Expression and regulation of transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 2 (TRPM2) in human endometrium.

To identify estrogen-responsive genes, we previously isolated estrogen receptor (ER)-binding DNA fragments from human genomic DNA using a recombinant ER protein. Six DNA fragments, each including a perfect palindromic estrogen response element (ERE), were obtained. The nucleotide sequence of one of the six fragments (E1 fragment) showed that the ERE of the E1 fragment is located in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 2 (TRPM2). Here, we confirmed the estrogen-dependent enhancer activity of the ERE of the E1 fragment by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay. TRPM2 mRNA expression was investigated in human endometrium, cultured human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), and cultured human endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) using RT-PCR. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that TRPM2 mRNA expression in ESCs increased after 17ß-estradiol (E2) treatment. This study demonstrated for the first time that TRPM2 is an estrogen-responsive gene expressed in human endometrial cells.

Differential expression of estrogen-related receptors beta and gamma (ERRbeta and ERRgamma) and their clinical significance in human prostate cancer.

Estrogen-related receptor (ERR) is a nuclear receptor that modulates the estrogen-signaling pathway. Here, we investigated the expression of both ERRbeta and ERRgamma in human prostate tissues. Using original rabbit polyclonal anti-ERRbeta and anti-ERRgamma antibodies, the expression of ERRbeta and ERRgamma was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of cancerous lesions (n = 107) and benign foci (n = 92), obtained by radical prostatectomy. Stained slides were evaluated for the proportion of immunoreactive cells and their staining intensity. Total immunoreactivity scores (IR scores; range, 0-8) were calculated as the sum of the proportion and intensity scores. The relationship between the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients and the expression of the three ERRs (ERRalpha, ERR beta, and ERR gamma) was evaluated. IR scores for ERRbeta and ERRgamma were significantly lower in cancerous lesions than that in benign foci (P < 0.0001, for both). Clinicopathological analyses revealed that the patients with low ERRgamma IR scores (

Estrogen regulates the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit epsilon 4 (Grin2d), that is essential for the normal sexual behavior in female mice.

Estrogen plays important roles in the reproductive behavior of animals. In the present study, we found that the Grin2d gene of mouse possessed half-sites of the estrogen-responsive element (ERE) in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR). Quantitative PCR analysis showed that the reduced Grin2d mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of the ovariectomized mice was restored by estrogen administration. Downregulation of Grin2d mRNA expression was also detected in the hypothalamus of estrogen receptor alpha-knockout female mice. Moreover, estrogen-induced lordosis response was decreased in Grin2d-knockout mice. These results suggest that estrogen regulates lordosis behavior through the regulation of Grin2d expression in the hypothalamus of female mice.

Expression of cytochrome P450 3A4 and its clinical significance in human prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate CYP3A4 expression in human prostrate cancer (PCa) tissues. Enzymes of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) family are key inactivators of testosterone in the liver and prostate. We previously reported that CYP2B6 is a growth-inhibitory and prognostic factor in human PCa; however, the status of CYP3A4 in PCa remains unclear. METHODS: We used immunohistochemistry to analyze CYP3A4 expression in 107 human PCa specimens obtained by radical prostatectomy. Stained slides were evaluated for the proportion and staining intensity of positively stained cells. Total immunoreactivity scores (0-8) were obtained as the sum of the proportion and intensity scores. In addition, we estimated the relationship between CYP3A4 status and clinicopathologic features. RESULTS: CYP3A4 immunoreactivity was identified in the cytoplasm of prostate cells. The CYP3A4 immunoreactive PCa score (3.6+/-2.6) was significantly lower than that of benign epithelium (4.5+/-2.1; P < .0001). In addition, CYP3A4 immunoreactivity correlated inversely with the Gleason score (P < .0001). Decreased CYP3A4 immunoreactivity was significantly related to a poor prognosis in human PCa (P = .0175). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated differential CYP3A4 expression in prostatic tissues, indicating that decreased CYP3A4 expression may contribute to the development of PCa.

Estrogen receptor-binding fragment-associated gene 9 expression and its clinical significance in human testicular cancer.

OBJECTIVES: We previously demonstrated that estrogen receptor-binding fragment-associated gene 9 (EBAG9) is a tumor promoting factor in renal cell carcinoma (Ogushi T, Cancer Res. 2005; 65: 3700). Here, we evaluated EBAG9 expression and its clinical significance in normal and malignant human testicular tissues. METHODS: We investigated the expression of EBAG9 in 90 testicular specimens (28 benign testicular tissue and 62 testicular germ cell tumor samples) by immunohistochemistry using rabbit polyclonal anti-EBAG9 antibody. RESULTS: Positive immunostaining of EBAG9 in the cytoplasm was found in 32 (52%) cancerous lesions, whereas the immunoreactivity of EBAG9 was weak in benign testicular tissues. Serum lactate dehydrogenaze (LDH) level was significantly higher in EBAG9-positive cases (715.0 +/- 727.3) compared with the negative cases (221.4 +/- 126.8) (P = 0.0016). The EBAG9-positive cases among the patients with advanced clinical stage (Stage II and III) more frequently belonged to the intermediate or poor risk group in the International Germ Cell Consensus Prognostic Classification System (IGCCPCS), compared with the EBAG9-negative cases (P = 0.0012). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that increased expression of EBAG9 may play a significant role in cancer progression and aggressiveness in testicular germ cell tumors.

Identification of an ES cell pluripotent state-specific DUSP6 enhancer.

To identify genes with pluripotent state-specific expression in embryonic stem (ES) cells, we compared gene expression profiles between undifferentiated and differentiated mouse ES cells using DNA microarrays. Among the numerous genes identified, we focused on dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), which had previously been shown to be expressed in undifferentiated human ES cells. We have identified and characterized a regulatory enhancer that we have termed PEDRE that controls pluripotent state-specific expression of DUSP6. This 82-base pair enhancer overlaps with, but is distinct from, a recently identified regulatory element that is regulated by the FGF-ERK pathway. The sequence of PEDRE is 100% identical between mouse and human DUSP6, suggesting that the molecular basis of DUSP6 gene expression in undifferentiated state of ES cells is highly conserved during evolution.

EBAG9 is a tumor-promoting and prognostic factor for bladder cancer.

Upregulation of EBAG9 expression has been observed in several malignant tumors such as advanced breast and prostate cancers, indicating that EBAG9 may contribute to tumor proliferation. In the present study, we assess the role of EBAG9 in bladder cancer. We generated human bladder cancer EJ cells stably expressing FLAG-tagged EBAG9 (EJ-EBAG9) or empty vector (EJ-vector), and investigated whether EBAG9 overexpression modulates cell growth and migration in vitro as well as the in vivo tumor formation of EJ transfectants in xenograft models of BALB/c nude mice. EBAG9 overexpression promoted EJ cell migration, while the effect of EBAG9 to cultured cell growth was rather minimal. Tumorigenic experiments in nude mice showed that the size of EJ-EBAG9-derived tumors was significantly larger than EJ-vector-derived tumors. Loss-of-function study for EBAG9 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) in xenografts with parental EJ cells showed that the intra-tumoral injection of EBAG9 siRNA markedly reduced the EJ tumor formation compared with control siRNA. Furthermore, immunohistochemical study for EBAG9 expression was performed in 60 pathological bladder cancer specimens. Intense and diffuse cytoplasmic immunostaining was observed in 45% of the bladder cancer cases. Positive EBAG9 immunoreactivity was closely correlated with poor prognosis of the patients (p = 0.0001) and it was an independent prognostic predictor for disease-specific survival in multivariate analysis (p = 0.003). Our results indicate that EBAG9 would be a crucial regulator of tumor progression and a potential prognostic marker for bladder cancer.

Consequence of the loss of Sox2 in the developing brain of the mouse.

The transcription factor Sox2 is expressed at high levels in neural stem and progenitor cells. Here, we inactivated Sox2 specifically in the developing brain by using Cre-loxP system. Although mutant animals did not survive after birth, analysis of late gestation embryos revealed that loss of Sox2 causes enlargement of the lateral ventricles and a decrease in the number of neurosphere-forming cells. However, although their neurogenic potential is attenuated, Sox2-deficient neural stem cells retain their multipotency and self-renewal capacity. We found that expression level of Sox3 is elevated in Sox2 null developing brain, probably mitigating the effects of loss of Sox2.

Protein phosphatase 4 catalytic subunit regulates Cdk1 activity and microtubule organization via NDEL1 dephosphorylation.

Protein phosphatase 4 catalytic subunit (PP4c) is a PP2A-related protein serine/threonine phosphatase with important functions in a variety of cellular processes, including microtubule (MT) growth/organization, apoptosis, and tumor necrosis factor signaling. In this study, we report that NDEL1 is a substrate of PP4c, and PP4c selectively dephosphorylates NDEL1 at Cdk1 sites. We also demonstrate that PP4c negatively regulates Cdk1 activity at the centrosome. Targeted disruption of PP4c reveals disorganization of MTs and disorganized MT array. Loss of PP4c leads to an unscheduled activation of Cdk1 in interphase, which results in the abnormal phosphorylation of NDEL1. In addition, abnormal NDEL1 phosphorylation facilitates excessive recruitment of katanin p60 to the centrosome, suggesting that MT defects may be attributed to katanin p60 in excess. Inhibition of Cdk1, NDEL1, or katanin p60 rescues the defective MT organization caused by PP4 inhibition. Our work uncovers a unique regulatory mechanism of MT organization by PP4c through its targets Cdk1 and NDEL1 via regulation of katanin p60 distribution.

Deubiquitylation of histone H2A activates transcriptional initiation via trans-histone cross-talk with H3K4 di- and trimethylation.

Transcriptional initiation is a key step in the control of mRNA synthesis and is intimately related to chromatin structure and histone modification. Here, we show that the ubiquitylation of H2A (ubH2A) correlates with silent chromatin and regulates transcriptional initiation. The levels of ubH2A vary during hepatocyte regeneration, and based on microarray expression data from regenerating liver, we identified USP21, a ubiquitin-specific protease that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ubH2A. When chromatin is assembled in vitro, ubH2A, but not H2A, specifically represses the di- and trimethylation of H3K4. USP21 relieves this ubH2A-specific repression. In addition, in vitro transcription analysis revealed that ubH2A represses transcriptional initiation, but not transcriptional elongation, by inhibiting H3K4 methylation. Notably, ubH2A-mediated repression was not observed when H3 Lys 4 was changed to arginine. Furthermore, overexpression of USP21 in the liver up-regulates a gene that is normally down-regulated during hepatocyte regeneration. Our studies revealed a novel mode of trans-histone cross-talk, in which H2A ubiquitylation controls the di- and trimethylation of H3K4, resulting in regulation of transcriptional initiation.

Characterization and identification of a steroid receptor-binding protein, SRB-RGS.

We cloned the cDNA of a novel steroid receptor-binding protein, SRB-RGS, which suppressed the estrogen receptor (ER)alpha-mediated and other promoter-driven transcriptional activities. This study revealed the interaction between the full-length SRB-RGS and full-length ERalpha or ERbeta by a coimmunoprecipitation assay. The full-length SRB-RGS and full-length ERalpha interacted in COS-7 cell by a mammalian two-hybrid system. The interaction between intrinsic SRB-RGS and ERs in the nuclear ER extract from the rat uteri was observed by the gel-shift assay. These results strongly suggested that SRB-RGS interacts with ERs bound to DNA (estrogen response element) in the nuclei of the cells. SRB-RGS suppressed very efficiently the ERalpha-, ERbeta-, and ERalpha+ERbeta-mediated transcriptional activities. Green fluorescence of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-tagged SRB-RGS was localized both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. Intrinsic SRB-RGS was immunostained in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of HeLa cells. The putative SRB-RGS deduced from cDNA sequence was identified by the immunostaining and Western blotting by using the anti-SRB-RGS antibody. Overexpression of SRB-RGS induced the cell death in the HeLa cells. The nucleotide sequence of SRB-RGS cDNA that we cloned previously is identical with that of the newly isolated RGS3 cDNA. SRB-RGS could interact with ERs bound DNA in the nuclei of the cells and suppressed the ERs-mediated transcriptional activities.

Regulation of glutathione transferase P: a tumor marker of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Placental glutathione transferase (GST-P) is specifically expressed during rat haptocarcinogenesis, and has been used as a reliable tumor marker for experimental hepatocarcinogenesis in the rat. The regulation of this tumor marker gene may be associated with the process of carcinogeneisis. By elucidating the mechanisms of such tumor marker gene expression, we may shed light on the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis. We analyzed the regulation of the GST-P gene and found that the strong enhancer element GPE1 (GST-P enhancer-1) specifically regulates the GST-P gene by interacting with specific transcription factors in normal liver and during hepatocarcinogenesis. In particular, C/EBPalpha was required for the suppression of GST-P gene in normal liver, whereas the Nrf2/MafK heterodimer was required for the activation of this gene during hepatocarcinogenesis. In this Mini-Review, we describe the positive and negative regulatory mechanisms in the pre-cancerous and normal liver, respectively.

Cytochrome P450 2B6 is a growth-inhibitory and prognostic factor for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) influence the biological effects of carcinogens, drugs and hormones including testosterones. Among them, Cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) plays a critical role in the deactivation of testosterone. In the present study, we examined CYP2B6 expression in human prostate tissues and prostate cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed in 98 benign and 106 malignant prostate tissues and patients' charts were reviewed for clinical, pathologic and survival data. We also investigated whether stable expression of CYP2B6 in LNCaP (human prostate cancer cell line) influences cellular proliferation. RESULTS: CYP2B6 was abundantly expressed in the normal epithelial cells compared to the prostate cancer cells. Significant immunostaining of CYP2B6 was found in 75 of 106 samples (71%), in the cytoplasm of cancerous tissue samples. CYP2B6 immunoreactivity was inversely correlated with high Gleason score (P < 0.001). Decreased immunoreactivity of CYP2B6 significantly correlated with poor prognosis (P < 0.0001). Univariate and multivariate hazard analyses revealed a significant correlation of decreased CYP2B6 expression with poor cancer-specific survival (P = 0.0028 and 0.0142, respectively). Furthermore, overexpression of CYP2B6 in LNCaP cells significantly decreased testosterone-induced proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that decreased expression of CYP2B6 might play a role in the development of prostate cancer, and be useful as the prognostic predictor for human prostate cancer.

Increased expression of estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRalpha) is a negative prognostic predictor in human prostate cancer.

The nuclear receptor ERRalpha (estrogen-related receptor alpha) is known to modulate the estrogen-signaling pathway, but the biological significance of ERRalpha in the prostate remains unclear. We investigated the expression of ERRalpha in human prostate tissues and cancer cell lines to evaluate the potential roles of the receptor in prostate cancer (PC). Western blot analysis of ERRalpha was performed in three cell lines of human PC (LNCaP, DU145 and PC-3). The expressions of ERRalpha in cancerous lesions (n = 106) and benign foci (n = 99) of 106 surgically obtained prostate specimens were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The relationships between the ERRalpha expression and clinicopathological features were evaluated. Western blot analysis using the polyclonal anti-ERRalpha antibody detected a 52 kD band in all three PC cell lines. Positive immunostaining of ERRalpha in the nuclei was found in 73 (69%) cancerous and 47 (47.5%) benign epithelium, whereas the stromal tissues were negative for ERRalpha. The mean immunoreactivity score (IR score) of the cancerous lesions (3.5 +/- 2.6) was significantly higher than that of the benign foci (1.8 +/- 2.1) (p < 0.0001). The IR score of the cancerous lesions significantly correlated with the Gleason score (p = 0.0135). Univariate and multivariate hazard analyses revealed significant correlations between elevated ERRalpha expression and poor cancer-specific survival (p = 0.0141 and 0.0367, respectively). The enhanced expression of ERRalpha might play a role in the development of human PC and serve as a significant prognostic factor for the disease.

NDEL1 phosphorylation by Aurora-A kinase is essential for centrosomal maturation, separation, and TACC3 recruitment.

NDEL1 is a binding partner of LIS1 that participates in the regulation of cytoplasmic dynein function and microtubule organization during mitotic cell division and neuronal migration. NDEL1 preferentially localizes to the centrosome and is a likely target for cell cycle-activated kinases, including CDK1. In particular, NDEL1 phosphorylation by CDK1 facilitates katanin p60 recruitment to the centrosome and triggers microtubule remodeling. Here, we show that Aurora-A phosphorylates NDEL1 at Ser251 at the beginning of mitotic entry. Interestingly, NDEL1 phosphorylated by Aurora-A was rapidly downregulated thereafter by ubiquitination-mediated protein degradation. In addition, NDEL1 is required for centrosome targeting of TACC3 through the interaction with TACC3. The expression of Aurora-A phosphorylation-mimetic mutants of NDEL1 efficiently rescued the defects of centrosomal maturation and separation which are characteristic of Aurora-A-depleted cells. Our findings suggest that Aurora-A-mediated phosphorylation of NDEL1 is essential for centrosomal separation and centrosomal maturation and for mitotic entry.

Putative "stemness" gene jam-B is not required for maintenance of stem cell state in embryonic, neural, or hematopoietic stem cells.

Many genes have been identified that are specifically expressed in multiple types of stem cells in their undifferentiated state. It is generally assumed that at least some of these putative "stemness" genes are involved in maintaining properties that are common to all stem cells. We compared gene expression profiles between undifferentiated and differentiated embryonic stem cells (ESCs) using DNA microarrays. We identified several genes with much greater signal in undifferentiated ESCs than in their differentiated derivatives, among them the putative stemness gene encoding junctional adhesion molecule B (Jam-B gene). However, in spite of the specific expression in undifferentiated ESCs, Jam-B mutant ESCs had normal morphology and pluripotency. Furthermore, Jam-B homozygous mutant mice are fertile and have no overt developmental defects. Moreover, we found that neural and hematopoietic stem cells recovered from Jam-B mutant mice are not impaired in their ability to self-renew and differentiate. These results demonstrate that Jam-B is dispensable for normal mouse development and stem cell identity in embryonic, neural, and hematopoietic stem cells.

The Sox2 regulatory region 2 functions as a neural stem cell-specific enhancer in the telencephalon.

Sox2 is expressed at high levels in neuroepithelial stem cells and persists in neural stem/progenitor cells throughout adulthood. We showed previously that the Sox2 regulatory region 2 (SRR2) drives strong expression in these cells. Here we generated transgenic mouse strains with the beta-geo reporter gene under the control of the SRR2 in order to examine the spatiotemporal function of this regulatory region. We show that the SRR2 functions specifically in neural stem/progenitor cells. However, unlike Nestin 2nd intronic enhancer, the SRR2 shows strong regional specificity functioning only in restricted areas of the telencephalon but not in any other portions of the central nervous system such as the spinal cord. We also show by in vitro clonogenic assay that at least some of these SRR2-functioning cells possess the hallmark properties of neural stem cells. In adult brains, we could detect strong beta-geo expression in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle and along the rostral migrating stream where actively dividing cells reside. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays reveal interactions of POU and Sox factors with SRR2 in neural stem/progenitor cells. Our data also suggest that the specific recruitment of these proteins to the SRR2 in the telencephalon defines the spatiotemporal activity of the enhancer in the developing nervous system.

Diethylstilbestrol increases the density of prolactin cells in male mouse pituitary by inducing proliferation of prolactin cells and transdifferentiation of gonadotropic cells.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) has been implicated in mammalian abnormalities. We examined the effects of DES on follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and prolactin (PRL) cells in the pituitaries of male mice treated with various doses of DES for 20 days. DES reduced the density of FSH and LH cells in a dose-dependent manner, but increased that of PRL cells. When the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and beta was assessed, an induction of ERbeta by DES was found predominantly in PRL cells. However, since these effects were abolished in ERalpha knockout mice, DES appears to act primarily through ERalpha. When the expression of Ki-67 and Pit-1 in PRL cells was examined at various time-points after DES treatment, some PRL cells became Ki-67 positive at 10-15 days, and Pit-1-positive cells were increased at 5-15 days. Furthermore, some FSH and LH cells became Pit-1 positive, and co-localized with PRL at 5-10 days. Our results indicate that DES increases PRL cells by inducing proliferation of PRL cells and transdifferentiation of FSH/LH cells to PRL cells.