Effect of Tax on ERα-CBP/p300 complex binding to BRCA1 promoter.

<p>MCF-7 cells which were or not transfected with 1.5 µg of Tax variants [w.t.Tax, TaxM22, TaxM47 or Tax(V89A)] were treated with E2 at 5 hr before their extraction for examining the binding of ERα, CBP and p300 proteins to BRCA1 promoter by CHIP assay as described in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0089390#s2" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a> section. Control cells were not transfected with Tax and not treated with E2. The presented results are an average of three repeated experiments ± SE.</p

Tax physically associates with the ERα-CBP/p300 complex through binding to the recruited CBP/p300.

<p>(A) Schematical model 1 describing the formation of separate ERα-p300/CBP and Tax- p300/CBP complexes in E2 treated breast cells with or without Tax expression. (B) MCF-7 cells were transfected with 1.5 µg of the indicated combinations of w.t.Tax, p300 shRNA, CBP shRNA, p300 and CBP expressing plasmids. The cells were treated with E2 at 5 hr before extracting the cells for coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) analyses. The whole cell extracts were immunoprecipitated with p300, CBP, ERα and Tax mouse specific monoclonal antibodies as indicated in the figure. The various immunoprecipites were analyzed by Western blot analysis with ERα, p300, CBP and Tax rabbit specific monoclonal antibodies. (C) MCF-7 cells were transfected with 1.5 µg of w.t.Tax or each of its variants V89A, M22 and M47 expressing plasmids. The cells were treated with E2 at 5 hr before extracting the cells for coimmunoprecipitation analyses. The whole cell extracts were immunoprecipitated with Tax mouse specific monoclonal antibody. The various immunoprecipites were analyzed by Western blot analysis with ERα, p300, CBP and Tax rabbit specific monoclonal antibodies. (D) Western blot analysis of the protein expression of ERα, p300, CBP and Tax in the lysates of the cells extracts of all the different transfections in part (B) before co-IP. (E) Schematical model 2 describing the formation of the ERα-p300/CBP-Tax tertiary complex complexe in E2 treated breast cells with Tax expression. (F) Schematical model describing the formation of separate ERα-CBP/p300 and Tax-CBP/p300 complexes_in E2 treated breast cells with Tax and excessive level of CBP/p300 expression.</p

Effect of Tax on BRCA1 activation by E2 and 53PB1.

<p>(A) MCF-7 cells were co-transfected with 1.5 µg of BARCA1-Luc reporter and the plasmids expressing 53PB1 and/or Tax. Where indicated, E2 (20 nM) was added to the cultures 5 hr before harvesting the cells for analyzing the reporter expression. (B) and (C) MCF-7 cells were co-transfected with 1.5 µg of BARCA1-Luc reporter and the plasmids expressing different Tax varients without (B) or with (C) E2 treatment. As above, E2 was added 5h before harvesting the cells for Luciferase activity measurement in the cell lysates at 24 h post-transfection. (D) MCF-7 cells were co-transfected with 1.5 µg of the plasmids expressing different Tax variants with E2 treatment and at 24h post transfection the BRCA1 mRNA levels were examined as detailed in “Material and Methods” section. The presented results are an average of three repeated experiments ± SE.</p

Assessing the expression and functionality of the employed ectopic Tax variants in cancerous and non-cancerous human breast epithelial cell lines.

<p>(A) The tested cells were_transfected with equal doses (1.5 µg) of the Tax varients plasmids and their Tax protein levels were determined at 24 hr post-transfection by Western blot analysis of the whole cell extracts with Tax monoclonal antibody. Equal sample loading was assessed by re-processing the blot with anti actin antibody. The effect of Tax varients on HTLV-1 LTR-Luc reporter (B) and on the NF-κB-Luc reporter (1C) was examined by co-transfecting the appropriate cells with 1.5 µg of either of these repoters and 1.5 µg of each of the tested Tax varients. Luciferase activity was measured in the cell lysates at 24 h post-transfection. The presented results are an average of three repeated experiments ± SE.</p

A Human Integrin-α3 Mutation Confers Major Renal Developmental Defects

<div><p>The development of the mammalian kidney is a highly complex process dependent upon the interplay of various cell types, secreted morphogens, and the extra-cellular matrix (ECM). Although integrins are the most important receptors for ECM proteins and are ubiquitously expressed during kidney development, mice lacking expression of integrin α3 (Itga3) do not demonstrate a reduced number of nephrons, but mostly a disorganized GBM (glomerular basement membrane) leading to proteinuria. Thus, ITGA3 is considered mostly a passive GBM stabilizer and not an active player in nephrogenesis. Recently, mutations in the human <i>ITGA3</i> were shown to cause congenital nephrotic syndrome, epidermolysis bullosa and interstitial lung disease, otherwise termed NEP syndrome (<b>N</b>ephrotic syndrome, <b>E</b>pidermolysis bullosa and <b>P</b>ulmonary disease). Herein, we performed histological and molecular analysis on the kidneys of a single patient from the initial cohort harboring an <i>ITGA3</i> mutation, to illuminate the role of <i>ITGA3</i> in human renal development. We show the patient to harbor a unique phenotype at birth, including severe unilateral renal hypodysplasia. Interrogation of global gene expression in the hypodysplastic kidney versus three controls (fetal, child and adult kidneys) revealed perturbed expression in several renal developmental pathways implicated in hypodysplasia, including the Wnt, BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) and TGF (transforming growth factor) pathways. Moreover, the affected kidney showed upregulation of early embryonic genes (e.g. <i>OCT4</i> and <i>PAX8</i>) concomitant with downregulated kidney differentiation markers, implying a defect in proper renal differentiation. In conclusion, we show for the first time that ITGA3 is not merely a passive anchor for renal ECM proteins, as predicted by mouse models. Instead, our results may suggest it plays a central role in the interplay of cells, morphogens and ECM, required for proper nephrogenesis, thus adding <i>ITGA3</i> to the list of CAKUT (congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract)-causing genes.</p></div

Clinical and histological features of the index patient.

<p>(A) A pedigree presenting the patient, born to healthy consanguineous parents, as the only affected child among nine siblings. (B) Renal ultrasound examination, demonstrating a small hyper-echogenic left kidney and an enlarged right kidney. (C) H&E staining of the patient's right kidney demonstrating a typical nephrotic syndrome phenotype including global sclerosis and mesangial proliferation. (D) The patient's left kidney presents histology consistent with renal hypodysplasia including the presence of cartilage, stroma and renal lesions of nephrotic syndrome similar to those observed in the right kidney.</p

Immuno-localization and interrogation of global gene expression of the patient's kidney.

<p>(A) Immunohistochemical staining for integrin α3 reveals a widespread expression pattern in the developing human fetal kidney (hFK), with localization to early duct precursors, ureteric buds and their differentiated derivatives and basement membrane of assembled fetal glomeruli. Integrin α3 expression was absent in the patient's kidneys. (B) Heat-map comparison of gene expression profile between the patient's kidney (PK) and an age matched control (CK) kidney. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering demonstrates that the PK is more similar genetically to human fetal kidney (hFK) than to the human adult kidney counterpart (hAK). (C) Microarray expression analysis of selected genes demonstrated altered expression in the PK of genes crucial for normal nephron formation, including the Wnt and TGFβ signaling pathways, early developmental genes and renal differentiation genes.</p

Wilms’ Tumor Blastemal Stem Cells Dedifferentiate to Propagate the Tumor Bulk

An open question remains in cancer stem cell (CSC) biology whether CSCs are by definition at the top of the differentiation hierarchy of the tumor. Wilms’ tumor (WT), composed of blastema and differentiated renal elements resembling the nephrogenic zone of the developing kidney, is a valuable model for studying this question because early kidney differentiation is well characterized. WT neural cell adhesion molecule 1-positive (NCAM1+) aldehyde dehydrogenase 1-positive (ALDH1+) CSCs have been recently isolated and shown to harbor early renal progenitor traits. Herein, by generating pure blastema WT xenografts, composed solely of cells expressing the renal developmental markers SIX2 and NCAM1, we surprisingly show that sorted ALDH1+ WT CSCs do not correspond to earliest renal stem cells. Rather, gene expression and proteomic comparative analyses disclose a cell type skewed more toward epithelial differentiation than the bulk of the blastema. Thus, WT CSCs are likely to dedifferentiate to propagate WT blastema

In Vivo Expansion of Cancer Stemness Affords Novel Cancer Stem Cell Targets: Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor as an Example

Summary: Cancer stem cell (CSC) identification relies on transplantation assays of cell subpopulations sorted from fresh tumor samples. Here, we attempt to bypass limitations of abundant tumor source and predetermined immune selection by in vivo propagating patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from human malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT), a rare and lethal pediatric neoplasm, to an advanced state in which most cells behave as CSCs. Stemness is then probed by comparative transcriptomics of serial PDXs generating a gene signature of epithelial to mesenchymal transition, invasion/motility, metastasis, and self-renewal, pinpointing putative MRT CSC markers. The relevance of these putative CSC molecules is analyzed by sorting tumorigenic fractions from early-passaged PDX according to one such molecule, deciphering expression in archived primary tumors, and testing the effects of CSC molecule inhibition on MRT growth. Using this platform, we identify ALDH1 and lysyl oxidase (LOX) as relevant targets and provide a larger framework for target and drug discovery in rare pediatric cancers. : Golan et al. demonstrate that long-term propagation of human MRT xenografts robustly enriches for cancer stem cell frequency. This was exploited in turn for the identification of potential therapeutic targets in MRT such as lysyl oxidase and disclosed a platform to identify CSC targets in other rare pediatric tumors for which novel therapeutics are sought. Keywords: stem cells, cancer stem cells, PDX, MRT, targeted therapy, ALDH1, LOX inhibitio

A Dominant Mutation in Nuclear Receptor Interacting Protein 1 Causes Urinary Tract Malformations via Dysregulation of Retinoic Acid Signaling

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