Human Sarcoma Growth Is Sensitive to Small-Molecule Mediated AXIN Stabilization

Sarcomas are mesenchymal tumors showing high molecular heterogeneity, reflected at the histological level by the existence of more than fifty different subtypes. Genetic and epigenetic evidences link aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling to growth and progression of human sarcomas. This phenomenon, mainly accomplished by autocrine loop activity, is sustained by gene amplification, over-expression of Wnt ligands and co-receptors or epigenetic silencing of endogenous Wnt antagonists. We previously showed that pharmacological inhibition of Wnt signaling mediated by Axin stabilization produced in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity in glioblastoma tumors. Here, we report that targeting different sarcoma cell lines with the Wnt inhibitor/Axin stabilizer SEN461 produces a less transformed phenotype, as supported by modulation of anchorage-independent growth in vitro. At the molecular level, SEN461 treatment enhanced the stability of the scaffold protein Axin1, a key negative regulator of the Wnt signaling with tumor suppressor function, resulting in downstream effects coherent with inhibition of canonical Wnt signaling. Genetic phenocopy of small molecule Axin stabilization, through Axin1 over-expression, coherently resulted in strong impairment of soft-agar growth. Importantly, sarcoma growth inhibition through pharmacological Axin stabilization was also observed in a xenograft model in vivo in female CD-1 nude mice. Our findings suggest the usefulness of Wnt inhibitors with Axin stabilization activity as a potentialyl clinical relevant strategy for certain types of sarcomas.     

Darmin is a novel secreted protein expressed during endoderm development in Xenopus

Endoderm development is an area of intense interest in developmental biology, but progress has been hampered by the lack of specific markers for differentiated endodermal cells. In an unbiased secretion cloning screen of Xenopus gastrula embryos we isolated a novel gene, designated Darmin. Darmin encodes a secreted protein of 56 kDa containing a peptidase M20 domain characteristic of the glutamate carboxypeptidase group of zinc metalloproteases. We also identified homologous Darmin genes in other eukaryotes and in prokaryotes suggesting that Darmin is the founding member of a family of evolutionarily conserved proteins. Xenopus Darmin showed zygotic expression in the early endoderm and later became restricted to the midgut. By secretion cloning of Xenopus cleavage-stage embryos we isolated another novel protein, designated Darmin-related (Darmin-r) due to its sequence similarity with Darmin. Darmin-r was maternally expressed and showed at later stages expression in the lens and pronephric glomus. The endoderm-specific expression of Darmin makes this gene a useful marker for the study of endoderm development.     

Depletion of Bmp2, Bmp4, Bmp7 and Spemann organizer signals induces massive brain formation in Xenopus embryos

To address the patterning function of the Bmp2, Bmp4 and Bmp7 growth factors, we designed antisense morpholino oligomers (MO) that block their activity in Xenopus laevis. Bmp4 knockdown was sufficient to rescue the ventralizing effects caused by loss of Chordin activity. Double Bmp4 and Bmp7 knockdown inhibited tail development. Triple Bmp2/Bmp4/Bmp7 depletion further compromised trunk development but did not eliminate dorsoventral patterning. Unexpectedly, we found that blocking Spemann organizer formation by UV treatment or beta-Catenin depletion caused BMP inhibition to have much more potent effects, abolishing all ventral development and resulting in embryos having radial central nervous system (CNS) structures. Surprisingly, dorsal signaling molecules such as Chordin, Noggin, Xnr6 and Cerberus were not re-expressed in these embryos. We conclude that BMP inhibition is sufficient for neural induction in vivo, and that in the absence of ventral BMPs, Spemann organizer signals are not required for brain formation.     

Action of aspartate on the32Pi incorporation into phospholipids of cerebral cortex

The effect ofl-aspartate on the³²Pi incorporation of phospholipids, was studied on slices of rat cerebral cortex. This amino acid produced an inhibitory effect in concentrations 0.01–10 mM, which was more evident at 120 min. This effect was not stereospecific and did not imply a change in Pi uptake and in nucleotides P precursors. The inhibition was present in PS, PC, PE and to a lesser extent in PI. On liver slices 1 mMl-aspartate had the opposite effect, stimulating the incorporation of³²Pi into total phospholipids. Our results suggest that the effect ofl-aspartate is by a non-specific mechanism, probably not mediated by a receptor.     

Submicroscopic Changes of the Nerve Endings in the Adrenal Medulla after Stimulation of the Splanchnic Nerve

The nerve endings of the adrenal medulla of the rabbit were studied under the electron microscope in the normal condition and after prolonged electrical stimulation of the splanchnic nerve. With a stimulus of 100 pulses per second for 10 minutes, there is an increase in the number of synaptic vesicles in the nerve ending. The mean number is of 82.6 vesicles per square micron in the normal and of 132.7 per square micron in the stimulated glands. With a stimulus of 400 pulses per second for 10 minutes, there is a considerable depletion of synaptic vesicles and other changes occur in the nerve endings. The mean number of vesicles is of 29.2 per square micron. These results are interpreted as indicative of an increased activity of the ending in one case, and as a diminished activity and fatigue of the synaptic junction in the other.