1
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Irani S, Tan W, Li Q, Toy W, Jones C, Gadiya M, Marra A, Katzenellenbogen JA, Carlson KE, Katzenellenbogen BS, Karimi M, Segu Rajappachetty R, Del Priore IS, Reis-Filho JS, Shen Y, Chandarlapaty S. Somatic estrogen receptor α mutations that induce dimerization promote receptor activity and breast cancer proliferation. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e163242. [PMID: 37883178 PMCID: PMC10760953 DOI: 10.1172/jci163242] [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: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Physiologic activation of estrogen receptor α (ERα) is mediated by estradiol (E2) binding in the ligand-binding pocket of the receptor, repositioning helix 12 (H12) to facilitate binding of coactivator proteins in the unoccupied coactivator binding groove. In breast cancer, activation of ERα is often observed through point mutations that lead to the same H12 repositioning in the absence of E2. Through expanded genetic sequencing of breast cancer patients, we identified a collection of mutations located far from H12 but nonetheless capable of promoting E2-independent transcription and breast cancer cell growth. Using machine learning and computational structure analyses, this set of mutants was inferred to act distinctly from the H12-repositioning mutants and instead was associated with conformational changes across the ERα dimer interface. Through both in vitro and in-cell assays of full-length ERα protein and isolated ligand-binding domain, we found that these mutants promoted ERα dimerization, stability, and nuclear localization. Point mutations that selectively disrupted dimerization abrogated E2-independent transcriptional activity of these dimer-promoting mutants. The results reveal a distinct mechanism for activation of ERα function through enforced receptor dimerization and suggest dimer disruption as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat ER-dependent cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Irani
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Wuwei Tan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Qing Li
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Weiyi Toy
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Catherine Jones
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mayur Gadiya
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Antonio Marra
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - John A. Katzenellenbogen
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and the Cancer Center, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Kathryn E. Carlson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and the Cancer Center, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Benita S. Katzenellenbogen
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and the Cancer Center, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Mostafa Karimi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ramya Segu Rajappachetty
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Isabella S. Del Priore
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jorge S. Reis-Filho
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yang Shen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering and
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology and Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sarat Chandarlapaty
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
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2
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Rizvi S, Chhabra A, Tripathi A, Tyagi RK. Mitotic genome-bookmarking by nuclear hormone receptors: A novel dimension in epigenetic reprogramming and disease assessment. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 578:112069. [PMID: 37730146 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Arrival of multi-colored fluorescent proteins and advances in live cell imaging has immensely contributed to our understanding of intracellular trafficking of nuclear receptors and their roles in gene regulatory functions. These regulatory events need to be faithfully propagated from progenitor to progeny cells. This is corroborated by multiple converging mechanisms that include histone modifications and lately, the phenomenon of 'mitotic genome-bookmarking' by specific transcription factors. This phenomenon refers to the retention and feed-forward transmission of progenitor's architectural blueprint of active transcription status which is silenced and preserved during mitosis. Upon mitotic exit, this phenomenon ensures accurate reactivation of transcriptome, proteome, cellular traits and phenotypes in the progeny cells. In addition to diverse modes of genome-bookmarking by nuclear receptors, a correlation between disease-associated receptor polymorphism and disruption of this phenomenon is apparent. However, breakthrough technologies shall reveal finer details of this phenomenon to help achieve normalcy in receptor-specific diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheeba Rizvi
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Ayushi Chhabra
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Anjali Tripathi
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Rakesh K Tyagi
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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3
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Androgen receptor-dependent regulation of metabolism in high grade bladder cancer cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1762. [PMID: 36720985 PMCID: PMC9889754 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28692-z] [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: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The observed sex disparity in bladder cancer (BlCa) argues that androgen receptor (AR) signaling has a role in these malignancies. BlCas express full-length AR (FL-AR), constitutively active AR splice variants, including AR-v19, or both, and their depletion limits BlCa viability. However, the mechanistic basis of AR-dependence is unknown. Here, we depleted FL-AR, AR-v19, or all AR forms (T-AR), and performed RNA-seq studies to uncover that different AR forms govern distinct but partially overlapping transcriptional programs. Overlapping alterations include a decrease in mTOR and an increase of hypoxia regulated transcripts accompanied by a decline in oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Queries of BlCa databases revealed a significant negative correlation between AR expression and multiple hypoxia-associated transcripts arguing that this regulatory mechanism is a feature of high-grade malignancies. Our analysis of a 1600-compound library identified niclosamide as a strong ATPase inhibitor that reduces OCR in BlCa cells, decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis in a dose and time dependent manner. These results suggest that BlCa cells hijack AR signaling to enhance metabolic activity, promoting cell proliferation and survival; hence targeting this AR downstream vulnerability presents an attractive strategy to limit BlCa.
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4
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Pinheiro EDS, Preato AM, Petrucci TVB, dos Santos LS, Glezer I. Phase-separation: a possible new layer for transcriptional regulation by glucocorticoid receptor. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1160238. [PMID: 37124728 PMCID: PMC10145926 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1160238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are hormones involved in circadian adaptation and stress response, and it is also noteworthy that these steroidal molecules present potent anti-inflammatory action through GC receptors (GR). Upon ligand-mediated activation, GR translocates to the nucleus, and regulates gene expression related to metabolism, acute-phase response and innate immune response. GR field of research has evolved considerably in the last decades, providing varied mechanisms that contributed to the understanding of transcriptional regulation and also impacted drug design for treating inflammatory diseases. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in cellular processes represents a recent topic in biology that conceptualizes membraneless organelles and microenvironments that promote, or inhibit, chemical reactions and interactions of protein or nucleic acids. The formation of these molecular condensates has been implicated in gene expression control, and recent evidence shows that GR and other steroid receptors can nucleate phase separation (PS). Here we briefly review the varied mechanisms of transcriptional control by GR, which are largely studied in the context of inflammation, and further present how PS can be involved in the control of gene expression. Lastly, we consider how the reported advances on LLPS during transcription control, specially for steroid hormone receptors, could impact the different modalities of GR action on gene expression, adding a new plausible molecular event in glucocorticoid signal transduction.
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5
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SOX2 Modulates the Nuclear Organization and Transcriptional Activity of the Glucocorticoid Receptor. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167869. [PMID: 36309135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167869] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Steroid receptors (SRs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors (TFs) relevant to key cellular processes in both physiology and pathology, including some types of cancer. SOX2 is a master TF of pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, and its dysregulation is also associated with various types of human cancers. A potential crosstalk between these TFs could be relevant in malignant cells yet, to the best of our knowledge, no formal study has been performed thus far. Here we show, by quantitative live-cell imaging microscopy, that ectopic expression of SOX2 disrupts the formation of hormone-dependent intranuclear condensates of many steroid receptors (SRs), including those formed by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). SOX2 also reduces GR's binding to specific DNA targets and modulates its transcriptional activity. SOX2-driven effects on GR condensates do not require the intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of the receptor and, surprisingly, neither relies on GR/SOX2 interactions. SOX2 also alters the intranuclear dynamics and compartmentalization of the SR coactivator NCoA-2 and impairs GR/NCoA-2 interactions. These results suggest an indirect mechanism underlying SOX2-driven effects on SRs involving this coactivator. Together, these results highlight that the transcriptional program elicited by GR relies on its nuclear organization and is intimately linked to the distribution of other GR partners, such as the NCoA-2 coactivator. Abnormal expression of SOX2, commonly observed in many tumors, may alter the biological action of GR and, probably, other SRs as well. Understanding this crosstalk may help to improve steroid hormone-based therapies in cancers with elevated SOX2 expression.
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Meszaros A, Ahmed J, Russo G, Tompa P, Lazar T. The evolution and polymorphism of mono-amino acid repeats in androgen receptor and their regulatory role in health and disease. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1019803. [PMID: 36388907 PMCID: PMC9642029 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1019803] [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: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) is a key member of nuclear hormone receptors with the longest intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain (NTD) in its protein family. There are four mono-amino acid repeats (polyQ1, polyQ2, polyG, and polyP) located within its NTD, of which two are polymorphic (polyQ1 and polyG). The length of both polymorphic repeats shows clinically important correlations with disease, especially with cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, as shorter and longer alleles exhibit significant differences in expression, activity and solubility. Importantly, AR has also been shown to undergo condensation in the nucleus by liquid-liquid phase separation, a process highly sensitive to protein solubility and concentration. Nonetheless, in prostate cancer cells, AR variants also partition into transcriptional condensates, which have been shown to alter the expression of target gene products. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the link between AR repeat polymorphisms and cancer types, including mechanistic explanations and models comprising the relationship between condensate formation, polyQ1 length and transcriptional activity. Moreover, we outline the evolutionary paths of these recently evolved amino acid repeats across mammalian species, and discuss new research directions with potential breakthroughs and controversies in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Meszaros
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Junaid Ahmed
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Giorgio Russo
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences (RCNS), ELKH, Budapest, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Peter Tompa,
| | - Tamas Lazar
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Tamas Lazar,
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7
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Chaychi S, Valera E, Tartaglia MC. Sex and gender differences in mild traumatic brain injury/concussion. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 164:349-375. [PMID: 36038209 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The high incidence of concussions/mild traumatic brain injury and the significant number of people with persisting concussion symptoms as well as the concern for delayed, neurodegenerative effects of concussions makes them a major public health concern. There is much to learn on concussions with respect to pathophysiology as well as vulnerability and resiliency factors. The heterogeneity in outcome after a concussion warrants a more personalized approach to better understand the biological and psychosocial factors that may affect outcome. In this chapter we address biological sex and gender as they impact different aspects of concussion including incidence, risk factors and outcome. As well, this chapter will provide a more fulsome overview of intimate partner violence, an often-overlooked cause of concussion in women. Applying the sex and gender lens to concussion/mild traumatic brain injury is imperative for discovery of its pathophysiology and moving closer to treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samaneh Chaychi
- Memory Clinic, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Concussion Centre, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Eve Valera
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Maria Carmela Tartaglia
- Memory Clinic, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Canadian Concussion Centre, Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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8
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Zhou T, Feng Q. Androgen receptor signaling and spatial chromatin organization in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:924087. [PMID: 35966880 PMCID: PMC9372301 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.924087] [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: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death and affects millions of men in the world. The American Cancer Society estimated about 34,500 deaths from prostate cancer in the United States in year 2022. The Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is a major pathway that sustains local and metastatic prostate tumor growth. Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is the standard of care for metastatic prostate cancer patient and can suppress the tumor growth for a median of 2–3 years. Unfortunately, the malignancy inevitably progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) which is more aggressive and no longer responsive to ADT. Surprisingly, for most of the CPRC patients, cancer growth still depends on androgen receptor signaling. Accumulating evidence suggests that CRPC cells have rewired their transcriptional program to retain AR signaling in the absence of androgens. Besides AR, other transcription factors also contribute to the resistance mechanism through multiple pathways including enhancing AR signaling pathway and activating other complementary signaling pathways for the favor of AR downstream genes expression. More recent studies have shown the role of transcription factors in reconfiguring chromatin 3D structure and regulating topologically associating domains (TADs). Pioneer factors, transcription factors and coactivators form liquid-liquid phase separation compartment that can modulate transcriptional events along with configuring TADs. The role of AR and other transcription factors on chromatin structure change and formation of condensate compartment in prostate cancer cells has only been recently investigated and appreciated. This review intends to provide an overview of transcription factors that contribute to AR signaling through activation of gene expression, governing 3D chromatin structure and establishing phase to phase separation. A more detailed understanding of the spatial role of transcription factors in CRPC might provide novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of CRPC.
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Deshpande AS, Ulahannan N, Pendleton M, Dai X, Ly L, Behr JM, Schwenk S, Liao W, Augello MA, Tyer C, Rughani P, Kudman S, Tian H, Otis HG, Adney E, Wilkes D, Mosquera JM, Barbieri CE, Melnick A, Stoddart D, Turner DJ, Juul S, Harrington E, Imieliński M. Identifying synergistic high-order 3D chromatin conformations from genome-scale nanopore concatemer sequencing. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:1488-1499. [DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01289-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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10
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Strickland BA, Ansari SA, Dantoft W, Uhlenhaut NH. How to tame your genes: mechanisms of inflammatory gene repression by glucocorticoids. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:2596-2616. [PMID: 35612756 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14409] [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: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used therapeutic agents to treat a broad range of inflammatory conditions. Their functional effects are elicited by binding to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which regulates transcription of distinct gene networks in response to ligand. However, the mechanisms governing various aspects of undesired side effects versus beneficial immunomodulation upon GR activation remain complex and incompletely understood. In this review, we discuss emerging models of inflammatory gene regulation by GR, highlighting GR's regulatory specificity conferred by context-dependent changes in chromatin architecture and transcription factor or co-regulator dynamics. GR controls both gene activation and repression, with the repression mechanism being central to favorable clinical outcomes. We describe current knowledge about 3D genome organization and its role in spatiotemporal transcriptional control by GR. Looking beyond, we summarize the evidence for dynamics in gene regulation by GR through cooperative convergence of epigenetic modifications, transcription factor crosstalk, molecular condensate formation and chromatin looping. Further characterizing these genomic events will reframe our understanding of mechanisms of transcriptional repression by GR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Strickland
- Metabolic Programming, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Suhail A Ansari
- Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology (IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU) and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Widad Dantoft
- Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology (IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU) and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - N Henriette Uhlenhaut
- Metabolic Programming, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology (IDE), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU) and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
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Appelman MD, Hollaar EE, Schuijers J, van Mil SWC. Protein Condensation in the Nuclear Receptor Family; Implications for Transcriptional Output. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1390:243-253. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11836-4_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
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12
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Pecci A, Ogara MF, Sanz RT, Vicent GP. Choosing the right partner in hormone-dependent gene regulation: Glucocorticoid and progesterone receptors crosstalk in breast cancer cells. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1037177. [PMID: 36407312 PMCID: PMC9672667 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1037177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) belong to a large family of ligand-activated nuclear receptors that share certain characteristics and possess others that make them unique. It was thought for many years that the specificity of hormone response lay in the ligand. Although this may be true for pure agonists, the natural ligands as progesterone, corticosterone and cortisol present a broader effect by simultaneous activation of several SHRs. Moreover, SHRs share structural and functional characteristics that range from similarities between ligand-binding pockets to recognition of specific DNA sequences. These properties are clearly evident in progesterone (PR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR); however, the biological responses triggered by each receptor in the presence of its ligand are different, and in some cases, even opposite. Thus, what confers the specificity of response to a given receptor is a long-standing topic of discussion that has not yet been unveiled. The levels of expression of each receptor, the differential interaction with coregulators, the chromatin accessibility as well as the DNA sequence of the target regions in the genome, are reliable sources of variability in hormone action that could explain the results obtained so far. Yet, to add further complexity to this scenario, it has been described that receptors can form heterocomplexes which can either compromise or potentiate the respective hormone-activated pathways with its possible impact on the pathological condition. In the present review, we summarized the state of the art of the functional cross-talk between PR and GR in breast cancer cells and we also discussed new paradigms of specificity in hormone action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adali Pecci
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- *Correspondence: Adali Pecci, ; Guillermo Pablo Vicent,
| | - María Florencia Ogara
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rosario T. Sanz
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillermo Pablo Vicent
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Adali Pecci, ; Guillermo Pablo Vicent,
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Pluripotency transcription factors at the focus: the phase separation paradigm in stem cells. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2871-2878. [PMID: 34812855 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The transcription factors (TFs) OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG are key players of the gene regulatory network of pluripotent stem cells. Evidence accumulated in recent years shows that even small imbalances in the expression levels or relative concentrations of these TFs affect both, the maintenance of pluripotency and cell fate decisions. In addition, many components of the transcriptional machinery including RNA polymerases, cofactors and TFs such as those required for pluripotency, do not distribute homogeneously in the nucleus but concentrate in multiple foci influencing the delivery of these molecules to their DNA-targets. How cells control strict levels of available pluripotency TFs in this heterogeneous space and the biological role of these foci remain elusive. In recent years, a wealth of evidence led to propose that many of the nuclear compartments are formed through a liquid-liquid phase separation process. This new paradigm early penetrated the stem cells field since many key players of the pluripotency circuitry seem to phase-separate. Overall, the formation of liquid compartments may modulate the kinetics of biochemical reactions and consequently regulate many nuclear processes. Here, we review the state-of-the-art knowledge of compartmentalization in the cell nucleus and the relevance of this process for transcriptional regulation, particularly in pluripotent stem cells. We also highlight the recent advances and new ideas in the field showing how compartmentalization may affect pluripotency preservation and cell fate decisions.
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Sołtys K, Ożyhar A. Transcription Regulators and Membraneless Organelles Challenges to Investigate Them. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12758. [PMID: 34884563 PMCID: PMC8657783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are composed of different bio-macromolecules that are divided into compartments called organelles providing optimal microenvironments for many cellular processes. A specific type of organelles is membraneless organelles. They are formed via a process called liquid-liquid phase separation that is driven by weak multivalent interactions between particular bio-macromolecules. In this review, we gather crucial information regarding different classes of transcription regulators with the propensity to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation and stress the role of intrinsically disordered regions in this phenomenon. We also discuss recently developed experimental systems for studying formation and properties of membraneless organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Sołtys
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland;
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15
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Ahmed J, Meszaros A, Lazar T, Tompa P. DNA-binding domain as the minimal region driving RNA-dependent liquid-liquid phase separation of androgen receptor. Protein Sci 2021; 30:1380-1392. [PMID: 33938068 PMCID: PMC8197421 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR) is a nuclear hormone receptor that regulates the transcription of genes involved in the development of testis, prostate and the nervous system. Misregulation of AR is a major driver of prostate cancer (PC). The primary agonist of full-length AR is testosterone, whereas its splice variants, for example, AR-v7 implicated in cancer may lack a ligand-binding domain and are thus devoid of proper hormonal control. Recently, it was demonstrated that full-length AR, but not AR-v7, can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in a cellular model of PC. In a detailed bioinformatics and deletion analysis, we have analyzed which AR region is responsible for LLPS. We found that its DNA-binding domain (DBD) can bind RNA and can undergo RNA-dependent LLPS. RNA regulates its LLPS in a reentrant manner, that is, it has an inhibitory effect at higher concentrations. As RNA binds DBD more weakly than DNA, while both RNA and DNA localizes into AR droplets, its LLPS depends on the relative concentration of the two nucleic acids. The region immediately preceding DBD has no effect on the LLPS propensity of AR, whereas the functional part of its long N-terminal disordered transactivation domain termed activation function 1 (AF1) inhibits AR-v7 phase separation. We suggest that the resulting diminished LLPS tendency of AR-v7 may contribute to the misregulation of the transcription function of AR in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junaid Ahmed
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologyBrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences DepartmentVrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)BrusselsBelgium
| | - Attila Meszaros
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologyBrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences DepartmentVrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)BrusselsBelgium
| | - Tamas Lazar
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologyBrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences DepartmentVrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)BrusselsBelgium
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor BiotechnologyBrusselsBelgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Bioengineering Sciences DepartmentVrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)BrusselsBelgium
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural SciencesBudapestHungary
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Progesterone receptors in normal breast development and breast cancer. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:951-969. [PMID: 34061163 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone receptors (PR) play a pivotal role in many female reproductive tissues such as the uterus, the ovary, and the mammary gland (MG). Moreover, PR play a key role in breast cancer growth and progression. This has led to the development and study of different progestins and antiprogestins, many of which are currently being tested in clinical trials for cancer treatment. Recent reviews have addressed the role of PR in MG development, carcinogenesis, and breast cancer growth. Thus, in this review, in addition to making an overview on PR action in normal and tumor breast, the focus has been put on highlighting the still unresolved topics on hormone treatment involving PR isoforms and breast cancer prognosis.
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