The objective of this study was to determine whether activation of the kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is associated with human melanoma. We found moderate or strong hyperphosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 in 78/107 melanomas (73%). In contrast, only 3/67 benign nevi (4%) were moderately positive, and none were strongly positive. These data indicate that mTOR activation is very strongly associated with malignant, compared to benign, melanocytic lesions. Next, we tested six melanoma-derived cell lines for evidence of mTOR dysregulation. Five of the six lines showed persistent phosphorylation of S6 after 18 hours of serum deprivation, and four had S6 phosphorylation after 30 minutes of amino-acid withdrawal, indicating inappropriate mTOR activation. The proliferation of three melanoma-derived lines was blocked by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, indicating that mTOR activation is a growth-promoting factor in melanoma-derived cells. mTOR is directly activated by the small guanosine triphosphatase Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb), in a farnesylation-dependent manner. Therefore, to investigate the mechanism of mTOR activation, we used the farnesyl transferase inhibitor FTI-277, which partially blocked the growth of three of the six melanoma cell lines. Together, these data implicate activation of mTOR in the pathogenesis of melanoma, and suggest that Rheb and mTOR may be targets for melanoma therapy.

No abstract

TOGp is the human homolog of XMAP215, a Xenopus microtubule-associated protein that promotes rapid microtubule assembly at plus ends. These proteins are thought to be critical for microtubule assembly and/or mitotic spindle formation. To understand how TOGp interacts with the microtubule lattice, we cloned fulllength TOGp and various truncations for expression in a reticulocyte lysate system. Based on microtubule co-pelleting assays, the microtubule binding domain is contained within a basic 600-amino acid region near the N terminus, with critical domains flanking a region homologous to the microtubule binding domain found in the related proteins Stu2p (S. cerevisiae) and Dis1 (S. pombe). Both full-length TOGp and the N-terminal fragment show enhanced binding to microtubule ends. Full-length TOGp also binds altered polymer lattice structures including parallel protofilament sheets, antiparallel protofilament sheets induced with zinc ions, and protofilament rings, suggesting that TOGp binds along the length of individual protofilaments. The Cterminal region of TOGp has a low affinity for microtubule polymer but binds tubulin dimer. We propose a model to explain the microtubule-stabilizing and/or assembly-promoting functions of the XMAP215/TOGp family of microtubule-associated proteins based on the binding properties we have identified.Microtubule assembly is regulated in cells to generate a relatively stable interphase microtubule array or the much more dynamic microtubules of the mitotic spindle. In either cell cycle stage, the major pathway of microtubule turnover is dynamic instability, where microtubules exist in persistent phases of growth or shortening with the abrupt transitions, termed catastrophe and rescue, between these phases (1). Several classes of microtubule assembly regulators have been identified that can be broadly classified as microtubule stabilizers (e.g. tau, MAP2, 1 or MAP4) or destabilizers (e.g. XKCM1 or oncoprotein 18; reviewed in Refs. 2 and 3). Together, the activities of these accessory proteins generate the dynamic microtubules observed in vivo (reviewed in Refs. 3 and 4).The stabilizing MAP, XMAP215, was initially isolated based on its preferential promotion of microtubule plus end assembly rates (5). Remarkably, this protein speeds the microtubule plus end growth rate by 7-10-fold, primarily through an increase in the apparent on-rate constant (5, 6). In contrast, other stabilizing MAPs, such as tau or MAP2, modestly increase growth rates ϳ2-fold at both microtubule ends, primarily through a decrease in the off-rate constant (7-9). More recent studies have demonstrated that the plus end stabilizing activity of XMAP215 can also counterbalance the catastrophe-promoting activity of XKCM1 (10). The mechanisms responsible for assembly promotion and catastrophe protection by XMAP215 are not known.Given the potent and unique effects of XMAP215 on microtubule assembly in vitro and in Xenopus egg extracts (5, 6, 10, 11), it is not surprising that a number of homologs have been identified in...

Antimüllerian hormone (AMH) is extensively studied in ovarian aging and pathology; however, little is known about correlates in healthy premenopausal women. We found that AMH levels are strongly inversely associated with age and differed significantly between oral contraceptive pill users and nonusers, whereas no significant associations were seen between AMH and other clinical, behavioral, and anthropometric characteristics and laboratory variables, making it an attractive hormone for clinical applications.

Mutations in the BRAF gene are found in the majority of cutaneous malignant melanomas and subsets of other tumors. These mutations lead to constitutive activation of BRAF with increased downstream ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) signaling; therefore, the development of RAF kinase inhibitors for targeted therapy is being actively pursued. A methodology that allows sensitive, cost-effective, highthroughput analysis of BRAF mutations will be needed to triage patients for specific molecular-based therapies. Pyrosequencing is a high-throughput, sequencing-by-synthesis method that is particularly useful for analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms or hotspot mutations. Mutational analysis of BRAF is highly amenable to pyrosequencing because the majority of mutations in this gene localize to codons 600 and 601 and consist of single or dinucleotide substitutions. In this study, DNAs from a panel of melanocyte cell lines, melanoma cell lines, and melanoma tumors were used to validate a pyrosequencing assay to detect BRAF mutations. The assay demonstrates high accuracy and precision for detecting common and variant exon 15 BRAF mutations. Mutations in the BRAF gene occur in the majority of cutaneous malignant melanomas 1 and in subsets of papillary thyroid, serous ovarian, and colorectal carcinomas.1-4 The large majority (80 to 86%) of BRAF mutations in cancer are attributable to a TϾA transversion in codon 600 resulting in substitution of glutamate for valine.