TRIM27 cooperates with STK38L to inhibit ULK1-mediated autophagy and promote tumorigenesis.

Autophagy represents a fundamental mechanism for maintaining cell survival and tissue homeostasis in response to physiological and pathological stress. Autophagy initiation converges on the FIP200-ATG13-ULK1 complex wherein the serine/threonine kinase ULK1 plays a central role. Here, we reveal that the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM27 functions as a negative regulatory component of the FIP200-ATG13-ULK1 complex. TRIM27 directly polyubiquitinates ULK1 at K568 and K571 sites with K48-linked ubiquitin chains, with proteasomal turnover maintaining control over basal ULK1 levels. However, during starvation-induced autophagy, TRIM27 catalyzes non-degradative K6- and K11-linked ubiquitination of the serine/threonine kinase 38-like (STK38L) kinase. In turn, STK38L ubiquitination promotes its activation and phosphorylation of ULK1 at Ser495, rendering ULK1 in a permissive state for TRIM27-mediated hyper-ubiquitination of ULK1. This cooperative mechanism serves to restrain the amplitude and duration of autophagy. Further evidence from mouse models shows that basal autophagy levels are increased in Trim27 knockout mice and that Trim27 differentially regulates tumorigenesis and metastasis. Our study identifies a key role of STK38L-TRIM27-ULK1 signaling axis in negatively controlling autophagy with relevance established in human breast cancer.

Cardiac function modulation depends on the A-kinase anchoring protein complex.

The A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) are a group of structurally diverse proteins identified in various species and tissues. These proteins are able to anchor protein kinase and other signalling proteins to regulate cardiac function. Acting as a scaffold protein, AKAPs ensure specificity in signal transduction by enzymes close to their appropriate effectors and substrates. Over the decades, more than 70 different AKAPs have been discovered. Accumulative evidence indicates that AKAPs play crucial roles in the functional regulation of cardiac diseases, including cardiac hypertrophy, myofibre contractility dysfunction and arrhythmias. By anchoring different partner proteins (PKA, PKC, PKD and LTCCs), AKAPs take part in different regulatory pathways to function as regulators in the heart, and a damaged structure can influence the activities of these complexes. In this review, we highlight recent advances in AKAP-associated protein complexes, focusing on local signalling events that are perturbed in cardiac diseases and their roles in interacting with ion channels and their regulatory molecules. These new findings suggest that AKAPs might have potential therapeutic value in patients with cardiac diseases, particularly malignant rhythm.

The neddylation-cullin 2-RBX1 E3 ligase axis targets tumor suppressor RhoB for degradation in liver cancer.

The neddylation-cullin-RING E3 ligase (CRL) pathway has recently been identified as a potential oncogenic event and attractive anticancer target; however, its underlying mechanisms have not been well elucidated. In this study, RhoB, a well known tumor suppressor, was identified and validated with an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic approach as a new target of this pathway in liver cancer cells. Specifically, cullin 2-RBX1 E3 ligase, which requires NEDD8 conjugation for its activation, interacted with RhoB and promoted its ubiquitination and degradation. In human liver cancer tissues, the neddylation-CRL pathway was overactivated and reversely correlated with RhoB levels. Moreover, RhoB accumulation upon inhibition of the neddylation-CRL pathway for anticancer therapy contributed to the induction of tumor suppressors p21 and p27, apoptosis, and growth suppression. Our findings highlight the degradation of RhoB via the neddylation-CRL pathway as an important molecular event that drives liver carcinogenesis and RhoB itself as a pivotal effector for anticancer therapy targeting this oncogenic pathway.

KYNU Expression Promotes Cisplatin Resistance in Esophageal Cancer.

Background: Chemotherapy resistance is a barrier to effective cancer prognoses. Cisplatin (CDDP) resistance is a major challenge for esophageal cancer (EC) therapy. A deeper understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of cisplatin resistance and improved targeting strategies are required in clinical settings. This study was performed to identify and characterize a marker of cisplatin resistance in EC cells. Method: KYSE140 and Eca-109 cells were subjected to escalating concentrations of cisplatin, resulting in the development of cisplatin-resistant KYSE140/CDDP and Eca-109/CDDP cell lines, respectively. RNA Sequencing (RNA-seq) was utilized to screen for the genes exhibiting differential expression between cisplatin-resistant and parental cells. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR was conducted to assess gene expression, and western blotting was employed to analyze protein levels. A sphere-formation assay was performed to validate tumor cell stemness. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) experiments were conducted to confirm the sensitivity of cells to cisplatin. We examined the relationship between target genes and the clinicopathological features of patients with EC. Furthermore, the expression of target genes in EC tissues was evaluated via western blotting and fluorescence probe in situ hybridization (FISH). Results: KYNU was upregulated in cisplatin-resistant EC cells (KYSE140/CDDP and Eca-109/CDDP cells) and in EC tissues compared to that in the respective parental cell lines (KYSE140 and Eca-109 cells) and non-carcinoma tissues. Downregulation of KYNU increased cell sensitivity to cisplatin and suppressed tumor stemness, whereas abnormal KYNU expression had the opposite effect. KYNU expression was correlated with the expression of tumor stemness-associated factors (SOX2, Nanog, and OCT4) and the tumor size. Conclusions: KYNU may promote drug resistance in EC by regulating cancer stemness, and could serve as a biomarker and therapeutic target for EC.

Ubiquitin ligase subunit FBXO9 inhibits V-ATPase assembly and impedes lung cancer metastasis.

BACKGROUND: The evolutionarily conserved protein FBXO9 acts as a substrate receptor for the SKP1-cullin-1-RBX1 ubiquitin ligase and is implicated in cancer, exhibiting either tumor-suppressive or oncogenic effects depending on the specific tumor type. However, their role in lung cancer metastasis remains unclear. METHODS: Lentiviral vectors carrying miRNA-based shRNA sequences for gene-specific knockdown were generated, and Lenti-CRISPR-Cas9 vectors containing gene-specific sgRNA sequences were designed. Gene overexpression was achieved using doxycycline-inducible lentiviral constructs, while gene knockdown or knockout cells were generated using shRNA and CRISPR-Cas9, respectively. Functional assays included migration, clonogenic survival assays, tumor sphere assays, and protein interaction studies using mass spectrometry, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblot analysis. RESULTS: This study identified FBXO9 as a crucial regulator that suppresses lung cancer cell migration, tumor sphere growth and restricts metastasis. We showed that FBXO9 facilitates the ubiquitination of the catalytic subunit A (ATP6V1A) of the Vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase), resulting in its interaction with the cytoplasmic chaperone HSPA8 and subsequent sequestration within the cytoplasm. This process hinders the assembly of functional V-ATPase, resulting in reduced vesicular acidification. In contrast, depletion of FBXO9 reduced ATP6V1A ubiquitination, resulting in increased V-ATPase assembly and vesicular acidification, thus promoting pro-metastatic Wnt signaling and metastasis of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated the effectiveness of inhibitors targeting V-ATPase in inhibiting lung cancer metastasis in a mouse model. Finally, we established a correlation between lower FBXO9 levels and poorer survival outcomes in patients with lung cancer. CONCLUSION: These findings collectively elucidate the critical role of FBXO9 in regulating V-ATPase assembly and provide a molecular basis for FBXO9's function in inhibiting lung cancer metastasis. This highlights the potential therapeutic opportunities of FBXO9 supplementation.

Proteomic screening of anaerobically regulated promoters from Salmonella and its antitumor applications.

Solid tumors often contain hypoxic and necrotic areas that can be targeted by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium VNP20009 (VNP). We sought to develop a hypoxia- inducible promoter system based on the tumor-specific delivered strain VNP to confine expression of therapeutic gene specifically or selectively within the tumor microenvironment. A hypoxia-inducible promoter - adhE promoter was screened from the hypoxia-regulated endogenous proteins of Salmonella through two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight/time-of-flight MS-based proteomics approaches. The efficiency and specificity of the selected adhE promoter were validated first in both bacteria and animal tumor models. The adhE promoter could specifically drive GFP gene expression under hypoxia, but not under normoxia. Furthermore, luciferase reporter expression controlled by the system was also confined to the tumors. Finally, we investigated the anticancer efficacy of VNP delivering human endostatin controlled by our adhE promoter system in both murine melanoma and Lewis lung carcinoma models. Our results demonstrated that by the dual effects of tumoricidal and anti-angiogenic activities, the recombinant Salmonella strain could generate enhanced antitumor effects compared with those of unarmed VNP treatment or untreated control. The recombinant VNP could retard tumor growth significantly and extend survival of tumor-bearing mice by inducing more apoptosis and more severe necrosis as well as inhibiting blood vessel density within tumors. Therefore, VNP carrying the endostatin gene under our tumor-targeted expression system holds promise for the treatment of solid tumors.

LINC01572 is a Novel Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most common and lethal cancer types worldwide. LINC0572 is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that has been associated with the clinical characteristics of several types of malignancy. However, the biological mechanism of LINC0572 in LUAD is still unclear and remains to be elucidated. METHODS: R packages and online bioinformatic tools were used to investigate the biological characteristics of LINC01572, including its abnormal expression, oncogenic role, and clinical prognostic value. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to investigate the biological functions of LINC01572 in tumorigenesis and development. These included colony formation assays, cell migration assays, flow cytometry, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) cell proliferation and tumor transplant growth experiments. RESULTS: Bioinformatics results showed that LINC01572 was overexpressed in both LUAD and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) patients. LINC01572 overexpression was associated with shorter overall survival (OS) in LUAD. Further study of clinical specimens confirmed that LINC01572 was highly expressed in the tumor tissue of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. In vitro experiments also confirmed that LINC01572 was overexpressed in tumor cell lines. Inhibition of LINC01572 expression significantly impaired cell proliferation, cell migration, and clone formation. Experiments in nude mouse revealed that transplanted tumors with low expression of LINC01572 had significantly slower rates of growth in terms of volume and weight compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and immune landscape profiling showed that LINC01572 can promote tumor initiation and progression by deregulating the cell cycle and immunocyte infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: LINC01572 is overexpressed in tumor tissue relative to adjacent normal tissue. Moreover, LUAD patients with high expression of LINC01572 showed a worse survival prognosis. LINC01572 is associated with tumor initiation, progression and immune dysregulation. It therefore has potential value as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target in LUAD.

KDM6A promotes imatinib resistance through YY1-mediated transcriptional upregulation of TRKA independently of its demethylase activity in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Rationale: Despite landmark therapy of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), drug resistance remains problematic. Cancer pathogenesis involves epigenetic dysregulation and in particular, histone lysine demethylases (KDMs) have been implicated in TKI resistance. We sought to identify KDMs with altered expression in CML and define their contribution to imatinib resistance. Methods: Bioinformatics screening compared KDM expression in CML versus normal bone marrow with shRNA knockdown and flow cytometry used to measure effects on imatinib-induced apoptosis in K562 cells. Transcriptomic analyses were performed against KDM6A CRISPR knockout/shRNA knockdown K562 cells along with gene rescue experiments using wildtype and mutant demethylase-dead KDM6A constructs. Co-immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter and ChIP were employed to elucidate mechanisms of KDM6A-dependent resistance. Results: Amongst five KDMs upregulated in CML, only KDM6A depletion sensitized CML cells to imatinib-induced apoptosis. Re-introduction of demethylase-dead KDM6A as well as wild-type KDM6A restored imatinib resistance. RNA-seq identified NTRK1 gene downregulation after depletion of KDM6A. Moreover, NTRK1 expression positively correlated with KDM6A in a subset of clinical CML samples and KDM6A knockdown in fresh CML isolates decreased NTRK1 encoded protein (TRKA) expression. Mechanistically, KDM6A was recruited to the NTRK1 promoter by the transcription factor YY1 with subsequent TRKA upregulation activating down-stream survival pathways to invoke imatinib resistance. Conclusion: Contrary to its reported role as a tumor suppressor and independent of its demethylase function, KDM6A promotes imatinib-resistance in CML cells. The identification of the KDM6A/YY1/TRKA axis as a novel imatinib-resistance mechanism represents an unexplored avenue to overcome TKI resistance in CML.

Transgenic expression of Sag/Rbx2 E3 causes early stage tumor promotion, late stage cytogenesis and acinar loss in the Kras-PDAC model.

SAG (Sensitive to Apoptosis Gene), also known as RBX2 or ROC2, is a RING component of CRL (Cullin-RING ligase), required for its activity. Our previous studies showed that Sag/Rbx2 co-operated with Kras or Pten loss to promote tumorigenesis in the lung and prostate, respectively, but antagonized Kras to inhibit skin tumorigenesis, suggesting a tissue/context dependent function of Sag. The role of SAG in KRAS-induced pancreatic tumorigenesis is unknown. In this study, we mined a cancer database and found that SAG is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and correlates with decreased patient survival. Whether Sag overexpression plays a causal role in pancreatic tumorigenesis is unknown. Here, we reported the generation of Sag transgenic mouse model alone (CS), or in combination with KrasG12D, driven by p48-Cre (KCS mice) for pancreatic specific Sag expression. Sag transgenic expression alone has no phenotypical abnormality, but in combination with KrasG12D promotes ADM (acinar-to-ductal metaplasia) conversion in vitro and mPanIN1 formation in vivo at the early stage, and impairs pancreatic functions at the late stage, as evidenced by poor glucose tolerance and significantly reduced α-Amylase activity, and induction of cytogenesis and acinar cell loss, eventually leading to atrophic pancreata and shortened mouse life-span. Mechanistically, Sag transgenic expression altered several key signaling pathways, particularly inactivation of mTORC1 signaling due to Deptor accumulation, and activation of the antioxidant Nrf2-Nqo1 axis. Thus, Sag plays a stage dependent promotion (early) and fate-changing (late) role during Kras-pancreatic tumorigenesis, likely via regulating its key substrates, which control growth-related signal transduction pathways.

The cross talk of two family members of ß-TrCP in the regulation of cell autophagy and growth.

ß-transducin repeat-containing protein (ß-TrCP), one of the best-characterized substrate recognition components of the SKP1-CUL1-F-box (SCF) E3 ligase, has two distinct paralogs, ß-TrCP1 and ß-TrCP2, expressed in mammals. Through governing the ubiquitination and degradation of numerous key regulators, ß-TrCP1/2 regulates various cellular physiological and pathological processes. However, whether and how these two proteins cross talk and whether they regulate cell autophagy and proliferation in different manners is completely unknown. Herein, we report that ß-TrCP1 and ß-TrCP2 are the physiological substrates of SCF E3 ligase and target each other for degradation that is dependent on their ß-TrCP degron sequences. Furthermore, glucose deprivation activates AMPK kinase to phosphorylate ß-TrCP1 and promotes the subsequent ubiquitination and degradation of ß-TrCP1 by ß-TrCP2, but does not promote ß-TrCP2 degradation by ß-TrCP1. Finally, we found that ß-TrCP2, not ß-TrCP1, preferentially degrades DEPTOR and REDD1, the inhibitors of mTORC1, to activate mTORC1, leading to autophagy inhibition and cell growth. Thus, our study demonstrates that ß-TrCP1 and ß-TrCP2 mutually target each other for degradation and that ß-TrCP2 acts as a dominant paralog in the regulation of cell autophagy and growth, which might be a promising anticancer target.

Discovery of novel 2-aminonicotinonitrile derivatives with new potential autophagy activity.

Background: To clarify the molecular mechanism of novel 2-aminonicotinonitrile autophagy enhancers, two series of novel 2-aminonicotinonitrile derivatives are synthesized and their structure-activity relationship and biological activity were analyzed. Results & methodology: Structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that substituents at C-4 and C-6 position of 7a contribute to enhance their autophagy-inducing activity, while C-5 position substituents have the opposite effect. The most promising compound 7g showed the strongest autophagy-inducing activity and better antiproliferative activity by inducing cell apoptosis and blocking cell cycle G1 arrest in SGC-7901 cells. Conclusion: The novel 2-aminonicotinonitrile autophagy enhancers were for the first time discovered and 7g might be a promising new autophagy enhancer with potential anticancer activity.

DEPTOR is an in vivo tumor suppressor that inhibits prostate tumorigenesis via the inactivation of mTORC1/2 signals.

The DEPTOR-mTORC1/2 axis has been shown to play an important, but a context dependent role in the regulation of proliferation and the survival of various cancer cells in cell culture settings. The in vivo role of DEPTOR in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here we showed that the levels of both DEPTOR protein and mRNA were substantially decreased in human prostate cancer tissues, which positively correlated with disease progression. DEPTOR depletion accelerated proliferation and survival, migration, and invasion in human prostate cancer cells. Mechanistically, DEPTOR depletion not only activated both mTORC1 and mTORC2 signals to promote cell proliferation and survival, but also induced an AKT-dependent epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and ß-catenin nuclear translocation to promote cell migration and invasion. Abrogation of mTOR or AKT activation rescued the biological consequences of DEPTOR depletion. Importantly, in a Deptor-KO mouse model, Deptor knockout accelerated prostate tumorigenesis triggered by Pten loss via the activation of mTOR signaling. Collectively, our study demonstrates that DEPTOR is a tumor suppressor in the prostate, and its depletion promotes tumorigenesis via the activation of mTORC1 and mTORC2 signals. Thus, DEPTOR reactivation via a variety of means would have therapeutic potential for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Cell-cycle-dependent phosphorylation of RRM1 ensures efficient DNA replication and regulates cancer vulnerability to ATR inhibition.

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of de novo synthesis of deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) building blocks for DNA synthesis, and is a well-recognized target for cancer therapy. RNR is a heterotetramer consisting of two large RRM1 subunits and two small RRM2 subunits. RNR activity is greatly stimulated by transcriptional activation of RRM2 during S/G2 phase to ensure adequate dNTP supply for DNA replication. However, little is known about the cell-cycle-dependent regulation of RNR activity through RRM1. Here, we report that RRM1 is phosphorylated at Ser 559 by CDK2/cyclin A during S/G2 phase. And this S559 phosphorylation of RRM1enhances RNR enzymatic activity and is required for maintaining sufficient dNTPs during normal DNA replication. Defective RRM1 S559 phosphorylation causes DNA replication stress, double-strand break, and genomic instability. Moreover, combined targeting of RRM1 S559 phosphorylation and ATR triggers lethal replication stress and profound antitumor effects. Thus, this posttranslational phosphorylation of RRM1 provides an alternative mechanism to finely regulating RNR and therapeutic opportunities for cancer treatment.

BRD4 modulates vulnerability of triple-negative breast cancer to targeting of integrin-dependent signaling pathways.

PURPOSE: Stemming from a myriad of genetic and epigenetic alterations, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is tied to poor clinical outcomes and aspires for individualized therapies. Here we investigated the therapeutic potential of co-inhibiting integrin-dependent signaling pathway and BRD4, a transcriptional and epigenetic mediator, for TNBC. METHODS: Two independent patient cohorts were subjected to bioinformatic and IHC examination for clinical association of candidate cancer drivers. The efficacy and biological bases for co-targeting these drivers were interrogated using cancer cell lines, a protein kinase array, chemical inhibitors, RNAi/CRISPR/Cas9 approaches, and a 4 T1-Balb/c xenograft model. RESULTS: We found that amplification of the chromosome 8q24 region occurred in nearly 20% of TNBC tumors, and that it coincided with co-upregulation or amplification of c-Myc and FAK, a key effector of integrin-dependent signaling. This co-upregulation at the mRNA or protein level correlated with a poor patient survival (p < 0.0109 or p < 0.0402, respectively). Furthermore, we found that 14 TNBC cell lines exhibited high vulnerabilities to the combination of JQ1 and VS-6063, potent pharmacological antagonists of the BRD4/c-Myc and integrin/FAK-dependent pathways, respectively. We also observed a cooperative inhibitory effect of JQ1 and VS-6063 on tumor growth and infiltration of Ly6G+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells in vivo. Finally, we found that JQ1 and VS-6063 cooperatively induced apoptotic cell death by altering XIAP, Bcl2/Bcl-xl and Bim levels, impairing c-Src/p130Cas-, PI3K/Akt- and RelA-associated signaling, and were linked to EMT-inducing transcription factor Snail- and Slug-dependent regulation. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we conclude that the BRD4/c-Myc- and integrin/FAK-dependent pathways act in concert to promote breast cancer cell survival and poor clinical outcomes. As such, they represent promising targets for a synthetic lethal-type of therapy against TNBC.

Oral delivery of tumor-targeting Salmonella exhibits promising therapeutic efficacy and low toxicity.

Tumor-targeting bacteria have been developed as powerful anticancer agents. Salmonella typhimurium VNP20009, a representative tumor-targeting strain, has been systemically administered as a single-agent therapy at doses of 1 x 10(6) to 3 x 10(6) colony-forming unit (cfu)/mouse, or in combination with other antitumor agents at doses of 1 x 10(4) to 2 x 10(5) cfu/mouse. Recently, we reported that oral delivery of VNP20009 at the dose of 1 x 10(9) cfu/mouse induced significant anticancer effects comparable to that induced by systemic administration of this strain at 1 x 10(4) cfu/mouse. To further address the efficacy and safety of oral administration of bacteria, here we performed a systemically comparative analysis of anticancer efficacy and toxicity of VNP20009 administered: (i) orally at a dose of 1 x 10(9) cfu/mouse (VNP9-oral); (ii) intraperitoneally at a dose of 1 x 10(4) cfu/mouse (VNP4-i.p.); or (iii) intraperitoneally at a dose of 1 x 10(6) cfu/mouse in tumor-free and tumor-bearing murine models. The results showed that VNP9-oral, similar to VNP4-i.p., induced significant tumor growth inhibition whereas VNP6-i.p. induced better anticancer effect in the B16F10 melanoma model. Among three treatments, VNP9-oral induced the mildest and reversible toxicity whereas VNP6-i.p. resulted in the most serious and irreversible toxicities when compared to other two treatments. Moreover, the combination of VNP9-oral with a low dose of chemotherapeutics produced comparable antitumor effects but displayed significantly reduced toxicity when compared to VNP6-i.p. The findings demonstrated that oral administration, as a novel avenue in the application of bacteria, is highly safe and effective. Moreover, the present preclinical study should facilitate the optimization of bacterial therapies with improved anticancer efficacy and reduced adverse effects in future clinical trials.

Deletion of tetraspanin CD151 alters the Wnt oncogene-induced mammary tumorigenesis: A cell type-linked function and signaling.

Tetraspanin CD151 is increasingly implicated as a multifaceted mediator of cancer development and progression. Here we investigated the role of CD151 in breast cancer in the context of the Wnt oncogenic activation. Our data showed that removal of one or both of CD151 alleles in the MMTV-Wnt1 model significantly decreased the tumor-free survival of mice from 34 weeks on average to 22 weeks and 18 weeks, respectively. This effect coincided with an accelerated tumor growth and an increased number of Ki-67+ proliferative cells. Mechanistically, the CD151-deficient tumors were largely ER+, and exhibited hyperactivation of the Wnt pathway as reflected by a marked upregulation in ß-catenin and Cyclin D1, and their target genes. In addition, E-cadherin displayed a cytosolic distribution and transcription factor Snail was markedly upregulated. Collectively, this data implies that CD151 suppresses the Wnt1-driven tumorigenesis, at least in part, via counteracting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like program in luminal epithelial cells. Meanwhile, the proportion of tumor cells expressing CK5 or p63, the biomarkers of myoepithelial/basal cells, markedly decreased in the absence of CD151. This change was accompanied by a decreased invasiveness of tumors and their incompetence to form a long-term cell culture. Consistent with this basal cell-linked role, the CD151 downregulation impairs mammosphere formation in MCF-10A cells and the defect was rescued by re-expression of intact CD151 ORF, but not its integrin binding-defective mutant. Overall, our study suggests that CD151 is a key player in the Wnt oncogene-driven tumorigenesis and impacts breast cancer malignancy in a cell type-dependent manner.

Targeting deubiquitinase USP28 for cancer therapy.

As one of the most important post-translational modifications, ubiquitination plays versatile roles in cancer-related pathways, and is involved in protein metabolism, cell-cycle progression, apoptosis, and transcription. Counteracting the activities of the E3 ligases, the deubiquitylating enzymes have been suggested as another important mechanism to modulate the ubiquitination process, and are implicated in cancer as well. In this article, we review the emerging roles of USP28 in cancer pathways as revealed by recent studies. We discuss the major mechanisms by which USP28 is involved in the cancer-related pathways, whereby USP28 regulates physiological homeostasis of ubiquitination process, DNA-damage response, and cell cycle during genotoxic stress. We further review the studies where USP28 was targeted for treating multiples cancers including non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, intestinal cancers, gliomas, and bladder cancer. As a result, the clinical significance of targeting USP28 for cancer therapy merits further exploration and demonstration.

A novel ferritin gene, SferH-5, reveals heterogeneity of the 26.5-kDa subunit of soybean (Glycine max) seed ferritin.

A novel ferritin cDNA, SferH-5, has been cloned from 7-day-old soybean seedlings. Putative SferH-5 has 96% identity with SferH-1 reported previously. All the five amino acid variants distributed in the mature region are not involved in highly conserved residues associated with ferroxidase activity center. We speculate that SferH-5 encodes a novel 26.5-kDa subunit of soybean seed ferritin, which is designated H-5 in this study. Recombinant H-5 was able to assemble, together with co-expressed H-2, as a functional soybean seed ferritin-like complex, H-5/H-2. Our data reveal the potential heterogeneity of the 26.5-kDa subunit of soybean seed ferritin.

Oral Delivery of Tumor-Targeting Salmonella to Treat Cancer in Mice.

Tumor-targeting bacteria have been developed as novel anticancer agents recently. To achieve their therapeutic effects, bacteria have conventionally been injected intravenously or intraperitoneally into animals or humans. Here, we describe the oral delivery of tumor-targeting Salmonella for cancer therapy in a mouse tumor model. We detail the experimental procedures for establishing a mouse tumor model, preparing bacterial culture, mouse gavage, and detection of the tumor-targeting capability of bacteria administered orally. We also discuss technical notes and provide practical advice that will help the users of this oral delivery model.

[Generation of attenuated H5N1 and H5N2 subtypes of influenza virus recombinants by reverse genetics system].

The HA connecting peptide at cleavage site, PQRERRKKR / GL, of an H5N1 subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) was replaced with PQRESR / GL, and then the modified HA gene was cloned into the transcription/expression vector, pHW2000, constructing a plasmid named pHW524-HA. The NA (N1) gene from the H5N1 virus and the NA (N2) gene from an H9N2 AIV were also cloned into pHW2000 separately, resulting in plasmids pHW506-NA and pHW206-NA. With the organization of pHW524-HA, pHW506-NA or pHW206-NA, and six plasmids containing internal genes from A/WSN/33 backbone virus, two transfectants, H5N1/WSN and H5N2/WSN, were subsequently generated by eight-plasmid system. After 15 consecutive passages in embryonated eggs, the two recombinants grew up to high titers of 1:2(9) in hemagglutination test with no changes in nucleotide sequences of the surface genes detected. Both the recombinant viruses belonged to mildly pathogen when evaluated by the pathogenicity test in six-week-old SPF chickens. H5N2/WSN recombinant virus was obviously less pathogenic than H5N1/WSN virus for embryonated chicken eggs. This presentation showed that the reverse genetics system is a very useful tool for studying the construction and function of individual genes and for the generation of virus as vaccine candidate.