Detection of ras oncogenes by analysis of p21 proteins in human tumor cell lines

Global alterations in mRNA polysomal recruitment in a cell model of colorectal cancer progression to metastasis

Tumour onset and progression are due to the accumulation of genomic lesions, which alter gene expression and ultimately proteome activities. These lesions are thought to affect primarily the transcriptional control of gene expression. In the present study, we aimed at evaluating the genome-wide occurrence of alterations in the translational control exploiting an isogenic, phenotypically validated cellular model of colorectal cancer (CRC) transition from invasive carcinoma to metastasis. In this model, microarray profiling shows that changes in the level of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) association with polysomes occur more than 2-fold than changes in the level of total cellular mRNA. When common to both the total and polysomal compartments, these changes are also homodirectional, being amplified in magnitude at the polysomal level. Comparison between the transcriptional and the translational fluctuations revealed distinct signatures of statistically over-represented gene functions, involving the program of cell proliferation for both levels of analysis, while the apoptosis and the translation programs were affected mainly at translation. Looking for an upstream determinant of translational deregulation, we found an increase in the hyperphosphorylated form of the 4E-BP1 protein in the metastatic cell line, possibly resulting in an increased activation of cap-dependent translation due to increased activity of the eIF4E protein. Analysis of the distribution profiles for the 5' untranslated region (5'-UTR) length of the changed genes showed an association between longer 5'-UTRs and the probability for the relevant gene to be altered translationally, consistent with enhanced eIF4E function. This genome-wide analysis is in favour of a model of profound alteration of translational control in late CRC progression. It also suggests polysomal mRNA profiles as a new, informative dimension for the study of transcriptome imbalance in cancer.

Activation of RalA is critical for Ras-induced tumorigenesis of human cells

RalGEFs were recently shown to be critical for Ras-mediated transformed and tumorigenic growth of human cells. We now show that the oncogenic activity of these proteins is propagated by activation of one RalGEF substrate, RalA, but blunted by another closely related substrate, RalB, and that the oncogenic signaling requires binding of the RalBP1 and exocyst subunit effector proteins. Knockdown of RalA expression impeded, if not abolished, the ability of human cancer cells to form tumors. RalA was also commonly activated in a panel of cell lines from pancreatic cancers, a disease characterized by activation of Ras. Activation of RalA signaling thus appears to be a critical step in Ras-induced transformation and tumorigenesis of human cells.

Increased expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases type 1 (TIMP-1) in a more tumourigenic colon cancer cell line

Genetic changes occurring in the late stages of colonic tumour progression have received much less attention than those occurring in the early stages. As described in the accompanying paper, SW480 and SW620 cell lines provide a useful model for studying the advanced stages of progression for colon cancer. Comparison of the two cell lines by differential display reveals that SW620 cells express lower levels of the CC3 tumour suppressor gene and also lower levels of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) gene. Northern blot analysis for TIMP-3 confirms this finding and shows a similar difference in the expression of TIMP-2, which seems logical since TIMPs inhibit enzymes that play a role in tumour invasion. For this reason, it was surprising to find that TIMP-1 messenger RNA expression is markedly increased in SW620 cells. Consistent with this finding, western blot analysis shows a ten-fold increase in TIMP-1 protein secretion by SW620 cells. It is noteworthy that high TIMP-1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. This association between TIMP-1 expression and tumour progression may be related to additional growth factor-like effects described for TIMP-1 in some systems.