Leukemia virus long terminal repeat activates NFκB pathway by a TLR3-dependent mechanism

AbstractThe long terminal repeat (LTR) region of leukemia viruses plays a critical role in tissue tropism and pathogenic potential of the viruses. We have previously reported that U3-LTR from Moloney murine and feline leukemia viruses (Mo-MuLV and FeLV) upregulates specific cellular genes in trans in an integration-independent way. The U3-LTR region necessary for this action does not encode a protein but instead makes a specific RNA transcript. Because several cellular genes transactivated by the U3-LTR can also be activated by NFκB, and because the antiapoptotic and growth promoting activities of NFκB have been implicated in leukemogenesis, we investigated whether FeLV U3-LTR can activate NFκB signaling. Here, we demonstrate that FeLV U3-LTR indeed upregulates the NFκB signaling pathway via activation of Ras-Raf-IκB kinase (IKK) and degradation of IκB. LTR-mediated transcriptional activation of genes did not require new protein synthesis suggesting an active role of the LTR transcript in the process. Using Toll-like receptor (TLR) deficient HEK293 cells and PKR−/− mouse embryo fibroblasts, we further demonstrate that although dsRNA-activated protein kinase R (PKR) is not necessary, TLR3 is required for the activation of NFκB by the LTR. Our study thus demonstrates involvement of a TLR3-dependent but PKR-independent dsRNA-mediated signaling pathway for NFκB activation and thus provides a new mechanistic explanation of LTR-mediated cellular gene transactivation

Evaluation of 19-nor-2alpha-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 as a therapeutic agent for androgen-dependent prostate cancer.

The high incidence of prostate cancer and lack of an effective, long-term treatment for metastatic disease highlights the need for more potent non-calcemic vitamin D analogs as potential alternative or combinational prostate cancer therapies. Among the analogs, 19-nor-1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 (19-nor-1alpha,25(OH)2D2) known as paricalcitol or Zempler, has less calcemic effects and an equipotential activity as 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1alpha,25(OH)2D3) in several in vivo and in vitro systems. It was recently demonstrated that a modified analog of paricalcitol, 19-nor-2alpha-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (MART-10) compared to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 was more effective in inhibiting proliferation of an immortalized normal prostate cell line (PZ-HPV-7) (1,000-fold) and invasion of PC-3 prostate cancer cells (10-fold). In this study, the effects of MART-10 and 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 on proliferation, vitamin D receptor transactivation, vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) binding, CYP24A1 (24-OHase) substrate hydroxylation kinetics, and induction of CYP24A1 gene expression were compared in an androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell model, LNCaP. The results demonstrated that MART-10 was 1,000-fold more active than 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 in inhibiting LNCaP cell proliferation. MART-10 was more active than 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 in up-regulating a vitamin D receptor-responsive Luciferase construct and inducing CYP24A1 gene expression in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. In addition, MART-10 has a lower affinity for DBP and less substrate degradation by CYP24A1 compared to 1alpha,25(OH)2D3, indicating that MART-10 has more bioavailability and a longer half-life. Thus, these data suggest that MART-10 may be a potential candidate as a therapeutic agent for prostate cancer, especially for patients who fail in conventional therapies