Dual inhibition of CDK4/Rb and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways by ON123300 induces synthetic lethality in mantle cell lymphomas.

This study describes the characterization of a novel kinase inhibitor, ON123300, which inhibits CDK4/6 (cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6) and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-δ (PI3K-δ) and exhibits potent activity against mantle cell lymphomas (MCLs) both in vitro and in vivo. We examined the effects of PD0332991 and ON123300 on cell cycle progression, modulation of the retinoblastoma (Rb) and PI3K/AKT pathways, and the induction of apoptosis in MCL cell lines and patient-derived samples. When Granta 519 and Z138C cells were incubated with PD0332991 and ON123300, both compounds were equally efficient in their ability to inhibit the phosphorylation of Rb family proteins. However, only ON123300 inhibited the phosphorylation of proteins associated with the PI3K/AKT pathway. Cells treated with PD0332991 rapidly accumulated in the G0/G1 phase of cell cycle as a function of increasing concentration. Although ON123300-treated cells arrested similarly at lower concentrations, higher concentrations resulted in the induction of apoptosis, which was not observed in PD0332991-treated samples. Mouse xenograft assays also showed a strong inhibition of MCL tumor growth in ON123300-treated animals. Finally, treatment of ibrutinib-sensitive and -resistant patient-derived MCLs with ON123300 also triggered apoptosis and inhibition of the Rb and PI3K/AKT pathways, suggesting that this compound might be an effective agent in MCL, including ibrutinib-resistant forms of the disease.

Evaluation of the novel mitotic modulator ON 01910.Na in pancreatic cancer and preclinical development of an ex vivo predictive assay.

The pupose of this study was to evaluate the activity of ON 01910.Na, a mitotic inhibitor, in in vitro and in vivo models of pancreatic cancer and to discover biomarkers predictive of efficacy. Successive in vitro and in vivo models were used; these included cell line-derived and patient-derived tumors from our PancXenoBank, a live collection of freshly generated pancreatic cancer xenografts. ON 01910.Na showed equivalent activity to gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro. The activity of the agent correlated with suppression of phospho-CDC25C and cyclin B1. These markers were optimized for a fine-needle aspirate ex vivo rapid assay. Cyclin B1 mRNA evaluation yielded the most optimal combination of accuracy and reproducibility. Next, nine patient-derived tumors from the PancXenoBank were profiled using the assay developed in cell lines and treated with ON01910.Na for 28 days. Two cases were cataloged as potential responders and seven as resistants. There was a correlation between the ex vivo assay and sensitivity to the tested agent, as the two cases prospectively identified as sensitive met prespecified criteria for response. Of the seven tumors of predictive resistant, only one was found to be sensitive to ON 01910.Na. In addition, there was a good correlation between cyclin B1 downregulation ex vivo and changes in cyclin B1 protein post-treatment. The novel mitotic inhibitor, ON 01910.Na, showed activity in preclinical model of pancreatic cancer. A rapid assay was rationally developed that not only identified cases sensitive to ON 01910.Na, but also anticipated the pharmacodynamic events occurring after in vivo exposure.

The role of v-Fgr myristoylation and the Gag domain in membrane binding and cellular transformation.

The v-fgr oncogene encodes a chimeric oncoprotein composed of feline sarcoma virus (FeSV)-derived gag and cellular-derived actin and c-Fgr sequences. v-Fgr is myristoylated and membrane bound, two criteria which must be met for src kinases to induce cellular transformation. Although inhibition of myristoylation resulted in a decreased ability of v-Fgr to sediment with membranes from an NIH-3T3 P100 fraction, deletion of the gag domain caused nearly all of the protein to remain unbound and cytosolic. Systematic deletions within gag indicate that while amino acids 3 through 9 are critical determinants of myristoylation and/or define a domain which directs membrane localization, these residues cooperate with additional gag sequences when anchoring the protein to the plasma membrane. Furthermore, nonmyristoylated and/or cytoplasmic variants of v-Fgr failed to induce anchorage-independent growth of NIH-3T3 cells, indicating that proper subcellular localization of v-Fgr is a key factor in its ability to induce transformation.

Nuclear oncology and the Imagene concept.

Over the past 2 decades we have witnessed an explosion of new radioisotopic tracers aimed at detecting, staging and eventually treating tumors. In fact, nuclear oncology has evolved into a field on its own. Aside from aspecific radioisotopic tracers such as thallium 201 or gallium 67, clinicians and oncologists can now use specific radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies and metabolic tracers. In the near future, molecular probes based on the sequencing of the human genome with an exquisite specificity should also become available. In this article, we shall review the most recent developments in this new field.

Scintigraphic imaging of oncogenes with antisense probes: does it make sense?

Based on the specificity of the Watson-Crick base pairing formation, antisense deoxyoligonucleotides have been used to inhibit the expression of oncogenes in various cancer cells. Activation of an oncogene by means of amplification leads to an increased, detectable amount of the mRNA transcript in the cytoplasm. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that cells which are expressing a particular mRNA transcript do preferentially and specifically retain the antisense probe targeting that mRNA. Using a mouse plasmacytoma cell line (MOPC315) which produces high levels of IgA heavy chain mRNA, a control mouse pre B cell line (7OZ/3B), a human mammary cell line (MCF7) which expresses the erbB2 or neu oncogene, MOPC315 cells as neu-negative controls, and antisense DNA oligonucleotides complementary to the 5' region of the mRNAs and the sense sequence, we have shown that there is a preferential, specific retention of the IgA and neu antisense sequence in MOPC315 and MCF7 cells, respectively. We have further demonstrated that this retention is time and concentration dependent with a maximum at 24 h. We conclude that cancer cells which express a particular oncogene are suitable targets for radiolabeled antisense deoxyoligonucleotides directed toward the oncogene transcript. This work and recent developments in the antisense field lead to the expectation of a new class of radiopharmaceuticals with unique specificity.

Induction of c-fos and c-jun mRNA at the M/G1 border is required for cell cycle progression.

The proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun have been shown in numerous model systems to be induced within minutes of growth factor stimulation, during the G0/G1 transition. In this report we use the mitotic shake-off procedure to generate a population of highly synchronized Swiss 3T3 cells. We show that both of these immediate-early, competence genes are also induced during the M/G1 transition, immediately after completion of mitosis. While c-fos mRNA levels drop to undetectable levels within 2 hr after division, c-jun mRNA levels are maintained at a basal level which is approximately 30% maximum throughout the remainder of G1. In order to access the functional significance of these patterns of c-fos and c-jun expression, antisense oligodeoxynucleotides specific to c-fos or c-jun were added to either actively growing Swiss 3T3 cells or mitotically synchronized cells, and their ability to inhibit DNA synthesis and cell division determined. Our results show that treatment of Swiss 3T3 cells with either c-fos or c-jun antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, while actively growing, during mitosis, or in early G1, results in a reduction in ability to enter S and subsequently divide. This was also true if Swiss 3T3 cells were treated during mid-G1 with c-jun antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. These results demonstrate that the regulation of G1 progression following mitosis is dependent upon the expression and function of the immediate-early, competence proto-oncogenes c-fos and c-jun.

Cycloheximide protection against actinomycin D cytotoxicity.

Pretreatment plus concomitant treatment with 10 micrograms/ml cycloheximide protected Chinese hamster ovary cells and Swiss 3T3 cells against the cytotoxicity of actinomycin D. The cycloheximide treatment reduced the intracellular concentration of actinomycin D by reducing the level of actinomycin D bound to the acid precipitable fraction of the cell. Levels of unbound actinomycin D were unaffected by cycloheximide, indicating that the plasma membrane permeability to AD was not reduced. Actinomycin D inhibited total transcription but did not reduce cytoplasmic levels of rRNA nor of most tested mRNA; however, cytoplasmic levels of c-myc mRNA were reduced below detectability. Cycloheximide treatment further inhibited total transcription and had no effect on cytoplasmic levels of rRNA nor of most tested mRNA. Cytoplasmic levels of c-myc were elevated by cycloheximide and remained so even in the presence of actinomycin D. These data suggested that a reduction in cytoplasmic levels of short lived, essential mRNA, such as c-myc mRNA, was one lethal lesion of actinomycin D. Furthermore, cycloheximide's protection may result, in part, from its ability to stabilize and/or elevate cytoplasmic levels of these mRNA, thus counteracting their depletion by actinomycin D. Protection may also result from the cycloheximide-induced reduction of actinomycin D bound to the acid precipitable fraction of the cells.

Use of antisense oligomers to study the role of c-jun in G1 progression.

In actively proliferating Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts, expression of the protooncogene c-jun is maximally induced early in G1, immediately after completion of mitosis. Within 2 hours, c-jun mRNA levels drop to a basal amount that is approximately 30% of the maximum. This is maintained throughout the remainder of G1. To access the functional implications of this pattern of c-jun expression, antisense oligomers specific to c-jun were added to either actively proliferating or synchronized Swiss 3T3 cells, and their ability to inhibit DNA synthesis and division was determined. Our results show that if Swiss 3T3 cells are treated with anti-c-jun while actively growing or at any time during G1 after completion of mitosis, they exhibit a reduced ability to enter S-phase and subsequently divide. These results demonstrate that the regulation of G1 progression following mitosis depends on the expression and function of the protooncogene c-jun.

Growth-associated gene expression is not constant in cells traversing G-1 after exiting mitosis.

Analysis of gene expression following stimulation of growth-arrested cells has been the main approach for identification of growth-associated genes. Since the activation of these gene sequences is dependent on both the stimulatory agent and the state of quiescence of the cell, the activation and role of the same genes may be entirely different in non-growth arrested, actively proliferating cells. We have addressed the question of growth-associated gene expression during active growth by analyzing gene expression during G-1 of cells which have just exited mitosis without first leaving the cell cycle. We were able to isolate, by a non-inductive, drug free system, a population of highly synchronized Swiss 3T3 cells within mitosis (greater than 90%) in numbers sufficient to determine the pattern of expression of a large number of representative growth-associated genes. Our results show that after replating the mitotic cells into conditioned medium: (1) growth-associated gene expression is not constant during G-1 of actively proliferating cells, and (2) while a number of genes (e.g., JE, c-myc, ODC, p53, and histone) exhibited patterns of expression similar to that reported in the quiescent systems, others (e.g., nur-77, vimentin, calcyclin) exhibited patterns which were completely different. From these results, we can begin to construct a temporal map of G-1 progression during active growth.

A potential role for c-jun in cell cycle progression through late G1 and S.

When the level of c-jun mRNA was analyzed in WI-38 human fibroblasts exciting short- and long-term quiescence, two peaks of c-jun mRNA accumulation were found. The first occurred one hour after stimulation and lasted three to five hours, whereas the second occurred at the G1/S border and was coupled to the time of entry to S phase rather than to the time of stimulation. The early peak is well documented and in agreement with the proposed role of c-Jun/AP-1 in mediating cellular responses to receptor-generated signals. The later peak, however, has not been previously reported. Additional follow-up studies showed that late G1/S expression was not solely a phenomenon of cells existing a quiescent state, nor was it restricted only to human cells. Gel retardation studies confirmed that there is AP-1 specific DNA binding activity in nuclear extracts isolated in late G1 and S phase, and that this AP-1 binding activity is due to the presence of Jun protein. An anti-Fos antibody was able to significantly decrease AB-1 binding activity in early G1 extracts, but had no effect on extracts isolated in late G1 and S phase, indicating that the complexes observed in late G1 and S phase are clearly different from those seen in early G1. These studies are among the first to suggest a functional dissociation of c-Jun from c-Fos. Our results identify a new, previously unreported role for c-Jun/AP-1 in regulation of cell cycle progression and mammalian cell growth.

Tumor cells exhibit deregulation of the cell cycle histone gene promoter factor HiNF-D.

Cell cycle-regulated gene expression is essential for normal cell growth and development and loss of stringent growth control is associated with the acquisition of the transformed phenotype. The selective synthesis of histone proteins during the S phase of the cell cycle is required to render cells competent for the ordered packaging of replicating DNA into chromatin. Regulation of H4 histone gene transcription requires the proliferation-specific promoter binding factor HiNF-D. In normal diploid cells, HiNF-D binding activity is regulated during the cell cycle; nuclear protein extracts prepared from normal cells in S phase contain distinct and measurable HiNF-D binding activity, while this activity is barely detectable in G1 phase cells. In contrast, in tumor-derived or transformed cell lines, HiNF-D binding activity is constitutively elevated throughout the cell cycle and declines only with the onset of differentiation. The change from cell cycle-mediated to constitutive interaction of HiNF-D with the promoter of a cell growth-controlled gene is consistent with, and may be functionally related to, the loss of stringent cell growth regulation associated with neoplastic transformation.

Evidence that stimulation of growth following long term density arrest of WI-38 cells proceeds via a pathway independent of protein kinase C and of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

When cultures of WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts reach high cell densities, they cease to proliferate and enter a viable state of quiescence in which they can remain for long periods of time. However, the longer the cells remain growth arrested, the more time they require to leave G-0, to progress through G-1, and to enter S following stimulation with fresh serum. Previous results from our laboratory showed that in this system the time of expression of c-fos and c-myc was related only to the time of stimulation and not to the time of DNA synthesis [Owen et al., (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 15111-15117]. It is possible that the initial response of both the short and long term quiescent WI-38 cells to growth factor stimulation was the same but that the subsequent secondary events which led to the progression of the stimulated cells through G-1 into S were different. Therefore, experiments were performed to compare the signal transduction pathway(s) utilized following serum stimulation of long term quiescent WI-38 cells to those utilized in WI-38 cells stimulated after short periods of time in quiescence. The only differences detected between the short and long term quiescent WI-38 cells involved their responses to epidermal growth factor (EGF). These results suggest that the response of quiescent WI-38 cells to fetal calf serum involves an EGF-dependent signal transduction pathway. Moreover, the EGF pathway which functions in long term quiescent WI-38 cells would appear to be defective compared to that employed by short term quiescent WI-38 cells.

Evidence that the time of entry into S is determined by events occurring in early G1.

The length of the prereplicative period after stimulation of quiescent WI-38 cells is prolonged in proportion to the length of time the cells are incubated prior to serum addition. Previous results from this laboratory have shown that this prolongation does not result from a delay in the induction of events which occur during the G0/G1 transition (i.e. c-fos or c-myc expression) (Owen, T., Cosenza, S., Soprano, D. R., and Soprano, K. J. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262 15111-15117). It was the goal of the present studies to examine the expression of other growth-associated genes known to be induced and maximally accumulate later in G1 to identify genes whose expression is coupled to entry into S rather than mitogenic stimulation. In order to do this, the temporal pattern of expression of a variety of growth-associated genes (thymidine kinase, p53, 2A9/calcyclin, ornithine decarboxylase, 4F1/vimentin, and c-Ha-ras) was studied in WI-38 cells stimulated either 12 days or 26 days after plating. We report that the time of induction and maximum accumulation of each of these transcripts, with the exception of c-Ha-ras, was delayed in the 26-day cell group for 10 h, a period of time approximately equal to the length of delay in entry of these cells into S. Thus the expression of these particular genes would appear to be closely coupled in time and sequence to the entry of cells into S. These results suggest that the prolongation of the prereplicative period in WI-38 cells is located in early G1, following the events leading to c-fos and c-myc induction but prior to the induction and maximum accumulation later in G1 of other growth-associated genes such as ornithine decarboxylase and 4F1/vimentin. In addition, these results provide molecular evidence for a definitive programmed order of gene expression during the progression of cells out of G0 through G1 to S.

Expression of c-myc and induction of DNA synthesis by platelet-poor plasma in human diploid fibroblasts.

When WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts become confluent, they stop synthesizing DNA and dividing. Addition of serum causes the quiescent cell to reenter the cell cycle. Prolonged quiescence after confluence decreases and delays the response to serum. For a few days after reaching confluence, WI-38 cells also respond to platelet-poor plasma. During this period, although not cycling, WI-38 cells still express c-myc and other growth-regulated genes, as measured by steady-state RNA levels. If the quiescence is prolonged further, c-myc expression (and that of two other growth-regulated genes) is no longer detectable, and its disappearance coincides with a loss of response to platelet-poor plasma. These results suggest that, also under physiological conditions, the expression of c-myc and other growth-regulated genes can cooperate with platelet-poor plasma in inducing cellular DNA synthesis in human diploid fibroblasts.

Time of c-fos and c-myc expression in human diploid fibroblasts stimulated to proliferate after prolonged periods in quiescence.

When human diploid fibroblasts such as WI-38 cells become crowded, they enter a viable state of quiescence (G0) in which they can remain for prolonged periods of time. These quiescent cells can be induced to re-enter the cell cycle by addition of fresh serum. However, cells held in G0 for long periods before stimulation require more time to enter DNA synthesis as compared to cells held in a quiescent state for short periods. We have used this model system to determine if a close temporal coupling exists between the time of expression of two proto-oncogenes associated with cell growth, c-fos and c-myc, and the time of entry into DNA synthesis. WI-38 cells were stimulated to enter DNA synthesis by the addition of fresh culture medium and serum at various lengths of time after plating, ranging from 7 to 34 days. At hourly intervals thereafter, cells were harvested and total RNA was isolated. These samples were then analyzed by RNase protection assay to determine the levels of c-fos and c-myc mRNA. Our results show that the time and pattern of c-fos and c-myc mRNA accumulation after stimulation is determined only by the time which the cells are treated with serum even when they exhibit a 19-h delay in the entry into DNA synthesis. In all of our experiments, c-fos could be detected 0.5 h after stimulation and remained detectable for approximately 2 h. Likewise, the peak of c-myc accumulation occurred at about 3 h after serum addition, regardless of how long it took to initiate DNA synthesis. These results suggest that the time of c-fos and c-myc induction clearly is not the only factor which determines the length of the prereplicative period and thus the ultimate time of initiation of DNA synthesis.

Normalization of multiple RNA samples using an in vitro-synthesized external standard cRNA.

A method for the normalization of multiple RNA samples is described. This method exploits the recently developed technology which allows the synthesis of single-stranded, specific RNA molecules in vitro using either SP6 or T7 RNA polymerase to prepare an external standard cRNA. When this external standard cRNA is added to cell samples at the time of lysis, it becomes a stable, integral part of the RNA content of each sample, which can easily and reproducibly be detected and quantitated by either Northern blot or RNase protection. The feasibility of this approach to normalization has been tested in a mouse 3T3 cell model system. In multiple samples, the relative levels of this externally added standard transcript are shown to closely parallel the relative levels of an internal standard control transcript as well as the amount of RNA determined by spectrophotometric analysis. The data obtained demonstrate that an externally added, in vitro-synthesized transcript can serve as an accurate, universal means of normalizing multiple RNA samples, since it is not dependent on sample RNA concentration, species, cell or tissue type, or experimental manipulation.