Cdc73 protects Notch-induced T-cell leukemia cells from DNA damage and mitochondrial stress.

ABSTRACT: Activated Notch signaling is highly prevalent in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), but pan-Notch inhibitors showed excessive toxicity in clinical trials. To find alternative ways to target Notch signals, we investigated cell division cycle 73 (Cdc73), which is a Notch cofactor and key component of the RNA polymerase-associated transcriptional machinery, an emerging target in T-ALL. Although we confirmed previous work that CDC73 interacts with NOTCH1, we also found that the interaction in T-ALL was context-dependent and facilitated by the transcription factor ETS1. Using mouse models, we showed that Cdc73 is important for Notch-induced T-cell development and T-ALL maintenance. Mechanistically, chromatin and nascent gene expression profiling showed that Cdc73 intersects with Ets1 and Notch at chromatin within enhancers to activate expression of known T-ALL oncogenes through its enhancer functions. Cdc73 also intersects with these factors within promoters to activate transcription of genes that are important for DNA repair and oxidative phosphorylation through its gene body functions. Consistently, Cdc73 deletion induced DNA damage and apoptosis and impaired mitochondrial function. The CDC73-induced DNA repair expression program co-opted by NOTCH1 is more highly expressed in T-ALL than in any other cancer. These data suggest that Cdc73 might induce a gene expression program that was eventually intersected and hijacked by oncogenic Notch to augment proliferation and mitigate the genotoxic and metabolic stresses of elevated Notch signaling. Our report supports studying factors such as CDC73 that intersect with Notch to derive a basic scientific understanding on how to combat Notch-dependent cancers without directly targeting the Notch complex.

Molecular consequences of the R453C hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation on human ß-cardiac myosin motor function.

Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is among the most frequently occurring inherited cardiac disorders. HCM is caused by mutations in the genes encoding the fundamental force-generating machinery of the cardiac muscle, including ß-cardiac myosin. Here, we present a biomechanical analysis of the HCM-causing mutation, R453C, in the context of human ß-cardiac myosin. We found that this mutation causes a ∼30% decrease in the maximum ATPase of the human ß-cardiac subfragment 1, the motor domain of myosin, and a similar percent decrease in the in vitro velocity. The major change in the R453C human ß-cardiac subfragment 1 is a 50% increase in the intrinsic force of the motor compared with wild type, with no appreciable change in the stroke size, as observed with a dual-beam optical trap. These results predict that the overall force of the ensemble of myosin molecules in the muscle should be higher in the R453C mutant compared with wild type. Loaded in vitro motility assay confirms that the net force in the ensemble is indeed increased. Overall, this study suggests that the R453C mutation should result in a hypercontractile state in the heart muscle.

Validation and quantification of peptide antigens presented on MHCs using SureQuant.

Vaccines and immunotherapies that target peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (peptide-MHCs) have the potential to address multiple unmet medical needs in cancer and infectious disease. Designing vaccines and immunotherapies to target peptide-MHCs requires accurate identification of target peptides in infected or cancerous cells or tissue, and may require absolute or relative quantification to identify abundant targets and measure changes in presentation under different treatment conditions. Internal standard parallel reaction monitoring (also known as 'SureQuant') can be used to validate and/or quantify MHC peptides previously identified by using untargeted methods such as data-dependent acquisition. SureQuant MHC has three main use cases: (i) conclusive confirmation of the identities of putative MHC peptides via comparison with an internal synthetic stable isotope labeled (SIL) peptide standard; (ii) accurate relative quantification by using pre-formed heavy isotope-labeled peptide-MHC complexes (hipMHCs) containing SIL peptides as internal controls for technical variation; and (iii) absolute quantification of each target peptide by using different amounts of hipMHCs loaded with synthetic peptides containing one, two or three SIL amino acids to provide an internal standard curve. Absolute quantification can help determine whether the abundance of a peptide-MHC is sufficient for certain therapeutic modalities. SureQuant MHC therefore provides unique advantages for immunologists seeking to confidently validate antigenic targets and understand the dynamics of the MHC repertoire. After synthetic standards are ordered (3-4 weeks), this protocol can be carried out in 3-4 days and is suitable for individuals with mass spectrometry experience who are comfortable with customizing instrument methods.

Cdc73 protects Notch-induced T-cell leukemia cells from DNA damage and mitochondrial stress.

Activated Notch signaling is highly prevalent in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) but pan-Notch inhibitors were toxic in clinical trials. To find alternative ways to target Notch signals, we investigated Cell division cycle 73 (Cdc73), which is a Notch cofactor and component of transcriptional machinery, a potential target in T-ALL. While we confirmed previous work that CDC73 interacts with NOTCH1, we also found that the interaction in T-ALL was context-dependent and facilitated by the lymphoid transcription factor ETS1. Using mouse models, we showed that Cdc73 is important for Notch-induced T-cell development and T-ALL maintenance. Mechanistically, Cdc73, Ets1, and Notch intersect chromatin at promoters and enhancers to activate oncogenes and genes that are important for DNA repair and oxidative phosphorylation. Consistently, Cdc73 deletion in T-ALL cells induced DNA damage and impaired mitochondrial function. Our data suggests that Cdc73 might promote a gene expression program that was eventually intersected by Notch to mitigate the genotoxic and metabolic stresses of elevated Notch signaling. We also provide mechanistic support for testing inhibitors of DNA repair, oxidative phosphorylation, and transcriptional machinery. Inhibiting pathways like Cdc73 that intersect with Notch at chromatin might constitute a strategy to weaken Notch signals without directly targeting the Notch complex.

Nitric oxide regulates pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell expression of the inducible cAMP early repressor gene.

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) structure and function, in part by activating soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) to synthesize cGMP. The objective of this study was to further characterize the signaling mechanisms by which NO regulates VSMC gene expression using transcription profiling. DNA microarrays were hybridized with RNA extracted from rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (RPaSMC) exposed to the NO donor compound, S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO). Many of the genes, whose expression was induced by GSNO, contain a cAMP-response element (CRE), of which one encoded the inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER). sGC and cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but not cGMP-dependent protein kinase, were required for NO-mediated phosphorylation of CRE-binding protein (CREB) and induction of ICER gene expression. Expression of a dominant-negative CREB in RPaSMC prevented the NO-mediated induction of CRE-dependent gene transcription and ICER gene expression. Pre-treatment of RPaSMC with the intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) chelator, BAPTA-AM, blocked the induction of ICER gene expression by GSNO. The store-operated Ca(2+) channel inhibitors, 2-ABP, and SKF-96365, reduced the GSNO-mediated increase in ICER mRNA levels, while 2-ABP did not inhibit GSNO-induced CREB phosphorylation. Our results suggest that induction of ICER gene expression by NO requires both CREB phosphorylation and Ca(2+) signaling. Transcription profiling of RPaSMC exposed to GSNO revealed important roles for sGC, PKA, CREB, and Ca(2+) in the regulation of gene expression by NO. The induction of ICER in GSNO-treated RPaSMC highlights a novel cross-talk mechanism between cGMP and cAMP signaling pathways.

Cardiogenic small molecules that enhance myocardial repair by stem cells.

The clinical success of stem cell therapy for myocardial repair hinges on a better understanding of cardiac fate mechanisms. We have identified small molecules involved in cardiac fate by screening a chemical library for activators of the signature gene Nkx2.5, using a luciferase knockin bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) in mouse P19CL6 pluripotent stem cells. We describe a family of sulfonyl-hydrazone (Shz) small molecules that can trigger cardiac mRNA and protein expression in a variety of embryonic and adult stem/progenitor cells, including human mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells (M-PBMCs). Small-molecule-enhanced M-PBMCs engrafted into the rat heart in proximity to an experimental injury improved cardiac function better than control cells. Recovery of cardiac function correlated with persistence of viable human cells, expressing human-specific cardiac mRNAs and proteins. Shz small molecules are promising starting points for drugs to promote myocardial repair/regeneration by activating cardiac differentiation in M-PBMCs.

Nitric oxide-dependent suppression of thioredoxin-interacting protein expression enhances thioredoxin activity.

OBJECTIVE: Cellular redox balance is regulated by enzymatic and nonenzymatic systems and freely diffusible nitric oxide (NO) promotes antioxidative mechanisms. We show the NO-dependent transcriptional regulation of the antioxidative thioredoxin system. METHODS AND RESULTS: Incubation of rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (RPaSMC) with the NO donor compound S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO, 100 micromol/L) suppressed thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip), an inhibitor of thioredoxin function, by 71+/-18% and enhanced thioredoxin reductase 2.7+/-0.2 fold (n=6; both P<0.001 versus control). GSNO increased thioredoxin activity (1.9+/-0.5-fold after 4 hours; P<0.05 versus control). Promoter deletion analysis revealed that NO suppression of Txnip transcription is mediated by cis-regulatory elements between -1777 and -1127 bp upstream of the start codon. Hyperglycemia induced Txnip promoter activity (3.9+/-0.2-fold; P<0.001) and abolished NO effects (-37.4+/-1.0% at 5.6 mmol/L glucose versus 12.4+/-2.1% at 22.4 mmol/L glucose; P<0.05). Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that GSNO stimulation and mutation of thioredoxin at Cys69, a site of nitrosylation, had no effect on the Txnip/thioredoxin interaction. CONCLUSIONS: NO can regulate cellular redox state by changing expression of Txnip and thioredoxin reductase. This represents a novel antioxidative mechanism of NO independent of posttranslational protein S-nitrosylation of thioredoxin.

Direct attachment of nanoparticle cargo to Salmonella typhimurium membranes designed for combination bacteriotherapy against tumors.

Nanoparticle technology is an emerging approach to resolve difficult-to-manage internal diseases. It is highly regarded, in particular, for medical use in treatment of cancer due to the innate ability of certain nanoparticles to accumulate in the porous environment of tumors and to be toxic to cancer cells. However, the therapeutic success of nanoparticles is limited by the technical difficulty of fully penetrating and thus attacking the tumor. Additionally, while nanoparticles possess seeming-specificity due to the unique physiological properties of tumors themselves, it is difficult to tailor the delivery of nanoparticles or drugs in other models, such as use in cardiac disease, to the specific target. Thus, a need for delivery systems that will accurately and precisely bring nanoparticles carrying drug payloads to their intended sites currently exists. Our solution to this engineering challenge is to load such nanoparticles onto a biological "mailman" (a novel, nontoxic, therapeutic strain of Salmonella typhimurium engineered to preferentially and precisely seek out, penetrate, and hinder prostate cancer cells as the biological delivery system) that will deliver the therapeutics to a target site. In this chapter, we describe two methods that establish proof-of-concept for our cargo loading and delivery system by attaching nanoparticles to the Salmonella membrane. The first method (Subheading 1.1) describes association of sucrose-conjugated gold nanoparticles to the surface of Salmonella bacteria. The second method (Subheading 1.2) biotinylates the native Salmonella membrane to attach streptavidin-conjugated fluorophores as example nanoparticle cargo, with an alternative method (expression of membrane bound biotin target sites using autodisplay plasmid vectors) that increases the concentration of biotin on the membrane surface for streptavidin-conjugated nanoparticle attachment. By directly attaching the fluorophores to our bacterial vector through biocompatible, covalent, and stable bonds, the coupling of bacterial and nanoparticle therapeutic approaches should synergistically lead to improved tumor destruction.

Phenotypic evolution of therapeutic Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium after invasion of TRAMP mouse prostate tumor.

Salmonella has been of interest in cancer research due to its intrinsic ability to selectively target and colonize within tumors, leading to tumor cell death. Current research indicates promising use of Salmonella in regular administrations to remove tumors in mouse models while minimizing toxic side effects. However, selection of mutants during such long-term tumor colonization is a safety concern, and understanding selection of certain phenotypes within a tumor is an important consideration in predicting the long-term success of bacterium-based cancer treatment strategies. Thus, we have made an initial examination of selected phenotypes in a therapeutic Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium population developed from an archival wild-type LT2 strain and intraperitoneally injected into a 6-month-old TRAMP (transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate) mouse. We compared the original injected strain to isolates recovered from prostate tumors and those recovered from the spleen and liver of non-tumor-bearing TRAMP mice through phenotypic assessments of bacteriophage susceptibility, motility, growth rates, morphology, and metabolic activity. Tumor isolate traits, particularly the loss of wild-type motility and flagella, reflect the selective pressure of the tumor, while the maintenance of bacteriophage resistance indicates no active selection to remove this robust trait. We posit that the Salmonella population adopts certain strategies to minimize energy consumption and maximize survival and proliferation once within the tumor. We find these insights to be nonnegligible considerations in the development of cancer therapies involving bacteria and suggest further examinations into the evolution of therapeutic strains during passage through tumors. Importance: Salmonella is of interest in cancer research due to its intrinsic abilities to selectively target, colonize, and replicate within tumors, leading to tumor cell death. However, mutation of strains during long-term colonization within tumors is a safety concern, and understanding their evolution within a tumor is an important consideration in predicting the long-term success of bacterium-based cancer treatment strategies. Thus, we have made an initial examination of phenotypically diverse Salmonella colonies recovered from a therapeutic Salmonella strain that we developed and injected into prostate tumor-bearing mice. We compared the bacteriophage susceptibility, motility, growth rates, morphology, and metabolic activity of the original therapeutic strain to those of strains recovered from prostate tumors of tumor-bearing mice and the liver and spleen of non-tumor-bearing mice. Our results suggest that the Salmonella population adopts certain strategies to minimize energy consumption and maximize survival and proliferation once within the tumor, leading to phenotypic changes in the strain.

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy associated with a transfusion reaction: A case of potential crosstalk between the histaminic and adrenergic systems.

The adrenergic and histaminergic systems have been reported to have analogous effects on the heart. A case of transient ventricular dysfunction with echocardiographic findings characteristic of stress-induced cardiomyopathy (also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy) in a patient who had an urticarial transfusion reaction is described. The effect of histamine on ventricular function and its interaction with the adrenergic system are discussed.