MicroRNA miR-155 Inhibits Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) Signaling and BMP-Mediated Epstein-Barr Virus Reactivation

MicroRNA miR-155 is expressed at elevated levels in human cancers including cancers of the lung, breast, colon, and a subset of lymphoid malignancies. In B cells, miR-155 is induced by the oncogenic latency gene expression program of the human herpesvirus Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Two other oncogenic herpesviruses, Kaposi''s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and Marek''s disease virus, encode functional homologues of miR-155, suggesting a role for this microRNA in the biology and pathogenesis of these viruses. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is involved in an array of cellular processes, including differentiation, growth inhibition, and senescence, through context-dependent interactions with multiple signaling pathways. Alteration of this pathway contributes to a number of disease states including cancer. Here, we show that miR-155 targets the 3′ untranslated region of multiple components of the BMP signaling cascade, including SMAD1, SMAD5, HIVEP2, CEBPB, RUNX2, and MYO10. Targeting of these mediators results in the inhibition of BMP2-, BMP6-, and BMP7-induced ID3 expression as well as BMP-mediated EBV reactivation in the EBV-positive B-cell line, Mutu I. Further, miR-155 inhibits SMAD1 and SMAD5 expression in the lung epithelial cell line A549, it inhibits BMP-mediated induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, and it reverses BMP-mediated cell growth inhibition. These results suggest a role for miR-155 in controlling BMP-mediated cellular processes, in regulating BMP-induced EBV reactivation, and in the inhibition of antitumor effects of BMP signaling in normal and virus-infected cells.Despite the limited genetic content of microRNAs, their pervasive role in controlling normal and pathology-associated cellular processes has become firmly established in recent years. The importance of microRNA dysregulation in cancer is well appreciated, and a number of oncomirs and tumor suppressor microRNAs have been identified (15). As a member of the oncomir class of microRNAs, miR-155 is implicated in lymphomagenesis and a wide array of nonlymphoid tumors including breast, colon, and lung (7, 16, 24, 39, 42, 43). Despite strong evidence implicating miR-155 in cancer etiology, the mechanisms through which miR-155 supports the tumor phenotype are unclear, possibly due to limited knowledge of how predicted targets may be involved in the phenotypic properties of cancer. On the other hand, miR-155''s roles in normal immune cell development and the adaptive immune response are much better understood (33, 41). These studies have demonstrated a critical role for miR-155 in immune cell activation and maturation. This evidence and other work (8, 40) have identified critical miR-155 targets whose downregulation is required for these processes.The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human DNA tumor virus that contributes to lymphoid and epithelial cell malignancies. As a herpesvirus, a unique aspect of the EBV infection cycle is the ability to exist in either a lytic replicative state or in a latent state in which no virus is produced. Depending in part on cell background, EBV utilizes multiple forms of latency gene expression programs. True latency and type I latency are defined by the expression of no protein coding genes or by expression of the episomal replication factor EBNA1 only. Type II latency is defined by the expression of EBNA1 and the latent membrane proteins, LMP1 and/or LMP2, and is the predominant form observed in epithelial tissues. Type III latency refers to expression of the full repertoire of latency genes, which are highly tumorigenic and are capable of growth-transforming naïve resting B cells. While this form of latency is not well tolerated in immunocompetent individuals except during early stages of infection (prior to the development of adaptive immunity to these proteins), type III latency-associated lymphoid malignancies are common in immunocompromised individuals. Expression of type III latency genes in B cells mimics antigen-dependent B-cell activation, and accompanying this activation is a substantial induction of miR-155 expression (17, 20, 23, 29, 44). While it is reasonable to assume that induction of miR-155 by the type III latency program plays a role in EBV-mediated B-cell activation and oncogenesis, little is known regarding the role of miR-155 in the virus life cycle or its tumor-promoting activities.Originally identified as cytokines critically involved in the regulation of osteogenic differentiation, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are now appreciated as having critical functions in a vast number of developmental processes. Dysregulation of BMP signaling is also implicated in disease states including cancer (1). The canonical signaling pathway stimulated by BMP receptor engagement is the phosphorylation of the SMADs (mothers against decapentaplegic homologs), SMAD1, SMAD5, and SMAD9, which facilitates active transport of these mediators from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where they bind and activate cellular promoters. While these signaling mediators are considered to have fairly redundant activities, the influence of BMP activation can have widely distinct outcomes on a particular cell depending on cellular context (3, 27). These distinctions arise from the innate low-affinity DNA binding properties of SMADs and the concordant requirement for any of a broad range of cofactors that facilitate high-affinity binding to specific sets of promoters. Using this signaling mechanism, the phenotypic outcome of BMP receptor engagement is controlled by the level of activation of other signaling pathways and SMAD binding cofactors. While activation of BMP signaling appears to contribute to some cancer types, it inhibits other cancer types by promoting growth arrest and differentiation and by inducing senescence (1). In immune cells, BMP signaling has been shown by multiple groups to inhibit lymphocyte activation, maturation, and growth (2, 6, 13, 18, 19, 37). Here, we show that miR-155 inhibits BMP signaling by targeting multiple factors in the BMP signal transduction cascade. This function may be important during immune cell activation by preventing BMP from impeding this process, it may be important for the survival of EBV type III latency associated tumors by preventing BMP-mediated viral reactivation and cell death, and it may be relevant to other cancer types by blocking growth arrest properties of BMPs.     

EB病毒诱发人B细胞淋巴瘤的分子病理特性

EB病毒 (EBV ,Epstein Barrvirus)与人类多种肿瘤有关 ,尤其是与鼻咽癌和淋巴瘤的关系密切。为此研究了EB病毒在huPBL SCID嵌合体小鼠体内诱发人B细胞淋巴瘤的分子特性及肿瘤发生机制。从健康成人外周血分离出淋巴细胞 ,将之移植到SCID小鼠腹腔内 ,实验感染EBV ,观察肿瘤的形成 ;采用单向免疫扩散法连续监测小鼠血清中人IgG的含量。分别用PCR方法检测肿瘤组织中是否存在人Alu序列 ,原位杂交检测肿瘤组织中EB病毒小RNA分子EBER 1;免疫组织化学方法检测人白细胞分化抗原 (CD4 5、CD2 0、CD4 5RO、CD3) ,病毒基因(LMP1、EBNA2、BZLF1)的表达 ,以及细胞瘤基因蛋白 (p5 3、C myc、Bcl 2、Bax)在诱发肿瘤中的表达情况。结果发现 ,实验中 34只感染EBV的huPBL SCID小鼠有 2 4只诱发出肿瘤 ,根据病理形态学特征、Alu PCR和免疫标志均证实诱发瘤是人源性B淋巴细胞肿瘤。原位分子杂交显示肿瘤细胞核内存在EBER 1,少数瘤细胞表达EB病毒BZLF1蛋白阳性 ,部分瘤细胞表达LMP1和EBNA2蛋白阳性。连续监测 12只huPBL SCID小鼠血清中人IgG含量 ,发现IgG水平随诱瘤时间延长和肿瘤生长有逐渐增高趋势。免疫组化显示诱发的 2 4例淋巴瘤组织p5 3、C myc、Bcl 2和Bax蛋白表达阳性率分别为 83.33%、10 0 %、95 .83%、91.6 7%。结果     

miR-146a and miR-155 Delineate a MicroRNA Fingerprint Associated with Toxoplasma Persistence in the Host Brain

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gga-miR-375 Plays a Key Role in Tumorigenesis Post Subgroup J Avian Leukosis Virus Infection

Avian leukosis is a neoplastic disease caused in part by subgroup J avian leukosis virus J (ALV-J). Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) play pivotal oncogenic and tumour-suppressor roles in tumour development and progression. However, little is known about the potential role of miRNAs in avian leukosis tumours. We have found a novel tumour-suppressor miRNA, gga-miR-375, associated with avian leukosis tumorigenesis by miRNA microarray in a previous report. We have also previously studied the biological function of gga-miR-375; Overexpression of gga-miR-375 significantly inhibited DF-1 cell proliferation, and significantly reduced the expression of yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) by repressing the activity of a luciferase reporter carrying the 3′-untranslated region of YAP1. This indicates that gga-miR-375 is frequently downregulated in avian leukosis by inhibiting cell proliferation through YAP1 oncogene targeting. Overexpression of gga-miR-375 markedly promoted serum starvation induced apoptosis, and there may be the reason why the tumour cycle is so long in the infected chickens. In vivo assays, gga-miR-375 was significantly downregulated in chicken livers 20 days after infection with ALV-J, and YAP1 was significantly upregulated 20 days after ALV-J infection (P<0.05). We also found that expression of cyclin E, an important regulator of cell cycle progression, was significantly upregulated (P<0.05). Drosophila inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 (DIAP1), which is related to caspase-dependent apoptosis, was also significantly upregulated after infection. Our data suggests that gga-miR-375 may function as a tumour suppressor thereby regulating cancer cell proliferation and it plays a key role in avian leukosis tumorigenesis.     

高迁移率族蛋白1在急性酒精中毒中的作用

急性酒精中毒是一种有害的临床病理状态,短时间内摄入大量的乙醇,会造成多脏器功能损害,通常包括中枢神经抑制、呼吸循环功能障碍、代谢紊乱及免疫系统异常,严重者导致死亡.为了探索急性酒精中毒导致死亡的原因,采用腹腔注射的方法构建了重度急性酒精中毒小鼠模型,发现在模型早期(至迟0.5 h)高迁移率族蛋白1(high mobility group box-1 protein,HMGB1)已显著升高,体外实验也证实酒精导致细胞HMGB1释放,应用单克隆抗体阻断HMGB1有显著的保护作用,这种保护作用是通过降低损伤性炎症反应实现的.在此模型中发现,HMGB1在急性酒精中毒中有着重要的中介作用,调控急性系统性炎症反应,并决定了急性酒精中毒疾病的进程与结局.     

Olfactory Plays a Key Role in Spatiotemporal Pathogenesis of Cerebral Malaria

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Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 SU Residue 195 Plays a Role in Determining the Preferential CD4+ T Cell Immortalization/Transformation Tropism

Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) mainly causes adult T cell leukemia and predominantly immortalizes/transforms CD4⁺ T cells in culture. HTLV-2 is aleukemic and predominantly immortalizes/transforms CD8⁺ T cells in culture. We have shown previously that the viral envelope is the genetic determinant of the differential T cell tropism in culture. The surface component (SU) of the HTLV-1 envelope is responsible for binding to the cellular receptors for entry. Here, we dissect the HTLV-1 SU further to identify key domains that are involved in determining the immortalization tropism. We generated HTLV-1 envelope recombinant virus containing the HTLV-2 SU domain. HTLV-1/SU2 was capable of infecting and immortalizing freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in culture. HTLV-1/SU2 shifted the CD4⁺ T cell immortalization tropism of wild-type HTLV-1 (wtHTLV-1) to a CD8⁺ T cell preference. Furthermore, a single amino acid substitution, N195D, in HTLV-1 SU (Ach.195) resulted in a shift to a CD8⁺ T cell immortalization tropism preference. Longitudinal phenotyping analyses of the in vitro transformation process revealed that CD4⁺ T cells emerged as the predominant population by week 5 in wtHTLV-1 cultures, while CD8⁺ T cells emerged as the predominant population by weeks 4 and 7 in wtHTLV-2 and Ach.195 cultures, respectively. Our results indicate that SU domain independently influences the preferential T cell immortalization tropism irrespective of the envelope counterpart transmembrane (TM) domain. We further showed that asparagine at position 195 in HTLV-1 SU is involved in determining this CD4⁺ T cell immortalization tropism. The slower emergence of the CD8⁺ T cell predominance in Ach.195-infected cultures suggests that other residues/domains contribute to this tropism preference.     

Up-Regulated MicroRNA499a by Hepatitis B Virus Induced Hepatocellular Carcinogenesis via Targeting MAPK6

Emerging evidence showed miR499a could not only function as an oncogene but also as a tumor suppressor in various types of cancer, such as melanoma. However, whether miR499a was involved in hepatocarcinogenesis remains unknown. We previously reported that miR499a was up-regulated in HBV-mediated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we found that HBV could induce the expression of miR499a by promoting its promoter activity. In addition, we reported that miR499a increased cell proliferation and cell migration of HCC cells. MAPK6 was further identified as a target of miR499a, which could also be down-regulated by HBV. Moreover, we demonstrated that MAPK6 could rescue the cell growth induced by miR499a and HBV. These findings indicated that miR499a might play an oncogene role by targeting MAPK6 in the development and progression of HBV-related HCC.     

GTPase Activity Plays a Key Role in the Pathobiology of LRRK2

Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene are associated with late-onset, autosomal-dominant, familial Parkinson''s disease (PD) and also contribute to sporadic disease. The LRRK2 gene encodes a large protein with multiple domains, including functional Roc GTPase and protein kinase domains. Mutations in LRRK2 most likely cause disease through a toxic gain-of-function mechanism. The expression of human LRRK2 variants in cultured primary neurons induces toxicity that is dependent on intact GTP binding or kinase activities. However, the mechanism(s) underlying LRRK2-induced neuronal toxicity is poorly understood, and the contribution of GTPase and/or kinase activity to LRRK2 pathobiology is not well defined. To explore the pathobiology of LRRK2, we have developed a model of LRRK2 cytotoxicity in the baker''s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Protein domain analysis in this model reveals that expression of GTPase domain-containing fragments of human LRRK2 are toxic. LRRK2 toxicity in yeast can be modulated by altering GTPase activity and is closely associated with defects in endocytic vesicular trafficking and autophagy. These truncated LRRK2 variants induce similar toxicity in both yeast and primary neuronal models and cause similar vesicular defects in yeast as full-length LRRK2 causes in primary neurons. The toxicity induced by truncated LRRK2 variants in yeast acts through a mechanism distinct from toxicity induced by human α-synuclein. A genome-wide genetic screen identified modifiers of LRRK2-induced toxicity in yeast including components of vesicular trafficking pathways, which can also modulate the trafficking defects caused by expression of truncated LRRK2 variants. Our results provide insight into the basic pathobiology of LRRK2 and suggest that the GTPase domain may contribute to the toxicity of LRRK2. These findings may guide future therapeutic strategies aimed at attenuating LRRK2-mediated neurodegeneration.     

The Ubiquitin Proteasome System Plays a Role in Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Infection

Many viruses have been implicated in utilizing or modulating the Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) to enhance viral multiplication and/or to sustain a persistent infection. The mosquito-borne Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) belongs to the Togaviridae family and is an important biodefense pathogen and select agent. There are currently no approved vaccines or therapies for VEEV infections; therefore, it is imperative to identify novel targets for therapeutic development. We hypothesized that a functional UPS is required for efficient VEEV multiplication. We have shown that at non-toxic concentrations Bortezomib, a FDA-approved inhibitor of the proteasome, proved to be a potent inhibitor of VEEV multiplication in the human astrocytoma cell line U87MG. Bortezomib inhibited the virulent Trinidad donkey (TrD) strain and the attenuated TC-83 strain of VEEV. Additional studies with virulent strains of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) demonstrated that Bortezomib is a broad spectrum inhibitor of the New World alphaviruses. Time-of-addition assays showed that Bortezomib was an effective inhibitor of viral multiplication even when the drug was introduced many hours post exposure to the virus. Mass spectrometry analyses indicated that the VEEV capsid protein is ubiquitinated in infected cells, which was validated by confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation assays. Subsequent studies revealed that capsid is ubiquitinated on K48 during early stages of infection which was affected by Bortezomib treatment. This study will aid future investigations in identifying host proteins as potential broad spectrum therapeutic targets for treating alphavirus infections.     

miR-18a Inhibits CDC42 and Plays a Tumour Suppressor Role in Colorectal Cancer Cells

The miR-17-92 cluster of microRNAs is elevated in colorectal cancer, and has a causative role in cancer development. Of the six miR-17-92 cluster members, miR-19a and b in particular are key promoters of cancer development and cell proliferation, while preliminary evidence suggests that miR-18a may act in opposition to other cluster members to decrease cell proliferation. It was hypothesised that miR-18a may have a homeostatic function in helping to contain the oncogenic effect of the entire miR-17-92 cluster, and that elevated miR-17-92 cluster activity without a corresponding increase in miR-18a may promote colorectal tumour progression. In colorectal cancer samples and corresponding normal colorectal mucosa, miR-18a displayed lower overall expression than other miR-17-92 cluster members. miR-18a was shown to have an opposing role to other miR-17-92 cluster members, in particular the key oncogenic miRNAs, miR-19a and b. Transfection of HCT116 and LIM1215 colorectal cancer cell lines with miR-18a mimics decreased proliferation, while a miR-18a inhibitor increased proliferation. miR-18a was also responsible for decreasing cell migration, altering cell morphology, inducing G1/S phase cell cycle arrest, increasing apoptosis, and enhancing the action of a pro-apoptotic agent. CDC42, a mediator of the PI3K pathway, was identified as a novel miR-18a target. Overexpression of miR-18a reduced CDC42 expression, and a luciferase assay confirmed that miR-18a directly targets the 3′UTR of CDC42. miR-18a mimics had a similar effect on proliferation as a small molecule inhibitor of CDC42. Inhibition of CDC42 expression is likely to be a key mechanism by which miR-18a impairs cancer cell growth, with a target protector experiment revealing miR-18a influences proliferation via direct inhibition of CDC42. Inhibition of CCND1 by miR-18a may also assist in this growth-suppression effect. The homeostatic function of miR-18a within the miR-17-92 cluster in colorectal cancer cells may be achieved through suppression of CDC42 and the PI3K pathway.     

The PICALM Protein Plays a Key Role in Iron Homeostasis and Cell Proliferation

The ubiquitously expressed phosphatidylinositol binding clathrin assembly (PICALM) protein associates with the plasma membrane, binds clathrin, and plays a role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Alterations of the human PICALM gene are present in aggressive hematopoietic malignancies, and genome-wide association studies have recently linked the PICALM locus to late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Inactivating and hypomorphic Picalm mutations in mice cause different degrees of severity of anemia, abnormal iron metabolism, growth retardation and shortened lifespan. To understand PICALM's function, we studied the consequences of PICALM overexpression and characterized PICALM-deficient cells derived from mutant fit1 mice. Our results identify a role for PICALM in transferrin receptor (TfR) internalization and demonstrate that the C-terminal PICALM residues are critical for its association with clathrin and for the inhibitory effect of PICALM overexpression on TfR internalization. Murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) that are deficient in PICALM display several characteristics of iron deficiency (increased surface TfR expression, decreased intracellular iron levels, and reduced cellular proliferation), all of which are rescued by retroviral PICALM expression. The proliferation defect of cells that lack PICALM results, at least in part, from insufficient iron uptake, since it can be corrected by iron supplementation. Moreover, PICALM-deficient cells are particularly sensitive to iron chelation. Taken together, these data reveal that PICALM plays a critical role in iron homeostasis, and offer new perspectives into the pathogenesis of PICALM-associated diseases.