Technical note: Hapten synthesis, antibody production and development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of the natural steroidal alkaloid Dendrogenin A.

We have recently discovered the existence of 5α-Hydroxy-6ß-[2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethylamino]cholestan-3ß-ol, called Dendrogenin A (DDA), as the first endogenous steroidal alkaloid ever described in mammals. We found that the DDA content of tumors and cancer cell lines was low or absent compared with normal cells showing that a deregulation in DDA biosynthesis was associated with cancer and therefore suggesting that DDA could represent a metabolomic cancer biomarker. This prompted us to produce antibodies that selectively recognize DDA. For this purpose, the hapten 5α-hydroxy-6ß-[2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethylamino]cholestan-3ß-o-hemisuccinate with a carboxylic spacer arm attached to the 3ß-hydroxyl group of DDA was synthesized. The hapten was coupled to bovine serum albumin and keyhole limpet hemocyanin for antibody production to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The protein conjugates were injected into BALB/c mice to raise antibodies. The monoclonal antibodies that were secreted from the hybridoma cell lines established were assessed with indirect ELISA by competitive assays using dilutions of a DDA standard. The antibodies from the selected hybridomas had an IC(50) value ranging from 0.8 to 425 ng/ml. Three antibodies showed no cross-reactivity with structurally related compounds including histamine, cholesterol, ring B oxysterols and a regio-isomer of DDA. In this study, high-affinity and selective antibodies against DDA were produced for the first time, and a competitive indirect ELISA was developed.

In vivo and in vitro antitumor activity of oxaliplatin in combination with cetuximab in human colorectal tumor cell lines expressing different level of EGFR.

This study aimed to assess the effect of cetuximab (C225, Erbitux, a chimeric anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody) in combination with oxaliplatin in vitro and in vivo on four colon cancer cell lines (HCT-8; HT-29, SW620, HCT-116) expressing different levels of EGFR. In vitro, cetuximab combined with oxaliplatin significantly decreased the IC50 values of oxaliplatin in HCT-8 (EGF-R moderate) and HT-29 (EGF-R weak) cell lines, while SW620 (EGF-R negative) and HCT-116 (EGFR strong) cell lines remained unresponsive. This combination was synergistic in HCT-8 and HT-29 cell lines while cetuximab induced no major modification of the IC50 of oxaliplatin in HCT-116 or SW620 cell lines. We then determined the effect of cetuximab on the EGF-induced EGFR phosphorylation and we highlight a correlation between the basal level of phospho-EGFR and the response to the combination. In vivo, the combination of cetuximab plus oxaliplatin significantly inhibited tumor growth of HCT-8 and HT-29 (tumor delay or Td = 21.6+/-2.9 and 18.0+/-2.9 days respectively, synergistic effect) compared to either oxaliplatin (Td=12.6+/-2.3 and 14.4+/-3.2 days respectively) or cetuximab (Td=13.4+/-2.9 and 14.5+/-2.4 days, respectively) alone in xenograft models. The combination had no effect on HCT-116 and SW-620 cell lines. The observed responses are strictly dependent on the cell type, and are not correlated with the level of EGFR expression but related to the basal level of phospho-EGFR. This study provides promising preclinical results for a possible clinical investigation of the combination of oxaliplatin plus cetuximab in chemorefractory colorectal tumors.

Geranylgeranylated, but not farnesylated, RhoB suppresses Ras transformation of NIH-3T3 cells.

RhoB is a low molecular weight GTPase that is both farnesylated (RhoB-F) and geranylgeranylated (RhoB-GG) in cells. Based on data from rodent cell models, it has been suggested that RhoB displays differential effects on cell transformation, according to the nature of its prenylation. To test directly this hypothesis, we generated GTPase-deficient RhoB mutants that are exclusively either farnesylated or geranylgeranylated. We show that in Ras-transformed murine NIH-3T3 cells, RhoB-F enhances, whereas RhoB-GG and RhoB (F/GG) suppresses anchorage-dependent and -independent cell growth as well as tumor growth in nude mice. We then demonstrate that Ras constitutive activation of the tumor survival pathways Akt and NF-kappa B are blocked by RhoB-GG, but not by RhoB-F, providing further support for the opposing role of RhoB-F and RhoB-GG in Ras malignant transformation in NIH-3T3 cells. In addition, both RhoB (F/GG) and RhoB-GG induce apoptosis in Ras-transformed NIH-3T3 cells whereas RhoB-F has no effect. Our data demonstrate that RhoB-F and RhoB-GG which differ only by a 5-carbon isoprene behave differently in rodent cells highlighting the important role of prenyl groups in protein function and emphasize the potency of RhoB to regulate negatively the oncogenic signal.

Human cytomegalovirus carries a cell-derived phospholipase A2 required for infectivity.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is known to carry host cell-derived proteins and mRNAs whose role in cell infection is not understood. We have identified a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity borne by HCMV by using an assay based on the hydrolysis of fluorescent phosphatidylcholine. This activity was found in all virus strains analyzed and in purified strains. It was calcium dependent and was sensitive to inhibitors of cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) but not to inhibitors of soluble PLA2 or calcium-independent PLA2. No other phospholipase activity was detected in the virus. Purified virus was found to contain human cellular cPLA2alpha, as detected by monoclonal antibody. No homology with PLA2 was found in the genome of HCMV, indicating that HCMV does not code for a PLA2. Decreased de novo expression of immediate-early proteins 1 and 2 (IE1 and IE2), tegument phosphoprotein pp65, and virus production was observed when HCMV was treated with inhibitors of cPLA2. Cell entry of HCMV was not altered by those inhibitors, suggesting the action of cPLA2 was postentry. Together, our results indicate a selective sorting of a cell-derived cPLA2 during HCMV maturation, which is further required for infectivity.

Farnesylated RhoB prevents cell cycle arrest and actin cytoskeleton disruption caused by the geranylgeranyltransferase I inhibitor GGTI-298.

Here we demonstrate that the geranylgeranyltransferase-I inhibitor GGTI-298 inhibits the RhoB pathway and disrupts stress fiber and focal adhesion formation in NIH-3T3 cells. Farnesylated (V14)RhoB-CAIM (resistant to GGTI-298), but not geranylgeranylated (V14)RhoB (-CLLL), prevented inhibition of actin stress fiber and focal adhesion formation, underlining the critical role of RhoB. In contrast, farnesylated, (V14)RhoA (-CVLS) was unable to prevent effects of GGTI 298 on cytoskeleton organization. Furthermore, the ability of GGTI-298 to induce p21(WAF) and to block cells in the G(0)/G(1) phase of the cell cycle was also prevented by farnesylated (V14)RhoB but not by farnesylated (V14)RhoA. Moreover, treatment with GGTI-298 of cells expressing farnesylated RhoB results in accumulation of these cells in the G(2)/M phase. Therefore, the RhoB pathway is a critical target of GGTI-298.