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Rationale: Heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH) is primarily caused by mutations of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type-II receptor (BMPR2). Recent identification of mutations in the downstream mediator Smad-8 (gene, SMAD9) was surprising, because loss of Smad-8 function in canonical BMP signaling is largely compensated by Smad-1 and -5. We therefore hypothesized that noncanonical pathways may play an important role in PAH. Objectives: To determine whether HPAH mutations disrupt noncanonical Smad-mediated microRNA (miR) processing. Methods: Expression of miR-21, miR-27a, and miR-100 was studied in pulmonary artery endothelial (PAEC) and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) from explant lungs of patients with PAH. Measurements and Main Results: SMAD9 mutation completely abrogated miR induction, whereas canonical signaling was only reduced by one-third. miR-21 levels actually decreased, suggesting that residual canonical signaling uses up or degrades existing miR-21. BMPR2 mutations also led to loss of miR induction in two of three cases. HPAH cells proliferated faster than other PAH or controls. miR-21 and miR-27a each showed antiproliferative effects in PAEC and PASMC, and PAEC growth rate after BMP treatment correlated strongly with miR-21 fold-change. Overexpression of SMAD9 corrected miR processing and reversed the hyperproliferative phenotype. Conclusions: HPAH-associated mutations engender a primary defect in noncanonical miR processing, whereas canonical BMP signaling is partially maintained. Smad-8 is essential for this miR pathway and its loss was not complemented by Smad-1 and -5; this may represent the first nonredundant role for Smad-8. Induction of miR-21 and miR-27a may be a critical component of BMP-induced growth suppression, loss of which likely contributes to vascular cell proliferation in HPAH.Keywords: bone morphogenetic protein signaling; mutation; endothelium; smooth muscle Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a sustained elevation of pulmonary artery pressure resulting from vascular remodeling and vessel narrowing that progressively obliterates the precapillary pulmonary arteries. It may be idiopathic (IPAH) or associated with an underlying condition, such as collagen vascular disease or congenital heart defect (APAH). After a recent reclassification, individuals with an identifiable genetic mutation or known family history are grouped together as heritable PAH (HPAH) (1). The primary genetic predisposition is a heterozygous mutation of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor type-II (BMPR-II; gene symbol, BMPR2) (2-5). Recently, mutations affecting Smad-8 (gene symbol, SMAD9), a downstream mediator of BMP signaling, were also reported (6). Smad-8 is closely related to two other mediators, Smad-1 and -5, which are collectively known as the receptor Smads (R-Smads). In canonical BMP signaling, R-Smads are phosphorylated by the activated receptor complex, whereupon they associate with Smad-4 and translocate to the nucleus. Given this functional overlap betw...

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells frequently harbor amplification and/or gain-of-function mutation of the EGFR gene leading to the activation of multiple signaling pathways. Blockade of EGFR activation inhibited the activation of both AKT and Stat3 in U87 and D54 GBM cells and induced spontaneous apoptosis, which were associated with reduction in the steady-state level of Mcl-1. Surprisingly, inhibition of PI3 kinase (PI3K) activity, which in turn inhibited AKT activation, significantly increased the DNA-binding activity of Stat3 in U87 and D54 cells. This was not due to an increase in the level of tyrosine-phosphorylated Stat3. Conversely, ectopic expression of constitutively activated AKT significantly decreased the DNA-binding activity of Stat3 in 293T cells. Interestingly, blockade of protein phosphatase 2A activity in GBM or 293T cells by calyculin A, which activated AKT, stabilized the phosphorylation of multiple Ser/Thr residues that were located in the transactivation domain (TAD) of Stat3 and this in turn completely ablated the DNA-binding activity of Stat3. Collectively, these results suggest that both Stat3 and AKT provide survival signals in U87 and D54 cells, and Ser/Thr phosphorylation of Stat3-TAD by the PI3K-AKT pathway negatively controls the DNA-binding function of Stat3.

Purpose Wilms tumor is a childhood cancer of the kidney with an incidence of ~1 in 10,000. Co-occurrence of Wilms tumor with 2q37 deletion syndrome, an uncommon constitutional chromosome abnormality, has previously been reported in three children. Given these are independently rare clinical entities, we hypothesized that 2q37 harbors a tumor suppressor gene important in Wilms tumor pathogenesis. Experimental Design To test this, we performed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis in a panel of 226 sporadic Wilms tumor samples and mutation analysis of candidate genes. Results LOH was present in at least 4% of cases. Two tumors harbored homozygous deletions at 2q37.1, supporting the presence of a tumor suppressor gene that follows a classical two-hit model. However, no other evidence of second mutations was found, suggesting that heterozygous deletion alone may be sufficient to promote tumorigenesis in concert with other genomic abnormalities. We show that miR-562, a microRNA within the candidate region, is expressed only in kidney and colon and regulates EYA1, a critical gene for renal development. miR-562 expression is reduced in Wilms tumor and may contribute to tumorigenesis by deregulating EYA1. Two other candidate regions were localized at 2q37.3 and 2qter but available data from patients with constitutional deletions suggest these probably do not confer a high risk for Wilms tumor. Conclusions Our data support the presence of a tumor suppressor gene at 2q37.1 and suggest that in individuals with constitutional 2q37 deletions, any increased risk for developing Wilms tumor likely correlates with deletions encompassing 2q37.1.