A bstract : Incubation of ECV304 cells with 1 μM staurosporine (STS) causes apoptotic cell death. In the present study, we investigate whether a significant apoptotic volume decrease (AVD) was apparent during the very early times (1 h) of the apoptotic process. Our data suggest that upregulation of Cl ‐ (and possibly K + ) channels by STS may be a very early primary event required for the subsequent onset of AVD, which results in apoptosis.
An altered ability to interact with and degrade extracellular matrix molecules is a common feature of the malignant phenotype. Although changes in the expression of matrix proteins in metastases in vivo are relatively well documented, little is known about the changes in matrix production by malignant cells in culture. Here we have examined the synthesis of the basement membrane components laminin and nidogen (entactin) by low and high metastatic variants of the K-1735 murine melanoma cells. Protein deposition was examined by western blotting as well as immunofluorescence; protein synthesis was examined by immunoprecipitation with specific antibodies. Gene expression was also evaluated by measuring steady-state mRNA levels using cDNA probes on northern and dot-blots. Laminin gamma 1 levels appeared to be similar in both high and low metastatic lines; however, the high metastatic lines had reduced levels of the laminin beta 1 chain. On the contrary, nidogen expression was observed only in the high metastatic lines. Traces of a laminin alpha chain were present only in immunoprecipitates of the low metastatic cells and could not be detected in the high metastatic cells. Both high and low metastatic cells deposited an extracellular matrix of basement membrane components, with laminin deposition decreased in high metastatic cells. Modified expression, production, and deposition of basement membrane components in high metastatic melanoma cells could be involved in their altered interactions with the extracellular matrix.
In 1998 we reported that an L-peptide derived from H1 of c-Myc (Int-H1-S6A,F8A), linked to an internalization sequence from the third a-helix of Antennapedia, was endowed with an antiproliferative and proapoptotic activity toward a human mammary cancer cell line: The activity apparently depends upon the presence of the Myc motif. In the present work we have added new dimensions to our original findings. It is known that short retro-inverso (RI-) peptides can assume a 3D conformation very close to their corresponding L-forms and can be recognized by the same monoclonal antibody. We synthesized a RI-peptide form of our original L-peptide: It was much more resistant to serum peptidases than the original molecule (a half life of days rather than hours); in addition, the RI-form of the original Antennapedia internalization sequence was perfectly capable of carrying a D-peptide into human cells. We have studied three different potentially active peptides. L-peptides: Int-H1wt, Int-H1-S6A,F8A. D-peptides: RI-Int -H1-S6A,F8A. We have also studied three presumed control peptides: Int and RI-Int (no H1 motif), H1-S6A,F8A (no internalization sequence). Both 'active' and 'control' peptides have essentially confirmed our expectations, however, in cells treated with the higher concentration (10 mM) of the control peptide RI-Int, non-Myc related side effects could be detected. In order to investigate whether the antiproliferative activities displayed by some of our molecules were indeed related to an interference with the role of c-Myc (and molecules of the family), we chose an iso-amphipathic modified peptide of the H1 motif, with a proximity coefficient >50% and where the major change was at position 7 (F-->A). From a family of 73 H1 motifs belonging to (H1-Loop-H2) hu man sequences, the smallest evolutionary distance from our reference peptide was observed for the H1 of N-Myc, L-Myc, c-Myc, H1-S6A,F8A of c-Myc, and Max, in that order. Our reference peptide was therefore appropriate as a check of whether we were indeed observing activities related to Myc functions. Both Int-H1isoamph and the corresponding RI-Int-H1isoamph peptide were synthesized and studied. In terms of biological targets, we added to the human mammary cancer line of our previous work (MCF-7 cells) a colon cancer line (HCT-116 cells) and also a system of normal cells: human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) stimulated with phytohemoagglutinin (PHA). Peptides carrying an iso-amphipathic-modified H1 sequence were always very clearly (3-10 times) less active than the corresponding peptides carrying a conserved "H1 of Myc" motif. This finding was noted in five independent situations (all the cellular models considered at the present time): MCF-7 cells treated with L-peptides; MCF-7 cells treated with RI-peptides; HCT-116 cells treated with L-peptides; PBLs treated with L-peptides; PBLs treated with RI-peptides. Modulation of transcription levels of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), p53, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), in PBLs treated with our different molecules, was well compatible with an interference by our active peptides at the level of Myc transcriptional activity. We had already reported a similar observation in MCF-7 cells. On a molar basis, RI-peptides were about 5-10 times more potent and 30-35 times more stable in complete culture medium, than their corresponding L-forms. RI-Int can probably internalize longer peptido-mimetic molecules (for instance molecules mimetic of (H1-Loop-H2), or even more. These possibilities open the way to rodent studies and to more potent/selective Myc inhibitors-two steps closer to a potential drug.
Background:Amitochondrialspecificdeacetylase,Sirtuin-3hasbeenreportedtoregulateoxidative phosphorylation, the activity of Cyclophilin D (a key component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, MPTP), and the ROS scavenger MnSOD. We hypothesised that Sirtuin-3 could be a potential therapeutic target for cardio-protection based its ability to prevent MPTP formation and inhibit ROS generation. MethodsandResults:InHL-1cells(amurinecardiaccellline),over-expressionofSirtuin-3reduced cell death following simulated ischemia-reperfusion injury (assessed by propidium iodide staining). Futhermore, Sirtuin-3 over-expression reduced MPTP formation (assessed by ROS-induced mitochondrial depolarization), and induced mitochondrial fusion (assessed by 3 blinded investigators and the PEG fusion assay). The catalytically inactive mutant form of Sirtuin-3 failed to mediate any of these beneficial effects. To investigate the role of endogenous Sirtuin-3 in the adult heart, Sirtuin-3 (whole body) KO mice and WT littermates were subjected to in vivo cardiac ischemia (30 min) followed by 24 hrs reperfusion. myocardial infarct (MI) size was determined as a percentage of area at risk. Interestingly, no differences in MI size were observed between WT and KO mice under fed conditions.However,overnightfasting(toinduceSirtuin-3expressionandactivity)resultedinasmallerMI size in the Sirtuin-3 KO when compared to WT mice. Conclusions: We report that the role of Sirtuin-3 in cardio-protection differs between the HL-1 cardiac cell line and the adult heart. In the HL-1 cell, Sirtuin-3 over-expression had beneficial effects against acute IRI, suggesting that activating Sirtuin-3 in this cell-line may be cardio-protective. In contrast, fasted mice deficient in Sirtuin-3 had smaller MI following IRI, suggesting that inhibiting Sirtuin-3 in the fasted adult heart may be cardio-protective. This finding may have clinical implications in patients who are fasted before surgery. Cardiovascular Research Supplements (2014) 103, S57‐S94