A release mechanism for stored ATP in ocular ciliary epithelial cells

Purines can modify ciliary epithelial secretion of aqueous humor into the eye. The source of the purinergic agonists acting in the ciliary epithelium, as in many epithelial tissues, is unknown. We found that the fluorescent ATP marker quinacrine stained rabbit and bovine ciliary epithelia but not the nerve fibers in the ciliary bodies. Cultured bovine pigmented and nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells also stained intensely when incubated with quinacrine. Hypotonic stimulation of cultured epithelial cells increased the extracellular ATP concentration by 3-fold; this measurement underestimates actual release as the cells also displayed ecto-ATPase activity. The hypotonically triggered increase in ATP was inhibited by the Cl−-channel blocker 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) in both cell types. In contrast, the P-glycoprotein inhibitors tamoxifen and verapamil and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) blockers glybenclamide and diphenylamine-2-carboxylate did not affect ATP release from either cell type. This pharmacological profile suggests that ATP release is not restricted to P-glycoprotein or the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, but can proceed through a route sensitive to NPPB. ATP release also was triggered by ionomycin through a different NPPB-insensitive mechanism, inhibitable by the calcium/calmodulin-activated kinase II inhibitor KN-62. Thus, both layers of the ciliary epithelium store and release ATP, and purines likely modulate aqueous humor flow by paracrine and/or autocrine mechanisms within the two cell layers of this epithelium.

Spatio-temporally controlled site-specific somatic mutagenesis in the mouse

The efficient introduction of somatic mutations in a given gene, at a given time, in a specific cell type will facilitate studies of gene function and the generation of animal models for human diseases. We have shown previously that conditional recombination–excision between two loxP sites can be achieved in mice by using the Cre recombinase fused to a mutated ligand binding domain of the human estrogen receptor (Cre-ERT), which binds tamoxifen but not estrogens. DNA excision was induced in a number of tissues after administration of tamoxifen to transgenic mice expressing Cre-ERT under the control of the cytomegalovirus promoter. However, the efficiency of excision varied between tissues, and the highest level (≈40%) was obtained in the skin. To determine the efficiency of excision mediated by Cre-ERT in a given cell type, we have now crossed Cre-ERT-expressing mice with reporter mice in which expression of Escherichia coli β-galactosidase can be induced through Cre-mediated recombination. The efficiency and kinetics of this recombination were analyzed at the cellular level in the epidermis of 6- to 8-week-old double transgenic mice. We show that site-specific excision occurred within a few days of tamoxifen treatment in essentially all epidermis cells expressing Cre-ERT. These results indicate that cell-specific expression of Cre-ERT in transgenic mice can be used for efficient tamoxifen-dependent, Cre-mediated recombination at loci containing loxP sites to generate site-specific somatic mutations in a spatio-temporally controlled manner.

Molecular determinants of tissue selectivity in estrogen receptor modulators

Interaction of the estrogen receptor/ligand complex with a DNA estrogen response element is known to regulate gene transcription. In turn, specific conformations of the receptor-ligand complex have been postulated to influence unique subsets of estrogen-responsive genes resulting in differential modulation and, ultimately, tissue-selective outcomes. The estrogen receptor ligands raloxifene and tamoxifen have demonstrated such tissue-specific estrogen agonist/antagonist effects. Both agents antagonize the effects of estrogen on mammary tissue while mimicking the actions of estrogen on bone. However, tamoxifen induces significant stimulation of uterine tissue whereas raloxifene does not. We postulate that structural differences between raloxifene and tamoxifen may influence the conformations of their respective receptor/ligand complexes, thereby affecting which estrogen-responsive genes are modulated in various tissues. These structural differences are 4-fold: (A) the presence of phenolic hydroxyls, (B) different substituents on the basic amine, (C) incorporation of the stilbene moiety into a cyclic benzothiophene framework, and (D) the imposition of a carbonyl “hinge” between the basic amine-containing side chain and the olefin. A series of raloxifene analogs that separately exemplify each of these differences have been prepared and evaluated in a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. This strategy has resulted in the development of a pharmacophore model that attributes the differences in effects on the uterus between raloxifene and tamoxifen to a low-energy conformational preference imparting an orthogonal orientation of the basic side chain with respect to the stilbene plane. This three-dimensional array is dictated by a single carbon atom in the hinge region of raloxifene. These data indicate that differences in tissue selective actions among benzothiophene and triarylethylene estrogen receptor modulators can be ascribed to discrete ligand conformations.

An efficient system for conditional gene expression in embryonic stem cells and in their in vitro and in vivo differentiated derivatives

We have developed a universally applicable system for conditional gene expression in embryonic stem (ES) cells that relies on tamoxifen-dependent Cre recombinase-loxP site-mediated recombination and bicistronic gene-trap expression vectors that allow transgene expression from endogenous cellular promoters. Two vectors were introduced into the genome of recipient ES cells, successively: (i) a bicistronic gene-trap vector encoding the β-galactosidase/neoR fusion protein and the Cre-ERT2 (Cre recombinase fused to a mutated ligand-binding domain of the human estrogen receptor) and (ii) a bicistronic gene-trap vector encoding the hygroR protein and the human alkaline phosphatase (hAP), the expression of which is prevented by tandemly repeated stop-of-transcription sequences flanked by loxP sites. In selected clones, hAP expression was shown to be regulated accurately by 4′hydroxy-tamoxifen. Strict hormone-dependent expression of hAP was achieved (i) in vitro in undifferentiated ES cells and embryoid bodies, (ii) in vivo in virtually all the tissues of the 10-day-old chimeric fetus (after injection of 4′hydroxy-tamoxifen to foster mothers), and (iii) ex vivo in primary embryonic fibroblasts isolated from chimeric fetuses. Therefore, this approach can be applied to drive conditional expression of virtually any transgene in a large variety of cell types, both in vitro and in vivo.

Selective ablation of retinoid X receptor α in hepatocytes impairs their lifespan and regenerative capacity

Retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are involved in a number of signaling pathways as heterodimeric partners of numerous nuclear receptors. Hepatocytes express high levels of the RXRα isotype, as well as several of its putative heterodimeric partners. Germ-line disruption (knockout) of RXRα has been shown to be lethal in utero, thus precluding analysis of its function at later life stages. Hepatocyte-specific disruption of RXRα during liver organogenesis has recently revealed that the presence of hepatocytes is not mandatory for the mouse, at least under normal mouse facility conditions, even though a number of metabolic events are impaired [Wan, Y.-J., et al. (2000) Mol. Cell. Biol. 20, 4436–4444]. However, it is unknown whether RXRα plays a role in the control of hepatocyte proliferation and lifespan. Here, we report a detailed analysis of the liver of mice in which RXRα was selectively ablated in adult hepatocytes by using the tamoxifen-inducible chimeric Cre recombinase system. Our results show that the lifespan of adult hepatocytes lacking RXRα is shorter than that of their wild-type counterparts, whereas proliferative hepatocytes of regenerating liver exhibit an even shorter lifespan. These lifespan shortenings are accompanied by increased polyploidy and multinuclearity. We conclude that RXRα plays important cell-autonomous function(s) in the mechanism(s) involved in the lifespan of hepatocytes and liver regeneration.

Aromatase (Cyp19) expression is up-regulated by targeted disruption of Dax1

DAX-1 [dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) critical region on the X chromosome, gene 1] is an orphan nuclear receptor that represses transcription by steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), a factor that regulates expression of multiple steroidogenic enzymes and other genes involved in reproduction. Mutations in the human DAX1 gene (also known as AHC) cause the X-linked syndrome AHC, a disorder that is associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism also. Characterization of Dax1-deficient male mice revealed primary testicular defects that included Leydig cell hyperplasia (LCH) and progressive degeneration of the germinal epithelium, leading to infertility. In this study, we investigated the effect of Dax1 disruption on the expression profile of various steroidogenic enzyme genes in Leydig cells isolated from Dax1-deficient male mice. Expression of the aromatase (Cyp19) gene, which encodes the enzyme that converts testosterone to estradiol, was increased significantly in the Leydig cells isolated from mutant mice, whereas the expression of other proteins (e.g., StAR and Cyp11a) was not altered. In in vitro transfection studies, DAX-1 repressed the SF-1-mediated transactivation of the Cyp19 promoter but did not inhibit the StAR or Cyp11a promoters. Elevated Cyp19 expression was accompanied by increased intratesticular levels of estradiol. Administration of tamoxifen, a selective estrogen-receptor modulator, restored fertility to the Dax1-deficient male mice and partially corrected LCH, suggesting that estrogen excess contributes to LCH and infertility. Based on these in vivo and in vitro analyses, aromatase seems to be a physiologic target of Dax-1 in Leydig cells, and increased Cyp19 expression may account, in part, for the infertility and LCH in Dax1-deficient mice.

4-Hydroxytamoxifen binds to and deactivates the estrogen-related receptor γ

The estrogen-related receptors (ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ) form a family of orphan nuclear receptors that share significant amino acid identity with the estrogen receptors, but for which physiologic roles remain largely unknown. By using a peptide sensor assay, we have identified the stilbenes diethylstilbestrol (DES), tamoxifen (TAM), and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) as high-affinity ligands for ERRγ. In direct binding assays, 4-OHT had a Kd value of 35 nM, and both DES and TAM displaced radiolabeled 4-OHT with Ki values of 870 nM. In cell-based assays, 4-OHT binding caused a dissociation of the complex between ERRγ and the steroid receptor coactivator-1, and led to an inhibition of the constitutive transcriptional activity of ERRγ. ERRα did not bind 4-OHT, but replacing a single amino acid predicted to be in the ERRα ligand-binding pocket with the corresponding ERRγ residue allowed high-affinity 4-OHT binding. These results demonstrate the existence of high-affinity ligands for the ERR family of orphan receptors, and identify 4-OHT as a molecule that can regulate the transcriptional activity of ERRγ.

Ligand-activated site-specific recombination in mice.

Current mouse gene targeting technology is unable to introduce somatic mutations at a chosen time and/or in a given tissue. We report here that conditional site-specific recombination can be achieved in mice using a new version of the Cre/lox system. The Cre recombinase has been fused to a mutated ligand-binding domain of the human estrogen receptor (ER) resulting in a tamoxifen-dependent Cre recombinase, Cre-ERT, which is activated by tamoxifen, but not by estradiol. Transgenic mice were generated expressing Cre-ERT under the control of a cytomegalovirus promoter. We show that excision of a chromosomally integrated gene flanked by loxP sites can be induced by administration of tamoxifen to these transgenic mice, whereas no excision could be detected in untreated animals. This conditional site-specific recombination system should allow the analysis of knockout phenotypes that cannot be addressed by conventional gene targeting.

Estrogen reduces atherosclerotic lesion development in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

We have studied the effects of endogenous and exogenous estrogen on atherosclerotic lesions in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Female mice ovariectomized (OVX) at weaning displayed increases (P < 0.01) in fatty streak lesions in the proximal aorta and aortic sinus compared with female mice with intact ovarian function. These differences between the OVX and sham controls were apparent in both chow- and "Western-type" diet-fed mice. Moreover, increases in lesion size following OVX occurred without changes in plasma cholesterol. Hormone replacement with subdermal 17-beta-estradiol pellets releasing either 6, 14, or 28 micrograms/day significantly decreased (P < 0.001) atherosclerotic lesion area in both male and OVX female mice. In contrast, neither 17-alpha-estradiol (28 micrograms/day) or tamoxifen (85 micrograms/day) affected lesion progression in OVX female mice. In the Western diet-fed group, exogenous estradiol markedly reduced plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, whereas, in animals fed the chow diet, exogenous estrogen and tamoxifen treatment only decreased plasma and very low density lipoprotein triglycerides. However, lesion area was only weakly correlated with plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, 0.35 and 0.44 tau values, respectively (P < 0.01). In summary, in the apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse 17-beta-estradiol protects against atherosclerotic lesion formation, and this can only be partially explained through effects on plasma lipoprotein levels.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging reveals stress-induced angiogenesis in MCF7 human breast tumors.

The mechanism of contrast enhancement of tumors using magnetic resonance imaging was investigated in MCF7 human breast cancer implanted in nude mice. Dynamic contrast-enhanced images recorded at high spatial resolution were analyzed by an image analysis method based on a physiological model, which included the blood circulation, the tumor, the remaining tissues, and clearance via the kidneys. This analysis enabled us to map in rapidly enhancing regions within the tumor, the capillary permeability factor (capillary permeability times surface area per voxel volume) and the fraction of leakage space. Correlation of these maps with T2-weighted spin echo images, with histopathology, and with immunohistochemical staining of endothelial cells demonstrated the presence of dense permeable microcapillaries in the tumor periphery and in intratumoral regions that surrounded necrotic loci. The high leakage from the intratumoral permeable capillaries indicated an induction of a specific angiogenic process associated with stress conditions that cause necrosis. This induction was augmented in tumors responding to tamoxifen treatment. Determination of the distribution and extent of this stress-induced angiogenic activity by contrast-enhanced MRI might be of diagnostic and of prognostic value.

Ethinylestradiol does not enhance the expression of nitric oxide synthase in bovine endothelial cells but increases the release of bioactive nitric oxide by inhibiting superoxide anion production.

Estradiol is known to exert a protective effect against the development of atherosclerosis, but the mechanism by which this protection is mediated is unclear. Since animal studies strongly suggest that production of endothelium-derived relaxing factor is enhanced by estradiol, we have examined the effect of estrogens on nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) activity, protein, and mRNA in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. In reporter cells rich in guanylate cyclase, it has been observed that long-term treatment (> or = 24 hr) with ethinylestradiol (EE2) dose-dependently increased guanylate cyclase-activating factor activity in the conditioned medium of endothelial cells. However, conversion of L-[14C]arginine to L-[14C]citrulline by endothelial cell homogenate or quantification of nitrite and nitrate released by intact cells in the conditioned medium did not reveal any change in NOS activity induced by EE2 treatment. Similarly, Western and Northern blot analyses did not reveal any change in the endothelial NOS protein and mRNA content in response to EE2. However, EE2 dose- and time-dependently decreased superoxide anion production in the conditioned medium of endothelial cells with an EC50 value (0.1 nM) close to that which increased guanylate cyclase-activating factor activity (0.5 nM). Both of these effects were completely prevented by the antiestrogens tamoxifen and RU54876. Thus, endothelium exposure to estrogens appears to induce a receptor-mediated antioxidant effect that enhances the biological activity of endothelium-derived NO. These effects could account at least in part for the vascular protective properties of these hormones.

Specific mutations in the estrogen receptor change the properties of antiestrogens to full agonists.

The estrogen receptor (ER) stimulates transcription of target genes by means of its two transcriptional activation domains, AF-1 in the N-terminal part of the receptor and AF-2 in its ligand-binding domain. AF-2 activity is dependent upon a putative amphipathic alpha-helix between residues 538 and 552 in the mouse ER. Point mutagenesis of conserved hydrophobic residues within this region reduces estrogen-dependent transcriptional activation without affecting hormone and DNA binding significantly. Here we show that these mutations dramatically alter the pharmacology of estrogen antagonists. Both tamoxifen and ICI 164,384 behave as strong agonists in HeLa cells expressing the ER mutants. In contrast to the wild-type ER, the mutant receptors maintain nuclear localization and DNA-binding activity after ICI 164,384 treatment. Structural alterations in AF-2 caused by gene mutations such as those described herein or by estrogen-independent signaling pathways may account for the insensitivity of some breast cancers to tamoxifen treatment.

Evaluation of oestrogen and progesterone receptor status in HER-2 positive breast carcinomas and correlation with outcome

Aim: HER-2/neu amplification occurs in 15-25% of breast carcinomas. This oncogene, also referred to as c-erbB-2, encodes a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor belonging to the epidermal growth factor receptor family. HER-2 over-expression is reported to be associated with a poor prognosis in breast carcinoma patients and in some studies is associated with a poorer response to anti-oestrogen therapy. These patients are less likely to benefit from CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil)-based chemotherapy compared with anthracycline-based chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate breast carcinomas to determine hormone receptor status and if there is a difference in breast cancer specific survival for HER-2 positive patients. Methods: A total of 591 breast carcinomas were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for oestrogen receptor (ERp), progesterone receptor (PRp) and three different HER2 antibodies (CB11, A0485 and TAB250). Percentage of tumour cells and intensity of staining for ERp were evaluated using a semiquantitative method. Results: Of the 591 tumours, 91 (15.4%) showed 3+ membrane staining for HER-2 with one or more antibodies. Of these 91 tumours, 41 (45.1%) were ERp+/ PRp+, seven (7.7%) were ERp+/PR-, six (6.6%) were ERp-/PRp+ and 37 (40.7%) were ERp-/PR-. Of HER-2 positive tumours, 5.5% showed > 80% 3+ staining for ERp compared with 31.8% of 0-2+ HER-2 tumours; 24.2% of HER-2-positive tumours showed 60% or more cells with 2+ or 3+ staining for ERp. Treatment data were available for 209 patients and no difference was observed in breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) with HER-2 status and tamoxifen. Conclusion: Oestrogen receptor status cannot be used to select tumours for evaluation of HER-2 status, and oestrogen and progesterone receptor positivity does not preclude a positive HER-2 status. There is a higher proportion of ERp negative tumours associated with HER-2 positivity, however, more than 20% of HER-2 positive tumours show moderate or strong staining for ERp. HER-2 positive patients in this study did not show an adverse BCSS with tamoxifen treatment unlike some previous studies.

Receptor for activated C Kinase 1 protein binds to and activates the human estrogen receptor α

The classical concept of estrogen receptor (ER) activation is that steroid passes the cell membrane, binds to its specific protein receptor in the cell's cytoplasm and the steroid-receptor complex travels to the nucleus where it activates responsive genes. This basic idea has been challenged by results of experiments demonstrating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) activation of the ER in the complete absence of estrogen suggesting at least one other mechanism of ER activation not involving steroid. One explanation is that activation of the cell surface IGF-1 receptor leads to synthesis of an intracellular protein(s) able to bind to and stimulate the ER. Based on results using the two-hybrid system, coimmunoprecipitation and transfection-luciferase assays, we herein show that one of these proteins could well be receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK-1). Using the human ER type α (ER-α) as bait, a cloned complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) library from IGF-1 treated human breast cancer MCF-7 cells was screened for ER-α - protein interactions. Many positive clones were obtained which contained the RACK-1 cDNA sequence. Coimmunoprecipitation of in-vitro translation products of the ER-α and RACK-1 confirmed the interaction between the two proteins. Transfection studies using the estrogen response element spliced to a luciferase reporter gene revealed that constitutive RACK-1 expression was able to powerfully stimulate ER-α activity under estrogen-free conditions. This effect could be enhanced by 17β-estradiol (E2) and blocked by tamoxifen, an E2 antagonist. These results show that RACK-1 is able to activate the ER-α in the absence of E2, although together with the latter, enhanced effects occur. Since RACK-1 gene expression is stimulated by IGF-1, it is distinctly possible that RACK-1 is the mediator of the stimulatory effects of IGF-1 on ER-α. © 2014 JMS.

Thioredoxin and Jab1 control estrogen- and antiestrogen-mediated progression of the cell cycle through p27 interactions

A major problem with breast cancer treatment is the prevalence of antiestrogen resistance, be it de novo or acquired after continued use. Many of the underlying mechanisms of antiestrogen resistance are not clear, although estrogen receptor-mediated actions have been identified as a pathway that is blocked by antiestrogens. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), such as tamoxifen, are capable of producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) through metabolic activation, and these ROS, at high levels, can induce irreversible growth arrest that is similar to the growth arrest incurred by SERMs. This suggests that SERM-mediated growth arrest may also be through ROS accumulation. Breast cancer receiving long-term antiestrogen treatment appears to adapt to this increased, persistent level of ROS. This, in turn, leads to the disruption of reversible redox signaling that involves redox-sensitive phosphatases and protein kinases and transcription factors. This has downstream consequences for apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and cell metabolism. For this dissertation, we explored if altering the ROS formed by tamoxifen also alters sensitivity of the drug in resistant cells. We explored an association with a thioredoxin/Jab1/p27 pathway, and a possible role of dysregulation of thioredoxin-mediated redox regulation contributing to the development of antiestrogen resistance in breast cancer. We used standard laboratory techniques to perform proteomic assays that showed cell proliferation, protein concentrations, redox states, and protein-protein interactions. We found that increasing thioredoxin reductase levels, and thus increasing the amount of reduced thioredoxin, increased tamoxifen sensitivity in previously resistant cells, as well as altered estrogen and tamoxifen-induced ROS. We also found that decreasing levels of Jab1 protein also increased tamoxifen sensitivity, and that the downstream effects showed a decrease p27 phosphorylation in both cases. We conclude that the chronic use of tamoxifen can lead to an increase in ROS that alters cell signaling and causing cell growth in the presence of tamoxifen, and that this resistant cell growth can be reversed with an alteration to the thioredoxin/Jab1 pathway.