Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are key transcription regulators that function by deacetylating histones/transcription factors and modifying chromatin structure. In this work, we showed that chemical inhibition of HDACs by valproic acid (VPA) led to impaired liver development in zebrafish mainly by inhibiting specification, budding, and differentiation. Formation of exocrine pancreas but not endocrine pancreas was also inhibited. The liver defects induced by VPA correlate with suppressed total HDAC enzymatic activity, but are independent of angiogenesis inhibition. Gene knockdown by morpholino demonstrated that hdac3 is specifically required for liver formation while hdac1 is more globally required for multiple development processes in zebrafish including liver/exocrine pancreas formation. Furthermore, overexpression of hdac3 but not hdac1 partially rescued VPA induced small liver. One mechanism by which hdac3 regulates zebrafish liver growth is through inhibiting growth differentiation factor 11 (gdf11), a unique target of hdac3 and a member of the transforming growth factor beta family. Simultaneous overexpression or morpholino knockdown showed that hdac3 and gdf11 function antagonistically in zebrafish liver development. These results revealed a novel and specific role of hdac3 in liver development and the distinct functions between hdac1 and hdac3 in zebrafish embryonic development.

Proper patterns of genome-wide DNA methylation, mediated by DNA methyltransferases DNMT1, -3A and -3B, are essential for embryonic development and genomic stability in mammalian cells. The de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3B is of particular interest because it is frequently overexpressed in tumor cells and is mutated in immunodeficiency, centromere instability and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome. In order to gain a better understanding of DNMT3B, in terms of the targeting of its methylation activity and its role in genome stability, we biochemically purified endogenous DNMT3B from HeLa cells. DNMT3B co-purifies and interacts, both in vivo and in vitro, with several components of the condensin complex (hCAP-C, hCAP-E and hCAP-G) and KIF4A. Condensin mediates genome-wide chromosome condensation at the onset of mitosis and is critical for proper segregation of sister chromatids. KIF4A is proposed to be a motor protein carrying DNA as cargo. DNMT3B also interacts with histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), the co-repressor SIN3A and the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzyme hSNF2H. Further more, DNMT3B co-localizes with condensin and KIF4A on condensed chromosomes throughout mitosis. These studies therefore reveal the first direct link between the machineries regulating DNA methylation and mitotic chromosome condensation in mammalian cells.

Aberrant recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs) by the oncogenic fusion protein PML-RAR is involved in the pathogenesis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). PML-RAR, however, is not sufficient to induce disease in mice but requires additional oncogenic lesions during the preleukemic phase. Here, we show that knock-down of Hdac1 and Hdac2 dramatically accelerates leukemogenesis in transgenic preleukemic mice. These events are not restricted to APL because lymphomagenesis driven by deletion of p53 or, to a lesser extent, by c-myc overexpression, was also accelerated by Hdac1 knock-down. In the preleukemic phase of APL, Hdac1 counteracts the activity of PML-RAR in (1) blocking differentiation; (2) impairing genomic stability; and (3) increasing self-renewal in hematopoietic progenitors, as all of these events are affected by the reduction in Hdac1 levels. This led to an expansion of a subpopulation of PML-RAR-expressing cells that is the major source of leukemic stem cells in the full leukemic stage. Remarkably, short-term treatment of preleukemic mice with an HDAC inhibitor accelerated leukemogenesis. In contrast, knock-down of Hdac1 in APL mice led to enhanced survival duration of the leukemic animals. Thus, Hdac1 has a dual role in tumorigenesis: oncosuppressive in the early stages, and oncogenic in established tumor cells.

BACKGROUND

Several classes of histone deacetylases (HDACs) are expressed in the spinal cord that is a critical structure of the nociceptive pathway. HDAC-regulated histone acetylation is an important component of chromatin remodeling leading to epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. To understand the role of histone acetylation in epigenetic regulation of pathological pain, we have studied the impact of different classes of HDACs in the spinal cord on inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA).

RESULTS

We intrathecally applied inhibitors specific to different classes of HDACs and evaluated their impact on inflammatory hyperalgesia. Pre-injected inhibitors targeting class I as well as II (SAHA, TSA, LAQ824) or IIa (VPA, 4-PB) HDACs significantly delayed the thermal hyperalgesia induced by unilateral CFA injection in the hindpaw. Existing hyperalgesia induced by CFA was also attenuated by the HDAC inhibitors (HDACIs). In contrast, these inhibitors did not interfere with the thermal response either in naïve animals, or on the contralateral side of inflamed animals. Interestingly, MS-275 that specifically inhibits class I HDACs failed to alter the hyperalgesia although it increased histone 3 acetylation in the spinal cord as SAHA did. Using immunoblot analysis, we further found that the levels of class IIa HDAC members (HDAC4, 5, 7, 9) in the spinal dorsal horn were upregulated following CFA injection while those of class I HDAC members (HDAC1, 2, 3) remained stable or were slightly reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that activity of class II HDACs in the spinal cord is critical to the induction and maintenance of inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by CFA, while activity of class I HDACs may be unnecessary. Comparison of the effects of HDACIs specific to class II and IIa as well as the expression pattern of different HDACs in the spinal cord in response to CFA suggests that the members of class IIa HDACs may be potential targets for attenuating persistent inflammatory pain.

The regulation of histone deacetylases (HDACs) by phosphorylation was examined by elevating intracellular phosphorylation in cultured cells with the protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid. After fractionation of extracts from treated versus untreated cells, HDAC 1 and 2 eluted in several peaks of deacetylase activity, assayed using mixed acetylated histones or acetylated histone H4 peptide. Stimulation of cells with okadaic acid led to hyperphosphorylation of HDAC 1 and 2 as well as changes in column elution of both enzymes. Hyperphosphorylated HDAC2 was also observed in cells synchronized with nocodazole or taxol, demonstrating regulation of HDAC phosphorylation during mitosis. Phosphorylated HDAC1 and 2 showed a gel mobility retardation that correlated with a small but significant increase in activity, both of which were reversed upon phosphatase treatment in vitro. However, the most pronounced effect of HDAC phosphorylation was to disrupt protein complex formation between HDAC1 and 2 as well as complex formation between HDAC1 and corepressors mSin3A and YY1. In contrast, interactions between HDAC1/2 and RbAp46/48 were unaffected by okadaic acid. These results establish a novel link between HDAC phosphorylation and the control of protein-protein interactions and suggest a mechanism for relief of deacetylase-catalyzed transcriptional repression by phosphorylation-dependent signaling.

The mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex is essential for the multiple changes in gene expression that occur during differentiation. However, the basis within the complex for specificity in effecting positive versus negative changes in gene expression has only begun to be elucidated. The catalytic core of the complex can be either of two closely related ATPases, BRM or BRG1, with the potential that the choice of alternative subunits is a key determinant of specificity. Short hairpin RNA-mediated depletion of the ATPases was used to explore their respective roles in the well characterized multistage process of osteoblast differentiation. The results reveal an unexpected role for BRM-specific complexes. Instead of impeding differentiation as was seen with BRG1 depletion, depletion of BRM caused accelerated progression to the differentiation phenotype. Multiple tissue-specific differentiation markers, including the tightly regulated late stage marker osteocalcin, become constitutively up-regulated in BRM-depleted cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of the osteocalcin promoter as a model for the behavior of the complexes indicates that the promoter is a direct target of both BRM- and BRG1-containing complexes. BRG1 complexes, which are required for activation, are associated with the promoter well before induction, but the concurrent presence of BRM-specific complexes overrides their activation function. BRM-specific complexes are present only on the repressed promoter and are required for association of the co-repressor HDAC1. These findings reveal an unanticipated degree of specialization of function linked with the choice of ATPase and suggest a new paradigm for the roles of the alternative subunits during differentiation.

Glucocorticoids potentiate the early steps of preadipocyte differentiation and promote obesity in Cushing's syndrome and during prolonged steroid therapy. We show that glucocorticoids stimulate 3T3 L1 preadipocyte differentiation through a non-transcriptional mechanism mediated through the ligand-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor. This enhanced the onset of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBPalpha) expression by potentiating its initial transcriptional activation by C/EBPbeta. In the absence of steroid, C/EBPbeta associated with a transcriptional corepressor complex containing mSin3A and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), but lacking HDAC2 and RbAp46/48. HDAC1/mSin3A were recruited to the C/EBPalpha promoter with C/EBPbeta and promoted the deacetylation of histone H4. Steroid induced the specific depletion of this corepressor by targeting the HDAC1 within the complex for degradation through the 26S proteasome. Treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors replaced the effects of steroid treatment on preadipocyte differentiation and C/EBPalpha expression, while overexpression of HDAC1 abrogated the stimulatory effects of steroid. Recapitulation of the glucocorticoid effect by progestin treatment in the presence of the progesterone receptor ligand-binding domain suggests a conserved mechanism relevant to many aspects of steroid-mediated differentiation.

In some mammalian systems small interfering RNAs (siRNA) targeting homologous sequences in promoter regions of genes induce transcriptional gene silencing (TGS). We have previously reported the induction of TGS by an siRNA (prom-A siRNA) targeting the tandem NF-kappaB-binding motifs within the human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1), promoter region. Here we report that induction of TGS by prom-A siRNA is accompanied by immediate and sustained local recruitment of Argonaute-1 (Ago1), histone deacetylase-1 (HDAC1), and induction of dimethylation of histone 3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me2), processes known to be associated with transcriptional silencing. Elevated levels of H3K9me2 and HDAC1 spread upstream of the target sequence, and elevated H3K9me2 levels also spread downstream into the coding region. Moreover, this siRNA induces an immediate change in DNA accessibility to restriction enzyme digestion in the region of the transcription initiation site of the HIV-1. This change in accessibility is because of the relocation of a nucleosome known to be associated with this region of the integrated pro-virus. Although there is a theoretical possibility that the observed viral suppression could be mediated by the PTGS mechanism with this siRNA acting at the 3 (R)-long term repeat of the virus, we demonstrate that this siRNA, and three other U3 targeted siRNAs, are inefficient inducers of PTGS. These data strongly suggest that siRNA targeting the promoter region acts predominantly at a site within the 5 (R)-long term repeat of HIV to induce transcriptional silencing and alterations to chromatin structure of the HIV promoter region that extend well beyond the immediate siRNA target site. These induced changes are consistent with those described in latent HIV-1 infection.

The antiapoptotic transcription factor NF-kappaB is constitutively activated in many cancers and is important for cytokine-mediated progression and metastatic movement of tumors. Breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) is a metastasis suppressor gene whose mechanisms of action are poorly understood. In this report, we demonstrate that BRMS1 decreases the transactivation potential of RelA/p65 and ameliorates the expression of NF-kappaB-regulated antiapoptotic gene products. BRMS1 immunoprecipitates with the RelA/p65 subunit of NF-kappaB with protein-protein interactions occurring at the C terminus region of the rel homology domain but not at its known transactivation domains. Moreover, BRMS1 functions as a corepressor by promoting binding of HDAC1 to RelA/p65, where it deacetylates lysine K310 on RelA/p65, which suppresses RelA/p65 transcriptional activity. Selective small interfering RNA knockdown of BRMS1 confirms that chromatin-bound BRMS1 is required for deacetylation of RelA/p65, while enhancing chromatin occupancy of HDAC1 onto the NF-kappaB-regulated promoters cIAP2 and Bfl-1/A1. We observed in cells lacking BRMS1 a dramatic increase in cell viability after the loss of attachment from the extracellular matrix. Collectively, these results suggest that BRMS1 suppresses metastasis through its ability to function as a transcriptional corepressor of antiapoptotic genes regulated by NF-kappaB.

Adipocyte differentiation is a well defined process that is under the control of transcriptional activators and repressors. We show that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors efficiently block adipocyte differentiation in vitro. This effect is specific to adipogenesis, as another mesenchymal differentiation process, osteoblastogenesis, is enhanced upon HDAC inhibition. Through the systematic genetic deletion of HDAC genes in cultured mesenchymal precursor cells, we show that deletion of HDAC1 and HDAC2 leads to reduced lipid accumulation, revealing redundant and requisite roles of these class I HDACs in adipogenesis. These findings unveil a previously unrecognized role for HDACs in the control of adipogenesis.

Hyperglycemia is considered as one of the major determinants in the development of diabetic retinopathy, but the progression of retinopathy resists arrest after hyperglycemia is terminated, suggesting a metabolic memory phenomenon. Diabetes alters the expression of retinal genes, and this continues even after good glycemic control is re-instituted. Since the expression of genes is affected by chromatin structure that is modulated by post-translational modifications of histones, our objective is to investigate the role of histone acetylation in the development of diabetic retinopathy, and in the metabolic memory phenomenon. Streptozotocin-induced rats were maintained either in poor glycemic control (PC, glycated hemoglobin, GHb >11%) or good glycemic control (GC, GHb <6%) for 12 months, or allowed to be in PC for 6 months followed by in GC for 6 months (PC-GC). On a cellular level, retinal endothelial cells, the target of histopathology of diabetic retinopathy, were incubated in 5 or 20 mM glucose for 4 days. Activities of histone deacetylase (HDAC) and histone acetyltransferase (HAT), and histone acetylation were quantified. Hyperglycemia activated HDAC and increased HDAC1, 2, and 8 gene expressions in the retina and its capillary cells. The activity HAT was compromised and the acetylation of histone H3 was decreased. Termination of hyperglycemia failed to provide any benefits to diabetes-induced changes in retinal HDAC and HAT, and histone H3 remained subnormal. This suggests "in principle" the role of global acetylation of retinal histone H3 in the development of diabetic retinopathy and in the metabolic memory phenomenon associated with its continued progression.

Tamoxifen, a breast cancer therapeutic, is a tissue-selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), which acts as an antiestrogen in the mammary tissue and displays estrogenic activity in other tissues such as bone and uterus. In order to understand the mechanisms underlying the antiestrogenic effect of this prototype SERM, we performed an analysis of the cofactors that interact with ER complexed with 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHT) at natural target genes in a human breast tumor cell line MCF-7. Employing chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we observed that treatment with OHT rapidly induces the binding of ERalpha to the E-responsive promoter regions of pS2 and c-myc genes. Promoter-bound OHT-complexed ERa coordinately recruited the components of a multiprotein complex containing the corepressor NCoR, histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), and a WD40-repeat protein TBL1. Surprisingly, the OHT-complexed ERalpha also recruited a chromatin-remodeling NuRD complex in which histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) is associated with several polypeptides including metastasis-associated protein 1/2 (MTA1/2), and SWI2/SNF2-related ATPase Mi2. Kinetic studies revealed that following OHT addition the recruitment of these HDAC complexes to pS2 or the c-myc promoter occurs in a sequential manner; the NCoR-HDAC3 complex is recruited earlier than the NuRD complex. Serial ChIP experiments indicated that the ER-NCoR-HDAC3 and ER-NuRD complexes are distinct, and they do not occupy the target gene promoter simultaneously. We also established a close temporal link between the appearance of the HDAC complexes at the E-responsive regions of pS2 and c-myc promoters, local hypoacetylation of specific lysine residues in N-terminal tails of histones H3 and H4, and disappearance of RNA polymerase II from the target gene loci. Collectively, our studies indicated that transcriptional repression by tamoxifen-bound ER at E-regulated gene promoters involves a dynamic interplay of multiple distinct chromatin-modifying/remodeling complexes.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) modify nucleosomal histones, have a key role in the regulation of gene transcription, and may be involved in cell-cycle regulation, differentiation and human cancer. Purified recombinant human HDAC1 protein was used to screen a cDNA expression library, and one of the clones identified encoded DNA topoisomerase II (Topo II), an enzyme known to have a role in transcriptional regulation and chromatin organization. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that HDAC1 and HDAC2 are associated with Topo II in vivo under normal physiological conditions. Complexes containing Topo II possess HDAC activities, and complexes containing HDAC1 or HDAC2 possess Topo II activities. HDAC and Topo II modify each other's activity in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate the existence of a functionally coupled complex between these two enzymes and offer insights into the potential mechanisms of action of both enzymes.

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) regulates gene expression by modifying chromatin structure. Although changes in the expression and activities of HDAC may affect the course of kidney disease, the role of HDAC in tubulointerstitial injury has not been explored. We therefore investigated the alterations in HDAC expression and determined the effects of HDAC inhibition on the tubulointerstitial injury induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction. The induction of HDAC1 and HDAC2, accompanied by a decrease in histone acetylation was observed in kidneys injured by ureteral obstruction. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that HDAC1 and HDAC2 were induced in renal tubular cells. Treatment with an HDAC inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA), attenuated macrophage infiltration and fibrotic changes in tubulointerstitial injury induced by ureteral obstruction. The induction of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), a chemokine known to be involved in macrophage infiltration in tubulointerstitial injury, was reduced in injured kidneys from mice treated with TSA. TSA, valproate, and the knockdown of HDAC1 or HDAC2 significantly reduced CSF-1 induced by TNF-alpha in renal tubular cells. These results suggest that tubular HDAC1 and HDAC2, induced in response to injury, may contribute to the induction of CSF-1 and the initiation of macrophage infiltration and profibrotic responses. These findings suggest a potential of HDAC inhibition therapy aimed at reducing inflammation and fibrosis in tubulointerstitial injury.

The pleiotropic lipid mediator sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) can act intracellularly independently of its cell surface receptors through unknown mechanisms. Sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2), one of the isoenzymes that generates S1P, was associated with histone H3 and produced S1P that regulated histone acetylation. S1P specifically bound to the histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC2 and inhibited their enzymatic activity, preventing the removal of acetyl groups from lysine residues within histone tails. SphK2 associated with HDAC1 and HDAC2 in repressor complexes and was selectively enriched at the promoters of the genes encoding the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 or the transcriptional regulator c-fos, where it enhanced local histone H3 acetylation and transcription. Thus, HDACs are direct intracellular targets of S1P and link nuclear S1P to epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

BACKGROUND

Alterations in HDACs gene expression have been reported in a number of human cancers. No information is available concerning the status of HDACs in pancreatic cancer tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression levels of members of class I (HDAC1, 2,, 3), class II (HDAC4, 5, 6, and 7), and class III (SIRT1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) in a set of surgically resected pancreatic tissues.

METHODS

Total RNA was isolated from 11 pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PA): stage 0 (n = 1), IB (n = 1), IIB (n = 6), III (n = 1), IV (n = 2), one serous cystadenoma (SC), one intraductal papillary mucinous tumor of the pancreas (IMPN), one complicating chronic pancreatitis (CP), and normal pancreas (NP) obtained during donor liver transplantation. Moreover, six other control pancreatic were included. HDACs gene expression was conducted using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Protein expression levels were analyzed by Western blot and their localization by immunohistochemistry analyses of cancer tissues sections.

RESULTS

Remarkably, 9 of the 11 PA (approximately 81%) showed significant increase of HDAC7 mRNA levels. In contrast to PA samples, message for HDAC7 was reduced in CP, SC, and IMPN specimens. The Western blot analysis showed increased expression of HDAC7 protein in 9 out of 11 PA samples, in agreement with the qPCR data. Most of the PA tissue sections examined showed intense labeling in the cytoplasm when reacted against antibodies to HDAC7.

CONCLUSIONS

The data showed alteration of HDACs gene expression in pancreatic cancer. Increased expression of HDAC7 discriminates PA from other pancreatic tumors.

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are an emerging class of targeted cancer therapeutics, and little is known about HDAC expression in gynecologic malignancies. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis whether high-level expression of class 1 HDACs (HDAC1, 2, and 3) is associated with clinically distinct subsets of ovarian and endometrial carcinomas. Expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a population-based cohort of 465 ovarian and 149 endometrial carcinomas and correlated with clinicopathologic parameters. Each of the HDACs was expressed at high levels in most ovarian (HDAC1, 61%; HDAC2, 93%; HDAC3, 84%) and endometrial (HDAC1, 61%; HDAC2, 95%; HDAC3, 83%) carcinomas. Further, 55% and 56% of ovarian and endometrial carcinomas, respectively, expressed all three HDACs at high levels. Such cases were less common among endometrioid subtypes of ovarian and endometrial carcinomas (36% and 52% positive cases, respectively) compared with high-grade serous subtypes (64 and 69%, respectively, P < .001). High-level expression of all three HDACs is associated with a poor prognosis in ovarian endometrioid carcinomas (hazard ratio, 6.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-23.3). The independent prognostic information and the overall high rate of expression for class I HDACs suggest that these targets should be explored as predictive factors in ovarian and endometrial carcinomas prospectively.

Age is a major risk factor for the development of cancer. Senescent fibroblasts, which accumulate with age, secrete protumorigenic factors collectively referred to as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Here, we examined the molecular mechanisms that control SASP activation, focusing on the known SASP factor osteopontin (OPN). We found that expression of the canonical SASP members interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, but not OPN, were dependent upon a persistent DNA damage response (DDR) as evidenced by ATM and NF-κB activation. Treatment with several histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors robustly activated SASP in the absence of DNA breaks, suggesting that DDR-dependent SASP activation occurs in response to chromatin remodeling rather than physical breaks in DNA. In the setting of HDAC inhibition, IL-6 and IL-8 expression remained dependent upon ATM and NF-κB, while OPN expression remained independent of these factors. Further analysis revealed that HDAC1 inhibition was sufficient to induce OPN expression, which is interesting given that loss of HDAC1 expression correlates with increased OPN expression within the stromal compartment of invasive breast cancers. Importantly, fibroblasts treated with HDAC inhibitors promoted tumor growth in vivo. Our findings therefore indicate that HDAC modulation plays an important role in stromal cell activation, with important implications for the use of HDAC inhibitors in the treatment of cancer.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play an important role in gene transcription. Inhibitors of HDACs induce cell differentiation and suppress cell proliferation in tumor cells. Although many HDAC inhibitors have been designed and synthesized, selective inhibition for class I HDAC isoforms is a goal that has yet to be achieved. To understand the difference between class I HDAC isoforms that could be exploited for the design of isoform-specific HDAC inhibitors, we have built three-dimensional models of four class I histone deacetylases, HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3, and HDAC8. Comparison of the homology model of HDAC8 with the recently published X-ray structure shows excellent agreement and validates the approach. A series of HDAC inhibitors were docked to the homology models to understand the similarities and differences between the binding modes. Molecular dynamic simulations of these HDAC-inhibitor complexes indicate that the interaction between the protein surface and inhibitor is playing an important role; also some active site residues show some flexibility, which is usually not included in routine docking protocols. The implications of these results for the design of isoform-selective HDAC inhibitors are discussed.

Curcumin (CUR), a major bioactive polyphenolic component from turmeric curry, Curcuma longa, has been shown to be a potent anti-cancer phytochemical with well-established anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects. Chromatin remodeling-related epigenetic regulation has emerged as an important mechanism of carcinogenesis, chemoprevention, and chemotherapy. CUR has been found to inhibit histone acetyltransferase activity, and it was also postulated to be a potential DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. In this study, we show that when human prostate LNCaP cells were treated with CUR, it led to demethylation of the first 14 CpG sites of the CpG island of the Neurog1 gene and restored the expression of this cancer-related CpG-methylation epigenome marker gene. At the protein level, CUR treatment had limited effects on the expression of epigenetic modifying proteins MBD2, MeCP2, DNMT1, and DNMT3a. Using ChIP assay, CUR decreased MeCP2 binding to the promoter of Neurog1 dramatically. CUR treatment showed different effects on the protein expression of HDACs, increasing the expression of HDAC1, 4, 5, and 8 but decreasing HDAC3. However, the total HDAC activity was decreased upon CUR treatment. Further analysis of the tri-methylation of histone 3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) showed that CUR decreased the enrichment of H3K27me3 at the Neurog1 promoter region as well as at the global level. Taken together, our present study provides evidence on the CpG demethylation ability of CUR on Neurog1 while activating its expression, suggesting a potential epigenetic modifying role for this phytochemical compound in human prostate cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE

Chidamide (CS055/HBI-8000) is a new histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor of the benzamide class currently under clinical development in cancer indications. This study reports the in vitro and in vivo antitumor characteristics of the compound.

METHODS

Selectivity and potency of chidamide in inhibition of HDAC isotypes were analyzed by using a panel of human recombinant HDAC proteins. Tumor cell lines either in culture or inoculated in nude mice were used for the evaluation of the compound's antitumor activity. To investigate the immune cell-mediated antitumor effect, isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors were treated with chidamide, and cytotoxicity and expression of relevant surface proteins were analyzed. Microarray gene expression studies were performed on peripheral white blood cells from two T-cell lymphoma patients treated with chidamide.

RESULTS

Chidamide was found to be a low nanomolar inhibitor of HDAC1, 2, 3, and 10, the HDAC isotypes well documented to be associated with the malignant phenotype. Significant and broad spectrum in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity, including a wide therapeutic index, was observed. Chidamide was also shown to enhance the cytotoxic effect of human peripheral mononuclear cells ex vivo on K562 target cells, accompanied by the upregulation of proteins involved in NK cell functions. Furthermore, the expression of a number of genes involved in immune cell-mediated antitumor activity was observed to be upregulated in peripheral white blood cells from two T-cell lymphoma patients who responded to chidamide administration.

CONCLUSIONS

The results presented in this study provide evidence that chidamide has potential applicability for the treatment of a variety of tumor types, either as a single agent or in combination therapies.

MicroRNA-224 (miR-224) is one of the most commonly up-regulated microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which affects crucial cellular processes such as apoptosis and cell proliferation. In this study, we aim to elucidate the molecular mechanism that leads to the overexpression of miR-224 in HCC. We examined the transcript expression of miR-224 and neighboring miR-452 and genes on chromosome Xq28 in tumor and paired adjacent nontumorous tissues from 100 patients with HCC and found that miR-224 is coordinately up-regulated with its neighboring microRNA (miRNA) and genes. This coordinated up-regulation of miRNAs and genes at the Xq28 locus can be mimicked in nontransformed immortalized human liver cells by the introduction of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, which resulted in a corresponding increase in histone H3 acetylation in this region. This miR-224-residing locus in Xq28 is reciprocally regulated by HDAC1, HDAC3, and histone acetylase protein, E1A binding protein p300 (EP300). Notably, in HCC tumors that significantly overexpress microRNA-224, EP300 is also overexpressed and displays increased binding to the Xq28 locus. In transformed HCC cells, high miR-224 expression can be attenuated through the inhibition of EP300, using either siRNA or the specific drug C646. In summary, overexpression of EP300 may account, in part, for the up-regulation of miR-224 expression in patients with HCC.

The oncoprotein BCL-3 is a nuclear transcription factor that activates NF-kappaB target genes through formation of heterocomplexes with p50 or p52. BCL-3 is phosphorylated in vivo, but specific BCL-3 kinases have not been identified so far. In this report, we show that BCL-3 is a substrate for the protein kinase GSK3 and that GSK3-mediated BCL-3 phosphorylation, which is inhibited by Akt activation, targets its degradation through the proteasome pathway. This phosphorylation modulates its association with HDAC1, -3, and -6 and attenuates its oncogenicity by selectively controlling the expression of a subset of newly identified target genes such as SLPI and Cxcl1. Our results therefore suggest that constitutive BCL-3 phosphorylation by GSK3 regulates BCL-3 turnover and transcriptional activity.

DJ-1 was identified by us as a novel oncogene that transforms mouse NIH3T3 cells in cooperation with ras. We later identified PIAS (protein inhibitor of activated STAT)xalpha as a DJ-1-binding protein, and found that DJ-1 restored androgen receptor (AR) transcription activity that was repressed by PIASxalpha. To further characterize the function of DJ-1, we cloned cDNA encoding a novel DJ-1-binding protein, DJBP, by a yeast two-hybrid system. DJBP mRNA was found to be specifically expressed in the testis. In addition to the binding of DJBP to the COOH-terminal region of DJ-1, DJBP was also found to bind in vitro and in vivo to the DNA-binding domain of the AR in a testosterone-dependent manner and to be colocalized with DJ-1 or AR in the nucleus. Furthermore, a co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that the formation of a ternary complex between DJ-1, DJBP, and AR occurred in cells in which DJ-1 bound to the AR via DJBP. It was found that DJBP repressed a testosterone-dependent AR transactivation activity in monkey Cos1 cells by recruiting histone deacetylase (HDAC) complex, including HDAC1 and mSin3, and that DJ-1 partially restored its repressed activity by abrogating DJBP-HDAC complex. These results suggest that AR is positively regulated by DJ-1, which antagonizes the function of negative regulators, including DJBP.