CHK2/hCds1 plays important roles in the DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoint by phosphorylating several important targets, such as Cdc25 and p53. To obtain a better understanding of the CHK2 signaling pathway, we have carried out a yeast two-hybrid screen to search for potential CHK2-interacting proteins. Here, we report the identification of the mitotic checkpoint kinase, TTK/hMps1, as a novel CHK2-interacting protein. TTK/hMps1 directly phosphorylates CHK2 on Thr-68 in vitro. Expression of a TTK kinase-dead mutant, TTK D647A , interferes with the G 2 /M arrest induced by either ionizing radiation or UV light. Interestingly, induction of CHK2 Thr-68 phosphorylation and of several downstream events, such as cyclin B1 accumulation and Cdc2 Tyr-15 phosphorylation, is also affected. Furthermore, ablation of TTK expression using small interfering RNA results not only in reduced CHK2 Thr-68 phosphorylation, but also in impaired growth arrest. Our results are consistent with a model in which TTK functions upstream from CHK2 in response to DNA damage and suggest possible cross-talk between the spindle assembly checkpoint and the DNA damage checkpoint.
Purpose: The IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15)-and ubiquitin-conjugation pathways play roles in mediating hypoxic and inflammatory responses. To identify interaction(s) between these two tumor microenvironments, we investigated the effect of ISG15 on the activity of the master hypoxic transcription factor HIF-1a.Experimental Design: IFN and desferoxamine treatments were used to induce the expression of ISGs and HIF-1a, respectively. Interactions between HIF-1a and the ISG15 and ISGylation system were studied using knockdown of mRNA expression, immunoblotting, coimmunoprecipitation, and pull-down analyses. Effects of the ISG15 and ISGylation system on the HIF-1a-directed processes were examined using reporter, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and tumorigenic growth assays.Results: We found that the level of the free form of HIF-1a is differentially regulated by IFN treatment, and that the free ISG15 level is lower under hypoxia. Mechanism-directed studies have shown that HIF-1a not only interacts physically with ISG15, but is also ISGylated in multiple domains. ISG15 expression disrupts the functional dimerization of HIF-1a and -1b. Subsequently, expression of the ISG15 and/or ISGylation system attenuates HIF-1a-mediated gene expression and tumorigenic growth.Conclusion: In summary, our results revealed cross-talk between inflammatory and hypoxic pathways through the ISGylation of HIF-1a. On the basis of these results, we propose a novel negative feedback loop for the HIF-1a-mediated pathway involving the regulation of HIF-1a via IFN-induced ISGylation.
BackgroundTumor microenvironments (TMEs) activate various axes/pathways, predominantly inflammatory and hypoxic responses, impact tumorigenesis, metastasis and therapeutic resistance significantly. Although molecular pathways of individual TME are extensively studied, evidence showing interaction and crosstalk between hypoxia and inflammation remain unclear. Thus, we examined whether interferon (IFN) could modulate both inflammatory and hypoxic responses under normoxia and its relation with cancer development.MethodsIFN was used to induce inflammation response and HIF-1α expression in various cancer cell lines. Corresponding signaling pathways were then analyzed by a combination of pharmacological inhibitors, immunoblotting, GST-Raf pull-down assays, dominant-negative and short-hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown approaches. Specifically, roles of functional HIF-1α in the IFN-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and other tumorigenic propensities were examined by knockdown, pharmacological inhibition, luciferase reporter, clonogenic, anchorage-independent growth, wound-healing, vasculogenic mimicry, invasion and sphere-formation assays as well as cellular morphology observation.ResultsWe showed for the first time that IFN induced functional HIF-1α expression in a time- and dose- dependent manner in various cancer cell lines under both hypoxic and normoxic conditions, and then leading to an activated HIF-1α pathway in an IFN-mediated pro-inflammatory TME. IFN regulates anti-apoptosis activity, cellular metastasis, EMT and vasculogenic mimicry by a novel mechanism through mainly the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis. Subsequently, pharmacological and genetic modulations of HIF-1α, JAK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR or p38 pathways efficiently abrogate above IFN-induced tumorigenic propensities. Moreover, HIF-1α is required for the IFN-induced invasiveness, tumorigenesis and vasculogenic mimicry. Further supports for the HIF-1α-dependent tumorigenesis were obtained from results of xenograft mouse model and sphere-formation assay.ConclusionsOur mechanistic study showed an induction of HIF-1α and EMT ability in an IFN-mediated inflammatory TME and thus demonstrating a novel interaction between inflammatory and hypoxic TMEs. Moreover, targeting HIF-1α may be a potential target for inhibiting tumor tumorigenesis and EMT by decreasing cancer cells wound healing and anchorage-independent colony growth. Our results also lead to rationale guidance for developing new therapeutic strategies to prevent relapse via targeting TME-providing IFN signaling and HIF-1α programming.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-018-0730-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a pivotal event in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Emerging evidence suggests that rhapontigenin (Rha) may impede the progression of cancer by disrupting angiogenesis and the EMT. However, the underlying mechanism of Rha has not yet been clarified. In this study, we used transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) to trigger EMT in diverse types of cancer cells and revealed that Rha inhibited TGF-β-induced EMT and derived‑cell invasiveness. The effects of TGF-β were blocked by Rha via interference with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/GSK3β/β‑catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, Rha also inhibited TGF-β‑induced expression of transcription regulators Snail and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) by causing their degradation by the 26S proteasome. Surprisingly, although HIF-1α was degraded with Snail as a result of Rha exposure, HIF-1α was not a key factor involved in TGF-β-mediated EMT induced by Rha. Knocking-down Snail expression, but not HIF-1α expression, by RNA interference dramatically reversed TGF-β-mediated EMT. Moreover, Rha abolished TGF-β-triggered cell invasiveness. Our results demonstrate that Rha inhibits TGF-β-induced EMT in cancer cells by suppressing the activity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Therefore, Rha may represent a new route for therapeutic intervention in cancer patients and merits future studies to assess its potential.
Purpose: Human DNA topoisomerase III alpha (hTOP3a) is involved in DNA repair surveillance and cell-cycle checkpoints possibly through formatting complex with tumor suppressors. However, its role in cancer development remained unsolved.Experimental Design: Coimmunoprecipitation, sucrose gradient, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), real time PCR, and immunoblotting analyses were performed to determine interactions of hTOP3a with p53. Paired cell lines with different hTOP3a levels were generated via ectopic expression and short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown approaches. Cellular tumorigenic properties were analyzed using cell counting, colony formation, senescence, soft agar assays, and mouse xenograft models.Results: The hTOP3a isozyme binds to p53 and cofractionizes with p53 in gradients differing from fractions containing hTOP3a and BLM. Knockdown of hTOP3a expression (sh-hTOP3a) caused a higher anchorage-independent growth of nontumorigenic RHEK-1 cells. Similarly, sh-hTOP3a and ectopic expression of hTOP3a in cancer cell lines caused increased and reduced tumorigenic abilities, respectively. Genetic and mutation experiments revealed that functional hTOP3a, p53, and p21 are required for this tumor-suppressive activity. Mechanism-wise, ChIP data revealed that hTOP3a binds to the p53 and p21 promoters and positively regulates their expression. Two proteins affect promoter recruitments of each other and collaborate in p21 expression. Moreover, sh-hTOP3a and sh-p53 in AGS cells caused a similar reduction in senescence and hTOP3a mRNA levels were lower in gastric and renal tumor samples.Conclusion: We concluded that hTOP3a interacts with p53, regulates p53 and p21 expression, and contributes to the p53-mediated tumor suppression.
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