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Wang Y, Yang JS, Zhao M, Chen JQ, Xie HX, Yu HY, Liu NH, Yi ZJ, Liang HL, Xing L, Jiang HL. Mitochondrial endogenous substance transport-inspired nanomaterials for mitochondria-targeted gene delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 211:115355. [PMID: 38849004 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115355] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) independent of nuclear gene is a set of double-stranded circular DNA that encodes 13 proteins, 2 ribosomal RNAs and 22 mitochondrial transfer RNAs, all of which play vital roles in functions as well as behaviors of mitochondria. Mutations in mtDNA result in various mitochondrial disorders without available cures. However, the manipulation of mtDNA via the mitochondria-targeted gene delivery faces formidable barriers, particularly owing to the mitochondrial double membrane. Given the fact that there are various transport channels on the mitochondrial membrane used to transfer a variety of endogenous substances to maintain the normal functions of mitochondria, mitochondrial endogenous substance transport-inspired nanomaterials have been proposed for mitochondria-targeted gene delivery. In this review, we summarize mitochondria-targeted gene delivery systems based on different mitochondrial endogenous substance transport pathways. These are categorized into mitochondrial steroid hormones import pathways-inspired nanomaterials, protein import pathways-inspired nanomaterials and other mitochondria-targeted gene delivery nanomaterials. We also review the applications and challenges involved in current mitochondrial gene editing systems. This review delves into the approaches of mitochondria-targeted gene delivery, providing details on the design of mitochondria-targeted delivery systems and the limitations regarding the various technologies. Despite the progress in this field is currently slow, the ongoing exploration of mitochondrial endogenous substance transport and mitochondrial biological phenomena may act as a crucial breakthrough in the targeted delivery of gene into mitochondria and even the manipulation of mtDNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jing-Song Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Min Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jia-Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hai-Xin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hao-Yuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Na-Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zi-Juan Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hui-Lin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lei Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hu-Lin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; College of Pharmacy, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China.
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2
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GeneMAP enables discovery of metabolic gene function. Nat Genet 2024:10.1038/s41588-024-01828-1. [PMID: 38992149 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01828-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
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3
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Khan A, Unlu G, Lin P, Liu Y, Kilic E, Kenny TC, Birsoy K, Gamazon ER. Metabolic gene function discovery platform GeneMAP identifies SLC25A48 as necessary for mitochondrial choline import. Nat Genet 2024:10.1038/s41588-024-01827-2. [PMID: 38977856 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01827-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Organisms maintain metabolic homeostasis through the combined functions of small-molecule transporters and enzymes. While many metabolic components have been well established, a substantial number remains without identified physiological substrates. To bridge this gap, we have leveraged large-scale plasma metabolome genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to develop a multiomic Gene-Metabolite Association Prediction (GeneMAP) discovery platform. GeneMAP can generate accurate predictions and even pinpoint genes that are distant from the variants implicated by GWAS. In particular, our analysis identified solute carrier family 25 member 48 (SLC25A48) as a genetic determinant of plasma choline levels. Mechanistically, SLC25A48 loss strongly impairs mitochondrial choline import and synthesis of its downstream metabolite betaine. Integrative rare variant and polygenic score analyses in UK Biobank provide strong evidence that the SLC25A48 causal effects on human disease may in part be mediated by the effects of choline. Altogether, our study provides a discovery platform for metabolic gene function and proposes SLC25A48 as a mitochondrial choline transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Khan
- Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gokhan Unlu
- Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Phillip Lin
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yuyang Liu
- Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ece Kilic
- Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy C Kenny
- Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kıvanç Birsoy
- Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Eric R Gamazon
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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4
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Tsizin S, Ban L, Chasovskikh E, Yoder BL, Signorell R. Valence photoelectron imaging of molecular oxybenzone. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024. [PMID: 38957915 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp06224d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
An oxybenzone molecule in the gas phase was characterized by mass spectrometry and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, using both single and multiphoton ionization schemes. A tabletop high harmonic generation source with a monochromator was used for single-photon ionization of oxybenzone with photon energies of up to 35.7 eV. From this, vertical ionization and appearance energies, as well as energy-dependent anisotropy parameters were retrieved and compared with the results from DFT calculations. For two-photon ionization using 4.7 eV light, we found a higher appearance energy than in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) case, highlighting the possible influence of an intermediate state on the photoionization process. We found no differences in the mass spectra when ionizing oxybenzone by single-photons between 17.2 and 35.7 eV. However, for the multiphoton ionization, the fragmentation process was found to be sensitive to the photoionization order and laser intensity. The "softest" method was found to be two-photon ionization using 4.7 eV light, which led to no measurable fragmentation up to an intensity of 5 × 1012 W cm-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Tsizin
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2., CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Loren Ban
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2., CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Egor Chasovskikh
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2., CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Bruce L Yoder
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2., CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Ruth Signorell
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2., CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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5
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Gertsch J, Chicca A. CNS Drug Discovery in Academia: Where Basic Research Meets Innovation. Chembiochem 2024:e202400397. [PMID: 38958639 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The involvement of academic research in drug discovery is consistently growing. However, academic projects seldom advance to clinical trials. Here, we assess the landscape of drug discovery within the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) TransCure launched by the Swiss National Science Foundation to foster basic research and early-stage drug discovery on membrane transporters. This included transporters in central nervous system (CNS) disorders, which represent a huge unmet medical need. While idea championship, sustainable funding, collaborations between disciplines at the interface of academia and industry are important for translational research, Popperian falsifiability, strong intellectual property and a motivated startup team are key elements for innovation. This is exemplified by the NCCR TransCure spin-off company Synendos Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotech company developing the first selective endocannabinoid reuptake inhibitors (SERIs) as novel treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders. We provide a perspective on the challenges related to entering an uncharted druggable space and bridging the often mentioned "valley of death". The high attrition rate of drug discovery projects in the CNS field within academia is often due to the lack of meaningful animal models that can provide pharmacological proof-of-concept for potentially disruptive technologies at the earliest stages, and the absence of solid intellectual property.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Chicca
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Synendos Therapeutics, Barfüsserplatz, 3, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
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6
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Adla SK, Virtanen H, Thongsodsaeng T, Huttunen KM. Amino acid transporters in neurological disorders and neuroprotective effects of cysteine derivatives. Neurochem Int 2024; 177:105771. [PMID: 38761853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105771] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
For most diseases and disorders occurring in the brain, the full causes behind them are yet unknown, but many show signs of dysfunction of amino acid transporters or abnormalities in amino acid metabolism. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a key role in supporting the function of the central nervous system (CNS). Because of its unique structure, the BBB can maintain the optimal environment for CNS by controlling the passage of hydrophilic molecules from blood to the brain. Nutrients, such as amino acids, can cross the BBB via specific transporters. Many amino acids are essential for CNS function, and dysfunction of these amino acid transporters can lead to abnormalities in amino acid levels. This has been linked to causes behind certain genetic brain diseases, such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and Huntington's disease (HD). One example of crucial amino acids is L-Cys, the rate-limiting factor in the biosynthesis of an important antioxidant, glutathione (GSH). Deficiency of L-Cys and GSH has been linked to oxidative stress and has been shown as a plausible cause behind certain CNS diseases, like schizophrenia and HD. This review presents the current status of potential L-Cys therapies and gives future directions that can be taken to improve amino acid transportation related to distinct CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Kumar Adla
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Heinileena Virtanen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Thanavit Thongsodsaeng
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Kristiina M Huttunen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
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7
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El-Kasaby A, Boytsov D, Kasture A, Krumpl G, Hummel T, Freissmuth M, Sandtner W. Allosteric Inhibition and Pharmacochaperoning of the Serotonin Transporter by the Antidepressant Drugs Trazodone and Nefazodone. Mol Pharmacol 2024; 106:56-70. [PMID: 38769018 DOI: 10.1124/molpharm.124.000881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The antidepressants trazodone and nefazodone were approved some 4 and 3 decades ago, respectively. Their action is thought to be mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of the serotonin transporter [SERT/solute carrier (SLC)-6A4]. Surprisingly, their mode of action on SERT has not been characterized. Here, we show that, similar to the chemically related drug vilazodone, trazodone and nefazodone are allosteric ligands: trazodone and nefazodone inhibit uptake by and transport-associated currents through SERT in a mixed-competitive and noncompetitive manner, respectively. Contrary to noribogaine and its congeners, all three compounds preferentially interact with the Na+-bound outward-facing state of SERT. Nevertheless, they act as pharmacochaperones and rescue the folding-deficient variant SERT-P601A/G602A. The vast majority of disease-associated point mutations of SLC6 family members impair folding of the encoded transporter proteins. Our findings indicate that their folding defect can be remedied by targeting allosteric sites on SLC6 transporters. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The serotonin transporter is a member of the solute carrier-6 family and is the target of numerous antidepressants. Trazodone and nefazodone have long been used as antidepressants. Here, this study shows that their inhibition of the serotonin transporter digressed from the competitive mode seen with other antidepressants. Trazodone and nefazodone rescued a folding-deficient variant of the serotonin transporter. This finding demonstrates that folding defects of mutated solute carrier-6 family members can also be corrected by allosteric ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali El-Kasaby
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology (A.E.-K., D.B., M.F., W.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.K., T.H.); and MRN Medical Research Network GmbH, Vienna, Austria (G.K.)
| | - Danila Boytsov
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology (A.E.-K., D.B., M.F., W.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.K., T.H.); and MRN Medical Research Network GmbH, Vienna, Austria (G.K.)
| | - Ameya Kasture
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology (A.E.-K., D.B., M.F., W.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.K., T.H.); and MRN Medical Research Network GmbH, Vienna, Austria (G.K.)
| | - Günther Krumpl
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology (A.E.-K., D.B., M.F., W.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.K., T.H.); and MRN Medical Research Network GmbH, Vienna, Austria (G.K.)
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology (A.E.-K., D.B., M.F., W.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.K., T.H.); and MRN Medical Research Network GmbH, Vienna, Austria (G.K.)
| | - Michael Freissmuth
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology (A.E.-K., D.B., M.F., W.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.K., T.H.); and MRN Medical Research Network GmbH, Vienna, Austria (G.K.)
| | - Walter Sandtner
- Institute of Pharmacology and the Gaston H. Glock Research Laboratories for Exploratory Drug Development, Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology (A.E.-K., D.B., M.F., W.S.), Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (A.K., T.H.); and MRN Medical Research Network GmbH, Vienna, Austria (G.K.)
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8
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Bhatt M, Lazzarin E, Alberto-Silva AS, Domingo G, Zerlotti R, Gradisch R, Bazzone A, Sitte HH, Stockner T, Bossi E. Unveiling the crucial role of betaine: modulation of GABA homeostasis via SLC6A1 transporter (GAT1). Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:269. [PMID: 38884791 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05309-w] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Betaine is an endogenous osmolyte that exhibits therapeutic potential by mitigating various neurological disorders. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for its neuroprotective effects remain puzzling.In this study, we describe a possible mechanism behind the positive impact of betaine in preserving neurons from excitotoxicity. Here we demonstrate that betaine at low concentration modulates the GABA uptake by GAT1 (slc6a1), the predominant GABA transporter in the central nervous system. This modulation occurs through the temporal inhibition of the transporter, wherein prolonged occupancy by betaine impedes the swift transition of the transporter to the inward conformation. Importantly, the modulatory effect of betaine on GAT1 is reversible, as the blocking of GAT1 disappears with increased extracellular GABA. Using electrophysiology, mass spectroscopy, radiolabelled cellular assay, and molecular dynamics simulation we demonstrate that betaine has a dual role in GAT1: at mM concentration acts as a slow substrate, and at µM as a temporal blocker of GABA, when it is below its K0.5. Given this unique modulatory characteristic and lack of any harmful side effects, betaine emerges as a promising neuromodulator of the inhibitory pathways improving GABA homeostasis via GAT1, thereby conferring neuroprotection against excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manan Bhatt
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - Erika Lazzarin
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ana Sofia Alberto-Silva
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guido Domingo
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, Italy
| | - Rocco Zerlotti
- Nanion Technologies GmbH, Ganghoferstr. 70a, 80339, Munich, Germany
| | - Ralph Gradisch
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andre Bazzone
- Nanion Technologies GmbH, Ganghoferstr. 70a, 80339, Munich, Germany
| | - Harald H Sitte
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Hourani Center for Applied Scientific Research, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, 19328, Jordan
- Center for Addiction Research and Science, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Stockner
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Bossi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100, Varese, Italy.
- Centre for Neuroscience, University of Insubria, 21100, Varese, Italy.
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9
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Gelová Z, Ingles-Prieto A, Bohstedt T, Frommelt F, Chi G, Chang YN, Garcia J, Wolf G, Azzollini L, Tremolada S, Scacioc A, Hansen JS, Serrano I, Droce A, Bernal JC, Burgess-Brown NA, Carpenter EP, Dürr KL, Kristensen P, Geertsma ER, Štefanić S, Scarabottolo L, Wiedmer T, Puetter V, Sauer DB, Superti-Furga G. Protein Binder Toolbox for Studies of Solute Carrier Transporters. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168665. [PMID: 38878854 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Transporters of the solute carrier superfamily (SLCs) are responsible for the transmembrane traffic of the majority of chemical substances in cells and tissues and are therefore of fundamental biological importance. As is often the case with membrane proteins that can be heavily glycosylated, a lack of reliable high-affinity binders hinders their functional analysis. Purifying and reconstituting transmembrane proteins in their lipidic environments remains challenging and standard approaches to generate binders for multi-transmembrane proteins, such as SLCs, channels or G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are lacking. While generating protein binders to 27 SLCs, we produced full length protein or cell lines as input material for binder generation by selected binder generation platforms. As a result, we obtained 525 binders for 22 SLCs. We validated the binders with a cell-based validation workflow using immunofluorescent and immunoprecipitation methods to process all obtained binders. Finally, we demonstrated the potential applications of the binders that passed our validation pipeline in structural, biochemical, and biological applications using the exemplary protein SLC12A6, an ion transporter relevant in human disease. With this work, we were able to generate easily renewable and highly specific binders against SLCs, which will greatly facilitate the study of this neglected protein family. We hope that the process will serve as blueprint for the generation of binders against the entire superfamily of SLC transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Gelová
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alvaro Ingles-Prieto
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tina Bohstedt
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fabian Frommelt
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gamma Chi
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Julio Garcia
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gernot Wolf
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Andreea Scacioc
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jesper S Hansen
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Iciar Serrano
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aida Droce
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Nicola A Burgess-Brown
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elisabeth P Carpenter
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Katharina L Dürr
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter Kristensen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Eric R Geertsma
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Saša Štefanić
- Nanobody Service Facility, University of Zurich, AgroVet-Strickhof, Eschikon, Switzerland
| | | | - Tabea Wiedmer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - David B Sauer
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Giulio Superti-Furga
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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10
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Liao R, Bresnick EH. Endogenous small molecule effectors in GATA transcription factor mechanisms governing biological and pathological processes. Exp Hematol 2024:104252. [PMID: 38876253 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2024.104252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional mechanisms establish and maintain complex genetic and protein networks to control cell state transitions. The hematopoietic transcription factor GATA1 is a master regulator of erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis, and human GATA1genetic variants cause anemia and megakaryoblastic leukemia. Multiomic analyses revealed that GATA1 controls expression of transporters and metabolic enzymes that dictate intracellular levels of endogenous small molecules, including heme, metal ions, and sphingolipids. Besides its canonical function as a hemoglobin component, heme facilitates or antagonizes GATA1 function to regulate erythropoiesis via mechanisms dependent or independent of the heme-binding transcription factor BTB domain and CNC homology 1 (BACH1). GATA1 regulates the expression of genes encoding heme biosynthetic enzymes and BACH1. GATA1 maintains homeostasis of bioactive ceramides during erythroid differentiation by regulating genes encoding sphingolipid metabolic enzymes. Disrupting ceramide homeostasis impairs critical cytokine signaling and is detrimental to erythroid cells. During erythroid maturation, GATA1 induces a zinc transporter switch that favors export versus import, thus dictating the intracellular zinc level, erythroblast survival, and differentiation. In aggregate, these studies support an emerging paradigm in which GATA factor-dependent transcriptional mechanisms control the intracellular levels of endogenous small molecules and small molecule-dependent feedback loops that serve as vital effectors of transcription factor activity, genome function, and cell state transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Liao
- Wisconsin Blood Cancer Research Institute, Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI
| | - Emery H Bresnick
- Wisconsin Blood Cancer Research Institute, Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI.
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11
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Roghani AK, Garcia RI, Roghani A, Reddy A, Khemka S, Reddy RP, Pattoor V, Jacob M, Reddy PH, Sehar U. Treating Alzheimer's disease using nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery strategies/systems. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 97:102291. [PMID: 38614367 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102291] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
The administration of promising medications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is significantly hampered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Nanotechnology has recently come to light as a viable strategy for overcoming this obstacle and improving drug delivery to the brain. With a focus on current developments and prospects, this review article examines the use of nanoparticles to overcome the BBB constraints to improve drug therapy for AD The potential for several nanoparticle-based approaches, such as those utilizing lipid-based, polymeric, and inorganic nanoparticles, to enhance drug transport across the BBB are highlighted. To shed insight on their involvement in aiding effective drug transport to the brain, methods of nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery, such as surface modifications, functionalization, and particular targeting ligands, are also investigated. The article also discusses the most recent findings on innovative medication formulations encapsulated within nanoparticles and the therapeutic effects they have shown in both preclinical and clinical testing. This sector has difficulties and restrictions, such as the need for increased safety, scalability, and translation to clinical applications. However, the major emphasis of this review aims to provide insight and contribute to the knowledge of how nanotechnology can potentially revolutionize the worldwide treatment of NDDs, particularly AD, to enhance clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Kia Roghani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Frenship High School, Lubbock, TX 79382, USA.
| | - Ricardo Isaiah Garcia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Ali Roghani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Aananya Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Lubbock High School, Lubbock, TX 79401, USA.
| | - Sachi Khemka
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Ruhananhad P Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Lubbock High School, Lubbock, TX 79401, USA.
| | - Vasanthkumar Pattoor
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
| | - Michael Jacob
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA.
| | - P Hemachandra Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Nutritional Sciences Department, College of Human Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Public Health Department of Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Services, School Health Professions, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Ujala Sehar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
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12
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Hushmandi K, Einollahi B, Saadat SH, Lee EHC, Farani MR, Okina E, Huh YS, Nabavi N, Salimimoghadam S, Kumar AP. Amino acid transporters within the solute carrier superfamily: Underappreciated proteins and novel opportunities for cancer therapy. Mol Metab 2024; 84:101952. [PMID: 38705513 PMCID: PMC11112377 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Solute carrier (SLC) transporters, a diverse family of membrane proteins, are instrumental in orchestrating the intake and efflux of nutrients including amino acids, vitamins, ions, nutrients, etc, across cell membranes. This dynamic process is critical for sustaining the metabolic demands of cancer cells, promoting their survival, proliferation, and adaptation to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Amino acids are fundamental building blocks of cells and play essential roles in protein synthesis, nutrient sensing, and oncogenic signaling pathways. As key transporters of amino acids, SLCs have emerged as crucial players in maintaining cellular amino acid homeostasis, and their dysregulation is implicated in various cancer types. Thus, understanding the intricate connections between amino acids, SLCs, and cancer is pivotal for unraveling novel therapeutic targets and strategies. SCOPE OF REVIEW In this review, we delve into the significant impact of amino acid carriers of the SLCs family on the growth and progression of cancer and explore the current state of knowledge in this field, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms that underlie these relationships and highlighting potential avenues for future research and clinical interventions. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Amino acids transportation by SLCs plays a critical role in tumor progression. However, some studies revealed the tumor suppressor function of SLCs. Although several studies evaluated the function of SLC7A11 and SLC1A5, the role of some SLC proteins in cancer is not studied well. To exert their functions, SLCs mediate metabolic rewiring, regulate the maintenance of redox balance, affect main oncogenic pathways, regulate amino acids bioavailability within the TME, and alter the sensitivity of cancer cells to therapeutics. However, different therapeutic methods that prevent the function of SLCs were able to inhibit tumor progression. This comprehensive review provides insights into a rapidly evolving area of cancer biology by focusing on amino acids and their transporters within the SLC superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiavash Hushmandi
- Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Clinical Sciences Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Behzad Einollahi
- Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Clinical Sciences Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Hassan Saadat
- Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Clinical Sciences Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - E Hui Clarissa Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Marzieh Ramezani Farani
- NanoBio High-Tech Materials Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Elena Okina
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yun Suk Huh
- NanoBio High-Tech Materials Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Noushin Nabavi
- Department of Urologic Sciences and Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, V6H3Z6, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
| | - Alan Prem Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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13
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Zhang D, Ma B, Dragovich PS, Ma L, Chen S, Chen EC, Ye X, Liu J, Pizzano J, Bortolon E, Chan E, Zhang X, Chen YC, Levy ES, Yauch RL, Khojasteh SC, Hop CECA. Tissue distribution and retention drives efficacy of rapidly clearing VHL-based PROTACs. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:87. [PMID: 38755248 PMCID: PMC11099041 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00505-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are being developed for therapeutic use. However, they have poor pharmacokinetic profiles and their tissue distribution kinetics are not known. METHODS A typical von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor (VHL)-PROTAC 14C-A947 (BRM degrader)-was synthesized and its tissue distribution kinetics was studied by quantitative whole-body autoradiography (QWBA) and tissue excision in rats following IV dosing. Bile duct-cannulated (BDC) rats allowed the elucidation of in vivo clearance pathways. Distribution kinetics was evaluated in the tissues and tumors of mice to support PK-PD correlation. In vitro studies enabled the evaluation of cell uptake mechanisms and cell retention properties. RESULTS Here, we show that A947 quickly distributes into rat tissues after IV dosing, where it accumulates and is retained in tissues such as the lung and liver although it undergoes fast clearance from circulation. Similar uptake/retention kinetics enable tumor growth inhibition over 2-3 weeks in a lung cancer model. A947 quickly excretes in the bile of rats. Solute carrier (SLC) transporters are involved in hepatocyte uptake of PROTACs. Sustained BRM protein degradation is seen after extensive washout that supports prolonged cell retention of A947 in NCI-H1944 cells. A947 tissue exposure and pharmacodynamics are inversely correlated in tumors. CONCLUSIONS Plasma sampling for VHL-PROTAC does not represent the tissue concentrations necessary for efficacy. Understanding of tissue uptake and retention could enable less frequent IV administration to be used for therapeutic dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donglu Zhang
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - Bin Ma
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | | | - Li Ma
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Shu Chen
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Eugene C Chen
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Xiaofen Ye
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Joyce Liu
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jennifer Pizzano
- Arvinas; 5 Science Park, 395 Winchester Ave, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | | | - Emily Chan
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Xing Zhang
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yi-Chen Chen
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | | | - Robert L Yauch
- Genentech; 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
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14
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Handa K, Yoshimura S, Kageyama M, Iijima T. Development of Novel Methods for QSAR Modeling by Machine Learning Repeatedly: A Case Study on Drug Distribution to Each Tissue. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:3662-3669. [PMID: 38639496 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence is expected to help identify excellent candidates in drug discovery. However, we face a lack of data, as it is time-consuming and expensive to acquire raw data perfectly for many compounds. Hence, we tried to develop a novel quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) method to predict a parameter more precisely from an incomplete data set via optimizing data handling by making use of predicted explanatory variables. As a case study we focused on the tissue-to-plasma partition coefficient (Kp), which is an important parameter for understanding drug distribution in tissues and building the physiologically based pharmacokinetic model and is a representative of small and sparse data sets. In this study, we predicted the Kp values of 119 compounds in nine tissues (adipose, brain, gut, heart, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, and skin), although some of these were not available. To fill the missing values in Kp for each tissue, first we predicted those Kp values by the nonmissing data set using a random forest (RF) model with in vitro parameters (log P, fu, Drug Class, and fi) like a classical prediction by a QSAR model. Next, to predict the tissue-specific Kp values in a test data set, we constructed a second RF model with not only in vitro parameters but also the Kp values of other tissues (i.e., other than target tissues) predicted by the first RF model as explanatory variables. Furthermore, we tested all possible combinations of explanatory variables and selected the model with the highest predictability from the test data set as the final model. The evaluation of Kp prediction accuracy based on the root-mean-square error and R2 value revealed that the proposed models outperformed other machine learning methods such as the conventional RF and message-passing neural networks. Significant improvements were observed in the Kp values of adipose tissue, brain, kidney, liver, and skin. These improvements indicated that the Kp information on other tissues can be used to predict the same for a specific tissue. Additionally, we found a novel relationship between each tissue by evaluating all combinations of explanatory variables. In conclusion, we developed a novel RF model to predict Kp values. We hope that this method will be applied to various problems in the field of experimental biology which often contains missing values in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Handa
- Toxicology & DMPK Research Department, Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino-shi, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Saki Yoshimura
- Toxicology & DMPK Research Department, Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino-shi, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Michiharu Kageyama
- Toxicology & DMPK Research Department, Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino-shi, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Takeshi Iijima
- Toxicology & DMPK Research Department, Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino-shi, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
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15
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Ducza L, Gaál B. The Neglected Sibling: NLRP2 Inflammasome in the Nervous System. Aging Dis 2024; 15:1006-1028. [PMID: 38722788 PMCID: PMC11081174 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0926-1] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
While classical NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing protein 1 (NLRP1) and NLRP3 inflammasomal proteins have been extensively investigated, the contribution of NLRP2 is still ill-defined in the nervous system. Given the putative significance of NLRP2 in orchestrating neuroinflammation, further inquiry is needed to gain a better understanding of its connectome, hence its specific targeting may hold a promising therapeutic implication. Therefore, bioinformatical approach for extracting information, specifically in the context of neuropathologies, is also undoubtedly preferred. To the best of our knowledge, there is no review study selectively targeting only NLRP2. Increasing, but still fragmentary evidence should encourage researchers to thoroughly investigate this inflammasome in various animal- and human models. Taken together, herein we aimed to review the current literature focusing on the role of NLRP2 inflammasome in the nervous system and more importantly, we provide an algorithm-based protein network of human NLRP2 for elucidating potentially valuable molecular partnerships that can be the beginning of a new discourse and future therapeutic considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Ducza
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary, Hungary
| | - Botond Gaál
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary, Hungary
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16
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Wu W, Jiang C, Zhu W, Jiang X. Multi-omics analysis reveals the association between specific solute carrier proteins gene expression patterns and the immune suppressive microenvironment in glioma. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18339. [PMID: 38687049 PMCID: PMC11060081 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18339] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioma is the most prevalent malignant brain tumour. Currently, reshaping its tumour microenvironment has emerged as an appealing strategy to enhance therapeutic efficacy. As the largest group of transmembrane transport proteins, solute carrier proteins (SLCs) are responsible for the transmembrane transport of various metabolites and ions. They play a crucial role in regulating the metabolism and functions of malignant cells and immune cells within the tumour microenvironment, making them a promising target in cancer therapy. Through multidimensional data analysis and experimental validation, we investigated the genetic landscape of SLCs in glioma. We established a classification system comprising 7-SLCs to predict the prognosis of glioma patients and their potential responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Our findings unveiled specific SLC expression patterns and their correlation with the immune-suppressive microenvironment and metabolic status. The 7-SLC classification system was validated in distinguishing subgroups within the microenvironment, specifically identifying subsets involving malignant cells and tumour-associated macrophages. Furthermore, the orphan protein SLC43A3, a core member of the 7-SLC classification system, was identified as a key facilitator of tumour cell proliferation and migration, suggesting its potential as a novel target for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Cheng Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Wende Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Xiaobing Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
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17
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Chidley C, Darnell AM, Gaudio BL, Lien EC, Barbeau AM, Vander Heiden MG, Sorger PK. A CRISPRi/a screening platform to study cellular nutrient transport in diverse microenvironments. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:825-838. [PMID: 38605144 PMCID: PMC11098743 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01402-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Blocking the import of nutrients essential for cancer cell proliferation represents a therapeutic opportunity, but it is unclear which transporters to target. Here we report a CRISPR interference/activation screening platform to systematically interrogate the contribution of nutrient transporters to support cancer cell proliferation in environments ranging from standard culture media to tumours. We applied this platform to identify the transporters of amino acids in leukaemia cells and found that amino acid transport involves high bidirectional flux dependent on the microenvironment composition. While investigating the role of transporters in cystine starved cells, we uncovered a role for serotonin uptake in preventing ferroptosis. Finally, we identified transporters essential for cell proliferation in subcutaneous tumours and found that levels of glucose and amino acids can restrain proliferation in that environment. This study establishes a framework for systematically identifying critical cellular nutrient transporters, characterizing their function and exploring how the tumour microenvironment impacts cancer metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Chidley
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Alicia M Darnell
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin L Gaudio
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Evan C Lien
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anna M Barbeau
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew G Vander Heiden
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter K Sorger
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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18
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Offensperger F, Tin G, Duran-Frigola M, Hahn E, Dobner S, Ende CWA, Strohbach JW, Rukavina A, Brennsteiner V, Ogilvie K, Marella N, Kladnik K, Ciuffa R, Majmudar JD, Field SD, Bensimon A, Ferrari L, Ferrada E, Ng A, Zhang Z, Degliesposti G, Boeszoermenyi A, Martens S, Stanton R, Müller AC, Hannich JT, Hepworth D, Superti-Furga G, Kubicek S, Schenone M, Winter GE. Large-scale chemoproteomics expedites ligand discovery and predicts ligand behavior in cells. Science 2024; 384:eadk5864. [PMID: 38662832 DOI: 10.1126/science.adk5864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Chemical modulation of proteins enables a mechanistic understanding of biology and represents the foundation of most therapeutics. However, despite decades of research, 80% of the human proteome lacks functional ligands. Chemical proteomics has advanced fragment-based ligand discovery toward cellular systems, but throughput limitations have stymied the scalable identification of fragment-protein interactions. We report proteome-wide maps of protein-binding propensity for 407 structurally diverse small-molecule fragments. We verified that identified interactions can be advanced to active chemical probes of E3 ubiquitin ligases, transporters, and kinases. Integrating machine learning binary classifiers further enabled interpretable predictions of fragment behavior in cells. The resulting resource of fragment-protein interactions and predictive models will help to elucidate principles of molecular recognition and expedite ligand discovery efforts for hitherto undrugged proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Offensperger
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gary Tin
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Miquel Duran-Frigola
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Ersilia Open Source Initiative, Cambridge CB1 3DE, UK
| | - Elisa Hahn
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Dobner
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Andrea Rukavina
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincenth Brennsteiner
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kevin Ogilvie
- Medicine Design, Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Nara Marella
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Kladnik
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rodolfo Ciuffa
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Ariel Bensimon
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Luca Ferrari
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Evandro Ferrada
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Amanda Ng
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Zhechun Zhang
- Molecular Informatics, Machine Learning and Computational Sciences, Early Clinical Development, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Gianluca Degliesposti
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andras Boeszoermenyi
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sascha Martens
- Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter Campus (VBC), Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Stanton
- Molecular Informatics, Machine Learning and Computational Sciences, Early Clinical Development, Pfizer, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - André C Müller
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - J Thomas Hannich
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Giulio Superti-Furga
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Kubicek
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Georg E Winter
- CeMM, Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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19
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Cao T, Zhang W, Wang Q, Wang C, Ma W, Zhang C, Ge M, Tian M, Yu J, Jiao A, Wang L, Liu M, Wang P, Guo Z, Zhou Y, Chen S, Yin W, Yi J, Guo H, Han H, Zhang B, Wu K, Fan D, Wang X, Nie Y, Lu Y, Zhao X. Cancer SLC6A6-mediated taurine uptake transactivates immune checkpoint genes and induces exhaustion in CD8 + T cells. Cell 2024; 187:2288-2304.e27. [PMID: 38565142 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.011] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Taurine is used to bolster immunity, but its effects on antitumor immunity are unclear. Here, we report that cancer-related taurine consumption causes T cell exhaustion and tumor progression. The taurine transporter SLC6A6 is correlated with aggressiveness and poor outcomes in multiple cancers. SLC6A6-mediated taurine uptake promotes the malignant behaviors of tumor cells but also increases the survival and effector function of CD8+ T cells. Tumor cells outcompete CD8+ T cells for taurine by overexpressing SLC6A6, which induces T cell death and malfunction, thereby fueling tumor progression. Mechanistically, taurine deficiency in CD8+ T cells increases ER stress, promoting ATF4 transcription in a PERK-JAK1-STAT3 signaling-dependent manner. Increased ATF4 transactivates multiple immune checkpoint genes and induces T cell exhaustion. In gastric cancer, we identify a chemotherapy-induced SP1-SLC6A6 regulatory axis. Our findings suggest that tumoral-SLC6A6-mediated taurine deficiency promotes immune evasion and that taurine supplementation reinvigorates exhausted CD8+ T cells and increases the efficacy of cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Wenyao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China; College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, China
| | - Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China; College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710069, China
| | - Wanqi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Cangang Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Minghui Ge
- Simcere Diagnostics Co., Ltd., Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042, China
| | - Miaomiao Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Jia Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China
| | - Anjun Jiao
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Manjiao Liu
- Simcere Diagnostics Co., Ltd., Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042, China
| | - Pei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Zhiyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China
| | - Shuyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Wen Yin
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Jing Yi
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Simcere Diagnostics Co., Ltd., Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042, China
| | - Hua Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Baojun Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Kaichun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Daiming Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China; Department of Gastroenterology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China.
| | - Yongzhan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.
| | - Xiaodi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.
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20
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Song K, Zhang L, Fu X, Li L, Zhu G, Wu M, Zhang W, He J, Zhu S, Dang Y, Liu JY, Chen C, Guo Z. A rapid and simple non-radioactive assay for measuring uptake by solute carrier transporters. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1355507. [PMID: 38720778 PMCID: PMC11076738 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1355507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Solute carrier (SLC) transport proteins play a crucial role in maintaining cellular nutrient and metabolite homeostasis and are implicated in various human diseases, making them potential targets for therapeutic interventions. However, the study of SLCs has been limited due to the lack of suitable tools, particularly cell-based substrate uptake assays, necessary for understanding their biological functions and for drug discovery purposes. Methods: In this study, a cell-based uptake assay was developed using a stable isotope-labeled compound as the substrate for SLCs, with detection facilitated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This assay aimed to address the limitations of existing assays, such as reliance on hazardous radiolabeled substrates and limited availability of fluorescent biosensors. Results: The developed assay was successfully applied to detect substrate uptakes by two specific SLCs: L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) and sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP). Importantly, the assay demonstrated comparable results to the radioactive method, indicating its reliability and accuracy. Furthermore, the assay was utilized to screen for novel inhibitors of NTCP, leading to the identification of a potential NTCP inhibitor compound. Discussion: The findings highlight the utility of the developed cell-based uptake assay as a rapid, simple, and environmentally friendly tool for investigating SLCs' biological roles and for drug discovery purposes. This assay offers a safer alternative to traditional methods and has the potential to contribute significantly to advancing our understanding of SLC function and identifying therapeutic agents targeting SLC-mediated pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunling Song
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Longbin Zhang
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xian Fu
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Anesthesiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Linfeng Li
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Gaolin Zhu
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mingjun Wu
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jia He
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sanyong Zhu
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongjun Dang
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun-Yan Liu
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Anesthesiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chang Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zufeng Guo
- Basic Medicine Research and Innovation Center for Novel Target and Therapeutic Intervention (Ministry of Education), Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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21
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Wiriyasermkul P, Moriyama S, Suzuki M, Kongpracha P, Nakamae N, Takeshita S, Tanaka Y, Matsuda A, Miyasaka M, Hamase K, Kimura T, Mita M, Sasabe J, Nagamori S. <sc>A</sc> multi-hierarchical approach reveals <sc>d</sc>-serine as a hidden substrate of sodium-coupled monocarboxylate transporters. eLife 2024; 12:RP92615. [PMID: 38650461 PMCID: PMC11037918 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92615] [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] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Transporter research primarily relies on the canonical substrates of well-established transporters. This approach has limitations when studying transporters for the low-abundant micromolecules, such as micronutrients, and may not reveal physiological functions of the transporters. While d-serine, a trace enantiomer of serine in the circulation, was discovered as an emerging biomarker of kidney function, its transport mechanisms in the periphery remain unknown. Here, using a multi-hierarchical approach from body fluids to molecules, combining multi-omics, cell-free synthetic biochemistry, and ex vivo transport analyses, we have identified two types of renal d-serine transport systems. We revealed that the small amino acid transporter ASCT2 serves as a d-serine transporter previously uncharacterized in the kidney and discovered d-serine as a non-canonical substrate of the sodium-coupled monocarboxylate transporters (SMCTs). These two systems are physiologically complementary, but ASCT2 dominates the role in the pathological condition. Our findings not only shed light on renal d-serine transport, but also clarify the importance of non-canonical substrate transport. This study provides a framework for investigating multiple transport systems of various trace micromolecules under physiological conditions and in multifactorial diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pattama Wiriyasermkul
- Center for SI Medical Research, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Department of Collaborative Research for Biomolecular Dynamics, Nara Medical UniversityNaraJapan
| | - Satomi Moriyama
- Department of Collaborative Research for Biomolecular Dynamics, Nara Medical UniversityNaraJapan
| | - Masataka Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacology, Keio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Pornparn Kongpracha
- Center for SI Medical Research, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Nodoka Nakamae
- Department of Collaborative Research for Biomolecular Dynamics, Nara Medical UniversityNaraJapan
| | - Saki Takeshita
- Department of Collaborative Research for Biomolecular Dynamics, Nara Medical UniversityNaraJapan
| | - Yoko Tanaka
- Department of Collaborative Research for Biomolecular Dynamics, Nara Medical UniversityNaraJapan
| | - Akina Matsuda
- Department of Pharmacology, Keio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Masaki Miyasaka
- Center for SI Medical Research, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Kenji Hamase
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Tomonori Kimura
- KAGAMI Project, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and NutritionOsakaJapan
- Reverse Translational Research Project, Center for Rare Disease Research, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and NutritionOsakaJapan
| | | | - Jumpei Sasabe
- Department of Pharmacology, Keio University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Shushi Nagamori
- Center for SI Medical Research, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
- Department of Collaborative Research for Biomolecular Dynamics, Nara Medical UniversityNaraJapan
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22
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Møller-Hansen I, Sáez-Sáez J, van der Hoek SA, Dyekjær JD, Christensen HB, Wright Muelas M, O’Hagan S, Kell DB, Borodina I. Deorphanizing solute carriers in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for secondary uptake of xenobiotic compounds. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1376653. [PMID: 38680917 PMCID: PMC11045925 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1376653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The exchange of small molecules between the cell and the environment happens through transporter proteins. Besides nutrients and native metabolic products, xenobiotic molecules are also transported, however it is not well understood which transporters are involved. In this study, by combining exo-metabolome screening in yeast with transporter characterization in Xenopus oocytes, we mapped the activity of 30 yeast transporters toward six small non-toxic substrates. Firstly, using LC-MS, we determined 385 compounds from a chemical library that were imported and exported by S. cerevisiae. Of the 385 compounds transported by yeast, we selected six compounds (viz. sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, 2-methylpyrazine, cefadroxil, acrylic acid, 2-benzoxazolol) for characterization against 30 S. cerevisiae xenobiotic transport proteins expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The compounds were selected to represent a diverse set of chemicals with a broad interest in applied microbiology. Twenty transporters showed activity toward one or more of the compounds. The tested transporter proteins were mostly promiscuous in equilibrative transport (i.e., facilitated diffusion). The compounds 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, 2-methylpyrazine, cefadroxil, and sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were transported equilibratively by transporters that could transport up to three of the compounds. In contrast, the compounds acrylic acid and 2-benzoxazolol, were strictly transported by dedicated transporters. The prevalence of promiscuous equilibrative transporters of non-native substrates has significant implications for strain development in biotechnology and offers an explanation as to why transporter engineering has been a challenge in metabolic engineering. The method described here can be generally applied to study the transport of other small non-toxic molecules. The yeast transporter library is available at AddGene (ID 79999).
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Affiliation(s)
- Iben Møller-Hansen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Javier Sáez-Sáez
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Steven A. van der Hoek
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jane D. Dyekjær
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hanne B. Christensen
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marina Wright Muelas
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Steve O’Hagan
- Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas B. Kell
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Irina Borodina
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
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23
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Wang S, Wang L, Qiu M, Lin Z, Qi W, Lv J, Wang Y, Lu Y, Li X, Chen W, Qiu W. Constructing and validating a risk model based on neutrophil-related genes for evaluating prognosis and guiding immunotherapy in colon cancer. J Gene Med 2024; 26:e3684. [PMID: 38618694 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3684] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colon cancer is one of the most common digestive tract malignancies. Although immunotherapy has brought new hope to colon cancer patients, there is still a large proportion of patients who do not benefit from immunotherapy. Studies have shown that neutrophils can interact with immune cells and immune factors to affect the prognosis of patients. METHODS We first determined the infiltration level of neutrophils in tumors using the CIBERSORT algorithm and identified key genes in the final risk model by Spearman correlation analysis and subsequent Cox analysis. The risk score of each patient was obtained by multiplying the Cox regression coefficient and the gene expression level, and patients were divided into two groups based on the median of risk score. Differences in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and model accuracy was validated in independent dataset. Differences in immune infiltration and immunotherapy were evaluated by immunoassay. Finally, immunohistochemistry and western blotting were performed to verify the expression of the three genes in the colon normal and tumor tissues. RESULTS We established and validated a risk scoring model based on neutrophil-related genes in two independent datasets, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, with SLC11A1 and SLC2A3 as risk factors and MMP3 as a protective factor. A new nomogram was constructed and validated by combining clinical characteristics and the risk score model to better predict patients OS and PFS. Immune analysis showed that patients in the high-risk group had immune cell infiltration level, immune checkpoint level and tumor mutational burden, and were more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS The low-risk group showed better OS and PFS than the high-risk group in the neutrophil-related gene-based risk model. Patients in the high-risk group presented higher immune infiltration levels and tumor mutational burden and thus may be more responsive to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Department of Oncology, Rizhao Central Hospital, Rizhao, China
| | - Mingxiu Qiu
- Department Second of Respiratory and Critical Care, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhongkun Lin
- Department of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Third Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weiwei Qi
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yangyang Lu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenzhi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wensheng Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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24
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Yang X, Tao Y, Xu Y, Cai W, Shao Q. SLC35A2 expression drives breast cancer progression via ERK pathway activation. FEBS J 2024; 291:1483-1505. [PMID: 38143314 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17044] [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: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Alterations in glycosylation are associated with breast tumor formation and progression. Nevertheless, the specific functions and mechanisms of the human major UDP-galactose transporter-encoding gene solute carrier family 35 member A2 (SLC35A2) in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) have not been fully determined. Here, we report that SLC35A2 promotes BRCA progression by activating extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK). SLC35A2 expression and prognosis-predictive significance in pan-cancer were evaluated using public databases. The upstream non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of SLC35A2 were analyzed, and their expression and regulations were validated in breast tissues and cell lines by a quantitative PCR and dual-luciferase assays. We used bioinformatic tools to assess the link between SLC35A2 expression and immune infiltration and performed immunohistochemistry for validation. Cell Counting Kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, transwell, flow cytometer and western blotting were used to assess the proliferation, motility, cell cycle and apoptosis of BRCA cells in vitro. The xenograft models were constructed to assess the effect of SLC35A2 on BRCA tumor growth in vivo. The results indicated that SLC35A2 expression was upregulated and linked to an unfavorable prognosis in BRCA. The most likely upstream ncRNA-associated pathway of SLC35A2 in BRCA was the AC074117.1/hsa-let-7b-5p axis. SLC35A2 expression had positive correlations with the presence of Th2 cells, regulatory T cells and immune checkpoints. Knockdown of SLC35A2 could reduce BRCA cell proliferation, motility, and cause G2/M arrest and cell apoptosis via ERK signaling. Moreover, ERK activation can rescue the inhibitory effects of knockdown SLC35A2 in BRCA. In conclusion, AC074117.1/hsa-let-7b-5p axis-mediated high expression of SLC35A2 acts as a tumor promoter in BRCA via ERK signaling, which provides a potential target for BRCA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Yang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, China
| | - Yukai Tao
- Clinical Research & Lab Center, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, China
| | - Weili Cai
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Reproductive Immunity, The Digestive and Reproductive System Cancers Precise Prevention Engineering Research Center of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai'an, China
| | - Qixiang Shao
- Clinical Research & Lab Center, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, China
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Reproductive Immunity, The Digestive and Reproductive System Cancers Precise Prevention Engineering Research Center of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai'an, China
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25
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Richardson R, Tejedor Navarro H, Amaral LAN, Stoeger T. Meta-Research: Understudied genes are lost in a leaky pipeline between genome-wide assays and reporting of results. eLife 2024; 12:RP93429. [PMID: 38546716 PMCID: PMC10977968 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Present-day publications on human genes primarily feature genes that already appeared in many publications prior to completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. These patterns persist despite the subsequent adoption of high-throughput technologies, which routinely identify novel genes associated with biological processes and disease. Although several hypotheses for bias in the selection of genes as research targets have been proposed, their explanatory powers have not yet been compared. Our analysis suggests that understudied genes are systematically abandoned in favor of better-studied genes between the completion of -omics experiments and the reporting of results. Understudied genes remain abandoned by studies that cite these -omics experiments. Conversely, we find that publications on understudied genes may even accrue a greater number of citations. Among 45 biological and experimental factors previously proposed to affect which genes are being studied, we find that 33 are significantly associated with the choice of hit genes presented in titles and abstracts of -omics studies. To promote the investigation of understudied genes, we condense our insights into a tool, find my understudied genes (FMUG), that allows scientists to engage with potential bias during the selection of hits. We demonstrate the utility of FMUG through the identification of genes that remain understudied in vertebrate aging. FMUG is developed in Flutter and is available for download at fmug.amaral.northwestern.edu as a MacOS/Windows app.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reese Richardson
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Heliodoro Tejedor Navarro
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Luis A Nunes Amaral
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Thomas Stoeger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
- The Potocsnak Longevity Institute, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Simpson Querrey Lung Institute for Translational Science, Northwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
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26
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Tu G, Fu T, Zheng G, Xu B, Gou R, Luo D, Wang P, Xue W. Computational Chemistry in Structure-Based Solute Carrier Transporter Drug Design: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:1433-1455. [PMID: 38294194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Solute carrier transporters (SLCs) are a class of important transmembrane proteins that are involved in the transportation of diverse solute ions and small molecules into cells. There are approximately 450 SLCs within the human body, and more than a quarter of them are emerging as attractive therapeutic targets for multiple complex diseases, e.g., depression, cancer, and diabetes. However, only 44 unique transporters (∼9.8% of the SLC superfamily) with 3D structures and specific binding sites have been reported. To design innovative and effective drugs targeting diverse SLCs, there are a number of obstacles that need to be overcome. However, computational chemistry, including physics-based molecular modeling and machine learning- and deep learning-based artificial intelligence (AI), provides an alternative and complementary way to the classical drug discovery approach. Here, we present a comprehensive overview on recent advances and existing challenges of the computational techniques in structure-based drug design of SLCs from three main aspects: (i) characterizing multiple conformations of the proteins during the functional process of transportation, (ii) identifying druggability sites especially the cryptic allosteric ones on the transporters for substrates and drugs binding, and (iii) discovering diverse small molecules or synthetic protein binders targeting the binding sites. This work is expected to provide guidelines for a deep understanding of the structure and function of the SLC superfamily to facilitate rational design of novel modulators of the transporters with the aid of state-of-the-art computational chemistry technologies including artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao Tu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Tingting Fu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | - Binbin Xu
- Chengdu Sintanovo Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610200, China
| | - Rongpei Gou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Ding Luo
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Panpan Wang
- College of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian 463000, China
| | - Weiwei Xue
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
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27
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Long J, Song X, Wang C, Peng L, Niu L, Li Q, Huang R, Zhang R. Global-brain functional connectivity related with trait anxiety and its association with neurotransmitters and gene expression profiles. J Affect Disord 2024; 348:248-258. [PMID: 38159654 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have explored the neural correlates of trait anxiety, a predisposing factor for several stress-related disorders. However, the findings from previous studies are inconsistent, which might be due to the limited regions of interest (ROI). A recent approach, named global-brain functional connectivity (GBC), has been demonstrated to address the shortcomings of ROI-based analysis. Furthermore, research on the transcriptome-connectome association has provided an approach to link the microlevel transcriptome profile with the macroscale brain network. In this paper, we aim to explore the neurobiology of trait anxiety with an imaging transcriptomic approach using GBC, biological neurotransmitters, and transcriptome profiles. METHODS Using a sample of resting-state fMRI data, we investigated trait anxiety-related alteration in GBC. We further used behavioral analysis, spatial correlation analysis, and postmortem gene expression to separately assess the cognitive functions, neurotransmitters, and transcriptional profiles related to alteration in GBC in individuals with trait anxiety. RESULTS GBC values in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus were negatively correlated with levels of trait anxiety. This alteration was correlated with behavioral terms including social cognition, emotion, and memory. A strong association was revealed between trait anxiety-related alteration in GBC and neurotransmitters, including dopaminergic, serotonergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic systems in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus. The transcriptional profiles explained the functional connectivity, with correlated genes enriched in transmembrane signaling. LIMITATIONS Several limitations should be taken into account in this research. For example, future research should consider using some different approaches based on dynamic or task-based functional connectivity analysis, include more neurotransmitter receptors, additional gene expression data from different samples or more genes related to other stress-related disorders. Meanwhile, it is of great significance to include a larger sample size of individuals with a diagnosis of major depression disorder or other disorders for analysis and comparison and apply stricter multiple-comparison correction and threshold settings in future research. CONCLUSIONS Our research employed multimodal data to investigate GBC in the context of trait anxiety and to establish its associations with neurotransmitters and transcriptome profiles. This approach may improve understanding of the neural mechanism, together with the biological and molecular genetic foundations of GBC in trait anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixin Long
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqi Song
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chanyu Wang
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) lab, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lanxin Peng
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijing Niu
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Li
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruibin Zhang
- Laboratory of Cognitive Control and Brain Healthy, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Psychiatry, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Hariharan P, Shi Y, Katsube S, Willibal K, Burrows ND, Mitchell P, Bakhtiiari A, Stanfield S, Pardon E, Kaback HR, Liang R, Steyaert J, Viner R, Guan L. Mobile barrier mechanisms for Na +-coupled symport in an MFS sugar transporter. eLife 2024; 12:RP92462. [PMID: 38381130 PMCID: PMC10942615 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
While many 3D structures of cation-coupled transporters have been determined, the mechanistic details governing the obligatory coupling and functional regulations still remain elusive. The bacterial melibiose transporter (MelB) is a prototype of major facilitator superfamily transporters. With a conformation-selective nanobody, we determined a low-sugar affinity inward-facing Na+-bound cryoEM structure. The available outward-facing sugar-bound structures showed that the N- and C-terminal residues of the inner barrier contribute to the sugar selectivity. The inward-open conformation shows that the sugar selectivity pocket is also broken when the inner barrier is broken. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements revealed that this inward-facing conformation trapped by this nanobody exhibited a greatly decreased sugar-binding affinity, suggesting the mechanisms for substrate intracellular release and accumulation. While the inner/outer barrier shift directly regulates the sugar-binding affinity, it has little or no effect on the cation binding, which is supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, the hydron/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analyses allowed us to identify dynamic regions; some regions are involved in the functionally important inner barrier-specific salt-bridge network, which indicates their critical roles in the barrier switching mechanisms for transport. These complementary results provided structural and dynamic insights into the mobile barrier mechanism for cation-coupled symport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parameswaran Hariharan
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of MedicineLubbockUnited States
| | - Yuqi Shi
- Thermo Fisher ScientificSan JoseUnited States
| | - Satoshi Katsube
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of MedicineLubbockUnited States
| | - Katleen Willibal
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2BrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2BrusselsBelgium
| | - Nathan D Burrows
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator LaboratoryMenlo ParkUnited States
| | - Patrick Mitchell
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator LaboratoryMenlo ParkUnited States
| | | | - Samantha Stanfield
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of MedicineLubbockUnited States
| | - Els Pardon
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2BrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2BrusselsBelgium
| | - H Ronald Kaback
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Ruibin Liang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech UniversityLubbockUnited States
| | - Jan Steyaert
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Pleinlaan 2BrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2BrusselsBelgium
| | - Rosa Viner
- Thermo Fisher ScientificSan JoseUnited States
| | - Lan Guan
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of MedicineLubbockUnited States
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Richardson RAK, Tejedor Navarro H, Amaral LAN, Stoeger T. Meta-Research: understudied genes are lost in a leaky pipeline between genome-wide assays and reporting of results. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.02.28.530483. [PMID: 36909550 PMCID: PMC10002660 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.28.530483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Present-day publications on human genes primarily feature genes that already appeared in many publications prior to completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. These patterns persist despite the subsequent adoption of high-throughput technologies, which routinely identify novel genes associated with biological processes and disease. Although several hypotheses for bias in the selection of genes as research targets have been proposed, their explanatory powers have not yet been compared. Our analysis suggests that understudied genes are systematically abandoned in favor of better-studied genes between the completion of -omics experiments and the reporting of results. Understudied genes remain abandoned by studies that cite these -omics experiments. Conversely, we find that publications on understudied genes may even accrue a greater number of citations. Among 45 biological and experimental factors previously proposed to affect which genes are being studied, we find that 33 are significantly associated with the choice of hit genes presented in titles and abstracts of - omics studies. To promote the investigation of understudied genes we condense our insights into a tool, find my understudied genes (FMUG), that allows scientists to engage with potential bias during the selection of hits. We demonstrate the utility of FMUG through the identification of genes that remain understudied in vertebrate aging. FMUG is developed in Flutter and is available for download at fmug.amaral.northwestern.edu as a MacOS/Windows app.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reese AK Richardson
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Northwestern University
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
| | - Heliodoro Tejedor Navarro
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern University
| | - Luis A Nunes Amaral
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
- Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems, Northwestern University
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University
| | - Thomas Stoeger
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
- The Potocsnak Longevity Institute, Northwestern University
- Simpson Querrey Lung Institute for Translational Science, Northwestern University
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30
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Le J, Chen Y, Yang W, Chen L, Ye J. Metabolic basis of solute carrier transporters in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:437-454. [PMID: 38322335 PMCID: PMC10840401 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.09.004] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Solute carriers (SLCs) constitute the largest superfamily of membrane transporter proteins. These transporters, present in various SLC families, play a vital role in energy metabolism by facilitating the transport of diverse substances, including glucose, fatty acids, amino acids, nucleotides, and ions. They actively participate in the regulation of glucose metabolism at various steps, such as glucose uptake (e.g., SLC2A4/GLUT4), glucose reabsorption (e.g., SLC5A2/SGLT2), thermogenesis (e.g., SLC25A7/UCP-1), and ATP production (e.g., SLC25A4/ANT1 and SLC25A5/ANT2). The activities of these transporters contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Notably, SLC5A2 has emerged as a valid drug target for T2DM due to its role in renal glucose reabsorption, leading to groundbreaking advancements in diabetes drug discovery. Alongside SLC5A2, multiple families of SLC transporters involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis hold potential applications for T2DM therapy. SLCs also impact drug metabolism of diabetic medicines through gene polymorphisms, such as rosiglitazone (SLCO1B1/OATP1B1) and metformin (SLC22A1-3/OCT1-3 and SLC47A1, 2/MATE1, 2). By consolidating insights into the biological activities and clinical relevance of SLC transporters in T2DM, this review offers a comprehensive update on their roles in controlling glucose metabolism as potential drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamei Le
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Yilong Chen
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Metabolic Disease Research Center, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450007, China
| | - Ligong Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianping Ye
- Metabolic Disease Research Center, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450007, China
- Research Center for Basic Medicine, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
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31
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Jakobsen S, Nielsen CU. Exploring Amino Acid Transporters as Therapeutic Targets for Cancer: An Examination of Inhibitor Structures, Selectivity Issues, and Discovery Approaches. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:197. [PMID: 38399253 PMCID: PMC10893028 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020197] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amino acid transporters are abundant amongst the solute carrier family and have an important role in facilitating the transfer of amino acids across cell membranes. Because of their impact on cell nutrient distribution, they also appear to have an important role in the growth and development of cancer. Naturally, this has made amino acid transporters a novel target of interest for the development of new anticancer drugs. Many attempts have been made to develop inhibitors of amino acid transporters to slow down cancer cell growth, and some have even reached clinical trials. The purpose of this review is to help organize the available information on the efforts to discover amino acid transporter inhibitors by focusing on the amino acid transporters ASCT2 (SLC1A5), LAT1 (SLC7A5), xCT (SLC7A11), SNAT1 (SLC38A1), SNAT2 (SLC38A2), and PAT1 (SLC36A1). We discuss the function of the transporters, their implication in cancer, their known inhibitors, issues regarding selective inhibitors, and the efforts and strategies of discovering inhibitors. The goal is to encourage researchers to continue the search and development within the field of cancer treatment research targeting amino acid transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Jakobsen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Carsten Uhd Nielsen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
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32
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Zhou R, Li L, Zhang Y, Liu Z, Wu J, Zeng D, Sun H, Liao W. Integrative analysis of co-expression pattern of solute carrier transporters reveals molecular subtypes associated with tumor microenvironment hallmarks and clinical outcomes in colon cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e22775. [PMID: 38163210 PMCID: PMC10754711 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22775] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent findings have suggested that solute carrier (SLC) transporters play an important role in tumor development and progression, and alterations in the expression of individual SLC genes are critical for fulfilling the heightened metabolic requirements of cancerous cells. However, the global influence of the co-expression pattern of SLC transporters on the clinical stratification and characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unexplored. In this study, we identified five SLC gene subtypes based on transcriptome co-expression patterns of 187 SLC transporters by consensus clustering analysis. These subtypes, which were characterized by distinct TME and biological characteristics, were successfully employed for prognostic and chemotherapy response prediction in colon cancer patients, as well as demonstrated associations with immunotherapy benefits. Then, we generated an SLC score model comprising 113 genes to quantify SLC gene co-expression patterns and validated it as an independent prognostic factor and drug response predictor in several independent colon cancer cohorts. Patients with a high SLC score possessed distinct characteristics of copy number variation, genomic mutations, DNA methylation, and indicated an SLC-S2 subtype, which was characterized by strong stromal cell infiltration, stromal pathway activation, poor prognosis, and low predicted fluorouracil and immunotherapeutic responses. Furthermore, the analysis of the Cancer Therapeutics Response Portal database revealed that inhibitors targeting PI3K catalytic subunits could serve as promising chemosensitizing agents for individuals exhibiting high SLC scores. In conclusion, the co-expression patterns of SLC transporters aided the disease classification, and the SLC score proved to be a reliable tool for distinguishing SLC gene subtypes and guiding precise treatment in patients with colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Lingbo Li
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Jianhua Wu
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Dongqiang Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Huiying Sun
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Wangjun Liao
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
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33
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Ramos-Brossier M, Romeo-Guitart D, Lanté F, Boitez V, Mailliet F, Saha S, Rivagorda M, Siopi E, Nemazanyy I, Leroy C, Moriceau S, Beck-Cormier S, Codogno P, Buisson A, Beck L, Friedlander G, Oury F. Slc20a1 and Slc20a2 regulate neuronal plasticity and cognition independently of their phosphate transport ability. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:20. [PMID: 38195526 PMCID: PMC10776841 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06292-z] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, primary familial brain calcification (PFBC), a rare neurological disease characterized by a wide spectrum of cognitive disorders, has been associated to mutations in the sodium (Na)-Phosphate (Pi) co-transporter SLC20A2. However, the functional roles of the Na-Pi co-transporters in the brain remain still largely elusive. Here we show that Slc20a1 (PiT-1) and Slc20a2 (PiT-2) are the most abundant Na-Pi co-transporters expressed in the brain and are involved in the control of hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. We reveal that Slc20a1 and Slc20a2 are differentially distributed in the hippocampus and associated with independent gene clusters, suggesting that they influence cognition by different mechanisms. Accordingly, using a combination of molecular, electrophysiological and behavioral analyses, we show that while PiT-2 favors hippocampal neuronal branching and survival, PiT-1 promotes synaptic plasticity. The latter relies on a likely Otoferlin-dependent regulation of synaptic vesicle trafficking, which impacts the GABAergic system. These results provide the first demonstration that Na-Pi co-transporters play key albeit distinct roles in the hippocampus pertaining to the control of neuronal plasticity and cognition. These findings could provide the foundation for the development of novel effective therapies for PFBC and cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Ramos-Brossier
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France.
| | - David Romeo-Guitart
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Fabien Lanté
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Valérie Boitez
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - François Mailliet
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Soham Saha
- Institut Pasteur, Perception & Memory Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
- MedInsights, 6 rue de l'église, F-02810, Veuilly la Poterie, France
| | - Manon Rivagorda
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Eleni Siopi
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Ivan Nemazanyy
- Platform for Metabolic Analyses, Structure Fédérative de Recherche Necker, INSERM US24/CNRS UAR, 3633, Paris, France
| | - Christine Leroy
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 6, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Moriceau
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France
- Platform for Neurobehavioural and metabolism, Structure Fédérative de Recherche Necker, INSERM, US24/CNRS UAR, 3633, Paris, France
- Institute of Genetic Diseases, Imagine, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Beck-Cormier
- Nantes Université, CNRS, Inserm, l'Institut du Thorax, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Patrice Codogno
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 6, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Alain Buisson
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Laurent Beck
- Nantes Université, CNRS, Inserm, l'Institut du Thorax, F-44000, Nantes, France.
| | - Gérard Friedlander
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 6, F-75015, Paris, France.
| | - Franck Oury
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR-S1151, CNRS UMR-S8253, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, Team 8, F-75015, Paris, France.
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Li M, Cheng J, Wang H, Shi J, Xun X, Wang Y, Lu W, Hu J, Bao Z, Hu X. Tissue-specific antioxidative response and metabolism of paralytic shellfish toxins in scallop (Chlamys farreri) mantle with Alexandrium dinoflagellate exposure. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115854. [PMID: 38043209 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115854] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Bivalves show remarkable capacity to acclimate paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) produced by dinoflagellates, severely affecting fishery industry and public health. Here, transcriptomic response to PSTs-producing dinoflagellate (Alexandrium minutum) was investigated in Zhikong scallop (Chlamys farreri) mantle. The PSTs accumulated in C. farreri mantle continually increased during the 15 days exposure, with "oxidation-reduction" genes induced compared to the control group at the 1st and 15th day. Through gene co-expression network analysis, 16 PSTs-responsive modules were enriched with up- or down-regulated genes. The concentration of GTXs, major PSTs in A. minutum and accumulated in scallops, was correlated with the up-regulated magenta module, enriching peroxisome genes as the potential mantle-specific PSTs biomarker. Moreover, Hsp70B2s were inhibited throughout the exposure, which together with the expanded neurotransmitter transporter SLC6As, may play essential roles on neurotransmitter homeostasis in scallop mantle. These results paved the way for a comprehensive understanding of defensive mechanism and homeostatic response in scallop mantle against PSTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moli Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China; National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jie Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572024, China.
| | - Huizhen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jiaoxia Shi
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Xiaogang Xun
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yangrui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Wei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jingjie Hu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572024, China
| | - Zhenmin Bao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572024, China
| | - Xiaoli Hu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China.
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35
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Kukułowicz J, Pietrzak-Lichwa K, Klimończyk K, Idlin N, Bajda M. The SLC6A15-SLC6A20 Neutral Amino Acid Transporter Subfamily: Functions, Diseases, and Their Therapeutic Relevance. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 76:142-193. [PMID: 37940347 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.123.000886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The neutral amino acid transporter subfamily that consists of six members, consecutively SLC6A15-SLC620, also called orphan transporters, represents membrane, sodium-dependent symporter proteins that belong to the family of solute carrier 6 (SLC6). Primarily, they mediate the transport of neutral amino acids from the extracellular milieu toward cell or storage vesicles utilizing an electric membrane potential as the driving force. Orphan transporters are widely distributed throughout the body, covering many systems; for instance, the central nervous, renal, or intestinal system, supplying cells into molecules used in biochemical, signaling, and building pathways afterward. They are responsible for intestinal absorption and renal reabsorption of amino acids. In the central nervous system, orphan transporters constitute a significant medium for the provision of neurotransmitter precursors. Diseases related with aforementioned transporters highlight their significance; SLC6A19 mutations are associated with metabolic Hartnup disorder, whereas altered expression of SLC6A15 has been associated with a depression/stress-related disorders. Mutations of SLC6A18-SLCA20 cause iminoglycinuria and/or hyperglycinuria. SLC6A18-SLC6A20 to reach the cellular membrane require an ancillary unit ACE2 that is a molecular target for the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. SLC6A19 has been proposed as a molecular target for the treatment of metabolic disorders resembling gastric surgery bypass. Inhibition of SLC6A15 appears to have a promising outcome in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. SLC6A19 and SLC6A20 have been suggested as potential targets in the treatment of COVID-19. In this review, we gathered recent advances on orphan transporters, their structure, functions, related disorders, and diseases, and in particular their relevance as therapeutic targets. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The following review systematizes current knowledge about the SLC6A15-SLCA20 neutral amino acid transporter subfamily and their therapeutic relevance in the treatment of different diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jędrzej Kukułowicz
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Pietrzak-Lichwa
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Klaudia Klimończyk
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Nathalie Idlin
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Marek Bajda
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
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Zhong X, Moresco JJ, Diedrich JK, Pinto AM, SoRelle JA, Wang J, Keller K, Ludwig S, Moresco EMY, Beutler B, Choi JH. Essential role of MFSD1-GLMP-GIMAP5 in lymphocyte survival and liver homeostasis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2314429120. [PMID: 38055739 PMCID: PMC10723049 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314429120] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We detected ENU-induced alleles of Mfsd1 (encoding the major facilitator superfamily domain containing 1 protein) that caused lymphopenia, splenomegaly, progressive liver pathology, and extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH). MFSD1 is a lysosomal membrane-bound solute carrier protein with no previously described function in immunity. By proteomic analysis, we identified association between MFSD1 and both GLMP (glycosylated lysosomal membrane protein) and GIMAP5 (GTPase of immunity-associated protein 5). Germline knockout alleles of Mfsd1, Glmp, and Gimap5 each caused lymphopenia, liver pathology, EMH, and lipid deposition in the bone marrow and liver. We found that the interactions of MFSD1 and GLMP with GIMAP5 are essential to maintain normal GIMAP5 expression, which in turn is critical to support lymphocyte development and liver homeostasis that suppresses EMH. These findings identify the protein complex MFSD1-GLMP-GIMAP5 operating in hematopoietic and extrahematopoietic tissues to regulate immunity and liver homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhong
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - James J. Moresco
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Jolene K. Diedrich
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Antonio M. Pinto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Jeffrey A. SoRelle
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Jianhui Wang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Katie Keller
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Sara Ludwig
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Eva Marie Y. Moresco
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Bruce Beutler
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Jin Huk Choi
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
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37
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Khan A, Unlu G, Lin P, Liu Y, Kilic E, Kenny TC, Birsoy K, Gamazon ER. GeneMAP: A discovery platform for metabolic gene function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.07.570588. [PMID: 38106122 PMCID: PMC10723489 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.07.570588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Organisms maintain metabolic homeostasis through the combined functions of small molecule transporters and enzymes. While many of the metabolic components have been well-established, a substantial number remains without identified physiological substrates. To bridge this gap, we have leveraged large-scale plasma metabolome genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to develop a multiomic Gene-Metabolite Associations Prediction (GeneMAP) discovery platform. GeneMAP can generate accurate predictions, even pinpointing genes that are distant from the variants implicated by GWAS. In particular, our work identified SLC25A48 as a genetic determinant of plasma choline levels. Mechanistically, SLC25A48 loss strongly impairs mitochondrial choline import and synthesis of its downstream metabolite, betaine. Rare variant testing and polygenic risk score analyses have elucidated choline-relevant phenomic consequences of SLC25A48 dysfunction. Altogether, our study proposes SLC25A48 as a mitochondrial choline transporter and provides a discovery platform for metabolic gene function.
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38
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Zhang Y, Weh KM, Tripp BA, Clarke JL, Howard CL, Sunilkumar S, Howell AB, Kresty LA. Cranberry Proanthocyanidins Mitigate Reflux-Induced Transporter Dysregulation in an Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Model. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1697. [PMID: 38139823 PMCID: PMC10747310 DOI: 10.3390/ph16121697] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently reported that cranberry proanthocyanidins (C-PACs) inhibit esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) by 83% through reversing reflux-induced bacterial, inflammatory and immune-implicated proteins and genes as well as reducing esophageal bile acids, which drive EAC progression. This study investigated whether C-PACs' mitigation of bile reflux-induced transporter dysregulation mechanistically contributes to EAC prevention. RNA was isolated from water-, C-PAC- and reflux-exposed rat esophagi with and without C-PAC treatment. Differential gene expression was determined by means of RNA sequencing and RT-PCR, followed by protein assessments. The literature, coupled with the publicly available Gene Expression Omnibus dataset GSE26886, was used to assess transporter expression levels in normal and EAC patient biopsies for translational relevance. Significant changes in ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters implicated in therapeutic resistance in humans (i.e., Abcb1, Abcb4, Abcc1, Abcc3, Abcc4, Abcc6 and Abcc10) and the transport of drugs, xenobiotics, lipids, and bile were altered in the reflux model with C-PACs' mitigating changes. Additionally, C-PACs restored reflux-induced changes in solute carrier (SLC), aquaporin, proton and cation transporters (i.e., Slc2a1, Slc7a11, Slc9a1, Slco2a1 and Atp6v0c). This research supports the suggestion that transporters merit investigation not only for their roles in metabolism and therapeutic resistance, but as targets for cancer prevention and targeting preventive agents in combination with chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.Z.); (K.M.W.); (C.L.H.); (S.S.)
| | - Katherine M. Weh
- Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.Z.); (K.M.W.); (C.L.H.); (S.S.)
| | - Bridget A. Tripp
- Bioinformatics Core Research Facility, Center for Biotechnology, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, N300 Beadle Center, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA;
| | - Jennifer L. Clarke
- Department of Statistics and Department of Food Science Technology, Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, 253 Food Innovation Center, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA;
| | - Connor L. Howard
- Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.Z.); (K.M.W.); (C.L.H.); (S.S.)
| | - Shruthi Sunilkumar
- Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.Z.); (K.M.W.); (C.L.H.); (S.S.)
| | - Amy B. Howell
- Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research, Rutgers University, 125A Lake Oswego Road, Chatsworth, NJ 08019, USA;
| | - Laura A. Kresty
- Section of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; (Y.Z.); (K.M.W.); (C.L.H.); (S.S.)
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Zhang Y, Liu Z, Li L, Zeng D, Sun H, Wu J, Zhou R, Liao W. Co-expression pattern of SLC transporter genes associated with the immune landscape and clinical outcomes in gastric cancer. J Cell Mol Med 2023; 27:4181-4194. [PMID: 37909856 PMCID: PMC10746955 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Solute carrier (SLC) transporters play a dual role in the occurrence and progression of tumours by acting as both suppressors and promoters. However, the overall impact of SLC transcriptome signatures on the tumour microenvironment, biological behaviour and clinical stratification of gastric cancer has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we comprehensively analysed the expression profiles of the SLC transporter family members to identify novel molecular subtypes in gastric cancer. We identified two distinct SLC subtypes, SLC-S1 and SLC-S2, using non-negative matrix factorization. These subtypes were markedly linked with the tumour microenvironment landscape, biological pathway activation and distinct clinical features of gastric cancer. Furthermore, a new scoring model, the SLC score, was developed to quantify the SLC subtypes. High SLC scores indicated a pattern of 'SLC-S2', characterized by stromal infiltration and activation, poor prognosis and insensitivity to chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but high sensitivity to imatinib. The SLC score could serve as a supplement to the Tumour Node Metastasis (TNM) staging system to guide personalized treatment strategies and predict prognosis for patients with gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Lingbo Li
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Dongqiang Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Huiying Sun
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Jianhua Wu
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Rui Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Wangjun Liao
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouChina
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40
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Papalazarou V, Newman AC, Huerta-Uribe A, Legrave NM, Falcone M, Zhang T, McGarry L, Athineos D, Shanks E, Blyth K, Vousden KH, Maddocks ODK. Phenotypic profiling of solute carriers characterizes serine transport in cancer. Nat Metab 2023; 5:2148-2168. [PMID: 38066114 PMCID: PMC10730406 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00936-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Serine is a vital amino acid in tumorigenesis. While cells can perform de novo serine synthesis, most transformed cells rely on serine uptake to meet their increased biosynthetic requirements. Solute carriers (SLCs), a family of transmembrane nutrient transport proteins, are the gatekeepers of amino acid acquisition and exchange in mammalian cells and are emerging as anticancer therapeutic targets; however, the SLCs that mediate serine transport in cancer cells remain unknown. Here we perform an arrayed RNAi screen of SLC-encoding genes while monitoring amino acid consumption and cell proliferation in colorectal cancer cells using metabolomics and high-throughput imaging. We identify SLC6A14 and SLC25A15 as major cytoplasmic and mitochondrial serine transporters, respectively. We also observe that SLC12A4 facilitates serine uptake. Dual targeting of SLC6A14 and either SLC25A15 or SLC12A4 diminishes serine uptake and growth of colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, particularly in cells with compromised de novo serine biosynthesis. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms that contribute to serine uptake and intracellular handling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Papalazarou
- School of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Alice C Newman
- School of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Alejandro Huerta-Uribe
- School of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nathalie M Legrave
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Metabolomics Platform, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Department of Cancer Research, Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Mattia Falcone
- School of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tong Zhang
- School of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Shanghai, China
| | - Lynn McGarry
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Emma Shanks
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Karen Blyth
- School of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Oliver D K Maddocks
- School of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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41
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Stanchev LD, Møller-Hansen I, Lojko P, Rocha C, Borodina I. Screening of Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite transporters by 13C isotope substrate labeling. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1286597. [PMID: 38116525 PMCID: PMC10729909 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1286597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The transportome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae comprises approximately 340 membrane-bound proteins, of which very few are well-characterized. Elucidating transporter proteins' function is essential not only for understanding central cellular processes in metabolite exchange with the external milieu but also for optimizing the production of value-added compounds in microbial cell factories. Here, we describe the application of 13C-labeled stable isotopes and detection by targeted LC-MS/MS as a screening tool for identifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite transporters. We compare the transport assay's sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy in yeast transporter mutant cell lines and Xenopus oocytes. As proof of principle, we analyzed the transport profiles of five yeast amino acid transporters. We first cultured yeast transporter deletion or overexpression mutants on uniformly labeled 13C-glucose and then screened their ability to facilitate the uptake or export of an unlabeled pool of amino acids. Individual transporters were further studied by heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes, followed by an uptake assay with 13C labeled yeast extract. Uptake assays in Xenopus oocytes showed higher reproducibility and accuracy. Although having lower accuracy, the results from S. cerevisiae indicated the system's potential for initial high-throughput screening for native metabolite transporters. We partially confirmed previously reported substrates for all five amino acid transporters. In addition, we propose broader substrate specificity for two of the transporter proteins. The method presented here demonstrates the application of a comprehensive screening platform for the knowledge expansion of the transporter-substrate relationship for native metabolites in S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Irina Borodina
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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42
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Hariharan P, Shi Y, Katsube S, Willibal K, Burrows ND, Mitchell P, Bakhtiiari A, Stanfield S, Pardon E, Kaback HR, Liang R, Steyaert J, Viner R, Guan L. Mobile barrier mechanisms for Na +-coupled symport in an MFS sugar transporter. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.18.558283. [PMID: 37790566 PMCID: PMC10542114 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.18.558283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
While many 3D structures of cation-coupled transporters have been determined, the mechanistic details governing the obligatory coupling and functional regulations still remain elusive. The bacterial melibiose transporter (MelB) is a prototype of the Na+-coupled major facilitator superfamily transporters. With a conformational nanobody (Nb), we determined a low-sugar affinity inward-facing Na+-bound cryoEM structure. Collectively with the available outward-facing sugar-bound structures, both the outer and inner barriers were localized. The N- and C-terminal residues of the inner barrier contribute to the sugar selectivity pocket. When the inner barrier is broken as shown in the inward-open conformation, the sugar selectivity pocket is also broken. The binding assays by isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that this inward-facing conformation trapped by the conformation-selective Nb exhibited a greatly decreased sugar-binding affinity, suggesting the mechanisms for the substrate intracellular release and accumulation. While the inner/outer barrier shift directly regulates the sugar-binding affinity, it has little or no effect on the cation binding, which is also supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, the use of this Nb in combination with the hydron/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry allowed us to identify dynamic regions; some regions are involved in the functionally important inner barrier-specific salt-bridge network, which indicates their critical roles in the barrier switching mechanisms for transport. These complementary results provided structural and dynamic insights into the mobile barrier mechanism for cation-coupled symport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parameswaran Hariharan
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX 79424, USA
| | - Yuqi Shi
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, San Jose, CA 95134, USA
| | - Satoshi Katsube
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX 79424, USA
| | | | - Nathan D. Burrows
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Patrick Mitchell
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | | | - Samantha Stanfield
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX 79424, USA
| | - Els Pardon
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, 1050 Brussel, Belgium
| | - H. Ronald Kaback
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ruibin Liang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Jan Steyaert
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, 1050 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Rosa Viner
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, San Jose, CA 95134, USA
| | - Lan Guan
- Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX 79424, USA
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Aaes TL, Burgoa Cardás J, Ravichandran KS. Defining solute carrier transporter signatures of murine immune cell subsets. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1276196. [PMID: 38077407 PMCID: PMC10704505 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1276196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Solute carrier (SLC) transporters are membrane-bound proteins that facilitate nutrient transport, and the movement across cellular membranes of various substrates ranging from ions to amino acids, metabolites and drugs. Recently, SLCs have gained increased attention due to their functional linkage to innate immunological processes such as the clearance of dead cells and anti-microbial defense. Further, the druggable nature of these transporters provides unique opportunities for improving outcomes in different immunological diseases. Although the SLCs represent the largest group of transporters and are often identified as significant hits in omics data sets, their role in immunology has been insufficiently explored. This is partly due to the absence of tools that allow identification of SLC expression in particular immune cell types and enable their comparison before embarking on functional studies. In this study, we used publicly available RNA-Seq data sets to analyze the transcriptome in adaptive and innate immune cells, focusing on differentially and highly expressed SLCs. This revealed several new insights: first, we identify differentially expressed SLC transcripts in phagocytes (macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils) compared to adaptive immune cells; second, we identify new potential immune cell markers based on SLC expression; and third, we provide user-friendly online tools for researchers to explore SLC genes of interest (and the rest of the genes as well), in three-way comparative dot plots among immune cells. We expect this work to facilitate SLC research and comparative transcriptomic studies across different immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Løve Aaes
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Unit for Cell Clearance in Health and Disease, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Javier Burgoa Cardás
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Unit for Cell Clearance in Health and Disease, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kodi S. Ravichandran
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Unit for Cell Clearance in Health and Disease, VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Division of Immunobiology, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Gao S, Gong G, Wang X, Gao X, Guo X, Luo Y, Li S, Zhang Y, Lin S. Classification of SLC family-related genes involved in ferroptosis predicts lung cancer prognosis and immunotherapy response. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20032. [PMID: 37973895 PMCID: PMC10654497 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47328-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma, the most frequent type of lung cancer, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Ferroptosis, controlled cell death that involves a high degree of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, has been linked to tumor therapy sensitivity, patient prognosis, and cancer development. The solute carrier superfamily has over 400 members and comprises the largest class of transporters in the human genome. Solute carrier proteins can facilitate the movement of different substrates across biological membranes, which is crucial for physiological activities, including ferroptosis. Here, we developed a new model to further explore the role of the solute carrier family in ferroptosis in the lung adenocarcinoma immunological milieu. We used consensus clustering to classify patients with lung cancer into two subgroups (cluster1 and cluster2). Patients in the cluster1 subtype had a better prognosis and higher immune cell infiltration ratios than those in the cluster2 subtype. Furthermore, to evaluate the prognosis, the immune cell infiltration ratio, and the medication sensitivity of patients with lung adenocarcinoma, we developed gene scores related to the solute carrier family. In conclusion, we successfully developed a model incorporating the solute carrier family and ferroptosis to predict survival and the impact of immunotherapy on patients with lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Gao
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Guotao Gong
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinrui Gao
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Xuanzhu Guo
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuyao Luo
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Sijie Li
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Luzhou Municipal People's Hospital, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
| | - Sheng Lin
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
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45
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Ruffinatti FA, Scarpellino G, Chinigò G, Visentin L, Munaron L. The Emerging Concept of Transportome: State of the Art. Physiology (Bethesda) 2023; 38:0. [PMID: 37668550 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00010.2023] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The array of ion channels and transporters expressed in cell membranes, collectively referred to as the transportome, is a complex and multifunctional molecular machinery; in particular, at the plasma membrane level it finely tunes the exchange of biomolecules and ions, acting as a functionally adaptive interface that accounts for dynamic plasticity in the response to environmental fluctuations and stressors. The transportome is responsible for the definition of membrane potential and its variations, participates in the transduction of extracellular signals, and acts as a filter for most of the substances entering and leaving the cell, thus enabling the homeostasis of many cellular parameters. For all these reasons, physiologists have long been interested in the expression and functionality of ion channels and transporters, in both physiological and pathological settings and across the different domains of life. Today, thanks to the high-throughput technologies of the postgenomic era, the omics approach to the study of the transportome is becoming increasingly popular in different areas of biomedical research, allowing for a more comprehensive, integrated, and functional perspective of this complex cellular apparatus. This article represents a first effort for a systematic review of the scientific literature on this topic. Here we provide a brief overview of all those studies, both primary and meta-analyses, that looked at the transportome as a whole, regardless of the biological problem or the models they used. A subsequent section is devoted to the methodological aspect by reviewing the most important public databases annotating ion channels and transporters, along with the tools they provide to retrieve such information. Before conclusions, limitations and future perspectives are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Alessandro Ruffinatti
- Turin Cell Physiology Laboratory (TCP-Lab), Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Scarpellino
- Turin Cell Physiology Laboratory (TCP-Lab), Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Chinigò
- Turin Cell Physiology Laboratory (TCP-Lab), Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Visentin
- Turin Cell Physiology Laboratory (TCP-Lab), Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Munaron
- Turin Cell Physiology Laboratory (TCP-Lab), Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Kalienkova V, Peter MF, Rheinberger J, Paulino C. Structures of a sperm-specific solute carrier gated by voltage and cAMP. Nature 2023; 623:202-209. [PMID: 37880361 PMCID: PMC10620091 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06629-w] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The newly characterized sperm-specific Na+/H+ exchanger stands out by its unique tripartite domain composition1,2. It unites a classical solute carrier unit with regulatory domains usually found in ion channels, namely, a voltage-sensing domain and a cyclic-nucleotide binding domain1,3, which makes it a mechanistic chimera and a secondary-active transporter activated strictly by membrane voltage. Our structures of the sea urchin SpSLC9C1 in the absence and presence of ligands reveal the overall domain arrangement and new structural coupling elements. They allow us to propose a gating model, where movements in the voltage sensor indirectly cause the release of the exchanging unit from a locked state through long-distance allosteric effects transmitted by the newly characterized coupling helices. We further propose that modulation by its ligand cyclic AMP occurs by means of disruption of the cytosolic dimer interface, which lowers the energy barrier for S4 movements in the voltage-sensing domain. As SLC9C1 members have been shown to be essential for male fertility, including in mammals2,4,5, our structure represents a potential new platform for the development of new on-demand contraceptives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Kalienkova
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Martin F Peter
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Rheinberger
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cristina Paulino
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Alam S, Doherty E, Ortega-Prieto P, Arizanova J, Fets L. Membrane transporters in cell physiology, cancer metabolism and drug response. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm050404. [PMID: 38037877 PMCID: PMC10695176 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050404] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
By controlling the passage of small molecules across lipid bilayers, membrane transporters influence not only the uptake and efflux of nutrients, but also the metabolic state of the cell. With more than 450 members, the Solute Carriers (SLCs) are the largest transporter super-family, clustering into families with different substrate specificities and regulatory properties. Cells of different types are, therefore, able to tailor their transporter expression signatures depending on their metabolic requirements, and the physiological importance of these proteins is illustrated by their mis-regulation in a number of disease states. In cancer, transporter expression is heterogeneous, and the SLC family has been shown to facilitate the accumulation of biomass, influence redox homeostasis, and also mediate metabolic crosstalk with other cell types within the tumour microenvironment. This Review explores the roles of membrane transporters in physiological and malignant settings, and how these roles can affect drug response, through either indirect modulation of sensitivity or the direct transport of small-molecule therapeutic compounds into cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Alam
- Drug Transport and Tumour Metabolism Lab, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Emily Doherty
- Drug Transport and Tumour Metabolism Lab, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Paula Ortega-Prieto
- Drug Transport and Tumour Metabolism Lab, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Julia Arizanova
- Drug Transport and Tumour Metabolism Lab, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Louise Fets
- Drug Transport and Tumour Metabolism Lab, MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
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Hussain SI, Muhammad N, Shah SUD, Fardous F, Khan SA, Khan N, Rehman AU, Siddique M, Wasan SA, Niaz R, Ullah H, Khan N, Muhammad N, Mirza MU, Wasif N, Khan S. Structural and functional implications of SLC13A3 and SLC9A6 mutations: an in silico approach to understanding intellectual disability. BMC Neurol 2023; 23:353. [PMID: 37794328 PMCID: PMC10548666 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-023-03397-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intellectual disability (ID) is a condition that varies widely in both its clinical presentation and its genetic underpinnings. It significantly impacts patients' learning capacities and lowers their IQ below 70. The solute carrier (SLC) family is the most abundant class of transmembrane transporters and is responsible for the translocation of various substances across cell membranes, including nutrients, ions, metabolites, and medicines. The SLC13A3 gene encodes a plasma membrane-localized Na+/dicarboxylate cotransporter 3 (NaDC3) primarily expressed in the kidney, astrocytes, and the choroid plexus. In addition to three Na + ions, it brings four to six carbon dicarboxylates into the cytosol. Recently, it was discovered that patients with acute reversible leukoencephalopathy and a-ketoglutarate accumulation (ARLIAK) carry pathogenic mutations in the SLC13A3 gene, and the X-linked neurodevelopmental condition Christianson Syndrome is caused by mutations in the SLC9A6 gene, which encodes the recycling endosomal alkali cation/proton exchanger NHE6, also called sodium-hydrogen exchanger-6. As a result, there are severe impairments in the patient's mental capacity, physical skills, and adaptive behavior. METHODS AND RESULTS Two Pakistani families (A and B) with autosomal recessive and X-linked intellectual disorders were clinically evaluated, and two novel disease-causing variants in the SLC13A3 gene (NM 022829.5) and the SLC9A6 gene (NM 001042537.2) were identified using whole exome sequencing. Family-A segregated a novel homozygous missense variant (c.1478 C > T; p. Pro493Leu) in the exon-11 of the SLC13A3 gene. At the same time, family-B segregated a novel missense variant (c.1342G > A; p.Gly448Arg) in the exon-10 of the SLC9A6 gene. By integrating computational approaches, our findings provided insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of ID in individuals with SLC13A3 and SLC9A6 mutations. CONCLUSION We have utilized in-silico tools in the current study to examine the deleterious effects of the identified variants, which carry the potential to understand the genotype-phenotype relationships in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Iqra Hussain
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Nazif Muhammad
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Salah Ud Din Shah
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Fardous Fardous
- Department of Medical Lab Technology, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Sher Alam Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Niamatullah Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Adil U Rehman
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Mehwish Siddique
- Department of Zoology, Government Post Graduate College for Women, Satellite Town, Gujranwala, Pakistan
| | - Shoukat Ali Wasan
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Rooh Niaz
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Ullah
- Gomal Center of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (GCBB), Gomal University D. I. Khan, D. I. Khan, Pakistan
| | - Niamat Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Noor Muhammad
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Usman Mirza
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 1C4, Canada
| | - Naveed Wasif
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Saadullah Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST), Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
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Nies AT, König J, Leuthold P, Damme K, Winter S, Haag M, Masuda S, Kruck S, Daniel H, Spanier B, Fromm MF, Bedke J, Inui KI, Schwab M, Schaeffeler E. Novel drug transporter substrates identification: An innovative approach based on metabolomic profiling, in silico ligand screening and biological validation. Pharmacol Res 2023; 196:106941. [PMID: 37775020 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Solute carrier (SLC) transport proteins are fundamental for the translocation of endogenous compounds and drugs across membranes, thus playing a critical role in disease susceptibility and drug response. Because only a limited number of transporter substrates are currently known, the function of a large number of SLC transporters is elusive. Here, we describe the proof-of-concept of a novel strategy to identify SLC transporter substrates exemplarily for the proton-coupled peptide transporter (PEPT) 2 (SLC15A2) and multidrug and toxin extrusion (MATE) 1 transporter (SLC47A1), which are important renal transporters of drug reabsorption and excretion, respectively. By combining metabolomic profiling of mice with genetically-disrupted transporters, in silico ligand screening and in vitro transport studies for experimental validation, we identified nucleobases and nucleoside-derived anticancer and antiviral agents (flucytosine, cytarabine, gemcitabine, capecitabine) as novel drug substrates of the MATE1 transporter. Our data confirms the successful applicability of this new approach for the identification of transporter substrates in general, which may prove particularly relevant in drug research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne T Nies
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany, and University of Tuebingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Jörg König
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Patrick Leuthold
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany, and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Katja Damme
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany, and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Winter
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany, and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Mathias Haag
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany, and University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Satohiro Masuda
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology & Biopharmaceutics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Himeji Dokkyo University, Himeji, Japan
| | - Stephan Kruck
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hannelore Daniel
- TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Britta Spanier
- TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Martin F Fromm
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jens Bedke
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Schwab
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany, and University of Tuebingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tuebingen, Germany; Departments of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Elke Schaeffeler
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany, and University of Tuebingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tuebingen, Germany
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50
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Trejo F, Elizalde S, Mercado A, Gamba G, de losHeros P. SLC12A cryo-EM: analysis of relevant ion binding sites, structural domains, and amino acids. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 325:C921-C939. [PMID: 37545407 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00089.2023] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The solute carrier family 12A (SLC12A) superfamily of membrane transporters modulates the movement of cations coupled with chloride across the membrane. In doing so, these cotransporters are involved in numerous aspects of human physiology: cell volume regulation, ion homeostasis, blood pressure regulation, and neurological action potential via intracellular chloride concentration modulation. Their physiological characterization has been largely studied; however, understanding the mechanics of their function and the relevance of structural domains or specific amino acids has been a pending task. In recent years, single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has been successfully applied to members of the SLC12A family including all K+:Cl- cotransporters (KCCs), Na+:K+:2Cl- cotransporter NKCC1, and recently Na+:Cl- cotransporter (NCC); revealing structural elements that play key roles in their function. The present review analyzes the data provided by these cryo-EM reports focusing on structural domains and specific amino acids involved in ion binding, domain interactions, and other important SCL12A structural elements. A comparison of cryo-EM data from NKCC1 and KCCs is presented in the light of the two recent NCC cryo-EM studies, to propose insight into structural elements that might also be found in NCC and are necessary for its proper function. In the final sections, the importance of key coordination residues for substrate specificity and their implication on various pathophysiological conditions and genetic disorders is reviewed, as this could provide the basis to correlate structural elements with the development of novel and selective treatments, as well as mechanistic insight into the function and regulation of cation-coupled chloride cotransporters (CCCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Trejo
- Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Stephanie Elizalde
- Departamento de Nefrología y Metabolismo Mineral, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adriana Mercado
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Gamba
- Departamento de Nefrología y Metabolismo Mineral, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
- Molecular Physiology Unit, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Paola de losHeros
- Unidad de Investigación UNAM-INC, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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