Cystine addiction of triple-negative breast cancer associated with EMT augmented death signaling.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.394.

Cystine addiction of triple-negative breast cancer associated with EMT augmented death signaling.

Despite the advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, breast cancers still cause significant mortality. For some patients, especially those with triple-negative breast cancer, current treatments continue to be limited and ineffective. Therefore, there remains an unmet need for a novel therapeutic approach. One potential strategy is to target the altered metabolic state that is rewired by oncogenic transformation. Specifically, this rewiring may render certain outside nutrients indispensable. To identify such a nutrient, we performed a nutrigenetic screen by removing individual amino acids to identify possible addictions across a panel of breast cancer cells. This screen revealed that cystine deprivation triggered rapid programmed necrosis, but not apoptosis, in the basal-type breast cancer cells mostly seen in TNBC tumors. In contrast, luminal-type breast cancer cells are cystine-independent and exhibit little death during cystine deprivation. The cystine addiction phenotype is associated with a higher level of cystine-deprivation signatures noted in the basal type breast cancer cells and tumors. We found that the cystine-addicted breast cancer cells and tumors have strong activation of TNFα and MEKK4-p38-Noxa pathways that render them susceptible to cystine deprivation-induced necrosis. Consistent with this model, silencing of TNFα and MEKK4 dramatically reduces cystine-deprived death. In addition, the cystine addiction phenotype can be abrogated in the cystine-addictive cells by miR-200c, which converts the mesenchymal-like cells to adopt epithelial features. Conversely, the introduction of inducers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cystine-independent breast cancer cells conferred the cystine-addiction phenotype by modulating the signaling components of cystine addiction. Together, our data reveal that cystine-addiction is associated with EMT in breast cancer during tumor progression. These findings provide the genetic and mechanistic basis to explain how cystine deprivation triggers necrosis by activating pre-existing oncogenic pathways in cystine-addicted TNBC with prominent mesenchymal features.

The first total synthesis of (+/-)-eremopetasidione.

[figure: see text] The total synthesis of racemic eremopetasidione, a norsesquiterpenoid, has been achieved in nine steps and 30% overall yield starting from creosol (5). Diels-Alder reaction of masked o-benzoquinone 6 and ethyl vinyl ketone and Cope rearrangement of 2-silyloxy-1,5-dienone 3 are the key steps.

Role of mouse cryptochrome blue-light photoreceptor in circadian photoresponses.

Cryptochromes are photoactive pigments in the eye that have been proposed to function as circadian photopigments. Mice lacking the cryptochrome 2 blue-light photoreceptor gene (mCry2) were tested for circadian clock-related functions. The mutant mice had a lower sensitivity to acute light induction of mPer1 in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) but exhibited normal circadian oscillations of mPer1 and mCry1 messenger RNA in the SCN. Behaviorally, the mutants had an intrinsic circadian period about 1 hour longer than normal and exhibited high-amplitude phase shifts in response to light pulses administered at circadian time 17. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that CRY2 protein modulates circadian responses in mice and suggest that cryptochromes have a role in circadian photoreception in mammals.

Characterization of reaction intermediates of human excision repair nuclease.

Nucleotide excision repair in humans is a complex reaction involving 14 polypeptides in six repair factors for dual incisions on either sides of a DNA lesion. To identify the reaction intermediates that form by the human excision repair nuclease, we adopted three approaches: purification of functional DNA.protein complexes, permanganate footprinting, and the employment as substrate of presumptive DNA reaction intermediates containing unwound sequences 5' to, 3' to, or encompassing the DNA lesion. The first detectable reaction intermediate was formed by substrate binding of XPA, RPA, XPC.HHR23B plus TFIIH (preincision complex 1, PIC1). In this complex the DNA was unwound on either side of the lesion by no more than 10 bases. Independent of the XPG nuclease function, the XPG protein stabilized this complex, forming a long lived preincision complex 2 (PIC2). The XPF.ERCC1 complex bound to PIC2, forming PIC3, which led to dual incisions and the release of the excised oligomer. With partially unwound DNAs, thymine cyclobutane dimer was excised at a fast rate independent of XPC.HHR23B, indicating that a major function of this protein is to stabilize the unwound DNA or to aid lesion unwinding in preincision complexes.

Reaction mechanism of (6-4) photolyase.

The (6-4) photolyase catalyzes the photoreversal of the (6-4) dipyrimidine photoproducts induced in DNA by ultraviolet light. Using the cloned Drosophila melanogaster (6-4) photolyase gene, we overproduced and purified the recombinant enzyme. The binding and catalytic properties of the enzyme were investigated using natural substrates, T[6-4]T and T[6-4]C, and the Dewar isomer of (6-4) photoproduct and substrate analogs s5T[6-4]T/thietane, mes5T[6-4]T, and the N-methyl-3'T thietane analog of the oxetane intermediate. The enzyme binds to the natural substrates and to mes5T[6-4]T with high affinity (KD approximately 10(-9)-10(-10) M) and produces a DNase I footprint of about 20 base pairs around the photolesion. Several lines of evidence suggest that upon binding by the enzyme, the photoproduct flips out of the duplex. Of the four substrates that bind with high affinity to the enzyme, T[6-4]T and T[6-4]C are repaired with relatively high quantum yields compared with the Dewar isomer and the mes5T[6-4]T which are repaired with 300-400-fold lower quantum yield than the former two photoproducts. Reduction of the FAD cofactor with dithionite increases the quantum yield of repair. Taken together, the data are consistent with photoinduced electron transfer from reduced FAD to substrate, in a manner analogous to the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase.

Putative human blue-light photoreceptors hCRY1 and hCRY2 are flavoproteins.

Recently, a human cDNA clone with high sequence homology to the photolyase/blue-light photoreceptor family was identified. The putative protein encoded by this gene exhibited a strikingly high (48% identity) degree of homology to the Drosophila melanogaster (6-4) photolyase [Todo et al. (1996) Science 272, 109-112]. We have now identified a second human gene whose amino acid sequence displays 73% identity to the first one and have named the two genes CRY1 and CRY2, respectively. The corresponding proteins hCRY1 and hCRY2 were purified and characterized as maltose-binding fusion proteins. Similar to other members of the photolyase/blue-light photoreceptor family, both proteins were found to contain FAD and a pterin cofactor. Like the plant blue-light photoreceptors, both hCRY1 and hCRY2 lacked photolyase activity on the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer and the (6-4) photoproduct. We conclude that these newly discovered members of the photolyase/photoreceptor family are not photolyases and instead may function as blue-light photoreceptors in humans.

Reaction mechanism of human DNA repair excision nuclease.

Nucleotide excision repair consists of removal of the damaged nucleotide(s) from DNA by dual incision of the damaged strand on both sides of the lesion, followed by filling of the resulting gap and ligation. In humans, 14-16 polypeptides are required for the dual incision step. We have purified the required proteins to homogeneity and reconstituted the dual incision activity (excision nuclease) in a defined enzyme/substrate system. The system was highly efficient, removing >30% of the thymine dimers under optimal conditions. All of the six fractions that constitute the excision nuclease were required for dual incision of the thymine dimer substrate. However, when a cholesterol-substituted oligonucleotide was used as substrate, excision occurred in the absence of the XPC-HHR23B complex, reminiscent of transcription-coupled repair in the XP-C mutant cell line. Replication protein A is absolutely required for both incisions. The XPG subunit is essential to the formation of the preincision complex, but the repair complex can assemble and produce normal levels of 3'-incision in the absence of XPF-ERCC1. Kinetic experiments revealed that the 3'-incision precedes the 5'-incision. Consistent with the kinetic data, uncoupled 5'-incision was never observed in the reconstituted system. Two forms of TFIIH were used in the reconstitution reaction, one containing the CDK7-cyclin H pair and one lacking it. Both forms were equally active in excision. The excised oligomer dissociated from the gapped DNA in a nucleoprotein complex. In total, these results provide a detailed account of the reactions occurring during damage removal by human excision nuclease.

The other function of DNA photolyase: stimulation of excision repair of chemical damage to DNA.

DNA photolyase is a light-dependent DNA repair enzyme. It binds to cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in DNA and upon excitation with a blue light photon splits the cyclobutane ring and restores the pyrimidines to native forms. The enzyme is specific for pyrimidine dimers, and it is not known to catalyze any other reaction either in ground or in excited state. However, when photolyase binds to but cannot catalyze repair because of lack of photoreactivating light, it still aids DNA repair by stimulating the nucleotide excision repair system. Recently, it was found that yeast photolyase binds to other lesions in DNA. In particular, the binding to cisplatin damaged DNA was highly specific. However, in vivo experiments revealed that this binding, in contrast to binding, did not stimulate but actually inhibited the removal of cisplatin damage by excision repair and hence photolyase sensitized cells to killing by cisplatin. In the present study, it is demonstrated that Escherichia coli DNA photolyase binds specifically to cisplatin 1,2-d(GpG) intrastrand cross-link and stimulates the removal of the lesion by E. coli excision nuclease in vitro. In agreement with the in vitro data, in vivo experiments revealed that photolyase makes cells more resistant to cisplatin killing.

Structure and function of the UvrB protein.

UvrB plays a central role in (A)BC excinuclease. To identify the regions of UvrB which are involved in interacting with UvrA, UvrC, and DNA, deletion mutants, point mutants, and various fusion forms of UvrB were constructed and characterized. We found that the region encompassing amino acid residues 115-250 of UvrB binds to UvrA, while the region encompassing amino acid residues 547-673 binds to both UvrA and UvrC. In addition, the region between these two domains, which contains the helicase motifs II-VI, was found to be involved in binding to DNA. Within this DNA-binding region, two point mutants, E265A and E338A, were found to be unable to bind DNA while two residues, Phe-365 and Phe-496, were identified to interact with DNA. Furthermore, fluorescence quenching studies with mutants F365W and F496W and repair of thymine cyclobutane dimers by photoinduced electron transfer by these mutants suggest that residues Phe-365 and Phe-496 interact with DNA most likely through stacking interactions.

Reconstitution of human DNA repair excision nuclease in a highly defined system.

Xeroderma pigmentosum is a hereditary disease caused by defective DNA repair. Somatic cell genetics and biochemical studies with cell-free extracts indicate that at least 16 polypeptides are required to carry out the repair reaction proper, i.e. the removal of the lesion from the DNA by the dual incisions of the damaged strand. To find out if these proteins are necessary and sufficient for excision repair, they were obtained at a high level of purity in five fractions. The mixture of these five fractions reconstituted the excision nuclease (excinuclease) activity. Using the reconstituted excinuclease, we found that the excised fragment remains associated with the post-incision DNA-protein complex, suggesting that accessory proteins are needed to release the excised oligomer.

Substrate spectrum of human excinuclease: repair of abasic sites, methylated bases, mismatches, and bulky adducts.

Nucleotide-excision repair is the repair system for removing bulky lesions from DNA. Humans deficient in this repair pathway suffer from xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a disease characterized by photodermatoses, including skin cancers. At the cellular level, XP patients fail to remove cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and pyrimidine(6-4)pyrimidone photoproducts induced by UV light, as well as other bulky DNA lesions caused by various genotoxic agents. XP cells are not particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation or to alkylating agents that cause mostly nonbulky DNA lesions. Therefore, it has generally been assumed that the human nucleotide-excision repair enzyme (excinuclease) is specific for bulky adducts. To determine the substrate range of human excinuclease we used the highly sensitive excision assay and tested bulky adducts, synthetic apurinic/apyrimidinic sites, N6-methyladenine, O6-methylguanine, and mismatches as potential substrates. We found that all of these "lesions" were removed by human excinuclease, although with vastly different efficiencies.

Flow linear dichroism and electron microscopic analysis of protein-DNA complexes of a mutant UvrB protein that binds to but cannot kink DNA.

(A)BC excinuclease of Escherichia coli is the enzymatic activity resulting from sequential and partially overlapping actions of UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC protein. UvrA is a molecular matchmaker which promotes the formation of a stable UvrB-damaged DNA complex in which the DNA is kinked by about 130 degrees. The UvrB-DNA complex is then recognized by UvrC and two incisions are made in the DNA by the joint actions of UvrC and UvrB. A mutant of UvrB (D478A) can be loaded onto the DNA but it does not interact with UvrC to cause a nick 3' to the lesion. Based on the lack of a DNase-I-hypersensitive site in the footprint of the mutant, it was proposed that the lack of incision was due to the inability of the mutant UvrB to kink the DNA. In the current study we have investigated the interaction of the mutant UvrB with DNA using two biophysical methods, flow linear dichroism and electron microscopy. Both methods reveal that the mutant UvrB is unable to bend DNA.

Hyperferritinemia in ovarian cancer.

A prospective study was conducted on 50 women with ovarian cancer to determine the association of elevated serum ferritin and ovarian cancer and its potential as a tumor marker. The controls consisted of 116 healthy volunteers, 51 patients with benign gynecologic tumors and 15 patients with benign liver disease. The mean ferritin level in patients with ovarian cancer was 436.7 ng/mL, significantly higher than that in the controls. The effect of chronology on the serum ferritin was also investigated. Hyperferritinemia was observed in 25 (50.0%) of 50 patients with ovarian carcinoma. In patients with liver metastases a marked increase in ferritin was noted. The rate of ferritin elevation in patients with epithelial carcinoma and no hepatic involvement was 21.4%.

Determination of uric acid by an anion-exchange column chromatography.

A column chromatography using a conventional anion-exchange resin for the separation of uric acid from other purine metabolites is described. It uses a HCl gradient, and the amount of uric acid is quantified directly by monitoring the absorbance of the effluent at 285 nm. The linear range of response is 0.5 to 100 nmol. The method was applied to the analysis of uric acid in urine and serum. Urine was injected directly into the system, while serum required removal of an interfering substance which absorbs the light and coelutes with uric acid. However, this substance was simply removed by heat coagulation of serum by heating in a boiling water bath for 2 min.