RESUMO
Cilia are cellular signaling hubs. Given that human kinases are central regulators of signaling, it is not surprising that kinases are key players in cilia biology. In fact, many kinases modulate ciliogenesis, which is the generation of cilia, and distinct ciliary pathways. Several of these kinases are understudied with few publications dedicated to the interrogation of their function. Recent efforts to develop chemical probes for members of the cyclin-dependent kinase like (CDKL), never in mitosis gene A (NIMA) related kinase (NEK), and tau tubulin kinase (TTBK) families either have delivered or are working toward delivery of high-quality chemical tools to characterize the roles that specific kinases play in ciliary processes. A better understanding of ciliary kinases may shed light on whether modulation of these targets will slow or halt disease onset or progression. For example, both understudied human kinases and some that are more well-studied play important ciliary roles in neurons and have been implicated in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and other neurological diseases. Similarly, subsets of human ciliary kinases are associated with cancer and oncological pathways. Finally, a group of genetic disorders characterized by defects in cilia called ciliopathies have associated gene mutations that impact kinase activity and function. This review highlights both progress related to the understanding of ciliary kinases as well as in chemical inhibitor development for a subset of these kinases. We emphasize known roles of ciliary kinases in diseases of the brain and malignancies and focus on a subset of poorly characterized kinases that regulate ciliary biology.
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Cancer metastasis is a complex cascade that involves the activation of cancer cell migration and invasion of the extracellular space. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are known inducers of cancer cell invasion. However, current in vitro invasion assays such as the Boyden chamber assay are cumbersome and low throughput. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new ex vivo, surrogate invasion assays that can faithfully recapitulate the cancer cell invasion process in vitro and are amenable to large-scale screening of small-molecule libraries in a high-throughput fashion. Here, we describe a well-established high-throughput three-dimensional (3D) spheroid invasion assay as a powerful tool to identify novel molecular targets that can potentially mediate CAF-dependent cancer cell invasion.
Assuntos
Ensaios de Triagem em Larga Escala , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequenas , Humanos , Ensaios de Triagem em Larga Escala/métodos , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequenas/farmacologia , Esferoides Celulares , Movimento Celular , Invasividade Neoplásica/prevenção & controle , Linhagem Celular TumoralRESUMO
Biallelic inactivation of the tumour suppressor gene Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) occurs in the vast majority of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) instances, disrupting cellular oxygen-sensing mechanisms to yield a state of persistent pseudo-hypoxia, defined as a continued hypoxic response despite the presence of adequate oxygen levels. However, loss of VHL alone is often insufficient to drive oncogenesis. Results from genomic studies have shown that co-deletions of VHL with one (or more) of three genes encoding proteins involved in chromatin modification and remodelling, polybromo-1 gene (PBRM1), BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) and SET domain-containing 2 (SETD2), are common and important co-drivers of tumorigenesis. These genes are all located near VHL on chromosome 3p and are often altered following cytogenetic rearrangements that lead to 3p loss and precede the establishment of ccRCC. These three proteins have multiple roles in the regulation of crucial cancer-related pathways, including protection of genomic stability, antagonism of polycomb group (PcG) complexes to maintain a permissive transcriptional landscape in physiological conditions, and regulation of genes that mediate responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. An improved understanding of these mechanisms will bring new insights regarding cellular drivers of ccRCC growth and therapy response and, ultimately, will support the development of novel translational therapeutics.
Assuntos
Carcinoma de Células Renais , Neoplasias Renais , Humanos , Carcinogênese/genética , Carcinoma de Células Renais/patologia , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Neoplasias Renais/patologia , Mutação , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor/genética , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor/metabolismo , Ubiquitina Tiolesterase/genética , Ubiquitina Tiolesterase/metabolismo , Proteína Supressora de Tumor Von Hippel-Lindau/genéticaRESUMO
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype with the worst prognosis and few effective therapies. Here we identified MS023, an inhibitor of type I protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), which has antitumor growth activity in TNBC. Pathway analysis of TNBC cell lines indicates that the activation of interferon responses before and after MS023 treatment is a functional biomarker and determinant of response, and these observations extend to a panel of human-derived organoids. Inhibition of type I PRMT triggers an interferon response through the antiviral defense pathway with the induction of double-stranded RNA, which is derived, at least in part, from inverted repeat Alu elements. Together, our results represent a shift in understanding the antitumor mechanism of type I PRMT inhibitors and provide a rationale and biomarker approach for the clinical development of type I PRMT inhibitors.
Assuntos
Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas , Biomarcadores , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Interferons/uso terapêutico , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/metabolismo , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/metabolismoRESUMO
Primary cilia direct cellular signaling events during brain development and neuronal differentiation. The primary cilium is a dynamic organelle formed in a multistep process termed ciliogenesis that is tightly coordinated with the cell cycle. Genetic alterations, such as ciliary gene mutations, and epigenetic alterations, such as post-translational modifications and RNA processing of cilia related factors, give rise to human neuronal disorders and brain tumors such as glioblastoma and medulloblastoma. This review discusses the important role of genetics/epigenetics, as well as RNA processing and post-translational modifications in primary cilia function during brain development and cancer formation. We summarize mouse and human studies of ciliogenesis and primary cilia activity in the brain, and detail how cilia maintain neuronal progenitor populations and coordinate neuronal differentiation during development, as well as how cilia control different signaling pathways such as WNT, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) and PDGF that are critical for neurogenesis. Moreover, we describe how post-translational modifications alter cilia formation and activity during development and carcinogenesis, and the impact of missplicing of ciliary genes leading to ciliopathies and cell cycle alterations. Finally, cilia genetic and epigenetic studies bring to light cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors.
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Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly cancer in which cancer stem cells (CSCs) sustain tumor growth and contribute to therapeutic resistance. Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) has recently emerged as a promising target in GBM. Using two orthogonal-acting inhibitors of PRMT5 (GSK591 or LLY-283), we show that pharmacological inhibition of PRMT5 suppresses the growth of a cohort of 46 patient-derived GBM stem cell cultures, with the proneural subtype showing greater sensitivity. We show that PRMT5 inhibition causes widespread disruption of splicing across the transcriptome, particularly affecting cell cycle gene products. We identify a GBM splicing signature that correlates with the degree of response to PRMT5 inhibition. Importantly, we demonstrate that LLY-283 is brain-penetrant and significantly prolongs the survival of mice with orthotopic patient-derived xenografts. Collectively, our findings provide a rationale for the clinical development of brain penetrant PRMT5 inhibitors as treatment for GBM.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Neoplasias Encefálicas/metabolismo , Glioblastoma/metabolismo , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/metabolismo , Animais , Apoptose , Neoplasias Encefálicas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Encefálicas/genética , Neoplasias Encefálicas/patologia , Ciclo Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Descoberta de Drogas , Epigenômica , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Glioblastoma/tratamento farmacológico , Glioblastoma/genética , Glioblastoma/patologia , Humanos , Camundongos , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/metabolismo , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/genética , Splicing de RNA , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
A subset of stem-like cells in glioblastoma (GBM; GSC) underlies tumor propagation, therapeutic resistance, and tumor recurrence. Immune evasion is critical for GSCs to carry out these functions. However, the molecular mechanisms employed by GSCs to escape antitumor immunity remain largely unknown. The reprogramming transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2 function as core multipotency factors and play an essential role in the formation and maintenance of GSCs, but the roles of these transcription factors in GSC immune escape have not been well explored. Here we examine how Oct4/Sox2 coexpression contributes to the immunosuppressive phenotype of GSCs. Combined transcription profiling and functional studies of Oct4/Sox2 coexpressing GSCs and differentiated GBM cells demonstrated that Oct4 and Sox2 cooperatively induce an immunosuppressive transcriptome consisting of multiple immunosuppressive checkpoints (i.e., PD-L1, CD70, A2aR, TDO) and dysregulation of cytokines and chemokines that are associated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Mechanistically, induction and function of BRD/H3k27Ac-dependent immunosuppressive genes played a role in the immunosuppressive phenotype of GSCs. Pan-BET bromodomain inhibitors (e.g., JQ1) and shBRD4 constructs significantly inhibited the immunosuppressive transcriptome and immunosuppressive biological responses induced by Oct4/Sox2. Our findings identify targetable mechanisms by which tumor-propagating GSCs contribute to the immunosuppressive microenvironment in GBM. SIGNIFICANCE: This report identifies mechanisms by which the reprogramming transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2 function to drive the immunomodulatory transcriptome of GSCs and contribute to the immunosuppressive microenvironment in GBM.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/metabolismo , Tolerância Imunológica , Fator 3 de Transcrição de Octâmero/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição SOXB1/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Transcriptoma/imunologia , Animais , Apoptose/genética , Neoplasias Encefálicas , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/imunologia , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/genética , Movimento Celular/genética , Feminino , Glioblastoma , Humanos , Células Jurkat , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas , Fator 3 de Transcrição de Octâmero/genética , Fatores de Transcrição SOXB1/genética , Células THP-1 , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Transfecção , Transgenes , Carga Tumoral/genética , Microambiente Tumoral/imunologia , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a deadly form of breast cancer due to the development of resistance to chemotherapy affecting over 30% of patients. New therapeutics and companion biomarkers are urgently needed. Recognizing the elevated expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1, encoded by SLC2A1) and associated metabolic dependencies in TNBC, we investigated the vulnerability of TNBC cell lines and patient-derived samples to GLUT1 inhibition. We report that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of GLUT1 with BAY-876 impairs the growth of a subset of TNBC cells displaying high glycolytic and lower oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) rates. Pathway enrichment analysis of gene expression data suggests that the functionality of the E2F pathway may reflect to some extent OXPHOS activity. Furthermore, the protein levels of retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (RB1) strongly correlate with the degree of sensitivity to GLUT1 inhibition in TNBC, where RB1-negative cells are insensitive to GLUT1 inhibition. Collectively, our results highlight a strong and targetable RB1-GLUT1 metabolic axis in TNBC and warrant clinical evaluation of GLUT1 inhibition in TNBC patients stratified according to RB1 protein expression levels.
Assuntos
Transportador de Glucose Tipo 1/antagonistas & inibidores , Transportador de Glucose Tipo 1/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a Retinoblastoma/metabolismo , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/metabolismo , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/metabolismo , Animais , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Biomarcadores Tumorais , Neoplasias da Mama/metabolismo , Ciclo Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Transportador de Glucose Tipo 1/genética , Humanos , Camundongos , Fosforilação Oxidativa , Proteômica , Pirazóis/farmacologia , Piridinas/farmacologia , Quinolinas , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Neoplasias de Mama Triplo Negativas/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/genéticaRESUMO
Posterior fossa A (PFA) ependymomas are lethal malignancies of the hindbrain in infants and toddlers. Lacking highly recurrent somatic mutations, PFA ependymomas are proposed to be epigenetically driven tumors for which model systems are lacking. Here we demonstrate that PFA ependymomas are maintained under hypoxia, associated with restricted availability of specific metabolites to diminish histone methylation, and increase histone demethylation and acetylation at histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27). PFA ependymomas initiate from a cell lineage in the first trimester of human development that resides in restricted oxygen. Unlike other ependymomas, transient exposure of PFA cells to ambient oxygen induces irreversible cellular toxicity. PFA tumors exhibit a low basal level of H3K27me3, and, paradoxically, inhibition of H3K27 methylation specifically disrupts PFA tumor growth. Targeting metabolism and/or the epigenome presents a unique opportunity for rational therapy for infants with PFA ependymoma.
Assuntos
Ependimoma/genética , Ependimoma/metabolismo , Epigenoma/genética , Neoplasias Infratentoriais/genética , Neoplasias Infratentoriais/metabolismo , Animais , Neoplasias Encefálicas/genética , Neoplasias Encefálicas/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular , Proliferação de Células/genética , Metilação de DNA/genética , Epigenômica/métodos , Histonas/genética , Histonas/metabolismo , Humanos , Lactente , Lisina/genética , Lisina/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Mutação/genéticaRESUMO
Human glioblastomas harbour a subpopulation of glioblastoma stem cells that drive tumorigenesis. However, the origin of intratumoural functional heterogeneity between glioblastoma cells remains poorly understood. Here we study the clonal evolution of barcoded glioblastoma cells in an unbiased way following serial xenotransplantation to define their individual fate behaviours. Independent of an evolving mutational signature, we show that the growth of glioblastoma clones in vivo is consistent with a remarkably neutral process involving a conserved proliferative hierarchy rooted in glioblastoma stem cells. In this model, slow-cycling stem-like cells give rise to a more rapidly cycling progenitor population with extensive self-maintenance capacity, which in turn generates non-proliferative cells. We also identify rare 'outlier' clones that deviate from these dynamics, and further show that chemotherapy facilitates the expansion of pre-existing drug-resistant glioblastoma stem cells. Finally, we show that functionally distinct glioblastoma stem cells can be separately targeted using epigenetic compounds, suggesting new avenues for glioblastoma-targeted therapy.
Assuntos
Diferenciação Celular , Linhagem da Célula , Rastreamento de Células , Glioblastoma/patologia , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Animais , Diferenciação Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem da Célula/efeitos dos fármacos , Proliferação de Células , Células Clonais/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Clonais/patologia , Epigênese Genética , Feminino , Glioblastoma/tratamento farmacológico , Xenoenxertos , Humanos , Camundongos , Invasividade Neoplásica , Transplante de Neoplasias , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/efeitos dos fármacos , Fenótipo , Processos EstocásticosRESUMO
Glioblastomas exhibit a hierarchical cellular organization, suggesting that they are driven by neoplastic stem cells that retain partial yet abnormal differentiation potential. Here, we show that a large subset of patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) express high levels of Achaete-scute homolog 1 (ASCL1), a proneural transcription factor involved in normal neurogenesis. ASCL1hi GSCs exhibit a latent capacity for terminal neuronal differentiation in response to inhibition of Notch signaling, whereas ASCL1lo GSCs do not. Increasing ASCL1 levels in ASCL1lo GSCs restores neuronal lineage potential, promotes terminal differentiation, and attenuates tumorigenicity. ASCL1 mediates these effects by functioning as a pioneer factor at closed chromatin, opening new sites to activate a neurogenic gene expression program. Directing GSCs toward terminal differentiation may provide therapeutic applications for a subset of GBM patients and strongly supports efforts to restore differentiation potential in GBM and other cancers.
Assuntos
Fatores de Transcrição Hélice-Alça-Hélice Básicos/metabolismo , Neoplasias Encefálicas/patologia , Carcinogênese/patologia , Linhagem da Célula , Cromatina/metabolismo , Glioblastoma/patologia , Neurônios/patologia , Sequência de Bases , Fatores de Transcrição Hélice-Alça-Hélice Básicos/genética , Neoplasias Encefálicas/genética , Carcinogênese/genética , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Progressão da Doença , Elementos Facilitadores Genéticos/genética , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Glioblastoma/genética , Humanos , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Neurônios/metabolismo , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas/genética , Ligação Proteica , Análise de Sequência de RNA , Regulação para Cima/genéticaRESUMO
Pre-mRNA alternative splicing is modified in cancer, but the origin and specificity of these changes remain unclear. Here, we probed ovarian tumors to identify cancer-associated splicing isoforms and define the mechanism by which splicing is modified in cancer cells. Using high-throughput quantitative PCR, we monitored the expression of splice variants in laser-dissected tissues from ovarian tumors. Surprisingly, changes in alternative splicing were not limited to the tumor tissues but were also found in the tumor microenvironment. Changes in the tumor-associated splicing events were found to be regulated by splicing factors that are differentially expressed in cancer tissues. Overall, â¼20% of the alternative splicing events affected by the down-regulation of the splicing factors QKI and RBFOX2 were altered in the microenvironment of ovarian tumors. Together, our results indicate that the tumor microenvironment undergoes specific changes in alternative splicing orchestrated by a limited number of splicing factors.
Assuntos
Processamento Alternativo , Neoplasias Ovarianas/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Feminino , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Microdissecção e Captura a Laser , Especificidade de Órgãos , Neoplasias Ovarianas/genética , Neoplasias Ovarianas/patologia , Isoformas de Proteínas/genética , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , Sítios de Splice de RNA , Fatores de Processamento de RNA , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/fisiologia , Proteínas Repressoras/fisiologia , Células Estromais/metabolismo , Microambiente TumoralRESUMO
For most of our 25,000 genes, the removal of introns by pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing represents an essential step toward the production of functional messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Alternative splicing of a single pre-mRNA results in the production of different mRNAs. Although complex organisms use alternative splicing to expand protein function and phenotypic diversity, patterns of alternative splicing are often altered in cancer cells. Alternative splicing contributes to tumorigenesis by producing splice isoforms that can stimulate cell proliferation and cell migration or induce resistance to apoptosis and anticancer agents. Cancer-specific changes in splicing profiles can occur through mutations that are affecting splice sites and splicing control elements, and also by alterations in the expression of proteins that control splicing decisions. Recent progress in global approaches that interrogate splicing diversity should help to obtain specific splicing signatures for cancer types. The development of innovative approaches for annotating and reprogramming splicing events will more fully establish the essential contribution of alternative splicing to the biology of cancer and will hopefully provide novel targets and anticancer strategies. Metazoan genes are usually made up of several exons interrupted by introns. The introns are removed from the pre-mRNA by RNA splicing. In conjunction with other maturation steps, such as capping and polyadenylation, the spliced mRNA is then transported to the cytoplasm to be translated into a functional protein. The basic mechanism of splicing requires accurate recognition of each extremity of each intron by the spliceosome. Introns are identified by the binding of U1 snRNP to the 5' splice site and the U2AF65/U2AF35 complex to the 3' splice site. Following these interactions, other proteins and snRNPs are recruited to generate the complete spliceosomal complex needed to excise the intron. While many introns are constitutively removed by the spliceosome, other splice junctions are not used systematically, generating the phenomenon of alternative splicing. Alternative splicing is therefore the process by which a single species of pre-mRNA can be matured to produce different mRNA molecules (Fig. 1). Depending on the number and types of alternative splicing events, a pre-mRNA can generate from two to several thousands different mRNAs leading to the production of a corresponding number of proteins. It is now believed that the expression of at least 70 % of human genes is subjected to alternative splicing, implying an enormous contribution to proteomic diversity, and by extension, to the development and the evolution of complex animals. Defects in splicing have been associated with human diseases (Caceres and Kornblihtt, Trends Genet 18(4):186-93, 2002, Cartegni et al., Nat Rev Genet 3(4):285-98, 2002, Pagani and Baralle, Nat Rev Genet 5(5):389-96, 2004), including cancer (Brinkman, Clin Biochem 37(7):584-94, 2004, Venables, Bioessays 28(4):378-86, 2006, Srebrow and Kornblihtt, J Cell Sci 119(Pt 13):2635-2641, 2006, Revil et al., Bull Cancer 93(9):909-919, 2006, Venables, Transworld Res Network, 2006, Pajares et al., Lancet Oncol 8(4):349-57, 2007, Skotheim and Nees, Int J Biochem Cell Biol 39:1432-1449, 2007). Numerous studies have now confirmed the existence of specific differences in the alternative splicing profiles between normal and cancer tissues. Although there are a few cases where specific mutations are the primary cause for these changes, global alterations in alternative splicing in cancer cells may be primarily derived from changes in the expression of RNA-binding proteins that control splice site selection. Overall, these cancer-specific differences in alternative splicing offer an immense potential to improve the diagnosis and the prognosis of cancer. This review will focus on the functional impact of cancer-associated alternative splicing variants, the molecular determinants that alter the splicing decisions in cancer cells, and future therapeutic strategies.
Assuntos
Proteômica , Precursores de RNA , Processamento Alternativo , Animais , Humanos , Mutação , Splicing de RNA , RNA MensageiroRESUMO
Alternative splicing provides a critical and flexible layer of regulation intervening in many biological processes to regulate the diversity of proteins and impact cell phenotype. To identify alternative splicing differences that distinguish epithelial from mesenchymal tissues, we have investigated hundreds of cassette exons using a high-throughput reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) platform. Extensive changes in splicing were noted between epithelial and mesenchymal tissues in both human colon and ovarian tissues, with many changes from mostly one splice variant to predominantly the other. Remarkably, many of the splicing differences that distinguish normal mesenchymal from normal epithelial tissues matched those that differentiate normal ovarian tissues from ovarian cancer. Furthermore, because splicing profiling could classify cancer cell lines according to their epithelial/mesenchymal characteristics, we used these cancer cell lines to identify regulators for these specific splicing signatures. By knocking down 78 potential splicing factors in five cell lines, we provide an extensive view of the complex regulatory landscape associated with the epithelial and mesenchymal states, thus revealing that RBFOX2 is an important driver of mesenchymal tissue-specific splicing.
Assuntos
Processamento Alternativo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Células-Tronco Mesenquimais/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/metabolismo , Proteínas Repressoras/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Biologia Computacional , Células Epiteliais/citologia , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Éxons , Feto/citologia , Feto/metabolismo , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Células HeLa , Humanos , Células-Tronco Mesenquimais/citologia , Interferência de RNA , Fatores de Processamento de RNA , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase ReversaRESUMO
The over-expression of α-enolase was demonstrated in several cancers, including lung, brain, breast, colon and prostate. In this report, we investigated the effects of α-enolase knockdown on the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. RNAi-mediated knockdown of α-enolase in A549 and H460 lung, MCF7 breast and CaOV3 ovarian cancer cells caused a significant increase in the sensitivity of these cells to antitubulin chemotherapeutics (e.g., vincristine and taxol), but not to doxorubicin, etoposide or cisplatinum. This is the first demonstration showing the effects of α-enolase expression on the sensitivity of tumor cells to clinically relevant chemotherapeutics.
RESUMO
Nucleophosmin (NPM/B23) is a multifunctional nucleolar protein to which both tumor-suppressor and oncogenic functions have been attributed. NPM/B23 has a variety of binding partners including ribosomes, nucleic acids, the centrosome and tumor suppressors such as p53 and p19ARF. These disparate functions are likely due to its ability to oligomerize and display molecular chaperone activity. In this report we identify a single amino acid residue, Cys(21), of nucleophosmin as important for the oligomerization and chaperone activity. Mutation of Cys(21) to aromatic hydrophobic residues (e.g., Phe or Try), but not to a conserved polar residue (e.g., Ser) inhibited the pentameric oligomerization of NPM/B23. However, only Phe substitution of Cys(21) drastically inhibited NPM/B23 chaperone activity. Interestingly, expression of Cys21Phe mutant in MCF7 cells demonstrated that this mutant protein does not co-polymerize with endogenous wild-type NPM/B23 and acts as negative dominant by destabilizing the endogenous dimer, trimer oligomerization. Taken together, the results in this study identify Cys(21) as critical residue for NPM/B23 oligomerization and chaperone functions. In addition, Cys(21) mutant provide a strong link between the oligomerization and chaperone functions of NPM/B23.
RESUMO
Most human genes produce multiple mRNA isoforms through alternative splicing. However, the biological relevance of most splice variants remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the functional impact of alternative splicing in cancer cells. We modulated the splicing pattern of 41 cancer-associated splicing events and scored the effects on cell growth, viability and apoptosis, identifying three isoforms essential for cell survival. Specifically, changing the splicing pattern of the spleen tyrosine kinase gene (SYK) impaired cell-cycle progression and anchorage-independent growth. Notably, exposure of cancer cells to epithelial growth factor modulated the SYK splicing pattern to promote the pro-survival isoform that is associated with cancer tissues in vivo. The data suggest that splicing of selected genes is specifically modified during tumor development to allow the expression of isoforms that promote cancer cell survival.
Assuntos
Processamento Alternativo , Sobrevivência Celular , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular/genética , Mitose , Proteínas Tirosina Quinases/biossíntese , Proteínas Tirosina Quinases/genética , Apoptose , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Fator de Crescimento Epidérmico/metabolismo , Humanos , Quinase SykRESUMO
Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA increases the diversity of protein functions. Here we show that about half of all active alternative splicing events in ovarian and breast tissues are changed in tumors, and many seem to be regulated by a single factor; sequence analysis revealed binding sites for the RNA binding protein FOX2 downstream of one-third of the exons skipped in cancer. High-resolution analysis of FOX2 binding sites defined the precise positions relative to alternative exons at which the protein may function as either a silencer or an enhancer. Most of the identified targets were shifted in the same direction by FOX2 depletion in cell lines as they were in breast and ovarian cancer tissues. Notably, we found expression of FOX2 itself is downregulated in ovarian cancer and its splicing is altered in breast cancer samples. These results suggest that the decreased expression of FOX2 in cancer tissues modulates splicing and controls proliferation.
Assuntos
Processamento Alternativo , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Motivos de Aminoácidos , Sítios de Ligação , Neoplasias da Mama/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Éxons , Feminino , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias Ovarianas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/química , Análise de Sequência de DNARESUMO
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among women under age 50 years, so it is imperative to identify molecular markers to improve diagnosis and prognosis of this disease. Here, we present a new approach for the identification of breast cancer markers that does not measure gene expression but instead uses the ratio of alternatively spliced mRNAs as its indicator. Using a high-throughput reverse transcription-PCR-based system for splicing annotation, we monitored the alternative splicing profiles of 600 cancer-associated genes in a panel of 21 normal and 26 cancerous breast tissues. We validated 41 alternative splicing events that significantly differed in breast tumors relative to normal breast tissues. Most cancer-specific changes in splicing that disrupt known protein domains support an increase in cell proliferation or survival consistent with a functional role for alternative splicing in cancer. In a blind screen, a classifier based on the 12 best cancer-associated splicing events correctly identified cancer tissues with 96% accuracy. Moreover, a subset of these alternative splicing events could order tissues according to histopathologic grade, and 5 markers were validated in a further blind set of 19 grade 1 and 19 grade 3 tumor samples. These results provide a simple alternative for the classification of normal and cancerous breast tumor tissues and underscore the putative role of alternative splicing in the biology of cancer.