Tumor grafts derived from patients with head and neck squamous carcinoma authentically maintain the molecular and histologic characteristics of human cancers

BACKGROUND

The patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model is likely to reflect human tumor biology more accurately than cultured cell lines because human tumors are implanted directly into animals; maintained in an in vivo, three-dimensional environment; and never cultured on plastic. PDX models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have been developed previously but were not well characterized at the molecular level. HNSCC is a deadly and disfiguring disease for which better systemic therapy is desperately needed. The development of new therapies and the understanding of HNSCC biology both depend upon clinically relevant animal models. We developed and characterized the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model because it is likely to recapitulate human tumor biology.

METHODS

We transplanted 30 primary tumors directly into mice. The histology and stromal components were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Gene expression analysis was conducted on patient tumors and on PDXs and cell lines derived from one PDX and from independent, human tumors.

RESULTS

Five of 30 (17%) transplanted tumors could be serially passaged. Engraftment was more frequent among HNSCC with poor differentiation and nodal disease. The tumors maintained the histologic characteristics of the parent tumor, although human stromal components were lost upon engraftment. The degree of difference in gene expression between the PDX and its parent tumor varied widely but was stable up to the tenth generation in one PDX. For genes whose expression differed between parent tumors and cell lines in culture, the PDX expression pattern was very similar to that of the parent tumor. There were also significant expression differences between the human tumors that subsequently grew in mice and those that did not, suggesting that this model enriches for cancers with distinct biological features. The PDX model was used successfully to test targeted drugs in vivo.

CONCLUSION

The PDX model for HNSCC is feasible, recapitulates the histology of the original tumor, and generates stable gene expression patterns. Gene expression patterns and histology suggested that the PDX more closely recapitulated the parental tumor than did cells in culture. Thus, the PDX is a robust model in which to evaluate tumor biology and novel therapeutics.

Abstract DDT01-03: Discovery of BMS-911543, a highly selective JAK2 inhibitor, as a clinical candidate for the treatment of myeloproliferative disease and other malignancies

Myeloproliferative diseases (MPDs) are a subset of myeloid malignancies that are characterized by the expansion of a multipotent hematopoietic stem cell. Chronic MPDs can be classified into two categories, those harboring the BCR-ABL oncogene and those that are negative. This later category of neoplasms encompasses polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). Recent discovery of activating mutations in the tyrosine kinase gene, JAK2 and constitutive activation of JAK2-STAT pathway, in large number of MPD patients has ignited considerable interest in MPD and has highlighted JAK2 as a therapeutic intervention point for drug discovery efforts. However, high-sequence homology with other JAK family members has posed a major challenge to design selective JAK2 inhibitors. Given that other JAK family members are involved in the regulation of immune function, it is important to maintain selectivity for JAK2 over these family members in order to mitigate the risks associated with undesired immunosuppression. Several JAK2 inhibitors with varying selectivity profiles are currently being evaluated in preclinical testing as well as in clinical trials for the treatment of MPD. Additionally, emerging genetic and pharmacologic evidence suggest that inhibition of the JAK2-STAT pathway may be an important therapeutic intervention point in other hematological malignancies as well as in certain solid tumors.

We report here the discovery and characterization of BMS-911543, a functionally selective small molecule inhibitor of the Janus kinase family (JAK) member, JAK2. BMS-911543 is a potent and reversible inhibitor of JAK2 with a biochemical Ki of 0.48 nM. It has over 65-, 74- and 350-fold selectivity against the other JAK family members, TYK2, JAK3 and JAK1, respectively. Importantly, examination of > 450 other kinases in competition binding assays and in selected biochemical kinase assays did not reveal significant inhibitory activity for this JAK2 inhibitor, highlighting its high degree of biochemical selectivity for JAK2.

Functionally, BMS-911543 displayed potent antiproliferative and pharmacodynamic (PD) effects in mutated JAK2-expressing cell lines dependent upon JAK2-STAT signaling and had little activity in cell types dependent upon other pathways such as JAK1 and JAK3. Further, single agent antiproliferative activity was not observed for BMS-911543 in a variety of solid tumor cell lines dependent upon other signaling pathways. In contrast, BMS-911543 was evaluated in colony growth assays using primary progenitor cells isolated from patients with JAK2V617F-positive myeloproliferative disease (MPD) and resulted in an increased antiproliferative response in MPD cells as compared with those from healthy volunteers. Similar to these in vitro observations, BMS-911543 was also highly active in in vivo models of JAK2-pSTAT signaling in multiple species with durable and potent pathway suppression observed after a single oral dose. Additionally, BMS-911543 was evaluated for effects in a JAK2V617F-expressing SET-2 xenograft model system and displayed a minimally effective dose of <2 mg/kg on pSTAT5 pathway suppression, which lasted up to 8 hours.

To test the hypothesis that a JAK2 selective inhibitor would have less effect on immune system function, BMS-911543 was compared to pan-JAK inhibitors in a mouse model of immunosuppression. At low dose levels active in JAK2-dependent PD models, no effects were observed on antigen-induced IgG and IgM production for BMS-911543 whereas a pan-JAK family inhibitor showed pronounced effects at all dose levels tested. The mechanistic selectivity of BMS-911543 to pan-JAK family inhibitors was extended through comparative analysis of these inhibitors in whole genome gene expression profiling experiments performed in sensitive and resistant cell types. In this comparison, BMS-911543 modulated a distinct subset of transcriptional changes as compared to pan-JAK inhibitors in clinical testing, thereby defining a minimal set of transcriptional changes underlying the pharmacologic effects of JAK2 inhibition. Collectively these results define the mechanistic basis for a differential therapeutic index between selective JAK2 and pan-JAK family inhibition pre-clinically and suggest a therapeutic rationale for the further characterization of BMS-911543 in patients with MPD and in other malignancies reliant upon constitutively active JAK2 signaling.

References:

Levine, R.L., et al. Role of JAK2 in the pathogenesis and therapy of myeloproliferative disorders (2007). Nature Rev. Cancer, 7, 673-683.

Atallah, E. and Verstovsek, S. Prospect of JAK2 inhibitor therapy in myeloproliferative neoplasms. (2009). Expert Rev. Anticancer Ther. 9, 663-670.

Ghoreschi, K., et al. Janus kinases in immune cell signaling. (2009). Immunol. Rev.,228, 273-287.

Mesa, R.A. and Tefferi, A. Emerging drugs for the therapy of primary and post essential thrombocythemia, post polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (2009). Expert Opin. Emerging Drugs, 14, 1-9.

Roll, J.D. and Reuther, G.W. CRLF2 and JAK2 in B-progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a novel association in oncogenesis. (2010) Cancer Res, 70, 7347-7352.

Rui et al., Cooperative epigenetic modulation by cancer amplicon genes (2010). Cancer Cell, 18, 590-605.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr DDT01-03. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-DDT01-03

Pyrrolo[1,2-f]triazines as JAK2 inhibitors: achieving potency and selectivity for JAK2 over JAK3

SAR studies of pyrrolo[1,2-f]triazines as JAK2 inhibitors is presented. Achieving JAK2 inhibition selectively over JAK3 is discussed.

Drug discovery approaches to target Wnt signaling in cancer stem cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a unique subset of cells within a tumor that possess self-renewal capacity and pluripotency, and can drive tumor initiation and maintenance. First identified in hematological malignancies, CSCs are now thought to play an important role in a wide variety of solid tumors such as NSCLC, breast and colorectal cancer. The role of CSCs in driving tumor formation illustrates the dysregulation of differentiation in tumorigenesis. The Wnt, Notch and Hedgehog (HH) pathways are developmental pathways that are commonly activated in many types of cancer. While substantial progress has been made in developing therapeutics targeting Notch and HH, the Wnt pathway has remained an elusive therapeutic target. This review will focus on the clinical relevance of the Wnt pathway in CSCs and tumor cell biology, as well as points of therapeutic intervention and recent advances in targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Constitutively active receptor tyrosine kinases as oncogenes in preclinical models for cancer therapeutics

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) remain an area of therapeutic interest because of their role in epithelial tumors, and experimental models specific to these targets are highly desirable. Chimeric receptors were prepared by in-frame fusion of the CD8 extracellular sequence with the cytoplasmic sequences of RTKs. A CD8HER2 fusion protein was shown to form disulfide-mediated homodimers and to transform fibroblasts and epithelial cells. CD8RTK fusion proteins transform rat kidney epithelial cells and impart phenotypes that may reflect signaling specificity inherent in the native receptors. Transgenic expression of CD8HER2 and CD8Met in mice resulted in the formation of salivary and mammary gland tumors. The transgenic tumors allow the derivation of allograft tumors and cell lines that are sensitive to inhibition by small molecule kinase inhibitors. This approach provides excellent cell and tumor models for the characterization of signaling properties of diverse RTKs and for the evaluation of rationally designed antagonists targeting these kinases.

Identification of a novel series of tetrahydrodibenzazocines as inhibitors of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3

A novel series of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17beta-HSD3) inhibitors has been identified. These inhibitors, based on a dibenzazocine core, exhibited picomolar to low nanomolar inhibition of 17beta-HSD3 in cell-free enzymatic as well as in cell-based transcriptional reporter assays.

Identification of novel functional inhibitors of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type III (17beta-HSD3)

BACKGROUND

Endocrine therapy of prostate cancer (PCa) relies on agents which disrupt the biosynthesis of testosterone in the testis and/or by direct antagonism of active hormone on the androgen receptor (AR) in non-gonadal target tissues of hormone action such as the prostate.

METHODS

In an effort to evaluate new therapies which could inhibit gonadal or non-gonadal testosterone biosynthesis, we developed high throughput biochemical and cellular screening assays to identify inhibitors of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type III (17beta-HSD3), the enzyme catalyzing the conversion of androstenedione (AdT) to testosterone.

RESULTS

Initial screening efforts identified a natural product, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, and a novel derivative of AdT, 3-O-benzylandrosterone, as potent inhibitors of the enzyme. Further efforts led to the identification of several classes of non-steroidal, low molecular weight compounds that potently inhibited 17beta-HSD3 enzymatic activity. One of the most potent classes of 17beta-HSD3 inhibitors was a series of anthranilamide small molecules identified from a collection of compounds related to non-steroidal modulators of nuclear hormone receptors. The anthranilamide based 17beta-HSD3 inhibitors were exemplified by BMS-856, a compound displaying low nanomolar inhibition of 17beta-HSD3 enzymatic activity. In addition, this series of compounds displayed potent inhibition of 17beta-HSD3-mediated cellular conversion of AdT to testosterone and inhibited the 17beta-HSD3-mediated conversion of testosterone necessary to promote AR-dependent transcription.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of non-steroidal functional inhibitors of 17beta-HSD3 may be a useful complementary approach for the disruption of testosterone biosynthesis in the treatment of PCa.

Synthetic lethality of retinoblastoma mutant cells in the Drosophila eye by mutation of a novel peptidyl prolyl isomerase gene

Mutations that inactivate the retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway are common in human tumors. Such mutations promote tumor growth by deregulating the G1 cell cycle checkpoint. However, uncontrolled cell cycle progression can also produce new liabilities for cell survival. To uncover such liabilities in Rb mutant cells, we performed a clonal screen in the Drosophila eye to identify second-site mutations that eliminate Rbf(-) cells, but allow Rbf(+) cells to survive. Here we report the identification of a mutation in a novel highly conserved peptidyl prolyl isomerase (PPIase) that selectively eliminates Rbf(-) cells from the Drosophila eye.

Rho exchange factor ECT2 is induced by growth factors and regulates cytokinesis through the N-terminal cell cycle regulator-related domains

The ECT2 protooncogene plays a critical role in cytokinesis, and its C-terminal half encodes a Dbl homology-pleckstrin homology module, which catalyzes guanine nucleotide exchange on the Rho family of small GTPases. The N-terminal half of ECT2 (ECT2-N) contains domains related to the cell cycle regulator/checkpoint control proteins including human XRCC1, budding yeast CLB6, and fission yeast Cut5. The Cut5-related domain consists of two BRCT repeats, which are widespread to repair/checkpoint control proteins. ECT2 is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues and cell lines, but elevated levels of ECT2 expression were found in various tumor cell lines and rapidly developing tissues in mouse embryos. Consistent with these findings, induction of ECT2 expression was observed upon stimulation by serum or various growth factors. In contrast to other oncogenes whose expression is induced early in G1, ECT2 expression was induced later, coinciding with the initiation of DNA synthesis. To test the role of the cell cycle regulator/checkpoint control protein-related domains of ECT2 in cytokinesis, we expressed various ECT2 derivatives in U2OS cells, and analyzed their DNA content by flow cytometry. Expression of the N-terminal half of ECT2, which lacks the catalytic domain, generated cells with more than 4N DNA content, suggesting that cytokinesis was inhibited in these cells. Interestingly, ECT2-N lacking the nuclear localization signals inhibited cytokinesis more strongly than the derivatives containing these signals. Mutational analyses revealed that the XRCC1, CLB6, and BRCT domains in ECT2-N are all essential for the cytokinesis inhibition by ECT2-N. These results suggest that the XRCC1, CLB6, and BRCT domains of ECT2 play a critical role in regulating cytokinesis.

Deregulation and mislocalization of the cytokinesis regulator ECT2 activate the Rho signaling pathways leading to malignant transformation

The human ECT2 protooncogene encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the Rho GTPases and regulates cytokinesis. Although the oncogenic form of ECT2 contains an N-terminal truncation, it is not clear how the structural abnormality of ECT2 causes malignant transformation. Here we show that both the removal of the negative regulatory domain and alteration of subcellular localization are required to induce the oncogenic activity of ECT2. The transforming activity of oncogenic ECT2 was strongly inhibited by dominant negative Rho GTPases, suggesting the involvement of Rho GTPases in ECT2 transformation. Although deletion of the N-terminal cell cycle regulator-related domain (N) of ECT2 did not activate its transforming activity, removal of the small central domain (S), which contains two nuclear localization signals (NLSs), significantly induced the activity. The ECT2 N domain interacted with the catalytic domain and significantly inhibited the focus formation by oncogenic ECT2. Interestingly, the introduction of the NLS mutations in the S domain of N-terminally truncated ECT2 dramatically induced the transforming activity of this otherwise non-oncogenic derivative. Among the known Rho GTPases expressed in NIH 3T3 cells, RhoA was predominantly activated by oncogenic ECT2 in vivo. Therefore, the mislocalization of structurally altered ECT2 might cause the untimely activation of cytoplasmic Rho GTPases leading to the malignant transformation.

Selective retinoids and rexinoids in cancer therapy and chemoprevention

Natural and synthetic retinoids are effective inhibitors of tumor cell growth in vitro and in vivo. However, the toxicity of natural derivatives of vitamin A limits their therapeutic use. Recently, synthetic compounds selective for the different retinoid receptor isotypes have been generated that circumvent pan-retinoid toxicity. The tumor-suppressive activity of selective retinoid and/or rexinoid ligands has been established preclinically, and emerging clinical trials are supportive of the chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive potential of these compounds in multiple oncology indications, with reduced toxicity. Moreover, the combination of retinoids and/or rexinoids with chemotherapeutic agents for the synergistic modulation of specific pathways could also be of benefit in cancer therapy.

Synergistic cytotoxicity exhibited by combination treatment of selective retinoid ligands with taxol (Paclitaxel)

The focus of this study was to develop retinoic acid receptor (RAR) RAR alpha/beta selective agonists with anticancer efficacy and reduced toxicity associated with RAR gamma activity. In these studies, we report the identification and characterization of high-affinity RAR alpha/beta selective agonists with limited RAR gamma activity. These compounds inhibited human tumor cell line proliferation with similar efficacy to that observed for a pan-RAR agonist. However, for most tumor cell lines, the efficacy of these compounds was restricted to the micromolar range. To determine whether the RAR alpha/beta selective agonists could be additive or synergistic with existing agents, we investigated the effects of combining RAR alpha/beta selective agonists with various cytotoxic agents. Our results showed that the alpha/beta selective retinoids dramatically lowered the effective dose of Taxol needed to induce cytotoxicity of a wide range of tumor cell lines. This synergy was specific to tubulin-modifying agents and could not be observed with a variety of other cytotoxic agents of diverse function. Examination of pathways common to Taxol and retinoid signaling revealed that this synergy was related in part to effects on Bcl-2 expression/phosphorylation as well as the activity of the c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase and activator protein-1. In contrast, the tubulin polymerization induced by Taxol was not further affected by cotreatment with a variety of retinoid receptor ligands. These observations indicate that potent RAR alpha/beta selective agonists may be of therapeutic benefit in combination with Taxol therapy.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces the expression of DR6, a member of the TNF receptor family, through activation of NF-kappaB

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family are ligand-regulated transmembrane proteins that mediate apoptosis as well as activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. Exogenous expression of DR6, a recently identified member of the TNF receptor family, induced apoptosis in untransformed or tumor-derived cells and the apoptotic function of DR6 was inhibited by co-expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L) or the inhibitor-of-apoptosis (IAP) family member, survivin. Expression of a dominant negative mutant of FADD failed to protect from DR6-mediated apoptosis indicating that unlike TNFR1 and Fas, DR6 induced apoptosis via a FADD-independent mechanism. Despite the ability of exogenous DR6 expression to induce apoptosis, DR6 mRNA and protein were found to be elevated in prostate tumor cell lines and in advanced stages of prostate cancer. Analysis of several anti-apoptotic proteins revealed that Bcl-x(L) levels and serine 32 phosphorylation of IkappaB, the natural inhibitor of NF-kappaB, were similarly elevated in cells expressing high levels of DR6, suggesting that NF-kappaB-regulated survival proteins may protect from DR6-induced apoptosis and that DR6 is a target of NF-kappaB regulation. Treatment of LnCAP cells with TNF-alpha resulted in increases in both DR6 mRNA and protein levels, and this induction was suppressed by inhibitors of NF-kappaB. Similarly, treatment of cells expressing high levels of DR6 with indomethacin and ibuprofen, compounds also known to perturb NF-kappaB function, resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in DR6 protein and mRNA levels. These results demonstrate that TNF-alpha signaling induces the expression of a member of its own receptor family through activation of NF-kappaB.

Ostip2, a novel oncoprotein that associates with the Rho exchange factor Ost

The ost protooncogene encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the Rho family of small GTPases, RhoA and Cdc42. The N-terminal domain of Ost (Ost-N) appears to negatively regulate the oncogenic activity of the protein, as deletion of this domain drastically increases its transforming activity in NIH 3T3 cells. Using a yeast two-hybrid system, we identified five genes encoding proteins that can interact with Ost-N. One of them, designated OSTIP2 (Ost interacting protein 2), encoded a previously uncharacterized protein. The OSTIP2 product is highly expressed in skeletal muscle as a 1.2-kb transcript. Full-length OSTIP2 cDNA contained an ORF of 193 amino acids. Transcription-coupled translation of OSTIP2 cDNA in reticulocyte lysates revealed a protein product of 20 kDa, which corresponded to the predicted size of the protein. Bacterially expressed glutathione S-transferase (GST)-Ostip2 fusion protein efficiently associated in vitro with baculovirus-expressed Ost. Interestingly, expression of Ostip2 in NIH 3T3 cells efficiently induced foci of morphologically transformed cells. Moreover, inoculation of athymic (nude) mice with OSTIP2 transfectants strongly induced tumor formation. These results suggest that Ostip2 is a novel oncoprotein that can interact with the Rho exchange factor Ost.

The RIP-like kinase, RIP3, induces apoptosis and NF-kappaB nuclear translocation and localizes to mitochondria

A RIP-like protein, RIP3, has recently been reported that contains an N-terminal kinase domain and a novel C-terminal domain that promotes apoptosis. These experiments further characterize RIP3-mediated apoptosis and NF-kappaB activation. Northern blots indicate that rip3 mRNA displays a restricted pattern of expression including regions of the adult central nervous system. The rip3 gene was localized by fluorescent in situ hybridization to human chromosome 14q11.2, a region frequently altered in several types of neoplasia. RIP3-mediated apoptosis was inhibited by Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), dominant-negative FADD, as well as the general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD. Further dissection of caspase involvement in RIP3-induced apoptosis indicated inhibition by the more specific inhibitors Z-DEVD (caspase-3, -6, -7, -8, and -10) and Z-VDVAD (caspase-2). However, caspase-1, -6, -8 and -9 inhibitors had little or no effect on RIP3-mediated apoptosis. Mutational analysis of RIP3 revealed that the C-terminus of RIP3 contributed to its apoptotic activity. This region is similar, but distinct, to the death domain found in many pro-apoptotic receptors and adapter proteins, including FAS, FADD, TNFR1, and RIP. Furthermore, point mutations of RIP3 at amino acids conserved among death domains, abrogated its apoptotic activity. RIP3 was localized by immunofluorescence to the mitochondrion and may play a key role in the mitochondrial disruptions often associated with apoptosis.

Neu differentiation factor/heregulin induction by hepatocyte and keratinocyte growth factors

Hepatocyte growth-factor (HGF) is a potent, widely produced, pleiotropic mediator of mesenchymal-epithelial interaction. In a study of changes in gene expression initiated by HGF in Balb/MK keratinocytes, we observed the induction of Neu-differentiation factor (NDF) mRNA (also known as heregulin, or HRG). Further characterization of the regulation of NDF expression in Balb/MK keratinocytes revealed potent induction by keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), but not by HGF/NK2, an alternative HGF isoform with motogenic but not mitogenic or morphogenic activities. Sustained treatment (8 h) of Balb/MK cells with KGF stimulated secretion of mature NDF protein into the culture medium, and Balb/ MK cells treated with purified recombinant NDF protein showed increased DNA synthesis. We also found evidence of NDF induction in two models of tissue repair in mice: in full-thickness skin wounds, following locally increased KGF production, and in kidney after partial hepatectomy, following elevation of circulating HGF levels. These results reveal that mesenchymally-derived HGF and KGF can activate autocrine NDF signaling in their epithelial targets, and suggest that this mechanism contributes to the coordination of stages of wound repair, and possibly development, where these growth factors act in concert to direct epithelial proliferation, morphogenesis and differentiation.

Homocysteine exerts cell type-specific inhibition of AP-1 transcription factor

Homocysteine (Hcy) exerts either promoting or suppressive effects on mitogenesis in a cell type-specific manner. Hcy elicits proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, but is rather inhibitory to growth of endothelial cells and NIH/3T3 cells. In NIH/3T3 cells, we found that physiologically relevant concentrations (20-100 microM) of Hcy inhibit the activity of activating protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor, although it is capable of eliciting immediate-early signaling events. Hcy induced p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in control cells, but not in dominant negative p21ras transfected cells, indicating induction of the Ras-MAPK pathway. Hcy also induced the activity of serum response factor and expression of c-fos and c-jun genes. Despite the activation of these upstream events, Hcy potently inhibited AP-1 activity. Oxidized forms of Hcy (Hcy thiolactone, homocystine) were less effective in affecting AP-1. Hcy-mediated inhibition of AP-1 activity was not observed in A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells. These results demonstrate that Hcy exerts cell type- and redox-specific inhibition of AP-1 dependent biological events.

Human FRAG1 encodes a novel membrane-spanning protein that localizes to chromosome 11p15.5, a region of frequent loss of heterozygosity in cancer

We have previously identified a chromosomal rearrangement between fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) and a novel gene, FRAG1, in a rodent model of osteosarcoma. To assess the potential role of FRAG1 in disease further, we have isolated cDNA and genomic clones of human FRAG1. Sequence analysis of the cDNA revealed the presence of an insertion not contained in the original FRAG1 sequence. This insertion in human FRAG1 encoded a region highly homologous to and immediately following the first 55 amino acids of the protein, indicating the presence of a repetitive domain within FRAG1, designated the FRAG1 homology (FH) domain. Analysis of FRAG1 gene structure revealed that the FH domains were encoded by tandem duplicated exons. Database searches identified several transmembrane proteins displaying homology to the FH domain of FRAG1. In addition, hydropathy analysis predicted FRAG1 to encode an integral membrane protein with multiple membrane-spanning segments. FRAG1 mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in human adult tissues and several tumor cell lines at varying levels of abundance. Human FRAG1 was mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization and radiation hybrid analysis to chromosome 11 at band p15.5, a region implicated in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and a region of frequent loss of heterozygosity in multiple tumor types. These results suggest that FRAG1 may be a useful candidate gene for genetic disorders associated with alterations at 11p15.5.

The acidic domain and first immunoglobulin-like loop of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 modulate downstream signaling through glycosaminoglycan modification

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are membrane-spanning tyrosine kinases that have been implicated in a variety of biological processes including mitogenesis, cell migration, development, and differentiation. We identified a unique isoform of FGFR2 expressed as a diffuse band with an unusually large molecular mass. This receptor is modified by glycosaminoglycan at a Ser residue located immediately N terminal to the acidic box, a stretch of acidic amino acids. The acidic box and the glycosaminoglycan modification site are encoded by an alternative exon of the FGFR2 gene. The acidic box appears to play an important role in glycosaminoglycan modification, and the presence of this domain is required for modification by heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan. Moreover, the presence of the first immunoglobulin-like domain encoded by another alternative exon abrogated the modification. The high-affinity receptor with heparan sulfate modification enhanced receptor autophosphorylation, substrate phosphorylation, and ternary complex factor-independent gene expression. It also sustained mitogen-activated protein kinase activity and increased eventual DNA synthesis, a long-term response to fibroblast growth factor stimulation, at physiological ligand concentrations. We propose a novel regulation mechanism of FGFR2 signal transduction through glycosaminoglycan modification.

Identification of a novel activated form of the keratinocyte growth factor receptor by expression cloning from parathyroid adenoma tissue

Parathyroid adenomas are benign tumors in the parathyroid glands, whose pathogenesis is largely unknown. We utilized an expression cDNA cloning strategy to identify oncogenes activated in parathyroid adenomas. An expression cDNA library was prepared directly from a clinical sample of parathyroid adenoma tissue, transfected into NIH3T3 cells, and foci of morphologically transformed cells were isolated. Following plasmid rescue, we identified cDNAs for the keratinocyte growth factor receptor at a high frequency. Interestingly, approximately half of the clones encoded a variant receptor containing an altered C-terminus. Analysis of the transforming activity of the variant receptor revealed that the altered C-terminus up-regulated the transforming activity in a ligand-independent manner. The higher transforming activity was not accompanied by increase of dimerization or overall autophosphorylation of the receptor. However, tyrosine phosphorylation of downstream receptor substrates, including Shc isoforms and possibly FRS2, are increased in the transfectants expressing the parathyroid tumor-derived receptor. Genomic analysis showed that a previously unidentified exon was used to form the novel isoform. This alternative splicing appears to occur preferentially in parathyroid adenomas.

Distinct expression patterns and transforming properties of multiple isoforms of Ost, an exchange factor for RhoA and Cdc42

A search for transforming genes expressed in brain led to the identification of a novel isoform of Ost, an exchange factor for RhoA and Cdc42. In addition to the Dbl-homology (DH) and pleckstrin-homology (PH) domains identified in the original Ost, this isoform contained a SH3 domain and a novel HIV-Tat related (TR) domain. The presence or absence of these domains in Ost defined multiple isoforms of the protein. RT - PCR and in situ hybridization analysis revealed that these isoforms were generated by tissue-specific and developmentally restricted alternative splicing events. Whereas deletion of the N-terminus activated the transforming properties of Ost, the presence of the SH3 domain reduced the transforming activity of the protein. This inhibition was relieved by the presence of a TR domain, which contained a potential SH3 ligand sequence. The transforming activity of all Ost isoforms was inhibited by dominant negative forms of the Rho family proteins. Expression of Ost isoforms potently induced the formation of actin stress fibers and filopodia as well as JNK activity and AP1- and SRF-regulated transcriptional pathways. Ost transfectants also displayed elevated levels of cyclins A and D1, suggesting that the de-regulation of these cyclins is linked to Ost-mediated transformation.

Human T-cell lymphotropic/leukemia virus type 1 Tax abrogates p53-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through its CREB/ATF functional domain

Human T-cell lymphotropic/leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) transforms human T cells in vitro, and Tax, a potent transactivator of viral and cellular genes, plays a key role in cell immortalization. Tax activity is mediated by interaction with cellular transcription factors including members of the CREB/ATF family, the NF-kappaB/c-Rel family, serum response factor, and the coactivators CREB binding protein-p300. Although p53 is usually not mutated in HTLV-1-infected T cells, its half-life is increased and its function is impaired. Here we report that transient coexpression of p53 and Tax results in the suppression of p53 transcriptional activity. Expression of Tax abrogates p53-induced G1 arrest in the Calu-6 cell line and prevents the apoptosis induced by overexpressing p53 in the HeLa/Tat cell line. The Tax mutants M22 and G148V, which selectively activate the CREB/ATF pathway, exert these same biological effects on p53 function. In contrast, the NF-kappaB-active Tax mutant M47 has no effect on p53 activity in any of these systems. Consistent with the negative effect of Tax on p53, no activity on a p53-responsive promoter was observed upon transfection of HTLV-1-infected T-cell lines. The p53 protein is expressed at high levels in the nucleus, and nuclear extracts of HTLV-1-infected T cells bind constitutively to a DNA oligonucleotide containing the p53 response element, indicating that Tax does not interfere with p53 binding to DNA. Tax is able to suppress the transactivation function of p53 in three different cell lines, and this suppression required Tax-mediated activation of the CREB/ATF, but not the NF-kappaB/c-Rel, pathway. Tax and the active Tax mutants were able to abrogate the G1 arrest and apoptosis induced by p53, and this effect does not correlate with an altered localization of nuclear p53 or with the disruption of p53-DNA complexes. The suppression of p53 activity by Tax could be important in T-cell immortalization induced by HTLV-1.

Identification and characterization of R-ras3: a novel member of the RAS gene family with a non-ubiquitous pattern of tissue distribution

Members of the Ras subfamily of GTP-binding proteins, including Ras (H-, K-, and N-), TC21, and R-ras have been shown to display transforming activity, and activating lesions have been detected in human tumors. We have identified an additional member of the Ras gene family which shows significant sequence similarity to the human TC21 gene. This novel human ras-related gene, R-ras3, encodes for a protein of 209 amino acids, and shows approximately 60-75% sequence identity in the N-terminal catalytic domain with members of the Ras subfamily of GTP-binding proteins. An activating mutation corresponding to the leucine 61 oncogenic lesion of the ras oncogenes when introduced into R-ras3, activates its transforming potential. R-ras3 weakly stimulates the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity, but this effect is greatly potentiated by the co-expression of c-raf-1. By the yeast two-hybrid system, R-ras3 interacts only weakly with known Ras effectors, such as Raf and RalGDS, but not with RglII. In addition, R-ras3 displays modest stimulatory effects on trans-activation from different nuclear response elements which bind transcription factors, such as SRF, ETS/TCF, Jun/Fos, and NF-kappaB/Rel. Interestingly, Northern blot analysis of total RNA isolated from various tissues revealed that the 3.8 kilobasepair (kb) transcript of R-ras3 is highly restricted to the brain and heart. The close evolutionary conservation between R-ras3 and Ras family members, in contrast to the significant differences in its biological activities and the pattern of tissue expression, raise the possibility that R-ras3 may control novel cellular functions previously not described for other GTP-binding proteins.