Targeting of the Hsp function in tumor cells is currently being assessed as potential anticancer therapy. An improved understanding of the molecular signals that trigger or attenuate the stress protein response is essential for advances to be made in this field. The present study provides evidence that the membrane fluidizer benzyl alcohol (BA), a documented nondenaturant, acts as a chaperone inducer in B16(F10) melanoma cells. It is demonstrated that this effect relies basically on heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) activation. Under the conditions tested, the BA-induced Hsp response involves the up-regulation of a subset of hsp genes. It is shown that the same level of membrane fluidization (estimated in the core membrane region) attained with the closely analogous phenethyl alcohol (PhA) does not generate a stress protein signal. BA, at a concentration that activates heat shock genes, exerts a profound effect on the melting of raft-like cholesterolsphingomyelin domains in vitro, whereas PhA, at a concentration equipotent with BA in membrane fluidization, has no such effect. Furthermore, through the in vivo labeling of melanoma cells with a fluorescein labeled probe that inserts into the cholesterol-rich membrane domains [fluorescein ester of polyethylene glycol-derivatized cholesterol (fPEG-Chol)], we found that, similarly to heat stress per se, BA, but not PhA, initiates profound alterations in the plasma membrane microdomain structure. We suggest that, apart from membrane hyperfluidization in the deep hydrophobic region, a distinct reorganization of cholesterol-rich microdomains may also be required for the generation and transmission of stress signals to activate hsp genes. molecular chaperones ͉ stress signaling ͉ membrane defects ͉ rafts ͉ cancer therapy
The frequency of inherited disease among apparent sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma patients is close to 10% in the Polish population of MTC patients. The extended analysis of all known RET proto-oncogene mutation sites is obligatory in patients younger than 45 years at diagnosis, but we also see the need to analyze the impact of rarer mutations in older patients.
BackgroundDuring functional studies on the rat stress-inducible Hspa1b (hsp70.1) gene we noticed that some liposome-based DNA carriers, which are used for transfection, induce its promoter activity. This observation concerned commercial liposome formulations (LA), Lipofectin and Lipofectamine 2000. This work was aimed to understand better the mechanism of this phenomenon and its potential biological and practical consequences.ResultsWe found that a reporter gene driven by Hspa1b promoter is activated both in the case of transient transfections and in the stably transfected cells treated with LA. Using several deletion clones containing different fragments of Hspa1b promoter, we found that the regulatory elements responsible for most efficient LA-driven inducibility were located between nucleotides -269 and +85, relative to the transcription start site. Further studies showed that the induction mechanism was independent of the classical HSE-HSF interaction that is responsible for gene activation during heat stress. Using DNA microarrays we also detected significant activation of the endogenous Hspa1b gene in cells treated with Lipofectamine 2000. Several other stress genes were also induced, along with numerous genes involved in cellular metabolism, cell cycle control and pro-apoptotic pathways.ConclusionsOur observations suggest that i) some cationic liposomes may not be suitable for functional studies on hsp promoters, ii) lipofection may cause unintended changes in global gene expression in the transfected cells.
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