N-myc mRNA forms an RNA-RNA duplex with endogenous antisense transcripts.

Nuclear runoff transcription studies revealed nearly equivalent sense and antisense transcription across exon 1 of the N-myc locus. Antisense primary transcription initiates at multiple sites in intron 1 and gives rise to stable polyadenylated and nonpolyadenylated transcripts. This pattern of antisense transcription, which is directed by RNA polymerase II, is independent of gene amplification and cell type. The nonpolyadenylated antisense transcripts have 5' ends which are complementary to the 5' ends of the N-myc sense mRNA. We determined, by using an RNase protection technique designed to detect in vivo duplexes, that most of the cytoplasmic nonpolyadenylated antisense RNA exists in an RNA-RNA duplex with approximately 5% of the sense N-myc mRNA. Duplex formation appeared to occur with only a subset of the multiple forms of the N-myc mRNA, with the precise transcriptional initiation site of the RNA playing a role in determining this selectivity. Cloning of each strand of the RNA-RNA duplex revealed that most duplexes included both exon 1 and intron 1 sequences, suggesting that duplex formation could modulate RNA processing by preserving a population of N-myc mRNA which retains intron 1.

Autocrine growth of small cell lung cancer mediated by coexpression of c-kit and stem cell factor.

At least 70% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumors and tumor-derived cell lines coexpress the genes for stem cell factor (SCF) and its receptor, the c-kit proto-oncogene. To assess the impact of coexpression of the growth factor and receptor on SCLC growth, the NCI-H146 SCLC cell line, which expresses only SCF, was transfected with a c-kit expression vector. Kit protein immunoprecipitated from the transfected cells had a constitutive level of tyrosine phosphorylation, and these cells grew more vigorously in serum-free medium compared to control-transfected cells. This growth advantage could be blocked by the addition of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A. Growth of the c-kit-transfected cells could be further enhanced by the addition of bombesin or insulin-like growth factor-1, suggesting that the SCF/c-kit autocrine loop could function cooperatively with other SCLC autocrine loops. To further investigate the importance of this autocrine loop, a cell line that naturally coexpresses SCF and c-kit was transfected with a kinase-defective c-kit gene. Cells transfected with the defective gene showed a marked decrease in their ability to grow under growth factor-free conditions compared to cells transfected with the empty expression vector. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the coexpression of the stem cell factor and c-kit genes is a major contributor to the growth factor independence of SCLC.

Induction of apoptosis and inhibition of small cell lung cancer growth by the quinoxaline tyrphostins.

Coexpression of the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), occurs in a high proportion of small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) and drives an autocrine loop that enhances proliferation. To determine whether this autocrine loop affects apoptosis, SCLC cells expressing only SCF or both SCF and Kit were deprived of growth factors for 72 h and the relative number of cells undergoing apoptosis was assessed using nuclear DNA content and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assays. Coexpression of SCF and Kit inhibited apoptosis; apoptosis could, in turn, be enhanced by the addition of the quinoxaline tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which are specific antagonists of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor and Kit. Treatment of the H526 cell line, which is growth-stimulated by soluble SCF, with AG1296 resulted in a marked decrease in growth and an increase in apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion. Growth inhibition correlated well with the inhibition of Kit tyrosine phosphorylation. The AG1296 compound at its maximum soluble concentration inhibited the growth of 5 of 6 SCLC cell lines in complete medium by an average of 50%. These data suggest that optimized pharmacological inhibitors of Kit activity may be a new class of compounds potentially useful in the treatment of SCLC.

Lck associates with and is activated by Kit in a small cell lung cancer cell line: inhibition of SCF-mediated growth by the Src family kinase inhibitor PP1.

At least 70% of small cell lung cancers (SCLCs) express the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF). In an effort to define the signal transduction pathways activated by Kit in SCLC, we focused on Src family kinases and, in particular, Lck, a Src-related tyrosine kinase that is expressed in hemopoietic cells and certain tumors, including SCLC. SCF treatment of the H526 cell line induced a physical association between Kit and Lck that, in vitro, was dependent on phosphorylation of the juxtamembrane domain of Kit. Stimulation of Kit with recombinant SCF resulted in a rapid 3-6-fold increase in the specific activity of Lck, which was similar in magnitude to the activation of Lck resulting from the cross-linking of the T-cell receptor complex of Jurkat cells. Lck activity peaked by 5 min after SCF addition, and the elevated activity persisted for at least 30 min in the presence of SCF, with kinetics similar to the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. PP1, an inhibitor of Src family kinases with selectivity for Lck, completely inhibited SCF-mediated growth but had little effect on insulin-like growth factor-I-mediated growth. PP1 antagonized both SCF-mediated proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis. PP1 had no effect on Kit kinase activity but was shown to block total Lck activity by at least 90% by immune complex kinase assay. Low levels of Src, Hck, and Yes were also expressed in the H526 cell line; only Yes showed a consistent increase in specific activity, which was also inhibited by PP1 following SCF treatment. These data demonstrate that, in the H526 SCLC cell line, Lck and, possibly, Yes are downstream of Kit in a signal transduction pathway; the inhibition by PP1 of SCF-mediated proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis suggests that Src family kinases are intermediates in the signaling pathways that regulate these processes.

Indolinone tyrosine kinase inhibitors block Kit activation and growth of small cell lung cancer cells.

Six indolinone tyrosine kinase inhibitors were characterized for their ability to inhibit Kit kinase and for their effects on the growth of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines. All of the six compounds were potent inhibitors of Kit kinase in a biochemical assay. A homology model of compound binding to the ATP binding site could account for the increased potency observed with the addition of a propionate moiety to the indolinone core but not the increase observed with addition of a chloride moiety. Although all of the compounds tested were potent in the biochemical assay, several exhibited significantly less potency in cellular kinase assays. Their effects on stem cell factor (SCF)-dependent Kit autophosphorylation and SCLC cell growth were also examined. Inhibition of SCF-stimulated Kit activation and cell growth in the H526 cell line was dose-dependent. At concentrations that inhibited SCF-stimulated H526 cell growth, there was little effect on insulin-like growth factor-1-stimulated growth, suggesting that these compounds exhibit reasonable selectivity for inhibition of Kit-mediated proliferation. Higher doses of the compounds were needed to inhibit serum-stimulated growth. Of the six compounds examined, SU5416 and SU6597 demonstrated the best cellular potency and, therefore, their effect on the growth of multiple SCLC cell lines in serum-containing media was examined. In addition to inhibiting proliferation, these compounds also induced significant cell death of several SCLC cell lines, but not of normal human diploid fibroblasts, in complete media. These observations suggest that Kit kinase inhibitors such as these may offer a new approach for inhibiting Kit-mediated proliferation of tumors such as SCLC, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, seminomas, and leukemias.

A novel assay for the measurement of Raf-1 kinase activity.

Raf-1 is a serine-threonine protein kinase that functions as a central component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway. Raf-1 activity is currently assayed in vitro by either measuring 32P incorporation into MEK, Raf-1's only characterized substrate, or by using the phosphorylated MEK to initiate a coupled assay culminating in the phosphorylation of myelin basic protein by MAP kinase. These assays are plagued by a potential lack of specificity in the case of the former, and the time consuming and error-prone nature of the later indirect assay. In this report, we demonstrate a novel single step assay for Raf-1 kinase activity based on phosphorylation of recombinant MEK-1, detected using an activation-specific MEK antibody that recognizes MEK only when specifically phosphorylated by Raf-1 on Ser 217 and Ser 221. The assay readily detected stem cell factor-mediated Raf-1 activation. MEK phosphorylation by immunoprecipitated Raf-1 plateaued at 10 min following initiation of the kinase reaction and was completely dependent on the inclusion of Raf-1. There was a linear correlation between the degree of MEK phosphorylation and the amount of Raf-1 protein immunoprecipitated. In addition to detecting growth factor-mediated activation, the assay was also able to detect paclitaxel-mediated Raf-1 activation. This assay is rapid, sensitive, and specific and therefore is a marked improvement over currently utilized techniques.

Identification of novel human tumor cell-specific CaMK-II variants.

CaMK-II (the (type II) multifunctional Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase) has been implicated in diverse neuronal and non-neuronal functions, including cell growth control. CaMKII expression was evaluated in a variety of human tumor cell lines using RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase coupled polymerase chain reaction). PCR primers which flanked the CaMK-II variable domain were used so that all possible variants of the four mammalian CaMK-II genes (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) could be identified. 8 distinct CaMK-II isozymes were identified from human mammary tumor and neuroblastoma cell cDNA, each of which represented a variant of beta, gamma or delta CaMK-II. They included 2 beta isozymes (beta e, beta 'e), 4 gamma isozymes (gamma B, gamma C, gamma G, gamma H) and 2 delta isozymes (delta C, delta E) This is the first report of human beta and delta CaMK-II sequences. A panel of human cell types was then screened for these CaMK-II isozymes. As expected, cerebral cortex predominately expressed alpha, beta and delta A CaMK-II. In contrast, tumor cells, including those of neuronal origin, expressed an entirely different spectrum of CaMK-II isozymes than adult neuronal tissue. Tumor cells of diverse tissue origin uniformly lacked alpha CaMK-II and expressed 1-2 beta isozymes, at least 3 gamma isozymes and 1-2 delta isozymes. When compared to undifferentiated fibroblasts, beta e, beta'e, gamma G and gamma H were preferentially expressed in tumor cells. CaMK-II immunoblots also indicated that neuroblastoma and mammary tumor cells express isozymes of CaMK-II not present in their non-transformed cell or tissue counterpart. The identification of these new, potential tumor-specific CaMK-II variants supports previous indications that CaMK-II plays a role in growth control. In addition, these results provide insight into both splice variant switching and variable domain structural similarities among all CaMK-II isozymes.

The selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 inhibits small cell lung cancer growth.

At least 70% of small cell lung cancers express the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF). Numerous lines of evidence have demonstrated that this coexpression constitutes a functional autocrine loop, suggesting that inhibitors of Kit tyrosine kinase activity could have therapeutic efficacy in this disease. STI571, formerly known as CGP 57148B, is a p.o. bioavailable 2-phenylaminopyrimide derivative that was designed as an Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitor, but also has efficacy against the platelet-derived growth factor receptor and Kit in vitro. Pretreatment of the H526 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell line with STI571 inhibited SCF-mediated Kit activation with an IC50 of 0.1 microM as measured by inhibition of receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and 0.2 microM as measured by immune complex kinase assay. This paralleled the inhibition of SCF-mediated growth by STI571, which had an IC50 of approximately 0.3 microM. Growth inhibition in SCF-containing medium was accompanied by induction of apoptosis. STI571 efficiently blocked SCF-mediated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt, but did not affect insulin-like growth factor-1 or serum-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase or Akt activation. Growth of five of six SCLC cell lines in medium containing 10% FCS was inhibited by STI571 with an IC50 of approximately 5 microM. Growth inhibition in serum-containing medium appeared to be cytostatic in nature because no increase in apoptosis was observed. Despite this growth inhibition, STI571 failed to enhance the cytotoxicity of either carboplatinum or etoposide when coadministered. However, taken together with the minimal toxicity that this compound has shown in preclinical studies, these data suggest that STI571 could have a role in the treatment of SCLC, possibly to block or slow recurrence after chemotherapy-induced remissions.

Noxa determines localization and stability of MCL-1 and consequently ABT-737 sensitivity in small cell lung cancer.

The sensitivity to ABT-737, a prototype BH3 mimetic drug, varies in a broad range in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. We have previously shown that the expression of Noxa, a BH3-only pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family protein, is the critical determinant of ABT-737 sensitivity. We show here that Noxa regulates the localization and stability of MCL-1, an anti-apoptotic member, which results in modulating ABT-737 sensitivity. Mutations in Noxa within the BH3 domain, the carboxyl terminus mitochondrial targeting domain, or of ubiquitinated lysines not only change the localization and stability of Noxa itself but also affect the mitochondrial localization and phosphorylation/ubiquitination status of MCL-1 and consequently modulate sensitivity to ABT-737. Results of studies utilizing these mutant proteins indicate that Noxa recruits MCL-1 from the cytosol to the mitochondria. Translocation of MCL-1 initiates its phosphorylation and subsequent ubiquitination, which triggers proteasome-mediated degradation. The precise regulatory mechanisms of Noxa/MCL-1 expression and stability could provide alternative targets to modulate apoptosis induced by BH3 mimetic drugs or other chemotherapeutic reagents.

Mechanisms of resistance to imatinib (STI571) and prospects for combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

Imatinib (STI571, Glivec) is a small molecule drug selected for its ability to inhibit the Bcr-Abl kinase, the pathogenic molecular abnormality in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). It also is an efficient inhibitor of the Kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases. In vitro studies have demonstrated that this drug potently inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of cells that depend on activation of these kinases. Phase I clinical studies have demonstrated remarkable activity against CML. However, these studies, as well as a variety of experimental models, have suggested that clinical resistance to STI571 could develop. The mechanisms for the development of this resistance will be discussed along with the potential for circumventing STI571 resistance by combining it with traditional anti-neoplastic agents.

Isolation and characterization of complementary DNA for N-cym, a gene encoded by the DNA strand opposite to N-myc.

The N-myc oncogene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of human tumors, including childhood neuroblastoma and adult small cell lung cancer. We have isolated and characterized complementary DNA clones derived from a transcription unit, N-cym, located on the opposite DNA strand to N-myc, with extensive overlap existing between the 5' ends of the two transcription units. The N-cym gene, which can encode a 109-amino acid protein, is expressed during fetal development, as well as in tumor cell lines containing amplified N-myc loci, where it is expressed at very high levels. Although other examples of overlapping, opposite-strand eukaryotic genes exist, N-myc and N-cym are unique in that they appear to be coregulated in tumor cell lines under basal growth conditions and in response to the differentiating agent retinoic acid. This coregulation suggests that their protein products may be functionally interrelated during normal development and oncogenesis.

Src family kinase activity is required for Kit-mediated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation, however loss of functional retinoblastoma protein makes MAP kinase activation unnecessary for growth of small cell lung cancer cells.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by multiple genetic alterations that include inactivation of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb), the establishment of several autocrine loops including that induced by coexpression of stem cell factor (SCF) and Kit, and the ectopic expression and activation of Src family kinases. Previous studies have shown that Lck associates with, and becomes activated by, Kit after SCF stimulation of SCLC cells. In the present study, we have demonstrated that PP1, a pharmacological inhibitor of Src kinases, blocked SCF-mediated activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, but it also inhibited Kit activation. However, MAP kinase activation was more sensitive than Kit activation to the effects of PP1. Overexpression of Lck reduced the sensitivity of MAP kinase activation to PP1 without altering the sensitivity of Kit activation, which suggested a role for Lck in SCF-mediated MAP kinase activation. Inducible expression of a dominant negative Lck inhibited MAP kinase activation in a dose-dependent manner, which confirmed that Src family kinase activity is required for SCF-induced MAP kinase activation. The growth of cells that expressed dominant negative Lck was unaffected, however, despite the inhibition of MAP kinase. Growth was also unaffected by the inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway using PD 98059, but sensitivity to the MAP/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase inhibitor could be partially restored by expression of wild-type Rb. Therefore, MAP kinase activation seems to be dispensable for the growth of SCLC only in the absence of Rb expression. These data suggest that the SCF/Kit autocrine loop, through activation of Lck and subsequently MAP kinase, and the mutational inactivation of Rb contribute to the loss of G1-S phase checkpoint regulation during the pathogenesis of SCLC. Furthermore, the data demonstrate that, in established SCLC cell lines, proliferative signal transduction initiated by Kit is mediated by pathways other than the classic MAP kinase pathway.

Selective Sp1 binding is critical for maximal activity of the human c-kit promoter.

The receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit is necessary for normal hematopoiesis, the development of germ cells and melanocytes, and the pathogenesis of certain hematologic and nonhematologic malignancies. To better understand the regulation of the c-kit gene, a detailed analysis of the core promoter was performed. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and RNase protection methods showed two major transcriptional initiation sites. Luciferase reporter assays using 5' promoter deletion-reporter constructs containing up to 3 kb of 5' sequence were performed in hematopoietic and small-cell lung cancer cell lines which either did or did not express the endogenous c-kit gene. This analysis showed the region 83 to 124 bp upstream of the 5' transcription initiation site was crucial for maximal core promoter activity. Sequence analysis showed several potential Sp1 binding sites within this highly GC-rich region. Gel shift and DNase footprinting showed that Sp1 selectively bound to a single site within this region. Supershift studies using an anti-Sp1 antibody confirmed specific Sp1 binding. Site-directed mutagenesis of the -93/-84 Sp1 binding site reduced promoter-reporter activity to basal levels in c-kit-expressing cells. Cotransfection into Drosophila SL2 cells of a c-kit promoter-reporter construct with an Sp1 expression vector showed an Sp1 dose-dependent enhancement of expression that was markedly attenuated by mutation of the -93/-84 site. These results indicate that despite the fact that the human c-kit promoter contains multiple potential Sp1 sites, Sp1 binding is a selective process that is essential for core promoter activity.

Coexpression of c-kit and stem cell factor in breast cancer results in enhanced sensitivity to members of the EGF family of growth factors.

Kit, a tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor, and its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), are commonly coexpressed in breast cancer. We have previously shown that MCF7 cells (that naturally express SCF) transfected with a c-kit expression vector exhibit enhanced growth in serum-free medium supplemented with IGF-1. Consequently, we wished to examine the interaction of Kit/SCF with additional growth factors important in the biology of breast cancer. MCF7 transfectants expressing Kit, cultured in serum-free medium supplemented with EGF, displayed more than twice the growth of controls at identical EGF concentrations. Similar responses were seen in the presence of heregulin alpha. The specificity of the Kit-mediated response was illustrated by a reduction in heregulin-stimulated growth in the presence of a monoclonal antibody directed against the Kit receptor. In addition, EGF- and heregulin-stimulated growth of the ZR75-1 cell line that naturally coexpresses Kit and SCF was also inhibited by the Kit blocking antibody. Preliminary investigations into the signal transduction pathways activated by these growth factors revealed that SCF activated both the Ras-MAP kinase and phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3 kinase) pathway. Both EGF and heregulin activated MAPK but to a lesser degree than SCF, and combination of SCF with these growth factors resulted in enhanced MAPK activation. Assessment of PI3K pathway activation using antiphospho-Akt antibodies revealed that EGF was a poor activator of Akt; activation of this pathway was markedly enhanced by the addition of SCF. Heregulin activated Akt and addition of SCF provided no further activation. Taken together these results suggest that coexpression of SCF and Kit may enhance responsiveness to erbB ligands by enhancing activation of the MAPK and PI3K pathways.

Coexpression of the c-kit and stem cell factor genes in breast carcinomas.

Expression of the c-kit tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor has been reported in some breast tumors; however, no data exist concerning expression of its ligand, stem cell factor. The aim of this study was to determine how frequently the c-kit and stem cell factor genes were coexpressed in breast tumors and tumor-derived cell lines and to determine whether coexpression of c-kit and stem cell factor could result in growth stimulation of breast tumor cells. Expression of the c-kit and stem cell factor genes in tissue specimens and cell lines was determined using an RNase protection assay, with confirmation of c-kit protein expression by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting in tumor tissue and cell lines, respectively. Of 11 tumor specimens studied, 9 expressed variable but detectable quantities of c-kit; 7 of 13 tumor-derived cell lines also expressed c-kit. All tumor specimens and cell lines expressed detectable stem cell factor mRNA, suggesting that an autocrine growth loop could exist in the majority of breast carcinomas. To determine the biological effects of coexpression of c-kit and stem cell factor, the MCF-7 cell line, which expresses only stem cell factor, was transfected with a c-kit expression vector. Coexpression of c-kit and stem cell factor in MCF-7 cells resulted in an enhanced growth rate and cloning efficiency but not a loss of the dependence of this cell line upon estrogen. Analysis of subclones expressing different amounts of c-kit protein revealed that, although they all showed enhanced growth relative to control transfectants in serum-free medium containing IGF-1, only the highest c-kit expressor responded with additional growth to exogenous soluble stem cell factor. However, all c-kit-expressing clones, but not control clones, showed growth inhibition when exposed to a blocking anti-c-kit antibody. This blocking antibody also significantly inhibited the growth of the established ZR75-1 cell line in serum-free medium containing IGF-1. Taken together, these data suggest that coexpression of stem cell factor and c-kit could be responsible for growth deregulation in a significant number of breast carcinomas.

Activating c-kit gene mutations in human germ cell tumors.

The c-kit gene encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor (KIT) that is required in normal spermatogenesis and is expressed in seminomas and dysgerminomas, a subset of human germ cell tumors (GCTs). To determine whether activating mutations of the c-kit gene occur in GCTs, primary tissue samples of 33 testicular and ovarian tumors were examined for mutations in the juxtamembrane and phosphotransferase domains by polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing. A novel missense mutation (D816H) was found in the phosphotransferase domain in tumors of seminoma/dysgerminoma differentiation. The c-kit alleles in nonneoplastic tissues from these patients were wild type, suggesting that the mutant alleles were acquired and selected for during malignant transformation. In cell transfection experiments, the D816H mutant protein was a constitutively activated kinase and was constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine residues. This is the first description of an activating c-kit mutation in GCTs and is evidence that the KIT signal transduction pathway is important in the pathogenesis of neoplasms with seminoma differentiation.