Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE33437: NDRG1 siRNA and overexpression in breast cell lines GSE33438: MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 cell lines hypoxia Refer to individual Series
Project description:N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (*NDRG1*) is induced by cellular stress such as hypoxia and DNA damage, and in humans, germ line mutations cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. However, the roles of NDRG1 in the cell are not fully understood. Previously, NDRG1 was shown to mediate doxorubicin resistance under hypoxia, suggesting a role for NDRG1 in cell survival under these conditions. We found decreased apoptosis in doxorubicin-treated cells expressing NDRG1 shRNAs under normoxia, demonstrating a requirement for NDRG1 in apoptosis in breast epithelial cells under normal oxygen pressure. We further compared expression profiles in human breast epithelial cells ectopically over-expressing NDRG1 with cells expressing NDRG1 shRNAs in order to identify biological pathways where NDRG1 is involved. The results suggest that NDRG1 may have roles connected to vesicle transport. The previously reported roles of NDRG1 in apoptosis, myelin sheet maintenance, enhanced exocytosis in mast cells and in cellular responses to hypoxia, heavy metals, and androgen may all converge by NDRG1 having a role linked to vesicle transport. SUM102 and ME16C2 stably transduced with siRNA against NDRG1 compared with empty vector control ZR-75-1 stably transduced with NDRG1 overexpression construct compared with empty vector control Two condition design
Project description:N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) is a member of the NDRG family of intracellular proteins, and plays a central role in a wide range of biological processes including stress response, differentiation, and maintenance of the myelin sheath. The overexpression of NDRG1 is an indicator of poor prognosis in various pathological conditions. Here, we found that NDRG1 is an independent prognostic marker of poor outcome in breast cancer (BC). NDRG1 expression is regulated by a variety of molecular mechanisms, including transcriptional and post-translational control. In the present study, CRISPR-based inactivation of NDRG1 allowed us to demonstrate that this protein is required for breast cancer cell invasion, without affecting viability. We observed that different acute stress conditions converge on protein kinase C (PKC) activation driving enhanced NDRG1 expression through a signaling pathway that involves ROCK/AMPK/Akt kinases. This newly discovered mechanism was specific for NDRG1 as the expression of other NDRG members was not affected. Together, our results suggest that pathophysiological PKC-mediated activation of NDRG1 may be a response mechanism to metabolic stress and anticancer agents.
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.
Project description:N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (*NDRG1*) is induced by cellular stress such as hypoxia and DNA damage, and in humans, germ line mutations cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. However, the roles of NDRG1 in the cell are not fully understood. Previously, NDRG1 was shown to mediate doxorubicin resistance under hypoxia, suggesting a role for NDRG1 in cell survival under these conditions. We found decreased apoptosis in doxorubicin-treated cells expressing NDRG1 shRNAs under normoxia, demonstrating a requirement for NDRG1 in apoptosis in breast epithelial cells under normal oxygen pressure. We further compared expression profiles in human breast epithelial cells ectopically over-expressing NDRG1 with cells expressing NDRG1 shRNAs in order to identify biological pathways where NDRG1 is involved. The results suggest that NDRG1 may have roles connected to vesicle transport. The previously reported roles of NDRG1 in apoptosis, myelin sheet maintenance, enhanced exocytosis in mast cells and in cellular responses to hypoxia, heavy metals, and androgen may all converge by NDRG1 having a role linked to vesicle transport. Two condition design, MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 cell lines grown in hypoxia compared to cells grown at normoxia.