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Iksen, Witayateeraporn W, Hardianti B, Pongrakhananon V. Comprehensive review of Bcl-2 family proteins in cancer apoptosis: Therapeutic strategies and promising updates of natural bioactive compounds and small molecules. Phytother Res 2024; 38:2249-2275. [PMID: 38415799 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8157] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Cancer has a considerably higher fatality rate than other diseases globally and is one of the most lethal and profoundly disruptive ailments. The increasing incidence of cancer among humans is one of the greatest challenges in the field of healthcare. A significant factor in the initiation and progression of tumorigenesis is the dysregulation of physiological processes governing cell death, which results in the survival of cancerous cells. B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family members play important roles in several cancer-related processes. Drug research and development have identified various promising natural compounds that demonstrate potent anticancer effects by specifically targeting Bcl-2 family proteins and their associated signaling pathways. This comprehensive review highlights the substantial roles of Bcl-2 family proteins in regulating apoptosis, including the intricate signaling pathways governing the activity of these proteins, the impact of reactive oxygen species, and the crucial involvement of proteasome degradation and the stress response. Furthermore, this review discusses advances in the exploration and potential therapeutic applications of natural compounds and small molecules targeting Bcl-2 family proteins and thus provides substantial scientific information and therapeutic strategies for cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iksen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacy, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Senior Medan, Medan, Indonesia
| | - Wasita Witayateeraporn
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Besse Hardianti
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Almarisah Madani University, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
| | - Varisa Pongrakhananon
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Preclinical Toxicity and Efficacy Assessment of Medicines and Chemicals Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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2
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Huan S, Yang Y, Wang D, Zhao Y, Zhang X, Zheng Y. Hippocampal proteins discovery of Panax quinquefolius and Acorus gramineus ameliorating cognitive impairment in diabetic rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:1759-1773. [PMID: 37306736 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06393-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early diagnosis of diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI) and investigation of effective medicines are significant to prevent or delay the occurrence of irreversible dementia. OBJECTIVES In this study, proteomics was applied to investigate the changes of hippocampal proteins after administration of Panax quinquefolius-Acorus gramineus (PQ-AG) to DCI rats, with a view to discover the differentially expressed proteins of PQ-AG action and elucidated the potential biological relationships. METHODS The model and PQ-AG group rats were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin, and the PQ-AG group rats were continuously administered with PQ-AG. Social interaction and Morris water maze were performed to evaluate the behavior of rats on the 17th week after the model was established, and DCI rats were screened out from the model group by a screening approach. The hippocampal protein differences were investigated with proteomics in DCI and PQ-AG-treated rats. RESULTS The learning and memory abilities and contact duration of DCI rats were improved after 16 weeks of PQ-AG administration. Altogether, 9 and 17 differentially expressed proteins were observed in control versus DCI rats and in DCI versus PQ-AG-treated rats, respectively. Three proteins were confirmed with western blotting analyses. These proteins were mainly involved in the pathways of JAK-STAT, apoptosis, PI3K/AKT, fork-head box protein O3, fructose, and mannose metabolism. CONCLUSIONS This suggested that PQ-AG ameliorated cognitive impairment of diabetic rats by influencing the above pathways and providing an experimental basis for the mechanism of DCI and PQ-AG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Huan
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, 138 Tongda Road, Harbin, 150076, China
| | - Yang Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, 138 Tongda Road, Harbin, 150076, China
| | - Dongxue Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, 138 Tongda Road, Harbin, 150076, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, 138 Tongda Road, Harbin, 150076, China.
| | - Xiu Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, 138 Tongda Road, Harbin, 150076, China
| | - Yujia Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, 138 Tongda Road, Harbin, 150076, China
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3
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Tantawy SI, Timofeeva N, Sarkar A, Gandhi V. Targeting MCL-1 protein to treat cancer: opportunities and challenges. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1226289. [PMID: 37601693 PMCID: PMC10436212 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1226289] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Evading apoptosis has been linked to tumor development and chemoresistance. One mechanism for this evasion is the overexpression of prosurvival B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins, which gives cancer cells a survival advantage. Mcl-1, a member of the BCL-2 family, is among the most frequently amplified genes in cancer. Targeting myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) protein is a successful strategy to induce apoptosis and overcome tumor resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Various strategies to inhibit the antiapoptotic activity of MCL-1 protein, including transcription, translation, and the degradation of MCL-1 protein, have been tested. Neutralizing MCL-1's function by targeting its interactions with other proteins via BCL-2 interacting mediator (BIM)S2A has been shown to be an equally effective approach. Encouraged by the design of venetoclax and its efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, scientists have developed other BCL-2 homology (BH3) mimetics-particularly MCL-1 inhibitors (MCL-1i)-that are currently in clinical trials for various cancers. While extensive reviews of MCL-1i are available, critical analyses focusing on the challenges of MCL-1i and their optimization are lacking. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge regarding clinically relevant MCL-1i and focus on predictive biomarkers of response, mechanisms of resistance, major issues associated with use of MCL-1i, and the future use of and maximization of the benefits from these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shady I. Tantawy
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Natalia Timofeeva
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Aloke Sarkar
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Varsha Gandhi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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4
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Liu M, Guo J, Jia R. Emerging roles of alternative RNA splicing in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1019750. [PMID: 36505770 PMCID: PMC9732560 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1019750] [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: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative RNA splicing (ARS) is an essential and tightly regulated cellular process of post-transcriptional regulation of pre-mRNA. It produces multiple isoforms and may encode proteins with different or even opposite functions. The dysregulated ARS of pre-mRNA contributes to the development of many cancer types, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and may serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC and an attractive therapeutic target. ARS is mainly regulated by splicing factors, whose expression is also often dysregulated in OSCC and involved in tumorigenesis. This review focuses on the expression and roles of splicing factors in OSCC, the alternative RNA splicing events associated with OSCC, and recent advances in therapeutic approaches that target ARS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Liu
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jihua Guo
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,Department of Endodontics, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Jihua Guo, ; Rong Jia,
| | - Rong Jia
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,RNA Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Jihua Guo, ; Rong Jia,
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5
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Sancho M, Leiva D, Lucendo E, Orzáez M. Understanding MCL1: from cellular function and regulation to pharmacological inhibition. FEBS J 2022; 289:6209-6234. [PMID: 34310025 PMCID: PMC9787394 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1), an antiapoptotic member of the BCL2 family characterized by a short half-life, functions as a rapid sensor that regulates cell death and other relevant processes that include cell cycle progression and mitochondrial homeostasis. In cancer, MCL1 overexpression contributes to cell survival and resistance to diverse chemotherapeutic agents; for this reason, several MCL1 inhibitors are currently under preclinical and clinical development for cancer treatment. However, the nonapoptotic functions of MCL1 may influence their therapeutic potential. Overall, the complexity of MCL1 regulation and function represent challenges to the clinical application of MCL1 inhibitors. We now summarize the current knowledge regarding MCL1 structure, regulation, and function that could impact the clinical success of MCL1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Sancho
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Diego Leiva
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Estefanía Lucendo
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Mar Orzáez
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
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6
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LncRNA MIAT Promotes Spinal Cord Injury Recovery in Rats by Regulating RBFOX2-Mediated Alternative Splicing of MCL-1. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:4854-4868. [PMID: 35641779 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02896-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
LncRNA myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) alleviates acute spinal cord injury (ASCI)-induced neuronal cell apoptosis, but the specific mechanism of it involved in regulating SCI progression needs further exploration. Here, a SCI rat model was established, followed by administration with adenovirus-mediated MIAT overexpression vector (Ad-MIAT) alone or together with Ad-RBFOX2 (RNA binding fox-1 homolog 2). The data indicated that MIAT overexpression promoted motor function recovery, improved morphology of injured tissues, and restrained neuron loss and cell apoptosis in SCI rats. Then, PC-12 cells were treated with H2O2 to induce cell injury. And highly expressed MIAT suppressed H2O2-caused decrease in cell viability and increase in cell apoptosis. MIAT stabilized RBFOX2 protein expression by binding to RBFOX2, thereby promoting RBFOX2-induced upregulation of anti-apoptotic MCL-1L (myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1) and reduction of pro-apoptotic MCL-1S. And silencing RBFOX2 in vitro blocked the inhibitory effect of MIAT on cell apoptosis. Moreover, MCL-1-specific steric-blocking oligonucleotides (SBOs) were used to transfer the MCL-1 pre-mRNA splicing pattern from MCL-1L to MCL-1S. SBOs reversed the protection effect of RBFOX2 overexpression on H2O2-induced cell injury. Furthermore, overexpression of MCL-1L instead of MCL-1S facilitated autophagy activation in H2O2-stimulated cells. Interestingly, co-overexpression of MIAT and RBFOX2 had a better promoting effect on SCI recovery. In conclusion, MIAT mitigated SCI by promoting RBFOX2-mediated alternative splicing of MCL-1. Our findings might provide a promising therapeutic target for SCI.
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7
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Sulkshane P, Teni T. Myeloid cell leukemia-1: a formidable barrier to anticancer therapeutics and the quest of targeting it. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2022; 3:278-296. [PMID: 36045907 PMCID: PMC9400788 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2022.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The antiapoptotic B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family members are apical regulators of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis that orchestrate mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) through interactions with their proapoptotic counterparts. Overexpression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins has been linked to therapy resistance and poor prognosis in diverse cancers. Among the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members, predominant overexpression of the prosurvival myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) has been reported in a myriad of hematological malignancies and solid tumors, contributing to therapy resistance and poor outcomes, thus making it a potential druggable target. The unique structure of Mcl-1 and its complex regulatory mechanism makes it an adaptive prosurvival switch that ensures tumor cell survival despite therapeutic intervention. This review focusses on diverse mechanisms adopted by tumor cells to maintain sustained elevated levels of Mcl-1 and how high Mcl-1 levels contribute to resistance in conventional as well as targeted therapies. Moreover, recent developments in the Mcl-1-targeted therapeutics and the underlying challenges and considerations in designing novel Mcl-1 inhibitors are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad Sulkshane
- Glickman Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Tanuja Teni
- Teni Laboratory, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai 410210, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Mumbai 400094, India
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8
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Stanley RF, Abdel-Wahab O. Dysregulation and therapeutic targeting of RNA splicing in cancer. NATURE CANCER 2022; 3:536-546. [PMID: 35624337 PMCID: PMC9551392 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-022-00384-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing and functional characterization of the cancer transcriptome have uncovered cancer-specific dysregulation of RNA splicing across a variety of cancers. Alterations in the cancer genome and dysregulation of RNA splicing factors lead to missplicing, splicing alteration-dependent gene expression and, in some cases, generation of novel splicing-derived proteins. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of aberrant splicing in cancer pathogenesis and present strategies to harness cancer-specific aberrant splicing for therapeutic intent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Stanley
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program and Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Omar Abdel-Wahab
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program and Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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9
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Townsend PA, Kozhevnikova MV, Cexus ONF, Zamyatnin AA, Soond SM. BH3-mimetics: recent developments in cancer therapy. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:355. [PMID: 34753495 PMCID: PMC8576916 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02157-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The hopeful outcomes from 30 years of research in BH3-mimetics have indeed served a number of solid paradigms for targeting intermediates from the apoptosis pathway in a variety of diseased states. Not only have such rational approaches in drug design yielded several key therapeutics, such outputs have also offered insights into the integrated mechanistic aspects of basic and clinical research at the genetics level for the future. In no other area of medical research have the effects of such work been felt, than in cancer research, through targeting the BAX-Bcl-2 protein-protein interactions. With these promising outputs in mind, several mimetics, and their potential therapeutic applications, have also been developed for several other pathological conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and tissue fibrosis, thus highlighting the universal importance of the intrinsic arm of the apoptosis pathway and its input to general tissue homeostasis. Considering such recent developments, and in a field that has generated so much scientific interest, we take stock of how the broadening area of BH3-mimetics has developed and diversified, with a focus on their uses in single and combined cancer treatment regimens and recently explored therapeutic delivery methods that may aid the development of future therapeutics of this nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Townsend
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. .,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation. .,University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Maria V Kozhevnikova
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | | - Andrey A Zamyatnin
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russian Federation
| | - Surinder M Soond
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. .,Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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10
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Al-Odat O, von Suskil M, Chitren R, Elbezanti W, Srivastava S, Budak-Alpddogan T, Jonnalagadda S, Aggarwal B, Pandey M. Mcl-1 Inhibition: Managing Malignancy in Multiple Myeloma. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:699629. [PMID: 34349655 PMCID: PMC8327170 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.699629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cells neoplasm. The overexpression of Bcl-2 family proteins, particularly myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of MM. The overexpression of Mcl-1 is associated with drug resistance and overall poor prognosis of MM. Thus, inhibition of the Mcl-1 protein considered as a therapeutic strategy to kill the myeloma cells. Over the last decade, the development of selective Mcl-1 inhibitors has seen remarkable advancement. This review presents the critical role of Mcl-1 in the progression of MM, the most prominent BH3 mimetic and semi-BH3 mimetic that selectively inhibit Mcl-1, and could be used as single agent or combined with existing therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Al-Odat
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | - Max von Suskil
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | - Robert Chitren
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | - Weam Elbezanti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Hematology, Cooper Health University, Camden, NJ, United States
| | | | | | - Subash Jonnalagadda
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | | | - Manoj Pandey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States
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11
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Basu A. The interplay between apoptosis and cellular senescence: Bcl-2 family proteins as targets for cancer therapy. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 230:107943. [PMID: 34182005 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cell death by apoptosis and permanent cell cycle arrest by senescence serve as barriers to the development of cancer. Chemotherapeutic agents not only induce apoptosis, they can also induce senescence known as therapy-induced senescence (TIS). There are, however, controversies whether TIS improves or worsens therapeutic outcome. Unlike apoptosis, which permanently removes cancer cells, senescent cells are metabolically active, and can contribute to tumor progression and relapse. If senescent cells are not cleared by the immune system or if cancer cells escape senescence, they may acquire resistance to apoptotic stimuli and become highly aggressive. Thus, there have been significant efforts in developing senolytics, drugs that target these pro-survival molecules to eliminate senescent cells. The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins not only protect against cell death by apoptosis, but they also allow senescent cells to survive. While combining senolytics with chemotherapeutic drugs is an attractive approach, there are also limitations. Moreover, members of the Bcl-2 family have distinct effects on apoptosis and senescence. The purpose of this review article is to discuss recent literatures on how members of the Bcl-2 family orchestrate the interplay between apoptosis and senescence, and the challenges and progress in targeting these Bcl-2 family proteins for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alakananda Basu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
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12
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Wang H, Guo M, Wei H, Chen Y. Targeting MCL-1 in cancer: current status and perspectives. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:67. [PMID: 33883020 PMCID: PMC8061042 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01079-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid leukemia 1 (MCL-1) is an antiapoptotic protein of the BCL-2 family that prevents apoptosis by binding to the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins. Overexpression of MCL-1 is frequently observed in many tumor types and is closely associated with tumorigenesis, poor prognosis and drug resistance. The central role of MCL-1 in regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway makes it an attractive target for cancer therapy. Significant progress has been made with regard to MCL-1 inhibitors, some of which have entered clinical trials. Here, we discuss the mechanism by which MCL-1 regulates cancer cell apoptosis and review the progress related to MCL-1 small molecule inhibitors and their role in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolan Wang
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Hudie Wei
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Yongheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
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13
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Bohler S, Afreen S, Fernandez-Orth J, Demmerath EM, Molnar C, Wu Y, Weiss JM, Mittapalli VR, Konstantinidis L, Schmal H, Kunze M, Erlacher M. Inhibition of the anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1 severely suppresses human hematopoiesis. Haematologica 2020; 106:3136-3148. [PMID: 33241675 PMCID: PMC8634190 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2020.252130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BH3-mimetics inhibiting anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins represent a novel and promising class of antitumor drugs. While the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, BCL-XL and MCL-1 inhibitors are currently in early clinical trials. To predict side effects of therapeutic MCL-1 inhibition on the human hematopoietic system, we used RNA interference and the small molecule inhibitor S63845 on cord blood-derived CD34+ cells. Both approaches resulted in almost complete depletion of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. As a consequence, maturation into the different hematopoietic lineages was severely restricted and CD34+ cells expressing MCL-1 shRNA showed a very limited engraftment potential upon xenotransplantation. In contrast, mature blood cells survived normally in the absence of MCL-1. Combined inhibition of MCL-1 and BCL-XL resulted in synergistic effects with relevant loss of colony-forming hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells already at inhibitor concentrations of 0.1 mM each, indicating “synthetic lethality” of the two BH3- mimetics in the hematopoietic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Bohler
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg
| | - Sehar Afreen
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg
| | - Juncal Fernandez-Orth
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg
| | - Eva-Maria Demmerath
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg
| | - Christian Molnar
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany; Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg
| | - Ying Wu
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg
| | - Julia Miriam Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg
| | - Venugopal Rao Mittapalli
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg
| | - Lukas Konstantinidis
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg
| | - Hagen Schmal
- Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg
| | - Mirjam Kunze
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg
| | - Miriam Erlacher
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Freiburg, Germany and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
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14
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Li Y, Gao X, Wei C, Guo R, Xu H, Bai Z, Zhou J, Zhu J, Wang W, Wu Y, Li J, Zhang Z, Xie X. Modification of Mcl-1 alternative splicing induces apoptosis and suppresses tumor proliferation in gastric cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:19293-19315. [PMID: 33052877 PMCID: PMC7732305 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Splicing dysregulation, which leads to apoptosis resistance, has been recognized as a major hallmark for tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Targeting alternative splicing by either increasing pro-apoptotic proteins or inhibiting anti-apoptotic proteins in tumor cells may be an effective approach for gastric cancer (GC) therapy. However, the role of modulation of alternative splicing in GC remains poorly understood. In this study, to the best of our knowledge, the unbalanced expression of the myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) splicing variants, Mcl-1L and Mcl-1S, was identified in GC patients for the first time. Increasing anti-apoptotic Mcl-1L and decreasing pro-apoptotic Mcl-1S expression levels were correlated with tumor proliferation and poor survival. In vitro data showed that a shift in splicing from Mcl-1L to Mcl-1S induced by treatment with Mcl-1-specific steric-blocking oligonucleotides (SBOs) efficiently decreased Mcl-1L expression, increased Mcl-1S expression, and accelerated tumor cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, mouse xenotransplant models confirmed that modification of Mcl-1 alternative splicing increased tumor cell death and suppressed tumor proliferation. This study demonstrated that the modification of Mcl-1 splicing might stimulate the pro-apoptotic factor and inhibit the anti-apoptotic protein to induce significant apoptosis. Thus, this finding provided a strategy for cancer therapy, according to which SBOs could be used to change the Mcl-1 splicing pattern, thereby inducing apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghong Li
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drug of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaoling Gao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Chaojun Wei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rui Guo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hui Xu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhongtian Bai
- The Second Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University First Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jianye Zhou
- Key Lab of Stomatology of State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- Pathology Department, Lanzhou University First Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wanxia Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yu Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jingzhe Li
- Oncology Department, The First Hospital of Lanzhou, Lanzhou 730050, China
| | - Zhongliang Zhang
- Oncology Department, The First Hospital of Lanzhou, Lanzhou 730050, China
| | - Xiaodong Xie
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drug of Gansu Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
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15
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Roles and mechanisms of alternative splicing in cancer - implications for care. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2020; 17:457-474. [PMID: 32303702 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-020-0350-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 360] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Removal of introns from messenger RNA precursors (pre-mRNA splicing) is an essential step for the expression of most eukaryotic genes. Alternative splicing enables the regulated generation of multiple mRNA and protein products from a single gene. Cancer cells have general as well as cancer type-specific and subtype-specific alterations in the splicing process that can have prognostic value and contribute to every hallmark of cancer progression, including cancer immune responses. These splicing alterations are often linked to the occurrence of cancer driver mutations in genes encoding either core components or regulators of the splicing machinery. Of therapeutic relevance, the transcriptomic landscape of cancer cells makes them particularly vulnerable to pharmacological inhibition of splicing. Small-molecule splicing modulators are currently in clinical trials and, in addition to splice site-switching antisense oligonucleotides, offer the promise of novel and personalized approaches to cancer treatment.
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16
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Bauersachs S, Mermillod P, Almiñana C. The Oviductal Extracellular Vesicles' RNA Cargo Regulates the Bovine Embryonic Transcriptome. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041303. [PMID: 32075098 PMCID: PMC7072903 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Oviductal extracellular vesicles (oEVs) are emerging as key players in the gamete/embryo–oviduct interactions that contribute to successful pregnancy. Various positive effects of oEVs on gametes and early embryos have been found in vitro. To determine whether these effects are associated with changes of embryonic gene expression, the transcriptomes of embryos supplemented with bovine fresh (FeEVs) or frozen (FoEVs) oEVs during in vitro culture compared to controls without oEVs were analyzed by low-input RNA sequencing. Analysis of RNA-seq data revealed 221 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between FoEV treatment and control, 67 DEGs for FeEV and FoEV treatments, and minor differences between FeEV treatment and control (28 DEGs). An integrative analysis of mRNAs and miRNAs contained in oEVs obtained in a previous study with embryonic mRNA alterations pointed to direct effects of oEV cargo on embryos (1) by increasing the concentration of delivered transcripts; (2) by translating delivered mRNAs to proteins that regulate embryonic gene expression; and (3) by oEV-derived miRNAs which downregulate embryonic mRNAs or modify gene expression in other ways. Our study provided the first high-throughput analysis of the embryonic transcriptome regulated by oEVs, increasing our knowledge on the impact of oEVs on the embryo and revealing the oEV RNA components that potentially regulate embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Bauersachs
- Genetics and Functional Genomics, VetSuisse Faculty Zurich, University of Zurich, 8315 Lindau (ZH), Switzerland;
| | - Pascal Mermillod
- UMR85 PRC, INRA, CNRS 7247, Université de Tours, IFCE, 37380 Nouzilly, France;
| | - Carmen Almiñana
- Genetics and Functional Genomics, VetSuisse Faculty Zurich, University of Zurich, 8315 Lindau (ZH), Switzerland;
- UMR85 PRC, INRA, CNRS 7247, Université de Tours, IFCE, 37380 Nouzilly, France;
- Correspondence:
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17
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Saga of Mcl-1: regulation from transcription to degradation. Cell Death Differ 2020; 27:405-419. [PMID: 31907390 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-019-0486-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The members of the Bcl-2 family are the central regulators of various cell death modalities. Some of these proteins contribute to apoptosis, while others counteract this type of programmed cell death, thus balancing cell demise and survival. A disruption of this balance leads to the development of various diseases, including cancer. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that underlie the regulation of proteins of the Bcl-2 family is of great importance for biomedical research. Among the members of the Bcl-2 family, antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1 is characterized by a short half-life, which renders this protein highly sensitive to changes in its synthesis or degradation. Hence, the regulation of Mcl-1 is of particular scientific interest, and the study of Mcl-1 modulators could aid in the understanding of the mechanisms of disease development and the ways of their treatment. Here, we summarize the present knowledge regarding the regulation of Mcl-1, from transcription to degradation, focusing on aspects that have not yet been described in detail.
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18
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Amin SA, Ghosh K, Mondal D, Jha T, Gayen S. Exploring indole derivatives as myeloid cell leukaemia-1 (Mcl-1) inhibitors with multi-QSAR approach: a novel hope in anti-cancer drug discovery. NEW J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0nj03863f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In humans, the over-expression of Mcl-1 protein causes different cancers and it is also responsible for cancer resistance to different cytotoxic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sk. Abdul Amin
- Natural Science Laboratory
- Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology
- Jadavpur University
- Kolkata
| | - Kalyan Ghosh
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Discovery
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dr Harisingh Gour University
- Sagar
- India
| | - Dipayan Mondal
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Discovery
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dr Harisingh Gour University
- Sagar
- India
| | - Tarun Jha
- Natural Science Laboratory
- Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology
- Jadavpur University
- Kolkata
| | - Shovanlal Gayen
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Discovery
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dr Harisingh Gour University
- Sagar
- India
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19
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Sastre D, Baiochi J, de Souza Lima IM, Canto de Souza F, Corveloni AC, Thomé CH, Faça VM, Schiavinato JLDS, Covas DT, Panepucci RA. Focused screening reveals functional effects of microRNAs differentially expressed in colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:1239. [PMID: 31864341 PMCID: PMC6925883 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6468-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still a leading cause of death worldwide. Recent studies have pointed to an important role of microRNAs in carcinogenesis. Several microRNAs are described as aberrantly expressed in CRC tissues and in the serum of patients. However, functional outcomes of microRNA aberrant expression still need to be explored at the cellular level. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of microRNAs aberrantly expressed in CRC samples in the proliferation and cell death of a CRC cell line. METHODS We transfected 31 microRNA mimics into HCT116 cells. Total number of live propidium iodide negative (PI-) and dead (PI+) cells were measured 4 days post-transfection by using a high content screening (HCS) approach. HCS was further used to evaluate apoptosis (via Annexin V and PI staining), and to discern between intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, by detecting cleaved Caspase 9 and 8, respectively. To reveal mRNA targets and potentially involved mechanisms, we performed microarray gene expression and functional pathway enrichment analysis. Quantitative PCR and western blot were used to validate potential mRNA targets. RESULTS Twenty microRNAs altered the proliferation of HCT116 cells in comparison to control. miR-22-3p, miR-24-3p, and miR-101-3p significantly repressed cell proliferation and induced cell death. Interestingly, all anti-proliferative microRNAs in our study had been previously described as poorly expressed in the CRC samples. Predicted miR-101-3p targets that were also downregulated by in our microarray were enriched for genes associated with Wnt and cancer pathways, including MCL-1, a member of the BCL-2 family, involved in apoptosis. Interestingly, miR-101-3p preferentially downregulated the long anti-apoptotic MCL-1 L isoform, and reduced cell survival specifically by activating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Moreover, miR-101-3p also downregulated IL6ST, STAT3A/B, and MYC mRNA levels, genes associated with stemness properties of CRC cells. CONCLUSIONS microRNAs upregulated in CRC tend to induce proliferation in vitro, whereas microRNAs poorly expressed in CRC halt proliferation and induce cell death. We provide novel evidence linking preferential inhibition of the anti-apoptotic MCL-1 L isoform by miR-101-3p and consequent activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway as potential mechanisms for its antitumoral activity, likely due to the inhibition of the IL-6/JAK/STAT signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Sastre
- Laboratory of Human and Medical Genetics, Federal University of Pará, Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01. Guamá., Belém, Pará CEP 66075-110 Brazil
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
| | - João Baiochi
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
| | - Ildercilio Mota de Souza Lima
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
| | - Felipe Canto de Souza
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
| | - Amanda Cristina Corveloni
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
| | - Carolina Hassib Thomé
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900 - Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900 Brazil
| | - Vitor Marcel Faça
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Bandeirantes, 3900 - Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-900 Brazil
| | - Josiane Lilian dos Santos Schiavinato
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
| | - Dimas Tadeu Covas
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Alexandre Panepucci
- Laboratory of Functional Biology (LFBio), Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CTC), Regional Blood Center, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), R. Ten. Catão Roxo, 2501., Ribeirão Preto, SP 14051-140 Brazil
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20
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Wang T, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Wang L, Zhang S, Jia L. Caspase cleavage of Mcl-1 impairs its anti-apoptotic activity and proteasomal degradation in non-small lung cancer cells. Apoptosis 2019; 23:54-64. [PMID: 29256070 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-017-1436-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Global cleavage of cellular proteins by activated caspases is a hallmark of apoptosis, which causes biochemical collapse of the cell. Recent studies suggest that, rather than completely destroying a protein, caspase cleavage can confer novel characteristics or functions. In this respect, the post-caspase role of Bcl-2 family proteins remains uncharacterized. Here, we showed that Mcl-1, a pro-survival member of the Bcl-2 family, was cleaved by caspase-3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells undergoing chemotherapeutic agent-triggered apoptosis. Caspase cleavage partially impaired the anti-apoptotic activity of Mcl-1 by reducing its mitochondrial localization and impeding its association with the permeability transition pore-forming protein Bak. However, the stability of cleaved Mcl-1 was markedly enhanced because it was more refractory to ubiquitination-dependent proteasomal degradation, thereby improving cell viability to a greater extent than full-length Mcl-1 when transiently expressed in NSCLC cells. These findings shed new light on the role of Mcl-1 in apoptosis and suggest potential novel targets for optimizing the tumoricidal capacity of chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Zhiwei Yang
- Department of Applied Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Yimeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- Department of Applied Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
| | - Lintao Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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21
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Senichkin VV, Streletskaia AY, Zhivotovsky B, Kopeina GS. Molecular Comprehension of Mcl-1: From Gene Structure to Cancer Therapy. Trends Cell Biol 2019; 29:549-562. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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22
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Co-regulated gene expression of splicing factors as drivers of cancer progression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5484. [PMID: 30940821 PMCID: PMC6445126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40759-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Splicing factors (SFs) act in dynamic macromolecular complexes to modulate RNA processing. To understand the complex role of SFs in cancer progression, we performed a systemic analysis of the co-regulation of SFs using primary tumor RNA sequencing data. Co-regulated SFs were associated with aggressive breast cancer phenotypes and enhanced metastasis formation, resulting in the classification of Enhancer- (21 genes) and Suppressor-SFs (64 genes). High Enhancer-SF levels were related to distinct splicing patterns and expression of known oncogenic pathways such as respiratory electron transport, DNA damage and cell cycle regulation. Importantly, largely identical SF co-regulation was observed in almost all major cancer types, including lung, pancreas and prostate cancer. In conclusion, we identified cancer-associated co-regulated expression of SFs that are associated with aggressive phenotypes. This study increases the global understanding of the role of the spliceosome in cancer progression and also contributes to the development of strategies to cure cancer patients.
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23
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BCL-2 family isoforms in apoptosis and cancer. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:177. [PMID: 30792387 PMCID: PMC6384907 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1407-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 366] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The BCl-2 family has long been identified for its role in apoptosis. Following the initial discovery of BCL-2 in the context of B-cell lymphoma in the 1980s, a number of homologous proteins have since been identified. The members of the Bcl-2 family are designated as such due to their BCL-2 homology (BH) domains and involvement in apoptosis regulation. The BH domains facilitate the family members’ interactions with each other and can indicate pro- or anti-apoptotic function. Traditionally, these proteins are categorised into one of the three subfamilies; anti-apoptotic, BH3-only (pro-apoptotic), and pore-forming or ‘executioner’ (pro-apoptotic) proteins. Each of the BH3-only or anti-apoptotic proteins has a distinct pattern of activation, localisation and response to cell death or survival stimuli. All of these can vary across cell or stress types, or developmental stage, and this can cause the delineation of the roles of BCL-2 family members. Added to this complexity is the presence of relatively uncharacterised isoforms of many of the BCL-2 family members. There is a gap in our knowledge regarding the function of BCL-2 family isoforms. BH domain status is not always predictive or indicative of protein function, and several other important sequences, which can contribute to apoptotic activity have been identified. While therapeutic strategies targeting the BCL-2 family are constantly under development, it is imperative that we understand the molecules, which we are attempting to target. This review, discusses our current knowledge of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family isoforms. With significant improvements in the potential for splicing therapies, it is important that we begin to understand the distinctions of the BCL-2 family, not limited to just the mechanisms of apoptosis control, but in their roles outside of apoptosis.
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24
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De Blasio A, Vento R, Di Fiore R. Mcl-1 targeting could be an intriguing perspective to cure cancer. J Cell Physiol 2018; 233:8482-8498. [PMID: 29797573 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The Bcl-2 family, which plays important roles in controlling cancer development, is divided into antiapoptotic and proapoptotic members. The change in the balance between these members governs the life and death of the cells. Mcl-1 is an antiapoptotic member of this family and its distribution in normal and cancerous tissues strongly differs from that of Bcl-2. In human cancers, where upregulation of antiapoptotic proteins is common, Mcl-1 expression is regulated independent of Bcl-2 and its inhibition promotes senescence, a major barrier to tumorigenesis. Cancer chemotherapy determines various kinds of responses, such as senescence and autophagy; however, the ideal response to chemotherapy is apoptosis. Mcl-1 is a potent oncogene that is regulated at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels. Mcl-1 is a short-lived protein that, in the NH2 terminal region, contains sites for posttranslational regulation that can lead to proteasomal degradation. The USP9X Mcl-1 deubiquitinase regulates Mcl-1 and the levels of these two proteins are strongly correlated. Mcl-1 has three splicing variants (the antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1L and the proapoptotic proteins Mcl-1S and Mcl-1ES), each contributing toward apoptosis regulation. In cancers responsible for the most deaths in the world, the presence of Mcl-1 is associated with malignant cell growth and evasion of apoptosis. Mcl-1 is also one of the key regulators of cancer stem cells' self-renewal that contributes to tumor survival. A great number of indirect and selective Mcl-1 inhibitors have been produced and some of these have shown efficacy in several clinical trials. Thus, therapeutic manipulation of Mcl-1 can be a useful strategy to combat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna De Blasio
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Polyclinic, Palermo, Italy.,Associazione Siciliana per la Lotta contro i Tumori (ASLOT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Renza Vento
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Polyclinic, Palermo, Italy.,Associazione Siciliana per la Lotta contro i Tumori (ASLOT), Palermo, Italy.,Center for Biotechnology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Riccardo Di Fiore
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Polyclinic, Palermo, Italy.,Associazione Siciliana per la Lotta contro i Tumori (ASLOT), Palermo, Italy.,Center for Biotechnology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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25
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Kulsoom B, Shamsi TS, Afsar NA, Memon Z, Ahmed N, Hasnain SN. Bax, Bcl-2, and Bax/Bcl-2 as prognostic markers in acute myeloid leukemia: are we ready for Bcl-2-directed therapy? Cancer Manag Res 2018. [PMID: 29535553 PMCID: PMC5841349 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s154608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Many anticancer drugs induce apoptosis in malignant cells, and resistance to apoptosis could lead to suboptimal or no therapeutic benefit. Two cytoplasmic proteins, B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X (Bax) and Bcl-2, act as a promoter and an inhibitor of apoptosis, respectively. Both Bax and Bcl-2 as well as their ratio have been regarded as prognostic markers in various cancers. However, conflicting results have been reported. A clear understanding of apoptosis has also become crucial due to reports about anti-Bcl-2 chemotherapy. We explored the relationship of Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression and their ratio with the therapeutic response in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Patients and methods Bone marrow and/or blood samples from 90 AML patients treated with cytarabine and daunorubicin were included. Expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was determined through real-time polymerase chain reaction by using ΔΔCt method of relative expression. Results Bax and Bcl-2 expression among marrow and blood samples correlated with each other (rs=0.5, p<0.01). Although bone marrow expression of Bax and Bcl-2 tended to remain higher among responders (median 1.01 and 0.29, respectively) as compared to non-responders (median 0.66 and 0.24, respectively), the difference failed to reach statistical significance (U=784.5 and 733; p=0.68 and 0.28, respectively). Conversely, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was higher among poor responders (median 3.07 vs 1.78), though again failed to reach statistical significance (U=698.5, p=0.07). Conclusion Expression of Bax and Bcl-2 does not differ significantly among AML patients treated with cytarabine and daunorubicin in terms of remission, relapse, resistance, overall survival, and disease-free survival, thus questioning the utility of emerging anti-Bcl-2 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibi Kulsoom
- National Institute of Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Tahir Sultan Shamsi
- National Institute of Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Nasir Ali Afsar
- Jinnah Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan.,College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Anti-Apoptotic BCL2 Family Members. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19010308. [PMID: 29361709 PMCID: PMC5796252 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-apoptotic B cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) family members (BCL2, MCL1, BCLxL, BCLW, and BFL1) are key players in the regulation of intrinsic apoptosis. Dysregulation of these proteins not only impairs normal development, but also contributes to tumor progression and resistance to various anti-cancer therapies. Therefore, cells maintain strict control over the expression of anti-apoptotic BCL2 family members using multiple mechanisms. Over the past two decades, the importance of post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA in controlling gene expression and its impact on normal homeostasis and disease have begun to be appreciated. In this review, we discuss the RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) that mediate post-transcriptional regulation of the anti-apoptotic BCL2 family members. We describe their roles and impact on alternative splicing, mRNA turnover, and mRNA subcellular localization. We also point out the importance of future studies in characterizing the crosstalk between RBPs and miRNAs in regulating anti-apoptotic BCL2 family member expression and ultimately apoptosis.
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Abstract
Cancer is a daunting global problem confronting the world's population. The most frequent therapeutic approaches include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and more recently immunotherapy. In the case of chemotherapy, patients ultimately develop resistance to both single and multiple chemotherapeutic agents, which can culminate in metastatic disease which is a major cause of patient death from solid tumors. Chemoresistance, a primary cause of treatment failure, is attributed to multiple factors including decreased drug accumulation, reduced drug-target interactions, increased populations of cancer stem cells, enhanced autophagy activity, and reduced apoptosis in cancer cells. Reprogramming tumor cells to undergo drug-induced apoptosis provides a promising and powerful strategy for treating resistant and recurrent neoplastic diseases. This can be achieved by downregulating dysregulated antiapoptotic factors or activation of proapoptotic factors in tumor cells. A major target of dysregulation in cancer cells that can occur during chemoresistance involves altered expression of Bcl-2 family members. Bcl-2 antiapoptotic molecules (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1) are frequently upregulated in acquired chemoresistant cancer cells, which block drug-induced apoptosis. We presently overview the potential role of Bcl-2 antiapoptotic proteins in the development of cancer chemoresistance and overview the clinical approaches that use Bcl-2 inhibitors to restore cell death in chemoresistant and recurrent tumors.
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León B, Kashyap MK, Chan WC, Krug KA, Castro JE, La Clair JJ, Burkart MD. A Challenging Pie to Splice: Drugging the Spliceosome. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 56:12052-12063. [PMID: 28371109 PMCID: PMC6311392 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201701065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Since its discovery in 1977, the study of alternative RNA splicing has revealed a plethora of mechanisms that had never before been documented in nature. Understanding these transitions and their outcome at the level of the cell and organism has become one of the great frontiers of modern chemical biology. Until 2007, this field remained in the hands of RNA biologists. However, the recent identification of natural product and synthetic modulators of RNA splicing has opened new access to this field, allowing for the first time a chemical-based interrogation of RNA splicing processes. Simultaneously, we have begun to understand the vital importance of splicing in disease, which offers a new platform for molecular discovery and therapy. As with many natural systems, gaining clear mechanistic detail at the molecular level is key towards understanding the operation of any biological machine. This minireview presents recent lessons learned in this emerging field of RNA splicing chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian León
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego 9500, Gilman Drive, La Jolla CA, 92093-0358 (USA) ,
| | - Manoj K. Kashyap
- Moores Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla CA, 92093-0820 (USA)
| | - Warren C. Chan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego 9500, Gilman Drive, La Jolla CA, 92093-0358 (USA) ,
| | - Kelsey A. Krug
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego 9500, Gilman Drive, La Jolla CA, 92093-0358 (USA) ,
| | - Januario E. Castro
- Moores Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla CA, 92093-0820 (USA)
| | - James J. La Clair
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego 9500, Gilman Drive, La Jolla CA, 92093-0358 (USA) ,
| | - Michael D. Burkart
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego 9500, Gilman Drive, La Jolla CA, 92093-0358 (USA) ,
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León B, Kashyap MK, Chan WC, Krug KA, Castro JE, La Clair JJ, Burkart MD. Das Spliceosom als Angriffspunkt für Pharmaka. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201701065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian León
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Diego; 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
| | - Manoj K. Kashyap
- Moores Cancer Center and Department of Medicine; University of California, San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0820 USA
| | - Warren C. Chan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Diego; 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
| | - Kelsey A. Krug
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Diego; 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
| | - Januario E. Castro
- Moores Cancer Center and Department of Medicine; University of California, San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0820 USA
| | - James J. La Clair
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Diego; 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
| | - Michael D. Burkart
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California, San Diego; 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
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Nikhil K, Shah K. The Cdk5-Mcl-1 axis promotes mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration in a model of Alzheimer's disease. J Cell Sci 2017; 130:3023-3039. [PMID: 28751497 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.205666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cdk5 deregulation is highly neurotoxic in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We identified Mcl-1 as a direct Cdk5 substrate using an innovative chemical screen in mouse brain lysates. Our data demonstrate that Mcl-1 levels determine the threshold for cellular damage in response to neurotoxic insults. Mcl-1 is a disease-specific target of Cdk5, which associates with Cdk5 under basal conditions, but is not regulated by it. Neurotoxic insults hyperactivate Cdk5 causing Mcl-1 phosphorylation at T92. This phosphorylation event triggers Mcl-1 ubiquitylation, which directly correlates with mitochondrial dysfunction. Consequently, ectopic expression of phosphorylation-dead T92A-Mcl-1 fully prevents mitochondrial damage and subsequent cell death triggered by neurotoxic treatments in neuronal cells and primary cortical neurons. Notably, enhancing Mcl-1 levels offers comparable neuroprotection to that observed upon Cdk5 depletion, suggesting that Mcl-1 degradation by direct phosphorylation is a key mechanism by which Cdk5 promotes neurotoxicity in AD. The clinical significance of the Mcl-1-Cdk5 axis was investigated in human AD clinical specimens, revealing an inverse correlation between Mcl-1 levels and disease severity. These results emphasize the potential of Mcl-1 upregulation as an attractive therapeutic strategy for delaying or preventing neurodegeneration in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Nikhil
- Department of Chemistry and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Kavita Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Nijhuis A, Curciarello R, Mehta S, Feakins R, Bishop CL, Lindsay JO, Silver A. MCL-1 is modulated in Crohn's disease fibrosis by miR-29b via IL-6 and IL-8. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 368:325-335. [PMID: 28190086 PMCID: PMC5397660 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2576-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The miR-29 family is involved in fibrosis in multiple organs, including the intestine where miR-29b facilitates TGF-β-mediated up-regulation of collagen in mucosal fibroblasts from Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1), a member of the B-cell CLL/Lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) apoptosis family, is involved in liver fibrosis and is targeted by miR-29b via its 3’-UTR in cultured cell lines. We investigate the role of MCL-1 and miR-29b in primary intestinal fibroblasts and tissue from stricturing CD patients. Transfection of CD intestinal fibroblasts with pre-miR-29b resulted in a significant increase in the mRNA expression of MCL-1 isoforms [MCL-1Long (L)/Extra Short (ES) and MCL-1Short (S)], although MCL-1S was expressed at significantly lower levels. Western blotting predominantly detected the anti-apoptotic MCL-1L isoform, and immunofluorescence showed that staining was localised in discrete nuclear foci. Transfection with pre-miR-29b or anti-miR-29b resulted in a significant increase or decrease, respectively, in MCL-1L foci. CD fibroblasts treated with IL-6 and IL-8, inflammatory cytokines upstream of MCL-1, increased the total mass of MCL-1L-positive foci. Furthermore, transfection of intestinal fibroblasts with pre-miR-29b resulted in an increase in mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 and IL-8. Finally, immunohistochemistry showed reduced MCL-1 protein expression in fibrotic CD samples compared to non-stricturing controls. Together, our findings suggest that induction of MCL-1 by IL-6/IL-8 may surmount any direct down-regulation by miR-29b via its 3’-UTR. We propose that an anti-fibrotic miR-29b/IL-6 IL-8/MCL-1L axis may influence intestinal fibrosis in CD. In the future, therapeutic modulation of this pathway might contribute to the management of fibrosis in CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Nijhuis
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health and National Centre for Bowel Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, E1 2AT, London, UK
| | - Renata Curciarello
- Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, E1 2AT, London, UK
| | - Shameer Mehta
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health and National Centre for Bowel Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, E1 2AT, London, UK
| | - Roger Feakins
- Department of Histopathology, The Royal London Hospital, London, UK
| | - Cleo L Bishop
- Centre for Cell Biology and Cutaneous Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - James O Lindsay
- Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, E1 2AT, London, UK.
| | - Andrew Silver
- Centre for Genomics and Child Health and National Centre for Bowel Research, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark St, Whitechapel, E1 2AT, London, UK.
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Morciano G, Pedriali G, Sbano L, Iannitti T, Giorgi C, Pinton P. Intersection of mitochondrial fission and fusion machinery with apoptotic pathways: Role of Mcl-1. Biol Cell 2017; 108:279-293. [PMID: 27234233 DOI: 10.1111/boc.201600019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria actively contribute to apoptotic cell death through mechanisms including the loss of integrity of the outer mitochondrial membrane, the release of intermembrane space proteins, such as cytochrome c, in the cytosol and the caspase cascade activation. This process is the result of careful cooperation not only among members of the Bcl-2 family but also dynamin-related proteins. These events are often accompanied by fission of the organelle, thus linking mitochondrial dynamics to apoptosis. Emerging evidences are suggesting a fine regulation of mitochondrial morphology by Bcl-2 family members and active participation of fission-fusion proteins in apoptosis. The debate whether in mitochondrial morphogenesis the role of Bcl-2 family members is functionally distinct from their role in apoptosis is still open and, above all, which morphological changes are associated with cell death sensitisation. This review will cover the findings on how the mitochondrial fission and fusion machinery may intersect apoptotic pathways focusing on recent advances on the key role played by Mcl-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giampaolo Morciano
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Gaia Pedriali
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luigi Sbano
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Tommaso Iannitti
- Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Carlotta Giorgi
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Paolo Pinton
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
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Kirimura S, Kurata M, Nakagawa Y, Onishi I, Abe-Suzuki S, Abe S, Yamamoto K, Kitagawa M. Role of microRNA-29b in myelodysplastic syndromes during transformation to overt leukaemia. Pathology 2016; 48:233-41. [PMID: 27020498 DOI: 10.1016/j.pathol.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chromosome 7q32 is a frequently deleted region in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and encodes the microRNAs (miRNAs) miR-29a/miR-29b. Both miR-29s down-regulate the anti-apoptotic protein myeloid cell leukaemia 1 (MCL-1) in acute myeloid leukaemia. Thus, to investigate the role of miR-29s in the transformation of MDS to overt leukaemia (OL), we analysed the relationship between miR-29 expression and MCL-1 expression. MiR-29b expression was down-regulated in refractory anaemia and OL bone marrow as compared to that in control bone marrow. MCL-1 expression level in OL was significantly higher than that in refractory anaemia with excess blasts and a negative correlation was observed between miR-29b and MCL-1 messenger RNA expression levels in OL samples. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the MCL-1 positive rate among MDS bone marrow CD34 positive cells significantly increased during transformation to OL. Additionally, MCL-1 positive cells were negative for cleaved caspase 3, which indicated that these cells avoided apoptosis. Reduced miR-29b expression in MDS bone marrow cells might trigger transformation to OL via overexpression of MCL-1 in blastic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susumu Kirimura
- Department of Comprehensive Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Morito Kurata
- Department of Comprehensive Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasunori Nakagawa
- Department of Hematology, Japanese Red Cross Medical Centre, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Iichiroh Onishi
- Department of Comprehensive Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shiho Abe-Suzuki
- Department of Comprehensive Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Abe
- Department of Comprehensive Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kouhei Yamamoto
- Department of Comprehensive Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masanobu Kitagawa
- Department of Comprehensive Pathology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic homeostasis disease that contributes to additional comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. It has a long undiagnosed latent period during which there can be irreparable damage to the pancreas and cardiovascular tissues. Recent studies have highlighted the roles of several microRNAs in CVD. Determining the microRNAs that link diabetes mellitus and CVD is an important topic to be explored. In the present review, we discuss the microRNAs that contribute to the progression of diabetes mellitus and CVD and focus on the miR-29 family microRNAs whose expression is upregulated by hyperglycemia and proinflammatory cytokines, the hallmarks of diabetes mellitus. Upregulation of miR-29 expression is a key factor in the loss of pancreatic β cells and development of the first stage of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Additionally, miR-29-mediated suppression of myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1), an important prosurvival protein, underlies Marfan's syndrome, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and diabetes mellitus-associated cardiomyocyte disorganization. Suppression of miR-29 expression and subsequent increase in the prosurvival MCL-1, however, promotes tumor development. Therefore, miR-29 mimics that suppress MCL-1 are hailed as tumor suppressors. The critical question is whether an increase in miR-29 levels is well tolerated in conditions of comorbidities in which insulin resistance is an underlying disease. In light of increasing awareness of the interconnection of diabetes mellitus, CVD, and cancer, it is of utmost importance to understand the mechanism of action of current treatment options on all of the comorbidities and careful evaluation of cardiovascular toxicity must accompany any treatment paradigm that increases miR-29 levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ślusarz
- aDepartment of Medicine bDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Missouri cHarry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Affairs Hospital dDepartment of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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Fukumoto T, Iwasaki T, Okada T, Hashimoto T, Moon Y, Sakaguchi M, Fukami Y, Nishigori C, Oka M. High expression of Mcl-1L via the MEK-ERK-phospho-STAT3 (Ser727) pathway protects melanocytes and melanoma from UVB-induced apoptosis. Genes Cells 2016; 21:185-99. [DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Fukumoto
- Division of Dermatology; Department of Internal Related; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017 Japan
| | - Tetsushi Iwasaki
- Research Center for Environmental Genomics; Organization of Advanced Science and Technology; Kobe University; 1-1 Rokkodai Nada Kobe 657-8501 Japan
- Department of Biology; Kobe University Graduate School of Science; 1-1 Rokkodai Nada Kobe 657-8501 Japan
| | - Taro Okada
- Division of Biochemistry; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017 Japan
| | - Takanori Hashimoto
- Department of Biology; Kobe University Graduate School of Science; 1-1 Rokkodai Nada Kobe 657-8501 Japan
| | - Youbin Moon
- Department of Biology; Kobe University Graduate School of Science; 1-1 Rokkodai Nada Kobe 657-8501 Japan
| | - Masanobu Sakaguchi
- Division of Dermatology; Department of Internal Related; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017 Japan
| | - Yasuo Fukami
- Research Center for Environmental Genomics; Organization of Advanced Science and Technology; Kobe University; 1-1 Rokkodai Nada Kobe 657-8501 Japan
- Department of Biology; Kobe University Graduate School of Science; 1-1 Rokkodai Nada Kobe 657-8501 Japan
| | - Chikako Nishigori
- Division of Dermatology; Department of Internal Related; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017 Japan
| | - Masahiro Oka
- Division of Dermatology; Department of Internal Related; Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine; 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho Chuo-ku Kobe 650-0017 Japan
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Adamopoulos PG, Kontos CK, Tsiakanikas P, Scorilas A. Identification of novel alternative splice variants of the BCL2L12 gene in human cancer cells using next-generation sequencing methodology. Cancer Lett 2016; 373:119-129. [PMID: 26797417 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 01/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has enabled genome-wide studies, providing massively parallel DNA sequencing. NGS applications constitute a revolution in molecular biology and genetics and have already paved new ways in cancer research. BCL2L12 is an apoptosis-related gene, previously cloned from members of our research group. Like most members of the BCL2 gene family, it is highly implicated in various types of cancer and hematological malignancies. In the present study, we used NGS to discover novel alternatively spliced variants of the apoptosis-related BCL2L12 gene in many human cancer cell lines, after 3'-RACE nested PCR. Extensive computational analysis uncovered new alternative splicing events and patterns, resulting in novel alternative transcripts of the BCL2L12 gene. PCR was then performed to validate NGS data and identify the derived novel transcripts of the BCL2L12 gene. Therefore, 50 novel BCL2L12 splice variants were discovered. Since BCL2L12 is involved in the apoptotic machinery, the quantification of distinct BCL2L12 transcripts in human samples may have clinical applications in different types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christos K Kontos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Andreas Scorilas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
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Morciano G, Giorgi C, Balestra D, Marchi S, Perrone D, Pinotti M, Pinton P. Mcl-1 involvement in mitochondrial dynamics is associated with apoptotic cell death. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 27:20-34. [PMID: 26538029 PMCID: PMC4694758 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-01-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins are critical regulators of apoptosis and consist of both proapoptotic and antiapoptotic factors. Within this family, the myeloid cell leukemia factor 1 (Mcl-1) protein exists in two forms as the result of alternative splicing. The long variant (Mcl-1L) acts as an antiapoptotic factor, whereas the short isoform (Mcl-1S) displays proapoptotic activity. In this study, using splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), we increased the synthesis of Mcl-1S, which induced a concurrent reduction of Mcl-1L, resulting in increased sensitivity of cancer cells to apoptotic stimuli. The Mcl-1 ASOs also induced mitochondrial hyperpolarization and a consequent increase in mitochondrial calcium (Ca(2+)) accumulation. The high Mcl-1S/L ratio correlated with significant hyperfusion of the entire mitochondrial network, which occurred in a dynamin-related protein (Drp1)-dependent manner. Our data indicate that the balance between the long and short variants of the Mcl-1 gene represents a key aspect of the regulation of mitochondrial physiology. We propose that the Mcl-1L/S balance is a novel regulatory factor controlling the mitochondrial fusion and fission machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giampaolo Morciano
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies
| | - Carlotta Giorgi
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies
| | - Dario Balestra
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, FE 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Saverio Marchi
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies
| | - Daniela Perrone
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, FE 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mirko Pinotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, FE 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paolo Pinton
- Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies
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Fan Z, Yu H, Cui N, Kong X, Liu X, Chang Y, Wu Y, Sun L, Wang G. ABT737 enhances cholangiocarcinoma sensitivity to cisplatin through regulation of mitochondrial dynamics. Exp Cell Res 2015; 335:68-81. [PMID: 25936772 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2015.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma responses weakly to cisplatin. Mitochondrial dynamics participate in the response to various stresses, and mainly involve mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion and fission. Bcl-2 family proteins play critical roles in orchestrating mitochondrial dynamics, and are involved in the resistance to cisplatin. Here we reported that ABT737, combined with cisplatin, can promote cholangiocarcinoma cells to undergo apoptosis. We found that the combined treatment decreased the Mcl-1 pro-survival form and increased Bak. Cells undergoing cisplatin treatment showed hyperfused mitochondria, whereas fragmentation was dominant in the mitochondria of cells exposed to the combined treatment, with higher Fis1 levels, decreased Mfn2 and OPA1 levels, increased ratio of Drp1 60kD to 80kD form, and more Drp1 located on mitochondria. More p62 aggregates were observed in cells with fragmented mitochondria, and they gradually translocated to mitochondria. Mitophagy was induced by the combined treatment. Knockdown p62 decreased the Drp1 ratio, increased Tom20, and increased cell viability. Our data indicated that mitochondrial dynamics play an important role in the response of cholangiocarcinoma to cisplatin. ABT737 might enhance cholangiocarcinoma sensitivity to cisplatin through regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and the balance within Bcl-2 family proteins. Furthermore, p62 seems to be critical in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongqi Fan
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreas Surgery, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Huimei Yu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Ni Cui
- Bethune Medical College, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Xianggui Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130033, China
| | - Xiaomin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130033, China
| | - Yulei Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Luminescence and Applications, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130033, China
| | - Yao Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Liankun Sun
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China.
| | - Guangyi Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreas Surgery, The First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China.
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Maes K, De Smedt E, Lemaire M, De Raeve H, Menu E, Van Valckenborgh E, McClue S, Vanderkerken K, De Bruyne E. The role of DNA damage and repair in decitabine-mediated apoptosis in multiple myeloma. Oncotarget 2015; 5:3115-29. [PMID: 24833108 PMCID: PMC4102796 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.1821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are under investigation for the treatment of cancer, including the plasma cell malignancy multiple myeloma (MM). Evidence exists that DNA damage and repair contribute to the cytotoxicity mediated by the DNMTi decitabine. Here, we investigated the DNA damage response (DDR) induced by decitabine in MM using 4 human MM cell lines and the murine 5T33MM model. In addition, we explored how the HDACi JNJ-26481585 affects this DDR. Decitabine induced DNA damage (gamma-H2AX foci formation), followed by a G0/G1- or G2/M-phase arrest and caspase-mediated apoptosis. JNJ-26481585 enhanced the anti-MM effect of decitabine both in vitro and in vivo. As JNJ-26481585 did not enhance decitabine-mediated gamma-H2AX foci formation, we investigated the DNA repair response towards decitabine and/or JNJ-26481585. Decitabine augmented RAD51 foci formation (marker for homologous recombination (HR)) and/or 53BP1 foci formation (marker for non-homologous end joining (NHEJ)). Interestingly, JNJ-26481585 negatively affected basal or decitabine-induced RAD51 foci formation. Finally, B02 (RAD51 inhibitor) enhanced decitabine-mediated apoptosis. Together, we report that decitabine-induced DNA damage stimulates HR and/or NHEJ. JNJ-26481585 negatively affects RAD51 foci formation, thereby providing an additional explanation for the combinatory effect between decitabine and JNJ-26481585.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Maes
- Department of Hematology and Immunology-Myeloma Center Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Palve V, Mallick S, Ghaisas G, Kannan S, Teni T. Overexpression of Mcl-1L splice variant is associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance in oral cancers. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111927. [PMID: 25409302 PMCID: PMC4237324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Altered expression of Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, has been linked to the progression and outcome of a variety of malignancies. We have previously reported the overexpression of Mcl-1 protein in human oral cancers. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of the expression of three known Mcl-1 isoforms in oral tumors and the effect of targeting Mcl-1L isoform on chemosensitivity of oral cancer cells. Methods The expression of Mcl-1 isoforms- Mcl-1L, Mcl-1S & Mcl-1ES was analyzed in 130 paired oral tumors and 9 oral cell lines using quantitative real-time PCR & protein by western blotting. The Mcl-1 mRNA levels were correlated with clinicopathological parameters and outcome of oral cancer patients. The effect of Mcl-1L shRNA or Obatoclax (a small molecule Mcl-1 inhibitor), in combination with Cisplatin on chemosensitivity of oral cancer cells was also assessed. Results Anti-apoptotic Mcl-1L was predominantly expressed, over low or undetectable pro-apoptotic Mcl-1S and Mcl-1ES isoforms. The Mcl-1L transcripts were significantly overexpressed in all cancer cell lines and in 64% oral tumors versus adjacent normals (P<0.02). In oral cancer patients, high Mcl-1L expression was significantly associated with node positivity (P = 0.021), advanced tumor size (P = 0.013) and poor overall survival (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis indicated Mcl-1L to be an independent prognostic factor for oral cancers (P = 0.037). Mcl-1L shRNA knockdown or its inhibition by Obatoclax in combination with Cisplatin synergistically reduced viability and growth of oral cancer cells than either treatment alone. Conclusion Our studies suggest that overexpression of Mcl-1L is associated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance in oral cancers. Mcl-1L is an independent prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target in oral cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinayak Palve
- Teni Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai-410210, India
| | - Sanchita Mallick
- Teni Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai-410210, India
| | - Gauri Ghaisas
- Teni Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai-410210, India
| | - Sadhana Kannan
- Epidemiology and Clinical Trial Unit (ECTU), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai-410210, India
| | - Tanuja Teni
- Teni Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai-410210, India
- * E-mail:
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Bao GK, Zhou L, Wang TJ, He LF, Liu T. A Combined Pharmacophore-Based Virtual Screening, Docking Study and Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation Approach to Identify Inhibitors with Novel Scaffolds for Myeloid cell leukemia (Mcl-1). B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2014. [DOI: 10.5012/bkcs.2014.35.7.2097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Abstract
Members of the Bcl-2 protein family are frequently deregulated in tumors as they critically control cell death induction in mammalian cells. Alterations of these proteins may cause resistance to chemotherapy-induced cell death and immune responses. By serendipity we cloned a variant of the anti-apoptotic Bcl2-family member Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl1) from human neuroblastoma and leukemia cells. This Mcl1L variant lacks a 45 bp sequence that codes for 15 highly conserved amino acids ranging from Gly158 to Asp172. This region is part of the so called PEST-sequence of Mcl1L and contains two phosphorylation sites (Ser159 and Thr163) that regulate Mcl1L stability. A caspase 3/caspase 8 cleavage site at Asp157 which has been reported to be critical for death-receptor-induced apoptosis and for the conversion of Mcl1L into a pro-apoptotic protein is also missing in this novel variant. Importantly, Mcl1LdelGly158-Asp172 bound significantly more pro-apoptotic Bim compared to Mcl1L and showed increased anti-proliferative and anti-apoptotic activity compared to Mcl1L during death receptor-induced cell death. This suggests that this novel Mcl1L variant efficiently protects tumor cells against extrinsic death signalling and therefore may provide a survival advantage for highly aggressive tumors.
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Kim JH, Bae J. MCL-1ES induces MCL-1L-dependent BAX- and BAK-independent mitochondrial apoptosis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79626. [PMID: 24260268 PMCID: PMC3832543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
MCL-1 (myeloid cell leukemia-1), a member of the BCL-2 family, has three splicing variants, antiapoptotic MCL-1L, proapoptotic MCL-1S, and MCL-1ES. We previously reported cloning MCL-1ES and characterizing it as an apoptotic molecule. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which MCL-1ES promotes cell death. MCL-1ES was distinct from other proapoptotic BCL-2 members that induce apoptosis by promoting BAX or BAK oligomerization, leading to mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), in that MCL-1ES promoted mitochondrial apoptosis independently of both BAX and BAK. Instead, MCL-1L was crucial for the apoptotic activity of MCL-1ES by facilitating its proper localization to the mitochondria. MCL-1ES did not interact with any BCL-2 family proteins except for MCL-1L, and antiapoptotic BCL-2 members failed to inhibit apoptosis induced by MCL-1ES. The BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) domain of MCL-1ES was critical for both MCL-1ES association with MCL-1L and apoptotic activity. MCL-1ES formed mitochondrial oligomers, and this process was followed by MOMP and cytochrome c release in a MCL-1L-dependent manner. These findings indicate that MCL-1ES, as a distinct proapoptotic BCL-2 family protein, may be useful for intervening in diseases that involve uncontrolled MCL-1L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Hong Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeehyeon Bae
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
- * E-mail:
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Gao Y, Koide K. Chemical perturbation of Mcl-1 pre-mRNA splicing to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. ACS Chem Biol 2013; 8:895-900. [PMID: 23485022 DOI: 10.1021/cb300602j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1) gene encodes antiapoptotic Mcl-1(L) and proapoptotic Mcl-1(S) proteins. In cancer, the Mcl-1(L)/Mcl-1(S) ratio is very high, accounting for the antiapoptotic nature of cancer cells. As such, reducing this ratio can render the cancer cells prone to apoptosis. The Mcl-1(L)/Mcl-1(S) ratio is determined in the alternative pre-mRNA splicing step that is regulated by splicing factor 3B1 (SF3B1). Here, we report that meayamycin B, a potent inhibitor of SF3B1, reversed the dominant isoform from Mcl-1(L) to Mcl-1(S) at the mRNA and protein levels. The resulting proapoptotic cellular environment was further exploited; when meayamycin B was combined with Bcl-x(L) inhibitor ABT-737, the combination treatment triggered apoptosis in nonsmall cell lung cancer A549 and H1299 cells that were otherwise resistant to ABT-737. These results demonstrate that perturbation of the MCL1 splicing with small molecule inhibitors of SF3B1 provides a means to sensitize cancer cells toward Bcl-x(L) inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
15260, United States
| | - Kazunori Koide
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
15260, United States
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Palve VC, Teni TR. Association of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1L isoform expression with radioresistance of oral squamous carcinoma cells. Radiat Oncol 2012; 7:135. [PMID: 22873792 PMCID: PMC3487741 DOI: 10.1186/1748-717x-7-135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Oral cancer is a common cancer and a major health problem in the Indian subcontinent. At our laboratory Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family has been demonstrated to be overexpressed in oral cancers and to predict outcome in oral cancer patients treated with definitive radiotherapy. To study the role of Mcl-1 isoforms in radiation response of oral squamous carcinoma cells (OSCC), we investigated in the present study, the association of Mcl-1 isoform expression with radiosensitivity of OSCC, using siRNA strategy. Methods The time course expression of Mcl-1 splice variants (Mcl-1L, Mcl-1S & Mcl-1ES) was studied by RT-PCR, western blotting & immunofluorescence, post-irradiation in oral cell lines [immortalized FBM (radiosensitive) and tongue cancer AW8507 & AW13516 (radioresistant)]of relatively differing radiosensitivities. The effect of Mcl-1L knockdown alone or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) on cell proliferation, apoptosis & clonogenic survival, was investigated in AW8507 & AW13516 cells. Further the expression of Mcl-1L protein was assessed in radioresistant sublines generated by fractionated ionizing radiation (FIR). Results Three to six fold higher expression of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1L versus pro-apoptotic Mcl-1S was observed at mRNA & protein levels in all cell lines, post-irradiation. Sustained high levels of Mcl-1L, downregulation of pro-apoptotic Bax & Bak and a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in apoptosis was observed in the more radioresistant AW8507, AW13516 versus FBM cells, post-IR. The ratios of anti to pro-apoptotic proteins were high in AW8507 as compared to FBM. Treatment with Mcl-1L siRNA alone or in combination with IR significantly (P < 0.01) increased apoptosis viz. 17.3% (IR), 25.3% (siRNA) and 46.3% (IR plus siRNA) and upregulated pro-apoptotic Bax levels in AW8507 cells. Combination of siRNA & IR treatment significantly (P < 0.05) reduced cell proliferation and clonogenic survival of radioresistant AW8507 & AW13516 cells, suggesting a synergistic effect of the Mcl-1L siRNA with IR on radiosensitivity. Interestingly, during the development of radioresistant sublines using FIR, high expression of Mcl-1L was observed. Conclusion Our studies suggest that Mcl-1L isoform has an important role in the survival and radioresistance of OSCC and may be a promising therapeutic target in oral cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinayak C Palve
- Teni Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India
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Peperzak V, Vikstrom IB, Tarlinton DM. Through a glass less darkly: apoptosis and the germinal center response to antigen. Immunol Rev 2012; 247:93-106. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.2012.01123.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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CADM1 isoforms differentially regulate human mast cell survival and homotypic adhesion. Cell Mol Life Sci 2012; 69:2751-64. [PMID: 22438059 PMCID: PMC3400039 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-0948-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2011] [Revised: 01/25/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1), expressed by human lung mast cells (HLMCs), mediates their adhesion to airway smooth muscle (ASM), and contributes to ASM-dependent HLMC proliferation and survival. CADM1 is expressed in alternatively spliced isoforms, but those present in HLMCs and their function are not known. We cloned three functional and one cryptic non-functional isoform with alternative splicing between exons 7/11 and 1/2, respectively, from HLMCs and human MC lines (HMC-1 and LAD2). Differentiated HLMCs and LAD2 cells expressed the functional isoform SP4 containing exons 7/8/11 (~80% of clones), as well as SP1 (exons 7/8/9/11) and a novel SP6 (exons 7/8/9/10/11). In contrast, immature HMC-1 cells expressed only functional SP4. SP4 overexpression in HMC-1 cells and HLMCs augmented homotypic adhesion to a greater extent than SP1 in various conditions. In contrast, CADM1 downregulation abolished homotypic adhesion, indicating that CADM1 is the sole receptor mediating mast cell aggregation. CADM1-mediated adhesion was enhanced by the presence of cell survival factors. SP1 overexpression in HMC-1 cells compromised survival compared to SP4 overexpression or control. CADM1 downregulation resulted in reduced viability and decreased expression of the pro-survival protein Mcl-1L, but not Blc-2 or Bcl-XL, and increased caspase-3/7 activity in both HMC-1 cells and HLMCs. This coincided with decreased basal Kit levels in HLMCs. In summary, human MCs express multiple CADM1 isoforms which exhibit differential regulation of survival and homotypic adhesion. The most highly expressed SP4 isoform is likely to contribute to MC aggregation and longevity in mastocytosis, and augment the pathophysiology of allergic diseases.
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Hu J, Dang N, Menu E, De Bruyne E, De Bryune E, Xu D, Van Camp B, Van Valckenborgh E, Vanderkerken K. Activation of ATF4 mediates unwanted Mcl-1 accumulation by proteasome inhibition. Blood 2012; 119:826-37. [PMID: 22128141 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-07-366492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) protein is an anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein that plays essential roles in multiple myeloma (MM) survival and drug resistance. In MM, it has been demonstrated that proteasome inhibition can trigger the accumulation of Mcl-1, which has been shown to confer MM cell resistance to bortezomib-induced lethality. However, the mechanisms involved in this unwanted Mcl-1 accumulation are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the unwanted Mcl-1 accumulation could be induced by the unfolded protein response (UPR) and to elucidate the role of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in regulating Mcl-1 expression. Using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot, we found that the translation of activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4), an important effector of the UPR, was also greatly enhanced by proteasome inhibition. ChIP analysis further revealed that bortezomib stimulated binding of ATF4 to a regulatory site (at position -332 to -324) at the promoter of the Mcl-1 gene. Knocking down ATF4 was paralleled by down-regulation of Mcl-1 induction by bortezomib and significantly increased bortezomib-induced apoptosis. These data identify the UPR and, more specifically, its ATF4 branch as an important mechanism mediating up-regulation of Mcl-1 by proteasome inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Hu
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
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Milot E, Filep JG. Regulation of neutrophil survival/apoptosis by Mcl-1. ScientificWorldJournal 2011; 11:1948-62. [PMID: 22125448 PMCID: PMC3217587 DOI: 10.1100/2011/131539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophil granulocytes have the shortest lifespan among leukocytes in the circulation and die via apoptosis. At sites of infection or tissue injury, prolongation of neutrophil lifespan is critical for effective host defense. Apoptosis of inflammatory neutrophils and their clearance are critical control points for termination of the inflammatory response. Evasion of neutrophil apoptosis aggravates local injury and leads to persistent tissue damage. The short-lived prosurvival Bcl-2 family protein, Mcl-1 (myeloid cell leukemia-1), is instrumental in controlling apoptosis and consequently neutrophil lifespan in response to rapidly changing environmental cues during inflammation. This paper will focus on multiple levels of control of Mcl-1 expression and function and will discuss targeting Mcl-1 as a potential therapeutic strategy to enhance the resolution of inflammation through accelerating neutrophil apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Milot
- Department of Medicine, Research Center Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, University of Montreal, 5415 Boulevard de l'Assomption, Montreal, QC, Canada H1T 2M4
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Boumela I, Assou S, Aouacheria A, Haouzi D, Dechaud H, De Vos J, Handyside A, Hamamah S. Involvement of BCL2 family members in the regulation of human oocyte and early embryo survival and death: gene expression and beyond. Reproduction 2011; 141:549-61. [PMID: 21339285 DOI: 10.1530/rep-10-0504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In women, up to 99.9% of the oocyte stockpile formed during fetal life is decimated by apoptosis. Apoptotic features are also detected in human preimplantation embryos both in vivo and in vitro. Despite the important consequences of cell death processes to oocyte competence and early embryonic development, little is known about its genetic and molecular control. B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) family proteins are major regulators of cell death and survival. Here, we present a literature review on BCL2 family expression and protein distribution in human and animal oocytes and early embryos. Most of the studies focused on the expression of two antagonistic members: the founding and survival family member BCL2 and its proapoptotic homolog BAX. However, recent transcriptomic analyses have identified novel candidate genes related to oocyte and/or early embryonic viability (such as BCL2L10) or commitment to apoptosis (e.g. BIK). Interestingly, some BCL2 proteins appear to be differentially distributed at the subcellular level during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development, a process probably linked to the functional compartmentalization of the ooplasm and blastomere. Assessment of BCL2 family involvement in regulating the survival of human oocytes and embryos may be of particular value for diagnosis and assisted reproductive technology. We suggest that implications of not only aberrant gene expression but also abnormal subcellular protein redistribution should be established in pathological conditions resulting in infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imene Boumela
- CHU Montpellier, Institute for Research in Biotherapy, Hôpital Saint-Eloi, Montpellier F-34000, France
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