy such as doxorubicin provides a viable personalized treatment strategy for those breast cancer patients whose tumors express the LMW-E.

Cloning the human SUMO1 promoter.

Regulation of the sumoylation system at the level of gene expression has not yet been explored. To begin to define transcriptional regulatory features, the promoter region for the SUMO1 gene was cloned from human genomic DNA and characterized. Initially, a 532 base pair fragment upstream of and including the predicted SUMO1 transcription start site (TSS) was cloned and shown to possess promoter activity. Subsequent deletion analysis showed that a smaller fragment containing 158 bp upstream of the TSS region exhibited basal promoter activity in both human and rodent cell lines. Within this basal promoter fragment, there were predicted binding sites for numerous transcription factors, including the nude mouse gene product, Whn (FoxN1). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that Whn could bind to an ACGC motif adjacent to the TSR, and in transfection studies Whn stimulated a 3-fold increase in transcription from this cloned promoter in keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). Mutation of the ACGC motif abrogated both Whn binding and transcriptional activation, indicating that the Whn effect is likely due to direct interaction with this promoter element. Consistent with these observations on the cloned promoter region, Whn also modestly stimulated transcription from the endogenous, genomic SUMO1 promoter in HaCaT cells, consistent with Whn potentially playing a regulatory role for SUMO1 transcription in keratinocytes.

Cyclin E deregulation impairs mitotic progression through premature activation of Cdc25C.

The cyclin E-cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) complex accelerates entry into the S phase of the cell cycle and promotes polyploidy, which may contribute to genomic instability in cancer cells. The effect of low molecular weight isoforms of cyclin E (LMW-E) overexpression on mitotic progression and its link to genomic instability were the focus of this study. Here, we show that full-length cyclin E (EL) and LMW-E overexpression impairs the G(2)-M transition differently by targeting dual-specificity phosphatase Cdc25C activity. We identify Cdc25C as an interaction partner and substrate for cyclin E/CDK2 kinase. Specifically, the cyclin E/CDK2 complex phosphorylates Cdc25C on Ser(214), leading to its premature activation, which coincides with higher cyclin B/CDK1 and Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) activities in an S-phase-enriched population that result in faster mitotic entry. Whereas EL overexpression leads to hyperactivation of Cdc25C, cyclin B/CDK1, and PLK1 in a G(2)-M-enriched population, LMW-E overexpression causes premature inactivation of Cdc25C and PLK1, leading to faster mitotic exit. In addition, LMW-E-overexpressing cells showed a reduction in the mitotic index in the presence of a spindle poison and faster degradation of cyclin B, suggesting an increased rate of mitotic slippage and adaptation to the spindle checkpoint. Lastly, downregulation of Cdc25C inhibits LMW-E-mediated chromosome missegregation, anaphase bridges, and centrosome amplification. These results suggest that the high levels of LMW-E isoforms found in breast cancer may contribute to cellular transformation and genomic instability by impairing mitotic progression involving Cdc25C.