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Chase DH, Bebenek AM, Nie P, Jaime-Figueroa S, Butrin A, Castro DA, Hines J, Linhares BM, Crews CM. Development of a Small Molecule Downmodulator for the Transcription Factor Brachyury. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316496. [PMID: 38348945 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316496] [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: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Brachyury is an oncogenic transcription factor whose overexpression drives chordoma growth. The downmodulation of brachyury in chordoma cells has demonstrated therapeutic potential, however, as a transcription factor it is classically deemed "undruggable". Given that direct pharmacological intervention against brachyury has proven difficult, attempts at intervention have instead targeted upstream kinases. Recently, afatinib, an FDA-approved kinase inhibitor, has been shown to modulate brachyury levels in multiple chordoma cell lines. Herein, we use afatinib as a lead to undertake a structure-based drug design approach, aided by mass-spectrometry and X-ray crystallography, to develop DHC-156, a small molecule that more selectively binds brachyury and downmodulates it as potently as afatinib. We eliminated kinase-inhibition from this novel scaffold while demonstrating that DHC-156 induces the post-translational downmodulation of brachyury that results in an irreversible impairment of chordoma tumor cell growth. In doing so, we demonstrate the feasibility of direct brachyury modulation, which may further be developed into more potent tool compounds and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davis H Chase
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - Adrian M Bebenek
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - Pengju Nie
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - Saul Jaime-Figueroa
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - Arseniy Butrin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - Danielle A Castro
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - John Hines
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - Brian M Linhares
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
| | - Craig M Crews
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT-06511
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Wu YB, Li SY, Liu JY, Xue JJ, Xu JF, Chen T, Cao TY, Zhou H, Wu TT, Dong CL, Qian WF, Qiao LW, Hou SY, Wang T, Shen C. Long non-coding RNA NRSN2-AS1 promotes ovarian cancer progression through targeting PTK2/β-catenin pathway. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:696. [PMID: 37875515 PMCID: PMC10598275 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06214-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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
As a common malignant tumor among women, ovarian cancer poses a serious threat to their health. This study demonstrates that long non-coding RNA NRSN2-AS1 is over-expressed in ovarian cancer tissues using patient sample and tissue microarrays. In addition, NRSN2-AS1 is shown to promote ovarian cancer cell proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NRSN2-AS1 stabilizes protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2) to activate the β-catenin pathway via repressing MG-53-mediated ubiquitinated degradation of PTK2, thereby facilitating ovarian cancer progression. Rescue experiments verify the function of the NRSN2-AS1/PTK2/β-catenin axis and the effects of MG53 on this axis in ovarian cancer cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the key role of the NRSN2-AS1/PTK2/β-catenin axis for the first time and explores its potential clinical applications in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Bo Wu
- Human Reproductive and Genetic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Shen-Yi Li
- Human Reproductive and Genetic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Department of Obstetrics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
| | - Jin-Yan Liu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
| | - Jia-Jia Xue
- Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital (Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University), Suzhou, 215124, China
| | - Jin-Fu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Gynaecology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
| | - Tian-Yue Cao
- Department of Gynaecology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Human Reproductive and Genetic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Tian-Tian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Chun-Lin Dong
- Human Reproductive and Genetic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Wei-Feng Qian
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China
| | - Long-Wei Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
| | - Shun-Yu Hou
- Department of Gynaecology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
| | - Ting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
| | - Cong Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, 215002, China.
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