Samit Chattopadhyay

Aqueous Cinnamon Extract (ACE-c) from the bark of Cinnamomum cassia causes apoptosis in human cervical cancer cell line (SiHa) through loss of mitochondrial membrane potential

BackgroundChemoprevention, which includes the use of synthetic or natural agents (alone or in combination) to block the development of cancer in human beings, is an extremely promising strategy for cancer prevention. Cinnamon is one of the most widely used herbal medicines with diverse biological activities including anti-tumor activity. In the present study, we have reported the anti-neoplastic activity of cinnamon in cervical cancer cell line, SiHa.MethodsThe aqueous cinnamon extract (ACE-c) was analyzed for its cinnamaldehyde content by HPTLC analysis. The polyphenol content of ACE-c was measured by Folin-Ciocalteau method. Cytotoxicity analysis was performed by MTT assay. We studied the effect of cinnamon on growth kinetics by performing growth curve, colony formation and soft agar assays. The cells treated with ACE-c were analyzed for wound healing assay as well as for matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression at mRNA and protein level by RT-PCR and zymography, respectively. Her-2 protein expression was analyzed in the control and ACE-c treated samples by immunoblotting as well as confocal microscopy. Apoptosis studies and calcium signaling assays were analyzed by FACS. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) in cinnamon treated cells was studied by JC-1 staining and analyzed by confocal microscopy as well as FACS.ResultsCinnamon alters the growth kinetics of SiHa cells in a dose-dependent manner. Cells treated with ACE-c exhibited reduced number of colonies compared to the control cells. The treated cells exhibited reduced migration potential that could be explained due to downregulation of MMP-2 expression. Interestingly, the expression of Her-2 oncoprotein was significantly reduced in the presence of ACE-c. Cinnamon extract induced apoptosis in the cervical cancer cells through increase in intracellular calcium signaling as well as loss of mitochondrial membrane potential.ConclusionCinnamon could be used as a potent chemopreventive drug in cervical cancer.

Tumor Suppressor SMAR1 Mediates Cyclin D1 Repression by Recruitment of the SIN3/Histone Deacetylase 1 Complex

ABSTRACT Matrix attachment region binding proteins have been shown to play an important role in gene regulation by altering chromatin in a stage- and tissue-specific manner. Our previous studies report that SMAR1, a matrix-associated protein, regresses B16-F1-induced tumors in mice. Here we show SMAR1 targets the cyclin D1 promoter, a gene product whose dysregulation is attributed to breast malignancies. Our studies reveal that SMAR1 represses cyclin D1 gene expression, which can be reversed by small interfering RNA specific to SMAR1. We demonstrate that SMAR1 interacts with histone deacetylation complex 1, SIN3, and pocket retinoblastomas to form a multiprotein repressor complex. This interaction is mediated by the SMAR1(160-350) domain. Our data suggest SMAR1 recruits a repressor complex to the cyclin D1 promoter that results in deacetylation of chromatin at that locus, which spreads to a distance of at least the 5 kb studied upstream of the cyclin D1 promoter. Interestingly, we find that the high induction of cyclin D1 in breast cancer cell lines can be correlated to the decreased levels of SMAR1 in these lines. Our results establish the molecular mechanism exhibited by SMAR1 to regulate cyclin D1 by modification of chromatin.

Direct interaction with and activation of p53 by SMAR1 retards cell-cycle progression at G2/M phase and delays tumor growth in mice.

The tumor‐suppressor p53 is a multifunctional protein mainly responsible for maintaining genomic integrity. p53 induces its tumor‐suppressor activity by either causing cell‐cycle arrest (G1/S or G2/M) or inducing cells to undergo apoptosis. This function of wild‐type p53 as “guardian of the genome” is presumably achieved by forming molecular complexes with different DNA targets as well as by interacting with a number of cellular proteins, e.g., Mdm2, Gadd45, p21, 14‐3‐3σ, Bax and Apaf‐1. Upon activation, p53 activates p21, which in turn controls the cell cycle by regulating G1 or G2 checkpoints. Here, we report SMAR1 as one such p53‐interacting protein that is involved in delaying tumor progression in vivo as well as in regulating the cell cycle. SMAR1 is a newly identified MARBP involved in chromatin‐mediated gene regulation. The SMAR1 gene encodes at least 2 alternatively spliced variants: SMAR1L (the full‐length form) and SMAR1S (the shorter form). We report that expression of SMAR1S, but not of SMAR1L, mRNA was decreased in most of the human cell lines examined, suggesting selective silencing of SMAR1S. Overexpression of SMAR1S in mouse melanoma cells (B16F1) and their subsequent injection in C57BL/6 mice delays tumor growth. Exogenous SMAR1S causes significant retardation of B16F1 cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle compared to SMAR1L. SMAR1S activates p53‐mediated reporter gene expression in mouse melanoma cells, breast cancer cells (MCF‐7) and p53 null cells (K562), followed by activation of its downstream effector, p21. We further demonstrate that SMAR1 physically interacts and colocalizes with p53. These data together suggest that SMAR1 is the only known MARBP that delays tumor progression via direct activation and interaction with tumor‐suppressor p53.

Curcumin Enhances the Efficacy of Chemotherapy by Tailoring p65NFκB-p300 Cross-talk in Favor of p53-p300 in Breast Cancer

Background: Constitutive activation of NFκB has been found in various cancers, causing resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Results: Curcumin pretreatment alleviates p65NFκB activation and hence tailors p65NFκB-p300 cross-talk in favor of p53-p300 in drug-resistant cells. Conclusion: This preclinical study suggests curcumin as a potent chemo-sensitizer to improve the therapeutic index. Significance: These results suggest that curcumin can be developed into an adjuvant chemotherapeutic drug. Breast cancer cells often develop multiple mechanisms of drug resistance during tumor progression, which is the major reason for the failure of breast cancer therapy. High constitutive activation of NFκB has been found in different cancers, creating an environment conducive for chemotherapeutic resistance. Here we report that doxorubicin-induced SMAR1-dependent transcriptional repression and SMAR1-independent degradation of IkBα resulted in nuclear translocation of p65NFκB and its association with p300 histone acetylase and subsequent transcription of Bcl-2 to impart protective response in drug-resistant cells. Consistently SMAR1-silenced drug-resistant cells exhibited IkBα-mediated inhibition of p65NFκB and induction of p53-dependent apoptosis. Interestingly, curcumin pretreatment of drug-resistant cells alleviated SMAR1-mediated p65NFκB activation and hence restored doxorubicin sensitivity. Under such anti-survival condition, induction of p53-p300 cross-talk enhanced the transcriptional activity of p53 and intrinsic death cascade. Importantly, promyelocyte leukemia-mediated SMAR1 sequestration that relieved the repression of apoptosis-inducing genes was indispensable for such chemo-sensitizing ability of curcumin. A simultaneous decrease in drug-induced systemic toxicity by curcumin might also have enhanced the efficacy of doxorubicin by improving the intrinsic defense machineries of the tumor-bearer. Overall, the findings of this preclinical study clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of curcumin to combat doxorubicin-resistance. We, therefore, suggest curcumin as a potent chemo-sensitizer to improve the therapeutic index of this widely used anti-cancer drug. Taken together, these results suggest that curcumin can be developed into an adjuvant chemotherapeutic drug.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of bile acid dimers linked with 1,2,3-triazole and bis-β-lactam

We report herein the synthesis and biological evaluation of bile acid dimers linked through 1,2,3-triazole and bis-beta-lactam. The dimers were synthesized using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of diazido bis-beta-lactams , and terminal alkynes derived from cholic acid/deoxycholic acid in the presence of Cu(i) catalyst (click chemistry). These novel molecules were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal and antibacterial activity. Most of the compounds exhibited significant antifungal as well as antibacterial activity against all the tested fungal and bacterial strains. Moreover, their in vitro cytotoxicities towards HEK-293 and MCF-7 cells were also established.

p53 Target Gene SMAR1 Is Dysregulated in Breast Cancer: Its Role in Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion

Tumor suppressor SMAR1 interacts and stabilizes p53 through phosphorylation at its serine-15 residue. We show that SMAR1 transcription is regulated by p53 through its response element present in the SMAR1 promoter. Upon Doxorubicin induced DNA damage, acetylated p53 is recruited on SMAR1 promoter that allows activation of its transcription. Once SMAR1 is induced, cell cycle arrest is observed that is correlated to increased phospho-ser-15-p53 and decreased p53 acetylation. Further we demonstrate that SMAR1 expression is drastically reduced during advancement of human breast cancer. This was correlated with defective p53 expression in breast cancer where acetylated p53 is sequestered into the heterochromatin region and become inaccessible to activate SMAR1 promoter. In a recent report we have shown that SMAR1 represses Cyclin D1 transcription through recruitment of HDAC1 dependent repressor complex at the MAR site of Cyclin D1 promoter. Here we show that downmodulation of SMAR1 in high grade breast carcinoma is correlated with upregulated Cyclin D1 expression. We also established that SMAR1 inhibits tumor cell migration and metastases through inhibition of TGFβ signaling and its downstream target genes including cutl1 and various focal adhesion molecules. Thus, we report that SMAR1 plays a central role in coordinating p53 and TGFβ pathways in human breast cancer.

Coordinated regulation of p53 apoptotic targets BAX and PUMA by SMAR1 through an identical MAR element

How tumour suppressor p53 bifurcates cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and executes these distinct pathways is not clearly understood. We show that BAX and PUMA promoters harbour an identical MAR element and are transcriptional targets of SMAR1. On mild DNA damage, SMAR1 selectively represses BAX and PUMA through binding to the MAR independently of inducing p53 deacetylation through HDAC1. This generates an anti‐apoptotic response leading to cell cycle arrest. Importantly, knockdown of SMAR1 induces apoptosis, which is abrogated in the absence of p53. Conversely, apoptotic DNA damage results in increased size and number of promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) nuclear bodies with consequent sequestration of SMAR1. This facilitates p53 acetylation and restricts SMAR1 binding to BAX and PUMA MAR leading to apoptosis. Thus, our study establishes MAR as a damage responsive cis element and SMAR1–PML crosstalk as a switch that modulates the decision between cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to DNA damage.

Inhibition of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition by E-cadherin Up-regulation via Repression of Slug Transcription and Inhibition of E-cadherin Degradation DUAL ROLE OF SCAFFOLD/MATRIX ATTACHMENT REGION-BINDING PROTEIN 1 (SMAR1) IN BREAST CANCER CELLS

Background: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important program in tumor metastasis. Results: SMAR1 inhibits EMT by up-regulating E-cadherin in a dual manner via repression of Slug transcription and inhibition of E-cadherin degradation. Conclusion: SMAR1 functions as a critical protein in regulating EMT. Significance: This study provides a potential mechanism for the contribution of SMAR1 in inhibiting breast cancer metastasis. The evolution of the cancer cell into a metastatic entity is the major cause of death in patients with cancer. It has been acknowledged that aberrant activation of a latent embryonic program, known as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), can endow cancer cells with the migratory and invasive capabilities associated with metastatic competence for which E-cadherin switch is a well-established hallmark. Discerning the molecular mechanisms that regulate E-cadherin expression is therefore critical for understanding tumor invasiveness and metastasis. Here we report that SMAR1 overexpression inhibits EMT and decelerates the migratory potential of breast cancer cells by up-regulating E-cadherin in a bidirectional manner. While SMAR1-dependent transcriptional repression of Slug by direct recruitment of SMAR1/HDAC1 complex to the matrix attachment region site present in the Slug promoter restores E-cadherin expression, SMAR1 also hinders E-cadherin-MDM2 interaction thereby reducing ubiquitination and degradation of E-cadherin protein. Consistently, siRNA knockdown of SMAR1 expression in these breast cancer cells results in a coordinative action of Slug-mediated repression of E-cadherin transcription, as well as degradation of E-cadherin protein through MDM2, up-regulating breast cancer cell migration. These results indicate a crucial role for SMAR1 in restraining breast cancer cell migration and suggest the candidature of this scaffold matrix-associated region-binding protein as a tumor suppressor.

Tumor suppressor SMAR1 activates and stabilizes p53 through its arginine-serine-rich motif

Various stresses and DNA-damaging agents trigger transcriptional activity of p53 by post-translational modifications, making it a global regulatory switch that controls cell proliferation and apoptosis. Earlier we have shown that the novel MAR-associated protein SMAR1 interacts with p53. Here we delineate the minimal domain of SMAR1 (the arginine-serine-rich domain) that is phosphorylated by protein kinase C family proteins and is responsible for p53 interaction, activation, and stabilization within the nucleus. SMAR1-mediated stabilization of p53 is brought about by inhibiting Mdm2-mediated degradation of p53. We also demonstrate that this arginine-serine (RS)-rich domain triggers the various cell cycle modulating proteins that decide cell fate. Furthermore, phenotypic knock-down experiments using small interfering RNA showed that SMAR1 is required for activation and nuclear retention of p53. The level of phosphorylated p53 was significantly increased in the thymus of SMAR1 transgenic mice, showing in vivo significance of SMAR1 expression. This is the first report that demonstrates the mechanism of action of the MAR-binding protein SMAR1 in modulating the activity of p53, often referred to as the “guardian of the genome.”

Tumor suppressor protein SMAR1 modulates the roughness of cell surface: combined AFM and SEM study

BackgroundImaging tools such as scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) can be used to produce high-resolution topographic images of biomedical specimens and hence are well suited for imaging alterations in cell morphology. We have studied the correlation of SMAR1 expression with cell surface smoothness in cell lines as well as in different grades of human breast cancer and mouse tumor sections.MethodsWe validated knockdown and overexpression of SMAR1 using RT-PCR as well as Western blotting in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293, human breast cancer (MCF-7) and mouse melanoma (B16F1) cell lines. The samples were then processed for cell surface roughness studies using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The same samples were used for microarray analysis as well. Tumors sections from control and SMAR1 treated mice as well as tissues sections from different grades of human breast cancer on poly L-lysine coated slides were used for AFM and SEM studies.ResultsTumor sections from mice injected with melanoma cells showed pronounced surface roughness. In contrast, tumor sections obtained from nude mice that were first injected with melanoma cells followed by repeated injections of SMAR1-P44 peptide, exhibited relatively smoother surface profile. Interestingly, human breast cancer tissue sections that showed reduced SMAR1 expression exhibited increased surface roughness compared to the adjacent normal breast tissue. Our AFM data establishes that treatment of cells with SMAR1-P44 results into increase in cytoskeletal volume that is supported by comparative gene expression data showing an increase in the expression of specific cytoskeletal proteins compared to the control cells. Altogether, these findings indicate that tumor suppressor function of SMAR1 might be exhibited through smoothening of cell surface by regulating expression of cell surface proteins.ConclusionTumor suppressor protein SMAR1 might be used as a phenotypic differentiation marker between cancerous and non-cancerous cells.