Cdc6 protein obstructs apoptosome assembly and consequent cell death by forming stable complexes with activated Apaf-1 molecules.

Cdc6 is the bifunctional AAA+ ATPase that assembles prereplicative complexes on origins of replication and activates p21(CIP1)- or p27(KIP1)-bound Cdk2. During the G(1)-S transition, the Cdc6 gene essential for chromosomal replication is activated by the E2F transcriptional factor. Paradoxically, Apaf-1 encoding the central component of the apoptosome is also activated at the same time and by E2F. Consequently, genes for antipodal life and death are regulated in the same manner by the same transcriptional factor. Here we report a striking solution to this paradox. Besides performing prereplicative complex assembly and Cdk2 activation, Cdc6 obstructed apoptosome assembly by forming stable complexes very likely with a monomer of cytochrome c-activated Apaf-1 molecules. This function depended on its own ATPase domain but not on the cyclin-binding motif. In proliferating rodent fibroblasts, Cdc6 continued to block apoptosome assembly induced by a non-cytochrome c or some other mechanism, suppressing seemingly unintended apoptosis when promoting cell proliferation. Thus, Cdc6 is an AAA+ ATPase with three functions, all working for life.

Cdc6 protein activates p27KIP1-bound Cdk2 protein only after the bound p27 protein undergoes C-terminal phosphorylation.

In mammalian cells Cdk2 activity during the G(1)-S transition is mainly controlled by p27(KIP1). Although the amount and subcellular localization of p27 influence Cdk2 activity, how Cdk2 activity is regulated during this phase transition still remains virtually unknown. Here we report an entirely new mechanism for this regulation. Cdc6 the AAA+ ATPase, known to assemble prereplicative complexes on chromosomal replication origins and activate p21(CIP1)-bound Cdk2, also activated p27-bound Cdk2 in its ATPase and cyclin binding motif-dependent manner but only after the p27 bound to the Cdk2 was phosphorylated at the C terminus. ROCK, which mediates a signal for cell anchorage to the extracellular matrix and activates the mTORC1 cascade as well as controls cytoskeleton assembly, was partly responsible for C-terminal phosphorylation of the p27. In vitro reconstitution demonstrated ROCK (Rho-associated kinase)-mediated phosphorylation of Cdk2-bound p27 at the C terminus and subsequent activation of the Cdk2 by Cdc6.

Rho-associated kinase connects a cell cycle-controlling anchorage signal to the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.

When deprived of anchorage to the extracellular matrix, fibroblasts arrest in G(1) phase at least in part due to inactivation of G(1) cyclin-dependent kinases. Despite great effort, how anchorage signals control the G(1)-S transition of fibroblasts remains highly elusive. We recently found that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) cascade might convey an anchorage signal that regulates S phase entry. Here, we show that Rho-associated kinase connects this signal to the TSC1/TSC2-RHEB-mTOR pathway. Expression of a constitutively active form of ROCK1 suppressed all of the anchorage deprivation effects suppressible by tsc2 mutation in rat embryonic fibroblasts. TSC2 contains one evolutionarily conserved ROCK target-like sequence, and an alanine substitution for Thr(1203) in this sequence severely impaired the ability of ROCK1 to counteract the anchorage loss-imposed down-regulation of both G(1) cell cycle factors and mTORC1 activity. Moreover, TSC2 Thr(1203) underwent ROCK-dependent phosphorylation in vivo and could be phosphorylated by bacterially expressed active ROCK1 in vitro, providing biochemical evidence for a direct physical interaction between ROCK and TSC2.

Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling opposes the effects of anchorage loss, leading to activation of Cdk4 and Cdc6 stabilization.

When deprived of an anchorage to the extracellular matrix, fibroblasts arrest in the G(1) phase with inactivation of Cdk4/6 and Cdk2 and destruction of Cdc6, the assembler of prereplicative complexes essential for S phase onset. How cellular anchorages control these kinases and Cdc6 stability is poorly understood. Here, we report that in rat embryonic fibroblasts, activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 by a Tsc2 mutation or overexpression of a constitutively active mutant Rheb overrides the absence of the anchorage and stabilizes Cdc6 at least partly via activating Cdk4/6 that induces Emi1, an APC/C(Cdh1) ubiquitin ligase inhibitor.

Cdc6 determines utilization of p21(WAF1/CIP1)-dependent damage checkpoint in S phase cells.

When cells traversing G(1) are irradiated with UV light, two parallel damage checkpoint pathways are activated: Chk1-Cdc25A and p53-p21(WAF1/CIP1), both targeting Cdk2, but the latter inducing a long lasting arrest. In similarly treated S phase-progressing cells, however, only the Cdc25A-dependent checkpoint is active. We have recently found that the p21-dependent checkpoint can be activated and induce a prolonged arrest if S phase cells are damaged with a base-modifying agent, such as methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and cisplatin. But the mechanistic basis for the differential activation of the p21-dependent checkpoint by different DNA damaging agents is not understood. Here we report that treatment of S phase cells with MMS but not a comparable dose of UV light elicits proteasome-mediated degradation of Cdc6, the assembler of pre-replicative complexes, which allows induced p21 to bind Cdk2, thereby extending inactivation of Cdk2 and S phase arrest. Consistently, enforced expression of Cdc6 largely eliminates the prolonged S phase arrest and Cdk2 inactivation induced with MMS, whereas RNA interference-mediated Cdc6 knockdown not only prolongs such arrest and inactivation but also effectively activates the p21-dependent checkpoint in the UV-irradiated S phase cells.

ATP-dependent activation of p21WAF1/CIP1-associated Cdk2 by Cdc6.

When cells progressing in mid-S phase are damaged with a base-modifying chemical, they arrest in S phase long after the CHK1 checkpoint signal fades out, partly because of p53-mediated long-lasting induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1). We have recently found that enforced expression of Cdc6, the assembler of prereplicative complexes, markedly advances recovery from the prolonged S-phase arrest and reactivation of Cdk2 despite the presence of a high level of induced p21. Here, we report that Cdc6 protein can activate p21-associated Cdk2 in an ATP-dependent manner in vitro. Consistently, Cdc6 mutated for ATPase or a putative cyclin binding motif is no longer able to activate the Cdk2 in vitro or promote reinitiation of S-phase progression and reactivation of Cdk2 in vivo. These results reveal the never anticipated function of Cdc6 and redefine its role in the control of S-phase progression in mammalian cells.

Chemical DNA damage activates p21 WAF1/CIP1-dependent intra-S checkpoint.

When cells progressing in G(1) phase are irradiated with UV light, two damage checkpoint pathways are activated: CHK1-Cdc25A and p53-p21WAF1/CIP1, both targeting Cdk2 but the latter inducing long lasting inactivation. In similarly irradiated S phase cells, however, p21WAF1/CIP1-dependent checkpoint is largely inactive. We report here that p21-dependent checkpoint can effectively be activated and induce a prolonged S phase arrest with similarly extended inactivation of Cdk2 by association of p21 if mid-S phase cells are damaged with a base-modifying agent instead of UV light, indicating that the poor utilization of p21-dependent checkpoint is not an innate property of S phase cells.

Nonviral gene delivery by tetraamino fullerene.

A fullerene derivative bearing two diamino side chains binds to a plasmid vector DNA, either 4 or 40 kbp in size, delivers it to mammalian cells on incubation, and leads to expression of the encoded gene either transiently or stably. The initial physicochemical investigations upon DNA-binding and protective properties of various fullerene compounds against nuclease led us to identify the tetraamino fullerene as an ideal candidate to probe the new concept of fullerene-mediated gene delivery to mammalian cells. Studies on transient and stable transfection of COS-1 cells using green fluorescent protein and luciferase reporter genes revealed several useful properties of the fullerene transfection as compared with the conventional lipid-based transfection method, including much higher efficiency of stable transfection and ability to transfect confluent cells. Chemical and biological studies suggested that the cell uptake of the fullerene/DNA complex takes place by an endocytosis mechanism and that the DNA internalized by endosomes is protected by the fullerene against enzymatic digestion. The stiffness of the fullerene/DNA complex may play some role in the success of the fullerene method.

Gene delivery by aminofullerenes: structural requirements for efficient transfection.

A series of aminofullerenes that share a common structural motif have been synthesized and subjected to a systematic investigation of structure activity relationship regarding their ability for transient transfection and cytotoxicity. DNA-binding tests indicated that any water-soluble fullerene-bearing amino group would bind to double-stranded DNA. For these molecules to be effective transfection reagents, however, they require additional structural features. First, the molecule must be capable of producing submicrometer-sized fullerene/DNA aggregates that can be internalized into mammalian cells through endocytosis. Second, the molecule must be capable of releasing DNA as the aggregates are transferred into the cytoplasm. This can be achieved in at least two ways: by loss of the DNA-binding amino groups from the fullerene core, and by transformation of the amino groups to neutral groups such as amides. The screening experiments led us to identify the best reagent, a tetrapiperidinofullerene, that can be synthesized in two steps from fullerene, piperazine, and molecular oxygen, and that is more efficient at transfection than a commonly used lipid-based transfection reagent.

Bone morphogenetic protein 2-induced osteoblast differentiation requires Smad-mediated down-regulation of Cdk6.

Because a temporal arrest in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle is thought to be a prerequisite for cell differentiation, we investigated cell cycle factors that critically influence the differentiation of mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells induced by bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), a potent inducer of osteoblast differentiation. Of the G(1) cell cycle factors examined, the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6) was found to be strongly down-regulated by BMP-2/Smads signaling, mainly via transcriptional repression. The enforced expression of Cdk6 blocked BMP-2-induced osteoblast differentiation to various degrees, depending on the level of its overexpression. However, neither BMP-2 treatment nor Cdk6 overexpression significantly affected cell proliferation, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of Cdk6 on cell differentiation was exerted by a mechanism that is largely independent of its cell cycle regulation. These results indicate that Cdk6 is a critical regulator of BMP-2-induced osteoblast differentiation and that its Smads-mediated down-regulation is essential for efficient osteoblast differentiation.

Overexpression of Cdk6-cyclin D3 highly sensitizes cells to physical and chemical transformation.

Virtually all mammalian cells express two seemingly redundant cyclin-D-dependent kinases (Cdk4 and Cdk6) and three partner cyclins (D1, D2 and D3) essential for the G(1)-S transition, with predominant expression of Cdk4 and D1 in mesenchymal cells and Cdk6 and D3 in hematopoietic cells. We recently found two novel functions for Cdk6 executed in fibroblasts although unlike Cdk4 it is dispensable for their proliferation. In the rat fibroblast NRK-49F cells, oncogenic stimulation recruits Cdk6 to participate in a step of the cell cycle start that seems to be critical for anchorage-independent S-phase onset. Among the kinase-D-type cyclin combinations, the Cdk6-cyclin-D3 complex has a unique ability to evade inhibition by cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors and thereby control the cell's proliferative competence under growth-suppressive conditions. We describe here that 2-5-fold overexpression of both Cdk6 and D3 enhances by 5x10(3)-10(6)-fold the susceptibility of the BALB/c3T3 and C3H10T1/2 mouse fibroblast lines to ultraviolet irradiation- as well as 3-methylcholanthrene-induced transformation. This result suggests that deregulated expression of Cdk6 and cyclinD3 may predispose cells to malignant transformation, supporting the recent finding that cyclin D3 activated by chromosomal rearrangement is the causative gene of non-Hodgkin B lymphoma, in which Cdk6 is the major partner kinase.

Mammalian Rcd1 is a novel transcriptional cofactor that mediates retinoic acid-induced cell differentiation.

Rcd1, initially identified as a factor essential for the commitment to nitrogen starvation-invoked differentiation in fission yeast, is one of the most conserved proteins found across eukaryotes, and its mammalian homolog is expressed in a variety of differentiating tissues. Here we show that mammalian Rcd1 is a novel transcriptional cofactor and is critically involved in the commitment step in the retinoic acid-induced differentiation of F9 mouse teratocarcinoma cells, at least in part, via forming complexes with retinoic acid receptor and activation transcription factor-2 (ATF-2). In addition, antisense oligonucleotide treatment of embryonic mouse lung explants suggests that Rcd1 also plays a role in retinoic acid-controlled lung development.

Cdc6 requires anchorage for its expression.

Fibroblasts need anchorage to extracellular matrix to transit from G1 to S phase, but no longer after oncogenic transformation. Here we report that Cdc6 protein essential for the activation of replication origins requires anchorage or oncogenic stimulation for its execution. Upon anchorage loss, Cdc6 expression is shut off both transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally in a rat fibroblast despite enforced activation of E2F-dependent promoters. However, stimulation of this cell with oncogenic growth factors suppresses this shutoff and concurrently activates Cdk2 and Cdk6/4, thereby overriding the anchorage requirement for the G1-S transition and consequently enabling cells to perform anchorage-independent S phase entry. Analysis with enforced expression of Cdc6 indicates that the G1 cyclin-dependent kinases and Cdc6 constitute major cell cycle targets for the restriction of the G1-S transition by anchorage loss.