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Brinkley DM, Smith KC, Fink EC, Kwen W, Yoo NH, West Z, Sullivan NL, Farthing AS, Hale VA, Goutte C. Notch signaling without the APH-2/nicastrin subunit of gamma secretase in Caenorhabditis elegans germline stem cells. Genetics 2024; 227:iyae076. [PMID: 38717968 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae076] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The final step in Notch signaling activation is the transmembrane cleavage of Notch receptor by γ secretase. Thus far, genetic and biochemical evidence indicates that four subunits are essential for γ secretase activity in vivo: presenilin (the catalytic core), APH-1, PEN-2, and APH-2/nicastrin. Although some γ secretase activity has been detected in APH-2/nicastrin-deficient mammalian cell lines, the lack of biological relevance for this activity has left the quaternary γ secretase model unchallenged. Here, we provide the first example of in vivo Notch signal transduction without APH-2/nicastrin. The surprising dispensability of APH-2/nicastrin is observed in Caenorhabditis elegans germline stem cells (GSCs) and contrasts with its essential role in previously described C. elegans Notch signaling events. Depletion of GLP-1/Notch, presenilin, APH-1, or PEN-2 causes a striking loss of GSCs. In contrast, aph-2/nicastrin mutants maintain GSCs and exhibit robust and localized expression of the downstream Notch target sygl-1. Interestingly, APH-2/nicastrin is normally expressed in GSCs and becomes essential under conditions of compromised Notch function. Further insight is provided by reconstituting the C. elegans γ secretase complex in yeast, where we find that APH-2/nicastrin increases but is not essential for γ secretase activity. Together, our results are most consistent with a revised model of γ secretase in which the APH-2/nicastrin subunit has a modulatory, rather than obligatory role. We propose that a trimeric presenilin-APH-1-PEN-2 γ secretase complex can provide a low level of γ secretase activity, and that cellular context determines whether or not APH-2/nicastrin is essential for effective Notch signal transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Brinkley
- Program in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Karen C Smith
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Emma C Fink
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Woohyun Kwen
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Nina H Yoo
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Zachary West
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Nora L Sullivan
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Alex S Farthing
- Program in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Valerie A Hale
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
| | - Caroline Goutte
- Program in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002, USA
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2
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Kumari L, Mishra L, Sharma Y, Chahar K, Kumar M, Patel P, Gupta GD, Kurmi BD. NOTCH Signaling Pathway: Occurrence, Mechanism, and NOTCH-Directed Therapy for the Management of Cancer. Cancer Biother Radiopharm 2024; 39:19-34. [PMID: 37797218 DOI: 10.1089/cbr.2023.0023] [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] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It is now well understood that many signaling pathways are vital in carrying out and controlling essential pro-survival and pro-growth cellular functions. The NOTCH signaling pathway, a highly conserved evolutionary signaling pathway, has been thoroughly studied since the discovery of NOTCH phenotypes about 100 years ago in Drosophila melanogaster. Abnormal NOTCH signaling has been linked to the pathophysiology of several diseases, notably cancer. In tumorigenesis, NOTCH plays the role of a "double-edged sword," that is, it may act as an oncogene or as a tumor suppressor gene depending on the nature of the context. However, its involvement in several cancers and inhibition of the same provides targeted therapy for the management of cancer. The use of gamma (γ)-secretase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment involved NOTCH receptors inhibition, leading to the possibility of a targeted approach for cancer treatment. Likewise, several natural compounds, including curcumin, resveratrol, diallyl sulfide, and genistein, also play a dynamic role in the management of cancer by inhibition of NOTCH receptors. This review outlines the functions and structure of NOTCH receptors and their associated ligands with the mechanism of the signaling pathway. In addition, it also emphasizes the role of NOTCH-targeted nanomedicine in various cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Kumari
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| | | | - Yash Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| | - Kanak Chahar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| | - Mritunjay Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| | - Preeti Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
| | | | - Balak Das Kurmi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College Pharmacy, Moga, India
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3
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Serneels L, Bammens L, Zwijsen A, Tolia A, Chávez-Gutiérrez L, De Strooper B. Functional and topological analysis of PSENEN, the fourth subunit of the γ-secretase complex. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105533. [PMID: 38072061 PMCID: PMC10790097 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105533] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The γ-secretase complexes are intramembrane cleaving proteases involved in the generation of the Aβ peptides in Alzheimer's disease. The complex consists of four subunits, with Presenilin harboring the catalytic site. Here, we study the role of the smallest subunit, PSENEN or Presenilin enhancer 2, encoded by the gene Psenen, in vivo and in vitro. We find a profound Notch deficiency phenotype in Psenen-/- embryos confirming the essential role of PSENEN in the γ-secretase complex. We used Psenen-/- fibroblasts to explore the structure-function of PSENEN by the scanning cysteine accessibility method. Glycine 22 and proline 27, which border the membrane domains 1 and 2 of PSENEN, are involved in complex formation and stabilization of γ-secretase. The hairpin structured hydrophobic membrane domains 1 and 2 are exposed to a water-containing cavity in the complex, while transmembrane domain 3 is not water exposed. We finally demonstrate the essential role of PSENEN for the cleavage activity of the complex. PSENEN is more than a structural component of the γ-secretase complex and might contribute to the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutgarde Serneels
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leen Bammens
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - An Zwijsen
- Laboratory of Developmental Signaling, Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Tolia
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lucía Chávez-Gutiérrez
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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4
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Wang M, Liu K, Ma Y, Han W. Probing the Mechanisms of Inhibitors Binding to Presenilin Homologue Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052076. [PMID: 36903320 PMCID: PMC10004098 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
γ-secretase is an intramembrane proteolytic enzyme that is mainly involved in the cleavage and hydrolysis of the amyloid precursor (APP). The catalytic subunit presenilin 1 (PS1) is the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase. Since it was found that PS1 is responsible for Aβ-producing proteolytic activity, which is involved in Alzheimer's disease, it is believed that reducing the activity of PS1 and preventing or delaying the production of Aβ could help treat Alzheimer's disease. Consequently, in recent years, researchers have begun investigating the potential clinical efficacy of PS1 inhibitors. Currently, most PS1 inhibitors are only used as a tool to study the structure and function of PS1, and a few inhibitors with a high selectivity have been tested in clinics. Less-selective PS1 inhibitors were found to not only inhibit Aβ production but also inhibit Notch cleavage, which led to serious adverse events. The archaeal presenilin homologue (PSH) is a surrogate protease of presenilin that is useful for agent screening. In this study, we performed 200 ns molecular dynamics simulations (MD) of four systems to explore the conformational changes of different ligands binding to PSH. Our results indicated that the PSH-L679 system formed 3-10 helices in TM4, loosening up TM4 and allowing substrates to enter the catalytic pocket, thereby making it less inhibitory. Additionally, we found that III-31-C can bring TM4 and TM6 closer, resulting in the contraction of the PSH active pocket. Altogether, these results provide the basis for the potential design of newer PS1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Weiwei Han
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-(431)-85155218
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5
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Yousefi H, Bahramy A, Zafari N, Delavar MR, Nguyen K, Haghi A, Kandelouei T, Vittori C, Jazireian P, Maleki S, Imani D, Moshksar A, Bitaraf A, Babashah S. Notch signaling pathway: a comprehensive prognostic and gene expression profile analysis in breast cancer. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1282. [PMID: 36476410 PMCID: PMC9730604 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10383-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex disease exhibiting a great degree of heterogeneity due to different molecular subtypes. Notch signaling regulates the differentiation of breast epithelial cells during normal development and plays a crucial role in breast cancer progression through the abnormal expression of the Notch up-and down-stream effectors. To date, there are only a few patient-centered clinical studies using datasets characterizing the role of Notch signaling pathway regulators in breast cancer; thus, we investigate the role and functionality of these factors in different subtypes using publicly available databases containing records from large studies. High-throughput genomic data and clinical information extracted from TCGA were analyzed. We performed Kaplan-Meier survival and differential gene expression analyses using the HALLMARK_NOTCH_SIGNALING gene set. To determine if epigenetic regulation of the Notch regulators contributes to their expression, we analyzed methylation levels of these factors using the TCGA HumanMethylation450 Array data. Notch receptors and ligands expression is generally associated with the tumor subtype, grade, and stage. Furthermore, we showed gene expression levels of most Notch factors were associated with DNA methylation rate. Modulating the expression levels of Notch receptors and effectors can be a potential therapeutic approach for breast cancer. As we outline herein, elucidating the novel prognostic and regulatory roles of Notch implicate this pathway as an essential mediator controlling breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Yousefi
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Afshin Bahramy
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narges Zafari
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Rostamian Delavar
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Khoa Nguyen
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Atousa Haghi
- Hematology Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahmineh Kandelouei
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Cecilia Vittori
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Parham Jazireian
- Department of Biology, University Campus 2, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Sajad Maleki
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Danyal Imani
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Amin Moshksar
- Interventional Radiology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Amirreza Bitaraf
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran
| | - Sadegh Babashah
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box, Tehran, 14115-154, Iran.
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6
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Li Y, Zhou W, Meng X, Murray SD, Li L, Fronk A, Lazaro-Camp VJ, Wen KK, Wu M, Dupuy A, Leslie KK, Yang S. Utilizing an Endogenous Progesterone Receptor Reporter Gene for Drug Screening and Mechanistic Study in Endometrial Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4883. [PMID: 36230806 PMCID: PMC9561963 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194883] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of progesterone receptor (PR) is a favorable prognostic marker for multiple solid tumors. However, PR expression is reduced or lost in malignant tumors. Thus, monitoring and restoring functional PR expression is important in order to sensitize tumor cells to progesterone therapy in endometrial cancer. We developed stable PR reporter gene containing endometrial cancer cell lines monitoring the endogenous PR expression by inserting mCherry and hygromycin resistant gene at the endogenous PR gene locus by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing technique. This allows efficient, real-time monitoring of PR expression in its native epigenetic landscape. Reporter gene expression faithfully reflects and amplifies PR expression following treatment with drugs known to induce PR expression. Small molecular PR inducers have been identified from the FDA-approved 1018 drug library and tested for their ability to restore PR expression. Additionally, several candidate PR repressors have been identified by screening the genome-wide CRISPR knockout (GeCKO) library. This novel endogenous PR reporter gene system facilitates the discovery of a new treatment strategy to enhance PR expression and further sensitize progestin therapy in endometrial cancer. These tools provide a systematic, unbiased approach for monitoring target gene expression, allowing for novel drug discovery and mechanistic exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Xiangbing Meng
- Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Sarina D. Murray
- Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Long Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Abby Fronk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Vanessa J. Lazaro-Camp
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Kuo-kuang Wen
- High Throughput Screening Facility at University of Iowa (UIHTS), Iowa City, IA 52242, USA or or
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Meng Wu
- High Throughput Screening Facility at University of Iowa (UIHTS), Iowa City, IA 52242, USA or or
- Division of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Adam Dupuy
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Kimberly K. Leslie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Shujie Yang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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7
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Qian YT, Xiao M, Liu K, Ma DL, Zhang X. Two novel mutations of the γ-secretase genes in Chinese acne inversa (hidradenitis suppurativa). Exp Dermatol 2021; 31:643-644. [PMID: 34748240 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yue-Tong Qian
- Department of Dermatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Xiao
- McKusick-Zhang Center for Genetic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Keqiang Liu
- McKusick-Zhang Center for Genetic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Dong-Lai Ma
- Department of Dermatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- McKusick-Zhang Center for Genetic Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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8
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Lechuga GC, Napoleão-Pêgo P, Gomes LR, da Matta Durans A, Provance DW, De-Simone SG. Nicastrin-Like, a Novel Transmembrane Protein from Trypanosoma cruzi Associated to the Flagellar Pocket. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9081750. [PMID: 34442829 PMCID: PMC8400621 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicastrin (NICT) is a transmembrane protein physically associated with the polytypical aspartyl protease presenilin that plays a vital role in the correct localization and stabilization of presenilin to the membrane-bound γ-secretase complex. This complex is involved in the regulation of a wide range of cellular events, including cell signaling and the regulation of endocytosed membrane proteins for their trafficking and protein processing. Methods: In Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of the Chagas disease, a NICT-like protein (Tc/NICT) was identified with a short C-terminus orthologous to the human protein, a large ectodomain (ECD) with numerous glycosylation sites and a single-core transmembrane domain containing a putative TM-domain (457GSVGA461) important for the γ-secretase complex activity. Results: Using the Spot-synthesis strategy with Chagasic patient sera, five extracellular epitopes were identified and synthetic forms were used to generate rabbit anti-Tc/NICT polyclonal serum that recognized a ~72-kDa molecule in immunoblots of T. cruzi epimastigote extracts. Confocal microscopy suggests that Tc/NICT is localized in the flagellar pocket, which is consistent with data from our previous studies with a T. cruzi presenilin-like protein. Phylogenetically, Tc/NICT was localized within a subgroup with the T. rangeli protein that is clearly detached from the other Trypanosomatidae, such as T. brucei. These results, together with a comparative analysis of the selected peptide sequence regions between the T. cruzi and mammalian proteins, suggest a divergence from the human NICT that might be relevant to Chagas disease pathology. As a whole, our data show that a NICT-like protein is expressed in the infective and replicative stages of T. cruzi and may be considered further evidence for a γ-secretase complex in trypanosomatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Curty Lechuga
- FIOCRUZ, Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation on Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDPN), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (G.C.L.); (P.N.-P.); (L.R.G.); (A.d.M.D.); (D.W.P.J.)
| | - Paloma Napoleão-Pêgo
- FIOCRUZ, Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation on Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDPN), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (G.C.L.); (P.N.-P.); (L.R.G.); (A.d.M.D.); (D.W.P.J.)
| | - Larissa Rodrigues Gomes
- FIOCRUZ, Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation on Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDPN), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (G.C.L.); (P.N.-P.); (L.R.G.); (A.d.M.D.); (D.W.P.J.)
| | - Andressa da Matta Durans
- FIOCRUZ, Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation on Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDPN), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (G.C.L.); (P.N.-P.); (L.R.G.); (A.d.M.D.); (D.W.P.J.)
| | - David William Provance
- FIOCRUZ, Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation on Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDPN), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (G.C.L.); (P.N.-P.); (L.R.G.); (A.d.M.D.); (D.W.P.J.)
- FIOCRUZ, Interdisciplinary Medical Research Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Salvatore Giovanni De-Simone
- FIOCRUZ, Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), National Institute of Science and Technology for Innovation on Neglected Diseases Populations (INCT-IDPN), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (G.C.L.); (P.N.-P.); (L.R.G.); (A.d.M.D.); (D.W.P.J.)
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biology Institute, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói 24020-141, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Fax: +55-21-2590-3495
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9
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Inoue Y, Masuda T, Misumi Y, Ando Y, Ueda M. Metformin attenuates vascular pathology by increasing expression of insulin-degrading enzyme in a mixed model of cerebral amyloid angiopathy and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Neurosci Lett 2021; 762:136136. [PMID: 34311050 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), which is characterized by cerebrovascular amyloid β (Aβ) deposits, causes cerebral hemorrhages and dementia in elderly people. Metformin has been used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and animal and clinical studies have reported therapeutic effects of metformin in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the therapeutic effects of metformin in CAA are unclear. Here, we used a mixed mouse model of CAA and T2DM (APP23-ob/ob) to investigate whether metformin has therapeutic effects on cerebrovascular Aβ deposits. We dissolved metformin hydrochloride in water and administered it orally at 350 mg/kg/day. Treatments started when mice were 6 weeks old and continued until they were 15 months old. After we treated APP23-ob/ob mice with metformin, we counted the numbers of vessels with Aβ and measured levels of Aβ40 and Aβ42 (soluble and insoluble), amyloid precursor protein (APP), APP-processing enzymes (α-, β-, and γ-secretases), and Aβ-degrading enzymes (insulin-degrading enzyme [IDE], neprilysin). Metformin significantly reduced cerebrovascular Aβ deposits in APP23-ob/ob mice (p < .05). Compared with controls, metformin-treated APP23-ob/ob mice had significantly reduced Aβ levels in the cerebral cortex (p < .05) and hippocampus (p < .05) and increased levels of IDE in the hippocampus (p < .01). Our results indicate that metformin attenuates the severity of CAA by enhancing Aβ-cleaving IDE expression. The clinical application of metformin may lead to a novel therapeutic strategy in CAA treatment, especially in patients with T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuteru Inoue
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
| | - Teruaki Masuda
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yohei Misumi
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yukio Ando
- Department of Amyloidosis Research, Nagasaki International University, Sasebo, Japan
| | - Mitsuharu Ueda
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
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10
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Darusman HS, Saepuloh U, Mariya SS, Sajuthi D, Schapiro SJ, Hau J. Increased expression of GAPDH in cynomolgus monkeys with spontaneous cognitive decline and amyloidopathy reminiscent of an Alzheimer's-type disease is reflected in the circulation. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23296. [PMID: 34196425 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies of aging cynomolgus monkeys from our group identified spontaneous age-associated cognitive declines associated with biomarkers and brain lesions reminiscent of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), in a proportion of aged monkeys. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the spontaneous amyloid disorders and cognitive declines observed in these affected monkeys have yet to be investigated in detail. Using reverse transcriptase quantitative real time PCR techniques, normalized to the ACTB housekeeping gene, we analyzed the expression patterns of a number of genes which have been implicated in amyloid and tau abnormalities, in well-characterized aged cynomolgus monkeys with cognitive decline. A significantly increased expression of the genes coding for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), was found in aged-cognitive decline monkeys compared to age-matched healthy controls. GAPDH has been implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases and interacts with beta amyloid precursor proteins. These findings provide support for the utilization of cynomolgus macaques in translational preclinical research as valid spontaneous models in experimental investigations of the relationships among aging, cognitive decline, and the neuropathy of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huda S Darusman
- Primate Research Center, Institute of Research and Community Service, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University), Bogor, Indonesia.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Uus Saepuloh
- Primate Research Center, Institute of Research and Community Service, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Sela S Mariya
- Primate Research Center, Institute of Research and Community Service, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Dondin Sajuthi
- Primate Research Center, Institute of Research and Community Service, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University), Bogor, Indonesia.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Department of Comparative Medicine, UTMD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, USA.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jann Hau
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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Wei J, Huang J, Kuang Y, Li Y, Zhong D, Song J. Metformin inhibits proliferation of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by suppressing proteolysis of nerve growth factor receptor. Arch Oral Biol 2020; 121:104971. [PMID: 33220581 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2020.104971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We aimed to explore the effects of metformin on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell proliferation and the associated molecular mechanisms. METHODS We established an OSCC model in SCC15 cells overexpressing nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) or the N-terminal region (aa 1-250; NGFR-N), and assessed cell proliferation by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and cell cycle analysis. Levels of NGFR and related genes and proteins were detected by qPCR and western blotting, and NGFR and NGFR-N affinity for p53 was assessed by immunoprecipitation assay. Additionally, the effects of NGFR and NGFR-N on p53 binding with its downstream gene promoters were analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS Metformin inhibited OSCC cell proliferation and blocked NGFR proteolysis, thereby reducing the generation of its intracellular domain and NGFR-N. Moreover, compared with NGFR, NGFR-N showed higher affinity for p53 and more strongly inactivated p53 to promote cell proliferation. Furthermore, upregulation of NGFR-N downregulated levels of p53-specific downstream transcripts and proteins, whereas these levels were significantly upregulated in metformin-treated cells overexpressing NGFR. CONCLUSIONS These results showed that metformin inhibited cell proliferation by suppressing NGFR proteolysis, thereby promoting its antitumor effect in OSCC and offering novel insight into a role for metformin in OSCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wei
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Jiao Huang
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Yunchun Kuang
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Yongkai Li
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Daiqin Zhong
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Jinlin Song
- College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory for Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing, 401147, China; Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, 401147, China.
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12
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Mesa RA, Roberson EDO. Validation of a commercial antibody to detect endogenous human nicastrin by immunoblot. F1000Res 2020; 8:1211. [PMID: 32399180 PMCID: PMC7194342 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.19803.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicastrin (NCSTN) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is part of the gamma-secretase complex. Gamma-secretase is a protease complex that cleaves type-I single-pass transmembrane proteins. There are many potential substrates for this complex, including NOTCH receptors and amyloid precursor proteins (APP). There are a number of commercial antibodies to nicastrin, but they do not agree on expected peptide size. We confirmed the specificity of a C-terminal binding rabbit anti-human antibody from Sigma-Aldrich (#N1660) using wildtype HEK293 cells and HEK293 cells deleted for nicastrin. The wildtype cells showed a prominent band at approximately 110 kDa. We confirmed this larger than expected sized was due to glycosylation by treating the lysate with peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F), which reduced the band to less than 75 kDa. These data suggest that this polyclonal is specific for nicastrin and can detect endogenous levels of protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana A Mesa
- Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Elisha D O Roberson
- Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.,Department of Genetics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
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13
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Cai T, Tomita T. Structure-activity relationship of presenilin in γ-secretase-mediated intramembrane cleavage. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 105:102-109. [PMID: 32171519 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Genetic research on familial cases of Alzheimer disease have identified presenilin (PS) as an important membrane protein in the pathomechanism of this disease. PS is the catalytic subunit of γ-secretase, which is responsible for the generation of amyloid-β peptide deposited in the brains of Alzheimer disease patients. γ-Secretase is an atypical protease composed of four membrane proteins (i.e., presenilin, nicastrin, anterior pharynx defective-1 (Aph-1), and presenilin enhancer-2 (Pen-2)) and mediates intramembrane proteolysis. Numerous investigations have been conducted toward understanding the structural features of γ-secretase components as well as the cleavage mechanism of γ-secretase. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the structure and activity relationship of the γ-secretase complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Cai
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Taisuke Tomita
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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14
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Hsu CH, Liou GG, Jiang YJ. Nicastrin Deficiency Induces Tyrosinase-Dependent Depigmentation and Skin Inflammation. J Invest Dermatol 2019; 140:404-414.e13. [PMID: 31437444 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2019.07.702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Skin depigmentation diseases, such as vitiligo, are pigmentation disorders that often destroy melanocytes. However, their pathological mechanisms remain unclear, and therefore, promising treatments or prevention has been lacking. Here, we demonstrate that a zebrafish insertional mutant showing a significant reduction of nicastrin transcript possesses melanosome maturation defect, Tyrosinase-dependent mitochondrial swelling, and melanophore cell death. The depigmentation phenotypes are proven to be a result of γ-secretase inactivation. Furthermore, live imaging demonstrates that macrophages are recruited to and can phagocytose melanophore debris. Thus, we characterize a potential zebrafish depigmentation disease model, a nicastrinhi1384 mutant, which can be used for further treatment or drug development of diseases related to skin depigmentation and/or inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hao Hsu
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan; Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Gunn-Guang Liou
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Jin Jiang
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan; Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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15
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Wang S, Wu M, Ma S. Integrative Analysis of Cancer Omics Data for Prognosis Modeling. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10080604. [PMID: 31405076 PMCID: PMC6727084 DOI: 10.3390/genes10080604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prognosis modeling plays an important role in cancer studies. With the development of omics profiling, extensive research has been conducted to search for prognostic markers for various cancer types. However, many of the existing studies share a common limitation by only focusing on a single cancer type and suffering from a lack of sufficient information. With potential molecular similarity across cancer types, one cancer type may contain information useful for the analysis of other types. The integration of multiple cancer types may facilitate information borrowing so as to more comprehensively and more accurately describe prognosis. In this study, we conduct marginal and joint integrative analysis of multiple cancer types, effectively introducing integration in the discovery process. For accommodating high dimensionality and identifying relevant markers, we adopt the advanced penalization technique which has a solid statistical ground. Gene expression data on nine cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) are analyzed, leading to biologically sensible findings that are different from the alternatives. Overall, this study provides a novel venue for cancer prognosis modeling by integrating multiple cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaichao Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Mengyun Wu
- School of Statistics and Management, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Shuangge Ma
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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16
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Krishna BM, Jana S, Singhal J, Horne D, Awasthi S, Salgia R, Singhal SS. Notch signaling in breast cancer: From pathway analysis to therapy. Cancer Lett 2019; 461:123-131. [PMID: 31326555 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway, which is highly conserved from sea urchins to humans, plays an important role in cell-differentiation, survival, proliferation, stem-cell renewal, and determining cell fate during development and morphogenesis. It is well established that signaling pathways are dysregulated in a wide-range of diseases, including human malignancies. Studies suggest that the dysregulation of the Notch pathway contributes to carcinogenesis, cancer stem cell renewal, angiogenesis, and chemo-resistance. Elevated levels of Notch receptors and ligands have been associated with cancer-progression and poor survival. Furthermore, the Notch signaling pathway regulates the transcriptional activity of key target genes through crosstalk with several other signaling pathways. Indeed, increasing evidence suggests that the Notch signaling pathway may serve as a therapeutic target for the treatment of several cancers, including breast cancer. Researchers have demonstrated the anti-tumor properties of Notch inhibitors in various cancer types. Currently, Notch inhibitors are being evaluated for anticancer efficacy in a number of clinical-trials. However, because there are multiple Notch receptors that can exhibit either oncogenic or tumor-suppressing roles in various cells, it is important that the Notch inhibitors are specific to particular receptors that are tumorigenic in nature. This review critically evaluates existing Notch inhibitory drugs and strategies and summarizes the previous discoveries, current understandings, and recent developments in support of Notch receptors as therapeutic targets in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Madhu Krishna
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Samir Jana
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Jyotsana Singhal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - David Horne
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Sanjay Awasthi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Ravi Salgia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Sharad S Singhal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center and National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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17
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Memantine, a Noncompetitive N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antagonist, Attenuates Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy by Increasing Insulin-Degrading Enzyme Expression. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:8573-8588. [PMID: 31280448 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-01678-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is characterized by cerebrovascular amyloid beta (Aβ) deposits and causes cerebral hemorrhages and dementia in elderly people. Memantine is used in Alzheimer's disease to inhibit the glutamatergic system by blocking N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Its therapeutic effects in CAA are unclear, however. Here, we used APP23 transgenic mice (CAA model) to investigate whether memantine has direct therapeutic effects on cerebrovascular Aβ deposits. We treated APP23 mice and age-matched wild-type littermates with memantine at ages 6-18 months. We counted the numbers of vessels with Aβ and hemosiderin deposits. We measured soluble and insoluble Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels and levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP), APP-processing enzymes (α-, β-, γ-secretase), and Aβ-degrading enzymes (insulin-degrading enzyme [IDE], neprilysin). Memantine reduced cerebrovascular Aβ and hemosiderin deposits in APP23 mice. Compared with controls, memantine-treated APP23 mice had reduced Aβ40 levels and increased levels of hippocampal and vascular IDE. Our results suggest that memantine reduces cerebrovascular Aβ deposits by enhancing Aβ-cleaving IDE expression. The clinical availability of memantine may allow its use as a novel therapeutic agent in CAA.
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18
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Yuksel M, Tacal O. Trafficking and proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein and secretases in Alzheimer's disease development: An up-to-date review. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 856:172415. [PMID: 31132354 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is predicted to affect 1 in 85 persons worldwide by 2050, results in progressive loss of neuronal functions, leading to impairments in memory and cognitive abilities. As being one of the major neuropathological hallmarks of AD, senile plaques mainly consist of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, which are derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) via the sequential cleavage by β- and γ-secretases. Although the overproduction and accumulation of Aβ peptides are at the center of AD research, the new discoveries point out to the complexity of the disease development. In this respect, it is crucial to understand the processing and the trafficking of APP, the enzymes involved in its processing, the cleavage products and their therapeutic potentials. This review summarizes the salient features of APP processing focusing on APP, the canonical secretases as well as the novel secretases and the cleavage products with an update of the recent developments. We also discussed the intracellular trafficking of APP and secretases in addition to their potential in AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melike Yuksel
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Ozden Tacal
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
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19
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Petit D, Hitzenberger M, Lismont S, Zoltowska KM, Ryan NS, Mercken M, Bischoff F, Zacharias M, Chávez-Gutiérrez L. Extracellular interface between APP and Nicastrin regulates Aβ length and response to γ-secretase modulators. EMBO J 2019; 38:embj.2019101494. [PMID: 31109937 PMCID: PMC6576158 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019101494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Secretase complexes (GSECs) are multimeric membrane proteases involved in a variety of physiological processes and linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Presenilin (PSEN, catalytic subunit), Nicastrin (NCT), Presenilin Enhancer 2 (PEN-2), and Anterior Pharynx Defective 1 (APH1) are the essential subunits of GSECs. Mutations in PSEN and the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) cause early-onset AD GSECs successively cut APP to generate amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides of various lengths. AD-causing mutations destabilize GSEC-APP/Aβn interactions and thus enhance the production of longer Aβs, which elicit neurotoxic events underlying pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the molecular strategies that anchor GSEC and APP/Aβn during the sequential proteolysis. Our studies reveal that a direct interaction between NCT ectodomain and APPC99 influences the stability of GSEC-Aβn assemblies and thereby modulates Aβ length. The data suggest a potential link between single-nucleotide variants in NCSTN and AD risk. Furthermore, our work indicates that an extracellular interface between the protease (NCT, PSEN) and the substrate (APP) represents the target for compounds (GSMs) modulating Aβ length. Our findings may guide future rationale-based drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Petit
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Manuel Hitzenberger
- Physics Department, Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Sam Lismont
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katarzyna Marta Zoltowska
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Natalie S Ryan
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Marc Mercken
- Janssen Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium.,Janssen Research & Development, Neuroscience biology Turnhoutseweg, Beerse, Belgium
| | - François Bischoff
- Janssen Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Physics Department, Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Lucía Chávez-Gutiérrez
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium .,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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20
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Jeon YH, Ha M, Kim SW, Kim MJ, Lee CS, Oh CK, Han ME, Oh SO, Kim YH. Evaluation of the prognostic significances of γ-secretase genes in pancreatic cancer. Oncol Lett 2019; 17:4614-4620. [PMID: 30944650 PMCID: PMC6444455 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
With the growing requirement for novel prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer, many studies have focused on clinical and/or genomic variables. Although many studies have been performed, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 is the only biomarker in clinical use. Therefore, the present study examined whether γ-secretase genes, including presenilin (PSEN), nicastrin (NCSTN), presenilin enhancer protein 2 (PSENEN), and anterior pharynx-defective 1 (APH1-), could serve as prognostic factors for pancreatic cancer. The cohorts selected included >100 pancreatic cancer patients. Patient data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE21501). The prognostic roles of the γ-secretase genes were analyzed by several survival analysis methods. Among the γ-secretase genes, the prognosis tended to be worse in the 2 cohorts with increasing expression of PSEN1, APH1A, and PSENEN, while the remaining genes were the opposite in the 2 cohorts. Notably, although the patient characteristics were quite different, APH1A was statistically significantly associated with prognosis in the 2 cohorts. The hazard ratio of APH1A for overall survival was 1.598 (TCGA) and 2.724 (GSE21501). These results contribute to the study of γ-secretase in pancreatic cancer. We believe that γ-secretase, particularly APH1A, will be a new prognostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Ho Jeon
- Department of Pediatrics, Busan St. Mary's Hospital, Busan 48575, Republic of Korea
| | - Mihyang Ha
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Won Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Busan St. Mary's Hospital, Busan 48575, Republic of Korea
| | - Mun Ju Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Busan St. Mary's Hospital, Busan 48575, Republic of Korea
| | - Chi-Seung Lee
- Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan 49241, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Kyu Oh
- Center for Genomic Integrity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung-Eun Han
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae-Ock Oh
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Hak Kim
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.,Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan 49241, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
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21
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Zhao X, Wang X, Su G, Sun Q, Fu J, Zhang H, Teng J. The effect of early growth response 1 on levels of Amyloid-β 40 peptide in U87MG cells. J Cell Biochem 2018; 120:3514-3519. [PMID: 30548663 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A recent study has shown that early growth response 1 (EGR1) plays a critical role in the β-amyloid cascade and tau hypotheses. In addition, evidence has suggested that EGR1 can regulate levels of amyloid-beta peptides, key molecules in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether EGR1 is a deleterious or protective factor in the AD is still controversial. In this present study, we constructed an overexpression plasmid, CMV-EGFP-EGR1-Kanamycin, and transfected it into U87MG cells to investigate the effects of EGR1 expression on amyloid-β (1-40) peptide (Aβ40) levels. U87MG cells transfected by CMV-EGFP-EGR1-Kanamycin and CMV-EGFP-Kanamycin were assigned, respectively, to experimental and control groups. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe transfection efficiencies of the plasmids after 6 hours. EGR1 messenger RNA levels were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Aβ40 secretion was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression of the amyloid precursor protein, beta-secretase enzyme, and presenilin 1 proteins were analyzed by Western blot analysis. The results showed that EGR1 overexpression increased Aβ40 secretion in vitro, possibly through increasing BACE1 expression. Based on these results, EGR1 might be a promising therapeutic target for the AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhao
- Department of Neurology, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaojie Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Gang Su
- Department of Neurology, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qi Sun
- Department of Neurology, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jitong Fu
- Department of Neurology, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huili Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junfang Teng
- Department of Neurology, The Frist Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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22
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Xiao YJ, Yang Y, Liang YH. hsa-miR-155 targeted NCSTN 3'UTR mutation promotes the pathogenesis and development of acne inversa. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2018; 11:1878-1889. [PMID: 31938294 PMCID: PMC6958207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate molecular mechanisms of nicastrin (NCSTN) mutations inducing acne inversa (AI). METHODS New and old lesional and non-lesional skin samples were obtained from an AI patient. Healthy skin samples were obtained from the buttocks of 100 non-AI patients. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry of NCSTN protein were examined. All exon-intron and exon boundary sequences were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) -amplified and sequenced. Bioinformatic analyses of NCSTN 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTR) were conducted using RegRNA2.0. 3'UTR of NCSTN was cloned vector of psiCHECK-2 vector; the mutant 3'UTR NCSTN-psiCHECK-2 was constructed on a template of NCSTN 3'UTR. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, real-time reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR and Western blot analysis were conducted to evaluate functional changes associated with the mutation. RESULTS We identified a novel deletion mutation of the NCSTN gene in the NCSTN 3'UTR region (designated c.2584-2585del CA) at the binding site of human micro-RNA-155 (hsa-miR-155). Levels of NCSTN protein were potently lower in epidermis and hair follicles of AI patients with lesions than in healthy skin. The hsa-miR-155+mutant NCSTN significantly downregulated in dual luciferase assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blot. The novel deletion mutation was confirmed to be a pathological cause of AI. CONCLUSIONS miR-155 downregulates the expression of NCSTN by binding NCSTN 3'UTR, providing a possible new mechanism of loss of NCSTN function in AI patients. hsa-miR-155 functions as a promoter in AI, and is a potential therapy target for AI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Juan Xiao
- Department of Dermatology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityShenzhen 518000, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Department of Dermatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, P. R. China
- Department of Dermatology, The Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (The First People’s Hospital of Chongqing City)Chongqing 400011, P. R. China
| | - Yao Yang
- Department of Dermatology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityShenzhen 518000, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Department of Dermatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Hua Liang
- Department of Dermatology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityShenzhen 518000, Guangzhou, P. R. China
- Department of Dermatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, P. R. China
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23
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Hu C, Xu J, Zeng L, Li T, Cui MZ, Xu X. Pen-2 and Presenilin are Sufficient to Catalyze Notch Processing. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 56:1263-1269. [PMID: 28234257 DOI: 10.3233/jad-161094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Presenilin-1 (PS1) or presenilin-2 (PS2), nicastrin (NCT), anterior pharynx-defective 1 (Aph-1), and presenilin enhancer-2 (Pen-2) have been considered the minimal essential subunits required to form an active γ-secretase complex. Besides PS, which has been widely believed to function as the catalytic subunit of the complex, the functional roles of the other subunits in the γ-secretase complex remain debatable. In the current study, we set out to determine the role of Pen-2 in γ-secretase activity. To this end, using knockout cells in combination with siRNA and immunoprecipitation approaches, our results revealed that Pen-2 together with presenilin are sufficient to form a functionally active enzyme to process Notch. Specifically, our data demonstrated that Pen-2 plays a crucial role in substrate binding, a mechanism by which Pen-2 contributes directly to the catalytic mechanism of γ-secretase activity. Our data also suggested that there may be different requirements for components to process AβPP and Notch. This information would be important for therapeutic strategy aimed at inhibition or modulation of γ-secretase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hu
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Junjie Xu
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Jilin Medical University, Jilin, China
| | - Linlin Zeng
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mei-Zhen Cui
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Xuemin Xu
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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24
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Allosteric Modulation of Intact γ-Secretase Structural Dynamics. Biophys J 2018; 113:2634-2649. [PMID: 29262358 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As a protease complex involved in the cleavage of amyloid precursor proteins that lead to the formation of amyloid β fibrils implicated in Alzheimer's disease, γ-secretase is an important target for developing therapeutics against Alzheimer's disease. γ-secretase is composed of four subunits: nicastrin (NCT) in the extracellular (EC) domain, presenilin-1 (PS1), anterior pharynx defective 1, and presenilin enhancer 2 in the transmembrane (TM) domain. NCT and PS1 play important roles in binding amyloid β precursor proteins and modulating PS1 catalytic activity. Yet, the molecular mechanisms of coupling between substrate/modulator binding and catalytic activity remain to be elucidated. Recent determination of intact human γ-secretase cryo-electron microscopy structure has opened the way for a detailed investigation of the structural dynamics of this complex. Our analysis, based on a membrane-coupled anisotropic network model, reveals two types of NCT motions, bending and twisting, with respect to PS1. These underlie the fluctuations between the "open" and "closed" states of the lid-like NCT with respect to a hydrophilic loop 1 (HL1) on PS1, thus allowing or blocking access of the substrate peptide (EC portion) to HL1 and to the neighboring helix TM2. In addition to this alternating access mechanism, fluctuations in the volume of the PS1 central cavity facilitate the exposure of the catalytic site for substrate cleavage. Druggability simulations show that γ-secretase presents several hot spots for either orthosteric or allosteric inhibition of catalytic activity, consistent with experimental data. In particular, a hinge region at the interface between the EC and TM domains, near the interlobe groove of NCT, emerges as an allo-targeting site that would impact the coupling between HL1/TM2 and the catalytic pocket, opening, to our knowledge, new avenues for structure-based design of novel allosteric modulators of γ-secretase protease activity.
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25
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Johnson DS, Li YM, Pettersson M, St George-Hyslop PH. Structural and Chemical Biology of Presenilin Complexes. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2017; 7:cshperspect.a024067. [PMID: 28320827 PMCID: PMC5710098 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a024067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The presenilin proteins are the catalytic subunits of a tetrameric complex containing presenilin 1 or 2, anterior pharynx defective 1 (APH1), nicastrin, and PEN-2. Other components such as TMP21 may exist in a subset of specialized complexes. The presenilin complex is the founding member of a unique class of aspartyl proteases that catalyze the γ, ɛ, ζ site cleavage of the transmembrane domains of Type I membrane proteins including amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Notch. Here, we detail the structural and chemical biology of this unusual enzyme. Taken together, these studies suggest that the complex exists in several conformations, and subtle long-range (allosteric) shifts in the conformation of the complex underpin substrate access to the catalytic site and the mechanism of action for allosteric inhibitors and modulators. Understanding the mechanics of these shifts will facilitate the design of γ-secretase modulator (GSM) compounds that modulate the relative efficiency of γ, ɛ, ζ site cleavage and/or substrate specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S. Johnson
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Yue-Ming Li
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065
| | - Martin Pettersson
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Peter H. St George-Hyslop
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust MRC Building, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0XY, United Kingdom,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Departments of Medicine, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, and Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
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26
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Audagnotto M, Kengo Lorkowski A, Dal Peraro M. Recruitment of the amyloid precursor protein by γ-secretase at the synaptic plasma membrane. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 498:334-341. [PMID: 29097209 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.10.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Γ-secretase is a membrane-embedded protease that cleaves single transmembrane helical domains of various integral membrane proteins. The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is an important substrate due to its pathological relevance to Alzheimer's disease. The mechanism of the cleavage of APP by γ-secretase that leads to accumulation of Alzheimer's disease causing amyloid-β (Aβ) is still unknown. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations in this study reveal initial lipids raft formation near the catalytic site of γ-secretase as well as changes in dynamic behavior of γ-secretase once interacting with APP. The results suggest a precursor of the APP binding mode and hint at conformational changes of γ-secretase in the nicastrin (NCT) domain upon APP binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Audagnotto
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatcs (SIB), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Kengo Lorkowski
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatcs (SIB), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Dal Peraro
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatcs (SIB), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
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Yan Y, Xu TH, Melcher K, Xu HE. Defining the minimum substrate and charge recognition model of gamma-secretase. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2017; 38:1412-1424. [PMID: 28414207 PMCID: PMC5630670 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2017.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Secretase is an intramembrane aspartyl protease that cleaves the C99 fragment of amyloid precursor protein to generate extracellular Aβ peptides. These peptides can oligomerize and aggregate to form amyloid plaques, processes that are widely believed to be causal for Alzheimer's disease. In spite of this critical function, it remains unknown how γ-secretase recognizes C99 and its other substrates, including Notch. In this study we determined E22-K55 as the minimal C99 fragment that was sufficient and required for initial cleavage. Within this fragment, we identified four determinants: (i) a transferable extracellular determinant that differed between C99 and Notch, and which included negative charge in the case of C99, (ii) the amino acid sequence of the C-terminal half of the transmembrane helix, (iii) an invariant lysine or arginine at the intracellular membrane border, and (iv) a positive charge cluster that included the invariant lysine/arginine. We demonstrated that the charge clusters of C99 and Notch receptors could directly bind phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). The PIP2-binding cluster was required for γ-secretase cleavage, and modulation of membrane PIP2 levels strongly affected γ-secretase cleavage levels and the Aβ40/Aβ42 ratio, providing support for the importance of the PIP2 interaction in cells. Together, these studies provide critically needed insight into substrate recognition by γ-secretase.
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28
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The Canonical Notch Signaling Pathway: Structural and Biochemical Insights into Shape, Sugar, and Force. Dev Cell 2017; 41:228-241. [PMID: 28486129 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 03/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway relies on a proteolytic cascade to release its transcriptionally active intracellular domain, on force to unfold a protective domain and permit proteolysis, on extracellular domain glycosylation to tune the forces exerted by endocytosed ligands, and on a motley crew of nuclear proteins, chromatin modifiers, ubiquitin ligases, and a few kinases to regulate activity and half-life. Herein we provide a review of recent molecular insights into how Notch signals are triggered and how cell shape affects these events, and we use the new insights to illuminate a few perplexing observations.
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29
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Oswald F, Klöble P, Ruland A, Rosenkranz D, Hinz B, Butter F, Ramljak S, Zechner U, Herlyn H. The FOXP2-Driven Network in Developmental Disorders and Neurodegeneration. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:212. [PMID: 28798667 PMCID: PMC5526973 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription repressor FOXP2 is a crucial player in nervous system evolution and development of humans and songbirds. In order to provide an additional insight into its functional role we compared target gene expression levels between human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) stably overexpressing FOXP2 cDNA of either humans or the common chimpanzee, Rhesus monkey, and marmoset, respectively. RNA-seq led to identification of 27 genes with differential regulation under the control of human FOXP2, which were previously reported to have FOXP2-driven and/or songbird song-related expression regulation. RT-qPCR and Western blotting indicated differential regulation of additional 13 new target genes in response to overexpression of human FOXP2. These genes may be directly regulated by FOXP2 considering numerous matches of established FOXP2-binding motifs as well as publicly available FOXP2-ChIP-seq reads within their putative promoters. Ontology analysis of the new and reproduced targets, along with their interactors in a network, revealed an enrichment of terms relating to cellular signaling and communication, metabolism and catabolism, cellular migration and differentiation, and expression regulation. Notably, terms including the words "neuron" or "axonogenesis" were also enriched. Complementary literature screening uncovered many connections to human developmental (autism spectrum disease, schizophrenia, Down syndrome, agenesis of corpus callosum, trismus-pseudocamptodactyly, ankyloglossia, facial dysmorphology) and neurodegenerative diseases and disorders (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, Lewy body dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Links to deafness and dyslexia were detected, too. Such relations existed for single proteins (e.g., DCDC2, NURR1, PHOX2B, MYH8, and MYH13) and groups of proteins which conjointly function in mRNA processing, ribosomal recruitment, cell-cell adhesion (e.g., CDH4), cytoskeleton organization, neuro-inflammation, and processing of amyloid precursor protein. Conspicuously, many links pointed to an involvement of the FOXP2-driven network in JAK/STAT signaling and the regulation of the ezrin-radixin-moesin complex. Altogether, the applied phylogenetic perspective substantiated FOXP2's importance for nervous system development, maintenance, and functioning. However, the study also disclosed new regulatory pathways that might prove to be useful for understanding the molecular background of the aforementioned developmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Oswald
- Center for Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center UlmUlm, Germany
| | - Patricia Klöble
- Center for Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center UlmUlm, Germany
| | - André Ruland
- Center for Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center UlmUlm, Germany
| | - David Rosenkranz
- Institut für Organismische und Molekulare Evolutionsbiologie, Johannes Gutenberg-University MainzMainz, Germany
| | - Bastian Hinz
- Institut für Organismische und Molekulare Evolutionsbiologie, Johannes Gutenberg-University MainzMainz, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center MainzMainz, Germany
| | - Falk Butter
- Institute of Molecular BiologyMainz, Germany
| | | | - Ulrich Zechner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center MainzMainz, Germany
- Dr. Senckenbergisches Zentrum für HumangenetikFrankfurt, Germany
| | - Holger Herlyn
- Institut für Organismische und Molekulare Evolutionsbiologie, Johannes Gutenberg-University MainzMainz, Germany
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30
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Zhou C, Wen GD, Soe LM, Xu HJ, Du J, Zhang JZ. Novel Mutations in PSENEN Gene in Two Chinese Acne Inversa Families Manifested as Familial Multiple Comedones and Dowling-Degos Disease. Chin Med J (Engl) 2017; 129:2834-2839. [PMID: 27900998 PMCID: PMC5146792 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.194648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Acne inversa (AI), also called hidradenitis suppurativa, is a chronic, inflammatory, recurrent skin disease of the hair follicle. Familial AI shows autosomal-dominant inheritance caused by mutations in the γ-secretase genes. This study was aimed to identify the specific mutations in the γ-secretase genes in two Chinese families with AI. Methods: In this study, two Chinese families with AI were investigated. All the affected individuals in the two families mainly manifested with multiple comedones, pitted scars, and a few inflammatory nodules on their face, neck, trunk, axilla, buttocks, upper arms, and thighs. Reticulate pigmentation in the flexures areas resembled Dowling-Degos disease clinically and pathologically. In addition, one of the affected individuals developed anal canal squamous cell carcinoma. Molecular mutation analysis of γ-secretase genes including PSENEN, PSEN1, and NCSTN was performed by polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequencing. Results: Two novel mutations of PSENEN gene were identified, including a heterozygous missense mutation c.194T>G (p.L65R) and a splice site mutation c.167-2A>G. Conclusions: The identification of the two mutations could expand the spectrum of mutations in the γ-secretase genes underlying AI and provide valuable information for further study of genotype-phenotype correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Guang-Dong Wen
- Department of Dermatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Lwin Myint Soe
- Department of Dermatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Hong-Jun Xu
- Department of Dermatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Juan Du
- Department of Dermatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Jian-Zhong Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China
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31
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Chávez-Gutiérrez L, De Strooper B. Probing γ-secretase-substrate interactions at the single amino acid residue level. EMBO J 2016; 35:1597-9. [PMID: 27370209 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201694978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Chávez-Gutiérrez
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB-Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB-Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Center for Human Genetics, Universitaire Ziekenhuizen and LIND, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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32
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Fukumori A, Steiner H. Substrate recruitment of γ-secretase and mechanism of clinical presenilin mutations revealed by photoaffinity mapping. EMBO J 2016; 35:1628-43. [PMID: 27220847 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201694151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Intramembrane proteases execute fundamental biological processes ranging from crucial signaling events to general membrane proteostasis. Despite the availability of structural information on these proteases, it remains unclear how these enzymes bind and recruit substrates, particularly for the Alzheimer's disease-associated γ-secretase. Systematically scanning amyloid precursor protein substrates containing a genetically inserted photocrosslinkable amino acid for binding to γ-secretase allowed us to identify residues contacting the protease. These were primarily found in the transmembrane cleavage domain of the substrate and were also present in the extramembranous domains. The N-terminal fragment of the catalytic subunit presenilin was determined as principal substrate-binding site. Clinical presenilin mutations altered substrate binding in the active site region, implying a pathogenic mechanism for familial Alzheimer's disease. Remarkably, PEN-2 was identified besides nicastrin as additional substrate-binding subunit. Probing proteolysis of crosslinked substrates revealed a mechanistic model of how these subunits interact to mediate a stepwise transfer of bound substrate to the catalytic site. We propose that sequential binding steps might be common for intramembrane proteases to sample and select cognate substrates for catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Fukumori
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Harald Steiner
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
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33
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Carroll CM, Li YM. Physiological and pathological roles of the γ-secretase complex. Brain Res Bull 2016; 126:199-206. [PMID: 27133790 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Gamma-secretase (GS) is an enzyme complex that cleaves numerous substrates, and it is best known for cleaving amyloid precursor protein (APP) to form amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides. Aberrant cleavage of APP can lead to Alzheimer's disease, so much research has been done to better understand GS structure and function in hopes of developing therapeutics for Alzheimer's. Therefore, most of the attention in this field has been focused on developing modulators that reduce pathogenic forms of Aβ while leaving Notch and other GS substrates intact, but GS provides multiple avenues of modulation that could improve AD pathology. GS has complex regulation, through its essential subunits and other associated proteins, providing other targets for AD drugs. Therapeutics can also alter GS trafficking and thereby improve cognition, or move beyond Aβ entirely, effecting Notch and neural stem cells. GS also cleaves substrates that affect synaptic morphology and function, presenting another window by which GS modulation could improve AD pathology. Taken together, GS presents a unique cross road for neural processes and an ideal target for AD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M Carroll
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, United States; Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, NY, United States.
| | - Yue-Ming Li
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, United States; Program of Neuroscience, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, NY, United States; Program of Pharmacology, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University, NY, United States
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34
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Hu C, Zeng L, Li T, Meyer MA, Cui MZ, Xu X. Nicastrin is required for amyloid precursor protein (APP) but not Notch processing, while anterior pharynx-defective 1 is dispensable for processing of both APP and Notch. J Neurochem 2016; 136:1246-1258. [PMID: 26717550 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 12/20/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The γ-secretase complex is composed of at least four components: presenilin 1 or presenilin-2, nicastrin (NCT), anterior pharynx-defective 1 (Aph-1), and presenilin enhancer 2. In this study, using knockout cell lines, our data demonstrated that knockout of NCT, as well as knockout of presenilin enhancer 2, completely blocked γ-secretase-catalyzed processing of C-terminal fragment (CTF)α and CTFβ, the C-terminal fragments of β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) produced by α-secretase and β-secretase cleavages, respectively. Interestingly, in Aph-1-knockout cells, CTFα and CTFβ were still processed by γ-secretase, indicating Aph-1 is dispensable for APP processing. Furthermore, our results indicate that Aph-1 as well as NCT is not absolutely required for Notch processing, suggesting that NCT is differentially required for APP and Notch processing. In addition, our data revealed that components of the γ-secretase complex are also important for proteasome- and lysosome-dependent degradation of APP and that endogenous APP is mostly degraded by lysosome while exogenous APP is mainly degraded by proteasome. There are unanswered questions regarding the roles of each component of the γ-secretase complex in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Notch processing. The most relevant, novel finding of this study is that nicastrin (NCT) is required for APP but not Notch processing, while Aph-1 is not essential for processing of both APP and Notch, suggesting NCT as a therapeutic target to restrict Aβ formation without impairing Notch signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hu
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Linlin Zeng
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Cell Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | | | - Mei-Zhen Cui
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Xuemin Xu
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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35
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Nicastrin functions to sterically hinder γ-secretase-substrate interactions driven by substrate transmembrane domain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 113:E509-18. [PMID: 26699478 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1512952113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Secretase is an intramembrane-cleaving protease that processes many type-I integral membrane proteins within the lipid bilayer, an event preceded by shedding of most of the substrate's ectodomain by α- or β-secretases. The mechanism by which γ-secretase selectively recognizes and recruits ectodomain-shed substrates for catalysis remains unclear. In contrast to previous reports that substrate is actively recruited for catalysis when its remaining short ectodomain interacts with the nicastrin component of γ-secretase, we find that substrate ectodomain is entirely dispensable for cleavage. Instead, γ-secretase-substrate binding is driven by an apparent tight-binding interaction derived from substrate transmembrane domain, a mechanism in stark contrast to rhomboid--another family of intramembrane-cleaving proteases. Disruption of the nicastrin fold allows for more efficient cleavage of substrates retaining longer ectodomains, indicating that nicastrin actively excludes larger substrates through steric hindrance, thus serving as a molecular gatekeeper for substrate binding and catalysis.
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36
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Lim A, Moussavi Nik SH, Ebrahimie E, Lardelli M. Analysis of nicastrin gene phylogeny and expression in zebrafish. Dev Genes Evol 2015; 225:171-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00427-015-0500-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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37
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Gertsik N, Chiu D, Li YM. Complex regulation of γ-secretase: from obligatory to modulatory subunits. Front Aging Neurosci 2015; 6:342. [PMID: 25610395 PMCID: PMC4285130 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
γ-Secretase is a four subunit, 19-pass transmembrane enzyme that cleaves amyloid precursor protein (APP), catalyzing the formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides that form amyloid plaques, which contribute to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. γ-Secretase also cleaves Notch, among many other type I transmembrane substrates. Despite its seemingly promiscuous enzymatic capacity, γ-secretase activity is tightly regulated. This regulation is a function of many cellular entities, including but not limited to the essential γ-secretase subunits, nonessential (modulatory) subunits, and γ-secretase substrates. Regulation is also accomplished by an array of cellular events, such as presenilin (active subunit of γ-secretase) endoproteolysis and hypoxia. In this review we discuss how γ-secretase is regulated with the hope that an advanced understanding of these mechanisms will aid in the development of effective therapeutics for γ-secretase-associated diseases like AD and Notch-addicted cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya Gertsik
- Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY, USA ; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University New York, NY, USA
| | - Danica Chiu
- Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY, USA ; Program of Pharmacology, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University New York, NY, USA
| | - Yue-Ming Li
- Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY, USA ; Program of Pharmacology, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University New York, NY, USA
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Li Y, Bohm C, Dodd R, Chen F, Qamar S, Schmitt-Ulms G, Fraser PE, St George-Hyslop PH. Structural biology of presenilin 1 complexes. Mol Neurodegener 2014; 9:59. [PMID: 25523933 PMCID: PMC4326451 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-9-59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The presenilin genes were first identified as the site of missense mutations causing early onset autosomal dominant familial Alzheimer's disease. Subsequent work has shown that the presenilin proteins are the catalytic subunits of a hetero-tetrameric complex containing APH1, nicastrin and PEN-2. This complex (variously termed presenilin complex or gamma-secretase complex) performs an unusual type of proteolysis in which the transmembrane domains of Type I proteins are cleaved within the hydrophobic compartment of the membrane. This review describes some of the molecular and structural biology of this unusual enzyme complex. The presenilin complex is a bilobed structure. The head domain contains the ectodomain of nicastrin. The base domain contains a central cavity with a lateral cleft that likely provides the route for access of the substrate to the catalytic cavity within the centre of the base domain. There are reciprocal allosteric interactions between various sites in the complex that affect its function. For instance, binding of Compound E, a peptidomimetic inhibitor to the PS1 N-terminus, induces significant conformational changes that reduces substrate binding at the initial substrate docking site, and thus inhibits substrate cleavage. However, there is a reciprocal allosteric interaction between these sites such that prior binding of the substrate to the initial docking site paradoxically increases the binding of the Compound E peptidomimetic inhibitor. Such reciprocal interactions are likely to form the basis of a gating mechanism that underlies access of substrate to the catalytic site. An increasingly detailed understanding of the structural biology of the presenilin complex is an essential step towards rational design of substrate- and/or cleavage site-specific modulators of presenilin complex function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Peter H St George-Hyslop
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust MRC Building, Addenbrookes Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK.
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Efficient creation of an APOE knockout rabbit. Transgenic Res 2014; 24:227-35. [PMID: 25216764 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-014-9834-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The rabbit is a preferred model system for diverse areas of human disease research, such as hypertension and atherosclerosis, for its close resemblance to human physiology. Its larger size than that of rodents allows for more convenient physiological and surgical manipulations as well as imaging. The rapid development of nuclease technologies enables the rabbit genome to be engineered as readily as that of rats and mice, offering rabbit models a chance to make their due impact on medical research. Here, we report the efficient creation of an APOE knockout rabbit by using zinc finger nucleases. The knockout rabbits had drastically elevated cholesterol and moderately increased triglyceride levels, mimicking symptoms in human heart disease. So far the rabbit genome has been successfully modified with three nuclease technologies. With a gestation period only days longer than those of rodents, we hope additional reports on their creation and characterization will help encourage the use of rabbit models where they are most relevant to human conditions.
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Holmes O, Paturi S, Selkoe DJ, Wolfe MS. Pen-2 is essential for γ-secretase complex stability and trafficking but partially dispensable for endoproteolysis. Biochemistry 2014; 53:4393-406. [PMID: 24941111 PMCID: PMC4216188 DOI: 10.1021/bi500489j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The
19-transmembrane γ-secretase complex generates the amyloid
β-peptide of Alzheimer’s disease by intramembrane proteolysis
of the β-amyloid precursor
protein. This complex is comprised of presenilin, Aph1, nicastrin,
and Pen-2. The exact function and mechanism of the highly conserved
Pen-2 subunit remain poorly understood. Using systematic mutagenesis,
we confirm and extend our understanding of which key regions and specific
residues play roles in various aspects of γ-secretase function,
including maturation, localization, and activity, but not processivity.
In general, mutations (1) within the first half of transmembrane domain
(TMD) 1 of Pen-2 decreased PS1 endoproteolysis and γ-secretase
proteolytic activity, (2) within the second half of TMD1 increased
proteolytic activity, (3) within the cytosolic loop region decreased
proteolytic activity, (4) within TMD2 decreased PS1 endoproteolysis,
(5) within the first half of TMD2 decreased proteolytic activity,
and (6) within C-terminal residues decreased proteolytic activity.
Specific mutational effects included N33A in TMD1 causing an increase
in γ-secretase complexes at the cell surface and a modest decrease
in stability and the previously unreported I53A mutation in the loop
region reducing stability 10-fold and proteolytic activity by half.
In addition, we confirm that minor PS1 endoproteolysis can occur in
the complete absence of Pen-2. Together, these data suggest that rather
than solely being a catalyst for γ-secretase endoproteolysis,
Pen-2 may also stabilize the complex prior to PS1 endoproteolysis,
allowing time for full assembly and proper trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Holmes
- Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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The FAM3 superfamily member ILEI ameliorates Alzheimer's disease-like pathology by destabilizing the penultimate amyloid-β precursor. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3917. [PMID: 24894631 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the brain underlies the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ is produced by β- and γ-secretase-mediated sequential proteolysis of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP). Here we identify a secretory protein named interleukin-like epithelial-mesenchymal transition inducer (ILEI, also known as FAM3 superfamily member C) as a negative regulator of Aβ production. ILEI destabilizes the β-secretase-cleaved APP carboxy-terminal fragment, the penultimate precursor of Aβ, by binding to the γ-secretase complex and interfering with its chaperone properties. Notch signalling and γ-secretase activity are not affected by ILEI. We also show neuronal expression of ILEI and its induction by transforming growth factor-β signalling. The level of secreted ILEI is markedly decreased in the brains of AD patients. Transgenic (Tg) overexpression of ILEI significantly reduces the brain Aβ burden and ameliorates the memory deficit in AD model mice. ILEI may be a plausible target for the development of disease-modifying therapies.
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Sesele K, Thanopoulou K, Paouri E, Tsefou E, Klinakis A, Georgopoulos S. Conditional inactivation of nicastrin restricts amyloid deposition in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Aging Cell 2013; 12:1032-40. [PMID: 23826707 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Production of Aβ by γ-secretase is a key event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The γ-secretase complex consists of presenilin (PS) 1 or 2, nicastrin (ncstn), Pen-2, and Aph-1 and cleaves type I transmembrane proteins, including the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Although ncstn is widely accepted as an essential component of the complex required for γ-secretase activity, recent in vitro studies have suggested that ncstn is dispensable for APP processing and Aβ production. The focus of this study was to answer this controversy and evaluate the role of ncstn in Aβ generation and the development of the amyloid-related phenotype in the mouse brain. To eliminate ncstn expression in the mouse brain, we used a ncstn conditional knockout mouse that we mated with an established AD transgenic mouse model (5XFAD) and a neuronal Cre-expressing transgenic mouse (CamKIIα-iCre), to generate AD mice (5XFAD/CamKIIα-iCre/ncstn(f/f) mice) where ncstn was conditionally inactivated in the brain. 5XFAD/CamKIIα-iCre/ncstn(f/f) mice at 10 week of age developed a neurodegenerative phenotype with a significant reduction in Aβ production and formation of Aβ aggregates and the absence of amyloid plaques. Inactivation of nctsn resulted in substantial accumulation of APP-CTFs and altered PS1 expression. These results reveal a key role for ncstn in modulating Aβ production and amyloid plaque formation in vivo and suggest ncstn as a target in AD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Sesele
- Department of Cell Biology; Biomedical Research Foundation; Academy of Athens; Athens 115 27 Greece
| | - Kalliopi Thanopoulou
- Department of Cell Biology; Biomedical Research Foundation; Academy of Athens; Athens 115 27 Greece
| | - Evi Paouri
- Department of Cell Biology; Biomedical Research Foundation; Academy of Athens; Athens 115 27 Greece
| | - Eliona Tsefou
- Department of Cell Biology; Biomedical Research Foundation; Academy of Athens; Athens 115 27 Greece
| | - Apostolos Klinakis
- Department of Genetics and Gene Therapy; Biomedical Research Foundation; Academy of Athens; Athens 115 27 Greece
| | - Spiros Georgopoulos
- Department of Cell Biology; Biomedical Research Foundation; Academy of Athens; Athens 115 27 Greece
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Smolarkiewicz M, Skrzypczak T, Wojtaszek P. The very many faces of presenilins and the γ-secretase complex. PROTOPLASMA 2013; 250:997-1011. [PMID: 23504135 PMCID: PMC3788181 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-013-0494-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Presenilin is a central, catalytic component of the γ-secretase complex which conducts intramembrane cleavage of various protein substrates. Although identified and mainly studied through its role in the development of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer disease, γ-secretase has many other important functions. The complex seems to be evolutionary conserved throughout the Metazoa, but recent findings in plants and Dictyostelium discoideum as well as in archeons suggest that its evolution and functions might be much more diversified than previously expected. In this review, a selective survey of the multitude of functions of presenilins and the γ-secretase complex is presented. Following a brief overview of γ-secretase structure, assembly and maturation, three functional aspects are analyzed: (1) the role of γ-secretase in autophagy and phagocytosis; (2) involvement of the complex in signaling related to endocytosis; and (3) control of calcium fluxes by presenilins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalina Smolarkiewicz
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tomasz Skrzypczak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Przemysław Wojtaszek
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
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Investigation of deregulated genes of Notch signaling pathway in human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines and clinical samples. Mol Biol Rep 2013; 40:5531-40. [PMID: 23982259 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-013-2654-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In diagnostic research challenges, quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR) has been widely utilized in gene expression analysis because of its sensitivity, accuracy, reproducibility, and most importantly, quantitativeness. Real-time PCR base kits are wildly applicable in cancer signaling pathways, especially in cancer investigations. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a type of leukemia that is more common in older children and teenagers. Deregulation of the Notch signaling pathway promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of the lymphoblastic T cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Notch signaling activation on the expression of target genes using real-time QPCR and further use this method in clinical examination after validation. Two T-ALL cell lines, Jurkat and Molt-4, were used as models for activation of the Notch signaling via over-expression of the Notch1 intracellular domain. Expression analysis was performed for six downstream target genes (NCSTN, APH1, PSEN1, ADAM17, NOTCH1 and C-MYC) which play critical roles in the Notch signaling pathway. The results showed significant difference in the expression of target genes in the deregulated Notch signaling pathway. These results were also verified in 12 clinical samples bearing over-expression of the Notch signaling pathway. Identification of such downstream Notch target genes, which have not been studied inclusively, provides insights into the mechanisms of the Notch function in T cell leukemia, and may help identify novel diagnoses and therapeutic targets in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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45
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Zhang S, Zhang M, Cai F, Song W. Biological function of Presenilin and its role in AD pathogenesis. Transl Neurodegener 2013; 2:15. [PMID: 23866842 PMCID: PMC3718700 DOI: 10.1186/2047-9158-2-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Presenilins (PSs) are the catalytic core of γ-secretase complex. However, the mechanism of FAD-associated PS mutations in AD pathogenesis still remains elusive. Here we review the general biology and mechanism of γ-secretase and focus on the catalytic components – presenilins and their biological functions and contributions to the AD pathogenesis. The functions of presenilins are divided into γ-secretase dependent and γ-secretase independent ones. The γ-secretase dependent functions of presenilins are exemplified by the sequential cleavages in the processing of APP and Notch; the γ-secretase independent functions of presenilins include stabilizing β-catenin in Wnt signaling pathway, regulating calcium homeostasis and their interaction with synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Zhang
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Center, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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46
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Jiao T, Dong H, Jin L, Wang S, Wang J. A novel nicastrin mutation in a large Chinese family with hidradenitis suppurativa. Br J Dermatol 2013; 168:1141-3. [DOI: 10.1111/bjd.12135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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47
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Alterations in gene expression in mutant amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice lacking Niemann-Pick type C1 protein. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54605. [PMID: 23382922 PMCID: PMC3558508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease, a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused mostly by mutation in NPC1 gene, is pathologically characterized by the accumulation of free cholesterol in brain and other tissues. This is accompanied by gliosis and loss of neurons in selected brain regions, including the cerebellum. Recent studies have shown that NPC disease exhibits intriguing parallels with Alzheimer’s disease, including the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and increased levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP)-derived β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in vulnerable brain neurons. To evaluate the role of Aβ in NPC disease, we determined the gene expression profile in selected brain regions of our recently developed bigenic ANPC mice, generated by crossing APP transgenic (Tg) mice with heterozygous Npc1-deficient mice. The ANPC mice exhibited exacerbated neuronal and glial pathology compared to other genotypes [i.e., APP-Tg, double heterozygous (Dhet), Npc1-null and wild-type mice]. Analysis of expression profiles of 86 selected genes using real-time RT-PCR arrays showed a wide-spectrum of alterations in the four genotypes compared to wild-type controls. The changes observed in APP-Tg and Dhet mice are limited to only few genes involved mostly in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism, whereas Npc1-null and ANPC mice showed alterations in the expression profiles of a number of genes regulating cholesterol homeostasis, APP metabolism, vesicular trafficking and cell death mechanism in both hippocampus and cerebellum compared to wild-type mice. Intriguingly, ANPC and Npc1-null mice, with some exceptions, exhibited similar changes, although more genes were differentially expressed in the affected cerebellum than the relatively spared hippocampus. The altered gene profiles were found to match with the corresponding protein levels. These results suggest that lack of Npc1 protein can alter the expression profile of selected transcripts as well as proteins, and APP overexpression influences cerebral pathology by enhancing changes triggered by Npc1 deficiency in the bigenic line.
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Stoyanova T, Goldstein AS, Cai H, Drake JM, Huang J, Witte ON. Regulated proteolysis of Trop2 drives epithelial hyperplasia and stem cell self-renewal via β-catenin signaling. Genes Dev 2012; 26:2271-85. [PMID: 23070813 DOI: 10.1101/gad.196451.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The cell surface protein Trop2 is expressed on immature stem/progenitor-like cells and is overexpressed in many epithelial cancers. However the biological function of Trop2 in tissue maintenance and tumorigenesis remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that Trop2 is a regulator of self-renewal, proliferation, and transformation. Trop2 controls these processes through a mechanism of regulated intramembrane proteolysis that leads to cleavage of Trop2, creating two products: the extracellular domain and the intracellular domain. The intracellular domain of Trop2 is released from the membrane and accumulates in the nucleus. Heightened expression of the Trop2 intracellular domain promotes stem/progenitor self-renewal through signaling via β-catenin and is sufficient to initiate precursor lesions to prostate cancer in vivo. Importantly, we demonstrate that loss of β-catenin or Trop2 loss-of-function cleavage mutants abrogates Trop2-driven self-renewal and hyperplasia in the prostate. These findings suggest that heightened expression of Trop2 is selected for in epithelial cancers to enhance the stem-like properties of self-renewal and proliferation. Defining the mechanism of Trop2 function in self-renewal and transformation is essential to identify new therapeutic strategies to block Trop2 activation in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Stoyanova
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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49
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Epigenetic regulation of BACE1 in Alzheimer’s disease patients and in transgenic mice. Neuroscience 2012; 220:256-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Bulic B, Ness J, Hahn S, Rennhack A, Jumpertz T, Weggen S. Chemical Biology, Molecular Mechanism and Clinical Perspective of γ-Secretase Modulators in Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Neuropharmacol 2012; 9:598-622. [PMID: 22798753 PMCID: PMC3391656 DOI: 10.2174/157015911798376352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2010] [Revised: 10/25/2010] [Accepted: 11/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive evidence supports that oligomerization and accumulation of amyloidogenic Aβ42 peptides in brain is crucial in the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's disease. Imaging studies indicate that the buildup of Aβ begins many years before the onset of clinical symptoms, and that subsequent neurodegeneration and cognitive decline may proceed independently of Aβ. This implies the necessity for early intervention in cognitively normal individuals with therapeutic strategies that prioritize safety. The aspartyl protease γ-secretase catalyses the last step in the cellular generation of Aβ42 peptides, and is a principal target for anti-amyloidogenic intervention strategies. Due to the essential role of γ-secretase in the NOTCH signaling pathway, overt mechanism-based toxicity has been observed with the first generation of γ-secretase inhibitors, and safety of this approach has been questioned. However, two new classes of small molecules, γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) and NOTCH-sparing γ-secretase inhibitors, have revitalized γ-secretase as a drug target in AD. GSMs are small molecules that cause a product shift from Aβ42 towards shorter and less toxic Ab peptides. Importantly, GSMs spare other physiologically important substrates of the γ-secretase complex like NOTCH. Recently, GSMs with nanomolar potency and favorable in vivo properties have been described. In this review, we summarize the knowledge about the unusual proteolytic activity of γ-secretase, and the chemical biology, molecular mechanisms and clinical perspective of compounds that target the γ-secretase complex, with a particular focus on GSMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Bulic
- Research Group Chemical Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, D-53175 Bonn, Germany
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