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Kanabar D, Kane EI, Chavan T, Laflamme TM, Suarez E, Goyal M, Gupta V, Spratt DE, Muth A. Synthesis and evaluation of 2,5-substituted pyrimidines as small-molecule gankyrin binders. Future Med Chem 2024; 16:239-251. [PMID: 38205637 PMCID: PMC10853842 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2023-0124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Gankyrin is an ankyrin-repeat protein that promotes cell proliferation, tumor development and cancer progression when overexpressed. Aim: To design and synthesize a novel series of gankyrin-binding small molecules predicated on a 2,5-pyrimidine scaffold. Materials & methods: The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity, ability to bind gankyrin and effects on cell cycle progression and the proteasomal degradation pathway. Results: Compounds 188 and 193 demonstrated the most potent antiproliferative activity against MCF7 and A549 cells, respectively. Both compounds also demonstrated the ability to effectively bind gankyrin, disrupt proteasomal degradation and inhibit cell cycle progression. Conclusion: The 2,5-pyrimidine scaffold exhibits a novel and promising strategy for binding gankyrin and inhibiting cancer cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti Kanabar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Emma I Kane
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Tejashri Chavan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Taylor M Laflamme
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Ethan Suarez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Mimansa Goyal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Donald E Spratt
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Aaron Muth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
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2
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Kanabar D, Goyal M, Kane EI, Chavan T, Kabir A, Wang X, Shukla S, Almasri J, Goswami S, Osman G, Kokolis M, Spratt DE, Gupta V, Muth A. Small-Molecule Gankyrin Inhibition as a Therapeutic Strategy for Breast and Lung Cancer. J Med Chem 2022; 65:8975-8997. [PMID: 35758870 PMCID: PMC9524259 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Gankyrin is an oncoprotein responsible for the development of numerous cancer types. It regulates the expression levels of multiple tumor suppressor proteins (TSPs) in liver cancer; however, gankyrin's regulation of these TSPs in breast and lung cancers has not been thoroughly investigated. Additionally, no small-molecule gankyrin inhibitor has been developed which demonstrates potent anti-proliferative activity against gankyrin overexpressing breast and lung cancers. Herein, we are reporting the structure-based design of gankyrin-binding small molecules which potently inhibited the proliferation of gankyrin overexpressing A549 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, reduced colony formation, and inhibited the growth of 3D spheroids in an in vitro tumor simulation model. Investigations demonstrated that gankyrin inhibition occurs through either stabilization or destabilization of its 3D structure. These studies shed light on the mechanism of small-molecule inhibition of gankyrin and demonstrate that gankyrin is a viable therapeutic target for the treatment of breast and lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti Kanabar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Mimansa Goyal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Emma I. Kane
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester MA 01610, USA
| | - Tejashri Chavan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Abbas Kabir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Xuechun Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Snehal Shukla
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Joseph Almasri
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Sona Goswami
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Gizem Osman
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Marino Kokolis
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Donald E. Spratt
- Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Clark University, Worcester MA 01610, USA
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
| | - Aaron Muth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences St. John’s University, Queens NY 11439, USA
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3
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Second Generation Small Molecule Inhibitors of Gankyrin for the Treatment of Pediatric Liver Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133068. [PMID: 35804840 PMCID: PMC9265042 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Gankyrin, a member of the 26S proteasome, is an overexpressed oncoprotein in hepatoblastoma (HBL) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cjoc42 was the first small molecule inhibitor of Gankyrin developed; however, the IC50 values of >50 μM made them unattractive for clinical use. Second-generation inhibitors demonstrate a stronger affinity toward Gankyrin and increased cytotoxicity. The aim of this study was to characterize the in vitro effects of three cjoc42 derivatives. Methods: Experiments were performed on the HepG2 (HBL) and Hep3B (pediatric HCC) cell lines. We evaluated the expression of TSPs, cell cycle markers, and stem cell markers by Western blotting and/or real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR. We also performed apoptotic, synergy, and methylation assays. Results: The treatment with cjoc42 derivatives led to an increase in TSPs and a dose-dependent decrease in the stem cell phenotype in both cell lines. An increase in apoptosis was only seen with AFM-1 and -2 in Hep3B cells. Drug synergy was seen with doxorubicin, and antagonism was seen with cisplatin. In the presence of cjoc42 derivatives, the 20S subunit of the 26S proteasome was more available to transport doxorubicin to the nucleus, leading to synergy. Conclusion: Small-molecule inhibitors for Gankyrin are a promising therapeutic strategy, especially in combination with doxorubicin.
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4
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Kanabar D, Kabir A, Chavan T, Kong J, Yoganathan S, Muth A. Identification of novel gankyrin binding scaffolds by high throughput virtual screening. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 43:128043. [PMID: 33865970 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dipti Kanabar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Abbas Kabir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Tejashri Chavan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Jing Kong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Sabesan Yoganathan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Aaron Muth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
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5
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D'Souza AM, Cast A, Kumbaji M, Rivas M, Gulati R, Johnston M, Smithrud D, Geller J, Timchenko N. Small Molecule Cjoc42 Improves Chemo-Sensitivity and Increases Levels of Tumor Suppressor Proteins in Hepatoblastoma Cells and in Mice by Inhibiting Oncogene Gankyrin. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:580722. [PMID: 33746747 PMCID: PMC7969996 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.580722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Relapsed hepatoblastoma (HBL) and upfront hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are notoriously chemoresistant tumors associated with poor outcomes. Gankyrin (Gank) is a known oncogene that is overexpressed in pediatric liver cancer and implicated in chemo-resistance. The goal of this study was to evaluate if the Gank-tumor suppressor axis is activated in chemoresistant hepatoblastoma patients and examine if an inhibitor of Gank, Cjoc42, might improve the chemosensitivity of cancer cells. Methods: Expression of Gank and its downstream targets were examined in fresh human HBL samples using immunostaining, QRT-PCR, and Western Blot. Cancer cells, Huh6 (human HBL) and Hepa1c1c7 (mouse HCC) were treated with Cjoc42 and with Cjoc42 in combination with cisplatin or doxorubicin. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and chemoresistance were examined. To examine activities of Cjoc42 in vivo, mice were treated with different doses of Cjoc42, and biological activities of Gank and cytotoxicity of Cjoc42 were tested. Results: Elevation of Gank and Gank-mediated elimination of TSPs are observed in patients with minimal necrosis after chemotherapy and relapsed disease. The treatment of Huh6 and Hepa1c1c7 with Cjoc42 was not cytotoxic; however, in combination with cisplatin or doxorubicin, Cjoc42 caused a significant increase in cytotoxicity compared to chemotherapy alone with increased apoptosis. Examination of Cjoc42 in WT mice showed that Cjoc42 is well tolerated without systemic toxicity, and levels of tumor suppressors CUGBP1, Rb, p53, C/EBPα, and HNF4α are increased by blocking their Gank-dependent degradation. Conclusions: Our work shows that Cjoc42 might be a promising adjunct to chemotherapy for the treatment of severe pediatric liver cancer and presents mechanisms by which Cjoc42 increases chemo-sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber M D'Souza
- Departments of Oncology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Ashley Cast
- Departments of Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Meenasri Kumbaji
- Departments of Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Maria Rivas
- Departments of Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Ruhi Gulati
- Departments of Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Michael Johnston
- Departments of Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - David Smithrud
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - James Geller
- Departments of Oncology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Nikolai Timchenko
- Departments of Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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6
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Exploring gankyrin's role in cancer development and its potential as a therapeutic target. Future Med Chem 2020; 12:1603-1606. [PMID: 32892644 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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7
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Kanabar D, Farrales P, Kabir A, Juang D, Gnanmony M, Almasri J, Torrents N, Shukla S, Gupta V, Dukhande VV, D'Souza A, Muth A. Optimizing the aryl-triazole of cjoc42 for enhanced gankyrin binding and anti-cancer activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127372. [PMID: 32738965 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Gankyrin is an oncoprotein overexpressed in numerous cancer types and appears to play a key role in regulating cell proliferation, cell growth, and cell migration. These roles are largely due to gankyrin's protein-protein interaction with the 26S proteasome. We previously published a study exploring the aryl sulfonate ester of cjoc42 in an effort to enhance gankyrin binding and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. In order to further improve the gankyrin binding ability of the cjoc42 scaffold, an extensive SAR for the aryl-triazole moiety of cjoc42 was developed. Our cjoc42 derivatives exhibited enhanced gankyrin binding, as well as enhanced antiproliferative activity against Hep3B, HepG2, A549, and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti Kanabar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Pamela Farrales
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Abbas Kabir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Daniel Juang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Manu Gnanmony
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Joseph Almasri
- Department of Chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Nicolas Torrents
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Snehal Shukla
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Vikas V Dukhande
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Amber D'Souza
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Aaron Muth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
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8
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Kanabar D, Farrales P, Gnanamony M, Almasri J, Abo-Ali EM, Otmankel Y, Shah H, Nguyen D, El Menyewi M, Dukhande VV, D'Souza A, Muth A. Structural modification of the aryl sulfonate ester of cjoc42 for enhanced gankyrin binding and anti-cancer activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:126889. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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9
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Cast A, Kumbaji M, D'Souza A, Rodriguez K, Gupta A, Karns R, Timchenko L, Timchenko N. Liver Proliferation Is an Essential Driver of Fibrosis in Mouse Models of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Hepatol Commun 2019; 3:1036-1049. [PMID: 31388625 PMCID: PMC6671863 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) involves development of hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and steatohepatitis. Because hepatic steatosis appears first in NAFLD animal models, the current therapy development focuses on inhibition of hepatic steatosis, suggesting that further steps of NAFLD will be also inhibited. In this report, we show that the first event of NAFLD is liver proliferation, which drives fibrosis in NAFLD. We have deleted a strong driver of liver proliferation, gankyrin (Gank), and examined development of NAFLD in this animal model under conditions of a high‐fat diet (HFD). We found that proliferating livers of wild‐type mice develop fibrosis; however, livers of Gank liver‐specific knockout (GLKO) mice with reduced proliferation show no fibrosis. Interestingly, an HFD causes the development of strong macrovesicular steatosis in GLKO mice and is surprisingly associated with improvements in animal health. We observed that key regulators of liver biology CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α), p53, and CUG repeat binding protein 1 (CUGBP1) are elevated due to the deletion of Gank and that these proteins support liver functions leading to healthy conditions in GLKO mice under an HFD. To examine the role of one of these proteins in the protection of liver from fibrosis, we used CUGBP1‐S302A knockin mice, which have a reduction of CUGBP1 due to increased degradation of this mutant by Gank. These studies show that reduction of CUGBP1 inhibits steatosis and facilitates liver proliferation, leading to fibrosis and the development of liver tumors. Conclusion: Liver proliferation drives fibrosis, while steatosis might play a protective role. Therapy for NAFLD should include inhibition of proliferation rather than inhibition of steatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Cast
- Department of Surgery Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
| | - Meenasri Kumbaji
- Department of Surgery Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
| | - Amber D'Souza
- Department of Surgery Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
| | - Katherine Rodriguez
- Department of Surgery Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
| | - Anita Gupta
- Department of Pathology Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
| | - Rebekah Karns
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
| | - Lubov Timchenko
- Department of Neurology Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
| | - Nikolai Timchenko
- Department of Surgery Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati OH
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10
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Muli CS, Tian W, Trader DJ. Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Proteasome's Regulatory Particle. Chembiochem 2019; 20:1739-1753. [PMID: 30740849 PMCID: PMC6765334 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cells need to synthesize and degrade proteins consistently. Maintaining a balanced level of protein in the cell requires a carefully controlled system and significant energy. Degradation of unwanted or damaged proteins into smaller peptide units can be accomplished by the proteasome. The proteasome is composed of two main subunits. The first is the core particle (20S CP), and within this core particle are three types of threonine proteases. The second is the regulatory complex (19S RP), which has a myriad of activities including recognizing proteins marked for degradation and shuttling the protein into the 20S CP to be degraded. Small-molecule inhibitors of the 20S CP have been developed and are exceptional treatments for multiple myeloma (MM). 20S CP inhibitors disrupt the protein balance, leading to cellular stress and eventually to cell death. Unfortunately, the 20S CP inhibitors currently available have dose-limiting off-target effects and resistance can be acquired rapidly. Herein, we discuss small molecules that have been discovered to interact with the 19S RP subunit or with a protein closely associated with 19S RP activity. These molecules still elicit their toxicity by preventing the proteasome from degrading proteins, but do so through different mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine S. Muli
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, 575 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Wenzhi Tian
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, 575 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Darci J. Trader
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, 575 West Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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11
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Liu R, Li Y, Tian L, Shi H, Wang J, Liang Y, Sun B, Wang S, Zhou M, Wu L, Nie J, Lin B, Tang S, Zhang Y, Wang G, Zhang C, Han J, Xu B, Liu L, Gong K, Zheng T. Gankyrin drives metabolic reprogramming to promote tumorigenesis, metastasis and drug resistance through activating β-catenin/c-Myc signaling in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2018; 443:34-46. [PMID: 30503555 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Gankyrin plays important roles in tumorigenicity and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We have for the first time investigated the effects of Gankyrin on glycolysis and glutaminolysis both in vitro and in vivo, including in patient-derived xenografts. We reported Gankyrin increases glucose consumption, lactate production, glutamine consumption and glutamate production in HCC through upregulating the expression of the transporters and enzymes involved in glycolysis and glutaminolysis, including HK2, GLUT1, LDHA, PKM2, ASCT2 and GLS1. We further demonstrated that Gankyrin drives glycolysis and glutaminolysis through upregulating c-Myc via activating β-catenin signaling. Importantly, we found c-Myc mediated metabolic reprogramming might contribute to the tumorigenicity, metastasis and drug resistance induced by Gankyrin. c-Myc inhibitor synergizes with Sorafenib or Regorafenib to suppress HCC PDX tumors with high Gankyrin levels. We detected a significant correlation between Gankyrin and β-catenin expression levels in a cohort of HCC biopsies, and combination of these two parameters is a more powerful predictor of poor prognosis. Collectively, our results uncovered that Gankyrin functions as an essential regulator in glycolysis and glutaminolysis via activation of β-catenin/c-Myc to promotes tumorigenesis, metastasis and drug resistance in human HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yuejin Li
- The First Department of General Surgery, First People's Hospital of Yunnan, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
| | - Lantian Tian
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Huawen Shi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Jiabei Wang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Yingjian Liang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Boshi Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Shuangjia Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China.
| | - Meng Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Li Wu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Jianhua Nie
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Binlin Lin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Shuli Tang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Yanqiao Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Guangyu Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Jiguang Han
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Benjie Xu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Lianxin Liu
- Department of Hepatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China; Department of Pharmacology (the State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, China.
| | - Kunmei Gong
- The First Department of General Surgery, First People's Hospital of Yunnan, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
| | - Tongsen Zheng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China; Department of Pharmacology (the State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, China; Department of Phase I Clinical Trials, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
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12
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Pimienta M, Seki E. Tumor Suppressor Down-Regulation Promotes Hepatocyte Proliferation: A New GANKster on the Block. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 6:345-346. [PMID: 30182043 PMCID: PMC6120958 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ekihiro Seki
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.,University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, California.,Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California
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