title: Evidence that sequence homologous region in LRAT-like proteins possesses anti-proliferative activity and DNA binding properties: translational implications and mechanism of action.
abstract: LRAT (lecithin:retinol acyltransferase), an enzyme whose levels are modulated during malignant conversion, has been reported as the founder member of a new LRAT-like family that includes tumor suppressors TIG-3(1-164) and Ha-Rev107(1-162). The mechanisms that link these three proteins to carcinogenesis as well as the significance of a reported shared sequence homologous region remain unclear. This begs the question if the tumor suppressors possess enzyme properties and/or if the LRAT enzyme possesses tumor suppressor properties. We use the reported homologous region as a first approach to address the question from the perspective that all three proteins can possess tumor suppressor properties. We postulated that the homologous sequence harbors an anti-proliferation domain within the full-length proteins and that dodecapeptides of this sequence possess anti-proliferative activity. We report that H-TIG-3(111-123), H-Ha-Rev107-1(111-123) and H-LRAT160-171:C168L exhibited in vitro growth inhibitory activity in a human cutaneous melanoma (HCM) model and affected tumor growth in a nude mouse model. Further, in peptide-sensitive HCM cells, these peptides crossed the plasma membrane and localized to the nucleus, where they could bind and activate promoters of transcription factors involved in G1-->S transition. Moreover, peptide-induced abrogation of cyclin dependent kinase-2 expression was concomitant with sub-cellular re-distribution of cyclins E and A. Indeed, the sequence homologous region within each full-length wild-type protein as well as the growth inhibitory peptides can form alpha helices, a likely configuration for binding to DNA. This is the first report that this sequence homologous region (AA111-123) within these LRAT-like proteins harbors an anti-proliferative domain with DNA binding properties. Sequences from this sequence homologous region can be used as templates for anti-tumor drug design and as probes to investigate disease-related mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of the full-length proteins, TIG-3(1-164), Ha-Rev107(1-162) and LRAT160-171.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular Carcinogenesis and Tumor Promotion, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Denise Perry
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Peach
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Michael M B
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Marc C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nicklaus
authors.forename: Luigi M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: De Luca
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010455:Peptides; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010455:Peptides; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000217:Acyltransferases; C056942:lecithin-retinol acyltransferase