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PubMed2005

Transcriptional coactivator PGC-1alpha regulates chondrogenesis via association with Sox9.

Chondrogenesis is a multistep pathway in which multipotential mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) differentiate into chondrocytes. The transcription factor Sox9 (SRY-related high mobility group-Box gene 9) regulates chondrocyte differentiation and cartilage-specific expression of genes, such as Col2a1 (collagen type II alpha1). However, Sox9 expression is detected not only in chondrogenic tissue but also in nonchondrogenic tissues, suggesting the existence of a molecular partner(s) required for Sox9 to control chondrogenesis and chondrogenic gene expression. Here, we report identification of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1alpha (PGC-1alpha) as a coactivator for Sox9 during chondrogenesis. Expression of PGC-1alpha is induced at chondrogenesis sites during mouse embryonic limb development and during chondrogenesis in human MSC cultures. PGC-1alpha directly interacts with Sox9 and promotes Sox9-dependent transcriptional activity, suggesting that PGC-1alpha acts as a transcriptional coactivator for Sox9. Consistent with this finding, PGC-1alpha disruption in MSC by small interfering RNA inhibits Col2a1 expression during chondrogenesis. Furthermore, overexpression of both PGC-1alpha and Sox9 induced expression of chondrogenic genes, including Col2a1, followed by chondrogenesis in the MSC and developing chick limb. Together, our results suggest a transcriptional mechanism for chondrogenesis that is coordinated by PGC-1alpha.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

The B30.2 domain of pyrin, the familial Mediterranean fever protein, interacts directly with caspase-1 to modulate IL-1beta production.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a recessively inherited autoinflammatory disorder with high carrier frequencies in the Middle East. Pyrin, the protein mutated in FMF, regulates caspase-1 activation and consequently IL-1beta production through cognate interaction of its N-terminal PYRIN motif with the ASC adaptor protein. However, the preponderance of mutations reside in pyrin's C-terminal B30.2 domain. Here we demonstrate direct interaction of this domain with caspase-1. In lysates from cells not expressing ASC, reciprocal GST pull-downs demonstrated the interaction of pyrin with the p20 and p10 catalytic subunits of caspase-1. Coimmunoprecipitations of pyrin and caspase-1 from THP-1 human monocytic cells were consistent with the interaction of endogenous proteins. The C-terminal B30.2 domain of pyrin is necessary and sufficient for the interaction, and binding was reduced by FMF-associated B30.2 mutations. Full-length pyrin attenuated IL-1beta production in cells transfected with a caspase-1/IL-1beta construct, an effect diminished by FMF-associated B30.2 mutations and in B30.2 deletion mutants. Modeling of the crystal structure of caspase-1 with the deduced structure of the pyrin B30.2 domain corroborated both the interaction and the importance of M694V and M680I pyrin mutations. Consistent with a net inhibitory effect of pyrin on IL-1beta activation, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated pyrin knockdown in THP-1 cells augmented IL-1beta production in response to bacterial LPS. Moreover, the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra suppressed acute-phase proteins in a patient with FMF and amyloidosis. Our data support a direct, ASC-independent effect of pyrin on IL-1beta activation and suggest heightened IL-1 responsiveness as one factor selecting for pyrin mutations.

Caspase 1↗

PubMed2003

SUMO-1/Ubc9 promotes nuclear accumulation and metabolic stability of tumor suppressor Smad4.

Tumor suppressor Smad4/DPC4 is a central intracellular signal transducer for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling. We recently reported that transcriptional potential of Smad4 was regulated by SUMOylation in transfected HeLa cells (1), but the precise mechanism and function of Smad4 SUMOylation in TGF-beta signaling remain to be elucidated. Here, we describe the regulation of TGF-beta signaling by SUMOylation through the control of Smad4 metabolic stability and subcellular localization. We found that SUMO-1 overexpression strongly increases Smad4 levels, while inhibition of SUMOylation by small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of the E2 enzyme Ubc9 reduces endogenous Smad4 levels. Concomitantly, SUMO-1 overexpression enhances and Ubc9 knockdown reduces levels of intranuclear Smad4, growth inhibitory response, as well as transcriptional responses to TGF-beta. Comparison of wild type and mutant forms of Smad4 for SUMOylation, ubiquitination, and half-life allows the conclusion that SUMO-1 modification serves to protect Smad4 from ubiquitin-dependent degradation and consequently enhances the growth inhibitory and transcriptional responses of Smad4.

Cell Division↗

PubMed2005

Helicobacter pylori-induced macrophage apoptosis requires activation of ornithine decarboxylase by c-Myc.

Helicobacter pylori infection causes chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa that results from an ineffective immune response. We have demonstrated that one underlying mechanism is induction of macrophage apoptosis mediated by polyamines. The transcription factor c-Myc has been linked to induction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis. We determined whether H. pylori stimulates transcriptional activation of ODC in macrophages, whether this occurs via c-Myc, and whether these events regulate activation of apoptosis. H. pylori induced a significant increase in ODC promoter activity that peaked at 6 h after stimulation and was closely paralleled by similar increases in ODC mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity. By 2 h after stimulation, c-Myc mRNA and protein expression was induced, protein was translocated to the nucleus, and there was specific binding of a consensus probe for c-Myc to nuclear extracts. Both an antennapedia-linked inhibitor of c-Myc binding (Int-H1-S6A,F8A) and transfection of a c-Myc dominant-negative construct significantly attenuated H. pylori-induced ODC promoter activity, mRNA, enzyme activity, and apoptosis in parallel. Transfection of ODC small interfering RNA inhibited ODC activity and apoptosis to the same degree as inhibition of c-Myc binding. These studies indicate that c-Myc is an important mediator of macrophage activation and may contribute to the mucosal inflammatory response to pathogens such as H. pylori by its effect on ODC.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2004

Identification of a novel putative non-selenocysteine containing phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (NPGPx) essential for alleviating oxidative stress generated from polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast cancer cells.

A dramatic reduction in the expression of a novel phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx), which incorporates cysteine instead of selenocysteine in the conserved catalytic motif was observed in a microarray analysis using cDNAs amplified from mRNA of Brca1-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts. This non-selenocysteine PHGPx named NPGPx is a cytoplasmic protein with molecular mass of approximately 22 kDa and has little detectable glutathione peroxidase activity in vitro. Ectopic expression of NPGPx in Brca1-null cells that were sensitive to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide conferred a similar resistance level to that of the wild-type cells, suggesting the importance of this protein in reducing oxidative stress. Expression of NPGPx was found in many tissues, including developing mammary gland. However, the majority of breast cancer cell lines studied (11 of 12) expressed very low or undetectable levels of NPGPx irrespective of BRCA1 status. Re-expression of NPGPx in breast cancer lines, MCF-7 and HCC1937, which have very little or no endogenous NPGPx, induced resistance to eicosapentaenoic acid (an omega-3 type of polyunsaturated fatty acid)-mediated cell death. Conversely, inhibition of the expression of NPGPx by the specific small interfering RNA in HS578T breast cancer cells that originally express substantial amounts of endogenous NPGPx increased their sensitivity to eicosapentaenoic acid-mediated cell death. Thus, NPGPx plays an essential role in breast cancer cells in alleviating oxidative stress generated from polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Notch3 gene amplification in ovarian cancer.

Gene amplification is one of the common mechanisms that activate oncogenes. In this study, we used single nucleotide polymorphism array to analyze genome-wide DNA copy number alterations in 31 high-grade ovarian serous carcinomas, the most lethal gynecologic neoplastic disease in women. We identified an amplicon at 19p13.12 in 6 of 31 (19.5%) ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas. This amplification was validated by digital karyotyping, quantitative real-time PCR, and dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Comprehensive mRNA expression analysis of all 34 genes within the minimal amplicon identified Notch3 as the gene that showed most significant overexpression in amplified tumors compared with nonamplified tumors. Furthermore, Notch3 DNA copy number is positively correlated with Notch3 protein expression based on parallel immunohistochemistry and FISH studies in 111 high-grade tumors. Inactivation of Notch3 by both gamma-secretase inhibitor and Notch3-specific small interfering RNA suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in the cell lines that overexpressed Notch3 but not in those with minimal amount of Notch3 expression. These results indicate that Notch3 is required for proliferation and survival of Notch3-amplified tumors and inactivation of Notch3 can be a potential therapeutic approach for ovarian carcinomas.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19↗

PubMed2005

c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase-interacting protein-3 facilitates phosphorylation and controls localization of amyloid-beta precursor protein.

Abnormal phosphorylation of amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) is a pathologic feature of Alzheimer's disease. To begin to understand the mechanism of APP phosphorylation, we studied this process in differentiating neurons under normal physiological conditions. We found that c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), not cyclin-dependent kinase 5, is required for APP phosphorylation, leading to localized accumulation of phosphorylated APP (pAPP) in neurites. We show that JNK-interacting protein-3 (JIP-3), a JNK scaffolding protein that does not bind APP, selectively increases APP phosphorylation, accumulation of pAPP into processes, and stimulates process extension in both neurons and COS-1 cells. Downregulation of JIP-3 by small interfering RNA impairs neurite extension and reduces the amount of localized pAPP. Finally, whereas stress-activated JNK generates pAPP only in the cell body, concomitant expression of JIP-3 restores pAPP accumulation into neurites. Thus, APP phosphorylation, transport of the generated pAPP into neurites, and neurite extension are interdependent processes regulated by JIP-3/JNK, in a pathway distinct from stress-activated JNK signaling.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2005

Involvement of fatty acid-CoA ligase 4 in hepatocellular carcinoma growth: roles of cyclic AMP and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.

AIM: Fatty acid-CoA ligase 4 (FACL4) is an arachidonate-preferring enzyme which has been shown to be up-regulated in human colon cancer tissues and implicated in the colon tumorigenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of FACL4 in the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumorigenesis and the specific signal pathways involved in this process. METHODS: We investigated the expression and regulation of FACL4 in HCC, adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues, and cell lines. RESULTS: In HCC patients, we demonstrated that FACL4 gene expression was markedly elevated in the cancerous tissues than in the adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues. In addition, several human hepatoma cell lines, including Hep3B and HepG2, expressed high levels of FACL4. Stable overexpression of FACL4 knockdown plasmids (small interfering RNA, siRNA) to Hep3B cells significantly decreased FACL4 expression and subsequently limited the cell proliferation. Treatment of Hep3B cells with 8-bromo-cAMP and SB203508 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) significantly suppressed the FACL4 expression. CONCLUSION: FACL4 is involved in the HCC tumorigenesis and both cAMP and p38 MAPK pathways are associated with the regulation of FACL4 in HCC.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Zinc finger transcription factor Slug is a novel target gene of aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor. We previously showed that AhR localizes predominantly in the cytoplasm under high cell densities of a keratinocytes cell line, HaCaT, but accumulates in the nucleus at low cell densities. In the current report, we show that the Slug, which is a member of the snail/slug family of zinc finger transcriptional repressors critical for induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMT), is activated transcriptionally in accordance with nuclear accumulation of AhR. By reporter assay of the promoter of the Slug gene, gel shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses showed AhR directly binds to xenobiotic responsive element 5 at -0.7 kb of the gene. AhR-targeted gene silencing by small interfering RNA duplexes led to the abolishment of not only CYP1A1 but also Slug induction by 3-methycholanthrene. The Slug was co-localized to the AhR at the wound margins of HaCaT cells, where apparent nuclear distribution of AhR and Slug was observed. The induced Slug was associated with reduction of an epithelial marker of cytokeratin-18 and with an increase in the mesenchymal marker, fibronectin. Taken together, these findings suggest that AhR participated in Slug induction, which, in turn, regulates cellular physiology including cell adhesion and migration.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Modulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway by diacylglycerol kinase-produced phosphatidic acid.

The protein known as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates cell growth by integrating different stimuli, such as available nutrients and mitogenic factors. The lipid messenger phosphatidic acid (PA) binds and positively regulates the mitogenic response of mTOR. PA generator enzymes are consequently potential regulators of mTOR. Here we explored the contribution to this pathway of the enzyme diacylglycerol kinase (DGK), which produces PA through phosphorylation of diacylglycerol. We found that overexpression of the DGKzeta, but not of the alpha isoform, in serum-deprived HEK293 cells induced mTOR-dependent phosphorylation of p70S6 kinase (p70S6K). After serum addition, p70S6K phosphorylation was higher and more resistant to rapamycin treatment in cells overexpressing DGKzeta. The effect of this DGK isoform on p70S6K hyperphosphorylation required the mTOR PA binding region. Down-regulation of endogenous DGKzeta by small interfering RNA in HEK293 cells diminished serum-induced p70S6K phosphorylation, highlighting the role of this isoform in the mTOR pathway. Our results confirm a role for PA in mTOR regulation and describe a novel pathway in which DGKzeta-derived PA acts as a mediator of mTOR signaling.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2006

Involvement of syntaxin 18, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized SNARE protein, in ER-mediated phagocytosis.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is thought to play an important structural and functional role in phagocytosis. According to this model, direct membrane fusion between the ER and the plasma or phagosomal membrane must precede further invagination, but the exact mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we investigated whether various ER-localized SNARE proteins are involved in this fusion process. When phagosomes were isolated from murine J774 macrophages, we found that ER-localized SNARE proteins (syntaxin 18, D12, and Sec22b) were significantly enriched in the phagosomes. Fluorescence and immuno-EM analyses confirmed the localization of syntaxin 18 in the phagosomal membranes of J774 cells stably expressing this protein tagged to a GFP variant. To examine whether these SNARE proteins are required for phagocytosis, we generated 293T cells stably expressing the Fc gamma receptor, in which phagocytosis occurs in an IgG-mediated manner. Expression in these cells of dominant-negative mutants of syntaxin 18 or D12 lacking the transmembrane domain, but not a Sec22b mutant, impaired phagocytosis. Syntaxin 18 small interfering RNA (siRNA) selectively decreased the efficiency of phagocytosis, and the rate of phagocytosis was markedly enhanced by stable overexpression of syntaxin 18 in J774 cells. Therefore, we conclude that syntaxin 18 is involved in ER-mediated phagocytosis, presumably by regulating the specific and direct fusion of the ER and plasma or phagosomal membranes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Aldose reductase regulates growth factor-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression and prostaglandin E2 production in human colon cancer cells.

Inhibition of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduces the progression of colon cancer. Inhibition of aldose reductase (AR; EC. 1.1.1.21.) by sorbinil or by antisense ablation prevented fibroblast growth factor-induced and platelet-derived growth factor-induced up-regulation of PGE(2) synthesis in human colon cancer cells, Caco-2. AR besides reducing aldo-sugars efficiently reduces toxic lipid aldehydes and their conjugates with glutathione. Inhibition of AR prevented growth factor-induced COX-2 activity, protein, and mRNA and significantly decreased activation of nuclear factor-kappaB and protein kinase C (PKC) and phosphorylation of PKC-beta2 as well as progression of Caco-2 cell growth but had no effect on COX-1 activity. Cell cycle analysis suggests that inhibition of AR prevents growth factor-induced proliferation of Caco-2 cells at S phase. Treatment of Caco-2 cells with the most abundant and toxic lipid aldehyde 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (HNE) or its glutathione-conjugate [glutathionyl-HNE (GS-HNE)] or AR-catalyzed product of GS-HNE, glutathionyl-1,4-dihydroxynonane (GS-DHN), resulted in increased COX-2 expression and PGE(2) production. Inhibition of AR prevented HNE- or GS-HNE-induced but not GS-DHN-induced up-regulation of COX-2 and PGE(2). More importantly, in vivo studies showed that administration of AR-small interfering RNA (siRNA), but not control siRNA, to nude mice bearing SW480 human colon adenocarcinoma cells completely arrested tumor progression. Collectively, these observations suggest that AR is an obligatory mediator of growth factor-induced up-regulation of COX-2, PGE(2), and growth of Caco-2 cells, indicating that inhibition of AR may be a novel therapeutic approach in preventing the progression of colon cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2006

E2F6 negatively regulates ultraviolet-induced apoptosis via modulation of BRCA1.

E2F6 is believed to repress E2F-responsive genes and therefore plays an important role in cell-cycle regulation. However, the role of E2F6 in the control of apoptosis remains unknown. We show here that the expression of E2F6 was downregulated with a concurrent increase in BRCA1 mRNA and cleaved protein during ultraviolet (UV)-induced apoptosis in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Moreover, E2F6 overexpression distinctly inhibited UV-induced apoptosis as well as UV-induced increases in BRCA1 expression and cleavage, accompanied with increases of the full-length BRCA1 and BRCA1 nuclear foci. In contrast, knockdown of E2F6 by small interfering RNA had opposite effects. Furthermore, these effects of E2F6 on BRCA1 depended upon the association of E2F6 with BRCA1 via its C-terminus in a UV-triggered manner and upon the transcriptional repression by E2F6 on the BRCA1 promoter. These findings provide the first demonstration of the important role for E2F6 in the control of apoptosis via targeting of BRCA1.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed2006

Gene expression profiling revealed survivin as a target of 3,3'-diindolylmethane-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

The phytochemical indole-3-carbinol (I3C), found in cruciferous vegetables, and its major acid-catalyzed reaction product 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) showed anticancer activity mediated by its pleiotropic effects on cell cycle progression, apoptosis, carcinogen bioactivation, and DNA repair. To further elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) by which 3,3'-diindolylmethane exerts its effects on breast cancer cells, we have used microarray gene expression profiling analysis. We found a total of 1,238 genes altered in 3,3'-diindolylmethane-treated cells, among which 550 genes were down-regulated and 688 genes were up-regulated. Clustering analysis showed significant alterations in some genes that are critically involved in the regulation of cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis, and signal transduction, including down-regulation of survivin. Previous studies have shown that antiapoptotic protein survivin is overexpressed in many human cancers, including breast cancer. However, very little or no information is available regarding the consequence of down-regulation of survivin for cancer therapy. We, therefore, hypothesized that down-regulation of survivin as observed by 3,3'-diindolylmethane could be an important approach for the treatment of breast cancer. We have tested our hypothesis using multiple molecular approaches and found that 3,3'-diindolylmethane inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells by down-regulating survivin, Bcl-2, and cdc25A expression and also caused up-regulation of p21(WAF1) expression, which could be responsible for cell cycle arrest. Down-regulation of survivin by small interfering RNA before 3,3'-diindolylmethane treatment resulted in enhanced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis, whereas overexpression of survivin by cDNA transfection abrogated 3,3'-diindolylmethane-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. These results suggest that targeting survivin by 3,3'-diindolylmethane could be a new and novel approach for the prevention and/or treatment of breast cancer.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed2005

ELKS, a protein structurally related to the active zone-associated protein CAST, is expressed in pancreatic beta cells and functions in insulin exocytosis: interaction of ELKS with exocytotic machinery analyzed by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy.

The cytomatrix at the active zone (CAZ) has been implicated in defining the site of Ca2+-dependent exocytosis of neurotransmitters. Here, we demonstrate the expression and function of ELKS, a protein structurally related to the CAZ protein CAST, in insulin exocytosis. The results of confocal and immunoelectron microscopic analysis showed that ELKS is present in pancreatic beta cells and is localized close to insulin granules docked on the plasma membrane-facing blood vessels. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy imaging in insulin-producing clonal cells revealed that the ELKS clusters are less dense and unevenly distributed than syntaxin 1 clusters, which are enriched in the plasma membrane. Most of the ELKS clusters were on the docking sites of insulin granules that were colocalized with syntaxin 1 clusters. Total internal reflection fluorescence images of single-granule motion showed that the fusion events of insulin granules mostly occurred on the ELKS cluster, where repeated fusion was sometimes observed. When the Bassoon-binding region of ELKS was introduced into the cells, the docking and fusion of insulin granules were markedly reduced. Moreover, attenuation of ELKS expression by small interfering RNA reduced the glucose-evoked insulin release. These data suggest that the CAZ-related protein ELKS functions in insulin exocytosis from pancreatic beta cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

ASC is a Bax adaptor and regulates the p53-Bax mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

The apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) is an unusual adaptor protein that contains the Pyrin/PAAD death domain in addition to the CARD protein-protein interaction domain. Here, we present evidence that ASC can function as an adaptor molecule for Bax and regulate a p53-Bax mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. When ectopically expressed, ASC interacted directly with Bax, colocalized with Bax to the mitochondria, induced cytochrome c release with a significant reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential and resulted in the activation of caspase-9, -2 and -3. The rapid induction of apoptosis by ASC was not observed in Bax-deficient cells. We also show that induction of ASC after exposure to genotoxic stress is dependent on p53. Blocking of endogenous ASC expression by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced the apoptotic response and inhibited translocation of Bax to mitochondria in response to p53 or genotoxic insult, suggesting that ASC is required to translocate Bax to the mitochondria. Our findings demonstrate that ASC has an essential role in the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis through a p53-Bax network.

Apoptosis↗

PubMed2006

The estrogen-responsive B box protein is a novel regulator of the retinoid signal.

Retinoic acid (RA) induces growth arrest, cell death, and differentiation in many human cancer cells in vitro and has entered routine clinical use for the treatment of several human cancer types. One mechanism by which cancer cells evade retinoid-induced effects is through repression of retinoic acid receptor beta (RARbeta) gene transcription. The RA response element beta (betaRARE) is the essential DNA sequence required for retinoid-induced RARbeta transcription. Here we show that the estrogen-responsive B box protein (EBBP), a member of the RING-B box-coiled-coil protein family, is a betaRARE-binding protein. EBBP undergoes serine threonine phosphorylation and enhanced protein stability after RA treatment. Following RA treatment, we also observed increased nuclear EBBP levels in aggregates with the promyelocytic leukemia protein at promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies. EBBP enhanced RA-responsive RARbeta transcription in RA-sensitive and -resistant cancer cells, which were resistant to both a histone deacetylase inhibitor and a demethylating agent. EBBP-specific small interfering RNA reduced basal and RA-induced RARbeta expression. EBBP increased betaRARE-transactivating function through its coiled-coil domain. Taken together, our work suggests that EBBP may have a pivotal role in the retinoid anti-cancer signal.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Using sindbis viral vectors for specific detection and suppression of advanced ovarian cancer in animal models.

We studied the therapeutic value of Sindbis vectors for advanced metastatic ovarian cancer by using two highly reproducible and clinically accurate mouse models: a SCID xenograft model, established by i.p. inoculation of human ES-2 ovarian cancer cells, and a syngenic C57BL/6 model, established by i.p. inoculation of mouse MOSEC ovarian cancer cells. We demonstrate through imaging, histologic, and molecular data that Sindbis vectors systemically and specifically infect/detect and kill metastasized tumors in the peritoneal cavity, leading to significant suppression of the carcinomatosis in both animal models. Use of two different bioluminescent genetic markers for the IVIS Imaging System permitted demonstration, for the first time, of an excellent correlation between vector delivery and metastatic locations in vivo. Sindbis vector infection and growth suppression of murine MOSEC tumor cells indicate that Sindbis tumor specificity is not attributable to a species difference between human tumor and mouse normal cells. Sindbis virus is known to infect mammalian cells using the Mr 67,000 laminin receptor. Immunohistochemical staining of tumor cells indicates that laminin receptor is elevated in tumor versus normal cells. Down-regulated expression of laminin receptor with small interfering RNA significantly reduces the infectivity of Sindbis vectors. Tumor overexpression of the laminin receptor may explain the specificity and efficacy that Sindbis vectors demonstrate for tumor cells in vivo. We show that incorporation of antitumor cytokine genes such as interleukin-12 and interleukin-15 genes enhances the efficacy of the vector. These results suggest that Sindbis viral vectors may be promising agents for both specific detection and growth suppression of metastatic ovarian cancer.

Animals↗