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The mechanism by which estradiol acts on cell multiplication is still unclear. Under conditions of estradiol-dependent growth, estradiol treatment of human mammary cancer MCF-7 cells triggers rapid and transient activation of the mitogen-activated (MAP) kinases, erk-1 and erk-2, increases the active form of p21ras, tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and p190 protein and induces association of p190 to p21ras-GAP. Both Shc and p190 are substrates of activated src and once phosphorylated, they interact with other proteins and upregulate p21ras. Estradiol activates the tyrosine kinase/p21ras/MAP-kinase pathway in MCF-7 cells with kinetics which are similar to those of peptide mitogens. It is only after introduction of the human wild-type 67 kDa estradiol receptor cDNA that Cos cells become estradiol-responsive in terms of erk-2 activity. This finding, together with the inhibition by the pure anti-estrogen ICI 182 780 of the stimulatory effect of estradiol on each step of the pathway in MCF-7 cells proves that the classic estradiol receptor is responsible for the transduction pathway activation. Transfection experiments of Cos cells with the estradiol receptor cDNA and in vitro experiments with c-src show that the estradiol receptor activates c-src and this activation requires occupancy of the receptor by hormone. Our experiments suggest that c-src is an initial and integral part of the signaling events mediated by the estradiol receptor.

Microarray-based gene expression profiling is well suited for parallel quantitative analysis of large numbers of RNAs, but its application to cancer biopsies, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) archived tissues in particular, is limited by the poor quality of the RNA recovered. This represents a serious drawback, since FFPE tumor tissue banks are available with clinical and prognostic annotations, which could be exploited for molecular profiling studies, provided that reliable analytical technologies are found. We applied and evaluated here a microarray-based cDNA-mediated annealing, selection, extension and ligation (DASL) assay for analysis of 502 mRNAs in highly degraded total RNA extracted from cultured cells or FFPE breast cancer biopsies. The study included quantitative and qualitative comparison of data obtained by analysis of the same RNAs with genome-wide oligonucleotide microarrays vs. DASL arrays and, by DASL, before and after extensive in vitro RNA fragmentation. The DASL-based expression profiling assay applied to RNA extracted from MCF-7 cells before or after 24 hours stimulation with a mitogenic dose of 17β-estradiol consistently allowed to detect hormone-induced gene expression changes also following extensive RNA degradation in vitro. Comparable results where obtained with tumor RNA extracted from FFPE breast cancer biopsies (6 to 19 years old). The method proved itself sensitive, reproducible and accurate, when compared with results obtained by microarray analysis of RNA extracted from snap-frozen tissue of the same tumor.

As reported earlier, p53 antibodies are detected in the sera of patients with different types of cancer, including lung cancer. In contrast, in the serum of healthy subjects the presence of anti-p53 antibodies is extremely rare. We collected the venous blood samples of 109 patients affected with lung cancer (LC): 57 patients (46 M, 11 F) with non-small-cell carcinoma (NSCLC), 52 others (40 M, 12 F) with small-cell carcinoma (SCLC). Serum p53 antibodies were assayed using ELISA method and all positive sera were confirmed by Western-blot method. In addition, using IRMA methods we assayed serum CEA, TPA, CYFRA21-1 and NSE. Serum p53Ab are detectable (p53Ab-positive) in 35/109 (32.1%) patients with lung cancer. About 17/57 (29.8%) patients affected with NSCLC and 18/52 (34.6%) with SCLC were p53Ab-positive. CEA, TPA, CYFRA21-1 and NSE sensitivity in LC patients (NSCLC+SCLC) is 50.5%, 58.7%, 42.2%, 35.8%, respectively. The lower sensitivity (32.1%) of serum p53Ab is connected with the higher specificity and diagnostic accuracy (100% and 69%, respectively). Out of 35 patients p53Ab-positive, five (14.3%) exhibit only serum p53Ab, while serum values of the established tumor markers were lower than cut-off. Serum p53Ab assessment is a simple and a low-cost assay with a good specificity and diagnostic accuracy that in LC patients can be used at least in association with established tumor markers.

Oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that mediates oestrogen effects in hormone-responsive cells. Following oestrogenic activation, ERα directly regulates the transcription of target genes via DNA binding. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small noncoding RNAs that function as negative regulators of protein-coding gene expression. They are found aberrantly expressed or mutated in cancer, suggesting their crucial role as either oncogenes or tumour suppressor genes. Here, we analysed changes in miRNA expression in response to oestrogen in hormone-responsive breast cancer MCF-7 and ZR-75.1 cells by microarray-mediated expression profiling. This led to the identification of 172 miRNAs up- or down-regulated by ERα in response to 17β-oestradiol, of which 52 are similarly regulated by the hormone in the two cell models investigated. To identify mechanisms by which ERα exerts its effects on oestrogen-responsive miRNA genes, the oestrogen-dependent miRNA expression profiles were integrated with global in vivo ERα binding site mapping in the genome by ChIP-Seq. In addition, data from miRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiles obtained under identical experimental conditions were compared to identify relevant miRNA target transcripts. Results show that miRNAs modulated by ERα represent a novel genomic pathway to impact oestrogen-dependent processes that affect hormone-responsive breast cancer cell behaviour. MiRNome analysis in tumour tissues from breast cancer patients confirmed a strong association between expression of these small RNAs and clinical outcome of the disease, although this appears to involve only marginally the oestrogen-regulated miRNAs identified in this study.

Estrogen receptor α (ER-α) is a key mediator of estrogen actions in breast cancer (BC) cells. Understanding the effects of ligand-activated ER-α in target cells requires identification of the molecular partners acting in concert with this nuclear receptor to transduce the hormonal signal. We applied tandem affinity purification (TAP), glycerol gradient centrifugation and MS analysis to isolate and identify proteins interacting with ligand-activated ER-α in MCF-7 cell nuclei. This led to the identification of 264 ER-associated proteins, whose functions highlight the hinge role of ER-α in the coordination of multiple hormone-regulated nuclear processes in BC cells.

A tyrosine kinase purified from calf uterus activates the hormone binding of endogenous estradiol receptor (ER) predephosphorylated and preinactivated by a nuclear phosphotyrosine phosphatase. The kinase also activates and phosphorylates the human estradiol receptor HEO synthesized in vitro, which differs from the wild type receptor HEGO because a glycine is replaced by a valine at position 400. Moreover, the kinase activates and phosphorylates a deletion mutant of HEO which consists almost exclusively of the hormone binding domain. Using HEGO and HEO in parallel and measuring both binding activation and phosphorylation of ER we now observe that the wild type receptor is a good kinase substrate, slightly better than HEO. Furthermore, HEGO like the calf uterus receptor in the presence of estradiol, stimulates the kinase. From present findings it appears that ER and uterus tyrosine kinase are functionally associated and that this association is abolished by glycine to valine substitution at position 400 of ER.

BACKGROUND: The retinoblastoma-interacting zinc-finger gene RIZ is expressed in two forms (RIZ1 and RIZ2) that differ for the presence near the N-terminus of RIZ1 of a conserved domain, defined PR (PRDI-BF1-RIZ homology), homologous to a similar domain present in other proteins recognized as tumor suppressor gene products. The RIZ1 form is usually absent or expressed at low levels in tumor cells, whereas RIZ2 is frequently expressed. We investigated a possible involvement of RIZ1 in differentiation control using a myeloid cell maturation model that is easily modulated by retinoids and other agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HL60 or NB4 cell lines or patients' leukemic promyelocytes were treated with all- trans -retinoic acid or other agents to induce differentiation. RIZ gene expression was determined with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and RNase protection assay. Immunocytochemistry was performed to assess variation of the intracellular distribution of RIZ protein on all- trans-retinoic acid treatment. Forced expression of RIZ1 protein was obtained with a recombinant adenovirus containing RIZ1 cDNA. RESULTS: Treatment with retinoic acid induced a selective expression of RIZ1 in HL60 cell line. Retinoic acid effect was maximal at 7 days and correlated to the granulocytic differentiation of cells. A similar effect was obtained in retinoic acid-sensitive NB4 cell line or in patients' leukemic promyelocytes, but not in the retinoic acid-resistant cell line NB4.007/6 or in the U937 cell line. Selective expression of RIZ1 was also induced by 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate in the U937 and HL60 cell lines and by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) only in HL60 cells. In HL60 cells, RIZ1 was also induced by activation of a retinoid alpha receptor-independent maturation pathway based on retinoid X receptor agonist and protein kinase A synergism. In addition, retinoic acid produced a redistribution of the antigen within the nucleus in these cells. Forced expression of RIZ1 protein induced growth arrest and death of HL60 cells. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between the selective expression of RIZ1 induced by retinoic acid, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and differentiation suggested that RIZ protein was involved in myeloid cell differentiation induced by these agents.

Estrogen receptors α (ER-α) and β (ER-β) play distinct biological roles in onset and progression of hormone-responsive breast cancer, with ER-β exerting a modulatory activity on ER-α-mediated estrogen signaling and stimulation of cell proliferation by mechanisms still not fully understood. We stably expressed human ER-β fused to a tandem affinity purification-tag in estrogen-responsive MCF-7 cells and applied tandem affinity purification and nanoLC-MS/MS to identify the ER-β interactome of this cell type. Functional annotation by bioinformatics analyses of the 303 proteins that co-purify with ER-β from nuclear extracts identify several new molecular partners of this receptor subtype that represents nodal points of a large protein network controlling multiple processes and functions in breast cancer cells.

Estradiol receptor (ER) activity requires interaction with hormone and specific DNA sequence. We now report that this receptor also interacts with calmodulin (CaM), the major intracellular mediator of Ca2+ action in eucaryotic cells. This interaction has been observed using both CaM-Sepharose and [125I]CaM. Crude and purified [3H]ER complex show high affinity interaction with CaM-Sepharose [dissociation constant (Kd) 0.12 and 0.16 nM, respectively]. Unoccupied receptor shows a similar high affinity interaction. Tamoxifen-ER complex also binds to CaM-Sepharose. Several findings show that this CaM-ER interaction is very specific: lack of this interaction has been observed in the presence of trifluoperazine, an inhibitor of protein binding to CaM; the receptor binds neither Sepharose, nor parvalbumin-Sepharose; competition of interaction of [3H]ER complex with CaM-Sepharose is observed by cold ER complex; rat liver glucocorticoid receptor does not bind to CaM-Sepharose. The interaction of purified receptor with 125I-labeled CaM has been detected by various techniques: centrifugation through sucrose gradient of CaM incubated with receptor shows that CaM binds to a protein forming a complex sedimenting at 5 S. This complex is shifted to the 7.5 S region by a monoclonal antireceptor antibody. Incubation of CaM with receptor followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis fluorography of the immunoprecipitated receptor shows that [125I]CaM coprecipitates with the receptor. Competition of this interaction by an excess of cold CaM is observed. Interaction of the receptor with CaM is also observed by the overlay technique.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The adequacy of techniques for purifying oestradiol-binding protein by affinity chromatography has now been established. The eluted protein has been identified as the 4.5S oestradiol receptor on the basis of its heat stability, gel filtration, sedimentation constant and isoelectric focusing.

In whole rat uterus incubated in the presence of [ 32 P]orthophosphate the oestradiol receptor is [ 32 P]phosphorylated on tyrosine. This finding follows our previous observation that in vitro this receptor can be phosphorylated on tyrosine by a uterus kinase that endows the receptor with oestradiol-binding activity. The calf uterus oestradiol receptor interacts with high affinity with 2G8 and 1G2 antiphosphotyrosine antibodies coupled to Sepharose ( K d values of 0.28 and 1.1 nM, respectively). The interaction with 2G8 antibody has been exploited to purify the oestradiol receptor. This interaction disappears after inactivation of the oestradiol receptor by the nuclear phosphatase that hydrolyses phosphotyrosine of the receptor. This fact substantiates the evidence that the oestradiol receptor in uterus is phosphorylated on tyrosine and that this phosphorylation is required for hormone binding to the receptor. The rat liver glucocorticoid receptor also interacts with high affinity with 2G8 antiphosphotyrosine antibody coupled to Sepharose ( K d value of 0.21 nM). This receptor has been purified by using in sequence heparin-Sepharose and antiphosphotyrosine antibody-Sepharose.

It was previously shown that calf uterus cytosol contains a Ca2+-activated receptor transforming factor (RTF) which irreversibly converts the larger molecular states of estrogen receptor (5.3 to 8.6 S, depending on ionic strength) into a smaller, salt-stable form (4.5 S, independent of ionic strength). We now describe a method for rapid and reliable separation of precursor and RTF-transformed receptor forms, which takes advantage of a difference in isoelectric point between the two: the more acidic precursor (isoelectric point, 6.2) is still retained by DEAE-cellulose under conditions (0.12 M KCl, pH 8.3) which produce release from cellulose of the less acidic transformed form (isoelectric point, 6.6 to 6.8). Based on this method of separation, RTF activity can be assayed easily and we could thus progress in the purification and physical and functional characterization of this factor, RTF has been purified about 100-fold. Molecular properties, as assayed by methods suited to partially purified preparations, are as follows: sedimentation coefficient, 6.4 S; Stokes radius, 45 A; molecular weight, 115,000; isoelectric point, 4.9. The Michaelis constant, expressed as moles/liter of estradiol binding sites, is 1.25 X 10(8), at pH 7.5 and 4 degrees, pH 8.5 is optimum for activity. RTF attacks native casein (Km, 1.25 X 10(-5) mol/liter at pH 7.5 and 22 degrees) but not hemoglobin, ovalbumin, or albumin. N-Benzoylarginine methyl ester is a competitive inhibitor of RTF-induced receptor transformation, while L-leucylglycylglycine and N-benzoyltyrosinamide are not. RTF activity is protected by -SH compounds. RTF activity is Ca2+-dependent. Ca2+ starts an activation-inactivation cycle of RTF, with permanent loss of transforming activity which proceeds at a particularly fast rate in the absence of substrate. Mg2+ is inactive, while Sr2+ and Mn2+ may in part substitute for Ca2+. RTF is present in both endometrium and myometrium. RTF is not a lysosomal hydrolase, as shown by its alkaline pH optimum (8.5) and exclusive location in cytosol, nor is it trypsin or a protease of the trypsin group. Also, it is distinct from known proteases of human uterus. The functional significance of this Ca2+-activated protease of cytosol with alkaline pH optimum and high affinity for the larger native form of receptor is still unknown.

We describe our method of purification of the “native” form of estradiol receptor of calf uterus. The high speed supernatant, after addition of 5mM MgCl 2 . is incubated batchwise with agarose to which heparin has been covalently bound. Elution of the estradiol binding activity is obtained by heparin. The volume of the eluate is reduced to one-tenth the volume of the original cytosol but presence of heparin avoids the aggregation of the receptor. Immobilization of receptor on 17β-estradiol-17-hemisuccinylhexane-agarosc (a very simple derivative to prepare) is best carried out on column. The washing of the specific adsorbent is very critical and must be extensive. Elution is performed with the chaotropic salt, NaSCN, in presence of low concentration of estradiol. A third step is finally required to eliminate some residual contaminating proteins. Sephadex G-200 chromatography in low salt buffer gives good results. “Native” receptor maintains, even after complete purification, the tendency to aggregate in very large forms which do not penetrate the polyacrylamide gel in the absence of sodium dodecyl sulphate, and are eluted in the void volume of Sephadex G-200 columns and very often sediment at the bottom of sucrose gradients. Presence of cations, in our case MgCl 2 , during the purification procedure decreases the aggregation phenomenon.

A method is described for the purification to homogeneity of oestrogen receptor from calf uterus cytosol. This method consists of affinity chromatography on heparin-agarose followed by affinity chromatography on 17β-oestradiol-17-hemisuccinyl-ovalbumin-agarose, by a second adsorption on heparin-agarose and finally by gel filtration on Sephadex G-50. Elution from heparin-agarose was obtained using buffer containing heparin (4 mg/ml), and from the oestradiol-adsorbent using buffer containing NaSCN 0.5 M and oestradiol. The yield from 1 kg of uteri was about 1.2 mg of receptor protein with more than 50% recovery. A single protein band, co-migrating with the [ 2 H]oestradiol, is seen in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A single protein band, with an apparent mol. wt. of 70,000, is also seen on electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate gels. As computed from specific activity, there is one oestradiol binding site per 70,000 receptor subunit. The pure receptor on low salt sucrose gradient sediments at 8 S and on high salt or in chaotropic salt containing gradient sediments at about 4 S. The high tendency to form aggregates is still maintained by the pure receptor as judged by the elution pattern from Sephadex G-200 columns. Aggregation is avoided by small concentrations of heparin in the buffers.

The aim of the present investigation was to study the influence of sex of tumour bearing mice and of ovariectomy on the proliferation kinetics of a solid, transplantable mammary carcinoma (C3H-mouse). According to the growth curves the tumour growth was delayed in spayed female and in male mice compared with normal female animals. This was due to a longer cell cycle time of tumour cells in the former, mainly caused by a prolonged presynthetic gap (TG1). Concerning the growth fraction and the cell loss factor, essential differences could not be detected. Thus, the solid tumour displayed a distinct though partial disengagement of growth from hormonal dependence.

Estradiol and progesterone receptors were assayed in tumors from 79 patients with primary colorectal and 56 patients with stomach adenocarcinomas. Eighteen of 79 colorectal cancers contained estradiol receptor, while 34 specimens were positive for progesterone receptor. In stomach cancer, the positive samples were 8 for estradiol and 14 for progesterone receptors. In both types of tumors, the Kd was in the range of 10(-10) M for estradiol and 10(-9) M for progesterone receptor, respectively. In colorectal adenocarcinomas, the presence of progesterone receptor seems to be partially correlated to the presence of estradiol receptor while, in stomach tumors, this correlation is lost. The positivity of at least one receptor in colorectal cancers is higher in the female sex. The contrary occurs for stomach cancer. Sucrose gradient centrifugation showed that cytoplasmic estradiol receptor of stomach cancer sedimented at 8S or 4 to 5S at low ionic strength. The isoelectric point of stomach cancer estradiol receptor is 6.5.

The relationship of the cytosolic estradiol receptor with membranous and cytoskeletal structures of the cell matrix has been studied using a model system formed by the erythrocyte membrane. Extraction of erythrocyte ghosts with various procedures and also with the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 under conditions that yield a cytoskeletal matrix reveals the presence of binding sites for the soluble estradiol receptor of calf uterus. The interaction between the estradiol receptor and the cytoskeleton is critically dependent on temperature which is required for the interaction itself and not for a modification of the receptor molecule. Ionic strength and cations, with selectivity for Mg2+, also influence the interaction which has an optimum at pH 7.5. Saturation experiments reveal the presence of a limited number (less than 100) of sites per cell having high affinity ( K d ⋍ 10 −9 M ) for the estradiol-receptor complex. The affinity of the receptor for the steroid does not change after it has bound to the cytoskeleton. Limited proteolysis of the receptor leads to a loss of its binding capacity for the cytoskeleton without altering its estradiol binding properties, indicating that the cytoskeletal binding domain is different from the steroid binding domain. We suggest that the estradiol receptor, generally considered ‘soluble’ in the cytoplasm, might be physiologically associated with cytoskeletal components of the cell cytoplasm.