Polyploidy can drive rapid adaptation in yeast.

Polyploidy is observed across the tree of life, yet its influence on evolution remains incompletely understood. Polyploidy, usually whole-genome duplication, is proposed to alter the rate of evolutionary adaptation. This could occur through complex effects on the frequency or fitness of beneficial mutations.

Activation of PPARγ in myeloid cells promotes lung cancer progression and metastasis.

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) inhibits growth of cancer cells including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinically, use of thiazolidinediones, which are pharmacological activators of PPARγ is associated with a lower risk of developing lung cancer. However, the role of this pathway in lung cancer metastasis has not been examined well.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma inhibits transformed growth of non-small cell lung cancer cells through selective suppression of Snail.

Work from our laboratory and others has demonstrated that activation of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) inhibits transformed growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines in vitro and in vivo. We have demonstrated that activation of PPARgamma promotes epithelial differentiation of NSCLC by increasing expression of E-cadherin, as well as inhibiting expression of COX-2 and nuclear factor-kappaB. The Snail family of transcription factors, which includes Snail (Snail1), Slug (Snail2), and ZEB1, is an important regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as well as cell survival.