Discrepant NOXA (PMAIP1) transcript and NOXA protein levels: a potential Achilles' heel in mantle cell lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive lymphoid neoplasm with transient response to conventional chemotherapy. We here investigated the role of the Bcl-2 homology domain 3-only protein NOXA for life-death decision in MCL. Surprisingly, NOXA (PMAIP1) mRNA and NOXA protein levels were extremely discrepant in MCL cells: NOXA mRNA was found to be highly expressed whereas NOXA protein levels were low. Chronic active B-cell receptor signaling and to a minor degree cyclin D1 overexpression contributed to high NOXA mRNA expression levels in MCL cells. The phoshatidyl-inositol-3 kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway was identified as the major downstream signaling pathway involved in the maintenance of NOXA gene expression. Interestingly, MCL cells adapt to this constitutive pro-apoptotic signal by extensive ubiquitination and rapid proteasomal degradation of NOXA protein (T½∼15-30 min). In addition to the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib, we identified the neddylation inhibitor MLN4924 and the fatty acid synthase inhibitor Orlistat as potent inducers of NOXA protein expression leading to apoptosis in MCL. All inhibitors targeted NOXA protein turnover. In contrast to Bortezomib, MLN4924 and Orlistat interfered with the ubiquitination process of NOXA protein thereby offering new strategies to kill Bortezomib-resistant MCL cells. Our data, therefore, highlight a critical role of NOXA in the balance between life and death in MCL. The discrepancy between NOXA transcript and protein levels is essential for sensitivity of MCL to ubiquitin-proteasome system inhibitors and could therefore provide a druggable Achilles' heel of MCL cells

Type-I interferons are potent inhibitors of interleukin-8 production in hematopoietic and bone marrow stromal cells

Abstract nterleukin-8 (IL-8) is produced by many cell types upon stimulation with bacterial products or inflammation-associated cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-1. Interferons (IFNs) represent another group of cytokines that are induced by similar stimuli in inflammatory reactions. We show now that type-I IFNs are potent inhibitors of IL-8 expression in vitro and in vivo. A significant reduction of both secretion of IL-8 protein and accumulation of IL-8 mRNA in vitro was observed in several cell types comprising peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from healthy donors and from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the myelomonocytic cell line THP-1, and bone marrow (BM) stromal cells as a representative model for BM microenvironment. By contrast, in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated polymorphonuclear phagocytes IFN failed to suppress IL-8 expression. In untreated patients with CML, a constitutive expression of IL-8 mRNA was detected in freshly isolated PBMNC that was markedly reduced 5 hours after therapeutic application of IFN-alpha. The mechanism of IL-8 downregulation was studied more in detail in the THP-1 cell line. The experiments showed that de novo protein synthesis was not required for the inhibitory effect. RNA decay analysis and nuclear run-on assays suggest that in THP-1 cell line the inhibition of IL-8 expression is predominantly regulated at the posttranscriptional level.</jats:p

Type-I interferons are potent inhibitors of interleukin-8 production in hematopoietic and bone marrow stromal cells

nterleukin-8 (IL-8) is produced by many cell types upon stimulation with bacterial products or inflammation-associated cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-1. Interferons (IFNs) represent another group of cytokines that are induced by similar stimuli in inflammatory reactions. We show now that type-I IFNs are potent inhibitors of IL-8 expression in vitro and in vivo. A significant reduction of both secretion of IL-8 protein and accumulation of IL-8 mRNA in vitro was observed in several cell types comprising peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from healthy donors and from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the myelomonocytic cell line THP-1, and bone marrow (BM) stromal cells as a representative model for BM microenvironment. By contrast, in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated polymorphonuclear phagocytes IFN failed to suppress IL-8 expression. In untreated patients with CML, a constitutive expression of IL-8 mRNA was detected in freshly isolated PBMNC that was markedly reduced 5 hours after therapeutic application of IFN-alpha. The mechanism of IL-8 downregulation was studied more in detail in the THP-1 cell line. The experiments showed that de novo protein synthesis was not required for the inhibitory effect. RNA decay analysis and nuclear run-on assays suggest that in THP-1 cell line the inhibition of IL-8 expression is predominantly regulated at the posttranscriptional level.</jats:p

Interferon-alpha stimulates production of interleukin-10 in activated CD4+ T cells and monocytes

In the present study, we investigated the effect of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) on the expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA and protein synthesis in human monocytes and CD4+ T cells. In mononuclear cells, IFN-alpha induced expression of IL-10 mRNA and further enhanced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated IL-10 expression. In purified monocytes, a strong expression of IL-10 mRNA induced by LPS was not further enhanced by IFN-alpha. In highly purified CD4+ T cells, IFN- alpha upregulated IL-10 mRNA upon activation with phytohemagglutinin and phorbol myristate acetate. In purified monocytes, an effect of IFN- alpha on IL-10 protein synthesis was dependent on costimulation with LPS. Maximal stimulation of IL-10 protein by IFN-alpha was seen after prolonged incubation periods of 48 to 96 hours, whereas IFN-gamma reduced IL-10 production in the early incubation period. Similar effects of IFN-alpha were observed in CD4+ T cells activated with CD3 and CD28 monoclonal antibodies. Addition of IFN-alpha caused an increase of IL-10 in culture supernatants of activated T-helper cells of more than 100% after 96 hours of incubation. In contrast, other cytokines, including IFN-gamma and IL-4, had no influence on IL-10 secretion stimulated by CD3 and CD28 in CD4+ T cells. In serum samples of IFN-alpha-treated individuals, we failed to detect an influence of cytokine treatment on IL-10 serum levels, confirming the requirement of additional activating signals for IFN-alpha-mediated effects on IL-10 synthesis. In conclusion, IFN-alpha enhances the late induction of IL- 10, which physiologically occurs upon stimulation of monocytes and T cells. Biologically, this effect might enhance the negative-feedback mechanism ascribed to IL-10, which limits inflammatory reactions.</jats:p