The Ku70/80 heterodimer is the regulatory subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and its DNAbinding activity mediates DNA double-strand breaks repair. Although Ku80 was recently proposed as a caretaker gene involved in the control of genome integrity, no data are available on Ku70/80 DNAbinding activity in human tumors. Heterodimer DNAbinding activity and protein expression were assayed by electrophoretic-mobility-shift-assay (EMSA) and Western blot analysis, in nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts from eight breast, seven bladder primary tumors and three metastatic nodes from breast cancers. Corresponding normal tissues of the same patients were used as controls. Ten out of 15 tumors showed nuclear Kubinding activity 3 ± 10 times higher than in the normal tissues, irrespective of bladder or breast origin. Conversely, in 5/15 primary tumors and in all the metastatic nodes analysed, nuclear Ku-activity was 1.5 ± 4.5-fold lower than in the corresponding normal tissues. Cytoplasmic heterodimer activity signi®cantly diered between tumor and normal tissues, displaying a 2 ± 10-fold increase in neoplastic tissues. Three dierent patterns combining both Ku expression and activity with tumor characteristics were identi®ed. In low aggressive breast tumors p70/p80 proteins were expressed in tumor but not in normal tissues. The heterodimer bindingactivity matched the protein levels. In non-invasive bladder carcinomas no signi®cant dierences in protein expression between tumor and the corresponding normal tissues were found, however heterodimer binding-activity was increased in tumor samples. In breast and bladder tumors, at the advanced stage and in node metastases, the binding activity was strongly reduced in tumor biopsies, however no dierences were demonstrated between normal and tumor protein levels. Our results suggest a dierent modulation of Ku70/80 DNA-binding activity in human neoplastic tissues, possibly related to tumor progression. Findings provide further data on tissue-speci®c protein expression and post-translational regulation of heterodimer activity. Oncogene (2001) 20, 739 ± 747.
Transcriptional mechanisms epigenetically-regulated in tumoral tissues point out new targets for anti-cancer therapies. Carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT1) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the transport of long-chain fatty acids for β-oxidation. Here we identified the tumor specific nuclear CPT1A as a product of the transcript variant 2, that doesn't retain the classical transferase activity and is strongly involved in the epigenetic regulation of cancer pro-survival, cell death escaping and tumor invasion pathways. The knockdown of CPT1A variant 2 by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), was sufficient to induce apoptosis in MCF-7, SK-BR3 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The cell death triggered by CPT1A silencing correlated with reduction of HDAC activity and histone hyperacetylation. Docking experiments and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed an high binding affinity of the variant 2 for HDAC1. The CPT1A silenced cells showed an up-regulated transcription of pro-apoptotic genes (BAD, CASP9, COL18A1) and down-modulation of invasion and metastasis related-genes (TIMP-1, PDGF-A, SERPINB2). These findings provide evidence of the CPT1 variant 2 involvement in breast cancer survival, cell death escape and invasion. Thus, we propose nuclear CPT1A as a striking tumor specific target for anticancer therapeutics, more selective and effective as compared with the well-known HDAC inhibitors.
KEy wordScarnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), histone deacetylase activity, cancer, immunohistochemistry, metabolism, histone deacetylase inhibitors. ABBrEviAtionS ABStrACtCarnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT1) catalyzes the transport of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria for b-oxidation. A link between CPT1 and apoptosis has been suggested on the basis of several experimental data. Nevertheless, results are contradictory about the effective role of CPT1 in cell survival control and cancer development. Conversely, Fatty acid synthase (FAS) enzyme, required for the synthesis of fatty acids, is found over-expressed in tumors and inhibition of FAS triggers apoptosis in human cancer cells.We have studied the tumor-specific modulation of CPT1 and FAS in human colorectal cancer (n = 11) and breast carcinomas (n = 24). CPT1 was significantly decreased in the cytoplasm of tumoral samples (p < 0.04), whereas FAS was increased (p < 0.04). A striking CPT1 nuclear localization was evident in the tumors (p < 0.04). In the nuclear environment the protein would modulate the levels of acetyl/acyl-CoA implicated in the regulation of gene transcription. At this purpose, we performed in vitro experiments using epithelial neoplastic (MCF-7, Caco-2, HepG2 cells) and non neoplastic cell lines (MCF-12F) confirming a nuclear localization of CPT1 protein exclusively in neoplastic cells. Moreover histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity showed significantly higher levels in nuclear extracts from neoplastic than from control cells. HDAC1 and CPT1 proteins coimmunoprecipitated in nuclear extracts from MCF-7 cells. The treatment with HDAC inhibitors such as trichostatin A and butyrate significantly decreased nuclear expression of CPT1 and its bond to HDAC1. We also identified the existence of CPT1A mRNA transcript variant 2 in MCF-7, beside to the classic isoform 1.The peculiar localization of CPT1 in the nuclei of human carcinomas and the disclosed functional link between nuclear CPT1 and HDAC1 propose a new role of CPT1 in the histonic acetylation level of tumors.
Activation of pro-survival pathways and apoptotic cell death escape are considered hallmarks of oncogenic cell transformation. Tissue microenvironment strongly influences tumorigenesis, redirecting some pathways versus a persisting pro-survival state. Here, we report evidence on the role of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in affecting pro-survival pathways in colon cancer progression, modulating the expression and the molecular interactions among the pro-apoptotic factor Bax, the DNA repair proteins Ku70/86 and Clusterin isoforms. In human colorectal carcinomas (n = 50) at different stages of disease, we found an increased IL-6 production, the loss of Ku86 and Clusterin 50–55 kDa pro-apoptotic isoform. Conversely, we observed the overexpression of Bax and the 40 kDa prosurvival sClusterin (sCLU) isoform. Bax co-localized with Ku70 that was found atypically expressed in the cytoplasm of advanced stage colon cancers (Dukes'C-D; n = 22). IL-6 treatment of a colon cancer cell line, Caco-2, modulated the expression of genes involved in tumor invasion and apoptosis, as observed by microarrays. In particular, IL-6 downmodulated Bax expression at mRNA level. Concomitantly, IL-6 exposure influenced Bax also at protein level acting on the Bax-Ku70-sCLU physical interactions in the cytoplasm, by affecting the Ku70 acetylation and phosphorylation state, thus leading to the inhibition of Bax pro-apoptotic activity. In addition, we found that IL-6 treatment induced a significant downregulation of Ku86 and a strong increase of sCLU, confirming tumor biopsies data. In contrast Somatostatin treatment of Caco-2 cells was able to restore apoptosis, demonstrating that Ku70-Bax-CLU interactions could be dynamically modulated. Hence, IL-6 could favor tumor expansion, promoting cell survival and apoptosis escape throughout the different stages of tumor evolution. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of action of these factors may offer strategies for selectively manipulate the cancer cells sensitivity to therapy.
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