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Sample records for parp cleavage metastatic

  1. PARP-1 cleavage fragments: signatures of cell-death proteases in neurodegeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Jonathan S

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The normal function of poly (ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 is the routine repair of DNA damage by adding poly (ADP ribose polymers in response to a variety of cellular stresses. Recently, it has become widely appreciated that PARP-1 also participates in diverse physiological and pathological functions from cell survival to several forms of cell death and has been implicated in gene transcription, immune responses, inflammation, learning, memory, synaptic functions, angiogenesis and aging. In the CNS, PARP inhibition attenuates injury in pathologies like cerebral ischemia, trauma and excitotoxicity demonstrating a central role of PARP-1 in these pathologies. PARP-1 is also a preferred substrate for several 'suicidal' proteases and the proteolytic action of suicidal proteases (caspases, calpains, cathepsins, granzymes and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs on PARP-1 produces several specific proteolytic cleavage fragments with different molecular weights. These PARP-1 signature fragments are recognized biomarkers for specific patterns of protease activity in unique cell death programs. This review focuses on specific suicidal proteases active towards PARP-1 to generate signature PARP-1 fragments that can identify key proteases and particular forms of cell death involved in pathophysiology. The roles played by some of the PARP-1 fragments and their associated binding partners in the control of different forms of cell death are also discussed.

  2. Combinations of PARP Inhibitors with Temozolomide Drive PARP1 Trapping and Apoptosis in Ewing's Sarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Sonja J; Travers, Jon; Pshenichnaya, Irina; Kogera, Fiona A; Barthorpe, Syd; Mironenko, Tatiana; Richardson, Laura; Benes, Cyril H; Stratton, Michael R; McDermott, Ultan; Jackson, Stephen P; Garnett, Mathew J

    2015-01-01

    Ewing's sarcoma is a malignant pediatric bone tumor with a poor prognosis for patients with metastatic or recurrent disease. Ewing's sarcoma cells are acutely hypersensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition and this is being evaluated in clinical trials, although the mechanism of hypersensitivity has not been directly addressed. PARP inhibitors have efficacy in tumors with BRCA1/2 mutations, which confer deficiency in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair by homologous recombination (HR). This drives dependence on PARP1/2 due to their function in DNA single-strand break (SSB) repair. PARP inhibitors are also cytotoxic through inhibiting PARP1/2 auto-PARylation, blocking PARP1/2 release from substrate DNA. Here, we show that PARP inhibitor sensitivity in Ewing's sarcoma cells is not through an apparent defect in DNA repair by HR, but through hypersensitivity to trapped PARP1-DNA complexes. This drives accumulation of DNA damage during replication, ultimately leading to apoptosis. We also show that the activity of PARP inhibitors is potentiated by temozolomide in Ewing's sarcoma cells and is associated with enhanced trapping of PARP1-DNA complexes. Furthermore, through mining of large-scale drug sensitivity datasets, we identify a subset of glioma, neuroblastoma and melanoma cell lines as hypersensitive to the combination of temozolomide and PARP inhibition, potentially identifying new avenues for therapeutic intervention. These data provide insights into the anti-cancer activity of PARP inhibitors with implications for the design of treatment for Ewing's sarcoma patients with PARP inhibitors.

  3. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 and its cleavage products differentially modulate cellular protection through NF-kB-dependent signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castri, Paola; Lee, Yang-ja; Ponzio, Todd; Maric, Dragan; Spatz, Maria; Bembry, Joliet; Hallenbeck, John

    2014-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and its cleavage products regulate cell viability and NF-kB activity when expressed in neurons. PARP-1 cleavage generates a 24kDa (PARP-124) and an 89kDa fragment (PARP-189). Compared to WT (PARP-1WT), the expression of an uncleavable PARP-1 (PARP-1UNCL) or of PARP-124 conferred protection from oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) or OGD/restoration of oxygen and glucose (ROG) damage in vitro, whereas expression of PARP-189 was cytotoxic. Viability experiments were performed in SH-SY5Y, a human neuroblastoma cell line, as well as in rat primary cortical neurons. Following OGD, the higher viability in the presence of PARP-1UNCL or PARP-124 was not accompanied with decreased formation of poly(ADP-riboses) or higher NAD levels. PARP-1 is a known cofactor for NF-kB, hence we investigated whether PARP-1 cleavage influences the inflammatory response. All PARP-1 constructs mimicked PARP-1WT in regards to induction of NF-kB translocation into the nucleus and its increased activation during ischemic challenge. However, expression of PARP-189 construct induced significantly higher NF-kB activity than PARP-1WT; and the same was true for NF-kB-dependent iNOS promoter binding activity. At a protein level, PARP-1UNCL and PARP-124 decreased iNOS (and lower levels of iNOS transcript) and COX-2, and increased Bcl-xL. The increased levels of NF-kB and iNOS transcriptional activities, seen with cytotoxic PARP-189, were accompanied by higher protein expression of COX-2 and iNOS (and higher levels of iNOS transcript) and lower protein expression of Bcl-xL. Taken together, these findings suggest that PARP-1 cleavage products may regulate cellular viability and inflammatory responses in opposing ways during in vitro models of “ischemia”. PMID:24333653

  4. Defective mitophagy in XPA via PARP-1 hyperactivation and NAD(+)/SIRT1 reduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fang, Evandro Fei; Scheibye-Knudsen, Morten; Brace, Lear E

    2014-01-01

    with excessive cleavage of PINK1 and increased mitochondrial membrane potential. The mitochondrial abnormalities appear to be caused by decreased activation of the NAD(+)-SIRT1-PGC-1α axis triggered by hyperactivation of the DNA damage sensor PARP-1. This phenotype is rescued by PARP-1 inhibition...... or by supplementation with NAD(+) precursors that also rescue the lifespan defect in xpa-1 nematodes. Importantly, this pathogenesis appears common to ataxia-telangiectasia and Cockayne syndrome, two other DNA repair disorders with neurodegeneration, but absent in XPC, a DNA repair disorder without neurodegeneration...

  5. Regulation of HFE expression by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) through an inverted repeat DNA sequence in the distal promoter.

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    Pelham, Christopher; Jimenez, Tamara; Rodova, Marianna; Rudolph, Angela; Chipps, Elizabeth; Islam, M Rafiq

    2013-12-01

    Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common autosomal recessive disorder of iron overload among Caucasians of northern European descent. Over 85% of all cases with HH are due to mutations in the hemochromatosis protein (HFE) involved in iron metabolism. Although the importance in iron homeostasis is well recognized, the mechanism of sensing and regulating iron absorption by HFE, especially in the absence of iron response element in its gene, is not fully understood. In this report, we have identified an inverted repeat sequence (ATGGTcttACCTA) within 1700bp (-1675/+35) of the HFE promoter capable to form cruciform structure that binds PARP1 and strongly represses HFE promoter. Knockdown of PARP1 increases HFE mRNA and protein. Similarly, hemin or FeCl3 treatments resulted in increase in HFE expression by reducing nuclear PARP1 pool via its apoptosis induced cleavage, leading to upregulation of the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin mRNA. Thus, PARP1 binding to the inverted repeat sequence on the HFE promoter may serve as a novel iron sensing mechanism as increased iron level can trigger PARP1 cleavage and relief of HFE transcriptional repression. © 2013.

  6. PARP-1 depletion in combination with carbon ion exposure significantly reduces MMPs activity and overall increases TIMPs expression in cultured HeLa cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghorai, Atanu; Sarma, Asitikantha; Chowdhury, Priyanka; Ghosh, Utpal

    2016-01-01

    Hadron therapy is an innovative technique where cancer cells are precisely killed leaving surrounding healthy cells least affected by high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation like carbon ion beam. Anti-metastatic effect of carbon ion exposure attracts investigators into the field of hadron biology, although details remain poor. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) inhibitors are well-known radiosensitizer and several PARP-1 inhibitors are in clinical trial. Our previous studies showed that PARP-1 depletion makes the cells more radiosensitive towards carbon ion than gamma. The purpose of the present study was to investigate combining effects of PARP-1 inhibition with carbon ion exposure to control metastatic properties in HeLa cells. Activities of matrix metalloproteinases-2, 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9) were measured using the gelatin zymography after 85 MeV carbon ion exposure or gamma irradiation (0- 4 Gy) to compare metastatic potential between PARP-1 knock down (HsiI) and control cells (H-vector - HeLa transfected with vector without shRNA construct). Expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of MMPs such as TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 were checked by immunofluorescence and western blot. Cell death by trypan blue, apoptosis and autophagy induction were studied after carbon ion exposure in each cell-type. The data was analyzed using one way ANOVA and 2-tailed paired-samples T-test. PARP-1 silencing significantly reduced MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities and carbon ion exposure further diminished their activities to less than 3 % of control H-vector. On the contrary, gamma radiation enhanced both MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities in H-vector but not in HsiI cells. The expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in H-vector and HsiI showed different pattern after carbon ion exposure. All three TIMPs were increased in HsiI, whereas only TIMP-1 was up-regulated in H-vector after irradiation. Notably, the expressions of all TIMPs were significantly higher in HsiI than H-vector at 4 Gy. Apoptosis was

  7. Investigation of PARP-1, PARP-2, and PARG interactomes by affinity-purification mass spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Maxim

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Poly(ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs catalyze the formation of poly(ADP-ribose (pADPr, a post-translational modification involved in several important biological processes, namely surveillance of genome integrity, cell cycle progression, initiation of the DNA damage response, apoptosis, and regulation of transcription. Poly(ADP-ribose glycohydrolase (PARG, on the other hand, catabolizes pADPr and thereby accounts for the transient nature of poly(ADP-ribosylation. Our investigation of the interactomes of PARP-1, PARP-2, and PARG by affinity-purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS aimed, on the one hand, to confirm current knowledge on these interactomes and, on the other hand, to discover new protein partners which could offer insights into PARPs and PARG functions. Results PARP-1, PARP-2, and PARG were immunoprecipitated from human cells, and pulled-down proteins were separated by gel electrophoresis prior to in-gel trypsin digestion. Peptides were identified by tandem mass spectrometry. Our AP-MS experiments resulted in the identifications of 179 interactions, 139 of which are novel interactions. Gene Ontology analysis of the identified protein interactors points to five biological processes in which PARP-1, PARP-2 and PARG may be involved: RNA metabolism for PARP-1, PARP-2 and PARG; DNA repair and apoptosis for PARP-1 and PARP-2; and glycolysis and cell cycle for PARP-1. Conclusions This study reveals several novel protein partners for PARP-1, PARP-2 and PARG. It provides a global view of the interactomes of these proteins as well as a roadmap to establish the systems biology of poly(ADP-ribose metabolism.

  8. Radiosensitivity modulating factors: Role of PARP-1, PARP-2 and Cdk5 proteins and chromatin implication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boudra, M.T.

    2011-12-01

    The post-translational modifications of DNA repair proteins and histone remodeling factors by poly(ADP-ribose)ylation and phosphorylation are essential for the maintenance of DNA integrity and chromatin structure, and in particular in response to DNA damaging produced by ionizing radiation (IR). Amongst the proteins implicated in these two processes are the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase -1 (PARP-1) and PARP-2, and the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk5: PARP-1 and 2 are involved in DNA single strand break (SSB) repair (SSBR) and Cdk5 depletion has been linked with increased cell sensitivity to PARP inhibition. We have shown by using HeLa cells stably depleted for either CdK5 or PARP-2, that the recruitment profile of PARP-1 and XRCC-1, two proteins involved in the short-patch (SP) SSBR sub-pathway, to DNA damage sites is sub-maximal and that of PCNA, a protein involved in the long-patch (LP) repair pathway, is increased in the absence of Cdk5 and decreased in the absence of PARP-2 suggesting that both Cdk5 and PARP-2 are involved in both SSBR sub-pathways. PARP-2 and Cdk5 also impact on the poly(ADP-ribose) levels in cells as in the absence of Cdk5 a hyper-activation of PARP-1 was found and in the absence of PARP-2 a reduction in poly(ADP-ribose) glyco-hydrolase (PARG) activity was seen. However, in spite of these changes no impact on the repair of SSBs induced by IR was seen in either the Cdk5 or PARP-2 depleted cells (Cdk5 KD or PARP-2 KD cells) but, interestingly, increased radiation sensitivity in terms of cell killing was noted in the Cdk5 depleted cells. We also found that Cdk5, PARP-2 and PARG were all implicated in the regulation of the recruitment and the dissociation of the chromatin-remodeling factor ALC1 from DNA damage sites suggesting a role for these three proteins in changes in chromatin structure after DNA photo-damage. These results, taken together with the observation that PARP-1 recruitment is sub-optimal in both Cdk5 KD and PARP-2 KD cells, show that

  9. Parp-1 genetic ablation in Ela-myc mice unveils novel roles for Parp-1 in pancreatic cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Bosch, Neus; Iglesias, Mar; Munné-Collado, Jessica; Martínez-Cáceres, Carlos; Moreno, Mireia; Guerra, Carmen; Yélamos, Jose; Navarro, Pilar

    2014-10-01

    Pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis and is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in developed countries. The inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (Parp-1), the major protein responsible for poly(ADP-ribosy)lation in response to DNA damage, has emerged as a promising treatment for several tumour types. Here we aimed to elucidate the involvement of Parp-1 in pancreatic tumour progression. We assessed Parp-1 protein expression in normal, preneoplastic and pancreatic tumour samples from humans and from K-Ras- and c-myc-driven mouse models of pancreatic cancer. Parp-1 was highly expressed in acinar cells in normal and cancer tissues. In contrast, ductal cells expressed very low or undetectable levels of this protein, both in a normal and in a tumour context. The Parp-1 expression pattern was similar in human and mouse samples, thereby validating the use of animal models for further studies. To determine the in vivo effects of Parp-1 depletion on pancreatic cancer progression, Ela-myc-driven pancreatic tumour development was analysed in a Parp-1 knock-out background. Loss of Parp-1 resulted in increased tumour necrosis and decreased proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. Interestingly, Ela-myc:Parp-1(-/-) mice displayed fewer ductal tumours than their Ela-myc:Parp-1(+/+) counterparts, suggesting that Parp-1 participates in promoting acinar-to-ductal metaplasia, a key event in pancreatic cancer initiation. Moreover, impaired macrophage recruitment can be responsible for the ADM blockade found in the Ela-myc:Parp-1(-/-) mice. Finally, molecular analysis revealed that Parp-1 modulates ADM downstream of the Stat3-MMP7 axis and is also involved in transcriptional up-regulation of the MDM2, VEGFR1 and MMP28 cancer-related genes. In conclusion, the expression pattern of Parp-1 in normal and cancer tissue and the in vivo functional effects of Parp-1 depletion point to a novel role for this protein in pancreatic carcinogenesis and shed light

  10. PARP inhibition versus PARP-1 silencing: different outcomes in terms of single-strand break repair and radiation susceptibility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Godon, C.; Cordelieres, F.P.; Giocanti, N.; Megnin-Chanet, F.; Hall, J.; Favaudon, V.; Godon, C.; Giocanti, N.; Megnin-Chanet, F.; Hall, J.; Favaudon, V.; Cordelieres, F.P.; Cordelieres, F.P.; Biard, D.

    2008-01-01

    The consequences of PARP-1 disruption or inhibition on DNA single-strand break repair (SSBR) and radio-induced lethality were determined in synchronized, iso-genic HeLa cells stably silenced or not for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) (PARP-1(KD)) or XRCC1 (XRCC1(KD)). PARP-1 inhibition prevented XRCC1-YFP recruitment at sites of 405 nm laser micro irradiation, slowed SSBR 10-fold and triggered the accumulation of large persistent foci of GFP-PARP-1 and GFP-PCNA at photo damaged sites. These aggregates are presumed to hinder the recruitment of other effectors of the base excision repair (BER) pathway.PARP-1 silencing also prevented XRCC1-YFP recruitment but did not lengthen the lifetime of GFP-PCNA foci. Moreover, PARP-1(KD) and XRCC1(KD) cells in S phase completed SSBR as rapidly as controls, while SSBR was delayed in G1. Taken together, the data demonstrate that a PARP-1- and XRCC1-independent SSBR pathway operates when the short patch repair branch of the BER is deficient. Long patch repair is the likely mechanism, as GFP-PCNA recruitment at photo-damaged sites was normal in PARP-1(KD) cells. PARP-1 silencing elicited hyper-radiosensitivity, while radiosensitization by a PARP inhibitor reportedly occurs only in those cells treated in S phase. PARP-1 inhibition and deletion thus have different outcomes in terms of SSBR and radiosensitivity. (authors)

  11. Emerging Therapies in Metastatic Prostate Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonnenburg, Daniel W; Morgans, Alicia K

    2018-04-11

    In the last decade, there have been multiple landmark therapeutic advances for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, both in the castration-resistant and hormone-sensitive setting. In this review, we highlight recent progress and ongoing trials for metastatic prostate cancer, including advances in chemotherapy, androgen receptor-directed therapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy. Several landmark studies for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer demonstrated improvement in overall survival with the addition of docetaxel chemotherapy or abiraterone acetate to standard androgen deprivation therapy. A single-arm phase 2 study of the PARP inhibitor olaparib demonstrated high response rates and more favorable progression-free and overall survival for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and DNA repair defects treated with olaparib compared with men without DNA repair defects. Multiple ongoing clinical trials are investigating novel hormonal therapies and combinations of chemotherapy, targeted small molecules, immunotherapy, and radiopharmaceuticals. Progress continues to be made in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, and ongoing clinical trials continue to investigate novel agents and approaches to treatment.

  12. Structural Implications for Selective Targeting of PARPs.

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    Steffen, Jamin D; Brody, Jonathan R; Armen, Roger S; Pascal, John M

    2013-12-20

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are a family of enzymes that use NAD(+) as a substrate to synthesize polymers of ADP-ribose (PAR) as post-translational modifications of proteins. PARPs have important cellular roles that include preserving genomic integrity, telomere maintenance, transcriptional regulation, and cell fate determination. The diverse biological roles of PARPs have made them attractive therapeutic targets, which have fueled the pursuit of small molecule PARP inhibitors. The design of PARP inhibitors has matured over the past several years resulting in several lead candidates in clinical trials. PARP inhibitors are mainly used in clinical trials to treat cancer, particularly as sensitizing agents in combination with traditional chemotherapy to reduce side effects. An exciting aspect of PARP inhibitors is that they are also used to selectivity kill tumors with deficiencies in DNA repair proteins (e.g., BRCA1/2) through an approach termed "synthetic lethality." In the midst of the tremendous efforts that have brought PARP inhibitors to the forefront of modern chemotherapy, most clinically used PARP inhibitors bind to conserved regions that permits cross-selectivity with other PARPs containing homologous catalytic domains. Thus, the differences between therapeutic effects and adverse effects stemming from pan-PARP inhibition compared to selective inhibition are not well understood. In this review, we discuss current literature that has found ways to gain selectivity for one PARP over another. We furthermore provide insights into targeting other domains that make up PARPs, and how new classes of drugs that target these domains could provide a high degree of selectivity by affecting specific cellular functions. A clear understanding of the inhibition profiles of PARP inhibitors will not only enhance our understanding of the biology of individual PARPs, but may provide improved therapeutic options for patients.

  13. PARP-1 and PARP-2 activity in cancer-induced cachexia: potential therapeutic implications.

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    Barreiro, Esther; Gea, Joaquim

    2018-01-26

    Skeletal muscle dysfunction and mass loss is a characteristic feature in patients with chronic diseases including cancer and acute conditions such as critical illness. Maintenance of an adequate muscle mass is crucial for the patients' prognosis irrespective of the underlying condition. Moreover, aging-related sarcopenia may further aggravate the muscle wasting process associated with chronic diseases and cancer. Poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation has been demonstrated to contribute to the pathophysiology of muscle mass loss and dysfunction in animal models of cancer-induced cachexia. Genetic inhibition of PARP activity attenuated the deleterious effects seen on depleted muscles in mouse models of oncologic cachexia. In the present minireview the mechanisms whereby PARP activity inhibition may improve muscle mass and performance in models of cancer-induced cachexia are discussed. Specifically, the beneficial effects of inhibition of PARP activity on attenuation of increased oxidative stress, protein catabolism, poor muscle anabolism and mitochondrial content and epigenetic modulation of muscle phenotype are reviewed in this article. Finally, the potential therapeutic strategies of pharmacological PARP activity inhibition for the treatment of cancer-induced cachexia are also being described in this review.

  14. Cardiovascular Protective Effect of Metformin and Telmisartan: Reduction of PARP1 Activity via the AMPK-PARP1 Cascade.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fenqing Shang

    Full Text Available Hyperglycemia and hypertension impair endothelial function in part through oxidative stress-activated poly (ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1. Biguanides and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs such as metformin and telmisartan have a vascular protective effect. We used cultured vascular endothelial cells (ECs, diabetic and hypertensive rodent models, and AMPKα2-knockout mice to investigate whether metformin and telmisartan have a beneficial effect on the endothelium via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK phosphorylation of PARP1 and thus inhibition of PARP1 activity. The results showed that metformin and telmisartan, but not glipizide and metoprolol, activated AMPK, which phosphorylated PARP1 Ser-177 in cultured ECs and the vascular wall of rodent models. Experiments using phosphorylated/de-phosphorylated PARP1 mutants show that AMPK phosphorylation of PARP1 leads to decreased PARP1 activity and attenuated protein poly(ADP-ribosylation (PARylation, but increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS activity and silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1 expression. Taken together, the data presented here suggest biguanides and ARBs have a beneficial effect on the vasculature by the cascade of AMPK phosphorylation of PARP1 to inhibit PARP1 activity and protein PARylation in ECs, thereby mitigating endothelial dysfunction.

  15. PARP1 Val762Ala polymorphism reduces enzymatic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xiaogan; Wang Zhaoqi; Tong Weimin; Shen Yan

    2007-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) modifies a variety of nuclear proteins by poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, and plays diverse roles in molecular and cellular processes. A common PARP1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at codon 762, resulting in the substitution of alanine (Ala) for valine (Val) in the catalytic domain has been implicated in susceptibility to cancer. To characterize the functional effect of this polymorphism on PARP1, we performed in vitro enzymatic analysis on PARP1-Ala762 and PARP1-Val762. We found that PARP1-Ala762 displayed 57.2% of the activity of PARP1-Val762 for auto-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and 61.9% of the activity of PARP1-Val762 for trans-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of histone H1. The kinetic characterization revealed that the K m of PARP1-Ala762 was increased to a 1.2-fold of the K m of PARP1-Val762 for trans-poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. Thus, the PARP1 Val762Ala polymorphism reduces the enzymatic activity of PARP1 by increasing K m . This finding suggests that different levels of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation by PARP1 might aid in understanding Cancer risk of carriers of the PARP1 Val762Ala polymorphism

  16. Analyzing structure–function relationships of artificial and cancer-associated PARP1 variants by reconstituting TALEN-generated HeLa PARP1 knock-out cells

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    Rank, Lisa; Veith, Sebastian; Gwosch, Eva C.; Demgenski, Janine; Ganz, Magdalena; Jongmans, Marjolijn C.; Vogel, Christopher; Fischbach, Arthur; Buerger, Stefanie; Fischer, Jan M.F.; Zubel, Tabea; Stier, Anna; Renner, Christina; Schmalz, Michael; Beneke, Sascha; Groettrup, Marcus; Kuiper, Roland P.; Bürkle, Alexander; Ferrando-May, Elisa; Mangerich, Aswin

    2016-01-01

    Genotoxic stress activates PARP1, resulting in the post-translational modification of proteins with poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR). We genetically deleted PARP1 in one of the most widely used human cell systems, i.e. HeLa cells, via TALEN-mediated gene targeting. After comprehensive characterization of these cells during genotoxic stress, we analyzed structure–function relationships of PARP1 by reconstituting PARP1 KO cells with a series of PARP1 variants. Firstly, we verified that the PARP1\\E988K mutant exhibits mono-ADP-ribosylation activity and we demonstrate that the PARP1\\L713F mutant is constitutively active in cells. Secondly, both mutants exhibit distinct recruitment kinetics to sites of laser-induced DNA damage, which can potentially be attributed to non-covalent PARP1–PAR interaction via several PAR binding motifs. Thirdly, both mutants had distinct functional consequences in cellular patho-physiology, i.e. PARP1\\L713F expression triggered apoptosis, whereas PARP1\\E988K reconstitution caused a DNA-damage-induced G2 arrest. Importantly, both effects could be rescued by PARP inhibitor treatment, indicating distinct cellular consequences of constitutive PARylation and mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation. Finally, we demonstrate that the cancer-associated PARP1 SNP variant (V762A) as well as a newly identified inherited PARP1 mutation (F304L\\V762A) present in a patient with pediatric colorectal carcinoma exhibit altered biochemical and cellular properties, thereby potentially supporting human carcinogenesis. Together, we establish a novel cellular model for PARylation research, by revealing strong structure–function relationships of natural and artificial PARP1 variants. PMID:27694308

  17. Trial watch – inhibiting PARP enzymes for anticancer therapy

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    Sistigu, Antonella; Manic, Gwenola; Obrist, Florine; Vitale, Ilio

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are a members of family of enzymes that catalyze poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) and/or mono(ADP-ribosyl)ation (MARylation), two post-translational protein modifications involved in crucial cellular processes including (but not limited to) the DNA damage response (DDR). PARP1, the most abundant family member, is a nuclear protein that is activated upon sensing distinct types of DNA damage and contributes to their resolution by PARylating multiple DDR players. Recent evidence suggests that, along with DDR, activated PARP1 mediates a series of prosurvival and proapoptotic processes aimed at preserving genomic stability. Despite this potential oncosuppressive role, upregulation and/or overactivation of PARP1 or other PARP enzymes has been reported in a variety of human neoplasms. Over the last few decades, several pharmacologic inhibitors of PARP1 and PARP2 have been assessed in preclinical and clinical studies showing potent antineoplastic activity, particularly against homologous recombination (HR)-deficient ovarian and breast cancers. In this Trial Watch, we describe the impact of PARP enzymes and PARylation in cancer, discuss the mechanism of cancer cell killing by PARP1 inactivation, and summarize the results of recent clinical studies aimed at evaluating the safety and therapeutic profile of PARP inhibitors in cancer patients. PMID:27308587

  18. PARP-1 Interaction with and Activation by Histones and Nucleosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Colin; Kotova, Elena; Tulin, Alexei V

    2017-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is an abundant chromatin associated protein, typical for most eukaryotic nuclei. The localization of PARP-1 in chromatin and its enzymatic activation involves multiple interactions of PARP-1 with nucleosomal histones, other proteins, and DNA. We report a set of methods designed to reconstitute PARP-1 regulation in vitro. These methods involve the expression of PARP-1 and PARP-1-regulating proteins using bacterial and eukaryotic systems, purification of these proteins using chromatography, testing of individual interactions in vitro, assembly of active complexes, and reconstitution of PARP-1 regulating reactions in vitro.

  19. The PARP inhibitor PJ-34 sensitizes cells to UVA-induced phototoxicity by a PARP independent mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakatos, Petra; Hegedűs, Csaba; Salazar Ayestarán, Nerea; Juarranz, Ángeles; Kövér, Katalin E.; Szabó, Éva; Virág, László

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • PARP-1 is not a key regulator of photochemotherapy. • The PARP inhibitor PJ-34 sensitizes cells to UVA-induced phototoxicity by a PARP independent mechanism. • Photosensitization by PJ-34 is associated with increased ROS production and DNA damage. • Cells sensitized by PJ-34 undergo caspase-mediated apoptosis. - Abstract: A combination of a photosensitizer with light of matching wavelength is a common treatment modality in various diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and tumors. DNA damage and production of reactive oxygen intermediates may impact pathological cellular functions and viability. Here we set out to investigate the role of the nuclear DNA nick sensor enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 in photochemical treatment (PCT)-induced tumor cell killing. We found that silencing PARP-1 or inhibition of its enzymatic activity with Veliparib had no significant effect on the viability of A431 cells exposed to 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and UVA (2.5 J/cm"2) indicating that PARP-1 is not likely to be a key player in either cell survival or cell death of PCT-exposed cells. Interestingly, however, another commonly used PARP inhibitor PJ-34 proved to be a photosensitizer with potency equal to 8-MOP. Irradiation of PJ-34 with UVA caused changes both in the UV absorption and in the 1H NMR spectra of the compound with the latter suggesting UVA-induced formation of tautomeric forms of the compound. Characterization of the photosensitizing effect revealed that PJ–34 + UVA triggers overproduction of reactive oxygen species, induces DNA damage, activation of caspase 3 and caspase 8 and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Cell death in this model could not be prevented by antioxidants (ascorbic acid, trolox, glutathione, gallotannin or cell permeable superoxide dismutase or catalase) but could be suppressed by inhibitors of caspase-3 and −8. In conclusion, PJ-34 is a photosensitizer and PJ–34 + UVA causes DNA damage and caspase

  20. The PARP inhibitor PJ-34 sensitizes cells to UVA-induced phototoxicity by a PARP independent mechanism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lakatos, Petra; Hegedűs, Csaba [Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen (Hungary); Salazar Ayestarán, Nerea; Juarranz, Ángeles [Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, 28049-Madrid (Spain); Kövér, Katalin E. [Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen (Hungary); Szabó, Éva [Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen (Hungary); Virág, László, E-mail: lvirag@med.unideb.hu [Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen (Hungary); MTA-DE Cell Biology and Signaling Research Group, Debrecen (Hungary)

    2016-08-15

    Highlights: • PARP-1 is not a key regulator of photochemotherapy. • The PARP inhibitor PJ-34 sensitizes cells to UVA-induced phototoxicity by a PARP independent mechanism. • Photosensitization by PJ-34 is associated with increased ROS production and DNA damage. • Cells sensitized by PJ-34 undergo caspase-mediated apoptosis. - Abstract: A combination of a photosensitizer with light of matching wavelength is a common treatment modality in various diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and tumors. DNA damage and production of reactive oxygen intermediates may impact pathological cellular functions and viability. Here we set out to investigate the role of the nuclear DNA nick sensor enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 in photochemical treatment (PCT)-induced tumor cell killing. We found that silencing PARP-1 or inhibition of its enzymatic activity with Veliparib had no significant effect on the viability of A431 cells exposed to 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and UVA (2.5 J/cm{sup 2}) indicating that PARP-1 is not likely to be a key player in either cell survival or cell death of PCT-exposed cells. Interestingly, however, another commonly used PARP inhibitor PJ-34 proved to be a photosensitizer with potency equal to 8-MOP. Irradiation of PJ-34 with UVA caused changes both in the UV absorption and in the 1H NMR spectra of the compound with the latter suggesting UVA-induced formation of tautomeric forms of the compound. Characterization of the photosensitizing effect revealed that PJ–34 + UVA triggers overproduction of reactive oxygen species, induces DNA damage, activation of caspase 3 and caspase 8 and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Cell death in this model could not be prevented by antioxidants (ascorbic acid, trolox, glutathione, gallotannin or cell permeable superoxide dismutase or catalase) but could be suppressed by inhibitors of caspase-3 and −8. In conclusion, PJ-34 is a photosensitizer and PJ–34 + UVA causes DNA damage and caspase

  1. Expression of DNA Damage Response Molecules PARP1, γH2AX, BRCA1, and BRCA2 Predicts Poor Survival of Breast Carcinoma Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    See-Hyoung Park

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1, γH2AX, BRCA1, and BRCA2 are conventional molecular indicators of DNA damage in cells and are often overexpressed in various cancers. In this study, we aimed, using immunohistochemical detection, whether the co-expression of PARP1, γH2AX, BRCA1, and BRCA2 in breast carcinoma (BCA tissue can provide more reliable prediction of survival of BCA patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated immunohistochemical expression and prognostic significance of the expression of PARP1, γH2AX, BRCA1, and BRCA2 in 192 cases of BCAs. RESULTS: The expression of these four molecules predicted earlier distant metastatic relapse, shorter overall survival (OS, and relapse-free survival (RFS by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed the expression of PARP1, γH2AX, and BRCA2 as independent poor prognostic indicators of OS and RFS. In addition, the combined expressional pattern of BRCA1, BRCA2, PARP1, and γH2AX (CSbbph was an additional independent prognostic predictor for OS (P < .001 and RFS (P < .001. The 10-year OS rate was 95% in the CSbbph-low (CSbbph scores 0 and 1 subgroup, but that was only 35% in the CSbbph-high (CSbbph score 4 subgroup. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that the individual and combined expression patterns of PARP1, γH2AX, BRCA1, and BRCA2 could be helpful in determining an accurate prognosis for BCA patients and for the selection of BCA patients who could potentially benefit from anti-PARP1 therapy with a combination of genotoxic chemotherapeutic agents.

  2. Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 by PARP inhibitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicolescu, Adrian C.; Holt, Andrew; Kandasamy, Arulmozhi D.; Pacher, Pal; Schulz, Richard

    2009-01-01

    Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a ubiquitously expressed zinc-dependent endopeptidase, and poly(ADP-ribosyl) polymerase (PARP), a nuclear enzyme regulating DNA repair, are activated by nitroxidative stress associated with various pathologies. As MMP-2 plays a detrimental role in heart injuries resulting from enhanced nitroxidative stress, where PARP and MMP inhibitors are beneficial, we hypothesized that PARP inhibitors may affect MMP-2 activity. Using substrate degradation assays to determine MMP-2 activity we found that four PARP inhibitors (3-AB, PJ-34, 5-AIQ, and EB-47) inhibited 64 kDa MMP-2 in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC 50 values of PJ-34 and 5-AIQ were in the high micromolar range and comparable to those of known MMP-2 inhibitors doxycycline, minocycline or o-phenanthroline, whereas those for 3-AB and EB-47 were in the millimolar range. Co-incubation of PARP inhibitors with doxycycline showed an additive inhibition of MMP-2 that was significant for 3-AB alone. These data demonstrate that the protective effects of some PARP inhibitors may include inhibition of MMP-2 activity.

  3. Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 by PARP inhibitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicolescu, Adrian C.; Holt, Andrew; Kandasamy, Arulmozhi D. [Departments of Pharmacology and Pediatrics, Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta., Canada T6G 2S2 (Canada); Pacher, Pal [National Institutes of Health, NIAAA, Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, Bethesda, MD (United States); Schulz, Richard, E-mail: richard.schulz@ualberta.ca [Departments of Pharmacology and Pediatrics, Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta., Canada T6G 2S2 (Canada)

    2009-10-02

    Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a ubiquitously expressed zinc-dependent endopeptidase, and poly(ADP-ribosyl) polymerase (PARP), a nuclear enzyme regulating DNA repair, are activated by nitroxidative stress associated with various pathologies. As MMP-2 plays a detrimental role in heart injuries resulting from enhanced nitroxidative stress, where PARP and MMP inhibitors are beneficial, we hypothesized that PARP inhibitors may affect MMP-2 activity. Using substrate degradation assays to determine MMP-2 activity we found that four PARP inhibitors (3-AB, PJ-34, 5-AIQ, and EB-47) inhibited 64 kDa MMP-2 in a concentration-dependent manner. The IC{sub 50} values of PJ-34 and 5-AIQ were in the high micromolar range and comparable to those of known MMP-2 inhibitors doxycycline, minocycline or o-phenanthroline, whereas those for 3-AB and EB-47 were in the millimolar range. Co-incubation of PARP inhibitors with doxycycline showed an additive inhibition of MMP-2 that was significant for 3-AB alone. These data demonstrate that the protective effects of some PARP inhibitors may include inhibition of MMP-2 activity.

  4. Arsenite binding-induced zinc loss from PARP-1 is equivalent to zinc deficiency in reducing PARP-1 activity, leading to inhibition of DNA repair

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Xi; Zhou, Xixi [Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States); Du, Libo [Center for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Liu, Wenlan [Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States); Liu, Yang [Center for Molecular Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Hudson, Laurie G. [Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States); Liu, Ke Jian, E-mail: kliu@salud.unm.edu [Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States)

    2014-01-15

    Inhibition of DNA repair is a recognized mechanism for arsenic enhancement of ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage and carcinogenesis. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), a zinc finger DNA repair protein, has been identified as a sensitive molecular target for arsenic. The zinc finger domains of PARP-1 protein function as a critical structure in DNA recognition and binding. Since cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity has been positively correlated with zinc status in cells, we hypothesize that arsenite binding-induced zinc loss from PARP-1 is equivalent to zinc deficiency in reducing PARP-1 activity, leading to inhibition of DNA repair. To test this hypothesis, we compared the effects of arsenite exposure with zinc deficiency, created by using the membrane-permeable zinc chelator TPEN, on 8-OHdG formation, PARP-1 activity and zinc binding to PARP-1 in HaCat cells. Our results show that arsenite exposure and zinc deficiency had similar effects on PARP-1 protein, whereas supplemental zinc reversed these effects. To investigate the molecular mechanism of zinc loss induced by arsenite, ICP-AES, near UV spectroscopy, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectroscopy were utilized to examine arsenite binding and occupation of a peptide representing the first zinc finger of PARP-1. We found that arsenite binding as well as zinc loss altered the conformation of zinc finger structure which functionally leads to PARP-1 inhibition. These findings suggest that arsenite binding to PARP-1 protein created similar adverse biological effects as zinc deficiency, which establishes the molecular mechanism for zinc supplementation as a potentially effective treatment to reverse the detrimental outcomes of arsenic exposure. - Highlights: • Arsenite binding is equivalent to zinc deficiency in reducing PARP-1 function. • Zinc reverses arsenic inhibition of PARP-1 activity and enhancement of DNA damage. • Arsenite binding and zinc loss alter the conformation of zinc finger

  5. Arsenite binding-induced zinc loss from PARP-1 is equivalent to zinc deficiency in reducing PARP-1 activity, leading to inhibition of DNA repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Xi; Zhou, Xixi; Du, Libo; Liu, Wenlan; Liu, Yang; Hudson, Laurie G.; Liu, Ke Jian

    2014-01-01

    Inhibition of DNA repair is a recognized mechanism for arsenic enhancement of ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage and carcinogenesis. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), a zinc finger DNA repair protein, has been identified as a sensitive molecular target for arsenic. The zinc finger domains of PARP-1 protein function as a critical structure in DNA recognition and binding. Since cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity has been positively correlated with zinc status in cells, we hypothesize that arsenite binding-induced zinc loss from PARP-1 is equivalent to zinc deficiency in reducing PARP-1 activity, leading to inhibition of DNA repair. To test this hypothesis, we compared the effects of arsenite exposure with zinc deficiency, created by using the membrane-permeable zinc chelator TPEN, on 8-OHdG formation, PARP-1 activity and zinc binding to PARP-1 in HaCat cells. Our results show that arsenite exposure and zinc deficiency had similar effects on PARP-1 protein, whereas supplemental zinc reversed these effects. To investigate the molecular mechanism of zinc loss induced by arsenite, ICP-AES, near UV spectroscopy, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectroscopy were utilized to examine arsenite binding and occupation of a peptide representing the first zinc finger of PARP-1. We found that arsenite binding as well as zinc loss altered the conformation of zinc finger structure which functionally leads to PARP-1 inhibition. These findings suggest that arsenite binding to PARP-1 protein created similar adverse biological effects as zinc deficiency, which establishes the molecular mechanism for zinc supplementation as a potentially effective treatment to reverse the detrimental outcomes of arsenic exposure. - Highlights: • Arsenite binding is equivalent to zinc deficiency in reducing PARP-1 function. • Zinc reverses arsenic inhibition of PARP-1 activity and enhancement of DNA damage. • Arsenite binding and zinc loss alter the conformation of zinc finger

  6. The NAD+/PARP1/SIRT1 Axis in Aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendelsohn, Andrew R; Larrick, James W

    2017-06-01

    NAD+ levels decline with age in diverse animals from Caenorhabditis elegans to mice. Raising NAD+ levels by dietary supplementation with NAD+ precursors, nicotinamide riboside (NR) or nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), improves mitochondrial function and muscle and neural and melanocyte stem cell function in mice, as well as increases murine life span. Decreased NAD+ levels with age reduce SIRT1 function and reduce the mitochondrial unfolded protein response, which can be overcome by NR supplementation. Decreased NAD+ levels cause NAD+-binding protein DBC1 to form a complex with PARP1, inhibiting poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) catalytic activity. Old mice have increased amounts of DBC1-PARP1 complexes, lower PARP activity, increased DNA damage, and reduced nonhomologous end joining and homologous recombination repair. DBC1-PARP1 complexes in old mice can be broken by increasing NAD+ levels through treatment with NMN, reducing DNA damage and restoring PARP activity to youthful levels. The mechanism of declining NAD+ levels and its fundamental importance to aging are yet to be elucidated. There is a correlation of PARP activity with mammalian life span that suggests that NAD+/SIRT1/PARP1 may be more significant than the modest effects on life span observed for NR supplementation in old mice. The NAD+/PARP1/SIRT1 axis may link NAD+ levels and DNA damage with the apparent epigenomic DNA methylation clocks that have been described.

  7. Rad51 expression levels predict synthetic lethality and metastatic potential in high grade breast cancers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiegmans, A.P.; Al-Ejeh, F.; Khanna, K.K.

    2012-01-01

    Among women with breast cancer, 30-40% will develop metastatic disease and only achieve an overall survival of less than 5 years. Despite new-targeted therapy, breast tumors that harbour similar histology or molecular phenotype differ in their response to treatment. To uncover potential new therapeutic targets and improve outcome, we performed data mining of cancer micro array databases. We found that high expression of the homologous recombination protein, RAD51, was significantly associated with high-grade breast cancer, aggressive subtypes and increased risk of metastasis. We confirmed using immunohistochemistry that RAD5 1 was highly expressed in metastatic tumours and high-grade triple negative, HER2+ and luminal-B tumours. This provided a rationale for targeting RAD5 1 in high-grade, therapy-resistant breast cancers. Here, we report for the first time preclinical evaluation of RAD5 1 as a therapeutic target. We found that, in-vitro high RAD5 expressing cell lines were resistant to PARP inhibitor while knockdown reversed this resistance. In-vivo, knockdown of RAD5 1 inhibited metastatic progression using a syngeneic breast cancer model and the seeding of human xenografts to distant sites, including brain and lung. Concurrent PARP inhibition reduced primary tumor growth and delayed metastasis supporting synthetic lethality in-vivo. Together these insights provide pre-clinical data demonstrating RAD5 1 as a new biomarker and potential therapeutic target against aggressive metastatic breast cancer. (author)

  8. PARP Inhibition Restores Extrinsic Apoptotic Sensitivity in Glioblastoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karpel-Massler, Georg; Pareja, Fresia; Aimé, Pascaline; Shu, Chang; Chau, Lily; Westhoff, Mike-Andrew; Halatsch, Marc-Eric; Crary, John F.; Canoll, Peter; Siegelin, Markus D.

    2014-01-01

    Background Resistance to apoptosis is a paramount issue in the treatment of Glioblastoma (GBM). We show that targeting PARP by the small molecule inhibitors, Olaparib (AZD-2281) or PJ34, reduces proliferation and lowers the apoptotic threshold of GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods The sensitizing effects of PARP inhibition on TRAIL-mediated apoptosis and potential toxicity were analyzed using viability assays and flow cytometry in established GBM cell lines, low-passage neurospheres and astrocytes in vitro. Molecular analyses included western blots and gene silencing. In vivo, effects on tumor growth were examined in a murine subcutaneous xenograft model. Results The combination treatment of PARP inhibitors and TRAIL led to an increased cell death with activation of caspases and inhibition of formation of neurospheres when compared to single-agent treatment. Mechanistically, pharmacological PARP inhibition elicited a nuclear stress response with up-regulation of down-stream DNA-stress response proteins, e.g., CCAAT enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homology protein (CHOP). Furthermore, Olaparib and PJ34 increased protein levels of DR5 in a concentration and time-dependent manner. In turn, siRNA-mediated suppression of DR5 mitigated the effects of TRAIL/PARP inhibitor-mediated apoptosis. In addition, suppression of PARP-1 levels enhanced TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in malignant glioma cells. Treatment of human astrocytes with the combination of TRAIL/PARP inhibitors did not cause toxicity. Finally, the combination treatment of TRAIL and PJ34 significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo when compared to treatment with each agent alone. Conclusions PARP inhibition represents a promising avenue to overcome apoptotic resistance in GBM. PMID:25531448

  9. Cells deficient in PARP-1 show an accelerated accumulation of DNA single strand breaks, but not AP sites, over the PARP-1-proficient cells exposed to MMS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pachkowski, Brian F; Tano, Keizo; Afonin, Valeriy; Elder, Rhoderick H; Takeda, Shunichi; Watanabe, Masami; Swenberg, James A; Nakamura, Jun

    2009-12-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a base excision repair (BER) protein that binds to DNA single strand breaks (SSBs) and subsequently synthesizes and transfers poly(ADP-ribose) polymers to various nuclear proteins. Numerous biochemical studies have implicated PARP-1 as a modulator of BER; however, the role of PARP-1 in BER in living cells remains unclear partly due to lack of accurate quantitation of BER intermediates existing in cells. Since DT40 cells, chicken B lymphocytes, naturally lack PARP-2, DT40 cells allow for the investigation of the PARP-1 null phenotype without confounding by PARP-2. To test the hypothesis that PARP-1 is necessary for efficient BER during methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) exposure in vertebrate cells, intact DT40 cells and their isogenic PARP-1 null counterparts were challenged with different exposure scenarios for phenotypic characterization. With chronic exposure, PARP-1 null cells exhibited sensitivity to MMS but with an acute exposure did not accumulate base lesions or AP sites to a greater extent than wild-type cells. However, an increase in SSB content in PARP-1 null cell DNA, as indicated by glyoxal gel electrophoresis under neutral conditions, suggested the presence of BER intermediates. These data suggest that during exposure, PARP-1 impacts the stage of BER after excision of the deoxyribosephosphate moiety from the 5' end of DNA strand breaks by polymerase beta.

  10. Imidazoquinolinone, imidazopyridine, and isoquinolindione derivatives as novel and potent inhibitors of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP): a comparison with standard PARP inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eltze, Tobias; Boer, Rainer; Wagner, Thomas; Weinbrenner, Steffen; McDonald, Michelle C; Thiemermann, Christoph; Bürkle, Alexander; Klein, Thomas

    2008-12-01

    We have identified three novel structures for inhibitors of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a nuclear enzyme activated by strand breaks in DNA and implicated in DNA repair, apoptosis, organ dysfunction or necrosis. 2-[4-(5-Methyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)-piperidin-1-yl]-4,5-dihydro-imidazo[4,5,1-i,j]quinolin-6-one (BYK49187), 2-(4-pyridin-2-yl-phenyl)-4,5-dihydro-imidazo[4,5,1-i,j]quinolin-6-one (BYK236864), 6-chloro-8-hydroxy-2,3-dimethyl-imidazo-[1,2-alpha]-pyridine (BYK20370), and 4-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-ylmethylene)-4H-isoquinolin-1,3-dione (BYK204165) inhibited cell-free recombinant human PARP-1 with pIC(50) values of 8.36, 7.81, 6.40, and 7.35 (pK(i) 7.97, 7.43, 5.90, and 7.05), and murine PARP-2 with pIC(50) values of 7.50, 7.55, 5.71, and 5.38, respectively. BYK49187, BYK236864, and BYK20370 displayed no selectivity for PARP-1/2, whereas BYK204165 displayed 100-fold selectivity for PARP-1. The IC(50) values for inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis in human lung epithelial A549 and cervical carcinoma C4I cells as well in rat cardiac myoblast H9c2 cells after PARP activation by H(2)O(2) were highly significantly correlated with those at cell-free PARP-1 (r(2) = 0.89-0.96, P < 0.001) but less with those at PARP-2 (r(2) = 0.78-0.84, P < 0.01). The infarct size caused by coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion in the anesthetized rat was reduced by 22% (P < 0.05) by treatment with BYK49187 (3 mg/kg i.v. bolus and 3 mg/kg/h i.v. during 2-h reperfusion), whereas the weaker PARP inhibitors, BYK236864 and BYK20370, were not cardioprotective. In conclusion, the imidazoquinolinone BYK49187 is a potent inhibitor of human PARP-1 activity in cell-free and cellular assays in vitro and reduces myocardial infarct size in vivo. The isoquinolindione BYK204165 was found to be 100-fold more selective for PARP-1. Thus, both compounds might be novel and valuable tools for investigating PARP-1-mediated effects.

  11. PARP-1 inhibition alleviates diabetic cardiac complications in experimental animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakaria, Esraa M; El-Bassossy, Hany M; El-Maraghy, Nabila N; Ahmed, Ahmed F; Ali, Abdelmoneim A

    2016-11-15

    Cardiovascular complications are the major causes of mortality among diabetic population. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 enzyme (PARP-1) is activated by oxidative stress leading to cellular damage. We investigated the implication of PARP-1 in diabetic cardiac complications. Type 2 diabetes was induced in rats by high fructose-high fat diet and low streptozotocin dose. PARP inhibitor 4-aminobenzamide (4-AB) was administered daily for ten weeks after diabetes induction. At the end of study, surface ECG, blood pressure and vascular reactivity were studied. PARP-1 activity, reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitrite contents were assessed in heart muscle. Fasting glucose, fructosamine, insulin, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured in serum. Finally, histological examination and collagen deposition detection in rat ventricular and aortic sections were carried out. Hearts isolated from diabetic animals showed increased PARP-1 enzyme activity compared to control animals while significantly reduced by 4-AB administration. PARP-1 inhibition by 4-AB alleviated cardiac ischemia in diabetic animals as indicated by ECG changes. PARP-1 inhibition also reduced cardiac inflammation in diabetic animals as evidenced by histopathological changes. In addition, 4-AB administration improved the elevated blood pressure and the associated exaggerated vascular contractility, endothelial destruction and vascular inflammation seen in diabetic animals. Moreover, PARP-1 inhibition decreased serum levels of TNF-α and cardiac nitrite but increased cardiac GSH contents in diabetic animals. However, PARP-1 inhibition did not significantly affect the developed hyperglycemia. Our findings prove that PARP-1 enzyme plays an important role in diabetic cardiac complications through combining inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis mechanisms. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Cells deficient in PARP-1 show an accelerated accumulation of DNA single strand breaks, but not AP sites, over the PARP-1-proficient cells exposed to MMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pachkowski, Brian F. [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Tano, Keizo [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori (Japan); Afonin, Valeriy [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Elder, Rhoderick H. [School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Greater Manchester (United Kingdom); Takeda, Shunichi [Department of Radiation Genetics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (Japan); Watanabe, Masami [Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University, Kumatori (Japan); Swenberg, James A. [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States); Nakamura, Jun, E-mail: ynakamur@email.unc.edu [Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)

    2009-12-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a base excision repair (BER) protein that binds to DNA single strand breaks (SSBs) and subsequently synthesizes and transfers poly(ADP-ribose) polymers to various nuclear proteins. Numerous biochemical studies have implicated PARP-1 as a modulator of BER; however, the role of PARP-1 in BER in living cells remains unclear partly due to lack of accurate quantitation of BER intermediates existing in cells. Since DT40 cells, chicken B lymphocytes, naturally lack PARP-2, DT40 cells allow for the investigation of the PARP-1 null phenotype without confounding by PARP-2. To test the hypothesis that PARP-1 is necessary for efficient BER during methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) exposure in vertebrate cells, intact DT40 cells and their isogenic PARP-1 null counterparts were challenged with different exposure scenarios for phenotypic characterization. With chronic exposure, PARP-1 null cells exhibited sensitivity to MMS but with an acute exposure did not accumulate base lesions or AP sites to a greater extent than wild-type cells. However, an increase in SSB content in PARP-1 null cell DNA, as indicated by glyoxal gel electrophoresis under neutral conditions, suggested the presence of BER intermediates. These data suggest that during exposure, PARP-1 impacts the stage of BER after excision of the deoxyribosephosphate moiety from the 5' end of DNA strand breaks by polymerase {beta}.

  13. The neuroprotective effect of nicotine in Parkinson’s disease models is associated with inhibiting PARP-1 and caspase-3 cleavage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justin Y.D. Lu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Clinical evidence points to neuroprotective effects of smoking in Parkinson’s disease (PD, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the pharmacological pathways involved in these neuroprotective effects, which could provide novel ideas for developing targeted neuroprotective treatments for PD. We used the ETC complex I inhibitor methylpyridinium ion (MPP+ to induce cell death in SH-SY5Y cells as a cellular model for PD and found that nicotine inhibits cell death. Using choline as a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR agonist, we found that nAChR stimulation was sufficient to protect SH-SY5Y cells against cell death from MPP+. Blocking α7 nAChR with methyllycaconitine (MLA prevented the protective effects of nicotine, demonstrating that these receptors are necessary for the neuroprotective effects of nicotine. The neuroprotective effect of nicotine involves other pathways relevant to PD. Cleaved Poly (ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 and cleaved caspase-3 were decreased by nicotine in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA lesioned mice and in MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells. In conclusion, our data indicate that nicotine likely exerts neuroprotective effects in PD through the α7 nAChR and downstream pathways including PARP-1 and caspase-3. This knowledge could be pursued in future research to develop neuroprotective treatments for PD.

  14. Increased oxidative stress mediates the antitumor effect of PARP inhibition in ovarian cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Hou

    2018-07-01

    Full Text Available PARP inhibitors have been widely tested in clinical trials, especially for the treatment of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and were shown to be highly successful. Because PARP primarily functions in sensing and repairing DNA strand breaks, the therapeutic effect of PARP inhibition is generally believed to be attributed to impaired DNA repair. We here report that oxidative stress is also increased by PARP inhibition and mediates the antitumor effect. We showed that PARP1 is highly expressed in specimens of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma and its activity is required for unperturbed proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Inhibition or depletion of PARP leads to not only an increase in DNA damage, but also an elevation in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS. Importantly, antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC significantly attenuated the induction of DNA damage and the perturbation of proliferation by PARP inhibition or depletion. We further showed that NADPH oxidases 1 and 4 were significantly upregulated by PARP inhibition and were partially responsible for the induction of oxidative stress. Depletion of NOX1 and NOX4 partially rescued the growth inhibition of PARP1-deficient tumor xenografts. Our findings suggest that in addition to compromising the repair of DNA damage, PARP inhibition or depletion may exert extra antitumor effect by elevating oxidative stress in ovarian cancer cells. Keywords: PARP1, Oxidative stress, NADPH oxidases, Ovarian cancer

  15. Structural Basis for Potency and Promiscuity in Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) and Tankyrase Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorsell, Ann-Gerd; Ekblad, Torun; Karlberg, Tobias; Löw, Mirjam; Pinto, Ana Filipa; Trésaugues, Lionel; Moche, Martin; Cohen, Michael S; Schüler, Herwig

    2017-02-23

    Selective inhibitors could help unveil the mechanisms by which inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) elicits clinical benefits in cancer therapy. We profiled 10 clinical PARP inhibitors and commonly used research tools for their inhibition of multiple PARP enzymes. We also determined crystal structures of these compounds bound to PARP1 or PARP2. Veliparib and niraparib are selective inhibitors of PARP1 and PARP2; olaparib, rucaparib, and talazoparib are more potent inhibitors of PARP1 but are less selective. PJ34 and UPF1069 are broad PARP inhibitors; PJ34 inserts a flexible moiety into hydrophobic subpockets in various ADP-ribosyltransferases. XAV939 is a promiscuous tankyrase inhibitor and a potent inhibitor of PARP1 in vitro and in cells, whereas IWR1 and AZ-6102 are tankyrase selective. Our biochemical and structural analysis of PARP inhibitor potencies establishes a molecular basis for either selectivity or promiscuity and provides a benchmark for experimental design in assessment of PARP inhibitor effects.

  16. Characterization of Novel Cytoplasmic PARP in the Brain of Octopus vulgaris

    Science.gov (United States)

    DE LISA, EMILIA; DE MAIO, ANNA; MOROZ, LEONID L.; MOCCIA, FRANCESCO; MENNELLA, MARIA ROSARIA FARAONE; DI COSMO, ANNA

    2014-01-01

    Recent investigation has focused on the participation of the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) reaction in the invertebrate central nervous system (CNS) during the process of long-term memory (LTM). In this paper, we characterize, localize, and assign a possible role to a cytoplasmic PARP in the brain of Octopus vulgaris. PARP activity was assayed in optic lobes, supraesophageal mass, and optic nerves. The highest levels of enzyme were found in the cytoplasmic fraction. Hyper-activation of the enzyme was detected in Octopus brain after visual discrimination training. Finally, cytoplasmic PARP was found to inhibit Octopus vulgaris actin polymerization. We propose that the cytoplasmic PARP plays a role in vivo to induce the cytoskeletonal reorganization that occurs during learning-induced neuronal plasticity. PMID:22815366

  17. Regulation of FOXO1-mediated transcription and cell proliferation by PARP-1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakamaki, Jun-ichi; Daitoku, Hiroaki; Yoshimochi, Kenji [Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Miwa, Masanao [Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga 526-0829 (Japan); Fukamizu, Akiyoshi, E-mail: akif@tara.tsukuba.ac.jp [Center for Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan)

    2009-05-08

    Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors play an important role in a wide range of biological processes, including cell cycle control, apoptosis, detoxification of reactive oxygen species, and gluconeogenesis through regulation of gene expression. In this study, we demonstrated that PARP-1 functions as a negative regulator of FOXO1. We showed that PARP-1 directly binds to and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ates FOXO1 protein. PARP-1 represses FOXO1-mediated expression of cell cycle inhibitor p27{sup Kip1} gene. Notably, poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation activity was not required for the repressive effect of PARP-1 on FOXO1 function. Furthermore, knockdown of PARP-1 led to a decrease in cell proliferation in a manner dependent on FOXO1 function. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that PARP-1 is recruited to the p27{sup Kip1} gene promoter through a binding to FOXO1. These results suggest that PARP-1 acts as a corepressor for FOXO1, which could play an important role in proper cell proliferation by regulating p27{sup Kip1} gene expression.

  18. Autoimmune response to PARP and BRCA1/BRCA2 in cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Qing; Han, Su-Xia; Zhou, Cong-Ya; Cai, Meng-Jiao; Dai, Li-Ping; Zhang, Jian-Ying

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To determine the role of autoantibodies to PARP1 and BRCA1/BRCA2 which were involved in the synthetic lethal interaction in cancer. Methods Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to detect autoantibodies to PARP1 and BRCA1/BRCA2 in 618 serum samples including 131 from breast cancer, 94 from lung cancer, 34 from ovarian cancer, 107 from prostate cancer, 76 from liver cancer, 41 from pancreatic cancer and 135 from normal individuals. The positive sera with ELISA were confirmed by Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of PARP1 and BRCA1/BRCA2 in breast cancer. Results Autoantibody frequency to PARP1, BRCA1, and BRCA2 in cancer varied from 0% to 50%. When the sera from cancer patients were tested for the presence of autoantibodies to PARP1 and BRCA1/BRCA2, the autoantibody responses slightly decreased and the positive autoantibody reactions varied from 0% to 50.0%. This was significantly higher autoantibody responses to PARP1 and BRCA1/BRCA2 (especially to PARP1 and BRCA1) in ovarian cancer and breast cancer compared to normal control sera (P cancer was different (P cancers have different profiles of autoantibodies. The autoantibodies to proteins involving the synthetic lethal interactions would be novel serological biomarker in some selective cancers. PMID:25865228

  19. Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP-1 is not involved in DNA double-strand break recovery

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    Fernet Marie

    2003-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The cytotoxicity and the rejoining of DNA double-strand breaks induced by γ-rays, H2O2 and neocarzinostatin, were investigated in normal and PARP-1 knockout mouse 3T3 fibroblasts to determine the role of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP-1 in DNA double-strand break repair. Results PARP-1-/- were considerably more sensitive than PARP-1+/+ 3T3s to induced cell kill by γ-rays and H2O2. However, the two cell lines did not show any significant difference in the susceptibility to neocarzinostatin below 1.5 nM drug. Restoration of PARP-1 expression in PARP-1-/- 3T3s by retroviral transfection of the full PARP-1 cDNA did not induce any change in neocarzinostatin response. Moreover the incidence and the rejoining kinetics of neocarzinostatin-induced DNA double-strand breaks were identical in PARP-1+/+ and PARP-1-/- 3T3s. Poly(ADP-ribose synthesis following γ-rays and H2O2 was observed in PARP-1-proficient cells only. In contrast neocarzinostatin, even at supra-lethal concentration, was unable to initiate PARP-1 activation yet it induced H2AX histone phosphorylation in both PARP1+/+ and PARP-1-/- 3T3s as efficiently as γ-rays and H2O2. Conclusions The results show that PARP-1 is not a major determinant of DNA double-strand break recovery with either strand break rejoining or cell survival as an endpoint. Even though both PARP-1 and ATM activation are major determinants of the cell response to γ-rays and H2O2, data suggest that PARP-1-dependent poly(ADP-ribose synthesis and ATM-dependent H2AX phosphorylation, are not inter-related in the repair pathway of neocarzinostatin-induced DNA double-strand breaks.

  20. PARP-1: Friend or Foe of DNA Damage and Repair in Tumorigenesis?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swindall, Amanda F.; Stanley, Jennifer A. [Department of Radiation Oncology Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, 176F HSROC Suite 2232B, 1700 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35249 (United States); Yang, Eddy S., E-mail: eyang@uab.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, 176F HSROC Suite 2232B, 1700 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35249 (United States); Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249 (United States); Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35249 (United States)

    2013-07-26

    Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species can result in DNA damage within cells and subsequently increase risk for carcinogenesis. This may be averted by repair of DNA damage through the base or nucleotide excision repair (BER/NER) pathways. PARP, a BER protein, is known for its role in DNA-repair. However, multiple lesions can occur within a small range of DNA, known as oxidative clustered DNA lesions (OCDLs), which are difficult to repair and may lead to the more severe DNA double-strand break (DSB). Inefficient DSB repair can then result in increased mutagenesis and neoplastic transformation. OCDLs occur more frequently within a variety of tumor tissues. Interestingly, PARP is highly expressed in several human cancers. Additionally, chronic inflammation may contribute to tumorigenesis through ROS-induced DNA damage. Furthermore, PARP can modulate inflammation through interaction with NFκB and regulating the expression of inflammatory signaling molecules. Thus, the upregulation of PARP may present a double-edged sword. PARP is needed to repair ROS-induced DNA lesions, but PARP expression may lead to increased inflammation via upregulation of NFκB signaling. Here, we discuss the role of PARP in the repair of oxidative damage versus the formation of OCDLs and speculate on the feasibility of PARP inhibition for the treatment and prevention of cancers by exploiting its role in inflammation.

  1. PARP-1: Friend or Foe of DNA Damage and Repair in Tumorigenesis?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swindall, Amanda F.; Stanley, Jennifer A.; Yang, Eddy S.

    2013-01-01

    Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species can result in DNA damage within cells and subsequently increase risk for carcinogenesis. This may be averted by repair of DNA damage through the base or nucleotide excision repair (BER/NER) pathways. PARP, a BER protein, is known for its role in DNA-repair. However, multiple lesions can occur within a small range of DNA, known as oxidative clustered DNA lesions (OCDLs), which are difficult to repair and may lead to the more severe DNA double-strand break (DSB). Inefficient DSB repair can then result in increased mutagenesis and neoplastic transformation. OCDLs occur more frequently within a variety of tumor tissues. Interestingly, PARP is highly expressed in several human cancers. Additionally, chronic inflammation may contribute to tumorigenesis through ROS-induced DNA damage. Furthermore, PARP can modulate inflammation through interaction with NFκB and regulating the expression of inflammatory signaling molecules. Thus, the upregulation of PARP may present a double-edged sword. PARP is needed to repair ROS-induced DNA lesions, but PARP expression may lead to increased inflammation via upregulation of NFκB signaling. Here, we discuss the role of PARP in the repair of oxidative damage versus the formation of OCDLs and speculate on the feasibility of PARP inhibition for the treatment and prevention of cancers by exploiting its role in inflammation

  2. Research progress of PARP-1 inhibitors in antitumor drugs and radionuclide markers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Lingzhou; Zhang Huabei

    2011-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) is a new target in the cancer treatment nowadays. PARP not only can repair DNA damage, regulate and control transcription, maintain the stability of intracellular environment and genome, regulate the process of cell survival and death, but also is the main transcription factor in the development of inflammation and the process of cancer. To inhibit PARP activity can reduce the DNA repair function in tumor cells, and increase the sensibility to DNA damage agents, so as to improve the efficacy of radiation therapy and chemotherapy for tumor. A number of studies have suggested that, whether used alone or combination with other chemotherapy drugs, PARP inhibitors show the potential in the anti-tumor therapeutic areas. In this paper, PARP-1 inhibitors were reviewed in antitumor research progress. According to the stage of development , PARP-1 inhibitors are classified. Several representative PARP-1 inhibitors, in clinical trials, with potential clinical value were introduced. Positron emission tomography (PET), uses the main short half-life elementary in human body as tracer, and at the molecular level, achieve the no wound, quantitative and dynamic observation about the different changes of metabolites or drugs in the body. PET is the most advanced contemporary video diagnostic technology, and this paper simply introduce the research progress of PARP-1 inhibitors labeled with radioactive nuclides. (authors)

  3. The PARP inhibitor PJ-34 sensitizes cells to UVA-induced phototoxicity by a PARP independent mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakatos, Petra; Hegedűs, Csaba; Salazar Ayestarán, Nerea; Juarranz, Ángeles; Kövér, Katalin E; Szabó, Éva; Virág, László

    2016-08-01

    A combination of a photosensitizer with light of matching wavelength is a common treatment modality in various diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and tumors. DNA damage and production of reactive oxygen intermediates may impact pathological cellular functions and viability. Here we set out to investigate the role of the nuclear DNA nick sensor enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 in photochemical treatment (PCT)-induced tumor cell killing. We found that silencing PARP-1 or inhibition of its enzymatic activity with Veliparib had no significant effect on the viability of A431 cells exposed to 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and UVA (2.5J/cm(2)) indicating that PARP-1 is not likely to be a key player in either cell survival or cell death of PCT-exposed cells. Interestingly, however, another commonly used PARP inhibitor PJ-34 proved to be a photosensitizer with potency equal to 8-MOP. Irradiation of PJ-34 with UVA caused changes both in the UV absorption and in the 1H NMR spectra of the compound with the latter suggesting UVA-induced formation of tautomeric forms of the compound. Characterization of the photosensitizing effect revealed that PJ-34+UVA triggers overproduction of reactive oxygen species, induces DNA damage, activation of caspase 3 and caspase 8 and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Cell death in this model could not be prevented by antioxidants (ascorbic acid, trolox, glutathione, gallotannin or cell permeable superoxide dismutase or catalase) but could be suppressed by inhibitors of caspase-3 and -8. In conclusion, PJ-34 is a photosensitizer and PJ-34+UVA causes DNA damage and caspase-mediated cell death independently of PARP-1 inhibition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. BET Bromodomain Inhibition Synergizes with PARP Inhibitor in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

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    Sergey Karakashev

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available PARP inhibition is known to be an effective clinical strategy in BRCA mutant cancers, but PARP inhibition has not been applied to BRCA-proficient tumors. Here, we show the synergy of BET bromodomain inhibition with PARP inhibition in BRCA-proficient ovarian cancers due to mitotic catastrophe. Treatment of BRCA-proficient ovarian cancer cells with the BET inhibitor JQ1 downregulated the G2-M cell-cycle checkpoint regulator WEE1 and the DNA-damage response factor TOPBP1. Combining PARP inhibitor Olaparib with the BET inhibitor, we observed a synergistic increase in DNA damage and checkpoint defects, which allowed cells to enter mitosis despite the accumulation of DNA damage, ultimately causing mitotic catastrophe. Moreover, JQ1 and Olaparib showed synergistic suppression of growth of BRCA-proficient cancer in vivo in a xenograft ovarian cancer mouse model. Our findings indicate that a combination of BET inhibitor and PARP inhibitor represents a potential therapeutic strategy for BRCA-proficient cancers.

  5. PARP2 Is the Predominant Poly(ADP-Ribose Polymerase in Arabidopsis DNA Damage and Immune Responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junqi Song

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Poly (ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs catalyze the transfer of multiple poly(ADP-ribose units onto target proteins. Poly(ADP-ribosylation plays a crucial role in a variety of cellular processes including, most prominently, auto-activation of PARP at sites of DNA breaks to activate DNA repair processes. In humans, PARP1 (the founding and most characterized member of the PARP family accounts for more than 90% of overall cellular PARP activity in response to DNA damage. We have found that, in contrast with animals, in Arabidopsis thaliana PARP2 (At4g02390, rather than PARP1 (At2g31320, makes the greatest contribution to PARP activity and organismal viability in response to genotoxic stresses caused by bleomycin, mitomycin C or gamma-radiation. Plant PARP2 proteins carry SAP DNA binding motifs rather than the zinc finger domains common in plant and animal PARP1 proteins. PARP2 also makes stronger contributions than PARP1 to plant immune responses including restriction of pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato growth and reduction of infection-associated DNA double-strand break abundance. For poly(ADP-ribose glycohydrolase (PARG enzymes, we find that Arabidopsis PARG1 and not PARG2 is the major contributor to poly(ADP-ribose removal from acceptor proteins. The activity or abundance of PARP2 is influenced by PARP1 and PARG1. PARP2 and PARP1 physically interact with each other, and with PARG1 and PARG2, suggesting relatively direct regulatory interactions among these mediators of the balance of poly(ADP-ribosylation. As with plant PARP2, plant PARG proteins are also structurally distinct from their animal counterparts. Hence core aspects of plant poly(ADP-ribosylation are mediated by substantially different enzymes than in animals, suggesting the likelihood of substantial differences in regulation.

  6. Novel targeted therapeutics: inhibitors of MDM2, ALK and PARP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsueh Chung-Tsen

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract We reviewed preclinical data and clinical development of MDM2 (murine double minute 2, ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase and PARP (poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase inhibitors. MDM2 binds to p53, and promotes degradation of p53 through ubiquitin-proteasome degradation. JNJ-26854165 and RO5045337 are 2 small-molecule inhibitors of MDM2 in clinical development. ALK is a transmembrane protein and a member of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinases. EML4-ALK fusion gene is identified in approximately 3-13% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. Early-phase clinical studies with Crizotinib, an ALK inhibitor, in NSCLC harboring EML4-ALK have demonstrated promising activity with high response rate and prolonged progression-free survival. PARPs are a family of nuclear enzymes that regulates the repair of DNA single-strand breaks through the base excision repair pathway. Randomized phase II study has shown adding PARP-1 inhibitor BSI-201 to cytotoxic chemotherapy improves clinical outcome in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Olaparib, another oral small-molecule PARP inhibitor, demonstrated encouraging single-agent activity in patients with advanced breast or ovarian cancer. There are 5 other PARP inhibitors currently under active clinical investigation.

  7. Effects of PARP-1 Deficiency on Th1 and Th2 Cell Differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Sambucci

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available T cell differentiation to effector Th cells such as Th1 and Th2 requires the integration of multiple synergic and antagonist signals. Poly(ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification of proteins catalyzed by Poly(ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs. Recently, many reports showed that PARP-1, the prototypical member of the PARP family, plays a role in immune/inflammatory responses. Consistently, its enzymatic inhibition confers protection in several models of immune-mediated diseases, mainly through an inhibitory effect on NF-κB (and NFAT activation. PARP-1 regulates cell functions in many types of immune cells, including dendritic cells, macrophages, and T and B lymphocytes. Our results show that PARP-1KO cells displayed a reduced ability to differentiate in Th2 cells. Under both nonskewing and Th2-polarizing conditions, naïve CD4 cells from PARP-1KO mice generated a reduced frequency of IL-4+ cells, produced less IL-5, and expressed GATA-3 at lower levels compared with cells from wild type mice. Conversely, PARP-1 deficiency did not substantially affect differentiation to Th1 cells. Indeed, the frequency of IFN-γ+ cells as well as IFN-γ production, in nonskewing and Th1-polarizing conditions, was not affected by PARP-1 gene ablation. These findings demonstrate that PARP-1 plays a relevant role in Th2 cell differentiation and it might be a target to be exploited for the modulation of Th2-dependent immune-mediated diseases.

  8. Deletion of the thrombin cleavage domain of osteopontin mediates breast cancer cell adhesion, proteolytic activity, tumorgenicity, and metastasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beausoleil, Michel S; Schulze, Erika B; Goodale, David; Postenka, Carl O; Allan, Alison L

    2011-01-01

    Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted phosphoprotein often overexpressed at high levels in the blood and primary tumors of breast cancer patients. OPN contains two integrin-binding sites and a thrombin cleavage domain located in close proximity to each other. To study the role of the thrombin cleavage site of OPN, MDA-MB-468 human breast cancer cells were stably transfected with either wildtype OPN (468-OPN), mutant OPN lacking the thrombin cleavage domain (468-ΔTC) or an empty vector (468-CON) and assessed for in vitro and in vivo functional differences in malignant/metastatic behavior. All three cell lines were found to equivalently express thrombin, tissue factor, CD44, αvβ5 integrin and β1 integrin. Relative to 468-OPN and 468-CON cells, 468-ΔTC cells expressing OPN with a deleted thrombin cleavage domain demonstrated decreased cell adhesion (p < 0.001), decreased mRNA expression of MCAM, maspin and TRAIL (p < 0.01), and increased uPA expression and activity (p < 0.01) in vitro. Furthermore, injection of 468-ΔTC cells into the mammary fat pad of nude mice resulted in decreased primary tumor latency time (p < 0.01) and increased primary tumor growth and lymph node metastatic burden (p < 0.001) compared to 468-OPN and 468-CON cells. The results presented here suggest that expression of thrombin-uncleavable OPN imparts an early tumor formation advantage as well as a metastatic advantage for breast cancer cells, possibly due to increased proteolytic activity and decreased adhesion and apoptosis. Clarification of the mechanisms responsible for these observations and the translation of this knowledge into the clinic could ultimately provide new therapeutic opportunities for combating breast cancer

  9. Accelerated Aging during Chronic Oxidative Stress: A Role for PARP-1

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    Daniëlle M. P. H. J. Boesten

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory disease and it has also been linked to accelerated telomere shortening. Telomeres are specialized structures at the ends of linear chromosomes that protect these ends from degradation and fusion. Telomeres shorten with each cell division eventually leading to cellular senescence. Research has shown that poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 and subtelomeric methylation play a role in telomere stability. We hypothesized that PARP-1 plays a role in accelerated aging in chronic inflammatory diseases due to its role as coactivator of NF-κb and AP-1. Therefore we evaluated the effect of chronic PARP-1 inhibition (by fisetin and minocycline in human fibroblasts (HF cultured under normal conditions and under conditions of chronic oxidative stress, induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP. Results showed that PARP-1 inhibition under normal culturing conditions accelerated the rate of telomere shortening. However, under conditions of chronic oxidative stress, PARP-1 inhibition did not show accelerated telomere shortening. We also observed a strong correlation between telomere length and subtelomeric methylation status of HF cells. We conclude that chronic PARP-1 inhibition appears to be beneficial in conditions of chronic oxidative stress but may be detrimental under relatively normal conditions.

  10. MicroRNAs Modulate Oxidative Stress in Hypertension through PARP-1 Regulation

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    Douglas F. Dluzen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress is thought to contribute to aging and age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and is a risk factor for systemic arterial hypertension. Previously, we reported differential mRNA and microRNA (miRNA expression between African American (AA and white women with hypertension. Here, we found that the poly-(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1, a DNA damage sensor protein involved in DNA repair and other cellular processes, is upregulated in AA women with hypertension. To explore this mechanism, we identified two miRNAs, miR-103a-2-5p and miR-585-5p, that are differentially expressed with hypertension and were predicted to target PARP1. Through overexpression of each miRNA-downregulated PARP-1 mRNA and protein levels and using heterologous luciferase reporter assays, we demonstrate that miR-103a-2-5p and miR-585-5p regulate PARP1 through binding within the coding region. Given the important role of PARP-1 in DNA repair, we assessed whether overexpression of miR-103a-2-5p or miR-585-5p affected DNA damage and cell survival. Overexpression of these miRNAs enhanced DNA damage and decreased both cell survival and colony formation. These findings highlight the role for PARP-1 in regulating oxidative DNA damage in hypertension and identify important new miRNA regulators of PARP-1 expression. These insights may provide additional avenues to understand hypertension health disparities.

  11. Structure/function analysis of PARP-1 in oxidative and nitrosative stress-induced monomeric ADPR formation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ben Buelow

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 is a multifunctional enzyme that is involved in two major cellular responses to oxidative and nitrosative (O/N stress: detection and response to DNA damage via formation of protein-bound poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose (PAR, and formation of the soluble 2(nd messenger monomeric adenosine diphosphate-ribose (mADPR. Previous studies have delineated specific roles for several of PARP-1's structural domains in the context of its involvement in a DNA damage response. However, little is known about the relationship between the mechanisms through which PARP-1 participates in DNA damage detection/response and those involved in the generation of monomeric ADPR. To better understand the relationship between these events, we undertook a structure/function analysis of PARP-1 via reconstitution of PARP-1 deficient DT40 cells with PARP-1 variants deficient in catalysis, DNA binding, auto-PARylation, and PARP-1's BRCT protein interaction domain. Analysis of responses of the respective reconstituted cells to a model O/N stressor indicated that PARP-1 catalytic activity, DNA binding, and auto-PARylation are required for PARP-dependent mADPR formation, but that BRCT-mediated interactions are dispensable. As the BRCT domain is required for PARP-dependent recruitment of XRCC1 to sites of DNA damage, these results suggest that DNA repair and monomeric ADPR 2(nd messenger generation are parallel mechanisms through which PARP-1 modulates cellular responses to O/N stress.

  12. Targeted Radiosensitization of ETS Fusion-Positive Prostate Cancer through PARP1 Inhibition

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    Sumin Han

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available ETS gene fusions, which result in overexpression of an ETS transcription factor, are considered driving mutations in approximately half of all prostate cancers. Dysregulation of ETS transcription factors is also known to exist in Ewing's sarcoma, breast cancer, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We previously discovered that ERG, the predominant ETS family member in prostate cancer, interacts with the DNA damage response protein poly (ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1 in human prostate cancer specimens. Therefore, we hypothesized that the ERG-PARP1 interaction may confer radiation resistance by increasing DNA repair efficiency and that this radio-resistance could be reversed through PARP1 inhibition. Using lentiviral approaches, we established isogenic models of ERG overexpression in PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cell lines. In both cell lines, ERG overexpression increased clonogenic survival following radiation by 1.25 (±0.07 fold (mean ± SEM and also resulted in increased PARP1 activity. PARP1 inhibition with olaparib preferentially radiosensitized ERG-positive cells by a factor of 1.52 (±0.03 relative to ERG-negative cells (P < .05. Neutral and alkaline COMET assays and immunofluorescence microscopy assessing γ-H2AX foci showed increased short- and long-term efficiencies of DNA repair, respectively, following radiation that was preferentially reversed by PARP1 inhibition. These findings were verified in an in vivo xenograft model. Our findings demonstrate that ERG overexpression confers radiation resistance through increased efficiency of DNA repair following radiation that can be reversed through inhibition of PARP1. These results motivate the use of PARP1 inhibitors as radiosensitizers in patients with localized ETS fusion-positive cancers.

  13. Unfolding of core nucleosomes by PARP-1 revealed by spFRET microscopy

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    Daniel Sultanov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available DNA accessibility to various protein complexes is essential for various processes in the cell and is affected by nucleosome structure and dynamics. Protein factor PARP-1 (poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 increases the accessibility of DNA in chromatin to repair proteins and transcriptional machinery, but the mechanism and extent of this chromatin reorganization are unknown. Here we report on the effects of PARP-1 on single nucleosomes revealed by spFRET (single-particle Förster Resonance Energy Transfer microscopy. PARP-1 binding to a double-strand break in the vicinity of a nucleosome results in a significant increase of the distance between the adjacent gyres of nucleosomal DNA. This partial uncoiling of the entire nucleosomal DNA occurs without apparent loss of histones and is reversed after poly(ADP-ribosylation of PARP-1. Thus PARP-1-nucleosome interactions result in reversible, partial uncoiling of the entire nucleosomal DNA.

  14. PARP-1 como regulador del ciclo celular

    OpenAIRE

    Iglesias Vázquez, Pablo

    2015-01-01

    En el presente estudio hemos querido investigar las implicaciones biológicas de la interacción PARP-1/E2F-1 en escenarios en los que el factor de transcripción E2F-1 resulta de gran importancia como son el desarrollo embrionario y la oncogénesis. En este respecto, hemos demostrado que tanto PJ34, inhibidor de la actividad enzimática de PARP, como gosipol, inhibidor de las interacciones proteína-proteína, son capaces de reducir la actividad transcripcional de E2F-1 y la proli...

  15. A New Nanobody-Based Biosensor to Study Endogenous PARP1 In Vitro and in Live Human Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nüske, Stefan; Scholz, Armin M.; Bogner, Jacqueline; Ruf, Benjamin; Zolghadr, Kourosh; Drexler, Sophie E.; Drexler, Guido A.; Girst, Stefanie; Greubel, Christoph; Reindl, Judith; Siebenwirth, Christian; Romer, Tina; Friedl, Anna A.; Rothbauer, Ulrich

    2016-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is a key player in DNA repair, genomic stability and cell survival and it emerges as a highly relevant target for cancer therapies. To deepen our understanding of PARP biology and mechanisms of action of PARP1-targeting anti-cancer compounds, we generated a novel PARP1-affinity reagent, active both in vitro and in live cells. This PARP1-biosensor is based on a PARP1-specific single-domain antibody fragment (~ 15 kDa), termed nanobody, which recognizes the N-terminus of human PARP1 with nanomolar affinity. In proteomic approaches, immobilized PARP1 nanobody facilitates quantitative immunoprecipitation of functional, endogenous PARP1 from cellular lysates. For cellular studies, we engineered an intracellularly functional PARP1 chromobody by combining the nanobody coding sequence with a fluorescent protein sequence. By following the chromobody signal, we were for the first time able to monitor the recruitment of endogenous PARP1 to DNA damage sites in live cells. Moreover, tracing of the sub-nuclear translocation of the chromobody signal upon treatment of human cells with chemical substances enables real-time profiling of active compounds in high content imaging. Due to its ability to perform as a biosensor at the endogenous level of the PARP1 enzyme, the novel PARP1 nanobody is a unique and versatile tool for basic and applied studies of PARP1 biology and DNA repair. PMID:26950694

  16. A New Nanobody-Based Biosensor to Study Endogenous PARP1 In Vitro and in Live Human Cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Buchfellner

    Full Text Available Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1 is a key player in DNA repair, genomic stability and cell survival and it emerges as a highly relevant target for cancer therapies. To deepen our understanding of PARP biology and mechanisms of action of PARP1-targeting anti-cancer compounds, we generated a novel PARP1-affinity reagent, active both in vitro and in live cells. This PARP1-biosensor is based on a PARP1-specific single-domain antibody fragment (~ 15 kDa, termed nanobody, which recognizes the N-terminus of human PARP1 with nanomolar affinity. In proteomic approaches, immobilized PARP1 nanobody facilitates quantitative immunoprecipitation of functional, endogenous PARP1 from cellular lysates. For cellular studies, we engineered an intracellularly functional PARP1 chromobody by combining the nanobody coding sequence with a fluorescent protein sequence. By following the chromobody signal, we were for the first time able to monitor the recruitment of endogenous PARP1 to DNA damage sites in live cells. Moreover, tracing of the sub-nuclear translocation of the chromobody signal upon treatment of human cells with chemical substances enables real-time profiling of active compounds in high content imaging. Due to its ability to perform as a biosensor at the endogenous level of the PARP1 enzyme, the novel PARP1 nanobody is a unique and versatile tool for basic and applied studies of PARP1 biology and DNA repair.

  17. A New Nanobody-Based Biosensor to Study Endogenous PARP1 In Vitro and in Live Human Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchfellner, Andrea; Yurlova, Larisa; Nüske, Stefan; Scholz, Armin M; Bogner, Jacqueline; Ruf, Benjamin; Zolghadr, Kourosh; Drexler, Sophie E; Drexler, Guido A; Girst, Stefanie; Greubel, Christoph; Reindl, Judith; Siebenwirth, Christian; Romer, Tina; Friedl, Anna A; Rothbauer, Ulrich

    2016-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is a key player in DNA repair, genomic stability and cell survival and it emerges as a highly relevant target for cancer therapies. To deepen our understanding of PARP biology and mechanisms of action of PARP1-targeting anti-cancer compounds, we generated a novel PARP1-affinity reagent, active both in vitro and in live cells. This PARP1-biosensor is based on a PARP1-specific single-domain antibody fragment (~ 15 kDa), termed nanobody, which recognizes the N-terminus of human PARP1 with nanomolar affinity. In proteomic approaches, immobilized PARP1 nanobody facilitates quantitative immunoprecipitation of functional, endogenous PARP1 from cellular lysates. For cellular studies, we engineered an intracellularly functional PARP1 chromobody by combining the nanobody coding sequence with a fluorescent protein sequence. By following the chromobody signal, we were for the first time able to monitor the recruitment of endogenous PARP1 to DNA damage sites in live cells. Moreover, tracing of the sub-nuclear translocation of the chromobody signal upon treatment of human cells with chemical substances enables real-time profiling of active compounds in high content imaging. Due to its ability to perform as a biosensor at the endogenous level of the PARP1 enzyme, the novel PARP1 nanobody is a unique and versatile tool for basic and applied studies of PARP1 biology and DNA repair.

  18. PARP Inhibition Attenuates Histopathological Lesion in Ischemia/Reperfusion Renal Mouse Model after Cold Prolonged Ischemia

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    Raimundo M. G. del Moral

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We test the hypothesis that PARP inhibition can decrease acute tubular necrosis (ATN and other renal lesions related to prolonged cold ischemia/reperfusion (IR in kidneys preserved at 4°C in University of Wisconsin (UW solution. Material and Methods. We used 30 male Parp1+/+ wild-type and 15 male Parp10/0 knockout C57BL/6 mice. Fifteen of these wild-type mice were pretreated with 3,4-dihydro-5-[4-(1-piperidinylbutoxyl]-1(2H-isoquinolinone (DPQ at a concentration of 15 mg/kg body weight, used as PARP inhibitor. Subgroups of mice were established (A: IR 45 min/6 h; B: IR + 48 h in UW solution; and C: IR + 48 h in UW solution plus DPQ. We processed samples for morphological, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and western-blotting studies. Results. Prolonged cold ischemia time in UW solution increased PARP-1 expression and kidney injury. Preconditioning with PARP inhibitor DPQ plus DPQ supplementation in UW solution decreased PARP-1 nuclear expression in renal tubules and renal damage. Parp10/0 knockout mice were more resistant to IR-induced renal lesion. In conclusion, PARP inhibition attenuates ATN and other IR-related renal lesions in mouse kidneys under prolonged cold storage in UW solution. If confirmed, these data suggest that pharmacological manipulation of PARP activity may have salutary effects in cold-stored organs at transplantation.

  19. Edaravone abrogates LPS-induced behavioral anomalies, neuroinflammation and PARP-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sriram, Chandra Shaker; Jangra, Ashok; Gurjar, Satendra Singh; Mohan, Pritam; Bezbaruah, Babul Kumar

    2016-02-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a DNA nick-sensor enzyme that functions at the center of cellular stress response and affects the immune system at several key points, and thus modulates inflammatory diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depressive-like behavior in mice can be ameliorated by 3-aminobenzamide, which is a PARP-1 inhibitor. In the present study we've examined the effect of a free radical scavenger, edaravone pretreatment against LPS-induced anxiety and depressive-like behavior as well as various hippocampal biochemical parameters including PARP-1. Male Swiss albino mice were treated with edaravone (3 & 10mg/kgi.p.) once daily for 14days. On the 14th day 30min after edaravone treatment mice were challenged with LPS (1mg/kgi.p.). After 3h and 24h of LPS administration we've tested mice for anxiety and depressive-like behaviors respectively. Western blotting analysis of PARP-1 in hippocampus was carried out after 12h of LPS administration. Moreover, after 24h of LPS administration serum corticosterone, hippocampal BDNF, oxido-nitrosative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines were estimated by ELISA. Results showed that pretreatment of edaravone (10mg/kg) ameliorates LPS-induced anxiety and depressive-like behavior. Western blotting analysis showed that LPS-induced anomalous expression of PARP-1 significantly reverses by the pretreatment of edaravone (10mg/kg). Biochemical analyses revealed that LPS significantly diminishes BDNF, increases pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxido-nitrosative stress in the hippocampus. However, pretreatment with edaravone (10mg/kg) prominently reversed all these biochemical alterations. Our study emphasized that edaravone pretreatment prevents LPS-induced anxiety and depressive-like behavior, mainly by impeding the inflammation, oxido-nitrosative stress and PARP-1 overexpression. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. PARP activity and inhibition in fetal and adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells: Effect on cell survival and differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldassarro, Vito A; Marchesini, Alessandra; Giardino, Luciana; Calzà, Laura

    2017-07-01

    Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) family members are ubiquitously expressed and play a key role in cellular processes, including DNA repair and cell death/survival balance. Accordingly, PARP inhibition is an emerging pharmacological strategy for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Consistent evidences support the critical involvement of PARP family members in cell differentiation and phenotype maturation. In this study we used an oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) enriched system derived from fetal and adult brain to investigate the role of PARP in OPCs proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The PARP inhibitors PJ34, TIQ-A and Olaparib were used as pharmacological tools. The main results of the study are: (i) PARP mRNA expression and PARP activity are much higher in fetal than in adult-derived OPCs; (ii) the culture treatment with PARP inhibitors is cytotoxic for OPCs derived from fetal, but not from adult, brain; (iii) PARP inhibition reduces cell number, according to the inhibitory potency of the compounds; (iv) PARP inhibition effect on fetal OPCs is a slow process; (v) PARP inhibition impairs OPCs maturation into myelinating OL in fetal, but not in adult cultures, according to the inhibitory potency of the compounds. These results have implications for PARP-inhibition therapies for diseases and lesions of the central nervous system, in particular for neonatal hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. PARP-1 serves as a novel molecular marker for hepatocellular carcinoma in a Southern Chinese Zhuang population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiatong; Dou, Dongwei; Li, Ping; Luo, Wenqi; Lv, Wenxin; Zhang, Chengdong; Song, Xiaowei; Yang, Yuan; Zhang, Yuening; Xu, Yanzhen; Xiao, Feifan; Wei, Yan; Qin, Jian; Li, Hongtao; Yang, Xiaoli

    2017-07-01

    PARP-1 (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1) plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Since its effects on different populations are varied, this study investigated the impact of PARP-1 on primary hepatocellular carcinoma in a Southern Chinese Zhuang population. We assessed the global PARP-1 messenger RNA expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma using The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Increased PARP-1 expression, related to alpha-fetoprotein level, was observed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value was 0.833. Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated that higher PARP-1 expression was not correlated with poorer overall survival and recurrence-free survival. In a Zhuang population, PARP-1 messenger RNA and protein levels were increased in the hepatocellular carcinoma tissue and its adjacent liver tissues as assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting. Higher PARP-1 level was associated with a higher tumor stage (p  0.05). Further analysis suggested that H2AX, a PARP-1 protein interaction partner, was coordinated with PARP-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis. Overall, some new characteristics of PARP-1 expression were noted in the Zhuang population. PARP-1 is a novel promising diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma in the Southern Chinese Zhuang population.

  2. Deficiency in Poly(ADP-ribose Polymerase-1 (PARP-1 Accelerates Aging and Spontaneous Carcinogenesis in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana S. Piskunova

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Genetic and biochemical studies have shown that PARP-1 and poly(ADP-ribosylation play an important role in DNA repair, genomic stability, cell death, inflammation, telomere maintenance, and suppressing tumorigenesis, suggesting that the homeostasis of poly(ADP-ribosylation and PARP-1 may also play an important role in aging. Here we show that PARP-1−/− mice exhibit a reduction of life span and a significant increase of population aging rate. Analysis of noninvasive parameters, including body weight gain, body temperature, estrous function, behavior, and a number of biochemical indices suggests the acceleration of biological aging in PARP-1−/− mice. The incidence of spontaneous tumors in both PARP-1−/− and PARP-1+/+ groups is similar; however, malignant tumors including uterine tumors, lung adenocarcinomas and hepatocellular carcinomas, develop at a significantly higher frequency in PARP-1−/− mice than PARP-1+/+ mice (72% and 49%, resp.; < .05. In addition, spontaneous tumors appear earlier in PARP-1−/− mice compared to the wild type group. Histopathological studies revealed a wide spectrum of tumors in uterus, ovaries, liver, lungs, mammary gland, soft tissues, and lymphoid organs in both groups of the mice. These results demonstrate that inactivation of DNA repair gene PARP-1 in mice leads to acceleration of aging, shortened life span, and increased spontaneous carcinogenesis.

  3. Hyperactivation of PARP triggers nonhomologous end-joining in repair-deficient mouse fibroblasts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalie R Gassman

    Full Text Available Regulation of poly(ADP-ribose (PAR synthesis and turnover is critical to determining cell fate after genotoxic stress. Hyperactivation of PAR synthesis by poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 occurs when cells deficient in DNA repair are exposed to genotoxic agents; however, the function of this hyperactivation has not been adequately explained. Here, we examine PAR synthesis in mouse fibroblasts deficient in the base excision repair enzyme DNA polymerase β (pol β. The extent and duration of PARP-1 activation was measured after exposure to either the DNA alkylating agent, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS, or to low energy laser-induced DNA damage. There was strong DNA damage-induced hyperactivation of PARP-1 in pol β nullcells, but not in wild-type cells. In the case of MMS treatment, PAR synthesis did not lead to cell death in the pol β null cells, but instead resulted in increased PARylation of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ protein Ku70 and increased association of Ku70 with PARP-1. Inhibition of the NHEJ factor DNA-PK, under conditions of MMS-induced PARP-1 hyperactivation, enhanced necrotic cell death. These data suggest that PARP-1 hyperactivation is a protective mechanism triggering the classical-NHEJ DNA repair pathway when the primary alkylated base damage repair pathway is compromised.

  4. Differential sensitivities of cellular XPA and PARP-1 to arsenite inhibition and zinc rescue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Xiaofeng; Zhou, Xixi; Cooper, Karen L; Huestis, Juliana; Hudson, Laurie G; Liu, Ke Jian

    2017-09-15

    Arsenite directly binds to the zinc finger domains of the DNA repair protein poly (ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1, and inhibits PARP-1 activity in the base excision repair (BER) pathway. PARP inhibition by arsenite enhances ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced DNA damage in keratinocytes, and the increase in DNA damage is reduced by zinc supplementation. However, little is known about the effects of arsenite and zinc on the zinc finger nucleotide excision repair (NER) protein xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA). In this study, we investigated the difference in response to arsenite exposure between XPA and PARP-1, and the differential effectiveness of zinc supplementation in restoring protein DNA binding and DNA damage repair. Arsenite targeted both XPA and PARP-1 in human keratinocytes, resulting in zinc loss from each protein and a pronounced decrease in XPA and PARP-1 binding to chromatin as demonstrated by Chip-on-Western assays. Zinc effectively restored DNA binding of PARP-1 and XPA to chromatin when zinc concentrations were equal to those of arsenite. In contrast, zinc was more effective in rescuing arsenite-augmented direct UVR-induced DNA damage than oxidative DNA damage. Taken together, our findings indicate that arsenite interferes with PARP-1 and XPA binding to chromatin, and that zinc supplementation fully restores DNA binding activity to both proteins in the cellular context. Interestingly, rescue of arsenite-inhibited DNA damage repair by supplemental zinc was more sensitive for DNA damage repaired by the XPA-associated NER pathway than for the PARP-1-dependent BER pathway. This study expands our understanding of arsenite's role in DNA repair inhibition and co-carcinogenesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. PARP Inhibition Prevents Ethanol-Induced Neuroinflammatory Signaling and Neurodegeneration in Rat Adult-Age Brain Slice Cultures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tajuddin, Nuzhath; Kim, Hee-Yong

    2018-01-01

    Using rat adult-age hippocampal-entorhinal cortical (HEC) slice cultures, we examined the role of poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase (PARP) in binge ethanol’s brain inflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms. Activated by DNA strand breaks, PARP (principally PARP1 in the brain) promotes DNA repair via poly [ADP-ribose] (PAR) products, but PARP overactivation triggers regulated neuronal necrosis (e.g., parthanatos). Previously, we found that brain PARP1 levels were upregulated by neurotoxic ethanol binges in adult rats and HEC slices, and PARP inhibitor PJ34 abrogated slice neurodegeneration. Binged HEC slices also exhibited increased Ca+2-dependent phospholipase A2 (PLA2) isoenzymes (cPLA2 IVA and sPLA2 IIA) that mobilize proinflammatory ω6 arachidonic acid (ARA). We now find in 4-day–binged HEC slice cultures (100 mM ethanol) that PARP1 elevations after two overnight binges precede PAR, cPLA2, and sPLA2 enhancements by 1 day and high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), an ethanol-responsive alarmin that augments proinflammatory cytokines via toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), by 2 days. After verifying that PJ34 effectively blocks PARP activity (↑PAR), we demonstrated that, like PJ34, three other PARP inhibitors—olaparib, veliparib, and 4-aminobenzamide—provided neuroprotection from ethanol. Importantly, PJ34 and olaparib also prevented ethanol’s amplification of the PLA2 isoenzymes, and two PLA2 inhibitors were neuroprotective—thus coupling PARP to PLA2, with PLA2 activity promoting neurodegeneration. Also, PJ34 and olaparib blocked ethanol-induced HMGB1 elevations, linking brain PARP induction to TLR4 activation. The results provide evidence in adult brains that induction of PARP1 may mediate dual neuroinflammatory pathways (PLA2→phospholipid→ARA and HMGB1→TLR4→proinflammatory cytokines) that are complicit in binge ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. PMID:29339456

  6. PARP-2 regulates cell cycle-related genes through histone deacetylation and methylation independently of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Ya-Chen; Hsu, Chiao-Yu; Yao, Ya-Li; Yang, Wen-Ming

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► PARP-2 acts as a transcription co-repressor independently of PARylation activity. ► PARP-2 recruits HDAC5, 7, and G9a and generates repressive chromatin. ► PARP-2 is recruited to the c-MYC promoter by DNA-binding factor YY1. ► PARP-2 represses cell cycle-related genes and alters cell cycle progression. -- Abstract: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-2 (PARP-2) catalyzes poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) and regulates numerous nuclear processes, including transcription. Depletion of PARP-2 alters the activity of transcription factors and global gene expression. However, the molecular action of how PARP-2 controls the transcription of target promoters remains unclear. Here we report that PARP-2 possesses transcriptional repression activity independently of its enzymatic activity. PARP-2 interacts and recruits histone deacetylases HDAC5 and HDAC7, and histone methyltransferase G9a to the promoters of cell cycle-related genes, generating repressive chromatin signatures. Our findings propose a novel mechanism of PARP-2 in transcriptional regulation involving specific protein–protein interactions and highlight the importance of PARP-2 in the regulation of cell cycle progression

  7. PARP-1 modulation of mTOR signaling in response to a DNA alkylating agent.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chantal Ethier

    Full Text Available Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 is widely involved in cell death responses. Depending on the degree of injury and on cell type, PARP activation may lead to autophagy, apoptosis or necrosis. In HEK293 cells exposed to the alkylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-N'-nitrosoguanine (MNNG, we show that PARP-1 activation triggers a necrotic cell death response. The massive poly(ADP-ribose (PAR synthesis following PARP-1 activation leads to the modulation of mTORC1 pathway. Shortly after MNNG exposure, NAD⁺ and ATP levels decrease, while AMP levels drastically increase. We characterized at the molecular level the consequences of these altered nucleotide levels. First, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK is activated and the mTORC1 pathway is inhibited by the phosphorylation of Raptor, in an attempt to preserve cellular energy. Phosphorylation of the mTORC1 target S6 is decreased as well as the phosphorylation of the mTORC2 component Rictor on Thr1135. Finally, Akt phosphorylation on Ser473 is lost and then, cell death by necrosis occurs. Inhibition of PARP-1 with the potent PARP inhibitor AG14361 prevents all of these events. Moreover, the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC can also abrogate all the signaling events caused by MNNG exposure suggesting that reactive oxygen species (ROS production is involved in PARP-1 activation and modulation of mTOR signaling. In this study, we show that PARP-1 activation and PAR synthesis affect the energetic status of cells, inhibit the mTORC1 signaling pathway and possibly modulate the mTORC2 complex affecting cell fate. These results provide new evidence that cell death by necrosis is orchestrated by the balance between several signaling pathways, and that PARP-1 and PAR take part in these events.

  8. Evaluation of candidate biomarkers to predict cancer cell sensitivity or resistance to PARP-1 inhibitor treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oplustilova, L.; Wolanin, K.; Bartkova, J.

    2012-01-01

    combinations with camptothecin or ionizing radiation. Furthermore, monitoring pARsylation and Rad51 foci formation as surrogate markers for PARP activity and HR, respectively, supported their candidacy for biomarkers of PARP-1i responses. As to resistance mechanisms, we confrmed the role of the multidrug......(ADp-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), an enzyme critical for repair pathways alternative to HR. While promising, treatment with PARP-1 inhibitors (PARP-1i) faces some hurdles, including (1) acquired resistance, (2) search for other sensitizing, non-BRCA1/2 cancer defects and (3) lack of biomarkers to predict response...

  9. Human mass balance study and metabolite profiling of 14C-niraparib, a novel poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 and PARP-2 inhibitor, in patients with advanced cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Andel, Lotte; Zhang, Z; Lu, S.; Kansra, V; Agarwal, S.; Hughes, L.; Tibben, M.; Gebretensae, A.; Lucas, L.; Hillebrand, Michel J X; Rosing, H.; Schellens, J H M|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073926272; Beijnen, J H|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/071919570

    2017-01-01

    Niraparib is an investigational oral, once daily, selective poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 and PARP-2 inhibitor. In the pivotal Phase 3 NOVA/ENGOT/OV16 study, niraparib met its primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival (PFS) for adult patients with recurrent, platinum sensitive,

  10. Rucaparib: a novel PARP inhibitor for BRCA advanced ovarian cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colombo I

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Ilaria Colombo, Stephanie Lheureux, Amit Manulal Oza Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada Abstract: Rucaparib is a potent small-molecule inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP proteins (PARP-1, PARP-2 and PARP-3 that play an important role in repairing DNA damage and maintaining genomic stability. Tumors with mutations in BRCA1/2 or other homologous recombination deficiency (HRD genes are particularly sensitive to PARP inhibitors because of “synthetic lethality”, whereby a therapeutic agent can take advantage of an intrinsic weakness in DNA repair. Rucaparib has been investigated in several preclinical and clinical studies showing promising activity in BRCA-mutant and BRCA–wild-type epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs. Dose-escalation Phase I studies have established the recommended Phase II dose to be 600 mg twice a day for oral rucaparib. Phase II and III studies have defined its role as treatment for BRCA-mutant recurrent high-grade EOC and as maintenance treatment for platinum-sensitive relapsed EOC following response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Genomic loss of heterozygosity has also been investigated as a potential signature of HRD and as a potential predictive biomarker of response. Treatment-induced adverse events (AEs have been observed in almost all patients treated with rucaparib, but mainly lower grade; with the most common being nausea, vomiting, asthenia/fatigue, anemia and transient transaminitis. The majority of AEs occurred early in treatment, were transient and have been easily managed with supportive treatment, dose interruption or discontinuation. This review will analyze the results of clinical trials investigating efficacy and safety of rucaparib in patients with ovarian cancer. Keywords: rucaparib, ovarian cancer, BRCA mutations, homologous recombination deficiency, maintenance treatment, PARP inhibitor

  11. Tumor suppressive effect of PARP1 and FOXO3A in gastric cancers and its clinical implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Sarah; Jo, Yuna; Kwon, So Mee; Kim, Kyoung Min; Kwon, Keun Sang; Kim, Chan Young; Woo, Hyun Goo

    2015-01-01

    Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase1 (PARP1) has been reported as a possible target for chemotherapy in many cancer types. However, its action mechanisms and clinical implications for gastric cancer survival are not yet fully understood. Here, we investigated the effect of PARP1 inhibition in the growth of gastric cancer cells. PARP1 inhibition by Olaparib or PARP1 siRNA could significantly attenuate growth and colony formation of gastric cancer cells, and which were mediated through induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest but not apoptosis. FOXO3A expression was induced by PARP1 inhibition, suggesting that FOXO3A might be one of downstream target of the PARP1 effect on gastric cancer cell growth. In addition, by performing tissue microarrays on the 166 cases of gastric cancer patients, we could observe that the expression status of PARP1 and FOXO3A were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). Strikingly, combined expression status of PARP1 and FOXO3A showed better prediction for patient's clinical outcomes. The patient group with PARP1+/FOXO3A− expression had the worst prognosis while the patient group with PARP1−/FOXO3A+ had the most favorable prognosis (OS: P = 6.0 × 10−9, RFS: P = 2.2 × 10−8). In conclusion, we suggest that PARP1 and FOXO3A play critical roles in gastric cancer progression, and might have therapeutic and/or diagnostic potential in clinic. PMID:26540566

  12. Mechanistic Links Between PARP, NAD, and Brain Inflammation After TBI

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-01

    1 AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-13-2-0091 TITLE: Mechanistic Links Between PARP, NAD , and Brain Inflammation After TBI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...COVERED 25 Sep 2014 - 24 Sep 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Mechanistic Links Between PARP, NAD , and Brain Inflammation After TBI 5b. GRANT...efficacy of veliparib and NAD as agents for suppressing inflammation and improving outcomes after traumatic brain injury. The animal models include

  13. PARP inhibitors protect against sex- and AAG-dependent alkylation-induced neural degeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allocca, Mariacarmela; Corrigan, Joshua J; Fake, Kimberly R; Calvo, Jennifer A; Samson, Leona D

    2017-09-15

    Alkylating agents are commonly used to treat cancer. Although base excision repair (BER) is a major pathway for repairing DNA alkylation damage, under certain conditions, the initiation of BER produces toxic repair intermediates that damage healthy tissues. The initiation of BER by the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG, a.k.a. MPG) can mediate alkylation-induced cytotoxicity in specific cells in the retina and cerebellum of male mice. Cytotoxicity in both wild-type and Aag -transgenic ( AagTg ) mice is abrogated in the absence of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1). Here, we tested whether PARP inhibitors can also prevent alkylation-induced retinal and cerebellar degeneration in male and female WT and AagTg mice. Importantly, we found that WT mice display sex-dependent alkylation-induced retinal damage (but not cerebellar damage), with WT males being more sensitive than females. Accordingly, estradiol treatment protects males against alkylation-induced retinal degeneration. In AagTg male and female mice, the alkylation-induced tissue damage in both the retina and cerebellum is exacerbated and the sex difference in the retina is abolished. PARP inhibitors, much like Parp1 gene deletion, protect against alkylation-induced AAG-dependent neuronal degeneration in WT and AagTg mice, regardless of the gender, but their efficacy in preventing alkylation-induced neuronal degeneration depends on PARP inhibitor characteristics and doses. The recent surge in the use of PARP inhibitors in combination with cancer chemotherapeutic alkylating agents might represent a powerful tool for obtaining increased therapeutic efficacy while avoiding the collateral effects of alkylating agents in healthy tissues.

  14. ROS-mediated PARP activity undermines mitochondrial function after permeability transition pore opening during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schriewer, Jacqueline M; Peek, Clara Bien; Bass, Joseph; Schumacker, Paul T

    2013-04-18

    Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) studies have implicated oxidant stress, the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) as contributing factors in myocardial cell death. However, the interdependence of these factors in the intact, blood-perfused heart is not known. We therefore wanted to determine whether oxidant stress, mPTP opening, and PARP activity contribute to the same death pathway after myocardial I/R. A murine left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion (30 minutes) and release (1 to 4 hours) model was employed. Experimental groups included controls and antioxidant-treated, mPTP-inhibited, or PARP-inhibited hearts. Antioxidant treatment prevented oxidative damage, mPTP opening, ATP depletion, and PARP activity, placing oxidant stress as the proximal death trigger. Genetic deletion of cyclophilin D (CypD(-/-)) prevented loss of total NAD(+) and PARP activity, and mPTP-mediated loss of mitochondrial function. Control hearts showed progressive mitochondrial depolarization and loss of ATP from 1.5 to 4 hours of reperfusion, but not outer mitochondrial membrane rupture. Neither genetic deletion of PARP-1 nor its pharmacological inhibition prevented the initial mPTP-mediated depolarization or loss of ATP, but PARP ablation did allow mitochondrial recovery by 4 hours of reperfusion. These results indicate that oxidant stress, the mPTP, and PARP activity contribute to a single death pathway after I/R in the heart. PARP activation undermines cell survival by preventing mitochondrial recovery after mPTP opening early in reperfusion. This suggests that PARP-mediated prolongation of mitochondrial depolarization contributes significantly to cell death via an energetic crisis rather than by mitochondrial outer membrane rupture.

  15. PARPi-FL - a Fluorescent PARP1 Inhibitor for Glioblastoma Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher P. Irwin

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available New intravital optical imaging technologies have revolutionized our understanding of mammalian biology and continue to evolve rapidly. However, there are only a limited number of imaging probes available to date. In this study, we investigated in mouse models of glioblastoma whether a fluorescent small molecule inhibitor of the DNA repair enzyme PARP1, PARPi-FL, can be used as an imaging agent to detect glioblastomas in vivo. We demonstrated that PARPi-FL has appropriate biophysical properties, low toxicity at concentrations used for imaging, high stability in vivo, and accumulates selectively in glioblastomas due to high PARP1 expression. Importantly, subcutaneous and orthotopic glioblastoma xenografts were imaged with high contrast clearly defining tumor tissue from normal surrounding tissue. This research represents a step toward exploring and developing PARPi-FL as an optical intraoperative imaging agent for PARP1 in the clinic.

  16. PARP-1 expression is increased in colon adenoma and carcinoma and correlates with OGG1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Dziaman

    Full Text Available The ethiology of colon cancer is largely dependent on inflammation driven oxidative stress. The analysis of 8-oxodeoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo level in leukocyte DNA of healthy controls (138 individuals, patients with benign adenomas (AD, 137 individuals and with malignant carcinomas (CRC, 169 individuals revealed a significant increase in the level of 8-oxodGuo in leukocyte DNA of AD and CRC patients in comparison to controls. The counteracting mechanism is base excision repair, in which OGG1 and PARP-1 play a key role. We investigated the level of PARP-1 and OGG1 mRNA and protein in diseased and marginal, normal tissues taken from AD and CRC patients and in leukocytes taken from the patients as well as from healthy subjects. In colon tumors the PARP-1 mRNA level was higher than in unaffected colon tissue and in polyp tissues. A high positive correlation was found between PARP-1 and OGG1 mRNA levels in all investigated tissues. This suggests reciprocal influence of PARP-1 and OGG1 on their expression and stability, and may contribute to progression of colon cancer. PARP-1 and OGG1 proteins level was several fold higher in polyps and CRC in comparison to normal colon tissues. Individuals bearing the Cys326Cys genotype of OGG1 were characterized by higher PARP-1 protein level in diseased tissues than the Ser326Cys and Ser326Ser genotypes. Aforementioned result may suggest that the diseased cells with polymorphic OGG1 recruit more PARP protein, which is necessary to remove 8-oxodGuo. Thus, patients with decreased activity of OGG1/polymorphism of the OGG1 gene and higher 8-oxodGuo level may be more susceptible to treatment with PARP-1 inhibitors.

  17. Vasoactivity of rucaparib, a PARP-1 inhibitor, is a complex process that involves myosin light chain kinase, P2 receptors, and PARP itself.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cian M McCrudden

    Full Text Available Therapeutic inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP, as monotherapy or to supplement the potencies of other agents, is a promising strategy in cancer treatment. We previously reported that the first PARP inhibitor to enter clinical trial, rucaparib (AG014699, induced vasodilation in vivo in xenografts, potentiating response to temozolomide. We now report that rucaparib inhibits the activity of the muscle contraction mediator myosin light chain kinase (MLCK 10-fold more potently than its commercially available inhibitor ML-9. Moreover, rucaparib produces additive relaxation above the maximal degree achievable with ML-9, suggesting that MLCK inhibition is not solely responsible for dilation. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis using L-NMMA also failed to impact rucaparib's activity. Rucaparib contains the nicotinamide pharmacophore, suggesting it may inhibit other NAD+-dependent processes. NAD+ exerts P2 purinergic receptor-dependent inhibition of smooth muscle contraction. Indiscriminate blockade of the P2 purinergic receptors with suramin abrogated rucaparib-induced vasodilation in rat arterial tissue without affecting ML-9-evoked dilation, although the specific receptor subtypes responsible have not been unequivocally identified. Furthermore, dorsal window chamber and real time tumor vessel perfusion analyses in PARP-1-/- mice indicate a potential role for PARP in dilation of tumor-recruited vessels. Finally, rucaparib provoked relaxation in 70% of patient-derived tumor-associated vessels. These data provide tantalising evidence of the complexity of the mechanism underlying rucaparib-mediated vasodilation.

  18. PARP inhibitor rucaparib induces changes in NAD levels in cells and liver tissues as assessed by MRS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, Gilberto S; Bawn, Carlo M; Galler, Martin; Wilson, Ian; Thomas, Huw D; Kyle, Suzanne; Curtin, Nicola J; Newell, David R; Maxwell, Ross J

    2017-09-01

    Poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are multifunctional proteins which play a role in many cellular processes. Namely, PARP1 and PARP2 have been shown to be involved in DNA repair, and therefore are valid targets in cancer treatment with PARP inhibitors, such as rucaparib, currently in clinical trials. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) was used to study the impact of rucaparib in vitro and ex vivo in liver tissue from mice, via quantitative analysis of nicotinamide adenosine diphosphate (NAD + ) spectra, to assess the potential of MRS as a biomarker of the PARP inhibitor response. SW620 (colorectal) and A2780 (ovarian) cancer cell lines, and PARP1 wild-type (WT) and PARP1 knock-out (KO) mice, were treated with rucaparib, temozolomide (methylating agent) or a combination of both drugs. 1 H-MRS spectra were obtained from perchloric acid extracts of tumour cells and mouse liver. Both cell lines showed an increase in NAD + levels following PARP inhibitor treatment in comparison with temozolomide treatment. Liver extracts from PARP1 WT mice showed a significant increase in NAD + levels after rucaparib treatment compared with untreated mouse liver, and a significant decrease in NAD + levels in the temozolomide-treated group. The combination of rucaparib and temozolomide did not prevent the NAD + depletion caused by temozolomide treatment. The 1 H-MRS results show that NAD + levels can be used as a biomarker of PARP inhibitor and methylating agent treatments, and suggest that in vivo measurement of NAD + would be valuable. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. A Phase 1 trial of the PARP inhibitor olaparib (AZD2281) in combination with the anti-angiogenic cediranib (AZD2171) in recurrent epithelial ovarian or triple-negative breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Joyce F.; Tolaney, Sara M.; Birrer, Michael; Fleming, Gini F.; Buss, Mary K.; Dahlberg, Suzanne E.; Lee, Hang; Whalen, Christin; Tyburski, Karin; Winer, Eric; Ivy, Percy; Matulonis, Ursula A.

    2014-01-01

    Background PARP-inhibitors and anti-angiogenics have activity in recurrent ovarian and breast cancer; however, the effect of combined therapy against PARP and angiogenesis in this population has not been reported. We investigated the toxicities and recommended phase 2 dosing (RP2D) of the combination of cediranib, a multitargeted inhibitor of VEGFR-1/2/3, and olaparib, a PARP-inhibitor (NCT01116648). Methods Cediranib tablets once daily and olaparib capsules twice daily were administered orally in a standard 3+3 dose escalation design. Patients with recurrent ovarian or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer were eligible. Patients had measurable disease by RECIST 1.1 or met GCIG CA125 criteria. No prior PARP-inhibitors or anti-angiogenics in the recurrent setting were allowed. Results 28 patients (20 ovarian, 8 breast) enrolled to 4 dose levels. 2 DLTs (1 grade 4 neutropenia ≥4 days; 1 grade 4 thrombocytopenia) occurred at the highest dose level (cediranib 30mg daily; olaparib 400mg BID). The RP2D was cediranib 30mg daily and olaparib 200mg BID. Grade 3 or higher toxicities occurred in 75% of patients, and included grade 3 hypertension (25%) and grade 3 fatigue (18%). One grade 3 bowel obstruction occurred. The overall response rate (ORR) in the 18 RECIST-evaluable ovarian cancer patients was 44%, with a clinical benefit rate (ORR plus SD >24 weeks) of 61%. None of the 7 evaluable breast cancer patients achieved clinical response; 2 patients had stable disease for >24 weeks. Interpretation The combination of cediranib and olaparib has hematologic DLTs and anticipated class toxicities, with promising evidence of activity in ovarian cancer patients. PMID:23810467

  20. ROS-induced DNA damage and PARP-1 are required for optimal induction of starvation-induced autophagy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rodríguez-Vargas, José Manuel; Ruiz-Magaña, María José; Ruiz-Ruiz, Carmen

    2012-01-01

    , leading to ATP depletion (an early event after nutrient deprivation). The absence of PARP-1 blunted AMPK activation and prevented the complete loss of mTOR activity, leading to a delay in autophagy. PARP-1 depletion favors apoptosis in starved cells, suggesting a pro-survival role of autophagy and PARP-1...

  1. Feedback-regulated poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation by PARP-1 is required for rapid response to DNA damage in living cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortusewicz, Oliver; Amé, Jean-Christophe; Leonhardt, Heinrich

    2007-01-01

    Genome integrity is constantly threatened by DNA lesions arising from numerous exogenous and endogenous sources. Survival depends on immediate recognition of these lesions and rapid recruitment of repair factors. Using laser microirradiation and live cell microscopy we found that the DNA-damage dependent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) PARP-1 and PARP-2 are recruited to DNA damage sites, however, with different kinetics and roles. With specific PARP inhibitors and mutations, we could show that the initial recruitment of PARP-1 is mediated by the DNA-binding domain. PARP-1 activation and localized poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis then generates binding sites for a second wave of PARP-1 recruitment and for the rapid accumulation of the loading platform XRCC1 at repair sites. Further PARP-1 poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation eventually initiates the release of PARP-1. We conclude that feedback regulated recruitment of PARP-1 and concomitant local poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation at DNA lesions amplifies a signal for rapid recruitment of repair factors enabling efficient restoration of genome integrity. PMID:17982172

  2. Theophylline prevents NAD+ depletion via PARP-1 inhibition in human pulmonary epithelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moonen, Harald J.J.; Geraets, Liesbeth; Vaarhorst, Anika; Bast, Aalt; Wouters, Emiel F.M.; Hageman, Geja J.

    2005-01-01

    Oxidative DNA damage, as occurs during exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), highly activates the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1). This can lead to cellular depletion of its substrate NAD + , resulting in an energy crisis and ultimately in cell death. Inhibition of PARP-1 results in preservation of the intracellular NAD + pool, and of NAD + -dependent cellular processes. In this study, PARP-1 activation by hydrogen peroxide decreased intracellular NAD + levels in human pulmonary epithelial cells, which was found to be prevented in a dose-dependent manner by theophylline, a widely used compound in the treatment of COPD. This enzyme inhibition by theophylline was confirmed in an ELISA using purified human PARP-1 and was found to be competitive by nature. These findings provide new mechanistic insights into the therapeutic effect of theophylline in oxidative stress-induced lung pathologies

  3. Tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor-targeted combined chemotherapy for metastatic bladder cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Lun Wu

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha is noted during the invasive and metastatic process of transitional cell carcinoma. It will upregulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and drive proliferation, invasiveness, metastasis, and antiapoptotic ability of cancer cells. We proposed that tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor, sunitinib malate—(Sutent; Pfizer Inc., Taiwan, combined with chemotherapeutic drug may present synergistic cytotoxic enhancement to transitional cell carcinoma cells with subsequent inhibition of their cellular behaviors, including proliferation, invasiveness, and metastatic activity. The contents of VEGF-A in mouse bladder tumor cells (MBT-2 and culture medium were detected by quantification-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot individually. The inhibitory concentrations of various chemotherapeutic drugs, sunitinib, and their combination treatment in MBT-2 were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT assay. Microchamber transmembrane migration assay was applied in evaluation of the inhibitory effects of different dosages of sunitinib and combination treatment on tumor cells. The cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed after combination therapy by flow cytometry. Variation in apoptotic pathway was elucidated by Western blot using specific antibodies with cleaved PARP and caspase-3. Metastatic animal model mimicked by tail vein injection of MBT-2 cells was used to evaluate the treatment efficiency in tumor weight and survival rate. The mRNA and protein level of VEGF-A in MBT-2 cells increased by 70% at 48 hours interval under hypoxia stress condition. In MTT assay, MBT-2 cells had shown the highest sensitivity to epirubicin. Sunitinib combined with epirubicin had shown a synergistic cytotoxic effect to MBT-2 cells. Sunitinib and its combination with epirubicin showed significant inhibition on MBT-2 cells migration in microchambers. G2/M phase arrest and

  4. Effect of MRE11 loss on PARP-inhibitor sensitivity in endometrial cancer in vitro.

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    Romana Koppensteiner

    Full Text Available To evaluate the frequency of MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 (MRN-complex loss of protein expression in endometrial cancers (EC and to determine whether loss of MRE11 renders the cancer cells sensitive to Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP-inhibitory treatment.MRN expression was examined in 521 samples of endometrial carcinomas and in 10 cancer cell lines. A putative mutation hotspot in the form of an intronic poly(T allele in MRE11 was sequenced in selected cases (n = 26. Sensitivity to the PARP-inhibitor, BMN673 was tested in colony formation assays before and after MRE11 silencing using siRNA. Homologous recombination (HR DNA repair was evaluated by RAD51-foci formation assay upon irradiation and drug treatment.Loss of MRE11 protein was found in 30.7% of EC tumours and significantly associated with loss of RAD50, NBS1 and mismatch repair protein expression. One endometrial cell line showed a markedly reduced MRE11 expression due to a homozygous poly(T mutation of MRE11, thereby exhibiting an increased sensitivity to BMN673. MRE11 depletion sensitizes MRE11 expressing EC cell lines to the treatment with BMN673. The increased sensitivity to PARP-inhibition correlates with reduced RAD51 foci formation upon ionizing radiation in MRE11-depleted cells.Loss of the MRE11 protein predicts sensitivity to PARP-inhibitor sensitivity in vitro, defining it as an additional synthetic lethal gene with PARP. The high incidence of MRE11 loss in ECs can be potentially exploited for PARP-inhibitor therapy. Furthermore, MRE11 protein expression using immunohistochemistry could be investigated as a predictive biomarker for PARP-inhibitor treatment.

  5. Pathway-Enriched Gene Signature Associated with 53BP1 Response to PARP Inhibition in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hassan, Saima; Esch, Amanda; Liby, Tiera; Gray, Joe W; Heiser, Laura M

    2017-12-01

    Effective treatment of patients with triple-negative (ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2-negative) breast cancer remains a challenge. Although PARP inhibitors are being evaluated in clinical trials, biomarkers are needed to identify patients who will most benefit from anti-PARP therapy. We determined the responses of three PARP inhibitors (veliparib, olaparib, and talazoparib) in a panel of eight triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. Therapeutic responses and cellular phenotypes were elucidated using high-content imaging and quantitative immunofluorescence to assess markers of DNA damage (53BP1) and apoptosis (cleaved PARP). We determined the pharmacodynamic changes as percentage of cells positive for 53BP1, mean number of 53BP1 foci per cell, and percentage of cells positive for cleaved PARP. Inspired by traditional dose-response measures of cell viability, an EC 50 value was calculated for each cellular phenotype and each PARP inhibitor. The EC 50 values for both 53BP1 metrics strongly correlated with IC 50 values for each PARP inhibitor. Pathway enrichment analysis identified a set of DNA repair and cell cycle-associated genes that were associated with 53BP1 response following PARP inhibition. The overall accuracy of our 63 gene set in predicting response to olaparib in seven breast cancer patient-derived xenograft tumors was 86%. In triple-negative breast cancer patients who had not received anti-PARP therapy, the predicted response rate of our gene signature was 45%. These results indicate that 53BP1 is a biomarker of response to anti-PARP therapy in the laboratory, and our DNA damage response gene signature may be used to identify patients who are most likely to respond to PARP inhibition. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(12); 2892-901. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  6. Role of PARP activity in lung cancer-induced cachexia: Effects on muscle oxidative stress, proteolysis, anabolic markers, and phenotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chacon-Cabrera, Alba; Mateu-Jimenez, Mercè; Langohr, Klaus; Fermoselle, Clara; García-Arumí, Elena; Andreu, Antoni L; Yelamos, Jose; Barreiro, Esther

    2017-12-01

    Strategies to treat cachexia are still at its infancy. Enhanced muscle protein breakdown and ubiquitin-proteasome system are common features of cachexia associated with chronic conditions including lung cancer (LC). Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP), which play a major role in chromatin structure regulation, also underlie maintenance of muscle metabolism and body composition. We hypothesized that protein catabolism, proteolytic markers, muscle fiber phenotype, and muscle anabolism may improve in respiratory and limb muscles of LC-cachectic Parp-1-deficient (Parp-1 -/- ) and Parp-2 -/- mice. In diaphragm and gastrocnemius of LC (LP07 adenocarcinoma) bearing mice (wild type, Parp-1 -/- , and Parp-2 -/- ), PARP activity (ADP-ribose polymers, pADPr), redox balance, muscle fiber phenotype, apoptotic nuclei, tyrosine release, protein ubiquitination, muscle-specific E3 ligases, NF-κB signaling pathway, markers of muscle anabolism (Akt, mTOR, p70S6K, and mitochondrial DNA) were evaluated along with body and muscle weights, and limb muscle force. Compared to wild type cachectic animals, in both respiratory and limb muscles of Parp-1 -/- and Parp-2 -/- cachectic mice: cancer induced-muscle wasting characterized by increased PARP activity, protein oxidation, tyrosine release, and ubiquitin-proteasome system (total protein ubiquitination, atrogin-1, and 20S proteasome C8 subunit) were blunted, the reduction in contractile myosin and atrophy of the fibers was attenuated, while no effects were seen in other structural features (inflammatory cells, internal or apoptotic nuclei), and markers of muscle anabolism partly improved. Activation of either PARP-1 or -2 is likely to play a role in muscle protein catabolism via oxidative stress, NF-κB signaling, and enhanced proteasomal degradation in cancer-induced cachexia. Therapeutic potential of PARP activity inhibition deserves attention. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. PARP1 inhibitors: contemporary attempts at their use in anticancer therapy and future perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewelina Wiśnik

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Current cancer therapies are based mainly on the use of compounds that cause DNA damage. Unfortunately, even the combination therapies do not give rewarding effects, due to the high efficiency of DNA damage repair mechanisms in tumor cells. Therefore, the present studies should be focused on proteins that are involved in DNA repair systems. Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 is an example of a protein commonly known as an enzyme that plays a role in the detection of DNA damage and repair. Activation of PARP1 in response to DNA damage leads to poly-ADP-ribosylation of proteins contributing to DNA repair systems, therefore facilitating the maintenance of genome stability. On the other hand, inhibition of PARP1 enzyme results in the accumulation of DNA damage, which in turn contributes to cell death. Studies on inhibitors of PARP1 are still ongoing, and some of them are currently in the third phase of clinical trials. To date, only one representative of the PARP1 inhibitors, called olaparib, has been approved for anti-cancer therapy in the EU and the USA. Moreover, a growing body of evidence indicates a role of this protein in various intracellular processes such as bioenergetics, proliferation, regulation of gene expression, cell death as well as immunoregulation. A number of different intracellular processes regulated by PARP1 give rise to potential wider use of PARP1 inhibitors in treatment of other diseases, including immune or autoimmune disorders.

  8. Aag DNA glycosylase promotes alkylation-induced tissue damage mediated by Parp1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvo, Jennifer A; Moroski-Erkul, Catherine A; Lake, Annabelle; Eichinger, Lindsey W; Shah, Dharini; Jhun, Iny; Limsirichai, Prajit; Bronson, Roderick T; Christiani, David C; Meira, Lisiane B; Samson, Leona D

    2013-04-01

    Alkylating agents comprise a major class of front-line cancer chemotherapeutic compounds, and while these agents effectively kill tumor cells, they also damage healthy tissues. Although base excision repair (BER) is essential in repairing DNA alkylation damage, under certain conditions, initiation of BER can be detrimental. Here we illustrate that the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG) mediates alkylation-induced tissue damage and whole-animal lethality following exposure to alkylating agents. Aag-dependent tissue damage, as observed in cerebellar granule cells, splenocytes, thymocytes, bone marrow cells, pancreatic β-cells, and retinal photoreceptor cells, was detected in wild-type mice, exacerbated in Aag transgenic mice, and completely suppressed in Aag⁻/⁻ mice. Additional genetic experiments dissected the effects of modulating both BER and Parp1 on alkylation sensitivity in mice and determined that Aag acts upstream of Parp1 in alkylation-induced tissue damage; in fact, cytotoxicity in WT and Aag transgenic mice was abrogated in the absence of Parp1. These results provide in vivo evidence that Aag-initiated BER may play a critical role in determining the side-effects of alkylating agent chemotherapies and that Parp1 plays a crucial role in Aag-mediated tissue damage.

  9. Aag DNA glycosylase promotes alkylation-induced tissue damage mediated by Parp1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer A Calvo

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Alkylating agents comprise a major class of front-line cancer chemotherapeutic compounds, and while these agents effectively kill tumor cells, they also damage healthy tissues. Although base excision repair (BER is essential in repairing DNA alkylation damage, under certain conditions, initiation of BER can be detrimental. Here we illustrate that the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (AAG mediates alkylation-induced tissue damage and whole-animal lethality following exposure to alkylating agents. Aag-dependent tissue damage, as observed in cerebellar granule cells, splenocytes, thymocytes, bone marrow cells, pancreatic β-cells, and retinal photoreceptor cells, was detected in wild-type mice, exacerbated in Aag transgenic mice, and completely suppressed in Aag⁻/⁻ mice. Additional genetic experiments dissected the effects of modulating both BER and Parp1 on alkylation sensitivity in mice and determined that Aag acts upstream of Parp1 in alkylation-induced tissue damage; in fact, cytotoxicity in WT and Aag transgenic mice was abrogated in the absence of Parp1. These results provide in vivo evidence that Aag-initiated BER may play a critical role in determining the side-effects of alkylating agent chemotherapies and that Parp1 plays a crucial role in Aag-mediated tissue damage.

  10. The role of hnRPUL1 involved in DNA damage response is related to PARP1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zehui Hong

    Full Text Available Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U-like 1 (hnRPUL1 -also known as adenovirus early region 1B-associated proteins 5 (E1B-AP5 - plays a role in RNA metabolism. Recently, hnRPUL1 has also been shown to be involved in DNA damage response, but the function of hnRPUL1 in response to DNA damage remains unclear. Here, we have demonstrated that hnRPUL1 is associated with PARP1 and recruited to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs sites in a PARP1-mediated poly (ADP-ribosyl ation dependent manner. In turn, hnRPUL1 knockdown enhances the recruitment of PARP1 to DSBs sites. Specifically, we showed that hnRPUL1 is also implicated in the transcriptional regulation of PARP1 gene. Thus, we propose hnRPUL1 as a new component related to PARP1 in DNA damage response and repair.

  11. PARP-1 Inhibition Is Neuroprotective in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonella Cardinale

    Full Text Available Poly (ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1 is a nuclear enzyme that is involved in physiological processes as DNA repair, genomic stability, and apoptosis. Moreover, published studies demonstrated that PARP-1 mediates necrotic cell death in response to excessive DNA damage under certain pathological conditions. In Huntington's disease brains, PARP immunoreactivity was described in neurons and in glial cells, thereby suggesting the involvement of apoptosis in HD. In this study, we sought to determine if the PARP-1 inhibitor exerts a neuroprotective effect in R6/2 mutant mice, which recapitulates, in many aspects, human HD. Transgenic mice were treated with the PARP-1 inhibitor INO-1001 mg/Kg daily starting from 4 weeks of age. After transcardial perfusion, histological and immunohistochemical studies were performed. We found that INO 1001-treated R6/2 mice survived longer and displayed less severe signs of neurological dysfunction than the vehicle treated ones. Primary outcome measures such as striatal atrophy, morphology of striatal neurons, neuronal intranuclear inclusions and microglial reaction confirmed a neuroprotective effect of the compound. INO-1001 was effective in significantly increasing activated CREB and BDNF in the striatal spiny neurons, which might account for the beneficial effects observed in this model. Our findings show that PARP-1 inhibition could be considered as a valid therapeutic approach for HD.

  12. Parp1 protects against Aag-dependent alkylation-induced nephrotoxicity in a sex-dependent manner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvo, Jennifer A; Allocca, Mariacarmela; Fake, Kimberly R; Muthupalani, Sureshkumar; Corrigan, Joshua J; Bronson, Roderick T; Samson, Leona D

    2016-07-19

    Nephrotoxicity is a common toxic side-effect of chemotherapeutic alkylating agents. Although the base excision repair (BER) pathway is essential in repairing DNA alkylation damage, under certain conditions the initiation of BER produces toxic repair intermediates that damage healthy tissues. We have shown that the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase, Aag (a.k.a. Mpg), an enzyme that initiates BER, mediates alkylation-induced whole-animal lethality and cytotoxicity in the pancreas, spleen, retina, and cerebellum, but not in the kidney. Cytotoxicity in both wild-type and Aag-transgenic mice (AagTg) was abrogated in the absence of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (Parp1). Here we report that Parp1-deficient mice expressing increased Aag (AagTg/Parp1-/-) develop sex-dependent kidney failure upon exposure to the alkylating agent, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), and suffer increased whole-animal lethality compared to AagTg and wild-type mice. Macroscopic, histological, electron microscopic and immunohistochemical analyses revealed morphological kidney damage including dilated tubules, proteinaceous casts, vacuolation, collapse of the glomerular tuft, and deterioration of podocyte structure. Moreover, mice exhibited clinical signs of kidney disease indicating functional damage, including elevated blood nitrogen urea and creatinine, hypoproteinemia and proteinuria. Pharmacological Parp inhibition in AagTg mice also resulted in sensitivity to MMS-induced nephrotoxicity. These findings provide in vivo evidence that Parp1 modulates Aag-dependent MMS-induced nephrotoxicity in a sex-dependent manner and highlight the critical roles that Aag-initiated BER and Parp1 may play in determining the side-effects of chemotherapeutic alkylating agents.

  13. Sigma-2 ligands and PARP inhibitors synergistically trigger cell death in breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonald, Elizabeth S.; Mankoff, Julia; Makvandi, Mehran; Chu, Wenhua; Chu, Yunxiang; Mach, Robert H.; Zeng, Chenbo

    2017-01-01

    The sigma-2 receptor is overexpressed in proliferating cells compared to quiescent cells and has been used as a target for imaging solid tumors by positron emission tomography. Recent work has suggested that the sigma-2 receptor may also be an effective therapeutic target for cancer therapy. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a family of enzymes involved in DNA damage response. In this study, we looked for potential synergy of cytotoxicity between PARP inhibitors and sigma-2 receptor ligands in breast cancer cell lines. We showed that the PARP inhibitor, YUN3-6, sensitized mouse breast cancer cell line, EMT6, to sigma-2 receptor ligand (SV119, WC-26, and RHM-138) induced cell death determined by cell viability assay and colony forming assay. The PARP inhibitor, olaparib, sensitized tumor cells to a different sigma-2 receptor ligand SW43-induced apoptosis and cell death in human triple negative cell line, MDA-MB-231. Olaparib inhibited PARP activity and cell proliferation, and arrested cells in G2/M phase of the cell cycle in MDA-MB-231 cells. Subsequently cells became sensitized to SW43 induced cell death. In conclusion, the combination of sigma-2 receptor ligands and PARP inhibitors appears to hold promise for synergistically triggering cell death in certain types of breast cancer cells and merits further investigation. - Highlights: • PARPi, YUN3-6 and olaparib, and σ2 ligands, SV119 and SW43, were evaluated. • Mouse and human breast cancer cells, EMT6 and MDA-MB-231 respectively, were used. • YUN3-6 and SV119 synergistically triggered cell death in EMT6 cells. • Olaparib and SW43 additively triggered cell death in MDA-MB-231 cells. • Olaparib arrested cells in G2/M in MDA-MB-231 cells.

  14. Telomere shortening is associated to TRF1 and PARP1 overexpression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguennouz, M'Hammed; Vita, Gian Luca; Messina, Sonia; Cama, Annamaria; Lanzano, Natalia; Ciranni, Annamaria; Rodolico, Carmelo; Di Giorgio, Rosa Maria; Vita, Giuseppe

    2011-12-01

    Telomere shortening is thought to contribute to premature senescence of satellite cells in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) muscle. Telomeric repeat binding factor-1 (TRF1) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) are proteins known to modulate telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) activity, which controls telomere elongation. Here we show that an age-dependent telomere shortening occurs in DMD muscles and is associated to overexpression of mRNA and protein levels of TRF1 and PARP1. TERT expression and activity are detectable in normal control muscles and they slightly increase in DMD. This is the first demonstration of TRF1 and PARP1 overexpression in DMD muscles. They can be directly involved in replicative senescence of satellite cells and/or in the pathogenetic cascade through a cross-talk with oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Modulation of these events by TRF1 or PARP1 inhibition might represent a novel strategy for treatment of DMD and other muscular dystrophies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Activity-based assay for human mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases ARTD7/PARP15 and ARTD10/PARP10 aimed at screening and profiling inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkannagari, Harikanth; Fallarero, Adyary; Feijs, Karla L H; Lüscher, Bernhard; Lehtiö, Lari

    2013-05-13

    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) or diphtheria toxin like ADP-ribosyl transferases (ARTDs) are enzymes that catalyze the covalent modification of proteins by attachment of ADP-ribose units to the target amino acid residues or to the growing chain of ADP-ribose. A subclass of the ARTD superfamily consists of mono-ADP-ribosyl transferases that are thought to modify themselves and other substrate proteins by covalently adding only a single ADP-ribose moiety to the target. Many of the ARTD enzymes are either established or potential drug targets and a functional activity assay for them will be a valuable tool to identify selective inhibitors for each enzyme. Existing assays are not directly applicable for screening of inhibitors due to the different nature of the reaction and different target molecules. We modified and applied a fluorescence-based assay previously described for PARP1/ARTD1 and tankyrase/ARTD5 for screening of PARP10/ARTD10 and PARP15/ARTD7 inhibitors. The assay measures the amount of NAD(+) present after chemically converting it to a fluorescent analog. We demonstrate that by using an excess of a recombinant acceptor protein the performance of the activity-based assay is excellent for screening of compound libraries. The assay is homogenous and cost effective, making it possible to test relatively large compound libraries. This method can be used to screen inhibitors of mono-ARTDs and profile inhibitors of the enzyme class. The assay was optimized for ARTD10 and ARTD7, but it can be directly applied to other mono-ARTDs of the ARTD superfamily. Profiling of known ARTD inhibitors against ARTD10 and ARTD7 in a validatory screening identified the best inhibitors with submicromolar potencies. Only few of the tested ARTD inhibitors were potent, implicating that there is a need to screen new compound scaffolds. This is needed to create small molecules that could serve as biological probes and potential starting points for drug discovery projects against

  16. The nuclear protein Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 3 (AtPARP3) is required for seed storability in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rissel, D; Losch, J; Peiter, E

    2014-11-01

    The deterioration of seeds during prolonged storage results in a reduction of viability and germination rate. DNA damage is one of the major cellular defects associated with seed deterioration. It is provoked by the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) even in the quiescent state of the desiccated seed. In contrast to other stages of seed life, DNA repair during storage is hindered through the low seed water content; thereby DNA lesions can accumulate. To allow subsequent seedling development, DNA repair has thus to be initiated immediately upon imbibition. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are important components in the DNA damage response in humans. Arabidopsis thaliana contains three homologues to the human HsPARP1 protein. Of these three, only AtPARP3 was very highly expressed in seeds. Histochemical GUS staining of embryos and endosperm layers revealed strong promoter activity of AtPARP3 during all steps of germination. This coincided with high ROS activity and indicated a role of the nuclear-localised AtPARP3 in DNA repair during germination. Accordingly, stored parp3-1 mutant seeds lacking AtPARP3 expression displayed a delay in germination as compared to Col-0 wild-type seeds. A controlled deterioration test showed that the mutant seeds were hypersensitive to unfavourable storage conditions. The results demonstrate that AtPARP3 is an important component of seed storability and viability. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

  17. Benzofuroxan derivatives N-Br and N-I induce intrinsic apoptosis in melanoma cells by regulating AKT/BIM signaling and display anti metastatic activity in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farias, C. F.; Massaoka, M. H.; Girola, N.; Azevedo, R. A.; Ferreira, A. K.; Jorge, S. D.; Tavares, L. C.; Figueiredo, C. R.; Travassos, L. R.

    2015-01-01

    Malignant melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer, and despite recent advances in treatment, the survival rate of the metastatic form remains low. Nifuroxazide analogues are drugs based on the substitution of the nitrofuran group by benzofuroxan, in view of the pharmacophore similarity of the nitro group, improving bioavailability, with higher intrinsic activity and less toxicity. Benzofuroxan activity involves the intracellular production of free-radical species. In the present work, we evaluated the antitumor effects of different benzofuroxan derivatives in a murine melanoma model. B16F10-Nex2 melanoma cells were used to investigate the antitumor effects of Benzofuroxan derivatives in vitro and in a syngeneic melanoma model in C57Bl/6 mice. Cytotoxicity, morphological changes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed by a diphenyltetrasolium reagent, optical and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. Annexin-V binding and mitochondrial integrity were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blotting and colorimetry identified cell signaling proteins. Benzofuroxan N-Br and N-I derivatives were active against murine and human tumor cell lines, exerting significant protection against metastatic melanoma in a syngeneic model. N-Br and N-I induce apoptosis in melanoma cells, evidenced by specific morphological changes, DNA condensation and degradation, and phosphatidylserine translocation in the plasma membrane. The intrinsic mitochondrial pathway in B16F10-Nex2 cells is suggested owing to reduced outer membrane potential in mitochondria, followed by caspase −9, −3 activation and cleavage of PARP. The cytotoxicity of N-Br and N-I in B16F10-Nex2 cells is mediated by the generation of ROS, inhibited by pre-incubation of the cells with N-acetylcysteine (NAC). The induction of ROS by N-Br and N-I resulted in the inhibition of AKT activation, an important molecule related to tumor cell survival, followed by upregulation of BIM. We conclude that N-Br and N-I are

  18. Benzofuroxan derivatives N-Br and N-I induce intrinsic apoptosis in melanoma cells by regulating AKT/BIM signaling and display anti metastatic activity in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farias, C F; Massaoka, M H; Girola, N; Azevedo, R A; Ferreira, A K; Jorge, S D; Tavares, L C; Figueiredo, C R; Travassos, L R

    2015-10-27

    Malignant melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer, and despite recent advances in treatment, the survival rate of the metastatic form remains low. Nifuroxazide analogues are drugs based on the substitution of the nitrofuran group by benzofuroxan, in view of the pharmacophore similarity of the nitro group, improving bioavailability, with higher intrinsic activity and less toxicity. Benzofuroxan activity involves the intracellular production of free-radical species. In the present work, we evaluated the antitumor effects of different benzofuroxan derivatives in a murine melanoma model. B16F10-Nex2 melanoma cells were used to investigate the antitumor effects of Benzofuroxan derivatives in vitro and in a syngeneic melanoma model in C57Bl/6 mice. Cytotoxicity, morphological changes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assessed by a diphenyltetrasolium reagent, optical and fluorescence microscopy, respectively. Annexin-V binding and mitochondrial integrity were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blotting and colorimetry identified cell signaling proteins. Benzofuroxan N-Br and N-I derivatives were active against murine and human tumor cell lines, exerting significant protection against metastatic melanoma in a syngeneic model. N-Br and N-I induce apoptosis in melanoma cells, evidenced by specific morphological changes, DNA condensation and degradation, and phosphatidylserine translocation in the plasma membrane. The intrinsic mitochondrial pathway in B16F10-Nex2 cells is suggested owing to reduced outer membrane potential in mitochondria, followed by caspase -9, -3 activation and cleavage of PARP. The cytotoxicity of N-Br and N-I in B16F10-Nex2 cells is mediated by the generation of ROS, inhibited by pre-incubation of the cells with N-acetylcysteine (NAC). The induction of ROS by N-Br and N-I resulted in the inhibition of AKT activation, an important molecule related to tumor cell survival, followed by upregulation of BIM. We conclude that N-Br and N-I are

  19. Hyperthermia and PARP1-inhibition for sensitization of radiation and cisplatin treatment of cervical carcinoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franken, Nicolaas; Oei, Arlene; Leeuwen, Caspar van; Stalpers, Lukas; Rodermond, Hans; Bel, Arjan; Kok, Petra; Crezee, Hans

    2014-01-01

    Ionizing radiation causes single and double strand breaks (SSBs and DSBs). DSBs are among the most critical DNA lesions and can be repaired via either non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) in which PARP1, Ku70 and DNA-PKcs are important, or homologous recombination (HR), where BRCA2 and Rad51 are essential. Hyperthermia disturbs HR by temporary inactivation of BRCA2. Cisplatin disrupts NHEJ and PARP1-inhibitor blocks Poly-(ADP-ribose)polymerase- 1, which is important in SSB repair, NHEJ and backup-NHEJ. Our goal was to investigate the additional effectiveness of hyperthermia and PARP1-inhibition on radiation and/or cisplatin treatment. Cervical carcinoma cells (SiHa) were treated at different temperature levels levels (41.0-43.0℃, PARP1-inhibitor (100 μM; NU1025), gamma-irradiation doses (0-8 Gy) or cisplatin (1'R for 1 h). Clonogenic assays were carried out to measure survival and γH2AX staining was used to visualize DSBs. To elucidate mechanisms of action expression levels of DNA repair proteins BRCA2 and DNA-PKcs were investigated after 42.0℃ (1 h) using western blot. Combined hyperthermia and radiation resulted in an increased number of γH2AX foci as compared to radiation alone. Hyperthermia treatment in combination with cisplatin and PARP1 inhibitor and with radiation and PARP1 inhibitor significantly decreased cell survival. Western blot demonstrated a decreased expression of BRCA2 protein at 30 min after hyperthermia treatment. Adding PARP1-inhibitor significantly improves the effectiveness of combined hyperthermia radiotherapy and combined hyperthermia-cisplatin treatment on cervical carcinoma cells. Hyperthermia affects DNA-DSB repair as is indicated by increased γH2AX foci numbers and decreased BRCA2 expression. (author)

  20. In vivo repair of DNA damage induced by X-rays in the early stages of mouse fertilization, and the influence of maternal PARP1 ablation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pacchierotti, F., E-mail: francesca.pacchierotti@enea.it [Unit of Radiation Biology and Human Health, ENEA CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome (Italy); Ranaldi, R. [Unit of Radiation Biology and Human Health, ENEA CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome (Italy); Derijck, A.A.; Heijden, G.W. van der; Boer, P. de [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2011-09-01

    Highlights: {yields} We measure {gamma}H2AX and chromosome aberrations in mouse zygotes irradiated in vivo. {yields} We compare effects between zygotes obtained from wild type or Parp1 knockout females. {yields} The rate of chromosome aberrations is as high as that previously induced in vitro. {yields} The rate of radiation-induced {gamma}H2AX foci is lower than that measured in other cells. {yields} Without Parp1 there are more {gamma}H2AX foci but chromosome aberration rate is unaffected. - Abstract: The early pronucleus stage of the mouse zygote has been characterised in vitro as radiosensitive, due to a high rate of induction of chromosome-type chromosome abnormalities (CA). We have investigated the repair of irradiation induced double strand DNA breaks in vivo by {gamma}H2AX foci and first cleavage metaphase analysis. Breaks were induced in sperm and in the early zygote stages comprising sperm chromatin remodelling and early pronucleus expansion. Moreover, the role of PARP1 in the formation and repair of spontaneous and radiation-induced double strand breaks in the zygote was evaluated by comparing observations in C57BL/6J and PARP1 genetically ablated females. The results confirmed in vivo that the rate of chromosome aberration induction by X-rays was approximately 3-fold higher in the zygote than in mouse lymphocytes. This finding was related to a diminished efficiency of double strand break signalling, as shown by a lower rate of {gamma}H2AX radiation-induced foci compared to that measured in most other somatic cell types. The spontaneous frequency of CA in PARP1 depleted zygotes was slightly but significantly higher than in wild type zygotes. Also, these zygotes showed some impairment of the radiation-induced DNA Damage Response when exposed closer to the start of S-phase, revealed by a higher number of {gamma}H2AX foci and a longer cell cycle delay. The rate of chromosome aberrations, however, was not elevated over that of wild type zygotes, possibly

  1. Isorhynchophylline, a Potent Plant Alkaloid, Induces Apoptotic and Anti-Metastatic Effects in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells through the Modulation of Diverse Cell Signaling Cascades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hanwool; Baek, Seung Ho; Lee, Jong Hyun; Kim, Chulwon; Ko, Jeong-Hyeon; Lee, Seok-Geun; Chinnathambi, Arunachalam; Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali; Yang, Woong Mo; Um, Jae-Young; Sethi, Gautam; Ahn, Kwang Seok

    2017-05-19

    Isorhynchophylline (Rhy) is an active pharmacological component of Uncaria rhynchophylla that has been reported previously to exert significant antihypertensive and neuroprotective effects. However, very little is known about its potential anti-cancer activities. This study was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effects of Rhy against various human carcinoma cell lines. We found that Rhy exhibited substantial cytotoxic effect against human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells when compared with other human carcinoma cell lines including those of lung, pancreas, prostate, head and neck, breast, multiple myeloma, brain and renal cell carcinoma. Rhy induced apoptosis as characterized by accumulation of cells in sub G1 phase; positive Annexin V binding; activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3; and cleavage of PARP (poly-ADP ribose polymerase). This effect of Rhy correlated with the down-regulation of various proteins that mediated cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Moreover, cell proliferation, migration, and constitutive CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4), MMP-9 (Matrix metallopeptidase-9), and MMP-2 expression were inhibited upon Rhy treatment. We further investigated the effect of Rhy on the oncogenic cell signaling cascades through phospho-kinase array profiling assay. Rhy was found to abrogate phospho-p38, ERK, JNK, CREB, c-Jun, Akt, and STAT3 signals, but interestingly enhanced phospho-p53 signal. Overall, our results indicate, for the first time, that Rhy could exert anticancer and anti-metastatic effects through regulation of multiple signaling cascades in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

  2. Importin alpha binding and nuclear localization of PARP-2 is dependent on lysine 36, which is located within a predicted classical NLS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valovka Taras

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The enzymes responsible for the synthesis of poly-ADP-ribose are named poly-ADP-ribose polymerases (PARP. PARP-2 is a nuclear protein, which regulates a variety of cellular functions that are mainly controlled by protein-protein interactions. A previously described non-conventional bipartite nuclear localization sequence (NLS lies in the amino-terminal DNA binding domain of PARP-2 between amino acids 1–69; however, this targeting sequence has not been experimentally examined or validated. Results Using a site-directed mutagenesis approach, we found that lysines 19 and 20, located within a previously described bipartite NLS, are not required for nuclear localization of PARP-2. In contrast, lysine 36, which is located within a predicted classical monopartite NLS, was required for PARP-2 nuclear localization. While wild type PARP-2 interacted with importin α3 and to a very weak extent with importin α1 and importin α5, the mutant PARP-2 (K36R did not interact with importin α3, providing a molecular explanation why PARP-2 (K36R is not targeted to the nucleus. Conclusion Our results provide strong evidence that lysine 36 of PARP-2 is a critical residue for proper nuclear targeting of PARP-2 and consequently for the execution of its biological functions.

  3. P2X7 receptor-mediated PARP1 activity regulates astroglial death in the rat hippocampus following status epilepticus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Yang eKim

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1 plays a regulatory role in apoptosis, necrosis, and other cellular processes after injury. Recently, we revealed that PARP1 regulates the differential neuronal/astroglial responses to pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE in the distinct brain regions. In addition, P2X7 receptor (P2X7R, an ATP-gated ion channel, activation accelerates astroglial apoptosis, while it attenuates clasmatodendrosis (lysosome-derived autophagic astroglial death. Therefore, we investigated whether P2X7R regulates regional specific astroglial PARP1 expression/activation in response to SE. In the present study, P2X7R activation exacerbates SE-induced astroglial apoptosis, while P2X7R inhibition attenuates it accompanied by increasing PARP1 activity in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus following SE. In the CA1 region, however, P2X7R inhibition deteriorates SE-induced clasmatodendrosis via PARP1 activation following SE. Taken together, our findings suggest that P2X7R function may affect SE-induced astroglial death by regulating PARP1 activation/expression in regional-specific manner. Therefore, the selective modulation of P2X7R-mediated PARP1 functions may be a considerable strategy for controls in various types of cell deaths.

  4. Upregulation of PEDF expression by PARP inhibition contributes to the decrease in hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis in HUVECs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Haibing; Jia Weiping; Xu Xun; Fan Ying; Zhu Dongqing; Wu Haixiang; Xie Zhenggao; Zheng Zhi

    2008-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) inhibitors decrease angiogenesis through reducing vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) induced proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In contrast to VEGF, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) has been demonstrated to act as a strong endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis. Here, we show that PARP inhibition with a specific inhibitor PJ-34 or specific PARP antisense oligonucleotide upregulates hyperglycemia-induced PEDF expression in HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. This results in the retard of activation of p38 MAP kinase and the concomitant decrease in cell apoptosis. These results give the first direct demonstration that PEDF might represent a target for PARP inhibition treatment and the effects of PEDF on endothelial cells growth are context dependent

  5. Functional characterisation of an Arabidopsis gene strongly induced by ionising radiation: the gene coding the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (AthPARP-1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doucet-Chabeaud, G.

    2000-01-01

    Arabidopsis thaliana, the model-system in plant genetics, has been used to study the responses to DNA damage, experimentally introduced by γ-irradiation. We have characterised a radiation-induced gene coding a 111 kDa protein, AthPARP-1, homologous to the human poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (hPARP-1). As hPARP-1 is composed by three functional domain with characteristic motifs, AthPARP-1 binds to DNA bearing single-strand breaks and shows DNA damage-dependent poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. The preferential expression of AthPARP-1 in mitotically active tissues is in agreement with a potential role in the maintenance of genome integrity during DNA replication, as proposed for its human counterpart. Transcriptional gene activation by ionising radiation of AthPARP-1 and AthPARP-2 genes is to date plant specific activation. Our expression analyses after exposure to various stress indicate that 1) AthPARP-1 and AthPARP-2 play an important role in the response to DNA lesions, particularly they are activated by genotoxic agents implicating the BER DNA repair pathway 2) AthPARP-2 gene seems to play an additional role in the signal transduction induced by oxidative stress 3) the observed expression profile of AthPARP-1 is in favour of the regulation of AthPARP-1 gene expression at the level of transcription and translation. This mode of regulation of AthPARP-1 protein biosynthesis, clearly distinct from that observed in animals, needs the implication of a so far unidentified transcription factor that is activated by the presence of DNA lesions. The major outcome of this work resides in the isolation and characterisation of such new transcription factor, which will provide new insight on the regulation of plant gene expression by genotoxic stress. (author) [fr

  6. PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittica, Gloria; Ghisoni, Eleonora; Giannone, Gaia; Genta, Sofia; Aglietta, Massimo; Sapino, Anna; Valabrega, Giorgio

    2018-03-05

    Treatment of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC), historically based on surgery and platinum doublet chemotherapy, is associated with high risk of relapse and poor prognosis for recurrent disease. In this landscape, the innovative treatment with PARP inhibitors (PARPis) demonstrated an outstanding activity in EOC, and is currently changing clinical practice in BRCA mutant patients. To highlight the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, clinical activity, indications and current strategies of development of Olaparib, Niraparib, Rucaparib, Talazoparib and Veliparib, the 5 most relevant PARPis. We performed a review on Pubmed using 'ovarian cancer' and the name of each PARPi (PARP inhibitor) discussed in the review as Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords. The same search was performed on "clinicaltrial.gov" to identify ongoing clinical trials and on "google.com/patents" and "uspto.gov" for recent patents exploring PARPIs in ovarian cancer. Olaparib, Niraparib and Rucaparib are already approved for treatment of recurrent EOC and their indications are partially overlapping. Talazoparib and Veliparib are promising PARPis, but currently under investigation in early phase trials. Several studies are evaluating PARPis in monotherapy or in associations, in a wide range of settings (i.e. first line, neoadjuvant, platinum-sensitive and resistant disease). PARPis are valuable options in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer with promising activity in different stages of this disease. Further studies are required to better define optimal clinical settings, predictors of response beyond BRCA mutations and strategies to overcome secondary resistance of PARPis therapy in EOC. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  7. PARP-1 and YY1 are important novel regulators of CXCL12 gene transcription in rat pancreatic beta cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jelena Marković

    Full Text Available Despite significant progress, the molecular mechanisms responsible for pancreatic beta cell depletion and development of diabetes remain poorly defined. At present, there is no preventive measure against diabetes. The positive impact of CXCL12 expression on the pancreatic beta cell prosurvival phenotype initiated this study. Our aim was to provide novel insight into the regulation of rat CXCL12 gene (Cxcl12 transcription. The roles of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 and transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1 in Cxcl12 transcription were studied by examining their in vitro and in vivo binding affinities for the Cxcl12 promoter in a pancreatic beta cell line by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. The regulatory activities of PARP-1 and YY1 were assessed in transfection experiments using a reporter vector with a Cxcl12 promoter sequence driving luciferase gene expression. Experimental evidence for PARP-1 and YY1 revealed their trans-acting potential, wherein PARP-1 displayed an inhibitory, and YY1 a strong activating effect on Cxcl12 transcription. Streptozotocin (STZ-induced general toxicity in pancreatic beta cells was followed by changes in Cxcl12 promoter regulation. PARP-1 binding to the Cxcl12 promoter during basal and in STZ-compromised conditions led us to conclude that PARP-1 regulates constitutive Cxcl12 expression. During the early stage of oxidative stress, YY1 exhibited less affinity toward the Cxcl12 promoter while PARP-1 displayed strong binding. These interactions were accompanied by Cxcl12 downregulation. In the later stages of oxidative stress and intensive pancreatic beta cell injury, YY1 was highly expressed and firmly bound to Cxcl12 promoter in contrast to PARP-1. These interactions resulted in higher Cxcl12 expression. The observed ability of PARP-1 to downregulate, and of YY1 to upregulate Cxcl12 promoter activity anticipates corresponding effects in the natural context where the

  8. Cadmium-induced heme-oxygenase-1 expression plays dual roles in autophagy and apoptosis and is regulated by both PKC-δ and PKB/Akt activation in NRK52E kidney cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    So, Keum-Young; Oh, Seon-Hee

    2016-01-01

    Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protects cells against cadmium (Cd)-induced oxidative stress. However, the mechanism underlying this protection is not well understood. In this study, we elucidated the role of HO-1 in Cd-induced cytotoxicity. Exposure of NRK52E cells to Cd induced protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt, protein kinase C (PKC)-δ, and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3αb phosphorylation, and eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 2α dephosphorylation. Pharmacological inhibition of Akt resulted in HO-1 suppression and eIF2α activation, which partially suppressed CHOP and PARP-1 cleavage, but promoted autophagy and decreased cell viability. Pharmacological inactivation of PKC-δ markedly suppressed Cd-induced phospho-serine (p-Ser) GSK3αβ, and HO-1, and partially inhibited PARP-1 cleavage, but massively induced autophagy and decreased cell viability. Pharmacological upregulation of p-Ser GSK3αβ enhanced Cd-induced HO-1, CHOP, and PARP-1 cleavage, but decreased autophagy. Genetic deficiency of GSK3β suppressed HO-1 and PARP-1 cleavage and increased autophagy. Genetic suppression of HO-1 reduced Cd-induced PARP-1 cleavage, but increased LC3-II. Cd exposure led to accumulation of p-PKC-δ, p-Ser GSK3αβ, and HO-1 in the nucleus and particulate fractions, suggesting that they have dual functions in response to Cd. N-acetylcysteine treatment suppressed Cd-induced activation of PKC-δ and Akt. These results indicate that HO-1 induced by Cd exposure is regulated by PKC-δ, p-Ser GSK3αβ, and PKB/Akt, which restrain autophagic cell death, but mildly induce apoptosis in NRK52E cells. Together, the results suggest that HO-1 expression in response to Cd maintains cellular homeostasis during oxidative stress.

  9. Hydrofluoric Acid-Based Derivatization Strategy To Profile PARP-1 ADP-Ribosylation by LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagné, Jean-Philippe; Langelier, Marie-France; Pascal, John M; Poirier, Guy G

    2018-06-11

    Despite significant advances in the development of mass spectrometry-based methods for the identification of protein ADP-ribosylation, current protocols suffer from several drawbacks that preclude their widespread applicability. Given the intrinsic heterogeneous nature of poly(ADP-ribose), a number of strategies have been developed to generate simple derivatives for effective interrogation of protein databases and site-specific localization of the modified residues. Currently, the generation of spectral signatures indicative of ADP-ribosylation rely on chemical or enzymatic conversion of the modification to a single mass increment. Still, limitations arise from the lability of the poly(ADP-ribose) remnant during tandem mass spectrometry, the varying susceptibilities of different ADP-ribose-protein bonds to chemical hydrolysis, or the context dependence of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Here, we present a chemical-based derivatization method applicable to the confident identification of site-specific ADP-ribosylation by conventional mass spectrometry on any targeted amino acid residue. Using PARP-1 as a model protein, we report that treatment of ADP-ribosylated peptides with hydrofluoric acid generates a specific +132 Da mass signature that corresponds to the decomposition of mono- and poly(ADP-ribosylated) peptides into ribose adducts as a consequence of the cleavage of the phosphorus-oxygen bonds.

  10. The Prognostic Value of BRCA1 and PARP Expression in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjortkjær, Mette; Waldstrøm, Marianne; Jakobsen, Anders

    2017-01-01

    BRCA1/2 mutation status in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) presently relies on genetic testing which is resource consuming. Immunohistochemistry is cheap, fairly reproducible, and may identify gene product alterations due to both germline and somatic mutations and other defects along the BRCA gene...... tissue from 170 patients with EOC was stained immunohistochemically with BRCA1 and PARP antibodies. Semiquantitative analyses were performed to determine loss of, equivocal, and retained BRCA1 and high versus low PARP protein expression. These parameters were analyzed for relation with patient...

  11. Concurrent targeting of nitrosative stress-PARP pathway corrects functional, behavioral and biochemical deficits in experimental diabetic neuropathy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Negi, Geeta; Kumar, Ashutosh [Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector-67, S.A.S. Nagar, Punjab 160062 (India); Sharma, Shyam S., E-mail: sssharma@niper.ac.in [Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector-67, S.A.S. Nagar, Punjab 160062 (India)

    2010-01-01

    Peroxynitrite mediated nitrosative stress, an indisputable initiator of DNA damage and overactivation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a nuclear enzyme activated after sensing DNA damage, are two crucial pathogenetic mechanisms in diabetic neuropathy. The intent of the present study was to investigate the effect of combination of a peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst (PDC), FeTMPyP and a PARP inhibitor, 4-ANI against diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The end points of evaluation of the study included motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and nerve blood flow (NBF) for evaluating nerve functions; thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia for assessing nociceptive alterations, malondialdehyde and peroxynitrite levels to detect oxidative stress-nitrosative stress; NAD concentration in sciatic nerve to assess overactivation of PARP. Additionally immunohistochemical studies for nitrotyrosine and Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) was also performed. Treatment with the combination of FeTMPyP and 4-ANI led to significant improvement in nerve functions and pain parameters and also attenuated the oxidative-nitrosative stress markers. Further, the combination also reduced the overactivation of PARP as evident from increased NAD levels and decreased PAR immunopositivity in sciatic nerve microsections. Thus, it can be concluded that treatment with the combination of a PDC and PARP inhibitor attenuates alteration in peripheral nerves in diabetic neuropathy (DN).

  12. A Systematic Analysis of Factors Localized to Damaged Chromatin Reveals PARP-Dependent Recruitment of Transcription Factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izhar, Lior; Adamson, Britt; Ciccia, Alberto; Lewis, Jedd; Pontano-Vaites, Laura; Leng, Yumei; Liang, Anthony C; Westbrook, Thomas F; Harper, J Wade; Elledge, Stephen J

    2015-06-09

    Localization to sites of DNA damage is a hallmark of DNA damage response (DDR) proteins. To identify DDR factors, we screened epitope-tagged proteins for localization to sites of chromatin damaged by UV laser microirradiation and found >120 proteins that localize to damaged chromatin. These include the BAF tumor suppressor complex and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) candidate protein TAF15. TAF15 contains multiple domains that bind damaged chromatin in a poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-dependent manner, suggesting a possible role as glue that tethers multiple PAR chains together. Many positives were transcription factors; > 70% of randomly tested transcription factors localized to sites of DNA damage, and of these, ∼90% were PARP dependent for localization. Mutational analyses showed that localization to damaged chromatin is DNA-binding-domain dependent. By examining Hoechst staining patterns at damage sites, we see evidence of chromatin decompaction that is PARP dependent. We propose that PARP-regulated chromatin remodeling at sites of damage allows transient accessibility of DNA-binding proteins. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. A Systematic Analysis of Factors Localized to Damaged Chromatin Reveals PARP-Dependent Recruitment of Transcription Factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lior Izhar

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Localization to sites of DNA damage is a hallmark of DNA damage response (DDR proteins. To identify DDR factors, we screened epitope-tagged proteins for localization to sites of chromatin damaged by UV laser microirradiation and found >120 proteins that localize to damaged chromatin. These include the BAF tumor suppressor complex and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS candidate protein TAF15. TAF15 contains multiple domains that bind damaged chromatin in a poly-(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP-dependent manner, suggesting a possible role as glue that tethers multiple PAR chains together. Many positives were transcription factors; > 70% of randomly tested transcription factors localized to sites of DNA damage, and of these, ∼90% were PARP dependent for localization. Mutational analyses showed that localization to damaged chromatin is DNA-binding-domain dependent. By examining Hoechst staining patterns at damage sites, we see evidence of chromatin decompaction that is PARP dependent. We propose that PARP-regulated chromatin remodeling at sites of damage allows transient accessibility of DNA-binding proteins.

  14. Studies of the expression of human poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and identification of PARP-1 substrates by yeast proteome microarray screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Zhihua; Gao, Peng; Liu, Hung-Wen

    2009-12-15

    Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of various nuclear proteins catalyzed by a family of NAD(+)-dependent enzymes, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), is an important posttranslational modification reaction. PARP activity has been demonstrated in all types of eukaryotic cells with the exception of yeast, in which the expression of human PARP-1 was shown to lead to retarded cell growth. We investigated the yeast growth inhibition caused by human PARP-1 expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Flow cytometry analysis reveals that PARP-1-expressing yeast cells accumulate in the G(2)/M stage of the cell cycle. Confocal microscopy analysis shows that human PARP-1 is distributed throughout the nucleus of yeast cells but is enriched in the nucleolus. Utilizing yeast proteome microarray screening, we identified 33 putative PARP-1 substrates, six of which are known to be involved in ribosome biogenesis. The poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of three of these yeast proteins, together with two human homologues, was confirmed by an in vitro PARP-1 assay. Finally, a polysome profile analysis using sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation demonstrated that the ribosome levels in yeast cells expressing PARP-1 are lower than those in control yeast cells. Overall, our data suggest that human PARP-1 may affect ribosome biogenesis by modifying certain nucleolar proteins in yeast. The artificial PARP-1 pathway in yeast may be used as a simple platform to identify substrates and verify function of this important enzyme.

  15. BZLF1 Expression of EBV is correlated with PARP1 Regulation on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wahyu nur laili fajri, Ahmad Rofi'i, Fatchiyah Fatchiyah

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC is a cancer that arises in the epithelial tissue that covers the inside of the nasopharyngeal mucosa and nasopharynx. Infected Epstein Barr Virus (EBV cell in a latent infection associated with the expression of nine latent proteins. Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1 is one of latent proteins, and mayor EBV oncoprotein, with functions including virus growth, and to activate BamHI-Z Leftward Reading Frame 1 (BZLF1-EBV, which can inhibit p53 to induce apoptotic resistance, metastasis, and immune modulation. The body will respond to the expansion of EBV infection with activation of Poly(ADP-ribosePolymerase-1 (PARP1. The objective of study is to observe the expression of BZLF1 and determine PARP1 regulation in nasopharyngeal tissues. NPC-T2, NPC-T3 and polyp tissues slides are from Ulin Hospital, Banjarmasin. To characterize the necrotic cells such as pyknosis, karyorrhexsis, and karyolysis, histological slides were stained by HE that the necrotic cells measured by using a BX-53 microscope (Olympus with CellSens Standard software. Tissues slides were stained by using immunofluorohistochemistry with EBV-BZLF1 antibody-Mouse anti-EBV monoclonal antibody against Goat anti-mouse IgG-FITC and anti-PARP1 antibody (MC-10 against Goat anti-mouse IgG labeled Rhodamin. The expression intensities were measured by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (Olympus. The percentage number of necrotic cells and BZLF1 and PARP1 expression intensity were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 by one-way ANOVA test with α = 0.05, beside that we use correlate and regression analyze. The research showed that the amount of karryorhexis higher than pyknosis and karyolysis in both tissues. BZLF1 expression 1.79 INT/sel (in polyp, 2.76 INT/sel (NPC Type 2 and 4.36 INT/sel (NPC Type 3, PARP1 expression 2.25 INT/sel (in polyp, 3.31 INT/sel (NPC Type 2, dan 5.93 INT/sel (NPC Type 3.The high of intensity of expression BZLF1 induced the increasing of PARP1 expression

  16. New agents for the management of resistant metastatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anampa, Jesus; Sparano, Joseph A

    2017-12-01

    Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is an incurable disease and treatment is directed towards symptom palliation and survival prolongation. Treatment selection in patients is based on tumor biology, age, comorbidities, performance status, tumor burden, and prior treatment history. Areas covered: This present review summarizes the recent treatment strategies in the management of MBC, highlighting regimens after first-line therapy. Topics discussed include new strategies for endocrine therapy, anti-HER2 therapy, and promising strategies for the management of triple negative breast cancer. Expert opinion: MBC is a heterogeneous entity and despite recent advances, there is significant room for improvement of treatment beyond first-line therapies. Combination regimens that can maximize clinical efficacy while minimizing toxicities are required. Current investigation approaches in advanced stages of clinical development include immunoconjugates, immune checkpoint blockade, novel cyclin-dependent-kinase inhibitors, and PARP inhibitors for MBC associated with germline BRCA mutations. We recommend that every patient with MBC should be evaluated for clinical trial options.

  17. Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1 overexpression in human breast cancer stem cells and resistance to olaparib.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marine Gilabert

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs have been recognized as playing a major role in various aspects of breast cancer biology. To identify specific biomarkers of BCSCs, we have performed comparative proteomics of BCSC-enriched and mature cancer cell populations from the human breast cancer cell line (BCL, BrCA-MZ-01. METHODS: ALDEFLUOR assay was used to sort BCSC-enriched (ALDH+ and mature cancer (ALDH- cell populations. Total proteins were extracted from both fractions and subjected to 2-Dimensional Difference In-Gel Electrophoresis (2-D DIGE. Differentially-expressed spots were excised and proteins were gel-extracted, digested and identified using MALDI-TOF MS. RESULTS: 2-D DIGE identified poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1 as overexpressed in ALDH+ cells from BrCA-MZ-01. This observation was confirmed by western blot and extended to four additional human BCLs. ALDH+ cells from BRCA1-mutated HCC1937, which had the highest level of PARP1 overexpression, displayed resistance to olaparib, a specific PARP1 inhibitor. CONCLUSION: An unbiased proteomic approach identified PARP1 as upregulated in ALDH+, BCSC-enriched cells from various human BCLs, which may contribute to clinical resistance to PARP inhibitors.

  18. Targeting EGFR induced oxidative stress by PARP1 inhibition in glioblastoma therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nitta, Masayuki; Kozono, David; Kennedy, Richard; Stommel, Jayne; Ng, Kimberly; Zinn, Pascal O; Kushwaha, Deepa; Kesari, Santosh; Inda, Maria-del-Mar; Wykosky, Jill; Furnari, Frank; Hoadley, Katherine A; Chin, Lynda; DePinho, Ronald A; Cavenee, Webster K; D'Andrea, Alan; Chen, Clark C

    2010-05-24

    Despite the critical role of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in glioblastoma pathogenesis, EGFR targeted therapies have achieved limited clinical efficacy. Here we propose an alternate therapeutic strategy based on the conceptual framework of non-oncogene addiction. A directed RNAi screen revealed that glioblastoma cells over-expressing EGFRvIII, an oncogenic variant of EGFR, become hyper-dependent on a variety of DNA repair genes. Among these, there was an enrichment of Base Excision Repair (BER) genes required for the repair of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-induced DNA damage, including poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1). Subsequent studies revealed that EGFRvIII over-expression in glioblastoma cells caused increased levels of ROS, DNA strand break accumulation, and genome instability. In a panel of primary glioblastoma lines, sensitivity to PARP1 inhibition correlated with the levels of EGFR activation and oxidative stress. Gene expression analysis indicated that reduced expression of BER genes in glioblastomas with high EGFR expression correlated with improved patient survival. These observations suggest that oxidative stress secondary to EGFR hyper-activation necessitates increased cellular reliance on PARP1 mediated BER, and offer critical insights into clinical trial design.

  19. Targeting EGFR induced oxidative stress by PARP1 inhibition in glioblastoma therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masayuki Nitta

    Full Text Available Despite the critical role of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR in glioblastoma pathogenesis, EGFR targeted therapies have achieved limited clinical efficacy. Here we propose an alternate therapeutic strategy based on the conceptual framework of non-oncogene addiction. A directed RNAi screen revealed that glioblastoma cells over-expressing EGFRvIII, an oncogenic variant of EGFR, become hyper-dependent on a variety of DNA repair genes. Among these, there was an enrichment of Base Excision Repair (BER genes required for the repair of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS-induced DNA damage, including poly-ADP ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1. Subsequent studies revealed that EGFRvIII over-expression in glioblastoma cells caused increased levels of ROS, DNA strand break accumulation, and genome instability. In a panel of primary glioblastoma lines, sensitivity to PARP1 inhibition correlated with the levels of EGFR activation and oxidative stress. Gene expression analysis indicated that reduced expression of BER genes in glioblastomas with high EGFR expression correlated with improved patient survival. These observations suggest that oxidative stress secondary to EGFR hyper-activation necessitates increased cellular reliance on PARP1 mediated BER, and offer critical insights into clinical trial design.

  20. Effects of niacin restriction on sirtuin and PARP responses to photodamage in human skin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia A Benavente

    Full Text Available Sirtuins (SIRTs and poly(ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs, NAD(+-dependent enzymes, link cellular energy status with responses to environmental stresses. Skin is frequently exposed to the DNA damaging effects of UV irradiation, a known etiology in skin cancer. Thus, understanding the defense mechanisms in response to UV, including the role of SIRTs and PARPs, may be important in developing skin cancer prevention strategies. Here, we report expression of the seven SIRT family members in human skin. SIRTs gene expressions are progressively upregulated in A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells (SIRTs1 and 3, actinic keratoses (SIRTs 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 and squamous cell carcinoma (SIRTs 1-7. Photodamage induces dynamic changes in SIRT expression with upregulation of both SIRT1 and SIRT4 mRNAs. Specific losses of SIRT proteins occur early after photodamage followed by accumulation later, especially for SIRT4. Niacin restriction, which decreases NAD(+, the sirtuin substrate, results in an increase in acetylated proteins, upregulation of SIRTs 2 and 4, increased inherent DNA damage, alterations in SIRT responses to photodamage, abrogation of PARP activation following photodamage, and increased sensitivity to photodamage that is completely reversed by repleting niacin. These data support the hypothesis that SIRTs and PARPs play important roles in resistance to photodamage and identify specific SIRTs that respond to photodamage and may be targets for skin cancer prevention.

  1. Isorhynchophylline, a Potent Plant Alkaloid, Induces Apoptotic and Anti-Metastatic Effects in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells through the Modulation of Diverse Cell Signaling Cascades

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanwool Lee

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Isorhynchophylline (Rhy is an active pharmacological component of Uncaria rhynchophylla that has been reported previously to exert significant antihypertensive and neuroprotective effects. However, very little is known about its potential anti-cancer activities. This study was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effects of Rhy against various human carcinoma cell lines. We found that Rhy exhibited substantial cytotoxic effect against human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells when compared with other human carcinoma cell lines including those of lung, pancreas, prostate, head and neck, breast, multiple myeloma, brain and renal cell carcinoma. Rhy induced apoptosis as characterized by accumulation of cells in sub G1 phase; positive Annexin V binding; activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3; and cleavage of PARP (poly-ADP ribose polymerase. This effect of Rhy correlated with the down-regulation of various proteins that mediated cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Moreover, cell proliferation, migration, and constitutive CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4, MMP-9 (Matrix metallopeptidase-9, and MMP-2 expression were inhibited upon Rhy treatment. We further investigated the effect of Rhy on the oncogenic cell signaling cascades through phospho-kinase array profiling assay. Rhy was found to abrogate phospho-p38, ERK, JNK, CREB, c-Jun, Akt, and STAT3 signals, but interestingly enhanced phospho-p53 signal. Overall, our results indicate, for the first time, that Rhy could exert anticancer and anti-metastatic effects through regulation of multiple signaling cascades in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

  2. Isorhynchophylline, a Potent Plant Alkaloid, Induces Apoptotic and Anti-Metastatic Effects in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells through the Modulation of Diverse Cell Signaling Cascades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hanwool; Baek, Seung Ho; Lee, Jong Hyun; Kim, Chulwon; Ko, Jeong-Hyeon; Lee, Seok-Geun; Chinnathambi, Arunachalam; Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali; Yang, Woong Mo; Um, Jae-Young; Sethi, Gautam; Ahn, Kwang Seok

    2017-01-01

    Isorhynchophylline (Rhy) is an active pharmacological component of Uncaria rhynchophylla that has been reported previously to exert significant antihypertensive and neuroprotective effects. However, very little is known about its potential anti-cancer activities. This study was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effects of Rhy against various human carcinoma cell lines. We found that Rhy exhibited substantial cytotoxic effect against human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells when compared with other human carcinoma cell lines including those of lung, pancreas, prostate, head and neck, breast, multiple myeloma, brain and renal cell carcinoma. Rhy induced apoptosis as characterized by accumulation of cells in sub G1 phase; positive Annexin V binding; activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3; and cleavage of PARP (poly-ADP ribose polymerase). This effect of Rhy correlated with the down-regulation of various proteins that mediated cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Moreover, cell proliferation, migration, and constitutive CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4), MMP-9 (Matrix metallopeptidase-9), and MMP-2 expression were inhibited upon Rhy treatment. We further investigated the effect of Rhy on the oncogenic cell signaling cascades through phospho-kinase array profiling assay. Rhy was found to abrogate phospho-p38, ERK, JNK, CREB, c-Jun, Akt, and STAT3 signals, but interestingly enhanced phospho-p53 signal. Overall, our results indicate, for the first time, that Rhy could exert anticancer and anti-metastatic effects through regulation of multiple signaling cascades in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. PMID:28534824

  3. Melatonin regulates PARP1 to control the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in human fetal lung fibroblast cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Songtao; Wang, Xiaojiao; Geng, Peiliang; Tang, Xudong; Xiang, Lisha; Lu, Xin; Li, Jianjun; Ruan, Zhihua; Chen, Jianfang; Xie, Ganfeng; Wang, Zhe; Ou, Juanjuan; Peng, Yuan; Luo, Xi; Zhang, Xuan; Dong, Yan; Pang, Xueli; Miao, Hongming; Chen, Hongshan; Liang, Houjie

    2017-08-01

    Cellular senescence is an important tumor-suppressive mechanism. However, acquisition of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in senescent cells has deleterious effects on the tissue microenvironment and, paradoxically, promotes tumor progression. In a drug screen, we identified melatonin as a novel SASP suppressor in human cells. Strikingly, melatonin blunts global SASP gene expression upon oncogene-induced senescence (OIS). Moreover, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), a sensor of DNA damage, was identified as a new melatonin-dependent regulator of SASP gene induction upon OIS. Here, we report two different but potentially coherent epigenetic strategies for melatonin regulation of SASP. The interaction between the telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) and PARP-1 stimulates the SASP, which was attenuated by 67.9% (illustrated by the case of IL8) by treatment with melatonin. Through binding to macroH2A1.1, PARP-1 recruits CREB-binding protein (CBP) to mediate acetylation of H2BK120, which positively regulates the expression of target SASP genes, and this process is interrupted by melatonin. Consequently, the findings provide novel insight into melatonin's epigenetic role via modulating PARP-1 in suppression of SASP gene expression in OIS-induced senescent cells. Our studies identify melatonin as a novel anti-SASP molecule, define PARP-1 as a new target by which melatonin regulates SASP, and establish a new epigenetic paradigm for a pharmacological mechanism by which melatonin interrupts PARP-1 interaction with the telomeric long noncoding RNA(lncRNA) or chromatin. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Radiosensitization by PARP inhibition to proton beam irradiation in cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirai, Takahisa [Department of Radiation Oncology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Division of Chemotherapy and Clinical Cancer Research, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Saito, Soichiro; Fujimori, Hiroaki [Division of Chemotherapy and Clinical Cancer Research, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Matsushita, Keiichiro; Nishio, Teiji [Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima (Japan); Okayasu, Ryuichi [International Open Laboratory, National Institute of Radiological Science, Chiba-shi, Chiba (Japan); Masutani, Mitsuko, E-mail: mmasutan@nagasaki-u.ac.jp [Division of Chemotherapy and Clinical Cancer Research, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Department of Frontier Life Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki (Japan)

    2016-09-09

    The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 regulates DNA damage responses and promotes base excision repair. PARP inhibitors have been shown to enhance the cytotoxicity of ionizing radiation in various cancer cells and animal models. We have demonstrated that the PARP inhibitor (PARPi) AZD2281 is also an effective radiosensitizer for carbon-ion radiation; thus, we speculated that the PARPi could be applied to a wide therapeutic range of linear energy transfer (LET) radiation as a radiosensitizer. Institutes for biological experiments using proton beam are limited worldwide. This study was performed as a cooperative research at heavy ion medical accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) in National Institute of Radiological Sciences. HIMAC can generate various ion beams; this enabled us to compare the radiosensitization effect of the PARPi on cells subjected to proton and carbon-ion beams from the same beam line. After physical optimization of proton beam irradiation, the radiosensitization effect of the PARPi was assessed in the human lung cancer cell line, A549, and the pancreatic cancer cell line, MIA PaCa-2. The effect of the PARPi, AZD2281, on radiosensitization to Bragg peak was more significant than that to entrance region. The PARPi increased the number of phosphorylated H2AX (γ-H2AX) foci and enhanced G2/M arrest after proton beam irradiation. This result supports our hypothesis that a PARPi could be applied to a wide therapeutic range of LET radiation by blocking the DNA repair response. - Highlights: • Effective radiosensitizers for particle radiation therapy have not been reported. • PARP inhibitor treatment radiosensitized after proton beam irradiation. • The sensitization at Bragg peak was greater than that at entrance region. • DSB induction and G2/M arrest is involved in the sensitization mechanism.

  5. Rev1 contributes to proper mitochondrial function via the PARP-NAD(+)-SIRT1-PGC1 alpha axis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fakouri, Nima Borhan; Durhuus, Jon Ambaek; Regnell, Christine Elisabeth

    2017-01-01

    (ADP) ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1) activity, low endogenous NAD+, low expression of SIRT1 and PGC1α and low adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated kinase (AMPK) activity. We conclude that replication stress via Rev1-deficiency contributes to metabolic stress caused by compromized mitochondrial function via...... the PARP-NAD+-SIRT1-PGC1α axis....

  6. PARPs database: A LIMS systems for protein-protein interaction data mining or laboratory information management system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Picard-Cloutier Aude

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the "post-genome" era, mass spectrometry (MS has become an important method for the analysis of proteins and the rapid advancement of this technique, in combination with other proteomics methods, results in an increasing amount of proteome data. This data must be archived and analysed using specialized bioinformatics tools. Description We herein describe "PARPs database," a data analysis and management pipeline for liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS proteomics. PARPs database is a web-based tool whose features include experiment annotation, protein database searching, protein sequence management, as well as data-mining of the peptides and proteins identified. Conclusion Using this pipeline, we have successfully identified several interactions of biological significance between PARP-1 and other proteins, namely RFC-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

  7. Recurrent hypoinsulinemic hyperglycemia in neonatal rats increases PARP-1 and NF-κB expression and leads to microglial activation in the cerebral cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gisslen, Tate; Ennis, Kathleen; Bhandari, Vineet; Rao, Raghavendra

    2015-11-01

    Hyperglycemia is a common metabolic problem in extremely low-birth-weight preterm infants. Neonatal hyperglycemia is associated with increased mortality and brain injury. Glucose-mediated oxidative injury may be responsible. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a nuclear enzyme involved in DNA repair and cell survival. However, PARP-1 overactivation leads to cell death. NF-κB is coactivated with PARP-1 and regulates microglial activation. The effects of recurrent hyperglycemia on PARP-1/NF-κB expression and microglial activation are not well understood. Rat pups were subjected to recurrent hypoinsulinemic hyperglycemia of 2 h duration twice daily from postnatal (P) day 3-P12 and killed on P13. mRNA and protein expression of PARP-1/NF-κB and their downstream effectors were determined in the cerebral cortex. Microgliosis was determined using CD11 immunohistochemistry. Recurrent hyperglycemia increased PARP-1 expression confined to the nucleus and without causing PARP-1 overactivation and cell death. NF-κB mRNA expression was increased, while IκB mRNA expression was decreased. inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA expressions were decreased. Hyperglycemia significantly increased the number of microglia. Recurrent hyperglycemia in neonatal rats is associated with upregulation of PARP-1 and NF-κB expression and subsequent microgliosis but not neuronal cell death in the cerebral cortex.

  8. Differential expression of PARP1 mRNA in leucocytes of patients ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    P. 2011 Differential expression of PARP1 mRNA in leucocytes of patients with Down's syndrome. J. Genet. ... of Alzheimer disease at an earlier age than subjects with- ... family and personal informed consent. .... In effect, they report that.

  9. A Gene Expression Profile of BRCAness That Predicts for Responsiveness to Platinum and PARP Inhibitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-02-01

    affecting the function of Fanconi Anemia (FA) genes ( FANCA /B/C/D2/E/F/G/I/J/L/M, PALB2) or DNA damage response genes involved in HR 5 (ATM, ATR...Award Number: W81XWH-10-1-0585 TITLE: A Gene Expression Profile of BRCAness That Predicts for Responsiveness to Platinum and PARP Inhibitors...To) 15 July 2010 – 2 Nov.2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A Gene Expression Profile of BRCAness That Predicts for Responsiveness to Platinum and PARP

  10. RECOVERY OF amiRNA3-PARP1 TRANSGENIC MAIZE PLANTS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ACSS

    Positive plant selectable marker genes are commonly used in plant transformation because they not only enhance the frequency of generation transgenic tissues but are considered biosafe, unlike antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes. In this study, the binary vector pNOV2819-ubiamiRNA3PARP1, harbouring the ...

  11. ATM-Deficient Colorectal Cancer Cells Are Sensitive to the PARP Inhibitor Olaparib.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chen; Jette, Nicholas; Moussienko, Daniel; Bebb, D Gwyn; Lees-Miller, Susan P

    2017-04-01

    The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein kinase plays a central role in the cellular response to DNA damage. Loss or inactivation of both copies of the ATM gene (ATM) leads to ataxia telangiectasia, a devastating childhood condition characterized by neurodegeneration, immune deficiencies, and cancer predisposition. ATM is also absent in approximately 40% of mantle cell lymphomas (MCLs), and we previously showed that MCL cell lines with loss of ATM are sensitive to poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Next-generation sequencing of patient tumors has revealed that ATM is altered in many human cancers including colorectal, lung, prostate, and breast. Here, we show that the colorectal cancer cell line SK-CO-1 lacks detectable ATM protein expression and is sensitive to the PARP inhibitor olaparib. Similarly, HCT116 colorectal cancer cells with shRNA depletion of ATM are sensitive to olaparib, and depletion of p53 enhances this sensitivity. Moreover, HCT116 cells are sensitive to olaparib in combination with the ATM inhibitor KU55933, and sensitivity is enhanced by deletion of p53. Together our studies suggest that PARP inhibitors may have potential for treating colorectal cancer with ATM dysfunction and/or colorectal cancer with mutation of p53 when combined with an ATM kinase inhibitor. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. SU-E-T-245: MR Guided Focused Ultrasound Increased PARP Related Apoptosis On Prostate Cancer in Vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, L; Chen, X; Cvetkovic, D; Gupta, R; Yang, D; Ma, C

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Our previous study demonstrated that significant tumor growth delay was observed in the mice treated with pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU). The purpose of this study is to understand the cell killing mechanisms of pHIFU. Methods: Prostate cancer cells (LNCaP), were grown orthotopically in 17 nude mice. Tumor-bearing mice were treated using pHIFU with an acoustic power of 25W, pulse width 100msec and 300 pulses in one sonication under MR guidance. Mutiple sonications were used to cover the whole tumor volume. Temperature (less than 40 degree centigrade in the focal spot) was monitored using MR thermometry. Animals were euthanized at pre-determined time points (n=2) after treatment: 0 hours; 6 hrs; 24 hrs; 48 hrs; 4 days and 7 days. Two tumorbearing mice were used as control. Three tumor-bearing mice were treated with radiation (RT, 2 Gy) using 6 MV photon beams. RT treated mice were euthanized at 0 hr, 6 hrs and 24 hrs. The tumors were processed for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for PARP (a surrogate of apoptosis). A multispectral imaging analysis system was used to quantify the expression of PARP staining. Cell apoptosis was calculated based on the PARP expression level, which is the intensity of the DAB reaction. Results: Our data showed that PARP related apoptosis peaked at 48 hrs and 7 days in pHIFU treated mice, which is comparable to that for the RT group at 24 hrs. The preliminary results from this study were consistent with our previous study on tumor growth delay using pHIFU. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that non-thermal pHIFU increased apoptotic tumor cell death through the PARP related pathway. MR guided pHIFU may have a great potential as a safe, noninvasive treatment modality for cancer therapy. This treatment modality might be able to synergize with PARP inhibitors to achieve better result

  13. PARP-1 is a key player in controlling apoptosis induced by high LET carbon ion beam and low LET gamma radiation in HeLa cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghorai, Atanu; Ghosh, Utpal; Bhattacharyya, Nitai P.; Sarma, Asitikantha

    2014-01-01

    PARP-1 inhibitors have long been used as chemo-sensitizer or radio-sensitizer and specific PARP-1 inhibitors are also in clinical trial for the treatment of various cancers. PARP-1 is not only involved in DNA repair but also plays very complex role in induction of apoptosis in postirradiation condition. Our objective is to investigate role of PARP-1 in apoptosis triggered by high LET carbon ion beam (CIB) and low LET gamma. We have treated HeLa and PARP-1 knock down HeLa (Hsil) cells with various doses of CIB and gamma. We measured DNA damage by comet assay and various apoptotic parameters such as nuclear fragmentation, activation of caspase-3,8,9, AIF translocation etc. We observed higher DNA breaks and also higher apoptosis in HsiI cells compared with HeLa cells. Both CIB and gamma treatment results G2/M arrest but unlike gamma CIB makes S-phase delay, implicating that gamma and CIB triggers different pathway after DNA damage. Cell death by CIB or by gamma increased up on knocking down of PARP-1 but increase is higher for high LET CIB compared with low LET gamma. Furthermore, expression level of PARP-1 controls the intensity of overall apoptosis in cells in post-irradiation condition. So, combination of PARP-1 inhibition with high LET CIB could be a promising tool to combat cancer. (author)

  14. The dual action of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase -1 (PARP-1 inhibition in HIV-1 infection: HIV-1 LTR inhibition and diminution in Rho GTPase activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slava eRom

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The transcription of HIV-1 (HIV is regulated by complex mechanisms involving various cellular factors and virus-encoded transactivators. Poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1 inhibition has emerged recently as a potent anti-inflammatory tool, since PARP-1 is involved in the regulation of some genes through its interaction with various transcription factors. We propose a novel approach to diminish HIV replication via PARP-1 inhibition using human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM as an in vitro model system. PARP-1 inhibitors were able to reduce HIV replication in MDM by 60-80% after 7 days infection. Long Terminal Repeat (LTR acts as a switch in virus replication and can be triggered by several agents such as: Tat, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA. Overexpression of Tat in MDM transfected with an LTR reporter plasmid led to a 4.2-fold increase in LTR activation; PARP inhibition resulted in 70% reduction of LTR activity. LTR activity, which increased 3-fold after PMA or TNFα treatment, was reduced by PARP inhibition (by 85-95%. MDM treated with PARP inhibitors showed 90% reduction in NFκB activity (known to mediate PMA- and TNFα-induced HIV LTR activation. Cytoskeleton rearrangements are important in effective HIV-1 infection. PARP inactivation reduced actin cytoskeleton rearrangements by affecting Rho GTPase machinery. These findings suggest that HIV replication in MDM could be suppressed by PARP inhibition via NFκB suppression, diminution of LTR activation and its effects on the cytoskeleton. PARP appears to be essential for HIV replication and its inhibition may provide a potent approach to treatment of HIV infection.

  15. Increased transcript level of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) in human tricuspid compared with bicuspid aortic valves correlates with the stenosis severity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagy, Edit; Caidahl, Kenneth; Franco-Cereceda, Anders; Bäck, Magnus

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathomechanism of calcific aortic valve stenosis. ► We assessed the transcript levels for PARP-1 (poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase), acts as a DNA damage nick sensor in stenotic valves. ► Early stage of diseased tricuspid valves exhibited higher mRNA levels for PARP-1 compared to bicuspid valves. ► The mRNA levels for PARP-1 inversely correlated with the clinical stenosis severity in tricuspid valves. ► Our data demonstrated that DNA damage pathways might be associated with stenosis severity only in tricuspid valves. -- Abstract: Oxidative stress may contribute to the hemodynamic progression of aortic valve stenosis, and is associated with activation of the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1. The aim of the present study was to assess the transcriptional profile and the topological distribution of PARP-1 in human aortic valves, and its relation to the stenosis severity. Human stenotic aortic valves were obtained from 46 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement surgery and used for mRNA extraction followed by quantitative real-time PCR to correlate the PARP-1 expression levels with the non invasive hemodynamic parameters quantifying the stenosis severity. Primary isolated valvular interstitial cells (VICs) were used to explore the effects of cytokines and leukotriene C 4 (LTC 4 ) on valvular PARP-1 expression. The thickened areas of stenotic valves with tricuspid morphology expressed significantly higher levels of PARP-1 mRNA compared with the corresponding part of bicuspid valves (0.501 vs 0.243, P = 0.01). Furthermore, the quantitative gene expression levels of PARP-1 were inversely correlated with the aortic valve area (AVA) (r = −0.46, P = 0.0469) and AVA indexed for body surface area (BSA) (r = −0.498; P = 0.0298) only in tricuspid aortic valves. LTC 4 (1 nM) significantly elevated the mRNA levels of PARP-1 by 2.38-fold in VICs. Taken together, these data suggest that

  16. The inhibition of PARP but not EGFR results in the radiosensitization of HPV/p16-positive HNSCC cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Güster, Julian David; Weissleder, Stephanie Valerie; Busch, Chia-Jung; Kriegs, Malte; Petersen, Cordula; Knecht, Rainald; Dikomey, Ekkehard; Rieckmann, Thorsten

    2014-01-01

    Background and purpose: HPV-negative and HPV-positive HNSCC comprise distinct tumor entities with different biological characteristics. Specific regimens for the comparably well curable HPV-positive entity that reduce side effects without compromising outcome have yet to be established. Therefore, we tested here whether the inhibition of EGFR or PARP may be used to specifically enhance the radiosensitivity of HPV-positive HNSCC cells. Materials and methods: Experiments were performed with five HPV/p16-positive HNSCC cell lines. Inhibitors used were cetuximab, olaparib and PF-00477736. The respective inhibition of EGFR, PARP and Chk1 was evaluated by Western blot, immunofluorescence analysis and assessment of cell cycle distribution. Cell survival was assessed by colony formation assay. Results: Inhibition of EGFR by cetuximab failed to radiosensitize any of the HPV-positive HNSCC cell lines tested. In contrast, PARP-inhibition resulted in a substantial radiosensitization of all strains, with the sensitization being further enhanced by the additional inhibition of Chk1. Conclusions: PARP-inhibition effectively radiosensitizes HPV-positive HNSCC cells and may therefore represent a viable alternative to chemotherapy possibly even allowing for a reduction in radiation dose. For the latter, PARP-inhibition may be combined with the inhibition of Chk1. In contrast, the inhibition of EGFR cannot be expected to radiosensitize HPV-positive HNSCC through the modulation of cellular radiosensitivity

  17. Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group A Promotes Autophagy to Facilitate Cisplatin Resistance in Melanoma Cells through the Activation of PARP1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Rui; Liu, Lin; Dai, Wei; Zhang, Weigang; Yang, Yuqi; Wang, Huina; Shi, Qiong; Guo, Sen; Yi, Xiuli; Wang, Gang; Gao, Tianwen; Luan, Qi; Li, Chunying

    2016-06-01

    Xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA), a key protein in the nucleotide excision repair pathway, has been shown to promote the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs by facilitating the DNA repair process. However, the role of XPA in the resistance of melanoma to platinum-based drugs like cisplatin is largely unknown. In this study, we initially found that XPA was expressed at higher levels in cisplatin-resistant melanoma cells than in cisplatin-sensitive ones. Furthermore, the knockdown of XPA not only increased cellular apoptosis but also inhibited cisplatin-induced autophagy, which rendered the melanoma cells more sensitive to cisplatin. Moreover, we discovered that the increased XPA in resistant melanoma cells promoted poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) activation and that the inhibition of PARP1 could attenuate the cisplatin-induced autophagy. Finally, we proved that the inhibition of PARP1 and the autophagy process made resistant melanoma cells more susceptible to cisplatin treatment. Our study shows that XPA can promote cell-protective autophagy in a DNA repair-independent manner by enhancing the activation of PARP1 in melanoma cells resistant to cisplatin and that the XPA-PARP1-mediated autophagy process can be targeted to overcome cisplatin resistance in melanoma chemotherapy. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Vertebrate Embryonic Cleavage Pattern Determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasley, Andrew; Chavez, Shawn; Danilchik, Michael; Wühr, Martin; Pelegri, Francisco

    2017-01-01

    The pattern of the earliest cell divisions in a vertebrate embryo lays the groundwork for later developmental events such as gastrulation, organogenesis, and overall body plan establishment. Understanding these early cleavage patterns and the mechanisms that create them is thus crucial for the study of vertebrate development. This chapter describes the early cleavage stages for species representing ray-finned fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, mammals, and proto-vertebrate ascidians and summarizes current understanding of the mechanisms that govern these patterns. The nearly universal influence of cell shape on orientation and positioning of spindles and cleavage furrows and the mechanisms that mediate this influence are discussed. We discuss in particular models of aster and spindle centering and orientation in large embryonic blastomeres that rely on asymmetric internal pulling forces generated by the cleavage furrow for the previous cell cycle. Also explored are mechanisms that integrate cell division given the limited supply of cellular building blocks in the egg and several-fold changes of cell size during early development, as well as cytoskeletal specializations specific to early blastomeres including processes leading to blastomere cohesion. Finally, we discuss evolutionary conclusions beginning to emerge from the contemporary analysis of the phylogenetic distributions of cleavage patterns. In sum, this chapter seeks to summarize our current understanding of vertebrate early embryonic cleavage patterns and their control and evolution.

  19. Response of BP cell lines to γ-radiation: evaluation of DNA repair and apoptosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paris, F.E.; Martin, M.; Le Rhum, Y.; May, E.; Duriez, P; Shah, G.

    1997-01-01

    In the BP cell lines, mutation of p53 gene is associated with an increased radiosensitivity. In order to understand the relation between p53 and radiosensitivity, we looked at DNA repair and cell death. Unexpectedly, after radiation the mutated p53 cell line BPp- Tu and the wild type p53 cell line BPp- Tu cells, both ell lines died by the same non necrotic process: a programmed cell death independent of their p53 status. The cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by an ICE-related protease is considered an early and critical event during apoptosis. The fate of PARP was monitored by Western extensively in the apoptotic BPp- Tu cells than in the BPp cells. This faster PARP cleavage might be linked to the increased radiosensitivity of the BPp- Tu cells. (authors)

  20. New approaches of PARP-1 inhibitors in human lung cancer cells and cancer stem-like cells by some selected anthraquinone-derived small molecules.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Ru Lee

    Full Text Available Poly (ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 and telomerase, as well as DNA damage response pathways are targets for anticancer drug development, and specific inhibitors are currently under clinical investigation. The purpose of this work is to evaluate anticancer activities of anthraquinone-derived tricyclic and tetracyclic small molecules and their structure-activity relationships with PARP-1 inhibition in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC and NSCLC-overexpressing Oct4 and Nanog clone, which show high-expression of PARP-1 and more resistance to anticancer drug. We applied our library selected compounds to NCI's 60 human cancer cell-lines (NCI-60 in order to generate systematic profiling data. Based on our analysis, it is hypothesized that these drugs might be, directly and indirectly, target components to induce mitochondrial permeability transition and the release of pro-apoptotic factors as potential anti-NSCLC or PARP inhibitor candidates. Altogether, the most active NSC747854 showed its cytotoxicity and dose-dependent PARP inhibitory manner, thus it emerges as a promising structure for anti-cancer therapy with no significant negative influence on normal cells. Our studies present evidence that telomere maintenance should be taken into consideration in efforts not only to overcome drug resistance, but also to optimize the use of telomere-based therapeutics. These findings will be of great value to facilitate structure-based design of selective PARP inhibitors, in general, and telomerase inhibitors, in particular. Together, the data presented here expand our insight into the PARP inhibitors and support the resource-demanding lead optimization of structurally related small molecules for human cancer therapy.

  1. New Approaches of PARP-1 Inhibitors in Human Lung Cancer Cells and Cancer Stem-Like Cells by Some Selected Anthraquinone-Derived Small Molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Dah-Shyong; Huang, Kuo-Feng; Chou, Shih-Jie; Chen, Tsung-Chih; Lee, Chia-Chung; Chen, Chun-Liang; Chiou, Shih-Hwa; Huang, Hsu-Shan

    2013-01-01

    Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and telomerase, as well as DNA damage response pathways are targets for anticancer drug development, and specific inhibitors are currently under clinical investigation. The purpose of this work is to evaluate anticancer activities of anthraquinone-derived tricyclic and tetracyclic small molecules and their structure-activity relationships with PARP-1 inhibition in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and NSCLC-overexpressing Oct4 and Nanog clone, which show high-expression of PARP-1 and more resistance to anticancer drug. We applied our library selected compounds to NCI's 60 human cancer cell-lines (NCI-60) in order to generate systematic profiling data. Based on our analysis, it is hypothesized that these drugs might be, directly and indirectly, target components to induce mitochondrial permeability transition and the release of pro-apoptotic factors as potential anti-NSCLC or PARP inhibitor candidates. Altogether, the most active NSC747854 showed its cytotoxicity and dose-dependent PARP inhibitory manner, thus it emerges as a promising structure for anti-cancer therapy with no significant negative influence on normal cells. Our studies present evidence that telomere maintenance should be taken into consideration in efforts not only to overcome drug resistance, but also to optimize the use of telomere-based therapeutics. These findings will be of great value to facilitate structure-based design of selective PARP inhibitors, in general, and telomerase inhibitors, in particular. Together, the data presented here expand our insight into the PARP inhibitors and support the resource-demanding lead optimization of structurally related small molecules for human cancer therapy. PMID:23451039

  2. Nicotinamide Inhibits Ethanol-Induced Caspase-3 and PARP-1 Over-activation and Subsequent Neurodegeneration in the Developing Mouse Cerebellum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ieraci, Alessandro; Herrera, Daniel G

    2018-06-01

    Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the principal preventable cause of mental retardation in the western countries resulting from alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Ethanol-induced massive neuronal cell death occurs mainly in immature neurons during the brain growth spurt period. The cerebellum is one of the brain areas that are most sensitive to ethanol neurotoxicity. Currently, there is no effective treatment that targets the causes of these disorders and efficient treatments to counteract or reverse FASD are desirable. In this study, we investigated the effects of nicotinamide on ethanol-induced neuronal cell death in the developing cerebellum. Subcutaneous administration of ethanol in postnatal 4-day-old mice induced an over-activation of caspase-3 and PARP-1 followed by a massive neurodegeneration in the developing cerebellum. Interestingly, treatment with nicotinamide, immediately or 2 h after ethanol exposure, diminished caspase-3 and PARP-1 over-activation and reduced ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. Conversely, treatment with 3-aminobenzadine, a specific PARP-1 inhibitor, was able to completely block PARP-1 activation, but not caspase-3 activation or ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in the developing cerebellum. Our results showed that nicotinamide reduces ethanol-induced neuronal cell death and inhibits both caspase-3 and PARP-1 alcohol-induced activation in the developing cerebellum, suggesting that nicotinamide might be a promising and safe neuroprotective agent for treating FASD and other neurodegenerative disorders in the developing brain that shares similar cell death pathways.

  3. Pyrimidine Pool Disequilibrium Induced by a Cytidine Deaminase Deficiency Inhibits PARP-1 Activity, Leading to the Under Replication of DNA.

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    Simon Gemble

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Genome stability is jeopardized by imbalances of the dNTP pool; such imbalances affect the rate of fork progression. For example, cytidine deaminase (CDA deficiency leads to an excess of dCTP, slowing the replication fork. We describe here a novel mechanism by which pyrimidine pool disequilibrium compromises the completion of replication and chromosome segregation: the intracellular accumulation of dCTP inhibits PARP-1 activity. CDA deficiency results in incomplete DNA replication when cells enter mitosis, leading to the formation of ultrafine anaphase bridges between sister-chromatids at "difficult-to-replicate" sites such as centromeres and fragile sites. Using molecular combing, electron microscopy and a sensitive assay involving cell imaging to quantify steady-state PAR levels, we found that DNA replication was unsuccessful due to the partial inhibition of basal PARP-1 activity, rather than slower fork speed. The stimulation of PARP-1 activity in CDA-deficient cells restores replication and, thus, chromosome segregation. Moreover, increasing intracellular dCTP levels generates under-replication-induced sister-chromatid bridges as efficiently as PARP-1 knockdown. These results have direct implications for Bloom syndrome (BS, a rare genetic disease combining susceptibility to cancer and genomic instability. BS results from mutation of the BLM gene, encoding BLM, a RecQ 3'-5' DNA helicase, a deficiency of which leads to CDA downregulation. BS cells thus have a CDA defect, resulting in a high frequency of ultrafine anaphase bridges due entirely to dCTP-dependent PARP-1 inhibition and independent of BLM status. Our study describes previously unknown pathological consequences of the distortion of dNTP pools and reveals an unexpected role for PARP-1 in preventing DNA under-replication and chromosome segregation defects.

  4. Neer Award 2016: reduced muscle degeneration and decreased fatty infiltration after rotator cuff tear in a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) knock-out mouse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuenzler, Michael B; Nuss, Katja; Karol, Agnieszka; Schär, Michael O; Hottiger, Michael; Raniga, Sumit; Kenkel, David; von Rechenberg, Brigitte; Zumstein, Matthias A

    2017-05-01

    Disturbed muscular architecture, atrophy, and fatty infiltration remain irreversible in chronic rotator cuff tears even after repair. Poly (adenosine 5'-diphosphate-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is a key regulator of inflammation, apoptosis, muscle atrophy, muscle regeneration, and adipocyte development. We hypothesized that the absence of PARP-1 would lead to a reduction in damage to the muscle subsequent to combined tenotomy and neurectomy in a PARP-1 knockout (KO) mouse model. PARP-1 KO and wild-type C57BL/6 (WT group) mice were analyzed at 1, 6, and 12 weeks (total n = 84). In all mice, the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles of the left shoulder were detached and denervated. Macroscopic analysis, magnetic resonance imaging, gene expression analysis, immunohistochemistry, and histology were used to assess the differences in PARP-1 KO and WT mice. The muscles in the PARP-1 KO group had significantly less retraction, atrophy, and fatty infiltration after 12 weeks than in the WT group. Gene expression of inflammatory, apoptotic, adipogenic, and muscular atrophy genes was significantly decreased in PARP-1 KO mice in the first 6 weeks. Absence of PARP-1 leads to a reduction in muscular architectural damage, early inflammation, apoptosis, atrophy, and fatty infiltration after combined tenotomy and neurectomy of the rotator cuff muscle. Although the macroscopic reaction to injury is similar in the first 6 weeks, the ability of the muscles to regenerate was much greater in the PARP-1 KO group, leading to a near-normalization of the muscle after 12 weeks. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. High susceptibility of metastatic cells derived from human prostate and colon cancer cells to TRAIL and sensitization of TRAIL-insensitive primary cells to TRAIL by 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzaldehyde

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee Jae-Won

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tumor recurrence and metastasis develop as a result of tumors' acquisition of anti-apoptotic mechanisms and therefore, it is necessary to develop novel effective therapeutics against metastatic cancers. In this study, we showed the differential TRAIL responsiveness of human prostate adenocarcinoma PC3 and human colon carcinoma KM12 cells and their respective highly metastatic PC3-MM2 and KM12L4A sublines and investigated the mechanism underlying high susceptibility of human metastatic cancer cells to TRAIL. Results PC3-MM2 and KM12L4A cells with high level of c-Myc and DNA-PKcs were more susceptible to TRAIL than their poorly metastatic primary PC3 and KM12 cells, which was associated with down-regulation of c-FLIPL/S and Mcl-1 and up-regulation of the TRAIL receptor DR5 but not DR4 in both metastatic cells. Moreover, high susceptibility of these metastatic cells to TRAIL was resulted from TRAIL-induced potent activation of caspase-8, -9, and -3 in comparison with their primary cells, which led to cleavage and down-regulation of DNA-PKcs. Knockdown of c-Myc gene in TRAIL-treated PC3-MM2 cells prevented the increase of DR5 cell surface expression, caspase activation and DNA-PKcs cleavage and attenuated the apoptotic effects of TRAIL. Moreover, the suppression of DNA-PKcs level with siRNA in the cells induced the up-regulation of DR5 and active caspase-8, -9, and -3. We also found that 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzaldehyde (DMNB, a specific inhibitor of DNA-PK, potentiated TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in relatively TRAIL-insensitive PC3 and KM12 cells and therefore functioned as a TRAIL sensitizer. Conclusion This study showed the positive relationship between c-Myc expression in highly metastatic human prostate and colon cancer cells and susceptibility to TRAIL-induced apoptosis and therefore indicated that TRAIL might be used as an effective therapeutic modality for advanced metastatic cancers overexpressing c-Myc and

  6. Cleavage and creep fracture of rock salt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, K.S.; Munson, D.E.; Bodner, S.R.

    1996-01-01

    The dominant failure mechanism in rock salt at ambient temperature is either cleavage or creep fracture. Since the transition of creep fracture to cleavage in a compressive stress field is not well understood, failure of rock salt by cleavage and creep fracture is analyzed in this paper to elucidate the effect of stress state on the competition between these two fracture mechanisms. For cleavage fracture, a shear crack is assumed to cause the formation and growth of a symmetric pair of wing cracks in a predominantly compressive stress field. The conditions for wing-crack instability are derived and presented as the cleavage fracture boundary in the fracture mechanism map. Using an existing creep fracture model, stress conditions for the onset of creep fracture and isochronous failure curves of specified times-to-rupture are calculated and incorporated into the fracture mechanism map. The regimes of dominance by cleavage and creep fracture are established and compared with experimental data. The result indicates that unstable propagation of cleavage cracks occurs only in the presence of tensile stress. The onset of creep fracture is promoted by a tensile stress, but can be totally suppressed by a high confining pressure. Transition of creep fracture to cleavage occurs when critical conditions of stress difference and tensile stress for crack instability are exceeded

  7. PARP-1 Variant Rs1136410 Confers Protection against Coronary Artery Disease in a Chinese Han Population: A Two-Stage Case-Control Study Involving 5643 Subjects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xue-bin Wang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP may protect against coronary artery disease (CAD in animal models, and rs1136410, a non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP in PARP-1, has a potential impact on PARP activities in vitro. This two-stage case-control study, involving 2803 CAD patients and 2840 controls, aimed to investigate the associations of PARP-1 rs1136410 with CAD development, lipid levels, PARP activities, 8-hydroxy-2′-dexyguanosine (8-OHdG, and interleukin (IL-6 levels in a Chinese Han population. Assuming a recessive model, the variant genotype GG of SNP rs1136410 showed a significantly inverse association with CAD risk (adjusted odds ratio (OR = 0.73, P < 0.001, left main coronary artery (LMCA lesions (P = 0.003, vessel scores (P = 0.003, and modified Gensini scores (P < 0.001. There were significant correlations of SNP rs1136410 with higher levels of total cholesterol (TC and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c. In gene-environment interaction analyses, participants with the variant genotype GG, but without smoking habit, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia, conferred an 84% (P < 0.001 decreased risk of CAD. The genotype-phenotype correlation analyses further supported the functional roles of SNP rs1136410 in decreasing PARP activities and 8-OHdG levels. Taken together, our data suggest that SNP rs1136410 may confer protection against CAD through modulation of PARP activities and gene-environment interactions in a Chinese Han population.

  8. REV7 counteracts DNA double-strand break resection and affects PARP inhibition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Xu, Guotai; Chapman, J. Ross; Brandsma, Inger; Yuan, Jingsong; Mistrik, Martin; Bouwman, Peter; Bartkova, Jirina; Gogola, Ewa; Warmerdam, Daniël; Barazas, Marco; Jaspers, Janneke E.; Watanabe, Kenji; Pieterse, Mark; Kersbergen, Ariena; Sol, Wendy; Celie, Patrick H. N.; Schouten, Philip C.; van den Broek, Bram; Salman, Ahmed; Nieuwland, Marja; de Rink, Iris; de Ronde, Jorma; Jalink, Kees; Boulton, Simon J.; Chen, Junjie; van Gent, Dik C.; Bartek, Jiri; Jonkers, Jos; Borst, Piet; Rottenberg, Sven

    2015-01-01

    Error-free repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is achieved by homologous recombination (HR), and BRCA1 is an important factor for this repair pathway(1). In the absence of BRCA1-mediated HR, the administration of PARP inhibitors induces synthetic lethality of tumour cells of patients with

  9. IDH1/2 Mutations Sensitize Acute Myeloid Leukemia to PARP Inhibition and This Is Reversed by IDH1/2-Mutant Inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Remco J; Radivoyevitch, Tomas; Nagata, Yasunobu; Khurshed, Mohammed; Przychodzen, Bartolomiej; Makishima, Hideki; Xu, Mingjiang; Bleeker, Fonnet E; Wilmink, Johanna W; Carraway, Hetty E; Mukherjee, Sudipto; Sekeres, Mikkael A; van Noorden, Cornelis J F; Maciejewski, Jaroslaw P

    2018-04-01

    Purpose: Somatic mutations in IDH1/2 occur in approximately 20% of patients with myeloid neoplasms, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). IDH1/2 MUT enzymes produce D -2-hydroxyglutarate ( D 2HG), which associates with increased DNA damage and improved responses to chemo/radiotherapy and PARP inhibitors in solid tumor cells. Whether this also holds true for IDH1/2 MUT AML is not known. Experimental Design: Well-characterized primary IDH1 MUT , IDH2 MUT , and IDH1/2 WT AML cells were analyzed for DNA damage and responses to daunorubicin, ionizing radiation, and PARP inhibitors. Results: IDH1/2 MUT caused increased DNA damage and sensitization to daunorubicin, irradiation, and the PARP inhibitors olaparib and talazoparib in AML cells. IDH1/2 MUT inhibitors protected against these treatments. Combined treatment with a PARP inhibitor and daunorubicin had an additive effect on the killing of IDH1/2 MUT AML cells. We provide evidence that the therapy sensitivity of IDH1/2 MUT cells was caused by D 2HG-mediated downregulation of expression of the DNA damage response gene ATM and not by altered redox responses due to metabolic alterations in IDH1/2 MUT cells. Conclusions: IDH1/2 MUT AML cells are sensitive to PARP inhibitors as monotherapy but especially when combined with a DNA-damaging agent, such as daunorubicin, whereas concomitant administration of IDH1/2 MUT inhibitors during cytotoxic therapy decrease the efficacy of both agents in IDH1/2 MUT AML. These results advocate in favor of clinical trials of PARP inhibitors either or not in combination with daunorubicin in IDH1/2 MUT AML. Clin Cancer Res; 24(7); 1705-15. ©2018 AACR . ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

  10. Suppression of Homologous Recombination by insulin-like growth factor-1 inhibition sensitizes cancer cells to PARP inhibitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amin, Oreekha; Beauchamp, Marie-Claude; Nader, Paul Abou; Laskov, Ido; Iqbal, Sanaa; Philip, Charles-André; Yasmeen, Amber; Gotlieb, Walter H.

    2015-01-01

    Impairment of homologous recombination (HR) is found in close to 50 % of ovarian and breast cancer. Tumors with BRCA1 mutations show increased expression of the Insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor (IGF-1R). We previously have shown that inhibition of IGF-1R results in growth inhibition and apoptosis of ovarian tumor cells. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between HR and sensitivity to IGF-1R inhibition. Further, we hypothesized that IGF-1R inhibition might sensitize HR proficient cancers to Poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Using ovarian and breast cancer cellular models with known BRCA1 status, we evaluated their HR functionality by RAD51 foci formation assay. The 50 % lethal concentration (LC50) of Insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor kinase inhibitor (IGF-1Rki) in these cells was assessed, and western immunoblotting was performed to determine the expression of proteins involved in the IGF-1R pathway. Moreover, IGF-1R inhibitors were added on HR proficient cell lines to assess mRNA and protein expression of RAD51 by qPCR and western blot. Also, we explored the interaction between RAD51 and Insulin receptor substance 1 (IRS-1) by immunoprecipitation. Next, combination effect of IGF-1R and PARP inhibitors was evaluated by clonogenic assay. Cells with mutated/methylated BRCA1 showed an impaired HR function, and had an overactivation of the IGF-1R pathway. These cells were more sensitive to IGF-1R inhibition compared to HR proficient cells. In addition, the IGF-IR inhibitor reduced RAD51 expression at mRNA and protein levels in HR proficient cells, and sensitized these cells to PARP inhibitor. Targeting IGF-1R might lead to improved personalized therapeutic approaches in cancer patients with HR deficiency. Targeting both PARP and IGF-1R might increase the clinical efficacy in HR deficient patients and increase the population of patients who may benefit from PARP inhibitors

  11. miR-520 promotes DNA-damage-induced trophoblast cell apoptosis by targeting PARP1 in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Xiujuan; Yang, Long; Wang, Hui

    2017-04-01

    The establishment and maintenance of successful pregnancy mainly depends on trophoblast cells. Their dysfunction has been implicated in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), a major complication of pregnancy. However, the underlying mechanisms of trophoblasts dysfunction remain unclear. DNA-damage-induced cell apoptosis has been reported to play a vital role in cell death. In this study, we identified a novel microRNA (miR-520) in RSA progression via regulating trophoblast cell apoptosis. Microarray analysis showed that miR-520 was highly expressed in villus of RSA patients. By using flow cytometry analysis, we observed miR-520 expression was correlated with human trophoblast cell apoptosis in vitro, along with decreased poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) expression. With the analysis of clinic samples, we observed that miR-520 level was negatively correlated with PARP1 level in RSA villus. In addition, overexpression of PARP1 restored the miR-520-induced trophoblast cell apoptosis in vitro. The status of chromosome in trophoblast implied that miR-520-promoted DNA-damage-induced cell apoptosis to regulate RSA progression. These results indicated that the level of miR-520 might associate with RSA by prompting trophoblast cell apoptosis via PARP1 dependent DNA-damage pathway.

  12. Synergetic Effects of PARP Inhibitor AZD2281 and Cisplatin in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Vitro and in Vivo

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    Masaaki Yasukawa

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug for treatment of oral carcinoma, and combinatorial effects are expected to exert greater therapeutic efficacy compared with monotherapy. Poly(ADP-ribosylation is reported to be involved in a variety of cellular processes, such as DNA repair, cell death, telomere regulation, and genomic stability. Based on these properties, poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP inhibitors are used for treatment of cancers, such as BRCA1/2 mutated breast and ovarian cancers, or certain solid cancers in combination with anti-cancer drugs. However, the effects on oral cancer have not been fully evaluated. In this study, we examined the effects of PARP inhibitor on the survival of human oral cancer cells in vitro and xenografted tumors derived from human oral cancer cells in vivo. In vitro effects were assessed by microculture tetrazolium and survival assays. The PARP inhibitor AZD2281 (olaparib showed synergetic effects with cisplatin in a dose-dependent manner. Combinatorial treatment with cisplatin and AZD2281 significantly inhibited xenografted tumor growth compared with single treatment of cisplatin or AZD2281. Histopathological analysis revealed that cisplatin and AZD2281 increased TUNEL-positive cells and decreased Ki67- and CD31-positive cells. These results suggest that PARP inhibitors have the potential to improve therapeutic strategies for oral cancer.

  13. Alkylation induced cerebellar degeneration dependent on Aag and Parp1 does not occur via previously established cell death mechanisms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carrie M Margulies

    Full Text Available Alkylating agents are ubiquitous in our internal and external environments, causing DNA damage that contributes to mutations and cell death that can result in aging, tissue degeneration and cancer. Repair of methylated DNA bases occurs primarily through the base excision repair (BER pathway, a multi-enzyme pathway initiated by the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (Aag, also known as Mpg. Previous work demonstrated that mice treated with the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS undergo cerebellar degeneration in an Aag-dependent manner, whereby increased BER initiation by Aag causes increased tissue damage that is dependent on activation of poly (ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (Parp1. Here, we dissect the molecular mechanism of cerebellar granule neuron (CGN sensitivity to MMS using primary ex vivo neuronal cultures. We first established a high-throughput fluorescent imaging method to assess primary neuron sensitivity to treatment with DNA damaging agents. Next, we verified that the alkylation sensitivity of CGNs is an intrinsic phenotype that accurately recapitulates the in vivo dependency of alkylation-induced CGN cell death on Aag and Parp1 activity. Finally, we show that MMS-induced CGN toxicity is independent of all the cellular events that have previously been associated with Parp-mediated toxicity, including mitochondrial depolarization, AIF translocation, calcium fluxes, and NAD+ consumption. We therefore believe that further investigation is needed to adequately describe all varieties of Parp-mediated cell death.

  14. Alkylation induced cerebellar degeneration dependent on Aag and Parp1 does not occur via previously established cell death mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margulies, Carrie M; Chaim, Isaac Alexander; Mazumder, Aprotim; Criscione, June; Samson, Leona D

    2017-01-01

    Alkylating agents are ubiquitous in our internal and external environments, causing DNA damage that contributes to mutations and cell death that can result in aging, tissue degeneration and cancer. Repair of methylated DNA bases occurs primarily through the base excision repair (BER) pathway, a multi-enzyme pathway initiated by the alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (Aag, also known as Mpg). Previous work demonstrated that mice treated with the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) undergo cerebellar degeneration in an Aag-dependent manner, whereby increased BER initiation by Aag causes increased tissue damage that is dependent on activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (Parp1). Here, we dissect the molecular mechanism of cerebellar granule neuron (CGN) sensitivity to MMS using primary ex vivo neuronal cultures. We first established a high-throughput fluorescent imaging method to assess primary neuron sensitivity to treatment with DNA damaging agents. Next, we verified that the alkylation sensitivity of CGNs is an intrinsic phenotype that accurately recapitulates the in vivo dependency of alkylation-induced CGN cell death on Aag and Parp1 activity. Finally, we show that MMS-induced CGN toxicity is independent of all the cellular events that have previously been associated with Parp-mediated toxicity, including mitochondrial depolarization, AIF translocation, calcium fluxes, and NAD+ consumption. We therefore believe that further investigation is needed to adequately describe all varieties of Parp-mediated cell death.

  15. Microstructure and cleavage in lath martensitic steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, John W Jr; Kinney, Chris; Pytlewski, Ken; Adachi, Y

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we discuss the microstructure of lath martensitic steels and the mechanisms by which it controls cleavage fracture. The specific experimental example is a 9Ni (9 wt% Ni) steel annealed to have a large prior austenite grain size, then examined and tested in the as-quenched condition to produce a relatively coarse lath martensite. The microstructure is shown to approximate the recently identified ‘classic’ lath martensite structure: prior austenite grains are divided into packets, packets are subdivided into blocks, and blocks contain interleaved laths whose variants are the two Kurjumov–Sachs relations that share the same Bain axis of the transformation. When the steel is fractured in brittle cleavage, the laths in the block share {100} cleavage planes and cleave as a unit. However, cleavage cracks deflect or blunt at the boundaries between blocks with different Bain axes. It follows that, as predicted, the block size governs the effective grain size for cleavage. (paper)

  16. Microglial activation induced by brain trauma is suppressed by post-injury treatment with a PARP inhibitor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    d'Avila Joana C

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI induces activation of microglia. Activated microglia can in turn increase secondary injury and impair recovery. This innate immune response requires hours to days to become fully manifest, thus providing a clinically relevant window of opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Microglial activation is regulated in part by poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1. Inhibition of PARP-1 activity suppresses NF-kB-dependent gene transcription and thereby blocks several aspects of microglial activation. Here we evaluated the efficacy of a PARP inhibitor, INO-1001, in suppressing microglial activation after cortical impact in the rat. Methods Rats were subjected to controlled cortical impact and subsequently treated with 10 mg/kg of INO-1001 (or vehicle alone beginning 20 - 24 hours after the TBI. Brains were harvested at several time points for histological evaluation of inflammation and neuronal survival, using markers for microglial activation (morphology and CD11b expression, astrocyte activation (GFAP, and neuronal survival (NeuN. Rats were also evaluated at 8 weeks after TBI using measures of forelimb dexterity: the sticky tape test, cylinder test, and vermicelli test. Results Peak microglial and astrocyte activation was observed 5 to 7 days after this injury. INO-1001 significantly reduced microglial activation in the peri-lesion cortex and ipsilateral hippocampus. No rebound inflammation was observed in rats that were treated with INO-1001 or vehicle for 12 days followed by 4 days without drug. The reduced inflammation was associated with increased neuronal survival in the peri-lesion cortex and improved performance on tests of forelimb dexterity conducted 8 weeks after TBI. Conclusions Treatment with a PARP inhibitor for 12 days after TBI, with the first dose given as long as 20 hours after injury, can reduce inflammation and improve histological and functional outcomes.

  17. Effect of Sterols Isolated from Myrtillocactus geometrizans on Growth Inhibition of Colon and Breast Cancer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Augusto Bolaños-Carrillo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To explore the effect of peniocerol and macdougallin on HCT-15 and MCF-7 cells proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and PARP cleavage. Methods. HCT-15 and MCF-7 cells were treated with various concentrations of peniocerol and macdougallin (10–80 μM during 24 or 48 h. Crystal Violet Assay was used to evaluate the inhibition effect. Cell cycle regulation was examined by a propidium iodide method. Cell apoptosis was detected through both Annexin–V FLUOS/PI double-labeled cytometry assays and Western blot was applied to assess PARP cleavage. Results. Peniocerol and macdougallin induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in vitro in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, peniocerol and macdougallin induced arrest of cell cycle-dependent manner and increased the proportion of cells in G0/G1 phase. PARP cleavage in HCT-15 and MCF-7 cells was induced by treatment with peniocerol and macdougallin after 36 hours. Conclusions. Our results showed that the mechanism of cytotoxicity displayed by peniocerol and macdougallin is related to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in both cell lines. This is a significant observation because it helps to understand the way some oxysterols isolated from Myrtillocactus geometrizans develop their biological activities against cancer cells.

  18. Mangiferin, a novel nuclear factor kappa B-inducing kinase inhibitor, suppresses metastasis and tumor growth in a mouse metastatic melanoma model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takeda, Tomoya; Tsubaki, Masanobu; Sakamoto, Kotaro; Ichimura, Eri; Enomoto, Aya; Suzuki, Yuri [Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kinki University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-, Osaka (Japan); Itoh, Tatsuki [Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Kinki University School of Agriculture, Nara, Nara (Japan); Imano, Motohiro [Department of Surgery, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka (Japan); Tanabe, Genzoh; Muraoka, Osamu [Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Kinki University, Kowakae, Higashi-, Osaka (Japan); Matsuda, Hideaki [Department of Natural Drugs Resources, Kinki University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-, Osaka (Japan); Satou, Takao [Department of Pathology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka (Japan); Nishida, Shozo, E-mail: nishida@phar.kindai.ac.jp [Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kinki University School of Pharmacy, Kowakae, Higashi-, Osaka (Japan)

    2016-09-01

    Advanced metastatic melanoma, one of the most aggressive malignancies, is currently without reliable therapy. Therefore, new therapies are urgently needed. Mangiferin is a naturally occurring glucosylxanthone and exerts many beneficial biological activities. However, the effect of mangiferin on metastasis and tumor growth of metastatic melanoma remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of mangiferin on metastasis and tumor growth in a mouse metastatic melanoma model. We found that mangiferin inhibited spontaneous metastasis and tumor growth. Furthermore, mangiferin suppressed the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and expression of phosphorylated NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK), inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK), and inhibitor of kappa B (IκB) and increases the expression of IκB protein in vivo. In addition, we found that mangiferin inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and very late antigens (VLAs) in vivo. Mangiferin treatment also increased the expression of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved Poly ADP ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1), p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), p53, and phosphorylated p53 proteins, and decreased the expression of Survivin and Bcl-associated X (Bcl-xL) proteins in vivo. These results indicate that mangiferin selectivity suppresses the NF-κB pathway via inhibition of NIK activation, thereby inhibiting metastasis and tumor growth. Importantly, the number of reported NIK selective inhibitors is limited. Taken together, our data suggest that mangiferin may be a potential therapeutic agent with a new mechanism of targeting NIK for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. - Highlights: • Mangiferin prolongs survival in mice by inhibiting metastasis and tumor growth • Mangiferin selectivity suppresses the NF-κB pathway via inhibition of NIK activation • Mangiferin regulates the expression of MMPs, VLAs, and apoptosis regulatory proteins.

  19. Modeling and inferring cleavage patterns in proliferating epithelia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ankit B Patel

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The regulation of cleavage plane orientation is one of the key mechanisms driving epithelial morphogenesis. Still, many aspects of the relationship between local cleavage patterns and tissue-level properties remain poorly understood. Here we develop a topological model that simulates the dynamics of a 2D proliferating epithelium from generation to generation, enabling the exploration of a wide variety of biologically plausible cleavage patterns. We investigate a spectrum of models that incorporate the spatial impact of neighboring cells and the temporal influence of parent cells on the choice of cleavage plane. Our findings show that cleavage patterns generate "signature" equilibrium distributions of polygonal cell shapes. These signatures enable the inference of local cleavage parameters such as neighbor impact, maternal influence, and division symmetry from global observations of the distribution of cell shape. Applying these insights to the proliferating epithelia of five diverse organisms, we find that strong division symmetry and moderate neighbor/maternal influence are required to reproduce the predominance of hexagonal cells and low variability in cell shape seen empirically. Furthermore, we present two distinct cleavage pattern models, one stochastic and one deterministic, that can reproduce the empirical distribution of cell shapes. Although the proliferating epithelia of the five diverse organisms show a highly conserved cell shape distribution, there are multiple plausible cleavage patterns that can generate this distribution, and experimental evidence suggests that indeed plants and fruitflies use distinct division mechanisms.

  20. Effects of 3-AB on PARP expression of Hela cells and apoptosis and cell cycle progression of Hela cells after X-rays irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Xiang; Zhao Hongguang; Guo Wei; Gong Shouliang; Wang Wen

    2007-01-01

    Objective: To study the changes of apoptosis and cell cycle progression of Hela cells after the poly (ADP- ribose) polymerase (PARP) was inhibited by its inhibitor 3-aminobenzamid (3-AB) and the mechanisms of PARP interaction with Hela cells damaged by irradiation. Methods: Hela cell line was used. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to examine the PARP expression of control and 3 AB groups at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 h alter administration with 5 mmol·L -1 3-AB. The percentage of apoptotic cells and cell cycle progression ol control, irradiation, 3-AB plus irradiation groups were measured with FCM at 2, 8, 12, 24 h after exposure to 2 Gy irradiation following administration with 5 mmol·L -1 3-AB. Results: The percentage of Hela cells with positive expression of PARP protein decreased after administration with 3-AB and there was significant difference between 3-AB plus irradiation group and control group (P 2 cells in the 3-AB plus irradiation group were lower than those in the irradiation group (P 2 arrest induced by irradiation. (authors)

  1. UPP mediated Diabetic Retinopathy via ROS/PARP and NF-κB inflammatory factor pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, D-W; Zheng, Z; Wang, H; Fan, Y; Chen, F; Sun, Y; Wang, W-J; Sun, T; Xu, X

    2015-01-01

    Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness in adults at working age. Human diabetic retinopathy is characterized by the basement membrane thick, pericytes loss, microaneurysms formation, retina neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage. To investigate whether UPP activated ROS/PARP and NF-κB inflammatory factor pathways in Diabetic Retinopathy, human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) and rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were used to determine the effect of UPP on ROS generation, cell apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and inflammatory factor protein expression, through flow cytometry assay, immunohistochemistry, Real-time PCR, Western blot analysis and ELISA. The levels of ROS and apoptosis and the expressions of UPP (Ub and E3) and inflammatory factor protein were increased in high glucose-induced HRECs and retina of diabetic rats, while ΔΨm was decreased. The UPP inhibitor and UbshRNA could attenuate these effects through inhibiting the pathway of ROS/PARP and the expression of NF-κB inflammatory factors, and the increased UPP was a result of high glucose-induced increase of ROS generation and NF-κBp65 expression, accompanied with the decrease of ΔΨm. Clinical study showed the overexpression of UPP and detachment of epiretinal membranes in proliferative DR (PDR) patients. It has been indicated that the pathogenic effect of UPP on DR was involved in the increase of ROS generation and NF-κB expression, which associated with the ROS/PARP and NF-κB inflammatory factor pathways. Our study supports a new insight for further application of UPP inhibitor in DR treatment.

  2. Intermolecular cleavage by UmuD-like mutagenesis proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, John P.; Frank, Ekaterina G.; Levine, Arthur S.; Woodgate, Roger

    1998-01-01

    The activity of a number of proteins is regulated by self-processing reactions. Elegant examples are the cleavage of the prokaryotic LexA and λCI transcriptional repressors and the UmuD-like mutagenesis proteins. Various studies support the hypothesis that LexA and λCI cleavage reactions are predominantly intramolecular in nature. The recently described crystal structure of the Escherichia coli UmuD′ protein (the posttranslational cleavage product of the UmuD protein) suggests, however, that the region of the protein corresponding to the cleavage site is at least 50 Å away from the catalytic active site. We considered the possibility, therefore, that the UmuD-like proteins might undergo self-processing that, in contrast to LexA and λCI, occurs via an intermolecular rather than intramolecular reaction. To test this hypothesis, we introduced into E. coli compatible plasmids with mutations at either the cleavage or the catalytic site of three UmuD-like proteins. Cleavage of these proteins only occurs in the presence of both plasmids, indicating that the reaction is indeed intermolecular in nature. Furthermore, this intermolecular reaction is completely dependent upon the multifunctional RecA protein and leads to the restoration of cellular mutagenesis in nonmutable E. coli strains. Intermolecular cleavage of a biotinylated UmuD active site mutant was also observed in vitro in the presence of the wild-type UmuD′ protein, indicating that in addition to the intact UmuD protein, the normal cleavage product (UmuD′) can also act as a classical enzyme. PMID:9465040

  3. Regioselectivity in the Reductive Bond Cleavage of Diarylalkylsulfonium Salts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kampmeier, Jack; Mansurul Hoque, AKM; D. Saeva, Franklin

    2009-01-01

    products vary from regiospecific alkyl cleavage to predominant aryl cleavage as a function of the potential of the reducing agent. We conclude that differences between the reductive cleavages of mono- and diarylsulfonium salts are direct consequences of the structures of the sulfuranyl radical......- tolylethylsulfonium and di-4-tolyl-2-phenylethylsulfonium salts by a variety of one-electron reducing agents ranging in potential from -0.77 to +2.5 eV (vs SCE) and including thermal reductants, indirect electrolyses mediated by a series of cyanoaromatics, and excited singlet states. We report that the cleavage...... intermediates and the bond dissociation energies of the alkyl and aryl bonds. Competitions between the rates of cleavage and oxidation of the intermediate sulfuranyl radicals and between concerted and stepwise mechanisms are discussed to explain the variations in bond cleavage products as a function...

  4. Secondary isotope effects on alpha-cleavage reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ingemann, S.; Hammerum, S.

    1980-01-01

    Kinetic deuterium isotope effects on mass spectral reactions have in several instances been utilized to provide structural information and to answer mechanistic questions. Typically, the influence of the deuterium label on the rate of one of a number of competing reactions has been studied. Secondary isotope effects have usually been assumed to be relatively insignificant in comparison with the observed kinetic effects, even though various workers have shown that secondary isotope effects may indeed exert a considerable influence on the rates of competing simple cleavages. Recent studies have provided quantitative data to show that the mere presence of deuterium atoms up to six bonds away may influence the rate of a simple cleavage reaction. In relation to an investigation of rearrangements accompanying simple cleavage reactions, a semi-quantitative measure was needed of the variation of the secondary isotope effect with the number of bonds between the deuterium label and the point of rupture. The influence has therefore been examined of the presence of remote deuterium atoms on a typical simple cleavage reaction, the α-cleavage of aliphatic amines. As a model compound, N-methyldipentylamine was chosen, systematically labelled with deuterium. (author)

  5. The safety of antiangiogenic agents and PARP inhibitors in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorusso, Domenica; Fontanella, Caterina; Maltese, Giuseppa; Lepori, Stefano; Tripodi, Elisa; Bogani, Giorgio; Raspagliesi, Francesco

    2017-06-01

    Recurrence is a common event in endothelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients, and the choice of the most appropriate treatment is driven by the platinum-free interval, molecular characteristics of the disease such as BRCA mutational status, previous treatments and toxicity. Areas covered: This review focuses on the main hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities correlated with the use of licensed antiangiogenic agents and PARP inhibitors in recurrent platinum-sensitive EOC, providing recommendations for their management. Expert opinion: The clinical research over the next years will be focused on a more precise characterization of molecular pathways underlying tumorigenesis of the five ovarian tumors, to improve the decision-making process in these rare diseases. For this purpose, new study designs and international collaborations will become mandatory. Immunotherapy, antiangiogenic agents and PARP inhibitors will be combined to build a treatment strategy algorithm which will allow patients to receive all the available treatment option, in the more appropriate sequence.

  6. A phenanthrene derived PARP inhibitor is an extra-centrosomes de-clustering agent exclusively eradicating human cancer cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izraeli Shai

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cells of most human cancers have supernumerary centrosomes. To enable an accurate chromosome segregation and cell division, these cells developed a yet unresolved molecular mechanism, clustering their extra centrosomes at two poles, thereby mimicking mitosis in normal cells. Failure of this bipolar centrosome clustering causes multipolar spindle structures and aberrant chromosomes segregation that prevent normal cell division and lead to 'mitotic catastrophe cell death'. Methods We used cell biology and biochemical methods, including flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry and live confocal imaging. Results We identified a phenanthrene derived PARP inhibitor, known for its activity in neuroprotection under stress conditions, which exclusively eradicated multi-centrosomal human cancer cells (mammary, colon, lung, pancreas, ovarian while acting as extra-centrosomes de-clustering agent in mitosis. Normal human proliferating cells (endothelial, epithelial and mesenchymal cells were not impaired. Despite acting as PARP inhibitor, the cytotoxic activity of this molecule in cancer cells was not attributed to PARP inhibition alone. Conclusion We identified a water soluble phenanthridine that exclusively targets the unique dependence of most human cancer cells on their supernumerary centrosomes bi-polar clustering for their survival. This paves the way for a new selective cancer-targeting therapy, efficient in a wide range of human cancers.

  7. The cytotoxic effects of regorafenib in combination with protein kinase D inhibition in human colorectal cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Ning; Chu, Edward; Wu, Shao-yu; Wipf, Peter; Schmitz, John C.

    2015-01-01

    Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains a major public health problem, and diagnosis of metastatic disease is usually associated with poor prognosis. The multi-kinase inhibitor regorafenib was approved in 2013 in the U.S. for the treatment of mCRC patients who progressed after standard therapies. However, the clinical efficacy of regorafenib is quite limited. One potential strategy to improve mCRC therapy is to combine agents that target key cellular signaling pathways, which may lead to synergistic enhancement of antitumor efficacy and overcome cellular drug resistance. Protein kinase D (PKD), a family of serine/threonine kinases, mediates key signaling pathways implicated in multiple cellular processes. Herein, we evaluated the combination of regorafenib with a PKD inhibitor in several human CRC cells. Using the Chou-Talalay model, the combination index values for this combination treatment demonstrated synergistic effects on inhibition of cell proliferation and clonal formation. This drug combination resulted in induction of apoptosis as determined by flow cytometry, increased PARP cleavage, and decreased activation of the anti-apoptotic protein HSP27. This combination also yielded enhanced inhibition of ERK, AKT, and NF-κB signaling. Taken together, PKD inhibition in combination with regorafenib appears to be a promising strategy for the treatment of mCRC. PMID:25544765

  8. The multikinase inhibitor Sorafenib displays significant antiproliferative effects and induces apoptosis via caspase 3, 7 and PARP in B- and T-lymphoblastic cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schult, Catrin; Boldt, Sonja; Wolkenhauer, Olaf; Neri, Luca Maria; Freund, Mathias; Junghanss, Christian; Dahlhaus, Meike; Ruck, Sabine; Sawitzky, Mandy; Amoroso, Francesca; Lange, Sandra; Etro, Daniela; Glass, Aenne; Fuellen, Georg

    2010-01-01

    Targeted therapy approaches have been successfully introduced into the treatment of several cancers. The multikinase inhibitor Sorafenib has antitumor activity in solid tumors and its effects on acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells are still unclear. ALL cell lines (SEM, RS4;11 and Jurkat) were treated with Sorafenib alone or in combination with cytarabine, doxorubicin or RAD001. Cell count, apoptosis and necrosis rates, cell cycle distribution, protein phosphorylation and metabolic activity were determined. Sorafenib inhibited the proliferation of ALL cells by cell cycle arrest accompanied by down-regulation of CyclinD3 and CDK4. Furthermore, Sorafenib initiated apoptosis by cleavage of caspases 3, 7 and PARP. Apoptosis and necrosis rates increased significantly with most pronounced effects after 96 h. Antiproliferative effects of Sorafenib were associated with a decreased phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473 and Thr308), FoxO3A (Thr32) and 4EBP-1 (Ser65 and Thr70) as early as 0.5 h after treatment. Synergistic effects were seen when Sorafenib was combined with other cytotoxic drugs or a mTOR inhibitor emphasizing the Sorafenib effect. Sorafenib displays significant antileukemic activity in vitro by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Furthermore, it influences PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in ALL cells

  9. Cytoprotective effects of Glycyrrhizae radix extract and its active component liquiritigenin against cadmium-induced toxicity (effects on bad translocation and cytochrome c-mediated PARP cleavage)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Sang Chan; Byun, Sung Hui; Yang, Chae Ha; Kim, Chul Young; Kim, Jin Woong; Kim, Sang Geon

    2004-01-01

    Glycyrrhizae radix has been popularly used as one of the oldest and most frequently employed botanicals in herbal medicine in Asian countries, and currently occupies an important place in food products. Cadmium (Cd) induces both apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death, in which alterations in cellular sulfhydryls participate. In the present study, we determined the effects of G. radix extract (GRE) and its representative active components on cell death induced by Cd and explored the mechanistic basis of cytoprotective effects of G. radix. Incubation of H4IIE cells with GRE inhibited cell death induced by 10 μM Cd. Also, GRE effectively blocked Cd (1 μM)-induced cell death potentiated by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) without restoration of cellular GSH. GRE prevented both apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell injury induced by Cd (10 μM) or Cd (0.3-1 μM) + BSO. Inhibition of Cd-induced cell injury by pretreatment of cells with GRE suggested that the cytoprotective effect result from alterations in the levels of the protein(s) responsible for cell viability. GRE inhibited mitochondrial Bad translocation by Cd or Cd+BSO, and caused restoration of mitochondrial Bcl xL and cytochrome c levels. Cd-induced poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase cleavage in control cells or in cells deprived of sulfhydryls was prevented by GRE treatment. Among the major components present in GRE, liquiritigenin, but not liquiritin, isoliquiritigenin or glycyrrhizin, exerted cytoprotective effect. These results demonstrated that GRE blocked Cd-induced cell death by inhibiting the apoptotic processes involving translocation of Bad into mitochondria, decreases in mitochondrial Bcl xL and cytochrome c, and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase cleavage

  10. Quantification of DNA cleavage specificity in Hi-C experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meluzzi, Dario; Arya, Gaurav

    2016-01-08

    Hi-C experiments produce large numbers of DNA sequence read pairs that are typically analyzed to deduce genomewide interactions between arbitrary loci. A key step in these experiments is the cleavage of cross-linked chromatin with a restriction endonuclease. Although this cleavage should happen specifically at the enzyme's recognition sequence, an unknown proportion of cleavage events may involve other sequences, owing to the enzyme's star activity or to random DNA breakage. A quantitative estimation of these non-specific cleavages may enable simulating realistic Hi-C read pairs for validation of downstream analyses, monitoring the reproducibility of experimental conditions and investigating biophysical properties that correlate with DNA cleavage patterns. Here we describe a computational method for analyzing Hi-C read pairs to estimate the fractions of cleavages at different possible targets. The method relies on expressing an observed local target distribution downstream of aligned reads as a linear combination of known conditional local target distributions. We validated this method using Hi-C read pairs obtained by computer simulation. Application of the method to experimental Hi-C datasets from murine cells revealed interesting similarities and differences in patterns of cleavage across the various experiments considered. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  11. Dataset of cocoa aspartic protease cleavage sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharina Janek

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The data provide information in support of the research article, “The cleavage specificity of the aspartic protease of cocoa beans involved in the generation of the cocoa-specific aroma precursors” (Janek et al., 2016 [1]. Three different protein substrates were partially digested with the aspartic protease isolated from cocoa beans and commercial pepsin, respectively. The obtained peptide fragments were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS/MS and identified using the MASCOT server. The N- and C-terminal ends of the peptide fragments were used to identify the corresponding in-vitro cleavage sites by comparison with the amino acid sequences of the substrate proteins. The same procedure was applied to identify the cleavage sites used by the cocoa aspartic protease during cocoa fermentation starting from the published amino acid sequences of oligopeptides isolated from fermented cocoa beans. Keywords: Aspartic protease, Cleavage sites, Cocoa, In-vitro proteolysis, Mass spectrometry, Peptides

  12. Standard of Care and Promising New Agents for Triple Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrizia Mancini

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC is a cluster of heterogeneous diseases, all of them sharing the lack of expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2 protein. They are characterized by different biological, molecular and clinical features, including a poor prognosis despite the increased sensitivity to the current cytotoxic therapies. Several studies have identified important molecular features which enable further subdivision of this type of tumor. We are drawing from genomics, transcription and translation analysis at different levels, to improve our knowledge of the molecular alterations along the pathways which are activated during carcinogenesis and tumor progression. How this information should be used for the rational selection of therapy is an ongoing challenge and the subject of numerous research studies in progress. Currently, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, poly (ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP, HSP90 and Aurora inhibitors are most used as targeting agents in metastatic setting clinical trials. In this paper we will review the current knowledge about the genetic subtypes of TNBC and their different responses to conventional therapeutic strategies, as well as to some new promising molecular target agents, aimed to achieve more tailored therapies.

  13. Standard of Care and Promising New Agents for Triple Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mancini, Patrizia, E-mail: patrizia.mancini@uniroma1.it [Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome 00161 (Italy); Angeloni, Antonio [Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome 00161 (Italy); Risi, Emanuela [Department of Radiology, Oncology and Human Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome 00161 (Italy); Orsi, Errico [Department of Surgical Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome 00161 (Italy); Mezi, Silvia [Department of Radiology, Oncology and Human Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, Rome 00161 (Italy)

    2014-10-24

    Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a cluster of heterogeneous diseases, all of them sharing the lack of expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2 protein. They are characterized by different biological, molecular and clinical features, including a poor prognosis despite the increased sensitivity to the current cytotoxic therapies. Several studies have identified important molecular features which enable further subdivision of this type of tumor. We are drawing from genomics, transcription and translation analysis at different levels, to improve our knowledge of the molecular alterations along the pathways which are activated during carcinogenesis and tumor progression. How this information should be used for the rational selection of therapy is an ongoing challenge and the subject of numerous research studies in progress. Currently, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), HSP90 and Aurora inhibitors are most used as targeting agents in metastatic setting clinical trials. In this paper we will review the current knowledge about the genetic subtypes of TNBC and their different responses to conventional therapeutic strategies, as well as to some new promising molecular target agents, aimed to achieve more tailored therapies.

  14. Cleavage events and sperm dynamics in chick intrauterine embryos.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyung Chul Lee

    Full Text Available This study was undertaken to elucidate detailed event of early embryogenesis in chicken embryos using a noninvasive egg retrieval technique before oviposition. White Leghorn intrauterine eggs were retrieved from 95 cyclic hens aged up to 54-56 weeks and morphogenetic observation was made under both bright field and fluorescent image in a time course manner. Differing from mammals, asymmetric cleavage to yield preblastodermal cells was observed throughout early embryogenesis. The first two divisions occurred synchronously and four polarized preblastodermal cells resulted after cruciform cleavage. Then, asynchronous cleavage continued in a radial manner and overall cell size in the initial cleavage region was smaller than that in the distal area. Numerous sperms were visible, regardless of zygotic nuclei formation. Condensed sperm heads were present mainly in the perivitelline space and cytoplasm, and rarely in the yolk region, while decondensed sperm heads were only visible in the yolk. In conclusion, apparent differences in sperm dynamics and early cleavage events compared with mammalian embryos were detected in chick embryo development, which demonstrated polarized cleavage with penetrating supernumerary sperm into multiple regions.

  15. Pre-metastatic niches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peinado, Héctor; Zhang, Haiying; Matei, Irina R.

    2017-01-01

    It is well established that organs of future metastasis are not passive receivers of circulating tumour cells, but are instead selectively and actively modified by the primary tumour before metastatic spread has even occurred. Sowing the 'seeds' of metastasis requires the action of tumour......-secreted factors and tumour-shed extracellular vesicles that enable the 'soil' at distant metastatic sites to encourage the outgrowth of incoming cancer cells. In this Review, we summarize the main processes and new mechanisms involved in the formation of the pre-metastatic niche....

  16. Comparative proteomic investigation of metastatic and non-metastatic osteosarcoma cells of human and canine origin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jahnabi Roy

    Full Text Available Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in dogs and people. In order to improve clinical outcomes, it is necessary to identify proteins that are differentially expressed by metastatic cells. Membrane bound proteins are responsible for multiple pro-metastatic functions. Therefore characterizing the differential expression of membranous proteins between metastatic and non-metastatic clonal variants will allow the discovery of druggable targets and consequently improve treatment methodology. The objective of this investigation was to systemically identify the membrane-associated proteomics of metastatic and non-metastatic variants of human and canine origin. Two clonal variants of divergent in vivo metastatic potential from human and canine origins were used. The plasma membranes were isolated and peptide fingerprinting was used to identify differentially expressed proteins. Selected proteins were further validated using western blotting, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Over 500 proteins were identified for each cell line with nearly 40% of the proteins differentially regulated. Conserved between both species, metastatic variants demonstrated significant differences in expression of membrane proteins that are responsible for pro-metastatic functions. Additionally, CD147, CD44 and vimentin were validated using various biochemical techniques. Taken together, through a comparative proteomic approach we have identified several differentially expressed cell membrane proteins that will help in the development of future therapeutics.

  17. Comparative proteomic investigation of metastatic and non-metastatic osteosarcoma cells of human and canine origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Jahnabi; Wycislo, Kathryn L; Pondenis, Holly; Fan, Timothy M; Das, Aditi

    2017-01-01

    Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in dogs and people. In order to improve clinical outcomes, it is necessary to identify proteins that are differentially expressed by metastatic cells. Membrane bound proteins are responsible for multiple pro-metastatic functions. Therefore characterizing the differential expression of membranous proteins between metastatic and non-metastatic clonal variants will allow the discovery of druggable targets and consequently improve treatment methodology. The objective of this investigation was to systemically identify the membrane-associated proteomics of metastatic and non-metastatic variants of human and canine origin. Two clonal variants of divergent in vivo metastatic potential from human and canine origins were used. The plasma membranes were isolated and peptide fingerprinting was used to identify differentially expressed proteins. Selected proteins were further validated using western blotting, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Over 500 proteins were identified for each cell line with nearly 40% of the proteins differentially regulated. Conserved between both species, metastatic variants demonstrated significant differences in expression of membrane proteins that are responsible for pro-metastatic functions. Additionally, CD147, CD44 and vimentin were validated using various biochemical techniques. Taken together, through a comparative proteomic approach we have identified several differentially expressed cell membrane proteins that will help in the development of future therapeutics.

  18. New Insight into the Cleavage Reaction of Nostoc sp. Strain PCC 7120 Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase in Natural and Nonnatural Carotenoids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heo, Jinsol; Kim, Se Hyeuk

    2013-01-01

    Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids at a specific double bond to generate apocarotenoids. In this study, we investigated the activity and substrate preferences of NSC3, a CCD of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120, in vivo and in vitro using natural and nonnatural carotenoid structures. NSC3 cleaved β-apo-8′-carotenal at 3 positions, C-13C-14, C-15C-15′, and C-13′C-14′, revealing a unique cleavage pattern. NSC3 cleaves the natural structure of carotenoids 4,4′-diaponeurosporene, 4,4′-diaponeurosporen-4′-al, 4,4′-diaponeurosporen-4′-oic acid, 4,4′-diapotorulene, and 4,4′-diapotorulen-4′-al to generate novel cleavage products (apo-14′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-13′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-10′-diaponeurosporenal, apo-14′-diapotorulenal, and apo-10′-diapotorulenal, respectively). The study of carotenoids with natural or nonnatural structures produced by using synthetic modules could provide information valuable for understanding the cleavage reactions or substrate preferences of other CCDs in vivo and in vitro. PMID:23524669

  19. Differential Expression of Ccn4 and Other Genes Between Metastatic and Non-metastatic EL4 Mouse Lymphoma Cells

    OpenAIRE

    S. CHAHAL, MANPREET; TERESA KU, H.; ZHANG, ZHIHONG; M. LEGASPI, CHRISTIAN; LUO, ANGELA; M. HOPKINS, MANDI; E. MEIER, KATHRYN

    2016-01-01

    Background: Previous work characterized variants of the EL4 murine lymphoma cell line. Some are non-metastatic, and others metastatic, in syngenic mice. In addition, metastatic EL4 cells were stably transfected with phospholipase D2 (PLD2), which further enhanced metastasis. Materials and Methods: Microarray analyses of mRNA expression was performed for non-metastatic, metastatic, and PLD2-expressing metastatic EL4 cells. Results: Many differences were observed between non-metastatic and meta...

  20. In vivo analysis of the Notch receptor S1 cleavage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert J Lake

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available A ligand-independent cleavage (S1 in the extracellular domain of the mammalian Notch receptor results in what is considered to be the canonical heterodimeric form of Notch on the cell surface. The in vivo consequences and significance of this cleavage on Drosophila Notch signaling remain unclear and contradictory. We determined the cleavage site in Drosophila and examined its in vivo function by a transgenic analysis of receptors that cannot be cleaved. Our results demonstrate a correlation between loss of cleavage and loss of in vivo function of the Notch receptor, supporting the notion that S1 cleavage is an in vivo mechanism of Notch signal control.

  1. 17-beta estradiol inhibits oxidative stress-induced accumulation of AIF into nucleolus and PARP1-dependent cell death via estrogen receptor alpha.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batnasan, Enkhzaya; Wang, Ruoxi; Wen, Jitao; Ke, Yueshuang; Li, Xiaoxue; Bohio, Ameer Ali; Zeng, Xianlu; Huo, Hongliang; Han, Liping; Boldogh, Istvan; Ba, Xueqing

    2015-01-05

    Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage results in over-activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), leading to parthanatos, a newly discovered cell elimination pathway. Inhibition of PARP1-dependent cell death has shown to improve the outcome of diseases, including stroke, heart ischemia, and neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study we aimed to detect whether estrogen plays a protective role in inhibiting parthanatos. We utilized human mammary adenocarcinoma cells (MCF7) that abundantly express the estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ERα and ERβ). Parthanatos was induced by challenging the cells with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Microscopic imaging and molecular biological techniques, such as Western blot analysis and RNA interference, were performed. The results showed 17β estradiol (E2) protected MCF7 cells from PARP1-dependent cell death by decreasing protein PARylation, and AIF translocation into nuclei/nucleoli. Down-regulation of ERα expression by siRNA before E2 addition resulted in the failure of the E2-mediated inhibition of H2O2-induced protein PARylation and AIF nucleolar translocation. Together these data suggest that estrogen via its alpha-type receptor inhibits oxidative stress-induced, PARP1-dependent cell death. The present study provided us insight into how to apply hormone therapy in intervention of parthanatos-implicated ischemic and degenerative diseases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 as a potential therapeutic target in Merkel cell carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrarotto, Renata; Cardnell, Robert; Su, Shirley; Diao, Lixia; Eterovic, A Karina; Prieto, Victor; Morrisson, William H; Wang, Jing; Kies, Merrill S; Glisson, Bonnie S; Byers, Lauren Averett; Bell, Diana

    2018-03-23

    Patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma are treated similarly to small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1) is overexpressed in SCLC and response to PARP inhibitors have been reported in patients with SCLC. Our study explores PARP as a therapeutic target in Merkel cell carcinoma. We evaluated PARP1 expression and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) in 19 patients with Merkel cell carcinoma. Target exome-sequencing was performed in 14 samples. Sensitivity to olaparib was tested in 4 Merkel cell carcinoma cell lines. Most Merkel cell carcinomas (74%) express PARP1 at high levels. Mutations in DNA-damage repair genes were identified in 9 samples (64%), occurred exclusively in head neck primaries, and correlated with TP53/RB1 mutations. The TP53/RB1 mutations were more frequent in MCPyV-negative tumors. Sensitivity to olaparib was seen in the Merkel cell carcinoma line with highest PARP1 expression. Based on PARP1 overexpression, DNA-damage repair gene mutations, platinum sensitivity, and activity of olaparib in a Merkel cell carcinoma line, clinical trials with PARP inhibitors are warranted in Merkel cell carcinoma. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. In vitro measurement of beta-carotene cleavage activity : methodological considerations and the effect of other carotenoids on beta-carotene cleavage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vliet, T. van; Schaik, F. van; Schreurs, W.H.P.; Berg, H. van den

    1996-01-01

    In view of controversies about assessment of the β-carotene cleavage activity, methodological aspects and problems of the dioxygenase assay are described. Using rat and hamster intestinal preparations the method was optimized on retinal formation, the only cleavage product we could demonstrate. It

  4. Differentiation of Metastatic and Non-Metastatic Mesenteric Lymph Nodes by Strain Elastography in Surgical Specimens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Havre, R F; Leh, S M; Gilja, O H

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate if strain elastography could differentiate between metastatic and non-metastatic mesenteric lymph nodes ex-vivo. Materials and Methods: 90 mesenteric lymph nodes were examined shortly after resection from 25 patients including 17 patients with colorectal cancer and 8...... patients with Crohn's disease. Ultrasound-based strain elastography was performed with a linear probe. Tissue hardness in lymph nodes was assessed using visual scales and measuring the strain ratio. B-mode characteristics were also recorded. Pathological diagnosis with grading of fibrosis served...... non-metastatic nodes, but the difference was not significant (65.5 vs. 55.0, p = 0.055). There was no difference between lymph nodes in Crohn's and non-metastatic cancer specimens. The metastatic lymph nodes were significantly more fibrotic than the non-metastatic lymph nodes by the ordinal fibrosis...

  5. Differential transactivation by orphan nuclear receptor NOR1 and its fusion gene product EWS/NOR1: possible involvement of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase I, PARP-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohkura, Naganari; Nagamura, Yuko; Tsukada, Toshihiko

    2008-10-15

    In extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma, a chromosomal translocation creates a gene fusion between EWS and an orphan nuclear receptor, NOR1. The resulting fusion protein EWS/NOR1 has been believed to lead to malignant transformation by functioning as a transactivator for NOR1-target genes. By comparing the gene expression profiles of NOR1- and EWS/NOR1-overexpressing cells, we found that they largely shared up-regulated genes, but no significant correlation was observed with respect to the transactivation levels of each gene. In addition, the proteins associated with NOR1 and EWS/NOR1 were mostly the same in these cells. The results suggest that these proteins differentially transactivate overlapping target genes through a similar transcriptional machinery. To clarify the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional divergence between NOR1 and EWS/NOR1, we searched for alternatively associated proteins, and identified poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase I (PARP-1) as an NOR1-specific binding protein. Consistent with its binding properties, PARP-1 acted as a transcriptional repressor of NOR1, but not EWS/NOR1, in a luciferase reporter assay employing PARP-1(-/-) fibroblasts. Interestingly, suppressive activity of PARP-1 was observed in a DNA response element-specific manner, and in a subtype-specific manner toward the NR4A family (Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR1), suggesting that PARP-1 plays a role in the diversity of transcriptional regulation mediated by the NR4A family in normal cells. Altogether, our findings suggest that NOR1 and EWS/NOR1 regulate overlapping target genes differently by utilizing associated proteins, including PARP-1; and that EWS/NOR1 may acquire oncogenic activities by avoiding (or gaining) transcription factor-specific modulation by the associated proteins. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  6. Pripper: prediction of caspase cleavage sites from whole proteomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salmi Jussi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Caspases are a family of proteases that have central functions in programmed cell death (apoptosis and inflammation. Caspases mediate their effects through aspartate-specific cleavage of their target proteins, and at present almost 400 caspase substrates are known. There are several methods developed to predict caspase cleavage sites from individual proteins, but currently none of them can be used to predict caspase cleavage sites from multiple proteins or entire proteomes, or to use several classifiers in combination. The possibility to create a database from predicted caspase cleavage products for the whole genome could significantly aid in identifying novel caspase targets from tandem mass spectrometry based proteomic experiments. Results Three different pattern recognition classifiers were developed for predicting caspase cleavage sites from protein sequences. Evaluation of the classifiers with quality measures indicated that all of the three classifiers performed well in predicting caspase cleavage sites, and when combining different classifiers the accuracy increased further. A new tool, Pripper, was developed to utilize the classifiers and predict the caspase cut sites from an arbitrary number of input sequences. A database was constructed with the developed tool, and it was used to identify caspase target proteins from tandem mass spectrometry data from two different proteomic experiments. Both known caspase cleavage products as well as novel cleavage products were identified using the database demonstrating the usefulness of the tool. Pripper is not restricted to predicting only caspase cut sites, but it gives the possibility to scan protein sequences for any given motif(s and predict cut sites once a suitable cut site prediction model for any other protease has been developed. Pripper is freely available and can be downloaded from http://users.utu.fi/mijopi/Pripper. Conclusions We have developed Pripper, a tool for

  7. Differential Expression of Ccn4 and Other Genes Between Metastatic and Non-metastatic EL4 Mouse Lymphoma Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chahal, Manpreet S; Ku, H Teresa; Zhang, Zhihong; Legaspi, Christian M; Luo, Angela; Hopkins, Mandi M; Meier, Kathryn E

    Previous work characterized variants of the EL4 murine lymphoma cell line. Some are non-metastatic, and others metastatic, in syngenic mice. In addition, metastatic EL4 cells were stably transfected with phospholipase D2 (PLD2), which further enhanced metastasis. Microarray analyses of mRNA expression was performed for non-metastatic, metastatic, and PLD2-expressing metastatic EL4 cells. Many differences were observed between non-metastatic and metastatic cell lines. One of the most striking new findings was up-regulation of mRNA for the matricellular protein WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (CCN4) in metastatic cells; increased protein expression was verified by immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. Other differentially expressed genes included those for reproductive homeobox 5 (Rhox5; increased in metastatic) and cystatin 7 (Cst7; decreased in metastatic). Differences between PLD2-expressing and parental cell lines were limited but included the signaling proteins Ras guanyl releasing protein 1 (RGS18; increased with PLD2) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2; decreased with PLD2). The results provide insights into signaling pathways potentially involved in conferring metastatic ability on lymphoma cells. Copyright© 2016, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  8. Quantitative characterization of cleavage and hydrogen-assisted quasi-cleavage fracture surfaces with the use of confocal laser scanning microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merson, E.; Kudrya, A.V.; Trachenko, V.A.; Merson, D.; Danilov, V.; Vinogradov, A.

    2016-01-01

    “True” cleavage (TC) and quasi-cleavage (QC) fracture surfaces of low-carbon steel specimens tested in liquid nitrogen and after hydrogen charging respectively were investigated by quantitative confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with electron-backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Topological and crystallographic features of the TC fracture surface are found in good agreement with the generally accepted cleavage mechanism: TC facets diameters correspond to those of grains; the crack path strictly follows the crystallographic orientation of grains and the most of the cleavage cracks are parallel to {100} planes. On the 2D SEM images, the QC facets appeared resembling the TC ones in terms of river line patterns, shapes and sizes. However, the substantial differences between the topography of these two kinds of fracture surfaces were revealed by 3D CLSM: the average misorientation angle between QC facets and the roughness of the QC fracture surface were much lower than those measured for TC. It is demonstrated that all these features are attributed to the specific fracture mechanism operating during hydrogen-assisted cracking.

  9. Quantitative characterization of cleavage and hydrogen-assisted quasi-cleavage fracture surfaces with the use of confocal laser scanning microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merson, E. [Institute of Advanced Technologies, Togliatti State University, 445667 (Russian Federation); Kudrya, A.V.; Trachenko, V.A. [Department of Physical Metallurgy and the Physics of Strength, NUST MISiS, Moscow 119490 (Russian Federation); Merson, D. [Institute of Advanced Technologies, Togliatti State University, 445667 (Russian Federation); Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Kazan Federal University, Naberezhnye Chelny 423812, Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation); Danilov, V. [Institute of Advanced Technologies, Togliatti State University, 445667 (Russian Federation); Vinogradov, A. [Institute of Advanced Technologies, Togliatti State University, 445667 (Russian Federation); Department of Engineering Design and Materials, Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU, N-7491 Trondheim (Norway)

    2016-05-17

    “True” cleavage (TC) and quasi-cleavage (QC) fracture surfaces of low-carbon steel specimens tested in liquid nitrogen and after hydrogen charging respectively were investigated by quantitative confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with electron-backscattered diffraction (EBSD). Topological and crystallographic features of the TC fracture surface are found in good agreement with the generally accepted cleavage mechanism: TC facets diameters correspond to those of grains; the crack path strictly follows the crystallographic orientation of grains and the most of the cleavage cracks are parallel to {100} planes. On the 2D SEM images, the QC facets appeared resembling the TC ones in terms of river line patterns, shapes and sizes. However, the substantial differences between the topography of these two kinds of fracture surfaces were revealed by 3D CLSM: the average misorientation angle between QC facets and the roughness of the QC fracture surface were much lower than those measured for TC. It is demonstrated that all these features are attributed to the specific fracture mechanism operating during hydrogen-assisted cracking.

  10. Imaging of Spinal Metastatic Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lubdha M. Shah

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Metastases to the spine can involve the bone, epidural space, leptomeninges, and spinal cord. The spine is the third most common site for metastatic disease, following the lung and the liver. Approximately 60–70% of patients with systemic cancer will have spinal metastasis. Materials/Methods. This is a review of the imaging techniques and typical imaging appearances of spinal metastatic disease. Conclusions. Awareness of the different manifestations of spinal metastatic disease is essential as the spine is the most common site of osseous metastatic disease. Imaging modalities have complimentary roles in the evaluation of spinal metastatic disease. CT best delineates osseous integrity, while MRI is better at assessing soft tissue involvement. Physiologic properties, particularly in treated disease, can be evaluated with other imaging modalities such as FDG PET and advanced MRI sequences. Imaging plays a fundamental role in not only diagnosis but also treatment planning of spinal metastatic disease.

  11. Functional analysis of coordinated cleavage in V(D)J recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, D R; Oettinger, M A

    1998-08-01

    V(D)J recombination in vivo requires a pair of signals with distinct spacer elements of 12 and 23 bp that separate conserved heptamer and nonamer motifs. Cleavage in vitro by the RAG1 and RAG2 proteins can occur at individual signals when the reaction buffer contains Mn2+, but cleavage is restricted to substrates containing two signals when Mg2+ is the divalent cation. By using a novel V(D)J cleavage substrate, we show that while the RAG proteins alone establish a moderate preference for a 12/23 pair versus a 12/12 pair, a much stricter dependence of cleavage on the 12/23 signal pair is produced by the inclusion of HMG1 and competitor double-stranded DNA. The competitor DNA serves to inhibit the cleavage of substrates carrying a 12/12 or 23/23 pair, as well as the cutting at individual signals in 12/23 substrates. We show that a 23/33 pair is more efficiently recombined than a 12/33 pair, suggesting that the 12/23 rule can be generalized to a requirement for spacers that differ from each other by a single helical turn. Furthermore, we suggest that a fixed spatial orientation of signals is required for cleavage. In general, the same signal variants that can be cleaved singly can function under conditions in which a signal pair is required. However, a chemically modified substrate with one noncleavable signal enables us to show that formation of a functional cleavage complex is mechanistically separable from the cleavage reaction itself and that although cleavage requires a pair of signals, cutting does not have to occur simultaneously at both. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to the mechanism of V(D)J recombination and the generation of chromosomal translocations.

  12. Evaluation of Apoptotic and Growth Inhibitory Activity of Phloretin in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), 13C-NMR and electrospray ionization tandem ... this effectively induced cleavage of anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) as well as downregulation of Bcl2 protein expression in BGC823 cells after 24 h ...

  13. Effect of APE1 T2197G (Asp148Glu Polymorphism on APE1, XRCC1, PARP1 and OGG1 Expression in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana C. Santos

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available It has been hypothesized that genetic variation in base excision repair (BER might modify colorectal adenoma risk. Thus, we evaluated the influence of APE1 T2197G (Asp148Glu polymorphism on APE1, XRCC1, PARP1 and OGG1 expression in normal and tumor samples from patients with colorectal cancer. The results indicate a downregulation of OGG1 and an upregulation of XRCC1 expression in tumor tissue. Regarding the anatomical location of APE1, OGG1 and PARP-1, a decrease in gene expression was observed among patients with cancer in the rectum. In patients with or without some degree of tumor invasion, a significant downregulation in OGG1 was observed in tumor tissue. Interestingly, when taking into account the tumor stage, patients with more advanced grades (III and IV showed a significant repression for APE1, OGG1 and PARP-1. XRCC1 expression levels were significantly enhanced in tumor samples and were correlated with all clinical and histopathological data. Concerning the polymorphism T2197G, GG genotype carriers exhibited a significantly reduced expression of genes of the BER repair system (APE1, XRCC1 and PARP1. In summary, our data show that patients with colorectal cancer present expression changes in several BER genes, suggesting a role for APE1, XRCC1, PARP1 and OGG1 and APE1 polymorphism in colorectal carcinogenesis.

  14. Metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes. Quantification and different distribution of iodine uptake assessed by dual-energy CT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rizzo, Stefania [European Institute of Oncology, Department of Radiology, Milan (Italy); Radice, Davide [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Milan (Italy); Femia, Marco; Vigorito, Raffaella [Universita di Milano, Department of Health Sciences, Milan (Italy); De Marco, Paolo; Origgi, Daniela [Medical Physics, European Institute of Oncology, Milan (Italy); Preda, Lorenzo [Division of Radiology, National Centre of Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO Foundation), Pavia (Italy); University of Pavia, Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, Pavia (Italy); Barberis, Massimo [European Institute of Oncology, Department of Pathology, Milan (Italy); Mauri, Giovanni [European Institute of Oncology, Division of Interventional Radiology, Milan (Italy); Mauro, Alberto [GE Medical Systems Italia SpA, Milan (Italy); Bellomi, Massimo [European Institute of Oncology, Department of Radiology, Milan (Italy); Universita di Milano, Department of Oncology, Milan (Italy)

    2018-02-15

    To evaluate quantification of iodine uptake in metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) by dual-energy CT (DECT) and to assess if the distribution of iodine within LNs at DECT correlates with the pathological structure. Ninety LNs from 37 patients (23 with lung and 14 with gynaecological malignancies) were retrospectively selected. Information of LNs sent for statistical analysis included Hounsfield units (HU) at different energy levels; decomposition material densities fat-iodine, iodine-fat, iodine-water, water-iodine. Statistical analysis included evaluation of interobserver variability, material decomposition densities and spatial HU distribution within LNs. Interobserver agreement was excellent. There was a significant difference in iodine-fat and iodine-water decompositions comparing metastatic and non-metastatic LNs (p < 0.001); fat-iodine and water-iodine did not show significant differences. HU distribution showed a significant gradient from centre to periphery within non-metastatic LNs that was significant up to 20-30% from the centre, whereas metastatic LNs showed a more homogeneous distribution of HU, with no significant gradient. DECT demonstrated a lower iodine uptake in metastatic compared to non-metastatic LNs. Moreover, the internal iodine distribution showed an evident gradient of iodine distribution from centre to periphery in non-metastatic LNs, and a more homogeneous distribution within metastatic LNs, which corresponded to the pathological structure. (orig.)

  15. Genetic variants in PARP1 (rs3219090) and IRF4 (rs12203592) genes associated with melanoma susceptibility in a Spanish population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peña-Chilet, Maria; Ribas, Gloria; Blanquer-Maceiras, Maite; Ibarrola-Villava, Maider; Martinez-Cadenas, Conrado; Martin-Gonzalez, Manuel; Gomez-Fernandez, Cristina; Mayor, Matias; Aviles, Juan Antonio; Lluch, Ana

    2013-01-01

    Few high penetrance genes are known in Malignant Melanoma (MM), however, the involvement of low-penetrance genes such as MC1R, OCA2, ASIP, SLC45A2 and TYR has been observed. Lately, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been the ideal strategy to identify new common, low-penetrance susceptibility loci. In this case–control study, we try to validate in our population nine melanoma associated markers selected from published GWAS in melanoma predisposition. We genotyped the 9 markers corresponding to 8 genes (PARP1, MX2, ATM, CCND1, NADSYN1, CASP8, IRF4 and CYP2R1) in 566 cases and 347 controls from a Spanish population using KASPar probes. Genotypes were analyzed by logistic regression and adjusted by phenotypic characteristics. We confirm the protective role in MM of the rs3219090 located on the PARP1 gene (p-value 0.027). Additionally, this SNP was also associated with eye color (p-value 0.002). A second polymorphism, rs12203592, located on the IRF4 gene was associated with protection to develop MM for the dominant model (p-value 0.037). We have also observed an association of this SNP with both lentigines (p-value 0.014) and light eye color (p-value 3.76 × 10 -4 ). Furthermore, we detected a novel association with rs1485993, located on the CCND1 gene, and dark eye color (p-value 4.96 × 10 -4 ). Finally, rs1801516, located on the ATM gene, showed a trend towards a protective role in MM similar to the one firstly described in a GWAS study. To our knowledge, this is the first time that these SNPs have been associated with MM in a Spanish population. We confirmed the proposed role of rs3219090, located on the PARP1 gene, and rs12203592, located on the IRF4 gene, as protective to MM along the same lines as have previous genome-wide associated works. Finally, we have seen associations between IRF4, PARP1, and CCND1 and phenotypic characteristics, confirming previous results for the IRF4 gene and presenting novel data for the last two, suggesting that

  16. Acquisition of Relative Interstrand Crosslinker Resistance and PARP Inhibitor Sensitivity in Fanconi Anemia Head and Neck Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lombardi, Anne J; Hoskins, Elizabeth E; Foglesong, Grant D; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, Kathryn A; Wiesmüller, Lisa; Hanenberg, Helmut; Andreassen, Paul R; Jacobs, Allison J; Olson, Susan B; Keeble, Winifred W; Hays, Laura E; Wells, Susanne I

    2015-04-15

    Fanconi anemia is an inherited disorder associated with a constitutional defect in the Fanconi anemia DNA repair machinery that is essential for resolution of DNA interstrand crosslinks. Individuals with Fanconi anemia are predisposed to formation of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) at a young age. Prognosis is poor, partly due to patient intolerance of chemotherapy and radiation requiring dose reduction, which may lead to early recurrence of disease. Using HNSCC cell lines derived from the tumors of patients with Fanconi anemia, and murine HNSCC cell lines derived from the tumors of wild-type and Fancc(-/-) mice, we sought to define Fanconi anemia-dependent chemosensitivity and DNA repair characteristics. We utilized DNA repair reporter assays to explore the preference of Fanconi anemia HNSCC cells for non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Surprisingly, interstrand crosslinker (ICL) sensitivity was not necessarily Fanconi anemia-dependent in human or murine cell systems. Our results suggest that the increased Ku-dependent NHEJ that is expected in Fanconi anemia cells did not mediate relative ICL resistance. ICL exposure resulted in increased DNA damage sensing and repair by PARP in Fanconi anemia-deficient cells. Moreover, human and murine Fanconi anemia HNSCC cells were sensitive to PARP inhibition, and sensitivity of human cells was attenuated by Fanconi anemia gene complementation. The observed reliance upon PARP-mediated mechanisms reveals a means by which Fanconi anemia HNSCCs can acquire relative resistance to the ICL-based chemotherapy that is a foundation of HNSCC treatment, as well as a potential target for overcoming chemoresistance in the chemosensitive individual. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

  17. Cleavage sites within the poliovirus capsid protein precursors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larsen, G.R.; Anderson, C.W.; Dorner, A.J.; Semler, B.L.; Wimmer, E.

    1982-01-01

    Partial amino-terminal sequence analysis was performed on radiolabeled poliovirus capsid proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3. A computer-assisted comparison of the amino acid sequences obtained with that predicted by the nucleotide sequence of the poliovirus genome allows assignment of the amino terminus of each capsid protein to a unique position within the virus polyprotein. Sequence analysis of trypsin-digested VP4, which has a blocked amino terminus, demonstrates that VP4 is encoded at or very near to the amino terminus of the polyprotein. The gene order of the capsid proteins is VP4-VP2-VP3-VP1. Cleavage of VP0 to VP4 and VP2 is shown to occur between asparagine and serine, whereas the cleavages that separate VP2/VP3 and VP3/VP1 occur between glutamine and glycine residues. This finding supports the hypothesis that the cleavage of VP0, which occurs during virion morphogenesis, is distinct from the cleavages that separate functional regions of the polyprotein

  18. Risk of severe hematologic toxicities in cancer patients treated with PARP inhibitors: results of monotherapy and combination therapy trials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alecu I

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Iulian Alecu, Tsveta Milenkova, Simon R Turner Research and Development, AstraZeneca UK Limited, Cambridge, UKThe tolerability profile of PARP inhibitors often includes hematologic toxicities, and the characterization of these adverse events is important to allow effective management by clinicians. Zhou et al1 recently carried out a meta-analysis of the incidence and relative risks of severe neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia events in 12 randomized controlled trials of PARP inhibitors, either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The authors concluded that olaparib resulted in a higher incidence of severe (common terminology criteria for adverse events [CTCAE] grade $3 neutropenia when compared with niraparib and veliparib; however, these conclusions are based on inappropriate and incomplete comparisons of hematologic toxicity with olaparib or veliparib in combination with myelotoxic chemotherapy versus niraparib monotherapy. While both monotherapy and combination therapy olaparib studies are discussed in the paper, the neutropenia analysis is based on olaparib data solely from studies in combination with paclitaxel or paclitaxel plus carboplatin. In order to inform the practicing clinician of the relative risk of hematologic toxicity associated with different PARP inhibitors, direct comparison needs to be conducted based on monotherapy, where applicable, as per the approved drug indication, otherwise the reader is given misleading information.View the original paper by Zhou et al.

  19. Evaluation of dual energy spectral CT in differentiating metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes in rectal cancer: Initial experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Huanhuan [Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Department of Radiology, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine (China); Yan, Fuhua; Pan, Zilai; Lin, Xiaozhu; Luo, Xianfu; Shi, Cen [Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Chen, Xiaoyan [Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Wang, Baisong [Department of Biomedical Statistics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Zhang, Huan, E-mail: huanzhangy@126.com [Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China)

    2015-02-15

    Highlights: • Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer and the status of the regional lymph nodes in rectal cancer is considered to be one of the most powerful prognostic factor in the absence of distant metastatic disease. Detecting LNs metastasis is still a challenging problem due to the presence of microscopic metastasis or inflammatory swelling of LNs. • We investigated the value of dual energy spectral CT in differentiating metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes in rectal cancer. Our study demonstrated that the quantitative normalized iodine concentration (nIC) could be useful for differentiating metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes. The combination of nIC in portal venous phase and conventional size criterion could improve the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of rectal cancer. - Abstract: Objectives: To investigate the value of dual energy spectral CT (DEsCT) imaging in differentiating metastatic from non-metastatic lymph nodes in rectal cancer. Methods: Fifty-five patients with rectal cancer underwent the arterial phase (AP) and portal venous phase (PP) contrast-enhanced DEsCT imaging. The virtual monochromatic images and iodine-based material decomposition images derived from DEsCT imaging were interpreted for lymph nodes (LNs) measurement. The short axis diameter and the normalized iodine concentration (nIC) of metastatic and non-metastatic LNs were measured. The two-sample t test was used to compare the short axis diameters and nIC values of metastatic and non-metastatic LNs. ROC analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic performance. Results: One hundred and fifty two LNs including 92 non-metastatic LNs and 60 metastatic LNs were matched using the radiological-pathological correlation. The mean short axis diameter of metastatic LNs was significantly larger than that of the non-metastatic LNs (7.28 ± 2.28 mm vs. 4.90 ± 1.64 mm, P < 0.001). The mean n

  20. A new cultural cleavage in post-modern society

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan-Erik Lane

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available The attitudes towards gender and homosexuality tend to be linked at the micro level (individuals, which explains the political saliency of this newly emerging cleavage. At the macro level (country, the main finding is that the value orientations towards gender and homosexuality are strongly embedded in the basic cultural or civilisation differences among countries. As developing countries modernise and enter post-modernity, they will also experience the gender cleavage, especially when they adhere to an individualistic culture. Cultural cleavages in the post-modern society, whether in rich or developing countries, can only be properly researched by the survey method. It opens up a large area for both micro and macro analyses in the social sciences.

  1. Unexpected tolerance of alpha-cleavage of the prion protein to sequence variations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José B Oliveira-Martins

    Full Text Available The cellular form of the prion protein, PrP(C, undergoes extensive proteolysis at the alpha site (109K [see text]H110. Expression of non-cleavable PrP(C mutants in transgenic mice correlates with neurotoxicity, suggesting that alpha-cleavage is important for PrP(C physiology. To gain insights into the mechanisms of alpha-cleavage, we generated a library of PrP(C mutants with mutations in the region neighbouring the alpha-cleavage site. The prevalence of C1, the carboxy adduct of alpha-cleavage, was determined for each mutant. In cell lines of disparate origin, C1 prevalence was unaffected by variations in charge and hydrophobicity of the region neighbouring the alpha-cleavage site, and by substitutions of the residues in the palindrome that flanks this site. Instead, alpha-cleavage was size-dependently impaired by deletions within the domain 106-119. Almost no cleavage was observed upon full deletion of this domain. These results suggest that alpha-cleavage is executed by an alpha-PrPase whose activity, despite surprisingly limited sequence specificity, is dependent on the size of the central region of PrP(C.

  2. Comparative and phylogenetic perspectives of the cleavage process in tailed amphibians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desnitskiy, Alexey G; Litvinchuk, Spartak N

    2015-10-01

    The order Caudata includes about 660 species and displays a variety of important developmental traits such as cleavage pattern and egg size. However, the cleavage process of tailed amphibians has never been analyzed within a phylogenetic framework. We use published data on the embryos of 36 species concerning the character of the third cleavage furrow (latitudinal, longitudinal or variable) and the magnitude of synchronous cleavage period (up to 3-4 synchronous cell divisions in the animal hemisphere or a considerably longer series of synchronous divisions followed by midblastula transition). Several species from basal caudate families Cryptobranchidae (Andrias davidianus and Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) and Hynobiidae (Onychodactylus japonicus) as well as several representatives from derived families Plethodontidae (Desmognathus fuscus and Ensatina eschscholtzii) and Proteidae (Necturus maculosus) are characterized by longitudinal furrows of the third cleavage and the loss of synchrony as early as the 8-cell stage. By contrast, many representatives of derived families Ambystomatidae and Salamandridae have latitudinal furrows of the third cleavage and extensive period of synchronous divisions. Our analysis of these ontogenetic characters mapped onto a phylogenetic tree shows that the cleavage pattern of large, yolky eggs with short series of synchronous divisions is an ancestral trait for the tailed amphibians, while the data on the orientation of third cleavage furrows seem to be ambiguous with respect to phylogeny. Nevertheless, the midblastula transition, which is characteristic of the model species Ambystoma mexicanum (Caudata) and Xenopus laevis (Anura), might have evolved convergently in these two amphibian orders.

  3. Kininogen Cleavage Assay: Diagnostic Assistance for Kinin-Mediated Angioedema Conditions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rémi Baroso

    Full Text Available Angioedema without wheals (AE is a symptom characterised by localised episodes of oedema presumably caused by kinin release from kininogen cleavage. It can result from a hereditary deficiency in C1 Inhibitor (C1Inh, but it can present with normal level of C1Inh. These forms are typically difficult to diagnose although enhanced kinin production is suspected or demonstrated in some cases.We wanted to investigate bradykinin overproduction in all AE condition with normal C1Inh, excluding cases with enhanced kinin catabolism, and to propose this parameter as a disease biomarker.We retrospectively investigated high molecular weight kininogen (HK cleavage pattern, using gel electrophoresis and immunorevelation. Plasma samples were drawn using the same standardised procedure from blood donors or AE patients with normal C1Inh conditions, normal kinin catabolism, and without prophylaxis.Circulating native HK plasma concentrations were similar in the healthy men (interquartile range: 98-175μg/mL, n = 51 and in healthy women (90-176μg/mL, n = 74, while HK cleavage was lower (p14.4% HK cleavage for men; 33.0% HK cleavage for women, with >98% specificity achieved for all parameters. In plasma from patients undergoing recovery two months after oestrogen/progestin combination withdrawal (n = 13 or two weeks after AE attack (n = 2, HK cleavage was not fully restored, suggesting its use as a post-attack assay.As a diagnostic tool, HK cleavage can offer physicians supportive arguments for kinin production in suspected AE cases and improve patient follow-up in clinical trials or prophylactic management.

  4. Detection of nucleic acid sequences by invader-directed cleavage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brow, Mary Ann D.; Hall, Jeff Steven Grotelueschen; Lyamichev, Victor; Olive, David Michael; Prudent, James Robert

    1999-01-01

    The present invention relates to means for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences, as well as variations in nucleic acid sequences. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a nucleic acid cleavage structure on a target sequence and cleaving the nucleic acid cleavage structure in a site-specific manner. The 5' nuclease activity of a variety of enzymes is used to cleave the target-dependent cleavage structure, thereby indicating the presence of specific nucleic acid sequences or specific variations thereof. The present invention further relates to methods and devices for the separation of nucleic acid molecules based by charge.

  5. vPARP Adjusts MVP Expression in Drug-resistant Cell Lines in Conjunction with MDR Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wojtowicz, Karolina; Januchowski, Radoslaw; Nowicki, Michal; Zabel, Maciej

    2017-06-01

    The definition of vault (ribonucleoprotein particles) function remains highly complex. Vaults may cooperate with multidrug resistance (MDR) proteins, supporting their role in drug resistance. This topic is the main theme of this publication. The cell viability was determined by an MTT assay. The protein expression was detected by western blot analysis. The proteins were knocked-down using siRNA. No major vault protein (MVP) in the LoVo/Dx and W1PR cell lines after tunicamycin treatment was shown. In W1PR cells with knocked-down MVP, a statistically significant decrease in cell viability was noted. In LoVo/Dx, W1TR and A2780TR cells were vault poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (vPARP) was knockdown, a decrease in cell viability was shown. Also, MVP silencing induced an increase in glycoprotein P (Pgp) expression in LoVo/Dx cells. MVP is important for the drug resistance of cancer cells, but it probably requires the presence of vPARP for full activation. Some correlations between MDR proteins and vaults exist. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  6. Combination strategy of PARP inhibitor with antioxidant prevent bioenergetic deficits and inflammatory changes in CCI-induced neuropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komirishetty, Prashanth; Areti, Aparna; Gogoi, Ranadeep; Sistla, Ramakrishna; Kumar, Ashutosh

    2017-02-01

    Neuropathic pain, a debilitating pain condition and the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are complex and interwoven amongst each other and still there is scant information available regarding therapies which promise to treat the condition. Evidence indicate that oxidative/nitrosative stress induced poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) overactivation initiate neuroinflammation and bioenergetic crisis culminating into neurodegenerative changes following nerve injury. Hence, we investigated the therapeutic effect of combining an antioxidant, quercetin and a PARP inhibitor, 4-amino 1, 8-naphthalimide (4-ANI) on the hallmark deficits induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve in rats. Quercetin (25 mg/kg, p.o.) and 4-ANI (3 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered either alone or in combination for 14 days to examine sciatic functional index, allodynia and hyperalgesia using walking track analysis, Von Frey, acetone spray and hot plate tests respectively. Malondialdehyde, nitrite and glutathione levels were estimated to detect oxidative/nitrosative stress; mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c oxidase activity to assess mitochondrial function; NAD & ATP levels to examine the bioenergetic status and levels of inflammatory markers were evaluated in ipsilateral sciatic nerve. Quercetin and 4-ANI alone improved the pain behaviour and biochemical alterations but the combination therapy demonstrated an appreciable reversal of CCI-induced changes. Nitrotyrosine and Poly ADP-Ribose (PAR) immunopositivity was decreased and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf-2) levels were increased significantly in micro-sections of the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of treatment group. These results suggest that simultaneous inhibition of oxidative stress-PARP activation cascade may potentially be useful strategies for management of trauma induced neuropathic pain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Controllable laser thermal cleavage of sapphire wafers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jiayu; Hu, Hong; Zhuang, Changhui; Ma, Guodong; Han, Junlong; Lei, Yulin

    2018-03-01

    Laser processing of substrates for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) offers advantages over other processing techniques and is therefore an active research area in both industrial and academic sectors. The processing of sapphire wafers is problematic because sapphire is a hard and brittle material. Semiconductor laser scribing processing suffers certain disadvantages that have yet to be overcome, thereby necessitating further investigation. In this work, a platform for controllable laser thermal cleavage was constructed. A sapphire LED wafer was modeled using the finite element method to simulate the thermal and stress distributions under different conditions. A guide groove cut by laser ablation before the cleavage process was observed to guide the crack extension and avoid deviation. The surface and cross section of sapphire wafers processed using controllable laser thermal cleavage were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy, and their morphology was compared to that of wafers processed using stealth dicing. The differences in luminous efficiency between substrates prepared using these two processing methods are explained.

  8. Effect of 3-aminobenzamide, PARP inhibitor, on matrix metalloproteinase-9 level in plasma and brain of ischemic stroke model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koh, Seong-Ho; Chang, Dae-Il; Kim, Hee-Tae; Kim, Juhan; Kim, Myung-Ho; Kim, Kyung Suk; Bae, Inhee; Kim, Haekwon; Kim, Dong Won; Kim, Seung Hyun

    2005-01-01

    We investigated the effect of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor on the levels of plasma and brain matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) during experimental focal cerebral ischemia. The 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB), a PARP inhibitor, and saline were administered to 80 Sprague-Dawley rats [3-AB group; 5 rats for plasma sampling, 35 for brain sampling, and 40 for TTC staining] and to 85 rats (10, 35, and 40, respectively), respectively, 10 min before the occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCAo) for 2 h. Infarct volume was measured by TTC staining, the serial levels of plasma and brain MMP-9 were measured by zymography just before and 2, 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h after MCAo, brain NF-κB activity was determined by Western blotting, and neutrophil infiltration was evaluated by assessing myeloperoxidase activity. Compared with control group, the levels of plasma and brain MMP-9, brain NF-κB, and MPO activities were significantly reduced in 3-AB group at each time point (p < 0.05). Plasma MMP-9 increased maximally at 4 h and then decreased rapidly, brain MMP-9 increased maximally at 24 h and persisted until 72 h, and NF-κB increased maximally at 24 h and then decreased slowly in both groups. Therefore, the PARP inhibitor reduces the expression of MMP-9 and NF-κB and the infiltration of neutrophils in ischemic stroke

  9. Full Length Research Paper Curcumin induces cleavage of -catenin ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    β-Catenin/Tcf-4 signaling pathway plays important roles in colorectal tumorigenesis. RT-PCR, western blotting and immunoprecipitation were used to study the effects of curcumin on β-catenin/Tcf-4 signaling pathway in HT-29 cells. Treatment of curcumin could induce cleavage of β-catenin and the cleavage could be ...

  10. Optical imaging of metabolic adaptability in metastatic and non-metastatic breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rebello, Lisa; Rajaram, Narasimhan

    2018-02-01

    Accurate methods for determining metastatic risk from the primary tumor are crucial for patient survival. Cell metabolism could potentially be used as a marker of metastatic risk. Optical imaging of the endogenous fluorescent molecules nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) provides a non-destructive and label-free method for determining cell metabolism. The optical redox ratio (FAD/FAD+NADH) is sensitive to the balance between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). We have previously established that hypoxia-reoxygenation stress leads to metastatic potential-dependent changes in optical redox ratio. The objective of this study was to monitor the changes in optical redox ratio in breast cancer cells in response to different periods of hypoxic stress as well various levels of hypoxia to establish an optimal protocol. We measured the optical redox ratio of highly metastatic 4T1 murine breast cancer cells under normoxic conditions and after exposure to 30, 60, and 120 minutes of 0.5% O2. This was followed by an hour of reoxygenation. We found an increase in the optical redox ratio following reoxygenation from hypoxia for all durations. Statistically significant differences were observed at 60 and 120 minutes (p˂0.01) compared with normoxia, implying an ability to adapt to OXPHOS after reoxygenation. The switch to OXPHOS has been shown to be a key promoter of cell invasion. We will present our results from these investigations in human breast cancer cells as well as non-metastatic breast cancer cells exposed to various levels of hypoxia.

  11. Molecular docking and 3D-QSAR studies on inhibitors of DNA damage signaling enzyme human PARP-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatima, Sabiha; Bathini, Raju; Sivan, Sree Kanth; Manga, Vijjulatha

    2012-08-01

    Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) operates in a DNA damage signaling network. Molecular docking and three dimensional-quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies were performed on human PARP-1 inhibitors. Docked conformation obtained for each molecule was used as such for 3D-QSAR analysis. Molecules were divided into a training set and a test set randomly in four different ways, partial least square analysis was performed to obtain QSAR models using the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). Derived models showed good statistical reliability that is evident from their r², q²(loo) and r²(pred) values. To obtain a consensus for predictive ability from all the models, average regression coefficient r²(avg) was calculated. CoMFA and CoMSIA models showed a value of 0.930 and 0.936, respectively. Information obtained from the best 3D-QSAR model was applied for optimization of lead molecule and design of novel potential inhibitors.

  12. Expression profiles of vault components MVP, TEP1 and vPARP and their correlation to other multidrug resistance proteins in ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szaflarski, Witold; Sujka-Kordowska, Patrycja; Pula, Bartosz; Jaszczyńska-Nowinka, Karolina; Andrzejewska, Małgorzata; Zawierucha, Piotr; Dziegiel, Piotr; Nowicki, Michał; Ivanov, Pavel; Zabel, Maciej

    2013-08-01

    Vaults are cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles composed of three proteins (MVP, TEP1, vPARP) and vault‑associated RNAs (vRNAs). Although the cellular functions of vaults remain unclear, vaults are strongly linked to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR), the major obstacle to the efficient treatment of cancers. Available published data suggest that vaults and their components are frequently upregulated in broad variety of multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines and tumors of different histological origin. Here, we provide detailed analysis of vault protein expression in post-surgery ovarian cancer samples from patients that were not exposed to chemotherapy. Our analysis suggests that vault proteins are expressed in the ovaries of healthy individuals but their expression in cancer patients is changed. Specifically, MVP, TEP1 and vPARP mRNA levels are significantly decreased in cancer samples with tendency of lower expression in higher-grade tumors. The pattern of vault protein mRNA expression is strongly correlated with the expression of other MDR-associated proteins such as MDR1, MRP1 and BCRP. Surprisingly, the protein levels of MVP, TEP1 and vPARP are actually increased in the higher‑grade tumors suggesting existence of post-transcriptional regulation of vault component production.

  13. Altered cleavage patterns in human tripronuclear embryos and their association to fertilization method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Joergensen, Mette Warming; Agerholm, Inge; Hindkjaer, Johnny

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: To analyze the cleavage patterns in dipronuclear (2PN) and tripronuclear (3PN) embryos in relation to fertilization method. METHOD: Time-lapse analysis. RESULTS: Compared to 2PN, more 3PN IVF embryos displayed early cleavage into 3 cells (p ... stage (p embryos, the 2nd and 3rd cleavage cycles were completed within the expected time frame. However, timing of the cell divisions within the cleavage cycles differed between the two groups. In contrast......, the completion of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cleavage cycle was delayed, but with a similar division pattern for 3PN ICSI compared with the 2PN ICSI embryos. 3PN, more often than 2PN ICSI embryos, displayed early cleavage into 3 cells (p = 0.03) and arrested development from the compaction stage and onwards (p = 0...

  14. RecA-mediated cleavage reaction of Lambda repressor and DNA ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PRECIOUS

    2010-01-11

    Jan 11, 2010 ... hydrolyze ATP at all, but fulfills RecA functions such as cleavage of Lambda repressor and strand .... DNA binding properties of RecA and may result in an in- .... AMP-PNP there is no cleavage of Lambda repressor (Figure.

  15. Group B streptococcal metastatic endophthalmitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagelberg, H P; Petashnick, D E; To, K W; Woodcome, H A

    1994-04-15

    Reports of invasive Group B Streptococcus infection in adults with underlying medical conditions have been increasing. Ocular infection with this organism is unusual. Metastatic endophthalmitis in adults caused by this organism has been reported rarely and has only been associated with endocarditis. We encountered two cases of Group B streptococcal metastatic endophthalmitis in adults who did not have endocarditis. These cases reflect the increasing incidence of invasive Group B Streptococcus infection with its varying manifestations. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of considering this pathogen as a cause of metastatic endophthalmitis in adults with predisposing illnesses.

  16. EspC, an Autotransporter Protein Secreted by Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Causes Apoptosis and Necrosis through Caspase and Calpain Activation, Including Direct Procaspase-3 Cleavage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Serapio-Palacios

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC has the ability to antagonize host apoptosis during infection through promotion and inhibition of effectors injected by the type III secretion system (T3SS, but the total number of these effectors and the overall functional relationships between these effectors during infection are poorly understood. EspC produced by EPEC cleaves fodrin, paxillin, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK, which are also cleaved by caspases and calpains during apoptosis. Here we show the role of EspC in cell death induced by EPEC. EspC is involved in EPEC-mediated cell death and induces both apoptosis and necrosis in epithelial cells. EspC induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by provoking (i a decrease in the expression levels of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, (ii translocation of the proapoptotic protein Bax from cytosol to mitochondria, (iii cytochrome c release from mitochondria to the cytoplasm, (iv loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, (v caspase-9 activation, (vi cleavage of procaspase-3 and (vii an increase in caspase-3 activity, (viii PARP proteolysis, and (ix nuclear fragmentation and an increase in the sub-G1 population. Interestingly, EspC-induced apoptosis was triggered through a dual mechanism involving both independent and dependent functions of its EspC serine protease motif, the direct cleavage of procaspase-3 being dependent on this motif. This is the first report showing a shortcut for induction of apoptosis by the catalytic activity of an EPEC protein. Furthermore, this atypical intrinsic apoptosis appeared to induce necrosis through the activation of calpain and through the increase of intracellular calcium induced by EspC. Our data indicate that EspC plays a relevant role in cell death induced by EPEC.

  17. Acquisition of a novel eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site confers intracellular cleavage of an H7N7 influenza virus hemagglutinin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, Brian S.; Sun, Xiangjie; Chung, Changik; Whittaker, Gary R.

    2012-01-01

    A critical feature of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (H5N1 and H7N7) is the efficient intracellular cleavage of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein. H7N7 viruses also exist in equine species, and a unique feature of the equine H7N7 HA is the presence of an eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site. Here, we show that three histidine residues within the unique insertion of the equine H7N7 HA are essential for intracellular cleavage. An asparagine residue within the insertion-derived glycosylation site was also found to be essential for intracellular cleavage. The presence of the histidine residues also appear to be involved in triggering fusion, since mutation of the histidine residues resulted in a destabilizing effect. Importantly, the addition of a tetrabasic site and the eleven amino acid insertion conferred efficient intracellular cleavage to the HA of an H7N3 low pathogenicity avian influenza virus. Our studies show that acquisition of the eleven amino acid insertion offers an alternative mechanism for intracellular cleavage of influenza HA.

  18. Acquisition of a novel eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site confers intracellular cleavage of an H7N7 influenza virus hemagglutinin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamilton, Brian S.; Sun, Xiangjie; Chung, Changik [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853 (United States); New York Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY 14627 (United States); Whittaker, Gary R., E-mail: grw7@cornell.edu [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853 (United States); New York Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY 14627 (United States)

    2012-12-05

    A critical feature of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (H5N1 and H7N7) is the efficient intracellular cleavage of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein. H7N7 viruses also exist in equine species, and a unique feature of the equine H7N7 HA is the presence of an eleven amino acid insertion directly N-terminal to a tetrabasic cleavage site. Here, we show that three histidine residues within the unique insertion of the equine H7N7 HA are essential for intracellular cleavage. An asparagine residue within the insertion-derived glycosylation site was also found to be essential for intracellular cleavage. The presence of the histidine residues also appear to be involved in triggering fusion, since mutation of the histidine residues resulted in a destabilizing effect. Importantly, the addition of a tetrabasic site and the eleven amino acid insertion conferred efficient intracellular cleavage to the HA of an H7N3 low pathogenicity avian influenza virus. Our studies show that acquisition of the eleven amino acid insertion offers an alternative mechanism for intracellular cleavage of influenza HA.

  19. Short RNA guides cleavage by eukaryotic RNase III.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Lamontagne

    Full Text Available In eukaryotes, short RNAs guide a variety of enzymatic activities that range from RNA editing to translation repression. It is hypothesized that pre-existing proteins evolved to bind and use guide RNA during evolution. However, the capacity of modern proteins to adopt new RNA guides has never been demonstrated. Here we show that Rnt1p, the yeast orthologue of the bacterial dsRNA-specific RNase III, can bind short RNA transcripts and use them as guides for sequence-specific cleavage. Target cleavage occurred at a constant distance from the Rnt1p binding site, leaving the guide RNA intact for subsequent cleavage. Our results indicate that RNase III may trigger sequence-specific RNA degradation independent of the RNAi machinery, and they open the road for a new generation of precise RNA silencing tools that do not trigger a dsRNA-mediated immune response.

  20. Crataegus azarolus Leaves Induce Antiproliferative Activity, Cell Cycle Arrest, and Apoptosis in Human HT-29 and HCT-116 Colorectal Cancer Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mustapha, Nadia; Pinon, Aline; Limami, Youness; Simon, Alain; Ghedira, Kamel; Hennebelle, Thierry; Chekir-Ghedira, Leila

    2016-05-01

    Limited success has been achieved in extending the survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). There is a strong need for novel agents in the treatment and prevention of CRC. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic potential of Crataegus azarolus ethyl acetate extract in HCT-116 and HT-29 human colorectal cancer cell lines. Moreover, we attempted to investigate the signaling pathways that should be involved in its cytotoxic effect. The Crataegus azarolus ethyl acetate extract-induced growth inhibitory effect was associated with DNA fragmentation, sub-G1 peak, loss of mitochondrial potential, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. In addition, ethyl acetate extract of Crataegus azarolus induced the cleavage of caspase-8. It has no effect on steady-state levels of total Bcl-2 protein. Whereas Bax levels decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner in both tested cell lines. Taken together, these findings confirm the involvement of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. The apoptotic cell death induced by ethyl acetate extract of Crataegus azarolus was accompanied by an enhancement of the p21 expression but not through p53 activation in human colorectal cancer cells. The above-mentioned data provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of Crataegus azarolus ethyl acetate extract-induced apoptosis in CRC. Therefore, this compound should be a potential anticancer agent for the treatment of CRC. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase overexpression increases metastatic growth of B16 melanoma cells in the mouse liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obrador, Elena; Carretero, Julian; Ortega, Angel; Medina, Ignacio; Rodilla, Vicente; Pellicer, José A; Estrela, José M

    2002-01-01

    B16 melanoma (B16M) cells with high glutathione (GSH) content show rapid proliferation in vitro and high metastatic activity in the liver in vivo. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)-mediated extracellular GSH cleavage and intracellular GSH synthesis were studied in vitro in B16M cells with high (F10) and low (F1) metastatic potential. GGT activity was modified by transfection with the human GGT gene (B16MF1/Tet-GGT cells) or by acivicin-induced inhibition. B16MF1/Tet-GGT and B16MF10 cells exhibited higher GSH content (35 +/- 6 and 40 +/- 5 nmol/10(6) cells, respectively) and GGT activity (89 +/- 9 and 37 +/- 7 mU/10(6) cells, respectively) as compared (P <.05) with B16MF1 cells (10 +/- 3 nmol GSH and 4 mU GGT/10(6) cells). Metastasis (number of foci/100 mm(3) of liver) increased in B16MF1 cells pretreated with GSH ester ( approximately 3-fold, P <.01), and decreased in B16MF1/Tet-GGT and B16MF10 cells pretreated with the GSH synthesis inhibitor L-buthionine (S,R)-sulphoximine ( approximately 5-fold and 2-fold, respectively, P <.01). Liver, kidney, brain, lung, and erythrocyte GSH content in B16MF1/Tet-GGT- or B16MF10-bearing mice decreased as compared with B16MF1- and non-tumor-bearing mice. Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1-independent sinusoidal GSH efflux from hepatocytes increased in B16MF1/Tet-GGT- or B16MF10-bearing mice ( approximately 2-fold, P <.01) as compared with non-tumor-bearing mice. Our results indicate that tumor GGT activity and an intertissue flow of GSH can regulate GSH content of melanoma cells and their metastatic growth in the liver.

  2. Intracardiac Metastatic Rhabdomyosarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tae Ho Kim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A 70-year-old man who visited Samsung Medical Center reported experiencing palpitation for 2 weeks. He had undergone excision of a mass in the right buttock due to rhabdomyosarcoma 7 years prior to this visit. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a pedunculated mass in the left ventricle, which was thought to be a vegetation of infective endocarditis, metastasis of the primary tumor, or thrombus. He underwent removal of the cardiac tumor, and the pathologic report was metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma. Thus, here, we report a rare case of metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma in the left ventricle.

  3. Computed tomography scans of metastatic hepatic tumors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takemoto, Kazumasa; Fukuda, Haruyuki; Nemoto, Yutaka [Osaka City Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine

    1984-01-01

    Computed tomography scans of 114 metastatic hepatic tumors were reviewed. Central low density was found in 82 cases (71.9%) and seems to be characteristic to metastatic hepatic tumors. Dynamic CT was performed on 34 cases, and 21 (61.8%) of these had ring enhancement at the arterial phase. Most of metastatic hepatic tumors could be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma. However, metastatic hepatic tumors from renal cell carcinoma, renal rhabdomyosarcoma, malignant melanoma and leiomyosarcoma could not be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma, even with use of dynamic study.

  4. Constitutively active ErbB2 regulates cisplatin-induced cell death in breast cancer cells via pro- and antiapoptotic mechanisms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sigurðsson, Haraldur H; Olesen, Christina Wilkens; Dybboe, Rie

    2015-01-01

    cancer cell death, and determine how NHE1 regulates this process. Cisplatin treatment elicited apoptosis, ATM phosphorylation, upregulation of p53, Noxa (PMAIP1), and PUMA (BBC3), and cleavage of caspase-9, -7, fodrin, and PARP-1 in MCF-7 cells. Inducible ΔNErbB2 expression strongly reduced cisplatin...

  5. Effect of microstructure on the cleavage fracture strength of low carbon Mn-Ni-Mo bainitic steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Im, Young-Roc; Lee, Byeong-Joo; Oh, Yong Jun; Hong, Jun Hwa; Lee, Hu-Chul

    2004-01-01

    The effects of the microstructure on the cleavage fracture strength of low carbon Mn-Ni-Mo bainitic steels were examined. A four-point bend test and double-notched bend specimens were used to measure the cleavage fracture strength of the alloys and identify the cleavage initiating micro-cracks, respectively. The cleavage fracture strength and DBTT of Mn-Ni-Mo bainitic steels were strongly affected by the alloy carbon content. The decrease in the alloy carbon content resulted in a decrease in the inter-lath cementite-crowded layers and higher cleavage fracture strength. Micro-cracks that formed across the inter-lath cementite-crowded layers were observed to initiate cleavage fracture. The width of these inter-lath cementite-crowded layers was accepted as a cleavage initiating micro-crack size in the micro-mechanical modeling of the cleavage fracture, and the measured cleavage strength values of the bainitic Mn-Ni-Mo steels were well represented by the modified Griffith relationship

  6. [Expression of PARP/NF-κB and intervention effect of 5-AIQ/PDTC in SAP rats with adrenal damage].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bo; Guo, Wen-Yi; Yu, Jia; Zhao, Kai-liang; Shi, Qiao; Zuo, Teng; Wang, Wei-xing

    2013-10-15

    To explore the expression of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase/nuclear factor-κB (PARP/NF-κB) and intervention effect of 5-aminoisoquinolinone/pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (5-AIQ/PDTC) in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) rats with adrenal damage. The primarily cultured adrenocortical cells were quantitatively divided into control group (SO), pancreatitis group (SAP), PDTC drug control group (SO+PDTC), PDTC intervention group (SAP+PDTC), 5-AIQ drug control group (SO+ 5-AIQ) and 5-AIQ intervention group (SAP+5-AIQ). The SAP and 2 intervention groups were stimulated with the sera of SAP rats. Then corresponding drugs were added and culture continued for 12 hours. The corticosterone levels and PARP/NF-κB expression were observed for each group. Adrenal cells in vitro cultured were round or oval, had secretory granules and could be stained by 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase antibody. The adherence rate was 60% after 48-hour culturing. The corticosterone level of SAP group was significantly lower than that of SO group [ (216.4 ± 15.7) vs (294.8 ± 16.3) µg/L, P SAP group (P SAP and PDTC intervention groups were higher than SO group while 5-AIQ intervention group was significantly lower than SAP and PDTC intervention groups, but higher than SO and drug control groups. The expression of NF-κB in SAP group was higher than that in SO group. Two intervention groups were lower than SAP group, but higher than SO and drug control groups. The pathway of PARP/NF-κB participates in adrenal damage of SAP rats. To a certain extent, the uses of 5-AIQ and PDTC may alleviate adrenal damage.

  7. Characterization of SNARE Cleavage Products Generated by Formulated Botulinum Neurotoxin Type-A Drug Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jack Xie

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The study evaluated substrate cleavage product(s generated by three botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A medicinal drug products utilizing a novel and highly specific, light-chain activity, high-performance liquid chromatography (LCA-HPLC method. Samples were reacted with a commercially available BoNT/A fluorescent substrate derived from the SNAP-25 sequence. Reaction products were separated by reversed-phase HPLC. The method detected an atypical cleavage pattern by one of the formulated drug products. IncobotulinumtoxinA produced two cleavage fragments rather than the single fragment typically generated by BoNT/A. Identification confirmed the secondary cleavage at a position corresponding to SNAP-25 Arg198–Ala199 (normal BoNT/A cleavage is Gln197–Arg198. Arg198–Ala199 is also the cleavage site for trypsin and serotype C toxin. Normal cleavage was observed for all other BoNT/A drug product samples, as well as 900-kD and 150-kD bulk toxin BoNT/A. The reason for this unexpected secondary cleavage pattern by one formulated BoNT/A drug product is unknown. Possible explanations include a contaminating protease and/or damage to the 150-kD type-A toxin causing nonspecific substrate recognition and subsequent cleavage uncharacteristic of type-A toxin. The BoNT/A drug products were also analyzed via the LCA-HPLC assay using a commercial BoNT/C fluorescent substrate derived from the syntaxin sequence. Cleavage of the serotype C substrate by incobotulinumtoxinA was also confirmed whilst neither of the other drug products cleaved the syntaxin substrate.

  8. Post-transcription cleavage generates the 3' end of F17R transcripts in vaccinia virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Costa, Susan M.; Antczak, James B.; Pickup, David J.; Condit, Richard C.

    2004-01-01

    Most vaccinia virus intermediate and late mRNAs possess 3' ends that are extremely heterogeneous in sequence. However, late mRNAs encoding the cowpox A-type inclusion protein (ATI), the second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase, and the late telomeric transcripts possess homogeneous 3' ends. In the case of the ATI mRNA, it has been shown that the homogeneous 3' end is generated by a post-transcriptional endoribonucleolytic cleavage event. We have determined that the F17R gene also produces homogeneous transcripts generated by a post-transcriptional cleavage event. Mapping of in vivo mRNA shows that the major 3' end of the F17R transcript maps 1262 nt downstream of the F17R translational start site. In vitro transcripts spanning the in vivo 3' end are cleaved in an in vitro reaction using extracts from virus infected cells, and the site of cleavage is the same both in vivo and in vitro. Cleavage is not observed using extract from cells infected in the presence of hydroxyurea; therefore, the cleavage factor is either virus-coded or virus-induced during the post-replicative phase of virus replication. The cis-acting sequence responsible for cleavage is orientation specific and the factor responsible for cleavage activity has biochemical properties similar to the factor required for cleavage of ATI transcripts. Partially purified cleavage factor generates cleavage products of expected size when either the ATI or F17R substrates are used in vitro, strongly suggesting that cleavage of both transcripts is mediated by the same factor

  9. Cutaneous metastatic adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshi Arun

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available A 5.5-year-old male presented with asymptomatic nodules and plaques on his scalp and pubic region of 2 months′ duration. He was having productive cough, haemoptysis, chest pain, anorexia and weight loss and receiving antitubercular treatment for these symptoms for last 3 months. Clinical diagnosis of cutaneous metastatic disease was made. Chest x-ray revealed multiple coin shaped shadows on both sides with pleural effusion. Routine investigations were normal except for anemia and hyperuricemia. Biopsy of skin nodules showed features of metastatic adenocarcinoma. Features and significance of cutaneous metastases are discussed.

  10. Pleiotropic function of ezrin in human metastatic melanomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Federici, Cristina; Brambilla, Daria; Lozupone, Francesco; Matarrese, Paola; de Milito, Angelo; Lugini, Luana; Iessi, Elisabetta; Cecchetti, Serena; Marino, Marialucia; Perdicchio, Maurizio; Logozzi, Mariantonia; Spada, Massimo; Malorni, Walter; Fais, Stefano

    2009-06-15

    The membrane cytoskeleton cross-linker, ezrin, has recently been depicted as a key regulator in the progression and metastasis of several pediatric tumors. Less defined appears the role of ezrin in human adult tumors, especially melanoma. We therefore addressed ezrin involvement in the metastatic phenotype of human adult metastatic melanoma cells. Our results show that cells resected from melanoma metastatic lesions of patients, display marked metastatic spreading capacity in SCID mice organs. Stable transfection of human melanoma cells with an ezrin deletion mutant comprising only 146 N-terminal aminoacids led to the abolishment of metastatic dissemination. In vitro experiments revealed ezrin direct molecular interactions with molecules related to metastatic functions such as CD44, merlin and Lamp-1, consistent with its participation to the formation of phagocitic vacuoles, vesicular sorting and migration capacities of melanoma cells. Moreover, the ezrin fragment capable of binding to CD44 was shorter than that previously reported, and transfection with the ezrin deletion mutant abrogated plasma membrane Lamp-1 recruitment. This study highlights key involvement of ezrin in a complex machinery, which allows metastatic cancer cells to migrate, invade and survive in very unfavorable conditions. Our in vivo and in vitro data reveal that ezrin is the hub of the metastatic behavior also in human adult tumors. Copyright 2008 UICC.

  11. Metastatic Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metastatic cancer is cancer that spreads from its site of origin to another part of the body. Learn how cancer spreads, possible symptoms, common sites where cancer spreads, and how to find out about treatment options.

  12. Working after a metastatic cancer diagnosis: Factors affecting employment in the metastatic setting from ECOG-ACRIN's Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tevaarwerk, Amye J; Lee, Ju-Whei; Terhaar, Abigail; Sesto, Mary E; Smith, Mary Lou; Cleeland, Charles S; Fisch, Michael J

    2016-02-01

    Improved survival for individuals with metastatic cancer accentuates the importance of employment for cancer survivors. A better understanding of how metastatic cancer affects employment is a necessary step toward the development of tools for assisting survivors in this important realm. The ECOG-ACRIN Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns study was analyzed to investigate what factors were associated with the employment of 680 metastatic cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare patients stably working with patients no longer working. There were 668 metastatic working-age participants in the analysis: 236 (35%) worked full- or part-time, whereas 302 (45%) had stopped working because of illness. Overall, 58% reported some change in employment due to illness. A better performance status and non-Hispanic white ethnicity/race were significantly associated with continuing to work despite a metastatic cancer diagnosis in the multivariate analysis. The disease type, time since metastatic diagnosis, number of metastatic sites, location of metastatic disease, and treatment status had no significant impact. Among the potentially modifiable factors, receiving hormonal treatment (if a viable option) and decreasing symptom interference were associated with continuing to work. A significant percentage of the metastatic patients remained employed; increased symptom burden was associated with a change to no longer working. Modifiable factors resulting in work interference should be minimized so that patients with metastatic disease may continue working if this is desired. Improvements in symptom control and strategies developed to help address workplace difficulties have promise for improving this aspect of survivorship. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

  13. Coronavirus 3CLpro proteinase cleavage sites: Possible relevance to SARS virus pathology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blom Nikolaj

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the passing of more than a year since the first outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS, efficient counter-measures are still few and many believe that reappearance of SARS, or a similar disease caused by a coronavirus, is not unlikely. For other virus families like the picornaviruses it is known that pathology is related to proteolytic cleavage of host proteins by viral proteinases. Furthermore, several studies indicate that virus proliferation can be arrested using specific proteinase inhibitors supporting the belief that proteinases are indeed important during infection. Prompted by this, we set out to analyse and predict cleavage by the coronavirus main proteinase using computational methods. Results We retrieved sequence data on seven fully sequenced coronaviruses and identified the main 3CL proteinase cleavage sites in polyproteins using alignments. A neural network was trained to recognise the cleavage sites in the genomes obtaining a sensitivity of 87.0% and a specificity of 99.0%. Several proteins known to be cleaved by other viruses were submitted to prediction as well as proteins suspected relevant in coronavirus pathology. Cleavage sites were predicted in proteins such as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR, transcription factors CREB-RP and OCT-1, and components of the ubiquitin pathway. Conclusions Our prediction method NetCorona predicts coronavirus cleavage sites with high specificity and several potential cleavage candidates were identified which might be important to elucidate coronavirus pathology. Furthermore, the method might assist in design of proteinase inhibitors for treatment of SARS and possible future diseases caused by coronaviruses. It is made available for public use at our website: http://www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/NetCorona/.

  14. Prediction of proteasome cleavage motifs by neural networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kesimir, C.; Nussbaum, A.K.; Schild, H.

    2002-01-01

    physiological conditions. Our algorithm has been trained not only on in vitro data, but also on MHC Class I ligand data, which reflect a combination of immunoproteasome and constitutive proteasome specificity. This feature, together with the use of neural networks, a non-linear classification technique, make...... the prediction of MHC Class I ligand boundaries more accurate: 65% of the cleavage sites and 85% of the non-cleavage sites are correctly determined. Moreover, we show that the neural networks trained on the constitutive proteasome data learns a specificity that differs from that of the networks trained on MHC...

  15. Importance of Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio in Non-Metastatic, Lymph Node-Invaded Colon Cancer: A Clinical Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isik, Arda; Peker, Kemal; Firat, Deniz; Yilmaz, Bahri; Sayar, Ilyas; Idiz, Oguz; Cakir, Coskun; Demiryilmaz, Ismail; Yilmaz, Ismayil

    2014-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic importance of the metastatic lymph node ratio for stage III colon cancer patients and to find a cut-off value at which the overall survival and disease-free survival change. Material/Methods Patients with pathological stage III colon cancer were retrospectively evaluated for: age; preoperative values of Crp, Cea, Ca 19-9, and Afp; pathologic situation of vascular, perineural, lymphatic, and serosal involvement; and metastatic lymph node ratio values were calculated. Results The study included 58 stage III colon cancer patients: 20 (34.5%) females and 38 (65.5%) males were involved in the study. Multivariate analysis was applied to the following variables to evaluate significance for overall survival and disease-free survival: age, Crp, Cea, perineural invasion, and metastatic lymph node ratio. The metastatic lymph node ratio (<0.25 or ≥0.25) is the only independent variable significant for overall and disease-free survival. Conclusions Metastatic lymph node ratio is an ideal prognostic marker for stage III colon cancer patients, and 0.25 is the cut-off value for prognosis. PMID:25087904

  16. Remarkable weakness against cleavage stress for YBCO-coated conductors and its effect on the YBCO coil performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanagisawa, Y.; Nakagome, H.; Takematsu, T.; Takao, T.; Sato, N.; Takahashi, M.; Maeda, H.

    2011-01-01

    Cleavage strength for YBCO-coated conductor is extremely low, typically 0.5 MPa. The remarkable weakness is due to cracks on the slit edge of the conductor. The cleavage stress appears on YBCO double pancake coils impregnated with epoxy. The cleavage stress should be avoided in the coil winding. Cleavage strength for an YBCO-coated conductor at 77 K was investigated with a model experiment. The nominal cleavage strength for an YBCO-coated conductor is extremely low, typically 0.5 MPa. This low nominal cleavage strength is due to stress concentration on a small part of the YBCO-coated conductor in cleavage fracture. Debonding by the cleavage stress occurs at the interface between the buffer layer and the Hastelloy substrate. The nominal cleavage strength for a slit edge of the conductor is 2.5-times lower than that for the original edge of the conductor; cracks and micro-peel existing over the slit edge reduce the cleavage strength for the slit edge. Cleavage stress and peel stress should be avoided in coil winding, as they easily delaminate the YBCO-coated conductor, resulting in substantial degradation of coil performance. These problems are especially important for epoxy impregnated YBCO-coated conductor coils. It appears that effect of cleavage stress and peel stress are mostly negligible for paraffin impregnated YBCO-coated conductor coils or dry wound YBCO-coated conductor coils.

  17. Effect of two tumors (metastatic and non-metastatic) on tissue distribution of Ga-67 citrate in the rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durakovic, A.

    1985-01-01

    The effect of metastatic and non-metastatic mammary adenocarcinoma on tissue distribution of Ga-67 citrate in Fischer female rats was studied. The homogenate (0.1 ml) of each tumor was injected subcutaneously in separate groups of rats and the animals were studied from day 2-30 after tumor homogenate implantation. All animals were injected with 30 μCi of Ga-67 citrate and sacrificed by halothane anethesia 48 hours later. Tissue samples of blood, lung, heart, liver, spleen, kidney, adrenal, stomach, small and large intestine, ovaries, and lymph nodes (popliteal, lumbar, and mediastinal) were obtained and counted in a gamma well counter. The control group consisted of four animals and tumor bearing groups of seven to eight animals at each time. Ga-67 uptake was increased in the liver (24 days) and in the popliteal lymph nodes on days 7, 10, and 18 in the metastatic tumor group (P<0.05). This probably represents Ga-67 uptake in the metastatic deposits in these organs. No difference was observed in non-metastatic tumor group

  18. Distinct spatio temporal patterns and PARP dependence of XRCC1 recruitment to single-strand break and base excision repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campalans, Anna; Kortulewski, Thierry; Amouroux, Rachel; Radicella, J. Pablo; Menoni, Herve; Vermeulen, Wim

    2013-01-01

    Single-strand break repair (SSBR) and base excision repair (BER) of modified bases and abasic sites share several players. Among them is XRCC1, an essential scaffold protein with no enzymatic activity, required for the coordination of both pathways. XRCC1 is recruited to SSBR by PARP-1, responsible for the initial recognition of the break. The recruitment of XRCC1 to BER is still poorly understood. Here we show by using both local and global induction of oxidative DNA base damage that XRCC1 participation in BER complexes can be distinguished from that in SSBR by several criteria. We show first that XRCC1 recruitment to BER is independent of PARP. Second, unlike SSBR complexes that are assembled within minutes after global damage induction, XRCC1 is detected later in BER patches, with kinetics consistent with the repair of oxidized bases. Third, while XRCC1-containing foci associated with SSBR are formed both in eu- and heterochromatin domains, BER complexes are assembled in patches that are essentially excluded from heterochromatin and where the oxidized bases are detected. (authors)

  19. Carbon ion beam triggers both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathway of apoptosis in HeLa and status of PARP-1 controls intensity of apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghorai, Atanu; Sarma, Asitikantha; Bhattacharyya, Nitai P; Ghosh, Utpal

    2015-04-01

    High linear energy transfer (LET) carbon ion beam (CIB) is becoming very promising tool for various cancer treatments and is more efficient than conventional low LET gamma or X-rays to kill malignant or radio-resistant cells, although detailed mechanism of cell death is still unknown. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a key player in DNA repair and its inhibitors are well-known as radio-sensitizer for low LET radiation. The objective of our study was to find mechanism(s) of induction of apoptosis by CIB and role of PARP-1 in CIB-induced apoptosis. We observed overall higher apoptosis in PARP-1 knocked down HeLa cells (HsiI) compared with negative control H-vector cells after irradiation with CIB (0-4 Gy). CIB activated both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis via caspase-9 and caspase-8 activation respectively, followed by caspase-3 activation, apoptotic body, nucleosomal ladder formation and sub-G1 accumulation. Apoptosis inducing factor translocation into nucleus in H-vector but not in HsiI cells after CIB irradiation contributed caspase-independent apoptosis. Higher p53 expression was observed in HsiI cells compared with H-vector after exposure with CIB. Notably, we observed about 37 % fall of mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and mild activation of caspase-8 without any detectable apoptotic body formation in un-irradiated HsiI cells. We conclude that reduction of PARP-1 expression activates apoptotic signals via intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in un-irradiated cells. CIB irradiation further intensified both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis synergistically along with up-regulation of p53 in HsiI cells resulting overall higher apoptosis in HsiI than H-vector.

  20. Flanking signal and mature peptide residues influence signal peptide cleavage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ranganathan Shoba

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Signal peptides (SPs mediate the targeting of secretory precursor proteins to the correct subcellular compartments in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Identifying these transient peptides is crucial to the medical, food and beverage and biotechnology industries yet our understanding of these peptides remains limited. This paper examines the most common type of signal peptides cleavable by the endoprotease signal peptidase I (SPase I, and the residues flanking the cleavage sites of three groups of signal peptide sequences, namely (i eukaryotes (Euk (ii Gram-positive (Gram+ bacteria, and (iii Gram-negative (Gram- bacteria. Results In this study, 2352 secretory peptide sequences from a variety of organisms with amino-terminal SPs are extracted from the manually curated SPdb database for analysis based on physicochemical properties such as pI, aliphatic index, GRAVY score, hydrophobicity, net charge and position-specific residue preferences. Our findings show that the three groups share several similarities in general, but they display distinctive features upon examination in terms of their amino acid compositions and frequencies, and various physico-chemical properties. Thus, analysis or prediction of their sequences should be separated and treated as distinct groups. Conclusion We conclude that the peptide segment recognized by SPase I extends to the start of the mature protein to a limited extent, upon our survey of the amino acid residues surrounding the cleavage processing site. These flanking residues possibly influence the cleavage processing and contribute to non-canonical cleavage sites. Our findings are applicable in defining more accurate prediction tools for recognition and identification of cleavage site of SPs.

  1. Staggering in the cleavage pattern of E. coli ABC-excinuclease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myles, G.M.; Van Houten, B.; Sancar, A.

    1986-01-01

    E. coli ABC excinuclease is a complex of three proteins encoded by the uvrA, uvrB, and uvrC genes. The enzyme repairs DNA mono and diadducts by the single strand cleavage of DNA eight phosphodiester bond 5' and four or five phosphodiester bonds 3' to a DNA lesion and facilitates the removal of the resulting twelve or thirteen nucleotide fragment. In this study, the authors have investigated the excision pattern for ultraviolet (UV) induced diadducts, i.e. cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproducts. Terminally (5' or 3') labeled DNA was irradiated with 254nm UV and treated with ABC excinuclease before and after photoreactivation of cyclobutane dimers by E. coli DNA photolyase. In this way, the authors were able to differentiate between the cleavage pattern of pyrimidine dimers and of (6-4) photoproducts. Their results show that certain TT cyclobutane dimers and rare TT (6-4) photoproducts are excised by cleavage seven and, less frequently, six phosphodiester bonds to the 5' side of the DNA lesion in addition to the primary cutting site at the eight 5' phosphodiester bond. The 3' cleavage sites are maintained at the fourth and fifth phosphodiester bonds for the these UV induced lesions. These data indicate that the cleavage pattern of the ABC excinuclease may be dependent upon both the type of DNA lesion as well as it surrounding nucleotide sequence. In addition, the authors analysis shows that (6-4) photoproducts are much better substrates for ABC excinuclease than are pyrimidine dimers

  2. Downstream element determines RNase Y cleavage of the saePQRS operon in Staphylococcus aureus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marincola, Gabriella; Wolz, Christiane

    2017-06-02

    In gram-positive bacteria, RNase J1, RNase J2 and RNase Y are thought to be major contributors to mRNA degradation and maturation. In Staphylococcus aureus, RNase Y activity is restricted to regulating the mRNA decay of only certain transcripts. Here the saePQRS operon was used as a model to analyze RNase Y specificity in living cells. A RNase Y cleavage site is located in an intergenic region between saeP and saeQ. This cleavage resulted in rapid degradation of the upstream fragment and stabilization of the downstream fragment. Thereby, the expression ratio of the different components of the operon was shifted towards saeRS, emphasizing the regulatory role of RNase Y activity. To assess cleavage specificity different regions surrounding the sae CS were cloned upstream of truncated gfp, and processing was analyzed in vivo using probes up- and downstream of CS. RNase Y cleavage was not determined by the cleavage site sequence. Instead a 24-bp double-stranded recognition structure was identified that was required to initiate cleavage 6 nt upstream. The results indicate that RNase Y activity is determined by secondary structure recognition determinants, which guide cleavage from a distance. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  3. Effects of clusterin over-expression on metastatic progression and therapy in breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flanagan, Louise; Whyte, Lorna; Chatterjee, Namita; Tenniswood, Martin

    2010-01-01

    Clusterin is a secreted glycoprotein that is upregulated in a variety of cell lines in response to stress, and enhances cell survival. A second nuclear isoform of clusterin that is associated with cell death has also been identified. The aim of this study was to determine the role(s) of the secretory isoform in breast tumor progression and metastasis. To investigate the role of secretory clusterin in the biology of breast cancer tumor growth and resistance to therapy we have engineered an MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7CLU) that over-expresses clusterin. We have measured the in vitro effects of clusterin over-expression on cell cycle, cell death, and sensitivity to TNFalpha and tamoxifen. Using an orthotopic model of breast cancer, we have also determined the effects of over-expression of clusterin on tumor growth and metastatic progression. In vitro, over-expression of secretory clusterin alters the cell cycle kinetics and decreases the rate of cell death, resulting in the enhancement of cell growth. Over-expression of secretory clusterin also blocks the TNFalpha-mediated induction of p21 and abrogates the cleavage of Bax to t-Bax, rendering the MCF-7CLU cells significantly more resistant to the cytokine than the parental cells. Orthotopic primary tumors derived from MCF-7CLU cells grow significantly more rapidly than tumors derived from parental MCF-7 cells and, unlike the parental cells, metastasize frequently to the lungs. These data suggest that secretory clusterin, which is frequently up-regulated in breast cancers by common therapies, including anti-estrogens, may play a significant role in tumor growth, metastatic progression and subsequent drug resistance in surviving cells

  4. The BRCA1-Δ11q Alternative Splice Isoform Bypasses Germline Mutations and Promotes Therapeutic Resistance to PARP Inhibition and Cisplatin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Yifan; Bernhardy, Andrea J; Cruz, Cristina

    2016-01-01

    Breast and ovarian cancer patients harboring BRCA1/2 germline mutations have clinically benefitted from therapy with PARP inhibitor (PARPi) or platinum compounds, but acquired resistance limits clinical impact. In this study, we investigated the impact of mutations on BRCA1 isoform expression and...

  5. Protein cleavage strategies for an improved analysis of the membrane proteome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poetsch Ansgar

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Membrane proteins still remain elusive in proteomic studies. This is in part due to the distribution of the amino acids lysine and arginine, which are less frequent in integral membrane proteins and almost absent in transmembrane helices. As these amino acids are cleavage targets for the commonly used protease trypsin, alternative cleavage conditions, which should improve membrane protein analysis, were tested by in silico digestion for the three organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, and Corynebacterium glutamicum as hallmarks for eukaryotes, archea and eubacteria. Results For the membrane proteomes from all three analyzed organisms, we identified cleavage conditions that achieve better sequence and proteome coverage than trypsin. Greater improvement was obtained for bacteria than for yeast, which was attributed to differences in protein size and GRAVY. It was demonstrated for bacteriorhodopsin that the in silico predictions agree well with the experimental observations. Conclusion For all three examined organisms, it was found that a combination of chymotrypsin and staphylococcal peptidase I gave significantly better results than trypsin. As some of the improved cleavage conditions are not more elaborate than trypsin digestion and have been proven useful in practice, we suppose that the cleavage at both hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids should facilitate in general the analysis of membrane proteins for all organisms.

  6. Cleavage and Cell Adhesion Properties of Human Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (HEPCAM)*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsaktanis, Thanos; Kremling, Heidi; Pavšič, Miha; von Stackelberg, Ricarda; Mack, Brigitte; Fukumori, Akio; Steiner, Harald; Vielmuth, Franziska; Spindler, Volker; Huang, Zhe; Jakubowski, Jasmine; Stoecklein, Nikolas H.; Luxenburger, Elke; Lauber, Kirsten; Lenarčič, Brigita; Gires, Olivier

    2015-01-01

    Human epithelial cell adhesion molecule (HEPCAM) is a tumor-associated antigen frequently expressed in carcinomas, which promotes proliferation after regulated intramembrane proteolysis. Here, we describe extracellular shedding of HEPCAM at two α-sites through a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) and at one β-site through BACE1. Transmembrane cleavage by γ-secretase occurs at three γ-sites to generate extracellular Aβ-like fragments and at two ϵ-sites to release human EPCAM intracellular domain HEPICD, which is efficiently degraded by the proteasome. Mapping of cleavage sites onto three-dimensional structures of HEPEX cis-dimer predicted conditional availability of α- and β-sites. Endocytosis of HEPCAM warrants acidification in cytoplasmic vesicles to dissociate protein cis-dimers required for cleavage by BACE1 at low pH values. Intramembrane cleavage sites are accessible and not part of the structurally important transmembrane helix dimer crossing region. Surprisingly, neither chemical inhibition of cleavage nor cellular knock-out of HEPCAM using CRISPR-Cas9 technology impacted the adhesion of carcinoma cell lines. Hence, a direct function of HEPCAM as an adhesion molecule in carcinoma cells is not supported and appears to be questionable. PMID:26292218

  7. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flavio L. Heldwein

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: To assess the current treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, focusing on medical treatment options. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The most important recent publications have been selected after a literature search employing PubMed using the search terms: advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinoma, anti-angiogenesis drugs and systemic therapy; also significant meeting abstracts were consulted. RESULTS: Progress in understanding the molecular basis of renal cell carcinoma, especially related to genetics and angiogenesis, has been achieved mainly through of the study of von Hippel-Lindau disease. A great variety of active agents have been developed and tested in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC patients. New specific molecular therapies in metastatic disease are discussed. Sunitinib, Sorafenib and Bevacizumab increase the progression-free survival when compared to therapy with cytokines. Temsirolimus increases overall survival in high-risk patients. Growth factors and regulatory enzymes, such as carbonic anhydrase IX may be targets for future therapies. CONCLUSIONS: A broader knowledge of clear cell carcinoma molecular biology has permitted the beginning of a new era in mRCC therapy. Benefits of these novel agents in terms of progression-free and overall survival have been observed in patients with mRCC, and, in many cases, have become the standard of care. Sunitinib is now considered the new reference first-line treatment for mRCC. Despite all the progress in recent years, complete responses are still very rare. Currently, many important issues regarding the use of these agents in the management of metastatic renal cancer still need to be properly addressed.

  8. Characterization of a Non-Canonical Signal Peptidase Cleavage Site in a Replication Protein from Tomato Ringspot Virus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ting Wei

    Full Text Available The NTB-VPg polyprotein from tomato ringspot virus is an integral membrane replication protein associated with endoplasmic reticulum membranes. A signal peptidase (SPase cleavage was previously detected in the C-terminal region of NTB-VPg downstream of a 14 amino acid (aa-long hydrophobic region (termed TM2. However, the exact location of the cleavage site was not determined. Using in vitro translation assays, we show that the SPase cleavage site is conserved in the NTB-VPg protein from various ToRSV isolates, although the rate of cleavage varies from one isolate to another. Systematic site-directed mutagenesis of the NTB-VPg SPase cleavage sites of two ToRSV isolates allowed the identification of sequences that affect cleavage efficiency. We also present evidence that SPase cleavage in the ToRSV-Rasp2 isolate occurs within a GAAGG sequence likely after the AAG (GAAG/G. Mutation of a downstream MAAV sequence to AAAV resulted in SPase cleavage at both the natural GAAG/G and the mutated AAA/V sequences. Given that there is a distance of seven aa between the two cleavage sites, this indicates that there is flexibility in the positioning of the cleavage sites relative to the inner surface of the membrane and the SPase active site. SPase cleavage sites are typically located 3-7 aa downstream of the hydrophobic region. However, the NTB-VPg GAAG/G cleavage site is located 17 aa downstream of the TM2 hydrophobic region, highlighting unusual features of the NTB-VPg SPase cleavage site. A putative 11 aa-long amphipathic helix was identified immediately downstream of the TM2 region and five aa upstream of the GAAG/G cleavage site. Based on these results, we present an updated topology model in which the hydrophobic and amphipathic domains form a long tilted helix or a bent helix in the membrane lipid bilayer, with the downstream cleavage site(s oriented parallel to the membrane inner surface.

  9. Working after a metastatic cancer diagnosis: factors affecting employment in the metastatic setting from ECOG’s Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns (SOAPP) study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tevaarwerk, Amye; Lee, Ju-Whei; Terhaar, Abigail; Sesto, Mary; Smith, Mary Lou; Cleeland, Charles; Fisch, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Background Improved survival for individuals with metastatic cancer accentuates the importance of employment for cancer survivors. Better understanding of how metastatic cancer affects employment is a necessary step towards the development of tools to assist survivors in this important realm. Methods We analyzed the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group’s “Symptom Outcomes and Practice Patterns (SOAPP)” study to investigate what factors were associated with employment of 680 metastatic cancer patients. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare patients stably working (Group A) to patients no longer working (Group B). Results There were 668 metastatic working-age participants in our analysis; 236 (35%) worked full or part-time while 302 (45%) stopped working due to illness. Overall, 58% reported some change in employment due to illness. Better performance status and non-Hispanic White ethnicity/race were significantly associated with continuing to work despite a metastatic cancer diagnosis on multivariable analysis. Disease type, time since metastatic diagnosis, number of metastatic sites, location of metastatic disease, and treatment status had no significant impact. Among the potentially modifiable factors, receiving hormonal treatment (if a viable option) and decreasing symptom interference were associated with continuing to work. Conclusions A significant percentage of metastatic patients remain employed; symptom burden was associated with change to no longer working. Modifiable factors resulting in work interference should be minimized so that patients with metastatic disease may continue working, if desired. Improvements in symptom control and strategies developed to help address work place difficulties have promise to improve this aspect of survivorship. PMID:26687819

  10. Tetrofosmin in metastatic breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berghammer, P.; Obwegeser, R.; Ulm, M.; Wiltschke, C.; Kubista, E.; Sinzinger, H.; Zielinski, C.

    1997-01-01

    Tetrofosmin (1,2-bis[bis(2-ethoxyethyl)phosphino]ethan) is currently under investigation for its tumor seeking properties, encouraged by the incidental finding of a malignant breast-lesion on myocardial scintigraphy in 1995 (Rambaldi et al, Clin Nucl Med 1995) using tetrofosmin. Recent reports have confirmed tetrofosmins role in detecting primary tumors in breast cancer. To investigate whether tetrofosmin significantly helps detect metastatic lesions in such patients we performed tetrofosmin scintigraphy in 21 patients with metastatic breast cancer. Patients and methods: Median age of patients was 61 years. In one patient the primary site was unknown. All patients had at least one distant metastasis. 550 MBq of 99m-Tc-tetrofosmin was administered ten minutes before imaging was begun. After obtaining a planar image, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was done of every suspected distant lesion. CT-scans or MRI were used to confirm positive correlation with tetrofosmin scintigraphy. Results: Tetrofosmin scintigraphy correctly diagnosed metastatic disease in 71 % of patients with no false negative and two false positive results. In each of the two patients a mediastinal hot spot suggestive of malignancy was found, but none of those lesions could be proven using CT scans. Excluding patients with liver metastasis from the present analysis, 91 % of all metastasis would have been correctly diagnosed. The first patient in our department had a large metastasis in the upper mediastinum which could not be seen on regular chest films. In the patient in whom the primary site of cancer was unknown, tetrofosmin scintigraphy showed three consecutive nodules in the left mammary, gland in a coronary fashion. Magnetic resonance imaging then confirmed two single nodules of 0.8 cm in diameter. Conclusions: Evaluating 21 patients, the present study was performed to investigate tetrofosmins properties of detecting metastatic lesions in patients with breast cancer. A 91

  11. Calicivirus 3C-like proteinase inhibits cellular translation by cleavage of poly(A)-binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuyumcu-Martinez, Muge; Belliot, Gaël; Sosnovtsev, Stanislav V; Chang, Kyeong-Ok; Green, Kim Y; Lloyd, Richard E

    2004-08-01

    Caliciviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses that cause a wide range of diseases in both humans and animals, but little is known about the regulation of cellular translation during infection. We used two distinct calicivirus strains, MD145-12 (genus Norovirus) and feline calicivirus (FCV) (genus Vesivirus), to investigate potential strategies used by the caliciviruses to inhibit cellular translation. Recombinant 3C-like proteinases (r3CL(pro)) from norovirus and FCV were found to cleave poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) in the absence of other viral proteins. The norovirus r3CL(pro) PABP cleavage products were indistinguishable from those generated by poliovirus (PV) 3C(pro) cleavage, while the FCV r3CL(pro) products differed due to cleavage at an alternate cleavage site 24 amino acids downstream of one of the PV 3C(pro) cleavage sites. All cleavages by calicivirus or PV proteases separated the C-terminal domain of PABP that binds translation factors eIF4B and eRF3 from the N-terminal RNA-binding domain of PABP. The effect of PABP cleavage by the norovirus r3CL(pro) was analyzed in HeLa cell translation extracts, and the presence of r3CL(pro) inhibited translation of both endogenous and exogenous mRNAs. Translation inhibition was poly(A) dependent, and replenishment of the extracts with PABP restored translation. Analysis of FCV-infected feline kidney cells showed that the levels of de novo cellular protein synthesis decreased over time as virus-specific proteins accumulated, and cleavage of PABP occurred in virus-infected cells. Our data indicate that the calicivirus 3CL(pro), like PV 3C(pro), mediates the cleavage of PABP as part of its strategy to inhibit cellular translation. PABP cleavage may be a common mechanism among certain virus families to manipulate cellular translation.

  12. The potato carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 catalyzes a single cleavage of β-ionone ring-containing carotenes and non-epoxidated xanthophylls

    KAUST Repository

    Bruno, Mark

    2015-04-01

    Down-regulation of the potato carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 (StCCD4) transcript level led to tubers with altered morphology and sprouting activity, which also accumulated higher levels of violaxanthin and lutein leading to elevated carotenoid amounts. This phenotype indicates a role of this enzyme in tuber development, which may be exerted by a cleavage product. In this work, we investigated the enzymatic activity of StCCD4, by expressing the corresponding cDNA in carotenoid accumulating Escherichia coli strains and by performing in vitro assays with heterologously expressed enzyme. StCCD4 catalyzed the cleavage of all-. trans-β-carotene at the C9\\'-C10\\' double bond, leading to β-ionone and all-. trans-β-apo-10\\'-carotenal, both in vivo and in vitro. The enzyme also cleaved β,β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein either at the C9\\'-C10\\' or the C9-C10 double bond in vitro. In contrast, we did not observe any conversion of violaxanthin and only traces of activity with 9-. cis-β-carotene, which led to 9-. cis-β-apo-10\\'-carotenal. Our data indicate that all-. trans-β-carotene is the likely substrate of StCCD4 in planta, and that this carotene may be precursor of an unknown compound involved in tuber development.

  13. CD147 and matrix-metalloproteinase-2 expression in metastatic and non-metastatic uveal melanomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lüke, Julia; Vukoja, Vlatka; Brandenbusch, Tim; Nassar, Khaled; Rohrbach, Jens Martin; Grisanti, Salvatore; Lüke, Matthias; Tura, Aysegül

    2016-06-03

    Extracellular matrix remodelling regulated by matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP) inducer (CD147) is a crucial process during tumor cell invasion and regulation of blood supply. In this study, we evaluated the correlation of CD147 and MMP-2 expression with major prognostic factors for uveal melanoma and the development of metastasis. The expression of CD147 and MMP-2 was analyzed in 49 samples of uveal melanomas. Triple immunofluorescence stainings using markers against glial cells (GFAP), endothelial cells (CD34) and macrophages (CD68) were performed to further analyse the exact localisation of CD147 and MMP-2 positivity. In 28 cases clinical metastatic disease were found. The remaining 21 cases showed no signs of metastatic disease for an average follow-up of 10 years. Correlation analysis (Pearson correlation) was performed to analyse the association of CD147 and MMP-2 expression with known prognostic factors, vasculogenic mimicry (VM), the mature vasculature (von Willebrand Factor) and tumor induced angiogenesis (by means of Endoglin expression). CD147 and MMP-2 were expressed in 47 (96.0 %) of the uveal melanomas. CD147 up-regulation was significantly correlated with a higher MMP-2 expression. The overall expression analysis revealed no significant difference in the metastatic (p = 0.777) and non-metastatic subgroup (p = 0.585). No correlation of CD147 expression and any system of blood supply was evident. In the non-metastatic sub-group a significant correlation of clustered CD147 positive cells with largest basal diameter (p = 0.039), height (p = 0.047) and TNM-stage (p = 0.013) was evident. These data may indicate that CD147 regulates MMP-2 expression in uveal melanoma cells.

  14. Functionalization of nanotextured substrates for enhanced identification of metastatic breast cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansur, Nuzhat; Raziul Hasan, Mohammad; Kim, Young-tae; Iqbal, Samir M.

    2017-09-01

    Metastasis is the major cause of low survival rates among cancer patients. Once cancer cells metastasize, it is extremely difficult to contain the disease. We report on a nanotextured platform for enhanced detection of metastatic cells. We captured metastatic (MDA-MDB-231) and non-metastatic (MCF-7) breast cancer cells on anti-EGFR aptamer modified plane and nanotextured substrates. Metastatic cells were seen to change their morphology at higher rates when captured on nanotextured substrates than on plane substrates. Analysis showed statistically different morphological behaviors of metastatic cells that were very pronounced on the nanotextured substrates. Several distance matrices were calculated to quantify the dissimilarity of cell shape change. Nanotexturing increased the dissimilarity of the metastatic cells and as a result the contrast between metastatic and non-metastatic cells increased. Jaccard distance measurements found that the shape change ratio of the non-metastatic and metastatic cells was enhanced from 1:1.01 to 1:1.81, going from plane to nanotextured substrates. The shape change ratio of the non-metastatic to metastatic cells improved from 1:1.48 to 1:2.19 for the Hausdorff distance and from 1:1.87 to 1:4.69 for the Mahalanobis distance after introducing nanotexture. Distance matrix analysis showed that nanotexture increased the shape change ratios of non-metastatic and metastatic cells. Hence, the detectability of metastatic cells increased. These calculated matrices provided clear and explicit measures to discriminate single cells for their metastatic state on functional nanotextured substrates.

  15. Epidemiology and therapies for metastatic sarcoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amankwah, Ernest K; Conley, Anthony P; Reed, Damon R

    2013-01-01

    Sarcomas are cancers arising from the mesenchymal layer that affect children, adolescents, young adults, and adults. Although most sarcomas are localized, many display a remarkable predilection for metastasis to the lungs, liver, bones, subcutaneous tissue, and lymph nodes. Additionally, many sarcoma patients presenting initially with localized disease may relapse at metastatic sites. While localized sarcomas can often be cured through surgery and often radiation, controversies exist over optimal management of patients with metastatic sarcoma. Combinations of chemotherapy are the most effective in many settings, and many promising new agents are under active investigation or are being explored in preclinical models. Metastatic sarcomas are excellent candidates for novel approaches with additional agents as they have demonstrated chemosensitivity and affect a portion of the population that is motivated toward curative therapy. In this paper, we provide an overview on the common sarcomas of childhood (rhabdomyosarcoma), adolescence, and young adults (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor) and older adults (leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, and undifferentiated high grade sarcoma) in terms of the epidemiology, current therapy, promising therapeutic directions and outcome with a focus on metastatic disease. Potential advances in terms of promising therapy and biologic insights may lead to more effective and safer therapies; however, more clinical trials and research are needed for patients with metastatic sarcoma. PMID:23700373

  16. [Recent knowledge about intestinal absorption and cleavage of carotenoids].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borel, P; Drai, J; Faure, H; Fayol, V; Galabert, C; Laromiguière, M; Le Moël, G

    2005-01-01

    Our knowledge about intestinal absorption and cleavage of carotenoids has rapidly grown during the last years. New facts about carotenoid absorption have emerged while some controversies about cleavage are close to end. The knowledge of the absorption and conversion processes is indispensable to understand and interpret the perturbations that can occur in the metabolism of carotenoids and vitamin A. Recently, it has been shown that the absorption of certain carotenoids is not passive - as believed for a long time - but is a facilitated process that requires, at least for lutein, the class B-type 1 scavenger receptor (SR-B1). Various epidemiological and clinical studies have shown wide variations in carotenoid absorption from one subject to another, such differences are now explained by the structure of the concerned carotenoid, by the nature of the food that is absorbed with the carotenoid, by diverse exogenous factors like the intake of medicines or interfering components, by diet factors, by genetic factors, and by the nutritional status of the subject. Recently, the precise mechanism of beta-carotene cleavage by betabeta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase (EC 1.14.99.36) - formerly called beta-carotene 15,15' dioxygenase (ex EC 1.13.11.21) - has been discovered, and a second enzyme which cleaves asymmetrically the beta-carotene molecule has been found. beta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase only acts on the 15,15' bond, thus forming two molecules of retinal from one molecule of beta-carotene by central cleavage. Even though the betabeta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase is much more active on the beta-carotene molecule, a study has shown that it can act on all carotenoids. Searchers now agree that other enzymes that can catalyse an eccentric cleavage of carotenoids probably exist, but under physiological conditions the betabeta-carotene 15,15' monooxygenase is by far the most active, and it is mainly effective in the small bowel mucosa and in the liver. However the

  17. Trastuzumab and survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kast, Karin; Schoffer, Olaf; Link, Theresa; Forberger, Almuth; Petzold, Andrea; Niedostatek, Antje; Werner, Carmen; Klug, Stefanie J; Werner, Andreas; Gatzweiler, Axel; Richter, Barbara; Baretton, Gustavo; Wimberger, Pauline

    2017-08-01

    Prognosis of Her2-positive breast cancer has changed since the introduction of trastuzumab for treatment in metastatic and early breast cancer. It was described to be even better compared to prognosis of Her2-negative metastatic breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of trastuzumab in our cohort. Besides the effect of adjuvant pretreatment with trastuzumab on survival of patients with metastatic Her2-positive breast cancer was analyzed. All patients with primary breast cancer of the Regional Breast Cancer Center Dresden diagnosed during the years 2001-2013 were analyzed for treatment with or without trastuzumab in the adjuvant and in the metastatic treatment setting using Kaplan-Meier survival estimation and Cox regression. Age and tumor stage at time of first diagnosis of breast cancer as well as hormone receptor status, grading, time, and site of metastasis at first diagnosis of distant metastatic disease were analyzed. Of 4.481 female patients with primary breast cancer, 643 presented with metastatic disease. Her2-positive status was documented in 465 patients, including 116 patients with primary or secondary metastases. Median survival of patients with Her2-positive primary metastatic disease was 3.0 years (95% CI 2.3-4.0). After adjustment for other factors, survival was better in patients with Her2-positive breast cancer with trastuzumab therapy compared to Her2-negative metastatic disease (HR 2.10; 95% CI 1.58-2.79). Analysis of influence of adjuvant therapy with and without trastuzumab by Kaplan-Meier showed a trend for better survival in not pretreated patients. Median survival was highest in hormone receptor-positive Her2-positive (triple-positive) primary metastatic breast cancer patients with 3.3 years (95% CI 2.3-4.6). Prognosis of patients with Her2-positive metastatic breast cancer after trastuzumab treatment is more favorable than for Her2-negative breast cancer. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy with or without

  18. Endocytic down-regulation of ErbB2 is stimulated by cleavage of its C-terminus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lerdrup, Mads; Bruun, Silas; Grandal, Michael Vibo

    2007-01-01

    inhibition of HSP90 with geldanamycin this cleavage is accompanied by proteasome-dependent endocytosis of ErbB2. However, it is unknown whether C-terminal cleavage is linked to endocytosis. To study ErbB2 cleavage and endocytic trafficking, we fused yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and cyan fluorescent...

  19. Reduced estradiol-induced vasodilation and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity in the aortas of rats with experimental polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masszi, Gabriella; Horvath, Eszter Maria; Tarszabo, Robert; Benko, Rita; Novak, Agnes; Buday, Anna; Tokes, Anna-Maria; Nadasy, Gyorgy L; Hamar, Peter; Benyó, Zoltán; Varbiro, Szabolcs

    2013-01-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance, both of which have been connected to atherosclerosis. Indeed, an increased risk of clinical manifestations of arterial vascular diseases has been described in PCOS. On the other hand endothelial dysfunction can be detected early on, before atherosclerosis develops. Thus we assumed that vascular dysfunction is also related directly to the hormonal imbalance rather than to its metabolic consequences. To detect early functional changes, we applied a novel rodent model of PCOS: rats were either sham operated or hyperandrogenism was achieved by implanting subcutaneous pellets of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). After ten weeks, myograph measurements were performed on isolated aortic rings. Previously we described an increased contractility to norepinephrine (NE). Here we found a reduced immediate relaxation to estradiol treatment in pre-contracted aortic rings from hyperandrogenic rats. Although the administration of vitamin D3 along with DHT reduced responsiveness to NE, it did not restore relaxation to estradiol. Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity was assessed by poly-ADP-ribose immunostaining. Increased PAR staining in ovaries and circulating leukocytes from DHT rats showed enhanced DNA damage, which was reduced by concomitant vitamin D3 treatment. Surprisingly, PAR staining was reduced in both the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells of the aorta rings from hyperandrogenic rats. Thus in the early phase of PCOS, vascular tone is already shifted towards vasoconstriction, characterized by reduced vasorelaxation and vascular dysfunction is concomitant with altered PARP activity. Based on our findings, PARP inhibitors might have a future perspective in restoring metabolic disorders in PCOS.

  20. Baseline clinical predictors of antitumor response to the PARP inhibitor olaparib in germline BRCA1/2 mutated patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafii, Saeed; Gourley, Charlie; Kumar, Rajiv; Geuna, Elena; Ern Ang, Joo; Rye, Tzyvia; Chen, Lee-May; Shapira-Frommer, Ronnie; Friedlander, Michael; Matulonis, Ursula; De Greve, Jacques; Oza, Amit M; Banerjee, Susana; Molife, L Rhoda; Gore, Martin E; Kaye, Stan B; Yap, Timothy A

    2017-07-18

    The PARP inhibitor olaparib was recently granted Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accelerated approval in patients with advanced BRCA1/2 mutation ovarian cancer. However, antitumor responses are observed in only approximately 40% of patients and the impact of baseline clinical factors on response to treatment remains unclear. Although platinum sensitivity has been suggested as a marker of response to PARP inhibitors, patients with platinum-resistant disease still respond to olaparib. 108 patients with advanced BRCA1/2 mutation ovarian cancers were included. The interval between the end of the most recent platinum chemotherapy and PARPi (PTPI) was used to predict response to olaparib independent of conventional definition of platinum sensitivity. RECIST complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) rates were 35% in patients with platinum-sensitive versus 13% in platinum-resistant (p<0.005). Independent of platinum sensitivity status, the RECIST CR/PR rates were 42% in patients with PTPI greater than 52 weeks and 18% in patients with PTPI less than 52 weeks (p=0.016). No association was found between baseline clinical factors such as FIGO staging, debulking surgery, BRCA1 versus BRCA2 mutations, prior history of breast cancer and prior chemotherapy for breast cancer, and the response to olaparib. We conducted an international multicenter retrospective study to investigate the association between baseline clinical characteristics of patients with advanced BRCA1/2 mutation ovarian cancers from eight different cancer centers and their antitumor response to olaparib. PTPI may be used to refine the prediction of response to PARP inhibition based on the conventional categorization of platinum sensitivity.

  1. Preparation, characterization and toxicological investigation of copper loaded chitosan nanoparticles in human embryonic kidney HEK-293 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arora, Divya [Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Formulation and Drug Delivery Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Dhanwal, Vandna [Cancer Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Nayak, Debasis [Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Cancer Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Saneja, Ankit [Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Formulation and Drug Delivery Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Amin, Hina [Cancer Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Rasool, Reyaz ur [Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Cancer Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Gupta, Prem Narayan [Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Formulation and Drug Delivery Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Goswami, Anindya, E-mail: agoswami@iiim.ac.in [Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India); Cancer Pharmacology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu (India)

    2016-04-01

    Metallic nanoparticles often attribute severe adverse effects to the various organs or tissues at the molecular level despite of their applications in medical, laboratory and industrial sectors. The present study highlights the preparation of copper adsorbed chitosan nanoparticles (CuCSNPs), its characterization and validation of cytotoxicity in human embryonic kidney HEK-293 cells. Particle size of the CuCSNPs was determined by using Zetasizer and the copper loading was quantified with the help of ICP/MS. Further characterization of CuCSNPs was carried out by FT-IR analysis to determine the formation of nanoparticles and SEM was conducted for the morphological analysis of the CuCSNPs. The CuCSNPs exhibited pronounced cytotoxic effects towards HEK-293 cells as analyzed by MTT assay. Moreover, the CuCSNPs inhibited the colony formation and induced nuclear damage at the dose of 100 μg/mL, much more effectively than the in built control copper sulfate (CuSO{sub 4}). At the molecular level, the CuCSNPs were found to be triggering reactive oxygen species (ROS), activating effector caspases and subsequent PARP cleavage to induce cell death in HEK-293 cells. - Highlights: • Subtoxic levels of CuCSNPs induce apoptosis in HEK-293 cells. • CuCSNPs mediate toxicity via nuclear cleavage and ROS generation. • CuCSNPs favor caspase activation and PARP cleavage to induce cell death.

  2. Effects of Cysteamine on Sheep Embryo Cleavage Rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sinem Ö. ENGİNLER

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress during in vitro culture leads to defects in development of gametes and embryos. Several antioxidants such as cysteamine, L-ascorbic acid, beta mercaptoethanol, cysteine, glutathione, proteins, vitamins have been used to supplement culture media to counter the oxidative stress. This study was conducted to detect the effect of adding cysteamine to the maturation medium to subsequent cleavage rates of sheep embryos. Totally 604 ovaries were obtained by ten replica and 2060 oocytes were collected. The cumulus oocyte complexes were recovered by the slicing method. A total of 1818 selected oocytes were divided into two groups and used for maturation (88.25%. The first group was created as supplemented with cysteamine (Group A and second group (Group B, control without cysteamine in TCM-199. The two groups were incubated for 24 h at 38.8 °C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 in humidified air for in vitro maturation (IVM. After IVM, oocytes were fertilized with 50 x 107 / mL fresh ram semen in BSOF medium for 18 h. After fertilization, maturation groups were divided into two subgroups with different culture media: Group AI-SOF (Synthetic Oviduct Fluid medium, Group AII-CR1aa (Charles Rosencrans medium, Group BI-SOF and Group BII-CR1aa were achieved. Cleavage rates were evaluated at day 2. post insemination. The rates of cleavage were detected as 59.54% (184/309, 55.44% (173/312, 65.34% (215/329, 59.34% (200/337 respectively, with showing no statistically significant difference between the groups at the level of P>0.05. In conclusion, supplementing cysteamine to maturation media in TCM-199 did not affect the cleavage rates of sheep embryos in SOF and CR1aa culture media.

  3. Autophagy plays an important role in Sunitinib-mediated cell death in H9c2 cardiac muscle cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Yuqin; Xue Tao; Yang Xiaochun; Zhu Hong; Ding Xiaofei; Lou Liming; Lu Wei; Yang Bo; He Qiaojun

    2010-01-01

    Sunitinib, which is a multitargeted tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, exhibits antiangiogenic and antitumor activity, and extends survival of patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma (mRCC) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). This molecule has also been reported to be associated with cardiotoxicity at a high frequency, but the mechanism is still unknown. In the present study, we observed that Sunitinib showed high anti-proliferative effect on H9c2 cardiac muscle cells measured by PI staining and the MTT assay. But apoptotic markers (PARP cleavage, caspase 3 cleavage and chromatin condensation) were uniformly negative in H9c2 cells after Sunitinib treatment for 48 h, indicating that another cell death pathway may be involved in Sunitinib-induced cardiotoxicity. Here we found Sunitinib dramatically increased autophagic flux in H9c2 cells. Acidic vesicle fluorescence and high expression of LC3-II in H9c2 cells identified autophagy as a Sunitinib-induced process that might be associated with cytotoxicity. Furthermore, knocking down Beclin 1 by RNA-interference to block autophagy in H9c2 cells revealed that the death rate was decreased when treated with Sunitinib in comparison to control cells. These results confirmed that autophagy plays an important role in Sunitinib-mediated H9c2 cells cytotoxicity. Taken together, the data presented here strongly suggest that autophagy is associated with Sunitinib-induced cardiotoxicity, and that inhibition of autophagy constitutes a viable strategy for reducing Sunitinib-induced cardiomyocyte death thereby alleviating Sunitinib cardiotoxicity.

  4. Menadione triggers cell death through ROS-dependent mechanisms involving PARP activation without requiring apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loor, Gabriel; Kondapalli, Jyothisri; Schriewer, Jacqueline M; Chandel, Navdeep S; Vanden Hoek, Terry L; Schumacker, Paul T

    2010-12-15

    Low levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can function as redox-active signaling messengers, whereas high levels of ROS induce cellular damage. Menadione generates ROS through redox cycling, and high concentrations trigger cell death. Previous work suggests that menadione triggers cytochrome c release from mitochondria, whereas other studies implicate the activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore as the mediator of cell death. We investigated menadione-induced cell death in genetically modified cells lacking specific death-associated proteins. In cardiomyocytes, oxidant stress was assessed using the redox sensor RoGFP, expressed in the cytosol or the mitochondrial matrix. Menadione elicited rapid oxidation in both compartments, whereas it decreased mitochondrial potential and triggered cytochrome c redistribution to the cytosol. Cell death was attenuated by N-acetylcysteine and exogenous glutathione or by overexpression of cytosolic or mitochondria-targeted catalase. By contrast, no protection was observed in cells overexpressing Cu,Zn-SOD or Mn-SOD. Overexpression of antiapoptotic Bcl-X(L) protected against staurosporine-induced cell death, but it failed to confer protection against menadione. Genetic deletion of Bax and Bak, cytochrome c, cyclophilin D, or caspase-9 conferred no protection against menadione-induced cell death. However, cells lacking PARP-1 showed a significant decrease in menadione-induced cell death. Thus, menadione induces cell death through the generation of oxidant stress in multiple subcellular compartments, yet cytochrome c, Bax/Bak, caspase-9, and cyclophilin D are dispensable for cell death in this model. These studies suggest that multiple redundant cell death pathways are activated by menadione, but that PARP plays an essential role in mediating each of them. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Variable context Markov chains for HIV protease cleavage site prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oğul, Hasan

    2009-06-01

    Deciphering the knowledge of HIV protease specificity and developing computational tools for detecting its cleavage sites in protein polypeptide chain are very desirable for designing efficient and specific chemical inhibitors to prevent acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In this study, we developed a generative model based on a generalization of variable order Markov chains (VOMC) for peptide sequences and adapted the model for prediction of their cleavability by certain proteases. The new method, called variable context Markov chains (VCMC), attempts to identify the context equivalence based on the evolutionary similarities between individual amino acids. It was applied for HIV-1 protease cleavage site prediction problem and shown to outperform existing methods in terms of prediction accuracy on a common dataset. In general, the method is a promising tool for prediction of cleavage sites of all proteases and encouraged to be used for any kind of peptide classification problem as well.

  6. Complementary genetic screens identify the E3 ubiquitin ligase CBLC, as a modifier of PARP inhibitor sensitivity

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Frankum, J.; Moudrý, P.; Brough, R.; Hodný, Zdeněk; Ashworth, A.; Bartek, Jiří; Lord, C.J.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 13 (2015), s. 10746-10758 ISSN 1949-2553 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-17555S EU Projects: European Commission HEALTH-F2-2010-259893 Grant - others:Lundbeck Foundation(DK) R93-A8990; Danish Council for Independent Research(DK) DFF-1331-00262 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : DNA damage response * ubiquitin-proteasome system * RNA interference screens * PARP inhibitors * CBLC Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.008, year: 2015

  7. Changes in Contact Area in Meniscus Horizontal Cleavage Tears Subjected to Repair and Resection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beamer, Brandon S; Walley, Kempland C; Okajima, Stephen; Manoukian, Ohan S; Perez-Viloria, Miguel; DeAngelis, Joseph P; Ramappa, Arun J; Nazarian, Ara

    2017-03-01

    To assess the changes in tibiofemoral contact pressure and contact area in human knees with a horizontal cleavage tear before and after treatment. Ten human cadaveric knees were tested. Pressure sensors were placed under the medial meniscus and the knees were loaded at twice the body weight for 20 cycles at 0°, 10°, and 20° of flexion. Contact area and pressure were recorded for the intact meniscus, the meniscus with a horizontal cleavage tear, after meniscal repair, after partial meniscectomy (single leaflet), and after subtotal meniscectomy (double leaflet). The presence of a horizontal cleavage tear significantly increased average peak contact pressure and reduced effective average tibiofemoral contact area at all flexion angles tested compared with the intact state (P contact pressure after creation of the horizontal cleavage tear. Repairing the horizontal cleavage tear restored peak contact pressures and areas to within 15% of baseline, statistically similar to the intact state at all angles tested (P contact pressure and reduced average contact area at all degrees of flexion compared with the intact state (P contact area and a significant elevation in contact pressure. These changes may accelerate joint degeneration. A suture-based repair of these horizontal cleavage tears returns the contact area and contact pressure to nearly normal, whereas both partial and subtotal meniscectomy lead to significant reductions in contact area and significant elevations in contact pressure within the knee. Repairing horizontal cleavage tears may lead to improved clinical outcomes by preserving meniscal tissue and the meniscal function. Understanding contact area and peak contact pressure resulting from differing strategies for treating horizontal cleavage tears will allow the surgeon to evaluate the best strategy for treating his or her patients who present with this meniscal pathology. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier

  8. Oxidative cleavage of erucic acid for the synthesis of brassylic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohammed J. Nasrullah; Pooja Thapliyal; Erica N. Pfarr; Nicholas S. Dusek; Kristofer L. Schiele; James A. Bahr

    2010-10-29

    The main focus of this work is to synthesize Brassylic Acid (BA) using oxidative cleavage of Erucic Acid (EA). Crambe (Crambe abyssinica) is an industrial oilseed grown in North Dakota. Crambe has potential as an industrial fatty acid feedstock as a source of Erucic acid (EA). It has approximately 50-60 % of EA, a C{sub 22} monounsaturated fatty acid. Oxidative cleavage of unsaturated fatty acids derived from oilseeds produces long chain (9, 11, and 13 carbon atoms) dibasic and monobasic acids. These acids are known commercial feedstocks for the preparation of nylons, polyesters, waxes, surfactants, and perfumes. Other sources of EA are Rapeseed seed oil which 50-60 % of EA. Rapeseed is grown outside USA. The oxidative cleavage of EA was done using a high throughput parallel pressure reactor system. Kinetics of the reaction shows that BA yields reach a saturation at 12 hours. H{sub 2}WO{sub 4} was found to be the best catalyst for the oxidative cleavage of EA. High yields of BA were obtained at 80 C with bubbling of O{sub 2} or 10 bar of O{sub 2} for 12 hours.

  9. Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis Induced by Telomere Cleavage and TRF2 Loss

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asha S. Multani

    2000-07-01

    Full Text Available Chromosomal abnormalities involving telomeric associations (TAs often precede replicative senescence and abnormal chromosome configurations. We report here that telomere cleavage following exposure to proapoptotic agents is an early event in apoptosis. Exposure of human and murine cancer cells to a variety of pro-apoptotic stimuli (staurosporine, thapsigargin, anti-Fas antibody, cancer chemotherapeutic agents resulted in telomere cleavage and aggregation, finally their extrusion from the nuclei. Telomere loss was associated with arrest of cells in G2/M phase and preceded DNA fragmentation. Telomere erosion and subsequent large-scale chromatin cleavage were inhibited by overexpression of the anti -apoptotic protein, bcl-2, two peptide caspase inhibitors (BACMK and zVADfmk, indicating that both events are regulated by caspase activation. The results demonstrate that telomere cleavage is an early chromatin alteration detected in various cancer cell lines leading to drug-induced apoptosis, suggest that this event contributes to mitotic catastrophe and induction of cell death. Results also suggest that the decrease of telomeric-repeat binding factor 2 (TRF2 may be the earliest event in the ara-C-induced telomere shortening, induction of endoreduplication and chromosomal fragmentation leading to cell death.

  10. Immunotherapy of distant metastatic disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schadendorf, D; Algarra, S M; Bastholt, L

    2009-01-01

    Immunotherapy of metastatic melanoma consists of various approaches leading to specific or non-specific immunomodulation. The use of FDA-approved interleukin (IL)-2 alone, in combination with interferon alpha, and/or with various chemotherapeutic agents (biochemotherapy) is associated with signif......Immunotherapy of metastatic melanoma consists of various approaches leading to specific or non-specific immunomodulation. The use of FDA-approved interleukin (IL)-2 alone, in combination with interferon alpha, and/or with various chemotherapeutic agents (biochemotherapy) is associated...

  11. The potato carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 catalyzes a single cleavage of β-ionone ring-containing carotenes and non-epoxidated xanthophylls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruno, Mark; Beyer, Peter; Al-Babili, Salim

    2015-04-15

    Down-regulation of the potato carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 (StCCD4) transcript level led to tubers with altered morphology and sprouting activity, which also accumulated higher levels of violaxanthin and lutein leading to elevated carotenoid amounts. This phenotype indicates a role of this enzyme in tuber development, which may be exerted by a cleavage product. In this work, we investigated the enzymatic activity of StCCD4, by expressing the corresponding cDNA in carotenoid accumulating Escherichia coli strains and by performing in vitro assays with heterologously expressed enzyme. StCCD4 catalyzed the cleavage of all-trans-β-carotene at the C9'-C10' double bond, leading to β-ionone and all-trans-β-apo-10'-carotenal, both in vivo and in vitro. The enzyme also cleaved β,β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein either at the C9'-C10' or the C9-C10 double bond in vitro. In contrast, we did not observe any conversion of violaxanthin and only traces of activity with 9-cis-β-carotene, which led to 9-cis-β-apo-10'-carotenal. Our data indicate that all-trans-β-carotene is the likely substrate of StCCD4 in planta, and that this carotene may be precursor of an unknown compound involved in tuber development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. An in vitro correlation of mechanical forces and metastatic capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Indra, Indrajyoti; Undyala, Vishnu; Kandow, Casey; Thirumurthi, Umadevi; Beningo, Karen A; Dembo, Micah

    2011-01-01

    Mechanical forces have a major influence on cell migration and are predicted to significantly impact cancer metastasis, yet this idea is currently poorly defined. In this study we have asked if changes in traction stress and migratory properties correlate with the metastatic progression of tumor cells. For this purpose, four murine breast cancer cell lines derived from the same primary tumor, but possessing increasing metastatic capacity, were tested for adhesion strength, traction stress, focal adhesion organization and for differential migration rates in two-dimensional and three-dimensional environments. Using traction force microscopy (TFM), we were surprised to find an inverse relationship between traction stress and metastatic capacity, such that force production decreased as the metastatic capacity increased. Consistent with this observation, adhesion strength exhibited an identical profile to the traction data. A count of adhesions indicated a general reduction in the number as metastatic capacity increased but no difference in the maturation as determined by the ratio of nascent to mature adhesions. These changes correlated well with a reduction in active beta-1 integrin with increasing metastatic ability. Finally, in two dimensions, wound healing, migration and persistence were relatively low in the entire panel, maintaining a downward trend with increasing metastatic capacity. Why metastatic cells would migrate so poorly prompted us to ask if the loss of adhesive parameters in the most metastatic cells indicated a switch to a less adhesive mode of migration that would only be detected in a three-dimensional environment. Indeed, in three-dimensional migration assays, the most metastatic cells now showed the greatest linear speed. We conclude that traction stress, adhesion strength and rate of migration do indeed change as tumor cells progress in metastatic capacity and do so in a dimension-sensitive manner

  13. Molecular Subgroup of Primary Prostate Cancer Presenting with Metastatic Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Steven M; Knight, Laura A; McCavigan, Andrena M; Logan, Gemma E; Berge, Viktor; Sherif, Amir; Pandha, Hardev; Warren, Anne Y; Davidson, Catherine; Uprichard, Adam; Blayney, Jaine K; Price, Bethanie; Jellema, Gera L; Steele, Christopher J; Svindland, Aud; McDade, Simon S; Eden, Christopher G; Foster, Chris; Mills, Ian G; Neal, David E; Mason, Malcolm D; Kay, Elaine W; Waugh, David J; Harkin, D Paul; Watson, R William; Clarke, Noel W; Kennedy, Richard D

    2017-10-01

    Approximately 4-25% of patients with early prostate cancer develop disease recurrence following radical prostatectomy. To identify a molecular subgroup of prostate cancers with metastatic potential at presentation resulting in a high risk of recurrence following radical prostatectomy. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering was performed using gene expression data from 70 primary resections, 31 metastatic lymph nodes, and 25 normal prostate samples. Independent assay validation was performed using 322 radical prostatectomy samples from four sites with a mean follow-up of 50.3 months. Molecular subgroups were identified using unsupervised hierarchical clustering. A partial least squares approach was used to generate a gene expression assay. Relationships with outcome (time to biochemical and metastatic recurrence) were analysed using multivariable Cox regression and log-rank analysis. A molecular subgroup of primary prostate cancer with biology similar to metastatic disease was identified. A 70-transcript signature (metastatic assay) was developed and independently validated in the radical prostatectomy samples. Metastatic assay positive patients had increased risk of biochemical recurrence (multivariable hazard ratio [HR] 1.62 [1.13-2.33]; p=0.0092) and metastatic recurrence (multivariable HR=3.20 [1.76-5.80]; p=0.0001). A combined model with Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment post surgical (CAPRA-S) identified patients at an increased risk of biochemical and metastatic recurrence superior to either model alone (HR=2.67 [1.90-3.75]; pmolecular subgroup of primary prostate cancers with metastatic potential. The metastatic assay may improve the ability to detect patients at risk of metastatic recurrence following radical prostatectomy. The impact of adjuvant therapies should be assessed in this higher-risk population. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Effects of clusterin over-expression on metastatic progression and therapy in breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chatterjee Namita

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Clusterin is a secreted glycoprotein that is upregulated in a variety of cell lines in response to stress, and enhances cell survival. A second nuclear isoform of clusterin that is associated with cell death has also been identified. The aim of this study was to determine the role(s of the secretory isoform in breast tumor progression and metastasis. Methods To investigate the role of secretory clusterin in the biology of breast cancer tumor growth and resistance to therapy we have engineered an MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7CLU that over-expresses clusterin. We have measured the in vitro effects of clusterin over-expression on cell cycle, cell death, and sensitivity to TNFalpha and tamoxifen. Using an orthotopic model of breast cancer, we have also determined the effects of over-expression of clusterin on tumor growth and metastatic progression. Results In vitro, over-expression of secretory clusterin alters the cell cycle kinetics and decreases the rate of cell death, resulting in the enhancement of cell growth. Over-expression of secretory clusterin also blocks the TNFalpha-mediated induction of p21 and abrogates the cleavage of Bax to t-Bax, rendering the MCF-7CLU cells significantly more resistant to the cytokine than the parental cells. Orthotopic primary tumors derived from MCF-7CLU cells grow significantly more rapidly than tumors derived from parental MCF-7 cells and, unlike the parental cells, metastasize frequently to the lungs. Conclusions These data suggest that secretory clusterin, which is frequently up-regulated in breast cancers by common therapies, including anti-estrogens, may play a significant role in tumor growth, metastatic progression and subsequent drug resistance in surviving cells.

  15. Pressure modulates the self-cleavage step of the hairpin ribozyme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuabb, Caroline; Kumar, Narendra; Pataraia, Salome; Marx, Dominik; Winter, Roland

    2017-03-01

    The ability of certain RNAs, denoted as ribozymes, to not only store genetic information but also catalyse chemical reactions gave support to the RNA world hypothesis as a putative step in the development of early life on Earth. This, however, might have evolved under extreme environmental conditions, including the deep sea with pressures in the kbar regime. Here we study pressure-induced effects on the self-cleavage of hairpin ribozyme by following structural changes in real-time. Our results suggest that compression of the ribozyme leads to an accelerated transesterification reaction, being the self-cleavage step, although the overall process is retarded in the high-pressure regime. The results reveal that favourable interactions between the reaction site and neighbouring nucleobases are strengthened under pressure, resulting therefore in an accelerated self-cleavage step upon compression. These results suggest that properly engineered ribozymes may also act as piezophilic biocatalysts in addition to their hitherto known properties.

  16. Multiple urinary bladder masses from metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Choo

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available We present an unusual case of metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma that manifested with multiple exophytic intravesical masses, mimicking a multifocal primary bladder tumor. Biopsy with immunohistochemical analysis confirmed metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma. The patient was treated palliatively with external beam radiotherapy to prevent possible symptoms from local tumor progression. This case illustrates that when a patient with known prostate cancer presents with multifocal bladder tumors, the possibility of metastatic prostate cancer should be considered.

  17. Theranostics Targeting Metastatic Breast Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0390 TITLE: Theranostics Targeting Metastatic Breast Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Zheng Li CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION...Breast Cancer 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-1-0390 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Zheng Li 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT...14 Theranostics Targeting Metastatic Breast  Cancer   A. Introduction (1paragraph) The overall goal of this proposal is to prepare TrkC

  18. Stimuli-Responsive Nanodiamond-Based Biosensor for Enhanced Metastatic Tumor Site Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xin; Gu, Mengjie; Toh, Tan Boon; Abdullah, Nurrul Lissa Binti; Chow, Edward Kai-Hua

    2018-02-01

    Metastasis is often critical to cancer progression and linked to poor survival and drug resistance. Early detection of metastasis, as well as identification of metastatic tumor sites, can improve cancer patient survival. Thus, developing technology to improve the detection of cancer metastasis biomarkers can improve both diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we investigated the use of nanodiamonds to develop a stimuli-responsive metastasis detection complex that utilizes matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) as a metastasis biomarker, as MMP9 increased expression has been shown to be indicative of metastasis. The nanodiamond-MMP9 biosensor complex consists of nanodiamonds functionalized with MMP9-specific fluorescent-labeled substrate peptides. Using this design, protease activity of MMP9 can be accurately measured and correlated to MMP9 expression. The nanodiamond-MMP9 biosensor also demonstrated an enhanced ability to protect the base sensor peptide from nonspecific serum protease cleavage. This enhanced peptide stability, combined with a quantitative stimuli-responsive output function, provides strong evidence for the further development of a nanodiamond-MMP9 biosensor for metastasis site detection. More importantly, this work provides the foundation for use of nanodiamonds as a platform for stimuli-responsive biosensors and theranostic complexes that can be implemented across a wide range of biomedical applications.

  19. Protective Effects of Chlorella-Derived Peptide Against UVC-Induced Cytotoxicity through Inhibition of Caspase-3 Activity and Reduction of the Expression of Phosphorylated FADD and Cleaved PARP-1 in Skin Fibroblasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong Yuh Cherng

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available UVC irradiation induces oxidative stress and leads to cell death through an apoptotic pathway. This apoptosis is caused by activation of caspase-3 and formation of poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1. In this study, the underlying mechanisms of Chlorella derived peptide (CDP activity against UVC-induced cytotoxicity were investigated. Human skin fibroblasts were treated with CDP, vitamin C, or vitamin E after UVC irradiation for a total energy of 15 J/cm2. After the UVC exposure, cell proliferation and caspase-3 activity were measured at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h later. Expression of phosphorylated FADD and cleaved PARP-1 were measured 16 h later. DNA damage (expressed as pyrimidine (6-4 pyrimidone photoproducts DNA concentration and fragmentation assay were performed 24 h after the UVC exposure. Results showed that UVC irradiation induced cytotoxicity in all groups except those treated with CDP. The caspase-3 activity in CDP-treated cells was inhibited from 12 h onward. Expression of phosphorylated FADD and cleaved PARP-1 were also reduced in CDP-treated cells. Moreover, UVC-induced DNA damage and fragmentation were also prevented by the CDP treatment. This study shows that treatment of CDP provides protective effects against UVC-induced cytotoxicity through the inhibition of caspase-3 activity and the reduction of phosphorylated FADD and cleaved PARP-1 expression.

  20. Computational analysis and modeling of cleavage by the immunoproteasome and the constitutive proteasome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lafuente Esther M

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Proteasomes play a central role in the major histocompatibility class I (MHCI antigen processing pathway. They conduct the proteolytic degradation of proteins in the cytosol, generating the C-terminus of CD8 T cell epitopes and MHCI-peptide ligands (P1 residue of cleavage site. There are two types of proteasomes, the constitutive form, expressed in most cell types, and the immunoproteasome, which is constitutively expressed in mature dendritic cells. Protective CD8 T cell epitopes are likely generated by the immunoproteasome and the constitutive proteasome, and here we have modeled and analyzed the cleavage by these two proteases. Results We have modeled the immunoproteasome and proteasome cleavage sites upon two non-overlapping sets of peptides consisting of 553 CD8 T cell epitopes, naturally processed and restricted by human MHCI molecules, and 382 peptides eluted from human MHCI molecules, respectively, using N-grams. Cleavage models were generated considering different epitope and MHCI-eluted fragment lengths and the same number of C-terminal flanking residues. Models were evaluated in 5-fold cross-validation. Judging by the Mathew's Correlation Coefficient (MCC, optimal cleavage models for the proteasome (MCC = 0.43 ± 0.07 and the immunoproteasome (MCC = 0.36 ± 0.06 were obtained from 12-residue peptide fragments. Using an independent dataset consisting of 137 HIV1-specific CD8 T cell epitopes, the immunoproteasome and proteasome cleavage models achieved MCC values of 0.30 and 0.18, respectively, comparatively better than those achieved by related methods. Using ROC analyses, we have also shown that, combined with MHCI-peptide binding predictions, cleavage predictions by the immunoproteasome and proteasome models significantly increase the discovery rate of CD8 T cell epitopes restricted by different MHCI molecules, including A*0201, A*0301, A*2402, B*0702, B*2705. Conclusions We have developed models that are specific

  1. Reduced estradiol-induced vasodilation and poly-(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP activity in the aortas of rats with experimental polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriella Masszi

    Full Text Available Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is a complex endocrine disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance, both of which have been connected to atherosclerosis. Indeed, an increased risk of clinical manifestations of arterial vascular diseases has been described in PCOS. On the other hand endothelial dysfunction can be detected early on, before atherosclerosis develops. Thus we assumed that vascular dysfunction is also related directly to the hormonal imbalance rather than to its metabolic consequences. To detect early functional changes, we applied a novel rodent model of PCOS: rats were either sham operated or hyperandrogenism was achieved by implanting subcutaneous pellets of dihydrotestosterone (DHT. After ten weeks, myograph measurements were performed on isolated aortic rings. Previously we described an increased contractility to norepinephrine (NE. Here we found a reduced immediate relaxation to estradiol treatment in pre-contracted aortic rings from hyperandrogenic rats. Although the administration of vitamin D3 along with DHT reduced responsiveness to NE, it did not restore relaxation to estradiol. Poly-(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP activity was assessed by poly-ADP-ribose immunostaining. Increased PAR staining in ovaries and circulating leukocytes from DHT rats showed enhanced DNA damage, which was reduced by concomitant vitamin D3 treatment. Surprisingly, PAR staining was reduced in both the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells of the aorta rings from hyperandrogenic rats. Thus in the early phase of PCOS, vascular tone is already shifted towards vasoconstriction, characterized by reduced vasorelaxation and vascular dysfunction is concomitant with altered PARP activity. Based on our findings, PARP inhibitors might have a future perspective in restoring metabolic disorders in PCOS.

  2. Radiation therapy for metastatic spinal tumors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kida, Akio; Fukuda, Haruyuki; Taniguchi, Shuji; Sakai, Kazuaki

    2000-01-01

    The results of radiation therapy for metastatic spinal tumors were evaluated in terms of pain relief, improvement of neurological impairment, and survival. Between 1986 and 1995, 52 symptomatic patients with metastatic spinal tumors treated with radiation therapy were evaluated. The patients all received irradiation of megavoltage energy. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated in terms of pain relief and improvement of neurological impairment. Pain relief was observed in 29 (61.7%) of 47 patients with pain. Therapy was effective for 17 (70.8%) of 24 patients without neurological impairment, and efficacy was detected in 12 (52.2%) of 23 patients with neurological impairment. Improvement of neurological symptoms was obtained in seven (25.0%) of 28 patients with neurological impairment. Radiation therapy was effective for pain relief in patients with metastatic spinal tumors. In patients with neurological impairment, less pain relief was observed than in those without impairment. Improvement of neurological impairment was restricted, but radiation therapy was thought to be effective in some cases in the early stage of neurological deterioration. Radiation therapy for metastatic spinal tumors contraindicated for surgery was considered effective for improvement of patients' activities of daily living. (author)

  3. Characteristics and Patterns of Metastatic Disease from Chordoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria A. Young

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Chordoma is a rare, slow-growing malignant tumor arising from notochordal remnants. A retrospective review of patient records at two major referral centers was undertaken to assess the incidence, location, and prognostic factors of metastatic disease from chordoma. 219 patients with chordoma (1962–2009 were identified. 39 patients (17.8% developed metastatic disease, most frequently to lung (>50%. Median survival from the time of initial diagnosis was 130.4 months for patients who developed metastatic disease and 159.3 months for those who did not (P=0.05. Metastatic disease was most common in the youngest patients (P=0.07, and it was 2.5 times more frequent among patients with local recurrence (26.3% than in those without (10.8% (P=0.003. Patient survival with metastatic disease was highly variable, and it was dependent on both the location of the tumor primary and the site of metastasis. Metastasis to distal bone was the most rapid to develop and had the worst prognosis.

  4. On the temperature independence of statistical model parameters for cleavage fracture in ferritic steels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Guian; Lei, Wei-Sheng; Niffenegger, M.; González-Albuixech, V. F.

    2018-04-01

    The work relates to the effect of temperature on the model parameters in local approaches (LAs) to cleavage fracture. According to a recently developed LA model, the physical consensus of plastic deformation being a prerequisite to cleavage fracture enforces any LA model of cleavage fracture to observe initial yielding of a volume element as its threshold stress state to incur cleavage fracture in addition to the conventional practice of confining the fracture process zone within the plastic deformation zone. The physical consistency of the new LA model to the basic LA methodology and the differences between the new LA model and other existing models are interpreted. Then this new LA model is adopted to investigate the temperature dependence of LA model parameters using circumferentially notched round tensile specimens. With the published strength data as input, finite element (FE) calculation is conducted for elastic-perfectly plastic deformation and the realistic elastic-plastic hardening, respectively, to provide stress distributions for model calibration. The calibration results in temperature independent model parameters. This leads to the establishment of a 'master curve' characteristic to synchronise the correlation between the nominal strength and the corresponding cleavage fracture probability at different temperatures. This 'master curve' behaviour is verified by strength data from three different steels, providing a new path to calculate cleavage fracture probability with significantly reduced FE efforts.

  5. REPORT OF SEVEN CASES OF METASTATIC TUMOURS

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Major Adebayo

    Metastatic lesions may mimic odontogenic infections and other disease conditions in the oral cavity in presentation leading to late diagnosis by the unwary clinician. In Nigeria, reports on jaw tumours from metastasis elsewhere are quite scarce. This report presents a series of histologically verified metastatic tumours to the ...

  6. Fractographic observations of cleavage initiation in the ductile-brittle transition region of a reactor-pressure-vessel steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenfield, A.R.; Shetty, D.K.; Skidmore, A.J.

    1983-01-01

    This note reports the results of a fractographic study conducted on a group of 1T compact fracture toughness specimens of a heavy-section A508 steel denoted TSE6 tested in the ductile-brittle transition region (22 and 82 0 C). The fatigue-precracked specimens were loaded at a rapid rate (760 or 550 mm per second) to promote cleavage-crack growth and lower-bound toughness behavior. All specimens experienced unstable cleavage fracture prior to reaching a maximum in the load displacement curve. Some ductile crack growth occurred in half of the specimens. The objective of fractographic examinations was to understand the observed statistical variations in cleavage initiation by (a) locating the origins of unstable cleavage fracture in the vicinity of the fatigue-precrack or ductilerupture crack fronts, (b) identifying microstructural features associated with the triggering of cleavage, and (c) documenting characteristic fracture surface dimensions such as the extent of stable-crack growth prior to unstable cleavage (Δα) and the distance of the cleavage origin from the ductilerupture front, /chi/ (or fatigue-crack front when Δα = 0)

  7. Sensitive and fast mutation detection by solid phase chemical cleavage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Lise Lotte; Justesen, Just; Kruse, Torben A

    1996-01-01

    We have developed a solid phase chemical cleavage method (SpCCM) for screening large DNA fragments for mutations. All reactions can be carried out in microtiterwells from the first amplification of the patient (or test) DNA through the search for mutations. The reaction time is significantly...... reduced compared to the conventional chemical cleavage method (CCM), and even by using a uniformly labelled probe, the exact position and nature of the mutation can be revealed. The SpCCM is suitable for automatization using a workstation to carry out the reactions and a fluorescent detection-based DNA...

  8. On the formation and nature of quasi-cleavage fracture surfaces in hydrogen embrittled steels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, May L.; Fenske, Jamey A.; Liu, Grace S.; Sofronis, Petros [University of Illinois, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 1304 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Robertson, Ian M., E-mail: ianr@illinois.edu [University of Illinois, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 1304 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

    2011-02-15

    Quasi-cleavage, a common feature of hydrogen-induced fracture surfaces, is generally taken as being cleavage-like but not along a known cleavage plane. Despite the frequency with which this surface is observed, the relationship to the underlying microstructure remains unknown. Through a combination of topographical reconstruction of secondary electron microscope fractographs and a transmission electron microscopy study of the microstructure from site-specific locations, it will be shown that the features on quasi-cleavage surfaces are ridges that can be correlated with sub-surface intense and highly localized deformation bands. It will be demonstrated that the fracture surface arises from the growth and coalescence of voids that initiate at and extend along slip band intersections. This mechanism and process is fully consistent with hydrogen enhancing and localizing plastic processes.

  9. Ultrasonic imaging of metastatic carcinoma in thyroid gland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bai Ling; Yang Tao; Tang Ying; Mao Jingning; Chen Wei; Wang Wei

    2008-01-01

    Objectives: To explore the ultrasonic findings of metastatic thyroid carcinoma and to evaluate the diagnostic value of the ultrasonic imaging for patients with metastatic thyroid neoplasm. Methods: The ultrasonic imaging characteristics of ten patients who were diagnosed with metastatic thyroid carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. In all the cases, fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the thyroid was performed during the clinical diagnosis. Results: The ultrasonic images of the ten patients fell into four types: multiple nodules in the thyroid, single nodule in the thyroid, diffuse calcification and heterogeneous echo. Seven cases showed speckled calcific foci. Abnormal blood flow signal was found in 9 cases. Conclusion: The ultrasonic findings of metastatic carcinoma in the thyroid gland are various and non-specific. Color Doppler ultrasound may provide ample evidence. The diagnosis depends on FNAC. (authors)

  10. Outcomes of Adolescent and Adult Patients with Lung Metastatic Osteosarcoma and Comparison of Synchronous and Metachronous Lung Metastatic Groups.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayse Gok Durnali

    Full Text Available Osteosarcomas with lung metastases are rather heterogenous group. We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of osteosarcoma patients with lung metastases and to compare the synchronous and metachronous lung metastatic groups. A total of 93 adolescent and adult patients with lung metastatic osteosarcoma, from March 1995 to July 2011, in a single center, were included. Sixty-five patients (69.9% were male. The median age was 19 years (range, 14-74. Thirty-nine patients (41.9% had synchronous lung metastases (Group A and 54 patients (58.1% had metachronous lung metastases (Group B. The 5-year and 10-year post-lung metastases overall survival (PLM-OS was 17% and 15%, respectively. In multivariate analysis for PLM-OS, time to lung metastases (p = 0.010, number of metastatic pulmonary nodules (p = 0.020, presence of pulmonary metastasectomy (p = 0.007 and presence of chemotherapy for lung metastases (p< 0.001 were found to be independent prognostic factors. The median PLM-OS of Group A and Group B was 16 months and 9 months, respectively. In Group B, the median PLM-OS of the patients who developed lung metastases within 12 months was 6 months, whereas that of the patients who developed lung metastases later was 16 months. Time to lung metastases, number and laterality of metastatic pulmonary nodules, chemotherapy for lung metastatic disease and pulmonary metastasectomy were independent prognostic factors for patients with lung metastatic osteosarcoma. The best PLM-OS was in the subgroup of patients treated both surgery and chemotherapy. The prognosis of the patients who developed lung metastases within 12 months after diagnosis was worst.

  11. The potato carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 catalyzes a single cleavage of β-ionone ring-containing carotenes and non-epoxidated xanthophylls

    KAUST Repository

    Bruno, Mark; Beyer, Peter D.; Al-Babili, Salim

    2015-01-01

    amounts. This phenotype indicates a role of this enzyme in tuber development, which may be exerted by a cleavage product. In this work, we investigated the enzymatic activity of StCCD4, by expressing the corresponding cDNA in carotenoid accumulating

  12. Cediranib, a pan-VEGFR inhibitor, and olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, in combination therapy for high grade serous ovarian cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivy, S Percy; Liu, Joyce F; Lee, Jung-Min; Matulonis, Ursula A; Kohn, Elise C

    2016-01-01

    An estimated 22,000 women are diagnosed annually with ovarian cancer in the United States. Initially chemo-sensitive, recurrent disease ultimately becomes chemoresistant and may kill ~14,000 women annually. Molecularly targeted therapy with cediranib (AZD2171), a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-1, 2, and 3 signaling blocker, and olaparib (AZD2281), a poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, administered orally in combination has shown anti-tumor activity in the treatment of high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). This combination has the potential to change the treatment of HGSOC. Preclinical and clinical studies of single agent cediranib and olaparib or their combination are reviewed. Data are presented from peer-reviewed published manuscripts, completed and ongoing early phase clinical trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials, and related recent abstracts. Advances in the treatment of HGSOC that improve progression-free and overall survival have proven elusive despite examination of molecularly targeted therapy. HGSOC patients with deleterious germline or somatic mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCAm) are most responsive to PARP inhibitors (PARPi). PARPi combined with angiogenesis inhibition improved anti-cancer response and duration in both BRCAm and BRCA wild type HGSOC patients, compared to olaparib single agent treatment, demonstrating therapeutic chemical and contextual synthetic lethality.

  13. Epidemiology and therapies for metastatic sarcoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amankwah EK

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Ernest K Amankwah,1 Anthony P Conley,2 Damon R Reed2 1Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA; 2Sarcoma Department, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA Abstract: Sarcomas are cancers arising from the mesenchymal layer that affect children, adolescents, young adults, and adults. Although most sarcomas are localized, many display a remarkable predilection for metastasis to the lungs, liver, bones, subcutaneous tissue, and lymph nodes. Additionally, many sarcoma patients presenting initially with localized disease may relapse at metastatic sites. While localized sarcomas can often be cured through surgery and often radiation, controversies exist over optimal management of patients with metastatic sarcoma. Combinations of chemotherapy are the most effective in many settings, and many promising new agents are under active investigation or are being explored in preclinical models. Metastatic sarcomas are excellent candidates for novel approaches with additional agents as they have demonstrated chemosensitivity and affect a portion of the population that is motivated toward curative therapy. In this paper, we provide an overview on the common sarcomas of childhood (rhabdomyosarcoma, adolescence, and young adults (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and older adults (leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, and undifferentiated high grade sarcoma in terms of the epidemiology, current therapy, promising therapeutic directions and outcome with a focus on metastatic disease. Potential advances in terms of promising therapy and biologic insights may lead to more effective and safer therapies; however, more clinical trials and research are needed for patients with metastatic sarcoma. Keywords: chemotherapy, pediatric sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, synovial sarcoma

  14. Numerical modeling of ductile tearing effects on cleavage fracture toughness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodds, R.H. Jr.; Tang, M.; Anderson, T.L.

    1994-05-01

    Experimental studies demonstrate a significant effect of specimen size, a/W ratio and prior ductile tearing on cleavage fracture toughness values (J c ) measured in the ductile-to-brittle transition region of ferritic materials. In the lower-transition region, cleavage fracture often occurs under conditions of large-scale yielding but without prior ductile crack extension. The increased toughness develops when plastic zones formed at the crack tip interact with nearby specimen surfaces which relaxes crack-tip constraint (stress triaxiality). In the mid-to-upper transition region, small amounts of ductile crack extension (often c -values. Previous work by the authors described a micromechanics fracture model to correct measured J c -values for the mechanistic effects of large-scale yielding. This new work extends the model to also include the influence of ductile crack extension prior to cleavage. The paper explores development of the new model, provides necessary graphs and procedures for its application and demonstrates the effects of the model on fracture data sets for two pressure vessel steels (A533B and A515)

  15. Reacquisition of E-cadherin expression in metastatic deposits of signet-ring cell carcinoma of the upper gastrointestinal system: a potential anchor for metastatic deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yihong R; Siegal, Gene P; Wei, Shi

    2017-06-01

    To examine the expression of E-cadherin in paired primary and metastatic signet-ring cell carcinomas (SRCC) of various organ systems in order to explore the potential role of the molecule in metastatic dissemination of this unique tumour type. Thirty-seven consecutive cases of SRCC from various organs with paired primary and metastatic tumorous tissue available were retrieved. The intensity of membranous E-cadherin expression was semiquantitatively scored on a scale of 0-3+. Reduced E-cadherin expression was a distinct feature of primary SRCC and was observed in 78% of primary tumours. Interestingly, the E-cadherin reduction was less frequently seen in metastatic SRCC when compared with their primary counterparts, and was only found in 57% of tumours in lymph node metastases or at distant sites of relapse. Furthermore, the mean score of E-cadherin expression of primary SRCC was significantly lower than that of their metastatic counterparts (2.3 vs 1.8; p=0.008). When divided by organ systems, the reacquisition of E-cadherin expression in the metastatic deposits was most remarkable in the SRCC of upper gastrointestinal tract origin (2.3 vs 1.4; p=0.003), whereas no significant difference was observed in other organ systems. While the reduction of E-cadherin in primary SRCC supports its pivotal role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, a process crucial in tumour progression and metastatic dissemination, the re-expression of this molecule in metastatic SRCC cells implies a reversal to their epithelial phenotype (thus mesenchymal-epithelial transition) which, in turn, theoretically helps tumour cells to anchor and form cohesive metastatic deposits. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  16. Structure of the cleavage-activated prefusion form of the parainfluenza virus 5 fusion protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welch, Brett D; Liu, Yuanyuan; Kors, Christopher A; Leser, George P; Jardetzky, Theodore S; Lamb, Robert A

    2012-10-09

    The paramyxovirus parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) enters cells by fusion of the viral envelope with the plasma membrane through the concerted action of the fusion (F) protein and the receptor binding protein hemagglutinin-neuraminidase. The F protein folds initially to form a trimeric metastable prefusion form that is triggered to undergo large-scale irreversible conformational changes to form the trimeric postfusion conformation. It is thought that F refolding couples the energy released with membrane fusion. The F protein is synthesized as a precursor (F0) that must be cleaved by a host protease to form a biologically active molecule, F1,F2. Cleavage of F protein is a prerequisite for fusion and virus infectivity. Cleavage creates a new N terminus on F1 that contains a hydrophobic region, known as the FP, which intercalates target membranes during F protein refolding. The crystal structure of the soluble ectodomain of the uncleaved form of PIV5 F is known; here we report the crystal structure of the cleavage-activated prefusion form of PIV5 F. The structure shows minimal movement of the residues adjacent to the protease cleavage site. Most of the hydrophobic FP residues are buried in the uncleaved F protein, and only F103 at the newly created N terminus becomes more solvent-accessible after cleavage. The conformational freedom of the charged arginine residues that compose the protease recognition site increases on cleavage of F protein.

  17. Critical cleavage fracture stress characterization of A508 nuclear pressure vessel steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Sujun; Jin, Huijin; Sun, Yanbin; Cao, Luowei

    2014-01-01

    The critical cleavage fracture stress of SA508 Gr.4N and SA508 Gr.3 low alloy reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels was studied through the combination of experiments and finite element method (FEM) analysis. The results showed that the value of the local cleavage fracture stress, σ F , of SA508 Gr.4N steel was significantly higher than that of SA508 Gr.3 steel. Detailed microstructural analysis was carried out using FEGSEM which revealed much smaller grains, finer and more homogenous carbide particles formed in SA508 Gr.4N steel. Compared with the SA508 Gr.3 steel currently used in the nuclear industry, the SA508 Gr.4N steel possesses higher strength and notch toughness as well as improved cleavage fracture behavior, and is considered a better candidate RPV steel for the next generation nuclear reactors. - Highlights: • Critical cleavage fracture stress was calculated through experiments and FEM. • Effects of both grain and carbide particle sizes on σ F were discussed. • The SA508 Gr.4N steel is a better candidate for the next generation nuclear reactors

  18. A set of simple cell processes is sufficient to model spiral cleavage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brun-Usan, Miguel; Marín-Riera, Miquel; Grande, Cristina; Truchado-Garcia, Marta; Salazar-Ciudad, Isaac

    2017-01-01

    During cleavage, different cellular processes cause the zygote to become partitioned into a set of cells with a specific spatial arrangement. These processes include the orientation of cell division according to: an animal-vegetal gradient; the main axis (Hertwig's rule) of the cell; and the contact areas between cells or the perpendicularity between consecutive cell divisions (Sachs' rule). Cell adhesion and cortical rotation have also been proposed to be involved in spiral cleavage. We use a computational model of cell and tissue biomechanics to account for the different existing hypotheses about how the specific spatial arrangement of cells in spiral cleavage arises during development. Cell polarization by an animal-vegetal gradient, a bias to perpendicularity between consecutive cell divisions (Sachs' rule), cortical rotation and cell adhesion, when combined, reproduce the spiral cleavage, whereas other combinations of processes cannot. Specifically, cortical rotation is necessary at the 8-cell stage to direct all micromeres in the same direction. By varying the relative strength of these processes, we reproduce the spatial arrangement of cells in the blastulae of seven different invertebrate species. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  19. Boron-doped diamond electrodes for the electrochemical oxidation and cleavage of peptides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roeser, Julien; Alting, Niels F A; Permentier, Hjalmar P; Bruins, Andries P; Bischoff, Rainer

    2013-07-16

    Electrochemical oxidation of peptides and proteins is traditionally performed on carbon-based electrodes. Adsorption caused by the affinity of hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids toward these surfaces leads to electrode fouling. We compared the performance of boron-doped diamond (BDD) and glassy carbon (GC) electrodes for the electrochemical oxidation and cleavage of peptides. An optimal working potential of 2000 mV was chosen to ensure oxidation of peptides on BDD by electron transfer processes only. Oxidation by electrogenerated OH radicals took place above 2500 mV on BDD, which is undesirable if cleavage of a peptide is to be achieved. BDD showed improved cleavage yield and reduced adsorption for a set of small peptides, some of which had been previously shown to undergo electrochemical cleavage C-terminal to tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) on porous carbon electrodes. Repeated oxidation with BDD electrodes resulted in progressively lower conversion yields due to a change in surface termination. Cathodic pretreatment of BDD at a negative potential in an acidic environment successfully regenerated the electrode surface and allowed for repeatable reactions over extended periods of time. BDD electrodes are a promising alternative to GC electrodes in terms of reduced adsorption and fouling and the possibility to regenerate them for consistent high-yield electrochemical cleavage of peptides. The fact that OH-radicals can be produced by anodic oxidation of water at elevated positive potentials is an additional advantage as they allow another set of oxidative reactions in analogy to the Fenton reaction, thus widening the scope of electrochemistry in protein and peptide chemistry and analytics.

  20. Cleavage mechanoluminescence in elemental and III-V semiconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandra, B.P.; Patel, R.P.; Gour, Anubha S.; Chandra, V.K.; Gupta, R.K.

    2003-01-01

    The present paper reports the theory of mechanoluminescence (ML) produced during cleavage of elemental and III-V semiconductors. It seems that the formation of crack-induced localized states is responsible for the ML excitation produced during the cleavage of elemental and III-V semiconductors. According to this mechanism, as the atoms are drawn away from each other in an advancing crack tip, the decreasing wave function overlap across the crack may result in localized states which is associated with increasing electron energy. If the energy of these localized states approach that of the conduction band, transition to the conduction band via tunnelling would be possible, creating minority carriers, and consequently the electron-hole recombination may give rise to mechanoluminescence. When an elemental or III-V semiconductor is cleaved, initially the ML intensity increases with time, attains a peak value I m at the time t m corresponding to completion of the cleavage of the semiconductor, and then it decreases following power law decay. Expressions are derived for the ML intensity I m corresponding to the peak of the ML intensity versus time curve and for the total ML intensity I T . It is shown that both I m and I T should increase directly with the area of the newly created surfaces of the crystals. From the measurements of the ML intensity, the velocity of crack propagation in material can be determined by using the relation v=H/t m

  1. Implementation of a combinatorial cleavage and deprotection scheme

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, John; Rasmussen, Palle H.

    1996-01-01

    Phthalhydrazide libraries are synthesized in solution from substituted hydrazines and phthalimides in several different library formats including single compounds, indexed sub-libraries and a full library. When carried out during solid-phase synthesis, this combinatorial cleavage and deprotection...

  2. Chemoprotective effect of insulin-like growth factor I against acetaminophen-induced cell death in Chang liver cells via ERK1/2 activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Hye-Jung; Kwon, Mi-Jin; Nam, Taek-Jeong

    2007-01-01

    The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system and type-I IGF receptor (IGF-IR) signaling are involved in protecting against chemotherapeutic drug-induced cell death in human hepatoma cells. Acetaminophen (AAP) hepatotoxicity is the leading cause of liver failure, and the prevention of AAP-induced cell death has been the focus of many studies. We determined whether IGF-I could protect against AAP-induced cell death in Chang liver cells and investigated the protective mechanism. Based on the results of MTS assays, LDH release assays, Hoechst 33342 cell staining, and DNA fragmentation experiments, AAP induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. According to Western blot analysis, treatment with AAP increased the level of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) fragments in cells compared with that in control cells; however, caspase-3, a critical signaling molecule in apoptosis, was not activated after AAP overdose. Moreover, combined treatment with AAP and IGF-I inhibited PARP cleavage, which was consistent with the ability of IGF-I to restore the level of glutathione (GSH) and cell viability in GSH and MTS assays, respectively. We investigated whether the protective effect of IGF-I against AAP cytotoxicity is related to the extracellular signal-related kinase ERK1/2, which is generally activated by mitogenic and proliferative stimuli such as growth factors. Compared with AAP treatment alone, IGF-I and AAP co-treatment increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation but inhibited PARP cleavage. Thus ERK1/2 activation is instrumental in the protective effect of IGF-I against AAP-induced cell death in Chang liver cells

  3. Metastatic neoplasms of the central nervous system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fenner, W.R.

    1990-01-01

    Metastatic neoplasms to the central nervous system are often encountered in the practice of surgical neuropathology. It is not uncommon for patients with systemic malignancies to present to medical attention because of symptoms from a brain metastasis and for the tissue samples procured from these lesions to represent the first tissue available to study a malignancy from an unknown primary. In general surgical pathology, the evaluation of a metastatic neoplasm of unknown primary is a very complicated process, requiring knowledge of numerous different tumor types, reagents, and staining patterns. The past few years, however, have seen a remarkable refinement in the immunohistochemical tools at our disposal that now empower neuropathologists to take an active role in defining the relatively limited subset of neoplasms that commonly metastasize to the central nervous system. This information can direct imaging studies to find the primary tumor in a patient with an unknown primary, clarify the likely primary site of origin in patients who have small tumors in multiple sites without an obvious primary lesion, or establish lesions as late metastases of remote malignancies. Furthermore, specific treatments can begin and additional invasive procedures may be prevented if the neuropathologic evaluation of metastatic neoplasms provides information beyond the traditional diagnosis of ''metastatic neoplasm.'' In this review, differential cytokeratins, adjuvant markers, and organ-specific antibodies are described and the immunohistochemical signatures of metastatic neoplasms that are commonly seen by neuropathologists are discussed

  4. Mutation in Spike Protein Cleavage Site and Pathogenesis of Feline Coronavirus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Licitra, Beth N.; Millet, Jean K.; Regan, Andrew D.; Hamilton, Brian S.; Rinaldi, Vera D.; Duhamel, Gerald E.

    2013-01-01

    Feline coronaviruses (FCoV) exist as 2 biotypes: feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). FECV causes subclinical infections; FIPV causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a systemic and fatal disease. It is thought that mutations in FECV enable infection of macrophages, causing FIP. However, the molecular basis for this biotype switch is unknown. We examined a furin cleavage site in the region between receptor-binding (S1) and fusion (S2) domains of the spike of serotype 1 FCoV. FECV sequences were compared with FIPV sequences. All FECVs had a conserved furin cleavage motif. For FIPV, there was a correlation with the disease and >1 substitution in the S1/S2 motif. Fluorogenic peptide assays confirmed that the substitutions modulate furin cleavage. We document a functionally relevant S1/S2 mutation that arises when FIP develops in a cat. These insights into FIP pathogenesis may be useful in development of diagnostic, prevention, and treatment measures against coronaviruses. PMID:23763835

  5. Trichomonas vaginalis Metalloproteinase Induces mTOR Cleavage of SiHa Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quan, Juan-Hua; Choi, In-Wook; Yang, Jung-Bo; Zhou, Wei; Cha, Guang-Ho; Zhou, Yu; Ryu, Jae-Sook

    2014-01-01

    Trichomonas vaginalis secretes a number of proteases which are suspected to be the cause of pathogenesis; however, little is understood how they manipulate host cells. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates cell growth, cell proliferation, cell motility, cell survival, protein synthesis, and transcription. We detected various types of metalloproteinases including GP63 protein from T. vaginalis trophozoites, and T. vaginalis GP63 metalloproteinase was confirmed by sequencing and western blot. When SiHa cells were stimulated with live T. vaginalis, T. vaginalis excretory-secretory products (ESP) or T. vaginalis lysate, live T. vaginalis and T. vaginalis ESP induced the mTOR cleavage in both time- and parasite load-dependent manner, but T. vaginalis lysate did not. Pretreatment of T. vaginalis with a metalloproteinase inhibitor, 1,10-phenanthroline, completely disappeared the mTOR cleavage in SiHa cells. Collectively, T. vaginalis metallopeptidase induces host cell mTOR cleavage, which may be related to survival of the parasite. PMID:25548410

  6. Condensed tannins: A novel rearrangement of procyanidins and prodelphinidins in thiolytic cleavage

    Science.gov (United States)

    G. Wayne McGraw; Jan P. Steynberg; Richard W. Hemingway

    1993-01-01

    Conditions commonly used for the thiolytic cleavage of interflavanoid bonds of condensed tannins also result in cleavage of the C4 to C10 bond of flavan units. Subsequenet lectrophilic attack of the C4 carbocation on the C2' or C6' of the B-ring, and loss of phloroglucinol (the A-ring), result in the formation of a mixture of 1,3-dithiobenzyl-2,4,s,6-...

  7. Yeast ribonuclease III uses a network of multiple hydrogen bonds for RNA binding and cleavage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavoie, Mathieu; Abou Elela, Sherif

    2008-08-19

    Members of the bacterial RNase III family recognize a variety of short structured RNAs with few common features. It is not clear how this group of enzymes supports high cleavage fidelity while maintaining a broad base of substrates. Here we show that the yeast orthologue of RNase III (Rnt1p) uses a network of 2'-OH-dependent interactions to recognize substrates with different structures. We designed a series of bipartite substrates permitting the distinction between binding and cleavage defects. Each substrate was engineered to carry a single or multiple 2'- O-methyl or 2'-fluoro ribonucleotide substitutions to prevent the formation of hydrogen bonds with a specific nucleotide or group of nucleotides. Interestingly, introduction of 2'- O-methyl ribonucleotides near the cleavage site increased the rate of catalysis, indicating that 2'-OH are not required for cleavage. Substitution of nucleotides in known Rnt1p binding site with 2'- O-methyl ribonucleotides inhibited cleavage while single 2'-fluoro ribonucleotide substitutions did not. This indicates that while no single 2'-OH is essential for Rnt1p cleavage, small changes in the substrate structure are not tolerated. Strikingly, several nucleotide substitutions greatly increased the substrate dissociation constant with little or no effect on the Michaelis-Menten constant or rate of catalysis. Together, the results indicate that Rnt1p uses a network of nucleotide interactions to identify its substrate and support two distinct modes of binding. One mode is primarily mediated by the dsRNA binding domain and leads to the formation of stable RNA/protein complex, while the other requires the presence of the nuclease and N-terminal domains and leads to RNA cleavage.

  8. Enzalutamide in metastatic prostate cancer before chemotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beer, Tomasz M; Armstrong, Andrew J; Rathkopf, Dana E

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Enzalutamide is an oral androgen-receptor inhibitor that prolongs survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in whom the disease has progressed after chemotherapy. New treatment options are needed for patients with metastatic prostate cancer who have...... the most common clinically relevant adverse events associated with enzalutamide treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Enzalutamide significantly decreased the risk of radiographic progression and death and delayed the initiation of chemotherapy in men with metastatic prostate cancer. (Funded by Medivation and Astellas...... skeletal-related event (hazard ratio, 0.72), a complete or partial soft-tissue response (59% vs. 5%), the time until prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression (hazard ratio, 0.17), and a rate of decline of at least 50% in PSA (78% vs. 3%) (P

  9. Inhibition of SIRT1 by a small molecule induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalle, Arunasree M; Mallika, A; Badiger, Jayasree; Alinakhi; Talukdar, Pinaki; Sachchidanand

    2010-10-08

    Overexpression of SIRT1, a NAD+-dependent class III histone deacetylases (HDACs), is implicated in many cancers and therefore could become a promising antitumor target. Here we demonstrate a small molecule SIRT1 inhibitor, ILS-JGB-1741(JGB1741) with potent inhibitory effects on the proliferation of human metastatic breast cancer cells, MDA-MB 231. The molecule has been designed using medicinal chemistry approach based on known SIRT1 inhibitor, sirtinol. The molecule showed a significant inhibition of SIRT1 activity compared to sirtinol. Studies on the antitumor effects of JGB on three different cancer cell lines, K562, HepG2 and MDA-MB 231 showed an IC₅₀ of 1, 10 and 0.5 μM, respectively. Further studies on MDA-MB 231 cells showed a dose-dependent increase in K9 and K382 acetylation of H3 and p53, respectively. Results also demonstrated that JGB1741-induced apoptosis is associated with increase in cytochrome c release, modulation in Bax/Bcl2 ratio and cleavage of PARP. Flowcytometric analysis showed increased percentage of apoptotic cells, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and increase in multicaspase activation. In conclusion, the present study indicates the potent apoptotic effects of JGB1741 in MDA-MB 231 cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Phase I, Dose-Escalation, Two-Part Trial of the PARP Inhibitor Talazoparib in Patients with Advanced Germline BRCA1/2 Mutations and Selected Sporadic Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Bono, Johann; Ramanathan, Ramesh K; Mina, Lida; Chugh, Rashmi; Glaspy, John; Rafii, Saeed; Kaye, Stan; Sachdev, Jasgit; Heymach, John; Smith, David C; Henshaw, Joshua W; Herriott, Ashleigh; Patterson, Miranda; Curtin, Nicola J; Byers, Lauren Averett; Wainberg, Zev A

    2017-06-01

    Talazoparib inhibits PARP catalytic activity, trapping PARP1 on damaged DNA and causing cell death in BRCA1/2 -mutated cells. We evaluated talazoparib therapy in this two-part, phase I, first-in-human trial. Antitumor activity, MTD, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of once-daily talazoparib were determined in an open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation study (NCT01286987). The MTD was 1.0 mg/day, with an elimination half-life of 50 hours. Treatment-related adverse events included fatigue (26/71 patients; 37%) and anemia (25/71 patients; 35%). Grade 3 to 4 adverse events included anemia (17/71 patients; 24%) and thrombocytopenia (13/71 patients; 18%). Sustained PARP inhibition was observed at doses ≥0.60 mg/day. At 1.0 mg/day, confirmed responses were observed in 7 of 14 (50%) and 5 of 12 (42%) patients with BRCA mutation-associated breast and ovarian cancers, respectively, and in patients with pancreatic and small cell lung cancer. Talazoparib demonstrated single-agent antitumor activity and was well tolerated in patients at the recommended dose of 1.0 mg/day. Significance: In this clinical trial, we show that talazoparib has single-agent antitumor activity and a tolerable safety profile. At its recommended phase II dose of 1.0 mg/day, confirmed responses were observed in patients with BRCA mutation-associated breast and ovarian cancers and in patients with pancreatic and small cell lung cancer. Cancer Discov; 7(6); 620-9. ©2017 AACR. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 539 . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  11. Polycystin-1 C-terminal Cleavage Is Modulated by Polycystin-2 Expression*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertuccio, Claudia A.; Chapin, Hannah C.; Cai, Yiqiang; Mistry, Kavita; Chauvet, Veronique; Somlo, Stefan; Caplan, Michael J.

    2009-01-01

    Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is caused by mutations in the genes encoding polycystin-1 (PC-1) and polycystin-2 (PC-2). PC-1 cleavage releases its cytoplasmic C-terminal tail (CTT), which enters the nucleus. To determine whether PC-1 CTT cleavage is influenced by PC-2, a quantitative cleavage assay was utilized, in which the DNA binding and activation domains of Gal4 and VP16, respectively, were appended to PC-1 downstream of its CTT domain (PKDgalvp). Cells cotransfected with the resultant PKDgalvp fusion protein and PC-2 showed an increase in luciferase activity and in CTT expression, indicating that the C-terminal tail of PC-1 is cleaved and enters the nucleus. To assess whether CTT cleavage depends upon Ca2+ signaling, cells transfected with PKDgalvp alone or together with PC-2 were incubated with several agents that alter intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. PC-2 enhancement of luciferase activity was not altered by any of these treatments. Using a series of PC-2 C-terminal truncated mutations, we identified a portion of the PC-2 protein that is required to stimulate PC-1 CTT accumulation. These data demonstrate that release of the CTT from PC-1 is influenced and stabilized by PC-2. This effect is independent of Ca2+ but is regulated by sequences contained within the PC-2 C-terminal tail, suggesting a mechanism through which PC-1 and PC-2 may modulate a novel signaling pathway. PMID:19491093

  12. Restriction enzyme cleavage of ultraviolet-damaged Simian virus 40 and pBR322 DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleaver, J.E.

    1983-01-01

    Cleavage of specific DNA sequences by the restriction enzymes EcoRI, HindIII and TaqI was prevented when the DNA was irradiated with ultraviolet light. Most of the effects were attributed to cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in the recognition sequences; the effectiveness of irradiation was directly proportional to the number of potential dimer sites in the DNA. Combining EcoRI with dimer-specific endonuclease digestion revealed that pyrimidine dimers blocked cleavage within one base-pair on the strand opposite to the dimer but did not block cleavage three to four base-pairs away on the same strand. These are the probable limits for the range of influence of pyrimidine dimers along the DNA, at least for this enzyme. The effect of irradiation on cleavage by TaqI seemed far greater than expected for the cyclobutane dimer yield, possibly because of effects from photoproducts flanking the tetranucleotide recognition sequence and the effect of non-cyclobutane (6-4)pyrimidine photoproducts involving adjacent T and C bases. (author)

  13. Control of extracellular cleavage of ProBDNF by high frequency neuronal activity

    OpenAIRE

    Nagappan, Guhan; Zaitsev, Eugene; Senatorov, Vladimir V.; Yang, Jianmin; Hempstead, Barbara L.; Lu, Bai

    2009-01-01

    Pro- and mature neurotrophins often elicit opposing biological effects. For example, mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (mBDNF) is critical for long-term potentiation induced by high-frequency stimulation, whereas proBDNF facilitate long-term depression induced by low-frequency stimulation. Because mBDNF is derived from proBDNF by endoproteolytic cleavage, mechanisms regulating the cleavage of proBDNF may control the direction of BDNF regulation. Using methods that selectively detect pr...

  14. Stimulation of NADH-dependent microsomal DNA strand cleavage by rifamycin SV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukiełka, E; Cederbaum, A I

    1995-04-15

    Rifamycin SV is an antibiotic anti-bacterial agent used in the treatment of tuberculosis. This drug can autoxidize, especially in the presence of metals, and generate reactive oxygen species. A previous study indicated that rifamycin SV can increase NADH-dependent microsomal production of reactive oxygen species. The current study evaluated the ability of rifamycin SV to interact with iron and increase microsomal production of hydroxyl radical, as detected by conversion of supercoiled plasmid DNA into the relaxed open circular state. The plasmid used was pBluescript II KS(-), and the forms of DNA were separated by agarose-gel electrophoresis. Incubation of rat liver microsomes with plasmid plus NADH plus ferric-ATP caused DNA strand cleavage. The addition of rifamycin SV produced a time- and concentration-dependent increase in DNA-strand cleavage. No stimulation by rifamycin SV occurred in the absence of microsomes, NADH or ferric-ATP. Stimulation occurred with other ferric complexes besides ferric-ATP, e.g. ferric-histidine, ferric-citrate, ferric-EDTA, and ferric-(NH4)2SO4. Rifamycin SV did not significantly increase the high rates of DNA strand cleavage found with NADPH as the microsomal reductant. The stimulation of NADH-dependent microsomal DNA strand cleavage was completely blocked by catalase, superoxide dismutase, GSH and a variety of hydroxyl-radical-scavenging agents, but not by anti-oxidants that prevent microsomal lipid peroxidation. Redox cycling agents, such as menadione and paraquat, in contrast with rifamycin SV, stimulated the NADPH-dependent reaction; menadione and rifamycin SV were superior to paraquat in stimulating the NADH-dependent reaction. These results indicate that rifamycin SV can, in the presence of an iron catalyst, increase microsomal production of reactive oxygen species which can cause DNA-strand cleavage. In contrast with other redox cycling agents, the stimulation by rifamycin SV is more pronounced with NADH than with NADPH as the

  15. Relationship between intrinsic radiation sensitivity and metastatic potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, Anne M.; Mei, Su; Doty, Jay; Chen Yi; Pardo, Francisco S.

    1996-01-01

    Purpose: Prior studies emphasized genetic modulation of tumorigenicity, and experimental metastatic potential in cells transfected with oncogenes. Whether the intrinsic radiation sensitivity of cells might correlate with parallel changes in metastatic potential is unknown. Methods and Materials: Rat embryo cells (REC) were transfected with the following oncogenes, and where appropriate, with corresponding selection markers: pCMV neopEJ6.6ras, pEJ6.6ras/v-myc, pE1a, and pEJ6-.6ras/E1a. Individual transfectant clones and corresponding pooled cellular populations were propagated in selective medium. In vitro cellular radiation sensitivity was determined via clonogenic assays, a minimum of three, by standard techniques and individual SF 2 and MID parameters determined. Tumorigenicity was defined as the number of tumors forming following the injection of 1 x 10 5 - 1 x 10 6 cells into the axillary pouch of three different strains of immune-deficient mice. Animals were killed once resultant tumors reached a maximum size of 1.5-2.0 cm in maximum diameter. For determination of experimental metastatic potential, between 1 x 10 5 -1 x 10 6 cells were injected into the tail veins of litter-matched sibling mice in parallel to the tumorigenicity studies. Results: Radiobiologic studies indicate similar levels of radiation sensitivity among REC, mock-transfected REC, E1a, and combined E1a/ras transfectants. pEJ6.6ras, and combined ras/myc transfected pooled cellular populations demonstrated increases in radiation resistance when compared to the pooled radiobiologic data from untransfected and mock-transfected corresponding pooled cellular populations (p 2 , MID). Rat embryo cells, E1a, and mock-transfectants were relatively radiation sensitive and nontumorigenic. pE1a/ras was tumorigenic but demonstrated relatively low experimental metastatic potential. Ras, and ras/myc transfectants, demonstrated similar levels of experimental metastatic potential on lung colonization assays

  16. Proximity-activated nanoparticles: in vitro performance of specific structural modification by enzymatic cleavage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adam Smith, R; Sewell, Sarah L; Giorgio, Todd D

    2008-01-01

    The development and in vitro performance of a modular nanoscale system capable of specific structural modification by enzymatic activity is described in this work. Due to its small physical size and adaptable characteristics, this system has the potential for utilization in targeted delivery systems and biosensing. Nanoparticle probes were synthesized containing two distinct fluorescent species including a quantum dot base particle and fluorescently labeled cleavable peptide substrate. Activity of these probes was monitored by gel electrophoresis with quantitative cleavage measurements made by fluorometric analysis. The model proximity-activated nanoparticles studied here exhibit significant susceptibility to cleavage by matrix metalloprotease-7 (MMP-7) at physiologically relevant concentrations, with nearly complete cleavage of available substrate molecules after 24 hours. This response is specific to MMP-7 enzyme activity, as cleavage is completely inhibited with the addition of EDTA. Utilization of enzyme-specific modification is a sensitive approach with broad applications for targeted therapeutics and biosensing. The versatility of this nanoparticle system is highlighted in its modular design, as it has the capability to integrate characteristics for detection, biosensing, targeting, and payload delivery into a single, multifunctional nanoparticle structure. PMID:18488420

  17. Avelumab: A Review in Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shirley, Matt

    2018-05-24

    Avelumab (Bavencio ® ) is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that is directed against programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Avelumab functions as an immune checkpoint inhibitor and has recently been approved in the USA, the EU and Japan for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). It is thus the first therapeutic agent specifically approved for use in this indication, and is approved for use independent of line of treatment. Approval for avelumab in metastatic MCC was based on the two-part, single-arm, phase II trial, JAVELIN Merkel 200. In Part A of the study, confirmed objective responses were observed in approximately one-third of patients with chemotherapy-refractory metastatic MCC treated with avelumab. The responses were observed early and appeared to be durable, with an estimated 74% of responses having a duration ≥ 12 months. Furthermore, interim results from a separate cohort of patients (Part B) indicate an objective response rate for avelumab of > 60% in patients who were chemotherapy-naïve in the metastatic disease setting. Avelumab is associated with a risk of immune-related adverse events but, overall, has an acceptable and manageable safety and tolerability profile. In conclusion, currently available data suggest that avelumab presents a clinically beneficial new treatment option for metastatic MCC, a rare but aggressive cancer associated with a poor prognosis.

  18. PROSPER: an integrated feature-based tool for predicting protease substrate cleavage sites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiangning Song

    Full Text Available The ability to catalytically cleave protein substrates after synthesis is fundamental for all forms of life. Accordingly, site-specific proteolysis is one of the most important post-translational modifications. The key to understanding the physiological role of a protease is to identify its natural substrate(s. Knowledge of the substrate specificity of a protease can dramatically improve our ability to predict its target protein substrates, but this information must be utilized in an effective manner in order to efficiently identify protein substrates by in silico approaches. To address this problem, we present PROSPER, an integrated feature-based server for in silico identification of protease substrates and their cleavage sites for twenty-four different proteases. PROSPER utilizes established specificity information for these proteases (derived from the MEROPS database with a machine learning approach to predict protease cleavage sites by using different, but complementary sequence and structure characteristics. Features used by PROSPER include local amino acid sequence profile, predicted secondary structure, solvent accessibility and predicted native disorder. Thus, for proteases with known amino acid specificity, PROSPER provides a convenient, pre-prepared tool for use in identifying protein substrates for the enzymes. Systematic prediction analysis for the twenty-four proteases thus far included in the database revealed that the features we have included in the tool strongly improve performance in terms of cleavage site prediction, as evidenced by their contribution to performance improvement in terms of identifying known cleavage sites in substrates for these enzymes. In comparison with two state-of-the-art prediction tools, PoPS and SitePrediction, PROSPER achieves greater accuracy and coverage. To our knowledge, PROSPER is the first comprehensive server capable of predicting cleavage sites of multiple proteases within a single substrate

  19. Fe-Catalyzed Oxidative Cleavage of Unsaturated Fatty Acids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spannring, P.

    2013-01-01

    The oxidative cleavage of unsaturated fatty acids into aldehydes or carboxylic acids gives access to valuable products. The products can be used as chemical building blocks, as emulsifiers or in the paint or polymer industry. Ozonolysis is applied industrially to cleave the fatty acid oleic acid

  20. Enhanced Metastatic Recurrence Via Lymphatic Trafficking of a High-Metastatic Variant of Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer After Surgical Resection in Orthotopic Nude Mouse Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yano, Shuya; Takehara, Kiyoto; Tazawa, Hiroshi; Kishimoto, Hiroyuki; Kagawa, Shunsuke; Bouvet, Michael; Fujiwara, Toshiyoshi; Hoffman, Robert M

    2017-03-01

    We previously developed and characterized a highly invasive and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) variant by serial orthotopic implantation of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells in nude mice. Eventually, a highly invasive and metastatic variant of human TNBC was isolated after lymph node metastases was harvested and orthotopically re-implanted into the mammary gland of nude mice for two cycles. The variant thereby isolated is highly invasive in the mammary gland and metastasized to lymph nodes in 10 of 12 mice compared to 2 of 12 of the parental cell line. In the present report, we observed that high-metastatic MDA-MB-231H-RFP cells produced significantly larger subcutaneous tumors compared with parental MDA-MB-231 cells in nude mice. Extensive lymphatic trafficking by high-metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells was also observed. High-metastatic MDA-MB-231 developed larger recurrent tumors 2 weeks after tumor resection compared with tumors that were not resected in orthotopic models. Surgical resection of the MDA-MB-231 high-metastatic variant primary tumor in orthotopic models also resulted in rapid and enhanced lymphatic trafficking of residual cancer cells and extensive lymph node and lung metastasis that did not occur in the non-surgical mice. These results suggest that surgical resection of high metastatic TNBC can greatly increase the malignancy of residual cancer. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 559-569, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Gamma-knife radiosurgery for metastatic brain tumors from primary lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uchiyama, Bine; Satoh, Ken; Saijo, Yasuo

    1998-01-01

    Forty patients with metastatic brain tumors from primary lung cancer underwent radiosurgery (γ-knife). We retrospectively compared their prior treatment history, number of metastatic foci, and performance status, to evaluate the effects of, and indications for, γ-knife therapy. After both the primary and the metastatic tumors were controlled, performance status could be used as an index in the choice of γ-knife therapy. Our results demonstrate that repeated γ-knife radiosurgeries prolonged survival time. Gamma-knife radiosurgery improves quality of life and prognosis of patients with metastatic brain tumors. (author)

  2. A Novel Differentiation Therapy Approach to Reduce the Metastatic Potential of Basal, Highly Metastatic, Triple-Negative Breast Cancers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-01

    metastatic process (Condeelis and Pollard 2006), we quantitated macrophage recruitment in the lungs of mice injected with 231-Empty or 231-GATA3 cells by...image quantitation of Ki-67 expression and H&E staining of metastatic lung lesions using Apirio Image Analysis software (Figure 9) which demonstrated...expression in MD A-MB-231 and in another triple negative breast cancer cell line, Hs578T Transient knock down of GATA3 in the lum inal GATA3 positiv

  3. Disseminated breast cancer cells acquire a highly malignant and aggressive metastatic phenotype during metastatic latency in the bone.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolyn G Marsden

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs in the bone marrow may exist in a dormant state for extended periods of time, maintaining the ability to proliferate upon activation, engraft at new sites, and form detectable metastases. However, understanding of the behavior and biology of dormant breast cancer cells in the bone marrow niche remains limited, as well as their potential involvement in tumor recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the tumorigenicity and metastatic potential of dormant disseminated breast cancer cells (prior to activation in the bone marrow. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Total bone marrow, isolated from mice previously injected with tumorspheres into the mammary fat pad, was injected into the mammary fat pad of NUDE mice. As a negative control, bone marrow isolated from non-injected mice was injected into the mammary fat pad of NUDE mice. The resultant tumors were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Mouse lungs, livers, and kidneys were analyzed by H+E staining to detect metastases. The injection of bone marrow isolated from mice previously injected with tumorspheres into the mammary fat pad, resulted in large tumor formation in the mammary fat pad 2 months post-injection. However, the injection of bone marrow isolated from non-injected mice did not result in tumor formation in the mammary fat pad. The DTC-derived tumors exhibited accelerated development of metastatic lesions within the lung, liver and kidney. The resultant tumors and the majority of metastatic lesions within the lung and liver exhibited a mesenchymal-like phenotype. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Dormant DTCs within the bone marrow are highly malignant upon injection into the mammary fat pad, with the accelerated development of metastatic lesions within the lung, liver and kidney. These results suggest the acquisition of a more aggressive phenotype of DTCs during

  4. Control of Metastatic Progression by microRNA Regulatory Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pencheva, Nora; Tavazoie, Sohail F.

    2015-01-01

    Aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is a defining feature of human malignancy. Specific miRNAs have been identified as promoters or suppressors of metastatic progression. These miRNAs control metastasis through divergent or convergent regulation of metastatic gene pathways. Some miRNA regulatory networks govern cell-autonomous cancer phenotypes, while others modulate the cell-extrinsic composition of the metastatic microenvironment. The use of small RNAs as probes into the molecular and cellular underpinnings of metastasis holds promise for the identification of candidate genes for potential therapeutic intervention. PMID:23728460

  5. Signal peptide discrimination and cleavage site identification using SVM and NN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazemian, H B; Yusuf, S A; White, K

    2014-02-01

    About 15% of all proteins in a genome contain a signal peptide (SP) sequence, at the N-terminus, that targets the protein to intracellular secretory pathways. Once the protein is targeted correctly in the cell, the SP is cleaved, releasing the mature protein. Accurate prediction of the presence of these short amino-acid SP chains is crucial for modelling the topology of membrane proteins, since SP sequences can be confused with transmembrane domains due to similar composition of hydrophobic amino acids. This paper presents a cascaded Support Vector Machine (SVM)-Neural Network (NN) classification methodology for SP discrimination and cleavage site identification. The proposed method utilises a dual phase classification approach using SVM as a primary classifier to discriminate SP sequences from Non-SP. The methodology further employs NNs to predict the most suitable cleavage site candidates. In phase one, a SVM classification utilises hydrophobic propensities as a primary feature vector extraction using symmetric sliding window amino-acid sequence analysis for discrimination of SP and Non-SP. In phase two, a NN classification uses asymmetric sliding window sequence analysis for prediction of cleavage site identification. The proposed SVM-NN method was tested using Uni-Prot non-redundant datasets of eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins with SP and Non-SP N-termini. Computer simulation results demonstrate an overall accuracy of 0.90 for SP and Non-SP discrimination based on Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC) tests using SVM. For SP cleavage site prediction, the overall accuracy is 91.5% based on cross-validation tests using the novel SVM-NN model. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  6. Epidermotropic metastatic melanoma with perilesional depigmentation in an Indian male

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhavana Doshi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Melanoma is a rare form of cutaneous malignancy encountered in the dark skin population. Epidermotropic metastatic melanoma is a rare form of cutaneous metastatic melanoma which can mimic primary melanoma on histopathology. Hence its differentiation is of immense prognostic importance. The occurrence of rim of depigmentation around the primary cutaneous melanoma has previously been reported to portend a bad prognosis. The occurrence of vitiligo like lesions in patients with metastatic melanoma in comparison has a better prognosis. However the occurrence of depigmentation around the secondaries is rare and its importance is not well known. Hence we wish to report a case of epidermotropic metastatic melanoma with perilesional depigmentation in a 78 year old Indian male.

  7. WITHDRAWN: Systemic treatments for metastatic cutaneous melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosby, Tom; Fish, Reg; Coles, Bernadette; Mason, Malcolm

    2018-02-07

    Systemic therapies for metastatic cutaneous melanoma, the most aggressive of all skin cancers, remain disappointing. Few lasting remissions are achieved and the therapeutic aim remains one of palliation.Many agents are used alone or in combination with varying degrees of toxicity and cost. It is unclear whether evidence exists to support these complex regimens over best supportive care / placebo. To review the benefits from the use of systemic therapies in metastatic cutaneous melanoma compared to best supportive care/placebo, and to establish whether a 'standard' therapy exists which is superior to other treatments. Randomised controlled trials were identified from the MEDLINE, EMBASE and CCTR/CENTRAL databases. References, conference proceedings, and Science Citation Index/Scisearch were also used to locate trials. Cancer registries and trialists were also contacted. Randomised controlled trials of adults with histologically proven metastatic cutaneous melanoma in which systemic anti-cancer therapy was compared with placebo or supportive care. Study selection was performed by two independent reviewers. Data extraction forms were used for studies which appeared to meet the selection criteria and, where appropriate, full text articles were retrieved and reviewed independently. No randomised controlled trials were found comparing a systemic therapy with placebo or best supportive care in metastatic cutaneous melanoma. There is no evidence from randomised controlled clinical trials to show superiority of systemic therapy over best supportive care / placebo in the treatment of malignant cutaneous melanoma.Given that patients with metastatic melanoma frequently receive systemic therapy, it is our pragmatic view that a future systematic review could compare any systemic treatment, or combination of treatments, to single agent dacarbazine.

  8. Sequence specificity of DNA cleavage by Micrococcus luteus γ endonuclease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hentosh, P.; Henner, W.D.; Reynolds, R.J.

    1985-01-01

    DNA fragments of defined sequence have been used to determine the sites of cleavage by γ-endonuclease activity in extracts prepared from Micrococcus luteus. End-labeled DNA restriction fragments of pBR322 DNA that had been irradiated under nitrogen in the presence of potassium iodide or t-butanol were treated with M. luteus γ endonuclease and analyzed on irradiated DNA preferentially at the positions of cytosines and thymines. DNA cleavage occurred immediately to the 3' side of pyrimidines in irradiated DNA and resulted in fragments that terminate in a 5'-phosphoryl group. These studies indicate that both altered cytosines and thymines may be important DNA lesions requiring repair after exposure to γ radiation

  9. DNA Cleavage Activity of Diazonium Salts: Chemical Nucleases

    OpenAIRE

    KIZIL, Murat

    2014-01-01

    4-Fenoldiazonium tetrafluoroborate and 4-benzoicaciddiazonium tetrafluoroborate was prepared and was shown to be an effective DNA cleavage agent in the presence of the 1-electron donor copper(II) chloride. Its mechanism involves the generation of the aryl radical cleaving DNA by hydrogen atom abstraction from deoxyribose sugar.

  10. Autoactivation of mouse trypsinogens is regulated by chymotrypsin C via cleavage of the autolysis loop.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Németh, Balázs Csaba; Wartmann, Thomas; Halangk, Walter; Sahin-Tóth, Miklós

    2013-08-16

    Chymotrypsin C (CTRC) is a proteolytic regulator of trypsinogen autoactivation in humans. CTRC cleavage of the trypsinogen activation peptide stimulates autoactivation, whereas cleavage of the calcium binding loop promotes trypsinogen degradation. Trypsinogen mutations that alter these regulatory cleavages lead to increased intrapancreatic trypsinogen activation and cause hereditary pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to characterize the regulation of autoactivation of mouse trypsinogens by mouse Ctrc. We found that the mouse pancreas expresses four trypsinogen isoforms to high levels, T7, T8, T9, and T20. Only the T7 activation peptide was cleaved by mouse Ctrc, causing negligible stimulation of autoactivation. Surprisingly, mouse Ctrc poorly cleaved the calcium binding loop in all mouse trypsinogens. In contrast, mouse Ctrc readily cleaved the Phe-150-Gly-151 peptide bond in the autolysis loop of T8 and T9 and inhibited autoactivation. Mouse chymotrypsin B also cleaved the same peptide bond but was 7-fold slower. T7 was less sensitive to chymotryptic regulation, which involved slow cleavage of the Leu-149-Ser-150 peptide bond in the autolysis loop. Modeling indicated steric proximity of the autolysis loop and the activation peptide in trypsinogen, suggesting the cleaved autolysis loop may directly interfere with activation. We conclude that autoactivation of mouse trypsinogens is under the control of mouse Ctrc with some notable differences from the human situation. Thus, cleavage of the trypsinogen activation peptide or the calcium binding loop by Ctrc is unimportant. Instead, inhibition of autoactivation via cleavage of the autolysis loop is the dominant mechanism that can mitigate intrapancreatic trypsinogen activation.

  11. Extent of radiosensitization by the PARP inhibitor olaparib depends on its dose, the radiation dose and the integrity of the homologous recombination pathway of tumor cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhagen, Caroline V. M.; de Haan, Rosemarie; Hageman, Floor; Oostendorp, Tim P. D.; Carli, Annalisa L. E.; O'Connor, Mark J.; Jonkers, Jos; Verheij, Marcel; van den Brekel, Michiel W.; Vens, Conchita

    2015-01-01

    The PARP inhibitor olaparib is currently tested in clinical phase 1 trials to define safe dose levels in combination with RT. However, certain clinically relevant insights are still lacking. Here we test, while comparing to single agent activity, the olaparib dose and genetic background dependence

  12. Analysis by the reductive-cleavage method of linkage positions in a polysaccharide containing 4-linked D-glucopyranosyluronic residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vodonik, S A; Gray, G R

    1988-04-01

    The fate of 4-linked D-glucopyranosyluronic residues under reductive-cleavage conditions was investigated by using the Klebsiella aerogenes type 54 strain A3 capsular polysaccharide. Treatment of the fully methylated polysaccharide with triethylsilane and trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate in dichloromethane, followed by in situ acetylation, yielded 1,5-anhydro-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl-D-glucitol, 3,4-di-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2,6-di-O-methyl-D-glucitol, and 3-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2,4-di-O-methyl-L-fucitol, as expected, but the expected product of reductive cleavage of the 4-linked D-glucopyranosyluronic residue, namely, methyl 3-O-acetyl-2,6-anhydro-4,5-di-O-methyl-L-gulonate, was not observed. Instead, methyl 2-O-acetyl-3,6-anhydro-4,5-di-O-methyl-L-gulonate (6) was identified as the sole product of reductive cleavage of the 4-linked D-glucopyranosyluronic residue. That compound 6 arose as a result of rearrangement during reductive cleavage rather than by reductive cleavage of a 5-linked D-glucofuranosyluronic residue, was established by reductive cleavage of the fully methylated polysaccharide following reduction of its ester groups with either lithium aluminum hydride or lithium aluminum deuteride. The products of the latter reductive cleavage were the same as before, except for the absence of 6 and the presence of 4,6-di-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2,3-di-O-methyl-D-glucitol, or its 6,6-dideuterio isomer. Although the reductive-cleavage technique is suitable for the direct analysis of polysaccharides containing 4-linked D-glucopyranosyluronic residues, it does not establish whether the uronic residue is a 4-linked pyranoside or a 5-linked furanoside. The expected product is, however, derived from the 4-linked D-glucopyranosyluronic residue after sequential methylation, reduction of its ester group and reductive cleavage.

  13. Caught in the act: revealing the metastatic process by live imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miriam R. Fein

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The prognosis of metastatic cancer in patients is poor. Interfering with metastatic spread is therefore important for achieving better survival from cancer. Metastatic disease is established through a series of steps, including breaching of the basement membrane, intravasation and survival in lymphatic or blood vessels, extravasation, and growth at distant sites. Yet, although we know the steps involved in metastasis, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of dissemination and colonization of distant organs are incompletely understood. Here, we review the important insights into the metastatic process that have been gained specifically through the use of imaging technologies in murine, chicken embryo and zebrafish model systems, including high-resolution two-photon microscopy and bioluminescence. We further discuss how imaging technologies are beginning to allow researchers to address the role of regional activation of specific molecular pathways in the metastatic process. These technologies are shedding light, literally, on almost every step of the metastatic process, particularly with regards to the dynamics and plasticity of the disseminating cancer cells and the active participation of the microenvironment in the processes.

  14. Programmable RNA recognition and cleavage by CRISPR/Cas9.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connell, Mitchell R; Oakes, Benjamin L; Sternberg, Samuel H; East-Seletsky, Alexandra; Kaplan, Matias; Doudna, Jennifer A

    2014-12-11

    The CRISPR-associated protein Cas9 is an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease that uses RNA-DNA complementarity to identify target sites for sequence-specific double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) cleavage. In its native context, Cas9 acts on DNA substrates exclusively because both binding and catalysis require recognition of a short DNA sequence, known as the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM), next to and on the strand opposite the twenty-nucleotide target site in dsDNA. Cas9 has proven to be a versatile tool for genome engineering and gene regulation in a large range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell types, and in whole organisms, but it has been thought to be incapable of targeting RNA. Here we show that Cas9 binds with high affinity to single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) targets matching the Cas9-associated guide RNA sequence when the PAM is presented in trans as a separate DNA oligonucleotide. Furthermore, PAM-presenting oligonucleotides (PAMmers) stimulate site-specific endonucleolytic cleavage of ssRNA targets, similar to PAM-mediated stimulation of Cas9-catalysed DNA cleavage. Using specially designed PAMmers, Cas9 can be specifically directed to bind or cut RNA targets while avoiding corresponding DNA sequences, and we demonstrate that this strategy enables the isolation of a specific endogenous messenger RNA from cells. These results reveal a fundamental connection between PAM binding and substrate selection by Cas9, and highlight the utility of Cas9 for programmable transcript recognition without the need for tags.

  15. Conservation of a proteinase cleavage site between an insect retrovirus (gypsy) Env protein and a baculovirus envelope fusion protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pearson, Margot N.; Rohrmann, George F.

    2004-01-01

    The predicted Env protein of insect retroviruses (errantiviruses) is related to the envelope fusion protein of a major division of the Baculoviridae. The highest degree of homology is found in a region that contains a furin cleavage site in the baculovirus proteins and an adjacent sequence that has the properties of a fusion peptide. In this investigation, the homologous region in the Env protein of the gypsy retrovirus of Drosophila melanogaster (DmegypV) was investigated. Alteration of the predicted DmegypV Env proteinase cleavage site from RIAR to AIAR significantly reduced cleavage of Env in both Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-9) and D. melanogaster (S2) cell lines. When the predicted DmegypV Env cleavage site RIAR was substituted for the cleavage sequence RRKR in the Lymantria dispar nucleopolyhedrovirus fusion protein (LD130) sequence, cleavage of the hybrid LD130 molecules still occurred, although at a reduced level. The conserved 21-amino acid sequence just downstream of the cleavage site, which is thought to be the fusion peptide in LD130, was also characterized. When this sequence from DmegypV Env was substituted for the homologous sequence in LD130, cleavage still occurred, but no fusion was observed in either cell type. In addition, although a DmegypV-Env-green fluorescent protein construct localized to cell membranes, no cell fusion was observed

  16. Drosha regulates gene expression independently of RNA cleavage function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gromak, Natalia; Dienstbier, Martin; Macias, Sara

    2013-01-01

    Drosha is the main RNase III-like enzyme involved in the process of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis in the nucleus. Using whole-genome ChIP-on-chip analysis, we demonstrate that, in addition to miRNA sequences, Drosha specifically binds promoter-proximal regions of many human genes in a transcription......-dependent manner. This binding is not associated with miRNA production or RNA cleavage. Drosha knockdown in HeLa cells downregulated nascent gene transcription, resulting in a reduction of polyadenylated mRNA produced from these gene regions. Furthermore, we show that this function of Drosha is dependent on its N......-terminal protein-interaction domain, which associates with the RNA-binding protein CBP80 and RNA Polymerase II. Consequently, we uncover a previously unsuspected RNA cleavage-independent function of Drosha in the regulation of human gene expression....

  17. Polycystin-1 Cleavage and the Regulation of Transcriptional Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrick, David; Bertuccio, Claudia A.; Chapin, Hannah C.; Lal, Mark; Chauvet, Veronique; Caplan, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic cause of end stage renal disease, affecting ~1 in 1,000 people. The disease is characterized by the development of numerous large fluid filled renal cysts over the course of decades. These cysts compress the surrounding renal parenchyma and impair its function. Mutations in two genes are responsible for ADPKD. The protein products of both of these genes, polycystin-1 and polycystin-2, localize to the primary cilium and participate in a wide variety of signaling pathways. Polycystin-1 undergoes several proteolytic cleavages that produce fragments that manifest biological activities. Recent results suggest that the production of polycystin-1 cleavage fragments is necessary and sufficient to account for at least some, although certainly not all, of the physiological functions of the parent protein. PMID:23824180

  18. Cell-surface acceleration of urokinase-catalyzed receptor cleavage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høyer-Hansen, G; Ploug, M; Behrendt, N

    1997-01-01

    by a prior incubation of the cells with uPA inactivated by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, demonstrating a requirement for specific receptor binding of the active uPA to obtain the high-efficiency cleavage of cell-bound uPAR. Furthermore, amino-terminal sequence analysis revealed that uPAR(2+3), purified from U...

  19. Effects of PARP-1 inhibitors AG-014699 and AZD2281 on proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatoma cell line HepG2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DU Senrong

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available ObjectiveTo observe the inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects of two poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP-1 inhibitors, AG-014699 and AZD2281, on human hepatoma HepG2 cells and preliminarily explore the mechanism by which AG-014699 induces HepG2 cell apoptosis, and to provide a new therapeutic target for hepatoma. MethodsThe effects of different concentrations of AG-014699 and AZD2281 on HepG2 cell proliferation were determined by MTT assay. The cell apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry. The expression levels of caspase-3 and caspase-8 were measured by Western Blot. Inter-group comparison was made by t test. ResultsBoth AG-014699 and AZD2281 suppressed HepG2 cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. However, the sensitivity of HepG2 cells to the two PARP-1 inhibitors was different. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of AG-014699 and AZD2281 at 48 h determined by MTT assay were about 20 μmol/L and 400 μmol/L, respectively. Flow cytometry and Western blot were not used to evaluate the apoptosis of HepG2 cells exposed to AZD2281 to which these cells were not sensitive. HepG2 cell apoptosis could be induced by 10, 30, and 50 μmol/L AG-014699, and the highest apoptosis rate at 48 h was significantly higher than that of the control group (3100%±2.13% vs 09%±0013%, P<0.01. Compared with those in the control group, the protein levels of caspase-3 and caspase-8 in HepG2 cells after 48-h exposure to 30, and 50 μmol/L AG-014699 increased. ConclusionThe two PARP-1 inhibitors AG-014699 and AZD2281 can inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells, which showed different sensitivities to the two inhibitors. AG-014699 can induce HepG2 cell apoptosis by up-regulating the protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8.

  20. Integrative Genome Comparison of Primary and Metastatic Melanomas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Bin; Nazarian, Rosalynn M.; Bosenberg, Marcus; Wu, Min; Scott, Kenneth L.; Kwong, Lawrence N.; Xiao, Yonghong; Cordon-Cardo, Carlos; Granter, Scott R.; Ramaswamy, Sridhar; Golub, Todd; Duncan, Lyn M.; Wagner, Stephan N.; Brennan, Cameron; Chin, Lynda

    2010-01-01

    A cardinal feature of malignant melanoma is its metastatic propensity. An incomplete view of the genetic events driving metastatic progression has been a major barrier to rational development of effective therapeutics and prognostic diagnostics for melanoma patients. In this study, we conducted global genomic characterization of primary and metastatic melanomas to examine the genomic landscape associated with metastatic progression. In addition to uncovering three genomic subclasses of metastastic melanomas, we delineated 39 focal and recurrent regions of amplification and deletions, many of which encompassed resident genes that have not been implicated in cancer or metastasis. To identify progression-associated metastasis gene candidates, we applied a statistical approach, Integrative Genome Comparison (IGC), to define 32 genomic regions of interest that were significantly altered in metastatic relative to primary melanomas, encompassing 30 resident genes with statistically significant expression deregulation. Functional assays on a subset of these candidates, including MET, ASPM, AKAP9, IMP3, PRKCA, RPA3, and SCAP2, validated their pro-invasion activities in human melanoma cells. Validity of the IGC approach was further reinforced by tissue microarray analysis of Survivin showing significant increased protein expression in thick versus thin primary cutaneous melanomas, and a progression correlation with lymph node metastases. Together, these functional validation results and correlative analysis of human tissues support the thesis that integrated genomic and pathological analyses of staged melanomas provide a productive entry point for discovery of melanoma metastases genes. PMID:20520718

  1. Fetal hemoglobin is much less prone to DNA cleavage compared to the adult protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandeep Chakane

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Hemoglobin (Hb is well protected inside the red blood cells (RBCs. Upon hemolysis and when free in circulation, Hb can be involved in a range of radical generating reactions and may thereby attack several different biomolecules. In this study, we have examined the potential damaging effects of cell-free Hb on plasmid DNA (pDNA. Hb induced cleavage of supercoiled pDNA (sc pDNA which was proportional to the concentration of Hb applied. Almost 70% of sc pDNA was converted to open circular or linear DNA using 10 µM of Hb in 12 h. Hb can be present in several different forms. The oxy (HbO2 and met forms are most reactive, while the carboxy-protein shows only low hydrolytic activity. Hemoglobin A (HbA could easily induce complete pDNA cleavage while fetal hemoglobin (HbF was three-fold less reactive. By inserting, a redox active cysteine residue on the surface of the alpha chain of HbF by site-directed mutagenesis, the DNA cleavage reaction was enhanced by 82%. Reactive oxygen species were not directly involved in the reaction since addition of superoxide dismutase and catalase did not prevent pDNA cleavage. The reactivity of Hb with pDNA can rather be associated with the formation of protein based radicals. Keywords: Adult hemoglobin, Fetal hemoglobin, Supercoiled plasmid DNA, DNA cleavage, Cysteine, Protein radicals

  2. Abyssal fiction: common shares, colonial cleavages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Montaury

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper aims to develop a reflection on the interaction between the legacies of colonialism and traditional symbolic and cultural practices in African Portuguese-speaking spaces. From a preliminary analysis of fictional texts of wide circulation in Brazil, aims to examine the cleavages, or “abyssal lines” that constitute experiences printed in the daily life of the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde, Mozambique and Angola.---DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21881/abriluff.2016n17a378

  3. Metastatic melanoma of mesentery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shamim, M. S.; Ali, S.A.; Shirazi, B.; Shamim, M.

    2004-01-01

    A case of malignant melanoma metastatic to small bowel mesentery in an old female is reported. Her primary malignant melanoma of nasal mucosa was already treated. She presented with intestinal obstruction, underwent surgical excision of the tumour and was tumour-free postoperatively. (author)

  4. Deoxycholate induces COX-2 expression via Erk1/2-, p38-MAPK and AP-1-dependent mechanisms in esophageal cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Looby, Eileen; Abdel-Latif, Mohamed MM; Athié-Morales, Veronica; Duggan, Shane; Long, Aideen; Kelleher, Dermot

    2009-01-01

    The progression from Barrett's metaplasia to adenocarcinoma is associated with the acquirement of an apoptosis-resistant phenotype. The bile acid deoxycholate (DCA) has been proposed to play an important role in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but the precise molecular mechanisms remain undefined. The aim of this study was to investigate DCA-stimulated COX-2 signaling pathways and their possible contribution to deregulated cell survival and apoptosis in esophageal adenocarcinoma cells. Following exposure of SKGT-4 cells to DCA, protein levels of COX-2, MAPK and PARP were examined by immunoblotting. AP-1 activity was assessed by mobility shift assay. DCA-induced toxicity was assessed by DNA fragmentation and MTT assay. DCA induced persistent activation of the AP-1 transcription factor with Fra-1 and JunB identified as the predominant components of the DCA-induced AP-1 complex. DCA activated Fra-1 via the Erk1/2- and p38 MAPK while Erk1/2 is upstream of JunB. Moreover, DCA stimulation mediated inhibition of proliferation with concomitant low levels of caspase-3-dependent PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation. Induction of the anti-apoptotic protein COX-2 by DCA, via MAPK/AP-1 pathway appeared to balance the DCA mediated activation of pro-apoptotic markers such as PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation. Both of these markers were increased upon COX-2 suppression by aspirin pretreatment prior to DCA exposure. DCA regulates both apoptosis and COX-2-regulated cell survival in esophageal cells suggesting that the balance between these two opposing signals may determine the transformation potential of DCA as a component of the refluxate

  5. Deoxycholate induces COX-2 expression via Erk1/2-, p38-MAPK and AP-1-dependent mechanisms in esophageal cancer cells.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Looby, Eileen

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The progression from Barrett\\'s metaplasia to adenocarcinoma is associated with the acquirement of an apoptosis-resistant phenotype. The bile acid deoxycholate (DCA) has been proposed to play an important role in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but the precise molecular mechanisms remain undefined. The aim of this study was to investigate DCA-stimulated COX-2 signaling pathways and their possible contribution to deregulated cell survival and apoptosis in esophageal adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: Following exposure of SKGT-4 cells to DCA, protein levels of COX-2, MAPK and PARP were examined by immunoblotting. AP-1 activity was assessed by mobility shift assay. DCA-induced toxicity was assessed by DNA fragmentation and MTT assay. RESULTS: DCA induced persistent activation of the AP-1 transcription factor with Fra-1 and JunB identified as the predominant components of the DCA-induced AP-1 complex. DCA activated Fra-1 via the Erk1\\/2- and p38 MAPK while Erk1\\/2 is upstream of JunB. Moreover, DCA stimulation mediated inhibition of proliferation with concomitant low levels of caspase-3-dependent PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation. Induction of the anti-apoptotic protein COX-2 by DCA, via MAPK\\/AP-1 pathway appeared to balance the DCA mediated activation of pro-apoptotic markers such as PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation. Both of these markers were increased upon COX-2 suppression by aspirin pretreatment prior to DCA exposure. CONCLUSION: DCA regulates both apoptosis and COX-2-regulated cell survival in esophageal cells suggesting that the balance between these two opposing signals may determine the transformation potential of DCA as a component of the refluxate.

  6. Deoxycholate induces COX-2 expression via Erk1/2-, p38-MAPK and AP-1-dependent mechanisms in esophageal cancer cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Long Aideen

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The progression from Barrett's metaplasia to adenocarcinoma is associated with the acquirement of an apoptosis-resistant phenotype. The bile acid deoxycholate (DCA has been proposed to play an important role in the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but the precise molecular mechanisms remain undefined. The aim of this study was to investigate DCA-stimulated COX-2 signaling pathways and their possible contribution to deregulated cell survival and apoptosis in esophageal adenocarcinoma cells. Methods Following exposure of SKGT-4 cells to DCA, protein levels of COX-2, MAPK and PARP were examined by immunoblotting. AP-1 activity was assessed by mobility shift assay. DCA-induced toxicity was assessed by DNA fragmentation and MTT assay. Results DCA induced persistent activation of the AP-1 transcription factor with Fra-1 and JunB identified as the predominant components of the DCA-induced AP-1 complex. DCA activated Fra-1 via the Erk1/2- and p38 MAPK while Erk1/2 is upstream of JunB. Moreover, DCA stimulation mediated inhibition of proliferation with concomitant low levels of caspase-3-dependent PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation. Induction of the anti-apoptotic protein COX-2 by DCA, via MAPK/AP-1 pathway appeared to balance the DCA mediated activation of pro-apoptotic markers such as PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation. Both of these markers were increased upon COX-2 suppression by aspirin pretreatment prior to DCA exposure. Conclusion DCA regulates both apoptosis and COX-2-regulated cell survival in esophageal cells suggesting that the balance between these two opposing signals may determine the transformation potential of DCA as a component of the refluxate.

  7. Transcriptional down-regulation and rRNA cleavage in Dictyostelium discoideum mitochondria during Legionella pneumophila infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chenyu Zhang

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial pathogens employ a variety of survival strategies when they invade eukaryotic cells. The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is used as a model host to study the pathogenic mechanisms that Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaire's disease, uses to kill eukaryotic cells. Here we show that the infection of D. discoideum by L. pneumophila results in a decrease in mitochondrial messenger RNAs, beginning more than 8 hours prior to detectable host cell death. These changes can be mimicked by hydrogen peroxide treatment, but not by other cytotoxic agents. The mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA is also cleaved at three specific sites during the course of infection. Two LSU rRNA fragments appear first, followed by smaller fragments produced by additional cleavage events. The initial LSU rRNA cleavage site is predicted to be on the surface of the large subunit of the mitochondrial ribosome, while two secondary sites map to the predicted interface with the small subunit. No LSU rRNA cleavage was observed after exposure of D. discoideum to hydrogen peroxide, or other cytotoxic chemicals that kill cells in a variety of ways. Functional L. pneumophila type II and type IV secretion systems are required for the cleavage, establishing a correlation between the pathogenesis of L. pneumophila and D. discoideum LSU rRNA destruction. LSU rRNA cleavage was not observed in L. pneumophila infections of Acanthamoeba castellanii or human U937 cells, suggesting that L. pneumophila uses distinct mechanisms to interrupt metabolism in different hosts. Thus, L. pneumophila infection of D. discoideum results in dramatic decrease of mitochondrial RNAs, and in the specific cleavage of mitochondrial rRNA. The predicted location of the cleavage sites on the mitochondrial ribosome suggests that rRNA destruction is initiated by a specific sequence of events. These findings suggest that L. pneumophila specifically disrupts mitochondrial

  8. Extent of radiosensitization by the PARP inhibitor olaparib depends on its dose, the radiation dose and the integrity of the homologous recombination pathway of tumor cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhagen, C.V.M.; Haan, R. den; Hageman, F.; Oostendorp, T.P.; Carli, A.L.; O'Connor, M.J.; Jonkers, J.; Verheij, M.; Brekel, M.W. van den; Vens, C.

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The PARP inhibitor olaparib is currently tested in clinical phase 1 trials to define safe dose levels in combination with RT. However, certain clinically relevant insights are still lacking. Here we test, while comparing to single agent activity, the olaparib dose and genetic

  9. Extent of radiosensitization by the PARP inhibitor olaparib depends on its dose, the radiation dose and the integrity of the homologous recombination pathway of tumor cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhagen, C.V.M.; de Haan, R.; Hageman, F.; Oostendorp, T.P.D.; Carli, A.L.E.; O'Connor, M.J.; Jonkers, J.; Verheij, M.; van den Brekel, M.W.; Vens, C.

    2015-01-01

    Background and purpose The PARP inhibitor olaparib is currently tested in clinical phase 1 trials to define safe dose levels in combination with RT. However, certain clinically relevant insights are still lacking. Here we test, while comparing to single agent activity, the olaparib dose and genetic

  10. Fish oil suppresses cell growth and metastatic potential by regulating PTEN and NF-κB signaling in colorectal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shevali Kansal

    Full Text Available Homeostasis in eukaryotic tissues is tightly regulated by an intricate balance of the prosurvival and antisurvival signals. The tumor suppressor PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, a dual-specificity phosphatase, plays a functional role in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. NF-κB and its downstream regulators (such as VEGF play a central role in prevention of apoptosis, promotion of inflammation and tumor growth. Therefore, we thought to estimate the expression of PTEN, Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP, NF-κBp50, NF-κBp65 and VEGF to evaluate the effect of supplementation of fish oil on apoptotic and inflammatory signaling in colon carcinoma. Male wistar rats in Group I received purified diet while Group II and III received modified diet supplemented with FO∶CO(1∶1&FO∶CO(2.5∶1 respectively. These were further subdivided into controls receiving ethylenediamine-tetra acetic-acid and treated groups received dimethylhydrazine-dihydrochloride (DMH/week for 4 weeks. Animals sacrificed 48 hours after last injection constituted initiation phase and that sacrificed after 16 weeks constituted post-initiation phase. We have analysed expression of PTEN, NF-κBp50, NF-κBp65 by flowcytometer and nuclear localization of NF-κB by immunofluorescence. PARP and VEGF were assessed by immunohistochemistry. In the initiation phase, animals receiving DMH have shown increased % of apoptotic cells, PTEN, PARP, NF-κBp50, NF-κBp65 and VEGF however in post-initiation phase no significant alteration in apoptosis with decreased PTEN and increased PARP, NF-κBp50, NF-κBp65 and VEGF were observed as compared to control animals. On treatment with both ratios of fish oil in both the phases, augmentation in % of apoptotic cells, decreased PTEN, PARP, NF-κBp50, NF-κBp65 and VEGF were documented with respect to DMH treated animals with effect being more exerted with higher ration in post-initiation phase. Hence, fish oil activates

  11. Xanthorrhizol induced DNA fragmentation in HepG2 cells involving Bcl-2 family proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tee, Thiam-Tsui; Cheah, Yew-Hoong; Meenakshii, Nallappan; Mohd Sharom, Mohd Yusof; Azimahtol Hawariah, Lope Pihie

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We isolated xanthorrhizol, a sesquiterpenoid compound from Curcuma xanthorrhiza. ► Xanthorrhizol induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells as observed using SEM. ► Apoptosis in xanthorrhizol-treated HepG2 cells involved Bcl-2 family proteins. ► DNA fragmentation was observed in xanthorrhizol-treated HepG2 cells. ► DNA fragmentation maybe due to cleavage of PARP and DFF45/ICAD proteins. -- Abstract: Xanthorrhizol is a plant-derived pharmacologically active sesquiterpenoid compound isolated from Curcuma xanthorrhiza. Previously, we have reported that xanthorrhizol inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 human hepatoma cells by inducing apoptotic cell death via caspase activation. Here, we attempt to further elucidate the mode of action of xanthorrhizol. Apoptosis in xanthorrhizol-treated HepG2 cells as observed by scanning electron microscopy was accompanied by truncation of BID; reduction of both anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-X L expression; cleavage of PARP and DFF45/ICAD proteins and DNA fragmentation. Taken together, these results suggest xanthorrhizol as a potent antiproliferative agent on HepG2 cells by inducing apoptosis via Bcl-2 family members. Hence we proposed that xanthorrhizol could be used as an anti-liver cancer drug for future studies.

  12. Sensitization by wortmannin of heat- or X-ray induced cell death in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomita, Masanori; Suzuki, Norio; Matsumoto, Yoshihisa; Hirano, Kazuya; Umeda, Noriko; Sakai, Kazuo

    2000-01-01

    Here we found that wortmannin sensitized Chinese hamster V79 cells to hyperthermic treatment at 44.0 deg C as determined either by colony formation assay or by dye exclusion assay. Wortmannin enhanced heat-induced cell death accompanying cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP). Additionally, the induction of heat shock protein HSP70 was suppressed and delayed in wortmannin-treated cells. Heat sensitizing effect of wortmannin was obvious at more than 5 or 10 μM of final concentrations, while radiosensitization was apparent at 5 μM. Requirement for high concentration of wortmannin, i.e., order of μM, suggests a possible role of certain protein kinases, such as DNA-PK and/or ATM among PI3-kinase family. The sensitization was minimal when wortmannin was added at the end of heat treatment. This was similar to the case of X-ray. Since heat-induced cell death and PARP cleavage preceded HSP70 induction phenomenon, the sensitization to the hyperthermic treatment was considered mainly caused by enhanced apoptotic cell death rather than secondary to suppression or delay by wortmannin of HSP70 induction. Further, in the present system radiosensitization by wortmannin was also at least partly mediated through enhancement of apoptotic cell death. (author)

  13. IN VITRO INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF GAMMA RADIATION ON NAJA NIGRICOLLIS SNAKE VENOM INDUCED HEP-2 CELL INJURY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    ABOUELELLA, A.M.

    2008-01-01

    Naja nigricollis venom was irradiated with four different doses of gamma rays; 1, 5, 20 and 50 kGy, from 6 0C o source. The ability of gamma rays to attenuate the cytotoxic effects of N. nigricollis venom was investigated on HEp-2 cell line. The cell necrosis was measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) while cell apoptosis was measured by DNA fragmentation, nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, mitochondrial cytochrome-C release and cleavage of both caspase-3 and PARP-1. The results showed that gamma irradiation reduced significantly the necrotic effects of N. nigricollis venom in almost all irradiation doses of venom, especially at 1 and 50 kGy. DNA fragmentation showed decreased apoptotic effects after exposing of snake venom to gamma radiation. Venom exposed to 1 kGy showed the highest decrease in the NO (47.5±2.4 M) while the 50kGy showed the highest decrease in the MDA release (11.75 ±0.6 nmol/ml). The mitochondrial cytochrome-C was released after treatment with all radiation doses while caspase-3 was cleaved in only the cells incubated with radiated venom of 5 and 20 kGy which were consistent with the results of PARP-1 cleavage at the same radiation doses

  14. Xanthorrhizol induced DNA fragmentation in HepG2 cells involving Bcl-2 family proteins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tee, Thiam-Tsui, E-mail: thiamtsu@yahoo.com [School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Cheah, Yew-Hoong [School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Bioassay Unit, Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Meenakshii, Nallappan [Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor (Malaysia); Mohd Sharom, Mohd Yusof; Azimahtol Hawariah, Lope Pihie [School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia)

    2012-04-20

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We isolated xanthorrhizol, a sesquiterpenoid compound from Curcuma xanthorrhiza. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Xanthorrhizol induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells as observed using SEM. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Apoptosis in xanthorrhizol-treated HepG2 cells involved Bcl-2 family proteins. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DNA fragmentation was observed in xanthorrhizol-treated HepG2 cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DNA fragmentation maybe due to cleavage of PARP and DFF45/ICAD proteins. -- Abstract: Xanthorrhizol is a plant-derived pharmacologically active sesquiterpenoid compound isolated from Curcuma xanthorrhiza. Previously, we have reported that xanthorrhizol inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 human hepatoma cells by inducing apoptotic cell death via caspase activation. Here, we attempt to further elucidate the mode of action of xanthorrhizol. Apoptosis in xanthorrhizol-treated HepG2 cells as observed by scanning electron microscopy was accompanied by truncation of BID; reduction of both anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-X{sub L} expression; cleavage of PARP and DFF45/ICAD proteins and DNA fragmentation. Taken together, these results suggest xanthorrhizol as a potent antiproliferative agent on HepG2 cells by inducing apoptosis via Bcl-2 family members. Hence we proposed that xanthorrhizol could be used as an anti-liver cancer drug for future studies.

  15. T315 Decreases Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Viability through a Combination of Apoptosis Induction and Autophagic Cell Death

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chang-Fang Chiu

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available T315, an integrin-linked kinase (ILK inhibitor, has been shown to suppress the proliferation of breast cancer, stomach cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Here we demonstrate that T315 decreases cell viability of acute myeloid leukemia (AML cell lines (HL-60 and THP-1 and primary leukemia cells from AML patients in a dose-responsive manner. Normal human bone marrow cells are less sensitive than leukemia cells to T315. T315 down regulates protein kinase B (Akt and p-Akt and induces caspase activation, poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP cleavage, apoptosis and autophagy through an ILK-independent manner. Interestingly, pretreatment with autophagy inhibitors rescues cells from apoptosis and concomitant PARP cleavage, which implicates a key role of autophagic cell death in T315-mediated cytotoxicity. T315 also demonstrates efficacy in vivo, suppressing the growth of THP-1 xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice when administered intraperitoneally. This study shows that autophagic cell death and apoptosis cooperatively contribute to the anticancer activity of T315 in AML cells. In conclusion, the complementary roles of apoptotic and autophagic cell death should be considered in the future assessment of the translational value of T315 in AML therapy.

  16. Cleavage strain in the Variscan fold belt, County Cork, Ireland, estimated from stretched arsenopyrite rosettes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, M.; Ferguson, C.C.

    1985-01-01

    In south-west Ireland, hydrothermally formed arsenopyrite crystals in a Devonian mudstone have responded to Variscan deformation by brittle extension fracture and fragment separation. The interfragment gaps and terminal extension zones of each crystal are infilled with fibrous quartz. Stretches within the cleavage plane have been calculated by the various methods available, most of which can be modified to incorporate terminal extension zones. The Strain Reversal Method is the most accurate currently available but still gives a minimum estimate of the overall strain. The more direct Hossain method, which gives only slightly lower estimates with this data, is more practical for field use. A strain ellipse can be estimated from each crystal rosette composed of three laths (assuming the original interlimb angles were all 60??) and, because actual rather than relative stretches are estimated, this provides a lower bound to the area increase in the plane of cleavage. Based on the average of our calculated strain ellipses this area increase is at least 114% and implies an average shortening across the cleavage of at least 53%. However, several lines of evidence suggest that the cleavage deformation was more intense and more oblate than that calculated, and we argue that a 300% area increase in the cleavage plane and 75% shortening across the cleavage are more realistic estimates of the true strain. Furthermore, the along-strike elongation indicated is at least 80%, which may be regionally significant. Estimates of orogenic contraction derived from balanced section construction should therefore take into account the possibility of a substantial strike elongation, and tectonic models that can accommodate such elongations need to be developed. ?? 1985.

  17. The HDAC inhibitor Vorinostat diminishes the in vitro metastatic behavior of Osteosarcoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Xiaodong; Brynien, Daniel; Weiss, Kurt R

    2015-01-01

    Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignancy of bone and affects patients in the first two decades of life. The greatest determinant of survival is the presence of pulmonary metastatic disease. The role of epigenetic regulation in OS, specifically the biology of metastases, is unknown. Our previous study with the murine OS cell populations K7M2 and K12 demonstrated a significant correlation of metastatic potential with the DNA methylation level of tumor suppressor genes. In the current study, we investigated if the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, vorinostat, could regulate the metastatic potential of highly metastatic OS cells. Our results revealed that vorinostat treatment of highly metastatic K7M2 OS cells was able to greatly reduce the proliferation and metastatic potential of the cells. Morphological features related to cell motility and invasion were changed by vorinostat treatment. In addition, the gene expressions of mTOR, ALDH1, and PGC-1 were downregulated by vorinostat treatment. These data suggest that vorinostat may be an effective modulator of OS cell metastatic potential and should be studied in preclinical models of metastatic OS.

  18. The HDAC Inhibitor Vorinostat Diminishes the In Vitro Metastatic Behavior of Osteosarcoma Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaodong Mu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Osteosarcoma (OS is the most common primary malignancy of bone and affects patients in the first two decades of life. The greatest determinant of survival is the presence of pulmonary metastatic disease. The role of epigenetic regulation in OS, specifically the biology of metastases, is unknown. Our previous study with the murine OS cell populations K7M2 and K12 demonstrated a significant correlation of metastatic potential with the DNA methylation level of tumor suppressor genes. In the current study, we investigated if the histone deacetylase (HDAC inhibitor, vorinostat, could regulate the metastatic potential of highly metastatic OS cells. Our results revealed that vorinostat treatment of highly metastatic K7M2 OS cells was able to greatly reduce the proliferation and metastatic potential of the cells. Morphological features related to cell motility and invasion were changed by vorinostat treatment. In addition, the gene expressions of mTOR, ALDH1, and PGC-1 were downregulated by vorinostat treatment. These data suggest that vorinostat may be an effective modulator of OS cell metastatic potential and should be studied in preclinical models of metastatic OS.

  19. Cleavage specificity analysis of six type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs using PICS with proteome-derived peptide libraries.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivier Barré

    Full Text Available Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs are a family of cell membrane tethered serine proteases with unclear roles as their cleavage site specificities and substrate degradomes have not been fully elucidated. Indeed just 52 cleavage sites are annotated in MEROPS, the database of proteases, their substrates and inhibitors.To profile the active site specificities of the TTSPs, we applied Proteomic Identification of protease Cleavage Sites (PICS. Human proteome-derived database searchable peptide libraries were assayed with six human TTSPs (matriptase, matriptase-2, matriptase-3, HAT, DESC and hepsin to simultaneously determine sequence preferences on the N-terminal non-prime (P and C-terminal prime (P' sides of the scissile bond. Prime-side cleavage products were isolated following biotinylation and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. The corresponding non-prime side sequences were derived from human proteome databases using bioinformatics. Sequencing of 2,405 individual cleaved peptides allowed for the development of the family consensus protease cleavage site specificity revealing a strong specificity for arginine in the P1 position and surprisingly a lysine in P1' position. TTSP cleavage between R↓K was confirmed using synthetic peptides. By parsing through known substrates and known structures of TTSP catalytic domains, and by modeling the remainder, structural explanations for this strong specificity were derived.Degradomics analysis of 2,405 cleavage sites revealed a similar and characteristic TTSP family specificity at the P1 and P1' positions for arginine and lysine in unfolded peptides. The prime side is important for cleavage specificity, thus making these proteases unusual within the tryptic-enzyme class that generally has overriding non-prime side specificity.

  20. Change in radiosensitivity of sea-urchin eggs during early cleavage stages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, I.

    1977-01-01

    When sea-urchin eggs were irradiated with 137 Cs γ-rays, their radiosensitivity, expressed by the percentage which formed pluteus larvae, fluctuated during the early cleavage cycle. Split-dose irradiations were made both in the sensitive and resistant phases. For eggs in the sensitive phase, the effect of the first exposure of 500 rad was not diminished during the interval before the second exposure. Eggs irradiated in the resistant phase were only slightly damaged. Results implied that fluctuations in radiosensitivity of sea-urchin eggs were caused mainly by different degrees of non-repairable damage in each phase of cleavage rather than by different recovery abilities. (author)

  1. Associations between primary tumor RAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutation status and metastatic site in patients with chemo-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Troels Dreier; Palshof, Jesper Andreas; Larsen, Finn Ole

    2018-01-01

    investigated the association between RAS (KRAS or NRAS), BRAF, PIK3CA mutations and metastatic pattern in patients with metastatic (m) CRC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study reviewed Danish biobank and database of patients with mCRC who received cetuximab and irinotecan, independent of RAS mutation status...

  2. Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2) and P-glycoprotein (P-GP/ABCB1) Restrict Oral Availability and Brain Accumulation of the PARP Inhibitor Rucaparib (AG-014699)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Durmus, Selvi; Sparidans, Rolf W; van Esch, Anita; Wagenaar, Els; Beijnen, Jos H; Schinkel, Alfred H

    BACKGROUND: Rucaparib is a potent, orally available, small-molecule inhibitor of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) 1 and 2. Ongoing clinical trials are assessing the efficacy of rucaparib alone or in combination with other cytotoxic drugs, mainly in breast and ovarian cancer patients with mutations

  3. Caspase Cleavages of the Lymphocyte-oriented Kinase Prevent Ezrin, Radixin, and Moesin Phosphorylation during Apoptosis*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leroy, Catherine; Belkina, Natalya V.; Long, Thavy; Deruy, Emeric; Dissous, Colette; Shaw, Stephen; Tulasne, David

    2016-01-01

    The lymphocyte-oriented kinase (LOK), also called serine threonine kinase 10 (STK10), is synthesized mainly in lymphocytes. It is involved in lymphocyte migration and polarization and can phosphorylate ezrin, radixin, and moesin (the ERM proteins). In a T lymphocyte cell line and in purified human lymphocytes, we found LOK to be cleaved by caspases during apoptosis. The first cleavage occurs at aspartic residue 332, located between the kinase domain and the coiled-coil regulation domain. This cleavage generates an N-terminal fragment, p50 N-LOK, containing the kinase domain and a C-terminal fragment, which is further cleaved during apoptosis. Although these cleavages preserve the entire kinase domain, p50 N-LOK displays no kinase activity. In apoptotic lymphocytes, caspase cleavages of LOK are concomitant with a decrease in ERM phosphorylation. When non-apoptotic lymphocytes from mice with homozygous and heterozygous LOK knockout were compared, the latter showed a higher level of ERM phosphorylation, but when apoptosis was induced, LOK−/− and LOK+/− lymphocytes showed the same low level, confirming in vivo that LOK-induced ERM phosphorylation is prevented during lymphocyte apoptosis. Our results demonstrate that cleavage of LOK during apoptosis abolishes its kinase activity, causing a decrease in ERM phosphorylation, crucial to the role of the ERM proteins in linking the plasma membrane to actin filaments. PMID:26945071

  4. Caspase Cleavages of the Lymphocyte-oriented Kinase Prevent Ezrin, Radixin, and Moesin Phosphorylation during Apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leroy, Catherine; Belkina, Natalya V; Long, Thavy; Deruy, Emeric; Dissous, Colette; Shaw, Stephen; Tulasne, David

    2016-05-06

    The lymphocyte-oriented kinase (LOK), also called serine threonine kinase 10 (STK10), is synthesized mainly in lymphocytes. It is involved in lymphocyte migration and polarization and can phosphorylate ezrin, radixin, and moesin (the ERM proteins). In a T lymphocyte cell line and in purified human lymphocytes, we found LOK to be cleaved by caspases during apoptosis. The first cleavage occurs at aspartic residue 332, located between the kinase domain and the coiled-coil regulation domain. This cleavage generates an N-terminal fragment, p50 N-LOK, containing the kinase domain and a C-terminal fragment, which is further cleaved during apoptosis. Although these cleavages preserve the entire kinase domain, p50 N-LOK displays no kinase activity. In apoptotic lymphocytes, caspase cleavages of LOK are concomitant with a decrease in ERM phosphorylation. When non-apoptotic lymphocytes from mice with homozygous and heterozygous LOK knockout were compared, the latter showed a higher level of ERM phosphorylation, but when apoptosis was induced, LOK(-/-) and LOK(+/-) lymphocytes showed the same low level, confirming in vivo that LOK-induced ERM phosphorylation is prevented during lymphocyte apoptosis. Our results demonstrate that cleavage of LOK during apoptosis abolishes its kinase activity, causing a decrease in ERM phosphorylation, crucial to the role of the ERM proteins in linking the plasma membrane to actin filaments. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  5. Malignant Mesothelioma Versus Metastatic Carcinoma of the Pleura: A CT Challenge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakhshayesh Karam, Mehrdad; Karimi, Shirin; Mosadegh, Leila; Chaibakhsh, Samira

    2016-01-01

    Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignant neoplasm of the pleura that typically affects individuals occupationally exposed to asbestos through a variety of industries. MPM presents with several CT features similar to more common pleural diseases such as metastatic pleural malignancy. The aim of this study is to differentiate malignant pleural mesothelioma from metastatic carcinoma of the pleura by pathological and radiological assessment in order to investigate accuracy of CT scan in this regard and to compare CT features of these two malignancies. Chest CT scans of 55 pleural malignancy patients including MPM and metastatic pleural malignancy were evaluated in this retrospective study. The pathologist made the definite diagnosis based on immunohistochemistry. A chest radiologist unaware of the pathology diagnosis observed all CT scans. Several parameters including pleural thickening, pleural effusion, thickening of inter lobar fissure, contralateral extension, contraction of involved hemithorax, parenchymal involvement (infiltration, nodules, fibrosis), pleural mediastinal involvement, lymphadenopathy, extrapleural invasion (hepatic, chest wall, diaphragm, intraperitoneal), and pericardial involvement were checked. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16, and the ability of CT scan to differentiate malignant pleural mesothelioma and metastatic pleural diseases was investigated. Totally 29 males and 26 females were assessed in this study. Based on pathology, 17 MPM and 38 metastatic pleural malignancies were diagnosed. According to CT study, about 82% of the patients with MPM and about 79% of the patients with metastatic pleural diseases were correctly diagnosed by a radiologist. The most common findings suggestive of MPM were pleural thickening (88.2%), loculated effusion (58.8%), and thickening of the interlobar fissure (47.1%). Whereas free pleural effusion (71.7%), parenchymal infiltration (65.8%) and pleural thickening (63.2%) were

  6. Caspase-2 cleavage of tau reversibly impairs memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xiaohui; Kotilinek, Linda A; Smith, Benjamin; Hlynialuk, Chris; Zahs, Kathleen; Ramsden, Martin; Cleary, James; Ashe, Karen H

    2016-11-01

    In Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies, the tau protein forms fibrils, which are believed to be neurotoxic. However, fibrillar tau has been dissociated from neuron death and network dysfunction, suggesting the involvement of nonfibrillar species. Here we describe a novel pathological process in which caspase-2 cleavage of tau at Asp314 impairs cognitive and synaptic function in animal and cellular models of tauopathies by promoting the missorting of tau to dendritic spines. The truncation product, Δtau314, resists fibrillation and is present at higher levels in brains from cognitively impaired mice and humans with AD. The expression of tau mutants that resisted caspase-2 cleavage prevented tau from infiltrating spines, dislocating glutamate receptors and impairing synaptic function in cultured neurons, and it prevented memory deficits and neurodegeneration in mice. Decreasing the levels of caspase-2 restored long-term memory in mice that had existing deficits. Our results suggest an overall treatment strategy for re-establishing synaptic function and restoring memory in patients with AD by preventing tau from accumulating in dendritic spines.

  7. AID-induced decrease in topoisomerase 1 induces DNA structural alteration and DNA cleavage for class switch recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Maki; Aida, Masatoshi; Nagaoka, Hitoshi; Begum, Nasim A; Kitawaki, Yoko; Nakata, Mikiyo; Stanlie, Andre; Doi, Tomomitsu; Kato, Lucia; Okazaki, Il-mi; Shinkura, Reiko; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Kinoshita, Kazuo; Honjo, Tasuku

    2009-12-29

    To initiate class switch recombination (CSR) activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) induces staggered nick cleavage in the S region, which lies 5' to each Ig constant region gene and is rich in palindromic sequences. Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) controls the supercoiling of DNA by nicking, rotating, and religating one strand of DNA. Curiously, Top1 reduction or AID overexpression causes the genomic instability. Here, we report that the inactivation of Top1 by its specific inhibitor camptothecin drastically blocked both the S region cleavage and CSR, indicating that Top1 is responsible for the S region cleavage in CSR. Surprisingly, AID expression suppressed Top1 mRNA translation and reduced its protein level. In addition, the decrease in the Top1 protein by RNA-mediated knockdown augmented the AID-dependent S region cleavage, as well as CSR. Furthermore, Top1 reduction altered DNA structure of the Smu region. Taken together, AID-induced Top1 reduction alters S region DNA structure probably to non-B form, on which Top1 can introduce nicks but cannot religate, resulting in S region cleavage.

  8. Carotenoid-cleavage activities of crude enzymes from Pandanous amryllifolius.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ningrum, Andriati; Schreiner, Matthias

    2014-11-01

    Carotenoid degradation products, known as norisoprenoids, are aroma-impact compounds in several plants. Pandan wangi is a common name of the shrub Pandanus amaryllifolius. The genus name 'Pandanus' is derived from the Indonesian name of the tree, pandan. In Indonesia, the leaves from the plant are used for several purposes, e.g., as natural colorants and flavor, and as traditional treatments. The aim of this study was to determine the cleavage of β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal by carotenoid-cleavage enzymes isolated from pandan leaves, to investigate dependencies of the enzymatic activities on temperature and pH, to determine the enzymatic reaction products by using Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrophotometry (HS-SPME GC/MS), and to investigate the influence of heat treatment and addition of crude enzyme on formation of norisoprenoids. Crude enzymes from pandan leaves showed higher activity against β-carotene than β-apo-8'-carotenal. The optimum temperature of crude enzymes was 70°, while the optimum pH value was 6. We identified β-ionone as the major volatile reaction product from the incubations of two different carotenoid substrates, β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal. Several treatments, e.g., heat treatment and addition of crude enzymes in pandan leaves contributed to the norisoprenoid content. Our findings revealed that the crude enzymes from pandan leaves with carotenoid-cleavage activity might provide a potential application, especially for biocatalysis, in natural-flavor industry. Copyright © 2014 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

  9. Caspase activation increases beta-amyloid generation independently of caspase cleavage of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tesco, Giuseppina; Koh, Young Ho; Tanzi, Rudolph E

    2003-11-14

    The amyloid precursor protein (APP) undergoes "alternative" proteolysis mediated by caspases. Three major caspase recognition sites have been identified in the APP, i.e. one at the C terminus (Asp720) and two at the N terminus (Asp197 and Asp219). Caspase cleavage at Asp720 has been suggested as leading to increased production of Abeta. Thus, we set out to determine which putative caspase sites in APP, if any, are cleaved in Chinese hamster ovary cell lines concurrently with the increased Abeta production that occurs during apoptosis. We found that cleavage at Asp720 occurred concurrently with caspase 3 activation and the increased production of total secreted Abeta and Abeta1-42 in association with staurosporine- and etoposide-induced apoptosis. To investigate the contribution of caspase cleavage of APP to Abeta generation, we expressed an APP mutant truncated at Asp720 that mimics APP caspase cleavage at the C-terminal site. This did not increase Abeta generation but, in contrast, dramatically decreased Abeta production in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Furthermore, the ablation of caspase-dependent cleavage at Asp720, Asp197, and Asp219 (by site-directed mutagenesis) did not prevent enhanced Abeta production following etoposide-induced apoptosis. These findings indicate that the enhanced Abeta generation associated with apoptosis does not require cleavage of APP at its C-terminal (Asp720) and/or N-terminal caspase sites.

  10. Fisetin Induces Apoptosis Through p53-Mediated Up-Regulation of DR5 Expression in Human Renal Carcinoma Caki Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Kyoung-jin Min; Ju-Ock Nam; Taeg Kyu Kwon

    2017-01-01

    Fisetin is a natural compound found in fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, apples, cucumbers, and onions. Since fisetin can elicit anti-cancer effects, including anti-proliferation and anti-migration, we investigated whether fisetin induced apoptosis in human renal carcinoma (Caki) cells. Fisetin markedly induced sub-G1 population and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), which is a marker of apoptosis, and increased caspase activation. We found that pan-caspase inhibitor (...

  11. Stereotactic irradiation for metastatic brain tumor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nomura, Ryutaro

    2017-01-01

    First, this paper reviewed the latest findings of stereotactic irradiation (STI) for metastatic brain tumors. Then, it described the results of randomized controlled trials for single or a few (2-4) metastasis in the following comparison tests: (1) comparison between whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone group and (WBRT + STI) group, (2) comparison between STI alone group and (STI + WBRT) group, (3) comparison between STI alone group and (tumorectomy + WBRT) group, (4) comparison between (STI + WBRT) group and (tumorectomy + WBRT) group, and (5) between (tumorectomy + WBRT) group and (tumorectomy + STI) group. Among these, STI alone without WBRT has obtained a certain consensus. Against multiple metastatic brain tumors of 5 or more, when considering cognitive impairment and QOL loss by adding WBRT, it is general consensus that STI alone may be sufficient. At the authors' institution, cyber knife (CK) was introduced in 2008 and nearly 300 stereotactic radiotherapy for metastatic brain tumors have been performed annually. By adopting a robot arm and development of a lesion tracking system, the positional correction against the deviation of the bone margin of the skull is guaranteed in real time to ensure accuracy during irradiation, and hypofractionated stereotactic irradiation becomes easier. (A.O.)

  12. SOCIAL CLEAVAGES IN THE AMERICAN SOCIETY AS A FACTOR OF 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. S. Kanevskiy

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Current article is dedicated to analysis of social cleavages in the American elections and the ways they influenced on presidential election in 2016. Originally developed by S. Rokkan and S.M. Lipset, social cleavages became a classic theme for contemporary political sociology. However, despite the fact that the theory has been developing primarily by Americans, it has been rarely used to analyze electoral system in the USA. Traditionally it’s been aimed at European and developing countries where electoral fragmentation is seen more clearly. But recent changes in the American society and the political system demonstrate the emergence of social cleavages that had not been inherent before. The article shows how American electoral space transformed since the 1980s and how it became more fragmented under the influence of social, economic and ideological factors. Elections in 2016 became a watershed for social cleavages that accumulated through time and aggravated even more considering internal crises in the Democratic and more so in the Republican parties. Donald Trump’s victory is an impersonation of the American party system crisis and of the mainstream politicians’ inability to find proper explanation of the changing electorate. Author shows that American society today is polarized even more than many European countries while group identification determines vectors of political change.

  13. Electrostatic instability of some jellium model lattices of high symmetry to their plane cleavage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kholopov, Eugene V; Kalashnikova, Vita V

    2007-01-01

    Jellium model structures composed of regular lattices of equal point charges immersed in a neutralizing uniform background are considered. The symmetric description eliminating the effect of potentials without transverse structural modulation is extended to the events specified by alternating distances between point-charge planes. Based on modulated potentials typical of plane-wise lattice summation, the energy of interaction between two semi-infinite hemi-crystals divided by a plane is obtained for cubic and hexagonal crystals, where all the characteristic orientations of the cleavage plane are taken into account. We found that simple cubic and hexagonal lattices, as well as cubic and hexagonal diamond structures, turn out to be unstable for certain cleavage planes. The most favourable cleavage planes for the bcc, fcc and hcp structures are also emphasized

  14. Colon carcinoma metastatic to the thyroid gland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lester, J.W. Jr.; Carter, M.P.; Berens, S.V.; Long, R.F.; Caplan, G.E.

    1986-01-01

    Metastatic carcinoma to the thyroid gland rarely is encountered in clinical practice; however, autopsy series have shown that it is not a rare occurrence. A case of adenocarcinoma of the colon with metastases to the thyroid is reported. A review of the literature reveals that melanoma, breast, renal, and lung carcinomas are the most frequent tumors to metastasize to the thyroid. Metastatic disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis of cold nodules on radionuclide thyroid scans, particularly in patients with a known primary

  15. Metastatic melanoma masquerading as a furuncle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imran Aslam

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Melanoma metastasizes to the skin in about 10-17% of patients. Although there are reports of metastatic melanoma masquerading as panniculitis and erysipelas, it is very uncommon for it to present as an inflammatory skin lesion. When malignant melanoma cells invade the superficial dermal lymphatic vessels it can result in erythema, edema and induration of the overlying skin. This presentation can be problematic for clinicians if they do not suspect melanoma and choose not to biopsy the lesion. We report a case of an elderly man with a history of invasive melanoma who presented with a furuncle-like lesion that was found to be in-transit metastatic melanoma.

  16. Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to Jejunum: An Unusual Case Presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor Medic

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The small intestine is a very uncommon and peculiar site for metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (RCC. We present a clinical presentation of insidious and unusual development of a jejunal metastasis while having stable disease in a remainder of metastatic sites, in a patient undergoing immunotherapy with nivolumab. Due to the extreme rarity of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the lumen of the small bowel, it is easy to overlook and misdiagnose symptoms of this pathologic entity, particularly when the remainder of metastatic disease responds well to ongoing therapy.

  17. Stimulation of topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage at specific sequence elements by the 2-nitroimidazole Ro 15-0216

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorensen, B.S.; Jensen, P.S.; Andersen, A.H.; Christiansen, K.; Alsner, J.; Thomsen, B.; Westergaard, O.

    1990-01-01

    The effect of the 2-nitroimidazole Ro 15-0216 upon the interaction between purified topoisomerase II and its DNA substrate was investigated. The cleavage reaction in the presence of this DNA-nonintercalative drug took place with the hallmarks of a regular topoisomerase II mediated cleavage reaction, including covalent linkage of the enzyme to the cleaved DNA. In the presence of Ro 15-0216, topoisomerase II mediated cleavage was extensively stimulated at major cleavage sites of which only one existed in the 4363 base pair pBR322 molecule. The sites stimulated by Ro 15-0216 shared a pronounced sequence homology, indicating that a specific nucleotide sequence is crucial for the action of this drug. The effect of Ro 15-0216 thus differs from that of the clinically important topoisomerase II targeted agents such as mAMSA, VM26, and VP16, which enhance enzyme-mediated cleavage at a multiple number of sites. In contrast to the previous described drugs, Ro 15-0216 did not exert any inhibitory effect on the enzyme's catalytic activity. This observation might be ascribed to the low stability of the cleavage complexes formed in the presence of Ro 15-0216 as compared to the stability of the ones formed in the presence of traditional topoisomerase II targeted drugs

  18. Kinetics of phycocyanobilin cleavage from C-phycocyanin by methanolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malwade, Chandrakant Ramkrishna; Roda Serrat, Maria Cinta; Christensen, Knud Villy

    2016-01-01

    Phycocyanobilin (PCB) is an important linear tetrapyrrolic molecule for food as well as pharmaceutical industry. It is obtained from blue-green algae, where it is attached covalently to phycobiliproteins (C-PC and APC) present in the light harvesting complexes. In this work, cleavage of PCB from...

  19. The large terminase DNA packaging motor grips DNA with its ATPase domain for cleavage by the flexible nuclease domain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilbert, Brendan J.; Hayes, Janelle A.; Stone, Nicholas P.; Xu, Rui-Gang

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Many viruses use a powerful terminase motor to pump their genome inside an empty procapsid shell during virus maturation. The large terminase (TerL) protein contains both enzymatic activities necessary for packaging in such viruses: the adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) that powers DNA translocation and an endonuclease that cleaves the concatemeric genome at both initiation and completion of genome packaging. However, how TerL binds DNA during translocation and cleavage remains mysterious. Here we investigate DNA binding and cleavage using TerL from the thermophilic phage P74-26. We report the structure of the P74-26 TerL nuclease domain, which allows us to model DNA binding in the nuclease active site. We screened a large panel of TerL variants for defects in binding and DNA cleavage, revealing that the ATPase domain is the primary site for DNA binding, and is required for nuclease activity. The nuclease domain is dispensable for DNA binding but residues lining the active site guide DNA for cleavage. Kinetic analysis of DNA cleavage suggests flexible tethering of the nuclease domains during DNA cleavage. We propose that interactions with the procapsid during DNA translocation conformationally restrict the nuclease domain, inhibiting cleavage; TerL release from the capsid upon completion of packaging unlocks the nuclease domains to cleave DNA. PMID:28082398

  20. cis-Apa: a practical linker for the microwave-assisted preparation of cyclic pseudopeptides via RCM cyclative cleavage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baron, Alice; Verdié, Pascal; Martinez, Jean; Lamaty, Frédéric

    2011-02-04

    A new linker cis-5-aminopent-3-enoic acid (cis-Apa) was prepared for the synthesis of cyclic pseudopeptides by cyclization-cleavage by using ring-closing methatesis (RCM). We developed a new synthetic pathway for the preparation of the cis-Apa linker that was tested in the cyclization-cleavage process of different RGD peptide sequences. Different macrocyclic peptidomimetics were prepared by using this integrated microwave-assisted method, showing that the readily available cis-Apa amino acid is well adapted as a linker in the cyclization-cleavage process.

  1. Clinicopathologic factors associated with de novo metastatic breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Tiansheng; Siegal, Gene P; Wei, Shi

    2016-12-01

    While breast cancers with distant metastasis at presentation (de novo metastasis) harbor significantly inferior clinical outcomes, there have been limited studies analyzing the clinicopathologic characteristics in this subset of patients. In this study, we analyzed 6126 breast cancers diagnosed between 1998 and 2013 to identify factors associated with de novo metastatic breast cancer. When compared to patients without metastasis at presentation, race, histologic grade, estrogen/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) and HER2 statuses were significantly associated with de novo metastasis in the entire cohort, whereas age, histologic grade, PR and HER2 status were the significant parameters in the subset of patients with locally advanced breast cancer (Stage IIB/III). The patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer had a significant older mean age and a lower proportion of HER2-positive tumors when compared to those with metastatic recurrence. Further, the HER2-rich subtype demonstrated a drastically higher incidence of de novo metastasis when compared to the luminal and triple-negative breast cancers in the entire cohort [odds ratio (OR)=5.68 and 2.27, respectively] and in the patients with locally advanced disease (OR=4.02 and 2.12, respectively), whereas no significant difference was seen between de novo metastatic cancers and those with metastatic recurrence. Moreover, the luminal and HER2-rich subtypes showed bone-seeking (OR=1.92) and liver-homing (OR=2.99) characteristics, respectively, for the sites of de novo metastasis, while the latter was not observed in those with metastatic recurrence. Our data suggest that an algorithm incorporating clinicopathologic factors, especially histologic grade and receptor profile, remains of significant benefit during decision making in newly diagnosed breast cancer in the pursuit of precision medicine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  2. Metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: clinical study and therapeutic results of 95 cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khanfir, A.; Frikha, M.; Ghorbel, A.; Drira, M.M.; Karray, H.; Daoud, J.

    2006-01-01

    Purpose. -- The objective of this retrospective study was to discuss the epidemio-clinical criteria and the therapeutic results of metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Patients and methods. - The current study concerned 95 patients with histologically proven nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were metastatic at diagnosis or who had developed late metastasis. We reviewed the epidemio-clinical records of all the patients. Patients were treated with chemotherapy (BEC regimen: bleomycin, epirubicin and cisplatin or PBF regimen: bleomycin, 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin) and radiotherapy of pauci metastatic localizations (single or double) or bone metastasis with high risk of compression or fracture ±associated with locoregional radiotherapy for patients who were metastatic at diagnosis. Response was assessed according to the WHO criteria. Overall survival was calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. A long-term disease-free survival was defined from 36 months. Results. - There were 34 patients who were metastatic at diagnosis and 61 patients who had developed late metastasis. The mean age was 41.5 years (sex-ratio: 3.1). Bone metastases were the most frequent (83%). Objective and complete response rates were respectively 75% and 70%, and 32% and 16% for BEC and PBF regimens. Twenty-five patients received radiotherapy for pauci metastatic localizations, among whom 19 patients who were metastatic at diagnosis received locoregional irradiation. The overall survival probability was of 15% for three years. Eleven patients were long survivors (extremes: 36 and 134 months). Conclusion. - Therapeutic results were comparable to those reported in other series using platin combination chemotherapy. Radiotherapy of metastasis yielded to long-term survival. (authors)

  3. The Conserved ATM Kinase RAG2-S365 Phosphorylation Site Limits Cleavage Events in Individual Cells Independent of Any Repair Defect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susannah L. Hewitt

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Many DNA lesions associated with lymphoid malignancies are linked to off-target cleavage by the RAG1/2 recombinase. However, off-target cleavage has mostly been analyzed in the context of DNA repair defects, confounding any mechanistic understanding of cleavage deregulation. We identified a conserved SQ phosphorylation site on RAG2 365 to 366 that is involved in feedback control of RAG cleavage. Mutation of serine 365 to a non-phosphorylatable alanine permits bi-allelic and bi-locus RAG-mediated breaks in the same cell, leading to reciprocal translocations. This phenomenon is analogous to the phenotype we described for ATM kinase inactivation. Here, we establish deregulated cleavage itself as a driver of chromosomal instability without the associated repair defect. Intriguingly, a RAG2-S365E phosphomimetic rescues the deregulated cleavage of ATM inactivation, reducing the incidence of reciprocal translocations. These data support a model in which feedback control of cleavage and maintenance of genome stability involves ATM-mediated phosphorylation of RAG2.

  4. Molecular alterations as target for therapy in metastatic osteosarcoma: a review of literature

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Posthuma de Boer, J.; Witlox, M.A.; Kaspers, G.J.L.; van Royen, B.J.

    2011-01-01

    Treating metastatic osteosarcoma (OS) remains a challenge in oncology. Current treatment strategies target the primary tumour rather than metastases and have a limited efficacy in the treatment of metastatic disease. Metastatic cells have specific features that render them less sensitive to therapy

  5. Tumor ocular metastásico Metastatic ocular tumor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martha G Domínguez Expósito

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available El carcinoma metastásico del ojo es considerado la neoplasia maligna que más frecuente se encuentra de forma intraocular. Solo cerca del 10 % de las personas que tienen una o más lesiones metastásicas intraoculares son detectadas clínicamente antes de la muerte. A menudo, el carcinoma metastásico ocular es diagnosticado por el oftalmólogo ante la presencia de síntomas oculares. Las lesiones están localizadas con preferencia en coroides. Nos motivo a realizar la presentación de este caso la presencia de lesiones intraoculares múltiples tumorales metastásicos en un paciente cuyo síntoma de presentación fue la disminución de la agudeza visualThe eye metastatic carcinoma is considered the most frequently found intraocular malignant neoplasia. Only 10 % of the persons with one or more metastatic intraocular injuries are clinically detected before death. The metastatic ocular carcinoma is often diagnosed by the ophthalmologist in the presence of ocular symptoms. The injuries are preferably located in the choroid. The appearance of multiple metastatic intraaocular tumoral injuries in a patient whose chief complaint was the reduction of visual acuity motivated us to presente this case

  6. Representability of metastatic bone lesions in magnification radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Togawa, Takashi

    1981-01-01

    Magnification radiography, bone scintigraphy, and normal roentgenography were performed on patients with malignant tumors to detect their bone metastases, and from the results obtained, these diagnostic procedures were evaluated for the detectability and representability of metastatic bone lesions. Bone scan and normal roentgenography were performed on 90 metastatic bone lesions in 37 patients, and magnification radiography was done on 14 bone lesions noted in 10 of the 37 and another with benign osseous change. Among the three, bone scintigraphy was best, and magnification radiography and normal roentgenography did not differ significantly in detectability. In magnification radiography, some metastatic bone lesions were represented more clearly than by normal roentgeography, but some were not. As regards the representability of the ribs, magnification radiography was very useful. One case of bone destruction was detected by magnification radiography, but not by normal roentgenography. (author)

  7. Coupling fibroblast growth factor 23 production and cleavage: iron deficiency, rickets, and kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Myles; White, Kenneth E

    2014-07-01

    High levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) cause the rare disorders of hypophosphatemic rickets and are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite major advances in understanding FGF23 biology, fundamental aspects of FGF23 regulation in health and in CKD remain mostly unknown. Autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets (ADHR) is caused by gain-of-function mutations in FGF23 that prevent its proteolytic cleavage, but affected individuals experience a waxing and waning course of phosphate wasting. This led to the discovery that iron deficiency is an environmental trigger that stimulates FGF23 expression and hypophosphatemia in ADHR. Unlike osteocytes in ADHR, normal osteocytes couple increased FGF23 production with commensurately increased FGF23 cleavage to ensure that normal phosphate homeostasis is maintained in the event of iron deficiency. Simultaneous measurement of FGF23 by intact and C-terminal assays supported these breakthroughs by providing minimally invasive insight into FGF23 production and cleavage in bone. These findings also suggest a novel mechanism of FGF23 elevation in patients with CKD, who are often iron deficient and demonstrate increased FGF23 production and decreased FGF23 cleavage, consistent with an acquired state that mimics the molecular pathophysiology of ADHR. Iron deficiency stimulates FGF23 production, but normal osteocytes couple increased FGF23 production with increased cleavage to maintain normal circulating levels of biologically active hormone. These findings uncover a second level of FGF23 regulation within osteocytes, failure of which culminates in elevated levels of biologically active FGF23 in ADHR and perhaps CKD.

  8. Developing a capillary electrophoresis based method for dynamically monitoring enzyme cleavage activity using quantum dots-peptide assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianhao; Fan, Jie; Liu, Li; Ding, Shumin; Liu, Xiaoqian; Wang, Jianpeng; Gao, Liqian; Chattopadhaya, Souvik; Miao, Peng; Xia, Jiang; Qiu, Lin; Jiang, Pengju

    2017-10-01

    Herein, a novel assay has been developed for monitoring PreScission protease (His-PSP) mediated enzyme cleavage of ATTO 590 labeled peptide substrate (ATTO-LEV). This novel method is based on combining the use of capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence detection (CE-FL) to dynamically monitor the enzyme cleavage activity. A multivalent peptide substrate was first constructed by immobilizing His-tagged ATTO 590 labeled peptide substrate (ATTO-LEVH6) onto the surface of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). Once successfully immobilized, the novel multivalent peptide substrate resulted in the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from QDs to ATTO 590. The ATTO-LEVH6-QD assembly was then incubated with His-PSP to study the proteolytic cleavage of surface bound ATTO-LEVH6 by CE-FL. Our data suggests that PreScission-mediated proteolytic cleavage is enzyme concentration- and incubation time-dependent. By combining capillary electrophoresis, QDs and FRET, our study herein not only provides a new method for the detection and dynamically monitoring of PSP enzyme cleavage activity, but also can be extended to the detection of many other enzymes and proteases. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Metabolic Engineering to Develop a Pathway for the Selective Cleavage of Carbon-Nitrogen Bonds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    John J. Kilbane II

    2005-10-01

    The objective of the project is to develop a biochemical pathway for the selective cleavage of C-N bonds in molecules found in petroleum. Specifically a novel biochemical pathway will be developed for the selective cleavage of C-N bonds in carbazole. The cleavage of the first C-N bond in carbazole is accomplished by the enzyme carbazole dioxygenase, that catalyzes the conversion of carbazole to 2-aminobiphenyl-2,3-diol. The genes encoding carbazole dioxygenase were cloned from Sphingomonas sp. GTIN11 and from Pseudomonas resinovorans CA10. The selective cleavage of the second C-N bond has been challenging, and efforts to overcome that challenge have been the focus of recent research in this project. Enrichment culture experiments succeeded in isolating bacterial cultures that can metabolize 2-aminobiphenyl, but no enzyme capable of selectively cleaving the C-N bond in 2-aminobiphenyl has been identified. Aniline is very similar to the structure of 2-aminobiphenyl and aniline dioxygenase catalyzes the conversion of aniline to catechol and ammonia. For the remainder of the project the emphasis of research will be to simultaneously express the genes for carbazole dioxygenase and for aniline dioxygenase in the same bacterial host and then to select for derivative cultures capable of using carbazole as the sole source of nitrogen.

  10. A Unique Case of Muscle Invasive Metastatic Breast Cancer Mimicking Myositis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-28

    TYPE 08/ 03/20 17 Publ ication/Journal 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A unique case of muscle-invasive metastatic breast cancer mimicking myositis 6...Rev. 8/98) Prescnbed by ANSI Std Z39. 18 Adobe Profes11on11 7.0 Title: A Unique Case of M uscle-Invasive Metastatic Breast Cancer M imicking...an 84-year-old female who presented with neck swelling and upper airway obstruction due to metastatic breast cancer invading the sternocleidomastoid

  11. Exosomes from metastatic cancer cells transfer amoeboid phenotype to non-metastatic cells and increase endothelial permeability: their emerging role in tumor heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schillaci, Odessa; Fontana, Simona; Monteleone, Francesca; Taverna, Simona; Di Bella, Maria Antonietta; Di Vizio, Dolores; Alessandro, Riccardo

    2017-07-05

    The goal of this study was to understand if exosomes derived from high-metastatic cells may influence the behavior of less aggressive cancer cells and the properties of the endothelium. We found that metastatic colon cancer cells are able to transfer their amoeboid phenotype to isogenic primary cancer cells through exosomes, and that this morphological transition is associated with the acquisition of a more aggressive behavior. Moreover, exosomes from the metastatic line (SW620Exos) exhibited higher ability to cause endothelial hyperpermeability than exosomes from the non metastatic line (SW480Exos). SWATH-based quantitative proteomic analysis highlighted that SW620Exos are significantly enriched in cytoskeletal-associated proteins including proteins activating the RhoA/ROCK pathway, known to induce amoeboid properties and destabilization of endothelial junctions. In particular, thrombin was identified as a key mediator of the effects induced by SW620Exos in target cells, in which we also found a significant increase of RhoA activity. Overall, our results demonstrate that in a heterogeneous context exosomes released by aggressive sub-clones can contribute to accelerate tumor progression by spreading malignant properties that affect both the tumor cell plasticity and the endothelial cell behavior.

  12. Merkel Cell Carcinoma Metastatic to Pleural Fluid: A Case Report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ye-Young Rhee

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC is a rare aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin that shows locoregional or distant metastasis. Metastasis of MCC to body cavity effusion is extremely rare; only three cases have been reported so far. Metastatic MCC in effusion cytology shows small blue round cells with fine stippled chromatin like other small blue round cell tumors such as small cell lung carcinoma or lymphoma. The diagnosis of metastatic MCC can grant patients good chances at recently advanced therapeutic options. Here, we present a case of metastatic MCC to pleural effusion with characteristic single file-like pattern.

  13. Merkel Cell Carcinoma Metastatic to Pleural Fluid: A Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhee, Ye-Young; Kim, Soo Hee; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kim, Se Hoon

    2018-05-01

    Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin that shows locoregional or distant metastasis. Metastasis of MCC to body cavity effusion is extremely rare; only three cases have been reported so far. Metastatic MCC in effusion cytology shows small blue round cells with fine stippled chromatin like other small blue round cell tumors such as small cell lung carcinoma or lymphoma. The diagnosis of metastatic MCC can grant patients good chances at recently advanced therapeutic options. Here, we present a case of metastatic MCC to pleural effusion with characteristic single file-like pattern.

  14. Prodigiosin activates endoplasmic reticulum stress cell death pathway in human breast carcinoma cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, Mu-Yun; Shen, Yuh-Chiang; Lu, Chien-Hsing; Yang, Shu-Yi; Ho, Tsing-Fen; Peng, Yu-Ta; Chang, Chia-Che

    2012-01-01

    Prodigiosin is a bacterial tripyrrole pigment with potent cytotoxicity against diverse human cancer cell lines. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is initiated by accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the ER lumen and may induce cell death when irremediable. In this study, the role of ER stress in prodigiosin-induced cytotoxicity was elucidated for the first time. Comparable to the ER stress inducer thapsigargin, prodigiosin up-regulated signature ER stress markers GRP78 and CHOP in addition to activating the IRE1, PERK and ATF6 branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in multiple human breast carcinoma cell lines, confirming prodigiosin as an ER stress inducer. Prodigiosin transcriptionally up-regulated CHOP, as evidenced by its promoting effect on the CHOP promoter activity. Of note, knockdown of CHOP effectively lowered prodigiosin's capacity to evoke PARP cleavage, reduce cell viability and suppress colony formation, highlighting an essential role of CHOP in prodigiosin-induced cytotoxic ER stress response. In addition, prodigiosin down-regulated BCL2 in a CHOP-dependent manner. Importantly, restoration of BCL2 expression blocked prodigiosin-induced PARP cleavage and greatly enhanced the survival of prodigiosin-treated cells, suggesting that CHOP-dependent BCL2 suppression mediates prodigiosin-elicited cell death. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of JNK by SP600125 or dominant-negative blockade of PERK-mediated eIF2α phosphorylation impaired prodigiosin-induced CHOP up-regulation and PARP cleavage. Collectively, these results identified ER stress-mediated cell death as a mode-of-action of prodigiosin's tumoricidal effect. Mechanistically, prodigiosin engages the IRE1–JNK and PERK–eIF2α branches of the UPR signaling to up-regulate CHOP, which in turn mediates BCL2 suppression to induce cell death. Highlights: ► Prodigiosin is a bacterial tripyrrole pigment with potent anticancer effect. ► Prodigiosin is herein identified as an

  15. Prodigiosin activates endoplasmic reticulum stress cell death pathway in human breast carcinoma cell lines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pan, Mu-Yun [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Shen, Yuh-Chiang [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Lu, Chien-Hsing [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Yang, Shu-Yi [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Ho, Tsing-Fen [Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Peng, Yu-Ta [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Chang, Chia-Che, E-mail: chia_che@dragon.nchu.edu.tw [Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan (China)

    2012-12-15

    Prodigiosin is a bacterial tripyrrole pigment with potent cytotoxicity against diverse human cancer cell lines. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is initiated by accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the ER lumen and may induce cell death when irremediable. In this study, the role of ER stress in prodigiosin-induced cytotoxicity was elucidated for the first time. Comparable to the ER stress inducer thapsigargin, prodigiosin up-regulated signature ER stress markers GRP78 and CHOP in addition to activating the IRE1, PERK and ATF6 branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in multiple human breast carcinoma cell lines, confirming prodigiosin as an ER stress inducer. Prodigiosin transcriptionally up-regulated CHOP, as evidenced by its promoting effect on the CHOP promoter activity. Of note, knockdown of CHOP effectively lowered prodigiosin's capacity to evoke PARP cleavage, reduce cell viability and suppress colony formation, highlighting an essential role of CHOP in prodigiosin-induced cytotoxic ER stress response. In addition, prodigiosin down-regulated BCL2 in a CHOP-dependent manner. Importantly, restoration of BCL2 expression blocked prodigiosin-induced PARP cleavage and greatly enhanced the survival of prodigiosin-treated cells, suggesting that CHOP-dependent BCL2 suppression mediates prodigiosin-elicited cell death. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of JNK by SP600125 or dominant-negative blockade of PERK-mediated eIF2α phosphorylation impaired prodigiosin-induced CHOP up-regulation and PARP cleavage. Collectively, these results identified ER stress-mediated cell death as a mode-of-action of prodigiosin's tumoricidal effect. Mechanistically, prodigiosin engages the IRE1–JNK and PERK–eIF2α branches of the UPR signaling to up-regulate CHOP, which in turn mediates BCL2 suppression to induce cell death. Highlights: ► Prodigiosin is a bacterial tripyrrole pigment with potent anticancer effect. ► Prodigiosin is herein identified

  16. Alpha Particle Therapy in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O’Sullivan, Joe

    2013-01-01

    Metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality among men in western countries. Although nearly 85% of patients present with localised disease, up to 40% will eventually develop metastatic disease during the course of illness. Of men dying from prostate cancer, more than 90% have bone metastases many with no other significant metastatic sites. Symptoms related to bone metastases and skeletal related events (SREs) account for the major cause of morbidity in these patients. Bone-seeking radionuclides have been used in the treatment of prostate cancer bone metastases for many years. The first bone seeking radionuclide drug approved by the FDA was Strontium-89. Other agents have also been used including Samarium-153 EDTMP, Rhenium-186 (-188)-HEDP. These radionuclides are all emit shortrange therapeutic beta radiation with bone marrow as the dose limiting toxicity. There is strong clinical trial evidence of benefit for these radionuclides in reducing pain in advanced prostate cancer; however, none of the drugs has been shown to improve survival, albeit none of the clinical trials were powered to detect differences in survival

  17. Sorafenib for Metastatic Thyroid Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    A summary of results from an international phase III trial that compared sorafenib (Nexavar®) and a placebo for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer that is no longer responding to treatment with radioactive iodine

  18. Influence of the austenitizing temperature in the cleavage facet size of Niocor 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Darwish, F.A.I.; Teixeira, J.C.G.; Fernandes, R.A.; Juer, S.

    1983-01-01

    Convetional Charpy specimens of Niocor 2 steel cooled in air from various austenitizing temperatures were fractured at -196 0 C so as to insure failure by cleavage. The cleavage facet size distribution was determined and then correlated with the grain size and other aspects of the microstructure. The results that the average facet size can be increased through a coarsening of the microstructure. For the case where the γ→α transformation products are predominantely acicular, the facet size is shown to depend on substructural aspects primarily the lath packet size. (Author) [pt

  19. [Cleavage of DNA fragments induced by UV nanosecond laser excitation at 193 nm].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vtiurina, N N; Grokhovskiĭ, S L; Filimonov, I V; Medvedkov, O I; Nechipurenko, D Iu; Vasil'ev, S A; Nechipurenko, Iu D

    2011-01-01

    The cleavage of dsDNA fragments in aqueous solution after irradiation with UV laser pulses at 193 nm has been studied. Samples were investigated using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The intensity of damage of particular phosphodiester bond after hot alkali treatment was shown to depend on the base pair sequence. It was established that the probability of cleavage is twice higher for sites of DNA containing two or more successively running guanine residues. A possible mechanism of damage to the DNA molecule connected with the migration of holes along the helix is discussed.

  20. Metastatic tumor of the pancreas: helical CT findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Soon Jin; Lee, Won Jae; Lim, Hyo Keun; Kim, Seung Hoon; Kim, Kyeong Ah; Choi, Sang Hee; Jang, Hyun Jung; Lee, Ji Yeon

    2000-01-01

    To analyze the helical computed tomographic (CT) findings of distant metastatic tumors to the pancreas and to determine the differential points between these and primary pamcreatic carcinomas. We sruveyed 22 patients with metastatic tumor of the pancreas, proven on the basis of clinical and pathological findings. Seventeen patients were men, and five were women, and their ages ranged between 36 and 83 years. Their primary conditions were lung cancer (n=3D15), rectal cancer (n=3D2), melanoma of the foot, chondrosarcoma of the sacrum, cervical cancer, leiomyosarcoma of the uterus, and extragonadal choriocarcinoma of the mediastinum. We retrospectively reviewed the abdominal helical CT findings, analysing the number, location, size and attenuation of masses, as well as secondary change, which included dilatation of the pancreatic and biliary ducts and invasion of peripancreatic tissue or vessels. We also evaluated the differential findings of primary pancreatic cancer. Sixteen patients had a solitary focal mass, while in five, two masses were present. Among the 22 patients, low-density nodular masses were present in 21; in the other, in whom multiple metastasis from chondrosarcoma had occurred, there was dense calcification. The size of metastatic masses varied, ranging from 0.6 to 6 cm in diameter. The pancreatic duct proximal to the mass was dilated in ten cases, while the bile duct was dilated in six. The metastatic masses masses demonstrated no peripancreatic or vascular invasion, though they showed a discrete margin and contour bulging. Single metastasis to the pancreas was most common, and metastatic masses had a discrete margin, with contour bulging. There was no peripancreatic or vascular invasion. If the metastasis involved a single low-attenuated mass, however, with pancreatic or biliary dilatation, it was difficult to differentiate this from primary pancreatic cancer. (author)

  1. Salvage Lenvatinib Therapy in Metastatic Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iñiguez-Ariza, Nicole M; Ryder, Mabel M; Hilger, Crystal R; Bible, Keith C

    2017-07-01

    Historical anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) outcomes have been terrible, with a median survival of only five months and <20% one-year survival. Improved outcomes are now achieved with aggressive initial therapy in stages IVA and IVB disease, but patients with distant metastatic disease (stage IVC) still do poorly; improved therapies are sorely needed. Kinase inhibitors have emerged as promising agents in the therapy of advanced medullary and differentiated thyroid cancer, but there are limited data regarding the use of lenvatinib in ATC. The aim of this study was to delineate clinical outcomes in a series of patients with advanced ATC in response to lenvatinib therapy. A retrospective analysis was conducted involving all lenvatinib-treated Mayo Clinic ATC patients in 2015. Of 28 distinct ATC patients seen in 2015, three (11%) with metastatic disease of ECOG performance status 2-3 were treated with lenvatinib. Two patients were male; age range at ATC diagnosis was 57-84 years. All three patients attained successful local control of their disease with surgery and/or combined chemoradiotherapy. Lenvatinib was offered as the second, third, or fourth line of therapy at the time of metastatic disease progression. Two patients incurred minor responses to therapy, with structural regression of distant metastatic tumor disease soon after starting lenvatinib treatment (at one to two months), while one patient achieved stable disease, but no Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors partial responses resulted. Overall survival after starting lenvatinib was two, six, and seven months. Fatigue and hypertension were prominent, and one patient developed pulmonary emboli while on lenvatinib. This initial single-institution experience suggests that lenvatinib may have some disease-modifying activity in metastatic ATC that is otherwise refractory to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Unfortunately, observed benefits were transient, and toxicities were prominent. Clinical trials are required

  2. Affect of Presenilin Mutations on APP Cleavage; Insights into the Pathogenesis of FAD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuomin eLi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Alzheimer disease (AD is characterized by progressive memory loss, reduction in cognitive functions, and damage to the brain. The β-amyloid precursor protein can be sequentially cleaved by β- secretase and γ-secretase. Mutations in the presenilin1(PS1) are the most common cause of Familial Alzheimer’s disease ( FAD. PS1 mutations can alter the activity of γ-secretase on the cleavage of the β-amyloid precursor protein, causing increased Aβ production. Previous studies show that the βAPP-C-terminal fragment is first cleaved by β-scretase, primarily generating long fragments of Aβ48 and Aβ49, followed by the stepwise cleavage of every three amino acid residues at the C terminus, resulting in Aβ48-, 45-, 42 line and Aβ49-, 46-, 43-, 40 line. Here, we used LC-MS/MS to analyze unique peptides IAT, VVIA, ITL,TVI,IVI through sequential cleavage, combined with ELISA to test the level of Aβ42 and Aβ40 for validation. The results show that most FAD mutant PS1 can alter the level of Aβ42 and Aβ40 monitored by the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio. Among them, 6 mutants (I143T, H163P, S170F, Q223R, M233V and G384A affect the Aβ42/40 ratio through both Aβ49-40 and Aβ48-38 lines; L166P through decreasing the Aβ49-40 line, 6 mutants (I143V, M146V, G217A, E280A, L381V and L392V through increasing the Aβ48-42 line. More importantly, we found some mutations can affect the γ-secretase cleavage preference of α-CTF and β-CTF. In conclusion, we found that the FAD PS1 mutations mainly increase the generation of Aβ42 by decreasing the cleavage of Aβ42-Aβ38 and Aβ43-Aβ40.

  3. PKI 166 induced redox signalling and apoptosis through activation of p53, MAP kinase and caspase pathway in epidermoid carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Subhasis; Dey, Kaushik Kumar; Bharti, Rashmi; MaitiChoudhury, Sujata; Maiti, Sukumar; Mandal, Mahitosh

    2012-01-01

    Cellular redox changes have emerged as a pivotal and proximal event in cancer. PKI 166 is used to determine the effects of redox sensitive inhibition of EGFR, metastasis and apoptosis in epidermoid carcinoma. Cytotoxicity study of PKI 166 (IC50 1.0 microM) treated A431 cells were performed by MTT assay for 48 and 72 hrs. Morphological analysis of PKI 166 treated A431 cells for 48 hrs. revealed the cell shrinkage, loss of filopodia and lamellipodia by phase contrast and SEM images in dose dependent manner. It has cytotoxic effects through inhibiting cellular proliferation, leads to the induction of apoptosis, as increased fraction of sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle, chromatin condensation and DNA ladder. It inhibited cyclin-D1 and cyclin-E expression and induced p53, p21 expression in dose dependent manner. Consequently, an imbalance of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio triggered caspase cascade and subsequent cleavage of PARP, thereby shifting the balance in favour of apoptosis. PKI 166 treatment actively stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. It inhibited some metastatic properties of A431 cells supressing colony formation by soft agar assay and inhibition of MMP 9 activity by gelatin zymography and western blot analysis. PKI 166 inhibited growth factor induced phosphorylation of EGFR, Akt, MAPK, JNK and colony formation in A431 cells. Thus the inhibition of proliferation was associated with redox regulation of the caspase cascade, EGFR, Akt/PI3K, MAPK/ ERK and JNK pathway. On the other hand, increased antioxidant activity leads to decreased ROS generation inhibit the anti-proliferative and apoptotic properties of PKI 166 in A431 cells. These observations indicated PKI 166 induced redox signalling dependent inhibition of cell proliferation, metastatic properties and induction of apoptotic potential in epidermoid carcinoma.

  4. High-resolution characterization of sequence signatures due to non-random cleavage of cell-free DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrananda, Dineika; Thorne, Natalie P; Bahlo, Melanie

    2015-06-17

    High-throughput sequencing of cell-free DNA fragments found in human plasma has been used to non-invasively detect fetal aneuploidy, monitor organ transplants and investigate tumor DNA. However, many biological properties of this extracellular genetic material remain unknown. Research that further characterizes circulating DNA could substantially increase its diagnostic value by allowing the application of more sophisticated bioinformatics tools that lead to an improved signal to noise ratio in the sequencing data. In this study, we investigate various features of cell-free DNA in plasma using deep-sequencing data from two pregnant women (>70X, >50X) and compare them with matched cellular DNA. We utilize a descriptive approach to examine how the biological cleavage of cell-free DNA affects different sequence signatures such as fragment lengths, sequence motifs at fragment ends and the distribution of cleavage sites along the genome. We show that the size distributions of these cell-free DNA molecules are dependent on their autosomal and mitochondrial origin as well as the genomic location within chromosomes. DNA mapping to particular microsatellites and alpha repeat elements display unique size signatures. We show how cell-free fragments occur in clusters along the genome, localizing to nucleosomal arrays and are preferentially cleaved at linker regions by correlating the mapping locations of these fragments with ENCODE annotation of chromatin organization. Our work further demonstrates that cell-free autosomal DNA cleavage is sequence dependent. The region spanning up to 10 positions on either side of the DNA cleavage site show a consistent pattern of preference for specific nucleotides. This sequence motif is present in cleavage sites localized to nucleosomal cores and linker regions but is absent in nucleosome-free mitochondrial DNA. These background signals in cell-free DNA sequencing data stem from the non-random biological cleavage of these fragments. This

  5. Embryo apoptosis identification: Oocyte grade or cleavage stage?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakri, Noraina Mohd; Ibrahim, Siti Fatimah; Osman, Nurul Atikah; Hasan, Nurhaslina; Jaffar, Farah Hanan Fathihah; Rahman, Zulaiha Abdul; Osman, Khairul

    2015-01-01

    Apoptosis is a programed cell death that is vital for tissue homeostasis. However, embryo apoptosis had been known to be related to embryo fragmentation which should be avoided in in vitro fertilization (IVF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of embryo apoptosis with the grade of immature oocytes and cleavage stage of in vitro produced (IVP) cattle embryos. This study consisted of 345 oocytes collected through ovary slicing. Immature oocytes were graded as A, B and C. This grading was based on cumulus cell thickness and compactness. All oocytes then underwent an in vitro maturation (IVM) procedure. An IVF was done 24 h after IVM culture. Prior to staining, stage of cleaved embryos was determined and classified as either 2, 4, 8 or >8-cell embryo stage. Apoptosis status of cleaved IVP embryos was determined by using annexin V-FITC staining technique at 48 and 72 h post insemination (hpi). Apoptosis status for each embryo was classified as either early or late. The result showed that there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) of apoptosis status among grade A, B and C embryos. All grades of oocytes showed embryo apoptosis where 1.5% late apoptosis for grade A, 4.5% and 10.4% of early and late apoptosis for grade B and grade C. Early apoptosis was not seen in grade A embryo. We also noted no significant difference (p > 0.05) of apoptosis status between 2, 4, 8 and >8-cell embryo stage. Early apoptosis was also not seen in >8-cell stage. Even though there were no differences in apoptosis expression between the three classes, the cleavage rate of grade A oocytes was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than grade B and grade C. In conclusion, the apoptosis expression in the embryo can occur regardless of the oocyte quality and the cleavage stage of the embryo produced. PMID:26858565

  6. Immunotherapy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachna Raman

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC is often curable by surgery alone. However, metastatic RCC is generally incurable. In the 1990s, immunotherapy in the form of cytokines was the mainstay of treatment for metastatic RCC. However, responses were seen in only a minority of highly selected patients with substantial treatment-related toxicities. The advent of targeted agents such as vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors VEGF-TKIs and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR inhibitors led to a change in this paradigm due to improved response rates and progression-free survival, a better safety profile, and the convenience of oral administration. However, most patients ultimately progress with about 12% being alive at 5 years. In contrast, durable responses lasting 10 years or more are noted in a minority of those treated with cytokines. More recently, an improved overall survival with newer forms of immunotherapy in other malignancies (such as melanoma and prostate cancer has led to a resurgence of interest in immune therapies in metastatic RCC. In this review we discuss the rationale for immunotherapy and recent developments in immunotherapeutic strategies for treating metastatic RCC.

  7. Changes in cytoskeletal dynamics and nonlinear rheology with metastatic ability in cancer cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coughlin, Mark F; Fredberg, Jeffrey J

    2013-01-01

    Metastatic outcome is impacted by the biophysical state of the primary tumor cell. To determine if changes in cancer cell biophysical properties facilitate metastasis, we quantified cytoskeletal biophysics in well-characterized human skin, bladder, prostate and kidney cell line pairs that differ in metastatic ability. Using magnetic twisting cytometry with optical detection, cytoskeletal dynamics was observed through spontaneous motion of surface bound marker beads and nonlinear rheology was characterized through large amplitude forced oscillations of probe beads. Measurements of cytoskeletal dynamics and nonlinear rheology differed between strongly and weakly metastatic cells. However, no set of biophysical parameters changed systematically with metastatic ability across all cell lines. Compared to their weakly metastatic counterparts, the strongly metastatic kidney cancer cells exhibited both increased cytoskeletal dynamics and stiffness at large deformation which are thought to facilitate the process of vascular invasion. (paper)

  8. Ixabepilone: a new chemotherapeutic option for refractory metastatic breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shannon Puhalla

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Shannon Puhalla, Adam BrufskyUPMC Magee-Womens Cancer Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USAAbstract: Taxane therapy is commonly used in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. However, most patients will eventually become refractory to these agents. Ixabepilone is a newly approved chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Although it targets microtubules similarly to docetaxel and paclitaxel, ixabepilone has activity in patients that are refractory to taxanes. This review summarizes the pharmacology of ixapebilone and clinical trials with the drug both as a single agent and in combination. Data were obtained using searches of PubMed and abstracts of the annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium from 1995 to 2008. Ixapebilone is a semi-synthetic analog of epothilone B that acts to induce apoptosis of cancer cells via the stabilization of microtubules. Phase I clinical trials have employed various dosing schedules ranging from daily to weekly to 3-weekly. Dose-limiting toxicites included neuropathy and neutropenia. Responses were seen in a variety of tumor types. Phase II studies verified activity in taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer. The FDA has approved ixabepilone for use as monotherapy and in combination with capecitabine for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Ixabepilone is an efficacious option for patients with refractory metastatic breast cancer. The safety profile is similar to that of taxanes, with neuropathy and neutropenia being dose-limiting. Studies are ongoing with the use of both iv and oral formulations and in combination with other chemotherapeutic and biologic agents.Keywords: ixabepilone, epothilone, metastatic breast cancer, taxane-refractory

  9. Regorafenib Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Metastatic Potential of Human Bladder Carcinoma Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Fei-Ting; Sun, Cho-Chin; Wu, Chia-Hsing; Lee, Yen-Ju; Chiang, Chih-Hung; Wang, Wei-Shu

    2017-09-01

    The aim of the present study was to verify the effects of regorafenib on apoptosis and metastatic potential in TSGH 8301 human bladder carcinoma cells in vitro. Cells were treated with different concentration of regorafenib for different periods of time. Effects of regorafenib on cell viability, apoptosis pathways, metastatic potential, and expression of metastatic and anti-apoptotic proteins were evaluated with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, cell migration and invasion assay, and western blotting. We found regorafenib significantly reduced cell viability, cell migration and invasion, and expression of metastatic and anti-apoptotic proteins. In addition, regorafenib significantly induced accumulation of sub-G 1 phase cells, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and expression of active caspase-3 and caspase-8. These results show that regorafenib not only induces apoptosis, but also inhibits metastatic potential in bladder cancer TSGH 8301 cells in vitro. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  10. Metastatic skeletal leiomyomatosis (leiomyomatosis ossea)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pimentel, Jose Raimundo; De Almeida, Ana Luzia Brito; Aymore, Ierece Lins; Pinto, Edna Pottes; Osthoff, Laura; Smith, Julius

    2002-01-01

    We present a unique case of metastatic leiomyomatosis to the skeleton. The very extensive involvement of the axial and peripheral skeleton with ''ring'' lesions and associated cyclical premenstrual pain eventually led to the correct diagnosis and total relief with hormonal therapy. (orig.)

  11. Repair of radiation-induced heat-labile sites is independent of DNA-PKcs, XRCC1 or PARP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stenerl& #246; w, Bo; Karlsson, Karin H.; Radulescu, Irina; Rydberg, Bjorn; Stenerlow, Bo

    2008-04-29

    Ionizing radiation induces a variety of different DNA lesions: in addition to the most critical DNA damage, the DSB, numerous base alterations, SSBs and other modifications of the DNA double-helix are formed. When several non-DSB lesions are clustered within a short distance along DNA, or close to a DSB, they may interfere with the repair of DSBs and affect the measurement of DSB induction and repair. We have previously shown that a substantial fraction of DSBs measured by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) are in fact due to heat-labile sites (HLS) within clustered lesions, thus reflecting an artifact of preparation of genomic DNA at elevated temperature. To further characterize the influence of HLS on DSB induction and repair, four human cell lines (GM5758, GM7166, M059K, U-1810) with apparently normal DSB rejoining were tested for bi-phasic rejoining after gamma irradiation. When heat-released DSBs were excluded from the measurements the fraction of fast rejoining decreased to less than 50% of the total. However, neither the half-times of the fast (t{sub 1/2} = 7-8 min) or slow (t{sub 1/2} = 2.5 h) DSB rejoining were changed significantly. At t=0 the heat-released DSBs accounted for almost 40% of the DSBs, corresponding to 10 extra DSB/cell/Gy in the initial DSB yield. These heat-released DSBs were repaired within 60-90 min in all tested cells, including M059K cells treated with wortmannin or DNA-PKcs defect M059J cells. Furthermore, cells lacking XRCC1 or Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) rejoined both total DSBs and heat-released DSBs similar to normal cells. In summary, the presence of heat-labile sites have a substantial impact on DSB induction yields and DSB rejoining rates measured by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and HLS repair is independent of DNA-PKcs, XRCC1 and PARP.

  12. Carboplatin AUC 10 for IGCCCG good prognosis metastatic seminoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tookman, Laura; Rashid, Sukaina; Matakidou, Athena; Phillips, Melissa; Wilson, Peter; Ansell, Wendy; Jamal-Hanjani, Mariam; Chowdhury, Simon; Harland, Stephen; Sarwar, Naveed; Oliver, Timothy; Powles, Thomas; Shamash, Jonathan

    2013-06-01

    Metastatic seminoma is a highly curable disease. Standard treatment comprises of combination chemotherapy. The short- and long-term toxicities of this treatment are increasingly recognised and the possibility of over treatment in such a curable disease should be considered. We have therefore assessed the use of single agent carboplatin at a dose of AUC 10 in patients with good prognosis metastatic seminoma. Patients with good prognosis metastatic seminoma treated with carboplatin (AUC 10) were identified at our institution and affiliated institutions. Treatment was three weekly for a total of three or four cycles. Outcome and toxicities were analysed. With a median follow-up of 36 months, 61 patients in total were treated with carboplatin AUC 10, all good prognosis by the IGCCCG criteria. Forty-eight percent had stage IIA/IIB disease and 52% had greater than stage IIB disease. Thirty-one patients (51%) had a complete response following treatment. Three-year survival was 96.3% with a three-year progression free survival of 93.2%. The main treatment toxicity was haematological with 46% having grade 3, 24% having grade 4 neutropenia and 54% experiencing grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia. There were no treatment related deaths. Single agent carboplatin at a dose of AUC 10 is an effective treatment for good prognosis metastatic seminoma. The outcome compares favourably to previously published outcomes of combination chemotherapy. Although haematological toxicity is a concern, single agent carboplatin treatment for good prognosis metastatic seminoma could be considered a treatment option and is associated with less toxicity than combination regimens currently used.

  13. Dual CRISPR-Cas9 Cleavage Mediated Gene Excision and Targeted Integration in Yarrowia lipolytica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Difeng; Smith, Spencer; Spagnuolo, Michael; Rodriguez, Gabriel; Blenner, Mark

    2018-05-29

    CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been successfully applied in Yarrowia lipolytica for targeted genomic editing including gene disruption and integration; however, disruptions by existing methods typically result from small frameshift mutations caused by indels within the coding region, which usually resulted in unnatural protein. In this study, a dual cleavage strategy directed by paired sgRNAs is developed for gene knockout. This method allows fast and robust gene excision, demonstrated on six genes of interest. The targeted regions for excision vary in length from 0.3 kb up to 3.5 kb and contain both non-coding and coding regions. The majority of the gene excisions are repaired by perfect nonhomologous end-joining without indel. Based on this dual cleavage system, two targeted markerless integration methods are developed by providing repair templates. While both strategies are effective, homology mediated end joining (HMEJ) based method are twice as efficient as homology recombination (HR) based method. In both cases, dual cleavage leads to similar or improved gene integration efficiencies compared to gene excision without integration. This dual cleavage strategy will be useful for not only generating more predictable and robust gene knockout, but also for efficient targeted markerless integration, and simultaneous knockout and integration in Y. lipolytica. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Porcine deltacoronavirus nsp5 inhibits interferon-β production through the cleavage of NEMO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xinyu; Fang, Liurong; Wang, Dang; Yang, Yuting; Chen, Jiyao; Ye, Xu; Foda, Mohamed Frahat; Xiao, Shaobo

    2017-02-01

    Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) causes acute enteric disease and mortality in seronegative neonatal piglets. Previously we have demonstrated that PDCoV infection suppresses the production of interferon-beta (IFN-β), while the detailed mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that nonstructural protein 5 (nsp5) of PDCoV, the 3C-like protease, significantly inhibits Sendai virus (SEV)-induced IFN-β production by targeting the NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO), confirmed by the diminished function of NEMO cleaved by PDCoV. The PDCoV nsp5 cleavage site in the NEMO protein was identified as glutamine 231, and was identical to the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus nsp5 cleavage site, revealing the likelihood of a common target in NEMO for coronaviruses. Furthermore, this cleavage impaired the ability of NEMO to activate the IFN response and downstream signaling. Taken together, our findings reveal PDCoV nsp5 to be a newly identified IFN antagonist and enhance the understanding of immune evasion by deltacoronaviruses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Cas9-catalyzed DNA Cleavage Generates Staggered Ends: Evidence from Molecular Dynamics Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuo, Zhicheng; Liu, Jin

    2016-11-01

    The CRISPR-associated endonuclease Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (spCas9) along with a single guide RNA (sgRNA) has emerged as a versatile toolbox for genome editing. Despite recent advances in the mechanism studies on spCas9-sgRNA-mediated double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) recognition and cleavage, it is still unclear how the catalytic Mg2+ ions induce the conformation changes toward the catalytic active state. It also remains controversial whether Cas9 generates blunt-ended or staggered-ended breaks with overhangs in the DNA. To investigate these issues, here we performed the first all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the spCas9-sgRNA-dsDNA system with and without Mg2+ bound. The simulation results showed that binding of two Mg2+ ions at the RuvC domain active site could lead to structurally and energetically favorable coordination ready for the non-target DNA strand cleavage. Importantly, we demonstrated with our simulations that Cas9-catalyzed DNA cleavage produces 1-bp staggered ends rather than generally assumed blunt ends.

  16. Practical consensus recommendations on management of triple-negative metastatic breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Rangarao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with breast cancer along with metastatic estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER/PR- and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-negative tumors are referred to as having metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC disease. Resistance to current standard therapies such as anthracyclines or taxanes limits the available options for previously treated patients with metastatic TNBC to a small number of non-cross-resistant regimens, and there is currently no preferred standard chemotherapy. Clinical experience suggests that many women with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC relapse quickly. Expert oncologist discussed about new chemotherapeutic strategies and agents used in treatment of mTNBC and the expert group used data from published literature, practical experience and opinion of a large group of academic oncologists to arrive at this practical consensus recommendations for the benefit of community oncologists.

  17. Increased Expression and Aberrant Localization of Mucin 13 in Metastatic Colon Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Brij K.; Maher, Diane M.; Ebeling, Mara C.; Sundram, Vasudha; Koch, Michael D.; Lynch, Douglas W.; Bohlmeyer, Teresa; Watanabe, Akira; Aburatani, Hiroyuki; Puumala, Susan E.; Jaggi, Meena

    2012-01-01

    MUC13 is a newly identified transmembrane mucin. Although MUC13 is known to be overexpressed in ovarian and gastric cancers, limited information is available regarding the expression of MUC13 in metastatic colon cancer. Herein, we investigated the expression profile of MUC13 in colon cancer using a novel anti-MUC13 monoclonal antibody (MAb, clone ppz0020) by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. A cohort of colon cancer samples and tissue microarrays containing adjacent normal, non-metastatic colon cancer, metastatic colon cancer, and liver metastasis tissues was used in this study to investigate the expression pattern of MUC13. IHC analysis revealed significantly higher (pcolon cancer samples compared with faint or very low expression in adjacent normal tissues. Interestingly, metastatic colon cancer and liver metastasis tissue samples demonstrated significantly (pcolon cancer and adjacent normal colon samples. Moreover, cytoplasmic and nuclear MUC13 expression correlated with larger and poorly differentiated tumors. Four of six tested colon cancer cell lines also expressed MUC13 at RNA and protein levels. These studies demonstrate a significant increase in MUC13 expression in metastatic colon cancer and suggest a correlation between aberrant MUC13 localization (cytoplasmic and nuclear expression) and metastatic colon cancer. PMID:22914648

  18. Predictors of hepatitis B cure using gene therapy to deliver DNA cleavage enzymes: a mathematical modeling approach.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua T Schiffer

    Full Text Available Most chronic viral infections are managed with small molecule therapies that inhibit replication but are not curative because non-replicating viral forms can persist despite decades of suppressive treatment. There are therefore numerous strategies in development to eradicate all non-replicating viruses from the body. We are currently engineering DNA cleavage enzymes that specifically target hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA (HBV cccDNA, the episomal form of the virus that persists despite potent antiviral therapies. DNA cleavage enzymes, including homing endonucleases or meganucleases, zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs, TAL effector nucleases (TALENs, and CRISPR-associated system 9 (Cas9 proteins, can disrupt specific regions of viral DNA. Because DNA repair is error prone, the virus can be neutralized after repeated cleavage events when a target sequence becomes mutated. DNA cleavage enzymes will be delivered as genes within viral vectors that enter hepatocytes. Here we develop mathematical models that describe the delivery and intracellular activity of DNA cleavage enzymes. Model simulations predict that high vector to target cell ratio, limited removal of delivery vectors by humoral immunity, and avid binding between enzyme and its DNA target will promote the highest level of cccDNA disruption. Development of de novo resistance to cleavage enzymes may occur if DNA cleavage and error prone repair does not render the viral episome replication incompetent: our model predicts that concurrent delivery of multiple enzymes which target different vital cccDNA regions, or sequential delivery of different enzymes, are both potentially useful strategies for avoiding multi-enzyme resistance. The underlying dynamics of cccDNA persistence are unlikely to impact the probability of cure provided that antiviral therapy is given concurrently during eradication trials. We conclude by describing experiments that can be used to validate the model, which

  19. Active site mutations change the cleavage specificity of neprilysin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Travis Sexton

    Full Text Available Neprilysin (NEP, a member of the M13 subgroup of the zinc-dependent endopeptidase family is a membrane bound peptidase capable of cleaving a variety of physiological peptides. We have generated a series of neprilysin variants containing mutations at either one of two active site residues, Phe(563 and Ser(546. Among the mutants studied in detail we observed changes in their activity towards leucine(5-enkephalin, insulin B chain, and amyloid β(1-40. For example, NEP(F563I displayed an increase in preference towards cleaving leucine(5-enkephalin relative to insulin B chain, while mutant NEP(S546E was less discriminating than neprilysin. Mutants NEP(F563L and NEP(S546E exhibit different cleavage site preferences than neprilysin with insulin B chain and amyloid ß(1-40 as substrates. These data indicate that it is possible to alter the cleavage site specificity of neprilysin opening the way for the development of substrate specific or substrate exclusive forms of the enzyme with enhanced therapeutic potential.

  20. Cleavage of thymine N3-H bonds by low-energy electrons attached to base π* orbitals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Theodore, Magali; Sobczyk, Monika; Simons, Jack

    2006-01-01

    In this work, we extend our earlier studies on single strand break (SSB) formation in DNA to consider the possibility of cleaving a thymine N 3 -H bond to generate a nitrogen-centered anion and a hydrogen radical which might proceed to induce further bond cleavages. In earlier studies, we considered SSBs induced by low-energy electrons that attach to DNA bases' π* orbitals or to phosphate P=O π* orbitals to cleave sugar-phosphate C-O bonds or base-sugar N 1 -C bonds. We also studied the effects of base π-stacking on the rates of such bond cleavages. To date, our results suggest that sugar-phosphate C-O bonds have the lowest barriers to cleavage, that attachment of electrons with energies below 2 eV most likely occurs at the base π* orbitals, that electrons with energy above 2 eV can also attach to phosphate P=O π* orbitals, and that base π stacking has a modest but slowing effect on the rates of SSB formation. However, we had not yet examined the possibility that base N 3 -H bonds could rupture subsequent to base π* orbital capture. In the present work, the latter possibility is considered and it is found that the barrier to cleavage of the N 3 -H bond in thymine is considerably higher than for cleaving sugar-phosphate C-O bonds, so our prediction that SSB formation is dominated by C-O bond cleavage remains intact

  1. Effects of Olive Metabolites on DNA Cleavage Mediated by Human Type II Topoisomerases

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Several naturally occurring dietary polyphenols with chemopreventive or anticancer properties are topoisomerase II poisons. To identify additional phytochemicals that enhance topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage, a library of 341 Mediterranean plant extracts was screened for activity against human topoisomerase IIα. An extract from Phillyrea latifolia L., a member of the olive tree family, displayed high activity against the human enzyme. On the basis of previous metabolomics studies, we identified several polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, verbascoside, tyrosol, and caffeic acid) as potential candidates for topoisomerase II poisons. Of these, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, and verbascoside enhanced topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage. The potency of these olive metabolites increased 10–100-fold in the presence of an oxidant. Hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, and verbascoside displayed hallmark characteristics of covalent topoisomerase II poisons. (1) The activity of the metabolites was abrogated by a reducing agent. (2) Compounds inhibited topoisomerase II activity when they were incubated with the enzyme prior to the addition of DNA. (3) Compounds were unable to poison a topoisomerase IIα construct that lacked the N-terminal domain. Because hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, and verbascoside are broadly distributed across the olive family, extracts from the leaves, bark, and fruit of 11 olive tree species were tested for activity against human topoisomerase IIα. Several of the extracts enhanced enzyme-mediated DNA cleavage. Finally, a commercial olive leaf supplement and extra virgin olive oils pressed from a variety of Olea europea subspecies enhanced DNA cleavage mediated by topoisomerase IIα. Thus, olive metabolites appear to act as topoisomerase II poisons in complex formulations intended for human dietary consumption. PMID:26132160

  2. Histone H2AX is a critical factor for cellular protection against DNA alkylating agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meador, J A; Zhao, M; Su, Y; Narayan, G; Geard, C R; Balajee, A S

    2008-09-25

    Histone H2A variant H2AX is a dose-dependent suppressor of oncogenic chromosome translocations. H2AX participates in DNA double-strand break repair, but its role in other DNA repair pathways is not known. In this study, role of H2AX in cellular response to alkylation DNA damage was investigated. Cellular sensitivity to two monofunctional alkylating agents (methyl methane sulfonate and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)) was dependent on H2AX dosage, and H2AX null cells were more sensitive than heterozygous cells. In contrast to wild-type cells, H2AX-deficient cells displayed extensive apoptotic death due to a lack of cell-cycle arrest at G(2)/M phase. Lack of G(2)/M checkpoint in H2AX null cells correlated well with increased mitotic irregularities involving anaphase bridges and gross chromosomal instability. Observation of elevated poly(ADP) ribose polymerase 1 (PARP-1) cleavage suggests that MNNG-induced apoptosis occurs by PARP-1-dependent manner in H2AX-deficient cells. Consistent with this, increased activities of PARP and poly(ADP) ribose (PAR) polymer synthesis were detected in both H2AX heterozygous and null cells. Further, we demonstrate that the increased PAR synthesis and apoptotic death induced by MNNG in H2AX-deficient cells are due to impaired activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Collectively, our novel study demonstrates that H2AX, similar to PARP-1, confers cellular protection against alkylation-induced DNA damage. Therefore, targeting either PARP-1 or histone H2AX may provide an effective way of maximizing the chemotherapeutic value of alkylating agents for cancer treatment.

  3. Metastatic myxoid liposarcomas: imaging and histopathologic findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheah, Kenneth; Ouellette, Hugue A.; Torriani, Martin; Kattapuram, Susan; Bredella, Miriam A.; Nielsen, G.P.

    2008-01-01

    The objective was to describe the imaging and histopathologic characteristics of metastatic myxoid liposarcomas. This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board and complied with HIPAA guidelines. The study group comprised 12 patients with metastatic myxoid liposarcoma who underwent MRI, CT, or FDG-PET. The location and imaging characteristics of the metastatic lesions were recorded, and the histopathology of all metastatic lesions was reviewed. There were 23 histologically proven metastases in 12 patients. Based on imaging criteria, there were 41 metastases. The mean time from the diagnosis of primary tumor to the first metastasis was 4.4 years. Sixty-seven percent of patients had bone and soft tissue metastases, 33% had pulmonary metastases, 33% had liver metastases, 25% had intra-abdominal, and 16% retroperitoneal metastases. CT demonstrated well-defined lobulated masses with soft tissue attenuation in all cases, without macroscopic fat component. In cases of osseous metastases, CT showed mixed lytic and sclerotic foci, with bone destruction in advanced cases. MRI demonstrated fluid-like signal intensity with mild heterogeneous enhancement in cases of soft tissue metastases. In osseous metastases, MRI showed avid heterogeneous enhancement. FDG-PET showed no significant FDG uptake for all metastases. MRI was the most useful imaging modality for osseous and soft tissue metastases. Myxoid liposarcomas are soft tissue sarcomas, with a high prevalence of extrapulmonary metastases. The bones and soft tissues were the most common site of involvement, followed by the lungs and liver. MRI was the most sensitive modality in the detection of osseous and soft tissue metastases, and is the recommended modality for the diagnosis and follow-up of bone and soft tissue involvement. (orig.)

  4. Maximizing Selective Cleavages at Aspartic Acid and Proline Residues for the Identification of Intact Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foreman, David J.; Dziekonski, Eric T.; McLuckey, Scott A.

    2018-04-01

    A new approach for the identification of intact proteins has been developed that relies on the generation of relatively few abundant products from specific cleavage sites. This strategy is intended to complement standard approaches that seek to generate many fragments relatively non-selectively. Specifically, this strategy seeks to maximize selective cleavage at aspartic acid and proline residues via collisional activation of precursor ions formed via electrospray ionization (ESI) under denaturing conditions. A statistical analysis of the SWISS-PROT database was used to predict the number of arginine residues for a given intact protein mass and predict a m/z range where the protein carries a similar charge to the number of arginine residues thereby enhancing cleavage at aspartic acid residues by limiting proton mobility. Cleavage at aspartic acid residues is predicted to be most favorable in the m/z range of 1500-2500, a range higher than that normally generated by ESI at low pH. Gas-phase proton transfer ion/ion reactions are therefore used for precursor ion concentration from relatively high charge states followed by ion isolation and subsequent generation of precursor ions within the optimal m/z range via a second proton transfer reaction step. It is shown that the majority of product ion abundance is concentrated into cleavages C-terminal to aspartic acid residues and N-terminal to proline residues for ions generated by this process. Implementation of a scoring system that weights both ion fragment type and ion fragment area demonstrated identification of standard proteins, ranging in mass from 8.5 to 29.0 kDa. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  5. The Generation of Dehydroalanine Residues in Protonated Polypeptides: Ion/Ion Reactions for Introducing Selective Cleavages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Zhou; Bu, Jiexun; McLuckey, Scott A.

    2017-09-01

    We examine a gas-phase approach for converting a subset of amino acid residues in polypeptide cations to dehydroalanine (Dha). Subsequent activation of the modified polypeptide ions gives rise to specific cleavage N-terminal to the Dha residue. This process allows for the incorporation of selective cleavages in the structural characterization of polypeptide ions. An ion/ion reaction within the mass spectrometer between a multiply protonated polypeptide and the sulfate radical anion introduces a radical site into the multiply protonated polypeptide reactant. Subsequent collisional activation of the polypeptide radical cation gives rise to radical side chain loss from one of several particular amino acid side chains (e.g., leucine, asparagine, lysine, glutamine, and glutamic acid) to yield a Dha residue. The Dha residues facilitate preferential backbone cleavages to produce signature c- and z-ions, demonstrated with cations derived from melittin, mechano growth factor (MGF), and ubiquitin. The efficiencies for radical side chain loss and for subsequent generation of specific c- and z-ions have been examined as functions of precursor ion charge state and activation conditions using cations of ubiquitin as a model for a small protein. It is noted that these efficiencies are not strongly dependent on ion trap collisional activation conditions but are sensitive to precursor ion charge state. Moderate to low charge states show the greatest overall yields for the specific Dha cleavages, whereas small molecule losses (e.g., water/ammonia) dominate at the lowest charge states and proton catalyzed amide bond cleavages that give rise to b- and y-ions tend to dominate at high charge states. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  6. Epothilone B induces extrinsic pathway of apoptosis in human SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogalska, Aneta; Gajek, Arkadiusz; Marczak, Agnieszka

    2014-06-01

    The molecular mechanisms underlying epothilone B (EpoB) induced apoptosis were investigated in SKOV-3 human ovarian cancer cells. The aim of this research was to compare EpoB's, which belongs to the new class of anticancer drugs, with paclitaxel's (PTX) ability to induce apoptosis. The mode of cell death was assessed colorimetrically, fluorimetrically and by immunoblot analyses through measuring DNA fragmentation, the level of intracellular calcium, the level of cytochrome c, TRAIL, the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and the activation of caspase-9, -8 and -3. EpoB leads to an increase of the cytosolic level of cytochrome c after 4 h of cell treatment. After 24 and 48 h of cell treatment the level of intracellular calcium also increased by about 21% and 24% respectively. Moreover, EpoB, similarly to PTX, promoted the expression of TRAIL in lymphocytes, although high TRAIL expression on tumor cells was detected only after adding EpoB to SKOV-3 cells. EpoB mediates caspases-8 and -3 activation, which is independent of the reduction in the amount of caspase-9. Epitope-specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies revealed characteristic apoptotic changes that included cleavage of the 116 kDa PARP polypeptide to 25 kDa fragments. The results of our study show that EpoB induces mainly the extrinsic pathway. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Essential role for zinc-triggered p75NTR activation in preconditioning neuroprotection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jin-Yeon; Kim, Yu-Jin; Kim, Tae-Youn; Koh, Jae-Young; Kim, Yang-Hee

    2008-10-22

    Ischemic preconditioning (PC) of the brain is a phenomenon by which mild ischemic insults render neurons resistant to subsequent strong insults. Key steps in ischemic PC of the brain include caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) cleavage, but upstream events have not been clearly elucidated. We have tested whether endogenous zinc is required for ischemic PC of the brain in rats. Mild, transient zinc accumulation was observed in certain neurons after ischemic PC. Moreover, intraventricular administration of CaEDTA during ischemic PC abrogated both zinc accumulation and the protective effect against subsequent full ischemia. To elucidate the mechanism of the zinc-triggered PC (Zn PC) effect, cortical cultures were exposed to sublethal levels of zinc, and 18 h later to lethal levels of zinc or NMDA. Zn PC exhibited the characteristic features of ischemic PC, including caspase-3 activation, PARP-1 cleavage, and HSP70 induction, all of which are crucial for subsequent neuroprotection against NMDA or zinc toxicity. HSP70 induction was necessary for protection, as it halted caspase-3 activation before apoptosis. Interestingly, in both Zn PC in vitro and ischemic PC in vivo, p75(NTR) was necessary for neuroprotection. These results suggest that caspase-3 activation during ischemic PC, a necessary event for subsequent neuroprotection, may result from mild zinc accumulation and the consequent p75(NTR) activation in neurons.

  8. ATP-Dependent C–F Bond Cleavage Allows the Complete Degradation of 4-Fluoroaromatics without Oxygen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver Tiedt

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Complete biodegradation of the abundant and persistent fluoroaromatics requires enzymatic cleavage of an arylic C–F bond, probably the most stable single bond of a biodegradable organic molecule. While in aerobic microorganisms defluorination of fluoroaromatics is initiated by oxygenases, arylic C–F bond cleavage has never been observed in the absence of oxygen. Here, an oxygen-independent enzymatic aryl fluoride bond cleavage is described during the complete degradation of 4-fluorobenzoate or 4-fluorotoluene to CO2 and HF in the denitrifying Thauera aromatica: the ATP-dependent defluorination of 4-fluorobenzoyl-coenzyme A (4-F-BzCoA to benzoyl-coenzyme A (BzCoA and HF, catalyzed by class I BzCoA reductase (BCR. Adaptation to growth with the fluoroaromatics was accomplished by the downregulation of a promiscuous benzoate-CoA ligase and the concomitant upregulation of 4-F-BzCoA-defluorinating/dearomatizing BCR on the transcriptional level. We propose an unprecedented mechanism for reductive arylic C–F bond cleavage via a Birch reduction-like mechanism resulting in a formal nucleophilic aromatic substitution. In the proposed anionic 4-fluorodienoyl-CoA transition state, fluoride elimination to BzCoA is favored over protonation to a fluorinated cyclic dienoyl-CoA.

  9. Diagnosis the metastatic sentinel node with Tc-99m-MIBI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Georgiev-Predic, M.; Predic, P.; Karner, I.; Dodig, D.

    2002-01-01

    Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyse the occurrence of visualisation malignancy of sentinel node during preoperative lymphoscintigraphy in breast cancer. To precisely diagnose the metastatic sentinel node is very difficult. Material and Methods:Preoperative lymphoscintigraphy was performed in 47 patients with breast cancer after injection of Tc-99m-MIBI. We injected 20-40 MBq Tc-99m-MIBI peritumoral. Anterior and prone lateral planar images were obtained 2h, 4h, 6h and 20h after injection. The uptake were in region of sentinel node calculed. The sentinel node was intraoperatively identified and histologically analysed. Results: In 27 patients with intraoperatively detected metastatic sentinel node was in 25 patients increased uptake in sentinel node on scintigrams after 20h detected. In 20 patients with intraoperatively non detected metastatic sentinel node was in 19 patients increased uptake on scintigrams ower 2h-6h detected. Conclusion: The results indicated that is lymphoscintigraphy with Tc-99m-MIBI is a new method for detection the preoperatively metastatic sentinel node

  10. Metastatic skeletal leiomyomatosis (leiomyomatosis ossea)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pimentel, Jose Raimundo [Radiologic Clinic Felippe Mattoso, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); De Almeida, Ana Luzia Brito; Aymore, Ierece Lins [Claudio Lemos Surgical Pathology Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Pinto, Edna Pottes [Edna Pottes Pinto Clinic, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Osthoff, Laura [Basilio Clinic, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Smith, Julius [National Cancer Institute (INCA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

    2002-01-01

    We present a unique case of metastatic leiomyomatosis to the skeleton. The very extensive involvement of the axial and peripheral skeleton with ''ring'' lesions and associated cyclical premenstrual pain eventually led to the correct diagnosis and total relief with hormonal therapy. (orig.)

  11. Mechanisms for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein cleavage, transport, and incorporation into virions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kunz, Stefan; Edelmann, Kurt H.; Torre, Juan-Carlos de la; Gorney, Robert; Oldstone, Michael B.A.

    2003-01-01

    The glycoprotein (GP) of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) serves as virus attachment protein to its receptor on host cells and is a key determinant for cell tropism, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of the virus. The GP of LCMV is posttranslationally cleaved by the subtilase SKI-1/S1P into two subunits, the peripheral GP1, which is implicated in receptor binding, and the transmembrane GP2 that is structurally similar to the fusion active membrane proximal portions of the glycoproteins of other enveloped viruses. The present study shows that cleavage by SKI-1/S1P is not required for cell surface expression of LCMVGP on infected cells but is essential for its incorporation into virions and for the production of infectious virus particles. In absence of SKI-1/S1P cleavage, cell-to-cell propagation of the virus was markedly reduced. Further, proteolytic processing of LCMVGP depends on the presence of a cluster of basic amino acids at the C-terminus of the cytoplasmic domain of GP2, a structural motif that is conserved in Old World arenaviruses. The effect of the truncation of the cytoplasmic tail on cleavage suggests a structural interdependence between the cytoplasmic domain and the ectodomains of LCMVGP

  12. Sequence specific inhibition of DNA restriction enzyme cleavage by PNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, P.E.; Egholm, M.; Berg, R.H.

    1993-01-01

    Plasmids containing double-stranded 10-mer PNA (peptide nucleic acid chimera) targets proximally flanked by two restriction enzyme sites were challenged with the complementary PNA or PNAs having one or two mismatches, and the effect on the restriction enzyme cleavage of the flanking sites was ass...

  13. Cleavage of desmin by cysteine proteases: Calpains and cathepsin B

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baron, Caroline; Jacobsen, S.; Purslow, P.P.

    2004-01-01

    The intermediate filament protein, desmin, was purified from pork longissimus dorsi and incubated with either P-calpain, m-calpain or cathepsin B. Proteolysis of desmin was followed using SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. After incubation of desmin with the proteases, cleavage sites on the desmin mo...

  14. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Regorafenib for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldstein, Daniel A; Ahmad, Bilal B; Chen, Qiushi; Ayer, Turgay; Howard, David H; Lipscomb, Joseph; El-Rayes, Bassel F; Flowers, Christopher R

    2015-11-10

    Regorafenib is a standard-care option for treatment-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer that increases median overall survival by 6 weeks compared with placebo. Given this small incremental clinical benefit, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of regorafenib in the third-line setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer from the US payer perspective. We developed a Markov model to compare the cost and effectiveness of regorafenib with those of placebo in the third-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Health outcomes were measured in life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Drug costs were based on Medicare reimbursement rates in 2014. Model robustness was addressed in univariable and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Regorafenib provided an additional 0.04 QALYs (0.13 life-years) at a cost of $40,000, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $900,000 per QALY. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for regorafenib was > $550,000 per QALY in all of our univariable and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Regorafenib provides minimal incremental benefit at high incremental cost per QALY in the third-line management of metastatic colorectal cancer. The cost-effectiveness of regorafenib could be improved by the use of value-based pricing. © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

  15. Enzalutamide for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramadan, Wijdan H; Kabbara, Wissam K; Al Basiouni Al Masri, Hiba S

    2015-01-01

    Objective To review and evaluate current literature on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug enzalutamide (XTANDI®) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Data sources Literature search was done through PubMed using the terms enzalutamide, MDV3100, abiraterone, and castration-resistant prostate cancer. Data from FDA product labels were also used. Study selection and data extraction Recent and relevant studies were included in the review. Collected clinical trials were screened and evaluated. Data synthesis Enzalutamide is an androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor with high selectivity and affinity to the AR. It was approved by the FDA to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in patients previously treated with docetaxel, after a Phase III trial (AFFIRM) that showed a 4.8-month survival benefit in this population. Recently, the FDA expanded the approval of enzalutamide as first-line therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who did not receive chemotherapy. Moreover, enzalutamide is shown to be associated with an acceptable safety profile. Conclusion Enzalutamide has been shown to be both safe and effective in improving overall survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer postchemotherapy with docetaxel and as a first line treatment before initiation of chemotherapy. However, additional studies and head-to-head trials are needed. PMID:25945058

  16. m-RNA mammaglobin expression in metastatic breast cancer patient at Medan city, Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimbun, S.; Siregar, Y.

    2018-03-01

    Breast cancer is the most common causes of women’s death in the world. Metastatic spread presents a major clinical problem in about 30% of the patients. The study aims to investigate the clinical reliability of mammaglobin mRNA as a marker of circulating cancer cells in breast cancer patients. The positivity of blood was analyzed in relation to clinical and pathological characteristics. This study was on 29 breast cancer patients (13 metastatic, 16 non- metastatic patients), where28 were invasive intraductal carcinoma type and 1 was invasive lobular carcinoma type. Breast cancer patients were according to the histologic grade into grade I (7 patients),grade II (6 patients) and grade III (15 patients). All individuals included in this study were subjected to detection of mammaglobin m-RNA of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood using RT-PCR technique. Positivity for mammaglobin in blood samples was in 38% of patients with metastatic but not in the non-metastatic patients. The presence of mammaglobin correlated with metastatic tumor (P = 0.011). Mammaglobin overexpression in breast tissue was significantly positive in low-grade tumors (I and II).

  17. Medical image of the week: metastatic testicular cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Debo M

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available A 30 year-old man with metastatic embryonal testicular cancer was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. A contrast enhanced CT of the abdomen demonstrated large metastatic burden throughout the liver and the left adrenal gland (Figures 1 and 2. The mass arising from the left adrenal gland caused significant mass effect. The left kidney was compressed, though without hydronephrosis, and the spleen was displaced laterally. Renal and hepatic functions were preserved. His pain was controlled with opioids and oral steroids with significant improvement.

  18. Reproducibility analysis of the stability and treatment of vertebral metastatic lesions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raphael de Rezende Pratali

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To investigate the reproducibility among spine surgeons in defining the treatment of vertebral metastatic lesions, taking into account the mechanical stability of injuries. METHODS: Twenty cases of isolated vertebral metastatic lesions were presented to ten experts. Their opinion was then asked about the stability of the lesion, as well as their treatment option. RESULTS: The interobserver Kappa coefficient obtained both for stability analysis as to the decision of the treatment was poor (0.334 and 0.248, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Poor interobserver reproducibility was observed in deciding the treatment of vertebral metastatic lesions when considering the stability of the lesions.

  19. The dimer interfaces of protease and extra-protease domains influence the activation of protease and the specificity of GagPol cleavage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettit, Steven C; Gulnik, Sergei; Everitt, Lori; Kaplan, Andrew H

    2003-01-01

    Activation of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease is an essential step in viral replication. As is the case for all retroviral proteases, enzyme activation requires the formation of protease homodimers. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which retroviral proteases become active within their precursors. Using an in vitro expression system, we have examined the determinants of activation efficiency and the order of cleavage site processing for the protease of HIV-1 within the full-length GagPol precursor. Following activation, initial cleavage occurs between the viral p2 and nucleocapsid proteins. This is followed by cleavage of a novel site located in the transframe domain. Mutational analysis of the dimer interface of the protease produced differential effects on activation and specificity. A subset of mutations produced enhanced cleavage at the amino terminus of the protease, suggesting that, in the wild-type precursor, cleavages that liberate the protease are a relatively late event. Replacement of the proline residue at position 1 of the protease dimer interface resulted in altered cleavage of distal sites and suggests that this residue functions as a cis-directed specificity determinant. In summary, our studies indicate that interactions within the protease dimer interface help determine the order of precursor cleavage and contribute to the formation of extended-protease intermediates. Assembly domains within GagPol outside the protease domain also influence enzyme activation.

  20. Can laccases catalyze bond cleavage in lignin?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, Line; Sitarz, Anna Katarzyna; Kalyani, Dayanand

    2015-01-01

    illustrations of the putative laccase catalyzed reactions, including the possible reactions of the reactive radical intermediates taking place after the initial oxidation of the phenol-hydroxyl groups, we show that i) Laccase activity is able to catalyze bond cleavage in low molecular weight phenolic lignin......-substituted phenols, benzenethiols, polyphenols, and polyamines, which may be oxidized. In addition, the currently available analytical methods that can be used to detect enzyme catalyzed changes in lignin are summarized, and an improved nomenclature for unequivocal interpretation of the action of laccases on lignin...

  1. Effects of mutations in the VP2/VP4 cleavage site of Swine vesicular disease virus on RNA encapsidation and viral infectivity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rebel, J.M.J.; Leendertse, C.H.; Dekker, A.; Moormann, R.J.M.

    2003-01-01

    We studied VP0 cleavage of Swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV), a member of the Picornaviridae using a full-length cDNA copy of the Dutch SVDV isolate. The influences of mutations, introduced at the cleavage site of SVDV, on VP0 cleavage, RNA encapsidation and viral infection were studied. Double

  2. Proteolytic cleavage orchestrates cofactor insertion and protein assembly in [NiFe]-hydrogenase biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senger, Moritz; Stripp, Sven T; Soboh, Basem

    2017-07-14

    Metalloenzymes catalyze complex and essential processes, such as photosynthesis, respiration, and nitrogen fixation. For example, bacteria and archaea use [NiFe]-hydrogenases to catalyze the uptake and release of molecular hydrogen (H 2 ). [NiFe]-hydrogenases are redox enzymes composed of a large subunit that harbors a NiFe(CN) 2 CO metallo-center and a small subunit with three iron-sulfur clusters. The large subunit is synthesized with a C-terminal extension, cleaved off by a specific endopeptidase during maturation. The exact role of the C-terminal extension has remained elusive; however, cleavage takes place exclusively after assembly of the [NiFe]-cofactor and before large and small subunits form the catalytically active heterodimer. To unravel the functional role of the C-terminal extension, we used an enzymatic in vitro maturation assay that allows synthesizing functional [NiFe]-hydrogenase-2 of Escherichia coli from purified components. The maturation process included formation and insertion of the NiFe(CN) 2 CO cofactor into the large subunit, endoproteolytic cleavage of the C-terminal extension, and dimerization with the small subunit. Biochemical and spectroscopic analysis indicated that the C-terminal extension of the large subunit is essential for recognition by the maturation machinery. Only upon completion of cofactor insertion was removal of the C-terminal extension observed. Our results indicate that endoproteolytic cleavage is a central checkpoint in the maturation process. Here, cleavage temporally orchestrates cofactor insertion and protein assembly and ensures that only cofactor-containing protein can continue along the assembly line toward functional [NiFe]-hydrogenase. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  3. A case of metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma complicated with Graves' disease after total thyroidectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aoyama, Mariko; Takizawa, Hiromitsu; Tsuboi, Mitsuhiro; Nakagawa, Yasushi; Tangoku, Akira

    2017-12-28

    Thyroid cancer and Graves' disease may present simultaneously in one patient. The incidence of the development of hyperthyroidism from metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma is rare. We herein report a case of metastatic follicular carcinoma complicated with Graves' disease after total thyroidectomy. A 57-year-old woman underwent right hemithyroidectomy for follicular carcinoma. Metastatic lesions appeared in the lungs and skull two years after the first surgery, and remnant thyroidectomy was performed for radioactive iodine-131 (RAI) therapy, during which the TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) was found to be negative. The patient was treated with RAI therapy four times for four years and was receiving levothyroxine suppressive therapy. Although radioiodine uptake was observed in the lesions after the fourth course of RAI therapy, metastatic lesions had progressed. Four years after the second surgery, she had heart palpitations and tremors. Laboratory data revealed hyperthyroidism and positive TRAb. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease and received a fifth course of RAI therapy. 131I scintigraphy after RAI therapy showed strong radioiodine uptake in the metastatic lesions. As a result, the sizes and numbers of metastatic lesions decreased, and thyroid function improved. Metastatic lesions produced thyroid hormone and caused hyperthyroidism. RAI therapy was effective for Graves' disease and thyroid carcinoma.

  4. On the mechanism of action of ribonucleases: dinucleotide cleavage catalyzed by imidazole and Zn2+.

    OpenAIRE

    Breslow, R; Huang, D L; Anslyn, E

    1989-01-01

    Cyclization/cleavage of the 2-(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate ester of propylene glycol is catalyzed by imidazole and, much more effectively, by Zn2+ with imidazole. In the latter case, the mechanism involves simultaneous Lewis acid/base catalysis. Similar Zn2+ and imidazole catalysis of cyclization/cleavage is seen with the dinucleotide 3',5'-UpU (uridylyluridine). Again, the zinc system is much more effective than is catalysis by imidazole alone, and in this case simultaneous Lewis acid/base cata...

  5. Living Well? Strategies Used by Women Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Sophie; Willis, Karen; Yee, Jasmine; Kilbreath, Sharon

    2016-07-01

    Metastatic breast cancer is a disease of changing status-once an imminent death sentence, now a chronic (albeit incurable) disease. Medical intervention advances mean women with metastatic breast cancer now have symptoms alleviated and, potentially, life extended. Living with this disease, however, requires more than a medical approach to symptoms. We were interested to know whether women manage, and if so, how, to "live well" with metastatic cancer. We conducted interviews with 18 women. Women differed in the approaches they used. Most common was the attempt to reestablish a sense of normality in their lives. However, a second group reevaluated and reprioritized their lives; and a third group was restricted in their capacity to live well because of symptoms. The findings provide the foundation for future research exploring normalization of experiences of metastatic cancer, and other chronic illnesses, where people are living with knowledge that they have contracted time. © The Author(s) 2015.

  6. Ocular melanoma metastatic to skin: the value of HMB-45 staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Robert A; Kist, Joseph M; Thomas, Isabelle; Fernández, Geover; Cruz, Manuel A; Koziorynska, Ewa I; Lambert, W Clark

    2004-06-01

    Cutaneous metastatic disease is an important finding that may represent the first sign of systemic cancer, or, if already known, that may change tumor staging and thus dramatically altered therapeutic plans. Although cutaneous metastases are relatively frequent in patients with cutaneous melanoma, they are less so from ocular melanoma. To demonstrate the value of HMB-45, staining in the detection of ocular melanoma metastatic to skin. The immunohistochemical stain HMB-45 a monoclonal antibody directed against intact human melanoma cells, was employed on a skin biopsy specimen from a cutaneous tumor. HMB-45 staining was positive in the atypical hyperchromatic cells of the deep dermis. HMB-45 may be of value in the detection of ocular melanoma metastatic to skin. Cutaneous metastatic disease is a somewhat common and extremely important diagnosis. Although cutaneous metastases from cutaneous melanoma are relatively frequent, those from ocular melanomas are less so. Use of histochemical staining, especially the HMB-45 stain, allows confirmation of the diagnosis.

  7. Effect of cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) on hematogenic lung metastatic model mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Kazuki; Konoha, Keiko; Yoshikawa, Noriko; Yamaguchi, Yu; Kagota, Satomi; Shinozuka, Kazumasa; Kunitomo, Masaru

    2005-01-01

    We investigated the anti-metastatic effect of cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) on a hematogenic metastatic mouse model which was intravenously injected with B16-BL6 melanoma cells. A 3-hour exposure to various concentrations of cordycepin (0.3, 1 and 3 microg/ml) dose-dependently reduced the number of nodules formed in lung at 15 days after the tumor injection. To elucidate the mechanism of this anti-metastatic effect, we examined the effect of cordycepin on the invasiveness of B16-BL6 cells using a chemo-invasion chamber in vitro. The B16-BL6 cells pretreated with cordycepin (3 microg/ml) for 3 hours showed a significant decrease in invasiveness. Under the same conditions, however, cordycepin did not influence the growth curve of B16-BL6 cells at concentrations up to 3 microg/ml. These results suggest that cordycepin exerts an anti-metastatic action, in part, by inhibiting the invasiveness of mouse melanoma cells.

  8. Force-Induced Calpain Cleavage of Talin Is Critical for Growth, Adhesion Development, and Rigidity Sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, Mayur; Changede, Rishita; Hone, James; Wolfenson, Haguy; Sheetz, Michael P

    2017-12-13

    Cell growth depends upon formation of cell-matrix adhesions, but mechanisms detailing the transmission of signals from adhesions to control proliferation are still lacking. Here, we find that the scaffold protein talin undergoes force-induced cleavage in early adhesions to produce the talin rod fragment that is needed for cell cycle progression. Expression of noncleavable talin blocks cell growth, adhesion maturation, proper mechanosensing, and the related property of EGF activation of motility. Further, the expression of talin rod in the presence of noncleavable full-length talin rescues cell growth and other functions. The cleavage of talin is found in early adhesions where there is also rapid turnover of talin that depends upon calpain and TRPM4 activity as well as the generation of force on talin. Thus, we suggest that an important function of talin is its control over cell cycle progression through its cleavage in early adhesions.

  9. Benzimidazole as Novel Therapy for Hormone-Refractory Metastatic Prostate Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-01

    8 4 INTRODUCTION The focus of this project is to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of benzimidazoles as a...potential anti-metastatic prostate cancer therapy. We identified benzimidazoles , a class of anti-parasitic drug, in a drug screening process for...preferential anti-tumor activity on metastatic prostate cancer cells. We have data indicate that benzimidazoles have potent anti-tumor activities

  10. A Subset of Membrane-Altering Agents and γ-Secretase Modulators Provoke Nonsubstrate Cleavage by Rhomboid Proteases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siniša Urban

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Rhomboid proteases are integral membrane enzymes that regulate cell signaling, adhesion, and organelle homeostasis pathways, making substrate specificity a key feature of their function. Interestingly, we found that perturbing the membrane pharmacologically in living cells had little effect on substrate processing but induced inappropriate cleavage of nonsubstrates by rhomboid proteases. A subclass of drugs known to modulate γ-secretase activity acted on the membrane directly and induced nonsubstrate cleavage by rhomboid proteases but left true substrate cleavage sites unaltered. These observations highlight an active role for the membrane in guiding rhomboid selectivity and caution that membrane-targeted drugs should be evaluated for cross-activity against membrane-resident enzymes that are otherwise unrelated to the intended drug target. Furthermore, some γ-secretase-modulating activity or toxicity could partly result from global membrane effects.

  11. Periostin is identified as a putative metastatic marker in breast cancer-derived exosomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vardaki, Ioulia; Ceder, Sophia; Rutishauser, Dorothea; Baltatzis, George; Foukakis, Theodoros; Panaretakis, Theocharis

    2016-11-15

    Breast cancer (BrCa) is the most frequent cancer type in women and a leading cause of cancer related deaths in the world. Despite the decrease in mortality due to better diagnostics and palliative care, there is a lack of prognostic markers of metastasis. Recently, the exploitation of liquid biopsies and in particular of the extracellular vesicles has shown promise in the identification of such prognostic markers. In this study we compared the proteomic content of exosomes derived from metastatic and non-metastatic human (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) and mouse (67NR and 4T1) cell lines. We found significant differences not only in the amount of secreted exosomes but most importantly in the protein content of exosomes secreted from metastatic versus non-metastatic ones. We identified periostin as a protein that is enriched in exosomes secreted by metastatic cells and validated its presence in a pilot cohort of breast cancer patient samples with localized disease or lymph node (LN) metastasis.

  12. Sputum cytology of a metastatic postradiation sarcoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Toshio; Murakami, Itsuko; Awai, Seiji; Ogura, Yasuko; Morishita, Yumiko

    1981-01-01

    A female patient who died of apparent postradiation sarcoma in the inguinal region after irradiating a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the same site was reported. For approximately 20 months, the patient had received a total of 6,600 and 9,600 Roentgen to the right para-aortic and inguinal areas, respectively. About 10 years later, she developed a sarcoma, namely a malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Sputum cytology demonstrated numerous giant cells with bizarre nuclei; subsequent chest films also presented apparent metastatic tumor shadows. The cellular characteristics and also rather low incidence of detection of nonepithelial malignant tumor by sputum cytology were briefly discussed, and ways of enhancing cytodiagnostic accuracy were proposed. (author)

  13. Metastatic cancer of unknown primary in 21 dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, F; Aresu, L; Vignoli, M; Buracco, P; Bettini, G; Ferro, S; Gattino, F; Ghiani, F; Costantino, R; Ressel, L; Bellei, E; Marconato, L

    2015-03-01

    The aim of this retrospective study was to describe clinical features, treatment and outcome of 21 dogs with metastatic cancer of unknown primary (MCUP), a biopsy-proven malignancy being diagnosed at a metastatic stage, in which the anatomical origin of the primary tumour cannot be detected. All dogs underwent total-body computed tomography. Signalment, type and duration of clinical signs, metastasis site, pathology results, treatment and outcome were recorded. Carcinoma was the most common diagnosis (57.1%), followed by sarcoma, melanoma and mast cell tumour. The median number of disease sites per dog was 2, with bones, lymph nodes, lungs and spleen being the most frequent metastatic locations. The median survival for all dogs was 30 days. Overall, a primary site was not identified in 20 (95.2%) dogs. MCUP encompasses a variety of different pathologic entities and harbours a poor prognosis. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to the Pancreas: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Shaun Kian Hong; Chuah, Khoon Leong

    2016-06-01

    The pancreas is an unusual site for tumor metastasis, accounting for only 2% to 5% of all malignancies affecting the pancreas. The more common metastases affecting the pancreas include renal cell carcinomas, melanomas, colorectal carcinomas, breast carcinomas, and sarcomas. Although pancreatic involvement by nonrenal malignancies indicates widespread systemic disease, metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the pancreas often represents an isolated event and is thus amenable to surgical resection, which is associated with long-term survival. As such, it is important to accurately diagnose pancreatic involvement by metastatic renal cell carcinoma on histology, especially given that renal cell carcinoma metastasis may manifest more than a decade after its initial presentation and diagnosis. In this review, we discuss the clinicopathologic findings of isolated renal cell carcinoma metastases of the pancreas, with special emphasis on separating metastatic renal cell carcinoma and its various differential diagnoses in the pancreas.

  15. DNA cleavage enzymes for treatment of persistent viral infections: Recent advances and the pathway forward

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, Nicholas D., E-mail: nweber@fhcrc.org [Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, E5-110, Seattle, WA 98109 (United States); Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Aubert, Martine, E-mail: maubert@fhcrc.org [Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, E5-110, Seattle, WA 98109 (United States); Dang, Chung H., E-mail: cdang@fhcrc.org [Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, E5-110, Seattle, WA 98109 (United States); Stone, Daniel, E-mail: dstone2@fhcrc.org [Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, E5-110, Seattle, WA 98109 (United States); Jerome, Keith R., E-mail: kjerome@fhcrc.org [Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, E5-110, Seattle, WA 98109 (United States); Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

    2014-04-15

    Treatment for most persistent viral infections consists of palliative drug options rather than curative approaches. This is often because long-lasting viral DNA in infected cells is not affected by current antivirals, providing a source for viral persistence and reactivation. Targeting latent viral DNA itself could therefore provide a basis for novel curative strategies. DNA cleavage enzymes can be used to induce targeted mutagenesis of specific genes, including those of exogenous viruses. Although initial in vitro and even in vivo studies have been carried out using DNA cleavage enzymes targeting various viruses, many questions still remain concerning the feasibility of these strategies as they transition into preclinical research. Here, we review the most recent findings on DNA cleavage enzymes for human viral infections, consider the most relevant animal models for several human viral infections, and address issues regarding safety and enzyme delivery. Results from well-designed in vivo studies will ideally provide answers to the most urgent remaining questions, and allow continued progress toward clinical application. - Highlights: • Recent in vitro and in vivo results for DNA cleavage enzymes targeting persistent viral infections. • Analysis of the best animal models for testing enzymes for HBV, HSV, HIV and HPV. • Challenges facing in vivo delivery of therapeutic enzymes for persistent viral infections. • Safety issues to be addressed with proper animal studies.

  16. Hemoglobin cleavage site-specificity of the Plasmodium falciparum cysteine proteases falcipain-2 and falcipain-3.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shoba Subramanian

    Full Text Available The Plasmodium falciparum cysteine proteases falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 degrade host hemoglobin to provide free amino acids for parasite protein synthesis. Hemoglobin hydrolysis has been described as an ordered process initiated by aspartic proteases, but cysteine protease inhibitors completely block the process, suggesting that cysteine proteases can also initiate hemoglobin hydrolysis. To characterize the specific roles of falcipains, we used three approaches. First, using random P(1 - P(4 amino acid substrate libraries, falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 demonstrated strong preference for cleavage sites with Leu at the P(2 position. Second, with overlapping peptides spanning alpha and beta globin and proteolysis-dependent (18O labeling, hydrolysis was seen at many cleavage sites. Third, with intact hemoglobin, numerous cleavage products were identified. Our results suggest that hemoglobin hydrolysis by malaria parasites is not a highly ordered process, but rather proceeds with rapid cleavage by falcipains at multiple sites. However, falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 show strong specificity for P(2 Leu in small peptide substrates, in agreement with the specificity in optimized small molecule inhibitors that was identified previously. These results are consistent with a principal role of falcipain-2 and falcipain-3 in the hydrolysis of hemoglobin by P. falciparum and with the possibility of developing small molecule inhibitors with optimized specificity as antimalarial agents.

  17. The key role of extracellular vesicles in the metastatic process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Hongyun; Achreja, Abhinav; Iessi, Elisabetta; Logozzi, Mariantonia; Mizzoni, Davide; Di Raimo, Rossella; Nagrath, Deepak; Fais, Stefano

    2018-01-01

    Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, have a key role in the paracrine communication between organs and compartments. EVs shuttle virtually all types of biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, metabolites and even pharmacological compounds. Their ability to transfer their biomolecular cargo into target cells enables EVs to play a key role in intercellular communication that can regulate cellular functions such as proliferation, apoptosis and migration. This has led to the emergence of EVs as a key player in tumor growth and metastasis through the formation of "tumor niches" in target organs. Recent data have also been shown that EVs may transform the microenvironment of primary tumors thus favoring the selection of cancer cells with a metastatic behavior. The release of EVs from resident non-malignant cells may contribute to the metastatic processes as well. However, cancer EVs may induce malignant transformation in resident mesenchymal stem cells, suggesting that the metastatic process is not exclusively due to circulating tumor cells. In this review, we outline and discuss evidence-based roles of EVs in actively regulating multiple steps of the metastatic process and how we can leverage EVs to impair metastasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Glutamic Acid Selective Chemical Cleavage of Peptide Bonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nalbone, Joseph M; Lahankar, Neelam; Buissereth, Lyssa; Raj, Monika

    2016-03-04

    Site-specific hydrolysis of peptide bonds at glutamic acid under neutral aqueous conditions is reported. The method relies on the activation of the backbone amide chain at glutamic acid by the formation of a pyroglutamyl (pGlu) imide moiety. This activation increases the susceptibility of a peptide bond toward hydrolysis. The method is highly specific and demonstrates broad substrate scope including cleavage of various bioactive peptides with unnatural amino acid residues, which are unsuitable substrates for enzymatic hydrolysis.

  19. Should Aggressive Surgical Local Control Be Attempted in All Patients with Metastatic or Pelvic Ewing's Sarcoma?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorpe, Steven W.; Weiss, Kurt R.; Goodman, Mark A.; Heyl, Alma E.; McGough, Richard L.

    2012-01-01

    In previous reports, patients with Ewing's sarcoma received radiation therapy (XRT) for definitive local control because metastatic disease and pelvic location were thought to preclude aggressive local treatment. We sought to determine if single-site metastatic disease should be treated differently from multicentric-metastatic disease. We also wanted to reinvestigate the impact of XRT, pelvic location, and local recurrence on outcomes. Our results demonstrated a significant difference in overall survival (OS) between patients with either localized disease or a single-metastatic site and patients with multicentric-metastatic disease (P = 0.004). Local control was also found to be an independent predictor of outcomes as demonstrated by a significant difference in OS between those with and without local recurrence (P = 0.001). Axial and pelvic location did not predict a decreased OS. Based on these results, we concluded that pelvic location and the diagnosis of metastatic disease at diagnosis should not preclude aggressive local control, except in cases of multicentric-metastatic disease. PMID:22550427

  20. Metastatic urachal carcinoma in bronchial brush cytology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatima Zahra Aly

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Urachal carcinoma is rare comprising less than 1% of all bladder carcinomas. Metastases of urachal carcinoma have been reported to meninges, brain, ovary, lung, and maxilla. Cytologic features of metastatic urachal carcinoma have not been previously reported. We present a case of metastatic urachal adenocarcinoma in bronchial brushings and review the use of immunohistochemistry in its diagnosis. A 47-year-old female was seen initially in 2007 with adenocarcinoma of the bladder dome for which she underwent partial cystectomy. She presented in 2011 with a left lung mass and mediastinal adenopathy. Bronchoscopy showed an endobronchial lesion from which brushings were obtained. These showed numerous groups of columnar cells with medium sized nuclei and abundant cytoplasm. The cells were positive for CK20 and CDX2 and negative for CK7. The cytomorphological findings were similar to those in the previous resection specimen and concurrent biopsy. This is the first case report of bronchial brushings containing metastatic urachal carcinoma. No specific immunohistochemical profile is available for its diagnosis. The consideration of a second primary was a distinct possibility in this case due to the lapse of time from primary resection, absence of local disease, and lack of regional metastases.

  1. The Role of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Proteolysis Site Cleavage of Polycystin-1 in Renal Physiology and Polycystic Kidney Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie Trudel

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Polycystin-1 (PC1 plays an essential role in renal tubular morphogenesis, and PC1 dysfunction causes human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. A fundamental characteristic of PC1 is post-translational modification via cleavage at the juxtamembrane GPCR proteolysis site (GPS motif that is part of the larger GAIN domain. Given the considerable biochemical complexity of PC1 molecules generated in vivo by this process, GPS cleavage has several profound implications on the intracellular trafficking and localization in association with their particular function. The critical nature of GPS cleavage is further emphasized by the increasing numbers of PKD1 mutations that significantly affect this cleavage process. The GAIN domain with the GPS motif therefore represents the key structural element with fundamental importance for PC1 and might be polycystic kidney disease’s (PKD Achilles’ heel in a large spectrum of PKD1 missense mutations. We highlight the central roles of PC1 cleavage for the regulation of its biogenesis, intracellular trafficking and function, as well as its significance in polycystic kidney disease.

  2. Automated extraction of metastatic liver cancer regions from abdominal contrast CT images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamakawa, Junki; Matsubara, Hiroaki; Kimura, Shouta; Hasegawa, Junichi; Shinozaki, Kenji; Nawano, Shigeru

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, automated extraction of metastatic liver cancer regions from abdominal contrast X-ray CT images is investigated. Because even in Japan, cases of metastatic liver cancers are increased due to recent Europeanization and/or Americanization of Japanese eating habits, development of a system for computer aided diagnosis of them is strongly expected. Our automated extraction procedure consists of following four steps; liver region extraction, density transformation for enhancement of cancer regions, segmentation for obtaining candidate cancer regions, and reduction of false positives by shape feature. Parameter values used in each step of the procedure are decided based on density and shape features of typical metastatic liver cancers. In experiments using practical 20 cases of metastatic liver tumors, it is shown that 56% of true cancers can be detected successfully from CT images by the proposed procedure. (author)

  3. Multimodal selenium nanoshell-capped Au@mSiO2 nanoplatform for NIR-responsive chemo-photothermal therapy against metastatic breast cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramasamy, Thiruganesh; Ruttala, Hima Bindu; Sundaramoorthy, Pasupathi; Poudel, Bijay Kumar; Youn, Yu Seok; Ku, Sae Kwang; Choi, Han-Gon; Yong, Chul Soon; Kim, Jong Oh

    2018-04-01

    Multimodal therapeutic agents based on novel nanomaterials for multidrug resistance have attracted increasing attention in cancer therapy. In this study, we describe the construction of a programmed mesoporous silica-capped gold nanorod covered with nano-selenium overcoat (Se@Au@mSiO2) nanoparticles as a multifunctional nanoplatform to incorporate materials with specific chemotherapeutic, chemoprevention, and photoablation/hyperthermia functions that collectively contribute to enhance anticancer efficacy in multidrug-resistant breast cancer. The triple-combination-based nanosized Se@Au@mSiO2/DOX effectively accumulates in the tumor and the release of the therapeutic cargo could be remotely manipulated by mild near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Se@Au@mSiO2/DOX notably enhances the cell killing effect through induction of cell apoptosis. In addition, Se@Au@mSiO2/DOX inhibits tumor cell growth through cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis via suppression of the Src/FAK/AKT signaling pathways. Synergistic Se-photothermal-chemotherapy combination exhibits significant tumor growth suppression and delayed tumor progression in vivo. Immunohistochemistry analysis shows elevated numbers of caspase-3 and PARP-immunolabeled cells and decreased Ki-67 + and CD31 + cancer cells in the tumor mass. No noticeable signs of organ damage or toxicity are observed after treatment with Se@Au@mSiO2/DOX (NIR+), which is further supported by hematology and biochemical analyses. Thus, Se@Au@mSiO2/DOX has potential for the clinical treatment of metastatic breast cancers with little or no adverse effects.

  4. Metastatic behaviour of primary human tumours in a zebrafish xenotransplantation model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marques, Ines J; Bagowski, Christoph P; Weiss, Frank Ulrich; Vlecken, Danielle H; Nitsche, Claudia; Bakkers, Jeroen; Lagendijk, Anne K; Partecke, Lars Ivo; Heidecke, Claus-Dieter; Lerch, Markus M

    2009-01-01

    Aberrant regulation of cell migration drives progression of many diseases, including cancer cell invasion and metastasis formation. Analysis of tumour invasion and metastasis in living organisms to date is cumbersome and involves difficult and time consuming investigative techniques. For primary human tumours we establish here a simple, fast, sensitive and cost-effective in vivo model to analyse tumour invasion and metastatic behaviour. We fluorescently labelled small explants from gastrointestinal human tumours and investigated their metastatic behaviour after transplantation into zebrafish embryos and larvae. The transparency of the zebrafish embryos allows to follow invasion, migration and micrometastasis formation in real-time. High resolution imaging was achieved through laser scanning confocal microscopy of live zebrafish. In the transparent zebrafish embryos invasion, circulation of tumour cells in blood vessels, migration and micrometastasis formation can be followed in real-time. Xenografts of primary human tumours showed invasiveness and micrometastasis formation within 24 hours after transplantation, which was absent when non-tumour tissue was implanted. Furthermore, primary human tumour cells, when organotopically implanted in the zebrafish liver, demonstrated invasiveness and metastatic behaviour, whereas primary control cells remained in the liver. Pancreatic tumour cells showed no metastatic behaviour when injected into cloche mutant embryos, which lack a functional vasculature. Our results show that the zebrafish is a useful in vivo animal model for rapid analysis of invasion and metastatic behaviour of primary human tumour specimen

  5. Costal chondrosarcoma requiring differential diagnosis from metastatic tumor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuoka, Katsunari; Ueda, Mitsuhiro; Miyamoto, Yoshihiro

    2017-02-01

    Although chondrosarcoma is a common malignant bone tumor, cases arising in the rib are relatively rare. We experienced a case of chondrosarcoma arising in the right 10th rib during follow-up after lung cancer surgery. Although the finding of an osteolytic mass suggested a metastatic bone tumor, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography demonstrated low fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, and a primary bone tumor was suspected. The bone tumor was resected and diagnosed as chondrosarcoma. Four years after resection, there has been no recurrence or metastasis. Positron-emission tomography was useful for differential diagnosis between a chondrosarcoma and a metastatic bone tumor.

  6. Hyperfunctioning metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma in Pendred's syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abs, R.; Verhelst, J.; Schoofs, E.; De Somer, E.

    1991-01-01

    A 66-year-old woman with Pendred's syndrome underwent a partial thyroidectomy when she was 17 years old. At the age of 52 years, she had a second thyroid operation because of hyperthyroidism due to a toxic multinodular goiter with a mediastinal extension consisting of several separate nodules. Five years later a hyperfunctioning metastatic follicular carcinoma was diagnosed histologically. After treatment with radioactive iodine, the patient was well. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of a metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma in Pendred's syndrome and the first report of hyperthyroidism occurring after malignant degeneration of a dyshormonogenetic goiter

  7. Cell elongation is an adaptive response for clearing long chromatid arms from the cleavage plane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotadia, Shaila; Montembault, Emilie; Sullivan, William

    2012-01-01

    Chromosome segregation must be coordinated with cell cleavage to ensure correct transmission of the genome to daughter cells. Here we identify a novel mechanism by which Drosophila melanogaster neuronal stem cells coordinate sister chromatid segregation with cleavage furrow ingression. Cells adapted to a dramatic increase in chromatid arm length by transiently elongating during anaphase/telophase. The degree of cell elongation correlated with the length of the trailing chromatid arms and was concomitant with a slight increase in spindle length and an enlargement of the zone of cortical myosin distribution. Rho guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (Pebble)–depleted cells failed to elongate during segregation of long chromatids. As a result, Pebble-depleted adult flies exhibited morphological defects likely caused by cell death during development. These studies reveal a novel pathway linking trailing chromatid arms and cortical myosin that ensures the clearance of chromatids from the cleavage plane at the appropriate time during cytokinesis, thus preserving genome integrity. PMID:23185030

  8. Metabolic cleavage of cell-penetrating peptides in contact with epithelial models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tréhin, Rachel; Nielsen, Hanne Mørck; Jahnke, Heinz-Georg

    2004-01-01

    We assessed the metabolic degradation kinetics and cleavage patterns of some selected CPP (cell-penetrating peptides) after incubation with confluent epithelial models. Synthesis of N-terminal CF [5(6)-carboxyfluorescein]-labelled CPP, namely hCT (human calcitonin)-derived sequences, Tat(47-57) a...

  9. Addison's disease as a presentation of metastatic malignant melanoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srinivasan, B; Patel, M; Ethunandan, M; Ilankovan, V

    2016-01-01

    Melanoma accounts for 5% of all skin cancers. The risk of metastasis is related to the thickness of the tumour, and can affect local, regional and distant sites. Adrenal metastasis from melanoma of the head and neck is uncommon and often asymptomatic. Addison's disease as a presentation of metastatic melanoma is extremely rare and we are unaware of previous reports in the world literature. We report a case of a patient with metastatic melanoma presenting with signs and symptoms of Addison's disease.

  10. Carotenoid Cleavage Oxygenases from Microbes and Photosynthetic Organisms: Features and Functions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oussama Ahrazem

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Apocarotenoids are carotenoid-derived compounds widespread in all major taxonomic groups, where they play important roles in different physiological processes. In addition, apocarotenoids include compounds with high economic value in food and cosmetics industries. Apocarotenoid biosynthesis starts with the action of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs, a family of non-heme iron enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of carbon–carbon double bonds in carotenoid backbones through a similar molecular mechanism, generating aldehyde or ketone groups in the cleaving ends. From the identification of the first CCD enzyme in plants, an increasing number of CCDs have been identified in many other species, including microorganisms, proving to be a ubiquitously distributed and evolutionarily conserved enzymatic family. This review focuses on CCDs from plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria, describing recent progress in their functions and regulatory mechanisms in relation to the different roles played by the apocarotenoids in these organisms.

  11. Metastatic melanoma after 23 years of primary ocular melanoma.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Karde, Supriya Ramesh

    2016-11-23

    We describe a case of 52-year-old man who presented with an episode of tonic-clonic seizures. He had right ocular melanoma 23 years ago with subsequent enucleation which was the standard treatment at that time. CT scans of the brain and of the thorax-abdomen-pelvis revealed widespread metastatic lesions in the brain, lung and liver. Further investigations including bronchoscopy with cytopathology uncovered that the metastatic disease was a recurrence of ocular melanoma. He received palliative radiotherapy and died 6 months later. Ocular melanoma is often associated with fulminant metastatic disease after a period of dormancy. Thus, despite successful treatment of the localised disease at initial presentation, an effort is needed for optimal long-term follow-up plan in order to improve survival in case of recurrence.

  12. Metastatic spreading and growth of rhabdomyosarcoma in exposure to hyperglycemia, hyperthermia and ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ul'yanenko, S.E.; Salamatina, N.A.; Dedenkov, A.N.

    1985-01-01

    Under the effect of local UHF-hyperthermia, short-term hyperglycemia and ionizing radiation on metastasing strain of rhabdomysarcoma an increase in metastatic spreading or stimulated growth of primary tumor are not noticed. Otherwise, it is stated that hyperglycemia and hyperthermia thrice-used prevent from metastatic spreading of the tumor. Ionizing radiation decelerates both tumor growth and to a least extent its metastatic spreading

  13. Base substitutions at scissile bond sites are sufficient to alter RNA-binding and cleavage activity of RNase III.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kyungsub; Sim, Se-Hoon; Jeon, Che Ok; Lee, Younghoon; Lee, Kangseok

    2011-02-01

    RNase III, a double-stranded RNA-specific endoribonuclease, degrades bdm mRNA via cleavage at specific sites. To better understand the mechanism of cleavage site selection by RNase III, we performed a genetic screen for sequences containing mutations at the bdm RNA cleavage sites that resulted in altered mRNA stability using a transcriptional bdm'-'cat fusion construct. While most of the isolated mutants showed the increased bdm'-'cat mRNA stability that resulted from the inability of RNase III to cleave the mutated sequences, one mutant sequence (wt-L) displayed in vivo RNA stability similar to that of the wild-type sequence. In vivo and in vitro analyses of the wt-L RNA substrate showed that it was cut only once on the RNA strand to the 5'-terminus by RNase III, while the binding constant of RNase III to this mutant substrate was moderately increased. A base substitution at the uncleaved RNase III cleavage site in wt-L mutant RNA found in another mutant lowered the RNA-binding affinity by 11-fold and abolished the hydrolysis of scissile bonds by RNase III. Our results show that base substitutions at sites forming the scissile bonds are sufficient to alter RNA cleavage as well as the binding activity of RNase III. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Snake venom serine proteinases specificity mapping by proteomic identification of cleavage sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zelanis, André; Huesgen, Pitter F; Oliveira, Ana Karina; Tashima, Alexandre K; Serrano, Solange M T; Overall, Christopher M

    2015-01-15

    Many snake venom toxins are serine proteases but their specific in vivo targets are mostly unknown. Various act on components of the coagulation cascade, and fibrinolytic and kallikrein-kinin systems to trigger various pathological effects observed in the envenomation. Despite showing high similarity in terms of primary structure snake venom serine proteinases (SVSPs) show exquisite specificity towards macromolecular substrates. Therefore, the characterization of their peptide bond specificity is important for understanding the active site preference associated with effective proteolysis as well as for the design of peptide substrates and inhibitors. Bothrops jararaca contains various SVSPs among which Bothrops protease A is a specific fibrinogenolytic agent and PA-BJ is a platelet-activating enzyme. In this study we used proteome derived peptide libraries in the Proteomic Identification of protease Cleavage Sites (PICS) approach to explore the peptide bond specificity of Bothrops protease A and PA-BJ in order to determine their individual peptide cleavage sequences. A total of 371 cleavage sites (208 for Bothrops protease A and 163 for PA-BJ) were detected and both proteinases displayed a clear preference for arginine at the P1 position. Moreover, the analysis of the specificity profiles of Bothrops protease A and PA-BJ revealed subtle differences in the preferences along P6-P6', despite a common yet unusual preference for Pro at P2. Taken together, these results map the subsite specificity of both SVSPs and shed light in the functional differences between these proteinases. Proteolysis is key to various pathological effects observed upon envenomation by viperid snakes. The use of the Proteomic Identification of protease Cleavage Sites (PICS) approach for the easy mapping of proteinase subsite preferences at both the prime- and non-prime sides concurrently gives rise to a fresh understanding of the interaction of the snake venom serine proteinases with peptide and

  15. Unconjugated Bilirubin Inhibits Proteolytic Cleavage of von Willebrand Factor by ADAMTS13 Protease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Rui-Nan; Yang, Shangbin; Wu, Haifeng M.; Zheng, X. Long

    2015-01-01

    Summary Background Bilirubin is a yellow breakdown product of heme catabolism. Increased serum levels of unconjugated bilirubin are conditions commonly seen in premature neonates and adults with acute hemolysis including thrombotic microangiopathy. Previous studies have shown that unconjugated bilirubin lowers plasma ADAMTS13 activity, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Objectives The study is to determine whether unconjugated bilirubin directly inhibits the cleavage of von Willebrand factor (VWF) and its analogs by ADAMTS13. Methods Fluorogenic, SELDI-TOF mass spectrometric assay, and Western blotting analyses were employed to address this question. Results Unconjugated bilirubin inhibits the cleavage of F485-rVWF73-H, D633-rVWF73-H, and GST-rVWF71-11K by ADAMTS13 in a concentration-dependent manner with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ~13 μM, ~70 μM, and ~17 μM, respectively. Unconjugated bilirubin also dose-dependently inhibits the cleavage of multimeric VWF by ADAMTS13 under denaturing conditions. The inhibitory activity of bilirubin on the cleavage of D633-rVWF73-H and multimeric VWF, but not F485-rVWF73-H, was eliminated after incubation with bilirubin oxidase that converts bilirubin to biliverdin. Furthermore, plasma ADAMTS13 activity in patients with hyperbilirubinemia is lower prior to than after treatment with bilirubin oxidase. Conclusions unconjugated bilirubin directly inhibits ADAMTS13’s ability to cleave both peptidyl and native VWF substrates in addition to its interference with certain fluorogenic assays. Our findings may help proper interpretation of ADAMTS13 results under pathological conditions. Whether elevated serum unconjugated bilirubin has an adverse effect in vivo remains to be determined in our future study. PMID:25782102

  16. Merkel cell carcinoma metastatic to the small bowel mesentery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guang-Yu Yang

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC is an uncommon cutaneous malignant tumor that presents as a rapidly growing skin nodule on sun-exposed areas of the body. MCC is aggressive with regional nodal and distant metastases to the skin, lung, and bones. There have been no reports of metastatic MCC to the mesentery and 6 reports describing metastasis to the small intestine. We present a case of metastatic MCC to the mesentery with infiltration to the small bowel, 8 years after original tumor resection. This is the 5th metastasis and it encased the small bowel resulting in a hair-pin loop contributing to the unusual clinical presentation. Although MCC metastatic to the bowel is uncommon, it is not rare. It is important to recognize the unusual manifestations of this disease as they are becoming more common in the future. Routine radiologic surveillance and thorough review of systems are important to patient follow-up.

  17. Monoclonal antibodies to the reactive centre loop (RCL) of human corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) can protect against proteolytic cleavage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, John G; Elder, Peter A

    2017-07-01

    Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) binds most of the cortisol in circulation and is a non-functional member of the family of serine protease inhibitors (serpins) with an exposed elastase sensitive reactive centre loop (RCL). The RCL can be cleaved by human neutrophil elastase, released from activated neutrophils, and can also be cleaved at nearby site(s) by elastase released by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and at two further sites, also within the RCL, by bovine chymotrypsin. Cleavage of the RCL results in a conformational change accompanied by a marked decrease in affinity for cortisol and hence its release at the site of proteolysis. These cleavages are irreversible and the similar half-lives of cleaved and intact CBG could mean that there may be some advantage in slowing the rate of CBG cleavage in acute inflammation thereby increasing the proportion of intact CBG in circulation. Here we show, for the first time, that pre-incubation of tethered human CBG with two monoclonal antibodies to the RCL of CBG protects against cleavage by all three enzymes. Furthermore, in plasma, pre-incubation with both RCL monoclonal antibodies delays neutrophil elastase cleavage of the RCL and one of these RCL monoclonal antibodies also delays bovine chymotrypsin cleavage of the RCL. These findings may provide a basis and rationale for the concept of the use of RCL antibodies as therapeutic agents to effectively increase the proportion of intact CBG in circulation which may be of benefit in acute inflammation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Photoenhanced Oxidative DNA Cleavage with Non-Heme Iron(II) Complexes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Qian; Browne, Wesley R.; Roelfes, Gerard

    2010-01-01

    The DNA cleavage activity of iron(II) complexes of a series of monotopic pentadentate N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine (N4Py)-derived ligands (1-5) was investigated under laser irradiation at 473, 400.8, and 355 nm in the absence of a reducing agent and compared to that under

  19. Metastatic Mantle Cell Lymphoma to the Pituitary Gland: Case Report and Literature Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arthur Wang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available We present an unusual case of a metastatic mantle cell lymphoma (MCL to the pituitary gland. The patient had a known history of MCL for which she previously received chemotherapy. She presented with new-onset diplopia and confusion, and reported a history of progressive vision blurriness associated with headache, nausea, and vomiting. MRI of the brain showed an enhancing lesion within the sella turcica involving the cavernous sinuses bilaterally, extending into Meckel's cave on the left, and abutting the optic nerves bilaterally. Following surgical excision, histopathology revealed the tumor to be a MCL. Metastatic pituitary tumors are rare and have been estimated to make up 1% of tumors discovered in the sellar region. The two most common secondary metastatic lesions to the sella are breast and lung carcinoma followed by prostate, renal cell, and gastrointestinal carcinoma. Metastatic lymphoma to the pituitary gland is especially rare and is estimated to constitute 0.5% of all metastatic tumors to the sella turcica. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of MCL metastasizing to the pituitary gland.

  20. Nivolumab-induced vitiligo in a metastatic melanoma patient: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edmondson, Lindsay A; Smith, Leticia V; Mallik, Alka

    2017-12-01

    The programmed-death-1 inhibitors selectively block programmed-death-1 interaction with its receptor, which restores active T-cell response directed at tumor cells, inducing an anti-tumor effect. This nonspecific activation of the immune system can also lead to a wide spectrum of side effects. Nivolumab has been used effectively to prolong survival in patients with metastatic melanoma and is recommended as a category 1 agent for systemic therapy in metastatic or unresectable melanoma per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. We present a case of a 64-year-old woman who began nivolumab therapy for metastatic melanoma. After six doses of nivolumab therapy, the patient experienced generalized hypopigmentation on her face, chest, back, arms, and lower extremities. Although vitiligo has been reported in as many as 10.7% of patients undergoing nivolumab therapy in some clinical trials, we believe this is the first case to describe the progression of nivolumab-induced vitiligo in a metastatic melanoma patient. This case provides significant insight into the onset, symptoms, development, and treatment options for patients experiencing vitiligo as a result of nivolumab therapy.

  1. Determination of polyphenolic content, HPLC analyses and DNA cleavage activity of Malaysian Averrhoa carambola L. fruit extracts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zakia Khanam

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In developing countries, the increasing gap between population growth and food supply has created renewed interest in finding reliable and cheap natural resources of nutraceutical value and health promoting properties. Therefore, the present study deals with the phytochemical analyses and DNA cleavage activity of Averrhoa carambola L. fruit (starfruit extracts. The phytochemical studies involve colour tests and quantification of phenolics and flavonoids of the prepared ethanolic and aqueous extracts. Identification of phenolic acids and flavonoids present in the extracts were conducted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC equipped with diode array detector (DAD. DNA cleavage activity of the extracts was evaluated through gel electrophoresis against plasmid Escherichia coli DNA at different concentrations (0.125–0.60 μg/μl. The results of the study exhibited that the starfruit is a rich source of polyphenols and all the extracts exhibited a dose dependent DNA cleavage activity, whereas ethanolic extract induced more cleavage as compared to the aqueous extract. In conclusion, the present study provides preliminary evidence with regard to nutraceutical value of the fruit. So, further extensive study is a prerequisite to exploit DNA cleaving properties of the fruit extracts for therapeutic application.

  2. Supplementary data for the mechanism for cleavage of three typical glucosidic bonds induced by hydroxyl free radical

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yujie Dai

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “The mechanism for cleavage of three typical glucosidic bonds induced by hydroxyl free radical” (Dai et al., 2017 [1]. This article includes the structures of three kinds of disaccharides such as maltose, fructose and cellobiose, the diagrammatic sketch of the hydrogen abstraction reaction of the disaccharides by hydroxyl radical, the structure of the transition states for pyran ring opening of moiety A and cleavage of α(1→2 glycosidic bond starting from the hydrogen abstraction of C6–H in moiety A of sucrose, the transition state structure for cleavage of α(1→2 glycosidic bond starting from the hydrogen abstraction of C1′-H in moiety B of sucrose, the transition state structure, sketch for the reaction process and relative energy change of the reaction pathway for direct cleavage of α(1→4 glycosidic bond starting from hydrogen abstraction of C6′–H of moiety B of maltose.

  3. Single-stranded DNA cleavage by divergent CRISPR-Cas9 enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Enbo; Harrington, Lucas B.; O’Connell, Mitchell R.; Zhou, Kaihong; Doudna, Jennifer A.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) cleavage by Cas9 is a hallmark of type II CRISPR-Cas immune systems. Cas9–guide RNA complexes recognize 20-base-pair sequences in DNA and generate a site-specific double-strand break, a robust activity harnessed for genome editing. DNA recognition by all studied Cas9 enzymes requires a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) next to the target site. We show that Cas9 enzymes from evolutionarily divergent bacteria can recognize and cleave single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) by an RNA-guided, PAM-independent recognition mechanism. Comparative analysis shows that in contrast to the type II-A S. pyogenes Cas9 that is widely used for genome engineering, the smaller type II-C Cas9 proteins have limited dsDNA binding and unwinding activity and promiscuous guide-RNA specificity. These results indicate that inefficiency of type II-C Cas9 enzymes for genome editing results from a limited ability to cleave dsDNA, and suggest that ssDNA cleavage was an ancestral function of the Cas9 enzyme family. PMID:26545076

  4. Endoscopic-radiological findings in metastatic obstructive jaundice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoerder, U.; Heyder, N.; Riemann, J.F.

    1983-01-01

    Metastatic obstructive jaundice usually results from an occlusion of the common hepatic or bile duct. More rarely, the underlying cause is a disseminated intrahepatic infiltration that has led to the occlusion of the bile canaliculi. The endoscopic-radiological examination techniques usually permit a reliable differentiation between neoplasms originating primarily in the biliary tract, and ductal occlusions caused by metastatic disease. In addition to this, both ERC and PTC permit the placement of an internal or external biliary drain during one and the same procedure. ERC represents a highly suitable method for the follow-up monitoring or documentation of the therapeutic effect of biliary drainage, radiotherapy and/or polychemotherapy. With the aid of regular follow-up examinations, recurrent diesase can be detected early on, and appropriately treated. (orig.)

  5. Two-dimensional NMR evidence for cleavage of lignin and xylan substituents in wheat straw through hydrothermal pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yelle, Daniel J.; Kaparaju, Laxmi-Narasimha Prasad; Hunt, Christopher G.

    2013-01-01

    correlation spectroscopy, via an heteronuclear single quantum coherence experiment, revealed substantial lignin β-aryl ether cleavage, deacetylation via cleavage of the natural acetates at the 2-O- and 3-O-positions of xylan, and uronic acid depletion via cleavage of the (1 → 2)-linked 4-O....... g., further deacylation revealed by the depletion in ferulate and p-coumarate structures). Supplementary chemical analyses showed that the hydrothermal pretreatment increased the cellulose and lignin concentration with partial removal of extractives and hemicelluloses. The subsequent enzymatic...

  6. Diffuse metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma into skeletal muscle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hundt, W.; Braunschweig, R.; Reiser, M.

    1999-01-01

    Skeletal muscle is one of the most unusual sites of metastasis from any malignancy. We report a patient with rapidly progressive contractures due to metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma of unknown origin into the skeletal muscle. This 61-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of rapidly evolving, painful restriction of mobility of his right arm and his legs. Computed tomography showed diffuse metastatic nodules in all muscles, particularly in the hip abductors. Muscle biopsy revealed extensive infiltration of the muscle with carcinoma cells. (orig.)

  7. Curable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Hochster, Howard S.

    2010-01-01

    Colon cancer, though already metastatic, may still be curable through multi-modality approaches, which require combined planning between medical and surgical oncologists. Retrospective surgical series have historically shown 5-year survival or “cures” for 30% to 50% of patients with solitary or a few resectable liver metastases. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in this setting has been poorly defined. A recent European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) study randomize...

  8. Feature genes in metastatic breast cancer identified by MetaDE and SVM classifier methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuo, Youlin; An, Ning; Zhang, Ming

    2018-03-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the feature genes in metastatic breast cancer samples. A total of 5 expression profiles of metastatic breast cancer samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which were then analyzed using the MetaQC and MetaDE packages in R language. The feature genes between metastasis and non‑metastasis samples were screened under the threshold of PSVM) classifier training and verification. The accuracy of the SVM classifier was then evaluated using another independent dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Finally, function and pathway enrichment analyses for genes in the SVM classifier were performed. A total of 541 feature genes were identified between metastatic and non‑metastatic samples. The top 10 genes with the highest betweenness centrality values in the PPI network of feature genes were Nuclear RNA Export Factor 1, cyclin‑dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), myelocytomatosis proto‑oncogene protein (MYC), Cullin 5, SHC Adaptor Protein 1, Clathrin heavy chain, Nucleolin, WD repeat domain 1, proteasome 26S subunit non‑ATPase 2 and telomeric repeat binding factor 2. The cyclin‑dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A), E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1), and MYC interacted with CDK2. The SVM classifier constructed by the top 30 feature genes was able to distinguish metastatic samples from non‑metastatic samples [correct rate, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value >0.89; sensitivity >0.84; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) >0.96]. The verification of the SVM classifier in an independent dataset (35 metastatic samples and 143 non‑metastatic samples) revealed an accuracy of 94.38% and AUROC of 0.958. Cell cycle associated functions and pathways were the most significant terms of the 30 feature genes. A SVM classifier was constructed to assess the possibility of breast cancer metastasis, which presented high accuracy in several

  9. Effect of induced hyperglycemia on metastatic spreading in Lewis lung carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shmakova, N.L.; Fomenkova, T.E.; Fadeeva, T.A.

    1991-01-01

    The effect of induced hyperglycemia on the intensity of metastatic dissemination of Lewis lung carcinoma was investigated in experiments on mice. Neither long-, nor short-term hyperglycemia, induced at different phases of dissemination, influenced the intensity of metastatic spreading, primary tumor growth, the time of appearance of metastases, and the average life duration of tumor-bearing animals

  10. Copper-catalyzed transformation of ketones to amides via C(CO)-C(alkyl) bond cleavage directed by picolinamide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Haojie; Zhou, Xiaoqiang; Zhan, Zhenzhen; Wei, Daidong; Shi, Chong; Liu, Xingxing; Huang, Guosheng

    2017-09-13

    Copper catalyzed chemoselective cleavage of the C(CO)-C(alkyl) bond leading to C-N bond formation with chelation assistance of N-containing directing groups is described. Inexpensive Cu(ii)-acetate serves as a convenient catalyst for this transformation. This method highlights the emerging strategy to transform unactivated alkyl ketones into amides in organic synthesis and provides a new strategy for C-C bond cleavage.

  11. Novel immunotherapy approaches for metastatic urothelial and renal cell carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiying Shao

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC and urothelial carcinoma (UC remains a major challenge. Past research has implicated the immune system in tumor surveillance of both malignancies, leading to the application of immunotherapy agents for both cancers. Among them, the most promising agents are the checkpoint blockade drugs, such as antibodies targeting the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4, programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1, and PD-1 ligand (PD-L1. In normal physiology, these immune checkpoints act as inhibitory signals to fine-tune the duration and strength of immune reactions, which is pivotal for maintaining self-tolerance. However, tumor cells also utilize immune checkpoint pathways to evade anti-tumor immune response, leading to disease progression and metastasis. Thus, there has been intense preclinical and clinical effort focused on the application of checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic RCC and UC. To date, nivolumab (anti-PD-1 and atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 have been approved for the treatment of metastatic RCC and UC, respectively. Despite these successes, challenges remain in how to further improve response rates to immunotherapy and how to select patients that will benefit from this approach. In this report, we review existing data and research on immunotherapy in metastatic RCC and UC.

  12. Metastatic Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer Presenting Clinically with Esophageal Dysphagia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilit Karapetyan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Intra-abdominal metastases of invasive lobular breast cancer (ILBC may be insidious. We report a case of metastatic ILBC that presented with dysphagia within weeks of a negative mammogram and before the development of intra-abdominal symptoms. Case. A 70-year-old female developed esophageal dysphagia. She underwent EGD which showed a short segment of stricture of the distal esophagus without significant mucosal changes. Biopsy was unremarkable and patient underwent lower esophageal sphincter (LES dilation. Severe progressive dysphagia led to esophageal impaction and three LES dilatations. CT scan showed bilateral pleural effusions, more prominent on right side, and ascites. The pleural effusions were transudative. Repeat EGD with biopsy showed lymphocytic esophagitis, and she was started on swallowed fluticasone. Abdominal ultrasound with Doppler showed that the main portal vein had atypical turbulent flow that was felt to possibly be due to retroperitoneal process. The patient underwent diagnostic laparoscopy which revealed diffuse punctate lesions on the peritoneum. Pathology was consistent with metastatic ILBC. Conclusion. Dysphagia in the setting of peritoneal carcinomatosis from metastatic ILBC is a rare finding. The case highlights the importance of metastatic ILBC as a differential diagnosis for female patients with progressive dysphagia and associated ascites or pleural effusions.

  13. MicroRNA expression analysis and Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification in metastatic and non-metastatic uveal melanoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Ann-Cathrine; Holst, Line; Kaczkowski, Bogumil

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the association of microRNA expression and chromosomal changes with metastasis and survival in uveal melanoma (UM). Methods: Thirty-six patients with UM were selected based on the metastatic status, and clinicopathological data were collected. Multiplex ligation-dependent pr...

  14. Metastatic papillary craniopharyngioma: case study and study of tumor angiogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmaci, Lhan; Kurtkaya-Yapicier, Ozlem; Ekinci, Gazanfer; Sav, Aydin; Pamir, M. Necmettin; Vidal, Sergio; Kovacs, Kalman; Scheithauer, Bernd W.

    2002-01-01

    We report a case of suprasellar papillary craniopharyngioma metastatic to the temporoparietal region 2 years after its initial resection. The literature documents examples of craniopharyngioma recurrences along the surgical tract, as well as remote ipsi- and contralateral metastases via cerebrospinal fluid seeding. Ours is the second report of a craniopharyngioma of papillary type to exhibit metastatic behavior. The tumor spread opposite the side of craniotomy. Although a rare occurrence, it confirms the limited capacity of histologically benign craniopharyngiomas to undergo meningeal seeding, likely the result of surgical manipulation. Immunohistochemical demonstration of increased microvascular density and vascular endothelial growth factor expression, as well as a high vascular endothelial growth receptor (VEGFR2) signal by in situ hybridization, suggests that tumor vascularity facilitated angiogenesis and may have been involved in the establishment and growth of the metastatic deposit. PMID:11916504

  15. ChloroP, a neural network-based method for predicting chloroplast transitpeptides and their cleavage sites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Emanuelsson, O.; Nielsen, Henrik; von Heijne, Gunnar

    1999-01-01

    the cleavage sites given in SWISS-PROT. An analysis of 715 Arabidopsis thaliana sequences from SWISS-PROT suggests that the ChloroP method should be useful for the identification of putative transit peptides in genome-wide sequence data. The ChloroP predictor is available as a web-server at http......We present a neural network based method (ChloroP) for identifying chloroplast transit peptides and their cleavage sites. Using cross-validation, 88% of the sequences in our homology reduced training set were correctly classified as transit peptides or nontransit peptides. This performance level...

  16. Metastatic Squamous Neck Cancer with Occult Primary Treatment (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy or a combination of both. Get detailed information about newly diagnosed or recurrent metastatic squamous neck cancer in this summary for clinicians.

  17. MRI of metastatic adenocarcinomas to the brain. Differential diagnosis of colorectal and pulmonary cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukusumi, Akio; Nakagawa, Hiroyuki; Takayama, Katsutoshi

    1998-01-01

    To clarify the characteristic features of MR imagings of metastatic adenocarcinomas to the brain and search for differential points between the lesions from colorectal cancer and those of lung cancer, we evaluated retrospectively intraparenchymal metastatic lesions of 13 colorectal origins and 13 pulmonary origins on MR imagings, compared with resected specimens. Metastatic lesions from colorectal cancer showed marked hypointense solid components on T2WI, which correspond to the dense tumor cells and coagulated necrosis pathologically. Metastatic lesions from lung cancers showed mixed intensity and various components on T2WI, which correspond to various histological components, such as solid tumor cell's nests, hemorrhage, necrosis and cystic fluid collection. Pathological specimens suggested that the low signal intensity on T2WI of MRI derived from concentration of tumor cells and coagulated necrosis including macrophages and lymphocytes. This study may contribute to make the differential diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinomas to the brain from colorectal and pulmonary cancers. (author)

  18. Fast cleavage of phycocyanobilin from phycocyanin for use in food colouring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roda-Serrat, Maria Cinta; Christensen, Knud Villy; El-Houri, Rime Bahij; Fretté, Xavier; Christensen, Lars Porskjær

    2018-02-01

    Phycocyanins from cyanobacteria are possible sources for new natural blue colourants. Their chromophore, phycocyanobilin (PCB), was cleaved from the apoprotein by solvolysis in alcohols and alcoholic aqueous solutions. In all cases two PCB isomers were obtained, while different solvent adducts were formed upon the use of different reagents. The reaction is believed to take place via two competing pathways, a concerted E2 elimination and a S N 2 nucleophilic substitution. Three cleavage methods were compared in terms of yield and purity: conventional reflux, sealed vessel heated in an oil bath, and microwave assisted reaction. The sealed vessel method is a new approach for fast cleavage of PCB from phycocyanin and gave at 120°C the same yield within 30min compared to 16h by the conventional reflux method (P<0.05). In addition the sealed vessel method resulted in improved purity compared to the other methods. Microwave irradiation increased product degradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. TRAIL-induced cleavage and inactivation of SPAK sensitizes cells to apoptosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Polek, Tara C.; Talpaz, Moshe; Spivak-Kroizman, Taly R.

    2006-01-01

    Ste20-related proline-alanine-rich kinase (SPAK) has been linked to various cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, and ion transport regulation. Recently, we showed that SPAK mediates signaling by the TNF receptor, RELT. The presence of a caspase cleavage site in SPAK prompted us to study its involvement in apoptotic signaling induced by another TNF member, TRAIL. We show that TRAIL stimulated caspase 3-like proteases that cleaved SPAK at two distinct sites. Cleavage had little effect on the activity of SPAK but removed its substrate-binding domain. In addition, TRAIL reduced the activity of SPAK in HeLa cells in a caspase-independent manner. Thus, TRAIL inhibited SPAK by two mechanisms: activation of caspases, which removed its substrate-binding domain, and caspase-independent down-regulation of SPAK activity. Furthermore, reducing the amount of SPAK by siRNA increased the sensitivity of HeLa cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Thus, TRAIL down-regulation of SPAK is an important event that enhances its apoptotic effects

  20. Targeting Siah2 as Novel Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-01

    deprivation therapy (ADT) or androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibition (ARPI) but eventually develops into lethal castration resistance prostate cancer ...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0553 TITLE: Targeting Siah2 as Novel Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Martin Gleave...Siah2 as Novel Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-14-1-0553 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Martin Gleave 5d