Activation-induced cytidine deaminase mRNA expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma-derived cell lines is upregulated by inflammatory cytokines

Expression of APOBEC family members as regulators of endogenous retroelements and malignant transformation in systemic autoimmunity

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether APOBEC family members are involved in the response to inappropriate expression of L1 retroelements in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as in SS related lymphomagenesis.

METHODS

Minor salivary glands (MSG) and kidney biopsy (KB) specimens were obtained from 41 SS patients (10 with lymphoma) and 23 patients with SLE, respectively. PBMC and sera were also collected from 73 SLE patients. Full-length L1 transcripts, members of the APOBEC and IFN family were quantitated by real time PCR. Type I IFN activity was assessed in lupus plasma by a cell assay.

RESULTS

APOBEC3A was increased in SS MSG, SLE KB and PBMC and correlated with L1. AID and APOBEC3G were particularly overexpressed in MSG tissues derived from SS lymphoma patients.

CONCLUSION

These data reveal a previously unappreciated role of APOBEC family proteins in the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmunity and SS related lymphomagenesis.

Involvement of activation-induced cytidine deaminase in skin cancer development

Most skin cancers develop as the result of UV light-induced DNA damage; however, a substantial number of cases appear to occur independently of UV damage. A causal link between UV-independent skin cancers and chronic inflammation has been suspected, although the precise mechanism underlying this association is unclear. Here, we have proposed that activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, encoded by AICDA) links chronic inflammation and skin cancer. We demonstrated that Tg mice expressing AID in the skin spontaneously developed skin squamous cell carcinoma with Hras and Trp53 mutations. Furthermore, genetic deletion of Aicda reduced tumor incidence in a murine model of chemical-induced skin carcinogenesis. AID was expressed in human primary keratinocytes in an inflammatory stimulus-dependent manner and was detectable in human skin cancers. Together, the results of this study indicate that inflammation-induced AID expression promotes skin cancer development independently of UV damage and suggest AID as a potential target for skin cancer therapeutics.

Expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral epithelial dysplasia is thought to be a precursor state of carcinogenesis and may harbor gene alterations. Recently, it was reported that gene editing enzyme, activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), is expressed in precursor and cancer epithelial cells during carcinogenesis associated with chronic inflammation/infection and that this enzyme induces mutation of tumor-suppressor genes. Thus, AID may have a role in carcinogenesis via oral epithelial dysplasia. In this study, we classified oral mucosal epithelium exhibiting epithelial dysplasia as squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (SIN) grades 1-3, according to the 2005 World Health Organization classification, and used immunohistochemical techniques to examine AID expression in oral mucosal epithelium exhibiting SIN and oral cancer tissues. AID was observed in prickle cells in oral mucosal epithelium with epithelial dysplasia and in oral cancer cells. Additionally, to investigate the mechanism of AID expression and its role in cancer progression, we incubated the oral cancer cell line HSC-2 with inflammatory cytokines. In the HSC-2 cell line, AID expression was enhanced by TNF-α via NF-κB activation and promoted expression of N-cadherin by regulating Snail expression. These findings suggest that AID has a role in the development of oral epithelial dysplasia and promotes progression of oral cancer.

Activation-induced Cytidine Deaminase in B Cell Immunity and Cancers

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is an enzyme that is predominantly expressed in germinal center B cells and plays a pivotal role in immunoglobulin class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation for antibody (Ab) maturation. These two genetic processes endow Abs with protective functions against a multitude of antigens (pathogens) during humoral immune responses. In B cells, AID expression is regulated at the level of either transcriptional activation on AID gene loci or post-transcriptional suppression of AID mRNA. Furthermore, AID stabilization and targeting are determined by post-translational modifications and interactions with other cellular/nuclear factors. On the other hand, aberrant expression of AID causes B cell leukemias and lymphomas, including Burkitt's lymphoma caused by c-myc/IgH translocation. AID is also ectopically expressed in T cells and non-immune cells, and triggers point mutations in relevant DNA loci, resulting in tumorigenesis. Here, I review the recent literatures on the function of AID, regulation of AID expression, stability and targeting in B cells, and AID-related tumor formation.