FAS and NF-κB signalling modulate dependence of lung cancers on mutant EGFR

Human lung adenocarcinomas with activating mutations in EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) often respond to treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but the magnitude of tumour regression is variable and transient. This heterogeneity in treatment response could result from genetic modifiers that regulate the degree to which tumour cells are dependent on mutant EGFR. Through a pooled RNA interference screen, we show that knockdown of FAS and several components of the NF-κB pathway specifically enhanced cell death induced by the EGFR TKI erlotinib in EGFR-mutant lung cancer cells. Activation of NF-κB through overexpression of c-FLIP or IKK (also known as CFLAR and IKBKB, respectively), or silencing of IκB (also known as NFKBIA), rescued EGFR-mutant lung cancer cells from EGFR TKI treatment. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of NF-κB enhanced erlotinib-induced apoptosis in erlotinib-sensitive and erlotinib-resistant EGFR-mutant lung cancer models. Increased expression of the NF-κB inhibitor IκB predicted for improved response and survival in EGFR-mutant lung cancer patients treated with EGFR TKI. These data identify NF-κB as a potential companion drug target, together with EGFR, in EGFR-mutant lung cancers and provide insight into the mechanisms by which tumour cells escape from oncogene dependence.     

细胞凋亡与NF-κB激活的信号传导研究

细胞凋亡是细胞受基因调控的主动死亡方式,对于生物体的正常发育及生理功能的维持具有重要意义。NF-κB是一类在动物细胞中广泛表达的转录因子,其主要生理功能之一是通过诱导凋亡抑制基因的转录,拮抗细胞凋亡的发生。NF-κB的活化调控是细胞生死抉择过程的关键机制之一。现已证明细胞凋亡及NF-κB活化的异常会导致多种人类疾病。本项目从凋亡的执行机制和调控机制两方面入手,对细胞凋亡的机理进行了研究。建立了基于爪蟾卵细胞提取物的非细胞凋亡诱导体系,并利用这一体系,发现爪蟾细胞凋亡特异核酸酶XAD及其特异性的抑制因子IXAD;首次证明磷酸肌酸和核质素在凋亡过程中的作用。克隆了3个新的凋亡诱导基因。在细胞凋亡的调节机制方面,克隆了7个分别作用于NF-κB活化信号通路不同步骤的新的调节基因,发现5个已知蛋白调节不同NF-κB活化途径的新功能。此外,在国际上较早开展了植物细胞凋亡的研究,首次报道体外培养植物细胞凋亡过程中有细胞色素C的释放。     

Mutations of the BRAF gene in human cancer

Cancers arise owing to the accumulation of mutations in critical genes that alter normal programmes of cell proliferation, differentiation and death. As the first stage of a systematic genome-wide screen for these genes, we have prioritized for analysis signalling pathways in which at least one gene is mutated in human cancer. The RAS RAF MEK ERK MAP kinase pathway mediates cellular responses to growth signals. RAS is mutated to an oncogenic form in about 15% of human cancer. The three RAF genes code for cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinases that are regulated by binding RAS. Here we report BRAF somatic missense mutations in 66% of malignant melanomas and at lower frequency in a wide range of human cancers. All mutations are within the kinase domain, with a single substitution (V599E) accounting for 80%. Mutated BRAF proteins have elevated kinase activity and are transforming in NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, RAS function is not required for the growth of cancer cell lines with the V599E mutation. As BRAF is a serine/threonine kinase that is commonly activated by somatic point mutation in human cancer, it may provide new therapeutic opportunities in malignant melanoma.     

NF-κB信号通路在大鼠肝再生中调节肝细胞增殖的机理研究

为了解大鼠肝再生中肝细胞NF-κB信号通路对肝细胞增殖的调节作用,用Rat Genome 230 2.0芯片检测大鼠肝再生中NF-κB信号通路相关基因表达变化发现,芯片含138个NF-κB信号通路基因,其中46个基因与大鼠肝再生相关.用Ingenuity Pathway Analysis 9.0(IPA)软件解析上述基因表达变化预示的该信号通路调节肝细胞增殖作用发现,该通路的白细胞介素-1(IL-1)途径在大鼠肝再生起始阶段促进肝细胞增殖,生长因子(GF)途径在进展阶段促进肝细胞增殖,肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)途径在起始阶段促进肝细胞增殖,终止阶段抑制肝细胞增殖.     

Somatic mutations affect key pathways in lung adenocarcinoma

Determining the genetic basis of cancer requires comprehensive analyses of large collections of histopathologically well-classified primary tumours. Here we report the results of a collaborative study to discover somatic mutations in 188 human lung adenocarcinomas. DNA sequencing of 623 genes with known or potential relationships to cancer revealed more than 1,000 somatic mutations across the samples. Our analysis identified 26 genes that are mutated at significantly high frequencies and thus are probably involved in carcinogenesis. The frequently mutated genes include tyrosine kinases, among them the EGFR homologue ERBB4; multiple ephrin receptor genes, notably EPHA3; vascular endothelial growth factor receptor KDR; and NTRK genes. These data provide evidence of somatic mutations in primary lung adenocarcinoma for several tumour suppressor genes involved in other cancers--including NF1, APC, RB1 and ATM--and for sequence changes in PTPRD as well as the frequently deleted gene LRP1B. The observed mutational profiles correlate with clinical features, smoking status and DNA repair defects. These results are reinforced by data integration including single nucleotide polymorphism array and gene expression array. Our findings shed further light on several important signalling pathways involved in lung adenocarcinoma, and suggest new molecular targets for treatment.     

SHARPIN is a component of the NF-κB-activating linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex

Cpdm (chronic proliferative dermatitis) mice develop chronic dermatitis and an immunodeficiency with increased serum IgM, symptoms that resemble those of patients with X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome and hypohydrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XHM-ED), which is caused by mutations in NEMO (NF-κB essential modulator; also known as IKBKG). Spontaneous null mutations in the Sharpin (SHANK-associated RH domain interacting protein in postsynaptic density) gene are responsible for the cpdm phenotype in mice. SHARPIN shows significant similarity to HOIL-1L (also known as RBCK1), a component of linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC), which induces NF-κB activation through conjugation of linear polyubiquitin chains to NEMO. Here, we identify SHARPIN as an additional component of LUBAC. SHARPIN-containing complexes can linearly ubiquitinate NEMO and activated NF-κB. Thus, we re-define LUBAC as a complex containing SHARPIN, HOIL-1L, and HOIP (also known as RNF31). Deletion of SHARPIN drastically reduced the amount of LUBAC, which resulted in attenuated TNF-α- and CD40-mediated activation of NF-κB in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or B cells from cpdm mice. Considering the pleomorphic phenotype of cpdm mice, these results confirm the predicted role of LUBAC-mediated linear polyubiquitination in NF-κB activation induced by various stimuli, and strongly suggest the involvement of LUBAC-induced NF-κB activation in various disorders.     

Tumorigenesis: RAF/RAS oncogenes and mismatch-repair status

Genes of the RAF family encode kinases that are regulated by Ras and mediate cellular responses to growth signals. Activating mutations in one RAF gene, BRAF, have been found in a high proportion of melanomas and in a small fraction of other cancers. Here we show that BRAF mutations in colorectal cancers occur only in tumours that do not carry mutations in a RAS gene known as KRAS, and that BRAF mutation is linked to the proficiency of these tumours in repairing mismatched bases in DNA. Our results not only provide genetic support for the idea that mutations in BRAF and KRAS exert equivalent effects in tumorigenesis, but also emphasize the role of repair processes in establishing the mutation spectra that underpin human cancer.     

17β-雌二醇对胃癌细胞系SGC7901中NF-κB蛋白表达的影响

目的：观察不同浓度雌二醇处理不同时间的情况下,人胃癌细胞系SGC7901中NF-B蛋白表达量的变化,探讨胃癌中雌激素对NF-B蛋白表达可能存在的影响.方法：SGC7901细胞经10 10mol/L和10 8mol/L的17-雌二醇（17β-estradiol,E2）处理6 h、12 h和24 h,应用Western B...     

Whole-genome sequencing identifies recurrent mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), the most frequent leukaemia in adults in Western countries, is a heterogeneous disease with variable clinical presentation and evolution. Two major molecular subtypes can be distinguished, characterized respectively by a high or low number of somatic hypermutations in the variable region of immunoglobulin genes. The molecular changes leading to the pathogenesis of the disease are still poorly understood. Here we performed whole-genome sequencing of four cases of CLL and identified 46 somatic mutations that potentially affect gene function. Further analysis of these mutations in 363 patients with CLL identified four genes that are recurrently mutated: notch 1 (NOTCH1), exportin 1 (XPO1), myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MYD88) and kelch-like 6 (KLHL6). Mutations in MYD88 and KLHL6 are predominant in cases of CLL with mutated immunoglobulin genes, whereas NOTCH1 and XPO1 mutations are mainly detected in patients with unmutated immunoglobulins. The patterns of somatic mutation, supported by functional and clinical analyses, strongly indicate that the recurrent NOTCH1, MYD88 and XPO1 mutations are oncogenic changes that contribute to the clinical evolution of the disease. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive analysis of CLL combining whole-genome sequencing with clinical characteristics and clinical outcomes. It highlights the usefulness of this approach for the identification of clinically relevant mutations in cancer.     

Cysteine methylation disrupts ubiquitin-chain sensing in NF-κB activation

NF-κB is crucial for innate immune defence against microbial infection. Inhibition of NF-κB signalling has been observed with various bacterial infections. The NF-κB pathway critically requires multiple ubiquitin-chain signals of different natures. The question of whether ubiquitin-chain signalling and its specificity in NF-κB activation are regulated during infection, and how this regulation takes place, has not been explored. Here we show that human TAB2 and TAB3, ubiquitin-chain sensory proteins involved in NF-κB signalling, are directly inactivated by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli NleE, a conserved bacterial type-III-secreted effector responsible for blocking host NF-κB signalling. NleE harboured an unprecedented S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferase activity that specifically modified a zinc-coordinating cysteine in the Npl4 zinc finger (NZF) domains in TAB2 and TAB3. Cysteine-methylated TAB2-NZF and TAB3-NZF (truncated proteins only comprising the NZF domain) lost the zinc ion as well as the ubiquitin-chain binding activity. Ectopically expressed or type-III-secretion-system-delivered NleE methylated TAB2 and TAB3 in host cells and diminished their ubiquitin-chain binding activity. Replacement of the NZF domain of TAB3 with the NleE methylation-insensitive Npl4 NZF domain resulted in NleE-resistant NF-κB activation. Given the prevalence of zinc-finger motifs and activation of cysteine thiol by zinc binding, methylation of zinc-finger cysteine might regulate other eukaryotic pathways in addition to NF-κB signalling.     

Whole-genome analysis informs breast cancer response to aromatase inhibition

To correlate the variable clinical features of oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer with somatic alterations, we studied pretreatment tumour biopsies accrued from patients in two studies of neoadjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy by massively parallel sequencing and analysis. Eighteen significantly mutated genes were identified, including five genes (RUNX1, CBFB, MYH9, MLL3 and SF3B1) previously linked to haematopoietic disorders. Mutant MAP3K1 was associated with luminal A status, low-grade histology and low proliferation rates, whereas mutant TP53 was associated with the opposite pattern. Moreover, mutant GATA3 correlated with suppression of proliferation upon aromatase inhibitor treatment. Pathway analysis demonstrated that mutations in MAP2K4, a MAP3K1 substrate, produced similar perturbations as MAP3K1 loss. Distinct phenotypes in oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer are associated with specific patterns of somatic mutations that map into cellular pathways linked to tumour biology, but most recurrent mutations are relatively infrequent. Prospective clinical trials based on these findings will require comprehensive genome sequencing.     

Genome-wide analysis of genetic alterations in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Chromosomal aberrations are a hallmark of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) but alone fail to induce leukaemia. To identify cooperating oncogenic lesions, we performed a genome-wide analysis of leukaemic cells from 242 paediatric ALL patients using high-resolution, single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays and genomic DNA sequencing. Our analyses revealed deletion, amplification, point mutation and structural rearrangement in genes encoding principal regulators of B lymphocyte development and differentiation in 40% of B-progenitor ALL cases. The PAX5 gene was the most frequent target of somatic mutation, being altered in 31.7% of cases. The identified PAX5 mutations resulted in reduced levels of PAX5 protein or the generation of hypomorphic alleles. Deletions were also detected in TCF3 (also known as E2A), EBF1, LEF1, IKZF1 (IKAROS) and IKZF3 (AIOLOS). These findings suggest that direct disruption of pathways controlling B-cell development and differentiation contributes to B-progenitor ALL pathogenesis. Moreover, these data demonstrate the power of high-resolution, genome-wide approaches to identify new molecular lesions in cancer.     

The landscape of cancer genes and mutational processes in breast cancer

All cancers carry somatic mutations in their genomes. A subset, known as driver mutations, confer clonal selective advantage on cancer cells and are causally implicated in oncogenesis, and the remainder are passenger mutations. The driver mutations and mutational processes operative in breast cancer have not yet been comprehensively explored. Here we examine the genomes of 100 tumours for somatic copy number changes and mutations in the coding exons of protein-coding genes. The number of somatic mutations varied markedly between individual tumours. We found strong correlations between mutation number, age at which cancer was diagnosed and cancer histological grade, and observed multiple mutational signatures, including one present in about ten per cent of tumours characterized by numerous mutations of cytosine at TpC dinucleotides. Driver mutations were identified in several new cancer genes including AKT2, ARID1B, CASP8, CDKN1B, MAP3K1, MAP3K13, NCOR1, SMARCD1 and TBX3. Among the 100 tumours, we found driver mutations in at least 40 cancer genes and 73 different combinations of mutated cancer genes. The results highlight the substantial genetic diversity underlying this common disease.     

Patterns of somatic mutation in human cancer genomes

Cancers arise owing to mutations in a subset of genes that confer growth advantage. The availability of the human genome sequence led us to propose that systematic resequencing of cancer genomes for mutations would lead to the discovery of many additional cancer genes. Here we report more than 1,000 somatic mutations found in 274 megabases (Mb) of DNA corresponding to the coding exons of 518 protein kinase genes in 210 diverse human cancers. There was substantial variation in the number and pattern of mutations in individual cancers reflecting different exposures, DNA repair defects and cellular origins. Most somatic mutations are likely to be 'passengers' that do not contribute to oncogenesis. However, there was evidence for 'driver' mutations contributing to the development of the cancers studied in approximately 120 genes. Systematic sequencing of cancer genomes therefore reveals the evolutionary diversity of cancers and implicates a larger repertoire of cancer genes than previously anticipated.     

绿茶提取物EGCG治疗乳腺癌分子机制的生物信息学分析

在PubChem数据库中查找绿茶提取物茶多酚(EGCG)活性靶蛋白,从Gene数据库中查找乳腺癌相关基因,运用Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA)软件,构建二者信号通路和分子网络并进行分析.结果显示:二者共同作用的通路有235条,排在前面的主要是癌症分子机制通路、炎症反应通路、糖皮质激素受体信号通路、NF-κB信号通路;共同的分子网络有5个,也主要体现在"转录后修饰与调控,细胞生长、发育,DNA的复制、重组、修复,细胞死亡与生存"等生物学功能上.     

山香圆总黄酮对慢性咽炎模型大鼠 NF-κB、IκBα表达的影响

以2.5%氨水喷咽部建立大鼠慢性咽炎模型,用HE染色法观察咽部病理形态学改变,用ELISA法检测血清炎症因子TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6,用RT-qPCR测定咽部组织NF-κBp65mRNA的表达,用Western blot检测咽部组织NF-κBp65和IκBα蛋白的表达,探讨山香圆总黄酮对慢性咽炎模型大鼠 NF-κB、IκBα表达的影响.结果显示:山香圆总黄酮能明显改善模型大鼠咽部病理形态学; 与模型组比较,山香圆总黄酮各组能不同程度地下调TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6和NF-κBp65的表达并上调IκBα的表达,其中高剂量组最显著.这表明山香圆总黄酮能通过抑制NF-κB的表达和IκBα的解离下调炎症因子TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6的表达,从而减轻炎症,发挥抗慢性咽炎作用.     

制动致福利受损大鼠部分行为学改变及其体内NF-κB的变化

目的 观察制动致福利受损SD大鼠部分行为学改变以及体内NF-κB的变化。方法 选取体质量约200 g的雄性SD大鼠,使用管状容器给予束缚应激刺激,并通过旷场实验和O迷宫观测大鼠在第0、1、3、7、10、14天的行为学表现。测定了相应时期的NF-κB p65 mRNA转录水平和蛋白表达量。结果 束缚第3天起,大鼠肝脏组织NF-κB p65 mRNA转录水平和蛋白表达均较束缚前显著增高 (P< 0.05),但此时尚未见行为学改变;束缚第7天起大鼠的活动兴趣与活动能力水平较束缚前显著下降 (P< 0.05),显示焦虑、恐惧状态。结论 制动致福利受损大鼠肝细胞内NF-κB mRNA及蛋白表达的变化早于行为学的改变。