FZD7 drives in vitro aggressiveness in Stem-A subtype of ovarian cancer via regulation of non-canonical Wnt/PCP pathway

Ovarian cancer (OC) can be classified into five biologically distinct molecular subgroups: epithelial-A (Epi-A), Epi-B, mesenchymal (Mes), Stem-A and Stem-B. Among them, Stem-A expresses genes relating to stemness and is correlated with poor clinical prognosis. In this study, we show that frizzled family receptor 7 (FZD7), a receptor for Wnt signalling, is overexpressed in the Stem-A subgroup. To elucidate the functional roles of FZD7, we used an RNA interference gene knockdown approach in three Stem-A cell lines: CH1, PA1 and OV-17R. Si-FZD7 OC cells showed reduced cell proliferation with an increase in the G0/G1 sub-population, with no effect on apoptosis. The cells also displayed a distinctive morphologic change by colony compaction to become more epithelial-like and polarised with smaller internuclear distances and increased z-axis height. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining patterns of pan-cadherin and β-catenin suggested an increase in cadherin-based cell–cell adhesion in si-FZD7 cells. We also observed a significant rearrangement in the actin cytoskeleton and an increase in tensile contractility in si-FZD7 OC cells, as evident by the loss of stress fibres and the redistribution of phospho-myosin light chain (pMLC) from the sites of cell–cell contacts to the periphery of cell colonies. Furthermore, there was reciprocal regulation of RhoA (Ras homolog family member A) and Rac1 (Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rho family, small GTP-binding protein Rac1)) activities upon FZD7 knockdown, with a significant reduction in RhoA activity and a concomitant upregulation in Rac1 activity. These changes in pMLC and RhoA, as well as the increased TopFlash reporter activities in si-FZD7 cells, suggested involvement of the non-canonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. Selected PCP pathway genes (cadherin EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptor 3 (CELSR3), prickle homolog 4 (Drosophila) (PRICKLE4), dishevelled-associated activator of morphogenesis 1 (DAAM1), profilin 2 (PFN2), protocadherin 9 (PCDH9), protocadherin α1 (PCDHA1), protocadherin β17 pseudogene (PCDHB17), protocadherin β3 (PCDHB3), sprouty homolog 1 (SPRY1) and protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7)) were found to be more highly expressed in Stem-A than non Stem-A subgroup of OC. Taken together, our results suggest that FZD7 might drive aggressiveness in Stem-A OC by regulating cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, maintenance of the Mes phenotype and cell migration via casein kinase 1ɛ-mediated non-canonical Wnt/PCP pathway.

Phosphorylation and destabilization of human period I clock protein by human casein kinase I epsilon

Period (PER), a central component of the circadian clock in Drosophila, undergoes daily oscillation in abundance and phosphorylation state. Here we report that human casein kinase I epsilon (hCKI epsilon) can phosphorylate human PER I (hPER I). Purified recombinant hCKI epsilon (but not a kinase negative mutant of hCKI epsilon, hCKI epsilon-K38R) phosphorylated hPER I in vitro. When co-transfected with wild-type hCKI epsilon, in 293T cells, hPER I showed a significant increase in phosphorylation as evidenced by a shift in molecular mass. Furthermore, phosphorylation of hPER I by hCKI epsilon caused a decrease in protein stability in hPER I. Whereas phosphorylated hPER I had a half-life of approximately 12 h, unphosphorylated hPER I remained stable in the cell for > 24 h. hPER I protein could also be co-immunoprecipitated with transfected hCKI epsilon as well as endogenous hCKI epsilon, indicating physical association between hPER I and hCKI epsilon proteins in vivo.

Linkage of familial Wilms' tumor predisposition to chromosome 19 and a two-locus model for the etiology of familial tumors

Familial predisposition to Wilms' tumor (WT), a childhood kidney tumor, is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. For most WT families studied, the 11p13 gene WT1 and genomic regions implicated in tumorigenesis in a subset of tumors can be ruled out as the site of the familial predisposition gene. Following a genome-wide genetic linkage scan, we have obtained strong evidence (log of the odds ratio = 4.0) in five families for an inherited WT predisposition gene (FWT2) at 19q13.3-q13.4. In addition, we observed loss of heterozygosity at 19q in tumors from individuals from two families in which 19q can be ruled out as the site of the inherited predisposing mutation. From these data, we hypothesize that alterations at two distinct loci are critical rate-limiting steps in the etiology of familial WTs.

Bepridil and cetiedil. Vasodilators which inhibit Ca2+-dependent calmodulin interactions with erythrocyte membranes

Two new vascular smooth muscle relaxants, bepridil and cetiedil, were found to possess specific CaM-inhibitory properties which resembled those of trifluoperazine. Trifluoperazine, bepridil, and cetiedil inhibited Ca2+-dependent 125I-CaM binding to erythrocyte membranes and CaM activation of membrane Ca2+-ATPase with IC50 values of approximately 12, approximately 17, and approximately 40 microM, respectively. This does not appear to be the result of a nonspecific hydrophobic interaction since inhibition was not observed with micromolar concentrations of many other hydrophobic agents. The predominant inhibition of binding and Ca2+-ATPase activation was competitive with respect to CaM. Bepridil and cetiedil bind directly to CaM since these drugs displaced [3H]trifluoperazine from sites on CaM. Inhibition of Ca2+-ATPase and binding by the drugs was not due to interference with the catalytic activity of this enzyme since: (a) neither inhibition of CaM-independent basal Ca2+-ATPase activity nor inhibition of proteolytically-activated Ca2+-ATPase activities were produced by these agents, and (b) no drug-induced inhibition of CaM binding was detected when membranes were preincubated with these agents but washed prior to addition of 125I-CaM. Thus, bepridil and cetiedil competitively inhibit Ca2+-dependent interactions of CaM with erythrocyte membranes, most likely by a direct interaction between these drugs and CaM. The principal clinical actions of these drugs may be explained by their interactions with CaM or CaM-related proteins leading to reduced activation of Ca2+-regulated enzymes in certain other tissues, such as myosin light chain kinase in vascular smooth muscle.