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Wu X, Chen D, Li M, Liang G, Ye H. UCK2 promotes intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma progression and desensitizes cisplatin treatment by PI3K/AKT/mTOR/autophagic axis. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:375. [PMID: 39179560 PMCID: PMC11344076 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02140-x] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a highly aggressive tumor with extremely poor prognosis due to the low resection rate, high recurrence rate and drug resistance. Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) is proved to promote progression and drug resistance of various carcinomas by regulating pyrimidine metabolism. However, the role of UCK2 in progression and drug resistance of iCCA was largely unclear. Gene expression matrices were obtained from public database and were verified by qRT-PCR using tumor sample from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Knockdown and overexpression of UCK2 were used to evaluate the effects of UCK2 on carcinogenesis and cisplatin response in iCCA. CCK8-kit assays and plate clone formation assays were performed to detect the effect of UCK2 on proliferative activity of tumor cells. Western blotting was performed to investigate protein level of UCK2 and the relevant biomarkers of PI3K/AKT/mTOR/autophagic axis. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by using wound-healing and transwell assays. UCK2 expression was detected elevated in iCCA tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Biologically, overexpression of UCK2 can promote proliferation of iCCA cells, and desensitizes iCCA to cisplatin in both in vivo and in vitro models. Mechanistically, UCK2 promote iCCA progression and cisplatin resistance through inhibition of autophagy by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Clinically, higher UCK2 expression in iCCA tumor was associated with aggressive tumor features, poorer survival and lower sensitivity of chemotherapy. UCK2 promotes iCCA progression and desensitizes cisplatin treatment by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR/autophagic axis. UCK2 exhibited potential as a biomarker in predicting prognosis and drug sensitivity of iCCA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiwen Wu
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Da Chen
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Muqi Li
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China
| | - Gehao Liang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
| | - Huizhen Ye
- Staff and Faculty Clinic, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
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2
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Laybourn HA, Hellemann Polhaus C, Kristensen C, Lyngfeldt Henriksen B, Zhang Y, Brogaard L, Larsen CA, Trebbien R, Larsen LE, Kalogeropoulos K, Auf dem Keller U, Skovgaard K. Multi-omics analysis reveals the impact of influenza a virus host adaptation on immune signatures in pig tracheal tissue. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1432743. [PMID: 39247193 PMCID: PMC11378526 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1432743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Influenza A virus (IAV) infection is a global respiratory disease, which annually leads to 3-5 million cases of severe illness, resulting in 290,000-650,000 deaths. Additionally, during the past century, four global IAV pandemics have claimed millions of human lives. The epithelial lining of the trachea plays a vital role during IAV infection, both as point of viral entry and replication as well as in the antiviral immune response. Tracheal tissue is generally inaccessible from human patients, which makes animal models crucial for the study of the tracheal host immune response. Method In this study, pigs were inoculated with swine- or human-adapted H1N1 IAV to gain insight into how host adaptation of IAV shapes the innate immune response during infection. In-depth multi-omics analysis (global proteomics and RNA sequencing) of the host response in upper and lower tracheal tissue was conducted, and results were validated by microfluidic qPCR. Additionally, a subset of samples was selected for histopathological examination. Results A classical innate antiviral immune response was induced in both upper and lower trachea after infection with either swine- or human-adapted IAV with upregulation of genes and higher abundance of proteins associated with viral infection and recognition, accompanied by a significant induction of interferon stimulated genes with corresponding higher proteins concentrations. Infection with the swine-adapted virus induced a much stronger immune response compared to infection with a human-adapted IAV strain in the lower trachea, which could be a consequence of a higher viral load and a higher degree of inflammation. Discussion Central components of the JAK-STAT pathway, apoptosis, pyrimidine metabolism, and the cytoskeleton were significantly altered depending on infection with swine- or human-adapted virus and might be relevant mechanisms in relation to antiviral immunity against putative zoonotic IAV. Based on our findings, we hypothesize that during host adaptation, IAV evolve to modulate important host cell elements to favor viral infectivity and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Aagaard Laybourn
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Charlotte Kristensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Yaolei Zhang
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Genomics, BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao, China
| | - Louise Brogaard
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Cathrine Agnete Larsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ramona Trebbien
- Department of Virus and Microbiological Special Diagnostics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Erik Larsen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Ulrich Auf dem Keller
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kerstin Skovgaard
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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3
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Chen L, Ma J, Xu W, Shen F, Yang Z, Sonne C, Dietz R, Li L, Jie X, Li L, Yan G, Zhang X. Comparative transcriptome and methylome of polar bears, giant and red pandas reveal diet-driven adaptive evolution. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13731. [PMID: 38894980 PMCID: PMC11183199 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the evolution of species adaptations, yet little information is available on the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the adaptive evolution of bamboo-eating in both giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and red pandas (Ailurus fulgens). To investigate the potential contribution of epigenetic to the adaptive evolution of bamboo-eating in giant and red pandas, we performed hepatic comparative transcriptome and methylome analyses between bamboo-eating pandas and carnivorous polar bears (Ursus maritimus). We found that genes involved in carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid, and protein metabolism showed significant differences in methylation and expression levels between the two panda species and polar bears. Clustering analysis of gene expression revealed that giant pandas did not form a sister group with the more closely related polar bears, suggesting that the expression pattern of genes in livers of giant pandas and red pandas have evolved convergently driven by their similar diets. Compared to polar bears, some key genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and biological oxidation and cholesterol synthesis showed hypomethylation and higher expression in giant and red pandas, while genes involved in fat digestion and absorption, fatty acid metabolism, lysine degradation, resistance to lipid peroxidation and detoxification showed hypermethylation and low expression. Our study elucidates the special nutrient utilization mechanism of giant pandas and red pandas and provides some insights into the molecular mechanism of their adaptive evolution of bamboo feeding. This has important implications for the breeding and conservation of giant pandas and red pandas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jinnan Ma
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- College of Continuing EducationYunnan Normal UniversityKunmingChina
| | - Wencai Xu
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Fujun Shen
- Sichuan Key Laboratory for Conservation Biology of Endangered WildlifeChengdu Research Base of Giant Panda BreedingChengduChina
| | | | - Christian Sonne
- Arctic Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of EcoscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Arctic Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of EcoscienceAarhus UniversityRoskildeDenmark
| | - Linzhu Li
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiaodie Jie
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Lu Li
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Guoqiang Yan
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xiuyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of bio‐Resources and eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life ScienceSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, College of Life SciencesSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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4
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Li Y, Jiang M, Wei Y, He X, Li G, Lu C, Ge D. Integrative Analyses of Pyrimidine Salvage Pathway-Related Genes Revealing the Associations Between UPP1 and Tumor Microenvironment. J Inflamm Res 2024; 17:101-119. [PMID: 38204987 PMCID: PMC10777732 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s440295] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The pyrimidine salvage pathway plays a critical role in tumor progression and patient outcomes. The roles of pyrimidine salvage pathway-related genes (PSPGs) in cancer, however, are not fully understood. This study aims to depict the characteristics of PSPGs across various cancers. Methods An integrative pan-cancer analysis of six PSPGs (CDA, UCK1, UCK2, UCKL1, UPP1, and UPP2) was conducted using TCGA data, single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, and patient samples. Single-cell transcriptome analysis and RT-qPCR were used to validate the relation between UPP1 and cytokines. Flow cytometry was performed to validate the role of UPP1 in immune checkpoint regulation. The correlation between UPP1 and tumor associated neutrophils (TAN) were investigated and validated by single-cell transcriptome analysis and tissue microarrays (TMAs). Results PSPGs showed low mutation rates but significant copy number variations, particularly amplifications in UCKL1, UPP1, and UCK2 across various cancers. DNA methylation patterns varied, with notable negative correlations between methylation and gene expression in UPP1. PSPGs were broadly up-regulated in multiple cancers, with correlations to clinical staging and prognosis. Proteomic data further confirmed these findings. Functional analysis revealed PSPGs' associations with tumor proliferation, metastasis, and various signaling pathways. UPP1 showed strong correlations with the tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly with cytokines, immune checkpoints, and various immune cells. Single-cell transcriptome analysis confirmed these associations, highlighting UPP1's influence on cytokine expression and immune checkpoint regulation. In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), UPP1-high tumor cells were significantly associated with immunosuppressive cells in the TME. Spatial analysis using TMAs revealed that UPP1+ tumor cells were predominantly located at the invasive margin and closely associated with neutrophils, correlating with poorer patient prognosis. Conclusion Our study depicted the multi-dimensional view of PSPGs in cancer, with a particular focus on UPP1's role in the TME. Targeting UPP1 holds promise as a potential strategy for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Manling Jiang
- Laboratory of Allergy and Precision Medicine, Chengdu Institute of Respiratory Health, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science & Technology, Taipa, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Yongqi Wei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiang He
- Laboratory of Allergy and Precision Medicine, Chengdu Institute of Respiratory Health, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guoping Li
- Laboratory of Allergy and Precision Medicine, Chengdu Institute of Respiratory Health, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong University, The Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chunlai Lu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Di Ge
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Kleiner RE. Chemical Approaches To Investigate Post-transcriptional RNA Regulation. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:1684-1697. [PMID: 37540831 PMCID: PMC11031734 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
RNA plays a central role in biological processes, and its activity is regulated by a host of diverse chemical and biochemical mechanisms including post-transcriptional modification and interactions with RNA-binding proteins. Here, we describe our efforts to illuminate RNA biology through the application of chemical tools, focusing on post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. We describe the development of an activity-based protein profiling approach for discovery and characterization of RNA-modifying enzymes. Next, we highlight novel approaches for RNA imaging based upon metabolic labeling with modified nucleosides and engineering of the nucleotide salvage pathway. Finally, we discuss profiling RNA-protein interactions using small molecule-dependent RNA editing and synthetic photo-cross-linkable oligonucleotide probes. Our work provides enabling technologies for deciphering the complexity of RNA and its diverse functions in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph E. Kleiner
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA 08544
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6
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Girish V, Lakhani AA, Scaduto CM, Thompson SL, Brown LM, Hagenson RA, Sausville EL, Mendelson BE, Lukow DA, Yuan ML, Kandikuppa PK, Stevens EC, Lee SN, Salovska B, Li W, Smith JC, Taylor AM, Martienssen RA, Liu Y, Sun R, Sheltzer JM. Oncogene-like addiction to aneuploidy in human cancers. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.09.523344. [PMID: 36711674 PMCID: PMC9882055 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Most cancers exhibit aneuploidy, but its functional significance in tumor development is controversial. Here, we describe ReDACT (Restoring Disomy in Aneuploid cells using CRISPR Targeting), a set of chromosome engineering tools that allow us to eliminate specific aneuploidies from cancer genomes. Using ReDACT, we created a panel of isogenic cells that have or lack common aneuploidies, and we demonstrate that trisomy of chromosome 1q is required for malignant growth in cancers harboring this alteration. Mechanistically, gaining chromosome 1q increases the expression of MDM4 and suppresses TP53 signaling, and we show that TP53 mutations are mutually-exclusive with 1q aneuploidy in human cancers. Thus, specific aneuploidies play essential roles in tumorigenesis, raising the possibility that targeting these "aneuploidy addictions" could represent a novel approach for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishruth Girish
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Monet Lou Yuan
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | | | | | - Sophia N. Lee
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | | | - Wenxue Li
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Joan C. Smith
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | | | - Robert A. Martienssen
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Yansheng Liu
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Ruping Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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7
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Mullen NJ, Thakur R, Shukla SK, Chaika NV, Kollala SS, Wang D, He C, Fujii Y, Sharma S, Mulder SE, Sykes DB, Singh PK. ENT1 blockade by CNX-774 overcomes resistance to DHODH inhibition in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2023; 552:215981. [PMID: 36341997 PMCID: PMC10305837 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitors of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), a key enzyme for de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides, have failed in clinical trials for various cancers despite robust efficacy in preclinical animal models. To probe for druggable mediators of DHODH inhibitor resistance, we performed a combination screen with a small molecule library against pancreatic cancer cell lines that are highly resistant to the DHODH inhibitor brequinar (BQ). The screen revealed that CNX-774, a preclinical Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, sensitizes resistant cell lines to BQ. Mechanistic studies showed that this effect is independent of BTK and instead results from inhibition of equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) by CNX-774. We show that ENT1 mediates BQ resistance by taking up extracellular uridine, which is salvaged to generate pyrimidine nucleotides in a DHODH-independent manner. In BQ-resistant cell lines, BQ monotherapy slowed proliferation and caused modest pyrimidine nucleotide depletion, whereas combination treatment with BQ and CNX-774 led to profound cell viability loss and pyrimidine starvation. We also identify N-acetylneuraminic acid accumulation as a potential marker of the therapeutic efficacy of DHODH inhibitors. In an aggressive, immunocompetent pancreatic cancer mouse model, combined targeting of DHODH and ENT1 dramatically suppressed tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival. Overall, our study defines CNX-774 as a previously uncharacterized ENT1 inhibitor and provides strong proof of concept support for dual targeting of DHODH and ENT1 in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Mullen
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Ravi Thakur
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Surendra K Shukla
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Nina V Chaika
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Sai Sundeep Kollala
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Dezhen Wang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Chunbo He
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Yuki Fujii
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Shikhar Sharma
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA
| | - Scott E Mulder
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - David B Sykes
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA; Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73014, USA; OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
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8
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Wu D, Zhang C, Liao G, Leng K, Dong B, Yu Y, Tai H, Huang L, Luo F, Zhang B, Zhan T, Hu Q, Tai S. Targeting uridine-cytidine kinase 2 induced cell cycle arrest through dual mechanism and could improve the immune response of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2022; 27:105. [PMID: 36447138 PMCID: PMC9707060 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-022-00403-y] [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: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pyrimidine metabolism is critical for tumour progression. Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), a key regulator of pyrimidine metabolism, is elevated during hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and exhibits carcinogenic effects. However, the key mechanism of UCK2 promoting HCC and the therapeutic value of UCK2 are still undefined. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of UCK2 as a therapeutic target for HCC. METHODS Gene expression matrices were obtained from public databases. RNA-seq, co-immunoprecipitation and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation were used to determine the mechanism of UCK2 promoting HCC. Immune cell infiltration level and immune-related functional scores were evaluated to assess the link between tumour microenvironment and UCK2. RESULTS In HCC, the expression of UCK2 was upregulated in part by TGFβ1 stimulation. UCK2 promoted cell cycle progression of HCC by preventing the degradation of mTOR protein and maintaining the stability of PDPK1 mRNA. We also identified UCK2 as a novel RNA-binding protein. Downregulation of UCK2 induced cell cycle arrest and activated the TNFα/NFκB signalling pathway-related senescence-associated secretory phenotype to modify the tumour microenvironment. Additionally, UCK2 was a biomarker of the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Downregulated UCK2 induced a secretory phenotype, which could improve the microenvironment, and decreased UCK2 remodelling metabolism could lower the resistance of tumour cells to T-cell-mediated killing. CONCLUSIONS Targeting UCK2 inhibits HCC progression and could improve the response to immunotherapy in patients with HCC. Our study suggests that UCK2 could be an ideal target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehai Wu
- grid.412463.60000 0004 1762 6325Department of Hepatic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, #246Xuefu Road, Harbin, 150086 Heilongjiang China
| | - Congyi Zhang
- grid.412463.60000 0004 1762 6325Department of Hepatic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, #246Xuefu Road, Harbin, 150086 Heilongjiang China
| | - Guanqun Liao
- grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Foshan Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University, Foshan, 528000 China
| | - Kaiming Leng
- grid.415468.a0000 0004 1761 4893Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, 266071 China
| | - Bowen Dong
- grid.410736.70000 0001 2204 9268Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081 China
| | - Yang Yu
- grid.412463.60000 0004 1762 6325Department of Hepatic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, #246Xuefu Road, Harbin, 150086 Heilongjiang China
| | - Huilin Tai
- McGill Mathematics and Statistics Department, Montreal, Canada
| | - Lining Huang
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215008 China
| | - Feng Luo
- grid.412463.60000 0004 1762 6325Department of Hepatic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, #246Xuefu Road, Harbin, 150086 Heilongjiang China
| | - Bin Zhang
- grid.412463.60000 0004 1762 6325Department of Hepatic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, #246Xuefu Road, Harbin, 150086 Heilongjiang China
| | - Tiexiang Zhan
- grid.511083.e0000 0004 7671 2506Department of Intensive Care Unit, Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 528406 China
| | - Qiuhui Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Cancer Hospital of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150088 China
| | - Sheng Tai
- grid.412463.60000 0004 1762 6325Department of Hepatic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, #246Xuefu Road, Harbin, 150086 Heilongjiang China
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9
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Matchett EC, Ambrose EC, Kornbluth J. Characterization of uridine-cytidine kinase like-1 nucleoside kinase activity and its role in tumor growth. Biochem J 2022; 479:1149-1164. [PMID: 35583288 PMCID: PMC9246348 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Uridine-cytidine kinase like-1 (UCKL-1) is a largely uncharacterized protein with high sequence similarity to other uridine-cytidine kinases (UCKs). UCKs play an important role in the pyrimidine salvage pathway, catalyzing the phosphorylation of uridine and cytidine to UMP and CMP, respectively. Only two human UCKs have been identified, UCK1 and UCK2. Previous studies have shown both enzymes phosphorylate uridine and cytidine using ATP as the phosphate donor. No studies have evaluated the kinase potential of UCKL-1. We cloned and purified UCKL-1 and found that it successfully phosphorylated uridine and cytidine using ATP as the phosphate donor. The catalytic efficiency (calculated as kcat/KM) was 1.2 × 104 s-1, M-1 for uridine and 0.7 × 104 s-1, M-1 for cytidine. Our lab has previously shown that UCKL-1 is up-regulated in tumor cells, providing protection against natural killer (NK) cell killing activity. We utilized small interfering RNA (siRNA) to down-regulate UCKL-1 in vitro and in vivo to determine the effect of UCKL-1 on tumor growth and metastasis. The down-regulation of UCKL-1 in YAC-1 lymphoma cells in vitro resulted in decreased cell counts and increased apoptotic activity. Down-regulation of UCKL-1 in K562 leukemia cells in vivo led to decreased primary tumor growth and less tumor cell dissemination and metastasis. These results identify UCKL-1 as a bona fide pyrimidine kinase with the therapeutic potential to be a target for tumor growth inhibition and for diminishing or preventing metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Matchett
- Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | - Elise C. Ambrose
- Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
| | - Jacki Kornbluth
- Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
- VA St. Louis Health Care System, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A
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10
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Fu Y, Wei XD, Guo L, Wu K, Le J, Ma Y, Kong X, Tong Y, Wu H. The Metabolic and Non-Metabolic Roles of UCK2 in Tumor Progression. Front Oncol 2022; 12:904887. [PMID: 35669416 PMCID: PMC9163393 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.904887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhanced nucleoside metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) is a rate-limiting enzyme of the pyrimidine salvage synthesis pathway to phosphorylate uridine and cytidine to uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cytidine monophosphate (CMP), respectively. Recent studies have shown that UCK2 is overexpressed in many types of solid and hematopoietic cancers, closely associates with poor prognosis, and promotes cell proliferation and migration in lung cancer and HCCs. Although UCK2 is thought to catalyze sufficient nucleotide building blocks to support the rapid proliferation of tumor cells, we and other groups have recently demonstrated that UCK2 may play a tumor-promoting role in a catalytic independent manner by activating oncogenic signaling pathways, such as STAT3 and EGFR-AKT. By harnessing the catalytic activity of UCK2, several cytotoxic ribonucleoside analogs, such as TAS-106 and RX-3117, have been developed for UCK2-mediated cancer chemotherapy. Moreover, we have demonstrated that the concurrent targeting of the catalytic dependent and independent features of UCK2 could synergistically inhibit tumor growth. These findings suggest that UCK2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment. In this mini-review, we introduced the genomic localization and protein structure of UCK2, described the role of UCK2 in tumor development, discussed the application of UCK2 in anti-tumor treatment, and proposed concurrent targeting of the catalytic and non-catalytic roles of UCK2 as a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Fu
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-dong Wei
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Central Laboratory, Department of Liver Diseases, Institute of Clinical Immunology, ShuGuang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Luoting Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiamei Le
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yujie Ma
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoni Kong
- Central Laboratory, Department of Liver Diseases, Institute of Clinical Immunology, ShuGuang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Tong
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Hailong Wu, ; Ying Tong,
| | - Hailong Wu
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Hailong Wu, ; Ying Tong,
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11
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Wang M, Zhu J, Zhao F, Xiao J. Transcriptome Analyses Identify a Metabolic Gene Signature Indicative of Antitumor Immunosuppression of EGFR Wild Type Lung Cancers With Low PD-L1 Expression. Front Oncol 2021; 11:643503. [PMID: 34595103 PMCID: PMC8476909 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.643503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose With the development and application of targeted therapies like tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients have achieved remarkable survival benefits in recent years. However, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type and low expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) NSCLCs remain unmanageable. Few treatments for these patients exist, and more side effects with combination therapies have been observed. We intended to generate a metabolic gene signature that could successfully identify high-risk patients and reveal its underlying molecular immunology characteristics. Methods By identifying the bottom 50% PD-L1 expression level as PD-L1 low expression and removing EGFR mutant samples, a total of 640 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous carcinoma (LUSC) tumor samples and 93 adjacent non-tumor samples were finally extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We identified differentially expressed metabolic genes (DEMGs) by R package limma and the prognostic genes by Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. The intersect genes between DEMGs and prognostic genes were put into the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalty Cox regression analysis. The metabolic gene signature contained 18 metabolic genes generated and successfully stratified LUAD and LUSC patients into the high-risk and low-risk groups, which was also validated by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Its accuracy was proved by the time-dependent Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and nomogram. Furthermore, the Single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) and diverse acknowledged methods include XCELL, TIMER, QUANTISEQ, MCPcounter, EPIC, CIBERSORT-ABS, and CIBERSORT revealed its underlying antitumor immunosuppressive status. Besides, its relationship with somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) was also discussed. Results It is noteworthy that metabolism reprogramming is associated with the survival of the double-negative LUAD and LUSC patients. The SCNAs and TMB of critical metabolic genes can inhibit the antitumor immune process, which might be a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Geriatrics, Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fang Zhao
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, The People's Hospital of Tongliang District, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiani Xiao
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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12
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Wu H, Xu H, Jia D, Li T, Xia L. METTL3-induced UCK2 m 6A hypermethylation promotes melanoma cancer cell metastasis via the WNT/β-catenin pathway. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:1155. [PMID: 34430596 PMCID: PMC8350655 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-2906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Background Melanoma is a highly aggressive, malignant skin tumor with a statistically high mortality rate. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is involved in a variety of biological processes, including tumorigenesis. m6A modifications regulate the fate and functions of RNA, such as mRNA stability, nuclear processing, transport, localization, translation, primary microRNA (miRNA) processing, and RNA-protein interactions. Several members (including METTL3, METTL14, FTO, ALKBH5, and YTHDF2) are actively involved in a variety of human cancers. However, the basic mechanism of the involvement of uridine cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) in melanoma metastasis has not been studied. UCK2 is upregulated in a variety of malignancies. However, the complex molecular mechanisms and therapeutic effects of UCK2 in melanoma remain unclear. Methods The expression of UCK2 was evaluated by qRT-PCR. The effects of UCK2 on the biological characteristics of PC cells were investigated on the basis of loss-of-function analyses. Immunoprecipitation-qPCR (MeRIP-qPCR) was performed to identify the m6A targeted effect of UCK2 in melanoma cancer. Results Based on the bioinformatics analysis in this study, up-regulation of UCK2 could be essential in melanoma cancer, and associated with poor survival. Furthermore, the m6A modification regulated by METTL3 led to UCK2 increased messenger RNA (mRNA) stability in melanoma cancer. Functional and mechanistic experiments indicated that UCK2 enhanced the metastasis of melanoma cancer cells through the WNT/β-catenin pathway. Conclusion In this study, we found that m6A-METTL3 axis induced abnormal UCK2 expression plays a role in melanoma metastasis by enhancing the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which may provide new clues for melanoma metastasis. It also provides a potential target for the prevention and treatment of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Department of Bone and Soft-Tissue Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haochao Xu
- Department of Bone and Soft-Tissue Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dongdong Jia
- Department of Bone and Soft-Tissue Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Bone and Soft-Tissue Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liming Xia
- Department of Bone and Soft-Tissue Surgery, Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Cancer and Basic Medicine (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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13
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Cai J, Sun X, Guo H, Qu X, Huang H, Yu C, Wu H, Gao Y, Kong X, Xia Q. Non-metabolic role of UCK2 links EGFR-AKT pathway activation to metastasis enhancement in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncogenesis 2020; 9:103. [PMID: 33277463 PMCID: PMC7718876 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-020-00287-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Up-regulation of Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), a rate-limiting enzyme of the pyrimidine salvage pathway, has been suggested in HCC, but the detailed molecular mechanisms and therapic role of UCK2 remain elusive. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that UCK2 might be a key up-regulated metabolic gene in HCCs. The expressional pattern and prognostic value of UCK2 were further examined in a large number of clinical samples. Functional assays based on site-directed mutagenesis showed that UCK2 promoted cell proliferation in a metabolic manner, but non-catalytically facilitates HCC metastasis. Mechanistically, in response to EGF, UCK2 interacted with EGFR to block EGF-induced EGFR ubiquitination and degradation, which resulted in elevated EGFR-AKT pathway activation and metastasis enhancement in HCCs. Concurrent pharmacological targeting on UCK2 and EGFR showed synergistic effects on HCC treatment. This study disclosed the non-metabolic role of UCK2 and suggested the therapeutic potential of concurrent blocking the metabolic and non-metabolic roles of UCK2 in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Cai
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuehua Sun
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Department of Liver Diseases, Central Laboratory, ShuGuang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Guo
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoye Qu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongting Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chang Yu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hailong Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Research Center, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yueqiu Gao
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Department of Liver Diseases, Central Laboratory, ShuGuang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaoni Kong
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. .,Institute of Clinical Immunology, Department of Liver Diseases, Central Laboratory, ShuGuang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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14
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An optimized chemical-genetic method for cell-specific metabolic labeling of RNA. Nat Methods 2020; 17:311-318. [PMID: 32015544 PMCID: PMC8518020 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-019-0726-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tissues and organs are composed of diverse cell types, which poses a major challenge for cell-specific gene expression profiling. Current metabolic labeling methods rely on the inability of mammalian cells to incorporate exogenous pyrimidine analogs, which are then co-opted by ectopically-expressed enzymes. We demonstrate that mammalian cells can incorporate uracil analogs and characterize the enzymatic pathways responsible for high background incorporation. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel small-molecule/enzyme pair consisting of uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) and 2’-azidouridine (2’AzUd). We demonstrate that 2’AzUd is only incorporated in UCK2-expressing cells and characterize selectivity mechanisms using molecular dynamics and X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, this pair can be used to purify and track RNA from specific cellular populations, making it ideal for high-resolution cell-specific RNA labeling. Overall, these results reveal novel aspects of mammalian salvage pathways and serve as a new benchmark for designing, characterizing and evaluating cell-specific biomolecule labeling methodologies.
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15
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Wu Y, Jamal M, Xie T, Sun J, Song T, Yin Q, Li J, Pan S, Zeng X, Xie S, Zhang Q. Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2): A potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for lung cancer. Cancer Sci 2019; 110:2734-2747. [PMID: 31278886 PMCID: PMC6726693 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality among all cancers. Discovery of early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of lung cancer can greatly facilitate the survival rate and reduce its mortality. In our study, by analyzing Gene Expression Omnibus and Oncomine databases, we found a novel potential oncogene uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), which was overexpressed in lung tumor tissues compared to adjacent nontumor tissues or normal lung. Then we confirmed this finding in clinical samples. Specifically, UCK2 was identified as highly expressed in stage IA lung cancer with a high diagnostic accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve > 0.9). We also found that high UCK2 expression was related to poorer clinicopathological features, such as higher T stage and N stage and higher probability of early recurrence. Furthermore, we found that patients with high UCK2 expression had poorer first progression survival and overall survival than patients with low UCK2 expression. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that UCK2 was an independent risk factor related with worse DFS and OS. By gene set enrichment analysis, tumor-associated biological processes and signaling pathways were enriched in the UCK2 overexpression group, which indicated that UCK2 might play a vital role in lung cancer. Furthermore, in cytology experiments, we found that knockdown of UCK2 could suppress the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. In conclusion, our study indicated that UCK2 might be a potential early diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Wu
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Department of PathologyZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Muhammad Jamal
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Tian Xie
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Jiaxing Sun
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Tianbao Song
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Qian Yin
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Jingyuan Li
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Shan Pan
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Xingruo Zeng
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Songping Xie
- Department of Thoracic SurgeryRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Qiuping Zhang
- Department of ImmunologySchool of Basic Medical ScienceWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated DiseaseWuhan UniversityWuhanChina
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16
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Balboni B, El Hassouni B, Honeywell RJ, Sarkisjan D, Giovannetti E, Poore J, Heaton C, Peterson C, Benaim E, Lee YB, Kim DJ, Peters GJ. RX-3117 (fluorocyclopentenyl cytosine): a novel specific antimetabolite for selective cancer treatment. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2019; 28:311-322. [PMID: 30879349 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2019.1583742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION RX-3117 is an oral, small molecule cytidine analog anticancer agent with an improved pharmacological profile relative to gemcitabine and other nucleoside analogs. The agent has excellent activity against various cancer cell lines and xenografts including gemcitabine-resistant variants and it has excellent oral bioavailability; it is not a substrate for the degradation enzyme cytidine deaminase. RX-3117 is being evaluated at a daily oral schedule of 700 mg (5 days/week for 3 weeks) which results in plasma levels in the micromolar range that have been shown to be cytotoxic to cancer cells. It has shown clinical activity in refractory bladder cancer and pancreatic cancer. Areas covered: The review provides an overview of the relevant market and describes the mechanism of action, main pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic features and clinical development of this investigational small molecule. Expert opinion: RX-3117 is selectively activated by uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), which is expressed only in tumors and has a dual mechanism of action: DNA damage and inhibition of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). Because of its tumor selective activation, novel mechanism of action, excellent oral bioavailability and candidate biomarkers for patient selection, RX-3117 has the potential to replace gemcitabine in the treatment of a spectrum of cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Balboni
- a Department of Medical Oncology , Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center , Amsterdam , Netherlands
| | - Btissame El Hassouni
- a Department of Medical Oncology , Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center , Amsterdam , Netherlands
| | - Richard J Honeywell
- a Department of Medical Oncology , Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center , Amsterdam , Netherlands
| | - Dzjemma Sarkisjan
- a Department of Medical Oncology , Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center , Amsterdam , Netherlands
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- a Department of Medical Oncology , Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center , Amsterdam , Netherlands.,b Cancer Pharmacology Lab , Pisa , Italy
| | - Julie Poore
- c Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc , Rockville , MD , USA
| | - Callie Heaton
- c Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc , Rockville , MD , USA
| | | | - Ely Benaim
- c Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc , Rockville , MD , USA
| | - Young B Lee
- c Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc , Rockville , MD , USA
| | - Deog J Kim
- c Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc , Rockville , MD , USA
| | - Godefridus J Peters
- a Department of Medical Oncology , Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center , Amsterdam , Netherlands
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17
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Zhang Y, Kleiner RE. A Metabolic Engineering Approach to Incorporate Modified Pyrimidine Nucleosides into Cellular RNA. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:3347-3351. [PMID: 30735369 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b11449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The incorporation of modified nucleotides into RNA is a powerful strategy to probe RNA structure and function. While a wide variety of modified nucleotides can be incorporated into RNA in vitro using chemical or enzymatic synthesis, strategies for the metabolic incorporation of artificial nucleotides into cellular RNA are limited, largely due to the incompatibility of modified nucleobases and nucleosides with nucleotide salvage pathways. In this work, we develop a metabolic engineering strategy to facilitate the labeling of cellular RNA with noncanonical pyrimidine nucleosides. First, we use structure-based protein engineering to alter the substrate specificity of uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), a key enzyme in the pyrimidine nucleotide salvage pathway. Next, we show that expression of mutant UCK2 in HeLa and U2OS cells is sufficient to enable the incorporation of 5-azidomethyl uridine (5-AmU) into cellular RNA and promotes RNA labeling by other C5-modified pyrimidines. Finally, we apply UCK2-mediated RNA labeling with 5-AmU to study RNA trafficking and turnover during normal and stress conditions and find diminished RNA localization in the cytosol during arsenite stress. Taken together, our study provides a general strategy for the incorporation of modified pyrimidine nucleosides into cellular RNA and expands the chemical toolkit of modified bases for studying dynamic RNA behavior in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Chemistry , Princeton University , Princeton , New Jersey 08544 , United States
| | - Ralph E Kleiner
- Department of Chemistry , Princeton University , Princeton , New Jersey 08544 , United States
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18
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Huang S, Li J, Tam NL, Sun C, Hou Y, Hughes B, Wang Z, Zhou Q, He X, Wu L. Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 upregulation predicts poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with cancer aggressiveness. Mol Carcinog 2019; 58:603-615. [PMID: 30556610 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continue to have a dismal prognosis. Potential biomarkers to determine prognosis and select targeted therapies are urgently needed for patients with HCC. This study aimed to elucidate the role of UCK2 in HCC prognosis and tumor progression. We performed a screen of public databases to identify functional genes associated with HCC tumorigenesis, progression, and outcome. We identified uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) as a gene of interest for further study. UCK2 promoting HCC aggressiveness was demonstrated by evaluation of clinical samples, in vitro experiments, in vivo tumorigenicity, and transcript analysis. UCK2 expression was generally elevated in HCC and was significantly correlated with poor survival and inferior clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients. A multivariate analysis revealed that high UCK2 expression was an independent factor for poor prognosis. In HCC cell lines, UCK2 knockdown suppressed cell migration and invasion and inhibited cell proliferation, while UCK2 overexpression had an opposite effect. Animal model experiments confirmed that knockdown of UCK2 suppressed tumor growth in vivo. The bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that UCK2 might associated with metabolsim, splicesome, and adherens junction. UCK2 is highly associated with HCC malignant behavior and is a potential prognostic predictor for HCC patients in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanzhou Huang
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Li
- Deptartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The 5th Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Nga Lei Tam
- Department of Digestive Medicine Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengjun Sun
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuchen Hou
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bridget Hughes
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zekang Wang
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of General Surgery, Hui Ya Hospital of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoshun He
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linwei Wu
- Organ Transplant Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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19
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Involvement of the uridine cytidine kinase 2 enzyme in cancer cell death: A molecular crosstalk between the enzyme and cellular apoptosis induction. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 109:1506-1510. [PMID: 30551402 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is a series of molecular signalling regulating normal cellular growth and development. Cells resistance to apoptosis, however, leads to uncontrolled proliferation. Research involving cancer cell death is one of the most important targeted areas in the discovery of novel anticancer therapy. There are several biochemical pathways that are liked towards cancer cell death of which, uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) was recently linked to cell apoptosis induction. UCK2 is responsible for the phosphorylation of uridine and cytidine to their corresponding monophosphate in a salvage pathway of pyrimidine nucleotides biosynthesis. Cytotoxic ribonucleoside analogues that target UCK2 enzyme activity are currently being investigated in clinical trials useful for cancer treatment. Whilst findings have clearly shown that these antimetabolites inhibit cancer development in clinical settings, they have yet to establish linking cytotoxic nucleoside analogues to cancer cell death. In this present review, we propose the probable molecular crosstalk involving UCK2 protein and cancer cell death through cell cycle arrest and triggering of apoptosis involving proteins, MDM2 and the subsequent activation of p53.
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20
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Yu S, Li X, Guo X, Zhang H, Qin R, Wang M. UCK2 upregulation might serve as an indicator of unfavorable prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. IUBMB Life 2018; 71:105-112. [PMID: 30304569 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Uridine-cytidine kinases (encoded by UCK1, UCKL1, and UCK2) catalyze the phosphorylation of uridine and cytidine to uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cytidine monophosphate (CMP). In this study, using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we analyzed the expression profile of uridine-cytidine kinase genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), their prognostic value, and the epigenetic alterations associated with their dysregulation. Results showed that UCKL1 and UCK2, but not UCK1 were significantly upregulated in HCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Only UCK2 was significantly upregulated in the deceased group and the recurrence group, compared to the control groups. Multivariate analysis confirmed that increased UCK2 expression was an independent prognostic indicator of shorter overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.760, 95% CI: 1.398-2.216, P < 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR: 1.543, 95% CI: 1.232-1.933, P < 0.001). Two CpG sites (cg09277749 and cg21143899) were significantly hypomethylated in HCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues and were negatively correlated with UCK2 expression. However, survival analysis showed that only high methylation of cg0927774 was associated with better OS and RFS of HCC patients. Based on the findings above, we infer that UCK2 upregulation might be a valuable prognostic marker in HCC. The methylation of status cg0927774 might play a critical role in its expression. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):105-112, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Yu
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xu Li
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xingjun Guo
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hang Zhang
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Renyi Qin
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Löffler M, Carrey EA, Zameitat E. New perspectives on the roles of pyrimidines in the central nervous system. NUCLEOSIDES NUCLEOTIDES & NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 37:290-306. [PMID: 29693489 DOI: 10.1080/15257770.2018.1453076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Since 1956, when exogenous uridine and cytidine were found to be necessary for the maintenance of perfused rat brain function, the co-existence of de novo synthesis, salvage pathways and removal of pyrimidine bases in the CNS has been a controversial subject. Here, we review studies on metabolites and enzymes of pyrimidine metabolism through more than 60 years. In view of known and newly-described inherited pyrimidine and purine disorders - some with complex clinical profiles of neurological impairments - we underline the necessity to investigate how the different pathways work together in the developing brain and then sustain plasticity, regeneration and neuro-transmission in the adult CNS. Experimentally, early incorporation studies in animal brain slices and homogenates with radio-labelled nucleosides or precursors demonstrated salvage activity or de novo synthesis. Later, the nucleoside transporters and organic anionic transporters underlying uptake of metabolites and anti-pyrimidine drugs in the CNS were identified. Recently, the expression of de novo enzymes in glial cells and neurons was verified using (immuno) histochemical and in-situ-hybridization techniques. Adult brain was shown to take up or produce all pyrimidine (deoxy) ribonucleosides or, after uptake and phosphorolysis of nucleosides, to make use of ribose for different purposes, including energy. More recently, non-canonical pyrimidine bases (5mC, 5hmC) have been found most notably in brain, pointing to considerable postreplicative DNA metabolism, with the need for pyrimidine-specific enzymes. Even more perspectives are emerging, with advances in genome analysis and in the manipulation of expression from the gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Löffler
- a Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg , Marburg , Germany
| | - E A Carrey
- b Institute of Child Health, University College London , GB
| | - E Zameitat
- a Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg , Marburg , Germany
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Sarkisjan D, Julsing JR, Smid K, de Klerk D, van Kuilenburg ABP, Meinsma R, Lee YB, Kim DJ, Peters GJ. The Cytidine Analog Fluorocyclopentenylcytosine (RX-3117) Is Activated by Uridine-Cytidine Kinase 2. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162901. [PMID: 27612203 PMCID: PMC5017758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorocyclopentenylcytosine (RX-3117) is an orally available cytidine analog, currently in Phase I clinical trial. RX-3117 has promising antitumor activity in various human tumor xenografts including gemcitabine resistant tumors. RX-3117 is activated by uridine-cytidine kinase (UCK). Since UCK exists in two forms, UCK1 and UCK2, we investigated which form is responsible for RX-3117 phosphorylation. For that purpose we transfected A549 and SW1573 cell lines with UCK-siRNAs. Transfection of UCK1-siRNA efficiently downregulated UCK1-mRNA, but not UCK2-mRNA expression, and did not affect sensitivity to RX-3117. However, transfection of UCK2-siRNA completely downregulated UCK2-mRNA and protein and protected both A549 and SW1573 against RX-3117. UCK enzyme activity in two panels of tumor cell lines and xenograft cells correlated only with UCK2-mRNA expression (r = 0.803 and 0.915, respectively), but not with UCK1-mRNA. Moreover, accumulation of RX-3117 nucleotides correlated with UCK2 expression. In conclusion, RX-3117 is activated by UCK2 which may be used to select patients potentially sensitive to RX-3117.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dzjemma Sarkisjan
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joris R. Julsing
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kees Smid
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Daniël de Klerk
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - André B. P. van Kuilenburg
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rutger Meinsma
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, laboratory Genetic Metabolic Diseases, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Young B. Lee
- Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Deog J. Kim
- Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Godefridus J. Peters
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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