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Ji T, Fu H, Wang L, Chen J, Tian S, Wang G, Wang L, Wang Z. Single-cell RNA profiling reveals classification and characteristics of mononuclear phagocytes in colorectal cancer. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011176. [PMID: 38408082 PMCID: PMC10919852 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011176] [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: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer mortality and a serious health problem worldwide. Mononuclear phagocytes are the main immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of CRC with remarkable plasticity, and current studies show that macrophages are closely related to tumor progression, invasion and dissemination. To understand the immunological function of mononuclear phagocytes comprehensively and deeply, we use single-cell RNA sequencing and classify mononuclear phagocytes in CRC into 6 different subsets, and characterize the heterogeneity of each subset. We find that tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) involved in the differentiation of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory mononuclear phagocytes. Trajectory of circulating monocytes differentiation into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and the dynamic changes at levels of transcription factor (TF) regulons during differentiation were revealed. We also find that C5 subset, characterized by activation of lipid metabolism, is in the terminal state of differentiation, and that the abundance of C5 subset is negatively correlated with CRC patients' prognosis. Our findings advance the understanding of circulating monocytes' differentiation into macrophages, identify a new subset associated with CRC prognosis, and reveal a set of TF regulons regulating mononuclear phagocytes differentiation, which are expected to be potential therapeutic targets for reversing immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Ji
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Multi-disciplinary Translational Research, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Clinical Laboratory and Active Health Smart Equipment, Wuhan, China
| | - Haoyu Fu
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Multi-disciplinary Translational Research, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Clinical Laboratory and Active Health Smart Equipment, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Multi-disciplinary Translational Research, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Clinical Laboratory and Active Health Smart Equipment, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinyun Chen
- Department of Transfusion, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shaobo Tian
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Multi-disciplinary Translational Research, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Clinical Laboratory and Active Health Smart Equipment, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guobin Wang
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Multi-disciplinary Translational Research, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Clinical Laboratory and Active Health Smart Equipment, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Multi-disciplinary Translational Research, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Clinical Laboratory and Active Health Smart Equipment, Wuhan, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine and Multi-disciplinary Translational Research, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center of Clinical Laboratory and Active Health Smart Equipment, Wuhan, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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2
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Patalano SD, Fuxman Bass P, Fuxman Bass JI. Transcription factors in the development and treatment of immune disorders. Transcription 2023:1-23. [PMID: 38100543 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2023.2294623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune function is highly controlled at the transcriptional level by the binding of transcription factors (TFs) to promoter and enhancer elements. Several TF families play major roles in immune gene expression, including NF-κB, STAT, IRF, AP-1, NRs, and NFAT, which trigger anti-pathogen responses, promote cell differentiation, and maintain immune system homeostasis. Aberrant expression, activation, or sequence of isoforms and variants of these TFs can result in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well as hematological and solid tumor cancers. For this reason, TFs have become attractive drug targets, even though most were previously deemed "undruggable" due to their lack of small molecule binding pockets and the presence of intrinsically disordered regions. However, several aspects of TF structure and function can be targeted for therapeutic intervention, such as ligand-binding domains, protein-protein interactions between TFs and with cofactors, TF-DNA binding, TF stability, upstream signaling pathways, and TF expression. In this review, we provide an overview of each of the important TF families, how they function in immunity, and some related diseases they are involved in. Additionally, we discuss the ways of targeting TFs with drugs along with recent research developments in these areas and their clinical applications, followed by the advantages and disadvantages of targeting TFs for the treatment of immune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha D Patalano
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paula Fuxman Bass
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan I Fuxman Bass
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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3
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Senapati D, Sharma V, Rath SK, Rai U, Panigrahi N. Functional implications and therapeutic targeting of androgen response elements in prostate cancer. Biochimie 2023; 214:188-198. [PMID: 37460038 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.07.012] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) plays an essential role in the growth and progression of prostate cancer (CaP). Ligand-activated AR inside the nucleus binds to the androgen response element (ARE) of the target genes in dimeric form and recruits transcriptional machinery to facilitate gene transcription. Pharmacological compounds that inhibit the AR action either bind to the ligand binding domain (LBD) or interfere with the interactions of AR with other co-regulatory proteins, slowing the progression of the disease. However, the emergence of resistance to conventional treatment makes clinical management of CaP difficult. Resistance has been associated with activation of androgen/AR axis that restores AR transcriptional activity. Activated AR signaling in resistance cases can be mediated by several mechanisms including AR amplification, gain-of-function AR mutations, androgen receptor variant (ARVs), intracrine androgen production, and overexpression of AR coactivators. Importantly, in castration resistant prostate cancer, ARVs lacking the LBD become constitutively active and promote hormone-independent development, underlining the need to concentrate on the other domain or the AR-DNA interface for the identification of novel actionable targets. In this review, we highlight the plasticity of AR-DNA binding and explain how fine-tuning AR's cooperative interactions with DNA translate into developing an alternative strategy to antagonize AR activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhirodatta Senapati
- GITAM School of Pharmacy, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
| | - Vikas Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Santosh Kumar Rath
- School of Pharmaceuticals and Population Health Informatics, DIT University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Uddipak Rai
- School of Pharmaceuticals and Population Health Informatics, DIT University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Naresh Panigrahi
- GITAM School of Pharmacy, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
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4
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Legrand AJ, Choul-li S, Villeret V, Aumercier M. Poly(ADP-ribose) Polyremase-1 (PARP-1) Inhibition: A Promising Therapeutic Strategy for ETS-Expressing Tumours. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13454. [PMID: 37686260 PMCID: PMC10487777 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
ETS transcription factors are a highly conserved family of proteins involved in the progression of many cancers, such as breast and prostate carcinomas, Ewing's sarcoma, and leukaemias. This significant involvement can be explained by their roles at all stages of carcinogenesis progression. Generally, their expression in tumours is associated with a poor prognosis and an aggressive phenotype. Until now, no efficient therapeutic strategy had emerged to specifically target ETS-expressing tumours. Nevertheless, there is evidence that pharmacological inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), a key DNA repair enzyme, specifically sensitises ETS-expressing cancer cells to DNA damage and limits tumour progression by leading some of the cancer cells to death. These effects result from a strong interplay between ETS transcription factors and the PARP-1 enzyme. This review summarises the existing knowledge of this molecular interaction and discusses the promising therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud J. Legrand
- CNRS, EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.J.L.); (V.V.)
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE-Risk Factors and Molecular Deter-minants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Souhaila Choul-li
- Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université Chouaib Doukkali, BP-20, El Jadida 24000, Morocco;
| | - Vincent Villeret
- CNRS, EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.J.L.); (V.V.)
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE-Risk Factors and Molecular Deter-minants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Marc Aumercier
- CNRS, EMR9002 Integrative Structural Biology, F-59000 Lille, France; (A.J.L.); (V.V.)
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1167-RID-AGE-Risk Factors and Molecular Deter-minants of Aging-Related Diseases, F-59000 Lille, France
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5
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Bowling GC, Rands MG, Dobi A, Eldhose B. Emerging Developments in ETS-Positive Prostate Cancer Therapy. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:168-178. [PMID: 36511830 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a global health concern, which has a low survival rate in its advanced stages. Even though second-generation androgen receptor-axis inhibitors serve as the mainstay treatment options, utmost of the metastatic cases progress into castration-resistant prostate cancer after their initial treatment response with poor prognostic outcomes. Hence, there is a dire need to develop effective inhibitors that aim the causal oncogenes tangled in the prostate cancer initiation and progression. Molecular-targeted therapy against E-26 transformation-specific (ETS) transcription factors, particularly ETS-related gene, has gained wide attention as a potential treatment strategy. ETS rearrangements with the male hormone responsive transmembrane protease serine 2 promoter defines a significant number of prostate cancer cases and is responsible for cancer initiation and progression. Notably, inhibition of ETS activity has shown to reduce tumorigenesis, thus highlighting its potential as a clinical therapeutic target. In this review, we recapitulate the various targeted drug approaches, including small molecules, peptidomimetics, nucleic acids, and many others, aimed to suppress ETS activity. Several inhibitors have demonstrated ERG antagonist activity in prostate cancer, but further investigations into their molecular mechanisms and impacts on nontumor ETS-containing tissues is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gartrell C Bowling
- School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Center for Prostate Disease Research, Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mitchell G Rands
- School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Albert Dobi
- Center for Prostate Disease Research, Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Binil Eldhose
- Center for Prostate Disease Research, Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.,Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland
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6
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Gupta N, Song H, Wu W, Ponce RK, Lin YK, Kim JW, Small EJ, Feng FY, Huang FW, Okimoto RA. The CIC-ERF co-deletion underlies fusion-independent activation of ETS family member, ETV1, to drive prostate cancer progression. eLife 2022; 11:e77072. [PMID: 36383412 PMCID: PMC9668335 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human prostate cancer can result from chromosomal rearrangements that lead to aberrant ETS gene expression. The mechanisms that lead to fusion-independent ETS factor upregulation and prostate oncogenesis remain relatively unknown. Here, we show that two neighboring transcription factors, Capicua (CIC) and ETS2 repressor factor (ERF), which are co-deleted in human prostate tumors can drive prostate oncogenesis. Concurrent CIC and ERF loss commonly occur through focal genomic deletions at chromosome 19q13.2. Mechanistically, CIC and ERF co-bind the proximal regulatory element and mutually repress the ETS transcription factor, ETV1. Targeting ETV1 in CIC and ERF-deficient prostate cancer limits tumor growth. Thus, we have uncovered a fusion-independent mode of ETS transcriptional activation defined by concurrent loss of CIC and ERF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehal Gupta
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Hanbing Song
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Rovingaile K Ponce
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Yone K Lin
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Ji Won Kim
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Eric J Small
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Felix Y Feng
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Franklin W Huang
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Ross A Okimoto
- Department of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of CaliforniaSan FranciscoUnited States
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7
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Du L, Liu Y, Li C, Deng J, Sang Y. The interaction between ETS transcription factor family members and microRNAs: A novel approach to cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 150:113069. [PMID: 35658214 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113069] [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: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In cancer biology, ETS transcription factors promote tumorigenesis by mediating transcriptional regulation of numerous genes via the conserved ETS DNA-binding domain. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as posttranscriptional regulators to regulate various tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressing factors. Interactions between ETS factors and miRNAs regulate complex tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing networks. This review discusses the progress of ETS factors and miRNAs in cancer research in detail. We focused on characterizing the interaction of the miRNA/ETS axis with competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and its regulation in posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Finally, we explore the prospect of ETS factors and miRNAs in therapeutic intervention. Generally, interactions between ETS factors and miRNAs provide fresh perspectives into tumorigenesis and development and novel therapeutic approaches for malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Du
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Department of Center Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University & The First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang 330008, China
| | - Yuchen Liu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Department of Center Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University & The First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang 330008, China; Stomatology College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Chenxi Li
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Department of Center Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University & The First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang 330008, China
| | - Jinkuang Deng
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Department of Center Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University & The First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang 330008, China
| | - Yi Sang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, Department of Center Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University & The First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang 330008, China.
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8
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Qian C, Li D, Chen Y. ETS factors in prostate cancer. Cancer Lett 2022; 530:181-189. [PMID: 35033589 PMCID: PMC8832285 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ETS family of proteins consists of 28 transcription factors, many of which play critical roles in both normal tissue development and homeostasis and have been implicated in development and progression of a variety of cancers. In prostate cancer, gene fusion and overexpression of ETS factors ERG, FLI1, ETV1, ETV4 and ETV5 have been found in half of prostate cancer patients in Caucasian men and define the largest genetic subtype of prostate cancer. This review summarizes the data on the discovery, modeling, molecular taxonomy, lineage plasticity and therapeutic targeting of ETS family members in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Qian
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Li
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, 10065, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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9
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Zhang L, Fu R, Liu P, Wang L, Liang W, Zou H, Jia W, Tao L. Biological and prognostic value of ETV5 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. J Ovarian Res 2021; 14:149. [PMID: 34736492 PMCID: PMC8570011 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-021-00899-6] [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: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background ETS transcription factors are known to act as either positive or negative regulators of the expression of genes involved in various biological processes. It was reported that ETS variant transcription factor 5 (ETV5), a key member of the ETS family, mainly plays a role as an potential oncogene in various malignant tumors. However, the role and mechanism of ETV5 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) have not been elucidated. Methods Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was used to detect ETV5 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in 87 HGSOC tissues and 35 normal fallopian tube tissues. Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of ETV5 in six ovarian cancer (OC) and human embryonic cell lines. Knockdown or overexpression of ETV5 in HGSOC cell lines, Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, and transwell assays were used to detect HGSOC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration capabilities. The chi-square test was used to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of HGSOC patients. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to analyze the correlation between ETV5 expression and HGSOC patient prognosis. Univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox regression model were conducted to determine the independent significance of relevant clinical covariates. Results Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that ETV5 expression was significantly upregulated in OC (p < 0.05). qRT-PCR showed that ETV5 was significantly overexpressed in HGSOC tissues than in fallopian tube tissues (p < 0.05). qRT-PCR and western blotting assays demonstrated that ETV5 was relatively highly expressed in OC cell lines. ETV5 overexpression was positively associated with poor survival in HGSOC patients, therefore making it a high-risk factor for HGSOC progression. Furthermore, ETV5 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion capabilities of HGSOC cells. Conclusion ETV5 has a carcinogenic effect in HGSOC and can be used as a clinically effective biomarker to determine the prognosis of HGSOC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13048-021-00899-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases/The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832003, China.,Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital, Shenzhen, 518033, China
| | - Ruiting Fu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Pathology, NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases/The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832003, China
| | - Lijun Wang
- Department of Pathology, NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases/The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832003, China
| | - Weihua Liang
- Department of Pathology, NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases/The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832003, China
| | - Hong Zou
- Department of Pathology, NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases/The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832003, China
| | - Wei Jia
- Department of Pathology, NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases/The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832003, China.
| | - Lin Tao
- Department of Pathology, NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases/The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, 832003, China.
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10
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Henley MJ, Koehler AN. Advances in targeting 'undruggable' transcription factors with small molecules. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:669-688. [PMID: 34006959 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00199-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) represent key biological players in diseases including cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, outside nuclear receptors, TFs have traditionally been considered 'undruggable' by small-molecule ligands due to significant structural disorder and lack of defined small-molecule binding pockets. Renewed interest in the field has been ignited by significant progress in chemical biology approaches to ligand discovery and optimization, especially the advent of targeted protein degradation approaches, along with increasing appreciation of the critical role a limited number of collaborators play in the regulation of key TF effector genes. Here, we review current understanding of TF-mediated gene regulation, discuss successful targeting strategies and highlight ongoing challenges and emerging approaches to address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Henley
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Angela N Koehler
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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11
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Zhang T, Liu D, Wang Y, Sun M, Xia L. The E-Twenty-Six Family in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Moving into the Spotlight. Front Oncol 2021; 10:620352. [PMID: 33585247 PMCID: PMC7873604 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.620352] [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: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although therapeutic strategies have recently advanced, tumor metastasis and drug resistance continue to pose challenges in the treatment of HCC. Therefore, new molecular targets are needed to develop novel therapeutic strategies for this cancer. E-twenty-six (ETS) transcription family has been implicated in human malignancies pathogenesis and progression, including leukemia, Ewing sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Recently, increasing studies have expanded its great potential as functional players in other cancers, including HCC. This review focuses primarily on the key functions and molecular mechanisms of ETS factors in HCC. Elucidating these molecular details may provide novel potential therapeutic strategies for cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Limin Xia
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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12
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Qu H, Zhao H, Zhang X, Liu Y, Li F, Sun L, Song Z. Integrated Analysis of the ETS Family in Melanoma Reveals a Regulatory Role of ETV7 in the Immune Microenvironment. Front Immunol 2020; 11:612784. [PMID: 33424867 PMCID: PMC7786291 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.612784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ETS family modulates immune response and drug efficiency to targeted therapies, but their role in melanoma is largely unclear. In this study, the ETS family was systematically analyzed in multiple public data sets. Bioinformatics tools were used to characterize the function of ETV7 in melanoma. A prognostic model was constructed using the LASSO Cox regression method. We found that ETV7 was the only differentially expressed gene with significant prognostic relevance in melanoma. Enrichment analysis of seven independent data sets indicated ETV7 participation in various immune-related pathways. ETV7 particularly showed a strong positive correlation with CD8+ T cell infiltration. The prognostic model based on ETV7 and its hub genes showed a relatively good predictive value in training and testing data sets. Thus, ETV7 can potentially regulate the immune microenvironment in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Qu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Pathology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, China
| | - Liyan Sun
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zewen Song
- Department of Oncology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
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13
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Richters A, Doyle SK, Freeman DB, Lee C, Leifer BS, Jagannathan S, Kabinger F, Koren JV, Struntz NB, Urgiles J, Stagg RA, Curtin BH, Chatterjee D, Mathea S, Mikochik PJ, Hopkins TD, Gao H, Branch JR, Xin H, Westover L, Bignan GC, Rupnow BA, Karlin KL, Olson CM, Westbrook TF, Vacca J, Wilfong CM, Trotter BW, Saffran DC, Bischofberger N, Knapp S, Russo JW, Hickson I, Bischoff JR, Gottardis MM, Balk SP, Lin CY, Pop MS, Koehler AN. Modulating Androgen Receptor-Driven Transcription in Prostate Cancer with Selective CDK9 Inhibitors. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 28:134-147.e14. [PMID: 33086052 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPCs) lose sensitivity to androgen-deprivation therapies but frequently remain dependent on oncogenic transcription driven by the androgen receptor (AR) and its splice variants. To discover modulators of AR-variant activity, we used a lysate-based small-molecule microarray assay and identified KI-ARv-03 as an AR-variant complex binder that reduces AR-driven transcription and proliferation in prostate cancer cells. We deduced KI-ARv-03 to be a potent, selective inhibitor of CDK9, an important cofactor for AR, MYC, and other oncogenic transcription factors. Further optimization resulted in KB-0742, an orally bioavailable, selective CDK9 inhibitor with potent anti-tumor activity in CRPC models. In 22Rv1 cells, KB-0742 rapidly downregulates nascent transcription, preferentially depleting short half-life transcripts and AR-driven oncogenic programs. In vivo, oral administration of KB-0742 significantly reduced tumor growth in CRPC, supporting CDK9 inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy to target AR dependence in CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Richters
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Shelby K Doyle
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Becky S Leifer
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sajjeev Jagannathan
- Therapeutic Innovation Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Florian Kabinger
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jošt Vrabič Koren
- Therapeutic Innovation Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nicholas B Struntz
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Julie Urgiles
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ryan A Stagg
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Brice H Curtin
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Deep Chatterjee
- Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Hua Gao
- Kronos Bio, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Hong Xin
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Lori Westover
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, USA
| | | | - Brent A Rupnow
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Kristen L Karlin
- Therapeutic Innovation Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Calla M Olson
- Therapeutic Innovation Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Thomas F Westbrook
- Therapeutic Innovation Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Stefan Knapp
- Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Joshua W Russo
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ian Hickson
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, USA; Cancer Research UK Newcastle Drug Discovery Unit, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | | | | | - Steven P Balk
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Charles Y Lin
- Kronos Bio, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Therapeutic Innovation Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Angela N Koehler
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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14
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Qi T, Qu Q, Li G, Wang J, Zhu H, Yang Z, Sun Y, Lu Q, Qu J. Function and regulation of the PEA3 subfamily of ETS transcription factors in cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:3083-3105. [PMID: 33163259 PMCID: PMC7642666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The PEA3 subfamily is a subgroup of the E26 transformation-specific (ETS) family. Its members, ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5, have been found to be overexpressed in multiple cancers. The deregulation of ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5 induces cell growth, invasion, and migration in various tumor cells, leading to tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therefore, exploring drugs or therapeutic targets that target the PEA3 subfamily may contribute to the clinical treatment of tumor patients. In this review, we introduce the structures and functions of the PEA3 subfamily members, systematically review their main roles in various tumor cells, analyze their prognostic and diagnostic value, and, finally, introduce several molecular targets and therapeutic drugs targeting ETV1, ETV4, and ETV5. We conclude that targeting a series of upstream regulators and downstream target genes of the PEA3 subfamily may be an effective strategy for the treatment of ETV1/ETV4/ETV5-overexpressing tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Qi
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
| | - Qiang Qu
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410007, PR China
| | - Guohua Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
| | - Jiaojiao Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
| | - Haihong Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410007, PR China
| | - Yuesheng Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Clinical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou People’s HospitalWenzhou 325000, PR China
| | - Qiong Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
| | - Jian Qu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Central South UniversityChangsha 410011, PR China
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15
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Capicua in Human Cancer. Trends Cancer 2020; 7:77-86. [PMID: 32978089 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2020.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Capicua (CIC) is a highly conserved transcriptional repressor that is differentially regulated through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling or genetic alteration across human cancer. CIC contributes to tumor progression and metastasis through direct transcriptional control of effector target genes. Recent findings indicate that CIC dysregulation is mechanistically linked and restricted to specific cancer subtypes, yet convergence on key downstream transcriptional nodes are critical for CIC-regulated oncogenesis across these cancers. In this review, we focus on how differential regulation of CIC through functional and genetic mechanisms contributes to subtype-specific cancer phenotypes and we propose new therapeutic strategies to effectively target CIC-altered cancers.
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16
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Bordignon P, Bottoni G, Xu X, Popescu AS, Truan Z, Guenova E, Kofler L, Jafari P, Ostano P, Röcken M, Neel V, Dotto GP. Dualism of FGF and TGF-β Signaling in Heterogeneous Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Activation with ETV1 as a Critical Determinant. Cell Rep 2020; 28:2358-2372.e6. [PMID: 31461652 PMCID: PMC6718812 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.07.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can result from activation of distinct signaling pathways. We show that in primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling oppositely modulate multiple CAF effector genes. Genetic abrogation or pharmacological inhibition of either pathway results in induction of genes responsive to the other, with the ETV1 transcription factor mediating the FGF effects. Duality of FGF/TGF-β signaling and differential ETV1 expression occur in multiple CAF strains and fibroblasts of desmoplastic versus non-desmoplastic skin squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Functionally, HDFs with opposite TGF-β versus FGF modulation converge on promoting cancer cell proliferation. However, HDFs with increased TGF-β signaling enhance invasive properties and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of SCC cells, whereas HDFs with increased FGF signaling promote macrophage infiltration. The findings point to a duality of FGF versus TGF-β signaling in distinct CAF populations that promote cancer development through modulation of different processes. FGF and TGF-β signaling exert opposite control over multiple CAF effector genes ETV1 transcription factor mediates FGF effects and suppresses those of TGF-β Modulation of either pathway leads to different tumor-promoting CAF populations TGF-β-activated CAFs promote EMT, but FGF-activated CAFs increase inflammation
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Affiliation(s)
- Pino Bordignon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Bottoni
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Xiaoying Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland
| | - Alma S Popescu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland
| | - Zinnia Truan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
| | - Emmanuella Guenova
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8091, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Kofler
- Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Paris Jafari
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA; International Cancer Prevention Institute, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland
| | - Paola Ostano
- Cancer Genomics Laboratory, Edo and Elvo Tempia Valenta Foundation, Biella 13900, Italy
| | - Martin Röcken
- Department of Dermatology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Victor Neel
- Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - G Paolo Dotto
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland; Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA; International Cancer Prevention Institute, Epalinges 1066, Switzerland.
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17
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Nath A, Nair AS. Fingerprint-based similarity search identified p-anisidine as an anticancer agent in HeLa and a prospective phytochemical ETV1 transcription factor inhibitor. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:4973-4980. [PMID: 32580654 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1783364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Overexpression of E26 transformation-specific (ETS) PEA3 subfamily transcription factor (TF) ETV1 is reportedly oncogenic and metastatic in several cancers. Albeit, a few synthetic small molecule inhibitors of ETV1 have been identified to date. In this context, we hereby proposed a phytochemical lead development scheme to gather inhibitor scaffolds for ETV1. A fingerprint-based similarity search was conducted to screen plant compounds structurally similar to known ETV1 perturbagens. At default cutoffs, 20 compounds were retrieved whose pharmacokinetic, docking, and scaffold analysis rendered eight compounds for final evaluation in HeLa cells by MTT assay. CID7732 (p-anisidine) belonging to the subclass aminophenyl ethers was emerged as a promising anticancer agent with an IC50 of 27.769 µg/mL. This is the first natural product-based chemical hunt carried out for ETV1 repressors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambily Nath
- Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Achuthsankar S Nair
- Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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18
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Matjašič A, Zupan A, Boštjančič E, Pižem J, Popović M, Kolenc D. A novel PTPRZ1-ETV1 fusion in gliomas. Brain Pathol 2019; 30:226-234. [PMID: 31381204 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggressive nature of malignant gliomas and their genetic and clinical heterogeneity present a major challenge in their diagnosis and treatment. Development of targeted therapy brought attention on detecting novel gene fusions, since they represent promising therapeutic targets (eg, TRK inhibitors in NTRK fusion-positive tumors). Using targeted next-generation sequencing, we prospectively analyzed 205 primary brain tumors and detected a novel PTPRZ1-ETV1 fusion transcript in 11 of 191 (5.8%) gliomas, including nine glioblastomas, one anaplastic oligodendroglioma and one pilocytic astrocytoma. PTPRZ1-ETV1 fusion was confirmed by RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing, and in-silico analysis predicted a potential driver role. The newly detected fusion consists of the PTPRZ1 promoter in frame with the highly conserved DNA-binding domain of ETV1 transcription factor. The ETV1 and PTPRZ1 genes are known oncogenes, involved in processes of tumor development. ETV1 is a member of the ETS family of transcription factors, already known oncogenic drivers in Ewing sarcoma, prostate cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors, but not in gliomas. Its overexpression contributes to tumor growth and more aggressive tumor behavior. PTPRZ1 is already considered to be a tumor growth promoting oncogene in gliomas. In 8%-16% of gliomas, PTPRZ1 is fused to the MET oncogene, resulting in a PTPRZ1-MET fusion, which is associated with poorer prognosis but is also a positive predictive biomarker for treatment with kinase inhibitors. In view of the oncogenic role that the two fusion partners, PTPRZ1 and ETV1, exhibit in other malignancies, PTPRZ1-ETV1 fusion might present a novel potential therapeutic target in gliomas. Although histopathological examination of PTPRZ1-ETV1 fusion-positive gliomas did not reveal any specific or unique pathological features, and the follow-up period was too short to assess prognostic value of the fusion, careful monitoring of patients and their response to therapy might provide additional insights into the prognostic and predictive value of this novel fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alenka Matjašič
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrej Zupan
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Emanuela Boštjančič
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jože Pižem
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mara Popović
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Danijela Kolenc
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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19
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Lambert M, Alioui M, Jambon S, Depauw S, Van Seuningen I, David-Cordonnier MH. Direct and Indirect Targeting of HOXA9 Transcription Factor in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11060837. [PMID: 31213012 PMCID: PMC6627208 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11060837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
HOXA9 (Homeobox A9) is a homeotic transcription factor known for more than two decades to be associated with leukemia. The expression of HOXA9 homeoprotein is associated with anterior-posterior patterning during embryonic development, and its expression is then abolished in most adult cells, with the exception of hematopoietic progenitor cells. The oncogenic function of HOXA9 was first assessed in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML), particularly in the mixed-phenotype associated lineage leukemia (MPAL) subtype. HOXA9 expression in AML is associated with aggressiveness and a poor prognosis. Since then, HOXA9 has been involved in other hematopoietic malignancies and an increasing number of solid tumors. Despite this, HOXA9 was for a long time not targeted to treat cancer, mainly since, as a transcription factor, it belongs to a class of protein long considered to be an "undruggable" target; however, things have now evolved. The aim of the present review is to focus on the different aspects of HOXA9 targeting that could be achieved through multiple ways: (1) indirectly, through the inhibition of its expression, a strategy acting principally at the epigenetic level; or (2) directly, through the inhibition of its transcription factor function by acting at either the protein/protein interaction or the protein/DNA interaction interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Lambert
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre Aubert Neurosciences and Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France.
- Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Meryem Alioui
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre Aubert Neurosciences and Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France.
- Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Samy Jambon
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre Aubert Neurosciences and Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France.
- Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Sabine Depauw
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre Aubert Neurosciences and Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France.
- Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Isabelle Van Seuningen
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre Aubert Neurosciences and Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Marie-Hélène David-Cordonnier
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR-S1172 - JPArc - Centre de Recherche Jean-Pierre Aubert Neurosciences and Cancer, F-59000 Lille, France.
- Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille, F-59045 Lille, France.
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20
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Capicua regulates neural stem cell proliferation and lineage specification through control of Ets factors. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2000. [PMID: 31043608 PMCID: PMC6494820 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09949-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Capicua (Cic) is a transcriptional repressor mutated in the brain cancer oligodendroglioma. Despite its cancer link, little is known of Cic's function in the brain. We show that nuclear Cic expression is strongest in astrocytes and neurons but weaker in stem cells and oligodendroglial lineage cells. Using a new conditional Cic knockout mouse, we demonstrate that forebrain-specific Cic deletion increases proliferation and self-renewal of neural stem cells. Furthermore, Cic loss biases neural stem cells toward glial lineage selection, expanding the pool of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). These proliferation and lineage effects are dependent on de-repression of Ets transcription factors. In patient-derived oligodendroglioma cells, CIC re-expression or ETV5 blockade decreases lineage bias, proliferation, self-renewal, and tumorigenicity. Our results identify Cic as an important regulator of cell fate in neurodevelopment and oligodendroglioma, and suggest that its loss contributes to oligodendroglioma by promoting proliferation and an OPC-like identity via Ets overactivity.
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21
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Struntz NB, Chen A, Deutzmann A, Wilson RM, Stefan E, Evans HL, Ramirez MA, Liang T, Caballero F, Wildschut MH, Neel DV, Freeman DB, Pop MS, McConkey M, Muller S, Curtin BH, Tseng H, Frombach KR, Butty VL, Levine SS, Feau C, Elmiligy S, Hong JA, Lewis TA, Vetere A, Clemons PA, Malstrom SE, Ebert BL, Lin CY, Felsher DW, Koehler AN. Stabilization of the Max Homodimer with a Small Molecule Attenuates Myc-Driven Transcription. Cell Chem Biol 2019; 26:711-723.e14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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22
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Hsing M, Wang Y, Rennie PS, Cox ME, Cherkasov A. ETS transcription factors as emerging drug targets in cancer. Med Res Rev 2019; 40:413-430. [PMID: 30927317 DOI: 10.1002/med.21575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ETS family of proteins consists of 28 transcription factors, many of which have been implicated in development and progression of a variety of cancers. While one family member, ERG, has been rigorously studied in the context of prostate cancer where it plays a critical role, other ETS factors keep emerging as potential hallmark oncodrivers. In recent years, numerous studies have reported initial discoveries of small molecule inhibitors of ETS proteins and opened novel avenues for ETS-directed cancer therapies. This review summarizes the state of the art data on therapeutic targeting of ETS family members and highlights the corresponding drug discovery strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hsing
- Vancouver Prostate Centre and the Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- Vancouver Prostate Centre and the Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul S Rennie
- Vancouver Prostate Centre and the Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael E Cox
- Vancouver Prostate Centre and the Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Artem Cherkasov
- Vancouver Prostate Centre and the Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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23
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Nicholas TR, Strittmatter BG, Hollenhorst PC. Oncogenic ETS Factors in Prostate Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1210:409-436. [PMID: 31900919 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-32656-2_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is unique among carcinomas in that a fusion gene created by a chromosomal rearrangement is a common driver of the disease. The TMPRSS2/ERG rearrangement drives aberrant expression of the ETS family transcription factor ERG in 50% of prostate tumors. Similar rearrangements promote aberrant expression of the ETS family transcription factors ETV1 and ETV4 in another 10% of cases. Together, these three ETS factors are thought to promote tumorigenesis in the majority of prostate cancers. A goal of precision medicine is to be able to apply targeted therapeutics that are specific to disease subtypes. ETS gene rearrangement positive tumors represent the largest molecular subtype of prostate cancer, but to date there is no treatment specific to this marker. In this chapter we will review the latest findings regarding the molecular mechanisms of ETS factor function in the prostate. These molecular details may provide a path towards new therapeutic targets for this subtype of prostate cancer. Further, we will describe efforts to target the oncogenic functions of ETS family transcription factors directly as well as indirectly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brady G Strittmatter
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Peter C Hollenhorst
- Medical Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN, USA.
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Currie SL, Warner SL, Vankayalapati H, Liu XH, Sharma S, Bearss DJ, Graves BJ. Development of High-Throughput Screening Assays for Inhibitors of ETS Transcription Factors. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2019; 24:77-85. [PMID: 30204534 PMCID: PMC7416497 DOI: 10.1177/2472555218798571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
ETS transcription factors from the ERG and ETV1/4/5 subfamilies are overexpressed in the majority of prostate cancer patients and contribute to disease progression. Here, we have developed two in vitro assays for the interaction of ETS transcription factors with DNA that are amenable to high-throughput screening. Using ETS1 as a model, we applied these assays to screen 110 compounds derived from a high-throughput virtual screen. We found that the use of lower-affinity DNA binding sequences, similar to those that ERG and ETV1 bind to in prostate cells, allowed for higher inhibition from many of these test compounds. Further pilot experiments demonstrated that the in vitro assays are robust for ERG, ETV1, and ETV5, three of the ETS transcription factors that are overexpressed in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon L. Currie
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5550, USA
| | - Stephen L. Warner
- Center for Investigational Therapeutics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5550, USA
- Current Address: Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lehi, UT, 84043-5563, USA
| | - Hariprasad Vankayalapati
- Center for Investigational Therapeutics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5550, USA
| | - Xiao-Hui Liu
- Center for Investigational Therapeutics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5550, USA
| | - Sunil Sharma
- Center for Investigational Therapeutics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5550, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - David J. Bearss
- Center for Investigational Therapeutics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5550, USA
- Current Address: Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lehi, UT, 84043-5563, USA
| | - Barbara J. Graves
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5550, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815-6789, USA
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25
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Leifer BS, Doyle SK, Richters A, Evans HL, Koehler AN. An Array-Based Ligand Discovery Platform for Proteins With Short Half-Lives. Methods Enzymol 2018; 610:191-218. [PMID: 30390799 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2018.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Many promising therapeutic protein targets were previously considered "undruggable" due to a deficit in structural information to guide drug design and/or a lack of an obvious binding pocket. Fortunately, array-based methods for evaluating protein binding against large chemical libraries, such as small-molecule microarray screening, have provided one of several emerging inroads to ligand discovery for these elusive targets. Despite the advance in the area of ligand discovery for poorly structured and intrinsically disordered proteins provided by array-based technologies involving cell lysates, the extension of this technology for screening proteins with short half-lives in physiologically relevant conformations has been technically challenging. In this chapter we present a protocol for leveraging in vitro translation strategies to enable array-based screening of short-lived proteins against large small-molecule libraries for ligand discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Becky S Leifer
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Shelby K Doyle
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - André Richters
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Helen L Evans
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Angela N Koehler
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States; The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.
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Lambert M, Jambon S, Depauw S, David-Cordonnier MH. Targeting Transcription Factors for Cancer Treatment. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23061479. [PMID: 29921764 PMCID: PMC6100431 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23061479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors are involved in a large number of human diseases such as cancers for which they account for about 20% of all oncogenes identified so far. For long time, with the exception of ligand-inducible nuclear receptors, transcription factors were considered as “undruggable” targets. Advances knowledge of these transcription factors, in terms of structure, function (expression, degradation, interaction with co-factors and other proteins) and the dynamics of their mode of binding to DNA has changed this postulate and paved the way for new therapies targeted against transcription factors. Here, we discuss various ways to target transcription factors in cancer models: by modulating their expression or degradation, by blocking protein/protein interactions, by targeting the transcription factor itself to prevent its DNA binding either through a binding pocket or at the DNA-interacting site, some of these inhibitors being currently used or evaluated for cancer treatment. Such different targeting of transcription factors by small molecules is facilitated by modern chemistry developing a wide variety of original molecules designed to specifically abort transcription factor and by an increased knowledge of their pathological implication through the use of new technologies in order to make it possible to improve therapeutic control of transcription factor oncogenic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Lambert
- INSERM UMR-S1172-JPARC (Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center), Lille University and Hospital Center (CHU-Lille), Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille (IRCL), Place de Verdun, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Samy Jambon
- INSERM UMR-S1172-JPARC (Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center), Lille University and Hospital Center (CHU-Lille), Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille (IRCL), Place de Verdun, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Sabine Depauw
- INSERM UMR-S1172-JPARC (Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center), Lille University and Hospital Center (CHU-Lille), Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille (IRCL), Place de Verdun, F-59045 Lille, France.
| | - Marie-Hélène David-Cordonnier
- INSERM UMR-S1172-JPARC (Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Center), Lille University and Hospital Center (CHU-Lille), Institut pour la Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille (IRCL), Place de Verdun, F-59045 Lille, France.
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Tsafou K, Tiwari PB, Forman-Kay JD, Metallo SJ, Toretsky JA. Targeting Intrinsically Disordered Transcription Factors: Changing the Paradigm. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:2321-2341. [PMID: 29655986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Increased understanding of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and protein regions has revolutionized our view of the relationship between protein structure and function. Data now support that IDPs can be functional in the absence of a single, fixed, three-dimensional structure. Due to their dynamic morphology, IDPs have the ability to display a range of kinetics and affinity depending on what the system requires, as well as the potential for large-scale association. Although several studies have shed light on the functional properties of IDPs, the class of intrinsically disordered transcription factors (TFs) is still poorly characterized biophysically due to their combination of ordered and disordered sequences. In addition, TF modulation by small molecules has long been considered a difficult or even impossible task, limiting functional probe development. However, with evolving technology, it is becoming possible to characterize TF structure-function relationships in unprecedented detail and explore avenues not available or not considered in the past. Here we provide an introduction to the biophysical properties of intrinsically disordered TFs and we discuss recent computational and experimental efforts toward understanding the role of intrinsically disordered TFs in biology and disease. We describe a series of successful TF targeting strategies that have overcome the perception of the "undruggability" of TFs, providing new leads on drug development methodologies. Lastly, we discuss future challenges and opportunities to enhance our understanding of the structure-function relationship of intrinsically disordered TFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Tsafou
- Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - P B Tiwari
- Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - J D Forman-Kay
- Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - S J Metallo
- Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - J A Toretsky
- Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
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Kollareddy M, Sherrard A, Park JH, Szemes M, Gallacher K, Melegh Z, Oltean S, Michaelis M, Cinatl J, Kaidi A, Malik K. The small molecule inhibitor YK-4-279 disrupts mitotic progression of neuroblastoma cells, overcomes drug resistance and synergizes with inhibitors of mitosis. Cancer Lett 2017; 403:74-85. [PMID: 28602975 PMCID: PMC5542135 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a biologically and clinically heterogeneous pediatric malignancy that includes a high-risk subset for which new therapeutic agents are urgently required. As well as MYCN amplification, activating point mutations of ALK and NRAS are associated with high-risk and relapsing neuroblastoma. As both ALK and RAS signal through the MEK/ERK pathway, we sought to evaluate two previously reported inhibitors of ETS-related transcription factors, which are transcriptional mediators of the Ras-MEK/ERK pathway in other cancers. Here we show that YK-4-279 suppressed growth and triggered apoptosis in nine neuroblastoma cell lines, while BRD32048, another ETV1 inhibitor, was ineffective. These results suggest that YK-4-279 acts independently of ETS-related transcription factors. Further analysis reveals that YK-4-279 induces mitotic arrest in prometaphase, resulting in subsequent cell death. Mechanistically, we show that YK-4-279 inhibits the formation of kinetochore microtubules, with treated cells showing a broad range of abnormalities including multipolar, fragmented and unseparated spindles, together leading to disrupted progression through mitosis. Notably, YK-4-279 does not affect microtubule acetylation, unlike the conventional mitotic poisons paclitaxel and vincristine. Consistent with this, we demonstrate that YK-4-279 overcomes vincristine-induced resistance in two neuroblastoma cell-line models. Furthermore, combinations of YK-4-279 with vincristine, paclitaxel or the Aurora kinase A inhibitor MLN8237/Alisertib show strong synergy, particularly at low doses. Thus, YK-4-279 could potentially be used as a single-agent or in combination therapies for the treatment of high-risk and relapsing neuroblastoma, as well as other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhu Kollareddy
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Alice Sherrard
- Nuclear Dynamics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ji Hyun Park
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marianna Szemes
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kelli Gallacher
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zsombor Melegh
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sebastian Oltean
- School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Martin Michaelis
- Centre for Molecular Processing and School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Jindrich Cinatl
- Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Abderrahmane Kaidi
- Nuclear Dynamics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Karim Malik
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Currie SL, Lau DKW, Doane JJ, Whitby FG, Okon M, McIntosh LP, Graves BJ. Structured and disordered regions cooperatively mediate DNA-binding autoinhibition of ETS factors ETV1, ETV4 and ETV5. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:2223-2241. [PMID: 28161714 PMCID: PMC5389675 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoinhibition enables spatial and temporal regulation of cellular processes by coupling protein activity to surrounding conditions, often via protein partnerships or signaling pathways. We report the molecular basis of DNA-binding autoinhibition of ETS transcription factors ETV1, ETV4 and ETV5, which are often overexpressed in prostate cancer. Inhibitory elements that cooperate to repress DNA binding were identified in regions N- and C-terminal of the ETS domain. Crystal structures of these three factors revealed an α-helix in the C-terminal inhibitory domain that packs against the ETS domain and perturbs the conformation of its DNA-recognition helix. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that the N-terminal inhibitory domain (NID) is intrinsically disordered, yet utilizes transient intramolecular interactions with the DNA-recognition helix of the ETS domain to mediate autoinhibition. Acetylation of selected lysines within the NID activates DNA binding. This investigation revealed a distinctive mechanism for DNA-binding autoinhibition in the ETV1/4/5 subfamily involving a network of intramolecular interactions not present in other ETS factors. These distinguishing inhibitory elements provide a platform through which cellular triggers, such as protein–protein interactions or post-translational modifications, may specifically regulate the function of these oncogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon L Currie
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5550, USA.,Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5550, USA
| | - Desmond K W Lau
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, and Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jedediah J Doane
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5550, USA.,Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5550, USA
| | - Frank G Whitby
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5650, USA
| | - Mark Okon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, and Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Lawrence P McIntosh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, and Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Barbara J Graves
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5550, USA.,Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5550, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-6789, USA
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30
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Sizemore GM, Pitarresi JR, Balakrishnan S, Ostrowski MC. The ETS family of oncogenic transcription factors in solid tumours. Nat Rev Cancer 2017; 17:337-351. [PMID: 28450705 DOI: 10.1038/nrc.2017.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Findings over the past decade have identified aberrant activation of the ETS transcription factor family throughout all stages of tumorigenesis. Specifically in solid tumours, gene rearrangement and amplification, feed-forward growth factor signalling loops, formation of gain-of-function co-regulatory complexes and novel cis-acting mutations in ETS target gene promoters can result in increased ETS activity. In turn, pro-oncogenic ETS signalling enhances tumorigenesis through a broad mechanistic toolbox that includes lineage specification and self-renewal, DNA damage and genome instability, epigenetics and metabolism. This Review discusses these different mechanisms of ETS activation and subsequent oncogenic implications, as well as the clinical utility of ETS factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina M Sizemore
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, 598 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Jason R Pitarresi
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, 598 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Subhasree Balakrishnan
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, 598 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Michael C Ostrowski
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University, 598 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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Abstract
Speed and throughput are vital ingredients for discovery driven, "-omics" research. The small molecule microarray (SMM) succeeds at delivering phenomenal screening throughput and versatility. The concept at the heart of the technology is elegant, yet simple: by presenting large collections of molecules in high density on a flat surface, one is able to interrogate all possible interactions with desired targets, in just a single step. SMMs have become established as the choice platform for screening, lead discovery, and molecular characterization. This introduction describes the principles governing microarray construction and use, focusing on practical challenges faced when conducting SMM experiments. It will explain the key design considerations and lay the foundation for the chapters that follow. (An earlier version of this chapter appeared in Small Molecule Microarrays: Methods and Protocols, published in 2010.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Uttamchandani
- Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, DMERI, DSO National Laboratories, #09-01, 27 Medical Drive, Singapore, Singapore, 117510. .,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore, 117543.
| | - Shao Q Yao
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore, Singapore, 117543.
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Heeg S, Das KK, Reichert M, Bakir B, Takano S, Caspers J, Aiello NM, Wu K, Neesse A, Maitra A, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA, Hicks P, Rustgi AK. ETS-Transcription Factor ETV1 Regulates Stromal Expansion and Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer. Gastroenterology 2016; 151:540-553.e14. [PMID: 27318148 PMCID: PMC5002361 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The ETS-transcription factor ETV1 is involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition during pancreatic development and is induced in mouse pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We investigated the function of ETV1 in stromal expansion of PDAC and metastasis, as well as its effects on a novel downstream target Sparc, which encodes a matricellular protein found in PDAC stroma that has been associated with invasiveness, metastasis and poor patient outcomes. METHODS Pancreatic ductal cells were isolated from Pdx1Cre;Kras(G12D/+) mice (PanIN), Pdx1Cre;Kras(G12D/+);p53(fl/+) and Pdx1Cre;Kras(G12D/+);p53(fl/+);Rosa26(YFP) mice (PDAC), and Pdx1Cre;Kras(G12D/+);p53(fl/+);Sparc(-/-) mice. Cells were grown in 3-dimensional organoid culture to analyze morphology, proliferation, and invasion. Human PanIN and PDAC tissues were evaluated for ETV1 expression. Orthotopic pancreatic transplants of ETV1-overexpressing PDAC and respective control cells were performed. RESULTS ETV1 expression was significantly increased in human PanINs and, even more so, in primary and metastatic PDAC. Analyses of mouse orthotopic xenografts revealed that ETV1 induced significantly larger primary tumors than controls, with significantly increased stromal expansion, ascites and metastases. In 3-dimensional organoids, ETV1 disrupted cyst architecture, induced EMT, and increased invasive capacity. Furthermore, we identified Sparc as a novel functional gene target of Etv1 by luciferase assays, and SPARC and ETV1 proteins co-localized in vivo. Disruption of Sparc abrogates the phenotype of stromal expansion and metastasis found with ETV1 overexpression in vivo. We identified hyaluronan synthase 2 (Has2) as another novel downstream factor of Etv1; that may mediate ETV1's significant expansion of hyaluronic acid in PDAC stroma. Conversely, disruption of Etv1 in PDAC mice (Pdx1Cre;Kras(G12D/+);p53(fl/+);Rosa26(YFP);Cre;Etv1(fl/fl)) reduced levels of SPARC and hyaluronic acid in the stroma. CONCLUSIONS ETV1 is critical in the desmoplastic stromal expansion and metastatic progression of pancreatic cancer in mice, mediated functionally in part through Sparc and Has2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Heeg
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine II, Medical Center, University of Freiburg; Freiburg, Germany
| | - Koushik K Das
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Maximilian Reichert
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; II. Medizinische Klinik, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Basil Bakir
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shigetsugu Takano
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Julia Caspers
- Department of Medicine II, Medical Center, University of Freiburg; Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nicole M Aiello
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Katherine Wu
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Albrecht Neesse
- Division of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University Medical Centre Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Anirban Maitra
- University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Christine A Iacobuzio-Donahue
- David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Philip Hicks
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anil K Rustgi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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33
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Yang Z, Koehler AN, Wang L. A Novel Small Molecule Activator of Nuclear Receptor SHP Inhibits HCC Cell Migration via Suppressing Ccl2. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 15:2294-2301. [PMID: 27486225 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Small heterodimer partner (SHP, NR0B2) is a nuclear orphan receptor without endogenous ligands. Due to its crucial inhibitory role in liver cancer, it is of importance to identify small molecule agonists of SHP. As such, we initiated a probe discovery effort to identify compounds capable of modulating SHP function. First, we performed binding assays using small molecule microarrays (SMM) and discovered 5-(diethylsulfamoyl)-3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid (DSHN) as a novel activator of SHP. DSHN transcriptionally activated Shp mRNA, but also stabilized the SHP protein by preventing its ubiquitination and degradation. Second, we identified Ccl2 as a new SHP target gene by RNA-seq. We showed that activation of SHP by DSHN repressed Ccl2 expression and secretion by inhibiting p65 activation of CCL2 promoter activity, as demonstrated in vivo in Shp-/- mice and in vitro in HCC cells with SHP overexpression and knockdown. Third, we elucidated a strong inhibitory effect of SHP and DSHN on HCC cell migration and invasion by antagonizing the effect of CCL2. Lastly, by interrogating a publicly available database to retrieve SHP expression profiles from multiple types of human cancers, we established a negative association of SHP expression with human cancer metastasis and patient survival. In summary, the discovery of a novel small molecule activator of SHP provides a therapeutic perspective for future translational and preclinical studies to inhibit HCC metastasis by blocking Ccl2 signaling. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(10); 2294-301. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong Yang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology and The Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut. Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Angela N Koehler
- Department of Biological Engineering, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology and The Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut. Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut. Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Kim TD, Oh S, Lightfoot SA, Shin S, Wren JD, Janknecht R. Upregulation of PSMD10 caused by the JMJD2A histone demethylase. Int J Clin Exp Med 2016; 9:10123-10134. [PMID: 28883898 PMCID: PMC5584593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PSMD10, also known as gankyrin, is associated with the proteasome and has been shown to be an oncoprotein in the liver. Here, we report that PSMD10 expression is stimulated by the histone demethylase JMJD2A/KDM4A and its interaction partner, the ETV1 transcription factor, in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Global analysis of expression patterns revealed that PSMD10 mRNA levels are positively correlated with those of both JMJD2A and ETV1. In human prostate tumors, PSMD10 is highly overexpressed at the protein level and correlates with JMJD2A overexpression; further, PSMD10 expression is enhanced in the prostates of transgenic JMJD2A mice. Moreover, PSMD10 is particularly overexpressed in high Gleason score prostate tumors. Downregulation of PSMD10 in LNCaP prostate cancer cells impaired their growth, indicating that PSMD10 may exert a pro-oncogenic function in the prostate. Lastly, we observed that PSMD10 expression is correlated to YAP1, a component of the Hippo signaling pathway and whose gene promoter is regulated by JMJD2A, and that PSMD10 can cooperate with YAP1 in stimulating LNCaP cell growth. Altogether, these data indicate that PSMD10 is a novel downstream effector of JMJD2A and suggest that inhibition of the JMJD2A histone demethylase by small molecule drugs may be effective to curtail the oncogenic activity of PSMD10 in various PSMD10-overexpressing tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Dong Kim
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Sangphil Oh
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Stan A Lightfoot
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Sook Shin
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jonathan D Wren
- Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Ralf Janknecht
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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Mapp AK, Pricer R, Sturlis S. Targeting transcription is no longer a quixotic quest. Nat Chem Biol 2016; 11:891-4. [PMID: 26575226 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Mapp
- Life Sciences Institute and the Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Rachel Pricer
- Life Sciences Institute and the Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Steven Sturlis
- Life Sciences Institute and the Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Wang HC, Li TY, Chao YJ, Hou YC, Hsueh YS, Hsu KH, Shan YS. KIT Exon 11 Codons 557-558 Deletion Mutation Promotes Liver Metastasis Through the CXCL12/CXCR4 Axis in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 22:3477-87. [PMID: 26936919 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-15-2748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE KIT mutations, the most prevalent genetic event in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), are associated with malignant features and poor prognosis. Aggressive GISTs possess a high propensity to spread to the liver. This study aimed to explore the role of KIT mutations in GIST liver metastasis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN A total of 170 GISTs were used to determine the association between KIT mutations and liver metastasis. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the correlation of KIT mutations with CXCR4 and ETV1 expression. Genetic and pharmacologic methods were used to study the regulation of CXCR4 and ETV1 by KIT mutations. RESULTS Codons 557 and 558 in KIT exon 11 were deletion hot spots in GISTs. KIT exon 11 deletions involving codons 557-558 were highly associated with liver metastasis. Overexpression of mutant KIT with exon 11 codons 557-558 deletion (KIT Δ557-558) increased GIST cell motility and liver metastasis. Mechanistically, overexpression of KIT Δ557-558 in GIST cells increased ETV1 and CXCR4 expression. CXCR4 knockdown counteracted KIT Δ557-558-mediated cell migration. Moreover, KIT Δ557-558-induced CXCR4 expression could be abolished by silencing ETV1. The chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that ETV1 directly bound to the CXCR4 promoter. After ERK inhibitor PD325901 treatment, the upregulation of ETV1 by KIT Δ557-558 was prevented. In addition, KIT exon 11 codons 557-558 deletion enhanced CXCL12-mediated GIST cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS KIT exon 11 557-558 deletion upregulates CXCR4 through increased binding of ETV1 to the CXCR4 promoter in GIST cells, which thus promotes liver metastasis. These findings highlighted the potential therapeutic targets for metastatic GISTs. Clin Cancer Res; 22(14); 3477-87. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Chen Wang
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ying Li
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Jui Chao
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Chin Hou
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Shuo Hsueh
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Hsi Hsu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Department of Surgery, Tainan Hospital, Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Yan-Shen Shan
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
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Doyle SK, Pop MS, Evans HL, Koehler AN. Advances in discovering small molecules to probe protein function in a systems context. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2015; 30:28-36. [PMID: 26615565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2015.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
High throughput screening (HTS) has historically been used for drug discovery almost exclusively by the pharmaceutical industry. Due to a significant decrease in costs associated with establishing a high throughput facility and an exponential interest in discovering probes of development and disease associated biomolecules, HTS core facilities have become an integral part of most academic and non-profit research institutions over the past decade. This major shift has led to the development of new HTS methodologies extending beyond the capabilities and target classes used in classical drug discovery approaches such as traditional enzymatic activity-based screens. In this brief review we describe some of the most interesting developments in HTS technologies and methods for chemical probe discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby K Doyle
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marius S Pop
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Helen L Evans
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Angela N Koehler
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Shan C, Lin J, Hou JQ, Liu HY, Chen SB, Chen AC, Ou TM, Tan JH, Li D, Gu LQ, Huang ZS. Chemical intervention of the NM23-H2 transcriptional programme on c-MYC via a novel small molecule. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 43:6677-91. [PMID: 26117539 PMCID: PMC4538829 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
c-MYC is an important oncogene that is considered as an effective target for anticancer therapy. Regulation of this gene's transcription is one avenue for c-MYC-targeting drug design. Direct binding to a transcription factor and generating the intervention of a transcriptional programme appears to be an effective way to modulate gene transcription. NM23-H2 is a transcription factor for c-MYC and is proven to be related to the secondary structures in the promoter. Here, we first screened our small-molecule library for NM23-H2 binders and then sifted through the inhibitors that could target and interfere with the interaction process between NM23-H2 and the guanine-rich promoter sequence of c-MYC. As a result, a quinazolone derivative, SYSU-ID-01, showed a significant interference effect towards NM23-H2 binding to the guanine-rich promoter DNA sequence. Further analyses of the compound–protein interaction and the protein–DNA interaction provided insight into the mode of action for SYSU-ID-01. Cellular evaluation results showed that SYSU-ID-01 could abrogate NM23-H2 binding to the c-MYC promoter, resulting in downregulation of c-MYC transcription and dramatically suppressed HeLa cell growth. These findings provide a new way of c-MYC transcriptional control through interfering with NM23-H2 binding to guanine-rich promoter sequences by small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Shan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jing Lin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin-Qiang Hou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hui-Yun Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shuo-Bin Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ai-Chun Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Tian-Miao Ou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jia-Heng Tan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ding Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lian-Quan Gu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhi-Shu Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Pagliarini R, Shao W, Sellers WR. Oncogene addiction: pathways of therapeutic response, resistance, and road maps toward a cure. EMBO Rep 2015; 16:280-96. [PMID: 25680965 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201439949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A key goal of cancer therapeutics is to selectively target the genetic lesions that initiate and maintain cancer cell proliferation and survival. While most cancers harbor multiple oncogenic mutations, a wealth of preclinical and clinical data supports that many cancers are sensitive to inhibition of single oncogenes, a concept referred to as 'oncogene addiction'. Herein, we describe the clinical evidence supporting oncogene addiction and discuss common mechanistic themes emerging from the response and acquired resistance to oncogene-targeted therapies. Finally, we suggest several opportunities toward exploiting oncogene addiction to achieve curative cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Pagliarini
- Department of Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wenlin Shao
- Department of Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - William R Sellers
- Department of Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Monroig PDC, Chen L, Zhang S, Calin GA. Small molecule compounds targeting miRNAs for cancer therapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2015; 81:104-16. [PMID: 25239236 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2014.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 08/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
One of the most fascinating discoveries in molecular oncology has been that cancer represents a disease in which genetic alterations in protein-coding, but also in non-coding genes complement each other. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) transcripts that can regulate gene expression primarily by disrupting messenger RNA (mRNA) translation and/or stability, or alternatively by modulating the transcription of target mRNAs. For the last decade, miRNAs have shown to be pivotal characters of every single one of the cancer hallmarks. Profiling studies have proven the significance of identifying over-expressed miRNAs (oncomiRs) causative of the activation of oncogenic pathways that lead to malignancy. Due to their crucial role in cancer, it has become a challenge to develop efficient miRNA-inhibiting strategies such as antagomiRs, locked nucleic acids or antisense oligonucleotides. However, to this date, the accessible delivery agents and their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties are not ideal. Thus there is an urgent, unmet need to develop miRNA-based inhibitory therapeutics. Herein we present a novel therapeutic strategy that is only at the tip of the iceberg: the use of small molecule inhibitors to target specific miRNAs (SMIRs). Furthermore we describe several high-throughput techniques to screen for SMIRs both in vitro and in silico. Finally we take you through the journey that has led to discovering the handful of SMIRs that have been validated to this date.
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41
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Pop MS, Wassaf D, Koehler AN. Probing small-molecule microarrays with tagged proteins in cell lysates. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 6:209-220. [PMID: 25445177 DOI: 10.1002/9780470559277.ch140101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The technique of small-molecule microarray (SMM) screening is based on the ability of small molecules to bind to various soluble proteins. This type of interaction is easily detected by the presence of a fluorescence signal produced by labeled antibodies that specifically recognize a unique sequence (tag) present on the target protein. The fluorescent signal intensity values are determined based on signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). SMM screening is a high-throughput, unbiased method that can rapidly identify novel direct ligands for various protein targets. This binding-based assay format is generally applicable to most proteins, but it is especially useful for protein targets that do not possess an enzymatic activity. SMMs enable screening a protein in a purified form or in the context of a cellular lysate, likely providing a more physiologically relevant screening environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius S Pop
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dina Wassaf
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Angela N Koehler
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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42
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Suppression of the FOXM1 transcriptional programme via novel small molecule inhibition. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5165. [PMID: 25387393 PMCID: PMC4258842 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor FOXM1 binds to sequence-specific motifs on DNA (C/TAAACA) through its DNA binding domain (DBD), and activates proliferation- and differentiation-associated genes. Aberrant overexpression of FOXM1 is a key feature in oncogenesis and progression of many human cancers. Here — from a high-throughput screen applied to a library of 54,211 small molecules — we identify novel small molecule inhibitors of FOXM1 that block DNA binding. One of the identified compounds: FDI-6 (NCGC00099374) is characterized in depth and is shown to bind directly to FOXM1 protein, to displace FOXM1 from genomic targets in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and induce concomitant transcriptional down-regulation. Global transcript profiling of MCF-7 cells by RNA-seq shows that FDI-6 specifically down regulates FOXM1-activated genes with FOXM1 occupancy confirmed by ChIP-seq. This small molecule mediated effect is selective for FOXM1-controlled genes with no effect on genes regulated by homologous forkhead family factors.
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