The AP-1-BATF and -BATF3 module is essential for growth, survival and TH17/ILC3 skewing of anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Transcription factor AP-1 is constitutively activated and IRF4 drives growth and survival in ALK+ and ALK- anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Here we demonstrate high-level BATF and BATF3 expression in ALCL. Both BATFs bind classical AP-1 motifs and interact with in ALCL deregulated AP-1 factors. Together with IRF4, they co-occupy AP-1-IRF composite elements, differentiating ALCL from non-ALCL. Gene-specific inactivation of BATFs, or global AP-1 inhibition results in ALCL growth retardation and/or cell death in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the AP-1-BATF module establishes TH17/group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3)-associated gene expression in ALCL cells, including marker genes such as AHR, IL17F, IL22, IL26, IL23R and RORγt. Elevated IL-17A and IL-17F levels were detected in a subset of children and adolescents with ALK+ ALCL. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of primary lymphoma data confirms TH17-, and in particular ILC3-skewing in ALCL compared with PTCL. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of RORC as single treatment leads to cell death in ALCL cell lines and, in combination with the ALK inhibitor crizotinib, enforces death induction in ALK+ ALCL. Our data highlight the crucial role of AP-1/BATFs in ALCL and lead to the concept that some ALCL might originate from ILC3.

A roadmap of constitutive NF-κB activity in Hodgkin lymphoma: Dominant roles of p50 and p52 revealed by genome-wide analyses.

BACKGROUND: NF-κB is widely involved in lymphoid malignancies; however, the functional roles and specific transcriptomes of NF-κB dimers with distinct subunit compositions have been unclear. METHODS: Using combined ChIP-sequencing and microarray analyses, we determined the cistromes and target gene signatures of canonical and non-canonical NF-κB species in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cells. RESULTS: We found that the various NF-κB subunits are recruited to regions with redundant κB motifs in a large number of genes. Yet canonical and non-canonical NF-κB dimers up- and downregulate gene sets that are both distinct and overlapping, and are associated with diverse biological functions. p50 and p52 are formed through NIK-dependent p105 and p100 precursor processing in HL cells and are the predominant DNA binding subunits. Logistic regression analyses of combinations of the p50, p52, RelA, and RelB subunits in binding regions that have been assigned to genes they regulate reveal a cross-contribution of p52 and p50 to canonical and non-canonical transcriptomes. These analyses also indicate that the subunit occupancy pattern of NF-κB binding regions and their distance from the genes they regulate are determinants of gene activation versus repression. The pathway-specific signatures of activated and repressed genes distinguish HL from other NF-κB-associated lymphoid malignancies and inversely correlate with gene expression patterns in normal germinal center B cells, which are presumed to be the precursors of HL cells. CONCLUSIONS: We provide insights that are relevant for lymphomas with constitutive NF-κB activation and generally for the decoding of the mechanisms of differential gene regulation through canonical and non-canonical NF-κB signaling.

IκB-ζ controls the constitutive NF-κB target gene network and survival of ABC DLBCL.

Constitutive activation of the nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) pathway is a hallmark of the activated B-cell-like (ABC) subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Recurrent mutations of NF-κB regulators that cause constitutive activity of this oncogenic pathway have been identified. However, it remains unclear how specific target genes are regulated. We identified the atypical nuclear IκB protein IκB-ζ to be upregulated in ABC compared with germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) DLBCL primary patient samples. Knockdown of IκB-ζ by RNA interference was toxic to ABC but not to GCB DLBCL cell lines. Gene expression profiling after IκB-ζ knockdown demonstrated a significant downregulation of a large number of known NF-κB target genes, indicating an essential role of IκB-ζ in regulating a specific set of NF-κB target genes. To further investigate how IκB-ζ mediates NF-κB activity, we performed immunoprecipitations and detected a physical interaction of IκB-ζ with both p50 and p52 NF-κB subunits, indicating that IκB-ζ interacts with components of both the canonical and the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in ABC DLBCL. Collectively, our data demonstrate that IκB-ζ is essential for nuclear NF-κB activity in ABC DLBCL, and thus might represent a promising molecular target for future therapies.

Inducible NOS inhibition, eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation, and angiotensin II-induced renal damage.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450(CYP)-dependent hydroxylation and epoxygenation metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) influence renal vascular tone, salt excretion, and inflammation. Transgenic rats over expressing both human renin and angiotensinogen genes (dTGR) feature angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced organ damage, increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), decreased AA hydroxylation, and epoxygenation. As nitric oxide production via iNOS can inhibit CYP AA metabolism, we tested the hypothesis that by blocking iNOS or by supplementing eicosapentanoic acid (EPA), which can serve as an alternative CYP substrate, Ang II-induced vasculopathy could be ameliorated. METHODS: We treated dTGR with the iNOS inhibitor L-N(6)-(1-iminoethyl) lysine (L-NIL), EPA, and the combination of both treatments from week 4 to 7. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed that L-NIL and EPA reduced glomerular iNOS toward control levels. L-NIL-treated dTGR showed cardiac hypertrophy and albuminuria similar to untreated dTGR. EPA and the combination of EPA + L-NIL, ameliorated organ damage without lowering blood pressure. EPA and EPA + L-NIL reduced cardiac hypertrophy, albuminuria, renal fibronectin expression, and infiltration of monocytes/macrophages, compared to L-NIL and untreated dTGR. Reactive oxygen species were detected in glomeruli of untreated and L-NIL-treated dTGR, but was reduced in the EPA groups. EPA treatment reduced activator protein-1 (AP-1) activation and partially inhibited nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity in kidneys of dTGR. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that iNOS inhibition does not protect against Ang II-induced end-organ damage, while EPA treatment does. Our electromobility shift assay experiments revealed that EPA protection may involve inhibition of AP-1- and NF-kappaB-dependent pathways.

A peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha activator induces renal CYP2C23 activity and protects from angiotensin II-induced renal injury.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites are involved in the regulation of renal vascular tone and salt excretion. The epoxygenation product 11,12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) is anti-inflammatory and inhibits nuclear factor-kappa B activation. We tested the hypothesis that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha-activator fenofibrate (Feno) induces CYP isoforms, AA hydroxylation, and epoxygenation activity, and protects against inflammatory organ damage. Double-transgenic rats (dTGRs) overexpressing human renin and angiotensinogen genes were treated with Feno. Feno normalized blood pressure, albuminuria, reduced nuclear factor-kappa B activity, and renal leukocyte infiltration. Renal epoxygenase activity was lower in dTGRs compared to nontransgenic rats. Feno strongly induced renal CYP2C23 protein and AA-epoxygenase activity under pathological and nonpathological conditions. In both cases, CYP2C23 was the major isoform responsible for 11,12-EET formation. Moreover, we describe a novel CYP2C23-dependent pathway leading to hydroxy-EETs (HEETs), which may serve as endogenous peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha activators. The capacity to produce HEETs via CYP2C23-dependent epoxygenation of 20-HETE and CYP4A-dependent hydroxylation of EETs was reduced in dTGR kidneys and induced by Feno. These results demonstrate that Feno protects against angiotensin II-induced renal damage and acts as inducer of CYP2C23-mediated epoxygenase activities. We propose that CYP-dependent EET/HEET production may serve as an anti-inflammatory control mechanism.

P450-dependent arachidonic acid metabolism and angiotensin II-induced renal damage.

Transgenic rats overexpressing both human renin and angiotensinogen genes (dTGR) develop hypertension, inflammation, and renal failure. We tested the hypothesis that these pathological features are associated with changes in renal P450-dependent arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. Samples were prepared from 5- and 7-week-old dTGR and from normotensive Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, ie, before and after the dTGR developed severe hypertension and albuminuria. At both stages, dTGR showed significantly lower renal microsomal AA epoxygenase and hydroxylase activities that reached 63% and 76% of the control values at week 7. Furthermore, the protein levels of several potential AA epoxygenases (CYP2C11, CYP2C23, and CYP2J) were significantly reduced. Immunoinhibition studies identified CYP2C23 as the major AA epoxygenase, both in dTGR and SD rats. Immunohistochemistry showed that CYP2C23 was localized in cortical and outer medullary tubules that progressively lost this enzyme from week 5 to week 7 in dTGR. CYP2C11 expression occurred only in the outer medullary tubules and was markedly reduced in dTGR compared with age-matched SD rats. These findings indicate site-specific decreases in the availability of AA epoxygenase products in the kidney of dTGR. In contrast to renal microsomes, liver microsomes of dTGR and SD rats showed no change in the expression and activity of AA epoxygenases and hydroxylases. We conclude that hypertension and end-organ damage in dTGR is associated with kidney-specific downregulation of P450-dependent AA metabolism. Because the products of AA epoxygenation have anti-inflammatory properties, this alteration may contribute to uncontrolled renal inflammation, which is a major cause of renal damage in dTGR.