Search

Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial pediatric solid tumor, responsible for 13–15% of pediatric cancer death. Its intrinsic heterogeneity makes it difficult to target for successful therapy. The adaptor protein p140Cap/SRCIN1 negatively regulates tumor cell features and limits breast cancer progression. This study wish to assess if p140Cap is a key biological determinant of neuroblastoma outcome. RNAseq profiles of a large cohort of neuroblastoma patients show that SRCIN1 mRNA levels are an independent risk factor inversely correlated to disease aggressiveness. In high-risk patients, CGH+SNP microarray analysis of primary neuroblastoma identifies SRCIN1 as frequently altered by hemizygous deletion, copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity, or disruption. Functional experiments show that p140Cap negatively regulates Src and STAT3 signaling, affects anchorage-independent growth and migration, in vivo tumor growth and spontaneous lung metastasis formation. p140Cap also increases sensitivity of neuroblastoma cells to doxorubicin and etoposide treatment, as well as to a combined treatment with chemotherapy drugs and Src inhibitors. Our functional findings point to a causal role of p140Cap in curbing the aggressiveness of neuroblastoma, due to its ability to impinge on specific molecular pathways, and to sensitize cells to therapeutic treatment. This study provides the first evidence that the SRCIN1/p140Cap adaptor protein is a key player in neuroblastoma as a new independent prognostic marker for patient outcome and treatment. Altogether, these data highlight the potential clinical impact of SRCIN1/p140Cap expression in neuroblastoma tumors, in terms of reducing cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy, one of the main issues for pediatric tumor treatment.

The GNA15 gene is ectopically expressed in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer cells. The encoded Gα15 protein can promiscuously redirect GPCR signaling toward pathways with oncogenic potential. We sought to describe the distribution of GNA15 in adenocarcinoma from human pancreatic specimens and to analyze the mechanism driving abnormal expression and the consequences on signaling and clinical follow-up. We detected GNA15 expression in pre-neoplastic pancreatic lesions and throughout progression. The analysis of biological data sets, primary and xenografted human tumor samples, and clinical follow-up shows that elevated expression is associated with poor prognosis for GNA15, but not any other GNA gene. Demethylation of the 5′ GNA15 promoter region was associated with ectopic expression of Gα15 in pancreatic neoplastic cells, but not in adjacent dysplastic or non-transformed tissue. Down-modulation of Gα15 by shRNA or CRISPR/Cas9 affected oncogenic signaling, and reduced adenocarcimoma cell motility and invasiveness. We conclude that de novo expression of wild-type GNA15 characterizes transformed pancreatic cells. The methylation pattern of GNA15 changes in preneoplastic lesions coincident with the release a transcriptional blockade that allows ectopic expression to persist throughout PDAC progression. Elevated GNA15 mRNA correlates with poor prognosis. In addition, ectopic Gα15 signaling provides an unprecedented mechanism in the early steps of pancreas carcinogenesis distinct from classical G protein oncogenic mutations described previously in GNAS and GNAQ/GNA11.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial pediatric solid tumor, responsible for 13-15% of pediatric cancer death. Its intrinsic heterogeneity makes it difficult to target for successful therapy. The adaptor protein p140Cap/SRCIN1 negatively regulates tumor cell features and limits breast cancer progression. This study wish to assess if p140Cap is a key biological determinant of neuroblastoma outcome. RNAseq profiles of a large cohort of neuroblastoma patients show that SRCIN1 mRNA levels are an independent risk factor inversely correlated to disease aggressiveness. In high-risk patients, CGH+SNP microarray analysis of primary neuroblastoma identifies SRCIN1 as frequently altered by hemizygous deletion, copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity, or disruption. Functional experiments show that p140Cap negatively regulates Src and STAT3 signaling, affects anchorage-independent growth and migration, in vivo tumor growth and spontaneous lung metastasis formation. p140Cap also increases sensitivity of neuroblastoma cells to doxorubicin and etoposide treatment, as well as to a combined treatment with chemotherapy drugs and Src inhibitors. Our functional findings point to a causal role of p140Cap in curbing the aggressiveness of neuroblastoma, due to its ability to impinge on specific molecular pathways, and to sensitize cells to therapeutic treatment. This study provides the first evidence that the SRCIN1/p140Cap adaptor protein is a key player in neuroblastoma as a new independent prognostic marker for patient outcome and treatment. Altogether, these data highlight the potential clinical impact of SRCIN1/p140Cap expression in neuroblastoma tumors, in terms of reducing cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy, one of the main issues for pediatric tumor treatment.

The expression of Prostate Specific-Membrane Antigen (PSMA) increases in high-grade prostate carcinoma envisaging a role in growth and progression. We show here that clustering PSMA at LNCaP or PC3-PSMA cell membrane activates AKT and MAPK pathways thus promoting proliferation and survival. PSMA activity was dependent on the assembly of a macromolecular complex including filamin A, beta1 integrin, p130CAS, c-Src and EGFR. Within this complex beta1 integrin became activated thereby inducing a c-Src-dependent EGFR phosphorylation at Y1086 and Y1173 EGF-independent residues. Silencing or blocking experiments with drugs demonstrated that all the complex components were required for full PSMA-dependent promotion of cell growth and/or survival in 3D culture, but that p130CAS and EGFR exerted a major role. All PSMA complex components were found assembled in multiple samples of two high-grade prostate carcinomas and associated with EGFR phosphorylation at Y1086. The expression of p130CAS and pEGFRY1086 was thus analysed by tissue micro array in 16 castration-resistant prostate carcinomas selected from 309 carcinomas and stratified from GS 3+4 to GS 5+5. Patients with Gleason Score ≤5 resulted negative whereas those with GS≥5 expressed p130CAS and pEGFRY1086 in 75% and 60% of the cases, respectively. Collectively, our results demonstrate for the first time that PSMA recruits a functionally active complex which is present in high-grade patients. In addition, two components of this complex, p130CAS and the novel pEGFRY1086, correlate with progression in castration-resistant patients and could be therefore useful in therapeutic or surveillance strategies of these patients.

Nature Communications 8: Article number: 14797 (2017); Published online 16 March 2017; Updated 30 March 2018 In the original version of this Article, the affiliation details for Anna Sapino were incorrectly given as Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy instead ofCandiolo Cancer Institute-FPO, IRCCS, Str.

Proteases constitute a large family of enzymes involved in several processes, including degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix to drive dissemination of cancer cells into adjacent tissue. Within this large family, the serine protease neutrophil elastase (NE) has been proven clinically meaningful in breast cancer. Indeed, high levels of NE correlate with poor outcome and endocrine resistance in breast cancer patients. In an experimental model it has been demonstrated that estrogen receptor positive (ER+) MCF7 breast cancer cells grow in suspension as 3D-spheroids in NE-addicted medium, thus resembling the micropapillae of a human breast cancer characterized by high propensity to metastasize, i.e. the micropapillary carcinoma. We hypothesized that NE may produce disarrangement of tumor cell adhesion to the substrate fostering neoplastic lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and metastasis. ER+/E-Cadherin (E-CAD)+/HER2- (MCF7, T-47D, ZR-75-1), ER+/E-CAD+/HER2+ (BT-474), ER-/E-CAD-/HER2+ (SK-BR-3) and ER-/E-CAD-/HER2- (MDA-MB-231) cells were grown with serine proteases (NE, cathepsin-G), hyaluronidase and collagenase. NE and cathepsin-G led to 3D-spheroid formation of ER+/E-CAD+ cells only. In 3D-spheroids from MCF7 cells grown with NE the luminal Epithelial Membrane Antigen (EMA) lined the external border of cell clusters, which faced cancer associated fibroblasts in co-cultures experiments, thus recapitulating the inverted polarity of MPCs. MCF7 3D-spheroids were tamoxifen resistant. Injection of NE in tumors of MCF7 cells in SCID mice triggered neoplastic cluster detachment, micropapillae, vascular emboli similar to 3D-spheorids and metastases. In a cohort of human breast carcinomas with LVI the MCF7-3D-spheroid-alike pattern was the most prevalent in tumor emboli. Immunohistochemical NE expression was mainly detected in polymorphous neutrophilic granulocytes (PMNs) within vessels and in the stroma and PMNs were significantly higher in breast carcinomas with LVI. In fully developed metastases within lymph-nodes, which reverted the EMA expression as in the primary tumor, no NE+ PMNs were observed. Our results may explain why high levels of NE negatively act on patient prognosis by creating a favorable environment for breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Citation Format: Caterina Marchio, Laura Annaratone, Davide Balmativola, Maria Stella Scalzo, Stefania Bolla, Silvia Grasso, Isabella Russo, Federica Fusella, Luigia Macrì, Mara Brancaccio, Paola Defilippi, Anna Sapino. Neutrophil elastase modulates breast cancer progression by fostering collective cell detachment and tumor emboli dissemination [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-07-27.

The docking protein p140Cap negatively regulates tumour cell features. Its relevance on breast cancer patient survival, as well as its ability to counteract relevant cancer signalling pathways, are not fully understood. Here we report that in patients with ERBB2-amplified breast cancer, a p140Cap-positive status associates with a significantly lower probability of developing a distant event, and a clear difference in survival. p140Cap dampens ERBB2-positive tumour cell progression, impairing tumour onset and growth in the NeuT mouse model, and counteracting epithelial mesenchymal transition, resulting in decreased metastasis formation. One major mechanism is the ability of p140Cap to interfere with ERBB2-dependent activation of Rac GTPase-controlled circuitries. Our findings point to a specific role of p140Cap in curbing the aggressiveness of ERBB2-amplified breast cancers and suggest that, due to its ability to impinge on specific molecular pathways, p140Cap may represent a predictive biomarker of response to targeted anti-ERBB2 therapies., p140Cap adaptor proteins interfere with adhesion and growth factor-dependent signalling in cancer cells but the mechanisms are unclear. Here the authors show that p140Cap interferes with ERBB2-dependent activation of Rac GTPase-controlled circuitries reducing metastasis and cancer progression.

// Paola Bagnato 1, * , Alessia Castagnino 1, * , Katia Cortese 1, * , Maria Bono 1 , Silvia Grasso 2 , Grazia Bellese 1 , Tiziana Daniele 3 , Richard Lundmark 4 , Paola Defilippi 2 , Patrizio Castagnola 5 and Carlo Tacchetti 1, 3 1 DIMES, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Anatomia Umana, Universita di Genova, Genova, Italy 2 Molecular Biotechnology Centre and Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry, Torino, Italy 3 San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Experimental Imaging Centre, Milan, Italy 4 Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umea University, Umea, Sweden 5 Department of Integrated Oncological Therapies, IRCCS AOU - San Martino - IST, Largo Rosanna Benzi, Genova, Italy * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Patrizio Castagnola, email: patrizio.castagnola@hsanmartino.it Carlo Tacchetti, email: tacchetti.carlo@hsr.it Keywords: ERBB2, trastuzumab, circular dorsal ruffles, ERBB1, breast cancer Received: November 15, 2016 Accepted: April 03, 2017 Published: May 08, 2017 ABSTRACT ERBB2 receptor belongs to the ERBB tyrosine kinase receptor family. At variance to the other family members, ERBB2 is a constitutively active orphan receptor. Upon ligand binding and activation, ERBB receptors form homo- or hetero-dimers with the other family members, including ERBB2, promoting an intracellular signaling cascade. ERBB2 is the preferred dimerization partner and ERBB2 heterodimers signaling is stronger and longer acting compared to heterodimers between other ERBB members. The specific contribution of ERBB2 in heterodimer signaling is still undefined. Here we report the formation of circular dorsal ruffles (CDRs) upon treatment of the ERBB2-overexpressing breast cancer cell lines SK-BR-3 and ZR751 with Trastuzumab, a therapeutic humanized monoclonal antibody directed against ERBB2. We found that in SK-BR-3 cells Trastuzumab leads to surface redistribution of ERBB2 and ERBB1 in CDRs, and that the ERBB2-dependent ERK1/2 phosphorylation and ERBB1 expression are both required for CDR formation. In particular, in these cells CDR formation requires activation of both the protein regulator of actin polymerization N-WASP, mediated by ERK1/2, and of the actin depolymerizing protein cofilin, mediated by ERBB1. Furthermore, we suggest that this latter event may be inhibited by the negative cell motility regulator p140Cap, as we found that p140Cap overexpression led to cofilin deactivation and inhibition of CDR formation. In conclusion, here we show for the first time an ERBB2-specific signaling contribution to an ERBB2/ERBB1 heterodimer, in the activation of a complex biological process such as the formation of CDRs.

Aim: To evaluate fundamental cell functions, such as adhesion, IL-6 production and proliferation of human gingival keratinocytes cultured on a newly engineered collagen matrix (CM-10826) and to assess the degree of specific biocompatibility of this new device. Materials and methods: Primary cultures of human keratinocytes were derived “in vitro” from biopsies of independent donors. Their true epithelial origin was ensured by the expression of cytokeratin 14. Adhesion, proliferation and production of IL-6 cytokine was then measured in the presence or absence of CM-10826 activity or of its relevant components. Results: Functional tests revealed that keratinocytes adhered to CM-10826 and up-regulated their basal IL-6 production. The type of keratinocytes used expressed cytokeratin 14. Proliferation experiments demonstrated that the best cellular response was observed in the presence of Collagen I, the main component of CM-10826. No undesired effects were observed as for keratinocyte viability, morphology or differentiation. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that CM-10826 has a favourable biological effect on the “in vitro” response of gingival keratinocytes in terms of IL-6 production, cell growth and adhesion. These findings may encourage a possible use of this collagen membrane as a tissue which, alone, may substitute for autologous gingival grafts thereby overcoming the limitations of autologous

Heterotrimeric G proteins transduce the signals of the largest family of membrane receptors (G protein-coupled receptors, GPCRs) hence triggering the activation of a wide variety of physiological responses. G15 is a G protein characterized by a number of functional peculiarities that make its signaling exceptional: 1) it can couple a variety of Gs-, Gi/o-, and Gq-linked receptors to phospholipase C activation; 2) relatively to other G proteins, it is poorly affected by β-arrestin-dependent desensitization, the general mechanism that regulates GPCR function and 3) at the protein level, its expression is only detected in highly specific cell types (hematopoietic and epithelial cells). G15 α-subunit displays unique structural and biochemical properties, and is phylogenetically the most recent and divergent component of the Gαq/11 subfamily. All these aspects shed a mysterious light on G15 biological role, which remains substantially elusive. Thus, far, G15 signaling has been analyzed in the context of hematopoiesis. Here, we highlight observations supporting the view that G15 functions may extend further beyond the immune system. In addition, we describe puzzling aspects of G15 signaling that offer a novel perspective in the understanding of its physiological role.

The regulative steps that control trafficking of ion channels are fundamental determinants of their qualitative and quantitative expression on the cell membrane. In this work the trafficking of the small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel, SK3 was studied in neurons in order to identify relevant molecular domains involved in this process. Hippocampal cell cultures were transfected with fusion proteins of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and different SK3 subunit truncations. The differential distribution of the mutants was analyzed by confocal microscopy and compared to the localization of the control fusion protein with full length SK3. The transport of chimeric proteins was quantified from fluorescence images by developing a morphometric analytical method. We found that the full length SK3 was distributed in cell body, axon and dendrites, whereas the deleted forms GFPΔ578–736 (deletion of the entire C-terminal domain), GFPΔCaMBD (deletion of the calmodulin-binding site) and GFPΔN (deletion of the N-terminal domain) were not transported into cell processes but accumulated in the cell body. The GFPΔ640–736 (deletion of the distal C-terminal domain) showed a distribution similar to control. The quantification and statistical analysis confirmed the differences in distribution across the three groups. In conclusion, the current work provides evidence for a fundamental role of the N-terminal domain and the calmodulin binding domain in SK3 trafficking in neurons.

p140Cap is an adaptor protein that negatively controls tumor cell properties, by inhibiting in vivo tumor growth and metastasis formation. Our previous data demonstrated that p140Cap interferes with tumor growth and impairs invasive properties of cancer cells inactivating signaling pathways, such as the tyrosine kinase Src or E-cadherin/EGFR cross-talk. In breast cancer p140Cap expression inversely correlates with tumor malignancy. p140Cap is composed of several conserved domains that mediate association with specific partners. Here we focus our attention on two domains of p140Cap, the TER (Tyrosine Enriched Region) which includes several tyrosine residues, and the CT (Carboxy Terminal) which contains a proline rich sequence, involved in binding to SH2 and SH3 domains, respectively. By generating stable cell lines expressing these two proteins, we demonstrate that both TER and CT domains maintain the ability to associate the C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) and Src, to inhibit Src activation and Focal adhesion kinase (Fak) phosphorylation, and to impair in vitro and in vivo tumor cell features. In particular expression of TER and CT proteins in cancer cells inhibits in vitro and in vivo growth and directional migration at a similar extent of the full length p140Cap protein. Moreover, by selective point mutations and deletion we show that the ability of the modules to act as negative regulators of cell migration and proliferation mainly resides on the two tyrosines (Y) inserted in the EPLYA and EGLYA sequences in the TER module and in the second proline-rich stretch contained in the CT protein. Gene signature of cells expressing p140Cap, TER or CT lead to the identification of a common pattern of 105 down-regulated and 128 up-regulated genes, suggesting that the three proteins can act through shared pathways. Overall, this work highlights that the TER and CT regions of p140Cap can efficiently suppress tumor cell properties, opening the perspective that short, defined p140Cap regions can have therapeutic effects.

International audience; Protein phosphorylation tightly regulates specific binding of effector proteins that control many diverse biological functions of cells (e. g. signaling, migration and proliferation). p140Cap is an adaptor protein, specifically expressed in brain, testis and epithelial cells, that undergoes phosphorylation and tunes its interactions with other regulatory molecules via post-translation modification. In this work, using mass spectrometry, we found that p140Cap is in vivo phosphorylated on tyrosine (Y) within the peptide GEGLpYADPYGLLHEGR (from now on referred to as EGLYA) as well as on three serine residues. Consistently, EGLYA has the highest score of in silico prediction of p140Cap phosphorylation. To further investigate the p140Cap function, we performed site specific mutagenesis on tyrosines inserted in EGLYA and EPLYA, a second sequence with the same highest score of phosphorylation. The mutant protein, in which both EPLYA/EGLYA tyrosines were converted to phenylalanine, was no longer tyrosine phosphorylated, despite the presence of other tyrosine residues in p140Cap sequence. Moreover, this mutant lost its ability to bind the C-terminal Src kinase (Csk), previously shown to interact with p140Cap by Far Western analysis. In addition, we found that in vitro and in HEK-293 cells, the Abelson kinase is the major kinase involved in p140Cap tyrosine phosphorylation on the EPLYA and EGLYA sequences. Overall, these data represent an original attempt to in vivo characterise phosphorylated residues of p140Cap. Elucidating the function of p140Cap will provide novel insights into its biological activity not only in normal cells, but also in tumors.

n/a

Breast cancer is an aggressive malignancy affecting a large woman population. Even though important progress have been made in providing new therapies to treat this neoplasia, our knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the transformation of breast epithelial cells in tumor cells is still superficial. The neoplastic phenotype results from the alteration of multiple cellular signaling mechanisms controlling proliferation, survival and invasiveness. Moreover, the prognosis of breast cancer patients is tightly correlated with the degree of spread beyond the primary tumor. However the mechanisms by which epithelial tumor cells escape from the primary tumor and colonize a distant site are not entirely understood. In this chapter we will discuss recent data on the relevance of p130Cas and p140Cap adaptor molecules in breast cancer signalling related to the acquirement on invasive properties. Due to the presence of adaptor modules, these proteins create signalling platforms proximal to plasma membrane cell surface receptors, such as integrins and growth factor receptors. p130Cas and p140Cap exert opposite regulation on cell signalling. Indeed p130Cas has been shown to increase survival, proliferation and migration of normal and transformed cells either in response to cell matrix adhesion or to hormones and growth factors. Moreover, p130Cas has been recently linked to resistance to breast cancer treatments, revealing its potential use as a novel therapeutic target. Instead, p140Cap behaves as a potent negative regulator of signalling pathways leading to cancer cell proliferation and migration. In this chapter, we will discuss the increasing evidence that highlight the importance of these adaptor proteins in breast cancer. It is well established that to migrate and to invade a cell needs to detach from its neighbors, i.e. adjacent cells in an epithelium, to extend lamellipodia and filopodia from the leading edge and to create new dynamic adhesions, which form and rapidly disassemble at the base of protrusions (Mitra et al., 2005; Ridley et al., 2003). Cell invasion also requires the release or activation of proteases that degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and allows cells to sort out from the basal lamina invading surrounding tissues (Eliceiri et al., 2002). Under physiological conditions cell motility and invasion are tightly controlled by a complex interplay among cell-cell, cell matrix and growth factors receptors resulting in the maintenance of the architectural integrity of human tissues. This subtle regulation is lost in

The basic hypothesis of the literature on alexithymia, i.e. that alexithymia has a higher prevalence in psychosomatic than in neurotic (and delusional) patients, was empirically tested by means of the well-validated Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Surprisingly, neurotic and delusional patients (N = 71) had significantly higher mean total scores on the TAS, compared with the psychosomatic group (N = 150); the normal control sample (N = 224) was, as predicted, the lowest scorer. This hierarchical distribution was confirmed for the first two factors of alexithymia: (1) difficulty in distinguishing between feelings and bodily sensations, and (2) difficulty in expressing feelings. The psychiatric group was, instead, the lowest scorer on the third factor (lack of fantasy life). A substantial cross-validation of the above findings was achieved by comparing on the TAS three subgroups of the normal sample (symptom-free, somatizing and 'neurotic' normal controls). The postulate of the non-neurotic nature of alexithymia, along with its many psychopathological and technical corollaries, is completely contradicted by the present findings.

Microgenetic patterns of adaptation on the Stroop task were assessed by means of the Serial Color-Word Test given 21 patients with bronchial asthma and 20 with duodenal peptic ulcer, who were compared with 41 normal controls matched for sex, age, and education. Two measures were calculated on each of the five trials of the test, one of linear change and one of nonlinear change in reading times. As predicted, patients presented more frequently patterns characterized by high nonlinear change and less frequently stabilized patterns (low linear and nonlinear change of reading speed). Linear and nonlinear change were then calculated on the five linear change scores and the five nonlinear change scores; again patients presented more frequently patterns characterized by high nonlinear change on both the linear change scores and nonlinear change scores and less frequently stabilized patterns. These findings indicate strong similarities between the adaptation patterns of patients with ulcer and asthma and the microgenetic patterns previously known to characterize neurotic and psychotic patients. Furthermore, scores on the Serial Color-Word Test also differentiated between ulcer and asthma groups.

The interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the chemokine CCL5 are implicated in the development and progression of several forms of tumours including that of the prostate. The expression of the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is augmented in high-grade and metastatic tumors. Observations of the clinical behaviour of prostate tumors suggest that the increased secretion of IL-6 and CCL5 and the higher expression of PSMA may be correlated. We hypothesized that PSMA could be endowed with signalling properties and that its stimulation might impact on the regulation of the gene expression of IL-6 and CCL5. We herein demonstrate that the cross-linking of cell surface PSMA with specific antibodies activates the small GTPases RAS and RAC1 and the MAPKs p38 and ERK1/2 in prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells. As downstream effects of the PSMA-fostered RAS-RAC1-MAPK pathway activation we observed a strong induction of NF-κB activation associated with an increased expression of IL-6 and CCL5 genes. Pharmacological blockade with specific inhibitors revealed that both p38 and ERK1/2 participate in the phenomenon, although a major role exerted by p38 was evident. Finally we demonstrate that IL-6 and CCL5 enhanced the proliferative potential of LNCaP cells synergistically and in a dose-dependent manner and that CCL5 functioned by receptor-mediated activation of the STAT5-Cyclin D1 pro-proliferative pathway. The novel functions attributable to PSMA which are described in the present report may have profound influence on the survival and proliferation of prostate tumor cells, accounting for the observation that PSMA overexpression in prostate cancer patients is related to a worse prognosis.

Summary.-In the Defense Mechanism Test, stimuli representing a central figure thteatened by a ~eripheral person are presented tachistoscopically, at increasing exposure times. The threat is assumed to trigger defense mechanisms that are expressed by several types of perceptual distortions. Given that to date no experimental study has validated the discriminative power of the Defense Mechanism Test between normal controls and clinical groups, 99 normal controls and 57 nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients were given the test. Significantly more psychiatric patients than controls were coded for presence of each of the ten main defensive signs of the Defense Mechanism Test (with a weak significance for reaction formation). Ten codings or subcodings of defense which were particularly rare in the control sample were employed to dtscriminate between groups. This procedure correctly allocated 85.8% of the control subjects and 85.9% of the psychiatric patients. The present findings allow a preliminary distinction between codings of defense with questionable, moderate, or strong clinical significance, in the area of nonpsychotic psychopathology. The Defense Mechanism Test (Kragh, 1985) is a tachistoscopic technique which is based on the repeated presentation of stimuli depicting a central "hero" figure, with whom the subject supposedly identifies, and a threatening peripheral person. Perception of the threat is held to trigger subliminal anxiety and thereby defense reactions, which are classified according to the definitions of the defense mechanisms described by the classical psychoanalytic literature. It has been stated that this test is the most elegant and best validated method for empirical investigation of defense mechanisms and strategies (Kline, 1981). With several other techniques, the Defense Mechanism Test is inside the percept-genetic frame of reference, which assumes that the microdevelopment of perception over time reflects the basic features of both past and present personality organization (cf. Smith & Westerlundh, 1980). Most of the experimental studies with the Defense Mechanism Test have demonstrated its good predictive validity against occupational criteria, such as performance of military divers (Kragh, 1962a; Vaernes, 1982), military airpilots (Neuman, 1978), and parachute jumpers (Baade, Ellertson, Johnson, & Ursin, 1978). As no correlations were found with ordinary rnilitary training performance, it has been suggested that defense mechanisms

A mother-child separation stimulus was repeatedly presented by standard Defense Mechanism Test procedure, at increasing durations of tachistoscopic exposure to 60 clinical and nonclinical subjects. Subjective verbal reports were coded blindly for evidence of perceptual distortions presumably indicative of denial of separation anxiety. Low scorers on two items measuring sensitivity to separation anxiety and intolerance of aloneness were, as predicted, significantly more often characterized by codings of denial on the tachistoscopic exposures than subjects with high sensitivity to separation anxiety. Stability of effect became stronger when only very low and very high scorers were compared for perceptual denial on the last four presentations of the series. This technique, employing other types of anxiety-evoking stimuli, may represent a reliable instrument to reveal the presence of defences toward each of the most relevant conflictual areas of the personality.