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Closantel is an allosteric inhibitor of human Taspase1. iScience 2021; 24:103524. [PMID: 34934933 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103524] [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: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dimerization of Taspase1 activates an intrinsic serine protease function that leads to the catalytic Thr234 residue, which allows to catalyze the consensus sequence Q-3X-2D-1⋅G1X2D3D4, present in Trithorax family members and TFIIA. Noteworthy, Taspase1 performs only a single hydrolytic step on substrate proteins, which makes it impossible to screen for inhibitors in a classical screening approach. Here, we report the development of an HTRF reporter assay that allowed the identification of an inhibitor, Closantel sodium, that inhibits Taspase1 in a noncovalent fashion (IC50 = 1.6 μM). The novel inhibitor interferes with the dimerization step and/or the intrinsic serine protease function of the proenzyme. Of interest, Taspase1 is required to activate the oncogenic functions of the leukemogenic AF4-MLL fusion protein and was shown in several studies to be overexpressed in many solid tumors. Therefore, the inhibitor may be useful for further validation of Taspase1 as a target for cancer therapy.
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Schrenk C, Fetz V, Vallet C, Heiselmayer C, Schröder E, Hensel A, Hahlbrock A, Wünsch D, Goesswein D, Bier C, Habtemichael N, Schneider G, Stauber RH, Knauer SK. TFIIA transcriptional activity is controlled by a 'cleave-and-run' Exportin-1/Taspase 1-switch. J Mol Cell Biol 2018; 10:33-47. [PMID: 28992066 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjx025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factor TFIIA is controlled by complex regulatory networks including proteolysis by the protease Taspase 1, though the full impact of cleavage remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that in contrast to the general assumption, de novo produced TFIIA is rapidly confined to the cytoplasm via an evolutionary conserved nuclear export signal (NES, amino acids 21VINDVRDIFL30), interacting with the nuclear export receptor Exportin-1/chromosomal region maintenance 1 (Crm1). Chemical export inhibition or genetic inactivation of the NES not only promotes TFIIA's nuclear localization but also affects its transcriptional activity. Notably, Taspase 1 processing promotes TFIIA's nuclear accumulation by NES masking, and modulates its transcriptional activity. Moreover, TFIIA complex formation with the TATA box binding protein (TBP) is cooperatively enhanced by inhibition of proteolysis and nuclear export, leading to an increase of the cell cycle inhibitor p16INK, which is counteracted by prevention of TBP binding. We here identified a novel mechanism how proteolysis and nuclear transport cooperatively fine-tune transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schrenk
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Verena Fetz
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Cecilia Vallet
- Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Christina Heiselmayer
- Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Schröder
- Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Astrid Hensel
- Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Angelina Hahlbrock
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Désirée Wünsch
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Dorothee Goesswein
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Carolin Bier
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Negusse Habtemichael
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Günter Schneider
- University Hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar, II. Medizinische Klinik, Technical University München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Roland H Stauber
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology/ENT, University Hospital of Mainz, 55101 Mainz, Germany
| | - Shirley K Knauer
- Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
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Gribko A, Hahlbrock A, Strieth S, Becker S, Hagemann J, Deichelbohrer M, Hildebrandt A, Habtemichael N, Wünsch D. Disease-relevant signalling-pathways in head and neck cancer: Taspase1's proteolytic activity fine-tunes TFIIA function. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14937. [PMID: 29097782 PMCID: PMC5668323 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14814-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common malignancy in the world and its prevailing form, the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), is characterized as aggressive and invasive cancer type. The transcription factor II A (TFIIA), initially described as general regulator of RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription, is part of complex transcriptional networks also controlling mammalian head morphogenesis. Posttranslational cleavage of the TFIIA precursor by the oncologically relevant protease Taspase1 is crucial in this process. In contrast, the relevance of Taspase1-mediated TFIIA cleavage during oncogenesis of HNSCC is not characterized yet. Here, we performed genome-wide expression profiling of HNSCC which revealed significant downregulation of the TFIIA downstream target CDKN2A. To identify potential regulatory mechanisms of TFIIA on cellular level, we characterized nuclear-cytoplasmic transport and Taspase1-mediated cleavage of TFIIA variants. Unexpectedly, we identified an evolutionary conserved nuclear export signal (NES) counteracting nuclear localization and thus, transcriptional activity of TFIIA. Notably, proteolytic processing of TFIIA by Taspase1 was found to mask the NES, thereby promoting nuclear localization and transcriptional activation of TFIIA target genes, such as CDKN2A. Collectively, we here describe a hitherto unknown mechanism how cellular localization and Taspase1 cleavage fine-tunes transcriptional activity of TFIIA in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Gribko
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - Angelina Hahlbrock
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - Sebastian Strieth
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - Sven Becker
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - Jan Hagemann
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - Max Deichelbohrer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - Andreas Hildebrandt
- Scientific Computing and Bioinformatics, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudingerweg 9, Mainz, 55128, Germany
| | - Negusse Habtemichael
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany
| | - D Wünsch
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Molecular and Cellular Oncology, University Hospital of Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz, 55101, Germany.
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Wang J, Zhao S, He W, Wei Y, Zhang Y, Pegg H, Shore P, Roberts SGE, Deng W. A transcription factor IIA-binding site differentially regulates RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription in a promoter context-dependent manner. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:11873-11885. [PMID: 28539359 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.770412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA polymerase II (pol II) is required for the transcription of all protein-coding genes and as such represents a major enzyme whose activity is tightly regulated. Transcriptional initiation therefore requires numerous general transcriptional factors and cofactors that associate with pol II at the core promoter to form a pre-initiation complex. Transcription factor IIA (TFIIA) is a general cofactor that binds TFIID and stabilizes the TFIID-DNA complex during transcription initiation. Previous studies showed that TFIIA can make contact with the DNA sequence upstream or downstream of the TATA box, and that the region bound by TFIIA could overlap with the elements recognized by another factor, TFIIB, at adenovirus major late core promoter. Whether core promoters contain a DNA motif recognized by TFIIA remains unknown. Here we have identified a core promoter element upstream of the TATA box that is recognized by TFIIA. A search of the human promoter database revealed that many natural promoters contain a TFIIA recognition element (IIARE). We show that the IIARE enhances TFIIA-promoter binding and enhances the activity of TATA-containing promoters, but represses or activates promoters that lack a TATA box. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that the IIARE activates transcription by increasing the recruitment of pol II, TFIIA, TAF4, and P300 at TATA-dependent promoters. These findings extend our understanding of the role of TFIIA in transcription, and provide new insights into the regulatory mechanism of core promoter elements in gene transcription by pol II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan City, Hubei Province 430065, China
| | - Shasha Zhao
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan City, Hubei Province 430065, China
| | - Wei He
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan City, Hubei Province 430065, China
| | - Yun Wei
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan City, Hubei Province 430065, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan City, Hubei Province 430065, China
| | - Henry Pegg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Shore
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan G E Roberts
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom.
| | - Wensheng Deng
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan City, Hubei Province 430065, China.
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TRF2 is recruited to the pre-initiation complex as a testis-specific subunit of TFIIA/ALF to promote haploid cell gene expression. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32069. [PMID: 27576952 PMCID: PMC5006001 DOI: 10.1038/srep32069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian genomes encode two genes related to the TATA-box binding protein (TBP), TBP-related factors 2 and 3 (TRF2 and TRF3). Male Trf2−/− mice are sterile and characterized by arrested spermatogenesis at the transition from late haploid spermatids to early elongating spermatids. Despite this characterization, the molecular function of murine Trf2 remains poorly characterized and no direct evidence exists to show that it acts as a bona fide chromatin-bound transcription factor. We show here that Trf2 forms a stable complex with TFIIA or the testis expressed paralogue ALF chaperoned in the cytoplasm by heat shock proteins. We demonstrate for the first time that Trf2 is recruited to active haploid cell promoters together with Tbp, Taf7l and RNA polymerase II. RNA-seq analysis identifies a set of genes activated in haploid spermatids during the first wave of spermatogenesis whose expression is down-regulated by Trf2 inactivation. We therefore propose that Trf2 is recruited to the preinitiation complex as a testis-specific subunit of TFIIA/ALF that cooperates with Tbp and Taf7l to promote haploid cell gene expression.
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Stauber RH, Hahlbrock A, Knauer SK, Wünsch D. Cleaving for growth: threonine aspartase 1--a protease relevant for development and disease. FASEB J 2015; 30:1012-22. [PMID: 26578689 DOI: 10.1096/fj.15-270611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
From the beginning of life, proteases are key to organismal development comprising morphogenesis, cellular differentiation, and cell growth. Regulated proteolytic activity is essential for the orchestration of multiple developmental pathways, and defects in protease activity can account for multiple disease patterns. The highly conserved protease threonine aspartase 1 is a member of such developmental proteases and critically involved in the regulation of complex processes, including segmental identity, head morphogenesis, spermatogenesis, and proliferation. Additionally, threonine aspartase 1 is overexpressed in numerous liquid as well as in solid malignancies. Although threonine aspartase 1 is able to cleave the master regulator mixed lineage leukemia protein as well as other regulatory proteins in humans, our knowledge of its detailed pathobiological function and the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to development and disease is still incomplete. Moreover, neither effective genetic nor chemical inhibitors for this enzyme are available so far precluding the detailed dissection of the pathobiological functions of threonine aspartase 1. Here, we review the current knowledge of the structure-function relationship of threonine aspartase 1 and its mechanistic impact on substrate-mediated coordination of the cell cycle and development. We discuss threonine aspartase 1-mediated effects on cellular transformation and conclude by presenting a short overview of recent interference strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland H Stauber
- *Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of Mainz, Mainz, Germany; and Institute for Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Angelina Hahlbrock
- *Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of Mainz, Mainz, Germany; and Institute for Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Shirley K Knauer
- *Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of Mainz, Mainz, Germany; and Institute for Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Désirée Wünsch
- *Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center of Mainz, Mainz, Germany; and Institute for Molecular Biology, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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