The Parkinson's disease VPS35[D620N] mutation enhances LRRK2-mediated Rab protein phosphorylation in mouse and human.

Missense mutations in the LRRK2 (Leucine-rich repeat protein kinase-2) and VPS35 genes result in autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease. The VPS35 gene encodes for the cargo-binding component of the retromer complex, while LRRK2 modulates vesicular trafficking by phosphorylating a subgroup of Rab proteins. Pathogenic mutations in LRRK2 increase its kinase activity. It is not known how the only thus far described pathogenic VPS35 mutation, [p.D620N] exerts its effects. We reveal that the VPS35[D620N] knock-in mutation strikingly elevates LRRK2-mediated phosphorylation of Rab8A, Rab10, and Rab12 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The VPS35[D620N] mutation also increases Rab10 phosphorylation in mouse tissues (the lung, kidney, spleen, and brain). Furthermore, LRRK2-mediated Rab10 phosphorylation is increased in neutrophils as well as monocytes isolated from three Parkinson's patients with a heterozygous VPS35[D620N] mutation compared with healthy donors and idiopathic Parkinson's patients. LRRK2-mediated Rab10 phosphorylation is significantly suppressed by knock-out or knock-down of VPS35 in wild-type, LRRK2[R1441C], or VPS35[D620N] cells. Finally, VPS35[D620N] mutation promotes Rab10 phosphorylation more potently than LRRK2 pathogenic mutations. Available data suggest that Parkinson's patients with VPS35[D620N] develop the disease at a younger age than those with LRRK2 mutations. Our observations indicate that VPS35 controls LRRK2 activity and that the VPS35[D620N] mutation results in a gain of function, potentially causing PD through hyperactivation of the LRRK2 kinase. Our findings suggest that it may be possible to elaborate compounds that target the retromer complex to suppress LRRK2 activity. Moreover, patients with VPS35[D620N] associated Parkinson's might benefit from LRRK2 inhibitor treatment that have entered clinical trials in humans.

Epigenetic Regulation of the Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway in Cancer.

Studies over the past four decades have elucidated the role of Wnt/ß-catenin mediated regulation in cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. These processes are fundamental to embryonic development, regeneration potential of tissues, as well as cancer initiation and progression. In this review, we focus on the epigenetic players which influence the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway via modulation of its components and coordinated regulation of the Wnt target genes. The role played by crosstalk with other signaling pathways mediating tumorigenesis is also elaborated. The Hippo/YAP pathway is particularly emphasized due to its extensive crosstalk via the Wnt destruction complex. Further, we highlight the recent advances in developing potential therapeutic interventions targeting the epigenetic machinery based on the characterization of these regulatory networks for effective treatment of various cancers and also for regenerative therapies.

Regulation of Transcription Factor SP1 by the ß-Catenin Destruction Complex Modulates Wnt Response.

The ubiquitous transcription factor specificity protein 1 (SP1) is heavily modified posttranslationally. These modifications are critical for switching its functions and modulation of its transcriptional activity and DNA binding and stability. However, the mechanism governing the stability of SP1 by cellular signaling pathways is not well understood. Here, we provide biochemical and functional evidence that SP1 is an integral part of the Wnt signaling pathway. We identified a phosphodegron motif in SP1 that is specific to mammals. In the absence of Wnt signaling, glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß)-mediated phosphorylation and ß-TrCP E3 ubiquitin ligase-mediated ubiquitination are required to induce SP1 degradation. When Wnt signaling is on, SP1 is stabilized in a ß-catenin-dependent manner. SP1 directly interacts with ß-catenin, and Wnt signaling induces the stabilization of SP1 by impeding its interaction with ß-TrCP and axin1, components of the destruction complex. Wnt signaling suppresses ubiquitination and subsequent proteosomal degradation of SP1. Furthermore, SP1 regulates Wnt-dependent stability of ß-catenin and their mutual stabilization is critical for target gene expression, suggesting a feedback mechanism. Upon stabilization, SP1 and ß-catenin cooccupy the promoters of TCFL2/ß-catenin target genes. Collectively, this study uncovers a direct link between SP1 and ß-catenin in the Wnt signaling pathway.

Chromatin organizer SATB1 as a novel molecular target for cancer therapy.

Cancer progression and metastasis involve series of alterations in the expression of multitude of genes. The structure and organization of chromatin play an important role in spatial arrangement of genes inside the nucleus thereby allowing different machineries to activate or silence the transcription of genes governed by various epigenetic events. Epigenetic modifications and dynamic changes in chromatin organization by organizer proteins have recently been shown to play an instrumental role in regulating cancer-promoting genes. Special AT-rich binding protein (SATB1) is a unique type of global regulator that integrates higher-order chromatin organization with regulation of gene expression. Aberrant expression of SATB1 has been shown to promote breast, hepatocellular, prostate and various other cancers. In this review we highlight upon the role of SATB1in chromatin organization and as global regulator of gene expression during cancer development. The expression of SATB1 progressively increases with the progression of cancers and it dynamically reprograms the expression of genes that are involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. SATB1 directly regulates the expression of ERRB2, MMP2, ABL1, E-cadherin and hence acts as key regulator in cancer development. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of regulation of SATB1 expression would therefore be extremely essential towards designing strategies to control it. Recent studies have provided important insights into regulation of SATB1 by FOXP3 and microRNAs. In this review we evaluate the potential of SATB1 as molecular target for cancer therapy.