Cinzia Sevignani

Mammalian microRNAs: a small world for fine-tuning gene expression

The basis of eukaryotic complexity is an intricate genetic architecture where parallel systems are involved in tuning gene expression, via RNA-DNA, RNA-RNA, RNA-protein, and DNA-protein interactions. In higher organisms, about 97% of the transcriptional output is represented by noncoding RNA (ncRNA) encompassing not only rRNA, tRNA, introns, 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions, transposable elements, and intergenic regions, but also a large, rapidly emerging family named microRNAs. MicroRNAs are short 20-22-nucleotide RNA molecules that have been shown to regulate the expression of other genes in a variety of eukaryotic systems. MicroRNAs are formed from larger transcripts that fold to produce hairpin structures and serve as substrates for the cytoplasmic Dicer, a member of the RNase III enzyme family. A recent analysis of the genomic location of human microRNA genes suggested that 50% of microRNA genes are located in cancer-associated genomic regions or in fragile sites. This review focuses on the possible implications of microRNAs in post-transcriptional gene regulation in mammalian diseases, with particular focus on cancer. We argue that developing mouse models for deleted and/or overexpressed microRNAs will be of invaluable interest to decipher the regulatory networks where microRNAs are involved.

Myc-Transformed Epithelial Cells Down-Regulate Clusterin, Which Inhibits Their Growth in Vitro and Carcinogenesis in Vivo

Effective treatment of malignant carcinomas requires identification of proteins regulating epithelial cell proliferation. To this end, we compared gene expression profiles in murine colonocytes and their c-Myc-transformed counterparts, which possess enhanced proliferative potential. A surprisingly short list of deregulated genes included the cDNA for clusterin, an extracellular glycoprotein without a firmly established function. We had previously demonstrated that in organs such as skin, clusterin expression is restricted to differentiating but not proliferating cell layers, suggesting a possible negative role in cell division. Indeed, its transient overexpression in Myc-transduced colonocytes decreased cell accumulation. Furthermore, clusterin was down-regulated in rapidly dividing human keratinocytes infected with a Myc-encoding adenovirus. Its knockdown via antisense RNA in neoplastic epidermoid cells enhanced proliferation. Finally, recombinant human clusterin suppressed, in a dose-dependent manner, DNA replication in keratinocytes and other cells of epithelial origin. Thus, clusterin appears to be an inhibitor of epithelial cell proliferation in vitro. To determine whether it also affects neoplastic growth in vivo, we compared wild-type and clusterin-null mice with respect to their sensitivity to 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene /12-Otetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (DMBA/TPA)-induced skin carcinogenesis. We observed that the mean number of papillomas/mouse was higher in clusterin-null animals. Moreover, these papillomas did not regress as readily as in wild-type mice and persisted beyond week 35. The rate of progression toward squamous cell carcinoma was not altered, although those developing in clusterin-null mice were on average better differentiated. These data suggest that clusterin not only suppresses epithelial cell proliferation in vitro but also interferes with the promotion stage of skin carcinogenesis.

Cancer-associated genomic regions (CAGRs) and noncoding RNAs: Bioinformatics and therapeutic implications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs, RNAs that do not code for proteins) that regulate the expression of target genes at the posttranscriptional or posttranslational level. Many miRNAs have conserved sequences between distantly related organisms, suggesting that these molecules participate in essential developmental and physiologic processes. miRNAs can act as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes in human cancers. Mutations, deletions, or amplifications have been found in human cancers and shown to alter expression levels of mature and/or precursor miRNA transcripts. Moreover, a large fraction of genomic ultraconserved regions (UCRs) encode a particular set of ncRNAs whose expression is altered in human cancers. Both miRNAs and UCRs are frequently located at fragile sites and genomic regions affected in various cancers, named cancer-associated genomic regions (CAGRs). Bioinformatics studies are emerging as important tools to identify associations and/or correlations between miRNAs/ncRNAs and CAGRs. ncRNA profiling has allowed the identification of specific signatures associated with diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment of human tumors. Several abnormalities could contribute to the alteration of miRNA expression profiles in each kind of tumor and in each kind of tissue. This review is focused on the miRNAs and ncRNAs as genes affecting cancer risk, and we provided an updated catalog of miRNAs and UCRs located at fragile sites or at cancer susceptibility loci. These types of studies are the first step toward discoveries leading to novel approaches for cancer therapies.

Cutting Edge: Systemic Inhibition of Angiogenesis Underlies Resistance to Tumors During Acute Toxoplasmosis

The ability of various infections to suppress neoplastic growth has been well documented. This phenomenon has been traditionally attributed to infection-induced concomitant, cell-mediated antitumor immunity. We found that infection with Toxoplasma gondii effectively blocked neoplastic growth of a nonimmunogenic B16.F10 melanoma. Moreover, this effect was independent of cytotoxic T or NK cells, production of NO by macrophages, or the function of the cytokines IL-12 and TNF-α. These findings suggested that antitumor cytotoxicity was not the primary mechanism of resistance. However, infection was accompanied by strong, systemic suppression of angiogenesis, both in a model system and inside the nascent tumor. This suppression resulted in severe hypoxia and avascular necrosis that are incompatible with progressive neoplastic growth. Our results identify the suppression of tumor neovascularization as a novel mechanism critical for infection-induced resistance to tumors.

Tumorigenic conversion of p53-deficient colon epithelial cells by an activated Ki-ras gene.

Distinct genetic abnormalities (loss-of-function mutations of APC and p53 and oncogenic activation of Ki-ras) are associated with specific stages of the sporadic, most common types of colorectal tumors. However, the inability to maintain primary colon epithelial cells in culture has hindered the analysis of the pathogenetic role of these abnormalities in colorectal tumorigenesis. We have now established primary cultures of epithelial cells from the colon crypts of p53-deficient mice; these cells are nontumorigenic as indicated by their failure to form colonies in soft agar and to grow as tumors in immunodeficient SCID mice and in immunocompetent syngeneic hosts. Upon ectopic expression of an activated Ki-ras gene, p53-deficient colon epithelial cells form colonies in soft agar and highly invasive subcutaneous tumors in both immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice. Ectopic expression of wild-type p53, but not of a DNA-binding-deficient mutant, markedly suppressed the colony-forming ability of the Ki-ras-transformed p53-deficient epithelial cells. Together, these findings establish a functional synergism in colorectal tumorigenesis dependent on the effects of an oncogenic Ki-ras in a p53-deficient background. This model of tumorigenic conversion of colon epithelial cells might be useful to identify genetic changes associated with disease progression and to evaluate the therapeutic response to conventional and novel anticancer drugs.

Lung Cancer Susceptibility in Fhit-Deficient Mice Is Increased by Vhl Haploinsufficiency

The FHIT gene plays important roles in cancer development, including lung cancers, in which the Fhit protein is frequently lost. To determine if Fhit-deficient mice exhibit increased susceptibility to carcinogen-induced lung cancer, mice were treated with the pulmonary carcinogen 4-methylnitrosamino-1-3-pyridyl-1-butanone. Wild-type and Fhit-deficient animals did not exhibit significantly different frequencies of lung lesions, but Fhit-/- mice showed significantly increased average tumor volume (1.62 mm3) and multiplicity in tumor-bearing mice, compared with wild-type mice (0.70 mm3). Tumors of Fhit-/- mice were all carcinomas, whereas Fhit+/+ mice did not develop carcinomas. To determine if Fhit absence, in combination with deficiency of an additional 3p tumor suppressor, would affect the frequency of tumor induction, we examined the spontaneous and dimethylnitrosamine-induced tumor phenotype of Fhit-/-Vhl+/- mice. Whereas no spontaneous lung tumors were observed in Fhit-/- or Vhl+/- mice, 44% of Fhit-/-Vhl+/- mice developed adenocarcinomas by 2 years of age. Dimethylnitrosamine (6 mg/kg body weight) induced lung tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) in 100% of Fhit-/-Vhl+/- mice and adenomas in 40% of Fhit-/- mice by 20 months of age. Thus, double deficiency in murine homologues of 3p suppressor genes, including haploinsufficiency of Vhl, predisposes to spontaneous and induced lung cancers, showing that Fhit-deficient mice will be useful, in combination with other 3p tumor suppressors, in recapitulating a pattern of lung cancer development similar to the human pattern; such double- or triple-deficient mice will be excellent lung cancer prevention and therapy models.

Inactivation of the FHIT Gene Favors Bladder Cancer Development

The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene located on chromosome 3p14.2 is frequently deleted in human tumors. We have previously reported deletions at the FHIT locus in 50% of bladder carcinoma derived cell lines and reduced expression in 61% of primary transitional carcinomas of the urinary bladder. To additionally investigate the role of FHIT alterations in the development of bladder cancer, we used heterozygous and nullizygous Fhit-deficient mice in a chemically induced carcinogenesis model. Results showed that 8 of 28 (28%) and 6 of 13 (46%) of the Fhit −/− and +/−, respectively, versus 2 of 25 (8%) Fhit +/+ mice developed invasive carcinoma after treatment with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine. To explore the possibility of a FHIT-based gene therapy for bladder cancer, we studied the effects of restored Fhit protein expression on cell proliferation, cell kinetics, and tumorigenicity in BALB/c nude mice, with human SW780 Fhit-null transitional carcinoma derived cells. In vitro transduction of SW780 Fhit-negative cells with adenoviral-FHIT inhibited cell growth, increased apoptotic cell population, and suppressed s.c. tumor growth in nude mice. These findings suggest the important role of Fhit in bladder cancer development and support the effort to additionally investigate a FHIT-based gene therapy.

Fez1/Lzts1-deficient mice are more susceptible to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutil) nitrosamine (BBN) carcinogenesis

FEZ1/LZTS1 is a tumor suppressor gene that is frequently altered in human cancers of different histotypes. We have reported previously that LZTS1 is downregulated in high-grade bladder cancer and that its restoration suppresses tumorigenicity in urothelial carcinoma cells. To further investigate the role of LZTS1 in the development of bladder cancer, we utilized heterozygous and nullizygous Lzts1 mice in a chemically induced carcinogenesis model. Fifty-eight mice consisting of 25 Lzts1(+/+), 17 Lzts1(+/-) and 16 Lzts1(-/-) were treated with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutil) nitrosamine (BBN). Results showed that there was a significant increase in neoplastic lesions in the Lzts1(+/-) (82.3%) and Lzts1(-/-) (93.8%) versus Lzts1(+/+) (8.0%) mice after BBN treatment. No difference in cancer incidence between Lzts1(+/-) and Lzts1(-/-) was observed. Collectively, these findings indicate that loss of one or both LZTS1 alleles hampers the normal defenses of urothelial cells against carcinogens, favoring bladder cancer development. Therefore, LZTS1 may become an excellent target for gene therapy in advanced bladder carcinoma.

Tumor suppressor functions of ARLTS1 in lung cancers

ARLTS1 is a newly characterized tumor suppressor gene located at chromosome 13q14.3 and involved in the pathogenesis of various types of tumors: two single-nucleotide polymorphisms, one of them responsible for protein truncation, were found statistically associated with familial malignancies, whereas DNA hypermethylation and genomic deletions have been identified as a mechanism of ARLTS1 down-regulation in sporadic cancers. We found that in a large portion of lung carcinomas (37%) and in all analyzed lung cancer cell lines, ARLTS1 is strongly down-regulated due to DNA methylation in its promoter region. After its restoration by adenoviral transduction, ARLTS1-negative A549 and H1299 cells underwent apoptosis and inhibition of cell growth. Furthermore, ARLTS1 reexpression significantly reduced the ability of A549 and H1299 to form tumors in nude mice. Finally, we identified approximately 650 transcripts differentially expressed after restoration of ARLTS1 expression in A549 cells, suggesting that various pathways involved in cell survival, proliferation, signaling, and development mediate the effects of wild-type ARLTS1 in a lung cancer system.

Langerhans cells can express neuron-specific enolase immunoreactivity

Enolases (2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolase) are glycolytic cytoplasmic enzymes, with multiple isoenzymes, widely distributed in mammalian tissues. Enolase isoenzymes are dimers composed of three immunologically distinct subunits (c~,/3, 7). The isoenzymes containing the 7-subunit were initially found in neuronal and neuroendocrine cells [12] and tumours [14, 15], and subsequently considered to be neuron specific. The presence of 7-isoenzymes was later also demonstrated in a wide variety of other tissue, both normal [4] and malignant [9]. Recently, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) immunocytochemical positivity was observed in a few lymph nodal neoplastic cells in two out of 12 patients affected by disseminated histiocytosis X [8]. Here we report immunohistochemical evidence of NSE immunoreactivity (IR) in normal human epidermal Langerhans cells. Skin specimens were taken from various regions of normal human skin (scalp, arm, face, fingertip, prepuce, lower limb). Samples were taken under local anaesthesia either as punch biopsies from adult volunteers or as margins of surgical ablations. Most specimens were immersion-fixed in picric acid/formalin, then frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at 8 0 ~ until used. A few specimens were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin. Both procedures have been demonstrated to be suitable for NSE immunostaining [1]. Sections ( 4 1 4 gm) from a total of 37 specimens taken from 32 healthy subjects were processed with a biotin-streptavidin-fluorescein technique. A few sections were stained using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase method. Two rabbit polyclonal antisera, raised against the 7/Y enolase isoenzyme (purchased from Incstar Corp.,