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Shamsudin NF, Leong SW, Koeberle A, Suriya U, Rungrotmongkol T, Chia SL, Taher M, Haris MS, Alshwyeh HA, Alosaimi AA, Mediani A, Ilowefah MA, Islami D, Mohd Faudzi SM, Fasihi Mohd Aluwi MF, Wai LK, Rullah K. A novel chromone-based as a potential inhibitor of ULK1 that modulates autophagy and induces apoptosis in colon cancer. Future Med Chem 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38949858 DOI: 10.1080/17568919.2024.2363668] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: Chromones are promising for anticancer drug development. Methods & results: 12 chromone-based compounds were synthesized and tested against cancer cell lines. Compound 8 showed the highest cytotoxicity (LC50 3.2 μM) against colorectal cancer cells, surpassing 5-fluorouracil (LC50 4.2 μM). It suppressed colony formation, induced cell cycle arrest and triggered apoptotic cell death, confirmed by staining and apoptosis markers. Cell death was accompanied by enhanced reactive oxygen species formation and modulation of the autophagic machinery (autophagy marker light chain 3B (LC3B); adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK); protein kinase B (PKB); UNC-51-like kinase (ULK)-1; and ULK2). Molecular docking and dynamic simulations revealed that compound 8 directly binds to ULK1. Conclusion: Compound 8 is a promising lead for autophagy-modulating anti-colon cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Farisya Shamsudin
- Drug Discovery & Synthetic Chemistry Research Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Sze-Wei Leong
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Andreas Koeberle
- Michael Popp Institute & Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Utid Suriya
- Structural & Computational Biology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Thanyada Rungrotmongkol
- Structural & Computational Biology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Suet Lin Chia
- UPM - MAKNA Cancer Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Taher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Salahuddin Haris
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Hussah Abdullah Alshwyeh
- Basic & Applied Scientific Research Centre, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Areej A Alosaimi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Mediani
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Malaysia
| | | | - Deri Islami
- Faculty of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Universitas Abdurrab, Jalan Riau Ujung, Pekanbaru 28292, Riau, Indonesia
| | - Siti Munirah Mohd Faudzi
- Laboratory of Natural Products, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Lam Kok Wai
- Drugs & Herbal Research Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Kamal Rullah
- Drug Discovery & Synthetic Chemistry Research Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia
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2
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Flax RG, Rosston P, Rocha C, Anderson B, Capener JL, Durcan TM, Drewry DH, Prinos P, Axtman AD. Illumination of understudied ciliary kinases. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1352781. [PMID: 38523660 PMCID: PMC10958382 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1352781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cilia are cellular signaling hubs. Given that human kinases are central regulators of signaling, it is not surprising that kinases are key players in cilia biology. In fact, many kinases modulate ciliogenesis, which is the generation of cilia, and distinct ciliary pathways. Several of these kinases are understudied with few publications dedicated to the interrogation of their function. Recent efforts to develop chemical probes for members of the cyclin-dependent kinase like (CDKL), never in mitosis gene A (NIMA) related kinase (NEK), and tau tubulin kinase (TTBK) families either have delivered or are working toward delivery of high-quality chemical tools to characterize the roles that specific kinases play in ciliary processes. A better understanding of ciliary kinases may shed light on whether modulation of these targets will slow or halt disease onset or progression. For example, both understudied human kinases and some that are more well-studied play important ciliary roles in neurons and have been implicated in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and other neurological diseases. Similarly, subsets of human ciliary kinases are associated with cancer and oncological pathways. Finally, a group of genetic disorders characterized by defects in cilia called ciliopathies have associated gene mutations that impact kinase activity and function. This review highlights both progress related to the understanding of ciliary kinases as well as in chemical inhibitor development for a subset of these kinases. We emphasize known roles of ciliary kinases in diseases of the brain and malignancies and focus on a subset of poorly characterized kinases that regulate ciliary biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond G. Flax
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Peter Rosston
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cecilia Rocha
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brian Anderson
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jacob L. Capener
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Thomas M. Durcan
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Panagiotis Prinos
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alison D. Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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3
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Lee C, Maier W, Jiang YY, Nakano K, Lechtreck KF, Gaertig J. Global and local functions of the Fused kinase ortholog CdaH in intracellular patterning in Tetrahymena. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261256. [PMID: 37667859 PMCID: PMC10565251 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261256] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ciliates assemble numerous microtubular structures into complex cortical patterns. During ciliate division, the pattern is duplicated by intracellular segmentation that produces a tandem of daughter cells. In Tetrahymena thermophila, the induction and positioning of the division boundary involves two mutually antagonistic factors: posterior CdaA (cyclin E) and anterior CdaI (Hippo kinase). Here, we characterized the related cdaH-1 allele, which confers a pleiotropic patterning phenotype including an absence of the division boundary and an anterior-posterior mispositioning of the new oral apparatus. CdaH is a Fused or Stk36 kinase ortholog that localizes to multiple sites that correlate with the effects of its loss, including the division boundary and the new oral apparatus. CdaH acts downstream of CdaA to induce the division boundary and drives asymmetric cytokinesis at the tip of the posterior daughter. CdaH both maintains the anterior-posterior position of the new oral apparatus and interacts with CdaI to pattern ciliary rows within the oral apparatus. Thus, CdaH acts at multiple scales, from induction and positioning of structures on the cell-wide polarity axis to local organelle-level patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinkyu Lee
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Bioinformatics, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yu-Yang Jiang
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kentaro Nakano
- Degree Programs in Biology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Karl F. Lechtreck
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jacek Gaertig
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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4
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Malhotra N, Khatri S, Kumar A, Arun A, Daripa P, Fatihi S, Venkadesan S, Jain N, Thukral L. AI-based AlphaFold2 significantly expands the structural space of the autophagy pathway. Autophagy 2023; 19:3201-3220. [PMID: 37516933 PMCID: PMC10621275 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2238578] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
ABBREVIATIONS AF2: AlphaFold2; AF2-Mult: AlphaFold2 multimer; ATG: autophagy-related; CTD: C-terminal domain; ECTD: extreme C-terminal domain; FR: flexible region; MD: molecular dynamics; NTD: N-terminal domain; pLDDT: predicted local distance difference test; UBL: ubiquitin-like.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Malhotra
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | - Shantanu Khatri
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSir), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Ajit Kumar
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSir), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Akanksha Arun
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSir), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Purba Daripa
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | - Saman Fatihi
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSir), Ghaziabad, India
| | | | - Niyati Jain
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
| | - Lipi Thukral
- Computational Structural Biology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSir), Ghaziabad, India
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5
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Zhang H, Yang M, Zhang J, Li L, Guan T, Liu J, Gong X, Yang F, Shen S, Liu M, Han Y. The putative protein kinase Stk36 is essential for ciliogenesis and CSF flow by associating with Ulk4. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23138. [PMID: 37584603 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300481r] [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] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Motile cilia lining on the ependymal cells are crucial for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and its dysfunction is often associated with hydrocephalus. Unc51-like-kinase 4 (Ulk4) was previously linked to CSF flow and motile ciliogenesis in mice, as the hypomorph mutant of Ulk4 (Ulk4tm1a/tm1a ) developed hydrocephalic phenotype resulted from defective ciliogenesis and disturbed ciliary motility, while the underling mechanism is largely obscure. Here, we report that serine/threonine kinase 36 (STK36), a paralog of ULK4, directly interacts with ULK4 and this was demonstrated by yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) in yeast and coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) assays in HEK293T cells, respectively. The interaction region was confined to their respective N-terminal kinase domain. The hypomorph mutant of Stk36 (Stk36tmE4-/- ) also developed progressive hydrocephalus postnatally and dysfunctional CSF flow, with multiple defects of motile cilia, including reduced ciliary number, disorganized ciliary orientation, defected axonemal structure and inconsistent base body (BB) orientation. Stk36tmE4-/- also disturbed the expression of Foxj1 transcription factor and a range of other ciliogenesis-related genes. All these morphological changes, motile cilia defects and transcriptional dysregulation in the Stk36tmE4-/- are practically copied from that in Ulk4tm1a/tm1a mice. Taken together, we conclude that both Stk36 and Ulk4 are crucial for CSF flow, they cooperate by direct binding with their kinase domain to regulate the Foxj1 transcription factor pathways for ciliogenesis and cilia function, not limited to CSF flow. The underlying molecular mechanism probably conserved in evolution and could be extended to other metazoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongye Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Meimei Yang
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Li Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Tianyuan Guan
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jiaxin Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xuanwei Gong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Neurology, Hebei Children's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Sanbing Shen
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Min Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yongfeng Han
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling and Environmental Adaptation, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
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6
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Small Molecule Inhibitors for Unc-51-like Autophagy-Activating Kinase Targeting Autophagy in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24020953. [PMID: 36674464 PMCID: PMC9866249 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24020953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a cellular process that removes damaged components of cells and recycles them as biochemical building blocks. Autophagy can also be induced to protect cells in response to intra- and extracellular stresses, including damage to cellular components, nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and pathogenic invasion. Dysregulation of autophagy has been attributed to various diseases. In particular, autophagy protects cancer cells by supporting tumor cell survival and the development of drug resistance. Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of autophagy in cancer has stimulated the research on discovery and development of specific inhibitors targeting various stages of autophagy. In recent years, Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase (ULK) inhibitors have become an attractive strategy to treat cancer. This review summarizes recent discoveries and developments in small-molecule ULK inhibitors and their potential as anticancer agents. We focused on structural features, interactions with binding sites, and biological effects of these inhibitors. Overall, this review will provide guidance for using ULK inhibitors as chemical probes for autophagy in various cancers and developing improved ULK inhibitors that would enhance therapeutic benefits in the clinic.
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Lai C, Luo B, Shen J, Shao J. Biomedical engineered nanomaterials to alleviate tumor hypoxia for enhanced photodynamic therapy. Pharmacol Res 2022; 186:106551. [PMID: 36370918 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as a highly selective, widely applicable, and non-invasive therapeutic modality that is an alternative to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is extensively applied to cancer therapy. Practically, the efficiency of PDT is severely hindered by the existence of hypoxia in tumor tissue. Hypoxia is a typical hallmark of malignant solid tumors, which remains an essential impediment to many current treatments, thereby leading to poor clinical prognosis after therapy. To address this issue, studies have been focused on modulating tumor hypoxia to augment the therapeutic efficacy. Although nanomaterials to relieve tumor hypoxia for enhanced PDT have been demonstrated in many research articles, a systematical summary of the role of nanomaterials in alleviating tumor hypoxia is scarce. In this review, we introduced the mechanism of PDT, and the involved therapeutic modality of PDT for ablation of tumor cells was specifically summarized. Moreover, current advances in nanomaterials-mediated tumor oxygenation via oxygen-carrying or oxygen-generation tactics to alleviate tumor hypoxia are emphasized. Based on these considerable summaries and analyses, we proposed some feasible perspectives on nanoparticle-based tumor oxygenation to ameliorate the therapeutic outcomes, which may provide some detailed information in designing new oxygenation nanomaterials in this burgeneous field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Lai
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Bangyue Luo
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Jiangwen Shen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Jingwei Shao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
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8
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Sheetz JB, Lemmon MA. Looking lively: emerging principles of pseudokinase signaling. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:875-891. [PMID: 35585008 PMCID: PMC9464697 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Progress towards understanding catalytically 'dead' protein kinases - pseudokinases - in biology and disease has hastened over the past decade. An especially lively area for structural biology, pseudokinases appear to be strikingly similar to their kinase relatives, despite lacking key catalytic residues. Distinct active- and inactive-like conformation states, which are crucial for regulating bona fide protein kinases, are conserved in pseudokinases and appear to be essential for function. We discuss recent structural data on conformational transitions and nucleotide binding by pseudokinases, from which some common principles emerge. In both pseudokinases and bona fide kinases, a conformational toggle appears to control the ability to interact with signaling effectors. We also discuss how biasing this conformational toggle may provide opportunities to target pseudokinases pharmacologically in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B Sheetz
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06505, USA; Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
| | - Mark A Lemmon
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06505, USA; Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
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Jamieson SA, Pudjihartono M, Horne CR, Viloria JS, Dunlop JL, McMillan HD, Day RC, Keeshan K, Murphy JM, Mace PD. Nanobodies identify an activated state of the TRIB2 pseudokinase. Structure 2022; 30:1518-1529.e5. [PMID: 36108635 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Tribbles proteins (TRIB1-3) are pseudokinases that recruit substrates to the COP1 ubiquitin ligase. TRIB2 was the first Tribbles ortholog to be implicated as a myeloid leukemia oncogene, because it recruits the C/EBPα transcription factor for ubiquitination by COP1. Here we report identification of nanobodies that bind the TRIB2 pseudokinase domain with low nanomolar affinity. A crystal structure of the TRIB2-Nb4.103 complex identified the nanobody to bind the N-terminal lobe of TRIB2, enabling specific recognition of TRIB2 in an activated conformation that is similar to the C/EBPα-bound state of TRIB1. Characterization in solution revealed that Nb4.103 can stabilize a TRIB2 pseudokinase domain dimer in a face-to-face manner. Conversely, a distinct nanobody (Nb4.101) binds through a similar epitope but does not readily promote dimerization. In combination, this study identifies features of TRIB2 that could be exploited for the development of inhibitors and nanobody tools for future investigation of TRIB2 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam A Jamieson
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Michael Pudjihartono
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Christopher R Horne
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Jessica L Dunlop
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Hamish D McMillan
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert C Day
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Karen Keeshan
- Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - James M Murphy
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Peter D Mace
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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10
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Huang L, Tang J, Lin L, Wang R, Chen F, Wei Y, Si Y, Fu W. Association of genetic variants in ULK4 with the age of first onset of type B aortic dissection. Front Genet 2022; 13:956866. [PMID: 36118886 PMCID: PMC9478570 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.956866] [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: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The association between autophagy, structural alterations of the aortic wall, and endothelial dysfunction in humans has yet to be fully elucidated. The family of ULK (UNC51-like) enzymes plays critical roles in autophagy and development. This study aimed to evaluate the association between ULK gene family members and patient age of first type B aortic dissection (TBAD) onset. Methods: The genotype data in a TBAD cohort from China and the related summary-level datasets were analyzed. We applied the sequence kernel association test (SKAT) to test the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and age of first onset of TBAD controlling for gender, hypertension, and renal function. Next, we performed a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the potential causal relationship between ULK4 and early onset of TBAD at the level of gene expression coupled with DNA methylation with genetic variants as instrumental variables. Results: A total of 159 TBAD patients with 1,180,097 SNPs were included. Concerning the association between the ULK gene family and the age of first onset of the TBAD, only ULK4 was found to be significant according to SKAT analysis (q-FDR = 0.0088). From 2-sample MR, the high level of ULK4 gene expression was related to a later age of first onset of TBAD (β = 4.58, p = 0.0214). Conclusion: This is the first study of the ULK gene family in TBAD, regarding the association with the first onset age. We demonstrated that the ULK4 gene is associated with the time of onset of TBAD based on both the SKAT and 2-sample MR analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihong Huang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Biostatistics, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Clinical Research Unit, Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaqi Tang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lijuan Lin
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruihan Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongyue Wei
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Si
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yi Si, ; Weiguo Fu,
| | - Weiguo Fu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yi Si, ; Weiguo Fu,
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11
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Hu L, Zhou BY, Yang CP, Lu DY, Tao YC, Chen L, Zhang L, Su JH, Huang Y, Song NN, Chen JY, Zhao L, Chen Y, He CH, Wang YB, Lang B, Ding YQ. Deletion of Schizophrenia Susceptibility Gene Ulk4 Leads to Abnormal Cognitive Behaviors via Akt-GSK-3 Signaling Pathway in Mice. Schizophr Bull 2022; 48:804-813. [PMID: 35522199 PMCID: PMC9212110 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite of strenuous research in the past decades, the etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) still remains incredibly controversial. Previous genetic analysis has uncovered a close association of Unc-51 like kinase 4 (ULK4), a family member of Unc-51-like serine/threonine kinase, with SCZ. However, animal behavior data which may connect Ulk4 deficiency with psychiatric disorders, particularly SCZ are still missing. METHODS We generated Emx1-Cre:Ulk4flox/flox conditional knockout (CKO) mice, in which Ulk4 was deleted in the excitatory neurons of cerebral cortex and hippocampus. RESULTS The cerebral cellular architecture was maintained but the spine density of pyramidal neurons was reduced in Ulk4 CKO mice. CKO mice showed deficits in the spatial and working memories and sensorimotor gating. Levels of p-Akt and p-GSK-3α/β were markedly reduced in the CKO mice indicating an elevation of GSK-3 signaling. Mechanistically, Ulk4 may regulate the GSK-3 signaling via putative protein complex comprising of two phosphatases, protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and 1α (PP1α). Indeed, the reduction of p-Akt and p-GSK-3α/β was rescued by administration of inhibitor acting on PP2A and PP1α in CKO mice. CONCLUSIONS Our data identified potential downstream signaling pathway of Ulk4, which plays important roles in the cognitive functions and when defective, may promote SCZ-like pathogenesis and behavioral phenotypes in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cui-Ping Yang
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Da-Yun Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun-Chao Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Hui Su
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning-Ning Song
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Yin Chen
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun-Hui He
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Bing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Lang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yu-Qiang Ding
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; Shanghai 200032, China; tel: +86 021 5423 7169, e-mail:
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12
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Luo S, Zheng N, Lang B. ULK4 in Neurodevelopmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:873706. [PMID: 35493088 PMCID: PMC9039724 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.873706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene Unc51-like kinase 4 (ULK4) belongs to the Unc-51-like serine/threonine kinase family and is assumed to encode a pseudokinase with unclear function. Recently, emerging evidence has suggested that ULK4 may be etiologically involved in a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, but the underlying mechanism remains unaddressed. Here, we summarize the key findings of the structure and function of the ULK4 protein to provide comprehensive insights to better understand ULK4-related neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders and to aid in the development of a ULK4-based therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilin Luo
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center of Translational Medicine and Innovative Drug, Changsha, China
| | - Nanxi Zheng
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Nanxi Zheng, ; Bing Lang,
| | - Bing Lang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Nanxi Zheng, ; Bing Lang,
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13
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O’Boyle B, Shrestha S, Kochut K, Eyers PA, Kannan N. Computational tools and resources for pseudokinase research. Methods Enzymol 2022; 667:403-426. [PMID: 35525549 PMCID: PMC9733567 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.03.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pseudokinases regulate diverse cellular processes associated with normal cellular functions and disease. They are defined bioinformatically based on the absence of one or more catalytic residues that are required for canonical protein kinase functions. The ability to define pseudokinases based on primary sequence comparison has enabled the systematic mapping and cataloging of pseudokinase orthologs across the tree of life. While these sequences contain critical information regarding pseudokinase evolution and functional specialization, extracting this information and generating testable hypotheses based on integrative mining of sequence and structural data requires specialized computational tools and resources. In this chapter, we review recent advances in the development and application of open-source tools and resources for pseudokinase research. Specifically, we describe the application of an interactive data analytics framework, KinView, for visualizing the patterns of conservation and variation in the catalytic domain motifs of pseudokinases and evolutionarily related canonical kinases using a consistent set of curated alignments organized based on the widely used kinome evolutionary hierarchy. We also demonstrate the application of an integrated Protein Kinase Ontology (ProKinO) and an interactive viewer, ProtVista, for mapping and analyzing primary sequence motifs and annotations in the context of 3D structures and AlphaFold2 models. We provide examples and protocols for generating testable hypotheses on pseudokinase functions both for bench biologists and advanced users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady O’Boyle
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Safal Shrestha
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Krzysztof Kochut
- Department of Computer Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Patrick A Eyers
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Natarajan Kannan
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA,Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA,Corresponding author:
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14
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Peng W, Li W, Han H, Liu H, Liu P, Gong X, Chang J. Development of chromogenic detection for biomolecular analysis. VIEW 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Weipan Peng
- School of Life Sciences Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures Tianjin University Tianjin China
| | - Wenna Li
- School of Life Sciences Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures Tianjin University Tianjin China
| | - Houyu Han
- School of Life Sciences Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures Tianjin University Tianjin China
| | - Hao Liu
- Tianjin Stomatological Hospital, Nankai University Tianjin China
| | - Ping Liu
- Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory of Chemiluminescence and POCT Diagnostic Technology Tianjin China
| | - Xiaoqun Gong
- School of Life Sciences Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures Tianjin University Tianjin China
| | - Jin Chang
- School of Life Sciences Tianjin Key Laboratory of Function and Application of Biological Macromolecular Structures Tianjin University Tianjin China
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15
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Huang LC, Taujale R, Gravel N, Venkat A, Yeung W, Byrne DP, Eyers PA, Kannan N. KinOrtho: a method for mapping human kinase orthologs across the tree of life and illuminating understudied kinases. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:446. [PMID: 34537014 PMCID: PMC8449880 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04358-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protein kinases are among the largest druggable family of signaling proteins, involved in various human diseases, including cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Despite their clinical relevance, nearly 30% of the 545 human protein kinases remain highly understudied. Comparative genomics is a powerful approach for predicting and investigating the functions of understudied kinases. However, an incomplete knowledge of kinase orthologs across fully sequenced kinomes severely limits the application of comparative genomics approaches for illuminating understudied kinases. Here, we introduce KinOrtho, a query- and graph-based orthology inference method that combines full-length and domain-based approaches to map one-to-one kinase orthologs across 17 thousand species. RESULTS Using multiple metrics, we show that KinOrtho performed better than existing methods in identifying kinase orthologs across evolutionarily divergent species and eliminated potential false positives by flagging sequences without a proper kinase domain for further evaluation. We demonstrate the advantage of using domain-based approaches for identifying domain fusion events, highlighting a case between an understudied serine/threonine kinase TAOK1 and a metabolic kinase PIK3C2A with high co-expression in human cells. We also identify evolutionary fission events involving the understudied OBSCN kinase domains, further highlighting the value of domain-based orthology inference approaches. Using KinOrtho-defined orthologs, Gene Ontology annotations, and machine learning, we propose putative biological functions of several understudied kinases, including the role of TP53RK in cell cycle checkpoint(s), the involvement of TSSK3 and TSSK6 in acrosomal vesicle localization, and potential functions for the ULK4 pseudokinase in neuronal development. CONCLUSIONS In sum, KinOrtho presents a novel query-based tool to identify one-to-one orthologous relationships across thousands of proteomes that can be applied to any protein family of interest. We exploit KinOrtho here to identify kinase orthologs and show that its well-curated kinome ortholog set can serve as a valuable resource for illuminating understudied kinases, and the KinOrtho framework can be extended to any protein-family of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Chin Huang
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, 120 Green St., Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Rahil Taujale
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, 120 Green St., Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Nathan Gravel
- PREP@UGA, University of Georgia, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Aarya Venkat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Green St., Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Wayland Yeung
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, 120 Green St., Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Dominic P. Byrne
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, UK
| | - Patrick A. Eyers
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, UK
| | - Natarajan Kannan
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, 120 Green St., Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Green St., Athens, GA 30602 USA
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16
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Conformational plasticity of the ULK3 kinase domain. Biochem J 2021; 478:2811-2823. [PMID: 34190988 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The human protein kinase ULK3 regulates the timing of membrane abscission, thus being involved in exosome budding and cytokinesis. Herein, we present the first high-resolution structures of the ULK3 kinase domain. Its unique features are explored against the background of other ULK kinases. An inhibitor fingerprint indicates that ULK3 is highly druggable and capable of adopting a wide range of conformations. In accordance with this, we describe a conformational switch between the active and an inactive ULK3 conformation, controlled by the properties of the attached small-molecule binder. Finally, we discuss a potential substrate-recognition mechanism of the full-length ULK3 protein.
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17
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Hu L, Chen Y, Yang CP, Huang Y, Song NN, Chen JY, Sun YL, Ding YQ, Lang B. Ulk4, a Newly Discovered Susceptibility Gene for Schizophrenia, Regulates Corticogenesis in Mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:645368. [PMID: 34235142 PMCID: PMC8255617 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.645368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic and severe mental disease that affects around 1% of the population. The precise etiology of SCZ still remains largely unknown, and no conclusive mechanisms are firmly established. Recent advances in epidemiological and clinical investigation support an overwhelmingly strong neurodevelopmental origin for SCZ. Here, we demonstrated that Unc-51-like kinase 4 (Ulk4), a novel risk factor for major mental disorders including schizophrenia, is involved in the corticogenesis. Deletion of Ulk4 in mice led to significantly thinner layers of II–III, and V in the cerebral cortex, which was confirmed in conditional Ulk4 deletion mice achieved by Cre-loxp strategy. This abnormality might be caused by decreased intermediate neural progenitors and increased apoptosis. Thus, our data suggest that Ulk4 manipulates the behaviors of neural progenitors during brain development and, when functionally defective, leads to the reduction of specific cortical layers. This anomaly may increase predisposition to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cui-Ping Yang
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning-Ning Song
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Yin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Ling Sun
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Qiang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias, Ministry of Education, East Hospital, and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Lang
- National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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18
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Nourbakhsh K, Yadav S. Kinase Signaling in Dendritic Development and Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:624648. [PMID: 33642997 PMCID: PMC7902504 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.624648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendrites undergo extensive growth and remodeling during their lifetime. Specification of neurites into dendrites is followed by their arborization, maturation, and functional integration into synaptic networks. Each of these distinct developmental processes is spatially and temporally controlled in an exquisite fashion. Protein kinases through their highly specific substrate phosphorylation regulate dendritic growth and plasticity. Perturbation of kinase function results in aberrant dendritic growth and synaptic function. Not surprisingly, kinase dysfunction is strongly associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Herein, we review, (a) key kinase pathways that regulate dendrite structure, function and plasticity, (b) how aberrant kinase signaling contributes to dendritic dysfunction in neurological disorders and (c) emergent technologies that can be applied to dissect the role of protein kinases in dendritic structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Smita Yadav
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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19
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Mace PD, Murphy JM. There's more to death than life: Noncatalytic functions in kinase and pseudokinase signaling. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100705. [PMID: 33895136 PMCID: PMC8141879 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases are present in all domains of life and play diverse roles in cellular signaling. Whereas the impact of substrate phosphorylation by protein kinases has long been appreciated, it is becoming increasingly clear that protein kinases also play other, noncatalytic, functions. Here, we review recent developments in understanding the noncatalytic functions of protein kinases. Many noncatalytic activities are best exemplified by protein kinases that are devoid of enzymatic activity altogether-known as pseudokinases. These dead proteins illustrate that, beyond conventional notions of kinase function, catalytic activity can be dispensable for biological function. Through key examples we illustrate diverse mechanisms of noncatalytic kinase activity: as allosteric modulators; protein-based switches; scaffolds for complex assembly; and as competitive inhibitors in signaling pathways. In common, these noncatalytic mechanisms exploit the nature of the protein kinase fold as a versatile protein-protein interaction module. Many examples are also intrinsically linked to the ability of the protein kinase to switch between multiple states, a function shared with catalytic protein kinases. Finally, we consider the contemporary landscape of small molecules to modulate noncatalytic functions of protein kinases, which, although challenging, has significant potential given the scope of noncatalytic protein kinase function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Mace
- Biochemistry Department, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - James M Murphy
- Inflammation Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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20
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Abstract
Unc-51-like kinase 4 (ULK4) is a pseudokinase conserved in most eukaryotes, yet ULK4 signaling mechanisms remain enigmatic. In this issue of Structure, Preuss and colleagues report a structure of the ATP-bound ULK4 pseudokinase domain, supported by proteomic analysis of the ULK4 interactome and in-depth evolutionary analysis of the intriguingULK4 pseudokinase domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Eyers
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK.
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21
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Preuss F, Chatterjee D, Mathea S, Shrestha S, St-Germain J, Saha M, Kannan N, Raught B, Rottapel R, Knapp S. Nucleotide Binding, Evolutionary Insights, and Interaction Partners of the Pseudokinase Unc-51-like Kinase 4. Structure 2020; 28:1184-1196.e6. [PMID: 32814032 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2020.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Unc-51-like kinase 4 (ULK4) is a pseudokinase that has been linked to the development of several diseases. Even though sequence motifs required for ATP binding in kinases are lacking, ULK4 still tightly binds ATP and the presence of the co-factor is required for structural stability of ULK4. Here, we present a high-resolution structure of a ULK4-ATPγS complex revealing a highly unusual ATP binding mode in which the lack of the canonical VAIK motif lysine is compensated by K39, located N-terminal to αC. Evolutionary analysis suggests that degradation of active site motifs in metazoan ULK4 has co-occurred with an ULK4-specific activation loop, which stabilizes the C helix. In addition, cellular interaction studies using BioID and biochemical validation data revealed high confidence interactors of the pseudokinase and armadillo repeat domains. Many of the identified ULK4 interaction partners were centrosomal and tubulin-associated proteins and several active kinases suggesting interesting regulatory roles for ULK4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Preuss
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Structural Genomics Consortium, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Deep Chatterjee
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Structural Genomics Consortium, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sebastian Mathea
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Structural Genomics Consortium, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Safal Shrestha
- Institute of Bioinformatics & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Jonathan St-Germain
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Manipa Saha
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Natarajan Kannan
- Institute of Bioinformatics & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, 120 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Brian Raught
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Robert Rottapel
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto M5G 2C4, Canada; Departments of Medicine, Immunology and Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto M5G 1L7, Canada; Division of Rheumatology, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Structural Genomics Consortium, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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