Myostatin induces cyclin D1 degradation to cause cell cycle arrest through a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/GSK-3 beta pathway and is antagonized by insulin-like growth factor 1

Myostatin is a transforming growth factor beta superfamily member and is known as an inhibitor of skeletal muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. Exposure to myostatin induces G1 phase cell cycle arrest. In this study, we demonstrated that myostatin down-regulates Cdk4 activity via promotion of cyclin D1 degradation. Overexpression of cyclin D1 significantly blocked myostatin-induced proliferation inhibition. We further showed that phosphorylation at threonine 286 by GSK-3beta was required for myostatin-stimulated cyclin D1 nuclear export and degradation. This process is dependent upon the activin receptor IIB and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway but not Smad3. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) treatment or Akt activation attenuated the myostatin-stimulated cyclin D1 degradation as well as the associated cell proliferation repression. In contrast, attenuation of IGF-1 signaling caused C2C12 cells to undergo apoptosis in response to myostatin treatment. The observation that IGF-1 treatment increases myostatin expression through a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway suggests a possible feedback regulation between IGF-1 and myostatin. These findings uncover a novel role for myostatin in the regulation of cell growth and cell death in concert with IGF-1.     

Regulation of survivin by PI3K/Akt/p70S6K1 pathway

PI3K activation is commonly observed in many human cancer cells. Survivin expression is elevated in cancer cells, and induced by some growth factors through PI3K activation. However, it is not clear whether PI3K activation is sufficient to induce survivin expression. To investigate the role of PI3K pathway in the regulation of survivin, we expressed an active form of PI3K, v-P3k in chicken embryonic fibroblast cells (CEF), and found that overexpression of PI3K-induced survivin mRNA expression. Forced expression of wild-type but not mutant tumor suppressor PTEN in CEF decreased survivin mRNA levels. PI3K regulates survivin expression through Akt activation. To further investigate downstream target of PI3K and Akt in regulating the expression of survivin mRNA, we found that PI3K and Akt-induced p70S6K1 activation and that overexpression of p70S6K1 alone was sufficient to induce survivin expression. The treatment of CEF cells by rapamycin decreased the survivin mRNA expression. This result demonstrated that p70S6K1 is an important target downstream of PI3K and Akt in regulating suvivin mRNA expression. The knockdown of survivin mRNA expression by its specific siRNA induced apoptosis of cancer cells when the cells were treated with LY294002 or taxol. Taken together, these results demonstrated that PI3K/Akt/p70S6K1 pathway is essential for regulating survivin mRNA expression.     

Parthenolide induces apoptosis and autophagy through the suppression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in cervical cancer

Objective

To investigate the effect of parthenolide on apoptosis and autophagy and to study the role of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in cervical cancer.

Results

Parthenolide inhibits HeLa cell viability in a dose dependent-manner and was confirmed by MTT assay. Parthenolide (6 µM) induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and autophagy by activation of caspase-3, upregulation of Bax, Beclin-1, ATG5, ATG3 and down-regulation of Bcl-2 and mTOR. Parthenolide also inhibits PI3K and Akt expression through activation of PTEN expression. Moreover, parthenolide induces generation of reactive oxygen species that leads to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential.

Conclusion

Parthenolide induces apoptosis and autophagy-mediated growth inhibition in HeLa cells by suppressing the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and mitochondrial membrane depolarization and ROS generation. Parthenolide may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of cervical cancer.

     

Iron-saturated lactoferrin stimulates cell cycle progression through PI3K/Akt pathway

Iron binding lactoferrin (Lf) is involved in the control of cell cycle progression. However, the molecular basis underlying the effects of Lf on cell cycle control, as well as its target genes, remains incompletely understood. In this study, we have demonstrated that a relatively low level of ironsaturated Lf, Lf(Fe³⁺), can stimulate S phase cell cycle entry, and requires Akt activation in MCF-7 cells. Lf(Fe³⁺) immediately induced Akt phosphorylation at Ser473, which subsequently induced the phosphorylation of two G1-checkpoint Cdk inhibitors, p21^Cip/WAF1 and p27^kip1. The Lf(Fe³⁺)-induced phosphorylation of Cdk inhibitors impaired their nuclear import behavior, thereby inducing cell cycle progression. However, the treatment of cells with a PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, almost completely blocked Lf(Fe³⁺)-stimulated cell cycle progression. LY294002 treatment abrogated Lf(Fe³⁺)-induced Akt activation, and prevented the cytoplasmic localization of p27^kip1. Higher levels of p21^Cip/WAF1 were also detected in the cytoplasmic sub-cellular compartment as a measure of cellular response to Lf(Fe³⁺). Consequently, the degree of phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein was enhanced in response to Lf(Fe³⁺). Therefore, we conclude that Lf(Fe³⁺), as a potential antagonist of Cdk inhibitors, can facilitate the functions of E2F during progression to S phase via the Akt signaling pathway.     

Nicorandil alleviates apoptosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy through PI3K/Akt pathway

Nicorandil exerts myocardial protection through its antihypoxia and antioxidant effects. Here, we investigated whether it plays an anti‐apoptotic role in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Sprague‐Dawley rats were fed with high‐fat diet; then single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin was performed. Rats with fasting blood glucose (FBG) higher than 11.1 mmol/L were selected as models. Eight weeks after the models were built, rats were treated with nicorandil (7.5 mg/kg day and 15 mg/kg day respectively) for 4 weeks. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were treated with nicorandil and then stimulated with high glucose (33.3 mmol/L). TUNEL assay and level of bcl‐2, bax and caspase‐3 were measured. 5‐HD was used to inhibit nicorandil. Also, PI3K inhibitor (Miltefosine) and mTOR inhibitor (rapamycin) were used to inhibit PI3K/Akt pathway. The results revealed that nicorandil (both 7.5 mg/kg day and 15mg/kg day) treatment can increase the level of NO in the serum and eNOS in the heart of diabetic rats compared with the untreated diabetic group. Nicorandil can also improve relieve cardiac dysfunction and reduce the level of apoptosis. In vitro experiments, nicorandil (100 µmol) can attenuate the level of apoptosis stimulated by high glucose significantly in H9C2 cardiomyocyte compared with the untreated group. The effect of nicorandil on apoptosis was blocked by 5‐HD, and it was accompanied with inhibition of the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, eNOS, and mTOR. After inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway, the protective effect of nicorandil is restrained. These results verified that as a NO donor, nicorandil can also inhibit apoptosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy which is mediated by PI3K/Akt pathway.     

The PI3K/Akt pathway contributes to arenavirus budding

Several arenaviruses, chiefly Lassa virus (LASV), cause hemorrhagic fever (HF) disease in humans and pose a significant public health concern in regions where they are endemic. On the other hand, evidence indicates that the globally distributed prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a neglected human pathogen. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway participates in many cellular processes, including cell survival and differentiation, and also has been shown to play important roles in different steps of the life cycles of a variety of viruses. Here we report that the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway inhibited budding and to a lesser extent RNA synthesis, but not cell entry, of LCMV. Accordingly, BEZ-235, a PI3K inhibitor currently in cancer clinical trials, inhibited LCMV multiplication in cultured cells. These findings, together with those previously reported for Junin virus (JUNV), indicate that targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway could represent a novel antiviral strategy to combat human-pathogenic arenaviruses.     

缺氧诱导因子1与PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号转导通路

缺氧诱导因子1（HIF-1）是参与缺氧调节的核心因子,可调控一系列缺氧诱导基因的表达,与机体许多生理和病理过程也密切相关。尽管一些研究显示缺氧和非缺氧性刺激可通过PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号途径诱导HIF-1的表达和活性,PI3K信号途径是否参与对HIF-1的调节仍然是个有争议的研究热点。明确HIF-1和PI3K的相互作用关系,能进一步为肿瘤等相关疾病的防治提供新的思路和方法。本文主要就HIF-1和PI3K/Akt/mTOR关系作一简要综述。     

Neurotrophin-4 induces myelin protein zero expression in cultured Schwann cells via the TrkB/PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway

Myelin formation during peripheral nervous system development, as well as myelin repair after injury and in disease, requires multiple intrinsic and extrinsic signals. Neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) is a member of the neurotrophin family, which regulates the development of neuronal networks by participating in the growth of neuronal processes, synaptic development and plasticity, neuronal survival, and differentiation. However, the intracellular signaling pathways by which NT-4 participates in myelination by Schwann cells remain elusive. In this study, we examined the effects of NT-4 on the expression of compact myelin proteins in cultured Schwann cells. Using real-time quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting, we found that NT-4 could significantly enhance the expression of myelin protein zero (MPZ) but not the expression of myelin basic protein or peripheral myelin protein 22. Further, knockdown of truncated TrkB with small interfering RNA could eliminate the effect of NT-4 on MPZ expression. Moreover, we demonstrated that the NT-4-enhanced MPZ expression depended on Akt and mTORC1 signaling. Taken together, these results suggest that NT-4 binds TrkB to enhance the expression of MPZ in Schwann cells, probably through the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway, thus contributing to myelination.     

Roxarsone induces angiogenesis via PI3K/Akt signaling

Background

3-Nitro-4-hydroxy phenyl arsenic acid, roxarsone, is widely used as an organic arsenic feed additive for livestock and poultry, which may increase the level of arsenic in the environment and the risk of exposure to arsenic in human. Little information is focused on the angiogenesis roxarsone-induced and its mechanism at present. This paper aims to study the role of PI3K/Akt signaling in roxarsone-induced angiogenesis in rat vascular endothelial cells and a mouse B16–F10 melanoma xenograft model.

Results

The results showed that treatment with 0.1–10.0 µmol/L roxarsone resulted in an increase in the OD rate in the MTT assay, the number of BrdU-positive cells in the proliferation assay, the migration distance in the scratch test and the number of meshes in tube formation assay. Further, treatment with 1.0 µmol/L roxarsone was associated with significantly higher phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and expression of VEGF than the control treatment. The PI3K inhibitor was found to significantly combat the effects of 1.0 µmol/L roxarsone. Furthermore, roxarsone treatment was observed to increase the weight and volume of B16–F10 xenografts and VEGF expression and PI3K/Akt phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner, with the 25 mg/kg dose having significant effects.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that roxarsone has the ability to promote growth and tube formation in vascular endothelial cells and the growth of mouse B16–F10 xenografts. Further, the findings also indicate that PI3K/Akt signaling plays a regulatory role in roxarsone-induced angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro.

     

Thrombin activation of PI3K/PDK1/Akt signaling promotes cyclin D1 upregulation and RPE cell proliferation

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays an essential role in the survival and function of the neural retina. RPE uncontrolled proliferation leads to the development of proliferative ocular pathologies, among which proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is the main cause of retinal surgery failure. Upon the breakdown of the BRB due to trauma or metabolic imbalance the contact of RPE with serum-contained thrombin has been shown to stimulate the proliferation of otherwise quiescent RPE cells. Although the molecular mechanisms involved in this effect are still undetermined, thrombin proteolytic activation of protease-activated G protein coupled receptor-1 (PAR-1) activates PI3K and Akt, known to play an essential role in proliferation. The present study demonstrates that: 1) thrombin stimulates Ser 473 Akt phosphorylation without affecting Thr 308 basal phosphorylation in RPE cells; 2) thrombin-induced Akt stimulation promotes cyclin D1 accumulation through the phosphorylation/ inhibition of GSK-3β, thus preventing Thr 286 cyclin D1 phosphorylation, nuclear export and degradation; 3) Akt signaling requires the upstream activation of PI3K and PLC. Since the pharmacological inhibition of these pathways or the silencing of cyclin expression prevent thrombin-induced RPE cell proliferation, these results contribute relevant evidence for establishing the mechanism involved in the development of proliferative eye diseases.     

Erianin induces triple-negative breast cancer cells apoptosis by activating PI3K/Akt pathway

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a refractory subtype of breast cancer, 25–30% of which have dysregulation in the PI3K/AKT pathway. The present study investigated the anticancer effect of erianin on TNBC cell line and its underlying mechanism.Methods: After treatment with erianin, MTT assay was employed to determine the MDA-MB-231 and EFM-192A cell proliferation, the nucleus morphological changes were observed by DAPI staining. The cell cycle and apoptotic proportion were detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was performed to determine the cell cycle and apoptosis-related protein expression and PI3K pathways. Finally, the antiproliferative activity of erianin was further confirmed by adding or not adding PI3K agonists SC79.Results: Erianin inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and EFM-192A cells in a dose-dependent manner, the IC₅₀ were 70.96 and 78.58 nM, respectively. Erianin could cause cell cycle arrest at the G₂/M phase, and the expressions of p21 and p27 were up-regulated, while the expressions of CDK1 and Cyclin B1 were down-regulated. Erianin also induced apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway, with the up-regulation of the expression of Cyto C, PARP, Bax, active form of Caspase-3, and Caspase-9. Furthermore, p-PI3K and p-Akt expression were down-regulated by erianin. After co-incubation with SC79, the cell inhibition rate of erianin was decreased, which further confirmed that the attenuated PI3K/Akt pathway was relevant to the pro-apoptotic effect of erianin.Conclusions: Erianin can inhibit the proliferation of TNBC cells and induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, which may ascribe to the abolish the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.     

High glucose induces alternative activation of macrophages via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Objective: It has been proved that lactate-4.25% dialysate could result in peritoneal fibrosis by inducing alternative activation of macrophages in our previous study, but the mechanism of high glucose-induced alternative activation has not been elucidated. This study was, therefore, to investigate the mechanism by high glucose stimuli.

Methods: In this study, Raw264.7 (murine macrophage cell line) cells were cultured and stimulated by 4.25% glucose medium, and mannitol medium was used as osmotic pressure control. Cells were harvested at 0?h, 4?h, 8?h, and 12?h to examine the expression of Arg-1, CD206, and p-Akt. After blocking PI3K by LY294002, the expression of Arg-1, CD206, and p-Akt was examined again.

Results: The expression of Arg-1 and CD206 was increased in a time-dependent manner induced by high glucose medium. On the contrary, there was mainly no Agr-1 or CD206 expressed in cells cultured in the mannitol medium with the same osmotic pressure. What’s more, Akt was phosphorylated at the eighth hour stimulated by high glucose medium, and LY294002 inhibited the expression of Arg-1 and CD206 by blocking the phosphorylation of Akt.

Conclusions: Our study indicated that high glucose rather than high osmotic pressure induced M2 phenotype via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.     

PDGF-AA promotes cell-to-cell communication in osteocytes through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Osteocytes are the main sensitive cells in bone remodeling due to their potent functional cell pro-cesses from the mineralized bone matrix to the bone surface a...     

MiR-27a-3p enhances the cisplatin sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma cells through inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in drug resistance, and it is reported that miR-27a-3p regulated the sensitivity of cisplatin in breast cancer, lung cancer and ovarian cancer. However, the relationship between miR-27a-3p and chemosensitivity of cisplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was unclear, especially the underlying mechanism was unknown. In the present study, we analyzed miR-27a-3p expression levels in 372 tumor tissues and 49 adjacent tissues in HCC samples from TCGA database, and found that the miR-27a-3p was down-regulated in HCC tissues. The level of miR-27a-3p was associated with metastasis, Child–Pugh grade and race. MiR-27a-3p was regarded as a favorable prognosis indicator for HCC patients. Then, miR-27a-3p was overexpressed in HepG2 cell, and was knocked down in PLC cell. Next, we conducted a series of in vitro assays, including MTT, apoptosis and cell cycle assays to observe the biological changes. Further, inhibitor rate and apoptosis rate were detected with pre- and post-cisplatin treatment in HCC. The results showed that overexpression of miR-27a-3p repressed the cell viability, promoted apoptosis and increased the percentage of cells in G₀/G₁ phase. Importantly, overexpression of miR-27a-3p significantly increased the inhibitor rate and apoptosis rate with cisplatin intervention. Besides, we found that miR-27a-3p added cisplatin sensitivity potentially through regulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Taken together, miR-27a-3p acted as a tumor suppressor gene in HCC cells, and it could be useful for modulating cisplatin sensitivity in chemotherapy.     

PTEN augments staurosporine-induced apoptosis in PTEN-null Ishikawa cells by downregulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Staurosporine is a potent apoptosis inducer, but its mechanism remains to be clarified. We investigated the involvement of PTEN in staurosporine-induced apoptosis. Ishikawa cells, from an endometrial carcinoma cell line, expressed a high amount of PTEN mRNA but did not express the PTEN protein because of protein truncations. We isolated clones expressing the steady-state level of the PTEN protein from PTEN-null Ishikawa cells by transfection. The obtained clones showed reduced proliferative activity and reduced anchorage-independent cell growth with the augmented p27(Kip1). These cell lines were sensitized to apoptosis by staurosporine. A low concentration of UCN-01 did not affect apoptosis, but a high concentration augmented apoptosis in the PTEN-expressing clone. Alpha-sphingosine and H-7 did not affect apoptosis in these cell lines. PI3K inhibition augmented staurosporine-induced apoptosis in the parental cell line, but not in the PTEN-expressing clone. In the clone, phosho-Akt/PKB and phospho-Bad (Ser-136) were downregulated. Staurosporine reduced the levels of phospho-Akt/PKB and phospho-Bad (Ser-136) in all the cell lines, but the reduction was most significant in the PTEN-expressing clone. These results suggest that inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/PKB signaling pathway might be associated with staurosporine-induced apoptosis in Ishikawa cells.