Epigenetic regulation of bone morphogenetic protein-6 gene expression in breast cancer cells

Bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6) is closely correlated with tumor differentiation and skeletal metastasis. Our previous research found that BMP-6 gene expression can be activated dose-dependently by estrogen in estrogen receptor positive (ER⁺) breast cancer cell line MCF-7, but not in ER negative (ER⁻) cell line MDA-MB-231. This experiment is designed to investigate the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of the BMP-6 gene expression in breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and T47D with regard to the methylation status in the 5′ flanking region of the human BMP-6 gene. The endogenous level of BMP-6 mRNA in ER⁻ cell line MDA-MB-231 was relatively lower than that in ER⁺ MCF-7 and T47D cell lines. After the treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC, especially in the concentration of 10 μM), the BMP-6 mRNA expression in MDA-MB-231 was obviously up-regulated. However, 5-aza-dC treatment failed to regulate the expression of BMP-6 in MCF-7 and T47D cells. Using enzyme restriction PCR (MSRE-PCR), as well as bisulfite sequencing (BSG), methylation of human BMP-6 gene promoter was detected in MDA-MB-231; while in MCF-7 and T47D, BMP-6 gene promoter remained demethylated status. In 33 breast tumor specimens, promoter methylation of BMP-6 was detected by methylation-specific PCR, hypermethylation of BMP-6 was observed in ER negative cases (16 of 16 cases (100%)), while obviously lower methylation frequency were observed in ER positive cases (3 of 17 cases (18%)), indicating that BMP-6 promoter methylation status is correlated with ER status in breast cancer.     

Regulation of human Cripto-1 gene expression by TGF-beta1 and BMP-4 in embryonal and colon cancer cells

Human Cripto-1 (CR-1) is a cell membrane protein that is overexpressed in several different types of human carcinomas. In the present study we investigated the mechanisms that regulate the expression of CR-1 gene in cancer cells. We cloned a 2,481 bp 5'-flanking region of the human CR-1 gene into a luciferase reporter vector and transfected NTERA-2 human embryonal carcinoma cells and LS174-T colon cancer cells to test for promoter activity. Activity of CR-1 promoter in both cell lines was modulated by two TGF-beta family members, TGF-beta1 and BMP-4. In particular, TGF-beta1 significantly up-regulated CR-1 promoter activity, whereas a dramatic reduction in CR-1 promoter activity was observed with BMP-4 in NTERA-2 and LS174-T cells. Changes in the CR-1 promoter activity following TGF-beta1 and BMP-4 treatments correlated with changes in CR-1 mRNA and protein expression in NTERA-2 and LS174-T cells. We also identified three Smad binding elements (SBEs) within the CR-1 promoter and point mutation of SBE1 (-2,197/-2,189) significantly reduced response of the CR-1 promoter to both TGF-beta1 and BMP-4 in NTERA-2 and LS174-T cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay also demonstrated binding of Smad-4 to a CR-1 promoter DNA sequence containing SBE1 in LS174-T cells. Finally, BMP-4 inhibited migration of LS174-T cells and F9 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells by downregulation of CR-1 protein. In conclusion, these results suggest a differential modulation of CR-1 gene expression in embryonal and colon cancer cells by two different members of the TGF-beta family.     

Inhibition of cellular proliferation by the Wilms' tumor suppressor WT1 is associated with suppression of insulin-like growth factor I receptor gene expression.

We have investigated the regulation of the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-I-R) gene promoter by the Wilms' tumor suppressor WT1 in intact cells. The levels of endogenous IGF-I-R mRNA and the activity of IGF-I-R gene promoter fragments in luciferase reporter constructs were found to be significantly higher in G401 cells (a Wilms' tumor-derived cell line lacking detectable WT1 mRNA) than in 293 cells (a human embryonic kidney cell line which expresses significant levels of WT1 mRNA). To study whether WT1 could suppress the expression of the endogenous IGF-I-R gene, WT1-negative G401 cells were stably transfected with a WT1 expression vector. Expression of WT1 mRNA in G401 cells resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of cellular proliferation, which was associated with a reduction in the levels of IGF-I-R mRNA, promoter activity, and ligand binding and with a reduction in IGF-I-stimulated cellular proliferation, thymidine incorporation, and anchorage-independent growth. These data suggest that a major aspect of the action of the WT1 tumor suppressor is the repression of IGF-I-R gene expression.     

基于对虾白斑综合症病毒极早期启动子的新型杆状病毒表达载体的构建与分析

摘要：【目的】构建携带有受杆状病毒多角体启动子控制的疱疹性口腔炎病毒糖蛋白(vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein, VSV G)和受白斑综合症病毒极早期基因(immediately-early gene 1,ie1)启动子控制的绿色荧光蛋白(enhanced green fluorescent protein, EGFP)两个表达阅读框的新型重组病毒vAc-G-EGFP,分析其在无脊椎动物和脊椎动物细胞系中表达报道基因的能力。【方法】 利用Bac-To-Bac 系统构建重组杆状病毒,利用病毒感染或转导实验介导报道基因在待测细胞系中的表达,用荧光显微镜和免疫印迹技术分析报道基因在待测细胞系中的实时表达情况。 【结果】成功构建了分别含VSV G 和 ie1启动子两个阅读框的重组杆状病毒vAc-G-EGFP,发现vAc-G-EGFP可以在无脊椎和脊椎动物细胞系中有效表达报道基因EGFP,免疫印迹实验显示,在不同时间点EGFP于这两类细胞中的表达存在差异。【结论】 基于白斑综合症病毒ie1启动子并携带有VSV G表达框的单一杆状病毒载体可以实现同时在不同种类细胞系中有效表达外源基因。本文构建的新型杆状病毒表达载体有希望普遍应用于基础和应用生物学研究。     

Compactin and simvastatin, but not pravastatin, induce bone morphogenetic protein-2 in human osteosarcoma cells

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, a member of the BMP family, plays an important role in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. To discover small molecules that induce BMP-2, a luciferase reporter vector containing the 5'-flanking promoter region of the human BMP-2 gene was constructed and transfected into human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells. By the screening of an in-house natural product library with stably transfected HOS cells, a fungal metabolite, compactin, known as an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, was isolated. The stimulation of the promoter activity by compactin seemed to be specific for BMP-2 gene in HOS cells, since it had little effect on BMP-4 or SV40 promoter activity and the stimulation was not observed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. RT-PCR analysis and alkaline phosphatase assay revealed that compactin induced an increase in the expression of BMP-2 mRNA and protein. Like compactin, simvastatin also activated the BMP-2 promoter, whereas pravastatin did not. The statin-mediated activation of BMP-2 promoter was completely inhibited by the downstream metabolite of HMG-CoA reductase, mevalonate, indicating that the activation was a result of the inhibition of the enzyme. These results suggest that statins, if they are selectively targeted to bone, have beneficial effects in the treatment of osteoporosis or bone fracture.     

An HSV-1 Vector Containing the Rat Tyrosine Hydroxylase Promoter Enhances Both Long-Term and Cell Type-Specific Expression in the Midbrain

Abstract: A defective herpes simplex virus type one (HSV-1) vector that contains a 6.8-kb fragment of the rat tyrosine hydroxylase promoter (pTHlac-7kb) was examined for its capability to target catecholaminergic cell type-specific expression in the CNS. Cell type-specific expression was assessed by comparison with a control vector (pHSVlac) that uses the HSV-1 immediate early 4/5 promoter to support expression in multiple cell types. In initial experiments comparing expression in catecholaminergic and noncatecholaminergic cell lines, pTHlac-7kb supported a seven- to 20-fold increase in reporter gene expression in catecholaminergic cell lines. Four days after stereotactic injection into the midbrain of adult rats, pTHlac-7kb supported a 10-fold targeting of β-galactosidase expression to tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta compared with pHSVlac. Expression from pTHlac-7kb was stably maintained for 6 weeks with no significant changes in the pattern of expression. Long-term expression from pTHlac-7kb was confirmed by RNA and DNA analysis. In contrast, reporter gene expression in the midbrain from pHSVlac decreased ∼30-fold between 4 days and 6 weeks after gene transfer. Thus, within the context of this HSV-1 vector system, the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter enhanced cell type-specific expression and contributed to stable, long-term expression of a recombinant gene product in neurons. The capability to target recombinant gene expression to catecholaminergic neurons in specific brain areas may be useful for studies on the roles of these neurons in brain physiology and behavior.