The Protein Arginine Methyltransferases 1 and 5 affect Myc properties in glioblastoma stem cells

Protein Arginine (R) methylation is the most common post-translational methylation in mammalian cells. Protein Arginine Methyltransferases (PRMT) 1 and 5 dimethylate their substrates on R residues, asymmetrically and symmetrically, respectively. They are ubiquitously expressed and play fundamental roles in tumour malignancies, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) which presents largely deregulated Myc activity. Previously, we demonstrated that PRMT5 associates with Myc in GBM cells, modulating, at least in part, its transcriptional properties. Here we show that Myc/PRMT5 protein complex includes PRMT1, in both HEK293T and glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). We demonstrate that Myc is both asymmetrically and symmetrically dimethylated by PRMT1 and PRMT5, respectively, and that these modifications differentially regulate its stability. Moreover, we show that the ratio between symmetrically and asymmetrically dimethylated Myc changes in GSCs grown in stem versus differentiating conditions. Finally, both PRMT1 and PRMT5 activity modulate Myc binding at its specific target promoters. To our knowledge, this is the first work reporting R asymmetrical and symmetrical dimethylation as novel Myc post-translational modifications, with different functional properties. This opens a completely unexplored field of investigation in Myc biology and suggests symmetrically dimethylated Myc species as novel diagnostic and prognostic markers and druggable therapeutic targets for GBM

Contribution to the floristic knowledge of the Maddalena Mountains (Basilicata and Campania, southern Italy)

The inventory of the taxa collected during the annual field trip of the working group for Floristics, Systematics and Evolution of the Italian Botanical Society is reported. It was held in 2013 along the Maddalena Mountains, a mountain ridge of the southern Apennines located between the Basilicata and Campania administrative regions (southern Italy), considered as being poorly characterized in terms of vascular flora. A total of 701 units belonging to 74 plant families were recorded including two varieties and four hybrids.Thirty-five taxa resulted endemic to Italy and only 11 alien species were detected, while 36 taxa are new or confirmed for the regional floras of Basilicata and/or Campania. In particular, 12 taxa are new for Basilicata, while four are confirmed. Regarding Campania, 14 taxa resulted new for the regional flora and five were confirmed

Lysosomal Function Is Involved in 17β-Estradiol-Induced Estrogen Receptor α Degradation and Cell Proliferation.

The homeostatic control of the cellular proteome steady-state is dependent either on the 26S proteasome activity or on the lysosome function. The sex hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) controls a plethora of biological functions by binding to the estrogen receptor α (ERα), which is both a nuclear ligand-activated transcription factor and also an extrinsic plasma membrane receptor. Regulation of E2-induced physiological functions (e.g., cell proliferation) requires the synergistic activation of both transcription of estrogen responsive element (ERE)-containing genes and rapid extra-nuclear phosphorylation of many different signalling kinases (e.g., ERK/MAPK; PI3K/AKT). Although E2 controls ERα intracellular content and activity via the 26S proteasome-mediated degradation, biochemical and microscopy-based evidence suggests a possible cross-talk among lysosomes and ERα activities. Here, we studied the putative localization of endogenous ERα to lysosomes and the role played by lysosomal function in ERα signalling. By using confocal microscopy and biochemical assays, we report that ERα localizes to lysosomes and to endosomes in an E2-dependent manner. Moreover, the inhibition of lysosomal function obtained by chloroquine demonstrates that, in addition to 26S proteasome-mediated receptor elimination, lysosome-based degradation also contributes to the E2-dependent ERα breakdown. Remarkably, the lysosome function is further involved in those ERα activities required for E2-dependent cell proliferation while it is dispensable for ERα-mediated ERE-containing gene transcription. Our discoveries reveal a novel lysosome-dependent degradation pathway for ERα and show a novel biological mechanism by which E2 regulates ERα cellular content and, as a consequence, cellular functions

Xenoestrogens Alter Estrogen Receptor (ER) α Intracellular Levels.

17β-estradiol (E2)-dependent estrogen receptor (ER) α intracellular concentration is a well recognized critical step in the pleiotropic effects elicited by E2 in several target tissues. Beside E2, a class of synthetic and plant-derived chemicals collectively named endocrine disruptors (EDs) or xenoestrogens bind to and modify both nuclear and extra-nuclear ERα activities. However, at the present no information is available on the ability of EDs to hamper ERα intracellular concentration. Here, the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) and naringenin (Nar), prototypes of synthetic and plant-derived ERα ligands, have been evaluated on ERα levels in MCF-7 cells. Both EDs mimic E2 in triggering ERα Ser118 phosphorylation and gene transcription. However, only E2 or BPA induce an increase of cell proliferation; whereas 24 hrs after Nar stimulation a dose-dependent decrease in cell number is reported. E2 or BPA treatment reduces ERα protein and mRNA levels after 24 hrs. Contrarily, Nar stimulation does not alter ERα content but reduces ERα mRNA levels like other ligands. Co-stimulation experiments indicate that 48 hrs of Nar treatment prevents the E2-induced ERα degradation and hijacks the physiological ability of E2:ERα complex to regulate gene transcription. Mechanistically, Nar induces ERα protein accumulation by preventing proteasomal receptor degradation via persistent activation of p38/MAPK pathway. As a whole these data demonstrate that ERα intracellular concentration is an important target through which EDs hamper the hormonal milieu of E2 target cells driving cells to different outcomes or mimicking E2 even in the absence of the hormone. © 2014 La Rosa et al