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Chen Y, Zhang W, Chen X, Zhang T, Wei H, Huang J, Fan C, Cai M, Wang Y, Zhang Z. Identification, diversity, and evolution analysis of Commd gene family in Haliotis discus hannai and immune response to biotic and abiotic stresses. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 149:109533. [PMID: 38575039 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The Commd (Copper Metabolism gene MURR1 Domain) family genes play crucial roles in various biological processes, including copper and sodium transport regulation, NF-κB activity, and cell cycle progression. Their function in Haliotis discus hannai, however, remains unclear. This study focused on identifying and analyzing the Commd genes in H. discus hannai, including their gene structure, phylogenetic relationships, expression profiles, sequence diversity, and alternative splicing. The results revealed significant homology between H. discus hannai's Commd genes and those of other mollusks. Both transcriptome quantitative analysis and qRT-PCR demonstrated the responsiveness of these genes to heat stress and Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. Notably, alternative splicing analysis revealed that COMMD2, COMMD4, COMMD5, and COMMD7 produce multiple alternative splice variants. Furthermore, sequence diversity analysis uncovered numerous missense mutations, specifically 9 in COMMD5 and 14 in COMMD10. These findings contribute to expanding knowledge on the function and evolution of the Commd gene family and underscore the potential role of COMMD in the innate immune response of H. discus hannai. This research, therefore, offers a novel perspective on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the involvement of Commd genes in innate immunity, paving the way for further explorations in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Wenxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Huina Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Jianpeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Chao Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Mingyi Cai
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, 361021, China; Fujian Engineering Research Center of Aquatic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Yilei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, 361021, China; Fujian Engineering Research Center of Aquatic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture, Xiamen, 361021, China.
| | - Ziping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
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Zhra M, Qasem RJ, Aldossari F, Saleem R, Aljada A. A Comprehensive Exploration of Caspase Detection Methods: From Classical Approaches to Cutting-Edge Innovations. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5460. [PMID: 38791499 PMCID: PMC11121653 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105460] [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: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The activation of caspases is a crucial event and an indicator of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis. These enzymes play a central role in cancer biology and are considered one promising target for current and future advancements in therapeutic interventions. Traditional methods of measuring caspase activity such as antibody-based methods provide fundamental insights into their biological functions, and are considered essential tools in the fields of cell and cancer biology, pharmacology and toxicology, and drug discovery. However, traditional methods, though extensively used, are now recognized as having various shortcomings. In addition, these methods fall short of providing solutions to and matching the needs of the rapid and expansive progress achieved in studying caspases. For these reasons, there has been a continuous improvement in detection methods for caspases and the network of pathways involved in their activation and downstream signaling. Over the past decade, newer methods based on cutting-edge state-of-the-art technologies have been introduced to the biomedical community. These methods enable both the temporal and spatial monitoring of the activity of caspases and their downstream substrates, and with enhanced accuracy and precision. These include fluorescent-labeled inhibitors (FLIs) for live imaging, single-cell live imaging, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensors, and activatable multifunctional probes for in vivo imaging. Recently, the recruitment of mass spectrometry (MS) techniques in the investigation of these enzymes expanded the repertoire of tools available for the identification and quantification of caspase substrates, cleavage products, and post-translational modifications in addition to unveiling the complex regulatory networks implicated. Collectively, these methods are enabling researchers to unravel much of the complex cellular processes involved in apoptosis, and are helping generate a clearer and comprehensive understanding of caspase-mediated proteolysis during apoptosis. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of various assays and detection methods as they have evolved over the years, so to encourage further exploration of these enzymes, which should have direct implications for the advancement of therapeutics for cancer and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Zhra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rani J. Qasem
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Middle East University, Amman 11831, Jordan
| | - Fai Aldossari
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rimah Saleem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Aljada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
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Weghorst F, Mirzakhanyan Y, Hernandez KL, Gershon PD, Cramer KS. Non-Apoptotic Caspase Activity Preferentially Targets a Novel Consensus Sequence Associated With Cytoskeletal Proteins in the Developing Auditory Brainstem. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:844844. [PMID: 35330912 PMCID: PMC8940215 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.844844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The auditory brainstem relies on precise circuitry to facilitate sound source localization. In the chick, the development of this specialized circuitry requires non-apoptotic activity of caspase-3, for which we previously identified several hundred proteolytic substrates. Here we tested whether the sequence of the caspase cleavage site differentially encodes proteolytic preference in apoptotic and non-apoptotic contexts. We constructed a consensus sequence for caspase activity in the non-apoptotic chick auditory brainstem comprising the four residues N-terminal to the cleavage site: IX(G/R)D↓ where X represents no significant enrichment and ↓ represents the cleavage site. We identified GO terms significantly enriched among caspase substrates containing motifs found in the above consensus sequence. (G/R)D↓ was associated with the term “Structural Constituent of Cytoskeleton” (SCoC), suggesting that SCoC proteins may be specifically targeted by caspase activity during non-apoptotic developmental processes. To ascertain whether this consensus sequence was specific to the non-apoptotic auditory brainstem at embryonic day (E) 10, we used protein mass spectrometry of brainstems harvested at a time when auditory brainstem neurons undergo apoptotic cell death (E13). The apoptotic motif VD was significantly enriched among E13 cleavage sites, indicating that motif preference at the P2 subsite had shifted toward the canonical caspase consensus sequence. Additionally, Monte Carlo simulations revealed that only the GD motif was associated with SCoC substrates in the apoptotic auditory brainstem, indicating that GD encodes specificity for SCoC proteins in both non-apoptotic and apoptotic contexts, despite not being preferred in the latter. Finally, to identify candidate human non-apoptotic consensus sequences, we used Monte Carlo analyses to determine motifs and motif pairs associated with SCoC caspase substrates in the Degrabase, a database of cleavage sites in human apoptotic cell lines. We found 11 motifs significantly associated with SCoC proteolysis, including IXXD and GD. We employed a stepwise method to select motif pairs that optimized SCoC specificity for a given coverage of SCoC cleavage events, yielding 11 motif pairs likely to be preferred in SCoC-directed human non-apoptotic caspase consensus sequences. GD + IXXD was among these motif pairs, suggesting a conservation of non-apoptotic consensus sites among vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Weghorst
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Yeva Mirzakhanyan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | | | - Paul D Gershon
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Karina S Cramer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Evaluation of the effects of phosphorylation of synthetic peptide substrates on their cleavage by caspase-3 and -7. Biochem J 2021; 478:2233-2245. [PMID: 34037204 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are a family of enzymes that play roles in cell death and inflammation. It has been suggested that in the execution phase of the apoptotic pathway, caspase-3, -6 and -7 are involved. The substrate specificities of two proteases (caspases 3 and 7) are highly similar, which complicates the design of compounds that selectively interact with a single enzyme exclusively. The recognition of residues other than Asp in the P1 position of the substrate by caspase-3/-7 has been reported, promoting interest in the effects of phosphorylation of amino acids in the direct vicinity of the scissile bond. To evaluate conflicting reports on this subject, we synthesized a series of known caspase-3 and -7 substrates and phosphorylated analogs, performed enzyme kinetic assays and mapped the peptide cleavage sites using internally quenched fluorescent peptide substrates. Caspases 3 and 7 will tolerate pSer at the P1 position but only poorly at the P2' position. Our investigation demonstrates the importance of peptide length and composition in interpreting sequence/activity relationships. Based on the results, we conclude that the relationship between caspase-3/-7 and their substrates containing phosphorylated amino acids might depend on the steric conditions and not be directly connected with ionic interactions. Thus, the precise effect of phospho-amino acid residues located in the vicinity of the cleaved bond on the regulation of the substrate specificity of caspases remains difficult to predict. Our observations allow to predict that natural phosphorylated proteins may be cleaved by caspases, but only when extended substrate binding site interactions are satisfied.
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Weghorst F, Mirzakhanyan Y, Samimi K, Dhillon M, Barzik M, Cunningham LL, Gershon PD, Cramer KS. Caspase-3 Cleaves Extracellular Vesicle Proteins During Auditory Brainstem Development. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:573345. [PMID: 33281555 PMCID: PMC7689216 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.573345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sound localization requires extremely precise development of auditory brainstem circuits, the molecular mechanisms of which are largely unknown. We previously demonstrated a novel requirement for non-apoptotic activity of the protease caspase-3 in chick auditory brainstem development. Here, we used mass spectrometry to identify proteolytic substrates of caspase-3 during chick auditory brainstem development. These auditory brainstem caspase-3 substrates were enriched for proteins previously shown to be cleaved by caspase-3, especially in non-apoptotic contexts. Functional annotation analysis revealed that our caspase-3 substrates were also enriched for proteins associated with several protein categories, including proteins found in extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound nanoparticles that function in intercellular communication. The proteome of EVs isolated from the auditory brainstem was highly enriched for our caspase-3 substrates. Additionally, we identified two caspase-3 substrates with known functions in axon guidance, namely Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) and Neuronal-glial Cell Adhesion Molecule (Ng-CAM), that were found in auditory brainstem EVs and expressed in the auditory pathway alongside cleaved caspase-3. Taken together, these data suggest a novel developmental mechanism whereby caspase-3 influences auditory brainstem circuit formation through the proteolytic cleavage of extracellular vesicle (EV) proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forrest Weghorst
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Yeva Mirzakhanyan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kian Samimi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Mehron Dhillon
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Melanie Barzik
- Section on Sensory Cell Biology, NIDCD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lisa L. Cunningham
- Section on Sensory Cell Biology, NIDCD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Paul D. Gershon
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Karina S. Cramer
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Maluch I, Czarna J, Drag M. Applications of Unnatural Amino Acids in Protease Probes. Chem Asian J 2019; 14:4103-4113. [PMID: 31593336 DOI: 10.1002/asia.201901152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Since proteases are involved in a wide range of physiological and disease states, the development of novel tools for imaging proteolytic enzyme activity is attracting increasing interest from scientists. Peptide substrates containing proteinogenic amino acids are often the first line of defining enzyme specificity. This Minireview outlines examples of major recent advances in probing proteases using unnatural amino acid residues, which greatly expands the possibilities for designing substrate probes and inhibitory activity-based probes. This approach already yielded innovative probes that selectively target only one active protease within the group of enzymes exhibiting similar specificity both in cellular assays and in bioimaging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Maluch
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw, University of Science and Technology, Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Czarna
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw, University of Science and Technology, Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Drag
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw, University of Science and Technology, Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland
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Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vivo Anti-Cancer Activity of New Metal Complexes Derived from Isatin- N(4)antipyrinethiosemicarbazone Ligand Against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Cells. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24183313. [PMID: 31514445 PMCID: PMC6766913 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24183313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study aimed to synthesize new metal coordination complexes with potential biomedical applications. Metal complexes were prepared via the reaction of isatin-N(4)anti- pyrinethiosemicarbazone ligand 1 with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II), and Fe(III) ions. The obtained metal complexes 2-12 were characterized using elemental, spectral (1H-NMR, EPR, Mass, IR, UV-Vis) and thermal (TGA) techniques, as well as magnetic moment and molar conductance measurements. In addition, their geometries were studied using EPR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. To evaluate the in vivo anti-cancer activities of these complexes, the ligand 1 and its metal complexes 2, 7 and 9 were tested against solid tumors. The solid tumors were induced by subcutaneous (SC) injection of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells in mice. The impact of the selected complexes on the reduction of tumor volume was determined. Also, the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cysteine aspartyl-specific protease-7 (caspase-7) in tumor and liver tissues of mice bearing EAC tumor were determined. Moreover, their effects on alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), albumin, and glucose levels were measured. The results revealed that the tested compounds, especially complex 9, reduced tumor volume, inhibited the expression of VEGF, and induced the expression of caspase-7. Additionally, they restored the levels of ALT, AST, albumin, and glucose close to their normal levels. Taken together, our newly synthesized metal complexes are promising anti-cancer agents against solid tumors induced by EAC cells as supported by the inhibition of VEGF and induction of caspase-7.
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Cao W, Qi J, Qian K, Tian L, Cheng Z, Wang Y. Structure−activity relationships of 2‑quinolinecarboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone gallium(III) complexes with potent and selective anticancer activity. J Inorg Biochem 2019; 191:174-182. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Qi J, Yao Q, Qian K, Tian L, Cheng Z, Wang Y. Gallium(III) complexes of α- N -heterocyclic piperidylthiosemicarbazones: Synthesis, structure-activity relationship, cellular uptake and activation of caspases-3/7/9. J Inorg Biochem 2018; 186:42-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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