Fraction Of Cells In S-phase Research Articles

Reduced miR-99a-3p levels in systemic lupus erythematosus may promote B cell proliferation via NCAPG and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an immunologically dysregulated disease characterized by the presence of multiple autoantibodies. In SLE, B lymphocytes contribute to the dysregulated production of autoantibodies and cytokines. Recently, we discovered that miR-99a-3p binds to both EIF4EBP1 and NCAPG mRNA and that lowering miR-99a-3p can promote B cell autophagy in SLE by increasing EIF4EBP1 expression. However, the functions of miR-99a-3p and NCAPG in SLE have not been extensively investigated. This work aims to evaluate the levels of miR-99a-3p and NCAPG expression in SLE B cells and to determine whether the aberrant expression of miR-99a-3p and NCAPG contributes to the pathological mechanisms in SLE. B lymphocytes were obtained through immunomagnetic negative selection. Using RT-qPCR, miR-99a-3p and NCAPG mRNA expressions in B lymphocytes and in the BALL-1 cell line were measured. To determine the relative abundance of NCAPG, PI3K, p-PI3K, AKT, and p-AKT, we normalize them to the level of β-actin using Western blotting. Evaluation of miR-99a-3p and NCAPG's impact on cell proliferation was done utilizing CCK-8 assay. Using flow cytometry, the cell cycle and apoptosis were both measured. Comparing SLE B cells to healthy controls, miR-99a-3p expression was significantly downregulated. Additionally, it was observed that SLE B cells had significantly higher NCAPG mRNA expression. Blocking miR-99a-3p expression in BALL-1 cells with an antagomir elevated NCAPG expression, facilitated PI3K/AKT pathway activation, improved cell proliferation, raised the fraction of S-phase cells, and prevented cell apoptosis. The opposite effects of upregulated miR-99a-3p levels on BALL-1 cells were observed by using an agomir. Furthermore, the effect of decreased miR-99a-3p expression on cell proliferation was partially mediated by elevating NCAPG levels and activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Our research indicates that lower miR-99a-3p expression in SLE B cells appears to boost B cell number via the NCAPG and PI3K/AKT pathways.

SGN-35C: A Novel CD30-Directed Antibody-Drug Conjugate for the Treatment of Lymphomas

SGN-35C is an antibody drug conjugate composed of an anti-CD30 antibody conjugated to a camptothecin-derived topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) inhibitor payload. SGN-35C was designed to leverage the antibody backbone from brentuximab vedotin (BV) and the novel mechanism of action of camptothecin-derived ADCs. Here, we evaluated the mechanism of action, cytotoxicity, and safety in in vitro and in vivo models. To characterize the mechanism of action of SGN-35C in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed in CD30-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cell lines, and versions of these cell lines that are resistant to BV. SGN-35C binding, internalization, induction of DNA damage, cell cycle analysis, and in vitro cytotoxicity were evaluated. To assess if payload released in CD30-positive cells could kill adjacent CD30-negative cells, an in vitro bystander assay of CD30-positive and CD30-negative co-cultures was developed. The in vivo antitumor activity of SGN-35C was evaluated in animals bearing subcutaneous lymphoma models. SGN-35C antitumor activity was evaluated in a xenograft model of heterogeneous CD30 expression consisting of a mixture of a BV-resistant Karpas-299 cell line mixed with parental Karpas-299 cells to assess bystander activity in vivo. The tolerability of SGN-35C was assessed in a non-human primate model. SGN-35C binding to CD30-positive cells was similar to the unconjugated anti-CD30 antibody and demonstrated internalization into CD30-expressing cells. Treatment of cells with SGN-35C for 24 hours led to an increase of the DNA damage marker phospho-γH2A.X, which induced an increase in the fraction of cells in S-phase, consistent with the mechanism of camptothecin-based TOP1 inhibitors. Cytotoxicity was observed in ALCL and HL cell lines treated with SGN-35C, including an ALCL cell line resistant to BV. In a mixture of CD30-positive and CD30-negative cells, SGN-35C treatment induced cytotoxicity of the CD30-negative cells, demonstrating that SGN-35C can elicit bystander activity. A single dose of SGN-35C led to significant tumor growth inhibition in animals bearing lymphoma xenografts, including a BV-resistant model and a model of heterogeneous CD30 expression, demonstrating that SGN-35C can elicit bystander activity in vivo. SGN-35C demonstrates a tolerability profile in non-human primates that is consistent with camptothecins. A Phase 1, first-in-human study is planned to evaluate the safety and anti-tumor activity of SGN-35C in lymphoid malignancies.

Daratumumab Activity Is Agnostic to Fc Gamma Receptor 3A (FcγR3A) 158 Genotype in Patients with Primary Refractory or Relapsed Systemic AL Amyloidosis

Introduction: Treatment targeted at the clonal plasma cells that produce the pathologic immunoglobulin light chain in patients with systemic AL amyloidosis, if effective and timely, can normalize serum free light chains resulting in organ responses and significantly improved overall survival. A third of patients with AL have no response to initial therapy, and over half of those who respond to initial therapy will relapse in 4 years; non-responders and relapsed patients with cardiac involvement are at especially high risk of shortened survival. Single agent daratumumab has been shown to have a response rate of 36% in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma patients (Lokhorst, Plesner et al. 2015). Daratumumab is an option for patients with AL who have marrow plasma cell burden > 10%, consistent with myeloma. Antibody- dependent cellular cytotoxicity is a mechanism of action of daratumumab, and this implicates recognition of the FC portion of the therapeutic antibody by FC receptors on effector cells such as macrophages and NK cells. A single nucleotide polymorphism at codon 158 of the FcγR3A receptor has been shown to affect the therapeutic efficacy of monoclonal antibodies(Mellor, Brown et al. 2013). The aim of this study was to assess hematologic and organ responses to daratumumab in a cohort of AL patients with primary refractory or relapsed clonal plasma cell disease and to test whether FcγR3A genotype influenced response to daratumumab.Materials and Methods: Patients with biopsy proven AL amyloidosis and organ involvement evaluated at Tufts Medical Center who received daratumumab were identified and evaluated for hematologic and organ responses according to consensus criteria (Comenzo, Reece et al. 2012, Palladini, Hegenbart et al. 2014). FcγR3a genotype for each patient was identified by PCR amplification and sequencing using genomic DNA from blood or marrow mononuclear cells. The translation of 158F or 158V in the alleles of the membrane-proximal extracellular domain was determined by T/G zygosity at nt559 in the gene sequence.Results: Fifteen patients with AL amyloidosis (λ=10, κ=5) who had primary refractory (no response after at least 2 cycles of initial therapy) (n = 5) or relapsed clonal plasma cell disease (n = 10) received daratumumab at standard doses at a median of 29 months from diagnosis (range, 2-107). Median age at diagnosis was 62 years (47-73) and 60% were male. The median lines of prior therapy were 3 (1-5). Eighty seven percent (n=13) had received bortezomib-based therapy and 53% (n=8) had undergone high-dose melphalan with autologous stem cell transplant. Nine patients had renal involvement (6 with stage 3), and 9 had cardiac involvement with a median NT-proBNP of 2373pg/ml (553-18021). All patients are alive with a median follow-up of 7 months (1-16). Hematologic responses were seen in 87% (CR=5, VPGR=8) with a median time to best response of 71 days. Forty four percent (n=4) had a renal response within an average of 107 days while 55% (n=5) achieved a cardiac response within an average of 149 days. Responses did not correlate with FcγR3A genotype (see figure below). Those with 158V/V or V/F had 3 CR, 3 VGPR and 1 no response (NR) while those with 158F/F had 2 CR, 5 VGPR and 1 NR. The ratio of FcγR3A 158 genotypes in patients with systemic AL amyloidosis has not previously been studied.Conclusions: Daratumumab achieved rapid hematologic responses in over 85% of patients with primary refractory or relapsed systemic AL amyloidosis with significant organ responses. Daratumumab activity was agnostic to FcγR3A 158 genotypes in this cohort of patients, in whom, of note, the distribution of genotypes is of interest. The basis for daratumumab activity may be linked to other mechanisms such as direct cytotoxicity or to the low fraction of cells in S-phase in AL plasma cell clones (Gertz, Kyle et al. 1989). Daratumumab is a very active agent in AL and its rapid clinical evaluation in patients with newly diagnosed AL is anticipated. [Display omitted] DisclosuresComenzo:Prothena: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding.

Molecular characterisation of osteoblasts from bone obtained from people of Polynesian and European ancestry undergoing joint replacement surgery

Population studies in Aotearoa New Zealand found higher bone mineral density and lower rate of hip fracture in people of Polynesian ancestry compared to Europeans. We hypothesised that differences in osteoblast proliferation and differentiation contribute to the differences in bone properties between the two groups. Osteoblasts were cultured from bone samples obtained from 30 people of Polynesian ancestry and 25 Europeans who had joint replacement surgeries for osteoarthritis. The fraction of cells in S-phase was determined by flow cytometry, and gene expression was analysed by microarray and real-time PCR. We found no differences in the fraction of osteoblasts in S-phase between the groups. Global gene expression analysis identified 79 differentially expressed genes (fold change > 2, FDR P < 0.1). Analysis of selected genes by real-time PCR found higher expression of COL1A1 and KRT34 in Polynesians, whereas BGLAP, DKK1, NOV, CDH13, EFHD1 and EFNB2 were higher in Europeans (P ≤ 0.01). Osteoblasts from European donors had higher levels of late differentiation markers and genes encoding proteins that inhibit the Wnt signalling pathway. This variability may contribute to the differences in bone properties between people of Polynesian and European ancestry that had been determined in previous studies.

ABL1 Kinase Plays an Important Role in Spontaneous and Melphalan-Induced Genomic Instability in Multiple Myeloma: Potential Therapeutic Application

Dysregulated homologous recombination (HR) contributes to the acquisition of genomic changes and development of drug resistance over time in multiple myeloma (MM). We have now further investigated the molecular intermediates that may play an important role in HR process. We observe that ABL kinase, which regulates RAD51 through its phosphorylation, contributes to increased HR activity and genomic instability in myeloma. Moreover, Cellular response after DSBs involves nuclear re-localization of ABL1 upon DNA damage. A cellular localization of ABL1 has been confirmed in MM. Consistently, we observe that ABL kinase inhibitor reduces HR activity and genomic instability (as assessed by micronucleus assay) in MM cells. Based on our observation that melphalan increases genomic instability (as assessed by micronuclei assay and by whole genome sequencing), we sought to investigate impact of melpahalan on HR and role of ABL1 kinase in this process. We show that treatment with melphalan leads to increase in RAD51 expression and HR activity in MM cells in a dose-dependent manner. Evaluation by RNA sequencing showed that treatment of MM1S cells with melphalan is associated with upregulation of p53 signaling (containing multiple genes involved in DNA damage, detection of damaged sites, recombination/repair and genomic instability) as the topmost pathway. These findings suggest that melphalan-induced DNA damage leads to a concerted overexpression of genes involved in DNA damage response, recombination, genomic instability and chemoresistance. With the role of ABL1-kinase following DSB, we investigated and report that treatment with melphalan induces micronuclei formation, whereas nilotinib significantly reduces both the basal and melphlalan-induced micronuclei in all MM cell lines tested. We have now confirmed these observations by evaluating copy number alterations using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays. To evaluate the impact of nilotinib, melphalan and their combination on genomic instability, we cultured MM cells in the presence of nilotinib (2.5 µM), melphalan (1 µM) and combination of both drugs for three weeks and investigated the acquisition of new copy number events, relative to "day 0" cells (serving as baseline genome), using SNP arrays. Treatment with melphalan led to massive increase in the acquisition of amplification and deletion events, whereas nilotinib not only reduced the acquisition of copy number events under spontaneous condition but also almost completely reversed/prevented those induced by melphlalan. Importantly, the treatment with nilotinib could also significantly sensitized MM cell lines and bone marrow plasma cells from relapsed MM patients to melphalan treatment. These data confirm that ABL1 inhibition reduces spontaneous and melphalan-induced genomic instability in MM cells. Since components of cell cycle play critical role in the maintenance of genome stability and growth, we investigated the impact of ABL1-inhibitor nilotinib, alone and in combination with melphalan, on cell cycle. Treatment of MM1S cells with melphalan for 48hrs led to 2.5-fold increase in the accumulation of cells in S-phase, suggesting an increase in replication stress by melphalan. Nilotinib reduced both the spontaneous and melphalan-induced fraction of S-phase cells by 27% (±2%) and 30% (±1%), respectively. Combined treatment with nilotinib and melphalan also increased sub G1 fraction of cells by 2.3-fold compared to those treated with melphalan alone, suggesting increased apoptosis in these cells. These data are consistent with our observation that treatment of MM cells with melphalan increase the phosphorylation of RPA32, a marker of replication stress while nilotinib reduces both the endogenous and melphalan-induced phosphorylated RPA32 level, suggesting that nilotinib might also be helpful in combating replication stress-mediated genomic instability. Taken together, these data demonstrate the critical role of ABL1-kinase in both spontaneous and drug (melphalan)-induced genomic instability and its inhibition could reduce/delay genomic evolution while enhancing cytotoxicity in multiple myeloma. Disclosures Fulciniti: NIH: Research Funding. Munshi:Takeda: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Legend: Consultancy; Adaptive: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; C4: Current equity holder in private company; OncoPep: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Patents &amp; Royalties; BMS: Consultancy.

An immunocytochemical approach to the analysis of the cell division cycle in the rat cerebellar neuroepithelium

ABSTRACT Cerebellar neurons are generated from the rhombic lip and the neuroepithelium. In this study, we analyze the histogenesis of the cerebellar neuroepithelium in terms of cellular kinetics. The experimental animals are the offspring of pregnant dams injected with 5-bromo-2ʹ-deoxyuridine (BrdU) on embryonic day 13. We infer the fraction of S-phase cells by examining a range of survival times after a single BrdU-exposure and a cumulative BrdU-labeling sequence, which allow for the derivation of cell-cycle parameters and phase durations. The current results indicate that the dose of BrdU employed (35 mg/kg) provides saturation S-phase labeling from at least 1 h after marker delivery. The duration of G2, mitotic phase, and G1 are 1.2, 0.5, and 6.9 h, respectively. The duration for the S-phase, growth fraction, and the whole cycle are obtained on the basis of two proliferative models, steady-state and exponential growth. Both models provided similar results. In conclusion, our results indicate that the steady-state and the cumulative S-phase labeling paradigms can be adopted to analyze cell cycle parameters in the cerebellar neuroepithelium. Current results can help in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of cerebellar histogenesis and the cell biological mechanisms of the proliferative cycle of the neuroepithelium.

Effect of miR‑449a‑mediated Notch signaling pathway on the proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-449a-mediated Notch signaling pathway on the proliferation, apoptosis and invasion of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells. Human papillary thyroid carcinoma cell line TPC-1 was selected, and cells were grouped and transfected: Control group (without any treatment), negative control (NC) group (transfection with NC plasmid), miR-449a mimic group (transfection with miR-449a mimic), miR-449a inhibitor group (transfection with miR-449a inhibitor), DAPT group (addition of γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT to inhibit the Notch signaling pathway), and miR-449a inhibitor + DAPT group (transfection with miR-449a inhibitor and addition of DAPT). The target relationship between miR-449a and Notch1 was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to assess the expression of miR-449a, Notch1 and Jagged1 in cells. Cell proliferation was detected using EdU; the cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry; cell invasion ability was detected by Transwell assay. PCNA, MMP-2, MMP-9, Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA and protein expression were assessed by qRT-PCR and western blotting. The results revealed that miR-449a negatively regulated Notch1. Compared with the control group, there was significantly increased miR-449a expression in the miR-449a mimic group, and there was significantly decreased expression of Notch1, Jagged1, PCNA, MMP-2, MMP-9 and Bcl-2, increased Bax, reduced cell proliferation, increased G1-phase cell fraction, decreased S-phase cell fraction, an increased apoptosis rate, and decreased invasion ability in the miR-449a mimic group and DAPT group (all P<0.05). However, the results in the miR-449a inhibitor group were the opposite of those in miR-449a mimic group (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion in the NC group and miR-449a inhibitor + DAPT group compared to the control group (all P>0.05). miR-449a overexpression can inhibit Notch signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the proliferation and invasion of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells and promoting cell apoptosis.

Depletion of nuclear import protein karyopherin alpha 7 (KPNA7) induces mitotic defects and deformation of nuclei in cancer cells

BackgroundNucleocytoplasmic transport is a tightly regulated process carried out by specific transport machinery, the defects of which may lead to a number of diseases including cancer. Karyopherin alpha 7 (KPNA7), the newest member of the karyopherin alpha nuclear importer family, is expressed at a high level during embryogenesis, reduced to very low or absent levels in most adult tissues but re-expressed in cancer cells.MethodsWe used siRNA-based knock-down of KPNA7 in cancer cell lines, followed by functional assays (proliferation and cell cycle) and immunofluorescent stainings to determine the role of KPNA7 in regulation of cancer cell growth, proper mitosis and nuclear morphology.ResultsIn the present study, we show that the silencing of KPNA7 results in a dramatic reduction in pancreatic and breast cancer cell growth, irrespective of the endogenous KPNA7 expression level. This growth inhibition is accompanied by a decrease in the fraction of S-phase cells as well as aberrant number of centrosomes and severe distortion of the mitotic spindles. In addition, KPNA7 depletion leads to reorganization of lamin A/C and B1, the main nuclear lamina proteins, and drastic alterations in nuclear morphology with lobulated and elongated nuclei.ConclusionsTaken together, our data provide new important evidence on the contribution of KPNA7 to the regulation of cancer cell growth and the maintenance of nuclear envelope environment, and thus deepens our understanding on the impact of nuclear transfer proteins in cancer pathogenesis.

Loss of Spry1 attenuates vascular smooth muscle proliferation by impairing mitogen-mediated changes in cell cycle regulatory circuits.

Signals from growth factors or mechanical stimuli converge to promote vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and proliferation, key events in the pathogenesis of intimal hyperplasia upon vascular injury. Spry1, a regulator of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), plays a role in maintaining the contractile phenotype of VSMC. The aim of the current study was to determine the role of Spry1 in VSMC proliferation in vitro and injury induced neointimal hyperplasia in vivo. VSMC proliferation and neointima formation were evaluated in cultured human aortic SMC (hAoSMC) and ligation-induced injury of mouse carotid arteries from Spry1 gene targeted mice, and their corresponding wild type littermates. Human Spry1 or non-targeting control lentiviral shRNAs were used to knock down Spry1 in hAoSMC. Time course cell cycle analysis showed a reduced fraction of S-phase cells at 12 and 24 h after growth medium stimulation in Spry1 shRNA transduced hAoSMC. Consistent with reduced S-phase entry, the induction of cyclinD1 and the levels of pRbS807/S811, pH3Ser10, and pCdc2 were also reduced, while the cell cycle inhibitor p27Kip1 was maintained in Spry1 knockdown hAoSMC. In vivo, loss of Spry1 attenuated carotid artery ligation-induced neointima formation in mice, and this effect was accompanied by a decrease in cell proliferation similar to the in vitro results. Our findings demonstrate that loss of Spry1 attenuates mitogen-induced VSMC proliferation, and thus injury-induced neointimal hyperplasia likely via insufficient activation of Akt signaling causing decreased cyclinD1 and increased p27Kip1 and a subsequent decrease in Rb and cdc2 phosphorylation.

Cell cycle analysis in the rat external granular layer evaluated by several bromodeoxyuridine immunoperoxidase staining protocols.

An important step in bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry is the production of single-stranded DNA to make the incorporated BrdU accessible to the antibodies. This paper examines the effect of distinct DNA denaturation pretreatments (DNase I, sodium citrate buffer, endonuclease Eco RI and exonuclease III, and HCl hydrolysis) on detection of BrdU. We found that all the methods used in the partial denaturation of DNA combined good nuclear immunostaining with acceptable tissue integrity. We also observed that these immunohistochemical protocols revealed a spatial pattern in the distribution of DNA-synthesizing cells within the cerebellar external granular layer (EGL) of 10-day-old rats, allowing us to estimate the fraction of S-phase cells. Our results indicate that detection of BrdU-stained cells is affected by the distinct histological procedures used in such detection. Additionally, as the duration and phases of the cell cycle in EGL neuroblasts are estimated in accordance with BrdU detection, an effect on this detection can render the measurement of cell cycle inaccurate. The present work shows that DNase I and citrate buffer, at appropriate conditions, may be good alternatives for acid denaturation. However, they are less sensitive than autoradiographic techniques that use 3H-thymidine administration. Finally, current data reveal that short survival times after a single BrdU exposure do not seem to affect the cell cycle progression of the EGL neuroblasts.

Surface chemistry regulates the sensitivity and tolerability of osteoblasts to various magnitudes of fluid shear stress.

Scaffolds provide a physical support for osteoblasts and act as the medium to transfer mechanical stimuli to cells. To verify our hypothesis that the surface chemistry of scaffolds regulates the perception of cells to mechanical stimuli, the sensitivity and tolerability of osteoblasts to fluid shear stress (FSS) of various magnitudes (5, 12, 20 dynes/cm2 ) were investigated on various surface chemistries (-OH, -CH3 , -NH2 ), and their follow-up effects on cell proliferation and differentiation were examined as well. The sensitivity was characterized by the release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 ) while the tolerability was by cellular membrane integrity. The cell proliferation was characterized by S-phase cell fraction and the differentiation by ALP activity and ECM expression (fibronectin and type I collagen). As revealed, osteoblasts demonstrated higher sensitivity and lower tolerability on OH and CH3 surfaces, yet lower sensitivity and higher tolerability on NH2 surfaces. Observations on the focal adhesion formation, F-actin organization and cellular orientation before and after FSS exposure suggest that the potential mechanism lies in the differential control of F-actin organization and focal adhesion formation by surface chemistry, which further divergently mediates the sensitivity and tolerability of ROBs to FSS and the follow-up cell proliferation and differentiation. These findings are essentially valuable for design/selection of desirable surface chemistry to orchestrate with FSS stimuli, inducing appropriate cell responses and promoting bone formation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2978-2991, 2016.

P19Arf limits primary vitreous cell proliferation driven by PDGF-B

Arf encodes an important tumor suppressor, p19Arf, which also plays a critical role to control hyperplasia in the primary vitreous during mouse eye development. In the absence of Arf, mice are born blind and display a phenotype closely mimicking severe forms of the human eye disease, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV). In this report, we characterize p19Arf expression in perivascular cells that normally populate the primary vitreous and express the Arf promoter. Using a new ex vivo model, we show that these cells respond to exogenous Tgfβ, despite being isolated at a time when Tgfβ has already turned on the Arf promoter. Treatment of the cells with PDGF-B ligand doubles the population of cells in S-phase and ectopic expression of Arf blunts that effect. We show this effect is mediated through Pdgfrβ as expression of Arf represses expression of Pdgfrβ mRNA and protein to approximately 60%. p53 is not required for Arf-dependent blockade of PDGF-B driven proliferation and repression of Pdgfrβ protein as ectopic expression of Arf is still able to inhibit the 2-fold increase in the S-phase fraction of cells upon treatment with PDGF-B. Finally, induction of mature miR-34a, a microRNA previously identified to be regulated by p19Arf does not depend on p53 while the expression of the primary transcript does require p53. These data corroborate that, as in vivo, p19Arf functions to inhibit PDGF-B driven proliferation ex vivo.

A ROLE OF ARGININE DEIMINASE FROM STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES M49-16 IN PROMOTING INFECTION AND INHIBITION OF ENDOTHELIAL CELL PROLIFERATION

Arginine deiminase is a bacterial enzyme that hydrolyses arginine with citrulline and ammonia formation. In recent years, increasing evidence is reported about in vitro and in vivo anti-angiogenic action of arginine deiminase from Mycoplasma spp. Our studies have shown that arginine deiminase from Streptococcus pyogenes M22 exerts similar effects, i.e., inhibits proliferation and other endothelial cell functions related to angiogenesis. To confirm a leading role of arginine deiminase, as a factor responsible for the anti-proliferative effect, we have constructed an isogenic S. pyogenes M49-16 mutant unable to express arginine deiminase. A comparative analysis of anti-proliferative activity of original S. pyogenes M49-16 strain and its isogenic mutant with arginine deiminase gene deletion (M49-16delAD) was performed, using an endothelial EA.hy926 cell line. The bacterial supernatantes obtained by sonication of S. pyogenes M49-16 and M49-16delAD were tested. The ability of S. pyogenes M49-16 and M49-16delAD supernatantes to hydrolyze arginine was assessed. Moreover, we compared effects of the Streptococcus supernatantes upon proliferative activity of endothelial cells and their distribution through the cell cycle phases. Supernatantes from original S. pyogenes 49-16 strain were shown to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation to a significant degree (down to 50% of controls). This effect was due to its arginine hydrolyzing activity, i. e. addition of exogenous arginine to the medium resulted into recovery of the cell proliferation levels. The supernatante from S. pyogenes M49-16delAD showed a lower ability to hydrolyze arginine as compared to the supernatante of original strain. Culturing of endothelial cells supplied with S. pyogenes M49-16delAD supernatantes resulted into reduction of their proliferative activity by 10% of control values. Analysis of the cell cycle distribution was concordant with these results. S. pyogenes M49-16 supernatante caused a decrease in S-phase cell fraction by 20% against controls. With a supernatants from S. pyogenes M49-16delAD, such drop in DNA-synthesizing cell ratio was significantly weaker (by only 5% of the control). These results reveal new pathogenetic mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction during streptococcal infection and suggest anti-angiogenic potential of streptococcal arginine deiminase.

P.10 - Comparison of two different cell cycle proliferation analysis methods using BrdU

Introduction: The extent of cellular radiation damage is dependent on the stage of the cell cycle and new methods to determine this are frequently being developed. Here we used bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) that is incorporated into newly synthesized DNA and is detected using an immunofluorescent anti-body. This method aims to quantify the fraction of cells in S-phase as BrdU acts as a thymidine analogue. The advantages of using BrdU are that it allows for the identification and analysis of actively cycling cell fractions and also permits the determination of cell cycle kinetics. The aim of this study was to compare S-phase fractions observed using flow cytometry with microscopy methods.

Mass Cytometric Functional Profiling of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Defines Cell-Cycle and Immunophenotypic Properties That Correlate with Known Responses to Therapy.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by a high relapse rate that has been attributed to the quiescence of leukemia stem cells (LSC), which renders them resistant to chemotherapy. However, this hypothesis is largely supported by indirect evidence and fails to explain the large differences in relapse rates across AML subtypes. To address this, bone marrow aspirates from 41 AML patients and five healthy donors were analyzed by high-dimensional mass cytometry. All patients displayed immunophenotypic and intracellular signaling abnormalities within CD34(+)CD38(lo) populations, and several karyotype- and genotype-specific surface marker patterns were identified. The immunophenotypic stem and early progenitor cell populations from patients with clinically favorable core-binding factor AML demonstrated a 5-fold higher fraction of cells in S-phase compared with other AML samples. Conversely, LSCs in less clinically favorable FLT3-ITD AML exhibited dramatic reductions in S-phase fraction. Mass cytometry also allowed direct observation of the in vivo effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy. The mechanisms underlying differences in relapse rates across AML subtypes are poorly understood. This study suggests that known chemotherapy sensitivities of common AML subsets are mediated by cell-cycle differences among LSCs and provides a basis for using in vivo functional characterization of AML cells to inform therapy selection.

Distinct but Concerted Roles of ATR, DNA-PK, and Chk1 in Countering Replication Stress during S Phase

The ATR-Chk1 pathway is critical for DNA damage responses and cell-cycle progression. Chk1 inhibition is more deleterious to cycling cells than ATR inhibition, raising questions about ATR and Chk1 functions in the absence of extrinsic replication stress. Here we show that a key role of ATR in Sphase is to coordinate RRM2 accumulation and origin firing. ATR inhibitor (ATRi) induces massive ssDNA accumulation and replication catastrophe in a fraction of early S-phase cells. In other S-phase cells, however, ATRi induces moderate ssDNA and triggers a DNA-PK and Chk1-mediated backup pathway to suppress origin firing. The backup pathway creates a threshold such that ATRi selectively kills cells under high replication stress, whereas Chk1 inhibitor induces cell death at a lower threshold. The levels of ATRi-induced ssDNA correlate with ATRi sensitivity in a panel of cell lines, suggesting that ATRi-induced ssDNA could be predictive of ATRi sensitivity in cancer cells.

Expression of CD71 on cell proliferation in hematologic malignancy and its correlation with Ki-67

This study was to explore the expression of CD71, as a proliferation indicator, on cell proliferaration in hematologic malignancy and its correlation with Ki-67, so as to assess the feasibility of CD71 instead of Ki-67 for assaying cell proliferation by flow cytometry (FCM). (1) Compared with mature B lymphoctyes during stationary phase in peripheral blood from healthy people, the cell cycle and the expression of CD71 and Ki-67 of cell lines from patients with leukemia and lymphoma were examined, the correlation among CD71, S-phase cell fraction (SPF) and Ki-67 were analyzed; (2) Compared with mature B lymphoctyes in bone marrow from non-hematologic disease patients, the expression and correlation of CD71 and Ki-67 of all kinds of leukemic cells and myeloma cells from bone marrow were analyzed by using Ki-67/CD71/CD45/CD123, Ki-67/CD71/CD45/CD20 or Ki-67/CD71/CD45/CD138. (1) in respect to the expression rate of CD71 on tumor cell lines, the expression rate of CD71 on HL-60 cells was (99.77 ± 0.064)%, the expression rate of CD71 on NB4 cells was (99.23 ± 0.12)%, the expression rate on THP-1 cells was (98.90 ± 0.30)% and the expression rate on K562 cells was (97.03 ± 0.15)% in myelogenous leukemia cell lines, the expression rate of CD71 on Raji cells was (99.35 ± 0.21)% and the expression rate on Mino cell was (96.95 ± 0.42)% in lymphoma cell lines, which were also obviously higher than that on cells of the control group (P < 0.05); (2) in respect to the expression rate of CD71 on tumor cells in bone marrow, the expression rate of CD71 on poorly differentiated AML(M1 and M2) cells was (51.50 ± 19.31)%, the expression rate of CD71 on acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML-M3) cells was (35.71 ± 14.02) %, the expression rate of CD71 on acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M5) cells was (30.54 ± 14.38)%, the expression rate of CD71 on acute T lymphoblastic leukemia cells was (68.40 ± 20.83)%, the expression rate of CD71 on acute B lymphoblastic leukemia was (39.67 ± 18.27)%, the expression rate of CD71 on multiple myeloma (MM) cells was (55.49 ± 18.15%), the expression rate of CD71 on chronic lymphocytic leukemia(CLL) was (1.32 ± 0.33%), which were also higher than that on cells in the control group(P < 0.05) except for CLL cells (P > 0.05); (3) CD71 had a positive linear corrlation with SPF in cell lines (r = 0.914, P < 0.05), and also had a positive linear corrlation with Ki-67 in cell lines and carcinoma cells from bone marrow (r = 0.894,r = 0.904, P < 0.05). The CD71 can take the place of Ki-67 as an indicator of cell proliferation activity of hematologic malignancies and the determination CD71 by FCM is simpler and better than that of Ki-67 in respest of methodology.

Mass Cytometric Analysis of AML Stem and Early Progenitor Cells Reveals Karyotype and Genotype-Specific Cell Cycle Properties That Correlate with Known Responses to Chemotherapy

Introduction: Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) are recognized as important mediators of chemotherapy resistance and leukemia relapse. The postulated mechanism for this is the relative quiescence of these cell populations that renders them resistant to cytotoxic agents. This simple hypothesis, however, is supported almost entirely by indirect evidence, and fails to explain the large differences in relapse rates across different AML subtypes. To address this question, we have developed a mass cytometry (MCM) approach to assess the cell cycle of immunophenotypically complex primary samples from patients with AML. By processing samples immediately upon bone marrow harvest, we could determine if AML stem cells were quiescent in vivo and if the cell cycle properties of these cells varied between chemotherapy-responsive versus resistant AML subtypes.Methods: Bone marrow aspirates from 33 AML patients, 3 with APL, 2 with high-risk MDS, 5 with AML who achieved a CR with chemotherapy treatment, and 5 healthy donors (48 total samples) were incubated at 37°C for 15 minutes with 20uM Iodo-deoxyuridine (IdU) immediately after aspiration (<1 min), followed by fixation and storage. Samples were then analyzed with two overlapping 39-antibody MCM panels (50 markers total). Cellular barcoding was utilized to stain and analyze cells in tubes of 20 samples each, enabling direct comparison of samples to each other and to the healthy controls.Results: The high dimensionality of MCM enabled the simultaneous measurement of 25 surface markers and the identification of almost all immunophenotypic populations in human bone marrow. The use of barcoding, and the resultant ability to directly compare samples, enabled the detection of aberrant marker expression at very high resolution (2-3 fold changes). At least one surface marker aberrancy was detected in each AML sample. Unexpectedly, cell cycle analysis revealed that, compared to immunophenotypically similar normal cells, the average fraction of S-phase cells in AML samples was significantly lower. In both AML and healthy samples, the lowest S-phase fraction was found in fully differentiated populations and in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) while committed progenitor populations (myelo-monoblasts, promyelocytes, erythroblasts) exhibited the highest S-phase fraction. The HSC and early progenitor cell populations from patients with CBF AML (t(8;21) and inv(16)) demonstrated a significantly higher S-phase fraction than the same cell populations from the other AML samples (7.76% vs. 2.66%; p=0.0014). Furthermore, samples with FLT3-ITD mutations exhibited the lowest S-phase fraction in the HSC and early progenitor cell populations (0.63%), which was significantly lower than the S-phase fraction of the other AML samples (4.37%; p=9.3x10-4).Finally, a subset of patients (n=10) was being treated with hydroxyurea (HU) at the time of their bone marrow aspiration. The effect of HU treatment was manifest as a reduction in the IdU incorporation rate (with no change in S-phase fraction) in the cells of the treated patients. However, neither cell cycle arrest nor apoptosis were observed in these samples. This is in contrast with the commonly observed occurrence of both in leukemic cell lines treated in vitro with HU.Conclusions: By combining fresh sample processing with high-dimensional MCM analysis, we developed an innovative approach for the analysis of hematologic malignancies. Our results suggest that the relative sensitivity of CBF AML to cytotoxic chemotherapy may be the result of the increased fraction of S-phase cells within the HSC and early progenitor cell populations. Conversely, HSC and early progenitor cell populations from patients with FLT3-ITD mutations would be expected to be particularly resistant to cytarabine-based consolidation therapy due to the very low frequency of S-phase cells within these populations. This finding, combined with our observation that the stem and early progenitor cells from the FLT3-ITD samples have high expression of CD33, may provide a mechanistic explanation for the improved disease-free survival recently reported for FLT3-ITD AML patients treated with fractioned gemtuzumab ozogamicin in combination with standard therapy. [Display omitted] [Display omitted] [Display omitted] DisclosuresBehbehani:Fluidigm: Consultancy. Medeiros:Agios: Consulting - Ad board Other. Nolan:Fluidigm, Inc: Consultancy, Equity Ownership.

Glucocorticoid Receptor Status Is a Principal Determinant of Variability in the Sensitivity of Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells to Pemetrexed

Pemetrexed is an S-phase targeted drug in front-line or maintenance therapy of advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but methods are needed for predicting the drug response. Dexamethasone is typically administered the day before, the day of, and the day after pemetrexed. As dexamethasone strongly regulates many genes including p53 through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), we hypothesized that dexamethasone influences tumor response to pemetrexed. Eight nonsquamous NSCLC cell line models with varied p53 and GRα/GRβ status were used for gene expression and cell-cycle analyses and for loss- or gain-of-function experiments. In three cell lines dexamethasone profoundly, but reversibly, suppressed the fraction of S-phase cells. Dexamethasone also reversibly repressed expression of thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase, which are primary targets of pemetrexed but are also quintessential S-phase enzymes as well as the S-phase-dependent expression of thymidine kinase 1. Dexamethasone also decreased expression of the major pemetrexed transporters, the reduced folate carrier and the proton coupled folate transporter. Only cells expressing relatively high GRα showed these dexamethasone effects, regardless of p53 status. In cells expressing low GRα, the dexamethasone response was rescued by ectopic GRα. Further, depletion of p53 did not attenuate the dexamethasone effects. The presence of dexamethasone during pemetrexed treatment protected against pemetrexed cytotoxicity in only the dexamethasone responsive cells. The results predict that in nonsquamous NSCLC tumors, reversible S-phase suppression by dexamethasone, possibly combined with a reduction in the drug transporters, attenuates responsiveness to pemetrexed and that GR status is a principal determinant of tumor variability of this response.

ERRβ signalling through FST and BCAS2 inhibits cellular proliferation in breast cancer cells

Background:The overexpression of oestrogen-related receptor-β (ERRβ) in breast cancer patients is correlated with improved prognosis and longer relapse-free survival, and the level of ERRβ mRNA is inversely correlated with the S-phase fraction of cells from breast cancer patients.Methods:Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) cloning of ERRβ transcriptional targets and gel supershift assays identified breast cancer amplified sequence 2 (BCAS2) and Follistatin (FST) as two important downstream genes that help to regulate tumourigenesis. Confocal microscopy, co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP), western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR confirmed the involvement of ERRβ in oestrogen signalling.Results:Overexpressed ERRβ induced FST-mediated apoptosis in breast cancer cells, and E-cadherin expression was also enhanced through upregulation of FST. However, this anti-proliferative signalling function was challenged by ERRβ-mediated BCAS2 upregulation, which inhibited FST transcription through the downregulation of β-catenin/TCF4 recruitment to the FST promoter. Interestingly, ERRβ-mediated upregulation of BCAS2 downregulated the major G1-S transition marker cyclin D1, despite the predictable oncogenic properties of BCAS2.Interpretation:Our study provides the first evidence that ERRβ, which is a coregulator of ERα also acts as a potential tumour-suppressor molecule in breast cancer. Our current report also provides novel insights into the entire cascade of ERRβ signalling events, which may lead to BCAS2-mediated blockage of the G1/S transition and inhibition of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition through FST-mediated regulation of E-cadherin. Importantly, matrix metalloprotease 7, which is a classical mediator of metastasis and E-cadherin cleavage, was also restricted as a result of ERRβ-mediated FST overexpression.