Upgrading Mitochondria-Targeting Peptide-Based Nanocomplexes for Zebrafish In Vivo Compatibility Assays.

The lack of effective delivery systems has slowed the development of mitochondrial gene therapy. Delivery systems based on cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) like the WRAP (tryptophan and arginine-rich peptide) family conjugated with a mitochondrial targeting sequence (MTS) have emerged as adequate carriers to mediate gene expression into the mitochondria. In this work, we performed the PEGylation of WRAP/pDNA nanocomplexes and compared them with previously analyzed nanocomplexes such as (KH)9/pDNA and CpMTP/pDNA. All nanocomplexes exhibited nearly homogeneous sizes between 100 and 350 nm in different environments. The developed complexes were biocompatible and hemocompatible to both human astrocytes and lung smooth muscle cells, ensuring in vivo safety. The nanocomplexes displayed mitochondria targeting ability, as through transfection they preferentially accumulate into the mitochondria of astrocytes and muscle cells to the detriment of cytosol and lysosomes. Moreover, the transfection of these cells with MTS-CPP/pDNA complexes produced significant levels of mitochondrial protein ND1, highlighting their efficient role as gene delivery carriers toward mitochondria. The positive obtained data pave the way for in vivo research. Using confocal microscopy, the cellular internalization capacity of these nanocomplexes in the zebrafish embryo model was assessed. The peptide-based nanocomplexes were easily internalized into zebrafish embryos, do not cause harmful or toxic effects, and do not affect zebrafish's normal development and growth. These promising results indicate that MTS-CPP complexes are stable nanosystems capable of internalizing in vivo models and do not present associated toxicity. This work, even at an early stage, offers good prospects for continued in vivo zebrafish research to evaluate the performance of nanocomplexes for mitochondrial gene therapy.

Drosophila Aurora A kinase is required to localize D-TACC to centrosomes and to regulate astral microtubules.

Disruption of the function of the A-type Aurora kinase of Drosophila by mutation or RNAi leads to a reduction in the length of astral microtubules in syncytial embryos, larval neuroblasts, and cultured S2 cells. In neuroblasts, it can also lead to loss of an organized centrosome and its associated aster from one of the spindle poles, whereas the centrosome at the other pole has multiple centrioles. When centrosomes are present at the poles of aurA mutants or aurA RNAi spindles, they retain many antigens but are missing the Drosophila counterpart of mammalian transforming acidic coiled coil (TACC) proteins, D-TACC. We show that a subpopulation of the total Aurora A is present in a complex with D-TACC, which is a substrate for the kinase. We propose that one of the functions of Aurora A kinase is to direct centrosomal organization such that D-TACC complexed to the MSPS/XMAP215 microtubule-associated protein may be recruited, and thus modulate the behavior of astral microtubules.

The use of the NEDD8 inhibitor MLN4924 (Pevonedistat) in a cyclotherapy approach to protect wild-type p53 cells from MLN4924 induced toxicity.

Targetting the ubiquitin pathway is an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. The inhibitor of the ubiquitin-like molecule NEDD8 pathway, MLN4924 (Pevonedistat) is in Phase II clinical trials. Protection of healthy cells from the induced toxicity of the treatment while preserving anticancer efficacy is a highly anticipated outcome in chemotherapy. Cyclotherapy was proposed as a promising approach to achieve this goal. We found that cytostatic activation of p53 protects cells against MLN4924-induced toxicity and importantly the effects are reversible. In contrast, cells with mutant or no p53 remain sensitive to NEDD8 inhibition. Using zebrafish embryos, we show that MLN4924-induced apoptosis is reduced upon pre-treatment with actinomycin D in vivo. Our studies show that the cellular effects of NEDD8 inhibition can be manipulated based on the p53 status and that NEDD8 inhibitors can be used in a p53-based cyclotherapy protocol to specifically target cancer cells devoid of wild type p53 function, while healthy cells will be protected from the induced toxicity.

TOM1L1 drives membrane delivery of MT1-MMP to promote ERBB2-induced breast cancer cell invasion.

ERBB2 overexpression in human breast cancer leads to invasive carcinoma but the mechanism is not clearly understood. Here we report that TOM1L1 is co-amplified with ERBB2 and defines a subgroup of HER2(+)/ER(+) tumours with early metastatic relapse. TOM1L1 encodes a GAT domain-containing trafficking protein and is a SRC substrate that negatively regulates tyrosine kinase signalling. We demonstrate that TOM1L1 upregulation enhances the invasiveness of ERBB2-transformed cells. This pro-tumoural function does not involve SRC, but implicates membrane-bound membrane-type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP)-dependent activation of invadopodia, membrane protrusions specialized in extracellular matrix degradation. Mechanistically, ERBB2 elicits the indirect phosphorylation of TOM1L1 on Ser321. The phosphorylation event promotes GAT-dependent association of TOM1L1 with the sorting protein TOLLIP and trafficking of the metalloprotease MT1-MMP from endocytic compartments to invadopodia for tumour cell invasion. Collectively, these results show that TOM1L1 is an important element of an ERBB2-driven proteolytic invasive programme and that TOM1L1 amplification potentially enhances the metastatic progression of ERBB2-positive breast cancers.

On the role of aurora-A in centrosome function.

Mammalian aurora-A belongs to a multigenic family of mitotic serine/threonine kinases comprising two other members: aurora-B and aurora-C. In this review we will focus on aurora-A that starts to localize to centrosomes only in S phase as soon as centrioles have been duplicated, the protein is then degraded in early G1. Works in various organisms have revealed that the kinase is involved in centrosome separation, duplication and maturation as well as in bipolar spindle assembly and stability. Aurora kinases are found in all organisms in which their function has been conserved throughout evolution, namely the control of chromosome segregation. In human, aurora-A has focused a lot of attention, since its overexpression has been found to be correlated with the grade of various solid tumours. Ectopic kinase overexpression in any culture cell line leads to polyploidy and centrosome amplification. However, overexpression of aurora-A in particular cell lines such as NIH3T3 is sufficient to induce growth on soft agar. Those transformed cells form tumours when implanted in immunodeficient mice, indicating that the kinase is an oncogene.

ABL tyrosine kinase inhibition variable effects on the invasive properties of different triple negative breast cancer cell lines.

The non-receptor tyrosine kinase ABL drives myeloid progenitor expansion in human chronic myeloid leukemia. ABL inhibition by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib is a first-line treatment for this disease. Recently, ABL has also been implicated in the transforming properties of solid tumors, including triple negative (TN) breast cancer. TN breast cancers are highly metastatic and several cell lines derived from these tumors display high invasive activity in vitro. This feature is associated with the activation of actin-rich membrane structures called invadopodia that promote extracellular matrix degradation. Here, we investigated nilotinib effect on the invasive and migratory properties of different TN breast cancer cell lines. Nilotinib decreased both matrix degradation and invasion in the TN breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB 231 and MDA-MB 468. However, and unexpectedly, nilotinib increased by two-fold the invasive properties of the TN breast cancer cell line BT-549 and of Src-transformed fibroblasts. Both display much higher levels of ABL kinase activity compared to MDA-MB 231. Similar effects were obtained by siRNA-mediated down-regulation of ABL expression, confirming ABL central role in this process. ABL anti-tumor effect in BT-549 cells and Src-transformed fibroblasts was not dependent on EGF secretion, as recently reported in neck and squamous carcinoma cells. Rather, we identified the TRIO-RAC1 axis as an important downstream element of ABL activity in these cancer cells. In conclusion, the observation that TN breast cancer cell lines respond differently to ABL inhibitors could have implications for future therapies.

Klotho interferes with a novel FGF-signalling pathway and insulin/Igf-like signalling to improve longevity and stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Klotho exerts anti-aging properties in mammals in two different ways. While membrane-bound Klotho, which is primarily expressed in the kidney, acts as an obligate co-receptor of FGF23 to regulate phosphate homeostasis, secreted Klotho, resulting from the shedding of the KL1-KL2 ectodomain into the bloodstream, inhibits Insulin/IGF1 signalling. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the biological role of Klotho in Caenorhabditis elegans. Two redundant homologues of the klotho gene exist in C. elegans and encode predicted proteins homologous to the  glucosidase-like KL1 domain of mammalian Klotho. We have used a genetic approach to investigate the functional activity of Klotho in C. elegans. Here, we report that whereas Klotho requires EGL-15 (FGFR) and EGL-17 to promote longevity and oxidative stress resistance, it is not involved in the regulation of fluid homeostasis, controlled by LET-756. Besides revealing a new post-developmental role for EGL-17, our data suggest that the KL1 form of Klotho is involved in FGF23-independent FGF signalling. We also report a genetic interaction between Klotho and the DAF-2 (Ins/IGF1R)/DAF-16 (FOXO) pathway. While the regulation of longevity requires functional DAF-2/DAF-16 signalling, the control of oxidative stress resistance involves a DAF-2- independent, DAF-16-dependent pathway, suggesting that Klotho may target either DAF-2 or DAF-16, depending of environmental conditions. Thus, the predictive KL1 form of Klotho appears to crosstalk with both FGF and Insulin/IGF1/FOXO pathways to exert anti-aging properties in C. elegans.

Inhibition of myoblast differentiation by Sfrp1 and Sfrp2.

Secreted Frizzled-related proteins (Sfrps) are extracellular regulators of Wnt signalling and play important roles in developmental and oncogenic processes. They are known to be upregulated in regenerating muscle and in myoblast cultures but their function is unknown. Here, we show that the addition of recombinant Sfrp1 or Sfrp2 to C2C12 cell line cultures or to primary cultures of satellite cells results in the inhibition of myotube formation with no significant effect on the cell cycle or apoptosis. Even though at confluence, treated and untreated cultures are identical in appearance, analyses have shown that, for maximum effect, the cells have to be treated while they are proliferating. Furthermore, removal of Sfrp from the culture medium during differentiation restores normal myotube formation. We conclude that Sfrp1 and Sfrp2 act to prevent myoblasts from entering the terminal differentiation process.

Preparation and characterization of a human aurora-A kinase monoclonal antibody.

We have developed monoclonal antibodies against the human aurora-A serine/threonine kinase. After immunization of a mouse, a fusion was performed to obtain hybridomas that were selected because they produced immunoglobulin positively reacting against the protein used for immunization. We isolated one particular monoclonal that we named 35C1 using a series of selective assays. The first criteria of the screen for monoclonals was an ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay) assay performed in 96-well plates against the purified recombinant histidine-tagged aurora-A. The second was a positive Western blot against the same recombinant protein. The third criteria was a positive western blot against an HeLa cell extract, the selected monoclonal should detect only one protein migrating at 46 kDa (kiloDalton) on SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Finally, the monoclonal had to bind to duplicated centrosomes and spindle poles in human MCF7 cultured cells by indirect immunofluorescence. At this stage several monoclonals were still positive. We then increased the selectivity by searching for antibodies that were able to cross-react with the mouse aurora-A kinase both by western blot and indirect immunofluorescence. We selected and cloned the 35C1 hybridoma to produce the antibody. Further characterization of the 35C1 antibody revealed that it was able to immunoprecipitate the kinase, that it did not inhibit the aurora-A kinase activity and consequently could be used to measure the aurora-A kinase activity in vivo after immunoprecipitation.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain protein is involved in the neurotrophin receptor-mediated antiapoptotic activity of nerve growth factor in breast cancer cells.

The common neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR) has been shown to initiate intracellular signaling that leads either to cell survival or to apoptosis depending on the cell type examined; however, the mechanism by which p75(NTR) initiates its intracellular transduction remains unclear. We show here that the tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain protein (TRADD) interacts with p75(NTR) upon nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation. TRADD could be immunodetected after p75(NTR) immunoprecipitation from MCF-7 breast cancer cells stimulated by nerve growth factor. In addition, confocal microscopy indicated that NGF stimulation induced the plasma membrane localization of TRADD. Using a dominant negative form of TRADD, we also show that interactions between p75(NTR) and TRADD are dependent on the death domain of TRADD, thus demonstrating its requirement for binding. Furthermore, the p75(NTR)-mediated activation of NF-kappaB was inhibited by transfection with a dominant negative TRADD, resulting in an inhibition of NGF antiapoptotic activity. These results thus demonstrate that TRADD is involved in the p75(NTR)-mediated antiapoptotic activity of NGF in breast cancer cells.

Normal breast epithelial cells induce apoptosis of breast cancer cells via Fas signaling.

Fas/Fas ligand (Fas L) death pathway is an important mediator of apoptosis. Deregulation of Fas pathway is reported to be involved in the immune escape of breast cancer and the resistance to anti-cancer drugs. In this study, we demonstrated that conditioned medium by normal breast epithelial cells (NBEC-CM) induced apoptosis of MCF-7 and T-47D Fas-sensitive cells but had no effect on MDA-MB-231 Fas-resistant cells. Inhibition of PI3 kinase or NF-kappaB by specific inhibitors or transient transfections restored the sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to NBEC-induced apoptosis. Moreover, the constitutive activation of NF-kappaB was controlled by PI3 kinase because inhibition of PI3 kinase reduced NF-kappaB activity. Inducible activation of NF-kappaB rendered MCF-7 cells resistant to NBEC-CM- and Fas agonist antibody-triggered apoptosis. Therefore, constitutive or inducible activation of PI3 kinase and/or NF-kappaB in breast cancer cells rendered them resistant to NBEC-triggered apoptosis. In addition, Fas neutralizing antibody and dominant negative Fas abolished NBEC-triggered apoptosis. Western blot and confocal microscopy analysis showed an increase of membrane Fas/Fas L when cells were induced into apoptotis by NBEC-CM. Taken together, these data show that NBEC induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells via Fas signaling.