Aging of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix drives a stem cell fibrogenic conversion

Age‐related declines in skeletal muscle regeneration have been attributed to muscle stem cell (MuSC) dysfunction. Aged MuSCs display a fibrogenic conversion, leading to fibrosis and impaired recovery after injury. Although studies have demonstrated the influence of in vitro substrate characteristics on stem cell fate, whether and how aging of the extracellular matrix (ECM) affects stem cell behavior has not been investigated. Here, we investigated the direct effect of the aged muscle ECM on MuSC lineage specification. Quantification of ECM topology and muscle mechanical properties reveals decreased collagen tortuosity and muscle stiffening with increasing age. Age‐related ECM alterations directly disrupt MuSC responses, and MuSCs seeded ex vivo onto decellularized ECM constructs derived from aged muscle display increased expression of fibrogenic markers and decreased myogenicity, compared to MuSCs seeded onto young ECM. This fibrogenic conversion is recapitulated in vitro when MuSCs are seeded directly onto matrices elaborated by aged fibroblasts. When compared to young fibroblasts, fibroblasts isolated from aged muscle display increased nuclear levels of the mechanosensors, Yes‐associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ‐binding motif (TAZ), consistent with exposure to a stiff microenvironment in vivo. Accordingly, preconditioning of young fibroblasts by seeding them onto a substrate engineered to mimic the stiffness of aged muscle increases YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation and promotes secretion of a matrix that favors MuSC fibrogenesis. The findings here suggest that an age‐related increase in muscle stiffness drives YAP/TAZ‐mediated pathogenic expression of matricellular proteins by fibroblasts, ultimately disrupting MuSC fate.

Sustained JNK1 activation is associated with altered histone H3 methylations in human liver cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Aberrant c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation has been linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in mouse models. It remains unclear whether JNK activation plays an important role in human HCC and, if so, how JNK signaling contributes to the initiation or progression of HCC.

METHODS

The JNK activation, global gene expression, and the status of histone H3 methylations were measured in 31 primary human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples paired with the adjacent non-cancerous (ANC) tissues.

RESULTS

Enhanced JNK1 activation was noted in 17 out of 31 HCC samples (55%) relative to the corresponding ANC tissues, whereas JNK2 activation was roughly equal between HCC and ANC tissues. This enhancement in JNK1 activation is associated with an increased tumor size and a lack of encapsulation of the tumors. In addition, an association of JNK1 activation with the histone H3 lysines 4 and 9 tri-methylation was observed in the HCC tissues, which leads to an elevated expression of genes regulating cell growth and a decreased expression of the genes for cell differentiation and the p450 family members in HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

These results, thus, suggest that JNK1 plays important roles in the development of human HCC partially through the epigenetic mechanisms.

miR-190-mediated downregulation of PHLPP contributes to arsenic-induced Akt activation and carcinogenesis

The role of trivalent arsenic (As(3+)) on the regulation of the recently identified noncoding small RNAs, mainly microRNAs, has not been explored so far. In the present study, we provide evidence showing that As(3+) is a potent inducer for the expression of miR-190 in human bronchial epithelial cells. The induction of miR-190 by As(3+) is concentration dependent and associated with the expression of the host gene of miR-190, talin 2, a gene encoding a high-molecular-weight cytoskeletal protein. The elevated level of miR-190 induced by As(3+) is capable of downregulating the translation of the PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP), a negative regulator of Akt signaling. Such a downregulation is occurred through direct interaction of the miR-190 with the 3'-UTR region of the PHLPP mRNA, leading to a diminished PHLPP protein expression and consequently, an enhanced Akt activation and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, an Akt-regulated protein. Overexpression of miR-190 itself is able to enhance proliferation and malignant transformation of the cells as determined by anchorage-independent growth of the cells in soft agar. Accordingly, the data presented suggest that induction of miR-190 is one of the key mechanisms in As(3+)-induced carcinogenesis.

Lung cancer-associated JmjC domain protein mdig suppresses formation of tri-methyl lysine 9 of histone H3

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 1.3 million cancer deaths annually. Despite extensive studies over the past decade, the detailed mechanism about the initiation and development of the lung cancer is still elusive. In the present report, we showed that overexpression of mdig is a common feature of the non-small cell lung cancer. Gene silencing or overexpression of mdig revealed that mdig is involved in demethylation of tri-methyl lysine 9 on histone H3, leading to an increase in ribosomal RNA expression. The transcriptional regulation of ribosomal RNA gene by mdig is achieved through abrogating tri-methyl lysine 9 on histone H3 and enhancing RNA polymerase I occupancy in the promoter region of the ribosomal RNA gene as demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The pronounced expression of mdig in lung cancer tissues but not normal lung tissues, thus, suggests that mdig possesses oncogenic property through antagonizing tri-methyl lysine 9 on histone H3 and promoting ribosomal RNA synthesis.

JNK1 activation predicts the prognostic outcome of the human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide with an extremely poor prognosis. The classification of HCC based on the molecular signature is not well-established.

RESULTS

In the present study, we reported HCC signature genes based on the JNK1 activation status in 31 HCC specimens relative to the matched distal noncancerous liver tissue from 31 patients. The HCCs with high JNK1 (H-JNK1) and low JNK1 (L-JNK1) were sub-grouped. Two different signature gene sets for both H-JNK1 and L-JNK1 HCC were identified through gene expression profiling. A striking overlap of signature genes was observed between the H-JNK1 HCC and the hepatoblastoma or hepatoblastoma-type HCC. Many established biomarkers for hepatic progenitor cells were over-expressed in H-JNK1 HCC, including AFP, TACSTD1, KRT19, KRT7, THY1, and PROM1. In addition, the majority of the most up-regulated genes were those associated with metastasis and earlier recurrence, whereas the genes for normal liver function were substantially down-regulated in H-JNK1 HCC tissue. A Kaplan-Meier plot demonstrated that the survival of the patients with H-JNK1 HCC was severely impaired.

CONCLUSION

Accordingly, we believe that the H-JNK1 HCC may originate from hepatic progenitor cells and is associated with poorer prognosis. The status of JNK1 activation in HCC tissue, thus, might be a new biomarker for HCC prognosis and therapeutic targeting.

Microprocessor of microRNAs: regulation and potential for therapeutic intervention

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, noncoding RNAs critically involved in a wide spectrum of normal and pathological processes of cells or tissues by fine-tuning the signals important for stem cell development, cell differentiation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and transformation. Considerable progress has been made in the past few years in understanding the transcription, biogenesis and functional regulation of miRNAs. Numerous studies have implicated altered expression of miRNAs in human cancers, suggesting that aberrant expression of miRNAs is one of the hallmarks for carcinogenesis. In this review, we briefly discuss most recent discoveries on the regulation of miRNAs at the level of microprocessor-mediated biogenesis of miRNAs.

JNK and STAT3 signaling pathways converge on Akt-mediated phosphorylation of EZH2 in bronchial epithelial cells induced by arsenic

The molecular mechanisms by which arsenic (As ( 3+) ) causes human cancers remain to be fully elucidated. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is the catalytic subunit of polycomb-repressive complexes 2 (PRC2) that promotes trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3, leading to altered expression of tumor suppressors or oncogenes. In the present study, we determined the effect of As ( 3+) on EZH2 phosphorylation and the signaling pathways important for As ( 3+) -induced EZH2 phosphorylation in human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. The involvement of kinases in As ( 3+) -induced EZH2 phosphorylation was validated by siRNA-based gene silencing. The data showed that As ( 3+) can induce phosphorylation of EZH2 at serine 21 in human bronchial epithelial cells and that the phosphorylation of EZH2 requires an As ( 3+) -activated signaling cascade from JNK and STAT3 to Akt. Transfection of the cells with siRNA specific for JNK1 revealed that JNK silencing reduced serine727 phosphorylation of STAT3, Akt activation and EZH2 phosphorylation, suggesting that JNK is the upstream kinase involved in As ( 3+) -induced EZH2 phosphorylation. Because As ( 3+) is capable of inducing miRNA-21 (miR-21), a STAT3-regulated miRNA that represses protein translation of PTEN or Spry2, we also tested the role of STAT3 and miR-21 in As ( 3+) -induced EZH2 phosphorylation. Ectopic overexpression of miR-21 promoted Akt activation and phosphorylation of EZH2, whereas inhibiting miR-21 by transfecting the cells with anti-miR-21 inhibited Akt activation and EZH2 phosphorylation. Taken together, these results demonstrate a contribution of the JNK, STAT3 and Akt signaling axis to As ( 3+) -induced EZH2 phosphorylation. Importantly, these findings may reveal new molecular mechanisms underlying As ( 3+) -induced carcinogenesis.

Sequential adaptive changes in a c-Myc-driven model of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer that frequently overexpresses the c-Myc (Myc) oncoprotein. Using a mouse model of Myc-induced HCC, we studied the metabolic, biochemical, and molecular changes accompanying HCC progression, regression, and recurrence. These involved altered rates of pyruvate and fatty acid β-oxidation and the likely re-directing of glutamine into biosynthetic rather than energy-generating pathways. Initial tumors also showed reduced mitochondrial mass and differential contributions of electron transport chain complexes I and II to respiration. The uncoupling of complex II's electron transport function from its succinate dehydrogenase activity also suggested a mechanism by which Myc generates reactive oxygen species. RNA sequence studies revealed an orderly progression of transcriptional changes involving pathways pertinent to DNA damage repair, cell cycle progression, insulin-like growth factor signaling, innate immunity, and further metabolic re-programming. Only a subset of functions deregulated in initial tumors was similarly deregulated in recurrent tumors thereby indicating that the latter can "normalize" some behaviors to suit their needs. An interactive and freely available software tool was developed to allow continued analyses of these and other transcriptional profiles. Collectively, these studies define the metabolic, biochemical, and molecular events accompanyingHCCevolution, regression, and recurrence in the absence of any potentially confounding therapies.

Arsenic Promotes NF-Κb-Mediated Fibroblast Dysfunction and Matrix Remodeling to Impair Muscle Stem Cell Function

Arsenic is a global health hazard that impacts over 140 million individuals worldwide. Epidemiological studies reveal prominent muscle dysfunction and mobility declines following arsenic exposure; yet, mechanisms underlying such declines are unknown. The objective of this study was to test the novel hypothesis that arsenic drives a maladaptive fibroblast phenotype to promote pathogenic myomatrix remodeling and compromise the muscle stem (satellite) cell (MuSC) niche. Mice were exposed to environmentally relevant levels of arsenic in drinking water before receiving a local muscle injury. Arsenic-exposed muscles displayed pathogenic matrix remodeling, defective myofiber regeneration and impaired functional recovery, relative to controls. When naïve human MuSCs were seeded onto three-dimensional decellularized muscle constructs derived from arsenic-exposed muscles, cells displayed an increased fibrogenic conversion and decreased myogenicity, compared with cells seeded onto control constructs. Consistent with myomatrix alterations, fibroblasts isolated from arsenic-exposed muscle displayed sustained expression of matrix remodeling genes, the majority of which were mediated by NF-κB. Inhibition of NF-κB during arsenic exposure preserved normal myofiber structure and functional recovery after injury, suggesting that NF-κB signaling serves as an important mechanism of action for the deleterious effects of arsenic on tissue healing. Taken together, the results from this study implicate myomatrix biophysical and/or biochemical characteristics as culprits in arsenic-induced MuSC dysfunction and impaired muscle regeneration. It is anticipated that these findings may aid in the development of strategies to prevent or revert the effects of arsenic on tissue healing and, more broadly, provide insight into the influence of the native myomatrix on stem cell behavior.

JNK1, a potential therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Despite tremendous efforts to diagnose and institute new treatment regimens, the prognosis is still extremely poor. Therefore, knowledge of the molecular mechanisms governing the initiation, maintenance and progression of HCC is urgently needed. Recently, several groups have attributed an important role for c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) in the pathogenesis of human HCC and its close association with the expression of HCC signature genes. In this review the various associations between JNK1 and HCC are discussed with the hope that targeting this pivotal kinase may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for this fatal disease.

Regulation of cyclin D1 by arsenic and microRNA inhibits adipogenesis

Low-dose chronic exposure to arsenic in drinking water represents a global public health concern with established risks for metabolic and cardiovascular disease, as well as cancer. While the linkage between arsenic and disease is strong, further understanding of the molecular mechanisms of its pathogenicity is required. Previous reports demonstrated the ability of arsenic to interfere with adipogenesis, which may mediate its effects in promoting metabolic disease. We hypothesized that microRNA are important regulators of most if not all mesenchymal stem cell processes that are dysregulated by arsenic exposure to impair lipogenesis. Arsenic increased the expression of miR-29b in white adipose tissue, as well as human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) isolated from adipose tissue. Exposing hMSCs to arsenic increased abundance of miR-29b and cyclin D1 to promote proliferation over differentiation. Paradoxically, inhibition of miR-29b enhanced the inhibitory effect of arsenic on differentiation. This paradox was attributed to a requirement for miR-29 in regulating cyclin D1 expression as stable inhibition of miR-29b eliminated the cyclic pattern of cyclin D1 expression. Temporal regulation of cyclin D1 is critical for adipogenic differentiation, and the data suggest a paradigm where arsenic disruption of miR-29b regulatory pathways impairs adipogenic differentiation and ultimately adipose metabolic homeostasis.

Targeting immuno-metabolism to improve anti-cancer therapies

The immunology community has made significant strides in recent years in using the immune system to target and eliminate cancer. Therapies such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are the standard of care treatment for several malignancies, while therapies incorporating chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells or checkpoint molecule blockade have been revolutionary. However, these approaches are not optimal for all cancers and in some cases, have failed outright. The greatest obstacle to making these therapies more effective may be rooted in one of the most basic concepts of cell biology, metabolism. Research over the last decade has revealed that T cell proliferation and differentiation is intimately linked to robust changes in metabolic activity, delineation of which may provide ways to manipulate the immuno-oncologic responses to our advantage. Here, we provide a basic overview of T cell metabolism, discuss what is known about metabolic regulation of T cells during allogeneic HSCT, point to evidence on the importance of T cell metabolism during CAR T cell and solid tumor therapies, and speculate about the role for compounds that might have dual-action on both immune cells and tumor cells simultaneously.

Expression kinetics of miRNA involved in dermal toluene 2,4-diisocyanate sensitization

Allergic disease is an important occupational health concern, with work-related asthma and allergic contact dermatitis being the most frequently diagnosed occupational illnesses. Diisocyanates, particularly toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI), have been the leading cause of occupational asthma for many years. Understanding the mechanisms behind allergic disease is critical for treatment and prevention. Recently, the study of post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs (miRNA) has shed light on mechanisms of allergic disease. The present studies report the expression of miRNA during the sensitization phase of an allergic response to TDI in a murine model. Female BALB/c mice were dermally exposed to TDI (0.1-15% [v/v]) or vehicle. RNA was isolated from superficial parotid lymph nodes at timepoints between 1 h and 15 days post-exposure and then miRNA expression was analyzed using array and real-time quantitative PCR analysis. Consistent changes in miRNA expression were identified for miR-21, miR-22, miR-27b, miR-31, miR-126, miR-155, miR-210, and miR-301a. Following TDI exposure, peak expression was observed by Day 4 for the majority of miRNA evaluated with trends in expression correlated to exposure concentration. Confirmed and predicted targets were identified using Diana-microT, miRanda, miRwalk, and Targetscan algorithms. Evaluation of mRNA expression of cytokine and transcription factor targets suggests that miRNA may have a central role early in TDI sensitization. Understanding the role of these miRNA and their specific mechanism of action in sensitization to TDI may provide pertinent information for the identification of other chemical sensitizers while also contributing to the treatment and prevention of allergic disease.

Characterization of an alternatively spliced GADD45alpha, GADD45alpha1 isoform, in arsenic-treated epithelial cells

A new GADD45alpha isoform, GADD45alpha1, was identified in the cellular response to arsenic. DNA sequencing and biochemical analyses suggested that GADD45alpha1 is derived from an alternative splicing of the GADD45alpha mRNA by skipping the region corresponding to exon2 of the gadd45alpha gene during mRNA maturation. In addition to the size difference due to the lack of 34 amino acids encoded by exon2, GADD45alpha1 and GADD45alpha proteins differ in their effects on cell proliferation and cell cycle transition. Unlike GADD45alpha, the GADD45alpha1 is unable to attenuate cell growth. In over-expression experiments, the full length GADD45alpha, but not the GADD45alpha1, sensitized cells to arsenic-induced prometaphase arrest of the cell cycle. Furthermore, GADD45alpha1 appears to be able to antagonize the function of the GADD45alpha on the G2/M phase cell cycle arrest as demonstrated in cotransfection experiment. Thus, these data suggest that the generation of the GADD45alpha1 isoform may not only offset but also antagonize the effects of arsenic and GADD45alpha on cell growth and cell cycle regulation.

Deletion of AMPK minimizes graft-versus-host disease through an early impact on effector donor T cells

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a viable treatment for multiple hematologic diseases, but its application is often limited by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), where donor T cells attack host tissues in the skin, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. Here, we examined the role of the cellular energy sensor AMP kinase (AMPK) in alloreactive T cells during GVHD development. Early posttransplant, AMPK activity increased more than 15-fold in allogeneic T cells, and transplantation of T cells deficient in both AMPKα1 and AMPKα2 decreased GVHD severity in multiple disease models. Importantly, a lack of AMPK lessened GVHD without compromising antileukemia responses or impairing lymphopenia-driven immune reconstitution. Mechanistically, absence of AMPK decreased both CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ effector T cell numbers as early as day 3 posttransplant, while simultaneously increasing regulatory T cell (Treg) percentages. Improvements in GVHD resulted from cell-intrinsic perturbations in conventional effector T cells as depletion of donor Tregs had minimal impact on AMPK-related improvements. Together, these results highlight a specific role for AMPK in allogeneic effector T cells early posttransplant and suggest that AMPK inhibition may be an innovative approach to mitigate GVHD while preserving graft-versus-leukemia responses and maintaining robust immune reconstitution.

Alloreactive T cell proliferation is suppressed by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) independent of AMP-activated protein kinase

The benefits of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, a therapy used to treat a variety of hematologic and immunologic disorders, are often outweighed by the risks of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), where donor T cells attack and destroy host tissues. Our lab has previously shown that targeting lymphocyte metabolism is a promising and novel strategy for the treatment of GVHD. More recently, we have found that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a major cellular energy sensor, plays a significant role in T-cell proliferation during disease pathogenesis. To explore this relationship further, we treated alloreactive T cells generated during a mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), an AMP mimetic that strongly activates AMPK. AICAR treatment of MLR cultures strongly repressed T cell proliferation, with a 70% decrease in total cells by 96 hours. Interestingly this decrease in T cell proliferation was independent of AMPK, as similar results were obtained using AMPK−/− cells. Mechanistically AICAR repressed AKT signaling in stimulated T cells, with a 50% decrease in AKT phosphorylation when cells were concurrently treated with 100 μM AICAR. Cytokine driven STAT5 activation was also significantly blunted by simultaneous AICAR exposure. In summary, despite its wide use as an AMPK agonist, we found that AICAR exerts significant inhibitory effects on T cell allo-activation independent of AMPK. This inhibition occurs, at least in part, through decreased phosphorylation of AKT and down-regulation of STAT signaling, making AICAR a potential therapy to combat GVHD and similar inflammatory disorders.

Deletion of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in donor T cells mitigates graft-versus-host disease without impacting graft-versus-leukemia effects

Allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation cures a variety of hematologic disorders, but its broader use remains limited by acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), where donor T cells attack and destroy host tissues. To explore this process mechanistically, we elucidated the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an intracellular energy sensor, in GHVD-causing T cells. Alloreactive T cells increased phosphorylation of AMPK as early as day 3 post-transplant (8-fold higher than naïve cells, p=0.0003), while T cells lacking AMPK caused less GVHD in two separate models. Importantly, AMPK−/− cells demonstrated equivalent cytotoxicity, with equal clearance of p815 leukemia cells, in graft-versus-leukemia experiments.

We next sought to explain our lower rates of GVHD. Surprisingly, fat oxidation, T cell autophagy, and mTOR signaling were identical between wildtype (wt) and AMPK−/− cells. However, the number of donor T cells decreased following transplantation of AMPK−/− cells (3.15 ±0.49×106vs. 1.87 ±0.53×106, p=0.0006, wt vs. AMPK−/− respectively), with fewer CD3+ cells infiltrating into GVHD target organs (e.g. liver, 206.1 ± 26.72 vs. 83.58 ± 11.10 CD3+ cells/hpf, p=0.0001). In contrast, both the percentage and total number Treg increased in recipients of AMPK−/− cells (0.85 ±0.32×104 vs. 1.69 ± 0.34×104, wt vs. AMPK−/−, p=0.004).

Thus, deletion of AMPK decreases GVHD severity but spares anti-leukemia responses. This occurs through impaired effector T cell survival, preservation of Tregs, and reduced infiltration of CD3+ cells into target organs. From these data, we conclude that targeting AMPK in donor T cells represents an attractive strategy to mitigate GVHD while still preserving graft-versus-leukemia effects.