Protein disulfide isomerase A1 regulates breast cancer cell immunorecognition in a manner dependent on redox state.

Oxidoreductase protein disulphide isomerases (PDI) are involved in the regulation of a variety of biological processes including the modulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response (UPR), ER­mitochondria communication and the balance between pro­survival and pro­death pathways. In the current study the role of the PDIA1 family member in breast carcinogenesis was investigated by measuring ROS generation, mitochondrial membrane disruption, ATP production and HLA­G protein levels on the surface of the cellular membrane in the presence or absence of PDIA1. The results showed that this enzyme exerted pro­apoptotic effects in estrogen receptor (ERα)­positive breast cancer MCF­7 and pro­survival in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA­MB­231 cells. ATP generation was upregulated in PDIA1­silenced MCF­7 cells and downregulated in PDIA1­silenced MDA­MB­231 cells in a manner dependent on the cellular redox status. Furthermore, MCF­7 and MDA­MB­231 cells in the presence of PDIA1 expressed higher surface levels of the non­classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA­G) under oxidative stress conditions. Evaluation of the METABRIC datasets showed that low PDIA1 and high HLA­G mRNA expression levels correlated with longer survival in both ERα­positive and ERα­negative stage 2 breast cancer patients. In addition, analysis of the PDIA1 vs. the HLA­G mRNA ratio in the subgroup of the living stage 2 breast cancer patients exhibiting low PDIA1 and high HLA­G mRNA levels revealed that the longer the survival time of the ratio was high PDIA1 and low HLA­G mRNA and occurred predominantly in ERα­positive breast cancer patients whereas in the same subgroup of the ERα­negative breast cancer mainly this ratio was low PDIA1 and high HLA­G mRNA. Taken together these results provide evidence supporting the view that PDIA1 is linked to several hallmarks of breast cancer pathways including the process of antigen processing and presentation and tumor immunorecognition.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress, unfolded protein response and autophagy contribute to resistance to glucocorticoid treatment in human acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most frequent childhood cancer and, although it is highly treatable, resistance to therapy, toxicity and side effects remain challenging. The synthetic glucocorticoid (GC) dexamethasone (Dex) is commonly used to treat ALL, the main drawback of which is the development of resistance to this treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential molecular circuits mediating resistance and sensitivity to GC­induced apoptosis in ALL. The leukaemia cell lines CEM­C7­14, CEM­C1­15 and MOLT4 treated with chloroquine (CLQ), thapsigargin (TG) and rotenone (ROT) were used to explore the roles of autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress/unfolded protein response (UPR) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the response to GC treatment. ROS levels were associated with increased cell death and mitochondrial membrane potential in rotenone­treated CEM cells. Autophagy inhibition by CLQ exhibited the strongest cytotoxic effect in GC­resistant leukaemia. Autophagy may act as a pro­survival mechanism in GC­resistant leukaemia since increasing trends in beclin­1 and microtubule­associated protein 1 light chain 3α levels were detected in CEM­C1­15 and MOLT4 cells treated with Dex, whereas decreasing trends in these autophagy markers were observed in CEM­C7­14 cells. The intracellular protein levels of the ER stress markers glucose­regulated protein (GRP)78 and GRP94 were stimulated by Dex only in the GC­sensitive cells, suggesting a role of these chaperones in the GC­mediated ALL cell death. Increased cell surface levels of GRP94 were recorded in CEM­C7­14 cells treated with combination of Dex with TG compared with those in cells treated with TG alone, whereas decreasing trends were observed in CEM­C1­15 cells under these conditions. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrated that autophagy may be a pro­survival mechanism in GC­resistant leukaemia, and by modulating intracellular and surface GRP94 protein levels, Dex is involved in the regulation of ER stress/UPR­dependent cell death and immune surveillance. These observations may be of clinical importance if confirmed in patients.

Sirtuin Family Members Selectively Regulate Autophagy in Osteosarcoma and Mesothelioma Cells in Response to Cellular Stress.

The class III NAD+ dependent deacetylases-sirtuins (SIRTs) link transcriptional regulation to DNA damage response and reactive oxygen species generation thereby modulating a wide range of cellular signaling pathways. Here, the contribution of SIRT1, SIRT3, and SIRT5 in the regulation of cellular fate through autophagy was investigated under diverse types of stress. The effects of sirtuins' silencing on cell survival and autophagy was followed in human osteosarcoma and mesothelioma cells exposed to DNA damage and oxidative stress. Our results suggest that the mitochondrial sirtuins SIRT3 and 5 are pro-proliferative under certain cellular stress conditions and this effect correlates with their role as positive regulators of autophagy. SIRT1 has more complex role which is cell type specific and can affect autophagy in both positive and negative ways. The mitochondrial sirtuins (SIRT3 and SIRT5) affect both early and late stages of autophagy, whereas SIRT1 acts mostly at later stages of the autophagic process. Investigation of potential crosstalk between SIRT1, SIRT3, and SIRT5 revealed several feedback loops and a significant role of SIRT5 in regulating SIRT3 and SIRT1. Results presented here support the notion that sirtuin family members play important as well as differential roles in the regulation of autophagy in osteosarcoma vs. mesothelioma cells exposed to DNA damage and oxidative stress, and this can be exploited in increasing the response of cancer cells to chemotherapy.

Transmembrane protein 139 (TMEM139) interacts with human kidney isoform of anion exchanger 1 (kAE1).

Human kidney anion exchanger 1 (kAE1) mediates Cl(-)/HCO3(-) exchanges at the basolateral membrane of the acid-secreting α-intercalated cells. Mutations in SLC4A1 gene encoding kAE1 are associated with distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA). Several studies have shown that impaired trafficking of the mutant kAE1 is an important molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of dRTA. Proteins involved in kAE1 trafficking were identified but the mechanism resulting in dRTA remained unclear. Thus, this study attempted to search for additional proteins interacting with C-terminal of kAE1 (Ct-kAE1) and involved in kAE1 trafficking to cell membrane. Transmembrane protein 139 (TMEM139) was identified as a protein interacting with Ct-kAE1 by yeast two-hybrid screening. The interaction between kAE1 and TMEM139 was confirmed by affinity co-purification, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-based protein fragment complementation assay (PCA). In addition, flow cytometry results showed that suppression of endogenous TMEM139 by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and over-expression of TMEM139 in HEK293T cells could reduce and increase membrane localization of kAE1, respectively. The presented data demonstrate that TMEM139 interacts with kAE1 and promotes its intracellular trafficking.

NF-κB is required for dengue virus NS5-induced RANTES expression.

Dengue virus (DENV) infection associates with renal disorders. Patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever and acute kidney injury have a high mortality rate. Increased levels of cytokines may contribute to the pathogenesis of DENV-induced kidney injury. Currently, molecular mechanisms how DENV induces kidney cell injury has not been thoroughly investigated. Excessive cytokine production may be involved in this process. Using human cytokine RT(2) Profiler PCR array, 14 genes including IP-10, RANTES, IL-8, CXCL-9 and MIP-1ß were up-regulated more than 2 folds in DENV-infected HEK 293 cells compared to that of mock-infected HEK 293 cells. In the present study, RANTES was suppressed by the NF-κB inhibitor, compound A (CpdA), in DENV-infected HEK 293 cells implying the role of NF-κB in RANTES expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed that NF-κB binds more efficiently to its binding sites on the RANTES promoter in NS5-transfected HEK 293 cells than in HEK 293 cells expressing the vector lacking NS5 gene. To further examine whether the NS5-activated RANTES promoter is mediated through NF-κB, the two NF-κB binding sites on the RANTES promoter were mutated and this promoter was coupled to the luciferase cDNA. The result showed that when both binding sites of NF-κB in the RANTES promoter were mutated, the ability of NS5 to induce the luciferase activity was significantly decreased. Therefore, DENV NS5 activates RANTES production by increasing NF-κB binding to its binding sites on the RANTES promoter.

Dengue virus disrupts Daxx and NF-κB interaction to induce CD137-mediated apoptosis.

Dengue virus (DENV) is a positive-strand RNA virus of the Flavivirus family with 4 different serotypes. Clinical manifestations of DENV infection include dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and dengue shock syndrome. Following DENV infection, apoptosis of hepatic cells is observed both in vitro and in vivo. However, the molecular mechanisms revealing how viral components affect cellular apoptosis remain unclear. In the present study, the role of death domain-associated protein 6 (Daxx) in DENV-mediated apoptosis was characterized by RNA interference and overexpression studies, and the anti-apoptotic function of Daxx during DENV infection was identified. Furthermore, the viral component, DENV capsid protein (DENV C), interacted with Daxx to disrupt interaction between Daxx and NF-κB. The liberated NF-κB activated the promoter of CD137, which is a member of the TNF family, and is previously shown to induce apoptosis during DENV infection. In summary, DENV C disrupts Daxx and NF-κB interaction to induce CD137-mediated apoptosis during DENV infection.

Compound A, a dissociated glucocorticoid receptor modulator, reduces dengue virus-induced cytokine secretion and dengue virus production.

Dengue Virus (DENV) infection is an important mosquito-borne viral disease and its clinical symptoms range from a predominantly febrile disease, dengue fever (DF), to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Increased levels of cytokines - the so-called 'cytokine storm', contribute to the pathogenesis of DHF/DSS. In this study, we compared the expression of cytokine genes between mock-infected and DENV-infected HepG2 cells using a real-time PCR array and revealed several up-regulated chemokines and cytokines, including CXCL10 and TNF-α. Compound A (CpdA), a plant-derived phenyl aziridine precursor containing anti-inflammatory action and acting as a dissociated nonsteroidal glucocorticoid receptor modulator, was selected as a candidate agent to modulate secretion of DENV-induced cytokines. CpdA is not a glucocorticoid but has an anti-inflammatory effect with no metabolic side effects as steroidal ligands. CpdA significantly reduced DENV-induced CXCL10 and TNF-α secretion and decreased leukocyte migration indicating for the first time the therapeutic potential of CpdA in decreasing massive immune activation during DENV infection.

Inhibition of p38MAPK and CD137 signaling reduce dengue virus-induced TNF-α secretion and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic injury in dengue virus (DENV) infection is authenticated by hepatomegaly and an upsurge in transaminase levels. DENV replicates in hepatocytes and causes hepatocyte apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of DENV-induced hepatic injury could facilitate the development of alternate chemotherapeutic agents and improved therapies. FINDINGS: The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) participates in both apoptosis-related signaling and pro- inflammatory cytokine production. The role of p38 MAPK in DENV-infected HepG2 cells was examined using RNA interference. The results showed that DENV infection activated p38 MAPK and induced apoptosis. The p38 MAPK activation and TNF-α production were controlled by p38 MAPK and CD137 signaling in DENV-infected HepG2 cells as activated p38 MAPK, TNF-α and apoptosis were significantly decreased in p38 MAPK and CD137 depleted DENV-infected HepG2 cells. Addition of exogenous TNF-α to p38 MAPK depleted DENV-infected HepG2 cells restored DENV-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION: DENV induces CD137 signaling to enhance apoptosis by increasing TNF-α production via activation of p38 MAPK.

Interaction of dengue virus nonstructural protein 5 with Daxx modulates RANTES production.

Dengue fever (DF), dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), caused by dengue virus (DENV) infection, are important public health problems in the tropical and subtropical regions. Abnormal hemostasis and plasma leakage are the main patho-physiological changes in DHF/DSS. A remarkably increased production of cytokines, the so called 'cytokine storm', is observed in the patients with DHF/DSS. A complex interaction between DENV proteins and the host immune response contributes to cytokine production. However, the molecular mechanism(s) by which DENV nonstructural protein 5 (NS5) mediates these responses has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, yeast two-hybrid assay was performed to identify host proteins interacting with DENV NS5 and a death-domain-associate protein (Daxx) was identified. The in vivo relevance of this interaction was suggested by co-immunoprecipitation and nuclear co-localization of these two proteins in HEK293 cells expressing DENV NS5. HEK293 cells expressing DENV NS5-K/A, which were mutated at the nuclear localization sequences (NLS), were created to assess its functional roles in nuclear translocation, Daxx interaction, and cytokine production. In the absence of NLS, DENV NS5 could neither translocate into the nucleus nor interact with Daxx to increase the DHF-associated cytokine, RANTES (CCL5) production. This work demonstrates the interaction between DENV NS5 and Daxx and the role of the interaction on the modulation of RANTES production.