High-Intensity Raf Signals Convert Mitotic Cell Cycling Into Cellular Growth'
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(CANCERRESEARCH58. 1636-1640. April 15. 19981 Advances in Brief High-intensity Raf Signals Convert Mitotic Cell Cycling into Cellular Growth' Eugen Kerkhoff and Ulf R. Rapp2 lnstitutfürmedizinischeStrahlenkundeund Zellforschung(MSZ). Universityof Wurzburg,97078 Wiirzburg, Germany Abstract oncogernc c-Raf-1-estrogen receptor fusion protein (c-Raf-1-BxB ERTM). Activation of the exogenous kinase induces high and sustained The selectionof NIH 3T3 cellsexpressinga hydroxytamoxifen-induci c-Raf signals and inhibits DNA synthesis and mitosis. Despite the ble c-Raf-1-estrogen receptor fusion protein (c-Raf-1-BxB-ER@) in the inhibition of cell cycle progression, cell growth remains unaffected, absence or presence of the inducer results in dramatic differences in the expression levels of the fusion protein. Hydroxytamoxifen-mediated con leading to cells with a DNA content of G1 cells and a cell size of stitutive activation of the Rafsignal favors the selection ofcells expressing G2-M-phase cells. Therefore, high-intensity Raf signals uncouple the low levels of c-R.af-1-BxB-ER@. Cells selected in the absence of hy regulation of cell growth from DNA replication and mitosis. droxytamoxifen express up to 20 tImes higher levels of the inducible Raf kinase. Activation ofthe oncogenic Rafkinase in cells expressing low levels Materials and Methods leads to a weak activation of the Raf/Mek/Erk cascade and the induction of S phase In confluentcells.The activationof cellsexpressinghigh levels Expression Vector. The pBabe-puro-BxB-ER@ vector was constructed by ofthe kinaseleadsto a strongpersIstentsignalandinhibitsDNAsynthesis releasing sequences encoding the c-Raf-l-BxB-ER@ protein from the BJ4- andmitOsisinproliferatingcells.TheinhibitionofDNAsynthesisandcell BxB-ER@ vector (7) by EcoRI digestion (2.2-kb fragment) and inserting them dIvision is presumably due to the elevated expression ofthe cyclin-depend into the unique EcoRI recognition site of the pBabe-puro vector (13). @@ ent kinaseinhibitorp21@', cellsexposedto ionizingradiation. Cell Culture and Transfections. NIH 313 and N-BxB-ER'@ cells were Despite the inhibition of DNA synthesis and mitOSIS, the constltutive grown in DMEM (Life Technologies, Inc.) supplemented with glucose (Life activity of the Raf signaling pathway is still able to initiate cell growth. Technologies, Inc.), L-glutamine (Life Technologies, Inc.), 10% FCS (Hy Activationofthe high-intensityRafsignalin arrestedserum-starvedcells clone), 100 units/mi penicillin (Life Technologies,Inc.), and 100 @&g/mi induces cell growth up to a size corresponding to that of M-phase cells in streptomycin (Life Technologies, Inc.). The cells were incubated at 37°C,5% the absenceof DNAsynthesis.High-intensityRafsignalsin proliferating CO2.and90%humidity.FortheinductionofcellswithOHT,asolutionof 1 cells consistently lead to an accumulation of cells with the size of M-phase mM OHT in ethanol was added to the medium to a final concentration of 200 cellsandthe DNAcontentof G1cellsor G2-M-phasecells.Therefore,the flM (5000 X dilution). For puromycin selection, the cells were grown in the activation of Raf kinase is sufficient to drive cell growth, even in the presence of 6 @tg/mipuromycin (Sigma). The cells were transfected with a presence of high levels of the cydlin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21@1. high-efficiency liposome transfection method, using LipofectAMiNE reagent supplied by Life Technologies, Inc. (7). Introduction Immunoblot and Antibodies. Immunobbot experiments were performed as described previously (7). The following antibodies were used: (a) HL7, The Ras/Raf signal transduction cascade is an important mediator mouseestrogenreceptor-sensitiverabbitpolycbonalantibody(a gift from A. in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. Experiments Sewing and H. Land); (b) C-19, cyclin A-sensitive affmity-purified rabbit in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 led to the discovery that polyclonal antibody (Santa Cruz); (c) C-19, p2l@@'-scnsifive affmity-purified the intensity and duration of the signal determine proliferation or rabbit pobyclonal antibody (Santa Cruz); (d) M-2, cdk2-sensitive affinity neuronal differentiation and cell cycle arrest (1). The extended activity purified rabbit pobycbonal antibody (Santa Cruz); (e) C-22, cdk4-sensitive affinity-purified rabbit polycbonal antibody (Santa Cruz); (f) phospho Eat of the RasfMeklErk cascade in this respect favors cellular differenti sensitive affinity-purified rabbit polyclonab antibody (New England Biolabs); ation. Constitutive activation of the Ras/Raf cascade in immortalized and (g) C-l6, Erkl-sensitive affinity-purified rabbit polycbonalantibody (Santa fibroblast cell lines can induce either cell cycle progression or cell Cruz). cycle arrest in the G@or G2-M phases (2—9).Ithas long been proposed Immunocomplex Kinase Assay. The kinase assays were performed as that high activity of the Ras signal is responsible for the growth arrest, described previously (7), with the following specifications. Cells were lysed because the expression of an activated Ras oncoprotein is only toler with a buffer containing 50 nmi HEPES (pH 7.5), 150 mMNaG, 1 mMEDTA, ated at very low levels in the absence of a second cooperating 1 mMEGTA, 0.1% (v/v) Tween 20, 10% (v/v) glycerol, 2 @&g/mileupeptin,2 oncogene (2, 3). Experiments using dominant negative mutants of p53 lLg/mlaprotinin, 1 m@iphenylmethylsulfonybfluoride, 10mMsodium fluoride, protein have led to the conclusion that p53-related activity is an and 0.2 mM sodium orthovanadate. For immunodetection, the following anti important mediator of Ras-induced cell cycle arrest (10). The p21'@'@ bodies were used: (a) M-2, cdk2-sensitive affinity-purified rabbit polycbonal antibody (Santa Cruz); and (b) C-22, cdk4-sensitive affinity-purified rabbit cdk3 inhibitor is induced by p53 or p73, a recently discovered p53 polycbonalantibody (Santa Cruz). As substrates for the kinase reaction, 1 g@g homobogue (11, 12). Fibroblast cells isolated from p2l@'1-deficient of histone Hi (Boebringer) or 6 g.@gofGST-Rb (an 769-921; a kind gift from mice cannot be arrested by high-intensity Raf signals, indicating that R. Lilischkis) were used for each reaction. the cdk inhibitor is essential for Ras/Raf-mediated cell cycle arrest (9). Flow CytOmetry Analysis. The cells were fixed in ethanol, stained with We have established cell lines that express high levels of an inducible propidium iodide (Sigma), and analyzed with a FACSCalibur flow cytometer (BectonDickinson;Ref.7). Received 2/25/98; accepted 3/2/98. Thecostsof publicationofthisarticleweredefrayedinpartby thepaymentofpage Results charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact. High expression of constitutively active forms of the Ran or Raf I Supported by the Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung and the SFB 456. 2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Institut für medizinische oncoproteins has been shown to block cell proliferation (2, 3, 8, 9). To StrahlenkundeundZellforsehung.UniversityofWtirzburg,VersbacherStrasse5,97078 analyze the effects of high-intensity Raf signals on the cell cycle, it is Wurzburg, Germany. Phone: 49-931-201-5140; Fax: 49-931-201-3835. therefore essential to establish conditional cell lines expressing an 3 The abbreviations used are: cdk, cycin-dependent kinase; OHT, 4-hydroxytamox ifen; as. amino acid. inducible form of the oncoprotein. Fusion of the oncogernc c-Raf-l 1636 Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on October 1, 2021. © 1998 American Association for Cancer Research. @@@@@— — — Raf SIGNALS AND CELL GROWTH BxB deletion mutant to the hormone-binding domain of the estrogen N-BxB-ER@cells receptor (c-Raf-1-BxB-ER@) provides a 4 OHT-inducible kinase (7). On treatment with the inducer, the fusion protein is constitutively active. We transfected NIH 3T3 cells with a eukaryotic expression vector driving the constitutive expression of the c@Raf@l@BxB@ERTM kinase and a puromycin resistance protein (pBabe-puro-BxB-ER@). F)*d.1+@' fi4el+CIfI 0.1+0111 Selection for puromycin-resistant colonies in the presence or absence O@O30 224 30 2 24 0 10 30 2 24 of OHT resultsin dramaticdifferences in the expression levels of the oncogenic Raf kinase. Clonal cell lines selected while the kinase was —@----@----- @@@@@@@1@— —cyclinA active (N-BxB-ER@-FA clones) express around 20-fold less of the c-Raf-1-BxB-ER@ protein than clones selected in the absence of 01ff (N@BxB@ERTM@Clclones),in whichthe kinaseis inactive(Fig. 1). This is in agreement with the finding that high levels of activity of the oncogenic Raf kinase areinhibitoryfor cell proliferation.The fact @ that all four isolated FA clones express comparable low levels of the .@——- —Ii =pbosphoErkl,2 inducible c-Raf-1 kinase suggests that there is a sharp tolerance threshold up to which proliferation is possible. The addition of 01ff to all clones expressing high levels of the :::__@__@_@_ —ii: .-Erkl,2 inducible Raf kinase causes a cell cycle arrest in the G1 and G2-M phases (Fig. 4B; data not shown). Within 24 h, the cells go out of S Fig. 2. Activation of the c-Rrf-l-BxB-ER@ protein in N@BxB@ERTM@Cl@lcellsby OHT leads to the induction of a strong and persistent Raf signal as measured by Erk phospho phase and accumulate with a 2N and 4N DNA content. All additional rylation and a rapid induction of overexpression of the cdk inhibitor [email protected] analyses were performed with the cell clones N-BxB-ER@-Cl-l