On the mechanism of inhibition of p27 degradation by 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J 2 in lymphoblasts of Alzheimer’s disease patients

It has been proposed that neuroinflammation, among other factors, may trigger an aberrant neuronal cell cycle re-entry leading to neuronal death. Cell cycle disturbances are also detectable in peripheral cells from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. We previously reported that the anti-inflammatory 15- deoxy-Δ^12,14-prostaglandin J ₂ (15d-PGJ ₂) increased the cellular content of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27, in lymphoblasts from AD patients. This work aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of 15d-PGJ ₂-induced p27 accumulation. Phosphorylation, half-life, and the nucleo-cytoplasmic traffic of p27 protein were altered by 15d-PGJ2 by mechanisms dependent on PI3K/Akt activity. 15d-PGJ ₂ prevents the calmodulin-dependent Akt overactivation in AD lymphoblasts by blocking its binding to the 85-kDa regulatory subunit of PI3K. These effects of 15d-PGJ ₂ were not mimicked by 9,10-dihydro-15-deoxy-Δ^12,14- prostaglandin J ₂, suggesting that 15d-PGJ ₂ acts independently of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ activation and that the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group in the cyclopentenone ring of 15d-PGJ ₂ is a requisite for the observed effects. Received 14 July 2008; received after revision 2 September 2008; accepted 12 September 2008     

Tribbles: novel regulators of cell function; evolutionary aspects

Identification of rate-limiting steps or components of intracellular second messenger systems holds promise to effectively interfere with these pathways under pathological conditions. The emerging literature on a recently identified family of signalling regulator proteins, called tribbles gives interesting clues for how these proteins seem to link several ‘independent’ signal processing systems together. Via their unique way of action, tribbles co-ordinate the activation and suppression of the various interacting signalling pathways and therefore appear to be key in determining cell fate while responding to environmental challenges. This review summarises our current understanding of tribbles function and also provides an evolutionary perspective on the various tribbles genes. Received 10 January 2006; received after revision 20 March 2006; accepted 5 April 2006     

Culture in low levels of oxygen enhances in vitro proliferation potential of satellite cells from old skeletal muscles

The proliferation ability of satellite cells (considered the 'stem cells' of mature myofibers) declines with increasing age when cultured under standard cell culture conditions of 21% oxygen. However, actual oxygen levels in the intact myofiber in vivo are an order of magnitude lower. No studies to date have addressed the issue of whether culturing satellite cells from old muscles under more 'physiologic' conditions would enhance their proliferation and/or differentiation ability. Therefore, we analyzed satellite cells derived from 31-month-old rats in standard cultures with 21% O₂ and in lowered (∼3%) O₂. Under the lowered O₂ conditions, we noted a remarkable increase in the percentage of large-sized colonies, activation of cell cycle progression factors, phosphorylation of Akt, and downregulation of the cell cycle inhibitor p27^Kip1. These data suggest that lower O₂ levels provide a milieu that stimulates proliferation by allowing continued cell cycle progression, to result ultimately in the enhanced in vitro replicative life span of the old satellite cells. Such a method therefore provides an improved means for the ex vivo generation of progenitor satellite cell populations for potential therapeutic stem cell transplantation. Received 20 April 2001; received after revision 28 May 2001; accepted 31 May 2001     

Targeting of the Akt/PKB kinase to the actin skeleton

Serine/threonine kinase Akt/PKB intracellular distribution undergoes rapid changes in response to agonists such as Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or Insulin-like growth factor (IGF). The concept has recently emerged that Akt subcellular movements are facilitated by interaction with nonsubstrate ligands. Here we show that Akt is bound to the actin skeleton in in situ cytoskeletal matrix preparations from PDGF-treated Saos2 cells, suggesting an interaction between the two proteins. Indeed, by immunoprecipitation and subcellular fractioning, we demonstrate that endogenous Akt and actin physically interact. Using recombinant proteins in in vitro binding and overlay assays, we further demonstrate that Akt interacts with actin directly. Expression of Akt mutants strongly indicates that the N-terminal PH domain of Akt mediates this interaction. More important, we show that the partition between actin bound and unbound Akt is not constant, but is modulated by growth factor stimulation. In fact, PDGF treatment of serum-starved cells triggers an increase in the amount of Akt associated with the actin skeleton, concomitant with an increase in Akt phosphorylation. Conversely, expression of an Akt mutant in which both Ser473 and Thr308 have been mutated to alanine completely abrogates PDGF-induced binding. The small GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42 seem to facilitate actin binding, possibly increasing Akt phosphorylation.Received 10 September 2003; accepted 25 September 2003     

Metformin targets liver tumor-initiating cells through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR survival pathway

Liver tumor-initiating cells （T-ICs） are thought to be inherently resistant to the cytotoxic effects of chemo- therapy, and can self-renewal and maintain tumor-initiating potential. Therefore, effective anticancer research strategies should target the unique properties of T-ICs. In this study, we found that metformin, a first-line drug of choice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, inhibited liver T-ICs both in vivo and in vitro. Metformin inhibited the formation of hepato- spheres and epithelial-specific antigen-positive （ESA, CD133＋） cell colonies by hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） cell lines. Metformin also downregulated the expression of several T-IC-related genes which are involved in the signal- ing pathways, governing the self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation of T-ICs. Furthermore, the targeting of liver T-ICs by metformin was PI-3-kinase-Akt-mTOR （PI3K/Akt/ mTOR）-pathway dependent. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitorLY294002 and rapamycin abolished the inhibitory effect of metformin on CD133＋ cells, and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR stimulator EGF promoted the inhibitory effect of mefformin on CD 133＋ cells. Metformin also dramatically decreased the tumor volume and number of CD133 expressing tumor cells in a xenograft mouse model. Mefformin exerted a synergistic effect with cisplatin to target both T-ICs and non-T-ICs, and resulted in the smallest tumor volume and lowest number of CD133 expressing tumor cells. This study indicates that the antidiabetic drug metformin could potentially be used in combination therapy with chemotherapeutic agents to improve the treatment of liver cancer.     

猪Akt1、Akt2基因克隆与组织表达图谱分析

为了得到长白猪蛋白激酶Akt1和Akt2基因序列并分析其表达模式,本研究使用RT-PCR方法,首先克隆了蛋白激酶Akt1和Akt2的cDNA.序列分析显示:长白猪Akt1基因的cDNA全长1461bp,编码具480个氨基酸残基的前体蛋白,其氨基酸序列与人,牛,大鼠,小鼠同源性达到97%以上.长白猪Akt2基因cDNA全长为1505bp,编码具481个氨基酸残基的前体蛋白,其氨基酸序列与人,牛,大鼠,小鼠的同源性高达97%以上.SMART分析表明,猪Akt1和Akt2蛋白均包含了与PI-3K结合的PH结构域及2个具有丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶催化活性的S_TKc结构域.RT-PCR检测结果显示:Akt1mRNA在垂体、心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肌肉组织中高表达,在大脑、小脑、肾脏表达丰度较低.Akt2则在小脑、垂体、心脏、肝脏、脾脏和肌肉组织中高表达,而在大脑和肾脏中表达丰度较低.     

Human CMTM2/CKLFSF2 enhances the ligand-induced transactivation of the androgen receptor

CKLF (chemokine-like factor)-like MARVEL (MAL and related proteins for vesicle trafficking and membrane link domain) transmembrane domain containing (CMTM) is a novel gene family. One member of this family, CMTM2, also named chemokine-like factor superfamily 2 (CKLFSF2), is expressed highly in the testis and moderately in the prostate, marrow and peripheral blood cells. However, the function of human CMTM2 remains unknown. Here, we found that CMTM2 was upregulated in 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-treated LNCaP cells. We investigated the relationship between CMTM2 and the androgen receptor. Our results showed that CMTM2 enhanced DHT-mediated androgen receptor (AR) transactivation and the expression of prostate specific antigen (PSA). We also observed that CMTM2 enhanced the AR protein level, which was reversed by silencing endogenous CMTM2 expression, which suggested that CMTM2 might play an important role in maintaining the AR protein level. We also found that CMTM2 suppressed Akt activation. A previous study showed that Akt could phosphorylate AR at Ser210 and Ser790 and lead to AR ubiquitylation and degradation as well as suppression of AR activity. Taken together, suppressing Akt activation and increasing the AR protein level might be one of the mechanisms for the CMTM2-mediated enhancement of AR transactivation. Supported by National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant Nos. 2006AA02A305 and 2002BA711A01) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30271203 and 30671907)     

Akt–Oct4 regulatory circuit in pluripotent stem cells

Oct4 is mainly expressed in embryonic stem cells(ESCs),germline stem cells,and embryonal carcinoma cells(ECCs)and plays an indispensable role in maintaining the pluripotency and self-renewal of these pluripotent stem cells.Akt serine/threonine kinase,a wellestablished anti-apoptosis and cell survival factor,has also been implicated as an important regulator of stemness.Emerging evidence indicated that Oct4 is reciprocally connected to Akt via a number of routes,and moreover,a direct interaction between Oct4 and Akt has recently been revealed.These components collectively form the Akt–Oct4 regulatory circuit.In this review,we summarize our current knowledge about the Akt–Oct4 regulatory circuit in ESCs and discuss its alterations in ECCs that may underlie the tumorigenesis of pluripotent stem cells.     

N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V modifies the signaling pathway of epidermal growth factor receptor

Transfection of sense cDNA of N-acetylglucosamyltransferase V (GnTV-S) into human H7721 hepatocarcinoma cells resulted in an increase in the N-acetylglucosamine1,6mannose1,3- branch (GnT-V product) on the N-glycans of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR), and promotion of its EGF binding and tyrosine autophosphorylation, but showed little effect on the expression of EGFR protein. The phosphorylation at T308, S473 and tyrosine residue(s) and the activity of protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) as well as the phosphorylation of p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and MAPK kinase (MEK) before and after EGF stimulation were concomitantly increased. Conversely, in the antisense GnT-V (GnTV-AS)-transfected H7721 cells, all the results were the reverse of those with GnTV-S-transfected cells. After the cells were treated with 1-deoxymannojirimycin, an inhibitor of N-glycan processing at high mannose, or antibody against the extracellular glycan domain of EGFR, the differences in PKB activity, p42/44 MAPK and MEK phosphorylation among GnTV-S-, GnTV-AS- and mock-transfected cells were significantly attenuated. These findings indicate that the altered expression of GnT-V will change the glycan structure and function of EGFR, which may modify downstream signal transduction.Received 24 March 2004; received after revision 1 May 2004; accepted 25 May 2004