Acetylcholinesterase and human cancers

Choline metabolism reprogramming mediates an immunosuppressive microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by promoting tumor-associated macrophage functional polarization and endothelial cell proliferation

INTRODUCTION

Lung cancer is a prevalent malignancy globally, and immunotherapy has revolutionized its treatment. However, resistance to immunotherapy remains a challenge. Abnormal cholinesterase (ChE) activity and choline metabolism are associated with tumor oncogenesis, progression, and poor prognosis in multiple cancers. Yet, the precise mechanism underlying the relationship between ChE, choline metabolism and tumor immune microenvironment in lung cancer, and the response and resistance of immunotherapy still unclear.

METHODS

Firstly, 277 advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving first-line immunotherapy in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were enrolled in the study. Pretreatment and the alteration of ChE after 2 courses of immunotherapy and survival outcomes were collected. Kaplan-Meier survival and cox regression analysis were performed, and nomogram was conducted to identify the prognostic and predicted values. Secondly, choline metabolism-related genes were screened using Cox regression, and a prognostic model was constructed. Functional enrichment analysis and immune microenvironment analysis were also conducted. Lastly, to gain further insights into potential mechanisms, single-cell analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Firstly, baseline high level ChE and the elevation of ChE after immunotherapy were significantly associated with better survival outcomes for advanced NSCLC. Constructed nomogram based on the significant variables from the multivariate Cox analysis performed well in discrimination and calibration. Secondly, 4 choline metabolism-related genes (MTHFD1, PDGFB, PIK3R3, CHKB) were screened and developed a risk signature that was found to be related to a poorer prognosis. Further analysis revealed that the choline metabolism-related genes signature was associated with immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, immune escape and metabolic reprogramming. scRNA-seq showed that MTHFD1 was specifically distributed in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), mediating the differentiation and immunosuppressive functions of macrophages, which may potentially impact endothelial cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights the discovery of ChE as a prognostic marker in advanced NSCLC, suggesting its potential for identifying patients who may benefit from immunotherapy. Additionally, we developed a prognostic signature based on choline metabolism-related genes, revealing the correlation with the immunosuppressive microenvironment and uncovering the role of MTHFD1 in macrophage differentiation and endothelial cell proliferation, providing insights into the intricate workings of choline metabolism in NSCLC pathogenesis.

Terpenoids from Alpinia galanga and their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity

A new labdane diterpene (1), two new norsesquiterpenoids (2-3), as well as eight known terpenoids (4-11) were isolated from the seeds of Alpinia galanga (Zingiberaceae). Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by 1D, 2D NMR, MS, and comparison of their experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of all the isolated compounds (1-11) were evaluated and the result showed that compounds 6 and 9 had inhibitory activity against AChE, with IC50 values at 295.70 and 183.91 μM, whereas other compounds did not show any inhibitory activity.

Acetylcholinesterase enzyme among cancer patients a potential diagnostic and prognostic indicator a multicenter case-control study

Acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) activity is impaired by a variety of inhibitors including organophosphorus pesticides, leading to the accumulation of acetylcholine. In this study, we aimed to determine the association between cancer and the blood level of the (AChE). This is a multicenter hospital-based case-control study conducted in the Radiation and Isotopes Center Khartoum, and Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Biology and Oncology Gezira. One hundred and fifty participants, half of them cancer patients and half cancer free were recruited. All participants were screened for demographic, environmental, occupational, and clinical characteristics. Blood for the (AChE) activity test was drawn from participants in the two groups. The mean age of the participants was 40.6 ± 14.8 years. Geographical distribution showed the Central Region of Sudan had the highest rate of cancer, followed by North State, Khartoum State, West State, and East State. The most common tumor subtype was breast cancer, followed by leukemia, colon, esophageal, and prostate cancer. Inferential analysis revealed significantly impaired (AChE) activity among cancer patients compared to controls (53.4 ± 20.3% vs. 93.8 ± 8.8, p-value 0.001). There was a significant statistical association between impaired (AChE) activity and cancer. (AChE) activity might be applied in the future as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. Further large sample and molecular studies are recommended.

Identification of a 2-phenylthiazole derivative acetylcholinesterase modulator with in vitro antitumor activity in breast cancer cells

Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) is a serine hydrolase with classical function to degrade acetylcholine and terminate neurotransmission. While "nonclassical" functions of AchE were involved in cell growth, death, invasion, etc. The expression and activity of AchE is changed in tumors, suggesting AChE inhibitors (AchEIs) may serve as potential antitumor drugs. In this study, the antitumor activity of a series of 2-phenylthiazole derivatives originally designed and synthesized as AchEIs were investigated. One compound named A6, was screened out with superior antitumor efficacy, especially against breast cancer MCF-7 cells. A6 significantly disrupted the amino acid metabolism and inhibited migration of MCF-7. In addition, A6 induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. To clarify how A6 affected on MCF-7 cells, RNA-seq analysis was conducted to evaluate the whole genome effect of A6 on gene expression. A total of 153 genes were increased, and the expression of 81 genes was decreased. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed A6 treatment mainly disrupted sterol/cholesterol pathway, Ras signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, etc. Moreover, bioinformatic analysis and cell viability test showed A6 plays anticancer role by regulating Best1 and HIST1H2BJ. These results indicate that AchEI A6 could be a potential antitumor agent for breast cancer patients and could help the development of novel therapies.

Changes in the Acetylcholinesterase Enzymatic Activity in Tumor Development and Progression

Acetylcholinesterase is a well-known protein because of the relevance of its enzymatic activity in the hydrolysis of acetylcholine in nerve transmission. In addition to the catalytic action, it exerts non-catalytic functions; one is associated with apoptosis, in which acetylcholinesterase could significantly impact the survival and aggressiveness observed in cancer. The participation of AChE as part of the apoptosome could explain the role in tumors, since a lower AChE content would increase cell survival due to poor apoptosome assembly. Likewise, the high Ach content caused by the reduction in enzymatic activity could induce cell survival mediated by the overactivation of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) that activate anti-apoptotic pathways. On the other hand, in tumors in which high enzymatic activity has been observed, AChE could be playing a different role in the aggressiveness of cancer; in this review, we propose that AChE could have a pro-inflammatory role, since the high enzyme content would cause a decrease in ACh, which has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, as discussed in this review. In this review, we analyze the changes that the enzyme could display in different tumors and consider the different levels of regulation that the acetylcholinesterase undergoes in the control of epigenetic changes in the mRNA expression and changes in the enzymatic activity and its molecular forms. We focused on explaining the relationship between acetylcholinesterase expression and its activity in the biology of various tumors. We present up-to-date knowledge regarding this fascinating enzyme that is positioned as a remarkable target for cancer treatment.

Vincamine, from an antioxidant and a cerebral vasodilator to its anticancer potential

Vincamine is a naturally occurring indole alkaloid showing antioxidant activity and has been used clinically for the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular disorders and insufficiencies. It has been well documented that antioxidants may contribute to cancer treatment, and thus, vincamine has been investigated recently for its potential antitumor activity. Vincamine was found to show cancer cell cytotoxicity and to modulate several important proteins involved in tumor growth, including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and T-box 3 (TBX3). Several bisindole alkaloids, including vinblastine and vincristine and their synthetic derivatives, vindesine, vinflunine, and vinorelbine, have been used as clinically effective cancer chemotherapeutic agents. In the present review, the discovery and development of vincamine as a useful therapeutic agent and its antioxidant and antitumor activity are summarized, with its antioxidant-related mechanisms of anticancer potential being described. Also, discussed herein are the design of the potential vincamine-based oncolytic agents, which could contribute to the discovery of further new agents for cancer treatment.

Transcriptome-based analyses reveal venom diversity in two araneomorph spiders, Psechrus triangulus and Hippasa lycosina

The spiders Psechrus triangulus and Hippasa lycosina are widely distributed in Yunnan Province, China, and are important natural enemies of agricultural pests, yet studies regarding the composition of their venom are lacking. In this study, cDNA libraries were constructed from venom gland tissue of P. triangulus and H. lycosina and used for transcriptomic analysis. From the analysis, 39 and 31 toxin-like sequences were predicted for P. triangulus and H. lycosina, respectively. The predicted neurotoxin sequences were categorized according to cysteine sequence motifs, and the predicted neurotoxin sequences of P. triangulus and H. lycosina could be classified into 9 and 6 toxin families, respectively. In addition, potential acetylcholinesterase, hyaluronidase, and astaxanthin-like metalloproteinases were identified through annotation. In summary, transcriptomic techniques were invaluable in mining the gene expression information from these two spider species to explore the toxin composition of their venom and determine how they differ. Studies of this type provide essential baseline data for studying the evolution and physiological activities of spider toxins and for the potential development of medicinal compounds.

Recent advancements in non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor development for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides in food and environment

Organophosphorus Pesticides (OPPs) are among the extensively used pesticides throughout the world to boost agricultural production. However, persistent residues of these toxic pesticides in various vegetables, fruits, and drinking water poses detrimental health effects. Consequently, the rapid monitoring of these harmful chemicals through simple and cost-effective methods has become crucial. In such an instance, electrochemical methods offer simple, rapid, sensitive, reproducible, and affordable detection pathways. To overcome the limitations associated with electrochemical enzymatic sensors, non-enzymatic sensors have emerged as promising and simpler alternatives. The non-enzymatic sensors have demonstrated superior activity, reaching detection limit up to femto (10-15) molar concentration in recent years, leveraging higher selectivity obtained through the molecularly imprinted polymers, synergistic effects between carbonaceous nanomaterials and metals, metal oxide alloys, and other alternative approaches. Herein, this review paper provides an overview of the recent advancements in the development of non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors for the detection of commonly used OPPs, such as Chlorpyrifos (CHL), Diazinon (DZN), Malathion (MTN), Methyl parathion (MP) and Fenthion (FEN). The design method of the electrodes, electrode functioning mechanism, and their analytical performance metrics, such as limit of detection, sensitivity, selectivity, and linearity range, were reviewed and compared. Furthermore, the existing challenges within this rapidly growing field were discussed along with their potential solutions which will facilitate the fabrication of advanced and sustainable non-enzymatic sensors in the future.

The human acetylcholinesterase C-terminal T30 peptide activates neuronal growth through alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and the mTOR pathway

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a highly conserved enzyme responsible for the regulation of acetylcholine signaling within the brain and periphery. AChE has also been shown to participate in non-enzymatic activity and contribute to cellular development and aging. In particular, enzymatic cleavage of the synaptic AChE isoform, AChE-T, is shown to generate a bioactive T30 peptide that binds to the ⍺7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) at synapses. Here, we explore intracellular mechanisms of T30 signaling within the human cholinergic neural cell line SH-SY5Y using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Proteomic analysis of cells exposed to (100 nM) T30 for 3-days reveals significant changes within proteins important for cell growth. Specifically, bioinformatic analysis identifies proteins that converge onto the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway signaling. Functional experiments confirm that T30 regulates neural cell growth via mTOR signaling and ⍺7 nAChR activation. T30 was found promote mTORC1 pro-growth signaling through an increase in phosphorylated elF4E and S6K1, and a decrease in the autophagy LC3B-II protein. These findings are corroborated in hippocampal neurons and show that T30 promotes dendritic arborization. Taken together, our findings define mTOR as a novel pathway activated by T30 interaction with the nAChR and suggest a role for this process in human disease.

Deciphering the Role of Melatonin-Related Signatures in Tumor Immunity and the Prognosis of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Methods

Adopting multiomics data from TCGA and other public datasets, we analysed the expression, mutation, and prognostic evaluation in multiple cancers. ccRCC patients were categorized into two subgroups by an unsupervised cluster algorithm: melatonin-pattern cancer subtype 1 (MPCS1) and subtype 2 (MPCS2). We then explored the immune microenvironment, immune therapy response, and tumor metabolic pathways between the two subtypes. The clinical characteristics, genomic mutation landscape, and molecular inhibitor response were further investigated. Finally, a melatonin regulator-related prognostic model was constructed to predict patient prognosis in ccRCC.

Results

We found that melatonin regulators were dysregulated depending on distinct cancer types, which were associated with genomic variation. The two subtypes indicated different clinical characteristics and biological processes in ccRCC. MPCS2, an aggressive subtype, led an advanced clinical stage and poorer survival of ccRCC patients. The activated oncogenic signaling pathway and metabolic signatures were responsible for cancer progression in the MPCS2 subtype. The MPCS2 subgroup suggested a higher tumor mutational burden and immune dysfunction state, resulting in a lower response to immunotherapy. The copy number variations of MPCS2 were significantly more frequent than those of MPCS1. In addition, the two subgroups exhibited distinct drug responsiveness, with MPCS2 being less responsive to multiple drugs. Finally, we established a subtype biomarker-based prognostic risk model that exhibited satisfactory performance in ccRCC patients.

Conclusion

Melatonin regulator-related features could remodel functional pathways and the tumor immune microenvironment through genomic mutations and pathway regulation. Melatonin regulator-associated molecular subtypes enhance the understanding of the molecular characteristics of renal cancer and can guide clinical treatment. Activating the melatonergic system axis may improve the effect of immunotherapy for ccRCC.

A Cobalt-Containing Compound as a Stronger Inhibitor than Galantamine to Inhibit Acetylcholinesterase Activity: A New Drug Candidate for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

Background: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) regulates the transmission of neural messages by hydrolyzing acetylcholine in synaptic spaces. Objective: The effects of many AChE inhibitors have been evaluated in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, but the present study examined a synthetic complex containing cobalt (SC) for the first time in the field of enzyme activity to evaluate enzyme inhibitory function. Methods: Ellman’s test was applied. AChE function was assessed in the presence of SC through docking and molecular dynamics analyses. The second structure of AChE was studied through circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Results: Several enzymatic methods were utilized for the kinetics of AChE, which indicated the non-Michaelis and positive homotropic behavior of AChE in the absence of inhibitors (Hill coefficient = 1.33). However, the existence of inhibitors did not eliminate this homotropic state, and even AChE had a more sigmoidal shape than the galantamine at the presence of SC. Based on the CD spectroscopy results, AChE structure changed in the existence of inhibitors and substrates. Bioinformatics analysis revealed SC bonding to the channel of active site AChE. The number of hydrogen bonds was such that the flexibility of the enzyme protein structure due to inhibitor binding reduced AChE function. Conclusion: The results reflected that AChE exhibited a non-Michaelis and positive homotropic behavior, leading to a more inhibitory effect on the SC than the galantamine. The positive homotropic behavior of AChE was intensified due to the alteration in AChE protein structure by binding SC to hydrophobic region in the active site pathway and impressing Trp84.