p63 expression defines a lethal subset of muscle-invasive bladder cancers

Background

p63 is a member of the p53 family that has been implicated in maintenance of epithelial stem cell compartments. Previous studies demonstrated that p63 is downregulated in muscle-invasive bladder cancers, but the relationship between p63 expression and survival is not clear.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We used real-time PCR to characterize p63 expression and several genes implicated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human bladder cancer cell lines (n = 15) and primary tumors (n = 101). We correlated tumor marker expression with stage, disease-specific (DSS), and overall survival (OS). Expression of E-cadherin and p63 correlated directly with one another and inversely with expression of the mesenchymal markers Zeb-1, Zeb-2, and vimentin. Non-muscle-invasive (Ta and T1) bladder cancers uniformly expressed high levels of E-cadherin and p63 and low levels of the mesenchymal markers. Interestingly, a subset of muscle-invasive (T2–T4) tumors maintained high levels of E-cadherin and p63 expression. As expected, there was a strongly significant correlation between EMT marker expression and muscle invasion (p<0.0001). However, OS was shorter in patients with muscle-invasive tumors that retained p63 (p = 0.007).

Conclusions/Significance

Our data confirm that molecular markers of EMT are elevated in muscle-invasive bladder cancers, but interestingly, retention of the “epithelial” marker p63 in muscle-invasive tumors is associated with a worse outcome.     

The E3 ligase HACE1 is a critical chromosome 6q21 tumor suppressor involved in multiple cancers

Transformation and cancer growth are regulated by the coordinate actions of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Here, we show that the novel E3 ubiquitin ligase HACE1 is frequently downregulated in human tumors and maps to a region of chromosome 6q21 implicated in multiple human cancers. Genetic inactivation of HACE1 in mice results in the development of spontaneous, late-onset cancer. A second hit from either environmental triggers or genetic heterozygosity of another tumor suppressor, p53, markedly increased tumor incidence in a Hace1-deficient background. Re-expression of HACE1 in human tumor cells directly abrogates in vitro and in vivo tumor growth, whereas downregulation of HACE1 via siRNA allows non-tumorigenic human cells to form tumors in vivo. Mechanistically, the tumor-suppressor function of HACE1 is dependent on its E3 ligase activity and HACE1 controls adhesion-dependent growth and cell cycle progression during cell stress through degradation of cyclin D1. Thus, HACE1 is a candidate chromosome 6q21 tumor-suppressor gene involved in multiple cancers.     

Osteoactivin fragments produced by ectodomain shedding induce MMP-3 expression via ERK pathway in mouse NIH-3T3 fibroblasts

Intact osteoactivin, a novel type I membrane glycoprotein, were shed at a dibasic motif in the juxtamembrane region in C2C12 myoblasts. Extracellular fragments were secreted into the culture media by a putative metalloprotease. Extracellular fragments of osteoactivin, but not control protein, induced matrix metalloprotease-3 (MMP-3) expression in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. Epidermal growth factor (ERK) kinase inhibitors inhibited the osteoactivin-mediated MMP-3 expression, whereas the extracellular fragment of osteoactivin activated ERK1/2 and p38 in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Our results suggest that the extracellular fragments of osteoactivin produced by shedding act as a growth factor to induce MMP-3 expression via the ERK pathway in fibroblasts.     

Detergent-resistant erythrocyte membrane rafts are modified by a Plasmodium falciparum infection

Detergent resistant membranes (DRMs) have been implicated in numerous cellular processes including signal transduction, membrane trafficking, and molecular sorting. Flotillins-1 and -2 have recently been shown to be large components of erythrocyte DRMs. In this study, we show that a Plasmodium falciparum infection disrupts the association of flotillins with erythrocyte DRMs. Flotillins are probably released from erythrocyte DRMs through the reduction of cholesterol and sphingomyelin levels during the course of a P. falciparum-infection. Although it is well known that a P. falciparum infection can modify the host erythrocyte membrane, this is the first report that P. falciparum can alter the DRM components of erythrocyte membranes.     

The overexpression of MCPH1 inhibits cell growth through regulating cell cycle-related proteins and activating cytochrome c-caspase 3 signaling in cervical cancer

MCPH1, initially identified as an hTERT repressor, has recently been implicated in mediating DNA damage response and maintaining chromosome integrity. This study is to investigate its potential role in the onset of cervical cancer. In the study, decreased expression of MCPH1 was observed in 19 of 31 cases (61.3 %) at mRNA level and 44 of 63 cases (69.8 %) at protein level of cervical tumor tissues compared with the paired nontumor tissues. Reduced MCPH1 protein expression was significantly associated with high-tumor grade (1 vs. 3 P = 0.013; 2 vs. 3 P = 0.047). In addition to inhibit SiHa cell migration and invasion, the overexpression of MCPH1 inhibited cervical cancer cells growth through inducing S phase arrest and mitochondrial apoptosis. Further analysis demonstrated cyclinA2/CDK2, CDC25C-cyclinB/CDC2, and p53/p21 pathways were involved in the MCPH1 overexpression-induced S phase arrest. Moreover, the overexpression of MCPH1 activated mitochondrial apoptosis through regulating several apoptosis-related proteins such as p53, Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome c, caspase-3, and PARP-1. Our findings indicate that downregulated MCPH1 correlates with tumor progression in cervical cancer, and MCPH1 has an important role in regulating cell growth through regulating the cell cycle and apoptosis. Thus, it may be a crucial tumor suppressor gene and a novel candidate therapeutic target for cervical cancer.     

Consequences of cps mutation of Klebsiella pneumoniae on 1,3-propanediol fermentation

The filtration in 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) downstream process is influenced by the large amounts of capsular polysaccharides (CPS) produced by Klebsiella pneumoniae CGMCC 1.6366. The morphological and fermentation properties were investigated with the CPS-deficient mutant K. pneumoniae CGMCC 1.6366 CPS. Similar biomass was obtained with CGMCC 1.6366, and the mutant strain in batch cultures indicating the cell growth was slightly inhibited by CPS defection. The viscosity of fermentation broth by mutant strain decreased by 27.45%. The flux with ceramic membrane filter was enhanced from 168.12 to 303.6 l h⁻¹ m⁻², exhibiting the great importance for downstream processing of 1,3-PD fermentation. The products spectrum of mutant isolate changed remarkably regarding to the concentration of fermentation products. The synthesis of important 1,3-PD and 2,3-butanediol was enhanced from 9.73 and 4.06 g l⁻¹ to 10.37 and 4.77 g l⁻¹ in batch cultures. The noncapsuled K. pneumoniae provided higher 1,3-PD yield of 0.54 mol mol⁻¹ than that of encapsuled wild parent in batch cultures. The fed-batch fermentation of mutant strain resulted in 1,3-PD concentration, yield, and productivity of 78.13 g l⁻¹, 0.53 mol mol⁻¹, and 1.95 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively.     

43Ca NMR studies of Ca2+-Tetrahymena calmodulin complexes

⁴³Ca NMR spectra of Ca²⁺-Tetrahymena calmodulin(Tet. CaM.) complexes have been observed under various conditions. Off-rate of Ca²⁺ from Tet. CaM. is estimated to be approx. 2.7 × 10³ s^?1 under a certain assumption. Relaxation rates of ⁴³Ca NMR of Ca²⁺-Tet. CaM. are remarkably increased(by one order in magnitude) by adding trifluoperazine(TFP), a potent calmodulin antagonist. Relaxation parameters estimated suggest that Ca²⁺ mobility is reduced by the TFP binding. A stoichiometry of TFP is two moles per Tet. CaM. molecule. The relaxation rates of ⁴³Ca NMR signals are increased by adding excessive Mg²⁺ to the Ca²⁺-Tet. CaM. solutions. The addition of Mg²⁺ to the Ca²⁺-Tet. CaM. complex decreases apparent pKa value of the complex as well.