Ulrike Haugwitz

Decreased expression of p27 protein is associated with advanced tumor stage in hepatocellular carcinoma

Reduced expression of the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor p27 has previously been correlated with fatal clinical outcome in some tumors, including gastric, breast, and prostate cancers. For hepatocellular carcinoma, the findings are equivocal. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were performed on a series of 203 curatively (R0) resected hepatocellular carcinomas and in corresponding non‐cancerous liver tissue to detect p27. Patients receiving liver transplantation were excluded. The results were correlated with histopathological stage according to the UICC system, Edmondson grade, several other histopathological factors of possible prognostic significance, and finally patient survival. Whereas p27 mRNA was expressed homogeneously in all carcinomas examined, the p27 protein was found in various amounts. The labeling index of p27 protein was significantly lower in advanced stages of the disease (P < 0.001, χ2 = 28.1). We observed decreased p27 protein in higher pT categories (P < 0.001, χ2 = 24.7) and in multiple tumor nodules (P < 0.001, χ2 = 9.3). Multivariate Cox survival analysis identified age, co‐existing cirrhosis, and Edmondson grade as independent prognostic factors. We conclude that evaluation of p27 in hepatocellular carcinoma is useful to predict stage of disease and may have clinical significance, e.g., in predicting optimal therapeutic regimes. Int. J. Cancer 89:350–355, 2000.

Interactions between p300 and Multiple NF-Y Trimers Govern Cyclin B2 Promoter Function

The CCAAT box is one of the most common elements in eukaryotic promoters and is activated by NF-Y, a conserved trimeric transcription factor with histone-like subunits. Usually one CCAAT element is present in promoters at positions between −60 and −100, but an emerging class of promoters harbor multiple NF-Y sites. In the triple CCAAT-containing cyclin B2 cell-cycle promoter, all CCAAT boxes, independently from their NF-Y affinities, are important for function. We investigated the relationships between NF-Y and p300. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis found that NF-Y and p300 are bound to the cyclin B2 promoter in vivo and that their binding is regulated during the cell cycle, positively correlating with promoter function. Cotransfection experiments determined that the coactivator acts on all CCAAT boxes and requires a precise spacing between the three elements. We established the order of in vitrobinding of the three NF-Y complexes and find decreasing affinities from the most distal Y1 to the proximal Y3 site. Binding of two or three NF-Y trimers with or without p300 is not cooperative, but association with the Y1 and Y2 sites is extremely stable. p300 favors the binding of NF-Y to the weak Y3 proximal site, provided that a correct distance between the three CCAAT is respected. Our data indicate that the precise spacing of multiple CCAAT boxes is crucial for coactivator function. Transient association to a weak site might be a point of regulation during the cell cycle and a general theme of multiple CCAAT box promoters.

Cyclin B1 transcription is enhanced by the p300 coactivator and regulated during the cell cycle by a CHR-dependent repression mechanism

Cyclin B is a central regulator of transition from the G2 phase of the cell cycle to mitosis. In mammalian cells two B‐type cyclins have been characterised, cyclin B1 and B2. Both are expressed with a maximum in G2 and their synthesis is mainly regulated on the transcriptional level. We show that a single cell cycle genes homology region, lacking a functional cell cycle‐dependent element in tandem with it, contributes most of the cell cycle‐dependent transcription from the cyclin B1 promoter. The coactivator p300 binds to the cyclin B1 promoter and synergises with the transcription factor NF‐Y in activating transcription of cyclin B1.

Identification of Tcf-4 as a transcriptional target of p53 signalling.

T-cell factor (Tcf)-4 is a main transcription factor to pass on Wnt/β-catenin signalling. The tumour suppressor protein p53 contributes as a transcription factor to cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. Mutations of components in p53 and Wnt/β-catenin signalling networks play a part in tumour formation. Here, we identify the Tcf-4 gene as a downstream effector of p53. Induction of wild-type p53 in a tet-off regulated human colon cell system leads to the reduction of Tcf-4 mRNA and protein levels. Also, mRNA of the Tcf-4 target gene uPAR is downregulated after p53 induction. Expression of a luciferase reporter controlled by the Tcf-4 promoter is repressed by wild-type p53, but not by a p53 mutant deficient in DNA binding. Such a regulation is seen in cell lines of different origin. These findings directly link Wnt/β-catenin signalling and p53 tumour suppressor function and may provide a mechanism by which loss of p53 function contributes to progression in the adenoma/carcinoma sequence in colon tumours. Furthermore, since Tcf-4 is expressed in many tissues and downregulation of Tcf-4 by p53 is seen in several different cell types, this regulation likely plays a role in proliferation control of all tissues that can express p53 and Tcf-4.

Three CCAAT-boxes and a single cell cycle genes homology region (CHR) are the major regulating sites for transcription from the human cyclin B2 promoter.

Cyclins are essential regulators of the cell division cycle. Cyclin B associates with the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (cdc2) to form a complex which is required for cells to undergo mitosis. In mammalian cells three B-type cyclins have been characterised, cyclin B1, B2 and B3. The cell cycle-dependent synthesis of cyclin B1 and B2 has been investigated in detail displaying maximum expression in G2 which is mainly regulated on the transcriptional level. We have previously shown that this regulation of the mouse cyclin B2 promoter is controlled by a cell cycle-dependent element (CDE) and the cell cycle genes homology region (CHR). Also in a number of other genes CDE/CHR elements repress transcription in G0 and G1 and lead to relief of repression later during the cell cycle. Here, we compare human and mouse cyclin B2 promoters. Both promoters share only nine regions with nucleotide identities. Three of these sites are CCAAT-boxes spaced 33 bp apart which can bind the NF-Y transcriptional activator. NF-Y binding to the human cyclin B2 promoter could be shown by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Activation by NF-Y is responsible for more than 93% of the total promoter activity as measured by cotransfecting a plasmid coding for a dominant-negative form of NF-YA. Cell cycle-dependent repression is regulated solely through a CHR. Surprisingly, in contrast to the mouse promoter the CHR in the human cyclin B2 promoter does not rely on a CDE site in tandem with it. Together with the recently described mouse cdc25C promoter, human cyclin B2 is the second identified gene which solely requires a CHR for its cell cycle regulation.