Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a proinflammatory cytokine, is overexpressed in prostate cancer, but the mechanism by which MIF exerts effects on tumor cells remains undetermined. MIF interacts with its identified membrane receptor, CD74, in association with CD44, resulting in ERK 1/2 activation. Therefore, we hypothesized that increased expression or surface localization of CD74 and MIF overexpression by prostate cancer cells regulated tumor cell viability. Prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and DU-145) had increased MIF gene expression and protein levels compared with normal human prostate or benign prostate epithelial cells (p < 0.01). Although MIF, CD74, and CD44 variant 9 expression were increased in both androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent (DU-145) prostate cancer cells, cell surface of CD74 was only detected in androgen-independent (DU-145) prostate cancer cells. Therefore, treatments aimed at blocking CD74 and/or MIF (e.g., inhibition of MIF or CD74 expression by RNA interference or treatment with anti-MIF- or anti-CD74- neutralizing Abs or MIF-specific inhibitor, ISO-1) were only effective in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells (DU-145), resulting in decreased cell proliferation, MIF protein secretion, and invasion. In DU-145 xenografts, ISO-1 significantly decreased tumor volume and tumor angiogenesis. Our results showed greater cell surface CD74 in DU-145 prostate cancer cells that bind to MIF and, thus, mediate MIF-activated signal transduction. DU-145 prostate cancer cell growth and invasion required MIF activated signal transduction pathways that were not necessary for growth or viability of androgen-dependent prostate cells. Thus, blocking MIF either at the ligand (MIF) or receptor (CD74) may provide new, targeted specific therapies for androgen-independent prostate cancer.
We have isolated and characterized a plasmid (pChug 20.1) that contains the cDNA of a nuclear uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) gene Isolated from normal human placenta. This cDNA directed the synthesis of a fusion protein (Mr 66,000) that exhibited UDG activity. The enzymatic activity was specific for a uracil-containing polynucleotide substrate and was inhibited by a glycosylase antibody or a (3-galactosidase antibody. Sequence analysis demonstrated an open reading frame that encoded a protein of 335 amino acids of calculated Mr 36,050 and pI 8.7, corresponding to the Mr 37,000 and pI 8.1 of purified human placental UDG. No homology was seen between this cDNA and the UDG of herpes simplex virus, Escherichia coil, and yeast; nor was there homology with the putative human mitochondrial UDG cDNA or with a second human nuclear UDG cDNA. Surprisingly, a search of the GenBank data base revealed that the cDNA of UDG was completely homologous with the 37-kDa subunit of human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Human erythrocyte glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was obtained commercially in its tetrameric form. A 37-kDa subunit was isolated from it and shown to possess UDG activity equivalent to that seen for the purified human placental UDG.The multiple functions of this 37-kDa protein as here and previously reported indicate that it possesses a series of activities, depending on its oligomeric state. Accordingly, mutation(s) in the gene of this multifunctional protein may conceivably result in the diverse cellular phenotypes of Bloom syndrome.Human cells contain two major DNA excision-repair pathways to remove DNA lesions (1). Bulky DNA adducts are eliminated by the nucleotide-excision pathway, whereas most alkylated bases and alterations due to spontaneous damage are removed by the base-excision pathway. DNA glycosylases remove modified bases in the latter pathway by cleaving the base-sugar bond. Uracil present in DNA as a result of utilization of dUTP during DNA synthesis (2) or by deamination of existing cytosine residues (3, 4) is removed by the uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG).In an examination of the molecular mechanisms involved in expression of human nuclear DNA-repair genes, we isolated a normal human placental cDNA that hybrid-selected the mRNA encoding the nuclear UDG (5). Northern (RNA) blot analysis revealed the presence of a 1.6-kilobase (kb) RNA transcript. In this study we report that the nucleotide sequence of this human glycosylase cDNA* and the deduced amino acid sequence of the glycosylase are identical to those reported for the 37-kDa subunit of the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PD). This finding reveals an unusual and different biochemical function ofthe monomeric form ofG3PD in normal human cells as that of a UDG that functions in the base-excision repair of DNA.
BACKGROUND Cytokines are polypeptides that constitute a class of chemical mediator molecules that modulate cell growth by inducing specific target gene expression. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum evaluation of the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in patients undergoing routine prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening. METHODS In this preliminary, retrospective study, the authors report the development of an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for MIF determination in serum samples. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based assay investigated associations between MIF expression and prostate carcinoma (CaP). The authors developed a relative quantitative reverse transcriptase‐PCR assay to determine MIF mRNA amounts within laser‐capture microscopy (LCM)‐dissected prostate epithelial cells. RESULTS A comparison of serum MIF levels and total PSA levels identified a positive correlation (correlation coefficient [r2] = 0.61; P < 0.001; n = 509 patients), suggesting an association between elevated serum concentrations of these proteins and CaP. A correlation of serum MIF levels with a diagnosis of CaP demonstrated that patients with a previous CaP diagnosis had significantly elevated serum MIF concentrations (mean ± standard deviation, 6.8 ± 0.87 ng/mL; P < 0.001). To associate altered serum MIF levels with MIF mRNA expression within prostate epithelial cells, LCM‐dissected prostate epithelial cells (formalin fixed biopsies from three different patients) were used to determine MIF mRNA amounts by PCR analysis. On average, MIF mRNA amounts were 6.5 times higher in CaP epithelial cells that were invasive to the margin compared with MIF mRNA amounts in normal prostate epithelial cells within the same biopsy specimen. CONCLUSIONS The ELISA data from the current study suggested an association between increased MIF expression and CaP and suggested that serum MIF concentration may serve as a prognostic marker for CaP. Cancer 2002;94:1449–56. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10354
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