1
|
Yin G, Huang J, Petela J, Jiang H, Zhang Y, Gong S, Wu J, Liu B, Shi J, Gao Y. Targeting small GTPases: emerging grasps on previously untamable targets, pioneered by KRAS. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:212. [PMID: 37221195 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01441-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Small GTPases including Ras, Rho, Rab, Arf, and Ran are omnipresent molecular switches in regulating key cellular functions. Their dysregulation is a therapeutic target for tumors, neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathies, and infection. However, small GTPases have been historically recognized as "undruggable". Targeting KRAS, one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes, has only come into reality in the last decade due to the development of breakthrough strategies such as fragment-based screening, covalent ligands, macromolecule inhibitors, and PROTACs. Two KRASG12C covalent inhibitors have obtained accelerated approval for treating KRASG12C mutant lung cancer, and allele-specific hotspot mutations on G12D/S/R have been demonstrated as viable targets. New methods of targeting KRAS are quickly evolving, including transcription, immunogenic neoepitopes, and combinatory targeting with immunotherapy. Nevertheless, the vast majority of small GTPases and hotspot mutations remain elusive, and clinical resistance to G12C inhibitors poses new challenges. In this article, we summarize diversified biological functions, shared structural properties, and complex regulatory mechanisms of small GTPases and their relationships with human diseases. Furthermore, we review the status of drug discovery for targeting small GTPases and the most recent strategic progress focused on targeting KRAS. The discovery of new regulatory mechanisms and development of targeting approaches will together promote drug discovery for small GTPases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guowei Yin
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Johnny Petela
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA
| | - Hongmei Jiang
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Yuetong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Siqi Gong
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
- School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Jiaxin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Bei Liu
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, School of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianyou Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, 610072, China.
| | - Yijun Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Qu L, Pan C, He SM, Lang B, Gao GD, Wang XL, Wang Y. The Ras Superfamily of Small GTPases in Non-neoplastic Cerebral Diseases. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:121. [PMID: 31213978 PMCID: PMC6555388 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The small GTPases from the Ras superfamily play crucial roles in basic cellular processes during practically the entire process of neurodevelopment, including neurogenesis, differentiation, gene expression, membrane and protein traffic, vesicular trafficking, and synaptic plasticity. Small GTPases are key signal transducing enzymes that link extracellular cues to the neuronal responses required for the construction of neuronal networks, as well as for synaptic function and plasticity. Different subfamilies of small GTPases have been linked to a number of non-neoplastic cerebral diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), intellectual disability, epilepsy, drug addiction, Huntington’s disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a large number of idiopathic cerebral diseases. Here, we attempted to make a clearer illustration of the relationship between Ras superfamily GTPases and non-neoplastic cerebral diseases, as well as their roles in the neural system. In future studies, potential treatments for non-neoplastic cerebral diseases which are based on small GTPase related signaling pathways should be explored further. In this paper, we review all the available literature in support of this possibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Qu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chao Pan
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Shi-Ming He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Xi'an International Medical Center, Xi'an, China
| | - Bing Lang
- The School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Guo-Dong Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xue-Lian Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Puig B, Altmeppen HC, Glatzel M. Misfolding leads the way to unraveling signaling pathways in the pathophysiology of prion diseases. Prion 2017; 10:434-443. [PMID: 27870599 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2016.1244593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A misfolded version of the prion protein represents an essential component in the pathophysiology of fatal neurodegenerative prion diseases, which affect humans and animals alike. They may be of sporadic origin, acquired through exogenous introduction of infectious misfolded prion protein, or caused by genetic alterations in the prion protein coding gene. We have recently described a novel pathway linking retention of mutant prion protein in the early secretory pathway to activation p38-MAPK and a neurodegenerative phenotype in transgenic mice. Here we review the consequences that mutations in prion protein have on intracellular transport and stress responses focusing on protein quality control. We also discuss the neurotoxic signaling elicited by the accumulation of mutant prion protein in the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. Improved knowledge about these processes will help us to better understand complex pathogenesis of prion diseases, a prerequisite for therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Berta Puig
- a Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany
| | - Hermann C Altmeppen
- a Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- a Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zafar S, Younas N, Sheikh N, Tahir W, Shafiq M, Schmitz M, Ferrer I, Andréoletti O, Zerr I. Cytoskeleton-Associated Risk Modifiers Involved in Early and Rapid Progression of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:4009-4029. [PMID: 28573459 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0589-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
A high priority in the prion field is to identify pre-symptomatic events and associated profile of molecular changes. In this study, we demonstrate the pre-symptomatic dysregulation of cytoskeleton assembly and its associated cofilin-1 pathway in strain and brain region-specific manners in MM1 and VV2 subtype-specific Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease at clinical and pre-clinical stage. At physiological level, PrPC interaction with cofilin-1 and phosphorylated form of cofilin (p-cofilin(Ser3)) was investigated in primary cultures of mouse cortex neurons (PCNs) of PrPC wild-type and knockout mice (PrP-/-). Short-interfering RNA downregulation of active form of cofilin-1 resulted in the redistribution/downregulation of PrPC, increase of activated form of microglia, accumulation of dense form of F-actin, and upregulation of p-cofilin(Ser3). This upregulated p-cofilin(Ser3) showed redistribution of expression predominantly in the activated form of microglia in PCNs. At pathological level, cofilin-1 expression was significantly altered in cortex and cerebellum in both humans and mice at pre-clinical stage and at early symptomatic clinical stage of the disease. Further, to better understand the possible mechanism of dysregulation of cofilin-1, we also demonstrated alterations in upstream regulators; LIM kinase isoform 1 (LIMK1), slingshot phosphatase isoform 1 (SSH1), RhoA-associated kinase (Rock2), and amyloid precursor protein (APP) in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease MM1 mice and in human MM1 and VV2 frontal cortex and cerebellum samples. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated for the first time a key pre-clinical response of cofilin-1 and the associated pathway in prion disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, and DZNE, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Neelam Younas
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, and DZNE, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Nadeem Sheikh
- Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Waqas Tahir
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, and DZNE, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Mohsin Shafiq
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, and DZNE, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, and DZNE, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Institute of Neuropathology, IDIBELL-University Hospital Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Institute Carlos III, Ministry of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique/Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Toulouse, France
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Dementia Center, and DZNE, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tahir W, Zafar S, Llorens F, Arora AS, Thüne K, Schmitz M, Gotzmann N, Kruse N, Mollenhauer B, Torres JM, Andréoletti O, Ferrer I, Zerr I. Molecular Alterations in the Cerebellum of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Subtypes with DJ-1 as a Key Regulator of Oxidative Stress. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 55:517-537. [PMID: 27975168 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0294-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar damage and granular and Purkinje cell loss in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) highlight a critical involvement of the cerebellum during symptomatic progression of the disease. In this project, global proteomic alterations in the cerebellum of brain from the two most prevalent subtypes (MM1 and VV2) of sCJD were studied. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) coupled mass spectrometric identification revealed 40 proteins in MM1 and 43 proteins in VV2 subtype to be differentially expressed. Of those, 12 proteins showed common differential expression in their expression between two subtypes. Differentially expressed proteins mainly belonged to (i) cell cycle, gene expression and cell death; (ii) cellular stress response/oxidative stress (OS) and (iii) signal transduction and synaptic functions, related molecular functions. We verified 10 differentially expressed proteins at transcriptional and translational level as well. Interestingly, protein deglycase DJ-1 (an antioxidative protein) showed an increase in its messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in both MM1 and VV2 subtypes but protein expression only in VV2 subtype in cerebellum of sCJD patients. Nuclear translocalization of DJ-1 confirmed its expressional alteration due to OS in sCJD. Downstream experiments showed the activation of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidative response element (ARE) pathway. DJ-1 protein concentration was significantly increased during the clinical phase in cerebrospinal fluid of sCJD patients and also at presymptomatic and symptomatic stages in cerebellum of humanized PrP transgenic mice inoculated with sCJD (MM1 and VV2) brain. These results suggest the implication of oxidative stress during the pathophysiology of sCJD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Waqas Tahir
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Amandeep Singh Arora
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Thüne
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Nadine Gotzmann
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Niels Kruse
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Brit Mollenhauer
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Juan Maria Torres
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Carretera de Algete a El Casar Km. 8,1 S/N, 28130, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivier Andréoletti
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique/Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Toulouse, France
| | - Isidre Ferrer
- Institute of Neuropathology, Hospitalet de Llobregat, IDIBELL-University Hospital Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Ministry of Health, Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG) and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str., 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Strain-Specific Altered Regulatory Response of Rab7a and Tau in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:697-709. [PMID: 26768426 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-9694-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 09/29/2022]
Abstract
There is an increasing demand for the understanding of pathophysiology on neurodegeneration diseases at early stages. Changes in endocytic machinery and the cytoskeleton-associated response are the first alterations observed in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Alzheimer's disease AD brain. In this study, we performed a targeted search for endocytic pathway proteins in the different regions of the brain. We found late endosome marker Rab7a which was significantly upregulated in the frontal cortex region in the rapid progressive CJD form (MM1) and rapid progressive AD (rpAD) forms. However, Rab9 expression was significantly downregulated only in CJD-MM1 brain frontal cortex region. In the cerebellum, Rab7a expression showed significant upregulation in both subtype MM1 and VV2 CJD forms, in contrast to Rab9 which showed significant downregulation in both subtype MM1 and VV2 CJD forms at terminal stage of the disease. To check regulatory response at pre-symptomatic stage of the disease, we checked the regulatory interactive response of Rab7a, Rab9, and known biomarkers PrPC and tau forms in frontal cortex at pre-symptomatic stage of the disease in tg340 mice expressing about fourfold of human PrP-M129 with PrP-null background that had been inoculated with human sCJD MM1 brain tissue homogenates (sCJD MM1 mice). In addition, we analyzed 5XFAD mice, exhibiting five mutations in the APP and presenilin genes related to familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), to validate specific regulatory response of Rab7a, Rab9, tau, and phosphorylated form of tau by immunostaining 5XFAD mice in comparison with the wild-type age-matched mice brain. The cortical region of 5XFAD mice brain showed accumulated form of Rab7a in puncta that co-label for p-Tau, indicating colocalization by using confocal laser-scanning microscopy and was confirmed by using reverse co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, synthetic RNA (siRNA) against the Rab7a gene decreased expression of Rab7a protein, in cortical primary neuronal cultures of PrPC wild type. This depleted expression of Rab7a led to the increased accumulation of PrPC in Rab9-positive endosomal compartments and consequently an increased co-localization between PrPC/Rab9; however, total tau level decreased. Interestingly, siRNA against tau gene in cortical primary neuronal cultures of PrPC wild-type mice showed enhanced Rab7a and Rab9 expression and increase formation of dendritic spines. The work described highlighted the selective involvement of late endosomal compartment marker Rab7a in CJD, slow and rapid progressive forms of AD pathogenesis.
Collapse
|