Characterization of hair-follicle side population cells in mouse epidermis and skin tumors.

A subset of cells, termed side-population (SP), which have the ability to efflux Hoeschst 33342, have previously been demonstrated to act as a potential method to isolate stem cells. Numerous stem/progenitor cells have been localized in different regions of the mouse hair follicle (HF). The present study identified a SP in the mouse HF expressing the ABCG2 transporter and MTS24 surface marker. These cells are restricted to the upper isthmus of the HF and have previously been described as progenitor cells. Consistent with their SP characteristic, they demonstrated elevated expression of ABCG2 transporter, which participates in the dye efflux. Analysis of tumor epidermal cell lines revealed a correlation between the number of SP keratinocytes and the grade of malignancy, suggesting that the SP may play a role in malignant progression. Consistent with this idea, the present study observed an increased number of cells expressing ABCG2 and MTS24 in chemically induced skin tumors and skin tumor cell lines. This SP does not express the CD34 surface marker detected in the multipotent stem cells of the bulge region of the HF, which have been defined as tumor initiation cells. The present study concluded that a SP with properties of progenitor cells is localized in the upper isthmus of the HF and is important in mouse skin tumor progression.

Deep sequencing shows multiple oligouridylations are required for 3' to 5' degradation of histone mRNAs on polyribosomes.

Histone mRNAs are rapidly degraded when DNA replication is inhibited during S phase with degradation initiating with oligouridylation of the stem loop at the 3' end. We developed a customized RNA sequencing strategy to identify the 3' termini of degradation intermediates of histone mRNAs. Using this strategy, we identified two types of oligouridylated degradation intermediates: RNAs ending at different sites of the 3' side of the stem loop that resulted from initial degradation by 3'hExo and intermediates near the stop codon and within the coding region. Sequencing of polyribosomal histone mRNAs revealed that degradation initiates and proceeds 3' to 5' on translating mRNA and that many intermediates are capped. Knockdown of the exosome-associated exonuclease PM/Scl-100, but not the Dis3L2 exonuclease, slows histone mRNA degradation consistent with 3' to 5' degradation by the exosome containing PM/Scl-100. Knockdown of No-go decay factors also slowed histone mRNA degradation, suggesting a role in removing ribosomes from partially degraded mRNAs.

Isolation and characterization of a stem cell side-population from mouse hair follicles.

The mouse skin is composed of at least three differentiating epithelial compartments: the epidermis, the hair follicle, and the associated glands such as the sebaceous glands. Proliferation of these epithelial cells takes place in the keratinocytes' layer or basal cell layer; in the periphery of the sebaceous gland (the basal layer of the gland) and in specific cell compartments around the hair follicle. In mouse skin, an epithelial stem cell population is thought to localize to the bulge region of the hair follicle, a segment that does not undergo regression during the hair cycle. In addition, several other putative stem cells and/or progenitors have been identified in different regions of the hair follicle. Using the Hoeschst exclusion technique, originally described in the hematopoietic system, it has been possible to isolate a mouse keratinocyte cell population with characteristics of stem cells (side-population, SP). One of the main features of these SP is their ability to efflux antimitotic drugs as well as some specific dyes. This characteristic allows for SP cells to be isolated based upon their capacity to efflux the dye Hoechst 33342, through a mechanism driven by a membrane transporter, the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP1/ABCG2). In this chapter, we described the isolation of SP stem cells from adult mouse hair follicles utilizing the Hoeschst exclusion technique by flow cytometry analysis.

Combined effect of cyclin D3 expression and abrogation of cyclin D1 prevent mouse skin tumor development.

We have previously demonstrated that ras-mediated skin tumorigenesis depends on signaling pathways that act preferentially through cyclin D1 and D2. Interestingly, the expression of cyclin D3 inhibits skin tumor development, an observation that conflicts with the oncogenic role of D-type cyclins in the mouse epidermis. Here, we show that simultaneous up and downregulation of particular members of the D-type cyclin family is a valuable approach to reduce skin tumorigenesis. We developed the K5D3/cyclin D1(-/-) compound mouse, which overexpresses cyclin D3 but lacks expression of cyclin D1 in the skin. Similar to K5D3 transgenic mice, keratinocytes from K5D3/cyclin D1(-/-) compound mice show a significant reduction of cyclin D2 levels. Therefore, this model allows us to determine the effect of cyclin D3 expression when combined with reduced or absent expression of the remaining two members of the D-type cyclin family in mouse epidermis. Our data show that induced expression of cyclin D3 compensates for the reduced level of cyclin D1 and D2, resulting in normal keratinocyte proliferation. However, simultaneous ablation of cyclin D1 and downregulation of cyclin D2 via cyclin D3 expression resulted in a robust reduction in ras-mediated skin tumorigenesis. We conclude that modulation of the levels of particular members of the D-type cyclin family could be useful to inhibit tumor development and, in particular, ras-mediated tumorigenesis.

CYLD inhibits tumorigenesis and metastasis by blocking JNK/AP1 signaling at multiple levels.

CYLD has been recognized as a tumor suppressor due to its dominant genetic linkage to multiple types of epidermal tumors and a range of other cancers. The molecular mechanisms governing CYLD control of skin cancer are still unclear. Here, we showed that K14-driven epidermal expression of a patient-relevant and catalytically deficient CYLD truncated mutant (CYLD(m)) sensitized mice to skin tumor development in response to 7,12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene (DMBA)/(12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) TPA challenge. Tumors developed on transgenic mice were prone to malignant progression and lymph node metastasis and displayed increased activation of c-Jun-NH2-kinase (JNK) and the downstream c-Jun and c-Fos proteins. Most importantly, topical application of a pharmacologic JNK inhibitor significantly reduced tumor development and abolished metastasis in the transgenic mice. Further in line with these animal data, exogenous expression of CYLD(m) in A431, a human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell line, markedly enhanced cell growth, migration, and subcutaneous tumor growth in an AP1-depdendent manner. In contrast, expression of the wild-type CYLD inhibited SCC tumorigenesis and AP1 function. Most importantly, CYLD(m) not only increased JNK activation but also induced an upregulation of K63 ubiquitination on both c-Jun and c-Fos, leading to sustained AP1 activation. Our findings uncovered c-Jun and c-Fos as novel CYLD targets and underscore that CYLD controls epidermal tumorigenesis through blocking the JNK/AP1 signaling pathway at multiple levels.

The RP-Mdm2-p53 pathway and tumorigenesis.

The dynamic processes of cell growth and division are under constant surveillance. As one of the primary "gatekeepers" of the cell, the p53 tumor suppressor plays a major role in sensing and responding to a variety of stressors to maintain cellular homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that inhibition of ribosomal biogenesis can activate p53 through ribosomal protein (RP)-mediated suppression of Mdm2 E3 ligase activity. Mutations in Mdm2 that disrupt RP binding have been detected in human cancers; however, the physiological significance of the RP-Mdm2 interaction is not completely understood. We generated mice carrying a single cysteine-to-phenylalanine substitution in the central zinc finger of Mdm2 (Mdm2C305F) that disrupts Mdm2's binding to RPL11 and RPL5. Despite being developmentally normal and maintaining an intact p53 response to DNA damage, the Mdm2C305F mice demonstrate a diminished p53 response to perturbations in ribosomal biogenesis, providing the first in vivo evidence for an RP-Mdm2-p53 signaling pathway. Here we review some recent studies about RP-Mdm2-p53 signaling and speculate on the relevance of this pathway to human cancer.

The c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 2 plays a dominant role in human epidermal neoplasia.

The c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling cascade has been implicated in a wide range of diseases, including cancer. It is unclear how different JNK proteins contribute to human cancer. Here, we report that JNK2 is activated in more than 70% of human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) samples and that inhibition of JNK2 pharmacologically or genetically impairs tumorigenesis of human SCC cells. Most importantly, JNK2, but not JNK1, is sufficient to couple with oncogenic Ras to transform primary human epidermal cells into malignancy with features of SCC. JNK2 prevents Ras-induced cell senescence and growth arrest by reducing the expression levels of the cell cycle inhibitor p16 and the activation of NF-kappaB. On the other hand, JNK, along with phosphoinositide 3-kinase, is essential for Ras-induced glycolysis, an energy-producing process known to benefit cancer growth. These data indicate that JNK2 collaborates with other oncogenes, such as Ras, at multiple molecular levels to promote tumorigenesis and hence represents a promising therapeutic target for cancer.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr-binding protein VprBP, a WD40 protein associated with the DDB1-CUL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase, is essential for DNA replication and embryonic development.

Damaged DNA binding protein 1, DDB1, bridges an estimated 90 or more WD40 repeats (DDB1-binding WD40, or DWD proteins) to the CUL4-ROC1 catalytic core to constitute a potentially large number of E3 ligase complexes. Among these DWD proteins is the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr-binding protein VprBP, whose cellular function has yet to be characterized but has recently been found to mediate Vpr-induced G(2) cell cycle arrest. We demonstrate here that VprBP binds stoichiometrically with DDB1 through its WD40 domain and through DDB1 to CUL4A, subunits of the COP9/signalsome, and DDA1. The steady-state level of VprBP remains constant during interphase and decreases during mitosis. VprBP binds to chromatin in a DDB1-independent and cell cycle-dependent manner, increasing from early S through G(2) before decreasing to undetectable levels in mitotic and G(1) cells. Silencing VprBP reduced the rate of DNA replication, blocked cells from progressing through the S phase, and inhibited proliferation. VprBP ablation in mice results in early embryonic lethality. Conditional deletion of the VprBP gene in mouse embryonic fibroblasts results in severely defective progression through S phase and subsequent apoptosis. Our studies identify a previously unknown function of VprBP in S-phase progression and suggest the possibility that HIV-1 Vpr may divert an ongoing chromosomal replication activity to facilitate viral replication.

CDK2 activation in mouse epidermis induces keratinocyte proliferation but does not affect skin tumor development.

It has been widely assumed that elevated CDK2 kinase activity plays a contributory role in tumorigenesis. We have previously shown that mice overexpressing CDK4 under control of the keratin 5 promoter (K5CDK4 mice) develop epidermal hyperplasia and increased susceptibility to squamous cell carcinomas. In this model, CDK4 overexpression results in increased CDK2 activity associated with the noncatalytic function of CDK4, sequestration of p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1). Furthermore, we have shown that ablation of Cdk2 reduces Ras-Cdk4 tumorigenesis, suggesting that increased CDK2 activity plays an important role in Ras-mediated tumorigenesis. To investigate this hypothesis, we generated two transgenic mouse models of elevated CDK2 kinase activity, K5Cdk2 and K5Cdk4(D158N) mice. The D158N mutation blocks CDK4 kinase activity without interfering with its binding capability. CDK2 activation via overexpression of CDK4(D158N), but not of CDK2, resulted in epidermal hyperplasia. We observed elevated levels of p21(Cip1) in K5Cdk2, but not in K5Cdk4(D158N), epidermis, suggesting that CDK2 overexpression elicits a p21(Cip1) response to maintain keratinocyte homeostasis. Surprisingly, we found that neither CDK2 overexpression nor the indirect activation of CDK2 enhanced skin tumor development. Thus, although the indirect activation of CDK2 is sufficient to induce keratinocyte hyperproliferation, activation of CDK2 alone does not induce malignant progression in Ras-mediated tumorigenesis.

Expression of CDK4 or CDK2 in mouse oral cavity is retained in adult pituitary with distinct effects on tumorigenesis.

The keratin 5 (K5) promoter drives transgenic expression to the basal cell layer of stratified epithelia. Surprisingly, analysis of K5CDK4 and K5CDK2 transgenic mouse embryos showed CDK4 and CDK2 expression not only in the expected tissues, but also in the adenohypophysis. This organ is derived from an upwards growth of the primitive oropharynx, a K5-expressing tissue. We show that transgenic expression of CDKs in the embryonic oral ectoderm is specifically retained in undifferentiated cells from the pars intermedia of the adenohypophysis. Interestingly, we found that K5CDK4 mice show a decreased number of pituitary stem cells, even though CDK4 is not expressed in the stem cells but in transit-amplifying (TA)-like cells. Interestingly, CDK4-expressing cells, but not CDK2-expressing cells, strongly synergize with lack of p27(Kip1) to generate pituitary carcinomas that appear with shortened latency and are drastically more aggressive than those arising in p27(-/-) mice. Thus, we show that deregulation of CDK expression in the primitive oral epithelium plays a unique function, providing a selective advantage that gives rise to transgene-positive TA-like pituitary cells. Furthermore, retention of CDK4 in these TA-like pituitary cells synergizes with loss of p27(Kip1) to induce pituitary adenocarcinomas. This model suggests that forced expression of CDK4 sensitizes cells and synergizes with a second change resulting in tumor development.

Cdk2 deficiency decreases ras/CDK4-dependent malignant progression, but not myc-induced tumorigenesis.

We have previously shown that forced expression of CDK4 in mouse skin (K5CDK4 mice) results in increased susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) development in a chemical carcinogenesis protocol. This protocol induces skin papilloma development, causing a selection of cells bearing activating Ha-ras mutations. We have also shown that myc-induced epidermal proliferation and oral tumorigenesis (K5Myc mice) depends on CDK4 expression. Biochemical analysis of K5CDK4 and K5Myc epidermis as well as skin tumors showed that keratinocyte proliferation is mediated by CDK4 sequestration of p27Kip1 and p21Cip1, and activation of CDK2. Here, we studied the role of CDK2 in epithelial tumorigenesis. In normal skin, loss of CDK2 rescues CDK4-induced, but not myc-induced epidermal hyperproliferation. Ablation of CDK2 in K5CDK4 mice results in decreased incidences and multiplicity of skin tumors as well as malignant progression to SCC. Histopathologic analysis showed that K5CDK4 tumors are drastically more aggressive than K5CDK4/CDK2-/- tumors. On the other hand, we show that CDK2 is dispensable for myc-induced tumorigenesis. In contrast to our previous report of K5Myc/CDK4-/-, K5Myc/CDK2-/- mice developed oral tumors with the same frequency as K5Myc mice. Overall, we have established that ras-induced tumors are more susceptible to CDK2 ablation than myc-induced tumors, suggesting that the efficacy of targeting CDK2 in tumor development and malignant progression is dependent on the oncogenic pathway involved.

Genetic mosaics reveal both cell-autonomous and cell-nonautonomous function of murine p27Kip1.

Loss of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1) leads to an overall increase in animal growth, pituitary tumors, and hyperplasia of hematopoietic organs, yet it is unknown whether all cells function autonomously in response to p27(Kip1) activity or whether certain cells take cues from their neighbors. In addition, there is currently no genetic evidence that tumor suppression by p27(Kip1) is cell-autonomous because biallelic gene inactivation is absent from tumors arising in p27(Kip1) hemizygous mice. We have addressed these questions with tissue-specific targeted mouse mutants and radiation chimeras. Our results indicate that the suppression of pars intermedia pituitary tumors by p27(Kip1) is cell-autonomous and does not contribute to overgrowth or infertility phenotypes. In contrast, suppression of spleen growth and hematopoietic progenitor expansion is a consequence of p27(Kip1) function external to the hematopoietic compartment. Likewise, p27(Kip1) suppresses thymocyte hyperplasia through a cell-nonautonomous mechanism. The interaction of p27(Kip1) loss with epithelial cell-specific cyclin-dependent kinase 4 overexpression identifies the thymic epithelium as a relevant site of p27(Kip1) activity for the regulation of thymus growth.

Lack of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 inhibits c-myc tumorigenic activities in epithelial tissues.

The proto-oncogene c-myc encodes a transcription factor that is implicated in the regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis and that has also been found to be deregulated in several forms of human and experimental tumors. We have shown that forced expression of c-myc in epithelial tissues of transgenic mice (K5-Myc) resulted in keratinocyte hyperproliferation and the development of spontaneous tumors in the skin and oral cavity. Although a number of genes involved in cancer development are regulated by c-myc, the actual mechanisms leading to Myc-induced neoplasia are not known. Among the genes regulated by Myc is the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) gene. Interestingly, previous studies from our laboratory showed that the overexpression of CDK4 led to keratinocyte hyperproliferation, although no spontaneous tumor development was observed. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that CDK4 may be one of the critical downstream genes involved in Myc carcinogenesis. Our results showed that CDK4 inhibition in K5-Myc transgenic mice resulted in the complete inhibition of tumor development, suggesting that CDK4 is a critical mediator of tumor formation induced by deregulated Myc. Furthermore, a lack of CDK4 expression resulted in marked decreases in epidermal thickness and keratinocyte proliferation compared to the results obtained for K5-Myc littermates. Biochemical analysis of the K5-Myc epidermis showed that CDK4 mediates the proliferative activities of Myc by sequestering p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 and thereby indirectly activating CDK2 kinase activity. These results show that CDK4 mediates the proliferative and oncogenic activities of Myc in vivo through a mechanism that involves the sequestration of specific CDK inhibitors.

Enhanced malignant tumorigenesis in Cdk4 transgenic mice.

In a previous study, we reported that overexpression of cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (CDK4) in mouse epidermis results in epidermal hyperplasia, hypertrophy and severe dermal fibrosis. In this study, we have investigated the susceptibility to skin tumor formation by forced expression of CDK4. Skin tumors from transgenic mice showed a dramatic increase in the rate of malignant progression to squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in an initiation-promotion protocol. Histopathological analysis of papillomas from transgenic mice showed an elevated number of premalignant lesions characterized by dysplasia and marked atypia. Interestingly, transgenic mice also developed tumors in initiated but not promoted skin, demonstrating that CDK4 replaced the action of tumor promoters. These results suggest that expression of cyclin D1 upon ras activation synergizes with CDK4 overexpression. However, cyclin D1 transgenic mice and double transgenic mice for cyclin D1 and CDK4 did not show increased malignant progression in comparison to CDK4 transgenic mice. Biochemical analysis of tumors showed that CDK4 sequesters the CDK2 inhibitors p27Kip1 and p21Cip1, suggesting that indirect activation of CDK2 plays an important role in tumor development. These results indicate that, contrary to the general assumption, the catalytic subunit, CDK4, has higher oncogenic activity than cyclin D1, revealing a potential use of CDK4 as therapeutic target.

Cdk4 deficiency inhibits skin tumor development but does not affect normal keratinocyte proliferation.

Most human tumors have mutations that result in deregulation of the cdk4/cyclin-Ink4-Rb pathway. Overexpression of D-type cyclins or cdk4 and inactivation of Ink4 inhibitors are common in human tumors. Conversely, lack of cyclin D1 expression results in significant reduction in mouse skin and mammary tumor development. However, complete elimination of tumor development was not observed in these models, suggesting that other cyclin/cdk complexes play an important role in tumorigenesis. Here we described the effects of cdk4 deficiency on mouse skin proliferation and tumor development. Cdk4 deficiency resulted in a 98% reduction in the number of tumors generated through the two-stage carcinogenesis model. The absence of cdk4 did not affect normal keratinocyte proliferation and both wild-type and cdk4 knockout epidermis are equally affected after topical treatment with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), resulting in epidermal hyperplasia. In similar fashion, cdk4 knockout keratinocytes proliferated well in an in vivo model of wound-induced proliferation. Biochemical studies in mouse epidermis showed that cdk6 activity increased twofold in cdk4-deficient mice compared to wild-type siblings. These results suggest that therapeutic approaches to inhibit cdk4 activity could provide a target to inhibit tumor development with minimal or no effect in normal tissue.