Reciprocal regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase and phospholipase D.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a critical sensor of energy sufficiency, acts as central metabolic switch in cell metabolism. Once activated by low energy status, AMPK phosphorylates key regulatory substrates and turns off anabolic biosynthetic pathways. In contrast, the mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is active when there are sufficient nutrients for anabolic reactions. A critical factor regulating mTOR is phosphatidic acid (PA), a central metabolite of membrane lipid biosynthesis and the product of the phospholipase D (PLD)-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine. PLD is a downstream target of the GTPase Rheb, which is turned off in response to AMPK via the tuberous sclerosis complex. Although many studies have linked AMPK with mTOR, very little is known about the connection between AMPK and PLD. In this report, we provide evidence for reciprocal regulation of PLD by AMPK and regulation of AMPK by PLD and PA. Suppression of AMPK activity led to an increase in PLD activity, and conversely, activation of AMPK suppressed PLD activity. Suppression of PLD activity resulted in elevated AMPK activity. Exogenously supplied PA abolished the inhibitory effects of elevated AMPK activity on mTOR signaling. In contrast, exogenously supplied PA could not overcome the effect AMPK activation if either mTOR or Raptor was suppressed, indicating that the inhibitory effects of PLD and PA on AMPK activity are mediated by mTOR. These data suggest a reciprocal feedback mechanism involving AMPK and the PLD/mTOR signaling node in cancer cells with therapeutic implications.

Reversal by RARα agonist Am580 of c-Myc-induced imbalance in RARα/RARγ expression during MMTV-Myc tumorigenesis.

INTRODUCTION: Retinoic acid signaling plays key roles in embryonic development and in maintaining the differentiated status of adult tissues. Recently, the nuclear retinoic acid receptor (RAR) isotypes α, ß and γ were found to play specific functions in the expansion and differentiation of the stem compartments of various tissues. For instance, RARγ appears to be involved in stem cell compartment expansion, while RARα and RARß are implicated in the subsequent cell differentiation. We found that over-expressing c-Myc in normal mouse mammary epithelium and in a c-Myc-driven transgenic model of mammary cancer, disrupts the balance between RARγ and RARα/ß in favor of RARγ. METHODS: The effects of c-Myc on RAR isotype expression were evaluated in normal mouse mammary epithelium, mammary tumor cells obtained from the MMTV-Myc transgenic mouse model as well as human normal immortalized breast epithelial and breast cancer cell lines. The in vivo effect of the RARα-selective agonist 4-[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthyl)carboxamido]benzoic acid (Am580) was examined in the MMTV-Myc mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis. RESULTS: Modulation of the RARα/ß to RARγ expression in mammary glands of normal mice, oncomice, and human mammary cell lines through the alteration of RAR-target gene expression affected cell proliferation, survival and tumor growth. Treatment of MMTV-Myc mice with the RARα-selective agonist Am580 led to significant inhibition of mammary tumor growth (~90%, P<0.001), lung metastasis (P<0.01) and extended tumor latency in 63% of mice. Immunocytochemical analysis showed that in these mice, RARα responsive genes such as Cyp26A1, E-cadherin, cellular retinol-binding protein 1 (CRBP1) and p27, were up-regulated. In contrast, the mammary gland tumors of mice that responded poorly to Am580 treatment (37%) expressed significantly higher levels of RARγ. In vitro experiments indicated that the rise in RARγ was functionally linked to promotion of tumor growth and inhibition of differentiation. Thus, activation of the RARα pathway is linked to tumor growth inhibition, differentiation and cell death. CONCLUSIONS: The functional consequence of the interplay between c-Myc oncogene expression and the RARγ to RARα/ß balance suggests that prevalence of RARγ over-RARα/ß expression levels in breast cancer accompanied by c-Myc amplification or over-expression in breast cancer should be predictive of response to treatment with RARα-isotype-specific agonists and warrant monitoring during clinical trials.

Honokiol suppresses survival signals mediated by Ras-dependent phospholipase D activity in human cancer cells.

PURPOSE: Elevated phospholipase D (PLD) activity provides a survival signal in several human cancer cell lines and suppresses apoptosis when cells are subjected to the stress of serum withdrawal. Thus, targeting PLD survival signals has potential to suppress survival in cancer cells that depend on PLD for survival. Honokiol is a compound that suppresses tumor growth in mouse models. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of honokiol on PLD survival signals and the Ras dependence of these signals. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The effect of honokiol upon PLD activity was examined in human cancer cell lines where PLD activity provides a survival signal. The dependence of PLD survival signals on Ras was investigated, as was the effect of honokiol on Ras activation. RESULTS: We report here that honokiol suppresses PLD activity in human cancer cells where PLD has been shown to suppress apoptosis. PLD activity is commonly elevated in response to the stress of serum withdrawal, and, importantly, the stress-induced increase in PLD activity is selectively suppressed by honokiol. The stress-induced increase in PLD activity was accompanied by increased Ras activation, and the stress-induced increase in PLD activity in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells was dependent on a Ras. The PLD activity was also dependent on the GTPases RalA and ADP ribosylation factor. Importantly, honokiol suppressed Ras activation. CONCLUSION: The data provided here indicate that honokiol may be a valuable therapeutic reagent for targeting a large number of human cancers that depend on Ras and PLD for their survival.

Phospholipase D provides a survival signal in human cancer cells with activated H-Ras or K-Ras.

Phospholipase D (PLD) is elevated in rodent fibroblasts expressing activated H-Ras mutants. We therefore examined the PLD activity in human cancer cells with activating Ras mutations. T24 bladder carcinoma cells express an activated H-Ras gene and Calu-1 lung carcinoma cells express an activated K-Ras gene. We report here that both of these cancer cell lines express highly elevated levels of PLD activity and that the PLD activity is dependent upon Ras. We also show that the PLD activity is dependent upon the Ras effector molecules RalA and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K). PLD activity has been shown to provide a survival signal in breast cancer cell lines that suppressed stress-induced apoptosis. Suppression of PLD activity in the T24 and Calu-1 cells resulted in apoptotic cell death in the absence of serum, indicating that the elevated PLD activity provided a survival signal in these cancer cell lines. Suppression of Ras, RalA, or PI3K also led to apoptosis in the absence of serum. These data indicate that a critical component of Ras signaling in human cancer cells is the activation of PLD and that targeting PLD survival signals in cancer cells could be an effective strategy to induce apoptosis in human cancers with activating Ras mutations.

Regulation of mTORC1 and mTORC2 complex assembly by phosphatidic acid: competition with rapamycin.

mTOR, the mammalian target of rapamycin, is a critical node for control of cell growth and survival and has widely been implicated in cancer survival signals. mTOR exists in two complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. Phospholipase D (PLD) and its metabolite phosphatidic acid (PA) have been implicated in the regulation of mTOR; however, their role has been controversial. We report here that suppression of PLD prevents phosphorylation of the mTORC1 substrate S6 kinase (S6K) at Thr389 and the mTORC2 substrate Akt at Ser473. Suppression of PLD also blocked insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 and the mTORC2-dependent phosphorylation of PRAS40. Importantly, PA was required for the association of mTOR with Raptor to form mTORC1 and that of mTOR with Rictor to form mTORC2. The effect of PA was competitive with rapamycin-with much higher concentrations of rapamycin needed to compete with the PA-mTORC2 interaction than with PA-mTORC1. Suppressing PA production substantially increased the sensitivity of mTORC2 to rapamycin. Data provided here demonstrate a PA requirement for the stabilization of both mTORC1 and mTORC2 complexes and reveal a mechanism for the inhibitory effect of rapamycin on mTOR. This study also suggests that by suppressing PLD activity, mTORC2 could be targeted therapeutically with rapamycin.

Suppression of TGF-beta signaling by phospholipase D.

MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells have a survival signal generated by phospholipase D (PLD) that involves the activation of mTOR and MAP kinase. TGF-beta signals that block cell cycle progression in G(1) are suppressed in MDA-MB-231 cells. We report here that the elevated PLD activity in MDA-MB-231 cells suppresses TGF-beta signaling. Suppression of PLD activity or PLD expression resulted in increased phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 on Ser 465/467-sites on Smads that get phosphorylated by the TGF-beta receptor and positively regulate TGF-beta signaling. The effect of PLD suppression on Smad2/3 phosphorylation was dependent on the presence of TGF-beta. Suppression of PLD also suppressed phosphorylation of Smad2 on Ser 245/250/255-sites that are phosphorylated by MAP kinase and negatively regulate TGF-beta signaling. Suppression of PLD also led to increased expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21Cip1 and p27Kip1, the expression of which is stimulated in response to TGF-beta. Consistent with the elevated expression of CDK inhibitors, suppression of PLD also suppressed phosphorylation of the CDK substrate pRb. Similar effects were also seen in PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells. The data presented here indicate that the suppressed TGF-beta signaling in MDA-MB-231 and perhaps many other human cancer cells is due to elevated PLD activity and mediated by mTOR and MAP kinase. These results indicate that the survival signals generated by PLD involve the suppression TGF-beta signals that promote G(1) arrest.