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Han S, Cao C, Liu R, Yuan Y, Pan L, Xu M, Hu C, Zhang X, Li M, Zhang X. GAS41 mediates proliferation and GEM chemoresistance via H2A.Z.2 and Notch1 in pancreatic cancer. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2022; 45:429-446. [PMID: 35503594 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-022-00675-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE GAS41 is a YEATS domain protein that binds to acetylated histone H3 to promote the chromatin deposition of H2A.Z in non-small cell lung cancer. The role of GAS41 in pancreatic cancer is still unknown. Here, we aimed to reveal this role. METHODS GAS41 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines was examined using qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. MTT, colony formation, spheroid formation and in vivo tumorigenesis assays were performed to assess the proliferation, tumorigenesis, stemness and gemcitabine (GEM) resistance of pancreatic cancer cells. Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were used to evaluate the roles of GAS41, H2A.Z.2 and Notch1 in pancreatic cancer. RESULTS We found that GAS41 is overexpressed in human pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines, and that its expression increases following the acquisition of GEM resistance. We also found that GAS41 up-regulates Notch, as well as pancreatic cancer cell stemness and GEM resistance in vitro and in vivo. We show that GAS41 binds to H2A.Z.2 and activates Notch and its downstream mediators, thereby regulating stemness and drug resistance. Depletion of GAS41 or H2A.Z.2 was found to down-regulate Notch and to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to GEM. CONCLUSION Our data indicate that GAS41 mediates proliferation and GEM resistance in pancreatic cancer cells via H2A.Z.2 and Notch1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilong Han
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Chuanwu Cao
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - YiFeng Yuan
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Long Pan
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Minjie Xu
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Chao Hu
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhang
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Maoquan Li
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China.
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China.
| | - Xiaoping Zhang
- Department of Intervention and Vascular Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China.
- National Center Clinical Research for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 50 Chifeng Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, 200072, China.
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Tetley GJN, Murphy NP, Bonetto S, Ivanova-Berndt G, Revell J, Mott HR, Cooley RN, Owen D. The discovery and maturation of peptide biologics targeting the small G-protein Cdc42: A bioblockade for Ras-driven signaling. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:2866-2884. [PMID: 31959628 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant Ras signaling drives 30% of cancers, and inhibition of the Rho family small GTPase signaling has been shown to combat Ras-driven cancers. Here, we present the discovery of a 16-mer cyclic peptide that binds to Cdc42 with nanomolar affinity. Affinity maturation of this sequence has produced a panel of derived candidates with increased affinity and modulated specificity for other closely-related small GTPases. The structure of the tightest binding peptide was solved by NMR, and its binding site on Cdc42 was determined. Addition of a cell-penetrating sequence allowed the peptides to access the cell interior and engage with their target(s), modulating signaling pathways. In Ras-driven cancer cell models, the peptides have an inhibitory effect on proliferation and show suppression of both invasion and motility. As such, they represent promising candidates for Rho-family small GTPase inhibitors and therapeutics targeting Ras-driven cancers. Our data add to the growing literature demonstrating that peptides are establishing their place in the biologics arm of drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- George J N Tetley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha P Murphy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Stephane Bonetto
- Isogenica Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, Essex CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriela Ivanova-Berndt
- Isogenica Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, Essex CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Jefferson Revell
- MedImmune, Sir Aaron Klug Building, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, United Kingdom
| | - Helen R Mott
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom.
| | - R Neil Cooley
- Isogenica Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, Essex CB10 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Darerca Owen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Rd., Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom.
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Tetley GJN, Szeto A, Fountain AJ, Mott HR, Owen D. Bond swapping from a charge cloud allows flexible coordination of upstream signals through WASP: Multiple regulatory roles for the WASP basic region. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:15136-15151. [PMID: 30104412 PMCID: PMC6166713 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) activates the actin-related protein 2/3 homolog (Arp2/3) complex and regulates actin polymerization in a physiological setting. Cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) is a key activator of WASP, which binds Cdc42 through a Cdc42/Rac-interactive binding (CRIB)-containing region that defines a subset of Cdc42 effectors. Here, using site-directed mutagenesis and binding affinity determination and kinetic assays, we report the results of an investigation into the energetic contributions of individual WASP residues to both the Cdc42-WASP binding interface and the kinetics of complex formation. Our results support the previously proposed dock-and-coalesce binding mechanism, initiated by electrostatic steering driven by WASP's basic region and followed by a coalescence phase likely driven by the conserved CRIB motif. The WASP basic region, however, appears also to play a role in the final complex, as its mutation affected both on- and off-rates, suggesting a more comprehensive physiological role for this region centered on the C-terminal triad of positive residues. These results highlight the expanding roles of the basic region in WASP and other CRIB-containing effector proteins in regulating complex cellular processes and coordinating multiple input signals. The data presented improve our understanding of the Cdc42-WASP interface and also add to the body of information available for Cdc42-effector complex formation, therapeutic targeting of which has promise for Ras-driven cancers. Our findings suggest that combining high-affinity peptide-binding sequences with short electrostatic steering sequences could increase the efficacy of peptidomimetic candidates designed to interfere with Cdc42 signaling in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- George J N Tetley
- From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Aydan Szeto
- From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Adam J Fountain
- From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Helen R Mott
- From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - Darerca Owen
- From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
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