5q- syndrome is a subtype of myelodysplastic syndrome characterized by severe anemia and variable neutropenia but normal or high platelet counts with dysplastic megakaryocytes. We examined expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) encoded on chromosome 5q as a possible cause of haploinsufficiency. We show that deletion of chromosome 5q correlates with loss of two miRNAs that are abundant in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), miR-145 and miR-146a, and we identify Toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor protein (TIRAP) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-6 (TRAF6) as respective targets of these miRNAs. TIRAP is known to lie upstream of TRAF6 in innate immune signaling. Knockdown of miR-145 and miR-146a together or enforced expression of TRAF6 in mouse HSPCs resulted in thrombocytosis, mild neutropenia and megakaryocytic dysplasia. A subset of mice transplanted with TRAF6-expressing marrow progressed either to marrow failure or acute myeloid leukemia. Thus, inappropriate activation of innate immune signals in HSPCs phenocopies several clinical features of 5q- syndrome.

Members of the Notch family of transmembrane receptors play an important role in cell fate determination. Over the past decade, a role for Notch in the pathogenesis of hematologic and solid malignancies has become apparent. Numerous cellular functions and microenvironmental cues associated with tumorigenesis are modulated by Notch signaling, including proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and angiogenesis. It is becoming increasingly evident that Notch signaling can be both oncogenic and tumor suppressive. This review highlights recent findings regarding the molecular and functional aspects of Notch-mediated neoplastic transformation. In addition, cellular mechanisms that potentially explain the complex role of Notch in tumorigenesis are discussed.

Sepsis is the systemic immune response to severe bacterial infection. The innate immune recognition of bacterial and viral products is mediated by a family of transmembrane receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs). In endothelial cells, exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major cell wall constituent of Gramnegative bacteria, results in endothelial activation through a receptor complex consisting of TLR4, CD14 and MD2. Recruitment of the adaptor protein myeloid differentiation factor (MyD88) initiates an MyD88-dependent pathway that culminates in the early activation of nuclear factor-jB (NF-jB) and the mitogen-activated protein kinases. In parallel, a MyD88-independent pathway results in a late-phase activation of NF-jB. The outcome is the production of various proinflammatory mediators and ultimately cellular injury, leading to the various vascular sequelae of sepsis. This review will focus on the signaling pathways initiated by LPS binding to the TLR4 receptor in endothelial cells and the coordinated regulation of this pathway.

Aberrant expression of Jagged1 and Notch1 are associated with poor outcome in breast cancer. However, the reason that Jagged1 and/or Notch overexpression portends a poor prognosis is unknown. We identify Slug, a transcriptional repressor, as a novel Notch target and show that elevated levels of Slug correlate with increased expression of Jagged1 in various human cancers. Slug was essential for Notch-mediated repression of E-cadherin, which resulted in β-catenin activation and resistance to anoikis. Inhibition of ligand-induced Notch signaling in xenografted Slug-positive/E-cadherin–negative breast tumors promoted apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis. This response was associated with down-regulated Slug expression, reexpression of E-cadherin, and suppression of active β-catenin. Our findings suggest that ligand-induced Notch activation, through the induction of Slug, promotes tumor growth and metastasis characterized by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and inhibition of anoikis.

Snail family proteins are key regulators of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, but their role in endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is less well studied. We show that Slug, a Snail family member, is expressed by a subset of endothelial cells as well as mesenchymal cells of the atrioventricular canal and outflow tract during cardiac cushion morphogenesis. Slug deficiency results in impaired cellularization of the cardiac cushion at embryonic day (E)–9.5 but is compensated by increased Snail expression at E10.5, which restores cardiac cushion EMT. We further demonstrate that Slug, but not Snail, is directly up-regulated by Notch in endothelial cells and that Slug expression is required for Notch-mediated repression of the vascular endothelial cadherin promoter and for promoting migration of transformed endothelial cells. In contrast, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) induces Snail but not Slug. Interestingly, activation of Notch in the context of TGF-β stimulation results in synergistic up-regulation of Snail in endothelial cells. Collectively, our data suggest that combined expression of Slug and Snail is required for EMT in cardiac cushion morphogenesis.

Oligodendroglioma is characterized by unique clinical, pathological, and genetic features. Recurrent losses of chromosomes 1p and 19q are strongly associated with this brain cancer but knowledge of the identity and function of the genes affected by these alterations is limited. We performed exome sequencing on a discovery set of 16 oligodendrogliomas with 1p/19q co-deletion to identify new molecular features at base-pair resolution. As anticipated, there was a high rate of IDH mutations: all cases had mutations in either IDH1 (14/16) or IDH2 (2/16). In addition, we discovered somatic mutations and insertions/deletions in the CIC gene on chromosome 19q13.2 in 13/16 tumours. These discovery set mutations were validated by deep sequencing of 13 additional tumours, which revealed 7 others with CIC mutations, thus bringing the overall mutation rate in oligodendrogliomas in this study to 20/29 (69%). In contrast, deep sequencing of astrocytomas and oligoastrocytomas without 1p/19q loss revealed that CIC alterations were otherwise rare (1/60; 2%). Of the 21 non-synonymous somatic mutations in 20 CIC-mutant oligodendrogliomas, 9 were in exon 5 within an annotated DNA interacting domain and 3 were in exon 20 within an annotated protein interacting domain. The remaining 9 were found in other exons and frequently included truncations. CIC mutations were highly associated with oligodendroglioma histology, 1p/19q co-deletion and IDH1/2 mutation (p<0.001). Although we observed no differences in the clinical outcomes of CIC mutant versus wild-type tumors, in a background of 1p/19q co-deletion, hemizygous CIC mutations are likely important. We hypothesize that the mutant CIC on the single retained 19q allele is linked to the pathogenesis of oligodendrogliomas with IDH mutation. Our detailed study of genetic aberrations in oligodendroglioma suggests a functional interaction between CIC mutation, IDH1/2 mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion.

Endothelial cells play a central role in the inflammatory process. Tumor necrosis factor-␣ (TNF) is a multifunctional cytokine which elicits many of the inflammatory responses of endothelial cells. While TNF directly causes apoptosis of tumor cells and virally infected cells, normal cells are generally resistant. However, most resistant cells, including human endothelial cells, can be rendered susceptible to TNF by inhibiting RNA or protein synthesis. This finding suggests that TNF provides a cell survival signal in addition to a death signal. We have previously cloned a human Bcl-2 homologue, A1, and shown that it is specifically induced by proinflammatory cytokines but not by endothelial growth factors. In this study, we show that retroviral-mediated transfer of the A1 cDNA to a human microvascular endothelial cell line provides protection against cell death initiated by TNF in the presence of actinomycin D. The induction of A1 by TNF in this system is mediated via a protein kinase C pathway. Since TNF signaling has also been shown to proceed via ceramides, we tested whether exogenous ceramides could induce A1. Our findings indicate that ceramides do not induce A1 but do up-regulate c-jun and induce endothelial death. Ceramide-activated endothelial death is also inhibited by A1, suggesting that TNF may initiate divergent survival and death pathways via separate lipid second messengers. TNF1 is an inflammatory cytokine originally defined by its tumoricidal activity (1, 2). Subsequently, it has been shown to evoke multiple biological responses affecting virtually every cell type (3). Considerable attention has recently been paid to the apoptotic pathway elicited by TNF. A series of elegant experiments have defined a death pathway emanating from the TNF receptor 1. Engagement of the TNF receptor results in cell death by recruitment of a complex of proteins to the cell membrane including TRADD, FADD/Mort1, and MACH/FLICE which culminates in the activation of cysteine proteases (4 -10). TNF stimulation also results in signal transduction pathways mediated by two lipid second messengers, diacylglycerol and ceramide (3). While ceramide is a transducer of TNF-induced apoptosis (11, 12), diglyceride or phorbol ester pretreatment can protect against ceramide-induced cell death (11, 13). Ceramides appear to act downstream of FADD/Mort1 since a FADD dominant-negative can block TNF-induced apoptosis but not death mediated by ceramide (7).Although tumor cells and virally infected cells are susceptible to TNF-induced death, many normal cells are not (1, 2). In this respect, human endothelial cells which play a pivotal role in modulating the inflammatory response are not directly killed by TNF (14). However, it has previously been shown that in the presence of RNA or protein synthesis inhibitors, endothelial cells as well as other cells can be rendered sensitive to TNF (14 -16). Conversely, it has also been demonstrated that sensitive cells can be made resistant to TNF challenge by prior sublethal exposure to TNF (15, 16). Th...

Whereas unperturbed endothelial cells provide potent anticoagulant properties, exposure to inflammatory and atherogenic stimuli can rapidly lead to a procoagulant behavior. Because recent studies provide evidence that apoptosis of vascular cells may occur under conditions such as atherosclerosis and inflammation, we investigated whether apoptotic endothelial cells may contribute to the development of a prothrombotic state. In this report, it is shown that both adherent and detached apoptotic human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) become procoagulant. Apoptosis was induced by staurosporine, a nonspecific protein kinase inhibitor, or by culture in suspension with serum deprivation. Both methods resulted in similar findings. As assessed by flow cytometric determination of annexin V binding, HUVECs undergoing cell death exhibited typically a more rapid exposure of membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) than DNA fragmentation. Depending on the stage of apoptosis, this redistribution of phospholipids was found to induce an increase of the activity of the intrinsic tenase complex by 25% to 60%. Although apoptotic cells did not show antigenic or functional tissue factor (TF ) activity, when preactivated with lipopolysaccharide, TF procoagulant activity increased by 50% to 70%. At 8 hours after apoptosis induction, antigenic thrombomodulin, heparan sulfates, and TF pathway inhibitor decreased by about 83%, 80%, and 59%, respectively. The functional activity of these components was reduced by about 36%, 52%, and 39%, respectively. Moreover, the presence of apoptotic HUVECs led to a significant increase of thrombin formation in recalcified citrated plasma. In conclusion, apoptotic HUVECs, either adherent or in suspension, become procoagulant by increased expression of PS and the loss of anticoagulant membrane components.