Derivation and characterization of matched cell lines from primary and recurrent serous ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cell line models have proven to be effective tools to investigate a variety of ovarian cancer features. Due to the limited number of cell lines, particularly of the serous subtype, the heterogeneity of the disease, and the lack of cell lines that model disease progression, there is a need to further develop cell line resources available for research. This study describes nine cell lines derived from three ovarian cancer cases that were established at initial diagnosis and at subsequent relapse after chemotherapy. METHODS: The cell lines from three women diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (1369, 2295 and 3133) were derived from solid tumor (TOV) and ascites (OV), at specific time points at diagnosis and relapse (R). Primary treatment was a combination of paclitaxel/carboplatin (1369, 3133), or cisplatin/topotecan (2295). Second line treatment included doxorubicin, gemcitabine and topotecan. In addition to molecular characterization (p53, HER2), the cell lines were characterized based on cell growth characteristics including spheroid growth, migration potential, and anchorage independence. The in vivo tumorigenicity potential of the cell lines was measured. Response to paclitaxel and carboplatin was assessed using a clonogenic assay. RESULTS: All cell lines had either a nonsense or missense TP53 mutations. The ability to form compact spheroids or aggregates was observed in six of nine cell lines. Limited ability for migration and anchorage independence was observed. The OV3133(R) cell line, formed tumors at subcutaneous sites in SCID mice. Based on IC50 values and dose response curves, there was clear evidence of acquired resistance to carboplatin for TOV2295(R) and OV2295(R2) cell lines. CONCLUSION: The study identified nine new high-grade serous ovarian cancer cell lines, derived before and after chemotherapy that provides a unique resource for investigating the evolution of this common histopathological subtype of ovarian cancer.

Limited modulation of the transport activity of the human multidrug resistance proteins MRP1, MRP2 and MRP3 by nicotine glucuronide metabolites.

The human ATP-binding cassette proteins MRP1 (ABCC1), MRP2 (ABCC2) and MRP3 (ABCC3) are active transporters of antineoplastic drugs as well as conjugated metabolites and other organic anions. In addition to being substrates, many glucuronide, glutathione and sulfate conjugates can also inhibit the transport activities of these MRP-related proteins, sometimes in a glutathione (GSH)-dependent manner. Nicotine is the major addictive component of cigarette smoke. Three glucuronide metabolites of this compound have been identified in vivo: nicotine-N-glucuronide, cotinine-N-glucuronide and trans-hydroxycotinine-O-glucuronide. In this study, we first chemically synthesized trans-hydroxycotinine-O-glucuronide and then tested the ability of this compound, nicotine-N-glucuronide and cotinine-N-glucuronide to modulate the vesicular transport of several organic anions by MRP1, MRP2 and MRP3. We observed that none of the three metabolites at concentrations up to 100muM significantly affected organic anion transport by MRP1 or MRP2, either in the absence or presence of GSH. MRP3-mediated transport of 17beta-estradiol 17-(beta-d-glucuronide) and methotrexate were partially inhibited by trans-hydroxycotinine-O-glucuronide (300 microM) (by 70% and 50%, respectively), whereas nicotine-N-glucuronide and cotinine-N-glucuronide had no effect. We conclude that the physiological functions of MRP1, MRP2 and MRP3 are not likely to be substantially affected by nicotine glucuronide metabolites at concentrations achievable in human serum.

RAN nucleo-cytoplasmic transport and mitotic spindle assembly partners XPO7 and TPX2 are new prognostic biomarkers in serous epithelial ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: Epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecological malignancies. We have shown that high RAN expression strongly correlates with high-grade and poor patient survival in epithelial ovarian cancer. However, as RAN is a small GTPase involved in two main biological functions, nucleo-cytoplasmic transport and mitosis, it is still unknown which of these functions associate with poor prognosis. METHODS: To examine the biomarker value of RAN network components in serous epithelial ovarian cancer, protein expression of six specific RAN partners was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray representing 143 patients associated with clinical parameters. The RAN GDP/GTP cycle was evaluated by the expression of RANBP1 and RCC1, the mitotic function by TPX2 and IMPß, and the nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking function by XPO7, XPOT and IMPß. RESULTS: Based on Kaplan-Meier analyses, RAN, cytoplasmic XPO7 and TPX2 were significantly associated with poor overall patient survival, and RAN and TPX2 were associated with lower disease free survival in patients with high-grade serous carcinoma. Cox regression analysis revealed that RAN and TPX2 expression were independent prognostic factors for both overall and disease free survival, and that cytoplasmic XPO7 expression was a prognostic factor for overall patient survival. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic study, we show that RAN and two protein partners involved in its nucleo-cytoplasmic and mitotic functions (XPO7 and TPX2, respectively) can be used as biomarkers to stratify patients based on prognosis. In particular, we reported for the first time the clinical relevance of the exportin XPO7 and showed that TPX2 expression had the strongest prognostic value. These findings suggest that protein partners in each of RAN's functions can discriminate between different outcomes in high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Furthermore, these proteins point to cellular processes that may ultimately be targeted to improve the survival in serous epithelial ovarian cancer.

Role of proline 1150 in functional interactions between the membrane spanning domains and nucleotide binding domains of the MRP1 (ABCC1) transporter.

The ATP-binding cassette multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) mediates ATP-dependent cellular efflux of drugs and organic anions. We previously described a mutant, MRP1-Pro1150Ala, which exhibits selectively increased estradiol glucuronide (E217betaG) and methotrexate transport as well as altered interactions with ATP. We have now further explored the functional importance of MRP1-Pro1150 at the interface of transmembrane helix 15 and cytoplasmic loop 7 (CL7) by replacing it with Gly, Ile, Leu and Val. All four mutants exhibited a phenotype similar to MRP1-Pro1150Ala with respect to organic anion transport and [gamma32P]8N3ATP photolabeling. They also displayed very low levels of substrate-independent vanadate-induced trapping of [alpha32P]8N3ADP. To better understand the relationship between the altered nucleotide interactions and transport activity of these mutants, [alpha32P]8N3ADP trapping experiments were performed under different conditions. Unlike leukotriene C4, E217betaG decreased [alpha32P]8N3ADP trapping by both wild-type and mutant MRP1. [alpha32P]8N3ADP trapping by MRP1-Pro1150Ala could be increased by using Ni2+ instead of Mg2+, and by decreasing temperature; however, the transport properties of the mutant remained unchanged. We conclude that the reduced [alpha32P]8N3ADP trapping associated with loss of Pro1150, or the presence of E217betaG, is due to enhanced ADP release following ATP hydrolysis rather than a reduction in ATP hydrolysis itself. We hypothesize that loss of Pro1150 alters the role of CL7 as a coupling helix that mediates signaling between the nucleotide binding domains and some substrate binding sites in the membrane spanning domains of MRP1.

Mutational analysis of a highly conserved proline residue in MRP1, MRP2, and MRP3 reveals a partially conserved function.

The ATP-binding cassette multidrug resistance protein 1 MRP1 (ABCC1) mediates the cellular efflux of organic anions including conjugated metabolites, chemotherapeutic agents, and toxicants. We previously described a mutation in cytoplasmic loop 7 (CL7) of MRP1, Pro1150Ala, which reduced leukotriene C(4) (LTC(4)) transport but increased 17beta-estradiol 17beta-d-glucuronide (E(2)17betaG) and methotrexate (MTX) transport. Vanadate-induced trapping of [alpha-(32)P]8N(3)ADP by the Pro1150Ala mutant in the absence of substrate was also greatly reduced compared with wild-type MRP1 suggesting an uncoupling of ATP hydrolysis and transport activity. To determine whether the functional importance of MRP1-Pro(1150) is conserved, the analogous Pro(1158) and Pro(1147) residues in the MRP2 and MRP3 transporters, respectively, were mutated to Ala. Expression levels of the three mutants were unaffected; however, the vesicular transport activity of at least one organic anion substrate was significantly altered. As observed for MRP1-Pro1150Ala, LTC(4) transport by MRP2-Pro1158Ala was decreased. However, E(2)17betaG and MTX transport was comparable with that of wild-type MRP2 rather than increased as was observed for MRP1-Pro1150Ala. In the case of MRP3-Pro1147Ala, LTC(4) transport was increased, whereas E(2)17betaG transport was unaffected. MTX transport by MRP3-Pro1147Ala was also increased but to a lesser extent than for MRP1-Pro1150Ala. In contrast, all three mutants showed a marked reduction in levels of vanadate-induced trapped [alpha-(32)P]8N(3)ADP. We conclude that MRP1-Pro(1150), MRP2-Pro(1158), and MRP3-Pro(1147) in CL7 differ in their influence on substrate specificity but share a common role in the nucleotide interactions of these transporters.

Functional characterization of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding human multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/ABCC1).

The 190-kDa ATP-binding cassette (ABC) multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) encoded by the MRP1/ABCC1 gene mediates the active cellular efflux of glucuronide, glutathione and sulfate conjugates. It can also confer resistance to a diverse spectrum of chemotherapeutic agents and transport a variety of toxicants. In the present study, we examined 10 MRP1/ABCC1 missense genetic variants [non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)] to determine whether or not they affect expression or function of the transporter. Variants 218C>T (Thr73Ile), 257C>T (Ser92Phe), 350C>T (Thr117Met), 689G>A (Arg230Gln), 1898G>A (Arg633Gln), 2168G>A (Arg723Gln), 2965G>A (Ala989Thr), 3140G>C (Cys1047Ser), 3173G>A (Arg1058Gln) and 4535C>T (Ser1512Leu) were recreated using site-directed mutagenesis and transfected into human embryonic kidney cells. Immunoblotting experiments showed that all mutant proteins were expressed at levels comparable to wild-type MRP1. Vesicular transport assays revealed that the Ala989Thr mutation caused a significant decrease in estradiol 17beta-glucuronide transport due to a decrease in apparent affinity (Km) for this organic anion. The transport properties of the other mutants were comparable to wild-type MRP1. When the MRP1/ABCC1 non-synonymous SNPs were evaluated by the SIFT algorithm using subsets of homologs and orthologs of MRP1/ABCC1, Arg230Gln, Val353Met, Arg433Ser, Gly671Val and Arg1058 mutations were predicted to be deleterious, whereas the PolyPhen algorithm predicted Ser92Phe and Gly671Val to be potentially damaging. Thus most predictions of these algorithms were not in accordance with our experimental results. In conclusion, our data suggest that none of the MRP1/ABCC1 variants studied are likely by themselves to have major deleterious effects in healthy individuals, and the SIFT and PolyPhen algorithms appear to be poor predictors of the phenotypic consequences of these MRP1 mutations at least in vitro.

Functional and structural consequences of cysteine substitutions in the NH2 proximal region of the human multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/ABCC1).

The 190 kDa multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1; ABCC1) is comprised of three membrane spanning domains (MSDs) and two nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) configured MSD1-MSD2-NBD1-MSD3-NBD2. MRP1 overexpression in tumor cells results in an ATP-dependent efflux of many oncolytic agents and arsenic and antimony oxyanions. MRP1 also transports GSSG and GSH as well as conjugated organic anions, including leukotriene C(4) and 17beta-estradiol 17-(beta-D-glucuronide) and certain xenobiotics in association with GSH. Previous studies have shown that portions of MSD1 and the cytoplasmic loop (CL3) connecting it to MSD2 are important for MRP1 transport function. In the present study, Cys residues at positions 43, 49, 85, 148, and 190 in MSD1 and positions 208 and 265 in CL3 were mutated to Ala and Ser, and the effects on protein expression, plasma membrane localization, trypsin sensitivity, organic anion transport, and drug resistance properties were investigated. Confocal microscopy showed that 11 of 14 mutants displayed significant levels of nonplasma membrane-associated MRP1. Most mutant proteins were also more resistant to trypsin proteolysis than wild-type MRP1. All Cys mutants transported organic anions (0.5-1.5-fold wild-type MRP1 activity), and cells expressing Ser-substituted but not Ala-substituted Cys43 and Cys265 MRP1 mutants exhibited a 2.5-fold decrease and a 3-fold increase in arsenite resistance, respectively; Cys43Ser MRP1 also conferred lower levels of vincristine resistance. These results indicate that certain Cys residues in the NH(2) proximal region of MRP1 can be important for its structure and selected transport activities.