The incidence of cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) is increasing worldwide. Using a transgenic mouse model, we found that expression of the intracellular domain of Notch 1 (NICD) in mouse livers results in the formation of intrahepatic CCCs. These tumors display features of bipotential hepatic progenitor cells, indicating that intrahepatic CCC can originate from this cell type. We show that human and mouse CCCs are characterized by high expression of the cyclin E protein and identified the cyclin E gene as a direct transcriptional target of the Notch signaling pathway. Intriguingly, blocking γ-secretase activity in human CCC xenotransplants results in downregulation of cyclin E expression, induction of apoptosis, and tumor remission in vivo.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial components of homeostatic and developmental gene regulation. In turn, dysregulation of miRNA expression is a common feature of different types of cancer, which can be harnessed therapeutically. Here we identify miR-139-5p suppression across several cytogenetically defined acute myeloid leukemia (AML) subgroups. The promoter of mir-139 was transcriptionally silenced and could be reactivated by histone deacetylase inhibitors in a dose-dependent manner. Restoration of mir-139 expression in cell lines representing the major AML subgroups (t[8;21], inv[16], mixed lineage leukemia-rearranged and complex karyotype AML) caused cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro and in xenograft mouse models in vivo. During normal hematopoiesis, mir-139 is exclusively expressed in terminally differentiated neutrophils and macrophages. Ectopic expression of mir-139 repressed proliferation of normal CD34(+)-hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and perturbed myelomonocytic in vitro differentiation. Mechanistically, mir-139 exerts its effects by repressing the translation initiation factor EIF4G2, thereby reducing overall protein synthesis while specifically inducing the translation of cell cycle inhibitor p27(Kip1). Knockdown of EIF4G2 recapitulated the effects of mir-139, whereas restoring EIF4G2 expression rescued the mir-139 phenotype. Moreover, elevated miR-139-5p expression is associated with a favorable outcome in a cohort of 165 pediatric patients with AML. Thus, mir-139 acts as a global tumor suppressor-miR in AML by controlling protein translation. As AML cells are dependent on high protein synthesis rates controlling the expression of mir-139 constitutes a novel path for the treatment of AML.

In the original article, which shows that the expression of Notch-ICD leads to the formation of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, there is a duplication of actin blots in Figures 2G, 6F, and S2F.

IntroductionWe have shown that the radio sensitizer DCQ enhances sensitivity of HCT116 human colon cancer cells to hypoxia. However, it is not known whether the p53 or p21 genes influence cellular response to DCQ. In this study, we used HCT116 that are either wildtype for p53 and p21, null for p53 or null for p21 to understand the role of these genes in DCQ toxicity.MethodsHCT116 cells were exposed to DCQ and incubated under normoxia or hypoxia and the viability, colony forming ability, DNA damage and apoptotic responses of these cells was determined, in addition to the modulation of HIF-1α and of p53, p21, caspase-2, and of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) target PIDD-C.ResultsDCQ decreased colony forming ability and viability of all HCT116 cells to a greater extent under hypoxia than normoxia and the p21-/-cell line was most sensitive. Cells had different HIF-1α responses to hypoxia and/or drug treatment. In p53+/+, DCQ significantly inhibited the hypoxia-induced increases in HIF-1α protein, in contrast to the absence of a significant HIF-1α increase or modulation by DCQ in p21-/- cells. In p53-/- cells, 10 μM DCQ significantly reduced HIF-1α expression, especially under hypoxia, despite the constitutive expression of this protein in control cells. Higher DCQ doses induced PreG1-phase increase and apoptosis, however, lower doses caused mitotic catastrophe. In p53+/+ cells, apoptosis correlated with the increased expression of the pro-apoptotic caspase-2 and inhibition of the pro-survival protein PIDD-C. Exposure of p53+/+ cells to DCQ induced single strand breaks and triggered the activation of the nuclear kinase ATM by phosphorylation at Ser-1981 in all cell cycle phases. On the other hand, no drug toxicity to normal FHs74 Int human intestinal cell line was observed.ConclusionsCollectively, our findings indicate that DCQ reduces the colony survival of HCT116 and induces apoptosis even in cells that are null for p53 or p21, which makes it a molecule of clinical significance, since many resistant colon tumors harbor mutations in p53.

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