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Transient ectopic expression of PTEN in thyroid cancer cell lines induces cell cycle arrest and cell type-dependent cell death.

The tumour suppressor gene PTEN/MMAC1/TEP1 has been implicated in a variety of human cancers and several inherited hamartoma tumour syndromes, including Cowden syndrome, which has a high risk of breast and thyroid cancer. We have previously reported that overexpression of PTEN in MCF-7 breast cancer cells induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In this study, we analysed PTEN status at both the structural and expression levels and explored PTEN's growth-suppressive effects on thyroid. We found that 1 of 10 thyroid cancer lines [follicular thyroid carcinoma FTC-133] had hemizygous deletion and a splice variant IVS4--19G-->A in the remaining allele. Four lines, including FTC-133, express PTEN mRNA at low levels. In general, PTEN protein levels correlated with mRNA levels, except for NPA87, which has low levels of transcript and relatively high levels of PTEN protein. Transient expression of PTEN in seven thyroid cancer cell lines resulted in G(1) arrest in two well differentiated papillary thyroid cancer lines (PTCs) and both G(1) arrest and cell death in the remaining five lines, including three FTCs, one poorly differentiated PTC and one undifferentiated thyroid cancer. The level of phosphorylated Akt was inversely correlated with the endogenous level of PTEN protein and overexpression of PTEN-blocked Akt phosphorylation in all cells analysed. Our results suggest that downregulation of PTEN expression at the mRNA level plays a role in PTEN inactivation in thyroid cancer and PTEN exerts its tumour-suppressive effect on thyroid cancer through the inhibition of cell cycle progression alone or both cell cycle progression and cell death.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

Identification of a potential physiological substrate for oncogenic Ras-activated protein kinases in activated Xenopus egg extracts: correlation with oncogenic Ras-induced cell cycle arrest.

Activated Xenopus egg extracts are capable of undergoing cell-free cell cycling. Using these activated extracts, we previously showed that purified, bacterially expressed oncogenic human RasH protein arrests cell cycle progression. Because oncogenic Ras activates many serine/threonine protein kinases in Xenopus oocytes and egg extracts, it is possible that induction of cell cycle arrest involves the action of oncogenic Ras-activated kinases. Thus, the identification of the physiological substrates for oncogenic Ras-activated kinases is important for elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying oncogenic Ras-induced cell cycle arrest. We used 32P-orthophosphate as a label to identify the potential substrates. Our results demonstrated that the 32P-labeling of both a 32 and a 33 kDa protein were greatly enhanced by oncogenic Ras during the incubation of activated Xenopus egg extracts. The enhanced labeling correlated with the induced cell cycle arrest and was contributed by serine phosphorylation. Moreover, the 33 kDa protein was detected only in the presence of oncogenic Ras and was a serine-hyperphosphorylated form of the 32 kDa protein. Furthermore, new protein synthesis was not required for the enhanced labeling, consistent with the concept that the enhanced serine phosphorylation of the 32 kDa protein is by oncogenic Ras-activated protein kinases. In addition to serine phosphorylation, our results also suggested that an as yet unidentified modification of the 32 kDa protein might also be induced by oncogenic Ras. Our results suggest that the 32 kDa protein is a potential physiological substrate for oncogenic Ras-activated protein kinases.

14-3-3 Proteins↗

Apoptosis during HL-60 cell differentiation is closely related to a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest.

The cell cycle-associated differences in the susceptibility to apoptosis were examined in HL-60 cells before and after differentiation with phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu). HL-60 cells in various phases of the cell cycle were separated by the counterflow centrifugal elutriation and the susceptibility to apoptosis was measured by the morphological examination and by DNA fragmentation assay. Undifferentiated HL-60 cells in S phase showed a significantly higher susceptibility to apoptosis than those in G0/G1 or G2/M phase either in the absence or presence of apoptosis-inducing reagents such as A23187, actinomycin D (Act D), and cycloheximide (CHX). In contrast, PDBu-treated HL-60 cells preferentially underwent apoptosis in G0/G1 phase. When untreated HL-60 cells enriched for G0/G1 phase were recultured in a complete medium, the percentage of apoptotic cells increased after 6-12 h in correlation with the increase in S-phase cells. When the same experiment was performed with PBDu-treated cells, spontaneous increase of apoptotic cells was observed while almost all cells remained in G0/G1 phase. Northern blot analysis revealed that undifferentiated cells expressed the same amounts of bcl-2 mRNA in each cell cycle phase, whereas G0/G1-predominant reduction of bcl-2 mRNA was noted in PDBu-treated cells. There was no difference in the amounts of CD11b mRNA between G0/G1 fraction and S+G2/M fraction of differentiated HL-60 cells. BCL-2 overexpression could almost completely abrogate the G0/G1-predominant induction of apoptosis in differentiated HL-60 cells. These results suggest that G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and down-regulation of bcl-2 mRNA in G0/G1 phase might be associated with apoptosis in differentiated HL-60 cells whereas the weakness of chromatin structure in S phase might be related to apoptosis in undifferentiated HL-60 cells.

Apoptosis↗

p27Kip1, a cyclin-Cdk inhibitor, links transforming growth factor-beta and contact inhibition to cell cycle arrest.

Cell-cell contact and TGF-beta can arrest the cell cycle in G1. Mv1Lu mink epithelial cells arrested by either mechanism are incapable of assembling active complexes containing the G1 cyclin, cyclin E, and its catalytic subunit, Cdk2. These growth inhibitory signals block Cdk2 activation by raising the threshold level of cyclin E necessary to activate Cdk2. In arrested cells the threshold is set higher than physiological cyclin E levels and is determined by an inhibitor that binds to cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes. A 27-kD protein that binds to and prevents the activation of cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes can be purified from arrested cells but not from proliferating cells, using cyclin E-Cdk2 affinity chromatography. p27 is present in proliferating cells, but it is sequestered and unavailable to interact with cyclin E-Cdk2 complexes. Cyclin D2-Cdk4 complexes bind competitively to and down-regulate the activity of p27 and may thereby act in a pathway that reverses Cdk2 inhibition and enables G1 progression.

Animals↗

Taiwanin A induced cell cycle arrest and p53-dependent apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells.

Taiwanin A, a lignan isolated from Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata, has previously been reported to have cytotoxicity against human tumor cells, but the mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we examined the molecular mechanism of cell death of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells induced by Taiwanin A. Taiwanin A has been found to induce cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase as well as caspase-3-dependent apoptosis within 24 h. We performed both in vitro turbidity assay and immunofluorescence staining of tubulin to show that Taiwanin A can inhibit microtubule assembly. Moreover, the tumor suppressor protein p53 in HepG2 cells was activated by Taiwanin A within 12 h. Inhibition of p53 by either pifithrin-alpha or by short hairpin RNA which blocks p53 expression attenuates Taiwanin A cytotoxicity. Our results demonstrate that Taiwanin A can act as a new class of microtubule damaging agent, arresting cell cycle progression at mitotic phase and inducing apoptosis through the activation of p53.

Apoptosis↗

Induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cancer cells by in vivo metabolites of teas.

The present study was conducted to determine in vivo possibilities of inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in rat cancer cells by green, oolong, and black teas and also to further identify the mechanisms inhibiting cancer cell proliferation by the sera from tea-treated rats. The tea extracts from these three kinds of tea, the rat sera obtained after oral intubation of the tea extracts, and the tea polyphenolic compounds, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate, and the aflavins, were used in the related tests. The extracts, the sera from the treated rats, and the polyphenolic compounds significantly inhibited the proliferation of a rat hepatoma cell line (AH109A) and murine B16 melanoma cells but not normal rat mesothelial (M) cells. (-)-Epicatechin exhibited synergistic effects with (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, (-)-epicatechin-3-gallate, and theaflavins against AH109A cell proliferation. The fluorescence staining of the nuclei, electrophoresis detection of DNA fragmentation, and analysis of cell cycle indicated that the sera from the tea-treated rats, the tea extracts, and the related tea components resulted in loss of viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase in AH109A and/or B16 cells, but not in normal M cells. Our results suggest that induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest may be important mechanisms of in vivo proliferation inhibition of AH109A and other cancer cells by these teas.

Animals↗

Growth inhibition with reversible cell cycle arrest of carcinoma cells by flavone L86-8275.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that polyhydroxylated flavonoids such as quercetin and genistein can inhibit tumor cell growth in vitro, and preliminary in vivo studies of the flavone L86-8275 have shown growth inhibition of LX529 and A549 lung carcinomas. L86-8275 [(-)cis-5,7-dihydroxy-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-8[4-(3-hydroxy-1-methyl)- piperidinyl]-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one] is a flavone of novel structure. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine in vitro whether L86-8275 is a more potent inhibitor of growth in breast carcinoma and lung carcinoma cells than quercetin or genistein. METHODS: We studied the effects of L86-8275 on cell growth in seven breast carcinoma cell lines and five lung carcinoma cell lines. MDA468 breast carcinoma was then selected for further study. Cell proliferation was measured by a colorimetric dye reduction assay; synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein by incorporation of the radioactive metabolic precursors thymidine, uridine, or leucine, respectively; adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content by a luciferase-mediated bioluminescence reaction; and cell cycle progression by the use of cell-synchronizing drugs (aphidicolin and nocodazole) and flow cytometry. RESULTS: L86-8275 was not cytotoxic to stationary-phase cells but reversibly inhibited the growth of cells in exponential growth phase. At concentrations of 25-160 nM, L86-8275 inhibited growth of human breast and lung carcinoma cell lines by 50%. MDA468 breast carcinoma cells were 60-fold and 400-fold more sensitive to L86-8275 than to quercetin and genistein, respectively. By 24 hours after addition of L86-8275, DNA synthesis in MDA468 cells was inhibited by greater than 95%, protein synthesis by 80%, and RNA synthesis by 40%-60%, under conditions that preserved cellular ATP levels at approximately 80%-90% of control values. When MDA468 cells released from aphidicolin-induced cell cycle arrest were exposed to 200 nM L86-8275, they completed the S phase but arrested in G2. When cells released from nocodazole-induced cell cycle arrest were exposed to 200 nM L86-8275, they completed mitosis but arrested in G1. CONCLUSIONS: L86-8275 is a potent, yet reversible, growth-inhibitory flavone that can selectively block cell cycle progression in vitro at more than one point in the cell cycle. IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that L86-8275 is a candidate for further preclinical development, as well as a model for the synthesis of other flavonoids that might potently delay cell cycle progression to achieve inhibition of tumor growth. Future studies need to address optimal schedules for antiproliferative activity in vivo and inhibition of clonogenic activity.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Cdk7- and Cdc25A-independent dephosphorylation of Cdk2 during phorbol ester-mediated cell cycle arrest in U937 cells.

The molecular mechanism underlying protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated cell cycle arrest is poorly understood. We undertook to characterize phorbol ester-activated PKC-mediated cell cycle arrest. Treatment with phorbol ester inhibited cell growth of human histiocytic lymphoma U937 cells with 83% of the cells arrested in G1 phase. Reduced activity of cdk2 correlated with cdk2 dephosphorylation and accumulation of cdk2 inhibitor p21Waf in phorbol ester-treated cells. Dephosphorylation of cdk2 was not associated with cdk7 and cdc25A activity in phorbol ester-treated cells. Protein phosphatase inhibitor assays suggest that the dephosphorylation of cdk2 results in the activation of a specific protein tyrosine phosphatase. Thus, dephosphorylation of cdk2 as well as accumulation of cdk2 inhibitor is likely to contribute to the G1 phase arrest in phorbol ester-treated in U937 cells.

CDC2-CDC28 Kinases↗

Cell cycle arrest biomarkers in human lung cancer cells after treatment with selenium in culture.

In the planning of future intervention trials using chemopreventive agents against lung cancer, it is critical to evaluate the effect on biomarkers implicated specifically in lung carcinogenesis. With the use of the H520 and H522 human lung cancer cell lines, the present study showed that treatment with selenium (in the form of methylseleninic acid) inhibited cell growth, arrested cell cycle progression at G(1), and induced apoptosis as a late event. Because H520 cells were more sensitive to selenium than H522 cells (IC(50) of MSA was 2.5 or 10 micro M for H520 or H522 cells, respectively, at 24 h), a panel of nine cell cycle regulatory proteins known to be involved in G(1)-->S transition was assessed by Western analysis using whole cell lysate from H520 cells. These nine proteins (DP1, cdc25A, cyclin A, cyclin B(1), cyclin D(1), cdk1, cdk5, p21(WAF1), and GADD153) have been reported previously by our laboratory to be modulated by MSA in human breast and prostate cancer cells. Our data showed that only four (DP1, cdc25A, p21(WAF1), and GADD153) of nine biomarkers produced the expected changes after treatment of lung cancer cells with MSA. This finding raises the possibility that the molecular targets sensitive to selenium modulation may be tissue specific. Thus, the selection of selenium biomarkers for evaluation in an intervention trial must be based on empirical data derived from the cancer cell type of interest.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Involvement of p21(WAF1/Cip1), p27(Kip1), and p18(INK4c) in troglitazone-induced cell-cycle arrest in human hepatoma cell lines.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) regulates cell growth and differentiation. Recent evidence has suggested that PPARgamma ligands had anti-tumor effects through inhibiting cell growth and inducing cell differentiation in several types of malignant neoplasm. In the present study, we investigated: 1) the expression of PPARgamma in both human hepatoma cell lines and 5 resected human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues; 2) the growth-inhibitory effect of troglitazone, a PPARgamma ligand, on those hepatoma cells; and 3) the molecular mechanisms of troglitazone-induced cell-cycle arrest. Five hepatoma cell lines, HLF, HuH-7, HAK-1A, HAK-1B, and HAK-5, were used. The mRNA expression levels of PPARgamma, p21(WAF1/Cip1), and p27(Kip1) were determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The expression of cell cycle-regulating proteins, such as p21, p27, p18(INK4c), cyclin E, and pRb, was examined using Western blotting. PPARgamma was constitutively expressed in all the cell lines and the HCC tissues used in this study. A cytostatic effect of troglitazone was found in those cell lines, and this inhibition of cell growth was dosage-dependent. G0/G1 arrest was apparently demonstrated in flow cytometric analysis in HLF, HAK-1A, HAK-1B, and HAK-5, all of which showed an increased expression of p21 protein. However, HuH-7, lacking p21 protein expression, did not demonstrate clear arrest in the cell-cycle analysis. HLF, which was deficient in the protein product of the retinoblastoma tumor-suppressor gene (pRb), responded most profoundly to troglitazone, showing an increased expression in not only p21, but also in p27 and in p18. These findings suggested that p21, p27, and p18 might be involved in troglitazone-induced cell-cycle arrest in human hepatoma cells.

CDC2-CDC28 Kinases↗

Mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, PD98059, inhibits rat retinal pigment epithelial cell replication by cell cycle arrest.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of PD98059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, on the replication of rat cultured retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. METHODS: Growth-phase rat RPE cells were exposed to various concentrations of PD98059 in serum-free F12 medium containing 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counts using a hemocytometer. Cell viability was tested by CellTiter 96 AQueous Non-Radioactive Cell Proliferation Assay at 24 hours after PD98059 application. Hoechst 33552 and propidium iodide staining were used to assess nuclear morphology. Immunostaining with Ki67 antibody was used for cell cycle analysis because the staining patterns produced on cells are characteristic depending on their position within the cell cycle. RESULTS: PD98059 inhibited cellular proliferation of cultured rat RPE cells in a dose-dependent manner but did not induce cell death. Twenty-four hours after the application of PD98059, cultured RPE cells were not immunopositive for Ki67, indicating that their cell cycle was arrested in the G0/G1 phase. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that MAPK inhibition arrested cell cycle progression of rat cultured RPE cells at the G0/G1 phase. The pharmacological induction of cell cycle arrest could be a new approach to inhibit cellular proliferation in such conditions as proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Animals↗

Adhesive resin induces apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest of pulp cells.

The application of an adhesive resin near or directly over the pulp was shown to induce pulp inflammation and lack of dentin regeneration. We hypothesize that the absence of dentin bridging is due to adhesive-resin-induced apoptosis of cells responsible for pulp healing and dentin regeneration. Mouse odontoblast-like cells (MDPC-23), undifferentiated pulp cells (OD-21), or macrophages (RAW 264.7) were exposed to SingleBond polymerized for 0-40 seconds. Annexin V and propidium iodide assays demonstrated that SingleBond induced apoptosis of MDPC-23, OD-21, and macrophages. The proportion of apoptotic cells was dependent on the degree of adhesive resin polymerization. Adhesive-resin-induced death of pulp cells was associated with activation of the pro-apoptotic cysteine protease Caspase-3. Interestingly, most cells exposed to adhesive resin that did not undergo apoptosis showed cell-cycle arrest. We conclude that an adhesive resin induces apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest of cells involved in the regeneration of the dentin-pulp complex in vitro.

Analysis of Variance↗

Notch signaling induces cell cycle arrest in small cell lung cancer cells.

Among the various forms of human lung cancer, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) exhibits a characteristic neuroendocrine (NE) phenotype. Neural and NE differentiation in SCLC depend, in part, on the action of the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor human achaete-scute homologue-1 (hASH1). In nervous system development, the Notch signaling pathway is a critical negative regulator of bHLH factors, including hASH1, controlling cell fate commitment and differentiation. To characterize Notch pathway function in SCLC, we explored the consequences of constitutively active Notch signaling in cultured SCLC cells. Recombinant adenoviruses were used to overexpress active forms of Notch1, Notch2, or the Notch effector protein human hairy enhancer of split-1 (HES1) in DMS53 and NCI-H209 SCLC cells. Notch proteins, but not HES1 or control adenoviruses, caused a profound growth arrest, associated with a G1 cell cycle block. We found up-regulation of p21(waf1/cip1) and p27kip1 in concert with the cell cycle changes. Active Notch proteins also led to dramatic reduction in hASH1 expression, as well as marked activation of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1 and ERK2, findings that have been shown to be associated with cell cycle arrest in SCLC cells. These data suggest that the previously described function of Notch proteins as proto-oncogenes is highly context-dependent. Notch activation, in the setting of a highly proliferative hASH1-dependent NE neoplasm, can be associated with growth arrest and apparent reduction in neoplastic potential.

Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins↗

Equivalent effect of DNA damage-induced apoptotic cell death or long-term cell cycle arrest on colon carcinoma cell proliferation and tumour growth.

Knowledge of the type of biological reaction to chemotherapy is a prerequisite for its rational enhancement. We previously showed that irinotecan-induced DNA damage triggers in the HCT116p53(wt) colon carcinoma cell line a long-term cell cycle arrest and in HCT116p53(-/-) cells apoptosis (Magrini et al., 2002). To compare the contribution of long-term cell cycle arrest and that of apoptosis to inhibition of cell proliferation after irinotecan-induced DNA damage, we used this isogenic system as well as the cell lines LS174T (p53(wt)) and HT-29 (p53(mut)). Both p53(wt) cell lines responded to damage by undergoing a long-term tetraploid G1 arrest, whereas the p53(mut) cell lines underwent apoptosis. Cell cycle arrest as well as apoptosis caused a similar delay in cell proliferation. Irinotecan treatment also induced in mouse tumours derived from the p53(wt) cell lines a tetraploid G1 arrest and in those derived from the p53-deficient cell lines a transient G2/M arrest and apoptosis. The delay of tumour growth was in the same range in both groups, that is, arrest- and apoptosis-mediated tumour growth inhibition was comparable. In conclusion, cell cycle arrest as well as apoptosis may be equipotent mechanisms mediating the chemotherapeutic effects of irinotecan.

Animals↗

Vitamin K3-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death are accompanied by altered expression of c-fos and c-myc in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Vitamin K3 is known to inhibit the growth of various rodent and human tumor cells. However, the molecular mechanism of its action is still elusive. We have found that vitamin K3 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, as evaluated by flow cytometry and DNA gel electrophoresis. Involvement of c-fos and c-myc proto-oncogenes and expression of their proto-oncoproteins in VK3-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were also investigated. Northern blot analysis of NPC cells treated with 50 microM VK3 showed that c-fos was transiently induced for 60 min after treatment, while c-myc was persistently induced for 1-9 h after drug treatment. Western blot analysis also showed that c-Fos was induced at 4-6 h and at 1-4 h after treatment with 50 microM and 200 microM VK3 respectively, while c-Myc was induced at 1-6 h and at 4-6 h, respectively, after such treatments. These results suggest that the expression of c-fos and c-myc may play an important role in the signaling mechanism of VK3-induced growth arrest and apoptotic cell death.

Actins↗

The essential role of p21 in radiation-induced cell cycle arrest of vascular smooth muscle cell.

The biologic mechanisms for the success and failure of intravascular radiation therapy after angioplasty have not been well studied. We investigated the molecular mechanism of radiation-induced cell cycle arrest in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) and examined whether p21 knock-out is a cause of radiation failure. Using different dosages of gamma radiation, we evaluated the effect of radiation on VSMC apoptosis and cell cycle progression, and its action mechanism. Irradiation significantly retarded the growth of cultured VSMC, which was not due to induction of apoptosis but mainly due to cell cycle arrest. Radiation showed remarkable cell cycle arrest at G1 and G2 phase (G0/G1:S:G2/M phases = 61%:34%:5% with 0 Gy versus 61%:9%:30% with 16 Gy, 12 h after radiation). In immunoblot analysis and kinase assay, radiation increased the expression of p21 and decreased the expression and activity of CDK2 and 1. In contrast, radiation did not affect the expression and activity of CDK4 and 6, nor the expression of p27 and p16. When p21 was knocked out, cell cycle of VSMC was not arrested by radiation, leading to increased proliferation. These finding provide the evidence that radiation inhibits VSMC proliferation through cell cycle arrest by enhancing p21 expression and suppressing CDK1 and 2. This observation supports the key role of p21 in radiation-induced cell cycle arrest and the degree of p21 expression may be the possible mechanism of radiation failure and delayed restenosis.

Animals↗

Murine coronavirus nonstructural protein p28 arrests cell cycle in G0/G1 phase.

Murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) gene 1 encodes several nonstructural proteins. The functions are unknown for most of these nonstructural proteins, including p28, which is encoded at the 5' end of the MHV genome. Transient expression of cloned p28 in several different cultured cells inhibited cell growth, indicating that p28 expression suppressed cell proliferation. Expressed p28 was exclusively localized in the cytoplasm. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry demonstrated that p28 expression induced G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest. Characterization of various cellular proteins that are involved in regulating cell cycle progression demonstrated that p28 expression resulted in an accumulation of hypophosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb), tumor suppressor p53, and cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21(Cip1). Expression of p28 did not alter the amount of p53 transcripts yet increased the amount of p21(Cip1) transcripts, suggesting that p28 expression increased p53 stability and that p21(Cip1) was transcriptionally activated in a p53-dependent manner. Our present data suggest the following model of p28-induced G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest. Expressed cytoplasmic p28 induces the stabilization of p53, and accumulated p53 causes transcriptional upregulation of p21(Cip1). The increased amount of p21(Cip1) suppresses cyclin E/Cdk2 activity, resulting in the inhibition of pRb hyperphosphorylation. Accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRb thus prevents cell cycle progression from G(0)/G(1) to S phase.

Animals↗

Cell-cycle arrest versus cell death in cancer therapy.

In response to anticancer therapeutics, human colon cancer cells growing in vitro either enter into a stable arrest or die, depending on the integrity of their cell-cycle checkpoints. To test whether altered checkpoints can modulate sensitivity to treatment in vivo, xenografts were established from isogenic lines differing only in their p21 checkpoint status. Although all tumors with intact checkpoint function underwent regrowth after treatment with gamma-radiation, a significant fraction of checkpoint-deficient tumors were completely cured. This difference in sensitivity was not detected by the clonogenic survival assay, because both arrest and death preclude outgrowth of colonies. These results demonstrate that checkpoint status affects sensitivity to anticancer treatments in vivo, and these findings have important implications for identifying and testing new therapeutic compounds.

Animals↗