Lan Shen

The Repression of Human Differentiation-related Gene NDRG2 Expression by Myc via Miz-1-dependent Interaction with the NDRG2 Core Promoter

The N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (ndrg1) is highly expressed in N-myc knock-out mice through an unknown regulatory mechanism. As one member of the human NDRG gene family, NDRG2 encodes a protein highly homologous to Ndrg1. However, it is uncertain whether the expression of human NDRG2 is regulated by Myc because mouse ndrg2 and -3 are not affected by Myc. In this study, we provide the novel evidence that the expression of human NDRG2 is down-regulated by Myc via transcriptional repression. A high level of NDRG2 was observed as Myc expression was reduced in differentiated cells, whereas a low level of NDRG2 was shown following increased Myc expression upon serum stimulation. The ectopic expression of c-Myc dramatically reduces the cellular Ndrg2 protein and mRNA level. We further identified the core promoter region of NDRG2 that is required for Myc repression on NDRG2 transcription, and we verified the interaction of Myc with the core promoter region both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the c-Myc-mediated repression of NDRG2 requires association with Miz-1, and possibly the recruitment of other epigenetic factors, such as histone deacetylases, to the promoter. The regulatory function of Myc on NDRG2 gene expression implicated the role of the Ndrg2 in regulating cell differentiation.

Expression analysis of the NDRG2 gene in mouse embryonic and adult tissues

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is believed to be involved in cell growth events. However, its exact function is still unknown. To elucidate the role of this gene, we used an anti-Ndrg2 monoclonal antibody in immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays to analyze the expression pattern of Ndrg2 protein in mouse embryos at various gestational ages and in a variety of adult mouse tissues. Ndrg2 immunoreactivity was generally localized to the cytoplasm. During mouse development, Ndrg2 expression was observed in many developing tissues and organs including the heart, brain, lung, gut, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, cartilage, chorion, epidermis, and whisker follicles. Ndrg2 expression was developmentally dynamic, being generally lower in the early stages of development and markedly increasing during later stages. Ndrg2 expression was also observed in a variety of adult mouse tissues, particularly in the heart and brain. This is the first demonstration of Ndrg2 protein expression in both embryonic and adult mouse tissues. Our results suggest that NDRG2 plays important roles in histogenesis and organogenesis.

The Fundamental Role of the p53 Pathway in Tumor Metabolism and Its Implication in Tumor Therapy

It is well established that the altered metabolism exhibited by cancer cells, including high rates of glycolysis, lactate production, and biosynthesis of lipids, nucleotides, and other macromolecules, and which may occur either as a consequence or as a cause of tumorigenesis, plays an essential role in cancer progression. Recently, the tumor suppressor p53 was found to play a central role in this process. Here, we review the role of p53 in modulating tumor metabolism. Specifically, we focus on the functions of p53 in regulating aerobic glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, the pentose phosphate pathway, fatty acid synthesis and oxidation, and glutamine metabolism, and we discuss the therapeutic strategy whereby p53 helps to prevent malignant progression. Clin Cancer Res; 18(6); 1561–7. ©2012 AACR.

Immunohistochemical detection of Ndrg2 in the mouse nervous system.

NDRG2, a member of the N-myc downstream-regulated gene (NDRG) family, is involved in cell differentiation and development. However, the distribution and function of Ndrg2 in the central nervous system remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the expression and distribution of Ndrg2 in the mouse brain and explored the potential physiological functions of Ndrg2. Ndrg2 was expressed in different regions of the brain, including the cerebral cortex, olfactory bulb, midbrain, hippocampus, and thalamus, with high levels in the midbrain and thalamus. Immunohistochemistry assay revealed that Ndrg2-positive cells distributed widely in the adult mouse brain and some of them showed nuclear staining. Indirect immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy studies showed that Ndrg2 protein colocalized with glial fribrillary acidic protein, indicating that Ndrg2 is expressed in astrocytes. Furthermore, Ndrg2 expression increased in glioma cells that were differentiating into astrocytes. Taken together, these findings suggest that Ndrg2 is possibly associated with glial cell proliferation and differentiation based on its immunolocalization in this study.

The effects of different doses of estradiol (E2) on cerebral ischemia in an in vitro model of oxygen and glucose deprivation and reperfusion and in a rat model of middle carotid artery occlusion

BackgroundBecause neuroprotective effects of estrogen remain controversial, we aimed to investigate the effect of different doses of estradiol (E2) on cerebral ischemia using both in vivo and in vitro experiments.ResultsPC12 cells were cultured at physiological (10 nM and 20 nM) or pharmacological (10 μM and 20 μM) dosages of E2 for 24 hours (h). The results of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (Brdu) incorporation and flow cytometric analysis showed that physiological doses of E2 enhanced cell proliferation and pharmacological doses of E2 inhibited cell proliferation. After the cells were exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) for 4 h and reperfusion for 20 h, the results of 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, flow cytometric analysis and Western blot analysis showed that physiological doses of E2 enhanced cell viability, reduced cell apoptosis and decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3. In contrast, pharmacological doses of E2 decreased cell viability and induced cell apoptosis. In vivo, adult ovariectomized (OVX) female rats received continuous subcutaneous injection of different doses of E2 for 4 weeks. Transient cerebral ischemia was induced for 2 h using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) technique, followed by 22 h of reperfusion. The results of Garcia test, 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed that 6 μg/kg and 20 μg/kg E2 replacement induced an increase in neurological deficit scores, a decrease in the infarct volume and a reduction in the expression of caspase-3 when compared to animals in the OVX group without E2 treatment. However, 50 μg/kg E2 replacement treatment decreased neurological deficit scores, increased the infarct volume and the expression of caspase-3 when compared to animals in the control group and 6 up/kg or 20 μg/kg E2 replacement group.ConclusionWe conclude that physiological levels of E2 exhibit neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia; whereas, pharmacological or supraphysiological doses of E2 have damaging effects on neurons after cerebral ischemia.

Spatial-temporal expression of NDRG2 in rat brain after focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.

N-myc downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) was reported to be widely expressed in the nervous system. However, the expression and potential role of NDRG2 in focal cerebral ischemia brain remain unclear. Herein, we investigated spatial-temporal expression of NDRG2 in the rat brain following transient focal cerebral ischemia. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a 120-min transient occlusion of middle cerebral artery. Rats were killed and brain samples were harvested at 4, 12, 24, and 72h after reperfusion. Expression of NDRG2 in the brain was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining. Cellular apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining. The results showed that NDRG2 was expressed on cells with an astrocytes-like morphology in ischemic penumbra. NDRG2 mRNA and protein expression began to increase at 4h after reperfusion and peaked at 24h in the ischemic penumbra. By using immunofluorescence, NDRG2 signals were co-localized with GFAP-positive astrocytes, and NDRG2 expression in astrocytes translocated from a cytoplasm to a nuclear localization at 24h after reperfusion. Double immunofluorescent staining for TUNEL and NDRG2 showed that some NDRG2 signals co-localized with TUNEL-positive cells, and that the apoptotic cells increased with enhancement of NDRG2-positive signals. In conclusion, NDRG2 expression is up-regulated in ischemic penumbra following transient focal cerebral ischemia. NDRG2 expression in astrocytes may play important pathological roles in cell apoptosis after stroke.

Thymosin alpha 1 suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells through PTEN-mediated inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway

Abstract Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1), an immunoactive peptide, has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in human leukemia, non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and other human cancers. However, the response and molecular mechanism of breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1 remain unclear. PTEN, a tumor suppressor gene, is frequently mutated in a variety of human cancers. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the biological roles of PTEN in the growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells exposed to Tα1. Using wild-type and mutant PTEN-expressing cells, we found a strong correlation between PTEN status and Tα1-mediated growth inhibition of breast cancer cells. The growth inhibition effect was more pronounced in breast cancer cells in which Tα1 enhanced PTEN expression, whereas endogenous PTEN knockdown reversed the growth inhibition effect of Tα1 in breast cancer cells. Further investigation revealed that PTEN up-regulation, which was induced by Tα1, can inhibit the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, leading to the growth inhibition of breast cancer cells. The addition of the synergy between Tα1 and the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR activation could strongly block cell viability in PTEN down-regulated breast cancer cells. PTEN-overexpressing cells not only up-regulated Bax and cleaved caspase-3/9 and PARP expression but also down-regulated Bcl-2 compared to the treatment with Tα1 alone. Together these findings suggest that PTEN mediates Tα1-induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial death cascade and inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in breast cancer cells.

Tumor suppressor NDRG2 inhibits glycolysis and glutaminolysis in colorectal cancer cells by repressing c-Myc expression

Cancer cells use glucose and glutamine as the major sources of energy and precursor intermediates, and enhanced glycolysis and glutamimolysis are the major hallmarks of metabolic reprogramming in cancer. Oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene inactivation alter multiple intracellular signaling pathways that affect glycolysis and glutaminolysis. N-Myc downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is a tumor suppressor gene inhibiting cancer growth, metastasis and invasion. However, the role and molecular mechanism of NDRG2 in cancer metabolism remains unclear. In this study, we discovered the role of the tumor suppressor gene NDRG2 in aerobic glycolysis and glutaminolysis of cancer cells. NDRG2 inhibited glucose consumption and lactate production, glutamine consumption and glutamate production in colorectal cancer cells. Analysis of glucose transporters and the catalytic enzymes involved in glycolysis revealed that glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2) and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) was significantly suppressed by NDRG2. Analysis of glutamine transporter and the catalytic enzymes involved in glutaminolysis revealed that glutamine transporter ASC amino-acid transporter 2 (ASCT2) and glutaminase 1 (GLS1) was also significantly suppressed by NDRG2. Transcription factor c-Myc mediated inhibition of glycolysis and glutaminolysis by NDRG2. More importantly, NDRG2 inhibited the expression of c-Myc by suppressing the expression of β-catenin, which can transcriptionally activate C-MYC gene in nucleus. In addition, the growth and proliferation of colorectal cancer cells were suppressed significantly by NDRG2 through inhibition of glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Taken together, these findings indicate that NDRG2 functions as an essential regulator in glycolysis and glutaminolysis via repression of c-Myc, and acts as a suppressor of carcinogenesis through coordinately targeting glucose and glutamine transporter, multiple catalytic enzymes involved in glycolysis and glutaminolysis, which fuels the bioenergy and biomaterials needed for cancer proliferation and progress.

RNAi-mediated inhibition of MSP58 decreases tumour growth, migration and invasion in a human glioma cell line.

MSP58, a 58‐kD nuclear microspherule protein, is an evolutionarily conserved nuclear protein implicated in the regulation of gene transcription as well as in malignant transformation. An analysis of mRNA expression by real‐time PCR revealed that MSP58 was significantly up‐regulated in 29% of high‐grade glioblastoma tissues as well as in four glioblastoma cell lines. In the present study, we further evaluated the biological functions of MSP58 in U251 glioma cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tumour growth in vivo by specific MSP58 knockdown using short hairpin RNA (shRNA). We found that MSP58 depletion inhibited glioma cell growth, primarily by inducing cell cycle arrest rather than apoptosis. MSP58 depletion also decreased the invasive capability of glioma cells and anchorage‐independent colony formation in soft agar. Moreover, suppression of MSP58 expression significantly impaired the growth of glioma xenografts in nude mice. Finally, a cell cycle‐associated gene array revealed potential molecular mechanisms contributing to cell cycle arrest in MSP58‐depleted glioma cells. In summary, our data highlight the importance of MSP58 in glioma progression and provided a biological basis for MSP58 as a novel candidate target for treatment of glioma.

Degradation of HER2 by Cbl-Based Chimeric Ubiquitin Ligases

Targeting disease-causing proteins for ubiquitination and degradation by chimeric molecules represents a promising alternative therapeutic strategy in cancer. Here, several Cbl-based chimeric ubiquitin ligases were recombined to achieve effective down-regulation of HER2. These chimeric molecules consisted of the Cbl NH(2)-terminal tyrosine kinase binding domain, linker, and RING domain, with the Src homology 2 domain replaced with that from growth factor receptor binding protein 2 (Grb2), Grb7, p85, or Src. The chimeric proteins not only interacted with HER2 but also enhanced the down-regulation of endogenous overexpressed HER2. After the chimeric proteins were introduced into HER2-overexpressing breast cancer SK-BR-3 cells or ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 cells, they effectively promoted HER2 ubiquitination and degradation in a RING finger domain-dependent manner. Consequently, expression of these chimeric molecules led to an inhibition of colony formation, increased the proportion of cells in the G(1) cycle, and suppressed tumorigenicity. Collectively, our findings suggest that the Cbl-based chimeric ubiquitin ligases designed in the present study may represent a novel approach for the targeted therapy of HER2-overexpressing cancers.