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c-jun, a major component of AP-1 transcription factor, has a wide variety of functions. In the embryonic brain, c-jun mRNA is abundantly expressed in germinal layers around the ventricles. Although the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the adult brain is a derivative of embryonic germinal layers and contains neural precursor cells (NPCs), the c-jun expression pattern is not clear. To study the function of c-jun in adult neurogenesis, we analyzed c-jun expression in the adult SVZ by immunohistochemistry and compared it with that of the embryonic brain. We found that almost all proliferating embryonic NPCs expressed c-jun, but the number of c-jun immunopositive cells among proliferating adult NPCs was about half. In addition, c-jun was hardly expressed in post-mitotic migrating neurons in the embryonic brain, but the majority of c-jun immunopositive cells were tangentially migrating neuroblasts heading toward the olfactory bulb in the adult brain. In addition, status epilepticus is known to enhance the transient proliferation of adult NPCs, but the c-jun expression pattern was not significantly affected. These expression patterns suggest that c-jun has a pivotal role in the proliferation of embryonic NPCs, but it has also other roles in adult neurogenesis., source:This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in [ Kawashima, F., Saito, K., Kurata, H. et al. Histochem Cell Biol (2017) 147: 721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-016-1536-2 ]. The final authenticated version is available online, source:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00418-016-1536-2

Background and Aims Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly aggressive type of liver cancer in urgent need of treatment options. Aberrant activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway is a key feature in ICC and an attractive candidate target for its treatment. However, the mechanisms by which constitutive JNK activation promotes ICC growth, and therefore the key downstream effectors of this pathway, remain unknown for their applicability as therapeutic targets. Our aim was to obtain a better mechanistic understanding of the role of JNK signaling in ICC that could open up therapeutic opportunities. Approach and Results Using loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies in vitro and in vivo, we show that activation of the JNK pathway promotes ICC cell proliferation by affecting the protein stability of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1), a key driver of tumorigenesis. PIN1 is highly expressed in ICC primary tumors, and its expression positively correlates with active JNK. Mechanistically, the JNK kinases directly bind to and phosphorylate PIN1 at Ser115, and this phosphorylation prevents PIN1 mono-ubiquitination at Lys117 and its proteasomal degradation. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of PIN1 through all-trans retinoic acid, a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, impairs the growth of both cultured and xenografted ICC cells. Conclusions Our findings implicate the JNK-PIN1 regulatory axis as a functionally important determinant for ICC growth, and provide a rationale for therapeutic targeting of JNK activation through PIN1 inhibition.

Background: IκBζ plays a key role in psoriasis by mediating IL-17A–driven effects, but the molecular mechanism by which IL-17A regulates IκBζ expression is not clarified. Objective: We sought to explore the molecular transformation in patients with psoriasis during anti-IL-17A (secukinumab) treatment with a focus on IκBζ. Methods: The study was an open-label, single-arm, single-center secukinumab treatment study that included 14 patients with plaque psoriasis. Skin biopsy specimens and blood samples were collected on days 0, 4, 14, 42, and 84 and processed for microarray gene expression analysis. Furthermore, in vitro experiments with human keratinocytes and synovial fibroblasts were conducted. Results: Secukinumab improved clinical scores and histologic psoriasis features. Moreover, secukinumab altered the skin transcriptome. The major transcriptional shift appeared between day 14 and day 42 after treatment initiation, although 80 genes were differentially expressed already at day 4. Expression of nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B cells inhibitor (IκB) ζ (NFKBIZ, the gene encoding IκBζ) was reduced already after 4 days of treatment in the skin. NFKBIZ expression correlated to Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score, and NFKBIZ mRNA levels in the skin decreased during anti–IL-17A treatment. Moreover, specific NFKBIZ signature genes were significantly altered during anti–IL-17A treatment. Finally, we identified NF-κB activator 1 (Act1), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) as key signaling pathways in NFKBIZ/IκBζ regulation. Conclusion: Our results define a crucial role for IκBζ in the antipsoriatic effect of secukinumab. Because IκBζ signature genes were regulated already after 4 days of treatment, this strongly indicates that IκBζ plays a crucial role in the antipsoriatic effects mediated by anti–IL-17A treatment.

c-jun, a major component of AP-1 transcription factor, has a wide variety of functions. In the embryonic brain, c-jun mRNA is abundantly expressed in germinal layers around the ventricles. Although the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the adult brain is a derivative of embryonic germinal layers and contains neural precursor cells (NPCs), the c-jun expression pattern is not clear. To study the function of c-jun in adult neurogenesis, we analyzed c-jun expression in the adult SVZ by immunohistochemistry and compared it with that of the embryonic brain. We found that almost all proliferating embryonic NPCs expressed c-jun, but the number of c-jun immunopositive cells among proliferating adult NPCs was about half. In addition, c-jun was hardly expressed in post-mitotic migrating neurons in the embryonic brain, but the majority of c-jun immunopositive cells were tangentially migrating neuroblasts heading toward the olfactory bulb in the adult brain. In addition, status epilepticus is known to enhance the transient proliferation of adult NPCs, but the c-jun expression pattern was not significantly affected. These expression patterns suggest that c-jun has a pivotal role in the proliferation of embryonic NPCs, but it has also other roles in adult neurogenesis.

La différenciation cellulaire est un processus complexe dont l’induction nécessite l’activation de certaines voies de signalisation. Dans le tissu nerveux, par exemple, il a été démontré que l’activation de la cascade de signalisation Dual Leucine Zipper Kinase (DLK) /Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) est essentielle pour la formation des neurites, ces prolongements du corps cellulaire des neurones qui servent de précurseurs aux dendrites et axones. L’un des effecteurs de cette voie, le facteur de transcription c-Jun, régule l’expression de plusieurs gènes dont ceux impliqués dans l’axonogenèse. Ce projet avait comme but principal de tester l’hypothèse que DLK contrôle une partie de l’axonogenèse dans les neurones en régulant l’expression des gènes clefs participants à ce processus. Pour y parvenir, la production de lignées clonales où Dlk est inactivée par le système CRISPR/Cas9 et la caractérisation de celles-ci a permis de valider que l’absence de DLK engendre un défaut de croissance des neurites dans les cellules Neuro-2a. Après qu’une analyse ChIP-seq de c-Jun ait été réalisé dans un modèle Neuro-2a différencié où DLK est déplétée, des gènes dont l’enrichissement de c-Jun à la chromatine variait en comparaison au contrôle ont été ciblés. Ensuite, l’effet de l’inactivation de DLK sur leur expression a été évalué par rt-qPCR. L’augmentation de l’expression des gènes Sémaphorine 6d (Sema6d) et Insulin like growth factor 1 receptor (Igf1r) a été constatée dans les lignées clonales en comparaison au contrôle. Cette hausse d’expression génique se traduit par l’augmentation du niveau protéique de SEMA6D. De plus, bien que le contrôle ne subisse aucune variation d’expression de Sema6d entre les conditions de prolifération et celles de différenciation, le niveau de SEMA6D atteint presque le triple pour les cellules lorsqu’elles se différencient. Les résultats de ce projet suggèrent que la voie DLK/JNK régule l’expression de ces gènes au niveau transcriptionnel de même que pos

Schwann cells (SCs) detect injury to peripheral nerves and transform phenotypically to respond to injury and facilitate repair. Cell-signaling pathways and changes in gene expression that drive SC phenotypic transformation in injury have been described; however, the SC receptors that detect peripheral nervous system (PNS) injury have not been identified. LDL receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) is a receptor for numerous ligands, including intracellular proteins released by injured cells and protein components of degenerated myelin. In certain cell types, including SCs, LRP1 is a cell-signaling receptor. Here, we show that binding of the LRP1 ligand, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), to cultured rat SCs induces c-Jun phosphorylation, a central event in activation of the SC repair program. The response to tPA was blocked by the LRP1 antagonist, receptor-associated protein. c-Jun phosphorylation was also observed when cultured rat SCs were treated with a recombinant derivative of matrix metalloproteinase-9 that contains the LRP1 recognition motif (PEX). The ability of LRP1 to induce c-Jun phosphorylation and ERK1/2 activation was confirmed using cultures of human SCs. When tPA or PEX was injected directly into crush-injured rat sciatic nerves, c-Jun phosphorylation and ERK1/2 activation were observed in SCs in vivo. The ability of LRP1 to bind proteins released in the earliest stages of PNS injury and to induce c-Jun phosphorylation support a model in which SC LRP1 functions as an injury-detection receptor in the PNS.

Dual leucine-zipper kinase (DLK) is critical for axon-to-soma retrograde signaling following nerve injury. However, it is unknown how DLK, a predicted soluble kinase, conveys long-distance signals and why homologous kinases cannot compensate for loss of DLK. Here, we report that DLK, but not homologous kinases, is palmitoylated at a conserved site adjacent to its kinase domain. Using short-hairpin RNA knockdown/rescue, we find that palmitoylation is critical for DLK-dependent retrograde signaling in sensory axons. This functional importance is because of three novel cellular and molecular roles of palmitoylation, which targets DLK to trafficking vesicles, is required to assemble DLK signaling complexes and, unexpectedly, is essential for DLK's kinase activity. By simultaneously controlling DLK localization, interactions, and activity, palmitoylation ensures that only vesicle-bound DLK is active in neurons. These findings explain how DLK specifically mediates nerve injury responses and reveal a novel cellular mechanism that ensures the specificity of neuronal kinase signaling.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide, with 10,000 new cases/year diagnosed in Sweden. In this context, there is an urgent need to identify new biomarkers to detect prostate cancer at an initial stage for earlier treatment intervention. Although how prostate cancer develops has not been fully established, the male sex hormone testosterone is a known prerequisite for prostate cancer development. High levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) are prognostically unfavorable in prostate cancer patients. TGFβ is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates a broad range of cellular responses. TGFβ signals through either the canonical Smad or the non-Smad signaling cascade. Cancerous cells develop different strategies to evade defense mechanisms and metastasize to different parts of the body. This thesis unveils one such novel mechanism related to TGFβ signaling. The first two articles provide evidence that TGFβ receptor type I (TβRI) is ubiquitinated by tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and is cleaved at the ectodomain region by tumor necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme (TACE) in a protein kinase C zeta type-dependent manner. After TβRI is shed from the ectodomain, it undergoes a second cleavage by presenilin 1 (PS1), a γ-secretase catalytic subunit, which liberates the TβRI intracellular domain (TβRI-ICD) from the cell membrane. TRAF6 promotes TGFβ-dependent Lys63-linked polyubiquitination and recruitment of PS1 to the TβRI complex, and facilitates the cleavage of TβRI by PS1 to generate a TβRI-ICD. The TβRI-ICD then translocates to the nucleus, where it binds with the transcriptional co-activator p300 and regulates the transcription of pro-invasive target genes such as Snail1. Moreover, the nuclear translocated TβRI-ICD cooperates with the Notch intracellular domain (NICD), a core component in the Notch signaling pathway, to drive the expression of invasive genes. Interestingly, treatment wi

High levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) correlate with poor prognosis for patients with prostate cancer and other cancers. TGF beta is a multifunctional cytokine and crucial regulator of cell fate, such as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is implicated in cancer invasion and progression. TGF beta conveys its signals upon binding to type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors (T beta RI/II); phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 promotes their association with Smad4, which regulates expression of targets genes, such as Smad7, p21, and c-Jun. TGF beta also activates the ubiquitin ligase tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), which associates with T beta RI and activates the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Snail1 is a key transcription factor, induced by TGF beta that promotes migration and invasion of cancer cells. In this study, we have identified a novel binding site for c-Jun in the promoter of the Snail1 gene and report that the activation of the TGF beta-TRAF6-p38 MAPK pathway promotes both c-Jun expression and its activation via p38a-dependent phosphorylation of c-Jun at Ser63. The TRAF6-dependent activation of p38 also leads to increased stability of c-Jun, due to p38-dependent inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3 beta by phosphorylation at Ser9. Thus, our findings elucidate a novel role for the p38 MAPK pathway in stimulated cells, leading to activation of c-Jun and its binding to the promoter of Snail1, thereby triggering motility and invasiveness of aggressive human prostate cancer cells.

Coiled-coils are well known protein–protein interaction motifs, with the leucine zipper region of activator protein-1 (AP-1) consisting of the c-Jun and c-Fos proteins being a typical example. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the MM/GBSA method have been used to predict the free energy of interaction of these proteins. The influence of force field polarisation and capping on the predicted free energy of binding of complexes with different electrostatic environments (net charge) were investigated. Although both force field polarisation and peptide capping are important for the prediction of the absolute free energy of binding, peptide capping has the largest influence on the predicted free energy of binding. Polarisable simulations appear better suited to determine structural properties of the complexes of these proteins while non-polarisable simulations seem to give better predictions of the associated free energies of binding

Cellular stress is a consequence of oncogenic transformation that ultimately results in a highly proliferative cell with malignant potential. Reduced vascular perfusion is a result of the desmoplastic reaction that leads to limited growth-factor and nutrient availability. Conventional anti-cancer therapies such as radiation and cytotoxic administration function by causing DNA damage and are also an insult to the tumor cell. Consequentially, cytotoxic drugs trigger either apoptotic or pro-survival responses and ultimately determine the fate of the tumor cell. Similarly, insults to the vasculature such as atherosclerotic plaque formation and endovascular interventions result in the activation of stress-response pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Activation of VSMCs results in a phenotypic transformation such that these cells become highly proliferative, migratory and secrete high levels of extra-cellular matrix.In this thesis, three potential gene targets were examined in the context of pancreatic cancer and vascular disease. We first demonstrate that the transcription factor c-Jun is stress-inducible in pancreatic cancer cells. Loss-of-function studies reveal the importance of this factor to pancreatic cancer cell motility. c-Jun modulates the expression of downstream factors critical to extra-cellular sensing and extra-cellular matrix remodeling. We also explore the potential of c-Jun as a gemcitabine chemo-sensitizer. Targeted inhibition of gemcitabine-inducible c-Jun expression was found to enhance gemcitabine-mediated reductions in pancreatic cancer cell clonogenicity and proliferation. Two factors identified as injury- and FGF-2-inducible in VSMCs may have utility in cancer therapy. Activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4) deficient cells were utilized to demonstrate the role of this gene in platelet-derived growth factor BB-mediated cell migration via the transcriptional regulation of tenascin C. The interaction of YrdC with ribosomal protein L12

Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 3 (SRSF3), a member of the SRSF family, plays a wide-ranging role in gene expression. The human SRSF3 gene generates a major mRNA isoform encoding a functional, full-length protein and a PTC-containing isoform (SRSF3-PTC). The latter is expected to be degraded through the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay system. However, it was reported that SRSF3-PTC mRNA was produced under stressful conditions and translated into a truncated SRSF3 protein (SRSF3-TR). To disclose unknown functions of SRSF3-TR, we established Flp-In-293 cells stably expressing SRSF3-TR. The SRSF3-TR-expressing cells increased mRNA and protein levels of positive regulators for G1 to S phase transition (cyclin D1, cyclin D3, CDC25A, and E2F1) and accelerated their growth. c-Jun is required for progression through the G1 phase, the mechanism by which involves transcriptional control of the cyclin D1 gene. We also found that the JUN promoter activity was significantly increased in the Flp-In-293 cells stably expressing SRSF3-TR, compared with mock-transfected control cells. The SRSF3-TR-expressing cells increased c-Jun and Sp-1 levels, which are important for the positive autoregulation and basal transcription of JUN, respectively. Our results suggest that stress-inducible SRSF3-TR may participate in the acceleration of cell growth through facilitating c-Jun-mediated G1 progression under stressful conditions.

Prostate tumor overexpressed-1 (PTOV1), a modulator of the Mediator transcriptional regulatory complex, is expressed at high levels in prostate cancer and other neoplasias in association with a more aggressive disease. Here we show that PTOV1 interacts directly with receptor of activated protein C kinase 1 (RACK1), a regulator of protein kinase C and Jun signaling and also a component of the 40S ribosome. Consistent with this interaction, PTOV1 was associated with ribosomes and its overexpression promoted global protein synthesis in prostate cancer cells and COS-7 fibroblasts in a mTORC1-dependent manner. Transfection of ectopic PTOV1 enhanced the expression of c-Jun protein without affecting the levels of c-Jun or RACK1 mRNA. Conversely, knockdown of PTOV1 caused significant declines in global protein synthesis and c-Jun protein levels. High levels of PTOV1 stimulated the motility and invasiveness of prostate cancer cells, which required c-Jun, whereas knockdown of PTOV1 strongly inhibited the tumorigenic and metastatic potentials of PC-3 prostate cancer cells. In human prostate cancer samples, the expression of high levels of PTOV1 in primary and metastatic tumors was significantly associated with increased nuclear localization of active c-Jun. These results unveil new functions of PTOV1 in the regulation of protein translation and in the progression of prostate cancer to an invasive and metastatic disease.

The c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs) are important stress-responsive kinases. They regulate cellular activities by sequential phosphorylation and activation through a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade, whereas JNKs activation is altered in response to various stressors. In the present study, we used immunoblotting to assess the effect of 21 day of social isolation as the chronic stressor, either sole and in combination with 2 h of acute immobilization or cold (4A degrees C) stress on circulating corticosterone level and phosphorylation status of p46 (phospho-p46/total p46) and p54 (phospho-p54/total p54) JNK isoforms in the cytosolic and nuclear fraction of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of male Wistar rats. Also, the phosphorylation status of JNK nuclear down-stream target c-Jun (p-c-Jun/c-Jun) on Ser63 was examined. Both acute stressors with elevated CORT levels led to increased phosphorylation status of cytosolic p54 JNK isoforms but not p46 JNK isoforms only in the hippocampus and no change in phosphorylation status of c-jun in both brain regions. Chronic isolation with unaltered CORT level and reduced responsiveness to novel acute stressors, led to unchanged or reduced phosphorylation status of p46 and p54 JNK isoforms in both fractions and both brain regions, whereas the decrease of c-Jun phosphorylation status was found only in the prefrontal cortex. Our results suggest that compromised JNKs activation following chronic isolation may lead to interruption of JNK signaling, which could be related with neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression or long-lasting neuronal remodeling.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K pathways are regulated by extensive crosstalk, occurring at different levels. In tumors, transactivation of the alternate pathway is a frequent "escape" mechanism, suggesting that combined inhibition of both pathways may achieve synergistic antitumor activity. Here we show that, in the M14 melanoma model, simultaneous inhibition of both MEK and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) achieves synergistic effects at suboptimal concentrations, but becomes frankly antagonistic in the presence of relatively high concentrations of MEK inhibitors. This observation led to the identification of a novel crosstalk mechanism, by which either pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of constitutive MEK signaling restores phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression, both in vitro and in vivo, and inhibits downstream signaling through AKT and mTOR, thus bypassing the need for double pathway blockade. This appears to be a general regulatory mechanism and is mediated by multiple mechanisms, such as MAPK-dependent c-Jun and miR-25 regulation. Finally, PTEN upregulation appears to be a major effector of MEK inhibitors' antitumor activity, as cancer cells in which PTEN is inactivated are consistently more resistant to the growth inhibitory and anti-angiogenic effects of MEK blockade. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

Benzylidenemalononitrile (BMN) tyrphostins are well known as potent tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Moreover, in recent years it has been recognized that members of the tyrphostin family possess additional biological activities independent of their ability to inhibit protein tyrosine kinases. In this study, we examined the relationship between the structure of 49 BMNs and related compounds, and their capacity to induce heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) gene expression in U937 human monocytic cells, to activate upstream signaling pathways and to protect cells against menadione-induced oxidative stress. It was found that the electron-withdrawing (NO(2), CN, halogen) groups in BMN molecules and double meta-MeO substituents increased the HO-1 gene induction, while the electron-donating groups in ortho/para position (OH, MeO and N-morpholino) significantly decreased it. The magnitude of activation of c-Jun, Nrf2, p38 MAPK, and p70S6K correlated with specific substitution patterns in the BMN structure. BMN-dependent maximal up-regulation of HO-1 required parallel increase in Nrf2 and phospho-c-Jun cellular levels. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis revealed that BMNs can generate conjugates with one or two glutathione equivalent(s). This study supports the hypothesis that BMNs induce the expression of protective genes by alkylating sensitive cysteine residues of regulatory factors.

In order to fully understand protein kinase networks, new methods are needed to identify regulators and substrates of kinases, especially for weakly expressed proteins. Here we have developed a hybrid computational search algorithm that combines machine learning and expert knowledge to identify kinase docking sites, and used this algorithm to search the human genome for novel MAP kinase substrates and regulators focused on the JNK family of MAP kinases. Predictions were tested by peptide array followed by rigorous biochemical verification with in vitro binding and kinase assays on wild-type and mutant proteins. Using this procedure, we found new 'D-site' class docking sites in previously known JNK substrates (hnRNP-K, PPM1J/PP2Czeta), as well as new JNK-interacting proteins (MLL4, NEIL1). Finally, we identified new D-site-dependent MAPK substrates, including the hedgehog-regulated transcription factors Gli1 and Gli3, suggesting that a direct connection between MAP kinase and hedgehog signaling may occur at the level of these key regulators. These results demonstrate that a genome-wide search for MAP kinase docking sites can be used to find new docking sites and substrates.

c-Jun is a highly oncogenic transcription factor involved in the development of different types of cancer. In the present study we have generated c-Jun-binding-affinity proteins from a phage-displayed library of so-called 'Affibody (R) ligands', developed by combinatorial engineering of a non-immunoglobulin-based scaffold protein. Homodimeric c-Jun protein was recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli and, prior to selection, the quality of the target protein was investigated by binding analyses, which indicated specific binding to a double-stranded DNA hairpin construct containing a c-Jun response element, but not to a control sequence. Isolated Affibody (R) variants from the phage selection were expressed in E. coli, purified by affinity chromatography and their interaction with c-Jun was analysed. In biosensor analyses, one Affibody (R) ligand, denoted Z(cJun518) was shown to interact with immobilized c-Jun protein with an apparent dissociation constant of 5 mu M. By constructing a head-to-tail homodimeric version of Z(cJun518), its apparent affinity for c-Jun could be increased threefold, suggesting co-operativity effects in the binding to the immobilized c-Jun protein. Further characterization of the Z(cJun518) Affibody (R) molecule demonstrated, in both affinity-capture and Western-blotting experiments, its ability to interact selectively with c-Jun, even when the c-Jun target was present in a complex protein background consisting of a bacterial cell lysate. Z(cJun518) could also be used to stain the c-Jun-overexpressing cell line C8161 visualized by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Results from competition experiments indicated that the binding epitope on c-Jun for the Z(cJun518) Affibody (R) molecule was separate from the binding sites of both a polyclonal antibody raised against the unstructured N-terminal domain and a double-stranded DNA hairpin containing a c-Jun response element. The potential intracellular use of Affibody (R) ligands directed against, QC 20100525

Für die Progression des Wachstums maligner Tumoren und ihre Metastasierung ist die Angiogenese, die Bildung neuer Blutgefäße aus bereits existierenden, eine essentielle Voraussetzung. In dieser Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass die proangiogenen Transkriptionsfaktoren c-Jun, Id1 und Id3 in ihrer Stabilität gegenüber dem Ubiquitin/26S-Proteasom-System durch das COP9-Signalosom (CSN) kontrolliert werden. Dieses bildet einen multimeren Proteinkomplex, der deutliche Homologien mit dem Lid-Subkomplex des 26S-Proteasoms aufweist. Sowohl c-Jun als auch Id3 binden an die Untereinheit CSN5. Id3 interagiert zusätzlich mit CSN7. Rekombinantes c-Jun, ein bekanntes Substrat der CSN-assoziierten Kinasen CK2 und PKD, wird durch Curcumin, einen Hemmstoff dieser Kinasen, deutlich destabilisiert. Daneben induziert Curcumin hochmolekulare Formen von c-Jun, bei denen es sich höchstwahrscheinlich um Ubiquitin-Konjugate handelt. Ferner beschleunigt Curcumin, ebenso wie die CK2- und PKD-Inhibitoren Emdodin, DRB und Resveratrol, in HeLa-Zellen den proteasomalen Abbau von c-Jun. Die c-Jun-abhängige Produktion von VEGF wird durch alle vier Kinase-Hemmstoffe signifikant reduziert. Verstärkt wird dieser Effekt noch durch den proteasomalen Inhibitor MG-132. Id3 wird nicht von den CSN-assoziierten Kinasen phosphoryliert. Allerdings hemmt es in einem Kinase-Assay die Phosphorylierung von c-Jun, ICSBP und CSN2. Curcumin und Emodin regen in HeLa-Zellen die Ubiquitinierung und den proteasomalen Abbau von Id3 an. Die Proteolyse von Id1 wird in HeLa-Zellen ebenfalls in Anwesenheit dieser beiden Hemmstoffe stimuliert. Mittels Kotransfektion von Id3 und His-markiertem Ubiquitin konnte eine verstärkte Ubiquitinierung von Id3 in Gegenwart von Curcumin direkt nachgewiesen werden. Außerdem wird Id3 durch die Überexpression von CSN2 stabilisiert. Auf diesen Daten basiert die Schlussfolgerung, dass die CSN-abhängige Phosphorylierung den Abbau von c-Jun und der beiden Id-Proteine über das Ubiquitin/26S-Protea, Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature, is a prerequisite for the progression of solid tumor growth and metastasis. In this study it is shown that the COP9 signalosome (CSN) regulates the stability of the angiogenic transcription factors c-Jun, Id1 and Id3 towards the ubiquitin/26S proteasome system. The COP9 signalosome constitutes a multimeric protein complex that shares sequence homology with the 26S proteasome lid complex. Both c-Jun and Id3 physically interact with the CSN subunit CSN5. In addition, Id3 can bind to CSN7. Recombinant c-Jun, a substrate of the CSN-associated kinases CK2 und PKD, is destabilized by curcumin, an inhibitor of these two kinases. Furthermore, curcumin induces high molecular weight c-Jun species, most likely ubiquitin conjugates. All tested inhibitors of the CK2 and PKD, emodin, DRB, resveratrol, as well as curcumin accelerate the degradation of c-Jun by the 26S proteasome in HeLa cells. The c-Jun-dependent expression of VEGF, the most potent angiogenic factor, is significantly reduced by the four kinase inhibitors. MG-132, an inhibitor of the 26S proteasome, also diminishes the production of VEGF. Id3 is not phosphorylated by the CSN-associated kinases. However, it inhibits c-Jun, ICSBP and CSN2 phosphorylation. Curcumin and emodin significantly induce ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of Id3 in HeLa cells. Proteasome-dependent degradation Id1 in HeLa cells is also stimulated by treatment with curcumin or emodin. Ubiquitination of Id3 is shown directly by cotransfection of HeLa cells with Id3 and His-tagged ubiquitin. Curcumin increases Id3-ubiquitin conjugate formation. In addition, overexpression of CSN2 leads to stabilization of Id3 protein. On the basis of these data it is concluded that CSN-mediated phosphorylation inhibits ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation of c-Jun, Id1 and Id3. The COP9 signalosome thus represents an interesting new target for antiangio

The normal intestinal epithelium is renewed with a turnover rate of 3-5 days. During Salmonella infection increased cell loss is observed, possibly as a result of programmed cell death (PCD). We have, therefore, studied the effects of Salmonella Typhimurium infection on three elements involved in PCD: caspase-3 activation, c-Jun phosphorylation on serine 63 (both detected by immunocytochemistry), and DNA fragmentation (detected by TUNEL reaction), using a pig jejunal loop model. Additionally, we used nuclear staining for detecting signs of classical apoptosis. Activated caspase-3 was detected in scattered epithelial cells and the number of positive cells increased with increasing times of exposure to Salmonella (P<0.0001). An increase in phospho-c-Jun in epithelial cells was already detectable 5 min after infection and often occurred in cells that appeared not to be invaded by the organism. Changes in caspase-3 activation and c-Jun phosphorylation were most marked in the proximal region of the jejunum. Although rarely observed in the epithelium, proper TUNEL-positive cells were frequently found in the intestinal lumen. Some, but not all, TUNEL-positie cells were also positive for caspase-3, indicating that both caspase-3-dependent and -independent pathways of PCD increased upon infection.

We demonstrated previously that c-Jun, JunB and c-Fos RNA were dysregulated in metastatic melanoma cells compared with normal human melanocytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the distribution in composition of AP-1 dimers in human melanoma pathogenesis. We investigated AP-1 dimer pairing in radial growth phase-like (RGP) (w3211) and vertical growth phase-like (VGP) (w1205) human melanoma cells and metastatic cell lines (cloned from patients, c83-2c, c81-46A, A375, respectively) compared with melanocytes using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), Western blot and transfection analyses. There are progressive variations in AP-1 composition in different melanoma cell lines compared with normal melanocytes, in which c-Jun, JunD and FosB were involved in AP-1 complexes. In w3211, c-Jun, JunD and Fra-1 were involved in AP-1 binding, while in w1205, overall AP-1 binding activity was decreased significantly and supershift binding was detected only with JunD antibodies. In metastatic c81-46A and A375 cells, only JunD was involved in AP-1 binding activity, but in a third (c83-2c) c-Jun, JunD and Fra-1 were present. Western blot evaluation detected c-Jun in melanocytes and w3211, but this component was decreased significantly or was not detectable in w1205, c81-46A and A375 cells. In contrast, JunD protein was elevated in c81-46A and c83-2c cells compared with melanocytes and RGP and VGP cell lines. Normal melanocytes and c83-2c cells (which have c-Jun involved in AP-1 binding), transfected with c-Jun antisense and treated with cisplatin, showed higher viability compared with untransfected cells, while in c81-46A cells (in which only JunD is detectable) no change in cell viability was observed following treatment with cisplatin and c-jun antisense transfection. A dominant-negative c-Jun mutant (TAM67) significantly increased the soft agar colony formation of w3211 and c83-2c cells. These results suggest that components of AP-1, especially c-Jun, may offer a

The VRK1 kinase is a novel Ser-Thr kinase in the human kinome that diverged from the casein kinase 1 branch. These kinases phosphorylate transcription factors related to stress responses, such as p53. In this report we have studied the phosphorylation of the transcription factor c-Jun in its N-terminal region. The VRK1 protein phosphorylates c-Jun with a Km of 0.4 lM, and is not inhibited by SP600125. VRK1 phosphorylates c-Jun in Ser63 and Ser73 in vitro, the same residues targeted by the N-terminal kinase of c-Jun (JNK). This phosphorylation induces the stabilization and accumulation of the c- Jun protein. VRK1 phosphorylates the endogenous c-Jun in Ser63. VRK1 activates c-Jun dependent transcription, which is dependent on phosphorylation of Ser63 and Ser73. The c-Jun with Ser63Ala and Ser73Ala substitutions is not transcriptionally active when cotransfected with VRK1. VRK1 interacts with c-Jun but not with JNK. The cotransfection of VRK1 and JNK has an additive effect on the transcriptional activation of c-Jun indicating that they can cooperate when both are at suboptimal dose; otherwise, maximum effect by one of them prevents the effect of the other. The VRK1-c-Jun connection represents a component of a new signaling pathway whose upstream elements remain to be identified.

Radioresistance markedly impairs the efficacy of tumor radiotherapy and may involve antiapoptotic signal transduction pathways that prevent radiation-induced cell death. A common cellular response to genotoxic stress induced by radiation is the activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). NF-kappaB activation in turn can lead to an inhibition of radiation-induced apoptotic cell death. Thus, inhibition of NF-kappaB activation is commonly regarded as an important strategy to abolish radioresistance. Among other compounds, the fungal metabolite gliotoxin (GT) has been reported to be a highly selective inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation. Indeed, low doses of GT were sufficient to significantly enhance radiation-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. However, this effect turned out to be largely independent of NF-kappaB activation since radiation of HL-60 cells with clinically relevant doses of radiation induced only a marginal increase in NF-kappaB activity, and selective inhibition of NF-kappaB by SN50 did not result in a marked enhancement of GT-induced apoptosis. GT induced activation of JNKs, cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and potently stimulated the caspase cascade inducing cleavage of caspases -9, -8, -7 and -3. Furthermore, cleavage of the antiapoptotic protein X-linked IAP and downregulation of the G2/M-specific IAP-family member survivin were observed during GT-induced apoptosis. Finally, the radiation-induced G2/M arrest was markedly reduced in GT-treated cells most likely due to the rapid induction of apoptosis. Our data demonstrate that various other pathways apart from the NF-kappaB signaling complex can sensitize tumor cells to radiation and propose a novel mechanism for radio-sensitization by GT, the interference with the G2/M checkpoint that is important for repair of radiation-induced DNA damage in p53-deficient tumor cells.

We are using experimental infection with reoviruses as a model to study how viruses induce cell death (apoptosis) and cause dysregulation of the cell cycle, and the significance of these events on viral pathogenesis in vivo. We have developed this into one of the most fully characterized systems for understanding viral and cellular mechanisms of both apoptosis and cell cycle dysregulation. We have shown that apoptosis is a critical part of tissue injury in vivo in both experimental models of virus-induced CNS injury (encephalitis) and cardiac injury (myocarditis). Our in vitro studies indicate that reovirus-induced apoptosis involves the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) super family and specifically death receptors 4 and 5 (DR4, DR5) and their ligand (TRAIL). Apoptosis involves both death-receptor (DR) and mitochondrial-associated cell death pathways, and leads to the early activation of initiator caspases 8 and 9, followed by activation of effector caspase 3 and cleavage of caspase-dependent cellular substrates. Caspase-8 dependent cleavage of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein Bid is required for cytosolic release of cytochrome C and the subsequent apoptosome-mediated activation of caspase 9. Reovirus-induced DR-initiated apoptosis requires participation of the mitochondrial signaling pathways for its optimal expression. In addition to inducing apoptosis, infection results in dysregulation of the normal cell cycle. This results from a G2/M phase arrest which requires the viral sigma-ls protein and is associated with inhibition of the activity of the key G2 to M checkpoint transition kinase p34cdc2., Original contains color plates: All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.

Greater than 80% of breast cancers are derived from epithelial cells. Epithelial cells are highly polarized, with separate apical and basolateral surfaces facing the lumen and adjacent cells. In epithelial tumors the degree of malignancy is correlated with extent of loss of polarity. Mammary cells can be transformed to varying degrees by regulated expression of various oncogenes. For instance, c-Jun over-expression gives a reversible transformation and loss of polarity, while sustained c-Fos over-expression gives an irreversible, more severe transformation and loss of cell polarity. The goal of this proposal is to observe the effects of differentiation, de-differentiation, and transformation on polarized membrane traffic in mammary epithelial cells. I have been investigating the hyothesis that modulation of epithelial polarity by TGF-alpha and/or c-myc will affect the ability of mammary cells to correctly transport proteins from the TGN to the apical and basolateral PMs and during transcytosis, and will correspondingly affect expression of syntaxins.

Strong c-Jun immunoreactivity, as revealed with the antibody c-Jun/activator protein 1 (AP-1) which is raised against the amino acids 91-105 mapping with the amino terminal domain of mouse c-Jun p39, is observed in apoptotic cells, but not in necrotic cells, following intracerebral injection of ibotenic acid in the developing rat brain processed for immunohistochemistry. Immunostaining occurs in the cytoplasm and dendrites, thus suggesting impaired nuclear translocation of c-Jun in apoptotic cells. Western blotting of total brain homogenates, using the same antibody, shows a band at p39 which is more marked in treated animals than in age-matched controls. In addition, increased c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK-1) expression, as revealed on Western blots, is found in rats treated with ibotenic acid when compared with controls. In contrast, apoptotic cells are not stained with antibodies to Jun B and Jun D. These results give further support to previous studies showing strong c-Jun expression in apoptotic cells at determinate stages of development, and emphasize that intracellular distribution of c-Jun, possible post-translational modifications of c-Jun due to phosphorylation at specific transactivation sites, and lack of associated Jun B and Jun D expression may differentiate the Jun response in apoptotic cells from other forms of cellular response involving c-Jun which are not associated with cell death.

SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

c-fos and c-jun mRNA induction and c-Fos and c-Jun protein expression were examined in the brains of adult rats subjected to systemic kainic acid (KA) injection at convulsant doses. Induction of c-fos and c-jun mRNA, as seen with in situ hybridization, occurred in the piriform and entorhinal cortices, neocortex, amygdala, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, and discrete thalamic nuclei. This was followed by c-Fos protein expression, as revealed with immunohistochemistry, in the same regions. However, the distribution of c-Jun protein expression differed depending on the antibody used. The distribution of cells immunostained with the antibody c-Jun (AB-1) was similar to that of c-jun mRNA, but the distribution of cells immunostained with the antibody c-Jun/AP1 (N) was restricted to a few neurons in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 and CA3, layer II of the piriform and entorhinal cortices, basal amygdala, and discrete thalamic nuclei. Although the regional distribution of c-Fos- and c-Jun-immunoreactive cells in the hippocampus, layer II of the entorhinal and piriform cortices, basal amygdala, and discrete thalamic nuclei matched the distribution of cells committed to dying, c-Fos- and c-Jun-immunoreactive cells in the neocortex and dentate gyrus survived. Therefore, the present data show that c-fos and c-jun are not predictors of either cell death or survival, but rather, markers of cells sensitive to KA excitotoxicity. Western blots to c-Fos showed a double band at p62 in samples containing the hippocampus and entorhinal and piriform cortices (hip samples) and in samples containing the neocortex (cortex samples). The upper band was abolished following preincubation of the samples with alkaline phosphatase, thus suggesting c-Fos phosphorylation. Western blots to c-Jun (AB-1) showed a single band at about p39 in hip and cortex. However, Western blots to c-Jun/AP1 (N) identified two bands. One band at about p39 was seen in control rats and the cortex of KA-treated rats. Another

Ionizing radiation produces apoptosis in the developing rat brain. Strong c-Jun immunoreactivity, as revealed with the antibody c-Jun/AP-1 (N) which is raised against the amino acids 91-105 mapping with the amino terminal domain of mouse c-Jun p39, is simultaneously observed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of apoptotic cells. Western blotting of total brain homogenates, using the same antibody, shows a p39 band in control rats which is accompanied by a strong, phosphorylated p62 double-band in irradiated animals. In addition, increased c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 expression, as found on western blots, is found in irradiated rats when compared with controls. Intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid at convulsant doses to the adult rat produces cell death with morphological features of necrosis, together with the appearance of cells with fine granular chromatin degeneration and small numbers of apoptotic-like cells, in the entorhinal and piriform cortices, basal amygdala, certain thalamic nuclei, and CA1 region of the hippocampus, c-Jun expression in kainic acid-treated rats, as revealed with the c-Jun/AP-1 (N) antibody, is found in the nuclei of a minority of cells in the same areas. The vast majority of c-Jun-immunoreactive cells have normal nuclear morphology, whereas necrotic cells are negative and only a few cells with fine granular chromatin condensation and apoptotic cells following kainic acid injection are stained with c-Jun antibodies. Western blotting, using the same antibody, shows a p39 band in control rats, which is accompanied by a band at about p26 from 6 h onwards following kainic acid injection. Decreased c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 expression, as revealed on western blots, is observed in kainic acid-treated rats. These results show that the antibody c-Jun/AP-1 (N) recognizes three different forms of c-Jun- related immunoreactivity in normal and pathological states, which are associated with the different outcome of cells. These results stress the necessity

The distribution of immediate early gene zif-268, c-fos, c-jun and jun-D mRNAs was investigated in the Visual cortex, dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and hippocampus of the adult cat brain with in situ hybridization. In area 17, zif-268, c-jun and jun-D were Found predominantly in layers II-III and VI, while c-fos mRNA was abundant in layer VI. In area Is, the zif-268, c-fos and c-jun labelling pattern was identical to that of area 17, this was not true for jun-D. In area 19, only c-jun retained the lamination pattern of areas 17 and 18, while zif-268, c-fos and jun-D were homogeneously distributed. In the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, only c-fos and jun-D resulted in labelling. In the pyramidal layer of hippocampus, zif-268 was found in CA1-4, c-jun in CA1-3, and jun-D in CA2-4. In the dentate gyrus, c-jun was abundant, jun-D moderate and zif-268 faint. C-fos labelling was absent in the hippocampal formation.

The distribution of immediate early gene zif-268, c-fos, c-jun and jun-D mRNAs was investigated in the visual cortex, dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and hippocampus of the adult cat brain with in situ hybridization. In area 17, zif-268, c-jun and jun-D were found predominantly in layers II-III and VI, while c-fos mRNA was abundant in layer VI. In area 18, the zif-268, c-fos and c-jun labelling pattern was identical to that of area 17, this was not true for jun-D. In area 19, only c-jun retained the lamination pattern of areas 17 and 18, while zif-268, c-fos and jun-D were homogeneously distributed. In the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, only c-fos and jun-D resulted in labelling. In the pyramidaI layer of hippocampus, zif-268 was found in CA1-4, c-jun in CA1-3, and jun-D in CA2-4. In the dentate gyrus, c-jun was abundant, jun-D moderate and zif-268 faint. C-fos labelling was absent in the hippocampal formation., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Induction of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells neuronal differentiation upon treatment with nerve growth factor (NGF) is accompanied by a coupled stimulation of c-fos and c-jun oncogene transcription. We found that induction of c-fos and c-jun proto-oncogene mRNAs levels following the endocrine differentiation of PC12 cells by sodium butyrate is uncoupled. While c-fos mRNA level increased within minutes, the content of c-jun mRNA was significantly elevated only 24 hours after treatment. Continuous presence of sodium butyrate for 72 hours resulted in stable high levels of c-fos and c-jun mRNAs. Gene transcription of the other members of the jun family, jun B and jun D, was not significantly modified at any induction time. The early accumulation of c-fos mRNA was accompanied by increased levels of c-Fos protein. While the NGF-induced c-Fos protein migrates with an apparent homogeneous molecular weight of 62 kDa, the sodium butyrate-stimulated Fos protein is of heterogeneous lower molecular weight. The different gel mobility of the Fos immunoreactive bands induced by sodium butyrate and the sustained Fos mRNA levels after induction suggested that the sodium butyrate-induced c-Fos protein could be non-functional in the autoregulation of the c-fos gene. Gel shift analysis showed unimpaired capacity of the butyrate-induced c-Fos protein to participate in the formation of transcriptional complexes with the Jun/AP-1 protein. However, transfection experiments indicate that the sodium butyrate-induced c-Fos protein is not able to negatively trans-regulate the c-fos promoter.