Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) contribute to colonic tumorigenesis in experimental models of colon cancer. We previously showed that EGFR was also required for colonic tumor promotion by Western diet. The goal of this study was to identify EGFR-regulated microRNAs that contribute to diet-promoted colonic tumorigenesis. Methods Murine colonic tumors from Egfrwt and hypomorphic Egfrwa2 mice were screened using miRNA arrays and miR-143 and miR-145 changes confirmed by Northern, real time PCR and in situ analysis. Rodent and human sporadic and ulcerative colitis-associated colon cancers were examined for miR-143 and miR-145. Effects of EGFR on miR-143 and miR-145 expression were assessed in murine and human colonic cells and their putative targets examined in vitro and in vivo. Results miR-143-and miR-145 were readily detected in normal colonocytes and comparable in Egfrwt and Egfrwa2 mice. These miRNAs were down-regulated in azoxymethane and inflammation-associated colonic tumors from Egfrwt mice, but up-regulated in Egfrwa2 tumors. They were also reduced in human sporadic and ulcerative colitis colon cancers. EGFR signals suppressed miR-143 and miR-145 in human and murine colonic cells. Transfected miR-143 and miR-145 inhibited HCT116 cell growth in vitro and in vivo and down-regulated G1 regulators, K-Ras, MYC, CCND2, cdk6 and E2F3, putative or established targets of these miRNAs. miRNA targets, Ras and MYC were increased in colonic tumors from Egfrwt, but not Egfrwa2 mice fed a Western diet. Conclusions EGFR suppresses miR-143 and miR-145 in murine models of colon cancer. Furthermore, Western diet unmasks the tumor suppressor roles of these EGFR-regulated miRNAs.

The genetic and functional basis of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase (PRS) superactivity associated with purine nucleotide inhibitor-resistance was studied in six families with this X chromosome-linked purine metabolic and neurodevelopmental disorder. Cloning and sequencing of PRS1 and PRS2 cDNAs, derived from fibroblast total RNA of affected male patients by reverse transcription and PCR amplification, demonstrated that each PRS1 cDNA contained a distinctive single base substitution predicting a corresponding amino acid substitution in the PRS1 isoform. Overall, the array of substitutions encompassed a substantial portion of the translated sequence of PRS1 cDNA. Plasmid-mediated expression of variant PRS1 cDNAs in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3/pLysS) yielded recombinant mutant PRS1s, which, in each case, displayed a pattern and magnitude of purine nucleoside diphosphate inhibitor-resistance comparable to that found in cells of the respective patient. Kinetic analysis of recombinant mutant PRS1s showed that widely dispersed point mutations in the X chromosomelinked PRPSI gene encoding the PRS1 isoform result in alteration of the allosteric mechanisms regulating both enzyme inhibition by purine nucleotides and activation by inorganic phosphate. The functional consequences of these mutations provide a tenable basis for the enhanced production of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate, purine nucleotides, and uric acid that are the biochemical hallmarks of PRS superactivity. (J. Clin.

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Background miR-143 and miR-145 are believed to function as colon cancer tumor suppressors as they inhibit colon cancer cell growth and are down-regulated in sporadic colonic tumors. We speculated that miR-143 and miR-145 might also be down-regulated and contribute to malignant transformation of colonic epithelium in longstanding ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods Biopsies were obtained 20 cm proximal to the anus from individuals with quiescent UC and from normal controls. RNA and proteins were extracted and measured. miR-143 and miR-145 were quantified by real time PCR and miR-145 was also assessed by in situ hybridization. Putative targets of these miRNAs, K-RAS, API5, MEK-2 (miR-143), and IRS-1 (miR-145) were determined by Western blotting. To assess the effects of miR-143 and miR-145 on these predicted targets, HCT116 and HCA-7 colorectal cancer cells were transfected with miR-143 and miR-145 and expression levels of these proteins were measured. Results In UC, miR-143 and miR-145 were significantly down-regulated 8.3-fold (3.4–20.1) (p < 0.0001) and 4.3-fold (2.3–7.8) (p < 0.0001), respectively, compared to normal colon. In contrast, IRS-1, K-RAS, API5, and MEK-2 were up-regulated in ulcerative colitis consistent with their assignments as targets of these miRNAs. Furthermore, transfected miR-143 and miR-145 significantly down-regulated these proteins in HCT116 or HCA7 cells. Conclusion Compared to normal colonic mucosa, in chronic ulcerative colitis miR-143 and miR-145 were significantly down-regulated and their predicted targets, IRS-1, K-RAS, API5, and MEK-2 were up-regulated. We postulate that loss of these tumor suppressor miRNAs predispose to chronic inflammation and neoplastic progression in IBD.

Purpose Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, although mechanisms underlying neoplastic transformation are poorly understood. We sought to evaluate the role of microRNAs in neoplasia development in this high-risk population. Experimental Design Tissue from 12 controls, 9 UC patients without neoplasia, and 11 UC patients with neoplasia was analyzed. miRNA array analysis was performed and select miRNAs assayed by real-time PCR on the discovery cohort and a validation cohort. DNA methylation of miR-193a was assessed. Following transfection of miR-193a-3p, proliferation, IL17RD expression, and luciferase activity of the 3’UTR of IL17RD were measured. Tumor growth in xenografts as well as EGFR signaling were assessed in HCT116 cells expressing IL17RD with either a mutant 3’ untranslated region (UTR) or wild-type (WT) 3’UTR. Results miR-31, miR-34a, miR-106b, and miR-193a-3p were significantly dysregulated in UC-neoplasia and adjacent tissue. Significant down-regulation of miR-193a-3p was also seen in an independent cohort of UC-cancers. Changes in methylation of miR-193a or expression of pri-miR-193a were not observed in UC-cancer. Transfection of miR-193a-3p resulted in decreased proliferation, and identified IL17RD as a direct target of miR-193a-3p. IL17RD expression was increased in UC-cancers, and miR-193a-3p treatment decreased growth and EGFR signaling of HCT116 cells in xenografts expressing both IL17RD with WT 3’UTR compared to cells expressing IL17RD with mutant 3’UTR. Conclusions miR-193a-3p is down-regulated in UC-neoplasia, and its loss promotes carcinogenesis through up-regulation of IL17RD. These findings provide novel insight into inflammation-driven CRC and could suggest new therapeutic targets in this high-risk population.

Purpose: Colon cancer is a major cause of cancer deaths. Dietary factors contribute substantially to the risk of this malignancy. Western-style diets promote development of azoxymethane-induced colon cancer. Although we showed that epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) controlled azoxymethane tumorigenesis in standard fat conditions, the role of EGFR in tumor promotion by high dietary fat has not been examined. Experimental Design: A/J × C57BL6/J mice with wild-type Egfr (Egfr wt ) or loss-offunction waved-2 Egfr (Egfr wa2 ) received azoxymethane followed by standard (5% fat) or western-style (20% fat) diet. As F 1 mice were resistant to azoxymethane, we treated mice with azoxymethane followed by one cycle of inflammation-inducing dextran sulfate sodium to induce tumorigenesis. Mice were sacrificed 12 weeks after dextran sulfate sodium. Tumors were graded for histology and assessed for EGFR ligands and proto-oncogenes by immunostaining, Western blotting, and realtime PCR. Results: Egfr wt mice gained significantly more weight and had exaggerated insulin resistance compared with Egfr wa2 mice on high-fat diet. Dietary fat promoted tumor incidence (71.2% versus 36.7%; P < 0.05) and cancer incidence (43.9% versus 16.7%; P < 0.05) only in Egfr wt mice. The lipid-rich diet also significantly increased tumor and cancer multiplicity only in Egfr wt mice. In tumors, dietary fat and Egfr wt upregulated transforming growth factor-α, amphiregulin, CTNNB1, MYC, and CCND1, whereas PTGS2 was only increased in Egfr wt mice and further upregulated by dietary fat. Notably, dietary fat increased transforming growth factor-α in normal colon. Conclusions: EGFR is required for dietary fat-induced weight gain and tumor promotion. EGFR-dependent increases in receptor ligands and PTGS2 likely drive diet-related tumor promotion. (Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(22):6780-9)

Colonic carcinogenesis involves the progressive dysregulation of homeostatic mechanisms that control growth. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) regulates colonocyte growth and differentiation and is overexpressed in many human colon cancers. A requirement for EGFR in colonic premalignancy, however, has not been shown. In the current study, we used a specific EGFR antagonist, gefitinib, to investigate this role of the receptor in azoxymethane colonic premalignancy. The azoxymethane model shares many clinical, histologic, and molecular features of human colon cancer. Mice received azoxymethane i.p. (5 mg/kg/wk) or saline for 6 weeks. Animals were also gavaged with gefitinib (10 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle (DMSO) thrice weekly for 18 weeks, a dose schedule that inhibited normal receptor activation by exogenous EGF. Compared with control colonocytes [bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd), 2.2 F 1.2%], azoxymethane significantly increased proliferation (BrdUrd, 12.6 F 2.8%), whereas gefitinib inhibited this hyperproliferation (BrdUrd, 6.2 F 4.0%; <0.005). Azoxymethane significantly induced pro-transforming growth factor-A (6.4 F 1.3-fold) and increased phospho-(active) EGFR (5.9 F 1.1-fold), phospho-(active) ErbB2 (2.3 F 0.2-fold), and phospho-(active) extracellular signal-regulated kinase (3.3 F 0.4-fold) in premalignant colonocytes. Gefitinib inhibited activations of these kinases by >75% (P < 0.05). Gefitinib also significantly reduced the number of large aberrant crypt foci and decreased the incidence of colonic microadenomas from 75% to 33% (P < 0.05). Gefitinib concomitantly decreased cell cycle-regulating cyclin D1 and prostanoid biosynthetic enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 in microadenomas, suggesting that these regulators are key targets of EGFR in colonic carcinogenesis. These results show for the first time that EGFR signaling is required for early stages of colonic carcinogenesis. Our findings suggest, moreover, that inhibitors of EGFR might be useful in chemopreventive strategies in individuals at increased risk for colonic malignancies. [Cancer Res 2007;67(2):827-35]

PKC-d is a serine/threonine kinase that mediates diverse signal transduction pathways. We previously demonstrated that overexpression of PKC-d slowed the G1 progression of Caco-2 colon cancer cells, accelerated apoptosis, and induced cellular differentiation. In this study, we further characterized the PKC-d dependent signaling pathways involved in these tumor suppressor actions in Caco-2 cells overexpressing PKC-d using a Zn 2 þ inducible expression vector. Consistent with a G1 arrest, increased expression of PKC-d caused rapid and significant downregulation of cyclin D1 and cyclin E proteins (50% decreases, Po0.05), while mRNA levels remained unchanged. The PKC agonist, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA, 100 nM, 4 h), induced two-fold higher protein and mRNA levels of p21 Waf1, a cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor in PKC-d transfectants compared with empty vector (EV) transfected cells, whereas the PKC-d specific inhibitor rottlerin (3 lM) or knockdown of this isoenzyme with specific siRNA oligonucleotides blocked p21Waf1 expression. Concomitantly, compared to EV control cells, PKC-d upregulation decreased cyclin D1 and cyclin E proteins co-immunoprecipitating with cdk6 and cdk2, respectively. In addition, overexpression of PKC-d increased binding of cdk inhibitor p27Kip1 to cdk4. These alterations in cyclin-cdks and their inhibitors are predicted to decrease G1 cyclin kinase activity. As an independent confirmation of the direct role PKC-d plays in cell growth and cell cycle regulation, we knocked down PKC-d using specific siRNA oligonucleotides. PKC-d specific siRNA oligonucleotides, but not irrelevant control oligonucleotides, inhibited PKCd protein by more than 80% in Caco-2 cells. Moreover, PKC-d knockdown enhanced cell proliferation (B1.4-2-fold, Po0.05) and concomitantly increased cyclin D1 and cyclin E expression (B1.7-fold, Po0.05). This was a specific effect, as nontargeted PKC-f was not changed by PKC-d siRNA oligonucleotides. Consistent with accelerated apoptosis in PKC-d transfectants, compared to EV cells, PKC-d upregulation increased proapoptotic regulator Bax two-fold at mRNA and protein levels, while antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein was decreased by 50% at a post-transcriptional level. PKC-d specific siRNA oligonucleotides inhibited Bax protein expression by more than 50%, indicating that PKC-d regulates apoptosis through Bax. Taken together, these results elucidate two critical mechanisms regulated by PKC-d that inhibit cell cycle progression and enhance apoptosis in colon cancer cells. We postulate these antiproliferative pathways mediate an important tumor suppressor function for PKC-d in colonic carcinogenesis.