RhoA promotes epidermal stem cell proliferation via PKN1-cyclin D1 signaling.

OBJECTIVE: Epidermal stem cells (ESCs) play a critical role in wound healing, but the mechanism underlying ESC proliferation is not well defined. Here, we explore the effects of RhoA on ESC proliferation and the possible underlying mechanism. METHODS: Human ESCs were enriched by rapid adhesion to collagen IV. RhoA(+/+)(G14V), RhoA(-/-)(T19N) and pGFP control plasmids were transfected into human ESCs. The effect of RhoA on cell proliferation was detected by cell proliferation and DNA synthesis assays. Induction of PKN1 activity by RhoA was determined by immunoblot analysis, and the effects of PKN1 on RhoA in terms of inducing cell proliferation and cyclin D1 expression were detected using specific siRNA targeting PKN1. The effects of U-46619 (a RhoA agonist) and C3 transferase (a RhoA antagonist) on ESC proliferation were observed in vivo. RESULTS: RhoA had a positive effect on ESC proliferation, and PKN1 activity was up-regulated by the active RhoA mutant (G14V) and suppressed by RhoA T19N. Moreover, the ability of RhoA to promote ESC proliferation and DNA synthesis was interrupted by PKN1 siRNA. Additionally, cyclin D1 protein and mRNA expression levels were up-regulated by RhoA G14V, and these effects were inhibited by siRNA-mediated knock-down of PKN1. RhoA also promoted ESC proliferation via PKN in vivo. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the effect of RhoA on ESC proliferation is mediated by activation of the PKN1-cyclin D1 pathway in vitro, suggesting that RhoA may serve as a new therapeutic target for wound healing.

Leukaemia-associated Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (LARG) plays an agonist specific role in platelet function through RhoA activation.

Leukemia-Associated RhoGEF (LARG) is highly expressed in platelets, which are essential for maintaining normal haemostasis. We studied the function of LARG in murine and human megakaryocytes and platelets with Larg knockout (KO), shRNA-mediated knockdown and small molecule-mediated inhibition. We found that LARG is important for human, but not murine, megakaryocyte maturation. Larg KO mice exhibit macrothrombocytopenia, internal bleeding in the ovaries and prolonged bleeding times. KO platelets have impaired aggregation, α-granule release and integrin α2bß3 activation in response to thrombin and thromboxane, but not to ADP. The same agonist-specific reductions in platelet aggregation occur in human platelets treated with a LARG inhibitor. Larg KO platelets have reduced RhoA activation and myosin light chain phosphorylation, suggesting that Larg plays an agonist-specific role in platelet signal transduction. Using two different in vivo assays, Larg KO mice are protected from in vivo thrombus formation. Together, these results establish that LARG regulates human megakaryocyte maturation, and is critical for platelet function in both humans and mice.

Elevated phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL-3) promotes cytoskeleton reorganization, cell migration and invasion in endometrial stromal cells from endometrioma.

STUDY QUESTION: Is phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) associated with increased motility of endometriotic cells from endometrioma? SUMMARY ANSWER: Elevated PRL-3 promotes cytoskeleton reorganization, cell migration and invasion of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) from endometrioma. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Overexpression of PRL-3 is associated with cancer cell migration, invasion and metastatic phenotype. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Primary human ESCs were isolated from eutopic endometrium of women without endometriosis (EuCo, n = 10), with histologically proven endometrioma (EuEM, n = 19) and from the cyst wall of ovarian endometriosis (OvEM, n = 26). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The expression of PRL-3 in ESCs derived from EuCo, EuEM and OvEM at different phases of menstrual cycle were compared. The protein and mRNA levels of PRL-3 were examined by western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively. ESCs from OvEM were transfected with/without short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or small interfering RNA (siRNA). Additionally, a plasmid-mediated delivery system was used to achieve PRL-3 overexpression in ESCs from EuEM. The cellular distribution of F-actin and α-tubulin were examined by immunocytochemistry. Cell motility was evaluated by a transwell migration/invasion assay. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The protein and mRNA levels of PRL-3 are significantly elevated in ESCs from OvEM compared with EuCo and EuEM. The expression of PRL-3 was not altered between proliferative phase and secretory phase in ESCs from all groups. Knockdown of PRL-3 significantly modified the distribution of F-actin and α-tubulin cytoskeleton, inhibited cell migration and invasion. Endogenous inhibition of PRL-3 attenuated the expression of Ras homolog gene family members A and C (RhoA, RhoC), Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9, but not MMP2 in ESCs from OvEM. Additionally, overexpression of PRL-3 in ESCs from EuEM up-regulates cell migration and invasion, and increases the expression of RhoA, RhoC, ROCK1 and MMP9. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Lack of in vivo animal studies is the major limitation of our report. Our results should be further confirmed in a larger cohort of patients and extended to include eutopic and ectopic endometrium from patients with peritoneal endometriosis at different stages of the disease. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our study describes that elevated expression of PRL-3 contributes to the cell motility of ESCs from endometrioma. The results emphasize the importance of metastatic-related factor PRL-3 in the pathogenesis of endometrioma. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81170546) and Zhejiang Medicine Science and Technology Projects (No. Y13H040003). The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Amplified inhibition of stellate cell activation pathways by PPAR-γ, RAR and RXR agonists.

Peroxisome proliferator activator receptors (PPAR) ligands such as 15-Δ12,13-prostaglandin L(2) [PJ] and all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) have been shown to inhibit the development of liver fibrosis. The role of ligands of retinoic X receptor (RXR) and its ligand, 9-cis, is less clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combined treatment of the three ligends, PJ, ATRA and 9-cis, on key events during liver fibrosis in rat primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We found that the anti-proliferative effect of the combined treatment of PJ, ATRA and 9-cis on HSCs was additive. Further experiments revealed that this inhibition was due to cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase as demonstrated by FACS analysis. In addition, the combined treatment reduced cyclin D1 expression and increased p21 and p27 protein levels. Furthermore, we found that the three ligands down regulated the phosphorylation of mTOR and p70(S6K). The activation of HSCs was also inhibited by the three ligands as shown by inhibition of vitamin A lipid droplets depletion from HSCs. Studies using real time PCR and western blot analysis showed marked inhibition of collagen Iα1 and αSMA by the combination of the three ligands. These findings suggest that the combined use of PJ, ATRA and 9-cis causes inhibition of cell proliferation by cell cycle arrest and down-regulation of fibrotic markers to a greater extent compared to each of the ligands alone.

Functional analysis of Rho GTPase activation and inhibition in a bead-based miniaturized format.

Extensive knowledge about protein-protein interactions is fundamental to fully understand signaling pathways and for the development of new drugs. Rho GTPases are key molecules in cellular signaling processes and their deregulation is implicated in the development of a variety of diseases such as neurofibromatosis type 2 and cancer. Here, we describe a bead-based protein-protein interaction assay for overexpressed HA-tagged Rho GTPases to study the GTPγS-dependent interaction with the regulatory protein RhoGDIα. This assay provides a useful tool for the analysis of both macromolecular and small molecule activators and inhibitors of the protein-protein interactions of Rho GTPases with their regulatory proteins in a multiplexed miniaturized format.

Anacardic acid (6-pentadecylsalicylic acid) inhibits tumor angiogenesis by targeting Src/FAK/Rho GTPases signaling pathway.

Anacardic acid (6-pentadecylsalicylic acid), a natural inhibitor of histone acetyltransferase from Amphipterygium adstringens, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidative, and antimicrobial functions. However, whether this salicylic acid could block angiogenesis has not been elucidated to date. Here, we postulate that anacardic acid affects multiple steps of tumor angiogenesis to contribute to tumor inhibition. In this study, we found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion and capillary-like structure formation of primary cultured human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) could all be significantly suppressed by anacardic acid in vitro, without detectable cellular toxicity. Furthermore, anacardic acid effectively inhibited vascular development in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane ex vivo (n = 10) and VEGF-triggered corneal neovascularization in vivo (n = 10). A mechanistic study revealed that anacardic acid blocked activities of Src and FAK kinases in concentration- and time-dependent manners in HUVECs, resulting in activation of RhoA-GTPase and inactivation of Rac1- and Cdc42-GTPases. Of note, when anacardic acid (2 mg/kg per day) was subcutaneously administrated to mice bearing human prostate tumor xenografts (n = 6-7), the volume and weight of solid tumors were significantly retarded. Src, Ki-67, and CD31 immunohistochemical staining further revealed that Src protein expression, tumor cell proliferation, and microvessel density could be remarkably suppressed by anacardic acid. Taken together, our findings demonstrate for the first time that anacardic acid functions as a potent tumor angiogenesis inhibitor by targeting the Src/FAK/Rho GTPase signaling pathway, leading to significant suppression of prostate tumor growth.

Mixed tocopherols prevent mammary tumorigenesis by inhibiting estrogen action and activating PPAR-gamma.

PURPOSE: Tocopherols are lipophilic antioxidants present in vegetable oils. Although the antioxidant and anticancer activities of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) have been studied for decades, recent intervention studies with alpha-tocopherol have been negative for protection from cancer in humans. The tocopherols consist of four isoforms, which are the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta variants, and recent attention is being given to other isoforms. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of a tocopherol mixture rich in gamma- and delta-tocopherols against mammary tumorigenesis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Female Sprague Dawley rats were treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU), and then fed diets containing 0.1%, 0.3%, or 0.5% mixed tocopherols rich in gamma- and delta-tocopherols for 9 weeks. Tumor burden and multiplicity were determined, and the levels of markers of inflammation, proliferation, and apoptosis were evaluated in the serum and in mammary tumors. The regulation of nuclear receptor signaling by tocopherols was studied in mammary tumors and in breast cancer cells. RESULTS: Dietary administration of 0.1%, 0.3%, or 0.5% mixed tocopherols suppressed mammary tumor growth by 38%, 50%, or 80%, respectively. Tumor multiplicity was also significantly reduced in all three mixed tocopherol groups. Mixed tocopherols increased the expression of p21, p27, caspase-3, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma, and inhibited AKT and estrogen signaling in mammary tumors. Our mechanistic study found that gamma- and delta-tocopherols, but not alpha-tocopherol, activated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma and antagonized estrogen action in breast cancer. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that gamma- and delta-tocopherols may be effective agents for the prevention of breast cancer.

Galpha12/13- and rho-dependent activation of phospholipase C-epsilon by lysophosphatidic acid and thrombin receptors.

Because phospholipase C epsilon (PLC-epsilon) is activated by Galpha(12/13) and Rho family GTPases, we investigated whether these G proteins contribute to the increased inositol lipid hydrolysis observed in COS-7 cells after activation of certain G protein-coupled receptors. Stimulation of inositol lipid hydrolysis by endogenous lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) or thrombin receptors was markedly enhanced by the expression of PLC-epsilon. Expression of the LPA(1) or PAR1 receptor increased inositol phosphate production in response to LPA or SFLLRN, respectively, and these agonist-stimulated responses were markedly enhanced by coexpression of PLC-epsilon. Both LPA(1) and PAR1 receptor-mediated activation of PLC-epsilon was inhibited by coexpression of the regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain of p115RhoGEF, a GTPase-activating protein for Galpha(12/13) but not by expression of the RGS domain of GRK2, which inhibits Galpha(q) signaling. In contrast, activation of the G(q)-coupled M1 muscarinic or P2Y(2) purinergic receptor was neither enhanced by coexpression with PLC-epsilon nor inhibited by the RGS domain of p115RhoGEF but was blocked by expression of the RGS domain of GRK2. Expression of the Rho inhibitor C3 botulinum toxin did not affect LPA- or SFLLRN-stimulated inositol lipid hydrolysis in the absence of PLC-epsilon but completely prevented the PLC-epsilon-dependent increase in inositol phosphate accumulation. Likewise, C3 toxin blocked the PLC-epsilon-dependent stimulatory effects of the LPA(1), LPA(2), LPA(3), or PAR1 receptor but had no effect on the agonist-promoted inositol phosphate response of the M1 or P2Y(2) receptor. Moreover, PLC-epsilon-dependent stimulation of inositol phosphate accumulation by activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor, which involves Ras- but not Rho-mediated activation of the phospholipase, was unaffected by C3 toxin. These studies illustrate that specific LPA and thrombin receptors promote inositol lipid signaling via activation of Galpha(12/13) and Rho.

The cAMP signaling pathway has opposing effects on Rac and Rho in B16F10 cells: implications for dendrite formation in melanocytic cells.

A hallmark of melanocytic cells is their ability to form dendrites in response to growth factors and to ultraviolet irradiation. It is known that the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) second messenger pathway stimulates melanocyte dendrite formation because agents that increase cAMP such as forskolin and dibutyrl cAMP induce dendrite formation in normal human and murine melanocytes and melanoma cell lines. The Rho family of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins regulates cytoskeletal reorganization in all cells tested and Rac and Rho have both been shown to regulate melanocyte dendrite formation. In this report, we analyzed the effect of cAMP on the activation of Rac and Rho and show that elevation of cAMP stimulates Rac and inhibits Rho in B16F10 cells. The Rho GTP-binding proteins have also been shown to either cross-activate or inhibit each other and in this report we show that Rac activates Rho in B16F10 cells. Microinjection of C3 botulinum exoenzyme toxin, an agent that specifically inactivates Rho or microinjection of constitutively active mutant Rac protein-induced dendricity in human melanocytes and in B16F10 and B16F1 murine melanoma cell lines. We conclude that cAMP-mediated dendrite formation in melanocytic cells is mediated through upregulation of Rac activity and downregulation of Rho activity.