Sherry T. Shu

Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) stimulated prostate cancer growth and metastasis and inhibited bone formation in osteoblastic bone metastases

Osteoblastic bone metastasis is the predominant phenotype observed in prostate cancer patients and is associated with high patient mortality and morbidity. However, the mechanisms determining the development of this phenotype are not well understood. Prostate cancer cells secrete several osteogenic factors including Wnt proteins, which are not only osteoinductive but also oncogenic. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate the contribution of the Wnt signaling pathway in prostate cancer growth, incidence of bone metastases, and osteoblastic phenotype of bone metastases. The strategy involved overexpressing the Wnt antagonist, DKK‐1, in the mixed osteoblastic and osteolytic Ace‐1 prostate cancer cells.

The midregion, nuclear localization sequence, and C terminus of PTHrP regulate skeletal development, hematopoiesis, and survival in mice.

The functions of parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP) on morphogenesis, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and calcium homeostasis have been attributed to its N terminus. Evidence suggests that many of these effects are not mediated by the N terminus but by the midregion, a nuclear localization sequence (NLS), and C terminus of the protein. A knock‐in mouse lacking the midregion, NLS, and C terminus of PTHrP (Pthrp△/△) was developed. Pthrp△/△ mice had craniofacial dysplasia, chondrodysplasia, and kyphosis, with most mice dying by d 5 of age. In bone, there were fewer chondrocytes and osteoblasts per area, bone mass was decreased, and the marrow was less cellular, with erythroid hypoplasia. Cellular proliferation was impaired, and apoptosis was increased. Runx2, Ocn, Sox9, Crtl1, ß‐catenin, Runx1, ephrin B2, cyclin D1, and Gata1 were underexpressed while P16/ Ink4a, P21, GSK‐3ß, Il‐6, Ffg3, and Ihh were overexpressed. Mammary gland development was aberrant, and energy metabolism was deregulated. These results establish that the midregion, NLS, and C terminus of PTHrP are crucial for the commitment of osteogenic and hematopoietic precursors to their lineages, and for survival, and many of the effects of PTHrP on development are not mediated by its N terminus. The down‐regulation of Runx1, Runx2, and Sox9 indicates that PTHrP is a modulator of transcriptional activation during stem cell commitment. Toribio, R E., Brown, H. A., Novince, C. M., Marlow, B. Hernon, K., Lanigan, L. G., Hildreth III, B. E., Werbeck, J. L., Shu, S. T., Lorch, G., Carlton, M., Foley, J., Boyaka, P., McCauley, L. K., Rosol, T. J. The midregion, nuclear localization sequence, and C terminus of PTHrP regulate skeletal development, hematopoiesis, and survival in mice. FASEB J. 24, 1947–1957 (2010). www.fasebj.org

Effector Kinase Coupling Enables High-Throughput Screens for Direct HIV-1 Nef Antagonists with Antiretroviral Activity

HIV-1 Nef, a critical AIDS progression factor, represents an important target protein for antiretroviral drug discovery. Because Nef lacks intrinsic enzymatic activity, we developed an assay that couples Nef to the activation of Hck, a Src family member and Nef effector protein. Using this assay, we screened a large, diverse chemical library and identified small molecules that block Nef-dependent Hck activity with low micromolar potency. Of these, a diphenylpyrazolo compound demonstrated submicromolar potency in HIV-1 replication assays against a broad range of primary Nef variants. This compound binds directly to Nef via a pocket formed by the Nef dimerization interface and disrupts Nef dimerization in cells. Coupling of nonenzymatic viral accessory factors to host cell effector proteins amenable to high-throughput screening may represent a general strategy for the discovery of new antimicrobial agents.

Osteolytic bone resorption in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is caused by human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Patients with ATLL frequently develop humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) resulting from increased osteoclastic bone resorption. Our goal was to investigate the mechanisms of ATLL-induced osteoclastic bone resorption. Murine calvaria co-cultured with HTLV-1-infected cells directly or conditioned media from cell cultures had increased osteoclast activity that was dependent on RANKL, indicating that factors secreted from ATLL cells had a stimulatory effect on bone resorption. Factors released from resorbing bone stimulated proliferation of HTLV-1-infected T-cells. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), both osteoclast stimulators, were expressed in HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines. Interestingly, when HTLV-1-infected T-cells were co-cultured with pre-osteoblasts, the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), an osteoclast inhibitory factor, was significantly down-regulated in the pre-osteoblasts. When OPG was added into the ex vivo osteoclastogenesis assay induced by HTLV-1-infected T-cells, osteoclastogenesis was strongly inhibited. In addition, HTLV-1-infected T-cells inhibited expression of early osteoblast genes and induced late genes. These regulators will serve as future therapeutic targets for the treatments of HHM in ATLL.

A Novel Bioluminescent Mouse Model and Effective Therapy for Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma

Adult T-cell /lymphomaleukemia (ATLL) is caused by human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). Approximately 80% of ATLL patients develop humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM), a life-threatening complication leading to a poor prognosis. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) are important factors in the pathogenesis of HHM in ATLL and the expression of PTHrP can be activated by nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). NF-kappaB is constitutively activated in ATLL cells and is essential for leukemogenesis including transformation of lymphocytes infected by HTLV-1. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of NF-kappaB disruption by a proteasomal inhibitor (PS-341) and osteoclastic inhibition by zoledronic acid (Zol) on the development of ATLL and HHM using a novel bioluminescent mouse model. We found that PS-341 decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis, and down-regulated PTHrP expression in ATLL cells in vitro. To investigate the in vivo efficacy, nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice were xenografted with ATLL cells and treated with vehicle control, PS-341, Zol, or a combination of PS-341 and Zol. Bioluminescent imaging and tumor cell count showed a significant reduction in tumor burden in mice from all treatment groups. All treatments also significantly reduced the plasma calcium concentrations. Zol treatment increased trabecular bone volume and decreased osteoclast parameters. PS-341 reduced PTHrP and MIP-1 alpha expression in tumor cells in vivo. Our results indicate that both PS-341 and Zol are effective treatments for ATLL and HHM, which are refractory to conventional therapy.

Characterization of bone resorption in novel in vitro and in vivo models of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most commonly diagnosed oral malignancy in humans and cats and frequently invades bone. The objective of this study was to determine if feline OSCC serves as a relevant model of human OSCC in terms of osteolytic behavior and expression of bone resorption agonists. Novel feline OSCC cell lines (SCCF2 and SCCF3) were derived from spontaneous carcinomas. Gene expression and osteolytic behavior were compared to an established feline OSCC cell line (SCCF1) and three human OSCC cell lines (UMSCC-12, A253 and SCC25). Interaction of OSCC with bone and murine pre-osteoblasts (MC3T3) was investigated using in vitro co-culture techniques. In vivo bioluminescent imaging, Faxitron radiography and microscopy were used to measure xenograft growth and bone invasion in nude mice. Human and feline OSCC expressing the highest levels of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) were associated with in vitro and in vivo bone resorption and osteoclastogenesis. MC3T3 cells had increased receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) expression and reduced osteoprotegerin (OPG) expression in conditioned medium from bone-invasive SCCF2 cells compared to minimally bone invasive SCCF3 cells, which was partially reversed with a neutralizing anti-PTHrP antibody. Human and feline OSCC cells cultured in bone-conditioned medium had increased PTHrP secretion and proliferation. Feline OSCC-induced bone resorption was associated with tumor cell secretion of PTHrP and with increased RANKL:OPG expression ratio in mouse preosteoblasts. Bone-CM increased OSCC proliferation and secretion of PTHrP. The preclinical models of feline OSCC recapitulated the bone-invasive phenotype characteristic of spontaneous OSCC and will be useful to future preclinical and mechanistic studies of bone invasive behavior.

Development of a brain metastatic canine prostate cancer cell line

Prostate cancer in men has a high mortality and morbidity due to metastatic disease. The pathobiology of prostate cancer metastasis is not well understood and cell lines and animal models that recapitulate the complex nature of the disease are needed. Therefore, the goal of the study was to establish and characterize a new prostate cancer line derived from a dog with spontaneous prostate cancer.

Transcriptional regulation of parathyroid hormone-related protein promoter P3 by ETS-1 in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) plays a primary role in the development of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy seen in the majority of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection. HTLV-1 Tax has been shown to complex with ETS-1 and SP1 to transactivate the PTHrP P3 promoter. Previously, we established a SCID/bg mouse model of human ATL with RV-ATL cells and showed that PTHrP expression was independent of Tax. In this study, we report an inverse correlation of PTHrP with tax/rex mRNA in multiple HTLV-1-positive cell lines and RV-ATL cells. Stimulation of Jurkat T cells with PMA/ionomycin upregulated the PTHrP P3 promoter by a previously characterized Ets binding site and also induced protein/DNA complex formation identical to that observed in RV-ATL cells. Further, we provide evidence that cotransfection with Ets-1 and constitutively active Mek-1 in HTLV-1-negative transformed T cells with stimulation by PMA/ionomycin not only resulted in a robust induction of PTHrP P3 but also formed a complex with ETS-1/P3 EBS similar to that in ATLL cells. Our data demonstrate that transcriptional regulation of PTHrP in ATLL cells can be controlled by T-cell receptor signaling and the ETS and MAPK ERK pathway in a Tax-independent manner.

Expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein during immortalization of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by HTLV-1: Implications for transformation

BackgroundAdult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is initiated by infection with human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1); however, additional host factors are also required for T-cell transformation and development of ATLL. The HTLV-1 Tax protein plays an important role in the transformation of T-cells although the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) that occurs in the majority of ATLL patients. However, PTHrP is also up-regulated in HTLV-1-carriers and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) patients without hypercalcemia, indicating that PTHrP is expressed before transformation of T-cells. The expression of PTHrP and the PTH/PTHrP receptor during immortalization or transformation of lymphocytes by HTLV-1 has not been investigated.ResultsWe report that PTHrP was up-regulated during immortalization of lymphocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by HTLV-1 infection in long-term co-culture assays. There was preferential utilization of the PTHrP-P2 promoter in the immortalized cells compared to the HTLV-1-transformed MT-2 cells. PTHrP expression did not correlate temporally with expression of HTLV-1 tax. HTLV-1 infection up-regulated the PTHrP receptor (PTH1R) in lymphocytes indicating a potential autocrine role for PTHrP. Furthermore, co-transfection of HTLV-1 expression plasmids and PTHrP P2/P3-promoter luciferase reporter plasmids demonstrated that HTLV-1 up-regulated PTHrP expression only mildly, indicating that other cellular factors and/or events are required for the very high PTHrP expression observed in ATLL cells. We also report that macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), a cellular gene known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of HHM in ATLL patients, was highly expressed during early HTLV-1 infection indicating that, unlike PTHrP, its expression was enhanced due to activation of lymphocytes by HTLV-1 infection.ConclusionThese data demonstrate that PTHrP and its receptor are up-regulated specifically during immortalization of T-lymphocytes by HTLV-1 infection and may facilitate the transformation process.

Cell-based Fluorescence Complementation Reveals a Role for HIV-1 Nef Protein Dimerization in AP-2 Adaptor Recruitment and CD4 Co-receptor Down-regulation

The HIV-1 Nef accessory factor enhances viral infectivity, immune evasion, and AIDS progression. Nef triggers rapid down-regulation of CD4 via the endocytic adaptor protein 2 (AP-2) complex, a process linked to enhanced viral infectivity and immune escape. Here, we describe a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay to visualize the interaction of Nef with AP-2 and CD4 in living cells. Interacting protein pairs were fused to complementary non-fluorescent fragments of YFP and co-expressed in 293T cells. Nef interactions with both CD4 and AP-2 resulted in complementation of YFP and a bright fluorescent signal by confocal microcopy that localized to the cell periphery. Co-expression of the AP-2 α subunit enhanced the Nef·AP-2 σ2 subunit BiFC signal and vice versa, suggesting that the AP-2 α-σ2 hemicomplex interacts cooperatively with Nef. Mutagenesis of Nef amino acids Arg-134, Glu-174, and Asp-175, which stabilize Nef for AP-2 α-σ2 binding in a recent co-crystal structure, substantially reduced AP-2 interaction without affecting CD4 binding. A dimerization-defective mutant of Nef failed to interact with either CD4 or AP-2 in the BiFC assay, indicating that Nef quaternary structure is required for CD4 and AP-2 recruitment as well as CD4 down-regulation. A small molecule previously shown to bind the Nef dimerization interface also reduced Nef interactions with AP-2 and CD4 and restored CD4 expression to the surface of HIV-infected cells. Our findings provide a mechanistic explanation for previous observations that dimerization-defective Nef mutants fail to down-regulate CD4 and validate the Nef dimerization interface as a target site for antiretroviral drug development.