CHFR, a potential tumor suppressor, downregulates interleukin-8 through the inhibition of NF-κB

EagleC: A deep-learning framework for detecting a full range of structural variations from bulk and single-cell contact maps

The Hi-C technique has been shown to be a promising method to detect structural variations (SVs) in human genomes. However, algorithms that can use Hi-C data for a full-range SV detection have been severely lacking. Current methods can only identify interchromosomal translocations and long-range intrachromosomal SVs (>1 Mb) at less-than-optimal resolution. Therefore, we develop EagleC, a framework that combines deep-learning and ensemble-learning strategies to predict a full range of SVs at high resolution. We show that EagleC can uniquely capture a set of fusion genes that are missed by whole-genome sequencing or nanopore. Furthermore, EagleC also effectively captures SVs in other chromatin interaction platforms, such as HiChIP, Chromatin interaction analysis with paired-end tag sequencing (ChIA-PET), and capture Hi-C. We apply EagleC in more than 100 cancer cell lines and primary tumors and identify a valuable set of high-quality SVs. Last, we demonstrate that EagleC can be applied to single-cell Hi-C and used to study the SV heterogeneity in primary tumors.

CHFR regulates chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer through destabilizing ZEB1

Failures to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are mainly due to chemoresistance or radioresistance. We and others previously discovered that zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is a massive driver causing these resistance. However, how to dynamically modulate the intrinsic expression of ZEB1 during cell cycle progression is elusive. Here integrated affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry and TCGA analysis identify a cell cycle-related E3 ubiquitin ligase, checkpoint with forkhead and ring finger domains (CHFR), as a key negative regulator of ZEB1 in TNBC. Functional studies reveal that CHFR associates with and decreases ZEB1 expression in a ubiquitinating-dependent manner and that CHFR represses fatty acid synthase (FASN) expression through ZEB1, leading to significant cell death of TNBC under chemotherapy. Intriguingly, a small-molecule inhibitor of HDAC under clinical trial, Trichostatin A (TSA), increases the expression of CHFR independent of histone acetylation, thereby destabilizes ZEB1 and sensitizes the resistant TNBC cells to conventional chemotherapy. In patients with basal-like breast cancers, CHFR levels significantly correlates with survival. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential for targeting CHFR-ZEB1 signaling in resistant malignant breast cancers.

Human papillomavirus-positivity is associated with EREG down-regulation and promoter hypermethylation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) etiology has become evident in head and neck cancers (HNCs) and HPV positivity showed a strong association with its malignant progression. Since aberrant DNA methylation is known to drive carcinogenesis and progression in HNCs, we investigated to determine target gene(s) associated with this modification.

METHODS

We characterized epigenetic changes in tumor-related genes (TRGs) that are known to be associated with HNC development and its progression.

RESULTS

The expression levels of 42 candidate HNC-associated genes were analyzed. Of these, 7 TGRs (CHFR, RARβ, GRB7, EREG, RUNX2, RUNX3, and SMG-1) showed decreased expressions in HPV-positive (⁺) HNC cells compared with HPV-negative (^-) HNC cells. When gene expression levels were compared corresponding to the DNA methylation conditions, GRB7 and EREG showed significant differential expression between HPV⁺ and HPV^- cells, which suggested these genes as primary targets of epigenetic regulation in HPV-induced carcinogenesis. Furthermore, treatment with a demethylation agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dc), caused restoration of EREG expression and was associated with hypomethylation of its promoter in HPV⁺ cells, while no changes was noted in HPV^- cells. EREG promoter hypermethylation in HPV⁺ cells was confirmed using methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR).

CONCLUSION

We conclude that EREG is the target of epigenetic regulation in HPV⁺ HNCs and its suppressed expression through promoter hypermethylation is associated with the development of HPV-associated HNCs.

Epigenetics and the Environment in Airway Disease: Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis

Asthma and rhinitis are complex, heterogeneous diseases characterized by chronic inflammation of the upper and lower airways. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a number of susceptible loci and candidate genes associated with the pathogenesis of asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), the risk-associated alleles account for only a very small percent of the genetic risk. In allergic airway and other complex diseases, it is thought that epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding microRNAs, caused by complex interactions between the underlying genome and the environment may account for some of this "missing heritability" and may explain the high degree of plasticity in immune responses. In this chapter, we will focus on the current knowledge of classical epigenetic modifications, DNA methylation and histone modifications, and their potential role in asthma and AR. In particular, we will review epigenetic variations associated with maternal airway disease, demographics, environment, and non-specific associations. The role of specific genetic haplotypes in environmentally induced epigenetic changes are also discussed. A major limitation of many of the current studies of asthma epigenetics is that they evaluate epigenetic modifications in both allergic and non-allergic asthma, making it difficult to distinguish those epigenetic modifications that mediate allergic asthma from those that mediate non-allergic asthma. Additionally, most DNA methylation studies in asthma use peripheral or cord blood due to poor accessibility of airway cells or tissue. Unlike DNA sequences, epigenetic alterations are quite cell- and tissue-specific, and epigenetic changes found in airway tissue or cells may be discordant from that of circulating blood. These two confounding factors should be considered when reviewing epigenetic studies in allergic airway disease.

CHFR promotes the migration of human gastric cancer cells by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in a HDAC1-dependent manner

Background

Previous studies have illustrated that checkpoint with forkhead-associated and ring finger domains (CHFR) was frequently silenced in several cancer types due to promoter hypermethylation and functions as a tumor suppressor gene. However, the data from the public dataset reveal that CHFR is highly expressed in human gastric cancer specimens, and the biological function of CHFR in gastric cancer is still not well understood.

Materials and methods

The clinical association between CHFR expression and the overall survival of gastric cancer patients as well as cancer metastasis was analyzed according to public datasets. The CHFR expression in clinical specimens and human gastric cancer cell lines was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, respectively. Gain (overexpression) and loss (silencing) of function experiments were used to elucidate the role of CHFR in gastric cancer. The migration ability of gastric cancer cells was determined by wound healing and transwell assays. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting experiment. The expression of the proteins in cancer cells was measured using Western blot analysis.

Results

According to the analysis from Kaplan–Meier plotter dataset, CHFR expression was negatively associated with overall survival of gastric cancer patients. Our data revealed that exogenous expression of CHFR not only arrested cell cycle but also led to dramatically enhanced cell migration, while silencing of CHFR significantly inhibited cell migration in gastric cancer cells. This result is consistent with the data from the Human Cancer Metastasis Dataset, in which CHFR level is found to significantly increase in metastatic gastric cancer. The overexpression of CHFR promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in both SGC-7901 and AGS cells, while HDAC1 was inhibited. Interestingly, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, a HDAC1 antagonist, could effectively increase cell migration in both cell lines via enhancement of EMT.

Conclusion

Our data indicated that CHFR exerted positive effects on cell migration of human gastric cancer by promoting EMT via downregulating HDAC1.

Upregulation of the checkpoint protein CHFR is associated with tumor suppression in pancreatic cancers

The checkpoint with forkhead-associated (FHA) domain and RING-finger (CHFR) protein was identified as a cell cycle checkpoint protein and E3 ubiquitin ligase. In the present study, the potential functions of CHFR in pancreatic cancer were investigated. CHFR expression was measured in five pancreatic cancer cell lines by reverse transcription- quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Capan-1 cells stably expressing CHFR were established by lentiviral vector transfection. Cell proliferation was assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, and cell migration/invasion assay was determined using Transwell assays. Cell cycle and apoptosis induced by gemcitabine or docetaxel were evaluated using flow cytometry. CHFR expression levels were also evaluated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor samples as well as adjacent non-tumor tissues by immunohistochemistry. The significance of CHFR expression was determined, with respect to clinicopathological features and overall survival. Overexpression of CHFR in Capan-1 cells led to a decreased proliferative rate and reduced cell migration and invasion abilities. Results also indicated an increase in G1 phase cells in Capan-1 cells overexpressing CHFR. Docetaxel-induced apoptosis was inhibited in Capan-1 cells with CHFR-overexpression. A reduction in CHFR expression was detected in 51.9% of patients with PDAC, which significantly correlated with later T-stage. The results show CHFR functions as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer, suggests its potential role in controlling the cell cycle of pancreatic cancer cells; however, CHFR overexpression is not a favorable factor in apoptosis induced by docetaxel.

Clinicopathological significance of CHFR promoter methylation in gastric cancer: a meta-analysis

The mitotic checkpoint gene (CHFR) (Checkpoint with Forkhead-associated and Ring finger domains is a G2 phase/mitosis checkpoint and tumor-suppressor gene. Recent studies have reported the relationship of CHFR promoter methylation with clinicopathological significance of gastric cancer. However, the results remain unclear due to small size of sample. We pooled 15 studies including 827 gastric cancer patients and conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the clinicopathological significance of CHFR promoter methylation in gastric cancer. Our data revealed that the frequency of CHFR promoter methylation was higher in gastric cancer than in normal gastric tissue, Odd Ratio (OR) was 10.12 with 95% CI 5.17–19.79, p < 0.00001. Additionally, the rate of CHFR promoter methylation was significantly increased in high grade of gastric cancer compared to low grade, OR was 1.64 with 95% CI 1.00–2.68, p = 0.05. CHFR methylation was significantly associated with the positive lymph node metastasis, OR was 1.56 with 95% CI 1.05–2.32, p = 0.03. We concluded that CHFR could serve as a biomarker for diagnosis of gastric cancer, and a drug target for development of gene therapy in gastric cancer. CHFR promoter methylation is associated with tumor poor differentiation and lymph node metastasis.

RNF8 negatively regulates NF-kappaB signaling by targeting IkappaB kinase: implications for the regulation of inflammation signaling

Persistent or excess activation of NF-κB leads to cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, activated NF-κB needs to be terminated after induction, which highlights the physiological significance of NF-κB-negative regulators. However, the molecular mechanisms that negatively regulate NF-κB are not well understood. Here, we report that Ring Finger Protein 8 (RNF8), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, inhibits TNFα-mediated NF-κB activation by targeting IκB kinase (IKK). Upon TNFα stimulation, RNF8 binds to the catalytic subunits of IKK complex, resulting in inhibition of IKKα/β phosphorylation and subsequent NF-κB activation. RNF8 targets the IKK complex in a manner independent of its RING domain. We further provide evidence that the silencing of RNF8 results in enhanced TNFα-induced IKK activation, and an increase expression of NF-κB-induced inflammatory cytokine IL-8. Our study identifies a previously unrecognized role for RNF8 in the negative regulation of NF-κB activation by targeting and deactivating the IKK complex.

Emerging evidence for CHFR as a cancer biomarker: from tumor biology to precision medicine

Novel insights in the biology of cancer have switched the paradigm of a “one-size-fits-all” cancer treatment to an individualized biology-driven treatment approach. In recent years, a diversity of biomarkers and targeted therapies has been discovered. Although these examples accentuate the promise of personalized cancer treatment, for most cancers and cancer subgroups no biomarkers and effective targeted therapy are available. The great majority of patients still receive unselected standard therapies with no use of their individual molecular characteristics. Better knowledge about the underlying tumor biology will lead the way toward personalized cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the evidence for a promising cancer biomarker: checkpoint with forkhead and ring finger domains (CHFR). CHFR is a mitotic checkpoint and tumor suppressor gene, which is inactivated in a diverse group of solid malignancies, mostly by promoter CpG island methylation. CHFR inactivation has shown to be an indicator of poor prognosis and sensitivity to taxane-based chemotherapy. Here we summarize the current knowledge of altered CHFR expression in cancer, the impact on tumor biology and implications for personalized cancer treatment.

Aberrant expression of the CHFR prophase checkpoint gene in human B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Checkpoint with FHA and Ring Finger (CHFR) is a checkpoint protein that reportedly initiates a cell cycle delay in response to microtubule stress during prophase in mitosis, which has become an interesting target for understanding cancer pathogenesis. Recently, aberrant methylation of the CHFR gene associated with gene silencing has been reported in several cancers. In the present study, we examined the expression of CHFR in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that the expression level of CHFR mRNA and protein was reduced in B-NHL tissue samples and B cell lines. Furthermore, CHFR methylation was detected in 39 of 122 B-NHL patients, which was not found in noncancerous reactive hyperplasia of lymph node (RH) tissues. CHFR methylation correlated with the reduced expression of CHFR, high International Prognostic Index (IPI) scores and later pathologic Ann Arbor stages of B-NHL. Treatment with demethylation reagent, 5-Aza-dC, could eliminate the hypermethylation of CHFR, enhance CHFR expression and cell apoptosis and inhibit the cell proliferation of Raji cells, which could be induced by high expression of CHFR in Raji cells. Our results indicated that aberrant methylation of CHFR may be associated with the pathogenesis, progression for B-NHL, which might be a novel molecular marker as prognosis and treatment for B-NHL.

Differential DNA methylation profiles of infants exposed to maternal asthma during pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a complex disease that involves both genetic factors and environmental exposures. Aberrant epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, may be important in asthma development. Fetal exposure to maternal asthma during critical periods of in utero development may lead to epigenetic alterations that predispose infants to a greater risk of developing asthma themselves. We investigated alterations in the DNA methylation profile of peripheral blood from infants exposed to maternal asthma during pregnancy.

METHODS

Peripheral blood was collected from 12-month-old infants born to women with (n = 25) and without (n = 15) doctor diagnosed asthma during pregnancy. Genomic DNA was extracted, bisulfite converted, and hybridized to Infinium Methylation 27 arrays (Illumina), containing over27,000 CpGs from 14,495 genes. CpG loci in only autosomal genes were classified as differentially methylated at the 99% level (P < 0.01, |DiffScore| > 22 and delta beta >0.06).

RESULTS

There were 70 CpG loci, corresponding to 67 genes that were significantly differentially methylated. Twelve CpG loci (11 genes) showed greater than 10% comparative difference in DNA methylation, including hyper-methylated loci of FAM181A, MRI1, PIWIL1, CHFR, DEFA1, MRPL28, AURKA, and hypo-methylated loci of NALP1L5, MAP8KIP3, ACAT2, and PM20D1 in maternal asthma. Methylation of MAPK8IP3 was significantly negatively correlated with maternal blood eosinophils (r = -0.38; P = 0.022), maternal eNO (r = -0.44; P = 0.005), and maternal serum total IgE (r = -0.39, P = 0.015). Methylation of AURKA negatively correlated with maternal hemoglobin (r = -0.43; P = 0.008), infants height (r = -0.51; P < 0.001) and weight (r = -0.36; P = 0.021). Methylation of PM20D1 was lower in infants born to mothers with asthma on inhaled corticosteroid treatment. Methylation of PM20D1 was lower and MRI1 was higher in infants born to atopic mothers without asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

In an Australian study population, exposure to maternal asthma during pregnancy is associated with differential methylation profiles of infants' peripheral blood DNA, which may act as risk factors for future asthma development.

Chronic inflammation and cancer: potential chemoprevention through nuclear factor kappa B and p53 mutual antagonism

Activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF- κB) as a mechanism of host defense against infection and stress is the central mediator of inflammatory responses. A normal (acute) inflammatory response is activated on urgent basis and is auto-regulated. Chronic inflammation that results due to failure in the regulatory mechanism, however, is largely considered as a critical determinant in the initiation and progression of various forms of cancer. Mechanistically, NF- κB favors this process by inducing various genes responsible for cell survival, proliferation, migration, invasion while at the same time antagonizing growth regulators including tumor suppressor p53. It has been shown by various independent investigations that a down regulation of NF- κB activity directly, or indirectly through the activation of the p53 pathway reduces tumor growth substantially. Therefore, there is a huge effort driven by many laboratories to understand the NF- κB signaling pathways to intervene the function of this crucial player in inflammation and tumorigenesis in order to find an effective inhibitor directly, or through the p53 tumor suppressor. We discuss here on the role of NF- κB in chronic inflammation and cancer, highlighting mutual antagonism between NF- κB and p53 pathways in the process. We also discuss prospective pharmacological modulators of these two pathways, including those that were already tested to affect this mutual antagonism.

Rlim, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, influences the stability of Stathmin protein in human osteosarcoma cells

Stathmin is an oncoprotein and is expressed at high levels in a wide variety of human malignancies, which plays important roles in maintenance of malignant phenotypes. The regulation of Stathmin gene overexpression has been wildly explored, but the exact mechanism still needs to be elucidated. It is believed that regulation of an oncogene protein abundance through post-translational modifications is essential for maintenance of malignant phenotypes. Here we identified the Rlim, a Ring H2 zinc finger protein with intrinsic ubiquitin ligase activity, as a Stathmin-interacting protein that could increase Stathmin turnover through binding with this targeted protein and then induce its degradation by proteasome in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. Inhibition of endogenous Rlim expression by siRNA could increase the level of Stathmin protein, which further led to cell proliferation and cell cycle changes in human osteosarcoma cell lines. On the other hand, forced overexpression of Rlim could decrease the level of Stathmin protein. These results demonstrate that Rlim is involved in the negative regulation of Stathmin protein level through physical interaction and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Hence, Rlim is a novel regulator of Stathmin protein in a ubiquitin-dependent manner, and represents a new pathway for malignant phenotype turnover by modulating the level of Stathmin protein in human osteosarcomas.

Epigenetic silencing of checkpoint with fork-head associated and ring finger gene expression in esophageal cancer

Checkpoint with fork-head associated and ring finger (CHFR) is a mitotic checkpoint gene with tumor-suppressor functions. Previous studies have described the hypermethylation of the CpG island in the promoter region as a key mechanism involved in silencing tumor suppressor genes. The epigenetic alterations regulating CHFR expression and the clinical significance of CHFR downregulation remain unclear. A total of 40 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent primary resection were enrolled in this study. CHFR mRNA expression was quantified, followed by an evaluation of the methylation status using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) techniques in 29 patients. The correlation between CHFR expression and MSP status was then analyzed. In addition, the significance of CHFR expression was determined, with respect to clinicopathological features and overall survival. Aberrant hypermethylation of the CHFR gene was observed in 13 of 29 primary esophageal cancers. The CHFR expression levels of the methylated status samples was significantly lower than that of the unmethylated status samples (P=0.014). CHFR expression levels did not exhibit clinical significance with respect to the patient characteristics or overall survival. Hypermethylation of the CHFR gene is a common event in the development of primary esophageal cancer. CpG island hypermethylation of the promoter region in the CHFR gene is a key mechanism involved in silencing the CHFR gene in patients with esophageal cancer.

CHFR aberrant methylation involves a subset of human lung adenocarcinoma associated with poor clinical outcomes

Excluding epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, v-Ki-ras2/Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutation, and echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) fusion, the genetic alterations involved in lung adenocarcinogenesis, especially those linked to poor clinical outcomes, are still unknown. In this study, we analyzed abnormal checkpoint gene with forkhead-associated domain and ring finger (CHFR) methylation along with the above 3 mutations in 165 lung adenocarcinomas, evaluated the spectrum of each molecular abnormality, and correlated the results with clinical and pathologic variables. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction followed by direct DNA sequencing, and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect these 3 mutations and CHFR hypermethylation. The EML4-ALK transcript or CHFR hypermethylation was found in 11 (6.7%) or 16 (10%) adenocarcinomas, respectively, whereas EGFR or KRAS mutation was detected in 48 (29%) or 13 (8%) cases, respectively. EGFR mutations occurred in patients who were negative for both CHFR hypermethylation and KRAS mutation. Among the 4 genetic or epigenetic abnormalities, only CHFR hypermethylation was significantly correlated with poor prognosis and lymphatic vessel invasion (P = .024). Histopathologically, the molecular abnormality that correlated with alveolar-destructive growth was the CHFR hypermethylation rather than the EGFR mutation (P = .03). Our results demonstrate that CHFR hypermethylation maybe one of the molecular abnormalities involved in a subset of lung adenocarcinomas with poor prognoses that might be induced by destructive growth and lymphatic vessel invasion of carcinoma cells. Thus, CHFR abnormality might be pursued as a novel therapeutic target against lung adenocarcinoma without an already-known mutation.

TWEAK and cIAP1 regulate myoblast fusion through the noncanonical NF-κB signaling pathway

The fusion of mononucleated muscle progenitor cells (myoblasts) into multinucleated muscle fibers is a critical aspect of muscle development and regeneration. We identified the noncanonical nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway as a signaling axis that drives the recruitment of myoblasts into new muscle fibers. Loss of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (cIAP1) protein led to constitutive activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway and an increase in the number of nuclei per myotube. Knockdown of essential mediators of NF-κB signaling, such as p100, RelB, inhibitor of κB kinase α, and NF-κB-inducing kinase, attenuated myoblast fusion in wild-type myoblasts. In contrast, the extent of myoblast fusion was increased when the activity of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway was enhanced by increasing the abundance of p52 and RelB or decreasing the abundance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 3, an inhibitor of this pathway. Low concentrations of the cytokine TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), which preferentially activates the noncanonical NF-κB pathway, also increased myoblast fusion, without causing atrophy or impairing myogenesis. These results identify roles for TWEAK, cIAP1, and noncanonical NF-κB signaling in the regulation of myoblast fusion and highlight a role for cytokine signaling during adult skeletal myogenesis.

Methylation-dependent activation of CDX1 through NF-κB: a link from inflammation to intestinal metaplasia in the human stomach

The caudal homeobox factor 1 (CDX1) is an essential transcription factor for intestinal differentiation. Its aberrant expression in intestinal metaplasia of the upper gastrointestinal tract is a hallmark within the gastritis-metaplasia-carcinoma sequence. CDX1 expression is influenced by certain pathways, such as Wnt, Ras, or NF-κB signaling; however, these pathways alone cannot explain the transient expression of CDX1 in intestinal metaplasia or the molecular inactivation mechanism of its loss in cases of advanced gastric cancer. In this study, we investigated the epigenetic inactivation of CDX1 by promoter methylation, as well as the functional link of CDX1 promoter methylation to the inflammatory NF-κB signaling pathway. We identified methylation-dependent NF-κB binding to the CDX1 promoter and quantified it using competitive electrophoretic mobility shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation. A methylated CDX1 promoter was associated with closed chromatin structure, reduced NF-κB binding, and transcriptional silencing. Along the gastritis-metaplasia-carcinoma sequence, we observed a biphasic pattern of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) protein expression and an inverse biphasic pattern of CDX1 promoter methylation; both are highly consistent with CDX1 protein expression. The stages of hyper-, hypo-, and hyper-methylation patterns of the CDX1 promoter were inversely correlated with the NF-κB signaling activity along this sequence. In conclusion, these functionally interacting events drive CDX1 expression and contribute to intestinal metaplasia, epithelial dedifferentiation, and carcinogenesis in the human stomach.

CHFR protein regulates mitotic checkpoint by targeting PARP-1 protein for ubiquitination and degradation

The mitotic checkpoint gene CHFR (checkpoint with forkhead-associated (FHA) and RING finger domains) is silenced by promoter hypermethylation or mutated in various human cancers, suggesting that CHFR is an important tumor suppressor. Recent studies have reported that CHFR functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase, resulting in the degradation of target proteins. To better understand how CHFR suppresses cell cycle progression and tumorigenesis, we sought to identify CHFR-interacting proteins using affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry. Here we show poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) to be a novel CHFR-interacting protein. In CHFR-expressing cells, mitotic stress induced the autoPARylation of PARP-1, resulting in an enhanced interaction between CHFR and PARP-1 and an increase in the polyubiquitination/degradation of PARP-1. The decrease in PARP-1 protein levels promoted cell cycle arrest at prophase, supporting that the cells expressing CHFR were resistant to microtubule inhibitors. In contrast, in CHFR-silenced cells, polyubiquitination was not induced in response to mitotic stress. Thus, PARP-1 protein levels did not decrease, and cells progressed into mitosis under mitotic stress, suggesting that CHFR-silenced cancer cells were sensitized to microtubule inhibitors. Furthermore, we found that cells from Chfr knockout mice and CHFR-silenced primary gastric cancer tissues expressed higher levels of PARP-1 protein, strongly supporting our data that the interaction between CHFR and PARP-1 plays an important role in cell cycle regulation and cancer therapeutic strategies. On the basis of our studies, we demonstrate a significant advantage for use of combinational chemotherapy with PARP inhibitors for cancer cells resistant to microtubule inhibitors.

The diverse and complex roles of NF-κB subunits in cancer

It is only recently that the full importance of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signalling to cancer development has been understood. Although much attention has focused on the upstream pathways leading to NF-κB activation, it is now becoming clear that the inhibitor of NF-κB kinases (IKKs), which regulate NF-κB activation, have many independent functions in tissue homeostasis and normal immune function that could compromise the clinical utility of IKK inhibitors. Therefore, if the NF-κB pathway is to be properly exploited as a target for both anticancer and anti-inflammatory drugs, it is appropriate to reconsider the complex roles of the individual NF-κB subunits.

Cysteine-rich intestinal protein 2 (CRIP2) acts as a repressor of NF-kappaB-mediated proangiogenic cytokine transcription to suppress tumorigenesis and angiogenesis

Chromosome 14 was transferred into tumorigenic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and esophageal carcinoma cell lines by a microcell-mediated chromosome transfer approach. Functional complementation of defects present in the cancer cells suppressed tumor formation. A candidate tumor-suppressor gene, cysteine-rich intestinal protein 2 (CRIP2), located in the hot spot for chromosomal loss at 14q32.3, was identified as an important candidate gene capable of functionally suppressing tumor formation. Previous studies have shown that CRIP2 is associated with development. To date, no report has provided functional evidence supporting a role for CRIP2 in tumor development. The present study provides unequivocal evidence that CRIP2 can functionally suppress tumorigenesis. CRIP2 is significantly down-regulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and tumors. CRIP2 reexpression functionally suppresses in vivo tumorigenesis and angiogenesis; these effects are induced by its transcription-repressor capability. It interacts with the NF-κB/p65 to inhibit its DNA-binding ability to the promoter regions of the major proangiogenesis cytokines critical for tumor progression, including IL6, IL8, and VEGF. In conclusion, we provide compelling evidence that CRIP2 acts as a transcription repressor of the NF-κB-mediated proangiogenic cytokine expression and thus functionally inhibits tumor formation and angiogenesis.

The nuclear signaling of NF-kappaB: current knowledge, new insights, and future perspectives

The nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) transcription factor plays a critical role in diverse cellular processes associated with proliferation, cell death, development, as well as innate and adaptive immune responses. NF-kappaB is normally sequestered in the cytoplasm by a family of inhibitory proteins known as inhibitors of NF-kappaB (IkappaBs). The signal pathways leading to the liberation and nuclear accumulation of NF-kappaB, which can be activated by a wide variety of stimuli, have been extensively studied in the past two decades. After gaining access to the nucleus, NF-kappaB must be actively regulated to execute its fundamental function as a transcription factor. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of nuclear signaling in the regulation of NF-kappaB transcriptional activity. A non-Rel subunit of NF-kappaB, ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3), and numerous other nuclear regulators of NF-kappaB, including Akirin, Nurr1, SIRT6, and others, have recently been identified, unveiling novel and exciting layers of regulatory specificity for NF-kappaB in the nucleus. Further insights into the nuclear events that govern NF-kappaB function will deepen our understanding of the elegant control of its transcriptional activity and better inform the potential rational design of therapeutics for NF-kappaB-associated diseases.