SFRP-4 abrogates Wnt-3a-induced β-catenin and Akt/PKB signalling and reverses a Wnt-3a-imposed inhibition of in vitro mammary differentiation

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Conserved Wnt ligands are critical for signalling during development; however, various factors modulate their activity. Among these factors are the Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins (SFRP). We previously isolated the SFRP-4 gene from an involuting rat mammary gland and later showed that transgenic mice inappropriately expressing SFRP-4 during lactation exhibited a high level of apoptosis with reduced survival of progeny. RESULTS: In order to address the questions related to the mechanism of Wnt signalling and its inhibition by SFRP-4 which we report here, we employed partially-purified Wnt-3a in a co-culture model system. Ectopic expression of SFRP-4 was accomplished by infection with a pBabepuro construct. The co-cultures comprised Line 31E mouse mammary secretory epithelial cells and Line 30F, undifferentiated, fibroblast-like mouse mammary cells. In vitro differentiation of such co-cultures can be demonstrated by induction of the beta-casein gene in response to lactogenic hormones.We show here that treatment of cells with partially-purified Wnt-3a initiates Dvl-3, Akt/PKB and GSK-3beta hyperphosphorylation and beta-catenin activation. Furthermore, while up-regulating the cyclin D1 and connexin-43 genes and elevating transepithelial resistance of Line 31E cell monolayers, Wnt-3a treatment abrogates differentiation of co-cultures in response to the lactogenic hormones prolactin, insulin and glucocorticoid. Cells which express SFRP-4, however, are largely unaffected by Wnt-3a stimulation. Since a physical association between Wnt-3a and SFRP-4 could be demonstrated with immunoprecipitation/Western blotting experiments, this interaction, presumably owing to the Frizzled homology region typical of all SFRPs, explains the refractory response to Wnt-3a which was observed. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that Wnt-3a treatment activates the Wnt signalling pathway and interferes with in vitro differentiation of mammary co-cultures to beta-casein production in response to lactogenic hormones. Similarly, in another measure of differentiation, following Wnt-3a treatment mammary epithelial cells could be shown to up-regulate the cyclin D1 and connexin-43 genes while phenotypically they show increased transepithelial resistance across the cell monolayer. All these behavioural changes can be blocked in mammary epithelial cells expressing SFRP-4. Thus, our data illustrate in an in vitro model a mechanism by which SFRP-4 can modulate a differentiation response to Wnt-3a

ZEB1 limits adenoviral infectability by transcriptionally repressing the Coxsackie virus and Adenovirus Receptor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We have previously reported that RAS-MEK (Cancer Res. 2003 May 1;63(9):2088-95) and TGF-β (Cancer Res. 2006 Feb 1;66(3):1648-57) signaling negatively regulate coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) cell-surface expression and adenovirus uptake. In the case of TGF-β, down-regulation of CAR occurred in context of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process associated with transcriptional repression of E-cadherin by, for instance, the E2 box-binding factors Snail, Slug, SIP1 or ZEB1. While EMT is crucial in embryonic development, it has been proposed to contribute to the formation of invasive and metastatic carcinomas by reducing cell-cell contacts and increasing cell migration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we show that ZEB1 represses CAR expression in both PANC-1 (pancreatic) and MDA-MB-231 (breast) human cancer cells. We demonstrate that ZEB1 physically associates with at least one of two closely spaced and conserved E2 boxes within the minimal CAR promoter here defined as genomic region -291 to -1 relative to the translational start ATG. In agreement with ZEB1's established role as a negative regulator of the epithelial phenotype, silencing its expression in MDA-MB-231 cells induced a partial Mesenchymal-to-Epithelial Transition (MET) characterized by increased levels of E-cadherin and CAR, and decreased expression of fibronectin. Conversely, knockdown of ZEB1 in PANC-1 cells antagonized both the TGF-β-induced down-regulation of E-cadherin and CAR and the reduction of adenovirus uptake. Interestingly, even though ZEB1 clearly contributes to the TGF-β-induced mesenchymal phenotype of PANC-1 cells, TGF-β did not seem to affect ZEB1's protein levels or subcellular localization. These findings suggest that TGF-β may inhibit CAR expression by regulating factor(s) that cooperate with ZEB1 to repress the CAR promoter, rather than by regulating ZEB1 expression levels. In addition to the negative E2 box-mediated regulation the minimal CAR promoter is positively regulated through conserved <it>ETS </it>and <it>CRE </it>elements.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This report provides evidence that inhibition of ZEB1 may improve adenovirus uptake of cancer cells that have undergone EMT and for which ZEB1 is necessary to maintain the mesenchymal phenotype. Targeting of ZEB1 may reverse some aspects of EMT including the down-regulation of CAR.</p

Measurement report : Introduction to the HyICE-2018 campaign for measurements of ice-nucleating particles and instrument inter-comparison in the Hyytiala boreal forest

The formation of ice particles in Earth's atmosphere strongly influences the dynamics and optical properties of clouds and their impacts on the climate system. Ice formation in clouds is often triggered heterogeneously by ice-nucleating particles (INPs) that represent a very low number of particles in the atmosphere. To date, many sources of INPs, such as mineral and soil dust, have been investigated and identified in the low and mid latitudes. Although less is known about the sources of ice nucleation at high latitudes, efforts have been made to identify the sources of INPs in the Arctic and boreal environments. In this study, we investigate the INP emission potential from high-latitude boreal forests in the mixed-phase cloud regime. We introduce the HyICE-2018 measurement campaign conducted in the boreal forest of Hyytiala, Finland, between February and June 2018. The campaign utilized the infrastructure of the Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) II, with additional INP instruments, including the Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber I and II (PINC and PINCii), the SPectrometer for Ice Nuclei (SPIN), the Portable Ice Nucleation Experiment (PINE), the Ice Nucleation SpEctrometer of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (INSEKT) and the Microlitre Nucleation by Immersed Particle Instrument (mu L-NIPI), used to quantify the INP concentrations and sources in the boreal environment. In this contribution, we describe the measurement infrastructure and operating procedures during HyICE-2018, and we report results from specific time periods where INP instruments were run in parallel for inter-comparison purposes. Our results show that the suite of instruments deployed during HyICE-2018 reports consistent results and therefore lays the foundation for forthcoming results to be considered holistically. In addition, we compare measured INP concentrations to INP parameterizations, and we observe good agreement with the Tobo et al. (2013) parameterization developed from measurements conducted in a ponderosa pine forest ecosystem in Colorado, USA.Peer reviewe

Measurement report : Introduction to the HyICE-2018 campaign for measurements of ice-nucleating particles and instrument inter-comparison in the Hyytiala boreal forest

The formation of ice particles in Earth's atmosphere strongly influences the dynamics and optical properties of clouds and their impacts on the climate system. Ice formation in clouds is often triggered heterogeneously by ice-nucleating particles (INPs) that represent a very low number of particles in the atmosphere. To date, many sources of INPs, such as mineral and soil dust, have been investigated and identified in the low and mid latitudes. Although less is known about the sources of ice nucleation at high latitudes, efforts have been made to identify the sources of INPs in the Arctic and boreal environments. In this study, we investigate the INP emission potential from high-latitude boreal forests in the mixed-phase cloud regime. We introduce the HyICE-2018 measurement campaign conducted in the boreal forest of Hyytiala, Finland, between February and June 2018. The campaign utilized the infrastructure of the Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) II, with additional INP instruments, including the Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber I and II (PINC and PINCii), the SPectrometer for Ice Nuclei (SPIN), the Portable Ice Nucleation Experiment (PINE), the Ice Nucleation SpEctrometer of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (INSEKT) and the Microlitre Nucleation by Immersed Particle Instrument (mu L-NIPI), used to quantify the INP concentrations and sources in the boreal environment. In this contribution, we describe the measurement infrastructure and operating procedures during HyICE-2018, and we report results from specific time periods where INP instruments were run in parallel for inter-comparison purposes. Our results show that the suite of instruments deployed during HyICE-2018 reports consistent results and therefore lays the foundation for forthcoming results to be considered holistically. In addition, we compare measured INP concentrations to INP parameterizations, and we observe good agreement with the Tobo et al. (2013) parameterization developed from measurements conducted in a ponderosa pine forest ecosystem in Colorado, USA.Peer reviewe

Cancer T cell immunotherapy with bispecific antibodies and chimeric antigen receptors

Solid tumors contain several different types of malignant cells. This cellular heterogeneity complicates therapy for at least two reasons. First, each subpopulation may respond differently to a given treatment. Second, cancer cells are plastic, and thus may convert from a therapy-sensitive to a therapy-resistant cell type represented by another subpopulation. Therefore, successful therapies will have to target numerous malignant cell types, not just the rapidly proliferating cells as most standard treatments do. Immunotherapies with T cells engineered to recognize cancer cells via bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are particularly promising approaches with potential to ablate both dividing and non/slow-dividing subpopulations of cancer cells. Here, we discuss several patents associated with exceptionally effective bsAbs of the tandem single-chain variable fragment (taFv) class and untangle a part of the complex network of patents directly or indirectly related to CARs. Furthermore, we speculate on the future of bsAbs and CARs for both treatment and prevention of solid tumors such as prostate cancer

SFRP-4 abrogates Wnt-3a-induced β-catenin and Akt/PKB signalling and reverses a Wnt-3a-imposed inhibition of mammary differentiation-8

of Dvl-3. Following treatment with Wnt-3a for the indicated times, cells were lysed with Triton X-100 Lysis Buffer and cell extracts were subjected to Western blot analysis. Hyperphosphorylation of Dvl-3 is evident by a consistent relative increase in the intensity of the upper band of the doublet. Alkaline phosphatase treatment caused the loss of the upper band (data not shown).<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "SFRP-4 abrogates Wnt-3a-induced β-catenin and Akt/PKB signalling and reverses a Wnt-3a-imposed inhibition of mammary differentiation"</p><p>http://www.jmolecularsignaling.com/content/3/1/10</p><p>Journal of Molecular Signaling 2008;3():10-10.</p><p>Published online 2 May 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2412851.</p><p></p

SFRP-4 abrogates Wnt-3a-induced β-catenin and Akt/PKB signalling and reverses a Wnt-3a-imposed inhibition of mammary differentiation-4

Ates were analysed by Western Blot for the levels of β-catenin. Pathway activation is indicated by the increase in cytosolic β-catenin upon Wnt-3a treatment seen only in the parental HEK293 cells whereas in the SFPR-4-expressing cells this effect was abolished. conditioned medium supernatant (CM) prepared from the HEK 293 cells expressing SFRP-4(HA tagged) after treatment with 5 μl Wnt-3a for 4 hours in the above experiment, was immunoprecipitated with an anti-HA-tag antibody, electrophoresed, Western blotted and, firstly, detected with an anti-HA-tag antibody. The first lane shows the precipitated SFRP-4 containing the HA tag from the CM. The middle lane shows the presence of the same protein in the total cell lysate (TCL) of the same cells as a control. The membrane was then re-probed with affinity-purified anti-Wnt-3a antibody, showing binding of Wnt-3a to the immunoprecipitated SFRP-4(HA tagged) from the conditioned medium supernatant (first lane), but not in the total cell lysate (middle lane). In addition, a sample of TCL from L cells expressing Wnt-3a (Fig. 8b, last lane), which had not been subjected to immunoprecipitation, served as a control demonstrating the detection of Wnt-3a protein.<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "SFRP-4 abrogates Wnt-3a-induced β-catenin and Akt/PKB signalling and reverses a Wnt-3a-imposed inhibition of mammary differentiation"</p><p>http://www.jmolecularsignaling.com/content/3/1/10</p><p>Journal of Molecular Signaling 2008;3():10-10.</p><p>Published online 2 May 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2412851.</p><p></p