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Purpose Plexin C1 is a transmembrane receptor and plexin C1 overexpression might have role in carcinogenesis. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has poor prognosis because of its aggressive behavior and limited treatment options, especially in advanced stage. We recently documented that Plexin C1 was overexpressed in HCC. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic signifcance of Plexin C1 overexpression in HCC in the present study. Methods Plexin C1 overexpression was evaluated immunohistochemically on parafn-embedded blocks of the HCC patients. Plexin C1 immunohistochemical staining was scored. Plexin C1 overexpression staining intensity and prevalence were used for plexin scale staining evaluation and plexin scores were estimated according this staining scale. Plexin C1 score and its association with survival and clinicopathological features was assessed. Results Sixty-seven HCC patients with adequate tissue for pathological evaluation were included. Median age was 63 years with male predominance (male to female ratio was 4.75 (n 57/12). Well-diferentiated HCC (53.7%) patients had higher plexin C1 overexpression (p

N,N '-bis(aniline)glyoxime (H2L, 1) has been prepared from aniline and (E,E)-dichloroglyoxime (DCGO) or (E,E)-dibromoglyoxime (DBGO). The reaction of N,N '-bis(aniline)glyoxime (H2L, 1) with solution of PtCl2 in dimethylsulfoxide produced brown-colored bis(E,E-dioximato)platinum(II) complex {[(E,E)-Pt(HL)(2)]} (1a) featuring N-chelating ligand. The crystal structure of this complex has been identified by X-ray diffraction on a single-crystal. In vitro assay of proliferation, cell death, DNA-damage and cell uptake activities of 1 and 1a were tested in HCC cell lines, SNU-182 and HUH-7. 1a has an anti-proliferative effect in HCC cells, however, 1 did not. Furthermore, the cellular uptake of 1a was relatively high compared to cisplatin cellular platinum levels. Compatible with proliferation and cellular uptake results, treatment with 1a caused DNA-damage and subsequent apoptosis in both HCC cell lines. Research Fund of the Gebze Technical University (BAP) [2018-A108-72] This work was financially supported by Research Fund of the Gebze Technical University (BAP, Project Number: 2018-A108-72).

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been linked to drug resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer relapse. This study investigates the expression profile of ZEB1, ZEB2, ABCG2 in HCC-CSCs, and the role of EMT promoter ZEB2 in cells treated with resveratrol. The expression of ZEB1, ZEB2 and ABCG2 transcripts were analyzed in CD133^(+)/CD44^(+) cells isolated from the PLC/PRF/5 cell line. ZEB2-dependent ABCG2 gene expression and the effects of resveratrol on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis were explored in SNU398 cell clones. An inverse correlation between ZEB1/ZEB2 and ABCG2 levels were observed both in CSCs and in ZEB2-knock-down cells. The resveratrol treatment significantly decreased cell viability, while promoting cell cycle arrest in ZEB2-independent manner. Interestingly, resveratrol-treated cells with low levels of ZEB2 were resistant to apoptosis. The interplay of expression levels of ABCG2 and ZEB family EMT transcription factors may play a role in establishing CSC-like phenotype in HCC cells resistant to resveratrol.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an embryonic program that is reactivated in cancer and regulates the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) induces EMT by upregulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), yet MMP genes lack ZEB2 binding motif in their promoters. Recently, expression of MMPs was associated to the activation of ETS1 transcription factor; however, a link between ZEB2 and ETS proto-oncogene 1, transcription factor (ETS1) remains to be elucidated. Hence, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of ETS1 by ZEB2 after our initial observation that ZEB2 and ETS1 are coexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCCs). Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays clearly showed that ZEB2 binds to E-box sequences on the promoter of ETS1. Elevated expression of ETS1 was found in DLD-ZEB2 and A431-ZEB2 inducible systems, and knockdown of ZEB2 caused an explicit downregulation of ETS1 in shZEB2-SNU398 and shZEB2-SK-HEP-1 cells. Repression of ETS1 expression in ZEB2-induced conditions substantially impaired the migration and invasive capacities of DLD1 cells. Mechanistically, knockdown of ETS1 in ZEB2-expressing cells resulted in the downregulation of established ZEB2 targets TWIST and MMP9. Correlation analyses in HCC lines, cancer complementary DNA arrays, and The Cancer Genome Atlas RNA-sequencing data set revealed that ZEB2 and ETS1 are coexpressed, and their expressions in human tumors show a highly significant positive correlation. Our results demonstrated that ZEB2 acts as an upstream regulator of ETS1 and, in turn, ETS1 maintains ZEB2-induced EMT. These findings add another level of complexity to the understanding of ZEB2 in the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and put ZEB2/ETS1 axis as a novel therapeutic target in human malignancies.

Resistance to adjuvant chemotherapy is a major clinical problem in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐inducing protein, ZEB2, in chemoresistance of CRC, and to uncover the underlying mechanism. We performed IHC for ZEB2 and association analyses with clinical outcomes on primary CRC and matched CRC liver metastases in compliance with observational biomarker study guidelines. ZEB2 expression in primary tumours was an independent prognostic marker of reduced overall survival and disease‐free survival in patients who received adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy. ZEB2 expression was retained in 96% of liver metastases. The ZEB2‐dependent EMT transcriptional programme activated nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway largely via upregulation of the ERCC1 gene and other components in NER pathway, leading to enhanced viability of CRC cells upon oxaliplatin treatment. ERCC1‐overexpressing CRC cells did not respond to oxaliplatin in vivo, as assessed using a murine orthotopic model in a randomised and blinded preclinical study. Our findings show that ZEB2 is a biomarker of tumour response to chemotherapy and risk of recurrence in CRC patients. We propose that the ZEB2‐ERCC1 axis is a key determinant of chemoresistance in CRC., Here, we show that the expression of ZEB2 marks reduced overall and disease‐free survival in primary and secondary colorectal cancers (CRCs). ZEB2 overexpression promoted chemoresistance to oxaliplatin in vitro and in vivo by transcriptionally activating nucleotide excision repair genes ERCC1 and ERCC4. Overall ZEB2 is a promising biomarker predicting both therapy response and metastatic ability of CRCs.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common types of liver cancer causing death all over the world. Although early-stage liver cancer can sometimes be treated with partial hepatectomy, liver transplantation, ablation, and embolization, sorafenib treatment is the only approved systemic therapy for advanced HCC. The aim of this research is to develop tools and methods to understand the individuality of hepatocellular carcinoma. Microfluidic cell-culture platform has been developed to observe behavior of single-cells; fluorescence microscopy has been implemented to investigate phenotypic changes of cells. Our preliminary data proved high-level heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma while verifying limited growth of liver cancer cell lines on the silicon wafer.

Background and Aims. Hepatocellular carcinoma is an aggressive malignancy of the liver and is ranked as the sixth most common cancer worldwide. There is still room for novel markers to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of HCC. Our observations in cancer databases that PLXNC1 is upregulated in HCC led us to investigate the expression profile of Plexin C1 mRNA and protein in HCC cell lines and tissues. Methods. A recombinant protein encompassing part of the extracellular domain of Plexin C1 was used as an antigen for monoclonal antibody development. Transcript and protein levels of Plexin C1 in HCC cell lines were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. In vivo evaluation of Plexin C1 expression in HCC tissues was accomplished by immunohistochemistry studies in tissue microarrays. Results. A monoclonal antibody, clone PE4, specific to Plexin C1, was generated. In silico and in vitro analyses revealed a Plexin C1-based clustering of well-differentiated HCC cell lines. Staining of HCC and nontumoral liver tissues with PE4 showed a membrane-localized overexpression of Plexin C1 in tumors (p=0.0118). In addition, this expression was correlated with the histological grades of HCC cases. Conclusions. Plexin C1 distinguishes HCC cells of epithelial characteristics from those with the mesenchymal phenotype. Compared to the nontumoral liver, HCC tissues significantly overexpress Plexin C1. The newly generated PE4 antibody can be evaluated in larger HCC cohorts and might be exploited for the examination of Plexin C1 expression pattern in other epithelial malignancies.

ZEB2 is a transcriptional repressor that regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through binding to bipartite E-box motifs in gene regulatory regions. Despite the abundant presence of E-boxes within the human genome and the multiplicity of pathophysiological processes regulated during ZEB2-induced EMT, only a small fraction of ZEB2 targets has been identified so far. Hence, we explored genome-wide ZEB2 binding by chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) under endogenous ZEB2 expression conditions. For ChIP-Seq we used an anti-ZEB2 monoclonal antibody, clone 6E5, in SNU398 hepatocellular carcinoma cells exhibiting a high endogenous ZEB2 expression. The ChIP-Seq targets were validated using ChIP-qPCR, whereas ZEB2-dependent expression of target genes was assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blotting in shRNA-mediated ZEB2 silenced SNU398 cells and doxycycline-induced ZEB2 overexpressing colorectal carcinoma DLD1 cells. Changes in target gene expression were also assessed using primary human tumor cDNA arrays in conjunction with RT-qPCR. Additional differential expression and correlation analyses were performed using expO and Human Protein Atlas datasets. Over 500 ChIP-Seq positive genes were annotated, and intervals related to these genes were found to include the ZEB2 binding motif CACCTG according to TOMTOM motif analysis in the MEME Suite database. Assessment of ZEB2-dependent expression of target genes in ZEB2-silenced SNU398 cells and ZEB2-induced DLD1 cells revealed that the GALNT3 gene serves as a ZEB2 target with the highest, but inversely correlated, expression level. Remarkably, GALNT3 also exhibited the highest enrichment in the ChIP-qPCR validation assays. Through the analyses of primary tumor cDNA arrays and expO datasets a significant differential expression and a significant inverse correlation between ZEB2 and GALNT3 expression were detected in most of the tumors. We also explored ZEB2 and GALNT3 protein expression using the Human Protein Atlas dataset and, again, observed an inverse correlation in all analyzed tumor types, except malignant melanoma. In contrast to a generally negative or weak ZEB2 expression, we found that most tumor tissues exhibited a strong or moderate GALNT3 expression. Our observation that ZEB2 negatively regulates a GalNAc-transferase (GALNT3) that is involved in O-glycosylation adds another layer of complexity to the role of ZEB2 in cancer progression and metastasis. Proteins glycosylated by GALNT3 may be exploited as novel diagnostics and/or therapeutic targets.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Only a small proportion of patients benefit from curative treatment and the prognosis is very poor for the majority of cases due to late presentation, resistance to chemotherapy and high recurrence rate. In recent years, progress in stem cell biology allowed us to explain that hierarchically organized cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive histological and functional heterogeneity of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Also referred to as tumor-initiating cells, CSCs have been isolated from both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and primary tumors by using hepatic progenitor markers. Although there is still no consensus on cancer stem cell phenotype in HCC, single or combined use of CSC markers defines a minor population of tumor cells with the capacity of self-renewing and the ability to recapitulate the original tumor heterogeneity. This review focuses on the biological features of CSCs and their potential as diagnostic/prognostic tools and therapeutic targets in HCC.

Importance: At present, patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are risk stratified using TNM histologic features. More recently, an association between a mesenchymal phenotype and a high risk of disease recurrence and micrometastases has been recognized.Objective: To investigate the association of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-inducing transcription factor ZEB2 (zinc finger E box-binding homeobox 2), survival outcomes, and the efficacy of ZEB2 as a biomarker when added as refinement to TNM staging after curative intent surgery for CRC.Design, Setting, and Participants: ZEB2 expression was assessed using a previously validated scoring system as part of a prospective, observational, masked diagnostic study from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2013. Data were prospectively collected and analyzed for association with oncologic outcomes from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2018. An initial test cohort from an academic university medical center of 126 consecutive patients with CRC and, subsequently, an independent validation cohort of 210 patients were examined. ZEB2 positivity was scored by 2 independent, masked pathologists. External validity was tested using an open access gene expression portal. Nomograms were developed with or without ZEB2.Main Outcomes and Measures: Systemic and local recurrence of CRC.Results: The test cohort consisted of 126 consecutive patients (mean [SD] age, 72.7 [11.7] years; 61 [48.4%] male) and the validation cohort of 210 patients (mean [SD] age, 72.0 [10.6] years; 111 [52.9%] male). A total of 52 tumors (41.3%) in the test cohort and 104 (49.5%) in the validation cohort were scored nuclear ZEB2 positive. Survival analysis by the log-rank test found that ZEB2 expression was associated with a significant reduction in overall survival and disease-free survival in both cohorts. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis highlighted ZEB2 as an independent biomarker of shorter overall survival and disease-free survival. Analysis of node-negative disease (n = 222) identified ZEB2 as an independent biomarker of early recurrence and reduced survival. External validation confirmed these findings. Addition of ZEB2 expression to nomograms composed of conventional TNM risk factors improved the ability to identify patients at high risk of recurrence demonstrated by the improvement in concordance index in both test (0.73 to 0.77) and validation (0.82 to 0.87) cohorts.Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest that expression of ZEB2 is associated with poor oncologic outcome and distant recurrence. The study also found that the addition of ZEB2 to existing TNM classification improved the ability to stratify patients for risk of recurrence. The results of this study suggest that addition of ZEB2 expression status to the TNM staging system improves the ability to stratify patients at high risk of recurrence.

Early and differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) requires sensitive and specific tissue and serum markers. On the other hand, proteins involved in tumorigenesis are extensively modelated on exposure to apoptotic stimuli, including ultraviolet (UVC) irradiation. Hence, we generated monoclonal antibodies by using UVC-irradiated apoptotic cells of an HCC cell line, HUH7, aiming to explore proteins differentially expressed in tumors and apoptosis. We obtained 18 hybridoma clones recognizing protein targets in apoptotic HUH7 cells, and clone 6D5 was chosen for characterization studies because of its strong reactivity in cell-ELISA assay. Subtype of the antibody was IgG3 (κ). Targets of 6D5 antibody were found to be abundantly expressed in all HCC cell lines except FLC4, which resembles normal hepatocytes. We also observed the secretion of 6D5 ligands by some of the HCC cell lines. Moreover, cellular proteins recognized by the antibody displayed a late upregulation in UVC-induced apoptotic cells. We concluded that 6D5 target proteins are modulated in liver tumorigenesis and apoptotic processes. We therefore propose the validation of our antibody in tissue and serum samples of HCC patients to assess its potential use for the early diagnosis of HCC and to understand the role of 6D5 ligands in liver carcinogenesis. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) is a common hereditary disease characterized by a predisposition to an early onset of colorectal cancer. The majority of the HNPCC families carry germline mutations of either hMSH2 or hMLH1 genes, whereas germline mutations of hPMS1 and hPMS2 genes have rarely been observed. Almost all of the germline mutations reported so far concern typical HNPCC families. However, there are families that display aggregations of colon cancer even though they do not fulfil all HNPCC criteria (incomplete HNPCC families) as well as sporadic cases of early onset colon cancers that could be related to germline mutations of these genes. Therefore, we screened germline mutations of hMSH2 and hMLH1 genes in 3 groups of patients from France and Turkey: typical HNPCC (n = 3), incomplete HNPCC (n = 9) and young patients without apparent familial history (n = 7). By in vitro synthesis of protein assay, heteroduplex analysis and direct genomic sequencing, we identified 1 family with hMSH2 mutation and 5 families with hMLH1 mutations. Two of the 3 HNPCC families (66%) displayed hMLH1 germline mutations. Interestingly, 4 of 9 families with incomplete HNPCC (44%) also displayed mutations of hMSH2 or hMLH1 genes. In contrast, no germline mutation of these genes was found in 7 young patients. Our results show that germline mutations of hMSH2 and hMLH1 genes contribute to a significant fraction of familial predisposition to colon cancer cases that do not fulfil all diagnostic criteria of HNPCC. Int. J. Cancer 73:831–836, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The cellular and humoral immunological parameters (leucocyte, granulocyte, lymphocyte, total T, T4, T8 lymphocyte counts, lymphoproliferative response to PHA [LP-PHA), natural killer cell activity [NKCA], IgG, IgM and Ig A levels) of 20 pediatric brain tumor patients were investigated before and after chemo-(CT) and radiotherapy (RT) administered according to the UIOI-PBT-91 protocol. The T4 and T8 cell percentages and the LP-PHA values before therapy were found to be significantly diminished in comparison to values obtained from 12 healthy children (p < 0.05). In patients receiving postoperative CT, all cellular immunity parameters except T8 cell number and NKCA; IgG and IgA levels were significantly decreased after two courses of CT (p < 0.05). In 7 patients given postoperative RT, a depression in all cellular immunity parameters was observed (p < 0.05). In 6 patients treated with 2 courses of postoperative CT followed by RT administered concomitantly with low dose CDDP, there was a decrease in all cellular and humoral immunity parameters, which was not found to be significant. In 5/18 patients infectious episodes in mild to moderate severity were observed, none causing mortality. It was concluded that the UIOI-PBT-91 protocol caused cellular immunosuppression both after CT and after RT and some humoral immunosuppression after CT, but was found to be tolerable in regard to acute immunological side effects.

Background One-third of breast cancers display amplifications of the ERBB2 gene encoding the HER2 kinase receptor. Trastuzumab, a humanized antibody directed against an epitope on subdomain IV of the extracellular domain of HER2 is used for therapy of HER2-overexpressing mammary tumors. However, many tumors are either natively resistant or acquire resistance against Trastuzumab. Antibodies directed to different epitopes on the extracellular domain of HER2 are promising candidates for replacement or combinatorial therapy. For example, Pertuzumab that binds to subdomain II of HER2 extracellular domain and inhibits receptor dimerization is under clinical trial. Alternative antibodies directed to novel HER2 epitopes may serve as additional tools for breast cancer therapy. Our aim was to generate novel anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells, either alone or in combination with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Methods Mice were immunized against SK-BR-3 cells and recombinant HER2 extracellular domain protein to produce monoclonal antibodies. Anti-HER2 antibodies were characterized with breast cancer cell lines using immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, immunoprecipitation, western blot techniques. Antibody epitopes were localized using plasmids encoding recombinant HER2 protein variants. Antibodies, either alone or in combination with TNF-α, were tested for their effects on breast cancer cell proliferation. Results We produced five new anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies, all directed against conformational epitope or epitopes restricted to the native form of the extracellular domain. When tested alone, some antibodies inhibited modestly but significantly the growth of SK-BR-3, BT-474 and MDA-MB-361 cells displaying ERBB2 amplification. They had no detectable effect on MCF-7 and T47D cells lacking ERBB2 amplification. When tested in combination with TNF-α, antibodies acted synergistically on SK-BR-3 cells, but antagonistically on BT-474 cells. A representative anti-HER2 antibody inhibited Akt and ERK1/2 phosphorylation leading to cyclin D1 accumulation and growth arrest in SK-BR-3 cells, independently from TNF-α. Conclusions Novel antibodies against extracellular domain of HER2 may serve as potent anti-cancer bioactive molecules. Cell-dependent synergy and antagonism between anti-HER2 antibodies and TNF-α provide evidence for a complex interplay between HER2 and TNF-α signaling pathways. Such complexity may drastically affect the outcome of HER2-directed therapeutic interventions.

Background Smad interacting protein-1 is a transcription factor that is implicated in transforming growth factor-β/bone morphogenetic protein signaling and a repressor of E-cadherin and human telomerase reverse transcriptase. It is also involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumorigenesis. However, genetic and epigenetic alterations of SIP1 have not been fully elucidated in cancers. In this study, we investigated mutations and promoter hypermethylation of the SIP1 gene in human hepatocellular carcinomas. Methods SIP1 expression was analyzed in HCC cell lines and primary tumors in comparison to normal and non-tumor liver tissues by using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, quantitative real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Mutation and deletion screening of the SIP1 gene were performed by direct sequencing in HCC-derived cells. Restoration of SIP1 expression was sought by treating HCC cell lines with the DNA methyl transferase inhibitor, 5-AzaC, and the histone deacetylase inhibitor, TSA. SIP1 promoter methylation was analyzed by the combined bisulfite restriction analysis assay in in silico-predicted putative promoter and CpG island regions. Results We found that the expression of SIP1 was completely lost or reduced in five of 14 (36%) HCC cell lines and 17 of 23 (74%) primary HCC tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed that SIP1 mRNA downregulation was associated with decreased expression of the SIP1 protein in HCC tissues (82.8%). No somatic mutation was observed in SIP1 exons in any of the 14 HCC cell lines. Combined treatment with DNA methyl transferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors synergistically restored SIP1 expression in SIP1-negative cell lines. Analysis of three putative gene regulatory regions revealed tumor-specific methylation in more than half of the HCC cases. Conclusions Epigenetic mechanisms contribute significantly to the downregulation of SIP1 expression in HCC. This finding adds a new level of complexity to the role of SIP1 in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Cataloged from PDF version of article. Smad-interacting protein 1 (SIP1, also known as ZEB2) represses the transcription of E-cadherin and mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition in development and tumor metastasis. Due to the lack of human SIP1-specific antibodies, its expression in human tumor tissues has not been studied in detail by immunohistochemistry. Hence, we generated two anti-SIP1 monoclonal antibodies, clones 1C6 and 6E5, with IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes, respectively. The specificity of these antibodies was shown by Western blotting studies using siRNA mediated downregulation of SIP1 and ZEB1 in a human osteosarcoma cell line. In the same context, we also compared them with 5 commercially available SIP1 antibodies. Antibody specificity was further verified in an inducible cell line system by immunofluorescence. By using both antibodies, we evaluated the tissue expression of SIP1 in paraffin-embedded tissue microarrays consisting of 22 normal and 101 tumoral tissues of kidney, colon, stomach, lung, esophagus, uterus, rectum, breast and liver. Interestingly, SIP1 predominantly displayed a cytoplasmic expression, while the nuclear localization of SIP1 was observed in only 6 cases. Strong expression of SIP1 was found in distal tubules of kidney, glandular epithelial cells of stomach and hepatocytes, implicating a co-expression of SIP1 and E-cadherin. Squamous epithelium of the esophagus and surface epithelium of colon and rectum were stained with moderate to weak intensity. Normal uterus, breast and lung tissues remained completely negative. By comparison with their normal tissues, we observed SIP1 overexpression in cancers of the kidney, breast, lung and uterus. However, SIP1 expression was found to be downregulated in tumors from colon, rectum, esophagus, liver and stomach tissues. Finally we did nuclear/cytoplasmic fractionation in 3 carcinoma cell lines and detected SIP1 in both fractions, nucleus being the dominant one. To our best knowledge, this is the first comprehensive immunohistochemical study of the expression of SIP1 in a series of human cancers. Our finding that SIP1 is not exclusively localized to nucleus suggests that the subcellular localization of SIP1 is regulated in normal and tumor tissues. These novel monoclonal antibodies may help elucidate the role of SIP1 in tumor development. © 2010 Elsevier Inc.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to cancer metastasis. Two ZEB family members, ZEB1 and ZEB2(SIP1), inhibit transcription of the E-cadherin gene and induce EMT in vitro. However, their relevance to human cancer is insufficiently studied. Here, we performed a comparative study of SIP1 and ZEB1 proteins in cancer cell lines and in one form of human malignancy, carcinoma of the bladder. Whereas ZEB1 protein was expressed in all E-cadherin-negative carcinoma cell lines, being in part responsible for the high motility of bladder cancer cells, SIP1 was hardly ever detectable in carcinoma cells in culture. However, SIP1 represented an independent factor of poor prognosis ( P = 0.005) in a series of bladder cancer specimens obtained from patients treated with radiotherapy. In contrast, ZEB1 was rarely expressed in tumor tissues; and E-cadherin status did not correlate with the patients' survival. SIP1 protected cells from UV- and cisplatin-induced apoptosis in vitro but had no effect on the level of DNA damage. The anti-apoptotic effect of SIP1 was independent of either cell cycle arrest or loss of cell-cell adhesion and was associated with reduced phosphorylation of ATM/ATR targets in UV-treated cells. The prognostic value of SIP1 and its role in DNA damage response establish a link between genetic instability and metastasis and suggest a potential importance for this protein as a therapeutic target. In addition, we conclude that the nature of an EMT pathway rather than the deregulation of E-cadherin per se is critical for the progression of the disease and patients' survival.

Background SLIT-ROBO families of proteins mediate axon pathfinding and their expression is not solely confined to nervous system. Aberrant expression of SLIT-ROBO genes was repeatedly shown in a wide variety of cancers, yet data about their collective behavior in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is missing. Hence, we quantified SLIT-ROBO transcripts in HCC cell lines, and in normal and tumor tissues from liver. Methods Expression of SLIT-ROBO family members was quantified by real-time qRT-PCR in 14 HCC cell lines, 8 normal and 35 tumor tissues from the liver. ANOVA and Pearson's correlation analyses were performed in R environment, and different clinicopathological subgroups were pairwise compared in Minitab. Gene expression matrices of cell lines and tissues were analyzed by Mantel's association test. Results Genewise hierarchical clustering revealed two subgroups with coordinate expression pattern in both the HCC cell lines and tissues: ROBO1, ROBO2, SLIT1 in one cluster, and ROBO4, SLIT2, SLIT3 in the other, respectively. Moreover, SLIT-ROBO expression predicted AFP-dependent subgrouping of HCC cell lines, but not that of liver tissues. ROBO1 and ROBO2 were significantly up-regulated, whereas SLIT3 was significantly down-regulated in cell lines with high-AFP background. When compared to normal liver tissue, ROBO1 was found to be significantly overexpressed, while ROBO4 was down-regulated in HCC. We also observed that ROBO1 and SLIT2 differentiated histopathological subgroups of liver tissues depending on both tumor staging and differentiation status. However, ROBO4 could discriminate poorly differentiated HCC from other subgroups. Conclusion The present study is the first in comprehensive and quantitative evaluation of SLIT-ROBO family gene expression in HCC, and suggests that the expression of SLIT-ROBO genes is regulated in hepatocarcinogenesis. Our results implicate that SLIT-ROBO transcription profile is bi-modular in nature, and that each module shows intrinsic variability. We also provide quantitative evidence for potential use of ROBO1, ROBO4 and SLIT2 for prediction of tumor stage and differentiation status.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are particularly common in people with cystic fibrosis and despite regular treatment with antibiotics, lung damage due to chronic infection with P. aeruginosa remains the major cause of death in those patients. In order to initiate an infection, P. aeruginosa needs contact with the respiratory epithelial surface and by means of its adhesins i.e., fimbria, hemagglutinins,etc., it recognizes and adheres to the corresponding epithelial receptors. We treated P. aeruginosa strains isolated from sputum of cystic fibrosis patients with several glycolipids such as sulfatide, sulfated ganglioside mixture (GM1a, GD1b, GT1b), asialo-GM1 and galactocerebrosides to determine their effect on attachment with pharyngeal epithelial cells. Sulfated ganglioside mixture and sulfatide inhibited the attachment of P. aeruginosa significantly, whereas asialo-GM1, Gal-Cer and sodium sulfite had no effect on attachment inhibition. This finding suggests that sulfated glycoconjugates found in the extracellular matrix, in mucus and on the surface of epithelial cells of human trachea and lung mediates attachment of P. aeruginosa.

Three monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were generated against p53 DNA-binding core domain. When tested by immunoprecipitation, Western blot and immunofluorescence techniques, Mab 9E4, as well as 7D3 and 6B10 reacted with both wild-type and various mutant p53 proteins. The epitopes recognized by Mabs 7D3, 9E4 and 6B10 were located respectively within the amino acid residues 211-220, 281-290 and 291-300 of human p53 protein. The epitope recognized by 9E4 Mab coincides with helix 2, also called p53 DNA binding helix, which allows the direct contact of the protein with its target DNA sequences. This antibody may be useful to study transcription-dependent and transcription-independent activities of wild-type and mutant p53 proteins.

Microsatellite instability in a subset of colorectal cancers from North America, Europe and Japan has been reported. We examined 88 colorectal cancers from Turkish patients. Five different microsatellite loci (I mono- and 4 dinucleotide repeat regions) were tested. Eight tumors displayed replication errors (RERs) with at least 2 different markers. Right-sided tumors showed significantly higher frequency of microsatellite instability compared with left-sided tumors. The frequency of RER phenotype was slightly higher in tumors occurring in younger (