RESUMO
RAF kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) is a negative regulator of the RAS-mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling cascade. We investigated its role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive malignancy arising from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Western blot analysis revealed loss of RKIP expression in 19/103 (18%) primary AML samples and 4/17 (24%) AML cell lines but not in 10 CD34+ HSPC specimens. In in-vitro experiments with myeloid cell lines, RKIP overexpression inhibited cellular proliferation and colony formation in soft agar. Analysis of two cohorts with 103 and 285 AML patients, respectively, established a correlation of decreased RKIP expression with monocytic phenotypes. RKIP loss was associated with RAS mutations and in transformation assays, RKIP decreased the oncogenic potential of mutant RAS. Loss of RKIP further related to a significantly longer relapse-free survival and overall survival in uni- and multivariate analyses. Our data show that RKIP is frequently lost in AML and correlates with monocytic phenotypes and mutations in RAS. RKIP inhibits proliferation and transformation of myeloid cells and decreases transformation induced by mutant RAS. Finally, loss of RKIP seems to be a favorable prognostic parameter in patients with AML.
Assuntos
Regulação Leucêmica da Expressão Gênica , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Proteína de Ligação a Fosfatidiletanolamina/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Genes ras , Humanos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/mortalidade , Monócitos/citologia , Monócitos/metabolismo , Mutação , Células Mieloides/metabolismo , Proteína de Ligação a Fosfatidiletanolamina/deficiência , Proteína de Ligação a Fosfatidiletanolamina/genética , PrognósticoRESUMO
The authors discuss the role of the Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) as a modulator of oscillations in NFB signalling. A mathematical model of the NFB signalling pathway was derived and the Lyapunov-Andronov theory was used to analyse dynamical properties of the system. The analytical results were complemented by predictive numerical simulations. Our results suggest that the nature of oscillations, emerging under sustained stimulation of the system, depends on the interplay between the IB kinase (IKK) stimulation and the inhibitory action of RKIP. The authors found a mathematical relation that defines isoclines in IKK and RKIP levels for which the properties of oscillations are conserved and changes in the stimulation can be compensated by modulating RKIP inhibition. On the other hand, the shifting from the current isocline provokes modulation in either the amplitude (for stronger stimulation) or the frequency (for weaker stimulation).
Assuntos
Quinase I-kappa B/metabolismo , Modelos Biológicos , NF-kappa B/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Biologia de Sistemas/métodos , Algoritmos , Simulação por Computador , Cinética , Proteína de Ligação a Fosfatidiletanolamina/metabolismoRESUMO
Cancer can be perceived as a disease of communication between and within cells. The aberrations are pleiotropic, but mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways feature prominently. Here, we discuss recent findings and hypotheses on the role of MAPK pathways in cancer. Cancerous mutations in MAPK pathways are frequently mostly affecting Ras and B-Raf in the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway. Stress-activated pathways, such as Jun N-terminal kinase and p38, largely seem to counteract malignant transformation. The balance and integration between these signals may widely vary in different tumours, but are important for the outcome and the sensitivity to drug therapy.
Assuntos
Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases/fisiologia , Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por Mitógeno/fisiologia , Neoplasias/enzimologia , Animais , Humanos , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases/genética , Proteínas Quinases Ativadas por Mitógeno/genética , Neoplasias/genéticaRESUMO
The Wnt and the extracellular signal regulated-kinase (ERK) pathways are both involved in the pathogenesis of various kinds of cancers. Recently, the existence of crosstalk between Wnt and ERK pathways was reported. Gathering all reported results, we have discovered a positive feedback loop embedded in the crosstalk between the Wnt and ERK pathways. We have developed a plausible model that represents the role of this hidden positive feedback loop in the Wnt/ERK pathway crosstalk based on the integration of experimental reports and employing established basic mathematical models of each pathway. Our analysis shows that the positive feedback loop can generate bistability in both the Wnt and ERK signaling pathways, and this prediction was further validated by experiments. In particular, using the commonly accepted assumption that mutations in signaling proteins contribute to cancerogenesis, we have found two conditions through which mutations could evoke an irreversible response leading to a sustained activation of both pathways. One condition is enhanced production of beta-catenin, the other is a reduction of the velocity of MAP kinase phosphatase(s). This enables that high activities of Wnt and ERK pathways are maintained even without a persistent extracellular signal. Thus, our study adds a novel aspect to the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis by showing that mutational changes in individual proteins can cause fundamental functional changes well beyond the pathway they function in by a positive feedback loop embedded in crosstalk. Thus, crosstalk between signaling pathways provides a vehicle through which mutations of individual components can affect properties of the system at a larger scale.
