Juha Klefström

Comparison of VEGF, VEGF-B, VEGF-C and Ang-1 mRNA regulation by serum, growth factors, oncoproteins and hypoxia.

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family has recently been expanded by the isolation of two additional growth factors, VEGF-B and VEGF-C. Here we compare the regulation of steady-state levels of VEGF, VEGF-B and VEGF-C mRNAs in cultured cells by a variety of stimuli implicated in angiogenesis and endothelial cell physiology. Hypoxia, Ras oncoprotein and mutant p53 tumor suppressor, which are potent inducers of VEGF mRNA did not increase VEGF-B or VEGF-C mRNA levels. Serum and its component growth factors, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) as well as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and the tumor promoter phorbol myristate 12,13-acetate (PMA) stimulated VEGF-C, but not VEGF-B mRNA expression. Interestingly, these growth factors and hypoxia simultaneously downregulated the mRNA of another endothelial cell specific ligand, angiopoietin-1. Serum induction of VEGF-C mRNA occurred independently of protein synthesis; with an increase of the mRNA half-life from 3.5 h to 5.5 – 6 h, whereas VEGF-B mRNA was very stable (T1/2>8 h). Our results reveal that the three VEGF genes are regulated in a strikingly different manner, suggesting that they serve distinct, although perhaps overlapping functions in vivo.

The oncogenic potential of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus cyclin is exposed by p53 loss in vitro and in vivo

Expression of the Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) cyclin D homolog, K cyclin, is thought to contribute to viral oncogenesis. We show that K cyclin expression in primary cells sensitizes to apoptosis and induces growth arrest, both of which are dependent on p53 but independent of E2F1 or p19(ARF). DNA synthesis, but not cytokinesis, continues in K cyclin-expressing cells, leading to multinucleation and polyploidy. Such polyploid cells exhibit pronounced centrosome amplification and consequent aneuploidy. Our data suggest that K cyclin expression leads to cytokinesis defects and polyploidy, which activates p53. However, in the absence of p53, such cells survive and expand as an aneuploid population. Corroborating these findings, in vivo Emu; K cyclin expression cooperates with p53 loss in the induction of lymphomas.

c-Myc induces cellular susceptibility to the cytotoxic action of TNF-alpha.

Tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF) is a multifunctional cytokine which is cytotoxic for some tumor cells and transformed cells. The molecular mechanisms which render transformed and tumor cells sensitive to the cytotoxic action of TNF are unclear. We show here that an increased expression of the c‐Myc oncoprotein strongly increases cellular sensitivity to TNF cytotoxicity. In Rat1A fibroblasts, which are resistant to TNF, the addition of TNF with a concomitant activation of a hormone‐inducible c‐Myc‐estrogen receptor chimera (MycER) resulted in apoptotic cell death. Similarly, c‐Myc overexpression enhanced the sensitivity of NIH3T3 fibroblasts to TNF‐induced death. The c‐Myc and TNF‐induced apoptosis was inhibited by ectopic expression of the Bcl2 oncoprotein and by the free oxygen radical scavenging enzyme Mn superoxide dismutase. Furthermore, in highly TNF‐sensitive fibrosarcoma cells, antisense c‐myc oligodeoxynucleotides caused a specific inhibition of TNF cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that the deregulation of c‐Myc, which is common in human tumors and tumor cell lines is one reason why these cells are TNF sensitive.

Induction of TNF-sensitive cellular phenotype by c-Myc involves p53 and impaired NF-κB activation

Normal fibroblasts are resistant to the cytotoxic action of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), but are rendered TNF‐sensitive upon deregulation of c‐Myc. To assess if oncoproteins induce the cytotoxic TNF activity by modulating TNF signaling, we investigated the TNF‐elicited signaling responses in fibroblasts containing a conditionally active c‐Myc protein. In association with cell death, c‐Myc impaired TNF‐induced activation of phospholipase A2, JNK protein kinase and cell survival‐signaling‐associated NF‐κB transcription factor complex. The TNF‐induced death of mouse primary fibroblasts expressing deregulated c‐Myc was inhibited by transient overexpression of the p65 subunit of NF‐κB, which increased NF‐κB activity in the cells. Unlike other TNF‐induced signals, TNF‐induced accumulation of the wild‐type p53 mRNA and protein was not inhibited by c‐Myc. TNF, with c‐Myc, induced apoptosis in mouse primary fibroblasts but only weakly in p53‐deficient primary fibroblasts. The C‐terminal domain of p53, which is a transacting dominant inhibitor of wild‐type p53, failed to inhibit apoptosis by c–Myc and TNF, suggesting that the cell death was not dependent on the transcription‐activating function of p53. Taken together, the present findings show that the cytotoxic activity of TNF towards oncoprotein‐expressing cells involves p53 and an impaired signaling for survival in such cells.

Suppression of oncogenic properties of c-Myc by LKB1-controlled epithelial organization

Cellular organization into epithelial architecture maintains structural integrity and homeostasis by suppressing cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, it is unclear whether the epithelial organization is sufficient to block induction of cell-autonomous cell cycle progression and apoptotic sensitivity by activated oncogenes. We show that chronic activation of oncogenic c-Myc, starting in the developing 3D organotypic mammary acinar structures, results in hyperproliferation and transformed acinar morphology. Surprisingly, acute c-Myc activation in mature quiescent acini with established epithelial architecture fails to reinitiate the cell cycle or transform these structures. c-Myc does reinitiate the cell cycle in quiescent, but structurally unorganized, acini, which demonstrates that proper epithelial architecture is needed for the proliferation blockade. The capability of c-Myc to reinitiate the cell cycle in acinar structures is also restored by the loss of LKB1, a human homologue of the cell polarity protein PAR4. The epithelial architecture also restrains the apoptotic activity of c-Myc, but coactivation of c-Myc and a complementary TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand death receptor pathway can induce a strong Bim and Bid-mediated apoptotic response in the established acini. The results together expose surprising proliferation and apoptosis resistance of organized epithelial structures and identify a role for the polarity regulator LKB1 in the development of c–Myc-resistant cell organization.

Tumor suppressor function of Liver kinase B1 (Lkb1) is linked to regulation of epithelial integrity

Although loss of epithelial integrity is a hallmark of advanced cancer, it remains poorly understood whether genetic alterations corrupting this integrity causally facilitate tumorigenesis. We show that conditional deletion of tumor suppressor gene Lkb1 (Par-4) in the mammary gland compromises epithelial integrity manifested by mislocalization of cell polarity markers, lateralization of tight junctions, deterioration of desmosomes and basement membrane (BM), and hyperbranching of the mammary ductal tree. We identify the desmosomal BM remodelling serine protease Hepsin as a key factor mediating Lkb1 loss-induced structural alterations in mammary epithelium and BM fragmentation. Although loss of Lkb1 alone does not promote mammary tumorigenesis, combination of Lkb1 deficiency with oncogenic c-Myc leads to dramatic acceleration in tumor formation. The results coupling Lkb1 loss-mediated epithelial integrity defects to mislocalization of serine protease Hepsin and to oncogenic synergy with c-Myc imply that Lkb1 loss facilitates oncogenic proliferation by releasing epithelial cells from structural BM boundaries.

Myc-induced AMPK-phospho p53 pathway activates Bak to sensitize mitochondrial apoptosis

Oncogenic transcription factor Myc deregulates the cell cycle and simultaneously reprograms cellular metabolism to meet the biosynthetic and bioenergetic needs of proliferation. Myc also sensitizes cells to mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Although metabolic reprogramming has been circumstantially connected to vulnerability to apoptosis, the connecting molecular pathways have remained poorly defined. Here, we show that Myc-induced altered glutamine metabolism involves ATP depletion and activation of the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which induces stabilizing phosphorylation of p53 at Ser15. Under influence of Myc, AMPK-stabilized tumor suppressor protein p53 accumulates in the mitochondria and interacts with the protein complex comprised of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) antagonist/killer (BAK) and Bcl2-like 1 (Bcl-xL). Mitochondrial p53 induces conformational activation of proapoptotic Bak without disrupting the Bak–Bcl-xL interaction. Further liberation of Bak specifically from the p53-activated Bak–Bcl-xL complex leads to spontaneous oligomerization of Bak and apoptosis. Thus, Myc-induced metabolic changes are coupled via AMPK and phospho-p53 to the mitochondrial apoptosis effector Bak, demonstrating a cell-intrinsic mechanism to counteract uncontrolled proliferation.

Deciphering downstream gene targets of PI3K/mTOR/p70S6K pathway in breast cancer

BackgroundThe 70 kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (RPS6KB1), located at 17q23, is amplified and overexpressed in 10–30% of primary breast cancers and breast cancer cell lines. p70S6K is a serine/threonine kinase regulated by PI3K/mTOR pathway, which plays a crucial role in control of cell cycle, growth and survival. Our aim was to determine p70S6K and PI3K/mTOR/p70S6K pathway dependent gene expression profiles by microarrays using five breast cancer cell lines with predefined gene copy number and gene expression alterations. The p70S6K dependent profiles were determined by siRNA silencing of RPS6KB1 in two breast cancer cell lines overexpressing p70S6K. These profiles were further correlated with gene expression alterations caused by inhibition of PI3K/mTOR pathway with PI3K inhibitor Ly294002 or mTOR inhibitor rapamycin.ResultsAltogether, the silencing of p70S6K altered the expression of 109 and 173 genes in two breast cancer cell lines and 67 genes were altered in both cell lines in addition to RPS6KB1. Furthermore, 17 genes including VTCN1 and CDKN2B showed overlap with genes differentially expressed after PI3K or mTOR inhibition. The gene expression signatures responsive to both PI3K/mTOR pathway and p70S6K inhibitions revealed previously unidentified genes suggesting novel downstream targets for PI3K/mTOR/p70S6K pathway.ConclusionSince p70S6K overexpression is associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis of breast cancer patients, the potential downstream targets of p70S6K and the whole PI3K/mTOR/p70S6K pathway identified in our study may have diagnostic value.

c-Myc primed mitochondria determine cellular sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Oncogenic c‐Myc renders cells sensitive to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis, and existing data suggest that c‐Myc sensitizes cells to apoptosis by promoting activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. However, the molecular mechanisms linking the mitochondrial effects of c‐Myc to the c‐Myc‐dependent sensitization to TRAIL have remained unresolved. Here, we show that TRAIL induces a weak activation of procaspase‐8 but fails to activate mitochondrial proapoptotic effectors Bax and Bak, cytochrome c release or downstream effector caspase‐3 in non‐transformed human fibroblasts or mammary epithelial cells. Our data is consistent with the model that activation of oncogenic c‐Myc primes mitochondria through a mechanism involving activation of Bak and this priming enables weak TRAIL‐induced caspase‐8 signals to activate Bax. This results in cytochrome c release, activation of downstream caspases and postmitochondrial death‐inducing signaling complex ‐independent augmentation of caspase‐8‐Bid activity. In conclusion, c‐Myc‐dependent priming of the mitochondrial pathway is critical for the capacity of TRAIL‐induced caspase‐8 signals to activate effector caspases and for the establishment of lethal caspase feedback amplification loop in human cells.

c-Myc Blazing a Trail of Death: Coupling of the Mitochondrial and Death Receptor Apoptosis Pathways by c-Myc

TRAIL ligand induces selectively apoptosis in tumor cells by binding to two death receptors (DR4 and DR5) and holds promise as a potential therapeutic agent against cancer. While it has been known for long time that TRAIL receptors are commonly expressed in wide variety of normal tissues, it is not well understood why TRAIL kills tumor cells but leaves normal cells unharmed. The prototypic oncogene c-Myc promotes the cell cycle and simultaneously primes activation of the Bcl-2 family controlled mitochondria apoptosis pathway. A striking reflection of the c-Myc-dependent apoptotic sensitization is the dramatic c-Myc-induced vulnerability of cells to TRAIL and other death receptor ligands. Here we summarize the recent findings regarding the death mechanisms of TRAIL/TRAIL receptor system and the connection of c-Myc to the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, focusing on our work that couples c-Myc via Bak to the TRAIL death receptor pathway. Finally, we present a mitochondria-priming model to explain how c-Myc-Bak interaction amplifies the TRAIL-induced caspase 8-Bid pathway to induce fullblown apoptosis. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the selective cytotoxicity of TRAIL and for the therapeutic exploitation of the death receptor pathway.