The increased expression of integrin α6 (ITGA6) enhances drug resistance in EVI1(high) leukemia

Ecotropic viral integration site-1 (EVI1) is one of the candidate oncogenes for human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with chromosomal alterations at 3q26. High EVI1 expression (EVI1(high)) is a risk factor for AML with poor outcome. Using DNA microarray analysis, we previously identified that integrin α6 (ITGA6) was upregulated over 10-fold in EVI1(high) leukemia cells. In this study, we determined whether the increased expression of ITGA6 is associated with drug-resistance and increased cell adhesion, resulting in poor prognosis. To this end, we first confirmed the expression pattern of a series of integrin genes using semi-quantitative PCR and fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis and determined the cell adhesion ability in EVI1(high) leukemia cells. We found that the adhesion ability of EVI1(high) leukemia cells to laminin increased with the increased expression of ITGA6 and integrin β4 (ITGB4). The introduction of small-hairpin RNA against EVI1 (shEVI1) into EVI1(high) leukemia cells reduced the cell adhesion ability and downregulated the expression of ITGA6 and ITGB4. In addition, the overexpression of EVI1 in EVI1(low) leukemia cells enhanced their cell adhesion ability and increased the expression of ITGA6 and ITGB4. In a subsequent experiment, the introduction of shRNA against ITGA6 or ITGB4 into EVI1(high) AML cells downregulated their cell adhesion ability; however, the EVI1(high) AML cells transfected with shRNA against ITGA6 could not be maintained in culture. Moreover, treating EVI1(high) leukemia cells with neutralizing antibodies against ITGA6 or ITGB4 resulted in an enhanced responsiveness to anti-cancer drugs and a reduction of their cell adhesion ability. The expression of ITGA6 is significantly elevated in cells from relapsed and EVI1(high) AML cases; therefore, ITGA6 might represent an important therapeutic target for both refractory and EVI1(high) AML.     

Forced Expression of miR-143 Represses ERK5/c-Myc and p68/p72 Signaling in Concert with miR-145 in Gut Tumors of Apc(Min) Mice

Recently, miR-143 and miR-145 have been shown to belong to a subset of microRNAs whose expression is controlled by a complex of a tumor suppressor p53 and DEAD-box RNA helicase subunits p68/p72. While accumulating studies have acknowledged that both miRNAs function as tumor suppressors and are similarly regulated, evidence of their coordinated action against tumorigenesis has been poorly presented. Herein, we establish transgenic mice that express miR-143 under the control of the CAG regulatory unit. When crossbred with Apc(Min/+) mice, the development of tumors in the small intestines is significantly attenuated. In the transgenic small intestine tumors, the endogenous miR-145 is also enhanced and the expression of c-Myc and p68/p72, both of which have been reported to be pivotal for gut tumor development, is suppressed, corresponding to the downregulation of ERK5. We demonstrate that the combination of miR-143 and miR-145 inhibits the expression of c-Myc in human colon cancer cells, whereas miR-145 retards that of p72. Moreover, we show the possibilities that miR-145 modulates p72 expression through its 3' untranslated region and that c-Myc downregulation is involved in both p68 suppression and miR-145 induction. These findings suggest that forced expression of miR-143, probably interacting with endogenous miR-145, inhibits ERK5/c-Myc and p68/p72/β-catenin signaling and hampers small intestine tumor development in Apc(Min/+) mice. This unique cascade, in turn, may prevent overproduction of a subset of tumor suppressive miRNAs by repressing their own modulators, p68/p72.     

Purification and N-terminal amino acid sequence of solanapyrone synthase, a natural Diels-Alderase from Alternaria solani

The first natural Diels-Alderase, solanapyrone synthase, was purified 1,630-fold from a crude extract. The 41-kDa protein on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was identified as truncated solanapyrone synthase, and its N-terminal amino acid sequence was found to be QETQNLNNFLESNAINP.     

Purification and characterization of hemoglobin-hydrolyzing acidic thiol protease induced by leupeptin in rat liver

Intraperitoneal administration of leupeptin to rats induced a hemoglobin-hydrolyzing protease which was most active at pH 3.5 and was insensitive to pepstatin in various tissues such as the liver, kidney, and muscle, as observed previously in adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture (Tanaka, K., Ikegaki, N., and Ichihara, A. (1979) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 91, 102-107). The induced acidic protease was purified about 600-fold in 30% yield from rat liver by conventional chromatographic techniques. The purified enzyme appeared homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence or absence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and was a monomeric protein of Mr = 20,000. The enzyme appeared to be a glycoprotein because its induction was blocked by the addition of tunicamycin to cultures of hepatocytes and because the induced protease was absorbed on concanavalin A-Sepharose and eluted with methylglucoside. It seemed to be present in lysosomes and was fairly stable at various pH values and temperatures. It showed endopeptidase activity on various protein substrates, but scarcely hydrolyzed N-substituted derivatives of arginine. It did not hydrolyze esters, showed no aminopeptidase or carboxypeptidase activity, and did not inactivate glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or aldolase. The enzyme appeared to be a thiol protease, since it was strongly inhibited by sulfhydryl-reactive compounds and N-( [N-(1-3-trans-carboxyoxiran-2-carbonyl)-L-leucyl]-agmatine and was not inhibited by reagents specific for carboxyl-, serine-, or metalloproteases. This induced protease could be separated from cathepsins B, D, and H by chromatography. The enzyme was similar to cathepsin L in chromatographic behavior, Mr and pI, but differed from the latter in stability and in its inability to inactivate some enzymes. These results suggest that it differs from any known proteases found previously in rat liver.     

Preparation of fatty acid methyl esters for gas-liquid chromatography

A convenient method using commercial aqueous concentrated HCl (conc. HCl; 35%, w/w) as an acid catalyst was developed for preparation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from sterol esters, triacylglycerols, phospholipids, and FFAs for gas-liquid chromatography (GC). An 8% (w/v) solution of HCl in methanol/water (85:15, v/v) was prepared by diluting 9.7 ml of conc. HCl with 41.5 ml of methanol. Toluene (0.2 ml), methanol (1.5 ml), and the 8% HCl solution (0.3 ml) were added sequentially to the lipid sample. The final HCl concentration was 1.2% (w/v). This solution (2 ml) was incubated at 45°C overnight or heated at 100°C for 1–1.5 h. The amount of FFA formed in the presence of water derived from conc. HCl was estimated to be <1.4%. The yields of FAMEs were >96% for the above lipid classes and were the same as or better than those obtained by saponification/methylation or by acid-catalyzed methanolysis/methylation using commercial anhydrous HCl/methanol. The method developed here could be successfully applied to fatty acid analysis of various lipid samples, including fish oils, vegetable oils, and blood lipids by GC.     

Integrated flow-through purification for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies processing

An integrated all flow-through technology platform for the purification of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAb), consisting of activated carbon and flow-through cation and anion exchange chromatography steps, can replace a conventional chromatography platform. This new platform was observed to have excellent impurity clearance at high mAb loadings with overall mAb yield exceeding 80%. Robust removal of DNA and host cell protein was demonstrated by activated carbon and a new flow-through cation exchange resin exhibited excellent clearance of mAb aggregate with high monomer recoveries. A ten-fold improvement of mAb loading was achieved compared to a traditional cation exchange resin designed for bind and elute mode. High throughput 96-well plate screening was used for process optimization, focusing on mAb loading and solution conditions. Optimum operating windows for integrated flow-through purification are proposed based on performance characteristics. The combination of an all flow-through polishing process presents significant opportunities for improvements in facility utilization and process economics.