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In the murine pre-B lymphoid cell line Baf3, the presence of IL-3 is required for the formation of membrane ruffles that intensely stain for actin and are responsible for the elongated cell phenotype. Withdrawal of IL-3 dissolves ruffled protrusions and converts the cell phenotype to round. Flow cytometric analysis of the cell shape showed that an inactive analog of Rac1 but not inactive RhoA or inactive cdc42 rounds the cells in the presence of IL-3. Constitutively activated Rac1 restores the elongated cell phenotype to IL-3-starved cells. We conclude that the activity of Rac1 is necessary and sufficient for the IL-3-induced assembly of membrane ruffles. Similar to the IL-3 withdrawal, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) dissolves actin-formed membrane ruffles and rounds the cells in the presence of IL-3. Flow cytometric analysis of the cell shape demonstrated that in the presence of IL-3 the PMA-induced cell rounding cannot be abolished by constitutively active Rac1 but can be imitated by inactive Rac1. These data indicate that PMA disrupts the IL-3 pathway downstream of Rac1. Cells rounded by PMA return to the elongated phenotype concomitantly with PKC depletion. PMA-induced cell rounding can be reversed by the PKC-specific inhibitor GF109203X. Experiments with overexpression in Baf3 of individual PKC isoforms and a dominant negative PKC-delta indicate that activation of PKC-delta but not other PKC isoforms is responsible for disruption of membrane ruffles.

Previously, we have shown that phorbol ester (PMA) induces p21(WAF1/CIP1)-dependent growth arrest in SKBr3 breast cancer and LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Here, I demonstrate that inhibition of Raf-1 kinase by dominant-negative Raf-1 or pharmacological depletion of Raf-1 prevented PMA-mediated induction of p21(WAF1/CIP1). Similarly, PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MEK, abolished p21(WAF1/CIP1) induction and PMA-induced growth arrest. Like PMA, the H-ras oncogene, another activator of the Raf-1/MEK/MAPK pathway, transactivated p21(WAF1/CIP1) in SKBr3 cells. I further investigated PMA-induced growth arrest following infection of SKBr3 cells with 12S E1A-expressing adenovirus. Although high levels of E1A oncoprotein prevented both PMA-induced p21(WAF1/CIP1) and growth arrest, smaller amounts of E1A abrogated growth arrest without down-regulation of p21(WAF1/CIP1). Therefore, E1A can stimulate proliferation downstream of p21(WAF1/CIP1). Albeit less effective than full activity, either Rb- or p300-binding activity of E1A was sufficient for the abrogation of PMA-mediated growth arrest. E1A-driven proliferation of PMA-treated SKBr3 cells was accompanied by apoptosis. New therapeutic approaches can be envisioned that would utilize stimulation of the Raf-1/MEK/MAPK pathway to inhibit growth of PMA-sensitive cancer cells.

Mutations of the p53 gene are the most common abnormalities in human cancer. In contrast to mutant p53, wild-type (wt) p53 protein is present at low levels due to rapid degradation by proteasome. We demonstrated that wt p53 protein stabilization following DNA damage or proteasome inhibition did not abolish the wild-type conformation. DNA damage did not cause accumulation of ubiquitinated forms of wt p53, suggesting abrogation of ubiquitination. Consistent with this, the E6 oncoprotein which targets p53 for ubiquitination abolished stabilization of p53 protein by DNA-damaging drugs but not by proteasome inhibitors. In contrast to the effects on wt p53, inhibitors of proteolysis downregulated mutant p53. Regulation of p53 levels can be explained by a feedback mechanism where wt p53 transcriptionally induces "sensor" proteins (Mdm-2, as an example) and these, in turn, target p53 for degradation. Like p53, Mdm-2 is degraded by proteasome. Therefore, inhibition of proteasome caused accumulation of Mdm-2, leading to degradation of mutant p53 by the remaining proteolytic activity of the cell. We propose that inhibition of transcription should increase wt p53 protein due to inhibition of Mdm-2 synthesis. An inhibitor of transcription, alpha-amanitin, dramatically induced wt p53 protein, whereas Mdm-2 protein was downregulated. Moreover, alpha-amanitin increased p53 protein levels in E6-transfected cells. Although inhibitors of transcription, such as actinomycin D, also damage DNA, reduction of Mdm-2 or other putative "sensor" proteins may contribute to their p53-stabilizing activity. Similarly, antimetabolites augment accumulation of wt p53 due to interference with RNA synthesis., (Copyright 1998 Academic Press.)

Background: Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) and modulation of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) are both associated with tamoxifen treatment, and both appear to be important in the regulation of prostate cancer cell growth. Investigations were performed which sought to measure the efficacy, and to elucidate the mechanism of growth inhibition by tamoxifen, in hormone-refractory prostate cancer., Methods: Growth assays were performed on PC3, PC3-M, and DU145 prostate cancer cells. TGF-beta was measured by ELISA; p21(waf1/cip1) and retinoblastoma (Rb) protein levels were measured by Western blot; PKC activity was measured by kinase assay; and effects upon cell cycle were measured by flow cytometric analysis., Results: IC50s for growth inhibition ranged from 5.5-10 microM, and were not affected by estrogen. Tamoxifen-mediated growth inhibition was not associated with induction of TGF-beta. However, tamoxifen treatment was associated with inhibition of PKC, which was followed by induction of p21(waf1/cip1), Rb dephosphorylation, and G1/S phase cell cycle arrest. Similar effects were observed with the known PKC inhibitor, Ro31-8220., Conclusions: These data suggest that micromolar concentrations of tamoxifen inhibit prostate cancer cell growth by inhibition of PKC, resulting in induction of the p21(waf1/cip1) protein.

The oncogenic protein Bcl-2 functions as a potent inhibitor of programmed cell death. This survival activity has been shown in some settings to be influenced by the Bcl-2 phosphorylation state. It has been demonstrated that treatment with microtubule-targeted agents results in phosphorylation of both Raf-1 kinase and Bcl-2. The Bcl-2-related family member Bcl-xL also exhibits a death suppressive activity, but its potential for phosphorylation following exposure to drugs that interact with microtubules has not been evaluated. Several tumor cell lines with low or undetectable levels of Bcl-2 protein expression were found to express Bcl-xL. A more slowly migrating Bcl-xL band was observed on immunoblots after cells were treated with microtubule-targeted agents. The appearance of this band was responsive to dose and was absent when the cell lysates were treated with lambda protein phosphatase. Using a Bcl-xL-specific monoclonal antibody, the phosphorylated form of Bcl-xL was immunoprecipitated from cells treated with paclitaxel and metabolically labeled with 32P-labeled inorganic orthophosphate. Herein, we report that Bcl-xL is phosphorylated in malignant cells after incubation with agents that target tubulin, including paclitaxel, vincristine, vinblastine, colchicine, and nocodazole. Moreover, paclitaxel-resistant ovarian carcinoma cell lines that have mutations in tubulin failed to exhibit phosphorylation of Bcl-xL after paclitaxel exposure, but they did demonstrate Bcl-xL phosphorylation in the presence of other tubulin-targeting agents. As observed for Bcl-2, phosphorylation of Bcl-xL was accompanied by phosphorylation of Raf-1. Interestingly, phosphorylation of these three proteins failed to occur or was much less pronounced when cells grown at high density were challenged with drug. Also, reduced Raf-1 expression, observed after treatment of cells with geldanamycin prior to and during incubation with the microtubule-active drugs, correlated with diminished Bcl-xL phosphorylation. Taken together, these results suggest that Bcl-xL, like Bcl-2, is phosphorylated by agents that disrupt microtubule architecture. By analogy with Bcl-2, this phosphorylation may play a critical role in modulating Bcl-xL function and may be an important determinant of microtubule-directed chemotherapeutic efficacy in human tumors.

We investigated the p53 status and the ability of exogenous wildtype (wt) p53 to affect chemosensitivity in three anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell lines (BHT-101, SW-1736, and KAT-4). All three cell lines had nonfunctional p53. Treatment with mitomycin C or adriamycin did not result in accumulation of p53 or induction of p21WAF1/CIP1 or Mdm-2 and did not cause Rb dephosphorylation. BHT-101 and KAT-4 cells had mutant p53. SW-1736 cells were functionally mutant because of marked down-regulation of wt p53 messenger ribonucleic acid, representing a novel mechanism of p53 dysfunction. Infection with a p53-expressing adenovirus (Ad-p53) induced high levels of p21 and Mdm-2 proteins. In BHT-101 cells, induction of p21 and Mdm-2 was evident 10 h after infection. In KAT-4 cells, induction of p21 and Mdm-2 was observed 1 day after infection, and continued to increase over the ensuing 24 h. SW-1736 cells demonstrated intermediate kinetics. Sensitivity to the cytotoxic effect of Ad-p53 paralleled the kinetics of p21/Mdm-2 induction. BHT-101 cells were most sensitive to killing by Ad-p53, with an IC50 of less than 2 multiplicity of infection; SW-1736 cells were intermediate in sensitivity; KAT-4 cells were resistant. All three cell lines became more sensitive to adriamycin after wt p53 expression, with a 10-fold decrease in IC50 values. The latter observation may make a combination of wt p53 and chemotherapeutic drugs an attractive modality for treating anaplastic thyroid cancer.

p53 is required for hypoxia-induced apoptosis in vivo, although the mechanism by which this occurs is not known. Conversely, induction of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) transactivator stimulates transcription of a number of genes crucial to survival of the hypoxic state. Here we demonstrate that p53 represses HIF-1-stimulated transcription. Although higher levels of p53 are required to inhibit HIF than are necessary to transcriptionally activate p53 target genes, these levels of p53 are similar to those that stimulate cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, an early event in apoptosis. Transfection of full-length p300 stimulates both p53-dependent and HIF-dependent transcription but does not relieve p53-mediated inhibition of HIF. In contrast, a p300 fragment, which binds to p53 but not to HIF-1, prevents p53-dependent repression of HIF activity. Transcriptionally inactive p53, mutated in its DNA binding domain, retains the ability to block HIF transactivating activity, whereas a transcriptionally inactive double point mutant defective for p300 binding does not inhibit HIF. Finally, depletion of doxorubicin-induced endogenous p53 by E6 protein attenuates doxorubicin-stimulated inhibition of HIF, suggesting that a p53 level sufficient for HIF inhibition can be achieved in vivo. These data support a model in which stoichiometric binding of p53 to a HIF/p300 transcriptional complex mediates inhibition of HIF activity.

Studies utilizing the overexpression of individual isoforms indicated that both PKC-alpha and -delta promote a number of biological effects, including inhibition of DNA synthesis associated with rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton in the murine B-cell lymphoma (Baf3), differentiation of the murine promyelocyte line 32D, and activation of MAP kinase in CHO fibroblasts. We postulated that these results reflect some form of cross-regulation between PKC-alpha and -delta rather than their functional redundancy. In this report, we show that overexpression of PKC-alpha in Baf3 and 32D leads to an elevation of the endogenous PKC-delta mRNA and protein levels. The elevated steady-state PKC-delta mRNA level results from a combination of increased PKC-delta transcription and mRNA stability. Upregulation of PKC-delta mRNA by PKC-alpha occurs even after a selective depletion of the PKC-delta protein. In addition, phorbol ester-induced elevation of PKC-delta mRNA and protein levels can be prevented by the PKC inhibitor GF109203X, an indication of the requirement for PKC kinase activity. Inhibition of new protein synthesis by cycloheximide showed that upregulation of PKC-delta mRNA, as opposed to delayed downregulation of the PKC-delta protein, is primarily responsible for the accumulation of this isoform by PKC-alpha. In parental Baf3 and 32D cells and PKC-alpha overexpressers, PKC-alpha and PKC-delta are uniquely involved in cross-regulation, while PKC-epsilon, PKC-eta, and PKC-mu are not.

Although hypoxia (lack of oxygen in body tissues) is perhaps the most physiological inducer of the wild-type p53 gene, the mechanism of this induction is unknown. Cells may detect low oxygen levels through a haem-containing sensor protein. The hypoxic state can be mimicked by using cobalt chloride and the iron chelator desferrioxamine: like hypoxia, cobalt chloride and desferrioxamine activate hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha), which stimulates the transcription of several genes that are associated with hypoxia. Here we show that these treatments induce accumulation of wild-type p53 through HIF-1alpha-dependent stabilization of p53 protein. Induction of p53 does not occur in either a mutant hepatoma cell line that is unable to induce HIF-1alpha or embryonic stem cells derived from mice lacking HIF-1beta. HIF-1alpha is found in p53 immunoprecipitates from MCF7 cells that express wild-type p53 and are either hypoxic or have been exposed to desferrioxamine. Similarly, anti-haemagglutinin immunoprecipitates from lysates of normoxic PC3M cells that had been co-transfected with haemagglutinin-tagged HIF-1alpha and wild-type p53 also contain p53. Transfection of normoxic MCF7 cells with HIF-1alpha stimulates a co-transfected p53-dependent reporter plasmid and increases the amount of endogenous p53. Our results suggest that hypoxic induction of transcriptionally active wild-type p53 is achieved as a result of the stabilization of p53 by its association with HIF-1alpha.

Accumulation of p53 protein following DNA damage is independent of transcription; in turn, p53 transcriptionally induces other proteins. Herein we demonstrated that p120, a proliferation-associated protein, was induced by DNA-damaging and microtubule-active drugs in human cancer cells. However, induction of p120 was independent of p53; and expression of exogenous wt p53 induced p21WAF1/CIP1 but not p120, excluding p120 as a transcriptional target of p53. Like p53, induction of p120 by anticancer drugs did not require transcription. Induction of p120 by actinomycin-D occurred at concentrations which inhibit RNA synthesis and p120 mRNA levels. Inhibition of proteasomes resulted in accumulation of higher molecular weight proteins, reacting with anti-p120 antibodies. This suggests that the mechanisms of p120 and p53 induction are similar and involve inhibition of degradation. p120 protein stabilization represents an expedient means for accumulation of key response proteins following exposure to cytotoxic agents.

The relationship between chemosensitivity and p53 is currently considered from two mutually exclusive points of view: (1) wt p53 increases chemosensitivity due to apoptosis and (2) wt p53 decreases chemosensitivity due to growth arrest and DNA repair. We used p53-expressing adenovirus (Ad-p53) to directly evaluate effect of p53 on sensitivity to anticancer drugs. When p53 was expressed at sublethal levels, it sensitized cells to the DNA-damaging drugs Adriamycin, mitomycin C, actinomycin D, etoposide (VP16), cisplatin and CPT11. This sensitization was observed in cancer cell lines (N=10) regardless of endogenous p53 status and also in normal human lung and skin fibroblasts. The degree of sensitization appeared to be greater in cancer cells with mutant p53. Normal fibroblasts required significantly higher doses of Ad-p53 to affect a drug's sensitivity partly because of their lower infectivity by adenovirus. Wt p53 not only decreased IC50 but also accelerated cell death induced by DNA-damaging drugs. In contrast, sensitization to microtubule-active drugs by p53 was shown only in a few cell lines. We conclude that exogenous wt p53 accelerates cell death induced by DNA damaging agents in both normal and cancer cells and offers no protection from anticancer drugs.

Angiogenesis is required for tumor formation and growth; inhibition of angiogenesis is a promising new approach in cancer therapy. UCN-01, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, induces growth arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells and was recently introduced in a phase I clinical trial. We demonstrate that UCN-01, at concentrations lower than those necessary to inhibit cancer cell growth, inhibit proliferation of human endothelial cells in vitro. Moreover, UCN-01, at concentrations as low as 32 nM, prevent microvessel outgrowth from explant cultures of rat aortic rings. Since hypoxia activates hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1)-dependent transcription in cancer cells that, in a paracrine fashion, drive tumor angiogenesis, we investigated the effects of UCN-01 on HIF-1-responsive promoter constructs. We report that, in addition to direct inhibitory effects on endothelial cell growth, UCN-01 abrogates hypoxia-mediated transactivation of HIF-1-responsive promoters in a prostate cancer cell line. We conclude that UCN-01, at clinically relevant concentrations, exerts an anti-neovascularization effect by blocking two important steps in vessel formation: (1) the response of cancer cells to hypoxia, and (2) endothelial cell proliferation., (Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Wild-type (wt) p53 protein is rapidly degraded, has a short half-life and low intracellular levels. Stabilization of wt p53 protein following an appropriate stimulus (for example DNA damage) is a physiological regulation to increase function. In contrast, stabilization of p53 protein in the absence of a stimulus is always a hallmark of loss of function secondary to a mutation, or interaction with viral or cellular oncoproteins. It is generally accepted that stability of p53 protein depends on its intrinsic biochemical properties such as conformation or protein/protein interactions. However, I will discuss evidence that the stability of p53 is not a consequence of its intrinsic properties, but instead is determined by feedback control of its function. In the absence of an appropriate stimulus, a cell needs to keep p53 levels low, since increased levels can lead to apoptosis. To precisely regulate p53 levels, a cell must sense its level; and sensing its transactivating function, is the simplest way to sense p53. Following an appropriate stimulus (for example, DNA damage), the cell senses a state of 'relative' p53 deficiency and adapts by reducing p53 degradation. When the state of p53 deficiency is a consequence of a mutation or interaction with viral oncoproteins, the cell does not sense p53, and again attempts to adapt by reducing p53 degradation. However, in the latter case, the increase in levels does not restore function, and the adaptation continues until degradation of p53 protein is maximally inhibited. In this case, no further inhibition of degradation is possible after DNA-damage or pharmacological inhibition of proteasomes. Thus lack of wt p53 function always results in increased p53 levels and nonregulation.

Mutation of the tumor suppressor gene p53 is the most common genetic abnormality detected in human cancers. Wild type p53 is a short-lived protein with very low basal intracellular levels. Most mutated forms of the protein, however, display markedly increased intracellular levels as an essential feature of their positive transforming activity. In this report, we have used selective inhibitors of the 20S proteasome to demonstrate that processing of p53 by ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation is impaired by commonly occuring mutations of the protein. We found that this impairment of p53 turnover can be reversed by treatment of tumor cells with the benzoquinone ansamycin, geldanamycin, leading to a marked reduction in intracellular p53 levels. Finally, using cells which over-express a mutant p53 protein, we were able to demonstrate that restoration of proteasome-mediated degradation by geldanamycin is accompanied by p53 polyubiquitination. Although much remains to be learned about the mechanisms involved, our data demonstrate that selective de-stabilization of mutant transforming proteins such as p53 can be achieved pharmacologically with agents such as geldanamycin which modify the function of molecular chaperone proteins within tumor cells.

Growth arrest and differentiation of leukemic cells by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) is accompanied by p53-independent activation of p21WAF1/CIP1 and c-myc down-regulation. We show that despite p21 induction in 7 of 12 human cancer cell lines treated with PMA, growth inhibition was observed only in two cell lines (SKBr3 breast and LNCaP prostate cancer cells). Treatment of SKBr3 and LNCaP cells with PMA was followed by Raf-1 hyperphosphorylation, p21 induction, Rb hypophosphorylation, c-myc down-regulation and growth inhibition. The 10 remaining PMA-resistant cell lines were comprised of 5 that failed to induce p21 and 5 that induced p21 but had defects in steps putatively downstream of this (Rb hypophosphorylation and c-myc down-regulation). Exogenous expression and subsequent failure to down-regulate c-myc protein expression in SKBr3 and LNCaP cells was correlated with acquisition of resistance to the growth inhibitory effect of PMA. Exogenous p21 expression down-regulated c-myc protein in PMA-sensitive cancer cells. Our findings suggest that induction of p21 and down-regulation of c-myc may be necessary steps in a PMA-induced growth-inhibitory pathway in cancer cells.

Purpose: Recently, it has been shown that geldanamycin (GA), a benzoquinone ansamycin, is able to deplete mutant p53, p185erbB2 and Raf-1 proteins in cancer cells. However, the relationship between these activities of GA and its antiproliferative activity is not clear. Here we investigated the effects of 28 GA derivatives in SKBr3, a human breast cancer cell line., Methods: We performed Western blot analysis of Raf-1, p185erbB2 and mutant p53 proteins following drug treatment and correlated these findings with the cytotoxicity of the various GA derivatives., Results: We found that downregulation of Raf-1, p185erbB2 and mutant p53 proteins was correlated. Thus, a drug that was active against one oncoprotein was equally active against the two others. Inactive derivatives were identified by their inability to downregulate these oncoproteins, even at a high dose (2 microM). These inactive drugs also had no or minimal antiproliferative activity (IC50 > 3 microM). All other analogs (at a concentration of 2 microM) downregulated p53, p185erbB2, and Raf-1, and also displayed cytotoxicity (IC50 in the range 6-600 nM). This category of drugs was further divided into more- and less-active agents by testing at lower doses (40 nM). The drugs that remained active against their molecular targets had an IC50 for antiproliferative activity of less than 40 nM. Maximal effects on mutant p53, p185erbB2 and Raf-1 were observed at doses that were 4-5 times greater than the cytotoxic IC50., Conclusions: These findings suggest that GA and its derivatives are cytostatic/cytotoxic at concentrations that also downregulate Raf-1, p185erbB2 and mutant p53, and raise the possibility that depletion of these proteins and the antiproliferative activities of GA have a common mechanism.

Recent studies have shown that paclitaxel leads to activation of Raf-1 kinase and have suggested that this activation is essential for bcl-2 phosphorylation and apoptosis. In the present study, we demonstrate that, in addition to paclitaxel, other agents that interact with tubulin and microtubules also induce Raf-1/bcl-2 phosphorylation, whereas DNA-damaging drugs, antimetabolites, and alkylating agents do not. Activation of Raf-1 kinase by paclitaxel is linked to tubulin polymerization; the effect is blunted in paclitaxel-resistant cells, the tubulin of which does not polymerize following the addition of paclitaxel. In contrast, vincristine and vinblastine, drugs to which the paclitaxel-resistant cells retain sensitivity were able to bring about Raf-1 phosphorylation. The requirement for disruption of microtubules in this signaling cascade was strengthened further using paclitaxel analogues by demonstrating a correlation between tubulin polymerization, Raf-1/bcl-2 phosphorylation, and cytotoxicity. Inhibition of RNA or protein synthesis prevents Raf-1 activation and bcl-2 phosphorylation, suggesting that an intermediate protein(s) acts upstream of Raf-1 in this microtubule damage-activating pathway. A model is proposed that envisions a pathway of Raf-1 activation and bcl-2 phosphorylation following disruption of microtubular architecture, serving a role similar to p53 induction following DNA damage.

Proteasome-dependent degradation of regulatory proteins is a known mechanism of cell cycle control. We found that the proteasome-specific inhibitor lactacystin (LC) induced expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 in human cancer cells regardless of their p53 status. Both wild-type (wt) p53 and p21 protein levels increased by two hours in wt p53 containing cells, whereas mutant (mt) p53 levels decreased and the increase in p21 levels was delayed to 6 hr following inhibition of proteolysis by LC in mt p53 expressing cells. We found that wt but not mt p53 expressing cells increased p21 mRNA and p21-promoter reporter levels following LC exposure, suggesting transcriptional induction of p21. Inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide demonstrated increased p21 protein half-life in the presence of LC in mutant p53 containing cells. p21 induction was correlated with the cytostatic effects of LC. The results suggest that p21 protein expression could be increased by transcriptional mechanisms as well as inhibition of proteolysis by LC.

The serine/threonine kinase Raf-1 functions downstream of Rats in a signal transduction cascade which transmits mitogenic stimuli from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. Raf-1 integrates signals coming from extracellular factors and, in turn, activates its substrate, MEK kinase. MEK activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which phosphorylates other kinases as well as transcription factors. Raf-1 exists in a complex with HSP90 and other proteins. The benzoquinone ansamycin geldanamycin (GA) binds to HSP90 and disrupts the Raf-1-HSP90 multimolecular complex, leading to destabilization of Raf-1. In this study, we examined whether Raf-1 destabilization is sufficient to block the Raf-1-MEK-MAPK signalling pathway and whether GA specifically inactivates the Raf-1 component of this pathway. Using the model system of NIH 3T3 cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), we show that GA does not affect the ability of protein kinase C alpha to be activated by phorbol esters, but it does block activation of MEK and MAPK. Further, GA does not decrease the activity of constitutively active MEK in transiently transfected cells. Finally, disruption of the Raf-1-MEK-MAPK signalling pathway by GA prevents both the PMA-induced proliferative response and PMA-induced activation of a MAPK-sensitive nuclear transcription factor. Thus, we demonstrate that interaction between HSP90 and Raf-1 is a sine qua non for Raf stability and function as a signal transducer and that the effects observed cannot be attributed to a general impairment of protein kinase function.

The p53 mutant, 143ala, was translated in vitro in either rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL) or wheat germ extract (WGE). In RRL, p53-143ala protein of both mutant and wild-type conformation, as detected immunologically with conformation-specific antibodies, was translated. The chaperone protein HSP90, present in RRL, was found to coprecipitate only with the mutated conformation of p53. Geldanamycin, shown previously to bind to HSP90 and destabilize its association with other proteins, decreased the amount of immunologically detectable mutated p53 and increased the amount of detectable wild-type protein, without affecting the total translation of p53. When translated in WGE, known to contain functionally deficient HSP90, p53-143ala produced p53 protein, which was not recognized by a mutated conformation-specific antibody. In contrast, the synthesis of conformationally detectable wild-type p53 in this system was not compromised. Reconstitution of HSP90 function in WGE permitted synthesis of conformationally detectable mutated p53, and this was abrogated by geldanamycin. Finally, when p53-143ala was stably tansfected into yeast engineered to be defective for HSP90 function, conformational recognition of mutated p53 was impaired. When stable transfectants of p53-143ala were prepared in yeast expressing wild-type HSP90, conformational recognition of mutated p53 was antagonized by macbecin I, a geldanamycin analog also known to bind HSP90. Taken together, these data demonstrate a role for HSP90 in the achievement and/or stabilization of the mutated conformation of p53-143ala. Furthermore, we show that the mutated conformation of p53 can be pharmacologically antagonized by drugs targeting HSP90.

Deficiency in p53-mediated cell death is common in human cancer, contributing to both tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. In an attempt to restore p53, we evaluated in vitro infectivity and cytotoxicity of a wild type (w.t.) p53-expressing adenovirus (Ad-p53) toward a panel of human cancer cell lines (n = 19). At a multiplicity of infection of 30, both Ad-p53 and adenovirus expressing beta-galactosidase (Ad-LacZ) infected greater than 99% of cells derived from brain, lung, breast, ovarian, colon, and prostate cancer, but failed to infect leukemia or lymphoma cells. Ad-p53, but not Ad-LacZ, infection of cancer cells was followed by nuclear accumulation of the CDK inhibitor p21WAFI/CIPI, cell cycle arrest and loss of viability. Ad-p53 induced apoptotic death in cancer cells that express mutant p53, including multi-drug resistant cells, but fewer deaths were observed in some w.t. p53 expressing cells. Ad-p53-infected SKBr3 breast cancer cells were more sensitive to cytotoxicity of the DNA damaging drugs mitomycin C or Adriamycin, but not the M-phase specific drug vincristine. Our results suggest that Ad-p53 is capable of infecting and killing cancer cells of diverse tissue origins (including multi-drug resistant cancer cells), that p21WAFI/CIPI may be a useful marker of p53 infectivity and that there may be synergy between Ad-p53 and either mitomycin C or Adriamycin induced cell death in tumors with p53 mutations.

p53 tumor suppression is deficient in the majority of human cancers. Efforts to understand this pathway have identified cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors and suggested a potential for their replacement in human cancer. In the present studies, expression of a C-terminal deletion mutant of the human p21(WAF1/CIP1) CDK inhibitor completely suppressed the growth of colon cancer cells, whereas full-length p21 only partially suppressed growth. We prepared a replication-deficient adenoviral recombinant which expresses the p21 C-terminal mutant (Ad-WAF1-341) and compared its tumor suppressive abilities with Ad-p53 and Ad-LacZ. Ad-WAF1-341- and Ad-p53-infected cancer cells, but not Ad-LacZ-infected cancer cells, expressed a nuclear protein recognized by anti-p21 antibody and were deficient in cell cycle progression. The exogenous p21 mutant interacted with CDK2 but not proliferating cell nuclear antigen following infection of p21-/- cancer cells. Ad-WAF1-341 was more potent than Ad-p53 in inhibiting DNA synthesis in human papillomavirus 16 E6-expressing cancer cells. Most importantly, the Ad-WAF1-341-infected E6-expressing cells died, whereas most of the Ad-p53-infected cells continued to proliferate. Endonucleolytic cleavage of DNA was observed in Ad-WAF1-341-infected cancer cells. These observations suggest that Ad-WAF1-341 should be evaluated in the treatment of human papillomavirus-associated neoplasia and other neoplasias resistant to p53.

c-Raf-1 (Raf-1) is a central component of signal transduction pathways stimulated by various growth factors, protein kinase C, and other protein kinases. Raf-1 activation is thought to be initiated at the plasma membrane after its recruitment by Ras. Raf-1 activation is associated primarily with proliferation and cell survival, but it has also been implicated in apoptosis. Raf-1 has also been shown to form complexes with both R-Ras and Bcl-2, raising the possibility that this component of cellular Raf-1 plays a role in apoptosis. Recently, taxol was reported to induce Bcl-2 phosphorylation and inactivation. We have previously demonstrated Raf-1 activation following taxol in MCF7 cells. We now present evidence that taxol fails to stimulate either apoptosis or phosphorylation of Bel-2 in the absence of Raf-1. Moreover, Raf-1 activation by taxol coincided with Bel-2 phosphorylation, showing similar dose and time dependence. Thus, our data support a role for a distinct subcellular component of Raf-1, which is taxol but not phorbol myristate acetate sensitive, in mediating an apoptotic pathway involving Bc1-2.

Parental and multidrug resistant HL60 leukemia cell lines were used to study coupling of expression of apoptotic/cytostatic (bcl-2, bax, bclxL, p21/Waf1, and c-myc) genes during differentiation. The multidrug resistant HL60 cell line, HL60/ADR, was less sensitive than parental cells to cytostatic activity of low (0.4-2 ng/ml) doses of PMA. However, during treatment with standard differentiating doses of PMA (10 ng/ml), no difference between the two cell lines in cytostasis and differentiation was found. Downregulation of c-myc and upregulation of p21/Waf1 proteins showed the same time-course in both cell lines. The bcl-2 mRNA was rapidly downregulated while bax and bclxL gene expression was not altered in both differentiating HL60 and HL60/ADR cells. Significant downregulation of bcl-2 protein occurred only in parental HL60 cells. In HL60/ADR, despite rapid cessation of bcl-2 protein synthesis, almost no change in steady-state bcl-2 protein level was found. The lack of bcl-2 protein downregulation was a result of the prolonged half-life of this protein in HL60/ADR cells. Thus, although downregulation of bcl-2 mRNA is coupled to differentiation, actual loss of bcl-2 protein is not required for accomplishment of the differentiation program.

Taxol stabilizes microtubules, prevents tubulin depolymerization, and promotes tubulin bundling and is one of the most effective drugs for the treatment of metastatic breast and ovarian cancer. Although its interaction with tubulin has been well characterized, the mechanism by which taxol induces growth arrest and cytotoxicity is not well understood. Herein, we show that taxol induced dose- and time-dependent accumulation of the cyclin inhibitor p21WAF1 in both p53 wild-type and p53-null cells, although the degree of induction was greater in cells expressing wild-type p53. In MCF7 cells, wild-type p53 protein was also induced after taxol treatment, and this induction was mediated primarily by increased protein stability. Taxol induced both p21WAF1 and wild-type p53 optimally in MCF7 cells after 20-24-h exposure with an EC50(3) of 5 nM. In p53-null PC3M cells, p21WAF1 was similarly induced after 24-h exposure to taxol. Coincident with these biochemical effects, taxol altered the electrophoretic mobility of c-raf-1 and stimulated mitogen activated protein kinase. Previous depletion of c-raf-1 inhibited both the p21WAF1- and p53-inducing properties of taxol, as well as the activation of MAP kinase. These data suggest that induction of p21WAF1 by taxol requires c-raf-1 activity, but that it is not strictly dependent on wild-type p53. Furthermore, the ability of taxol to both induce wild-type p53 in MCF7 cells and activate MAP kinase is also dependent on c-raf-1 expression.

Cytosolic Raf-1 exists in a high molecular weight complex with the heat shock protein Hsp90, the purpose of which is unknown. The benzoquinone ansamycin, geldanamycin, specifically binds to Hsp90 and disrupts certain multimolecular complexes containing this protein. Using this drug, we are able to demonstrate rapid dissociation of both Raf-1-Hsp90 and Raf-1-Ras multimolecular complexes, concomitant with a markedly decreased half-life of the Raf-1 protein. Continued disruption of the Raf-1-Hsp90 complex results in apparent loss of Raf-1 protein from the cell, although Raf-1 synthesis is actually increased. Prevention of Raf-1-Hsp90 complex formation interferes with trafficking of newly synthesized Raf-1 from cytosol to plasma membrane. These data indicate that association with Hsp90 is essential for both Raf-1 protein stability and its proper localization in the cell.

Mutated p53 proteins interfere in the function of wild type p53 and may also serve as a dominant oncogene. The vast majority of p53 mutations result in a protein of altered conformation and prolonged half-life. We sought to examine whether geldanamycin, a drug capable of destabilizing several oncogene and proto-oncogene products, could alter the stability and DNA binding characteristics of several mutated p53 proteins. Brief exposure to GA destabilized the p53 protein of several breast, prostate and leukemic cell lines harboring mutated p53 alleles, resulting in a significant reduction in p53 steady state level and half-life. In contrast to its effects on mutated p53, GA altered neither steady state level nor inducibility of the wild type protein. In addition to its effects on protein stability, GA also altered the conformation of mutated p53, so that it was no longer detectable with a mutant conformation-specific antibody. Finally, mutated p53 protein isolated from GA-treated cells regained partial ability to bind a wild type-specific p53 DNA consensus sequence. These data indicate the feasibility of pharmacologic intervention for altering the mutated p53 phenotype.

We have shown that the ability of the human follicular lymphoma-derived cell line SU-DHL-6 to proliferate and survive in vitro depends on both Bcl-2 expression and multiple autocrine growth factors. Treatment with Bcl-2 antisense (AS Bcl-2) decreased Bcl-2 protein levels. However, a cytotoxic effect was seen only at very restricted cell densities. Below such densities cells underwent spontaneous death without any treatment, while above these cell densities no cytotoxic effect of AS Bcl-2 could be seen. The conditioned medium of SU-DHL cells supported the survival and growth of these cells cultivated at low cell densities and partially reversed the cytotoxicity associated with Bcl-2 depletion. RT/PCR analysis revealed autocrine expression of IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-5 and TNF-beta in SU-DHL cells. Neutralizing antibodies against these cytokines inhibited SU-DHL proliferation. Thus, development of autocrine GF secretion may be the second step in the pathogenesis of follicular lymphomas.

We investigated effects of sex steroids and analogs (estradiol, DES, norgestrel, progesterone, medroxyprogesterone, and testosterone) on the proliferation and survival of 10 human leukemia/lymphoma cell lines (HL-60, K562, U937, CEM, KG-1, Jurkat, U266, H929, PA and SUNHL). Micromolar concentrations of sex steroids exerted cytostatic and cytotoxic effects on all cell lines tested, irrespective of their sensitivity to glucocorticoids. The order of potency of sex hormones was: DES > progesterone > or = medroxyprogesterone > testosterone > estradiol >> norgestrel. For progesterone and estradiol, cytostatic effects can be achieved at lower concentrations than cytotoxic effects. The most potent agent, DES, exerted half maximal cytotoxic activity at a median concentration of 4 microM (for 10 leukemia cell lines). Our results provide a basis for the potential therapeutic use of estrogens and progestins in glucocorticoid-resistant leukemias and lymphomas.

A simple, sensitive, and specific in vitro bioassay is described for human tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). The system employs the U937 cell line incubated with 10 ng/ml actinomycin D for maximum sensitivity. This method allows the detection of less than 0.6 pg/ml of TNF-alpha and the log dose-response curve is linear at concentrations 0.6-250 pg/ml TNF-alpha. Highly sensitive subclones of U937 were obtained which were capable of detecting as little as 0.1 pg/ml TNF-alpha. Finally, this bioassay demonstrates specificity by discriminating between TNF-alpha and TNF-beta.