Inhibition of ERN1 (endoplasmic reticulum to nuclei 1), the major signalling pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress, significantly decreases tumor growth. We have studied the expression of tumor protein 53 (TP53)- related genes such as TOPORS (topoisomerase I binding, arginine/serine-rich, E3 ubiquitin protein ligase), TP53BP1 (TP53 binding protein 1), TP53BP2, SESN1 (sestrin 1), NME6 (non-metastatic cells 6), and ZMAT3 (zinc finger, Matrin-type 3) in glioma cells expressing dominantnegative ERN1 under baseline and hypoxic conditions. We demonstrated that inhibition of ERN1 function in U87 glioma cells resulted in increased expression of RYBP, TP53BP2, and SESN1 genes, but decreased expression of TP53BP1, TOPORS, NME6, and ZMAT3 genes. Moreover, inhibition of ERN1 affected hypoxia-mediated changes in expression of TP53-related genes and their magnitude. Indeed, hypoxia has no effect on expression of TP53BP1 and SESN1 in control cells, while resulted in increased expression of these genes in cells with inhibited ERN1 function. Magnitude of hypoxia-mediated changes in expression levels of RYBP and TP53BP2 was gene specific and more robust in the case of TP53BP2. Hypoxiamediated decrease in expression levels of TOPORS was more prominent if ERN1 was inhibited. Present study demonstrates that fine-tuning of the expression of TP53- associated genes depends upon endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling under normal and hypoxic conditions. Inhibition of ERN1 branch of endoplasmic reticulum stress response correlates with deregulation of p53 signaling and slower tumor growth.

The expression of retinoblastoma and several retinoblastoma-related genes was studied in glioma cell line U87 and its subline with knockdown of ERN1 (endoplasmic reticulum-nuclei-1), the main endoplasmic reticulum stress sensing and signaling enzyme. It was shown that a blockade of the ERN1 enzyme function increases the expression levels of retinoblastoma, retinoblastoma-like 1 and most retinoblastoma related genes: EID1, JARID1B, E2F1, E2F3, RBAP48 and CTIP, does not change RNF40 and RBAP46 and decreases KDM5A. We have also demonstrated that hypoxia reduces the expression levels of retinoblastoma, EID1, and E2F1 in ERN1-deficient glioma cells only. At the same time, the expression levels of retinoblastoma-like 1, E2F3, RBAP46, RBAP48 and CTIP decrease, while JARID1B and RBBP2 increase in both types of cells in hypoxic conditions, but the expression is much stronger in cells with suppressed function of ERN1. The expression level of JARID1B and KDM-5A mRNA is also enhanced in glutamine deprivation condition in both tested cell types, moreover, this effect is amplified by the blockade of the ERN1 enzyme function. The expression levels of retinoblastoma, EID1, RBAP48, and E2F3 are decreased in glutamine deprivation condition only in ERN1-deficient glioma cells, but RBL1, CTIP, RBAP46, and E2F1-in both tested cell types with more significant effect in ERN1-deficient cells. Glucose deprivation condition leads to a decrease of expression levels of retinoblastoma, RBL1, E2F3, RBAP46, and RBAP48 in both used cell types and of EID1 and E2F1 only in glioma cells with suppressed function of signaling enzyme ERN1. Thus, expression levels of retinoblastoma and most retinoblastoma-related genes are increased under a blockade of ERN1 enzyme function and significantly changed in hypoxia, glucose or glutamine deprivation conditions both in control U87 cells and ERN1-deficient cells, but inhibition of the unfolded protein response sensor ERN1 predominantly enhances these effects. Moreover, it is possible that the induction of the expression of retinoblastoma and most retinoblastomarelated genes after knockdown of ERN1 plays an important role in suppression of glioma proliferation.

The endoplasmic reticulum-nuclei-1 (ERN1) sensing and signaling enzyme mediates a set of complex intracellular signaling events known as the unfolded protein response. We have studied the effect of hypoxia and ischemic conditions (glucose or glutamine deprivation) on the expression of several casein kinase-1 and -2 genes in glioma U87 cells and its subline with suppressed function of ERN1. It was shown that blockade of ERN1, the key endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor, leads to an increase in the expression levels of casein kinase-1G2, -1E, -2B and NUCKS1 mRNA, but suppresses casein kinase-1A1, -1D and -2A1. Moreover, the expression levels of casein kinase-1A1, -1D and 1G3 as well as casein kinase-2A1 and -2A2 mRNAs are significantly increased under glutamine deprivation conditions both in control and ERN1-deficient glioma cells. At the same time, casein kinase-1E, -2B and NUCKS1 mRNA expression levels are also increased under this condition, but only in cells with suppressed function of ERN1. The expression level of NUCKS1 mRNA, however, is decreased both in control glioma cells and in genetically modified cells, but casein kinase-1G2-only in control U87 cells. Cell exposure to glucose deprivation conditions enhances the expression levels of casein kinase-1D, 1G3, -1E and -2A1 in both types of glioma cells used, but casein kinase-2B expression levels increase only in cells with suppressed function of ERN1. Hypoxia induces or suppresses the expression of most of the studied genes mainly in ERN1-knockdown cells only. Results of this study show that hypoxia as well as glutamine and glucose deprivation conditions change the expression level most of casein kinase genes and that these effects are dependent on ERN1 signaling enzyme function.