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Talukdar PD, Chatterji U. Transcriptional co-activators: emerging roles in signaling pathways and potential therapeutic targets for diseases. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:427. [PMID: 37953273 PMCID: PMC10641101 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01651-w] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific cell states in metazoans are established by the symphony of gene expression programs that necessitate intricate synergic interactions between transcription factors and the co-activators. Deregulation of these regulatory molecules is associated with cell state transitions, which in turn is accountable for diverse maladies, including developmental disorders, metabolic disorders, and most significantly, cancer. A decade back most transcription factors, the key enablers of disease development, were historically viewed as 'undruggable'; however, in the intervening years, a wealth of literature validated that they can be targeted indirectly through transcriptional co-activators, their confederates in various physiological and molecular processes. These co-activators, along with transcription factors, have the ability to initiate and modulate transcription of diverse genes necessary for normal physiological functions, whereby, deregulation of such interactions may foster tissue-specific disease phenotype. Hence, it is essential to analyze how these co-activators modulate specific multilateral processes in coordination with other factors. The proposed review attempts to elaborate an in-depth account of the transcription co-activators, their involvement in transcription regulation, and context-specific contributions to pathophysiological conditions. This review also addresses an issue that has not been dealt with in a comprehensive manner and hopes to direct attention towards future research that will encompass patient-friendly therapeutic strategies, where drugs targeting co-activators will have enhanced benefits and reduced side effects. Additional insights into currently available therapeutic interventions and the associated constraints will eventually reveal multitudes of advanced therapeutic targets aiming for disease amelioration and good patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Dey Talukdar
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 700019, West Bengal, India
| | - Urmi Chatterji
- Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, 700019, West Bengal, India.
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Naineni SK, Robert F, Nagar B, Pelletier J. Targeting DEAD-box RNA helicases: The emergence of molecular staples. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1738. [PMID: 35581936 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
RNA helicases constitute a large family of proteins that play critical roles in mediating RNA function. They have been implicated in all facets of gene expression pathways involving RNA, from transcription to processing, transport and translation, and storage and decay. There is significant interest in developing small molecule inhibitors to RNA helicases as some family members have been documented to be dysregulated in neurological and neurodevelopment disorders, as well as in cancers. Although different functional properties of RNA helicases offer multiple opportunities for small molecule development, molecular staples have recently come to the forefront. These bifunctional molecules interact with both protein and RNA components to lock them together, thereby imparting novel gain-of-function properties to their targets. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Small Molecule-RNA Interactions RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Kiran Naineni
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Francis Robert
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Bhushan Nagar
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jerry Pelletier
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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DEAD-Box RNA Helicases in Cell Cycle Control and Clinical Therapy. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061540. [PMID: 34207140 PMCID: PMC8234093 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell cycle is regulated through numerous signaling pathways that determine whether cells will proliferate, remain quiescent, arrest, or undergo apoptosis. Abnormal cell cycle regulation has been linked to many diseases. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand the diverse molecular mechanisms of how the cell cycle is controlled. RNA helicases constitute a large family of proteins with functions in all aspects of RNA metabolism, including unwinding or annealing of RNA molecules to regulate pre-mRNA, rRNA and miRNA processing, clamping protein complexes on RNA, or remodeling ribonucleoprotein complexes, to regulate gene expression. RNA helicases also regulate the activity of specific proteins through direct interaction. Abnormal expression of RNA helicases has been associated with different diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, aging, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) via regulation of a diverse range of cellular processes such as cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Recent studies showed that RNA helicases participate in the regulation of the cell cycle progression at each cell cycle phase, including G1-S transition, S phase, G2-M transition, mitosis, and cytokinesis. In this review, we discuss the essential roles and mechanisms of RNA helicases in the regulation of the cell cycle at different phases. For that, RNA helicases provide a rich source of targets for the development of therapeutic or prophylactic drugs. We also discuss the different targeting strategies against RNA helicases, the different types of compounds explored, the proposed inhibitory mechanisms of the compounds on specific RNA helicases, and the therapeutic potential of these compounds in the treatment of various disorders.
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Capasso A, Bagby SM, Dailey KL, Currimjee N, Yacob BW, Ionkina A, Frank JG, Kim DJ, George C, Lee YB, Benaim E, Gittleman B, Hartman SJ, Tan AC, Kim J, Pitts TM, Eckhardt SG, Tentler JJ, Diamond JR. First-in-Class Phosphorylated-p68 Inhibitor RX-5902 Inhibits β-Catenin Signaling and Demonstrates Antitumor Activity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:1916-1925. [PMID: 31488700 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-1334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
RX-5902 is a first-in-class anticancer agent targeting phosphorylated-p68 and attenuating nuclear shuttling of β-catenin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of RX-5902 in preclinical models of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and to explore effects on β-catenin expression. A panel of 18 TNBC cell lines was exposed to RX-5902, and changes in proliferation, apoptosis, cellular ploidy, and effector protein expression were assessed. Gene expression profiling was used in sensitive and resistant cell lines with pathway analysis to explore pathways associated with sensitivity to RX-5902. The activity of RX-5902 was confirmed in vivo in cell line and patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models. RX-5902 demonstrated potent antiproliferative activity in vitro against TNBC cell lines with an average IC50 of 56 nmol/L in sensitive cell lines. RX-5902 treatment resulted in the induction of apoptosis, G2-M cell-cycle arrest, and aneuploidy in a subset of cell lines. RX-5902 was active in vivo against TNBC PDX models, and treatment resulted in a decrease in nuclear β-catenin. RX-5902 exhibited dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and plasma and tumor tissue in nude mice. Pathway analysis demonstrated an increase in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), TGFβ, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways associated with sensitivity to RX-5902. RX-5902 is active against in vitro and in vivo preclinical models of TNBC. Target engagement was confirmed with decreases in nuclear β-catenin and MCL-1 observed, confirming the proposed mechanism of action. This study supports the continued investigation of RX-5902 in TNBC and combinations with immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Capasso
- Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, Livestrong Cancer Institutes, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
| | - Stacey M Bagby
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Kyrie L Dailey
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Naomi Currimjee
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Betelehem W Yacob
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Anastasia Ionkina
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | | | | | | | - Young B Lee
- Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, Maryland
| | - Ely Benaim
- Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, Maryland
| | - Brian Gittleman
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Sarah J Hartman
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Aik Choon Tan
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Jihye Kim
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Todd M Pitts
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - S Gail Eckhardt
- Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, Livestrong Cancer Institutes, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - John J Tentler
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Jennifer R Diamond
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
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