Search

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks worldwide as one of the most lethal cancers. In spite of the vast existing knowledge about HCC, the pathogenesis of HCC is not completely understood. Discovery of novel genes that contribute to HCC pathogenesis will provide new insights for better understanding and treating HCC. The relatively obscure gene midnolin has been studied for over two decades; however, its biological roles are largely unknown. Our study is the first to demonstrate the functional significance of midnolin in HCC/cancer: Midnolin expression correlates with poor prognosis in HCC patients, and suppression of midnolin severely inhibits tumorigenicity of HCC cells in vitro and in mice and disrupts retinoic acid/lipid metabolism in these cells.

Summary: Enzymatic oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in DNA by the Tet dioxygenases reprograms genome function in embryogenesis and postnatal development. Tet-oxidized derivatives of 5mC such as 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) act as transient intermediates in DNA demethylation or persist as durable marks, yet how these alternative fates are specified at individual CpGs is not understood. Here, we report that the SOS response-associated peptidase (SRAP) domain protein Srap1, the mammalian ortholog of an ancient protein superfamily associated with DNA damage response operons in bacteria, binds to Tet-oxidized forms of 5mC in DNA and catalyzes turnover of these bases to unmodified cytosine by an autopeptidase-coupled nuclease. Biallelic inactivation of murine Srap1 causes embryonic sublethality associated with widespread accumulation of ectopic 5hmC. These findings establish a function for a class of DNA base modification-selective nucleases and position Srap1 as a determinant of 5mC demethylation trajectories during mammalian embryonic development. : Kweon et al. uncover a function for the SRAP domain, which couples autoproteolytic cleavage to activation of a nuclease selective for DNA containing Tet-oxidized derivatives of 5-methylcytosine. These findings reveal a mechanism for targeted erasure of DNA methylation via the stepwise enzymatic actions of Tet and SRAP. Keywords: DNA methylation, Tet, SRAP, endonuclease, autopeptidase, embryonic stem cell

Background: Although cyclic AMP-response element binding protein-binding protein (CBP)/β-catenin signaling is known to promote proliferation and fibrosis in various organ systems, its role in the activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), the key effector cells of desmoplasia in pancreatic cancer and fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis, is largely unknown. Methods: To investigate the role of the CBP/β-catenin signaling pathway in the activation of PSCs, we have treated mouse and human PSCs with the small molecule specific CBP/β-catenin antagonist ICG-001 and examined the effects of treatment on parameters of activation. Results: We report for the first time that CBP/β-catenin antagonism suppresses activation of PSCs as evidenced by their decreased proliferation, down-regulation of “activation” markers, e.g., α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA/Acta2), collagen type I alpha 1 (Col1a1), Prolyl 4-hydroxylase, and Survivin, up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (Ppar-γ) which is associated with quiescence, and reduced migration; additionally, CBP/β-catenin antagonism also suppresses PSC-induced migration of cancer cells. Conclusion: CBP/β-catenin antagonism represents a novel therapeutic strategy for suppressing PSC activation and may be effective at countering PSC promotion of pancreatic cancer.

PPAR-γ is essential for differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), and its loss due to epigenetic repression by methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) causes HSC myofibroblastic activation mediated in part via Wnt pathway, the key cellular event in liver fibrosis. Decreased miR-132 was previously proposed to promote MeCP2 protein translation for Ppar-γ repression in activated HSC (aHSC). The present study aimed to test this notion and to better understand the mechanisms of MeCP2 upregulation in aHSC. MeCP2 protein is increased on day 3 to 7 as HSC become activated in primary culture on plastic, but this is accompanied by increased but not reduced miR-132 or miR-212 which is also expected to target MeCP2 due to its similar sequence with miR-132. The levels of these mRNAs are decreased 40~50% in aHSCs isolated from experimental cholestatic liver fibrosis but increased 6-8 fold in aHSC from hepatotoxic liver fibrosis in rats. Suppression of either or both of miR132 and miR212 with specific anti-miRNA oligonucleotides (anti-oligo), does not affect MeCP2 protein levels in aHSCs. The Wnt antagonist FJ9 which inhibits HSC activation, increases miR-132/miR-212, reduces MeCP2 and its enrichment at 5' Ppar-γ promoter, and restores Ppar-γ expression but the anti-oligo do not prevent Ppar-γ upregulation. The pan-NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) also reduces both MeCP2 and stabilized non-(S33/S37/Thr41)-phospho β-catenin and reverts aHSC to quiescent cells but do not affect miR-132/miR-212 levels. Wnt antagonism with FJ9 increases MeCP2 protein degradation in cultured HSC, and FJ9-mediated loss of MeCP2 is rescued by leupeptin but not by proteasome and lysozome inhibitors. In conclusion, canonical Wnt pathway increases MeCP2 protein due to protein stability which in turn represses Ppar-γ and activates HSC.

Although midnolin has been studied for over 20 years, its biological roles in vivo remain largely unknown, especially due to the lack of a functional animal model. Indeed, given our recent discovery that the knockdown of midnolin suppresses liver cancer cell tumorigenicity and that this antitumorigenic effect is associated with modulation of lipid metabolism, we hypothesized that knockout of midnolin in vivo could potentially protect from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the Western world. Accordingly, in the present study, we have developed and now report on the first functional global midnolin knockout mouse model. Although the overwhelming majority of global homozygous midnolin knockout mice demonstrated embryonic lethality, heterozygous knockout mice were observed to be similar to wild-type mice in their viability and were used to determine the effect of reduced midnolin expression on NAFLD. We found that global heterozygous midnolin knockout attenuated the severity of NAFLD in mice fed a Western-style diet, high in fat, cholesterol, and fructose, and this attenuation in disease was associated with significantly reduced levels of large lipid droplets, hepatic free cholesterol, and serum LDL, with significantly differential gene expression involved in cholesterol/lipid metabolism. Collectively, our results support a role for midnolin in regulating cholesterol/lipid metabolism in the liver. Thus, midnolin may represent a novel therapeutic target for NAFLD. Finally, our observation that midnolin was essential for survival underscores the broad importance of this gene beyond its role in liver biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are widely used to treat patients with leukaemia driven by BCR-ABL1 (ref. 1) and other oncogenic tyrosine kinases. Recent efforts have focused on developing more potent TKIs that also inhibit mutant tyrosine kinases. However, even effective TKIs typically fail to eradicate leukaemia-initiating cells (LICs), which often cause recurrence of leukaemia after initially successful treatment. Here we report the discovery of a novel mechanism of drug resistance, which is based on protective feedback signalling of leukaemia cells in response to treatment with TKI. We identify BCL6 as a central component of this drug-resistance pathway and demonstrate that targeted inhibition of BCL6 leads to eradication of drug-resistant and leukaemia-initiating subclones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: RhoGDI proteins are important regulators of the small GTPase Rac, because they shuttle Rac from the cytoplasm to membranes and also protect Rac from activation, deactivation and degradation. How the binding and release of Rac from RhoGDI is regulated is not precisely understood. Results: We report that the non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fer is able to phosphorylate RhoGDIα and form a direct protein complex with it. This interaction is mediated by the C-terminal end of RhoGDIα. Activation of Fer by reactive oxygen species caused increased phosphorylation of RhoGDIα and pervanadate treatment further augmented this. Tyrosine phosphorylation of RhoGDIα by Fer prevented subsequent binding of Rac to RhoGDIα, but once a RhoGDIα-Rac complex was formed, the Fer kinase was not able to cause Rac release through tyrosine phosphorylation of preformed RhoGDIα-Rac complexes. Conclusions: These results identify tyrosine phosphorylation of RhoGDIα by Fer as a mechanism to regulate binding of RhoGDIα to Rac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cycling of Rac GTPases, alternating between an active GTP- and an inactive GDP-bound state, is controlled by guanine nucleotide exchange factors, GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs), and guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors (GDIs). Little is known about how these controlling activities are coordinated. Studies using null mutant mice have demonstrated that Bcr and Abr are two physiologically important GAPs for Rac. Here, we report that in the presence of RhoGDIα, Bcr is unable to convert Rac-GTP to Rac-GDP because RhoGDI forms a direct protein complex with Bcr. Interestingly, RhoGDI{alpha} binds to the GAP domain in Bcr and Abr, a domain that also binds to Rac-GTP and catalyzes conversion of the bound GTP to GDP on Rac. The presence of activated Rac diminished the Bcr/RhoGDI{alpha} interaction. Moreover, a Bcr mutant that lacks the ability to promote hydrolysis of Rac-GTP bound to its GAP domain did not bind to RhoGDI{alpha} in cell lysates, indicating that binding of RhoGDI{alpha} and Rac-GTP to the Bcr GAP domain is mutually exclusive. Our results provide the first identification of a protein that regulates BcrGAP activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) plays a critical role in mediating inflammatory/immune responses against bacterial pathogens in lung. Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) were previously reported to synergize with each other to induce inflammatory responses. Despite the relatively known intracellular signaling pathways involved in the synergistic induction of inflammation, it is still unclear if both bacterial pathogens also synergistically induce expression of surface TLR2. Results: Here we provide direct evidence that S. pneumoniae synergizes with NTHi to upregulate TLR2 expression in lung and middle ear of the mice. Pneumolysin (PLY) appears to be the major virulence factor involved in this synergism. Moreover, S. pneumoniae PLY induces TLR2 expression via a TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB-dependent signaling pathway. Interestingly, tumor suppressor CYLD acts as a negative regulator of S. pneumoniae-induced TLR2 up-regulation via negative-crosstalk with NF-κB signaling. Conclusion: Our study thus provides novel insights into the regulation of TLR2 expression in mixed bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family members are multifunctional growth factors involved in regulating diverse biological processes. Despite the critical role for TGF-β in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and development, its role in regulating NF-κB-dependent inflammatory response still remains unclear. Here, we show that TGF-β1 induces acetylation of NF-κB p65 subunit to synergistically enhance bacterium nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae-induced NF-κB activation and inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo. The TGF-β1-induced acetylation of p65 is mediated via a Smad3/4-PKA-p300-dependent signaling pathway. Acetylation of p65 at lysine 221 by TGF-β1 is critical for synergistic enhancement of bacteria-induced DNA-binding activity, NF-κB activation, NF-κB-dependent transcription of TNF-α and IL-1β and interstitial polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration in vitro and in vivo. These studies provide new insights into the novel regulation of NF-κB by TGF-β signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrin plays important roles in the wound healing processes, including blood clotting and platelet aggregation. Additional activities of fibrin were found in this study, which utilizes human THP-1 cells treated 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3 and plasminolytic fragments derived from fibrin. Coated fibrin fragment E on culture plates induced cell adhesions and morphological changes of the THP-1 cells, being resembled to tissue macrophages. Morphological changes of the THP-1 cells were caused by microfilament reorganization. IL-1β production was increased in the THP-1 cells by adherent fibrin fragment E, but not by fibrin fragment D or by fibrinogen fragment E. The elevation of IL-1β production is caused by transcriptional activation. Incubation with cytochalacin D, an actin polymerization inhibitor, prevents both microfilament reorganization and morphological changes, but has no effect on the IL-1β production stimulated by fibrin fragment E. This data suggests that the IL-1β production in the THP-1 cells do not require microfilament reorganization and integrin aggregation. Taken together, these results indicate that fibrin matrix plays an additional role in the stimulation of monocytes for production of IL-1β, morphological changes and cell adhesion, resulting in the facilitation of the wound healing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]