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Kim N, Byun S, Um SJ. Additional Sex Combs-like Family Associated with Epigenetic Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5119. [PMID: 38791157 PMCID: PMC11121404 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105119] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The additional sex combs-like (ASXL) family, a mammalian homolog of the additional sex combs (Asx) of Drosophila, has been implicated in transcriptional regulation via chromatin modifications. Abnormal expression of ASXL family genes leads to myelodysplastic syndromes and various types of leukemia. De novo mutation of these genes also causes developmental disorders. Genes in this family and their neighbor genes are evolutionary conserved in humans and mice. This review provides a comprehensive summary of epigenetic regulations associated with ASXL family genes. Their expression is commonly regulated by DNA methylation at CpG islands preceding transcription starting sites. Their proteins primarily engage in histone tail modifications through interactions with chromatin regulators (PRC2, TrxG, PR-DUB, SRC1, HP1α, and BET proteins) and with transcription factors, including nuclear hormone receptors (RAR, PPAR, ER, and LXR). Histone modifications associated with these factors include histone H3K9 acetylation and methylation, H3K4 methylation, H3K27 methylation, and H2AK119 deubiquitination. Recently, non-coding RNAs have been identified following mutations in the ASXL1 or ASXL3 gene, along with circular ASXLs and microRNAs that regulate ASXL1 expression. The diverse epigenetic regulations linked to ASXL family genes collectively contribute to tumor suppression and developmental processes. Our understanding of ASXL-regulated epigenetics may provide insights into the development of therapeutic epigenetic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Soo-Jong Um
- Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea; (N.K.)
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Casalino L, Talotta F, Cimmino A, Verde P. The Fra-1/AP-1 Oncoprotein: From the "Undruggable" Transcription Factor to Therapeutic Targeting. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061480. [PMID: 35326630 PMCID: PMC8946526 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic and epigenetic changes affecting transcription factors, coactivators, and chromatin modifiers are key determinants of the hallmarks of cancer. The acquired dependence on oncogenic transcriptional regulators, representing a major determinant of cancer cell vulnerability, points to transcription factors as ideal therapeutic targets. However, given the unavailability of catalytic activities or binding pockets for small-molecule inhibitors, transcription factors are generally regarded as undruggable proteins. Among components of the AP-1 complex, the FOS-family transcription factor Fra-1, encoded by FOSL1, has emerged as a prominent therapeutic target. Fra-1 is overexpressed in most solid tumors, in response to the BRAF-MAPK, Wnt-beta-catenin, Hippo-YAP, IL-6-Stat3, and other major oncogenic pathways. In vitro functional analyses, validated in onco-mouse models and corroborated by prognostic correlations, show that Fra-1-containing dimers control tumor growth and disease progression. Fra-1 participates in key mechanisms of cancer cell invasion, Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition, and metastatic spreading, by driving the expression of EMT-inducing transcription factors, cytokines, and microRNAs. Here we survey various strategies aimed at inhibiting tumor growth, metastatic dissemination, and drug resistance by interfering with Fra-1 expression, stability, and transcriptional activity. We summarize several tools aimed at the design and tumor-specific delivery of Fra-1/AP-1-specific drugs. Along with RNA-based therapeutics targeting the FOSL1 gene, its mRNA, or cognate regulatory circRNAs, we will examine the exploitation of blocking peptides, small molecule inhibitors, and innovative Fra-1 protein degraders. We also consider the possible caveats concerning Fra-1 inhibition in specific therapeutic contexts. Finally, we discuss a recent suicide gene therapy-based approach, aimed at selectively killing the Fra-1-overexpressing neoplastic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Casalino
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “Adriano Buzzati Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale dele Ricerche (CNR), 80131 Naples, Italy;
- Correspondence: (L.C.); (P.V.)
| | | | - Amelia Cimmino
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “Adriano Buzzati Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale dele Ricerche (CNR), 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Pasquale Verde
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics “Adriano Buzzati Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale dele Ricerche (CNR), 80131 Naples, Italy;
- Correspondence: (L.C.); (P.V.)
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3
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Hoda M. Potential Alternatives to Conventional Cancer Therapeutic Approaches: The Way Forward. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2021; 22:1141-1148. [PMID: 33069195 DOI: 10.2174/1389201021666201016142408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
onventional cancer therapeutic approaches broadly include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. These established approaches have evolved over several decades of clinical experience. For a complex disease like cancer, satisfactory treatment remains an enigma for the simple fact that the causal factors for cancer are extremely diverse. In order to overcome existing therapeutic limitations, consistent scientific endeavors have evolved several potential therapeutic approaches, majority of which focuses essentially on targeted drug delivery, minimal concomitant ramification, and selective high cytotoxicity. The current review focuses on highlighting some of these potential alternatives that are currently in various stages of in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. These include physical, chemical and biological entities that are avidly being explored for therapeutic alternatives. Some of these entities include suicide gene, micro RNA, modulatory peptides, ultrasonic waves, free radicals, nanoparticles, phytochemicals, and gene knockout, and stem cells. Each of these techniques may be exploited exclusively and in combination with conventional therapeutic approaches thereby enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment. The review intends to briefly discuss the mechanism of action, pros, and cons of potential alternatives to conventional therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muddasarul Hoda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Aliah University, IIA/27-Newtown, Kolkata 700160, India
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4
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Jaeger MG, Winter GE. Fast-acting chemical tools to delineate causality in transcriptional control. Mol Cell 2021; 81:1617-1630. [PMID: 33689749 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Multi-dimensional omics profiling continues to illuminate the complexity of cellular processes. Because of difficult mechanistic interpretation of phenotypes induced by slow perturbation, fast experimental setups are increasingly used to dissect causal interactions directly in cells. Here we review a growing body of studies that leverage rapid pharmacological perturbation to delineate causality in gene control. When coupled with kinetically matched readouts, fast chemical genetic tools allow recording of primary phenotypes before confounding secondary effects manifest. The toolbox encompasses directly acting probes, such as active-site inhibitors and proteolysis-targeting chimeras, as well as strategies using genetic engineering to render target proteins chemically tractable, such as analog-sensitive and degron systems. We anticipate that extrapolation of these concepts to single-cell setups will further transform our mechanistic understanding of transcriptional control in the future. Importantly, the concept of leveraging speed to derive causality should be broadly applicable to many aspects of biological regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin G Jaeger
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg E Winter
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Musicant AM, Parag-Sharma K, Gong W, Sengupta M, Chatterjee A, Henry EC, Tsai YH, Hayward MC, Sheth S, Betancourt R, Hackman TG, Padilla RJ, Parker JS, Giudice J, Flaveny CA, Hayes DN, Amelio AL. CRTC1/MAML2 directs a PGC-1α-IGF-1 circuit that confers vulnerability to PPARγ inhibition. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108768. [PMID: 33626346 PMCID: PMC7955229 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a life-threatening salivary gland cancer that is driven primarily by a transcriptional coactivator fusion composed of cyclic AMP-regulated transcriptional coactivator 1 (CRTC1) and mastermind-like 2 (MAML2). The mechanisms by which the chimeric CRTC1/MAML2 (C1/M2) oncoprotein rewires gene expression programs that promote tumorigenesis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that C1/M2 induces transcriptional activation of the non-canonical peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) splice variant PGC-1α4, which regulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ)-mediated insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression. This mitogenic transcriptional circuitry is consistent across cell lines and primary tumors. C1/M2-positive tumors exhibit IGF-1 pathway activation, and small-molecule drug screens reveal that tumor cells harboring the fusion gene are selectively sensitive to IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibition. Furthermore, this dependence on autocrine regulation of IGF-1 transcription renders MEC cells susceptible to PPARγ inhibition with inverse agonists. These results yield insights into the aberrant coregulatory functions of C1/M2 and identify a specific vulnerability that can be exploited for precision therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adele M Musicant
- Graduate Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kshitij Parag-Sharma
- Graduate Curriculum in Cell Biology and Physiology, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Weida Gong
- Bioinformatics Core, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Monideepa Sengupta
- Graduate Curriculum in Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Arindam Chatterjee
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Erin C Henry
- Division of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, UNC Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yi-Hsuan Tsai
- Bioinformatics Core, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michele C Hayward
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Genetics Program, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Siddharth Sheth
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Renee Betancourt
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Trevor G Hackman
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ricardo J Padilla
- Division of Diagnostic Sciences, UNC Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joel S Parker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Genetics Program, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Genetics, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jimena Giudice
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; McAllister Heart Institute, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Colin A Flaveny
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - David N Hayes
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Genetics Program, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, University of Tennessee Health Sciences West Cancer Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Antonio L Amelio
- Division of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences, UNC Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Cell Biology Program, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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The Landscape of AhR Regulators and Coregulators to Fine-Tune AhR Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020757. [PMID: 33451129 PMCID: PMC7828596 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates numerous cellular responses. Originally investigated in toxicology because of its ability to bind environmental contaminants, AhR has attracted enormous attention in the field of immunology in the last 20 years. In addition, the discovery of endogenous and plant-derived ligands points to AhR also having a crucial role in normal cell physiology. Thus, AhR is emerging as a promiscuous receptor that can mediate either toxic or physiologic effects upon sensing multiple exogenous and endogenous molecules. Within this scenario, several factors appear to contribute to the outcome of gene transcriptional regulation by AhR, including the nature of the ligand as such and its further metabolism by AhR-induced enzymes, the local tissue microenvironment, and the presence of coregulators or specific transcription factors in the cell. Here, we review the current knowledge on the array of transcription factors and coregulators that, by interacting with AhR, tune its transcriptional activity in response to endogenous and exogenous ligands.
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Asiaban JN, Milosevich N, Chen E, Bishop TR, Wang J, Zhang Y, Ackerman CJ, Hampton EN, Young TS, Hull MV, Cravatt BF, Erb MA. Cell-Based Ligand Discovery for the ENL YEATS Domain. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:895-903. [PMID: 32176478 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
ENL is a transcriptional coactivator that recruits elongation machinery to active cis-regulatory elements upon binding of its YEATS domain-a chromatin reader module-to acylated lysine side chains. Discovery chemistry for the ENL YEATS domain is highly motivated by its significance in acute leukemia pathophysiology, but cell-based assays able to support large-scale screening or hit validation efforts do not presently exist. Here, we report on the discovery of a target engagement assay that allows for high-throughput ligand discovery in living cells. This assay is based on the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) but does not require exposing cells to elevated temperatures, as small-molecule ligands are able to stabilize the ENL YEATS domain at 37 °C. By eliminating temperature shifts, we developed a simplified target engagement assay that requires just two steps: drug treatment and luminescence detection. To demonstrate its value for higher throughput applications, we miniaturized the assay to a 1536-well format and screened 37 120 small molecules, ultimately identifying an acyl-lysine-competitive ENL/AF9 YEATS domain inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua N. Asiaban
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Natalia Milosevich
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Emily Chen
- Calibr at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Timothy R. Bishop
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Justin Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | | | - Eric N. Hampton
- Calibr at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Travis S. Young
- Calibr at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Mitchell V. Hull
- Calibr at Scripps Research, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Benjamin F. Cravatt
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Michael A. Erb
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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Processing for destruction. Nat Chem Biol 2019; 16:3-4. [PMID: 31819275 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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