1
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Zhang JZ, Nguyen WH, Greenwood N, Rose JC, Ong SE, Maly DJ, Baker D. Computationally designed sensors detect endogenous Ras activity and signaling effectors at subcellular resolution. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-023-02107-w. [PMID: 38273065 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-02107-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The utility of genetically encoded biosensors for sensing the activity of signaling proteins has been hampered by a lack of strategies for matching sensor sensitivity to the physiological concentration range of the target. Here we used computational protein design to generate intracellular sensors of Ras activity (LOCKR-based Sensor for Ras activity (Ras-LOCKR-S)) and proximity labelers of the Ras signaling environment (LOCKR-based, Ras activity-dependent Proximity Labeler (Ras-LOCKR-PL)). These tools allow the detection of endogenous Ras activity and labeling of the surrounding environment at subcellular resolution. Using these sensors in human cancer cell lines, we identified Ras-interacting proteins in oncogenic EML4-Alk granules and found that Src-Associated in Mitosis 68-kDa (SAM68) protein specifically enhances Ras activity in the granules. The ability to subcellularly localize endogenous Ras activity should deepen our understanding of Ras function in health and disease and may suggest potential therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Z Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - William H Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nathan Greenwood
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John C Rose
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shao-En Ong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dustin J Maly
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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2
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Jurado M, Zorzano A, Castaño O. Cooperativity and oscillations: Regulatory mechanisms of K-Ras nanoclusters. Comput Biol Med 2023; 166:107455. [PMID: 37742420 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107455] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
K-Ras nanoclusters (NCs) concentrate all required molecules belonging to the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in a small area where signaling events take place, increasing efficiency and specificity of signaling. Such nanostructures are characterized by controlled sizes and lifetimes distributions, but there is a poor understanding of the mechanisms involved in their dynamics of growth/decay. Here, a minimum computational model is presented to analyze the behavior of K-Ras NCs as cooperative dynamic structures that self-regulate their growth and decay according to their size. Indeed, the proposed model reveals that the growth and the local production of a K-Ras nanocluster depend positively on its actual size, whilst its lifetime is inversely proportional to the root of its size. The cooperative binding between the structural constituents of the NC (K-Ras proteins) induces oscillations in the size distributions of K-Ras NCs allowing them to range within controlled values, regulating the growth/decay dynamics of these NCs. Thereby, the size of a K-Ras NC is proposed as a key factor to regulate cell signaling, opening a range of possibilities to develop strategies for use in chronic diseases and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Jurado
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Zorzano
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Oscar Castaño
- Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Nanobioengineering and Biomaterials, Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of the University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Mustansar T, Mirza T, Hussain M. RAS gene mutations and histomorphometric measurements in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Biotech Histochem 2023; 98:382-390. [PMID: 37013448 DOI: 10.1080/10520295.2023.2196731] [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] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the RAS gene family frequently are mutated in cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We investigated the correlation of histological characteristics of OSCC with RAS gene mutations. We graded tumors and extracted genomic DNA from OSCC. The first two exons of KRAS, HRAS and NRAS genes were subjected to PCR amplification and DNA sequencing followed by bioinformatic analysis to explore the structural and functional impact of the mutations on encoding of proteins. Cellular and nuclear diameters in histological sections were varied in all grades of cancer. Using sequence analysis, we identified nonsynonymous mutations in both HRAS (G12S, G15C, D54H, Q61H, Q61L, E62D, E63D, Q70E, Q70V) and NRAS (Q22P, K88R). Stop codon mutations, however, were observed in KRAS. Spatial orientation of substituted amino acids was observed despite conservation of overall structure of variant proteins. Our findings suggest that KRAS may be mutated more frequently in OSCC compared to HRAS and NRAS. Also, the histological features of nuclear and cellular diameter differed significantly between the KRAS mutated and unmutated cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tazeen Mustansar
- Department of Pathology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - Mushtaq Hussain
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Medicine Research Group, Dow Research Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences, Dow College of Biotechnology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
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4
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Tang X, Xue D, Zhang T, Nilsson-Payant BE, Carrau L, Duan X, Gordillo M, Tan AY, Qiu Y, Xiang J, Schwartz RE, tenOever BR, Evans T, Chen S. A multi-organoid platform identifies CIART as a key factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:381-389. [PMID: 36918693 PMCID: PMC10014579 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01095-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is a systemic disease involving multiple organs. We previously established a platform to derive organoids and cells from human pluripotent stem cells to model SARS-CoV-2 infection and perform drug screens1,2. This provided insight into cellular tropism and the host response, yet the molecular mechanisms regulating SARS-CoV-2 infection remain poorly defined. Here we systematically examined changes in transcript profiles caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection at different multiplicities of infection for lung airway organoids, lung alveolar organoids and cardiomyocytes, and identified several genes that are generally implicated in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection, including CIART, the circadian-associated repressor of transcription. Lung airway organoids, lung alveolar organoids and cardiomyocytes derived from isogenic CIART-/- human pluripotent stem cells were significantly resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection, independently of viral entry. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis further validated the decreased levels of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ciliated-like cells of lung airway organoids. CUT&RUN, ATAC-seq and RNA-sequencing analyses showed that CIART controls SARS-CoV-2 infection at least in part through the regulation of NR4A1, a gene also identified from the multi-organoid analysis. Finally, transcriptional profiling and pharmacological inhibition led to the discovery that the Retinoid X Receptor pathway regulates SARS-CoV-2 infection downstream of CIART and NR4A1. The multi-organoid platform identified the role of circadian-clock regulation in SARS-CoV-2 infection, which provides potential therapeutic targets for protection against COVID-19 across organ systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuming Tang
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dongxiang Xue
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tuo Zhang
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin E Nilsson-Payant
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- TWINCORE Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lucia Carrau
- Department of Microbiology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xiaohua Duan
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miriam Gordillo
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adrian Y Tan
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yunping Qiu
- Stable Isotope and Metabolomics Core Facility, The Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Jenny Xiang
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert E Schwartz
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Todd Evans
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shuibing Chen
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Genomic Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Tang R, Shuldiner EG, Kelly M, Murray CW, Hebert JD, Andrejka L, Tsai MK, Hughes NW, Parker MI, Cai H, Li YC, Wahl GM, Dunbrack RL, Jackson PK, Petrov DA, Winslow MM. Multiplexed screens identify RAS paralogues HRAS and NRAS as suppressors of KRAS-driven lung cancer growth. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:159-169. [PMID: 36635501 PMCID: PMC10521195 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01049-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS mutations occur in approximately 30% of lung adenocarcinoma. Despite several decades of effort, oncogenic KRAS-driven lung cancer remains difficult to treat, and our understanding of the regulators of RAS signalling is incomplete. Here to uncover the impact of diverse KRAS-interacting proteins on lung cancer growth, we combined multiplexed somatic CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in genetically engineered mouse models with tumour barcoding and high-throughput barcode sequencing. Through a series of CRISPR/Cas9 screens in autochthonous lung cancer models, we show that HRAS and NRAS are suppressors of KRASG12D-driven tumour growth in vivo and confirm these effects in oncogenic KRAS-driven human lung cancer cell lines. Mechanistically, RAS paralogues interact with oncogenic KRAS, suppress KRAS-KRAS interactions, and reduce downstream ERK signalling. Furthermore, HRAS and NRAS mutations identified in oncogenic KRAS-driven human tumours partially abolished this effect. By comparing the tumour-suppressive effects of HRAS and NRAS in oncogenic KRAS- and oncogenic BRAF-driven lung cancer models, we confirm that RAS paralogues are specific suppressors of KRAS-driven lung cancer in vivo. Our study outlines a technological avenue to uncover positive and negative regulators of oncogenic KRAS-driven cancer in a multiplexed manner in vivo and highlights the role RAS paralogue imbalance in oncogenic KRAS-driven lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Tang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Marcus Kelly
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Baxter Laboratories, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christopher W Murray
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jess D Hebert
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Laura Andrejka
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Min K Tsai
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas W Hughes
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mitchell I Parker
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics Program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hongchen Cai
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yao-Cheng Li
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Wahl
- Gene Expression Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Roland L Dunbrack
- Molecular Therapeutics Program, Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peter K Jackson
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Baxter Laboratories, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dmitri A Petrov
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- The Chan Zuckerberg BioHub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Monte M Winslow
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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6
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KRAS is vulnerable to reversible switch-II pocket engagement in cells. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:596-604. [PMID: 35314814 PMCID: PMC9135634 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-00985-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Current small-molecule inhibitors of KRAS(G12C) bind irreversibly in the switch-II pocket (SII-P), exploiting the strong nucleophilicity of the acquired cysteine as well as the preponderance of the GDP-bound form of this mutant. Nevertheless, many oncogenic KRAS mutants lack these two features, and it remains unknown whether targeting the SII-P is a practical therapeutic approach for KRAS mutants beyond G12C. Here we use NMR spectroscopy and a cellular KRAS engagement assay to address this question by examining a collection of SII-P ligands from the literature and from our own laboratory. We show that the SII-Ps of many KRAS hotspot (G12, G13, Q61) mutants are accessible using noncovalent ligands, and that this accessibility is not necessarily coupled to the GDP state of KRAS. The results we describe here emphasize the SII-P as a privileged drug-binding site on KRAS and unveil new therapeutic opportunities in RAS-driven cancer. ![]()
The use of NMR spectroscopy and development of a cellular BRET KRAS engagement assay revealed that noncovalent ligands can access the switch-II pocket of KRAS hotspot mutants.
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7
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Protease-controlled secretion and display of intercellular signals. Nat Commun 2022; 13:912. [PMID: 35177637 PMCID: PMC8854555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28623-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To program intercellular communication for biomedicine, it is crucial to regulate the secretion and surface display of signaling proteins. If such regulations are at the protein level, there are additional advantages, including compact delivery and direct interactions with endogenous signaling pathways. Here we create a modular, generalizable design called Retained Endoplasmic Cleavable Secretion (RELEASE), with engineered proteins retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and displayed/secreted in response to specific proteases. The design allows functional regulation of multiple synthetic and natural proteins by synthetic protease circuits to realize diverse signal processing capabilities, including logic operation and threshold tuning. By linking RELEASE to additional sensing and processing circuits, we can achieve elevated protein secretion in response to "undruggable" oncogene KRAS mutants. RELEASE should enable the local, programmable delivery of intercellular cues for a broad variety of fields such as neurobiology, cancer immunotherapy and cell transplantation.
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8
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Girard E, Lopes P, Spoerner M, Dhaussy AC, Prangé T, Kalbitzer HR, Colloc'h N. Equilibria between conformational states of the Ras oncogene protein revealed by high pressure crystallography. Chem Sci 2022; 13:2001-2010. [PMID: 35308861 PMCID: PMC8848853 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc05488k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, we experimentally investigate the allosteric transitions between conformational states on the Ras oncogene protein using high pressure crystallography. Ras protein is a small GTPase involved in central regulatory processes occurring in multiple conformational states. Ras acts as a molecular switch between active GTP-bound, and inactive GDP-bound states, controlling essential signal transduction pathways. An allosteric network of interactions between the effector binding regions and the membrane interacting regions is involved in Ras cycling. The conformational states which coexist simultaneously in solution possess higher Gibbs free energy than the ground state. Equilibria between these states can be shifted by applying pressure favouring conformations with lower partial molar volume, and has been previously analyzed by high-pressure NMR spectroscopy. High-pressure macromolecular crystallography (HPMX) is a powerful tool perfectly complementary to high-pressure NMR, allowing characterization at the molecular level with a high resolution the different allosteric states involved in the Ras cycling. We observe a transition above 300 MPa in the crystal leading to more stable conformers. Thus, we compare the crystallographic structures of Ras(wt)·Mg2+·GppNHp and Ras(D33K)·Mg2+·GppNHp at various high hydrostatic pressures. This gives insight into per-residue descriptions of the structural plasticity involved in allosteric equilibria between conformers. We have mapped out at atomic resolution the different segments of Ras protein which remain in the ground-state conformation or undergo structural changes, adopting excited-energy conformations corresponding to transient intermediate states. Such in crystallo phase transitions induced by pressure open the possibility to finely explore the structural determinants related to switching between Ras allosteric sub-states without any mutations nor exogenous partners. The equilibria between structural states induced by pressure within the crystal structure of Ras are illustrated with different colors corresponding to different Ras substates.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Girard
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | - Pedro Lopes
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Centre of Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael Spoerner
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Centre of Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Thierry Prangé
- CiTCoM UMR 8038, CNRS Université de Paris, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
| | - Hans Robert Kalbitzer
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Centre of Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry and Biomedicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nathalie Colloc'h
- ISTCT UMR 6030, CNRS, Université de Caen Normandie, CERVOxy Group, Centre Cyceron, Caen, France
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9
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Yasuda K, Nishikawa M, Mano H, Takano M, Kittaka A, Ikushiro S, Sakaki T. Development of In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation Systems for Vitamin D Derivatives and Their Application to Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111839. [PMID: 34769269 PMCID: PMC8584323 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We have developed an in vitro system to easily examine the affinity for vitamin D receptor (VDR) and CYP24A1-mediated metabolism as two methods of assessing vitamin D derivatives. Vitamin D derivatives with high VDR affinity and resistance to CYP24A1-mediated metabolism could be good therapeutic agents. This system can effectively select vitamin D derivatives with these useful properties. We have also developed an in vivo system including a Cyp27b1-gene-deficient rat (a type I rickets model), a Vdr-gene-deficient rat (a type II rickets model), and a rat with a mutant Vdr (R270L) (another type II rickets model) using a genome editing method. For Cyp27b1-gene-deficient and Vdr mutant (R270L) rats, amelioration of rickets symptoms can be used as an index of the efficacy of vitamin D derivatives. Vdr-gene-deficient rats can be used to assess the activities of vitamin D derivatives specialized for actions not mediated by VDR. One of our original vitamin D derivatives, which displays high affinity VDR binding and resistance to CYP24A1-dependent metabolism, has shown good therapeutic effects in Vdr (R270L) rats, although further analysis is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Yasuda
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu 939-0398, Toyama, Japan; (K.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Miyu Nishikawa
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu 939-0398, Toyama, Japan; (M.N.); (S.I.)
| | - Hiroki Mano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu 939-0398, Toyama, Japan; (K.Y.); (H.M.)
| | - Masashi Takano
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan; (M.T.); (A.K.)
| | - Atsushi Kittaka
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan; (M.T.); (A.K.)
| | - Shinichi Ikushiro
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu 939-0398, Toyama, Japan; (M.N.); (S.I.)
| | - Toshiyuki Sakaki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu 939-0398, Toyama, Japan; (K.Y.); (H.M.)
- Correspondence:
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10
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Engineered variants of the Ras effector protein RASSF5 (NORE1A) promote anticancer activities in lung adenocarcinoma. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101353. [PMID: 34717958 PMCID: PMC8605244 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the superfamily of small GTPases, Ras appears to be the master regulator of such processes as cell cycle progression, cell division, and apoptosis. Several oncogenic Ras mutations at amino acid positions 12, 13, and 61 have been identified that lose their ability to hydrolyze GTP, giving rise to constitutive signaling and eventually development of cancer. While disruption of the Ras/effector interface is an attractive strategy for drug design to prevent this constitutive activity, inhibition of this interaction using small molecules is impractical due to the absence of a cavity to which such molecules could bind. However, proteins and especially natural Ras effectors that bind to the Ras/effector interface with high affinity could disrupt Ras/effector interactions and abolish procancer pathways initiated by Ras oncogene. Using a combination of computational design and in vitro evolution, we engineered high-affinity Ras-binding proteins starting from a natural Ras effector, RASSF5 (NORE1A), which is encoded by a tumor suppressor gene. Unlike previously reported Ras oncogene inhibitors, the proteins we designed not only inhibit Ras-regulated procancer pathways, but also stimulate anticancer pathways initiated by RASSF5. We show that upon introduction into A549 lung carcinoma cells, the engineered RASSF5 mutants decreased cell viability and mobility to a significantly greater extent than WT RASSF5. In addition, these mutant proteins induce cellular senescence by increasing acetylation and decreasing phosphorylation of p53. In conclusion, engineered RASSF5 variants provide an attractive therapeutic strategy able to oppose cancer development by means of inhibiting of procancer pathways and stimulating anticancer processes.
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11
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Nussinov R, Zhang M, Maloney R, Jang H. Ras isoform-specific expression, chromatin accessibility, and signaling. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:489-505. [PMID: 34466166 PMCID: PMC8355297 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00817-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The anchorage of Ras isoforms in the membrane and their nanocluster formations have been studied extensively, including their detailed interactions, sizes, preferred membrane environments, chemistry, and geometry. However, the staggering challenge of their epigenetics and chromatin accessibility in distinct cell states and types, which we propose is a major factor determining their specific expression, still awaits unraveling. Ras isoforms are distinguished by their C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR) which acts in intracellular transport, regulation, and membrane anchorage. Here, we review some isoform-specific activities at the plasma membrane from a structural dynamic standpoint. Inspired by physics and chemistry, we recognize that understanding functional specificity requires insight into how biomolecules can organize themselves in different cellular environments. Within this framework, we suggest that isoform-specific expression may largely be controlled by the chromatin density and physical compaction, which allow (or curb) access to "chromatinized DNA." Genes are preferentially expressed in tissues: proteins expressed in pancreatic cells may not be equally expressed in lung cells. It is the rule-not an exception, and it can be at least partly understood in terms of chromatin organization and accessibility state. Genes are expressed when they can be sufficiently exposed to the transcription machinery, and they are less so when they are persistently buried in dense chromatin. Notably, chromatin accessibility can similarly determine expression of drug resistance genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mingzhen Zhang
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Ryan Maloney
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism National Cancer Institute, 1050 Boyles St, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
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12
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Van QN, Prakash P, Shrestha R, Balius TE, Turbyville TJ, Stephen AG. RAS Nanoclusters: Dynamic Signaling Platforms Amenable to Therapeutic Intervention. Biomolecules 2021; 11:377. [PMID: 33802474 PMCID: PMC8000715 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
RAS proteins are mutated in approximately 20% of all cancers and are generally associated with poor clinical outcomes. RAS proteins are localized to the plasma membrane and function as molecular switches, turned on by partners that receive extracellular mitogenic signals. In the on-state, they activate intracellular signal transduction cascades. Membrane-bound RAS molecules segregate into multimers, known as nanoclusters. These nanoclusters, held together through weak protein-protein and protein-lipid associations, are highly dynamic and respond to cellular input signals and fluctuations in the local lipid environment. Disruption of RAS nanoclusters results in downregulation of RAS-mediated mitogenic signaling. In this review, we discuss the propensity of RAS proteins to display clustering behavior and the interfaces that are associated with these assemblies. Strategies to therapeutically disrupt nanocluster formation or the stabilization of signaling incompetent RAS complexes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew G. Stephen
- Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, National Cancer Institute RAS Initiative, Inc., Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (Q.N.V.); (P.P.); (R.S.); (T.E.B.); (T.J.T.)
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