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Liang X, Zhang H, Shang W, Wang M, Li J, Zhao Y, Fang C. PPP2CA Inhibition Promotes Ferroptosis Sensitivity Through AMPK/SCD1 Pathway in Colorectal Cancer. Dig Dis Sci 2024; 69:2083-2095. [PMID: 38637456 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-024-08416-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a very common malignancy of the digestive system. Despite a variety of treatments including surgery, chemotherapeutic and targeted drugs, the prognosis for patients with CRC is still unsatisfactory and the mortality remains high. Protein phosphorylation plays an essential role in tumorigenesis and progression and is also crucial for protein to act with proper functions. Ferroptosis is found widely involved in various diseases especially tumors as a newly identified programmed cell death. METHODS In our study, we aimed at PPP2CA as a prospective target which may play a crucial role in CRC progression. In one hand, knockdown of PPP2CA significantly enhanced the malignant phenotype in HCT116. In the other hand, knockdown of PPP2CA significantly enhanced Erastin-induced ferroptosis as well. RESULTS Specifically, knockdown of PPP2CA in HCT116 significantly increased the relative level of malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Fe2+, and decreased GSH/GSSG ratio after the treatment of certain concentration of Erastin. Besides, we found that the inhibition of PPP2CA further led to the suppression of SCD1 expression in CRC cells in a AMPK-dependent way. CONCLUSION Ultimately, we conclude that PPP2CA may regulate Erastin-induced ferroptosis through AMPK/SCD1 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Liang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 169 Hushan Road, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 169 Hushan Road, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Weiwei Shang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 169 Hushan Road, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Mingming Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 169 Hushan Road, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 169 Hushan Road, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Yunzhao Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Jinling Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 305 East Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210002, China
| | - Chao Fang
- Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 169 Hushan Road, Nanjing, 211100, China.
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Xu Y, Sun F, Tian Y, Zeng G, Lei G, Bai Z, Wang Y, Ge X, Wang J, Xiao C, Wang Z, Hu M, Song J, Yang P, Liu R. Enhanced NK cell activation via eEF2K-mediated potentiation of the cGAS-STING pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 129:111628. [PMID: 38320351 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is characterized by a high mortality rate, attributed primarily to the establishment of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Within this context, we aimed to elucidate the pivotal role of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) in orchestrating the infiltration and activation of natural killer (NK) cells within the HCC tumor microenvironment. By shedding light on the immunomodulatory mechanisms at play, our findings should clarify HCC pathogenesis and help identify potential therapeutic intervention venues. METHODS We performed a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to determine the functions of eEF2K in the context of HCC. We initially used paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from patients with HCC to measure eEF2K expression and its correlation with prognosis. Subsequently, we enrolled a cohort of patients with HCC undergoing immunotherapy to examine the ability of eEF2K to predict treatment efficacy. To delve deeper into the mechanistic aspects, we established an eEF2K-knockout cell line using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. This step was crucial for verifying activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and the subsequent secretion of cytokines. To further elucidate the role of eEF2K in NK cell function, we applied siRNA-based techniques to effectively suppress eEF2K expression in vitro. For in vivo validation, we developed a tumor-bearing mouse model that enabled us to compare the infiltration and activation of NK cells within the tumor microenvironment following various treatment strategies. RESULTS We detected elevated eEF2K expression within HCC tissues, and this was correlated with an unfavorable prognosis (30.84 vs. 20.99 months, P = 0.033). In addition, co-culturing eEF2K-knockout HepG2 cells with dendritic cells led to activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and a subsequent increase in the secretion of IL-2 and CXCL9. Moreover, inhibiting eEF2K resulted in notable NK cell proliferation along with apoptosis reduction. Remarkably, after combining NH125 and PD-1 treatments, we found a significant increase in NK cell infiltration within HCC tumors in our murine model. Our flow cytometry analysis revealed reduced NKG2A expression and elevated NKG2D expression and secretion of granzyme B, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in NK cells. Immunohistochemical examination confirmed no evidence of damage to vital organs in the mice treated with the combination therapy. Additionally, we noted higher levels of glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation in the peripheral blood serum of the treated mice. CONCLUSION Targeted eEF2K blockade may result in cGAS-STING pathway activation, leading to enhanced infiltration and activity of NK cells within HCC tumors. The synergistic effect achieved by combining an eEF2K inhibitor with PD-1 antibody therapy represents a novel and promising approach for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China; Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Sun
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuying Tian
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Guineng Zeng
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Guanglin Lei
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifang Bai
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yonggang Wang
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xinlan Ge
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Chaohui Xiao
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaohai Wang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Minggen Hu
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxun Song
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Penghui Yang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China.
| | - Rong Liu
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China.
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Zhong C, Zhu R, Jiang T, Tian S, Zhao X, Wan X, Jiang S, Chen Z, Gong R, He L, Yang J, Ye N, Cheng Y. Design and Characterization of a Novel eEF2K Degrader with Potent Therapeutic Efficacy Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305035. [PMID: 38084501 PMCID: PMC10837347 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Dysregulated eEF2K expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), making it a plausible therapeutic target. However, specific eEF2K inhibitors with potent anti-cancer activity have not been available so far. Targeted protein degradation has emerged as a new strategy for drug discovery. In this study, a novel small molecule chemical is designed and synthesized, named as compound C1, which shows potent activity in degrading eEF2K. C1 selectively binds to F8, L10, R144, C146, E229, and Y236 of the eEF2K protein and promotes its proteasomal degradation by increasing the interaction between eEF2K and the ubiquitin E3 ligase βTRCP in the form of molecular glue. C1 significantly inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC cells both in vitro and in vivo and in TNBC patient-derived organoids, and these antitumor effects are attributed to the degradation of eEF2K by C1. Additionally, combination treatment of C1 with paclitaxel, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug, exhibits synergistic anti-tumor effects against TNBC. This study not only generates a powerful research tool to investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting eEF2K, but also provides a promising lead compound for developing novel drugs for the treatment of TNBC and other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changxin Zhong
- Department of PharmacyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine and Innovative DrugChangsha410011China
| | - Rongfeng Zhu
- Department of Medicinal ChemistryJiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouJiangsu215123China
| | - Ting Jiang
- Department of PharmacyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine and Innovative DrugChangsha410011China
| | - Sheng Tian
- Department of Medicinal ChemistryJiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouJiangsu215123China
| | - Xiaobao Zhao
- Department of Medicinal ChemistryJiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouJiangsu215123China
| | - Xiaoya Wan
- Department of PharmacyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine and Innovative DrugChangsha410011China
| | - Shilong Jiang
- Department of PharmacyXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
| | - Zonglin Chen
- Department of PharmacyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
- Department of General SurgeryThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410011China
| | - Rong Gong
- Department of PharmacyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine and Innovative DrugChangsha410011China
| | - Linhao He
- Department of PharmacyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine and Innovative DrugChangsha410011China
| | - Jin‐Ming Yang
- Department of Cancer Biology and ToxicologyDepartment of PharmacologyCollege of Medicine and Markey Cancer CenterUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKY40536USA
| | - Na Ye
- Department of Medicinal ChemistryJiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical SciencesSoochow UniversitySuzhouJiangsu215123China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of PharmacyThe Second Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410011China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine and Innovative DrugChangsha410011China
- Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology (Central South University)Changsha410011China
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Hamm DC, Paatela EM, Bennett SR, Wong CJ, Campbell AE, Wladyka CL, Smith AA, Jagannathan S, Hsieh AC, Tapscott SJ. The transcription factor DUX4 orchestrates translational reprogramming by broadly suppressing translation efficiency and promoting expression of DUX4-induced mRNAs. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002317. [PMID: 37747887 PMCID: PMC10553841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Translational control is critical for cell fate transitions during development, lineage specification, and tumorigenesis. Here, we show that the transcription factor double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4), and its previously characterized transcriptional program, broadly regulates translation to change the cellular proteome. DUX4 is a key regulator of zygotic genome activation in human embryos, whereas misexpression of DUX4 causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and is associated with MHC-I suppression and immune evasion in cancer. We report that translation initiation and elongation factors are disrupted downstream of DUX4 expression in human myoblasts. Genome-wide translation profiling identified mRNAs susceptible to DUX4-induced translation inhibition, including those encoding antigen presentation factors and muscle lineage proteins, while DUX4-induced mRNAs were robustly translated. Endogenous expression of DUX4 in human FSHD myotubes and cancer cell lines also correlated with reduced protein synthesis and MHC-I presentation. Our findings reveal that DUX4 orchestrates cell state conversion by suppressing the cellular proteome while maintaining translation of DUX4-induced mRNAs to promote an early developmental program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle C. Hamm
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Ellen M. Paatela
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Sean R. Bennett
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Chao-Jen Wong
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Amy E. Campbell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Cynthia L. Wladyka
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Andrew A. Smith
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Sujatha Jagannathan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andrew C. Hsieh
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Departments of Medicine and Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Tapscott
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington State, United States of America
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5
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Fu Q, Liu X, Li Y, Wang P, Wu T, Xiao H, Zhao Y, Liao Q, Song Z. Discovery of New Inhibitors of eEF2K from Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on In Silico Screening and In Vitro Experimental Validation. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27154886. [PMID: 35956836 PMCID: PMC9369671 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27154886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) is a highly conserved α kinase and is increasingly considered as an attractive therapeutic target for cancer as well as other diseases. However, so far, no selective and potent inhibitors of eEF2K have been identified. In this study, pharmacophore screening, homology modeling, and molecular docking methods were adopted to screen novel inhibitor hits of eEF2K from the traditional Chinese medicine database (TCMD), and then cytotoxicity assay and western blotting were performed to verify the validity of the screen. Resultantly, after two steps of screening, a total of 1077 chemicals were obtained as inhibitor hits for eEF2K from all 23,034 compounds in TCMD. Then, to verify the validity, the top 10 purchasable chemicals were further analyzed. Afterward, Oleuropein and Rhoifolin, two reported antitumor chemicals, were found to have low cytotoxicity but potent inhibitory effects on eEF2K activity. Finally, molecular dynamics simulation, pharmacokinetic and toxicological analyses were conducted to evaluate the property and potential of Oleuropein and Rhoifolin to be drugs. Together, by integrating in silico screening and in vitro biochemical studies, Oleuropein and Rhoifolin were revealed as novel eEF2K inhibitors, which will shed new lights for eEF2K-targeting drug development and anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ziyi Song
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-771-3235635
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Eukaryotic Extension Factor 2 Kinase may Affect the Occurrence and Development of Glioblastoma Through Immune Cell Infiltration. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:3670-3681. [PMID: 35849271 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-022-03679-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most common malignancies among primary brain tumors in adults, featuring a poor prognosis and a high recurrence rate. Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) is a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase that is involved in promoting tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and survival. However, its expression level in GBM, its prognostic impact and correlation with immune infiltration are not yet known. In this study, we used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of eEF2K in GBM development and clinical prognosis in terms of gene expression, survival status, immune infiltration, and associated cellular pathways. We found that eEF2K expression levels were elevated in GBM, but eEF2K was not associated with the prognosis of GBM patients; eEF2K expression in GBM was associated with multiple immune cell infiltrations. These results show a statistical correlation between eEF2K expression and the development of GBM and immune cell infiltration, which helps us to understand the roles of eEF2K in GBM from different perspectives.
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Liu Z, Jiang A, Wang Y, Xu P, Zhang Q, Wang Y, He S, Wang N, Jin H, Zhang B. In silico, synthesis and anticancer evaluation of benzamide tryptamine derivatives as novel eEF2K inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 67:128759. [PMID: 35483594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K), a member of the atypical α-kinase family, is highly expressed in a variety of tumor tissues. Inhibition of eEF2K function can effectively kill cancer cells without affecting the function of normal cells. Therefore, eEF2K is a promising new target for cancer therapy. In this study, a series of benzamide tryptamine derivatives were designed and synthesized as novel eEF2K inhibitors. The druggability properties of the synthesized compounds were predicted in silico and performed well. The MTT assay indicated that most of these compounds displayed good antiproliferative activity against human leukemia CCRF-CEM and K562 cell lines. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) revealed that substituents with different electronic effects on the C5 position of indole ring or C2', C4' positions of benzene ring have a great influence on the anti-proliferative activity. Among them, 5j demonstrated the highest anti-proliferative activity with IC50 value of 1.63-3.54 μM. this compound displayed an effective eEF2K inhibition by down-regulated the level of phosphorylated eEF2 in CCRF-CEM cells. Additionally, the western blot analysis further revealed that 5j also significantly affected eEF2K-related signaling pathways. Anticancer mechanism studies have shown that 5j arrested the cell cycle in G0/G1 and induced CCRF-CEM cells apoptosis. Furthermore, 5j activated cleaved caspase-9, 8, 3 and cleaved PARP in a time-dependent manner, which suggesting that 5j induced cancer cells apoptosis through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. In summary, benzamide tryptamine derivative 5j represents a novel and promising lead structure for the development of eEF2K inhibitors in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zedong Liu
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China
| | - Aili Jiang
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yaqi Wang
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China
| | - Pei Xu
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiting Zhang
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yinda Wang
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shan He
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China; Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicine, Peking University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315800, China
| | - Ning Wang
- Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Haixiao Jin
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Bin Zhang
- Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Marine Biopharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Marine Pharmacy, College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315800, Zhejiang, China.
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Chen D, Cai X, Ouyang H, Yuan S, Wang X, Lin L, Chen Z, Huang M. Increased eEF2K Promotes Glycolysis and Aggressive Behaviors of Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis. J Inflamm Res 2022; 15:1729-1744. [PMID: 35300214 PMCID: PMC8922331 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s337620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Aggressive phenotype and abnormal glycolytic metabolism of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) are essential to joint inflammation and damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF2K) is a negative regulator of protein synthesis and has been shown to play an important role in regulating various cellular processes and promoting glycolysis in tumor cells. However, the role of eEF2K in regulating the pathogenic FLS behaviors is unknown. Methods A specific inhibitor of eEF2K, NH125, and siRNA were used to evaluate the role of eEF2K on RA FLSs in vitro. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were used to evaluate the in vivo effect of eEF2K. Cell migration, invasion of RA FLSs were assessed by transwell or wound healing assays. Relative changes of cytokines were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and ELISA. Results Herein, we found an increased expression of eEF2K in synovial tissues and FLSs of RA patients. eEF2K knockdown by siRNA or treatment with NH125, an inhibitor of eEF2K, significantly reduced inflammation, migration/invasion, glucose uptake and lactate productions. eEF2K knockdown suppressed TNF-α-induced activation of NF-κB and AKT pathways in RA FLSs. Lactate reversed the inhibitory effect of eEF2K knockdown on inflammation and migration of RA FLSs. Moreover, lactate was also involved in eEF2K-mediated activation of NF-κB and AKT. NH125 treatment attenuated the severity of arthritis in collagen-induced arthritis mice. Conclusion eEF2K inhibition suppressed glycolysis and aggressive behaviors of RA FLS, which indicated that targeting eEF2K may be a new strategy for the treatment of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongying Chen
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Cai
- Department of Rheumatology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Ouyang
- Department of Digestive Medicine Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, ShenZhen, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shiwen Yuan
- Department of Rheumatology, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lian Lin
- Department of Nephrology, Kidney and Urology Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, ShenZhen, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiqing Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Kidney and Urology Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, ShenZhen, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingcheng Huang
- Department of Nephrology, Kidney and Urology Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, ShenZhen, Guandong, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Mingcheng Huang, Department of Nephrology, Kidney and Urology Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, ShenZhen, Guandong, People’s Republic of China, Email
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9
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Smith PR, Pandit SC, Loerch S, Campbell ZT. The space between notes: emerging roles for translationally silent ribosomes. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:477-491. [PMID: 35246374 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In addition to their central functions in translation, ribosomes can adopt inactive structures that are fully assembled yet devoid of mRNA. We describe how the abundance of idle eukaryotic ribosomes is influenced by a broad range of biological conditions spanning viral infection, nutrient deprivation, and developmental cues. Vacant ribosomes may provide a means to exclude ribosomes from translation while also shielding them from degradation, and the variable identity of factors that occlude ribosomes may impart distinct functionality. We propose that regulated changes in the balance of idle and active ribosomes provides a means to fine-tune translation. We provide an overview of idle ribosomes, describe what is known regarding their function, and highlight questions that may clarify their biological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R Smith
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Biological Sciences, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Sapna C Pandit
- University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Loerch
- University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Zachary T Campbell
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Biological Sciences, Richardson, TX, USA; The Center for Advanced Pain Studies (CAPS), University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
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10
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Deng G, Zeng F, He Y, Meng Y, Sun H, Su J, Zhao S, Cheng Y, Chen X, Yin M. EEF2K silencing inhibits tumour progression through repressing SPP1 and synergises with BET inhibitors in melanoma. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e722. [PMID: 35184394 PMCID: PMC8858631 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Guangtong Deng
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Furong Zeng
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- Department of Oncology Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Yi He
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Yu Meng
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Huiyan Sun
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Juan Su
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Shuang Zhao
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Pharmacy The Second Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
| | - Mingzhu Yin
- Department of Dermatology Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha Hunan China
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11
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Gurbuz N, Kahraman N, Sonmez HE, Mokhlis HA, Kosar PA, Ozpolat B. miRNA-193b-5p Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer Cell Proliferation, Invasion, Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition, and Tumor Growth by Inhibiting eEF2K. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2022; 22:2607-2618. [PMID: 35718922 DOI: 10.2174/1871520622666220117123213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the US due to the lack of effective targeted therapeutics and extremely poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE The study aims to investigate the role of miR-193b and related signaling mechanisms in PDAC cell proliferation, invasion, and tumor growth. METHODS Using PDAC cell lines, we performed cell viability, colony formation, in vitro wound healing, and matrigel invasion assays following transfection with miR-193b mimic or control-miR. To identify potential downstream targets of miR-193b, we utilized miRNA-target prediction algorithms and investigated the regulation of eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF2K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways and mediators of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). The role of miR-193b in PDAC tumorigenesis was evaluated in in vivo tumor growth of Panc-1 xenograft model in nude mice. RESULTS We found that miR-193b is under expressed in PDAC cells compared to corresponding normal pancreatic epithelial cells and demonstrated that ectopic expression of miR-193b reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT through downregulation of eEF2K signaling in PDAC cells. miR-193b expression led to increased expression of E-Cadherin and Claudin-1 while decreasing Snail and TCF8/ZEB1 expressions via eEF2K and MAPK/ERK axis. In vivo systemic injection of miR-193b using lipid-nanoparticles twice a week reduced tumor growth of Panc-1 xenografts and eEF2K expression in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that miR-193b expression suppresses PDAC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT through inhibition of eEF2K/MAPK-ERK oncogenic axis and that miR-193b-based RNA therapy might be an effective therapeutic strategy to control the growth of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilgun Gurbuz
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nermin Kahraman
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hafize Elif Sonmez
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey
| | - Hamada Ahmed Mokhlis
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Pinar Aslan Kosar
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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12
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Ballard DJ, Peng HY, Das JK, Kumar A, Wang L, Ren Y, Xiong X, Ren X, Yang JM, Song J. Insights Into the Pathologic Roles and Regulation of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor-2 Kinase. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:727863. [PMID: 34532346 PMCID: PMC8438118 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.727863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic Elongation Factor-2 Kinase (eEF2K) acts as a negative regulator of protein synthesis, translation, and cell growth. As a structurally unique member of the alpha-kinase family, eEF2K is essential to cell survival under stressful conditions, as it contributes to both cell viability and proliferation. Known as the modulator of the global rate of protein translation, eEF2K inhibits eEF2 (eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2) and decreases translation elongation when active. eEF2K is regulated by various mechanisms, including phosphorylation through residues and autophosphorylation. Specifically, this protein kinase is downregulated through the phosphorylation of multiple sites via mTOR signaling and upregulated via the AMPK pathway. eEF2K plays important roles in numerous biological systems, including neurology, cardiology, myology, and immunology. This review provides further insights into the current roles of eEF2K and its potential to be explored as a therapeutic target for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darby J. Ballard
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Hao-Yun Peng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Jugal Kishore Das
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Liqing Wang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Yijie Ren
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Xiaofang Xiong
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Xingcong Ren
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Jin-Ming Yang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Jianxun Song
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
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13
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Jiang M, Qi L, Jin K, Li L, Wu Y, Song D, Gan J, Huang M, Li Y, Song C. eEF2K as a novel metastatic and prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer patients. Pathol Res Pract 2021; 225:153568. [PMID: 34352439 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2021.153568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) has been reported to be a potential oncogenic factor in many human cancers, its usefulness as a clinical prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer has not been investigated. METHODS In this study, data about 540 patients with stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) were analyzed from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to determine the expression of eEF2K. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blots, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were also performed to determine the clinical significance of eEF2K expression in 96 postoperative patients with gastric cancer. Among the 96 patients, 36 had low expression of eEF2K and 60 had high expression. RESULTS Analysis of the TCGA and GEO datasets revealed that eEF2K expression was significantly higher in the STAD tissue samples than in the non-tumorous gastric tissues. IHC, western blots, and RT-PCR confirmed these findings. The high expression level of eEF2K was found to be related to the presence of lymph node metastasis (p = 0.002). Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that eEF2K was an independent indicator of prognosis for overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-2.79; p = 0.03) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.66, 95% CI = 0.997-2.765; p = 0.052) in patients with surgically resected STAD. CONCLUSION Collectively, our findings suggest that eEF2K is a clinical indicator of metastatic and prognostic significance for STAD survival and could serve as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxia Jiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Ling Qi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Kexin Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Lisha Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Yiming Wu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Dongfeng Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Junqing Gan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Mei Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Yanjing Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping St, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
| | - Chengxin Song
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150081, China.
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14
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Matsuoka T. Early signaling pathways mediating dormant cyst formation in terrestrial unicellular eukaryote Colpoda. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2021; 368:6156630. [PMID: 33677557 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dormant (resting) cyst formation (encystment) in unicellular eukaryotes is the process of a large-scale digestion of vegetative cell structures and reconstruction into the dormant form, which is performed by cell signaling pathways accompanied by up- or down-regulation of protein expression, and by posttranslational modification such as phosphorylation. In this review, the author describes the morphogenetic events during encystment of Colpoda and the early molecular events in the Ca2+/calmodulin-triggered signaling pathways for encystment, based mainly on our research results of the past 10 years; especially, the author discusses the role of c-AMP dependently phosphorylated proteins (ribosomal P0 protein, ribosomal S5 protein, Rieske iron-sulfur protein, actin and histone H4) and encystment-dependently upregulated (EF-1α-HSP60, actin-related protein) and downregulated proteins (ATP synthase β-chain). In addition, the roles of AMPK, a key molecule in the signaling pathways leading to Colpoda encystment, and differentially expressed genes and proteins during encystment of other ciliates are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuomi Matsuoka
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, Akebono-cho 2-5-1, Kochi, Japan
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15
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Progress in the Development of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase (eEF2K) Natural Product and Synthetic Small Molecule Inhibitors for Cancer Chemotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052408. [PMID: 33673713 PMCID: PMC7957638 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase, CAMKIII) is a new member of an atypical α-kinase family different from conventional protein kinases that is now considered as a potential target for the treatment of cancer. This protein regulates the phosphorylation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) to restrain activity and inhibit the elongation stage of protein synthesis. Mounting evidence shows that eEF2K regulates the cell cycle, autophagy, apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis in several types of cancers. The expression of eEF2K promotes survival of cancer cells, and the level of this protein is increased in many cancer cells to adapt them to the microenvironment conditions including hypoxia, nutrient depletion, and acidosis. The physiological function of eEF2K and its role in the development and progression of cancer are here reviewed in detail. In addition, a summary of progress for in vitro eEF2K inhibitors from anti-cancer drug discovery research in recent years, along with their structure-activity relationships (SARs) and synthetic routes or natural sources, is also described. Special attention is given to those inhibitors that have been already validated in vivo, with the overall aim to provide reference context for the further development of new first-in-class anti-cancer drugs that target eEF2K.
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16
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Ren Z, Zhang L, Ding W, Luo Y, Shi Z, Shrestha B, Kan X, Zhang Z, Ding J, He H, Hu X. Development and validation of a novel survival model for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma based on autophagy-related genes. Genomics 2020; 113:1166-1175. [PMID: 33227411 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In view of the critical role of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in the pathogenesis of various diseases including cancer, this study aims to identify and evaluate the potential value of ARGs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS RNA sequencing and clinical data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed by univariate Cox regression analysis and Lasso Cox regression analysis model established a novel 13- autophagy related prognostic genes, which were used to build a prognostic risk model. A multivariate Cox proportional regression model and the survival analysis were used to evaluate the prognostic risk model. Moreover, the efficiency of prognostic risk model was tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis based on data from TCGA database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Besides, the other independent datasets from Human Protein Atlas dataset (HPA) also applied. RESULTS 13 ARGs (GABARAPL1, ITGA3, USP10, ST13, MAPK9, PRKN, FADD, IKBKB, ITPR1, TP73, MAP2K7, CDKN2A, and EEF2K) with prognostic value were identified in HNSCC patients. Subsequently, a prognostic risk model was established based on 13 ARGs, and significantly stratified HNSCC patients into high- and low-risk groups in terms of overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.379,95% CI: 0.289-0.495, p < 0.0001). The multivariate Cox analysis revealed that this model was an independent prognostic factor (HR = 1.506, 95% CI = 1.330-1.706, P < 0.001). The areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were significant for both the TCGA and GEO, with AUC of 0.685 and 0.928 respectively. Functional annotation revealed that model significantly enriched in many critical pathways correlated with tumorigenesis, including the p53 pathway, IL2 STAT5 signaling, TGF beta signaling, PI3K Ak mTOR signaling by gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). In addition, we developed a nomogram shown some clinical net could be used as a reference for clinical decision-making. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, we developed and validated a novel robust 13-gene signatures for HNSCC prognosis prediction. The 13 ARGs could serve as an independent and reliable prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the HNSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziying Ren
- The College of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine&Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Department of stomatology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei Ding
- Loucun Community Health Service Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yilang Luo
- Department of stomatology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhiqiang Shi
- Department of stomatology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Bikal Shrestha
- Department of Dental Surgery, conservative and Endodontics, Nepal Police Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Xuan Kan
- Department of stomatology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhuhua Zhang
- Department of stomatology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Ding
- Department of stomatology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Haojie He
- Intensive Care Uni, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuegang Hu
- Department of stomatology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences - Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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17
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Cancela MB, Zugbi S, Winter U, Martinez AL, Sampor C, Sgroi M, Francis JH, Garippa R, Abramson DH, Chantada G, Schaiquevich P. A decision process for drug discovery in retinoblastoma. Invest New Drugs 2020; 39:426-441. [PMID: 33200242 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-020-01030-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Intraocular retinoblastoma treatment has changed radically over the last decade, leading to a notable improvement in ocular survival. However, eyes that relapse remain difficult to treat, as few alternative active drugs are available. More challenging is the scenario of central nervous system (CNS) metastasis, in which almost no advancements have been made. Both clinical scenarios represent an urgent need for new drugs. Using an integrated multidisciplinary approach, we developed a decision process for prioritizing drug selection for local (intravitreal [IVi], intrathecal/intraventricular [IT/IVt]), systemic, or intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) treatment by means of high-throughput pharmacological screening of primary cells from two patients with intraocular tumor and CNS metastasis and a thorough database search to identify clinical and biopharmaceutical data. This process identified 169 compounds to be cytotoxic; only 8 are FDA-approved, lack serious toxicities and available for IVi administration. Four of these agents could also be delivered by IT/IVt. Twelve FDA-approved drugs were identified for systemic delivery as they are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and lack serious adverse events; four drugs are of oral usage and six compounds that lack vesicant or neurotoxicity could be delivered by IAC. We also identified promising compounds in preliminary phases of drug development including inhibitors of survivin, antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, methyltransferase, and kinesin proteins. This systematic approach may be applied more broadly to prioritize drugs to be repurposed or to identify novel hits for use in retinoblastoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belen Cancela
- Precision Medicine, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, CONICET, 1425, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago Zugbi
- Precision Medicine, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, CONICET, 1425, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ursula Winter
- Pathology Service, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Laura Martinez
- Precision Medicine, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudia Sampor
- Hematology-Oncology Service, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana Sgroi
- Ophthalmology Service, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jasmine H Francis
- Ophthalmic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute and Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ralph Garippa
- Gene Editing And Screening Core facility, Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute and Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - David H Abramson
- Ophthalmic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute and Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Guillermo Chantada
- Precision Medicine, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, CONICET, 1425, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula Schaiquevich
- Precision Medicine, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, 1245, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,National Scientific and Technical Research Council, CONICET, 1425, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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