Recent studies have demonstrated a role for telomerase in driving tumor progression, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here we show that stable, ribozyme-mediated suppression of mouse telomerase RNA reduced telomerase RNA expression, telomerase activity, and telomere length, which significantly reduced tumor invasion and metastatic potential. Our studies reveal that previously unidentified effects of telomerase may mediate its tumor-promoting effects. First, reducing telomerase activity induced a more dendritic morphology, accompanied by increased melanin content and increased expression of tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanin biosynthesis. Second, gene expression profiling revealed that telomerase targeting down-regulated expression of several glycolytic pathway genes, with a corresponding decrease in glucose consumption and lactate production. Thus, telomerase activity controls the glycolytic pathway, potentially altering the energy state of tumor cells and thereby modulating tyrosinase activity and melanin production. These studies have important implications for understanding the mechanisms by which telomerase promotes tumor invasion and metastasis.differentiation ͉ glycolysis T elomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex composed of core protein (telomerase reverse transcriptase) and RNA (telomerase RNA or TER) moieties. The most extensively characterized function of telomerase is to maintain the telomeric repeats capping the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and thereby preserve their integrity by preventing end-to-end fusions (1-4). Whereas normal somatic cells have diminished telomerase activity, Ͼ90% of human cancers overexpress telomerase (5, 6). The well established roles for telomerase in tumor initiation and cellular immortalization (7,8) have led to the identification of telomerase as a potentially important molecular target in cancer therapeutics (9-11). To date, multiple studies have examined the utility of targeting telomerase to inhibit tumor cell proliferation (12-16).Although the importance of telomerase for tumor cell proliferation is well documented, its impact on tumor invasion and metastasis has been studied less. In our recent study, we used a systemic injection model of an effective anti-telomerase ribozyme to reveal that inhibiting telomerase activity in tumorbearing mice significantly reduces metastatic progression (16). Here, we examine the direct role played by telomerase in the metastatic potential of murine melanoma and characterize cellular pathways altered by telomerase suppression in tumor cells. We show that stable, ribozyme-mediated suppression of TER levels in melanoma cells results in a more dendritic phenotype, accompanied by increased tyrosinase expression and pigment production. Furthermore, we show that TER suppression results in down-regulation of glycolytic pathway genes and significantly reduces glucose metabolism, providing a mechanistic basis for the reduced metastatic capacity and increased pigment production observed. ResultsTo directly examine the role of te...
Age-related decline in DNA repair capacity (DRC) is associated with decreased constitutive levels of p53 and other nucleotide excision repair proteins. To determine whether pretreatment of cells with small DNA oligonucleotides compensates for decreased DRC in the elderly, fibroblasts from donors of different ages were pretreated with thymidine dinucleotide (pTT), a 5' phosphorylated 9 base oligonucleotide (p9mer) or diluent alone for 48 h, then UV-irradiated with solar-simulated light. Western blot analysis revealed age-associated decreases of 40%-80% between newborn and old adult donor cells in the constitutive protein levels of p53, p21, XPA, RPA, ERCC1, and PCNA. Treatment with pTT or p9mer up-regulated these proteins by 200%-650% at 24, 48, and 72 h. Moreover, pretreatment with oligonucleotides significantly increased the removal rate of photoproducts as determined by reacting DNA with thymine dimer-specific antibodies: 40+/-5% vs. 20+/-9% and 15+/-11% remained after 24 h in diluent, pTT and p9mer treated cells, respectively. Oligonucleotide-treated adult cells removed thymine dimers at least as rapidly as diluent treated newborn cells, demonstrating that pTT and p9mer completely corrected the age-associated decrease in DRC. Our studies suggest that topical oligonucleotide treatment may enhance DRC in older adults and thus reduce the carcinogenic risk from solar UV irradiation in this age group.
Purpose: To test ribozymes targeting mouse telomerase RNA (mTER) for suppression of the progression of B16-F10 murine melanoma metastases in vivo.Experimental Design: Hammerhead ribozymes were designed to target mTER. The ribozyme sequences were cloned into a plasmid expression vector containing EBV genomic elements that substantially prolong expression of genes delivered in vivo. The activity of various antitelomerase ribozymes or control constructs was examined after i.v. injection of cationic liposome:DNA complexes containing control or ribozyme constructs. Expression of ribozymes and mTER at various time points were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR. Telomerase activity was examined using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol.Results: Systemic administration of cationic liposome: DNA complexes containing a plasmid-expressed ribozyme specifically targeting a cleavage site at mTER nucleotide 180 significantly reduced the metastatic progression of B16-F10 murine melanoma. The antitumor activity of the anti-TER 180 ribozyme in mice was abolished by a single inactivating base mutation in the ribozyme catalytic core. The EBVbased expression plasmid produced sustained levels of ribozyme expression for the full duration of the antitumor studies. In addition to antitumor activity, cationic liposome: DNA complex-based ribozyme treatment also produced reductions in both TER levels and telomerase enzymatic activity in tumor-bearing mice.Conclusions: Systemic, plasmid-based ribozymes specifically targeting TER can reduce both telomerase activity and metastatic progression in tumor-bearing hosts. The work reported here demonstrates the potential utility of plasmid-based anti-TER ribozymes in the therapy of melanoma metastasis.
Ribozymes are RNA molecules capable of sequence-specific cleavage of other RNA molecules. Since the discovery of the first group I intron ribozyme in 1982, new classes of ribozymes, each with their own unique reaction, target site specifications, and potential applications, have been identified. These include hammerhead, hairpin, hepatitis delta, varkud satellite, groups I and II intron, and RNase P ribozymes, as well as the ribosome and spliceosome. Meanwhile, ribozyme engineering has enabled the in vitro selection of synthetic ribozymes with unique properties. This, along with advances in ribozyme delivery methods and expression systems, has led to an explosion in the potential therapeutic applications of ribozymes, whether for anti-cancer or anti-viral therapy, or for gene repair.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.