Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027819 (neuroblastoma)
27,800 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alterations of the p16 gene in neuroblastoma are very rare. Pronounced expression of p16 at both the transcript and protein levels, however, was observed in 7 of 19 (39%) neuroblastoma cell lines and 2 of 6 (33%) primary neuroblastoma samples. As p16 expression is tightly controlled in a feedback loop with Rb, we investigated the possibility that changes in p16 expression were reflective of alterations of the downstream components in the G1 regulatory pathway. Two cell lines and one primary sample highly expressing p16 were shown to harbor CDK4 amplification. The cyclin D2 gene was infrequently expressed in neuroblastoma cell lines and did not correlate with p16 expression. Slight variations in the expression of CDK6, cyclins D1, D3 and E; and E2F1 and E2F2 among the cell lines were observed, without apparent correlation with p16 status. No mutations to the p16-binding site of CDK4 and CDK6 nor any mutations to the coding region of p16 itself were identified in neuroblastoma cell lines. Despite frequent N-myc amplification in these cell lines, no relationship with this gene was observed either. All cell lines contained Rb protein with varying degrees of phosphorylation, which bears no correlation with p16 expression. Overall, alterations of the G1 pathway in neuroblastoma included relatively frequent p16 expression and infrequent CDK4 amplification and cyclin D2 expression. Despite a reported feedback relationship between p16 expression and Rb/G1 deregulation, p16 expression in neuroblastoma cell lines is independent of Rb gene and phosphorylation status and, in contrast to other cell lines where expression of p16 leads to G1/S arrest, neuroblastoma cell lines proliferate in the presence of elevated levels of p16.
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PMID:Frequent deregulation of p16 and the p16/G1 cell cycle-regulatory pathway in neuroblastoma. 993 45

Necdin, a growth suppressor expressed predominantly in postmitotic neurons, interacts with viral oncoproteins and cellular transcription factors E2F1 and p53. In search of other cellular targets of necdin, we screened cDNA libraries from neurally differentiated murine embryonal carcinoma P19 cells and adult rat brain by the yeast two-hybrid assay. We isolated cDNAs encoding partial sequences of mouse NEFA and rat nucleobindin (CALNUC), which are Ca(2+)-binding proteins possessing similar domain structures. Necdin interacted with NEFA via a domain encompassing two EF hand motifs, which had Ca(2+) binding activity as determined by (45)Ca(2+) overlay. NEFA was widely distributed in mouse organs, whereas necdin was expressed predominantly in the brain and skeletal muscle. In mouse brain in vivo, NEFA was localized in neuronal perikarya and dendrites. By immunoelectron microscopy, NEFA was localized to the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope in brain neurons. NEFA-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein expressed in neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells was retained in the cytoplasm and partly secreted into the culture medium. Necdin enhanced the cytoplasmic retention of NEFA-GFP and potentiated the effect of NEFA-GFP on caffeine-evoked elevation of cytosolic Ca(2+) levels. Thus, necdin and NEFA might be involved in Ca(2+) homeostasis in neuronal cytoplasm.
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PMID:The postmitotic growth suppressor necdin interacts with a calcium-binding protein (NEFA) in neuronal cytoplasm. 1091 98

Necdin is expressed predominantly in postmitotic neurons, and ectopic expression of this protein strongly suppresses cell growth. Necdin has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Prader-Willi syndrome, a human neurodevelopmental disorder associated with genomic imprinting. Here we demonstrate that ectopic expression of necdin induces a neuronal phenotype in neuroblastoma cells. Necdin was undetectable in mouse neuroblastoma N1E-115 cells under undifferentiated and differentiated conditions. N1E-115 cells transfected with necdin cDNA showed morphological differentiation such as neurite outgrowth and expression of the synaptic marker proteins synaptotagmin and synaptophysin. In addition, Western blot analysis of the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) family members Rb, p130, and p107 revealed that necdin cDNA transfectants contained an increased level of p130 and a reduced level of p107, a pattern seen in differentiated G(0) cells. The transcription factors E2F1 and E2F4 physically interacted with necdin via their carboxyl-terminal transactivation domains, but only E2F1 abrogated necdin-induced growth arrest and neurite outgrowth of neuroblastoma cells. Overexpression of E2F1 in differentiated N1E-115 cells induced apoptosis, which was antagonized by co-expression of necdin. These results suggest that necdin promotes the differentiation and survival of neurons through its antagonistic interactions with E2F1.
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PMID:Ectopic expression of necdin induces differentiation of mouse neuroblastoma cells. 1219 20

p73, mapped to 1p36.2-3, is a p53-related tumor suppressor but is also induced by the oncogene products such as E2F1, raising a question whether p73 is a tumor suppressor gene or oncogene. p73 has several splicing variants including DeltaNp73 which lacks the NH(2)-terminal transactivation domain. In developing neurons, DeltaNp73 is expressed abundantly and seems to inhibit the pro-apoptotic function of p53. However, the role of TAp73 and DeltaNp73 as well as their regulatory mechanism in cell growth and differentiation of neuroblastoma cells are poorly understood. We have found that TAp73 directly activates the transcription of endogenous DeltaNp73 by binding to the TAp73-specific target element located at position-76 to 57 within the DeltaNp73 promoter region. DeltaNp73 was physically associated with TAp73alpha, TAp73beta and p53, and inhibited their transactivation activities when used reporters of Mdm2, Bax or DeltaNp73 itself in SAOS-2 cells. Overexpression of DeltaNp73 in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells promoted cell survival by competing with p53 and TAp73 itself. Thus, our results suggest that the negative feedback regulation of TAp73 by its target DeltaNp73 is a novel autoregulatory system for modulating cell survival and death, that is also functioning in neuroblastoma cells.
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PMID:Negative autoregulation of p73 and p53 by DeltaNp73 in regulating differentiation and survival of human neuroblastoma cells. 1288 Sep 68

Necdin is a growth suppressor expressed predominantly in postmitotic neurons and implicated in their terminal differentiation. Necdin shows a moderate homology to the MAGE family proteins, the functional roles of which are largely unknown. Human genes encoding necdin, MAGEL2 (necdin-like 1), and MAGE-G1 (necdin-like 2) are located in proximal chromosome 15q, a region associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and autistic disorder. The necdin and MAGEL2 genes are subjected to genomic imprinting and suggested to be involved in the etiology of Prader-Willi syndrome. In this study, we compared biochemical and functional characteristics of murine orthologs of these necdin-related MAGE proteins. The colony formation and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation analyses revealed that necdin and MAGE-G1, but not MAGEL2, induced growth arrest. Necdin and MAGE-G1 interacted with the transcription factor E2F1 via its transactivation domain, repressed E2F1-dependent transcription, and antagonized E2F1-induced apoptosis of N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. In addition, necdin and MAGE-G1 interacted with the p75 neurotrophin receptor via its distinct intracellular domains. In contrast, MAGEL2 failed to bind to these necdin interactors, suggesting that MAGEL2 has no necdin-like function in developing brain. Overexpression of p75 translocated necdin and MAGE-G1 in the proximity of the plasma membrane and reduced their association with E2F1 to facilitate E2F1-induced death of neuroblastoma cells. These results suggest that necdin and MAGE-G1 target both E2F1 and p75 to regulate cell viability during brain development.
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PMID:Necdin-related MAGE proteins differentially interact with the E2F1 transcription factor and the p75 neurotrophin receptor. 1459 16

Deregulation of the Rb/E2F pathway in human fibroblasts results in an E2F1-mediated apoptosis dependent on Atm, Nbs1, Chk2 and p53. Here, we show that E2F1 expression results in MRN foci formation, which is independent of the Nbs1 interacting region and the DNA-binding domain of E2F1. E2F1-induced MRN foci are similar to irradiation-induced foci (IRIF) that result from double-strand DNA breaks because they correlate with 53BP1 and gammaH2AX foci, do not form in NBS cells, do form in AT cells and do not correlate with cell cycle entry. In fact, we find that in human fibroblasts deregulated E2F1 causes a G1 arrest, blocking serum-induced cell cycle progression, in part through an Nbs1/53BP1/p53/p21(WAF1/CIP1) checkpoint pathway. This checkpoint protects against apoptosis because depletion of 53BP1 or p21(WAF1/CIP1) increases both the rate and extent of apoptosis. Nbs1 and p53 contribute to both checkpoint and apoptosis pathways. These results suggest that E2F1-induced foci generate a cell cycle checkpoint that, with sustained E2F1 activity, eventually yields to apoptosis. Uncontrolled proliferation due to Rb/E2F deregulation as well as inactivation of both checkpoint and apoptosis programs would then be required for transformation of normal cells to tumor cells.
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PMID:E2F1 induces MRN foci formation and a cell cycle checkpoint response in human fibroblasts. 1643 72

Toxic nitric oxide (NO) levels can regulate gene expression. Using a novel protein/DNA array, we show that toxic NO levels regulate the binding of trans-factors to various cis-elements in neuroblastoma cells, including CRE and those recognized by the transcription factors AP1, AP2, Brn-3a, EGR, E2F1 and SP1. Functionality of some of the cis-elements was confirmed by electro mobility shift and reporter assays. Interestingly, CREB, AP-1, Brn-3a, EGR and E2F1 can control mammalian cell viability. NO induced the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein and its mRNA prior to the onset of death of 30-60% of the cells. Promoter analysis of the bcl-2 gene confirmed the involvement of a CRE in NO-dependent bcl-2 transcription. Neuroblastoma cells over-expressing bcl-2 became much more resistant to NO-induced apoptosis; conversely, Bcl-2 knockdown cells were rendered markedly more sensitive to NO. Together these results suggest that Bcl-2 counteracts NO-induced apoptosis in a fraction of the cell population. Thus, NO stimulates the binding of many trans-factors to their cognate cis-elements, some of which can regulate cell viability through transcriptional activation of target genes. Our results emphasize that a DNA/protein array approach can reveal novel, global transcription factor activities stimulated by cell death-regulating molecules.
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PMID:Protein/DNA arrays identify nitric oxide-regulated cis-element and trans-factor activities some of which govern neuroblastoma cell viability. 1770 66

microRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved, endogenous, small, noncoding RNA molecules of about 22 nucleotides in length that function as posttranscriptional gene regulators. They are deemed to play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of human cancer, and those with a role in cancer are designated as oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs). For example, miR-15 and miR-16 induce apoptosis by targeting Bcl2. miRNAs from the miR-17-92 cluster modulate tumor formation and function as oncogenes by influencing the translation of E2F1 mRNA. miR-21 modulates gemcitabine-induced apoptosis by phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10-dependent activation of PI 3-kinase signaling. miR-34a acts as a suppressor of neuroblastoma tumorigenesis by targeting the mRNA encoding E2F3 and reducing E2F3 protein levels. The chromosomal translocations associating with human tumors disrupt the repression of High mobility group A2 by let-7 miRNA. In addition, the oncomiRs expression profiling of human malignancies has also identified a number of diagnostic and prognostic cancer signatures. This article introduces the roles of oncomiRs in neoplasm development, progression, diagnosis, prognostication, as well as their mechanism of actions on target mRNAs and the functional outcomes of their actions on mRNAs. The paper ends with a brief perspective to the future of oncomiRs.
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PMID:OncomiRs: the discovery and progress of microRNAs in cancers. 1789 87

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a primitive neuroectodermal tumor and the second most common solid tumor in children. NB exhibits heterogeneous behavior and spontaneous regression can occur in patients under 12 months of age. Response to treatment is both age- and stage-specific; however, patients over 1 year of age are generally considered high risk. NB tumors from these patients are often characterized by alterations in p53 expression and murine double minute (MDM2) activity with concomitant resistance to chemotherapy. We evaluated the ability of nutlin-3 to sensitize a p53-null and doxorubicin-resistant NB cell line, LA155N, to doxorubicin. Nutlin-3 treatment upregulated TAp73 and E2F1 protein levels. It potentiated the ability of doxorubicin to block cell proliferation and activate apoptosis and TAp73 knockdown resulted in a reduction of this sensitization. Additionally, PUMA expression was induced by the combination treatment, but reduced by knockdown of either TAp73 or E2F1. We conclude that, following nutlin-3 treatment, TAp73 and E2F1 are released from MDM2 and activated by doxorubicin to induce PUMA and apoptosis. This study addresses p53-independent mechanisms of nutlin-3 action in chemoresistant NB, especially in combination with chemotherapeutics. We believe that this model has strong clinical relevance for chemoresistant and p53 dysfunctional NB.
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PMID:The MDM2 antagonist nutlin-3 sensitizes p53-null neuroblastoma cells to doxorubicin via E2F1 and TAp73. 1936 Mar 52

p73 encodes multiple functionally distinct isoforms. Proapoptotic TAp73 isoforms contain a transactivation (TA) domain, and like p53, have tumor suppressor properties and are activated by chemotherapies to induce cell death. In contrast, antiapoptotic DeltaNp73 isoforms lack the TA domain and are dominant-negative inhibitors of p53 and TAp73. DeltaNp73 proteins are overexpressed in a variety of tumors including neuroblastoma. Thus, identification of drugs that upregulate TAp73 and/or downregulate DeltaNp73 represents a potential therapeutic strategy. Here, we report that cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors induce apoptosis independent of p53, and differentially modulate endogenous p73 isoforms in neuroblastoma and other tumors. COX inhibitor-mediated apoptosis is associated with the induction of TAp73beta and its target genes. COX inhibitors also downregulate the alternative-spliced DeltaNp73(AS) isoforms, Deltaexon2 and Deltaexon2/3. Furthermore, forced expression of DeltaNp73(AS) results in diminished apoptosis in response to the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib. Celecoxib-mediated downregulation of DeltaNp73(AS) is associated with decreased E2F1 levels and diminished E2F1 activation of the p73 promoter. These results provide the first evidence that COX inhibitors differentially modulate p73 isoforms leading to enhanced apoptosis, and support the potential use of COX inhibitors as novel regulators of p73 to enhance chemosensitivity in tumors with deregulated E2F1 and in those with wild-type (wt) or mutant p53.
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PMID:Cyclooxygenase inhibitors differentially modulate p73 isoforms in neuroblastoma. 1936 20


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