Isthmin targets cell-surface GRP78 and triggers apoptosis via induction of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Isthmin (ISM) is a secreted 60-kDa protein that potently induces endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis. It suppresses tumor growth and angiogenesis in mice when stably overexpressed in cancer cells. Although αvß5 integrin serves as a low-affinity receptor for ISM, the mechanism by which ISM mediates antiangiogenesis and apoptosis in ECs remain to be fully resolved. In this work, we report the identification of cell-surface glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa (GRP78) as a high-affinity receptor for ISM (Kd=8.6 nM). We demonstrated that ISM-GRP78 interaction triggers apoptosis not only in activated ECs but also in cancer cells expressing high level of cell-surface GRP78. Normal cells and benign tumor cells tend to express low level of cell-surface GRP78 and are resistant to ISM-induced apoptosis. Upon binding to GRP78, ISM is internalized into ECs through clathrin-dependent endocytosis that is essential for its proapoptotic activity. Once inside the cell, ISM co-targets with GRP78 to mitochondria where it interacts with ADP/ATP carriers on the inner membrane and blocks ATP transport from mitochondria to cytosol, thereby causing apoptosis. Hence, ISM is a novel proapoptotic ligand that targets cell-surface GRP78 to trigger apoptosis by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. The restricted and high-level expression of cell-surface GRP78 on cancer cells and cancer ECs make them uniquely susceptible to ISM-targeted apoptosis. Indeed, systemic delivery of recombinant ISM potently suppressed subcutaneous 4T1 breast carcinoma and B16 melanoma growth in mice by eliciting apoptosis selectively in the cancer cells and cancer ECs. Together, this work reveals a novel ISM-GRP78 apoptosis pathway and demonstrates the potential of ISM as a cancer-specific and dual-targeting anticancer agent.

MAP-1, a novel proapoptotic protein containing a BH3-like motif that associates with Bax through its Bcl-2 homology domains.

A novel Bax-associating protein, named MAP-1 (Modulator of Apoptosis), has been identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen. MAP-1 contains a BH3-like (BH: Bcl-2 homology) motif and mediates caspase-dependent apoptosis in mammalian cells when overexpressed. MAP-1 homodimerizes and associates with the proapoptotic Bax and the prosurvival Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) of the Bcl-2 family in vitro and in vivo in mammalian cells. Mutagenesis analyses revealed that the BH3-like domain in MAP-1 is not required for its association with Bcl-X(L) but is required for association with Bax and for mediating apoptosis. Interestingly, in contrast to other Bax-associating proteins such as Bcl-X(L) and Bid, which require the BH3 and BH1 domains of Bax, respectively, for binding, the binding of MAP-1 to Bax appears to require all three BH domains (BH1, BH2, and BH3) of Bax, because point mutation of the critical amino acid in any one of these domains is sufficient to abolish its binding to MAP-1. These data suggest that MAP-1 mediates apoptosis through a mechanism that involves binding to Bax.

The Caenorhabditis elegans sex determination protein FEM-1 is a CED-3 substrate that associates with CED-4 and mediates apoptosis in mammalian cells.

Sex-specific elimination of cells by apoptosis plays a role in sex determination in Caenorhabditis elegans. Recently, a mammalian pro-apoptotic protein named F1Aalpha has been identified. F1Aalpha shares extensive homology throughout the entire protein with the C. elegans protein, FEM-1, which is essential for achieving all aspects of the male phenotype in the nematode. In this report, the role of FEM-1 in apoptosis was investigated. Overexpression of FEM-1 induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in mammalian cells. FEM-1 is cleaved in vitro by the C. elegans caspase, CED-3, generating an N-terminal cleavage product that corresponds to the minimal effector domain for apoptosis. Furthermore, CED-4 associates with FEM-1 in vitro and in vivo in mammalian cells and potentiates FEM-1-mediated apoptosis. Similarly, Apaf-1, the mammalian homologue of CED-4 was found to associate with F1Aalpha. These data suggest that FEM-1 and F1Aalpha may mediate apoptosis by communicating directly with the core machinery of apoptosis.

F1Aalpha, a death receptor-binding protein homologous to the Caenorhabditis elegans sex-determining protein, FEM-1, is a caspase substrate that mediates apoptosis.

Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved process that is critical for tissue homeostasis and development including sex determination in essentially all multicellular organisms. Here, we report the cloning of an ankyrin repeat-containing protein, termed F1Aalpha, in a yeast two-hybrid screen using the cytoplasmic domain of Fas (CD95/APO-1) as bait. Amino acid sequence analysis indicates that F1Aalpha has extensive homology to the sex-determining protein FEM-1 of the Caenorhabditis elegans, which is required for the development of all aspects of the male phenotype. F1Aalpha associates with the cytoplasmic domains of Fas and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, two prototype members of the "death receptor" family. The F1Aalpha protein also oligomerizes. Overexpression of F1Aalpha induces apoptosis in mammalian cells, and co-expression of Bcl-XL or the dominant negative mutants of either FADD or caspase-9 blocks this effect. Deletion analysis revealed the center region of F1Aalpha, including a cluster of five ankyrin repeats to be necessary and sufficient for maximum apoptotic activity, and the N-terminal region appears to regulate negatively this activity. Furthermore, F1Aalpha is cleaved by a caspase-3-like protease at Asp(342), and the cleavage-resistant mutant is unable to induce apoptosis upon overexpression. F1Aalpha is therefore a member of a growing family of death receptor-associated proteins that mediates apoptosis.

Retinoic acid confers resistance to p53-dependent apoptosis in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells by modulating nuclear import of p53.

Many cell lines derived from neuroblastoma (NB) carry the wild-type p53 gene with a p53-dependent apoptotic pathway that is responsive to DNA damaging agents. A recent study has demonstrated that retinoic acid (RA) pretreatment of NB cells promotes chemoresistance to apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic agents. We examine here the possible contribution of the p53 pathway to the chemoresistance response associated with the RA treatment in NB cells. Upon treatment with RA (1-10 microM) for 4 days, the human NB cells, SH-SY5Y, developed resistance selectively to p53-dependent apoptotic stimuli including gamma-irradiation, etoposide, and 1-(5-isoquinolinyl sulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7). Interestingly, RA affected the ability of H-7 to induce nuclear accumulation of the p53 protein without altering its effect on elevating the steady-state level of p53, suggesting that drug-induced up-regulation and nuclear accumulation of the wild-type p53 protein are separable processes. The modulation of nuclear import of p53 protein by RA may thus represent a potential mechanism by which certain tumor cells with the wild-type p53 gene develop resistance to chemotherapeutic agents.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine induces apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells, SH-SY5Y, through a p53-dependent pathway.

We have studied the effect of 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), a protein kinase inhibitor, on the regulation of apoptosis in the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y. H-7 (20-100 microM) induced apoptosis in these cells characterized by DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation. Immunoblot analyses were performed with specific antibody against BCL-2, BCL-XS/L, BAX, JUNB, c-JUN, ICH-1L, c-FOS, RB, CDK-2, and p53. H-7 treatment did not significantly alter the level of these proteins with the exception of p53. H-7, but not staurosporine, caused a dramatic nuclear accumulation of p53. The kinetics of nuclear accumulation of p53 correlates well with the kinetics of induction of apoptosis. The effect of H-7 was further assessed in a group of human cell lines. Only cell lines harboring the wild-type p53 gene were responsive to the stimulatory effect of H-7 on nuclear accumulation of p53. Furthermore, cell lines carrying a mutated p53 gene were resistant to the cytotoxic effect of H-7. The ability of H-7 in mediating apoptosis in the SH-SY5Y line expressing a dominant negative mutant of p53 was significantly diminished. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that a p53-dependent mechanism contributes to the cytotoxicity of H-7 in human neuroblastoma cells.

A novel family of Cys-Cys, His-Cys zinc finger transcription factors expressed in developing nervous system and pituitary gland.

A screen designed to identify proteins that specifically bind to retinoic acid response elements resulted in the identification of a rat cDNA encoding a novel protein containing six Cys-Cys, His-Cys zinc fingers. This gene is expressed in a restricted fashion exhibiting distinct temporal and spatial patterns in the developing nervous system, primarily brain, spinal cord, sensory ganglia, retina, and nasal epithelia, as well as in the pituitary, and is referred to as neural zinc finger factor 1 (NZF-1). NZF-1 binds specifically to a cis-regulatory element of the beta-retinoic acid receptor (RAR beta) gene, as well as to other related DNA elements, including two in the upstream enhancer region of the mouse Pit-1 gene. In heterologous cells, NZF-1 activates transcription from promoters containing specific binding sequences and can synergize with other factors, such as Pit-1, to regulate gene expression. These results suggest that NZF-1 may exert regulatory roles in the developing and mature nervous system and in the pituitary gland. Identification of a second mouse gene highly homologous to NZF-1, encoded by a distinct genomic locus, reveals a dispersed gene family encoding proteins containing Cys-Cys, His-Cys motifs.

A tissue-specific enhancer confers Pit-1-dependent morphogen inducibility and autoregulation on the pit-1 gene.

Pit-1 is a tissue-specific POU domain factor obligatory for the appearance of three cell phenotypes in the anterior pituitary gland. Expression of the pit-1 gene requires the actions of a cell-specific 390-bp enhancer, located 10 kb 5' of the pit-1 transcription initiation site, within sequence that proves essential for effective pituitary targeting of transgene expression during murine development. The enhancer requires the concerted actions of a cell-specific cis-active element, Pit-1 autoregulatory sites, and atypical morphogen response elements. Pituitary ontogeny in the Pit-1-defective Snell dwarf mouse reveals that pit-1 autoregulation is not required for initial activation or continued expression during critical phases of Pit-1 target gene activation but, subsequently, is necessary for maintenance of pit-1 gene expression following birth. A potent 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-responsive enhancer element defines a physiological site in which a single nucleotide alteration in the sequence of core binding motifs modulates the spacing rules for nuclear receptor response elements. Unexpectedly, the major retinoic acid response element is absolutely dependent on Pit-1 for retinoic acid receptor function. On this DNA element, Pit-1 appears to function as a coregulator of the retinoic acid receptor, suggesting an intriguing linkage between a cell-specific transcription factor and the actions of morphogen receptors that is likely to be prototypic of mechanisms by which other cell-specific transcription factors might confer morphogen receptor responsivity during mammalian organogenesis.

Transcriptional regulation by the nuclear receptor superfamily.

In the past year, additional experimental data have expanded our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie nuclear receptor control of regulatory programs. It is increasingly clear that steroid members (e.g. glucocorticoid and estrogen) and non-steroid members (e.g. retinoic acid, thyroid hormone, and vitamin D) of the nuclear receptor superfamily may utilize distinct strategies in achieving their complex control of gene regulation.

The orientation and spacing of core DNA-binding motifs dictate selective transcriptional responses to three nuclear receptors.

Characterization of several thyroid hormone (T3), retinoic acid, and estrogen response elements has led to the identification of conserved DNA half-sites (core binding motifs). We present evidence that differences in both the relative orientation and spacing of these motifs within hormone response elements determine the distinct transcriptional responses of three members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. When separated by 3 bp, direct repeat, palindromic, and inverted palindromic arrangements of these motifs impart selective transcriptional responses to retinoic acid, estrogen, and T3 receptors, respectively. Varying the spacing between core motifs alters the specificity. Without spacing, a direct repeat of the core motif paradoxically configures the T3 receptor to confer transactivation in the absence of T3 and repression in its presence. Such an element occurs naturally in the mouse beta-thyrotropin promoter, physiologically under negative regulation by T3. The orientation and spacing of core binding motifs may thus function in concert as a code that accounts for the selective patterns of transcriptional responses of hormonally regulated promoters.

Regulation of cyclic AMP by the mu-opioid receptor in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

The human neuroblastoma clonal cell line SH-SY5Y expresses both mu- and delta-opioid receptors (ratio approximately 4.5:1). Differentiation with retinoic acid (RA) was previously shown to enhance the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase (AC) by mu-opioid agonists. We tested here the inhibition of cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation by morphine under a variety of conditions: after stimulation with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), forskolin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), both in the presence and in the absence of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Morphine inhibition of the forskolin cAMP response (approximately 65%) was largely unaffected by the presence of IBMX. In contrast, deletion of IBMX enhanced morphine's inhibition of the PGE1 and VIP cAMP response from approximately 50 to approximately 80%. The use of highly mu- and delta-selective agents confirmed previous results that inhibition of cAMP accumulation by opioids is mostly mu, and not delta, receptor mediated in SH-SY5Y cells, regardless of the presence or absence of IBMX. Because of the large morphine inhibition and the high cAMP levels even in the absence of IBMX, PGE1-stimulated, RA-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells were subsequently used to study narcotic analgesic tolerance and dependence in vitro. Upon pretreatment with morphine over greater than or equal to 12 h, a fourfold shift of the PGE1-morphine dose-response curve was observed, whether or not IBMX was added. However, mu-opioid receptor number and affinity to the mu-selective [D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol]enkephalin were largely unaffected, and Na(+)- and guanyl nucleotide-induced shifts of morphine-[3H]naloxone competition curves were unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Functional vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) receptors in human neuroblastoma subclones that contain VIP precursor mRNA and release VIP-like substances.

Three phenotypically distinct subclones (SH-SY-5Y, SH-EP, SH-IN) of the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH were found to possess vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) precursor mRNA, release immunoreactive VIP, and express high-affinity VIP receptors coupled to adenylate cyclase. The apparent molecular mass for the receptor polypeptide, as determined by covalent cross-linking of 125I-VIP, was 49 kDa. After 2 days in culture, a concentration of immunoreactive VIP equivalent to the binding affinity of VIP to its receptor was found in the medium in two of these clones (SH-IN and SH-EP). Conditioned medium from SH-IN cells competitively displaced 125I-VIP binding and increased cAMP levels in SH-EP cells, indicating that all of the necessary components for a potential autocrine action of VIP exist in SK-N-SH cells. After numerous cell passages, the SH-EP subclone converted to a distinct phenotype in which VIP precursor mRNA and VIP immunoreactivity in the cell and medium were no longer detectable. In correlation, the VIP receptor number increased, and the EC50 for VIP stimulation of cAMP production shifted to a lower concentration. This points to the possibility that the continuous presence of endogenous VIP in earlier passage SH-EP cells causes a modification in VIP receptor number and cell responsiveness to VIP.

Differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells: marked potentiation of prostaglandin E-stimulated accumulation of cyclic AMP by retinoic acid.

Neuroblastoma cells in culture contain low levels of cyclic AMP, a second messenger which plays a major role in neuronal maturation. In this study, human neuroblastoma cells, SK-N-SH-SY5Y, were induced to differentiate by treatment with either nerve growth factor (50 ng/ml), retinoic acid (10 microM), dibutyryl cyclic AMP (1 mM), or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (0.1 microM), and the ability of several neurotransmitters or hormones to stimulate adenylyl cyclase was tested. Although all four differentiation factors caused morphological changes towards a neuronal phenotype, only retinoic acid dramatically enhanced cyclic AMP accumulation, specifically upon stimulation with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). PGE2 was also active, but less potent, than PGE1, whereas the other cyclic AMP-stimulating agents tested were largely unaffected. Further, the rapid desensitization of the PGE1-cyclic AMP response observed in control cells after 20 min of PGE1 exposure did not occur in retinoic acid-treated cells, and the EC50 values for PGE1 were reduced from approximately 240 to 14 nM after retinoic acid treatment. The increased sensitivity to PGE was associated with an increase of high-affinity PGE1 binding sites, whereas the Gs coupling proteins and adenylyl cyclase were not measurably affected. A similar enhancement of the PGE1-cyclic AMP response by retinoic acid was also observed in two additional human neuroblastoma cell lines tested, Kelly and IMR-32, suggesting that up-regulation of the prostaglandin response by retinoic acid is common among neuroblastoma cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Efficacy and tolerance of narcotic analgesics at the mu opioid receptor in differentiated human neuroblastoma cells.

Upon differentiation with retinoic acid of the human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y into mature neurons, opioid drugs become highly effective in suppressing prostaglandin E1 (50% inhibition)- and forskolin (70% inhibition)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, which was assessed by measuring cyclic AMP accumulation in intact cells. Whereas the SH-SY5Y cells carry both mu and delta receptors in a ratio of mu/delta approximately equal to 5/1, the response is predominantly mediated by the mu receptor. Morphine acts as a strong agonist with an EC50 of 50 to 100 nM which falls into the therapeutic range expected for narcotic analgesic effects mediated by the mu receptor. Narcotic analgesic drugs with only partial agonism fail to evoke full response, which suggests that this cell model could provide a rapid screening assay for narcotic analgesic efficacy. Continued exposure of the cells to morphine resulted in partial tolerance within 12 hr with a 4-fold shift of morphine's EC50 to higher concentrations, whereas longer morphine exposure did not cause any further shift. Thus, the differentiated SH-SY5Y cells provide a suitable system for studying the molecular mechanisms of the narcotic analgesics.

Differential expression of alpha-subunits of G-proteins in human neuroblastoma-derived cell clones.

The distribution of alpha- and beta-subunits of G-proteins was analyzed in membranes of three cell clones which are derived from the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH. The neuroblast-like clone SH-SY5Y shows a pattern of G-proteins very similar to that of human brain cortex with high levels of Gi alpha and Go alpha but low levels of G40 alpha. The intermediate clone SH-IN contains high levels of Go alpha and Gi alpha and moderate levels of G40 alpha. The non-neuronal clone SH-EP shows high levels of G40 alpha but lacks Go alpha. Differentiation of the neuroblast-like clone SH-SY5Y by retinoic acid or nerve growth factor does not change the amount of Gi alpha or Go alpha in the membrane.

Expression of neurotransmitter receptors and myc protooncogenes in subclones of a human neuroblastoma cell line.

Phenotypic variability of the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH was studied with the use of three subclones that interconvert at a slower rate than the parent cell line, i.e., a neuroblast-type subclone (SH-SY5Y), a nonneuronal, strongly substrate adherent subclone (SH-EP), and an intermediate type subclone (SH-IN). Rhodamine-phalloidin staining of actin fibers revealed differences in the cytoskeleton morphology of the three subclones, while the clathrin subunit proteins (heavy and light chains), components of coated vesicles, were invariant. Dramatic differences were observed for the expression of neurotransmitter systems, i.e., the mu and delta opioid receptor, the muscarinic cholinergic receptor and its effect on phosphatidylinositol turnover, and the uptake1 transporter for catecholamines. While these systems were strongly expressed in the parent line and the neuroblast-like clones SH-SY5Y and SH-IN, they were absent or barely detectable in the nonneuronal EP clone. Furthermore, the protooncogenes N- and c-myc were only expressed in the neuroblast containing lines, consistent with their growth characteristics of fully transformed cells. The strong c-myc expression in the absence of c- or N-myc amplification in SK-N-SH, adds a new form of high protooncogene activity in neuroblastoma cell lines. The remarkable differences of neurotransmitter systems and myc expression among the various phenotypes of human neuroblastoma cells should be considered in the therapy of neuroblastoma.

Phosphatidylinositol turnover in neuroblastoma cells: regulation by bradykinin, acetylcholine, but not mu- and delta-opioid receptors.

The effect of opioids on phosphatidylinositol (PI) turnover to release inositol triphosphate (IP3) as second messenger was examined in mouse neuroblastoma X rat glioma hybrid cells NG108-15 (delta-receptors) and human neuroblastoma cells, SK-N-SH (predominantly mu-receptors). PI turnover can be stimulated in both NG108-15 and SK-N-SH cells by bradykinin and acetylcholine, respectively. In contrast, etorphine, DADL ([D-Ala2,D-Leu5]-enkephalin) and DAGO ([D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5]-enkephalin), up to 1 microM concentrations failed to affect PI turnover in both cell lines. These results suggest that IP3 is not likely to serve as second messenger for both mu- and delta-opioid receptors.

Delta opioid receptors in human neuroblastoma cell lines.

Opioid receptor sites were detectable in 4 out of 9 human neuroblastoma cell lines tested, in the human retinoblastoma line Y79 NHT C10 and in the mouse neuroblastoma line Neuro 2A. All of these cell lines expressed delta sites, while only one coexpressed mu sites (SK-N-SH). Together with delta sites previously found in rodent neuroblastoma lines, these results suggest that the expression of delta sites is under less stringent control than that of mu and chi sites. A large number of delta sites (greater than 10,000 sites per cell) is expressed in IMR-32 and NMB neuroblastoma lines. Agonist binding was sensitive to Na+ and guanine nucleotides. The delta sites in IMR-32 and NMB cells were further characterized with delta selective ligands and [3H]DADL tracer. Their delta binding affinities were identical to those of the mu and delta cell line SK-N-SH; therefore the presence of mu sites does not appear to affect the binding behavior of the delta sites by any potential interaction among the binding proteins. Further, close correlations were found when comparing ligand binding in the human neuroblastoma cell lines with those of mouse neuroblastoma cells and rodent brain, an indication that the delta receptor is highly preserved among different species.

A human neuroblastoma cell line expresses mu and delta opioid receptor sites.

A series of neuroblastoma cell lines were screened for the presence of opioid receptor sites with the tracers [3H]diprenorphine (mu, delta, kappa ligand) and [3H]naloxone (mu-selective ligand). One human neuroblastoma cell line, SK-N-SH, displayed avid binding for both tracers. Binding experiments with multiple tracers revealed the presence of both mu and delta sites. These sites were stereospecific, saturable, and proteinaceous in character. Saturation binding experiments provided an estimate of 50,000 mu and 10,000 delta sites/cell. NaCl (100 mM) and guanine nucleotide, guanylyl imidodiphosphate (50 microM), reduced opioid agonist but not antagonist binding to these sites. Etorphine at 1 nM inhibited prostaglandin E1-stimulated cyclic AMP production by approximately 20%, which was reversible by naloxone. The opioid-binding sites on SK-N-SH cells closely resemble the previously reported mu and delta sites in human and rodent brain. Therefore, the SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cell line represents a useful tool to study the molecular functions of opioid receptors.