Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is the most common human pathogen for viral myocarditis. We have previously shown that the signaling protein p21ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP) is cleaved and that mitogenactivated protein kinases (MAPKs) ERK1/2 are activated in the late phase of CVB3 infection. However, the role of intracellular signaling pathways in CVB3-mediated myocarditis and the relative advantages of such pathways to host or virus remain largely unclear. In this study we extended our prior studies by examining the interaction between CVB3 replication and intracellular signaling pathways in HeLa cells. We observed that CVB3 infection induced a biphasic activation of ERK1/2, early transient activation versus late sustained activation, which were regulated by different mechanisms. Infection by UV-irradiated, inactivated virus capable of receptor binding and endocytosis triggered early ERK1/2 activation, but was insufficient to trigger late ERK1/2 activation. By using a general caspase inhibitor (zVAD.fmk) we further demonstrated that late ERK1/2 activation was not a result of CVB3-mediated caspase cleavage. Treatment of cells with U0126, a selective inhibitor of MAPK kinase (MEK), significantly inhibited CVB3 progeny release and decreased virus protein production. Furthermore, inhibition of ERK1/2 activation circumvented CVB3-induced apoptosis and viral protease-mediated RasGAP cleavage. Taken together, these data suggest that ERK1/2 activation is important for CVB3 replication and contributes to virus-mediated changes in host cells. Our findings demonstrate coxsackievirus takeover of a particular host signaling mechanism and uncover a prospective approach to stymie virus spread and preserve myocardial integrity.

BackgroundLimited information is available regarding mechanisms by which miRNAs contribute to pulmonary carcinogenesis. The present study was undertaken to examine expression and function of miRNAs induced by cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) in normal human respiratory epithelia and lung cancer cells.MethodologyMicro-array and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) techniques were used to assess miRNA and host gene expression in cultured cells, and surgical specimens. Software-guided analysis, RNA cross-link immunoprecipitation (CLIP), 3′ UTR luciferase reporter assays, qRT-PCR, focused super-arrays and western blot techniques were used to identify and confirm targets of miR-31. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) techniques were used to evaluate histone marks and transcription factors within the LOC554202 promoter. Cell count and xenograft experiments were used to assess effects of miR-31 on proliferation and tumorigenicity of lung cancer cells.ResultsCSC significantly increased miR-31 expression and activated LOC554202 in normal respiratory epithelia and lung cancer cells; miR-31 and LOC554202 expression persisted following discontinuation of CSC exposure. miR-31 and LOC554202 expression levels were significantly elevated in lung cancer specimens relative to adjacent normal lung tissues. CLIP and reporter assays demonstrated direct interaction of miR-31 with Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) and DACT-3. Over-expression of miR-31 markedly diminished Dkk-1 and DACT3 expression levels in normal respiratory epithelia and lung cancer cells. Knock-down of miR-31 increased Dkk-1 and DACT3 levels, and abrogated CSC-mediated decreases in Dkk-1 and DACT-3 expression. Furthermore, over-expression of miR-31 diminished SFRP1, SFRP4, and WIF-1, and increased Wnt-5a expression. CSC increased H3K4Me3, H3K9/14Ac and C/EBP-β levels within the LOC554202 promoter. Knock-down of C/EBP-β abrogated CSC-mediated activation of LOC554202. Over-expression of miR-31 significantly enhanced proliferation and tumorigenicity of lung cancer cells; knock-down of miR-31 inhibited growth of these cells.ConclusionsCigarette smoke induces expression of miR-31 targeting several antagonists of cancer stem cell signaling in normal respiratory epithelia and lung cancer cells. miR-31 functions as an oncomir during human pulmonary carcinogenesis.

MicroRNAs are critical mediators of stem cell pluripotency, differentiation, and malignancy. Limited information exists regarding microRNA alterations that facilitate initiation and progression of human lung cancers. In this study, array techniques were used to evaluate microRNA expression in normal human respiratory epithelia and lung cancer cells cultured in the presence or absence of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). Under relevant exposure conditions, CSC significantly repressed miR-487b. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that miR-487b directly targeted SUZ12, BMI1, WNT5A, MYC, and KRAS. Repression of miR-487b correlated with overexpression of these targets in primary lung cancers and coincided with DNA methylation, de novo nucleosome occupancy, and decreased H2AZ and TCF1 levels within the miR-487b genomic locus. Deoxyazacytidine derepressed miR-487b and attenuated CSC-mediated silencing of miR-487b. Constitutive expression of miR-487b abrogated Wnt signaling, inhibited in vitro proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells mediated by CSC or overexpression of miR-487b targets, and decreased growth and metastatic potential of lung cancer cells in vivo. Collectively, these findings indicate that miR-487b is a tumor suppressor microRNA silenced by epigenetic mechanisms during tobacco-induced pulmonary carcinogenesis and suggest that DNA demethylating agents may be useful for activating miR-487b for lung cancer therapy.

Cigarette smoking at diagnosis or during therapy correlates with poor outcome in patients with lung and esophageal cancers, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we found that exposure of esophageal cancer cells to cigarette smoke condensate led to up-regulation of the xenobiotic pump ABCG2, which is expressed in cancer stem cells and confers treatment resistance in lung and esophageal carcinomas, and increased the side population of lung cancer cells containing cancer stem cells. Upregulation of ABCG2 coincided with increased occupancy of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), Sp1, and Nrf2 within its promoter, and deletion of xenobiotic response elements and/or Sp1 sites markedly attenuated ABCG2 induction. Under conditions potentially achievable in clinical settings, treatment with mithramycin diminished basal as well as cigarette smoke condensate-mediated increases in AhR, Sp1, and Nrf2 levels within the ABCG2 promoter, markedly down-regulated ABCG2, and inhibited proliferation and tumorigenicity of lung and esophageal cancer cells. Micro-array analyses revealed that mithramycin targeted multiple stem cell-related pathways in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our findings provide a potential mechanistic link between smoking status and outcome of patients with lung and esophageal cancers and support clinical use of mithramycin for repressing ABCG2 and inhibiting stem cell signaling in thoracic malignancies.

Purpose: Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are critical epigenetic mediators of stem cell pluripotency, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of human cancers. This study was undertaken to examine the frequency and clinical relevance of PcG protein expression in malignant pleural mesotheliomas (MPM).Experimental Design: Microarray, quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR), immunoblot, and immunohistochemistry techniques were used to examine PcG protein expression in cultured MPM, mesothelioma specimens, and normal mesothelial cells. Lentiviral short hairpin RNA techniques were used to inhibit EZH2 and EED expression in MPM cells. Proliferation, migration, clonogenicity, and tumorigenicity of MPM cells either exhibiting knockdown of EZH2 or EED, or exposed to 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), and respective controls were assessed by cell count, scratch and soft agar assays, and murine xenograft experiments. Microarray and qRT-PCR techniques were used to examine gene expression profiles mediated by knockdown of EZH2 or EED, or DZNep.Results: EZH2 and EED, which encode components of polycomb repressor complex-2 (PRC-2), were overexpressed in MPM lines relative to normal mesothelial cells. EZH2 was overexpressed in approximately 85% of MPMs compared with normal pleura, correlating with diminished patient survival. Overexpression of EZH2 coincided with decreased levels of miR-101 and miR-26a. Knockdown of EZH2 or EED, or DZNep treatment, decreased global H3K27Me3 levels, and significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, clonogenicity, and tumorigenicity of MPM cells. Common as well as differential gene expression profiles were observed following knockdown of PRC-2 members or DZNep treatment.Conclusions: Pharmacologic inhibition of PRC-2 expression/activity is a novel strategy for mesothelioma therapy.

Cancer-testis antigens such as NY-ESO-1, MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3 are immunogenic proteins encoded by genes, which are normally expressed only in male germ cells, but activated by ill-defined epigenetic mechanisms in human tumors including lung cancers. Previously we reported induction of these cancer-testis antigens in cancer cells, but not normal cells, by DNA demethylating agents and histone deacetylase inhibitors using clinically achievable exposure conditions. In the present study, we evaluated chromatin alterations associated with repression/activation of cancer-testis genes in lung cancer cells to further develop gene induction regimens for cancer immunotherapy. Repression of NY-ESO-1, MAGE-A1, and MAGE-A3 coincided with DNA hypermethylation, recruitment and binding of polycomb group proteins, and histone heterochromatin modifications within the promoters of these genes. De-repression coincided with DNA demethylation, dissociation of polycomb proteins, and presence of euchromatin marks within the respective promoters. ShRNAs were used to inhibit several histone methyl transferases (KMTs) and histone demethylases (KDMs) that mediate histone methylation and repress gene expression. Knockdown of KMT6, KDM1 or KDM5B markedly enhanced deoxyazacytidine (DAC)-mediated activation of these cancer-testis genes in lung cancer cells. DZNep, a pharmacologic inhibitor of KMT6 expression, recapitulated the effects of KMT6 knock-down. Following DAC-DZNep exposure, lung cancer cells were specifically recognized and lysed by allogeneic lymphocytes expressing recombinant T cell receptors recognizing NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-A3. Combining DNA demethylating agents with compounds such as DZNep that modulate histone lysine methylation may provide a novel epigenetic strategy to augment cancer-testis gene expression as an adjunct to adoptive cancer immunotherapy.

SUMMARY The host response to a virus is determined by intracellular signaling pathways that are modified during infection. These pathways converge as networks and produce interdependent phenotypes, making it difficult to link virus-induced signals and responses at a systems level. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection induces death of cardiomyocytes, causing tissue damage and virus dissemination, through incompletely characterized host cell signaling networks. We built a statistical model that quantitatively predicts cardiomyocyte responses from time-dependent measurements of phosphorylation events modified by CVB3. Model analysis revealed that CVB3-stimulated cytotoxicity involves tight coupling between the host ERK and p38 MAPK pathways, which are generally thought to control distinct cellular responses. The kinase ERK5 requires p38 kinase activity and inhibits apoptosis caused by CVB3 infection. By contrast, p38 indirectly promotes apoptosis via ERK1/2 inhibition but directly causes CVB3-induced necrosis. Thus, the cellular events governing pathogenesis are revealed when virus-host programs are monitored systematically and deconvolved mathematically.

Covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) with reflective measurement has been a popular data analysis tool in organizational and management research. Extensive studies and guidelines have been published on what constitutes its best practice.What is much less known is the extent to which CB-SEM users in organizational and management research comprehend and adhere to the standards and principles behind this advanced analytical technique. In this study, we first devised an evaluation scheme to assess the quality of CB-SEM performed in a study, and then utilized this scheme to examine 144 CB-SEM studies published in 12 top organizational and management journals between 2011 and 2016. The evaluation of the published studies revealed a pressing need for more systematic and standardized approaches to planning, conducting and reporting CB-SEM studies. We discussed the implication of the findings for future work.