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Qadri T, Aziz M, Channar PA, Ejaz SA, Hussain M, Attaullah HM, Ujan R, Hussain Z, Zehra T, Saeed A, Shah MR, Ogaly HA, Al-Zahrani FAM. Synthesis, biological evaluation and in silico investigations of benzotriazole derivatives as potential inhibitors of NIMA related kinase. RSC Adv 2023; 13:33826-33843. [PMID: 38020022 PMCID: PMC10655664 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra06149c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the current study, a novel compound, bis(3-(2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol-2-yl)-2-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)-5-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenyl)methane (TAJ1), has been synthesized by the reaction of 6,6'-methylenebis(2-(2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol-2-yl)-4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenol) (1), propargyl bromide (2) and potassium carbonate. Spectroscopic (FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR) and single-crystal assays proved the structure of the synthesized sample. XRD analysis confirmed the structure of the synthesized compound, showing that it possesses two aromatic parts linked via a -CH2 carbon with a bond angle of 108.40°. The cell line activity reported a percent growth reduction for different cell types (HeLa cells, MCF-7 cells, and Vero cells) under various treatment conditions (TAJ1, cisplatin, and doxorubicin) after 24 hours and 48 hours. The percent growth reduction represents a decrease in cell growth compared to a control condition. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were utilized to examine the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and overall chemical reactivity descriptors of TAJ1. The molecule's chemical reactivity and stability were assessed by determining the HOMO-LUMO energy gap. TAJ1 displayed a HOMO energy level of -0.224 eV, a LUMO energy level of -0.065 eV, and a HOMO-LUMO gap of 0.159 eV. Additionally, molecular docking analysis was performed to assess the binding affinities of TAJ1 with various proteins. The compound TAJ1 showed potent interactions with NEK2, exhibiting -10.5 kcal mol-1 binding energy. Although TAJ1 has demonstrated interactions with NEK7, NEK9, TP53, NF-KAPPA-B, and caspase-3 proteins, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic agent, it is important to evaluate the conformational stability of the protein-ligand complex. Hence, molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to assess this stability. To analyze the complex, root mean square deviation (RMSD) and root mean square fluctuation analyses were performed. The results of these analyses indicate that the top hits obtained from the virtual screening possess the ability to act as effective NEK2 inhibitors. Therefore, further investigation of the inhibitory potential of these identified compounds using in vitro and in vivo approaches is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Qadri
- Department of Chemistry, University of Karachi Karachi 75270 Pakistan
| | - Mubashir Aziz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 63100 Pakistan
| | - Pervaiz Ali Channar
- Department of Basic Science and Humanities, Faculty of Information Science Humanities, Dawood University of Engineering and Technology Karachi 74800 Karachi Pakistan
| | - Syeda Abida Ejaz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 63100 Pakistan
| | - Mumtaz Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, University of Karachi Karachi 75270 Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Muhammad Attaullah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Bahawalpur 63100 Pakistan
| | - Rabail Ujan
- Dr M. A. Kazi Institute of Chemistry, University of Sindh Jamshoro Pakistan
| | - Zahid Hussain
- Department of Chemistry, University of Karachi Karachi 75270 Pakistan
| | - Tasneem Zehra
- Department of Basic Science and Humanities, Faculty of Information Science Humanities, Dawood University of Engineering and Technology Karachi 74800 Karachi Pakistan
| | - Aamer Saeed
- Department of Chemistry, Quaid-I-Azam University Islamabad 45320 Pakistan
| | - M R Shah
- H.E.J.Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi Karachi 7527 Pakistan
| | - Hanan A Ogaly
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Khalid University Abha 61421 Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatimah A M Al-Zahrani
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Khalid University Abha 61421 Saudi Arabia
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2
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Lu G, Du R, Dong J, Sun Y, Zhou F, Feng F, Feng B, Han Y, Shang Y. Cancer associated fibroblast derived SLIT2 drives gastric cancer cell metastasis by activating NEK9. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:421. [PMID: 37443302 PMCID: PMC10344862 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05965-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The secretory properties of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play predominant roles in shaping a pro-metastatic tumor microenvironment. The present study demonstrated that SLIT2, an axon guidance protein, produced by CAFs and promoted gastric cancer (GC) metastasis in two gastric cancer cell lines (AGS and MKN45) by binding to roundabout guidance receptor 1 (ROBO1). Mass-spectrometry analysis revealed that ROBO1 could interact with NEK9, a serine/threonine kinase. And their mutual binding activities were further enhanced by SLIT2. Domain analysis revealed the kinase domain of NEK9 was critical in its interaction with the intracellular domain (ICD) of ROBO1, and it also directly phosphorylated tripartite motif containing 28 (TRIM28) and cortactin (CTTN) in AGS and MKN45 cells. TRIM28 function as a transcriptional elongation factor, which directly facilitate CTTN activation. In addition, Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation identified transcriptional regulation of STAT3 and NF-κB p100 by TRIM28, and a synergetic transcription of CTTN by STAT3 and NF-κB p100 was also observed in AGS and MKN45. Therefore, CAF-derived SLIT2 increased the expression and phosphorylation levels of CTTN, which induced cytoskeletal reorganization and GC cells metastasis. A simultaneous increase in the expression levels of NEK9, TRIM28 and CTTN was found in metastatic GC lesions compared with paired non-cancerous tissues and primary cancer lesions via IHC and Multiplex IHC. The analysis of the data from a cohort of patients with GC revealed that increased levels of NEK9, TRIM28 and CTTN were associated with a decreased overall survival rate. On the whole, these findings revealed the connections of CAFs and cancer cells through SLIT2/ROBO1 and inflammatory signaling, and the key molecules involved in this process may serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guofang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, National Key Discipline of Cell Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Rui Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Jiaqiang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Fenli Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Fan Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Bin Feng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Ying Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Yulong Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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3
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Nguyen K, Boehling J, Tran MN, Cheng T, Rivera A, Collins-Burow BM, Lee SB, Drewry DH, Burow ME. NEK Family Review and Correlations with Patient Survival Outcomes in Various Cancer Types. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072067. [PMID: 37046733 PMCID: PMC10093199 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Never in Mitosis Gene A (NIMA)–related kinases (NEKs) are a group of serine/threonine kinases that are involved in a wide array of cellular processes including cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair response (DDR), apoptosis, and microtubule organization. Recent studies have identified the involvement of NEK family members in various diseases such as autoimmune disorders, malignancies, and developmental defects. Despite the existing literature exemplifying the importance of the NEK family of kinases, this family of protein kinases remains understudied. This report seeks to provide a foundation for investigating the role of different NEKs in malignancies. We do this by evaluating the 11 NEK family kinase gene expression associations with patients’ overall survival (OS) from various cancers using the Kaplan–Meier Online Tool (KMPlotter) to correlate the relationship between mRNA expression of NEK1-11 in various cancers and patient survival. Furthermore, we use the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database to identify NEK family mutations in cancers of different tissues. Overall, the data suggest that the NEK family has varying associations with patient survival in different cancers with tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects being tissue-dependent.
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Kim M, Jeong HJ, Ju HM, Song JY, Jang SJ, Choi J. Overexpression of the NEK9-EG5 axis is a novel metastatic marker in pathologic stage T3 colon cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:342. [PMID: 36611072 PMCID: PMC9825400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26249-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
NEK9 is a key player in the NEK9-EG5 axis for microtubule polymerization, chromosome alignment, and mitosis. In present study, we investigated the altered expression of the NEK9, EG5 and acetyl-α-tubulin as well as common epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers (E-cadherin, vimentin, claudin-1, and β-catenin) through the immunohistochemistry analysis of 138 patients with pathologic T3 (pT3) stage colon cancers, and evaluated their metastatic potential. NEK9 expression showed an association with distant metastasis (P = 0.032) and was an independent predictive factor for distant metastasis (HR = 3.365, P < 0.001) by multivariate analysis, which was more significant than either the regional nodal metastasis (HR = 2.496, P = 0.007) or lymphovascular invasion (HR = 2.090, P = 0.153). Positive correlations were observed between NEK9 and EG5 or acetyl-α-tubulin (r = 0.236 and P = 0.007; r = 0.181 and P = 0.038, respectively) and concordant overexpression of the NEK9-EG5 axis was further confirmed in colon cancer cell lines. These findings collectively suggest that the overexpression of the NEK9-EG5 axis is present and associated with distant metastasis in colon cancer. These biomarkers might be useful for predicting metastatic potential among the patients with pT3 colon cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meejeong Kim
- grid.411947.e0000 0004 0470 4224Department of Pathology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hui Jeong Jeong
- HiLab Clinical Laboratories, Hanaro Medical Foundation, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun-min Ju
- grid.267370.70000 0004 0533 4667Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505 Korea
| | - Ji-young Song
- grid.267370.70000 0004 0533 4667Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505 Korea
| | - Se Jin Jang
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea.
| | - Jene Choi
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Korea.
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5
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Study on the Expression of lncRNA ATB and Nek9 in Breast Cancer Patients Based on Q-PCR Technology and Its Relationship with the Disease. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2022; 2022:2634080. [PMID: 35935324 PMCID: PMC9314184 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2634080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To reveal the relationship between the expression and disease progression, the expression of long noncoding RNA ATB (lncRNA ATB) and related protein kinase 9 (Nek 9) in serum of breast cancer patients by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) is analyzed. The patients treated in our hospital from April 2021 to February 2022 are selected and grouped into several groups. Among them, 73 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and 44 patients with benign breast disease are divided into groups A and B, respectively. In addition, 50 healthy subjects are chosen for group C. The expressions of lncRNA ATB and Nek9 in serum of patients are detected by Q-PCR, and the relationship between different pathological parameters and lncRNA ATB and Nek9 in group A is analyzed. Spearman correlation coefficient is used to evaluate the correlation between lncRNA ATB and Nek9 and disease. The experimental results show that lncRNA ATB and Nek9 in 3 groups are significantly different, and group A> group B> group C (all P < 0.05). The expression of lncRNA ATB and Nek9 is closely associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage in breast cancer patients (P < 0.05). Besides, the Spearman correlation coefficient shows that lncRNA ATB and Nek9 are positively correlated with breast cancer incidence (P < 0.05). It is evident that lncRNA ATB and Nek9 are expressed at high levels in breast cancer patients and are positively correlated with the occurrence and development of the disease.
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In Mitosis You Are Not: The NIMA Family of Kinases in Aspergillus, Yeast, and Mammals. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23074041. [PMID: 35409400 PMCID: PMC8999480 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23074041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Never in mitosis gene A (NIMA) family of serine/threonine kinases is a diverse group of protein kinases implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes, including cilia regulation, microtubule dynamics, mitotic processes, cell growth, and DNA damage response. The founding member of this family was initially identified in Aspergillus and was found to play important roles in mitosis and cell division. The yeast family has one member each, Fin1p in fission yeast and Kin3p in budding yeast, also with functions in mitotic processes, but, overall, these are poorly studied kinases. The mammalian family, the main focus of this review, consists of 11 members named Nek1 to Nek11. With the exception of a few members, the functions of the mammalian Neks are poorly understood but appear to be quite diverse. Like the prototypical NIMA, many members appear to play important roles in mitosis and meiosis, but their functions in the cell go well beyond these well-established activities. In this review, we explore the roles of fungal and mammalian NIMA kinases and highlight the most recent findings in the field.
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Mittal K, Kaur J, Jaczko M, Wei G, Toss MS, Rakha EA, Janssen EAM, Søiland H, Kucuk O, Reid MD, Gupta MV, Aneja R. Centrosome amplification: a quantifiable cancer cell trait with prognostic value in solid malignancies. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2021; 40:319-339. [PMID: 33106971 PMCID: PMC7897259 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-020-09937-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Numerical and/or structural centrosome amplification (CA) is a hallmark of cancers that is often associated with the aberrant tumor karyotypes and poor clinical outcomes. Mechanistically, CA compromises mitotic fidelity and leads to chromosome instability (CIN), which underlies tumor initiation and progression. Recent technological advances in microscopy and image analysis platforms have enabled better-than-ever detection and quantification of centrosomal aberrancies in cancer. Numerous studies have thenceforth correlated the presence and the degree of CA with indicators of poor prognosis such as higher tumor grade and ability to recur and metastasize. We have pioneered a novel semi-automated pipeline that integrates immunofluorescence confocal microscopy with digital image analysis to yield a quantitative centrosome amplification score (CAS), which is a summation of the severity and frequency of structural and numerical centrosome aberrations in tumor samples. Recent studies in breast cancer show that CA increases across the disease progression continuum, while normal breast tissue exhibited the lowest CA, followed by cancer-adjacent apparently normal, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive tumors, which showed the highest CA. This finding strengthens the notion that CA could be evolutionarily favored and can promote tumor progression and metastasis. In this review, we discuss the prevalence, extent, and severity of CA in various solid cancer types, the utility of quantifying amplified centrosomes as an independent prognostic marker. We also highlight the clinical feasibility of a CA-based risk score for predicting recurrence, metastasis, and overall prognosis in patients with solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karuna Mittal
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Jaspreet Kaur
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Meghan Jaczko
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Guanhao Wei
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Michael S Toss
- Department of Pathology, University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | - Emad A Rakha
- Department of Pathology, University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Håvard Søiland
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Omer Kucuk
- Winship Cancer Institute, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | - Ritu Aneja
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, 100 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA.
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8
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Nie H, Huang PQ, Jiang SH, Yang Q, Hu LP, Yang XM, Li J, Wang YH, Li Q, Zhang YF, Zhu L, Zhang YL, Yu Y, Xiao GG, Sun YW, Ji J, Zhang ZG. The short isoform of PRLR suppresses the pentose phosphate pathway and nucleotide synthesis through the NEK9-Hippo axis in pancreatic cancer. Theranostics 2021; 11:3898-3915. [PMID: 33664869 PMCID: PMC7914341 DOI: 10.7150/thno.51712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolactin binding to the prolactin receptor exerts pleiotropic biological effects in vertebrates. The prolactin receptor (PRLR) has multiple isoforms due to alternative splicing. The biological roles and related signaling of the long isoform (PRLR-LF) have been fully elucidated. However, little is known about the short isoform (PRLR-SF), particularly in cancer development and metabolic reprogramming, a core hallmark of cancer. Here, we reveal the role and underlying mechanism of PRLR-SF in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods: A human PDAC tissue array was used to investigate the clinical relevance of PRLR in PDAC. The in vivo implications of PRLR-SF in PDAC were examined in a subcutaneous xenograft model and an orthotopic xenograft model. Immunohistochemistry was performed on tumor tissue obtained from genetically engineered KPC (KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx1-Cre) mice with spontaneous tumors. 13C-labeled metabolite measures, LC-MS, EdU incorporation assays and seahorse analyses were used to identify the effects of PRLR-SF on the pentose phosphate pathway and glycolysis. We identified the molecular mechanisms by immunofluorescence, coimmunoprecipitation, proximity ligation assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter luciferase activity. Public databases (TCGA, GEO and GTEx) were used to analyze the expression and survival correlations of the related genes. Results: We demonstrated that PRLR-SF is predominantly expressed in spontaneously forming pancreatic tumors of genetically engineered KPC mice and human PDAC cell lines. PRLR-SF inhibits the proliferation of PDAC cells (AsPC-1 and BxPC-3) in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. We showed that PRLR-SF reduces the expression of genes in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and nucleotide biosynthesis by activating Hippo signaling. TEAD1, a downstream transcription factor of Hippo signaling, directly regulates the expression of G6PD and TKT, which are PPP rate-limiting enzymes. Moreover, NEK9 directly interacts with PRLR-SF and is the intermediator between PRLR and the Hippo pathway. The PRLR expression level is negatively correlated with overall survival and TNM stage in PDAC patients. Additionally, pregnancy and lactation increase the ratio of PRLR-SF:PRLR-LF in the pancreas of wild-type mice and subcutaneous PDAC xenograft tumors. Conclusion: Our characterization of the relationship between PRLR-SF signaling, the NEK9-Hippo pathway, PPP and nucleotide synthesis explains a mechanism for the correlation between PRLR-SF and metabolic reprogramming in PDAC progression. Strategies to alter this pathway might be developed for the treatment or prevention of pancreatic cancer.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cell Proliferation
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Down-Regulation
- Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase/genetics
- Heterografts
- Hippo Signaling Pathway
- Humans
- Mice
- Mice, Mutant Strains
- Mice, Transgenic
- NIMA-Related Kinases/metabolism
- Nuclear Proteins/metabolism
- Nucleotides/biosynthesis
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Pentose Phosphate Pathway
- Precision Medicine
- Prognosis
- Protein Isoforms/chemistry
- Protein Isoforms/genetics
- Protein Isoforms/metabolism
- Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Receptors, Prolactin/chemistry
- Receptors, Prolactin/genetics
- Receptors, Prolactin/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- TEA Domain Transcription Factors
- Transcription Factors/metabolism
- Transketolase/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizhen Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Pei-Qi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Shu-Heng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Qin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Li-Peng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Mei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Ya-Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Fan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Lei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Yanqiu Yu
- Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
| | - Gary Guishan Xiao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, P.R. China
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Yong-Wei Sun
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Jianguang Ji
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Zhi-Gang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
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Lu G, Tian S, Sun Y, Dong J, Wang N, Zeng J, Nie Y, Wu K, Han Y, Feng B, Shang Y. NEK9, a novel effector of IL-6/STAT3, regulates metastasis of gastric cancer by targeting ARHGEF2 phosphorylation. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:2460-2474. [PMID: 33500736 PMCID: PMC7797683 DOI: 10.7150/thno.53169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Inflammatory stimuli from the tumor microenvironment play important roles in cancer progression. However, the mechanism of promotion of cancer metastasis by inflammation in gastric cancer (GC) is poorly understood. Methods: The roles of NEK9 were validated via loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments in vitro and in an animal model of metastasis. Cytoskeletal reorganization-associated molecules were detected by GST pull-down. The regulation of ARHGEF2 by NEK9 was investigated by phosphoproteomics analysis, immunoprecipitation (IP) and in vitro kinase assay. The transcriptional regulation of miR-520f-3p was studied using luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). The expression of these proteins in GC tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry. Results: NEK9 directly regulates cell motility and RhoA activation in GC. The phosphorylation of ARHGEF2 by NEK9 is the key step of this process. NEK9 is a direct target of miR-520f-3p, which is transcriptionally suppressed by IL-6-mediated activation of STAT3. A decrease in miR-520f-3p leads to the amplification of IL-6/STAT3 by targeting GP130. A simultaneous elevation of the levels of NEK9, GP130 and p-STAT3 was confirmed in the lymph nodes and distant metastases. An increase in NEK9, GP130 and STAT3 is associated with reduced overall survival of GC patients. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that activation of STAT3 by IL-6 transcriptionally suppresses miR-520f-3p and diminishes the inhibitory effects of miR-520f-3p on NEK9 and GP130. An increase in GP130 enhances this signaling, and NEK9 directly influences cell motility and RhoA activation by targeting the phosphorylation of ARHGEF2. Targeting the IL-6-STAT3-NEK9 pathway may be a new strategy for GC treatment.
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