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Yang J, Zhang J, Chen J, Yang X, Sun H, Zhao Z, Zhou H, Shen H. Thymidylate synthase promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma growth by relieving oxidative stress through activating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 expression. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290264. [PMID: 37682862 PMCID: PMC10490860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thymidylate synthase (TYMS) is involved in the malignant process of multiple cancers, and has gained much attention as a cancer treatment target. However, the mechanism in carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) is little reported. The present study was to clear the biological roles and carcinogenic mechanism of TYMS in ESCC, and explored the possibility to use TYMS as a tumor marker in diagnosis and a drug target for the treatment of ESCC. METHODS Stably TYMS-overexpression cells established by lentivirus transduction were used for the analysis of cell proliferation. RNA sequencing was performed to explore the possible carcinogenic mechanisms. RESULTS GEPIA databases analysis showed that TYMS expression in esophageal cancer tissues was higher than that in normal tissues. The MTT assay, colony formation assay, and nude mouse subcutaneous tumor model found that the overexpression of TYMS increased cell proliferation. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that the promoted cell proliferation in TYMS-overexpression ESCC cells were mediated through activating genes expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Nrf2 dependent antioxidant enzymes to relieve oxidative stress, which was confirmed by increased glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities, and reduced reactive oxygen species. Nrf2 active inhibitors (ML385) used in TYMS-overexpression cells inhibited the expression of Nrf2-dependent antioxidant enzyme genes, thereby increasing oxidative stress and blocking cell proliferation. CONCLUSION Our study indicated a novel and effective regulatory capacity of TYMS in the cell proliferation of ESCC by relieving oxidative stress through activating expression of Nrf2 and Nrf2-dependent antioxidant enzymes genes. These properties make TYMS and Nrf2 as appealing targets for ESCC clinical chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Yang
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Basic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Jingtian Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Fifth Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Xiaolong Yang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, College of Basic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Hui Sun
- Science & Technology Information and Strategy Research Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Zhenxiang Zhao
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
| | - Hao Shen
- College of Pharmacy, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PR China
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Kariuki MN, Nagato EG, Lankadurai BP, Simpson AJ, Simpson MJ. Analysis of Sub-Lethal Toxicity of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) to Daphnia magna Using ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Metabolomics. Metabolites 2017; 7:metabo7020015. [PMID: 28420092 PMCID: PMC5487986 DOI: 10.3390/metabo7020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics was used to characterize the response of Daphnia magna after sub-lethal exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a commonly found environmental pollutant in freshwater ecosystems. Principal component analysis (PCA) scores plots showed significant separation in the exposed samples relative to the controls. Partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis revealed a strong linear correlation between the overall metabolic response and PFOS exposure concentration. More detailed analysis showed that the toxic mode of action is metabolite-specific with some metabolites exhibiting a non-monotonic response with higher PFOS exposure concentrations. Our study indicates that PFOS exposure disrupts various energy metabolism pathways and also enhances protein degradation. Overall, we identified several metabolites that are sensitive to PFOS exposure and may be used as bioindicators of D. magna health. In addition, this study also highlights the important utility of environmental metabolomic methods when attempting to elucidate acute and sub-lethal pollutant stressors on keystone organisms such as D. magna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha N Kariuki
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C1A4, Canada.
| | - Edward G Nagato
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C1A4, Canada.
| | - Brian P Lankadurai
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C1A4, Canada.
| | - André J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C1A4, Canada.
| | - Myrna J Simpson
- Environmental NMR Centre and Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C1A4, Canada.
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Tumor suppressor RYBP harbors three nuclear localization signals and its cytoplasm-located mutant exerts more potent anti-cancer activities than corresponding wild type. Cell Signal 2016; 29:127-137. [PMID: 27989698 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2016.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Ectopically expressed Ring1 and YY1 binding protein (RYBP) induces tumor cell apoptosis through promoting the formation of the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) in the cytoplasm. However, transiently overexpressed as well as endogenous RYBP in tumor tissues were observed to be mainly located in the nucleus while that in adjacent non-tumor tissues distributed majorly in the cytoplasm. Currently, we do not know the nuclear localization signals and biological function of different subcellular location of RYBP. In this study, we employed bioinformatic analysis, deletion, point mutation, enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) fusion and others, to investigate the elements responsible for RYBP nuclear import and to explore the anti-tumor activities of cytoplasm- and nuclear-located RYBP. Herein, we identified three functional monopartite nuclear localization signals (NLSs), all of which located at the N-terminus of RYBP. Through four basic amino acid replacements within the NLSs, we obtained a cytoplasm-located RYBP mutant (RYBPmut). Compared with wild-type counterpart, RYBPmut exhibited more potent abilities to bind to caspase 8, to prevent MDM2-mediated polyubiquitination and degradation of p53, thereby leading to its stabilization. Further investigation revealed that, in contrast to its wild type, RYBPmut showed more potentials to inhibit tumor cell proliferation and to induce apoptosis, in both p53-dependent and -independent manner. Collectively, our current study revealed the molecular mechanism responsible for RYBP nuclear translocation, and provided evidences to support that RYBPmut could be a more promising candidate agent for cancer treatment.
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Horváth A, Batki J, Henn L, Lukacsovich T, Róna G, Erdélyi M, Vértessy BG. dUTPase expression correlates with cell division potential in Drosophila melanogaster. FEBS J 2015; 282:1998-2013. [PMID: 25735890 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
dUTP pyrophosphatase (dUTPase) is a dNTP-sanitizing enzyme that prevents the appearance of potentially harmful uracil bases in DNA by hydrolyzing cellular dUTP. This function of dUTPase is found to be essential in many organisms including Drosophila melanogaster. Previously, we showed that the expression pattern of dUTPase determines the extent of uracil accumulation in the genome of different tissues. We wished to find the regulatory mechanism that eventually leaves a set of tissues with a uracil-free and intact genome. We found that the expression pattern established by the promoter of Drosophila dUTPase overlaps with mRNA and protein expression, excluding the involvement of other post-transcriptional contributions. This promoter was found to be active in primordial tissues, such as in the imaginal discs of larvae, in the larval brain and in reproductive organs. In the case of brain and imaginal tissues, we observed that the promoter activity depends on a DNA replication-related element motif, the docking site of DNA replication-related element binding factor, which is known as a transcriptional activator of genes involved in replication and proliferation. These results suggest that dUTPase expression is fine-tuned to meet the requirements of DNA synthesis in tissues where the maintenance of genome integrity is of high importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Horváth
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Júlia Batki
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Henn
- Institute of Genetics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamás Lukacsovich
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gergely Róna
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklós Erdélyi
- Institute of Genetics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Beáta G Vértessy
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
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Róna G, Pálinkás HL, Borsos M, Horváth A, Scheer I, Benedek A, Nagy GN, Zagyva I, Vértessy BG. NLS copy-number variation governs efficiency of nuclear import - case study on dUTPases. FEBS J 2014; 281:5463-78. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.13086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Róna
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences; Budapest University of Technology and Economics; Hungary
| | - Hajnalka L. Pálinkás
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
- Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medical Science; University of Szeged; Hungary
| | - Máté Borsos
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
| | - András Horváth
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
| | - Ildikó Scheer
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences; Budapest University of Technology and Economics; Hungary
| | - András Benedek
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences; Budapest University of Technology and Economics; Hungary
| | - Gergely N. Nagy
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences; Budapest University of Technology and Economics; Hungary
| | - Imre Zagyva
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
| | - Beáta G. Vértessy
- Institute of Enzymology; Research Centre for Natural Sciences; Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Budapest Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Sciences; Budapest University of Technology and Economics; Hungary
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Uracil-containing DNA in Drosophila: stability, stage-specific accumulation, and developmental involvement. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002738. [PMID: 22685418 PMCID: PMC3369950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Base-excision repair and control of nucleotide pools safe-guard against permanent uracil accumulation in DNA relying on two key enzymes: uracil–DNA glycosylase and dUTPase. Lack of the major uracil–DNA glycosylase UNG gene from the fruit fly genome and dUTPase from fruit fly larvae prompted the hypotheses that i) uracil may accumulate in Drosophila genomic DNA where it may be well tolerated, and ii) this accumulation may affect development. Here we show that i) Drosophila melanogaster tolerates high levels of uracil in DNA; ii) such DNA is correctly interpreted in cell culture and embryo; and iii) under physiological spatio-temporal control, DNA from fruit fly larvae, pupae, and imago contain greatly elevated levels of uracil (200–2,000 uracil/million bases, quantified using a novel real-time PCR–based assay). Uracil is accumulated in genomic DNA of larval tissues during larval development, whereas DNA from imaginal tissues contains much less uracil. Upon pupation and metamorphosis, uracil content in DNA is significantly decreased. We propose that the observed developmental pattern of uracil–DNA is due to the lack of the key repair enzyme UNG from the Drosophila genome together with down-regulation of dUTPase in larval tissues. In agreement, we show that dUTPase silencing increases the uracil content in DNA of imaginal tissues and induces strong lethality at the early pupal stages, indicating that tolerance of highly uracil-substituted DNA is also stage-specific. Silencing of dUTPase perturbs the physiological pattern of uracil–DNA accumulation in Drosophila and leads to a strongly lethal phenotype in early pupal stages. These findings suggest a novel role of uracil-containing DNA in Drosophila development and metamorphosis and present a novel example for developmental effects of dUTPase silencing in multicellular eukaryotes. Importantly, we also show lack of the UNG gene in all available genomes of other Holometabola insects, indicating a potentially general tolerance and developmental role of uracil–DNA in this evolutionary clade. The usual paradigm confines “normal” DNA of living cells to a well-defined restricted chemical space populated with only four bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine) and some of their methylated derivatives (e.g. 5′-methyl-cytosine). Uracil is not considered to be a “normal” DNA base, except in several bacteriophages. On the contrary, uracil is generally considered to be an error in DNA. We show that Drosophila cells interpret uracil-substituted DNA as normal DNA, due to lack of two repair enzymes. Importantly, this unusual trait is under developmental control and applies only for animals before pupation. Metamorphosis is drastically perturbed by silencing of dUTPase, responsible for keeping uracil out of DNA. Our results argue that in Drosophila, and perhaps in other Holometabola insects as well, uracil–DNA plays a dedicated physiological role.
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Bozóky Z, Róna G, Klement É, Medzihradszky KF, Merényi G, Vértessy BG, Friedrich P. Calpain-catalyzed proteolysis of human dUTPase specifically removes the nuclear localization signal peptide. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19546. [PMID: 21625588 PMCID: PMC3098232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2011] [Accepted: 04/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Calpain proteases drive intracellular signal transduction via specific proteolysis of multiple substrates upon Ca2+-induced activation. Recently, dUTPase, an enzyme essential to maintain genomic integrity, was identified as a physiological calpain substrate in Drosophila cells. Here we investigate the potential structural/functional significance of calpain-activated proteolysis of human dUTPase. Methodology/Principal Findings Limited proteolysis of human dUTPase by mammalian m-calpain was investigated in the presence and absence of cognate ligands of either calpain or dUTPase. Significant proteolysis was observed only in the presence of Ca(II) ions, inducing calpain action. The presence or absence of the dUTP-analogue α,β-imido-dUTP did not show any effect on Ca2+-calpain-induced cleavage of human dUTPase. The catalytic rate constant of dUTPase was unaffected by calpain cleavage. Gel electrophoretic analysis showed that Ca2+-calpain-induced cleavage of human dUTPase resulted in several distinctly observable dUTPase fragments. Mass spectrometric identification of the calpain-cleaved fragments identified three calpain cleavage sites (between residues 4SE5; 7TP8; and 31LS32). The cleavage between the 31LS32 peptide bond specifically removes the flexible N-terminal nuclear localization signal, indispensable for cognate localization. Conclusions/Significance Results argue for a mechanism where Ca2+-calpain may regulate nuclear availability and degradation of dUTPase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Bozóky
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Róna
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Klement
- Proteomics Research Group, Biological Research Centre (BRC), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Katalin F. Medzihradszky
- Proteomics Research Group, Biological Research Centre (BRC), Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Gábor Merényi
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta G. Vértessy
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
- * E-mail: (BGV); (PF)
| | - Peter Friedrich
- Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- * E-mail: (BGV); (PF)
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Bekesi A, Pukancsik M, Haasz P, Felfoldi L, Leveles I, Muha V, Hunyadi-Gulyas E, Erdei A, Medzihradszky KF, Vertessy BG. Association of RNA with the uracil-DNA-degrading factor has major conformational effects and is potentially involved in protein folding. FEBS J 2010; 278:295-315. [PMID: 21134127 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2010.07951.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recently, a novel uracil-DNA-degrading factor protein (UDE) was identified in Drosophila melanogaster, with homologues only in pupating insects. Its unique uracil-DNA-degrading activity and a potential domain organization pattern have been described. UDE seems to be the first representative of a new protein family with unique enzyme activity that has a putative role in insect development. In addition, UDE may also serve as potential tool in molecular biological applications. Owing to lack of homology with other proteins with known structure and/or function, de novo data are required for a detailed characterization of UDE structure and function. Here, experimental evidence is provided that recombinant protein is present in two distinct conformers. One of these contains a significant amount of RNA strongly bound to the protein, influencing its conformation. Detailed biophysical characterization of the two distinct conformational states (termed UDE and RNA-UDE) revealed essential differences. UDE cannot be converted into RNA-UDE by addition of the same RNA, implying putatively joint processes of RNA binding and protein folding in this conformational species. By real-time PCR and sequencing after random cloning, the bound RNA pool was shown to consist of UDE mRNA and the two ribosomal RNAs, also suggesting cotranslational RNA-assisted folding. This finding, on the one hand, might open a way to obtain a conformationally homogeneous UDE preparation, promoting successful crystallization; on the other hand, it might imply a further molecular function of the protein. In fact, RNA-dependent complexation of UDE was also demonstrated in a fruit fly pupal extract, suggesting physiological relevance of RNA binding of this DNA-processing enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Bekesi
- Institute of Enzymology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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