Lin28 is highly expressed in human and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Here, we show that in mouse ES cells, specific repression of Lin28 results in decreased cell proliferation, while overexpression of Lin28 accelerates cell proliferation. Further, Lin28 associates specifically with ribonucleoprotein particles containing mRNAs for cyclins A and B and cdk4. Importantly, changes in Lin28 levels lead to corresponding changes in the levels of these proteins, and sequences from the 3' untranslated regions of cyclin B and cdk4 mRNAs exhibit stimulatory effects on translation of reporter genes in a Lin28-dependent fashion. Thus, we postulate that Lin28 may play a role in the regulation of translation of genes important for the growth and maintenance of pluripotent cells.

Mutations of human telomerase RNA component (TERC) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) are associated with a subset of lung aging diseases, but the mechanisms by which TERC and TERT participate in lung diseases remain unclear. In this report, we show that knock-out (KO) of the mouse gene Terc or Tert causes pulmonary alveolar stem cell replicative senescence, epithelial impairment, formation of alveolar sacs, and characteristic inflammatory phenotype. Deficiency in TERC or TERT causes a remarkable elevation in various proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1, IL-6, CXCL15 (human IL-8 homolog), IL-10, TNF-␣, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2)); decrease in TGF-␤1 and TGF␤RI receptor in the lungs; and spillover of IL-6 and CXCL15 into the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids. In addition to increased gene expressions of ␣-smooth muscle actin and collagen 1␣1, suggesting myofibroblast differentiation, TERC deficiency also leads to marked cellular infiltrations of a mononuclear cell population positive for the leukocyte common antigen CD45, low-affinity Fc receptor CD16/CD32, and pattern recognition receptor CD11b in the lungs. Our data demonstrate for the first time that telomerase deficiency triggers alveolar stem cell replicative senescence-associated low-grade inflammation, thereby driving pulmonary premature aging, alveolar sac formation, and fibrotic lesion.

BackgroundCancer stem-like cells are proposed to sustain solid tumors by virtue of their capacity for self-renewal and differentiation to cells that comprise the bulk of the tumor, and have been identified for a variety of cancers based on characteristic clonal morphologies and patterns of marker gene expression.MethodsSingle cell cloning and spheroid culture studies were used to identify a population of cancer stem-like cells in the androgen-independent human prostate cancer cell line PC3.ResultsWe demonstrate that, under standard culture conditions, ~10% of PC3 cells form holoclones with cancer stem cell characteristics. These holoclones display high self-renewal capability in spheroid formation assays under low attachment and serum-free culture conditions, retain their holoclone morphology when passaged at high cell density, exhibit moderate drug resistance, and show high tumorigenicity in scid immunodeficient mice. PC3 holoclones readily form spheres, and PC3-derived spheres yield a high percentage of holoclones, further supporting their cancer stem cell-like nature. We identified one gene, FAM65B, whose expression is consistently up regulated in PC3 holoclones compared to paraclones, the major cell morphology in the parental PC3 cell population, and two genes, MFI2 and LEF1, that are consistently down regulated. This molecular profile, FAM65Bhigh/MFI2low/LEF1low, also characterizes spheres generated from parental PC3 cells. The PC3 holoclones did not show significant enriched expression of the putative prostate cancer stem cell markers CD44 and integrin α2β1. PC3 tumors seeded with holoclones showed dramatic down regulation of FAM65B and dramatic up regulation of MFI2 and LEF1, and unexpectedly, a marked increase in tumor vascularity compared to parental PC3 tumors, suggesting a role of cancer stem cells in tumor angiogenesis.ConclusionsThese findings support the proposal that PC3 tumors are sustained by a small number of tumor-initiating cells with stem-like characteristics, including strong self-renewal and pro-angiogenic capability and marked by the expression pattern FAM65Bhigh/MFI2low/LEF1low. These markers may serve as targets for therapies designed to eliminate cancer stem cell populations associated with aggressive, androgen-independent prostate tumors such as PC3.

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Telomere shortening is associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a high-morbidity and high-mortality lung disease of unknown etiology. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, wild-type (WT) mice with normal telomeres and generation 3 (G3) or G2 telomerase RNA component (TERC) knockout Terc mice with short telomeres were treated with and without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or bleomycin by intratracheal injection. We show that under LPS induction, G3 Terc mice develop aggravated pulmonary fibrosis as indicated by significantly increased α-SMA, collagen I and hydroxyproline content. Interestingly, TGF-β/Smads signaling is markedly activated in the lungs of G3 Terc mice, as indicated by markedly elevated levels of phosphorylated Smad3 and TGF-β1, compared with those of WT mice. This TGF-β/Smads signaling activation is significantly increased in the lungs of LPS-treated G3 Terc mice compared with those of LPS-treated WT or untreated G3 Terc mice. A similar pattern of TGF-β/Smads signaling activation and the enhancing role of telomere shortening in pulmonary fibrosis are also confirmed in bleomycin-induced model. Moreover, LPS challenge produced more present cellular senescence, apoptosis and infiltration of innate immune cells, including macrophages and neutrophils in the lungs of G3 Terc mice, compared with WT mice. To our knowledge, this is the first time to report telomere shortening activated TGF-β/Smads signaling in lungs. Our data suggest that telomere shortening cooperated with environment-induced lung injury accelerates the development of pulmonary fibrosis, and telomere shortening confers an inherent enhancing factor to the genesis of IPF through activation of TGF-β/Smads signaling.