1
|
Chang SC, Gopal P, Lim S, Wei X, Chandramohan A, Mangadu R, Smith J, Ng S, Gindy M, Phan U, Henry B, Partridge AW. Targeted degradation of PCNA outperforms stoichiometric inhibition to result in programed cell death. Cell Chem Biol 2022; 29:1601-1615.e7. [PMID: 36318925 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Biodegraders are targeted protein degradation constructs composed of mini-proteins/peptides linked to E3 ligase receptors. We gained deeper insights into their utility by studying Con1-SPOP, a biodegrader against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an oncology target. Con1-SPOP proved pharmacologically superior to its stoichiometric (non-degrading) inhibitor equivalent (Con1-SPOPmut) as it had more potent anti-proliferative effects and uniquely induced DNA damage, cell apoptosis, and necrosis. Proteomics showed that PCNA degradation gave impaired mitotic division and mitochondria dysfunction, effects not seen with the stoichiometric inhibitor. We further showed that doxycycline-induced Con1-SPOP achieved complete tumor growth inhibition in vivo. Intracellular delivery of mRNA encoding Con1-SPOP via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) depleted endogenous PCNA within hours of application with nanomolar potency. Our results demonstrate the utility of biodegraders as biological tools and highlight target degradation as a more efficacious approach versus stoichiometric inhibition. Once in vivo delivery is optimized, biodegraders may be leveraged as an exciting therapeutic modality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Pooja Gopal
- Quantitative Biosciences, MSD, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Shuhui Lim
- Quantitative Biosciences, MSD, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Xiaona Wei
- Scientific Informatics, MSD, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | | | - Ruban Mangadu
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co., Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Smith
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Simon Ng
- Quantitative Biosciences, MSD, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Marian Gindy
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Uyen Phan
- Discovery Oncology, Merck & Co., Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian Henry
- Quantitative Biosciences, MSD, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Stephens EA, Ludwicki MB, Meksiriporn B, Li M, Ye T, Monticello C, Forsythe KJ, Kummer L, Zhou P, Plückthun A, DeLisa MP. Engineering Single Pan-Specific Ubiquibodies for Targeted Degradation of All Forms of Endogenous ERK Protein Kinase. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2396-2408. [PMID: 34399052 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquibodies (uAbs) are a customizable proteome editing technology that utilizes E3 ubiquitin ligases genetically fused to synthetic binding proteins to steer otherwise stable proteins of interest (POIs) to the 26S proteasome for degradation. The ability of engineered uAbs to accelerate the turnover of exogenous or endogenous POIs in a post-translational manner offers a simple yet robust tool for dissecting diverse functional properties of cellular proteins as well as for expanding the druggable proteome to include tumorigenic protein families that have yet-to-be successfully drugged by conventional inhibitors. Here, we describe the engineering of uAbs composed of human carboxyl-terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP), a highly modular human E3 ubiquitin ligase, tethered to differently designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) that bind to nonphosphorylated (inactive) and/or doubly phosphorylated (active) forms of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Two of the resulting uAbs were found to be global ERK degraders, pan-specifically capturing all endogenous ERK1/2 protein forms and redirecting them to the proteasome for degradation in different cell lines, including MCF7 breast cancer cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate how the substrate specificity of an E3 ubiquitin ligase can be reprogrammed to generate designer uAbs against difficult-to-drug targets, enabling a modular platform for remodeling the mammalian proteome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Stephens
- Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Morgan B Ludwicki
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Bunyarit Meksiriporn
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Mingji Li
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Tianzheng Ye
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Connor Monticello
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Katherine J Forsythe
- College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Lutz Kummer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pengbo Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Joan and Stanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, United States
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Matthew P DeLisa
- Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lopez‐Barbosa N, Ludwicki MB, DeLisa MP. Proteome editing using engineered proteins that hijack cellular quality control machinery. AIChE J 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.16854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Lopez‐Barbosa
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Morgan B. Ludwicki
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Cornell University Ithaca New York
| | - Matthew P. DeLisa
- Robert F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering Cornell University Ithaca New York
- Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ludwicki MB, Li J, Stephens EA, Roberts RW, Koide S, Hammond PT, DeLisa MP. Broad-Spectrum Proteome Editing with an Engineered Bacterial Ubiquitin Ligase Mimic. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2019; 5:852-866. [PMID: 31139721 PMCID: PMC6535771 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Manipulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway to achieve targeted silencing of cellular proteins has emerged as a reliable and customizable strategy for remodeling the mammalian proteome. One such approach involves engineering bifunctional proteins called ubiquibodies that are comprised of a synthetic binding protein fused to an E3 ubiquitin ligase, thus enabling post-translational ubiquitination and degradation of a target protein independent of its function. Here, we have designed a panel of new ubiquibodies based on E3 ubiquitin ligase mimics from bacterial pathogens that are capable of effectively interfacing with the mammalian proteasomal degradation machinery for selective removal of proteins of interest. One of these, the Shigella flexneri effector protein IpaH9.8 fused to a fibronectin type III (FN3) monobody that specifically recognizes green fluorescent protein (GFP), was observed to potently eliminate GFP and its spectral derivatives as well as 15 different FP-tagged mammalian proteins that varied in size (27-179 kDa) and subcellular localization (cytoplasm, nucleus, membrane-associated, and transmembrane). To demonstrate therapeutically relevant delivery of ubiquibodies, we leveraged a bioinspired molecular assembly method whereby synthetic mRNA encoding the GFP-specific ubiquibody was coassembled with poly A binding proteins and packaged into nanosized complexes using biocompatible, structurally defined polypolypeptides bearing cationic amine side groups. The resulting nanoplexes delivered ubiquibody mRNA in a manner that caused efficient target depletion in cultured mammalian cells stably expressing GFP as well as in transgenic mice expressing GFP ubiquitously. Overall, our results suggest that IpaH9.8-based ubiquibodies are a highly modular proteome editing technology with the potential for pharmacologically modulating disease-causing proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan B. Ludwicki
- Robert F. Smith
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 120 Olin Hall, Ithaca, New
York 14853, United
States
| | - Jiahe Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for
Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Erin A. Stephens
- Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Richard W. Roberts
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Shohei Koide
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University
Langone Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular
Pharmacology, New York University School
of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Paula T. Hammond
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Koch Institute for
Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Matthew P. DeLisa
- Robert F. Smith
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 120 Olin Hall, Ithaca, New
York 14853, United
States
- Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Advances in Brain Tumor Surgery for Glioblastoma in Adults. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7120166. [PMID: 29261148 PMCID: PMC5742769 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7120166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary intracranial neoplasia, and is characterized by its extremely poor prognosis. Despite maximum surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, the histological heterogeneity of GBM makes total eradication impossible, due to residual cancer cells invading the parenchyma, which is not otherwise seen in radiographic images. Even with gross total resection, the heterogeneity and the dormant nature of brain tumor initiating cells allow for therapeutic evasion, contributing to its recurrence and malignant progression, and severely impacting survival. Visual delimitation of the tumor’s margins with common surgical techniques is a challenge faced by many surgeons. In an attempt to achieve optimal safe resection, advances in approaches allowing intraoperative analysis of cancer and non-cancer tissue have been developed and applied in humans resulting in improved outcomes. In addition, functional paradigms based on stimulation techniques to map the brain’s electrical activity have optimized glioma resection in eloquent areas such as the Broca’s, Wernike’s and perirolandic areas. In this review, we will elaborate on the current standard therapy for newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma with a focus on surgical approaches. We will describe current technologies used for glioma resection, such as awake craniotomy, fluorescence guided surgery, laser interstitial thermal therapy and intraoperative mass spectrometry. Additionally, we will describe a newly developed tool that has shown promising results in preclinical experiments for brain cancer: optical coherence tomography.
Collapse
|
6
|
Maeda A, Kulbatski I, DaCosta RS. Emerging Applications for Optically Enabled Intravital Microscopic Imaging in Radiobiology. Mol Imaging 2015. [DOI: 10.2310/7290.2015.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Azusa Maeda
- From the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, MaRS Centre; Techna Institute for Advancement of Technologies for Health; and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON
| | - Iris Kulbatski
- From the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, MaRS Centre; Techna Institute for Advancement of Technologies for Health; and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON
| | - Ralph S. DaCosta
- From the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, MaRS Centre; Techna Institute for Advancement of Technologies for Health; and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, MaRS Centre, Toronto, ON
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Alfarouk KO, Verduzco D, Rauch C, Muddathir AK, Adil HHB, Elhassan GO, Ibrahim ME, David Polo Orozco J, Cardone RA, Reshkin SJ, Harguindey S. Glycolysis, tumor metabolism, cancer growth and dissemination. A new pH-based etiopathogenic perspective and therapeutic approach to an old cancer question. Oncoscience 2014; 1:777-802. [PMID: 25621294 PMCID: PMC4303887 DOI: 10.18632/oncoscience.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells acquire an unusual glycolytic behavior relative, to a large extent, to their intracellular alkaline pH (pHi). This effect is part of the metabolic alterations found in most, if not all, cancer cells to deal with unfavorable conditions, mainly hypoxia and low nutrient supply, in order to preserve its evolutionary trajectory with the production of lactate after ten steps of glycolysis. Thus, cancer cells reprogram their cellular metabolism in a way that gives them their evolutionary and thermodynamic advantage. Tumors exist within a highly heterogeneous microenvironment and cancer cells survive within any of the different habitats that lie within tumors thanks to the overexpression of different membrane-bound proton transporters. This creates a highly abnormal and selective proton reversal in cancer cells and tissues that is involved in local cancer growth and in the metastatic process. Because of this environmental heterogeneity, cancer cells within one part of the tumor may have a different genotype and phenotype than within another part. This phenomenon has frustrated the potential of single-target therapy of this type of reductionist therapeutic approach over the last decades. Here, we present a detailed biochemical framework on every step of tumor glycolysis and then proposea new paradigm and therapeutic strategy based upon the dynamics of the hydrogen ion in cancer cells and tissues in order to overcome the old paradigm of one enzyme-one target approach to cancer treatment. Finally, a new and integral explanation of the Warburg effect is advanced.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cyril Rauch
- University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, Nottingham, UK
| | | | | | - Gamal O. Elhassan
- Unizah Pharmacy Collage, Qassim University, Unizah, AL-Qassim, King of Saudi Arabia
- Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lau AW, Fukushima H, Wei W. The Fbw7 and betaTRCP E3 ubiquitin ligases and their roles in tumorigenesis. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed) 2012; 17:2197-212. [PMID: 22652772 DOI: 10.2741/4045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) is a major regulator of protein abundance in the cell. The UPS influences the functions of multiple biological processes by targeting key regulators for destruction. E3 ubiquitin ligases are a vital component of the UPS machinery, working with E1 and E2 enzymes to bind substrates and facilitate the transfer of ubiquitin molecules onto the target protein. This poly-ubiquitination, in turn, directs the modified proteins for proteolysis by the 26S proteasome. As the UPS regulates the degradation of multiple oncogenes and tumor suppressors, the dysregulation of this pathway is known to promote various diseases including cancer. While E1 and E2 enzymes have only been minimally linked to cancer development, burgeoning amounts of evidence have implicated loss or gain of E3 function as a key factor in cancer initiation and progression. This review will examine the literature on two SCF-type E3 ligases, SCFFbw7 and SCFbeta-TRCP. In particular, we will highlight novel substrates recently identified for these two E3 ligases, and further discuss how UPS regulation of these targets may promote carcinogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan W Lau
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chen L, Han L, Zhang K, Shi Z, Zhang J, Zhang A, Wang Y, Song Y, Li Y, Jiang T, Pu P, Jiang C, Kang C. VHL regulates the effects of miR-23b on glioma survival and invasion via suppression of HIF-1α/VEGF and β-catenin/Tcf-4 signaling. Neuro Oncol 2012; 14:1026-36. [PMID: 22649212 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/nos122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant microRNA expression has been implicated in the development of human cancers. Here, we investigated the oncogenic significance and function of miR-23b in glioma. We identified that the expression of miR-23b was elevated in both glioma samples and glioma cells, indicated by real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. Down-regulation of miR-23b triggered growth inhibition, induced apoptosis, and suppressed invasion of glioma in vitro. Luciferase assay and Western blot analysis revealed that VHL is a direct target of miR-23b. Restoring expression of VHL inhibited glioma proliferation and invasion. Mechanistic investigation revealed that miR-23b deletion decreased HIF-1α/VEGF expression and suppressed β-catenin/Tcf-4 transcription activity by targeting VHL. Furthermore, expression of VHL was inversely correlated with miR-23b in glioma samples and was predictive of patient survival in a retrospective analysis. Therefore, we demonstrated that downregulation of miR-23b suppressed tumor survival through targeting VHL, leading to the inhibition of β-catenin/Tcf-4 and HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingchao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Teng M, Jiang XP, Zhang Q, Zhang JP, Zhang DX, Liang GP, Huang YS. Microtubular stability affects pVHL-mediated regulation of HIF-1alpha via the p38/MAPK pathway in hypoxic cardiomyocytes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35017. [PMID: 22506063 PMCID: PMC3323643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2011] [Accepted: 03/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Our previous research found that structural changes of the microtubule network influence glycolysis in cardiomyocytes by regulating the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α during the early stages of hypoxia. However, little is known about the underlying regulatory mechanism of the changes of HIF-1α caused by microtubule network alternation. The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL), as a ubiquitin ligase, is best understood as a negative regulator of HIF-1α. Methodology/Principal Findings In primary rat cardiomyocytes and H9c2 cardiac cells, microtubule-stabilization was achieved by pretreating with paclitaxel or transfection of microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) overexpression plasmids and microtubule–depolymerization was achieved by pretreating with colchicine or transfection of MAP4 siRNA before hypoxia treatment. Recombinant adenovirus vectors for overexpressing pVHL or silencing of pVHL expression were constructed and transfected in primary rat cardiomyocytes and H9c2 cells. With different microtubule-stabilizing and -depolymerizing treaments, we demonstrated that the protein levels of HIF-1α were down-regulated through overexpression of pVHL and were up-regulated through knockdown of pVHL in hypoxic cardiomyocytes. Importantly, microtubular structure breakdown activated p38/MAPK pathway, accompanied with the upregulation of pVHL. In coincidence, we found that SB203580, a p38/MAPK inhibitor decreased pVHL while MKK6 (Glu) overexpression increased pVHL in the microtubule network altered-hypoxic cardiomyocytes and H9c2 cells. Conclusions/Significance This study suggests that pVHL plays an important role in the regulation of HIF-1α caused by the changes of microtubular structure and the p38/MAPK pathway participates in the process of pVHL change following microtubule network alteration in hypoxic cardiomyocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yue-sheng Huang
- Institute of Burn Research, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Vakoc BJ, Fukumura D, Jain RK, Bouma BE. Cancer imaging by optical coherence tomography: preclinical progress and clinical potential. Nat Rev Cancer 2012; 12:363-8. [PMID: 22475930 PMCID: PMC3560400 DOI: 10.1038/nrc3235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The past decade has seen dramatic technological advances in the field of optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. These advances have driven commercialization and clinical adoption in ophthalmology, cardiology and gastrointestinal cancer screening. Recently, an array of OCT-based imaging tools that have been developed for preclinical intravital cancer imaging applications has yielded exciting new capabilities to probe and to monitor cancer progression and response in vivo. Here, we review these results, forecast the future of OCT for preclinical cancer imaging and discuss its exciting potential to translate to the clinic as a tool for monitoring cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Vakoc
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine and Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Alajez NM, Lenarduzzi M, Ito E, Hui ABY, Shi W, Bruce J, Yue S, Huang SH, Xu W, Waldron J, O'Sullivan B, Liu FF. MiR-218 suppresses nasopharyngeal cancer progression through downregulation of survivin and the SLIT2-ROBO1 pathway. Cancer Res 2011; 71:2381-91. [PMID: 21385904 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-10-2754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Nasopharayngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignancy most common in East Asia and Africa. Here we report frequent downregulation of the microRNA miR-218 in primary NPC tissues and cell lines where it plays a critical role in NPC progression. Suppression of miR-218 was associated with epigenetic silencing of SLIT2 and SLIT3, ligands of ROBO receptors that have been previously implicated in tumor angiogenesis. Exogenous expression of miR-218 caused significant toxicity in NPC cells in vitro and delayed tumor growth in vivo. We used an integrated trimodality approach to identify targets of miR-218 in NPC, cervical, and breast cell lines. Direct interaction between miR-218 and the 3'-untranslated regions (UTR) of mRNAs encoding ROBO1, survivin (BIRC5), and connexin43 (GJA1) was validated in a luciferase-based transcription reporter assay. Mechanistic investigations revealed a negative feedback loop wherein miR-218 regulates NPC cell migration via the SLIT-ROBO pathway. Pleotropic effects of miR-218 on NPC survival and migration were rescued by enforced expression of miR-218-resistant, engineered isoforms of survivin and ROBO1, respectively. In clinical specimens of NPC (n=71), ROBO1 overexpression was significantly associated with worse overall (P=0.04, HR=2.4) and nodal relapse-free survival (P=0.008, HR=6.0). Our findings define an integrative tumor suppressor function for miR-218 in NPC and further suggest that restoring miR-218 expression in NPC might be useful for its clinical management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nehad M Alajez
- Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bedford L, Lowe J, Dick LR, Mayer RJ, Brownell JE. Ubiquitin-like protein conjugation and the ubiquitin-proteasome system as drug targets. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2010; 10:29-46. [PMID: 21151032 PMCID: PMC7097807 DOI: 10.1038/nrd3321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 433] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ubiquitin is a highly conserved 76 amino-acid protein that covalently attaches to protein substrates targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome. The coordinated effort of a series of enzymes, including an activating enzyme (E1), a conjugating enzyme (E2) and a ligase (E3), uses ATP to ultimately form an isopeptide bond between ubiquitin and a substrate. Another class of enzymes called deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) deconstruct these linkages and also have an essential role in ubiquitin function. In addition, ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs), including NEDD8, SUMO and ISG15, share a characteristic three-dimensional fold with ubiquitin but have their own dedicated enzyme cascades and distinct (although sometimes overlapping) biological functions. The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) and UBL conjugation pathways have important roles in various human diseases, including numerous types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, viral diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade; Millennium Pharmaceuticals) is the first clinically validated drug to target the UPS and is approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma. This suggests that other diseases may conceivably be targeted by modulating components of the UPS and UBL conjugation pathways using small-molecule inhibitors. A significant hurdle to identifying drug-like inhibitors of enzyme targets within the UPS and UBL conjugation pathways is the limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms and biological consequences of UBL conjugation. Here, we provide an overview of the enzyme classes in the UPS and UBL pathways that are potential therapeutic targets, and highlight considerations that are important for drug discovery. We also discuss the progress in the development of small-molecule inhibitors, and review developments in understanding of the role of the components of the UPS and the UBL pathways in disease and their potential for therapeutic intervention.
The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) and ubiquitin-like protein (UBL) conjugation pathways are integral to cellular protein homeostasis, and their functional importance in various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders, is now beginning to emerge. Brownell and colleagues review developments in understanding of the role of the components of the UPS and the UBL pathways in disease and their potential for therapeutic intervention. The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) and ubiquitin-like protein (UBL) conjugation pathways are integral to cellular protein homeostasis. The growing recognition of the fundamental importance of these pathways to normal cell function and in disease has prompted an in-depth search for small-molecule inhibitors that selectively block the function of these pathways. However, our limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms and biological consequences of UBL conjugation is a significant hurdle to identifying drug-like inhibitors of enzyme targets within these pathways. Here, we highlight recent advances in understanding the role of some of these enzymes and how these new insights may be the key to developing novel therapeutics for diseases including immuno-inflammatory disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Bedford
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Roos FC, Roberts AM, Hwang IIL, Moriyama EH, Evans AJ, Sybingco S, Watson IR, Carneiro LAM, Gedye C, Girardin SE, Ailles LE, Jewett MAS, Milosevic M, Wilson BC, Bell JC, Der SD, Ohh M. Oncolytic targeting of renal cell carcinoma via encephalomyocarditis virus. EMBO Mol Med 2010; 2:275-88. [PMID: 20623734 PMCID: PMC3377327 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201000081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is a fundamental host defence mechanism against invading microbes. Inactivation of NF-κB attenuates encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) virulence by triggering rapid apoptosis of infected cells, thereby pre-emptively limiting viral replication. Recent evidence has shown that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) increases NF-κB-mediated anti-apoptotic response in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) that commonly exhibit hyperactivation of HIF due to the loss of its principal negative regulator, von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor protein. Here, we show that EMCV challenge induces a strong NF-κB-dependent gene expression profile concomitant with a lack of interferon-mediated anti-viral response in VHL-null CCRCC, and that multiple established CCRCC cell lines, as well as early-passage primary CCRCC cultured cells, are acutely susceptible to EMCV replication and virulence. Functional restoration of VHL or molecular suppression of HIF or NF-κB dramatically reverses CCRCC cellular susceptibility to EMCV-induced killing. Notably, intratumoural EMCV treatment of CCRCC in a murine xenograft model rapidly regresses tumour growth. These findings provide compelling pre-clinical evidence for the usage of EMCV in the treatment of CCRCC and potentially other tumours with elevated HIF/NF-κB-survival signature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frederik C Roos
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ciavarra G, Zacksenhaus E. Rescue of myogenic defects in Rb-deficient cells by inhibition of autophagy or by hypoxia-induced glycolytic shift. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 191:291-301. [PMID: 20937698 PMCID: PMC2958467 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201005067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor (pRb) is thought to orchestrate terminal differentiation by inhibiting cell proliferation and apoptosis and stimulating lineage-specific transcription factors. In this study, we show that in the absence of pRb, differentiating primary myoblasts fuse to form short myotubes that never twitch and degenerate via a nonapoptotic mechanism. The shortened myotubes exhibit an impaired mitochondrial network, mitochondrial perinuclear aggregation, autophagic degradation, and reduced adenosine triphosphate production. Bcl-2 and autophagy inhibitors restore mitochondrial function and rescue muscle degeneration, leading to formation of long, twitching myotubes that express normal levels of muscle-specific proteins and stably exit the cell cycle. A hypoxia-induced glycolytic switch also rescues the myogenic defect after either chronic or acute inactivation of Rb in a hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that pRb is required to inhibit apoptosis in myoblasts and autophagy in myotubes but not to activate the differentiation program, and they also reveal a novel link between pRb and cell metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Ciavarra
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Wilson BC, Vitkin IA, Matthews DL. The potential of biophotonic techniques in stem cell tracking and monitoring of tissue regeneration applied to cardiac stem cell therapy. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2009; 2:669-681. [PMID: 19787683 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.200910079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The use of injected stem cells, leading to regeneration of ischemic heart tissue, for example, following coronary artery occlusion, has emerged as a major new option for managing 'heart attack' patients. While some clinical trials have been encouraging, there have also been failures and there is little understanding of the multiplicity of factors that lead to the outcome. In this overview paper, the opportunities and challenges in applying biophotonic techniques to regenerative medicine, exemplified by the challenge of stem cell therapy of ischemic heart disease, are considered. The focus is on optical imaging to track stem cell distribution and fate, and optical spectroscopies and/or imaging to monitor the structural remodeling of the tissue and the resulting functional changes. The scientific, technological, and logistics issues involved in moving some of these techniques from pre-clinical research mode ultimately into the clinic are also highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Wilson
- Division of Biophysics and Bioimaging, University Health Network, 610 University Ave., Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|