The four and a half LIM family members are novel interactants of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax oncoprotein

The Roles of FHL3 in Cancer

The four and a half LIM domain protein 3, also named the LIM-protein FHL3, belongs to the LIM-only family. Based on the special structure of LIM-only proteins, FHL3 can perform significant functions in muscle proliferation and cardiovascular diseases by regulating cell growth and signal transduction. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence of a relation between FHLs and tumor biology, since FHL3 is often overexpressed or downregulated in different cancers. On the one hand, FHL3 can function as a tumor suppressor and influence the expression of downstream genes. On the other hand, FHL3 can also play a role as an oncoprotein in some cancers to promote tumor progression via phosphorylation. Thus, FHL3 is proposed to have a dual effect on cancer progression, reflecting its complex roles in cancer. This review focuses on the roles of FHL3 in cancer progression and discusses the interaction of FHL3 with other proteins and transcription factors. Finally, the clinical significance of FHL3 for the treatment of cancers is discussed.

Novel Interactions between the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 Antisense Protein HBZ and the SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Family: Implications for Viral Life Cycle

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) regulatory proteins Tax and HBZ play indispensable roles in regulating viral and cellular gene expression. BRG1, the ATPase subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, has been demonstrated to be essential not only for Tax transactivation but also for viral replication. We sought to investigate the physical interaction between HBZ and BRG1 and to determine the effect of these interactions on Tax-mediated long terminal repeat (LTR) activation. We reveal that HTLV-1 cell lines and adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells harbor high levels of BRG1. Using glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown and coimmunoprecipitation assays, we have demonstrated physical interactions between BRG1 and HBZ and characterized the protein domains involved. Moreover, we have identified the PBAF signature subunits BAF200 and BAF180 as novel interaction partners of HBZ, suggesting that the PBAF complex may be required for HTLV-1 transcriptional repression by HBZ. Additionally, we found that BRG1 expression translocates HBZ into distinct nuclear foci. We show that HBZ substantially represses HTLV-1 LTR activation by Tax/BRG1. Interestingly, we found that Tax stabilizes the expression of exogenous and endogenous BRG1 and that HBZ reverses this effect. Finally, using a chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) assay, we illustrate that HBZ facilitates the downregulation of HTLV-1 transcription by deregulating the recruitment of SWI/SNF complexes to the promoter. Overall, we conclude that SWI/SNF complexes, in addition to other cellular transcription factors, are involved in HBZ-mediated suppression of HTLV-1 viral gene expression.IMPORTANCE The pathogenic potential of HTLV-1 is linked to the indispensable multifaceted functions of the viral regulatory proteins Tax and HBZ, encoded by the sense and antisense viral transcripts, respectively. The interaction between Tax and the SWI/SNF family of chromatin remodeling complexes has been associated with HTLV-1 transcriptional activation. To date, the relationship between the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling family and HBZ, the only viral protein that is consistently expressed in infected cells and ATL cells, has not been elucidated. Here, we have characterized the biological significance of the SWI/SNF family in regard to viral transcriptional repression by HBZ. This is important because it provides a better understanding of the function and role of HBZ in downregulating viral transcription and, hence, its contribution to viral latency and persistence in vivo, a process that may ultimately lead to the development of ATL.

The Enterococcus faecalis virulence factor ElrA interacts with the human Four-and-a-Half LIM Domains Protein 2

The commensal bacterium Enterococcus faecalis is a common cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. The increasing prevalence of multi-antibiotic resistant E. faecalis strains reinforces this public health concern. Despite numerous studies highlighting several pathology-related genetic traits, the molecular mechanisms of E. faecalis virulence remain poorly understood. In this work, we studied 23 bacterial proteins that could be considered as virulence factors or involved in the Enterococcus interaction with the host. We systematically tested their interactions with human proteins using the Human ORFeome library, a set of 12,212 human ORFs, in yeast. Among the thousands of tested interactions, one involving the E. faecalis virulence factor ElrA and the human protein FHL2 was evidenced by yeast two-hybrid and biochemically confirmed. Further molecular characterizations allowed defining an FHL2-interacting domain (FID) of ElrA. Deletion of the FID led to an attenuated in vivo phenotype of the mutated strain clearly indicating that this interaction is likely to contribute to the multifactorial virulence of this opportunistic pathogen. Altogether, our results show that FHL2 is the first host cellular protein directly targeted by an E. faecalis virulence factor and that this interaction is involved in Enterococcus pathogenicity.

Novel interactions between the HTLV antisense proteins HBZ and APH-2 and the NFAR protein family: Implications for the HTLV lifecycles

The human T-cell leukaemia virus type 1 and type 2 (HTLV-1/HTLV-2) antisense proteins HBZ and APH-2 play key roles in the HTLV lifecycles and persistence in the host. Nuclear Factors Associated with double-stranded RNA (NFAR) proteins NF90/110 function in the lifecycles of several viruses and participate in host innate immunity against infection and oncogenesis. Using GST pulldown and co-immunoprecipitation assays we demonstrate specific novel interactions between HBZ/APH-2 and NF90/110 and characterised the protein domains involved. Moreover we show that NF90/110 significantly enhance Tax mediated LTR activation, an effect that was abolished by HBZ but enhanced by APH-2. Additionally we found that HBZ and APH-2 modulate the promoter activity of survivin and are capable of antagonising NF110-mediated survivin activation. Thus interactions between HTLV antisense proteins and the NFAR protein family have an overall positive impact on HTLV infection. Hence NFARs may represent potential therapeutic targets in HTLV infected cells.

X-linked FHL1 as a novel therapeutic target for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

To identify X-linked novel tumor suppressors could provide novel insights to improve prognostic prediction and therapeutic strategy for some cancers. Using bioinformatics and Venn analysis of gene transcriptional profiling, we identified downregulation of X-linked four-and-a-half LIM domains protein 1 (FHL1) gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). FHL1 functions were investigated and confirmed in vitro and in vivo. FHL1 downregulated mechanisms were analyzed in HNSCCs by using methylation specific PCR, bisulfate-based sequencing, 5-Aza-dC treatment and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Two independent HNSCC cohorts (the training cohort n = 105 and the validation cohort n = 101) were enrolled to evaluate clinical implications of FHL1 expression by using real-time PCR or immunohistochemistry. FHL1 mRNA and protein expressions were frequently decreased in HNSCCs. FHL1 overexpression or depletion gave rise to suppress or promote cell growth through Cyclin D1, Cyclin E and p27 dysregulations. Abundant occupy of EZH2 or H3K27Me3 was observed in FHL1 promoter except for DNA hypermethylation. Reduced FHL1 mRNA expression was notably associated with poor differentiation (p = 0.020). Multivariate analysis demonstrated FHL1 mRNA expression was identified as independent prognostic predictors of overall survival (OS) (p = 0.036; HR 0.520; Cl, 0.283-0.958) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.041; HR 0.527; Cl, 0.284-0.975), which was validated by another independent cohort (p = 0.021; HR 0.404; Cl, 0.187-0.871 for OS; p = 0.011; HR 0.407; Cl, 0.203-0.815 for DFS). These results suggest epigenetic silencing of X-linked FHL1 may have an important role in adjuvant therapeutic intervention of HNSCCs and is an independent prognostic factor in patients with HNSCCs.

Tax-1 and Tax-2 similarities and differences: focus on post-translational modifications and NF-κB activation

Although human T cell leukemia virus type 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) share similar genetic organization, they have major differences in their pathogenesis and disease manifestation. HTLV-1 is capable of transforming T lymphocytes in infected patients resulting in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma whereas HTLV-2 is not clearly associated with lymphoproliferative diseases. Numerous studies have provided accumulating evidence on the involvement of the viral transactivators Tax-1 versus Tax-2 in T cell transformation. Tax-1 is a potent transcriptional activator of both viral and cellular genes. Tax-1 post-translational modifications and specifically ubiquitylation and SUMOylation have been implicated in nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation and may contribute to its transformation capacity. Although Tax-2 has similar protein structure compared to Tax-1, the two proteins display differences both in their protein–protein interaction and activation of signal transduction pathways. Recent studies on Tax-2 have suggested ubiquitylation and SUMOylation independent mechanisms of NF-κB activation. In this present review, structural and functional differences between Tax-1 and Tax-2 will be summarized. Specifically, we will address their subcellular localization, nuclear trafficking and their effect on cellular regulatory proteins. A special attention will be given to Tax-1/Tax-2 post-translational modification such as ubiquitylation, SUMOylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, NF-κB activation, and protein–protein interactions involved in oncogenecity both in vivo and in vitro.