1
|
Papadopoulos P, Zisis V, Andreadis D, Vahtsevanos K, Poulopoulos A. Investigation of the Vascular-Endothelial Pattern of Expression of DAPK-1 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders Through Immunohistochemistry. Cureus 2024; 16:e63519. [PMID: 39081443 PMCID: PMC11288380 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.63519] [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] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Potentially malignant disorders, like oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral leukoplakia (OL) of several degrees of dysplasia, manifest a significant potential of malignant transformation being a precursor of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The role of microvascularization in carcinogenesis is critical; therefore, microvascularization constitutes a major therapeutic target. DAPK-1 constitutes a possible cancer marker, with proven implications in other human cancers, and there isn't any study on its vascular endothelial expression in the oral cavity, particularly in oral cancer and oral potentially malignant diseases. The present study aims to investigate the vascular endothelial expression of the DAPK-1 in paraffin-embedded tissue samples of oral leukoplakia, oral squamous cell carcinoma, and oral lichen planus. Materials and methods The study focuses on the immunohistochemical, vascular-endothelial, expression pattern of biomarker DAPK-1 (NBP2-38468, Novus Biologicals, Centennial, CO, US). Tissue samples were obtained from six cases of oral lichen planus (OLP) (3 of reticular and 3 of erosive form), 30 cases of oral leukoplakia (OL) (10 with no dysplasia, 10 with mild dysplasia, and 10 with moderate/severe dysplasia), 22 cases of OSCC (2 well-differentiated, 17 moderately differentiated, and 3 poorly differentiated), as well as 5 cases of normal oral epithelium. The tissue samples were retrieved from the archives of the Department of Oral Medicine/Pathology, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as from St Lukas Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece, from 2004-2019. In accordance with the Research and Ethics Committee guidelines of the Aristotle University, School of Dentistry, and the Helsinki II declaration, the study was conducted. The primary inclusion criteria for the study focused on the presence of sufficient precancerous or cancerous tissue. Conversely, inadequate tissue served as the exclusion criteria. The staining was evaluated exclusively in a quantitative manner. The vascular endothelial staining was evaluated as either positive or negative. If at least one endothelial cell exhibited positive staining, the section was classified as positive. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS Statistics v25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US) utilizing Pearson's chi-square or Fisher's exact test, depending on the sample size, to compare OLP to OL, OLP to OSCC, OLP to normal, OL to OSCC, OL to normal, and OSCC to normal. The significance level was established at 0.05 (p=0.05). Results A prevalence of positive OL cases may be noticed. The comparison between OLP and OL yielded Fisher's exact test of p>0.999, OLP and OSCC p=0.389, OLP and normal oral epithelium p>0.999, OL and OSCC p=0.226, OL and normal oral epithelium p>0.999, as well as OSCC and normal oral epithelium p=0.342. Conclusions The role of DAPK in tumorigenesis is already supported by limited literature. However, its implication in the development of OSCC and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) has yet to be elucidated. Its elevated expression in OL suggests a role in affecting the microenvironment, the vessels, in particular, surrounding oral potentially malignant lesions, possibly assisting their transition into cancer. The evaluation of the vascular-endothelial immunohistochemical profile of DAPK-1 in OL, OLP, and OSCC requires further studies in more tissue samples to illustrate its possible implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Petros Papadopoulos
- Oral Medicine/Pathology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GRC
| | - Vasileios Zisis
- Oral Medicine/Pathology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GRC
| | - Dimitrios Andreadis
- Oral Medicine/Pathology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GRC
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Makgoo L, Mosebi S, Mbita Z. The Role of Death-Associated Protein Kinase-1 in Cell Homeostasis-Related Processes. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1274. [PMID: 37372454 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tremendous amount of financial resources and manpower have been invested to understand the function of numerous genes that are deregulated during the carcinogenesis process, which can be targeted for anticancer therapeutic interventions. Death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK-1) is one of the genes that have shown potential as biomarkers for cancer treatment. It is a member of the kinase family, which also includes Death-associated protein kinase 2 (DAPK-2), Death-associated protein kinase 3 (DAPK-3), Death-associated protein kinase-related apoptosis-inducing kinase 1 (DRAK-1) and Death-associated protein kinase-related apoptosis-inducing kinase 2 (DRAK-2). DAPK-1 is a tumour-suppressor gene that is hypermethylated in most human cancers. Additionally, DAPK-1 regulates a number of cellular processes, including apoptosis, autophagy and the cell cycle. The molecular basis by which DAPK-1 induces these cell homeostasis-related processes for cancer prevention is less understood; hence, they need to be investigated. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current understanding of the mechanisms of DAPK-1 in cell homeostasis-related processes, especially apoptosis, autophagy and the cell cycle. It also explores how the expression of DAPK-1 affects carcinogenesis. Since deregulation of DAPK-1 is implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer, altering DAPK-1 expression or activity may be a promising therapeutic strategy against cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Makgoo
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Pietersburg 0727, Sovenga, South Africa
| | - Salerwe Mosebi
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Private Bag X6, Johanessburg 1710, Florida, South Africa
| | - Zukile Mbita
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Pietersburg 0727, Sovenga, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang L, Luo B, Lu Y, Chen Y. Targeting Death-Associated Protein Kinases for Treatment of Human Diseases: Recent Advances and Future Directions. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1112-1136. [PMID: 36645394 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) family is a member of the calcium/calmodulin-regulated serine/threonine protein kinase family, and studies have shown that its role, as its name suggests, is mainly to regulate cell death. The DAPK family comprises five members, including DAPK1, DAPK2, DAPK3, DRAK1 and DRAK2, which show high homology in the common N-terminal kinase domain but differ in the extra-catalytic domain. Notably, previous research has suggested that the DAPK family plays an essential role in both the development and regulation of human diseases. However, only a few small-molecule inhibitors have been reported. In this Perspective, we mainly discuss the structure, biological function, and role of DAPKs in diseases and the currently discovered small-molecule inhibitors, providing valuable information for the development of the DAPK field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lan Zhang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China
| | - Boqin Luo
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China
| | - Yingying Lu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China
| | - Yi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
Regulated cell death predominantly involves apoptosis, autophagy, and regulated necrosis. It is vital that we understand how key regulatory signals can control the process of cell death. Pin1 is a cis-trans isomerase that catalyzes the isomerization of phosphorylated serine or threonine-proline motifs of a protein, thereby acting as a crucial molecular switch and regulating the protein functionality and the signaling pathways involved. However, we know very little about how Pin1-associated pathways might play a role in regulated cell death. In this paper, we review the role of Pin1 in regulated cell death and related research progress and summarize Pin1-related pathways in regulated cell death. Aside from the involvement of Pin1 in the apoptosis that accompanies neurodegenerative diseases, accumulating evidence suggests that Pin1 also plays a role in regulated necrosis and autophagy, thereby exhibiting distinct effects, including both neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects. Gaining an enhanced understanding of Pin1 in neuronal death may provide us with new options for the development of therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
|
5
|
Chen D, Wang L, Lee TH. Post-translational Modifications of the Peptidyl-Prolyl Isomerase Pin1. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:129. [PMID: 32195254 PMCID: PMC7064559 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) Pin1 is a unique enzyme that only binds to Ser/Thr-Pro peptide motifs after phosphorylation and regulates the conformational changes of the bond. The Pin1-catalyzed isomerization upon phosphorylation can have profound effects on substrate biological functions, including their activity, stability, assembly, and subcellular localization, affecting its role in intracellular signaling, transcription, and cell cycle progression. The functions of Pin1 are regulated by post-translational modifications (PTMs) in many biological processes, which include phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation and oxidation. Phosphorylation of different Pin1 sites regulates Pin1 enzymatic activity, binding ability, localization, and ubiquitination by different kinases under various cellular contexts. Moreover, SUMOylation and oxidation have been shown to downregulate Pin1 activity. Although Pin1 is tightly regulated under physiological conditions, deregulation of Pin1 PTMs contributes to the development of human diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, manipulating the PTMs of Pin1 may be a promising therapeutic option for treating various human diseases. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms of Pin1 regulation by PTMs and the major impact of Pin1 PTMs on the progression of cancer and AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute for Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Long Wang
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute for Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Tae Ho Lee
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute for Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chen D, Zhou XZ, Lee TH. Death-Associated Protein Kinase 1 as a Promising Drug Target in Cancer and Alzheimer's Disease. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2020; 14:144-157. [PMID: 30569876 PMCID: PMC6751350 DOI: 10.2174/1574892814666181218170257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background: Death-Associated Protein Kinase 1 (DAPK1) plays an important role in apopto-sis, tumor suppression and neurodegeneration including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Objective: This review will describe the diverse roles of DAPK1 in the development of cancer and AD, and the current status of drug development targeting DAPK1-based therapies. Methods: Reports of DAPK1 regulation, function and substrates were analyzed using genetic DAPK1 manipulation and chemical DAPK1 modulators. Results: DAPK1 expression and activity are deregulated in cancer and AD. It is down-regulated and/or inactivated by multiple mechanisms in many human cancers, and elicits a protective effect to counteract numerous death stimuli in cancer, including activation of the master regulator Pin1. Moreover, loss of DAPK1 expression has correlated strongly with tumor recurrence and metastasis, suggesting that lack of sufficient functional DAPK1 might contribute to cancer. In contrast, DAPK1 is highly expressed in the brains of most human AD patients and has been identified as one of the genetic factors affecting suscepti-bility to late-onset AD. The absence of DAPK1 promotes efficient learning and better memory in mice and prevents the development of AD by acting on many key proteins including Pin1 and its downstream tar-gets tau and APP. Recent patents show that DAPK1 modulation might be used to treat both cancer and AD. Conclusion: DAPK1 plays a critical role in diverse physiological processes and importantly, its deregula-tion is implicated in the pathogenesis of either cancer or AD. Therefore, manipulating DAPK1 activity and/or expression may be a promising therapeutic option for cancer or AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute for Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| | - Xiao Z Zhou
- Division of Translational Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Tae H Lee
- Fujian Key Laboratory for Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute for Translational Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350122, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sun L, Wu X, Peng Y, Goh JY, Liou YC, Lin D, Zhao Y. Solution structural analysis of the single-domain parvulin TbPin1. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43017. [PMID: 22900083 PMCID: PMC3416822 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2012] [Accepted: 07/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pin1-type parvulins are phosphorylation-dependent peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases. Their functions have been widely reported to be involved in a variety of cellular responses or processes, such as cell division, transcription, and apoptosis, as well as in human diseases including Alzheimer's disease and cancers. TbPin1 was identified as a novel class of Pin1-type parvulins from Trypanosoma brucei, containing a unique PPIase domain, which can catalyze the isomerization of phosphorylated Ser/Thr-Pro peptide bond. Methodology/Principal Findings We determined the solution structure of TbPin1 and performed 15N relaxation measurements to analyze its backbone dynamics using multi-dimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. The average RMSD values of the 20 lowest energy structures are 0.50±0.05 Å for backbone heavy atoms and 0.85±0.08 Å for all heavy atoms. TbPin1 adopts the typical catalytic tertiary structure of Pin1-type parvulins, which comprises a globular fold with a four-stranded anti-parallel β-sheet core surrounded by three α-helices and one 310-helix. The global structure of TbPin1 is relatively rigid except the active site. The 2D EXSY spectra illustrate that TbPin1 possesses a phosphorylation-dependent PPIase activity. The binding sites of TbPin1 for a phosphorylated peptide substrate {SSYFSG[p]TPLEDDSD} were determined by the chemical shift perturbation approach. Residues Ser15, Arg18, Asn19, Val21, Ser22, Val32, Gly66, Ser67, Met83, Asp105 and Gly107 are involved in substantial contact with the substrate. Conclusions/Significance The solution structure of TbPin1 and the binding sites of the phosphorylated peptide substrate on TbPin1 were determined. The work is helpful for further understanding the molecular basis of the substrate specificity for Pin1-type parvulin family and enzyme catalysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lifang Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xueji Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yu Peng
- NMR Laboratory, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Yuan Goh
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yih-Cherng Liou
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Donghai Lin
- The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- * E-mail: (DL); (YZ)
| | - Yufen Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- * E-mail: (DL); (YZ)
| |
Collapse
|