Cell-cycle control by protein kinase B

Numerous cells in the body divide, and do so in a well-controlled manner. In some situations where this control is deregulated, cells may divide continuously. Such uncontrolled proliferation of cells is thought to be responsible for the onset of cancer. In order for a cell to divide in a normal setting, it requires stimuli from the body in the form of growth factors. These growth factors activate a cascade of protein-protein interactions in the cell that eventually lead to cell division. In tumors, certain of those proteins modified by growth factors are mutated, rendering them insensitive to the regulatory actions of growth factors. This can then lead to a constant divide signal . One of such proteins is PTEN, an enzyme that controls the action of protein kinase B (PKB), a protein that participates in the control of cell-death (apoptosis) and cell division. In many tumor cells, PKB is constitutively active. In this thesis, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which active PKB may contribute to uncontrolled proliferation. We find that PKB directly inhibits the actions of a Forkhead transcription factor, AFX, and furthermore that this AFX protein controls cellular proliferation by enhancing protein expression of a well-known cell-division inhibitor p27kip1. In this way, PKB, by decreasing AFX activity and thus the protein levels of p27kip1, can contribute to increased proliferation that may cause tumor formation

Competition between MPS1 and microtubules at kinetochores regulates spindle checkpoint signaling

Macromolecular Biochemistr

De Gemene Deler

Ons lichaam is continue bezig delen van weefsels te vervangen of te repareren zodat het gezond blijft. Dit gebeurt door celdeling, een proces waarbij een cel haar gehele inhoud verdubbelt en vervolgens in tweeën verdeelt. Een van de belangrijkste zaken om te verdubbelen en netjes te verdelen is het DNA, de handleiding voor de bouw van de meeste onderdelen van cellen. Dit is geen sinecure, want de handleiding bestaat uit 46 delen, chromosomen genaamd, en elke cel moet een identieke set van 46 chromosomen toebedeeld krijgen bij iedere celdeling. Wanneer dit niet netjes gebeurt, kan ongecontroleerde celdeling en kanker het gevolg zijn. Geert Kops gaat in zijn oratie uitgebreid in op het ingenieuze en in meerdere opzichten wonderschone proces dat ervoor zorgt dat cellen hun chromosomen netjes kunnen verdelen. Tevens zullen de oorzaken en gevolgen van fouten in dit proces voor het ontstaan en de verdere ontwikkeling van kanker, alsmede mogelijkheden om hier wat aan te doen, ter sprake komen

Kinetochore-microtubule attachment is sufficient to satisfy the human spindle assembly checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a genome surveillance mechanism that protects against aneuploidization. Despite profound progress on understanding mechanisms of its activation, it remains unknown what aspect of chromosome-spindle interactions is monitored by the SAC: kinetochore-microtubule attachment or the force generated by dynamic microtubules that signals stable biorientation of chromosomes? To answer this, we uncoupled these two processes by expressing a non-phosphorylatable version of the main microtubule-binding protein at kinetochores (HEC1-9A), causing stabilization of incorrect kinetochore-microtubule attachments despite persistent activity of the error-correction machinery. The SAC is fully functional in HEC1-9A-expressing cells, yet cells in which chromosomes cannot biorient but are stably attached to microtubules satisfy the SAC and exit mitosis. SAC satisfaction requires neither intra-kinetochore stretching nor dynamic microtubules. Our findings support the hypothesis that in human cells the end-on interactions of microtubules with kinetochores are sufficient to satisfy the SAC without the need for microtubule-based pulling forces

AFX-like Forkhead transcription factors mediate cell-cycle regulation by Ras and PKB through p27kip1

The Forkhead transcription factors AFX, FKHR and FKHR-L1 are orthologues of DAF-16, a Forkhead factor that regulates longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans1, 2, 3. Here we show that overexpression of these Forkhead transcription factors causes growth suppression in a variety of cell lines, including a Ras-transformed cell line and a cell line lacking the tumour suppressor PTEN. Expression of AFX blocks cell-cycle progression at phase G1, independent of functional retinoblastoma protein (pRb) but dependent on the cell-cycle inhibitor p27kip1. Indeed, AFX transcriptionally activates p27kip1, resulting in increased protein levels. We conclude that AFX-like proteins are involved in cell-cycle regulation and that inactivation of these proteins is an important step in oncogenic transformation

Chromosome Segregation Errors as a Cause of DNA Damage and Structural Chromosome Aberrations

Various types of chromosomal aberrations, including numerical (aneuploidy) and structural (e. g., translocations, deletions), are commonly found in human tumors and are linked to tumorigenesis. Aneuploidy is a direct consequence of chromosome segregation errors in mitosis, whereas structural aberrations are caused by improperly repaired DNA breaks. Here, we demonstrate that chromosome segregation errors can also result in structural chromosome aberrations. Chromosomes that missegregate are frequently damaged during cytokinesis, triggering a DNA double-strand break response in the respective daughter cells involving ATM, Chk2, and p53. We show that these double-strand breaks can lead to unbalanced translocations in the daughter cells. Our data show that segregation errors can cause translocations and provide insights into the role of whole-chromosome instability in tumorigenesis.Microscopic imaging and technolog

Inferring the Evolutionary History of Your Favorite Protein: A Guide for Molecular Biologists

Comparative genomics has proven a fruitful approach to acquire many functional and evolutionary insights into core cellular processes. Here it is argued that in order to perform accurate and interesting comparative genomics, one first and foremost has to be able to recognize, postulate, and revise different evolutionary scenarios. After all, these studies lack a simple protocol, due to different proteins having different evolutionary dynamics and demanding different approaches. The authors here discuss this challenge from a practical (what are the observations?) and conceptual (how do these indicate a specific evolutionary scenario?) viewpoint, with the aim to guide investigators who want to analyze the evolution of their protein(s) of interest. By sharing how the authors draft, test, and update such a scenario and how it directs their investigations, the authors hope to illuminate how to execute molecular evolution studies and how to interpret them. Also see the video abstract here https://youtu.be/VCt3l2pbdbQ

DRUGGING CHROMOSOME INSTABILITY TO TARGET CANCER

Microscopic imaging and technolog

The forkhead transcription factor FoxO regulates transcription of p27Kip1 and Bim in response to IL-2

The cytokine IL-2 plays a very important role in the proliferation and survival of activated T cells. These effects of IL-2 are dependent on signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. We and others have shown that PI3K, through activation of protein kinase B/Akt, inhibits transcriptional activation by a number of forkhead transcription factors (FoxO1, FoxO3, and FoxO4). In this study we have investigated the role of these forkhead transcription factors in the IL-2-induced T cell proliferation and survival. We show that IL-2 regulates phosphorylation of FoxO3 in a PI3K-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation and inactivation of FoxO3 appears to play an important role in IL-2-mediated T cell survival, because mere activation of FoxO3 is sufficient to trigger apoptosis in T cells. Indeed, active FoxO3 can induce expression of IL-2-regulated genes, such as the cdk inhibitor p27Kip1 and the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim. Furthermore, we show that IL-2 triggers a rapid, PI3K-dependent, phosphorylation of FoxO1a in primary T cells. Thus, we propose that inactivation of FoxO transcription factors by IL-2 plays a critical role in T cell proliferation and survival. The cytokine IL-2 plays a very important role in the proliferation and survival of activated T cells. These effects of IL-2 are dependent on signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. We and others have shown that PI3K, through activation of protein kinase B/Akt, inhibits transcriptional activation by a number of forkhead transcription factors (FoxO1, FoxO3, and FoxO4). In this study we have investigated the role of these forkhead transcription factors in the IL-2-induced T cell proliferation and survival. We show that IL-2 regulates phosphorylation of FoxO3 in a PI3K-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation and inactivation of FoxO3 appears to play an important role in IL-2-mediated T cell survival, because mere activation of FoxO3 is sufficient to trigger apoptosis in T cells. Indeed, active FoxO3 can induce expression of IL-2-regulated genes, such as the cdk inhibitor p27Kip1 and the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim. Furthermore, we show that IL-2 triggers a rapid, PI3K-dependent, phosphorylation of FoxO1a in primary T cells. Thus, we propose that inactivation of FoxO transcription factors by IL-2 plays a critical role in T cell proliferation and survival. The cytokine IL-2 plays a very important role in the proliferation and survival of activated T cells. These effects of IL-2 are dependent on signaling through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. We and others have shown that PI3K, through activation of protein kinase B/Akt, inhibits transcriptional activation by a number of forkhead transcription factors (FoxO1, FoxO3, and FoxO4). In this study we have investigated the role of these forkhead transcription factors in the IL-2-induced T cell proliferation and survival. We show that IL-2 regulates phosphorylation of FoxO3 in a PI3K-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation and inactivation of FoxO3 appears to play an important role in IL-2-mediated T cell survival, because mere activation of FoxO3 is sufficient to trigger apoptosis in T cells. Indeed, active FoxO3 can induce expression of IL-2-regulated genes, such as the cdk inhibitor p27Kip1 and the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim. Furthermore, we show that IL-2 triggers a rapid, PI3K-dependent, phosphorylation of FoxO1a in primary T cells. Thus, we propose that inactivation of FoxO transcription factors by IL-2 plays a critical role in T cell proliferation and surviva