1
|
Barabutis N. NEK-mediated barrier regulation. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2024; 86:102313. [PMID: 38909830 DOI: 10.1016/j.pupt.2024.102313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Endothelial dysfunction has been associated with devastating outcomes which can eventually lead to permanent disability and death. Elucidation of the meticulously devised network orchestrating endothelial responses, provides information to develop new therapies towards endothelial-related disorders. NEK kinases - which have been involved in the development of human disease - promote vascular leak; suggesting the possibility that their inhibition may ameliorate medical conditions related to barrier derangement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nektarios Barabutis
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, 71201, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dutt P, Haider N, Mouaaz S, Podmore L, Stambolic V. β-catenin turnover is regulated by Nek10-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2300606121. [PMID: 38683979 PMCID: PMC11087748 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300606121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
β-catenin has influential roles affecting embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and human diseases including cancer. Cellular β-catenin levels are exquisitely controlled by a variety of regulatory mechanisms. In the course of exploring the functions of the Nek10 tyrosine kinase, we observed that deletion of Nek10 in lung adenocarcinoma cells resulted in dramatic stabilization of β-catenin, suggestive of a Nek10 role in the control of β-catenin turnover. Nek10-deficient cells exhibited diminished ability to form tumorspheres in suspension, grow in soft agar, and colonize mouse lung tissue following tail vein injection. Mechanistically, Nek10 associates with the Axin complex, responsible for β-catenin degradation, where it phosphorylates β-catenin at Tyr30, located within the regulatory region governing β-catenin turnover. In the absence of Nek10 phosphorylation, GSK3-mediated phosphorylation of β-catenin, a prerequisite for its turnover, is impaired. This represents a divergent function within the Nek family, whose other members are serine-threonine kinases involved in different elements of the centrosomal cycle, primary cilia function, and DNA damage responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Previn Dutt
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Nasir Haider
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Samar Mouaaz
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lauren Podmore
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Vuk Stambolic
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhou X, Nie H, Wang C, Yu X, Yang X, He X, Ou C. Prognostic value and therapeutic potential of NEK family in stomach adenocarcinoma. J Cancer 2024; 15:3154-3172. [PMID: 38706902 PMCID: PMC11064251 DOI: 10.7150/jca.90197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Never in mitosis gene A-related kinase (NEK) is an 11-membered family of serine/threonine kinases (NEK1-NEK11), which are known to play important roles in the formation and development of cancer. However, few studies have examined the roles of these kinases in the development of stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the relationships between the NEKs family members and STAD. The differential expression of the NEK genes in STAD was validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) databases, and their prognostic and diagnostic values of NEKs in STAD were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier plotter and TCGA data. The effect of NEK expression on immune cell infiltration in STAD was analysed using the TIMER and TISIDB databases. The expression levels of the majority of the NEK family members were consistently upregulated in STAD, whereas that of NEK10 was downregulated. The upregulation of NEK2/3/4/5/6/8 was closely associated with clinicopathological parameters of patients, and the overexpressed levels of these proteins had good diagnostic value for the disease. NEK1/8/9/10/11 expression correlated with poor overall survival and post-progressive survival, whereas a higher NEK1/6/9/11 level implied worse first progressive survival. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses revealed that the NEKs may be related to immunological responses. Additionally, our study confirmed that these kinases correlated with immune cell infiltration and different immune infiltration subtypes in STAD. Our results suggest that NEK9 in particular has the potential to be used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of STAD development and progression and an immune target for treatment of the disease. These findings expand our understanding of the biological functions of the NEK family members in STAD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xunjian Zhou
- Department of Pathology, The First Hospital of Changsha (The Affiliated Changsha Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University), Changsha 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Nie
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Chunrong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoqian Yu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xuejie Yang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoyun He
- Departments of Ultrasound Imaging, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Chunlin Ou
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Flax RG, Rosston P, Rocha C, Anderson B, Capener JL, Durcan TM, Drewry DH, Prinos P, Axtman AD. Illumination of understudied ciliary kinases. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1352781. [PMID: 38523660 PMCID: PMC10958382 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1352781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cilia are cellular signaling hubs. Given that human kinases are central regulators of signaling, it is not surprising that kinases are key players in cilia biology. In fact, many kinases modulate ciliogenesis, which is the generation of cilia, and distinct ciliary pathways. Several of these kinases are understudied with few publications dedicated to the interrogation of their function. Recent efforts to develop chemical probes for members of the cyclin-dependent kinase like (CDKL), never in mitosis gene A (NIMA) related kinase (NEK), and tau tubulin kinase (TTBK) families either have delivered or are working toward delivery of high-quality chemical tools to characterize the roles that specific kinases play in ciliary processes. A better understanding of ciliary kinases may shed light on whether modulation of these targets will slow or halt disease onset or progression. For example, both understudied human kinases and some that are more well-studied play important ciliary roles in neurons and have been implicated in neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and other neurological diseases. Similarly, subsets of human ciliary kinases are associated with cancer and oncological pathways. Finally, a group of genetic disorders characterized by defects in cilia called ciliopathies have associated gene mutations that impact kinase activity and function. This review highlights both progress related to the understanding of ciliary kinases as well as in chemical inhibitor development for a subset of these kinases. We emphasize known roles of ciliary kinases in diseases of the brain and malignancies and focus on a subset of poorly characterized kinases that regulate ciliary biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raymond G. Flax
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Peter Rosston
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Cecilia Rocha
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brian Anderson
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jacob L. Capener
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Thomas M. Durcan
- The Neuro’s Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Panagiotis Prinos
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alison D. Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jeon SB, Jeong PS, Kang HG, Kim MJ, Yun JH, Lim KS, Song BS, Kim SU, Cho SK, Sim BW. NEK2 plays an essential role in porcine embryonic development by maintaining mitotic division and DNA damage response via the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Cell Prolif 2024:e13626. [PMID: 38426218 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that regulates mitosis and plays pivotal roles in cell cycle regulation and DNA damage repair. However, its function in porcine embryonic development is unknown. In this study, we used an NEK2-specific inhibitor, JH295 (JH), to investigate the role of NEK2 in embryonic development and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Inhibition of NEK2 after parthenogenesis activation or in vitro fertilization significantly reduced the rates of cleavage and blastocyst formation, the numbers of trophectoderm and total cells and the cellular survival rate compared with the control condition. NEK2 inhibition delayed cell cycle progression at all stages from interphase to cytokinesis during the first mitotic division; it caused abnormal nuclear morphology in two- and four-cell stage embryos. Additionally, NEK2 inhibition significantly increased DNA damage and apoptosis, and it altered the expression levels of DNA damage repair- and apoptosis-related genes. Intriguingly, NEK2 inhibition downregulated the expression of β-catenin and its downstream target genes. To validate the relationship between Wnt/β-catenin signalling and NEK2 during porcine embryonic development, we cultured porcine embryos in JH-treated medium with or without CHIR99021, a Wnt activator. CHIR99021 co-treatment strongly restored the developmental parameters reduced by NEK2 inhibition to control levels. Our findings suggest that NEK2 plays an essential role in porcine embryonic development by regulating DNA damage repair and normal mitotic division via the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Se-Been Jeon
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Animal Science, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang, Republic of Korea
| | - Pil-Soo Jeong
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Gu Kang
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Ju Kim
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Animal Science, College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hyeon Yun
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Animal BioScience, School of Animal Life Convergence, Hankyong National University, Ansung, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Seob Lim
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong-Seok Song
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Uk Kim
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Functional Genomics, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Keun Cho
- Department of Animal Science, Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute (RICRI), College of Natural Resources & Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Woong Sim
- Futuristic Animal Resource & Research Center (FARRC), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Barabutis N, Akhter MS. Involvement of NEK2 and NEK9 in LPS - induced endothelial barrier dysfunction. Microvasc Res 2024; 152:104651. [PMID: 38176677 PMCID: PMC10872235 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2023.104651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Endothelial hyperpermeability is the hallmark of severe lung injury, including acute respiratory distress syndrome. Despite the fact that Never In Mitosis A (NIMA)-related kinase 2 (NEK2) and NEK9 mediate fundamental cellular processes, our knowledge on their role in barrier function is limited. Herein we show that NEK2 and NEK9 inhibition suppresses LPS-induced paracellular hyperpermeability and myosin light chain 2 activation in endothelial cells. Moreover, the expression levels of both kinases were elevated in inflamed mouse lungs. Based on those findings, we raise the possibility that NEK2 and NEK9 may serve as novel therapeutic targets in lung inflammatory disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nektarios Barabutis
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA 71201, USA.
| | - Mohammad S Akhter
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA 71201, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chen L, Ballout F, Lu H, Hu T, Zhu S, Chen Z, Peng D. Differential Expression of NEK Kinase Family Members in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Barrett's Esophagus. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4821. [PMID: 37835513 PMCID: PMC10571661 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194821] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen rapidly during the past four decades, making it the most common type of esophageal cancer in the USA and Western countries. The NEK (Never in mitosis A (NIMA) related kinase) gene family is a group of serine/threonine kinases with 11 members. Aberrant expression of NEKs has been recently found in a variety of human cancers and plays important roles in tumorigenesis, progression, and drug-resistance. However, the expression of the NEKs in EAC and its precancerous condition (Barrett's esophagus, BE) has not been investigated. In the present study, we first analyzed the TCGA and 9 GEO databases (a total of 10 databases in which 8 contain EAC and 6 contain BE) using bioinformatic approaches for NEKs expression in EAC and BE. We identified that several NEK members, such as NEK2 (7/8), NEK3 (6/8), and NEK6 (6/8), were significantly upregulated in EAC as compared to normal esophagus samples. Alternatively, NEK1 was downregulated in EAC as compared to the normal esophagus. On the contrary, genomic alterations of these NEKs are not frequent in EAC. We validated the above findings using qRT-PCR and the protein expression of NEKs in EAC cell lines using Western blotting and in primary EAC tissues using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Our data suggest that frequent upregulation of NEK2, NEK3, and NEK7 may be important in EAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Farah Ballout
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Heng Lu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Tianling Hu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Shoumin Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zheng Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Dunfa Peng
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Castresana JS, Shahi MH, Sharma A. Editorial: The role of transcription factors, stem cell markers and epigenetics contributing to chemoresistance in brain cancers. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1263469. [PMID: 37727217 PMCID: PMC10505812 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1263469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Javier S. Castresana
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, University of Navarra School of Sciences, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mehdi H. Shahi
- Interdisciplinary Brain Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Ashok Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhu M, Sun Y, Xue H, Wu G, Wang Z, Shi J, Ma J, Gu B, Yan X. NEK6 Promotes the Progression of Osteosarcoma Through Activating STAT3 Signaling Pathway by Down-Regulation of miR-26a-5p. Int J Gen Med 2023; 16:2831-2848. [PMID: 37426517 PMCID: PMC10329465 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s413461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor originating from the skeletal system. There is no effective treatment other than surgery and chemotherapy, which seriously endangers the health of children and adolescents. NEK6 is a novel discovered Serine/Threonine protein kinase that can regulate cell cycle and activate several oncogenic pathways. Methods NEK6 expression in pan-cancer including sarcoma was evaluated using analysis tools of TIMER, UALCNA and GEPIA with TCGA database, and its association with overall survival in patients with sarcoma was also analyzed. TargetScan, tarbase, microT-CDS and Starbase online software were used to predict NEK6-targeted miRNAs, including miR-26a-5p. Tumor tissues from patients with osteosarcoma were collected for NEK6 and miRNA detection using RT-qPCR. NEK6 down-regulated by siRNAs or miR-26a-5p in osteosarcoma cells was detected by RT-qPCR, Western blot and Immunofluorescence staining assays. Effects of NEK6 knockdown on proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells were detected by CCK-8, wound healing, transwell and flow cytometry, respectively. The expressions of STAT3, metastasis and apoptosis-related genes were detected by Western blot. Results High expression of NEK6 and low expression of miR-26a-5p were lowly expressed in osteosarcoma and they were negative correlation. NEK6 has been confirmed as a direct target for miR-26a-5p. In addition, NEK6 down-regulated by siRNAs or miR-26a-5p led to inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and invasion while promoting cell apoptosis. The levels of phosphorylated STAT3 and metastasis genes (MMP-2, MMP-9) were inhibited, while apoptotic gene Bax was promoted and Bcl2 was inhibited by miR-26a-5p upregulation. Conclusion NEK6 can promote osteosarcoma progression via activating STAT3 signaling pathway, which is inhibited by miR-26a-5p, suggesting that NEK6 is a potential oncogene and miR-26a-5p is a suppressor of osteosarcoma. The strategy of inhibiting of NEK6 by miR-26a-5p may be an effective approach for osteosarcoma therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuyu Sun
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huawei Xue
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiye Ma
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Baorong Gu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Nantong Third People’s Hospital, Affiliated Nantong Hospital 3 of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoling Yan
- Department of Chemotherapy, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Joseph BB, Naslavsky N, Binti S, Conquest S, Robison L, Bai G, Homer RO, Grant BD, Caplan S, Fay DS. Conserved NIMA kinases regulate multiple steps of endocytic trafficking. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010741. [PMID: 37099601 PMCID: PMC10166553 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010741] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Human NIMA-related kinases have primarily been studied for their roles in cell cycle progression (NEK1/2/6/7/9), checkpoint-DNA-damage control (NEK1/2/4/5/10/11), and ciliogenesis (NEK1/4/8). We previously showed that Caenorhabditis elegans NEKL-2 (NEK8/9 homolog) and NEKL-3 (NEK6/7 homolog) regulate apical clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) in the worm epidermis and are essential for molting. Here we show that NEKL-2 and NEKL-3 also have distinct roles in controlling endosome function and morphology. Specifically, loss of NEKL-2 led to enlarged early endosomes with long tubular extensions but showed minimal effects on other compartments. In contrast, NEKL-3 depletion caused pronounced defects in early, late, and recycling endosomes. Consistently, NEKL-2 was strongly localized to early endosomes, whereas NEKL-3 was localized to multiple endosomal compartments. Loss of NEKLs also led to variable defects in the recycling of two resident cargoes of the trans-Golgi network (TGN), MIG-14/Wntless and TGN-38/TGN38, which were missorted to lysosomes after NEKL depletion. In addition, defects were observed in the uptake of clathrin-dependent (SMA-6/Type I BMP receptor) and independent cargoes (DAF-4/Type II BMP receptor) from the basolateral surface of epidermal cells after NEKL-2 or NEKL-3 depletion. Complementary studies in human cell lines further showed that siRNA knockdown of the NEKL-3 orthologs NEK6 and NEK7 led to missorting of the mannose 6-phosphate receptor from endosomes. Moreover, in multiple human cell types, depletion of NEK6 or NEK7 disrupted both early and recycling endosomal compartments, including the presence of excess tubulation within recycling endosomes, a defect also observed after NEKL-3 depletion in worms. Thus, NIMA family kinases carry out multiple functions during endocytosis in both worms and humans, consistent with our previous observation that human NEKL-3 orthologs can rescue molting and trafficking defects in C. elegans nekl-3 mutants. Our findings suggest that trafficking defects could underlie some of the proposed roles for NEK kinases in human disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Braveen B. Joseph
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Naava Naslavsky
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Shaonil Binti
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Sylvia Conquest
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Lexi Robison
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Ge Bai
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Rafael O. Homer
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Barth D. Grant
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Steve Caplan
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - David S. Fay
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Panchal NK, Evan Prince S. The NEK family of serine/threonine kinases as a biomarker for cancer. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:17-30. [PMID: 35037094 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-021-00782-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is defined by unrestrained cell proliferation due to impaired protein activity. Cell cycle-related proteins are likely to play a role in human cancers, including proliferation, invasion, and therapeutic resistance. The serine/threonine NEK kinases are the part of Never In Mitosis A Kinases (NIMA) family, which are less explored kinase family involved in the cell cycle, checkpoint regulation, and cilia biology. They comprise of eleven members, namely NEK1, NEK2, NEK3, NEK4, NEK5, NEK6, NEK7, NEK8, NEK9, NEK10, and NEK11, located in different cellular regions. Recent research has shown the role of NEK family in various cancers by perversely expressing. Therefore, this review aimed to provide a systematic account of our understanding of NEK kinases; structural details; and its role in the cell cycle regulation. Furthermore, we have comprehensively reviewed the NEK kinases in terms of their expression and regulation in different cancers. Lastly, we have emphasized on some of the potential NEK inhibitors reported so far.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nagesh Kishan Panchal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632 014, India
| | - Sabina Evan Prince
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, 632 014, India.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
In silico analysis revealed the potential circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulative network of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Comput Biol Med 2023; 152:106315. [PMID: 36495751 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The primary source of death in the world is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, NSCLCs pathophysiology is still not completely understood. The current work sought to study the differential expression of mRNAs involved in NSCLC and their interactions with miRNAs and circRNAs. METHODS We utilized three microarray datasets (GSE21933, GSE27262, and GSE33532) from the GEO NCBI database to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in NSCLC. We employed DAVID Functional annotation tool to investigate the underlying GO biological process, molecular functions, and KEGG pathways involved in NSCLC. We performed the Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, MCODE, and CytoHubba analysis from Cytoscape software to identify the significant DEGs in NSCLC. We utilized miRnet to anticipate and build interaction between miRNAs and mRNAs in NSCLC and ENCORI to predict the miRNA-circRNA relationships and build the ceRNA regulatory network. Finally, we executed the gene expression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to validate the significant DEGs in the ceRNA network utilizing TCGA NSCLC and GEPIA data. RESULTS We revealed a total of 156 overlapped DEGs (47 upregulated and 109 downregulated genes) in NSCLC. The PPI network, MCODE, and CytoHubba analysis revealed 12 hub genes (cdkn3, rrm2, ccnb1, aurka, nuf2, tyms, kif11, hmmr, ccnb2, nek2, anln, and birc5) that are associated with NSCLC. We identified that these 12 genes encode 12 mRNAs that are strongly linked with 8 miRNAs, and further, we revealed that 1 circRNA was associated with this 5 miRNA. We constructed the ceRNAs network that contained 1circRNA-5miRNAs-7mRNAs. The expression of these seven significant genes in LUAD & LUSC (NSCLC) was considerably higher in the TCGA database than in normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival plot reveals that increased expression of these hub genes was related to a poor survival rate in LUAD. CONCLUSION Overall, we developed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulation network to study the probable mechanism of NSCLC.
Collapse
|
13
|
de Castro Ferezin C, Lim Kam Sian TCC, Wu Y, Ma X, Chüeh AC, Huang C, Schittenhelm RB, Kobarg J, Daly RJ. Identification of biological pathways and processes regulated by NEK5 in breast epithelial cells via an integrated proteomic approach. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:197. [PMID: 36550548 PMCID: PMC9773587 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-01006-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific members of the Nima-Related Kinase (NEK) family have been linked to cancer development and progression, and a role for NEK5, one of the least studied members, in breast cancer has recently been proposed. However, while NEK5 is known to regulate centrosome separation and mitotic spindle assembly, NEK5 signalling mechanisms and function in this malignancy require further characterization. To this end, we established a model system featuring overexpression of NEK5 in the immortalized breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A. MCF-10A cells overexpressing NEK5 exhibited an increase in clonogenicity under monolayer conditions and enhanced acinar size and abnormal morphology in 3D Matrigel culture. Interestingly, they also exhibited a marked reduction in Src activation and downstream signalling. To interrogate NEK5 signalling and function in an unbiased manner, we applied a variety of MS-based proteomic approaches. Determination of the NEK5 interactome by Bio-ID identified a variety of protein classes including the kinesins KIF2C and KIF22, the mitochondrial proteins TFAM, TFB2M and MFN2, RhoH effectors and the negative regulator of Src, CSK. Characterization of proteins and phosphosites modulated upon NEK5 overexpression by global MS-based (phospho)proteomic profiling revealed impact on the cell cycle, DNA synthesis and repair, Rho GTPase signalling, the microtubule cytoskeleton and hemidesmosome assembly. Overall, the study indicates that NEK5 impacts diverse pathways and processes in breast epithelial cells, and likely plays a multifaceted role in breast cancer development and progression. Video Abstract.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Castro Ferezin
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Terry C. C. Lim Kam Sian
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Yunjian Wu
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Xiuquan Ma
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Anderly C. Chüeh
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Cheng Huang
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Ralf B. Schittenhelm
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roger J. Daly
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Panda DK, Bai X, Zhang Y, Stylianesis NA, Koromilas AE, Lipman ML, Karaplis AC. SCF-SKP2 E3 ubiquitin ligase links mTORC1/ER stress/ISR with YAP activation in murine renal cystogenesis. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:153943. [PMID: 36326820 PMCID: PMC9754004 DOI: 10.1172/jci153943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway nuclear effector Yes-associated protein (YAP) potentiates the progression of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) arising from ciliopathies. The mechanisms underlying the increase in YAP expression and transcriptional activity in PKD remain obscure. We observed that in kidneys from mice with juvenile cystic kidney (jck) ciliopathy, the aberrant hyperactivity of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), driven by ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT cascades, induced ER proteotoxic stress. To reduce this stress by reprogramming translation, the protein kinase R-like ER kinase-eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (PERK/eIF2α) arm of the integrated stress response (ISR) was activated. PERK-mediated phosphorylation of eIF2α drove the selective translation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), potentiating YAP expression. In parallel, YAP underwent K63-linked polyubiquitination by SCF S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (SKP2) E3 ubiquitin ligase, a Hippo-independent, nonproteolytic ubiquitination that enhances YAP nuclear trafficking and transcriptional activity in cancer cells. Defective ISR cellular adaptation to ER stress in eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient jck mice further augmented YAP-mediated transcriptional activity and renal cyst growth. Conversely, pharmacological tuning down of ER stress/ISR activity and SKP2 expression in jck mice by administration of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) or tolvaptan impeded these processes. Restoring ER homeostasis and/or interfering with the SKP2-YAP interaction represent potential therapeutic avenues for stemming the progression of renal cystogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dibyendu K. Panda
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital,,Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital
| | - Xiuying Bai
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital
| | - Yan Zhang
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital
| | | | - Antonis E. Koromilas
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mark L. Lipman
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital
| | - Andrew C. Karaplis
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Never-in-Mitosis A-Related Kinase 8 (NEK8) Regulates Adipogenesis, Glucose Homeostasis, and Obesity. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:1947067. [PMID: 36506932 PMCID: PMC9729029 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1947067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background Adipogenesis is a complex biological process and the leading main cause of obesity. We evaluated the role of never-in-mitosis A-related kinase 8 (NEK8) in adipocyte development and insulin sensitivity in the present study. Methods NEK8 expression was manipulated using a specific shRNA or the NEK8-full-length expressing recombinant plasmids. The interaction between NEK8 and Tafazzin (TAZ, an oncogenic transcriptional regulator) was examined by Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and confocal immunofluorescence staining. Western blot assay was performed to determine the protein expression. The in vivo role of NEK8 was explored in a mouse model of high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced insulin resistance. Results During adipogenesis, the expression of NEK8 was elevated while TAZ was downregulated. Overexpression of NEK8 promoted lipid accumulation and expression of markers for adipocyte differentiation. Mechanically, NEK8 interacted with TAZ and suppressed its expression in adipocytes. Functionally, lentiviral-mediated NEK8 inhibition ameliorates HFD-induced insulin resistance in adipocytes. Conclusion These findings suggest that NEK8 plays a critical role in adipocyte proliferation, providing novel insight into the link between NEK8 and type 2 diabetes- (T2DM-) related obesity.
Collapse
|
16
|
Langlois-Lemay L, D’Amours D. Moonlighting at the Poles: Non-Canonical Functions of Centrosomes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:930355. [PMID: 35912107 PMCID: PMC9329689 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.930355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Centrosomes are best known as the microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) of eukaryotic cells. In addition to their classic role in chromosome segregation, centrosomes play diverse roles unrelated to their MTOC activity during cell proliferation and quiescence. Metazoan centrosomes and their functional doppelgängers from lower eukaryotes, the spindle pole bodies (SPBs), act as important structural platforms that orchestrate signaling events essential for cell cycle progression, cellular responses to DNA damage, sensory reception and cell homeostasis. Here, we provide a critical overview of the unconventional and often overlooked roles of centrosomes/SPBs in the life cycle of eukaryotic cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Langlois-Lemay
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Kim JM. Molecular Link between DNA Damage Response and Microtubule Dynamics. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23136986. [PMID: 35805981 PMCID: PMC9266319 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23136986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are major components of the cytoskeleton that play important roles in cellular processes such as intracellular transport and cell division. In recent years, it has become evident that microtubule networks play a role in genome maintenance during interphase. In this review, we highlight recent advances in understanding the role of microtubule dynamics in DNA damage response and repair. We first describe how DNA damage checkpoints regulate microtubule organization and stability. We then highlight how microtubule networks are involved in the nuclear remodeling following DNA damage, which leads to changes in chromosome organization. Lastly, we discuss how microtubule dynamics participate in the mobility of damaged DNA and promote consequent DNA repair. Together, the literature indicates the importance of microtubule dynamics in genome organization and stability during interphase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jung Min Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 58128, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Basei FL, de Castro Ferezin C, Rodrigues de Oliveira AL, Muñoz JP, Zorzano A, Kobarg J. Nek4 regulates mitochondrial respiration and morphology. FEBS J 2022; 289:3262-3279. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.16343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Luisa Basei
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brazil
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology Spain
| | - Camila de Castro Ferezin
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brazil
| | - Ana Luisa Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brazil
| | - Juan Pablo Muñoz
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM) Instituto de Salud Carlos III Barcelona Spain
| | - Antonio Zorzano
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Spain
- CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM) Instituto de Salud Carlos III Barcelona Spain
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Moser R, Gurley KE, Nikolova O, Qin G, Joshi R, Mendez E, Shmulevich I, Ashley A, Grandori C, Kemp CJ. Synthetic lethal kinases in Ras/p53 mutant squamous cell carcinoma. Oncogene 2022; 41:3355-3369. [PMID: 35538224 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02330-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The oncogene Ras and the tumor suppressor gene p53 are frequently co-mutated in human cancer and mutations in Ras and p53 can cooperate to generate a more malignant cell state. To discover novel druggable targets for cancers carrying co-mutations in Ras and p53, we performed arrayed, kinome focused siRNA and oncology drug phenotypic screening utilizing a set of syngeneic Ras mutant squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines that also carried co-mutations in selected p53 pathway genes. These cell lines were derived from SCCs from carcinogen-treated inbred mice which harbored germline deletions or mutations in Trp53, p19Arf, Atm, or Prkdc. Both siRNA and drug phenotypic screening converge to implicate the phosphoinositol kinases, receptor tyrosine kinases, MAP kinases, as well as cell cycle and DNA damage response genes as targetable dependencies in SCC. Differences in functional kinome profiles between Ras mutant cell lines reflect incomplete penetrance of Ras synthetic lethal kinases and indicate that co-mutations cause a rewiring of survival pathways in Ras mutant tumors. This study describes the functional kinomic landscape of Ras/p53 mutant chemically-induced squamous cell carcinoma in both the baseline unperturbed state and following DNA damage and nominates candidate therapeutic targets, including the Nek4 kinase, for further development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Russell Moser
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kay E Gurley
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Olga Nikolova
- Division of Oncological Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Rashmi Joshi
- New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Christopher J Kemp
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Joseph BB, Edeen PT, Meadows S, Binti S, Fay DS. An unexpected role for the conserved ADAM-family metalloprotease ADM-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans molting. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010249. [PMID: 35639786 PMCID: PMC9187072 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Molting is a widespread developmental process in which the external extracellular matrix (ECM), the cuticle, is remodeled to allow for organismal growth and environmental adaptation. Studies in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have identified a diverse set of molting-associated factors including signaling molecules, intracellular trafficking regulators, ECM components, and ECM-modifying enzymes such as matrix metalloproteases. C. elegans NEKL-2 and NEKL-3, two conserved members of the NEK family of protein kinases, are essential for molting and promote the endocytosis of environmental steroid-hormone precursors by the epidermis. Steroids in turn drive the cyclic induction of many genes required for molting. Here we report a role for the sole C. elegans ADAM–meltrin metalloprotease family member, ADM-2, as a mediator of molting. Loss of adm-2, including mutations that disrupt the metalloprotease domain, led to the strong suppression of molting defects in partial loss-of-function nekl mutants. ADM-2 is expressed in the epidermis, and its trafficking through the endo-lysosomal network was disrupted after NEKL depletion. We identified the epidermally expressed low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein, LRP-1, as a candidate target of ADM-2 regulation. Whereas loss of ADM-2 activity led to the upregulation of apical epidermal LRP-1, ADM-2 overexpression caused a reduction in LRP-1 levels. Consistent with this, several mammalian ADAMs, including the meltrin ADAM12, have been shown to regulate mammalian LRP1 via proteolysis. In contrast to mammalian homologs, however, the regulation of LRP-1 by ADM-2 does not appear to involve the metalloprotease function of ADM-2, nor is proteolytic processing of LRP-1 strongly affected in adm-2 mutants. Our findings suggest a noncanonical role for an ADAM family member in the regulation of a lipoprotein-like receptor and lead us to propose that endocytic trafficking may be important for both the internalization of factors that promote molting as well as the removal of proteins that can inhibit the process. The molecular and cellular features of molting in nematodes share many similarities with cellular and developmental processes that occur in mammals. This includes the degradation and reorganization of extracellular matrix materials that surround cells, as well as the intracellular machineries that allow cells to sample and modify their environments. In the current study, we found an unexpected function for a conserved protein that cleaves other proteins on the external surface of cells. Rather than promoting molting through extracellular matrix reorganization, however, the ADM-2 protease appears to function as a negative regulator of molting. This observation can be explained in part by data showing that ADM-2 negatively regulates a cell surface receptor required for molting. Surprisingly, it appears to do so through a mechanism that does not involve proteolysis. Our data provide insights into the mechanisms controlling molting and link several conserved proteins to show how they function together during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Braveen B. Joseph
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Phillip T. Edeen
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Sarina Meadows
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Shaonil Binti
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - David S. Fay
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
Endothelial barrier dysfunction is associated with sepsis and lung injury, both direct and indirect. We discuss the involvement of unfolded protein response in the protective effects of heat shock protein 90 inhibitors and growth hormone releasing hormone antagonists in the vascular barrier, to reveal new possibilities in acute respiratory distress syndrome treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nektarios Barabutis
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Identification of potent inhibitors of NEK7 protein using a comprehensive computational approach. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6404. [PMID: 35436996 PMCID: PMC9016071 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10253-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
NIMA related Kinases (NEK7) plays an important role in spindle assembly and mitotic division of the cell. Over expression of NEK7 leads to the progression of different cancers and associated malignancies. It is becoming the next wave of targets for the development of selective and potent anti-cancerous agents. The current study is the first comprehensive computational approach to identify potent inhibitors of NEK7 protein. For this purpose, previously identified anti-inflammatory compound i.e., Phenylcarbamoylpiperidine-1,2,4-triazole amide derivatives by our own group were selected for their anti-cancer potential via detailed Computational studies. Initially, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out using Gaussian 09 software which provided information about the compounds' stability and reactivity. Furthermore, Autodock suite and Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software’s were used to dock the ligand database into the active pocket of the NEK7 protein. Both software performances were compared in terms of sampling power and scoring power. During the analysis, Autodock results were found to be more reproducible, implying that this software outperforms the MOE. The majority of the compounds, including M7, and M12 showed excellent binding energies and formed stable protein–ligand complexes with docking scores of − 29.66 kJ/mol and − 31.38 kJ/mol, respectively. The results were validated by molecular dynamics simulation studies where the stability and conformational transformation of the best protein–ligand complex were justified on the basis of RMSD and RMSF trajectory analysis. The drug likeness properties and toxicity profile of all compounds were determined by ADMETlab 2.0. Furthermore, the anticancer potential of the potent compounds were confirmed by cell viability (MTT) assay. This study suggested that selected compounds can be further investigated at molecular level and evaluated for cancer treatment and associated malignancies.
Collapse
|
23
|
Creixell M, Meyer AS. Dual data and motif clustering improves the modeling and interpretation of phosphoproteomic data. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100167. [PMID: 35360705 PMCID: PMC8967184 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cell signaling is orchestrated in part through a network of protein kinases and phosphatases. Dysregulation of kinase signaling is widespread in diseases such as cancer and is readily targetable through inhibitors. Mass spectrometry-based analysis can provide a global view of kinase regulation, but mining these data is complicated by its stochastic coverage of the proteome, measurement of substrates rather than kinases, and the scale of the data. Here, we implement a dual data and motif clustering (DDMC) strategy that simultaneously clusters peptides into similarly regulated groups based on their variation and their sequence profile. We show that this can help to identify putative upstream kinases and supply more robust clustering. We apply this clustering to clinical proteomic profiling of lung cancer and identify conserved proteomic signatures of tumorigenicity, genetic mutations, and immune infiltration. We propose that DDMC provides a general and flexible clustering strategy for the analysis of phosphoproteomic data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc Creixell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Aaron S. Meyer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yang M, Guo Y, Guo X, Mao Y, Zhu S, Wang N, Lu D. Analysis of the effect of NEKs on the prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma based on bioinformatics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1705. [PMID: 35105934 PMCID: PMC8807624 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05728-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
NEKs are proteins that are involved in various cell processes and play important roles in the formation and development of cancer. However, few studies have examined the role of NEKs in the development of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). To address this problem, the Oncomine, UALCAN, and the Human Protein Atlas databases were used to analyze differential NEK expression and its clinicopathological parameters, while the Kaplan-Meier, cBioPortal, GEPIA, and DAVID databases were used to analyze survival, gene mutations, similar genes, and biological enrichments. The rate of NEK family gene mutation was high (> 50%) in patients with NSCLC, in which NEK2/4/6/8/ was overexpressed and significantly correlated with tumor stage and nodal metastasis status. In addition, the high expression of NEK2/3mRNA was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC, while high expression of NEK1/4/6/7/8/9/10/11mRNA was associated with good prognosis. In summary, these results suggest that NEK2/4/6/8 may be a potential prognostic biomarker for the survival of patients with NSCLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengxia Yang
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yikun Guo
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Guo
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Mao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410005, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijie Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Ningjun Wang
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China.
| | - Dianrong Lu
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Dana D, Das T, Choi A, Bhuiyan AI, Das TK, Talele TT, Pathak SK. Nek2 Kinase Signaling in Malaria, Bone, Immune and Kidney Disorders to Metastatic Cancers and Drug Resistance: Progress on Nek2 Inhibitor Development. Molecules 2022; 27:347. [PMID: 35056661 PMCID: PMC8779408 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell cycle kinases represent an important component of the cell machinery that controls signal transduction involved in cell proliferation, growth, and differentiation. Nek2 is a mitotic Ser/Thr kinase that localizes predominantly to centrosomes and kinetochores and orchestrates centrosome disjunction and faithful chromosomal segregation. Its activity is tightly regulated during the cell cycle with the help of other kinases and phosphatases and via proteasomal degradation. Increased levels of Nek2 kinase can promote centrosome amplification (CA), mitotic defects, chromosome instability (CIN), tumor growth, and cancer metastasis. While it remains a highly attractive target for the development of anti-cancer therapeutics, several new roles of the Nek2 enzyme have recently emerged: these include drug resistance, bone, ciliopathies, immune and kidney diseases, and parasitic diseases such as malaria. Therefore, Nek2 is at the interface of multiple cellular processes and can influence numerous cellular signaling networks. Herein, we provide a critical overview of Nek2 kinase biology and discuss the signaling roles it plays in both normal and diseased human physiology. While the majority of research efforts over the last two decades have focused on the roles of Nek2 kinase in tumor development and cancer metastasis, the signaling mechanisms involving the key players associated with several other notable human diseases are highlighted here. We summarize the efforts made so far to develop Nek2 inhibitory small molecules, illustrate their action modalities, and provide our opinion on the future of Nek2-targeted therapeutics. It is anticipated that the functional inhibition of Nek2 kinase will be a key strategy going forward in drug development, with applications across multiple human diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dibyendu Dana
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA; (D.D.); (T.D.); (A.C.); (A.I.B.)
- KemPharm Inc., 2200 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Tuhin Das
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA; (D.D.); (T.D.); (A.C.); (A.I.B.)
| | - Athena Choi
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA; (D.D.); (T.D.); (A.C.); (A.I.B.)
- Brooklyn Technical High School, 29 Fort Greene Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217, USA
| | - Ashif I. Bhuiyan
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA; (D.D.); (T.D.); (A.C.); (A.I.B.)
- Chemistry Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Tirtha K. Das
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Tanaji T. Talele
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, USA;
| | - Sanjai K. Pathak
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Queens College of the City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA; (D.D.); (T.D.); (A.C.); (A.I.B.)
- Chemistry Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Biochemistry Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel aminopyrazole- and 7-azaindole-based Nek1 inhibitors and their effects on zebrafish kidney development. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 53:128418. [PMID: 34715306 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
NIMA-related protein kinase Nek1 is crucially involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair and microtubule regulation and dysfunctions of Nek1 play key roles in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and several types of radiotherapy resistant cancer. Targeting of Nek1 could reveal a new class of radiosensitizing substances and provide useful tools to better understand the aforementioned diseases. In this report we explore substituted aminopyrazoles and 7-azaindoles as potent inhibitors for the Nek1 kinase domain and examine their effect on kidney organogenesis in Danio rerio.
Collapse
|
27
|
Anuraga G, Wang WJ, Phan NN, An Ton NT, Ta HDK, Berenice Prayugo F, Minh Xuan DT, Ku SC, Wu YF, Andriani V, Athoillah M, Lee KH, Wang CY. Potential Prognostic Biomarkers of NIMA (Never in Mitosis, Gene A)-Related Kinase (NEK) Family Members in Breast Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:1089. [PMID: 34834441 PMCID: PMC8625415 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11111089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer remains the most common malignant cancer in women, with a staggering incidence of two million cases annually worldwide; therefore, it is crucial to explore novel biomarkers to assess the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer patients. NIMA-related kinase (NEK) protein kinase contains 11 family members named NEK1-NEK11, which were discovered from Aspergillus Nidulans; however, the role of NEK family genes for tumor development remains unclear and requires additional study. In the present study, we investigate the prognosis relationships of NEK family genes for breast cancer development, as well as the gene expression signature via the bioinformatics approach. The results of several integrative analyses revealed that most of the NEK family genes are overexpressed in breast cancer. Among these family genes, NEK2/6/8 overexpression had poor prognostic significance in distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in breast cancer patients. Meanwhile, NEK2/6 had the highest level of DNA methylation, and the functional enrichment analysis from MetaCore and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) suggested that NEK2 was associated with the cell cycle, G2M checkpoint, DNA repair, E2F, MYC, MTORC1, and interferon-related signaling. Moreover, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) results showed that the transcriptional levels of NEK2 were positively correlated with immune infiltration of B cells and CD4+ T Cell. Collectively, the current study indicated that NEK family genes, especially NEK2 which is involved in immune infiltration, and may serve as prognosis biomarkers for breast cancer progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gangga Anuraga
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Wei-Jan Wang
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung 40604, Taiwan;
| | - Nam Nhut Phan
- Institute for Environmental Science, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam; (N.N.P.); (N.T.A.T.)
| | - Nu Thuy An Ton
- Institute for Environmental Science, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam; (N.N.P.); (N.T.A.T.)
| | - Hoang Dang Khoa Ta
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Fidelia Berenice Prayugo
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Do Thi Minh Xuan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Su-Chi Ku
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Yung-Fu Wu
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
| | - Vivin Andriani
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Muhammad Athoillah
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Kuen-Haur Lee
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
- Cancer Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yang Wang
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Xiao M, Du C, Zhang C, Zhang X, Li S, Zhang D, Jia W. Bioinformatics analysis of the prognostic value of NEK8 and its effects on immune cell infiltration in glioma. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:8748-8763. [PMID: 34374193 PMCID: PMC8435421 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioma is the most common malignancy of the nervous system with high rates of recurrence and mortality, even after surgery. The 5‐year survival rate is only about 5%. NEK8 is involved in multiple biological processes in a variety of cancers; however, its role in glioma is still not clear. In the current study, we evaluated the prognostic value of NEK8, as well as its role in the pathogenesis of glioma. Using a bioinformatics approach and RNA‐seq data from public databases, we found that NEK8 expression is elevated in glioma tissues; we further verified this result by RT‐PCR, Western blotting and immunochemistry using clinical samples. Functional enrichment analyses of genes with correlated expression indicated that elevated NEK8 expression is associated with increased immune cell infiltration in glioma and may affect the tumour microenvironment via the regulation of DNA damage/repair. Survival analyses revealed that high levels of NEK8 are associated with a poorer prognosis; higher WHO grade, IDH status, 1p/19q codeletion, age and NEK8 were identified as an independent prognostic factor. These findings support the crucial role of NEK8 in the progression of glioma via effects on immune cell infiltration and suggest that it is a new prognostic biomarker.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng Xiao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Weihui, China.,Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chaoyang Du
- Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Weihui, China
| | - Chuanbo Zhang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas Network (CGGA), Beijing, China
| | - Xinzhong Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Weihui, China
| | - Shaomin Li
- Henan Key Laboratory of Neurorestoratology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Weihui, China.,Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dainan Zhang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wang Jia
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Yan Z, Qu J, Li Z, Yi J, Su Y, Lin Q, Yu G, Lin Z, Yin W, Lu F, Liu J. NEK7 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression And Its Expression Is Correlated With Poor Prognosis. Front Oncol 2021; 11:705797. [PMID: 34295827 PMCID: PMC8290842 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.705797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The prognosis for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients is still dismal. Elucidation of associated genomic alteration may provide effective therapeutic strategies for PDAC treatment. NIMA-related protein kinase 7 is widely expressed in various tumors, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer and lung cancer, and promotes the proliferation of liver cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We investigated the protein expression level of NEK7 in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry of 90 patients with PADC. Meanwhile, the RNA expression level of NEK7 was examined using database-based bioinformatic analysis. Correlation and significance of NEK7 expression with patient clinicopathological features and prognosis were examined. Cell proliferation, cell adhesion, migration and invasion capabilities were measured following downregulation of NEK7 expression. 3D tumor organoids of pancreatic cancer were established and splenic xenografted into nude mice, then liver metastatic ability of NEK7 was evaluated in following 4 weeks. We observed NEK7 expression was upregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues at both RNA and protein levels using bioinformatic analysis and immunohistochemistry analysis in PDAC. NEK7 expression was undetectable in normal pancreatic ducts; NEK7 was overexpressed in primary tumor of PDAC; NEK7 expression was highly correlated with advanced T stage, poorly differentiated histological grade invasive ductal carcinoma, and lymphatic invasion. Meanwhile, patients with higher NEK7 expression accompanied by worse survival outcome. Moreover, NEK7 promoted migration, invasion, adhesion, proliferation and liver metastatic ability of pancreatic cancer cells. Taken together, our data indicate that NEK7 promotes pancreatic cancer progression and it may be a potential marker for PDAC prognosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zilong Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianhua Qu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhangfu Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Yi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanze Su
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qirui Lin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guangyin Yu
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zewei Lin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weihua Yin
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fengmin Lu
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Jikui Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
NEK9 regulates primary cilia formation by acting as a selective autophagy adaptor for MYH9/myosin IIA. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3292. [PMID: 34078910 PMCID: PMC8172835 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23599-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy regulates primary cilia formation, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we identify NIMA-related kinase 9 (NEK9) as a GABARAPs-interacting protein and find that NEK9 and its LC3-interacting region (LIR) are required for primary cilia formation. Mutation in the LIR of NEK9 in mice also impairs in vivo cilia formation in the kidneys. Mechanistically, NEK9 interacts with MYH9 (also known as myosin IIA), which has been implicated in inhibiting ciliogenesis through stabilization of the actin network. MYH9 accumulates in NEK9 LIR mutant cells and mice, and depletion of MYH9 restores ciliogenesis in NEK9 LIR mutant cells. These results suggest that NEK9 regulates ciliogenesis by acting as an autophagy adaptor for MYH9. Given that the LIR in NEK9 is conserved only in land vertebrates, the acquisition of the autophagic regulation of the NEK9–MYH9 axis in ciliogenesis may have possible adaptive implications for terrestrial life. Ciliogenesis is a tightly regulated process, although the role of selective autophagy is unclear. Here, the authors show NIMA-related kinase 9 controls actin network stabilization and subsequently ciliogenesis by targeting myosin MYH9 for autophagic degradation via GABARAP interaction.
Collapse
|
31
|
Bai R, Yuan C, Sun W, Zhang J, Luo Y, Gao Y, Li Y, Gong Y, Xie C. NEK2 plays an active role in Tumorigenesis and Tumor Microenvironment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:1995-2008. [PMID: 34131401 PMCID: PMC8193268 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.59019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal expression and dysfunction of Never-in-mitosis-A-related kinase 2 (NEK2) result in tumorigenesis. High levels of NEK2 are related to malignant progression, drug resistance, and poor prognosis. However, the relationship between NEK2 levels and the occurrence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the impacts of NEK2 on the oncogenesis of NSCLC and the tumor microenvironment. Downregulation of NEK2 inhibited A549 and H1299 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, blocking cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Loss of NEK2 inhibited the release of IL-10 from tumor cells, M2-like polarization of macrophages, angiogenesis, and vascular endothelial cell migration. Furthermore, NEK2 deficiency inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Taken together, NEK2 knockdown inhibited the occurrence and development of NSCLC, M2 polarization of macrophages, and angiogenesis. The abnormal expression of NEK2 might not only indicate tumor progression and patient prognosis but also serve as a potential molecular therapeutic target with great development prospects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Bai
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Cheng Yuan
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Wenjie Sun
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Jianguo Zhang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yuan Luo
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yanping Gao
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yangyi Li
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yan Gong
- Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.,Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment Technology and Translational Medicine Hubei Engineering Research Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Conghua Xie
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumour Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Doornbos C, Roepman R. Moonlighting of mitotic regulators in cilium disassembly. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4955-4972. [PMID: 33860332 PMCID: PMC8233288 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03827-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Correct timing of cellular processes is essential during embryological development and to maintain the balance between healthy proliferation and tumour formation. Assembly and disassembly of the primary cilium, the cell’s sensory signalling organelle, are linked to cell cycle timing in the same manner as spindle pole assembly and chromosome segregation. Mitotic processes, ciliary assembly, and ciliary disassembly depend on the centrioles as microtubule-organizing centres (MTOC) to regulate polymerizing and depolymerizing microtubules. Subsequently, other functional protein modules are gathered to potentiate specific protein–protein interactions. In this review, we show that a significant subset of key mitotic regulator proteins is moonlighting at the cilium, among which PLK1, AURKA, CDC20, and their regulators. Although ciliary assembly defects are linked to a variety of ciliopathies, ciliary disassembly defects are more often linked to brain development and tumour formation. Acquiring a better understanding of the overlap in regulators of ciliary disassembly and mitosis is essential in finding therapeutic targets for the different diseases and types of tumours associated with these regulators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cenna Doornbos
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Roepman
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ferezin CDC, Basei FL, Melo‐Hanchuk TD, de Oliveira AL, Peres de Oliveira A, Mori MP, de Souza‐Pinto NC, Kobarg J. NEK5 interacts with LonP1 and its kinase activity is essential for the regulation of mitochondrial functions and mtDNA maintenance. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:546-563. [PMID: 33547867 PMCID: PMC7931231 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about Nima-related kinase (NEKs), a widely conserved family of kinases that have key roles in cell-cycle progression. Nevertheless, it is now clear that multiple NEK family members act in networks, not only to regulate specific events of mitosis, but also to regulate metabolic events independently of the cell cycle. NEK5 was shown to act in centrosome disjunction, caspase-3 regulation, myogenesis, and mitochondrial respiration. Here, we demonstrate that NEK5 interacts with LonP1, an AAA+ mitochondrial protease implicated in protein quality control and mtDNA remodeling, within the mitochondria and it might be involved in the LonP1-TFAM signaling module. Moreover, we demonstrate that NEK5 kinase activity is required for maintaining mitochondrial mass and functionality and mtDNA integrity after oxidative damage. Taken together, these results show a new role of NEK5 in the regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and mtDNA maintenance, possibly due to its interaction with key mitochondrial proteins, such as LonP1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Castro Ferezin
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
| | - Fernanda Luisa Basei
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
| | | | - Ana Luisa de Oliveira
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
| | | | - Mateus P. Mori
- Departamento de BioquímicaInstituto de QuímicaUniversidade de São PauloBrazil
| | | | - Jörg Kobarg
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Aono AH, Pimenta RJG, Garcia ALB, Correr FH, Hosaka GK, Carrasco MM, Cardoso-Silva CB, Mancini MC, Sforça DA, dos Santos LB, Nagai JS, Pinto LR, Landell MGDA, Carneiro MS, Balsalobre TW, Quiles MG, Pereira WA, Margarido GRA, de Souza AP. The Wild Sugarcane and Sorghum Kinomes: Insights Into Expansion, Diversification, and Expression Patterns. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:668623. [PMID: 34305969 PMCID: PMC8294386 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.668623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The protein kinase (PK) superfamily is one of the largest superfamilies in plants and the core regulator of cellular signaling. Despite this substantial importance, the kinomes of sugarcane and sorghum have not been profiled. Here, we identified and profiled the complete kinomes of the polyploid Saccharum spontaneum (Ssp) and Sorghum bicolor (Sbi), a close diploid relative. The Sbi kinome was composed of 1,210 PKs; for Ssp, we identified 2,919 PKs when disregarding duplications and allelic copies, and these were related to 1,345 representative gene models. The Ssp and Sbi PKs were grouped into 20 groups and 120 subfamilies and exhibited high compositional similarities and evolutionary divergences. By utilizing the collinearity between the species, this study offers insights into Sbi and Ssp speciation, PK differentiation and selection. We assessed the PK subfamily expression profiles via RNA-Seq and identified significant similarities between Sbi and Ssp. Moreover, coexpression networks allowed inference of a core structure of kinase interactions with specific key elements. This study provides the first categorization of the allelic specificity of a kinome and offers a wide reservoir of molecular and genetic information, thereby enhancing the understanding of Sbi and Ssp PK evolutionary history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Hild Aono
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Ricardo José Gonzaga Pimenta
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Ana Letycia Basso Garcia
- Department of Genetics, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Fernando Henrique Correr
- Department of Genetics, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Kenichi Hosaka
- Department of Genetics, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Marishani Marin Carrasco
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Melina Cristina Mancini
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Danilo Augusto Sforça
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Lucas Borges dos Santos
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - James Shiniti Nagai
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Computational Genomics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Luciana Rossini Pinto
- Advanced Center of Sugarcane Agrobusiness Technological Research, Agronomic Institute of Campinas (IAC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Monalisa Sampaio Carneiro
- Departamento de Biotecnologia e Produção Vegetal e Animal, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Thiago Willian Balsalobre
- Departamento de Biotecnologia e Produção Vegetal e Animal, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Marcos Gonçalves Quiles
- Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | | | | | - Anete Pereira de Souza
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Anete Pereira de Souza,
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ong JY, Bradley MC, Torres JZ. Phospho-regulation of mitotic spindle assembly. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2020; 77:558-578. [PMID: 33280275 PMCID: PMC7898546 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The assembly of the bipolar mitotic spindle requires the careful orchestration of a myriad of enzyme activities like protein posttranslational modifications. Among these, phosphorylation has arisen as the principle mode for spatially and temporally activating the proteins involved in early mitotic spindle assembly processes. Here, we review key kinases, phosphatases, and phosphorylation events that regulate critical aspects of these processes. We highlight key phosphorylation substrates that are important for ensuring the fidelity of centriole duplication, centrosome maturation, and the establishment of the bipolar spindle. We also highlight techniques used to understand kinase-substrate relationships and to study phosphorylation events. We conclude with perspectives on the field of posttranslational modifications in early mitotic spindle assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Y Ong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michelle C Bradley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jorge Z Torres
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Khalil MI, Ghosh I, Singh V, Chen J, Zhu H, De Benedetti A. NEK1 Phosphorylation of YAP Promotes Its Stabilization and Transcriptional Output. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123666. [PMID: 33297404 PMCID: PMC7762262 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We earlier described the involvement of the TLK1>NEK1>ATR>Chk1 axis as a key determinant of cell cycle arrest in androgen-dependent prostate cancer (PCa) cells after androgen deprivation. We now report that the TLK1>NEK1 axis is also involved in stabilization of yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), the transcriptional co-activator in the Hippo pathway, presumably facilitating reprogramming of the cells toward castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). NEK1 interacts with YAP1 physically resulting in its phosphorylation of 6 residues, which enhance its stability and activity. Analyses of cancer Protein Atlas and TCGA expression panels revealed a link between activated NEK1 and YAP1 expression and several YAP transcription targets. Abstract Most prostate cancer (PCa) deaths result from progressive failure in standard androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), leading to metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC); however, the mechanism and key players leading to this are not fully understood. While studying the role of tousled-like kinase 1 (TLK1) and never in mitosis gene A (NIMA)-related kinase 1 (NEK1) in a DNA damage response (DDR)-mediated cell cycle arrest in LNCaP cells treated with bicalutamide, we uncovered that overexpression of wt-NEK1 resulted in a rapid conversion to androgen-independent (AI) growth, analogous to what has been observed when YAP1 is overexpressed. We now report that overexpression of wt-NEK1 results in accumulation of YAP1, suggesting the existence of a TLK1>NEK1>YAP1 axis that leads to adaptation to AI growth. Further, YAP1 is co-immunoprecipitated with NEK1. Importantly, NEK1 was able to phosphorylate YAP1 on six residues in vitro, which we believe are important for stabilization of the protein, possibly by increasing its interaction with transcriptional partners. In fact, knockout (KO) of NEK1 in NT1 PCa cells resulted in a parallel decrease of YAP1 level and reduced expression of typical YAP-regulated target genes. In terms of cancer potential implications, the expression of NEK1 and YAP1 proteins was found to be increased and correlated in several cancers. These include PCa stages according to Gleason score, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and glioblastoma, suggesting that this co-regulation is imparted by increased YAP1 stability when NEK1 is overexpressed or activated by TLK1, and not through transcriptional co-expression. We propose that the TLK1>NEK1>YAP1 axis is a key determinant for cancer progression, particularly during the process of androgen-sensitive to -independent conversion during progression to mCRPC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Imtiaz Khalil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA; (M.I.K.); (I.G.); (V.S.)
| | - Ishita Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA; (M.I.K.); (I.G.); (V.S.)
| | - Vibha Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA; (M.I.K.); (I.G.); (V.S.)
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Proteomics Core, Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA; (J.C.); (H.Z.)
| | - Haining Zhu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Proteomics Core, Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA; (J.C.); (H.Z.)
| | - Arrigo De Benedetti
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA; (M.I.K.); (I.G.); (V.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-31-8675-5668
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Ghaleb A, Padellan M, Marchenko N. Mutant p53 drives the loss of heterozygosity by the upregulation of Nek2 in breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res 2020; 22:133. [PMID: 33267874 PMCID: PMC7709447 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-020-01370-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in one allele of the TP53 gene in early stages are frequently followed by the loss of the remaining wild-type p53 (wtp53) allele (p53LOH) during tumor progression. Despite the strong notion of p53LOH as a critical step in tumor progression, its oncogenic outcomes that facilitate the selective pressure for p53LOH occurrence were not elucidated. METHODS Using MMTV;ErbB2 mouse model of breast cancer carrying heterozygous R172H p53 mutation, we identified a novel gain-of-function (GOF) activity of mutant p53 (mutp53): the exacerbated loss of wtp53 allele in response to γ-irradiation. RESULTS As consequences of p53LOH in mutp53 heterozygous cells, we observed profound stabilization of mutp53 protein, the loss of p21 expression, the abrogation of G2/M checkpoint, chromosomal instability, centrosome amplification, and transcriptional upregulation of mitotic kinase Nek2 (a member of Never in Mitosis (NIMA) Kinases family) involved in the regulation of centrosome function. To avoid the mitotic catastrophe in the absence of G2/M checkpoint, cells with centrosome amplification adapt Nek2-mediated centrosomes clustering as pro-survival mutp53 GOF mechanism enabling unrestricted proliferation and clonal expansion of cells with p53LOH. Thus, the clonal dominance of mutp53 cells with p53LOH may represent the mechanism of irradiation-induced p53LOH. We show that pharmacological and genetic ablation of Nek2 decreases centrosome clustering and viability of specifically mutp53 cells with p53LOH. CONCLUSION In a heterogeneous tumor population, Nek2 inhibition may alter the selective pressure for p53LOH by contraction of the mutp53 population with p53LOH, thus, preventing the outgrowth of genetically unstable, more aggressive cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amr Ghaleb
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8691, USA.
| | - Malik Padellan
- Biologics Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, 07033, USA
| | - Natalia Marchenko
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8691, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
NEK10 tyrosine phosphorylates p53 and controls its transcriptional activity. Oncogene 2020; 39:5252-5266. [DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1361-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
39
|
Qarri A, Rosner A, Rabinowitz C, Rinkevich B. UV-B radiation bearings on ephemeral soma in the shallow water tunicate Botryllus schlosseri. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 196:110489. [PMID: 32278137 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sedentary shallow water marine organisms acquire numerous protective mechanisms to mitigate the detrimental effects of UV radiation (UV-R). Here we investigated morphological and gene expression outcomes in colonies of the cosmopolitan ascidian Botryllus schlosseri, up to 15-days post UV-B irradiation. Astogeny in Botryllus is characterized by weekly repeating sets of asexual budding, coinciding with apoptotic elimination of functional zooids (blastogenesis). Ten UV-B doses were administered to three clusters: sublethal, enhanced-mortality, lethal (LD50 = 6.048 kJ/m2) which differed in mortality rates, yet reflected similar distorted morphotypes, and arrested blastogenesis, all intensified in the enhanced-mortality/lethal clusters. Even the sub-lethal doses inflicted expression modifications in 8 stress proteins (HSP 90/70 families and NIMA) as well as morphological blastogenesis. The morphological/gene-expression impacts in surviving colonies lasted for 15 days post irradiation (two blastogenic-cycles), where all damaged and arrested zooids/buds were absorbed, after which the colonies returned to their normal blastogenic-cycles and gene expression profiles, and initiated new buds. The above reflects a novel colonial maintenance strategy associated with the disposable-soma tenet, where the ephemeral soma in Botryllus is eliminated without engaging with the costs of repair, whereas other colonial components, primarily the pool of totipotent stem cells, are sustained under yet unknown colonial-level regulatory cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andy Qarri
- Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, POB 8030, Tel Shikmona, 31080, Haifa, Israel; The Department of Maritime Civilizations, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
| | - Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, POB 8030, Tel Shikmona, 31080, Haifa, Israel
| | - Claudette Rabinowitz
- Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, POB 8030, Tel Shikmona, 31080, Haifa, Israel
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, POB 8030, Tel Shikmona, 31080, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Al Mutairi F, Alkhalaf R, Alkhorayyef A, Alroqi F, Yusra A, Umair M, Nouf F, Khan A, Meshael A, Hamad A, Monira A, Asiri A, Alhamoudi KM, Alfadhel M. Homozygous truncating NEK10 mutation, associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia: a case report. BMC Pulm Med 2020; 20:141. [PMID: 32414360 PMCID: PMC7229615 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-020-1175-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is also known as immotile-cilia syndrome, an autosomal recessive disorder of ciliary function, leading to mucus retention in the respiratory system in childhood. Our knowledge in the pathophysiological aspect of this devastating disorder is increasing with the advancement of genetic and molecular testing. Case presentation Here in, we report two siblings with a classical clinical and radiological presentation of PCD. Using whole exome sequencing we identified a homozygous truncating variant (c.3402 T > A); p.(Tyr1134*) in the NEK10 gene. Western bolt analysis revealed a decrease in the expression of NEK10 protein in the patient cells. Conclusions NEK10 plays a central role in the post-mitotic process of cilia assembly, regulating ciliary length and functions during physiological and pathological status. This study highlights the challenges of identifying disease-causing variants for a highly heterogeneous disorder and reports on the identification of a novel variant in NEK10 which recently associated with PCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fuad Al Mutairi
- Medical Genetics Division, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah specialized Children's Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P. O Box 22490, Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia. .,Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Randa Alkhalaf
- Medical Genetics Division, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah specialized Children's Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P. O Box 22490, Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Alkhorayyef
- Pulmonary Division, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fayhan Alroqi
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Immunology Division, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alyafee Yusra
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Umair
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fetaini Nouf
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amjad Khan
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alharbi Meshael
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aleidi Hamad
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaujan Monira
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz Asiri
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kheloud M Alhamoudi
- Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majid Alfadhel
- Medical Genetics Division, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah specialized Children's Hospital, King Abdulaziz Medical City, P. O Box 22490, Riyadh, 11426, Saudi Arabia.,Medical Genomics Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
O'Regan L, Barone G, Adib R, Woo CG, Jeong HJ, Richardson EL, Richards MW, Muller PAJ, Collis SJ, Fennell DA, Choi J, Bayliss R, Fry AM. EML4-ALK V3 oncogenic fusion proteins promote microtubule stabilization and accelerated migration through NEK9 and NEK7. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs241505. [PMID: 32184261 PMCID: PMC7240300 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.241505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
EML4-ALK is an oncogenic fusion present in ∼5% of non-small cell lung cancers. However, alternative breakpoints in the EML4 gene lead to distinct variants of EML4-ALK with different patient outcomes. Here, we show that, in cell models, EML4-ALK variant 3 (V3), which is linked to accelerated metastatic spread, causes microtubule stabilization, formation of extended cytoplasmic protrusions and increased cell migration. EML4-ALK V3 also recruits the NEK9 and NEK7 kinases to microtubules via the N-terminal EML4 microtubule-binding region. Overexpression of wild-type EML4, as well as constitutive activation of NEK9, also perturbs cell morphology and accelerates migration in a microtubule-dependent manner that requires the downstream kinase NEK7 but does not require ALK activity. Strikingly, elevated NEK9 expression is associated with reduced progression-free survival in EML4-ALK patients. Hence, we propose that EML4-ALK V3 promotes microtubule stabilization through NEK9 and NEK7, leading to increased cell migration. This represents a novel actionable pathway that could drive metastatic disease progression in EML4-ALK lung cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura O'Regan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Giancarlo Barone
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids (SInFoNiA), University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Rozita Adib
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Chang Gok Woo
- Department of Pathology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Hui Jeong Jeong
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Emily L Richardson
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Mark W Richards
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Patricia A J Muller
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, Alderley Park SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Spencer J Collis
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids (SInFoNiA), University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Dean A Fennell
- Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Jene Choi
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Richard Bayliss
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Andrew M Fry
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Peres de Oliveira A, Kazuo Issayama L, Betim Pavan IC, Riback Silva F, Diniz Melo-Hanchuk T, Moreira Simabuco F, Kobarg J. Checking NEKs: Overcoming a Bottleneck in Human Diseases. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25081778. [PMID: 32294979 PMCID: PMC7221840 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In previous years, several kinases, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), have been linked to important human diseases, although some kinase families remain neglected in terms of research, hiding their relevance to therapeutic approaches. Here, a review regarding the NEK family is presented, shedding light on important information related to NEKs and human diseases. NEKs are a large group of homologous kinases with related functions and structures that participate in several cellular processes such as the cell cycle, cell division, cilia formation, and the DNA damage response. The review of the literature points to the pivotal participation of NEKs in important human diseases, like different types of cancer, diabetes, ciliopathies and central nervous system related and inflammatory-related diseases. The different known regulatory molecular mechanisms specific to each NEK are also presented, relating to their involvement in different diseases. In addition, important information about NEKs remains to be elucidated and is highlighted in this review, showing the need for other studies and research regarding this kinase family. Therefore, the NEK family represents an important group of kinases with potential applications in the therapy of human diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Peres de Oliveira
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
| | - Luidy Kazuo Issayama
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Isadora Carolina Betim Pavan
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar em Alimentos e Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo 13484-350, Brazil;
| | - Fernando Riback Silva
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Talita Diniz Melo-Hanchuk
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Tecidual, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (A.P.d.O.); (L.K.I.); (I.C.B.P.); (F.R.S.); (T.D.M.-H.)
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
| | - Fernando Moreira Simabuco
- Laboratório Multidisciplinar em Alimentos e Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo 13484-350, Brazil;
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-871, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-19-3521-8143
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Xu Z, Shen W, Pan A, Sun F, Zhang J, Gao P, Li L. Decreased Nek9 expression correlates with aggressive behaviour and predicts unfavourable prognosis in breast cancer. Pathology 2020; 52:329-335. [PMID: 32098687 DOI: 10.1016/j.pathol.2019.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
As a new member of Neks family, Nek9 regulates spindle assembly and controls chromosome alignment and centrosome separation. In the current study we aimed to investigate the expression of Nek9 in breast cancer and its clinical significance. We evaluated the expression of Nek9 in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC, n=316), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), usual ductal hyperplasia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, fibroadenoma and normal breast tissues using immunohistochemistry. The results revealed significantly reduced Nek9 in IDCs (41.8%) compared to benign breast lesions. Moreover, gradually reduced Nek9 was found from DCIS to invasive carcinoma and metastatic tumour within the same tumours. The decrease in Nek9 expression was associated with larger tumour size (p=0.0087), high grade (p<0.0001) and high Ki-67 index (p<0.0020). TCGA and GEO datasets analysis revealed low level of Nek9 mRNA was more frequent in triple negative breast cancers, and associated with poor overall survival and distant metastasis-free survival. These findings suggest an important role of Nek9 in the progression of breast cancer, and aberrantly expressed Nek9 correlates with more aggressive clinicopathological variables and predicts poor clinical prognosis. Nek9 may serve as a potential predictive factor for patients with breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziru Xu
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Wenping Shen
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Aifeng Pan
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Feifei Sun
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Peng Gao
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Chivukula RR, Montoro DT, Leung HM, Yang J, Shamseldin HE, Taylor MS, Dougherty GW, Zariwala MA, Carson J, Daniels MLA, Sears PR, Black KE, Hariri LP, Almogarri I, Frenkel EM, Vinarsky V, Omran H, Knowles MR, Tearney GJ, Alkuraya FS, Sabatini DM. A human ciliopathy reveals essential functions for NEK10 in airway mucociliary clearance. Nat Med 2020; 26:244-251. [PMID: 31959991 PMCID: PMC7018620 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0730-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raghu R Chivukula
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. .,Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Daniel T Montoro
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hui Min Leung
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason Yang
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hanan E Shamseldin
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Martin S Taylor
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gerard W Dougherty
- Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Maimoona A Zariwala
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Johnny Carson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - M Leigh Anne Daniels
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Patrick R Sears
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Katharine E Black
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lida P Hariri
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ibrahim Almogarri
- Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Evgeni M Frenkel
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vladimir Vinarsky
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heymut Omran
- Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Münster, Germany
| | - Michael R Knowles
- Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Guillermo J Tearney
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Fowzan S Alkuraya
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - David M Sabatini
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Perrone B, La Cognata V, Sprovieri T, Ungaro C, Conforti FL, Andò S, Cavallaro S. Alternative Splicing of ALS Genes: Misregulation and Potential Therapies. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 40:1-14. [PMID: 31385134 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00717-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's disease affect a rapidly increasing population worldwide. Although common pathogenic mechanisms have been identified (e.g., protein aggregation or dysfunction, immune response alteration and axonal degeneration), the molecular events underlying timing, dosage, expression, and location of RNA molecules are still not fully elucidated. In particular, the alternative splicing (AS) mechanism is a crucial player in RNA processing and represents a fundamental determinant for brain development, as well as for the physiological functions of neuronal circuits. Although in recent years our knowledge of AS events has increased substantially, deciphering the molecular interconnections between splicing and ALS remains a complex task and still requires considerable efforts. In the present review, we will summarize the current scientific evidence outlining the involvement of AS in the pathogenic processes of ALS. We will also focus on recent insights concerning the tuning of splicing mechanisms by epigenomic and epi-transcriptomic regulation, providing an overview of the available genomic technologies to investigate AS drivers on a genome-wide scale, even at a single-cell level resolution. In the future, gene therapy strategies and RNA-based technologies may be utilized to intercept or modulate the splicing mechanism and produce beneficial effects against ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Perrone
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Valentina La Cognata
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Catania, Italy
| | - Teresa Sprovieri
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Carmine Ungaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Francesca Luisa Conforti
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy.,Centro Sanitario, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Catania, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Loss of a Fragile Chromosome Region leads to the Screwy Phenotype in Paramecium tetraurelia. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10070513. [PMID: 31284605 PMCID: PMC6679132 DOI: 10.3390/genes10070513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A conspicuous cell-shape phenotype known as “screwy” was reported to result from mutations at two or three uncharacterized loci in the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia. Here, we describe a new screwy mutation, Spinning Top, which appeared spontaneously in the cross of an unrelated mutant with reference strain 51. The macronuclear (MAC) genome of the Spinning Top mutant is shown to lack a ~28.5-kb segment containing 18 genes at the end of one chromosome, which appears to result from a collinear deletion in the micronuclear (MIC) genome. We tested several candidate genes from the deleted locus by dsRNA-induced silencing in wild-type cells, and identified a single gene responsible for the phenotype. This gene, named Spade, encodes a 566-aa glutamine-rich protein with a C2HC zinc finger. Its silencing leads to a fast phenotype switch during vegetative growth, but cells recover a wild-type phenotype only 5–6 divisions after silencing is stopped. We analyzed 5 independently-obtained mutant alleles of the Sc1 locus, and concluded that all of them also lack the Spade gene and a number of neighboring genes in the MAC and MIC genomes. Mapping of the MAC deletion breakpoints revealed two different positions among the 5 alleles, both of which differ from the Spinning Top breakpoint. These results suggest that this MIC chromosome region is intrinsically unstable in strain 51.
Collapse
|
47
|
Esteban-Medina M, Peña-Chilet M, Loucera C, Dopazo J. Exploring the druggable space around the Fanconi anemia pathway using machine learning and mechanistic models. BMC Bioinformatics 2019; 20:370. [PMID: 31266445 PMCID: PMC6604281 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-019-2969-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In spite of the abundance of genomic data, predictive models that describe phenotypes as a function of gene expression or mutations are difficult to obtain because they are affected by the curse of dimensionality, given the disbalance between samples and candidate genes. And this is especially dramatic in scenarios in which the availability of samples is difficult, such as the case of rare diseases. RESULTS The application of multi-output regression machine learning methodologies to predict the potential effect of external proteins over the signaling circuits that trigger Fanconi anemia related cell functionalities, inferred with a mechanistic model, allowed us to detect over 20 potential therapeutic targets. CONCLUSIONS The use of artificial intelligence methods for the prediction of potentially causal relationships between proteins of interest and cell activities related with disease-related phenotypes opens promising avenues for the systematic search of new targets in rare diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Esteban-Medina
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area. Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS). CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - María Peña-Chilet
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area. Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS). CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- Bioinformatics in Rare Diseases (BiER). Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), FPS, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carlos Loucera
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area. Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS). CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Joaquín Dopazo
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area. Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS). CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- Bioinformatics in Rare Diseases (BiER). Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), FPS, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- INB-ELIXIR-es, FPS, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, 42013 Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
van de Kooij B, Creixell P, van Vlimmeren A, Joughin BA, Miller CJ, Haider N, Simpson CD, Linding R, Stambolic V, Turk BE, Yaffe MB. Comprehensive substrate specificity profiling of the human Nek kinome reveals unexpected signaling outputs. eLife 2019; 8:44635. [PMID: 31124786 PMCID: PMC6570481 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human NimA-related kinases (Neks) have multiple mitotic and non-mitotic functions, but few substrates are known. We systematically determined the phosphorylation-site motifs for the entire Nek kinase family, except for Nek11. While all Nek kinases strongly select for hydrophobic residues in the −3 position, the family separates into four distinct groups based on specificity for a serine versus threonine phospho-acceptor, and preference for basic or acidic residues in other positions. Unlike Nek1-Nek9, Nek10 is a dual-specificity kinase that efficiently phosphorylates itself and peptide substrates on serine and tyrosine, and its activity is enhanced by tyrosine auto-phosphorylation. Nek10 dual-specificity depends on residues in the HRD+2 and APE-4 positions that are uncommon in either serine/threonine or tyrosine kinases. Finally, we show that the phosphorylation-site motifs for the mitotic kinases Nek6, Nek7 and Nek9 are essentially identical to that of their upstream activator Plk1, suggesting that Nek6/7/9 function as phospho-motif amplifiers of Plk1 signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bert van de Kooij
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Pau Creixell
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Anne van Vlimmeren
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Brian A Joughin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Chad J Miller
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Nasir Haider
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Craig D Simpson
- Biotech Research and Innovation Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rune Linding
- Biotech Research and Innovation Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vuk Stambolic
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin E Turk
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Michael B Yaffe
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Divisions of Acute Care Surgery, Trauma, and Critical Care and Surgical Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Singh V, Jaiswal PK, Ghosh I, Koul HK, Yu X, De Benedetti A. Targeting the TLK1/NEK1 DDR axis with Thioridazine suppresses outgrowth of androgen independent prostate tumors. Int J Cancer 2019; 145:1055-1067. [PMID: 30737777 PMCID: PMC6617729 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Standard therapy for advanced Prostate Cancer (PCa) consists of antiandrogens, which provide respite from disease progression, but ultimately fail resulting in the incurable phase of the disease: mCRPC. Targeting PCa cells before their progression to mCRPC would greatly improve the outcome. Combination therapy targeting the DNA Damage Response (DDR) has been limited by general toxicity, and a goal of clinical trials is how to target the DDR more specifically. We now show that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) of LNCaP cells results in increased expression of TLK1B, a key kinase upstream of NEK1 and ATR and mediating the DDR that typically results in a temporary cell cycle arrest of androgen responsive PCa cells. Following DNA damage, addition of the TLK specific inhibitor, thioridazine (THD), impairs ATR and Chk1 activation, establishing the existence of a ADT > TLK1 > NEK1 > ATR > Chk1, DDR pathway, while its abrogation leads to apoptosis. Treatment with THD suppressed the outgrowth of androgen‐independent (AI) colonies of LNCaP and TRAMP‐C2 cells cultured with bicalutamide. Moreover, THD significantly inhibited the growth of several PCa cells in vitro (including AI lines). Administration of THD or bicalutamide was not effective at inhibiting long‐term tumor growth of LNCaP xenografts. In contrast, combination therapy remarkably inhibited tumor growth via bypass of the DDR. Moreover, xenografts of LNCaP cells overexpressing a NEK1‐T141A mutant were durably suppressed with bicalutamide. Collectively, these results suggest that targeting the TLK1/NEK1 axis might be a novel therapy for PCa in combination with standard of care (ADT). What's new? Standard therapy for advanced Prostate Cancer (PCa) consists of anti‐androgens, which only provide temporary respite from disease progression to metastatic castrate‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Here, the authors show in the LNCaP cell model that the increased expression with ADT of TLK1B, a prosurvival checkpoint pathway that is enacted before conversion to androgen‐independent growth, offers a unique target for attacking more specifically PCa cells before their conversion to CRPC. Moreover, they suggest to re‐purpose thioridazine or other phenothiazine antipsychotic drugs as inhibitors of the TLK1 > Nek1 > ATR > Chk1 DNA Damage Response (DDR) axis for the early treatment of advanced PCa still responsive to ADT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vibha Singh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
| | - Praveen Kumar Jaiswal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
| | - Ishita Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
| | - Hari K Koul
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA.,Feist Weiller Cancer Center, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA.,Overton Brooks VA Medical center, Shreveport, LA
| | - Xiuping Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
| | - Arrigo De Benedetti
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
De Donato M, Righino B, Filippetti F, Battaglia A, Petrillo M, Pirolli D, Scambia G, De Rosa MC, Gallo D. Identification and antitumor activity of a novel inhibitor of the NIMA-related kinase NEK6. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16047. [PMID: 30375481 PMCID: PMC6207720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34471-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The NIMA (never in mitosis, gene A)-related kinase-6 (NEK6), which is implicated in cell cycle control and plays significant roles in tumorigenesis, is an attractive target for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Here we describe the discovery of a potent ATP site-directed inhibitor of NEK6 identified by virtual screening, adopting both structure- and ligand-based techniques. Using a homology-built model of NEK6 as well as the pharmacophoric features of known NEK6 inhibitors we identified novel binding scaffolds. Twenty-five compounds from the top ranking hits were subjected to in vitro kinase assays. The best compound, i.e. compound 8 ((5Z)-2-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-oxo-5-[(5-phenylfuran-2-yl)methylidene]-5,6-dihydropyridine-3-carbonitrile), was able to inhibit NEK6 with low micromolar IC50 value, also displaying antiproliferative activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines. Our results suggest that the identified inhibitor can be used as lead candidate for the development of novel anti-cancer agents, thus opening the possibility of new therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta De Donato
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Benedetta Righino
- Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Filippetti
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Battaglia
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Petrillo
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Gynecologic and Obstetric Clinic, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Davide Pirolli
- Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition (ICRM) - CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Daniela Gallo
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.,Department of Woman and Child Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|