1
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Ueno H, Sano M, Hara M, Noji H. Digital Cascade Assays for ADP- or ATP-Producing Enzymes Using a Femtoliter Reactor Array Device. ACS Sens 2023; 8:3400-3407. [PMID: 37590841 PMCID: PMC10521141 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c00587] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Digital enzyme assays are emerging biosensing methods for highly sensitive quantitative analysis of biomolecules with single-molecule detection sensitivity. However, current digital enzyme assays require a fluorogenic substrate for detection, which limits the applicability of this method to certain enzymes. ATPases and kinases are representative enzymes for which fluorogenic substrates are not available; however, these enzymes form large domains and play a central role in biology. In this study, we implemented a fluorogenic cascade reaction in a femtoliter reactor array device to develop a digital bioassay platform for ATPases and kinases. The digital cascade assay enabled quantitative measurement of the single-molecule activity of F1-ATPase, the catalytic portion of ATP synthase. We also demonstrated a digital assay for human choline kinase α. Furthermore, we developed a digital cascade assay for ATP-synthesizing enzymes and demonstrated a digital assay for pyruvate kinase. These results show the high versatility of this assay platform. Thus, the digital cascade assay has great potential for the highly sensitive detection and accurate characterization of various ADP- and ATP-producing enzymes, such as kinases, which may serve as disease biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mio Sano
- Department of Applied Chemistry,
Graduate School of Engineering, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
- Digital Bioanalysis Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Mayu Hara
- Department of Applied Chemistry,
Graduate School of Engineering, The University
of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
- Digital Bioanalysis Laboratory, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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2
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Luque-Navarro PM, Carrasco-Jiménez MP, Goracci L, Paredes JM, Espinar-Barranco L, Valverde-Pozo J, Torretta A, Parisini E, Mariotto E, Marchioro C, Laso A, Marco C, Viola G, Lanari D, López Cara LC. New bioisosteric sulphur-containing choline kinase inhibitors with a tracked mode of action. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 246:115003. [PMID: 36493617 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115003] [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: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since the identification of human choline kinase as a protein target against cancer progression, many compounds have been designed to inhibit its function and reduce the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine. Herein, we propose a series of bioisosteric inhibitors that are based on the introduction of sulphur and feature improved activity and lipophilic/hydrophilic balance. The evaluation of the inhibitory and of the antiproliferative properties of the PL (dithioethane) and FP (disulphide) libraries led to the identification of PL 48, PL 55 and PL 69 as the most active compounds of the series. Docking analysis using FLAP suggests that for hits to leads, binding mostly involves an interaction with the Mg2+ cofactor, or its destabilization. The most active compounds of the two series are capable of inducing apoptosis following the mitochondrial pathway and to significantly reduce the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins such as the Mcl-1. The fluorescence properties of the compounds of the PL library allowed the tracking of their mode of action, while PAINS (Pan Assays Interference Structures) filtration databases suggest the lack of any unspecific biological response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar M Luque-Navarro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus of Cartuja s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06123 Italy
| | - M Paz Carrasco-Jiménez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, Campus of Fuentenueva s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain.
| | - Laura Goracci
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06123, Italy
| | - Jose M Paredes
- Department of Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus of Cartuja s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Laura Espinar-Barranco
- Department of Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus of Cartuja s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Javier Valverde-Pozo
- Department of Physical-Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus of Cartuja s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Archimede Torretta
- Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Emilio Parisini
- Center for Nano Science and Technology @PoliMi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, Milano, 20133, Italy; Department of Biotechnology, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, Riga, LV, 1006, Latvia; Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, Bologna, 40126, Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Laboratory of Oncohematology, University of Padova, Padova, 35128, Italy
| | - Chiara Marchioro
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Laboratory of Oncohematology, University of Padova, Padova, 35128, Italy
| | - Alejandro Laso
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, Campus of Fuentenueva s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Carmen Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, Campus of Fuentenueva s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Laboratory of Oncohematology, University of Padova, Padova, 35128, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP) Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, Padova, 35128, Italy.
| | - Daniela Lanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, 06123 Italy.
| | - Luisa Carlota López Cara
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus of Cartuja s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain.
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3
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Liu C, Liu D, Wang F, Liu Y, Xie J, Xie J, Xie Y. Construction of a novel choline metabolism-related signature to predict prognosis, immune landscape, and chemotherapy response in colon adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1038927. [PMID: 36451813 PMCID: PMC9701742 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1038927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a common digestive system malignancy with high mortality and poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence indicates that choline metabolism is closely related to tumorigenesis and development. However, the efficacy of choline metabolism-related signature in predicting patient prognosis, immune microenvironment and chemotherapy response has not been fully clarified. METHODS Choline metabolism-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and COAD tissues were screened using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), AmiGO2 and Reactome Pathway databases. Two choline metabolism-related genes (CHKB and PEMT) were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. TCGA-COAD was the training cohort, and GSE17536 was the validation cohort. Patients in the high- and low-risk groups were distinguished according to the optimal cutoff value of the risk score. A nomogram was used to assess the prognostic accuracy of the choline metabolism-related signature. Calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC) were used to improve the clinical applicability of the prognostic signature. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs in the high- and low-risk groups were performed. KEGG cluster analysis was conducted by the KOBAS-i database. The distribution and expression of CHKB and PEMT in various types of immune cells were analyzed based on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). The CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms evaluated tumor immune cell infiltration in the high- and low-risk groups. Evaluation of the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of common chemotherapeutic drugs based on the choline metabolism-related signature was performed. Small molecule compounds were predicted using the Connectivity Map (CMap) database. Molecular docking is used to simulate the binding conformation of small molecule compounds and key targets. By immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments, the expression levels of CHKB and PEMT in human, mouse, and cell lines were detected. RESULTS We constructed and validated a choline metabolism-related signature containing two genes (CHKB and PEMT). The overall survival (OS) of patients in the high-risk group was significantly worse than that of patients in the low-risk group. The nomogram could effectively and accurately predict the OS of COAD patients at 1, 3, and 5 years. The DCA curve and CIC demonstrate the clinical utility of the nomogram. scRNA-seq showed that CHKB was mainly distributed in endothelial cells, while PEMT was mainly distributed in CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. In addition, multiple types of immune cells expressing CHKB and PEMT differed significantly. There were significant differences in the immune microenvironment, immune checkpoint expression and chemotherapy response between the two risk groups. In addition, we screened five potential small molecule drugs that targeted treatment for COAD. Finally, the results of IHC, Western blot, and qRT-PCR consistently showed that the expression of CHKB in human, mouse, and cell lines was elevated in normal samples, while PMET showed the opposite trend. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we constructed a choline metabolism-related signature in COAD and revealed its potential application value in predicting the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and chemotherapy response of patients, which may lay an important theoretical basis for future personalized precision therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Dingwei Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Fangfei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jun Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Jinliang Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
| | - Yong Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Gastroenterology Institute of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
- Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Gastroenterology, Nanchang, China
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4
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Biological Evaluation of New Thienopyridinium and Thienopyrimidinium Derivatives as Human Choline Kinase Inhibitors. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040715. [PMID: 35456549 PMCID: PMC9032693 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to its role in lipid biosynthesis, choline kinase α1 (CKα1) is an interesting target for the development of new antitumor agents. In this work, we present a series of 41 compounds designed based on the well-known and successful strategy of introducing thienopyridine and pyrimidine as bioisosteres of other heterocycles in active antitumor compounds. Notwithstanding the fact that some of these compounds do not show significant enzymatic inhibition, others, in contrast, feature substantially improved enzymatic and antiproliferative inhibition values. This is also confirmed by docking analysis, whereby compounds with longer linkers and thienopyrimidine cationic head have been identified as the most compelling. Among the best compounds is Ff-35, which inhibits the growth of different tumor cells at submicromolar concentrations. Moreover, Ff-35 is more potent in inhibiting CKα1 than other previous biscationic derivatives. Treatment of A549, Hela, and MDA-MB-231 cells with Ff-35 results in their arrest at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Furthermore, the compound induces cellular apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Altogether, these findings indicate that Ff-35 is a promising new chemotherapeutic agent with encouraging preclinical potential.
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5
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Miller KJ, Asim M. Unravelling the Role of Kinases That Underpin Androgen Signalling in Prostate Cancer. Cells 2022; 11:cells11060952. [PMID: 35326402 PMCID: PMC8946764 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) signalling pathway is the key driver in most prostate cancers (PCa), and is underpinned by several kinases both upstream and downstream of the AR. Many popular therapies for PCa that target the AR directly, however, have been circumvented by AR mutation, such as androgen receptor variants. Some upstream kinases promote AR signalling, including those which phosphorylate the AR and others that are AR-regulated, and androgen regulated kinase that can also form feed-forward activation circuits to promotes AR function. All of these kinases represent potentially druggable targets for PCa. There has generally been a divide in reviews reporting on pathways upstream of the AR and those reporting on AR-regulated genes despite the overlap that constitutes the promotion of AR signalling and PCa progression. In this review, we aim to elucidate which kinases—both upstream and AR-regulated—may be therapeutic targets and require future investigation and ongoing trials in developing kinase inhibitors for PCa.
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6
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Sandhu G, Thelma BK. New Druggable Targets for Rheumatoid Arthritis Based on Insights From Synovial Biology. Front Immunol 2022; 13:834247. [PMID: 35265082 PMCID: PMC8899708 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.834247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and destruction of multiple small joints which may lead to systemic complications. Altered immunity via pathogenic autoantibodies pre-date clinical symptom development by several years. Incompletely understood range of mechanisms trigger joint-homing, leading to clinically evident articular disease. Advances in therapeutic approaches and understanding pathogenesis have improved prognosis and likely remission. However, partial/non-response to conventional and biologic therapies witnessed in a subset of patients highlights the need for new therapeutics. It is now evident that joint disease chronicity stems from recalcitrant inflammatory synovial environment, majorly maintained by epigenetically and metabolically reprogrammed synoviocytes. Therefore, interference with effector functions of activated cell types seems a rational strategy to reinstate synovial homeostasis and complement existing anti-inflammatory interventions to mitigate chronic RA. Presenting this newer aspect of fibroblast-like synoviocytes and myeloid cells underlying the altered synovial biology in RA and its potential for identification of new druggable targets is attempted in this review. Major leads from i) molecular insights of pathogenic cell types from hypothesis free OMICS approaches; ii) hierarchy of their dysregulated signaling pathways; and iii) knowledge of druggability of molecular nodes in these pathways are highlighted. Development of such synovial biology-directed therapeutics hold promise for an enriched drug repertoire for RA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B. K. Thelma
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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7
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Zhang X, Zhang R, Liu P, Zhang R, Ning J, Ye Y, Yu W, Yu J. ATP8B1 Knockdown Activated the Choline Metabolism Pathway and Induced High-Level Intracellular REDOX Homeostasis in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030835. [PMID: 35159102 PMCID: PMC8834475 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We found that low expression of ATP8B1 was associated with poor prognosis, and involved in the dysregulation of glutathione (GSH) synthesis and choline metabolism in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) samples of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (TJMUCH) cohort. We further constructed ATP8B1 knockdown of LUSC cell lines H520SH-ATP8B1 and SK-MES-1SH-ATP8B1 to investigate how ATP8B1 knockdown promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo via upregulation of the CHKA-dependent choline metabolism pathway. We identified that ATP8B1 knockdown and CHKA upregulation can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and high reduction-oxidation (REDOX) homeostasis, which may be involved in the roles of cardiolipin in maintaining mitochondrial dynamics and phospholipid homeostasis. Therefore, we proposed ATP8B1 as a novel predictive biomarker in LUSC and targeting ATP8B1-driven specific metabolic disorder might be a promising therapeutic strategy for LUSC. Abstract The flippase ATPase class I type 8b member 1 (ATP8B1) is essential for maintaining the stability and polarity of the epithelial membrane and can translocate specific phospholipids from the outer membrane to the inner membrane of the cell. Although ATP8B1 plays important roles in cell functions, ATP8B1 has been poorly studied in tumors and its prognostic value in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) remains unclear. By investigating the whole genomic expression profiles of LUSC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (TJMUCH) cohort, we found that low expression of ATP8B1 was associated with poor prognosis of LUSC patients. The results from cellular experiments and a xenograft-bearing mice model indicated that ATP8B1 knockdown firstly induced mitochondrial dysfunction and promoted ROS production. Secondly, ATP8B1 knockdown promoted glutathione synthesis via upregulation of the CHKA-dependent choline metabolism pathway, therefore producing and maintaining high-level intracellular REDOX homeostasis to aggravate carcinogenesis and progression of LUSC. In summary, we proposed ATP8B1 as a novel predictive biomarker in LUSC and targeting ATP8B1-driven specific metabolic disorder might be a promising therapeutic strategy for LUSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhang
- Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Core, National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.); (P.L.); (R.Z.); (J.N.); (Y.Y.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China;
| | - Rui Zhang
- Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Core, National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.); (P.L.); (R.Z.); (J.N.); (Y.Y.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Pengpeng Liu
- Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Core, National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.); (P.L.); (R.Z.); (J.N.); (Y.Y.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Runjiao Zhang
- Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Core, National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.); (P.L.); (R.Z.); (J.N.); (Y.Y.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China;
| | - Junya Ning
- Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Core, National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.); (P.L.); (R.Z.); (J.N.); (Y.Y.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
- National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China;
| | - Yingnan Ye
- Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Core, National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.); (P.L.); (R.Z.); (J.N.); (Y.Y.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Wenwen Yu
- National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China;
| | - Jinpu Yu
- Cancer Molecular Diagnostics Core, National Clinical Research Center of Caner, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China; (X.Z.); (R.Z.); (P.L.); (R.Z.); (J.N.); (Y.Y.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-22-23340123; Fax: +86-22-23340123 (ext. 6325)
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Khalifa M, Few LL, Too WCS. Phage-Choline Kinase Inhibitor Combination to Control Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A Promising Combo. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 22:1281-1288. [PMID: 34961459 DOI: 10.2174/1389557521666211213160256] [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: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most prevalent opportunistic pathogens in humans that has thrived and proved to be difficult to control in this "post-antibiotic era." Antibiotic alternatives are necessary for fighting against this resilient bacterium. Even though phages might not be "the wonder drug" that solves everything, they still provide a viable option to combat P. aeruginosa and curb the threat it imposes. MAIN FINDINGS The combination of antibiotics with phages, however, poses a propitious treatment option for P. aeruginosa. Choline kinase (ChoK) is the enzyme that synthesizes phosphorylcholine subsequently incorporated into lipopolysaccharide located at the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. Recently, inhibition of ChoKs has been proposed as a promising antibacterial strategy. Successful docking of Hemicholinium-3, a choline kinase inhibitor, to the model structure of P. aeruginosa ChoK also supports the use of this inhibitor or its derivatives to inhibit the growth of this microorganism. CONCLUSION Therefore, the combination of the novel antimicrobial "choline kinase inhibitors (ChoKIs)" with a phage cocktail or synthetic phages as a potential treatment for P. aeruginosa infection has been proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moad Khalifa
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Malaysia
| | - Ling Ling Few
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Malaysia
| | - Wei Cun See Too
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Malaysia
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9
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Lacal JC, Zimmerman T, Campos JM. Choline Kinase: An Unexpected Journey for a Precision Medicine Strategy in Human Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:788. [PMID: 34070409 PMCID: PMC8226952 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13060788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline kinase (ChoK) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation of choline to form phosphorylcholine (PCho) in the presence of ATP and magnesium. ChoK is required for the synthesis of key membrane phospholipids and is involved in malignant transformation in a large variety of human tumours. Active compounds against ChoK have been identified and proposed as antitumor agents. The ChoK inhibitory and antiproliferative activities of symmetrical bispyridinium and bisquinolinium compounds have been defined using quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) and structural parameters. The design strategy followed in the development of the most active molecules is presented. The selective anticancer activity of these structures is also described. One promising anticancer compound has even entered clinical trials. Recently, ChoKα inhibitors have also been proposed as a novel therapeutic approach against parasites, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory processes, and pathogenic bacteria. The evidence for ChoKα as a novel drug target for approaches in precision medicine is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Lacal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, CSIC, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital La Paz, IDIPAZ, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tahl Zimmerman
- Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina University, 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA;
| | - Joaquín M. Campos
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, c/Campus de Cartuja, s/n, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Instituto Biosanitario de Granada (ibs. GRANADA), SAS-Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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Pacheco-Torres J, Penet MF, Mironchik Y, Krishnamachary B, Bhujwalla ZM. The PD-L1 metabolic interactome intersects with choline metabolism and inflammation. Cancer Metab 2021; 9:10. [PMID: 33608051 PMCID: PMC7893974 DOI: 10.1186/s40170-021-00245-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Harnessing the power of the immune system by using immune checkpoint inhibitors has resulted in some of the most exciting advances in cancer treatment. The full potential of this approach has, however, not been fully realized for treating many cancers such as pancreatic and breast cancer. Cancer metabolism influences many aspects of cancer progression including immune surveillance. An expanded understanding of how cancer metabolism can directly impact immune checkpoints may allow further optimization of immunotherapy. We therefore investigated, for the first time, the relationship between the overexpression of choline kinase-α (Chk-α), an enzyme observed in most cancers, and the expression of the immune checkpoint PD-L1. Methods We used small interfering RNA to downregulate Chk-α, PD-L1, or both in two triple-negative human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and SUM-149) and two human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines (Pa09C and Pa20C). The effects of the downregulation were studied at the genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic levels. The findings were compared with the results obtained by the analysis of public data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program. Results We identified an inverse dependence between Chk-α and PD-L1 at the genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic levels. We also found that prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (COX-2) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) play an important role in this relationship. We independently confirmed this relationship in human cancers by analyzing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program. Conclusions Our data identified previously unknown roles of PD-L1 in cancer cell metabolic reprogramming, and revealed the immunosuppressive increased PD-L1 effect of Chk-α downregulation. These data suggest that PD-L1 regulation of metabolism may be mediated through Chk-α, COX-2, and TGF-β. The observations provide new insights that can be applied to the rational design of combinatorial therapies targeting immune checkpoints and cancer metabolism. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40170-021-00245-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Pacheco-Torres
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Rm 208C Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Marie-France Penet
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Rm 208C Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yelena Mironchik
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Rm 208C Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Balaji Krishnamachary
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Rm 208C Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Zaver M Bhujwalla
- Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Rm 208C Traylor Building, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. .,Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. .,Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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11
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Kumar V, Chauhan SS. Daidzein Induces Intrinsic Pathway of Apoptosis along with ER α/β Ratio Alteration and ROS Production. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2021; 22:603-610. [PMID: 33639680 PMCID: PMC8190374 DOI: 10.31557/apjcp.2021.22.2.603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Low risk of breast cancer is observed among females consuming a moderate quantity of soy throughout their life. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anticancer potential of Daidzein, one of the major Isoflavones in soy using Human breast cancer cells MCF-7. Methods: MCF-7 were subjected to various doses of Daidzein treatment to determine the IC50 value. Onset of apoptosis was ascertained by AnnexinV assay and caspase 3/7 activity post treatment. Expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 was also assessed to further confirm apoptotic mode of cell death. ROS production post treatment with Daidzein was assessed to ascertain the apoptosis via intrinsic pathway. Expression of ER α and ER β was evaluated by western blot analysis. Results: Human breast cancer cells MCF-7 were found to be sensitive to Daidzein treatment, with an IC50 value of 50µM. Increased percentage of treated cells stained with Annexin V confirmed apoptosis mediated cell death. Activity of Caspase 3/7 activity was found to be 1.4-fold higher in Daidzein treated cells than control cells, confirming apoptosis. Daidzein caused over expression of Bax and down-regulated expression of Bcl2. There has been an outburst of ROS in Daidzein treated cells indicating that Daidzein induces apoptosis via intrinsic pathway. A decrease in the expression of ER α and increase in levels of ER β has been observed which are conducive indicator of apoptosis. Conclusions: In conclusion, the present study suggests that Daidzein induces apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by mitochondrial pathway along with lowering the ratio of ER α/β and an outburst of Reactive Oxygen Species(ROS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinod Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shyam S Chauhan
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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12
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Rubio-Ruiz B, Serrán-Aguilera L, Hurtado-Guerrero R, Conejo-García A. Recent advances in the design of choline kinase α inhibitors and the molecular basis of their inhibition. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:902-927. [PMID: 33103259 DOI: 10.1002/med.21746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Upregulated choline metabolism, characterized by an increase in phosphocholine (PCho), is a hallmark of oncogenesis and tumor progression. Choline kinase (ChoK), the enzyme responsible for PCho synthesis, has consequently become a promising drug target for cancer therapy and as such a significant number of ChoK inhibitors have been developed over the last few decades. More recently, due to the role of this enzyme in other pathologies, ChoK inhibitors have also been used in new therapeutic approaches against malaria and rheumatoid arthritis. Here, we review research results in the field of ChoKα inhibitors from their synthesis to the molecular basis of their binding mode. Strategies for the development of inhibitors and their selectivity on ChoKα over ChoKβ, the plasticity of the choline-binding site, the discovery of new exploitable binding sites, and the allosteric properties of this enzyme are highlighted. The outcomes summarized in this review will be a useful guide to develop new multifunctional potent drugs for the treatment of various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Rubio-Ruiz
- Department of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.,Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Regional Government Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain.,Biosanitary Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), SAS-University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Lucía Serrán-Aguilera
- Department of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Ramón Hurtado-Guerrero
- Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Laboratorio de Microscopías Avanzada, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,ARAID Foundation, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana Conejo-García
- Department of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.,Biosanitary Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), SAS-University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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13
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Identification and validation of novel and more effective choline kinase inhibitors against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15418. [PMID: 32963303 PMCID: PMC7508948 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72165-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae choline kinase (sChoK) has previously been proposed as a drug target, yet the effectiveness of the first and only known inhibitor of sChoK, HC-3, is in the millimolar range. The aim of this study was thus to further validate sChoK as a potential therapeutic target by discovering more powerful sChoK inhibitors. LDH/PK and colorimetric enzymatic assays revealed two promising sChoK inhibitor leads RSM-932A and MN58b that were discovered with IC50 of 0.5 and 150 μM, respectively, and were shown to be 2–4 magnitudes more potent than the previously discovered inhibitor HC-3. Culture assays showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of RSM-932A and MN58b for S. pneumoniae was 0.4 μM and 10 μM, respectively, and the minimum lethal concentration (MLC) was 1.6 μM and 20 μM, respectively. Western blot monitoring of teichoic acid production revealed differential patterns in response to each inhibitor. In addition, both inhibitors possessed a bacteriostatic mechanism of action, and neither interfered with the autolytic effects of vancomycin. Cells treated with MN58b but not RSM-932A were more sensitive to a phosphate induced autolysis with respect to the untreated cells. SEM studies revealed that MN58b distorted the cell wall, a result consistent with the apparent teichoic acid changes. Two novel and more highly potent putative inhibitors of sChoK, MN58b and RSM-932A, were characterized in this study. However, the effects of sChoK inhibitors can vary at the cellular level. sChoK inhibition is a promising avenue to follow in the development of therapeutics for treatment of S. pneumoniae.
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14
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Khalifa M, Few LL, See Too WC. ChoK-ing the Pathogenic Bacteria: Potential of Human Choline Kinase Inhibitors as Antimicrobial Agents. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:1823485. [PMID: 32695809 PMCID: PMC7368946 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1823485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Novel antimicrobial agents are crucial to combat antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Choline kinase (ChoK) in bacteria catalyzes the synthesis of phosphorylcholine, which is subsequently incorporated into the cell wall or outer membrane. In certain species of bacteria, phosphorylcholine is also used to synthesize membrane phosphatidylcholine. Numerous human ChoK inhibitors (ChoKIs) have been synthesized and tested for anticancer properties. Inhibition of S. pneumoniae ChoK by human ChoKIs showed a promising effect by distorting the cell wall and retarded the growth of this pathogen. Comparison of amino acid sequences at the catalytic sites of putative choline kinases from pathogenic bacteria and human enzymes revealed striking sequence conservation that supports the potential application of currently available ChoKIs for inhibiting bacterial enzymes. We also propose the combined use of ChoKIs and nanoparticles for targeted delivery to the pathogen while shielding the human host from any possible side effects of the inhibitors. More research should focus on the verification of putative bacterial ChoK activities and the characterization of ChoKIs with active enzymes. In conclusion, the presence of ChoK in a wide range of pathogenic bacteria and the distinct function of this enzyme has made it an attractive drug target. This review highlighted the possibility of "choking" bacterial ChoKs by using human ChoKIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moad Khalifa
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Ling Ling Few
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Wei Cun See Too
- School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
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15
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Kall SL, Whitlatch K, Smithgall TE, Lavie A. Molecular basis for the interaction between human choline kinase alpha and the SH3 domain of the c-Src tyrosine kinase. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17121. [PMID: 31745227 PMCID: PMC6864063 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53447-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Choline kinase alpha is a 457-residue protein that catalyzes the reaction between ATP and choline to yield ADP and phosphocholine. This metabolic action has been well studied because of choline kinase's link to cancer malignancy and poor patient prognosis. As the myriad of x-ray crystal structures available for this enzyme show, chemotherapeutic drug design has centered on stopping the catalytic activity of choline kinase and reducing the downstream metabolites it produces. Furthermore, these crystal structures only reveal the catalytic domain of the protein, residues 80-457. However, recent studies provide evidence for a non-catalytic protein-binding role for choline kinase alpha. Here, we show that choline kinase alpha interacts with the SH3 domain of c-Src. Co-precipitation assays, surface plasmon resonance, and crystallographic analysis of a 1.5 Å structure demonstrate that this interaction is specific and is mediated by the poly-proline region found N-terminal to the catalytic domain of choline kinase. Taken together, these data offer strong evidence that choline kinase alpha has a heretofore underappreciated role in protein-protein interactions, which offers an exciting new way to approach drug development against this cancer-enhancing protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie L Kall
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60607, USA
| | - Kindra Whitlatch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15219, USA
| | - Thomas E Smithgall
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15219, USA
| | - Arnon Lavie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60607, USA.
- The Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, 60612, USA.
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16
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Zimmerman T, Lacal JC, Ibrahim SA. Choline Kinase Emerges as a Promising Drug Target in Gram-Positive Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2019; 6:2146. [PMID: 31681254 PMCID: PMC6813931 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Both nosocomial pathogens, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae and food-borne pathogens, such as Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens are known to be detrimental to human and animal health. The effectiveness of currently used treatments for these pathogens becomes limited as resistant strains emerge. Therefore, new methods for eliminating bacterial pathogens must be developed continuously. This includes establishing novel targets to which drug discovery efforts could be focused. A promising method for discovering new drug targets in prokaryotes is to take advantage of the information available regarding the enzymatic pathways that have been established as drug targets in eukaryotic systems and explore the analogous pathways found in bacterial systems. This is an efficient strategy because the same inhibitors developed at considerable expense to block these pathways in eukaryotic systems could also be employed in prokaryotes. Drugs that are used to prevent diseases involving eukaryotic cells could be repurposed as antibiotics and antimicrobials for the control of bacteria pathogens. This strategy could be pursued whenever the primary and tertiary structures of a target are are conserved between eukaryotic and prokaryotes. A possible novel target fitting these parameters is choline kinase (ChoK), whose active site sequences are conserved (Figure 1) and whose tertiary structure (Figure 2) is maintained. Here, we describe why ChoK is a putative drug target by describing its role in the growth and pathogenesis of Gram-positive bacteria S. pneumoniae and the Gram-negative bacteria H. influenzae. Using S. pneumoniae as a model, we also present promising preliminary information that repurposing of drugs known to inhibit the human isoform of ChoK (hChoK), is a promising strategy for blocking the growth of S. pneumoniae cells and inhibiting the activity of the S. pneumoniae isoform of ChoK (sChok), with downstream physiological effects on the cell wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahl Zimmerman
- Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Food and Nutritional Sciences Program, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States
| | - Juan Carlos Lacal
- Department of Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Salam A Ibrahim
- Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Food and Nutritional Sciences Program, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States
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17
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Sonkar K, Ayyappan V, Tressler CM, Adelaja O, Cai R, Cheng M, Glunde K. Focus on the glycerophosphocholine pathway in choline phospholipid metabolism of cancer. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2019; 32:e4112. [PMID: 31184789 PMCID: PMC6803034 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Activated choline metabolism is a hallmark of carcinogenesis and tumor progression, which leads to elevated levels of phosphocholine and glycerophosphocholine in all types of cancer tested so far. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy applications have played a key role in detecting these elevated choline phospholipid metabolites. To date, the majority of cancer-related studies have focused on phosphocholine and the Kennedy pathway, which constitutes the biosynthesis pathway for membrane phosphatidylcholine. Fewer and more recent studies have reported on the importance of glycerophosphocholine in cancer. In this review article, we summarize the recent literature on glycerophosphocholine metabolism with respect to its cancer biology and its detection by magnetic resonance spectroscopy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchan Sonkar
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Vinay Ayyappan
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Caitlin M. Tressler
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Oluwatobi Adelaja
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ruoqing Cai
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Menglin Cheng
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kristine Glunde
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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18
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Pillai SR, Damaghi M, Marunaka Y, Spugnini EP, Fais S, Gillies RJ. Causes, consequences, and therapy of tumors acidosis. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2019; 38:205-222. [PMID: 30911978 PMCID: PMC6625890 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-019-09792-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
While cancer is commonly described as "a disease of the genes," it is also associated with massive metabolic reprogramming that is now accepted as a disease "Hallmark." This programming is complex and often involves metabolic cooperativity between cancer cells and their surrounding stroma. Indeed, there is emerging clinical evidence that interrupting a cancer's metabolic program can improve patients' outcomes. The most commonly observed and well-studied metabolic adaptation in cancers is the fermentation of glucose to lactic acid, even in the presence of oxygen, also known as "aerobic glycolysis" or the "Warburg Effect." Much has been written about the mechanisms of the Warburg effect, and this remains a topic of great debate. However, herein, we will focus on an important sequela of this metabolic program: the acidification of the tumor microenvironment. Rather than being an epiphenomenon, it is now appreciated that this acidosis is a key player in cancer somatic evolution and progression to malignancy. Adaptation to acidosis induces and selects for malignant behaviors, such as increased invasion and metastasis, chemoresistance, and inhibition of immune surveillance. However, the metabolic reprogramming that occurs during adaptation to acidosis also introduces therapeutic vulnerabilities. Thus, tumor acidosis is a relevant therapeutic target, and we describe herein four approaches to accomplish this: (1) neutralizing acid directly with buffers, (2) targeting metabolic vulnerabilities revealed by acidosis, (3) developing acid-activatable drugs and nanomedicines, and (4) inhibiting metabolic processes responsible for generating acids in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smitha R Pillai
- Department of Cancer Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL, 33602, USA
| | - Mehdi Damaghi
- Department of Cancer Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL, 33602, USA
| | - Yoshinori Marunaka
- Research Institute for Clinical Physiology, Kyoto, 604-8472, Japan
- Research Center for Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Development Science, Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, 525-8577, Japan
- Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | | | - Stefano Fais
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Robert J Gillies
- Department of Cancer Physiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL, 33602, USA.
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Lead optimization-hit expansion of new asymmetrical pyridinium/quinolinium compounds as choline kinase α1 inhibitors. Future Med Chem 2018; 10:1769-1786. [PMID: 30043647 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Choline kinase α inhibitors represent one of the newest classes of cytotoxic drugs for cancer treatment, since aberrant choline metabolism is a characteristic shared by many human cancers. RESULTS Here, we present a new class of asymmetrical pyridinium/quinolinium derivatives developed and designed based on drug optimization. CONCLUSION Among all compounds described here, compound 8, bearing a 7-chloro-4N-methyl-p-chloroaniline quinolinium moiety, exhibited the greatest inhibitory activity at the enzyme (IC50 = 0.29 μM) and antiproliferative activity in cellular assays (GI50 = 0.29-0.92 μM). Specifically, compound 8 strongly induces a cell-cycle arrest in G1 phase, but it does not significantly induce apoptosis while causing senescence in the MDA-MB-231 cell line.
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