Changes in ErbB2 (her-2/neu), ErbB3, and ErbB4 during growth, differentiation, and apoptosis of normal rat mammary epithelial cells.

Studies were undertaken to examine the natural role of ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4 during the development of normal rat mammary epithelial cells (MECs) in vivo and in vitro. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that mammary gland terminal end buds expressed abundant ErbB2 and ErbB4 but limited ErbB3 in pubescent rats, whereas luminal epithelial cells in nulliparous rats expressed ErbB2, ErbB3, and/or ErbB4. During pregnancy, ductal epithelial cells and stromal cells expressed abundant ErbB3 but limited ErbB2. Although ErbB2 and ErbB3 were downregulated throughout lactation, both receptors were re-expressed during involution. In contrast, ErbB4 was downregulated throughout pregnancy, lactation, and involution. Immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation studies confirmed the developmental expression of ErbB2 and ErbB3 in the mammary gland and the co-localization of distinct ErbB receptors in the mammary gland of nulliparous rats. In agreement with our in vivo findings, primary culture studies demonstrated that ErbB2 and ErbB3 were expressed in functionally immature, terminally differentiated and apoptotic MECs, and downregulated in functionally differentiated MECs. ErbB receptor signaling was required for epithelial cell growth, functional differentiation, and morphogenesis of immature MECs, and the survival of terminally differentiated MECs. Finally, ErbB4 expression did not interfere with functional differentiation and apoptosis of normal MECs.     

转录因子AP-2beta和p53蛋白相互作用的研究

转录因子p53与AP-2基因家族成员AP-2beta发生突变后,均会导致个体出现相应的疾病。本文首先利用两个重组质粒p CMV-HA-p53和p Myc-AP-2beta,转染永生化的胚胎肾细胞HEK293(野生型),在细胞中表达相应蛋白质。通过免疫共沉淀实验证明AP-2beta和p53蛋白在体内可以相互作用。并将梯度增加的p MycAP-2beta质粒及等量p CMV-HA-p53质粒转染到HEK293细胞,SDS-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳实验证明AP-2beta能正向调控p53蛋白的表达。为了进一步探讨AP-2beta与p53的作用机制,利用蛋白质合成抑制剂CHX(cycloheximide)处理转染了AP-2beta与p53表达质粒的细胞,实验结果说明,AP-2beta能增加p53蛋白的稳定性来调控p53的表达。     

Multiple Functions of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 E6 Contribute to the Immortalization of Mammary Epithelial Cells

The E6 proteins from cervical cancer-associated human papillomavirus (HPV) types such as HPV type 16 (HPV-16) induce proteolysis of the p53 tumor suppressor protein through interaction with E6-AP. We have previously shown that human mammary epithelial cells (MECs) immortalized by HPV-16 E6 display low levels of p53. HPV-16 E6 as well as other cancer-related papillomavirus E6 proteins also binds the cellular protein E6BP (ERC-55). To explore the potential functional significance of these interactions, we created and analyzed a series of E6 mutants for their ability to interact with E6-AP, p53, and E6BP in vitro. While there was a similar pattern of binding among these E6 targets, a subset of mutants differentiated E6-AP binding, p53 binding, and p53 degradation activities. These results demonstrated that E6 binding to E6-AP is not sufficient for binding to p53 and that E6 binding to p53 is not sufficient for inducing p53 degradation. The in vivo activity of these HPV-16 E6 mutants was tested in MECs. In agreement with the in vitro results, most of these p53 degradation-defective E6 mutants were unable to reduce the p53 level in early-passage MECs. Interestingly, several mutants that showed severely reduced ability for interacting with E6-AP, p53, and E6BP in vitro efficiently immortalized MECs. These immortalized cells exhibited low p53 levels at late passage. Furthermore, mutants defective for p53 degradation but able to immortalize MECs were also identified, and the immortal cells retained normal levels of p53 protein. These results imply that multiple functions of HPV-16 E6 contribute to MEC immortalization.     

Dual activity of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate on kappaB-dependent gene expression in U937 cells: II. Regulation by tumour necrosis factor-alpha.

In the human promonocytic U937 cell line, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) was a potent inhibitor of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) signalling pathway induced by the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). However, PDTC did not inhibit tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced NF-kappaB DNA binding activity but potentiated the effect of TNF-alpha on kappaB-dependent gene expression. The stimulatory effect of PDTC with TNF-alpha was not observed with an HIV-1 LTR reporter construct containing two mutated kappaB binding sites or with a construct with a mutation of the activating protein (AP)-2 binding site located between the two kappaB elements. Two distinct signalling pathways, one mediated by TPA and the other by TNF-alpha, were shown to interact, functionally defining a threshold important in the inhibitory or stimulatory effect of PDTC on kappaB-dependent gene expression. Evidence that PDTC induced AP-1 DNA binding and AP-1 reporter gene activity, raised the hypothesis that the effect of PDTC was mediated by an interaction between the AP-1 pathway and p65(RelA). Co-transfection with expression vectors for p65(RelA) and the AP-1 subunits c-Fos and c-Jun resulted in a decrease in the stimulatory effect of PDTC on HIV-1 LTR activity. Co-transfection of p65(RelA) with Tam67, a dominant negative mutant of c-Jun defective in transactivation, stimulated the effect of PDTC on HIV-1 LTR activity. Evidence that the stimulatory effect of Tam67 with PDTC was reduced with c-Jun is consistent with the hypothesis.     

Opi1p,Ume6p and Sin3p control expression from the promoter of the INO2 regulatory gene via a novel regulatory cascade

The INO2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for expression of most of the phospholipid biosynthetic genes. INO2 expression is regulated by a complex cascade that includes autoregulation, Opi1p-mediated repression and Ume6p-mediated activation. To screen for mutants with altered INO2 expression directly, we constructed an INO2-HIS3 reporter that provides a plate assay for INO2 promoter activity. This reporter was used to isolate mutants (dim1) that fail to repress expression of the INO2 gene in an otherwise wild-type strain. The dim1 mutants contain mutations in the OPI1 gene. To define further the mechanism for Ume6p regulation of INO2 expression, we isolated suppressors (rum1, 2, 3) of the ume6Delta mutation that overexpress the INO2-HIS3 gene. Two of the rum mutant groups contain mutations in the OPI1 and SIN3 genes showing that opi1 and sin3 mutations are epistatic to the ume6Delta mutation. These results are surprising given that Ume6p, Sin3p and Rpd3p are known to form a complex that represses the expression of a diverse set of yeast genes. This prompted us to examine the effect of sin3Delta and rpd3Delta mutants on INO2-cat expression. Surprisingly, the sin3Delta allele overexpressed INO2-cat, whereas the rpd3Delta mutant had no effect. We also show that the UME6 gene does not affect the expression of an OPI1-cat reporter. This suggests that Ume6p does not regulate INO2 expression indirectly by regulating OPI1 expression.