Yuangang Liu

Re-activation of a dormant tumor suppressor gene maspin by designed transcription factors

The controlled and specific re-activation of endogenous tumor suppressors in cancer cells represents an important therapeutic strategy to block tumor growth and subsequent progression. Other than ectopic delivery of tumor suppressor-encoded cDNA, there are no therapeutic tools able to specifically re-activate tumor suppressor genes that are silenced in tumor cells. Herein, we describe a novel approach to specifically regulate dormant tumor suppressors in aggressive cancer cells. We have targeted the Mammary Serine Protease Inhibitor (maspin) (SERPINB5) tumor suppressor, which is silenced by transcriptional and aberrant promoter methylation in aggressive epithelial tumors. Maspin is a multifaceted protein, regulating tumor cell homeostasis through inhibition of cell growth, motility and invasion. We have constructed artificial transcription factors (ATFs) made of six zinc-finger (ZF) domains targeted against 18-base pair (bp) unique sequences in the maspin promoter. The ZFs were linked to the activator domain VP64 and delivered in breast tumor cells. We found that the designed ATFs specifically interact with their cognate targets in vitro with high affinity and selectivity. One ATF was able to re-activate maspin in cell lines that comprise a maspin promoter silenced by epigenetic mechanisms. Consistently, we found that this ATF was a powerful inducer of apoptosis and was able to knock down tumor cell invasion in vitro. Moreover, this ATF was able to suppress MDA-MB-231 growth in a xenograft breast cancer model in nude mice. Our work suggests that ATFs could be used in cancer therapeutics as novel molecular switches to re-activate dormant tumor suppressors.

Wild-type alternatively spliced p53: binding to DNA and interaction with the major p53 protein in vitro and in cells.

A p53 variant protein (p53as) generated from alternatively spliced p53 RNA is expressed in normal and malignant mouse cells and tissues, and p53as antigen activity is preferentially associated with the G2 phase of the cell cycle, suggesting that p53as and p53 protein may have distinct properties. Using p53as and p53 proteins translated in vitro, we now provide evidence that p53as protein has efficient sequence‐specific DNA‐binding ability. DNA binding by p53 protein is inefficient in comparison and requires activation. Furthermore, p53as and p53 proteins formed hetero‐oligomers when co‐translated in vitro, resulting in inactivation of p53as DNA‐binding activity. Gel filtration indicated that p53as translated in vitro, like p53, formed tetramers. In support of a functional role of p53as in cells, p53as/p53 hetero‐oligomers were coimmunoprecipitated from mouse cells, and both protein forms were detectable in nuclear extracts by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. These results suggest that the biochemical functions of p53 are mediated by interaction between two endogenous protein products of the wild‐type p53 gene.

Facilitated search for specific genomic targets by p53 c-terminal basic DNA binding domain

p53 is a unique DNA binding protein with two distinct DNA binding domains, the central domain for sequence-specific DNA binding and the basic DNA binding domain (BD domain) for structure-specific DNA binding. In contrast to the apparent inhibitory effect of the BD domain on p53 binding to sequence-specific DNA in vitro, here we demonstrate that the BD domain enhances p53 binding to the endogenous p21Waf1 promoter and mediates rapid transactivation of p21Waf1. This paradox is resolved by the observation that the BD domain is required for rapid binding to non-sequence-specific genomic DNA (NS-DNA) as evident from global chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of p53 DNA binding in vivo. This finding provides the first in vivo evidence from a eukaryotic system to support binding to NS-DNA as an intermediate step in searching specific sites as proposed by von Hippel and Berg. Furthermore, we speculate that binding to structure-specific DNA by the BD-domain is a mechanism for p53 rapid binding to genomic DNA from its free state to facilitate the search for its target sites in the genome undergoing genotoxic stress.

N terminus of ASPP2 binds to Ras and enhances Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK activation to promote oncogene-induced senescence

The ASPP2 (also known as 53BP2L) tumor suppressor is a proapoptotic member of a family of p53 binding proteins that functions in part by enhancing p53-dependent apoptosis via its C-terminal p53-binding domain. Mounting evidence also suggests that ASPP2 harbors important nonapoptotic p53-independent functions. Structural studies identify a small G protein Ras-association domain in the ASPP2 N terminus. Because Ras-induced senescence is a barrier to tumor formation in normal cells, we investigated whether ASPP2 could bind Ras and stimulate the protein kinase Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade. We now show that ASPP2 binds to Ras–GTP at the plasma membrane and stimulates Ras-induced signaling and pERK1/2 levels via promoting Ras–GTP loading, B-Raf/C-Raf dimerization, and C-Raf phosphorylation. These functions require the ASPP2 N terminus because BBP (also known as 53BP2S), an alternatively spliced ASPP2 isoform lacking the N terminus, was defective in binding Ras–GTP and stimulating Raf/MEK/ERK signaling. Decreased ASPP2 levels attenuated H-RasV12–induced senescence in normal human fibroblasts and neonatal human epidermal keratinocytes. Together, our results reveal a mechanism for ASPP2 tumor suppressor function via direct interaction with Ras–GTP to stimulate Ras-induced senescence in nontransformed human cells.

CHCHD2 inhibits apoptosis by interacting with Bcl-x L to regulate Bax activation.

Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) is a critical control point during apoptosis that results in the release of pro-apoptotic mitochondrial contents such as cytochrome c. MOMP is largely controlled by Bcl-2 family proteins such as Bax, which under various apoptotic stresses becomes activated and oligomerizes on the outer mitochondrial membrane. Bax oligomerization helps promote the diffusion of the mitochondrial contents into the cytoplasm activating the caspase cascade. In turn, Bax is regulated primarily by anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins including Bcl-xL, which was recently shown to prevent Bax from accumulating at the mitochondria. However, the exact mechanisms by which Bcl-xL regulates Bax and thereby MOMP remain partially understood. In this study, we show that the small CHCH-domain-containing protein CHCHD2 binds to Bcl-xL and inhibits the mitochondrial accumulation and oligomerization of Bax. Our data show that in response to apoptotic stimuli, mitochondrial CHCHD2 decreases prior to MOMP. Furthermore, when CHCHD2 is absent from the mitochondria, the ability of Bcl-xL to inhibit Bax activation and to prevent apoptosis is attenuated, which results in increases in Bax oligomerization, MOMP and apoptosis. Collectively, our findings establish CHCHD2, a previously uncharacterized small mitochondrial protein with no known homology to the Bcl-2 family, as one of the negative regulators of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

NF-κB Repression by PIAS3 Mediated RelA SUMOylation

Negative regulation of the NF-κB transcription factor is essential for tissue homeostasis in response to stress and inflammation. NF-κB activity is regulated by a variety of biochemical mechanisms including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. In this study, we provide the first experimental evidence that NF-κB is regulated by SUMOylation, where the RelA subunit of NF-κB is SUMOylated by PIAS3, a member of the PIAS (protein inhibitor of activated STAT) protein family with E3 SUMO ligase activity. PIAS3-mediated NF-κB repression was compromised by either RelA mutant resistant to SUMOylation or PIAS3 mutant defective in SUMOylation. PIAS3-mediated SUMOylation of endogenous RelA was induced by NF-κB activation thus forming a negative regulatory loop. The SUMOylation of endogenous RelA was enhanced in IκBα null as compared with wild type fibroblasts. The RelA SUMOylation was induced by TNFα but not leptomycin B mediated RelA nuclear translocation. Furthermore, RelA mutants defective in DNA binding were not SUMOylated by PIAS3, suggesting that RelA DNA binding is a signal for PIAS3-mediated SUMOylation. These results support a novel negative feedback mechanism for NF-κB regulation by PIAS3-mediated RelA SUMOylation.

Regulation of the psoriatic chemokine CCL20 by E3 ligases Trim32 and Piasy in keratinocytes.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disorder with aberrant regulation of keratinocytes and immunocytes. Although it is well known that uncontrolled keratinocyte proliferation is largely driven by proinflammatory cytokines from the immunocytes, the functional role of keratinocytes in the regulation of immunocytes is poorly understood. Recently, we found that tripartite motif-containing protein 32 (Trim32), an E3-ubiquitin ligase, is elevated in the epidermal lesions of human psoriasis. We previously showed that Trim32 binds to the protein inhibitor of activated STAT-Y (Piasy) and mediates its degradation through ubiquitination. Interestingly, the Piasy gene is localized in the PSORS6 susceptibility locus on chromosome 19p13, and Piasy negatively regulates the activities of several transcription factors, including NF-kappaB, STAT, and SMADs, that are implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In this study, we show that Trim32 activates, and Piasy inhibits, keratinocyte production of CC chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20), a psoriatic chemokine essential for recruitment of DCs and T helper (Th)17 cells to the skin. Further, Trim32/Piasy regulation of CCL20 is mediated through Piasy interaction with the RelA/p65 subunit of NF-kappaB. As CCL20 is activated by Th17 cytokines, the upregulation of CCL20 production by Trim32 provides a positive feedback loop of CCL20 and Th17 activation in the self-perpetuating cycle of psoriasis.

Microtubule Disruption and Tumor Suppression by Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase 4

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) is one of the downstream effectors of the Ras pathway whose activation is essential for the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Erk activation is negatively regulated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatases (MKP), which are generally up-regulated by Erk activation, thus forming a feedback loop for regulation of Erk activity. In searching for early alterations in the Ras pathway in epidermal carcinogenesis, we identified MKP4, a cytosolic MKP with specificity to not only Erk, but also, to a lesser extent, c-jun-NH(2)-kinase and p38. MKP4 is down-regulated at initiation and lost at malignant conversion in a clonal model of epidermal carcinogenesis that lacks Ras mutation. The loss of MKP4 was associated with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) but not benign papilloma clonal lineages and with independently induced SCC relative to benign tumors in mouse skin. Reconstitution of MKP4 expression in malignant tumor cells leads to cell death and tumor suppression. Unlike Erk inhibition that blocks cell cycle entry, MKP4 reconstitution resulted in G(2)-M associated cell death and microtubule disruption. Thus, microtubule disruption by MKP4 provides a novel mechanism for tumor suppression by a cytosolic MKP and implies a novel therapeutic strategy through combined MAPK inhibitions that mimic the function of MKP4.

Defective p53 Post-translational Modification Required for Wild Type p53 Inactivation in Malignant Epithelial Cells with mdm2 Gene Amplification

Mdm2 gene amplification occurs in benign and chemotherapy-responsive malignant tumors with wtp53 genes as well as in breast and epithelial cancers. Mdm2 amplification in benign tumors suggests that it is not sufficient for p53 inactivation in cancer, implying that other defects in the p53 pathway are required for malignancy. We investigated mechanisms of wtp53 protein inactivation in malignant conversion of epithelial cells by comparing clonally related initiated cells with their derivative cancerous cells that have mdm2 amplification. Deficiencies in p53 accumulation and activities in response to DNA damage were not due simply to Mdm2 destabilization of p53 protein, but to continued association of DNA-bound p53 with Mdm2 protein and lack of binding and acetylation by p300 protein. The aberrant interactions were not because of mdm2 amplification alone, because DNA-bound p53 protein from initiated cells failed to bind ectopically expressed Mdm2 or endogenous overexpressed Mdm2 from cancerous cells. Phosphorylations of endogenous p53 at Ser18, -23, or -37 were insufficient to dissociate Mdm2, because each was induced by UV in cancerous cells. Interestingly, phospho-mimic p53-T21E did dissociate the Mdm2 protein from DNA-bound p53 and recovered p300 binding and p21 induction in the cancerous cells. Thus wtp53 in malignant cells with mdm2 amplification can be inactivated by continued association of DNA-bound p53 protein with Mdm2 and failure of p300 binding and acetylation, coupled with a defect in p53 phosphorylation at Thr21. These findings suggest therapeutic strategies that address both p53/Mdm2 interaction and associated p53 protein defects in human tumors that have amplified mdm2 genes.

Sliding into home: facilitated p53 search for targets by the basic DNA binding domain.

p53 is a unique DNA binding protein with two distinct DNA binding domains, the evolutionarily conserved central domain and the C-terminal basic DNA binding domain (BD domain). The presence of two separate DNA binding domains with distinct DNA binding properties distinguishes p53 from other DNA binding proteins. Transcription factors generally bind DNA with sequence specificity but not with DNA structure specificity. DNA repair proteins generally bind DNA with structure specificity without sequence specificity. Even in the p53 gene family, the BD domain is a unique feature of vertebrate p53 proteins that is absent in p63, p73 and p53 homologues in primitive species like squid, Drosophila and Caenorhabdities. elegans. A central question is why p53 requires two DNA binding domains for its role as a tumor suppressor.