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Ghorbani N, Yaghubi R, Davoodi J, Pahlavan S. How does caspases regulation play role in cell decisions? apoptosis and beyond. Mol Cell Biochem 2023:10.1007/s11010-023-04870-5. [PMID: 37976000 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04870-5] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases, and the key factors behind the cellular events which occur during apoptosis and inflammation. However, increasing evidence shows the non-conventional pro-survival action of apoptotic caspases in crucial processes. These cellular events include cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, which may appear in the form of metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance in cancerous situations. Therefore, there should be a precise and strict control of caspases activity, perhaps through maintaining the threshold below the required levels for apoptosis. Thus, understanding the regulators of caspase activities that render apoptotic caspases as non-apoptotic is of paramount importance both mechanistically and clinically. Furthermore, the functions of apoptotic caspases are affected by numerous post-translational modifications. In the present mini-review, we highlight the various mechanisms that directly impact caspases with respect to their anti- or non-apoptotic functions. In this regard, post-translational modifications (PTMs), isoforms, subcellular localization, transient activity, substrate availability, substrate selection, and interaction-mediated regulations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Ghorbani
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roham Yaghubi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamshid Davoodi
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sara Pahlavan
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
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Contribution of Apaf-1 to the pathogenesis of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Biochimie 2021; 190:91-110. [PMID: 34298080 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Deregulation of apoptosis is associated with various pathologies, such as neurodegenerative disorders at one end of the spectrum and cancer at the other end. Generally speaking, differentiated cells like cardiomyocytes, skeletal myocytes and neurons exhibit low levels of Apaf-1 (Apoptotic protease activating factor 1) protein suggesting that down-regulation of Apaf-1 is an important event contributing to the resistance of these cells to apoptosis. Nonetheless, upregulation of Apaf-1 has not emerged as a common phenomenon in pathologies associated with enhanced neuronal cell death, i.e., neurodegenerative diseases. In cancer, on the other hand, Apaf-1 downregulation is a common phenomenon, which occurs through various mechanisms including mRNA hyper-methylation, gene methylation, Apaf-1 localization in lipid rafts, inhibition by microRNAs, phosphorylation, and interaction with specific inhibitors. Due to the diversity of these mechanisms and involvement of other factors, defining the exact contribution of Apaf-1 to the development of cancer in general and neurodegenerative disorders, in particular, is complicated. The current review is an attempt to provide a comprehensive image of Apaf-1's contribution to the pathologies observed in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases with the emphasis on the therapeutic aspects of Apaf-1 as an important target in these pathologies.
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Nguyen TTM, Gillet G, Popgeorgiev N. Caspases in the Developing Central Nervous System: Apoptosis and Beyond. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:702404. [PMID: 34336853 PMCID: PMC8322698 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.702404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The caspase family of cysteine proteases represents the executioners of programmed cell death (PCD) type I or apoptosis. For years, caspases have been known for their critical roles in shaping embryonic structures, including the development of the central nervous system (CNS). Interestingly, recent findings have suggested that aside from their roles in eliminating unnecessary neural cells, caspases are also implicated in other neurodevelopmental processes such as axon guidance, synapse formation, axon pruning, and synaptic functions. These results raise the question as to how neurons regulate this decision-making, leading either to cell death or to proper development and differentiation. This review highlights current knowledge on apoptotic and non-apoptotic functions of caspases in the developing CNS. We also discuss the molecular factors involved in the regulation of caspase-mediated roles, emphasizing the mitochondrial pathway of cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang Thi Minh Nguyen
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, U1052 INSERM, UMR CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Germain Gillet
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, U1052 INSERM, UMR CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.,Hospices Civils de Lyon, Laboratoire d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud, Pierre Bénite, France
| | - Nikolay Popgeorgiev
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, U1052 INSERM, UMR CNRS 5286, Centre Léon Bérard, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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Avrutsky MI, Troy CM. Caspase-9: A Multimodal Therapeutic Target With Diverse Cellular Expression in Human Disease. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:701301. [PMID: 34305609 PMCID: PMC8299054 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.701301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspase-9, a cysteine-aspartic protease known for its role as an initiator of intrinsic apoptosis, regulates physiological cell death and pathological tissue degeneration. Its nonapoptotic functions, including regulation of cellular differentiation/maturation, innate immunity, mitochondrial homeostasis, and autophagy, reveal a multimodal landscape of caspase-9 functions in health and disease. Recent work has demonstrated that caspase-9 can drive neurovascular injury through nonapoptotic endothelial cell dysfunction. CASP9 polymorphisms have been linked with various cancers, neurological disorders, autoimmune pathologies and lumbar disc disease. Clinical reports suggest alterations in caspase-9 expression, activity or function may be associated with acute and chronic neurodegeneration, retinal neuropathy, slow-channel myasthenic syndrome, lumbar disc disease, cardiomyopathies, atherosclerosis and autoimmune disease. Healthy tissues maintain caspase-9 activity at low basal levels, rendering supraphysiological caspase-9 activation a tractable target for therapeutic interventions. Strategies for selective inhibition of caspase-9 include dominant negative caspase-9 mutants and pharmacological inhibitors derived from the XIAP protein, whose Bir3 domain is an endogenous highly selective caspase-9 inhibitor. However, the mechanistic implications of caspase-9 expression and activation remain indeterminate in many pathologies. By assembling clinical reports of caspase-9 genetics, signaling and cellular localization in human tissues, this review identifies gaps between experimental and clinical studies on caspase-9, and presents opportunities for further investigations to examine the consequences of caspase activity in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria I Avrutsky
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carol M Troy
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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Connolly P, Garcia-Carpio I, Villunger A. Cell-Cycle Cross Talk with Caspases and Their Substrates. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2020; 12:a036475. [PMID: 31727679 PMCID: PMC7263087 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a036475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Caspases play central roles in mediating both cell death and inflammation. It has more recently become evident that caspases also drive other biological processes. Most prominently, caspases have been shown to be involved in differentiation. Several stem and progenitor cell types rely on caspases to initiate and execute their differentiation processes. These range from neural and glial cells, to skeletal myoblasts and osteoblasts, and several cell types of the hematopoietic system. Beyond differentiation, caspases have also been shown to play roles in other "noncanonical" processes, including cell proliferation, arrest, and senescence, thereby contributing to the mechanisms that regulate tissue homeostasis at multiple levels. Remarkably, caspases directly influence the course of the cell cycle in both a positive and negative manner. Caspases both cleave elements of the cell-cycle machinery and are themselves substrates of cell-cycle kinases. Here we aim to summarize the breadth of interactions between caspases and cell-cycle regulators. We also highlight recent developments in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Connolly
- Division of Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Irmina Garcia-Carpio
- Division of Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Andreas Villunger
- Division of Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna 1090, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1090, Austria
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Narla G, Sangodkar J, Ryder CB. The impact of phosphatases on proliferative and survival signaling in cancer. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:2695-2718. [PMID: 29725697 PMCID: PMC6023766 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2826-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The dynamic and stringent coordination of kinase and phosphatase activity controls a myriad of physiologic processes. Aberrations that disrupt the balance of this interplay represent the basis of numerous diseases. For a variety of reasons, early work in this area portrayed kinases as the dominant actors in these signaling events with phosphatases playing a secondary role. In oncology, these efforts led to breakthroughs that have dramatically altered the course of certain diseases and directed vast resources toward the development of additional kinase-targeted therapies. Yet, more recent scientific efforts have demonstrated a prominent and sometimes driving role for phosphatases across numerous malignancies. This maturation of the phosphatase field has brought with it the promise of further therapeutic advances in the field of oncology. In this review, we discuss the role of phosphatases in the regulation of cellular proliferation and survival signaling using the examples of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways, c-Myc and the apoptosis machinery. Emphasis is placed on instances where these signaling networks are perturbed by dysregulation of specific phosphatases to favor growth and persistence of human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaya Sangodkar
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Phosphorylation by protein kinase A disassembles the caspase-9 core. Cell Death Differ 2018; 25:1025-1039. [PMID: 29352269 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-017-0052-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Caspases, the cysteine proteases which facilitate the faithful execution of apoptosis, are tightly regulated by a number of mechanisms including phosphorylation. In response to cAMP, PKA phosphorylates caspase-9 at three sites preventing caspase-9 activation, and suppressing apoptosis progression. Phosphorylation of caspase-9 by PKA at the functionally relevant site Ser-183 acts as an upstream block of the apoptotic cascade, directly inactivating caspase-9 by a two-stage mechanism. First, Ser-183 phosphorylation prevents caspase-9 self-processing and directly blocks substrate binding. In addition, Ser-183 phosphorylation breaks the fundamental interactions within the caspase-9 core, promoting disassembly of the large and small subunits. This occurs despite Ser-183 being a surface residue distal from the interface between the large and small subunits. This phosphorylation-induced disassembly promotes the formation of ordered aggregates around 20 nm in diameter. Similar aggregates of caspase-9 have not been previously reported. This two-stage regulatory mechanism for caspase-9 has likewise not been reported previously but may be conserved across the caspases.
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