The University of Arizona

Eugene W. Gerner

Professor of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Director, Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at Arizona Cancer Center
Ph.D., University of Texas, Houston

Regulation of cell growth and apoptosis; carcinogenesis; polyamine metabolism; cancer prevention and treatment.

Research Interests

We have special interests in the roles of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene, which is mutated in most sporadic colonic neoplasia, and the K-ras oncogene, which is mutated in a large fraction of colonic and pancreatic neoplasia. We are working to define the normal functions of specific genes in signaling pathways, influenced by APC, leading to cell birth (mitosis) or cell death (apoptosis), and to understand how these functions are altered by mutations. Recent work from our lab has shown that genes involved in arachidonic and amino acid metabolism are downstream effectors of APC and K-ras. We are studying the regulation of enzymes and proteins involved in these metabolic pathways, which produce polyamines and prostaglandins. The polyamines are ubiquitous polycations, and are essential for optimal growth of cells. Inhibiting polyamine and/or prostaglandin synthesis can block epithelial carcinogenesis in experimental animals. Likewise, genetic or pharmacological suppression of cyclooxygenases-1 or -2 (COX-1, COX-2), which produce prostaglandins from arachidonic acid, suppress especially intestinal carcinogenesis. We have found that polyamines and prostaglandins influence cell behaviors, in part, by modulating specific gene expression. Polyamines affect transcription by modifying DNA-protein complex formation, RNA processing via a specific modification of a protein (eIF-5A) involved in RNA transport and degradation, and translation of at least one protein (antizyme) by a novel translational frameshifting mechanism. Prostaglandins influence specific gene expression via their action as ligands for certain transcription factors (PPARs). Lab members are investigating mechanisms of polyamine- and prostaglandin-dependent expression genes in cell and animal models, using cDNA microarray techniques to study global patterns of gene expression and more conventional methodologies to study changes in single genes. We are using this information to develop novel strategies of GI cancer prevention and treatment. We are currently collaborating with physicians at the Arizona Cancer Center and elsewhere to determine whether these strategies can be effectively employed in selected human populations. One current clinical trial involves the treatment of otherwise healthy individuals with precancerous colon polyps, using inhibitors of polyamine synthesis and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Select Publications

Any link on the below references will take you off of the BMCB site and to an abstract of that particular paper.

Yerushalmi, H.F., D.G. Besselsen, N.A. Ignatenko, K.A. Blohm-Mangone, J.L. Padilla-Torres, D.E. Stringer, J.M. Guillen, H. Holubec, C.M. Payne, and E.W. Gerner. 2006. Role of polyamines in arginine-dependent colon carcinogenesis in Apc(Min) (/+) mice. Molecular Carcinogenesis (in press).

Bernstein, H., H. Holubec, C. Bernstein, N. Ignatenko, E. Gerner, K. Dvorak, D. Besselsen, L. Ramsey, M. Dall'agnol, K. Ann Blohm-Mangone, J. Padilla-Torres, H. Cui, H. Garewal, and C.M. Payne. 2006. Unique dietary-related mouse model of colitis. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 12: 278-293.

Hariri, L.P., A.R. Tumlinson, D.G. Besselsen, U. Utzinger, E.W. Gerner, and J.K. Barton. 2006. Endoscopic optical coherence tomography and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy in a murine colon cancer model. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 38: 305-313.

McNally, J.B., N.D. Kirkpatrick, L.P. Hariri, A.R. Tumlinson, D.G. Besselsen, E.W. Gerner, U. Utzinger, and J.K. Barton JK. 2006. Task-based imaging of colon cancer in the Apc(Min/+) mouse model. Applied Optics 45: 3049-3062.

Choi, W., L. Proctor, Q. Xia, Y. Feng, E.W. Gerner, P.J. Chiao, S.R. Hamilton, and W. Zhang. 2006. Inactivation of IkappaB contributes to transcriptional activation of spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase. Molecular Carcinogenesis 45: 685-693.

Basuroy, U.K., and E.W. Gerner. 2006. Emerging concepts in targeting the polyamine metabolic pathway in epithelial cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy. Journal of Biochemistry (Tokyo) 139: 27-33.

Yerushalmi, H.F., D.G. Besselsen, N.A. Ignatenko, K.A. Blohm-Mangone, J.L. Padilla-Torres, D.E. Stringer, H. Cui, H. Holubec, C.M. Payne, and E.W. Gerner. 2006. The role of NO synthases in arginine-dependent small intestinal and colonic carcinogenesis. Molecular Carcinogenesis 45: 93-105.

Babbar, N., E.W. Gerner, and R.A. Casero Jr. 2006. Induction of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) by aspirin in Caco-2 colon cancer cells. The Biochemical Journal 394: 317-324.

Gerner, E.W., N.A. Ignatenko, P. Lance, and L.H. Hurley. 2005. A comprehensive strategy to combat colon cancer targeting the adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor gene. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1059: 97-105.

Gerner, E.W. 2005. Changing winds in the war on cancer. Cancer Biology and Therapy 4: 252-254.

Choi,W., E.W. Gerner, L. Ramdas, J. Dupart, J. Carew, L. Proctor, P. Huang, W. Zhang, and S.R. Hamilton. 2005. Combination of 5-fluorouracil and N1,N11-diethylnorspermine markedly activates spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase expression, depletes polyamines, and synergistically induces apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry 280: 3295-3304.

Gerner, E.W., and R.L. Meyskens Jr. 2004. Polyamines and cancer: old molecules, new understanding. Nature Reviews. Cancer 4: 781-792.

Ignatenko, N.A., H. Zhang, G.S. Watts, B.A. Skovan, D.E. Stringer, and E.W. Gerner. 2004. The chemopreventive agent alpha-difluoromethylornithine blocks Ki-ras-dependent tumor formation and specific gene expression in Caco-2 cells. Molecular Carcinogenesis 39: 221-233.

Ignatenko, N.A., N. Babbar, D. Mehta, R.A. Casero Jr, and E.W. Gerner. 2004. Suppression of polyamine catabolism by activated Ki-ras in human colon cancer cells. Molecular Carcinogenesis 39: 91-102.

Zaletok S, Alexandrova N, Berdynskykh N, Ignatenko N, Gogol S, Orlovsky O, Tregubova N, Gerner E, Chekhun V. Sep 2004. Role of polyamines in the function of nuclear transcription factor NF-kappaB in breast cancer cells. Experimental Oncology 26: 221-225.

Babbar, N., N.A. Ignatenko, R.A. Casero Jr, and E.W. Gerner. 2003. Cyclooxygenase-independent induction of apoptosis by sulindac sulfone is mediated by polyamines in colon cancer. Journal of Biological Chemistry 278: 47762-47775.

Childs, A.C., D.J. Mehta, and E.W. Gerner. 2003. Polyamine-dependent gene expression. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 60: 1394-1406.

Gerner, E.W., N.A. Ignatenko, and D.G. Besselsen. 2003. Preclinical models for chemoprevention of colon cancer. Recent Results in Cancer Research 163: 58-71; discussion 264-266.

Ignatenko, N.A., and E.W. Gerner. 2003. Regulation of the HIV1 long terminal repeat by mutant heat shock factor. Experimental Cell Research 288: 1-8.

Qu, N., N.A. Ignatenko, P. Yamauchi, D.E. Stringer, C. Levenson, P. Shannon, S. Perrin, and E.W. Gerner. 2003. Inhibition of human ornithine decarboxylase activity by enantiomers of difluoromethylornithine. The Biochemical Journal 375: 465-570.

Martinez, M.E., T.G. O'Brien, K.E. Fultz, N. Babbar, H. Yerushalmi, N. Qu, Y. Guo, D. Boorman, J. Einspahr, D.S. Alberts, and E.W. Gerner. 2003. Pronounced reduction in adenoma recurrence associated with aspirin use and a polymorphism in the ornithine decarboxylase gene. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 100: 7859-7864.

Husbeck, B., D.E. Stringer, E.W. Gerner, and G. Powis. 2003. Increased thioredoxin-1 inhibits SSAT expression in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 306: 469-475.

Babbar, N., and E.W. Gerner. 2003. Polyamines as modifiers of genetic risk factors in human intestinal cancers. Biochemical Society Transactions 31: 388-392.

Parker, M.T., and E.W. Gerner. 2002. Polyamine-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of COX-2. Biochimie 84: 815-819.

Baines, A., M. Taylor-Parker, A.C. Goulet, C. Renaud, E.W. Gerner, and M.A. Nelson. 2002. Selenomethionine inhibits growth and suppresses cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression in human colon cancer cell lines. Cancer Biology and Therary 1: 370-374.

Fultz, K.E., and E.W. Gerner. 2002. APC-dependent regulation of ornithine decarboxylase in human colon tumor cells. Molecular Carcinogenesis 34: 10-18.

Quinones, H.I., A.F. List, and E.W. Gerner. 2002. Selective exclusion by the polyamine transporter as a mechanism for differential radioprotection of amifostine derivatives. Clinical Cancer Research 8: 1295-1300.

Lawson, K.R., S. Marek, J.A. Linehan, P.M. Woster, R.A. Casero Jr, C.M. Payne, and E.W. Gerner. 2002. Detoxification of the polyamine analogue N1-ethyl-N11-[(cycloheptyl)methy]-4,8-diazaundecane (CHENSpm) by polyamine oxidase. Clinical Cancer Research 8: 1241-1247.

Elmore, E., D.E. Stringer, V.E. Steele, E.W. Gerner, and J.L. Redpath. 2001. Chemoprevention by difluoromethylornithine: correlation of an in vitro human cell assay with human clinical data for biomarker modulation. Anticancer Research 21: 1163-1165.

Simoneau, A.R., E.W. Gerner, M. Phung, C.E. McLaren, and F.L. Meyskens Jr. 2001. Alpha-difluoromethylornithine and polyamine levels in the human prostate: results of a phase IIa trial. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 93: 57-59.

Contact Information

    Mailing:
    Eugene W. Gerner, Professor
    Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy
    University of Arizona
    Arizona Cancer Center 3999
    P.O. Box 245024
    Tucson, AZ 85724-5024

    Telephone:
    520-626-2197 (Office)
    520-626-4570 (Lab)

    Fax:
    520-
    621-4480

    Email:
    gerner@azcc.arizona.edu

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