Time-lapse video microscopy for assessment of EYFP-Parkin aggregation as a marker for cellular mitophagy

© 2016 Journal of Visualized Experiments.Time-lapse video microscopy can be defined as the real time imaging of living cells. This technique relies on the collection of images at different time points. Time intervals can be set through a computer interface that controls the microscope-integrated camera. This kind of microscopy requires both the ability to acquire very rapid events and the signal generated by the observed cellular structure during these events. After the images have been collected, a movie of the entire experiment is assembled to show the dynamic of the molecular events of interest. Time-lapse video microscopy has a broad range of applications in the biomedical research field and is a powerful and unique tool for following the dynamics of the cellular events in real time. Through this technique, we can assess cellular events such as migration, division, signal transduction, growth, and death. Moreover, using fluorescent molecular probes we are able to mark specific molecules, such as DNA, RNA or proteins and follow them through their molecular pathways and functions. Time-lapse video microscopy has multiple advantages, the major one being the ability to collect data at the single-cell level, that make it a unique technology for investigation in the field of cell biology. However, time-lapse video microscopy has limitations that can interfere with the acquisition of high quality images. Images can be compromised by both external factors; temperature fluctuations, vibrations, humidity and internal factors; pH, cell motility. Herein, we describe a protocol for the dynamic acquisition of a specific protein, Parkin, fused with the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) in order to track the selective removal of damaged mitochondria, using a time-lapse video microscopy approach

Regulation of progesterone receptor signaling by BRCA1 in mammary cancer

Inherited mutations of the BRCA1 gene (chromosome 17q21), a tumor suppressor, lead to an increased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and several other hormone-responsive tumor types. Over the last ten years, BRCA1 has been found to play major roles in DNA damage signaling, repair, and cell cycle checkpoints. In addition, unfolding evidence suggests that BRCA1 functions as a co-regulator for steroid hormone receptors and modulates steroid hormone action. In this paper, we will briefly review this evidence and present a model to address the role of the progesterone and estrogen receptors in BRCA1 mutant mammary carcinogenesis. Finally, we will consider some of the clinical implications of this model

Phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor tadalafil modulates steroid hormones signaling in a prostate cancer cell line

Background: The androgen receptor (AR) plays a key role in normal prostate homeostasis and in prostate cancer (PCa) development, while the role of aromatase (Cyp19a1) is still unclear. We evaluated the effects of a treatment with Tadalafil (TAD) on both these proteins. Methods: Androgen-sensitive human PCa cell line (LnCAP) was incubated with/without TAD (10−6 M) and bicalutamide (BCT) (10−4 M) to evaluate a potential modulation on cell proliferation, protein and mRNA expression of Cyp19a, AR and estrogen receptor-β (ERβ), respectively. Results: TAD increased early AR nuclear translocation (p < 0.05, after 15 min of exposure), and increased AR transcriptional activity (p < 0.05) and protein expression (p < 0.05) after 24 h. Moreover, after 24 h this treatment upregulated Cyp19a1 and ERβ mRNA (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005 respectively) and led to an increase in protein expression of both after 48 h (p < 0.05). Interestingly, TAD counteracted Cyp19a1 stimulation induced by BCT (p < 0.05) but did not alter the effect induced by BCT on the AR protein expression. Conclusion: We demonstrate for the first time that TAD can significantly modulate AR expression and activity, Cyp19a1 and ERβ expression in PCa cells, suggesting a specific effect of these proteins. In addition, TAD potentiates the antiproliferative activity of BCT, opening a new clinical scenario in the treatment of PCa

Cyclin D1 silencing suppresses tumorigenicity, impairs DNA double strand break repair and thus radiosensitizes androgenindependent prostate cancer cells to DNA damage.

Patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer (PCa) have higher biochemical failure rates following radiation therapy (RT). Cyclin D1 deregulated expression in PCa is associated with a more aggressive disease: however its role in radioresistance has not been determined. Cyclin D1 levels in the androgen-independent PC3 and 22Rv1 PCa cells were stably inhibited by infecting with cyclin D1-shRNA. Tumorigenicity and radiosensitivity were investigated using in vitro and in vivo experimental assays. Cyclin D1 silencing interfered with PCa oncogenic phenotype by inducing growth arrest in the G1 phase of cell cycle and reducing soft agar colony formation, migration, invasion in vitro and tumor formation and neo-angiogenesis in vivo. Depletion of cyclin D1 significantly radiosensitizes PCa cells by increasing the RT-induced DNA damages by affecting the NHEJ and HR pathways responsible of the DNA double-strand break repair. Following treatment of cells with RT the abundance of a biomarker of DNA damage, γ-H2AX, was dramatically increased in sh-cyclin D1 treated cells compared to shRNA control. Concordant with these observations DNA-PKcs-activation and RAD51-accumulation, part of the DNA double-strand break repair machinery, were reduced in shRNA-cyclin D1 treated cells compared to shRNA control. We further demonstrate the physical interaction between CCND1 with activated-ATM, -DNA-PKcs and RAD51 is enhanced by RT. Finally, siRNA-mediated silencing experiments indicated DNA-PKcs and RAD51 are downstream targets of CCND1-mediated PCa cells radioresistance. In summary, these observations suggest that CCND1 is a key mediator of PCa radioresistance and could represent a potential target for radioresistent hormone-resistant PCa

Expression of cyclin D1a and D1b as predictive factors for treatment response in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of the cyclin D1 isoforms D1a and D1b as prognostic factors and their relevance as predictors of response to adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and levamisole (5-FU/LEV) in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Protein expression of nuclear cyclin D1a and D1b was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 335 CRC patients treated with surgery alone or with adjuvant therapy using 5-FU/LEV. The prognostic and predictive value of these two molecular markers and clinicopathological factors were evaluated statistically in univariate and multivariate survival analyses. RESULTS: Neither cyclin D1a nor D1b showed any prognostic value in CRC or colon cancer patients. However, high cyclin D1a predicted benefit from adjuvant therapy measured in 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and CRC-specific survival (CSS) compared to surgery alone in colon cancer (P=0.012 and P=0.038, respectively) and especially in colon cancer stage III patients (P=0.005 and P=0.019, respectively) in univariate analyses. An interaction between treatment group and cyclin D1a could be shown for RFS (P=0.004) and CSS (P=0.025) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study identifies high cyclin D1a protein expression as a positive predictive factor for the benefit of adjuvant 5-FU/LEV treatment in colon cancer, particularly in stage III colon cancer

Rac regulation of transformation, gene expression, and actin organization by multiple, PAK-independent pathways.

Rac1 and RhoA are members of the Rho family of Ras-related proteins and function as regulators of actin cytoskeletal organization, gene expression, and cell cycle progression. Constitutive activation of Rac1 and RhoA causes tumorigenic transformation of NIH 3T3 cells, and their functions may be required for full Ras transformation. The effectors by which Rac1 and RhoA mediate these diverse activities, as well as the interrelationship between these events, remain poorly understood. Rac1 is distinct from RhoA in its ability to bind and activate the p65 PAK serine/threonine kinase, to induce lamellipodia and membrane ruffling, and to activate the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). To assess the role of PAK in Rac1 function, we identified effector domain mutants of Rac1 and Rac1-RhoA chimeric proteins that no longer bound PAK. Surprisingly, PAK binding was dispensable for Rac1-induced transformation and lamellipodium formation, as well as activation of JNK, p38, and serum response factor (SRF). However, the ability of Rac1 to bind to and activate PAK correlated with its ability to stimulate transcription from the cyclin D1 promoter. Furthermore, Rac1 activation of JNK or SRF, or induction of lamellipodia, was neither necessary nor sufficient for Rac1 transforming activity. Finally, the signaling pathways that mediate Rac1 activation of SRF or JNK were distinct from those that mediate Rac1 induction of lamellipodia. Taken together, these observations suggest that Rac1 regulates at least four distinct effector-mediated functions and that multiple pathways may contribute to Rac1-induced cellular transformation

Cyclin D1 promotes androgen-dependent DNA damage repair in prostate cancer cells

© 2016 American Association for Cancer Research.Therapy resistance and poor outcome in prostate cancer is associated with increased expression of cyclin D1. Androgens promoteDNAdouble-strand break repair to reduceDNAdamage, and cyclin D1 was also shown to enhance DNA damage repair (DDR). In this study, we investigated the significance of cyclin D1 in androgen-induced DDR using established prostate cancer cells and prostate tissues from cyclin D1 knockout mice. We demonstrate that endogenous cyclin D1 further diminished the dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-dependent reduction of γH2AX foci in vitro. We also show that cyclin D1 was required for the androgen-dependent DNA damage response both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, cyclin D1 was required for androgenenhanced DDR and radioresistance of prostate cancer cells. Moreover, microarray analysis of primary prostate epithelial cells from cyclin D1-deficient and wild-type mice demonstrated that most of the DHT-dependent gene expression changes are also cyclin D1 dependent. Collectively, our findings suggest that the hormonemediated recruitment of cyclin D1 to sites of DDR may facilitate the resistance of prostate cancer cells to DNA damage therapies and highlight the need to explore other therapeutic approaches in prostate cancer to prevent or overcome drug resistance

The endogenous cell-fate factor dachshund restrains prostate epithelial cell migration via repression of cytokine secretion via a CXCL signaling module

© 2015 American Association for Cancer Research. Prostate cancer is the second leading form of cancer-related death in men. In a subset of prostate cancer patients, increased chemokine signaling IL8 and IL6 correlates with castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). IL8 and IL6 are produced by prostate epithelial cells and promote prostate cancer cell invasion; however, the mechanisms restraining prostate epithelial cell cytokine secretion are poorly understood. Herein, the cell-fate determinant factor DACH1 inhibited CRPC tumor growth in mice. Using Dach1fl/fl/Probasin-Cre bitransgenic mice, we show IL8 and IL6 secretion was altered by approximately 1,000-fold by endogenous Dach1. Endogenous Dach1 is shown to serve as a key endogenous restraint to prostate epithelial cell growth and restrains migration via CXCL signaling. DACH1 inhibited expression, transcription, and secretion of the CXCL genes (IL8 and IL6) by binding to their promoter regulatory regions in chromatin. DACH1 is thus a newly defined determinant of benign and malignant prostate epithelium cellular growth, migration, and cytokine abundance in vivo

Kinase-independent role of cyclin D1 in chromosomal instability and mammary tumorigenesis

Cyclin D1 is an important molecular driver of human breast cancer but better understanding of its oncogenic mechanisms is needed, especially to enhance efforts in targeted therapeutics. Currently, pharmaceutical initiatives to inhibit cyclin D1 are focused on the catalytic component since the transforming capacity is thought to reside in the cyclin D1/CDK activity. We initiated the following study to directly test the oncogenic potential of catalytically inactive cyclin D1 in an in vivo mouse model that is relevant to breast cancer. Herein, transduction of cyclin D1-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with the kinase dead KE mutant of cyclin D1 led to aneuploidy, abnormalities in mitotic spindle formation, autosome amplification, and chromosomal instability (CIN) by gene expression profiling. Acute transgenic expression of either cyclin D1WT or cyclin D1KE in the mammary gland was sufficient to induce a high CIN score within 7 days. Sustained expression of cyclin D1KE induced mammary adenocarcinoma with similar kinetics to that of the wild-type cyclin D1. ChIP-Seq studies demonstrated recruitment of cyclin D1WT and cyclin D1KE to the genes governing CIN. We conclude that the CDK-activating function of cyclin D1 is not necessary to induce either chromosomal instability or mammary tumorigenesis