The alterations of the cytoskeletal actin network have been implicated as a morphological effector in apoptosis. However, studies directly linking actin change to the morphological events in apoptosis are lacking. This study quantitatively examined the effect of actin alteration on the camptothecin (CPT)-induced apoptotic process in HL-60 cells. Actin alteration was induced by two distinctive types of agent: the polymerization-stimulating agent, Jasplakinolide (Jas), and the polymerization-blocking agent, cytochalasin B (CB). The actin polymerization status was measured by two complementary methods: the cell pellet-based DNase I inhibition method, and the individual cell-based quantitative fluorescence image analysis (QFIA) assay. Actin polymerization induced by Jas caused apoptosis directly. By contrast, CB, an actin polymerization-blocking agent, partially inhibited CPT-induced apoptosis. A similar inhibition of the CPT-induced apoptosis response was observed with a more specific actin depolymerization agent, cytochalasin E. The alterations of the actin polymerization status occurred in three sequential steps during the apoptotic process: first polymerization, followed by depolymerization, and finally degradation. However, compared with CPT-induced apoptosis, Jas-induced apoptosis was characterized by pronounced actin polymerization that corresponded morphologically with prominent membrane blebbing, but less apoptotic body formation. Furthermore, DNase I activity, which is normally inhibited by G-actin, was specifically detected in Jas-treated cells. These results show that the regulation of actin polymerization is an important apoptotic morphological effector, whereas the alterations of the actin polymerization status by chemicals have profound effects not only on altering the morphology of apoptotic cells, but on apoptosis induction in HL-60 cells as well.

In order to understand the conformational behavior of organic components in organic electronic devices, we have computed the torsional potentials for a library of thiophene-based heterodimers. The accuracy and efficiencies of computational methods for these organic materials were benchmarked for 11 common density functionals with three Pople basis sets against a Focal Point Analysis (FPA) on a model oligothiophene 2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]-thiophene (BTTT) system. This study establishes a set of general trends in regards to conformational preferences, as well as planarization and rotational barriers for a library comprised of common fragments found in organic materials. These gas phase structures are compared to experimental crystal structures to determine the effect of crystal packing on geometry. Finally, we analyze the structure of hole-transporting material DERDTS-TBDT and design a new oligomer likely to be planar in the solid state.

Green tea polyphenols exhibit multiple antitumor activities in various in vitro and in vivo tumor models, and the mechanisms of action are not clear. Previously, we found that green tea extract (GTE) regulates actin remodeling in different cell culture systems. Actin remodeling plays an important role in cancer cell morphology, cell adhesion, motility, and invasion. Using proteomic approaches, we found GTE-induced expression of annexin-I, a multifunctional actin binding protein, in these cell lines. In this study, we aimed to further define the functional role of GTE-induced annexin-I expression in actin remodeling, cell adhesion, and motility in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. We found that GTE stimulates the expression of annexin-I in a dose-dependent fashion. The GTE-induced annexin-I expression appears to be at the transcription level, and the increased annexin-I expression mediates actin polymerization, resulting in enhanced cell adhesion and decreased motility. Annexin-I specific interference resulted in loss of GTE-induced actin polymerization and cell adhesion, but not motility. In fact, annexin-I specific interference itself inhibited motility even without GTE. Together, annexin-I plays an important role in GTE-induced actin remodeling, and it may serve as a potential molecular target associated with the anticancer activities of green tea.

Green tea polyphenols exhibit multiple antitumor activities, and the mechanisms of action are not completely understood. Previously, we reported that green tea extract (GTE)-induced actin remolding is associated with increased cell adhesion and decreased motility in A549 lung cancer cells. To identify the cellular targets responsible for green tea-induced actin remodeling, we performed 2-DE LC-MS/MS of A549 cells before and after GTE exposure. We have identified 14 protein spots that changed in expression (!2-fold) after GTE treatment. These proteins are involved in calcium-binding, cytoskeleton and motility, metabolism, detoxification, or gene regulation. In particular we found upregulation of several genes that modulate actin remodeling and cell migration, including lamin A/C. Our data indicated that GTE-induced lamin A/C upregulation appears to be at the transcriptional level and the increased expression results in the decrease in cell motility, as confirmed by siRNA. The result of the study demonstrates that GTE alters the levels of many proteins involved in growth, motility and apoptosis of A549 cells and their identification may explain the multiple antitumor activities of GTE.

Using a multistep human urothelial model, we previously showed that green tea extract (GTE) selectively modulates actin remodeling in transformed cells (MC-T11), which resulted in increased cell adhesion and reduced cell motility (Lu et al., Clin Cancer Res 2005;11:1675-83). This study further analyzed which actin binding proteins (ABPs) might be involved in this process. Proteomic profiles of GTE treated and untreated MC-T11 cells using twodimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) identified 20 GTE-induced proteins. Among them, 3 were ABPs (tropomodulin, cofilin and annexin-I), and only annexin-I showed a dose-and time-dependent expression. The increased annexin-I correlated with actin remodeling, and was the result of transcription level up-regulation, as determined by RT-PCR, pull-down immunoblot and siRNA analyses. 5-Azacytidine, a DNA methylation inhibitor, exhibited no effect on annexin-I expression when used alone, but had an additive effect for GTE-induced annexin-I expression. Immunohistochemistry of bladder cancer tissue array showed a decrease of annexin-I expression in carcinoma in situ and low grade papillary carcinoma (n 5 32, 0% positive) compared to nontumor urothelium (n 5 18, 89% positive) (p < 0.001 by Fisher exact test), but increased in some (6 of 15, 40%) highgrade tumors. Together, GTE induced annexin-I expression plays a role in regulating actin remodeling and decreased annexin-I expression is a common event in early stage of bladder cancer development. ' 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: proteomics; green tea extract; annexin-I; actin remodeling; bladder cancer; chemoprevention Cancer chemoprevention is an important strategy for cancer control, and one of the key components of chemoprevention trial is to develop surrogate end point markers that can be used to determine a subject's risk of developing disease, to identify which patients might be benefited from the particular therapy, and to monitor the effectiveness of the therapy.1 Green tea, one of the most widely used beverages around the world, has shown promising anticancer effects on various cancers including bladder cancer.2-6 At the laboratory level, green tea extract (GTE) and some of its major catechin components such as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) can produce a broad range of biological activities in various cell models, including antiproliferation, antioxidation, antiangiogenesis, apoptosis induction and the inhibition of DNA methyltransferase. 7,8 Whereas GTE based chemoprevention trials are currently ongoing for a number of human cancers including cancers of bladder and breast, there is no specific surrogate markers identified for these trials.Using a unique in vitro multistep human urothelial carcinogenic model (HUC), we recently demonstrated that GTE induces actin remodeling. 9 The HUC model we used consists of 2 cell lines derived from the same normal human urothelial clone, whic...