http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/86742 www.ub.edu Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:05:42 GMT 2013-06-19T13:05:42Z http://www.recercat.cat:80/bitstream/id/26414/ http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/86742 http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/205135 Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) participates in the cytotoxic response to nucleoside-derived drugs Trigueros Motos, Laia; Pérez Torras, Sandra; Casado, Javier (Casado Merediz); Molina Arcas, Míriam; Pastor Anglada, Marçal Background: Nucleoside analogs used in the chemotherapy of solid tumors, such as the capecitabine catabolite50-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (50-DFUR) trigger a transcriptomic response that involves the aquaglyceroporin aquaporin 3 along with other p53-dependent genes. Here, we examined whether up-regulation of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) mRNA incancer cells treated with 50-DFUR represents a collateral transcriptomic effect of the drug, or conversely, AQP3participates in the activity of genotoxic agents. Methods: The role of AQP3 in cell volume increase, cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest was analyzed using loss-of-function approaches. Results: 50-DFUR and gemcitabine, but not cisplatin, stimulated AQP3 expression and cell volume, which was partially and significantly blocked by knockdown of AQP3. Moreover, AQP3 siRNA significantly blocked other effects of nucleoside analogs, including G1/S cell cycle arrest, p21 and FAS up-regulation, and cell growth inhibition. Short incubations with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) also induced AQP3 expression and increased cell volume, and the inhibition of AQP3 expression significantly blocked growth inhibition triggered by this drug. To further establish whether AQP3 induction is related to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, cells were exposed to long incubations with escalating doses of 5-FU. AQP3 was highly up-regulated at doses associated with cell cycle arrest, whereas at doses promoting apoptosis induction of AQP3 mRNA expression was reduced. Conclusions: Based on the results, we propose that the aquaglyceroporin AQP3 is required for cytotoxic activity of 5’-DFUR and gemcitabine in the breast cancer cell line MCF7 and the colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT29, and is implicated in cell volume increase and cell cycle arrest. http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/205135 http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/96402 Edelfosine-induced metabolic changes in cancer cells that precede the overproduction of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis Selivanov, Vitaly A.; Vizan Arroyo, José Luis; Mollinedo García, Faustino; Fan, Teresa W. M.; Lee, Paul W. N.; Cascante i Serratosa, Marta Background: Metabolic flux profiling based on the analysis of distribution of stable isotope tracer in metabolites is an important method widely used in cancer research to understand the regulation of cell metabolism and elaborate new therapeutic strategies. Recently, we developed software Isodyn, which extends the methodology of kinetic modeling to the analysis of isotopic isomer distribution for the evaluation of cellular metabolic flux profile under relevant conditions. This tool can be applied to reveal the metabolic effect of proapoptotic drug edelfosine in leukemia Jurkat cell line, uncovering the mechanisms of induction of apoptosis in cancer cells. Results: The study of 13C distribution of Jukat cells exposed to low edelfosine concentration, which induces apoptosis in ¿5% of cells, revealed metabolic changes previous to the development of apoptotic program. Specifically, it was found that low dose of edelfosine stimulates the TCA cycle. These metabolic perturbations were coupled with an increase of nucleic acid synthesis de novo, which indicates acceleration of biosynthetic and reparative processes. The further increase of the TCA cycle fluxes, when higher doses of drug applied, eventually enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and trigger apoptotic program. Conclusion: The application of Isodyn to the analysis of mechanism of edelfosine-induced apoptosis revealed primary drug-induced metabolic changes, which are important for the subsequent initiation of apoptotic program. Initiation of such metabolic changes could be exploited in anticancer therapy. http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/96402 http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/88047 Conserved developmental expression of Fezf in chordates and Drosophila and the origin of the Zona Limitans Intrathalamica (ZLI) brain organizer Irimia, Manuel; Piñeiro, Cristina; Maeso, Ignacio; Gómez-Skarmeta, Jose Luis; Casares, Fernando; Garcia Fernández, Jordi Background: The zona limitans intrathalamica (ZLI) and the isthmus organizer (IsO) are two major secondary organizers of vertebrate brain development. These organizers are located at the interface of the expression domains of key patterning genes (Fezf-Irx and Otx-Gbx, respectively). To gain insights into the evolutionary origin of the ZLI, we studied Fezf in bilaterians. Results: In this paper, we identified a conserved sequence motif (Fezf box) in all bilaterians. We report the expression pattern of Fezf in amphioxus and Drosophila and compare it with those of Gbx, Otx and Irx. We found that the relative expression patterns of these genes in vertebrates are fully conserved in amphioxus and flies, indicating that the genetic subdivisions defining the location of both secondary organizers in early vertebrate brain development were probably present in the last common ancestor of extant bilaterians. However, in contrast to vertebrates, we found that Irx-defective flies do not show an affected Fezf expression pattern. Conclusions: The absence of expression of the corresponding morphogens from cells at these conserved genetic boundaries in invertebrates suggests that the organizing properties might have evolved specifically in the vertebrate lineage by the recruitment of key morphogens to these conserved genetic locations. http://www.recercat.cat:80/handle/2072/88047