端粒酶反义cDNA对乳腺癌细胞损伤修复能力的影响

 利用反义核酸技术将端粒酶RNA的全长cDNA反向导入乳腺癌MCF 7细胞基因组中 .通过单细胞凝胶电泳实验发现 ,其DNA受H2 O2 损伤后的修复能力下降 .但端粒酶活性抑制为何引起其DNA损伤修复能力下降的原因尚待进一步研究 .     

RASAL1 influences the proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells by regulating the RAS/ERK signaling pathway

The aim of this study was to investigate the biological characteristics of the RASAL1 gene in a well-differentiated gastric cancer cell line MKN-28 and a poorly differentiated gastric cancer cell line BGC-823 cells, using RNA interference and gene transfection technology, respectively. MKN-28 cells were transfected with the shRNA of RASAL1 and BGC-823 cells were transfected with the pcDNA 3.1 plasmid vector containing RASAL1. RT-PCR and western blotting were then used to detect the expression of RASAL1 mRNA and protein. The activities of RAS and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 were analyzed by the pull-down method and western blotting. The proliferate capacity, apoptosis rate, invasive and migratory potentials of MKN-28 or BGC-823 cells were also measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 cell proliferation assay, propidium iodide/Annexin V staining coupled with flow cytometry, and transwell chamber assays, respectively. Measurement of RASAL1 mRNA and protein expression in two cells revealed successful transfection of the shRNA of RASAL1 and RASAL1-pcDNA3.1 plasmid into these two cells. Moreover, decreased expression of RASAL1 in MKN-28 cells resulted in increased expression of RAS-GTP and p-ERK1/2. Interestingly, decreased expression of RASAL1 inhibited apoptosis and facilitated cell proliferation, invasion and migration. The increased expression of RASAL1 in BGC-823 cells caused declined expression of RAS-GTP and p-ERK1/2, as well as promoted apoptosis and restrained cell proliferation, invasion and migration. The down-regulation of RASAL1 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of gastric cancer MKN-28 cells, and up-regulation of RASAL1 inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of BGC-823 gastric cancer cells by regulating the RAS/ERK signaling pathway. Thus, our results suggest that RASAL1 may play an important role as a tumor suppressor gene in gastric cancer.     

Cell cycle-dependent recruitment of telomerase RNA and Cajal bodies to human telomeres

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that counteracts replicative telomere erosion by adding telomeric sequence repeats onto chromosome ends. Despite its well-established role in telomere synthesis, telomerase has not yet been detected at telomeres. The RNA component of human telomerase (hTR) resides in the nucleoplasmic Cajal bodies (CBs) of interphase cancer cells. Here, in situ hybridization demonstrates that in human HeLa and Hep2 S phase cells, besides accumulating in CBs, hTR specifically concentrates at a few telomeres that also accumulate the TRF1 and TRF2 telomere marker proteins. Surprisingly, telomeres accumulating hTR exhibit a great accessibility for in situ oligonucleotide hybridization without chromatin denaturation, suggesting that they represent a structurally distinct, minor subset of HeLa telomeres. Moreover, we demonstrate that more than 25% of telomeres accumulating hTR colocalize with CBs. Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy demonstrates that CBs moving in the nucleoplasm of S phase cells transiently associate for 10-40 min with telomeres. Our data raise the intriguing possibility that CBs may deliver hTR to telomeres and/or may function in other aspects of telomere maintenance.     

Telomerase inhibition is a specific early event in salvicine-treated human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells

The telomere and telomerase have been suggested as targets for anticancer drug discovery. However, the mechanisms by which conventional anticancer drugs affect these targets are currently unclear. The novel topoisomerase II inhibitor, salvicine, suppresses telomerase activity in leukemia HL-60 cells. To further determine whether this activity of salvicine is specific to the hematological tumor and distinct from those of other conventional anticancer agents, we studied its effects on telomere and telomerase in a solid lung carcinoma cell line, A549. Differences in telomerase inhibition and telomere erosion were observed between salvcine and other anticancer agents. All anticancer agents (except adriamycin) induced shortening of the telomere, which was identified independent of replication, but only salvicine inhibited telomerase activity in A549 cells under conditions of high concentration and short-term exposure. At the low concentration and long-term exposure mode, all the tested anticancer agents shortened the telomere and inhibited telomerase activity in the same cell line. Notably, salvicine inhibited telomerase activity more severely than the other agents examined. Moreover, the compound inhibited telomerase activity in A549 cells indirectly in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Salvicine did not affect the expression of hTERT, hTP1, and hTR mRNA in A549 cells following 4 h of exposure. Okadaic acid protected telomerase from inhibition by salvicine. These results indicate specificity of salvicine and diversity of anticancer agents in the mechanism of interference with telomerase and the telomere system. Our data should be helpful for designing the study in the development of agents acting on telomere and/or telomerase.     

Telomerase enzymatic component hTERT shortens long telomeres in human cells

Telomere lengths are tightly regulated within a narrow range in normal human cells. Previous studies have extensively focused on how short telomeres are extended and have demonstrated that telomerase plays a central role in elongating short telomeres. However, much about the molecular mechanisms of regulating excessively long telomeres is unknown. In this report, we demonstrated that the telomerase enzymatic component, hTERT, plays a dual role in the regulation of telomere length. It shortens excessively long telomeres and elongates short telomeres simultaneously in one cell, maintaining the optimal telomere length at each chromosomal end for efficient protection. This novel hTERT-mediated telomere-shortening mechanism not only exists in cancer cells, but also in primary human cells. The hTERT-mediated telomere shortening requires hTERT’s enzymatic activity, but the telomerase RNA component, hTR, is not involved in that process. We found that expression of hTERT increases telomeric circular DNA formation, suggesting that telomere homologous recombination is involved in the telomere-shortening process. We further demonstrated that shelterin protein TPP1 interacts with hTERT and recruits hTERT onto the telomeres, suggesting that TPP1 might be involved in regulation of telomere shortening. This study reveals a novel function of hTERT in telomere length regulation and adds a new element to the current molecular model of telomere length maintenance.     

Identification of an alternative form of caspase-9 in human gastric cancer cell lines: a role of a caspase-9 variant in apoptosis resistance

Overcoming apoptosis resistance to chemotherapy and radiation may lead to a reduction in gastric cancer death. We hypothesize that the apoptotic machinery in gastric cancer cells is dependent upon specific cellular conditions. In the course of our study of the expression of apoptosis-related genes in human gastric cancer cell lines, we have identified a cDNA clone which predicts an alternative form of caspase-9. The caspase-9 variant, which we designated as caspase-9 beta, retained a truncated structure of native caspase-9 without its catalytic domain and was expressed in seven cell lines from human gastric cancer. Among the cell lines examined, MKN-28 cells, which exhibited the most resistance against apoptotic stimuli, expressed the highest level of caspase-9 beta. The induction of apoptosis by staurosporine or actinomycin D was markedly suppressed in caspase-9 beta-transfected HeLa cells. These results are consistent with our hypothesis that the caspase-9 beta may be an endogenous dominant-negative molecule which attenuates apoptotic activity in human gastric cancer cells.     

hnRNP A1 may interact simultaneously with telomeric DNA and the human telomerase RNA in vitro

The hnRNP A1 protein and a shortened derivative (UP1) promote telomere elongation in mammalian cells. In support of a direct role for A1 in telomere biogenesis, we have shown that the recombinant UP1 protein binds to telomeric DNA sequences in vitro, and pulls down telomerase activity from a cell extract. Here we show that A1/UP1 can interact directly with the RNA component of human telomerase (hTR). A portion of A1/UP1 that contains RNA recognition motif 2 (RRM2) is sufficient for an interaction with the first 208 nt of hTR. Given that the portion of A1/UP1 that contains RRM1 is sufficient for binding to a telomeric DNA oligonucleotide, we have tested whether A1/UP1 can interact simultaneously with both nucleic acids. Using a chromatography assay, we find that A1/UP1 bound to hTR can interact with telomeric DNA. Notably, these interactions are sufficiently robust to withstand incubation in a cell extract. Our results suggest that hnRNP A1 may help recruit telomerase to the ends of chromosomes.     

Reconstitution of human telomerase activity and identification of a minimal functional region of the human telomerase RNA.

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein that catalyzes telomere elongation through the addition of TTAGGG repeats in humans. Activation of telomerase is often associated with immortalization of human cells and cancer. To dissect the human telomerase enzyme mechanism, we developed a functional in vitro reconstitution assay. After removal of the essential 445 nucleotide human telomerase RNA (hTR) by micrococcal nuclease digestion of partially purified human telomerase, the addition of in vitro transcribed hTR reconstituted telomerase activity. The activity was dependent upon and specific to hTR. Using this assay, truncations at the 5' and 3' ends of hTR identified a functional region of hTR, similar in size to the full-length telomerase RNAs from ciliates. This region is located between positions 1-203. Furthermore, we found that residues 1-44, 5' to the template region (residues 46-56) are not essential for activity, indicating a minimal functional region is located between residues 44-203. Mutagenesis of full-length hTR between residues 170-179, 180-189 or 190-199 almost completely abolished the ability of the hTR to function in the reconstitution of telomerase activity, suggesting that sequences or structures within this 30 nucleotide region are required for activity, perhaps by binding telomerase protein components.     

Rapid induction of apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell lines by sorbitol

Most solid tumors, including gastric cancers, respond poorly to non-surgical treatments which are expected to induce an apoptosis-dependent involution. We hypothesize that the apoptotic machinery in solid tumors is either defective or in a suppressed condition. Overcoming the ineffective induction of apoptosis may improve the responsiveness of solid tumors to non-surgical treatments. Recently, sorbitol, a kind of hexose, has been found to be an effective inducer of apoptosis in HEp-2 cells. Therefore, it is of particular interest to examine the effect of sorbitol-treatment on gastric cancer cells. In the present study, we selected 4 gastric cancer cell lines which have been reported to exhibit different abilities in regard to apoptosis induction, and examined the effect of sorbitol-treatment on apoptosis induction. Within 3 hr after sorbitol-treatment, apoptosis was induced comparably in all cell lines examined. Cell death in MKN-1, MKN-28 or MKN-74 proceeded in a biphasic manner, while cell death in KATO-III was monophasic. The cell death partially depended on caspase activity. Treatments with sorbitol in combination with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) markedly suppressed the apoptotic cell death, suggesting a role of protein kinase-C-dependent process. To our knowledge, this is the most rapid induction of apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells reported to date.