In Vivo Exposure of Swiss Albino Mice to Chronic Low Dose of Dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) Lowers Poly-ADP-Ribosylation (PAR) of Bone Marrow Cell and Blood Lymphocyte Proteins

Efforts to identify an easy and convenient biomarker of carcinogenesis with potentials of application in mass screening program continue. In a series of investigations on mice exposed to different carcinogens, poly-ADP-ribosylation (PAR) of cellular proteins of different tissues has been shown to be a potential biomarker of carcinogenesis. Because blood based biomarker of carcinogenesis offers significant advantage in its use in a cancer screening program, this investigation was undertaken to find correlations between initiation of carcinogenesis and PAR of bone marrow cell (BMC) and blood lymphocyte (BL) proteins in mice chronically exposed to low dose of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) for up to four weeks in vivo. The exposure was either alone or in combination with 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB), an inhibitor of PAR. Total PAR of cellular proteins and of histone H1 protein were monitored by slot and Western blot immunoprobe assays, respectively. The PAR of total cellular proteins as well as of histone H1 was down-regulated in duration of exposure dependent manners. The results suggest that BMC and BL mirrored status of PAR in other tissues. This finding opens up the possibility of using PAR as a biomarker of carcinogenesis in a blood based test utilizing immunoprobe assay of cellular PAR.     

Role of mouse spleen cell HMG proteins and their poly-ADP-ribosylation in betelnut induced carcinogenesis

The role of high mobility group (HMG) proteins and their poly-ADP-ribosylation (PAR) in betel nut induced initiation of carcinogenesis in mice has been studied. A known carcinogen, diethylnitrosamine (DEN) was used as a positive control. Swiss albino mice were chronically exposed to aqueous extract of betel nut (AEBN) or DEN at low doses for up to 4 weeks. The poly-ADP-ribosylation (PAR) of spleen cell HMG proteins was monitored using [32P]-NAD+. Parallel to this, chromatin was subjected to DNase I cleavage and the organizational state of the chromatin was monitored. The PAR of HMG proteins showed a marked progressive reduction at different times following AEBN- or DEN treatment. HMG proteins isolated from the control and carcinogen treated mice were allowed to reassociate with the untreated spleen cells chromatin. The reassociated chromatin showed progressive relaxation in its superstructure. The results suggest that under the influence of potential carcinogens AEBN or DEN, the mouse spleen cell HMG proteins created molecular conditions favourable to initiation of cancer.     

The 14-3-3 proteins in regulation of cellular metabolism

Thirty years ago, it was discovered that 14-3-3 proteins could activate enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism. In the following decades, 14-3-3s have been shown to be involved in many different signaling pathways that modulate cellular and whole body energy and nutrient homeostasis. Large scale screening for cellular binding partners of 14-3-3 has identified numerous proteins that participate in regulation of metabolic pathways, although only a minority of these targets have yet been subject to detailed studies. Because of the wide distribution of potential 14-3-3 targets and the resurging interest in metabolic pathway control in diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, we review the role of 14-3-3 proteins in the regulation of core and specialized cellular metabolic functions. We cite illustrative examples of 14-3-3 action through their direct modulation of individual enzymes and through regulation of master switches in cellular pathways, such as insulin signaling, mTOR- and AMP dependent kinase signaling pathways, as well as regulation of autophagy. We further illustrate the quantitative impact of 14-3-3 association on signal response at the target protein level and we discuss implications of recent findings showing 14-3-3 protein membrane binding of target proteins.     

Analyzing structure–function relationships of artificial and cancer-associated PARP1 variants by reconstituting TALEN-generated HeLa PARP1 knock-out cells

Genotoxic stress activates PARP1, resulting in the post-translational modification of proteins with poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR). We genetically deleted PARP1 in one of the most widely used human cell systems, i.e. HeLa cells, via TALEN-mediated gene targeting. After comprehensive characterization of these cells during genotoxic stress, we analyzed structure–function relationships of PARP1 by reconstituting PARP1 KO cells with a series of PARP1 variants. Firstly, we verified that the PARP1\E988K mutant exhibits mono-ADP-ribosylation activity and we demonstrate that the PARP1\L713F mutant is constitutively active in cells. Secondly, both mutants exhibit distinct recruitment kinetics to sites of laser-induced DNA damage, which can potentially be attributed to non-covalent PARP1–PAR interaction via several PAR binding motifs. Thirdly, both mutants had distinct functional consequences in cellular patho-physiology, i.e. PARP1\L713F expression triggered apoptosis, whereas PARP1\E988K reconstitution caused a DNA-damage-induced G2 arrest. Importantly, both effects could be rescued by PARP inhibitor treatment, indicating distinct cellular consequences of constitutive PARylation and mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation. Finally, we demonstrate that the cancer-associated PARP1 SNP variant (V762A) as well as a newly identified inherited PARP1 mutation (F304L\V762A) present in a patient with pediatric colorectal carcinoma exhibit altered biochemical and cellular properties, thereby potentially supporting human carcinogenesis. Together, we establish a novel cellular model for PARylation research, by revealing strong structure–function relationships of natural and artificial PARP1 variants.     

Mesenchymal stromal cells enhance wound healing by ameliorating impaired metabolism in diabetic mice

Background aimsMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been documented to improve delayed wound healing in diabetes, but the underlying mechanism remains obscure. We aimed to investigate whether the therapeutic effects on wounds was associated with metabolic alterations by paracrine action of MSCs.MethodsMSCs from mice with high-fat diet/streptozotocin–induced diabetes or wild-type C57BL/6 mice were evaluated for their paracrine potential in vitro using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemical staining assay. MSCs were then evaluated for their therapeutic potential in vivo using an excisional cutaneous wound model in mice with diabetes. Metabolic alterations and glucose transporter four (GLUT4) as well as PI3K/Akt signaling pathway expression after wounding were also examined.ResultsMSCs from normal mice expressed even more insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) than mice with diabetes, suggesting putative paracrine action. Furthermore, compared with IGF-1 knockdown MSCs, normal MSCs markedly accelerated wound healing, as revealed by higher wound closure rate and better healing quality at 21 days post-wound. By contrast, MSCs administration increased the level of insulin as well as GLUT4 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway expression but repressed the biochemical indexes of glucose and lipid, resulting in obvious metabolic improvement.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that IGF-1 is an important paracrine factor that mediates the therapeutic effects of MSCs on wound healing in diabetes, and the benefits of MSCs may be associated with metabolism improvements, which would provide a new target for treatment.     

Stability of Helicobacter pylori CagA oncoprotein in human gastric epithelial cells

Upon delivery into gastric epithelial cells, Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) binds and deregulates cellular proteins such as Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 and partitioning-defective 1 (PAR1), thereby acting as an epigenetic oncoprotein that promotes early phases of gastric cancer development. To elucidate the spatial and temporal contribution of CagA to carcinogenesis, it is crucial to know the stability of CagA in host cells. Here we show that the biological half-life of CagA is about 200 min in gastric epithelial cells. Furthermore, deletion of the PAR1-binding sequence accelerates CagA degradation. Thus, CagA is a relatively short half-life protein whose stability may be modulated through complex formation with PAR1.     

Spatial arrangement of proteins using scCro-tag: application for an in situ enzymatic microbead assay

ABSTRACT

In natural systems, various metabolic reactions are often spatially organized to increase enzyme activity and specificity. Thus, by spatially arranging enzyme molecules in synthetic systems to imitate these natural systems, it is possible to promote a high rate of enzymatic turnover. In this present study, a normal and mutant form of the scCro DNA-binding protein were shown to bind orthogonally to specific recognition sequences under appropriate conditions. Furthermore, these DNA-binding tags were used to establish an enzyme assay system based on the spatial arrangement of transglutaminase and its substrate at the molecular level. Together, the results of the present study suggest that the scCro-tag may be a powerful tool to facilitate the synthetic spatial arrangement of proteins on a DNA ligand.     

Deprivation and mass screening: Survival of women diagnosed with breast cancer in France from 2008 to 2010

BackgroundSome studies have investigated the role of socio-demographic inequalities in the association between screening and survival. However, in France, no study has been conducted to describe the socio-demographic characteristics and survival of women with breast cancer based on their participation to mass screening. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of socio-demographic inequalities on the association between participation in mass screening program and survival of women with breast cancer.MethodsData for 2,244 women aged 50–74 years diagnosed with breast cancer over the period 2008–2010 were obtained from the cancer registry and the screening structure of Gironde. We used the aggregated European Deprivation Index (EDI) to define the deprivation level of women. Net survival rates were estimated with the Pohar-Perme method, with and without correcting for lead-time bias.ResultsSurvival rates were lower for non-attenders than for screen-detected women (83.8% vs 97.3%, p < 0.0001), even after correcting for lead-time bias. Among the most deprived women, the survival rate was significantly different between non-attenders and screen-detected women (78.1% vs 95.6%, p = 0.0002), suggesting an important effect of mass screening in this group.ConclusionThe introduction of incentive actions in deprived areas could play a key role in the adherence of women to mass screening and in improving their survival in case of a breast cancer diagnosis.     

A high-throughput screening-compatible homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assay measuring the glycohydrolase activity of human poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase

Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymers are transient post-translational modifications, and their formation is catalyzed by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzymes. A number of PARP inhibitors are in advanced clinical development for BRCA-mutated breast cancer, and olaparib has recently been approved for BRCA-mutant ovarian cancer; however, there has already been evidence of developed resistance mechanisms. Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the endo- and exo-glycosidic bonds within the PAR polymers. As an alternative strategy, PARG is a potentially attractive therapeutic target. There is only one PARG gene, compared with 17 known PARP family members, and therefore a PARG inhibitor may have wider application with fewer compensatory mechanisms. Prior to the initiation of this project, there were no known existing cell-permeable small molecule PARG inhibitors for use as tool compounds to assess these hypotheses and no suitable high-throughput screening (HTS)-compatible biochemical assays available to identify start points for a drug discovery project. The development of this newly described high-throughput homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay has allowed HTS to proceed and, from this, the identification and advancement of multiple validated series of tool compounds for PARG inhibition.     

Quantitative proteome analysis of ovarian cancer tissues using a iTRAQ approach

Quantitative proteomics can be used as a screening tool for identification of differentially expressed proteins as potential biomarkers for cancers. Here, we comparatively analyzed the proteome profiles of ovarian cancer tissues and normal ovarian epithelial tissues. Using the high‐throughput proteomic technology of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)‐coupled with two‐dimensional‐liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry, 1,259 unique proteins were identified. Of those, 205 were potentially differentially expressed between ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissues. Several of the potentially differentially expressed proteins were validated by Western blotting and real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR analyses. Furthermore, up‐regulation of KRT8, PPA1, IDH2, and S100A11 were validated in ovarian tissue microarrays by immunohistochemistry. Silencing of S100A11 expression suppressed the migration and invasion properties of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Our study represents the successful application of iTRAQ technology to an investigation of ovarian cancer. Many of the potentially differentially expressed proteins identified had not been linked to ovarian cancer before, and provide valuable novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis in human ovarian cancer. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3762–3772, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

蛋白酶活化受体1在凝血酶介导的肺癌细胞功能中的作用

目的:探讨蛋白酶活化受体1(PAR1)在凝血酶促进肺癌细胞迁移、黏附、克隆形成及胶原收缩中的作用。方法:将本实验室已构建的重组干扰载体pSilence-shPAR1和过表达载体pIRES-EGFP-PAR1分别转入人肺癌细胞PLA-801D和PLA-801C中,采用反转录PCR和实时荧光定量PCR方法检测细胞中PAR1的表达量,Transwell实验检测细胞的迁移能力,细胞黏附实验检测细胞对细胞外基质的黏附能力,克隆形成实验检测细胞的增殖能力,胶原收缩实验评价细胞对细胞外基质的重塑能力。结果:PAR1高表达(PLA-801C-pIRES-EGFP-PAR1)可明显增强PLA-801C细胞的迁移、黏附和胶原收缩能力(P<0.05,P<0.001),而PAR1被有效干扰后(PLA-801D-pSi lence-shPAR1),PLA-801D细胞的迁移、黏附和胶原收缩能力显著减弱(P<0.05,P<0.001),而且PAR1的表达量直接与PLA-801D和PLA-801C细胞的克隆形成能力呈正相关。结论:PAR1在凝血酶促进肺癌细胞的黏附、迁移增殖和细胞外基质重塑等功能中发挥着重要作用,为以PAR1为靶的抗肿瘤治疗提供了理论基础。     

Differential proteomic profiling identifies novel molecular targets of pterostilbene against experimental diabetes

Pterostilbene (PTS), a naturally occurring stilbene, confers protection against oxidative and cytokine stress induced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. To provide insights into the molecular mechanism, we performed a proteomic study on the pancreas of PTS-treated diabetic mice using electrospray ionization tandem–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). A total of 1,260 proteins were detected in triplicate samples. Of which, 359 proteins were found to be differentially regulated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice pancreas with two fold difference ( P < 0.05, two or more peptides) and on PTS treatment 315 proteins were normalized to control levels. Gene ontology (GO) indicated that majority of the differentially regulated proteins are involved in cellular functions such as metabolism, cellular structure, oxidative stress, endoplasmic-reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway and several stress sensors. Protein–protein interaction network analysis of these differentially expressed proteins showed clustering of proteins involved in protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (protein synthesis machinery and protein folding), oxidative phosphorylation/oxidative stress proteins, oligosaccharide metabolic process, and antioxidant activity. Our results highlighted that PTS administration rehabilitated the defective metabolic process and redox imbalance, and also suppressed the unfolded protein response and ERAD pathways. The effects on targeting ER machinery and suppressing oxidative stress suggest the great potential of PTS for diabetes management.     

miRNA-139-5p与肿瘤

转移和复发是恶性肿瘤的重要特征。肿瘤细胞的增殖、浸润、侵袭能力与肿瘤的复发和转移息息相关。非编码小RNA通过转录后水平参与肿瘤的发生和发展过程。其中,miR-139-5p成为研究热点之一。在许多肿瘤中都发现miR-139-5p的异常表达,它参与了肿瘤细胞的增殖、分化、转移和浸润,调节肿瘤细胞对化疗药物敏感性,并与肿瘤患者的预后相关。因此,miR-139-5p可能成为肿瘤治疗的一个新靶点。本文对miR-139-5p与肿瘤的关系作一综述。系统地了解它在恶性肿瘤进程中的作用,为广大研究者及临床工作者提供新思路新方法。     

细胞衰老相关基因的探索

细胞衰老与个体衰老、机体自我保护及细胞癌变等多种重要生理、病理现象密切相关,其机制研究可望应用于癌症治疗.简述了近年有关哺乳类动物细胞衰老相关基因的寻找过程.