参考文献

In the adult human,mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) resident in bone marrow retain the capacity to proliferate and differentiate along multiple connective tissue lineages,including cartilage. In this study,culture-expanded human MSCs (hMSCs) of 60 human donors were induced to express the morphology and gene products of chondrocytes. Chondrogenesis was induced by culturing hMSCs in micromass pellets in the presence of a defined medium that included 100 nM dexamethasone and 10 ng/ml transforming growth factor-beta(3) (TGF-beta(3)). Within 14 days,cells secreted an extracellular matrix incorporating type II collagen,aggrecan,and anionic proteoglycans. hMSCs could be further differentiated to the hypertrophic state by the addition of 50 nM thyroxine,the withdrawal of TGF-beta(3),and the reduction of dexamethasone concentration to 1 nM. Increased understanding of the induction of chondrogenic differentiation should lead to further progress in defining the mechanisms responsible for the generation of cartilaginous tissues,their maintenance,and their regeneration. View Publication

SU5416,a novel synthetic compound,is a potent and selective inhibitor of the Flk-1/KDR receptor tyrosine kinase that is presently under evaluation in Phase I clinical studies for the treatment of human cancers. SU5416 was shown to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor-dependent mitogenesis of human endothelial cells without inhibiting the growth of a variety of tumor cells in vitro. In contrast,systemic administration of SU5416 at nontoxic doses in mice resulted in inhibition of subcutaneous tumor growth of cells derived from various tissue origins. The antitumor effect of SU5416 was accompanied by the appearance of pale white tumors that were resected from drug-treated animals,supporting the antiangiogenic property of this agent. These findings support that pharmacological inhibition of the enzymatic activity of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor represents a novel strategy for limiting the growth of a wide variety of tumor types. View Publication

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases are serine/threonine kinases that mediate intracellular signal transduction pathways. Pyridinyl imidazole compounds block pro-inflammatory cytokine production and are specific p38 kinase inhibitors. ERK2 is related to p38 in sequence and structure,but is not inhibited by pyridinyl imidazole inhibitors. Crystal structures of two pyridinyl imidazoles complexed with p38 revealed these compounds bind in the ATP site. Mutagenesis data suggested a single residue difference at threonine 106 between p38 and other MAP kinases is sufficient to confer selectivity of pyridinyl imidazoles. We have changed the equivalent residue in human ERK2,Q105,into threonine and alanine,and substituted four additional ATP binding site residues. The single residue change Q105A in ERK2 enhances the binding of SB202190 at least 25,000-fold compared to wild-type ERK2. We report enzymatic analyses of wild-type ERK2 and the mutant proteins,and the crystal structure of a pyridinyl imidazole,SB203580,bound to an ERK2 pentamutant,I103L,Q105T,D106H,E109G. T110A. These ATP binding site substitutions induce low nanomolar sensitivity to pyridinyl imidazoles. Furthermore,we identified 5-iodotubercidin as a potent ERK2 inhibitor,which may help reveal the role of ERK2 in cell proliferation. View Publication

The oncogene p3k,coding for a constitutively active form of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase; EC 2.7.1.137),strongly enhances myogenic differentiation in cultures of chicken-embryo myoblasts. It increases the size of the myotubes and induces elevated levels of the muscle-specific proteins MyoD,myosin heavy chain,creatine kinase,and desmin. Inhibition of PI 3-kinase activity with LY294002 or with dominant-negative mutants of PI 3-kinase interferes with myogenic differentiation and with the induction of muscle-specific genes. PI 3-kinase is therefore an upstream mediator for the expression of the muscle-specific genes and is both necessary and rate-limiting for the process of myogenesis. View Publication

Tankyrase,a protein with homology to ankyrins and to the catalytic domain of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP),was identified and localized to human telomeres. Tankyrase binds to the telomeric protein TRF1 (telomeric repeat binding factor-1),a negative regulator of telomere length maintenance. Like ankyrins,tankyrase contains 24 ankyrin repeats in a domain responsible for its interaction with TRF1. Recombinant tankyrase was found to have PARP activity in vitro,with both TRF1 and tankyrase functioning as acceptors for adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation. ADP-ribosylation of TRF1 diminished its ability to bind to telomeric DNA in vitro,suggesting that telomere function in human cells is regulated by poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. View Publication

Activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway has been shown to occur in monocytes following stimulation with LPS. However,the importance of this event for monocyte function is not clear. To address this issue,we used the novel MAP/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor,U0126. Stimulation of monocytes with LPS resulted in activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members ERK,Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK),and p38. Treatment of monocytes with LPS in the presence of U0126 blocked the activation of ERK1 and ERK2. However,the activation of Jun NH2-terminal kinase and p38 family members was not affected by the compound,confirming the selectivity of U0126. To examine the effects of MEK inhibition on monocyte function,we measured production of the cytokines IL-1,IL-8,and TNF,as well as PGE2. Monocytes treated with LPS in the presence of U0126 failed to release IL-1,IL-8,TNF,or PGE2. The failure to secrete IL-1 and TNF was due to decreased levels of mRNA. These results demonstrate that activation of MEK/ERK is critical for cytokine and PGE2 production by monocytes in response to LPS. View Publication

Prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS) is the primary enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxanes. Of the two isoenzymes of PGHS,PGHS-1 is constitutively expressed and PGHS-2 is inducible by mitogens or other inflammatory stimuli. Constitutive expression of PGHS-2 in neoplastic tissues has been implicated in carcinogenesis. Resveratrol,a lignan,was recently shown to be an anticarcinogen that selectively inhibits PGHS-1. In vitro experiments to resolve these seemingly paradoxical observations revealed that resveratrol is not only an inhibitor of PGHS-1 but also is an activator of PGHS-2. Resveratrol non-competitively inhibited PGHS-1 with a K1 of 26 +/- 2 microM but enhanced the PGHS-2 activity nearly twofold. Additionally,resveratrol did not serve as a reducing co-substrate for the peroxidase activities of either enzyme despite being an easily oxidizable phenolic compound. Resveratrol inhibited the peroxidase activity of PGHS-1 (IC50 = 15 microM) better than that of PGHS-2 (IC50 = textgreater 200 microM). Inhibition of the perxidase activity but not the cyclooxygenase activity of PGHS-2 resulted in the production of PGG2 from arachidonic acid. A plausible relationship between these observation and the anticarcinogenic activity of resveratrol is discussed. View Publication

Angiogenesis,the sprouting of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones,is an essential physiological process in development,yet also plays a major role in the progression of human diseases such as diabetic retinopathy,atherosclerosis and cancer. The effects of the most potent angiogenic factors,vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),angiopoietin and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) are mediated through cell surface receptors that possess intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase activity. In this report,we describe a synthetic compound of the pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine class,designated PD 173074,that selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activities of the FGF and VEGF receptors. We show that systemic administration of PD 173074 in mice can effectively block angiogenesis induced by either FGF or VEGF with no apparent toxicity. To elucidate the determinants of selectivity,we have determined the crystal structure of PD 173074 in complex with the tyrosine kinase domain of FGF receptor 1 at 2.5 A resolution. A high degree of surface complementarity between PD 173074 and the hydrophobic,ATP-binding pocket of FGF receptor 1 underlies the potency and selectivity of this inhibitor. PD 173074 is thus a promising candidate for a therapeutic angiogenesis inhibitor to be used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases whose progression is dependent upon new blood vessel formation. View Publication

Mitomycin C (MMC) is the prototype bioreductive DNA alkylating agent. To exploit its unique properties and maximize patient responses,different therapeutic approaches have been investigated. Recently,the focus has concentrated on monitoring the levels of the proteins metabolizing the drug and relating these to activity in a regimen referred to as enzyme-directed bioreductive drug development. To be successful,it is important to understand the enzymology of metabolic activation not only in cell lines but also in solid tumour models. A general mechanism of action for MMC has now emerged that is activated regardless of the source of reducing equivalents,comprising three competing pathways that give rise to unique reactive intermediates and different DNA adducts. Partitioning into the pathways is dictated by chemical considerations such as pH and drug concentration. DT-diaphorase stands out in this mechanism,since it is much less effective at metabolizing MMC at neutral pH. At least five different enzymes can catalyse MMC bioreduction in vitro,and as many activities may be present in solid tumours,including a series of novel mitochondrial reductases such as a cytochrome P450 reductase. Competition between reductases for MMC appears to be based solely on protein levels rather than enzyme kinetics. Consequentially,DT-diaphorase can occupy a central role in MMC metabolic activation since it is often highly overexpressed in cancer cells. Although a good correlation has been observed in cell lines between DT-diaphorase expression and aerobic cytotoxicity,this does not hold consistently in vivo for any single bioreductive enzyme,suggesting revision of the enzyme-directed hypothesis as originally formulated. View Publication

Phosphatidylinositol,a component of eukaryotic cell membranes,is unique among phospholipids in that its head group can be phosphorylated at multiple free hydroxyls. Several phosphorylated derivatives of phosphatidylinositol,collectively termed phosphoinositides,have been identified in eukaryotic cells from yeast to mammals. Phosphoinositides are involved in the regulation of diverse cellular processes,including proliferation,survival,cytoskeletal organization,vesicle trafficking,glucose transport,and platelet function. The enzymes that phosphorylate phosphatidylinositol and its derivatives are termed phosphoinositide kinases. Recent advances have challenged previous hypotheses about the substrate selectivity of different phosphoinositide kinase families. Here we re-examine the pathways of phosphoinositide synthesis and the enzymes involved. View Publication