The ErbB3 binding protein Ebp1 interacts with Sin3A to repress E2F1 and AR-mediated transcription

Ectopic expression of ebp1, a member of the PA2G4 family, inhibits the proliferation and induces the differentiation of human breast and prostate cancer cell lines. Ebp1 inhibits transcription of E2F1 and androgen receptor regulated genes such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) through its interactions with histone deacetylases (HDACs). To further understand Ebp1's interactions with other components of the transcriptional repression machinery, we examined the association of Ebp1 with the corepressor Sin3A. Ebp1 interacted with Sin3A both in vitro and in vivo as demonstrated by glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation analysis. The C-terminal domain of Ebp1, responsible for its ability to repress transcription and arrest cell growth, was necessary and sufficient for binding Sin3A. The C-terminal domain of Sin3A, containing the paired amphipathic domain 4 and the HDAC interacting domain, bound Ebp1. Recombinant Sin3A bound Ebp1 directly, but recombinant HDAC2 failed to bind Ebp1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and DNA affinity precipitation analysis demonstrated that Ebp1 and Sin3A associate at the PSA and E2F1 promoters. Functionally, Sin3A enhanced the ability of Ebp1 to repress transcription of androgen receptor (AR) and E2F1 regulated genes. These results demonstrate that Ebp1 participates in transcriptional regulation via its interaction with the Sin3–HDAC

Alterations in cell growth and signaling in ErbB3 binding protein-1 (Ebp1) deficient mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The ErbB3 binding protein-1 (Ebp1) belongs to a family of DNA/RNA binding proteins implicated in cell growth, apoptosis and differentiation. However, the physiological role of Ebp1 in the whole organism is not known. Therefore, we generated <it>Ebp1</it>-deficient mice carrying a gene trap insertion in intron 2 of the <it>Ebp1 (pa2g4) </it>gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ebp1^-/-mice were on average 30% smaller than wild type and heterozygous sex matched littermates. Growth retardation was apparent from Day 10 until Day 30. IGF-1 production and IGBP-3 and 4 protein levels were reduced in both embryo fibroblasts and adult knock-out mice. The proliferation of fibroblasts derived from Day 12.5 knock out embryos was also decreased as compared to that of wild type cells. Microarray expression analysis revealed changes in genes important in cell growth including members of the MAPK signal transduction pathway. In addition, the expression or activation of proliferation related genes such as AKT and the androgen receptor, previously demonstrated to be affected by Ebp1 expression <it>in vitro</it>, was altered in adult tissues.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results indicate that Ebp1 can affect growth in an animal model, but that the expression of proliferation related genes is cell and context specific. The Ebp1^-/-mouse line represents a new <it>in vivo </it>model to investigate Ebp1 function in the whole organism.</p

Post-transcriptional regulation of androgen receptor mRNA by an ErbB3 binding protein 1 in prostate cancer

Androgen receptor (AR)-mediated pathways play a critical role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. However, little is known about the regulation of AR mRNA stability and translation, two central processes that control AR expression. The ErbB3 binding protein 1 (EBP1), an AR corepressor, negatively regulates crosstalk between ErbB3 ligand heregulin (HRG)-triggered signaling and the AR axis, affecting biological properties of prostate cancer cells. EBP1 protein expression is also decreased in clinical prostate cancer. We previously demonstrated that EBP1 overexpression results in decreased AR protein levels by affecting AR promoter activity. However, EBP1 has recently been demonstrated to be an RNA binding protein. We therefore examined the ability of EBP1 to regulate AR post-transcriptionally. Here we show that EBP1 promoted AR mRNA decay through physical interaction with a conserved UC-rich motif within the 3′-UTR of AR. The ability of EBP1 to accelerate AR mRNA decay was further enhanced by HRG treatment. EBP1 also bound to a CAG-formed stem-loop in the 5′ coding region of AR mRNA and was able to inhibit AR translation. Thus, decreases of EBP1 in prostate cancer could be important for the post-transcriptional up-regulation of AR contributing to aberrant AR expression and disease progression

The endogenous retrovirus ENS-1 provides active binding sites for transcription factors in embryonic stem cells that specify extra embryonic tissue

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Long terminal repeats (LTR) from endogenous retroviruses (ERV) are source of binding sites for transcription factors which affect the host regulatory networks in different cell types, including pluripotent cells. The embryonic epiblast is made of pluripotent cells that are subjected to opposite transcriptional regulatory networks to give rise to distinct embryonic and extraembryonic lineages. To assess the transcriptional contribution of ERV to early developmental processes, we have characterized <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>the regulation of ENS-1, a host adopted and developmentally regulated ERV that is expressed in chick embryonic stem cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We show that <it>Ens-1 </it>LTR activity is controlled by two transcriptional pathways that drive pluripotent cells to alternative developmental fates. Indeed, both Nanog that maintains pluripotency and Gata4 that induces differentiation toward extraembryonic endoderm independently activate the LTR. Ets coactivators are required to support Gata factors' activity thus preventing inappropriate activation before epigenetic silencing occurs during differentiation. Consistent with their expression patterns during chick embryonic development, Gata4, Nanog and Ets1 are recruited on the LTR in embryonic stem cells; in the epiblast the complementary expression of Nanog and Gata/Ets correlates with the <it>Ens-1 </it>gene expression pattern; and Ens-1 transcripts are also detected in the hypoblast, an extraembryonic tissue expressing Gata4 and Ets2, but not Nanog. Accordingly, over expression of Gata4 in embryos induces an ectopic expression of <it>Ens-1</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results show that <it>Ens-1 </it>LTR have co-opted conditions required for the emergence of extraembryonic tissues from pluripotent epiblasts cells. By providing pluripotent cells with intact binding sites for Gata, Nanog, or both, <it>Ens-1 </it>LTR may promote distinct transcriptional networks in embryonic stem cells subpopulations and prime the separation between embryonic and extraembryonic fates.</p

Correlating Global Gene Regulation to Angiogenesis in the Developing Chick Extra-Embryonic Vascular System

International audienceBACKGROUND: Formation of blood vessels requires the concerted regulation of an unknown number of genes in a spatial-, time- and dosage-dependent manner. Determining genes, which drive vascular maturation is crucial for the identification of new therapeutic targets against pathological angiogenesis. METHOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We accessed global gene regulation throughout maturation of the chick chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM), a highly vascularized tissue, using pan genomic microarrays. Seven percent of analyzed genes showed a significant change in expression (>2-fold, FDR<5%) with a peak occurring from E7 to E10, when key morphogenetic and angiogenic genes such as BMP4, SMO, HOXA3, EPAS1 and FGFR2 were upregulated, reflecting the state of an activated endothelium. At later stages, a general decrease in gene expression occurs, including genes encoding mitotic factors or angiogenic mediators such as CYR61, EPAS1, MDK and MYC. We identified putative human orthologs for 77% of significantly regulated genes and determined endothelial cell enrichment for 20% of the orthologs in silico. Vascular expression of several genes including ENC1, FSTL1, JAM2, LDB2, LIMS1, PARVB, PDE3A, PRCP, PTRF and ST6GAL1 was demonstrated by in situ hybridization. Up to 9% of the CAM genes were also overexpressed in human organs with related functions, such as placenta and lung or the thyroid. 21-66% of CAM genes enriched in endothelial cells were deregulated in several human cancer types (P<.0001). Interfering with PARVB (encoding parvin, beta) function profoundly changed human endothelial cell shape, motility and tubulogenesis, suggesting an important role of this gene in the angiogenic process. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study underlines the complexity of gene regulation in a highly vascularized organ during development. We identified a restricted number of novel genes enriched in the endothelium of different species and tissues, which may play crucial roles in normal and pathological angiogenesis

Symptom-based stratification of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome: multi-dimensional characterisation of international observational cohorts and reanalyses of randomised clinical trials

Background Heterogeneity is a major obstacle to developing effective treatments for patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome. We aimed to develop a robust method for stratification, exploiting heterogeneity in patient-reported symptoms, and to relate these differences to pathobiology and therapeutic response. Methods We did hierarchical cluster analysis using five common symptoms associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pain, fatigue, dryness, anxiety, and depression), followed by multinomial logistic regression to identify subgroups in the UK Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Registry (UKPSSR). We assessed clinical and biological differences between these subgroups, including transcriptional differences in peripheral blood. Patients from two independent validation cohorts in Norway and France were used to confirm patient stratification. Data from two phase 3 clinical trials were similarly stratified to assess the differences between subgroups in treatment response to hydroxychloroquine and rituximab. Findings In the UKPSSR cohort (n=608), we identified four subgroups: Low symptom burden (LSB), high symptom burden (HSB), dryness dominant with fatigue (DDF), and pain dominant with fatigue (PDF). Significant differences in peripheral blood lymphocyte counts, anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibody positivity, as well as serum IgG, κ-free light chain, β2-microglobulin, and CXCL13 concentrations were observed between these subgroups, along with differentially expressed transcriptomic modules in peripheral blood. Similar findings were observed in the independent validation cohorts (n=396). Reanalysis of trial data stratifying patients into these subgroups suggested a treatment effect with hydroxychloroquine in the HSB subgroup and with rituximab in the DDF subgroup compared with placebo. Interpretation Stratification on the basis of patient-reported symptoms of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome revealed distinct pathobiological endotypes with distinct responses to immunomodulatory treatments. Our data have important implications for clinical management, trial design, and therapeutic development. Similar stratification approaches might be useful for patients with other chronic immune-mediated diseases. Funding UK Medical Research Council, British Sjogren's Syndrome Association, French Ministry of Health, Arthritis Research UK, Foundation for Research in Rheumatology

Repression of E2F1-mediated transcription by the ErbB3 binding protein Ebp1 involves histone deacetylases

Ebp1, an ErbB3 binding protein that is a member of the proliferation-associated PA2G4 family, inhibits the proliferation and induces the differentiation of human ErbB positive breast and prostate cancer cell lines. Ebp1 binds the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein (Rb) both in vivo and in vitro, and Rb and Ebp1 cooperate to inhibit the transcription of the E2F1-regulated cyclin E promoter. We show here that Ebp1 can inhibit the transcription of other E2F-regulated reporter genes and of several endogenous E2F-regulated genes important in cell cycle progression in both Rb positive and Rb null cells. The Ebp1-mediated transcriptional repression depended on the presence of an E2F1 consensus element in the promoters. A fusion of Ebp1 with the GAL4 DNA binding domain protein had independent transcriptional repression activity that mapped to the C-terminal region of Ebp1. This C-terminal region of Ebp1 bound functional histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity and inhibitors of HDAC significantly reduced Ebp1-mediated repression. Ebp1 bound HDAC2, but not HDAC1, in vitro. An Ebp1 mutant lacking the HDAC binding domain failed to inhibit transcription. Our results suggest that Ebp1 can repress transcription of some E2F-regulated promoters and that one mechanism of Ebp1- mediated transcriptional repression is via its ability to recruit HDAC activity