-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Oncogenic stress induces expression of the alternate reading frame (Arf) tumor suppressor protein. Arf then stabilizes p53, which leads to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. The mechanisms that distinguish both outcomes are incompletely understood. In this study, we show that Arf interacts with the Myc-associated zinc finger protein Miz1. Binding of Arf disrupts the interaction of Miz1 with its coactivator, nucleophosmin, induces the sumoylation of Miz1, and facilitates the assembly of a heterochromatic complex that contains Myc and trimethylated H3K9 in addition to Miz1. Arf-dependent assembly of this complex leads to the repression of multiple genes involved in cell adhesion and signal transduction and induces apoptosis. Our data point to a tumor-suppressive pathway that weakens cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in response to expression of Arf and that may thereby facilitate the elimination of cells harboring an oncogenic mutation.
The Journal of Cell Biology 03/2010; 188(6):905-18. · 10.26 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations in the Fms-like tyrosine-3 (FLT3) gene have a dismal prognosis. Here we report compassionate-use results with the multikinase and FLT3-ITD inhibitor sorafenib for the treatment of relapsed or refractory FLT3-ITD-positive AML. Sorafenib induced clinically meaningful and very rapid responses in all 6 patients treated either before (n = 2), after (n = 3), or both before and after (n = 1) allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Sorafenib-induced remissions facilitated allo-SCT in 2 of the 3 refractory patients. Two of the 4 patients who were treated after allo-SCT survived 216 and 221 days, respectively, whereas the other 2 remain in ongoing complete molecular remission. Sorafenib response was associated with an inhibition of the antiapoptotic FLT3-ITD target Stat-5 in vivo. Together, sorafenib monotherapy before or after allo-SCT has remarkable clinical activity in poor risk FLT3-ITD-positive AML and deserves further evaluation in prospective clinical trials.
Blood 05/2009; 113(26):6567-71. · 9.90 Impact Factor
-
EMBL PhD Symposium 2009, EMBO, Heidelberg, Germany; 01/2009
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The Myc-associated zinc-finger protein, Miz1, is a negative regulator of cell proliferation and induces expression of the cell-cycle inhibitors p15(Ink4b) and p21(Cip1). Here we identify the ribosomal protein L23 as a negative regulator of Miz1-dependent transactivation. L23 exerts this function by retaining nucleophosmin, an essential co-activator of Miz1 required for Miz1-induced cell-cycle arrest, in the nucleolus. Mutant forms of nucleophosmin found in acute myeloid leukaemia fail to co-activate Miz1 and re-localize it to the cytosol. As L23 is encoded by a direct target gene of Myc, this regulatory circuit may provide a feedback mechanism that links translation of Myc target genes and cell growth to Miz1-dependent cell-cycle arrest.
Nature Cell Biology 10/2008; 10(9):1051-61. · 19.49 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The Myc-associated zinc-finger protein, Miz1, is a negative regulator of cell proliferation and induces expression of the cell-cycle inhibitors p15(Ink4b) and p21(Cip1). Here we identify the ribosomal protein L23 as a negative regulator of Miz1-dependent transactivation. L23 exerts this function by retaining nucleophosmin, an essential co-activator of Miz1 required for Miz1-induced cell-cycle arrest, in the nucleolus. Mutant forms of nucleophosmin found in acute myeloid leukaemia fail to co-activate Miz1 and re-localize it to the cytosol. As L23 is encoded by a direct target gene of Myc, this regulatory circuit may provide a feedback mechanism that links translation of Myc target genes and cell growth to Miz1-dependent cell-cycle arrest.
Nature Cell Biology 09/2008; · 19.49 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The MYC proto-oncogene encodes a transcription factor that has been implicated in the genesis of many human tumours. Here, we used a bar-code short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screen to identify multiple genes that are required for MYC function. One of these genes encodes USP28, an ubiquitin-specific protease. USP28 is required for MYC stability in human tumour cells. USP28 binds to MYC through an interaction with FBW7alpha, an F-box protein that is part of an SCF-type ubiquitin ligase. Therefore, it stabilizes MYC in the nucleus, but not in the nucleolus, where MYC is degraded by FBW7gamma. High expression levels of USP28 are found in colon and breast carcinomas, and stabilization of MYC by USP28 is essential for tumour-cell proliferation.
Nature Cell Biology 08/2007; 9(7):765-74. · 19.49 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The transcription factor Miz1 is required for DNA-damage-induced cell-cycle arrest. We have now identified 14-3-3eta as a gene that inhibits Miz1 function through interaction with its DNA binding domain. Binding of 14-3-3eta to Miz1 depends on phosphorylation by Akt and regulates the recovery of cells from arrest after DNA damage. Miz1 has two functions in response to DNA damage: first, it is required for upregulation of a large group of genes, a function that is regulated by c-Myc, but not by 14-3-3eta; second, Miz1 represses the expression of many genes in response to DNA damage in an Akt- and 14-3-3eta-regulated manner.
Nature Cell Biology 02/2005; 7(1):30-41. · 19.49 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The transcription factor Miz1 is required for DNA-damage-induced cell-cycle arrest. We have now identified 14-3-3 as a gene that inhibits Miz1 function through interaction with its DNA binding domain. Binding of 14-3-3 to Miz1 depends on phosphorylation by Akt and regulates the recovery of cells from arrest after DNA damage. Miz1 has two functions in response to DNA damage: first, it is required for upregulation of a large group of genes, a function that is regulated by c-Myc, but not by 14-3-3; second, Miz1 represses the expression of many genes in response to DNA damage in an Akt- and 14-3-3-regulated manner.
Nature Cell Biology 12/2004; 7(1):30-41. · 19.49 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The Myc oncoprotein is a transcription factor that can both activate and repress genes. Transcriptional activation by Myc is well understood, but, by contrast, the mechanisms through which Myc represses transcription have remained elusive. Recent evidence suggests that complex formation by Myc with a zinc-finger transcription factor, Miz-1, plays an important role in mediating repression by Myc. The findings might explain how Myc interferes with cell-cycle arrest in response to TGF-beta, APC and DNA damage.
Trends in Cell Biology 04/2003; 13(3):146-50. · 12.35 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The Myc oncoprotein represses initiator-dependent transcription through the POZ domain transcription factor Miz-1. We now show that transactivation by Miz-1 is negatively regulated by association with topoisomerase II binding protein (TopBP1); UV irradiation downregulates expression of TopBP1 and releases Miz-1. Miz-1 binds to the p21Cip1 core promoter in vivo and is required for upregulation of p21Cip1 upon UV irradiation. Using both c-myc(-/-) cells and a point mutant of Myc that is deficient in Miz-1 dependent repression, we show that Myc negatively regulates transcription of p21Cip1 upon UV irradiation and facilitates recovery from UV-induced cell cycle arrest through binding to Miz-1. Our data implicate Miz-1 in a pathway that regulates cell proliferation in response to UV irradiation.
Molecular Cell 10/2002; 10(3):509-21. · 14.18 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Amplification of the MYCN gene is significantly associated with an unfavorable prognosis and rapid progression in human neuroblastoma tumors. One potential mechanism by which MYCN may cause these effects is by deregulating cell proliferation. Tissue culture experiments support a model in which MYC genes stimulate cell cycle progression by antagonizing the function of the cell cycle inhibitor p27kip1. In culture, activation of MYC induces both sequestration of p27kip1 by cyclin D complexes and its subsequent proteolytic degradation. We have tested whether this model applies to human neuroblastoma in a retrospective study of 100 primary tumor biopsy samples from neuroblastoma patients with a documented follow-up. Consistent with this hypothesis, MYCN-amplified tumors express high levels of both cyclin A and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, 2 marker proteins of cell proliferation. Further, expression levels of p27kip1 are of prognostic significance in human neuroblastoma patients. Similar to tissue culture systems, p27kip1 is sequestered by cyclin D complexes in a subset of human neuroblastoma samples. Surprisingly, however, expression levels of p27kip1 are prognostic independent of MYCN amplification, and tumors that have an amplified MYCN gene do not express elevated levels of D-type cyclins or contain significantly lower levels of p27kip1. Our data do not support a model in which regulation of p27kip1 function is an important mechanism by which amplified MYCN deregulates cell proliferation in neuroblastoma. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
International Journal of Cancer 05/2001; 95(3):176 - 183. · 5.44 Impact Factor