The present study was designed to investigate the expression of members of the toll-like receptor (TLR) family in human B cells. High-density, resting, and low-density activated tonsillar B cells expressed TLR9 and TLR10 mRNA transcripts at the highest levels. Expression was higher in activated B cells than in resting cells. Analysis of a range of resting and activated human leukocyte populations revealed that mRNA expression of TLR10 was restricted to B cells. Stimulation of resting B cells with anti-μ and anti-CD40 antibodies or with Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I bacteria (SAC) increased expression of TLR9 and TLR10. TLR1 and TLR4 expression were not significantly induced by B-cell activation. Interestingly, a CpG oligonucleotide, a TLR9 agonist, also stimulated TLR9 expression in B cells. Exposure to anti-μ antibodies augmented TLR9 expression, concomitantly and dramatically increasing the responsiveness of B cells to CpG oligonucleotides in terms of proliferation and chemokine (CC chemokine ligand 3 [CCL3] and CCL22) production. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–transformed cell lines and other cell lines representative of mature B-cell neoplasias (Burkitt lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, multiple myeloma) expressed TLR9 and/or TLR10, whereas pre-B cell lines were negative. These results show that normal and neoplastic human B lymphocytes express a distinct TLR repertoire including TLR9 and TLR10 and that expression is increased upon engagement of the antigen receptor complex or TLR9 itself. Regulated expression of selected TLRs in B cells is likely to play an important role in linking innate and adaptive immune responses in normal and pathologic conditions.

Centrosomes are the principal microtubule organising centres in somatic cells. Abnormal centrosome number is common in tumours and occurs after γ‐irradiation and in cells with mutations in DNA repair genes. To investigate how DNA damage causes centrosome amplification, we examined cells that conditionally lack the Rad51 recombinase and thereby incur high levels of spontaneous DNA damage. Rad51‐deficient cells arrested in G2 phase and formed supernumerary functional centrosomes, as assessed by light and serial section electron microscopy. This centrosome amplification occurred without an additional DNA replication round and was not the result of cytokinesis failure. G2‐to‐M checkpoint over‐ride by caffeine or wortmannin treatment strongly reduced DNA damage‐induced centrosome amplification. Radiation‐induced centrosome amplification was potentiated by Rad54 disruption. Gene targeting of ATM reduced, but did not abrogate, centrosome amplification induced by DNA damage in both the Rad51 and Rad54 knockout models, demonstrating ATM‐dependent and ‐independent components of DNA damage‐inducible G2‐phase centrosome amplification. Our data suggest DNA damage‐induced centrosome amplification as a mechanism for ensuring death of cells that evade the DNA damage or spindle assembly checkpoints.

Histone acetylation is required for many aspects of gene regulation, genome maintenance and metabolism and dysfunctional acetylation is implicated in numerous diseases, including cancer. Acetylation is regulated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases and currently, few general HAT inhibitors have been described. We identified the HAT Tip60 as an excellent candidate for targeted drug development, as Tip60 is a key mediator of the DNA damage response and transcriptional co-activator. Our modeling of Tip60 indicated that the active binding pocket possesses opposite charges at each end, with the positive charges attributed to two specific side chains. We used structure based drug design to develop a novel Tip60 inhibitor, TH1834, to fit this specific pocket. We demonstrate that TH1834 significantly inhibits Tip60 activity in vitro and treating cells with TH1834 results in apoptosis and increased unrepaired DNA damage (following ionizing radiation treatment) in breast cancer but not control cell lines. Furthermore, TH1834 did not affect the activity of related HAT MOF, as indicated by H4K16Ac, demonstrating specificity. The modeling and validation of the small molecule inhibitor TH1834 represents a first step towards developing additional specific, targeted inhibitors of Tip60 that may lead to further improvements in the treatment of breast cancer.

Centrosomal abnormalities are frequently observed in cancers and in cells with defective DNA repair. Here, we used light and electron microscopy to show that DNA damage induces centrosome amplification, not fragmentation, in human cells. Caffeine abrogated this amplification in both ATM (ataxia telangiectasia, mutated)‐ and ATR (ATM and Rad3‐related)‐defective cells, indicating a complementary role for these DNA‐damage‐responsive kinases in promoting centrosome amplification. Inhibition of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) by RNA‐mediated interference or drug treatment suppressed DNA‐damage‐induced centrosome amplification. Radiation‐induced centrosome amplification was abrogated in Chk1 −/− DT40 cells, but occurred at normal levels in Chk1 −/− cells transgenically expressing Chk1 . Expression of kinase‐dead Chk1, or Chk1S345A, through which the phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase cannot signal, failed to restore centrosome amplification, showing that signalling to Chk1 and Chk1 catalytic activity are necessary to promote centrosome overduplication after DNA damage.

IL-1 elicits its cellular effects by binding a heterodimeric receptor consisting of IL-1RI and the accessory protein, IL-1RAcPr. In addition, it binds to IL-1RII, which lacking signaling function has been ascribed a decoy role. The fate of the ligand following interaction with the decoy receptor was examined in human polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), which express predominantly (>90%) IL-1RII. Incubation of PMN with IL-1β results in a rapid decrease in cell surface-associated ligand accompanied by a concomitant increase in internalized IL-1 with 50–60% of IL-1β located intracellularly within 1 h at 37°C. The use of blocking Abs revealed that IL-1 internalization is mediated exclusively by the decoy receptor. The results of inhibitor analysis demonstrate that internalization requires ATP synthesis and involves clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Following removal of the ligand, the receptor was rapidly re-expressed on the cell surface. Cyclohexamide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, had no effect upon the process, suggesting that the re-expressed receptor was recycled. In addition, human keratinocytes stably transfected with IL-1RII (HaCAT 811) also internalized the IL-1RII with 43% cell surface receptor internalized after 90 min. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed colocalization of the internalized receptor with wheat germ agglutinin-labeled internalized glycoproteins and early endosome Ag-1, a protein associated with the early endosome compartments, indicative of cellular uptake of IL-1RII by endocytosis. In contrast, little or no internalization was observed in other cells of immune origin. These results suggest that the decoy receptor IL-1RII can act as a scavenger of IL-1, representing a novel autoregulatory mechanism of the IL-1 system.