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Üresin D, Schulte J, Morgner N, Soppa J. C(P)XCG Proteins of Haloferax volcanii with Predicted Zinc Finger Domains: The Majority Bind Zinc, but Several Do Not. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7166. [PMID: 39000272 PMCID: PMC11241148 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, interest in very small proteins (µ-proteins) has increased significantly, and they were found to fulfill important functions in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic species. The halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii encodes about 400 µ-proteins of less than 70 amino acids, 49 of which contain at least two C(P)XCG motifs and are, thus, predicted zinc finger proteins. The determination of the NMR solution structure of HVO_2753 revealed that only one of two predicted zinc fingers actually bound zinc, while a second one was metal-free. Therefore, the aim of the current study was the homologous production of additional C(P)XCG proteins and the quantification of their zinc content. Attempts to produce 31 proteins failed, underscoring the particular difficulties of working with µ-proteins. In total, 14 proteins could be produced and purified, and the zinc content was determined. Only nine proteins complexed zinc, while five proteins were zinc-free. Three of the latter could be analyzed using ESI-MS and were found to contain another metal, most likely cobalt or nickel. Therefore, at least in haloarchaea, the variability of predicted C(P)XCG zinc finger motifs is higher than anticipated, and they can be metal-free, bind zinc, or bind another metal. Notably, AlphaFold2 cannot correctly predict whether or not the four cysteines have the tetrahedral configuration that is a prerequisite for metal binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Üresin
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany;
| | - Jonathan Schulte
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.S.); (N.M.)
| | - Nina Morgner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany; (J.S.); (N.M.)
| | - Jörg Soppa
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany;
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Shi Y, Yao M, Shen S, Wang L, Yao D. Abnormal expression of Krüppel-like transcription factors and their potential values in lung cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28292. [PMID: 38560274 PMCID: PMC10979174 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer still is one of the most common malignancy tumors in the world. However, the mechanisms of its occurrence and development have not been fully elucidated. Zinc finger protein family (ZNFs) is the largest transcription factor family in human genome. Recently, the more and more basic and clinical evidences have confirmed that ZNFs/Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) refer to a group of conserved zinc finger-containing transcription factors that are involved in lung cancer progression, with the functions of promotion, inhibition, dual roles and unknown classifications. Based on the recent literature, some of the oncogenic KLFs are promising molecular biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis or therapeutic targets of lung cancer. Interestingly, a novel computational approach has been proposed by using machine learning on features calculated from primary sequences, the XGBoost-based model with accuracy of 96.4 % is efficient in identifying KLF proteins. This paper reviews the recent some progresses of the oncogenic KLFs with their potential values for diagnosis, prognosis and molecular target in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Shi
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Department of Medical Immunology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng 224001, China
| | - Min Yao
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Department of Medical Immunology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Shuijie Shen
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Department of Medical Immunology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Li Wang
- Research Center for Intelligent Information Technology, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dengfu Yao
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Department of Medical Immunology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
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Li Y, Zhou Y, Xia S, Chen L, Yang T, Zhao D, Zhang Z, Shao J, Xu X, Zhang F, Zheng S. Blockade of KLF5/LDH-A feedback loop contributes to Curcumol inhibition of sinusoidal endothelial cell glycolysis and mitigation of liver fibrosis. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 114:154759. [PMID: 37031640 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154759] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND LSECs (Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells) are the portal of liver, their pathological angiogenesis plays a constructive role in etiopathogenesis of liver fibrosis by affecting liver tissue repair and inflammatory drive. Although intervention in angiogenesis can effectively inhibit abnormal activation of LSEC, no effective drugs have been found to treat liver fibrosis. PURPOSE We investigated the effect of the natural compound Curcumol on LSEC angiogenesis and elucidated the novel underlying mechanism, expecting to provide a scientific basis for exploring potential therapeutic drugs for liver fibrosis. METHODS Various cellular and molecular assays, as well as genetic assays, were used to detect pathological angiogenesis and changes in glycolysis levels in cultured rat LSECs and mouse liver fibrosis models. RESULTS Transcription factor KLF5 is able to influence the angiogenic properties of LSEC by regulating the glycolytic process, and affect the expression of LDH-A by transcriptionally binding to its promoter. In our study, we were surprised to find that LDH-A (the final step of glycolysis) has a strong regulatory effect on the glycolytic process of LSEC. Through in-depth study, we found that LDH-A could affect the transcriptional activity of KLF5, thus forming a positive feedback loop. Curcumol could break this positive feedback loop and inhibit the glycolysis-dependent angiogenic nature of LSEC, thus alleviating liver fibrosis. Curcumol reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, attenuated pathological angiogenesis in LSEC, and decreased the level of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrated the great utilization potentiality of KLF5 in liver fibrosis, and the innovative discovery that LDH-A regulates the glycolytic process and forms a malignant feedback loop by exerting non-enzymatic effects. It also reveals the prospect of Curcumol-regulated KLF5/LDH-A feedback loop in the treatment of liver fibrosis, providing a new option for the future medicine of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Siwei Xia
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Li Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ting Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Danli Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zili Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jiangjuan Shao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xuefen Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Shizhong Zheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Ling X, Wang Q, Zhang J, Zhang G. Genome-Wide Analysis of the KLF Gene Family in Chicken: Characterization and Expression Profile. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091429. [PMID: 37174466 PMCID: PMC10177326 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The kruppel-like factor (KLF) gene family is a group of transcription factors containing highly conserved zinc-finger motifs, which play a crucial role in cell proliferation and differentiation. Chicken has been widely used as a model animal for analyzing gene function, however, little is known about the function of the KLF gene family in chickens. In this study, we performed genome-wide studies of chicken KLF genes and analyzed their biological and expression characteristics. We identified 13 KLF genes from chickens. Our phylogenetic, motif, and conserved domain analyses indicate that the KLF gene family has remained conserved through evolution. Synteny analysis showed the collinear relationship among KLFs, which indicated that they had related biomolecular functions. Interaction network analysis revealed that KLFs worked with 20 genes in biological processes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that KLF2 was involved in Apelin and Forkhead Box O (FOXO) signaling pathways. Moreover, qPCR showed that 13 KLF genes were expressed in the nine selected tissues and displayed various gene expression patterns in chickens. RNA-seq showed that KLF3 and KLF10 genes were differentially expressed in the normal and high-fat diet fed groups, and KLF4, KLF5, KLF6, KLF7, KLF9, KLF12, and KLF13 genes were differentially expressed between undifferentiated and differentiated chicken preadipocytes. Besides, RNA-seq also showed that KLF genes displayed different expression patterns in muscle at 11 and 16 embryonic days old, and in 1-day-old chickens. These results indicated that the KLF genes were involved in the development of muscle and fat in chickens. Our findings provide some valuable reference points for the subsequent study of the function of KLF genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanze Ling
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
| | - Qifan Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
| | - Genxi Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, China
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Li Y, Chen L, Li Y, Yang C, Gui B, Li Y, Liao L, Zhu Z, Huang R, Wang Y. Krüppel-like factor 2a (KLF2A) suppresses GCRV replication by upregulating serpinc1 expression in Ctenopharyngodon idellus kidney (CIK) cells. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 131:1118-1124. [PMID: 36400369 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.11.017] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Krüppel-like factor 2a (KLF2A), a transcription factor of the krüppel-like family, is involved in regulating the immune molecules and is associated with viral infection. However, the function of KLF2A during viral infections in fish remains unclear. In this study, grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) was used to predict the target genes regulated by KLF2A. The results showed that the candidate target genes included four members of the serpin gene family (serpinb1l2, serpinc1, serpinh1a, and serpinh1b). Dual-luciferase experiments showed that klf2a positively regulates serpinc1 expression. Dose-dependent klf2a overexpression in C. idellus kidney (CIK) cells significantly upregulated the expression of serpinc1. Overexpressing klf2a or serpinc1 in CIK cells activated interferon responses and suppressed grass carp reovirus (GCRV) replication. Klf2a and serpinc1 co-expression inhibited GCRV replication. These results show that klf2a upregulates serpinc1 mRNA expression, promotes type 1 interferon responses, and suppresses GCRV infection. This study provides insights into the regulatory role and biological functions of KLF2A in host-virus interactions in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liangming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yangyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Bin Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yongming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Lanjie Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zuoyan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Rong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Yaping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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