前列腺癌雄激素受体和PI3K/Akt信号通路相互作用研究进展

前列腺癌的发生、进展依赖于雄激素,因此去势手术成为治疗晚期前列腺癌的标准疗法。但是去势后大多前列腺癌最终将转化为雄激素非依赖性前列腺癌,甚至进展为激素难治性前列腺癌,使得肿瘤的进展不受低水平雄激素的影响。即使如此,大多数激素非依赖性前列腺癌,依然阳性表达雄激素受体。因而雄激素受体在前列腺癌发生发展中起着重要作用。而PI3K/Akt信号通路能够通过维持细胞生存、抑制细胞凋亡、促进细胞代谢及血管生成等促进前列腺癌进展。本综述旨在总结前人研究,阐述雄激素受体和PI3K/Akt信号通路之间相互作用关系。研究表明Akt信号通路能够正性或者负性调控AR蛋白表达、蛋白的稳定性及其转录活性,从而维持细胞的生存、代谢。而AR即可以通过基因转录途径抑制Akt活化又能通过非转录基因途径激活Akt及其下游蛋白。因此,AR和Akt信号通路相互协同促进前列腺癌的发生及其向雄激素非依赖性前列腺癌进展。     

The Prolyl Peptidases PRCP/PREP Regulate IRS-1 Stability Critical for Rapamycin-induced Feedback Activation of PI3K and AKT

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway conveys signals from receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to regulate cell metabolism, proliferation, survival, and motility. Previously we found that prolylcarboxypeptidase (PRCP) regulate proliferation and survival in breast cancer cells. In this study, we found that PRCP and the related family member prolylendopeptidase (PREP) are essential for proliferation and survival of pancreatic cancer cells. Depletion/inhibition of PRCP and PREP-induced serine phosphorylation and degradation of IRS-1, leading to inactivation of the cellular PI3K and AKT. Notably, depletion/inhibition of PRCP/PREP destabilized IRS-1 in the cells treated with rapamycin, blocking the feedback activation PI3K/AKT. Consequently, inhibition of PRCP/PREP enhanced rapamycin-induced cytotoxicity. Thus, we have identified PRCP and PREP as a stabilizer of IRS-1 which is critical for PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in pancreatic cancer cells.     

前列腺癌雄激素受体和PI3K/Akt 信号通路相互作用研究进展

前列腺癌的发生、进展依赖于雄激素,因此去势手术成为治疗晚期前列腺癌的标准疗法。但是去势后大多前列腺癌最终将转化为雄激素非依赖性前列腺癌,甚至进展为激素难治性前列腺癌,使得肿瘤的进展不受低水平雄激素的影响。即使如此,大多数激素非依赖性前列腺癌,依然阳性表达雄激素受体。因而雄激素受体在前列腺癌发生发展中起着重要作用。而PI3K/Akt信号通路能够通过维持细胞生存、抑制细胞凋亡、促进细胞代谢及血管生成等促进前列腺癌进展。本综述旨在总结前人研究,阐述雄激素受体和PI3K/Akt信号通路之间相互作用关系。研究表明Akt信号通路能够正性或者负性调控AR蛋白表达、蛋白的稳定性及其转录活性,从而维持细胞的生存、代谢。而AR即可以通过基因转录途径抑制Akt活化又能通过非转录基因途径激活Akt及其下游蛋白。因此,AR和Akt信号通路相互协同促进前列腺癌的发生及其向雄激素非依赖性前列腺癌进展。     

PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路及临床相关肿瘤抑制剂

哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶（mTOR）和蛋白激酶B（Akt/PKB）与肿瘤发生的密切关系已被广泛地认可.mTOR是一种丝/苏氨酸激酶,可以通过影响mRNA转录、代谢、自噬等方式调控细胞的生长.它既是PI3K的效应分子,也可以是PI3K的反馈调控因子.mTORC1 和mTORC2是mTOR的两种不同复合物. 对雷帕霉素敏感的mTORC1受到营养、生长因子、能量和应激4种因素的影响.生长因子通过PI3K/Akt信号通路调控mTORC1是最具特征性调节路径.而mTORC2最为人熟知的是作为Akt473磷酸化位点的上游激酶. 同样,Akt/PKB在细胞增殖分化、迁移生长过程中发挥着重要作用. 随着Thr308和Ser473两个位点激活,Akt/PKB也得以全面活化.因此,mTORC2-Akt-mTORC1的信号通路在肿瘤形成和生长中是可以存在的.目前临床肿瘤治疗中,PI3K/Akt/mTOR是重要的靶向治疗信号通路.然而,仅抑制mTORC1活性,不是所有的肿瘤都能得到预期控制.雷帕霉素虽然能抑制mTORC1,但也能反馈性地增加PI3K信号活跃度,从而影响治疗预后.近来发现的第二代抑制剂可以同时抑制mTORC1/2和PI3K活性,这种抑制剂被认为在肿瘤治疗上颇具前景.本综述着重阐述了PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路的传导、各因子之间的相互调控以及相关抑制剂的发展.     

Attenuation of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Signaling Pathway by Porphyromonas gingivalis Gingipains RgpA,RgpB, and Kgp

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major pathogen of periodontal diseases, including periodontitis. We have investigated the effect of P. gingivalis infection on the PI3K/Akt (protein kinase B) signaling pathway in gingival epithelial cells. Here, we found that live P. gingivalis, but not heat-killed P. gingivalis, reduced Akt phosphorylation at both Thr-308 and Ser-473, which implies a decrease in Akt activity. Actually, PI3K, which is upstream of Akt, was also inactivated by P. gingivalis. Furthermore, glycogen synthase kinase 3α/β, mammalian target of rapamycin, and Bad, which are downstream proteins in the PI3K/Akt cascade, were also dephosphorylated, a phenomenon consistent with Akt inactivation by P. gingivalis. However, these events did not require direct interaction between bacteria and host cells and were independent of P. gingivalis invasion into the cells. The use of gingipain-specific inhibitors and a gingipain-deficient P. gingivalis mutant KDP136 revealed that the gingipains and their protease activities were essential for the inactivation of PI3K and Akt. The associations between the PI3K regulatory subunit p85α and membrane proteins were disrupted by wild-type P. gingivalis. Moreover, PDK1 translocation to the plasma membrane was reduced by wild-type P. gingivalis, but not KDP136, indicating little production of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate by PI3K. Therefore, it is likely that PI3K failed to transmit homeostatic extracellular stimuli to intracellular signaling pathways by gingipains. Taken together, our findings indicate that P. gingivalis attenuates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway via the proteolytic effects of gingipains, resulting in the dysregulation of PI3K/Akt-dependent cellular functions and the destruction of epithelial barriers.     

PI3K/Akt信号通路的调控与肿瘤血管生成

肿瘤对人类的生存危害极大,恶性肿瘤的治疗一直是世界性的难题。肿瘤血管生成是肿瘤赖以生长、转移的基础,受多种因子的调节。目前发现有多条信号网络参与调控肿瘤血管生成,PI3K/Akt是其中比较重要的一条信号传导途径,该通路与肿瘤的发生发展密切相关。本文介绍了PI3K/Akt信号通路的结构组成与活性调控,并重点阐述PI3K/Akt信号途径与肿瘤血管生成的关系。     

Downregulation of the PI3K/Akt survival pathway in cells with deregulated expression of c-Myc

Oncogenic transformation leads to an increased sensitivity to apoptosis, a characteristic that is selectively lost during tumor progression. The sensitization process affects the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis through signaling events that are poorly defined. We previously showed that a deregulated expression of c-Myc in cells treated with toxic agents caused an enhanced activation of p38 that acts in a death-promoting pathway. Here, we show that deregulated expression of c-Myc causes a severe reduction in the basal activity of Akt, which was further accelerated by serum deprivation. Furthermore, c-Myc expression repressed the activation of Akt induced by the toxic agents doxorubicin, cisplatin and H₂O₂, and also by the physiological agonists PDGF and insulin. We determined that the activation of Akt was inhibited as a result of the action of c-Myc upstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation. c-Myc overexpression impaired the induced association of the p85 subunit of PI3K with phosphotyrosine containing proteins, causing a reduction in the activation of PI3K and recruitment of Akt to the membrane. Inhibiting Akt in addition to enhancing p38 further exacerbate the imbalance between the death and survival signals and results in an enhanced sensitivity to apoptosis. This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Grant MOP-37860 to J.L. and K.B. and the Canada Research Chair in Stress Signal Transduction (to J.L.).     

Conversion of Androgen Receptor Signaling From a Growth Suppressor in Normal Prostate Epithelial Cells to an Oncogene in Prostate Cancer Cells Involves a Gain of Function in c-Myc Regulation

In normal prostate, androgen-dependent androgen receptor (AR) signaling within prostate stromal cells induces their secretion of paracrine factors, termed “andromedins” which stimulate growth of the epithelial cells. The present studies demonstrate that androgen-dependent andromedin-driven growth stimulation is counter-balanced by androgen-induced AR signaling within normal adult prostate epithelial cells resulting in terminal G₀ growth arrest coupled with terminal differentiation into ΔNp63-negative, PSA-expressing secretory luminal cells. This cell autonomous AR-driven terminal differentiation requires DNA-binding of the AR protein, is associated with decreases in c-Myc m-RNA and protein, are coupled with increases in p21, p27, and SKP-2 protein expression, and does not require functional p53. These changes result in down-regulation of Cyclin D₁ protein and RB phosphoryation. shRNA knockdown documents that neither RB, p21, p27 alone or in combination are required for such AR-induced G₀ growth arrest. Transgenic expression of a constitutive vector to prevent c-Myc down-regulation overrides AR-mediated growth arrest in normal prostate epithelial cells, which documents that AR-induced c-Myc down-regulation is critical in terminal growth arrest of normal prostate epithelial cells. In contrast, in prostate cancer cells, androgen-induced AR signaling paradoxically up-regulates c-Myc expression and stimulates growth as documented by inhibition of both of these responses following exposure to the AR antagonist, bicalutamide. These data document that AR signaling is converted from a growth suppressor in normal prostate epithelial cells to an oncogene in prostate cancer cells during prostatic carcinogenesis and that this conversion involves a gain of function for regulation of c-Myc expression.     

PI3K/AKT/FOXO信号通路介导的自噬在糖尿病认知功能障碍中的作用

糖尿病作为一种高血糖为主要特征的代谢性疾病,会引起中枢神经系统损伤,造成脑组织结构和功能改变,进而导致认知功能障碍.目前,糖尿病对认知功能障碍的影响及相关调控机制已成为国内外研究的热点和难点.磷酸肌醇3激酶/蛋白激酶B/叉头样转录因子(PI3 K/AKT/FOXO)通路是自噬的重要上游调控机制.本文概述了PI3 K/A...     

Insulin Receptor Substrate-4 Binds to Slingshot-1 Phosphatase and Promotes Cofilin Dephosphorylation

Cofilin plays an essential role in cell migration and morphogenesis by enhancing actin filament dynamics via its actin filament-severing activity. Slingshot-1 (SSH1) is a protein phosphatase that plays a crucial role in regulating actin dynamics by dephosphorylating and reactivating cofilin. In this study, we identified insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-4 as a novel SSH1-binding protein. Co-precipitation assays revealed the direct endogenous binding of IRS4 to SSH1. IRS4, but not IRS1 or IRS2, was bound to SSH1. IRS4 was bound to SSH1 mainly through the unique region (amino acids 335–400) adjacent to the C terminus of the phosphotyrosine-binding domain of IRS4. The N-terminal A, B, and phosphatase domains of SSH1 were bound to IRS4 independently. Whereas in vitro phosphatase assays revealed that IRS4 does not directly affect the cofilin phosphatase activity of SSH1, knockdown of IRS4 increased cofilin phosphorylation in cultured cells. Knockdown of IRS4 decreased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity, and treatment with an inhibitor of PI3K increased cofilin phosphorylation. Akt preferentially phosphorylated SSH1 at Thr-826, but expression of a non-phosphorylatable T826A mutant of SSH1 did not affect insulin-induced cofilin dephosphorylation, and an inhibitor of Akt did not increase cofilin phosphorylation. These results suggest that IRS4 promotes cofilin dephosphorylation through sequential activation of PI3K and SSH1 but not through Akt. In addition, IRS4 co-localized with SSH1 in F-actin-rich membrane protrusions in insulin-stimulated cells, which suggests that the association of IRS4 with SSH1 contributes to localized activation of cofilin in membrane protrusions.     

Androgen Receptor Splice Variant AR3 Promotes Prostate Cancer via Modulating Expression of Autocrine/Paracrine Factors

Deregulation of androgen receptor (AR) splice variants has been implicated to play a role in prostate cancer development and progression. To understand their functions in prostate, we established a transgenic mouse model (AR3Tg) with targeted expression of the constitutively active and androgen-independent AR splice variant AR3 (a.k.a. AR-V7) in prostate epithelium. We found that overexpression of AR3 modulates expression of a number of tumor-promoting autocrine/paracrine growth factors (including Tgfβ2 and Igf1) and expands prostatic progenitor cell population, leading to development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. In addition, we showed that some epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated genes are up-regulated in AR3Tg prostates, suggesting that AR3 may antagonize AR activity and halt the differentiation process driven by AR and androgen. This notion is supported by our observations that the number of Ck5⁺/Ck8⁺ intermediate cells is increased in AR3Tg prostates after castration, and expression of AR3 transgene in these intermediate cells compromises prostate epithelium regeneration upon androgen replacement. Our results demonstrate that AR3 is a driver of prostate cancer, at least in part, through modulating multiple tumor-promoting autocrine/paracrine factors.     

PEMT2过表达抑制大鼠肝癌细胞PI3K, Akt的表达(英)

为探讨磷脂酰乙醇胺-N-甲基转移酶2(PEMT2)过表达抑制大鼠肝癌细胞增殖的机制,构建了PEMT2高表达细胞克隆,并采用半定量RT-PCR、免疫细胞化学及流式细胞仪技术,研究了PEMT2过表达对PI3K/Akt信号转导途径的影响.实验结果显示,PEMT2过表达可抑制细胞PI3K和Akt的表达,并诱导细胞凋亡.这一结果提示,PI3K/Akt信号转导途径下调可能是PEMT2抑制肝癌细胞增殖的部分机制.     

PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路及其在卵巢癌治疗中的应用

卵巢癌是女性生殖系统常见的恶性肿瘤,发病率居于妇科恶性肿瘤第三位,死亡率居于妇科恶性肿瘤之首。目前对卵巢癌的标准治疗包括肿瘤细胞减灭术及卡铂和紫杉醇的联合化疗。PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路在卵巢癌的细胞增殖、侵袭、细胞周期进展、血管生成及耐药中发挥重要作用,是卵巢癌中最常发生改变的细胞内途径。本文对PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路及其在卵巢癌增殖和进展中的影响、PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路抑制剂在卵巢癌中的治疗应用做简要综述。     

RACK1 regulates VEGF/Flt1-mediated cell migration via activation of a PI3K/Akt pathway

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is vital to physiological as well as pathological angiogenesis, and regulates a variety of cellular functions, largely by activating its 2 receptors, fms-like tyrosine kinase (Flt1) and kinase domain receptor (KDR). KDR plays a critical role in the proliferation of endothelial cells by controlling VEGF-induced phospholipase Cγ-protein kinase C (PLCγ-PKC) signaling. The function of Flt1, however, remains to be clarified. Recent evidence has indicated that Flt1 regulates the VEGF-triggered migration of endothelial cells and macrophages. Here, we show that RACK1, a ubiquitously expressed scaffolding protein, functions as an important regulator of this process. We found that RACK1 (receptor for activated protein kinase C 1) binds to Flt1 in vitro. When the endogenous expression of RACK1 was attenuated by RNA interference, the VEGF-driven migration was remarkably suppressed whereas the proliferation was unaffected in a stable Flt1-expressing cell line, AG1-G1-Flt1. Further, we demonstrated that the VEGF/Flt-mediated migration of AG1-G1-Flt1 cells occurred mainly via the activation of the PI3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt and Rac1 pathways, and that RACK1 plays a crucial regulatory role in promoting PI3K/Akt-Rac1 activation.     

PI3K-Akt信号传导通路对糖代谢的调控作用

磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶(PI3Ks)作为酪氨酸激酶和G蛋白偶联受体的主要下游分子,通过催化产生第二信使3,4,5-三磷酸磷脂酰肌醇(PIP3)并激活Akt、糖原合酶激酶-3(GSK-3)、Forkhead转录因子FoxO1、mTOR(mammalian target of rapamycin)等下游分子,将多种生长因子及细胞因子的信号传递到细胞内,从而对细胞增殖、分化、凋亡和葡萄糖转运等多种生物过程起重要的调节作用.PTEN(phosphatase and tensin homologue)是PI3K信号通路的重要负调节因子.本文将对PI3K-Akt信号通路在糖代谢中的作用予以简要综述.     

Androgen Receptor Enhances p27 Degradation in Prostate Cancer Cells through Rapid and Selective TORC2 Activation

Androgen receptor (AR) plays a central role in prostate cancer (PCa) growth, with androgen deprivation or AR down-regulation causing cell-cycle arrest and accumulation of the p27 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. The molecular basis for this AR regulation of cell-cycle progression remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that androgen can rapidly reduce p27 protein in PCa cells by increasing its proteasome-mediated degradation. This rapid androgen-stimulated p27 degradation was mediated by AKT through the phosphorylation of p27 T157. Significantly, androgen increased TORC2-mediated AKT S473 phosphorylation without affecting the PDK1-mediated AKT T308 phosphorylation or TORC1 activity. The TORC2 activation was further supported by enhanced mTOR/RICTOR association and increased phosphorylation of additional TORC2 substrates, SGK1 and PKCα. The androgen-stimulated nuclear translocation of AR was associated with markedly-increased nuclear SIN1, a critical component of TORC2. Finally, the androgen-mediated TORC2/AKT activation targets a subset of AKT substrates including p27 and FOXO1, but not PRAS40. This study reveals a pathway linking AR to a selective activation of TORC2, the subsequent activation of AKT, and phosphorylation of a discrete set of AKT substrates that regulate cellular proliferation and survival. These findings establish that TORC2 can function as a central regulator of growth in response to signals that are distinct from those regulating TORC1, and support efforts to target TORC2 for cancer therapy.