Association between α4 integrin cytoplasmic tail and non-muscle myosin IIA regulates cell migration.

α4ß1 integrin regulates cell migration via cytoplasmic interactions. Here, we report an association between the cytoplasmic tail of α4 integrin (α4 tail) and non-muscle myosin IIA (MIIA), demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation of the MIIA heavy chain (HC) with anti-α4-integrin antibodies and pull-down of MIIA-HC with recombinant α4 tail from cell lysates. The association between the α4 tail and MIIA does not require paxillin binding or phosphorylation at Ser988 in the α4 tail. We found that substituting Glu982 in the α4 tail with alanine (E982A) disrupts the α4-MIIA association without interfering with the paxillin binding or Ser988 phosphorylation. By comparing stably transfected CHO cells, we show that the E982A mutation reduces the ability of α4ß1 integrin to mediate cell spreading and to promote front-back polarization. In addition, we show that E982A impairs shear-flow-induced migration of the α4-integrin-expressing CHO cells by reducing their migration speed and directional persistence. The E982A mutation also leads to defects in the organization of MIIA filament bundles. Furthermore, when cells are plated on fibronectin and simulated with shear flow, α4ß1 integrin forms filament-like patterns that co-align with MIIA filament bundles. These results provide a new mechanism for linking integrins to the actomyosin cytoskeleton and for regulating cell migration by integrins and non-muscle myosin II.

RhoGDI deficiency induces constitutive activation of Rho GTPases and COX-2 pathways in association with breast cancer progression.

Rho GDP Dissociation Inhibitor (RhoGDI) is a key regulator of Rho GTPases. Here we report that loss of RhoGDI significantly accelerated xenograft tumor growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in animal models. At the molecular level, RhoGDI depletion resulted in constitutive activation of Rho GTPases, including RhoA, Cdc42, and Rac1. This was accompanied by Rho GTPase translocation from the cytosol to membrane compartments. Notably, COX-2 protein levels, mRNA expression, and biological activity were markedly increased in RhoGDI-deficient cells. The upregulated expression of COX-2 was directly associated with increased Rho GTPase activity. Further, we assessed the expression level of RhoGDI protein in breast tumor specimens (n = 165) by immunohistochemistry. We found that RhoGDI expression is higher in the early stages of breast cancer followed by a significant decrease in malignant tumors and metastatic lesions (p < 0.01). These data suggest that downregulation of RhoGDI could be a critical mechanism of breast tumor development, which may involve the hyperactivation of Rho GTPases and upregulation of COX-2 activity. Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of inhibiting Rho GTPases and COX-2 for treating breast cancers.

Ricin detection: tracking active toxin.

Ricin is a plant toxin with high bioterrorism potential due to its natural abundance and potency in inducing cell death. Early detection of the active toxin is essential for developing appropriate countermeasures. Here we review concepts for designing ricin detection methods, including mechanism of action of the toxin, advantages and disadvantages of current detection assays, and perspectives on the future development of rapid and reliable methods for detecting ricin in environmental samples.

The use of a stably expressed FRET biosensor for determining the potency of cancer drugs.

Many cancer drugs are intended to kill cancer cells by inducing apoptosis. However, the potency assays used for measuring the bioactivity of these products are generally cell viability assays which do not distinguish between cell death and growth inhibition. Here we describe a cell-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor designed to measure the bioactivity of apoptosis inducing cancer drugs. The biosensor contains cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) linked via caspase 3 and caspase 8 specific cleavage recognition sequences to yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Upon caspase activation, as in the case of apoptosis induction, the linker is cleaved abolishing the cellular FRET signal. This assay closely reflects the mechanism of action of cancer drugs, in killing cancer cells and therefore can function as a potency test for different cancer drugs. We rigorously demonstrate this through characterization of a class of proteins targeting the death receptors. The one-step assay appears to be superior to other apoptosis-based assays because of its simplicity, convenience, and robustness.

Accumulation of autophagosomes in breast cancer cells induces TRAIL resistance through downregulation of surface expression of death receptors 4 and 5.

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis through death receptors (DRs) 4 and/or 5 expressed on the surface of target cells. We have previously shown that deficiency of DR4 and DR5 on the surface membrane is a critical mechanism of cancer cell resistance to the recombinant human TRAIL and its receptor agonistic antibodies, which are being evaluated clinically for treating cancers. In certain cancer cells, DR4 and DR5 were found to be mislocalized in intracellular compartments yet to be characterized. Here, we report a novel role of autophagy in the regulation of dynamics of TRAIL death receptors. We first assessed basal levels of autophagosomes in a panel of 11 breast cancer cell lines using complementary approaches (LC3 immunoblotting, RFP-LC3 fluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy). We found high levels of basal autophagosomes in TRAIL resistant breast cancer cell lines (e.g. BT474 and AU565) and relevant mouse xenograft models under nutrition-rich conditions. Notably, DR4 and DR5 co-localized with LC3-II in the autophagosomes of TRAIL-resistant cells. Disruption of basal autophagosomes successfully restored the surface expression of the death receptors which was accompanied by sensitization of TRAIL-resistant cells to TRAIL induced apoptosis. By contrast, TRAIL-sensitive cell lines (MDA-MB-231) are characterized by high levels of surface DR4/DR5 and an absence of basal autophagosomes. Inhibition of lysosomal activity induced an accumulation of autophagosomes and a decrease in surface DR4 and DR5, and the cells became less sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. These findings demonstrate a novel role for the basal autophagosomes in the regulation of TRAIL death receptors. Further studies are warranted to explore the possibility of using autophagosome markers such as LC3-II/LC3-I ratios for prediction of tumor resistance to TRAIL related therapies. The results also provide a rationale for future non-clinical and clinical studies testing TRAIL agonists in combination with agents that directly inhibit autophagosome assembly.

Mislocalization of death receptors correlates with cellular resistance to their cognate ligands in human breast cancer cells.

Multiple clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the potential antitumor activity of human TNF variants, Fas ligand (FasL), TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its agonistic antibodies. These drug products act through the death receptors (DRs) TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), Fas/CD95, DR4 (TRAIL-R1) and/or DR5 (TRAIL-R2), respectively. Therefore, characterization of the level and localization of DR expression in cancer cells is important for DR-targeted therapy. In this study, we examined the subcellular distribution of the four DRs in a panel of 10 human breast cancer cell lines by western blots and flow cytometry and 50 human breast tumors by immunohistochemistry. Despite their total protein expressions, the DRs were found to be absent on the surface of some cell lines. Consistent with this result, all four DRs were found to be mostly expressed in the cytoplasm and/or the nucleus of primary breast tumors (n=50). We further determined the growth inhibition activity (GI50) of the death ligands, recombinant human TNFα, FasL and TRAIL, and found a correlation with the subcellular localization of the corresponding DRs. These results demonstrate an aberrant expression of the death receptors in breast cancer cells, and suggest that the lack of surface DRs appears to be predictive of tumor resistance to DR-targeted therapies.

Association of D4-GDI expression with breast cancer progression.

D4-GDI is a key regulator of Rho GTPases that have been implicated in several aspects of breast tumorigenesis. We have previously found that D4-GDI was selectively expressed in breast cancer cell lines over normal mammary epithelial cells [45]. In this study, we investigated the expression level of D4-GDI in breast tumor specimens (n = 165) by immunohistochemistry using a validated antibody that specifically recognizes the full-length D4-GDI protein. D4-GDI was predominantly expressed in the luminal cells of the duct in contrast to the myoepithelial cells of the outer layer. The percentage of D4-GDI positive samples were found to be higher in the early stages of breast cancers followed by a significant decrease in malignant tumors and metastatic lesions when compared to normal breast tissues (p < 0.01). Analysis of matched samples confirmed the lower expression of D4-GDI in malignant tumors than normal adjacent tissues, while there was no further decrease in metastatic lesions. These results suggest that D4-GDI may function as a biphasic regulator of breast cancer progression and metastasis.

Blockade of Rac1 activity induces G1 cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in breast cancer cells through downregulation of cyclin D1, survivin, and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein.

Rac1 GTPase regulates a variety of signaling pathways that are implicated in malignant phenotypes. Here, we show that selective inhibition of Rac1 activity by the pharmacologic inhibitor NSC23766 suppressed cell growth in a panel of human breast cancer cell lines, whereas it had little toxicity to normal mammary epithelial cells. NSC23766 elicits its cytotoxicity via two distinct mechanisms in a cell line-dependent manner: induction of G(1) cell cycle arrest in cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF7, and T47D) that express retinoblastoma (Rb) protein or apoptosis in Rb-deficient MDA-MB-468 cells. In MDA-MB-231 cells, Rac1 inhibition induced G(1) cell cycle arrest through downregulation of cyclin D1 and subsequent dephosphorylation/inactivation of Rb. By contrast, MDA-MB-468 cells underwent substantial apoptosis that was associated with loss of antiapoptotic proteins survivin and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). Rac1 knockdown by RNAi interference confirmed the specificity of NSC23766 and requirement for Rac1 in the regulation of cyclin D1, survivin, and XIAP in breast cancer cells. Further, NF-kappaB, but not c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase or p38 pathways, mediates the survival signal from Rac1. Overall, our results indicate that Rac1 plays a central role in breast cancer cell survival through regulation of NF-kappaB-dependent gene products.

Silencing of D4-GDI inhibits growth and invasive behavior in MDA-MB-231 cells by activation of Rac-dependent p38 and JNK signaling.

The Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor D4-GDI is overexpressed in some human breast cancer cell lines (Zhang, Y., and Zhang, B. (2006) Cancer Res. 66, 5592-5598). Here, we show that silencing of D4-GDI by RNA interference abrogates tumor growth and lung metastasis of otherwise highly invasive MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Under anchorage-independent culture conditions, D4-GDI-depleted cells undergo rapid apoptosis (anoikis), which is known to hinder metastasis. We also found that D4-GDI associates with Rac1 and Rac3 in breast cancer cells, but not with other Rho GTPases tested (Cdc42, RhoA, RhoC, and TC10). Silencing of D4-GDI results in constitutive Rac1 activation and translocation from the cytosol to cellular membrane compartments and in sustained activation of p38 and JNK kinases. Rac1 blockade inhibits p38/JNK kinase activities and the spontaneous anoikis of D4-GDI knockdown cells. These results suggest that D4-GDI regulates cell function by interacting primarily with Rac GTPases and may play an integral role in breast cancer tumorigenesis. D4-GDI could prove to be a potential new target for therapeutic intervention.

Repeated treatment with subtoxic doses of TRAIL induces resistance to apoptosis through its death receptors in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

Recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (rhTRAIL) is being evaluated clinically in treating various malignancies. Previous studies have shown that repeated application of high doses of rhTRAIL results in a subpopulation of parental cells that is unresponsive to the death ligand. However, it is not clear whether TRAIL-sensitive cancer cells could acquire resistance to TRAIL treatment. Here, we found that MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, which are highly sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, became resistant to TRAIL killing after a prolonged exposure to subtoxic doses of rhTRAIL. The resulting TRAIL-resistant cells were cross-resistant to antibodies against its death receptors (DR4 and DR5); however, they retained sensitivity to several clinically relevant chemotherapies. Surface expression of DR4 and DR5 was significantly reduced in the selected cells, resulting in failure in death-inducing signaling complex formation and caspase activation. In addition, real-time PCR analysis revealed an upregulation in multiple apoptosis-regulator genes, including c-FLIP, Stat5a, and Stat5b. Inhibition of Janus-activated kinase, an upstream activator of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Stat5), or knockdown of Stat5 itself partially restored cellular sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, suggesting that Stat5 signaling is also involved in the development of TRAIL resistance. Furthermore, we showed that acquired TRAIL resistance was effectively eliminated by combination with etoposide, doxorubicin, or paclitaxel. These results suggest that tumor cells could acquire resistance to TRAIL therapy especially when they are repeatedly exposed to low levels of the death ligand, highlighting the necessity of combination with therapies that target the resistance mechanisms.

alpha4 beta1-Integrin regulates directionally persistent cell migration in response to shear flow stimulation.

alpha(4)beta(1)-Integrin plays a pivotal role in cell migration in vivo. This integrin has been shown to regulate the front-back polarity of migrating cells via localized inhibition of alpha(4)-integrin/paxillin binding by phosphorylation at the alpha(4)-integrin cytoplasmic tail. Here, we demonstrate that alpha(4)beta(1)-integrin regulates directionally persistent cell migration via a more complex mechanism in which alpha(4)-integrin phosphorylation and paxillin binding act via both cooperative and independent pathways. We show that, in response to shear flow, alpha(4)beta(1)-integrin binding to the CS-1 region of fibronectin was necessary and sufficient to promote directionally persistent cell migration when this integrin was ectopically expressed in CHO cells. Under shear flow, the alpha(4)beta(1)-integrin-expressing cells formed a fan shape with broad lamellipodia at the front and retracted trailing edges at the back. This "fanning" activity was enhanced by disrupting paxillin binding alone and inhibited by disrupting phosphorylation alone or together with disrupting paxillin binding. Notably, the phosphorylation-disrupting mutation and the double mutation resulted in the formation of long trailing tails, suggesting that alpha(4)-integrin phosphorylation is required for trailing edge retraction/detachment independent of paxillin binding. Furthermore, the stable polarity and directional persistence of shear flow-stimulated cells were perturbed by the double mutation but not the single mutations alone, indicating that paxillin binding and alpha(4)-integrin phosphorylation can facilitate directionally persistent cell migration in an independent and compensatory manner. These findings provide a new insight into the mechanism by which integrins regulate directionally persistent cell migration.