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Oncogenic intercellular signaling is regulated by extracellular vesicles (EVs), but the underlying mechanisms remain mostly unclear. Since TCTP (translationally controlled tumor protein) is an EV component, we investigated whether it has a role in genotoxic stress signaling and malignant transformation. By generating a Tctp-inducible knockout mouse model (Tctp–/f–), we report that Tctp is required for genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis signaling via small EVs (sEVs). Human breast cancer cells knocked-down for TCTP show impaired spontaneous EV secretion, thereby reducing sEV-dependent malignant growth. Since Trp53–/– mice are prone to tumor formation, we derived tumor cells from Trp53–/–;Tctp–/f– double mutant mice and describe a drastic decrease in tumori-genicity with concomitant decrease in sEV secretion and content. Remarkably, Trp53–/–;Tctp–/f– mice show highly prolonged survival. Treatment of Trp53–/– mice with sertraline, which inhibits TCTP function, increases their survival. Mechanistically, TCTP binds DDX3, recruiting RNAs, including miRNAs, to sEVs. Our findings establish TCTP as an essential protagonist in the regulation of sEV-signaling in the context of apoptosis and tumorigenicity. Synopsis: Signaling via small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) is crucial for the regulation of cell fate. This study shows that TCTP is an essential component of sEVs, regulating their secretion, protein and RNA content, affecting thereby both apoptosis and cancer. Tctp–/f– sEVs have impaired cell death signaling capacity upon genotoxic stress. Deletion of Tctp reprograms/reverts Trp53–/–-driven tumorigenesis. Tumor-derived sEVs promote malignant transformation in a TCTP-dependent manner. TCTP binds DDX3 to regulate the transport of microRNAs into sEVs. Signaling via small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) is crucial for the regulation of cell fate. This study shows that TCTP is an essential component of sEVs, regulating their secretion, protein and RNA content, affecting thereby both apoptosis and cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening for genes that reprogram cancer cells for the tumor reversion switch identified TCTP (encoding translationally controlled tumor protein) as a crucial regulator of apoptosis. Here we report a negative feedback loop between P53 and TCTP. TCTP promotes P53 degradation by competing with NUMB for binding to P53-MDM2-containing complexes. TCTP inhibits MDM2 auto-ubiquitination and promotes MDM2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of P53. Notably, Tctp haploinsufficient mice are sensitized to P53-dependent apoptosis. In addition, P53 directly represses TCTP transcription. In 508 breast cancers, high-TCTP status associates with poorly differentiated, aggressive G3-grade tumors, predicting poor prognosis (P < 0.0005). Tctp knockdown in primary mammary tumor cells from ErbB2 transgenic mice results in increased P53 expression and a decreased number of stem-like cancer cells. The pharmacological compounds sertraline and thioridazine increase the amount of P53 by neutralizing TCTP's action on the MDM2-P53 axis. This study links TCTP and P53 in a previously unidentified regulatory circuitry that may underlie the relevance of TCTP in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How cells become malignant has preoccupied scientists for over a century. However, the converse question is also valid: are tumour cells capable of reverting from their malignant state? Askanazy's studies in 1907 indicated that teratoma cells could differentiate into normal somatic tissues and current evidence indicates that some tumour cells have acquired the molecular circuitry that results in the negation of chromosomal instability, translocations, oncogene activation and loss of tumour suppressor genes. Studying these extremely rare events of tumour reversion and deciphering these pathways, which involve SIAH1, presenilin 1, TSAP6 and translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP), could lead to new avenues in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analyzing the gene expression profile between tumor cells and revertant counterparts that have a suppressed malignant pheno-type, we previously reported a significant down-regulation of translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) in the revertants. In the present study, we derived, by using the H1 parvovirus as a selective agent revertants from three major solid cancers: colon, lung, and melanoma cell lines. These cells have a strongly sup- pressed malignant phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. The level of TCTP is decreased in most of the revertants. To verify whether inhibition of TCTP expression induces changes in the malignant phenotype, in the classical, well established model of "flat reversion," v-src-transformed NIH3T3 cells were transfected with anti-sense TCTP. By inhibiting the expression of TCTP, the number of revertant cells was raised to 30%, instead of the reported rate for spontaneous flat revertants of 10-6. Because Tap encodes for a histamine-releasing factor, we tested the hypothesis that inhibitors of the histaminic pathway could be effective against tumor cells. We show that some antihistaminic compounds (hydroxyzine and promethazine) and other pharmacological compounds with a related structure (including thioridazine and sertraline) kill tumor cells and significantly decrease the level of TCTP. All together, these data suggest that with tumor reversion used as a working model, TaP was identified as a target and drugs were selected that decrease its expression and kill tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siah proteins are E3 ubiquitin ligases. They are homologues of the Drosophila seven in absentia (Sina), a protein required for the R7 photoreceptor development. We have previously found that the expression of human siah-1 and its mouse homologue siah-1b are induced by p53 during apoptosis and tumor reversion. So far, no evidence that the slab-1b gene is a direct transcriptional target of p53 has been provided. In the present study we investigate this issue. Northern blot analysis with a specific probe demonstrates an increase in siah-1b transcription on activation of endogenous and inducible exogenous p53. To explore whether this effect is directly mediated by p53 we analyzed 20 kb of chromosome X DNA, containing the siah-1b locus. A p53-binding site was identified in the siah-1b promoter, located at nucleotides -21551-2103 relative to the translational start site. This site is composed of two half-sites, conforming to the p53-binding consensus sequence but separated by a nonclassical 33-bp spacer. In luciferase assays, p53 induces a substantial increase in siah-1b promoter activity. Gel shift and DNase-1-footprinting studies, combined with mutational analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation, indicate that p53 effectively binds the siah-1b promoter in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the siah-1b gene is a direct transcriptional target of p53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, we demonstrated that the expression levels of the translationally controlled tumor protein (TaP) were strongly down-regulated at the mRNA and protein levels during tumor reversion/suppression and by the activation of p53 and Siah-1. To better characterize the function of TCP, a yeast two-hybrid hunt was performed. Subsequent analysis identified the translation elongation factor, eEF1A, and its guanine nucleotide exchange factor, eEF1Bβ, as TCTP-interacting partners. In vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that TGP bound specifically eEF1Bβ and eEF1A. Additionally, MS analysis also identified eEF1A as a TCTP interactor. Because eEF1A is a GTPase, we investigated the role of TCP on the nucleotide exchange reaction of eEF1A. Our results show that TIP preferentially stabilized the GDP form of eEF1A, and, further- more, impaired the GDP exchange reaction promoted by eEF1Bβ. These data suggest that TCTP has guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor activity, and, moreover, implicate TCTP in the elongation step of protein synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis by controlling cell-cycle progression and apoptosis. We have previously described a transcript designated tumor suppressor activated pathway-6 (TSAP6) that is up-regulated in the p53inducible cell line, LTR6. Cloning of the murine and human fulllength TSAP6 cDNA revealed that it encodes a 488-aa protein with five to six transmembrane domains. This gene is the murine and human homologue of the recently published rat pHyde. Antibodies raised against murine and human TSAP6 recognize a 50- to 55-kDa band induced by p53. Analysis of the TSAP6 promoter identified a functional p53-responsive element. Functional studies demonstrated that TSAP6 antisense cDNA diminished levels of the 50- to 55-kDa protein and decreased significantly the levels of p53induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TSAP6 small interfering RNA inhibited apoptosis in TSAP6-overexpressing cells. Yeast two-hybrid analysis followed by GST/in vitro-transcribed/translated pulldown assays and in vivo coimmunoprecipitations revealed that TSAP6 associated with Nix, a proapoptotic Bcl-2-related protein and the Myt1 kinase, a negative regulator of the G[sub 2]/M transition. Moreover, TSAP6 enhanced the susceptibility of cells to apoptosis and cooperated with Nix to exacerbate this effect. Cell-cycle studies indicated that TSAP6 could augment Myt1 activity. Overall, these data suggest that TSAP6 may act downstream to p53 to interface apoptosis and cell-cycle progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor reversion is the process by which some cancer cells lose their malignant phenotype. This study was aimed at defining some of the molecular and phenotypic properties of this process. Biological models of tumor reversion were isolated from human leukemia and breast cancer cell lines by using the H-1 parvovirus as a selective agent. Differential gene expression analysis was performed between the parental malignant cells and their revertants or alternatively between these parental cells and their SIAH-1 transfectant counterparts. These SIAH-1 transfectants have a suppressed malignant phenotype and were used as a control for a viral-free system. Two hundred sixty-three genes were found to be either activated or inhibited during the reversion process, as confirmed by Northern blot analysis or quantitative PCR. Of these, 32% were differentially expressed in all systems, irrespective of whether parvovirus-selected, SIAH-1 overexpressing, or p53 mutant or wild-type cell lines were used, suggesting the existence of a universal mechanism underlying tumor reversion. Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (tpt1/TCTP) has the strongest differential expression, down-regulated in the reversion of U937- and SIAH-1-overexpressing cells. Inhibition of TCTP expression by anti-sense cDNA or small interfering RNA molecules results in suppression of the malignant phenotype and in cellular reorganization, similar to the effect of SIAH-1. Hence, tumor reversion can be defined at the molecular level, not just as the reversal of malignant transformation, but as a biological process in its own right involving a cellular reprogramming mechanism, overriding genetic changes in cancer, by triggering an alternative pathway leading to suppression of tumorigenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the effect of presenilins in human cells and murine neurons. Link between presenilins and apoptotic response; Viability of human embryonic kidney; Use of flow cytometry.

Demonstrates the Drosophila Seven in absentia binds and regulates the function of Numb. Interaction of Siah-1 with cell fate regulator; Redistribution of cell-surface Notch to the cytoplasm and nucleus; Ability of Siah-1 to regulate Numb-related activities.

Investigates the effects of presenilin 1 (PS1) on apoptosis in both p53-dependent and p53-independent systems as well as the consequences of p53 deficiency on PS1 regulation, apoptosis in the brains and neurobehavioral functions in p53 knockout mice. Antiapoptotic function of PS1; Common downstream effector genes between p53-p21[sup waf1] and PS1.

Demonstrates that p2WAF-1, by influencing gene expression and inducing chromosomal repositioning in tumor suppression plays major role as a nuclear organizer, with focus on science. Methodology used the demonstration process; Indications of the findings.

The biological effects of the p53 tumor suppressor protein are elicited, at least in part, through sequence-specific transactivation of a battery of target genes. The differential display method was employed towards identifying additional p53 target genes, with emphasis on genes whose induction may contribute to p53-mediated apoptosis. We report here the cloning of a novel p53-inducible gene, designated PAG608. PAG608 transcripts are induced by DNA damage in a p53-dependent manner. PAG608 encodes a nuclear zinc finger protein, which appears to localize preferentially to nucleoli when expressed at moderate levels in transfected cells. Transient overexpression of PAG608 in human tumor-derived cells leads to distinctive changes in nuclear morphology, and can promote apoptosis. Together with additional p53 target genes, PAG608 may therefore play a role in mediating the biological activities of p53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]