Plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenotids with multiple biological activities are considered as promising candidates for cancer therapy and prevention. However, their mechanisms of action are not fully understood. In the present study, we have analyzed the effects of low dose treatment (5–20 µM) of ursolic acid (UA) and betulinic acid (BA) on breast cancer cells of different receptor status, namely MCF-7 (ER+, PR+/−, HER2−), MDA-MB-231 (ER−, PR−, HER2−) and SK-BR-3 (ER−, PR−, HER2+). UA-mediated response was more potent than BA-mediated response. Triterpenotids (5–10 µM) caused G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, an increase in p21 levels and SA-beta-galactosidase staining that was accompanied by oxidative stress and DNA damage. UA (20 µM) also diminished AKT signaling that affected glycolysis as judged by decreased levels of HK2, PKM2, ATP and lactate. UA-induced energy stress activated AMPK that resulted in cytotoxic autophagy and apoptosis. UA-mediated elevation in nitric oxide levels and ATM activation may also account for AMPK activation-mediated cytotoxic response. Moreover, UA-promoted apoptosis was associated with decreased pERK1/2 signals and the depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, we have shown for the first time that UA at low micromolar range may promote its anticancer action by targeting glycolysis in phenotypically distinct breast cancer cells.

Methyltransferase DNMT2 is suggested to be involved in the regulation of numerous processes, however its biological significance and underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we have used WI-38 and BJ human fibroblasts as an in vitro model system to investigate the effects of siRNA-based DNMT2 silencing. DNMT2-depleted cells were found to be sensitive to oxidative stress conditions as judged by increased production of reactive oxygen species and susceptible to DNA damage that resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation. DNMT2 silencing promoted upregulation of proliferation-related and tumor suppressor miRNAs, namely miR-28-3p, miR-34a-3p, miR-30b-5p, miR-29b-3p, miR-200c-3p, miR-28-5p, miR-379-5p, miR-382-5p, miR-194-5p, miR-193b-3p and miR-409-3p. Moreover, DNMT2 silencing induced cellular senescence and DNMT2 levels were elevated in replicatively senescent cells. Taken together, we found that DNMT2 may take part in the regulation of cell proliferation and longevity in human fibroblasts and speculate that the manipulation of DNMT2 levels that limits cell proliferation may be potentially useful anticancer strategy.

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Dnmt2 is a highly conserved methyltransferase of uncertain biological function(s). As Dnmt2 was considered as a driver of fruit fly longevity and a modulator of stress response, we decided to evaluate the role of Dnmt2 during stress-induced premature senescence in NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts. Stable knockdown of Dnmt2 resulted in hydrogen peroxide-mediated sensitivity and apoptosis, whereas in the control conditions, senescence was induced. Cellular senescence was accompanied by elevated levels of p53 and p21, decreased telomere length and telomerase activity, increased production of reactive oxygen species and protein carbonylation, and DNA damage. Dnmt2 silencing also promoted global DNA and RNA hypermethylation, and upregulation of methyltransferases, namely Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b. Taken together, we show for the first time that Dnmt2 may promote lifespan in the control conditions and survival during stress conditions in mouse fibroblasts.

Dynamic change in subcellular localization of signaling proteins is a general concept that eukaryotic cells evolved for eliciting a coordinated response to stimuli. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics in combination with subcellular fractionation can provide comprehensive maps of spatio-temporal regulation of protein networks in cells, but involves laborious workflows that does not cover the phospho-proteome level. Here we present a high-throughput workflow based on sequential cell fractionation to profile the global proteome and phospho-proteome dynamics across six distinct subcellular fractions. We benchmark the workflow by studying spatio-temporal EGFR phospho-signaling dynamics in vitro in HeLa cells and in vivo in mouse tissues. Finally, we investigate the spatio-temporal stress signaling, revealing cellular relocation of ribosomal proteins in response to hypertonicity and muscle contraction. Proteomics data generated in this study can be explored through https://SpatialProteoDynamics.github.io.

One of the aims of the EU-funded Research and Innovation Action (RIA), titled “Ageing with Elegans” (AwE) is to enhance better understanding of the factors causing health and disease in aging and develop evidence-based preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and other strategies. The work package-5 of this project is focused on testing the effects of phytochemicals of natural and synthetic origin on aging, longevity, and health of human cells in vitro , after the initial screening using the animal model systems of nematodes and rats and mice. Accordingly, the first series of three compounds, rosmarinic acid (ROSM), ampelopsin (AMPEL), and amorfrutin-A (AMOR), were selected to test for their short-term and long-term effects on human skin fibroblasts undergoing aging and senescence in vitro. The lifelong modulatory effects of these compounds were tested individually at two doses (0.5 and 1.0 μM), selected after a short-term dose response check of a 20,000-fold range (0.01–200 μM). The results show that these compounds do have some beneficial effects in terms of supporting the long-term lifelong growth and enhanced stress tolerance of serially passaged cells. These effects seem to be achieved by reducing the extent of loss of telomeres, of 5-methyl-cytosine (5-mC) and of 5-hydroxymethyl-cytosine (5-hmC), by reducing the accumulation of oxidative DNA damage product 8-OHdG. There is also some indication that these compounds induce at least one of the stress responses in terms of the increased synthesis of heat shock protein Hsp70. Thus, these phytochemicals may be potential hormetins, which bring about their health beneficial effects by the phenomenon of mild stress-induced hormesis.

We identified apolipoprotein E (ApoE) as one of the proteins that are found in complex with complement component C4d in pooled synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Immobilized human ApoE activated both the classical and the alternative complement pathways. In contrast, ApoE in solution demonstrated an isoform-dependent inhibition of hemolysis and complement deposition at the level of sC5b-9. Using electron microscopy imaging, we confirmed that ApoE interacts differently with C1q depending on its context; surface-bound ApoE predominantly bound C1q globular heads, whereas ApoE in a solution favored the hinge/stalk region of C1q. As a model for the lipidated state of ApoE in lipoprotein particles, we incorporated ApoE into phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylethanolamine liposomes and found that the presence of ApoE on liposomes increased deposition of C1q and C4b from serum when analyzed using flow cytometry. In addition, posttranslational modifications associated with RA, such as citrullination and oxidation, reduced C4b deposition, whereas carbamylation enhanced C4b deposition on immobilized ApoE. Posttranslational modification of ApoE did not alter C1q interaction but affected binding of complement inhibitors factor H and C4b-binding protein. This suggests that changed ability of C4b to deposit on modified ApoE may play an important role. Our data show that posttranslational modifications of ApoE alter its interactions with complement. Moreover, ApoE may play different roles in the body depending on its solubility, and in diseased states such as RA, deposited ApoE may induce local complement activation rather than exert its typical role of inhibition.

The aim of this study was to identify molecules that trigger complement activation in rheumatic joints. C4d, the final cleavage product of C4 activation, is found in the diseased joint and can bind covalently to complement-activating molecules. By using a highly specific Ab against a cleavage neoepitope in C4d, several molecules that were specifically bound to C4d were identified from pooled synovial fluid (SF) from four rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. One of these molecules, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), is a broadly expressed multifunctional member of the serine proteinase inhibitor family. Using ELISA, we confirmed the presence of various amounts of complexes between PEDF and C4d in the SF from 30 RA patients, whereas none were detected in SF from control subjects. Correlation analyses suggested that, in arthritis patients, C4d-PEDF complexes found in sera arise from the joints, as well as from other tissues, and levels of the complexes did not differ in sera of RA patients and healthy controls. When immobilized, recombinant PEDF expressed in eukaryotic cells activated the classical complement pathway but not the alternative or lectin pathways. C1q protein was demonstrated to bind immobilized PEDF, and PEDF was shown to bind to immobilized C1q, in particular its head regions, which are known to interact with other activators of the classical pathway. Our results call for further investigation into the role of PEDF in inflammatory processes in the joint, which, in combination with classical complement activation, appears to be part of a (patho-)physiologic response.