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Ung J, Kassai M, Tan SF, Loughran TP, Feith DJ, Cabot MC. The Drug Transporter P-Glycoprotein and Its Impact on Ceramide Metabolism-An Unconventional Ally in Cancer Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9825. [PMID: 39337312 PMCID: PMC11432138 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25189825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor-suppressor sphingolipid ceramide is recognized as a key participant in the cytotoxic mechanism of action of many types of chemotherapy drugs, including anthracyclines, Vinca alkaloids, the podophyllotoxin etoposide, taxanes, and the platinum drug oxaliplatin. These drugs can activate de novo synthesis of ceramide or stimulate the production of ceramide via sphingomyelinases to limit cancer cell survival. On the contrary, dysfunctional sphingolipid metabolism, a prominent factor in cancer survival and therapy resistance, blunts the anticancer properties of ceramide-orchestrated cell death pathways, especially apoptosis. Although P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is famous for its role in chemotherapy resistance, herein, we propose alternate interpretations and discuss the capacity of this multidrug transporter as a "ceramide neutralizer", an unwelcome event, highlighting yet another facet of P-gp's versatility in drug resistance. We introduce sphingolipid metabolism and its dysfunctional regulation in cancer, present a summary of factors that contribute to chemotherapy resistance, explain how P-gp "neutralizes" ceramide by hastening its glycosylation, and consider therapeutic applications of the P-gp-ceramide connection in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnson Ung
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA;
| | - Miki Kassai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, The East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, Greenville, NC 27834, USA;
| | - Su-Fern Tan
- University of Virginia Cancer Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; (S.-F.T.); (D.J.F.)
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Thomas P. Loughran
- University of Virginia Cancer Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; (S.-F.T.); (D.J.F.)
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - David J. Feith
- University of Virginia Cancer Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; (S.-F.T.); (D.J.F.)
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Myles C. Cabot
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, The East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, Greenville, NC 27834, USA;
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Fisher-Wellman KH, Hagen JT, Neufer PD, Kassai M, Cabot MC. On the nature of ceramide-mitochondria interactions - Dissection using comprehensive mitochondrial phenotyping. Cell Signal 2020; 78:109838. [PMID: 33212155 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are a unique class of lipids owing to their non-glycerol-containing backbone, ceramide, that is constructed from a long-chain aliphatic amino alcohol, sphinganine, to which a fatty acid is attached via an amide bond. Ceramide plays a star role in the initiation of apoptosis by virtue of its interactions with mitochondria, a control point for a downstream array of signaling cascades culminating in apoptosis. Many pathways converge on mitochondria to elicit mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), a step that corrupts bioenergetic service. Although much is known regarding ceramides interaction with mitochondria and the ensuing cell signal transduction cascades, how ceramide impacts the elements of mitochondrial bioenergetic function is poorly understood. The objective of this review is to introduce the reader to sphingolipid metabolism, present a snapshot of mitochondrial respiration, elaborate on ceramides convergence on mitochondria and the upstream players that collaborate to elicit MOMP, and introduce a mitochondrial phenotyping platform that can be of utility in dissecting the fine-points of ceramide impact on cellular bioenergetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey H Fisher-Wellman
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America.
| | - James T Hagen
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America
| | - P Darrell Neufer
- East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America
| | - Miki Kassai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America
| | - Myles C Cabot
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America.
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Honda T, Motoyoshi K, Kasahara J, Yamagata K, Takahashi H, Nakamura H, Murayama T. Tyrosine-phosphorylation and activation of glucosylceramide synthase by v-Src: Its role in survival of HeLa cells against ceramide. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1866:158817. [PMID: 32980536 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipids represent a family of cellular lipid-molecules that regulate physiological and pathophysiological processes. Glucosylceramide (GlcCer), the simplest glycosphingolipid (GSL), is synthesized from ceramide and UDP-glucose by GlcCer synthase (GCS). Both GlcCer (and resulting GSLs) and ceramide regulate various cellular functions including cell death and multiple drug resistance. Src family tyrosine kinases are up-regulated in various human cancer cells. We examined the effect of v-Src expression on GCS activity, the formation of 4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD)-labeled GlcCer from NBD-ceramide, and the effect of tyrosine132 mutation in GCS on ceramide-induced cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. Expression of v-Src increased the formation of NBD-GlcCer in both intact cells without marked changes in other sphingolipid metabolites and cell homogenates without changing affinities of NBD-ceramide and UDP-glucose. Expression of v-Src also increased tyrosine-phosphorylated levels in GCS proteins in HeLa and HEK293T cells. In HEK293T cells transiently expressing the GCS mutant, GCS-Y132F-HA, showing replacement of the tyrosine132 residue with phenylalanine, tyrosine-phosphorylated levels in GCS proteins were significantly lower than those in control cells expressing the GCS-wild-type-HA. The formation of NBD-GlcCer in HeLa cells stably expressing GCS-Y132F-HA was significantly lower than that in the control. Ceramide-induced cytotoxicity in HeLa-GCS-Y132F-HA cells was significantly greater than in the control. In this study, we showed for the first time that expression of v-Src up-regulated GCS activity via tyrosine phosphorylation of the enzyme in a post-translational manner. Mechanisms of Src-induced resistance to ceramide-induced cytotoxicity are discussed in relation to the Src-induced up-regulation of GCS activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Honda
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan.
| | - Kaisei Motoyoshi
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Junya Kasahara
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Yamagata
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan; Laboratory of International Scholars in Pharmaceuticals/Systems Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Takahashi
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nakamura
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Murayama
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
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Efficacy of Surface-Modified PLGA Nanoparticles as a Function of Cervical Cancer Type. Pharm Res 2019; 36:66. [PMID: 30868271 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-019-2602-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hypovascularization of cervical tumors, coupled with intrinsic and acquired drug resistance, has contributed to marginal therapeutic outcomes by hindering chemotherapeutic transport and efficacy. Recently, the heterogeneous penetration and distribution of cell penetrating peptide (CPP, here MPG) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were evaluated as a function of tumor type and morphology in cervical cancer spheroids modeling hypovascularized tumor nodules. Building upon this work, this study investigates the efficacy imparted by surface-modified Doxorubicin-loaded NPs transported into hypovascularized tissue. METHODS NP efficacy was measured in HeLa, CaSki, and SiHa cells. NP internalization and association, and associated cell viability, were determined in monolayer and spheroid models. RESULTS MPG and PEG-NP co-treatment was most efficacious in HeLa cells, while PEG NPs were most efficacious in CaSki cells. NP surface-modifications were unable to improve efficacy, relative to unmodified NPs, in SiHa cells. CONCLUSIONS The results highlight the dependence of efficacy on tumor type and the associated microenvironment. The results further relate previous NP transport studies to efficacy, as a function of surface-modification and cell type. Longer-term, this information may help guide the design of NP-mediated strategies to maximize efficacy based on patient-specific cervical tumor origin and characteristics.
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Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance, inherent or acquired, represents a serious barrier to the successful treatment of cancer. Although drug efflux, conducted by plasma membrane-resident proteins, detoxification enzymes, cell death inhibition, and DNA damage repair are ensemble players in this unwanted biology, a full understanding of the many in concert molecular mechanisms driving drug resistance is lacking. Recent discoveries in sphingolipid (SL) metabolism have provided significant insight into the role of these lipids in cancer growth; however, considerably less is known with respect to SLs and the drug-resistant phenotype. One exception here is enhanced ceramide glycosylation, a hallmark of multidrug resistance that is believed responsible, in part, for diminishing ceramides tumor-suppressor potential. This chapter will review various aspects of SL biology that relate to chemotherapy resistance and extend this topic to acknowledge the role of chemotherapy selection pressure in promoting dysregulated SL metabolism, a characteristic in cancer and an exploitable target for therapy.
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Le Pogam P, Doué M, Le Page Y, Habauzit D, Zhadobov M, Sauleau R, Le Dréan Y, Rondeau D. Untargeted Metabolomics Reveal Lipid Alterations upon 2-Deoxyglucose Treatment in Human HaCaT Keratinocytes. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:1146-1157. [PMID: 29430917 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The glucose analogue 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) impedes cancer progression in animal models and is currently being assessed as an anticancer therapy, yet the mode of action of this drug of high clinical significance has not been fully delineated. In an attempt to better characterize its pharmacodynamics, an integrative UPLC-Q-Exactive-based joint metabolomic and lipidomic approach was undertaken to evaluate the metabolic perturbations induced by this drug in human HaCaT keratinocyte cells. R-XCMS data processing and subsequent multivariate pattern recognition, metabolites identification, and pathway analyses identified eight metabolites that were most significantly changed upon a 3 h 2-DG exposure. Most of these dysregulated features were emphasized in the course of lipidomic profiling and could be identified as ceramide and glucosylceramide derivatives, consistently with their involvement in cell death programming. Even though metabolomic analyses did not generally afford such clear-cut dysregulations, some alterations in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine derivatives could be highlighted as well. Overall, these results support the adequacy of the proposed analytical workflow and might contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the promising effects of 2-DG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Le Pogam
- Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Rennes (IETR), UMR CNRS 6164, University of Rennes , Campus de Beaulieu, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Mickael Doué
- Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Rennes (IETR), UMR CNRS 6164, University of Rennes , Campus de Beaulieu, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Yann Le Page
- Transcription, Environment and Cancer Group, Institute for Research on Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET), Inserm UMR1085, University of Rennes 1 , 9 avenue du Prof. Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Denis Habauzit
- Transcription, Environment and Cancer Group, Institute for Research on Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET), Inserm UMR1085, University of Rennes 1 , 9 avenue du Prof. Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Maxim Zhadobov
- Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Rennes (IETR), UMR CNRS 6164, University of Rennes , Campus de Beaulieu, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Ronan Sauleau
- Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Rennes (IETR), UMR CNRS 6164, University of Rennes , Campus de Beaulieu, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Yves Le Dréan
- Transcription, Environment and Cancer Group, Institute for Research on Environmental and Occupational Health (IRSET), Inserm UMR1085, University of Rennes 1 , 9 avenue du Prof. Léon Bernard, 35043 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - David Rondeau
- Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Rennes (IETR), UMR CNRS 6164, University of Rennes , Campus de Beaulieu, 263 avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France.,Département de Chimie, Université de Bretagne Occidentale , 6 avenue Victor Le Gorgeu, 29238 Brest Cedex, France
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Lee WK, Kolesnick RN. Sphingolipid abnormalities in cancer multidrug resistance: Chicken or egg? Cell Signal 2017; 38:134-145. [PMID: 28687494 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 06/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype encompasses a myriad of molecular, genetic and cellular alterations resulting from progressive oncogenic transformation and selection. Drug efflux transporters, in particular the MDR P-glycoprotein ABCB1, play an important role in MDR but cannot confer the complete phenotype alone indicating parallel alterations are prerequisite. Sphingolipids are essential constituents of lipid raft domains and directly participate in functionalization of transmembrane proteins, including providing an optimal lipid microenvironment for multidrug transporters, and are also perturbed in cancer. Here we postulate that increased sphingomyelin content, developing early in some cancers, recruits and functionalizes plasma membrane ABCB1 conferring a state of partial MDR, which is completed by glycosphingolipid disturbance and the appearance of intracellular vesicular ABCB1. In this review, the independent and interdependent roles of sphingolipid alterations and ABCB1 upregulation during the transformation process and resultant conferment of partial and complete MDR phenotypes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wing-Kee Lee
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States; Institute for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Toxicology, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
| | - Richard N Kolesnick
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States
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Abstract
Fenretinide, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide, (4-HPR), a synthetic retinoid, owes its cancer-toxic effects in part to the generation of ceramide, a potent tumor-suppressing sphingolipid. As such, 4-HPR has garnered considerable interest as a chemotherapeutic. Cancer cells, however, via various metabolic routes, inactivate ceramide, and this can limit 4-HPR efficacy. As relatively little is known regarding 4-HPR-induced ceramide management in acute myelogeneous leukemia (AML), we undertook the present study to evaluate the impact of 4-HPR on ceramide production, metabolism, and cytotoxicity. In KG-1, HL-60, and HL-60/VCR (multidrug resistant) human leukemia cells, 4-HPR induced 15-, 2-, and 20-fold increases in ceramide (measured using [3H]palmitic acid), respectively. By use of specific inhibitors we show that ceramide was produced by sphingomyelinase and de novo pathways in response to 4-HPR exposure. HL-60/VCR cells metabolized ceramide to glucosylceramide (GC). 4-HPR exposure (1.25-10 μM) reduced viability in all cell lines, with approximate IC50's ranging from 1 to 8.0 μM. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated in response to 4-HPR treatment, and the concomitant cytotoxicity was reversed by addition of vitamin E. 4-HPR was not cytotoxic nor did it elicit ceramide formation in K562, a chronic myeloid leukemia cell line; however, K562 cells were sensitive to a cell-deliverable form of ceramide, C6-ceramide. Treatment of Molt-3, an acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, with 4-HPR revealed moderate ceramide production (5-fold over control), robust conversion of ceramide to GC and sphingomyelin, and resistance to 4-HPR and C6-ceramide. In conclusion, this work demonstrates diversity within and among leukemia in 4-HPR sensitivity and ceramide generation and subsequent metabolism. As such, knowledge of these metabolic pathways can provide guidance for enhancing ceramide-driven effects of 4-HPR in treatment of leukemia.
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Morad SAF, Cabot MC. Tamoxifen regulation of sphingolipid metabolism--Therapeutic implications. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2015; 1851:1134-45. [PMID: 25964209 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Tamoxifen, a triphenylethylene antiestrogen and one of the first-line endocrine therapies used to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, has a number of interesting, off-target effects, and among these is the inhibition of sphingolipid metabolism. More specifically, tamoxifen inhibits ceramide glycosylation, and enzymatic step that can adventitiously support the influential tumor-suppressor properties of ceramide, the aliphatic backbone of sphingolipids. Additionally, tamoxifen and metabolites N-desmethyltamoxifen and 4-hydroxytamoxifen, have been shown to inhibit ceramide hydrolysis by the enzyme acid ceramidase. This particular intervention slows ceramide destruction and thereby depresses formation of sphingosine 1-phosphate, a mitogenic sphingolipid with cancer growth-promoting properties. As ceramide-centric therapies are becoming appealing clinical interventions in the treatment of cancer, agents like tamoxifen that can retard the generation of mitogenic sphingolipids and buffer ceramide clearance via inhibition of glycosylation, take on new importance. In this review, we present an abridged, lay introduction to sphingolipid metabolism, briefly chronicle tamoxifen's history in the clinic, examine studies that demonstrate the impact of triphenylethylenes on sphingolipid metabolism in cancer cells, and canvass works relevant to the use of tamoxifen as adjuvant to drive ceramide-centric therapies in cancer treatment. The objective is to inform the readership of what could be a novel, off-label indication of tamoxifen and structurally-related triphenylethylenes, an indication divorced from estrogen receptor status and one with application in drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samy A F Morad
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, 115 Heart Drive, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt
| | - Myles C Cabot
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27834, USA; East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, 115 Heart Drive, Greenville, NC 27834, USA.
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