1
|
Li Y, Wei Y, Ultsch M, Li W, Tang W, Tombling B, Gao X, Dimitrova Y, Gampe C, Fuhrmann J, Zhang Y, Hannoush RN, Kirchhofer D. Cystine-knot peptide inhibitors of HTRA1 bind to a cryptic pocket within the active site region. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4359. [PMID: 38777835 PMCID: PMC11111691 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48655-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cystine-knot peptides (CKPs) are naturally occurring peptides that exhibit exceptional chemical and proteolytic stability. We leveraged the CKP carboxypeptidase A1 inhibitor as a scaffold to construct phage-displayed CKP libraries and subsequently screened these collections against HTRA1, a trimeric serine protease implicated in age-related macular degeneration and osteoarthritis. The initial hits were optimized by using affinity maturation strategies to yield highly selective and potent picomolar inhibitors of HTRA1. Crystal structures, coupled with biochemical studies, reveal that the CKPs do not interact in a substrate-like manner but bind to a cryptic pocket at the S1' site region of HTRA1 and abolish catalysis by stabilizing a non-competent active site conformation. The opening and closing of this cryptic pocket is controlled by the gatekeeper residue V221, and its movement is facilitated by the absence of a constraining disulfide bond that is typically present in trypsin fold serine proteases, thereby explaining the remarkable selectivity of the CKPs. Our findings reveal an intriguing mechanism for modulating the activity of HTRA1, and highlight the utility of CKP-based phage display platforms in uncovering potent and selective inhibitors against challenging therapeutic targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Li
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yuehua Wei
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Mark Ultsch
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Wanjian Tang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Benjamin Tombling
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Xinxin Gao
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yoana Dimitrova
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Christian Gampe
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jakob Fuhrmann
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yingnan Zhang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Rami N Hannoush
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - Daniel Kirchhofer
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Yuan X, Liu X, Zhu F, Huang B, Lin L, Huang J, Wen L, Kilby MD, Baker PN, Fu Y, Wu W, Qi H, Tang J, Tong C. Endoplasmic reticulum stress impairs trophoblast syncytialization through upregulation of HtrA4 and causes early-onset preeclampsia. J Hypertens 2023; 41:2095-2106. [PMID: 37728094 DOI: 10.1097/hjh.0000000000003541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Syncytiotrophoblasts form via mononuclear cytotrophoblast fusion during placentation and play a critical role in maternal-fetal communication. Impaired syncytialization inevitably leads to pregnancy-associated complications, including preeclampsia. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is reportedly linked with preeclampsia, but little is known about its association with syncytialization. High temperature requirement factor A4 (HtrA4), a placental-specific protease, is responsible for protein quality control and placental syncytialization. This study aimed to investigate the relationship among HtrA4, ERS, and trophoblast syncytialization in the development of early-onset preeclampsia (EO-PE). METHODS HtrA4 expression and ERS in preeclamptic placentas and control placentas were analyzed by Western blotting and qRT-PCR. HtrA4 and ERS localization in placentas was determined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. BeWo cells were used to stimulate the effects of HtrA4 and ERS on syncytialization. RESULTS HtrA4 expression was upregulated in EO-PE and positively correlated with ERS. HtrA4 activity was increased in preeclampsia. Under normoxia, HtrA4 overexpression in BeWo cells did not alter the ERS level. In addition, treatment with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) or an ERS inducer increased HtrA4 expression. HtrA4 upregulation suppressed the levels of syncytin-2 and β-HCG in the presence of forskolin (FSK), and this change was exaggerated after ERS activation. In addition, treatment with an ERS inhibitor markedly suppressed FSK-treated cell fusion in a manner related to downregulation of HtrA4 expression. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that ERS enables syncytialization of placental development by upregulating HtrA4, but that excessive HtrA4 expression and preexisting ERS impair syncytialization and cause EO-PE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
| | - Xiyao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
| | - Fangyu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
| | - Biao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
| | - Li Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
| | - Jiayu Huang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Mark D Kilby
- Fetal Medicine Centre, Birmingham Women's & Children's Foundation Trust
- Institute of Metabolism & Systems Research, College of Medical & Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham
| | - Philip N Baker
- College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Yong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
| | - Weiwei Wu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi
| | - Hongbo Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
- Department of Obstetrics, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
| | - Jing Tang
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
- School of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine of Chongqing Municipality, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
- International Collaborative Laboratory of Reproduction and Development of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Pei CZ, Choi BC, Park JH, Park HY, Paek J, Lee KJ, Yun BS, Kim YJ, Baek KH. Cellular Functions of High-Temperature Requirement Factor A4 in Placenta. Cells 2023; 12:1459. [PMID: 37296580 PMCID: PMC10252923 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of High-temperature requirement factor A4 (HtrA4) mRNA is significantly lower in the chorionic villi of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) than in the control group. We conducted an investigation into the cellular functions of HtrA4 using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and shRNA-HtrA4 to create knockout BeWo cells and HtrA4 knockdown JEG3 cells. Our results indicated that the knockout BeWo cells exhibited reduced capacity for invasion and fusion, but increased levels of proliferation and migration, with a significantly shortened cell cycle compared to wild-type cells. Wild-type BeWo cells highly expressed cell invasion- and fusion-related factors, while knockout BeWo cells highly expressed migration-, proliferation-, and cell cycle-related factors. The shRNA-HtrA4 JEG3 cells showed a decreased capacity for invasion, but an increased capacity for migration, accompanied by a decrease in the expression of cell invasion-related factors and an increase in migration-related factors. Moreover, our ELISA results revealed that the serum HtrA4 level was lower in patients with RPL than in the controls. These findings suggest that HtrA4 depletion may be associated with placental dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Zhu Pei
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea; (C.-Z.P.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Bum-Chae Choi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CL Women’s Hospital, Gwangju 61917, Republic of Korea; (B.-C.C.); (H.Y.P.)
| | - Jun-Hyeok Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea; (C.-Z.P.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Hyo Young Park
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CL Women’s Hospital, Gwangju 61917, Republic of Korea; (B.-C.C.); (H.Y.P.)
| | - Jinyoung Paek
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gangnam CHA Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul 06135, Republic of Korea;
| | - Kyung-Ju Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea;
| | - Bo-Seong Yun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ilsan CHA Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul 06135, Republic of Korea;
| | - Young Ju Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ewha Woman’s University College of Medicine, Seoul 07985, Republic of Korea;
| | - Kwang-Hyun Baek
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea; (C.-Z.P.); (J.-H.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wu H, Duan Y, Gong S, Zhu Q, Liu X, Liu Z. An Integrative Pan-Cancer Analysis of Kinesin Family Member C1 (KIFC1) in Human Tumors. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10030637. [PMID: 35327439 PMCID: PMC8945479 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10030637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1) is a minus-end-directed motor protein that is critically involved in microtubule crosslinking and spindle formation. KIFC1 is essential for supernumerary centrosomes, and it is associated with the initiation and progression of cancers. In the present study, we initially reviewed the The Cancer Genome Atlas database and observed that KIFC1 is abundantly expressed in most types of tumors. We then analyzed the gene alteration profiles, protein expressions, prognoses, and immune reactivities of KIFC1 in more than 10,000 samples from several well-established databases. In addition, we conducted a gene set enrichment analysis to investigate the potential mechanisms for the roles of KIFC1 in carcinogenesis. The pan-cancer analysis of KIFC1 demonstrates significant statistical correlations of the KIFC1 expression with the clinical prognoses, the oncogenic signature gene sets, the myeloid-derived suppressor cell infiltration, the ImmunoScore, the immune checkpoints, the microsatellite instabilities, and the tumor mutational burdens across multiple tumors. These data may provide important information on the understanding of the role and mechanisms of KIFC1 in carcinogenesis and immunotherapy, as well as on the clinical progression of a variety of cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Center for Precision Medicine and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (H.W.); (Q.Z.); (X.L.)
| | - Yingjuan Duan
- Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
| | - Siming Gong
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
| | - Qiang Zhu
- Center for Precision Medicine and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (H.W.); (Q.Z.); (X.L.)
| | - Xuanyou Liu
- Center for Precision Medicine and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (H.W.); (Q.Z.); (X.L.)
| | - Zhenguo Liu
- Center for Precision Medicine and Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (H.W.); (Q.Z.); (X.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-573-882-5695
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang Z, Xiong H, Zuo Y, Hu S, Zhu C, Min A. PSMC2 knockdown inhibits the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma by promoting apoptosis via PI3K/Akt pathway. Cell Cycle 2022; 21:477-488. [PMID: 34979867 PMCID: PMC8942557 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2021.2021722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteasome 26S subunit, ATPase 2 (PSMC2) is a recently identified gene which is potentially associated with human carcinogenesis. However, the effects of PSMC2 on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still unclear. Here, we investigated PSMC2 expression in OSCC tissues and explored its effects on the biological behaviors of OSCC cells. PSMC2 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray containing 60 OSCC tissues and 9 normal tissues. PSMC2 was knocked down through lentivirus infection in OSCC cell lines. MTT, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell, and scratch assays were performed to detect effects of PSMC2 knockdown on phenotypes of OSCC cells. Human apoptosis antibody array was used to screen potential downstream of PSMC2 in OSCC. Finally, the effects of PSMC2 knockdown on tumor growth were assessed in a tumor xenograft model using BALB/c nude mice. PSMC2 expression was significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues compared with normal tissues and correlated with poor prognosis. PSMC2 knockdown significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, but promoted apoptosis of OSCC cells. Additionally, we confirmed that PSMC2 knockdown can increase the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins. Furthermore, we found that PSMC2 knockdown downregulated expression of p100, p-Akt, CDK6, and upregulated of MAPK9. Xenograft experiments revealed that PSMC2 knockdown can suppress OSCC tumor growth and promote apoptosis. This study demonstrated that PSMC2 plays a critical role in OSCC progression through affecting pro-apoptotic protein expression and apoptosis pathways. It indicated that targeting PSMC2 might be a promising strategy for OSCC treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zijia Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Haofeng Xiong
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yijie Zuo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shujun Hu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chao Zhu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Anjie Min
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China,Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, China,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China,CONTACT Anjie Min Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha410005, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Overview of Human HtrA Family Proteases and Their Distinctive Physiological Roles and Unique Involvement in Diseases, Especially Cancer and Pregnancy Complications. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910756. [PMID: 34639128 PMCID: PMC8509474 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian high temperature requirement A (HtrA) proteins are a family of evolutionarily conserved serine proteases, consisting of four homologs (HtrA1-4) that are involved in many cellular processes such as growth, unfolded protein stress response and programmed cell death. In humans, while HtrA1, 2 and 3 are widely expressed in multiple tissues with variable levels, HtrA4 expression is largely restricted to the placenta with the protein released into maternal circulation during pregnancy. This limited expression sets HtrA4 apart from the rest of the family. All four HtrAs are active proteases, and their specific cellular and physiological roles depend on tissue type. The dysregulation of HtrAs has been implicated in many human diseases such as cancer, arthritis, neurogenerative ailments and reproductive disorders. This review first discusses HtrAs broadly and then focuses on the current knowledge of key molecular characteristics of individual human HtrAs, their similarities and differences and their reported physiological functions. HtrAs in other species are also briefly mentioned in the context of understanding the human HtrAs. It then reviews the distinctive involvement of each HtrA in various human diseases, especially cancer and pregnancy complications. It is noteworthy that HtrA4 expression has not yet been reported in any primary tumour samples, suggesting an unlikely involvement of this HtrA in cancer. Collectively, we accentuate that a better understanding of tissue-specific regulation and distinctive physiological and pathological roles of each HtrA will improve our knowledge of many processes that are critical for human health.
Collapse
|
7
|
Zarzecka U, Harrer A, Zawilak-Pawlik A, Skorko-Glonek J, Backert S. Chaperone activity of serine protease HtrA of Helicobacter pylori as a crucial survival factor under stress conditions. Cell Commun Signal 2019; 17:161. [PMID: 31796064 PMCID: PMC6892219 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-019-0481-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serine protease HtrA exhibits both proteolytic and chaperone activities, which are involved in cellular protein quality control. Moreover, HtrA is an important virulence factor in many pathogens including Helicobacter pylori, for which the crucial stage of infection is the cleavage of E-cadherin and other cell-to-cell junction proteins. METHODS The in vitro study of H. pylori HtrA (HtrAHp) chaperone activity was carried out using light scattering assays and investigation of lysozyme protein aggregates. We produced H. pylori ∆htrA deletion and HtrAHp point mutants without proteolytic activity in strain N6 and investigated the survival of the bacteria under thermal, osmotic, acidic and general stress conditions as well as the presence of puromycin or metronidazole using serial dilution tests and disk diffusion method. The levels of cellular and secreted proteins were examined using biochemical fraction and Western blotting. We also studied the proteolytic activity of secreted HtrAHp using zymography and the enzymatic digestion of β-casein. Finally, the consequences of E-cadherin cleavage were determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. RESULTS We demonstrate that HtrAHp displays chaperone activity that inhibits the aggregation of lysozyme and is stable under various pH and temperature conditions. Next, we could show that N6 expressing only HtrA chaperone activity grow well under thermal, pH and osmotic stress conditions, and in the presence of puromycin or metronidazole. In contrast, in the absence of the entire htrA gene the bacterium was more sensitive to a number of stresses. Analysing the level of cellular and secreted proteins, we noted that H. pylori lacking the proteolytic activity of HtrA display reduced levels of secreted HtrA. Moreover, we compared the amounts of secreted HtrA from several clinical H. pylori strains and digestion of β-casein. We also demonstrated a significant effect of the HtrAHp variants during infection of human epithelial cells and for E-cadherin cleavage. CONCLUSION Here we identified the chaperone activity of the HtrAHp protein and have proven that this activity is important and sufficient for the survival of H. pylori under multiple stress conditions. We also pinpointed the importance of HtrAHp chaperone activity for E- cadherin degradation and therefore for the virulence of this eminent pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Urszula Zarzecka
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aileen Harrer
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anna Zawilak-Pawlik
- Department of Microbiology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Skorko-Glonek
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Steffen Backert
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wenta T, Rychlowski M, Jarzab M, Lipinska B. HtrA4 Protease Promotes Chemotherapeutic-Dependent Cancer Cell Death. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101112. [PMID: 31546993 PMCID: PMC6829446 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The HtrA4 human protease is crucial in placentation and embryo implantation, and its altered level is connected with pre-eclampsia. The meta-analyses of microarray assays revealed that the HtrA4 level is changed in brain tumors and breast and prostate cancers, which suggests its involvement in oncogenesis. In spite of the HtrA4 involvement in important physiological and pathological processes, its function in the cell is poorly understood. In this work, using lung and breast cancer cell lines, we showed for the first time that the full-length HtrA4 and its N-terminally deleted variant promote cancer cell death induced by chemotherapeutic drugs by enhancing apoptosis. The effect is dependent on the HtrA4 proteolytic activity, and the N-terminally deleted HtrA4 is more efficient in the cell death stimulation. Furthermore, HtrA4 increases the effect of chemotherapeutics on the clonogenic potential and motility of cancer cells, and it increases cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. HtrA4 may modulate cell death by degrading the anti-apoptotic XIAP protein and also by proteolysis of the executioner pro-caspase 7 and cytoskeletal proteins, actin and β-tubulin. These findings provide new insight into the mechanism of the HtrA4 protease function in cell death and oncogenesis, and they may help to develop new anti-cancer therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wenta
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Michal Rychlowski
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Miroslaw Jarzab
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Barbara Lipinska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|