1
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Hope SF, Willgohs KR, Dittakul S, Plotnik JM. Do elephants really never forget? What we know about elephant memory and a call for further investigation. Learn Behav 2024:10.3758/s13420-024-00655-y. [PMID: 39438402 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-024-00655-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024]
Abstract
Despite popular culture's promotion of the elephant's ability to "never forget," there is remarkably limited empirical research on the memory capacities of any living elephant species (Asian, Elephas maximus; African savanna, Loxodonta africana; African forest, Loxodonta cyclotis). A growing body of literature on elephant cognition and behavioral ecology has provided insight into the elephant's ability to behave flexibly in changing physical and social environments, but little direct evidence of how memory might relate to this flexibility exists. In this paper, we review and discuss the potential relationships between what we know about elephant cognition and behavior and the elephants' memory for the world around them as they navigate their physical, social, and spatial environments. We also discuss future directions for investigating elephant memory and implications for such research on elephant conservation and human-elephant conflict mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney F Hope
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Kaitlyn R Willgohs
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Sangpa Dittakul
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai, 57150, Thailand
| | - Joshua M Plotnik
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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2
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Karakostis K, Padariya M, Thermou A, Fåhraeus R, Kalathiya U, Vollrath F. Thermal stress, p53 structures and learning from elephants. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:353. [PMID: 39107279 PMCID: PMC11303390 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02109-w] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
As species adapt to climatic changes, temperature-dependent functions of p53 in development, metabolism and cancer will adapt as well. Structural analyses of p53 epitopes interacting in response to environmental stressors, such as heat, may uncover physiologically relevant functions of p53 in cell regulation and genomic adaptations. Here we explore the multiple p53 elephant paradigm with an experimentally validated in silico model showing that under heat stress some p53 copies escape negative regulation by the MDM2 E3 ubiquitin ligase. Multiple p53 isoforms have evolved naturally in the elephant thus presenting a unique experimental system to study the scope of p53 functions and the contribution of environmental stressors to DNA damage. We assert that fundamental insights derived from studies of a historically heat-challenged mammal will provide important insights directly relevant to human biology in the light of climate change when 'heat' may introduce novel challenges to our bodies and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Karakostis
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
- Inserm UMRS1131, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, Université Paris 7, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.
| | - Monikaben Padariya
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, ul. Kładki 24, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Aikaterini Thermou
- Inserm UMRS1131, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, Université Paris 7, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France
| | - Robin Fåhraeus
- Inserm UMRS1131, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, Université Paris 7, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France
- Research Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Umesh Kalathiya
- International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science, University of Gdansk, ul. Kładki 24, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Fritz Vollrath
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Save the Elephants Marula Manor, Karen, P.O. Box 54667, Nairobi, Kenya.
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3
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Mortazavi SMJ, Zare O, Ghasemi L, Taghizadeh P, Faghani P, Arshadi M, Mortazavi SAR, Sihver L. A Reexamination of Peto's Paradox: Insights Gained from Human Adaptation to Varied Levels of Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation. J Biomed Phys Eng 2024; 14:309-314. [PMID: 39027707 PMCID: PMC11252545 DOI: 10.31661/jbpe.v0i0.2402-1729] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Humans have generally evolved some adaptations to protect against UV and different levels of background ionizing radiation. Similarly, elephants and whales have evolved adaptations to protect against cancer, such as multiple copies of the tumor suppressor gene p53, due to their large size and long lifespan. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Humans living in regions with high levels of background radiation, e.g. in Ramsar, Iran where exposure rates exceed those on the surface of Mars, seem to have developed some kind of protection against the ionizing radiation. However, humans in general have not developed cancer-fighting adaptations, so they instead rely on medical technologies and interventions. The difference in cancer protection strategies between humans and elephants/whales depends on genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and evolutionary pressures. In this paper, we discuss how the differences in evolutionary adaptations between humans and elephants could explain why elephants have evolved a protective mechanism against cancer, whereas humans have not. Studying elephant adaptations may provide insights into new cancer prevention and treatment strategies for humans, but further research is required to fully understand the evolutionary disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi
- Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Research Center (INIRPRC), Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Omid Zare
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Leyla Ghasemi
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Parmis Taghizadeh
- School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Parsa Faghani
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Maryam Arshadi
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Lembit Sihver
- Department of Physics, East Carolina University, Greenville, USA
- Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Department of Radiation Physics, Technische Universität Wien, Atominstitut, Vienna, Austria
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4
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Karakostis K, Malbert-Colas L, Thermou A, Vojtesek B, Fåhraeus R. The DNA damage sensor ATM kinase interacts with the p53 mRNA and guides the DNA damage response pathway. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:21. [PMID: 38263180 PMCID: PMC10804554 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01933-z] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ATM kinase constitutes a master regulatory hub of DNA damage and activates the p53 response pathway by phosphorylating the MDM2 protein, which develops an affinity for the p53 mRNA secondary structure. Disruption of this interaction prevents the activation of the nascent p53. The link of the MDM2 protein-p53 mRNA interaction with the upstream DNA damage sensor ATM kinase and the role of the p53 mRNA in the DNA damage sensing mechanism, are still highly anticipated. METHODS The proximity ligation assay (PLA) has been extensively used to reveal the sub-cellular localisation of the protein-mRNA and protein-protein interactions. ELISA and co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the interactions in vitro and in cells. RESULTS This study provides a novel mechanism whereby the p53 mRNA interacts with the ATM kinase enzyme and shows that the L22L synonymous mutant, known to alter the secondary structure of the p53 mRNA, prevents the interaction. The relevant mechanistic roles in the DNA Damage Sensing pathway, which is linked to downstream DNA damage response, are explored. Following DNA damage (double-stranded DNA breaks activating ATM), activated MDMX protein competes the ATM-p53 mRNA interaction and prevents the association of the p53 mRNA with NBS1 (MRN complex). These data also reveal the binding domains and the phosphorylation events on ATM that regulate the interaction and the trafficking of the complex to the cytoplasm. CONCLUSION The presented model shows a novel interaction of ATM with the p53 mRNA and describes the link between DNA Damage Sensing with the downstream p53 activation pathways; supporting the rising functional implications of synonymous mutations altering secondary mRNA structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Karakostis
- Inserm UMRS1131, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, Paris Cité Université, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.
- Institut de Biotecnologia I de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain.
| | - Laurence Malbert-Colas
- Inserm UMRS1131, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, Paris Cité Université, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France
| | - Aikaterini Thermou
- Inserm UMRS1131, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, Paris Cité Université, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France
| | - Borek Vojtesek
- Research Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Robin Fåhraeus
- Inserm UMRS1131, Institut de Génétique Moléculaire, Paris Cité Université, Hôpital St. Louis, Paris, France.
- Research Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology (RECAMO), Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, Umeå, 90185, Sweden.
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5
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Gazzellone A, Sangiorgi E. From Churchill to Elephants: The Role of Protective Genes against Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:118. [PMID: 38255007 PMCID: PMC10815068 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010118] [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: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Richard Peto's paradox, first described in 1975 from an epidemiological perspective, established an inverse correlation between the probability of developing cancer in multicellular organisms and the number of cells. Larger animals exhibit fewer tumors compared to smaller ones, though exceptions exist. Mice are more susceptible to cancer than humans, while elephants and whales demonstrate significantly lower cancer prevalence rates than humans. How nature and evolution have addressed the issue of cancer in the animal kingdom remains largely unexplored. In the field of medicine, much attention has been devoted to cancer-predisposing genes, as they offer avenues for intervention, including blocking, downregulating, early diagnosis, and targeted treatment. Predisposing genes also tend to manifest clinically earlier and more aggressively, making them easier to identify. However, despite significant strides in modern medicine, the role of protective genes lags behind. Identifying genes with a mild predisposing effect poses a significant challenge. Consequently, comprehending the protective function conferred by genes becomes even more elusive, and their very existence is subject to questioning. While the role of variable expressivity and penetrance defects of the same variant in a family is well-documented for many hereditary cancer syndromes, attempts to delineate the function of protective/modifier alleles have been restricted to a few instances. In this review, we endeavor to elucidate the role of protective genes observed in the animal kingdom, within certain genetic syndromes that appear to act as cancer-resistant/repressor alleles. Additionally, we explore the role of protective alleles in conditions predisposing to cancer. The ultimate goal is to discern why individuals, like Winston Churchill, managed to live up to 91 years of age, despite engaging in minimal physical activity, consuming large quantities of alcohol daily, and not abstaining from smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eugenio Sangiorgi
- Sezione di Medicina Genomica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy;
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6
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Li X, Wang P, Pan Q, Liu G, Liu W, Omotoso O, Du J, Li Z, Yu Y, Huang Y, Zhu P, Li M, Zhou X. Chromosome-level Asian elephant genome assembly and comparative genomics of long-lived mammals reveal the common substitutions for cancer resistance. Aging Cell 2023; 22:e13917. [PMID: 37395176 PMCID: PMC10497851 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13917] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber), bats (e.g., genus Myotis), and elephants (family Elephantidae) are known as long-lived mammals and are assumed to be excellent cancer antagonists. However, whether there are common genetic changes underpinning cancer resistance in these long-lived species is yet to be fully established. Here, we newly generated a high-quality chromosome-level Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) genome and identified that the expanded gene families in elephants are involved in Ras-associated and base excision repair pathways. Moreover, we performed comparative genomic analyses of 12 mammals and examined genes with signatures of positive selection in elephants, naked mole rat, and greater horseshoe bat. Residues at positively selected sites of CDR2L and ALDH6A1 in these long-lived mammals enhanced the inhibition of tumor cell migration compared to those in short-lived relatives. Overall, our study provides a new genome resource and a preliminary survey of common genetic changes in long-lived mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanjing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Pengcheng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Qi Pan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Gaoming Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
| | - Weiqiang Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Olatunde Omotoso
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Juan Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zihao Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yang Yu
- Division of Life Sciences and MedicineUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiChina
| | - Yun Huang
- Division of Life Sciences and MedicineUniversity of Science and Technology of ChinaHefeiChina
| | - Pingfen Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
| | - Meng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
| | - Xuming Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyBeijingChina
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7
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Vollrath F. Uncoupling elephant TP53 and cancer. Trends Ecol Evol 2023:S0169-5347(23)00135-0. [PMID: 37385845 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.05.011] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Elephant testicles do not descend, with implications for sperm production being hot enough to compromise germline DNA replication/repair. Uniquely, elephants also possess 20 copies of a gene encoding for the p53 protein. Did elephants evolve multiplication of the TP53 gene complex to protect their germline rather than to fight cancer?
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Affiliation(s)
- Fritz Vollrath
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
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8
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Preston AJ, Rogers A, Sharp M, Mitchell G, Toruno C, Barney BB, Donovan LN, Bly J, Kennington R, Payne E, Iovino A, Furukawa G, Robinson R, Shamloo B, Buccilli M, Anders R, Eckstein S, Fedak EA, Wright T, Maley CC, Kiso WK, Schmitt D, Malkin D, Schiffman JD, Abegglen LM. Elephant TP53-RETROGENE 9 induces transcription-independent apoptosis at the mitochondria. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:66. [PMID: 36797268 PMCID: PMC9935553 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01348-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately 20 TP53 retrogenes exist in the African and Asian elephant genomes (Loxodonta Africana, Elephas Maximus) in addition to a conserved TP53 gene that encodes a full-length protein. Elephant TP53-RETROGENE 9 (TP53-R9) encodes a p53 protein (p53-R9) that is truncated in the middle of the canonical DNA binding domain. This C-terminally truncated p53 retrogene protein lacks the nuclear localization signals and oligomerization domain of its full-length counterpart. When expressed in human osteosarcoma cells (U2OS), p53-R9 binds to Tid1, the chaperone protein responsible for mitochondrial translocation of human p53 in response to cellular stress. Tid1 expression is required for p53-R9-induced apoptosis. At the mitochondria, p53-R9 binds to the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family member Bax, which leads to caspase activation, cytochrome c release, and cell death. Our data show, for the first time, that expression of this truncated elephant p53 retrogene protein induces apoptosis in human cancer cells. Understanding the molecular mechanism by which the additional elephant TP53 retrogenes function may provide evolutionary insight that can be utilized for the development of therapeutics to treat human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan J Preston
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Aaron Rogers
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Miranda Sharp
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Gareth Mitchell
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Cristhian Toruno
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Brayden B Barney
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Journey Bly
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ryan Kennington
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Emily Payne
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Anthony Iovino
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Gabriela Furukawa
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew Buccilli
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Rachel Anders
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sarah Eckstein
- Duke Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Fedak
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Mathematics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Tanner Wright
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Carlo C Maley
- Biodesign Institute, School of Life Sciences, and Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Dennis Schmitt
- Department of Animal Science, William H. Darr College of Agriculture, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | - David Malkin
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua D Schiffman
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Peel Therapeutics, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lisa M Abegglen
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Peel Therapeutics, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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9
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Voskarides K, Giannopoulou N. The Role of TP53 in Adaptation and Evolution. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030512. [PMID: 36766853 PMCID: PMC9914165 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The TP53 gene is a major player in cancer formation, and it is considered the most important tumor suppressor gene. The p53 protein acts as a transcription factor, and it is involved in DNA repair, senescence, cell-cycle control, autophagy, and apoptosis. Beyond cancer, there is evidence that TP53 is associated with fertility, aging, and longevity. Additionally, more evidence exists that genetic variants in TP53 are associated with environmental adaptation. Special TP53 amino-acid residues or pathogenic TP53 mutations seem to be adaptive for animals living in hypoxic and cold environments or having been exposed to starvation, respectively. At the somatic level, it has recently been proven that multiple cancer genes, including TP53, are under positive selection in healthy human tissues. It is not clear why these driver mutations do not transform these tissues into cancerous ones. Other studies have shown that elephants have multiple TP53 copies, probably this being the reason for the very low cancer incidence in these large animals. This may explain the famous Peto's paradox. This review discusses in detail the multilevel role of TP53 in adaptation, according to the published evidence. This role is complicated, and it extends from cells to individuals and to populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Voskarides
- Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, 2414 Nicosia, Cyprus
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nicosia, 2414 Nicosia, Cyprus
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +357-22-471-819
| | - Nefeli Giannopoulou
- Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, 2414 Nicosia, Cyprus
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10
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Shabardina V, Charria PR, Saborido GB, Diaz-Mora E, Cuenda A, Ruiz-Trillo I, Sanz-Ezquerro JJ. Evolutionary analysis of p38 stress-activated kinases in unicellular relatives of animals suggests an ancestral function in osmotic stress. Open Biol 2023; 13:220314. [PMID: 36651171 PMCID: PMC9846432 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220314] [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] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
p38 kinases are key elements of the cellular stress response in animals. They mediate the cell response to a multitude of stress stimuli, from osmotic shock to inflammation and oncogenes. However, it is unknown how such diversity of function in stress evolved in this kinase subfamily. Here, we show that the p38 kinase was already present in a common ancestor of animals and fungi. Later, in animals, it diversified into three JNK kinases and four p38 kinases. Moreover, we identified a fifth p38 paralog in fishes and amphibians. Our analysis shows that each p38 paralog has specific amino acid substitutions around the hinge point, a region between the N-terminal and C-terminal protein domains. We showed that this region can be used to distinguish between individual paralogs and predict their specificity. Finally, we showed that the response to hyperosmotic stress in Capsaspora owczarzaki, a close unicellular relative of animals, follows a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation pattern typical of p38 kinases. At the same time, Capsaspora's cells upregulate the expression of GPD1 protein resembling an osmotic stress response in yeasts. Overall, our results show that the ancestral p38 stress pathway originated in the root of opisthokonts, most likely as a cell's reaction to salinity change in the environment. In animals, the pathway became more complex and incorporated more stimuli and downstream targets due to the p38 sequence evolution in the docking and substrate binding sites around the hinge region. This study improves our understanding of p38 evolution and opens new perspectives for p38 research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Shabardina
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona
| | - Pedro Romero Charria
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona
| | - Gonzalo Bercedo Saborido
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona
| | - Ester Diaz-Mora
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Cuenda
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona,Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Institute for Research on Biodiversity, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Jose Sanz-Ezquerro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
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11
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Schraverus H, Larondelle Y, Page MM. Beyond the Lab: What We Can Learn about Cancer from Wild and Domestic Animals. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246177. [PMID: 36551658 PMCID: PMC9776354 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246177] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer research has benefited immensely from the use of animal models. Several genetic tools accessible in rodent models have provided valuable insight into cellular and molecular mechanisms linked to cancer development or metastasis and various lines are available. However, at the same time, it is important to accompany these findings with those from alternative or non-model animals to offer new perspectives into the understanding of tumor development, prevention, and treatment. In this review, we first discuss animals characterized by little or no tumor development. Cancer incidence in small animals, such as the naked mole rat, blind mole rat and bats have been reported as almost negligible and tumor development may be inhibited by increased defense and repair mechanisms, altered cell cycle signaling and reduced rates of cell migration to avoid tumor microenvironments. On the other end of the size spectrum, large animals such as elephants and whales also appear to have low overall cancer rates, possibly due to gene replicates that are involved in apoptosis and therefore can inhibit uncontrolled cell cycle progression. While it is important to determine the mechanisms that lead to cancer protection in these animals, we can also take advantage of other animals that are highly susceptible to cancer, especially those which develop tumors similar to humans, such as carnivores or poultry. The use of such animals does not require the transplantation of malignant cancer cells or use of oncogenic substances as they spontaneously develop tumors of similar presentation and pathophysiology to those found in humans. For example, some tumor suppressor genes are highly conserved between humans and domestic species, and various tumors develop in similar ways or because of a common environment. These animals are therefore of great interest for broadening perspectives and techniques and for gathering information on the tumor mechanisms of certain types of cancer. Here we present a detailed review of alternative and/or non-model vertebrates, that can be used at different levels of cancer research to open new perspectives and fields of action.
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