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Jiang X, Zhu B, Li G, Cui S, Yang J, Jiang R, Wang B. p20BAP31 promotes cell apoptosis via interaction with GRP78 and activating the PERK pathway in colorectal cancer. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 272:132870. [PMID: 38844291 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most deadly cancer worldwide. Although various treatments for CRC have made progress, they have limitations. Therefore, the search for new effective molecular targets is important for the treatment of CRC. p20BAP31 induces apoptosis through diverse pathways and exhibits greater sensitivity in CRC. Therefore, a comprehensive exploration of the molecular functions of p20BAP31 is important for its application in anti-tumor therapy. In this study, we showed that exogenous p20BAP31 was still located in the ER and significantly activated the unfolded protein response (UPR) through the PERK pathway. The activation of the PERK pathway is prominent in p20BAP31-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and apoptosis. We found, for the first time, that p20BAP31 leads to ER stress and markedly attenuates tumor cell growth in vivo. Importantly, mechanistic investigations indicated that p20BAP31 competitively binds to GRP78 from PERK and causes hyperactivation of the UPR. Furthermore, p20BAP31 upregulates the expression of GRP78 by promoting HSF1 nuclear translocation and enhancing its binding to the GRP78 promoter. These findings reveal p20BAP31 as a regulator of ER stress and a potential target for tumor therapy, and elucidate the underlying mechanism by which p20BAP31 mediates signal transduction between ER and mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohan Jiang
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Benzhi Zhu
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Guoxun Li
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Shuyu Cui
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Jiaying Yang
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Rui Jiang
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Bing Wang
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
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Jiang X, Li G, Zhu B, Yang J, Cui S, Jiang R, Wang B. p20BAP31 Induces Autophagy in Colorectal Cancer Cells by Promoting PERK-Mediated ER Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5101. [PMID: 38791141 PMCID: PMC11121724 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
B-cell receptor-associated protein 31 (BAP31) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein involved in apoptosis and autophagy by communication with ER and mitochondria. BAP31 is cleaved by caspase-8 and generates a proapoptotic fragment, p20BAP31, which has shown to induce ER stress and apoptosis through multiple pathways. In this study, we found that p20BAP31 significantly increased the agglomeration of LC3 puncta, suggesting the occurrence of autophagy. Therefore, it is meaningful to explore the mechanism of p20BAP31-induced autophagy, and further analyze the relationships among p20BAP31-induced autophagy, ER stress and apoptosis. The data showed that p20BAP31 induced autophagy by inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in colorectal cells. ER stress inhibitor 4-PBA and PERK siRNA alleviated p20BAP31-induced autophagy; in turn, autophagy inhibitors 3-MA and CQ did not affect p20BAP31-induced ER stress, suggesting that p20BAP31-induced ER stress is the upstream of autophagy. We also discovered that ROS inhibitor NAC inhibited p20BAP31-induced autophagy. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy by CQ suppressed p20BAP31-induced apoptosis and ameliorated cell proliferation. Importantly, p20BAP31 markedly reduced the tumor size in vivo, and significantly enhanced the autophagy levels in the tumor tissues. Collectively, p20BAP31 initiates autophagy by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling and activating the PERK-mediated ROS accumulation, further promotes p20BAP31-induced apoptosis and ultimately results in cell death. This study comprehensively reveals the potential mechanism of p20BAP31-induced cell death, which may provide new strategies for antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Rui Jiang
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, 195 Chuangxin Road, Hunnan District, Shenyang 110819, China; (X.J.); (G.L.); (B.Z.); (J.Y.); (S.C.)
| | - Bing Wang
- College of Life and Health Science, Northeastern University, 195 Chuangxin Road, Hunnan District, Shenyang 110819, China; (X.J.); (G.L.); (B.Z.); (J.Y.); (S.C.)
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Naik A, Lattab B, Qasem H, Decock J. Cancer testis antigens: Emerging therapeutic targets leveraging genomic instability in cancer. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200768. [PMID: 38596293 PMCID: PMC10876628 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Cancer care has witnessed remarkable progress in recent decades, with a wide array of targeted therapies and immune-based interventions being added to the traditional treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, despite these advancements, the challenge of achieving high tumor specificity while minimizing adverse side effects continues to dictate the benefit-risk balance of cancer therapy, guiding clinical decision making. As such, the targeting of cancer testis antigens (CTAs) offers exciting new opportunities for therapeutic intervention of cancer since they display highly tumor specific expression patterns, natural immunogenicity and play pivotal roles in various biological processes that are critical for tumor cellular fitness. In this review, we delve deeper into how CTAs contribute to the regulation and maintenance of genomic integrity in cancer, and how these mechanisms can be exploited to specifically target and eradicate tumor cells. We review the current clinical trials targeting aforementioned CTAs, highlight promising pre-clinical data and discuss current challenges and future perspectives for future development of CTA-based strategies that exploit tumor genomic instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adviti Naik
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Boucif Lattab
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hanan Qasem
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
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Li Y, Yu J, Li R, Zhou H, Chang X. New insights into the role of mitochondrial metabolic dysregulation and immune infiltration in septic cardiomyopathy by integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2024; 29:21. [PMID: 38291374 PMCID: PMC10826082 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-024-00536-2] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Septic cardiomyopathy (SCM), a common cardiovascular comorbidity of sepsis, has emerged among the leading causes of death in patients with sepsis. SCM's pathogenesis is strongly affected by mitochondrial metabolic dysregulation and immune infiltration disorder. However, the specific mechanisms and their intricate interactions in SCM remain unclear. This study employed bioinformatics analysis and drug discovery approaches to identify the regulatory molecules, distinct functions, and underlying interactions of mitochondrial metabolism and immune microenvironment, along with potential interventional strategies in SCM. METHODS GSE79962, GSE171546, and GSE167363 datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and module genes were identified using Limma and Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA), followed by functional enrichment analysis. Machine learning algorithms, including support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and random forest, were used to screen mitochondria-related hub genes for early diagnosis of SCM. Subsequently, a nomogram was developed based on six hub genes. The immunological landscape was evaluated by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). We also explored the expression pattern of hub genes and distribution of mitochondria/inflammation-related pathways in UMAP plots of single-cell dataset. Potential drugs were explored using the Drug Signatures Database (DSigDB). In vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to validate the pathogenetic mechanism of SCM and the therapeutic efficacy of candidate drugs. RESULTS Six hub mitochondria-related DEGs [MitoDEGs; translocase of inner mitochondrial membrane domain-containing 1 (TIMMDC1), mitochondrial ribosomal protein S31 (MRPS31), F-box only protein 7 (FBXO7), phosphatidylglycerophosphate synthase 1 (PGS1), LYR motif containing 7 (LYRM7), and mitochondrial chaperone BCS1 (BCS1L)] were identified. The diagnostic nomogram model based on the six hub genes demonstrated high reliability and validity in both the training and validation sets. The immunological microenvironment differed between SCM and control groups. The Spearman correlation analysis revealed that hub MitoDEGs were significantly associated with the infiltration of immune cells. Upregulated hub genes showed remarkably high expression in the naive/memory B cell, CD14+ monocyte, and plasma cell subgroup, evidenced by the feature plot. The distribution of mitochondria/inflammation-related pathways varied across subgroups among control and SCM individuals. Metformin was predicted to be the most promising drug with the highest combined score. Its efficacy in restoring mitochondrial function and suppressing inflammatory responses has also been validated. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a comprehensive mitochondrial metabolism and immune infiltration landscape in SCM, providing a potential novel direction for the pathogenesis and medical intervention of SCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Li
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Jiachi Yu
- Department of Cardiology, The Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ruibing Li
- Department of Cardiology, The Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Department of Cardiology, The Sixth Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Xing Chang
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Guanganmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Ma RF, Liu H, Zhao XC, Shan P, Sun P, Xue JJ, Wei G, Zhang H. Meroterpenoids from Daphne genkwa shows promising in vitro antitumor activity via inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in A549 cells. Bioorg Chem 2023; 140:106803. [PMID: 37659144 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Phytochemical investigation into the leaves and branches of Daphne genkwa afforded 25 meroterpenoids (1-16) including nine pairs of enantiomers (1a/1b-8a/8b and 12a/12b), among which 20 compounds have been reported in the present work for the first time. The structures with absolute configurations of the new molecules (excluding 10-13) were established via comprehensive spectroscopic analyses especially electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and Mosher's methods. A preliminary in vitro cell viability assay revealed remarkable cytotoxicities of selective compounds against A549 (lung), Hela (cervical), MDA-MB231 (breast) and MCF-7 (breast) cancer cells, and compound 8a showed the best inhibitory activity with IC50 values in the range of 3.12-4.67 μM toward the four cell lines. Subsequent in vitro antitumor evaluation of 8a disclosed that it could inhibit the proliferation and metastasis, as well as induce significant apoptosis and cycle arrest, of A549 cells. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that 8a could exert its antitumor activity via inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Fen Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China; School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Hu Liu
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Xue-Chun Zhao
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Peipei Shan
- Institute of Translational Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Ping Sun
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Jun-Juan Xue
- School of Chinese Medicine, Shandong College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai 264199, China
| | - Guodong Wei
- School of Chinese Medicine, Shandong College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai 264199, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China.
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Li G, Li J, Wang W, Feng X, Yu X, Yuan S, Zhang W, Chen J, Hu C. Synthesis, In Vitro, and In Vivo Investigations of Pterostilbene-Tethered Analogues as Anti-Breast Cancer Candidates. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11468. [PMID: 37511230 PMCID: PMC10380385 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411468] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pterostilbene has been found to be an active scaffold with anti-breast cancer (BC) action. In this study, fourteen pterostilbene-tethered analogues (2A-2N) were prepared and screened in vitro against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. Meanwhile, their structures were characterized using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HRMS (ESI) spectroscopy techniques. Among them, analogue 2L displayed the most potent anti-proliferation effect on MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 10.39 μM) and MCF-7 cells (IC50 = 11.73 μM). Furthermore, the meaningful structure-activity relationships suggested that the introduction of a saturated six-membered nitrogen heterocyclic ring into the side chain favored anti-BC capacity. Biological observations indicated that 2L could cause the typical morphological changes in apoptosis, namely an increase in reactive oxygen species level and a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in BC cells. Importantly, 2L could induce mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis by regulating the expression of caspase-related proteins. Consistent with the results of our in vitro study, 2L apparently inhibited tumor growth in MDA-MB-231 xenograft mice without obvious toxicity. These findings revealed that 2L is expected to be a promising anti-BC lead compound that merits further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoxun Li
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, Analysis and Testing Center, NERC Biomass of Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Wenqian Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Xiaoqing Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Xingkang Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Shuo Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Jialing Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Caijuan Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
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