Chronic hepatitis caused by infection with the Hepatitis B virus is a life-threatening condition. In fact, 1 million people die annually due to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently, several studies demonstrated a molecular connection between the host DNA damage response (DDR) pathway and HBV replication and reactivation. Here, we investigated the role of Ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) and Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) PI3-kinases in phosphorylation of the HBV core protein (HBc). We determined that treatment of HBc-expressing hepatocytes with genotoxic agents, e.g., etoposide or hydrogen peroxide, activated the host ATM-Chk2 pathway, as determined by increased phosphorylation of ATM at Ser1981 and Chk2 at Thr68. The activation of ATM led, in turn, to increased phosphorylation of cytoplasmic HBc at serine-glutamine (SQ) motifs located in its C-terminal domain. Conversely, down-regulation of ATM using ATM-specific siRNAs or inhibitor effectively reduced etoposide-induced HBc phosphorylation. Detailed mutation analysis of S-to-A HBc mutants revealed that S170 (S168 in a 183-aa HBc variant) is the primary site targeted by ATM-regulated phosphorylation. Interestingly, mutation of two major phosphorylation sites involving serines at positions 157 and 164 (S155 and S162 in a 183-aa HBc variant) resulted in decreased etoposide-induced phosphorylation, suggesting that the priming phosphorylation at these serine-proline (SP) sites is vital for efficient phosphorylation of SQ motifs. Notably, the mutation of S172 (S170 in a 183-aa HBc variant) had the opposite effect and resulted in massively up-regulated phosphorylation of HBc, particularly at S170. Etoposide treatment of HBV infected HepG2-NTCP cells led to increased levels of secreted HBe antigen and intracellular HBc protein. Together, our studies identified HBc as a substrate for ATM-mediated phosphorylation and mapped the phosphorylation sites. The increased expression of HBc and HBe antigens in response to genotoxic stress supports the idea that the ATM pathway may provide growth advantage to the replicating virus.

• MeSH
• aminokyselinové motivy MeSH
• ATM protein metabolismus   MeSH
• buňky Hep G2 MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 metabolismus   MeSH
• cytoplazma metabolismus   virologie   MeSH
• etoposid farmakologie   MeSH
• fosforylace MeSH
• hepatitida B - antigeny e metabolismus   MeSH
• hepatocyty virologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• peroxid vodíku farmakologie   MeSH
• poškození DNA * MeSH
• proteiny virového jádra chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• replikace viru účinky léků   MeSH
• serin metabolismus   MeSH
• trans-aktivátory genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• virové regulační a přídatné proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• virus hepatitidy B účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Familial inheritance in non-medullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) is an area that has yet to be adequately explored. Despite evidence suggesting strong familial clustering of non-syndromic NMTC, known variants still account for a very small percentage of the genetic burden. In a recent whole genome sequencing (WGS) study of five families with several NMTCs, we shortlisted promising variants with the help of our in-house developed Familial Cancer Variant Prioritization Pipeline (FCVPPv2). Here, we report potentially disease-causing variants in checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2), Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1) and T-lymphoma invasion and metastasis-inducing protein 1 (TIAM1) in one family. Performing WGS on three cases, one probable case and one healthy individual in a family with familial NMTC left us with 112254 variants with a minor allele frequency of less than 0.1%, which was reduced by pedigree-based filtering to 6368. Application of the pipeline led to the prioritization of seven coding and nine non-coding variants from this family. The variant identified in CHEK2, a known tumor suppressor gene involved in DNA damage-induced DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis, has been previously identified as a germline variant in breast and prostate cancer and has been functionally validated by Roeb et al. in a yeast-based assay to have an intermediate effect on protein function. We thus hypothesized that this family may harbor additional disease-causing variants in other functionally related genes. We evaluated two further variants in EWSR1 and TIAM1 with promising in silico results and reported interaction in the DNA-damage repair pathway. Hence, we propose a polygenic mode of inheritance in this family. As familial NMTC is considered to be more aggressive than its sporadic counterpart, it is important to identify such susceptibility genes and their associated pathways. In this way, the advancement of personalized medicine in NMTC patients can be fostered. We also wish to reopen the discussion on monogenic vs polygenic inheritance in NMTC and instigate further development in this area of research.

• MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• frekvence genu MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci * MeSH
• genom lidský MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• papilární karcinom štítné žlázy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• protein EWS vázající RNA chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• protein TIAM1 chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• rodokmen MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• sekvenční seřazení MeSH
• sekvenování celého genomu MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Itálie MeSH

Germline alterations in many genes coding for proteins regulating DNA repair and DNA damage response (DDR) to DNA double-strand breaks (DDSB) have been recognized as pathogenic factors in hereditary cancer predisposition. The ATM-CHEK2-p53 axis has been documented as a backbone for DDR and hypothesized as a barrier against cancer initiation. However, although CHK2 kinase coded by the CHEK2 gene expedites the DDR signal, its function in activation of p53-dependent cell cycle arrest is dispensable. CHEK2 mutations rank among the most frequent germline alterations revealed by germline genetic testing for various hereditary cancer predispositions, but their interpretation is not trivial. From the perspective of interpretation of germline CHEK2 variants, we review the current knowledge related to the structure of the CHEK2 gene, the function of CHK2 kinase, and the clinical significance of CHEK2 germline mutations in patients with hereditary breast, prostate, kidney, thyroid, and colon cancers.

• MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutační rychlost MeSH
• nádory enzymologie   genetika   MeSH
• substrátová specifita MeSH
• zárodečné mutace genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Genetic testing for cancer predisposition leads to the identification of a number of variants with uncertain significance. To some extent, variants of BRCA1/2 have been classified, in contrast to variants of other genes. CHEK2 is a typical example, in which a large number of variants of unknown clinical significance were identified and still remained unclassified. Herein, the CHEK2 variant assessment was performed through an in vivo, yeast-based, functional assay. In total, 120 germline CHEK2 missense variants, distributed along the protein sequence, and two large in-frame deletions were tested, originating from genetic test results in breast cancer families, or selected from the ClinVar database. Of these, 32 missense and two in-frame deletions behaved as non-functional, 73 as functional, and 15 as semi-functional, after comparing growth rates of each strain with positive and negative controls. The majority of non-functional variants were localized in the CHK2 kinase and forkhead-associated domains. In vivo results from the non-functional variants were in agreement with in silico predictions, and, where available, with strong breast cancer family history, to a great extent. The results of the largest, to date, yeast-based assay, evaluating CHEK2 variants, can complement and assist in the classification of rare CHEK2 variants with unclear clinical significance.

• MeSH
• alely MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• frekvence genu MeSH
• genetická predispozice k nemoci MeSH
• genetické asociační studie MeSH
• konformace proteinů MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• mutace * MeSH
• rodokmen MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• substituce aminokyselin MeSH
• výpočetní biologie metody   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

BACKGROUND: Haemanthamine (HA) and sodium butyrate (NaB) are promising candidates for chemotherapy as a treatment for cancer. PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the anticancer potential of HA and NaB, alone and in combination, in A2780 ovarian cancer cells and concurrently investigated anticancer potential in contrast to non-cancer human MRC-5 fibroblasts. METHODS: Antiproliferative effects were determined by WST-1 assay and by Trypan blue exclusion staining. Cell cycle distributions were studied by flow cytometry and protein levels were determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: The combination of HA and NaB caused a significant decrease in the proliferation of A2780 cells compared to the stand-alone treatment of cells by HA or NaB. This effect was less pronounced in non-cancer MRC-5 fibroblasts. In the later intervals, the number of A2780 living cells was strongly decreased by treatment using a combination of NaB and HA. This simultaneous application had no considerable effect in MRC-5 fibroblasts. The combination of NaB and HA led to the suppression of cells in the G1 phase and caused an accumulation of cells in the S and G2 phase in comparison to those treated with NaB and HA alone. Treatment of cells with NaB alone led to the activation of proteins regulating the cell cycle. Notably, p21WAF1/Cip1 was upregulated in both A2780 and MRC-5 cells, while checkpoint kinases 1 and 2 were activated via phosphorylation only in A2780 cells. Unexpectedly, NaB in combination with HA suppressed the phosphorylation of Chk2 on threonine 68 and Chk1 on serine 345 in A2780 cells and downregulated p21WAF1/Cip1 in both tested cell lines. The sensitization of cells to HA and NaB treatment seems to be accompanied by increased histone acetylation. NaB-induced acetylation of histone H3 and H4 and histone acetylation increased markedly when a combination of NaB and HA was applied. Whereas the most prominent hyperacetylation after HA and NaB treatment was observed in A2780 cells, the acetylation of histones occurred in both cell lines. CONCLUSION: In summary, we have demonstrated the enhanced activity of HA and NaB against A2780 cancer cells, while eliciting no such effect in non-cancer MRC-5 cells.

• MeSH
• acetylace MeSH
• aktivace transkripce účinky léků   MeSH
• alkaloidy amarylkovitých farmakologie   MeSH
• buněčné dělení účinky léků   MeSH
• buněčný cyklus účinky léků   MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 1 metabolismus   MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 metabolismus   MeSH
• fenantridiny farmakologie   MeSH
• fosforylace MeSH
• histony metabolismus   MeSH
• inhibitor p21 cyklin-dependentní kinasy metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina máselná farmakologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádory vaječníků patologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the role of ATM (KU55933) and DNA-PK (NU7441) inhibitors in the repair of double-strand breaks and downstream signaling of DNA damage introduced by ionizing radiation. The irradiation of MCF-7 cells alone increased the proportion of cells in the G1 phase in comparison with mock-treated cells. After ATM inhibitor pretreatment, the cells were more accumulated in the G2 phase, whereas DNA-PK inhibitor application increased the percentage of cells in the G1 phase. ATM and DNA-PK inhibitor application alone increased the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to ionizing radiation; however, combining both inhibitors together resulted in a further enhancement of cell death. Unexpectedly, combining both inhibitors decreased the percentage of senescent cells and increased G2 cell cycle arrest 3 days after treatment. After irradiation, the p21 protein was increased and Chk1 and Chk2 were activated. These proteins were not increased in cells pretreated with the ATM inhibitor prior to ionizing radiation exposure, albeit DNA-PK inhibitor application did not affect the amount of proteins detected. Formation of γH2AX was found to be ATM and DNA-PK dependent, application of the ATM inhibitor suppressed incidence of γH2AX, whereas DNA-PK caused persistence of γH2AX. Our results suggest that the further investigation of the ATM inhibitor in combination with the DNA-PK inhibitor as sensitizers preventing cell senescence and promoting cell death in breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells is warranted.

• MeSH
• ATM protein antagonisté a inhibitory   metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčná smrt účinky léků   MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 metabolismus   MeSH
• chromony farmakologie   MeSH
• DNA vazebné proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory   MeSH
• G1 fáze účinky léků   MeSH
• G2 fáze účinky léků   MeSH
• histony MeSH
• inhibitor p21 cyklin-dependentní kinasy metabolismus   MeSH
• ionizující záření MeSH
• kontrolní body buněčného cyklu účinky léků   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• MFC-7 buňky MeSH
• morfoliny farmakologie   MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• oprava DNA účinky léků   MeSH
• poškození DNA účinky léků   MeSH
• proteinkinasa aktivovaná DNA antagonisté a inhibitory   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteinkinasy metabolismus   MeSH
• protokoly antitumorózní kombinované chemoterapie farmakologie   MeSH
• pyrony farmakologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

The DNA damage response (DDR) machinery becomes commonly activated in response to oncogenes and during early stages of development of solid malignancies, with an exception of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). The active DDR signaling evokes cell death or senescence but this anti-tumor barrier can be breached by defects in DDR factors, such as the ATM-Chk2-p53 pathway, thereby allowing tumor progression. The DDR barrier is strongly activated in brain tumors, particularly gliomas, due to oxidative damage and replication stress. Here, we took advantage of rare human primary intracranial germ cell tumors (PIGCTs), to address the roles of cell-intrinsic factors including cell of origin, versus local tissue environment, in the constitutive DDR activation in vivo. Immunohistochemical analysis of 7 biomarkers on a series of 21 PIGCTs (germinomas and other subtypes), 20 normal brain specimens and 20 glioblastomas, revealed the following: i) The overall DDR signaling (γH2AX) and activation of the ATM-Chk2-p53 pathway were very low among the PIGCTs, reminiscent of TGCTs, and contrasting sharply with strong DDR activation in glioblastomas; ii) Except for one case of embryonal carcinoma, there were no clear aberrations in the ATM-Chk2-p53 pathway components among the PIGCT cohort; iii) Subsets of PIGCTs showed unusual cytosolic localization of Chk2 and/or ATM. Collectively, these results show that PIGCTs mimic the DDR activation patterns of their gonadal germ cell tumor counterparts, rather than the brain tumors with which they share the tissue environment. Hence cell-intrinsic factors and cell of origin dictate the extent of DDR barrier activation and also the ensuing pressure to select for DDR defects. Our data provide conceptually important insights into the role of DNA damage checkpoints in intracranial tumorigenesis, with implications for the differential biological responses of diverse tumor types to endogenous stress as well as to genotoxic treatments such as ionizing radiation or chemotherapy.

• MeSH
• ATM protein genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• checkpoint kinasa 2 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• gangliogliom genetika   MeSH
• germinální a embryonální nádory genetika   MeSH
• glioblastom genetika   MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• nádory mozku genetika   MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• poškození DNA genetika   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH