Induction of transformed cells to terminal differentiation

Development of a MEL Cell-Derived Allograft Mouse Model for Cancer Research

Murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells are often employed as a model to dissect mechanisms of erythropoiesis and erythroleukemia in vitro. Here, an allograft model using MEL cells resulting in splenomegaly was established to develop a diagnostic model for isolation/quantification of metastatic cells, anti-cancer drug screening, and evaluation of the tumorigenic or metastatic potentials of molecules in vivo. In this animal model, circulating MEL cells from the blood stream were successfully isolated and quantified with an additional in vitro cultivation step. In terms of the molecular-pathological analysis, we were able to successfully evaluate the functional discrimination between methyl-CpG-binding domain 2 (Mbd2) and p66α in erythroid differentiation, and tumorigenic potential in spleen and blood stream of allograft model mice. In addition, we found that the number of circulating MEL cells in anti-cancer drug-treated mice was dose-dependently decreased. Our data demonstrate that the newly established allograft model is useful to dissect erythroleukemia pathologies and non-invasively provides valuable means for isolation of metastatic cells, screening of anti-cancer drugs, and evaluation of the tumorigenic potentials.

Directly targeting transcriptional dysregulation in cancer

Drugs that target intracellular signalling pathways have markedly improved progression-free survival of patients with cancers who were previously regarded as untreatable. However, the rapid emergence of therapeutic resistance, as a result of bypass signalling or downstream mutation within kinase-mediated signalling cascades, has curtailed the benefit gained from these therapies. Such resistance mechanisms are facilitated by the linearity and redundancy of kinase signalling pathways. We argue that, in each cancer, the dysregulation of key transcriptional regulators not only defines the cancer phenotype but is essential for its development and maintenance. Furthermore, we propose that, as therapeutic targets, these transcriptional regulators are less prone to bypass by alternative mutational events or clonal heterogeneity, and therefore we must rekindle our efforts to directly target transcriptional regulation across a broad range of cancers.

α-1,6-Fucosyltransferase (FUT8) inhibits hemoglobin production during differentiation of murine and K562 human erythroleukemia cells

Erythropoiesis results from a complex combination of the expression of several transcription factor genes and cytokine signaling. However, the overall view of erythroid differentiation remains unclear. First, we screened for erythroid differentiation-related genes by comparing the expression profiles of high differentiation-inducible and low differentiation-inducible murine erythroleukemia cells. We identified that overexpression of α-1,6-fucosyltransferase (Fut8) inhibits hemoglobin production. FUT8 catalyzes the transfer of a fucose residue to N-linked oligosaccharides on glycoproteins via an α-1,6 linkage, leading to core fucosylation in mammals. Expression of Fut8 was down-regulated during chemically induced differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells. Additionally, expression of Fut8 was positively regulated by c-Myc and c-Myb, which are known as suppressors of erythroid differentiation. Second, we found that FUT8 is the only fucosyltransferase family member that inhibits hemoglobin production. Functional analysis of FUT8 revealed that the donor substrate-binding domain and a flexible loop play essential roles in inhibition of hemoglobin production. This result clearly demonstrates that core fucosylation inhibits hemoglobin production. Third, FUT8 also inhibited hemoglobin production of human erythroleukemia K562 cells. Finally, a short hairpin RNA study showed that FUT8 down-regulation induced hemoglobin production and increase of transferrin receptor/glycophorin A-positive cells in human erythroleukemia K562 cells. Our findings define FUT8 as a novel factor for hemoglobin production and demonstrate that core fucosylation plays an important role in erythroid differentiation.

Introducing undergraduate students to real-time PCR

An experiment is conducted, which in four 3 h laboratory sessions, introduces third year undergraduate Biochemistry students to the technique of real-time PCR in a biological context. The model used is a murine erythroleukemia cell line (MEL cells). These continuously cycling, immature red blood cells, arrested at an early stage in erythropoiesis, can be induced to progress further through the process by 72 h exposure to 1.8% DMSO. This gives a control cell sample and a DMSO-treated preparation. Students isolate RNA from both cell cultures, check its purity, yield and integrity by UV spectrophotometry and denaturing gel electrophoresis, then synthesized cDNA. The relative levels of three sequences: β globin, amino levulinate synthase, and carbonic anhydrase-1 are estimated by real-time PCR, using 18S rRNA as the reference sequence. The changes in gene expression are robust and reproducible, enabling students to experience a "cutting edge" research technique in an undergraduate lab setting. While the undergraduate student experience in practical classes with such sensitive techniques is often mixed, the changes in gene expression in this model are sufficiently great that students can gain the satisfaction of consistent results. In addition they gain experience at setting up checks and controls at stages throughout a multistep process and an appreciation of the difference between a reaction which has gone to completion with one that is measured as a rate. This experiment would also complement cell biology projects involving red cell development. It could also be extended to more thoroughly investigate the technique of real-time PCR.

A genetic strategy for single and combinatorial analysis of miRNA function in mammalian hematopoietic stem cells

The regulatory role of micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in hematopoietic development is increasingly appreciated. Reverse genetics strategies based on the targeted disruption of miRNAs offer a powerful tool to study miRNA functions in mammalian hematopoiesis. The miR-144/451 cluster comprises two miRNAs coexpressed from a common precursor transcript in an erythroid-specific manner. To decipher the contribution of each miRNA of the cluster in mammalian erythropoiesis, we developed a strategy for stable in vivo individual and combinatorial miRNA inhibition. We developed decoy target sequences for each miRNA expressed by lentiviral vectors marked with distinct fluorescent proteins and used them to probe the functions of miR-144 and miR-451 in the murine hematopoietic system in a competitive repopulation setting. Murine hematopoietic chimeras expressing lentiviral-encoded inhibitory sequences specific for miR-144 or miR-451 exhibited markedly reduced Ter119(+) erythroblast counts, with the combined knockdown showing additive effect. These chimeras showed abnormal patterns of erythroid differentiation primarily affecting the proerythroblast to basophilic erythroblast transition, coinciding with the stage where expression of the miRNA cluster is dramatically induced and posttranscriptional gene regulation becomes prominent. These results reveal a role for the miR-144/451 locus in mammalian erythropoiesis and provide the first evidence of functional cooperativity between clustered miRNAs in the hematopoietic system. The strategy described herein will prove useful in functional miRNA studies in mammalian hematopoietic stem cells.

MYB function in normal and cancer cells

The transcription factor MYB has a key role as a regulator of stem and progenitor cells in the bone marrow, colonic crypts and a neurogenic region of the adult brain. It is in these compartments that a deficit in MYB activity leads to severe or lethal phenotypes. As was predicted from its leukaemogenicity in several animal species, MYB has now been identified as an oncogene that is involved in some human leukaemias. Moreover, recent evidence has strengthened the case that MYB is activated in colon and breast cancer: a block to MYB expression is overcome by mutation of the regulatory machinery in the former disease and by oestrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) in the latter.

MicroRNA expression dynamics during murine and human erythroid differentiation

OBJECTIVE

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate diverse cellular functions by sequence-specific inhibition of gene expression. We determined miRNA expression profile during erythroid differentiation and putative roles in erythroid differentiation.

METHODS

The expression profile of 295 miRNAs before and after their erythroid differentiation induction was analyzed using microarray. Fluorescein-activated cell sorting analysis was used to isolate mouse spleen erythroblasts at different differentiation stages. Human cord blood CD34+ progenitors were differentiated in vitro. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the results of miRNA microarray. Synthetic oligonucleotides for miR-451 overexpression or knockdown were transfected into MEL cells.

RESULTS

More than 100 miRNAs were found to be expressed in erythroid cells. The majority of them showed changes in their expression levels with progression of erythroid differentiation. Further analysis revealed that overall miRNA expression levels are increased upon erythroid differentiation. Of the miRNAs analyzed, miR-451 was most significantly upregulated during erythroid maturation. Functional studies using gain of function and loss of function approaches showed that miR-451 is associated with erythroid maturation.

CONCLUSIONS

Dynamic changes in miRNA expression occurred during erythroid differentiation, with an overall increase in the levels of miRNAs upon terminal differentiation of erythroid cells. MiR-451 may play a role in promoting erythroid differentiation.

Proteomic-based analysis of nuclear signaling: PLCbeta1 affects the expression of the splicing factor SRp20 in Friend erythroleukemia cells

An extensive body of evidence links inositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) to the nucleus and the main isoform located in the nucleus is PLCbeta(1). Constitutive overexpression of nuclear PLCbeta(1) has been previously shown to inhibit Friend erythroleukemia cells differentiation and to induce cell cycle progression targeting cyclin D3. The aim of this study was to identify new proteins regulated by PLCbeta(1) overexpression, given the role exerted by its signaling in the nucleus during cell growth and differentiation. To identify novel downstream effectors of nuclear PLCbeta(1)-dependent signaling in Friend erythroleukemia cells, we performed the high-resolution 2-DE-based proteomic analysis. Using a proteomic approach we found that SRp20, a member of the highly conserved SR family of splicing regulators, was down-regulated in cells overexpressing nuclear PLCbeta(1) as compared with wild-type cells. Reduction in SRp20 was confirmed by 2-D Western blotting. Moreover, we have shown that nuclear PLCbeta(1) is bound to the SRp20 splicing factor. Indeed, by immunoprecipitation and subcellular fractioning, we have demonstrated that endogenous PLCbeta(1) and SRp20 physically interact in the nucleus. Here we show the existence of a PLCbeta(1)-specific target, the splicing factor SRp20, whose expression is specifically down-regulated by the nuclear signaling evoked by PLCbeta(1).

Microarrays for undergraduate classes

A microarray experiment is presented that, in six laboratory sessions, takes undergraduate students from the tissue sample right through to data analysis. The model chosen, the murine erythroleukemia cell line, can be easily cultured in sufficient quantities for class use. Large changes in gene expression can be induced in these cells by erythropoietic agents such as DMSO over a 72-h time period. Students isolate total RNA from control (0 h) and 72-h DMSO-treated murine erythroleukemia cells. From this, they synthesize a cDNA copy incorporating amino-allyl dUTP, which is then coupled to either a Cy5 or a Cy3 dye. Equal amounts of the two labeled cDNA samples are then applied to a standard cDNA microarray, which is then hybridized, washed, and scanned. Up- and down-regulated genes are selected using an "in-house" user-friendly data base program. Quality control checks are included at various stages throughout the procedure and, as the process of erythropoiesis is well characterized, a number of erythroid sequences serve as internal controls on the validity of the array data. Through this experiment, students gain experience in a wide range of molecular biology techniques, the use of controls to check a multistep process, validation of results, and strategies to manage the large amount of data generated. Most importantly, it provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to carry out experiments using cutting edge techniques normally found only in research laboratories.

Colon Epithelial Cell Differentiation Is Inhibited by Constitutive c-Myb Expression or Mutant APC Plus Activated RAS

Blocked differentiation is a hallmark of cancer cells and the restoration of differentiation programs in vivo is an actively pursued clinical aim. Understanding the key regulators of cyto-differentiation may focus therapies on molecules that reactivate this process. c-myb expression declines rapidly when human colon cancer epithelial cells are induced to differentiate with the physiologically relevant short-chain fatty acid, sodium butyrate. These cells show increased expression of alkaline phosphatase and cytokeratin 8. Similarly, murine Immorto-epithelial cells derived from wild-type colon cells also show c-myb mRNA declines when induced to differentiate with sodium butyrate. Immorto-cells harboring a single APC mutation are indistinguishable from wild-type cells with regard to differentiation, while addition of activated RAS alone markedly enhances differentiation. In marked contrast, complete differentiation arrest occurs when both APC and RAS are mutated. Expression of MybER, a 4-hydroxytamoxifen-activatable form of c-Myb, blocks differentiation in wildtype and APC mutant Immorto-cell lines as well as LIM1215 human colon carcinoma cells. These data identify two pathways of oncogenic change that lead to retarded epithelial cell differentiation, one involving the presence of a single APC mutation in conjunction with activated RAS or alternatively constitutive c-myb expression.

CDK6 blocks differentiation: coupling cell proliferation to the block to differentiation in leukemic cells

Cell proliferation and differentiation are highly coordinated during normal development. Many tumor cells exhibit both uncontrolled proliferation and a block to terminal differentiation. To understand the mechanisms coordinating these two processes, we have investigated the relation between cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activities and the block to differentiation in murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. We found that CDK6 (but not CDK4) is rapidly downregulated as MEL cells are induced to re-enter erythroid differentiation and that maintenance of CDK6 (but not CDK4) activity by transfection blocks differentiation. Moreover, we found that PU.1, an Ets transcription factor that is oncogenic in erythroid cells and also can block their differentiation, controls the synthesis of CDK6 mRNA. These results suggest a mechanism for coupling proliferation and the block to differentiation in these leukemic cells through the action of an oncogenic transcription factor (PU.1) on a key cell cycle regulator (CDK6). Our findings suggest that studying the relative roles of CDK6 and CDK4 in other types of malignant cells will be important in designing approaches for cell cycle inhibition and differentiation therapy in cancer.

Reprogramming leukemic cells to terminal differentiation by inhibiting specific cyclin-dependent kinases in G1

Some tumor cells can be stimulated to differentiate and undergo terminal cell division and loss of tumorigenicity. The in vitro differentiation of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells is a dramatic example of tumor-cell reprogramming. We found that reentry of MEL cells into terminal differentiation is accompanied by an early transient decline in the activity of cyclin-dependant kinase (CDK) 2, followed by a decline of CDK6. Later, as cells undergo terminal arrest, CDK2 and CDK4 activities decline. By analyzing stable MEL-cell transfectants containing vectors directing inducible expression of specific CDK inhibitors, we show that only inhibitors that block the combination of CDK2 and CDK6 trigger differentiation. Inhibiting CDK2 and CDK4 does not cause differentiation. Importantly, we also show that reprogramming through inhibition of CDKs is restricted to G(1) phase of the cell cycle. The results imply that abrogation of normal cell-cycle controls in tumor cells contributes to their inability to differentiate fully and that restoration of such controls in G(1) can lead to resumption of differentiation and terminal cell division. The results also indicate that CDK4 and CDK6 are functionally distinct and support our hypothesis that the two CDKs regulate cell division at different stages of erythroid maturation.

Glutamate and antimitotic agents induce differentiation, p53 activation, and apoptosis in rodent neostriatal cell lines immortalized with the tsA58 allele of SV40 large T antigen

The tsA58 allele of SV40 large T antigen has the ability to immortalize cells, which is thought to be due, in part, to binding of p53 protein by T antigen at 33 degrees C. At the nonpermissive temperature (39.5 degrees C), it is thought that p53 is released, inducing growth arrest, vulnerability to apoptosis, and loss of the immortal phenotype. In cell lines derived from the rat neostriatum immortalized with tsA58, the toxic agents Adriamycin, cytosine arabinoside, and glutamate induced apoptosis and increased p53 activity and differentiation. The apoptosis and p53-inducing effects of the drugs were not greater at 39.5 degrees C compared to 33 degrees C, suggesting that p53 is not effectively blocked even at 33 degrees C. Growth arrest was not induced under most treatment conditions despite p53 induction. On the other hand, process extension was enhanced at 39.5 degrees C compared to 33 degrees C. Therefore, these cell lines are temperature sensitive with respect to differentiation, but not growth regulation or apoptosis.

Differentiation markers and invasiveness: discordant regulation in normal trophoblast and choriocarcinoma cells

In tumor cells, malignant (invasive) behavior and differentiation tend to be correlated inversely, although it is not clear to what extent this can be generalized and whether it may also apply to normal invasive cell types. We have modulated differentiation of normal trophoblast cells from first trimester or term placenta as well as choriocarcinoma cells (BeWo, Jeg-3, and JAr) with retinoic acid (RA), methotrexate (MTX), dibutyryl-cAMP (dbcAMP), or phorbol-[12-myristoyl-13-acetyl]-diester (PMA). The secretion of the differentiation marker chorionic gonadotrophin was stimulated by nearly all substances in all cell types. The activity of cellular sterylsulfatase showed a tendency to be increased (decreased by RA and dbcAMP in normal trophoblast; not detected in JAr). Invasiveness was decreased by all effectors in normal trophoblast (both types) and in BeWo. In Jeg-3 and JAr, however, PMA treatment (in JAr also RA treatment) increased invasion rates. These results suggest that only in normal trophoblast and in BeWo (but not in other choriocarcinoma cells, i.e., Jeg-3 and JAr) invasiveness and differentiation tend to be correlated inversely. When extrapolating to the various subpopulations of cells within a tumor, induction of differentiation-as intended in certain strategies for tumor therapy ("differentiation therapy")-may have the unwanted effect of stimulating invasiveness in certain subpopulations of tumor cells.

Modulation of differentiation markers in human choriocarcinoma cells by extracellular matrix: on the role of a three-dimensional matrix structure

During spontaneous or chemically induced differentiation human choriocarcinoma cells express typical characteristics of the normal differentiating trophoblast: 1) increased production of peptide and steroid hormones (chorionic gonadotropin, placental lactogen, estrogens, progesterone); 2) increased activity of cellular alkaline phosphatase; 3) morphological transition from cytotrophoblast to syncytiotrophoblast-like cells; and 4) arrested cell proliferation. Since the extracellular matrix is known to control gene expression we have examined the effects of different substrates composed of matrix macromolecules on the differentiation of BeWo choriocarcinoma cells. Matrices tested were: fibronectin, laminin, collagens type I and type IV, the basement membrane-like complex matrix Matrigel, and a complex matrix extracted from human term placenta. Irrespective of the type of molecule(s), it was consistently found that, whenever the matrix molecules were presented as three-dimensional structures (as opposed to protein coatings on tissue culture plastic) the response of affected differentiation markers monitored was highly pronounced. Morphology was changed from monolayers to rounded colonies, cell proliferation was reduced, and the secretion of chorionic gonadotropin was increased up to tenfold. Heterogeneous effects were observed on progesterone secretion and on the activity of cellular alkaline phosphatase. Cell adhesion to matrix molecules, however, did not depend on the structure of the matrix. This study demonstrates that gene expression in these tumor cells can be modified by extracellular matrix and highlights that not only the presence of effector molecules in the matrix but also the three-dimensional structure of the matrix is important for the induction of differentiation.

Relationship of eukaryotic DNA replication to committed gene expression: general theory for gene control

The historic arguments for the participation of eukaryotic DNA replication in the control of gene expression are reconsidered along with more recent evidence. An earlier view in which gene commitment was achieved with stable chromatin structures which required DNA replication to reset expression potential (D. D. Brown, Cell 37:359-365, 1984) is further considered. The participation of nonspecific stable repressor of gene activity (histones and other chromatin proteins), as previously proposed, is reexamined. The possible function of positive trans-acting factors is now further developed by considering evidence from DNA virus models. It is proposed that these positive factors act to control the initiation of replicon-specific DNA synthesis in the S phase (early or late replication timing). Stable chromatin assembles during replication into potentially active (early S) or inactive (late S) states with prevailing trans-acting factors (early) or repressing factors (late) and may asymmetrically commit daughter templates. This suggests logical schemes for programming differentiation based on replicons and trans-acting initiators. This proposal requires that DNA replication precede major changes in gene commitment. Prior evidence against a role for DNA replication during terminal differentiation is reexamined along with other results from terminal differentiation of lower eukaryotes. This leads to a proposal that DNA replication may yet underlie terminal gene commitment, but that for it to do so there must exist two distinct modes of replication control. In one mode (mitotic replication) replicon initiation is tightly linked to the cell cycle, whereas the other mode (terminal replication) initiation is not cell cycle restricted, is replicon specific, and can lead to a terminally differentiated state. Aberrant control of mitotic and terminal modes of DNA replication may underlie the transformed state. Implications of a replicon basis for chromatin structure-function and the evolution of metazoan organisms are considered.

Early protooncogene expression during hemin-induced differentiation of human erythroleukemic cells

In situ hybridization was used to study the effects of hemin on the expression of the oncogenes c-myc, c-fos, and myb, and on the mRNA level of erythroid porphobilinogen deaminase (PBG-D) and alpha-globin in HEL cells during differentiation. The technique was effective in detecting changes in mRNA levels in small numbers of HEL cells. Hemin stimulation of HEL cells results in an early increase in myb and c-myc expression and a decrease in c-fos mRNA, while increased PBG-D and alpha-globin expression is not seen until 8 h after hemin treatment. Blast-like cells display expression of c-myc, alpha-globin and PBG-D, while the more differentiated cells give a positive response to both c-fos and myb. During HEL cell differentiation, the mechanism of hemin stimulation appears to be through the up regulation of myb and c-myc mRNA and down regulation of c-fos. The subsequent expression of PBG-D and alpha-globin may indicate that early increases in protooncogene expression are first required for the normal progression of erythropoiesis to occur.