Exploiting the MDM2-CK1α protein-protein interface to develop novel biologics that induce UBL-kinase-modification and inhibit cell growth.

Protein-protein interactions forming dominant signalling events are providing ever-growing platforms for the development of novel Biologic tools for controlling cell growth. Casein Kinase 1 α (CK1α) forms a genetic and physical interaction with the murine double minute chromosome 2 (MDM2) oncoprotein resulting in degradation of the p53 tumour suppressor. Pharmacological inhibition of CK1 increases p53 protein level and induces cell death, whilst small interfering RNA-mediated depletion of CK1α stabilizes p53 and induces growth arrest. We mapped the dominant protein-protein interface that stabilizes the MDM2 and CK1α complex in order to determine whether a peptide derived from the core CK1α-MDM2 interface form novel Biologics that can be used to probe the contribution of the CK1-MDM2 protein-protein interaction to p53 activation and cell viability. Overlapping peptides derived from CK1α were screened for dominant MDM2 binding sites using (i) ELISA with recombinant MDM2; (ii) cell lysate pull-down towards endogenous MDM2; (iii) MDM2-CK1α complex-based competition ELISA; and (iv) MDM2-mediated ubiquitination. One dominant peptide, peptide 35 was bioactive in all four assays and its transfection induced cell death/growth arrest in a p53-independent manner. Ectopic expression of flag-tagged peptide 35 induced a novel ubiquitin and NEDD8 modification of CK1α, providing one of the first examples whereby NEDDylation of a protein kinase can be induced. These data identify an MDM2 binding motif in CK1α which when isolated as a small peptide can (i) function as a dominant negative inhibitor of the CK1α-MDM2 interface, (ii) be used as a tool to study NEDDylation of CK1α, and (iii) reduce cell growth. Further, this approach provides a technological blueprint, complementing siRNA and chemical biology approaches, by exploiting protein-protein interactions in order to develop Biologics to manipulate novel types of signalling pathways such as cross-talk between NEDDylation, protein kinase signalling, and cell survival.

Anterior Gradient-3: a novel biomarker for ovarian cancer that mediates cisplatin resistance in xenograft models.

The Anterior Gradient (AGR) genes AGR2 and AGR3 are part of the Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PDI) family and harbour core thioredoxin folds (CxxS motifs) that have the potential to regulate protein folding and maturation. A number of proteomics and transcriptomics screens in the fields of limb regeneration, cancer cell metastasis, pro-oncogenic oestrogen-signalling, and p53 regulation have identified AGR2 as a novel component of these signalling pathways. Curiously, despite the fact that the AGR2 and AGR3 genes are contiguous on chromosome 7p21.1-3, the AGR3 protein has rarely been identified in such OMICs screens along with AGR2 protein. Therefore there is little information on how AGR3 protein is expressed in normal and diseased states. A panel of three monoclonal antibodies was generated towards AGR3 protein for identifying novel clinical models that can be used to define whether AGR3 protein could play a positive or negative role in human cancer development. One monoclonal antibody was AGR3-specific and bound a linear epitope that could be defined using both pep-scan and phage-peptide library screening. Using this monoclonal antibody, endogenous AGR3 protein expression was shown to be cytosolic in four human ovarian cancer subtypes; serous, endometrioid, clear cell, and mucinous. Mucinous ovarian cancers produced the highest number of AGR3 positive cells. AGR3 expression is coupled to AGR2 expression only in mucinous ovarian cancers, whereas AGR3 and AGR2 expressions are uncoupled in the other three types of ovarian cancer. AGR3 expression in ovarian cancer is independent of oestrogen-receptor expression, which is distinct from the oestrogen-receptor dependent expression of AGR3 in breast cancers. Isogenic cancer cell models were created that over-express AGR3 and these demonstrated that AGR3 mediates cisplatin-resistance in mouse xenografts. These data indicate that AGR3 is over-expressed by a hormone (oestrogen-receptor α)-independent mechanism and identify a novel protein-folding associated pathway that could mediate resistance to DNA-damaging agents in human cancers.

Immortalisation of normal human urothelial cells compromises differentiation capacity.

BACKGROUND: The development of urothelial malignancy is not solely a consequence of loss of proliferation constraints but also involves loss of cellular differentiation, defined histopathologically as grade. Although tumour grade is an independent prognostic marker for urothelial carcinoma (UC), the molecular events underpinning the loss of urothelial differentiation are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of gene alterations implicated in UC development on the ability of human urothelial cells to undergo molecular differentiation and form a functional urothelial barrier. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Laboratory study. INTERVENTION: Normal human urothelial (NHU) cell cultures were transduced with recombinant retroviruses to produce stable sublines overexpressing wild-type or oncogenic mutated fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 or human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Previously generated NHU sublines carrying dominant-negative CDK4 and p53 mutant genes or immortalised with the human papillomavirus 16 E6 oncoprotein were included. MEASUREMENTS: The activity of introduced transgenes was demonstrated by comparing phenotypes of transgene-expressing and isogenic control NHU cells. Modified and control sublines were compared for changes in generational potential (life span) and capacity to respond to differentiation-inducing signals by transcript expression of uroplakins 2 and 3. The ability to form a barrier epithelium was assessed by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: By contrast to tumour suppressor loss of function or oncogene overactivation, hTERT overexpression alone led to life span extension and immortalisation. The hTERT immortalised cells carried no gross genomic alterations but became progressively insensitive to differentiation signals and lost the ability to form an epithelial barrier. Further characterisation of hTERT cells revealed a downregulation of p16 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor expression and loss of responsiveness to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, providing mechanistic explanations for the subjugation of senescence constraints and the abrogation of differentiation capability, respectively. Although immortalised urothelial cell lines without karyotypic aberrations may be generated, such cell lines are compromised in terms of differentiation and functional capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of hTERT promotes development of an immortalised differentiation-insensitive urothelial cell phenotype. Although such cells offer a useful insight into the grade/stage paradigm of UC, they have limited value for investigating normal urothelial cell/tissue biology and physiology.

How phosphorylation controls p53.

The tumor suppressor p53 is a transcription factor that integrates distinct environmental signals including DNA damage, metabolic stress, oncogene activation, hypoxia and virus infection into a common biological outcome that maintains normal cellular control and tissue integrity. p53 is regulated at the post-translational level by protein-protein interactions and covalent modifications, including phosphorylation at over twenty phosphor-acceptor sites. In this perspective we discuss the function of two evolutionarily conserved p53 phosphorylation motifs, located within the N-terminal transactivation and C-terminal regulatory domains, which have recently been shown to play a tumour suppressive role in stem cell niches. We also consider how mechanisms in addition to phosphorylation by stress-activated kinases can lead to the activation of p53 as a transcription factor, and we review the dual role of p53-activating kinases as tumor suppressors and oncoproteins. Finally, we discuss how changes in the specific activity of p53 can have profound effects not only on cancer development, but also on organism aging.

Mage-A cancer/testis antigens inhibit p53 function by blocking its interaction with chromatin.

The p53 tumor suppressor plays a major protective role in tumor prevention by coordinating changes in gene expression that lead to the elimination of cancer cells. Mage-A proteins comprise a family of metastasis-associated transcriptional regulators that potently inhibit p53 function. Here, we show that Mage-A interacts with 3 distinct peptides each of which is located within the DNA binding surface of the core domain of p53 and encompasses amino acids that are critical for site-specific DNA binding. These data suggest that Mage-A may block the association of p53 with its cognate sites in chromatin. Consistent with this idea, silencing of Mage-A expression leads to upregulation of several p53-responsive genes in a p53-dependent manner and stimulates by several fold the interaction of p53 with the p21, MDM2, and PUMA promoters. Notably, these effects can occur in the absence of genotoxic stress, leading in a p53-dependent manner, to cell-cycle delay and increased cell death. These data reveal a novel mechanism by which Mage-A proteins may suppress the p53 transcriptional program during tumor development and highlight the p53/Mage-A interaction as a prospective therapeutic target.

CK1alpha plays a central role in mediating MDM2 control of p53 and E2F-1 protein stability.

The ubiquitin ligase murine double minute clone 2 (MDM2) mediates ubiquitination and degradation of the tumor suppressor p53. The activation and stabilization of p53 by contrast is maintained by enzymes catalyzing p53 phosphorylation and acetylation. Casein kinase 1 (CK1) is one such enzyme; it stimulates p53 after transforming growth factor-beta treatment, irradiation, or DNA virus infection. We analyzed whether CK1 regulates p53 protein stability in unstressed conditions. Depletion of CK1 using small interfering RNA or inhibition of CK1 using the kinase inhibitor (D4476) activated p53 and destabilized E2F-1, indicating that steady-state levels of these proteins are controlled by CK1. Co-immunoprecipitation of endogenous CK1 with MDM2 occurred in undamaged cells, indicating the existence of a stable multiprotein complex, and as such, we evaluated whether the MDM2 Nutlin had similar pharmacological properties to the CK1 inhibitor D4476. Indeed, D4476 or Nutlin treatments resulted in the same p53 and E2F-1 steady-state protein level changes, indicating that the MDM2 x CK1 complex is both a negative regulator of p53 and a positive regulator of E2F-1 in undamaged cells. Although the treatment of cells with D4476 resulted in a partial p53-dependent growth arrest, the induction of p53-independent apoptosis by D4476 suggested a critical role for the MDM2 x CK1 complex in maintaining E2F-1 anti-apoptotic signaling. These data highlighting a pharmacological similarity between MDM2 and CK1 small molecule inhibitors and the fact that CK1 and MDM2 form a stable complex suggest that the MDM2 x CK1 complex is a component of a genetic pathway that co-regulates the stability of the p53 and E2F-1 transcription factors.

The regulation of p53 by phosphorylation: a model for how distinct signals integrate into the p53 pathway.

The tumour suppressor p53 is a transcription factor that has evolved the ability to integrate distinct environmental signals including DNA damage, virus infection, and cytokine signaling into a common biological outcome that maintains normal cellular control. Mutations in p53 switch the cellular transcription program resulting in deregulation of the stress responses that normally maintain cell and tissue integrity. Transgenic studies in mice have indicated that changes in the specific activity of p53 can have profound effects not only on cancer development, but also on organism aging. As the specific activity of p53 is regulated at a post-translational level by sets of enzymes that mediate phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, and ubiquitin-like modifications, it is likely that physiological modifiers of the aging function of p53 would be enzymes that catalyze such covalent modifications. We demonstrate that distinct stress-activated kinases, including ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), casein kinase 1 (CK1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mediate phosphorylation of a key phospho-acceptor site in the p53 transactivation domain in response to diverse stresses including ionizing radiation, DNA virus infection, and elevation in the intracellular AMP/ATP ratio. As diseases linked to aging can involve activation of p53-dependent changes in cellular protective pathways, the development of specific physiological models might further shed light on the role of p53 kinases in modifying age-related diseases.

A central role for CK1 in catalyzing phosphorylation of the p53 transactivation domain at serine 20 after HHV-6B viral infection.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is activated by distinct cellular stresses including radiation, hypoxia, type I interferon, and DNA/RNA virus infection. The transactivation domain of p53 contains a phosphorylation site at Ser20 whose modification stabilizes the binding of the transcriptional co-activator p300 and whose mutation in murine transgenics induces B-cell lymphoma. Although the checkpoint kinase CHK2 is implicated in promoting Ser20 site phosphorylation after irradiation, the enzyme that triggers this phosphorylation after DNA viral infection is undefined. Using human herpesvirus 6B (HHV-6B) as a virus that induces Ser20 site phosphorylation of p53 in T-cells, we sought to identify the kinase responsible for this virus-induced p53 modification. The p53 Ser20 kinase was fractionated and purified using cation, anion, and dye-ligand exchange chromatography. Mass spectrometry identified casein kinase 1 (CK1) and vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) as enzymes that coeluted with virus-induced Ser20 site kinase activity. Immunodepletion of CK1 but not VRK1 removed the kinase activity from the peak fraction, and bacterially expressed CK1 exhibited Ser20 site kinase activity equivalent to that of the virus-induced native CK1. CK1 modified p53 in a docking-dependent manner, which is similar to other known Ser20 site p53 kinases. Low levels of the CK1 inhibitor D4476 selectively inhibited HHV-6B-induced Ser20 site phosphorylation of p53. However, x-ray-induced Ser20 site phosphorylation of p53 was not blocked by D4476. These data highlight a central role for CK1 as the Ser20 site kinase for p53 in DNA virus-infected cells but also suggest that distinct stresses may selectively trigger different protein kinases to modify the transactivation domain of p53 at Ser20.

Sensitivity of normal, paramalignant, and malignant human urothelial cells to inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway.

Bladder cancer evolves via the accumulation of numerous genetic alterations, with loss of p53 and p16 function representing key events in the development of malignant disease. In addition, components of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway are frequently overexpressed, providing potential chemotherapeutic targets. We have previously described the generation of "paramalignant" human urothelial cells with disabled p53 or p16 functions. In this study, we investigated the relative responses of normal, paramalignant, and malignant human urothelial cells to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (PD153035 and GW572016), a mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) kinase (MEK) inhibitor (U0126), and a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor (LY294002). The proliferation of normal human urothelial cells was dependent on signaling via the EGFR and MEK pathways and was abolished reversibly by inhibitors of EGFR or downstream MEK signaling pathways. Inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase resulted in only transient cytostasis, which was most likely mediated via cross-talk with the MEK pathway. These responses were maintained in cells with disabled p16 function, whereas cells with loss of p53 function displayed reduced sensitivity to PD153035 and malignant cell lines were the most refractory to PD153035 and U0126. These results indicate that urothelial cells acquire insensitivity to inhibitors of EGFR signaling pathways as a result of malignant transformation. This has important implications for the use of EGFR inhibitors for bladder cancer therapy, as combination treatments with conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy may protect normal cells and enable better selective targeting of malignant cells.