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Xu T, Li X, Zhao W, Wang X, Jin L, Feng Z, Li H, Zhang M, Tian Y, Hu G, Yue Y, Dai X, Shan C, Zhang W, Zhang C, Zhang Y. SF3B3-regulated mTOR alternative splicing promotes colorectal cancer progression and metastasis. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:126. [PMID: 38671459 PMCID: PMC11047005 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03053-4] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant alternative splicing (AS) is a pervasive event during colorectal cancer (CRC) development. SF3B3 is a splicing factor component of U2 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins which are crucial for early stages of spliceosome assembly. The role of SF3B3 in CRC remains unknown. METHODS SF3B3 expression in human CRCs was analyzed using publicly available CRC datasets, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and western blot. RNA-seq, RNA immunoprecipitation, and lipidomics were performed in SF3B3 knockdown or overexpressing CRC cell lines. CRC cell xenografts, patient-derived xenografts, patient-derived organoids, and orthotopic metastasis mouse models were utilized to determine the in vivo role of SF3B3 in CRC progression and metastasis. RESULTS SF3B3 was upregulated in CRC samples and associated with poor survival. Inhibition of SF3B3 by RNA silencing suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo, characterized by mitochondria injury, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptosis. Mechanistically, silencing of SF3B3 increased mTOR exon-skipped splicing, leading to the suppression of lipogenesis via mTOR-SREBF1-FASN signaling. The combination of SF3B3 shRNAs and mTOR inhibitors showed synergistic antitumor activity in patient-derived CRC organoids and xenografts. Importantly, we identified SF3B3 as a critical regulator of mTOR splicing and autophagy in multiple cancers. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed that SF3B3 promoted CRC progression and metastasis by regulating mTOR alternative splicing and SREBF1-FASN-mediated lipogenesis, providing strong evidence to support SF3B3 as a druggable target for CRC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xichuan Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300382, China
| | - Wennan Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xue Wang
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Leixin Jin
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, 30021, China
| | - Zhiqiang Feng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, 30021, China
| | - Huixiang Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Mingzhe Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yiqing Tian
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ge Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yuan Yue
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300382, China
| | - Xintong Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Changliang Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | | | - Chunze Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, 30021, China.
| | - Youcai Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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Zhang H, Wang Y, Hu Z, Wu Y, Chen N, Zhu Y, Yu Y, Fan H, Wang H. Zygotic Splicing Activation of the Transcriptome is a Crucial Aspect of Maternal-to-Zygotic Transition and Required for the Conversion from Totipotency to Pluripotency. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2308496. [PMID: 38308190 PMCID: PMC11005748 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
During maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) in the embryo, mRNA undergoes complex post-transcriptional regulatory processes. However, it is unclear whether and how alternative splicing plays a functional role in MZT. By analyzing transcriptome changes in mouse and human early embryos, dynamic changes in alternative splicing during MZT are observed and a previously unnoticed process of zygotic splicing activation (ZSA) following embryonic transcriptional activation is described. As the underlying mechanism of RNA splicing, splicing factors undergo dramatic maternal-to-zygotic conversion. This conversion relies on the key maternal factors BTG4 and PABPN1L and is zygotic-transcription-dependent. CDK11-dependent phosphorylation of the key splicing factor, SF3B1, and its aggregation with SRSF2 in the subnuclear domains of 2-cell embryos are prerequisites for ZSA. Isoforms generated by erroneous splicing, such as full-length Dppa4, hinder normal embryonic development. Moreover, alternative splicing regulates the conversion of early embryonic blastomeres from totipotency to pluripotency, thereby affecting embryonic lineage differentiation. ZSA is an essential post-transcriptional process of MZT and has physiological significance in generating new life. In addition to transcriptional activation, appropriate expression of transcript isoforms is also necessary for preimplantation embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhang
- MOA Key Laboratory of Animal VirologyCenter for Veterinary SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Department of Veterinary MedicineCollege of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Yang Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling NetworkLife Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Zhe‐Wei Hu
- MOA Key Laboratory of Animal VirologyCenter for Veterinary SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Yun‐Wen Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling NetworkLife Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Nuo Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling NetworkLife Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Yi‐Min Zhu
- Department of Reproductive EndocrinologyWomen's HospitalSchool of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310002China
| | - Yuan‐Song Yu
- Savaid Stomatology SchoolHangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhou310053China
| | - Heng‐Yu Fan
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling NetworkLife Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Assisted Reproduction UnitDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologySir Run Run Shaw HospitalSchool of MedicineZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310016China
- Center for Biomedical ResearchShaoxing InstituteZhejiang UniversityShaoxing312000China
| | - Hua‐Nan Wang
- MOA Key Laboratory of Animal VirologyCenter for Veterinary SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Department of Veterinary MedicineCollege of Animal SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
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3
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Zhang J, Wei D, Liang J, Sun Z. Overall landscape and prognostic value of the splicing factor 3 complex in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma. Asian J Surg 2023; 46:5573-5574. [PMID: 37591755 DOI: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2023.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116011, China
| | - Dadong Wei
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng, 024050, China
| | - Jiahui Liang
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116011, China.
| | - Zhonghui Sun
- Department of Nursing, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116011, China.
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4
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Masci D, Naro C, Puxeddu M, Urbani A, Sette C, La Regina G, Silvestri R. Recent Advances in Drug Discovery for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment. Molecules 2023; 28:7513. [PMID: 38005235 PMCID: PMC10672974 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227513] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most heterogeneous and aggressive breast cancer subtypes with a high risk of death on recurrence. To date, TNBC is very difficult to treat due to the lack of an effective targeted therapy. However, recent advances in the molecular characterization of TNBC are encouraging the development of novel drugs and therapeutic combinations for its therapeutic management. In the present review, we will provide an overview of the currently available standard therapies and new emerging therapeutic strategies against TNBC, highlighting the promises that newly developed small molecules, repositioned drugs, and combination therapies have of improving treatment efficacy against these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domiziana Masci
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.U.)
| | - Chiara Naro
- Department of Neurosciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.N.); (C.S.)
- GSTeP-Organoids Research Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Puxeddu
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative Clinics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (D.M.); (A.U.)
| | - Claudio Sette
- Department of Neurosciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.N.); (C.S.)
- GSTeP-Organoids Research Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe La Regina
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (G.L.R.)
| | - Romano Silvestri
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia—Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.P.); (G.L.R.)
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5
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Maebele LT, Mulaudzi TV, Yasasve M, Dlamini Z, Damane BP. Immunomodulatory Gene-Splicing Dysregulation in Tumorigenesis: Unmasking the Complexity. Molecules 2023; 28:5984. [PMID: 37630236 PMCID: PMC10458946 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28165984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a global health concern with rising incidence, morbidity, and mortality. The interaction between the tumor and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment is facilitated by signaling pathways driven by immunomodulatory proteins. Alternative splicing regulates the production of multiple immunomodulatory proteins with diverse functionality from a single mRNA transcript. Splicing factors are pivotal in modulating alternative splicing processes but are also subject to regulation. The dysregulation of alternative splicing may result from splicing factor (SF) abnormal expression levels and mutations in the cis and trans-acting elements and small nuclear RNA (snRNA) molecules. Aberrant splicing may generate abnormal mRNA transcripts encoding isoforms with altered functions that contribute to tumorigenesis or cancer progression. This review uncovers the complexity of immunomodulatory genes splicing dysregulation in oncogenesis. Identifying specific immunomodulatory splicing isoforms that contribute to cancer could be utilized to improve current immunotherapeutic drugs or develop novel therapeutic interventions for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thanyani Victor Mulaudzi
- Department of Surgery, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Madhavan Yasasve
- Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai 600116, India
| | - Zodwa Dlamini
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Botle Precious Damane
- Department of Surgery, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
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6
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Araki S, Ohori M, Yugami M. Targeting pre-mRNA splicing in cancers: roles, inhibitors, and therapeutic opportunities. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1152087. [PMID: 37342192 PMCID: PMC10277747 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1152087] [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] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has indicated that pre-mRNA splicing plays critical roles in a variety of physiological processes, including development of multiple diseases. In particular, alternative splicing is profoundly involved in cancer progression through abnormal expression or mutation of splicing factors. Small-molecule splicing modulators have recently attracted considerable attention as a novel class of cancer therapeutics, and several splicing modulators are currently being developed for the treatment of patients with various cancers and are in the clinical trial stage. Novel molecular mechanisms modulating alternative splicing have proven to be effective for treating cancer cells resistant to conventional anticancer drugs. Furthermore, molecular mechanism-based combination strategies and patient stratification strategies for cancer treatment targeting pre-mRNA splicing must be considered for cancer therapy in the future. This review summarizes recent progress in the relationship between druggable splicing-related molecules and cancer, highlights small-molecule splicing modulators, and discusses future perspectives of splicing modulation for personalized and combination therapies in cancer treatment.
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7
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Cao Y. Neural induction drives body axis formation during embryogenesis, but a neural induction-like process drives tumorigenesis in postnatal animals. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1092667. [PMID: 37228646 PMCID: PMC10203556 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1092667] [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] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterization of cancer cells and neural stem cells indicates that tumorigenicity and pluripotency are coupled cell properties determined by neural stemness, and tumorigenesis represents a process of progressive loss of original cell identity and gain of neural stemness. This reminds of a most fundamental process required for the development of the nervous system and body axis during embryogenesis, i.e., embryonic neural induction. Neural induction is that, in response to extracellular signals that are secreted by the Spemann-Mangold organizer in amphibians or the node in mammals and inhibit epidermal fate in ectoderm, the ectodermal cells lose their epidermal fate and assume the neural default fate and consequently, turn into neuroectodermal cells. They further differentiate into the nervous system and also some non-neural cells via interaction with adjacent tissues. Failure in neural induction leads to failure of embryogenesis, and ectopic neural induction due to ectopic organizer or node activity or activation of embryonic neural genes causes a formation of secondary body axis or a conjoined twin. During tumorigenesis, cells progressively lose their original cell identity and gain of neural stemness, and consequently, gain of tumorigenicity and pluripotency, due to various intra-/extracellular insults in cells of a postnatal animal. Tumorigenic cells can be induced to differentiation into normal cells and integrate into normal embryonic development within an embryo. However, they form tumors and cannot integrate into animal tissues/organs in a postnatal animal because of lack of embryonic inducing signals. Combination of studies of developmental and cancer biology indicates that neural induction drives embryogenesis in gastrulating embryos but a similar process drives tumorigenesis in a postnatal animal. Tumorigenicity is by nature the manifestation of aberrant occurrence of pluripotent state in a postnatal animal. Pluripotency and tumorigenicity are both but different manifestations of neural stemness in pre- and postnatal stages of animal life, respectively. Based on these findings, I discuss about some confusion in cancer research, propose to distinguish the causality and associations and discriminate causal and supporting factors involved in tumorigenesis, and suggest revisiting the focus of cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cao
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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8
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Garsetti DE, Sahay K, Wang Y, Rogers MB. Sex and the basal mRNA synthesis machinery. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1765. [PMID: 36195437 PMCID: PMC10070566 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Evolution and change generated an incredible diversity of organisms on this earth. Yet, some processes are so central to life that change is strongly selected against. Synthesis of the eukaryotic messenger RNA is one example. The assemblies that carry out transcription and processing (capping, polyadenylation, and splicing) are so conserved that most genes have recognizable orthologs in yeast and humans. Naturally, most would conclude transcription and processing are identical in both sexes. However, this is an assumption. Men and women vastly differ in their physiologies. The incidence of pathologies, symptom presentation, disease outcome, and therapeutic response in each sex vary enormously. Despite the harm ignorance causes women, biological research has been historically carried out without regard to sex. The male mouse was the default mammal. A cultured cell's sex was considered irrelevant. Attempts to fill this knowledge gap have revealed molecular dissimilarities. For example, the earliest embryonic male and female transcriptomes differ long before fetal sex hormones appear. We used public data to challenge the assumption of sameness by reviewing reports of sex-biased gene expression and gene targeting. We focused on 120 genes encoding nonregulatory proteins involved in mRNA synthesis. Remarkably, genes with recognizable orthologs in yeast and thus LEAST likely to differ, did differ between the sexes. The rapidly growing public databases can be used to compare the expression of any gene in male and female tissues. Appreciating the principles that drive sex differences will enrich our understanding of RNA biology in all humans-men and women. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Development RNA Evolution and Genomics > Computational Analyses of RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane E Garsetti
- Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Khushboo Sahay
- Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yue Wang
- Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Melissa B Rogers
- Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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9
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Corr BR, Moroney MR, Woodruff E, Watson ZL, Jordan KR, Danhorn T, Bailey C, Wolsky RJ, Bitler BG. Combination CDC-like kinase inhibition (CLK)/Dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinase (DYRK) and taxane therapy in CTNNB1-mutated endometrial cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.04.535570. [PMID: 37066339 PMCID: PMC10104048 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.04.535570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
SM08502 (cirtuvivint) is a novel pan CDC-like kinase (CLK) and Dual specificity tyrosine kinase (DYRK) inhibitor that targets mRNA splicing and is optimized for Wnt pathway inhibition. Previous evaluation of single agent CLK/DYRK inhibition (SM04690) demonstrated inhibition of tumor progression and β-catenin/TCF transcriptional activity in CTNNB1-mutant endometrial cancer (EC). In-vitro analysis of SM08502 similarly decreases Wnt transcriptional activity and cellular proliferation while increasing cellular apoptosis. SM08502 is an active single-agent therapy with IC50's in the nanomolar range for all EC cell lines evaluated. Combination of SM08502 with paclitaxel has synergistic effect in vitro, as demonstrated by Combination Index <1, and inhibits tumor progression in four endometrial cancer models (HEC265, Ishikawa, Ishikawa-S33Y, and SNGM). In our in vivo mouse models, Ishikawa demonstrated significantly lower tumor volumes of combination vs SM08502 alone (Repeated Measures one-way ANOVA, p = 0.04), but not vs paclitaxel alone. HEC265, SNGM, and Ishikawa-S33Y tumors all had significantly lower tumor volumes with combination SM08502 and paclitaxel compared to single-agent paclitaxel (Repeated Measures one-way ANOVA, p = 0.01, 0.004, and 0.0008, respectively) or single-agent SM08502 (Repeated Measures one-way ANOVA, p = 0.002, 0.005, and 0.01, respectively) alone. Mechanistically, treatment with SM08502 increases alternative splicing (AS) events compared to treatment with paclitaxel. AS regulation is an important post-transcriptional mechanism associated with the oncogenic process in many cancers, including EC. Results from these studies have led to a Phase I evaluation of this combination in recurrent EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley R Corr
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Marisa R Moroney
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Elizabeth Woodruff
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Zachary L Watson
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Kimberly R Jordan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Thomas Danhorn
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Courtney Bailey
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Rebecca J Wolsky
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Benjamin G Bitler
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Fackenthal JD. Alternative mRNA Splicing and Promising Therapies in Cancer. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13030561. [PMID: 36979496 PMCID: PMC10046298 DOI: 10.3390/biom13030561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. While considerable attention has been given to genetic and epigenetic sources of cancer-specific cellular activities, the role of alternative mRNA splicing has only recently received attention as a major contributor to cancer initiation and progression. The distribution of alternate mRNA splicing variants in cancer cells is different from their non-cancer counterparts, and cancer cells are more sensitive than non-cancer cells to drugs that target components of the splicing regulatory network. While many of the alternatively spliced mRNAs in cancer cells may represent "noise" from splicing dysregulation, certain recurring splicing variants have been shown to contribute to tumor progression. Some pathogenic splicing disruption events result from mutations in cis-acting splicing regulatory sequences in disease-associated genes, while others may result from shifts in balance among naturally occurring alternate splicing variants among mRNAs that participate in cell cycle progression and the regulation of apoptosis. This review provides examples of cancer-related alternate splicing events resulting from each step of mRNA processing and the promising therapies that may be used to address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Fackenthal
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Health, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL 60532, USA
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11
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Staszewski J, Lazarewicz N, Konczak J, Migdal I, Maciaszczyk-Dziubinska E. UPF1-From mRNA Degradation to Human Disorders. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030419. [PMID: 36766761 PMCID: PMC9914065 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Up-frameshift protein 1 (UPF1) plays the role of a vital controller for transcripts, ready to react in the event of an incorrect translation mechanism. It is well known as one of the key elements involved in mRNA decay pathways and participates in transcript and protein quality control in several different aspects. Firstly, UPF1 specifically degrades premature termination codon (PTC)-containing products in a nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD)-coupled manner. Additionally, UPF1 can potentially act as an E3 ligase and degrade target proteins independently from mRNA decay pathways. Thus, UPF1 protects cells against the accumulation of misfolded polypeptides. However, this multitasking protein may still hide many of its functions and abilities. In this article, we summarize important discoveries in the context of UPF1, its involvement in various cellular pathways, as well as its structural importance and mutational changes related to the emergence of various pathologies and disease states. Even though the state of knowledge about this protein has significantly increased over the years, there are still many intriguing aspects that remain unresolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Staszewski
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (J.S.); (E.M.-D.)
| | - Natalia Lazarewicz
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
- Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, CNRS UMR 6290, University of Rennes 1, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Julia Konczak
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Migdal
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Maciaszczyk-Dziubinska
- Department of Genetics and Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, 50-328 Wroclaw, Poland
- Correspondence: (J.S.); (E.M.-D.)
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Hai Y, Kawachi A, He X, Yoshimi A. Pathogenic Roles of RNA-Binding Proteins in Sarcomas. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153812. [PMID: 35954475 PMCID: PMC9367343 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are proteins that physically and functionally bind to RNA to regulate the RNA metabolism such as alternative splicing, polyadenylation, transport, maintenance of stability, localization, and translation. There is accumulating evidence that dysregulated RBPs play an essential role in the pathogenesis of malignant tumors including a variety of types of sarcomas. On the other hand, prognosis of patients with sarcoma, especially with sarcoma in advanced stages, is very poor, and almost no effective standard treatment has been established for most of types of sarcomas so far, highlighting the urgent need for identifying novel therapeutic targets based on the deep understanding of pathogenesis. Therefore, defining the network of interactions between RBPs and disease-related RNA targets will contribute to a better understanding of sarcomagenesis and identification of a novel therapeutic target for sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Hai
- Cancer RNA Research Unit, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
- Department of Physical and Chemical Inspection, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Asuka Kawachi
- Cancer RNA Research Unit, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Xiaodong He
- Department of Physical and Chemical Inspection, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Akihide Yoshimi
- Cancer RNA Research Unit, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-3-3542-2511
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