Autophagy is dispensable for Kmt2a/Mll-Mllt3/Af9 AML maintenance and anti-leukemic effect of chloroquine

Recently, macroautophagy/autophagy has emerged as a promising target in various types of solid tumor treatment. However, the impact of autophagy on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) maintenance and the validity of autophagy as a viable target in AML therapy remain unclear. Here we show that Kmt2a/Mll-Mllt3/Af9 AML (MA9-AML) cells have high autophagy flux compared with normal bone marrow cells, but autophagy-specific targeting, either through Rb1cc1-disruption to abolish autophagy initiation, or via Atg5-disruption to prevent phagophore (the autophagosome precursor) membrane elongation, does not affect the growth or survival of MA9-AML cells, either in vitro or in vivo. Mechanistically, neither Atg5 nor Rb1cc1 disruption impairs endolysosome formation or survival signaling pathways. The autophagy inhibitor chloroquine shows autophagy-independent anti-leukemic effects in vitro but has no efficacy in vivo likely due to limited achievable drug efficacy in blood. Further, vesicular exocytosis appears to mediate chloroquine resistance in AML cells, and exocytotic inhibition significantly enhances the anti-leukemic effect of chloroquine. Thus, chloroquine can induce leukemia cell death in vitro in an autophagy-independent manner but with inadequate efficacy in vivo, and vesicular exocytosis is a possible mechanism of chloroquine resistance in MA9-AML. This study also reveals that autophagy-specific targeting is unlikely to benefit MA9-AML therapy.     

The Bcl-2 Homology Domain 3 Mimetic Gossypol Induces Both Beclin 1-dependent and Beclin 1-independent Cytoprotective Autophagy in Cancer Cells

Gossypol, a natural Bcl-2 homology domain 3 mimetic compound isolated from cottonseeds, is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Here, we provide evidence that gossypol induces autophagy followed by apoptotic cell death in both the MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma and HeLa cell lines. We first show that knockdown of the Bcl-2 homology domain 3-only protein Beclin 1 reduces gossypol-induced autophagy in MCF-7 cells, but not in HeLa cells. Gossypol inhibits the interaction between Beclin 1 and Bcl-2 (B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2), antagonizes the inhibition of autophagy by Bcl-2, and hence stimulates autophagy. We then show that knockdown of Vps34 reduces gossypol-induced autophagy in both cell lines, and consistent with this, the phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate-binding protein WIPI-1 is recruited to autophagosomal membranes. Further, Atg5 knockdown also reduces gossypol-mediated autophagy. We conclude that gossypol induces autophagy in both a canonical and a noncanonical manner. Notably, we found that gossypol-mediated apoptotic cell death was potentiated by treatment with the autophagy inhibitor wortmannin or with small interfering RNA against essential autophagy genes (Vps34, Beclin 1, and Atg5). Our findings support the notion that gossypol-induced autophagy is cytoprotective and not part of the cell death process induced by this compound.     

Apoptotic and autophagic responses to photodynamic therapy in 1c1c7 murine hepatoma cells

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a process that can induce apoptosis, autophagy or both depending on the cell phenotype. Apoptosis is a pathway to cell death while autophagy can protect from photokilling or act as a death pathway. In a previous study, we reported a cytoprotective effect of autophagy in murine leukemia cell lines where both autophagy and apoptosis occur within minutes after irradiation of photosensitized cells. In this study, we examined the effects of mitochondrial photodamage catalyzed by low (≤1 μM) concentrations of the photosensitizing agent termed benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD, Verteporfin) on murine hepatoma 1c1c7 cells. Apoptosis was not observed until several hours after irradiation of photosensitized cells. Autophagy was clearly cytoprotective since PDT efficacy was significantly enhanced in a knockdown sub-line (KD) in which the level of a critical autophagy protein (Atg7) was markedly reduced. This result indicates that autophagy can protect from phototoxicity even when apoptosis is substantially delayed. Much higher concentrations (≥10 μM) of BPD had previously been shown to inhibit autophagosome formation. Phototoxicity studies performed with 10 μM BPD and a proportionally reduced light dose were consistent with the absence of an autophagic process in wild-type (WT) cells under these conditions.     

Resveratrol enhances the therapeutic effect of temozolomide against malignant glioma in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting autophagy

The alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) is the major chemotherapeutic drug used clinically in the treatment of malignant gliomas. This study investigated the mechanism behind TMZ-induced cell death and the possibility that resveratrol might increase TMZ efficacy. TMZ induced both apoptotic cell death and cytoprotective autophagy through a reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation, which was suppressed by resveratrol, resulting in a decrease in autophagy and an increase in apoptosis, suggesting that the ROS/ERK pathway plays a crucial role in the fate of cells after TMZ treatment. Isobolographic analysis indicated that the combination of TMZ and resveratrol has a synergistic effect. Moreover, an in vivo mouse xenograft study also showed that coadministration of resveratrol and TMZ reduced tumor volumes by suppressing ROS/ERK-mediated autophagy and subsequently inducing apoptosis. Taken together, our data indicate that TMZ-induced ROS/ERK-mediated autophagy protected glioma cells from apoptosis, and the combination of resveratrol with TMZ could improve the efficacy of chemotherapy for brain tumors.     

Apoptotic and autophagic responses to photodynamic therapy in 1c1c7 murine hepatoma cells

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a process that can induce apoptosis, autophagy or both depending on the cell phenotype. Apoptosis is a pathway to cell death while autophagy can protect from photokilling or act as a death pathway. In a previous study, we reported a cytoprotective effect of autophagy in murine leukemia cell lines where both autophagy and apoptosis occur within minutes after irradiation of photosensitized cells. In this study, we examined the effects of mitochondrial photodamage catalyzed by low (≤ 1 μM) concentrations of the photosensitizing agent termed benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD, Verteporfin) on murine hepatoma 1c1c7 cells. Apoptosis was not observed until several hours after irradiation of photosensitized cells. Autophagy was clearly cytoprotective since PDT efficacy was significantly enhanced in a knockdown sub-line (KD) in which the level of a critical autophagy protein (Atg7) was markedly reduced. This result indicates that autophagy can protect from phototoxicity even when apoptosis is substantially delayed. Much higher concentrations (≥ 10 μM) of BPD had previously been shown to inhibit autophagosome formation. Phototoxicity studies performed with 10 μM BPD and a proportionally reduced light dose were consistent with the absence of an autophagic process in wild-type (WT) cells under these conditions.     

Inhibition of Autophagy Potentiated the Antitumor Effect of Nedaplatin in Cisplatin-Resistant Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells

Nedaplatin, a cisplatin analog, was developed to reduce the toxicity of cisplatin, whereas it can be cross-resistant with cisplatin in some circumstances. This study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy in nedaplatin induced cell death in cisplatin-resistant nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Here, we showed that HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells were resistant to nedaplatin-induced cell death with reduced apoptotic activity. Nedaplatin treatment resulted in autophagosome accumulation and increased expression of LC3-II, indicating the induction of autophagy by nedaplatin in HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells. Inhibition of autophagy by Bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1) and 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) remarkably enhanced the antitumor efficacy of nedaplatin in HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells, suggesting that the resistance to nedaplatin-induced cell death was caused by enhanced autophagy in nedaplatin-resistant NPC cells. Additionally, Baf A1 enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptosis induced by nedaplatin in HNE1/DDP cells. Mechanistically, nedaplatin treatment caused activation of ERK1/2 and suppression of Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. While inhibition of ERK1/2 by MEK1/2 inhibitor, U0126, could reduce the expression of LC3-II in nedaplatin-resistant NPC cells. Furthermore, suppression of ROS could inhibit nedaplatin-induced ERK activation in HNE1/DDP cells, indicating that ROS and ERK were involved in nedaplatin-induced autophagy. Together, these findings suggested that autophagy played a cytoprotective role in nedaplatin-induced cytotoxicity of HNE1/DDP and CNE2/DDP cells. Furthermore, our results highlighted a potential approach to restore the sensitivity of cisplatin-resistant nasopharyngeal cancer cells to nedaplatin in combination with autophagy inhibitors.     

EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors activate autophagy as a cytoprotective response in human lung cancer cells

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib have been widely used in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. Unfortunately, the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs is limited because of natural and acquired resistance. As a novel cytoprotective mechanism for tumor cell to survive under unfavorable conditions, autophagy has been proposed to play a role in drug resistance of tumor cells. Whether autophagy can be activated by gefitinib or erlotinib and thereby impair the sensitivity of targeted therapy to lung cancer cells remains unknown. Here, we first report that gefitinib or erlotinib can induce a high level of autophagy, which was accompanied by the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Moreover, cytotoxicity induced by gefitinib or erlotinib was greatly enhanced after autophagy inhibition by the pharmacological inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) and siRNAs targeting ATG5 and ATG7, the most important components for the formation of autophagosome. Interestingly, EGFR-TKIs can still induce cell autophagy even after EGFR expression was reduced by EGFR specific siRNAs. In conclusion, we found that autophagy can be activated by EGFR-TKIs in lung cancer cells and inhibition of autophagy augmented the growth inhibitory effect of EGFR-TKIs. Autophagy inhibition thus represents a promising approach to improve the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.     

zVAD-induced autophagic cell death requires c-Src-dependent ERK and JNK activation and reactive oxygen species generation

The treatment of L929 fibrosarcoma cells with zVAD has been shown to induce necroptosis. However, whether autophagy is involved or not in this event remains controversial. In this study, we re-examined the role of autophagy in zVAD-induced cell death in L929 cells and further elucidated the signaling pathways triggered by caspase inhibition and contributing to autophagic death. First, we found that zVAD can stimulate LC3-II formation, autophagosome and autolysosome formation, and ROS accumulation. Antioxidants, beclin 1 or Atg5 silencing, and class III PtdIns3K inhibitors all effectively blocked ROS production and cell death, suggesting ROS accumulation downstream of autophagy contributes to cell necrosis. zVAD also stimulated PARP activation, and the PARP inhibitor DPQ can reduce zVAD-induced cell death, but did not affect ROS production, suggesting the increased ROS leads to PARP activation and cell death. Notably, our data also indicated the involvement of Src-dependent JNK and ERK in zVAD-induced ROS production and autophagic death. We found caspase 8 is associated with c-Src at the resting state, and upon zVAD treatment this association was decreased and accompanied by c-Src activation. In conclusion, we confirm the autophagic death in zVAD-treated L929 cells, and define a new molecular pathway in which Src-dependent ERK and JNK activation can link a signal from caspase inhibition to autophagy, which in turn induce ROS production and PARP activation, eventually leading to necroptosis. Thus, in addition to initiating proteolytic activity for cell apoptosis, inactivated caspase 8 also functions as a signaling molecule for autophagic death.     

Dendropanoxide Induces Autophagy through ERK1/2 Activation in MG-63 Human Osteosarcoma Cells and Autophagy Inhibition Enhances Dendropanoxide-Induced Apoptosis

Anticancer effects of dendropanoxide (DP) newly isolated from leaves and stem of Dendropanax morbifera Leveille were firstly investigated in this study. DP inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manner in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells, which was dependent on the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol and the activation of caspases. Moreover, the DP-treated cells exhibited autophagy, as characterized by the punctuate patterns of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) by confocal microscopy and the appearance of autophagic vacuoles by MDC staining. The expression levels of ATG7, Beclin-1 and LC3-II were also increased by DP treatment. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and wortmannin (Wort) significantly enhanced DP-induced apoptosis. DP treatment also caused a time-dependent increase in protein levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation with U0126 resulted in a decreased DP-induced autophagy that was accompanied by an increased apoptosis and a decreased cell viability. These results indicate a cytoprotective function of autophagy against DP-induced apoptosis and suggest that the combination of DP treatment with autophagy inhibition may be a promising strategy for human osteosarcoma control. Taken together, this study demonstrated for the first time that DP could induce autophagy through ERK1/2 activation in human osteosarcoma cells and autophagy inhibition enhanced DP-induced apoptosis.     

Compensatory activation of ERK1/2 in Atg5-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts suppresses oxidative stress-induced cell death

Despite of the increasing evidence that oxidative stress may induce non-apoptotic cell death or autophagic cell death, the mechanism of this process is unclear. Here, we report a role and a down-stream molecular event of Atg5 during oxidative stress-induced cell death. Compared to wild type (WT) cells, Atg5-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts (Atg5-/- MEFs) and Atg5 knockdown HT22 neuronal cells were more resistant to cell death induced by H2O2. On the contrary, Atg5-/- MEFs were as sensitive to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and cycloheximide as WT cells, and were more sensitive to cell death triggered by amino acid-deprivation than WT MEFs. Treatment with H2O2 induced the recruitment of a GFP-LC3 fusion protein and conversion of LC3 I to LC3 II, correlated with the extent of autophagosome formation in WT cells, but much less in Atg5-deficient cells. Among stress kinases, ERK1/2 was markedly activated in Atg5-/- MEFs and Atg5 knockdown HT22 and SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. The inhibition of ERK1/2 by MEK1 inhibitor (PD98059) or dominant negative ERK2 enhanced the susceptibility of Atg5-/- MEFs to H2O2-induced cell death. Further, reconstitution of Atg5 sensitized Atg5-/- MEFs to H2O2 and suppressed the activation of ERK1/2. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of Atg5 deficiency on cell death is attributable by the compensatory activation of ERK1/2 in Atg5-/- MEFs during oxidative stress-induced cell death.     

Combination Erlotinib-Cisplatin and Atg3-Mediated Autophagy in Erlotinib Resistant Lung Cancer

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erlotinib are commonly used as a therapeutic agent against cancer due to its relatively low side-effect profile and, at times, greater efficacy. However, erlotinib resistance (ER) in non-small cell lung cancer is being recognized as a major problem. Therefore, understanding the mechanism behind ER and developing effective regimens are needed. Autophagy’s role in cancer has been controversial and remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of low dose erlotinib-cisplatin combination in erlotinib resistant lung adenocarcinoma (ERPC9) cells and the role of autophagy in ER. ERPC9 cells were established from erlotinib sensitive PC9 cells. Appropriate treatments were done over two days and cell survival was quantified with Alamar Blue assay. LC3II and regulatory proteins of autophagy were measured by western blot. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was utilized to inhibit translation of the protein of interest. In ERPC9 cells, combination treatment induced synergistic cell death and a significant decrease in autophagy. At baseline, ERPC9 cells had a significantly higher LC3II and lower p-mTOR levels compared to PC9 cells. The addition of rapamycin increased resistance and 3-methyladenine sensitized ERPC9 cells, indicating autophagy may be acting as a protective mechanism. Further examination revealed that ERPC9 cells harbored high baseline Atg3 levels. The high basal Atg3 was targeted and significantly lowered with combination treatment. siRNA transfection of Atg3 resulted in the reversal of ER; 42.0% more cells died in erlotinib-alone treatment with transfection compared to non-transfected ERPC9 cells. We reveal a novel role for Atg3 in the promotion of ER as the inhibition of Atg3 translation was able to result in the re-sensitization of ERPC9 cells to erlotinib-alone treatment. Also, we demonstrate that combination erlotinib-cisplatin is an effective treatment against erlotinib resistant cancer by targeting (down-regulating) Atg3 mediated autophagy and induction of apoptotic cell death.     

When cytoprotective autophagy isn’t… and even when it is

Multiple papers have been published that have identified and/or characterized the cytoprotective function of autophagy, primarily in tumor cells exposed to chemotherapy or radiation. These studies have relied on pharmacological and/or genetic interference with autophagy to establish its protective function, often primarily by demonstrating that cells in which autophagy has been suppressed undergo increased apoptosis. The purpose of this Editor’s Corner is to emphasize that these approaches, while absolutely necessary, are of themselves insufficient to support the conclusion that autophagy is cytoprotective in a given experimental tumor line exposed to a particular agent; complementary studies are required that demonstrate that autophagy inhibition sensitizes the tumor cell to the autophagy-inducing treatment. Otherwise, autophagy may be responsible for the growth arrest and/or cell death that is observed with the drug or radiation treatment alone, and autophagy inhibition may simply be converting one form of growth inhibition/cell death to an alternative pathway that achieves the same end result in terms of sensitivity to the treatment.     

A plant triterpenoid, avicin D, induces autophagy by activation of AMP-activated protein kinase

Avicins, a family of plant triterpene electrophiles, can trigger apoptosis-associated tumor cell death, and suppress chemical-induced carcinogenesis by its anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and antioxidant properties. Here, we show that tumor cells treated with benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartic acid (O-methyl)-fluoro-methylketone, an apoptosis inhibitor, and Bax(-/-)Bak(-/-) apoptosis-resistant cells can still undergo cell death in response to avicin D treatment. We demonstrate that this non-apoptotic cell death is mediated by autophagy, which can be suppressed by chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, and by specific knockdown of autophagy-related gene-5 (Atg5) and Atg7. Avicin D decreases cellular ATP levels, stimulates the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and S6 kinase activity. Suppression of AMPK by compound C and dominant-negative AMPK decreases avicin D-induced autophagic cell death. Furthermore, avicin D-induced autophagic cell death can be abrogated by knockdown of tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2), a key mediator linking AMPK to mTOR inhibition, suggesting that AMPK activation is a crucial event targeted by avicin D. These findings indicate the therapeutic potential of avicins by triggering autophagic cell death.     

Activation of Raf1 and the ERK pathway in response to l-ascorbic acid in acute myeloid leukemia cells

L-ascorbic acid (LAA) shows cytotoxicity and induces apoptosis of malignant cells in vitro, but the mechanisms by which such effects occur have not been elucidated. In the present study, we provide evidence that the ERK MAP kinase pathway is activated in response to LAA (< 1 mM) in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines. LAA treatment of cells induces a dose-dependent phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and results in activation of its catalytic domain. Our data also demonstrate that the small G protein Raf1 and MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 are activated by LAA as an upstream and a downstream regulator of ERK, respectively. Although the ERK pathway has been known to activate cell proliferation, pharmacologic inhibition of ERK reduces LAA-dependent apoptosis and growth inhibitory response of acute myeloid leukemia cell lines, suggesting that this signaling cascade positively regulates induction of apoptotic response by LAA.     

Autophagy promotes survival of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve axotomy in mice

Autophagy is an essential recycling pathway implicated in neurodegeneration either as a pro-survival or a pro-death mechanism. Its role after axonal injury is still uncertain. Axotomy of the optic nerve is a classical model of neurodegeneration. It induces retinal ganglion cell death, a process also occurring in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies. We analyzed autophagy induction and cell survival following optic nerve transection (ONT) in mice. Our results demonstrate activation of autophagy shortly after axotomy with autophagosome formation, upregulation of the autophagy regulator Atg5 and apoptotic death of 50% of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after 5 days. Genetic downregulation of autophagy using knockout mice for Atg4B (another regulator of autophagy) or with specific deletion of Atg5 in retinal ganglion cells, using the Atg5(flox/flox) mice reduces cell survival after ONT, whereas pharmacological induction of autophagy in vivo increases the number of surviving cells. In conclusion, our data support that autophagy has a cytoprotective role in RGCs after traumatic injury and may provide a new therapeutic strategy to ameliorate retinal diseases.     

When cytoprotective autophagy isn’t… and even when it is

Multiple papers have been published that have identified and/or characterized the cytoprotective function of autophagy, primarily in tumor cells exposed to chemotherapy or radiation. These studies have relied on pharmacological and/or genetic interference with autophagy to establish its protective function, often primarily by demonstrating that cells in which autophagy has been suppressed undergo increased apoptosis. The purpose of this Editor’s Corner is to emphasize that these approaches, while absolutely necessary, are of themselves insufficient to support the conclusion that autophagy is cytoprotective in a given experimental tumor line exposed to a particular agent; complementary studies are required that demonstrate that autophagy inhibition sensitizes the tumor cell to the autophagy-inducing treatment. Otherwise, autophagy may be responsible for the growth arrest and/or cell death that is observed with the drug or radiation treatment alone, and autophagy inhibition may simply be converting one form of growth inhibition/cell death to an alternative pathway that achieves the same end result in terms of sensitivity to the treatment.     

Inhibition of mTOR-Dependent Autophagy Sensitizes Leukemic Cells to Cytarabine-Induced Apoptotic Death

The present study investigated the role of autophagy, a cellular self-digestion process, in the cytotoxicity of antileukemic drug cytarabine towards human leukemic cell lines (REH, HL-60, MOLT-4) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from leukemic patients. The induction of autophagy was confirmed by acridine orange staining of intracellular acidic vesicles, electron microscopy visualization of autophagic vacuoles, as well as by the increase in autophagic proteolysis and autophagic flux, demonstrated by immunoblot analysis of p62 downregulation and LC3-I conversion to autophagosome-associated LC3-II in the presence of proteolysis inhibitors, respectively. Moreover, the expression of autophagy-related genes Atg4, Atg5 and Atg7 was stimulated by cytarabine in REH cells. Cytarabine reduced the phosphorylation of the major negative regulator of autophagy, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and its downstream target p70S6 kinase in REH cells, which was associated with downregulation of mTOR activator Akt and activation of extracellular signal- regulated kinase. Cytarabine had no effect on the activation of mTOR inhibitor AMP-activated protein kinase. Leucine, an mTOR activator, reduced both cytarabine-induced autophagy and cytotoxicity. Accordingly, pharmacological downregulation of autophagy with bafilomycin A1 and chloroquine, or RNA interference-mediated knockdown of LC3β or p62, markedly increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial depolarization, caspase activation and subsequent DNA fragmentation and apoptotic death in cytarabine-treated REH cells. Cytarabine also induced mTOR-dependent cytoprotective autophagy in HL-60 and MOLT-4 leukemic cell lines, as well as primary leukemic cells, but not normal leukocytes. These data suggest that the therapeutic efficiency of cytarabine in leukemic patients could be increased by the inhibition of the mTOR-dependent autophagic response.     

The impact of autophagy on the development of senescence in primary tubular epithelial cells

Autophagy and senescence are 2 distinct pathways that are importantly involved in acute kidney injury and renal repair. Recent data indicate that the 2 processes might be interrelated. To investigate the potential link between autophagy and senescence in the kidney we isolated primary tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) from wild-type mice and monitored the occurrence of cellular senescence during autophagy activation and inhibition. We found that the process of cell isolation and transfer into culture was associated with a strong basal autophagic activation in PTEC. Specific inhibition of autophagy by silencing autophagy-related 5 (Atg5) counteracted the occurrence of senescence hallmarks under baseline conditions. Reduced senescent features were also observed in Atg5 silenced PTEC after γ-irradiation and during H-Ras induced oncogenic senescence, but the response was less uniform in these stress models. Senescence inhibition was paralleled by better preservation of a mature epithelial phenotype in PTEC. Interestingly, treatment with rapamycin, which acts as an activator of autophagy, also counteracted the occurrence of senescence features in PTEC. While we interpret the anti-senescent effect of rapamycin as an autophagy-independent effect of mTOR-inhibition, the more specific approach of Atg5 silencing indicates that overactivated autophagy can have pro-senescent effects in PTEC. These results highlight the complex interaction between cell culture dependent stress mechanisms, autophagy and senescence.     

Autophagy regulates myeloid cell differentiation by p62/SQSTM1-mediated degradation of PML-RARα oncoprotein

PML-RARα oncoprotein is a fusion protein of promyelocytic leukemia (PML) and the retinoic acid receptor-α (RARα) and causes acute promyelocytic leukemias (APL). A hallmark of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) responses in APL is PML-RARα degradation which promotes cell differentiation. Here, we demonstrated that autophagy is a crucial regulator of PML-RARα degradation. Inhibition of autophagy by short hairpin (sh) RNA that target essential autophagy genes such as Atg1, Atg5 and PI3KC3 and by autophagy inhibitors (e.g. 3-methyladenine), blocked PML-RARα degradation and subsequently granulocytic differentiation of human myeloid leukemic cells. In contrast, rapamycin, the mTOR kinase inhibitor, enhanced autophagy and promoted ATRA-induced PML-RARα degradation and myeloid cell differentiation. Moreover, PML-RARα co-immunoprecipitated with ubiquitin-binding adaptor protein p62/SQSTM1, which is degraded through autophagy. Furthermore, knockdown of p62/SQSTM1 inhibited ATRA-induced PML-RARα degradation and myeloid cell differentiation. The identification of PML-RARα as a target of autophagy provides new insight into the mechanism of action of ATRA and its specificity for APL.     

Autophagy regulates myeloid cell differentiation by p62/SQSTM1-mediated degradation of PML-RARα oncoprotein

PML-RARα oncoprotein is a fusion protein of promyelocytic leukemia (PML) and the retinoic acid receptor-α (RARα) and causes acute promyelocytic leukemias (APL). A hallmark of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) responses in APL is PML-RARα degradation which promotes cell differentiation. Here, we demonstrated that autophagy is a crucial regulator of PML-RARα degradation. Inhibition of autophagy by short hairpin (sh) RNA that target essential autophagy genes such as Atg1, Atg5 and PI3KC3 and by autophagy inhibitors (e.g. 3-methyladenine), blocked PML-RARα degradation and subsequently granulocytic differentiation of human myeloid leukemic cells. In contrast, rapamycin, the mTOR kinase inhibitor, enhanced autophagy and promoted ATRA-induced PML-RARα degradation and myeloid cell differentiation. Moreover, PML-RARα co-immunoprecipitated with ubiquitin-binding adaptor protein p62/SQSTM1, which is degraded through autophagy. Furthermore, knockdown of p62/SQSTM1 inhibited ATRA-induced PML-RARα degradation and myeloid cell differentiation. The identification of PML-RARα as a target of autophagy provides new insight into the mechanism of action of ATRA and its specificity for APL.