Identification and characterization of PERK activators by phenotypic screening and their effects on NRF2 activation.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress plays a critical role to restore the homeostasis of protein production in eukaryotic cells. This vital process is hence involved in many types of diseases including COPD. PERK, one branch in the ER stress signaling pathways, has been reported to activate NRF2 signaling pathway, a known protective response to COPD. Based on this scientific rationale, we aimed to identify PERK activators as a mechanism to achieve NRF2 activation. In this report, we describe a phenotypic screening assay to identify PERK activators. This assay measures phosphorylation of GFP-tagged eIF2α upon PERK activation via a cell-based LanthaScreen technology. To obtain a robust assay with sufficient signal to background and low variation, multiple parameters were optimized including GFP-tagged eIF2α BacMam concentration, cell density and serum concentration. The assay was validated by a tool compound, Thapsigargin, which induces phosphorylation of eIF2α. In our assay, this compound showed maximal signal window of approximately 2.5-fold with a pEC50 of 8.0, consistent with literature reports. To identify novel PERK activators through phosphorylation of eIF2α, a focused set of 8,400 compounds was screened in this assay at 10 µM. A number of hits were identified and validated. The molecular mechanisms for several selected hits were further characterized in terms of PERK activation and effects on PERK downstream components. Specificity of these compounds in activating PERK was demonstrated with a PERK specific inhibitor and in PERK knockout mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells. In addition, these hits showed NRF2-dependent anti-oxidant gene induction. In summary, our phenotypic screening assay is demonstrated to be able to identify PERK specific activators. The identified PERK activators could potentially be used as chemical probes to further investigate this pathway as well as the link between PERK activation and NRF2 pathway activation.

Cyclin D1b in human breast carcinoma and coexpression with cyclin D1a is associated with poor outcome.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Cyclin D1 is a mediator of cell-cycle control that is frequently overexpressed in primary ductal breast carcinomas, but its role is controversial. A polymorphism in the CCND1 gene, G870A, results in an aberrantly spliced protein (cyclin D1b) lacking the Thr-286 phosphorylation site necessary for nuclear export. Studies of murine fibroblasts have shown that although overexpression of canonical cyclin D1 (cyclin D1a) alone is not sufficient to drive malignant transformation, expression of nuclear cyclin D1b is oncogenic. Our objectives were to determine whether cyclin D1b is expressed in human breast carcinomas and to characterize the relationship of this protein to both cyclin D1a and clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study of women with early-stage breast cancer and analyzed cyclin D1a and D1b expression in primary breast tumor sections. Expression was tested for correlation with other breast cancer prognostic factors and clinical outcome, including recurrence or death. RESULTS: A total of 118 patients were included in this analysis, with a median follow-up of 44 months. Cyclin D1b was expressed in 26% of tumors and cyclin D1a was overexpressed in 27%; co-expression occurred in 4%. Cyclin D1a and/or D1b expression were not significantly associated with estrogen or progesterone receptor negativity, Her2 overexpression, young age, lymph node positivity, high tumor grade, nor large tumor size. The risk of recurrence was higher in those co-expressing D1a and D1b compared to the expression of either alone (relative risk=5.3, 95% confidence interval 1.27 to 22.1, p=0.02). The hazard ratio for those with co-expression compared with those without was 6.05 (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: Expression of cyclin D1b occurs in primary human breast carcinomas and its coexpression with cyclin D1a may be a marker for increased recurrence risk, independently of other factors.

Uncoupling between epidermal growth factor receptor and downstream signals defines resistance to the antiproliferative effect of Gefitinib in bladder cancer cells.

Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and downstream signaling pathways, such as phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt and Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), have been implicated in causing resistance to EGFR-targeted therapy in solid tumors, including the urogenital tumors. To investigate the mechanism of resistance to EGFR inhibition in bladder cancer, we compared EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (Gefitinib, Iressa, ZD1839) with respect to its inhibitory effects on three kinases situated downstream of EGFR: MAPK, Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta). We found that the resistance to the antiproliferative effects of gefitinib, in vitro as well as in vivo in nude mice models, was associated with uncoupling between EGFR and MAPK inhibition, and that GSK-3beta activation and degradation of its target cyclin D1 were indicators of a high cell sensitivity to gefitinib. Further analysis of one phenotypic sensitive (253J B-V) and resistant (UM-UC13) cell lines revealed that platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFRbeta) activation was responsible for short circuiting the EGFR/MAPK pathway for mitogenic stimuli. However, invasion as well as actin dynamics were efficiently reduced by EGFR inhibition in UM-UC13. Chemical disruption of signaling pathways or of PDGFR kinase activity significantly reduced the inactive pool of cellular GSK-3beta in UM-UC13 cells. In conclusion, our data show that the uncoupling of EGFR with mitogenic pathways can cause resistance to EGFR inhibition in bladder cancer. Although this uncoupling may arise through different mechanisms, we suggest that the resistance of bladder cancer cells to EGFR blockade can be predicted early in the course of treatment by measuring the activation of GSK-3beta and of nuclear cyclin D1.

Regulation of protein synthesis by hypoxia via activation of the endoplasmic reticulum kinase PERK and phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2alpha.

Hypoxia profoundly influences tumor development and response to therapy. While progress has been made in identifying individual gene products whose synthesis is altered under hypoxia, little is known about the mechanism by which hypoxia induces a global downregulation of protein synthesis. A critical step in the regulation of protein synthesis in response to stress is the phosphorylation of translation initiation factor eIF2alpha on Ser51, which leads to inhibition of new protein synthesis. Here we report that exposure of human diploid fibroblasts and transformed cells to hypoxia led to phosphorylation of eIF2alpha, a modification that was readily reversed upon reoxygenation. Expression of a transdominant, nonphosphorylatable mutant allele of eIF2alpha attenuated the repression of protein synthesis under hypoxia. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident eIF2alpha kinase PERK was hyperphosphorylated upon hypoxic stress, and overexpression of wild-type PERK increased the levels of hypoxia-induced phosphorylation of eIF2alpha. Cells stably expressing a dominant-negative PERK allele and mouse embryonic fibroblasts with a homozygous deletion of PERK exhibited attenuated phosphorylation of eIF2alpha and reduced inhibition of protein synthesis in response to hypoxia. PERK(-/-) mouse embryo fibroblasts failed to phosphorylate eIF2alpha and exhibited lower survival after prolonged exposure to hypoxia than did wild-type fibroblasts. These results indicate that adaptation of cells to hypoxic stress requires activation of PERK and phosphorylation of eIF2alpha and suggest that the mechanism of hypoxia-induced translational attenuation may be linked to ER stress and the unfolded-protein response.