scholarly journals pVHL Modification by NEDD8 Is Required for Fibronectin Matrix Assembly and Suppression of Tumor Development

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 3251-3261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie H. Stickle ◽  
Jacky Chung ◽  
Jeffery M. Klco ◽  
Richard P. Hill ◽  
William G. Kaelin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Functional inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene is the cause of the familial VHL disease and most sporadic renal clear-cell carcinomas (RCC). pVHL has been shown to play a role in the destruction of hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIF-α) subunits via ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and in the regulation of fibronectin matrix assembly. Although most disease-causing pVHL mutations hinder the regulation of the HIF pathway, every disease-causing pVHL mutant tested to date has failed to promote the assembly of the fibronectin matrix, underscoring its potential importance in VHL disease. Here, we report that a ubiquitin-like molecule called NEDD8 covalently modifies pVHL. A nonneddylateable pVHL mutant, while retaining its ability to ubiquitylate HIF, failed to bind to and promote the assembly of the fibronectin matrix. Expression of the neddylation-defective pVHL in RCC cells, while restoring the regulation of HIF, failed to promote the differentiated morphology in a three-dimensional growth assay and was insufficient to suppress the formation of tumors in SCID mice. These results suggest that NEDD8 modification of pVHL plays an important role in fibronectin matrix assembly and that in the absence of such regulation, an intact HIF pathway is insufficient to prevent VHL-associated tumorigenesis.

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 3163-3172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erinn B. Rankin ◽  
Debra F. Higgins ◽  
Jacqueline A. Walisser ◽  
Randall S. Johnson ◽  
Christopher A. Bradfield ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Patients with germ line mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene are predisposed to the development of highly vascularized tumors within multiple tissues. Loss of pVHL results in constitutive activation of the transcription factors HIF-1 and HIF-2, whose relative contributions to the pathogenesis of the VHL phenotype have yet to be defined. In order to examine the role of HIF in von Hippel-Lindau (VHL)-associated vascular tumorigenesis, we utilized Cre-loxP-mediated recombination to inactivate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (Hif-1α) and arylhydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) genes in a VHL mouse model of cavernous liver hemangiomas and polycythemia. Deletion of Hif-1α did not affect the development of vascular tumors and polycythemia, nor did it suppress the increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (Vegf) and erythropoietin (Epo). In contrast, phosphoglycerokinase (Pgk) expression was substantially decreased, providing evidence for target gene-dependent functional redundancy between different Hif transcription factors. Inactivation of Arnt completely suppressed the development of hemangiomas, polycythemia, and Hif-induced gene expression. Here, we demonstrate genetically that the development of VHL-associated vascular tumors in the liver depends on functional ARNT. Furthermore, we provide evidence that individual HIF transcription factors may play distinct roles in the development of specific VHL disease manifestations.


2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherri K. Leung ◽  
Michael Ohh

Inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor gene product pVHL is the cause of inherited VHL disease and is associated with sporadic kidney cancer. pVHL is found in a multiprotein complex with elongins B/C, Cul2, and Rbx1 forming an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex called VEC. This modular enzyme targets theαsubunits of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) for ubiquitin-mediated destruction. Consequently, tumour cells lacking functional pVHL overproduce the products of HIF-target genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which promotes angiogenesis. This likely accounts for the hypervascular nature of VHL-associated neoplasms. Although pVHL has been linked to the cell-cycle, differentiation, and the regulation of extracellular matrix assembly, microenvironment pH, and tissue invasiveness, this review will focus on the recent insights into the molecular mechanisms governing the E3 ubiquitin ligase function of VEC.


2001 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances M. Richards

von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease is a dominantly inherited cancer syndrome characterised by predisposition to multiple tumours of the eyes and central nervous system (haemangioblastomas), kidneys (renal cell carcinoma; RCC), adrenal chromaffin cells (phaeochromocytoma), and other organs. The VHL gene was isolated in 1993 and mutations or deletions in the VHL gene have been identified in the germline of nearly all tested individuals with VHL disease. Genotype–phenotype correlations have been observed: individuals with missense mutations are more likely to develop phaeochromocytoma than those with deletions or protein-truncating mutations are, and specific missense mutations at certain codons might not predispose to RCC. In accordance with its role as a tumour suppressor gene, the normal allele of the VHL gene is deleted, mutated or silenced by promoter methylation in the tumours from VHL patients, and in a large proportion of sporadic tumours of the same histological types as observed in VHL disease. Thus, the VHL gene is of major importance in the development of RCC in the general population. Recent advances in understanding the structure and function of the VHL protein (pVHL) have revealed insights into the different phenotypes, with indications that some retention of function might be required for predisposition to phaeochromocytoma. pVHL interacts with many cellular proteins, mainly via one of two protein-binding domains (α and β). The best-characterised interaction is that of pVHL with elongin C, which forms a complex with elongin B and Cullin 2 proteins. This complex has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and promotes ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) transcription factor under normal oxygen (normoxic) conditions. Loss of pVHL function leads to stabilisation of HIF-1 and expression under normoxic conditions of hypoxia-inducible genes including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which might explain the hypervascular phenotype of VHL tumours. Several other genes implicated in intra- and intercellular signalling and control of tumour growth are overexpressed in the absence of pVHL, but it is not yet clear which features of pVHL function are most significant for tumour suppression in different tissues. Further advances in understanding pVHL function might eventually enable development of specific therapies for prevention or treatment of VHL tumours and RCC.


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 1803-1817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumihiko Okumura ◽  
Keiji Uematsu ◽  
Stuart D. Byrne ◽  
Mie Hirano ◽  
Akiko Joo-Okumura ◽  
...  

pVHL, the protein product of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene, is a ubiquitin ligase that targets hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIF-α) for proteasomal degradation. Although HIF-α activation is necessary for VHL disease pathogenesis, constitutive activation of HIF-α alone did not induce renal clear cell carcinomas and pheochromocytomas in mice, suggesting the involvement of an HIF-α-independent pathway in VHL pathogenesis. Here, we show that the transcription factor B-Myb is a pVHL substrate that is degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)- and/or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-dependent tyrosine 15 phosphorylation of B-Myb prevents its degradation. Mice injected with B-Myb knockdown 786-O cells developed dramatically larger tumors than those bearing control cell tumors. Microarray screening of B-Myb-regulated genes showed that the expression of HIF-α-dependent genes was not affected by B-Myb knockdown, indicating that B-Myb prevents HIF-α-dependent tumorigenesis through an HIF-α-independent pathway. These data indicate that the regulation of B-Myb by pVHL plays a critical role in VHL disease.


Author(s):  
Hiroshi Kanno ◽  
Joachim P. Steinbach

Von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease, an autosomal dominant familial tumour syndrome, is often associated with haemangioblastoma of the central nervous system. In the presence of oxygen, VHL protein serves to prevent the accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) protein by targeting it to the proteasomal pathway, while biallelic inactivation of the VHL gene blocks degradation of HIF and leads to constitutive activation of the HIF pathway although oxygen is present. HIF-target genes are involved in angiogenesis, proliferation, and metabolism enabling tumour growth. Haemangioblastoma is a highly vascularized, begin tumour commonly associated with a cyst, but it is linked with neurological morbidity and mortality based on its location and multiplicity. Haemangioblastoma in VHL is diagnosed according to symptoms and signs, past and family histories, laboratory data, neuroradiological findings, pathological findings, and genetic testing. Surgical treatment is usually the most recommended therapy for haemangioblastomas, and using well-defined microsurgical techniques, the majority can be resected safely.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 4565-4578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona A. Mack ◽  
Jagruti H. Patel ◽  
Mangatt P. Biju ◽  
Volker H. Haase ◽  
M. Celeste Simon

ABSTRACT Inactivating mutations within the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene predispose patients to develop a variety of highly vascularized tumors. pVHL targets α subunits of the heterodimeric transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a critical regulator of energy metabolism, angiogenesis, hematopoiesis, and oxygen (O2) delivery, for ubiquitin-mediated degradation in an O2-dependent manner. To investigate the role of Vhl in cellular proliferation and tumorigenesis, we utilized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), a common tool for analyzing cell cycle regulation, and generated Vhl − / − MEF-derived fibrosarcomas. Surprisingly, growth of both Vhl − / − MEFs and fibrosarcomas was impaired, although tumor vascularity was increased. Decreased proliferation of Vhl − / − MEFs was correlated with an overexpression of cyclin kinase inhibitors (CKIs) p21 and p27. The transcription of p21 and p27 is inhibited by c-Myc; therefore, the induction of CKIs was attributed to the ability of HIF to antagonize c-Myc activity. Indeed, p21 mRNA levels were elevated under normoxia in Vhl − / − MEFs, while c-Myc transcriptional activity was markedly reduced. Gene silencing of HIF-1α by small interfering RNA reduced p21 and p27 protein and mRNA levels in Vhl − / − MEFs. The induction of p21 and p27, mediated by constitutive activation of the HIF pathway, provides a mechanism for the decreased proliferation rates of Vhl − / − MEFs and fibrosarcomas. These results demonstrate that a loss of pVHL can induce growth arrest in certain cells types, which suggests that additional genetic mutations are necessary for VHL-associated tumorigenesis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 9795
Author(s):  
Hyunho Kim ◽  
Byoung Yong Shim ◽  
Seung-Ju Lee ◽  
Ji Youl Lee ◽  
Hyo-Jin Lee ◽  
...  

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignancy of the kidney originating from the tubular epithelium. Inactivation of the von Hippel–Lindau tumor-suppressor gene (VHL) is found in most clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs). The VHL–HIF–VEGF/VEGFR pathway, which involves the von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor protein (VHL), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and its receptor (VEGFR), is a well-studied therapeutic target for metastatic ccRCC. Therefore, over the past decade, anti-angiogenic agents targeting VEGFR have served as the standard treatment for metastatic RCC. Recently, based on the immunomodulatory effect of anti-VEGFR therapy, anti-angiogenic agents and immune checkpoint inhibitor combination strategies have also emerged as therapeutic strategies. These advances were made possible by the improved understanding of the VHL–HIF pathway. In this review, we summarize the historical evolution of ccRCC treatments, with a focus on the involvement of the VHL–HIF pathway.


2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (15) ◽  
pp. 5381-5392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lianjie Li ◽  
Liang Zhang ◽  
Xiaoping Zhang ◽  
Qin Yan ◽  
Yoji Andrew Minamishima ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Clear cell carcinoma of the kidney is a major cause of mortality in patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, which is caused by germ line mutations that inactivate the VHL tumor suppressor gene. Biallelic VHL inactivation, due to mutations or hypermethylation, is also common in sporadic clear cell renal carcinomas. The VHL gene product, pVHL, is part of a ubiquitin ligase complex that targets the alpha subunits of the heterodimeric transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) for destruction under well-oxygenated conditions. All VHL mutations linked to classical VHL disease compromise this pVHL function although some missense mutations result in a low risk of kidney cancer (type 2A VHL disease) while others result in a high risk (type 2B VHL disease). We found that type 2A mutants were less defective than type 2B mutants when reintroduced into VHL −/− renal carcinoma cells with respect to HIF regulation. A stabilized version of HIF2α promoted tumor growth by VHL −/− cells engineered to produce type 2A mutants, while knock-down of HIF2α in cells producing type 2B mutants had the opposite effect. Therefore, quantitative differences with respect to HIF deregulation are sufficient to account for the differential risks of kidney cancer linked to VHL mutations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa Cassol ◽  
Ozgur Mete

von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by heterozygous mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene that is characterized by the occurrence of multiple endocrine and nonendocrine lesions. This review focuses on the endocrine manifestations of VHL disease. Pancreatic neuroendocrine proliferations (ductuloinsular complexes, islet dysplasia, endocrine microadenoma, and neuroendocrine tumors), pheochromocytomas, and extra-adrenal paragangliomas are important endocrine manifestations of VHL disease. They frequently display characteristic clinical, biochemical, and histopathologic features that, although not pathognomonic, can be helpful in suggesting VHL disease as the underlying etiology and distinguishing these tumors from sporadic cases. Recent improvements in treatment and outcomes of renal cell carcinomas have allowed pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors to emerge as a significant source of metastatic disease, making the accurate recognition and classification of these neoplasms by the pathologist of utmost importance to determine prognosis, treatment, and follow-up strategies for affected patients.


2001 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. ANANTH KARUMANCHI ◽  
LIANWEI JIANG ◽  
BERTRAND KNEBELMANN ◽  
ALAN K. STUART-TILLEY ◽  
SETH L. ALPER ◽  
...  

Mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene are thought to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of both sporadic and VHL disease-associated clear-cell renal carcinomas (RCC). Differential display-PCR identified the AE2 anion exchanger as a candidate VHL target gene. AE2 mRNA and polypeptide levels were approximately threefold higher in 786-O VHL cells than in 786-O Neo cells. In contrast, Cl−/HCO3− exchange activity in 786-O VHL cells was 50% lower than in 786-O Neo cells. Since resting intracellular pH (pHi) values were indistinguishable, we postulated that Na+/H+ exchange activity (NHE) might be similarly reduced in 786-O VHL cells. NHE-mediated pHi recovery from acid load was less than 50% that in 786-O Neo cells, whereas hypertonicity-stimulated, amiloride-sensitive NHE was indistinguishable in the two cell lines. The NHE3 mRNA level was higher in 786-O VHL than 786-O Neo cells, but NHE1 mRNA levels did not differ. AE2 and NHE3 are the first transcripts reported to be upregulated by pVHL. Elucidation of mechanisms responsible for downregulation of both ion exchange activities will require further investigation.


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