RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes its latency in EBV-associated malignancies, accompanied by occasionally reactivated lytic cycle. Promoter CpG methylation of EBV genome plays an essential role in maintaining viral latency. Two immediate-early (IE) genes, BZLF1 and BRLF1, induce the switch from latent to lytic infection. Studies of methylation-dependent binding of BZLF1 and BRLF1 to EBV promoters have been well reported, but little is known about the methylation status of BZLF1 and BRLF1 promoters (Zp and Rp) in tumor samples. METHODS: We evaluated the methylation profiles of Zp and Rp by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite genomic sequencing (BGS), as well as BZLF1 and BRLF1 expression by semiquantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR in tumors of epithelial, NK- and B-cell origins. RESULTS: We found that both Zp and Rp were hypermethylated in all studied EBV-positive cell lines and tumors of lymphoid (B- or NK cell) or epithelial origin, while unmethylated Zp and Rp alleles were detected in cell lines expressing BZLF1 and BRLF1. Following azacytidine treatment or combined with trichostatin A (TSA), the expression of BZLF1 and BRLF1 was restored along with concomitant promoter demethylation, which subsequently induced the reactivation of early lytic gene BHRF1 and late lytic gene BLLF1. CONCLUSIONS: Hypermethylation of Zp and Rp mediates the frequent silencing of BZLF1 and BRLF1 in EBV-associated tumors, which could be reactivated by demethylation agent and ultimately initiated the EBV lytic cascade.
Assuntos
Metilação de DNA/genética , Genes Precoces/genética , Herpesvirus Humano 4/genética , Proteínas Imediatamente Precoces/metabolismo , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Transativadores/metabolismo , Linfócitos B/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Humanos , Proteínas Imediatamente Precoces/genética , Células Matadoras Naturais/metabolismo , Neoplasias/genética , Neoplasias/virologia , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Transativadores/genéticaRESUMO
Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated head and neck cancer prevalent in Asia. Although with reasons not fully understood, the intrinsic invasiveness of NPC is believed to be EBV-linked. Recently, EBV was found to induce STAT3 activation. Constitutive STAT3 activation correlated with advanced clinical staging in NPC. We hypothesized that STAT3 activation by EBV directly contributes to the intrinsic invasiveness of NPC cells. Phospho-STAT3-Tyr705 was detected in high percentage of NPC tumors (7/10 cases). Using a paired NPC cell line model, HONE-1 and the EBV-infected counterpart, HONE-1-EBV, we found that HONE-1-EBV expressed a higher level of phospho-STAT3-Tyr705 and was approximately 11-fold more invasive than HONE-1. In HONE-1-EBV, STAT3 siRNA targeting inhibited both spontaneous and serum-induced invasion, as well as cell growth. Conversely, activation of STAT3 (by expressing an activated STAT3 mutant, namely STAT3C) in the parental HONE-1, mimicking EBV-induced STAT3 activation, significantly enhanced its invasiveness and proliferation, which was accompanied by increased expression of markers of mesenchymal status, proliferation and anti-apoptosis. Our results demonstrated that EBV-induced STAT3 activation is responsible for NPC cell proliferation and invasion. This was further confirmed by a small molecule inhibitor of JAK/STAT3, JSI-124. JSI-124 inhibited STAT3 activation in HONE-1-EBV, with subsequent growth inhibition, induction of PARP cleavage, abrogation of anchorage-independent growth and invasion. We found that EBV-independent activation of STAT3 by a growth factor, EGF, also contributed to NPC invasion. In conclusion, EBV-induced STAT3 activation directly contributes to the intrinsic invasiveness of NPC cells and STAT3 targeting may be beneficial in treating aggressive NPC.
Assuntos
Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr/patologia , Herpesvirus Humano 4/patogenicidade , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patologia , Fator de Transcrição STAT3/metabolismo , Western Blotting , Adesão Celular , Movimento Celular , Proliferação de Células , Colágeno/metabolismo , Ensaio de Unidades Formadoras de Colônias , Combinação de Medicamentos , Fator de Crescimento Epidérmico/farmacologia , Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr/metabolismo , Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr/virologia , Humanos , Laminina/metabolismo , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/virologia , Invasividade Neoplásica , Proteoglicanas/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , RNA Interferente Pequeno/farmacologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Fator de Transcrição STAT3/antagonistas & inibidores , Fator de Transcrição STAT3/genética , Células Tumorais CultivadasRESUMO
Proteomic technologies have experienced major improvements in recent years. Such advances have facilitated the discovery of potential tumor markers with improved sensitivities and specificities for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring of cancer patients. This review will focus on four state-of-the-art proteomic technologies, namely 2D difference gel electrophoresis, MALDI imaging mass spectrometry, electron transfer dissociation mass spectrometry and reverse-phase protein array. The major advancements these techniques have brought about and examples of their applications in cancer biomarker discovery will be presented in this review, so that readers can appreciate the immense progress in proteomic technologies from 1997 to 2008. Finally, a summary will be presented that discusses current hurdles faced by proteomic researchers, such as the wide dynamic range of protein abundance, standardization of protocols and validation of cancer biomarkers, and a 5-year view of potential solutions to such problems will be provided.
