Project description:PAX2 is one of nine PAX genes that regulate tissue development and cellular differentiation in embryos. PAX2 promotes cell proliferation, oncogenic transformation, cell lineage specification, migration, and survival. In our previous study, we found that PAX2 is highly expressed in low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma, but its expression in clear cell, endometrioid, and mucinous cell ovarian carcinomas have not been studied. More importantly, the functional role of PAX2 in ovarian cancer is not known. Downregulation of PAX2 in PAX2-expressing ovarian cancer cells inhibits cell proliferation and migration. This growth inhibition is due to the upregulation of the tumor suppressor gene G0S2 and subsequent induction of apoptosis. The PAX2 pathway thus represents a potential therapeutic target for PAX2-expressing ovarian carcinomas. Knockdown PAX2 expression in these cell lines was achieved by lentiviral shRNAs targeting the PAX2 gene. PAX2 stable knockdown cells were characterized for cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and gene expression profiles.
Project description:PAX2 is one of nine PAX genes that regulate tissue development and cellular differentiation in embryos. PAX2 promotes cell proliferation, oncogenic transformation, cell lineage specification, migration, and survival. In our previous study, we found that PAX2 is highly expressed in low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma, but its expression in clear cell, endometrioid, and mucinous cell ovarian carcinomas have not been studied. More importantly, the functional role of PAX2 in ovarian cancer is not known. Downregulation of PAX2 in PAX2-expressing ovarian cancer cells inhibits cell proliferation and migration. This growth inhibition is due to the upregulation of the tumor suppressor gene G0S2 and subsequent induction of apoptosis. The PAX2 pathway thus represents a potential therapeutic target for PAX2-expressing ovarian carcinomas.
Project description:Kynureninase is a member of a large family of catalytically diverse but structurally homologous pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes known as the aspartate aminotransferase superfamily or alpha-family. The Homo sapiens and other eukaryotic constitutive kynureninases preferentially catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine to produce 3-hydroxyanthranilate and l-alanine, while l-kynurenine is the substrate of many prokaryotic inducible kynureninases. The human enzyme was cloned with an N-terminal hexahistidine tag, expressed, and purified from a bacterial expression system using Ni metal ion affinity chromatography. Kinetic characterization of the recombinant enzyme reveals classic Michaelis-Menten behavior, with a Km of 28.3 +/- 1.9 microM and a specific activity of 1.75 micromol min-1 mg-1 for 3-hydroxy-dl-kynurenine. Crystals of recombinant kynureninase that diffracted to 2.0 A were obtained, and the atomic structure of the PLP-bound holoenzyme was determined by molecular replacement using the Pseudomonas fluorescens kynureninase structure (PDB entry 1qz9) as the phasing model. A structural superposition with the P. fluorescens kynureninase revealed that these two structures resemble the "open" and "closed" conformations of aspartate aminotransferase. The comparison illustrates the dynamic nature of these proteins' small domains and reveals a role for Arg-434 similar to its role in other AAT alpha-family members. Docking of 3-hydroxy-l-kynurenine into the human kynureninase active site suggests that Asn-333 and His-102 are involved in substrate binding and molecular discrimination between inducible and constitutive kynureninase substrates.