A peptide interfering with the dimerization of oncogenic KITENIN protein and its stability suppresses colorectal tumour progression

Chrysophanol inhibits of colorectal cancer cell motility and energy metabolism by targeting the KITENIN/ErbB4 oncogenic complex

BACKGROUND

Expression of the KITENIN/ErbB4 oncogenic complex is associated with metastasis of colorectal cancer to distant organs and lymph nodes and is linked with poor prognosis and poor survival.

METHODS

Here, we used in vitro and in silico methods to test the ability of chrysophanol, a molecule of natural origin, to suppress the progression of colorectal cancer by targeting the KITENIN/ErbB4 complex.

RESULTS

Chrysophanol binds to ErbB4, disrupting the ErbB4/KITENIN complex and causing autophagic degradation of KITENIN. We demonstrated that chrysophanol binds to ErbB4 according to a molecular docking model. Chrysophanol reversed KITENIN-mediated effects on cell motility, aerobic glycolysis, and expression of downstream effector genes. Moreover, under conditions of KITENIN overexpression, chrysophanol suppressed the production of onco-metabolites.

CONCLUSION

Chrysophanol suppresses oncogenic activities by targeting the KITENIN/ErbB4 complex.

Lifting the veils on transmembrane proteins: Potential anticancer targets

Cancer, as a prevalent cause of mortality, poses a substantial global health burden and hinders efforts to enhance life expectancy. Nevertheless, the prognosis of patients with malignant tumors remains discouraging, owing to the lack of specific diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Therefore, the development of early diagnostic indicators and novel therapeutic drugs for the prevention and treatment of cancer is essential. Transmembrane proteins (TMEMs) are a class of proteins that can span the phospholipid bilayer and are stably anchored. They are associated with fibrotic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, developmental disorders, and cancer. It has been found that the expression levels of TMEMs were elevated or reduced in cancer cells, exerting pro/anticancer effects. These aberrant expression levels have also been linked to the prognostic and clinicopathological features of diverse tumors. In this review, the structures, functions, and roles of TMEMs in cancer were discussed, and the scientific perspectives were described. This review also explored the potential of TMEMs as tumor drug candidates from the perspective of targeted therapies, and the challenges that need to be overcome in a wide range of preclinical and clinical anticancer research were summarized.

KITENIN promotes aerobic glycolysis through PKM2 induction by upregulating the c-Myc/hnRNPs axis in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

The oncoprotein KAI1 C-terminal interacting tetraspanin (KITENIN; vang-like 1) promotes cell metastasis, invasion, and angiogenesis, resulting in shorter survival times in cancer patients. Here, we aimed to determine the effects of KITENIN on the energy metabolism of human colorectal cancer cells.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

The effects of KITENIN on energy metabolism were evaluated using in vitro assays. The GEPIA web tool was used to extrapolate the clinical relevance of KITENIN in cancer cell metabolism. The bioavailability and effect of the disintegrator of KITENIN complex compounds were evaluated by LC-MS, in vivo animal assay.

RESULTS

KITENIN markedly upregulated the glycolytic proton efflux rate and aerobic glycolysis by increasing the expression of GLUT1, HK2, PKM2, and LDHA. β-catenin, CD44, CyclinD1 and HIF-1A, including c-Myc, were upregulated by KITENIN expression. In addition, KITENIN promoted nuclear PKM2 and PKM2-induced transactivation, which in turn, increased the expression of downstream mediators. This was found to be mediated through an effect of c-Myc on the transcription of hnRNP isoforms and a switch to the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase, which increased aerobic glycolysis. The disintegration of KITENIN complex by silencing the KITENIN or MYO1D downregulated aerobic glycolysis. The disintegrator of KITENIN complex compound DKC1125 and its optimized form, DKC-C14S, exhibited the inhibition activity of KITENIN-mediated aerobic glycolysis in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

The oncoprotein KITENIN induces PKM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis by upregulating the c-Myc/hnRNPs axis.

Approaches for evaluation of novel CPP-based cargo delivery systems

Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) can be broadly defined as relatively short synthetic, protein derived or chimeric peptides. Their most remarkable property is their ability to cross cell barriers and facilitate the translocation of cargo, such as drugs, nucleic acids, peptides, small molecules, dyes, and many others across the plasma membrane. Over the years there have been several approaches used, adapted, and developed for the evaluation of CPP efficacies as delivery systems, with the fluorophore attachment as the most widely used approach. It has become progressively evident, that the evaluation method, in order to lead to successful outcome, should concede with the specialties of the delivery. For characterization and assessment of CPP-cargo a combination of research tools of chemistry, physics, molecular biology, engineering, and other fields have been applied. In this review, we summarize the diverse, in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches used for evaluation and characterization of CPP-based cargo delivery systems.