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Yamashita N, Kawai K, Yoshikawa M, Watabe M, Kanno Y, Sanada N, Kizu R. FDI-6, a FOXM1 inhibitor, activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and suppresses tumorsphere formation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 639:29-35. [PMID: 36463758 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.11.069] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that is activated by environmental contaminants such as dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Following ligand binding, AhR binds to xenobiotic responsive elements and modulates the transcription of AhR target genes. Multiple studies have shown that AhR plays important roles in a range of cancer cells and is attracting attention as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment. We have previously reported that AhR agonists inhibit tumorsphere formation in an AhR-dependent manner in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. In the present study, we found that FDI-6, an inhibitor of the transcription factor Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) induced the mRNA expression of AhR target genes, nuclear translocation of AhR, and transcriptional activity of AhR. In addition, FDI-6 dose-dependently reduced the mRNA expression of FOXM1-regulated genes in AhR-expressing MCF-7 cells, although not in AhR-deficient MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, FDI-6 was found to suppress tumorsphere formation via the AhR in MCF-7 cells and HepG2 human liver cancer cell line. On the basis of the findings of this study, we show that FDI-6, a FOXM1 inhibitor, functions as an AhR agonist, and suppresses tumorsphere formation via the AhR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Yamashita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan.
| | - Kaho Kawai
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Minami Yoshikawa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Mina Watabe
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kanno
- Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan
| | - Noriko Sanada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Kizu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
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Camalexin, an indole phytoalexin, inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and mammosphere formation in breast cancer cells via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. J Nat Med 2021; 76:110-118. [PMID: 34463909 DOI: 10.1007/s11418-021-01560-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. Despite a variety of drugs available for the treatment of patients with breast cancer, drug resistance remains a significant clinical problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop drugs with new mechanisms of action. Camalexin is the main indole phytoalexin in Arabidopsis thaliana and other crucifers. Camalexin inhibits the proliferation of various cancer cells. However, the mechanism by which camalexin inhibits cell proliferation remains unclear. In this study, we found that camalexin inhibited cell proliferation and migration of breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, camalexin also suppressed breast cancer stem cell-derived mammosphere formation. We previously reported that the ligand-activated transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist suppresses mammosphere formation. Several compounds with indole structures are known to act as AhR agonists. Therefore, we hypothesized that the inhibition of mammosphere formation by camalexin may involve AhR activation. We found that camalexin increased the nuclear translocation of AhR, AhR-mediated transcriptional activation, and expression of AhR target genes. In addition, camalexin suppressed mammosphere formation in AhR-expressing breast cancer cells more than in the breast cancer cells that lacked AhR expression. Taken together, the data demonstrate that camalexin is a novel AhR agonist and that the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and mammosphere formation by camalexin involves the activation of AhR. Our findings suggest that camalexin, an AhR agonist, may be a novel therapeutic agent for breast cancer.
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Yamashita N, Yoshizuka A, Kase A, Ozawa M, Taga C, Sanada N, Kanno Y, Nemoto K, Kizu R. Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor by 3-methylcholanthrene, but not by indirubin, suppresses mammosphere formation via downregulation of CDC20 expression in breast cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 570:131-136. [PMID: 34280616 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates various toxicological and biological functions. We reported previously that 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), an exogenous AhR agonist, inhibited tumorsphere (mammosphere) formation from breast cancer cell lines, while the endogenous AhR agonist, indirubin, very weakly inhibited this process. However, the difference in inhibition mechanism of mammosphere formation by 3MC or indirubin is still unknown. In this study, we established AhR-re-expressing (KOTR-AhR) cells from AhR knockout MCF-7 cells using the tetracycline (Tet)-inducible gene expression systems. To identify any difference in inhibition of mammosphere formation by 3MC or indirubin, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments were performed using KOTR-AhR cells. RNA-seq experiments revealed that cell division cycle 20 (CDC20), which regulates the cell cycle and mitosis, was decreased by 3MC, but not by indirubin, in the presence of AhR expression. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of CDC20 were decreased by 3MC in MCF-7 cells via the AhR. In addition, mammosphere formation was suppressed by small interfering RNA-mediated CDC20 knockdown compared to the negative control in MCF-7 cells. These results suggest that AhR activation by 3MC suppresses mammosphere formation via downregulation of CDC20 expression in breast cancer cells. This study provides useful information for the development of AhR-targeted anti-cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Yamashita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan.
| | - Arika Yoshizuka
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Arisa Kase
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Moeno Ozawa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Chiharu Taga
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Noriko Sanada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kanno
- Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, 422-8526, Japan
| | - Kiyomitsu Nemoto
- Department of Molecular Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Kizu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan
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