Role of the phospholipase A2 receptor in liposome drug delivery in prostate cancer cells.

The M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R1) is a member of the C-type lectin superfamily and can internalize secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) via endocytosis in non-cancer cells. sPLA2 itself was recently shown to be overexpressed in prostate tumors and to be a possible mediator of metastasis; however, little is known about the expression of PLA2R1 or its function in prostate cancers. Thus, we examined PLA2R1 expression in primary prostate cells (PCS-440-010) and human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP, DU-145, and PC-3), and we determined the effect of PLA2R1 knockdown on cytotoxicity induced by free or liposome-encapsulated chemotherapeutics. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that the expression of PLA2R1 was higher in prostate cancer cells compared to that in primary prostate cells. Knockdown of PLA2R1 expression in PC-3 cells using shRNA increased cell proliferation and did not affect the toxicity of cisplatin, doxorubicin (Dox), and docetaxel. In contrast, PLA2R1 knockdown increased the in vitro toxicity of Dox encapsulated in sPLA2 responsive liposomes (SPRL) and correlated with increased Dox and SPRL uptake. Knockdown of PLA2R1 also increased the expression of Group IIA and X sPLA2. These data show the novel findings that PLA2R1 is expressed in prostate cancer cells, that PLA2R1 expression alters cell proliferation, and that PLA2R1 modulates the behavior of liposome-based nanoparticles. Furthermore, these studies suggest that PLA2R1 may represent a novel molecular target for controlling tumor growth or modulating delivery of lipid-based nanomedicines.

Comment on "Intensifying weathering and land use in Iron Age Central Africa".

Bayon et al. (Reports, 9 March 2012, p. 1219) interpreted unusually high aluminum-potassium ratio values in an Atlantic sediment core as indicating anthropogenic deforestation around 2500 years before the present (B.P.). We argue that there is no terrestrial evidence for forest destruction by humans and that the third millennium B.P. rainforest crisis can be clearly attributed mostly to climatic change.

Mitigating selection in HLA-B27 not confirmed.

The existence of a small, discrete group of HLA-B27 promoters, potentially able to mitigate the deleterious effect of this allele, has not been confirmed.

The DNA-binding and tau2 transactivation domains of the rat glucocorticoid receptor constitute a nuclear matrix-targeting signal.

Using an ATP-depletion paradigm to augment glucocorticoid receptor (GR) binding to the nuclear matrix, we have identified a minimal segment of the receptor that constitutes a nuclear matrix targeting signal (NMTS). While previous studies implicated a role for the receptor's DNA-binding domain in nuclear matrix targeting, we show here that this domain of rat GR is necessary, but not sufficient, for matrix targeting. A minimal NMTS can be generated by linking the rat GR DNA-binding domain to either its tau2 transactivation domain in its natural context, or a heterologous transactivation domain derived from the Herpes simplex virus VP16 protein. The transactivation and nuclear matrix-targeting activities of tau2 are separable, as transactivation mutants were identified that either inhibited or had no apparent effect on matrix targeting of tau2. A functional interaction between the NMTS of rat GR and the RNA-binding nuclear matrix protein hnRNP U was revealed in cotransfection experiments in which hnRNP U overexpression was found to interfere with the transactivation activity of GR derivatives that possess nuclear matrix-binding capacity. We have therefore ascribed a novel function to a steroid hormone transactivation domain that could be an important component of the mechanism used by steroid hormone receptors to regulate genes in their native configuration within the nucleus.

The glucocorticoid receptor is associated with the RNA-binding nuclear matrix protein hnRNP U.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that is able to modulate gene activity by binding to its response element, interacting with other transcription factors, and contacting several accessory proteins such as coactivators. Here we show that GRIP120, one of the factors we have identified to interact with the glucocorticoid receptor, is identical to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U), a nuclear matrix protein binding to RNA as well as to scaffold attachment regions. GR.hnRNP U complexes were identified by blotting and coimmunoprecipitation. The subnuclear distribution of GR and hnRNP U was characterized by indirect immunofluorescent labeling and confocal laser microscopy demonstrating a colocalization of both proteins. Using a nuclear transport-deficient deletion of hnRNP U, nuclear translocation was seen to be dependent on GR and dexamethasone. Transient transfections were used to identify possible interaction domains. Overexpressed hnRNP U interfered with glucocorticoid induction, and the COOH-terminal domains of both proteins were sufficient in mediating the transcriptional interference. A possible functional role for this GR binding-protein in addition to its binding to the nuclear matrix, to RNA, and to scaffold attachment regions is discussed.

Enhancement of nuclear receptor transcriptional signalling.

Glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones induce complex responses in about every mammalian tissue. These effects are mediated by the transcription factor function of the corresponding nuclear receptors, which in most cases achieve the observed regulatory strength in synergy with other factors. Here we describe the functional interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) with liver-specific transcription factors, the functional synergy of GR with the thyroid hormone receptor (TR), the synergizing sub-domains of the TR, and finally the direct interaction of the GR with other proteins.

A fraction enriched in a novel glucocorticoid receptor-interacting protein stimulates receptor-dependent transcription in vitro.

Glucocorticoids influence numerous cell functions by regulating gene activity. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor and, like any other transcription factor, does not modulate gene activity just by binding to DNA. Interaction with other proteins is probably required to enhance the establishment of a functional transcription initiation complex. To identify such proteins, we analyzed the in vitro interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor bound to a double glucocorticoid response element with nuclear proteins and describe here three interacting proteins with different molecular weights. One of them, which we named GRIP 170 (GR-interacting protein), was purified and microsequenced, and it turned out to be an unknown protein. When tested in a cell-free transcription assay, the fraction highly enriched for GRIP 170 does not influence basal promoter activity but does enhance GR induction.

Identification of novel phosphorylation sites in murine A-type lamins.

We report the distribution of phosphorylation sites in murine lamins A and C (A-type lamins) in vitro and in vivo followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and microsequencing of peptides spanning the almost complete lamin sequence. We show that two distinct protein kinases, cell-division-cycle-2 kinase (cdc2 kinase) and protein kinase C (PKC), phosphorylate murine A-type lamins at the non-alpha-helical amino- and carboxy-terminal domains in vitro and in vivo. Cdc2 kinase, but not PKC, is capable of inducing depolymerization of the nuclear lamina in permeabilized cells. Accordingly, lamins were proposed to be direct in vivo substrates of cdc2 kinase and PKC with different effects on the lamina dynamics. Analysis of the original A-type lamins revealed phosphorylation of residues Ser5 and Ser392. Residue Ser392 was substoichiometrically phosphorylated in the substrate and by cdc2 kinase in vitro. PKC phosphorylated peptides with its kinase-specific motifs surrounding Ser5, Thr199, Thr416, Thr480 and Ser625. In vivo, a mitosis-specific phosphorylation at the cdc2-kinase-specific phosphoacceptor site Ser392 and of the N-terminal peptide was identified. An interphase-specific phosphorylation at Ser525 matching the PKC consensus sequence and of peptides phosphorylated by unknown kinases was determined. The results lead us to propose that different cyclin-dependent kinase activities act as lamin kinases in mitosis and in interphase. Other kinases may cooperate with cdc2 kinase during reversible disassembly in mitosis and may modulate the supramolecular assembly of lamin filaments.

Identification of phosphorylation sites on murine nuclear lamin C by RP-HPLC and microsequencing.

Isolated interphase lamin C, obtained from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, was digested by Lys-C endoproteinase, the resulting peptides separated by reversed-phase HPLC and subjected to microsequencing in order to identify phosphorylation sites in interphase and following phosphorylation in vitro by cdc2-kinase, protein kinase C (PKC) and protein kinase A (PKA), respectively. Nuclear lamin C showed partial phosphorylation of Ser392 and Ser409, and possibly Ser407 in interphase. Phosphorylation was increased in response to cdc2-kinase at Ser390 and Ser392 and to PKC at Ser572. The N-terminal peptide (aa 1-32) containing consensus sequences for the 3 kinases was phosphorylated by cdc2-kinase, PKC and PKA. The sequence data suggests that multiple molecular switches via lamina modification control the dynamic behaviour of the nucleoskeleton during the cell cycle.