Ras-mediated suppression of TGFbetaRII expression in intestinal epithelial cells involves Raf-independent signaling.

Ras-transformed intestinal epithelial cells are resistant to the growth inhibitory actions of TGFbeta and have a marked decrease in expression of the TGFbeta type II receptor (TGFbetaRII). Rat intestinal epithelial cells (RIE) were stably transfected with activated Ras, Sos and Raf constructs and tested for expression of TGFbetaRII and sensitivity to growth inhibition by TGFbeta. The parental RIE line and the RIE-Raf cells were non-transformed in morphology and were sensitive to TGFbeta (70-90% inhibited). In contrast, the RIE-Ras and RIE-Sos lines were transformed, resistant to TGFbeta and expressed 5- to 10-fold decreased levels of the TGFbetaRII mRNA and protein. Cyclin D1 protein expression was repressed by TGFbeta treatment in parental RIE and RIE-Raf cells, whereas levels of cyclin D1 in RIE-Ras and RIE-Sos cells remained unchanged. Treatment of RIE-Ras cells with 25 microM farnesyl transferase inhibitor, FTI L739,749, for 48 hours restored expression of TGFbetaRII to levels equivalent to control cells. In addition, treatment of RIE-Ras cells for 48 hours with PD-98059, a specific MAPKK inhibitor, also increased expression of TGFbetaRII to control levels. Collectively these results suggest that downregulation of TGFbetaRII and loss of sensitivity to growth inhibition by TGFbeta in Ras-transformed intestinal epithelial cells is not mediated exclusively by the conventional Ras/Raf/MAPKK/MAPK pathway. However, activation of MAPK, perhaps by an alternate Ras effector pathway, appears to be necessary for Ras-mediated downregulation of TGFbetaRII.

The catalytic outcomes of the constitutive and the mitogen inducible isoforms of prostaglandin H2 synthase are markedly affected by glutathione and glutathione peroxidase(s).

Reduced glutathione (GSH), at physiological concentrations, was found to markedly alter the profile of arachidonate metabolism by prostaglandin H2 synthase. In 1 mM GSH, the constitutive (COX-1) and the mitogen inducible (COX-2) isoforms metabolized arachidonate to 12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid (12-HHT) (88% and 78% of total products, respectively). Prostanoid formation was consequently reduced to only 12% (COX-1) and 19% (COX-2) of the total metabolites. The GSH-dependent production of 12-HHT was regio- and enantioselective for the 12(S)-isomer. We propose that 12(S)-HHT is formed by a GSH-dependent enzymatic cleavage of the PGH2 8,9 and 11,12 carbon-carbon bonds based on the following: (a) nonsignificant GSH-dependent formation of 12(S)-HHT during chemical decomposition of synthetic PGH2, (b) the structural similarities between the asymmetric carbons at C(12) in 12-HHT and C(15) in PGH2, (c) the GSH concentration-dependent product/precursor relationship between 12-HHT and prostanoid production, and (d) aspirin inhibition of 12-HHT formation by both enzymes. Arachidonic acid oxidation by COX-1, and not by COX-2, was inhibited by the combined presence of GSH and liver cytosol. In contrast, metabolism by neither isoform was inhibited when the cytosol was obtained from selenium-depleted animals. This is consistent with a unique, selenium dependent, cytosolic GSH peroxidase that inhibits specifically prostanoid and 12(S)-HHT formation by COX-1. These results suggest an additional role for GSH and GSH peroxidase(s) in regulating prostanoid biosynthesis. Differences between the isoforms in their sensitivities to GSH peroxidase may reflect differences in their requirements for an "initiator hydroperoxide".