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INTRODUCTION: Abnormal calcium signaling between organelles such as the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), mitochondria and lysosomes is a key feature of various heart diseases. Calcium serves as a secondary messenger mediating inter-organellar crosstalk, which is essential for maintaining the overall cardiomyocyte function. AREAS COVERED: This article examines the available literature related to various calcium channels and transporters involved in inter-organellar calcium signaling. The SR calcium-release channels known as ryanodine receptor type-2 (RyR2) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP(3)R), as well as calcium-transporter SR/ER-ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) are illuminated. The roles of mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC), the mitochondria Ca(2+) uniporter complex (MCUC), and the lysosomal H(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger, two pore channels (TPC), and transient receptor potential mucolipin (TRPML) are discussed. Furthermore, recent studies showing calcium-mediated crosstalk between the SR, mitochondria, and lysosomes as well as how this crosstalk is dysregulated in cardiac diseases are placed under the spotlight. EXPERT OPINION: Enhanced SR calcium release via RyR2 and reduced SR reuptake via SERCA2a, increased VDAC and MCUC-mediated calcium-uptake into mitochondria, enhanced MPTP opening, and enhanced lysosomal calcium-release via lysosomal TPC and TRPML may all contribute to aberrant calcium homeostasis causing heart disease. While mechanisms of this crosstalk need to be studied further, interventions targeting these calcium channels or combinations thereof might represent a promising therapeutic strategy.

Right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is a risk factor for mortality in multiple cardiovascular diseases, but approaches to combat RVD are lacking. Therapies used for left heart failure are largely ineffective in RVD, and thus the identification of molecules that augment RV function could improve outcomes in a wide-array of cardiac limitations. Junctophilin-2 (JPH2) is an essential protein that plays important roles in cardiomyocytes, including calcium handling/maintenance of t-tubule structure and gene transcription. Additionally, JPH2 may regulate mitochondrial function asJph2knockout mice exhibit cardiomyocyte mitochondrial swelling and cristae derangements. Moreover, JPH2 knockdown in embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes induces downregulation of the mitochondrial protein mitofusin-2 (MFN2), which disrupts mitochondrial cristae structure and transmembrane potential. Impaired mitochondrial metabolism drives RVD, and here we evaluated the mitochondrial role of JPH2. We showed JPH2 directly interacts with MFN2, ablation of JPH2 suppresses mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative capacity, and impairs lipid handling in iPSC-CM. Gene therapy with AAV9-JPH2 corrects RV mitochondrial morphological defects, mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism enzyme regulation, and restores the RV lipidomic signature in the monocrotaline rat model of RVD. Finally, AAV-JPH2 improves RV function without altering PAH severity, showing JPH2 provides an inotropic effect to the dysfunction RV.

Introduction: Junctophilin-2 (JPH2) plays a crucial role in t-tubule structure/function and gene regulation in cardiomyocytes. In addition, JPH2 downregulation causes mitochondrial dysfunction and mitofusin-2 (MFN2) dysregulation, but the link between JPH2 and mitochondria is undetermined. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that a direct JPH2-MFN2 interaction is important for mitochondrial regulation and subsequent right ventricular (RV) function in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Methods and Results: Confocal microscopy revealed JPH2 and MFN2 colocalized at t-tubules in isolated cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation demonstrated JPH2 and MFN2 interacted in RV extracts. Pulldown experiments showed JPH2 directly bound MFN2, and that the MFN2 binding domain was localized to the N-terminal third of JPH2. To probe the importance of the JPH2-MFN2 interaction for RV function, we compared the effects of treatment with AAV9-JPH2 to AAV9-GFP in monocrotaline-induced PAH. Consistent with its known role in t-tubule homeostasis, AAV9-JPH2 normalized RV t-tubule architecture. Interestingly, transmission electron microscopy showed AAV9-JPH2 corrected RV mitochondrial morphology. Immunoblots of RV extracts demonstrated AAV9-JPH2 increased JPH2 and MFN2 expression, which may underlie the restoration of mitochondrial morphology. At the organ level, AAV9-JPH2 reduced RV cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and RV fibrosis. AAV9-JPH2 increased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and RV free wall thickening as quantified by echocardiography. Pressure-volume loop analysis showed AAV9-JPH2 augmented RV ejection fraction and right ventricular-pulmonary arterial coupling and lowered RV end diastolic pressure and tau. Importantly, the improvements in RV systolic and diastolic function were independent of altering PAH severity as RV systolic pressure, effective arterial elastance, and pulmonary arterial small vessel remodeling were not altered with AAV9-JPH2. Conclusions: Disruption of the JPH2-MFN2 interaction may link altered t-tubule structure to mitochondrial dysfunction in the compromised RV. Strategies to increase JPH2 expression could have therapeutic value for RV failure.

Aims Abnormal intracellular calcium handling contributes to the progressive nature of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia. Evidence in mouse models suggests that activation of the nuclear factor of activated T-cell (NFAT) signaling pathway contributes to atrial remodeling. Our aim was to determine the role of NFATc2 in AF in humans and mouse models. Methods and results Expression levels of NFATc1-c4 isoforms were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in right atrial appendages from patients with chronic AF. NFATc1 and NFATc2 mRNA levels were elevated in chronic AF (cAF) patients compared with those in sinus rhythm (SR). Western blotting revealed increased cytosolic and nuclear levels of NFATc2 in AF patients. Similar findings were obtained in CREM-IbΔC-X transgenic (CREM) mice, a model of progressive AF. Telemetry ECG recordings revealed age-dependent spontaneous AF in CREM mice, which was prevented by NFATc2 knockout in CREM: NFATc2-/- mice. Programmed electrical stimulation revealed that CREM: NFATc2-/- mice lacked an AF substrate. Morphometric analysis and histology revealed increased atrial weight and atrial fibrosis in CREM mice compared with WT controls, which was reversed in CREM: NFATc2-/- mice. Confocal microscopy showed an increased Ca2+ spark frequency despite a reduced sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ load in CREM mice compared with controls, whereas these abnormalities were normalized in CREM: NFATc2-/- mice. Western blotting revealed that genetic inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-mediated phosphorylation of S2814 on RyR2 in CREM: RyR2-S2814A mice suppressed NFATc2 activation observed in CREM mice, suggesting that NFATc2 is activated by excessive SR Ca2+ leak via RyR2. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing from AF patients identified Ras And EF-Hand Domain-Containing Protein (RASEF) as a direct target of NFATc2 mediated transcription. Conclusion Our findings reveal activation of the NFAT signaling pathway in patients of Chinese and European descent. NFATc2 knockout prevents the progression of AF in the CREM mouse model. Translational perspective Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a progressive disease characterized by electrical and structural remodeling which promotes atrial arrhythmias. This study provides evidence for increased 'nuclear factor of activated T-cell' (NFAT) signaling in patients with chronic AF. Studies in the CREM transgenic model of progressive AF revealed that the NFATc2 isoform mediates atrial remodeling associated with AF substrate development. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing of atrial biopsies from AF patients identified 'Ras And EF-Hand Domain-Containing Protein' (RASEF) as a downstream target of NFATc2-mediated transcription, suggesting that targeting these factors might be beneficial for curtailing AF progression.

The cardiac conduction system (CCS) ensures regular contractile function, and injury to any of its components can cause cardiac dysrhythmia. Although all cardiomyocytes (CMs) originate from common progenitors, the CCS is composed of biologically distinct cell types with unique functional and developmental characteristics. In contrast to ventricular cardiomyocytes, which continue to proliferate after birth, most CCS cells terminally exit the cell cycle during fetal development. Although the CCS should thus provide a poor substrate for postnatal injury repair, its regenerative capacity remains untested. Here, we describe a genetic system for ablating CMs that reside within the atrioventricular conduction system (AVCS). Adult mouse AVCS ablation resulted in regenerative failure characterized by persistent atrioventricular conduction defects and contractile dysfunction. In contrast, AVCS injury in neonatal mice led to recovery in a subset of these mice, thus providing evidence for CCS plasticity. Furthermore, CM proliferation did not appear to completely account for the observed functional recovery, suggesting that mechanisms regulating recovery from dysrhythmia are likely to be distinct from cardiac regeneration associated with ventricular injury. Taken together, we anticipate that our results will motivate further mechanistic studies of CCS plasticity and enable the exploration of rhythm restoration as an alternative therapeutic strategy.

Post-therapeutic relapse remains the biggest challenge to breast cancer management. The re-initiation of proliferation of dormant tumor cells in either metastatic or primary tumor location marks the final rate-limiting step of malignancy and mortality. The underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. We have recently demonstrated that KLF8 promotes breast cancer metastasis via CXCR4 upregulation. Here we report a role and mechanisms for KLF8 in driving the recurrence-like tumor outgrowth in both secondary and primary sites in a CXCR4-dependent manner. Treatment of an MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell variant with the CXCR4 ligand, CXCL12, induces formation of filopodia in monolayer culture and filopodium-like protrusions (FLPs) in 3D culture. The FLP(+) cells proliferate significantly faster than FLP- cells in the 3D culture supplemented with CXCL12. Both the FLP formation and enhanced proliferation in the 3D culture can be prevented by silencing KLF8 expression in the cells. From this prevention, the cells can be rescued by overexpressing wild-type CXCR4 but not its inactive mutant form in the cells. Overexpression of KLF8 or CXCR4 in the cells dramatically enhances their invasive outgrowth and metastasis after being implanted into immunocompromised mice. Mechanistically, we found that the activated FAK was recruited to the nascent FLPs and that proliferation of the cells was completely prevented with a FAK-specific inhibitor. Taken together, these results shed new light on the role of KLF8 in promoting breast cancer recurrence, the fatal episode of the disease, by inducing CXCR4-dependent FLP formation.

Cardiomyocyte contraction relies on precisely regulated intracellular Ca(2+) signaling through various Ca(2+) channels and transporters. In this article, we will review the physiological regulation of Ca(2+) handling and its role in maintaining normal cardiac rhythm and contractility. We discuss how inherited variants or acquired defects in Ca(2+) channel subunits contribute to the development or progression of diseases of the heart. Moreover, we highlight recent insights into the role of protein phosphatase subunits and striated muscle preferentially expressed protein kinase (SPEG) in atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and cardiomyopathies. Finally, this review summarizes current drug therapies and new advances in genome editing as therapeutic strategies for the cardiac diseases caused by aberrant intracellular Ca(2+) signaling.

Atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is an important contributor to mortality and morbidity, and particularly to the risk of stroke in humans1. Atrial-tissue fibrosis is a central pathophysiological feature of atrial fibrillation that also hampers its treatment; the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood and warrant investigation given the inadequacy of present therapies2. Here we show that calcitonin, a hormone product of the thyroid gland involved in bone metabolism3, is also produced by atrial cardiomyocytes in substantial quantities and acts as a paracrine signal that affects neighbouring collagen-producing fibroblasts to control their proliferation and secretion of extracellular matrix proteins. Global disruption of calcitonin receptor signalling in mice causes atrial fibrosis and increases susceptibility to atrial fibrillation. In mice in which liver kinase B1 is knocked down specifically in the atria, atrial-specific knockdown of calcitonin promotes atrial fibrosis and increases and prolongs spontaneous episodes of atrial fibrillation, whereas atrial-specific overexpression of calcitonin prevents both atrial fibrosis and fibrillation. Human patients with persistent atrial fibrillation show sixfold lower levels of myocardial calcitonin compared to control individuals with normal heart rhythm, with loss of calcitonin receptors in the fibroblast membrane. Although transcriptome analysis of human atrial fibroblasts reveals little change after exposure to calcitonin, proteomic analysis shows extensive alterations in extracellular matrix proteins and pathways related to fibrogenesis, infection and immune responses, and transcriptional regulation. Strategies to restore disrupted myocardial calcitonin signalling thus may offer therapeutic avenues for patients with atrial fibrillation.

Cardiomyocyte contraction relies on precisely regulated intracellular Ca

Background: Enhanced diastolic calcium (Ca 2+ ) release through ryanodine receptor type-2 (RyR2) has been implicated in atrial fibrillation (AF) promotion. Diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ leak is caused by increased RyR2 phosphorylation by PKA (protein kinase A) or CaMKII (Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent kinase-II) phosphorylation, or less dephosphorylation by protein phosphatases. However, considerable controversy remains regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying altered RyR2 function in AF. We thus aimed to determine the role of SPEG (striated muscle preferentially expressed protein kinase), a novel regulator of RyR2 phosphorylation, in AF pathogenesis. Methods: Western blotting was performed with right atrial biopsies from patients with paroxysmal AF. SPEG atrial knockout mice were generated using adeno-associated virus 9. In mice, AF inducibility was determined using intracardiac programmed electric stimulation, and diastolic Ca 2+ leak in atrial cardiomyocytes was assessed using confocal Ca 2+ imaging. Phosphoproteomics studies and Western blotting were used to measure RyR2 phosphorylation. To test the effects of RyR2-S2367 phosphorylation, knockin mice with an inactivated S2367 phosphorylation site (S2367A) and a constitutively activated S2367 residue (S2367D) were generated by using CRISPR-Cas9. Results: Western blotting revealed decreased SPEG protein levels in atrial biopsies from patients with paroxysmal AF in comparison with patients in sinus rhythm. SPEG atrial-specific knockout mice exhibited increased susceptibility to pacing-induced AF by programmed electric stimulation and enhanced Ca 2+ spark frequency in atrial cardiomyocytes with Ca 2+ imaging, establishing a causal role for decreased SPEG in AF pathogenesis. Phosphoproteomics in hearts from SPEG cardiomyocyte knockout mice identified RyR2-S2367 as a novel kinase substrate of SPEG. Western blotting demonstrated that RyR2-S2367 phosphorylation was also decreased in patients with paroxysmal AF. RyR2-S2367A mice exhibited an increased susceptibility to pacing-induced AF, and aberrant atrial sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ leak, as well. In contrast, RyR2-S2367D mice were resistant to pacing-induced AF. Conclusions: Unlike other kinases (PKA, CaMKII) that increase RyR2 activity, SPEG phosphorylation reduces RyR2-mediated sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ release. Reduced SPEG levels and RyR2-S2367 phosphorylation typified patients with paroxysmal AF. Studies in S2367 knockin mouse models showed a causal relationship between reduced S2367 phosphorylation and AF susceptibility. Thus, modulating SPEG activity and phosphorylation levels of the novel S2367 site on RyR2 may represent a novel target for AF treatment.

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Patients with HF exhibit a loss of junctophilin-2 (JPH2), a structural protein critical in forming junctional membrane complexes in which excitation-contraction takes place. Several mechanisms have been proposed to mediate the loss of JPH2, one being cleavage by the calcium-dependent protease calpain. The downstream mechanisms underlying HF progression after JPH2 cleavage are presently poorly understood. In this study, we used Labcas to bioinformatically predict putative calpain cleavage sites on JPH2. We identified a cleavage site that produces a novel C-terminal JPH2 peptide (JPH2-CTP) using several domain-specific antibodies. Western blotting revealed elevated JPH2-CTP levels in hearts of patients and mice with HF, corresponding to increased levels of calpain-2. Moreover, immunocytochemistry demonstrated nuclear localization of JPH2-CTP within ventricular myocytes isolated from a murine model of pressure overload-induced HF as well as rat ventricular myocytes treated with isoproterenol. Nuclear localization of JPH2-CTP and cellular remodeling were abrogated by genetic mutation of the nuclear localization sequence within JPH2-CTP. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our studies identified a novel C-terminal fragment of JPH2 (JPH2-CTP) generated by calpain-2 mediated cleavage which localizes within the cardiomyocyte nucleus during HF. Blocking nuclear localization of JPH2-CTP protects cardiomyocytes from isoproterenol-induced hypertrophy in vitro. Future in vivo studies of the nuclear role of JPH2-CTP may reveal a causal association with adverse remodeling during HF and establish CTP as a therapeutic target.

// Debarati Mukherjee 1, * , Heng Lu 1, * , Lin Yu 1 , Chunjiang He 2 , Satadru K. Lahiri 1 , Tianshu Li 1, 3 , Jihe Zhao 1 1 Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA 2 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China 3 Current address: Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jihe Zhao, e-mail: Jihe.Zhao@ucf.edu Keywords: KLF8, CXCR4, transendothelial migration, invasion, metastasis Received: November 07, 2015 Accepted: February 25, 2016 Published: March 14, 2016 ABSTRACT Kruppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) has been strongly implicated in breast cancer metastasis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we report a novel signaling from KLF8 to C-X-C cytokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in breast cancer. Overexpression of KLF8 in MCF-10A cells induced CXCR4 expression at both mRNA and protein levels, as determined by quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblotting. This induction was well correlated with increased Boyden chamber migration, matrigel invasion and transendothelial migration (TEM) of the cells towards the ligand CXCL12. On the other hand, knockdown of KLF8 in MDA-MB-231 cells reduced CXCR4 expression associated with decreased cell migration, invasion and TEM towards CXCL12. Histological and database mining analyses of independent cohorts of patient tissue microarrays revealed a correlation of aberrant co-elevation of KLF8 and CXCR4 with metastatic potential. Promoter analysis indicated that KLF8 directly binds and activates the human CXCR4 gene promoter. Interestingly, a CXCR4-dependent activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a known upregulator of KLF8, was highly induced by CXCL12 treatment in KLF8-overexpressing, but not KLF8 deficient cells. This activation of FAK in turn induced a further increase in KLF8 expression. Xenograft studies showed that overexpression of CXCR4, but not a dominant-negative mutant of it, in the MDA-MB-231 cells prevented the invasive growth of primary tumor and lung metastasis from inhibition by knockdown of KLF8. These results collectively suggest a critical role for a previously unidentified feed-forward signaling wheel made of KLF8, CXCR4 and FAK in promoting breast cancer metastasis and shed new light on potentially more effective anti-cancer strategies.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) plays many important roles in various diseases, especially cancer. Previous studies have shown that KLF8 is regulated by ubiquitylation. The molecular mechanism underlying this posttranslational modification of KLF8, however, has not been investigated. Reported here is our identification of the neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 4 (NEDD4) as the E3 ubiquitin ligase for this modification. By co-immunoprecipitation and ubiquitylation assays, we determined that KLF8 interacts with NEDD4 and is ubiquitylated by NEDD4. By site-directed mutagenesis and pharmacological inhibition of MEK, we found that the ubiquitylation of KLF8 by NEDD4 depends upon the phosphorylation of KLF8 at serine 48 by ERK. Cycloheximide chase analysis, target gene promoter reporter assay and fluorescent staining indicated that NEDD4 plays a critical role in promoting the stability and transcriptional activity of KLF8 in the nucleus. Taken together, this work identified NEDD4 as a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase for KLF8 that provides insights into targeting the KLF8-NEDD4 axis to treat various types of cancer associated with overexpression of both proteins.

Rationale: Autosomal-dominant mutations in ryanodine receptor type 2 ( RYR2 ) are responsible for ≈60% of all catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Dysfunctional RyR2 subunits trigger inappropriate calcium leak from the tetrameric channel resulting in potentially lethal ventricular tachycardia. In vivo CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing is a promising strategy that could be used to eliminate the disease-causing Ryr2 allele and hence rescue catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Objective: To determine if somatic in vivo genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system delivered by adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors could correct catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia arrhythmias in mice heterozygous for RyR2 mutation R176Q (R176Q/+). Methods and Results: Guide RNAs were designed to specifically disrupt the R176Q allele in the R176Q/+ mice using the SaCas9 ( Staphylococcus aureus Cas9) genome editing system. AAV serotype 9 was used to deliver Cas9 and guide RNA to neonatal mice by single subcutaneous injection at postnatal day 10. Strikingly, none of the R176Q/+ mice treated with AAV-CRISPR developed arrhythmias, compared with 71% of R176Q/+ mice receiving control AAV serotype 9. Total Ryr2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced in R176Q/+ mice, but not in wild-type littermates. Targeted deep sequencing confirmed successful and highly specific editing of the disease-causing R176Q allele. No detectable off-target mutagenesis was observed in the wild-type Ryr2 allele or the predicted putative off-target site, confirming high specificity for SaCas9 in vivo. In addition, confocal imaging revealed that gene editing normalized the enhanced Ca 2+ spark frequency observed in untreated R176Q/+ mice without affecting systolic Ca 2+ transients. Conclusions: AAV serotype 9–based delivery of the SaCas9 system can efficiently disrupt a disease-causing allele in cardiomyocytes in vivo. This work highlights the potential of somatic genome editing approaches for the treatment of lethal autosomal-dominant inherited cardiac disorders, such as catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.

Side effects of radiation therapy (RT) remain the most challenging issue for pancreatic cancer treatment. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) are currently being tested in pre-clinical trials as an adjuvant to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to RT and protect normal tissues from the harmful side effects. CONPs were not able to significantly affect RT-induced DNA damage in cancer cells, thereby ruling out sensitization through increased mitotic catastrophe. However, activation of c-Jun terminal kinase (JNK), a key driver of RT-induced apoptosis, was significantly enhanced by co-treatment with CONPs and RT in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and human pancreatic tumors in nude mice in vivo compared to CONPs or RT treatment alone. Further, CONP-driven increase in RT-induced JNK activity was associated with a marked increase in Caspase 3/7 activation, indicative of apoptosis. We have previously shown that CONPs increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in cancer cells. ROS has been shown to drive the oxidation of thioredoxin 1 (TRX1) which results in the activation of apoptosis signaling kinase 1 (ASK1). The increase in ASK1 activation following the co-treatment with CONPs followed by RT suggests that the increased JNK activation is the result of increased TRX1 oxidation. The ability of CONPs to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to RT was mitigated when the TRX1 oxidation was prevented by mutagenesis of a cysteine residue or when the JNK activation was blocked by an inhibitor. Taken together, these data demonstrate an important mechanism for CONPs in specifically killing cancer cells and provide novel insights into the utilization of CONPs as a radiosensitizer and therapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer.

// Tianshu Li 1, 2 , Heng Lu 1 , Debarati Mukherjee 1 , Satadru K. Lahiri 1 , Chao Shen 1, 3 , Lin Yu 1 , Jihe Zhao 1 1 Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA 2 Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA 3 College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China Correspondence to: Jihe Zhao, e-mail: Jihe.Zhao@ucf.edu Keywords: KLF8, EGFR, microRNA141, invasion and metastasis, breast cancer Received: March 17, 2015 Accepted: May 14, 2015 Published: May 27, 2015 ABSTRACT Kruppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) is a dual transcriptional factor critical for breast cancer progression. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently overexpressed in aggressive such as triple-negative breast cancer and associated with poor clinical outcomes. Here we report a novel KLF8-EGFR signaling axis in breast cancer. We identified a highly correlated co-overexpression between KLF8 and EGFR in invasive breast cancer cells and patient tumor samples. Overexpression of KLF8 in the non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells induced the expression of EGFR, whereas knockdown of KLF8 from the MDA-MB-231 cells decreased it. Promoter activation and binding assays indicated that KLF8 promotes the EGFR expression by directly binding its gene promoter. We also revealed that KLF8 directly represses the promoter of miR141 and miR141 targets the 3′-untranslational region of EGFR transcript to inhibit EGFR translation. Treatment with the EGFR inhibitor AG1478 or overexpression of miR141 blocked the activity of ERK downstream of EGFR and inhibited KLF8-depndent cell invasiveness, proliferation and viability in cell culture and invasive growth and lung metastasis in nude mice. Conversely, overexpression of an inhibitory sponge of miR141 led to the opposite phenotypes. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a novel KLF8 to miR141/EGFR signaling pathway potentially crucial for breast cancer malignancy.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a complex disease with a rising prevalence despite advances in treatment. Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) has long been implicated in HF pathogenesis, but its exact role is both unclear and controversial. Most previous studies measured only the PP1 catalytic subunit (PP1c) without investigating its diverse set of interactors, which confer localization and substrate specificity to the holoenzyme. In this study, we define the PP1 interactome in cardiac tissue and test the hypothesis that this interactome becomes rearranged during HF progression at the level of specific PP1c interactors. Methods: Mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction and grouped on the basis of ejection fraction into sham, hypertrophy, moderate HF (ejection fraction, 30%–40%), and severe HF (ejection fraction Results: Seventy-one and 98 PP1c interactors were quantified from mouse cardiac and HeLa lysates, respectively, including many novel interactors and protein complexes. This represents the largest reproducible PP1 interactome data set ever captured from any tissue, including both primary and secondary/tertiary interactors. Nine PP1c interactors with changes in their binding to PP1c were strongly associated with HF progression, including 2 known (Ppp1r7 and Ppp1r18) and 7 novel interactors. Within the entire cardiac PP1 interactome, Ppp1r7 had the highest binding to PP1c. Cardiac-specific knockdown in mice led to cardiac dysfunction and disruption of calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Conclusions: PP1 is best studied at the level of its interactome, which undergoes significant rearrangement during HF progression. The 9 key interactors that are associated with HF progression may represent potential targets in HF therapy. In particular, Ppp1r7 may play a central role in regulating the PP1 interactome by acting as a competitive molecular “sponge” of PP1c.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) is a transcriptional factor critical for metastatic progression of breast cancer. Epithelial stromal interaction 1 (EPSTI1), a recently identified stromal fibroblast-induced gene in non-invasive breast cancer cells is highly overexpressed in invasive breast carcinomas. The function and regulation of EPSTI1, however, remain largely unknown. In this paper, we report a novel KLF8 to EPSTI1 signaling pathway in breast cancer. Using various expression analyses, we revealed a high co-overexpression of KLF8 and EPSTI1 in invasive human breast cancer cells and patient tumors. Ectopic overexpression of KLF8 in the non-invasive, MCF-10A cells induced the EPSTI1 expression, whereas KLF8 knockdown from the invasive, MDA-MB-231 cells decreased the EPSTI1 expression. Promoter activation and binding analyses indicated that KLF8 promoted the EPSTI1 expression by directly acting on the EPSTI1 gene promoter. EPSTI1 knockdown dramatically reduced the KLF8-promoted MCF-10A cell invasion and ectopic expression of EPSTI1 in the non-invasive, MCF-7 cells is sufficient to induce the cell invasion. Experiments using nude mice demonstrated that the ectopic EPSTI1 granted the MCF-7 cells capability of both invasive growth in the breasts and metastasis to the lungs. Using co-immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry, we discovered that EPSTI1 interacts with the valosin containing protein (VCP), resulting in the degradation of IκBα and subsequent activation of NF-κB in the nucleus. These findings suggest a novel KLF8 to EPSTI1 to VCP to NF-κB signaling mechanism potentially critical for breast cancer invasion and metastasis.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) regulates critical gene transcription associated with cancer. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain largely unidentified. We have recently demonstrated that KLF8 expression enhances the activity but not expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), the target substrate of MMP14. Here, we report a novel KLF8 to MMP14 signaling that promotes human breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Using cell lines for inducible expression and knockdown of KLF8, we demonstrate that KLF8 promotes MMP14 expression at the transcriptional level. Knocking down KLF8 expression inhibited the breast cancer cell invasion both in vitro and in vivo as well as the lung metastasis in mice, which could be rescued by ectopic expression of MMP14. Promoter reporter assays and oligonucleotide and chromatin immunoprecipitations determined that KLF8 activates the human MMP14 gene promoter by both directly acting on the promoter and indirectly via promoting the nuclear translocation of β-catenin, the expression of T cell factor-1 (TCF1) and subsequent activation of the promoter by the β-catenin/TCF1 complex. Inhibition of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) using pharmacological inhibitor, RNA interference or knockout showed that the cell surface presentation of active MMP14 downstream of KLF8 depends upon FAK expression and activity. Taken together, this work identified novel signaling mechanisms by which KLF8 and FAK work together to promote the extracellular activity of MMP14 critical for breast cancer metastasis.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) is a member of Krüppel like family transcription factor which was found to be upregulated in different types of cancers, primarily breast and ovarian cancer. It transcriptionally activates a host of downstream effectors like CyclinD1, EGFR, MMP9, and EPSTI1 to promote cell proliferation, cancer cell invasion and migration. Additionally, KLF8 transcriptionally represses E-cadherin to induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition and oncogenic transformation of cell. As such, KLF8 plays a central role in cancer progression. Several types of post-translational modifications including sumoylation, acetylation, ubiquitylation and PARylation have been discovered that regulate KLF8's function KLF8 has been shown to consistently migrate as doublet on SDS-PAGE. However, the reason for this motility shift of KLF8 has remained mysterious. We performed a series of experiments to determine the mechanism(s) behind this motility shift of KLF8. Truncation mutation showed that deletion of the first 50 amino acid residues, but not other regions, caused disappearance of the top band of the doublet, suggesting that the N50 region is responsible for the motility shift. Phosphatase treatment resulted in the same change in wild-type KLF8 protein, indicating that phosphorylation in the N50 region is causal to the motility shift. Further deletion and point mutation in this region identified Serine 48 as a novel phosphorylation site for KLF8. Interestingly, these experiments also identified KLF8 N terminal 31-40 region to play an important role in regulating the S48 phosphorylation and the motility shift. Our study identified that phosphorylation at Serine 48 is critical in maintaining KLF8 stability. Finally, we demonstrated that abolishing KLF8 S48 phosphorylation inhibits KLF8 mediated cancer cell migration. Kinase inhibitors treatment showed that ERK2 is the kinase responsible for KLF8 Serine 48 phosphorylation. Furthermore we identified that phosphorylated KLF8 acts as a mask to protect unphosphorylated KLF8. Overall this study identifies a novel phosphorylation site of KLF8 and a hitherto unknown link between ERK2 and KLF8 that is critical for maintaining its overall stability and function. Citation Format: Satadru Lahiri, Heng Lu, Debarati Mukherjee, Lin Yu, Jihe Zhao. KLF8 phosphorylation at Serine 48 by ERK2 is critical for its stability and function. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2886.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) regulates critical gene transcription and cellular events associated with cancer. However, the role of KLF8 in cancer remains largely unknown. Here, we report a surprisingly novel role for KLF8 in DNA repair in breast cancer cells. Comet, clonogenic, and WST-1 assays showed that KLF8 expression is required for protecting human breast cancer cells from doxorubicin-induced DNA damage and cell death. Western blotting indicated that overexpression of ectopic KLF8 attenuated the levels of the DNA damage marker γH2A.X in doxorubicin-treated PARP-1(+/+) but not PARP-1(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts, whereas the PARP-1-binding-defective KLF8 mutant failed to do so. Interestingly, in response to the DNA damage, KLF8 was phosphorylated by the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit and, subsequently, SUMOylated by SUMO E3 ligases protein inhibitors of activated STAT (PIASs), which depends upon the interaction of KLF8 with DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, PIASs, and PARP-1 as well as their enzymatic activities. Lastly, we show evidence that KLF8 was recruited to the DNA damage site. These results suggest a novel role and mechanism for KLF8 in the regulation of DNA repair and therapeutic resistance in breast cancer cells.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) is a young member of the KLF transcription factor family proteins. It is highly overexpressed in several types of human cancers and regulates various cellular processes important for tumor progression. Increasing evidence has made KLF8 a new focus in cancer research and a potential target for cancer therapy. This review highlights the role of KLF8 in cancer by summarizing the up-to-date studies into its structure, function as a dual transcription factor, target genes and mechanisms of expression and modifications.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) regulates critical gene transcription and invasion events associated with cancer, including epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and extracellular matrix degradation. Here, we report a novel KLF8-to- matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP14) signaling that promotes human breast cancer cell EMT, invasion and metastasis. Cell-surface protein biotinylation and streptavidin pull-down showed that overexpression of KLF8 induced cell-surface accumulation of MMP14 in MCF-10A cells in a FAK-dependent manner, which was correlated with increased MMP14 activity and the ectodomain shedding of E-cadherin. On the other hand, knockdown of KLF8 in MDA-MB-231 cells reduced expression and activity of MMP14 on the cell surface. Promoter reporter assays and chromatin and oligonucleotide precipitations determined that KLF8 activated the human MMP14 gene promoter both directly and indirectly via beta-catenin. Importantly, Matrigel invasion assays showed that MMP14 was required for the KLF8-induced MCF-10A cell invasion in vitro. Experiments using nude mice demonstrated that MMP-14 overexpression downstream of KLF8 in the MDA-MB-231 cells makes a significant contribution to the invasion and angiogenesis in the local primary tumors and lung metastasis. Taken together, this work identified a novel role and mechanisms for MMP14 downstream of KLF8 in the progression of breast cancer metastasis. Citation Format: Heng Lu, Liu Hu, Lin Yu, Xianhui Wang, Chao Shen, Tianshu Li, Debarati Mukherjee, Satadru Lahiri, Melissa Wason, Jihe Zhao. Krüppel-like factor 8 targets matrix metalloproteinase-14 to promote breast cancer invasion and metastasis . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2687. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2687

Epithelial stromal interaction 1 (EPSTI1) is a recently identified novel gene that is highly upregulated in breast cancer cells when co-cultured with the stromal fibroblasts and in invasive breast carcinomas as compared with normal breast biopsies. The regulation and function of EPSTI1 are largely unknown. Our studies showed that EPSTI1 expression is upregulated by Kruppel-like factor 8 (KLF8), a transcriptional factor that is highly over-expressed in breast cancer and critical for cell cycle progression, oncogenic transformation, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastatic progression of breast cancer, by directly activating EPSTI1 promoter. Also, we demonstrated that EPSTI1 was necessary and sufficient to promote breast cancer cell invasiveness by genetically modifying EPSTI1 expression and Matrigel invasion assays. We also found that EPSTI1 could interact with valosin containing protein (VCP) and subsequently activate NF-kB nuclear function. Finally, our mouse mammary fat pad injection and tail vein injection experiments indicated that ectopic overexpression of EPSTI1 in MCF7 cells could enhance the tumor invasion and metastasis in vivo. These findings suggest that EPSTI1 is a novel target of KLF8 and plays a critical role in the regulation of breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Citation Format: Tianshu Li, Heng Lu, Chao Shen, Satadru Lahiri, Melissa Watson, Debarati Mukherjee, Lin Yu, Jihe Zhao. Identification of epithelial stromal interaction 1 as a novel mediator of breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis downstream of Krüppel-like factor 8. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5161. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5161 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.

Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) regulates critical gene transcription and cellular events associated with cancer. Recently we have identified poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1(PARP-1) as a novel KLF8-interacting and regulating protein. However, whether KLF8 is involved in PARP-1 relulated DNA repair is unknown. Here, we report that KLF8 plays a role in the PARP-1-dependent DNA repair. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining indicated that overexpression of KLF8 attenuated the αH2A.X levels in doxorubicin-treated PARP-1+/+ MEF cells but not in the PARP-1−/− MEF cells, whereas the PARP-1-interaction-defective KLF8 mutant did not affect the αH2A.X levels. Clonogenic assay and tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay showed that KLF8 promoted cell survival in human breast cancer cells. Comet assay revealed that KLF8 expression could decrease DNA damage levels. Interestingly, we found that in response to DNA damage KLF8 was phosphorylated by DNA-PKcs and subsequently sumoylated, which depended on the interaction between KLF8 and PARP-1. These results suggest a novel role and mechanism for KLF8 in the regulation of DNA repair in cancer cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2129. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2129