DNA Damage-induced Cell Death Research Articles

The Chk1 inhibitor SAR-020106 sensitizes human glioblastoma cells to irradiation, to temozolomide, and to decitabine treatment

BackgroundGlioblastoma is the most common and aggressive brain tumour in adults with a median overall survival of only 14 months after standard therapy with radiation therapy (IR) and temozolomide (TMZ). In a novel multimodal treatment approach we combined the checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibitor SAR-020106 (SAR), disrupting homologue recombination, with standard DNA damage inducers (IR, TMZ) and the epigenetic/cytotoxic drug decitabine (5-aza-2′-deoxycitidine, 5-aza-dC). Different in vitro glioblastoma models are monitored to evaluate if the impaired DNA damage repair may chemo/radiosensitize the tumour cells.MethodsHuman p53-mutated (p53-mut) and -wildtype (p53-wt) glioblastoma cell lines (p53-mut: LN405, T98G; p53-wt: A172, DBTRG) and primary glioblastoma cells (p53-mut: P0297; p53-wt: P0306) were treated with SAR combined with TMZ, 5-aza-dC, and/or IR and analysed for induction of apoptosis (AnnexinV and sub-G1 assay), cell cycle distribution (nuclear PI staining), DNA damage (alkaline comet or gH2A.X assay), proliferation inhibition (BrdU assay), reproductive survival (clonogenic assay), and potential tumour stem cells (nestinpos/GFAPneg fluorescence staining). Potential treatment-induced neurotoxicity was evaluated on nestin-positive neural progenitor cells in a murine entorhinal-hippocampal slice culture model.ResultsSAR showed radiosensitizing effects on the induction of apoptosis and on the reduction of long-term survival in p53-mut and p53-wt glioblastoma cell lines and primary cells. In p53-mut cells, this effect was accompanied by an abrogation of the IR-induced G2/M arrest and an enhancement of IR-induced DNA damage by SAR treatment. Also TMZ and 5-aza-dC acted radioadditively albeit to a lesser extent. The multimodal treatment achieved the most effective reduction of clonogenicity in all tested cell lines and did not affect the ratio of nestinpos/GFAPneg cells. No neurotoxic effects were detected when the number of nestin-positive neural progenitor cells remained unchanged after multimodal treatment.ConclusionThe Chk1 inhibitor SAR-020106 is a potent sensitizer for DNA damage-induced cell death in glioblastoma therapy strongly reducing clonogenicity of tumour cells. Selectively enhanced p53-mut cell death may provide stronger responses in tumours defective of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Our results suggest that a multimodal therapy involving DNA damage inducers and DNA repair inhibitors might be an effective anti-tumour strategy with a low risk of neurotoxicity.

Role of Retinoic Acid Receptor-γ in DNA Damage-Induced Necroptosis

SummaryDNA-damaging compounds, commonly used as chemotherapeutic drugs, are known to trigger cells to undergo programmed cell death such as apoptosis and necroptosis. However, the molecular mechanism of DNA damage-induced cell death is not fully understood. Here, we report that RARγ has a critical role in DNA damage-induced programmed cell death, specifically in necroptosis. The loss of RARγ abolishes the necroptosis induced by DNA damage. In addition, cells that lack RARγ are less susceptible to extrinsic apoptotic pathway activated by DNA-damaging agents whereas the intrinsic apoptotic pathway is not affected. We demonstrate that RARγ is essential for the formation of RIPK1/RIPK3 death complex, known as Ripoptosome, in response to DNA damage. Furthermore, we show that RARγ plays a role in skin cancer development by using RARγ1 knockout mice and human squamous cell carcinoma biopsies. Hence, our study reveals that RARγ is a critical component of DNA damage-induced cell death.

Mechanisms Underlying Augmented Lymphomagenesis by LUBAC; Possible Accumulation of AID-Mediated Somatic Mutations

Activated B-cell like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL) is characterized by constitutive activation of NF-κB signaling, where protein ubiquitination is involved in various steps. The linear ubiquitin chains specifically generated by the linear ubiquitin assembly complex (LUBAC) has recently drawn attention in NF-κB signaling. LUBAC is known to be involved in NF-κB activation and cell death protection by conjugating linear chains onto several substrates including NEMO. We have reported increased frequency of rare germline single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HOIP, the catalytic subunit of LUBAC in ABC-DLBCL patients (Yang et al., Cancer Discov, 2014). Although the SNPs enhanced ligase activity of LUBAC, precise mechanisms underlying augmented lymphomagenesis by LUBAC remains unknown.In order to consolidate the roles of LUBAC in the pathogenesis of ABC-DLBCL, a mouse strain, in which wild-type murine HOIP is constitutively expressed in B cells from as early as the pre-B cell stage (CD19-cre-HOIP) is generated. In CD19-cre-HOIP, the increase of HOIP elevated the amount of trimeric LUBAC composed of HOIP, HOIL-1L and SHARPIN, augmenting NF-κB activation mildly in B cells. TLR-induced proliferation is more prominent in CD19-cre-HOIP B cells than littermate control, indicating that MYD88-dependent signaling is facilitated by LUBAC. Although some of the aged CD19-cre-HOIP mice showed splenomegaly, no CD19-cre-HOIP mice developed lymphomas as far as examined. These results indicated that enhanced expression of HOIP leads to augmentation of TLR-mediated signaling and proliferation in B cells, but it cannot induce lymphomagenesis by itself.Importantly, majority of ABC-DLBCL found in patients with the HOIP SNPs had oncogenic MYD88 L265P mutation. To assess synergistic effects of LUBAC and MYD88 L265P, we generated two mice strains, expressing MYD88 L252P, an equivalent mutation of human L265P in mice alone (CD19-cre-MYD88LP) or MYD88 L252P and HOIP (CD19-cre-HOIP/MYD88LP) in a B-cell specific manner.In CD19-cre-MYD88LP B cells, enhanced phosphorylation of IRAK4, degradation of IκBα, and expression of NF-κB target genes were observed as a result of constitutive activation of MYD88 signaling. Constitutive MYD88 signaling in B cells also led to the expansion of B cell population and splenomegaly since early age. As reported previously (Knittel et al., Blood, 2016), B-cell specific expression of MYD88 L252P resulted in a reduced survival and introduction of a HOIP transgenic allele significantly shortened survival of mice expressing MYD88 L252P. Since clonal B-cell lymphomas displaying characteristics of DLBCL could be found in both CD19-cre-MYD88LP and CD19-cre-HOIP/MYD88LP mice, the augmented LUBAC activity promotes active MYD88-mediated lymphomagenesis of B cells.To clarify the mechanisms underlying LUBAC-mediated acceleration of B lymphomagenesis, whole-exome-sequencing analyses of lymphomas developed in these mice were performed. Many of the genes mutated in these lymphomas recapitulated those reported in human DLBCL, and alignment analyses suggested that majority of these mutations were identified as targets of aberrant somatic hypermutations induced by AID, which were especially prominent in the tumors developed in CD19-cre-HOIP/MYD88LP mice. These findings strongly implied that LUBAC enhances AID-mediated somatic mutations.Induced expression of AID was unlikely the major reason for increased mutation loads by LUBAC, since AID expression was elevated in B cells of both CD19-cre-HOIP/MYD88LP, and CD19-cre-MYD88LP mice almost equally. LUBAC has been reported involved in the protection of DNA damage-induced apoptosis. AID is known to induce double strand DNA break, and we hypothesized that LUBAC may protect cells from DNA damage-induced cell death caused by AID. To probe the effect of enhanced expression of LUBAC on protection from genotoxin-mediated apoptosis, we treated Jurkat cells with cisplatin and found that enforced expression of HOIP protected cells from cisplatin-induced cell death, implying that cells with augmented LUBAC activity have higher tolerance to genotoxic stress.In summary, the present results indicated that protection of B-cells from cell death underlies accelerating lymphomagenesis caused by augmented LUBAC activity via partial overcoming AID-mediated DNA damage, which leads to accumulation of somatic mutations. DisclosuresNishikori:Ono Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Eisai: Research Funding. Takaori-Kondo:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria.

Clusterin, a Novel DEC1 Target, Modulates DNA Damage-Mediated Cell Death.

Differentiated embryonic chondrocyte expressed gene 1 (DEC1, also known as Sharp2/Stra13/BHLHE40) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that plays an important role in circadian rhythms, cell proliferation, apoptosis, cellular senescence, hypoxia response, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of tumor cells. Secretory clusterin (sCLU) is a cytoprotective protein that guards against genotoxic stresses. Here, clusterin (CLU) was identified as a novel target gene of DEC1 and suppresses DNA damage-induced cell death in tumor cells. Mechanistically, based on chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays, DEC1 binds to and activates the promoter of the CLU gene. DEC1 and DNA-damaging agents induce sCLU expression, whereas DEC1 knockdown decreases the expression of sCLU upon DNA damage. Moreover, the data demonstrate that DEC1 inhibits, whereas sCLU knockdown enhances, DNA damage-induced cell death in MCF7 breast cancer cells. Given that DEC1 and sCLU are frequently overexpressed in breast cancers, these data provide mechanistic insight into DEC1 as a prosurvival factor by upregulating sCLU to reduce the DNA damage-induced apoptotic response. Together, this study reveals sCLU as a novel target of DEC1 which modulates the sensitivity of the DNA damage response.Implications: DEC1 and sCLU are frequently overexpressed in breast cancer, and targeting the sCLU-mediated cytoprotective signaling pathway may be a novel therapeutic approach. Mol Cancer Res; 16(11); 1641-51. ©2018 AACR.

223 - The regulation of oxidative metabolism by nitric oxide protects β-cells from DNA damage-induced cell death

Nitric oxide, generated in β-cells in response to cytokines, induces DNA damage that activates DNA damage response (DDR) and eventually leads to apoptosis if damage is too extensive. We have shown that nitric oxide, while inducing double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs), also inhibits DDR signaling and protects β-cells from DNA damage-induced apoptosis.The ability of nitric oxide to inhibit the DDR signaling is selective to β-cells and correlates with a loss in ATP levels, while non-β-cells are able to maintain both ATP levels and DDR signaling when treated with nitric oxide. However, the mechanism that regulates this cell type selectiveness is not known. β-cell metabolism is characterized by the coupling of glycolysis to mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, where 90% of the carbons of glucose are oxidized to CO2 in a concentration-dependent manner. Nitric oxide is known to inhibit mitochondrial oxidative metabolism (e.g. aconitase in the TCA cycle and complex IV of electron transport chain (ETC)). In response to nitric oxide, β-cells are not able to compensate the inhibition of mitochondrial oxidation by increasing glycolytic metabolism. In contrast, non-β-cells compensate for the mitochondrial inhibition by increasing glycolytic metabolism to maintain their ATP pool. Consistent with the action of nitric oxide, we showed that rotenone, an inhibitor of complex I of ETC, also inhibit DDR signaling and decrease ATP levels in β-cells but not in non-β-cells. Importantly, when non-β-cells are forced to generate ATP via mitochondrial oxidation, nitric oxide inhibits DDR signaling, decrease ATP levels, and protects cells from DNA damage-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that the coupling of glycolysis to mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in β-cells allows nitric oxide to decrease ATP levels and subsequently inhibit DDR signaling and protect β-cells from DNA damage-induced apoptosis.

DNA damage-induced cell death relies on SLFN11-dependent cleavage of distinct type II tRNAs.

Transcriptome analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between human SLFN11 expression and the sensitivity of tumor cells to DNA damaging agents (DDAs). We show here that SLFN11 preferentially inhibits translation of ATR or ATM upon DDAs treatment based on distinct codon usage without disrupting early DNA damage response signaling. Type II tRNAs, which include all serine and leucine tRNAs, are cleaved in a SLFN11-dependent manner in response to DDAs. mRNAs encoded by genes with high TTA (Leu) codon usage such as ATR display utmost susceptibility to translational suppression by SLFN11. Specific attenuation of tRNA-Leu-TAA sufficed to ablate ATR protein expression and restore DDA sensitivity of SLFN11-deficient cells. Our study uncovered a novel mechanism of codon-specific translational inhibition via SLFN11-dependent tRNA cleavage in the DNA damage response, and supports the notion that SLFN11-deficient tumor cells can be resensitized to DDAs by targeting ATR or tRNA-Leu-TAA.

The Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Activity of Eyes Absent Contributes to Tumor Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth.

DNA damage repair capacity is required for cells to survive catastrophic DNA damage and proliferate under conditions of intratumoral stress. The ability of the minor histone protein H2AX to serve as a hub for the assembly of a productive DNA damage repair complex is a necessary step in preventing DNA damage-induced cell death. The Eyes Absent (EYA) proteins dephosphorylate the terminal tyrosine residue of H2AX, thus permitting assembly of a productive DNA repair complex. Here, we use genetic and chemical biology approaches to separately query the roles of host vascular endothelial cell and tumor cell EYA in tumor growth. Deletion of Eya3 in host endothelial cells significantly reduced tumor angiogenesis and limited tumor growth in xenografts. Deletion of Eya3 in tumor cells reduced tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth without affecting tumor angiogenesis. A chemical inhibitor of the EYA tyrosine phosphatase activity inhibited both tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth. Simultaneously targeting the tumor vasculature and tumor cells is an attractive therapeutic strategy because it could counter the development of the more aggressive phenotype known to emerge from conventional antiangiogenic agents. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(8); 1659-69. ©2018 AACR.

CAMP-mediated autophagy inhibits DNA damage-induced death of leukemia cells independent of p53.

Autophagy is important in regulating the balance between cell death and survival, with the tumor suppressor p53 as one of the key components in this interplay. We have previously utilized an in vitro model of the most common form of childhood cancer, B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), to show that activation of the cAMP signaling pathway inhibits p53-mediated apoptosis in response to DNA damage in both cell lines and primary leukemic cells. The present study reveals that cAMP-mediated survival of BCP-ALL cells exposed to DNA damaging agents, involves a critical and p53-independent enhancement of autophagy. Although autophagy generally is regarded as a survival mechanism, DNA damage-induced apoptosis has been linked both to enhanced and reduced levels of autophagy. Here we show that exposure of BCP-ALL cells to irradiation or cytotoxic drugs triggers autophagy and cell death in a p53-dependent manner. Stimulation of the cAMP signaling pathway further augments autophagy and inhibits the DNA damage-induced cell death concomitant with reduced nuclear levels of p53. Knocking-down the levels of p53 reduced the irradiation-induced autophagy and cell death, but had no effect on the cAMP-mediated autophagy. Moreover, prevention of autophagy by bafilomycin A1 or by the ULK-inhibitor MRT68921, diminished the protecting effect of cAMP signaling on DNA damage-induced cell death. Having previously proposed a role of the cAMP signaling pathway in development and treatment of BCP-ALLs, we here suggest that inhibitors of autophagy may improve current DNA damage-based therapy of BCP-ALL - independent of p53.

P-9 - Bcl-2 phosphorylation at serine-70 protects cancer cells from ROS-induced DNA damage and cell death by engaging the mitochondrial respiratory system

Chemotherapeutics target cancer cells by inducing DNA damage. The mechanism of these drugs in damaging DNA relies partly in the elevation of ROS, which in turn causes DNA oxidation, strand breaks and cell death. Although cancer cells are capable of resisting drug-induced cell death by various protective means, the mechanism that specifically rely on modulating the redox milieu, in favor of survival, is not fully elucidated. We now show that phosphorylation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl2 at Serine70 (S70pBcl2), could alleviate drug-induced DNA damage to prevent cancer cell death. This is due to its ability in preventing drug-induced intracellular ROS production. Mechanistically, S70pBcl2 resulted in a diminished interaction between Bcl2 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit Vα (COX5α), a mitochondrial complex VI subunit, as well as Bcl2-dependent shuttling of COX5α to the mitochondria. This in turn reduces complex IV activity, mitochondrial oxygen consumption and ultimately mitochondrial O2- production. Importantly, the inverse correlation between S70pBcl2 and Bcl2/COX5α interaction as well as DNA damage were recapitulated in clinical lymphomas. These data underscore the oncogenic and antioxidant roles of Bcl2 phosphorylation in protecting cancer cells from DNA damage-induced cell death.

The Investigation of the Apoptose Structural Effects and Mechanism in Leukemic Cells of Sirt1 Inhibitor Sirtinol

Human SIRT1 is an enzyme that deacetylates the p53 tumor suppressor protein. It has been suggested to modulate p53-dependent functions including DNA damage-induced cell death. Sirtuins are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dependent class III histone deacetylase proteins that play a crucial role in several cellular processes, including DNA repair, apoptosis, and lifespan. In this study, we investigated the relationship between sirtinols and apoptosis mechanism at leukemic cells. For this, we applied sirtinol to K-562 (chronic myeloid leukemia) and Jurkat (acute T-cell leukemia) cell lines at different dilutions in cell culture conditions. And Cdna isolated patient RNA samples, after that Caspase3, Bax, Bcl2 expression performed with used qRT-PCR technique and cells were stained by Annexin V method. According to the results of research, we identified that Sirtinol dilutions were increased in both K-562 and Jurkat, while the number of living cells was decreasing, the number of dead cells increased at 50 μM dilution. Sirtinol, an HDAC inhibitor in the direction of these results, has been observed to be a drug that can be effective in the treatment of CML as well as T-ALL.

LIMD1 is induced by and required for LMP1 signaling, and protects EBV-transformed cells from DNA damage-induced cell death.

LIMD1 (LIM domain-containing protein 1) is considered as a tumor suppressor, being deregulated in many cancers to include hematological malignancies; however, very little is known about the underlying mechanisms of its deregulation and its roles in carcinogenesis. Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is associated with a panel of malignancies of lymphocytic and epithelial origin. Using high throughput expression profiling, we have previously identified LIMD1 as a common marker associated with the oncogenic transcription factor IRF4 in EBV-related lymphomas and other hematological malignancies. In this study, we have identified potential conserved IRF4- and NFκB-binding motifs in the LIMD1 gene promoter, and both are demonstrated functional by promoter-reporter assays. We further show that LIMD1 is partially upregulated by EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) via IRF4 and NFκB in EBV latency. As to its role in the setting of EBV latent infection, we show that LIMD1 interacts with TRAF6, a crucial mediator of LMP1 signal transduction. Importantly, LIMD1 depletion impairs LMP1 signaling and functions, potentiates ionomycin-induced DNA damage and apoptosis, and inhibits p62-mediated selective autophagy. Taken together, these results show that LIMD1 is upregulated in EBV latency and plays an oncogenic role rather than that of a tumor suppressor. Our findings have identified LIMD1 as a novel player in EBV latency and oncogenesis, and open a novel research avenue, in which LIMD1 and p62 play crucial roles in linking DNA damage response (DDR), apoptosis, and autophagy and their potential interplay during viral oncogenesis.

Protein phosphatase 2A inhibition enhances radiation sensitivity and reduces tumor growth in chordoma.

Standard therapy for chordoma consists of surgical resection followed by high-dose irradiation. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine phosphatase involved in signal transduction, cell cycle progression, cell differentiation, and DNA repair. LB100 is a small-molecule inhibitor of PP2A designed to sensitize cancer cells to DNA damage from irradiation and chemotherapy. A recently completed phase I trial of LB100 in solid tumors demonstrated its safety. Here, we show the therapeutic potential of LB100 in chordoma. Three patient-derived chordoma cell lines were used: U-CH1, JHC7, and UM-Chor1. Cell proliferation was determined with LB100 alone and in combination with irradiation. Cell cycle progression was assessed by flow cytometry. Quantitative γ-H2AX immunofluorescence and immunoblot evaluated the effect of LB100 on radiation-induced DNA damage. Ultrastructural evidence for nuclear damage was investigated using Raman imaging and transmission electron microscopy. A xenograft model was established to determine potential clinical utility of adding LB100 to irradiation. PP2A inhibition in concert with irradiation demonstrated in vitro growth inhibition. The combination of LB100 and radiation also induced accumulation at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, the stage most sensitive to radiation-induced damage. LB100 enhanced radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks. Animals implanted with chordoma cells and treated with the combination of LB100 and radiation demonstrated tumor growth delay. Combining LB100 and radiation enhanced DNA damage-induced cell death and delayed tumor growth in an animal model of chordoma. PP2A inhibition by LB100 treatment may improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy for chordoma.

Multiscale Modeling of Inflammation-Induced Tumorigenesis Reveals Competing Oncogenic and Oncoprotective Roles for Inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is a serious risk factor for cancer; however, the routes from inflammation to cancer are poorly understood. On the basis of the processes implicated by frequently mutated genes associated with inflammation and cancer in three organs (stomach, colon, and liver) extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus, The Cancer Genome Atlas, and Gene Ontology databases, we present a multiscale model of the long-term evolutionary dynamics leading from inflammation to tumorigenesis. The model incorporates cross-talk among interactions on several scales, including responses to DNA damage, gene mutation, cell-cycle behavior, population dynamics, inflammation, and metabolism-immune balance. Model simulations revealed two stages of inflammation-induced tumorigenesis: a precancerous state and tumorigenesis. The precancerous state was mainly caused by mutations in the cell proliferation pathway; the transition from the precancerous to tumorigenic states was induced by mutations in pathways associated with apoptosis, differentiation, and metabolism-immune balance. We identified opposing effects of inflammation on tumorigenesis. Mild inflammation removed cells with DNA damage through DNA damage-induced cell death, whereas severe inflammation accelerated accumulation of mutations and hence promoted tumorigenesis. These results provide insight into the evolutionary dynamics of inflammation-induced tumorigenesis and highlight the combinatorial effects of inflammation and metabolism-immune balance. This approach establishes methods for quantifying cancer risk, for the discovery of driver pathways in inflammation-induced tumorigenesis, and has direct relevance for early detection and prevention and development of new treatment regimes. Cancer Res; 77(22); 6429-41. ©2017 AACR.

Deregulated BCL-2 family proteins impact on repair of DNA double-strand breaks and are targets to overcome radioresistance in lung cancer.

DNA damage-induced cell death is a major effector mechanism of radiotherapy. Aberrant expression of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins is frequently observed in lung cancers. Against this background, we studied radioresistance mediated by BCL-2 family proteins at the mechanistic level and its potential as target for radiochemotherapy. Lung cancer models stably expressing BCL-xL or MCL-1 were irradiated to study cell death, clonogenic survival, and DNA repair kinetics invitro, and growth suppression of established tumors invivo. Additionally, endogenous BCL-xL and MCL-1 were targeted by shRNA or pharmacologic agents prior to irradiation. Radiation exposure induced apoptosis at negligible levels. Yet, anti-apoptotic BCL-xL and MCL-1 expression conferred short-term and long-term radioresistance invitro and invivo. Radioresistance correlated with pertubations in homologous recombination repair and repair of DNA double-strand breaks by error-prone, alternative end-joining. Notably, genetic or pharmacologic targeting of BCL-xL or MCL-1 effectively sensitized lung cancer cells to radiotherapy. In addition to directly suppressing apoptosis, BCL-2 family proteins confer long-term survival benefits to irradiated cancer cells associated with utilization of error-prone repair pathways. Targeting BCL-xL and MCL-1 is an attractive strategy for improving lung cancer radiotherapy.

FZR1 loss increases sensitivity to DNA damage and consequently promotes murine and human B-cell acute leukemia

AbstractFZR1 (fizzy-related protein homolog; also known as CDH1 [cell division cycle 20 related 1]) functions in the cell cycle as a specific activator of anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome ubiquitin ligase, regulating late mitosis, G1 phase, and activation of the G2-M checkpoint. FZR1 has been implicated as both a tumor suppressor and oncoprotein, and its precise contribution to carcinogenesis remains unclear. Here, we examined the role of FZR1 in tumorigenesis and cancer therapy by analyzing tumor models and patient specimens. In an Fzr1 gene-trap mouse model of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), mice with Fzr1-deficient B-ALL survived longer than those with Fzr1-intact disease, and sensitivity of Fzr1-deficient B-ALL cells to DNA damage appeared increased. Consistently, conditional knockdown of FZR1 sensitized human B-ALL cell lines to DNA damage–induced cell death. Moreover, multivariate analyses of reverse-phase protein array of B-ALL specimens from newly diagnosed B-ALL patients determined that a low FZR1 protein expression level was an independent predictor of a longer remission duration. The clinical benefit of a low FZR1 expression level at diagnosis was no longer apparent in patients with relapsed B-ALL. Consistent with this result, secondary and tertiary mouse recipients of Fzr1-deficient B-ALL cells developed more progressive and radiation-resistant disease than those receiving Fzr1-intact B-ALL cells, indicating that prolonged inactivation of Fzr1 promotes the development of resistant clones. Our results suggest that reduction of FZR1 increases therapeutic sensitivity of B-ALL and that transient rather than tonic inhibition of FZR1 may be a therapeutic strategy.

Loss of LZAP inactivates p53 and regulates sensitivity of cells to DNA damage in a p53-dependent manner

Chemotherapy and radiation, the two most common cancer therapies, exert their anticancer effects by causing damage to cellular DNA. However, systemic treatment damages DNA not only in cancer, but also in healthy cells, resulting in the progression of serious side effects and limiting efficacy of the treatment. Interestingly, in response to DNA damage, p53 seems to play an opposite role in normal and in the majority of cancer cells—wild-type p53 mediates apoptosis in healthy tissues, attributing to the side effects, whereas mutant p53 often is responsible for acquired cancer resistance to the treatment. Here, we show that leucine zipper-containing ARF-binding protein (LZAP) binds and stabilizes p53. LZAP depletion eliminates p53 protein independently of its mutation status, subsequently protecting wild-type p53 cells from DNA damage-induced cell death, while rendering cells expressing mutant p53 more sensitive to the treatment. In human non-small-cell lung cancer, LZAP levels correlated with p53 levels, suggesting that loss of LZAP may represent a novel mechanism of p53 inactivation in human cancer. Our studies establish LZAP as a p53 regulator and p53-dependent determinative of cell fate in response to DNA damaging treatment.

Two dietary polyphenols, fisetin and luteolin, reduce inflammation but augment DNA damage-induced toxicity in human RPE cells

Plant-derived polyphenols are known to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In recent years, several studies have investigated their potential benefits for treating chronic diseases associated with prolonged inflammation and excessive oxidative stress, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Previously, two polyphenols, fisetin and luteolin, have been reported to increase the survival of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells suffering from oxidative stress as well as decreasing inflammation but the benefits of polyphenol therapy seem to depend on the model system used.Our aim was to analyze the effects of fisetin and luteolin on inflammation and cellular viability in a model of nonoxidative DNA damage-induced cell death in human RPE (hRPE) cells. Pretreatment of ARPE-19 or primary hRPE cells with the polyphenols augmented etoposide-induced cell death as measured by the lactate dehydrogenase and 3-(4,5-dimethyldiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays. However, the treatment was able to reduce the release of two proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-8, which were determined by enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay. Analyses of caspase 3 activity, p53 acetylation and SIRT1 protein levels revealed the apoptotic nature of etoposide-evoked cell death and that fisetin and luteolin augmented the etoposide-induced acetylation of p53 and decreased SIRT1 levels. Taken together, our findings suggest that the cytoprotective effects of fisetin and luteolin depend on the stressor they need to combat, whereas their anti-inflammatory potential is sustained over a variety of model systems. Careful consideration of disease pathways will be necessary before fisetin or luteolin can be recommended as therapeutic agents for inflammatory diseases in general and specifically AMD.

73 - Nitric Oxide Prevents β-Cell Apoptosis Via Inhibition of the DNA Damage Response

The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been implicated as a pathogenic factor in type-1 diabetes by causing inhibition of β-cell function, DNA damage and ultimate cell death. Nitric oxide, produced by β-cells following IL-1 exposure, mediates the inhibition of oxidative metabolism and insulin secretion and induces DNA damage in β-cells. We have recently shown that nitric oxide-induced DNA damage activates the DNA damage response (DDR), a signaling network that coordinates cell fate decisions in response to DNA damage and promotes β-cell apoptosis during IL-1 exposure. Though nitric oxide causes DNA damage, in this study we identified an additional role for nitric oxide as an inhibitor of the DDR. We show that while DNA damage induced by nitric oxide results in DDR activation, this only occurs when islets or insulinoma cells are no longer endogenously producing (in response to IL-1) or exogenously exposed to (with donor compounds) micromolar levels of nitric oxide. Further, we find that nitric oxide treatment of INS 832/13 cells or rat islets completely prevents DDR activation in response to genotoxic agents such as H2O2 and camptothecin, despite persistent DNA damage. Inhibition of the DDR by nitric oxide is associated with β-cell survival, as INS 832/13 cells are protected from DNA damage-dependent apoptosis induced by camptothecin. The ability to inhibit the DDR is restricted to nitric oxide, as other forms of ROS and RNS including superoxide (generated in response to menadione), H2O2, and peroxynitrite are not capable of impairing DDR signaling. Instead, we show that superoxide scavenges nitric oxide and completely prevents its ability to both inhibit DDR signaling and protect β-cells from DNA damage-induced cell death. These findings describe a novel protective role of nitric oxide by functioning as a brake on DDR signaling, thereby attenuating DNA damage-induced apoptosis.

A WEE1 Inhibitor Analog of AZD1775 Maintains Synergy with Cisplatin and Demonstrates Reduced Single-Agent Cytotoxicity in Medulloblastoma Cells.

The current treatment for medulloblastoma includes surgical resection, radiation, and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Although this approach has improved survival rates, the high doses of chemotherapy required for clinical efficacy often result in lasting neurocognitive defects and other adverse events. Therefore, the development of chemosensitizing agents that allow dose reductions of cytotoxic agents, limiting their adverse effects but maintaining their clinical efficacy, would be an attractive approach to treat medulloblastoma. We previously identified WEE1 kinase as a new molecular target for medulloblastoma from an integrated genomic analysis of gene expression and a kinome-wide siRNA screen of medulloblastoma cells and tissue. In addition, we demonstrated that WEE1 prevents DNA damage-induced cell death by cisplatin and that the WEE1 inhibitor AZD1775 displays synergistic activity with cisplatin. AZD1775 was developed as a WEE1 inhibitor from an initial hit from a high-throughput screen. However, given the lack of structure-activity data for AZD1775, we developed a small series of analogs to determine the requirements for WEE1 inhibition and further examine the effects of WEE1 inhibition in medulloblastoma. Interestingly, the compounds that inhibited WEE1 in the same nanomolar range as AZD1775 had significantly reduced single-agent cytotoxicity compared with AZD1775 and displayed synergistic activity with cisplatin in medulloblastoma cells. The potent cytotoxicity of AZD1775, unrelated to WEE1 inhibition, may result in dose-limiting toxicities and exacerbate adverse effects; therefore, WEE1 inhibitors that demonstrate low cytotoxicity could be dosed at higher concentrations to chemosensitize the tumor and potentiate the effect of DNA-damaging agents such as cisplatin.

The Protein Arginine Methylase 5 (PRMT5/SKB1) Gene Is Required for the Maintenance of Root Stem Cells in Response to DNA Damage

Plant root stem cells and their surrounding microenvironment, namely the stem cell niche, are hypersensitive to DNA damage. However, the molecular mechanisms that help maintain the genome stability of root stem cells remain elusive. Here we show that the root stem cells in the skb1 (Shk1 kinase binding protein 1) mutant undergoes DNA damage-induced cell death, which is enhanced when combined with a lesion of the Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) or the ATM/RAD3-related (ATR) genes, suggesting that the SKB1 plays a synergistically effect with ATM and ATR in DNA damage pathway. We also provide evidence that SKB1 is required for the maintenance of quiescent center (QC), a root stem cell niche, under DNA damage treatments. Furthermore, we report decreased and ectopic expression of SHORTROOT (SHR) in response to DNA damage in the skb1 root tips, while the expression of SCARECROW (SCR) remains unaffected. Our results uncover a new mechanism of plant root stem cell maintenance under DNA damage conditions that requires SKB1.