1
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You JR, Wen ZJ, Tian JW, Lv XB, Li R, Li SP, Xin H, Li PF, Zhang YF, Zhang R. Crosstalk between ubiquitin ligases and ncRNAs drives cardiovascular disease progression. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1335519. [PMID: 38515760 PMCID: PMC10954775 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1335519] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are multifactorial chronic diseases and have the highest rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a crucial role in posttranslational modification and quality control of proteins, maintaining intracellular homeostasis via degradation of misfolded, short-lived, or nonfunctional regulatory proteins. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs, such as microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs and small interfering RNAs) serve as epigenetic factors and directly or indirectly participate in various physiological and pathological processes. NcRNAs that regulate ubiquitination or are regulated by the UPS are involved in the execution of target protein stability. The cross-linked relationship between the UPS, ncRNAs and CVDs has drawn researchers' attention. Herein, we provide an update on recent developments and perspectives on how the crosstalk of the UPS and ncRNAs affects the pathological mechanisms of CVDs, particularly myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and ischemic stroke. In addition, we further envision that RNA interference or ncRNA mimics or inhibitors targeting the UPS can potentially be used as therapeutic tools and strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Rui You
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zeng-Jin Wen
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jia-Wei Tian
- Department of Emergency Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Lv
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Shu-Ping Li
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Qingdao Third People's Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hui Xin
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Pei-Feng Li
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yin-Feng Zhang
- Institute for Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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Tessier TM, Chowdhury A, Stekel Z, Fux J, Sartori MA, Teyra J, Jarvik N, Chung J, Kurinov I, Sicheri F, Sidhu SS, Singer AU, Zhang W. Structural and functional validation of a highly specific Smurf2 inhibitor. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4885. [PMID: 38147466 PMCID: PMC10823456 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4885] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Smurf1 and Smurf2 are two closely related member of the HECT (homologous to E6AP carboxy terminus) E3 ubiquitin ligase family and play important roles in the regulation of various cellular processes. Both were initially identified to regulate transforming growth factor-β and bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathways through regulating Smad protein stability and are now implicated in various pathological processes. Generally, E3 ligases, of which over 800 exist in humans, are ideal targets for inhibition as they determine substrate specificity; however, there are few inhibitors with the ability to precisely target a particular E3 ligase of interest. In this work, we explored a panel of ubiquitin variants (UbVs) that were previously identified to bind Smurf1 or Smurf2. In vitro binding and ubiquitination assays identified a highly specific Smurf2 inhibitor, UbV S2.4, which was able to inhibit ligase activity with high potency in the low nanomolar range. Orthologous cellular assays further demonstrated high specificity of UbV S2.4 toward Smurf2 and no cross-reactivity toward Smurf1. Structural analysis of UbV S2.4 in complex with Smurf2 revealed its mechanism of inhibition was through targeting the E2 binding site. In summary, we investigated several protein-based inhibitors of Smurf1 and Smurf2 and identified a highly specific Smurf2 inhibitor that disrupts the E2-E3 protein interaction interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner M. Tessier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphOntarioCanada
| | - Arvid Chowdhury
- Department of Molecular GeneticsUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Zane Stekel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphOntarioCanada
| | - Julia Fux
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphOntarioCanada
| | | | | | - Nick Jarvik
- Department of PharmacyUniversity of WaterlooKitchenerOntarioCanada
| | - Jacky Chung
- Department of PharmacyUniversity of WaterlooKitchenerOntarioCanada
| | - Igor Kurinov
- NE‐CAT, Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityArgonneIllinoisUSA
| | - Frank Sicheri
- Lunenfeld‐Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai HospitalTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Sachdev S. Sidhu
- Department of PharmacyUniversity of WaterlooKitchenerOntarioCanada
| | - Alex U. Singer
- Department of PharmacyUniversity of WaterlooKitchenerOntarioCanada
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphOntarioCanada
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3
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Zheng C, Chen J, Wu Y, Wang X, Lin Y, Shu L, Liu W, Wang P. Elucidating the role of ubiquitination and deubiquitination in osteoarthritis progression. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1217466. [PMID: 37359559 PMCID: PMC10288844 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1217466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteoarthritis is non-inflammatory degenerative joint arthritis, which exacerbates disability in elder persons. The molecular mechanisms of osteoarthritis are elusive. Ubiquitination, one type of post-translational modifications, has been demonstrated to accelerate or ameliorate the development and progression of osteoarthritis via targeting specific proteins for ubiquitination and determining protein stability and localization. Ubiquitination process can be reversed by a class of deubiquitinases via deubiquitination. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the multifaceted role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. We also describe the molecular insight of deubiquitinases into osteoarthritis processes. Moreover, we highlight the multiple compounds that target E3 ubiquitin ligases or deubiquitinases to influence osteoarthritis progression. We discuss the challenge and future perspectives via modulation of E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases expression for enhancement of the therapeutic efficacy in osteoarthritis patients. We conclude that modulating ubiquitination and deubiquitination could alleviate the osteoarthritis pathogenesis to achieve the better treatment outcomes in osteoarthritis patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxiao Zheng
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiayi Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Yurui Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaochao Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongan Lin
- South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lilu Shu
- Department of Medicine, Zhejiang Zhongwei Medical Research Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenjun Liu
- Department of Medicine, Zhejiang Zhongwei Medical Research Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peter Wang
- Department of Medicine, Zhejiang Zhongwei Medical Research Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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4
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Li H, Lu Q, Li Y, Yan Y, Yin Z, Guo J, Xu W. Smurf participates in Helicoverpa armigera diapause by regulating the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1251-1261. [PMID: 35064956 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Diapause, an important strategy used by insects to avoid adverse environments, is regulated by various cell signaling pathways. The results of our previous studies demonstrated that the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway regulated pupal diapause in Helicoverpa armigera, which was accompanied by downregulation of proteins in TGF-β signaling. However, to date the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown. Here, we cloned the E3 ubiquitin ligases gene Smurf. In vitro experiments showed that Smurf directly bound to TGF-β receptor type I (TGFβRI) and Smad2. Overexpressing Smurf promoted ubiquitination of TGFβRI and Smad2, thereby downregulating their protein levels. Conversely, silencing of the Smurf gene suppressed ubiquitination of TGFβRI and Smad2 thereby increasing their protein levels. Results from in vivo co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that the binding of Smurf to TGFβRI or Smad2 was stronger in diapause pupae than in nondiapause pupae. Injection of Smurf inhibitor A01 into diapause pupae markedly upregulated expression of TGFβRI and Smad2 proteins, leading to resumption of development in diapause pupae. Taken together, these findings suggested that ubiquitin ligase E3 Smurf participated in H. armigera diapause by regulating TGF-β signaling, and thus could be playing a crucial role in insect diapause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyin Li
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Qin Lu
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yan Li
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yufang Yan
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhiyong Yin
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jianjun Guo
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Weihua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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5
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Chaudhary KR, Kinslow CJ, Cheng H, Silva JM, Yu J, Wang TJ, Hei TK, Halmos B, Cheng SK. Smurf2 inhibition enhances chemotherapy and radiation sensitivity in non-small-cell lung cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10140. [PMID: 35710591 PMCID: PMC9203496 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14448-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer has been the most common cancer worldwide for several decades. The outcomes of patients with locally advanced lung cancer remain dismal, and only a minority of patients survive more than 5 years. However, tumor therapeutic resistance mechanisms are poorly studied. Identification of therapeutic resistance pathways in lung cancer in order to increase the sensitivity of lung tumor cells to therapeutic agents is a crucial but challenging need. To identify novel genes that modulate the response to platinum-based therapy, we performed a genome-wide high-throughput ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) screen via transfection of human lung cancer (PC9) cells with a viral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) library. We further validated a potential target via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and clonogenic survival assays on PC9 and A549 lung tumor cells transfected with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to successfully downregulate protein expression and then treated with increasing doses of cisplatin or X-ray radiation. We determined protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) after chemoradiotherapy and analyzed gene expression-based survival outcomes in two cohorts of human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The screen identified several targets involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including Smurf1, Smurf2, YAP1, and CEBPZ, and glycolytic pathway proteins, including PFKFB3. Furthermore, we found that the small molecule proteasome inhibitor bortezomib significantly downregulated Smurf2 in lung cancer cells. The addition of bortezomib in combination with cisplatin and radiation therapy in PC9 and A549 cells led to an increase in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double-strand breaks with increased numbers of γ-H2AX-positive cells and upregulation of apoptosis. Finally, we found that Smurf2 protein expression was upregulated in situ after treatment with cisplatin and radiation therapy in a relevant cohort of patients with stage III NSCLC. Additionally, Smurf2 gene expression was the strongest predictor of survival in patients with squamous NSCLC after chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. We successfully identified and validated Smurf2 as both a common modulator of resistance and an actionable target in lung cancer. These results suggest the urgent need to investigate clinical Smurf2 inhibition via bortezomib in combination with cisplatin and radiation for patients with locally advanced NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunal R Chaudhary
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Connor J Kinslow
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Haiying Cheng
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jose M Silva
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiyang Yu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Tony J Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tom K Hei
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Balazs Halmos
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Simon K Cheng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA. .,Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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6
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Márquez-Cantudo L, Ramos A, Coderch C, de Pascual-Teresa B. Proteasomal Degradation of Zn-Dependent Hdacs: The E3-Ligases Implicated and the Designed Protacs That Enable Degradation. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26185606. [PMID: 34577077 PMCID: PMC8467390 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein degradation by the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System is one of the main mechanisms of the regulation of cellular proteostasis, and the E3 ligases are the key effectors for the protein recognition and degradation. Many E3 ligases have key roles in cell cycle regulation, acting as checkpoints and checkpoint regulators. One of the many important proteins involved in the regulation of the cell cycle are the members of the Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) family. The importance of zinc dependent HDACs in the regulation of chromatin packing and, therefore, gene expression, has made them targets for the design and synthesis of HDAC inhibitors. However, achieving potency and selectivity has proven to be a challenge due to the homology between the zinc dependent HDACs. PROteolysis TArgeting Chimaera (PROTAC) design has been demonstrated to be a useful strategy to inhibit and selectively degrade protein targets. In this review, we attempt to summarize the E3 ligases that naturally ubiquitinate HDACs, analyze their structure, and list the known ligands that can bind to these E3 ligases and be used for PROTAC design, as well as the already described HDAC-targeted PROTACs.
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7
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Shen J, Fu B, Li Y, Wu Y, Sang H, Zhang H, Lin H, Liu H, Huang W. E3 Ubiquitin Ligase-Mediated Regulation of Osteoblast Differentiation and Bone Formation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:706395. [PMID: 34513836 PMCID: PMC8430030 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.706395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) is an essential pathway that regulates the homeostasis and function of intracellular proteins and is a crucial protein-degradation system in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Abnormal regulation of ubiquitination leads to osteoblast differentiation disorders, interfering with bone formation and ultimately leading to osteoporosis. E3 ubiquitin ligases (E3) promote addition of a ubiquitin moiety to substrate proteins, specifically recognizing the substrate and modulating tyrosine kinase receptors, signaling proteins, and transcription factors involved in the regulation of osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, survival, and bone formation. In this review, we summarize current progress in the understanding of the function and regulatory effects of E3 ligases on the transcription factors and signaling pathways that regulate osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. A deep understanding of E3 ligase-mediated regulation of osteoblast differentiation provides a scientific rationale for the discovery and development of novel E3-targeting therapeutic strategies for osteoporosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlin Shen
- Guangdong Innovation Platform for Translation of 3D Printing Application, Center for Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, China
| | - Bowen Fu
- Guangdong Innovation Platform for Translation of 3D Printing Application, Center for Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanfang Li
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, China
| | - Yanjiao Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongxun Sang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Heshi Zhang
- Department of Vessel and Breast, Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Haibin Lin
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wenhua Huang
- Guangdong Innovation Platform for Translation of 3D Printing Application, Center for Orthopaedic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Biomechanics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Orthopedic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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8
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Zhao H, Zhang J, Fu X, Mao D, Qi X, Liang S, Meng G, Song Z, Yang R, Guo Z, Tong B, Sun M, Zuo B, Li G. Integrated bioinformatics analysis of the NEDD4 family reveals a prognostic value of NEDD4L in clear-cell renal cell cancer. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11880. [PMID: 34458018 PMCID: PMC8378337 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The members of the Nedd4-like E3 family participate in various biological processes. However, their role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is not clear. This study systematically analyzed the Nedd4-like E3 family members in ccRCC data sets from multiple publicly available databases. NEDD4L was identified as the only NEDD4 family member differentially expressed in ccRCC compared with normal samples. Bioinformatics tools were used to characterize the function of NEDD4L in ccRCC. It indicated that NEDD4L might regulate cellular energy metabolism by co-expression analysis, and subsequent gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. A prognostic model developed by the LASSO Cox regression method showed a relatively good predictive value in training and testing data sets. The result revealed that NEDD4L was associated with biosynthesis and metabolism of ccRCC. Since NEDD4L is downregulated and dysregulation of metabolism is involved in tumor progression, NEDD4L might be a potential therapeutic target in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhao
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.,Department of Urology, China Rehabilitation Research Centre, Rehabilitation School of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Junjun Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaoliang Fu
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xian, China
| | - Dongdong Mao
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Xuesen Qi
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Shuai Liang
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Gang Meng
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Zewen Song
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ru Yang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, The First Affliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Weihui, China
| | - Zhenni Guo
- College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, China
| | - Binghua Tong
- College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, China
| | - Meiqing Sun
- College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, China
| | - Baile Zuo
- Tumor Molecular Immunology and Immunotherapy Laboratory, School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Guoyin Li
- College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, China.,Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Vasiukov G, Menshikh A, Owens P, Novitskaya T, Hurley P, Blackwell T, Feoktistov I, Novitskiy SV. Adenosine/TGFβ axis in regulation of mammary fibroblast functions. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252424. [PMID: 34101732 PMCID: PMC8186761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF) play a key role in cancer progression and metastasis. Diminished TGFβ response on CAF correlates with poor outcome and recurrence in cancer patients. Mechanisms behind lost TGFβ signaling on CAF are poorly understood, but, utilizing MMTV-PyMT mouse model, we have previously demonstrated that in tumor microenvironment myeloid cells, producing adenosine, contribute to downregulated TGFβ signaling on CAFs. In the current work, we performed serial in vitro studies to investigate the role of adenosine/TGFβ axis in mouse mammary fibroblast functions, i.e., proliferation, protein expression, migration, and contractility. We found that adenosine analog NECA diminished TGFβ-induced CCL5 and MMP9 expression. Additionally, we discovered that NECA completely inhibited effect of TGFβ to upregulate αSMA, key protein of cytoskeletal rearrangements, necessary for migration and contractility of fibroblasts. Our results show that TGFβ increases contractility of mouse mammary fibroblasts and human fibroblast cell lines, and NECA attenuates theses effects. Using pharmacological approach and genetically modified animals, we determined that NECA effects on TGFβ pathway occur via A2A/A2B adenosine receptor—AC—PKA dependent manner. Using isolated CD11b+ cells from tumor tissue of CD73-KO and CD39-KO animals in co-culture experiments with ATP and AMP, we confirmed that myeloid cells can affect functions of mammary fibroblasts through adenosine signaling. Our data suggest a novel mechanism of interaction between adenosine and TGFβ signaling pathways that can impact phenotype of fibroblasts in a tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii Vasiukov
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Anna Menshikh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Philip Owens
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Boulder, Denver, CO, United States of America
| | - Tatiana Novitskaya
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Paula Hurley
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Timothy Blackwell
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Igor Feoktistov
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Sergey V. Novitskiy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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The Role of HECT-Type E3 Ligase in the Development of Cardiac Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116065. [PMID: 34199773 PMCID: PMC8199989 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in medicine, cardiac disease remains an increasing health problem associated with a high mortality rate. Maladaptive cardiac remodeling, such as cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, is a risk factor for heart failure; therefore, it is critical to identify new therapeutic targets. Failing heart is reported to be associated with hyper-ubiquitylation and impairment of the ubiquitin–proteasome system, indicating an importance of ubiquitylation in the development of cardiac disease. Ubiquitylation is a post-translational modification that plays a pivotal role in protein function and degradation. In 1995, homologous to E6AP C-terminus (HECT) type E3 ligases were discovered. E3 ligases are key enzymes in ubiquitylation and are classified into three families: really interesting new genes (RING), HECT, and RING-between-RINGs (RBRs). Moreover, 28 HECT-type E3 ligases have been identified in human beings. It is well conserved in evolution and is characterized by the direct attachment of ubiquitin to substrates. HECT-type E3 ligase is reported to be involved in a wide range of human diseases and health. The role of HECT-type E3 ligases in the development of cardiac diseases has been uncovered in the last decade. There are only a few review articles summarizing recent advancements regarding HECT-type E3 ligase in the field of cardiac disease. This study focused on cardiac remodeling and described the role of HECT-type E3 ligases in the development of cardiac disease. Moreover, this study revealed that the current knowledge could be exploited for the development of new clinical therapies.
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11
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Mathieu NA, Levin RH, Spratt DE. Exploring the Roles of HERC2 and the NEDD4L HECT E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Subfamily in p53 Signaling and the DNA Damage Response. Front Oncol 2021; 11:659049. [PMID: 33869064 PMCID: PMC8044464 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.659049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular homeostasis is governed by the precise expression of genes that control the translation, localization, and termination of proteins. Oftentimes, environmental and biological factors can introduce mutations into the genetic framework of cells during their growth and division, and these genetic abnormalities can result in malignant transformations caused by protein malfunction. For example, p53 is a prominent tumor suppressor protein that is capable of undergoing more than 300 posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and is involved with controlling apoptotic signaling, transcription, and the DNA damage response (DDR). In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms and interactions that occur between p53, the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases WWP1, SMURF1, HECW1 and HERC2, and other oncogenic proteins in the cell to explore how irregular HECT-p53 interactions can induce tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Mathieu
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Rafael H Levin
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Donald E Spratt
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA, United States
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12
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Shen W, Zhang Z, Ma J, Lu D, Lyu L. The Ubiquitin Proteasome System and Skin Fibrosis. Mol Diagn Ther 2021; 25:29-40. [PMID: 33433895 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-020-00509-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a highly conserved way to regulate protein turnover in cells. The UPS hydrolyzes and destroys variant or misfolded proteins and finely regulates proteins involved in differentiation, apoptosis, and other biological processes. This system is a key regulatory factor in the proliferation, differentiation, and collagen secretion of skin fibroblasts. E3 ubiquitin protein ligases Parkin and NEDD4 regulate multiple signaling pathways in keloid. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 4 (TRAF4) binding with deubiquitinase USP10 can induce p53 destabilization and promote keloid-derived fibroblast proliferation. The UPS participates in the occurrence and development of hypertrophic scars by regulating the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signaling pathway. An initial study suggests that TNFα-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) polymorphisms may be significantly associated with scleroderma susceptibility in individuals of Caucasian descent. Sumoylation and multiple ubiquitin ligases, including Smurfs, UFD2, and KLHL42, play vital roles in scleroderma by targeting the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. In the future, drugs targeting E3 ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes have great potential for the treatment of skin fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanlu Shen
- Science and Technology Achievement Incubation Center, Kunming Medical University, 1168 West Chunrong Road, Yuhua Avenue, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- Science and Technology Achievement Incubation Center, Kunming Medical University, 1168 West Chunrong Road, Yuhua Avenue, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Jiaqing Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Di Lu
- Science and Technology Achievement Incubation Center, Kunming Medical University, 1168 West Chunrong Road, Yuhua Avenue, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Lechun Lyu
- Science and Technology Achievement Incubation Center, Kunming Medical University, 1168 West Chunrong Road, Yuhua Avenue, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China.
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13
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Liu B, Zhang G, Cui S, Du G. Inhibition of RNF6 alleviates traumatic brain injury by suppressing STAT3 signaling in rats. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01847. [PMID: 32955171 PMCID: PMC7749554 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has ranked as one of the leading causes of disability and death in the world. The neuroinflammation mediated by signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling during the progression of TBI leads to long-term neurodegeneration. Ring finger protein 6 (RNF-6) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and can regulate the activity of STAT3 signaling pathway by targeting its inhibitors. However, the mechanism underlying this process in TBI remains poorly understood. METHODS In this research, cortical impact injury was used to construct the TBI rat model. Western blot assay was performed to evaluate the protein levels of RNF6, Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1), and STAT3/pSTAT3. QRT-PCR assay was performed to assess the RNA levels of RNF6 and other cytokines. The neural function of TBI rats was estimated by modified Neurological Severity Scores test. RESULTS The expression of RNF-6 was up-regulated in the brain tissues of TBI rats. Down-regulation of RNF6 alleviated the symptoms and improved the neural recovery postinjury in TBI rats. Inhibition of RNF6 suppressed the cerebral inflammation by up-regulating the protein level of SHP-1 and down-regulating the phosphorylation level of STAT3. CONCLUSION Inhibition of RNF6 alleviated TBI by suppressing the STAT3 signaling in TBI rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery Six, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
| | - Gang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery Six, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
| | - Shukun Cui
- Department of Neurosurgery Six, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
| | - Guoliang Du
- Department of Neurosurgery Six, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, China
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14
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Chang Y, Jin H, Li H, Ma J, Zheng Z, Sun B, Lyu Y, Lin M, Zhao H, Shen L, Zhang R, Wu S, Lin W, Lu Y, Xie Q, Zhang G, Huang X, Huang H. MiRNA-516a promotes bladder cancer metastasis by inhibiting MMP9 protein degradation via the AKT/FOXO3A/SMURF1 axis. Clin Transl Med 2020; 10:e263. [PMID: 33377649 PMCID: PMC7752166 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with bladder cancer (BC). However, current available treatments exert little effects on metastatic BC. Moreover, traditional grading and staging have only a limited ability to identify metastatic BC. Accumulating evidence indicates that the aberrant expression of microRNA is intimately associated with tumor progression. So far, many miRNAs have been identified as molecular targets for cancer diagnosis and therapy. This study focused on the role of miR-516a-5p (miR-516a) in BC. METHODS MiR-516a expression and its downstream signaling pathway were detected using molecular cell biology and biochemistry approaches and techniques. Fresh clinical BC tissue was used to study the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with different miR-516a expression. The biological functions of miR-516a in BC were tested both in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS A more invasive BC phenotype was significantly and positively correlated with miR-516a overexpression in BC patients. MiR-516a inhibition significantly decreased BC cell invasion and migration in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, miR-516a attenuated the expression of PH domain leucine-rich repeat-containing protein phosphatase 2 protein and inhibited SMAD-specific E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 transcription by activating the AKT/Forkhead box O3 signaling pathway, which stabilized MMP9 and slowed down its proteasomal degradation, ultimately promoting BC motility and invasiveness. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal the crucial function of miR-516a in promoting BC metastasis, and elucidate the molecular mechanism involved, suggesting that miR-516a may be a promising novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Chang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Honglei Jin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Hongyan Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Jiugao Ma
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Zhijian Zheng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Binuo Sun
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Yiting Lyu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Mengqi Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - He Zhao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Liping Shen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Ruirui Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Shuilian Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Weiwei Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Yongyong Lu
- The First Affiliated HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Qipeng Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Gang Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Xing Huang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Haishan Huang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, China, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life SciencesWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouChina
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15
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Nielsen CP, Jernigan KK, Diggins NL, Webb DJ, MacGurn JA. USP9X Deubiquitylates DVL2 to Regulate WNT Pathway Specification. Cell Rep 2020; 28:1074-1089.e5. [PMID: 31340145 PMCID: PMC6884140 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The WNT signaling network is comprised of multiple receptors that relay various input signals via distinct transduction pathways to execute multiple complex and context-specific output processes. Integrity of the WNT signaling network relies on proper specification between canonical and noncanonical pathways, which presents a regulatory challenge given that several signal transducing elements are shared between pathways. Here, we report that USP9X, a deubiquitylase, and WWP1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, regulate a ubiquitin rheostat on DVL2, a WNT signaling protein. Our findings indicate that USP9X-mediated deubiquitylation of DVL2 is required for canonical WNT activation, while increased DVL2 ubiquitylation is associated with localization to actin-rich projections and activation of the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway. We propose that a WWP1-USP9X axis regulates a ubiquitin rheostat on DVL2 that specifies its participation in either canonical WNT or WNT-PCP pathways. These findings have important implications for therapeutic targeting of USP9X in human cancer. DVL2 is a signal transducing protein that participates in canonical and noncanonical WNT signaling relays. Here, Nielsen et al. report that the deubiquitylase USP9X and the E3 ubiquitin ligase WWP1 operate on DVL2 to establish a ubiquitin rheostat that contributes to WNT pathway specification in human breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey P Nielsen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Kristin K Jernigan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Nicole L Diggins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Donna J Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
| | - Jason A MacGurn
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA.
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16
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Bai Y, Ying Y. The Post-translational Modifications of Smurf2 in TGF-β Signaling. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:128. [PMID: 32733916 PMCID: PMC7358609 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2), an essential negative regulator of TGF-β signaling, ubiquitinates TGF-β receptors (TβRs) and Smad proteins, inducing their proteasomal degradation. Smurf2 plays crucial roles in regulating TGF-β signaling and maintaining normal cellular functions and tissue homeostasis; dysfunction of Smurf2 triggers abnormal TGF-β signaling in pathological states. Smurf2 has been reported as a potentially strong candidate for targeting therapies for related diseases. Recent work has begun to focus on the regulation of Smurf2 itself, and emerging evidence indicates that Smurf2 is regulated by post-translational modifications (PTMs) mechanisms. These mechanisms predominantly regulate the expression level and E3 ligase activity of Smurf2, strongly suggesting that this protein contributes to complicated roles under multiple pathophysiological conditions. In this review, we cover some significant and novel mechanisms of the PTMs that potentially control Smurf2 participation in TGF-β signaling, including ubiquitylation, SUMOylation, neddylation, phosphorylation, and methylation in order to provide a broad view of the depth and sophistication of Smurf2 function in TGF-β regulation, as well as perspectives for future therapeutic directions for its associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjinming Bai
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathogens and Molecular Pathology and Department of Pathophysiology, Schools of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Nanchang Joint Program, Queen Mary School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ying Ying
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathogens and Molecular Pathology and Department of Pathophysiology, Schools of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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17
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Activity of Smurf2 Ubiquitin Ligase Is Regulated by the Wnt Pathway Protein Dishevelled. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051147. [PMID: 32392721 PMCID: PMC7290506 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt and BMP signaling pathways are two key molecular machineries regulating development and homeostasis. The efficient coordination of Wnt and BMP is essential in many developmental processes such as establishment of antero-posterior and dorso-ventral body axis, regulation of convergent extension, or development of various organ systems. SMAD ubiquitination regulatory factor (Smurf) family of E3 ubiquitin ligases are important and evolutionary conserved regulators of TGF-β/BMP signaling pathways. Smurf2 has been previously shown to regulate Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathway by ubiquitinating Prickle1, one of the key components of PCP. We explored the role of Smurf2 in Wnt pathways in further detail and identified that Smurf2 is also a ubiquitin ligase of Dishevelled (DVL), the key cytoplasmic signal transducer in the Wnt pathway. Interestingly, the Smurf2 and DVL relationship expands beyond substrate-E3 ligase. We can show that DVL activates Smurf2, which allows Smurf2 to ubiquitinate its substrates from Wnt/PCP (Prickle1) as well as TGF-β/BMP (Smad2) pathways more efficiently. Using SMAD7 as an example of Smurf2 activator we show that DVL and SMAD7 both activates Smurf2 activity. In HEK293 cells the deficiency of DVL phenocopies absence of Smurf2 and leads to the increased phosphorylation of R-Smads. Smurf2-DVL connection provides a novel and intriguing point of crosstalk for Wnt and BMP pathways.
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18
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Shi G, Zhou X, Wang X, Zhang X, Zhang P, Feng S. Signatures of altered DNA methylation gene expression after central and peripheral nerve injury. J Cell Physiol 2019; 235:5171-5181. [PMID: 31691285 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Nerve damage can lead to movement and sensory dysfunction, with high morbidity and disability rates causing severe burdens on patients, families, and society. DNA methylation is a kind of epigenetics, and a great number of previous studies have demonstrated that DNA methylation plays an important role in the process of nerve regeneration and remodeling. However, compared with the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system shows stronger recovery after injury, which is related to the complex microenvironment and epigenetic changes occurring at the site of injury. Therefore, what common epigenetic changes between the central and peripheral nervous systems remain to be elucidated. We first screened differential methylation genes after spinal cord injury and sciatic nerve injury using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, respectively. Subsequently, a total of 16 genes had the same epigenetic changes after spinal cord injury and sciatic nerve injury. The Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were performed to identify the critical biological processes and pathways. Furthermore, a protein-protein interaction network analysis indicated that Dnm3, Ntrk3, Smurf1, Dpysl2, Kalrn, Shank1, Dlg2, Arsb, Reln, Bmp5, Numbl, Prickle2, Map6, and Htr7 were the core genes. These outcomes may provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of the subacute phase of nerve injury. These verified genes can offer potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for nerve injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guidong Shi
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development (Ministry of Health), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xianhu Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development (Ministry of Health), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiqing Feng
- Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Spinal Cord Injury, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Department of Orthopedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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19
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Klupp F, Giese C, Halama N, Franz C, Lasitschka F, Warth A, Schmidt T, Kloor M, Ulrich A, Schneider M. E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf2: a prognostic factor in microsatellite stable colorectal cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2019; 11:1795-1803. [PMID: 30863185 PMCID: PMC6391146 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s178111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Smurf2 is a member of the homologous to E6-AP carboxyl terminus family of E3 ubiquitin ligases. Changes in their expression pattern are known to contribute to tumorigenesis. Smurf2 plays a decisive role in cell differentiation, proliferation, and migration and exhibits a dual role in cancer – functioning as both oncogene and tumor suppressor. Dysregulation of Smurf2 in different cancer types has been described, besides colorectal cancer (CRC). We therefore examined the expression and oncogenic potential of Smurf2 in human CRC patients. Materials and methods Expression levels of Smurf2 were analyzed via qRT-PCR in CRC specimens and healthy mucosa from 98 patients who had undergone surgery due to CRC. Spatial expression of Smurf2 was additionally studied by immunohistochemistry. siRNA-mediated knockdown of Smurf2 was applied for migration and invasion assays in DLD-1 and SW-480 cells. Results Smurf2 was significantly overexpressed in CRC tissue compared to corresponding healthy colon mucosa. Smurf2 expression levels differed significantly between microsatellite instable (MSI) and microsatellite stable (MSS) CRC. In patients suffering from MSS CRC, high tumoral expression of Smurf2 was significantly associated with impaired overall survival. Consistently, in vitro analysis revealed that knockdown of Smurf2 reduced the invasive and migratory potential of MSS CRC cells. Conclusion Smurf2 expression is upregulated in CRC specimens and affects survival dependent on patients’ MSI status. Moreover, Smurf2 supports cancer cell migration and invasion, collectively suggesting an oncogenic function in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fee Klupp
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany,
| | - Christina Giese
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany,
| | - Niels Halama
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, Medical Oncology and Internal Medicine VI, Tissue Imaging and Analysis Center, Bioquant, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Clemens Franz
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany,
| | - Felix Lasitschka
- Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany.,Tissue Bank of the National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Arne Warth
- Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany,
| | - Matthias Kloor
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Alexis Ulrich
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany,
| | - Martin Schneider
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany,
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20
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TTC3 contributes to TGF-β 1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and myofibroblast differentiation, potentially through SMURF2 ubiquitylation and degradation. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:92. [PMID: 30696809 PMCID: PMC6351531 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) acts as a key cytokine in epithelial−mesenchymal transition (EMT) and myofibroblast differentiation, which are important for normal tissue repair and fibrotic diseases. Ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of TGF-β signaling proteins acts as a regulatory mechanism for the precise control of TGF-β signaling. SMAD-specific ubiquitin E3 ligase (SMAD ubiquitination regulatory factor 2, SMURF2) controls TGF-β signaling proteins including the TGF-β receptor (TGFR) and SMAD2/3. Here, we report that tetratricopeptide repeat domain 3 (TTC3), a ubiquitin E3 ligase, positively regulates TGF-β1-induced EMT and myofibroblast differentiation, through inducing ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of SMURF2. In human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and normal human lung fibroblasts, TTC3 knockdown suppressed TGF-β1-induced EMT and myofibroblast differentiation, respectively. Similarly, when TTC3 expression was suppressed, the TGF-β1-stimulated elevation of p-SMAD2, SMAD2, p-SMAD3, and SMAD3 were inhibited. In contrast, overexpression of TTC3 caused both EMT and myofibroblast differentiation in the absence of TGF-β1 treatment. TGF-β1 reduced SMURF2 levels and TTC3 overexpression led to a further decrease in SMURF2 levels, while TTC3 knockdown inhibited TGF-β1-induced SMURF2 reduction. In cell and in vitro ubiquitylation assays demonstrated TTC3-mediated SMURF2 ubiquitylation, and coimmunoprecipitation assays established the binding between SMURF2 and TTC3. TGF-β1-induced TTC3 expression was inhibited by the knockdown of SMAD2 and SMAD3. Finally, Ttc3 mRNA levels were significantly increased and Smurf2 protein levels were significantly decreased in the lungs of mice treated with bleomycin as compared with the lungs of control mice. Collectively, these data suggest that TTC3 may contribute to TGF-β1-induced EMT and myofibroblast differentiation, potentially through SMURF2 ubiquitylation/proteasomal degradation and subsequent inhibition of SMURF2-mediated suppression of SMAD2 and SMAD3, which in turn induces TTC3 expression.
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21
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Dong W, Xie F, Chen XY, Huang WL, Zhang YZ, Luo WB, Chen J, Xie MT, Peng XP. Inhibition of Smurf2 translation by miR-322/503 protects from ischemia-reperfusion injury by modulating EZH2/Akt/GSK3β signaling. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2019; 317:C253-C261. [PMID: 30649914 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00375.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a common and lethal disease that threatens people's life worldwide. The underlying mechanisms are under intensive study and yet remain unclear. Here, we explored the function of miR-322/503 in myocardial I/R injury. We used isolated rat perfused heart as an in vivo model and H9c2 cells subjected with the oxygen and glucose deprivation followed by reperfusion as in vitro model to study myocardial I/R injury. 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to measure the infarct size, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nick-end label (TUNEL) staining was used to examine apoptosis. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine expression levels of miR-322/503, Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2), enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), p-Akt, and p-GSK3β. Overexpression of miR-322/503 decreased infarct size, inhibited cell apoptosis, and promoted cell proliferation through upregualtion of p-Akt and p-GSK3β. Thus the expression of miR-322/503 was reduced during I/R process. On the molecular level, miR-322/503 directly bound Smurf2 mRNA and suppressed its translation. Smurf2 ubiquitinated EZH2 and degraded EZH2, which could activate Akt/GSK3β signaling. Our study demonstrates that miR-322/503 plays a beneficial role in myocardial I/R injury. By inhibition of Smurf2 translation, miR-322/503 induces EZH2 expression and activates Akt/GSK3β pathway, thereby protecting cells from ischemia reperfusion injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Dong
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Xie
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan-Ying Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Lin Huang
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Zhen Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Bo Luo
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Chen
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Tuan Xie
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ping Peng
- Department of Cardiovascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
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22
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Tian M, Zeng T, Liu M, Han S, Lin H, Lin Q, Li L, Jiang T, Li G, Lin H, Zhang T, Kang Q, Deng X, Wang HR. A cell-based high-throughput screening method based on a ubiquitin-reference technique for identifying modulators of E3 ligases. J Biol Chem 2018; 294:2880-2891. [PMID: 30587574 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that a wide range of E3 ubiquitin ligases are involved in the development of many human diseases. Searching for small-molecule modulators of these E3 ubiquitin ligases is emerging as a promising drug discovery strategy. Here, we report the development of a cell-based high-throughput screening method to identify modulators of E3 ubiquitin ligases by integrating the ubiquitin-reference technique (URT), based on a fusion protein of ubiquitin located between a protein of interest and a reference protein moiety, with a Dual-Luciferase system. Using this method, we screened for small-molecule modulators of SMAD ubiquitin regulatory factor 1 (SMURF1), which belongs to the NEDD4 family of E3 ubiquitin ligases and is an attractive therapeutic target because of its roles in tumorigenesis. Using RAS homolog family member B (RHOB) as a SMURF1 substrate in this screen, we identified a potent SMURF1 inhibitor and confirmed that it also blocks SMURF1-dependent degradation of SMAD family member 1 (SMAD1) and RHOA. An in vitro auto-ubiquitination assay indicated that this compound inhibits both SMURF1 and SMURF2 activities, indicating that it may be an antagonist of the catalytic activity of the HECT domain in SMURF1/2. Moreover, cell functional assays revealed that this compound effectively inhibits protrusive activity in HEK293T cells and blocks transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in MDCK cells, similar to the effects on these processes caused by SMURF1 loss. In summary, the screening approach presented here may have great practical potential for identifying modulators of E3 ubiquitin ligases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maoyuan Tian
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Taoling Zeng
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Mingdong Liu
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Shang Han
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Huayue Lin
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Qi Lin
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Li Li
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Tingting Jiang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Gao Li
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Hong Lin
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Qiaofeng Kang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xianming Deng
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Hong-Rui Wang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Fujian 361102, China
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23
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Zhu K, Tang Y, Xu X, Dang H, Tang LY, Wang X, Wang XW, Zhang YE. Non-proteolytic ubiquitin modification of PPARγ by Smurf1 protects the liver from steatosis. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e3000091. [PMID: 30566427 PMCID: PMC6317813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by abnormal accumulation of triglycerides (TG) in the liver and other metabolic syndrome symptoms, but its molecular genetic causes are not completely understood. Here, we show that mice deficient for ubiquitin ligase (E3) Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1) spontaneously develop hepatic steatosis as they age and exhibit the exacerbated phenotype under a high-fat diet (HFD). Our data indicate that loss of Smurf1 up-regulates the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and its target genes involved in lipid synthesis and fatty acid uptake. We further show that PPARγ is a direct substrate of Smurf1-mediated non-proteolytic lysine 63 (K63)-linked ubiquitin modification that suppresses its transcriptional activity, and treatment of Smurf1-deficient mice with a PPARγ antagonist, GW9662, completely reversed the lipid accumulation in the liver. Finally, we demonstrate an inverse correlation of low SMURF1 expression to high body mass index (BMI) values in human patients, thus revealing a new role of SMURF1 in NAFLD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zhu
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yi Tang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xuan Xu
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hien Dang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Liu-Ya Tang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xiang Wang
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ying E. Zhang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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24
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Li H, Cui Y, Wei J, Liu C, Chen Y, Cui CP, Li L, Zhang X, Zhang L. VCP/p97 increases BMP signaling by accelerating ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 degradation. FASEB J 2018; 33:2928-2943. [PMID: 30335548 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201801173r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-Smad signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the control of bone homeostasis by regulating osteoblast activity. It is known that the ubiquitin ligase Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor (Smurf)1 is a master negative regulator of BMP signaling, but how its stability and activity are regulated remains poorly understood. Our study showed that valosin-containing protein/p97, the mutations of which lead to rare forms of Paget's disease of bone (PDB)-like syndrome-such as inclusion body myopathy (IBM) associated with Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBM-PFD)-together with its adaptor nuclear protein localization (NPL)4, specifically interact with Smurf1 and deliver the ubiquitinated Smurf1 for degradation. Depletion of either p97 or NPL4 resulted in the elevation of Smurf1 protein level and decreased BMP signaling accordingly. Mechanically, a typical proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine motif specifically existing in Smurf1 is necessary for its recognition and degradation by p97, and this process is dependent on p97 ATPase activity. More importantly, compared with p97 WT, PDB-associated mutation of p97 (mainly A232E) harboring the higher ATPase activity of p97 further promoted Smurf1 degradation, thus increasing BMP signaling activity. Our findings first establish a link between p97 and Smurf1, providing an in-depth understanding of how Smurf1 is regulated, as well as the mechanism of p97-related bone diseases.-Li, H., Cui, Y., Wei, J., Liu, C., Chen, Y., Cui, C.-P., Li, L., Zhang, X., Zhang, L. VCP/p97 increases BMP signaling by accelerating ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Yu Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Fengxian Central Hospital Graduate Training Base, Fengxian Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Chun-Ping Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Xueli Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Fengxian Central Hospital Graduate Training Base, Fengxian Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingqiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
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25
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Ma JY, You D, Li WY, Lu XL, Sun S, Li HW. Bone morphogenetic proteins and inner ear development. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2018; 20:131-145. [PMID: 30112880 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b1800084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are the largest subfamily of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, and they play important roles in the development of numerous organs, including the inner ear. The inner ear is a relatively small organ but has a highly complex structure and is involved in both hearing and balance. Here, we discuss BMPs and BMP signaling pathways and then focus on the role of BMP signal pathway regulation in the development of the inner ear and the implications this has for the treatment of human hearing loss and balance dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao-Yao Ma
- Ear, Nose & Throat Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Dan You
- Ear, Nose & Throat Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wen-Yan Li
- Ear, Nose & Throat Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Ling Lu
- Ear, Nose & Throat Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Shan Sun
- Ear, Nose & Throat Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Hua-Wei Li
- Ear, Nose & Throat Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and the Institutes of Brain Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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26
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Koganti P, Levy-Cohen G, Blank M. Smurfs in Protein Homeostasis, Signaling, and Cancer. Front Oncol 2018; 8:295. [PMID: 30116722 PMCID: PMC6082930 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein ubiquitination is an evolutionary conserved highly-orchestrated enzymatic cascade essential for normal cellular functions and homeostasis maintenance. This pathway relies on a defined set of cellular enzymes, among them, substrate-specific E3 ubiquitin ligases (E3s). These ligases are the most critical players, as they define the spatiotemporal nature of ubiquitination and confer specificity to this cascade. Smurf1 and Smurf2 (Smurfs) are the C2-WW-HECT-domain E3 ubiquitin ligases, which recently emerged as important determinants of pivotal cellular processes. These processes include cell proliferation and differentiation, chromatin organization and dynamics, DNA damage response and genomic integrity maintenance, gene expression, cell stemness, migration, and invasion. All these processes are intimately connected and profoundly altered in cancer. Initially, Smurf proteins were identified as negative regulators of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathways. However, recent studies have extended the scope of Smurfs' biological functions beyond the BMP/TGF-β signaling regulation. Here, we provide a critical literature overview and updates on the regulatory roles of Smurfs in molecular and cell biology, with an emphasis on cancer. We also highlight the studies demonstrating the impact of Smurf proteins on tumor cell sensitivity to anticancer therapies. Further in-depth analyses of Smurfs' biological functions and influences on molecular pathways could provide novel therapeutic targets and paradigms for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Koganti
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Gal Levy-Cohen
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Michael Blank
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
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27
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Iezaki T, Fukasawa K, Horie T, Park G, Robinson S, Nakaya M, Fujita H, Onishi Y, Ozaki K, Kanayama T, Hiraiwa M, Kitaguchi Y, Kaneda K, Yoneda Y, Takarada T, Guo XE, Kurose H, Hinoi E. The MAPK Erk5 is necessary for proper skeletogenesis involving a Smurf-Smad-Sox9 molecular axis. Development 2018; 145:dev.164004. [PMID: 29986870 DOI: 10.1242/dev.164004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Erk5 belongs to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. Following its phosphorylation by Mek5, Erk5 modulates several signaling pathways in a number of cell types. In this study, we demonstrated that Erk5 inactivation in mesenchymal cells causes abnormalities in skeletal development by inducing Sox9, an important transcription factor of skeletogenesis. We further demonstrate that Erk5 directly phosphorylates and activates Smurf2 (a ubiquitin E3 ligase) at Thr249, which promotes the proteasomal degradation of Smad proteins and phosphorylates Smad1 at Ser206 in the linker region known to trigger its proteasomal degradation by Smurf1. Smads transcriptionally activated the expression of Sox9 in mesenchymal cells. Accordingly, removal of one Sox9 allele in mesenchymal cells from Erk5-deficient mice rescued some abnormalities of skeletogenesis. These findings highlight the importance of the Mek5-Erk5-Smurf-Smad-Sox9 axis in mammalian skeletogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Iezaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan.,Venture Business Laboratory, Organization of Frontier Science and Innovation, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Kazuya Fukasawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Tetsuhiro Horie
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Gyujin Park
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Samuel Robinson
- Bone Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Michio Nakaya
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Fujita
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yuki Onishi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Kakeru Ozaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Takashi Kanayama
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Manami Hiraiwa
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yuka Kitaguchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Kaneda
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Yukio Yoneda
- Section of Prophylactic Pharmacology, Venture Business Laboratory, Organization of Frontier Science and Innovation, Kanazawa University Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Takeshi Takarada
- Department of Regenerative Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - X Edward Guo
- Bone Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Hitoshi Kurose
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Eiichi Hinoi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kanazawa University Graduate School, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
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28
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Tang Y, Tang LY, Xu X, Li C, Deng C, Zhang YE. Generation of Smurf2 Conditional Knockout Mice. Int J Biol Sci 2018; 14:542-548. [PMID: 29805305 PMCID: PMC5968846 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.24303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) is a HECT domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase. Together with its closely related homolog Smurf1, Smurf2 was initially recognized as a negative regulator of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, but subsequent studies have expanded its function to regulate many different signaling pathways and play important roles in genomic stability, cell polarity, tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis. Mice with conventional knockout of Smurf1 or Smurf2 alleles are viable, but conventional Smurf1 and Smurf2 double knockout mice were early embryonic lethal. In order to study the physiological function of Smurfs during late stage of embryonic development or in adult animals, we generated Smurf2flox/flox mice carrying a targeted mutation for conditional Smurf2 gene inactivation. We demonstrated that Cre-mediated recombination using Alb-Cre, a Cre line expressed in hepatocyte, results in specific deletion of the gene in liver tissue. We also showed that Cre-mediated recombination in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with Smurf2flox/flox genotype resulted in generation of Smurf2 knockout MEFs, and Smurf2 deficiency affects multiple signaling pathways. Therefore, this animal model will be useful to study the distinct roles of Smurf2 in different tissues at different ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Tang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Liu-Ya Tang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Xuan Xu
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Cuiling Li
- Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Chuxia Deng
- Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.,Present address: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Ying E Zhang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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29
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Regulation of CNKSR2 protein stability by the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf2, and its role in breast cancer progression. BMC Cancer 2018. [PMID: 29534682 PMCID: PMC5850909 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4188-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Smurf2 E3 ubiquitin ligase physically associates with and regulate the stability of distinct cellular protein substrates. The multi-functional scaffold protein Connector enhancer of kinase suppressor of ras 2 (CNKSR2) plays a key role in regulating cell proliferation, and differentiation through multiple receptor tyrosine kinase pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the interaction between Smurf2 and CNKSR2 has any significant role in the post transcriptional regulation of CNKSR2 expression in breast cancer. METHODS Here we demonstrate a novel interaction of CNKSR2 with Smurf2 by co-immunoprecipitation, indirect immunofluorescence studies, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, which can ubiquitinate, but stabilize CNKSR2 by protecting it from proteasome mediated degradation. RESULTS CNKSR2 protein levels were significantly increased upon forced overexpression of Smurf2, indicating the role of Smurf2 in regulating the stability of CNKSR2. Conversely, Smurf2 knockdown resulted in a marked decrease in the protein level expression of CNKSR2 by facilitating enhanced polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation and reduced the proliferation and clonogenic survival of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Tissue microarray data from 84 patients with various stages of mammary carcinoma, including (in order of increasing malignant potential) normal, usual hyperplasia, fibrocystic changes, fibroadenoma, carcinoma-in-situ, and invasive ductal carcinoma showed a statistically significant association between Smurf2 and CNKSR2 expression, which is also well correlated with the ER, PR, and HER2 status of the tissue samples. A comparatively high expression of Smurf2 and CNKSR2 was observed when the expression of ER and PR was low, and HER2 was high. Consistently, both Smurf2 and CNKSR2 showed an integrated expression in MCF10 breast progression model cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, our findings reveal that Smurf2 is a novel positive regulator of CNKSR2 and suggest that Smurf2-CNKSR2 interaction may serve as a common strategy to control proliferation of human breast cancer cells by modulating CNKSR2 protein stability.
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30
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Smurf1 regulation of DAB2IP controls cell proliferation and migration. Oncotarget 2018; 7:26057-69. [PMID: 27036023 PMCID: PMC5041964 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cell proliferation, survival and migration are regulated by the deletion of ovarian carcinoma 2/disabled homolog 2 (DOC-2/DAB2) interacting protein (DAB2IP), a tumor suppressor that serves as a scaffold protein for H-Ras and TRAF2. Importantly, the oncogenic histone methyl-transferase EZH2 epigenetically down-regulates DAB2IP in a variety of tumors. Recently, we demonstrated that DAB2IP is negatively regulated by Akt-dependent phosphorylation and SCFFbw7-mediated degradation. Here, we further identify the oncoprotein Smurf1, an E3-ubiquitin ligase, as a novel negative regulator of DAB2IP. Smurf1-mediated cellular proliferation and migration are largely dependent on the presence of DAB2IP, suggesting that DAB2IP is a key effector molecule of Smurf1 oncogenic function. Additionally, we identify that similar to DAB2IP, Smurf1 is also a target of phosphorylation by both Akt1 and Akt2 kinases, which enhances Smurf1 abundance, leading to a reduction in DAB2IP. Given the role of DAB2IP in tumorigenesis and metastasis, our data identify Smurf1 as an upstream oncogenic factor that negatively regulates DAB2IP to govern aberrant cell growth and migration.
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31
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Wang D, Ma L, Wang B, Liu J, Wei W. E3 ubiquitin ligases in cancer and implications for therapies. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2017; 36:683-702. [DOI: 10.1007/s10555-017-9703-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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32
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Hausmann M, Ilić N, Pilarczyk G, Lee JH, Logeswaran A, Borroni AP, Krufczik M, Theda F, Waltrich N, Bestvater F, Hildenbrand G, Cremer C, Blank M. Challenges for Super-Resolution Localization Microscopy and Biomolecular Fluorescent Nano-Probing in Cancer Research. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2066. [PMID: 28956810 PMCID: PMC5666748 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18102066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding molecular interactions and regulatory mechanisms in tumor initiation, progression, and treatment response are key requirements towards advanced cancer diagnosis and novel treatment procedures in personalized medicine. Beyond decoding the gene expression, malfunctioning and cancer-related epigenetic pathways, investigations of the spatial receptor arrangements in membranes and genome organization in cell nuclei, on the nano-scale, contribute to elucidating complex molecular mechanisms in cells and tissues. By these means, the correlation between cell function and spatial organization of molecules or molecular complexes can be studied, with respect to carcinogenesis, tumor sensitivity or tumor resistance to anticancer therapies, like radiation or antibody treatment. Here, we present several new applications for bio-molecular nano-probes and super-resolution, laser fluorescence localization microscopy and their potential in life sciences, especially in biomedical and cancer research. By means of a tool-box of fluorescent antibodies, green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagging, or specific oligonucleotides, we present tumor relevant re-arrangements of Erb-receptors in membranes, spatial organization of Smad specific ubiquitin protein ligase 2 (Smurf2) in the cytosol, tumor cell characteristic heterochromatin organization, and molecular re-arrangements induced by radiation or antibody treatment. The main purpose of this article is to demonstrate how nano-scaled distance measurements between bio-molecules, tagged by appropriate nano-probes, can be applied to elucidate structures and conformations of molecular complexes which are characteristic of tumorigenesis and treatment responses. These applications open new avenues towards a better interpretation of the spatial organization and treatment responses of functionally relevant molecules, at the single cell level, in normal and cancer cells, offering new potentials for individualized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hausmann
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Nataša Ilić
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold ST, Safed 1311502, Israel.
| | - Götz Pilarczyk
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jin-Ho Lee
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Abiramy Logeswaran
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Aurora Paola Borroni
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold ST, Safed 1311502, Israel.
| | - Matthias Krufczik
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Franziska Theda
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Nadine Waltrich
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Felix Bestvater
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Georg Hildenbrand
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 3-5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Christoph Cremer
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Ackermannweg 4, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Michael Blank
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold ST, Safed 1311502, Israel.
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Wei X, Wang X, Zhan J, Chen Y, Fang W, Zhang L, Zhang H. Smurf1 inhibits integrin activation by controlling Kindlin-2 ubiquitination and degradation. J Cell Biol 2017; 216:1455-1471. [PMID: 28408404 PMCID: PMC5412569 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201609073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrin-mediated cellular functions require integrin activation by the proteins Kindlin-2 and Talin. Wei et al. show that the E3 ligase Smurf1 permits precise modulation of integrin-mediated adhesion by interacting with and promoting Kindlin-2 ubiquitination and degradation. Integrin activation is an indispensable step for various integrin-mediated biological functions. Kindlin-2 is known to coactivate integrins with Talin; however, molecules that restrict integrin activation are elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 controls the amount of Kindlin-2 protein in cells and hinders integrin activation. Smurf1 interacts with and promotes Kindlin-2 ubiquitination and degradation. Smurf1 selectively mediates degradation of Kindlin-2 but not Talin, leading to inhibition of αIIbβ3 integrin activation in Chinese hamster ovary cells and β1 integrin activation in fibroblasts. Enhanced activation of β1 integrin was found in Smurf1-knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts, which correlates with an increase in Kindlin-2 protein levels. Similarly, a reciprocal relationship between Smurf1 and Kindlin-2 protein levels is found in tissues from colon cancer patients, suggesting that Smurf1 mediates Kindlin-2 degradation in vivo. Collectively, we demonstrate that Smurf1 acts as a brake for integrin activation by controlling Kindlin-2 protein levels, a new mechanism that permits precise modulation of integrin-mediated cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofan Wei
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education) and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education) and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jun Zhan
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education) and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yuhan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Weigang Fang
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Lingqiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Hongquan Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education) and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
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34
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Malonis RJ, Fu W, Jelcic MJ, Thompson M, Canter BS, Tsikitis M, Esteva FJ, Sánchez I. RNF11 sequestration of the E3 ligase SMURF2 on membranes antagonizes SMAD7 down-regulation of transforming growth factor β signaling. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:7435-7451. [PMID: 28292929 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.783662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The activity of the E3 ligase, SMURF2, is antagonized by an intramolecular, autoinhibitory interaction between its C2 and Hect domains. Relief of SMURF2 autoinhibition is induced by TGFβ and is mediated by the inhibitory SMAD, SMAD7. In a proteomic screen for endomembrane interactants of the RING-domain E3 ligase, RNF11, we identified SMURF2, among a cohort of Hect E3 ligases previously implicated in TGFβ signaling. Reconstitution of the SMURF2·RNF11 complex in vitro unexpectedly revealed robust SMURF2 E3 ligase activity, with biochemical properties previously restricted to the SMURF2·SMAD7 complex. Using in vitro binding assays, we find that RNF11 can directly compete with SMAD7 for SMURF2 and that binding is mutually exclusive and dependent on a proline-rich domain. Moreover, we found that co-expression of RNF11 and SMURF2 dramatically reduced SMURF2 ubiquitylation in the cell. This effect is strictly dependent on complex formation and sorting determinants that regulate the association of RNF11 with membranes. RNF11 is overexpressed in certain tumors, and, importantly, we found that depletion of this protein down-regulated gene expression of several TGFβ-responsive genes, dampened cell proliferation, and dramatically reduced cell migration in response to TGFβ. Our data suggest for the first time that the choice of binding partners for SMURF2 can sustain or repress TGFβ signaling, and RNF11 may promote TGFβ-induced cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Malonis
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016.,the Albert Einstein School of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Wenxiang Fu
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016.,Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mark J Jelcic
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016.,the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065
| | - Marae Thompson
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016
| | - Brian S Canter
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016.,the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, New Jersey 07103, and
| | - Mary Tsikitis
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016.,the Division of Cell Biology, Academy of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Francisco J Esteva
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016
| | - Irma Sánchez
- From the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone, New York, New York 10016,
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35
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Qiang J, Tao F, He J, Sun L, Xu P, Bao W. Effects of exposure to Streptococcus iniae on microRNA expression in the head kidney of genetically improved farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). BMC Genomics 2017; 18:190. [PMID: 28219342 PMCID: PMC5322787 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3591-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus) are susceptible to infection by Streptococcus iniae when maintained in modern intensive culture systems. GIFT are commercially important fishes that are cultured widely in southern China. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulatory response of GIFT to S. iniae infection has been underestimated and has not yet been well studied. Head kidney has an important immune function in teleost fishes. The main aim of this study was to determine the possible function of miRNAs in head kidney of S. iniae-infected GIFT. MiRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to the 3’-untranslated regions of their target mRNAs. MiRNAs are known to regulate immune-regulated signaling and inflammatory response pathways. Results High-throughput deep sequencing of two libraries (control group [CO] and infected group [IN]) of RNA extracted from GIFT head kidney tissues generated 12,089,630 (CO) and 12,624,975 (IN) clean reads. Bioinformatics analysis identified 1736 and 1729 conserved miRNAs and 164 and 165 novel miRNAs in the CO and IN libraries, respectively. Three miRNAs (miR-310-3p, miR-92, and miR-127) were found to be up-regulated and four miRNAs (miR-92d-3p, miR-375-5p, miR-146-3p, and miR-694) were found to be down-regulated in the S. iniae-infected GIFT. The expressions of these miRNAs were verified by quantitative real-time PCR. RNAhybrid and TargetScan were used to identify complementary miRNA and mRNA target sites, and the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases were used to annotate and predict potential downstream regulation of biological pathways. Seven target genes, which encode immune-related proteins (complement C3, cytidine deaminase, regulator of G-protein Rgs22, mitogen-activated protein kinase Mapk1, metabotropic glutamate receptorm GluR8, calcium-sensing receptor CaSR, and microtubule-associated protein Map1S) were predicted to play crucial roles in the GIFT response to S. iniae infection. Conclusions S. iniae outbreaks have hindered the development of the tilapia industry in China. Understanding the miRNA transcriptome of S. iniae-infected GIFT is important for exploring the immune responses regulated by miRNAs as well as for studying novel regulated networks to prevent and treat S. iniae infections in the future. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3591-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Qiang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 9 Shanshui East Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214081, China.
| | - Fanyi Tao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 9 Shanshui East Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214081, China
| | - Jie He
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 9 Shanshui East Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214081, China
| | - Lanyi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 9 Shanshui East Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214081, China
| | - Pao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 9 Shanshui East Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214081, China.
| | - Wenjin Bao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 9 Shanshui East Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214081, China
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36
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Wu B, Guo B, Kang J, Deng X, Fan Y, Zhang X, Ai K. Downregulation of Smurf2 ubiquitin ligase in pancreatic cancer cells reversed TGF-β-induced tumor formation. Tumour Biol 2016; 37:10.1007/s13277-016-5432-0. [PMID: 27730540 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-016-5432-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling and is implicated in a wide range of cellular responses. However, the exact mechanism whereby Smurf2 controls TGF-β-induced signaling pathways remains unknown. Here, we identified the relationship between the alternate TGF-β signaling pathways: TGF-β/PI3K/Akt/β-catenin and TGF-β/Smad2/3/FoxO1/PUMA and Smurf2. The results showed that TGF-β promoted proliferation, invasion, and migration of human pancreatic carcinoma (PANC-1) cells through the PI3K/Akt/β-catenin pathway. Inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signal transformed the TGF-β-induced cell response from promoting proliferation to Smad2/3/FoxO1/PUMA-mediated apoptosis. The activation of Akt inhibited the phosphorylation/activation of Smad3 and promoted the phosphorylation/inactivation of FoxO1, inhibiting the nuclear translocation of both Smad3 and FoxO1 and inhibiting the expression of PUMA, a key apoptotic mediator. However, downregulation of Smurf2 in PANC-1 cells removed Akt-mediated suppression of Smad3 and FoxO1, allowing TGF-β-induced phosphorylation/activation of Smad2/3, dephosphorylation/activation of FoxO1, nuclear translocation of both factors, and activation of PUMA-mediated apoptosis. Downregulation of Smurf2 also decreased invasion and migration in TGF-β-induced PANC-1 cells. The in vivo experiments also revealed that downregulation of Smurf2 delayed the growth of xenograft tumors originating from PANC-1 cells especially when treated with TGF-β. Taken together, these results indicate that expression of Smurf2 plays a central role in the determination and activation/inhibition of particular cellular pathways and the ultimate fate of cells induced by TGF-β. An increased understanding of the intricacies of the TGF-β signaling pathway may provide a new anti-cancer therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yi Shan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Bomin Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yi Shan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Jie Kang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yi Shan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Xianzhao Deng
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yi Shan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Youben Fan
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yi Shan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Xiaoping Zhang
- Institution of Interventional and Vascular Surgery, Tongji Univerity, No. 301 Middle Yan Chang Rd, Shanghai, 200072, China.
| | - Kaixing Ai
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yi Shan Road, Shanghai, 200233, China.
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Barnes JW, Kucera ET, Tian L, Mellor NE, Dvorina N, Baldwin WW, Aldred MA, Farver CF, Comhair SAA, Aytekin M, Dweik RA. Bone Morphogenic Protein Type 2 Receptor Mutation-Independent Mechanisms of Disrupted Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2016; 55:564-575. [PMID: 27187737 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2015-0402oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling, independent of BMPR2 mutations, can result in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Glucose dysregulation can regulate multiple processes in IPAH. However, the role of glucose in BMP antagonist expression in IPAH has not been characterized. We hypothesized that glucose uptake regulates BMP signaling through stimulation of BMP antagonist expression in IPAH. Using human plasma, lung tissue, and primary pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), we examined the protein expression of BMP2, BMP-regulated Smads, and Smurf-1 in patients with IPAH and control subjects. Gremlin-1 levels were elevated in patients with IPAH compared with control subjects, whereas expression of BMP2 was not different. We demonstrate increased Smad polyubiquitination in IPAH lung tissue and PASMCs that was further enhanced with proteasomal inhibition. Examination of the Smad ubiquitin-ligase, Smurf-1, showed increased protein expression in IPAH lung tissue and localization in the smooth muscle of the pulmonary artery. Glucose dose dependently increased Smurf-1 protein expression in control PASMCs, whereas Smurf-1 in IPAH PASMCs was increased and sustained. Conversely, phospho-Smad1/5/8 levels were reduced in IPAH compared with control PASMCs at physiological glucose concentrations. Interestingly, high glucose concentrations decreased phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 in control PASMCs. Blocking glucose uptake had opposing effects in IPAH PASMCs, and inhibition of Smurf-1 activity resulted in partial rescue of Smad1/5/8 activation and cell migration rates. Collectively, these data suggest that BMP signaling can be regulated through BMPR2 mutation-independent mechanisms. Gremlin-1 (synonym: induced-in-high-glucose-2 protein) and Smurf-1 may function to inhibit BMP signaling as a consequence of the glucose dysregulation described in IPAH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Micheala A Aldred
- 3 Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; and
| | | | | | - Metin Aytekin
- Departments of 1 Pathobiology and.,5 Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Raed A Dweik
- Departments of 1 Pathobiology and.,6 Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Institute
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Zhu J, Zhuang T, Yang H, Li X, Liu H, Wang H. Atypical ubiquitin ligase RNF31: the nuclear factor modulator in breast cancer progression. BMC Cancer 2016; 16:538. [PMID: 27460922 PMCID: PMC4962416 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2575-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer causes the No.1 women cancer prevalence and the No.2 women cancer mortality worldwide. Nuclear receptor/transcriptional factor signaling is aberrant and plays important roles in breast cancer pathogenesis and evolution, such as estrogen receptor α (ERα/ESR1), tumor protein p53 (p53/TP53) and Nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB). About 60–70 % of breast tumors are ERα positive, while approximate 70 % of breast tumors are P53 wild type. Recent studies indicate that nuclear receptors/transcriptional factors could be tightly controlled through protein post-translational modification. The nuclear receptors/transcriptional factors could endure several types of modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination. Compared with the other two types of modifications, ubiquitination was mostly linked to protein degradation process, while few researches focused on the functional changes of the target proteins. Until recent years, ubiquitination process is no longer regarded as merely a protein degradation process, but aslo treated as one kind of modification signal. As an atypical E3 ubiquitin ligase, RNF31 was previously found to facilitate NFκB signaling transduction through linear ubiquitination on IKKγ(IκB kinase γ). Our previous studies showed important regulatory functions of RNF31 in controlling important oncogenic pathways in breast cancer, such as ERα and p53. This review highlights recent discoveries on RNF31 functions in nuclear factor modifications, breast cancer progression and possible therapeutic inhibitors targeting RNF31.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhu
- Research Center for Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Ting Zhuang
- Research Center for Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Huijie Yang
- Research Center for Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Li
- Research Center for Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Huandi Liu
- Research Center for Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Wang
- Research Center for Immunology, School of Laboratory Medicine, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan Province, People's Republic of China.
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39
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Zou X, Levy-Cohen G, Blank M. Molecular functions of NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligases in cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2015; 1856:91-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2015.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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40
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Cohen-Solal KA, Boregowda RK, Lasfar A. RUNX2 and the PI3K/AKT axis reciprocal activation as a driving force for tumor progression. Mol Cancer 2015. [PMID: 26204939 PMCID: PMC4513933 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-015-0404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
From the first reported role of the transcription factor RUNX2 in osteoblast and chondrocyte differentiation and migration to its involvement in promigratory/proinvasive behavior of breast, prostate, and thyroid cancer cells, osteosarcoma, or melanoma cells, RUNX2 currently emerges as a key player in metastasis. In this review, we address the interaction of RUNX2 with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, one of the critical axes controlling cancer growth and metastasis. AKT, either by directly phosphorylating/activating RUNX2 or phosphorylating/inactivating regulators of RUNX2 stability or activity, contributes to RUNX2 transcriptional activity. Reciprocally, the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway by RUNX2 regulation of its different components has been described in non-transformed and transformed cells. This mutual activation in the context of cancer cells exhibiting constitutive AKT activation and high levels of RUNX2 might constitute a major driving force in tumor progression and aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine A Cohen-Solal
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology - Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, USA.
| | - Rajeev K Boregowda
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology - Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, USA
| | - Ahmed Lasfar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA.,Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, USA
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41
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Gang X, Wang G, Huang H. Androgens regulate SMAD ubiquitination regulatory factor-1 expression and prostate cancer cell invasion. Prostate 2015; 75:561-72. [PMID: 25631036 PMCID: PMC4593471 DOI: 10.1002/pros.22935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed male cancer in the United States and is a hormone-driven disease. Androgens have been recognized as a major promoter of PCa development and progression. However, the mechanism of androgen action in PCa, especially in PCa cell invasion and metastasis remains largely unclear. SMAD ubiquitination regulatory factor-1 (SMURF1) is a C2-WW-HECT-domain E3 ubiquitin ligase that plays important roles in cancer cell metastasis. Whether there is a relationship between androgens and SMURF1 expression is not known. METHODS The effect of androgens on the expression of SMURF1 in PCa cell lines was examined by Western blot analyses and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Gene transfection was performed by electroporation to manipulate the expression levels of proteins studied. The binding of AR to the SMURF1 gene enhancer was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Cell migration and invasion was measured by wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays, respectively. RESULTS We found that expression of SMURF1 is upregulated by androgens in PCa cell lines and that this effect of androgens is mediated through the androgen receptor (AR). We further showed that androgens regulate SMURF1 expression at transcriptional level and provided evidence that AR transcriptionally activates SMURF1 by binding to its enhancer that contains a canonical half androgen responsive element (ARE). Finally, we demonstrated that SMURF1 is important for androgen-induced invasion of PCa cells. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate for the first time that SMURF1 is a bona fide target gene of the AR. Our findings also suggest a potential role of SMURF1 in PCa metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokun Gang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Guixia Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- Corresponding authors: Guixia Wang, M.D., Ph. D., Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China, 130021. Phone: +8615843081103. , Haojie Huang, Ph. D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Phone: +15072931311.
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Corresponding authors: Guixia Wang, M.D., Ph. D., Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China, 130021. Phone: +8615843081103. , Haojie Huang, Ph. D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Phone: +15072931311.
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David D, Jagadeeshan S, Hariharan R, Nair AS, Pillai RM. Smurf2 E3 ubiquitin ligase modulates proliferation and invasiveness of breast cancer cells in a CNKSR2 dependent manner. Cell Div 2014; 9:2. [PMID: 25191523 PMCID: PMC4154384 DOI: 10.1186/1747-1028-9-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Smurf2 is a member of the HECT family of E3 ubiquitin ligases that play important roles in determining the competence of cells to respond to TGF- β/BMP signaling pathway. However, besides TGF-β/BMP pathway, Smurf2 regulates a repertoire of other signaling pathways ranging from planar cell polarity during embryonic development to cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and senescence. Expression of Smurf2 is found to be dysregulated in many cancers including breast cancer. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of Smurf2 knockdown on the tumorigenic potential of human breast cancer cells emphasizing more on proliferative signaling pathway. METHODS siRNAs targeting different regions of the Smurf2 mRNA were employed to knockdown the expression of Smurf2. The biological effects of synthetic siRNAs on human breast cancer cells were investigated by examining the cell proliferation, migration, invasion, focus formation, anchorage-independent growth, cell cycle arrest, and cell cycle and cell proliferation related protein expressions upon Smurf2 silencing. RESULTS Smurf2 silencing in human breast cancer cells resulted in a decreased focus formation potential and clonogenicity as well as in vitro cell migration/invasion capabilities. Moreover, knockdown of Smurf2 suppressed cell proliferation. Cell cycle analysis showed that the anti-proliferative effect of Smurf2 siRNA was mediated by arresting cells in the G0/G1 phase, which was caused by decreased expression of cyclin D1and cdk4, followed by upregulation p21 and p27. Furthermore, we demonstrated that silencing of Smurf2 downregulated the proliferation of breast cancer cells by modulating the PI3K- PTEN-AKT-FoxO3a pathway via the scaffold protein CNKSR2 which is involved in RAS-dependent signaling pathways. The present study provides the first evidence that silencing Smurf2 using synthetic siRNAs can regulate the tumorigenic properties of human breast cancer cells in a CNKSR2 dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS Our results therefore suggest a novel relation between Smurf2 and CNKSR2 thereby regulating AKT-dependent cell proliferation and invasion. Owing to the fact that PI3K-AKT signaling is hyperactivated in various human cancers and that Smurf2 also regulates cellular transformation, our results indicate that Smurf2 may serve as a potential molecule for targeted cancer therapy of certain tumour types including breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana David
- Research Scholar, Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum 695 014, Kerala, India
| | - Sankar Jagadeeshan
- Research Scholar, Department of Genetics, Dr.ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, Taramani 600 113, India
| | - Ramkumar Hariharan
- Depatment of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Asha Sivakumari Nair
- Research Scholar, Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Trivandrum 695 014, Kerala, India
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Luan Y, Wang P. FBW7-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of KLF5. World J Biol Chem 2014; 5:216-223. [PMID: 24921010 PMCID: PMC4050114 DOI: 10.4331/wjbc.v5.i2.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Krüppel-like factor (KLF) family proteins are transcription factors that regulate numerous cellular functions, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. Posttranslational modification of KLF proteins is important for their transcriptional activities and biological functions. One KLF family member with important roles in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis is KLF5. The function of KLF5 is tightly controlled by post-translational modifications, including SUMOylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Recent studies from our lab and others’ have demonstrated that the tumor suppressor FBW7 is an essential E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets KLF5 for ubiquitination and degradation. KLF5 contains functional Cdc4 phospho-degrons (CPDs), which are required for its interaction with FBW7. Mutation of CPDs in KLF5 blocks the ubiquitination and degradation of KLF5 by FBW7. The protein kinase Glycogen synthase kinase 3β is involved in the phosphorylation of KLF5 CPDs. In both cancer cell lines and mouse models, it has been shown that FBW7 regulates the expression of KLF5 target genes through the modulation of KLF5 stability. In this review, we summarize the current progress on delineating FBW7-mediated KLF5 ubiquitination and degradation.
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Cao S, Xiao L, Rao JN, Zou T, Liu L, Zhang D, Turner DJ, Gorospe M, Wang JY. Inhibition of Smurf2 translation by miR-322/503 modulates TGF-β/Smad2 signaling and intestinal epithelial homeostasis. Mol Biol Cell 2014; 25:1234-43. [PMID: 24554769 PMCID: PMC3982989 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e13-09-0560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Smurf2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates TGF-β/Smad signaling and is implicated in a wide variety of cellular responses. miR-322 and miR-503 repress Smurf2 translation and thus modulate TGF-β/Smad2 signaling and intestinal epithelial homeostasis. Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad signaling and is implicated in a wide variety of cellular responses, but the exact mechanisms that control Smurf2 abundance are largely unknown. Here we identify microRNA-322 (miR-322) and miR-503 as novel factors that regulate Smurf2 expression posttranscriptionally. Both miR-322 and miR-503 interact with Smurf2 mRNA via its 3′-untranslated region (UTR) and repress Smurf2 translation but do not affect total Smurf2 mRNA levels. Studies using heterologous reporter constructs reveal a greater repressive effect of miR-322/503 through a single binding site in the Smurf2 3′-UTR, whereas point mutation of this site prevents miR-322/503–induced repression of Smurf2 translation. Increased levels of endogenous Smurf2 via antagonism of miR-322/503 inhibits TGF-β–induced Smad2 activation by increasing degradation of phosphorylated Smad2. Furthermore, the increase in Smurf2 in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) expressing lower levels of miR-322/503 is associated with increased resistance to apoptosis, which is abolished by Smurf2 silencing. These findings indicate that miR-322/503 represses Smurf2 translation, in turn affecting intestinal epithelial homeostasis by altering TGF-β/Smad2 signaling and IEC apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Cao
- Cell Biology Group, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201 Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201 Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224
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Liu X, Gu X, Sun L, Flowers AB, Rademaker AW, Zhou Y, Kiyokawa H. Downregulation of Smurf2, a tumor-suppressive ubiquitin ligase, in triple-negative breast cancers: involvement of the RB-microRNA axis. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:57. [PMID: 24485087 PMCID: PMC3918234 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The HECT family ubiquitin ligase Smurf2 regulates cell polarity, migration, division, differentiation and death, by targeting diverse substrates that are critical for receptor signaling, cytoskeleton, chromatin remodeling and transcription. Recent studies suggest that Smurf2 functions as a tumor suppressor in mice. However, no inactivating mutation of SMURF2 has been reported in human, and information about Smurf2 expression in human cancer remains limited or complicated. Here we demonstrate that Smurf2 expression is downregulated in human breast cancer tissues, especially of the triple-negative subtype, and address the mechanism of Smurf2 downregulation in triple-negative breast cancer cells. Methods Human breast cancer tissues (47 samples expressing estrogen receptor (ER) and 43 samples with triple-negative status) were examined by immunohistochemistry for the expression of Smurf2. Ten widely-studied human breast cancer cell lines were examined for the expression of Smurf2. Furthermore, microRNA-mediated regulation of Smurf2 was investigated in triple-negative cancer cell lines. Results Immunohistochemical analysis showed that benign mammary epithelial cells expressed high levels of Smurf2, so did cells in ductal carcinomas in situ. In contrast, invasive ductal carcinomas showed focal or diffuse decrease in Smurf2 expression, which was observed more frequently in triple-negative tumors than in ER-positive tumors. Consistently, human triple-negative breast cancer cell lines such as BT549, MDA-MB-436, DU-4475 and MDA-MB-468 cells showed significantly lower expression of Smurf2 protein, compared to ER + or HER2+ cell lines. Studies using quantitative PCR and specific microRNA inhibitors indicated that increased expression of miR-15a, miR-15b, miR-16 and miR-128 was involved in Smurf2 downregulation in those triple-negative cancer cell lines, which have mutations in the retinoblastoma (RB) gene. Forced expression of RB increased levels of Smurf2 protein with concomitant decreases in the expression of the microRNAs. Conclusions This study provides evidence of posttranscriptional downregulation of Smurf2 in triple-negative breast cancers, and demonstrates that the loss of RB function is involved in microRNA-mediated interference with Smurf2 translation. The new link from RB inactivation to Smurf2 downregulation is likely to play a role in malignant phenotypes of triple-negative breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Hiroaki Kiyokawa
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Biological Chemistry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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