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Choudhury SD, Kumar P, Choudhury D. Bioactive nutraceuticals as G4 stabilizers: potential cancer prevention and therapy-a critical review. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 397:3585-3616. [PMID: 38019298 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-023-02857-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4) are non-canonical, four-stranded, nucleic acid secondary structures formed in the guanine-rich sequences, where guanine nucleotides associate with each other via Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding. These structures are widely found near the functional regions of the mammalian genome, such as telomeres, oncogenic promoters, and replication origins, and play crucial regulatory roles in replication and transcription. Destabilization of G4 by various carcinogenic agents allows oncogene overexpression and extension of telomeric ends resulting in dysregulation of cellular growth-promoting oncogenesis. Therefore, targeting and stabilizing these G4 structures with potential ligands could aid cancer prevention and therapy. The field of G-quadruplex targeting is relatively nascent, although many articles have demonstrated the effect of G4 stabilization on oncogenic expressions; however, no previous study has provided a comprehensive analysis about the potency of a wide variety of nutraceuticals and some of their derivatives in targeting G4 and the lattice of oncogenic cell signaling cascade affected by them. In this review, we have discussed bioactive G4-stabilizing nutraceuticals, their sources, mode of action, and their influence on cellular signaling, and we believe our insight would bring new light to the current status of the field and motivate researchers to explore this relatively poorly studied arena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satabdi Datta Choudhury
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, 147004, India
| | - Prateek Kumar
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175005, India
| | - Diptiman Choudhury
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, 147004, India.
- Centre for Excellence in Emerging Materials, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, 147004, India.
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Romano F, Di Porzio A, Iaccarino N, Riccardi G, Di Lorenzo R, Laneri S, Pagano B, Amato J, Randazzo A. G-quadruplexes in cancer-related gene promoters: from identification to therapeutic targeting. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:745-773. [PMID: 37855085 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2271168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Guanine-rich DNA sequences can fold into four-stranded noncanonical secondary structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s) which are widely distributed in functional regions of the human genome, such as telomeres and gene promoter regions. Compelling evidence suggests their involvement in key genome functions such as gene expression and genome stability. Notably, the abundance of G4-forming sequences near transcription start sites suggests their potential involvement in regulating oncogenes. AREAS COVERED This review provides an overview of current knowledge on G4s in human oncogene promoters. The most representative G4-binding ligands have also been documented. The objective of this work is to present a comprehensive overview of the most promising targets for the development of novel and highly specific anticancer drugs capable of selectively impacting the expression of individual or a limited number of genes. EXPERT OPINION Modulation of G4 formation by specific ligands has been proposed as a powerful new tool to treat cancer through the control of oncogene expression. Actually, most of G4-binding small molecules seem to simultaneously target a range of gene promoter G4s, potentially influencing several critical driver genes in cancer, thus producing significant therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Romano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Di Porzio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Nunzia Iaccarino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Sonia Laneri
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Bruno Pagano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Randazzo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Monsen RC. Higher-order G-quadruplexes in promoters are untapped drug targets. Front Chem 2023; 11:1211512. [PMID: 37351517 PMCID: PMC10282141 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1211512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are four-stranded nucleic acid secondary structures that form within guanine-rich regions of chromatin. G4 motifs are abundant in the genome, with a sizable proportion (∼40%) existing within gene promoter regions. G4s are proven epigenetic features that decorate the promoter landscape as binding centers for transcription factors. Stabilizing or disrupting promoter G4s can directly influence adjacent gene transcription, making G4s attractive as indirect drug targets for hard-to-target proteins, particularly in cancer. However, no G4 ligands have progressed through clinical trials, mostly owing to off targeting effects. A major hurdle in G4 drug discovery is the lack of distinctiveness of the small monomeric G4 structures currently used as receptors. This mini review describes and contrasts monomeric and higher-order G-quadruplex structure and function and provides a rationale for switching focus to the higher-order forms as selective molecular targets. The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) core promoter G-quadruplex is then used as a case study that highlights the potential for higher-order G4s as selective indirect inhibitors of hard-to-target proteins in cancer.
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Chashchina GV, Tevonyan LL, Beniaminov AD, Kaluzhny DN. Taq-Polymerase Stop Assay to Determine Target Selectivity of G4 Ligands in Native Promoter Sequences of MYC, TERT, and KIT Oncogenes. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040544. [PMID: 37111301 PMCID: PMC10142109 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational and high-throughput experimental methods predict thousands of potential quadruplex sequences (PQSs) in the human genome. Often these PQSs contain more than four G-runs, which introduce additional uncertainty into the conformational polymorphism of the G4 DNA. G4-specific ligands, which are currently being actively developed as potential anticancer agents or tools for studying G4 structures in genomes, may preferentially bind to specific G4 structures over the others that can be potentially formed in the extended G-rich genomic region. We propose a simple technique that identifies the sequences that tend to form G4 in the presence of potassium ions or a specific ligand. Thermostable DNA Taq-polymerase stop assay can detect the preferential position of the G4 -ligand binging within a long PQS-rich genomic DNA fragment. This technique was tested for four G4 binders PDS, PhenDC3, Braco-19, and TMPyP4 at three promoter sequences of MYC, KIT, and TERT that contain several PQSs each. We demonstrate that the intensity of polymerase pausing reveals the preferential binding of a ligand to particular G4 structures within the promoter. However, the strength of the polymerase stop at a specific site does not always correlate with the ligand-induced thermodynamic stabilization of the corresponding G4 structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina V Chashchina
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Liana L Tevonyan
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Artemy D Beniaminov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry N Kaluzhny
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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5
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Monsen RC, Trent JO, Chaires JB. G-quadruplex DNA: A Longer Story. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:3242-3252. [PMID: 36282946 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are distinctive four-stranded DNA or RNA structures found within cells that are thought to play functional roles in gene regulation and transcription, translation, recombination, and DNA damage/repair. While G4 structures can be uni-, bi-, or tetramolecular with respect to strands, folded unimolecular conformations are most significant in vivo. Unimolecular G4 can potentially form in sequences with runs of guanines interspersed with what will become loops in the folded structure: 5'GxLyGxLyGxLyGx, where x is typically 2-4 and y is highly variable. Such sequences are highly conserved and specifically located in genomes. In the folded structure, guanines from each run combine to form planar tetrads with four hydrogen-bonded guanine bases; these tetrads stack on one another to produce four strand segments aligned in specific parallel or antiparallel orientations, connected by the loop sequences. Three types of loops (lateral, diagonal, or "propeller") have been identified. The stacked tetrads form a central cavity that features strong coordination sites for monovalent cations that stabilize the G4 structure, with potassium or sodium preferred. A single monomeric G4 typically forms from a sequence containing roughly 20-30 nucleotides. Such short sequences have been the primary focus of X-ray crystallographic or NMR studies that have produced high-resolution structures of a variety of monomeric G4 conformations. These structures are often used as the basis for drug design efforts to modulate G4 function.We believe that the focus on monomeric G4 structures formed by such short sequences is perhaps myopic. Such short sequences for structural studies are often arbitrarily selected and removed from their native genomic sequence context, and then are often changed from their native sequences by base substitutions or deletions intended to optimize the formation of a homogeneous G4 conformation. We believe instead that G-quadruplexes prefer company and that in a longer natural sequence context multiple adjacent G4 units can form to combine into more complex multimeric G4 structures with richer topographies than simple monomeric forms. Bioinformatic searches of the human genome show that longer sequences with the potential for forming multiple G4 units are common. Telomeric DNA, for example, has a single-stranded overhang of hundreds of nucleotides with the requisite repetitive sequence with the potential for formation of multiple G4s. Numerous extended promoter sequences have similar potentials for multimeric G4 formation. X-ray crystallography and NMR methods are challenged by these longer sequences (>30 nt), so other tools are needed to explore the possible multimeric G4 landscape. We have implemented an integrated structural biology approach to address this challenge. This approach integrates experimental biophysical results with atomic-level molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations that provide quantitatively testable model structures. In every long sequence we have studied so far, we found that multimeric G4 structures readily form, with a surprising diversity of structures dependent on the exact native sequence used. In some cases, stable hairpin duplexes form along with G4 units to provide an even richer landscape. This Account provides an overview of our approach and recent progress and provides a new perspective on the G-quadruplex folding landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Monsen
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, United States
| | - John O Trent
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, United States
| | - Jonathan B Chaires
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, 505 S. Hancock St., Louisville, Kentucky 40202, United States
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6
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Monsen RC, Maguire JM, DeLeeuw LW, Chaires JB, Trent JO. Drug discovery of small molecules targeting the higher-order hTERT promoter G-quadruplex. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270165. [PMID: 35709230 PMCID: PMC9202945 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) are now widely accepted as viable targets in the pursuit of anticancer therapeutics. To date, few small molecules have been identified that exhibit selectivity for G4s over alternative forms of DNA, such as the ubiquitous duplex. We posit that the lack of current ligand specificity arises for multiple reasons: G4 atomic models are often small, monomeric, single quadruplex structures with few or no druggable pockets; targeting G-tetrad faces frequently results in the enrichment of extended electron-deficient polyaromatic end-pasting scaffolds; and virtual drug discovery efforts often under-sample chemical search space. We show that by addressing these issues we can enrich for non-standard molecular templates that exhibit high selectivity towards G4s over other forms of DNA. We performed an extensive virtual screen against the higher-order hTERT core promoter G4 that we have previously characterized, targeting 12 of its unique loop and groove pockets using libraries containing 40 million drug-like compounds for each screen. Using our drug discovery funnel approach, which utilizes high-throughput fluorescence thermal shift assay (FTSA) screens, microscale thermophoresis (MST), and orthogonal biophysical methods, we have identified multiple unique G4 binding scaffolds. We subsequently used two rounds of catalogue-based SAR to increase the affinity of a disubstituted 2-aminoethyl-quinazoline that stabilizes the higher-order hTERT G-quadruplex by binding across its G4 junctional sites. We show selectivity of its binding affinity towards hTERT is virtually unaffected in the presence of near-physiological levels of duplex DNA, and that this molecule downregulates hTERT transcription in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C. Monsen
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Jon M. Maguire
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Lynn W. DeLeeuw
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Jonathan B. Chaires
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JBC); (JOT)
| | - John O. Trent
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JBC); (JOT)
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7
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Thaichana P, Summart R, Dejkriengkraikul P, Meepowpan P, Lee TR, Tuntiwechapikul W. Hydrosoluble Perylene Monoimide-Based Telomerase Inhibitors with Diminished Cytotoxicity. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:16746-16756. [PMID: 35601338 PMCID: PMC9118414 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c01343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Telomerase is essential for the immortality characteristics of most cancers. Telomerase-specific inhibitors should render cancer cells to replicative senescence without acute cytotoxicity. Perylene-based G-quadruplex (G4) ligands are widely studied as telomerase inhibitors. Most reported perylene-based G4 ligands are perylene diimides (PDIs), which often suffer from self-aggregation in aqueous solutions. Previously, we found that PM2, a perylene monoimide (PMI), exhibited better solubility, G4 binding affinity, and telomerase inhibition than PIPER, the prototypic PDI. However, the acute cytotoxicity of PM2 was about 20-30 times more than PIPER in cancer cells. In this report, we replaced the piperazine side chain of PM2 with ethylenediamine to yield PM3 and replaced the N,N-diethylethylenediamine side chain of PM2 with the 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperidine to yield PM5. We found that asymmetric PMIs with two basic side chains (PM2, PM3, and PM5) performed better than PIPER (the prototypic PDI), in terms of hydrosolubility, G4 binding, in vitro telomerase inhibition, and suppression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression and telomerase activity in A549 cells. However, PM5 was 7-10 times less toxic than PM2 and PM3 in three cancer cell lines. We conclude that replacing the N,N-diethylethylenediamine side chain with the 2-aminoethylpiperidine on PMIs reduces the cytotoxicity in cancer cells without impacting G4 binding and telomerase inhibition. This study paves the way for synthesizing new PMIs with drug-like properties for selective telomerase inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pak Thaichana
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang
Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Ratasark Summart
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang
Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Pornngarm Dejkriengkraikul
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang
Mai 50200, Thailand
- Center
for Research and Development of Natural Products for Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Puttinan Meepowpan
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - T. Randall Lee
- Department
of Chemistry and the Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204-5003, United States
| | - Wirote Tuntiwechapikul
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang
Mai 50200, Thailand
- Center
for Research and Development of Natural Products for Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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8
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Monsen RC, DeLeeuw LW, Dean W, Gray R, Chakravarthy S, Hopkins J, Chaires J, Trent J. Long promoter sequences form higher-order G-quadruplexes: an integrative structural biology study of c-Myc, k-Ras and c-Kit promoter sequences. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:4127-4147. [PMID: 35325198 PMCID: PMC9023277 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on higher-order G-quadruplex structures adopted by long promoter sequences obtained by an iterative integrated structural biology approach. Our approach uses quantitative biophysical tools (analytical ultracentrifugation, small-angle X-ray scattering, and circular dichroism spectroscopy) combined with modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, to derive self-consistent structural models. The formal resolution of our approach is 18 angstroms, but in some cases structural features of only a few nucleotides can be discerned. We report here five structures of long (34-70 nt) wild-type sequences selected from three cancer-related promoters: c-Myc, c-Kit and k-Ras. Each sequence studied has a unique structure. Three sequences form structures with two contiguous, stacked, G-quadruplex units. One longer sequence from c-Myc forms a structure with three contiguous stacked quadruplexes. A longer c-Kit sequence forms a quadruplex-hairpin structure. Each structure exhibits interfacial regions between stacked quadruplexes or novel loop geometries that are possible druggable targets. We also report methodological advances in our integrated structural biology approach, which now includes quantitative CD for counting stacked G-tetrads, DNaseI cleavage for hairpin detection and SAXS model refinement. Our results suggest that higher-order quadruplex assemblies may be a common feature within the genome, rather than simple single quadruplex structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Monsen
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Lynn W DeLeeuw
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - William L Dean
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Robert D Gray
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Srinivas Chakravarthy
- The Biophysics Collaborative Access Team (BioCAT), Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
| | - Jesse B Hopkins
- The Biophysics Collaborative Access Team (BioCAT), Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
| | - Jonathan B Chaires
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - John O Trent
- UofL Health Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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9
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Co-Occurrence of Hotspot Point Mutation and Novel Deletion Mutation of TERT Promoter in Solid Variant Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Patient with Synchronous Esophageal Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 11:diagnostics11010004. [PMID: 33375021 PMCID: PMC7822032 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Introduction: Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). Two substitution mutations, C228T (c.1-124C>T) and C250T (c.1-146C>T), make up most of the mutations and occur in a mutually exclusive manner. (2) Case presentation: A 72-year-old man was initially referred to a tertiary hospital for treatment of esophageal cancer. Preoperative imaging revealed a 3.2 cm thyroid nodule pathologically diagnosed as PTC on needle biopsy. The patient underwent thyroid lobectomy with esophagectomy and was finally diagnosed with synchronous solid variant PTC (SVPTC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Sanger sequencing using DNA from the thyroid tumor showed an indel mutation, c.1-132_1-124delinsT, composed of a deletion (c.1-132_1-125del) as well as a hotspot mutation (c.1-124C>T(C228T)) in the TERT promoter. (3) Conclusions: This is the first report of PTC harboring a novel deletion along with a hotspot mutation in the TERT promoter in a patient with synchronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
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10
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Hosen MI, Forey N, Durand G, Voegele C, Bilici S, Avogbe PH, Delhomme TM, Foll M, Manel A, Vian E, Meziani S, De Tilly B, Polo G, Lole O, Francois P, Boureille A, Pisarev E, Salas AROSE, Monteiro-Reis S, Henrique R, Byrnes G, Jeronimo C, Scelo G, McKay JD, Calvez-Kelm FL, Zvereva M. Development of Sensitive Droplet Digital PCR Assays for Detecting Urinary TERT Promoter Mutations as Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Detection of Urothelial Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3541. [PMID: 33260905 PMCID: PMC7761513 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter regions are frequent events in urothelial cancer (UC) and their detection in urine (supernatant cell-free DNA or DNA from exfoliated cells) could serve as putative non-invasive biomarkers for UC detection and monitoring. However, detecting these tumor-borne mutations in urine requires highly sensitive methods, capable of measuring low-level mutations. In this study, we developed sensitive droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays for detecting TERT promoter mutations (C228T, C228A, CC242-243TT, and C250T). We tested the C228T and C250T ddPCR assays on all samples with sufficient quantity of urinary DNA (urine supernatant cell-free DNA (US cfDNA) or urine pellet cellular DNA (UP cellDNA)) from the DIAGURO (n = 89/93 cases and n = 92/94 controls) and from the IPO-PORTO (n = 49/50 cases and n = 50/50 controls) series that were previously screened with the UroMuTERT assay and compared the performance of the two approaches. In the DIAGURO series, the sensitivity and specificity of the ddPCR assays for detecting UC using either US cfDNA or UP cellDNA were 86.8% and 92.4%. The sensitivity was slightly higher than that of the UroMuTERT assay in the IPO-PORTO series (67.4% vs. 65.3%, respectively), but not in the DIAGURO series (86.8% vs. 90.7%). The specificity was 100% in the IPO-PORTO controls for both the UroMuTERT and ddPCR assays, whereas in the DIAGURO series, the specificity dropped for ddPCR (92.4% versus 95.6%). Overall, an almost perfect agreement between the two methods was observed for both US cfDNA (n = 164; kappa coefficient of 0.91) and UP cellDNA (n = 280; kappa coefficient of 0.94). In a large independent series of serial urine samples from DIAGURO follow-up BC cases (n = 394), the agreement between ddPCR and UroMuTERT was (i) strong (kappa coefficient of 0.87), regardless of urine DNA types (kappa coefficient 0.89 for US cfDNA and 0.85 for UP cellDNA), (ii) the highest for samples with mutant allelic fractions (MAFs) > 2% (kappa coefficient of 0.99) and (iii) only minimal for the samples with the lowest MAFs (< 0.5%; kappa coefficient 0.32). Altogether, our results indicate that the two methods (ddPCR and UroMuTERT) for detecting urinary TERT promoter mutations are comparable and that the discrepancies relate to the detection of low-allelic fraction mutations. The simplicity of the ddPCR assays makes them suitable for implementation in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Ismail Hosen
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Nathalie Forey
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Geoffroy Durand
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Catherine Voegele
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Selin Bilici
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Patrice Hodonou Avogbe
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Tiffany Myriam Delhomme
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Matthieu Foll
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | | | - Emmanuel Vian
- Department of Urology, Protestant Clinic of Lyon, 69300 Caluire-et-Cuire, France; (E.V.); (B.D.T.); (G.P.)
| | - Sonia Meziani
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Berengere De Tilly
- Department of Urology, Protestant Clinic of Lyon, 69300 Caluire-et-Cuire, France; (E.V.); (B.D.T.); (G.P.)
| | - Gilles Polo
- Department of Urology, Protestant Clinic of Lyon, 69300 Caluire-et-Cuire, France; (E.V.); (B.D.T.); (G.P.)
| | - Olesia Lole
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Pauline Francois
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Antoine Boureille
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Eduard Pisarev
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Andrei R. O. S. E. Salas
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
- Santa Casa de Sao Paulo School of Medical Sciences, Sao Paulo 01221-020, Brazil
| | - Sara Monteiro-Reis
- Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Research Center (CI-IPOP), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (S.M.-R.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
| | - Rui Henrique
- Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Research Center (CI-IPOP), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (S.M.-R.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPOP), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - Graham Byrnes
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Carmen Jeronimo
- Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, Research Center (CI-IPOP), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; (S.M.-R.); (R.H.); (C.J.)
- Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPOP), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto (ICBAS-UP), 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ghislaine Scelo
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 8-10124 Turin, Italy
| | - James D. McKay
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Florence Le Calvez-Kelm
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
| | - Maria Zvereva
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 69372 Lyon, France; (M.I.H.); (N.F.); (G.D.); (C.V.); (S.B.); (P.H.A.); (T.M.D.); (M.F.); (S.M.); (O.L.); (P.F.); (A.B.); (A.R.O.S.E.S.); (G.B.); (G.S.); (J.D.M.)
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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11
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Ngoc Nguyen TQ, Lim KW, Phan AT. Duplex formation in a G-quadruplex bulge. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:10567-10575. [PMID: 32960213 PMCID: PMC7544226 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Beyond the consensus definition of G-quadruplex-forming motifs with tracts of continuous guanines, G-quadruplexes harboring bulges in the G-tetrad core are prevalent in the human genome. Here, we study the incorporation of a duplex hairpin within a bulge of a G-quadruplex. The NMR solution structure of a G-quadruplex containing a duplex bulge was resolved, revealing the structural details of the junction between the duplex bulge and the G-quadruplex. Unexpectedly, instead of an orthogonal connection the duplex stem was observed to stack below the G-quadruplex forming a unique quadruplex–duplex junction. Breaking up of the immediate base pair step at the junction, coupled with a narrowing of the duplex groove within the context of the bulge, led to a progressive transition between the quadruplex and duplex segments. This study revealed that a duplex bulge can be formed at various positions of a G-quadruplex scaffold. In contrast to a non-structured bulge, the stability of a G-quadruplex slightly increases with an increase in the duplex bulge size. A G-quadruplex structure containing a duplex bulge of up to 33 nt in size was shown to form, which was much larger than the previously reported 7-nt bulge. With G-quadruplexes containing duplex bulges representing new structural motifs with potential biological significance, our findings would broaden the definition of potential G-quadruplex-forming sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Quynh Ngoc Nguyen
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Kah Wai Lim
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Anh Tuân Phan
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371, Singapore.,NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 636921, Singapore
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12
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Monsen RC, DeLeeuw L, Dean WL, Gray RD, Sabo T, Chakravarthy S, Chaires JB, Trent JO. The hTERT core promoter forms three parallel G-quadruplexes. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:5720-5734. [PMID: 32083666 PMCID: PMC7261196 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure of the 68 nt sequence with G-quadruplex forming potential within the hTERT promoter is disputed. One model features a structure with three stacked parallel G-quadruplex units, while another features an unusual duplex hairpin structure adjoined to two stacked parallel and antiparallel quadruplexes. We report here the results of an integrated structural biology study designed to distinguish between these possibilities. As part of our study, we designed a sequence with an optimized hairpin structure and show that its biophysical and biochemical properties are inconsistent with the structure formed by the hTERT wild-type sequence. By using circular dichroism, thermal denaturation, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation, small-angle X-ray scattering, molecular dynamics simulations and a DNase I cleavage assay we found that the wild type hTERT core promoter folds into a stacked, three-parallel G-quadruplex structure. The hairpin structure is inconsistent with all of our experimental data obtained with the wild-type sequence. All-atom models for both structures were constructed using molecular dynamics simulations. These models accurately predicted the experimental hydrodynamic properties measured for each structure. We found with certainty that the wild-type hTERT promoter sequence does not form a hairpin structure in solution, but rather folds into a compact stacked three-G-quadruplex conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C Monsen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Lynn DeLeeuw
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - William L Dean
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Robert D Gray
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - T Michael Sabo
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Srinivas Chakravarthy
- The Biophysics Collaborative Access Team (BioCAT), Department of Biological Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
| | - Jonathan B Chaires
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - John O Trent
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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13
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Platella C, Raucci U, Rega N, D'Atri S, Levati L, Roviello GN, Fuggetta MP, Musumeci D, Montesarchio D. Shedding light on the interaction of polydatin and resveratrol with G-quadruplex and duplex DNA: a biophysical, computational and biological approach. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 151:1163-1172. [PMID: 31747572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.10.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Among polyphenols, trans-resveratrol (tRES) and trans-polydatin (tPD) exert multiple biological effects, particularly antioxidant and antiproliferative. In this work, we have investigated the interaction of tPD with three cancer-related DNA sequences able to form G-quadruplex (G4) structures, as well as with a model duplex, and compared its behaviour with tRES. Interestingly, fluorescence analysis evidenced the ability of tPD to bind all the studied DNA systems, similarly to tRES, with tRES displaying a higher ability to discriminate G4 over duplex with respect to tPD. However, neither tRES nor tPD produced significant conformational changes of the analyzed DNA upon binding, as determined by CD-titration analysis. Computational analysis and biological data confirmed the biophysical results: indeed, molecular docking evidenced the stronger interaction of tRES with the promoter of c-myc oncogene, and immunoblotting assays revealed a reduction of c-myc expression, more effective for tRES than tPD. Furthermore, in vitro assays on melanoma cells proved that tPD was able to significantly reduce telomerase activity, and inhibit cell proliferation, with tRES producing higher effects than tPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Platella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Umberto Raucci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, Naples I-80126, Italy
| | - Nadia Rega
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, Naples I-80126, Italy; Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, Naples I-80125, Italy
| | - Stefania D'Atri
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, IDI-IRCCS, Via dei Monti di Creta 104, Rome I-00167, Italy
| | - Lauretta Levati
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, IDI-IRCCS, Via dei Monti di Creta 104, Rome I-00167, Italy
| | - Giovanni N Roviello
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimages, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples I-80134, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Fuggetta
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, Rome I-00133, Italy.
| | - Domenica Musumeci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, Naples I-80126, Italy; Institute of Biostructures and Bioimages, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, Naples I-80134, Italy.
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, Naples I-80126, Italy
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14
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Kolesnikova S, Curtis EA. Structure and Function of Multimeric G-Quadruplexes. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24173074. [PMID: 31450559 PMCID: PMC6749722 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24173074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes are noncanonical nucleic acid structures formed from stacked guanine tetrads. They are frequently used as building blocks and functional elements in fields such as synthetic biology and also thought to play widespread biological roles. G-quadruplexes are often studied as monomers, but can also form a variety of higher-order structures. This increases the structural and functional diversity of G-quadruplexes, and recent evidence suggests that it could also be biologically important. In this review, we describe the types of multimeric topologies adopted by G-quadruplexes and highlight what is known about their sequence requirements. We also summarize the limited information available about potential biological roles of multimeric G-quadruplexes and suggest new approaches that could facilitate future studies of these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Kolesnikova
- The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology, 166 28 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Edward A Curtis
- The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
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15
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Platella C, Guida S, Bonmassar L, Aquino A, Bonmassar E, Ravagnan G, Montesarchio D, Roviello GN, Musumeci D, Fuggetta MP. Antitumour activity of resveratrol on human melanoma cells: A possible mechanism related to its interaction with malignant cell telomerase. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:2843-2851. [PMID: 28780124 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND trans-Resveratrol (tRES) is a polyphenolic stilbene found in plant products which has attracted great attention because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. METHODS The possible correlation between tRES-induced suppression of melanoma cell growth and its influence on telomerase expression has been investigated by biological assays. Moreover, in order to gain new knowledge about possible mechanisms of action of tRES as antineoplastic agent, its interaction with biologically relevant secondary structure-forming DNA sequences, its aggregation properties and copper-binding activity have been studied by CD, UV and fluorescence spectroscopies. RESULTS Biological assays have confirmed that growth inhibitory properties of tRES well correlate with the reduction of telomerase activity and hTERT gene transcript levels in human melanoma cells. Biophysical studies in solution have proved that tRES binds all the studied DNA model systems with low affinity, however showing high ability to discriminate G-quadruplex vs. duplex DNA. In addition, tRES has shown no propensity to form aggregates in the explored concentration range and has been found able to bind Cu2+ ions with a 2:1 stoichiometry. CONCLUSIONS From these biological and biophysical analyses it has emerged that tRES produces cytotoxic effects on human melanoma cells and, at a molecular level, is able to bind Cu2+ and cancer-involved G-quadruplexes, suggesting that multiple mechanisms of action could be involved in its antineoplastic activity. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Expanding the knowledge on the putative mechanisms of action of tRES as antitumour agent can help to develop novel, effective tRES-based anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Platella
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Serena Guida
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Bonmassar
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata-IRCCS, Via Monti di Creta, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Aquino
- School of Medicine, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier, Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Bonmassar
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Giampiero Ravagnan
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Montesarchio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni N Roviello
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimages, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Naples, Italy.
| | - Domenica Musumeci
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; Institute of Biostructures and Bioimages, CNR, Via Mezzocannone 16, I-80134 Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Pia Fuggetta
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, CNR, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Rome, Italy.
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16
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Sette M, D'Addabbo P, Kelly G, Cicconi A, Micheli E, Cacchione S, Poma A, Gargioli C, Giambra V, Frezza D. Evidence for a quadruplex structure in the polymorphic hs1.2 enhancer of the immunoglobulin heavy chain 3' regulatory regions and its conservation in mammals. Biopolymers 2017; 105:768-78. [PMID: 27287611 PMCID: PMC5516150 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory regions in the genome can act through a variety of mechanisms that range from the occurrence of histone modifications to the presence of protein-binding loci for self-annealing sequences. The final result is often the induction of a conformational change of the DNA double helix, which alters the accessibility of a region to transcription factors and consequently gene expression. A ∼300 kb regulatory region on chromosome 14 at the 3' end (3'RR) of immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy-chain genes shows very peculiar features, conserved in mammals, including enhancers and transcription factor binding sites. In primates, the 3'RR is present in two copies, both having a central enhancer named hs1.2. We previously demonstrated the association between different hs1.2 alleles and Ig plasma levels in immunopathology. Here, we present the analysis of a putative G-quadruplex structure (tetraplex) consensus site embedded in a variable number tandem repeat (one to four copies) of hs1.2 that is a distinctive element among the enhancer alleles, and an investigation of its three-dimensional structure using bioinformatics and spectroscopic approaches. We suggest that both the role of the enhancer and the alternative effect of the hs1.2 alleles may be achieved through their peculiar three-dimensional-conformational rearrangement. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 105: 768-778, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Sette
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technology, University of Roma "Tor Vergata,", Roma, Italy
| | - Pietro D'Addabbo
- Department of Biology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Geoffrey Kelly
- MRC Biomedical NMR Centre, The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Cicconi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy.,Institute Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Roma, Italy
| | - Emanuela Micheli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy.,Institute Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Roma, Italy
| | - Stefano Cacchione
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy.,Institute Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Roma, Italy
| | - Anna Poma
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Cesare Gargioli
- Department of Biology, University of Roma "Tor Vergata,", Roma, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Frezza
- Department of Biology, University of Roma "Tor Vergata,", Roma, Italy
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17
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Micheli E, Altieri A, Cianni L, Cingolani C, Iachettini S, Bianco A, Leonetti C, Cacchione S, Biroccio A, Franceschin M, Rizzo A. Perylene and coronene derivatives binding to G-rich promoter oncogene sequences efficiently reduce their expression in cancer cells. Biochimie 2016; 125:223-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Lim KW, Jenjaroenpun P, Low ZJ, Khong ZJ, Ng YS, Kuznetsov VA, Phan AT. Duplex stem-loop-containing quadruplex motifs in the human genome: a combined genomic and structural study. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:5630-46. [PMID: 25958397 PMCID: PMC4477648 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Duplex stem-loops and four-stranded G-quadruplexes have been implicated in (patho)biological processes. Overlap of stem-loop- and quadruplex-forming sequences could give rise to quadruplex-duplex hybrids (QDH), which combine features of both structural forms and could exhibit unique properties. Here, we present a combined genomic and structural study of stem-loop-containing quadruplex sequences (SLQS) in the human genome. Based on a maximum loop length of 20 nt, our survey identified 80 307 SLQS, embedded within 60 172 unique clusters. Our analysis suggested that these should cover close to half of total SLQS in the entire genome. Among these, 48 508 SLQS were strand-specifically located in genic/promoter regions, with the majority of genes displaying a low number of SLQS. Notably, genes containing abundant SLQS clusters were strongly associated with brain tissues. Enrichment analysis of SLQS-positive genes and mapping of SLQS onto transcriptional/mutagenesis hotspots and cancer-associated genes, provided a statistical framework supporting the biological involvements of SLQS. In vitro formation of diverse QDH by selective SLQS hits were successfully verified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Folding topologies of two SLQS were elucidated in detail. We also demonstrated that sequence changes at mutation/single-nucleotide polymorphism loci could affect the structural conformations adopted by SLQS. Thus, our predicted SLQS offer novel insights into the potential involvement of QDH in diverse (patho)biological processes and could represent novel regulatory signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Wai Lim
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Piroon Jenjaroenpun
- Department of Genome and Gene Expression Data Analysis, Bioinformatics Institute, 138671, Singapore
| | - Zhen Jie Low
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Zi Jian Khong
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore
| | - Yi Siang Ng
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore
| | | | - Anh Tuân Phan
- School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637371, Singapore
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Chaires JB, Trent JO, Gray RD, Dean WL, Buscaglia R, Thomas SD, Miller DM. An improved model for the hTERT promoter quadruplex. PLoS One 2014; 9:e115580. [PMID: 25526084 PMCID: PMC4272262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations occur at four specific sites in the hTERT promoter in >75% of glioblastomas and melanomas, but the mechanism by which the mutations affect gene expression remains unexplained. We report biophysical computational studies that show that the hTERT promoter sequence forms a novel G-quadruplex structure consisting of three contiguous, stacked parallel quadruplexes. The reported hTERT mutations map to the central quadruplex within this structure, and lead to an alteration of its hydrodynamic properties and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B Chaires
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - John O Trent
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Robert D Gray
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - William L Dean
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Robert Buscaglia
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Shelia D Thomas
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Donald M Miller
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
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Taka T, Huang L, Wongnoppavich A, Tam-Chang SW, Lee TR, Tuntiwechapikul W. Telomere shortening and cell senescence induced by perylene derivatives in A549 human lung cancer cells. Bioorg Med Chem 2012; 21:883-90. [PMID: 23321015 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2012.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2012] [Revised: 12/08/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells evade replicative senescence by re-expressing telomerase, which maintains telomere length and hence chromosomal integrity. Telomerase inhibition would lead cancer cells to senesce and therefore prevent cancer cells from growing indefinitely. G-quadruplex ligands can attenuate telomerase activity by inducing G-quadruplex formation at the 3'-overhang of telomere and at the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter; the former prevents telomerase from accessing the telomere, and the latter acts as a transcriptional silencer. The present investigation found that perylene derivatives PM2 and PIPER induced G-quadruplex formation from both telomeric DNA and the hTERT promoter region in vitro. Further, TRAP assay showed that these compounds inhibited telomerase in a dose-dependent manner. When A549 human lung cancer cells were treated with these compounds, hTERT expression was down-regulated. Moreover, the crude protein extract from these treated cells exhibited less telomerase activity. In the long-term treatment of A549 lung cancer cells with sub-cytotoxic dose of these perylenes, telomere shortening, reduction of cell proliferation and tumorigenicity, and cell senescence were observed. The results of this study indicate that perylene derivatives warrant further consideration as effective agents for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanachai Taka
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
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Selective isolation of G-quadruplexes by affinity chromatography. J Chromatogr A 2012; 1246:62-8. [PMID: 22398385 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2012.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2011] [Revised: 02/06/2012] [Accepted: 02/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplex (G4) is a characteristic secondary structure of nucleic acids containing repetitive tandem guanines. G4-forming sequences are found prevalent in the human genome by bioinformatics analysis. Accumulating evidence has suggested that G4s are involved in many biological processes. Selective isolation of G4s would be an effective tool in the study of G4s. In this paper, we prepared four affinity matrixes using hemin or a perylene derivative (N,N'-Bis-(2-(amino)ethyl)-3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic acid diimide, Pery01) as ligand, and investigated the retention behaviors of different G4s on these matrixes. Our experimental results suggest that the π-π stacking interaction between ligand and G-tetrad plays a key role in the selective isolation of G4s, whereas the electrostatic interaction between DNA and matrix causes the nonspecific binding. One matrix prepared by immobilizing Pery01 on polyglycidylmethacrylate (PGMA) beads through an aminocaproic acid spacer exhibits good selectivity for parallel structure G4s and has been successfully used to directly isolate a spiked parallel G4 from plasma.
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Abstract
G-quartets are square planar arrangements of four guanine bases, which can form extraordinarily stable stacks when present in nucleic acid sequences. Such G-quadruplex structures were long regarded as an in vitro phenomenon, but the widespread presence of suitable sequences in genomes and the identification of proteins that stabilize, modify or resolve these nucleic acid structures have provided circumstantial evidence for their physiological relevance. The therapeutic potential of small molecules that can stabilize or disrupt G-quadruplex structures has invigorated the field in recent years. Here we review some of the key observations that support biological functions for G-quadruplex DNA as well as the techniques and tools that have enabled researchers to probe these structures and their interactions with proteins and small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy M Bryan
- Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, 214 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
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Deniz O, Flores O, Battistini F, Pérez A, Soler-López M, Orozco M. Physical properties of naked DNA influence nucleosome positioning and correlate with transcription start and termination sites in yeast. BMC Genomics 2011; 12:489. [PMID: 21981773 PMCID: PMC3224377 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In eukaryotic organisms, DNA is packaged into chromatin structure, where most of DNA is wrapped into nucleosomes. DNA compaction and nucleosome positioning have clear functional implications, since they modulate the accessibility of genomic regions to regulatory proteins. Despite the intensive research effort focused in this area, the rules defining nucleosome positioning and the location of DNA regulatory regions still remain elusive. Results Naked (histone-free) and nucleosomal DNA from yeast were digested by microccocal nuclease (MNase) and sequenced genome-wide. MNase cutting preferences were determined for both naked and nucleosomal DNAs. Integration of their sequencing profiles with DNA conformational descriptors derived from atomistic molecular dynamic simulations enabled us to extract the physical properties of DNA on a genomic scale and to correlate them with chromatin structure and gene regulation. The local structure of DNA around regulatory regions was found to be unusually flexible and to display a unique pattern of nucleosome positioning. Ab initio physical descriptors derived from molecular dynamics were used to develop a computational method that accurately predicts nucleosome enriched and depleted regions. Conclusions Our experimental and computational analyses jointly demonstrate a clear correlation between sequence-dependent physical properties of naked DNA and regulatory signals in the chromatin structure. These results demonstrate that nucleosome positioning around TSS (Transcription Start Site) and TTS (Transcription Termination Site) (at least in yeast) is strongly dependent on DNA physical properties, which can define a basal regulatory mechanism of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozgen Deniz
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine and Barcelona Supercomputing Center Joint Research Program on Computational Biology, Baldiri i Reixac 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
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