title: Transcriptional switch by activating transcription factor 2-derived peptide sensitizes melanoma cells to apoptosis and inhibits their tumorigenicity.
abstract: The notorious resistance of melanoma cells to drug treatment can be overcome by expression of a 50-aa peptide derived from activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2(50-100)). Here we demonstrate that ATF2(50-100) induced apoptosis by sequestering ATF2 to the cytoplasm, thereby inhibiting its transcriptional activities. Furthermore, ATF2(50-100) binds to c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and increases its activity. Mutation within ATF2(50-100) that impairs association with JNK and the inhibition of JNK or c-Jun expression by RNA interference (RNAi) reduces the degree of ATF2(50-100)-induced apoptosis. In contrast, TAM67, a dominant negative of the Jun family of transcription factors, or JunD RNAi attenuates sensitization of melanoma cells expressing ATF2(50-100) to apoptosis after treatment with anisomycin, which is used as a model drug. Mutations within the JNK binding region of ATF2(50-100) or expression of TAM67 or JunD RNAi attenuates inhibition of melanoma's tumorigenicity by ATF2(50-100). We conclude that inhibition of ATF2 in concert with increased JNK/Jun and JunD activities is central for the sensitization of melanoma cells to apoptosis and inhibition of their tumorigenicity.
authors.affiliation: Ruttenberg Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Anindita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhoumik
authors.forename: Nic
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ze'ev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ronai
mesh_terms: D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C497105:ATF2 protein, human; D051698:Activating Transcription Factor 2; C497106:Atf2 protein, mouse; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D010455:Peptides; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D014157:Transcription Factors; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases