XBP-1, a key regulator of unfolded protein response, activates transcription of IGF1 and Akt phosphorylation in zebrafish embryonic cell line

Live and let die: signaling AKTivation and UPRegulation dynamics in SARS-CoVs infection and cancer

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Of particular interest for this topic are the signaling cascades that regulate cell survival and death, two opposite cell programs whose control is hijacked by viral infections. The AKT and the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) pathways, which maintain cell homeostasis by regulating these two programs, have been shown to be deregulated during SARS-CoVs infection as well as in the development of cancer, one of the most important comorbidities in relation to COVID-19. Recent evidence revealed two way crosstalk mechanisms between the AKT and the UPR pathways, suggesting that they might constitute a unified homeostatic control system. Here, we review the role of the AKT and UPR pathways and their interaction in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as in tumor onset and progression. Feedback regulation between AKT and UPR pathways emerges as a master control mechanism of cell decision making in terms of survival or death and therefore represents a key potential target for developing treatments for both viral infection and cancer. In particular, drug repositioning, the investigation of existing drugs for new therapeutic purposes, could significantly reduce time and costs compared to de novo drug discovery.

Zebrafish as a potential non-traditional model organism in translational bipolar disorder research: Genetic and behavioral insights

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and debilitating illness that affects 1-2% of the population worldwide. BD is characterized by recurrent and extreme mood swings, including mania/hypomania and depression. Animal experimental models have been used to elucidate the mechanisms underlying BD and different strategies have been proposed to assess BD-like symptoms. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been considered a suitable vertebrate system for modeling BD-like responses, due to the genetic tractability, molecular/physiological conservation, and well-characterized behavioral responses. In this review, we discuss how zebrafish-based models can be successfully used to understand molecular, biochemical, and behavioral alterations paralleling those found in BD. We also outline some advantages and limitations of this aquatic species to examine BD-like phenotypes in translational neurobehavioral research. Overall, we reinforce the use of zebrafish as a promising tool to investigate the neural basis associated with BD-like behaviors, which may foster the discovery of novel pharmacological therapies.

Identification of glucose regulated protein94 (GRP94) in filarial parasite S. cervi and its expression under ER stress

GRP94, a member of HSP90 family, is involved in folding and degradation of endoplasmic reticulum proteins. The proteome analysis of Setaria cervi, a bovine filarial parasite showed that a 91 kDa protein was over expressed, after the parasites were maintained in glucose deprived medium. The MALDI- LC/MS analysis of the 91 kDa band confirmed it as endoplasmin precursor (GRP94). Amino acid sequence alignment of S.cervi GRP94 exhibited maximum similarity with human filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Loa loa GRP94. Tunicamycin treatment of S. cervi worms revealed that the expression of GRP94 is associated with ER stress. Transcription of S. cervi grp94 as well as igf is regulated by transcription factors ATF-6 and XBP-1S which was confirmed by Real Time PCR. Moreover, marked alteration in the expression of igf after 3 h and 6 h of drug treatment suggested propagation of survival pathway under ER stress. The activities of ER stress markers protein disulphide isomerase and glycosyltransferase were significantly reduced after 6 h of tunicamycin treatment. The present findings thus indicate that the expression of GRP94 and regulation of its expression is under ER stress in Setaria cervi. To our knowledge this is the first report of identification of GRP94, in any filarial parasite till date.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 enhances the protective effect of dexmedetomidine on acute lung injury by sponging miR-135a-5p to downregulate the ratio of X-box binding proteins XBP-1S/XBP-1U

Acute lung injury (ALI) is the common and clinically severe complication. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) can protect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI through anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory actions. It is well documented that major causes of LPS-induced ALI are endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and abnormally elevated CHOP. Moreover, XBP-1 can enhance CHOP expression. XBP-1S can aggravate ERS and XBP-1 U can repress ERS. By querying Starbase, miR-135a-5p interacts with XBP-1 and lncRNA MALAT1 sponges miR-135a-5p. It has been reported that MALAT1 interference markedly promoted the apoptosis of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells in ALI rats by activating TLR4/NF-κB pathway. miR-135a-5p inhibitor remarkably alleviated LPS-induced A549 cell injury through suppressing cell apoptosis. In the present work, LPS was dripped into the nasal cavity of SD rats to establish the rat model of ALI and LPS was also applied to stimulate BEAS-2B cells to imitate ALI in vitro. Then, the pathology, lung function indexes, levels of inflammatory factors, apoptosis of lung tissues in SD rats and apoptotic level of BEAS-2B cells were measured, so as to confirm whether upregulation of lncRNA MALAT1 was able to suppress ERS, thus enhancing the protective effect of DEX against ALI. Herein, overexpression of lncRNA MALAT1 strengthened the remission effects of DEX on LPS-triggered ALI, severe pulmonary edema, inflammatory response and cell apoptosis of lung tissues in SD rats and reinforced the anti-apoptosis effect of DEX on LPS-stimulated BEAS-2B cells. Mechanically, lncRNA MALAT1 enhanced the protective effect of DEX against ALI by downregulating the ratio of XBP-1S/XBP-1U to repress ERS.

Xbp1-u and Xbp1-s from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Transcriptional profiling upon Streptococcus agalactiae infection and the potential role in B cell activation and differentiation

X-box protein 1 (Xbp1), an essential transcription factor including an unstable form (Xbp1-u) and a stable form (Xbp1-s), plays an vital role in B cell activation and differentiation to plasma cells. In this study, we cloned and identified Xbp1-u gene from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), containing 783 bp of nucleotide sequence encoding 260 amino acids. The deduced protein possesses a basic region leucine zipper domain (bZIP) and 26 ribonucleotides of OnXbp1-u transcript. Transcription analysis revealed OnXbp1-u and OnXbp1-s were widely distributed in all examined tissues, with a high expression in immune-related tissues. When stimulated with Streptococcus agalactiae in vivo, the expressions of OnXbp1-u and OnXbp1-s were significantly up-regulated in liver, spleen, head kidney, blood, skin and intestine. After in vitro challenge upon S.agalactiae, the similar up-regulations of OnXbp1-u and OnXbp1-s were also demonstrated in head kidney leukocytes. Moreover, the OnXbp1-u and OnXbp1-s could get involved in LPS-inducible B cell activation and (r)OnIL6-inducible B cell differentiation. Taken together, the results indicated that OnXbp1-u and OnXbp1-s might not only involved in the immune response against S. agalactiae challenge, but also in the B cell activation and differentiation in Nile tilapia.

Stew in its Own Juice: Protein Homeostasis Machinery Inhibition Reduces Cell Viability in Multiple Myeloma Cell Lines

Introduction:

Multiple myeloma (MM) cells accumulate in the bone marrow and produce enormous quantities of immunoglobulins, causing endoplasmatic reticulum stress and activation of protein handling machinery, such as heat shock protein response, autophagy and unfolded protein response (UPR).

Methods:

We evaluated cell lines viability after treatment with bortezomib (B) in combination with HSP70 (VER-15508) and autophagy (SBI-0206965) or UPR (STF- 083010) inhibitors.

Results:

For RPMI-8226, after 72 hours of treatment with B+VER+STF or B+VER+SBI, we observed 15% of viable cells, but treatment with B alone was better (90% of cell death). For U266, treatment with B+VER+STF or with B+VER+SBI for 72 hours resulted in 20% of cell viability and both treatments were better than treatment with B alone (40% of cell death). After both triplet combinations, RPMI-8226 and U266 presented the overexpression of XBP-1 UPR protein, suggesting that it is acting as a compensatory mechanism, in an attempt of the cell to handle the otherwise lethal large amount of immunoglobulin overload.

Conclusion:

Our in vitro results provide additional evidence that combinations of protein homeostasis inhibitors might be explored as treatment options for MM.

The IRE1α-XBP1s pathway promotes insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes by increasing PPARγ activity

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) improves whole-body insulin sensitivity by regulating the adipogenic and metabolic functions of mature adipocytes. We have previously demonstrated that an active splice variant of X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1s) enhances PPARγ expression during adipogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of XBP1s, particularly with respect to PPARγ, in the mechanisms underlying insulin sensitivity in mature adipocytes. Insulin was able to stimulate XBP1s generation by activating inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) α and was also able to increase its transcriptional activity by inducing nuclear translocation. XBP1s also upregulated the levels of phosphorylated IRS1 and AKT, demonstrating a positive feedback regulatory mechanism linking insulin and XBP1s. XBP1s enhanced the expression of fibroblast growth factor 21 and, in turn, increased PPARγ activity, translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface, and glucose uptake rate in adipocytes. In addition, XBP1s abolished palmitate-induced insulin resistance in adipocytes by increasing adiponectin secretion, repressing the secretion of pro-inflammatory adipokines such as leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and tumor necrosis factor α, and decreasing fatty acid release. These findings provide a novel mechanism by which XBP1s stimulate insulin sensitivity in adipocytes through fibroblast growth factor 21 induction and PPARγ activation.

Exendin-4 protects INS-1 cells against palmitate-induced apoptosis through the IRE1α-Xbp1 signaling pathway

The anti-apoptotic effect of the incretin analog, exendin-4 (EX-4) on pancreatic β cells is mediated via the activation of protein kinase B (Akt) signaling, and its effect is partly produced through the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the effect of EX-4 on the suppression of ER stress and the upregulation of Akt signaling are poorly understood. Inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), a member of the ER-localized transmembrane protein family, activates its downstream transcription factor X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) to mediate a key part of the cellular unfolded protein response in order to cope with ER stress. Using the clonal rat pancreatic β cell line INS-1, the present study produced an in vitro model of ER stress using palmitate (PA) in order to determine whether the beneficial effect of EX-4 under ER stress was regulated by the IRE1α-Xbp1 signaling pathway. The results demonstrated that the reduction in ER stress and the activation Akt by EX-4 may be associated with the upregulation of IRE1α phosphorylation and the splicing of Xbp1 mRNA, which improved PA-reduced cell viability. This effect was partially abrogated by the knockdown of IRE1α with small interfering RNA. Additionally, cellular IRE1α was phosphorylated by the protein kinase A (PKA) associated with EX-4 and the activation of IRE1α, as IRE1α phosphorylation was attenuated by the inhibition of PKA with its inhibitor. In conclusion, the data identified the IRE1α-Xbp1 signaling pathway as an essential mediator that associates EX-4 with the intracellular mechanism that inhibits ER stress and activates Akt in order to regulate β cell survival. This may provide important evidence for the use of EX-4 in treatments for type 2 diabetes.

Comparative toxicity and contrast enhancing assessments of Gd2O3@BSA and MnO2@BSA nanoparticles for MR imaging of brain glioma

The albumin-templated Gd₂O₃ and MnO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) have been developed as a new type of magnetic resonance (MR) T₁ contrast agents. However, their potential toxicity and applicability for MR imaging of brain gliomas has not been fully explored so far. In this study, we prepared Gd₂O₃@BSA and MnO₂@BSA nanoparticles (NPs) and investigated their toxicity comprehensively and comparatively by H&E staining, blood biochemical analysis, and adverse outcome pathways testing. It is revealed that both Gd₂O₃@BSA and MnO₂@BSA NPs are biocompatible at a rational dose level. Although the relaxivity of MnO₂@BSA NPs is less than that of Gd₂O₃@BSA NPs, the MnO₂@BSA NPs lead to a greater contrast enhancement in the brain glioma due to the controlled release of Mn ions under the acidic tumor microenvironmental conditions. These comparative toxicity and contrast enhancement data are of fundamental importance for the clinical translation of Gd₂O₃@BSA and MnO₂@BSA NPs as MR contrast agents for brain glioma diagnosis.

Nrf2 activation attenuates genetic endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by a mutation in the phosphomannomutase 2 gene in zebrafish

Nrf2 plays critical roles in animals' defense against electrophiles and oxidative stress by orchestrating the induction of cytoprotective genes. We previously isolated the zebrafish mutant it768, which displays up-regulated expression of Nrf2 target genes in an uninduced state. In this paper, we determine that the gene responsible for it768 was the zebrafish homolog of phosphomannomutase 2 (Pmm2), which is a key enzyme in the initial steps of N-glycosylation, and its mutation in humans leads to PMM2-CDG (congenital disorders of glycosylation), the most frequent type of CDG. The pmm2^it768 larvae exhibited mild defects in N-glycosylation, indicating that the pmm2^it768 mutation is a hypomorph, as in human PMM2-CDG patients. A gene expression analysis showed that pmm2^it768 larvae display up-regulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, suggesting that the activation of Nrf2 was induced by the ER stress. Indeed, the treatment with the ER stress-inducing compounds up-regulated the gstp1 expression in an Nrf2-dependent manner. Furthermore, the up-regulation of gstp1 by the pmm2 inactivation was diminished by knocking down or out double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK), one of the main ER stress sensors, suggesting that Nrf2 was activated in response to the ER stress via the PERK pathway. ER stress-induced activation of Nrf2 was reported previously, but the results have been controversial. Our present study clearly demonstrated that ER stress can indeed activate Nrf2 and this regulation is evolutionarily conserved among vertebrates. Moreover, ER stress induced in pmm2^it768 mutants was ameliorated by the treatment of the Nrf2-activator sulforaphane, indicating that Nrf2 plays significant roles in the reduction of ER stress.

Genetic deficiency in neuronal peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation causes the interruption of dauer development in Caenorhabditis elegans

Although peroxisomal fatty acid (FA) β-oxidation is known to be critical for animal development, the cellular mechanisms that control the manner in which its neuronal deficiency causes developmental defects remain unclear. To elucidate the potential cellular consequences of neuronal FA metabolic disorder for dauer development, an alternative developmental process in Caenorhabditis elegans that occurs during stress, we investigated the sequential effects of its corresponding genetic deficiency. Here, we show that the daf-22 gene in peroxisomal FA β-oxidation plays a distinct role in ASK neurons, and its deficiency interrupts dauer development even in the presence of the exogenous ascaroside pheromones that induce such development. Un-metabolized FAs accumulated in ASK neurons of daf-22 mutants stimulate the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, which may enhance the XBP-1 activity that promotes the transcription of neuronal insulin-like peptides. These sequential cell-autonomous reactions in ASK neurons then activate insulin/IGF-1 signaling, which culminates in the suppression of DAF-16/FOXO activity. This suppression results in the interruption of dauer development, independently of pheromone presence. These findings suggest that neuronal peroxisomal FA β-oxidation is indispensable for animal development by regulating the ER stress response and neuroendocrine signaling.

Molecular characterization and expression pattern of X box-binding protein-1 (XBP1) in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.): Indications for a role of XBP1 in antibacterial and antiviral immunity

X box-binding protein-1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor that is essential for the unfolded protein response (UPR) and the differentiation of plasma cells, and some findings have also uncovered its function in innate immunity. XBP1 typically has two different transcripts, un-spliced (XBP1u) and spliced forms (XBP1s), but XBP1s is an active transcription factor in the regulation of target genes. To date, there is no evidence about the identification and function of XBP1 in common carp. Moreover, no data are currently available regarding the role of fish XBP1 in innate immunity. Thus, to determine whether XBP1 is involved in innate immune response in common carp, we cloned CcXBP1s and examined the expression of XBP1s and a XBP1s stimulated gene (IL-6) after Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) challenges. The results imply that CcXBP1s, as an active transcription factor, might play regulation roles in the antibacterial and antiviral innate immune responses of common carp. This allows us to gain new insights into the immunological function of XBP1 in fish innate immunity and the evolution of this important class of genes across vertebrates.

Identification of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) XBP1S as a primary member in ER stress

X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), a vital basic leucine zipper transcription factor for the related gene transcription in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, belongs to the CREB/ATF family. In mammals, XBP1S is the activated one of XBP1 isoform. In order to study the role of fish XBP1S, we cloned and identified the XBP1S (KU509247) from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) (named CiXBP1S) by homologous cloning and RACE technique. The full length of CiXBP1S is 1694 bp along with 124 bp of 5' UTR, 418 bp of 3' UTR and the longest open reading frame (1152 bp) encoding a polypeptide of 383 amino acids with a well conserved DNA binding domain (BRLZ domain). CiXBP1S shares significant homology to zebrafish XBP1S (∼90%) at amino acid level. RT-PCR showed that the expression of CiXBP1S was ubiquitous in all tested grass carp tissues and was significantly up-regulated under the stimulation with tunicamycin (Tm) in CIK (C. idellus kidney) cells. To study the molecular mechanism of transcriptional regulation for XBP1 signaling pathway in fish, we cloned grass carp XBP1 promoter sequence. Its promoter is 1036 bp in length and divided into two distinct regions in which an ER stress response element (ERSE) exists in the proximal region. Meanwhile, grass carp ATF6 (CiATF6N) and CiXBP1S were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 and purified by affinity chromatography with the Ni-NTA His-Bind resin. Gel mobility shift assay showed that CiATF6N and CiXBP1S had the high affinity with CiXBP1 promoter sequence in vitro. Co-transfection of pcDNA3.1-CiATF6 (or pcDNA3.1-CiXBP1S respectively) with pGL3-CiXBP1P2 (or pGL3-CiXBP1P1 respectively) into epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells showed that CiATF6 and CiXBP1S played a positive role in CiXBP1S transcription. CiXBP1S also had high affinity with CiGRP78 and CiGRP94 promoter sequences. In addition, recombinant plasmids of pGL3-CiGRP78P and pGL3-CiGRP94P were constructed and transiently co-transfected with pcDNA3.1-CiXBP1S (pcDN3.1-CiXBP1S-nBRLZ, respectively) into EPC cells. The result showed that CiXBP1S can activate CiGRP78 and CiGRP94 promoters.

Mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase activator of NF-κB regulates NF-κB signaling in cells subjected to ER stress

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factor family members control various biological processes, such as apoptosis and proliferation. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has emerged as a major site of cellular homeostasis regulation. The accumulation of misfolded protein in the ER causes stress and ER stress-induced NF-κB activation to protect cells from apoptosis. In this study, we found a putative ER stress-response element (ERSE) on the promoter of mitochondrial ubiquitin ligase activator of NF-κB (MULAN), and that MULAN expression was upregulated by ER stress. MULAN specifically activated NF-κB dependent gene expression in an E3 ligase activity-dependent manner. The ectopic expression of MULAN induced the nuclear translocation of endogenous p65 and the degradation of IκB. Binding assay revealed that MULAN was associated with transforming growth factor β-activated kinase (TAK1). The knockdown of MULAN using siRNA inhibited the activation of NF-κB in the cells subjected to ER stress. The findings of our study indicate that MULAN is an E3 ligase that regulates NF-κB activation to protect cells from ER stress-induced apoptosis.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated pathways to both apoptosis and autophagy: Significance for melanoma treatment

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Disrupted intracellular signaling pathways are responsible for melanoma's extraordinary resistance to current chemotherapeutic modalities. The pathophysiologic basis for resistance to both chemo- and radiation therapy is rooted in altered genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that, in turn, result in the impairing of cell death machinery and/or excessive activation of cell growth and survival-dependent pathways. Although most current melanoma therapies target mitochondrial dysregulation, there is increasing evidence that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated pathways play a role in the potentiation, initiation and maintenance of cell death machinery and autophagy. This review focuses on the reliability of ER-associated pathways as therapeutic targets for melanoma treatment.

Molecular Characterization of Endoplasmic Reticulum Oxidoreductin 1 from Bombyx mori

We isolated a complementary DNA (cDNA) clone encoding endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin 1 (bERO1, a specific oxidant of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI)) from Bombyx mori. This protein has a putative open reading frame (ORF) of 489 amino acids and a predicted size of 57.4 kDa. Although bERO1 protein shares less than 57% amino acid sequence homology with other reported ERO1s, it contains two conserved redox active motifs, a Cys-X-X-X-X-Cys motif of N-terminal and Cys-X-X-Cys-X-X-Cys motif of C-terminal. Both motifs are typically present in ERO1 protein family members. The bEro1 mRNA expression was highest in posterior silk gland on the sixth day of the 5th instar larvae. Expression of bEro1 mRNA also markedly increased during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induced by stimulation with antimycin, calcium ionophore A23187, dithiothreitol, H₂O₂, monencin, and tunicamycin. In addition, expression levels of bEro1 exactly coincided with that of bPdi. This is the first result suggesting that bERO1 plays an essential role in ER quality control through the combined activities of bERO1 and bPDI as a catalyst of protein folding in the ER and sustaining cellular redox homeostasis.

TRNA mutations that affect decoding fidelity deregulate development and the proteostasis network in zebrafish

Mutations in genes that encode tRNAs, aminoacyl-tRNA syntheases, tRNA modifying enzymes and other tRNA interacting partners are associated with neuropathies, cancer, type-II diabetes and hearing loss, but how these mutations cause disease is unclear. We have hypothesized that levels of tRNA decoding error (mistranslation) that do not fully impair embryonic development can accelerate cell degeneration through proteome instability and saturation of the proteostasis network. To test this hypothesis we have induced mistranslation in zebrafish embryos using mutant tRNAs that misincorporate Serine (Ser) at various non-cognate codon sites. Embryo viability was affected and malformations were observed, but a significant proportion of embryos survived by activating the unfolded protein response (UPR), the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (UPP) and downregulating protein biosynthesis. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial and nuclear DNA damage and disruption of the mitochondrial network, were also observed, suggesting that mistranslation had a strong negative impact on protein synthesis rate, ER and mitochondrial homeostasis. We postulate that mistranslation promotes gradual cellular degeneration and disease through protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction and genome instability.

Alzheimer's disease-related peptide PS2V plays ancient, conserved roles in suppression of the unfolded protein response under hypoxia and stimulation of γ-secretase activity

The PRESENILIN1 and PRESENILIN2 genes encode structurally related proteases essential for γ-secretase activity. Of nearly 200 PRESENILIN mutations causing early onset, familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) only the K115Efx10 mutation of PSEN2 causes truncation of the open reading frame. If translated, the truncated product would resemble a naturally occurring isoform of PSEN2 named PS2V that is induced by hypoxia and found at elevated levels in late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. The function of PS2V is largely unexplored. We show that zebrafish possess a PS2V-like isoform, PS1IV, produced from the fish's PSEN1 rather than PSEN2 orthologous gene. The molecular mechanism controlling formation of PS2V/PS1IV was probably present in the ancient common ancestor of the PSEN1 and PSEN2 genes. Human PS2V and zebrafish PS1IV have highly divergent structures but conserved abilities to stimulate γ-secretase activity and to suppress the unfolded protein response (UPR) under hypoxia. The putative protein truncation caused by K115Efx10 resembles PS2V in its ability to increase γ-secretase activity and suppress the UPR. This supports increased Aβ levels as a common link between K115Efx10 early onset AD and sporadic, late onset AD. The ability of mutant variants of PS2V to stimulate γ-secretase activity partially correlates with their ability to suppress the UPR. The cytosolic, transmembrane and luminal domains of PS2V are all critical to its γ-secretase and UPR-suppression activities. Our data support a model in which chronic hypoxia in aged brains promotes excessive Notch signalling and accumulation of Aβ that contribute to AD pathogenesis.

Perspectives on antigen presenting cells in zebrafish

Antigen presentation is a critical step in the activation of naïve T lymphocytes. In mammals, dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and B lymphocytes can all function as antigen presenting cells (APCs). Although APCs have been identified in zebrafish, it is unclear if they fulfill similar roles in the initiation of adaptive immunity. Here we review the characterization of zebrafish macrophages, DCs, and B cells and evidence of their function as true APCs. Finally, we discuss the conservation of APC activity in vertebrates and the use of zebrafish to provide a new perspective on the evolution of these functions.

Chronic inhibition of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase 5 suppresses endoplasmic reticulum stress in heart failure

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Inhibition of the cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) exerts profound beneficial effects on failing hearts. However, the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of PDE5 inhibition on heart failure are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether PDE5 inhibition decreases endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a key event in heart failure.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Heart failure was induced by isoprenaline s.c. injection in Sprague-Dawley rats and transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in mice. PDE5 was inhibited with sildenafil. Heart function was detected by invasive pressure-volume analysis and echocardiography. ER stress markers were analysed by Western blotting. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometric analysis.

KEY RESULTS

PDE5 inhibition markedly attenuated isoprenaline-induced and TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction, and reduced ER stress and apoptosis. Further, PDE5 inhibition with sildenafil largely prevented ER stress and reduced apoptosis in isoprenaline- or thapsigargin-treated cardiomyocytes. PKG inhibition markedly prevented the protective effects of sildenafil in vivo and in vitro. To further understand the mechanism of the effect of PDE5 inhibition on ER stress, we demonstrated that PDE5 inhibitor increased sarco-(endo)-plasmic reticulum Ca(2+) -ATPase activity via phosphorylation of phospholamban at Ser(16) . This may contribute to the attenuation of ER stress induced by PDE5 inhibition.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

These results suggest that PDE5 inhibition can attenuate ER stress and improve cardiac function in vivo and in vitro. Suppression of ER stress by inhibiting PDE5 may contribute to the therapeutic effects on heart failure.

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ (PPARβ/δ) promotes oncogene-induced cellular senescence through repression of endoplasmic reticulum stress

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ER stress-associated unfolded protein response (UPR) can promote cancer cell survival, but it remains unclear whether they can influence oncogene-induced senescence. The present study examined the role of ER stress in senescence using oncogene-dependent models. Increased ER stress attenuated senescence in part by up-regulating phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) and decreasing phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK). A positive feed forward loop between p-AKT, ER stress, and UPR was discovered whereby a transient increase of ER stress caused reduced senescence and promotion of tumorigenesis. Decreased ER stress was further correlated with increased senescence in both mouse and human tumors. Interestingly, H-RAS-expressing Pparβ/δ null cells and tumors having increased cell proliferation exhibited enhanced ER stress, decreased cellular senescence, and/or enhanced tumorigenicity. Collectively, these results demonstrate a new role for ER stress and UPR that attenuates H-RAS-induced senescence and suggest that PPARβ/δ can repress this oncogene-induced ER stress to promote senescence in accordance with its role as a tumor modifier that suppresses carcinogenesis.

JunB protects β-cells from lipotoxicity via the XBP1-AKT pathway

Diets rich in saturated fats may contribute to the loss of pancreatic β-cells in type 2 diabetes. JunB, a member of the activating protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factor family, promotes β-cell survival and mediates part of the beneficial effects of GLP-1 agonists. In this study we interrogated the molecular mechanisms involved in JunB-mediated β-cell protection from lipotoxicity. The saturated fatty acid palmitate decreased JunB expression, and this loss may contribute to β-cell apoptosis, as overexpression of JunB protected cells from lipotoxicity. Array analysis of JunB-deficient β-cells identified a gene expression signature of a downregulated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response and inhibited AKT signaling. JunB stimulates XBP1 expression via the transcription factor c/EBPδ during ER stress, and forced expression of XBP1s rescued the viability of JunB-deficient cells, constituting an important antiapoptotic mechanism. JunB silencing inhibited AKT activation and activated the proapoptotic Bcl-2 protein BAD via its dephosphorylation. BAD knockdown reversed lipotoxic β-cell death potentiated by JunB siRNA. Interestingly, XBP1s links JunB and AKT signaling as XBP1 knockdown also reduced AKT phosphorylation. GLP-1 agonists induced cAMP-dependent AKT phosphorylation leading to β-cell protection against palmitate-induced apoptosis. JunB and XBP1 knockdown or IRE1 inhibition decreased AKT activation by cAMP, leading to β-cell apoptosis. In conclusion, JunB modulates the β-cell ER stress response and AKT signaling via the induction of XBP1s. The activation of the JunB gene network and the crosstalk between the ER stress and AKT pathway constitute a crucial defense mechanism by which GLP-1 agonists protect against lipotoxic β-cell death. These findings elucidate novel β-cell-protective signal transduction in type 2 diabetes.

ER stress triggers MCP-1 expression through SET7/9-induced histone methylation in the kidneys of db/db mice

Epigenetics plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN), although the precise regulatory mechanism is still unclear. Here, we examined the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase SET7/9-induced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in the kidneys of db/db mice. Our results indicate that the expression of MCP-1 significantly increased in the kidneys of db/db mice in a time-dependent manner. An increased chromatin mark associated with an active gene (H3K4me1) at MCP-1 promoters accompanied this change in expression. The expression of SET7/9 and the recruitment to these promoters were also elevated. SET7/9 gene silencing with small interfering (si) RNAs significantly attenuated the expression of H3K4me1 and MCP-1. Furthermore, expression of signaling regulator glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), a monitor of ER stress, significantly increased in the kidneys of db/db mice. The expression of spliced X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1s), an ER stress-inducible transcription factor, and recruitment to the SET7/9 promoters were also increased. XBP1s gene silencing with siRNAs significantly attenuated the expression of SET7/9, H3K4me1, and MCP-1. The chaperone betaine not only effectively downregulated the GRP78 and XBP1s expression levels but also markedly decreased the SET7/9, H3K4me1, and MCP-1 levels. Luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that XBP1s participated in ER stress-induced SET7/9 transcription, Taken together, these results reveal that ER stress can trigger the expression of MCP-1, in part through the XBP1s-mediated induction of SET7/9.

Role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by abnormal proliferation of synoviocytes, leukocyte infiltration, and angiogenesis. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the site of biosynthesis for all secreted and membrane proteins. The accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER leads to a condition known as ER stress. Failure of the ER's adaptive capacity results in abnormal activation of the unfolded protein response. Recently, we have demonstrated that ER stress-associated gene signatures are highly expressed in RA synovium and synovial cells. Mice with Grp78 haploinsufficiency exhibit the suppression of experimentally induced arthritis, suggesting that the ER chaperone GRP78 is crucial for RA pathogenesis. Moreover, increasing evidence has suggested that GRP78 participates in antibody generation, T cell proliferation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and is therefore one of the potential therapeutic targets for RA. In this review, we discuss the putative, pathophysiological roles of ER stress and GRP78 in RA pathogenesis.

Heat shock modulates neutrophil motility in zebrafish

Heat shock is a routine method used for inducible gene expression in animal models including zebrafish. Environmental temperature plays an important role in the immune system and infection progression of ectotherms. In this study, we analyzed the impact of short-term heat shock on neutrophil function using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an animal model. Short-term heat shock decreased neutrophil recruitment to localized Streptococcus iniae infection and tail fin wounding. Heat shock also increased random neutrophil motility transiently and increased the number of circulating neutrophils. With the use of the translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) method for RNA isolation from specific cell types such as neutrophils, macrophages and epithelial cells, we found that heat shock induced the immediate expression of heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) and a prolonged expression of heat shock protein 27 (hsp27). Heat shock also induced cell stress as detected by the splicing of X-box binding protein 1 (xbp1) mRNA, a marker for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Exogenous expression of Hsp70, Hsp27 and spliced Xbp1 in neutrophils or epithelial cells did not reproduce the heat shock induced effects on neutrophil recruitment. The effect of heat shock on neutrophils is likely due to a combination of complex changes, including, but not limited to changes in gene expression. Our results indicate that routine heat shock can alter neutrophil function in zebrafish. The findings suggest that caution should be taken when employing a heat shock-dependent inducible system to study the innate immune response.

Exposure to tributyltin induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and the unfolded protein response in zebrafish

Tributyltin (TBT) is a major marine contaminant and causes endocrine disruption, hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of TBT have not been fully elucidated. We examined whether exposure to TBT induces the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response in zebrafish, a model organism. Zebrafish-derived BRF41 fibroblast cells were exposed to 0.5 or 1 μM TBT for 0.5-16 h and subsequently lysed and immunoblotted to detect ER stress-related proteins. Zebrafish embryos, grown until 32 h post fertilization (hpf), were exposed to 1 μM TBT for 16 h and used in whole mount in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to visualize the expression of ER chaperones and an ER stress-related apoptosis factor. Exposure of the BRF41 cells to TBT caused phosphorylation of the zebrafish homolog of protein kinase RNA-activated-like ER kinase (PERK), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α), and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), characteristic splicing of X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) mRNA, and enhanced expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) protein. In TBT-exposed zebrafish embryos, ectopic expression of the gene encoding zebrafish homolog of the 78 kDa glucose-regulating protein (GRP78) and gene encoding CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) was detected in the precursors of the neuromast, which is a sensory organ for detecting water flow and vibration. Our in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that exposure of zebrafish to TBT induces the ER stress response via activation of both the PERK-eIF2α and IRE1-XBP1 pathways of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in an organ-specific manner.

Growth response and expression of muscle growth-related candidate genes in adult zebrafish fed plant and fishmeal protein-based diets

The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of a plant protein- vs. fishmeal-based diet on growth response in a population of 24 families, as well as expression of growth-related genes in the muscle of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). Each family was split to create two fish populations with similar genetic backgrounds, and the fish were fed either fishmeal (FM diet) or plant protein (PP diet) as the unique protein source in their diets from 35 to 98 days postfertilization (dpf). To understand the effect of the PP diet on gene expression, individuals from three families, representative of the mean weight in both populations, were selected. To understand the effect of familiar variation on gene expression, the same families were evaluated separately. At 98 dpf, growth-related genes Igf1a, Igf2a, mTOR, Pld1a, Mrf4, Myod, Myogenin, and Myostatin1b were evaluated. In males, Myogenin, Mrf4, and Igf2a showed changes attributable to the PP diet. In females, the effect of the PP diet did not modulate the expression in any of the eight genes studied. The effect of familiar variation on gene expression was observed among families. This study shows that PP diet and family variation have effects on gene expression in fish muscle.

Modulation of the Akt pathway reveals a novel link with PERK/eIF2α, which is relevant during hypoxia

The unfolded protein response (UPR) and the Akt signaling pathway share several regulatory functions and have the capacity to determine cell outcome under specific conditions. However, both pathways have largely been studied independently. Here, we asked whether the Akt pathway regulates the UPR. To this end, we used a series of chemical compounds that modulate PI3K/Akt pathway and monitored the activity of the three UPR branches: PERK, IRE1 and ATF6. The antiproliferative and antiviral drug Akt-IV strongly and persistently activated all three branches of the UPR. We present evidence that activation of PERK/eIF2α requires Akt and that PERK is a direct Akt target. Chemical activation of this novel Akt/PERK pathway by Akt-IV leads to cell death, which was largely dependent on the presence of PERK and IRE1. Finally, we show that hypoxia-induced activation of eIF2α requires Akt, providing a physiologically relevant condition for the interaction between Akt and the PERK branch of the UPR. These data suggest the UPR and the Akt pathway signal to one another as a means of controlling cell fate.

Genome evolution in the cold: Antarctic icefish muscle transcriptome reveals selective duplications increasing mitochondrial function

Antarctic notothenioids radiated over millions of years in subzero waters, evolving peculiar features, such as antifreeze glycoproteins and absence of heat shock response. Icefish, family Channichthyidae, also lack oxygen-binding proteins and display extreme modifications, including high mitochondrial densities in aerobic tissues. A genomic expansion accompanying the evolution of these fish was reported, but paucity of genomic information limits the understanding of notothenioid cold adaptation. We reconstructed and annotated the first skeletal muscle transcriptome of the icefish Chionodraco hamatus providing a new resource for icefish genomics (http://compgen.bio.unipd.it/chamatusbase/, last accessed December 12, 2012). We exploited deep sequencing of this energy-dependent tissue to test the hypothesis of selective duplication of genes involved in mitochondrial function. We developed a bioinformatic approach to univocally assign C. hamatus transcripts to orthology groups extracted from phylogenetic trees of five model species. Chionodraco hamatus duplicates were recorded for each orthology group allowing the identification of duplicated genes specific to the icefish lineage. Significantly more duplicates were found in the icefish when transcriptome data were compared with whole-genome data of model species. Indeed, duplicated genes were significantly enriched in proteins with mitochondrial localization, involved in mitochondrial function and biogenesis. In cold conditions and without oxygen-carrying proteins, energy production is challenging. The combination of high mitochondrial densities and the maintenance of duplicated genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and aerobic respiration might confer a selective advantage by improving oxygen diffusion and energy supply to aerobic tissues. Our results provide new insights into the genomic basis of icefish cold adaptation.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 and central neurodegenerative diseases

The previously undisputed neuroprotective role of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has been challenged by recent observations in IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) defective mutants. As new ligand-dependent and ligand-independent roles for IGF-1R are now emerging, new insights into the biologic role of brain IGF-1R and its connection with serum and brain IGF-1 function are urgently required. In the meantime, treatment of specific neurodegenerative diseases with IGF-1 may still be explored using adequate preclinical procedures.

DangER: protein ovERload. Targeting protein degradation to treat myeloma

Myeloma is a malignancy of the antibody-producing plasma cells and, as such, these cells synthesize large quantities of unfolded or misfolded immunoglobulin. The build-up of excess protein triggers a number of downstream signal transduction cascades, including endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy. As a result, myeloma cells are uniquely reliant on these and other protein handling pathways for their survival. Strategies aimed at targeting this vulnerability have proved successful with the proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, already licensed for clinical use. In addition to the proteasome, various other points within the protein handling pathways are also the subject of drug discovery projects, with some already progressing into clinical trials. These include compounds directed against heat shock proteins, the unfolded protein response and pathways both upstream and downstream of the proteasome. More recently, the role of autophagy has been recognized in myeloma. In this review, we discuss the various pathways used by myeloma cells for survival, with particular emphasis on the emerging role and conundrum of autophagy, as well as highlighting pre-clinical research on novel inhibitors targeting protein handling pathways.

Defining terminally differentiating B cell populations in rainbow trout immune tissues using the transcription factor XbpI

The nature of antibody-secreting cells in the rainbow trout is poorly defined. Here we describe a flow cytometric approach to help differentiate between four major trout B cell subsets present during terminal B cell differentiation: resting B cells, activated B cells, plasmablasts, and plasma cells. To aid in the identification of B cell subsets, the LPS-inducible transcription factor XbpI-S was used as a marker. An antibody specific to the stable form of inducible transcription factor X-box protein I (XbpI) was generated, which detects XbpI-S protein expression for species within the Oncorhyncus genus, including rainbow trout. Combinatorial expression patterns, or B cell signatures, were established using antibodies to XbpI-S, Pax5, and IgM in combination with a proliferation marker. We show that XbpI-S induction in trout splenic B cells increases throughout a 10-day in vitro LPS-induction period and that increased XbpI-S expression correlates with increased HCmu expression in the cell. PBLs displayed a lower level of XbpI-S induction during this incubation period, compared to spleen. We conclude that trout B cells follow a highly conserved B cell activation pathway, albeit slower than what has been observed in mammalian species. The use of XbpI-S as an activation marker for trout humoral immune activation promises to be useful for future in vivo studies, and can be applied to a broad range of teleost species.

GRP94: An HSP90-like protein specialized for protein folding and quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum

Glucose-regulated protein 94 is the HSP90-like protein in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and therefore it chaperones secreted and membrane proteins. It has essential functions in development and physiology of multicellular organisms, at least in part because of this unique clientele. GRP94 shares many biochemical features with other HSP90 proteins, in particular its domain structure and ATPase activity, but also displays distinct activities, such as calcium binding, necessitated by the conditions in the endoplasmic reticulum. GRP94's mode of action varies from the general HSP90 theme in the conformational changes induced by nucleotide binding, and in its interactions with co-chaperones, which are very different from known cytosolic co-chaperones. GRP94 is more selective than many of the ER chaperones and the basis for this selectivity remains obscure. Recent development of molecular tools and functional assays has expanded the spectrum of clients that rely on GRP94 activity, but it is still not clear how the chaperone binds them, or what aspect of folding it impacts. These mechanistic questions and the regulation of GRP94 activity by other proteins and by post-translational modification differences pose new questions and present future research avenues. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90).

Dissecting teleost B cell differentiation using transcription factors

B cell developmental pathways in teleost fishes are poorly understood. In the absence of serological reagents, an alternative approach to dissecting teleost B cell development is to use transcription factors that are differentially expressed during B cell development. This review discusses the structure and function of six transcription factors that play essential roles during teleost B cell development: Ikaros, E2A, EBF, Pax5, Blimp1, and XbpI. Research on alternative splicing of both the Ikaros and Pax5 genes in rainbow trout is presented, including their functional significance. An application is discussed that should aid in elucidating teleost B cell development and activation, by using transcription factors as developmental markers in flow cytometric analysis. Possible future studies in teleost B cell development are suggested in the context of gene regulation. Lastly, broader impacts and practical applications are discussed.

Dose- and time-dependent expression patterns of zebrafish orthologs of selected E2F target genes in response to serum starvation/replenishment

Targets of E2F transcription factors effectively regulate the cell cycle from worms to humans. Furthermore, the dysregulation of E2F transcription modules plays a highly conserved role in cancers of human and zebrafish. Studying E2F target expression under a given cellular state, such as quiescence, might lead to a better understanding of the conserved patterns of expression in different taxa. In the present study, we used literature searches and phylogeny to identify several targets of E2F transcription factors that are known to be serum-responsive; namely, PCNA, MYBL2, MCM7, TYMS, and CTGF. The transcriptional serum response of zebrafish orthologs of these genes were quantified under different doses (i.e., 0, 0.1, 1, 3, and 10% FBS) and time points (i.e., 6, 24 and 48 hours, h) using quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in the zebrafish fibroblast cells (ZF4). Our results indicated that mRNA expression of zebrafish pcna, mybl2, mcm7 and tyms drastically decreased while that of ctgf increased with decreasing serum levels as observed in mammals. These genes responded to serum starvation at 24 and 48 h and to the mitogenic stimuli as early as 6 h except for ctgf whose expression was significantly altered at 24 h. The zebrafish Mcm7 protein levels also were modulated by serum starvation/replenishment. The present study provides a foundation for the comparative analysis of quantitative expression patterns for genes involved in regulation of cell cycle using a zebrafish serum response model.

Progranulin A-mediated MET signaling is essential for liver morphogenesis in zebrafish

The mechanism that regulates embryonic liver morphogenesis remains elusive. Progranulin (PGRN) is postulated to play a critical role in regulating pathological liver growth. Nevertheless, the exact regulatory mechanism of PGRN in relation to its functional role in embryonic liver development remains to be elucidated. In our study, the knockdown of progranulin A (GrnA), an orthologue of mammalian PGRN, using antisense morpholinos resulted in impaired liver morphogenesis in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The vital role of GrnA in hepatic outgrowth and not in liver bud formation was further confirmed using whole-mount in situ hybridization markers. In addition, a GrnA deficiency was also found to be associated with the deregulation of MET-related genes in the neonatal liver using a microarray analysis. In contrast, the decrease in liver size that was observed in grnA morphants was avoided when ectopic MET expression was produced by co-injecting met mRNA and grnA morpholinos. This phenomenon suggests that GrnA might play a role in liver growth regulation via MET signaling. Furthermore, our study has shown that GrnA positively modulates hepatic MET expression both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, our data have indicated that GrnA plays a vital role in embryonic liver morphogenesis in zebrafish. As a result, a novel link between PGRN and MET signaling is proposed.

GRP94 in ER quality control and stress responses

A system of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones has evolved to optimize the output of properly folded secretory and membrane proteins. An important player in this network is Glucose Regulated Protein 94 (GRP94). Over the last decade, new structural and functional data have begun to delineate the unique characteristics of GRP94 and have solidified its importance in ER quality control pathways. This review describes our current understanding of GRP94 and the four ways in which it contributes to the ER quality control: (1) chaperoning the folding of proteins; (2) interacting with other components of the ER protein folding machinery; (3) storing calcium; and (4) assisting in the targeting of malfolded proteins to ER-associated degradation (ERAD).

Evidence for unfolded protein response activation in monocytes from individuals with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

The hereditary disorder alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency results from mutations in the SERPINA1 gene and presents with emphysema in young adults and liver disease in childhood. The most common form of AAT deficiency occurs because of the Z mutation, causing the protein to fold aberrantly and accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This leads to ER stress and contributes significantly to the liver disease associated with the condition. In addition to hepatocytes, AAT is also synthesized by monocytes, neutrophils, and epithelial cells. In this study we show for the first time that the unfolded protein response (UPR) is activated in quiescent monocytes from ZZ individuals. Activating transcription factor 4, X-box binding protein 1, and a subset of genes involved in the UPR are increased in monocytes from ZZ compared with MM individuals. This contributes to an inflammatory phenotype with ZZ monocytes exhibiting enhanced cytokine production and activation of the NF-kappaB pathway when compared with MM monocytes. In addition, we demonstrate intracellular accumulation of AAT within the ER of ZZ monocytes. These are the first data showing that Z AAT protein accumulation induces UPR activation in peripheral blood monocytes. These findings change the current paradigm regarding lung inflammation in AAT deficiency, which up until now was derived from the protease-anti-protease hypothesis, but which now must include the exaggerated inflammatory response generated by accumulated aberrantly folded AAT in circulating blood cells.

Metabolic approaches to treatment of melanoma

PURPOSE

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in blood of patients with melanoma have proven to be an accurate predictor of prognosis and response to some treatments. Exclusion of patients with high LDH levels from many trials of new treatments has created a need for treatments aimed at patients with high LDH levels. This article reviews the metabolic basis for the association of LDH with prognosis and the treatment initiatives that may be successful in this patient group.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Review of current literature on the topic.

RESULTS

A number of new treatment initiatives based on manipulation of metabolic pathways in melanoma cells are now available and await evaluation in well-designed clinical trials.

CONCLUSIONS

Different cancers may require different metabolic approaches for effective treatment. In view of the high rate of glycolysis in most melanoma cells, approaches based on inhibition of acid excretion from the cells seem particularly attractive.

Biphasic, bidirectional regulation of NF-kappaB by endoplasmic reticulum stress

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induces an adaptive program called the unfolded protein response (UPR), which affects activity of an array of kinases and transcription factors. Previous reports provided evidence for activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), the major transcription factor regulating inflammatory processes, by ER stress. However, recent investigation also suggested that preceding ER stress suppresses activation of NF-kappaB by subsequent exposure to inflammatory stimuli. Although ER stress induces activation of NF-kappaB in the early phase, consequent UPR may inhibit NF-kappaB-dependent cellular activation in the later phase. This article summarizes current knowledge on potential mechanisms underlying the biphasic, bidirectional regulation of NF-kappaB by ER stress.

Activation of the Akt-NF-kappaB pathway by subtilase cytotoxin through the ATF6 branch of the unfolded protein response

Shiga toxin has the potential to induce expression of inflammation-associated genes, although the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We examined the effects of subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB), an AB(5) toxin produced by some Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli, on the activation of NF-kappaB. SubAB is known to be a protease which selectively degrades GRP78/Bip. Treatment of NRK-52E cells with SubAB caused rapid cleavage of GRP78. Following the degradation of GRP78, transient activation of NF-kappaB was observed with a peak at 6-12 h; the activation subsided within 24 h despite the continuous absence of intact GRP78. The activation of NF-kappaB was preceded by transient phosphorylation of Akt. Treatment of the cells with a selective inhibitor of Akt1/2 or an inhibitor of PI3K attenuated SubAB-induced NF-kappaB activation, suggesting that activation of Akt is an event upstream of NF-kappaB. Degradation of GRP78 caused the unfolded protein response (UPR), and inducers of the UPR mimicked the stimulatory effects of SubAB on Akt and NF-kappaB. SubAB triggered the three major branches of the UPR including the IRE1-XBP1, PERK, and ATF6 pathways. Dominant-negative inhibition of IRE1alpha, XBP1, or PERK did not attenuate activation of NF-kappaB by SubAB. In contrast, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of ATF6 significantly suppressed SubAB-triggered Akt phosphorylation and NF-kappaB activation. These results suggested that loss of GRP78 by SubAB leads to transient phosphorylation of Akt and consequent activation of NF-kappaB through the ATF6 branch of the UPR.

Human melanoma cells under endoplasmic reticulum stress acquire resistance to microtubule-targeting drugs through XBP-1-mediated activation of Akt

Past studies have shown that melanoma cells have largely adapted to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In this study, we report that melanoma cells under ER stress are more resistant to apoptosis induced by the microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic drugs, docetaxel and vincristine, and this is, at least in part, due to activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway mediated by the X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP-1) axis of the unfolded protein response. Treatment with the ER stress-inducer tunicamycin (TM) or thapsigargin before the addition of docetaxel or vincristine reduced the levels of apoptosis induced by the drugs. This was associated with inhibition of mitochondrial release of apoptogenic proteins and activation of Bax and Bak. Induction of ER stress resulted in the rapid activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway that seemed to be important in antagonizing docetaxel and vincristine, in that inhibition of Akt blocked the effect of pretreatment with TM on apoptosis induced by the drugs. Neither docetaxel nor vincristine triggered ER stress in melanoma cells, but the basal activity of XBP-1 signaling seemed to play a role in the protection against the drugs because small interfering RNA knockdown of XBP-1 enhanced docetaxel- and vincristine-induced apoptosis. In addition, inhibition of XBP-1 decreased the constitutive levels of activation of Akt and blocked the activation of Akt induced by TM. Taken together, these results identify activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by XBP-1-mediated signaling of the unfolded protein response as a resistance mechanism against docetaxel and vincristine in melanoma cells under ER stress.

Essential role for the alpha 1 chain of type VIII collagen in zebrafish notochord formation

Several zebrafish mutants identified in large-scale forward genetic screens exhibit notochord distortion. We now report the cloning and further characterization of one such mutant, gulliver(m208) (gul(m208)). The notochord defect in gul(m208) mutants is exacerbated under conditions of copper depletion or lysyl oxidase cuproenzyme inhibition that are without a notochord effect on wild-type embryos. The gul(m208) phenotype results from a missense mutation in the gene encoding Col8a1, a lysyl oxidase substrate, and morpholino knockdown of col8a1 recapitulates the notochord distortion observed in gul(m208) mutants. Of interest, the amino acid mutated in gul(m208) Col8a1 is highly conserved, and the equivalent substitution in a closely related human protein, COL10A1, causes Schmid metaphyseal chondrodysplasia. Taken together, the data identify a new protein essential for notochord morphogenesis, extend our understanding of gene-nutrient interactions in early development, and suggest that human mutations in COL8A1 may cause structural birth defects.

The life of a cell: apoptosis regulation by the PI3K/PKB pathway

The activation of PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) family members is a universal event in response to virtually all cytokines, growth factors and hormones. As a result of formation of PtdIns with an added phosphate at the 3 position of the inositol ring, activation of the protein kinases PDK1 (phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1) and PKB (protein kinase B)/Akt occurs. The PI3K/PKB pathway impinges upon a remarkable array of intracellular events that influence either directly or indirectly whether or not a cell will undergo apoptosis. In this review, the many ways in which PI3K/PKB can control these processes are summarized. Not all of the events described will necessarily play a role in any one cell type, but a subset of these events is probably essential for the survival of every cell.

PTEN deficiency causes dyschondroplasia in mice by enhanced hypoxia-inducible factor 1α signaling and endoplasmic reticulum stress

Chondrocytes within the growth plates acclimatize themselves to a variety of stresses that might otherwise disturb cell fate. The tumor suppressor PTEN(phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10) has been implicated in the maintenance of cell homeostasis. However, the functions of PTEN in regulating chondrocytic adaptation to stresses remain largely unknown. In this study, we have created chondrocyte-specific Pten knockout mice (Ptenco/co;Col2a1-Cre) using the Cre-loxP system. Following AKT activation, Pten mutant mice exhibited dyschondroplasia resembling human enchondroma. Cartilaginous nodules originated from Pten mutant resting chondrocytes that suffered from impaired proliferation and differentiation, and this was coupled with enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We further found that ER stress in Pten mutant chondrocytes only occurred under hypoxic stress,characterized by an upregulation of unfolded protein response-related genes as well as an engorged and fragmented ER in which collagens were trapped. An upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) and downstream targets followed by ER stress induction was also observed in Ptenmutant growth plates and in cultured chondrocytes, suggesting that PI3K/AKT signaling modulates chondrocytic adaptation to hypoxic stress via regulation of the HIF1α pathway. These data demonstrate that PTEN function in chondrocytes is essential for their adaptation to stresses and for the inhibition of dyschondroplasia.

Inhibition of MEK blocks GRP78 up-regulation and enhances apoptosis induced by ER stress in gastric cancer cells

We studied potential interactions between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response and the MEK/ERK pathway. Induction of ER stress did not trigger significant apoptosis, but caused rapid activation of ERK1/2 in gastric cancer cells. Inhibition of MEK enhanced ER stress-induced apoptosis via a caspase-dependent, mitochondria-mediated mechanism. This was associated with blockage of ER stress-mediated up-regulation of GRP78. The latter appeared to be critical in antagonizing the apoptosis-inducing potential of ER stress. Thus, activation of MEK/ERK by ER stress is necessary for induction of GRP78 that protects against apoptosis in gastric cancer cells submitted to ER stress.

miR-122 targets an anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl-w, in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

miR-122, a hepato-specific microRNA (miRNA), is frequently down-regulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In an effort to identify novel miR-122 targets, we performed an in silico analysis and detected a putative binding site in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of Bcl-w, an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member. In the HCC-derived cell lines, Hep3B and HepG2, we confirmed that miR-122 modulates Bcl-w expression by directly targeting binding site within the 3'-UTR. The cellular mRNA and protein levels of Bcl-w were repressed by elevated levels of miR-122, which subsequently led to reduction of cell viability and activation of caspase-3. Thus, Bcl-w is a direct target of miR-122 that functions as an endogenous apoptosis regulator in these HCC-derived cell lines.