In response to DNA damage, mammalian cells prevent cell cycle progression through the control of critical cell cycle regulators. A human gene was identified that encodes the protein Chk1, a homolog of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe Chk1 protein kinase, which is required for the DNA damage checkpoint. Human Chk1 protein was modified in response to DNA damage. In vitro Chk1 bound to and phosphorylated the dual-specificity protein phosphatases Cdc25A, Cdc25B, and Cdc25C, which control cell cycle transitions by dephosphorylating cyclin-dependent kinases. Chk1 phosphorylates Cdc25C on serine-216. As shown in an accompanying paper by Peng et al. in this issue, serine-216 phosphorylation creates a binding site for 14-3-3 protein and inhibits function of the phosphatase. These results suggest a model whereby in response to DNA damage, Chk1 phosphorylates and inhibits Cdc25C, thus preventing activation of the Cdc2-cyclin B complex and mitotic entry.

When exposed to ionizing radiation (IR), eukaryotic cells activate checkpoint pathways to delay the progression of the cell cycle. Defects in the IR-induced S-phase checkpoint cause 'radioresistant DNA synthesis', a phenomenon that has been identified in cancer-prone patients suffering from ataxia-telangiectasia, a disease caused by mutations in the ATM gene. The Cdc25A phosphatase activates the cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) needed for DNA synthesis, but becomes degraded in response to DNA damage or stalled replication. Here we report a functional link between ATM, the checkpoint signalling kinase Chk2/Cds1 (Chk2) and Cdc25A, and implicate this mechanism in controlling the S-phase checkpoint. We show that IR-induced destruction of Cdc25A requires both ATM and the Chk2-mediated phosphorylation of Cdc25A on serine 123. An IR-induced loss of Cdc25A protein prevents dephosphorylation of Cdk2 and leads to a transient blockade of DNA replication. We also show that tumour-associated Chk2 alleles cannot bind or phosphorylate Cdc25A, and that cells expressing these Chk2 alleles, elevated Cdc25A or a Cdk2 mutant unable to undergo inhibitory phosphorylation (Cdk2AF) fail to inhibit DNA synthesis when irradiated. These results support Chk2 as a candidate tumour suppressor, and identify the ATM-Chk2-Cdc25A-Cdk2 pathway as a genomic integrity checkpoint that prevents radioresistant DNA synthesis.

We show that DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induce complex subcompartmentalization of genome surveillance regulators. Chromatin marked by gamma-H2AX is occupied by ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) kinase, Mdc1, and 53BP1. In contrast, repair factors (Rad51, Rad52, BRCA2, and FANCD2), ATM and Rad-3-related (ATR) cascade (ATR, ATR interacting protein, and replication protein A), and the DNA clamp (Rad17 and -9) accumulate in subchromatin microcompartments delineated by single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). BRCA1 and the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 complex interact with both of these compartments. Importantly, some core DSB regulators do not form cytologically discernible foci. These are further subclassified to proteins that connect DSBs with the rest of the nucleus (Chk1 and -2), that assemble at unprocessed DSBs (DNA-PK/Ku70), and that exist on chromatin as preassembled complexes but become locally modified after DNA damage (Smc1/Smc3). Finally, checkpoint effectors such as p53 and Cdc25A do not accumulate at DSBs at all. We propose that subclassification of DSB regulators according to their residence sites provides a useful framework for understanding their involvement in diverse processes of genome surveillance.

To protect genome integrity and ensure survival, eukaryotic cells exposed to genotoxic stress cease proliferating to provide time for DNA repair. Human cells responded to ultraviolet light or ionizing radiation by rapid, ubiquitin- and proteasome-dependent protein degradation of Cdc25A, a phosphatase that is required for progression from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle. This response involved activated Chk1 protein kinase but not the p53 pathway, and the persisting inhibitory tyrosine phosphorylation of Cdk2 blocked entry into S phase and DNA replication. Overexpression of Cdc25A bypassed this mechanism, leading to enhanced DNA damage and decreased cell survival. These results identify specific degradation of Cdc25A as part of the DNA damage checkpoint mechanism and suggest how Cdc25A overexpression in human cancers might contribute to tumorigenesis.

In response to DNA damage, eukaryotic cells activate ATM-Chk2 and/or ATR-Chk1 to arrest the cell cycle and initiate DNA repair. We show that, in the absence of p53, cells depend on a third cell-cycle checkpoint pathway involving p38MAPK/MK2 for cell-cycle arrest and survival after DNA damage. MK2 depletion in p53-deficient cells, but not in p53 wild-type cells, caused abrogation of the Cdc25A-mediated S phase checkpoint after cisplatin exposure and loss of the Cdc25B-mediated G2/M checkpoint following doxorubicin treatment, resulting in mitotic catastrophe and pronounced regression of murine tumors in vivo. We show that the Chk1 inhibitor UCN-01 also potently inhibits MK2, suggesting that its clinical efficacy results from the simultaneous disruption of two critical checkpoint pathways in p53-defective cells.

MRE11, RAD50 and NBS1 form a highly conserved protein complex (the MRE11 complex) that is involved in the detection, signalling and repair of DNA damage. We identify MDC1 (KIAA0170/NFBD1), a protein that contains a forkhead-associated (FHA) domain and two BRCA1 carboxy-terminal (BRCT) domains, as a binding partner for the MRE11 complex. We show that, in response to ionizing radiation, MDC1 is hyperphosphorylated in an ATM-dependent manner, and rapidly relocalizes to nuclear foci that also contain the MRE11 complex, phosphorylated histone H2AX and 53BP1. Downregulation of MDC1 expression by small interfering RNA yields a radio-resistant DNA synthesis (RDS) phenotype and prevents ionizing radiation-induced focus formation by the MRE11 complex. However, downregulation of MDC1 does not abolish the ionizing radiation-induced phosphorylation of NBS1, CHK2 and SMC1, or the degradation of CDC25A. Furthermore, we show that overexpression of the MDC1 FHA domain interferes with focus formation by MDC1 itself and by the MRE11 complex, and induces an RDS phenotype. These findings reveal that MDC1-mediated focus formation by the MRE11 complex at sites of DNA damage is crucial for the efficient activation of the intra-S-phase checkpoint.

We demonstrate that paired expression profiles of microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs can be used to identify functional miRNA-target relationships with high precision. We used a Bayesian data analysis algorithm, GenMiR++, to identify a network of 1,597 high-confidence target predictions for 104 human miRNAs, which was supported by RNA expression data across 88 tissues and cell types, sequence complementarity and comparative genomics data. We experimentally verified our predictions by investigating the result of let-7b downregulation in retinoblastoma using quantitative reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR and microarray profiling: some of our verified let-7b targets include CDC25A and BCL7A. Compared to sequence-based predictions, our high-scoring GenMiR++ predictions had much more consistent Gene Ontology annotations and were more accurate predictors of which mRNA levels respond to changes in let-7b levels.

The Cdc25A phosphatase is essential for cell-cycle progression because of its function in dephosphorylating cyclin-dependent kinases. In response to DNA damage or stalled replication, the ATM and ATR protein kinases activate the checkpoint kinases Chk1 and Chk2, which leads to hyperphosphorylation of Cdc25A. These events stimulate the ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis of Cdc25A and contribute to delaying cell-cycle progression, thereby preventing genomic instability. Here we report that beta-TrCP is the F-box protein that targets phosphorylated Cdc25A for degradation by the Skp1/Cul1/F-box protein complex. Downregulation of beta-TrCP1 and beta-TrCP2 expression by short interfering RNAs causes an accumulation of Cdc25A in cells progressing through S phase and prevents the degradation of Cdc25A induced by ionizing radiation, indicating that beta-TrCP may function in the intra-S-phase checkpoint. Consistent with this hypothesis, suppression of beta-TrCP expression results in radioresistant DNA synthesis in response to DNA damage--a phenotype indicative of a defect in the intra-S-phase checkpoint that is associated with an inability to regulate Cdc25A properly. Our results show that beta-TrCP has a crucial role in mediating the response to DNA damage through Cdc25A degradation.

Chk1 kinase coordinates cell cycle progression and preserves genome integrity. Here, we show that chemical or genetic ablation of human Chk1 triggered supraphysiological accumulation of the S phase-promoting Cdc25A phosphatase, prevented ionizing radiation (IR)-induced degradation of Cdc25A, and caused radioresistant DNA synthesis (RDS). The basal turnover of Cdc25A operating in unperturbed S phase required Chk1-dependent phosphorylation of serines 123, 178, 278, and 292. IR-induced acceleration of Cdc25A proteolysis correlated with increased phosphate incorporation into these residues generated by a combined action of Chk1 and Chk2 kinases. Finally, phosphorylation of Chk1 by ATM was required to fully accelerate the IR-induced degradation of Cdc25A. Our results provide evidence that the mammalian S phase checkpoint functions via amplification of physiologically operating, Chk1-dependent mechanisms.

The product of the proto-oncogene c-myc, in partnership with Max, forms a transcription factor that can promote either oncogenic transformation or apoptosis. The Myc/Max heterodimer binds to elements in the cdc25A gene and activates transcription. Like myc, cdc25A, itself a proto-oncogene, can induce apoptosis in cells depleted of growth factor, and Myc-induced apoptosis also requires cdc25A. These findings indicate that cdc25A is a physiologically relevant transcriptional target of c-myc.

Timing of DNA replication initiation is dependent on S-phase-promoting kinase (SPK) activity at discrete origins and the simultaneous function of many replicons. DNA damage prevents origin firing through the ATM- and ATR-dependent inhibition of Cdk2 and Cdc7 SPKs. Here, we establish that modulation of ATM- and ATR-signalling pathways controls origin firing in the absence of DNA damage. Inhibition of ATM and ATR with caffeine or specific neutralizing antibodies, or upregulation of Cdk2 or Cdc7, promoted rapid and synchronous origin firing; conversely, inhibition of Cdc25A slowed DNA replication. Cdk2 was in equilibrium between active and inactive states, and the concentration of replication protein A (RPA)-bound single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) correlated with Chk1 activation and inhibition of origin firing. Furthermore, ATM was transiently activated during ongoing replication. We propose that ATR and ATM regulate SPK activity through a feedback mechanism originating at active replicons. Our observations establish that ATM- and ATR-signalling pathways operate during an unperturbed cell cycle to regulate initiation and progression of DNA synthesis, and are therefore poised to halt replication in the presence of DNA damage.

Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) proteins (SMC1, SMC3) are evolutionarily conserved chromosomal proteins that are components of the cohesin complex, necessary for sister chromatid cohesion. These proteins may also function in DNA repair. Here we report that SMC1 is a component of the DNA damage response network that functions as an effector in the ATM/NBS1-dependent S-phase checkpoint pathway. SMC1 associates with BRCA1 and is phosphorylated in response to IR in an ATM- and NBS1-dependent manner. Using mass spectrometry, we established that ATM phosphorylates S957 and S966 of SMC1 in vivo. Phosphorylation of S957 and/or S966 of SMC1 is required for activation of the S-phase checkpoint in response to IR. We also discovered that the phosphorylation of NBS1 by ATM is required for the phosphorylation of SMC1, establishing the role of NBS1 as an adaptor in the ATM/NBS1/SMC1 pathway. The ATM/CHK2/CDC25A pathway is also involved in the S-phase checkpoint activation, but this pathway is intact in NBS cells. Our results indicate that the ATM/NBS1/SMC1 pathway is a separate branch of the S-phase checkpoint pathway, distinct from the ATM/CHK2/CDC25A branch. Therefore, this work establishes the ATM/NBS1/SMC1 branch, and provides a molecular basis for the S-phase checkpoint defect in NBS cells.

Estrogen receptor (ER) beta counteracts the activity of ERalpha in many systems. In agreement with this, we show in this study that induced expression of ERbeta in the breast cancer cell line T47D reduces 17beta-estradiol-stimulated proliferation when expression of ERbeta mRNA equals that of ERalpha. Induction of ERbeta reduces growth of exponentially proliferating cells with a concomitant decrease in components of the cell cycle associated with proliferation, namely cyclin E, Cdc25A (a key regulator of Cdk2), p45(Skp2) (a key regulator of p27(Kip1) proteolysis), and an increase in the Cdk inhibitor p27(Kip1). We also observed a reduced Cdk2 activity. These findings suggest a possible role for ERbeta in breast cancer and imply that ERbeta-specific ligands may reduce proliferation of ER-positive breast cancer cells through actions on the G(1) phase cell-cycle machinery.

Eukaryotic cells respond to DNA damage and stalled replication forks by activating protein kinase-mediated signaling pathways that promote cell cycle arrest and DNA repair. A central target of the cell cycle arrest program is the Cdc25A protein phosphatase. Cdc25A is required for S-phase entry and dephosphorylates tyrosine-15 phosphorylated Cdk1 (Cdc2) and Cdk2, positive regulators of cell division. Cdc25A is unstable during S-phase and is degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, but its turnover is enhanced in response to DNA damage. Although basal and DNA-damage-induced turnover depends on the ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways, how these kinases engage the ubiquitin ligase machinery is unknown. Here, we demonstrate a requirement for SCFbeta-TRCP in Cdc25A turnover during an unperturbed cell cycle and in response to DNA damage. Depletion of beta-TRCP stabilizes Cdc25A, leading to hyperactive Cdk2 activity. SCFbeta-TRCP promotes Chk1-dependent Cdc25A ubiquitination in vitro, and this involves serine 76, a known Chk1 phosphorylation site. However, recognition of Cdc25A by beta-TRCP occurs via a noncanonical phosphodegron in Cdc25A containing phosphoserine 79 and phosphoserine 82, sites that are not targeted by Chk1. These data indicate that Cdc25A turnover is more complex than previously appreciated and suggest roles for an additional kinase(s) in Chk1-dependent Cdc25A turnover.

Checkpoint kinase (Chk)1 is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase that was first identified in fission yeast as an essential component of the DNA damage checkpoint. In mice, Chk1 provides an essential function in the absence of environmentally imposed genotoxic stress. Here we show that human cells lacking Chk1 exhibit defects in both the ionizing radiation (IR)-induced S and G(2) checkpoints. In addition, loss of Chk1 resulted in the accumulation of a hypophosphorylated form of the Cdc25A protein phosphatase, and Chk1-deficient cells failed to degrade Cdc25A after IR. The IR-induced S and G(2) checkpoints were partially restored in Chk1-deficient cells when Cdc25A accumulation was interfered with. Finally, Cdc25A was phosphorylated by Chk1 in vitro on similar sites phosphorylated in vivo, including serine-123. These findings indicate that Chk1 directly phosphorylates Cdc25A during an unperturbed cell cycle, and that phosphorylation of Cdc25A by Chk1 is required for cells to delay cell cycle progression in response to double-strand DNA breaks.

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus impairs endothelial cell (EC) function and postischemic reparative neovascularization by molecular mechanisms that are not fully understood. microRNAs negatively regulate the expression of target genes mainly by interaction in their 3' untranslated region.

RESULTS

We found that microRNA-503 (miR-503) expression in ECs is upregulated in culture conditions mimicking diabetes mellitus (high D-glucose) and ischemia-associated starvation (low growth factors). Under normal culture conditions, lentivirus-mediated miR-503-forced expression inhibited EC proliferation, migration, and network formation on Matrigel (comparisons versus lentivirus.GFP control). Conversely, blocking miR-503 activity by either adenovirus-mediated transfer of a miR-503 decoy (Ad.decoymiR-503) or by antimiR-503 (antisense oligonucleotide) improved the functional capacities of ECs cultured under high D-glucose/low growth factors. We identified CCNE1 and cdc25A as direct miR-503 targets which are downregulated by high glucose/low growth factors in ECs. Next, we obtained evidence that miR-503 expression is increased in ischemic limb muscles of streptozotocin-diabetic mice and in ECs enriched from these muscles. Moreover, Ad.decoymiR-503 delivery to the ischemic adductor of diabetic mice corrected diabetes mellitus-induced impairment of postischemic angiogenesis and blood flow recovery. We finally investigated miR-503 and target gene expression in muscular specimens from the amputated ischemic legs of diabetic patients. As controls, calf biopsies of nondiabetic and nonischemic patients undergoing saphenous vein stripping were used. In diabetic muscles, miR-503 expression was remarkably higher, and it inversely correlated with cdc25 protein expression. Plasma miR-503 levels were also elevated in the diabetic individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest miR-503 as a possible therapeutic target in diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia.

The ability to preserve genomic integrity is a fundamental feature of life. Recent findings regarding the molecular basis of the cell-cycle checkpoint responses of mammalian cells to genotoxic stress have converged into a two-wave concept of the G1 checkpoint, and shed light on the so-far elusive intra-S-phase checkpoint. Rapidly operating cascades that target the Cdc25A phosphatase appear central in both the initiation wave of the G1 checkpoint (preceding the p53-mediated maintenance wave) and the transient intra-S-phase response. Multiple links between defects in the G1/S checkpoints, genomic instability and oncogenesis are emerging, as are new challenges and hopes raised by this knowledge.

microRNAs (miRNA) are small noncoding RNAs that participate in diverse biological processes by suppressing target gene expression. Altered expression of miR-21 has been reported in cancer. To gain insights into its potential role in tumorigenesis, we generated miR-21 knockout colon cancer cells through gene targeting. Unbiased microarray analysis combined with bioinformatics identified cell cycle regulator Cdc25A as a miR-21 target. miR-21 suppressed Cdc25A expression through a defined sequence in its 3'-untranslated region. We found that miR-21 is induced by serum starvation and DNA damage, negatively regulates G(1)-S transition, and participates in DNA damage-induced G(2)-M checkpoint through down-regulation of Cdc25A. In contrast, miR-21 deficiency did not affect apoptosis induced by a variety of commonly used anticancer agents or cell proliferation under normal cell culture conditions. Furthermore, miR-21 was found to be underexpressed in a subset of Cdc25A-overexpressing colon cancers. Our data show a role of miR-21 in modulating cell cycle progression following stress, providing a novel mechanism of Cdc25A regulation and a potential explanation of miR-21 in tumorigenesis.

Two previously unidentified human cdc25 genes have been isolated, cdc25A and cdc25B. Both genes rescue a cdc25ts mutant of fission yeast. Microinjection of anti-cdc25A antibodies into HeLa cells causes their arrest in mitosis. cdc25A and cdc25B display endogenous tyrosine phosphatase activity that is stimulated several-fold, in the absence of cdc2, by stoichiometric addition of either cyclin B1 or B2 but not A or D1. Association between cdc25A and cyclin B1/cdc2 was detected in the HeLa cells. These findings indicate that B-type cyclins are multifunctional proteins that not only act as M phase regulatory subunits of the cdc2 protein kinase, but also activate the cdc25 tyrosine phosphatase, of which cdc2 is the physiological substrate. A region of amino acid similarity between cyclins and tyrosine PTPases has been detected. This region is absent in cdc25 phosphatases. The motif may represent an activating domain that has to be provided to cdc25 by intermolecular interaction with cyclin B.

The CDC25 phosphatases are key regulators of normal cell division and the cell's response to DNA damage. Earlier studies suggested non-overlapping roles for each isoform during a specific cell cycle phase. However, recent data suggest that multiple CDC25 isoforms cooperate to regulate each cell cycle transition. For instance, although CDC25A was initially thought to exclusively regulate the G(1)-S transition, recent data demonstrate a significant role for CDC25A in the G(2)-M transition. Further evidence demonstrates that in addition to the ATM/ATR-CHK pathway, a p38-MAPKAP pathway is also involved in controlling CDC25 activity during G(2)/M checkpoint activation. Together with the fact that CDC25 overexpression is reported in many cancers, these data highlight the significance of developing specific CDC25 inhibitors for cancer therapy.

The Forkhead Box (Fox) proteins are an extensive family of transcription factors that shares homology in the winged helix DNA-binding domain and whose members play essential roles in cellular proliferation, differentiation, transformation, longevity, and metabolic homeostasis. Liver regeneration studies with transgenic mice demonstrated that FoxM1B regulates the onset of hepatocyte DNA replication and mitosis by stimulating expression of cell cycle genes. Here, we demonstrate that albumin-promoter-driven Cre recombinase-mediated hepatocyte-specific deletion of the Foxm1b Floxed (fl) targeted allele resulted in significant reduction in hepatocyte DNA replication and inhibition of mitosis after partial hepatectomy. Reduced DNA replication in regenerating Foxm1b(-/-) hepatocytes was associated with sustained increase in nuclear staining of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21(Cip1) (p21) protein between 24 and 40 h after partial hepatectomy. Furthermore, increased nuclear p21 levels and reduced expression of Cdc25A phosphatase coincided with decreases in Cdk2 activation and hepatocyte progression into S-phase. Moreover, the significant reduction in hepatocyte mitosis was associated with diminished mRNA levels and nuclear expression of Cdc25B phosphatase and delayed accumulation of cyclin B1 protein, which is required for Cdk1 activation and entry into mitosis. Cotransfection studies demonstrate that FoxM1B protein directly activated transcription of the Cdc25B promoter region. Our present study shows that the mammalian Foxm1b transcription factor regulates expression of cell cycle proteins essential for hepatocyte entry into DNA replication and mitosis.

To preserve genetic integrity, mammalian cells exposed to ionizing radiation activate the ATM kinase, which initiates a complex response-including the S-phase checkpoint pathways-to delay DNA replication. Defects in ATM or its substrates Nbs1 or Chk2 (ref. 3), the Nbs1-interacting Mre11 protein, or the Chk2-regulated Cdc25A-Cdk2 cascade all cause radio-resistant DNA synthesis (RDS). It is unknown, however, whether these proteins operate in a common signaling cascade. Here we show that experimental blockade of either the Nbs1-Mre11 function or the Chk2-triggered events leads to a partial RDS phenotype in human cells. In contrast, concomitant interference with Nbs1-Mre11 and the Chk2-Cdc25A-Cdk2 pathways entirely abolishes inhibition of DNA synthesis induced by ionizing radiation, resulting in complete RDS analogous to that caused by defective ATM. In addition, Cdk2-dependent loading of Cdc45 onto replication origins, a prerequisite for recruitment of DNA polymerase, was prevented upon irradiation of normal or Nbs1/Mre11-defective cells but not cells with defective ATM. We conclude that in response to ionizing radiation, phosphorylations of Nbs1 and Chk2 by ATM trigger two parallel branches of the DNA damage-dependent S-phase checkpoint that cooperate by inhibiting distinct steps of DNA replication.

The ability to self-replicate is a fundamental feature of life, reflected at the cellular level by a highly regulated process initiated in G1 phase via commitment to a round of DNA replication and cell division. Here we briefly highlight recent advances in understanding the molecular pathways which govern the decision of mammalian somatic cells to enter S phase, and the so-called cell cycle checkpoints which guard the G1/S transition and S phase progression against potentially deleterious effects of genotoxic stress. Particular emphasis is put on the emerging parallel yet cooperative pathways of retinoblastoma protein (pRB)-E2F and Myc, their convergence to control the activity of the cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) at the G1/S boundary, as well as the two waves of checkpoint responses at G1/S: the rapid pathway(s) leading to Cdc25A degradation, and the delayed p53-p21 cascade, both silencing the Cdk2 activity upon DNA damage.

The cdc25+ tyrosine phosphatase is a key mitotic inducer of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, controlling the timing of the initiation of mitosis. Mammals contain at least three cdc25+ homologues called cdc25A, cdc25B and cdc25C. In this study we investigate the biological function of cdc25A. Although very potent in rescuing the S.pombe cdc25 mutant, cdc25A is less structurally related to the S.pombe enzyme. Northern and Western blotting detection reveals that unlike cdc25B, cdc25C and cdc2, cdc25A is predominantly expressed in late G1. Moreover, immunodepletion of cdc25A in rat cells by microinjection of a specific antibody effectively blocks their cell cycle progression from G1 into the S phase, as determined by laser scanning single cell cytometry. These results indicate that cdc25A is not a mitotic regulator but a novel phosphatase that plays a crucial role in the start of the cell cycle. In view of its strong ability to activate cdc2 kinase and its specific expression in late G1, cdc2-related kinases functioning early in the cell cycle may be targets for this phosphatase.