Viral infections and cell cycle G2／M regulation

Progression of cells from G2 phase of the cell cycle to mitosis is a tightly regulated cellular process that requires activation of the Cdc2 kinase, which determines onset of mitosis in all eukaryotic cells. In both human and fission yeast(Schizosaccharomyces pombe) cells, the activity of Cdc2 is regulated in part by the phosphorylation status of tyrosine 15 (Tyrl5) on Cdc2, which is phosphorylated by Weel kinase during late G2 and is rapidly dephosphorylated by the Cdc25 tyrosine phosphatase to trigger entry into mitosis. These Cdc2 regulators are the downstream targets of two wellcharacterized G2/M checkpoint pathways which prevent cells from entering mitosis when cellular DNA is damaged or when DNA replication is inhibited. Increasing evidence suggests that Cdc2 is also commonly targeted by viral proteins,which modulate host cell cycle machinery to benefit viral survival or replication. In this review, we describe the effect of viral protein R (Vpr) encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-Ⅰ) on cell cycle G2/M regulation. Based on our current knowledge about this viral effect, we hypothesize that Vpr induces cell cycle G2 arrest through a mechanism that is to some extent different from the classic G2/M checkpoints. One the unique features distinguishing Vpr-induced G2 arrest from the classic checkpoints is the role of phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in Vpr-induced G2 arrest.Interestingly, PP2A is targeted by a number of other viral proteins including SV40 small T antigen, polyomavirus T antigen, HTLV Tax and adenovirus E4orf4. Thus an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Vpr-induced G2 arrest will provide additional insights into the basic biology of cell cycle G2/M regulation and into the biological significance of this effect during host-pathogen interactions.     

The modulation of radiation-induced cell death by genistein in K562 cells：Activation of thymidine kinase 1

Ionizing radiation is one of the most effective tools in cancer therapy. In a previous study, we reported that protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitors modulate the radiation responses in the human chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cell line K562. The receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, delayed radiation-induced cell death, while non-recepter tyrosine kinase inhibitor, herbimycin A (HMA) enhances radiation-induced apoptosis. In this study, we focused on the modulation of radiation-induced cell death by genistein and performed PCR-select suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) to understand its molecular mechanism. We identified human thymidine kinase 1 (TK1), which is cell cycle regulatory gene and confirmed expression of TK1 mRNA by Northern blot analysis. Expression ofTK1 mRNA and TK 1 enzymatic activity were parallel in their increase and decrease. TK1 is involved in G1-S phase transition of cell cycle progression. In cell cycle analysis, we showed that radiation induced G2 arrest in K562 cells but it was not able to sustain. However, the addition of genistein to irradiated cells sustained a prolonged G2 arrest up to 120 h. In addition, the expression of cell cycle-related proteins, cyclin A and cyclin B 1, provided the evidences of G I/S progression and G2-arrest, and their relationship with TKI in cells treated with radiation and genistein. These results suggest that the activation of TK1 may be critical to modulate the radiation-induced cell death and cell cycle progression in irradiated K562 cells.     

Cells in G_2/M phase increased in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line by EBV-LMP1 through activation of NF-кB and AP-1

Although previous studies showed that the principal oncoprotein encoded by Epstein-Barr virus, latentmembrane protein 1 (LMP1) 5 could induce the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in G_2/M phase increased, littleis known about the target molecules and mechanisms. The present study demonstrated that LMP1 couldinduce the accumulation of p53 protein and upregulate its transactivity in a dose dependent manner, whichresulted in the decrease of the kinase activity of cdc2/cyclin B complex and inducing arrest at G2/M phasethrough the activation of NF-κB and AP-1 signaling pathways, and the effect of NF-κB was more obviousthan that of AP-1. This study provided some significant evidence for further elucidating the molecularmechanisms that LMP1 had effects on the surveillance mechanism of cell cycle and promoting the survivalof transformed cells and tumorigenesis.     

Cells in G2／M phase increased in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cellline by EBV-LMP1 through activation of NF-kB and AP-1

Although previous studies showed that the principal oncoprotein encoded by Epstein-Barr virus, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), could induce the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in G2/M phase increased, littleis known about the target molecules and mechanisms. The present study demonstrated that LMP1 couldinduce the accumulation of p53 protein and upregulate its transactivity in a dose dependent manner, whichresulted in the decrease of the kinase activity of cdc2/cyclin B complex and inducing arrest at G2/M phasethrough the activation of NF-kB and AP-1 signaling pathways, and the effect of NF-kB was more obviousthan that of AP-1. This study provided some significant evidence for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms that LMP1 had effects on the surveillance mechanism of cell cycle and promoting the survivalof transformed cells and tumorigenesis.     

The distribution of calmodulin and Ca^2＋—activated calmodulin in cell cycle of mouse erythroleukemia cells

Cell proliferation is accompanied with changing levels of intracellular calmodulin (CaM) and its activation.Prior data from synchronized cell population could not actually stand for various CaM levels in different phases of cell cycle.Here,based upon quantitative measurement of fluorescence in individual cells,a method was developed to investigate intracellular total CaM and Ca^2 -activated CaM contents. Intensity of CaM immunoflurescence gave total CaM level,and Ca^2 -activated CaM was measured by fluorescence intensity of CaM antagonist trifluoperazine (TFP).In mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells,total CaM level increased from G1 through S to G2M,reaching a maximum of 2-fold increase,then reduced to half amount after cell division.Meanwhile,Ca^2 -activated CaM also in creased through the cell cycle(G1,S,G2M).Increasing observed in G1 meant that the entry of cells from G1 into S phase may require CaM accumulation,and,equally or even more important,Ca^2 -dependent activation of CaM.Ca^2 -activated CaM decreased after cell division.The results suggested that CaM gene expression and C^2 -modulated CaM activation act synergistically to accomplish the cell cycle progression.     

Regulation of survivin and CDK4 by Epstein-Barr virus encoded latent membrane protein 1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines

Latent membrane protein 1 （LMP1）, an important protein encoded by Epstein Barr virus （EBV）, has been implied to link with the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC）. Its dual effects of increasing cell proliferation and inhibiting cell apoptosis have been confirmed. In this study, we showed that the expression of Survivin and CDK4 protein in CNE-LMP1, a LMP1 positive NPC epithelial cell line, is higher than in LMP1 negative NPC epithelial cell line- CNE1, and the expression is LMP1 dosage-dependent. Although it was reported that Survivin specifically expressed in cell cycle G2/M phase, our studies suggested that LMP1 could promote the expression of Survivin in G0/G1, S and G2/ M phase. It also showed that Survivin and CDK4 could be accumulated more in the nuclei triggered by LMP1. More interestingly, Survivin and CDK4 could form a protein complex in the nuclei of CNE-LMP1 rather than in that of CNE1, which demonstrated that the interaction between these two proteins could be promoted by LMPI. These results strongly suggested that the role of LMP1 in the regulation of Survivin and CDK4 may also shed some light on the mechanism research of LMP1 in NPC.     

The effects of proteasome inhibitor lactacystin on mouse oocyte meiosis and first cleavage

Many studies have shown that the ubiq-uitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) for the degradation of short-lived proteins plays a key role in regulating cell cycle progression[1—3]. At least two distinct prote-olytic pathways are required for cell cycle process. The first pathway promotes transition from G1 to S phase, and the second initiates the onset of anaphase and exit from mitosis. The inhibition of UPP will re-sult in the blockage of cell cycle process. The knowl-edge of the role of UPP in…     

mad—overexpression down regulates the malignant growth and p53 mediated apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL—7404 cells

Mad protein has been shown as an antagonist of cMyc protein in some cell lines.The effect of Mad protein to the malignant phenotype of human hepatoma BEL-7404 cell line was investigated experimentally.An eukarryotic vector pCDNA Ⅲ containing full ORF fragment of mad cDNA was transfected into targeted cells.Under G418 selection,stable Mad-overexpressed cells were cloned.Studies on the effect of Mad over-expression in cell proliferation and cell cycle revealed that cell morphology of the Mad-overexpressed BEL-7404-M1 cells was significantly different from the parent and control vector transfected cells.DNA synthesis,cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth in soft-agar of the madtransfected cells were partially inhibited in comparison to control cells.Flos cytometry analysis indicated that mad over-expression might block more transfectant cells at G0/G1 phase,resulting in the retardation of cell proliferation.RT-PCR detected a marked inhibition of the expression of cdc25A,an important regulator gene of G0/G1 to S phase in cell cycle.It was also found that Mad protein overexpression could greatly suppress p53-mediated apoptosis in BEL-74040M1 cells in the absence of serume.Thus,Mad proteins may function as a negative regulator antagonizing c-Myc activity in the control of cell growth and apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7404 cells.     

Cell cycle G2/M arrest and activation of cyclin-dependent kinases associated with low-dose paclitaxel-induced sub-G1 apoptosis

Paclitaxel is a potential anti-cancer agent for several malignancies including ovary, breast, and head and neck cancers. This study investigated the kinetics of paclitaxel-induced cell cycle perturbation in two human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines, NPC-TW01 and NPC-TW04. NPC cells treated with higher concentrations (0.1 or 1 μM) of paclitaxel showed obvious G2/M arrest and then converted to a cell population with reduced DNA content, which was detected as a sub-G2 peak in the flow cytometric histographs. If a low concentration (5 nM) of paclitaxel was used instead, transient G2/M arrest was observed in NPC cells, which subsequently converted to a sub-G1 form during the treatment period. Internucleosomal fragmentation and chromatin condensation were detectable in these sub-G1 and sub-G2 cells, suggesting that persistent or transient G2/M arrest is a prerequisite step for apoptosis elicited by varying doses of paclitaxel. The levels of cyclins A, B1, D1, E, CDK 1 (CDC 2), CDK 2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were unchanged in NPC cells following treatment with any concentration of paclitaxel; however, apoptosis-related cyclin B1-associated CDC 2 kinase was highly activated by paclitaxel even at concentrations as low as 5 nM, which is consistent with the finding that low-dose paclitaxel is also able to induce apoptosis in NPC cells. Activation of cyclin B1-associated CDC 2 kinase seems to be an important G2/M event required for paclitaxel-induced apoptosis, and this activation of cyclin B1/CDC 2 kinase could be attributed to the increased activity of CDK 7 kinase. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Differential activation of intra-S-phase checkpoint in response to tripchlorolide and its effects on DNA replication

DNA replication is tightly regulated during the S phase of the cell cycle, and the activation of the intra-S-phase checkpoint due to DNA damage usually results in arrest of DNA synthesis. However, the molecular details about the correlation between the checkpoint and regulation of DNA replication are still unclear. To investigate the connections between DNA replication and DNA damage checkpoint, a DNA-damage reagent, tripchlorolide, was applied to CHO (Chinese ovary hamster) cells at early- or middle-stages of the S phase. The early-S-phase treatment with TC signifi-cantly delayed the progression of the S phase and caused the phosphorylation of the Chk 1 checkpoint protein, whereas the middle-S-phase treatment only slightly slowed down the progression of the S phase. Furthermore, the analysis of DNA replication patterns revealed that replication pattern II was greatly prolonged in the cells treated with the drug during the early-S phase, whereas the late-replication patterns of these cells were hardly detected, suggesting that the activation of the intra-S-phase checkpoint inhibits the late-origin firing of DNA replication. We conclude that cells at different stages of the S phase are differentially sensitive to the DNA-damage reagent, and the activation of the intra-S-phase checkpoint blocks the DNA replication progression in the late stage of S phase.     

Silencing RhoA inhibits migration and invasion through Wnt/β-catenin pathway and growth through cell cycle regulation in human tongue cancer

Ras homolog gene family member A （RhoA） has been iden- tified as a critical regulator of tumor aggressive behavior. In this study, we assessed the role of RhoA in the mechan- isms underlying growth, migration, and invasion of squa- mous cell carcinoma of tongue （TSCC）. Stable RhoA knockdown of TSCC cell lines SCC-4 and CAL27 were achieved using Lentiviral transfection. The effects of RhoA depletion on cell migration, invasion, and cell proliferation were determined. The possible underlying mechanism of RhoA depletion on TSCC cell line was also evaluated by determining the expression of Galectin-3 （Gal-3）, β-catenin, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） in vivo. Meanwhile, the underlying mechanism of TSCC growth was studied by analysis of cyclin D1/2, p21clel/WArl, and p27 kiap 1 protein levels. Immunohistochemical assess- ments were performed to further prove the alteration of Gal-3 and β-catenin expression. We found that, in mice injected with human TSCC cells in the tongue, RhoA levels were higher in primary tumors and metastasized lymph nodes compared with those in the normal tissues. Silencing of RhoA significantly reduced the tumor growth, decreased the levels of Gai-3, β-catenin, MMP-9, and cyclin D1/2, and increased the levels of p21 CIPI/WAFI and p27Kiap 1. In vitro, RhoA knockdown also led to inhibition of cell migration, in- vasion, and proliferation. Our data suggest that RhoA plays a significant role in TSCC progression by regulating cell migra- tion and invasion through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and cell proliferation through cell cycle regulation, respecti- vely. RhoA might be a novel therapeutic target of TSCC.     

Flavonoids from tartary buckwheat induce G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG2 cells

The cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity on human hepa toma cell line HepG2 of three flavonoids homogenous com pounds from tartary buckwheat seeds and bran, namely quercetin, isoquercetin, and rutin, were investigated. The total antioxidant competency detection results indicated that the antioxidant capacity of quercetin was the strongest in a biological response system. A [3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay showed that quercetin exhibited the strongest cytotoxic effects against the HepG2 cell line. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that quercetin significantly increased the production of reactive oxygen species, and led to the G2/M phase arrest accom panied by an increase of apoptotic cell death after 48 h of incubation. Quercetininduced cell apoptosis was shown to involve p53 and p21 upregulation, Cyclin D1, Cdk2, and Cdk7 downregulation. These results suggested that the in duction of G2/M arrest, apoptosis, and cell death by quer cetin may associate with increased expression of p53 and p21, decrease of Cyclin D1, Cdk2, and Cdk7 levels, and generation of reactive oxygen species in cells. This study will help to better understand and fully utilize medicinal resources of plant flavonoids.     

Mechanisms of the alternative activation of macrophages and non-coding RNAs in the development of radiation-induced lung fibrosis

Radiation-induced lung fibrosis(RILF) is a common side effect of thoracic irradiation therapy and leads to high mortality rates after cancer treatment. Radiation injury induces inflammatory M1 macrophage polarization leading to radiation pneumonitis, the first stage of RILF progression. Fibrosis occurs due to the transition of M1 macrophages to the anti-inflammatory pro-fibrotic M2 phenotype, and the resulting imbalance of macrophage regulated inflammatory signaling. Non-coding RNA signaling has been shown to play a large role in the regulation of the M2 mediated signaling pathways that are associated with the development and progression of fibrosis. While many studies show the link between M2 macrophages and fibrosis, there are only a few that explore their distinct role and the regulation of their signaling by non-coding RNA in RILF. In this review we summarize the current body of knowledge describing the roles of M2 macrophages in RILF, with an emphasis on the expression and functions of non-coding RNAs.     

HBx transfection limits proliferative capacity of podocytes through cell cycle regulation

Our previous studies have shown that podocyte number is significantly decreased in glomeruli of children with hepa- titis B virus （HBV）-associated glomerulonephritis. In this study, we aimed to explore whether exogenous expression of HBx protein could directly inhibit podocyte proliferation in vitro, and to investigate its role in cell cycle regulation. HBx gene was delivered into cultured mouse podocytes through an adenovirus-based vector. Cell morphology was evaluated with Wright-Giemsa staining. Cell growth and proliferation were measured by 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） and 5,6-carboxy- fluorescein diacetate, succinimidyl ester （CFSE）-based pro- liferation assays. Cell cycle phase was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression of cell cycle regulatory pro- teins was examined by western blot analysis. It was found that the aberrant nuclear changes like double and multiple micronuclei, which reflect mitotic catastrophe, accumulated in podocytes after 5 days post-infection. MTT assay showed that Ad.HBx-infected podocytes grew much more slowly than controls at day 4 post-infection and thereafter. Furthermore, CFSE-based proliferation assay also showed that the prolifer- ation of HBx-expressing podocytes was significantly inhibited than that of controls at 3-day post-infection, and that the dif- ference became much more obvious at day 5 post-infection. Cell cycle analysis showed that the transfection of HBx resulted in significant up-regulation of both cyclin B1 and CDK-inhibitor p21 expression and G2/M phase arrest, and slight down-regulation of cyclin A expression. These results demonstrated that exogenous expression of HBx might limit the proliferative capacity of podocytes through cell cycle regu- lation, thus suggesting that HBx may play a role in podocyte injuries in HBV-associated glomerulonephritis.