Thesis (Ph.D. in Pharmacology) -- University of Colorado Denver, 2007. / Typescript. Non-Latin script record Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-128). Free to UCD affiliates. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorder associated with the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) that arises from a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22, thereby resulting in the formation of the chimeric BCR-ABL oncogene encoding a constitutively activated tyrosine kinase. BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) induce a complete hematologic and cytogenetic response in the majority of chronic phrase CML patients. However, TKIs cannot efficiently eradicate leukemia stem cells (LSCs) because of the insensitivity of LSCs to TKIs. Therefore, developing new strategies to target LSCs is necessary and critical for curing CML, and success of this approach depends on further understanding the molecular mechanisms by which LSCs survive and are maintained. In Chapter I, I briefly introduce CML disease, BCR-ABL oncoprotein, and TKIs. I also describe the identification and features of LSCs. Several key pathways in LSCs including Wnt/ß-catenin, hedgehog, FoxO, Bcl6 and HIF1, are discussed. I also propose our strategy to identify unique molecular pathways that are important for LSCs but not their normal stem cell counterparts. In Chapter II, I describe our finding about the function of the positive regulator, HIF1α, in CML development and LSC survival. I show that loss of HIF1α impairs the maintenance of CML through impairing cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis of LSCs, and I also report that p16Ink4a and p19Arf mediate the effect of HIF1α on LSCs, as knockdown of p16Ink4a and p19Arf rescues the defective colony-forming ability of HIF1α-/- LSCs. As detailed in Chapter III and IV, through comparing the global gene expression profiles of LSCs and HSCs, I find two novel regulators, Blk and Scd1, which act as tumor suppressors in CML development. In Chapter III, I show that Blk is markedly down-regulated by BCR-ABL in LSCs, and that c-Myc and Pax5 mediate this down-regulation. Deletion of Blk accelerates CML development; conversely, Blk overexpression significantly delays the development of CML and impairs the function of LSCs. I also demonstrate that p27, as a downstream effector, is involved in the function of Blk in LSCs. Blk also functions as a tumor suppressor in human CML stem cells, and inhibits the colony-forming ability of human CML cells. In Chapter IV, I investigate the function of another negative regulator, Scd1, in CML LSCs, and find that expression of Scd1 is down-regulated in mouse LSCs and human CML cells. We report that Scd1 acts as a tumor suppressor in CML, as loss of Scd1 causes acceleration of CML development and overexpression of Scd1 delays CML development. Using a colony-forming assay, I demonstrate that Scd1 impairs the maintenance of LSCs due to the change of expression of Pten, p53 and Bcl2. Importantly, I find that both Blk and Scd1 do not affect normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or hematopoiesis. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that HIF1α is required for the maintenance of CML LSCs, and conversely that Blk and Scd1 suppress the function of LSCs, suggesting that combining TKI treatment with specific targeting of LSCs will be necessary for curing CML.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:50:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-01-30. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:26:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 Publico-Tese%20Paloma%20Korehiza%20Maza%20versao%20final.pdf: 1568579 bytes, checksum: 8a94eab5c79046acd8162d9a949d2c36 (MD5) / Muitos patógenos são capazes de manipular a sinalização de células do hospedeiro para facilitar sua infecção. Nesta tese, demonstramos que o fungo Paracoccidioides brasiliensis promove um aumento na ativação de ERK1/2 e SFKs em células epiteliais A549 (de pulmão humano), de aproximadamente 6 e 7 vezes, respectivamente, em relação aos níveis basais. Utilizando PP2, inibidor da atividade de SFKs, e PD98059, inibidor da ativação da via ERK1/2, verificamos que a ativação de ERK1/2 é parcialmente dependente de SFKs ativadas e que provavelmente outras quinases também estão envolvidas neste evento. Além da modulação da sinalização de células do hospedeiro, diversos estudos têm demonstrado que patógenos seqüestram domínios presentes nas membranas da célula hospedeira denominados “membrane rafts”, os quais são enriquecidos em esfingolipídeos e colesterol e estão envolvidos em diversos eventos celulares, incluindo a sinalização celular. Por diferentes metodologias, como a desorganização de “membrane rafts” por drogas que extraem (metil-β- ciclodextrina, MβCD) ou que se ligam (nistatina) ao colesterol, e a localização do gangliosídeo GM1, um marcador de “membrane rafts”, utilizando a subunidade B da toxina da cólera (CTB), mostramos o envolvimento destes domínios de membranas de células epiteliais na adesão de P. brasiliensis. A partir do isolamento de membranas resistentes a detergente (DRMs) de células epiteliais após incubação com o fungo, mostramos a ativação e o deslocamento de SFKs para as frações que contêm os “membrane rafts”. Além disso, verificamos que a depleção do colesterol com MβCD inibe completamente a ativação de SFKs, corroborando a importância dos domínios de membranas para a ativação destas quinases. Os resultados apresentados nesta tese demonstram, pela primeira vez, que fungos patogênicos modulam a organização e a atividade de “membrane rafts” de células hospedeiras para o estabelecimento da infecção. / Many pathogens are able to manipulate host cell signaling in order to facilitate infection. In this thesis, we demonstrated that the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis promotes an increase of ERK12 and SFK activation in A549 epithelial cells (human lung cells), by approximately 6- and 7-fold over basal levels, respectively. By using PP2, inhibitor for SFK activity, and PD98059, inhibitor for ERK1/2 activation, we verified that ERK1/2 activation is partially dependent of activated SFKs and probably other kinases are involved in this event. Besides modulation of host cell signaling, several studies have been demonstrated that pathogens hijack domains that are present in host cell membranes called membrane rafts, which are cholesterol- and sphingolipidenriched domains, that are involved in several cell events, including cell signaling. By using several approaches, such as membrane rafts disruption with cholesterolextractor (methyl-β-cyclodextrin, MβCD) or –binding (nystatin) drugs, and the localization of ganglioside GM1, a membrane raft marker, by using cholera toxin subunit B (CTB), we showed the involvement of these epithelial cell membrane domains in P. brasiliensis adhesion. By isolating detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) from epithelial cells after incubation with this fungus, we showed the activation and the dislodgment of SFKs to fractions which contain membrane rafts. Moreover, we verified that cholesteroldepletion with MβCD completely inhibits SFK activation, corroborating the importance of membrane domains in activation of these kinases.The results presented in this thesis demonstrate for the first time that pathogenic fungi may modulate the organization and activity of host cell membrane rafts for infection establishment. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Le carcinome hépatocellulaire (CHC) est la première néoplasie létale du foie, représentant 80 à 90% des cas. Actuellement, la majeure partie des patients bénéficient de solutions thérapeutiques avec des efficacités très modestes. La haute variété étiologique, l’hétérogénéité des tumeurs ainsi que l’absence de médiateurs oncogéniques clés connus dans le développement de cette pathologie sont responsables du manque d’options thérapeutiques. À partir d’un crible génétique du kinome humain, nous avons identifié la tyrosine kinase Yes comme un acteur majeur de la prolifération des cellules de CHC. Yes appartient à la famille des kinases Src qui contrôlent de nombreux processus cellulaires notamment la prolifération, la motilité et la survie. La sur-expression ou activation anormale de Yes est retrouvée dans de nombreux cancers et est souvent associée à un mauvais pronostic. Nous avons démontré par des expériences in vitro et in vivo l’activité pro-proliférative de Yes ainsi que son potentiel oncogénique. Notamment, dans un modèle murin de carcinogenèse hépatique induit par le diéthylnitrosamine, la déplétion génétique de Yes abolit totalement la formation de tumeurs. Grâce aux profils transcriptionnels obtenus dans plusieurs modèles cellulaires de CHC, nous avons découvert que l’activité de Yes est associée à une augmentation des signatures géniques des régulateurs transcriptionnels YAP et TAZ ainsi que du facteur transcriptionnel c-Myc. Ces observations ont abouti à identifier YAP, TAZ et c-Myc comme des nouveaux substrats de la tyrosine kinase Yes. Nous avons montré que la phosphorylation par Yes de YAP et TAZ médie leur recrutement dans le noyau ce qui conduit à une hausse de leur activité transcriptionnelle. Nous avons d’ailleurs confirmé l’importance de YAP et TAZ dans les propriétés prolifératives de Yes, notamment dans différents modèles murins de carcinogenèse hépatique. De manière intéressante, nous avons observé que près de 50% de CHCs humains présentent une activation anormale des kinases Src qui corrèle avec la phosphorylation et activation de YAP. Enfin, nous avons observé in vitro et in vivo que Yes stabilise c-Myc. En effet, l’expression transgénique de Yes constitutivement actif dans des hépatocytes entraine la stabilisation de c-Myc à des stades précoces du développement tumoral et une induction de plusieurs de ses gènes cibles à des stades plus tardifs. En plus de leur synergie d’action, cette étude propose que la tyrosine Yes intervient dans les propriétés oncogéniques de c-Myc. Finalement, nous avons découvert que la kinase Yes joue un rôle dans la progression de la stéatose hépatique. En effet, la progression de la pathologie est abolie à la suite de la déplétion de Yes ou suivant l’inhibition pharmacologique des kinases Src. De plus, la survie des cellules tumorales face à leur élimination par le système immunitaire semble être favorisé par la signalisation Yes qui induit l’expression des points de contrôle immuns PD-L1/2. En conclusion nous avons découvert et caractérisé trois nouveaux effecteurs clés de la signalisation oncogénique de la tyrosine kinase Yes dans le CHC. D’ailleurs, la signature génique induite par Yes permet de prédire la survie des patients atteints de CHC. Ces données fournissent de robustes évidences qui placent la tyrosine kinase Yes comme une cible thérapeutique de choix pour la maladie du CHC. / Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the first lethal neoplasia of the liver, representing 80 to 90% of cases. Currently, for most patients the therapeutic option only provides modest efficiencies. The high etiological variety and heterogeneity of the tumors as well as the absence of known key oncogenic mediator in the development of this pathology is mainly responsible for the lack of therapeutic option. Based on a genetic screen of the human kinome, we identified the tyrosine kinase Yes as a major player in the proliferation of HCC cells. Yes belongs to the family of Src kinases which control many cellular processes including proliferation, motility and survival. The over-expression or abnormal activation of Yes is detected in many cancers and is often associated with poor prognosis. We have demonstrated in vitro and in vivo the pro-proliferative activity of Yes as well as its oncogenic potential. In particular, in a mouse model of hepatic carcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine, the genetic depletion of Yes completely abolishes the formation of tumors. Thanks to the transcriptional profiles obtained in several cellular models of CHC, we discovered that the activity of Yes is associated with an increase in the gene signatures of the transcriptional regulators YAP and TAZ as well as of the transcriptional factor c-Myc. These observations led to the identification of YAP, TAZ and c-Myc as new substrates for the tyrosine kinase Yes. We have shown that the phosphorylation of YAP and TAZ by Yes mediates their recruitment into the nucleus associated with an increase in their transcriptional activity. We have also confirmed the importance of YAP and TAZ in the proliferative properties of Yes in various mouse models of hepatocarcinogenesis. Interestingly, we observed that nearly 50% of human CHCs exhibit an abnormal activation of Src kinases that correlates with phosphorylation and activation of YAP. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that Yes stabilizes c-Myc. Indeed, the transgenic expression of constitutively active Yes into hepatocytes leads to the accumulation of c-Myc protein at early stages of tumor development and to the induction of several of its target genes at later stages. In addition to their synergistic action, this study suggests that Yes is involved in the oncogenic properties of c-Myc. Finally, we discovered that Yes kinase plays a role in the progression of fatty liver diseases. Indeed, the progression of the pathology is abolished following the depletion of Yes or the pharmacological inhibition of Src kinases. In addition, the survival of Yes-active tumor cells is associated with the induction of PD-L1/2 immune checkpoints that protect cells from immune elimination. In conclusion, we have discovered and characterized three new key effectors of the oncogenic tyrosine kinase Yes in HCC. Interestingly, the gene signature induced by Yes can predict the survival of patients with HCC. These data provide strong evidence for targeting the tyrosine kinase Yes in HCC.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Each year, over 400,000 women die from breast cancer world wide and metastasis is the main cause of their mortality. Tumor cell invasion into the adjacent tissue is the first step in the multistep process of cancer metastasis and it involves multiple protein changes. The α6β4 integrin, a transmembrane heterodimeric laminin receptor is associated with poor prognosis in many tumor types, including breast cancer. Src family kinase (SFK) activity is elevated in many cancers and this activity also correlates with invasive tumor behavior. The α6β4 integrin can stimulate SFK activation and promote cancer invasion, however the mechanism by which it does so is not known. In the current study, I provide novel mechanistic insight into how the α6β4 integrin selectively activates the Src family kinase member Fyn in response to receptor engagement. Specifically, the tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 is recruited to α6β4 and its catalytic activity is stimulated through a specific interaction of its N-terminal SH2 domain with pY1494 in the β4 subunit. Importantly, both catalytic and non-catalytic functions of SHP2 are required for Fyn activation by α6β4. Fyn is recruited to the α6β4/SHP2 complex through an interaction with phospho-Y580 in the C-terminus of SHP2. In addition to activating Fyn, this interaction with Y580-SHP2 localizes Fyn to sites of receptor engagement, which is required for α6β4-dependent invasion. Moreover, the selective activation of Fyn, but not Src, requires the palmitoylation modification of Fyn on its N-terminus. Of clinical relevance, phospho-Y580-SHP2 and phospho-Y418-SFK could be used as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer because their expression are elevated in high-grade breast tumors.

No description available.

Resveratrol, an activator of histone deacetylase Sirt-1, has been proposed to have beneficial health effects due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol and the intracellular signaling pathways involved are poorly understood. An in vitro model of human tenocytes was used to examine the mechanism of resveratrol action on IL-1beta-mediated inflammatory signaling. Resveratrol suppressed IL-1beta-induced activation of NF-kappaB and PI3K in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Treatment with resveratrol enhanced the production of matrix components collagen types I and III, tenomodulin, and tenogenic transcription factor scleraxis, whereas it inhibited gene products involved in inflammation and apoptosis. IL-1beta-induced NF-kappaB and PI3K activation was inhibited by resveratrol or the inhibitors of PI3K (wortmannin), c-Src (PP1), and Akt (SH-5) through inhibition of IkappaB kinase, IkappaBalpha phosphorylation, and inhibition of nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB, suggesting that PI3K signaling pathway may be one of the signaling pathways inhibited by resveratrol to abrogate NF-kappaB activation. Inhibition of PI3K by wortmannin attenuated IL-1beta-induced Akt and p65 acetylation, suggesting that p65 is a downstream component of PI3K/Akt in these responses. The modulatory effects of resveratrol on IL-1beta-induced activation of NF-kappaB and PI3K were found to be mediated at least in part by the association between Sirt-1 and scleraxis and deacetylation of NF-kappaB and PI3K. Overall, these results demonstrate that activated Sirt-1 plays an essential role in the anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol and this may be mediated at least in part through inhibition/deacetylation of PI3K and NF-kappaB.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent signaling modulates platelet function at sites of vascular injury. Here we show that thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) prevents cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling through a CD36-dependent mechanism. Prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1)) induced a robust inhibition of both platelet aggregation and platelet arrest under physiologic conditions of flow. Exogenous TSP-1 reduced significantly PGE(1)-mediated inhibition of both platelet aggregation and platelet arrest. TSP-1 prevented PGE(1)-stimulated cAMP accrual and phosphorylation of PKA substrates, through a mechanism requiring phosphodiesterase3A. TSP-1 also inhibited VASP phosphorylation stimulated by the nonhydrolyzable cAMP analog, 8-bromo-cAMP, indicating that it may regulate cAMP-mediated activation of PKA. The inhibitory effect of TSP-1 on cAMP signaling could be reproduced with a peptide possessing a CD36 binding sequence of TSP-1, while the effects of TSP-1 were prevented by a CD36 blocking antibody. TSP-1 and the CD36 binding peptide induced phosphorylation of Src kinases, p38 and JNK. Moreover, inhibition of Src kinases blocked TSP-1-mediated regulation of cAMP concentrations and the phosphorylation of VASP, indicating that TSP-1 modulated the cAMP/PKA signaling events through a tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway downstream of CD36. These data reveal a new role for TSP-1 in promoting platelet aggregation through modulation of the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Development of treatment resistance and adverse toxicity associated with classical chemotherapeutic agents highlights the need for safer and effective therapeutic approaches. Herein, we examined the effectiveness of a combination treatment regimen of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and curcumin in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. METHODS: Wild type HCT116 cells and HCT116+ch3 cells (complemented with chromosome 3) were treated with curcumin and 5-FU in a time- and dose-dependent manner and evaluated by cell proliferation assays, DAPI staining, transmission electron microscopy, cell cycle analysis and immunoblotting for key signaling proteins. RESULTS: The individual IC50 of curcumin and 5-FU were approximately 20 microM and 5 microM in HCT116 cells and 5 microM and 1 microM in HCT116+ch3 cells, respectively (p<0.05). Pretreatment with curcumin significantly reduced survival in both cells; HCT116+ch3 cells were considerably more sensitive to treatment with curcumin and/or 5-FU than wild-type HCT116 cells. The IC50 values for combination treatment were approximately 5 microM and 1 microM in HCT116 and 5 microM and 0.1 microM in HCT116+ch3, respectively (p<0.05). Curcumin induced apoptosis in both cells by inducing mitochondrial degeneration and cytochrome c release. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the anti-proliferative effect of curcumin and/or 5-FU was preceded by accumulation of CRC cells in the S cell cycle phase and induction of apoptosis. Curcumin potentiated 5-FU-induced expression or cleavage of pro-apoptotic proteins (caspase-8, -9, -3, PARP and Bax), and down-regulated anti-apoptotic (Bcl-xL) and proliferative (cyclin D1) proteins. Although 5-FU activated NF-kappaB/PI-3K/Src pathway in CRC cells, this was down-regulated by curcumin treatment through inhibition of IkappaBalpha kinase activation and IkappaBalpha phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS: Combining curcumin with conventional chemotherapeutic agents such as 5-FU could provide more effective treatment strategies against chemoresistant colon cancer cells. The mechanisms involved may be mediated via NF-kappaB/PI-3K/Src pathways and NF-kappaB regulated gene products.