技术资料

Trib1,Trib2,and Trib3 are mammalian homologs of Tribbles,an evolutionarily conserved Drosophila protein family that mediates protein degradation. Tribbles proteins function as adapters to recruit E3 ubiquitin ligases and enhance ubiquitylation of the target protein to promote its degradation. Increased Trib1 and Trib2 mRNA expression occurs in human myeloid leukemia and induces acute myeloid leukemia in mice,whereas Trib3 has not been associated with leukemia. Given the high degree of structural conservation among Tribbles family members,we directly compared the 3 mammalian Tribbles in hematopoietic cells by reconstituting mice with hematopoietic stem cells retrovirally expressing these proteins. All mice receiving Trib1 or Trib2 transduced hematopoietic stem cells developed acute myeloid leukemia,whereas Trib3 mice did not. Our previous data indicated that Trib2-mediated degradation of the transcription factor,CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha (C/EBPalpha),is important for leukemogenesis. Similar to Trib2,Trib1 induced C/EBPalpha degradation and inhibited its function. In contrast,Trib3 failed to inactivate or promote efficient degradation of C/EBPalpha. These data reveal that the 3 Tribbles homologs differ in their ability to promote degradation of C/EBPalpha,which account for their differential ability to induce leukemia. View Publication

We previously reported on a panel of HIV-1 clade B envelope (Env) proteins isolated from a patient treated with the CCR5 antagonist aplaviroc (APL) that were drug resistant. These Envs used the APL-bound conformation of CCR5,were cross resistant to other small-molecule CCR5 antagonists,and were isolated from the patient's pretreatment viral quasispecies as well as after therapy. We analyzed viral and host determinants of resistance and their effects on viral tropism on primary CD4(+) T cells. The V3 loop contained residues essential for viral resistance to APL,while additional mutations in gp120 and gp41 modulated the magnitude of drug resistance. However,these mutations were context dependent,being unable to confer resistance when introduced into a heterologous virus. The resistant virus displayed altered binding between gp120 and CCR5 such that the virus became critically dependent on the N' terminus of CCR5 in the presence of APL. In addition,the drug-resistant Envs studied here utilized CCR5 very efficiently: robust virus infection occurred even when very low levels of CCR5 were expressed. However,recognition of drug-bound CCR5 was less efficient,resulting in a tropism shift toward effector memory cells upon infection of primary CD4(+) T cells in the presence of APL,with relative sparing of the central memory CD4(+) T cell subset. If such a tropism shift proves to be a common feature of CCR5-antagonist-resistant viruses,then continued use of CCR5 antagonists even in the face of virologic failure could provide a relative degree of protection to the T(CM) subset of CD4(+) T cells and result in improved T cell homeostasis and immune function. View Publication

Accidental insertional activation of proto-oncogenes and potential vector mobilization pose serious challenges for human gene therapy using retroviral vectors. Comparative analyses of integration sites of different retroviral vectors have elucidated distinct target site preferences,highlighting vectors based on the alpharetrovirus Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) as those with the most neutral integration spectrum. To date,alpharetroviral vector systems are based mainly on single constructs containing viral coding sequences and intact long terminal repeats (LTR). Even though they are considered to be replication incompetent in mammalian cells,the transfer of intact viral genomes is unacceptable for clinical applications,due to the risk of vector mobilization and the potentially immunogenic expression of viral proteins,which we minimized by setting up a split-packaging system expressing the necessary viral proteins in trans. Moreover,intact LTRs containing transcriptional elements are capable of activating cellular genes. By removing most of these transcriptional elements,we were able to generate a self-inactivating (SIN) alpharetroviral vector,whose LTR transcriptional activity is strongly reduced and whose transgene expression can be driven by an internal promoter of choice. Codon optimization of the alpharetroviral Gag/Pol expression construct and further optimization steps allowed the production of high-titer self-inactivating vector particles in human cells. We demonstrate proof of principle for the versatility of alpharetroviral SIN vectors for the genetic modification of murine and human hematopoietic cells at a low multiplicity of infection. View Publication

Using a high-throughput chemical screen,we identified two small molecules that enhance the survival of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). By characterizing their mechanisms of action,we discovered an essential role of E-cadherin signaling for ESC survival. Specifically,we showed that the primary cause of hESC death following enzymatic dissociation comes from an irreparable disruption of E-cadherin signaling,which then leads to a fatal perturbation of integrin signaling. Furthermore,we found that stability of E-cadherin and the resulting survival of ESCs were controlled by specific growth factor signaling. Finally,we generated mESC-like hESCs by culturing them in mESC conditions. And these converted hESCs rely more on E-cadherin signaling and significantly less on integrin signaling. Our data suggest that differential usage of cell adhesion systems by ESCs to maintain self-renewal may explain their profound differences in terms of morphology,growth factor requirement,and sensitivity to enzymatic cell dissociation. View Publication

It has been shown that genetic inhibition of p53 leads to enhanced proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). This could,in theory,contribute to the increased frequency of tumor development observed in p53-deficient mice and humans. In our previous work,we identified chemical p53 inhibitors (PFTs) that suppress the transactivation function of p53 and protect cultured cells and mice from death induced by gamma irradiation (IR). Here we found that when applied to bone marrow cells in vitro or injected into mice,PFTb impeded IR-induced reduction of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) population sizes. In addition,we showed that PFTb stimulated HSC and HPC proliferation in the absence of IR in vitro and in vivo and mobilized HSCs to the peripheral blood. Importantly,however,PFTb treatment did not affect the timing or frequency of tumor development in irradiated p53 heterozygous mice used as a model for determination of carcinogenicity. Thus,although PFTb administration led to increased numbers of HSCs and HPCs,it was not carcinogenic in mice. These findings suggest that chemical p53 inhibitors may be clinically useful as safe and effective stimulators of hematopoiesis. View Publication

The developmental switch from human fetal (gamma) to adult (beta) hemoglobin represents a clinically important example of developmental gene regulation. The transcription factor BCL11A is a central mediator of gamma-globin silencing and hemoglobin switching. Here we determine chromatin occupancy of BCL11A at the human beta-globin locus and other genomic regions in vivo by high-resolution chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-chip analysis. BCL11A binds the upstream locus control region (LCR),epsilon-globin,and the intergenic regions between gamma-globin and delta-globin genes. A chromosome conformation capture (3C) assay shows that BCL11A reconfigures the beta-globin cluster by modulating chromosomal loop formation. We also show that BCL11A and the HMG-box-containing transcription factor SOX6 interact physically and functionally during erythroid maturation. BCL11A and SOX6 co-occupy the human beta-globin cluster along with GATA1,and cooperate in silencing gamma-globin transcription in adult human erythroid progenitors. These findings collectively demonstrate that transcriptional silencing of gamma-globin genes by BCL11A involves long-range interactions and cooperation with SOX6. Our findings provide insight into the mechanism of BCL11A action and new clues for the developmental gene regulatory programs that function at the beta-globin locus. View Publication

The NKG2D receptor activates natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity and cytokine production on recognition of self-molecules induced by cellular stress under different conditions such as viral infections. The importance of NKG2D in the immune response to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is supported by the identification of several viral molecules that prevent the expression of NKG2D ligands by infected cells. In this study we report that,paradoxically,a significant,selective,and transient reduction of NKG2D expression on NK cells is detected during HCMV infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells if needed. Antagonizing type I interferon (IFN),interleukin-12 (IL-12),and IFNgamma prevented HCMV-induced down-regulation of surface NKG2D. Moreover,treatment of purified NK cells with recombinant IFNbeta1 and IL-12 mimicked the effect,supporting a direct role of these cytokines in regulating NKG2D surface expression in NK cells. The loss of NKG2D expression selectively impaired NK-cell cytotoxicity against cells expressing NKG2D ligands but preserved the response triggered through other activating receptors. These results support that down-regulation of NKG2D expression on NK cells by cytokines with a key role in antiviral immune response may constitute a physiologic mechanism to control NK-cell reactivity against normal cells expressing NKG2D ligands in the context of inflammatory responses to viral infections. View Publication

Microfluidic image cytometry (MIC) has been developed to study phenotypes of various hPSC lines by screening several chemically defined serum/feeder-free conditions. A chemically defined hPSC culture was established using 20 ng mL(-1) of bFGF on 20 microg mL(-1) of Matrigel to grow hPSCs over a week in an undifferentiated state. Following hPSC culture,we conducted quantitative MIC to perform a single cell profiling of simultaneously detected protein expression (OCT4 and SSEA1). Using clustering analysis,we were able to systematically compare the characteristics of various hPSC lines in different conditions. View Publication

PURPOSE: The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast cancer has profound implications for cancer prevention. In this study,we evaluated sulforaphane,a natural compound derived from broccoli/broccoli sprouts,for its efficacy to inhibit breast CSCs and its potential mechanism. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Aldefluor assay and mammosphere formation assay were used to evaluate the effect of sulforaphane on breast CSCs in vitro. A nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft model was used to determine whether sulforaphane could target breast CSCs in vivo,as assessed by Aldefluor assay,and tumor growth upon cell reimplantation in secondary mice. The potential mechanism was investigated using Western blotting analysis and beta-catenin reporter assay. RESULTS: Sulforaphane (1-5 micromol/L) decreased aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cell population by 65% to 80% in human breast cancer cells (P textless 0.01) and reduced the size and number of primary mammospheres by 8- to 125-fold and 45% to 75% (P textless 0.01),respectively. Daily injection with 50 mg/kg sulforaphane for 2 weeks reduced aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cells by textgreater50% in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient xenograft tumors (P = 0.003). Sulforaphane eliminated breast CSCs in vivo,thereby abrogating tumor growth after the reimplantation of primary tumor cells into the secondary mice (P textless 0.01). Western blotting analysis and beta-catenin reporter assay showed that sulforaphane downregulated the Wnt/beta-catenin self-renewal pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Sulforaphane inhibits breast CSCs and downregulates the Wnt/beta-catenin self-renewal pathway. These findings support the use of sulforaphane for the chemoprevention of breast cancer stem cells and warrant further clinical evaluation. View Publication

The major goal of researchers and oncologists is to develop promising ground for novel therapeutic strategies to prevent recurrence or relapse of cancer. Recent evidences suggest that a subset of cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs) are present within the tumor mass which possess tumorigenic capacity and may be responsible for propagation,relapse,and metastatic dissemination. These cells have certain stem cell-like properties,e.g. quiescence,selfrenewal,asymmetric division,and multidrug resistance which allow them to drive tumor growth and evade conventional therapies. A number of markers and assays have been designed to isolate and characterize the CSC population from the bulk tumor. The objective now is to selectively target the CSCs in order to eliminate the tumor from root,overcoming the emergence of clones capable of evading traditional therapy. This approach may help in increasing the overall disease-free survival in some cancers. View Publication

BACKGROUND: We recently reported that gastrointestinal (GI) cancer cells can be reprogrammed to a pluripotent state by the ectopic expression of defined embryonic stem (ES)-like transcriptional factors. The induced pluripotent cancer (iPC) cells from GI cancer were sensitized to chemotherapeutic agents and differentiation-inducing treatment during a short-term culture,although a phenotype induced by long-term culture needs to be studied. METHODS: A long-term cultured (Lc)-iPC cells were produced in GI cancer cell lines by virus-mediated introduction of four ES-like genes-c-MYC,SOX2,OCT3/4,and KLF4-followed by a culture more than three months after iPC cells induction. An acquired state was studied by expression of immature-related surface antigens,Tra-1-60,Tra-1-81,Tra-2-49,and Ssea-4; and epigenetic trimethyl modification at lysine 4 of histone H3. Sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents and tumorigenicity were studied in Lc-iPC cells. RESULTS: Whereas the introduction of defined factors of iPC cells once induced an immature state and sensitized cells to therapeutic reagents,the endogenous expression of the ES-like genes except for activated endogenous c-MYC was down-regulated in a long-term culture,suggesting a high magnitude of the reprogramming induction by defined factors and the requirement of therapeutic maintenance in Lc-iPC cells from cholangiocellular carcinoma HuCC-T1 cells,which harbor TP53(R175H) and KRAS(G12D). The Lc-iPC cells showed resistance to 5-fluorouracil in culture,and high tumorigenic ability with activated endogenous c-MYC in immunodeficient mice. CONCLUSION: The Lc-iPC cells from HuCC-T1 might be prone to an undesirable therapeutic response because of an association with the activated endogenous c-MYC. To consider the possible therapeutic approach in GI cancer,it would be necessary to develop a predictive method for evaluating the improper reprogramming-associated aggressive phenotype of iPC cells. View Publication

Metabolic studies of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can provide important information for stem cell bioprocessing. To this end,we have examined growth and metabolism of hESCs in both traditional 2-dimensional (2D) colony cultures and 3-dimensional microcarrier cultures using a conditioned medium and 3 serum-free media. The 2D colony cultures plateaued at cell densities of 1.1-1.5 × 10�?� cells/mL at day 6 due to surface limitation. Microcarrier cultures achieved 1.5-2 × 10�?� cells/mL on days 8-10 before reaching a plateau; this growth arrest was not due to surface limitation,but probably due to metabolic limitations. Metabolic analysis of the cultures showed that amino acids (including glutamine) and glucose are in excess and are not limiting cell growth; on the other hand,the high levels of waste products (25 mM lactate and 0.8 mM ammonium) and low pH (6.6) obtained at the last stages of cell propagation could be the causes for growth arrest. hESCs cultured in media supplemented with lactate (up to 28 mM) showed reduced cell growth,whereas ammonium (up to 5 mM) had no effect. Lactate and,to a lesser extent,ammonia affected pluripotency as reflected by the decreasing population of cells expressing pluripotent marker TRA-1-60. Feeding hESC cultures with low concentrations of glucose resulted in lower lactate levels (∼10%) and a higher pH level of 6.7,which leads to a 40% increase in cell density. We conclude that the high lactate levels and the low pH during the last stages of high-density hESC culture may limit cell growth and affect pluripotency. To overcome this limitation,a controlled feed of low levels of glucose and online control of pH can be used. View Publication