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Short Linear Motifs in Colorectal Cancer Interactome and Tumorigenesis. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233739. [PMID: 36496998 PMCID: PMC9737320 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233739] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal tumorigenesis is driven by alterations in genes and proteins responsible for cancer initiation, progression, and invasion. This multistage process is based on a dense network of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) that become dysregulated as a result of changes in various cell signaling effectors. PPIs in signaling and regulatory networks are known to be mediated by short linear motifs (SLiMs), which are conserved contiguous regions of 3-10 amino acids within interacting protein domains. SLiMs are the minimum sequences required for modulating cellular PPI networks. Thus, several in silico approaches have been developed to predict and analyze SLiM-mediated PPIs. In this review, we focus on emerging evidence supporting a crucial role for SLiMs in driver pathways that are disrupted in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis and related PPI network alterations. As a result, SLiMs, along with short peptides, are attracting the interest of researchers to devise small molecules amenable to be used as novel anti-CRC targeted therapies. Overall, the characterization of SLiMs mediating crucial PPIs in CRC may foster the development of more specific combined pharmacological approaches.
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Zheng W, Li S, Huang J, Dong Y, Zhang H, Zheng J. Down-Regulation of Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 9X Inhibited Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Osteosarcoma <i>via</i> ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathways. Biol Pharm Bull 2022; 45:1283-1290. [DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b22-00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wendi Zheng
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of Pathology, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital
| | - Jincheng Huang
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital
| | - Yonghui Dong
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital
| | - Hongjun Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital
| | - Jia Zheng
- Department of Orthopedics, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital
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Fasano C, Lepore Signorile M, De Marco K, Forte G, Sanese P, Grossi V, Simone C. Identifying novel SMYD3 interactors on the trail of cancer hallmarks. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:1860-1875. [PMID: 35495117 PMCID: PMC9039736 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.03.037] [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: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
SMYD3 overexpression in several human cancers highlights its crucial role in carcinogenesis. Nonetheless, SMYD3 specific activity in cancer development and progression is currently under debate. Taking advantage of a library of rare tripeptides, which we first tested for their in vitro binding affinity to SMYD3 and then used as in silico probes, we recently identified BRCA2, ATM, and CHK2 as direct SMYD3 interactors. To gain insight into novel SMYD3 cancer-related roles, here we performed a comprehensive in silico analysis to cluster all potential SMYD3-interacting proteins identified by screening the human proteome for the previously tested tripeptides, based on their involvement in cancer hallmarks. Remarkably, we identified mTOR, BLM, MET, AMPK, and p130 as new SMYD3 interactors implicated in cancer processes. Further studies are needed to characterize the functional mechanisms underlying these interactions. Still, these findings could be useful to devise novel therapeutic strategies based on the combined inhibition of SMYD3 and its newly identified molecular partners. Of note, our in silico methodology may be useful to search for unidentified interactors of other proteins of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candida Fasano
- Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy
- Corresponding authors at: Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy (C.Fasano, C. Simone).
| | - Martina Lepore Signorile
- Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy
| | - Katia De Marco
- Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy
| | - Giovanna Forte
- Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy
| | - Paola Sanese
- Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy
| | - Valentina Grossi
- Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy
| | - Cristiano Simone
- Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy
- Medical Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology (DIMO), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
- Corresponding authors at: Medical Genetics, National Institute for Gastroenterology, IRCCS ‘S. de Bellis’ Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy (C.Fasano, C. Simone).
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Hibino E, Hiroaki H. Potential of rescue and reactivation of tumor suppressor p53 for cancer therapy. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:267-275. [PMID: 35340607 PMCID: PMC8921420 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00915-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor protein p53, a transcription product of the anti-oncogene TP53, is a critical factor in preventing cellular cancerization and killing cancer cells by inducing apoptosis. As a result, p53 is often referred to as the "guardian of the genome." Almost half of cancers possess genetic mutations in the TP53 gene, and most of these mutations result in the malfunction of p53, which promotes aggregation. In some cases, the product of the TP53 mutant allele shows higher aggregation propensity; the mutant co-aggregates with the normal (functional) p53 protein, thus losing cellular activity of the p53 guardian. Cancer might also progress because of the proteolytic degradation of p53 by activated E3 ubiquitination enzymes, MDM2 and MDM4. The inhibition of the specific interaction between MDM2 (MDM4) and p53 also results in increased p53 activity in cancer cells. Although the molecular targets of the drugs are different, two drug discovery strategies with a common goal, "rescuing p53 protein," have recently emerged. To conduct this approach, various biophysical methods of protein characterization were employed. In this review, we focus on these two independent strategies based on the unique biophysical features of the p53 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emi Hibino
- Laboratory of Structural Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 Japan
| | - Hidekazu Hiroaki
- Laboratory of Structural Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 Japan
- Business Incubation Building, BeCellBar LLC, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601 Japan
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