Human Papillomavirus 16 E6 Suppresses Transporter Associated with Antigen-Processing Complex in Human Tongue Keratinocyte Cells by Activating Lymphotoxin Pathway

Simple Summary

There is still limited knowledge of the critical pathogenic processes by which HPV16 induces oral carcinogenesis. Therefore, we aimed to illuminate the oncogenic role of HPV16 in the context of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Using human tongue keratinocyte cells, we demonstrated that HPV16 E6 promotes LTα₁β₂ and LTβR expression, thus promoting the lymphotoxin signaling pathway and leading to suppression of the transporter associated with the antigen-processing complex (TAPs; TAP1 and TAP2). Additionally, in vitro, we also demonstrated regulation of the antigenic peptide-loaded machinery in HPV-infected OSCC tissues through analysis of the transcriptomic profiles of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cohort from the TCGA database, which was validated using fresh biopsied specimens. Thus, our study enhances the proposed functional role of HPV16 E6-associated immune-evasive properties in oral epithelial cells, revealing a possible mechanism underlying the development of HPV-mediated OSCCs.

Abstract

Infection by high-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPVs), including HPV type 16 (HPV16), is a major risk factor for oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). However, the pathogenic mechanism by which hrHPVs promote oral carcinogenesis remains to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that the suppression of a transporter associated with the antigen-processing complex (TAPs; TAP1 and TAP2), which is a key molecule in the transportation of viral antigenic peptides into MHC class-I cells, is affected by the E6 protein of HPV16. Mechanistically, HPV-mediated immune evasion is principally mediated via the signal-transduction network of a lymphotoxin (LT) pathway, in particular LTα₁β₂ and LTβR. Our analysis of transcriptomic data from an HNSCC cohort from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) indicated that expression of TAP genes, particularly TAP2, was downregulated in HPV-infected cases. We further demonstrated that LTα₁β₂ and LTβR were upregulated, which was negatively correlated with TAP1 and TAP2 expression in HPV-positive clinical OSCC samples. Taken together, our findings imply that HPV16 E6 regulates the machinery of the antigenic peptide-loading system and helps to clarify the role of oncogenic viruses in the context of oral carcinoma.

Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes

Cancer is driven by genetic change, and the advent of massively parallel sequencing has enabled systematic documentation of this variation at the whole-genome scale1-3. Here we report the integrative analysis of 2,658 whole-cancer genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We describe the generation of the PCAWG resource, facilitated by international data sharing using compute clouds. On average, cancer genomes contained 4-5 driver mutations when combining coding and non-coding genomic elements; however, in around 5% of cases no drivers were identified, suggesting that cancer driver discovery is not yet complete. Chromothripsis, in which many clustered structural variants arise in a single catastrophic event, is frequently an early event in tumour evolution; in acral melanoma, for example, these events precede most somatic point mutations and affect several cancer-associated genes simultaneously. Cancers with abnormal telomere maintenance often originate from tissues with low replicative activity and show several mechanisms of preventing telomere attrition to critical levels. Common and rare germline variants affect patterns of somatic mutation, including point mutations, structural variants and somatic retrotransposition. A collection of papers from the PCAWG Consortium describes non-coding mutations that drive cancer beyond those in the TERT promoter4; identifies new signatures of mutational processes that cause base substitutions, small insertions and deletions and structural variation5,6; analyses timings and patterns of tumour evolution7; describes the diverse transcriptional consequences of somatic mutation on splicing, expression levels, fusion genes and promoter activity8,9; and evaluates a range of more-specialized features of cancer genomes8,10-18.

An Ex-Vivo Culture System of Ovarian Cancer Faithfully Recapitulating the Pathological Features of Primary Tumors

The success rate of establishing human cancer cell lines is not satisfactory and the established cell lines often do not preserve the molecular and histological features of the original tissues. In this study, we developed a novel culture method which can support proliferation of almost all primary epithelial ovarian cancer cells, as well as primary normal human oviductal epithelial cells. Cancer cells from fresh or frozen specimens were enriched by the anti-EpCAM antibody-conjugated magnetic beads, plated on Matrigel-coated plate and cultivated under the optimized culture conditions. Seventeen newly established ovarian cancer cell lines, which included all four major histotypes of ovarian cancer, were confirmed to express histotype-specific markers in vitro. Some of the cell lines from all the four histotypes, except mucinous type, generated tumors in immune-deficient mice and the xenograft tumor tissues recapitulated the corresponding original tissues faithfully. Furthermore, with poorly tumorigenic cell lines including mucinous type, we developed a novel xenograft model which could reconstruct the original tissue architecture through forced expression of a set of oncogenes followed by its silencing. With combination of the novel culture method and cell-derived xenograft system, virtually every epithelial ovarian cancer can be reconstituted in mice in a timely fashion.

Induction of non-apoptotic programmed cell death by oncogenic RAS in human epithelial cells and its suppression by MYC overexpression

Oncogenic mutations of RAS genes, found in about 30% of human cancers, are considered to play important roles in cancer development. However, oncogenic RAS can also induce senescence in mouse and human normal fibroblasts. In some cell lines, oncogenic RAS has been reported to induce non-apoptotic programed cell death (PCD). Here, we investigated effects of oncogenic RAS expression in several types of normal human epithelial cells. Oncogenic RAS but not wild-type RAS stimulated macropinocytosis with accumulation of large-phase lucent vacuoles in the cytoplasm, subsequently leading to cell death which was indistinguishable from a recently proposed new type of PCD, methuosis. A RAC1 inhibitor suppressed accumulation of macropinosomes and overexpression of MYC attenuated oncogenic RAS-induced such accumulation, cell cycle arrest and cell death. MYC suppression or rapamycin treatment in some cancer cell lines harbouring oncogenic mutations in RAS genes induced cell death with accumulation of macropinosomes. These results suggest that this type of non-apoptotic PCD is a tumour-suppressing mechanism acting against oncogenic RAS mutations in normal human epithelial cells, which can be overcome by MYC overexpression, raising the possibility that its induction might be a novel approach to treatment of RAS-mutated human cancers.

Roles of the PDZ-binding motif of HPV 16 E6 protein in oncogenic transformation of human cervical keratinocytes

The high-risk human papillomavirus E6 proteins have been shown to interact with and lead to degradation of PDZ-domain-containing proteins through its carboxy-terminal motif. This PDZ-binding motif plays important roles in transformation of cultured cells and carcinogenesis of E6-transgenic mice. However, its biological effects on the natural host cells have not been elucidated. We have examined its roles in an in vitro carcinogenesis model for cervical cancer, in which E6 and E7 together with activated HRAS (HRAS^G12V ) can induce tumorigenic transformation of normal human cervical keratinocytes. In this model, E6Δ151 mutant, which is defective in binding to PDZ domains, almost lost tumorigenic ability, whereas E6SAT mutant, which is defective in p53 degradation showed activity close to wild-type E6. Interestingly, we found decreased expression of PAR3 in E6-expressing cells independently of E6AP, which has not been previously recognized. Therefore, we knocked down several PDZ-domain containing proteins including PAR3 in human cervical keratinocytes expressing E7, HRAS^G12V and E6Δ151 to examine whether depletion of these proteins can restore the tumorigenic ability. Single knockdown of SCRIB, MAGI1 or PAR3 significantly but partially restored the tumorigenic ability. The combinatorial knockdown of SCRIB and MAGI1 cooperatively restored the tumorigenic ability, and additional depletion of PAR3 further enhanced the tumorigenic ability surpassing that induced by wild-type E6. These data highlight the importance of the carboxy-terminal motif of the E6 protein and downregulation of PAR3 in tumorigenic transformation of human cervical keratinocytes.

Cdt1-binding protein GRWD1 is a novel histone-binding protein that facilitates MCM loading through its influence on chromatin architecture

Efficient pre-replication complex (pre-RC) formation on chromatin templates is crucial for the maintenance of genome integrity. However, the regulation of chromatin dynamics during this process has remained elusive. We found that a conserved protein, GRWD1 (glutamate-rich WD40 repeat containing 1), binds to two representative replication origins specifically during G1 phase in a CDC6- and Cdt1-dependent manner, and that depletion of GRWD1 reduces loading of MCM but not CDC6 and Cdt1. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (Seq) revealed significant genome-wide co-localization of GRWD1 with CDC6. We found that GRWD1 has histone-binding activity. To investigate the effect of GRWD1 on chromatin architecture, we used formaldehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE)-seq or FAIRE-quantitative PCR analyses, and the results suggest that GRWD1 regulates chromatin openness at specific chromatin locations. Taken together, these findings suggest that GRWD1 may be a novel histone-binding protein that regulates chromatin dynamics and MCM loading at replication origins.

Activation of NF-κB by human papillomavirus 16 E1 limits E1-dependent viral replication through degradation of E1

NF-κB is a family of transcription factors that regulate gene expression involved in many processes, such as the inflammatory response and cancer progression. Little is known about associations of NF-κB with the human papillomavirus (HPV) life cycle. We have developed a tissue culture system to conditionally induce E1-dependent replication of the human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) genome in human cervical keratinocytes and found that expression of HPV16 E1, a viral helicase, results in reduction of IκBα and subsequent activation of NF-κB in a manner dependent on helicase activity. Exogenous expression of a degradation-resistant mutant of IκBα, which inhibits the activation of NF-κB, enhanced E1-dependent replication of the viral genome. Wortmannin, a broad inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks), and, to a lesser extent, VE-822, an ATR kinase inhibitor, but not KU55933, an ATM kinase inhibitor, suppressed the activation of NF-κB and augmented E1-dependent replication of the HPV16 genome. Interestingly, the enhancement of E1-dependent replication of the viral genome was associated with increased stability of E1 in the presence of wortmannin as well as the IκBα mutant. Collectively, we propose that expression of E1 induces NF-κB activation at least in part through the ATR-dependent DNA damage response and that NF-κB in turn limits E1-dependent replication of HPV16 through degradation of E1, so that E1 and NF-κB may constitute a negative feedback loop.

IMPORTANCE

A major risk factor in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers is persistent infection with high-risk HPVs. To eradicate viruses from infected tissue, it is important to understand molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of persistent infection. In this study, we obtained evidence that human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) E1, a viral DNA helicase essential for amplification of the viral genomes, induces NF-κB activation and that this limits E1-dependent genome replication of HPV16. These results suggest that NF-κB mediates a negative feedback loop to regulate HPV replication and that this feedback loop could be associated with control of the viral copy numbers. We could thus show for the first time that NF-κB activity is involved in the establishment and maintenance of persistent HPV infection.

A human cancer xenograft model utilizing normal pancreatic duct epithelial cells conditionally transformed with defined oncogenes

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are considered to arise through neoplastic transformation of human pancreatic duct epithelial cells (HPDECs). In order to evaluate the biological significance of genetic and epigenetic alterations in PDACs, we isolated primary HPDECs and established an in vitro carcinogenesis model. Firstly, lentivirus-mediated transduction of KRAS(G12V), MYC and human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) E6/E7 under the control of a tetracyclin-inducible promoter efficiently immortalized and transformed primary HPDECs, which gave rise to adenocarcinomas subcutaneously in an immune-deficient mouse xenograft model, depending on expression of the four genes. The tumors regressed promptly upon shutting-off the oncogenes, and the remaining tissues showed histological features corresponding to normal ductal structures with simple columnar epithelium. Reexpression of the oncogenes resulted in development of multiple PDACs through pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia-like structures. We also succeeded in efficient immortalization of primary HPDECs with transduction of mutant CDK4, cyclin D1 and TERT. The cells maintained a normal diploid status and formed duct-like structures in a three-dimensional culture. In combination with p53 silencing, KRAS(G12V) alone was sufficient to fully transform the immortalized HPDECs, and MYC markedly accelerated the development of tumors. Our PDAC model supports critical roles of KRAS mutations, inactivation of the p53 and p16-pRB pathways, active telomerase and MYC expression in pancreatic carcinogenesis and thus recapitulates many features of human PDAC development. The present system with reversible control of oncogene expression enabled de novo development of PDAC from quasinormal human tissues preformed subcutaneously in mice and might be applicable to carcinogenesis models in many organ sites.

ATM regulates Cdt1 stability during the unperturbed S phase to prevent re-replication

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) plays crucial roles in DNA damage responses, especially with regard to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, it appears that ATM can be activated not only by DSB, but also by some changes in chromatin architecture, suggesting potential ATM function in cell cycle control. Here, we found that ATM is involved in timely degradation of Cdt1, a critical replication licensing factor, during the unperturbed S phase. At least in certain cell types, degradation of p27^Kip1 was also impaired by ATM inhibition. The novel ATM function for Cdt1 regulation was dependent on its kinase activity and NBS1. Indeed, we found that ATM is moderately phosphorylated at Ser1981 during the S phase. ATM silencing induced partial reduction in levels of Skp2, a component of SCF^Skp2 ubiquitin ligase that controls Cdt1 degradation. Furthermore, Skp2 silencing resulted in Cdt1 stabilization like ATM inhibition. In addition, as reported previously, ATM silencing partially prevented Akt phosphorylation at Ser473, indicative of its activation, and Akt inhibition led to modest stabilization of Cdt1. Therefore, the ATM-Akt-SCF^Skp2 pathway may partly contribute to the novel ATM function. Finally, ATM inhibition rendered cells hypersensitive to induction of re-replication, indicating importance for maintenance of genome stability.

Heterocomplex Formation by Arp4 and β-Actin Involved in Integrity of the Brg1 Chromatin Remodeling Complex

Although nuclear actin and Arps (actin-related proteins) are often identified as components of multi-protein, chromatin-modifying enzyme complexes such as chromatin remodeling and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complexes, their molecular functions still remain largely elusive. We have investigated the role of BAF53/human Arp4 in Brg1 chromatin remodeling complexes. Depletion of Arp4 by RNA interference impaired their integrity and accelerated degradation of Brg1, indicating a crucial role in maintenance, at least in certain human cell lines. We further found that Arp4 can form a heterocomplex with β-actin. Based on structural similarities between conventional actin and Arp4 and the assumption that actin-Arp4 binding might mimic actin-actin binding, we introduced a series of mutations in Arp4 by which interactions with β-actin might be impaired. Some of them indeed caused reduced binding to β-actin. Interestingly, such mutant Arp4 proteins also showed reduced incorporation into Brg1 complexes and interactions with c-myc-associated complexes as well as Tip60 HAT complexes were also impaired. Based on these findings, we propose that β-actin-Arp4 complex formation may be a crucial feature in some chromatin-modifying enzyme complexes like the Brg1 complex.

Chromatin remodeler sucrose nonfermenting 2 homolog (SNF2H) is recruited onto DNA replication origins through interaction with Cdc10 protein-dependent transcript 1 (Cdt1) and promotes pre-replication complex formation

From late mitosis to the G(1) phase of the cell cycle, ORC, CDC6, and Cdt1 form the machinery necessary to load MCM2-7 complexes onto DNA. Here, we show that SNF2H, a member of the ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, is recruited onto DNA replication origins in human cells in a Cdt1-dependent manner and positively regulates MCM loading. SNF2H physically interacted with Cdt1. ChIP assays indicated that SNF2H associates with replication origins specifically during the G(1) phase. Binding of SNF2H at origins was decreased by Cdt1 silencing and, conversely, enhanced by Cdt1 overexpression. Furthermore, SNF2H silencing prevented MCM loading at origins and moderately inhibited S phase progression. Although neither SNF2H overexpression nor SNF2H silencing appeared to impact rereplication induced by Cdt1 overexpression, Cdt1-induced checkpoint activation was inhibited by SNF2H silencing. Collectively, these data suggest that SNF2H may promote MCM loading at DNA replication origins via interaction with Cdt1 in human cells. Because efficient loading of excess MCM complexes is thought to be required for cells to tolerate replication stress, Cdt1- and SNF2H-mediated promotion of MCM loading may be biologically relevant for the regulation of DNA replication.

An in vitro multistep carcinogenesis model for both HPV-positive and -negative human oral squamous cell carcinomas

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) are considered to arise from human oral keratinocytes. DNAs of human papillomaviruses (HPVs), predominantly types 16 and 18, etiological agents of cervical cancer, have been detected in approximately 25% of OSCCs. In accordance with the established role of E6 and E7 in inactivating p53 and pRB, respectively, mutations of p53 and inactivation of p16(INK4a) are frequently observed in HPV-negative OSCCs. In addition, other alterations such as overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are often observed in both HPV-positive and -negative OSCCs. However, causal-relationships between accumulation of these abnormalities and multi-step carcinogenesis are not fully understood. To elucidate underlying processes, we transduced either HPV16 E6/E7 or mutant CDK4 (CDK4(R24C)), cyclin D1 and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) into primary human tongue keratinocytes (HTK), and obtained immortal cell populations, HTK-16E6E7 and HTK-K4DT. Additional transduction of oncogenic HRAS or EGFR together with MYC into the HTK-16E6E7 and dominant-negative p53 expressing HTK-K4DT resulted in anchorage-independent growth and subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice. These results indicate that either HRAS mutation or activation of EGFR in cooperation with MYC overexpression play critical roles in transformation of HTKs on a background of inactivation of the pRB and p53 pathways and telomerase activation. This in vitro model system recapitulating the development of OSCCs should facilitate further studies of mechanisms of carcinogenesis in the oral cavity.

DeltaNp63alpha repression of the Notch1 gene supports the proliferative capacity of normal human keratinocytes and cervical cancer cells

The p53 family member p63 is a master regulator of epithelial development. One of its isoforms, DeltaNp63alpha, is predominantly expressed in the basal cells of stratified epithelia and plays a fundamental role in control of regenerative potential and epithelial integrity. In contrast to p53, p63 is rarely mutated in human cancers, but it is frequently overexpressed in squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). However, its functional relevance to tumorigenesis remains largely unclear. We previously identified the Notch1 gene as a novel transcriptional target of p53. Here, we show that DeltaNp63alpha functions as a transcriptional repressor of the Notch1 gene through the p53-responsive element. Knockdown of p63 caused upregulation of Notch1 expression and marked reduction in proliferation and clonogenicity of both normal human keratinocytes and cervical cancer cell lines overexpressing DeltaNp63alpha. Concomitant silencing of Notch1 significantly rescued this phenotype, indicating the growth defect induced by p63 deficiency to be, at least in part, attributable to Notch1 function. Conversely, overexpression of DeltaNp63alpha decreased basal levels of Notch1, increased proliferative potential of normal human keratinocytes, and inhibited both p53-dependent and p53-independent induction of Notch1 and differentiation markers upon genotoxic stress and serum exposure, respectively. These results suggest that DeltaNp63alpha maintains the self-renewing capacity of normal human keratinocytes and cervical cancer cells partly through transcriptional repression of the Notch1 gene and imply a novel pathogenetical significance of frequently observed overexpression of DeltaNp63alpha together with p53 inactivation in SCCs.

CDC6 interaction with ATR regulates activation of a replication checkpoint in higher eukaryotic cells

CDC6, a replication licensing protein, is partially exported to the cytoplasm in human cells through phosphorylation by Cdk during S phase, but a significant proportion remains in the nucleus. We report here that human CDC6 physically interacts with ATR, a crucial checkpoint kinase, in a manner that is stimulated by phosphorylation by Cdk. CDC6 silencing by siRNAs affected ATR-dependent inhibition of mitotic entry elicited by modest replication stress. Whereas a Cdk-phosphorylation-mimicking CDC6 mutant could rescue the checkpoint defect by CDC6 silencing, a phosphorylation-deficient mutant could not. Furthermore, we found that the CDC6-ATR interaction is conserved in Xenopus. We show that the presence of Xenopus CDC6 during S phase is essential for Xenopus ATR to bind to chromatin in response to replication inhibition. In addition, when human CDC6 amino acid fragment 180-220, which can bind to both human and Xenopus ATR, was added to Xenopus egg extracts after assembly of the pre-replication complex, Xenopus Chk1 phosphorylation was significantly reduced without lowering replication, probably through a sequestration of CDC6-mediated ATR-chromatin interaction. Thus, CDC6 might regulate replication-checkpoint activation through the interaction with ATR in higher eukaryotic cells.

Molecular mechanisms of cervical carcinogenesis by high-risk human papillomaviruses: novel functions of E6 and E7 oncoproteins

Over the last two decades, since the initial discovery of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and 18 DNAs in cervical cancers by Dr. Harald zur Hausen (winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2008), the HPVs have been well characterised as causative agents for cervical cancer. Viral DNA from a specific group of HPVs can be detected in at least 90% of all cervical cancers and two viral genes, E6 and E7, are invariably expressed in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells. Their gene products are known to inactivate the major tumour suppressors, p53 and retinoblastoma protein (pRB), respectively. In addition, one function of E6 is to activate telomerase, and E6 and E7 cooperate to effectively immortalise human primary epithelial cells. Though expression of E6 and E7 is itself not sufficient for cancer development, it seems to be either directly or indirectly involved in every stage of multi-step carcinogenesis. Epidemiological and biological studies suggest the potential efficacy of prophylactic vaccines to prevent genital HPV infection as an anti-cancer strategy. However, given the widespread nature of HPV infection and unresolved issues about the duration and type specificity of the currently available HPV vaccines, it is crucial that molecular details of the natural history of HPV infection as well as the biological activities of the viral oncoproteins be elucidated in order to provide the basis for development of new therapeutic strategies against HPV-associated malignancies. This review highlights novel functions of E6 and E7 as well as the molecular mechanisms of HPV-induced carcinogenesis.

Redundant and differential regulation of multiple licensing factors ensures prevention of re-replication in normal human cells

When human cells enter S-phase, overlapping differential inhibitory mechanisms downregulate the replication licensing factors ORC1, CDC6 and Cdt1. Such regulation prevents re-replication so that deregulation of any individual factor alone would not be expected to induce overt re-replication. However, this has been challenged by the fact that overexpression of Cdt1 or Cdt1+CDC6 causes re-replication in some cancer cell lines. We thought it important to analyze licensing regulations in human non-cancerous cells that are resistant to Cdt1-induced re-replication and examined whether simultaneous deregulation of these licensing factors induces re-replication in two such cell lines, including human fibroblasts immortalized by telomerase. Individual overexpression of either Cdt1, ORC1 or CDC6 induced no detectable re-replication. However, with Cdt1+ORC1 or Cdt1+CDC6, some re-replication was detectable and coexpression of Cdt1+ORC1+CDC6 synergistically acted to give strong re-replication with increased mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) loading. Coexpression of ORC1+CDC6 was without effect. These results suggest that, although Cdt1 regulation is the key step, differential regulation of multiple licensing factors ensures prevention of re-replication in normal human cells. Our findings also show for the first time the importance of ORC1 regulation for prevention of re-replication.

Oncogenic transformation of human ovarian surface epithelial cells with defined cellular oncogenes

Ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) is considered to give rise to epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs). To elucidate early processes contributing to the development of EOCs from the OSE, two batches of primary human OSE cells were transduced with non-viral human genes (mutant Cdk4, cyclinD1 and hTERT) so as to efficiently establish normal diploid OSE cells without chromosomal instability. Then defined genetic alterations frequently observed in EOCs were transduced into the OSE cells. A combination of p53 inactivation and oncogenic Kras transduction did not confer tumor-forming ability in immunodeficient mice, though additional transduction of Akt or combined transduction of c-myc with bcl-2 did result in tumor formation. In the latter case, tumors demonstrated phenotypes reminiscent of human EOCs, including cytokeratin expression, a highly aggressive phenotype, metastatic behavior and formation of ascites. These results indicate that inactivation of p53 and activation of the Ras pathway play critical roles in ovarian carcinogenesis in co-operation with the Akt or c-myc pathways. This first in vitro model system faithfully recapitulating the development of EOCs using normal human OSE cells should greatly facilitate further studies of EOCs.

Involvement of human ORC and TRF2 in pre-replication complex assembly at telomeres

The origin recognition complex (ORC) binds to replication origins to regulate the cell cycle-dependent assembly of pre-replication complexes (pre-RCs). We have found a novel link between pre-RC assembly regulation and telomere homeostasis in human cells. Biochemical analyses showed that human ORC binds to TRF2, a telomere sequence-binding protein that protects telomeres and functions in telomere length homeostasis, via the ORC1 subunit. Immunostaining further revealed that ORC and TRF2 partially co-localize in nuclei, whereas chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses confirmed that pre-RCs are assembled at telomeres in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Over-expression of TRF2 stimulated ORC and MCM binding to chromatin and RNAi-directed TRF2 silencing resulted in reduced ORC binding and pre-RC assembly at telomeres. As expected from previous reports, TRF2 silencing induced telomere elongation. Interestingly, ORC1 silencing by RNAi weakened the TRF2 binding as well as the pre-RC assembly at telomeres, suggesting that ORC and TRF2 interact with each other to achieve stable binding. Furthermore, ORC1 silencing also resulted in modest telomere elongation. These data suggest that ORC might be involved in telomere homeostasis in human cells.

Identification of novel human Cdt1-binding proteins by a proteomics approach: proteolytic regulation by APC/CCdh1

In mammalian cells, Cdt1 activity is strictly controlled by multiple independent mechanisms, implying that it is central to the regulation of DNA replication during the cell cycle. In fact, unscheduled Cdt1 hyperfunction results in rereplication and/or chromosomal damage. Thus, it is important to understand its function and regulations precisely. We sought to comprehensively identify human Cdt1-binding proteins by a combination of Cdt1 affinity chromatography and liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Through this approach, we could newly identify 11 proteins, including subunits of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), SNF2H and WSTF, topoisomerase I and IIalpha, GRWD1/WDR28, nucleophosmin/nucleoplasmin, and importins. In vivo interactions of Cdt1 with APC/C(Cdh1), SNF2H, topoisomerase I and IIalpha, and GRWD1/WDR28 were confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation assays. A further focus on APC/C(Cdh1) indicated that this ubiquitin ligase controls the levels of Cdt1 during the cell cycle via three destruction boxes in the Cdt1 N-terminus. Notably, elimination of these destruction boxes resulted in induction of strong rereplication and chromosomal damage. Thus, in addition to SCF(Skp2) and cullin4-based ubiquitin ligases, APC/C(Cdh1) is a third ubiquitin ligase that plays a crucial role in proteolytic regulation of Cdt1 in mammalian cells.

Regulation of Notch1 gene expression by p53 in epithelial cells

The E6 protein of cervical cancer-associated human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is known to suppress keratinocyte differentiation through unidentified mechanisms. Notch1 is a determinant of keratinocyte differentiation and functions as a tumor suppressor in mammalian epidermis. Here, we report that the Notch1 gene is a novel target of p53 and can be down-regulated by E6 through p53 degradation in normal human epithelial cells. Thus, inactivation of p53 by E6 or short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) resulted in reduced Notch1 expression at the transcription level, and a p53-responsive element could be identified in the Notch1 promoter. The expression of E6, p53 shRNA, or Notch1 shRNA suppressed both spontaneous keratinocyte differentiation in culture and its induction upon DNA damage. Furthermore, the induction of Notch1 and differentiation makers as well as thickening of the epidermal layer upon UV irradiation was observed in wild-type but not in p53-deficient mouse skin. Together, our findings not only demonstrate a novel link between p53 and Notch1 in keratinocyte differentiation upon genotoxic stress but also suggest a novel tumor suppressor mechanism of p53 in the development of squamous cell carcinomas, including HPV-induced tumors.

Efficient immortalization of primary human cells by p16INK4a-specific short hairpin RNA or Bmi-1, combined with introduction of hTERT

Activation of telomerase is sufficient for immortalization of some types of human cells but additional factors may also be essential. It has been proposed that stress imposed by inadequate culture conditions induces senescence due to accumulation of p16(INK4a). Here, we present evidence that many human cell types undergo senescence by activation of the p16(INK4a)/Rb pathway, and that introduction of Bmi-1 can inhibit p16(INK4a) expression and extend the life span of human epithelial cells derived from skin, mammary gland and lung. Introduction of p16(INK4a)-specific short hairpin RNA, as well as Bmi-1, suppressed p16(INK4a) expression in human mammary epithelial cells without promoter methylation, and extended their life span. Subsequent introduction of hTERT, the telomerase catalytic subunit, into cells with low p16(INK4a) levels resulted in efficient immortalization of three cell types without crisis or growth arrest. The majority of the human mammary epithelial cells thus immortalized showed almost normal ploidy as judged by G-banding and spectral karyotyping analysis. Our data suggest that inhibition of p16(INK4a) and introduction of hTERT can immortalize many human cell types with little chromosomal instability.

HPV16 E6-mediated stabilization of ErbB2 in neoplastic transformation of human cervical keratinocytes

Whether ErbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase contributes to cervical cancer is controversial. We have examined the effects of E6 and E7 genes of human papillomaviruses type 16 (HPV-16) on ErbB2 expression in primary human cervical keratinocytes (HCK) immortalized with hTERT (HCK1T). In E6-positive cells (HCK1T-E6 and HCK1T-E6E7), ErbB2 expression levels increased with the cell density. HCK1T-E6E7 showed impaired contact inhibition and anchorage-independent growth in soft agar which were abrogated with introduction of ErbB2-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or an ErbB2 specific inhibitor AG825. Furthermore, increased ErbB2 expression was also observed in HPV16 positive cervical cancer cell lines and this was diminished by introduction of HPV16E6- or E6AP-shRNA. At post-confluence cell densities, ErbB2 protein was stabilized in the presence of E6 whereas increased ErbB2 expression was not obvious with E6 mutants incapable of degrading p53. Furthermore, introduction of p53-shRNA to HCK1T resulted in increased ErbB2 protein stability, indicating possible ErbB2 regulation through p53. Finally, we showed that tumor formation of ErbB2-shRNA introduced SiHa cells were almost abolished. Taken together, these data indicate an important role of ErbB2 regulation by HPV16 E6 in oncogenic transformation of human cervical keratinocytes.

E6AP-dependent degradation of DLG4/PSD95 by high-risk human papillomavirus type 18 E6 protein

In most cervical cancers, DNAs of high-risk mucosotropic human papillomaviruses (HPVs), such as types 16 and 18, are maintained so as to express two viral proteins, E6 and E7, suggesting that they play important roles in carcinogenesis. The carboxy-terminal PDZ domain-binding motif of the E6 proteins is in fact essential for transformation of rodent cells and induction of hyperplasia in E6-transgenic mouse skin. To date, seven PDZ domain-containing proteins, including DLG1/hDLG, which is a human homologue of the Drosophila discs large tumor suppressor (Dlg), have been identified as targets of high-risk HPV E6 proteins. Here, we describe DLG4/PSD95, another human homologue of Dlg, as a novel E6 target. DLG4 was found to be expressed in normal human cells, including cervical keratinocytes, but only to a limited extent in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative cervical cancer cell lines. Expression of HPV18 E6 in HCK1T decreased DLG4 levels more strongly than did HPV16 E6, the carboxy-terminal motif of the proteins being critical for binding and degradation of DLG4 in vitro. DLG4 levels were restored by expression of either E6AP-specific short hairpin RNA or bovine papillomavirus type 1 E2 in HeLa but not CaSki or SiHa cells, reflecting downregulation of DLG4 mRNA as opposed to protein by an HPV-independent mechanism in HPV16-positive cancer lines. The tumorigenicity of CaSki cells was strongly inhibited by forced expression of DLG4, while growth in culture was not inhibited at all. These results suggest that DLG4 may function as a tumor suppressor in the development of HPV-associated cancers.

Deregulation of Cdt1 induces chromosomal damage without rereplication and leads to chromosomal instability

The activity of human Cdt1 is negatively regulated by multiple mechanisms. This suggests that Cdt1 deregulation may have a deleterious effect. Indeed, it has been suggested that overexpression of Cdt1 can induce rereplication in cancer cells and that rereplication activates Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase and/or ATM- and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase-dependent checkpoint pathways. In this report, we highlight a new and interesting aspect of Cdt1 deregulation: data from several different systems all strongly indicate that unregulated Cdt1 overexpression at pathophysiological levels can induce chromosomal damage other than rereplication in non-transformed cells. The most important finding in these studies is that deregulated Cdt1 induces chromosomal damage and activation of the ATM-Chk2 DNA damage checkpoint pathway even in quiescent cells. These Cdt1 activities are negatively regulated by cyclin A/Cdks, probably through modification by phosphorylation. Furthermore, we found that deregulated Cdt1 induces chromosomal instability in normal human cells. Since Cdt1 is overexpressed in cancer cells, this would be a new molecular mechanism leading to carcinogenesis.

Activation of the Jun N-terminal kinase pathway by friend spleen focus-forming virus and its role in the growth and survival of friend virus-induced erythroleukemia cells

Members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, including Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), play an important role in the proliferation of erythroid cells in response to erythropoietin (Epo). Erythroid cells infected with the Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) proliferate in the absence of Epo and show constitutive activation of Epo signal transduction pathways. We previously demonstrated that the ERK pathway was constitutively activated in Friend SFFV-infected erythroid cells, and in this study JNK is also shown to be constitutively activated. Pharmacological inhibitors of both the ERK and JNK pathways stopped the proliferation of primary erythroleukemic cells from Friend SFFV-infected mice, with little induction of apoptosis, and furthermore blocked their ability to form Epo-independent colonies. However, only the JNK inhibitor blocked the proliferation of erythroleukemia cell lines derived from these mice. The JNK inhibitor caused significant apoptosis in these cell lines as well as an increase in the fraction of cells in G(2)/M and undergoing endoreduplication. In contrast, the growth of erythroleukemia cell lines derived from Friend murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-infected mice was inhibited by both the MEK and JNK inhibitors. JNK is important for AP1 activity, and we found that JNK inhibitor treatment reduced AP1 DNA-binding activity in primary erythroleukemic splenocytes from Friend SFFV-infected mice and in erythroleukemia cell lines from Friend MuLV-infected mice but did not alter AP1 DNA binding in erythroleukemia cell lines from Friend SFFV-infected mice. These data suggest that JNK plays an important role in cell proliferation and/or the survival of erythroleukemia cells.

Ex vivo and in vivo biological effects of a truncated form of the receptor tyrosine kinase stk when activated by interaction with the friend spleen focus-forming virus envelope glycoprotein or by point mutation

The erythroleukemia-inducing Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) encodes a unique envelope protein, gp55, which interacts with the erythropoietin (Epo) receptor complex, causing proliferation and differentiation of erythroid cells in the absence of Epo. Susceptibility to SFFV-induced erythroleukemia is conferred by the Fv-2 gene, which encodes a short form of the receptor tyrosine kinase Stk/Ron (sf-Stk) only in susceptible strains of mice. We recently demonstrated that sf-Stk becomes activated by forming a strong interaction with SFFV gp55. To examine the biological consequences of activated sf-Stk on erythroid cell growth, we prepared retroviral vectors which express sf-Stk, either in conjunction with gp55 or alone in a constitutively activated mutant form, and tested them for their ability to induce Epo-independent erythroid colonies ex vivo and disease in mice. Our data indicate that both gp55-activated sf-Stk and the constitutively activated mutant of sf-Stk induce erythroid cells from Fv-2-susceptible and Fv-2-resistant (sf-Stk null) mice to form Epo-independent colonies. Mutational analysis of sf-Stk indicated that a functional kinase domain and 8 of its 12 tyrosine residues are required for the induction of Epo-independent colonies. Further studies demonstrated that coexpression of SFFV gp55 with sf-Stk significantly extends the half-life of the kinase. When injected into Fv-2-resistant mice, neither the gp55-activated sf-Stk nor the constitutively activated mutant caused erythroleukemia. Surprisingly, both Fv-2-susceptible and -resistant mice injected with the gp55-sf-Stk vector developed clinical signs not previously associated with SFFV-induced disease. We conclude that sf-Stk, activated by either point mutation or interaction with SFFV gp55, is sufficient to induce Epo-independent erythroid colonies from both Fv-2-susceptible and -resistant mice but is unable to cause erythroleukemia in Fv-2-resistant mice.

Identification and characterization of a novel Ste20/germinal center kinase-related kinase, polyploidy-associated protein kinase

A novel protein kinase, polyploidy-associated protein kinase (PAPK), was isolated using a subtraction cDNA library approach from a mouse erythroleukemia cell line that had been induced to polyploidy after serum withdrawal. PAPK shares homology with members of the Ste20/germinal center kinase family of protein kinases and is ubiquitously expressed as two spliced forms, PAPK-A and PAPK-B, that encode for proteins of 418 and 189 amino acids, respectively. The expression of endogenous PAPK-A protein increased after growth factor withdrawal in murine hematopoietic and fibroblast cells. When tested in an in vitro kinase assay, PAPK-A was activated in response to the stress-inducing agent hydrogen peroxide and slightly by fetal calf serum. Biochemical characterization of the PAPK-A-initiated pathway revealed that this novel kinase does not affect MAP kinase activity but can stimulate both c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) and ERK6/p38 gamma. The kinase activity of PAPK appears to be required for the activation of ERK6/p38 gamma but not JNK1. When an inducible construct of PAPK-A was expressed in stably transfected NIH3T3 cells, the cells exhibited distinct cytoskeletal changes and became resistant to apoptotic cell death induced by serum withdrawal, effects of PAPK that require its kinase activity. These data suggest that PAPK is a new member of the Ste20/germinal center kinase family that modulates cytoskeletal organization and cell survival.

Analysis of the disease potential of a recombinant retrovirus containing Friend murine leukemia virus sequences and a unique long terminal repeat from feline leukemia virus

We have molecularly cloned a feline leukemia virus (FeLV) (clone 33) from a domestic cat with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The long terminal repeat (LTR) of this virus, like the LTRs present in FeLV proviruses from other cats with AML, contains an unusual structure in its U3 region upstream of the enhancer (URE) consisting of three tandem direct repeats of 47 bp. To test the disease potential and specificity of this unique FeLV LTR, we replaced the U3 region of the LTR of the erythroleukemia-inducing Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) with that of FeLV clone 33. When the resulting virus, F33V, was injected into newborn mice, almost all of the mice eventually developed hematopoietic malignancies, with a significant percentage being in the myeloid lineage. This is in contrast to mice injected with an F-MuLV recombinant containing the U3 region of another FeLV that lacks repetitive URE sequences, none of which developed myeloid malignancies. Examination of tumor proviruses from F33V-infected mice failed to detect any changes in FeLV U3 sequences other than that in the URE. Like F-MuLV-infected mice, those infected with the F-MuLV/FeLV recombinants were able to generate and replicate mink cell focus-inducing viruses. Our studies are consistent with the idea that the presence of repetitive sequences upstream of the enhancer in the LTR of FeLV may favor the activation of this promoter in myeloid cells and contribute to the development of malignancies in this hematopoietic lineage.

The envelope glycoprotein of friend spleen focus-forming virus covalently interacts with and constitutively activates a truncated form of the receptor tyrosine kinase Stk

The Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) encodes a unique envelope glycoprotein, gp55, which allows erythroid cells to proliferate and differentiate in the absence of erythropoietin (Epo). SFFV gp55 has been shown to interact with the Epo receptor complex, causing constitutive activation of various signal-transducing molecules. When injected into adult mice, SFFV induces a rapid erythroleukemia, with susceptibility being determined by the host gene Fv-2, which was recently shown to be identical to the gene encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase Stk/Ron. Susceptible, but not resistant, mice encode not only full-length Stk but also a truncated form of the kinase, sf-Stk, which may mediate the biological effects of SFFV infection. To determine whether expression of SFFV gp55 leads to the activation of sf-Stk, we expressed sf-Stk, with or without SFFV gp55, in hematopoietic cells expressing the Epo receptor. Our data indicate that sf-Stk interacts with SFFV gp55 as well as gp55(P), the biologically active form of the viral glycoprotein, forming disulfide-linked complexes. This covalent interaction, as well as noncovalent interactions with SFFV gp55, results in constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of sf-Stk and its association with multiple tyrosine-phosphorylated signal-transducing molecules. In contrast, neither Epo stimulation in the absence of SFFV gp55 expression nor expression of a mutant of SFFV that cannot interact with sf-Stk was able to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of sf-Stk or its association with any signal-transducing molecules. Covalent interaction of sf-Stk with SFFV gp55 and constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation of sf-Stk can also be detected in an erythroleukemia cell line derived from an SFFV-infected mouse. Our results suggest that SFFV gp55 may mediate its biological effects in vivo by interacting with and activating a truncated form of the receptor tyrosine kinase Stk.

Impaired activation and binding of the erythropoietin receptor by a mutant gp55 of Friend spleen focus-forming virus, which has a cytoplasmic domain

A murine erythroleukemogenic retrovirus, Friend spleen focus-forming virus, encodes an envelope protein-like membrane glycoprotein (gp55) in its defective env gene which is responsible for activation of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) and the abnormally rapid proliferation of erythroid precursor cells. The S34 mutant gp55, which possesses an additional cytoplasmic domain, is nonpathogenic and its processing to the cell surface is severely reduced compared to that of the wild-type gp55. In this study, we found that the S34 mutant gp55 neither binds to nor activates the EpoR. The S34 mutant gp55 formed disulfide-bonded homodimers in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) membrane much less efficiently than the wild-type gp55, which is consistent with the proposal that homodimer formation is a prerequisite for gp55 to be exported from the RER. We found that the wild-type gp55 that is bound to EpoR in the RER consists of a large number of monomers and a small number of dimers, suggesting that monomers of the S34 mutant gp55 have lost the ability to bind to the EpoR. The 1-bp insertion present in the wild-type gp55 gene, causing a loss of the cytoplasmic domain, is essential for pathogenicity in that it renders the encoded protein capable of both binding to the EpoR and transport to the cell surface.

Pathogenicity of a mutant friend spleen focus-forming virus encoding an Env-like membrane glycoprotein (gp55) with substitution by a xenotropic murine leukemia virus Env gp70 sequence

Friend spleen focus-forming virus (F-SFFV) is a replication-defective acutely leukemogenic mouse retrovirus and encodes an envelope protein (Env)-like membrane glycoprotein (gp55) in its defective env gene, which is responsible for the early stage of the viral leukemogenesis. Gp55 is a modified Env protein and contains a polytropic mink cell focus-inducing (MCF) murine leukemia virus (MuLV) Env gp70-derived sequence in its amino-terminal region. To evaluate the possibility that the presumed binding of gp55 to an MCF MuLV receptor protein has some role in leukemogenesis, we examined the biological activities of a mutant gp55 (XE gp55), which has a xenotropic MuLV Env gp70 amino-terminal region. XE gp55 displayed almost the same biological activities as the wild-type gp55, excluding the above possibility.

Sequence flexibility in the polytropic env gp70-derived region of the membrane glycoprotein (gp55) of Friend spleen focus-forming virus affects its biological activity

We previously reported (N. Watanabe, M. Nishi, Y. Ikawa, and H. Amanuma, J. Virol. 65:132-137, 1991) that the mutant Friend spleen focus-forming virus (F-SFFV(MS)), which encodes a mutant gp55 membrane glycoprotein with an ecotropic env gp70 sequence, was nonpathogenic. Here we injected the F-SFFV(MS)-Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) clone 57 complex into newborn DBA/2 mice. We obtained four groups of pathogenic variant F-SFFV complexes, each showing a different degree of pathogenicity in adult mice and a different gp55 profile. Of these, group 1 variant F-SFFV was particularly interesting, because it was the most frequently obtained and because it produced doublet bands of gp55 (59 and 57 kDa), neither of which reacted with the nonecotropic gp70-specific monoclonal antibody, and because its DNA intermediate did not hybridize with the nonecotropic env-specific probe. Cloning and DNA sequence analysis of the env region of one isolate of the group 1 variant F-SFFV revealed that this virus consisted of two distinct F-SFFV genomes; one (clone 117) differed from the other (clone 118) due to the presence of a 39-bp in-frame deletion. Reconstitution to full-length F-SFFV genomes and a pathogenicity assay showed that each reconstituted F-SFFV was pathogenic, with clone 117 showing a higher degree of pathogenicity than clone 118. Both reconstituted F-SFFVs caused activation of the mouse erythropoietin receptor in the factor-independent cell proliferation assay, although much less efficiently than the wild-type polycythemia-inducing isolate F-SFFVp. Clone 118 produced a gp55 of 59 kDa, while clone 117 produced one of 57 kDa. Clone 118 had a substitution by the F-MuLV clone 57 gp70 sequence, indicating that it was derived from the F-SFFV(MS) env gene by a homologous recombination with the F-MuLV clone 57 env gene. The site of the 39-bp deletion in clone 117 corresponded to the portion of the clone 118 sequence which was unique to the ecotropic env genes. These results indicated the importance for the biological activity of gp55 of the sequences in the gp70 differential region, which are contained in both polytropic and ecotropic env genes.

Mutational analysis of the structure-function relationship of the leukemogenic membrane glycoprotein (GP55) of Friend spleen focus-forming virus (F-SFFV)

Friend spleen focus-forming virus (F-SFFV) causes acute erythroleukemia in adult mice. F-SFFV encodes an envelope protein-like membrane glycoprotein called gp55 in its defective env gene. Gp55 is responsible for the early stage of leukemogenesis by F-SFFV by specifically binding to and activating the murine erythropoietin receptor (EPO-R). Gp55 has a polytropic env sequence in its N-terminal portion. This portion probably contains the binding site for the EPO-R. In order to obtain a clue for the structure of the binding site to the EPO-R, we isolated and analyzed many spontaneous revertant F-SFFVs which derived from the non-leukemogenic mutant F-SFFV having an ecotropic env sequence instead of the polytropic env sequence in its gp55 gene.

Both the changes of six amino acids and the C-terminal truncation caused by a one-base insertion in the defective env gene of Friend spleen focus-forming virus significantly affect the pathogenic activity of the encoded leukemogenic membrane glycoprotein (gp55)

Friend spleen focus-forming virus (F-SFFV) causes acute erythroleukemia in mice and encodes in its defective env gene an Env-like membrane glycoprotein (gp55). The F-SFFV env gene has three characteristic structures compared with that of ecotropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLVs): substitution by the polytropic MuLV env sequence, a 585-bp deletion, and a 1-bp insertion. All of these characteristic structures are essential for the leukemogenic potential of gp55 of polycythemia-inducing isolates of F-SFFV (F-SFFVp). The 1-bp insertion causes changes of six amino acids and truncation by 34 amino acids at the C terminus. In this study, we constructed 12 mutant F-SFFV genomes starting from the wild-type F-SFFVp and examined the effect of the C-terminal truncation and the six altered amino acids on the pathogenic activity of gp55. The results indicated that at least 18 to 24 amino acids must be deleted from the C terminus for the env product to be pathogenically active. We also found that the six altered amino acids contributed significantly to the pathogenic activity of gp55. Analyses of the cellular processing of these mutant gp55s supported a correlation between the pathogenic activity of gp55 and its efficiency in overall cellular processing.