Neratinib is a TFEB and TFE3 activator that potentiates autophagy and unbalances energy metabolism in ERBB2+ breast cancer cells.

Neratinib (NE) is an irreversible pan-ERBB tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat breast cancers (BCa) with amplification of the ERBB2/HER2/Neu gene or overexpression of the ERBB2 receptor. However, the mechanisms behind this process are not fully understood. Here we investigated the effects of NE on critical cell survival processes in ERBB2+ cancer cells. By kinome array analysis, we showed that NE time-dependently inhibited the phosphorylation of two distinct sets of kinases. The first set, including ERBB2 downstream signaling kinases such as ERK1/2, ATK, and AKT substrates, showed inhibition after 2 h of NE treatment. The second set, which comprised kinases involved in DNA damage response, displayed inhibition after 72 h. Flow cytometry analyses showed that NE induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and early apoptosis. By immunoblot, light and electron microscopy, we revealed that NE also transiently induced autophagy, mediated by increased expression levels and nuclear localization of TFEB and TFE3. Altered TFEB/TFE3 expression was accompanied by dysregulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism and dynamics, leading to a decrease in ATP production, glycolytic activity, and a transient downregulation of fission proteins. Increased TFEB and TFE3 expression was also observed in ERBB2-/ERBB1 + BCa cells, supporting that NE may act through other ERBB family members and/or other kinases. Overall, this study highlights NE as a potent activator of TFEB and TFE3, leading to the suppression of cancer cell survival through autophagy induction, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibition of DNA damage response.

HSPB8 frameshift mutant aggregates weaken chaperone-assisted selective autophagy in neuromyopathies.

Chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA) is a highly selective pathway for the disposal of misfolding and aggregating proteins. In muscle, CASA assures muscle integrity by favoring the turnover of structural components damaged by mechanical strain. In neurons, CASA promotes the removal of aggregating substrates. A crucial player of CASA is HSPB8 (heat shock protein family B (small) member 8), which acts in a complex with HSPA, their cochaperone BAG3, and the E3 ubiquitin ligase STUB1. Recently, four novel HSPB8 frameshift (fs) gene mutations have been linked to neuromyopathies, and encode carboxy-terminally mutated HSPB8, sharing a common C-terminal extension. Here, we analyzed the biochemical and functional alterations associated with the HSPB8_fs mutant proteins. We demonstrated that HSPB8_fs mutants are highly insoluble and tend to form proteinaceous aggregates in the cytoplasm. Notably, all HSPB8 frameshift mutants retain their ability to interact with CASA members but sequester them into the HSPB8-positive aggregates together with two autophagy receptors SQSTM1/p62 and TAX1BP1. This copartitioning process negatively affects the CASA capability to remove its clients and causes a general failure in proteostasis response. Further analyses revealed that the aggregation of the HSPB8_fs mutants occurs independently of the other CASA members or from the autophagy receptors interaction, but it is an intrinsic feature of the mutated amino acid sequence. HSPB8_fs mutants aggregation alters the differentiation capacity of muscle cells and impairs sarcomere organization. Collectively, these results shed light on a potential pathogenic mechanism shared by the HSPB8_fs mutants described in neuromuscular diseases.Abbreviations : ACD: α-crystallin domain; ACTN: actinin alpha; BAG3: BAG cochaperone 3; C: carboxy; CASA: chaperone-assisted selective autophagy; CE: carboxy-terminal extension; CLEM: correlative light and electron microscopy; CMT2L: Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2L; CTR: carboxy-terminal region; dHMNII: distal hereditary motor neuropathy type II; EV: empty vector; FRA: filter retardation assay; fs: frameshift; HSPA/HSP70: heat shock protein family A (Hsp70); HSPB1/Hsp27: heat shock protein family B (small) member 1; HSPB8/Hsp22: heat shock protein family B (small) member 8; HTT: huntingtin; KO: knockout; MAP1LC3B/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MD: molecular dynamics; MTOC: microtubule organizing center; MYH: myosin heavy chain; MYOG: myogenin; NBR1: NBR1 autophagy cargo receptor; CALCOCO2/NDP52: calcium binding and coiled-coil domain 2; NSC34: Neuroblastoma X Spinal Cord 34; OPTN: optineurin; polyQ: polyglutamine; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; STUB1/CHIP: STIP1 homology and U-box containing protein 1; TARDBP/TDP-43: TAR DNA binding protein; TAX1BP1: Tax1 binding protein 1; TUBA: tubulin alpha; WT: wild-type.

Identification of HSPB8 modulators counteracting misfolded protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases.

AIMS: The small Heat Shock Protein B8 (HSPB8) is the core component of the Chaperone-Assisted Selective Autophagy (CASA) complex. This complex selectively targets, transports, and tags misfolded proteins for their recognition by autophagy receptors and insertion into the autophagosome for clearance. CASA is essential to maintain intracellular proteostasis, especially in heart, muscle, and brain often exposed to various types of cell stresses. In neurons, HSPB8 protects against neurotoxicity caused by misfolded proteins in several models of neurodegenerative diseases; by facilitating autophagy, HSPB8 assists misfolded proteins degradation also counteracting proteasome overwhelming and inhibition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To enhance HSPB8 protective activity, we screened a library of approximately 120,000 small molecules to identify compounds capable of increasing HSPB8 gene transcription, translation, or protein stability. KEY FINDINGS: We found 83 active compounds active in preliminary dose-response assays and further classified them in 19 chemical classes by medicinal chemists' visual inspection. Of these 19 prototypes, 14 induced HSPB8 mRNA and protein levels in SH-SY5Y cells. Out of these 14 compounds, 3 successfully reduced the aggregation propensity of a disease-associated mutant misfolded superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) protein in a flow cytometry-based aggregation assay (Flow cytometric analysis of Inclusions and Trafficking (FloIT)) and induced the expression (mRNA and protein) of some autophagy receptors. Notably, the 3 hits were inactive in HSPB8-depleted cells, confirming that their protective activity is mediated by and requires HSPB8. SIGNIFICANCE: These compounds may be highly relevant for a therapeutic approach in several human disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, in which enhancement of CASA exerts beneficial activities.

Pathogenic variants of Valosin-containing protein induce lysosomal damage and transcriptional activation of autophagy regulators in neuronal cells.

AIM: Mutations in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) gene cause various lethal proteinopathies that mainly include inclusion body myopathy with Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Different pathological mechanisms have been proposed. Here, we define the impact of VCP mutants on lysosomes and how cellular homeostasis is restored by inducing autophagy in the presence of lysosomal damage. METHODS: By electron microscopy, we studied lysosomal morphology in VCP animal and motoneuronal models. With the use of western blotting, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence and filter trap assay, we evaluated the effect of selected VCP mutants in neuronal cells on lysosome size and activity, lysosomal membrane permeabilization and their impact on autophagy. RESULTS: We found that VCP mutants induce the formation of aberrant multilamellar organelles in VCP animal and cell models similar to those found in patients with VCP mutations or with lysosomal storage disorders. In neuronal cells, we found altered lysosomal activity characterised by membrane permeabilization with galectin-3 redistribution and activation of PPP3CB. This selectively activated the autophagy/lysosomal transcriptional regulator TFE3, but not TFEB, and enhanced both SQSTM1/p62 and lipidated MAP1LC3B levels inducing autophagy. Moreover, we found that wild type VCP, but not the mutants, counteracted lysosomal damage induced either by trehalose or by a mutant form of SOD1 (G93A), also blocking the formation of its insoluble intracellular aggregates. Thus, chronic activation of autophagy might fuel the formation of multilamellar bodies. CONCLUSION: Together, our findings provide insights into the pathogenesis of VCP-related diseases, by proposing a novel mechanism of multilamellar body formation induced by VCP mutants that involves lysosomal damage and induction of lysophagy.

Retinoic Acid Downregulates HSPB8 Gene Expression in Human Breast Cancer Cells MCF-7.

Breast cancer (BC) is a serious and widespread disease for which different treatments have been developed. In addition to the classic therapies, the treatment with retinoic acid (RA) is still being clinically investigated. RA reduces cancer cells proliferation and migration, but its molecular mechanism of action is not clear. In tumor development, autophagy promotes cancer cell survival and prevents apoptosis. Small heat shock protein B8 (HSPB8) acts together with its co-chaperone BCL-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) stimulating BC proliferation and migration. We analyzed whether direct correlations exist between RA and HSPB8 or BAG3 and how this may play a role in BC. We measured HSPB8 and BAG3 gene expression in MCF-7 BC cells and we analyzed the potential correlation between the antiproliferative and antimigratory effect of RA with the expression level of HSPB8. We found that in MCF-7 cells RA reduces both HSPB8 and BAG3 gene expression and it alters the mitotic spindle organization. Notably, the effects of RA on HSPB8 levels are exerted at both transcriptional and translational levels. RA effects are possibly mediated by miR-574-5p that targets the HSPB8 transcript. Our results suggest that therapeutic doses of RA can efficiently counteract the adverse effects of HSPB8 in BC progression.

Trehalose induces autophagy via lysosomal-mediated TFEB activation in models of motoneuron degeneration.

Macroautophagy/autophagy, a defense mechanism against aberrant stresses, in neurons counteracts aggregate-prone misfolded protein toxicity. Autophagy induction might be beneficial in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). The natural compound trehalose promotes autophagy via TFEB (transcription factor EB), ameliorating disease phenotype in multiple ND models, but its mechanism is still obscure. We demonstrated that trehalose regulates autophagy by inducing rapid and transient lysosomal enlargement and membrane permeabilization (LMP). This effect correlated with the calcium-dependent phosphatase PPP3/calcineurin activation, TFEB dephosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Trehalose upregulated genes for the TFEB target and regulator Ppargc1a, lysosomal hydrolases and membrane proteins (Ctsb, Gla, Lamp2a, Mcoln1, Tpp1) and several autophagy-related components (Becn1, Atg10, Atg12, Sqstm1/p62, Map1lc3b, Hspb8 and Bag3) mostly in a PPP3- and TFEB-dependent manner. TFEB silencing counteracted the trehalose pro-degradative activity on misfolded protein causative of motoneuron diseases. Similar effects were exerted by trehalase-resistant trehalose analogs, melibiose and lactulose. Thus, limited lysosomal damage might induce autophagy, perhaps as a compensatory mechanism, a process that is beneficial to counteract neurodegeneration. Abbreviations: ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; AR: androgen receptor; ATG: autophagy related; AV: autophagic vacuole; BAG3: BCL2-associated athanogene 3; BECN1: beclin 1, autophagy related; CASA: chaperone-assisted selective autophagy; CTSB: cathepsin b; DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; DMEM: Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium; EGFP: enhanced green fluorescent protein; fALS, familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; FRA: filter retardation assay; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GLA: galactosidase, alpha; HD: Huntington disease; hIPSCs: human induced pluripotent stem cells; HSPA8: heat shock protein A8; HSPB8: heat shock protein B8; IF: immunofluorescence analysis; LAMP1: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1; LAMP2A: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2A; LGALS3: lectin, galactose binding, soluble 3; LLOMe: L-leucyl-L-leucine methyl ester; LMP: lysosomal membrane permeabilization; Lys: lysosomes; MAP1LC3B: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MCOLN1: mucolipin 1; mRNA: messenger RNA; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NDs: neurodegenerative diseases; NSC34: neuroblastoma x spinal cord 34; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; PD: Parkinson disease; polyQ: polyglutamine; PPARGC1A: peroxisome proliferative activated receptor, gamma, coactivator 1 alpha; PPP3CB: protein phosphatase 3, catalytic subunit, beta isoform; RT-qPCR: real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction; SBMA: spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy; SCAs: spinocerebellar ataxias; siRNA: small interfering RNA; SLC2A8: solute carrier family 2, (facilitated glucose transporter), member 8; smNPCs: small molecules neural progenitors cells; SOD1: superoxide dismutase 1; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; STED: stimulated emission depletion; STUB1: STIP1 homology and U-box containing protein 1; TARDBP/TDP-43: TAR DNA binding protein; TFEB: transcription factor EB; TPP1: tripeptidyl peptidase I; TREH: trehalase (brush-border membrane glycoprotein); WB: western blotting; ZKSCAN3: zinc finger with KRAB and SCAN domains 3.

Concurrent AFG3L2 and SPG7 mutations associated with syndromic parkinsonism and optic atrophy with aberrant OPA1 processing and mitochondrial network fragmentation.

Mitochondrial dynamics and quality control are crucial for neuronal survival and their perturbation is a major cause of neurodegeneration. m-AAA complex is an ATP-dependent metalloprotease located in the inner mitochondrial membrane and involved in protein quality control. Mutations in the m-AAA subunits AFG3L2 and paraplegin are associated with autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA28) and autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG7), respectively. We report a novel m-AAA-associated phenotype characterized by early-onset optic atrophy with spastic ataxia and L-dopa-responsive parkinsonism. The proband carried a de novo AFG3L2 heterozygous mutation (p.R468C) along with a heterozygous maternally inherited intragenic deletion of SPG7. Functional analysis in yeast demonstrated the pathogenic role of AFG3L2 p.R468C mutation shedding light on its pathogenic mechanism. Analysis of patient's fibroblasts showed an abnormal processing pattern of OPA1, a dynamin-related protein essential for mitochondrial fusion and responsible for most cases of hereditary optic atrophy. Consistently, assessment of mitochondrial morphology revealed a severe fragmentation of the mitochondrial network, not observed in SCA28 and SPG7 patients' cells. This case suggests that coincidental mutations in both components of the mitochondrial m-AAA protease may result in a complex phenotype and reveals a crucial role for OPA1 processing in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease caused by m-AAA defects.

Inhibition of retrograde transport modulates misfolded protein accumulation and clearance in motoneuron diseases.

Motoneuron diseases, like spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are associated with proteins that because of gene mutation or peculiar structures, acquire aberrant (misfolded) conformations toxic to cells. To prevent misfolded protein toxicity, cells activate a protein quality control (PQC) system composed of chaperones and degradative pathways (proteasome and autophagy). Inefficient activation of the PQC system results in misfolded protein accumulation that ultimately leads to neuronal cell death, while efficient macroautophagy/autophagy-mediated degradation of aggregating proteins is beneficial. The latter relies on an active retrograde transport, mediated by dynein and specific chaperones, such as the HSPB8-BAG3-HSPA8 complex. Here, using cellular models expressing aggregate-prone proteins involved in SBMA and ALS, we demonstrate that inhibition of dynein-mediated retrograde transport, which impairs the targeting to autophagy of misfolded species, does not increase their aggregation. Rather, dynein inhibition correlates with a reduced accumulation and an increased clearance of mutant ARpolyQ, SOD1, truncated TARDBP/TDP-43 and expanded polyGP C9ORF72 products. The enhanced misfolded protein clearance is mediated by the proteasome, rather than by autophagy and correlates with the upregulation of the HSPA8 cochaperone BAG1. In line, overexpression of BAG1 increases the proteasome-mediated clearance of these misfolded proteins. Our data suggest that when the misfolded proteins cannot be efficiently transported toward the perinuclear region of the cells, where they are either degraded by autophagy or stored into the aggresome, the cells activate a compensatory mechanism that relies on the induction of BAG1 to target the HSPA8-bound cargo to the proteasome in a dynein-independent manner.

The small heat shock protein B8 (HSPB8) modulates proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the major causes of cancer death in women and is closely related to hormonal dysregulation. Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BCs are generally treated with anti hormone therapy using antiestrogens or aromatase inhibitors. However, BC cells may become resistant to endocrine therapy, a process facilitated by autophagy, which may either promote or suppress tumor expansion. The autophagy facilitator HSPB8 has been found overexpressed in some BC. Here we found that HSPB8 is highly expressed and differentially modulated by natural or synthetic selective ER modulators (SERMs), in the triple-positive hormone-sensitive BC (MCF-7) cells, but not in triple-negative MDA-MB-231 BC cells. Specific SERMs induced MCF-7 cells proliferation in a HSPB8 dependent manner whereas, did not modify MDA-MB-231 cell growth. ER expression was unaffected in HSPB8-depleted MCF-7 cells. HSPB8 over-expression did not alter the distribution of MCF-7 cells in the various phases of the cell cycle. Conversely and intriguingly, HSPB8 downregulation resulted in an increased number of cells resting in the G0/G1 phase, thus possibly reducing the ability of the cells to pass through the restriction point. In addition, HSPB8 downregulation reduced the migratory ability of MCF-7 cells. None of these modifications were observed, when another small HSP (HSPB1), also expressed in MCF-7 cells, was downregulated. In conclusion, our data suggest that HSPB8 is involved in the mechanisms that regulate cell cycle and cell migration in MCF-7 cells.

The Role of the Protein Quality Control System in SBMA.

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) or Kennedy's disease is an X-linked disease associated with the expansion of the CAG triplet repeat present in exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene. This results in the production of a mutant AR containing an elongated polyglutamine tract (polyQ) in its N-terminus. Interestingly, the ARpolyQ becomes toxic only after its activation by the natural androgenic ligands, possibly because of aberrant androgen-induced conformational changes of the ARpolyQ, which generate misfolded species. These misfolded ARpolyQ species must be cleared from motoneurons and muscle cells, and this process is mediated by the protein quality control (PQC) system. Experimental evidence suggested that failure of the PQC pathways occurs in disease, leading to ARpolyQ accumulation and toxicity in the target cells. In this review, we summarized the overall impact of mutant and misfolded ARpolyQ on the PQC system and described how molecular chaperones and the degradative pathways (ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP), and the unfolded protein response (UPR), which activates the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD)) are differentially affected in SBMA. We also extensively and critically reviewed several molecular and pharmacological approaches proposed to restore a global intracellular activity of the PQC system. Collectively, these data suggest that the fine and delicate equilibrium existing among the different players of the PQC system could be restored in a therapeutic perspective by the synergic/additive activities of compounds designed to tackle sequential or alternative steps of the intracellular defense mechanisms triggered against proteotoxic misfolded species.

Synergic prodegradative activity of Bicalutamide and trehalose on the mutant androgen receptor responsible for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked motoneuron disease due to a CAG triplet-repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) gene, which is translated into an elongated polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in AR protein (ARpolyQ). ARpolyQ toxicity is activated by the AR ligand testosterone (or dihydrotestosterone), and the polyQ triggers ARpolyQ misfolding and aggregation in spinal cord motoneurons and muscle cells. In motoneurons, testosterone triggers nuclear toxicity by inducing AR nuclear translocation. Thus, (i) prevention of ARpolyQ nuclear localization, combined with (ii) an increased ARpolyQ cytoplasmic clearance, should reduce its detrimental activity. Using the antiandrogen Bicalutamide (Casodex(®)), which slows down AR activation and nuclear translocation, and the disaccharide trehalose, an autophagy activator, we found that, in motoneurons, the two compounds together reduced ARpolyQ insoluble forms with higher efficiency than that obtained with single treatments. The ARpolyQ clearance was mediated by trehalose-induced autophagy combined with the longer cytoplasmic retention of ARpolyQ bound to Bicalutamide. This allows an increased recognition of misfolded species by the autophagic system prior to their migration into the nucleus. Interestingly, the combinatory use of trehalose and Bicalutamide was also efficient in the removal of insoluble species of AR with a very long polyQ (Q112) tract, which typically aggregates into the cell nuclei. Collectively, these data suggest that the combinatory use of Bicalutamide and trehalose is a novel approach to facilitate ARpolyQ clearance that has to be tested in other cell types target of SBMA (i.e. muscle cells) and in vivo in animal models of SBMA.

Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells as a new model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) or Kennedy's disease is an X-linked CAG/polyglutamine expansion motoneuron disease, in which an elongated polyglutamine tract (polyQ) in the N-terminal androgen receptor (ARpolyQ) confers toxicity to this protein. Typical markers of SBMA disease are ARpolyQ intranuclear inclusions. These are generated after the ARpolyQ binds to its endogenous ligands, which promotes AR release from chaperones, activation and nuclear translocation, but also cell toxicity. The SBMA mouse models developed so far, and used in preclinical studies, all contain an expanded CAG repeat significantly longer than that of SBMA patients. Here, we propose the use of SBMA patients adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a new human in vitro model to study ARpolyQ toxicity. These cells have the advantage to express only ARpolyQ, and not the wild type AR allele. Therefore, we isolated and characterized adipose-derived MSCs from three SBMA patients (ADSC from Kennedy's patients, ADSCK) and three control volunteers (ADSCs). We found that both ADSCs and ADSCKs express mesenchymal antigens, even if only ADSCs can differentiate into the three typical cell lineages (adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteocytes), whereas ADSCKs, from SBMA patients, showed a lower growth potential and differentiated only into adipocyte. Moreover, analysing AR expression on our mesenchymal cultures we found lower levels in all ADSCKs than ADSCs, possibly related to negative pressures exerted by toxic ARpolyQ in ADSCKs. In addition, with proteasome inhibition the ARpolyQ levels increased specifically in ADSCKs, inducing the formation of HSP70 and ubiquitin positive nuclear ARpolyQ inclusions. Considering all of this evidence, SBMA patients adipose-derived MSCs cultures should be considered an innovative in vitro human model to understand the molecular mechanisms of ARpolyQ toxicity and to test novel therapeutic approaches in SBMA.

Clearance of the mutant androgen receptor in motoneuronal models of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked motoneuron disease caused by an abnormal expansion of a tandem CAG repeat in exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene that results in an abnormally long polyglutamine tract (polyQ) in the AR protein. As a result, the mutant AR (ARpolyQ) misfolds, forming cytoplasmic and nuclear aggregates in the affected neurons. Neurotoxicity only appears to be associated with the formation of nuclear aggregates. Thus, improved ARpolyQ cytoplasmic clearance, which indirectly decreases ARpolyQ nuclear accumulation, has beneficial effects on affected motoneurons. In addition, increased ARpolyQ clearance contributes to maintenance of motoneuron proteostasis and viability, preventing the blockage of the proteasome and autophagy pathways that might play a role in the neuropathy in SBMA. The expression of heat shock protein B8 (HspB8), a member of the small heat shock protein family, is highly induced in surviving motoneurons of patients affected by motoneuron diseases, where it seems to participate in the stress response aimed at cell protection. We report here that HspB8 facilitates the autophagic removal of misfolded aggregating species of ARpolyQ. In addition, though HspB8 does not influence p62 and LC3 (two key autophagic molecules) expression, it does prevent p62 bodies formation, and restores the normal autophagic flux in these cells. Interestingly, trehalose, a well-known autophagy stimulator, induces HspB8 expression, suggesting that HspB8 might act as one of the molecular mediators of the proautophagic activity of trehalose. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that treatments aimed at restoring a normal autophagic flux that result in the more efficient clearance of mutant ARpolyQ might produce beneficial effects in SBMA patients.

Proteasomal and autophagic degradative activities in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA or Kennedy's disease) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of motor neurons in the bulbar region of the brain and in the anterior horns of the spinal cord. The disease has been associated to an expansion of a CAG triplet repeat present in the first coding exon of the androgen receptor (AR) gene. SBMA was the first identified member of a large class of neurodegenerative diseases now known as CAG-related diseases, which includes Huntington's disease (HD), several types of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCAs), and dentatorubral and pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). The expanded CAG tract is translated to an aberrantly long polyglutamine tract (ARpolyQ) in the N-terminal region of the AR protein. The elongated polyQ tract seems to confer a neurotoxic gain-of-function to the mutant AR, possibly via the generation of aberrant conformations (misfolding). Protein misfolding is thought to be a trigger of neurotoxicity, since it perturbs a wide variety of motor neuronal functions. The first event is the accumulation of the ARpolyQ into ubiquitinated aggregates in a ligand (testosterone) dependent manner. The mutant ARpolyQ also impairs proteasome functions. The autophagic pathway may be activated to compensate these aberrant events by clearing the mutant ARpolyQ from motor neuronal cells. This review illustrates the mechanisms at the basis of ARpolyQ degradation via the proteasomal and autophagic systems.

Estrogen receptor beta and the progression of prostate cancer: role of 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol.

Prostate cancer (PC) develops in response to an abnormal activation of androgen receptor induced by circulating androgens and, in its initial stages, is pharmacologically controlled by androgen blockade. However, androgen ablation therapy often allows androgen-independent PC development, generally characterized by increased invasiveness. We previously reported that 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol (3beta-Adiol) inhibits the migration of PC cell lines via the estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) activation. Here, by combining in vitro assays and in vivo imaging approaches, we analyzed the effects of 3beta-Adiol on PC proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and metastasis in cultured cells and in xenografts using luciferase-labeled PC3 (PC3-Luc) cells. We found that 3beta-Adiol not only inhibits PC3-Luc cell migratory properties, but also induces a broader anti-tumor phenotype by decreasing the proliferation rate, increasing cell adhesion, and reducing invasive capabilities in vitro. All these 3beta-Adiol activities are mediated by ERbeta and cannot be reproduced by the physiological estrogen, 17beta-estradiol, suggesting the existence of different pathways activated by the two ERbeta ligands in PC3-Luc cells. In vivo, continuous administration of 3beta-Adiol reduces growth of established tumors and counteracts metastasis formation when PC3-Luc cells are engrafted s.c. in nude mice or are orthotopically injected into the prostate. Since 3beta-Adiol has no androgenic activity, and cannot be converted to androgenic compounds, the effects here described entail a novel potential application of this agent against human PC.

A presynaptically toxic secreted phospholipase A2 is internalized into motoneuron-like cells where it is rapidly translocated into the cytosol.

The molecular mechanism of the presynaptic toxicity of secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) neurotoxins, including that of ammodytoxin A (AtxA), has not been resolved. Here we report the action of AtxA on mouse motoneuron-like cells, on which it induced characteristic neurotoxic effects on synaptic vesicles and on the reorganization of F-actin. AtxA also released fatty acids from the plasmalemma. Its significantly less neurotoxic V31W mutant showed similar effects on cells but with a much higher rate of hydrolysis than the wild-type, indicating that high enzymatic activity alone is not sufficient for the observed effects. The neurotoxic action was observed by confocal microscopy of a fluorescently labelled AtxA and by electron microscopy of a nanogold-labelled toxin. The Atx-binding proteins were tagged by a photo-cross-linking reagent conjugated to the toxin. AtxA was taken up rapidly by the cells, where it interacted within minutes with calmodulin and 14-3-3 proteins in the cytosol. These data demonstrate, for the first time, the translocation of an sPLA2 from the extracellular space into the cytosol of a cell. Such an event may thus be important in explaining the action of a range of homologous endogenous sPLA2 enzymes in mammals whose roles in various cellular processes are not yet completely understood.

The role of the polyglutamine tract in androgen receptor.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor which is responsible for the androgen responsiveness of target cells. Several types of mutations have been found in the AR and linked to endocrine dysfunctions. Surprisingly, the polymorphism involving the CAG triplet repeat expansion of the AR gene, coding for a polyglutamine (PolyGln) tract in the N-terminal transactivation domain of the AR protein, has been involved either in endocrine or neurological disorders. For example, among endocrine-related-diseases, the PolyGln size has been proposed to be associated to prostate cancer susceptibility, hirsutism, male infertility, cryptorchidism (in conjunction with polyglycine stretches polymorphism), etc.; the molecular mechanisms of these alterations are thought to involve a modulation of AR transcriptional competence, which inversely correlates with the PolyGln length. Among neurological alterations, a decreased AR function seems to be also involved in depression. Moreover, when the polymorphic PolyGln becomes longer than 35-40 contiguous glutamines (ARPolyGln), the ARPolyGln acquires neurotoxicity, because of an unknown gain-of-function. This mutation has been linked to a rare inherited X-linked motor neuronal disorder, the Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, or Kennedy's disease. The disorder is characterized by death of motor neurons expressing high levels of AR. The degenerating motor neurons are mainly located in the anterior horns of the spinal cord and in the bulbar region; some neurons of the dorsal root ganglia may also be involved. Interestingly, the same type of PolyGln elongation has been found in other totally unrelated proteins responsible for different neurodegenerative diseases. A common feature of all these disorders is the formation of intracellular aggregates containing the mutated proteins; at present, but their role in the disease is largely debated. This review will discuss how the PolyGln neurotoxicity of SBMA AR may be either mediated or decreased by aggregates, and will present data on the dual role played by testosterone on motor neuronal functions and dysfunctions.

Aggregation and proteasome: the case of elongated polyglutamine aggregation in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

Aggregates, a hallmark of most neurodegenerative diseases, may have different properties, and possibly different roles in neurodegeneration. We analysed ubiquitin-proteasome pathway functions during cytoplasmic aggregation in polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, using a unique model of motor neuron disease, the SpinoBulbar Muscular Atrophy. The disease, which is linked to a polyQ tract elongation in the androgen receptor (ARpolyQ), has the interesting feature that ARpolyQ aggregation is triggered by the AR ligand, testosterone. Using immortalized motor neurons expressing ARpolyQ, we found that a proteasome reporter, YFPu, accumulated in absence of aggregates; testosterone treatment, which induced ARpolyQ aggregation, allowed the normal clearance of YFPu, suggesting that aggregation contributed to proteasome de-saturation, an effect not related to AR nuclear translocation. Using AR antagonists to modulate the kinetic of ARpolyQ aggregation, we demonstrated that aggregation, by removing the neurotoxic protein from the soluble compartment, protected the proteasome from an excess of misfolded protein to be processed.

The androgen derivative 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol inhibits prostate cancer cell migration through activation of the estrogen receptor beta subtype.

Prostate cancer growth depends, in its earlier stages, on androgens and is usually pharmacologically modulated with androgen blockade. However, androgen-ablation therapy may generate androgen-independent prostate cancer, often characterized by an increased invasiveness. We have found that the 5alpha-reduced testosterone derivative, dihydrotestosterone (the most potent natural androgen) inhibits cell migration with an androgen receptor-independent mechanism. We have shown that the dihydrotestosterone metabolite 5alpha-androstane-3beta,17beta-diol (3beta-Adiol), a steroid which does not bind androgen receptors, but efficiently binds the estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta), exerts a potent inhibition of prostate cancer cell migration through the activation of the ERbeta signaling. Very surprisingly, estradiol is not active, suggesting the existence of different pathways for ERbeta activation in prostate cancer cells. Moreover, 3beta-Adiol, through ERbeta, induces the expression of E-cadherin, a protein known to be capable of blocking metastasis formation in breast and prostate cancer cells. The inhibitory effects of 3beta-Adiol on prostate cancer cell migration is counteracted by short interfering RNA against E-cadherin. Altogether, the data showed that (a) circulating testosterone may act with estrogenic effects downstream in the catabolic process present in the prostate, and (b) that the estrogenic effect of testosterone derivatives (ERbeta-dependent) results in the inhibition of cell migration, although it is apparently different from that linked to estradiol on the same receptor and may be protective against prostate cancer invasion and metastasis. These results also shed some light on clinical observations suggesting that alterations in genes coding for 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (the enzymes responsible for 3beta-Adiol formation) are strongly correlated with hereditary prostate cancer.