Myristoylated Alanine-rich C Kinase Substrate Protein Research Articles

A peptide against the N-terminus of myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate promotes neuronal differentiation in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells.

Myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) plays crucial roles in neuronal functions and differentiation. However, specific effects of the myristoylated N-terminal sequence (MANS) peptide, a widely used MARCKS modulator comprising the initial 24 amino acids of MARCKS, on neuronal cells remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the effects and action mechanisms of the MANS peptide on SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, which served as the in vitro neuronal cell models. MANS treatment of SH-SY5Y cells resulted in significant neurite outgrowth within 24 hr, which was as prominent as that induced by seven days of treatment with all-trans retinoic acid, the most common agent used to induce SH-SY5Y cell differentiation. Levels of synaptophysin, a neuronal marker protein, were significantly increased in the MANS peptide-treated cells. Additionally, increased MARCKS levels and decreased MARCKS phosphorylation were observed in MANS peptide-treated cells. Notably, neurite outgrowth induced by the MANS peptide was significantly reduced in MARCKS-knocked-down cells. Overall, these results suggest the MANS peptide as a novel agent for SH-SY5Y cell differentiation, particularly for the analysis of MARCKS functions.

LINC01268 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and targeting MARCKS.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with differential expression characteristics have been found to be closely related to the tumorigenesis and development of gastric cancer (GC), but their specific mechanisms and roles still need to be further elucidated. To investigate the expression of LINC01268 in GC and its mechanism of affecting GC progression. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of LINC01268 in GC tissues, cell lines and plasma. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate the value of LINC01268 in the prognostication of GC patients. An receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to evaluate the value of LINC01268 in the diagnosis of GC. Transwell migration and invasion assays and wound healing assays were used to confirm the effect of LINC01268 on the invasion and migration of GC cells. The regulatory relationship between LINC01268 and myristoylated alanine rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS), the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in GC was demonstrated by western blot analysis. The expression of LINC01268 was increased in GC tissues and cell lines. The expression level of LINC01268 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and tumor differentiation in patients with GC. Over-expression of LINC01268 indicated a poor prognosis for patients with GC, and it had a certain auxiliary diagnostic value for GC. In vitro functional experiments proved that the abnormal expression of LINC01268 further activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and promoted EMT by targeting and regulating MARCKS and ultimately promoted the invasion and metastasis of GC. This study elucidates that LINC01268 in GC may be an oncogene that further activates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and EMT by targeting and regulating MARCKS, and ultimately promotes the invasion and metastasis of GC. LINC01268 may be a potential effective target for the treatment of GC.

Circ_0039569 Competes with MARCKS for miR-133b Binding Sites to Promote the Progression of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background: The dysregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) has been shown to be correlated with the aggressiveness of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Hence, this study investigated the role and mechanism of circ_0039569 in RCC progression. Methods: The levels of circ_0039569, miR-133b, and MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate) were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. In vitro experiments were conducted by using 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine assay, colony-formation assay, Transwell assay, flow cytometry, and Western blot. The direct interactions between miR-133b and circ_0039569 or MARCKS were verified by using dual-luciferase reporter and pull-down assays. Xenograft mice models were established to conduct in vivo analysis. Results: Circ_0039569 was highly expressed in RCC tissues and cells. Functionally, silencing of circ_0039569 suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, but induced cell apoptosis in RCC cells in vitro. Moreover, mice subcutaneous xenograft assay suggested that circ_0039569 knockdown impeded tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circ_0039569 acted as a sponge for miR-133b to regulate the expression of its target MARCKS. Importantly, miR-133b inhibition or MARCKS knockdown attenuated the anticancer effects of circ_0039569 knockdown on RCC growth. Conclusion: Diminished circ_0039569 restrains the growth and propagation of RCC cells via miR-133b/MARCKS axis, indicating an underlying effective therapeutic target for RCC patients.

MLP regulates ENaC Activity in Renal Distal Convoluted Tubule Cells

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) plays an important role in blood pressure regulation through the fine‐tuning of sodium reabsorption in the distal nephron. We previously demonstrated that ENaC is present in distal convoluted tubule (DCT) cells, and the PIP2‐dependent regulation of ENaC is mediated by the myristoylated alanine‐rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS)‐like protein‐1 (MLP‐1). MLP‐1 regulation of ENaC is controlled by MLP‐1 phosphorylation of MLP‐1’s PIP2 binding domain. Here we examine the role of MLP‐1 in the function of regulating ENaC in DCT‐15 cells. We also examined whether ENaC interacts with specific domains of MLP‐1. DCT‐15 cells and Cos‐7 cells were used in our study. To further dissect the mechanism of MLP in regulating ENaC in DCT‐15 cells, we constructed various mutants of MLP. WT is the full length wild‐type protein, whereas S3A contains amino acid substitutions in the effector domain to create a molecule that could not be phosphorylated. The S3D mutant was created to mimic constitutive phosphorylation. The GA mutant had an N‐terminal glycine replaced so that it could not be myristoylated. The single‐channel patch‐clamp recordings were used to measure the channel activity of ENaC channels after transfection, and by Mammalian two‐hybrid assay we examined the interaction sites of MLP‐1 and ENaC. S3A construct of MLP has proved to be particularly effective in regulating ENaC function in DCT‐15 cells compared to other variants, given its higher channel activity. MLP‐1 regulates ENaC by changing the open probability of ENaC but not the protein expression or the number of functional channels in DCT‐15 cells. In a two‐hybrid screen, the N‐terminal (but not the C‐terminal) domain of MLP protein associated strongly with the N‐terminus of gamma ENaC and weakly with the N‐terminus of beta ENaC but not with the alpha subunit in cells.Support or Funding InformationSupported by R01 DK‐110409 to DCE and K01 DK‐115660 and ASN Gottschalk AWARD to BMW

Multiplexed Phosphoproteomic Study of Brain in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Age-Matched Cognitively Healthy Controls.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder caused by neuronal loss that results in cognitive and functional impairment. Formation of neurofibrillary tangles composed of abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau protein is one of the major pathological hallmarks of AD. Importantly, several neurodegenerative disorders, including AD, are associated with abnormal protein phosphorylation events. However, little is known thus far on global protein phosphorylation changes in AD. We report a phosphoproteomics study examining the frontal gyrus of people with AD and age-matched cognitively normal subjects, using tandem mass tag (TMT) multiplexing technology along with immobilized metal affinity chromatography to enrich phosphopeptides. We identified 4631 phosphopeptides corresponding to 1821 proteins with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS analysis on an Orbitrap Fusion Lumos Tribrid mass spectrometer. Of these, 504 phosphopeptides corresponding to 350 proteins were significantly altered in the AD brain: 389 phosphopeptides increased whereas 115 phosphopeptides decreased phosphorylation. We observed significant changes in phosphorylation of known as well as novel molecules. Using targeted parallel reaction monitoring experiments, we validated the phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau and myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) in control and AD (Control = 6, AD = 11) brain samples. In conclusion, our study provides new evidence on alteration of RNA processing and splicing, neurogenesis and neuronal development, and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (GRM5) calcium signaling pathways in the AD brain, and it thus offers new insights to accelerate diagnostics and therapeutics innovation in AD.

MARCKSL1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in males and females and ~40% of lung cancer cases are adenocarcinomas. Previous studies have demonstrated that myristoylated alanine rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) is upregulated in several types of cancer and is associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer. However, its expression level and role in lung adenocarcinoma remain unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the expression level and biological functions of MARCKS like 1 (MARCKSL1), a member of the MARCKS family, in lung adenocarcinoma. The expression level of MARCKSL1 was examined in human lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines. MARCKSL1-specific small interfering RNAs effectively suppressed its expression level and significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Additionally, the role of MARCKSLI in the regulation of metastasis was examined. Silencing MARCKSL1 decreased the expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated proteins E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin and snail family transcriptional repressor 2, and decreased the phosphorylation level of AKT. The results obtained in the current study suggested that MARCKSL1 promoted the progression of lung adenocarcinoma by regulating EMT. MARCKSLI may have prognostic value and serve as a novel therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma.

Systematic Analysis of Transcriptomic Profile of Chondrocytes in Osteoarthritic Knee Using Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics.

The phenotypic change of chondrocytes and the interplay between cartilage and subchondral bone in osteoarthritis (OA) has received much attention. Structural changes with nerve ingrowth and vascular penetration within OA cartilage may contribute to arthritic joint pain. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes and potential miRNA regulations in OA knee chondrocytes through next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Results suggested the involvement of SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3) and Wnt family member 5A (WNT5A) in the growth of blood vessels and cell aggregation, representing features of cartilage damage in OA. Additionally, 26 dysregulated genes with potential miRNA–mRNA interactions were identified in OA knee chondrocytes. Myristoylated alanine rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS), epiregulin (EREG), leucine rich repeat containing 15 (LRRC15), and phosphodiesterase 3A (PDE3A) expression patterns were similar among related OA cartilage, subchondral bone and synovial tissue arrays in Gene Expression Omnibus database. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified MARCKS to be associated with the outgrowth of neurite, and novel miRNA regulations were proposed to play critical roles in the pathogenesis of the altered OA knee joint microenvironment. The current findings suggest new perspectives in studying novel genes potentially contributing to arthritic joint pain in knee OA, which may assist in finding new targets for OA treatment.

The long noncoding RNA lncZic2 drives the self-renewal of liver tumor–initiating cells via the protein kinase C substrates MARCKS and MARCKSL1

Liver tumor-initiating cells (TICs) form small subsets of cells in hepatocellular tumors and account for tumorigenesis, metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance. Recently, we found that the transcription factor Zic family member 2 (ZIC2) is highly expressed in liver TICs and required for their self-renewal. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying self-renewal of liver TICs remain unclear. Here, using expression profiling and CRISPR-interference assays with clinical samples of human liver cancers, we identified a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), lncZic2, that is located near the ZIC2 locus and was highly expressed in liver cancer and liver TICs. We found that lncZic2 is required for the self-renewal of liver TICs in a ZIC2-independent manner. lncZic2 drove the expression of myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) and MARCKS-like 1 (MARCKSL1), whose expression levels were increased during liver tumorigenesis and liver TIC self-renewal. Mechanistically, lncZic2 interacted with BRM/SWI2-related gene 1 (BRG1) and recruited this transcriptional regulator to the promoters of the MARCKS and MARCKSL1 gene, which activated expression of these genes. Moreover, we noted that depletion of lncZic2 and BRG1 decreases MARCKS and MARCKSL1 expression and diminishes liver TIC levels. In conclusion, lncZic2 is required for the self-renewal of liver TICs by up-regulating MARCKS and MARCKSL1 gene expression via the transcription factor BRG1. Our findings suggest that the lncZic2-BRG1-MARCKS/MARCKSL1 signaling cascade might be a potential target for eliminating liver TICs in the management of liver cancer.

MiR-34c-3p acts as a tumor suppressor gene in osteosarcoma by targeting MARCKS

Previous studies have demonstrated that microRNA (miR)-34c-3p is important in human cancer progression. However, the function of miR-34c-3p in osteosarcoma (OS) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, miR-34c-3p level was measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in OS tissues and the associated prognostic value for overall survival was determined. The function of miR-34c-3p was examined in vitro and in vivo. A luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the targets of miR-34c-3p. The results of the present study revealed that miR-34c-3p was downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines, and decreased levels of miR-34c-3p were associated with a high mortality rate in patients with OS. Furthermore, restoration of miR-34c-3p expression reduced cell growth in vitro and suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. Conversely, inhibition of miR-34c-3p stimulated OS cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) was identified as a direct target of miR-34c-3p and its overexpression partly reversed the suppressive effects of miR-34c-3p. Furthermore, MARCKS was revealed to be upregulated and inversely correlated with miR-34c-3p levels in OS tissues. These data suggested that miR-34c-3p acts as a tumor suppressor via regulation of MARCKS expression in OS progression and miR-34c-3p may be a promising therapeutic target for this type of cancer.

Involvement of inhibition of RhoA/Rho kinase signaling in simvastatin-induced amelioration of neuropathic pain

Small molecular G-protein plays a key role in several diseases. This study was designed to reveal the role of RhoA signaling in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain in mice. Partial sciatic nerve injury caused thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia, and increased plasma membrane translocation of RhoA in the lumber spinal cord. GFAP-immunoreactivity (ir), Iba-1-ir, and Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2-ir) was also increased in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn of nerve-ligated mice. Moreover, partial nerve ligation increased the expression of phosphorylated myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS)-ir in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn. Daily intrathecal administration of simvastatin, beginning 3days before nerve injury, completely blocked all these changes in nerve-ligated mice. Pharmacological inhibition of ROCK also attenuated the increased expression of GFAP-ir and phosphorylated MARCKS-ir. Together, it is suggested that astrogliosis initiated by the activation of RhoA/ROCK signaling results in MARCKS phosphorylation in nerve terminals, which leads to hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain. Furthermore, simvastatin exerts antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects through the inhibition of spinal RhoA activation.

MARCKS-dependent mucin clearance and lipid metabolism in ependymal cells are required for maintenance of forebrain homeostasis during aging.

Ependymal cells (ECs) form a barrier responsible for selective movement of fluids and molecules between the cerebrospinal fluid and the central nervous system. Here, we demonstrate that metabolic and barrier functions in ECs decline significantly during aging in mice. The longevity of these functions in part requires the expression of the myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS). Both the expression levels and subcellular localization of MARCKS in ECs are markedly transformed during aging. Conditional deletion of MARCKS in ECs induces intracellular accumulation of mucins, elevated oxidative stress, and lipid droplet buildup. These alterations are concomitant with precocious disruption of ependymal barrier function, which results in the elevation of reactive astrocytes, microglia, and macrophages in the interstitial brain tissue of young mutant mice. Interestingly, similar alterations are observed during normal aging in ECs and the forebrain interstitium. Our findings constitute a conceptually new paradigm in the potential role of ECs in the initiation of various conditions and diseases in the aging brain.

Elevated MARCKS phosphorylation contributes to unresponsiveness of breast cancer to paclitaxel treatment.

Accumulating evidence has suggested that myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) is critical for regulating multiple pathophysiological processes. However, the molecular mechanism underlying increased phosphorylation of MARCKS at Ser159/163 (phospho-MARCKS) and its functional consequence in neoplastic disease remain to be established. Herein, we investigated how phospho-MARCKS is regulated in breast carcinoma, and its role in the context of chemotherapy. In a screen of patients with breast tumors, we find that the abundance of phospho-MARCKS, not MARCKS protein per se, increased in breast cancers and positively correlated with tumor grade and metastatic status. Among chemotherapeutic agents, mitotic inhibitors, including paclitaxel, vincristine or eribulin, notably promoted phospho-MARCKS accumulation in multiple breast cancer cells. We further show that phospho-MARCKS acted upstream of Src activation upon paclitaxel exposure. Reduction of phospho-MARCKS by knockdown of MARCKS or pharmacological agents increased paclitaxel sensitivity. Particularly, a known phospho-MARCKS inhibitor, MANS peptide, was demonstrated to increase paclitaxel efficacy and attenuate angiogenesis/metastasis of xenografted breast cancer cells by decreasing abundance of phospho-MARCKS and messages of inflammatory mediators. Our data suggest that unresponsiveness of breast cancer to paclitaxel treatment is, at least in part, mediated by phospho-MARCKS and also provide an alternative therapeutic strategy against breast cancer by improving taxanes sensitivity.

Searching for Novel Cdk5 Substrates in Brain by Comparative Phosphoproteomics of Wild Type and Cdk5−/− Mice

Protein phosphorylation is the most common post-translational modification that regulates several pivotal functions in cells. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a proline-directed serine/threonine kinase which is mostly active in the nervous system. It regulates several biological processes such as neuronal migration, cytoskeletal dynamics, axonal guidance and synaptic plasticity among others. In search for novel substrates of Cdk5 in the brain we performed quantitative phosphoproteomics analysis, isolating phosphoproteins from whole brain derived from E18.5 Cdk5+/+ and Cdk5−/− embryos, using an Immobilized Metal-Ion Affinity Chromatography (IMAC), which specifically binds to phosphorylated proteins. The isolated phosphoproteins were eluted and isotopically labeled for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) and mass spectrometry identification. We found 40 proteins that showed decreased phosphorylation at Cdk5−/− brains. In addition, out of these 40 hypophosphorylated proteins we characterized two proteins, :MARCKS (Myristoylated Alanine-Rich protein Kinase C substrate) and Grin1 (G protein regulated inducer of neurite outgrowth 1). MARCKS is known to be phosphorylated by Cdk5 in chick neural cells while Grin1 has not been reported to be phosphorylated by Cdk5. When these proteins were overexpressed in N2A neuroblastoma cell line along with p35, serine phosphorylation in their Cdk5 motifs was found to be increased. In contrast, treatments with roscovitine, the Cdk5 inhibitor, resulted in an opposite effect on serine phosphorylation in N2A cells and primary hippocampal neurons transfected with MARCKS. In summary, the results presented here identify Grin 1 as novel Cdk5 substrate and confirm previously identified MARCKS as a a bona fide Cdk5 substrate.

A Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) Of Event-Free Survival In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Treated With Rituximab and Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy: A Lysa and Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Multistage Study

BackgroundRelatively few studies have evaluated the role of host (germline) genetics in predicting outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and of these, most were small candidate gene studies without replication and/or from the pre-R-CHOP era. We report the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of outcome in DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy. We used two independent studies for discovery, and validated the results in two additional independent studies. MethodsIn the discovery phase, we conducted a meta-analysis of two GWAS studies of DLBCL patients treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy, the first study as part of the prospective clinical trials of the LNH2003B program (N=540) of the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) and the second as part of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (N=316), a prospective observational study from the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). Genotyping for the GWAS was performed using the Illumina 610 (LYSA) and 660 Quad (SPORE) BeadArrays (Illumina, San Diego, USA). HapMap2 was used to impute additional SNPs. Association testing was conducted assuming a log-additive genetic model and using Cox regression analyses. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for event-free survival (EFS), with adjustment for age, sex and age-adjusted IPI. The two studies were then combined using the fixed effects inverse variance method based on the beta estimates and standard errors from each study. From the meta-analysis, 89 SNPs were selected for validation, based on a minor allele frequency (MAF) >0.05 and LD pattern for multiple SNPs from the same region. Validation cohorts were an independent set of DLBCL patients from the SPORE (SPORE-2, N=366) and DLBCL patients from the prospective GOELAMS 075 phase III study (N=294), and validation genotyping was conducted using the Illumina VeraCode platform. We then conducted a meta-analysis of the 4 studies. We report SNPs with both a statistical significance of p<5x10-6 and effect sizes in the same direction across the 4 studies in the meta-analysis. For the latter SNPs, we also report the results for overall survival (OS), adjusted for age, sex and age-adjusted IPI. ResultsIn the final meta-analysis of all four studies for the prediction of EFS, the top SNP was rs7765004 (MAF=0.30; HR=1.45; p=9.7 x 10-8) in the 6q21 region, which is near the MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate) and HDAC2 genes. MARCKS encodes for a protein involved in cell mobility, while HDAC2 belongs to the histone deacetylase family. Additional SNPs from this region included rs6918103 (MAF=0.25; HR=1.38; p=7.6 x 10-6), which marks an EZH2 histone binding site, and rs11969684 (MAF=0.12; HR=1.43; p=3.3 x 10-5). The next hit was rs7712513 (MAF=0.31; HR=1.40; p=3.2 x 10-7), which is near arginine-fifty homeobox pseudogene 1 (ARGFXP1) on chromosome 5q23.2. This was followed by a region on chromosome 8q13.3, with the SNP rs9298183 (MAF=0.29; HR=1.41; p=1.4 x 10-6) from LOC100132891 showing the strongest association, along with 3 other SNPs from this region (rs2035376, rs6472637, and rs1600797; all p<5 x 10-6). These SNPs are near the musculin gene (MSC) a transcriptional repressor of E2A frequently silenced by promoter methylation in DLBCL. Finally, rs2253986 (MAF=0.27; HR=1.39; p=3.4 x 10-6) at chromosome 16q12.2, along with rs2253971 and rs6499810, were associated with EFS. These SNPs are located in CES5A (carboxylesterase 5A), which encodes a member of the carboxylesterase family. The family members are responsible for the hydrolysis or transesterification of various xenobiotics. The top SNPs associated with EFS also predicted OS, including rs7765004 (HR=1.41; p=1.2 x 10-5), rs7712513 (HR=1.39; p=8.4 x 10-6), rs9298183 (HR=1.36; p=3.5 x 10-5), and rs2253986 (HR=1.35; p=5.2 x 10-5). ConclusionsAlthough our top SNPs on did not reach genome-wide significance (p<5x10-8), they showed clear consistency across the four large prospective studies and predicted both EFS and OS independently of IPI. The strongest findings were from loci on 6q21, 8q13.3, 5q23.2, and 16q12.2, and several genes from these regions are involved in methylation and xenobiotic metabolism, supporting a role for host genetic variation in these pathways in DLBCL prognosis. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Endothelial cell adhesion to soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐1 triggers a cell dynamic and angiogenic phenotype

The aim of this study was to identify the molecular signals produced in human endothelial cells (ECs) by the interaction of α5β1 integrin with soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) present in the extracellular matrix. We generated a gene expression profile of ECs adhering to sVEGFR-1 or to fibronectin, the classic extracellular matrix ligand for α5β1 integrin or in a nonadhering condition. Several biological pathways were differently modulated, 3 protein kinase C substrates [adducin, myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS), and radixin] were differently expressed and phosphorylated when cells adhering to sVEGFR-1 were compared with those adhering to fibronectin. Rac1 activation and Gα13 protein involvement through the interaction with radixin were also detected after attachment to sVEGFR-1, and these responses depended on active VEGFR-2 signaling. On sVEGFR-1, ECs exhibited a motile phenotype that was consistent with the abundant presence of MARCKS, a stabilizer of dynamic adhesions. Moreover, ECs silenced for radixin expression no longer responded to the proangiogenic VEGFR-1-derived peptide 12. We propose that the presence of sVEGFR-1 in the EC microenvironment directs α5β1 integrin signaling to generate a dynamic, motile phenotype. Our findings also provide new insights into the mechanism of action of proangiogenic peptide 12, relevant to a therapeutic perspective.

Discovery and validation of blood biomarkers for suicidality

Suicides are a leading cause of death in psychiatric patients, and in society at large. Developing more quantitative and objective ways (biomarkers) for predicting and tracking suicidal states would have immediate practical applications and positive societal implications. We undertook such an endeavor. First, building on our previous blood biomarker work in mood disorders and psychosis, we decided to identify blood gene expression biomarkers for suicidality, looking at differential expression of genes in the blood of subjects with a major mood disorder (bipolar disorder), a high-risk population prone to suicidality. We compared no suicidal ideation (SI) states and high SI states using a powerful intrasubject design, as well as an intersubject case–case design, to generate a list of differentially expressed genes. Second, we used a comprehensive Convergent Functional Genomics (CFG) approach to identify and prioritize from the list of differentially expressed gene biomarkers of relevance to suicidality. CFG integrates multiple independent lines of evidence—genetic and functional genomic data—as a Bayesian strategy for identifying and prioritizing findings, reducing the false-positives and false-negatives inherent in each individual approach. Third, we examined whether expression levels of the blood biomarkers identified by us in the live bipolar subject cohort are actually altered in the blood in an age-matched cohort of suicide completers collected from the coroner's office, and report that 13 out of the 41 top CFG scoring biomarkers (32%) show step-wise significant change from no SI to high SI states, and then to the suicide completers group. Six out of them (15%) remained significant after strict Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Fourth, we show that the blood levels of SAT1 (spermidine/spermine N1–acetyltransferase 1), the top biomarker identified by us, at the time of testing for this study, differentiated future as well as past hospitalizations with suicidality, in a live cohort of bipolar disorder subjects, and exhibited a similar but weaker pattern in a live cohort of psychosis (schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder) subjects. Three other (phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3 (MAP3K3)) of the six biomarkers that survived Bonferroni correction showed similar but weaker effects. Taken together, the prospective and retrospective hospitalization data suggests SAT1, PTEN, MARCKS and MAP3K3 might be not only state biomarkers but trait biomarkers as well. Fifth, we show how a multi-dimensional approach using SAT1 blood expression levels and two simple visual-analog scales for anxiety and mood enhances predictions of future hospitalizations for suicidality in the bipolar cohort (receiver-operating characteristic curve with area under the curve of 0.813). Of note, this simple approach does not directly ask about SI, which some individuals may deny or choose not to share with clinicians. Lastly, we conducted bioinformatic analyses to identify biological pathways, mechanisms and medication targets. Overall, suicidality may be underlined, at least in part, by biological mechanisms related to stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate)

Review on MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated.

Protein Kinase C Controls Vesicular Transport and Secretion of Apolipoprotein E from Primary Human Macrophages

Macrophage-specific apolipoprotein E (apoE) secretion plays an important protective role in atherosclerosis. However, the precise signaling mechanisms regulating apoE secretion from primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs) remain unclear. Here we investigate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in regulating basal and stimulated apoE secretion from HMDMs. Treatment of HMDMs with structurally distinct pan-PKC inhibitors (calphostin C, Ro-31-8220, Go6976) and a PKC inhibitory peptide all significantly decreased apoE secretion without significantly affecting apoE mRNA or apoE protein levels. The PKC activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulated apoE secretion, and both PMA-induced and apoAI-induced apoE secretion were inhibited by PKC inhibitors. PKC regulation of apoE secretion was found to be independent of the ATP binding cassette transporter ABCA1. Live cell imaging demonstrated that PKC inhibitors inhibited vesicular transport of apoE to the plasma membrane. Pharmacological or peptide inhibitor and knockdown studies indicate that classical isoforms PKCα/β and not PKCδ, -ε, -θ, or -ι/ζ isoforms regulate apoE secretion from HMDMs. The activity of myristoylated alanine-rich protein kinase C substrate (MARCKS) correlated with modulation of PKC activity in these cells, and direct peptide inhibition of MARCKS inhibited apoE secretion, implicating MARCKS as a downstream effector of PKC in apoE secretion. Comparison with other secreted proteins indicated that PKC similarly regulated secretion of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and chitinase-3-like-1 protein but differentially affected the secretion of other proteins. In conclusion, PKC regulates the secretion of apoE from primary human macrophages.

Myristoylated Alanine-Rich protein Kinase C Substrate (MARCKS) expression modulates the metastatic phenotype in human and murine colon carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

Several actin-binding proteins have been shown to be altered in metastatic cell lines and tumours and, in particular, Myristoylated Alanine-Rich protein Kinase C substrate (MARCKS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various highly metastatic epithelial malignancies. Considering that a large percentage of deaths due to colorectal cancer (CRC) are consequent to hepatic metastasization, aim of this study was to elucidate the involvement and mechanism of MARCKS in CRC by employing in vitro and in vivo approaches. Loss-of and-gain-on function approaches of MARCKS were employed in two human CRC cell lines: Clone A cells expressing MARCKS and LoVo cells known to have a frameshift mutation of MARCKS i.e. typically for MSI-H CRC. The data unveiled that altering MARCKS expression suppresses cell motility and invasion in human colon carcinoma cells when conditioned medium of liver-specific stromal cells (hepatic stellate cells) was used as chemoattractant. Depletion or re-expression of MARCKS inhibited proliferation with a reduction in expression of the mitotic regulator Aurora B kinase (AURKB), whereas AURKB-depletion did not modify MARCKS expression. In murine colon carcinoma CT26 cells, shRNA MARCKS-depletion reduced motility and invasion, and induced an aberrant, prolonged mitotic process. Significantly less metastases were produced in a syngeneic model of colon metastasis by MARCKS-depleted CT26 in comparison to CT26-tumour challenged mice. In conclusion, MARCKS plays an articulated role in the progression of colorectal cancer and might represent a suitable target to interfere and overcome the invasive behaviour of colon carcinoma cells at primary and distant sites.

Mir-21 Regulation of MARCKS Protein and Mucin Secretion in Airway Epithelial Cells

Hypersecretion of mucus characterizes many inflammatory airway diseases, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, and cystic fibrosis. Excess mucus causes airway obstruction, reduces pulmonary function, and can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs are small non-coding pieces of RNA which regulate other genes by binding to a complementary sequence in the target mRNA. The microRNA miR-21 is upregulated in many inflammatory conditions and, interestingly, miR-21 has been shown to target the mRNA of Myristoylated Alanine-Rich C Kinase Substrate (MARCKS), a protein that is an important regulator of airway mucin (the solid component of mucus) secretion. In these studies, we determined that exposure of primary, well-differentiated, normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells to the pro-inflammatory stimulus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased expression of both miR-21 and MARCKS in a time-dependent manner. To investigate whether miR-21 regulation of MARCKS played a role in mucin secretion, two separate airway epithelial cell lines, HBE1 (papilloma virus transformed) and NCI-H292 (mucodepidermoid derived) were utilized, since manipulation of miR-21 is performed via transfection of commercially-available miR-21 inhibitors and mimics/activators. Treatment of HBE1 cells with LPS caused concentration-dependent increases in expression of both miR-21 and MARCKS mRNA and protein. The miR-21 inhibitor effectively reduced levels of miR-21 in the cells, coincident with an increase in MARCKS mRNA expression over time as well as enhanced mucin secretion, while the miR-21 mimic/activator increased levels of miR-21, which coincided with a decrease in expression of MARCKS and a decrease in mucin secretion. These results suggest that miR-21 is increased in airway epithelial cells following exposure to LPS, and that miR-21 downregulates expression of MARCKS, which may decrease mucin secretion by the cells. Thus, miR-21 may act as a negative feedback regulator of mucin secretion in airway epithelial cells, and may do so, at least in part, by downregulating expression of MARCKS.