Sarah J Freemantle

Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA

Are you Sarah J Freemantle?

Claim your profile

Publications (37)232.33 Total impact

  • Article: Evidence for tankyrases as antineoplastic targets in lung cancer.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: New pharmacologic targets are urgently needed to treat or prevent lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer death for men and women. This study identified one such target. This is the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, which is deregulated in cancers, including those lacking adenomatous polyposis coli or beta-catenin mutations. Two poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) enzymes regulate canonical Wnt activity: tankyrase (TNKS) 1 and TNKS2. These enzymes poly-ADP-ribosylate (PARsylate) and destabilize axin, a key component of the beta-catenin phosphorylation complex. METHODS: This study used comprehensive gene profiles to uncover deregulation of the Wnt pathway in murine transgenic and human lung cancers, relative to normal lung. Antineoplastic consequences of genetic and pharmacologic targeting of TNKS in murine and human lung cancer cell lines were explored, and validated in vivo in mice by implantation of murine transgenic lung cancer cells engineered with reduced TNKS expression relative to controls. RESULTS: Microarray analyses comparing Wnt pathway members in malignant versus normal tissues of a murine transgenic cyclin E lung cancer model revealed deregulation of Wnt pathway components, including TNKS1 and TNKS2. Real-time PCR assays independently confirmed these results in paired normal-malignant murine and human lung tissues. Individual treatments of a panel of human and murine lung cancer cell lines with the TNKS inhibitors XAV939 and IWR-1 dose-dependently repressed cell growth and increased cellular axin 1 and tankyrase levels. These inhibitors also repressed expression of a Wnt-responsive luciferase construct, implicating the Wnt pathway in conferring these antineoplastic effects. Individual or combined knockdown of TNKS1 and TNKS2 with siRNAs or shRNAs reduced lung cancer cell growth, stabilized axin, and repressed tumor formation in murine xenograft and syngeneic lung cancer models. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reported here uncovered deregulation of specific components of the Wnt pathway in both human and murine lung cancer models. Repressing TNKS activity through either genetic or pharmacological approaches antagonized canonical Wnt signaling, reduced murine and human lung cancer cell line growth, and decreased tumor formation in mouse models. Taken together, these findings implicate the use of TNKS inhibitors to target the Wnt pathway to combat lung cancer.
    BMC Cancer 04/2013; 13(1):211. · 3.01 Impact Factor
  • Article: Repression of exogenous gene expression by the retinoic acid target gene G0S2.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2) is rapidly induced by all-trans-retinoic acid (RA)-treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and other cells. G0S2 regulates lipolysis via inhibition of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). This study found that retinoic acid receptor (RAR), but not retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonists induced G0S2 expression in APL cells. Novel G0S2 functions were uncovered that included repression of exogenous gene expression and transcriptional activity. Transient G0S2 transfection repressed the activities of multiple reporter constructs (including the retinoid-regulated species RARβ, UBE1L and G0S2); this occurred in diverse cell contexts. This inhibition was antagonized by siRNA-mediated G0S2 knockdown. To determine the inhibitory effects were not due to transient G0S2 expression, G0S2 was stably overexpressed in cells without appreciable basal G0S2 expression. As expected, this repressed transcriptional activities. Intriguingly, transfection of G0S2 did not affect endogenous RARβ, UBE1L or G0S2 expression. Hence, only exogenously expressed genes were affected by G0S2. The domain responsible for this repression was localized to the G0S2 hydrophobic domain (HD). This was the same region responsible for the ability of G0S2 to inhibit ATGL activity. Whether an interaction with ATGL accounted for this new G0S2 activity was studied. Mimicking the inhibition of ATGL by oleic acid treatment that increased lipid droplet size or ATGL siRNA knockdown did not recapitulate G0S2 repressive effects. Engineered gain of ATGL expression did not rescue G0S2 transcriptional repression either. Thus, transcriptional repression by G0S2 did not depend on the ability of G0S2 to inhibit ATGL. Subcellular localization studies revealed that endogenous and exogenously-expressed G0S2 proteins were localized to the cytoplasm, particularly in the perinuclear region. Expression of a mutant G0S2 species that lacked the HD domain altered cytosolic G0S2 localization. This linked G0S2 subcellular localization to G0S2 transcriptional repression. The potential mechanisms responsible for this G0S2 repression are examined.
    International Journal of Oncology 03/2013; · 2.40 Impact Factor
  • Article: Response to inhibition of smoothened in diverse epithelial cancer cells that lack smoothened or patched 1 mutations.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Hedgehog (HH) pathway Smoothened (Smo) inhibitors are active against Gorlin syndrome-associated basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and medulloblastoma where Patched (Ptch) mutations occur. We interrogated 705 epithelial cancer cell lines for growth response to the Smo inhibitor cyclopamine and for expressed HH pathway-regulated species in a linked genetic database. Ptch and Smo mutations that respectively conferred Smo inhibitor response or resistance were undetected. Previous studies revealed HH pathway activation in lung cancers. Therefore, findings were validated using lung cancer cell lines, transgenic and transplantable murine lung cancer models, and human normal-malignant lung tissue arrays in addition to testing other Smo inhibitors. Cyclopamine sensitivity most significantly correlated with high cyclin E (P=0.000009) and low insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP6) (P=0.000004) levels. Gli family members were associated with response. Cyclopamine resistance occurred with high GILZ (P=0.002) expression. Newer Smo inhibitors exhibited a pattern of sensitivity similar to cyclopamine. Gain of cyclin E or loss of IGFBP6 in lung cancer cells significantly increased Smo inhibitor response. Cyclin E-driven transgenic lung cancers expressed a gene profile implicating HH pathway activation. Cyclopamine treatment significantly reduced proliferation of murine and human lung cancers. Smo inhibition reduced lung cancer formation in a syngeneic mouse model. In human normal-malignant lung tissue arrays cyclin E, IGFBP6, Gli1 and GILZ were each differentially expressed. Together, these findings indicate that Smo inhibitors should be considered in cancers beyond those with activating HH pathway mutations. This includes tumors that express genes indicating basal HH pathway activation.
    International Journal of Oncology 08/2012; 41(5):1751-61. · 2.40 Impact Factor
  • Article: Evidence for the Ubiquitin Protease UBP43 as an Antineoplastic Target.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: New pharmacologic targets are needed for lung cancer. One candidate pathway to target is composed of the E1-like ubiquitin-activating enzyme (UBE1L) that associates with interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), which complexes with and destabilizes cyclin D1. Ubiquitin protease 43 (UBP43/USP18) removes ISG15 from conjugated proteins. This study reports that gain of UBP43 stabilized cyclin D1, but not other D-type cyclins or cyclin E. This depended on UBP43 enzymatic activity; an enzymatically inactive UBP43 did not affect cyclin D1 stability. As expected, small interfering RNAs that reduced UBP43 expression also decreased cyclin D1 levels and increased apoptosis in a panel of lung cancer cell lines. Forced cyclin D1 expression rescued UBP43 apoptotic effects, which highlighted the importance of cyclin D1 in conferring this. Short hairpin RNA-mediated reduction of UBP43 significantly increased apoptosis and reduced murine lung cancer growth in vitro and in vivo after transplantation of these cells into syngeneic mice. These cells also exhibited increased response to all-trans-retinoic acid, interferon, or cisplatin treatments. Notably, gain of UBP43 expression antagonized these effects. Normal-malignant human lung tissue arrays were examined independently for UBP43, cyclin D1, and cyclin E immunohistochemical expression. UBP43 was significantly (P < 0.01) increased in the malignant versus normal lung. A direct relationship was found between UBP43 and cyclin D1 (but not cyclin E) expression. Differential UBP43 expression was independently detected in a normal-malignant tissue array with diverse human cancers. Taken together, these findings uncovered UBP43 as a previously unrecognized antineoplastic target. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(9); 1968-77. ©2012 AACR.
    Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 07/2012; 11(9):1968-77. · 5.23 Impact Factor
  • Article: Serine/threonine kinase 17A is a novel p53 target gene and modulator of cisplatin toxicity and reactive oxygen species in testicular cancer cells.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Testicular cancer is highly curable with cisplatin-based therapy, and testicular cancer-derived human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells undergo a p53-dominant transcriptional response to cisplatin. In this study, we have discovered that a poorly characterized member of the death-associated protein family of serine/threonine kinases, STK17A (also called DRAK1), is a novel p53 target gene. Cisplatin-mediated induction of STK17A in the EC cell line NT2/D1 was prevented with p53 siRNA. Furthermore, STK17A was induced with cisplatin in HCT116 and MCF10A cells but to a much lesser extent in isogenic p53-suppressed cells. A functional p53 response element that binds endogenous p53 in a cisplatin-dependent manner was identified 5 kb upstream of the first coding exon of STK17A. STK17A is not present in the mouse genome, but the closely related gene STK17B is induced with cisplatin in mouse NIH3T3 cells, although this induction is p53-independent. Interestingly, in human cells containing both STK17A and STK17B, only STK17A is induced with cisplatin. Knockdown of STK17A conferred resistance to cisplatin-induced growth suppression and apoptotic cell death in EC cells. This was associated with the up-regulation of detoxifying and antioxidant genes, including metallothioneins MT1H, MT1M, and MT1X that have previously been implicated in cisplatin resistance. In addition, knockdown of STK17A resulted in decreased cellular reactive oxygen species, whereas STK17A overexpression increased reactive oxygen species. In summary, we have identified STK17A as a novel direct target of p53 and a modulator of cisplatin toxicity and reactive oxygen species in testicular cancer cells.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 06/2011; 286(22):19381-91. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Serine/Threonine Kinase 17A Is a Novel p53 Target Gene and Modulator of Cisplatin Toxicity and Reactive Oxygen Species in Testicular Cancer Cells
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Testicular cancer is highly curable with cisplatin-based therapy, and testicular cancer-derived human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells undergo a p53-dominant transcriptional response to cisplatin. In this study, we have discovered that a poorly characterized member of the death-associated protein family of serine/threonine kinases, STK17A (also called DRAK1), is a novel p53 target gene. Cisplatin-mediated induction of STK17A in the EC cell line NT2/D1 was prevented with p53 siRNA. Furthermore, STK17A was induced with cisplatin in HCT116 and MCF10A cells but to a much lesser extent in isogenic p53-suppressed cells. A functional p53 response element that binds endogenous p53 in a cisplatin-dependent manner was identified 5 kb upstream of the first coding exon of STK17A. STK17A is not present in the mouse genome, but the closely related gene STK17B is induced with cisplatin in mouse NIH3T3 cells, although this induction is p53-independent. Interestingly, in human cells containing both STK17A and STK17B, only STK17A is induced with cisplatin. Knockdown of STK17A conferred resistance to cisplatin-induced growth suppression and apoptotic cell death in EC cells. This was associated with the up-regulation of detoxifying and antioxidant genes, including metallothioneins MT1H, MT1M, and MT1X that have previously been implicated in cisplatin resistance. In addition, knockdown of STK17A resulted in decreased cellular reactive oxygen species, whereas STK17A overexpression increased reactive oxygen species. In summary, we have identified STK17A as a novel direct target of p53 and a modulator of cisplatin toxicity and reactive oxygen species in testicular cancer cells.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 06/2011; 286(22):19381-19391. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Bexarotene plus erlotinib suppress lung carcinogenesis independent of KRAS mutations in two clinical trials and transgenic models.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The rexinoid bexarotene represses cyclin D1 by causing its proteasomal degradation. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) erlotinib represses cyclin D1 via different mechanisms. We conducted a preclinical study and 2 clinical/translational trials (a window-of-opportunity and phase II) of bexarotene plus erlotinib. The combination repressed growth and cyclin D1 expression in cyclin-E- and KRAS/p53-driven transgenic lung cancer cells. The window-of-opportunity trial in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (10 evaluable), including cases with KRAS mutations, repressed cyclin D1 (in tumor biopsies and buccal swabs) and induced necrosis and inflammatory responses. The phase II trial in heavily pretreated, advanced NSCLC patients (40 evaluable; a median of two prior relapses per patient (range, 0-5); 21% with prior EGFR-inhibitor therapy) produced three major clinical responses in patients with prolonged progression-free survival (583-, 665-, and 1,460-plus days). Median overall survival was 22 weeks. Hypertriglyceridemia was associated with an increased median overall survival (P = 0.001). Early PET (positron emission tomographic) response did not reliably predict clinical response. The combination was generally well tolerated, with toxicities similar to those of the single agents. In conclusion, bexarotene plus erlotinib was active in KRAS-driven lung cancer cells, was biologically active in early-stage mutant KRAS NSCLC, and was clinically active in advanced, chemotherapy-refractory mutant KRAS tumors in this study and previous trials. Additional lung cancer therapy or prevention trials with this oral regimen are warranted.
    Cancer Prevention Research 06/2011; 4(6):818-28. · 4.91 Impact Factor
  • Article: Involvement of microRNAs in lung cancer biology and therapy.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that regulate gene expression. Expression profiles of specific miRNAs have improved cancer diagnosis and classification as well as provided prognostic information in many human cancers, including lung cancer. Tumor-suppressive and oncogenic miRNAs were uncovered in lung carcinogenesis. The biological functions of these miRNAs in lung cancer were validated recently in well-characterized cellular, murine transgenic as well as transplantable lung cancer models, and in human paired normal-malignant lung tissue banks and tissue arrays. Tumor-suppressive and oncogenic miRNAs that were identified in lung cancer will be reviewed here. Emphasis is placed on highlighting those functionally validated miRNAs that are not only biomarkers of lung carcinogenesis but also candidate pharmacologic targets. How these miRNA findings advance an understanding of lung cancer biology and how they could improve lung cancer therapy are discussed in this article.
    Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine. 04/2011; 157(4):200-8.
  • Article: Cyclin E transgenic mice: discovery tools for lung cancer biology, therapy, and prevention.
    Sarah J Freemantle, Ethan Dmitrovsky
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States and many other countries. This fact underscores the need for clinically relevant models to increase our understanding of lung cancer biology and to help design and implement preventive and more effective therapeutic interventions for lung cancer. New murine transgenic models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been engineered for this purpose. In one such model, overexpression of the cell-cycle regulator cyclin E is targeted to type II alveolar lung cells; dysplasia, hyperplasia, and adenocarcinoma forming in this model have features recapitulating key features of carcinogenesis found in NSCLC patients. These features include the presence of chromosomal instability, pulmonary dysplasia, and hyperplasia, hedgehog-pathway activation, single and multiple adenocarcinomas, and even metastases. Cell lines that expressed either a human wild-type or mutant (proteasome-degradation-resistant) form of cyclin E were derived from the transgenic mouse lung cancers. These cell lines are transplantable into syngeneic host mice, which rapidly develop lung tumors and thus facilitate the rapid testing of agents targeting lung carcinogenesis. These transgenic and transplantable models have already aided in the discovery of oncogenic and growth-suppressive microRNAs and in the identification of a novel antineoplastic mechanism of action for inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 2. This review discusses the general utility of murine carcinogen-induced and transgenic models of lung carcinogenesis and describes the optimization of cyclin E-overexpressing lung carcinogenesis models and their use in testing candidate agents for the prevention and therapy of lung cancer.
    Cancer Prevention Research 12/2010; 3(12):1513-8. · 4.91 Impact Factor
  • Article: Blockade of the ubiquitin protease UBP43 destabilizes transcription factor PML/RARα and inhibits the growth of acute promyelocytic leukemia.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: More effective treatments for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) are needed. APL cell treatment with all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) degrades the chimeric, dominant-negative-acting transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia gene (PML)/RARα, which is generated in APL by chromosomal translocation. The E1-like ubiquitin-activating enzyme (UBE1L) associates with interferon-stimulated gene ISG15 that binds and represses PML/RARα protein. Ubiquitin protease UBP43/USP18 removes ISG15 from conjugated proteins. In this study, we explored how RA regulates UBP43 expression and the effects of UBP43 on PML/RARα stability and APL growth, apoptosis, or differentiation. RA treatment induced UBE1L, ISG15, and UBP43 expression in RA-sensitive but not RA-resistant APL cells. Similar in vivo findings were obtained in a transgenic mouse model of transplantable APL, and in the RA response of leukemic cells harvested directly from APL patients. UBP43 knockdown repressed PML/RARα protein levels and inhibited RA-sensitive or RA-resistant cell growth by destabilizing the PML domain of PML/RARα. This inhibitory effect promoted apoptosis but did not affect the RA differentiation response in these APL cells. In contrast, elevation of UBP43 expression stabilized PML/RARα protein and inhibited apoptosis. Taken together, our findings define the ubiquitin protease UBP43 as a novel candidate drug target for APL treatment.
    Cancer Research 10/2010; 70(23):9875-85. · 7.86 Impact Factor
  • Article: MicroRNA-31 functions as an oncogenic microRNA in mouse and human lung cancer cells by repressing specific tumor suppressors.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression. It has been suggested that obtaining miRNA expression profiles can improve classification, diagnostic, and prognostic information in oncology. Here, we sought to comprehensively identify the miRNAs that are overexpressed in lung cancer by conducting miRNA microarray expression profiling on normal lung versus adjacent lung cancers from transgenic mice. We found that miR-136, miR-376a, and miR-31 were each prominently overexpressed in murine lung cancers. Real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization (ISH) assays confirmed these miRNA expression profiles in paired normal-malignant lung tissues from mice and humans. Engineered knockdown of miR-31, but not other highlighted miRNAs, substantially repressed lung cancer cell growth and tumorigenicity in a dose-dependent manner. Using a bioinformatics approach, we identified miR-31 target mRNAs and independently confirmed them as direct targets in human and mouse lung cancer cell lines. These targets included the tumor-suppressive genes large tumor suppressor 2 (LATS2) and PP2A regulatory subunit B alpha isoform (PPP2R2A), and expression of each was augmented by miR-31 knockdown. Their engineered repression antagonized miR-31-mediated growth inhibition. Notably, miR-31 and these target mRNAs were inversely expressed in mouse and human lung cancers, underscoring their biologic relevance. The clinical relevance of miR-31 expression was further independently and comprehensively validated using an array containing normal and malignant human lung tissues. Together, these findings revealed that miR-31 acts as an oncogenic miRNA (oncomir) in lung cancer by targeting specific tumor suppressors for repression.
    The Journal of clinical investigation 03/2010; 120(4):1298-309. · 15.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: High DNA methyltransferase 3B expression mediates 5-aza-deoxycytidine hypersensitivity in testicular germ cell tumors.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common solid tumors of 15- to 35-year-old men. TGCT patients are frequently cured with cytotoxic cisplatin-based therapy. However, TGCT patients refractory to cisplatin-based chemotherapy have a poor prognosis, as do those having a late relapse. Pluripotent embryonal carcinomas (EC) are the malignant counterparts to embryonic stem cells and are considered the stem cells of TGCTs. Here, we show that human EC cells are highly sensitive to 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR) compared with somatic solid tumor cells. Decreased proliferation and survival with low nanomolar concentrations of 5-aza-CdR is associated with ATM activation, H2AX phosphorylation, increased expression of p21, and the induction of genes known to be methylated in TGCTs (MGMT, RASSF1A, and HOXA9). Notably, 5-aza-CdR hypersensitivity is associated with markedly abundant expression of the pluripotency-associated DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) compared with somatic tumor cells. Knockdown of DNMT3B in EC cells results in substantial resistance to 5-aza-CdR, strongly indicating that 5-aza-CdR sensitivity is mechanistically linked to high levels of DNMT3B. Intriguingly, cisplatin-resistant EC cells retain an exquisite sensitivity to low-dose 5-aza-CdR treatment, and pretreatment of 5-aza-CdR resensitizes these cells to cisplatin-mediated toxicity. This resensitization is also partially dependent on high DNMT3B levels. These novel findings indicate that high expression of DNMT3B, a likely byproduct of their pluripotency and germ cell origin, sensitizes TGCT-derived EC cells to low-dose 5-aza-CdR treatment.
    Cancer Research 12/2009; 69(24):9360-6. · 7.86 Impact Factor
  • Article: Uncovering growth-suppressive MicroRNAs in lung cancer.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: MicroRNA (miRNA) expression profiles improve classification, diagnosis, and prognostic information of malignancies, including lung cancer. This study uncovered unique growth-suppressive miRNAs in lung cancer. miRNA arrays were done on normal lung tissues and adenocarcinomas from wild-type and proteasome degradation-resistant cyclin E transgenic mice to reveal repressed miRNAs in lung cancer. Real-time and semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR as well as in situ hybridization assays validated these findings. Lung cancer cell lines were derived from each transgenic line (designated as ED-1 and ED-2 cells, respectively). Each highlighted miRNA was independently transfected into these cells. Growth-suppressive mechanisms were explored. Expression of a computationally predicted miRNA target was examined. These miRNAs were studied in a paired normal-malignant human lung tissue bank. miR-34c, miR-145, and miR-142-5p were repressed in transgenic lung cancers. Findings were confirmed by real-time and semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR as well as in situ hybridization assays. Similar miRNA profiles occurred in human normal versus malignant lung tissues. Individual overexpression of miR-34c, miR-145, and miR-142-5p in ED-1 and ED-2 cells markedly repressed cell growth. Anti-miR cotransfections antagonized this inhibition. The miR-34c target, cyclin E, was repressed by miR-34c transfection and provided a mechanism for observed growth suppression. miR-34c, miR-145, and miR-142-5p were repressed in murine and human lung cancers. Transfection of each miRNA significantly repressed lung cancer cell growth. Thus, these miRNAs were growth suppressive and are proposed to exert antineoplastic effects in the lung.
    Clinical Cancer Research 03/2009; 15(4):1177-83. · 7.74 Impact Factor
  • Article: Retinoid chemoprevention trials: cyclin D1 in the crosshairs.
    Sarah J Freemantle, Yongli Guo, Ethan Dmitrovsky
    Cancer Prevention Research 02/2009; 2(1):3-6. · 4.91 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Article: Retinoic acid mediates long-paced oscillations in retinoid receptor activity: evidence for a potential role for RIP140.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Mechanisms that underlie oscillatory transcriptional activity of nuclear receptors (NRs) are incompletely understood. Evidence exists for rapid, cyclic recruitment of coregulatory complexes upon activation of nuclear receptors. RIP140 is a NR coregulator that represses the transactivation of agonist-bound nuclear receptors. Previously, we showed that RIP140 is inducible by all-trans retinoic acid (RA) and mediates limiting, negative-feedback regulation of retinoid signaling. Here we report that in the continued presence of RA, long-paced oscillations of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) activity occur with a period ranging from 24 to 35 hours. Endogenous expression of RIP140 and other RA-target genes also oscillate in the presence of RA. Cyclic retinoid receptor transactivation is ablated by constitutive overexpression of RIP140. Further, depletion of RIP140 disrupts cyclic expression of the RA target gene HOXA5. Evidence is provided that RIP140 may limit RAR signaling in a selective, non-redundant manner in contrast to the classic NR coregulators NCoR1 and SRC1 that are not RA-inducible, do not cycle, and may be partially redundant in limiting RAR activity. Finally, evidence is provided that RIP140 can repress and be induced by other nuclear receptors in a manner that suggests potential participation in other NR oscillations. We provide evidence for novel, long-paced oscillatory retinoid receptor activity and hypothesize that this may be paced in part, by RIP140. Oscillatory NR activity may be involved in mediating hormone actions of physiological and pathological importance.
    PLoS ONE 01/2009; 4(10):e7639. · 4.09 Impact Factor
  • Article: UBE1L represses PML/RAR{alpha} by targeting the PML domain for ISG15ylation.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by expression of promyelocytic leukemia (PML)/retinoic acid (RA) receptor alpha (RARalpha) protein and all-trans-RA-mediated clinical remissions. RA treatment can confer PML/RARalpha degradation, overcoming dominant-negative effects of this oncogenic protein. The present study uncovered independent retinoid degradation mechanisms, targeting different domains of PML/RARalpha. RA treatment is known to repress PML/RARalpha and augment ubiquitin-activating enzyme-E1-like (UBE1L) protein expression in NB4-S1 APL cells. We previously reported RA-induced UBE1L and the IFN-stimulated gene, 15-kDa protein ISG15ylation in APL cells. Whether the ubiquitin-like protein ISG15 directly conjugates with PML/RARalpha was not explored previously and is examined in this study. Transient transfection experiments with different PML/RARalpha domains revealed that RA treatment preferentially down-regulated the RARalpha domain, whereas UBE1L targeted the PML domain for repression. As expected, ubiquitin-specific protease 18 (UBP43/USP18), the ISG15 deconjugase, opposed UBE1L but not RA-dependent PML/RARalpha degradation. In contrast, the proteasomal inhibitor, N-acetyl-leucinyl-leucinyl-norleucinal, inhibited both UBE1L- and RA-mediated PML/RARalpha degradation. Notably, UBE1L induced ISG15ylation of the PML domain of PML/RARalpha, causing its repression. These findings confirmed that RA triggers PML/RARalpha degradation through different domains and distinct mechanisms. Taken together, these findings advance prior work by establishing two pathways converge on the same oncogenic protein to cause its degradation and thereby promote antineoplastic effects. The molecular pharmacologic implications of these findings are discussed.
    Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 05/2008; 7(4):905-14. · 5.23 Impact Factor
  • Article: Cyclin degradation for cancer therapy and chemoprevention.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell division resulting from multiple mutagenic events. Cancer chemoprevention strategies aim to inhibit or reverse these events using natural or synthetic pharmacologic agents. Ideally, this restores normal growth control mechanisms. Diverse classes of compounds have been identified with chemopreventive activity. What unites many of them is an ability to inhibit the cell cycle by specifically modulating key components. This delays division long enough for cells to respond to mutagenic damage. In some cases, damage is repaired and in others cellular damage is sufficient to trigger apoptosis. It is now known that pathways responsible for targeting G1 cyclins for proteasomal degradation can be engaged pharmacologically. Emergence of induced cyclin degradation as a target for cancer therapy and chemoprevention in pre-clinical models is discussed in this article. Evidence for cyclin D1 as a molecular pharmacologic target and biological marker for clinical response is based on experience of proof of principle trials.
    Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 12/2007; 102(4):869-77. · 2.87 Impact Factor
  • Article: Transgenic cyclin E triggers dysplasia and multiple pulmonary adenocarcinomas.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Cyclin E is a critical G(1)-S cell cycle regulator aberrantly expressed in bronchial premalignancy and lung cancer. Cyclin E expression negatively affects lung cancer prognosis. Its role in lung carcinogenesis was explored. Retroviral cyclin E transduction promoted pulmonary epithelial cell growth, and small interfering RNA targeting of cyclin E repressed this growth. Murine transgenic lines were engineered to mimic aberrant cyclin E expression in the lung. Wild-type and proteasome degradation-resistant human cyclin E transgenic lines were independently driven by the human surfactant C (SP-C) promoter. Chromosome instability (CIN), pulmonary dysplasia, sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway activation, adenocarcinomas, and metastases occurred. Notably, high expression of degradation-resistant cyclin E frequently caused dysplasia and multiple lung adenocarcinomas. Thus, recapitulation of aberrant cyclin E expression as seen in human premalignant and malignant lung lesions reproduces in the mouse frequent features of lung carcinogenesis, including CIN, Shh pathway activation, dysplasia, single or multiple lung cancers, or presence of metastases. This article reports unique mouse lung cancer models that replicate many carcinogenic changes found in patients. These models provide insights into the carcinogenesis process and implicate cyclin E as a therapeutic target in the lung.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 04/2007; 104(10):4089-94. · 9.68 Impact Factor
  • Article: The direct p53 target gene, FLJ11259/DRAM, is a member of a novel family of transmembrane proteins.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: The tumor suppressor p53 regulates diverse biological processes primarily via activation of downstream target genes. Even though many p53 target genes have been described, the precise mechanisms of p53 biological actions are uncertain. In previous work we identified by microarray analysis a candidate p53 target gene, FLJ11259/DRAM. In this report we have identified three uncharacterized human proteins with sequence homology to FLJ11259, suggesting that FLJ11259 is a member of a novel family of proteins with six transmembrane domains. Several lines of investigation confirm FLJ11259 is a direct p53 target gene. p53 siRNA prevented cisplatin-mediated up-regulation of FLJ11259 in NT2/D1 cells. Likewise in HCT116 p53+/+ cells and MCF10A cells, FLJ11259 is induced by cisplatin treatment but to a much lesser extent in isogenic p53-suppressed cells. A functional p53 response element was identified 22.3 kb upstream of the first coding exon of FLJ11259 and is shown to be active in reporter assays. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays indicate that p53 binds directly to this element in vivo and that binding is enhanced following cisplatin treatment. Confocal microscopy showed that an FLJ-GFP fusion protein localizes mainly in a punctate pattern in the cytoplasm. Overexpression studies in Cos-7, Saos2, and NT2/D1 cells suggest that FLJ11259 is associated with increased clonal survival. In summary, we have identified FLJ11259/DRAM as a p53-inducible member of a novel family of transmembrane proteins. FLJ11259/DRAM may be an important modulator of p53 responses in diverse tumor types.
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 04/2007; 1769(4):209-19. · 4.66 Impact Factor
  • Article: Repression of cyclin D1 as a target for germ cell tumors.
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Metastatic germ cell tumors (GCT) are curable, however GCTs refractory to cisplatin-based chemotherapy have a poor prognosis. This study explores D-type cyclins as molecular targets in GCTs because all-trans-retinoic acid (RA)-mediated differentiation of the human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line NT2/D1 is associated with G1 cell cycle arrest and proteasomal degradation of cyclin D1. RA effects on D-type cyclins are compared in human EC cells that are RA sensitive or dually RA and cisplatin resistant (NT2/D1-R1) and in clinical GCTs that have both EC and mature teratoma components. Notably, GCT differentiation was associated with reduced cyclin D1 but increased cyclin D3 expression. RA was shown here to repress cyclin D1 through a transcriptional mechanism in addition to causing its degradation. The siRNA-mediated repression of individual cyclin D species resulted in growth inhibition in both RA sensitive and resistant EC cells. Only repression of cyclin D1 occurred in vitro and when clinical GCTs mature, implicating cyclin D1 as a molecular therapeutic target. To confirm this, the EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Erlotinib, was used to repress cyclin D1. This inhibited proliferation in RA and cisplatin sensitive and resistant EC cells. Taken together, these findings implicate cyclin D1 targeting agents for the treatment of GCTs.
    International Journal of Oncology 03/2007; 30(2):333-40. · 2.40 Impact Factor

Institutions

  • 2001–2013
    • Dartmouth Medical School
      • • Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
      • • Department of Medicine
      Hanover, NH, USA
  • 2005
    • Dartmouth College
      • Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
      Hanover, NH, USA
  • 2001–2005
    • Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center
      Lebanon, NH, USA
  • 2002
    • Wayne State University
      • Department of Pathology
      Detroit, MI, USA