5'-Nitro-indirubinoxime inhibits epidermal growth factor- and phorbol ester-induced AP-1 activity and cell transformation through inhibition of phosphorylation of Pin1.

5'-Nitro-indirubinoxime (5'-NIO), a derivative of indirubin, exhibits anti-cancer activity in a variety of human cancer cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and molecular target(s) of the chemopreventive activities of 5'-NIO remain unknown. Here, we report that 5'-NIO inhibited the epidermal growth factor (EGF) or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced neoplastic cell transformation of JB6 Cl41 mouse skin epidermal cells without any cytotoxic effects. Western blot analysis revealed that 5'-NIO inhibited activities of Raf-1 (S338), MEK1/2, ERK1/2, JNK, and c-Jun induced by EGF or TPA, respectively, whereas it did not affect autophosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) induced by EGF or TPA. In addition, 5'-NIO exerted strong inhibitory effects on the EGF- or TPA-induced c-fos or c-jun transcriptional activity, and thereby inhibited the associated activator protein-1 (AP-1) transactivation activity induced by EGF or TPA. Importantly, 5'-NIO inhibited Pin1 phosphorylation at serine 16 induced by EGF or TPA, respectively, resulted in the inhibition of interaction between Pin1 and Raf-1. Immunoprecipitation/immunoblot analysis revealed that 5'-NIO bound with Pin1. Together, these findings suggest that 5'-NIO might act as an anticarcinogene in EGF- or TPA-induced carcinogenesis through the inhibition of interaction between Pin1 and Raf-1. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

p-HPEA-EDA, a phenolic compound of virgin olive oil, activates AMP-activated protein kinase to inhibit carcinogenesis.

Phenolic constituents of virgin olive oil are reported to have antitumor activity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and specific target proteins of virgin olive oil remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that dialdehydic form of decarboxymethyl ligstroside aglycone (p-HPEA-EDA), a phenolic compound of virgin olive oil, inhibits tumor promoter-induced cell transformation in JB6 Cl41 cells and suppress cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and tumorigenicity by adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in HT-29 cells. p-HPEA-EDA inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 and p90RSK in JB6 Cl41 cells, resulting in the inhibition of cell proliferation, activator protein-1 transactivation and cell transformation promoted by TPA. Moreover, p-HPEA-EDA strongly inhibited the cell viability and COX-2 expression by activation of AMPK activity in HT-29 cells, resulted from depletion of intracellular adenosine triphosphate. p-HPEA-EDA-induced activation of caspase-3 and poly-adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase, phosphorylation of p53 (Ser15) and DNA fragmentation in HT-29 cells, leading to apoptosis. Importantly, p-HPEA-EDA suppressed the colony formation of HT-29 cells in soft agar. In contrast, Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, and Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor, blocked the p-HPEA-EDA-inhibited colony formation in HT-29 cells. In vivo chorioallantoic membrane assay also showed that p-HPEA-EDA-inhibited tumorigenicity of HT-29 cells. These findings revealed that targeted activation of AMPK and inhibition of COX-2 expression by p-HPEA-EDA contribute to the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential of virgin olive oil against colon cancer cells.

The prolyl isomerase Pin1 induces LC-3 expression and mediates tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer.

Endocrine therapies, which inhibit estrogen receptor signaling, are the most common and effective treatments for estrogen receptoralpha-positive breast cancer. However, the utility of these agents is limited by the frequent development of resistance, and the precise mechanisms underlying endocrine therapy resistance remain incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1 is an important determinant of resistance to tamoxifen and show that Pin1 increases E2F-4- and Egr-1-driven expression of LC-3 as a result of an increased interaction with and phosphorylation of MEK1/2. In human tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer, our results show a significant correlation between Pin1 overexpression and high levels of LC-3. Promoter activity as well as expression levels of Pin1 were drastically higher in tamoxifen-resistant MCF7 cells than control MCF7 cells, as were levels of LC-3 mRNA and protein, an autophagy marker. Pin1(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts showed lower 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced MEK1/2 phosphorylation than Pin1(+/+) mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Silencing of Pin1 expression inhibited TPA-induced MEK1/2 phosphorylation in MCF7 cells. Moreover, PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MEK1/2, and juglone, a potent Pin1 inhibitor, significantly suppressed the TPA-induced expression of E2F-4 as well as Egr-1 transcription factors, which control LC-3 gene expression. Importantly, 4-hydroxy tamoxifen, when used in combination with silencing of Pin1 or LC-3, increased cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and DNA fragmentation to inhibit cologenic growth of MCF7 cells. We therefore link the Pin1-MEK pathway and LC-3-mediated tamoxifen resistance and show the therapeutic potential of Pin1 in the treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer.

The prolyl isomerase Pin1 enhances HER-2 expression and cellular transformation via its interaction with mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase 1.

The HER-2 oncogene, a member of the erythroblastosis oncogene B (ERBB)-like oncogene family, has been shown to be amplified in many types of cancer, including breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of HER-2 overexpression is not completely understood. The phosphorylation of proteins on the serine or threonine residues that immediately precede proline (pSer/Thr-Pro) is specifically catalyzed by the prolyl isomerase Pin1 and is a key signaling mechanism in cell proliferation and transformation. Here, we found that Pin1 interacts with mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) protein kinase 1, resulting in the induction of HER-2 expression. Pin1(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts exhibited a decrease in epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced MEK1/2 phosphorylation compared with Pin1(+/+) mouse embryonic fibroblast. In addition, a knockdown of Pin1 resulted in the inhibition of MEK1/2 phosphorylation induced by EGF in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MEK1/2, and Juglone, a potent Pin1 inhibitor, markedly suppressed the expression of activator protein-2alpha and the HER-2 promoter activity induced by EGF or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in MCF-7 cells. Importantly, these inhibitors inhibited the neoplastic cell transformation induced by EGF in Pin1-overexpressing JB6 Cl41 cells, which showed enhanced cellular formation compared with the control cells. Therefore, Juglone and PD98059 inhibited the colony formation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells in soft agar. These results indicate that Pin1 amplifies EGF signaling in breast cancer cells through its interaction with MEK1 and then enhances HER-2 expression, suggesting that Pin1 plays an important role in the overexpression of HER-2 through Pin1-MEK1-activator protein-2alpha signaling in breast cancer.