Nicotine/NNK Signaling in Human Lung Cancer Cells

描述（由申请人提供）：肺癌是全球癌症死亡的主要原因，与吸烟有很强的病因学关联。尼古丁和亚硝胺4-（甲基亚硝胺基）-1-（3-吡啶基）-1-丁酮（NNK）是卷烟烟气中的两种重要成分。尼古丁可以激活促进生长的途径，促进肺癌的发展。NNK是由尼古丁的亚硝化作用形成的，已被确定为香烟烟雾中最强的致癌物质。我们最近证明尼古丁通过激活ERK 1/2诱导Bcl 2磷酸化，并延长小细胞肺癌（SCLC）细胞的存活时间。因此，尼古丁诱导的细胞存活的结果，至少部分地，从一个机制，涉及Bcl 2磷酸化。 c-Myc是一种主要的致癌蛋白，其在细胞增殖、转化、凋亡和致瘤性中与Bcl 2功能性协同。我们的初步数据表明，尼古丁和NNK同时诱导Bcl 2和c-Myc磷酸化与SCLC细胞增殖增加相关，但细胞内机制仍不清楚。Bcl 2和c-Myc在正常肺上皮细胞和肺癌细胞中都有表达。这两种癌蛋白可能作为尼古丁或NNK激活信号通路的致癌靶点发挥作用。NNK可以直接诱导单链DNA断裂，并增加导致氧化DNA损伤的活性氧（ROS）。由于Bcl 2和c-Myc都起促进基因组不稳定性的作用，Bcl 2可以克服c-Myc的凋亡作用，并与c-Myc协同作用，以减弱DNA修复并在存活细胞中保留NNK诱导的DNA损伤，这可能有助于肿瘤发生。为了严格检验这些假设，我们确定了两个具体目标：（1）确定尼古丁或NNK诱导的Bcl 2和c-Myc磷酸化是否以及如何促进它们在调节人肺癌细胞存活和增殖中的合作。研究将确定Bcl 2和c-Myc之间直接相互作用的机制;（2）确定Bcl 2和c-Myc之间的功能合作是否是尼古丁或NNK诱导的存活、增殖和保留正常肺上皮细胞和肺癌细胞中NNK诱导的DNA损伤和遗传不稳定性所必需的。研究将确定新的机制，通过该机制，Bcl 2可以通过在核和线粒体水平上的磷酸化与c-Myc功能性地合作。将采用最先进的分子和生物化学方法，包括定点基因诱变、RNA干扰或基因沉默。这些结果有望填补我们关于尼古丁和NNK调节Bcl 2、c-Myc、增殖和正常肺上皮细胞和肺癌细胞中遗传不稳定性的信号传导和致癌机制的知识中的根本空白。预期这些研究的结果对于治疗烟草相关癌症，特别是肺癌或其他表达Bcl 2和c-Myc的恶性肿瘤具有潜在的临床相关性，并且可能显著有助于开发专门针对功能性破坏Bcl 2和c-Myc之间致癌合作的新策略。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Lung cancer is the predominant cause of cancer deaths worldwide and has a strong etiological association with cigarette smoking. Nicotine and nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) are two important components in cigarette smoke. Nicotine can activate the growth-promoting pathways to facilitate the development of lung cancer. NNK is formed by nitrosation of nicotine and has been identified as the most potent carcinogen in cigarette smoke. We have recently demonstrated that nicotine induces Bcl2 phosphorylation exclusively at serine70 through activation of ERK1/2 in association with prolonged survival of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. Thus, nicotine-induced cell survival results, at least in part, from a mechanism that involves Bcl2 phosphorylation. c-Myc is a major oncogenic protein that can functionally cooperate with Bcl2 in cell proliferation, transformation, apoptosis and tumorigenicity. Our preliminary data indicate that nicotine and NNK simultaneously induces Bcl2 and c-Myc phosphorylation in association with increased proliferation of SCLC cells but the intracellular mechanism(s) remains unclear. Bcl2 and c-Myc are expressed in both normal lung epithelial and lung cancer cells. These two oncoproteins may function as the oncogenic targets of nicotine or NNK-activated signal pathways. NNK can directly induce single strand DNA breaks and increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause oxidative DNA damage. Since both Bcl2 and c-Myc function to promote genomic instability, Bcl2 may overcome the apoptotic effect from c-Myc and synergize with c-Myc to attenuate DNA repair and retain NNK-induced DNA damage in surviving cells, which may contribute to tumorigenesis. To critically test these hypotheses, we have identified two specific aims: (1) To determine if and how nicotine- or NNK- induced phosphorylation of Bcl2 and c-Myc can promote their cooperation in regulating survival and proliferation of human lung cancer cells. Studies will identify the mechanism(s) for the direct interaction between Bcl2 md c-Myc; (2) To determine whether the functional cooperation between Bcl2 and c-Myc is required for nicotine- or NNK-induced survival, proliferation and retaining NNK-induced DNA damage and genetic instability in both normal lung epithelial and lung cancer cells. Studies will identify novel mechanism(s) by which Bcl2 may functionally cooperate with c-Myc through phosphorylation at both the nuclear and mitochondrial levels. State of the art molecular and biochemical methodologies will be employed including site-directed gene mutagenesis, RNA interference or gene silencing. The results are expected to fill in fundamental gaps in our knowledge regarding the signaling and oncogenic mechanisms by which nicotine and NNK regulate Bcl2, c-Myc, proliferation and the genetic instability in both normal lung epithelial and lung cancer cells. Results from these studies are expected to have potential clinical relevance for the treatment of tobacco-related cancer specifically lung or other Bcl2 and c-Myc expressing malignancies and may contribute significantly to the development of novel strategies specifically aimed at functionally disrupting the oncogenic cooperation between Bcl2 and c-Myc.