Watts, G. S., Futscher, B. W., Isett, R., Gleason-Guzman, M., Kunkel, M. W., & Salmon, S. E. (2001). cDNA microarray analysis of multidrug resistance: Doxorubicin selection produces multiple defects in apoptosis signaling pathways. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 299(2), 434-441.
PMID: 11602652;Abstract:
Doxorubicin plays an important role in the treatment of leukemias, lymphomas, and a variety of carcinomas. Tumor cell resistance to doxorubicin is often associated with expression of the multidrug resistance gene MDR1, which codes for the drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein, and a multidrug-resistant phenotype. Evidence from multiple sources suggests, however, that additional genes besides MDR1 are involved in development of multidrug resistance. To identify genes involved in the multidrug resistance phenotype, we created a 5760-gene cDNA microarray to search for differentially expressed genes between the human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226 and its doxorubicin-selected sublines 8226/Dox6 and 8226/Dox40, both of which express MDR1 and are multidrug-resistant. The cDNA microarray results identified a set of differentially expressed genes, which included MDR1 as expected. Thirty Northern analyses were used to confirm the results of the cDNA microarrays; comparison with the microarray results showed a 90% agreement between the two techniques. Within the set of differentially expressed genes identified by the cDNA microarrays, 29 were of particular interest as they can participate in apoptotic signaling, particularly as mediated by ceramide and the mitochondrial permeability transition. The functional importance of these changes in gene expression is supported by their explanation of the 8226/Dox cell lines' cross- resistance to substances that are not P-glycoprotein substrates, such as Fas/CD95 ligand and staurosporine. We conclude that doxorubicin selection led to changes in gene expression that reduce the apoptotic response to death-inducing stimuli and thus contribute to the multidrug resistance phenotype.
Vrba, L., Junk, D. J., Novak, P., & Futscher, B. W. (2008). p53 induces distinct epigenetic states at its direct target promoters. BMC Genomics, 9.
PMID: 18922183;PMCID: PMC2585595;Abstract:
Background: The tumor suppressor protein p53 is a transcription factor that is mutated in many cancers. Regulation of gene expression by binding of wild-type p53 to its target sites is accompanied by changes in epigenetic marks like histone acetylation. We studied DNA binding and epigenetic changes induced by wild-type and mutant p53 in non-malignant hTERT-immortalized human mammary epithelial cells overexpressing either wild-type p53 or one of four p53 mutants (R175H, R249S, R273H and R280K) on a wild-type p53 background. Results: Using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to a 13,000 human promoter microarray, we found that wild-type p53 bound 197 promoters on the microarray including known and novel p53 targets. Of these p53 targets only 20% showed a concomitant increase in histone acetylation, which was linked to increased gene expression, while 80% of targets showed no changes in histone acetylation. We did not observe any decreases in histone acetylation in genes directly bound by wild-type p53. DNA binding in samples expressing mutant p53 was reduced over 95% relative to wild-type p53 and very few changes in histone acetylation and no changes in DNA methylation were observed in mutant p53 expressing samples. Conclusion: We conclude that wild-type p53 induces transcription of target genes by binding to DNA and differential induction of histone acetylation at target promoters. Several new wild-type p53 target genes, including DGKZ, FBXO22 and GDF9, were found. DNA binding of wild-type p53 is highly compromised if mutant p53 is present due to interaction of both p53 forms resulting in no direct effect on epigenetic marks. © 2008 Vrba et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Severson, P. L., & Futscher, B. W. (2012). Epigenomic Actions of Environmental Arsenicals. Toxicology and Epigenetics, 129-148.
Watts, G. S., & Futscher, B. W. (1995). Detecting differences in 5-methylcytosine using restriction enzyme isoschizomers: An endogenous control for complete digestion. Nucleic Acids Research, 23(22), 4740-4741.
PMID: 8524671;PMCID: PMC307454;
Futscher, B. W., Foley, N. E., Gleason-Guzman, M. C., Meltzer, P. S., Sullivan, D. M., & Dalton, W. S. (1996). Verapamil suppresses the emergence of P-glycoprotein-mediated multi-drug resistance. International Journal of Cancer, 66(4), 520-525.
PMID: 8635868;Abstract:
Selection protocols were designed to determine whether non-cytotoxic chemomodifiers can influence the evolution of the drug-resistant phenotype. To this end, the human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226 (8226/S) was selected with either doxorubicin, verapamil or doxorubicin plus verapamil. Using this approach low-level multi-drug-resistant (MDR) cell lines were obtained when 8226/S was selected with doxorubicin only or doxorubicin plus verapamil but not with verapamil only. The MDR phenotypes obtained were mechanistically distinct. In doxorubicin only-selected cells (8226/dox4), drug resistance was mediated by over-expression of the MDRI gene and its cognate protein P-glycoprotein. In contrast, the drug resistance seen in the doxorubicin plus verapamil-selected cells was mediated through decreases in topoisomerase II protein levels and catalytic activity and not by P-glycoprotein over-expression. Cells selected with verapamil alone did not become resistant to any of the drugs tested. None of the 3 selected cell lines showed any changes in MRP gene expression when compared with 8226/S. Our results indicate that the inclusion of verapamil during drug selection with doxorubicin influences the drug-resistant phenotype by preventing the selection of MDR I/P-glycoprotein-positive cells.
