1
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Cui Y, Xiao Q, Zhang Q, Yang J, Liu Y, Hao W, Jiang J, Meng Q, Wei X. 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane induces necroptosis via the co-competition of GAS5 and NUAK1 for miR-743a-5p in rat hepatocytes. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 478:135375. [PMID: 39141942 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
The brominated flame retardant 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE) widely used in manufacturing is inevitably released into the environment, resulting in the exposure of organisms to BTBPE. Therefore, it is particularly important to explore its toxic mechanism. The liver is one of the main accumulating organs of BTBPE, but the mechanism underlying BTBPE hepatotoxicity has not been thoroughly investigated. In our study, BTBPE was administered to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and rat hepatocytes (BRL cells) in vivo and in vitro, respectively, and HE staining, AO/EB staining, fluorescent probes, qPCR, immunofluorescence, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed. We investigated the mechanism of action of growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5), miR-743a-5p, and NUAK family kinase 1 (NUAK1) in BTBPE-induced necroptosis from the perspective of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) using NUAK1 inhibitors, siRNAs, mimics, and overexpression plasmids. Our study showed that exposure to BTBPE caused necroptosis in the liver and BRL cells, accompanied by an oxidation-reduction imbalance and an inflammatory response. It is worth noting that NUAK1 is a newly discovered upstream regulatory target for necroptosis. In addition, miR-743a-5p was shown to inhibit necroptosis by targeting NUAK1 and down-regulating NUAK1. GAS5 upregulates NUAK1 expression by competitively binding to miR-743a-5p, thereby inducing necroptosis. This study demonstrated, for the first time, that the GAS5-miR-743a-5p-NUAK1 axis is involved in the regulation of necroptosis via ceRNAs. Thus, GAS5 and NUAK1 induce necroptosis by competitively binding to miR-743a-5p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Cui
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Qianqian Xiao
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Jiawei Yang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Yuetong Liu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Weidong Hao
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Jianjun Jiang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Qinghe Meng
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Xuetao Wei
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Beijing 100191, PR China.
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2
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Upadhyay DB, Nogales J, Mokariya JA, Vala RM, Tandon V, Banerjee S, Patel HM. One-pot synthesis of tetrahydropyrimidinecarboxamides enabling in vitro anticancer activity: a combinative study with clinically relevant brain-penetrant drugs. RSC Adv 2024; 14:27174-27186. [PMID: 39193280 PMCID: PMC11348845 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra04171b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we describe a one-pot three-component synthesis of bioactive tetrahydopyrimidinecarboxamide derivatives employing lanthanum triflate as a catalyst. Out of the synthesized compounds, 4f had the most potent anti-cancer activity and impeded cell cycle progression effectively. Anti-cancer bioactivity was observed in 4f against liver, breast, and lung cancers as well as primary patient-derived glioblastoma cell lines. Compound 4f effectively inhibited the 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma stem cells. Specifically, 4f exhibited synergistic cytotoxicity with the EGFR inhibitor that is the clinical epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor osimertinib. 4f does not exhibit anti-kinase activity and is cytostatic in nature, and further work is needed to understand the true molecular target of 4f and its derivatives. Through our current work, we establish a promising tetrahydopyrimidinecarboxamide-based lead compound with anti-cancer activity, which may exhibit potent anti-cancer activity in combination with specific clinically relevant small molecule kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti B Upadhyay
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University Vallabh Vidyanagar Gujarat India
| | - Joaquina Nogales
- Division of Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Dundee Dundee DD1 9SY UK
| | - Jaydeep A Mokariya
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University Vallabh Vidyanagar Gujarat India
| | - Ruturajsinh M Vala
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University Vallabh Vidyanagar Gujarat India
| | - Vasudha Tandon
- Division of Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Dundee Dundee DD1 9SY UK
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- Division of Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Dundee Dundee DD1 9SY UK
| | - Hitendra M Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University Vallabh Vidyanagar Gujarat India
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3
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Vala DP, Dunne Miller A, Atmasidha A, Parmar MP, Patel CD, Upadhyay DB, Bhalodiya SS, González-Bakker A, Khan AN, Nogales J, Padrón JM, Banerjee S, Patel HM. Click-chemistry mediated synthesis of OTBN-1,2,3-Triazole derivatives exhibiting STK33 inhibition with diverse anti-cancer activities. Bioorg Chem 2024; 149:107485. [PMID: 38824700 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107485] [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: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
There is a continuous and pressing need to establish new brain-penetrant bioactive compounds with anti-cancer properties. To this end, a new series of 4'-((4-substituted-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carbonitrile (OTBN-1,2,3-triazole) derivatives were synthesized by click chemistry. The series of bioactive compounds were designed and synthesized from diverse alkynes and N3-OTBN, using copper (II) acetate monohydrate in aqueous dimethylformamide at room temperature. Besides being highly cost-effective and significantly reducing synthesis, the reaction yielded 91-98 % of the target products without the need of any additional steps or chromatographic techniques. Two analogues exhibit promising anti-cancer biological activities. Analogue 4l shows highly specific cytostatic activity against lung cancer cells, while analogue 4k exhibits pan-cancer anti-growth activity. A kinase screen suggests compound 4k has single-digit micromolar activity against kinase STK33. High STK33 RNA expression correlates strongly with poorer patient outcomes in both adult and pediatric glioma. Compound 4k potently inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma cell lines. The observed anti-cancer activity is enhanced in combination with specific clinically relevant small molecule inhibitors. Herein we establish a novel biochemical kinase inhibitory function for click-chemistry-derived OTBN-1,2,3-triazole analogues and further report their anti-cancer activity in vitro for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Disha P Vala
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388 120, Gujarat, India.
| | - Amy Dunne Miller
- Department of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
| | - Aditi Atmasidha
- Department of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
| | - Mehul P Parmar
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388 120, Gujarat, India
| | - Chirag D Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388 120, Gujarat, India
| | - Dipti B Upadhyay
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388 120, Gujarat, India
| | - Savan S Bhalodiya
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388 120, Gujarat, India
| | - Aday González-Bakker
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Adam N Khan
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Joaquina Nogales
- Department of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
| | - José M Padrón
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- Department of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK.
| | - Hitendra M Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar-388 120, Gujarat, India.
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4
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Zhang W, Ni Y, Li J, Hua R, Wang Y, Yang H, Li X, Gan M, Chu G. NUAK2 mediated regulation of Schwann Cell proliferation and migration in peripheral nerve injury via YAP. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34127. [PMID: 39071701 PMCID: PMC11282989 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
NUAK2 is a member of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family, which plays an essential role in cellular processes such as apoptosis, proliferation, and cell fate. Recent studies have already shown that silencing of NUAK2 blocks proliferation and promotes apoptosis of human melanoma cells and liver cancer cells. In addition, NUAK2 is involved in the development of glioblastoma via regulating the expression of cancer stem cell-related genes, and it promotes the cell cycle entry in the glioblastoma cells. However, the expression and the role of NUAK2 in the progress of peripheral nerve regeneration after injury are yet to be elucidated. We observed that NUAK2 was upregulated following distal sciatic nerve crush (SNC). Interestingly, we discovered that NUAK2 showed co-localization with S100 (Schwann cell marker). Furthermore, we found that the NUAK2 had a spatiotemporal protein expression, which was consistent with proliferating cell nuclear-antigen (PCNA). The protein level of NUAK2 and YAP was upregulated in the model of TNF-α-induced Schwann cell (SC) proliferation. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis, CCK-8, transwell assays, and wound healing assays were all performed with the purpose of exploring the role of NUAK2 in the regulation of SC proliferation and migration. More importantly, we found that NUAK2-deficient SCs showed significantly reduced expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP). Bioinformatic analysis identified upstream regulators of NUAK2 and NUAK2-associated genes (e.g., YAP1). Finally, we investigated the recovery changes during regeneration progress through the walking track analysis. Thus, we speculated that NUAK2 was involved in biochemical and physiological responses of SCs after SNC via YAP-driven proliferation and migration, and this study determined the importance of NUAK2 as a potential target in peripheral nerve regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yingchen Ni
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianxin Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Runjia Hua
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yudong Wang
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huilin Yang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Minfeng Gan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Genglei Chu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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5
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Skalka GL, Whyte D, Lubawska D, Murphy DJ. NUAK: never underestimate a kinase. Essays Biochem 2024:EBC20240005. [PMID: 38939918 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20240005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
NUAK1 and NUAK2 belong to a family of kinases related to the catalytic α-subunits of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) complexes. Despite canonical activation by the tumour suppressor kinase LKB1, both NUAKs exhibit a spectrum of activities that favour tumour development and progression. Here, we review similarities in structure and function of the NUAKs, their regulation at gene, transcript and protein level, and discuss their phosphorylation of specific downstream targets in the context of the signal transduction pathways and biological activities regulated by each or both NUAKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- George L Skalka
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
- CRUK Scotland Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
| | - Declan Whyte
- CRUK Scotland Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
| | | | - Daniel J Murphy
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
- CRUK Scotland Institute, Garscube Estate, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
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6
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Taylor LW, Simzer EM, Pimblett C, Lacey-Solymar OTT, McGeachan RI, Meftah S, Rose JL, Spires-Jones MP, Holt K, Catterson JH, Koch H, Liaquat I, Clarke JH, Skidmore J, Smith C, Booker SA, Brennan PM, Spires-Jones TL, Durrant CS. p-tau Ser356 is associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology and is lowered in brain slice cultures using the NUAK inhibitor WZ4003. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:7. [PMID: 38175261 PMCID: PMC10766794 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02667-w] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation is a common feature of many dementia-causing neurodegenerative diseases. Tau can be phosphorylated at up to 85 different sites, and there is increasing interest in whether tau phosphorylation at specific epitopes, by specific kinases, plays an important role in disease progression. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-related enzyme NUAK1 has been identified as a potential mediator of tau pathology, whereby NUAK1-mediated phosphorylation of tau at Ser356 prevents the degradation of tau by the proteasome, further exacerbating tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation. This study provides a detailed characterisation of the association of p-tau Ser356 with progression of Alzheimer's disease pathology, identifying a Braak stage-dependent increase in p-tau Ser356 protein levels and an almost ubiquitous presence in neurofibrillary tangles. We also demonstrate, using sub-diffraction-limit resolution array tomography imaging, that p-tau Ser356 co-localises with synapses in AD postmortem brain tissue, increasing evidence that this form of tau may play important roles in AD progression. To assess the potential impacts of pharmacological NUAK inhibition in an ex vivo system that retains multiple cell types and brain-relevant neuronal architecture, we treated postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures from wildtype or APP/PS1 littermates with the commercially available NUAK1/2 inhibitor WZ4003. Whilst there were no genotype-specific effects, we found that WZ4003 results in a culture-phase-dependent loss of total tau and p-tau Ser356, which corresponds with a reduction in neuronal and synaptic proteins. By contrast, application of WZ4003 to live human brain slice cultures results in a specific lowering of p-tau Ser356, alongside increased neuronal tubulin protein. This work identifies differential responses of postnatal mouse organotypic brain slice cultures and adult human brain slice cultures to NUAK1 inhibition that will be important to consider in future work developing tau-targeting therapeutics for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis W Taylor
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Simzer
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire Pimblett
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Robert I McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- The Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Soraya Meftah
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jamie L Rose
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Kristján Holt
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James H Catterson
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Henner Koch
- Department of Neurology, Epileptology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Imran Liaquat
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jonathan H Clarke
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Skidmore
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sam A Booker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul M Brennan
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
- The Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Cancer Research UK Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, CRUK Edinburgh Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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7
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Palma M, Riffo E, Farias A, Coliboro-Dannich V, Espinoza-Francine L, Escalona E, Amigo R, Gutiérrez JL, Pincheira R, Castro AF. NUAK1 coordinates growth factor-dependent activation of mTORC2 and Akt signaling. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:232. [PMID: 38135881 PMCID: PMC10740258 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01185-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND mTORC2 is a critical regulator of cytoskeleton organization, cell proliferation, and cancer cell survival. Activated mTORC2 induces maximal activation of Akt by phosphorylation of Ser-473, but regulation of Akt activity and signaling crosstalk upon growth factor stimulation are still unclear. RESULTS We identified that NUAK1 regulates growth factor-dependent activation of Akt by two mechanisms. NUAK1 interacts with mTORC2 components and regulates mTORC2-dependent activation of Akt by controlling lysosome positioning and mTOR association with this organelle. A second mechanism involves NUAK1 directly phosphorylating Akt at Ser-473. The effect of NUAK1 correlated with a growth factor-dependent activation of specific Akt substrates. NUAK1 induced the Akt-dependent phosphorylation of FOXO1/3a (Thr-24/Thr-32) but not of TSC2 (Thr-1462). According to a subcellular compartmentalization that could explain NUAK1's differential effect on the Akt substrates, we found that NUAK1 is associated with early endosomes but not with plasma membrane, late endosomes, or lysosomes. NUAK1 was required for the Akt/FOXO1/3a axis, regulating p21CIP1, p27KIP1, and FoxM1 expression and cancer cell survival upon EGFR stimulation. Pharmacological inhibition of NUAK1 potentiated the cell death effect induced by Akt or mTOR pharmacological blockage. Analysis of human tissue data revealed that NUAK1 expression positively correlates with EGFR expression and Akt Ser-473 phosphorylation in several human cancers. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that NUAK1 kinase controls mTOR subcellular localization and induces Akt phosphorylation, demonstrating that NUAK1 regulates the growth factor-dependent activation of Akt signaling. Therefore, targeting NUAK1, or co-targeting it with Akt or mTOR inhibitors, may be effective in cancers with hyperactivated Akt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Palma
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Elizabeth Riffo
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Alejandro Farias
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Viviana Coliboro-Dannich
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Luis Espinoza-Francine
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Emilia Escalona
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Roberto Amigo
- Laboratorio de Regulación Transcripcional, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - José L Gutiérrez
- Laboratorio de Regulación Transcripcional, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Roxana Pincheira
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Ariel F Castro
- Laboratorio de Transducción de Señales y Cáncer, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad Cs. Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
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8
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Paiva ACF, Lemos AR, Busse P, Martins MT, Silva DO, Freitas MC, Santos SP, Freire F, Barrey EJ, Manival X, Koetzner L, Heinrich T, Wegener A, Grädler U, Bandeiras TM, Schwarz D, Sousa PMF. Extract2Chip-Bypassing Protein Purification in Drug Discovery Using Surface Plasmon Resonance. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:913. [PMID: 37887106 PMCID: PMC10605449 DOI: 10.3390/bios13100913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Modern drug discovery relies on combinatorial screening campaigns to find drug molecules targeting specific disease-associated proteins. The success of such campaigns often relies on functional and structural information of the selected therapeutic target, only achievable once its purification is mastered. With the aim of bypassing the protein purification process to gain insights on the druggability, ligand binding, and/or characterization of protein-protein interactions, herein, we describe the Extract2Chip method. This approach builds on the immobilization of site-specific biotinylated proteins of interest, directly from cellular extracts, on avidin-coated sensor chips to allow for the characterization of molecular interactions via surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The developed method was initially validated using Cyclophilin D (CypD) and subsequently applied to other drug discovery projects in which the targets of interest were difficult to express, purify, and crystallize. Extract2Chip was successfully applied to the characterization of Yes-associated protein (YAP): Transcriptional enhancer factor TEF (TEAD1) protein-protein interaction inhibitors, in the validation of a ternary complex assembly composed of Dyskerin pseudouridine synthase 1 (DKC1) and RuvBL1/RuvBL2, and in the establishment of a fast-screening platform to select the most suitable NUAK family SNF1-like kinase 2 (NUAK2) surrogate for binding and structural studies. The described method paves the way for a potential revival of the many drug discovery campaigns that have failed to deliver due to the lack of suitable and sufficient protein supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. F. Paiva
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana R. Lemos
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Philipp Busse
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Madalena T. Martins
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
| | - Diana O. Silva
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Micael C. Freitas
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sandra P. Santos
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Filipe Freire
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Evelyne J. Barrey
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany; (E.J.B.); (L.K.); (T.H.); (A.W.); (U.G.)
| | - Xavier Manival
- IMoPA, CNRS, Université de Lorraine, F-54000 Nancy, France;
| | - Lisa Koetzner
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany; (E.J.B.); (L.K.); (T.H.); (A.W.); (U.G.)
| | - Timo Heinrich
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany; (E.J.B.); (L.K.); (T.H.); (A.W.); (U.G.)
| | - Ansgar Wegener
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany; (E.J.B.); (L.K.); (T.H.); (A.W.); (U.G.)
| | - Ulrich Grädler
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany; (E.J.B.); (L.K.); (T.H.); (A.W.); (U.G.)
| | - Tiago M. Bandeiras
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Daniel Schwarz
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany; (E.J.B.); (L.K.); (T.H.); (A.W.); (U.G.)
| | - Pedro M. F. Sousa
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (A.C.F.P.); (A.R.L.); (P.B.); (M.T.M.); (D.O.S.); (M.C.F.); (S.P.S.); (F.F.); (T.M.B.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
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9
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El-Sayed AFM, Khaled AA, Hamdan AM, Makled SO, Hafez EE, Saleh AA. The role of antifreeze genes in the tolerance of cold stress in the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). BMC Genomics 2023; 24:476. [PMID: 37612592 PMCID: PMC10464439 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09569-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tilapia is one of the most essential farmed fishes in the world. It is a tropical and subtropical freshwater fish well adapted to warm water but sensitive to cold weather. Extreme cold weather could cause severe stress and mass mortalities in tilapia. The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of cold stress on the up-regulation of antifreeze protein (AFP) genes in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Two treatment groups of fish were investigated (5 replicates of 15 fish for each group in fibreglass tanks/70 L each): 1) a control group; the fish were acclimated to lab conditions for two weeks and the water temperature was maintained at 25 °C during the whole experimental period with feeding on a commercial diet (30% crude protein). 2) Cold stress group; the same conditions as the control group except for the temperature. Initially, the temperature was decreased by one degree every 12 h. The fish started showing death symptoms when the water temperature reached 6-8 °C. In this stage the tissue (muscle) samples were taken from both groups. The immune response of fish exposed to cold stress was detected and characterized using Differential Display-PCR (DD-PCR). RESULTS The results indicated that nine different up-regulation genes were detected in the cold-stressed fish compared to the control group. These genes are Integrin-alpha-2 (ITGA-2), Gap junction gamma-1 protein-like (GJC1), WD repeat-containing protein 59 isoform X2 (WDRP59), NUAK family SNF1-like kinase, G-protein coupled receptor-176 (GPR-176), Actin cytoskeleton-regulatory complex protein pan1-like (PAN-1), Whirlin protein (WHRN), Suppressor of tumorigenicity 7 protein isoform X2 (ST7P) and ATP-binding cassette sub-family A member 1-like isoform X2 (ABCA1). The antifreeze gene type-II amplification using a specific PCR product of 600 bp, followed by cloning and sequencing analysis revealed that the identified gene is antifreeze type-II, with similarity ranging from 70 to 95%. The in-vitro transcribed gene induced an antifreeze protein with a molecular size of 22 kDa. The antifreeze gene, ITGA-2 and the WD repeat protein belong to the lectin family (sugar-protein). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, under cold stress, Nile tilapia express many defence genes, an antifreeze gene consisting of one open reading frame of approximately 0.6 kbp.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asmaa A Khaled
- Animal and Fish Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, Alexandria City, 21531, Egypt
| | - Amira M Hamdan
- Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria City, Egypt
| | - Sara O Makled
- Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria City, Egypt
| | - Elsayed E Hafez
- Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, New Borg El Arab, Alexandria City, 21934, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A Saleh
- Animal and Fish Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Alshatby), Alexandria University, Alexandria City, 11865, Egypt.
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10
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Prasad V, Cerikan B, Stahl Y, Kopp K, Magg V, Acosta-Rivero N, Kim H, Klein K, Funaya C, Haselmann U, Cortese M, Heigwer F, Bageritz J, Bitto D, Jargalsaikhan S, Neufeldt C, Pahmeier F, Boutros M, Yamauchi Y, Ruggieri A, Bartenschlager R. Enhanced SARS-CoV-2 entry via UPR-dependent AMPK-related kinase NUAK2. Mol Cell 2023; 83:2559-2577.e8. [PMID: 37421942 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.06.020] [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: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) remodels the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to form replication organelles, leading to ER stress and unfolded protein response (UPR). However, the role of specific UPR pathways in infection remains unclear. Here, we found that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes marginal activation of signaling sensor IRE1α leading to its phosphorylation, clustering in the form of dense ER-membrane rearrangements with embedded membrane openings, and XBP1 splicing. By investigating the factors regulated by IRE1α-XBP1 during SARS-CoV-2 infection, we identified stress-activated kinase NUAK2 as a novel host-dependency factor for SARS-CoV-2, HCoV-229E, and MERS-CoV entry. Reducing NUAK2 abundance or kinase activity impaired SARS-CoV-2 particle binding and internalization by decreasing cell surface levels of viral receptors and viral trafficking likely by modulating the actin cytoskeleton. IRE1α-dependent NUAK2 levels were elevated in SARS-CoV-2-infected and bystander non-infected cells, promoting viral spread by maintaining ACE2 cell surface levels and facilitating virion binding to bystander cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhu Prasad
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Berati Cerikan
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yannick Stahl
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Kopp
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vera Magg
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nelson Acosta-Rivero
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Heeyoung Kim
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Klein
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Charlotta Funaya
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uta Haselmann
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mirko Cortese
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Heigwer
- Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany; Department of Biotechnology, Life Science and Engineering, University of Applied Sciences, Bingen am Rhein, Germany
| | - Josephine Bageritz
- Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - David Bitto
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Saruul Jargalsaikhan
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christopher Neufeldt
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Pahmeier
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Boutros
- Division of Signaling and Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center, and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Yohei Yamauchi
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alessia Ruggieri
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research, Heidelberg, Germany; Division Virus-Associated Carcinogenesis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Heidelberg Partner Site, Heidelberg, Germany.
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11
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Whyte D, Skalka G, Walsh P, Wilczynska A, Paul NR, Mitchell C, Nixon C, Clarke W, Bushell M, Morton JP, Murphy DJ, Muthalagu N. NUAK1 governs centrosome replication in pancreatic cancer via MYPT1/PP1β and GSK3β-dependent regulation of PLK4. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:1212-1227. [PMID: 36975767 PMCID: PMC10323901 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13425] [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: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-related kinase NUAK1 (NUAK family SNF1-like kinase 1) has emerged as a potential vulnerability in MYC-dependent cancer but the biological roles of NUAK1 in different settings are poorly characterised, and the spectrum of cancer types that exhibit a requirement for NUAK1 is unknown. Unlike canonical oncogenes, NUAK1 is rarely mutated in cancer and appears to function as an obligate facilitator rather than a cancer driver per se. Although numerous groups have developed small-molecule NUAK inhibitors, the circumstances that would trigger their use and the unwanted toxicities that may arise as a consequence of on-target activity are thus undetermined. Reasoning that MYC is a key effector of RAS pathway signalling and the GTPase KRAS is almost uniformly mutated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), we investigated whether this cancer type exhibits a functional requirement for NUAK1. Here, we show that high NUAK1 expression is associated with reduced overall survival in PDAC and that inhibition or depletion of NUAK1 suppresses growth of PDAC cells in culture. We identify a previously unknown role for NUAK1 in regulating accurate centrosome duplication and show that loss of NUAK1 triggers genomic instability. The latter activity is conserved in primary fibroblasts, raising the possibility of undesirable genotoxic effects of NUAK1 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Declan Whyte
- School of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- CRUK Beatson InstituteGlasgowUK
| | - George Skalka
- School of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- CRUK Beatson InstituteGlasgowUK
| | - Peter Walsh
- School of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- CRUK Beatson InstituteGlasgowUK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Martin Bushell
- School of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- CRUK Beatson InstituteGlasgowUK
| | - Jennifer P. Morton
- School of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- CRUK Beatson InstituteGlasgowUK
| | - Daniel J. Murphy
- School of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- CRUK Beatson InstituteGlasgowUK
| | - Nathiya Muthalagu
- School of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- CRUK Beatson InstituteGlasgowUK
- Present address:
Indian Institute of TechnologyMadrasIndia
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12
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Pahl A, Schölermann B, Lampe P, Rusch M, Dow M, Hedberg C, Nelson A, Sievers S, Waldmann H, Ziegler S. Morphological subprofile analysis for bioactivity annotation of small molecules. Cell Chem Biol 2023:S2451-9456(23)00159-9. [PMID: 37385259 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Fast prediction of the mode of action (MoA) for bioactive compounds would immensely foster bioactivity annotation in compound collections and may early on reveal off-targets in chemical biology research and drug discovery. Morphological profiling, e.g., using the Cell Painting assay, offers a fast, unbiased assessment of compound activity on various targets in one experiment. However, due to incomplete bioactivity annotation and unknown activities of reference compounds, prediction of bioactivity is not straightforward. Here we introduce the concept of subprofile analysis to map the MoA for both, reference and unexplored compounds. We defined MoA clusters and extracted cluster subprofiles that contain only a subset of morphological features. Subprofile analysis allows for the assignment of compounds to, currently, twelve targets or MoA. This approach enables rapid bioactivity annotation of compounds and will be extended to further clusters in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Pahl
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Beate Schölermann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Philipp Lampe
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Marion Rusch
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Mark Dow
- School of Chemistry and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Christian Hedberg
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Adam Nelson
- School of Chemistry and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sonja Sievers
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; Technical University Dortmund, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Slava Ziegler
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemical Biology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
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13
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Ho SWT, Sheng T, Xing M, Ooi WF, Xu C, Sundar R, Huang KK, Li Z, Kumar V, Ramnarayanan K, Zhu F, Srivastava S, Isa ZFBA, Anene-Nzelu CG, Razavi-Mohseni M, Shigaki D, Ma H, Tan ALK, Ong X, Lee MH, Tay ST, Guo YA, Huang W, Li S, Beer MA, Foo RSY, Teh M, Skanderup AJ, Teh BT, Tan P. Regulatory enhancer profiling of mesenchymal-type gastric cancer reveals subtype-specific epigenomic landscapes and targetable vulnerabilities. Gut 2023; 72:226-241. [PMID: 35817555 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326483] [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] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Gastric cancer (GC) comprises multiple molecular subtypes. Recent studies have highlighted mesenchymal-subtype GC (Mes-GC) as a clinically aggressive subtype with few treatment options. Combining multiple studies, we derived and applied a consensus Mes-GC classifier to define the Mes-GC enhancer landscape revealing disease vulnerabilities. DESIGN Transcriptomic profiles of ~1000 primary GCs and cell lines were analysed to derive a consensus Mes-GC classifier. Clinical and genomic associations were performed across >1200 patients with GC. Genome-wide epigenomic profiles (H3K27ac, H3K4me1 and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq)) of 49 primary GCs and GC cell lines were generated to identify Mes-GC-specific enhancer landscapes. Upstream regulators and downstream targets of Mes-GC enhancers were interrogated using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq), RNA sequencing, CRISPR/Cas9 editing, functional assays and pharmacological inhibition. RESULTS We identified and validated a 993-gene cancer-cell intrinsic Mes-GC classifier applicable to retrospective cohorts or prospective single samples. Multicohort analysis of Mes-GCs confirmed associations with poor patient survival, therapy resistance and few targetable genomic alterations. Analysis of enhancer profiles revealed a distinctive Mes-GC epigenomic landscape, with TEAD1 as a master regulator of Mes-GC enhancers and Mes-GCs exhibiting preferential sensitivity to TEAD1 pharmacological inhibition. Analysis of Mes-GC super-enhancers also highlighted NUAK1 kinase as a downstream target, with synergistic effects observed between NUAK1 inhibition and cisplatin treatment. CONCLUSION Our results establish a consensus Mes-GC classifier applicable to multiple transcriptomic scenarios. Mes-GCs exhibit a distinct epigenomic landscape, and TEAD1 inhibition and combinatorial NUAK1 inhibition/cisplatin may represent potential targetable options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamaine Wei Ting Ho
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Taotao Sheng
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.,Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.,Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Manjie Xing
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.,Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Wen Fong Ooi
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Chang Xu
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Raghav Sundar
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.,Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore.,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium, Singapore
| | - Kie Kyon Huang
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Zhimei Li
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenome, Division of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vikrant Kumar
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | | | - Feng Zhu
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Supriya Srivastava
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Chukwuemeka George Anene-Nzelu
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health System, Singapore.,Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.,Montreal Heart Institute, Quebec, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Milad Razavi-Mohseni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Dustin Shigaki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Haoran Ma
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Angie Lay Keng Tan
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Xuewen Ong
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Ming Hui Lee
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Su Ting Tay
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Yu Amanda Guo
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Weitai Huang
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Shang Li
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael A Beer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Roger Sik Yin Foo
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health System, Singapore.,Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Ming Teh
- Department of Pathology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anders Jacobsen Skanderup
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Bin Tean Teh
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.,Laboratory of Cancer Epigenome, Division of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Patrick Tan
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore .,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.,Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre, Singapore.,SingHealth/Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore
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14
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Yang L, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Fan Z. Mechanism and application of ferroptosis in colorectal cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114102. [PMID: 36528917 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114102] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant tumor in the world. CRC has high morbidity and mortality rates and it is a serious threat to human health. Ferroptosis is a unique form of iron-dependent oxidative cell death that is usually accompanied by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Ferroptosis has attracted worldwide attention since it was first proposed. It plays an important role in the development of a variety of diseases, such as tumors, ischemia/reperfusion injury, nervous system diseases, and kidney damage, and it may serve as a new therapeutic target. This article reviews the mechanism of ferroptosis and the possibility to target ferroptosis pathways in CRC, providing new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yang
- Department of General Surgery, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China; Department of Central Laboratory, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China; Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Corneal and Ocular Surface Diseases Research, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian, China
| | - Yewei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yingyi Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China; Department of Central Laboratory, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China; Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Corneal and Ocular Surface Diseases Research, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian, China.
| | - Zhe Fan
- Department of General Surgery, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China; Department of Central Laboratory, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China; Liaoning Province Key Laboratory of Corneal and Ocular Surface Diseases Research, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian, China.
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15
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Tandon V, Moreno R, Allmeroth K, Quinn J, Wiley S, Nicely L, Denzel M, Edwards J, de la Vega L, Banerjee S. Dual inhibition of HSF1 and DYRK2 impedes cancer progression. Biosci Rep 2023; 43:BSR20222102. [PMID: 36622366 PMCID: PMC9894012 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20222102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Preserving proteostasis is a major survival mechanism for cancer. Dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 2 (DYRK2) is a key oncogenic kinase that directly activates the transcription factor heat-shock factor 1 (HSF1) and the 26S proteasome. Targeting DYRK2 has proven to be a tractable strategy to target cancers sensitive to proteotoxic stress; however, the development of HSF1 inhibitors remains in its infancy. Importantly, multiple other kinases have been shown to redundantly activate HSF1 that promoted ideas to directly target HSF1. The eventual development of direct HSF1 inhibitor KRIBB11 suggests that the transcription factor is indeed a druggable target. The current study establishes that concurrent targeting of HSF1 and DYRK2 can indeed impede cancer by inducing apoptosis faster than individual targetting. Furthermore, targeting the DYRK2-HSF1 axis induces death in proteasome inhibitor-resistant cells and reduces triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) burden in ectopic and orthotopic xenograft models. Together the data indicate that cotargeting of kinase DYRK2 and its substrate HSF1 could prove to be a beneficial strategy in perturbing neoplastic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudha Tandon
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
| | - Rita Moreno
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
| | - Kira Allmeroth
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9b, D-50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jean Quinn
- Unit of Gastrointestinal Oncology and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Sandra E. Wiley
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Lynden G. Nicely
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
| | - Martin S. Denzel
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9b, D-50931, Cologne, Germany
- Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute of Science, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6GP, U.K
| | - Joanne Edwards
- Unit of Gastrointestinal Oncology and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Laureano de la Vega
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- Division of Cellular and Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
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16
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Liu Y, Wang R, Huang R, Rutz B, Ciotkowska A, Tamalunas A, Hu S, Trieb M, Waidelich R, Strittmatter F, Stief CG, Hennenberg M. Inhibition of growth and contraction in human prostate stromal cells by silencing of NUAK1 and -2, and by the presumed NUAK inhibitors HTH01-015 and WZ4003. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1105427. [PMID: 37188272 PMCID: PMC10175612 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1105427] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: NUAKs promote myosin light chain phosphorlyation, actin organization, proliferation and suppression of cell death in non-muscle cells, which are critical for smooth muscle contraction and growth. In benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), contraction and growth in the prostate drive urethral obstruction and voiding symptoms. However, a role of NUAKs in smooth muscle contraction or prostate functions are unknown. Here, we examined effects of NUAK silencing and the presumed NUAK inhibitors, HTH01-015 and WZ4003 on contraction and growth-related functions in prostate stromal cells (WPMY-1) and in human prostate tissues. Methods: Effects of NUAK1 and -2 silencing, HTH01-015 and WZ4003 on matrix plug contraction, proliferation (EdU assay, Ki-67 mRNA), apoptosis and cell death (flowcytometry), viability (CCK-8) and actin organization (phalloidin staining) were examined in cultured WPMY-1 cells. Effects of HTH01-015 and WZ4003 on smooth muscle contraction were assessed in organ bath experirments with human prostate tissues. Results: Effects of silencing were most pronounced on proliferation and cell death, resulting in decreases of proliferation rate by 60% and 70% by silencing of NUAK1 and NUAK2 (compared to scramble siRNA-transfected controls), decreases in Ki-67 by 75% and 77%, while numbers of dead cells after silencing of NUAK1 and NUAK2 amounted to 2.8 and 4.9 fold of scramble-transfected controls. Silencing of each isoform was paralleled by reduced viability, breakdown in actin polymerization, and partial decreases in contractility (maximally 45% by NUAK1 silencing, 58% by NUAK2 silencing). Effects of silencing were mimicked by HTH01-015 and WZ4003, with numbers of dead cells amounting up to 16.1 fold or 7.8 fold with HTH01-015 or WZ4003, compared to solvent-treated controls. Using concentrations of 500 nM, neurogenic contractions of prostate tissues were inhibited partly by HTH01-015 and U46619-induced contractions were inhibited partly by HTH01-015 and WZ4003, while α1-adrenergic and endothelin-1-induced contractions remained unaffected. Using 10 μM, inhibition of endothelin-1-induced contractions by both inhibitors and inhibition of α1-adrenergic contractions by HTH01-015 added to effects seen by 500 nM. Conclusion: NUAK1 and -2 suppress cell death and promote proliferation in prostate stromal cells. A role in stromal hyperplasia appears possible in BPH. Effects of NUAK silencing are mimicked by HTH01-015 and WZ4003.
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17
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Bennison SA, Liu X, Toyo-Oka K. Nuak kinase signaling in development and disease of the central nervous system. Cell Signal 2022; 100:110472. [PMID: 36122883 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Protein kinases represent important signaling hubs for a variety of biological functions. Many kinases are traditionally studied for their roles in cancer cell biology, but recent advances in neuroscience research show repurposed kinase function to be important for nervous system development and function. Two members of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) related family, NUAK1 and NUAK2, have drawn attention in neuroscience due to their mutations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and intellectual disability (ID). Furthermore, Nuak kinases have also been implicated in tauopathy and other disorders of aging. This review highlights what is known about the Nuak kinases in nervous system development and disease and explores the possibility of Nuak kinases as targets for therapeutic innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Bennison
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Kazuhito Toyo-Oka
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
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18
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Vala RM, Tandon V, Nicely LG, Guo L, Gu Y, Banerjee S, Patel HM. Synthesis of N-(4-chlorophenyl) substituted pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles enabling PKBβ/AKT2 inhibitory and in vitro anti-glioma activity. Ann Med 2022; 54:2549-2561. [PMID: 36120909 PMCID: PMC9683054 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2123559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of N-(4-chlorophenyl) substituted pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles was synthesised and screened for their potential to inhibit kinases and exhibit anticancer activity against primary patient-derived glioblastoma 2D cells and 3D neurospheres. A collection of 10 compounds was evaluated against glioma cell lines, with compound 4j exhibiting promising glioma growth inhibitory properties. Compound 4j was screened against 139 purified kinases and exhibited low micromolar activity against kinase AKT2/PKBβ. AKT signalling is one of the main oncogenic pathways in glioma and is often targeted for novel therapeutics. Indeed, AKT2 levels correlated with glioma malignancy and poorer patient survival. Compound 4j inhibited the 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma stem cells and exhibited potent EC50 against glioblastoma cell lines. Although exhibiting potency against glioma cells, 4j exhibited significantly less cytotoxicity against non-cancerous cells even at fourfold-fivefold the concentration. Herein we establish a novel biochemical kinase inhibitory function for N-(4-chlorophenyl) substituted pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles and further report their anti-glioma activity in vitro for the first time.KEY MESSAGEAnti-glioma pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole 4j inhibited the 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma stem cells. 4j also displayed PKBβ/AKT2 inhibitory activity. 4j is nontoxic towards non-cancerous cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruturajsinh M Vala
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, India
| | - Vasudha Tandon
- Department of Cellular & Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Lynden G Nicely
- Department of Cellular & Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Luxia Guo
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage, Ministry of Education, Hubei, Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanlong Gu
- Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage, Ministry of Education, Hubei, Key Laboratory of Material Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- Department of Cellular & Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Hitendra M Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, India
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19
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You Y, Gao C, Wu J, Qu H, Xiao Y, Kang Z, Li J, Hong J. Enhanced Expression of ARK5 in Hepatic Stellate Cell and Hepatocyte Synergistically Promote Liver Fibrosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113084. [PMID: 36361872 PMCID: PMC9655442 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
AMPK-related protein kinase 5 (ARK5) is involved in a broad spectrum of physiological and cell events, and aberrant expression of ARK5 has been observed in a wide variety of solid tumors, including liver cancer. However, the role of ARK5 in liver fibrosis remains largely unexplored. We found that ARK5 expression was elevated in mouse fibrotic livers, and showed a positive correlation with the progression of liver fibrosis. ARK5 was highly expressed not only in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), but also in hepatocytes. In HSCs, ARK5 prevents the degradation of transforming growth factor β type I receptor (TβRI) and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (Smad4) proteins by inhibiting the expression of Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2), thus maintaining the continuous transduction of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, which is essential for cell activation, proliferation and survival. In hepatocytes, ARK5 induces the occurrence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and also promotes the secretion of inflammatory factors. Inflammatory factors, in turn, further enhance the activation of HSCs and deepen the degree of liver fibrosis. Notably, we demonstrated in a mouse model that targeting ARK5 with the selective inhibitor HTH-01-015 attenuates CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice. Taken together, the results indicate that ARK5 is a critical driver of liver fibrosis, and promotes liver fibrosis by synergy between HSCs and hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang You
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Chongqing Gao
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Junru Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Hengdong Qu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Ziwei Kang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jinying Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jian Hong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-20-8522-0253
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20
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Bhattarai K, Richard T, Fatica T, Frangione B, Willmore WG, Holcik M. AMPK-related protein kinase ARK5 regulates subcellular localization of RNA-binding protein hnRNP A1 during hypertonic stress. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102364. [PMID: 35963429 PMCID: PMC9478406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein hnRNP A1 is a nucleocytoplasmic-shuttling RNA-binding protein that plays an important role in nucleic acid metabolism and gene expression regulation. The function of hnRNP A1 is determined in part by its specific location within the cell. Although some work has been done to elucidate the signaling pathways that regulate the cellular localization of hnRNP A1, the precise mechanism(s), including physiological and pathophysiological conditions that alter hnRNP A1 localization, are not known. We previously conducted an unbiased RNAi-based kinome-wide screen to identify kinases that regulate hnRNP A1 localization during hypertonic stress. One of the hits from this screen is AMPK-related protein kinase 5 (ARK5). Here, we validate ARK5 as the kinase responsible for controlling hnRNP A1 subcellular localization in response to hypertonic stress. We find using immunoprecipitation and in vitro kinase assay methods that ARK5 directly interacts with and phosphorylates hnRNP A1 on serine residues within the F-peptide region. We further show that the M9 motif of hnRNP A1 is essential for the ARK5-hnRNP A1 interaction and subsequent phosphorylation. In addition, the silencing of ARK5 increases the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL and consequently delays caspase activation during hypertonic stress. Our results indicate that ARK5 phosphorylates hnRNP A1 and regulates its subcellular localization during hypertonic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Bhattarai
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Travis Richard
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Thet Fatica
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Brianna Frangione
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | | | - Martin Holcik
- Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.
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21
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Seo MS, Jung KH, Kim K, Lee JE, Han BS, Ko S, Kim JH, Hong S, Lee SH, Hong SS. Discovery of a novel NUAK1 inhibitor against pancreatic cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 152:113241. [PMID: 35691157 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel (nua) kinase family 1 (NUAK1) is an AMPK-related kinase and its expression is associated with tumor malignancy and poor prognosis in several types of cancer, suggesting its potential as a target for cancer therapy. Therefore, the development of NUAK1-targeting inhibitors could improve therapeutic outcomes in cancer. We synthesized KI-301670, a novel NUAK1 inhibitor, and assessed its anticancer effects and mechanism of action in pancreatic cancer. It effectively inhibited pancreatic cancer growth and proliferation, and induced cell cycle arrest, markedly G0/G1 arrest, by increasing the expression of p27 and decreasing expression of p-Rb and E2F1. Additionally, the apoptotic effect of KI-301670 was observed by an increase in cleaved PARP, TUNEL-positive cells, and annexin V cell population, as well as the release of cytochrome c via the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. KI-301670 inhibited the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Mechanistically, KI-301670 effectively inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway in pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, it significantly attenuated tumor growth in a mouse xenograft tumor model. Our results demonstrate that a novel NUAK1 inhibitor, KI-301670, exerts anti-tumor effects by directly suppressing cancer cell growth by affecting the PI3K/AKT pathway, suggesting that it could be a novel therapeutic candidate for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeong-Seong Seo
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, 3-ga, Sinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 22332, South Korea
| | - Kyung Hee Jung
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, 3-ga, Sinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 22332, South Korea
| | - Kewon Kim
- Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalization, Institute of Basic Science (IBS) and Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Ji Eun Lee
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, 3-ga, Sinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 22332, South Korea
| | - Beom Seok Han
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, 3-ga, Sinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 22332, South Korea
| | - Soyeon Ko
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, 3-ga, Sinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 22332, South Korea
| | - Jae Ho Kim
- Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, South Korea
| | - Sungwoo Hong
- Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalization, Institute of Basic Science (IBS) and Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
| | - So Ha Lee
- Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, South Korea.
| | - Soon-Sun Hong
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, 3-ga, Sinheung-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon 22332, South Korea.
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22
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Zhang T, He X, Caldwell L, Goru SK, Ulloa Severino L, Tolosa MF, Misra PS, McEvoy CM, Christova T, Liu Y, Atin C, Zhang J, Hu C, Vukosa N, Chen X, Krizova A, Kirpalani A, Gregorieff A, Ni R, Chan K, Gill MK, Attisano L, Wrana JL, Yuen DA. NUAK1 promotes organ fibrosis via YAP and TGF-β/SMAD signaling. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eaaz4028. [PMID: 35320001 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz4028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis is a central pathway that drives progression of multiple chronic diseases, yet few safe and effective clinical antifibrotic therapies exist. In most fibrotic disorders, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-driven scarring is an important pathologic feature and a key contributor to disease progression. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are two closely related transcription cofactors that are important for coordinating fibrogenesis after organ injury, but how they are activated in response to tissue injury has, so far, remained unclear. Here, we describe NUAK family kinase 1 (NUAK1) as a TGF-β-inducible profibrotic kinase that is up-regulated in multiple fibrotic organs in mice and humans. Mechanistically, we show that TGF-β induces a rapid increase in NUAK1 in fibroblasts. NUAK1, in turn, can promote profibrotic YAP and TGF-β/SMAD signaling, ultimately leading to organ scarring. Moreover, activated YAP and TAZ can induce further NUAK1 expression, creating a profibrotic positive feedback loop that enables persistent fibrosis. Using mouse models of kidney, lung, and liver fibrosis, we demonstrate that this fibrogenic signaling loop can be interrupted via fibroblast-specific loss of NUAK1 expression, leading to marked attenuation of fibrosis. Pharmacologic NUAK1 inhibition also reduced scarring, either when initiated immediately after injury or when initiated after fibrosis was already established. Together, our data suggest that NUAK1 plays a critical, previously unrecognized role in fibrogenesis and represents an attractive target for strategies that aim to slow fibrotic disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhou Zhang
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Xiaolin He
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Lauren Caldwell
- Center for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Santosh Kumar Goru
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Luisa Ulloa Severino
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Monica F Tolosa
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Paraish S Misra
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Caitríona M McEvoy
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Tania Christova
- Donnelly Centre and Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yong Liu
- Ontario Institute of Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario M5G OA3, Canada
| | - Cassandra Atin
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Johnny Zhang
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Catherine Hu
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Noah Vukosa
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Xiaolan Chen
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Adriana Krizova
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Anish Kirpalani
- Department of Medical Imaging, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Alex Gregorieff
- Center for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Ruoyu Ni
- Center for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Kin Chan
- Center for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Mandeep K Gill
- Donnelly Centre and Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Liliana Attisano
- Donnelly Centre and Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jeffrey L Wrana
- Center for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Darren A Yuen
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
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23
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Tandon V, Vala R, Chen A, Sah R, Patel H, Pirrung M, Banerjee S. Syrbactin-class dual constitutive- and immuno-proteasome inhibitor TIR-199 impedes myeloma-mediated bone degeneration in vivo. Biosci Rep 2022; 42:BSR20212721. [PMID: 35088066 PMCID: PMC8837819 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20212721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteasome-addicted neoplastic malignancies present a considerable refractory and relapsed phenotype with patients exhibiting drug resistance and high mortality rates. To counter this global problem, novel proteasome-based therapies are being developed. In the current study, we extensively characterize TIR-199, a syrbactin-class proteasome inhibitor derived from a plant virulence factor of bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae. We report that TIR-199 is a potent constitutive and immunoproteasome inhibitor, capable of inducing cell death in multiple myeloma, triple-negative breast cancer, (TNBC) and non-small cell lung cancer lines. TIR-199 also effectively inhibits the proteasome in primary myeloma cells of patients, and bypasses the PSMB5 A49T+A50V bortezomib-resistant mutant. TIR-199 treatment leads to accumulation of canonical proteasome substrates in cells, it is specific, and does not inhibit 50 other enzymes tested in vitro. The drug exhibits synergistic cytotoxicity in combination with proteasome-activating kinase DYRK2 inhibitor LDN192960. Furthermore, low-doses of TIR-199 exhibits in vivo activity by delaying myeloma-mediated bone degeneration in a mouse xenograft model. Together, our data indicates that proteasome inhibitor TIR-199 could indeed be a promising next-generation drug within the repertoire of proteasome-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudha Tandon
- Department of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
| | - Ruturajsinh M. Vala
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388120, Gujarat, India
| | - Albert Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Robert L. Sah
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Hitendra M. Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388120, Gujarat, India
| | - Michael C. Pirrung
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, U.S.A
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, U.S.A
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- Department of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
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24
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Zhang H, Gao C, Zhang L, Yu R, Kang C. Homology modeling, virtual screening and MD simulations for identification of NUAK1 and ULK1 potential dual inhibitors. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj03690d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells produce more reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to their severe metabolic stress. SNF1 like kinase 1 (NUAK1) is the key part of the cellular antioxidant system. Inhibiting the...
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25
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Fu W, Zhao MT, Driver LM, Schirmer AU, Yin Q, You S, Freedland SJ, DiGiovanni J, Drewry DH, Macias E. NUAK family kinase 2 is a novel therapeutic target for prostate cancer. Mol Carcinog 2021; 61:334-345. [PMID: 34818445 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Current advancements in prostate cancer (PC) therapies have been successful in slowing PC progression and increasing life expectancy; however, there is still no curative treatment for advanced metastatic castration resistant PC (mCRPC). Most treatment options target the androgen receptor, to which many PCs eventually develop resistance. Thus, there is a dire need to identify and validate new molecular targets for treating PC. We found NUAK family kinase 2 (NUAK2) expression is elevated in PC and mCRPC versus normal tissue, and expression correlates with an increased risk of metastasis. Given this observation and because NUAK2, as a kinase, is actionable, we evaluated the potential of NUAK2 as a molecular target for PC. NUAK2 is a stress response kinase that also plays a role in activation of the YAP cotranscriptional oncogene. Combining pharmacological and genetic methods for modulating NUAK2, we found that targeting NUAK2 in vitro leads to reduction in proliferation, three-dimensional tumor spheroid growth, and matrigel invasion of PC cells. Differential gene expression analysis of PC cells treated NUAK2 small molecule inhibitor HTH-02-006 demonstrated that NUAK2 inhibition results in downregulation of E2F, EMT, and MYC hallmark gene sets after NUAK2 inhibition. In a syngeneic allograft model and in radical prostatectomy patient derived explants, NUAK2 inhibition slowed tumor growth and proliferation rates. Mechanistically, HTH-02-006 treatment led to inactivation of YAP and the downregulation of NUAK2 and MYC protein levels. Our results suggest that NUAK2 represents a novel actionable molecular target for PC that warrants further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Fu
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Megan T Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lucy M Driver
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amelia U Schirmer
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Qi Yin
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sungyong You
- Department of Biomedical Science, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Stephen J Freedland
- Department of Surgery and Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - John DiGiovanni
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Dell Pediatric Research Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - David H Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium and Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Everardo Macias
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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26
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van de Vis RAJ, Moustakas A, van der Heide LP. NUAK1 and NUAK2 Fine-Tune TGF-β Signaling. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133377. [PMID: 34282782 PMCID: PMC8268639 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary TGF-β is a growth factor implicated in a plethora of processes and malignancies, which include cancer and fibrosis. Via binding to its receptor, TGF-β activates a complex intracellular signal transduction pathway, which is controlled by many forms of positive as well as negative feedback. The integrated sum of this feedback determines the outcome and cellular response to TGF-β. In this review, we discuss the role of NUAK1 and NUAK2, a subgroup of the 5′AMP-activated protein kinase family, in providing feedback on intracellular TGF-β signaling. In addition, we discuss how NUAKs mechanistically augment or attenuate the TGF-β response to steer the cell towards a specific output. Understanding the role of NUAKs may aid in developing specific therapeutic agents to combat TGF-β-dependent disease. Abstract Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling plays a key role in governing various cellular processes, extending from cell proliferation and apoptosis to differentiation and migration. Due to this extensive involvement in the regulation of cellular function, aberrant TGF-β signaling is frequently implicated in the formation and progression of tumors. Therefore, a full understanding of the mechanisms of TGF-β signaling and its key components will provide valuable insights into how this intricate signaling cascade can shift towards a detrimental course. In this review, we discuss the interplay between TGF-β signaling and the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-related NUAK kinase family. We highlight the function and regulation of these kinases with focus on the pivotal role NUAK1 and NUAK2 play in regulating TGF-β signaling. Specifically, TGF-β induces the expression of NUAK1 and NUAK2 that regulates TGF-β signaling output in an opposite manner. Besides the focus on the TGF-β pathway, we also present a broader perspective on the expression and signaling interactions of the NUAK kinases to outline the broader functions of these protein kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinofke A. J. van de Vis
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Aristidis Moustakas
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Lars P. van der Heide
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-20-5257061
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27
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Mo G, Zhang B, Jiang Q. Role of ARK5 in cancer and other diseases (Review). Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:697. [PMID: 33986861 PMCID: PMC8112134 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant tumors are often exposed to hypoxic and glucose-starved microenvironments. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that is stimulated during energy-deficient conditions and protects cells from hypoxic injury by regulating metabolism. AMPK-related protein kinase 5 (ARK5) is a member of the catalytic sub-unit of the AMPK family and has an important role in energy regulation and hypoxia. ARK5 is regulated by Akt and liver kinase B1 and is associated with numerous tumor-related molecules to exert the negative effects of tumors. Studies have revealed ARK5 overexpression in cases of tumor invasion and metastasis and a positive association with the degree of cancer cell malignancy, which is regarded as a key element in determining cancer prognosis. Furthermore, ARK5 downregulation improves drug sensitivity through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway, indicating that it may be a potential therapeutic target. In other non-cancer conditions, ARK5 has various roles in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease), renal disorders (diabetic nephropathy and renal fibrosis) and physiological processes (striated muscle generation). In the present review, the upstream and downstream molecular pathways of ARK5 in cancer and other diseases are described and potential therapeutic strategies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoheng Mo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Queen Mary College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Bohan Zhang
- First Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Qunguang Jiang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
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28
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Blazejewski SM, Bennison SA, Liu X, Toyo-Oka K. High-throughput kinase inhibitor screening reveals roles for Aurora and Nuak kinases in neurite initiation and dendritic branching. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8156. [PMID: 33854138 PMCID: PMC8047044 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87521-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinases are essential regulators of a variety of cellular signaling processes, including neurite formation—a foundational step in neurodevelopment. Aberrant axonal sprouting and failed regeneration of injured axons are associated with conditions like traumatic injury, neurodegenerative disease, and seizures. Investigating the mechanisms underlying neurite formation will allow for identification of potential therapeutics. We used a kinase inhibitor library to screen 493 kinase inhibitors and observed that 45% impacted neuritogenesis in Neuro2a (N-2a) cells. Based on the screening, we further investigated the roles of Aurora kinases A, B, and C and Nuak kinases 1 and 2. The roles of Aurora and Nuak kinases have not been thoroughly studied in the nervous system. Inhibition or overexpression of Aurora and Nuak kinases in primary cortical neurons resulted in various neuromorphological defects, with Aurora A regulating neurite initiation, Aurora B and C regulating neurite initiation and elongation, all Aurora kinases regulating arborization, and all Nuak kinases regulating neurite initiation and elongation and arborization. Our high-throughput screening and analysis of Aurora and Nuak kinases revealed their functions and may contribute to the identification of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Blazejewski
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Sarah A Bennison
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Kazuhito Toyo-Oka
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA.
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29
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Yang C, Zhang Y, Lin S, Liu Y, Li W. Suppressing the KIF20A/NUAK1/Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway induces ferroptosis and enhances the sensitivity of colorectal cancer to oxaliplatin. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:13515-13534. [PMID: 33819186 PMCID: PMC8202845 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Oxaliplatin resistance can develop in colorectal cancer (CRC), which may involve inhibition of ferroptosis, although further research is needed to understand this potential mechanism. We evaluated CRC cells with acquired oxaliplatin resistance (HCT116-Or) or congenital resistance (H716) to determine whether a ferroptosis inducer (RSL3) or inhibitor (liproxstatin-1) could modulate the effects of oxaliplatin. The results suggested that induction of ferroptosis could significantly reverse the oxaliplatin resistance of the CRC cells. Bioinformatic and cytobiological searches also revealed that KIF20A was highly expressed in the oxaliplatin-resistant cell lines and was strongly correlated with survival among CRC patients. Silencing KIF20A enhanced cellular sensitivity to oxaliplatin both in vivo and in vitro, and silencing KIF20A also suppressed NUAK1 activation, while a NUAK1 agonist (ETC-1002) could reverse the oxaliplatin sensitivity of KIF20A-silenced cells. Moreover, silencing NUAK1 up-regulated the expression of PP1β, down-regulated the phosphorylation of downstream GSK3βSer9, suppressed the nuclear import of Nrf2, inhibited the expression of a ferroptosis key negative regulatory protein (GPX4), and blocked cellular resistance. Applying a Nrf2 agonist (oltipraz) also reversed the oxaliplatin sensitivity of NUAK1-silenced cells. Therefore, cellular ferroptosis may be inhibited via the KIF20A/NUAK1/PP1β/GPX4 pathway in CRC cells, which may underly the resistance of CRC to oxaliplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changshun Yang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Shengtao Lin
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Endoscopy, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100000, China
| | - Weihua Li
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China
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30
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Yang WQ, Zhao WJ, Zhu LL, Xu SJ, Zhang XL, Liang Y, Ding XF, Kiselyov A, Chen G. XMD-17-51 Inhibits DCLK1 Kinase and Prevents Lung Cancer Progression. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:603453. [PMID: 33762936 PMCID: PMC7982674 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.603453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is a cancer stem cell marker that is highly expressed in various types of human cancer, and a protein kinase target for cancer therapy that is attracting increasing interest. However, no drug candidates targeting DCLK1 kinase have been developed in clinical trials to date. XMD-17-51 was found herein to possess DCLK1 kinase inhibitory activities by cell-free enzymatic assay. In non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells, XMD-17-51 inhibited DCLK1 and cell proliferation, while DCLK1 overexpression impaired the anti-proliferative activity of XMD-17-51 in A549 cell lines. Consequently, XMD-17-51 decreased Snail-1 and zinc-finger-enhancer binding protein 1 protein levels, but increased those of E-cadherin, indicating that XMD-17-51 reduces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, sphere formation efficiency was significantly decreased upon XMD-17-51 treatment, and XMD-17-51 reduced the expression of stemness markers such as β-catenin, and pluripotency factors such as SOX2, NANOG and OCT4. However, the percentage of ALDH+ cells was increased significantly following treatment with XMD-17-51 in A549 cells, possibly due to EMT inhibition. In combination, the present data indicated that XMD-17-51 inhibited DCLK1 kinase activity in a cell-free assay with an IC50 of 14.64 nM, and decreased DCLK1 protein levels, cell proliferation, EMT and stemness in NSCLC cell lines. XMD-17-51 has the potential to be a candidate drug for lung cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Qiang Yang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China.,Graduate School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Wei-Jun Zhao
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China.,Graduate School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Liu-Lian Zhu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China.,Graduate School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | - Shuai-Jun Xu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China.,Graduate School of Medicine, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, China
| | | | - Yong Liang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Ding
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Alexander Kiselyov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Chemical and Materials Engineering, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Guang Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
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31
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Tandon V, de la Vega L, Banerjee S. Emerging roles of DYRK2 in cancer. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100233. [PMID: 33376136 PMCID: PMC7948649 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.015217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the CMGC kinase DYRK2 has been reported as a tumor suppressor across various cancers triggering major antitumor and proapoptotic signals in breast, colon, liver, ovary, brain, and lung cancers, with lower DYRK2 expression correlated with poorer prognosis in patients. Contrary to this, various medicinal chemistry studies reported robust antiproliferative properties of DYRK2 inhibitors, whereas unbiased 'omics' and genome-wide association study-based studies identified DYRK2 as a highly overexpressed kinase in various patient tumor samples. A major paradigm shift occurred in the last 4 years when DYRK2 was found to regulate proteostasis in cancer via a two-pronged mechanism. DYRK2 phosphorylated and activated the 26S proteasome to enhance degradation of misfolded/tumor-suppressor proteins while also promoting the nuclear stability and transcriptional activity of its substrate, heat-shock factor 1 triggering protein folding. Together, DYRK2 regulates proteostasis and promotes protumorigenic survival for specific cancers. Indeed, potent and selective small-molecule inhibitors of DYRK2 exhibit in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity in triple-negative breast cancer and myeloma models. However, with conflicting and contradictory reports across different cancers, the overarching role of DYRK2 remains enigmatic. Specific cancer (sub)types coupled to spatiotemporal interactions with substrates could decide the procancer or anticancer role of DYRK2. The current review aims to provide a balanced and critical appreciation of the literature to date, highlighting top substrates such as p53, c-Myc, c-Jun, heat-shock factor 1, proteasome, or NOTCH1, to discuss DYRK2 inhibitors available to the scientific community and to shed light on this duality of protumorigenic and antitumorigenic roles of DYRK2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudha Tandon
- Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Laureano de la Vega
- Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- Division of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
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32
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Faisal M, Kim JH, Yoo KH, Roh EJ, Hong SS, Lee SH. Development and Therapeutic Potential of NUAKs Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2020; 64:2-25. [PMID: 33356242 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
NUAK isoforms, NUAK1 (ARK5) and NUAK2 (SNARK), are important members of the AMPK family of protein kinases. They are involved in a broad spectrum of physiological and cellular events, and sometimes their biological roles overlap. NUAK isoform dysregulation is associated with numerous pathological disorders, including neurodegeneration, metastatic cancer, and diabetes. Therefore, they are promising therapeutic targets in metabolic diseases and cancers; consequently, various NUAK-targeted inhibitors have been disclosed. The first part of this review comprises a brief discussion of the homology, expression, structure, and characteristics of NUAK isoforms. The second part focuses on NUAK isoforms' involvement in crucial biological operations, including mechanistic findings, highlighting how their abnormal functioning contributes to disease progression and quality of life. The third part summarizes the key findings and applications of targeting NUAK isoforms for treating multiple cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. The final part systematically presents a critical review and analysis of the literature on NUAK isoform inhibitions through small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Faisal
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Ho Kim
- Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Ho Yoo
- Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Joo Roh
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea.,Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon Sun Hong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, and Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - So Ha Lee
- Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
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Yang H, Wang X, Wang C, Yin F, Qu L, Shi C, Zhao J, Li S, Ji L, Peng W, Luo H, Cheng M, Kong L. Optimization of WZ4003 as NUAK inhibitors against human colorectal cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 210:113080. [PMID: 33310286 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
NUAK, the member of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) family of protein kinases, is phosphorylated and activated by the LKB1 (liver kinase B1) tumor suppressor protein kinase. Recent work has indicated that NUAK1 is a key component of the antioxidant stress response pathway, and the inhibition of NUAK1 will suppress the growth and survival of colorectal tumors. As a promising target for anticancer drugs, few inhibitors of NUAK were developed. With this goal in mind, based on NUAK inhibitor WZ4003, a series of derivatives has been synthesized and evaluated for anticancer activity. Compound 9q, a derivative of WZ4003 by removing a methoxy group, was found to be the most potential one with stronger inhibitory against NUAK1/2 enzyme activity, tumor cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis of tumor cells. By in vivo efficacy evaluations of colorectal SW480 xenografts, 9q suppresses tumor growth more effectively with an excellent safety profile in vivo and is therefore seen as a suitable candidate for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huali Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Xiaobing Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fucheng Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lailiang Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Cunjian Shi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jinhua Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Shang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Limei Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Wan Peng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Heng Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Maosheng Cheng
- School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China.
| | - Lingyi Kong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, 110016, China.
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Chen J, Zhang S, Zheng X, Mao J, Xie S, Chen W, Ran X. WZ4003 sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer cells to gefitinib via inhibition of ARK5 and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Am J Transl Res 2020; 12:7377-7385. [PMID: 33312374 PMCID: PMC7724321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Gefitinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used as a first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, its utility is hampered by the development of chemoresistance. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic role of WZ4003, a novel (nua) kinase (NUAK) inhibitor, in enhancing gefitinib sensitivity in NSCLC cells. Our data indicated WZ4003 enhances the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to gefitinib. We also found ARK5 knockdown in NSCLC cell lines increased their sensitivity to gefitinib. However, WZ4003 did not affect gefitinib sensitivity when ARK5 was knocked down in NSCLC cell lines (using siRNA). Both WZ4003 and ARK5 inhibition suppressed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by reducing the expression of vimentin and increasing E-cadherin expression. Together, our results demonstrate WZ4003 plays a vital role in releasing acquired resistance to gefitinib by inhibiting ARK5 and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Therefore, synergistic use of WZ4003 and gefitinib may prevent the development of gefitinib resistance in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Chen
- Cancer Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shufen Zhang
- Cancer Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Zheng
- Cancer Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiayan Mao
- Cancer Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shangzhi Xie
- Cancer Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Cancer Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiangui Ran
- Department of Respiratory, Fuyang People’s HospitalNo. 63, Lushi Street, Fuyang 236000, Anhui, China
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Tau Contributes to Sevoflurane-induced Neurocognitive Impairment in Neonatal Mice. Anesthesiology 2020; 133:595-610. [PMID: 32701572 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000003452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sevoflurane anesthesia induces Tau phosphorylation and cognitive impairment in neonatal but not in adult mice. This study tested the hypothesis that differences in brain Tau amounts and in the activity of mitochondria-adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-Nuak1-Tau cascade between the neonatal and adult mice contribute to the age-dependent effects of sevoflurane on cognitive function. METHODS 6- and 60-day-old mice of both sexes received anesthesia with 3% sevoflurane for 2 h daily for 3 days. Biochemical methods were used to measure amounts of Tau, phosphorylated Tau, Nuak1, ATP concentrations, and mitochondrial metabolism in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate cognitive function in the neonatal and adult mice. RESULTS Under baseline conditions and compared with 60-day-old mice, 6-day-old mice had higher amounts of Tau (2.6 ± 0.4 [arbitrary units, mean ± SD] vs. 1.3 ± 0.2; P < 0.001), Tau oligomer (0.3 ± 0.1 vs. 0.1 ± 0.1; P = 0.008), and Nuak1 (0.9 ± 0.3 vs. 0.3 ± 0.1; P = 0.025) but lesser amounts of ATP (0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 1.5 ± 0.1; P < 0.001) and mitochondrial metabolism (74.8 ± 14.1 [pmol/min] vs. 169.6 ± 15.3; P < 0.001) in the cerebral cortex. Compared with baseline conditions, sevoflurane anesthesia induced Tau phosphorylation at its serine 202/threonine 205 residues (1.1 ± 0.4 vs. 0.2 ± 0.1; P < 0.001) in the 6-day-old mice but not in the 60-day-old mice (0.05 ± 0.04 vs. 0.03 ± 0.01; P = 0.186). The sevoflurane-induced Tau phosphorylation and cognitive impairment in the neonatal mice were both attenuated by the inhibition of Nuak1 and the treatment of vitamin K2. CONCLUSIONS Higher brain Tau concentrations and lower brain mitochondrial metabolism in neonatal compared with adult mice contribute to developmental stage-dependent cognitive dysfunction after sevoflurane anesthesia.
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Chen Y, Xie X, Wang C, Hu Y, Zhang H, Zhang L, Tu S, He Y, Li Y. Dual targeting of NUAK1 and ULK1 using the multitargeted inhibitor MRT68921 exerts potent antitumor activities. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:712. [PMID: 32873786 PMCID: PMC7463258 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02885-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Utilizing oxidative stress has recently been regarded as a potential strategy for tumor therapy. The NUAK family SNF1-like kinase 1 (NUAK1) is a critical component of the antioxidant defense system and is necessary for the survival of tumors. Therefore, NUAK1 is considered an attractive therapeutic target in cancer. However, antioxidant therapy induced elevated ROS levels to activate the Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) pathway to promote protective autophagy and ULK1-dependent mitophagy. Thus, the combined inhibition of NUAK1 and ULK1 showed a strong synergistic effect in different tumor types. Herein, the potential antitumor activities of a dual NUAK1/ULK1 inhibitor MRT68921 were evaluated in both tumor cell lines and animal models. MRT68921 significantly kills tumor cells by breaking the balance of oxidative stress signals. These results highlight the potential of MRT68921 as an effective agent for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Chen
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunsheng Wang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuxing Hu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Honghao Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lenghe Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sanfang Tu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanjie He
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yuhua Li
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. .,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China.
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Golkowski M, Lau HT, Chan M, Kenerson H, Vidadala VN, Shoemaker A, Maly DJ, Yeung RS, Gujral TS, Ong SE. Pharmacoproteomics Identifies Kinase Pathways that Drive the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Drug Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cell Syst 2020; 11:196-207.e7. [PMID: 32755597 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex and deadly disease lacking druggable genetic mutations. The limited efficacy of systemic treatments for advanced HCC implies that predictive biomarkers and drug targets are urgently needed. Most HCC drugs target protein kinases, indicating that kinase-dependent signaling networks drive HCC progression. To identify HCC signaling networks that determine responses to kinase inhibitors (KIs), we apply a pharmacoproteomics approach integrating kinome activity in 17 HCC cell lines with their responses to 299 KIs, resulting in a comprehensive dataset of pathway-based drug response signatures. By profiling patient HCC samples, we identify signatures of clinical HCC drug responses in individual tumors. Our analyses reveal kinase networks promoting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and drug resistance, including a FZD2-AXL-NUAK1/2 signaling module, whose inhibition reverses the EMT and sensitizes HCC cells to drugs. Our approach identifies cancer drug targets and molecular signatures of drug response for personalized oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Golkowski
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Ho-Tak Lau
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Marina Chan
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Heidi Kenerson
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Anna Shoemaker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dustin J Maly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Raymond S Yeung
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Taranjit S Gujral
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - Shao-En Ong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Escalona E, Muñoz M, Pincheira R, Elorza ÁA, Castro AF. Cytosolic NUAK1 Enhances ATP Production by Maintaining Proper Glycolysis and Mitochondrial Function in Cancer Cells. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1123. [PMID: 32754444 PMCID: PMC7367139 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
NUAK1 is an AMPK-related kinase located in the cytosol and the nucleus, whose expression associates with tumor malignancy and poor patient prognosis in several cancers. Accordingly, NUAK1 was associated with metastasis because it promotes cell migration and invasion in different cancer cells. Besides, NUAK1 supports cancer cell survival under metabolic stress and maintains ATP levels in hepatocarcinoma cells, suggesting a role in energy metabolism in cancer. However, the underlying mechanism for this metabolic function, as well as its link to NUAK1 subcellular localization, is unclear. We demonstrated that cytosolic NUAK1 increases ATP levels, which associates with increased mitochondrial respiration, supporting that cytosolic NUAK1 is involved in mitochondrial function regulation in cancer cells. NUAK1 inhibition led to the formation of “donut-like” structures, providing evidence of NUAK1-dependent mitochondrial morphology regulation. Additionally, our results indicated that cytosolic NUAK1 increases the glycolytic capacity of cancer cells under mitochondrial inhibition. Nuclear NUAK1 seems to be involved in the metabolic switch to glycolysis. Altogether, our results suggest that cytosolic NUAK1 participates in mitochondrial ATP production and the maintenance of proper glycolysis in cancer cells. Our current studies support the role of NUAK1 in bioenergetics, mitochondrial homeostasis, glycolysis and metabolic capacities. They suggest different metabolic outcomes depending on its subcellular localization. The identified roles of NUAK1 in cancer metabolism provide a potential mechanism relevant for tumor progression and its association with poor patient prognosis in several cancers. Further studies could shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in the identified metabolic NUAK1 functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Escalona
- Signal Transduction and Cancer Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Marcelo Muñoz
- Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Roxana Pincheira
- Signal Transduction and Cancer Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Álvaro A Elorza
- Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ariel F Castro
- Signal Transduction and Cancer Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
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Krahn AI, Wells C, Drewry DH, Beitel LK, Durcan TM, Axtman AD. Defining the Neural Kinome: Strategies and Opportunities for Small Molecule Drug Discovery to Target Neurodegenerative Diseases. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:1871-1886. [PMID: 32464049 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinases are highly tractable drug targets that have reached unparalleled success in fields such as cancer but whose potential has not yet been realized in neuroscience. There are currently 55 approved small molecule kinase-targeting drugs, 48 of which have an anticancer indication. The intrinsic complexity linked to central nervous system (CNS) drug development and a lack of validated targets has hindered progress in developing kinase inhibitors for CNS disorders when compared to other therapeutic areas such as oncology. Identification and/or characterization of new kinases as potential drug targets for neurodegenerative diseases will create opportunities for the development of CNS drugs in the future. The track record of kinase inhibitors in other disease indications supports the idea that with the best targets identified small molecule kinase modulators will become impactful therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. This Review highlights the imminent need for new therapeutics to treat the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases as well as the promise of kinase inhibitors to address this need. With a focus on kinases that remain largely unexplored after decades of dedicated research in the kinase field, we offer specific examples of understudied kinases that are supported by patient-derived data as linked to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Finally, we show literature-reported high-quality inhibitors for several understudied kinases and suggest other kinases that merit additional medicinal chemistry efforts to elucidate their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I. Krahn
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Carrow Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Lenore K. Beitel
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Thomas M. Durcan
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Alison D. Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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Orlandella FM, Mariniello RM, Mirabelli P, De Stefano AE, Iervolino PLC, Lasorsa VA, Capasso M, Giannatiempo R, Rongo M, Incoronato M, Messina F, Salvatore M, Soricelli A, Salvatore G. miR-622 is a novel potential biomarker of breast carcinoma and impairs motility of breast cancer cells through targeting NUAK1 kinase. Br J Cancer 2020; 123:426-437. [PMID: 32418991 PMCID: PMC7403386 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-0884-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miR) has been proposed as non-invasive biomarkers for breast cancers. The aim of this study was to analyse the miR-622 level in the plasma and in tissues of breast cancer patients and to explore the role of miR-622 and its target, the NUAK1 kinase, in this context. METHODS miR-622 expression was analysed in plasma and in tissues samples of breast cancer patients by q-RT-PCR. Bioinformatics programs, luciferase assay, public dataset analysis and functional experiments were used to uncover the role of miR-622 and its target in breast cancer cells. RESULTS miR-622 is downregulated in plasma and in tissues of breast cancer patients respect to healthy controls and its downregulation is significantly associated with advanced grade and high Ki67 level. Modulation of miR-622 affects the motility phenotype of breast cancer cells. NUAK1 kinase is a functional target of miR-622, it is associated with poor clinical outcomes of breast cancer patients and is inversely correlated with miR-622 level. CONCLUSIONS miR-622/NUAK1 axis is deregulated in breast cancer patients and affects the motility phenotype of breast cancer cells. Importantly, miR-622 and NUAK1 hold promises as biomarkers and as targets for breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raffaela Mariarosaria Mariniello
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate S.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Anna Elisa De Stefano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate S.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Paola Lucia Chiara Iervolino
- CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate S.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Avanzate, Universita' "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131, Napoli, Italy
| | - Vito Alessandro Lasorsa
- CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate S.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Mario Capasso
- IRCCS SDN, Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate S.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | | | - Maria Rongo
- IRCCS SDN, Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Andrea Soricelli
- IRCCS SDN, Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuliana Salvatore
- IRCCS SDN, Via Emanuele Gianturco 113, 80143, Naples, Italy. .,Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie e del Benessere, Universita' degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope", Via Medina 40, 80133, Naples, Italy. .,CEINGE - Biotecnologie Avanzate S.c.a.r.l., Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, 80145, Naples, Italy.
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Fritz JL, Collins O, Saxena P, Buensuceso A, Ramos Valdes Y, Francis KE, Brown KR, Larsen B, Colwill K, Gingras AC, Rottapel R, Shepherd TG. A novel role for NUAK1 in promoting ovarian cancer metastasis through regulation of fibronectin production in spheroids. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051250. [PMID: 32429240 PMCID: PMC7280971 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has a unique mode of metastasis, where cells shed from the primary tumour, form aggregates called spheroids to evade anoikis, spread through the peritoneal cavity, and adhere to secondary sites. We previously showed that the master kinase Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is required for EOC spheroid viability and metastasis. We have identified novel (nua) kinase 1 (NUAK1) as a top candidate LKB1 substrate in EOC cells and spheroids using a multiplex inhibitor beads-mass spectrometry approach. We confirmed that LKB1 maintains NUAK1 phosphorylation and promotes its stabilization. We next investigated NUAK1 function in EOC cells. Ectopic NUAK1-overexpressing EOC cell lines had increased adhesion, whereas the reverse was seen in OVCAR8-NUAK1KO cells. In fact, cells with NUAK1 loss generate spheroids with reduced integrity, leading to increased cell death after long-term culture. Following transcriptome analysis, we identified reduced enrichment for cell interaction gene expression pathways in OVCAR8-NUAK1KO spheroids. In fact, the FN1 gene, encoding fibronectin, exhibited a 745-fold decreased expression in NUAK1KO spheroids. Fibronectin expression was induced during native spheroid formation, yet this was completely lost in NUAK1KO spheroids. Co-incubation with soluble fibronectin restored the compact spheroid phenotype to OVCAR8-NUAK1KO cells. In a xenograft model of intraperitoneal metastasis, NUAK1 loss extended survival and reduced fibronectin expression in tumours. Thus, we have identified a new mechanism controlling EOC metastasis, through which LKB1-NUAK1 activity promotes spheroid formation and secondary tumours via fibronectin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Lee Fritz
- The Mary & John Knight Translational Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada; (J.L.F.); (O.C.); (P.S.); (A.B.); (Y.R.V.)
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Olga Collins
- The Mary & John Knight Translational Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada; (J.L.F.); (O.C.); (P.S.); (A.B.); (Y.R.V.)
| | - Parima Saxena
- The Mary & John Knight Translational Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada; (J.L.F.); (O.C.); (P.S.); (A.B.); (Y.R.V.)
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Adrian Buensuceso
- The Mary & John Knight Translational Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada; (J.L.F.); (O.C.); (P.S.); (A.B.); (Y.R.V.)
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Yudith Ramos Valdes
- The Mary & John Knight Translational Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada; (J.L.F.); (O.C.); (P.S.); (A.B.); (Y.R.V.)
| | - Kyle E. Francis
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada; (K.E.F.); (R.R.)
| | - Kevin R. Brown
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada;
| | - Brett Larsen
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; (B.L.); (K.C.); (A.-C.G.)
| | - Karen Colwill
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; (B.L.); (K.C.); (A.-C.G.)
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; (B.L.); (K.C.); (A.-C.G.)
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Robert Rottapel
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada; (K.E.F.); (R.R.)
| | - Trevor G. Shepherd
- The Mary & John Knight Translational Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada; (J.L.F.); (O.C.); (P.S.); (A.B.); (Y.R.V.)
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada
- Department of Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 4L6, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-519-685-8500 (ext. 56347)
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Localized Inhibition of Protein Phosphatase 1 by NUAK1 Promotes Spliceosome Activity and Reveals a MYC-Sensitive Feedback Control of Transcription. Mol Cell 2020; 77:1322-1339.e11. [PMID: 32006464 PMCID: PMC7086158 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Deregulated expression of MYC induces a dependence on the NUAK1 kinase, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this dependence have not been fully clarified. Here, we show that NUAK1 is a predominantly nuclear protein that associates with a network of nuclear protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) interactors and that PNUTS, a nuclear regulatory subunit of PP1, is phosphorylated by NUAK1. Both NUAK1 and PNUTS associate with the splicing machinery. Inhibition of NUAK1 abolishes chromatin association of PNUTS, reduces spliceosome activity, and suppresses nascent RNA synthesis. Activation of MYC does not bypass the requirement for NUAK1 for spliceosome activity but significantly attenuates transcription inhibition. Consequently, NUAK1 inhibition in MYC-transformed cells induces global accumulation of RNAPII both at the pause site and at the first exon-intron boundary but does not increase mRNA synthesis. We suggest that NUAK1 inhibition in the presence of deregulated MYC traps non-productive RNAPII because of the absence of correctly assembled spliceosomes. Nuclear NUAK1 associates with PP1 and phosphorylates its targeting subunit PNUTS NUAK1, PP1, and PNUTS form a trimer that associates with the splicing machinery Inhibition of NUAK1 reduces spliceosome activity and nascent RNA synthesis When MYC is deregulated, NUAK1 inhibition traps RNAPII at the intron-exon boundary
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Groendyke BJ, Powell CE, Feru F, Gero TW, Li Z, Szabo H, Pang K, Feutrill J, Chen B, Li B, Gray NS, Scott DA. Benzopyrimidodiazepinone inhibitors of TNK2. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:126948. [PMID: 31928839 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.126948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The SAR of a series of benzopyrimidodiazepinone inhibitors of TNK2 was developed, starting from the potent and selective compound XMD8-87. A diverse set of anilines was introduced in an effort to improve the in vivo PK profile and minimize the risk of quinone diimine formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Groendyke
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chelsea E Powell
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Frederic Feru
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thomas W Gero
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhengnian Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hilary Szabo
- Vivid BioSciences, 50 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Kevin Pang
- Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - John Feutrill
- SYNthesis Med Chem, 425 Changyang Street, Suzhou Industry Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bailing Chen
- SYNthesis Med Chem, 425 Changyang Street, Suzhou Industry Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Li
- SYNthesis Med Chem, 425 Changyang Street, Suzhou Industry Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David A Scott
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 360 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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44
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Bos PH, Lowry ER, Costa J, Thams S, Garcia-Diaz A, Zask A, Wichterle H, Stockwell BR. Development of MAP4 Kinase Inhibitors as Motor Neuron-Protecting Agents. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 26:1703-1715.e37. [PMID: 31676236 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Disease-causing mutations in many neurodegenerative disorders lead to proteinopathies that trigger endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, few therapeutic options exist for patients with these diseases. Using an in vitro screening platform to identify compounds that protect human motor neurons from ER stress-mediated degeneration, we discovered that compounds targeting the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase (MAP4K) family are neuroprotective. The kinase inhibitor URMC-099 (compound 1) stood out as a promising lead compound for further optimization. We coupled structure-based compound design with functional activity testing in neurons subjected to ER stress to develop a series of analogs with improved MAP4K inhibition and concomitant increases in potency and efficacy. Further structural modifications were performed to enhance the pharmacokinetic profiles of the compound 1 derivatives. Prostetin/12k emerged as an exceptionally potent, metabolically stable, and blood-brain barrier-penetrant compound that is well suited for future testing in animal models of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter H Bos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Emily R Lowry
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jonathon Costa
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sebastian Thams
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alejandro Garcia-Diaz
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Arie Zask
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Brent R Stockwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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45
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Mason DE, Collins JM, Dawahare JH, Nguyen TD, Lin Y, Voytik-Harbin SL, Zorlutuna P, Yoder MC, Boerckel JD. YAP and TAZ limit cytoskeletal and focal adhesion maturation to enable persistent cell motility. J Cell Biol 2019; 218:1369-1389. [PMID: 30737263 PMCID: PMC6446844 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201806065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of transcription during cell motility is controversial. Mason et al. show that YAP/TAZ-mediated transcription is required to limit cytoskeletal tension generation and permit persistent cell motility. This pathway is defined as a negative feedback loop whereby Rho-ROCK-myosin activate YAP and TAZ, which limit myosin activation through NUAK2 expression. Cell migration initiates by traction generation through reciprocal actomyosin tension and focal adhesion reinforcement, but continued motility requires adaptive cytoskeletal remodeling and adhesion release. Here, we asked whether de novo gene expression contributes to this cytoskeletal feedback. We found that global inhibition of transcription or translation does not impair initial cell polarization or migration initiation, but causes eventual migratory arrest through excessive cytoskeletal tension and over-maturation of focal adhesions, tethering cells to their matrix. The transcriptional coactivators YAP and TAZ mediate this feedback response, modulating cell mechanics by limiting cytoskeletal and focal adhesion maturation to enable persistent cell motility and 3D vasculogenesis. Motile arrest after YAP/TAZ ablation was partially rescued by depletion of the YAP/TAZ-dependent myosin phosphatase regulator, NUAK2, or by inhibition of Rho-ROCK-myosin II. Together, these data establish a transcriptional feedback axis necessary to maintain a responsive cytoskeletal equilibrium and persistent migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon E Mason
- McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
| | - Joseph M Collins
- McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - James H Dawahare
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
| | - Trung Dung Nguyen
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.,Department of Engineering and Computer Science, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
| | - Yang Lin
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Sherry L Voytik-Harbin
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Pinar Zorlutuna
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
| | - Mervin C Yoder
- Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Joel D Boerckel
- McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA .,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
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46
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Angulo-Urarte A, Casado P, Castillo SD, Kobialka P, Kotini MP, Figueiredo AM, Castel P, Rajeeve V, Milà-Guasch M, Millan J, Wiesner C, Serra H, Muixi L, Casanovas O, Viñals F, Affolter M, Gerhardt H, Huveneers S, Belting HG, Cutillas PR, Graupera M. Endothelial cell rearrangements during vascular patterning require PI3-kinase-mediated inhibition of actomyosin contractility. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4826. [PMID: 30446640 PMCID: PMC6240100 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07172-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiogenesis is a dynamic process relying on endothelial cell rearrangements within vascular tubes, yet the underlying mechanisms and functional relevance are poorly understood. Here we show that PI3Kα regulates endothelial cell rearrangements using a combination of a PI3Kα-selective inhibitor and endothelial-specific genetic deletion to abrogate PI3Kα activity during vessel development. Quantitative phosphoproteomics together with detailed cell biology analyses in vivo and in vitro reveal that PI3K signalling prevents NUAK1-dependent phosphorylation of the myosin phosphatase targeting-1 (MYPT1) protein, thereby allowing myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP) activity and ultimately downregulating actomyosin contractility. Decreased PI3K activity enhances actomyosin contractility and impairs junctional remodelling and stabilization. This leads to overstretched endothelial cells that fail to anastomose properly and form aberrant superimposed layers within the vasculature. Our findings define the PI3K/NUAK1/MYPT1/MLCP axis as a critical pathway to regulate actomyosin contractility in endothelial cells, supporting vascular patterning and expansion through the control of cell rearrangement. Angiogenesis requires dynamic endothelial rearrangements and relative position changes within the vascular tubes. Here the authors show that a PI3K/NUAK1/MYPT1/MLCP pathway regulates actomyosin contractility in endothelial cells and cellular rearrangement during vascular patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Angulo-Urarte
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pedro Casado
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Sandra D Castillo
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Piotr Kobialka
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Ana M Figueiredo
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Castel
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California-San Francisco, 1450 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Vinothini Rajeeve
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Maria Milà-Guasch
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Millan
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Calle Nicolás Cabrera, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cora Wiesner
- Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Helena Serra
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Muixi
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oriol Casanovas
- Translation Research Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, IDIBELL, Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Viñals
- Translation Research Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, IDIBELL, Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques II, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer de la Feixa Llarga, 08907, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Markus Affolter
- Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Holger Gerhardt
- Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany.,The German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Oudenarder Str. 16, 13347, Berlin, Germany.,The Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, 10178, Germany
| | - Stephan Huveneers
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Heinz-Georg Belting
- Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pedro R Cutillas
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Mariona Graupera
- Vascular Signalling Laboratory, ProCURE, Oncobell Program, Institut d´Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), Gran Via de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908, L´Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. .,CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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47
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NUAK2 is a critical YAP target in liver cancer. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4834. [PMID: 30446657 PMCID: PMC6240092 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07394-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hippo-YAP signaling pathway is a critical regulator of proliferation, apoptosis, and cell fate. The main downstream effector of this pathway, YAP, has been shown to be misregulated in human cancer and has emerged as an attractive target for therapeutics. A significant insufficiency in our understanding of the pathway is the identity of transcriptional targets of YAP that drive its potent growth phenotypes. Here, using liver cancer as a model, we identify NUAK2 as an essential mediator of YAP-driven hepatomegaly and tumorigenesis in vivo. By evaluating several human cancer cell lines we determine that NUAK2 is selectively required for YAP-driven growth. Mechanistically, we found that NUAK2 participates in a feedback loop to maximize YAP activity via promotion of actin polymerization and myosin activity. Additionally, pharmacological inactivation of NUAK2 suppresses YAP-dependent cancer cell proliferation and liver overgrowth. Importantly, our work here identifies a specific, potent, and actionable target for YAP-driven malignancies. Hippo-YAP pathway plays an important role in cancers; however the in vivo relevance of YAP/TAZ target genes is unclear. Here, the authors show that NUAK2 is a target of YAP and participates in a feedback loop to maximize YAP activity. Inhibition of NUAK2 suppresses YAP-driven hepatomegaly and liver cancer growth, offering a new target for cancer therapy.
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48
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Gill MK, Christova T, Zhang YY, Gregorieff A, Zhang L, Narimatsu M, Song S, Xiong S, Couzens AL, Tong J, Krieger JR, Moran MF, Zlotta AR, van der Kwast TH, Gingras AC, Sicheri F, Wrana JL, Attisano L. A feed forward loop enforces YAP/TAZ signaling during tumorigenesis. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3510. [PMID: 30158528 PMCID: PMC6115388 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05939-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In most solid tumors, the Hippo pathway is inactivated through poorly understood mechanisms that result in the activation of the transcriptional regulators, YAP and TAZ. Here, we identify NUAK2 as a YAP/TAZ activator that directly inhibits LATS-mediated phosphorylation of YAP/TAZ and show that NUAK2 induction by YAP/TAZ and AP-1 is required for robust YAP/TAZ signaling. Pharmacological inhibition or loss of NUAK2 reduces the growth of cultured cancer cells and mammary tumors in mice. Moreover, in human patient samples, we show that NUAK2 expression is elevated in aggressive, high-grade bladder cancer and strongly correlates with a YAP/TAZ gene signature. These findings identify a positive feed forward loop in the Hippo pathway that establishes a key role for NUAK2 in enforcing the tumor-promoting activities of YAP/TAZ. Our results thus introduce a new opportunity for cancer therapeutics by delineating NUAK2 as a potential target for re-engaging the Hippo pathway. The Hippo pathway is frequently dysregulated in cancer. Here, the authors identify NUAK2 as negative regulator of the Hippo pathway from a siRNA kinome screen and show that NUAK2 promotes YAP/TAZ nuclear localisation while NUAK2 is a transcriptional target of YAP/TAZ, thus providing a feed forward loop to promote tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandeep K Gill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Tania Christova
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Ying Y Zhang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Alex Gregorieff
- Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada.,Department of Pathology, McGill University and Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, H4A 3J1, QC, Canada
| | - Liang Zhang
- Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong, China.,City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518057, China
| | - Masahiro Narimatsu
- Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Siyuan Song
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Shawn Xiong
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Amber L Couzens
- Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Jiefei Tong
- Program in Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Jonathan R Krieger
- SPARC BioCentre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Michael F Moran
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Program in Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.,SPARC BioCentre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Alexandre R Zlotta
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network, Toronto, M5G 1X5, ON, Canada
| | - Theodorus H van der Kwast
- Department of Pathology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Frank Sicheri
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Jeffrey L Wrana
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Centre for Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Liliana Attisano
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada. .,Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada.
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49
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Huang J, Liu K, Zhu S, Xie M, Kang R, Cao L, Tang D. AMPK regulates immunometabolism in sepsis. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 72:89-100. [PMID: 29109024 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sepsis and septic shock remain challenging for intensive care units worldwide and have limited treatment options; therefore, identification of targetable key players in systemic inflammation and multiple organ failure is urgently needed. Here, we show that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a negative regulator of bioenergetic reprogramming in immune cells and suppresses sepsis development in vivo. Mechanistically, AMPK deficiency increases pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 (PKM2)-dependent aerobic glycolysis, which leads to the release of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1, a late mediator of lethal systemic inflammation) in macrophages and monocytes. Consequently, activation of AMPK by A-769662 protects whereas depletion of AMPKα in myeloid cells promotes endotoxic shock and polymicrobial sepsis in mice. Additionally, administration of the PKM2 inhibitor shikonin reduces lactate production, HMGB1 release, and septic death in AMPKα-deficient mice. These findings suggest that disruption of the AMPK-dependent immunometabolism pathway may contribute to sepsis development and hence constitute a target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan 410011, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shan Zhu
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Center for DAMP Biology, Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510510, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Xie
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Kang
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lizhi Cao
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Daolin Tang
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Center for DAMP Biology, Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Genetics of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510510, People's Republic of China; Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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50
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Allaway R, Angus SP, Beauchamp RL, Blakeley JO, Bott M, Burns SS, Carlstedt A, Chang LS, Chen X, Clapp DW, Desouza PA, Erdin S, Fernandez-Valle C, Guinney J, Gusella JF, Haggarty SJ, Johnson GL, La Rosa S, Morrison H, Petrilli AM, Plotkin SR, Pratap A, Ramesh V, Sciaky N, Stemmer-Rachamimov A, Stuhlmiller TJ, Talkowski ME, Welling DB, Yates CW, Zawistowski JS, Zhao WN. Traditional and systems biology based drug discovery for the rare tumor syndrome neurofibromatosis type 2. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197350. [PMID: 29897904 PMCID: PMC5999111 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) is a rare tumor suppressor syndrome that manifests with multiple schwannomas and meningiomas. There are no effective drug therapies for these benign tumors and conventional therapies have limited efficacy. Various model systems have been created and several drug targets have been implicated in NF2-driven tumorigenesis based on known effects of the absence of merlin, the product of the NF2 gene. We tested priority compounds based on known biology with traditional dose-concentration studies in meningioma and schwann cell systems. Concurrently, we studied functional kinome and gene expression in these cells pre- and post-treatment to determine merlin deficient molecular phenotypes. Cell viability results showed that three agents (GSK2126458, Panobinostat, CUDC-907) had the greatest activity across schwannoma and meningioma cell systems, but merlin status did not significantly influence response. In vivo, drug effect was tumor specific with meningioma, but not schwannoma, showing response to GSK2126458 and Panobinostat. In culture, changes in both the transcriptome and kinome in response to treatment clustered predominantly based on tumor type. However, there were differences in both gene expression and functional kinome at baseline between meningioma and schwannoma cell systems that may form the basis for future selective therapies. This work has created an openly accessible resource (www.synapse.org/SynodosNF2) of fully characterized isogenic schwannoma and meningioma cell systems as well as a rich data source of kinome and transcriptome data from these assay systems before and after treatment that enables single and combination drug discovery based on molecular phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Steve P. Angus
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Roberta L. Beauchamp
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Jaishri O. Blakeley
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Marga Bott
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Lake Nona-Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Sarah S. Burns
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | | | - Long-Sheng Chang
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Xin Chen
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - D. Wade Clapp
- Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Patrick A. Desouza
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Serkan Erdin
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Cristina Fernandez-Valle
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Lake Nona-Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | | | - James F. Gusella
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Haggarty
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Gary L. Johnson
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | | | - Helen Morrison
- Leibniz-Institute on Aging–Fritz-Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany
| | - Alejandra M. Petrilli
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Lake Nona-Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Scott R. Plotkin
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Abhishek Pratap
- Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Vijaya Ramesh
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Noah Sciaky
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Anat Stemmer-Rachamimov
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Tim J. Stuhlmiller
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Michael E. Talkowski
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - D. Bradley Welling
- Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Charles W. Yates
- Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Jon S. Zawistowski
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Wen-Ning Zhao
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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