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Wen L, Liu Z, Zhou L, Liu Z, Li Q, Geng B, Xia Y. Bone and Extracellular Signal-Related Kinase 5 (ERK5). Biomolecules 2024; 14:556. [PMID: 38785963 PMCID: PMC11117709 DOI: 10.3390/biom14050556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Bones are vital for anchoring muscles, tendons, and ligaments, serving as a fundamental element of the human skeletal structure. However, our understanding of bone development mechanisms and the maintenance of bone homeostasis is still limited. Extracellular signal-related kinase 5 (ERK5), a recently identified member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and progression of various diseases, especially neoplasms. Recent studies have highlighted ERK5's significant role in both bone development and bone-associated pathologies. This review offers a detailed examination of the latest research on ERK5 in different tissues and diseases, with a particular focus on its implications for bone health. It also examines therapeutic strategies and future research avenues targeting ERK5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wen
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.W.); (Z.L.); (L.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.L.); (B.G.)
- Orthopedic Clinical Medical Research Center and Intelligent Orthopedic Industry Technology Center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Zirui Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.W.); (Z.L.); (L.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.L.); (B.G.)
- Orthopedic Clinical Medical Research Center and Intelligent Orthopedic Industry Technology Center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Libo Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.W.); (Z.L.); (L.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.L.); (B.G.)
- Orthopedic Clinical Medical Research Center and Intelligent Orthopedic Industry Technology Center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Zhongcheng Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.W.); (Z.L.); (L.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.L.); (B.G.)
- Orthopedic Clinical Medical Research Center and Intelligent Orthopedic Industry Technology Center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Qingda Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.W.); (Z.L.); (L.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.L.); (B.G.)
- Orthopedic Clinical Medical Research Center and Intelligent Orthopedic Industry Technology Center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Bin Geng
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.W.); (Z.L.); (L.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.L.); (B.G.)
- Orthopedic Clinical Medical Research Center and Intelligent Orthopedic Industry Technology Center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Yayi Xia
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; (L.W.); (Z.L.); (L.Z.); (Z.L.); (Q.L.); (B.G.)
- Orthopedic Clinical Medical Research Center and Intelligent Orthopedic Industry Technology Center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
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Yazarlou F, Alizadeh F, Lipovich L, Giordo R, Ghafouri-Fard S. Tracing vitamins on the long non-coding lane of the transcriptome: vitamin regulation of LncRNAs. GENES & NUTRITION 2024; 19:5. [PMID: 38475720 PMCID: PMC10935982 DOI: 10.1186/s12263-024-00739-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
A major revelation of genome-scale biological studies in the post-genomic era has been that two-thirds of human genes do not encode proteins. The majority of non-coding RNA transcripts in humans are long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) molecules, non-protein-coding regulatory transcripts with sizes greater than 500 nucleotides. LncRNAs are involved in nearly every aspect of cellular physiology, playing fundamental regulatory roles both in normal cells and in disease. As result, they are functionally linked to multiple human diseases, from cancer to autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurological disorders. Numerous human conditions and diseases stem from gene-environment interactions; in this regard, a wealth of reports demonstrate that the intake of specific and essential nutrients, including vitamins, shapes our transcriptome, with corresponding impacts on health. Vitamins command a vast array of biological activities, acting as coenzymes, antioxidants, hormones, and regulating cellular proliferation and coagulation. Emerging evidence suggests that vitamins and lncRNAs are interconnected through several regulatory axes. This type of interaction is expected, since lncRNA has been implicated in sensing the environment in eukaryotes, conceptually similar to riboswitches and other RNAs that act as molecular sensors in prokaryotes. In this review, we summarize the peer-reviewed literature to date that has reported specific functional linkages between vitamins and lncRNAs, with an emphasis on mammalian models and humans, while providing a brief overview of the source, metabolism, and function of the vitamins most frequently investigated within the context of lncRNA molecular mechanisms, and discussing the published research findings that document specific connections between vitamins and lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Yazarlou
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Box 505055, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatemeh Alizadeh
- Department of Genomic Psychiatry and Behavioral Genomics (DGPBG), Roozbeh Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leonard Lipovich
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology, Wenzhou-Kean University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Shenzhen Huayuan Biological Science Research Institute, Shenzhen Huayuan Biotechnology Co. Ltd., 601 Building C1, Guangming Science Park, Fenghuang Street, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, 3222 Scott Hall, 540 E. Canfield St., Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Roberta Giordo
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Box 505055, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro, Sassari, 07100, Italy.
| | - Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Zhang T, Zhao L, Zhang T, Wu W, Liu J, Wang X, Wan Y, Geng H, Sun X, Qian W, Yu D. Curcumin Negatively Regulates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Renal Cell Carcinoma Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Through the ERK5/AP-1 Pathway. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:9689-9700. [PMID: 33061449 PMCID: PMC7532894 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s265847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background So far, little research has been conducted regarding the underlying mechanism of renal carcinogenesis at molecular level. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) exerts an important part during tumor genesis as well as the development through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Therefore, we hypothesized that EMT could promote renal cell carcinoma (RCC) progression via the ERK5/AP-1pathway. Materials and Methods The RCC cell lines were utilized to be the models with in vitro exposure to cigarette smoke extract (CSE). We used the curcumin for the EMT intervention study. In the present study, immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blotting, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR had been used to determine the experimental results. EMT phenotypic alterations were assessed by changes in cell morphology, invasion and transfer ability, as well as expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Results In human renal cell carcinoma tissue, E-cadherin expression within the smoking renal cancer patients was down-regulated compared with that among the non-smokers. However, Vimentin, N-cadherin, and TWIST levels increased (P<0.05). Significantly, we clarified that ERK5/AP-1 exerted positive regulation on the renal cell carcinoma EMT mediated by CS, which was suggested based on the results of CS activating the ERK5/AP-1 pathway, as well as ERK5 inhibition via XMD8-92 reversed AP-1 protein levels and the EMT process. Furthermore, curcumin showed the same inhibitory effect as XMD8-92 and significantly reversed CS-induced EMT through inhibiting the ERK5/AP-1 signaling pathway. Conclusion The above results indicated that ERK5/AP-1 signaling pathway exerts a vital part for CS-associated RCC development and cancer intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhang
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210048, People's Republic of China
| | - Taotao Zhang
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Wangyu Wu
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Wuhu, Wuhu 241000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xian Wang
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Wan
- Department of Hematology/Hematological Lab, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Geng
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Sun
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiwei Qian
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
| | - Dexin Yu
- Department of Urologic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, People's Republic of China
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Lochhead PA, Tucker JA, Tatum NJ, Wang J, Oxley D, Kidger AM, Johnson VP, Cassidy MA, Gray NS, Noble MEM, Cook SJ. Paradoxical activation of the protein kinase-transcription factor ERK5 by ERK5 kinase inhibitors. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1383. [PMID: 32170057 PMCID: PMC7069993 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15031-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The dual protein kinase-transcription factor, ERK5, is an emerging drug target in cancer and inflammation, and small-molecule ERK5 kinase inhibitors have been developed. However, selective ERK5 kinase inhibitors fail to recapitulate ERK5 genetic ablation phenotypes, suggesting kinase-independent functions for ERK5. Here we show that ERK5 kinase inhibitors cause paradoxical activation of ERK5 transcriptional activity mediated through its unique C-terminal transcriptional activation domain (TAD). Using the ERK5 kinase inhibitor, Compound 26 (ERK5-IN-1), as a paradigm, we have developed kinase-active, drug-resistant mutants of ERK5. With these mutants, we show that induction of ERK5 transcriptional activity requires direct binding of the inhibitor to the kinase domain. This in turn promotes conformational changes in the kinase domain that result in nuclear translocation of ERK5 and stimulation of gene transcription. This shows that both the ERK5 kinase and TAD must be considered when assessing the role of ERK5 and the effectiveness of anti-ERK5 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela A Lochhead
- Signalling Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK.
| | - Julie A Tucker
- York Biomedical Research Institute and Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Natalie J Tatum
- CRUK Newcastle Drug Discovery Unit, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - David Oxley
- Signalling Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Andrew M Kidger
- Signalling Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Victoria P Johnson
- Signalling Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
- Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Megan A Cassidy
- Signalling Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Martin E M Noble
- CRUK Newcastle Drug Discovery Unit, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Simon J Cook
- Signalling Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK.
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5
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Nicolae CM, O'Connor MJ, Schleicher EM, Song C, Gowda R, Robertson G, Dovat S, Moldovan GL. PARI (PARPBP) suppresses replication stress-induced myeloid differentiation in leukemia cells. Oncogene 2019; 38:5530-5540. [PMID: 30967629 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0810-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Hyperproliferative cancer cells face increased replication stress, which can result in accumulation of DNA damage. As DNA damage can arrest proliferation, and, in the case of myeloid leukemia, induce differentiation of cancer cells, understanding the mechanisms that regulate the replication stress response is paramount. Here, we show that PARI, a replisome protein involved in regulating DNA repair and replication stress, suppresses differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells. We show that PARI is overexpressed in myeloid leukemia cells, and its knockdown reduces leukemia cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo in xenograft mouse models. PARI depletion enhances replication stress and DNA-damage accumulation, coupled with increased myeloid differentiation. Mechanistically, we show that PARI inhibits activation of the NF-κB pathway, which can initiate p21-mediated differentiation and proliferation arrest. Finally, we show that PARI expression negatively correlates with expression of differentiation markers in clinical myeloid leukemia samples, suggesting that targeting PARI may restore differentiation ability of leukemia cells and antagonize their proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia M Nicolae
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Michael J O'Connor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Emily M Schleicher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Chunhua Song
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Raghavendra Gowda
- Department of Pharmacology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Gavin Robertson
- Department of Pharmacology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Sinisa Dovat
- Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - George-Lucian Moldovan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
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Impact of ERK5 on the Hallmarks of Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20061426. [PMID: 30901834 PMCID: PMC6471124 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) belongs to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family that consists of highly conserved enzymes expressed in all eukaryotic cells and elicits several biological responses, including cell survival, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. In recent years, accumulating lines of evidence point to a relevant role of ERK5 in the onset and progression of several types of cancer. In particular, it has been reported that ERK5 is a key signaling molecule involved in almost all the biological features of cancer cells so that its targeting is emerging as a promising strategy to suppress tumor growth and spreading. Based on that, in this review, we pinpoint the hallmark-specific role of ERK5 in cancer in order to identify biological features that will potentially benefit from ERK5 targeting.
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7
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Tusa I, Cheloni G, Poteti M, Gozzini A, DeSouza NH, Shan Y, Deng X, Gray NS, Li S, Rovida E, Dello Sbarba P. Targeting the Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 5 Pathway to Suppress Human Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports 2018; 11:929-943. [PMID: 30245209 PMCID: PMC6178886 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKi) are effective against chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but their inefficacy on leukemia stem cells (LSCs) may lead to relapse. To identify new druggable targets alternative to BCR/ABL, we investigated the role of the MEK5/ERK5 pathway in LSC maintenance in low oxygen, a feature of bone marrow stem cell niches. We found that MEK5/ERK5 pathway inhibition reduced the growth of CML patient-derived cells and cell lines in vitro and the number of leukemic cells in vivo. Treatment in vitro of primary CML cells with MEK5/ERK5 inhibitors, but not TKi, strikingly reduced culture repopulation ability (CRA), serial colony formation ability, long-term culture-initiating cells (LTC-ICs), and CD26-expressing cells. Importantly, MEK5/ERK5 inhibition was effective on CML cells regardless of the presence or absence of imatinib, and did not reduce CRA or LTC-ICs of normal CD34+ cells. Thus, targeting MEK/ERK5 may represent an innovative therapeutic approach to suppress CML progenitor/stem cells. ERK5 is constitutively active in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells ERK5 pathway inhibition reduces the growth of CML cells in vitro and in vivo ERK5 pathway inhibition strikingly reduces CML progenitor/stem cell maintenance The combination of ERK5i with imatinib reduces the expression of stem cell proteins
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignazia Tusa
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Firenze, viale G.B. Morgagni, 50, Firenze 50134, Italy; Istituto Toscano Tumori (ITT), Firenze 50134, Italy
| | - Giulia Cheloni
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Firenze, viale G.B. Morgagni, 50, Firenze 50134, Italy; Istituto Toscano Tumori (ITT), Firenze 50134, Italy
| | - Martina Poteti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Firenze, viale G.B. Morgagni, 50, Firenze 50134, Italy
| | - Antonella Gozzini
- Hematology Unit, Careggi University Hospital (AOUC), Firenze 50134, Italy
| | - Ngoc Ho DeSouza
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Yi Shan
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Xianming Deng
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shaoguang Li
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Elisabetta Rovida
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Firenze, viale G.B. Morgagni, 50, Firenze 50134, Italy; Istituto Toscano Tumori (ITT), Firenze 50134, Italy.
| | - Persio Dello Sbarba
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Firenze, viale G.B. Morgagni, 50, Firenze 50134, Italy; Istituto Toscano Tumori (ITT), Firenze 50134, Italy.
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MicroRNA-143 targets ERK5 in granulopoiesis and predicts outcome of patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:814. [PMID: 30050105 PMCID: PMC6062564 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0837-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hematopoiesis, the formation of blood cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), is a highly regulated process. Since the discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs), several studies have shown their significant role in the regulation of the hematopoietic system. Impaired expression of miRNAs leads to disrupted cellular pathways and in particular causes loss of hematopoietic ability. Here, we report a previously unrecognized function of miR-143 in granulopoiesis. Hematopoietic cells undergoing granulocytic differentiation exhibited increased miR-143 expression. Overexpression or ablation of miR-143 expression resulted in accelerated granulocytic differentiation or block of differentiation, respectively. The absence of miR-143 in mice resulted in a reduced number of mature granulocytes in blood and bone marrow. Additionally, we observed an association of high miR-143 expression levels with a higher probability of survival in two different cohorts of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Overexpression of miR-143 in AML cells impaired cell growth, partially induced differentiation, and caused apoptosis. Argonaute2-RNA-Immunoprecipitation assay revealed ERK5, a member of the MAPK-family, as a target of miR-143 in myeloid cells. Further, we observed an inverse correlation of miR-143 and ERK5 in primary AML patient samples, and in CD34+ HSPCs undergoing granulocytic differentiation and we confirmed functional relevance of ERK5 in myeloid cells. In conclusion, our data describe miR-143 as a relevant factor in granulocyte differentiation, whose expression may be useful as a prognostic and therapeutic factor in AML therapy.
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Chen X, Gao B, Ponnusamy M, Lin Z, Liu J. MEF2 signaling and human diseases. Oncotarget 2017; 8:112152-112165. [PMID: 29340119 PMCID: PMC5762387 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The members of myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2) protein family was previously believed to function in the development of heart and muscle. Recent reports indicate that they are also closely associated with development and progression of many human diseases. Although their role in cancer biology is well established, the molecular mechanisms underlying their action is yet largely unknown. MEF2 family is closely associated with various signaling pathways, including Ca2+ signaling, MAP kinase signaling, Wnt signaling, PI3K/Akt signaling, etc. microRNAs also contribute to regulate the activities of MEF2. In this review, we summarize the known molecular mechanism by which MEF2 family contribute to human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.,Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Bing Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.,School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Murugavel Ponnusamy
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Zhijuan Lin
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Jia Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.,School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
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10
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Wang Y, Mo H, Gu J, Chen K, Han Z, Liu Y. Cordycepin induces apoptosis of human acute monocytic leukemia cells via downregulation of the ERK/Akt signaling pathway. Exp Ther Med 2017; 14:3067-3073. [PMID: 28912858 PMCID: PMC5585717 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.4855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to examine the apoptotic effect of cordycepin (COR) on human THP-1 acute monocytic leukemia cells. THP-1 cells were exposed to different concentrations of COR for 24, 48, 72 or 96 h. The cell viability and apoptotic rate were analyzed. The gene expression of Akt1, Akt2, Akt3, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) were assessed by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein levels of phosphorylated (p)-Akt, p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and cleaved caspase-3. It was found that the viability of THP-1 cells was inhibited by COR in a dose- and time-dependent manner. After treatment with 200 µM COR for 24 h, the percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly increased. COR also downregulated the levels of Bcl-2, Akt1, Akt2 and Akt3, and elevated the expression of Bax. The protein levels of p-Akt and p-ERK were suppressed and cleaved caspase-3 was increased after treatment of COR. In conclusion, COR was found to induce apoptosis of THP-1 acute monocytic leukemia cells through downregulation of ERK/Akt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Huimin Mo
- Institute of Hematology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, P.R. China
| | - Jun Gu
- Department of Cardiology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Kan Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Zhihua Han
- Department of Cardiology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai 200011, P.R. China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Ultrasound, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China
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11
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Zheng R, Studzinski GP. Optimal AraC-Cytotoxicity to AML Cells Requires ERK5 Activity. J Cell Biochem 2017; 118:1583-1589. [DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruifang Zheng
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, New Jersey Medical School; Rutgers University; 185 South Orange Ave. Newark New Jersey 07103
| | - George P. Studzinski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, New Jersey Medical School; Rutgers University; 185 South Orange Ave. Newark New Jersey 07103
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12
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Liu F, Zhang H, Song H. Upregulation of MEK5 by Stat3 promotes breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Oncol Rep 2017; 37:83-90. [PMID: 27878304 DOI: 10.3892/or.2016.5256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitogen extracellular-signal-regulated kinase kinase 5 (MEK5) plays an important role in promoting cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. The aberrant expression of MEK5 has been reported in various malignant diseases including cancers of breast, prostate, lung, colorectal and brain. However, the function and regulation of MEK5 signaling pathway are ambiguous and remain elusive with respect to its oncogenic roles in various cancers, especially in the regulation of the initiation and progression of cancer invasion and metastasis. Ectopic expression of MEK5 or knockdown of MEK5 by shRNA with in vitro cell based models demonstrated the role of MEK5 in regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Here, we show that MEK5 upregulated by Stat3 promotes breast cancer cell invasion through EMT. Further study demonstrated that Stat3 could bind to promoter region of MEK5 and enhanced MEK5 transcription and expression. In addition, the phosphorylation of MEK5 significantly increased in breast cancer cells corresponding to metastatic capability of breast cancer cells. The depletion of MEK5 by shRNA significantly decreased breast cancer invasion. Ectopic expression of MEK5 could confer non-invasive breast cancer cells to become invasion capable cells. Moreover, the phosphorylation of Erk5, a MEK5-regulated downstream kinase, was also upregulated consistent with the increased level of active MEK5. Our studies provide insights into a molecular mechanism by which MEK5 transcriptionally upregulated by Stat3 augments breast cancer cell EMT, which subsequently enhances cancer cell invasion and metastasis. This finding may suggest that Stat3 and MEK5/Erk5 pathways could be an effective therapeutic target for inhibition of breast cancer invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Xi'an Jiaotong University Suzhou Academy, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Shantou University Medical College Cancer Research Center, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, P.R. China
| | - Hui Song
- Xi'an Jiaotong University Suzhou Academy, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China
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13
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Exposure to p, p'-DDE Induces Morphological Changes and Activation of the PKC α-p38-C/EBP β Pathway in Human Promyelocytic HL-60 Cells. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:1375606. [PMID: 27833915 PMCID: PMC5090076 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1375606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE), the most persistent metabolite of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), is still present in the human population. Both are present in the bone marrow of patients with bone marrow disorders, but thus far there are no studies that assess the capability of p,p′-DDE to affect myeloid cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of p,p′-DDE on promyelocytic cell differentiation and intracellular pathways related to this event. p,p′-DDE induced morphological changes compatible with promyelocytic differentiation in a concentration-dependent manner. The p,p′-DDE effect on [Ca2+]i, C/EBPβ protein levels, PKCα and p38 activation, and the role of oxidative stress or PLA2 was assayed. Exposure to 1.9 μg/mL of p,p′-DDE increased [Ca2+]i, PKCα, p38, and C/EBPβ protein levels; the increase of nuclear C/EBPβ protein was dependent on p38. PKCα phosphorylation was dependent on PLA2 and p,p′-DDE-induced oxidative stress. p38 phosphorylation induced by p,p′-DDE was dependent on PLA2, PKC activation, and oxidative stress. These effects of p,p′-DDE at concentrations found in human bone marrow may induce alterations in immature myeloid cells and could affect their cellular homeostasis. In order to establish the risk from exposure to p,p′-DDE on the development of bone marrow disorders in humans, these effects deserve further study.
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14
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Simões AES, Rodrigues CMP, Borralho PM. The MEK5/ERK5 signalling pathway in cancer: a promising novel therapeutic target. Drug Discov Today 2016; 21:1654-1663. [PMID: 27320690 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Conventional mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members are among the most sought-after oncogenic effectors for the development of novel human cancer treatment strategies. MEK5/ERK5 has been the less-studied MAPK subfamily, despite its increasingly demonstrated relevance in the growth, survival, and differentiation of normal cells. MEK5/ERK5 signalling has already been proposed to have pivotal roles in several cancer hallmarks, and to mediate the effects of a range of oncogenes. Accumulating evidence indicates the contribution of MEK5/ERK5 signalling to therapy resistance and the benefits of using MEK5/ERK5 inhibitory strategies in the treatment of human cancer. Here, we explore the major known contributions of MEK5/ERK5 signalling to the onset and progression of several types of cancer, and highlight the potential clinical relevance of targeting MEK5/ERK5 pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- André E S Simões
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Cecília M P Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Pedro M Borralho
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
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15
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Studzinski GP, Harrison JS, Wang X, Sarkar S, Kalia V, Danilenko M. Vitamin D Control of Hematopoietic Cell Differentiation and Leukemia. J Cell Biochem 2016; 116:1500-12. [PMID: 25694395 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It is now well known that in the mammalian body vitamin D is converted by successive hydroxylations to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D), a steroid-like hormone with pleiotropic properties. These include important contributions to the control of cell proliferation, survival and differentiation, as well as the regulation of immune responses in disease. Here, we present recent advances in current understanding of the role of 1,25D in myelopoiesis and lymphopoiesis, and the potential of 1,25D and analogs (vitamin D derivatives; VDDs) for the control of hematopoietic malignancies. The reasons for the unimpressive results of most clinical studies of the therapeutic effects of VDDs in leukemia and related diseases may include the lack of a precise rationale for the conduct of these studies. Further, clinical trials to date have generally used extremely heterogeneous patient populations and, in many cases, small numbers of patients, generally without controls. Although low calcemic VDDs have been used and combined with agents that can increase the leukemia cell killing or differentiation effects in acute leukemias, the sequencing of agents used for combination therapy should to be more clearly delineated. Most importantly, it is recommended that in future clinical trials the rationale for the basis of the enhancing action of drug combinations should be clearly articulated and the effects on anticancer immunity should also be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- George P Studzinski
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers, NJ Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, New Jersey 07103
| | - Jonathan S Harrison
- Department of Medicine, University of Missouri Medical School, One Hospital Drive, Columbia, Missouri 65212
| | - Xuening Wang
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers, NJ Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, New Jersey 07103
| | - Surojit Sarkar
- The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Vandana Kalia
- The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Michael Danilenko
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, 84105, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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16
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The Non-Genomic Actions of Vitamin D. Nutrients 2016; 8:135. [PMID: 26950144 PMCID: PMC4808864 DOI: 10.3390/nu8030135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its discovery in 1920, a great deal of effort has gone into investigating the physiological actions of vitamin D and the impact its deficiency has on human health. Despite this intense interest, there is still disagreement on what constitutes the lower boundary of adequacy and on the Recommended Dietary Allowance. There has also been a major push to elucidate the biochemistry of vitamin D, its metabolic pathways and the mechanisms that mediate its action. Originally thought to act by altering the expression of target genes, it was realized in the mid-1980s that some of the actions of vitamin D were too rapid to be accounted for by changes at the genomic level. These rapid non-genomic actions have attracted as much interest as the genomic actions and they have spawned additional questions in an already busy field. This mini-review attempts to summarise the in vitro and in vivo work that has been conducted to characterise the rapid non-genomic actions, the mechanisms that give rise to these properties and the roles that these play in the overall action of vitamin D at the cellular level. Understanding the effects of vitamin D at the cellular level should enable the design of elegant human studies to extract the full potential of vitamin D to benefit human health.
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17
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Abdala-Valencia H, Soveg F, Cook-Mills JM. γ-Tocopherol supplementation of allergic female mice augments development of CD11c+CD11b+ dendritic cells in utero and allergic inflammation in neonates. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2016; 310:L759-71. [PMID: 26801566 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00301.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Tocopherol increases responses to allergen challenge in allergic adult mice, but it is not known whether γ-tocopherol regulates the development of allergic disease. Development of allergic disease often occurs early in life. In clinical studies and animal models, offspring of allergic mothers have increased responsiveness to allergen challenge. Therefore, we determined whether γ-tocopherol augments development of allergic responses in offspring of allergic female mice. Allergic female mice were supplemented with γ-tocopherol starting at mating. The pups from allergic mothers developed allergic lung responses, whereas pups from saline-treated mothers did not respond to allergen challenge. The γ-tocopherol supplementation of allergic female mice increased the numbers of eosinophils twofold in the pup bronchoalveolar lavage and lungs after allergen challenge. There was also about a twofold increase in pup lung CD11b(+) subsets of CD11c(+) dendritic cells and in numbers of these dendritic cells expressing the transcription factor IRF4. There was no change in several CD11b(-) dendritic cell subsets. Furthermore, maternal supplementation with γ-tocopherol increased the number of fetal liver CD11b(+)CD11c(+) dendritic cells twofold in utero. In the pups, γ-tocopherol increased lung expression of the inflammatory mediators CCL11, amphiregulin, activin A, and IL-5. In conclusion, maternal supplementation with γ-tocopherol increased fetal development of subsets of dendritic cells that are critical for allergic responses and increased development of allergic responses in pups from allergic mothers. These results have implications for supplementation of allergic mothers with γ-tocopherol in prenatal vitamins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiam Abdala-Valencia
- Allergy-Immunology Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Frank Soveg
- Allergy-Immunology Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Joan M Cook-Mills
- Allergy-Immunology Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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18
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Yiang GT, Chen JN, Wu TK, Wang HF, Hung YT, Chang WJ, Chen C, Wei CW, Yu YL. Ascorbic acid inhibits TPA-induced HL-60 cell differentiation by decreasing cellular H₂O₂ and ERK phosphorylation. Mol Med Rep 2015; 12:5501-7. [PMID: 26238149 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2015.4091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid (RA), vitamin D and 12-O‑tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) can induce HL-60 cells to differentiate into granulocytes, monocytes and macrophages, respectively. Similar to RA and vitamin D, ascorbic acid also belongs to the vitamin family. High‑dose ascorbic acid (>100 µM) induces HL‑60 cell apoptosis and induces a small fraction of HL‑60 cells to express the granulocyte marker, CD66b. In addition, ascorbic acid exerts an anti‑oxidative stress function. Oxidative stress is required for HL‑60 cell differentiation following treatment with TPA, however, the effect of ascorbic acid on HL‑60 cell differentiation in combination with TPA treatment remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cellular effects of ascorbic acid treatment on TPA-differentiated HL-60 cells. TPA-differentiated HL-60 cells were used for this investigation, this study and the levels of cellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), caspase activity and ERK phosphorylation were determined following combined treatment with TPA and ascorbic acid. The results demonstrated that low‑dose ascorbic acid (5 µM) reduced the cellular levels of H2O2 and inhibited the differentiation of HL‑60 cells into macrophages following treatment with TPA. In addition, the results of the present study further demonstrated that low‑dose ascorbic acid inactivates the ERK phosphorylation pathway, which inhibited HL‑60 cell differentiation following treatment with TPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giou-Teng Yiang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 231, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Jen-Ni Chen
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Tsai-Kun Wu
- The Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, China Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taichung 404, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Hsueh-Fang Wang
- Department of Nutrition, Master Program of Biomedical Nutrition, Hungkuang University, Taichung 433, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Yu-Ting Hung
- Department of Nutrition, Master Program of Biomedical Nutrition, Hungkuang University, Taichung 433, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Wei-Jung Chang
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chinshuh Chen
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chyou-Wei Wei
- Department of Nutrition, Master Program of Biomedical Nutrition, Hungkuang University, Taichung 433, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Yung-Luen Yu
- The Ph.D. Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, China Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taichung 404, Taiwan, R.O.C
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19
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Xu Y, Cao C, Gong X, Rong L. Inhibition of ERK5 enhances cytarabine-induced apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells. Int J Clin Exp Med 2015; 8:6446-6455. [PMID: 26131272 PMCID: PMC4483818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a fatal hematological malignancy which is resistant to a variety of chemotherapy drugs. Phospho-ERK5 (p-ERK5) plays a novel role in chemoresistance in some cancer cells and this pathway is a central mediator of cell survival and apoptotic regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a specific ERK5 small interference RNA (siRNA) on proliferation and the sensitivity of HL-60 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells to the chemotherapeutic drug cytarabine. METHODS The cells were transfected with siRNAs using Lipofectamine™ 2000 transfection reagent. Relative ERK5 mRNA and protein levels were measured by quantitative real-time PCR, immunocytochemical assay, and Western blotting, respectively. The cytotoxic effects of cytarabine and ERK5 siRNA, alone and in combination, on leukemic cells were determined using colony formation and MTT assay. Apoptosis was assessed by ELISA cell death assay. RESULTS ERK5 siRNA markedly reduced both mRNA and protein expression levels leading to distinct inhibition of cell proliferation and increased spontaneous apoptosis. Surprisingly, ERK5 siRNA synergistically increased the cell toxic effects of cytarabine. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that down-regulation of ERK5 by siRNA can trigger apoptosis and overcome drug resistance of leukemia cells. Therefore, ERK5 siRNA may be an effective adjuvant in AML chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xu
- Department of Haematology, People's Hospital of Linyi Shandong, China
| | - Cuiming Cao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnosis Center, Jinan Central Hospital Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiuchun Gong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Linyi Shandong, China
| | - LiJun Rong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of LinYi Shandong, China
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20
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Zheng R, Wang X, Studzinski GP. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 induces monocytic differentiation of human myeloid leukemia cells by regulating C/EBPβ expression through MEF2C. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 148:132-7. [PMID: 25448741 PMCID: PMC4361347 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2014.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Myogenic enhancer factor2 (Mef2) consists of a family of transcription factors involved in morphogenesis of skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle cells. Among the four isoforms (Mef2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D), Mef2C was also found to play important roles in hematopoiesis. At myeloid progenitor level, Mef2C expression favors monocytic differentiation. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that ERK5 was activated in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D)-induced monocytic differentiation in AML cells and ERK5 activation was accompanied by increased Mef2C phosphorylation. We therefore examined the role of Mef2C in 1,25D-induced monocytic differentiation in AML cell lines (HL60, U937 and THP1) and found that knockdown of Mef2C with small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly decreases the expression of the monocytic marker, CD14, without affecting the expression of the general myeloid marker, CD11b. CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) β, which can bind to CD14 promoter and increase its transcription, has been shown to be the downstream effector of 1,25D-induced monocytic differentiation in AML cells. When Mef2C was knocked down, expression of C/EBPβ was reduced at both mRNA and protein levels. The protein expression levels of cell cycle regulators, p27(Kip1) and cyclin D1, were not affected by Mef2C knockdown, nor the monopoiesis related transcription factor, ATF2 (activating transcription factor 2). Thus, we conclude that 1,25D-induced monocytic differentiation, and CD14 expression in particular, are mediated through activation of ERK5-Mef2C-C/EBPβ signaling pathway, and that Mef2C does not seem to modulate cell cycle progression.
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MESH Headings
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Blotting, Western
- CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta/genetics
- CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta/metabolism
- Calcitriol/pharmacology
- Cell Differentiation/drug effects
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Cyclin D1/genetics
- Cyclin D1/metabolism
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27/genetics
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27/metabolism
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Humans
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- MEF2 Transcription Factors/antagonists & inhibitors
- MEF2 Transcription Factors/genetics
- MEF2 Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Monocytes/drug effects
- Monocytes/metabolism
- Monocytes/pathology
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Vitamins/pharmacology
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifang Zheng
- UH Cancer Center, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, 205 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Xuening Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - George P Studzinski
- UH Cancer Center, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, 205 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 07103, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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21
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Gocek E, Studzinski GP. The Potential of Vitamin D-Regulated Intracellular Signaling Pathways as Targets for Myeloid Leukemia Therapy. J Clin Med 2015; 4:504-34. [PMID: 26239344 PMCID: PMC4470153 DOI: 10.3390/jcm4040504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The current standard regimens for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are curative in less than half of patients; therefore, there is a great need for innovative new approaches to this problem. One approach is to target new treatments to the pathways that are instrumental to cell growth and survival with drugs that are less harmful to normal cells than to neoplastic cells. In this review, we focus on the MAPK family of signaling pathways and those that are known to, or potentially can, interact with MAPKs, such as PI3K/AKT/FOXO and JAK/STAT. We exemplify the recent studies in this field with specific relevance to vitamin D and its derivatives, since they have featured prominently in recent scientific literature as having anti-cancer properties. Since microRNAs also are known to be regulated by activated vitamin D, this is also briefly discussed here, as are the implications of the emerging acquisition of transcriptosome data and potentiation of the biological effects of vitamin D by other compounds. While there are ongoing clinical trials of various compounds that affect signaling pathways, more studies are needed to establish the clinical utility of vitamin D in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Gocek
- Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Joliot-Curie 14a, Wroclaw 50-383, Poland.
| | - George P Studzinski
- Department of Pathology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 185 South Orange Ave., Newark, NJ 17101, USA.
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22
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Wang X, Pesakhov S, Harrison JS, Kafka M, Danilenko M, Studzinski GP. The MAPK ERK5, but not ERK1/2, inhibits the progression of monocytic phenotype to the functioning macrophage. Exp Cell Res 2014; 330:199-211. [PMID: 25447310 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular signaling pathways present targets for pharmacological agents with potential for treatment of neoplastic diseases, with some disease remissions already recorded. However, cellular compensatory mechanisms usually negate the initial success. For instance, attempts to interrupt aberrant signaling downstream of the frequently mutated ras by inhibiting ERK1/2 has shown only limited usefulness for cancer therapy. Here, we examined how ERK5, that overlaps the functions of ERK1/2 in cell proliferation and survival, functions in a manner distinct from ERK1/2 in human AML cells induced to differentiate by 1,25D-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D). Using inhibitors of ERK1/2 and of MEK5/ERK5 at concentrations specific for each kinase in HL60 and U937 cells, we observed that selective inhibition of the kinase activity of ERK5, but not of ERK1/2, in the presence of 1,25D resulted in macrophage-like cell morphology and enhancement of phagocytic activity. Importantly, this was associated with increased expression of the macrophage colony stimulating factor receptor (M-CSFR), but was not seen when M-CSFR expression was knocked down. Interestingly, inhibition of ERK1/2 led to activation of ERK5 in these cells. Our results support the hypothesis that ERK5 negatively regulates the expression of M-CSFR, and thus has a restraining function on macrophage differentiation. The addition of pharmacological inhibitors of ERK5 may influence trials of differentiation therapy of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuening Wang
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers, NJ Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Stella Pesakhov
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, 84105 Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Jonathan S Harrison
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Michael Kafka
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, 84105 Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Michael Danilenko
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry & Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, 84105 Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - George P Studzinski
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers, NJ Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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23
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Abdala-Valencia H, Berdnikovs S, Soveg FW, Cook-Mills JM. α-Tocopherol supplementation of allergic female mice inhibits development of CD11c+CD11b+ dendritic cells in utero and allergic inflammation in neonates. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2014; 307:L482-96. [PMID: 25015974 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00132.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
α-Tocopherol blocks responses to allergen challenge in allergic adult mice, but it is not known whether α-tocopherol regulates the development of allergic disease. Development of allergic disease often occurs early in life. In clinical studies and animal models, offspring of allergic mothers have increased responsiveness to allergen challenge. Therefore, we determined whether α-tocopherol blocked development of allergic responses in offspring of allergic female mice. Allergic female mice were supplemented with α-tocopherol starting at mating. The pups from allergic mothers developed allergic lung responses, whereas pups from saline-treated mothers did not respond to the allergen challenge, and α-tocopherol supplementation of allergic female mice resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in eosinophils in the pup bronchoalveolar lavage and lungs after allergen challenge. There was also a reduction in pup lung CD11b(+) dendritic cell subsets that are critical to development of allergic responses, but there was no change in several CD11b(-) dendritic cell subsets. Furthermore, maternal supplementation with α-tocopherol reduced the number of fetal liver CD11b(+) dendritic cells in utero. In the pups, there was reduced allergen-induced lung mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-33, TSLP, CCL11, and CCL24. Cross-fostering pups at the time of birth demonstrated that α-tocopherol had a regulatory function in utero. In conclusion, maternal supplementation with α-tocopherol reduced fetal development of subsets of dendritic cells that are critical for allergic responses and reduced development of allergic responses in pups from allergic mothers. These results have implications for supplementation of allergic mothers with α-tocopherol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiam Abdala-Valencia
- Allergy-Immunology Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sergejs Berdnikovs
- Allergy-Immunology Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Frank W Soveg
- Allergy-Immunology Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Joan M Cook-Mills
- Allergy-Immunology Division, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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