PPDPF Promotes the Progression and acts as an Antiapoptotic Protein in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Resistance to radiotherapy is frequently observed in the clinic and leads to poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). How to overcome resistance to radiotherapy is a challenge in the treatment of NSCLC. In this study, PPDPF was found to be upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and its expression negatively correlated with the overall survival of patients with NSCLC. PPDPF promoted the growth, colony formation and invasion of lung cancer cells. Moreover, knockout of PPDPF inhibited tumorigenesis in the KL (Kras^G12D; LKB1^f/f) mouse model of lung cancer. Additionally, overexpression of PPDPF led to radioresistance in lung cancer cells, and knockdown of PPDPF sensitized lung cancer cells to radiotherapy. Mechanistically, PPDPF interacted with BABAM2 (an antiapoptotic protein) and blocked its ubiquitination by MDM2, thus stabilizing BABAM2 and promoting the radioresistance of lung cancer cells. Our present study suggested PPDPF as a therapeutic target in NSCLC.     

Inhibition of nonsense-mediated decay rescues p53β/γ isoform expression and activates the p53 pathway in MDM2-overexpressing and select p53-mutant cancers

Inactivation of p53 is present in almost every tumor, and hence, p53-reactivation strategies are an important aspect of cancer therapy. Common mechanisms for p53 loss in cancer include expression of p53-negative regulators such as MDM2, which mediate the degradation of wildtype p53 (p53α), and inactivating mutations in the TP53 gene. Currently, approaches to overcome p53 deficiency in these cancers are limited. Here, using non–small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma multiforme cell line models, we show that two alternatively spliced, functional truncated isoforms of p53 (p53β and p53γ, comprising exons 1 to 9β or 9γ, respectively) and that lack the C-terminal MDM2-binding domain have markedly reduced susceptibility to MDM2-mediated degradation but are highly susceptible to nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), a regulator of aberrant mRNA stability. In cancer cells harboring MDM2 overexpression or TP53 mutations downstream of exon 9, NMD inhibition markedly upregulates p53β and p53γ and restores activation of the p53 pathway. Consistent with p53 pathway activation, NMD inhibition induces tumor suppressive activities such as apoptosis, reduced cell viability, and enhanced tumor radiosensitivity, in a relatively p53-dependent manner. In addition, NMD inhibition also inhibits tumor growth in a MDM2-overexpressing xenograft tumor model. These results identify NMD inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy for restoration of p53 function in p53-deficient tumors bearing MDM2 overexpression or p53 mutations downstream of exon 9, subgroups that comprise approximately 6% of all cancers.     

Negative regulation of p53 functions by Daxx and the involvement of MDM2

In normal cells p53 activity is tightly controlled and MDM2 is a known negative regulator. Here we show that via its acidic domain, Daxx binds to the COOH-terminal domain of p53, whose positive charges are critical for this interaction, as Lys to Arg mutations preserved, but Lys to Ala or Ser to Glu mutations abolished Daxx-p53 interaction. These results thus implicate acetylation and phosphorylation of p53 in regulating its binding to Daxx. Interestingly, whereas Daxx did not bind to p53 in cells as assessed by immunoprecipitation, MDM2 expression restored p53-Daxx interaction, and this correlated with deacetylation of p53. In p53/MDM2-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (DKO MEF), Daxx repressed p53 target promoters whose p53-binding elements were required for the repression. Coexpression of Daxx and MDM2 led to further repression. p53 expression in DKO MEF induced apoptosis and Daxx expression relieved this effect. Similarly, in HCT116 cells, Daxx conferred striking resistance to 5-fluorouracil-induced apoptosis. As p53 is required for 5-fluorouracil-induced cell death, our data show that Daxx can suppress cell death induced by p53 overexpression and p53-dependent stress response. Collectively, our data reveal Daxx as a novel negative regulator of p53. Importantly, posttranslational modifications of p53 inhibit Daxx-p53 interaction, thereby relieving negative regulation of p53 by Daxx.     

SHANK1 facilitates non-small cell lung cancer processes through modulating the ubiquitination of Klotho by interacting with MDM2

SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 1 (SHANK1) is a scaffold protein, plays an important role in the normal function of neuron system. It has recently been shown to be a potential oncogene. In the present study, we report that the expression of SHANK1 is upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and is correlated with clinic pathological characteristics of NSCLC. Moreover, SHANK1 overexpression enhances the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Mouse cell-derived xenograft model also confirmed the effects of SHANK1 on tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, we found that SHANK1 increases the protein degradation of Klotho (KL), an important tumor suppressor, through ubiquitination-dependent pathway. In particular, we report discovery of KL as a SHANK1-interacting protein that acts as a new substate of the E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2. SHANK1 can form a complex with KL and MDM2 and enhance the interaction between KL and MDM2. Our findings reveal an important oncogenic role and mechanism of SHANK1, suggesting SHANK1 can be a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.Subject terms: Non-small-cell lung cancer, Ubiquitylation     

Cell cycle regulatory functions of the human oncoprotein MDM2

The protein (MDM2) coded by the mouse double minute-2 (mdm2) gene or its human homologue is well known as an oncoprotein. Malignant human tumors particularly breast tumors and soft tissue sarcomas frequently overexpress MDM2. Artificial amplification of mdm2 gene derived from a transformed murine cell line enhances tumorigenic potential of murine cells. Consistent with its tumorigenic property, mouse or human MDM2 can inactivate several functions of the tumor suppressor p53 and can degrade p53. The protein also interacts with other tumor suppressors, and these interactions may contribute to its tumorigenic property. In spite of its oncogenic role, mouse or human MDM2 induces G(1) arrest in normal human or murine cells. Some cell lines bearing known genetic mutations are insensitive to MDM2-mediated growth arrest. This review is aimed to collect available information on the functions of MDM2 that could potentially regulate cell cycle and to discuss how this information may fit in one model that could explain the two apparently opposite G(1) arrest and oncogenic function of MDM2.     

Aberrant expression of nucleostemin activates p53 and induces cell cycle arrest via inhibition of MDM2

The nucleolar protein nucleostemin (NS) is essential for cell proliferation and early embryogenesis. Both depletion and overexpression of NS reduce cell proliferation. However, the mechanisms underlying this regulation are still unclear. Here, we show that NS regulates p53 activity through the inhibition of MDM2. NS binds to the central acidic domain of MDM2 and inhibits MDM2-mediated p53 ubiquitylation and degradation. Consequently, ectopic overexpression of NS activates p53, induces G(1) cell cycle arrest, and inhibits cell proliferation. Interestingly, the knockdown of NS by small interfering RNA also activates p53 and induces G(1) arrest. These effects require the ribosomal proteins L5 and L11, since the depletion of NS enhanced their interactions with MDM2 and the knockdown of L5 or L11 abrogated the NS depletion-induced p53 activation and cell cycle arrest. These results suggest that a p53-dependent cell cycle checkpoint monitors changes of cellular NS levels via the impediment of MDM2 function.     

USP7 promotes cell proliferation through the stabilization of Ki-67 protein in non-small cell lung cancer cells

The Ki-67 antigen (Ki-67) is the most reliable immunohistochemical marker for evaluation of cell proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of protein levels of Ki-67 in non-small cell lung cancer have remained elusive. In this study, we found that Ki-67 and ubiquitin-specific processing protease 7 (USP7) protein were highly expressed in the nucleus of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Furthermore, statistical analysis uncovered the existence of a strong correlation between Ki-67 and USP7 levels. We could also show that the protein levels of Ki-67 in non-small cell lung cancer cells significantly decreased after treatment with P22077, a selective chemical inhibitor of USP7, while the Ki-67 mRNA levels were unperturbed. Similar results were obtained by knocking down USP7 using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in lung cancer cells. Interestingly, we noticed that ubiquitination levels of Ki-67 increased dramatically in USP7-silenced cells. The tests in vitro and vivo showed a significant delay in tumor cell growth upon knockdown of USP7. Additionally, drug sensitivity tests indicated that USP7-silenced A549 cells had enhanced sensitivity to paclitaxel and docetaxel, while there was no significant change in sensitivity toward carboplatin and cisplatin. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that the overexpression of USP7 might promote cell proliferation by deubiquitinating Ki-67 protein, thereby maintaining its high levels in the non-small cell lung cancer. Our study also hints potential for the development of deubiquitinase-based therapies, especially those targeting USP7 to improve the condition of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.     

PTEN和MDM2在非小细胞肺癌中的表达及临床意义

目的：研究PTEN和MDM2在非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）发生发展中的临床意义。方法：采用免疫组化SP法检测56例非小细胞肺癌组织及20例正常肺组织中PTEN和MDM2蛋白的表达。结果：56例肺癌组织中PTEN表达率为48.21%（27/56）,20例正常肺组织中PTEN表达率为95%（19/20）,二者有统计学意义（p〈0.05）。PTEN表达率与肿瘤的分化程度、临床分期、淋巴结转移有关（p〈0.05）。56例肺癌组织中MDM2表达率为53.57%（30/56）,20例正常肺组织MDM2表达率为10%（2/20）,二者有统计学意义（p〈0.05）,MDM2表达率与肿瘤的分化程度、临床分期、淋巴结转移有关（p〈0.05）。在NSCLC中,PTEN和MDM2的表达呈负相关（p〈0.05）。结论：PTEN和MDM2的异常表达在非小细胞肺癌的发生发展过程中起着重要的作用。     

PTEN 和MDM2 在非小细胞肺癌中的表达及临床意义

目的:研究PTEN和MDM2在非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)发生发展中的临床意义。方法:采用免疫组化SP法检测56例非小细胞肺癌组织及20例正常肺组织中PTEN和MDM2蛋白的表达。结果:56例肺癌组织中PTEN表达率为48.21%(27/56),20例正常肺组织中PTEN表达率为95%(19/20),二者有统计学意义(p<0.05)。PTEN表达率与肿瘤的分化程度、临床分期、淋巴结转移有关(p<0.05)。56例肺癌组织中MDM2表达率为53.57%(30/56),20例正常肺组织MDM2表达率为10%(2/20),二者有统计学意义(p<0.05),MDM2表达率与肿瘤的分化程度、临床分期、淋巴结转移有关(p<0.05)。在NSCLC中,PTEN和MDM2的表达呈负相关(p<0.05)。结论:PTEN和MDM2的异常表达在非小细胞肺癌的发生发展过程中起着重要的作用。     

RBP2 Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

RBP2 has been found to actively participate in cancer progression. It inhibits the senescence of cancer cells, mediates cancer cell proliferation and promotes cancer metastasis. It is also essential to drug tolerance. However, the effects of RBP2 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition are still unknown. In this study, we analyzed the effects of RBP2 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer. The results showed that RBP2 down-regulated the expression of E-cadherin by inhibiting the promoter activity of E-cadherin and up-regulated the expression of N-cadherin and snail via the activation of Akt signaling, and the overexpression of RBP2 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Our study further indicated thatRBP2 may be a potential target for anti-lung cancer therapy.     

MDM2 promotes cell motility and invasiveness by regulating E-cadherin degradation

Gene amplification and protein overexpression of MDM2, which is often found in certain types of cancers, indicate that MDM2 plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Interestingly, several clinical reports have demonstrated that amplification of the MDM2 gene correlates with the metastatic stage. Using an antibody array assay, we identified E-cadherin as an MDM2-binding protein and confirmed that E-cadherin is a substrate for the MDM2 E3 ubiquitin ligase. We demonstrate that MDM2 interacts in vivo with E-cadherin, resulting in its ubiquitination and degradation. This regulation appears to be clinically relevant, as we found a significant correlation between high MDM2 and low E-cadherin protein levels in resected tumor specimens recovered from breast cancer patients with lymph node metastases. Ectopic expression of MDM2 in breast cancer cells was found to disrupt cell-cell contacts and enhance cell motility and invasive potential. We found that E-cadherin and MDM2 colocalized on the plasma membrane and in the early endosome, where ubiquitin moieties were attached to E-cadherin. Blocking endocytosis with dominant-negative mutants of dynamin abolished the association of MDM2 with E-cadherin, prevented E-cadherin degradation, and attenuated cell motility as observed by fluorescence microscopy. Thus, we provide evidence to support a novel role for MDM2 in regulating cell adhesions by a mechanism that involves degrading and down-regulating the expression of E-cadherin via an endosome pathway. This novel MDM2-regulated pathway is likely to play a biologically relevant role in cancer metastasis.     

Overexpression of CEACAM6 activates Src-FAK signaling and inhibits anoikis,through homophilic interactions in lung adenocarcinomas

Among carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) family proteins, CEACAM6 has received less attention than CEACAM5 and its presence and role in lung cancer are largely unknown. The application of CellphoneDB on the single cell RNA sequencing dataset showed that the homophilic interactions among CEACAM6 molecules, which are overexpressed in lung cancer cells were highly significant. CEACAM6 was overexpressed in 80.1% of lung adenocarcinomas and its overexpression had a significant relationship with non-smoking history and activating EGFR mutations. The effect of CEACAM6 overexpression on patient prognosis was evaluated using TCGA-LUAD dataset; the CEACAM6 overexpression group showed a shorter overall survival than that of the control group when matched for stage, age, sex, and pack-years. Immunoblotting of cell culture soup and ELISA of human derived material suggested that the majority of CEACAM6 was present on the cancer cell surface and interacted with other cancer cells in the crowded tumor microenvironment. Treatment with CEACAM6 showed CEACAM6 homophilic interactions in the cell membrane and anoikis inhibition through the activation of the Src-FAK pathway. Inhibition of CEACAM6 or its homophilic interactions in the cancer cell membrane may provide another therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.