MM1 Cells Research Articles

Peptide ligands for the universal purification of exosomes by affinity chromatography.

Exosomes are gaining prominence as vectors for drug delivery, vaccination, and regenerative medicine. Owing to their surface biochemistry, which reflects the parent cell membrane, these nanoscale biologics feature low immunogenicity, tunable tissue tropism, and the ability to carry a variety of payloads across biological barriers. The heterogeneity of exosomes' size and composition, however, makes their purification challenging. Traditional techniques, like ultracentrifugation and filtration, afford low product yield and purity, and jeopardizes particle integrity. Affinity chromatography represents an excellent avenue for exosome purification. Yet, current affinity media rely on antibody ligands whose selectivity grants high product purity, but mandates the customization of adsorbents for exosomes with different surface biochemistry while their binding strength imposes elution conditions that may harm product's activity. Addressing these issues, this study introduces the first peptide affinity ligands for the universal purification of exosomes from recombinant feedstocks. The peptides were designed to (1) possess promiscuous biorecognition of exosome markers, without binding process-related contaminants and (2) elute the product under conditions that safeguard product stability. Selected ligands SNGFKKHI and TAHFKKKH demonstrated the ability to capture of exosomes secreted by 14 cell sources and purified exosomes derived from HEK293, PC3, MM1, U87, and COLO1 cells with yields of up to 80% and up-to 50-fold reduction of host cell proteins (HCPs) upon eluting with pH gradient from 7.4 to 10.5, recommended for exosome stability. SNGFKKHI-Toyopearl resin was finally employed in a two-step purification process to isolate exosomes from HEK293 cell fluids, affording a yield of 68% and reducing the titer of HCPs to 68 ng/mL. The biomolecular and morphological features of the isolated exosomes were confirmed by analytical chromatography, Western blot analysis, transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis.

Abstract 6350: Monoclonal antibody against BST2 isoform: potential tool for diagnostic and cancer therapy

Abstract BST2, a raft-associated type II transmembrane protein, functions as a restriction factor and inhibits HIV release by cross-linking virions onto infected cell surfaces. It also engages ILT7, a specific inhibitory receptor on plasmacytoid dendritic cells, which are associated with poor prognosis when infiltrate patients’ breast tumors. Two groups have identified BST2 isoforms of different lengths, generated by post-transcriptional modification. Based on these findings and our work on protein interaction of ILT7-BST2, we hypothesized that the expression of BST2 isoforms differed in normal and cancer tissues. To demonstrate that, we generated and characterized anti-long BST2 isoform monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Results were compared with our previously developed mAb anti-BST2 full length molecule, 26F8, that recognizes a common epitope to all BST2 isoforms. By comparing the amino acid sequences of different isoforms of BST2, we identified a region of 24 residues on the extracellular domain of BST2, restricted to its long isoform. We then generated mAbs by hybridoma technology, immunizing BALB/c mice with the 24 mers peptide-KLH conjugated. Screening and positive selection of several clones were performed following our lab SOP. One of the mAbs, LA5, was selected based on positive ELISA against the immunogen and FACS staining of recombinant HEK293 cells expressing full-length BST2 protein. Pharmacokinetic determined using OCTET platform, revealed a KD of 4.61+/- 0.074 × 10−9 M for LA5. Epitope mapping of LA5 on BST2 overlapping peptides, confirmed specific recognition of full-length BST2 protein and the peptide used as immunogen. LA5 heavy and light chains were sequenced and analysis was performed by IgBlast and IMGTV. Binding of LA5 and 26F8 to the myeloma cell lines MM1 (B-lymphoblast) and U266 (B-lymphocyte) by flow cytometry, indicated 97-100% positive cells with both mAbs, with higher MFI values observed for clone 26F8: 5.8 and 1.8-fold-increase in MM1 and U266 cells respectively. IHC on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues of human ductal breast carcinoma, revealed that LA5 staining was able to identify infiltrating carcinoma cells but not the normal surrounding acinar cells. In contrast, 26F8 staining did not discriminate between BST2+ malignant and surrounding normal acinar cells. Currently, we are analyzing a panel of >105 breast cancer tissue samples of different molecular classifications. Initial data revealed a high-level of expression of BST2 (by 26F8) on the epithelial area of the tumors, lower in the TME (tumor microenvironment-infiltrating immune cells) and almost negative expression in the surrounding fibroblasts rich stroma. Evaluation of IHC staining by LA5 is being processed and yet to be established. These IHC findings indicate a potential diagnostic value of LA5 to distinct between tumor and normal cells in patients’ specimens. Treatment prospects may arise during the process. Citation Format: Laura C. Bover, Ahmed Muhsin, Long T. Vien, Felipe Amaya Manzanares, Zhuang Wu, Janis D. Johnson, Diego Castro Reyes, Myrthala Moreno-Smith, Estefania Labanca, Irene Sorin, Silvia Saucedo, Silvina Gazzaniga, Alicia I. Bravo. Monoclonal antibody against BST2 isoform: potential tool for diagnostic and cancer therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6350.

Covalent Cysteine Targeting of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Family by Withaferin-A Reduces Survival of Glucocorticoid-Resistant Multiple Myeloma MM1 Cells.

Simple SummaryGlucocorticoid therapy resistance in B-cell malignancies is often associated with constitutive activation of tyrosine kinases. Novel anticancer drugs targeting hyperactivated tyrosine kinases, such as Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), have, therefore, gained much interest over the past few decades and have already been approved for clinical use. In this study, we compared the therapeutic efficacy of the phytochemical kinase inhibitor withaferin A with the clinically approved BTK inhibitor ibrutinib to target hyperactivated tyrosine kinase signaling in glucocorticoid-resistant multiple myeloma cells. Our results demonstrate that withaferin A-induced cell death of glucocorticoid-resistant MM1R cells involves covalent cysteine targeting of multiple Hinge-6 domain type tyrosine kinases of the kinase cysteinome classification, including BTK.Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by plasma cells’ uncontrolled growth. The major barrier in treating MM is the occurrence of primary and acquired therapy resistance to anticancer drugs. Often, this therapy resistance is associated with constitutive hyperactivation of tyrosine kinase signaling. Novel covalent kinase inhibitors, such as the clinically approved BTK inhibitor ibrutinib (IBR) and the preclinical phytochemical withaferin A (WA), have, therefore, gained pharmaceutical interest. Remarkably, WA is more effective than IBR in killing BTK-overexpressing glucocorticoid (GC)-resistant MM1R cells. To further characterize the kinase inhibitor profiles of WA and IBR in GC-resistant MM cells, we applied phosphopeptidome- and transcriptome-specific tyrosine kinome profiling. In contrast to IBR, WA was found to reverse BTK overexpression in GC-resistant MM1R cells. Furthermore, WA-induced cell death involves covalent cysteine targeting of Hinge-6 domain type tyrosine kinases of the kinase cysteinome classification, including inhibition of the hyperactivated BTK. Covalent interaction between WA and BTK could further be confirmed by biotin-based affinity purification and confocal microscopy. Similarly, molecular modeling suggests WA preferably targets conserved cysteines in the Hinge-6 region of the kinase cysteinome classification, favoring inhibition of multiple B-cell receptors (BCR) family kinases. Altogether, we show that WA’s promiscuous inhibition of multiple BTK family tyrosine kinases represents a highly effective strategy to overcome GC-therapy resistance in MM.

Head and Neck Cancer Metastasis and the Effect of the Local Soluble Factors, from the Microenvironment, on Signalling Pathways: Is It All about the Akt?

The signalling pathways involved in metastasis of oral adenoid cancer cells (TYS) in response to cancer-associated fibroblasts (COM D24) and normal oral mucosal fibroblasts (MM1) was examined. Metastatic cell behaviour was observed by cell-scatter, 3-D-collagen gel migration, and 3-D-spheroid invasion assays. Akt (v-Akt murine thymoma viral oncogene), MAPK(Mitogen activated protein kinase), EGFR (Epidermal growth factor receptor), TGFβRI (Transforming growth factor beta receptor 1), and CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor 4) inhibitors were used to identify the signalling pathways involved. Signalling pathway protein expression and activation were assessed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. COM-CM (conditioned medium from COM D24 cells) and MM1-CM (conditioned medium from MM1 cells) stimulated cancer cell scattering, which was blocked only by the Akt inhibitor. COM-CM-induced scattered cancer cells showed higher levels of Akt phosphorylation than the negative control and MM1-CM. Migration and invasion of TYS cells into collagen gels from the spheroids was stimulated by CM from both fibroblast cell lines, compared to the negative control. COM cells stimulated TYS invasion into the collagen more than MM1 and the control. Akt and EGFR inhibitors effectively blocked CM and COM cell-induced invasion. Akt-silenced cancer cells were not stimulated to migrate and invade by fibroblast-CM and did not survive the addition of an EGFR inhibitor. This suggests that CAFs stimulate head and neck cancer cell migration and invasion in an Akt- dependent manner. Akt may represent a potential target for inhibitor design to treat metastatic head and neck cancer.

LPS induces ALOX5 promoter activation and 5-lipoxygenase expression in human monocytic cells

5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), coded by the ALOX5 gene, is expressed in leukocytes and catalyzes the formation of leukotrienes, pro-inflammatory lipid mediators. Leukotrienes are central to immune responses, but are also involved in inflammatory disorders and 5-LO expression is associated with leukemia stem cell survival. It is therefore important to understand mechanisms that control 5-LO expression. This study investigated the control of 5-LO expression and leukotriene biosynthesis following the maturation of human monocytic cells. MonoMac-1 (MM1) and THP-1 cells were incubated for up to 72 h with or without LPS and TGF-β. LPS, but not TGF-β, increased CD14 expression in both MM1 and THP-1 cells. Incubation with LPS (100 ng/ml) and TGF-β (1 ng/ml) synergistically increased the capacity of MM1 cells to produce 5-LO products from undetectable levels to 40±5 pmol/106 cells. 5-LO product biosynthesis in THP-1 cells increased 25-fold. A synergistic effect of LPS and TGF-β was measured with increases in 5-LO mRNA of 54- and 13-fold in MM1 and THP-1 cells, respectively. 5-LO protein expression increased significantly in both MM1 and THP-1 cells. ALOX5 promoter activity was significantly elevated >2-fold in both cell lines following LPS treatment, but TGF-β was without effect. The main 5-LO products were cysteinyl-leukotrienes, however LPS and TGF-β did not impact on the capacity of the cells to metabolize leukotriene A4. Overall, this study demonstrates that receptor-mediated stimulation of MM1 and THP-1 cells by LPS is associated with increased 5-LO expression. This represents a new mechanism by which leukotriene biosynthesis can be modulated by pathological agents.

Constitutively Activated STAT3 Induces the Production of PTX3 That Contributes to the Induction of Bone Marrow Reticulin Fibrosis in Patient with CLL

Constitutively Activated STAT3 Induces the Production of PTX3 That Contributes to the Induction of Bone Marrow Reticulin Fibrosis in Patient with CLL

RAGE and CCR7 mediate the transmigration of Zika-infected monocytes through the blood-brain barrier.

Details of the "Trojan Horse" mechanism by which Zika virus (ZIKV) crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remain unclear. However, the migration of ZIKV-infected monocytes to the brain is thought to be dependent on both pattern-recognition and chemokine receptors. In this study, we investigated whether the migration of ZIKV-infected MonoMac-1 (MM-1) cells through the BBB is dependent on chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) and receptor for advanced glycation end (RAGE); we also determined whether high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) could facilitate the permeabilization of endothelial cells. We demonstrated that ZIKV infects MM-1 cells, leading to milieu accumulation of HMGB1. Our results suggest that HMGB1 is involved in the dysregulation of primary human brain microvascular endothelial cell junction markers. Our results also indicate that the migration of ZIKV-infected monocytes is dependent on chemokine ligand 19 (CCL19), the natural ligand of CCR7, in conditions recapitulating inflammation. RAGE-dependent migration of ZIKV-infected cells declined during transmigration assays in the presence of RAGE receptor antagonist FPS-ZM1. Understanding the molecular role of monocyte trafficking during ZIKV infections could facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies to prevent the deleterious consequences of ZIKV neuroinfection.

Loss of KDM6A Confers Drug Resistance in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic cancer resulting from the malignant transformation of myeloid progenitors. Despite intensive chemotherapy, relapse caused by intrinsic or acquired drug resistance remains a major hurdle in the treatment of AML. Recently, we found KDM6A as a novel relapse-associated gene in a cohorte of 50 cytogenetically normal AML patients. KDM6A (or UTX) is a histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27)-specific demethylase and a member of the COMPASS (complex of proteins associated with Set1)-like complex, which is important for chromatin enhancer activation. KDM6A is targeted by inactivating mutations in a variety of cancer types with frequency of occurrence ranging from 0.7 to 4% in AML.In this study, we used matched diagnosis and relapse samples from AML patients, patient-derived xenografts (PDX), and myeloid leukemia cell lines to investigate the status of KDM6A during disease progression and the implications of KDM6A loss regarding chemotherapy resistance. We found three AML patients with enrichment of KDM6A mutations at relapse and mutation-independent, relapse-specific loss of KDM6A expression in three additional AML patients. KDM6A mutations comprise deletions and point mutations and appear to be mainly loss-of-function mutations. In addition, we examined the mutation profile and KDM6A expression in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) samples from 8 relapsed AML patients. In 4/8 samples, KDM6A protein levels were low or completely lost. Due to the fact that all patients had received induction therapy including single or combination treatment with agents such as cytarabine (AraC), daunorubicin (DNR), and 6-thioguanine (6-TG), we hypothesized that loss of KDM6A confers resistance to chemotherapy. To exclude gender-specific effects (KDM6A escapes X inactivation leading to higher levels in females), we compared male KDM6A knockout (KO) with WT leukemia cell lines and found increased AraC resistance in the KDM6A KO cells (unpaired, two-tailed Student's t-test; P=0.0441). In addition, we treated two relapsed PDX AML cells of the same gender, AML 491 (KDM6A WT and strong expression) and AML 393 (KDM6A mutation and weak expression) with AraC for 72h in vitro and found significantly increased AraC resistance in the KDM6A-mutant PDX AML 393 cells (P=0.016). To further investigate whether reduced expression or loss of KDM6A leads to increased resistance towards multiple drugs, we silenced KDM6A expression by shRNA or CRISPR/Cas9 in K562 and MM-1 cells. Compared to control, KDM6A knockdown (KD) and KO K562 cells showed a strong proliferative advantage after AraC and DNR but not 6-TG treatment. A similar drug resistance phenotype was observed in KDM6A KO MM-1 cells.To unravel the mechanism of drug resistance, we performed RNA-Seq analysis in K562 cells treated with siRNA or shRNA against KDM6A under native conditions and after AraC (150nM) treatment for 72h. We compared these differentially expressed genes with known key candidate genes in AraC, DNR, and 6-TG metabolic pathway and found that ENT1 was consistently downregulated in KDM6A KD cells in both siRNA- and shRNA-mediated RNA-Seq screenings. Decreased ENT1 levels were also detected in KDM6A KO K562 single cell clones. ENT1 (also known as SLC29A1) is a membrane transporter relevant for the cellular uptake of nucleosides and its analogues. Competitive inhibition of ENT1 by the small molecule antagonist NBMPR lead to decreased sensitivity towards AraC but not DNR and 6-TG suggesting that increased AraC resistance in KDM6A KO cells is caused, at least partially, by downregulation of ENT1.To elucidate the mechanism of ENT1 regulation by KDM6A, we performed ChIP-seq analysis for H3K27me3 and H3K27ac in the sister cell lines MM-1 (KDM6A WT) and MM-6 (KDM6A KO). ChIP-seq for H3K27me3 showed no enrichment on the ENT1 locus, but we detected differential H3K27ac peaks in the promoter and a putative enhancer region of ENT1 in MM-1 compared to MM-6. These data suggest that increased ENT1 expression may function through direct or indirect effects of KDM6A on enhancer regions, independent of its H3K27 demethylase activity.In conclusion, our results show that mutations in KDM6A are associated with the outgrowth of drug-resistant clones and highlight KDM6A as a novel biomarker of drug resistance in AML. DisclosuresHiddemann:Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; F. Hoffman-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding. Metzeler:Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Endogenous STAT3-Activated Wnt5a Provides CLL Cells with Survival Advantage

Endogenous STAT3-Activated Wnt5a Provides CLL Cells with Survival Advantage

The inhibition of FGF receptor 1 activity mediates sorafenib antiproliferative effects in human malignant pleural mesothelioma tumor-initiating cells

BackgroundMalignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, characterized by rapid progression and high mortality. Persistence of tumor-initiating cells (TICs, or cancer stem cells) after cytotoxic drug treatment is responsible for tumor relapse, and represents one of the main reasons for the poor prognosis of mesothelioma. In fact, identification of the molecules affecting TIC viability is still a significant challenge.MethodsTIC-enriched cultures were obtained from 10 human malignant pleural mesotheliomas and cultured in vitro. Three fully characterized tumorigenic cultures, named MM1, MM3, and MM4, were selected and used to assess antiproliferative effects of the multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib. Cell viability was investigated by MTT assay, and cell cycle analysis as well as induction of apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry. Western blotting was performed to reveal the modulation of protein expression and the phosphorylation status of pathways associated with sorafenib treatment.ResultsWe analyzed the molecular mechanisms of the antiproliferative effects of sorafenib in mesothelioma TIC cultures. Sorafenib inhibited cell cycle progression in all cultures, but only in MM3 and MM4 cells was this effect associated with Mcl-1-dependent apoptosis. To investigate the mechanisms of sorafenib-mediated antiproliferative activity, TICs were treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) causing, in MM3 and MM4 cells, MEK, ERK1/2, Akt, and STAT3 phosphorylation. These effects were abolished by sorafenib only in bFGF-treated cells, while a modest inhibition occurred after EGF stimulation, suggesting that sorafenib effects are mainly due to FGF receptor (FGFR) inhibition. Indeed, FGFR1 phosphorylation was inhibited by sorafenib.Moreover, in MM1 cells, which release high levels of bFGF and showed autocrine activation of FGFR1 and constitutive phosphorylation/activation of MEK-ERK1/2, sorafenib induced a more effective antiproliferative response, confirming that the main target of the drug is the inhibition of FGFR1 activity.ConclusionsThese results suggest that, in malignant pleural mesothelioma TICs, bFGF signaling is the main target of the antiproliferative response of sorafenib, acting directly on the FGFR1 activation. Patients with constitutive FGFR1 activation via an autocrine loop may be more sensitive to sorafenib treatment and the analysis of this possibility warrants further clinical investigation.

Abstract B158: Cyclin dependent kinase-5 regulates IFNγ induced PD-L1 expression via IRF-1 in medulloblastoma

Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade offers an exciting, new adjuvant therapy to both solid and liquid tumors. However, the underlying mechanisms by which tumors alter their expression of immune checkpoint blockade ligands, such as programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), to achieve adaptive immune resistance needs to be further studied. We sought to investigate the mechanisms by which PD-L1 expression is regulated in response to IFNγ stimulation in medulloblastoma, a primary CNS neoplasm. MB is the most common pediatric CNS malignancy that is capable of metastasis to distant sites. MB is classified into four different molecular subgroups. Patched (PTCH), a signaling molecule of the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway, represents one subgroup and accounts for 25% of all sporadic human MB. Because MB develops from primitive cerebellar granule neuron precursor cells, it is thought that errors in development or migration of these neurons contribute to tumorigenesis. Cyclin Dependent Kinase 5 (CDK5) is a non-canonical member of the CDK family that does not require cyclin for activity but relies on binding to its obligate activators, p35 and p39 which are mostly expressed in post mitotic neurons. CDK5 is required for normal Central Nervous System (CNS) development. Utilizing both short hairpin RNA (shRNA) approach and the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 (Cr) system we silenced Cdk5 expression in a C57BL/6 (B6) syngeneic MB line derived from p53-/- PTCH+/- (MM1). In vitro proliferation experiments revealed that MM1-WT, MM1 cells transduced with shRNA targeting CDK5 (MM1-shCDK5), and MM1 cells transduced with non-silencing, scrambled RNA sequences (MM1-shNS) had similar growth kinetics. Since there were no intrinsic differences in in vitro growth kinetics, we subcutaneously injected immunocompetent C57BL/B6 mice with 5x104 tumor cells and measured tumor growth every three days. In our first experiment, 19 days after injection 7.7% (N=13) of mice injected with MM1-WT and 0% (N=7) injected with MM1-shNS were tumor free compared with 76.5% (N=13) of animals injected with MM1-shCDK5 Comparison of tumor free survival revealed statistically significant differences between the MM1-WT with MM1-shCDK5 groups (p <0.001) and MM1-shNS with MM1-shCDK5 (p <0.001). There was no significant difference between MM1-WT and MM1-shNS (p= 0.206). Furthermore, when injected into athymic Nu/Nu mice, MM1-WT and MM1-shCDK5 had similar subcutaneous growth kinetics. Therefore, we sought to interrogate the role of the immune system in enhanced killing of MM1-shCDK5 tumors. When exposed to IFNγ stimulation in vitro, genetic profiling of MM1-shCDK5 revealed a decrease in PD-L1 expression, a known immune checkpoint surface molecule, compared to MM1-WT. Assessing the downstream molecules that could account for differential IFNγ signaling, we found that upon stimulation of MM1-WT cells in vitro with 100ng/mL of recombinant murine IFNγ, interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) had a time dependent upregulation that corresponded with augmented cell surface expression of PD-L1. In IFNγ stimulated MM1-shCDK5 cells and MM1 transduced with Cr constructs targeting CDK5 (MM1-crCDK5), IRF-1 protein did not increase and corresponded with an absence of PD-L1 cell surface expression. In summary, we have shown that Cdk5 is expressed in Type 2 MB and that silencing of its expression with shRNA results in an altered growth phenotype in vivo but not in vitro. Furthermore, eliminating the ability of MM1 tumors to express PD-L1 might lead to effective immune rejection of MM1-shCDK5. Mechanistically, we showed that this enhanced tumor rejection may be due in part to the failure of Cdk5 deficient MB cells to alter IRF-1 expression which serves as a transcription factor for PD-L1. These novel findings point to CDK5 as a potential immunotherapeutic target in MB. Citation Format: Rodney Dixon Dorand, Jr., Agne Petrosiute, Joseph Nthale, Tej Pareek, Francesca Scrimieri, Jay Myers, Deborah Barkauskas, John J. Letterio, Duncan S. Stearns, Alex Y. Huang. Cyclin dependent kinase-5 regulates IFNγ induced PD-L1 expression via IRF-1 in medulloblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B158.

Therapeutic inhibition of HAUSP-PTEN network in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

findings we wondered whether when present at high levels STAT3 induces apoptosis of CLL cells. To test this theory we first overexpress STAT3 in MM1 cells and found that overexpression of STAT3 upregulated caspase3 levels and induced apoptosis of MM1 cells. Because sequence analysis revealed that the promoter of caspase3 harbors putative STAT3 binding sites, we sought to determine whether STAT3 activates caspase-3. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and an electrophoretic mobility shift essay (EMSA) confirmed that STAT3 binds the caspase-3 promoter, and a Luciferase assay validated that STAT3 activates the caspase-3 promoter in IL-6-treated MM1 cells. To assess STAT3’s binding affinity to the promoter of caspase-3, we prepared serial dilutions of CLL cell DNA and, using ChIP and EMSA, found that STAT3’s binding affinities to p21 and c-Myc were 8 and 4 times higher than STAT’s binding affinity to caspase-3, suggesting that at high levels STAT3 are required to activate caspase-3. Taken together, these findings suggest that STAT3 has a previously unknown pro-apoptotic function. When present at high levels, STAT3 activates Caspase3 and induces apoptosis rather than providing CLL cells with survival advantage.

Aberrant LPL Expression, Driven by STAT3, Mediates Free Fatty Acid Metabolism in CLL Cells.

While reviewing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) bone marrow slides, we identified cytoplasmic lipid vacuoles in CLL cells but not in normal B cells. Because lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which catalyzes hydrolysis of triglycerides into free fatty acids (FFA), is aberrantly expressed in CLL, we investigated whether LPL regulates the oxidative metabolic capacity of CLL cells. We found that unlike normal B cells, CLL cells metabolize FFAs. Because STAT3 is constitutively activated in CLL cells and because we identified putative STAT3 binding sites in the LPL promoter, we sought to determine whether STAT3 drives the aberrant expression of LPL. Transfection of luciferase reporter gene constructs driven by LPL promoter fragments into MM1 cells revealed that STAT3 activates the LPL promoter. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed that STAT3 binds to the LPL promoter. Furthermore, transfection of CLL cells with STAT3-shRNA downregulated LPL transcripts and protein levels, confirming that STAT3 activates the LPL gene. Finally, transfection of CLL cells with LPL-siRNAs decreased the capacity of CLL cells to oxidize FFAs and reduced cell viability. Our study suggests that CLL cells adopt their metabolism to oxidize FFA. Activated STAT3 induces LPL, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of triglycerides into FFA. Therefore, inhibition of STAT3 is likely to prevent the capacity of CLL cells to utilize FFA.

CCR7 Receptor Expression in Mono-MAC-1 Cells: Modulation by Liver X Receptor α Activation and Prostaglandin E 2.

Cell migration via chemokine receptor CCR7 expression is an essential function of the immune system. We previously showed that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), an important immunomodulatory molecule, increases CCR7 expression and function in monocytes. Here, we explore the role of the liver X receptor α (LXRα) activation on CCR7 expression in Mono-Mac-1 (MM-1) cells in the presence of PGE2. To do this, MM-1 cells were stimulated with the LXRα synthetic agonist T0901317 in the presence or absence of PGE2. CCR7 mRNA transcription was measured using quantitative RT-PCR and protein expression was examined using flow cytometry. CCR7 function was analyzed using migration assays in response to CCL19/CCL21, which are natural ligands for CCR7. Our results show that agonist-mediated activation of LXRα in the presence of PGE2 increases CCR7 mRNA transcription and MM-1 cell migratory capacity in response to CCL19/21. In addition, our results demonstrate that engagement of the E-prostanoids 2 and 4 (EP2/EP4) receptors present on MM-1 cells is responsible for the observed increase in CCR7 mRNA expression and function during LXRα activation. Examination of monocyte migration in response to lipid derivatives such as PGE2 and oxysterols that are produced at sites of chronic inflammation would contribute to understanding the excessive monocyte migration that characterizes atherosclerosis.

STAT3-Driven, Aberrantly Expressed Lipoprotein Lipase Mediates Free Fatty Acid Metabolism in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells

The metabolic profile of mammalian cells is determined primarily by the cells’ proliferation rate. Unlike circulating memory B cells, which are typically quiescent and proliferate only in response to external stimuli, approximately 1% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells proliferate daily. We sought to determine how CLL cells adjust their metabolism to meet increased energy demands imposed by their proliferation rate. Muscle cells, which proliferate at rates similar to those of CLL cells, preferentially use intracellular stored triglycerides as an available energy source. Similar to muscle cells, CLL cells express lipoprotein lipase (LPL), an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of tryglycerides into free fatty acids (FFA). We wondered whether CLL cells use a similar pathway. In reviewing bone marrow biopsies of patients with CLL, we identified clear-appearing oil red O-positive vacuoles in the cytoplasm of CLL cells. Using electron microscopy, we confirmed that these lipid vacuoles were present in 95% of CLL peripheral blood cells but not in normal B cells. To determine whether CLL cells metabolize FFA, we incubated CLL cells with or without FFA (palmitate or oleate) in a sealed flask and measured the dissolved O2 (dO2) content in the medium of the cultured cells after 48 h. Compared with CLL cells incubated in the absence of FFA, dO2 levels were significantly reduced when FFA was added. In contrast, dO2 levels were not reduced after FFA was added to cultures of normal B lymphocytes, suggesting that unlike normal B cells, CLL cells acquired the capacity to metabolize FFA. Transfecting CLL cells with LPL small interfering RNA abrogated the capacity of CLL cells to metabolize FFA, suggesting that FFA metabolism in CLL cells is LPL dependent. We and other groups found that LPL is abundantly expressed in CLL cells. Because STAT3 is constitutively activated in CLL cells and because we identified putative STAT3 binding sites in the LPL promoter, we hypothesized that STAT3 induces aberrant expression of LPL in CLL cells. By transfecting a luciferase reporter gene driven by LPL promoter fragments into MM1 cells, we found that STAT3 activates the LPL promoter, and by using chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we confirmed that STAT3 binds to the LPL promoter in MM1 and in CLL cells. To confirm these data, we transfected CLL cells with a lentiviral STAT3 short hairpin RNA. Unlike the empty lentiviral vector, STAT3–small interfering RNA downregulated mRNA levels of LPL and several STAT3 target genes and downregulated LPL protein levels. Taken together, our data suggest that CLL cells store lipids in cytoplasmic vacuoles, produce LPL, and adapt their metabolism to utilize intracellular stored lipids for energy production, a process that is driven by constitutively activated STAT3. DisclosuresO’Brien:Amgen, Celgene, GSK: Consultancy; CLL Global Research Foundation: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Emergent, Genentech, Gilead, Infinity, Pharmacyclics, Spectrum: Consultancy, Research Funding; MorphoSys, Acerta, TG Therapeutics: Research Funding.

STAT3-activated GM-CSFRα translocates to the nucleus and protects CLL cells from apoptosis.

Here, it was determined that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells express the α subunit, but not the β subunit, of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (GM-CSFR/CSF2R). GM-CSFRα was detected on the surface, in the cytosol, and in the nucleus of CLL cells via confocal microscopy, cell fractionation, and GM-CSFRα antibody epitope mapping. Because STAT3 is frequently activated in CLL and the GM-CSFRα promoter harbors putative STAT3 consensus binding sites, MM1 cells were transfected with truncated forms of the GM-CSFRα promoter, then stimulated with IL6 to activate STAT3 and to identify STAT3-binding sites. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and an electoromobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed STAT3 occupancy to those promoter regions in both IL6-stimulated MM1 and CLL cells. Transfection of MM1 cells with STAT3-siRNA or CLL cells with STAT3-shRNA significantly downregulated GM-CSFRα mRNA and protein levels. RNA transcripts, involved in regulating cell survival pathways, and the proteins KAP1 (TRIM28) and ISG15 coimmunoprecipitated with GM-CSFRα. GM-CSFRα-bound KAP1 enhanced the transcriptional activity of STAT3, whereas GM-CSFRα-bound ISG15 inhibited the NF-κB pathway. Nevertheless, overexpression of GM-CSFRα protected MM1 cells from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, and GM-CSFRα knockdown induced apoptosis in CLL cells, suggesting that GM-CSFRα provides a ligand-independent survival advantage. Constitutively, activation of STAT3 induces the expression of GM-CSFRα that protects CLL cells from apoptosis, suggesting that inhibition of STAT3 or GM-CSFRα may benefit patients with CLL.

NAC, Tiron and Trolox Impair Survival of Cell Cultures Containing Glioblastoma Tumorigenic Initiating Cells by Inhibition of Cell Cycle Progression

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are metabolism by-products that may act as signaling molecules to sustain tumor growth. Antioxidants have been used to impair cancer cell survival. Our goal was to determine the mechanisms involved in the response to antioxidants of a human cell culture (PT4) containing glioblastoma (GBM) tumorigenic initiating cells (TICs). ROS production in the absence or presence of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), tiron, and trolox was evaluated by flow cytometry (FCM). The effects of these antioxidants on cell survival and apoptosis were evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay (MTT) and FCM. The biological processes modulated by these drugs were determined by oligonucleotide microarray gene expression profiling. Our results showed that NAC, tiron and trolox impaired PT4 cell survival, had minor effects on ROS levels and caused wide deregulation of cell cycle genes. Furthermore, tiron and trolox caused inhibition of cell survival in two additional cell cultures containing TICs, FO-1 and MM1, established from a melanoma and a mesothelioma patient, respectively. NAC, instead, impaired survival of the MM1 cells but not of the FO-1 cells. However, when used in combination, NAC enhanced the inhibitory effect of PLX4032 (BRAF V600E inhibitor) and Gefitinib (EGFR inhibitor), on FO-1 and PT4 cell survival. Collectively, NAC, tiron and trolox modulated gene expression and impaired the growth of cultures containing TICs primarily by inhibiting cell cycle progression.

STAT3 Activates Anti-Apoptotic Genes But When In Access Induces Apoptosis Of CLL Cells

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively phosphorylated on serine 727 residues, and phosphoserine STAT3 induces the transcription and proliferation of anti-apoptosis genes including c-Myc, BCL2, Bcl-XL, and Mcl-1 (Hazan-Halevy, 2010). Therefore, we hypothesized that the CLL cells of patients with high peripheral blood absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) have a high level of STAT3 protein expression and a low rate of spontaneous apoptosis. Using Western blotting and flow cytometry, we quantitated STAT3 levels and apoptosis rates in CLL cells from 64 patients with high (N=32) and low (N=32) ALCs. As expected, the levels of STAT3 expression were significantly higher in cells from patients with high ALCs (145,000 ± 49,738/µL) than in cells from patients with low ALCs (12,800 ± 4,654/µL). However, contrary to our hypothesis, Annexin V/PI staining revealed that the levels of procaspase-3, its activated (cleaved) form caspase-3, and cleaved PARP as well as the apoptosis rates of cells from patients with high ALCs were significantly higher than those in cells from patients with low ALCs. These findings suggest that cells from patients with high ALCs are prone to spontaneous apoptosis. An RNA microarray analysis revealed that the levels of apoptotic pathway genes were upregulated in cells from patients with high ALC (P = 0.002), and Reverse-transcriptaction PCR of Caspase-3, Calpain 9, MAPK 8, KRAS, PLCγ-2, and PKC validated the array data. Intrigued by these findings, we sought to determine whether high levels of intracellular STAT3 induce apoptosis. Indeed, overexpression of STAT3 in interleukin-6–stimulated MM1 cells upregulated caspase-3 and caspase-3 protein levels and induced apoptosis. Similarly, in CLL cells levels of caspase3 and procaspase3 remained stable across a wide range of STAT3 levels, but when STAT3 reached a threshold, level of caspase3 and procaspase3 markedly increased.Because sequence analysis revealed that the caspase-3 promoter harbors γ-interferon activation sequence-like elements, we cloned the caspase-3 promoter in MM1 cells and, using a luciferase assay, identified regions with putative STAT3 binding sites. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and an electrophoretic mobility shift essay (EMSA) confirmed that STAT3 binds to the promoter of caspase-3. However, caspase-3 was activated only in cells with high STAT3 expression levels, suggesting that STAT3 binds to caspase-3 with low affinity. To assess STAT3's binding affinity to the caspase-3 promoter, we prepared serial dilutions of CLL cell DNA and, using ChIP and EMSA, found that STAT3's binding affinities to p21 and c-Myc were 8 and 4 times as high, respectively, as its binding affinity to caspase-3, suggesting that high levels of STAT3 protein are required to activate caspase-3. Taken together, these findings suggest that activated STAT3 has a previously unknown pro-apoptotic function. At high intracellular levels, rather than providing CLL cells with survival advantage, STAT3 induces apoptosis by activating caspase-3. Thus, because CLL cell proliferation is coupled with spontaneous CLL cell apoptosis, the number of circulating CLL cells based on the cells' proliferation rate is often lower than expected. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Signal Transducer and Activator Of Transcription 3 Activates and Deregulates Micro RNA Expression In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells

MicroRNA (miR) deregulation is a hallmark of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, little is known about the mechanisms of miR gene transcription. In CLL, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively phosphorylated on serine 727 residues, and phosphoserine STAT3 activates protein-coding genes known to be induced by phosphotyrosine STAT3. Therefore, we sought to determine whether phosphoserine STAT3 also activates miR genes. Because an analysis of publically available data, revealed that STAT3 binds to the promoter of nearly 25% of all human miR genes, we transfected unstimulated CLL cells with STAT3 small hairpin (sh)-RNA. Using an RNA microarray, we found that STAT3-shRNA downregulated the levels of 63 miR genes and upregulated the levels of 9 miR genes. Using qRT-PCR, we confirmed the microarray results in 5 of the 6 differentially expressed miR genes. Together, these data suggested that STAT3 affects miR gene levels. An analysis of chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) data revealed STAT3-miR promoter binding sites in only 60% of the STAT3-regulated miR genes. This suggested to us that mechanisms unrelated to miR promoter binding are involved in the STAT3-mediated regulation of miR expression. Indeed, computer simulation of complementary binding of STAT3-targeted microRNA genes to STAT3 mRNA provided indirect evidence that STAT3 mRNA acts as a “sponge”, soaking up miRs and altering their level and function. Several miRs that are downregulated by STAT3-shRNA, including miR-15, miR-16, miR-21, and miR-155, play crucial roles in CLL pathobiology. In particular, miR-155 is involved in tumorigenesis, and its overexpression induces lymphoma in mice; also, CLL has a high expression level of miR-155. Therefore, we sought to confirm that STAT3 directly regulates the transcription of miR-155 in CLL cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis revealed that STAT3 bound to the miR-155 promoter in CLL cells, and ChIP analysis revealed that STAT3 bound the 700–709 bp but not the 615–624 bp in the miR-155 promoter. We then co-transfected MM1 cells with truncated miR-155 promoter constructs plus STAT3 small interfering (si)-RNA and found that the STAT3-siRNA reduced the luciferase activity of the construct harboring the 700–709 bp miR-155 promoter region. Taken together, our data suggest that STAT3 directly and indirectly deregulates miR gene levels in CLL. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

STAT3-Activated GM-CSFRα Shuttles To The Nucleus and Protects CLL Cells From Apoptosis

Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) regulates the survival, proliferation, differentiation, and activation of hematopoietic cells, dendritic cells, and T cells. Upon GM-CSF binding, the α and β subunits of the GM-CSF receptor (GM-CSFR) dimerize and activate signaling. While exploring a possible role for GM-CSF in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), we found that GM-CSF did not enhance the phosphorylation of STAT3, Akt, or ERK, suggesting that GM-CSF does not directly affect CLL cells. Indeed, as in normal B cells, flow cytometry analysis of CLL cells did not detect GM-CSFRβ. However, unlike in normal B cells, GM-CSFRα (CD116) was present in CLL cells. Using confocal microscopy, cell fractionation studies, and GM-CSFRα antibody epitope mapping, we detected GM-CSFRα not only on the surfaces but also in the cytosol and nuclei of CLL cells, suggesting that GM-CSFRα has functions that are unrelated to receptor-ligand interaction. Because STAT3 is constitutively activated in CLL cells and because the promoter of the GM-CSFRα gene harbors putative STAT3 binding sites, we hypothesized that STAT3 activates GM-CSFRα in CLL cells. Both chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) analyses revealed that STAT3 binds to the promoter of GM-CSFRα. We therefore cloned the GM-CSFRα promoter in multiple myeloma cell line MM1 and used luciferase assay we identified STAT3 binding activity. To investigate the function of GM-CSFRα, we induced the overexpression of GM-CSFRα in 293FT cells and analyzed the RNA and protein that co-immunoprecipitated with GM-CSFRα. We identified 7200 RNA transcripts that co-immunoprecipitated with GM-CSFRα, including SKI and MAFA oncogenes, two serine/threonine kinase genes, and DEFT1P2 and DEFP1P, which encode proteins that belong to members of the death effector domains family, known to have a role in modulating apoptosis. Overall, the transcripts that co-immunoprecipitated with GM-CSFRα belong to survival pathways, the JAK/STAT pathway, and hematopoietic lineage pathways. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that housekeeping proteins, chaperon proteins, KAP1, and ISG-15 co-immunoprecipitated with GM-CSFRα. We found that GM-CSFRα–bound KAP1 enhanced the transcriptional activity of STAT3, whereas GM-CSFRα–bound ISG-15 inhibited the nuclear factor-κB pathway. Nevertheless, overexpression of GM-CSFRα protected MM1 cells from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, and GM-CSFRα-siRNA induced the apoptosis of CLL cells. Taken together, our data suggest that STAT3 induces the transcription of GM-CSFRα, which has distinct, ligand-independent, anti-apoptotic activities. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.