Recent evidence suggests that gene expression may be regulated, at least in part, at post-transcriptional level by factors inducing the extremely rapid degradation of messenger RNAs. These factors include reactions between adenyl-uridyl-rich elements (AREs) of the relevant mRNA and either specific proteins that bind to these elements or exosomes. This review deals with examples of the proteins (AU-rich binding proteins, AUBPs) and exosomes, which have been shown to form complexes with AREs and bring about rapid degradation of the relevant mRNA, and with certain other factors, which protect the RNA from such degradation. The biochemical and physiological factors underlying the stability of messenger RNAs carrying the ARE motifs will be reviewed in the light of their emerging significance for cell physiology, human pathology, and molecular medicine. We also consider the possible application of the results of recent insights into the mechanisms to pharmacological interventions to prevent or cure disorders, especially developmental disorders, which the suppression of gene expression may bring about. Molecular targeting of specific steps in protein degradation by synthetic compounds has already been utilized for the development of pharmacological therapies.

We previously identified a conserved A ؉ U-rich element (ARE) in the 3-untranslated region of bcl-2 mRNA. We have also recently demonstrated that the bcl-2 ARE interacts with a number of ARE-binding proteins (AUBPs) whose pattern changes during apoptosis in association with bcl-2 mRNA half-life reduction. Here we show that the AUBP AUF1 binds in vitro to bcl-2 mRNA. The results obtained in a yeast RNA three-hybrid system have demonstrated that the 1-257-amino acid portion of p37 AUF1 (conserved in all isoforms), containing the two RNA recognition motifs, also binds to the bcl-2 ARE in vivo. UVC irradiation-induced apoptosis results in an increase of AUF1. Inhibition of apoptosis by a general caspase inhibitor reduces this increase by 2-3-fold. These results indicate involvement of AUF1 in the ARE/ AUBP-mediated modulation of bcl-2 mRNA decay during apoptosis.

The serine/threonine kinase mTOR, the major sensor of cell growth along the PI3K/Akt pathway, can be activated by agents acting on microtubules. Damaged microtubules induce phosphorylation of the Bcl-2 protein and lower the threshold of programmed cell death, both of which are inhibited by rapamycin. In HEK293 cells expressing Akt mutants, the level of Bcl-2 phosphorylation and the threshold of apoptosis induced by taxol or by nocodazole are significantly modified. In cells expressing dominantnegative Akt (DN-Akt), Bcl-2 phosphorylation and p70S6KThr421/Ser424 phosphorylation induced by taxol or nocodazole were significantly enhanced as compared to cells expressing constitutively active Akt (CA-Akt) and inhibited by rapamycin. Moreover, DN-Akt cells were more sensitive to antitubule agents than CA-Akt cells. In nocodazole-treated HEK293 cells sorted according to cell cycle, the p70S6K Thr421/Ser424 phosphorylation was associated to the G2/M fraction. More relevant, nocodazole inhibited, in a dose-response manner, mTOR phosphorylation at Ser2448. This activity, potentiated in DN-Akt cells, was not detectable in CA-Akt cells. Our results suggest that death signals originating from damaged microtubules in G2/M can compete with G1 survival pathways at the level of mTOR. These findings have implications for cancer therapy and drug resistance.

The control of mRNA stability is becoming recognized as a crucial point of gene expression regulation. A common element responsible for mRNA decay modulation is the adenine- and uracil-rich element that is found in the 3' untranslated region of numerous mRNAs subjected to fast expression changes in response to various stimuli. Previously we identified a post-transcriptional regulation level for the antiapoptotic bcl-2 gene, which could be involved in t(14;18) lymphoma-associated bcl-2 overexpression. Here we demonstrate that bcl-2 mRNA is endowed with an adenine- and uracil-rich element (ARE) characterized by high evolutionary conservation not only among all chordates examined, but even between chordates and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (ced-9 gene). As for other well-established destabilizing AREs, the insertion of the bcl-2 ARE downstream from stable beta-globin mRNA causes an enhanced decay of the beta-globin transcript, which proves its functional role. This possibility is corroborated by the fact that the pathway leading to the modulating activity of bcl-2 ARE is influenced by PKC, since the addition of DAG and TPA markedly attenuated the bcl-2 ARE destabilizing potential. Conversely, it is noteworthy that when C(2)-ceramide is added to the culture medium as the apoptotic agent, the beta-globin transcript harboring the bcl-2 ARE undergoes a dramatic increase in decay. This observation clearly indicates that the destabilizing function of bcl-2 ARE is enhanced by apoptotic stimuli and suggests that this element could be involved in a post-transcriptional mechanism of bcl-2 down-regulation during apoptosis. The half-life of the mRNA of bcl-2 in Jurkat cells is prolonged by PKC stimulation and shortened by C(2)-ceramide addition, strongly supporting the view that bcl-2 mRNA stability plays a physiological role in modulating bcl-2 expression, particularly in its down-regulation during apoptosis. Thus, this element becomes a new candidate for mediating those bcl-2 gene expression changes-from apoptosis-associated down-regulation to tumor-associated overexpression-observed thus far that profoundly influence single cell fate and tissue homeostasis.

Melatonin plays different physiological functions ranging from the regulation of circadian rhythms to tumor inhibition, owing to its antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-aging properties. Due to its pleiotropic functions, melatonin has been shown to elicit cytoprotective processes in normal cells and trigger pro-apoptotic signals in cancer cells. The therapeutic potential of melatonin analogues prompted us to investigate the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of new melatonin derivatives and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. The experiments revealed that the new melatonin analogues inhibited the growth of melanoma and breast cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, our results indicated that melatonin derivative UCM 1037 could induce apoptosis in melanoma and breast cancer cells, as well as cell necrosis, in MCF-7. Together, apoptosis and necrosis could be two possible mechanisms to explain the cytotoxic effect of the melatonin analogue against cancer cells. The suppression of tumor growth by the melatonin analogues was further demonstrated in vivo in a xenograft mice model. A decrease in the activation of MAPK pathway was observed in all cancer cells following UCM 1037 treatment. Overall, this study describes a promising antitumor compound showing antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity in melanoma and breast cancer cells.