RESUMO
JNK and p38 phosphorylate a diverse set of substrates and, consequently, can act in a context-dependent manner to either promote or inhibit tumor growth. Elucidating the functions of specific substrates of JNK and p38 is therefore critical for our understanding of these kinases in cancer. ATF2 is a phosphorylation-dependent transcription factor and substrate of both JNK and p38. Here, we show ATF2 suppresses tumor formation in an orthotopic model of liver cancer and cellular transformation in vitro. Furthermore, we find that suppression of tumorigenesis by JNK requires ATF2. We identify a transcriptional program activated by JNK via ATF2 and provide examples of JNK- and ATF2-dependent genes that block cellular transformation. Significantly, we also show that ATF2-dependent gene expression is frequently downregulated in human cancers, indicating that amelioration of JNK-ATF2-mediated suppression may be a common event during tumor development.
Assuntos
Fator 2 Ativador da Transcrição/metabolismo , Carcinogênese/genética , Carcinogênese/patologia , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas Quinases JNK Ativadas por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Fator 2 Ativador da Transcrição/química , Fator 2 Ativador da Transcrição/genética , Animais , Apoptose/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/patologia , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/enzimologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologia , Camundongos , Fosforilação , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Transcrição Gênica , Proteínas Quinases p38 Ativadas por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Proteínas ras/metabolismoRESUMO
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a cytoprotective, pro-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory enzyme, is strongly induced in injured tissues. Our aim was to clarify its role in cutaneous wound healing. In wild type mice, maximal expression of HO-1 in the skin was observed on the 2(nd) and 3(rd) days after wounding. Inhibition of HO-1 by tin protoporphyrin-IX resulted in retardation of wound closure. Healing was also delayed in HO-1 deficient mice, where lack of HO-1 could lead to complete suppression of reepithelialization and to formation of extensive skin lesions, accompanied by impaired neovascularization. Experiments performed in transgenic mice bearing HO-1 under control of keratin 14 promoter showed that increased level of HO-1 in keratinocytes is enough to improve the neovascularization and hasten the closure of wounds. Importantly, induction of HO-1 in wounded skin was relatively weak and delayed in diabetic (db/db) mice, in which also angiogenesis and wound closure were impaired. In such animals local delivery of HO-1 transgene using adenoviral vectors accelerated the wound healing and increased the vascularization. In summary, induction of HO-1 is necessary for efficient wound closure and neovascularization. Impaired wound healing in diabetic mice may be associated with delayed HO-1 upregulation and can be improved by HO-1 gene transfer.
