Simultaneous depletion of RB, RBL1 and RBL2 affects endoderm differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.

RB is a well-known cell cycle regulator controlling the G1 checkpoint. Previous reports have suggested that it can influence cell fate decisions not only by regulating cell proliferation and survival but also by interacting with transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers. However, the functional redundancy of RB family proteins (RB, RBL1 and RBL2) renders it difficult to investigate their roles during early development, especially in human. Here, we address this problem by generating human embryonic stem cells lacking RB family proteins. To achieve this goal, we first introduced frameshift mutations in RBL1 and RBL2 genes using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and then integrated the shRNA-expression cassette to knockdown RB upon tetracycline treatment. The resulting RBL1/2_dKO+RB_iKD cells remain pluripotent and efficiently differentiate into the primary germ layers in vitro even in the absence of the RB family proteins. In contrast, we observed that subsequent differentiation into foregut endoderm was impaired without the expression of RB, RBL1 and RBL2. Thus, it is suggested that RB proteins are dispensable for the maintenance and acquisition of cell identities during early development, but they are essential to generate advanced derivatives after the formation of primary germ layers. These results also indicate that our RBL1/2_dKO+RB_iKD cell lines are useful to depict the detailed molecular roles of RB family proteins in the maintenance and generation of various cell types accessible from human pluripotent stem cells.

Mutations in the acetylation hotspots of Rbl2 are associated with increased risk of breast cancer.

Retinoblastoma like protein-2 (Rbl2) is functionally regulated by phosphorylation and acetylation. Previously, we demonstrated that lysine K1083 (K1079 in human Rbl2) is a potential target for acetylation but its functional role remains elusive. We investigated alterations in human Rbl2 gene specifically targeting exons 19-22 harbouring acetylatable residues i.e. K1072, K1083 and K1115 through single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in breast cancer patients. The K1083 was found altered into arginine (R) in 51% of the cases but K1072 and K1115 remained conserved. The 'K1083R' mutation impairs the acetylation potential of this motif that may result in functional inactivation of Rbl2. These patients also showed poor survival outcome that highlights prognostic relevance of this residue. NIH3T3 cells expressing glutamine (K1083Q) mutated Rbl2 could not be arrested in G1 by serum starvation, whereas cells expressing Rbl2 with K1083R showed prolonged G1 arrest in fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. This suggests that K1083 acetylation is important for G1/S transition. Further, we performed molecular dynamic simulations (MDS) to analyse kinetics of residue K1083 with Cyc-D1/CDK4. Mutations at K1083 impaired this binding exposing neighbouring residues S1080, P1081, S1082 and R1084, hence enhancing the possibility of accelerated phosphorylation. S1080 has previously been reported as a promising candidate of cell cycle dependent phosphorylation in Rbl2. This highlights significance of mutations in the pocket domain of Rbl2 gene in breast cancer, and also strengthen the supposition that K1083 acetylation is pre-requisite for its phosphorylation.

Orbital nodular fasciitis in child with biallelic germline RBL2 variant.

RBL2/p130 is one of three highly conserved members of the retinoblastoma (RB) protein family. It is strongly upregulated during neuronal differentiation and brain development, and is critical for survival of post-mitotic neurons. Similar to RB1, it has been implicated as a tumor suppressor gene and has been shown to be dysregulated in various types of cancer. Recent publications describe biallelic, germline loss of function variants in RBL2 in individuals with profound developmental delay. We report a child with profound developmental delay, microcephaly, and hypotonia, who developed fulminant exophthalmos at age 6 years. Brain MRI followed by a biopsy of an intra-orbital mass revealed a mesenchymal tumor. Post-surgical histopathologic examination of the resected tumor was compatible with diagnosis of nodular fasciitis. Exome sequencing from peripheral blood identified a biallelic frameshift variant (c.901dupT) in RBL2. Notably, no malignancies were reported in previous cases with RBL2 variants. This case provides a possible association between RBL2 and orbital tumors.

HOXB9 blocks cell cycle progression to inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation through the DNMT1/RBL2/c-Myc axis.

Homeobox B9 (HOXB9) is involved in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors. However, the functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of HOXB9 in pancreatic cancer have yet to be identified. In this study, we find that both HOXB9 mRNA and protein levels are down-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. Kaplan-Meier survival plots of 150 pancreatic cancer cases show that higher expression of HOXB9 in pancreatic cancer patients is associated with higher survival rates. We also find that over-expression of HOXB9 inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation both in cell lines and the nude mouse xenograft as well as PDX models. Applying cell cycle PCR array analysis, Flow CytoMetry, ChIP-qPCR, and luciferase experiments, we observe that HOXB9 blocks cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase via up-regulating RBL2 and inhibiting c-Myc, and we further find that DNMT1 inhibits the expression of HOXB9 in pancreatic cancer by promoting the methylation of its promoter. Our findings highlight a novel mechanism of the DNMT1/HOXB9/RBL2/c-Myc pathway in regulating the cell cycle and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells and provide a research basis for the prognosis and therapeutic application of HOXB9 in pancreatic cancer.

RBL2/DREAM-mediated repression of the Aurora kinase A/B pathway determines therapy responsiveness and outcome in p53 WT NSCLC.

Wild-type p53 is a stress-responsive transcription factor and potent tumor suppressor. P53 activates or represses genes involved in cell cycle progression or apoptosis in order to arrest the cell cycle or induce cell death. Transcription repression by p53 is indirect and requires repressive members of the RB-family (RB1, RBL1, RBL2) and formation of repressor complexes of RB1-E2F and RBL1/RBL2-DREAM. Many aurora kinase A/B (AURKA/B) pathway genes are repressed in a p53-DREAM-dependent manner. We found heightened expression of RBL2 and reduced expression of AURKA/B pathway genes is associated with improved outcomes in p53 wild-type but not p53 mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Knockdown of p53, RBL2, or the DREAM component LIN37 increased AURKA/B pathway gene expression and reduced paclitaxel and radiation toxicity in NSCLC cells. In contrast, pharmacologic inhibition of AURKA/B or knockdown of AURKA/B pathway components increased paclitaxel and IR sensitivity. The results support a model in which p53-RBL2-DREAM-mediated repression of the AURKA/B pathway contributes to tumor suppression, improved tumor therapy responses, and better outcomes in p53 wild-type NSCLCs.

Cyclin F drives proliferation through SCF-dependent degradation of the retinoblastoma-like tumor suppressor p130/RBL2.

Cell cycle gene expression programs fuel proliferation and are universally dysregulated in cancer. The retinoblastoma (RB)-family of proteins, RB1, RBL1/p107, and RBL2/p130, coordinately represses cell cycle gene expression, inhibiting proliferation, and suppressing tumorigenesis. Phosphorylation of RB-family proteins by cyclin-dependent kinases is firmly established. Like phosphorylation, ubiquitination is essential to cell cycle control, and numerous proliferative regulators, tumor suppressors, and oncoproteins are ubiquitinated. However, little is known about the role of ubiquitin signaling in controlling RB-family proteins. A systems genetics analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 screens suggested the potential regulation of the RB-network by cyclin F, a substrate recognition receptor for the SCF family of E3 ligases. We demonstrate that RBL2/p130 is a direct substrate of SCFcyclin F. We map a cyclin F regulatory site to a flexible linker in the p130 pocket domain, and show that this site mediates binding, stability, and ubiquitination. Expression of a mutant version of p130, which cannot be ubiquitinated, severely impaired proliferative capacity and cell cycle progression. Consistently, we observed reduced expression of cell cycle gene transcripts, as well a reduced abundance of cell cycle proteins, analyzed by quantitative, iterative immunofluorescent imaging. These data suggest a key role for SCFcyclin F in the CDK-RB network and raise the possibility that aberrant p130 degradation could dysregulate the cell cycle in human cancers.

Proteasomal degradation of p130 facilitate cell cycle deregulation and impairment of cellular differentiation in high-risk Human Papillomavirus 16 and 18 E7 transfected cells.

The High-Risk Human Papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) 16 and 18 are known to cause cervical cancer, which is primarily attributed to E6 and E7 oncoproteins. In addition, recent studies have focused on the vital role of the p130 pocket protein as an oncosuppressor to limit the expression of E2F transcription factors required for cell cycle progression. In view of this, the current study was conducted to investigate the mechanism by which transfection with HPV16/18 E7 leads to the deregulation of the host cell cycle, altering the localisation of p130, and expression of differentiation genes in Human Keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells. Co-immunoprecipitation, Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, quantitative-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), and the inhibition of p130 by MG132 inhibitor were employed to investigate the loss of p130 and its disruption in HPV 16/18 E7-transfected HaCaT cells. The HPV16- and HPV18-transformed cells, known as CaSki and HeLa, respectively, were also used to complement the ectopic expressions of E7 in HaCaT cells. Normal keratinocytes displayed higher level of p130 expression than HPV-transformed cells. In addition, the immunofluorescence analysis revealed that both HPV 16/18 E7-transfected HaCaT and HPV-transformed cells exhibited higher level of cytoplasmic p130 compared to nuclear p130. A significant increase in the number of S/G2 phase cells in HPV-transformed cells was also recorded since E7 has been shown to stimulate proliferation through the deactivation of Retinoblastoma Protein (pRB)-dependent G1/S checkpoint. Furthermore, the findings recorded the down-regulation of keratinocyte differentiation markers, namely p130, keratin10, and involucrin. The proteasomal degradation of the exported p130 confirmed the cellular localisation pattern of p130, which was commonly observed in cancerous cells. The findings provide strong evidence that the localisation of nuclear p130 nuclear was disrupted by HPV16/18 E7 led to the deregulation of the cell cycle and the impairment of cellular differentiation ultimately lead to cellular transformation.

Clonal evidence for the development of neuroblastoma with extensive copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity arising in a mature teratoma.

Mature teratomas are usually benign tumors that rarely undergo malignant transformation. We report an advanced neuroblastoma arising in a mature teratoma of the ovary. Whole-exome sequencing identified extensive copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in both neuroblastoma and teratoma elements, suggesting that the neuroblastoma evolved from the teratoma. In addition, several truncating germline heterozygous variants in tumor suppressor genes, including RBL2 and FBXW12, became homozygous as a result of LOH. Collectively, we speculate that extensive LOH in teratoma cells may force heterozygous germline variants to become homozygous, which, in turn, may contribute to the development of neuroblastoma with the acquisition of additional chromosomal changes.

RBL2 bi-allelic truncating variants cause severe motor and cognitive impairment without evidence for abnormalities in DNA methylation or telomeric function.

RBL2/p130, a member of the retinoblastoma family of proteins, is a key regulator of cell division and propagates irreversible senescence. RBL2/p130 is also involved in neuronal differentiation and survival, and eliminating Rbl2 in certain mouse strains leads to embryonic lethality accompanied by an abnormal central nervous system (CNS) phenotype. Conflicting reports exist regarding a role of RBL2/p130 in transcriptional regulation of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), as well as the control of telomere length. Here we describe the phenotype of three patients carrying bi-allelic RBL2-truncating variants. All presented with infantile hypotonia, severe developmental delay and microcephaly. Malignancies were not reported in carriers or patients. Previous studies carried out on mice and human cultured cells, associated RBL2 loss to DNA methylation and telomere length dysregulation. Here, we investigated whether patient cells lacking RBL2 display related abnormalities. The study of primary patient fibroblasts did not detect abnormalities in expression of DNMTs. Furthermore, methylation levels of whole genome DNA, and specifically of pericentromeric repeats and subtelomeric regions, were unperturbed. RBL2-null fibroblasts show no evidence for abnormal elongation by telomeric recombination. Finally, gradual telomere shortening, and normal onset of senescence were observed following continuous culturing of RBL2-mutated fibroblasts. Thus, this study resolves uncertainties regarding a potential non-redundant role for RBL2 in DNA methylation and telomere length regulation, and indicates that loss of function variants in RBL2 cause a severe autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder in humans.

FGFR1 Is Critical for RBL2 Loss-Driven Tumor Development and Requires PLCG1 Activation for Continued Growth of Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains a recalcitrant disease where limited therapeutic options have not improved overall survival, and approved targeted therapies are lacking. Amplification of the tyrosine kinase receptor FGFR1 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 1) is one of the few actionable alterations found in the SCLC genome. However, efforts to develop targeted therapies for FGFR1-amplified SCLC are hindered by critical gaps in knowledge around the molecular origins and mediators of FGFR1-driven signaling as well as the physiologic impact of targeting FGFR1. Here we show that increased FGFR1 promotes tumorigenic progression in precancerous neuroendocrine cells and is required for SCLC development in vivo. Notably, Fgfr1 knockout suppressed tumor development in a mouse model lacking the retinoblastoma-like protein 2 (Rbl2) tumor suppressor gene but did not affect a model with wild-type Rbl2. In support of a functional interaction between these two genes, loss of RBL2 induced FGFR1 expression and restoration of RBL2 repressed it, suggesting a novel role for RBL2 as a regulator of FGFR1 in SCLC. Additionally, FGFR1 activated phospholipase C gamma 1 (PLCG1), whereas chemical inhibition of PLCG1 suppressed SCLC growth, implicating PLCG1 as an effector of FGFR1 signaling in SCLC. Collectively, this study uncovers mechanisms underlying FGFR1-driven SCLC that involve RBL2 upstream and PLCG1 downstream, thus providing potential biomarkers for anti-FGFR1 therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies RBL2 and PLCG1 as critical components of amplified FGFR1 signaling in SCLC, thus representing potential targets for biomarker analysis and therapeutic development in this disease.

Biallelic loss-of-function variants in RBL2 in siblings with a neurodevelopmental disorder.

The RBL2 locus has been associated with intelligence and educational attainment but not with a monogenic disorder to date. RBL2 encodes p130, a member of the retinoblastoma protein family, which is involved in mediating neuron survival and death. Previous studies on p130 knockout mice revealing embryonic death and impaired neurogenesis underscore the importance of RBL2 in brain development. Exome sequencing in two siblings with severe intellectual disability, stereotypies and dysmorphic features identified biallelic loss-of-function variants c.556C>T, p.(Arg186Ter) and a deletion of exon 13-17 in RBL2 (NM_005611.3), establishing RBL2 as a candidate gene for an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder.

CRISPR-mediated modeling and functional validation of candidate tumor suppressor genes in small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive subtype of lung cancer that remains among the most lethal of solid tumor malignancies. Recent genomic sequencing studies have identified many recurrently mutated genes in human SCLC tumors. However, the functional roles of most of these genes remain to be validated. Here, we have adapted the CRISPR-Cas9 system to a well-established murine model of SCLC to rapidly model loss-of-function mutations in candidate genes identified from SCLC sequencing studies. We show that loss of the gene p107 significantly accelerates tumor progression. Notably, compared with loss of the closely related gene p130, loss of p107 results in fewer but larger tumors as well as earlier metastatic spread. In addition, we observe differences in proliferation and apoptosis as well as altered distribution of initiated tumors in the lung, resulting from loss of p107 or p130 Collectively, these data demonstrate the feasibility of using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to model loss of candidate tumor suppressor genes in SCLC, and we anticipate that this approach will facilitate efforts to investigate mechanisms driving tumor progression in this deadly disease.

RB, p130 and p107 differentially repress G1/S and G2/M genes after p53 activation.

Cell cycle gene expression occurs in two waves. The G1/S genes encode factors required for DNA synthesis and the G2/M genes contribute to mitosis. The Retinoblastoma protein (RB) and DREAM complex (DP, RB-like, E2F4 and MuvB) cooperate to repress all cell cycle genes during G1 and inhibit entry into the cell cycle. DNA damage activates p53 leading to increased levels of p21 and inhibition of cell cycle progression. Whether the G1/S and G2/M genes are differentially repressed by RB and the RB-like proteins p130 and p107 in response to DNA damage is not known. We performed gene expression profiling of primary human fibroblasts upon DNA damage and assessed the effects on G1/S and G2/M genes. Upon p53 activation, p130 and RB cooperated to repress the G1/S genes. In addition, in the absence of RB and p130, p107 contributed to repression of G1/S genes. In contrast, G2/M genes were repressed by p130 and p107 after p53 activation. Furthermore, repression of G2/M genes by p107 and p130 led to reduced entry into mitosis. Our data demonstrates specific roles for RB, p130-DREAM, and p107-DREAM in p53 and p21 mediated repression of cell cycle genes.

Cell necrosis, intrinsic apoptosis and senescence contribute to the progression of exencephaly to anencephaly in a mice model of congenital chranioschisis.

Exencephaly/anencephaly is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and the most extreme open neural tube defect with no current treatments and limited mechanistic understanding. We hypothesized that exencephaly leads to a local neurodegenerative process in the brain exposed to the amniotic fluid as well as diffuse degeneration in other encephalic areas and the spinal cord. To evaluate the consequences of in utero neural tissue exposure, brain and spinal cord samples from E17 exencephalic murine fetuses (maternal intraperitoneal administration of valproic acid at E8) were analyzed and compared to controls and saline-injected shams (n = 11/group). Expression of apoptosis and senescence genes (p53, p21, p16, Rbl2, Casp3, Casp9) was determined by qRT-PCR and protein expression analyzed by western blot. Apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay and PI/AV flow cytometry. Valproic acid at E8 induced exencephaly in 22% of fetuses. At E17 the fetuses exhibited the characteristic absence of cranial bones. The brain structures from exencephalic fetuses demonstrated a loss of layers in cortical regions and a complete loss of structural organization in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, dental gyrus and septal cortex. E17 fetuses had reduced expression of NeuN, GFAP and Oligodendrocytes in the brain with primed microglia. Intrinsic apoptotic activation (p53, Caspase9 and 3) was upregulated and active Caspase3 localized to the layer of brain exposed to the amniotic fluid. Senescence via p21-Rbl2 was increased in the brain and in the spinal cord at the lamina I-II of the somatosensory dorsal horn. The current study characterizes CNS alterations in murine exencephaly and demonstrates that degeneration due to intrinsic apoptosis and senescence occurs in the directly exposed brain but also remotely in the spinal cord.

Downregulated long non-coding RNA LINC00899 inhibits invasion and migration of spinal ependymoma cells via RBL2-dependent FoxO pathway.

This study is aimed to clarify the potential role of lncRNA LINC00899 in invasion and migration of spinal ependymoma cells through the FoxO pathway via RBL2. Spinal ependymoma related chip data (GSE50161 and GSE66354) was initially downloaded and differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out. Fifty-eight cases of spinal ependymoma and normal ependymal tissues were collected. The effects of LINC00899 and RBL2 on the spinal ependymoma cell migration and invasion were determined using the third generation spinal ependymoma cells and transfection with LINC00899 vector, siRNA-LINC00899 and siRNA-RBL2. The expression of LINC00899, pathway and cell proliferation- and apoptosis-related factors was determined. Finally, we also detected cell proliferation, migration, invasion, cycle and apoptosis after transfection. Our results showed that LINC00899 was up-regulated in spinal ependymoma and RBL2 was confirmed as a target gene of LINC00899 and found to be involved in regulation of FoxO pathway. LINC00899 expression increased in spinal ependymoma tissues whereas RBL2 expression decreased. Moreover, we found that siRNA-LINC00899 could elevate RBL2, p21, p27 and Bax levels, decrease FoxO, Bcl-2, Vimentin, Annexin levels, reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion and enhanced apoptosis. Taken together, our study suggests that down-regulated LINC00899 exerts anti-oncogenic effects on spinal ependymoma via RBL2-dependent FoxO, which provides a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of spinal ependymomas.

Overexpressing p130/E2F4 in mesenchymal stem cells facilitates the repair of injured alveolar epithelial cells in LPS-induced ARDS mice.

BACKGROUND: Low differentiation rates of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) limit their therapeutic effects on patients in clinical studies. Our previous study demonstrated that overexpressing p130 or E2F4 affected the multipotential differentiation of MSCs, and the underlying mechanism was attributed to the regulation of the G1 phase. Improving the efficiency of MSC differentiation into epithelial cells is considered to be a new method. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of overexpressing p130 or E2F4 in MSCs on improving re-epithelization in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS animals. METHODS: Mouse MSCs (mMSCs) stably transfected with p130 and E2F4 were transplanted intratracheally into LPS-induced ARDS mice. After 7 and 14 days, the mice were sacrificed, and the histopathology of the lungs was assessed by haematoxylin-eosin staining and lung injury scoring. Homing and differentiation of mMSCs were analysed by labelling and tracking mMSCs with NIR815 dye and immunofluorescent staining. Surfactant proteins A and C and occludin in the lungs were assessed by western blot. Permeability was evaluated by analysing the protein concentration of BALF using ELISA. Alveolar fluid clearance was assessed by absorbance measurements of BALF. Lung fibrosis was assessed by Masson's trichrome staining and Ashcroft scoring. RESULTS: The engraftment of mMSCs overexpressing p130 or E2F4 led to attenuated histopathological impairment of the lung tissue, and the lung injury scores of the LPS+mBM-MSC-p130 and LPS+mBM-MSC-E2F4 groups were also decreased (p < 0.05). Overexpression of p130 or E2F4 also increased the retention of mMSCs in the lung (p < 0.05), increased differentiation into type II alveolar epithelial cells (p < 0.05), and improved alveolar epithelial permeability (p < 0.05). Additionally, mMSCs overexpressing p130 or E2F4 inhibited lung fibrosis according to the deposition of collagen and the fibrosis score in the lungs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overexpressing p130 or E2F4 in mMSCs could further improve the injured structure and function of epithelial cells in the lungs of ARDS mice as a result of improved differentiation of mMSCs into epithelial cells.

A transient DMSO treatment increases the differentiation potential of human pluripotent stem cells through the Rb family.

The propensity for differentiation varies substantially across human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines, greatly restricting the use of hPSCs for cell replacement therapy or disease modeling. Here, we investigate the underlying mechanisms and demonstrate that activation of the retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway in a transient manner is important for differentiation. In prior work, we demonstrated that pre-treating hPSCs with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) before directed differentiation enhanced differentiation potential across all three germ layers. Here, we show that exposure to DMSO improves the efficiency of hPSC differentiation through Rb and by repressing downstream E2F-target genes. While transient inactivation of the Rb family members (including Rb, p107, and p130) suppresses DMSO's capacity to enhance differentiation across all germ layers, transient expression of a constitutively active (non-phosphorylatable) form of Rb increases the differentiation efficiency similar to DMSO. Inhibition of downstream targets of Rb, such as E2F signaling, also promotes differentiation of hPSCs. More generally, we demonstrate that the duration of Rb activation plays an important role in regulating differentiation capacity.

MiRNA-93 functions as an oncogene in glioma by directly targeting RBL2.

OBJECTIVE: Glioma is a tumor of the brain. Although the clinical regimens and surgical techniques for glioma have improved, therapies of advanced glioma remain challenging, carrying dismal overall survival and therapeutic success rates. Evidence has shown that miRNAs played important roles in glioma development. The current study aimed at investigating the function of a novel cancerogenic miRNA, miR-93, in glioma progression by investigating the expression and mechanism of it. PATIENTS AND METHODS: qRT-PCR was conducted to assess the miR-93 expression and the mRNA expression of target gene in glioma tissues and cells. The invasion and migration abilities of the glioma cells were determined by transwell assays. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the target of miR-93. RESULTS: The results indicated that miR-93 expression in glioma tissues and cells was increased significantly than that in normal brain tissues and cells. Furthermore, miR-93 promoted glioma cell migration and invasion. RBL2 was recognized as a direct target of miR-93 in glioma cells, and overexpression of RBL2 could reverse the stimulative effect of miR-93 in glioma cell. CONCLUSIONS: The above findings suggested that miR-93 together with RBL2 could be diagnostic targets and novel prognostic markers for glioma.

RBL2/p130 is a direct AKT target and is required to induce apoptosis upon AKT inhibition in lung cancer and mesothelioma cell lines.

The retinoblastoma (RB) protein family includes RB1/p105, RBL1/p107, and RBL2/p130, which are key factors in cell-cycle regulation and stand at the crossroads of multiple pathways dictating cell fate decisions. The role of RB proteins in apoptosis is controversial because they can inhibit or promote apoptosis depending on the context, on the apoptotic stimuli and on their intrinsic status, impacting on the response to antitumoral treatments. Here we identified RBL2/p130 as a direct substrate of the AKT kinase, a key antiapoptotic factor hyperactive in multiple cancer types. We showed that RBL2/p130 and AKT1 physically interact and AKT phosphorylates RBL2/p130 Ser941, located in the pocket domain, but not when this residue is mutated into Ala. We found that pharmacological inhibition of AKT, through the highly selective AKT inhibitor VIII (AKTiVIII), impairs RBL2/p130 Ser941 phosphorylation and increases RBL2/p130 stability, mRNA expression and nuclear levels in both lung cancer and mesothelioma cell lines, mirroring the more extensively studied effects on the p27 cell-cycle inhibitor. Consistently, AKT inhibition reduced cell viability, induced cell accumulation in G0/G1, and triggered apoptosis, which proved to be largely dependent on RBL2/p130 itself, as shown upon RBL2/p130 silencing. AKT inhibition induced RBL2/p130-dependent apoptosis also in HEK-293 cells, in which re-expression of a short hairpin-resistant RBL2/p130 was able to rescue AKTiVIII-induced apoptosis upon RBL2/p130 silencing. Our data also showed that the combination of AKT and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) inhibitors, which converge on the re-activation of RBL2/p130 antitumoral potential, could be a promising anticancer strategy.

Nucleosomes positioning around transcriptional start site of tumor suppressor (Rbl2/p130) gene in breast cancer.

Dynamic positioning of nucleosomes is pivotal in determining level of genes expression especially on or around transcription start site (TSS) of a gene. Purpose of the current study was to determine nucleosome position around TSS of Rbl2/p130. We investigated Rbl2/p130 expression in connection to nucleosome positions around its TSS among breast tumors and their adjacent normal control tissues (ANCT) using micrococcal nuclease (MNAse) digestion assay and ChIP-PCR analysis. Three fold reduced Rbl2/p130 expression in these tumor tissues were noticed compared to their control tissues. DNA obtained from MNAse digested chromatin was used as PCR template. Region between - 137 to + 140 around TSS was scanned using 3 primer pairs (P1 = - 137 to + 69; P2 = - 90 to + 69; P3 = - 33 to + 140). ~ 66% breast tumors and ~ 26% ANCT samples were positive for P1. The difference was found statistically significant (p = 0.000) with an odd ratio (OD) of 9.143, suggesting that nucleosome formation in this region is ~ 9 times more probable in tumor samples. ~ 73% of the tumor and 60% ANCT were positive for P2, which although is significant (p = 0.035) with OD = 3.250, but less preferable than P1. However, P3 was not found to be a preferred area for nucleosome occupancy (p = 0.670; OD = 1.2). Negative correlations for nucleosome positions were observed especially for P1. Our results indicate that nucleosome are present slightly downstream of TSS in routine, while in case of breast carcinogenesis nucleosomes slides 55 bases upstream of the TSS, aligning + 1 position at the center of nucleosome, hence hindering access to the transcriptional machinery.