ABSTRACT
The retinoblastoma (pRb), p107, and p130 pocket proteins bind to the E2F transcription factors to control gene expression. E2F4 protein levels increased and accumulated in the nuclei of prostate carcinoma cells subjected to ionizing radiation (IR). The IR-induced increase of E2F4 levels led to an increase in E2F4 binding to p130 but had no effect on E2F4/p107 or E2F5/p130 complexes. The increase in E2F4/p130 association after IR was observed in prostate carcinoma cells regardless of their sensitivity to androgens, but not in breast carcinoma cells. E2F4/p130 complex formation was dependent on dissociation of p130 from cyclin-dependent kinase 2 and p130 dephosphorylation. Disruption of E2F4 through small interfering RNA prevented p130/E2F4 complex formation and sensitized cells to IR-induced apoptosis, leading to caspase-3 activation, cleavage of its substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and nuclear condensation. The E2F4/p130 pocket protein complex emerges as a new target of radiation in prostate carcinoma cells.
Subject(s)
DNA-Binding Proteins/biosynthesis , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/genetics , Prostatic Neoplasms/genetics , Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism , Protein Biosynthesis , Transcription Factors/biosynthesis , Apoptosis/genetics , Apoptosis/radiation effects , Breast Neoplasms/genetics , Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Cell Line, Tumor , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , DNA-Binding Proteins/radiation effects , Down-Regulation/genetics , Down-Regulation/radiation effects , E2F4 Transcription Factor , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/radiation effects , Humans , Male , Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent/genetics , Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent/metabolism , Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent/radiotherapy , Prostatic Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Proteins/genetics , Proteins/metabolism , Proteins/radiation effects , RNA, Small Interfering/genetics , Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130 , Transcription Factors/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription Factors/radiation effects , TransfectionABSTRACT
Axonal pathology is a major cause of neurological disability in multiple sclerosis. Axonal transection begins at disease onset but remains clinically silent because of compensatory brain mechanisms. Noninvasive surrogate markers for axonal injury are therefore essential to monitor cumulative disease burden in vivo. The neuronal compound N-acetylaspartate, as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, is currently the best and most specific noninvasive marker of axonal pathology in multiple sclerosis. The possibility has been raised, however, that N-acetylaspartate is expressed also by oligodendroglial lineage cells. In order to investigate N-acetylaspartate specificity for white matter axons, transected rat optic nerves were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and immunohistochemistry. In transected adult nerves, N-acetylaspartate and N-acetyl aspartylglutamate decreased in concordance with axonal degeneration and were undetectable 24 days posttransection. Nonproliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, oligodendrocytes, and myelin were abundant in these axon-free nerves. At 24 days posttransection, N-acetylaspartate was increased (42%; p = 0.02) in nontransected contralateral nerves. After transection at postnatal day 4, total N-acetylaspartate decreased by 80% (P14; p = 0.002) and 94% (P20; p = 0.003). In these developing axon-free nerves, 25 to 33% of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells were proliferating. These data validate magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements of N-acetylaspartate as an axon-specific monitor of central nervous system white matter in vivo. In addition, the results indicate that neuronal adaptation can increase N-acetylaspartate levels, and that 5 to 20% of the N-acetylaspartate in developing white matter is synthesized by proliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.
