Acute injection of a high dose of lithium chloride (LiCl) increases c-Fos expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). We investigated if LiCl-induced c-Fos expression in the CeA is correlated with histone acetylation and phospho-acetylation. Chromatin modifications such as acetylation and phosphorylation are necessary for optimal gene expression, and gene expression may be increase...

Histone deacetylase inhibitors have emerged as promising anticancer drugs. Using an unbiased ultrahigh throughput screening system, a novel mercaptoketone-based histone deacetylase inhibitor series was identified that was optimized to the lead compound, KD5170. KD5170 inhibited the proliferation of myeloma cell lines and the viability of CD138(+) primary myeloma cells by induction of apoptosis,...

Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells and are, therefore, promising anti-cancer drugs. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is activated in histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor-treated tumor cells, and its growth-inhibitory function contributes to the anti-tumorigenic effect of HDAC inhibitors. We show here that induction of p21 by trichostati...

is a mucosal commensal organism capable of causing Candida albicans superficial (oral and vaginal thrush) infections in immune normal hosts, but is a major pathogen causing systemic and mucosal infections in immunocompromised individuals. Azoles have been very effective anti-fungal agents and the mainstay in treating opportunistic mold and yeast infections. Azole resistant strains have emerged ...

is a mucosal commensal organism in normal individuals, but Candida albicans is a major pathogen causing systemic and mucosal infections in immunocompromised individuals. Azoles have been very effective anti-fungal agents and the mainstay in treating opportunistic mold and yeast infections. Azole resistant strains have emerged compromising the utility of this class of drugs. It has been shown th...

BACKGROUND The organization of chromatin is crucial for the regulation of gene expression. In particular, both the positioning and properties of nucleosomes influence promoter-specific transcription. The acetylation of core histones has been suggested to alter the properties of nucleosomes and affect the access of DNA-binding transcriptional regulators to promoters. A recently identified mammal...

We studied the cellular and molecular effects of the combination of an anthracycline with 2 different histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs): vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) and valproic acid (VPA). The 10% inhibitory concentration (IC(10)) of idarubicin was 0.5 nM in MOLT4 and 1.5 nM in HL60 cells. Concentrations above 0.675 microM of vorinostat resulted in at least 80% loss of c...

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are emergent cancer drugs. HR23B is a candidate cancer biomarker identified in a genome-wide loss-of-function screen which influences sensitivity to HDAC inhibitors. Because HDAC inhibitors have found clinical utility in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), we evaluated the role of HR23B in CTCL cells. Our results show that HR23B governs the sensitivity of CTC...

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable B-cell malignancy. Therefore, new targets and drugs are urgently needed to improve patient outcome. Epigenetic aberrations play a crucial role in development and progression in cancer, including MM. To target these aberrations, epigenetic modulating agents, such as DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), are unde...

Aberrant reactivation of embryonic pathways occurs commonly in cancer. The transcription factor RUNX2 plays a fundamental role during embryogenesis and is aberrantly reactivated during progression and metastasization of different types of human tumors. In this study, we attempted to dissect the molecular mechanisms governing RUNX2 expression and its aberrant reactivation. We identified a new re...