Project description:[Abstract] The R653Q variant in the synthetase domain of the folate-metabolizing enzyme MTHFD1 has been shown to increase risk for birth defects, but it does not affect risk for development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, since we have shown that this variant reduces purine synthesis, the goal of this study was to determine whether it could affect tumor growth. Using our mouse model for MTHFD1-synthetase deficiency (Mthfd1S+/-), we induced tumor formation with azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in male and female wild-type and Mthfd1S+/- mice. Tumor size was significantly smaller due to mutant genotype, particularly in males. Tumor size was increased in female mice compared with males, regardless of genotype. Tumor number was not influenced by genotype and was lower in females. Inflammation within tumors of male Mthfd1S+/- mice was lower than in wild-type mice. Proliferation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts from mutant lines was slower than that in wild-type fibroblasts. Gene expression analysis in tumor adjacent normal (preneoplastic) tissue identified several genes involved in proliferation (Fosb, Fos, Ptk6, Esr2, Atf3) or inflammation (Atf3, Saa1, TNF-α) that were downregulated in mutant male mice. Female mutants did not have changes in expression for those genes, nor in tumor inflammation levels, compared with wild-type, suggesting a different mechanism directing tumor growth in females. We suggest that restriction of purine synthesis and reduced expression of critical tumor-promoting genes leads to slower tumor growth in MTHFD1-synthetase deficiency. These findings may have implications for CRC tumor growth and prognosis in individuals with the R653Q variant.
Project description:TLR4 deficiency attenuates kidney injury after ischemic reperfusion as measured by both renal function and morphology. To better understand the role of TLR4 during the acute kidney injury, we used DNA microarray to identify genes that were differentially expressed on kidneys in wildtype B10 mice and TLR4 null mice during the early stage of injury. A murine ischemic reperfusion injury model was established. After right nephrectomy, the left pedicle was clamped for 23min followed by 4hr reperfusion. Sham mice were used as controls. 6 WT males and 6 TLR4 null males were included with 3 ischemic and 3 shams in each group.
Project description:Tumor necrosis factor-related weak inducer of apoptosis, TWEAK, is a TNF superfamily member that mediates signaling through its receptor fibroblast growth factor inducible-14, Fn14. In tumor cell lines, TWEAK induces proliferation, survival and NF-kappaB signaling and gene expression that promote tumor growth and suppress antitumor immune responses. Anti-TWEAK antibody, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in vivo with decreases in pathway activation markers and modulation of tumor, blood and spleen immune cell composition. Candidate response prediction markers, including Fn14, have been identified in mouse models. Phase I pharmacodynamic data from patients are consistent with preclinical results. TWEAK:Fn14 signaling is upregulated in human cancer and pathway activation induces tumor proliferation and survival signaling. Blockade with anti-TWEAK mAb, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in multiple models in mice. TWEAK induces changes that suppress anti-tumor immune responses and RG7212 blocks these effects resulting in changes in tumor immune cell composition and decreases in cytokines that promote immunosuppression. Antitumor efficacy in mice was observed in a range of Fn14 expressing models with pathway activation and expressing either wild-type or mutant p53, BRAF or KRAS suggesting both a patient selection strategy and potential broad clinical applicability. Preclinical mechanism of action hypotheses are supported by Phase I clinical data, with decreases in proliferation markers and increased tumor T cell infiltration. CAKI cells impanted as xenografts in Athymic, Nu/Nu nude mice, treated with anti-TWEAK antibody (TW212) or Vehicle for 24 hours. Four replicates for each condition were performed. RNA was extracted from xenografts, processed and hybridized to human and mouse chips.
Project description:Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are essential enzymes that provide the ribosome with aminoacyl-tRNA substrates for protein synthesis. Mutations in aaRSs lead to various neurological disorders in humans. Many aaRSs utilize editing to prevent error propagation during translation. Editing defects in alanyl-tRNA synthetase (AlaRS) cause neurodegeneration and cardioproteinopathy in mice and is associated with microcephaly in human patients. The cellular impact of AlaRS editing deficiency in eukaryotes remains unclear. Here we use yeast as a model organism to systematically investigate the physiological role of AlaRS editing. Our RNA sequencing and quantitative proteomics analyses reveal that AlaRS editing defects surprisingly activate the general amino acid control pathway and attenuate the heatshock response. We have confirmed these results with reporter and growth assays. In addition, AlaRS editing defects downregulate carbon metabolism and attenuate protein synthesis. Supplying yeast cells with extra carbon source partially rescues the heat sensitivity caused by AlaRS editing deficiency. These findings are in stark contrast with the cellular effects caused by editing deficiency in other aaRSs. Our study therefore highlights the idiosyncratic role of AlaRS editing compared with other aaRSs and provides a model for the physiological impact caused by the lack of AlaRS editing.
Project description:We hypothesized if targeting of CDCA8 with small interfering (si) RNA could inhibit HCC progression. We also investigated molecular mechanism to mediate HCC cell death caused by CDCA8 silencing. To accomplish this, Huh1 and Huh7 human HCC cells were transfected with CDCA8 siRNA and tested for growth inhibition and apoptotic induction using MTS, FACS and microscopic analysis. To obtain insights into the molecular changes in response to CDCA8 knockdown, global changes in gene expression were examined using RNA sequencing. As results, siRNA silencing of CDCA8 inhibited HCC cell growth by blocking cell-cycle progression and inducing apoptosis. RNA sequencing showed that, representatively, the anti-proliferative effects were driven by a subset of molecular alterations including the upregulation of tumor suppressive ATF3 and GADD34 genes, whereas a key regulator of cell growth and invasiveness BGLAP was repressed. Subsequent Western blotting also revealed that CDCA8 silencing decreases the levels of pro-caspase 3 and PARP-1, accelerating apoptotic signaling in HCC cells. In addition, targeting CDCA8 effectively suppressed HCC tumor growth growth in a murine xenograft model. Taken together, these findings suggest that CDCA8 could be a promising molecular target for systemic therapy of HCC.
Project description:Tumor necrosis factor-related weak inducer of apoptosis, TWEAK, is a TNF superfamily member that mediates signaling through its receptor fibroblast growth factor inducible-14, Fn14. In tumor cell lines, TWEAK induces proliferation, survival and NF-kappaB signaling and gene expression that promote tumor growth and suppress antitumor immune responses. Anti-TWEAK antibody, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in vivo with decreases in pathway activation markers and modulation of tumor, blood and spleen immune cell composition. Candidate response prediction markers, including Fn14, have been identified in mouse models. Phase I pharmacodynamic data from patients are consistent with preclinical results. TWEAK:Fn14 signaling is upregulated in human cancer and pathway activation induces tumor proliferation and survival signaling. Blockade with anti-TWEAK mAb, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in multiple models in mice. TWEAK induces changes that suppress anti-tumor immune responses and RG7212 blocks these effects resulting in changes in tumor immune cell composition and decreases in cytokines that promote immunosuppression. Antitumor efficacy in mice was observed in a range of Fn14 expressing models with pathway activation and expressing either wild-type or mutant p53, BRAF or KRAS suggesting both a patient selection strategy and potential broad clinical applicability. Preclinical mechanism of action hypotheses are supported by Phase I clinical data, with decreases in proliferation markers and increased tumor T cell infiltration. U2OS cells untreated or treated with 1090-TW (TWEAK) for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, 8 hours, or 24 hours. Five replicates for each condition were performed.
Project description:Tumor necrosis factor-related weak inducer of apoptosis, TWEAK, is a TNF superfamily member that mediates signaling through its receptor fibroblast growth factor inducible-14, Fn14. In tumor cell lines, TWEAK induces proliferation, survival and NF-kappaB signaling and gene expression that promote tumor growth and suppress antitumor immune responses. Anti-TWEAK antibody, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in vivo with decreases in pathway activation markers and modulation of tumor, blood and spleen immune cell composition. Candidate response prediction markers, including Fn14, have been identified in mouse models. Phase I pharmacodynamic data from patients are consistent with preclinical results. TWEAK:Fn14 signaling is upregulated in human cancer and pathway activation induces tumor proliferation and survival signaling. Blockade with anti-TWEAK mAb, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in multiple models in mice. TWEAK induces changes that suppress anti-tumor immune responses and RG7212 blocks these effects resulting in changes in tumor immune cell composition and decreases in cytokines that promote immunosuppression. Antitumor efficacy in mice was observed in a range of Fn14 expressing models with pathway activation and expressing either wild-type or mutant p53, BRAF or KRAS suggesting both a patient selection strategy and potential broad clinical applicability. Preclinical mechanism of action hypotheses are supported by Phase I clinical data, with decreases in proliferation markers and increased tumor T cell infiltration. Pan02 cells untreated or treated with 1090-TW (TWEAK) for 4 hours, 8 hours, or 24 hours. Four replicates for each condition were performed.
Project description:Tumor necrosis factor-related weak inducer of apoptosis, TWEAK, is a TNF superfamily member that mediates signaling through its receptor fibroblast growth factor inducible-14, Fn14. In tumor cell lines, TWEAK induces proliferation, survival and NF-kappaB signaling and gene expression that promote tumor growth and suppress antitumor immune responses. Anti-TWEAK antibody, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in vivo with decreases in pathway activation markers and modulation of tumor, blood and spleen immune cell composition. Candidate response prediction markers, including Fn14, have been identified in mouse models. Phase I pharmacodynamic data from patients are consistent with preclinical results. TWEAK:Fn14 signaling is upregulated in human cancer and pathway activation induces tumor proliferation and survival signaling. Blockade with anti-TWEAK mAb, RG7212, inhibits tumor growth in multiple models in mice. TWEAK induces changes that suppress anti-tumor immune responses and RG7212 blocks these effects resulting in changes in tumor immune cell composition and decreases in cytokines that promote immunosuppression. Antitumor efficacy in mice was observed in a range of Fn14 expressing models with pathway activation and expressing either wild-type or mutant p53, BRAF or KRAS suggesting both a patient selection strategy and potential broad clinical applicability. Preclinical mechanism of action hypotheses are supported by Phase I clinical data, with decreases in proliferation markers and increased tumor T cell infiltration. ACHN cells untreated or treated with 1090-TW (TWEAK) for 4 hours, 8 hours, or 24 hours. Four replicates for each condition were performed.