The novel tumor suppressor NOL7 post-transcriptionally regulates thrombospondin-1 expression

Oncogene. 2013 Sep 12;32(37):4377-86. doi: 10.1038/onc.2012.464. Epub 2012 Oct 22.

Abstract

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis whose expression suppresses tumor growth in vivo. Like many angiogenesis-related genes, TSP-1 expression is tightly controlled by various mechanisms, but there is little data regarding the contribution of post-transcriptional processing to this regulation. NOL7 is a novel tumor suppressor that induces an antiangiogenic phenotype and suppresses tumor growth, in part through upregulation of TSP-1. Here we demonstrate that NOL7 is an mRNA-binding protein that must localize to the nucleoplasm to exert its antiangiogenic and tumor suppressive effects. There, it associates with the RNA-processing machinery and specifically interacts with TSP-1 mRNA through its 3'UTR. Reintroduction of NOL7 into SiHa cells increases luciferase expression through interaction with the TSP-1 3'UTR at both the mRNA and protein levels. NOL7 also increases endogenous TSP-1 mRNA half-life. Further, NOL7 post-transcriptional stabilization is observed in a subset of angiogenesis-related mRNAs, suggesting that the stabilization of TSP-1 may be part of a larger novel mechanism. These data demonstrate that NOL7 significantly alters TSP-1 expression and may be a master regulator that coordinates the post-transcriptional expression of key signaling factors critical for the regulation of the angiogenic phenotype.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / genetics
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / metabolism
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Phenotype
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Ribonucleoproteins / metabolism
  • Thrombospondin 1 / genetics*
  • Thrombospondin 1 / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • NOL7 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • Thrombospondin 1
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins