Previous studies have implicated vestigial like 3 (VGLL3), a chromosome 3p12.3 gene that encodes a putative transcription co-factor, as a candidate tumor suppressor gene (TSG) in high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSC), the most common type of epithelial ovarian cancer. A complementation analysis based on microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT) using a centric fragment of chromosome 3 (der3p12-q12.1) into the OV-90 ovarian cancer cell line haploinsufficient for 3p and lacking VGLL3 expression was performed to assess the effect on tumorigenic potential and growth characteristics. Genetic characterization of the derived MMCT hybrids revealed that only the hybrid that contained an intact VGLL3 locus exhibited alterations of tumorigenic potential in a nude mouse xenograft model and various in vitro growth characteristics. Only stable OV-90 transfectant clones expressing low levels of VGLL3 were derived. These clones exhibited an altered cytoplasmic morphology characterized by numerous single membrane bound multivesicular-bodies (MVB) that were not attributed to autophagy. Overexpression of VGLL3 in OV-90 was achieved using a lentivirus-based tetracycline inducible gene expression system, which also resulted in MVB formation in the infected cell population. Though there was no significant differences in various in vitro and in vivo growth characteristics in a comparison of VGLL3-expressing clones with empty vector transfectant controls, loss of VGLL3 expression was observed in tumors derived from mouse xenograft models. VGLL3 gene and protein expression was significantly reduced in HGSC samples (>98%, p < 0.05) relative to either normal ovarian surface epithelial cells or epithelial cells of the fallopian tube, possible tissues of origin of HGSC. Also, there appeared to be to be more cases with higher staining levels in stromal tissue component from HGSC cases that had a prolonged disease-free survival. The results taken together suggest that VGLL3 is involved in tumor suppressor pathways, a feature that is characterized by the absence of VGLL3 expression in HGSC samples.

Although the echinocandin caspofungin primarily inhibits the synthesis of cell wall 1,3-␤-D-glucan, its fungicidal activity could also potentially perturb the expression of virulence factors involved in the ability of Candida albicans to cause infection. Expression of the C. albicans secretory aspartyl proteinase (SAP) and phospholipase B (PLB) virulence genes was determined by reverse transcription-PCR after the addition of caspofungin to cells grown for 15 h in Sabouraud dextrose broth. In cells that remained viable, expression of SAP1 to SAP3, SAP7 to SAP9, and PLB1 was unaltered after exposure to fungicidal concentrations (4 to 16 g/ml) of caspofungin over a period of 7 h. However, expression of SAP5 increased steadily beginning 1 h after exposure to caspofungin. These results indicate that caspofungin is rapidly fungicidal against C. albicans, before any suppression of SAP or PLB1 gene expression can occur.The cyclic lipopeptide pneumocandins and echinocandins and the glycolipid papulacandins are members of a new class of antifungal agents which exert their activity by noncompetitive inhibition of fungal 1,3-␤-D-glucan synthase (5,17,22,30,37). This enzyme is essential for the synthesis of cell wall glucan which provides structural integrity and osmotic stability for fungi but is not found in cells from higher eukaryotes including humans. Disruption of cell wall structure by inhibition of glucan synthesis results in osmotic instability and lysis of the fungal cell (12, 37). Caspofungin (MK-0991) is a water-soluble semisynthetic amine derivative of the natural product pneumocandin Bo (17,26,37), which in turn is a fermentation product derived from the fungus Glarea lozoyensis (9). Caspofungin was developed as a potential antifungal and anti-Pneumocystis agent (17,26,37). In vitro, caspofungin is fungicidal against Candida species, including azole-resistant species, and is fungistatic against Aspergillus species (6,8,15,28,33,39,45). However, it is inactive against Fusarium, Rhizopus, Trichosporon, and Cryptococcus neoformans (8,15,28,39). In addition to prolonging survival in mouse models of disseminated candidiasis and aspergillosis (1,2,20,21), caspofungin has recently shown promising clinical activity for the treatment of lifethreatening infections caused by Candida and Aspergillus species (46; J. Maertens, I. Raad, C.