title: Activation of Nur77 by selected 1,1-Bis(3'-indolyl)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes induces apoptosis through nuclear pathways.
abstract: Nur77 is an orphan receptor and a member of the nerve growth factor-I-B subfamily of the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors. Based on the results of transactivation assays in pancreatic and other cancer cell lines, we have now identified for the first time Nur77 agonists typified by 1,1-bis(3-indolyl)-1-(p-anisyl)methane that activate GAL4-Nur77 chimeras expressing wild-type and the ligand binding domain (E/F) of Nur77. In Panc-28 pancreatic cancer cells, Nur77 agonists activate the nuclear receptor, and downstream responses include decreased cell survival and induction of cell death pathways, including tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Moreover, the transactivation and apoptotic responses are also induced in other pancreatic, prostate, and breast cancer cells that express Nur77. In Panc-28 cells, small inhibitory RNA for Nur77 reverses ligand-dependent transactivation and induction of TRAIL and PARP cleavage. Nur77 agonists also inhibit tumor growth in vivo in athymic mice bearing Panc-28 cell xenografts. These results identify compounds that activate Nur77 through the ligand binding domain and show that ligand-dependent activation of Nur77 through nuclear pathways in cancer cells induces cell death and these compounds are a novel class of anticancer agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Sudhakar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chintharlapalli
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burghardt
authors.forename: Sabitha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papineni
authors.forename: Shashi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramaiah
authors.forename: Kyungsil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Safe
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000818:Animals; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D016923:Cell Death; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008697:Methane / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D034622:RNA Interference; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012176:Retinoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: D017304:Annexin A5; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C099555:CD 437; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C539821:NR4A1 protein, human; C539818:Nr4a1 protein, mouse; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012176:Retinoids; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; C505654:Tnfsf10 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004247:DNA; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D008697:Methane