Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Toledo, 2009. / Typescript. "Submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biology." Bibliography: leaves 135-146.

Brain tumors are abnormal tissue masses found, either malignant or benign in nature. Medulloblastoma is a brain tumor subtype found to arise in the hind region of the brain, which is highly malignant and has poor long term prospects in general. On the basis of the driving force behind the tumor, medulloblastoma is further subgrouped into 4 categories: WNT; SHH; Group 3 and Group 4 tumors. Group 3 tumors show a high expression of N-Myc protein which is seen in certain types of cancerous cells. The cell cycle is regulated at several checkpoints by cyclin/cdk inhibitors. The primary cilium is an organelle found on the cellular surface, which has functions in cell growth, differentiation and neurogenesis. Aurora kinase is a protein kinase involved in the regulation and maintainence of the cilium. Often the cilium gets deleted from the cellular surface in tumors coupled with an increase in the kinase level inside the cells. Hence aurora kinase is found to be a viable target for therapy. Aurora kinase is also involved in stabilizing the MYCN gene by protecting it from degradation. In this project, the primary cilum was studied in neural stem cells and followed by study of its presence on tumor cells in culture. The gene involved in cilium development i.e. Kif3a was mutated and its aggressive nature was compared with that of the tumor cells. Aurora kinase was commonly found to be over-expressed in both the tumors and the mutants whereas N-Myc over-expression was seen only in tumors. Experiments suggest that cilia repression in Kif3a mutants takes place via an aurora kinase dependent pathway.

Precancerous lesions from a variety of human tissues display markers of DNA damage suggesting that genetic instability occurs early during the process of carcinogenesis. Consistent with this, several oncogenes can activate ATM and other components of the DNA damage response pathway when expressed in cultured cells. Here we demonstrate that preneoplastic epithelial tissues from four different transgenic mouse models expressing the oncogenes c-myc, SV40 T antigen, human papilloma virus (HPV) E7, or E2F3a display [gamma]-H2AX foci and other markers of DNA damage. Moreover, transgenic expression of these oncogenes leads to increased levels of damaged DNA as measured by the comet assay. In at least the Myc transgenic model, the formation of [gamma]-H2AX foci is dependent on functional ATM. Inactivation of Atm also impairs p53 activation and reduces the level of apoptosis observed in transgenic tissue overexpressing Myc. This correlates with accelerated tumor development in Myc transgenic mice lacking ATM. To understand the mechanism by which oncogenes induce DNA damage, we employed an adenoviral overexpression system. Under conditions in which Myc or E2F3a induced replication is inhibited, we see a reduction in the DNA damage induced by these oncogenes both by comet assay and levels of [gamma]-H2AX. Moreover, Myc and E2F3a induced increased levels of the Cdt1 protein, a replication origin- licensing factor implicated in aberrant DNA replication. Taken together, these findings suggest that deregulated oncogenes induce unscheduled DNA replication leading to DNA damage and activation of the ATM DNA damage response pathway, which is important for the activation of p53, induction of apoptosis and the suppression of tumorigenesis. / text

Although some progress has been made in the treatment of cancer over the last sixty years, the majority of chemotherapeutics has fallen short. Because general chemotherapies that target DNA replication have only a limited efficacy and significant non-target side-effects, a new paradigm for cancer drug development has been adopted. Using a molecular targeted approach, new gene and protein targets have been identified and the development of chemotherapies that are specific to these targets has already begun. In this study, compounds that interact with two key cancer targets, the G-quadruplex of the c-Myc promoter and p-glycoprotein, have been investigated. By developing such compounds, improvements in treatment efficacy is anticipated with an aspiration for decreased mortality attributable to cancer.Formation of DNA secondary structures, such as the G-quadruplex, in the NHE III1 region of the c-Myc promoter has been shown to repress c-Myc transcription. Because c-Myc is an oncogene that is overexpressed in a variety of cancers, stabilization of the G-quadruplex by small molecules would be advantageous in cancer treatment. Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer, with Taq Polymerase Stop assays for confirmation, a group of compounds were identified that stabilize the c-Myc G-quadruplex structure. Using a colon cancer model, two compounds were shown to decrease c-Myc gene and protein expression. Also, exposure to the compounds for 48 hours results in an induction of caspase-3, indicative of apoptosis. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance suggests that compound-induced stabilization of the c-Myc G-quadruplex can prevent sustained binding of the regulatory protein NM23-H2 by increasing its dissociation from the G-quadruplex. This may subsequently prevent unraveling of the G-quadruplex.Because resistance to chemotherapy reduces its effectiveness, development of multidrug resistance (MDR) modulators was also studied. Psorospermin is a topoisomerase II-directed DNA alkylating agent active against MDR cell lines. In a study examining the mechanism of psorospermin's P-glycoprotein modulation, Flow Cytometry demonstrated that doxorubicin-resistant multiple myeloma cells pre-treated with psorospermin enhanced intracellular retention of doxorubicin. Because neither transcription of mdr1 nor translation of P-glycoprotein was downregulated by psorospermin, resistance reversal is most likely due to a direct interaction between the side chain of psorospermin and P-glycoprotein, inhibiting drug efflux.

Statement of Problem Telomere dynamics in the three-dimensional (3D) space of the mammalian nucleus plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. However, the telomere distribution in 3D nuclear space of normal and tumor cells was unknown when the study was initiated. Methods Telomere fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 3D molecular imaging, deconvolution, and analysis were used to investigate telomere organization in normal, immortalized and tumor cells from mouse and human cell lines, and primary tissues. Results Telomeres are organized in a non-overlapping manner and in a cell-cycle dependant fashion in normal cells. In the late G2 phase of cell cycle, telomeres are assembled into a flattened sphere that is termed the telomeric disk In contrast, the telomeric disk is disrupted in the tumor cells. Moreover, telomeric aggregates (TAs) are found in tumor cells. Conditional c-Myc over-expression induces telomeric aggregation leading to the onset of breakage-bridge-fusion cycles and subsequent chromosomal abnormality. Conclusions Telomeres are distributed in a nonrandom and dynamic fashion in the 3D space of a normal cell. Telomeric aggregates are present in cells with genomic instability such as tumor cells and cells with deregulation of c-Myc. Consequently, TA can be a useful biomarker for research in cancer and other disease processes.

Statement of Problem Telomere dynamics in the three-dimensional (3D) space of the mammalian nucleus plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. However, the telomere distribution in 3D nuclear space of normal and tumor cells was unknown when the study was initiated. Methods Telomere fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 3D molecular imaging, deconvolution, and analysis were used to investigate telomere organization in normal, immortalized and tumor cells from mouse and human cell lines, and primary tissues. Results Telomeres are organized in a non-overlapping manner and in a cell-cycle dependant fashion in normal cells. In the late G2 phase of cell cycle, telomeres are assembled into a flattened sphere that is termed the telomeric disk In contrast, the telomeric disk is disrupted in the tumor cells. Moreover, telomeric aggregates (TAs) are found in tumor cells. Conditional c-Myc over-expression induces telomeric aggregation leading to the onset of breakage-bridge-fusion cycles and subsequent chromosomal abnormality. Conclusions Telomeres are distributed in a nonrandom and dynamic fashion in the 3D space of a normal cell. Telomeric aggregates are present in cells with genomic instability such as tumor cells and cells with deregulation of c-Myc. Consequently, TA can be a useful biomarker for research in cancer and other disease processes.

Regulation of N-myc oncogene expression is an important determinant of the biological behavior of neuroblastoma. The N-myc promoter contains several potential binding sites for transcription factors of the Sp1 family. Mutation of a CT-box motif contained within a 26 base pair region required for N-myc downregulation by retinoic acid decreased basal transcriptional activity and altered DNA-protein interactions of the promoter, while mutations flanking this motif did neither. On gel shift this region generated 3 specific DNA-protein complexes that were reliant on wild type sequence of the core CT element within it. Both Spl and Sp3 bound to the wild type probe as distinct complexes in specifically retarded bands, while neither protein was present on mutated sequences. Lysates from Drosophila S2 cells expressing exogenous Sp1 and Sp3 proteins were able to reproduce the gel shift complexes seen with neuroblastoma nuclear extract. Transient transfections of S2 cells showed that individually or together, Sp1 and Sp3 were able to trans-activate a N-myc CT-box-containing luciferase reporter construct in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, transfection of CT-box oligonucleotide was able to decrease endogenous N-myc expression in neuroblastoma cells. Together these results suggest that the CT-box element serves a critical functional role, and in the basal state allows for N-myc transactivation by Spl and Sp3.

Myc is a transcription factor frequently found deregulated in human cancer. Cells with deregulated expression of Myc carry a selective advantage against its neighbours due to the fact that Myc-mediated transcription governs crucial cellular events such as proliferation and growth. In addition, Myc has been implicated in several other aspects of tumour biology like cellular immortality, the formation of new blood vessels and the colonization of distant tissues through the process of metastasis. Therapy aimed at disrupting essential pathways regulated by Myc is important because of the many different types of cancers that depend on continued signalling along these pathways.  This thesis describes new treatment opportunities for cancers with a high Myc signature. In Paper Ι, we describe a new role for the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor Decitabine in the treatment of Myc transformed tumours cells. We show that the therapeutic potential of Decitabine in the treatment of Burkitt Lymphoma relies not only on its ability to cause reactivation of silenced genes such as pro-apoptotic PUMA, but also on the DNA damage that this drug induces. In vivo, Decitabine delays disease progression of transplanted lymphoma cells. In Paper ΙΙ, we identify the DNA damage checkpoint kinase Chk1 as a therapeutic target in Myc overexpressing cancers. We show that targeting Chk1 with shRNA or with a novel small molecule inhibitor cause a delay in disease progression of transplanted lymphoma cells in vivo. In Paper ΙΙΙ, the Chk1-related kinase Chk2 is evaluated as a therapeutic target in Myc overexpressing cancers. Myc overexpressing cells are not dependent on Chk2 but we show that Chk2 abrogation using shRNA causes polyploidization and protection against DNA damage. However, Chk2-targeted therapy elicits a synergistic lethal response in combination with inhibition of the DNA repair associated protein PARP. In conclusion, this thesis shows the potential of targeting the DNA damage machinery and the functional hubs important for maintenance of genomic stability in tumours with a deregulated expression of Myc.

The Myc transcription factor activates expression of genes that promote cellular functions such as proliferation and cell growth. The deregulated Myc expression, characteristic for the tumor cell, also activates apoptosis, which selects for additional genetic changes deactivating the induced cell death. However, the continuous overexpression of Myc can also be a liability for a tumor, which can be taken advantage of in cancer treatment.  In Paper I, we describe a new way of using the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor Decitabine, in treating Myc overexpressing tumors. We show that Decitabine treatment activates cell death by reactivating silenced tumor suppressors such as Puma, but also by inducing DNA damage. Decitabine treatment of Myc driven lymphomas is also shown to prolong disease free survival in mouse models. Myc driven transformation requires a collaborative deregulation of genes. The family of Pim kinases has been shown to collaborate with Myc in tumorigenesis. In Paper II, we show that the Pim-3 kinase protein is highly expressed in many Myc overexpressing lymphomas from Myc transgenic mice as well as human Burkitt Lymphoma samples. The Pim-3 locus is shown to interact with the Myc protein and be a direct target for Myc activated transcription. Additionally, we demonstrate that the Pim kinase inhibitor, Pimi, targeting the Pim kinase family (Pim-1, Pim-2 and Pim-3), induce a cell death that is mediated by, but not dependent on caspase activity. The Pimi induced cell death was potentiated when combined with RNAi knockdown of the casein kinase II (CK2) protein.  In paper III, we describe the development of a somatic mouse model for lymphomagenesis, utilizing the RCAS-tva technology. We show that primary B cells from these mice are transducible and transformed when infected with a combination of RCAS- HA tagged Myc, KRasV12D and human Bcl-XL virus. In conclusion, we show that the labile milieu created by the deregulated expression of Myc facilitates new approaches in treatment of Myc overexpressing tumors. Also, our new tva mouse model show promise in modeling lymphomagenesis.

The transcription factor c-Myc is an early downstream target of oestrogen action in breast cancer cells in culture and it has been speculated that aberrant c-Myc expression may mediate antioestrogen resistance. However, studies of c-Myc protein expression as either a prognostic or predictive marker in human breast cancer have been limited and contradictory, as have been studies of c-Myc expression during breast cancer evolution. In order to assess the relationship between c-Myc protein expression and outcome from breast cancer, a representative cohort of 292 women with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and linked clinicopathological data was assembled and tissue microarrays (TMA) generated from the archived breast cancer specimens. Detailed assessments of the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E, p21WAF1/Cip1 and p27Kip1 were also conducted and analysed in relation to c-Myc expression using immunohistochemistry. Changes in c-Myc protein expression in a TMA model of breast cancer evolution were also conducted. Finally the cell-cycle effects of low-level constitutive c-Myc expression and high-level inducible c-Myc expression were evaluated in MCF-7 cells in vitro. Key novel results obtained were that c-Myc protein expression changed from preferentially nuclear to preferentially cytoplasmic during the evolution of breast cancer. In women with early invasive breast carcinoma, a "high-risk" cytoplasmic predominant c-Myc expression pattern was defined (~13% of cases) that independently predicted for poor outcome generally, among ER positive cases and in ER postive cases treated with endocrine therapy. In vitro studies confirmed that c-Myc overexpression was associated with resistance to the anti-proliferative effects of anti-oestrogens with persistence of both cyclin D1-cdk4 and cyclin E-cdk2 activities in the face of anti-oestrogen treatment. Further novel findings were that high cyclin D1 expression (upper 10% of expressors) was an independent predictor of poor outcome among ER positive breast cancer cases. Amongst ER + PR positive cases, both "high-risk" c-Myc expression and high level cyclin D1 expression were independent predictors of poor outcome. In summary, these data indicate that aberrant expression of the cell cycle proteins c-Myc and cyclin D1 may result in poor breast cancer outcomes in hormone receptor positive breast cancer and reinforces the importance of the cell cycle as a potential site of therapeutic manipulation in endocrine-resistant breast cancer.