Constitutive Smad signaling and Smad-dependent collagen gene expression in mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a potent inducer of collagen synthesis, is implicated in pathological fibrosis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) is a nuclear hormone receptor that regulates adipogenesis and numerous other biological processes. Here, we demonstrate that collagen gene expression was markedly elevated in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking PPAR-γ compared to heterozygous control MEFs. Treatment with the PPAR-γ ligand 15d-PGJ₂ failed to down-regulate collagen gene expression in PPAR-γ null MEFs, whereas reconstitution of these cells with ectopic PPAR-γ resulted in their normalization. Compared to control MEFs, PPAR-γ null MEFs displayed elevated levels of the Type I TGF-β receptor (TβRI), and secreted more TGF-β1 into the media. Furthermore, PPAR-γ null MEFs showed constitutive phosphorylation of cellular Smad2 and Smad3, even in the absence of exogenous TGF-β, which was abrogated by the ALK5 inhibitor SB431542. Constitutive Smad2/3 phosphorylation in PPAR-γ null MEFs was associated with Smad3 binding to its cognate DNA recognition sequences, and interaction with coactivator p300 previously implicated in TGF-β responses. Taken together, these results indicate that loss of PPAR-γ in MEFs is associated with upregulation of collagen synthesis, and activation of intracellular Smad signal transduction, due, at least in part, to autocrine TGF-β stimulation.     

Induction of murine H-rev107 gene expression by growth arrest and histone acetylation: involvement of an Sp1/Sp3-binding GC-box

H-rev107 is downregulated in many carcinomas and tumor cell lines. Using postconfluent NIH3T3 cells, we demonstrated that growth arrest caused by contact inhibition, but not serum deprivation, increased H-rev107 expression. Furthermore, histone deacetylase inhibitors induced H-rev107 expression in NIH3T3 cells and allowed its reexpression in H-rev107-deficient WEHI 7.1 lymphoma cells. In contrast, no effect of the postconfluent stage or histone deacetylase inhibitors on H-rev107 levels was observed in tumorigenic H-rev107-expressing cell lines, HepG2, HeLa, and SKBR3. Transfections showed that TSA treatment increased luciferase activity 20-fold in NIH3T3 cells. We found that the GC-box at -83/-75 is a key element for H-rev107 induction by TSA and growth arrest, although there were no changes in the pattern and intensity of Sp1/Sp3-binding after induction. These data suggest that contact inhibition of growth and growth arrest caused by histone deacetylase inhibitors probably use the same mechanism to stimulate H-rev107 expression via histone acetylation in NIH3T3 cells and this might contribute to the development of drugs that can induce H-rev107 expression in certain tumors.     

Trichostatin A-histone deacetylase inhibitor with clinical therapeutic potential-is also a selective and potent inhibitor of gelatinase A expression

Modulation of histone acetylation is currently being explored as a therapeutic strategy in treatment of cancer. Specifically, inhibition of histone deacetylase by trichostatin A (TSA) has been shown to prevent tumorigenesis and metastasis. In the present paper we demonstrate that increased histone acetylation by TSA-treated 3T3 cells decreases mRNA as well as zymographic activity of gelatinase A, a matrix metalloproteinase, which is itself, implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Furthermore, TSA inhibits cytochalasin D-induced activation of gelatinase A, but TSA does not affect other members of the gelatinase A activation complex, MT1-MMP and TIMP-2. Thus, TSA is a selective and potent inhibitor of expression and activation of gelatinase A. This finding not only strengthens the rationale for continuing to investigate the therapeutic utility of TSA in cancer, but also, provides evidence that TSA inhibition of gelatinase A expression and activation can be used as a biological marker to monitor and determine end-points of clinical trials involving TSA.     

Up-regulated type I collagen expression by the inhibition of Rac1 signaling pathway in human dermal fibroblasts

Tissue remodeling is known to play important roles in wound healing. Although Rac1 is reported to be one of the key signaling molecules in cutaneous wound healing process, the exact mechanisms of Rac1-mediated tissue remodeling is still unknown. This study investigated the role of Rac1 in the regulation of extracellular matrix in cultured human dermal fibroblasts obtained by skin biopsy from three healthy donors. Protein levels of type I collagen in cultured human fibroblasts were increased by the treatment with Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 in a dose-dependent manner. However, the mRNA levels of α2(I) collagen was not altered by the inhibitor. On the other hand, by the addition of inhibitor, half-lives of type I collagen protein were increased and MMP1 levels were reduced. These data suggest that blockade of Rac1 signaling results in accumulation of type I collagen due to decreased collagenase activity. This study also suggests that controlling Rac1 signaling is a new therapeutic approach to chronic/untreatable ulcer.     

Dual effects of histone deacetylase inhibition by trichostatin A on endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in endothelial cells

Inhibition of histone deacetylases by trichostatin A (TSA) has pleiotropic effects on gene expression. We demonstrated that at low dose (0.1 microg) TSA increased the eNOS mRNA levels, which was followed by a time- and dose-dependent down-regulation. Cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, completely abolished TSA-induced decrease in eNOS expression, indicating that new protein synthesis is required for the inhibiting effect. Mevastatin--an inhibitor HMG-CoA reductase and geranylgeranylation reaction dose-dependently antagonized TSA-induced reduction. This mevastatin-mediated antagonism was completely abolished by geranylgeranylpyrophosphate, suggesting that geranylgeranyl modification is needed to activate the eNOS mRNA destabilizing factor--a mechanism responsible for statin-mediated eNOS upregulation.     

Effect of Endothelin-1 on proliferation,migration and fibrogenic gene expression in human RPE cells

The pathology of the fibrotic proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) membrane represents an excessive wound healing response characterised by cells’ proliferation, migration and secretion of extracellular matrix molecules (ECMs). Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are a major cellular component of the fibrotic membrane. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been reported to be involved in the development of PVR in vivo research. However, little is known about the role of ET-1 in RPE cells in vitro. In the present study, we investigated the role of ET-1 in the proliferation, migration and secretion of ECMs (such as type I collagen and fibronectin) in RPE cells in vitro. Our results illustrated that ET-1 promoted the proliferation, migration and secretion of ECMs through the protein kinase B (Akt) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) signaling pathways in RPE cells in vitro. These findings strongly suggested that ET-1 may play a vital role in the development of PVR.     

Age-related modifications of type I collagen impair DDR1-induced apoptosis in non-invasive breast carcinoma cells

ABSTRACT

Type I collagen and DDR1 axis has been described to decrease cell proliferation and to initiate apoptosis in non-invasive breast carcinoma in three-dimensional cell culture matrices. Moreover, MT1-MMP down-regulates these effects. Here, we address the effect of type I collagen aging and MT1-MMP expression on cell proliferation suppression and induced-apoptosis in non-invasive MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 breast carcinoma. We provide evidence for a decrease in cell growth and an increase in apoptosis in the presence of adult collagen when compared to old collagen. This effect involves a differential activation of DDR1, as evidenced by a higher DDR1 phosphorylation level in adult collagen. In adult collagen, inhibition of DDR1 expression and kinase function induced an increase in cell growth to a level similar to that observed in old collagen. The impact of aging on the sensitivity of collagen to MT1-MMP has been reported recently. We used the MT1-MMP expression strategy to verify whether, by degrading adult type I collagen, it could lead to the same phenotype observed in old collagen 3D matrix. MT1-MMP overexpression abrogated the proliferation suppression and induced-apoptosis effects only in the presence of adult collagen. This suggests that differential collagen degradation by MT1-MMP induced a structural disorganization of adult collagen and inhibits DDR1 activation. This could in turn impair DDR1-induced cell growth suppression and apoptosis. Taken together, our data suggest that modifications of collagen structural organization, due to aging, contribute to the loss of the growth suppression and induced apoptosis effect of collagen in luminal breast carcinoma. MT1-MMP-dependent degradation and aging of collagen have no additive effects on these processes.