PIKE-A is amplified in human cancers and prevents apoptosis by up-regulating Akt

PIKE GTPase are phosphoinositide-3-kinase enhancers, suppressing programmed cell death

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase enhancers (PIKE) are GTP-binding proteins that posses anti-apoptotic functions. The PIKE family includes three members, PIKE-L, PIKE-S and PIKE-A, which are originated from a single gene (CENTG1) through alternative splicing or differential transcription initiation. Both PIKE-S and PIKE-L bind to phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and enhance its activity. PIKE-A does not interplay with PI3K. Instead, it interacts with the downstream effector Akt and promotes its activity. These actions are mediated by their GTPase activity. Because both PI3K and Akt are important effectors in the growth factor-mediated signaling which triggers cellular growth and acts against apoptosis, PIKEs therefore serve as the molecular switch that their activation are crucial for growth factors to exert their physiological functions. In this review, the current understanding of different PIKE isoforms in growth factors-induced anti-apoptotic function will be discussed. Moreover, the role of PIKE in the survival and invasion activity of cancer cells will also be introduced.

M-T5, the ankyrin repeat, host range protein of myxoma virus, activates Akt and can be functionally replaced by cellular PIKE-A

The myxoma virus (MV) ankyrin repeat, host range factor M-T5 has the ability to bind and activate cellular Akt, leading to permissive MV replication in a variety of diverse human cancer cell lines (G. Wang, J. W. Barrett, M. Stanford, S. J. Werden, J. B. Johnston, X. Gao, M. Sun, J. Q. Cheng, and G. McFadden, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103:4640-4645, 2006). The susceptibility of permissive human cancer cells to MV infection is directly correlated with the basal or induced levels of phosphorylated Akt. When M-T5 is deleted from MV, the knockout virus, vMyxT5KO, can no longer productively infect a subset of human cancer cells (designated type II) that exhibit little or no endogenous phosphorylated Akt. In searching for a host counterpart of M-T5, we noted sequence similarity of M-T5 to a recently identified ankyrin repeat cellular binding protein of Akt called PIKE-A. PIKE-A binds and activates the kinase activity of Akt in a GTP-dependent manner and promotes the invasiveness of human cancer cell lines. Here, we demonstrate that transfected PIKE-A is able to rescue the ability of vMyxT5KO to productively infect type II human cancer cells that were previously resistant to infection. Also, cancer cells that were completely nonpermissive for both wild-type and vMyxT5KO infection (called type III) were rendered fully permissive following ectopic expression of PIKE-A. We conclude that the MV M-T5 host range protein is functionally interchangeable with the host PIKE-A protein and that the activation of host Akt by either M-T5 or PIKE-A is critical for the permissiveness of human cancer cells for MV.

Src-family tyrosine kinase fyn phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase enhancer-activating Akt, preventing its apoptotic cleavage and promoting cell survival

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase enhancer-activating Akt (PIKE-A) binds Akt and upregulates its kinase activity, preventing apoptosis. PIKE-A can be potently phosphorylated on tyrosine residues 682 and 774, leading to its resistance to caspase cleavage. However, the upstream tyrosine kinases responsible for PIKE-A phosphorylation and subsequent physiological significance remain unknown. Here, we show that PIKE-A can be cleaved by the active apoptosome at both D474 and D592 residues. Employing fyn-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblast cells and tissues, we demonstrate that fyn is essential for phosphorylating PIKE-A and protects it from apoptotic cleavage. Active but not kinase-dead fyn interacts with PIKE-A and phosphorylates it on both Y682 and Y774 residues. Tyrosine phosphorylation in PIKE-A is required for its association with active fyn but not for Akt. Mutation of D into A in PIKE-A protects it from caspase cleavage and promotes cell survival. Thus, this finding provides a molecular mechanism accounting for the antiapoptotic action of src-family tyrosine kinase.

Nuclear Ptdlns(3,4,5)P3 signaling: an ongoing story

Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (Ptdlns(3,4,5)P(3)) is linked to a variety of cellular functions, such as growth, cell survival, and differentiation. Ptdlns(3,4,5)P(3) is primarily synthesized by class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases and its hydrolysis by two 3-phosphoinositide 3-phosphatases, PTEN and SHIP proteins, leads to the production of two other second messengers, Ptdlns(4,5)P(2) and Ptdlns(3,4)P(2), respectively. Evidence accumulated over the last years strongly suggest that Ptdlns(3,4,5)P(3) is an important component of signaling pathway operating within the nucleus. Moreover, recent advances indicated that nuclear translocation of cell surface receptors could activate nuclear phosphoinositide 3-kinase suggesting a new mode of signal transduction. The aim of this review is intended to summarize the state of our knowledge on nuclear Ptdlns(3,4,5)P(3) and its metabolizing enzymes, and to highlight the emerging roles for intranuclear Ptdlns(3,4,5)P(3).

Inhibition of Akt survival pathway by a small-molecule inhibitor in human glioblastoma

Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) and Akt are important regulators of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway and thus are important to the regulation of a wide spectrum of tumor-related biological processes. Akt regulates several critical cellular functions, including cell cycle progression; cell migration, invasion, and survival; and angiogenesis. Decreased expression of PTEN and overexpression of the Akt proto-oncogene, which is located downstream of PI3K, have been shown in a variety of cancers, including glioblastoma. Novel small-molecule inhibitors of receptors and signaling pathways, including inhibitors of the PI3K pathway, have shown antitumor activity, but inhibitors of Akt have not been examined. In this study, we tested our hypothesis that the pharmacologic inhibition of Akt has an antiproliferative effect on gliomas. We showed that two newly developed Akt inhibitors, KP-372-1 and KP-372-2 (herein called KP-1 and KP-2), effectively inhibited the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade. KP-1 and KP-2 blocked both the basal and epidermal growth factor-induced phosphorylation of Akt Ser473 at 125 and 250 nmol/L, which, in turn, reduced the activation of intracellular downstream targets of Akt, including GSK-3beta and p70s6k. Furthermore, the treatment of U87 and U251 glioma cells with 125 to 250 nmol/L KP-1 and KP2 for 48 hours inhibited cell growth by approximately 50%. This decrease in cell growth stemmed from the induction of apoptosis. Collectively, these results provide a strong rationale for the pharmacologic targeting of Akt for the treatment of gliomas.

PIKE GTPase-mediated nuclear signalings promote cell survival

The nuclear GTPase PIKE (PI 3-kinase Enhancer) binds PI 3-kinase and enhances it lipid kinase activity. PIKE predominantly distributes in the brain, and nerve growth factor stimulation triggers PIKE activation by provoking nuclear translocation of PLC-gamma1, which acts as a physiologic guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for PIKE through its SH3 domain. PIKE contains GTPase and ArfGAP domains, which are separated by a PH domain. C-terminal ArfGAP domain activates its internal GTPase activity, and this process is regulated by the interaction between phosphatidylinositols and PH domain. PI 3-kinase occurs in the nuclei of a broad range of cell types, and various stimuli elicit its nuclear translocation. The nuclei from NGF-treated PC12 cells are resistant to DNA fragmentation initiated by activated cell-free apoptosome, for which PIKE/nuclear PI 3-kinase signaling through nuclear PI(3,4,5)P(3) and Akt plays an essential role. As a nuclear receptor for PI(3,4,5)P(3,) B23 binds to PI(3,4,5)P(3) in an NGF-dependent way. The PI(3,4,5)P(3)/B23 complex inhibits DNA fragmentation activity of CAD. Nuclear Akt regulation of apoptosis is dependent on its phosphorylation of key substrates in the nucleus, but the identities of these substrates are unknown. Identification of its nuclear substrates will further our understanding of the physiological roles of nuclear PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling.

PIKE/nuclear PI 3-kinase signaling in preventing programmed cell death

PI 3-kinase enhancer (PIKE) is a nuclear GTPase that enhances PI 3-kinase (PI3K) activity. Nerve growth factor (NGF) treatment leads to PIKE activation by triggering the nuclear translocation of PLC-gamma1, which acts as a physiological guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for PIKE. PI3K occurs in the nuclei of a broad range of cell types, and various stimuli elicit PI3K nuclear translocation. While cytoplasmic PI3K has been well characterized, little is known about the biological function of nuclear PI3K. Surprisingly, nuclei from 30 min NGF-treated PC12 cells are resistant to DNA fragmentation initiated by the activated cell-free apoptosome, and both PIKE and nuclear PI3K are sufficient and necessary for this effect. Moreover, pretreatment of the control nucleus with PI(3,4,5)P3 alone mimics the anti-apoptotic activity of NGF by selectively preventing apoptosis, for which nuclear Akt is required but not sufficient. Recently, a nuclear PI(3,4,5)P3 receptor, nucleophosmin/B23, has been identified from NGF-treated PC12 nuclear extract. PI(3,4,5)P3/B23 complex mediates the anti-apoptotic effects of NGF by inhibiting DNA fragmentation activity of caspase-activated DNase (CAD). Thus, PI(3,4,5)P3/B23 complex and nuclear Akt effectors might coordinately mediate PIKE/nuclear PI3K signaling in promoting cell survival by NGF.

Phosphoinositol lipids bind to phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase enhancer GTPase and mediate its stimulatory effect on PI3-kinase and Akt signalings

Phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-kinase enhancer (PIKE) is a nuclear GTPase that enhances PI3-kinase activity in a GTP-dependent manner. Both PIKE-L and -A isoforms contain GTPase, pleckstrin homology (PH), ADP ribosylation factor-GTPase-activating protein, and two ankyrin repeats domains, and C-terminal ADP ribosylation factor-GTPase-activating protein activates its internal GTPase activity. However, whether PH domain modulates the intramolecular action and subsequently influences its downstream signalings remains elusive. Here we show that PH domain from PIKE-L robustly binds PI(3,4,5)P(3) and exclusively resides in the nucleus. By contrast, the mutant (K679,687N), unable to bind phosphoinositol lipids, translocates to the cytoplasm. This mutation substantially compromises the stimulatory effects on PI3-kinase by PIKE-L. Surprisingly, PH domain from PIKE-A distributes in the cytoplasm. Similar mutation in PH domain of PIKE-A abolishes its binding to PI(3,4,5)P(3) and significantly decreases its activation of Akt. Moreover, amplified PIKE-A from human cancers contains mutations and highly stimulates Akt kinase activity, correlating with its GTPase activity. Thus, phosphatidylinositols regulate PIKE GTPase activity, mediating its downstream PI3-kinase/Akt signaling through a feedback mechanism by binding to its PH domain.

Genetic alteration and expression of the phosphoinositol-3-kinase/Akt pathway genes PIK3CA and PIKE in human glioblastomas

Glioblastomas frequently carry genetic alterations resulting in an aberrant activation of the phosphoinositol-3-kinase (Pi3k)/protein kinase B (Akt) signalling pathway, including most notably phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) mutation, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) amplification and rearrangement, as well as carboxyl-terminal modulator protein (CTMP) hypermethylation [Knobbe et al., (2004) Hypermethylation and transcriptional downregulation of the carboxyl-terminal modulator protein gene in glioblastomas. J Natl Cancer Institute, 96, 483-486]. Here, we investigated two further Pi3k/Akt pathway genes, namely PIK3CA (3q26.3) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase enhancer (PIKE) (CENTG1, 12q14), for genetic alteration and aberrant expression in a series of 97 primary glioblastomas. Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of PIK3CA revealed somatic mutations in five tumours (5%). Twelve glioblastomas (12%) showed amplification of PIKE with invariable co-amplification of the adjacent CDK4 gene. All tumours with PIKE amplification as well as the vast majority of glioblastomas without amplification demonstrated increased expression of PIKE-A but not PIKE-S/L transcripts as compared with non-neoplastic brain tissue. Taken together, our data support an important role of PIK3CA and PIKE gene aberrations in the molecular pathogenesis of primary glioblastomas.

High-resolution genome-wide mapping of genetic alterations in human glial brain tumors

High-resolution genome-wide mapping of exact boundaries of chromosomal alterations should facilitate the localization and identification of genes involved in gliomagenesis and may characterize genetic subgroups of glial brain tumors. We have done such mapping using cDNA microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization technology to profile copy number alterations across 42,000 mapped human cDNA clones, in a series of 54 gliomas of varying histogenesis and tumor grade. This gene-by-gene approach permitted the precise sizing of critical amplicons and deletions and the detection of multiple new genetic aberrations. It has also revealed recurrent patterns of occurrence of distinct chromosomal aberrations as well as their interrelationships and showed that gliomas can be clustered into distinct genetic subgroups. A subset of detected alterations was shown predominantly associated with either astrocytic or oligodendrocytic tumor phenotype. Finally, five novel minimally deleted regions were identified in a subset of tumors, containing putative candidate tumor suppressor genes (TOPORS, FANCG, RAD51, TP53BP1, and BIK) that could have a role in gliomagenesis.

PIKE GTPase signaling and function

PIKE (PI 3-Kinase Enhancer) is a recently identified brain specific nuclear GTPase, which binds PI 3-kinase and stimulates its lipid kinase activity. Nerve growth factor treatment leads to PIKE activation by triggering the nuclear translocation of phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1), which acts as a physiologic guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for PIKE through its SH3 domain. To date, three forms of PIKE have been characterized: PIKE-S, PIKE-L and PIKE-A. PIKE-S is initially identified shorter isoform. PIKE-L, a longer isoform of PIKE gene, differs from PIKE-S by C-terminal extension containing Arf-GAP (ADP ribosylation factor-GTPase Activating Protein) and two ankyrin repeats domains. In contrast to the exclusive nuclear localization of PIKE-S, PIKE-L occurs in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. PIKE-L physiologically associates with Homer 1, an mGluR I binding adaptor protein. The Homer/PIKE-L complex couples PI 3-kinase to mGluR I and regulates a major action of group I mGluRs, prevention of neuronal apoptosis. More recently, a third PIKE isoform, PIKE-A was identified in human glioblastoma multiforme brain cancers. Unlike the brain specific PIKE-L and -S isoforms, PIKE-A distributes in various tissues. PIKE-A contains the same domains present in PIKE-L but lacks N-terminal proline-rich domain (PRD), which binds PI 3-kinase and PLC-gamma1. Instead, PIKE-A specifically binds to active Akt and upregulates its activity in a GTP-dependent manner, mediating human cancer cell invasion and preventing apoptosis. Thus, PIKE extends its roles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, mediating cellular processes from cell invasion to programmed cell death.

CDK4is a probable target gene in a novel amplicon at 12q13.3-q14.1 in lung cancer

Several chromosomal regions are recurrently amplified or deleted in lung tumors, but little is known about the underlying genes, which could be important mediators in tumor formation or progression. In lung cancer, the RB1-CCND1-CDKN2A pathway, involved in the G1-S transition, is damaged in nearly all tumors. In the present study, we localized a novel amplicon in lung tumors to a fragment of less than 0.5 Mb at 12q13.3-q14.1 by using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) on cDNA microarrays. This approach enabled us to identify 10-15 genes with the most consistent amplifications. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analyses of 13 genes in this region showed that four of them (CDK4, CYP27B1, METTL1, and TSFM) were also highly up-regulated. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of 141 tumor samples on a tissue microarray showed that CDK4 was expressed at a high level in 23% of lung tumors. Six (21.4%) of the tumors with high CDK4 expression (n = 28) were shown by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to contain the 12q13.3-q14.1 amplification. For CDK4, a positive correlation was found between gene copy number (FISH and CGH array), mRNA expression (RT-PCR), and level of protein expression (IHC). CDK4 expression did not correlate with CDKN2A methylation status. Amplification of CDK4 has been described in other tumor types, but its role in lung cancer remains to be elucidated. Although CDK4 amplification seems to be a relatively rare event (4.3%) in lung tumors, it indicates the significance of the RB1-CCND1 pathway in lung tumorigenesis.