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An S, Chun J, Lee J, Kim YS, Noh M, Ko H. Unraveling Stereochemical Structure-Activity Relationships of Sesquiterpene Lactones for Inhibitory Effects on STAT3 Activation. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2024; 32:627-634. [PMID: 39091020 PMCID: PMC11392665 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2023.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Sesquiterpene lactones, a class of natural compounds abundant in the Asteraceae family, have gained attention owing to their diverse biological activities, and particularly their anti-proliferative effects on human cancer cells. In this study, we systematically investigated the structure-activity relationship of ten sesquiterpene lactones with the aim of elucidating the structural determinants for the STAT3 inhibition governing their anti-proliferative effects. Our findings revealed a significant correlation between the STAT3 inhibitory activity and the anti-proliferative effects of sesquiterpene lactones in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Among the compounds tested, alantolactone and isoalantolactone emerged as the most potent STAT3 inhibitors, highlighting their potential as candidates for anticancer drug development. Through protein-ligand docking studies, we revealed the structural basis of STAT3 inhibition by sesquiterpene lactones, emphasizing the critical role of hydrogen-bonding interactions with key residues, including Arg609, Ser611, Glu612, and Ser613, in the SH2 domain of STAT3. Furthermore, our conformational analysis revealed the decisive role of the torsion angle within the geometry-optimized structures of sesquiterpene lactones in their STAT3 inhibitory activity (R=0.80, p<0.01). These findings not only provide preclinical evidence for sesquiterpene lactones as promising phytomedicines against diseases associated with abnormal STAT3 activation, but also highlight the importance of stereochemical aspects in their activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungchan An
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaemoo Chun
- KM Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohee Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Dermatology, Severance Hospital, Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeong Shik Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsoo Noh
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyejin Ko
- College of Pharmacy, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Gangneung 25451, Republic of Korea
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2
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Jiang Y, Liu L, Geng Y, Li Q, Luo D, Liang L, Liu W, Ouyang W, Hu J. Feasibility of the inhibitor development for cancer: A systematic approach for drug design. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306632. [PMID: 39173044 PMCID: PMC11341021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306632] [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] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) bupleurum-ginger-licorice formula presents significant anti-cancer effects, but its active ingredients and inhibitory mechanism remain unclear. In this work, the core effective ingredient quercetin and its signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) receptor both were identified by network pharmacology. Quercetin is a low-toxicity, non-carcinogenic flavonoid with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, which is widely distributed in edible plants. Stat3 can bind to specific DNA response elements and serves as a transcription factor to promote the translation of some invasion/migration-related target genes, considered as a potential anticancer target. Here, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation both were used to explore molecular recognition of quercetin with Stat3. The results show that quercetin impairs DNA transcription efficiency by hindering Stat3 dimerization, partially destroying DNA conformation. Specifically, when the ligand occupies the SH2 cavity of the enzyme, spatial rejection is not conductive to phosphokinase binding. It indirectly prevents the phosphorylation of Y705 and the formation of Stat3 dimer. When the inhibitor binds to the DT1005 position, it obviously shortens the distance between DNA and DBD, enhances their binding capacity, and thereby reduces the degree of freedom required for transcription. This work not only provides the binding modes between Stat3 and quercetin, but also contributes to the optimization and design of such anti-cancer inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yichao Geng
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Qingsong Li
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Daxian Luo
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Li Liang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Weiwei Ouyang
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jianping Hu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
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3
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Lu J, Yan X, Lai W, Jiang LH, Shen LQ, Wu AQ, Zhao C. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of naphthoylamide derivatives as inhibitors of STAT3 phosphorylation. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300526. [PMID: 38294206 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The phosphorylation of STAT3 plays a critical physiological role in the proliferation of rectal cancer. Hence, inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation is an effective anticancer approach. In this work, we designed a novel 5-R'-1-naphthylmethylamide scaffold as a small molecule inhibitor of STAT3 phosphorylation. The results showed that 3D and 4D have exceptional inhibitory ability against three different colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines, and can induce apoptosis of CRC cells by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation, while having no killing effect on normal human cells. 3D and 4D can inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, and also inhibit the nuclear translocation of interleukin (IL)-6-induced STAT3. In the in vivo tumor model research, 4D significantly reduced the tumor volume of mice and had no drug toxicity on other organ tissues. Furthermore, molecular docking studies revealed that 3D and 4D had greater binding free energy when interacting with the STAT3 SH2 structural domain, and could establish H-π interaction modes. Dynamic simulation studies indicated that both compounds were able to bind tightly to STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- JiaHao Lu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Minzu University, Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Key Laboratory of Universities in Guangxi for Excavation and Development of Ancient Ethnomedicinal Recipes, Nanning, China
| | - XiuYang Yan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Minzu University, Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Key Laboratory of Universities in Guangxi for Excavation and Development of Ancient Ethnomedicinal Recipes, Nanning, China
| | - WuJi Lai
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Minzu University, Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Key Laboratory of Universities in Guangxi for Excavation and Development of Ancient Ethnomedicinal Recipes, Nanning, China
| | - Li-He Jiang
- Medical College, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Li-Qun Shen
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Minzu University, Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Key Laboratory of Universities in Guangxi for Excavation and Development of Ancient Ethnomedicinal Recipes, Nanning, China
| | - Ai-Qun Wu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Minzu University, Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Chemistry and Engineering of Forest Products, Key Laboratory of Universities in Guangxi for Excavation and Development of Ancient Ethnomedicinal Recipes, Nanning, China
| | - Chengguang Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer and Anticancer Drug Research Center, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Di Crosta M, Arena A, Benedetti R, Gilardini Montani MS, Cirone M. 5-AZA Upregulates SOCS3 and PTPN6/SHP1, Inhibiting STAT3 and Potentiating the Effects of AG490 against Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cells. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:2468-2479. [PMID: 38534772 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46030156] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications, including aberrant DNA methylation occurring at the promoters of oncogenes and oncosuppressor genes and histone modifications, can contribute to carcinogenesis. Aberrant methylation mediated by histone methylatransferases, alongside histones, can affect methylation of proteins involved in the regulation of pro-survival pathways such as JAK/STAT and contribute to their activation. In this study, we used DNA or histone demethylating agents, 5-Azacytidine (5-AZA) or DS-3201 (valemetostat), respectively, to treat primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells, alone or in combination with AG490, a Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor. Cell viability was investigated by trypan blue assay and FACS analysis. The molecular changes induced by 5-AZA and/or AG490 treatments were investigated by Western blot analysis, while cytokine release by PEL cells treated by these drugs was evaluated by Luminex. Statistical analyses were performed with Graphpad Prism® software (version 9) and analyzed by Student's t test or a nonparametric one-way ANOVA test. The results obtained in this study suggest that 5-AZA upregulated molecules that inhibit STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation, namely Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 (SOCS3) and tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type (PTPN) 6/Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase-1 (SHP-1), reducing STAT3 activation and downregulating several STAT3 pro-survival targets in PEL cells. As this lymphoma is highly dependent on the constitutive activation of STAT3, 5-AZA impaired PEL cell survival, and when used in combination with AG490 JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor, it potentiated its cytotoxic effect. Differently from 5-AZA, the inhibition of the EZH1/2 histone methyltransferase by DS-3201, reported to contribute to STAT3 activation in other cancers, slightly affected STAT3 phosphorylation or survival in PEL cells, either alone or in combination with AG490. This study suggests that 5-AZA, by upregulating the expression level of SOCS3 and PTPN6/SHP1, reduced STAT3 activation and improved the outcome of treatment targeting this transcription factor in PEL cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Di Crosta
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Arena
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Benedetti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Mara Cirone
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
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5
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Guo X, Wang Y, An Y, Liu Z, Liu J, Chen J, Zhan MM, Liang M, Hou Z, Wan C, Yin F, Wang R, Li Z. Development of Lysine Crotonyl-Mimic Probe to Covalently Identify H3K27Cr Interacting Proteins. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301624. [PMID: 37587551 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Histone lysine crotonylation (Kcr) is one newly discovered acylation modification and regulates numerous pathophysiological processes. The binding affinity between Kcr and its interacting proteins is generally weak, which makes it difficult to effectively identify Kcr-interacting partners. Changing the amide of crotonyl to an ester increased reactivity with proximal cysteines and retained specificity for Kcr antibody. The probe "H3g27Cr" was designed by incorporating the ester functionality into a H3K27 peptide. Using this probe, multiple Kcr-interacting partners including STAT3 were successfully identified, and this has not been reported previously. Further experiments suggested that STAT3 possibly could form complexes with Histone deacetylase HDACs to downregulate the acetylation and crotonylation of Histone H3K27. Our unique design provided intriguing tools to further explore Kcr-interacting proteins and elucidate their working mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochun Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China
| | - Yuena Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China
| | - Yuhao An
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
| | - Jianbo Liu
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
| | - Jiaxin Chen
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
| | - Mei-Miao Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China
| | - Mingcha Liang
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
| | - Zhanfeng Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China
| | - Chuan Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China
| | - Feng Yin
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
| | - Rui Wang
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
| | - Zigang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, P.R. China
- Pingshan translational medicine center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, P.R. China
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6
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Fan T, Yu Y, Chen YL, Gu P, Wong S, Xia ZY, Liu JA, Cheung CW. Histone deacetylase 5-induced deficiency of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 acetylation contributes to spinal astrocytes degeneration in painful diabetic neuropathy. Glia 2023; 71:1099-1119. [PMID: 36579750 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Diabetes patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) show severe spinal atrophy, suggesting pathological changes of the spinal cord contributes to central sensitization. However, the cellular changes and underlying molecular mechanisms within the diabetic spinal cord are less clear. By using a rat model of type 1 diabetes (T1D), we noted an extensive and irreversible spinal astrocyte degeneration at an early stage of T1D, which is highly associated with the chronification of PDN. Molecularly, acetylation of astrocytic signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) that is essential for maintaining the homeostatic astrocytes population was significantly impaired in the T1D model, resulting in a dramatic loss of spinal astrocytes and consequently promoting pain hypersensitivity. Mechanistically, class IIa histone deacetylase, HDAC5 were aberrantly activated in spinal astrocytes of diabetic rats, which promoted STAT3 deacetylation by direct protein-protein interactions, leading to the PDN phenotypes. Restoration of STAT3 signaling or inhibition of HDAC5 rescued astrocyte deficiency and attenuated PDN in the T1D model. Our work identifies the inhibitory axis of HDAC5-STAT3 induced astrocyte deficiency as a key mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of the diabetic spinal cord that paves the way for potential therapy development for PDN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Fan
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Ying Yu
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Yong-Long Chen
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Pan Gu
- Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Stanley Wong
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Zheng-Yuan Xia
- Department of Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.,Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jessica Aijia Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Chi-Wai Cheung
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.,Department of Anaesthesiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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7
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Srinivasan R, Kamalanathan D, Rathinavel T, Iqbal MN, Shanmugam G. Anti-cancer potentials of aervine validated through in silico molecular docking, dynamics simulations, pharmacokinetic prediction and in vitro assessment of caspase – 3 in SW480 cell line. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2023.2193646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
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8
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Mielko Z, Zhang Y, Sahay H, Liu Y, Schaich MA, Schnable B, Morrison AM, Burdinski D, Adar S, Pufall M, Van Houten B, Gordân R, Afek A. UV irradiation remodels the specificity landscape of transcription factors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2217422120. [PMID: 36888663 PMCID: PMC10089200 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2217422120] [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: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatic mutations are highly enriched at transcription factor (TF) binding sites, with the strongest trend being observed for ultraviolet light (UV)-induced mutations in melanomas. One of the main mechanisms proposed for this hypermutation pattern is the inefficient repair of UV lesions within TF-binding sites, caused by competition between TFs bound to these lesions and the DNA repair proteins that must recognize the lesions to initiate repair. However, TF binding to UV-irradiated DNA is poorly characterized, and it is unclear whether TFs maintain specificity for their DNA sites after UV exposure. We developed UV-Bind, a high-throughput approach to investigate the impact of UV irradiation on protein-DNA binding specificity. We applied UV-Bind to ten TFs from eight structural families, and found that UV lesions significantly altered the DNA-binding preferences of all the TFs tested. The main effect was a decrease in binding specificity, but the precise effects and their magnitude differ across factors. Importantly, we found that despite the overall reduction in DNA-binding specificity in the presence of UV lesions, TFs can still compete with repair proteins for lesion recognition, in a manner consistent with their specificity for UV-irradiated DNA. In addition, for a subset of TFs, we identified a surprising but reproducible effect at certain nonconsensus DNA sequences, where UV irradiation leads to a high increase in the level of TF binding. These changes in DNA-binding specificity after UV irradiation, at both consensus and nonconsensus sites, have important implications for the regulatory and mutagenic roles of TFs in the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachery Mielko
- Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Yuning Zhang
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Harshit Sahay
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham NC 27708
| | - Yiling Liu
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham NC 27708
| | - Matthew A Schaich
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Brittani Schnable
- UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- Molecular Genetics and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Abigail M Morrison
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Debbie Burdinski
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Sheera Adar
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Miles Pufall
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Bennett Van Houten
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham NC 27708
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Raluca Gordân
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Ariel Afek
- Department of Chemical and Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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9
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Jaradat NJ, Alshaer W, Hatmal M, Taha MO. Discovery of new STAT3 inhibitors as anticancer agents using ligand-receptor contact fingerprints and docking-augmented machine learning. RSC Adv 2023; 13:4623-4640. [PMID: 36760267 PMCID: PMC9896621 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra07007c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
STAT3 belongs to a family of seven vital transcription factors. High levels of STAT3 are detected in several types of cancer. Hence, STAT3 inhibition is considered a promising therapeutic anti-cancer strategy. In this work, we used multiple docked poses of STAT3 inhibitors to augment training data for machine learning QSAR modeling. Ligand-Receptor Contact Fingerprints and scoring values were implemented as descriptor variables. Escalating docking-scoring consensus levels were scanned against orthogonal machine learners, and the best learners (Random Forests and XGBoost) were coupled with genetic algorithm and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) to identify critical descriptors that determine anti-STAT3 bioactivity to be translated into pharmacophore model(s). Two successful pharmacophores were deduced and subsequently used for in silico screening against the National Cancer Institute (NCI) database. A total of 26 hits were evaluated in vitro for their anti-STAT3 bioactivities. Out of which, three hits of novel chemotypes, showed cytotoxic IC50 values in the nanomolar range (35 nM to 6.7 μM). However, two are potent dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors and therefore should have significant indirect STAT3 inhibitory effects. The third hit (cytotoxic IC50 = 0.44 μM) is purely direct STAT3 inhibitor (devoid of DHFR activity) and caused, at its cytotoxic IC50, more than two-fold reduction in the expression of STAT3 downstream genes (c-Myc and Bcl-xL). The presented work indicates that the concept of data augmentation using multiple docked poses is a promising strategy for generating valid machine learning models capable of discriminating active from inactive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Jamal Jaradat
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan Amman 11492 Jordan +962 6 5339649 +962 6 5355000 ext. 23305
| | - Walhan Alshaer
- Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan Amman 11942 Jordan
| | - Mamon Hatmal
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University P.O. Box 330127 Zarqa 13133 Jordan
| | - Mutasem Omar Taha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan Amman 11492 Jordan +962 6 5339649 +962 6 5355000 ext. 23305
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10
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Wang J, Huang Z, Ji L, Chen C, Wan Q, Xin Y, Pu Z, Li K, Jiao J, Yin Y, Hu Y, Gong L, Zhang R, Yang X, Fang X, Wang M, Zhang B, Shao J, Zou J. SHF Acts as a Novel Tumor Suppressor in Glioblastoma Multiforme by Disrupting STAT3 Dimerization. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2200169. [PMID: 35843865 PMCID: PMC9475553 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Sustained activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a critical contributor in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance, thus making it an attractive cancer therapeutic target. Here, SH2 domain-containing adapter protein F (SHF) is identified as a tumor suppressor in glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and its negative regulation of STAT3 activity is characterized. Mechanically, SHF selectively binds and inhibits acetylated STAT3 dimerization without affecting STAT3 phosphorylation or acetylation. Additionally, by blocking STAT3-DNMT1 (DNA Methyltransferase 1) interaction, SHF relieves methylation of tumor suppressor genes. The SH2 domain is documented to be essential for SHF's actions on STAT3, and almost entirely replaces the functions of SHF on STAT3 independently. Moreover, the peptide C16 a peptide derived from the STAT3-binding sites of SHF inhibits STAT3 dimerization and STAT3/DNMT1 interaction, and achieves remarkable growth inhibition in GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings strongly identify targeting of the SHF/STAT3 interaction as a promising strategy for developing an optimal STAT3 inhibitor and provide early evidence of the potential clinical efficacy of STAT3 inhibitors such as C16 in GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Zixuan Huang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Li Ji
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Quan Wan
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214002P. R. China
| | - Yu Xin
- Key Laboratory of Industry BiotechnologySchool of BiotechnologyJiangnan UniversityWuxiJiangsu214122P. R. China
| | - Zhening Pu
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Koukou Li
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Jiantong Jiao
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Ying Yin
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Yaling Hu
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Lingli Gong
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Xusheng Yang
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Xiangming Fang
- Department of RadiologyWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Mei Wang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Junfei Shao
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
| | - Jian Zou
- Department of Laboratory MedicineWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
- Center of Clinical ResearchWuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical UniversityWuxiJiangsu214023China
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11
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Elucidation of binding preferences of YEATS domains to site-specific acetylated nucleosome core particles. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102164. [PMID: 35732209 PMCID: PMC9293779 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetylated lysine residues (Kac) in histones are recognized by epigenetic reader proteins, such as Yaf9, ENL, AF9, Taf14, and Sas5 (YEATS) domain-containing proteins. Human YEATS domains bind to the acetylated N-terminal tail of histone H3; however, their Kac-binding preferences at the level of the nucleosome are unknown. Through genetic code reprogramming, here, we established a nucleosome core particle (NCP) array containing histones that were acetylated at specific residues and used it to compare the Kac-binding preferences of human YEATS domains. We found that AF9-YEATS showed basal binding to the unmodified NCP and that it bound stronger to the NCP containing a single acetylation at one of K4, K9, K14, or K27 of H3, or to histone H4 multi-acetylated between K5 and K16. Crystal structures of AF9-YEATS in complex with an H4 peptide diacetylated either at K5/K8 or K8/K12 revealed that the aromatic cage of the YEATS domain recognized the acetylated K8 residue. Interestingly, E57 and D103 of AF9, both located outside of the aromatic cage, were shown to interact with acetylated K5 and K12 of H4, respectively, consistent with the increase in AF9-YEATS binding to the H4K8-acetylated NCP upon additional acetylation at K5 or K12. Finally, we show that a mutation of E57 to alanine in AF9-YEATS reduced the binding affinity for H4 multiacetylated NCPs containing H4K5ac. Our data suggest that the Kac-binding affinity of AF9-YEATS increases additively with the number of Kac in the histone tail.
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12
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Teng YN, Kao MC, Huang SY, Wu TS, Lee TE, Kuo CY, Hung CC. Novel application of rhein and its prodrug diacerein for reversing cancer-related multidrug resistance through the dual inhibition of P-glycoprotein efflux and STAT3-mediated P-glycoprotein expression. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 150:112995. [PMID: 35658243 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a multifactorial issue in cancer treatment. Drug efflux transporters, particularly P-glycoprotein (P-gp), are major contributors to such resistance. In the present study, we evaluated the P-gp-inhibiting and MDR-reversing effects of two compounds, namely rhein, an anthraquinone, and diacerein, the acetylated prodrug of rhein. ABCB1/Flp-In-293 was used as a model for investigating the related molecular mechanisms, and the multi-drug-resistant cancer cell line KB/VIN was used as a platform for evaluating the reversal of MDR0. The results indicated that at a concentration of 2.5 μM, both diacerein and rhein significantly inhibited P-gp efflux function. They also downregulated P-gp expression by interacting with the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Further investigation of the inhibitory mechanism of these compounds revealed that both stimulated P-gp ATPase activity dose dependently and engaged in the noncompetitive inhibition of rhodamine 123 efflux. Furthermore, rhein was revealed to be a potent reverser of MDR in cancer, and the combination of 30 μM rhein and 1000 nM vincristine exerted a strong synergistic effect, achieving a high combination index (CI) of 0.092. Diacerein demonstrated potential applications as a selective cytotoxic agent against multi-drug-resistant cancer cells at a concentration of > 18.92 μM and as a mild MDR reverser at doses of < 10 μM. In conclusion, diacerein and rhein are potential candidates for P-gp inhibition and MDR reversal in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ning Teng
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, 8 Yida Road, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan.
| | - Ming-Chang Kao
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Taipei Municipal TuCheng Hospital (Built and Operated by Chang Gung Medical Foundation), New Taipei City, Taiwan.
| | - Shih-Ya Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, 100, Section 1, Jingmao Rd., Beitun Dist., Taichung City 406040, Taiwan.
| | - Tian-Shung Wu
- School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Health Care, Tajen University, Pingtung 907, Taiwan.
| | - Tsui-Er Lee
- Office of Physical Education, Asia University, 500, Lioufeng Rd., Wufeng, Taichung 41354, Taiwan.
| | - Chan-Yen Kuo
- Department of Research, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Cardinal Tien College of Healthcare and Management, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
| | - Chin-Chuan Hung
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, 100, Section 1, Jingmao Rd., Beitun Dist., Taichung City 406040, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacy, China Medical University Hospital, 2 Yude Road, Taichung 40447, Taiwan; Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, 500, Lioufeng Rd., Wufeng, Taichung 41354, Taiwan.
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13
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Erdogan F, Qadree AK, Radu TB, Orlova A, de Araujo ED, Israelian J, Valent P, Mustjoki SM, Herling M, Moriggl R, Gunning PT. Structural and mutational analysis of member-specific STAT functions. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130058. [PMID: 34774983 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.130058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The STAT family of transcription factors control gene expression in response to signals from various stimulus. They display functions in diseases ranging from autoimmunity and chronic inflammatory disease to cancer and infectious disease. SCOPE OF REVIEW This work uses an approach informed by structural data to explore how domain-specific structural variations, post-translational modifications, and the cancer genome mutational landscape dictate STAT member-specific activities. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS We illustrated the structure-function relationship of STAT proteins and highlighted their effect on member-specific activity. We correlated disease-linked STAT mutations to the structure and cancer genome mutational landscape and proposed rational drug targeting approaches of oncogenic STAT pathway addiction. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Hyper-activated STATs and their variants are associated with multiple diseases and are considered high value oncology targets. A full understanding of the molecular basis of member-specific STAT-mediated signaling and the strategies to selectively target them requires examination of the difference in their structures and sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fettah Erdogan
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N., Mississauga, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada
| | - Abdul K Qadree
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N., Mississauga, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tudor B Radu
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N., Mississauga, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anna Orlova
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elvin D de Araujo
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N., Mississauga, Canada
| | - Johan Israelian
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N., Mississauga, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada
| | - Peter Valent
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Hematology and Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Satu M Mustjoki
- Hematology Research Unit, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marco Herling
- Department of Hematology, Cellular Therapy, and Hemostaseology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Richard Moriggl
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick T Gunning
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd N., Mississauga, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada.
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14
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STAT3 Signaling in Breast Cancer: Multicellular Actions and Therapeutic Potential. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14020429. [PMID: 35053592 PMCID: PMC8773745 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many signaling pathways are overactive in breast cancer, and among them is the STAT3 signaling pathway. STAT3 is activated by secreted factors within the breast tumor, many of which are elevated and correlate to advanced disease and poor survival outcomes. This review examines how STAT3 signaling is activated in breast cancer by the proinflammatory, gp130 cytokines, interleukins 6 and 11. We evaluate how this signaling cascade functions in the various cells of the tumor microenvironment to drive disease progression and metastasis. We discuss how our understanding of these processes may lead to the development of novel therapeutics to tackle advanced disease. Abstract Interleukin (IL)-6 family cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-11, are defined by the shared use of the gp130 receptor for the downstream activation of STAT3 signaling and the activation of genes which contribute to the “hallmarks of cancer”, including proliferation, survival, invasion and metastasis. Increased expression of these cytokines, or the ligand-specific receptors IL-6R and IL-11RA, in breast tumors positively correlate to disease progression and poorer patient outcome. In this review, we examine evidence from pre-clinical studies that correlate enhanced IL-6 and IL-11 mediated gp130/STAT3 signaling to the progression of breast cancer. Key processes by which the IL-6 family cytokines contribute to the heterogeneous nature of breast cancer, immune evasion and metastatic potential, are discussed. We examine the latest research into the therapeutic targeting of IL-6 family cytokines that inhibit STAT3 transcriptional activity as a potential breast cancer treatment, including current clinical trials. The importance of the IL-6 family of cytokines in cellular processes that promote the development and progression of breast cancer warrants further understanding of the molecular basis for its actions to help guide the development of future therapeutic targets.
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Mishra S, Kumar S, Choudhuri KSR, Longkumer I, Koyyada P, Kharsyiemiong ET. Structural exploration with AlphaFold2-generated STAT3α structure reveals selective elements in STAT3α-GRIM-19 interactions involved in negative regulation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23145. [PMID: 34848745 PMCID: PMC8633360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01436-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
STAT3, an important transcription factor constitutively activated in cancers, is bound specifically by GRIM-19 and this interaction inhibits STAT3-dependent gene expression. GRIM-19 is therefore, considered as an inhibitor of STAT3 and may be an effective anti-cancer therapeutic target. While STAT3 exists in a dimeric form in the cytoplasm and nucleus, it is mostly present in a monomeric form in the mitochondria. Although GRIM-19-binding domains of STAT3 have been identified in independent experiments, yet the identified domains are not the same, and hence, discrepancies exist. Human STAT3-GRIM-19 complex has not been crystallised yet. Dictated by fundamental biophysical principles, the binding region, interactions and effects of hotspot mutations can provide us a clue to the negative regulatory mechanisms of GRIM-19. Prompted by the very nature of STAT3 being a challenging molecule, and to understand the structural basis of binding and interactions in STAT3α-GRIM-19 complex, we performed homology modelling and ab-initio modelling with evolutionary information using I-TASSER and avant-garde AlphaFold2, respectively, to generate monomeric, and subsequently, dimeric STAT3α structures. The dimeric form of STAT3α structure was observed to potentially exist in an anti-parallel orientation of monomers. We demonstrate that during the interactions with both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated STAT3α, the NTD of GRIM-19 binds most strongly to the NTD of STAT3α, in direct contrast to the earlier works. Key arginine residues at positions 57, 58 and 68 of GRIM-19 are mainly involved in the hydrogen-bonded interactions. An intriguing feature of these arginine residues is that these display a consistent interaction pattern across unphosphorylated and phosphorylated monomers as well as unphosphorylated dimers in STAT3α-GRIM-19 complexes. MD studies verified the stability of these complexes. Analysing the binding affinity and stability through free energy changes upon mutation, we found GRIM-19 mutations Y33P and Q61L and among GRIM-19 arginines, R68P and R57M, to be one of the top-most major and minor disruptors of binding, respectively. The proportionate increase in average change in binding affinity upon mutation was inclined more towards GRIM-19 mutants, leading to the surmise that GRIM-19 may play a greater role in the complex formation. These studies propound a novel structural perspective of STAT3α-GRIM-19 binding and inhibitory mechanisms in both the monomeric and dimeric forms of STAT3α as compared to that observed from the earlier experiments, these experimental observations being inconsistent among each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Mishra
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | | | - Imliyangla Longkumer
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Praveena Koyyada
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
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16
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Luo T, Pueyo JM, Wahni K, Yvanoff C, Lazar T, Pyr Dit Ruys S, Vertommen D, Ezeriņa D, Messens J. Thiol-disulphide independent in-cell trapping for the identification of peroxiredoxin 2 interactors. Redox Biol 2021; 46:102066. [PMID: 34340028 PMCID: PMC8346688 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.102066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) acts as a signalling molecule by oxidising cysteine thiols in proteins. Recent evidence has established a role for cytosolic peroxiredoxins in transmitting H2O2-based oxidation to a multitude of target proteins. Moreover, it is becoming clear that peroxiredoxins fulfil their function in organised microdomains, where not all interactors are covalently bound. However, most studies aimed at identifying peroxiredoxin interactors were based on methods that only detect covalently linked partners. Here, we explore the applicability of two thiol-disulphide independent in-cell trapping methodological approaches in combination with mass spectrometry for the identification of interaction partners of peroxiredoxin 2 (Prdx2). The first is biotin-dependent proximity-labelling (BioID) with a biotin ligase A (BirA*)-fused Prdx2, which has never been applied on redox-active proteins. The second is crosslinker co-immunoprecipitation with an N-terminally His-tagged Prdx2. During the initial characterisation of the tagged Prdx2 constructs, we found that the His-tag, but not BirA*, compromises the peroxidase and signalling activities of Prdx2. Further, the Prdx2 interactors identified with each approach showed little overlap. We therefore concluded that BioID is a more reliable method than crosslinker co-immunoprecipitation. After a stringent mass spec data filtering, BioID identified 13 interactors under elevated H2O2 conditions, including subunit five of the COP9 signalosome complex (CSN5). The Prdx2:CSN5 interaction was further confirmed in a proximity ligation assay. Taken together, our results demonstrate that BioID can be used as a method for the identification of interactors of Prdxs, and that caution should be exercised when interpreting protein-protein interaction results using tagged Prdxs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Luo
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julia Malo Pueyo
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Khadija Wahni
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Yvanoff
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; International Joint Research Group VUB-EPFL NanoBiotechnology & NanoMedicine (NANO), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tamas Lazar
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Didier Vertommen
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Daria Ezeriņa
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Joris Messens
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
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17
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Yang Y, Hu B, Yang Y, Gong K, Wang H, Guo Q, Tang X, Li Y, Wang J. Rational design of selective HDAC2 inhibitors for liver cancer treatment: computational insights into the selectivity mechanism through molecular dynamics simulations and QM/MM calculations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:17576-17590. [PMID: 34369509 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp02264d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The rational design of selective histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) inhibitors is beneficial for the therapeutic treatment of liver cancer, though HDAC2 is highly homologous to HDAC8, which may lead to undesired side effects due to the pan-inhibition towards HDAC2 and HDAC8. To clarify the structural basis of selective inhibition towards HDAC2 over HDAC8, we utilized multiple in silico strategies, including sequence alignment, structural comparison, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, free energy calculations, alanine scanning mutagenesis, pharmacophore modeling, protein contacts atlas analysis and QM/MM calculations to study the binding patterns of HDAC2/8 selective inhibitors. Through the whole process described above, it is found that although HDAC2 has conserved GLY154 and PHE210 that also exist within HDAC8, namely GLY151 and PHE208, the two isoforms exhibit diverse binding modes towards their inhibitors. Typically, HDAC2 inhibitors interact with the Zn2+ ions through the core chelate group, while HDAC8 inhibitors adopt a bent conformation within the HDAC8 pocket that inclines to be in contact with the Zn2+ ions through the terminal hydroxamic acid group. In summary, our data comprehensively elucidate the selectivity mechanism towards HDAC2 over HDAC8, which would guide the rational design of selective HDAC2 inhibitors for liver cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, Liaoning 110016, China.
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18
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Tesoriere A, Dinarello A, Argenton F. The Roles of Post-Translational Modifications in STAT3 Biological Activities and Functions. Biomedicines 2021; 9:956. [PMID: 34440160 PMCID: PMC8393524 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9080956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
STAT3 is an important transcription factor that regulates cell growth and proliferation by regulating gene transcription of a plethora of genes. This protein also has many roles in cancer progression and several tumors such as prostate, lung, breast, and intestine cancers that are characterized by strong STAT3-dependent transcriptional activity. This protein is post-translationally modified in different ways according to cellular context and stimulus, and the same post-translational modification can have opposite effects in different cellular models. In this review, we describe the studies performed on the main modifications affecting the activity of STAT3: phosphorylation of tyrosine 705 and serine 727; acetylation of lysine 49, 87, 601, 615, 631, 685, 707, and 709; and methylation of lysine 49, 140, and 180. The extensive results obtained by different studies demonstrate that post-translational modifications drastically change STAT3 activities and that we need further analysis to properly elucidate all the functions of this multifaceted transcription factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Francesco Argenton
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (A.T.); (A.D.)
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19
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Diallo M, Herrera F. The role of understudied post-translational modifications for the behavior and function of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3. FEBS J 2021; 289:6235-6255. [PMID: 34235865 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) family of transcription factors is involved in inflammation, immunity, development, cancer, and response to injury, among other biological phenomena. Canonical STAT signaling is often represented as a 3-step pathway involving the sequential activation of a membrane receptor, an intermediate kinase, and a STAT transcription factor. The rate-limiting phosphorylation at a highly conserved C-terminal tyrosine residue determines the nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of STATs. This apparent simplicity is actually misleading and can hardly explain the pleiotropic nature of STATs, the existence of various noncanonical STAT pathways, or the key role of the N-terminal domain in STAT functions. More than 80 post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been identified for STAT3, but their functions remain barely understood. Here, we provide a brief but comprehensive overview of these underexplored PTMs and their role on STAT3 canonical and noncanonical functions. A less tyrosine-centric point of view may be required to advance our understanding of STAT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Diallo
- Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Cell Structure and Dynamics Laboratory, BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências integrativas, Lisbon, Portugal.,MOSTMICRO Research Unit, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB-NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Federico Herrera
- Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Cell Structure and Dynamics Laboratory, BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências integrativas, Lisbon, Portugal.,MOSTMICRO Research Unit, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB-NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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20
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Chalikonda G, Lee H, Sheik A, Huh YS. Targeting key transcriptional factor STAT3 in colorectal cancer. Mol Cell Biochem 2021; 476:3219-3228. [PMID: 33866491 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-021-04156-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In developed countries, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of malignant-related deaths. CRC is treatable cancer when diagnosed early; however, diagnosis at the advanced stage is associated with a poor prognosis. Although chemotherapy is generally very promising, STAT3 protein which is overexpressed and persistently activated in CRC cells is observed to be the major contributor of chemoresistance development. It has been shown to play a prominent and pathogenic role in CRC initiation, progression, and metastasis. While over the past few years, research has been focused on STAT3 which is expressed at the center of various oncogenic pathways. This review is a discussion of the oncogenic role of STAT3 in CRC and potential therapeutic STAT3 inhibitors and analogs used to control and treat CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hoomin Lee
- NanoBio High-Tech Materials Research Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Aliya Sheik
- NanoBio High-Tech Materials Research Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yun Suk Huh
- NanoBio High-Tech Materials Research Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
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21
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Zhang H, Chi F, Qin K, Mu X, Wang L, Yang B, Wang Y, Bai M, Li Z, Su L, Yu B. Chidamide induces apoptosis in DLBCL cells by suppressing the HDACs/STAT3/Bcl‑2 pathway. Mol Med Rep 2021; 23:308. [PMID: 33649847 PMCID: PMC7974270 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2021.11947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a highly heterogeneous malignant tumor type, and epigenetic modifications such as acetylation or deacetylation serve vital roles in its development. Chidamide, a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, exerts an anticancer effect against various types of cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the cellular effect of chidamide on a number of DLBCL cell lines and to investigate its underlying mechanism. The results demonstrated that chidamide induced the death of these cells in a concentration‑(0‑30 µmol/l) and time‑dependent (24‑72 h) manner, as determined using the Cell Counting Kit‑8 cell viability assay. Moreover, chidamide promoted cellular apoptosis, which was identified via flow cytometry and western blot analysis, with an increase in cleaved caspase‑3 expression and a decrease in Bcl‑2 expression. Chidamide treatment also decreased the expression level of STAT3 and its phosphorylation, which was accompanied by the downregulation of a class‑I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, chidamide. Collectively, these data suggested that chidamide can be a potent therapeutic agent to treat DLBCL by inducing the apoptotic death of DLBCL cells by inhibiting the HDACs/STAT3/Bcl‑2 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Hospital of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030013, P.R. China
| | - Fenqing Chi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
| | - Keru Qin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
| | - Xiuli Mu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
| | - Lieyang Wang
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Hospital of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030013, P.R. China
| | - Bin Yang
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Hospital of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030013, P.R. China
| | - Yanli Wang
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Hospital of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030013, P.R. China
| | - Min Bai
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Hospital of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030013, P.R. China
| | - Zhenhua Li
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Hospital of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030013, P.R. China
| | - Liping Su
- Department of Hematology, Cancer Hospital of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030013, P.R. China
| | - Baofeng Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology of Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
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22
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Hitchcock JK, Mkwanazi N, Barnett C, Graham LM, Katz AA, Hunter R, Schäfer G, Kaschula CH. The Garlic Compound Z-Ajoene, S-Thiolates COX2 and STAT3 and Dampens the Inflammatory Response in RAW264.7 Macrophages. Mol Nutr Food Res 2020; 65:e2000854. [PMID: 33274836 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202000854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
SCOPE Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries as a prophylactic and therapeutic medicinal agent to control inflammation-associated pathologies. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, an in vitro inflammatory model is established using RAW264.7 murine macrophages exposed to low-doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence of garlic compounds allicin and Z-ajoene (ZA), mimicking regular garlic consumption. METHODS AND RESULTS Both allicin and Z-ajoene dampen both transcript and protein expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β, IL6, and IL12β, and upregulate the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10. Protein arrays of selected secreted inflammatory mediators confirm that Z-ajoene has a pronounced down-regulatory effect on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Many of these proteins are known targets of the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3); and indeed, Z-ajoene or its analogue dansyl-ajoene is found to decrease phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3, and to covalently modify the protein by S-thiolation at Cys108, Cys367, and Cys687. Z-Ajoene dose-dependently and non-competitively inhibit the activity of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), possibly attributed to S-thiolation at Cys9 and Cys299. CONCLUSION The characterization of Z-ajoene's activity of targeting and covalently modifying STAT3 and COX2, both important regulators of inflammation, may contribute to the health benefits of regular dietary garlic consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K Hitchcock
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Nonkululeko Mkwanazi
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Christopher Barnett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Lisa M Graham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, 7530, South Africa
| | - Arieh A Katz
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Roger Hunter
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Georgia Schäfer
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Catherine H Kaschula
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
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23
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Afek A, Shi H, Rangadurai A, Sahay H, Senitzki A, Xhani S, Fang M, Salinas R, Mielko Z, Pufall MA, Poon GMK, Haran TE, Schumacher MA, Al-Hashimi HM, Gordân R. DNA mismatches reveal conformational penalties in protein-DNA recognition. Nature 2020; 587:291-296. [PMID: 33087930 PMCID: PMC7666076 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2843-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors recognize specific genomic sequences to regulate complex gene-expression programs. Although it is well-established that transcription factors bind to specific DNA sequences using a combination of base readout and shape recognition, some fundamental aspects of protein-DNA binding remain poorly understood1,2. Many DNA-binding proteins induce changes in the structure of the DNA outside the intrinsic B-DNA envelope. However, how the energetic cost that is associated with distorting the DNA contributes to recognition has proven difficult to study, because the distorted DNA exists in low abundance in the unbound ensemble3-9. Here we use a high-throughput assay that we term SaMBA (saturation mismatch-binding assay) to investigate the role of DNA conformational penalties in transcription factor-DNA recognition. In SaMBA, mismatched base pairs are introduced to pre-induce structural distortions in the DNA that are much larger than those induced by changes in the Watson-Crick sequence. Notably, approximately 10% of mismatches increased transcription factor binding, and for each of the 22 transcription factors that were examined, at least one mismatch was found that increased the binding affinity. Mismatches also converted non-specific sites into high-affinity sites, and high-affinity sites into 'super sites' that exhibit stronger affinity than any known canonical binding site. Determination of high-resolution X-ray structures, combined with nuclear magnetic resonance measurements and structural analyses, showed that many of the DNA mismatches that increase binding induce distortions that are similar to those induced by protein binding-thus prepaying some of the energetic cost incurred from deforming the DNA. Our work indicates that conformational penalties are a major determinant of protein-DNA recognition, and reveals mechanisms by which mismatches can recruit transcription factors and thus modulate replication and repair activities in the cell10,11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Afek
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Honglue Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Atul Rangadurai
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Harshit Sahay
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Alon Senitzki
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Suela Xhani
- Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mimi Fang
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Raul Salinas
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zachery Mielko
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Miles A Pufall
- Department of Biochemistry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Gregory M K Poon
- Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Tali E Haran
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Maria A Schumacher
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Raluca Gordân
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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24
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Sun X, Xu Q, Zeng L, Xie L, Zhao Q, Xu H, Wang X, Jiang N, Fu P, Sang M. Resveratrol suppresses the growth and metastatic potential of cervical cancer by inhibiting STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation. Cancer Med 2020; 9:8685-8700. [PMID: 33040485 PMCID: PMC7666735 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling promotes the initiation and progression of cancer in humans by either inhibiting apoptosis or inducing cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. The role of resveratrol(RES)in inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway in vivo, particularly in cervical cancer is still unknown. This study aims to investigate the role of STAT3 and its phosphorylation in RES‐mediated suppression of cervical cancer. The effects of RES on cervical cancer were determined by examining tumor tissues, their histological changes, and the volume and weight of tumor tissues grown from HeLa cells injected in female athymic BALB/C nude mice. The structure and target interaction of RES were virtually screened using the molecular docking program Autodock Vina. The status of phosphorylated STAT3, protein levels of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition molecular markers and extracellular matrix degradation enzymes were determined through Western blot. We demonstrated that RES could suppress the proliferation and metastatic potential of cervical cancer cells by inactivating phosphorylation of STAT3 at Tyr705 but not Ser727. This effect was intensified by inhibition of the STAT3 signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Sun
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianqian Xu
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lian Zeng
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixia Xie
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongxia Xu
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuanbin Wang
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Hubei Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hubei Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Pan Fu
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Sang
- Hubei Institute of Parkinson's Disease at Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, People's Republic of China
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25
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Li W, Wang Q, Qi X, Guo Y, Lu H, Chen Y, Lu Z, Yan Q, Zhu X, Jung JU, Tosato G, Gao SJ, Lu C. Viral interleukin-6 encoded by an oncogenic virus promotes angiogenesis and cellular transformation by enhancing STAT3-mediated epigenetic silencing of caveolin 1. Oncogene 2020; 39:4603-4618. [PMID: 32393833 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1317-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) caused by oncogenic Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a highly angiogenic and invasive vascular tumor and the most common AIDS-associated cancer. KSHV-encoded viral interleukin-6 (vIL-6) is implicated in the development of KSHV-induced malignancies; however, the mechanisms underlying vIL-6-induced angiogenesis and tumorigenesis remain undefined. Here, we show that vIL-6 promotes angiogenesis, cell proliferation, and invasion by downregulating caveolin 1 (CAV1) that plays a pivotal and versatile role in multiple cancer-associated processes. Mechanistically, vIL-6 signaling led to the phosphorylation and acetylation of STAT3 that targeted DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in a sequential manner. Specifically, the vIL-6-induced phosphorylated form of STAT3 transcriptionally activated DNMT1 expression. Furthermore, vIL-6-induced acetylated form of STAT3 interacted with DNMT1 to form a transcription factor complex that bound to and methylated the CAV1 promoter, leading to CAV1 expression silencing. In fact, downregulation of CAV1 expression resulted in the activation of AKT signaling, promoting cell invasion, and growth transformation induced by KSHV. Finally, genetic deletion of vIL-6 from the KSHV genome abolished KSHV-induced cellular transformation and impaired angiogenesis. Our results reveal that vIL-6 epigenetically silences CAV1 expression to promote angiogenesis and tumorigenesis by regulating the formation of STAT3-DNMT1 complex. These novel findings define a mechanism by which KSHV inhibits the CAV1 pathway and establish the scientific basis for targeting this pathway to treat KSHV-associated cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Li
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China.,Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, PR China.,Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China
| | - Qingxia Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China
| | - Xiaoyu Qi
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Guo
- The College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Hongmei Lu
- Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210036, PR China
| | - Yuheng Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China
| | - Zhongmou Lu
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China
| | - Qin Yan
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China
| | - Xiaofei Zhu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, PR China.
| | - Jae U Jung
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Giovanna Tosato
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1906, USA
| | - Shou-Jiang Gao
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA
| | - Chun Lu
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China. .,Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, PR China. .,Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, PR China.
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26
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Revisiting the development of small molecular inhibitors that directly target the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) domains. Life Sci 2020; 242:117241. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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27
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Thilakasiri PS, Dmello RS, Nero TL, Parker MW, Ernst M, Chand AL. Repurposing of drugs as STAT3 inhibitors for cancer therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 68:31-46. [PMID: 31711994 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Drug repurposing is a valuable approach in delivering new cancer therapeutics rapidly into the clinic. Existing safety and patient tolerability data for drugs already in clinical use represent an untapped resource in terms of identifying therapeutic agents for off-label protein targets. The multicellular effects of STAT3 mediated by a range of various upstream signaling pathways make it an attractive therapeutic target with utility in a range of diseases including cancer, and has led to the development of a variety of STAT3 inhibitors. Moreover, heightened STAT3 transcriptional activation in tumor cells and within the cells of the tumor microenvironment contribute to disease progression. Consequently, there are many STAT3 inhibitors in preclinical development or under evaluation in clinical trials for their therapeutic efficacy predominantly in inflammatory diseases and cancer. Despite these advances, many challenges remain in ultimately providing STAT3 inhibitors to patients as cancer treatments, highlighting the need not only for a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with STAT3 activation, but also how various pharmaceutical agents suppress STAT3 activity in various cancers. In this review we discuss the importance of STAT3-dependent functions in cancer, review the status of compounds designed as direct-acting STAT3 inhibitors, and describe some of the strategies for repurposing of drugs as STAT3 inhibitors for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pathum S Thilakasiri
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
| | - Rhynelle S Dmello
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
| | - Tracy L Nero
- ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St Vincent's Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Michael W Parker
- ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St Vincent's Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Matthias Ernst
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
| | - Ashwini L Chand
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia.
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