Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and major chemotherapeutic agents damage DNA by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here we show that ER stress and chemotherapy induce leukotriene C4 (LTC4) biosynthesis by transcriptionally upregulating and activating the enzyme microsomal glutathione-S-transferase 2 (MGST2) in cells of non-haematopoietic lineage. ER stress and chemotherapy also trigger nuclear translocation of the two LTC4 receptors. Acting in an intracrine manner, LTC4 then elicits nuclear translocation of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), ROS accumulation and oxidative DNA damage. Mgst2 deficiency, RNAi and LTC4 receptor antagonists abolish ER stress- and chemotherapy-induced ROS and oxidative DNA damage in vitro and in mouse kidneys. Cell death and mouse morbidity are also significantly attenuated. Hence, MGST2-generated LTC4 is a major mediator of ER stress- and chemotherapy-triggered oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage. LTC4 inhibitors, commonly used for asthma, could find broad clinical use in major human pathologies associated with ER stress-activated NOX4.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress elicits the unfolded protein response (UPR), initially aimed at coping with the stress, but triggering cell death upon further stress. ER stress induces the C/EBP-® variant Liver-enriched Activating Protein (LAP), followed by the dominant-negative variant, Liver Inhibitory Protein (LIP). However, the distinct role of LAP and LIP in ER stress is unknown. We found that the kinetics of the ER stress-induced expression of LIP overlapped with that of the cell death in mouse B16 melanoma cells. Furthermore, inducible over-expression of LIP augmented ER stress-triggered cell death whereas over-expression of LAP attenuated cell death. Similar results were obtained in human 293T cells. Limited vasculature in tumors triggers hypoxia, nutrient shortage and accumulation of toxic metabolites, all of which eliciting continuous ER stress. We found that LAP promoted and LIP inhibited B16 melanoma tumor progression without affecting angiogenesis or accelerating the cell cycle. Rather, LAP attenuated, whereas LIP augmented tumor ER stress. We therefore suggest that C/EBP-® regulates the transition from the protective to the death–promoting phase of the UPR. We further suggest that the over-expression of LAP observed in many solid tumors promotes tumor progression by attenuating ER stress–triggered tumor cell death.

Neurospora crassa dbf-2 encodes an NDR (nuclear Dbf2-related) protein kinase, homologous to LATS1, a core component of the Hippo pathway. This pathway plays important roles in restraining cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis in differentiating cells. Here, we demonstrate that DBF-2 is involved in three fundamental processes in a filamentous fungus: cell cycle regulation, glycogen biosynthesis, and conidiation. DBF-2 is predominantly localized to the nucleus, and most (approximately 60%) dbf-2 null mutant nuclei are delayed in mitosis, indicating that DBF-2 activity is required for properly completing the cell cycle. The dbf-2 mutant exhibits reduced basal hyphal extension rates accompanied by a carbon/nitrogen ratio-dependent bursting of hyphal tips, vast glycogen leakage, defects in aerial hypha formation, and impairment of all three asexual conidiation pathways in N. crassa. Our findings also indicate that DBF-2 is essential for sexual reproduction in a filamentous fungus. Defects in other Hippo and glycogen metabolism pathway components (mob-1, ccr-4, mst-1, and gsk-3) share similar phenotypes such as mitotic delay and decreased CDC-2 (cell division cycle 2) protein levels, massive hyphal swellings, hyphal tip bursting, glycogen leakage, and impaired conidiation. We propose that DBF-2 functions as a link between Hippo and glycogen metabolism pathways.The nuclear Dbf2-related (NDR) protein kinases are essential components of signaling networks that control cellular processes in various organisms, including morphogenesis, exit from mitosis, cytokinesis, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis (23). Based on structural and functional conservation over long evolutionary distances, NDR kinases can be ascribed to one of two subgroups. One is comprised of mammalian NDR1/2, and the other is comprised of LATS1/2 (large tumor suppressor 1/2), as well as their orthologs and related kinases in different organisms.The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa has two NDR kinases, which representative both subgroups. These are encoded by cot-1 (colonial temperature sensitive 1; NCU07296.3) and dbf-2 (NCU09071.3). While cot-1 (an ortholog of human NDR1/2) is involved in apical hyphal cell elongation and polarity (71), the role of dbf-2 (an ortholog of human LATS1/2) is yet unknown. Additionally, significant sequence similarities (52.8%) between the catalytic domains of DBF-2 and COT-1 raise the question whether their functions or localizations overlap. COT-1 has been localized to several intracellular compartments, including the cytoplasm and nucleus, and in association with the plasma membrane and various proteins (18,19,54). The role that COT-1 plays in the formation of branched cellular structures as well as its cellular localization has been suggested to be preserved throughout evolution (54, 77). Similar conservation may also exist among DBF-2 and its orthologs, of which human LATS1 and Drosophila melanogaster WTS/LATS are, by far, the most extensively analyzed (13,45,53,74,75).Both human LATS1 and NDR1 are wide...

We investigated the value of reactive stroma as a predictor for trastuzumab resistance in patients with early HER2-positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant therapy. The pathological reactive stroma and the mRNA gene signatures that reflect reactive stroma in 209 HER2-positive breast cancer samples from the FinHer adjuvant trial were evaluated. Levels of stromal gene signatures were determined as a continuous parameter, and pathological reactive stromal findings were defined as stromal predominant breast cancer (SPBC; ≥50% stromal) and correlated with distant disease-free survival. Gene signatures associated with reactive stroma in HER2-positive early breast cancer (N = 209) were significantly associated with trastuzumab resistance in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.27 p interaction = 0.014 [DCN], HR = 1.58, p interaction = 0.027 [PLAU], HR = 1.71, p interaction = 0.019 [HER2STROMA, novel HER2 stromal signature]), but not in ERpositive tumors (HR = 0.73 p interaction = 0.47 [DCN], HR = 0.71, p interaction = 0.73 [PLAU], HR = 0.84; p interaction = 0.36 [HER2STROMA]). Pathological evaluation of HER2-positive/ER-negative tumors suggested an association between SPBC and trastuzumab resistance. Reactive stroma did not correlate with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and the expected benefit from trastuzumab in patients with high levels of TILs was pronounced only in tumors with low stromal reactivity (SPBC <50%). In conclusion, reactive stroma in HER2-positive/ER-negative early breast cancer tumors may predict resistance to adjuvant trastuzumab therapy. † A.S., M.S.-D. and R.S. contributed equally to this work Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article.

Purpose of reviewThis review will critically highlight the role of leukotrienes as mediators of renal diseases and drug nephrotoxicity. It will also discuss the recently identified mechanism of cysteinyl leukotrienes induction and action, and will propose clinical implementation of these findings.Recent findingsSince last reviewed in 1994, leukotrienes were shown to mediate drug-associated nephrotoxicity, transplant rejection and morbidity in several models of renal diseases. Although leukotrienes may be released by various infiltrating leukocytes, a recent study demonstrated that cytotoxic agents trigger production of leukotriene C4 (LTC4) in mouse kidney cells by activating a biosynthetic pathway based on microsomal glutathione-S-transferase 2 (MGST2). LTC4 then elicits nuclear accumulation of hydrogen peroxide-generating NADPH oxidase 4, leading to oxidative DNA damage and cell death. LTC4 inhibitors, commonly used as systemic asthma drugs, alleviated drug-associated damage to proximal tubular cells and attenuated mouse morbidity.SummaryCysteinyl leukotrienes released by mast cells trigger the symptoms of asthma, including bronchoconstriction and vasoconstriction. Therefore, effective leukotriene inhibitors were approved as orally administered asthma drugs. The findings that leukotrienes mediate the cytotoxicity of nephrotoxic drugs, and are involved in numerous renal diseases, suggest that such asthma drugs may ameliorate drug-induced nephrotoxicity, as well as some renal diseases.