| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Tumor Biology |
Departments of Molecular Therapeutics [M. A. K., L. T., F-X. C.] and Molecular and Cellular Oncology [R. K.], The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, and Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece [G. Z. R., C. K.]
| ABSTRACT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| INTRODUCTION |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Overexpression of JAB1 has been reported in human pituitary tumors (13) and in epithelial ovarian cancer (14) ; in the latter study, JAB1 overexpression was inversely associated with p27 levels and correlated with inferior OS (14) . JAB1 expression has not been studied in breast tissue in vivo. We used immunohistochemical analysis to examine JAB1 and p27 protein levels (15) in specimens of invasive breast carcinoma and adjacent normal breast tissue and compared those findings with clinical outcome. We hypothesized that JAB1 function as a negative regulator of p27 may have a role in breast oncogenesis. We found a strong inverse association between JAB1 and p27 expression levels in the tumors. Moreover, patients whose tumors did not express JAB1 had the highest survival rate, whereas those whose tumors had high JAB1 levels fared the worst. To further elucidate the role of JAB1 in p27 degradation in breast cancer, we infected four breast carcinoma cells lines with an adenoviral vector expressing JAB1 and found that p27 levels were significantly reduced after JAB1 gene transfer, indicating that in breast cancer JAB1 controls the activity of p27 by targeting it for degradation.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Consecutive 5-µm paraffin-embedded sections were cut from each tumor specimen and processed for immunohistochemical analysis as described below. Tumors were surgically staged according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor-node-metastasis system and graded according to the Nottingham modification of the Bloom and Richardson system.
Immunohistochemical Analysis.
Monoclonal antibodies were as follows: for JAB1, clone 4D11D8 (1:400; Zymed, San Francisco, CA); for p27, clone SX53K8 (1:200; DAKO, Carpinteria, CA); and for Ki-67, MIB-1 (1:100; Immunotech, Westbrook, ME). The specificity of the JAB1 antibodies was tested in normal tonsil tissue samples by competition with a specific JAB1 peptide and an unspecific peptide (data not shown); results were similar to those reported elsewhere (13)
. The immunohistochemical method used in this study was described previously (15)
. Briefly, JAB1, p27, and MIB-1 antigens were retrieved by heating and incubated with the primary antibody. The immunoreaction was detected with the LSAB+ kit from DAKO. 3,3'-diaminobenzidine was used as the chromogen, and hematoxylin was used as the counterstain. Epithelial cells of the adjacent normal breast ducts were used as internal positive controls for JAB1 and p27 expression. Expression levels of JAB1 and p27 were determined by counting at least 1000 tumor cells in 10 representative high-power fields. Tumor cells were considered JAB1 positive when staining was present, irrespective of the intensity. Based on the distribution of data (histograms) and for the purposes of a more detailed statistical analysis, we used 50% as a cutoff to define high versus low JAB1 expression. The p27 LI was defined as the percentage of p27-positive tumor cells; we also used 50% as a cutoff for high versus low p27 expression, as has been suggested by others (16)
. Serial tissue sections from the same areas of the breast were used to examine JAB1, p27, and Ki-67 (a marker of cell proliferation) expression levels. The PI was defined as the percentage of MIB-1-positive tumor cells, regardless of staining intensity.
Cell Cultures.
Of the four human breast cancer cell lines tested, BT-474 cells were maintained in DMEM, and MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-231, BT-549 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640; both media were supplemented with 10% FCS and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. Cells were incubated at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere containing 5% CO2.
Cell Extracts, Tissue Samples, and Immunoblotting.
Cells in log-phase growth were collected, washed twice in cold PBS, and lysed at 4°C in lysis buffer [25 mM HEPES (pH 7.7), 400 mM NaCl, 0.5% Triton X-100, 1.5 mM MgCl2, 2 mM EDTA, 2 mM DTT, 0.1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, protease inhibitors (10 µg/ml leupeptin, 2 µg/ml peptstatin, 50 µg/ml antipain, 2 µg/ml aprotinin, 20 µg/ml chymostatin, and 2 µg/ml benzamidine), and phosphatase inhibitors (50 mM NaF, 0.1 mM Na3VO4, and 20 mM ß-glycerophosphate)]. Paired samples of normal human breast epithelium and breast carcinoma were lysed as described previously (17)
.Total cell lysates were resolved on 10% SDS-PAGE, transferred to nitrocellulose polyvinylidene difluoride membranes, and probed with primary polyclonal antibodies to JAB1 (Zymed) and p27 (BD-PharMingen, San Diego, CA), using enhanced chemiluminescence reagents (Amersham Pharmacia, Piscataway, NJ). Vinculin and ß-actin (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) served as internal positive controls for all immunoblots.
Recombinant JAB1 Adenovirus.
A recombinant adenovirus vector expressing a doxycycline-regulated (Tet-Off) form of JAB1 was constructed according to the manufacturers recommendations (Clontech, Palo Alto, CA), and the cloning procedure will be fully described elsewhere.4
Briefly, the cDNA encoding for human JAB1 (1)
was fused to the Myc epitope tag fusion protein (Myc-JAB1) and inserted into BamHI/AfiII restriction sites of the pTRE-shuttle vector (Clontech) to generate a pTRE-JAB1-Myc construct. Then, the PI-SceI/I-CeuI digestion product of the pTRE-Myc-JAB1 shuttle vector was cloned into a pAdeno-X viral DNA vector. Recombinant infectious adenoviruses were then produced by transfecting HEK 293 cells with pAdeno-X-Myc-JAB1 viral DNA and confirmed by detecting synthesis of Myc-JAB1 fusion protein by immunoblotting with anti-Myc antibodies. The resulting construct was called Ad-JAB1-Myc. Viral titer was expressed as infection units/ml and represents the biological activity of the virus. Recipient cells were then transduced with a regulatory virus (adeno-X Tet-Off; Clontech) and Ad-Myc-JAB1 virus at a multiplicity of infection of 50 plaque-forming units/cell in the presence or absence of 1 µg/ml doxycycline, a tetracycline analogue. After 48 h, cell lysates were prepared, and proteins were detected by Western blotting with anti-Myc, and anti-p27 antibodies. ß-Actin antibodies were used as a loading control. Data were quantified by PhosphorImager analysis.
| RESULTS |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
Statistical analysis revealed an inverse correlation between p27 LI and JAB1 expression (Table 2
; Fig. 1g
). Specifically, the mean p27 LI for tumors with high JAB1 expression was 27.2% compared with 44.5% for tumors with low JAB1 expression (P = 0.02, Mann-Whitney U test). Similarly, high JAB1 expression correlated with low p27 expression if both factors were considered categorical variables (Table 2)
. Five tumors showed high expression of both JAB1 and p27 proteins. p27 LI and the PI seemed to be inversely correlated, but the apparent association was not statistically significant (Spearman R = -0.2; P = 0.2).
|
Association of High JAB1 Expression with Clinical Outcome.
Survival analysis of the 43 patients with information available on clinical follow-up and JAB1 and p27 expression indicated that at a median follow-up of 70 months, the 5-year PFS rate for patients with JAB1-positive tumors (n = 35) was 80% compared with 100% for patients with JAB1-negative tumors (n = 8; Fig. 3a
, P = 0.08 by log-rank). The corresponding 5-year OS rates were 69% and 100%, respectively (Fig. 3b
, P = 0.05 by log-rank).
|
|
| DISCUSSION |
|---|
|
|
|---|
In a further investigation of the apparent role of JAB1-mediated down-regulation of p27 in breast cancer, we infected breast cancer-derived cell lines with an inducible JAB1-expressing adenoviral vector and found that p27 levels were significantly reduced after JAB1 gene transfer (Fig. 4)
. Taken together, these observations strongly support the concept that JAB1 mediated the down-regulation of p27, possibly by increasing the degradation of p27 through the ubiquitin/proteasome system (4)
. This hypothesis is supported by our in vivo findings indicating that JAB1, when strongly expressed in the cytoplasm of breast tumor tissue samples, was associated with minimal levels of nuclear p27. High expression levels of both nuclear JAB1 and p27 were found in only five tumors in our study; notably, all five were associated with axillary lymph node metastasis. In these cases, the possibility of abnormal nuclear accumulation of inactive p27/cyclin D3/CDK46 complexes, as has been suggested for other tumor types (18)
, cannot be excluded.
p27 proteolysis is probably mediated not only by JAB1 but also by the CSN complex, of which JAB1/CSN5 is a component. Other components of the CSN complex including CSN6, CSN7, and CSN8 are capable of inducing p27 down-regulation when ectopically expressed, and this function may require nuclear export of p27 (12) . In addition to its roles in AP-1 transcriptional activity and p27 degradation, JAB1 may function as a cointegrator of diverse signaling pathways (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24) . However, the exact role of these mechanisms in breast oncogenesis needs further investigation.
Using immunoblotting methods, we also showed that strong JAB1 expression was altered in paired normal human breast epithelium and breast carcinoma biopsy sample, with a dramatically increased expression in six of eight tumors as compared with the adjacent normal tissue, which showed little or no JAB1 expression (Fig. 2)
. These findings suggest that the increased level of JAB1 protein could be closely associated with the malignancy of breast tumors. Malignant conversion of tumor is a complex process that may be regulated, at least in part, by increased expression of JAB1 and decreased expression of p27. Endogenous JAB1 is physiologically involved in the regulation of AP-1 transcriptional activity (1)
and participates in COP9-mediated kinase activity in various transcription regulators (reviewed in Refs. 2
and 3
). The AP-1 complex was reported to promote cellular invasion, thereby validating its components as targets for diagnosis or therapy (25, 26, 27)
. JAB1 may also promote the progression of breast carcinoma by activating AP-1 transcriptional proteins.
In summary, we found JAB1 to be frequently expressed and inversely correlated with p27 levels in breast cancer; this inverse association was apparently due to down-regulation of p27 by JAB1. Changes in expression levels of JAB1 and p27 might contribute to deregulation of the cell cycle and might precede the progression of breast tumors. Our preliminary survival analysis indicates that JAB1 expression may be associated with inferior PFS and OS, but this early finding needs to be confirmed with a larger group of patients. Modulation of the JAB1 gene product may also provide a novel target for experimental therapies in breast cancer.
| FOOTNOTES |
|---|
1 Supported in part by NIH Grants 1 R01 CA90853-01, P30 CA16672-24, and 5 P50 CA83639; NIH Core Grant CA16672; and an institutional research grant (to F. X. C.) ![]()
2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 317, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: (713) 792-6306; Fax: (713) 792-4005; E-mail: fxclaret{at}mdanderson.org ![]()
3 The abbreviations used are: JAB1, Jun activation domain-binding protein 1; CDK, cyclin-dependent kinase; LI, labeling index; PI, proliferation index; AP-1, activator protein 1; CSN, COP9 signalosome; PFS, progression-free survival; OS, overall survival. ![]()
4 L. Tian et al., manuscript in preparation. ![]()
Received 12/20/02. Accepted 3/26/03.
| REFERENCES |
|---|
|
|
|---|
and regulates its stability. J. Biol. Chem., 277: 9-12, 2002.This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
S. SHIRASO, Y. KATAYOSE, K. YAMAMOTO, M. MIZUMA, S. YABUUCHI, A. ODA, T. RIKIYAMA, T. ONOGAWA, H. YOSHIDA, H. HAYASHI, et al. Overexpression of Adenovirus-mediated p27kip1 Lacking the Jab1-binding Region Enhances Cytotoxicity and Inhibits Xenografted Human Cholangiocarcinoma Growth Anticancer Res, June 1, 2009; 29(6): 2015 - 2024. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Mori, N. Yoneda-Kato, A. Yoshida, and J.-y. Kato Stable Form of JAB1 Enhances Proliferation and Maintenance of Hematopoietic Progenitors J. Biol. Chem., October 24, 2008; 283(43): 29011 - 29021. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. S. Adler, L. E. Littlepage, M. Lin, T. L.A. Kawahara, D. J. Wong, Z. Werb, and H. Y. Chang CSN5 Isopeptidase Activity Links COP9 Signalosome Activation to Breast Cancer Progression Cancer Res., January 15, 2008; 68(2): 506 - 515. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M.-C. Hsu, H.-C. Chang, and W.-C. Hung HER-2/neu transcriptionally activates Jab1 expression via the AKT/{beta}-catenin pathway in breast cancer cells Endocr. Relat. Cancer, September 1, 2007; 14(3): 655 - 667. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. A. Kouvaraki, A. L. Korapati, G. Z. Rassidakis, L. Tian, Q. Zhang, P. Chiao, L. Ho, D. B. Evans, and F. X. Claret Potential Role of Jun Activation Domain-Binding Protein 1 as a Negative Regulator of p27kip1 in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res., September 1, 2006; 66(17): 8581 - 8589. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. Oh, E.-W. Lee, Y. H. Sung, M.-R. Yang, J. Ghim, H.-W. Lee, and J. Song Jab1 Induces the Cytoplasmic Localization and Degradation of p53 in Coordination with Hdm2 J. Biol. Chem., June 23, 2006; 281(25): 17457 - 17465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. S. Richardson and W. Zundel The Emerging Role of the COP9 Signalosome in Cancer Mol. Cancer Res., December 1, 2005; 3(12): 645 - 653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. A. Patil, I. Gutgemann, J. Zhang, C. Ho, S.-T. Cheung, D. Ginzinger, R. Li, K. J. Dykema, S. So, S.-T. Fan, et al. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization reveals recurrent chromosomal aberrations and Jab1 as a potential target for 8q gain in hepatocellular carcinoma Carcinogenesis, December 1, 2005; 26(12): 2050 - 2057. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Tomoda, J.-y. Kato, E. Tatsumi, T. Takahashi, Y. Matsuo, and N. Yoneda-Kato The Jab1/COP9 signalosome subcomplex is a downstream mediator of Bcr-Abl kinase activity and facilitates cell-cycle progression Blood, January 15, 2005; 105(2): 775 - 783. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Dong, L. Sui, Y. Watanabe, F. Yamaguchi, N. Hatano, and M. Tokuda Prognostic Significance of Jab1 Expression in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas Clin. Cancer Res., January 1, 2005; 11(1): 259 - 266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Tomoda, N. Yoneda-Kato, A. Fukumoto, S. Yamanaka, and J.-y. Kato Multiple Functions of Jab1 Are Required for Early Embryonic Development and Growth Potential in Mice J. Biol. Chem., October 8, 2004; 279(41): 43013 - 43018. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Cancer Research | Clinical Cancer Research |
| Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention | Molecular Cancer Therapeutics |
| Molecular Cancer Research | Cancer Prevention Research |
| Cancer Prevention Journals Portal | Cancer Reviews Online |
| Annual Meeting Education Book | Meeting Abstracts Online |