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Rosochowicz MA, Kulcenty K, Suchorska WM. Exploring the Role of HtrA Family Genes in Cancer: A Systematic Review. Mol Diagn Ther 2024; 28:347-377. [PMID: 38717523 PMCID: PMC11211202 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-024-00712-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE HtrA1, HtrA2, HtrA3 and HtrA4 appear to be involved in the development of pathologies such as cancer. This systematic review reports the results of a literature search performed to compare the expression of HtrA family genes and proteins in cancer versus non-cancer tissues and cell lines, assess relationships between HtrA expression and cancer clinical features in cancer, and analyse the molecular mechanism, by which HtrA family affects cancer. METHODS The literature search was conducted according to the PRISMA statement among four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus). RESULTS A total of 38 articles met the inclusion criteria and involved the expression of HtrA family members and concerned the effect of HtrA expression on cancer and metastasis development or on the factor that influences it. Additionally, 31 reports were retrieved manually. Most articles highlighted that HtrA1 and HtrA3 exhibited tumour suppressor activity, while HtrA2 was associated with tumour growth and metastasis. There were too few studies to clearly define the role of the HtrA4 protease in tumours. CONCLUSION Although the expression of serine proteases of the HtrA family was dependent on tumour type, stage and the presence of metastases, most articles indicated that HtrA1 and HtrA3 expression in tumours was downregulated compared with healthy tissue or cell lines. The expression of HtrA2 was completely study dependent. The limited number of studies on HtrA4 expression made it impossible to draw conclusions about differences in expression between healthy and tumour tissue. The conclusions drawn from the study suggest that HtrA1 and HtrA3 act as tumour suppressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Anna Rosochowicz
- Doctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
- Radiobiology Laboratory, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland.
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
| | | | - Wiktoria Maria Suchorska
- Radiobiology Laboratory, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland
- Department of Electroradiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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2
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Wang Y, Li Y, Nie G. HtrA4 is well conserved only in higher primates and functionally important for EVT differentiation. Placenta 2024; 152:53-64. [PMID: 38805949 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2024.05.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The placenta differs greatly among species, and deep extra-villous trophoblast (EVT) invasion is a unique feature of placentation of higher primates including humans. We reported serine protease HtrA4 being found predominantly in human placentas with aberrant expression linked to preeclampsia. However, it remains unclear where HtrA4 is produced in the placenta, how it is expressed in other species, and whether it is essential for human placentation. METHODS We first compared HtrA4 protein sequences of over 100 species, then scrutinized the key characteristics of HtrA4 in the human, rhesus macaque and mouse, and determined cellular localization in the placenta. We next investigated functional significance of HtrA4 in EVT differentiation using human trophoblast stem cells (TSCs). RESULTS Across broader species HtrA4 is well conserved only in higher primates. In humans, only the placenta expressed HtrA4, localising to trophoblasts of villous as well as extra-villous lineages. Rhesus macaques produced HtrA4 but again only in placentas, whereas mice showed no abundant HtrA4 expression anywhere including the placenta, yet it was an active protease if produced. The functional importance of HtrA4 in human EVT was demonstrated using TSCs, which expressed low levels of HtrA4 but significantly up-regulated it during EVT differentiation, and knockdown of HtrA4 severely inhibited the differentiation process. DISCUSSION HtrA4 is expressed in placentas of humans and macaques but not mice; it is critical for human EVT differentiation. Together with previous reports showing HtrA4 is also indispensable for syncytialization, this study further revealed HtrA4 as a functionally important protease for human placentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wang
- Implantation and Pregnancy Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Ying Li
- Implantation and Pregnancy Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Guiying Nie
- Implantation and Pregnancy Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia.
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Li Y, Wei Y, Ultsch M, Li W, Tang W, Tombling B, Gao X, Dimitrova Y, Gampe C, Fuhrmann J, Zhang Y, Hannoush RN, Kirchhofer D. Cystine-knot peptide inhibitors of HTRA1 bind to a cryptic pocket within the active site region. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4359. [PMID: 38777835 PMCID: PMC11111691 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48655-w] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cystine-knot peptides (CKPs) are naturally occurring peptides that exhibit exceptional chemical and proteolytic stability. We leveraged the CKP carboxypeptidase A1 inhibitor as a scaffold to construct phage-displayed CKP libraries and subsequently screened these collections against HTRA1, a trimeric serine protease implicated in age-related macular degeneration and osteoarthritis. The initial hits were optimized by using affinity maturation strategies to yield highly selective and potent picomolar inhibitors of HTRA1. Crystal structures, coupled with biochemical studies, reveal that the CKPs do not interact in a substrate-like manner but bind to a cryptic pocket at the S1' site region of HTRA1 and abolish catalysis by stabilizing a non-competent active site conformation. The opening and closing of this cryptic pocket is controlled by the gatekeeper residue V221, and its movement is facilitated by the absence of a constraining disulfide bond that is typically present in trypsin fold serine proteases, thereby explaining the remarkable selectivity of the CKPs. Our findings reveal an intriguing mechanism for modulating the activity of HTRA1, and highlight the utility of CKP-based phage display platforms in uncovering potent and selective inhibitors against challenging therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Li
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yuehua Wei
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Mark Ultsch
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Wanjian Tang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Benjamin Tombling
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Xinxin Gao
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yoana Dimitrova
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Christian Gampe
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jakob Fuhrmann
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Yingnan Zhang
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Rami N Hannoush
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
| | - Daniel Kirchhofer
- Department of Early Discovery Biochemistry, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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Liu B, Zhang X, Liu Z, Pan H, Yang H, Wu Q, Lv Y, Shen T. A novel model for predicting prognosis in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis based on endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes. Cell Biol Int 2024; 48:483-495. [PMID: 38238919 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.12121] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive fibrotic disease of unknown pathogenic origin. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress refers to the process by which cells take measures to ER function when the morphology and function of the reticulum are changed. Recent studies have demonstrated that the ER was involved in the evolution and progression of IPF. In this study, we obtained transcriptome data and relevant clinical information from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and conducted bioinformatics analysis. Among the 544 ER stress-related genes (ERSRGs), 78 were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs). These DEGs were primarily enriched in response to ER stress, protein binding, and protein processing. Two genes (HTRA2 and KTN1) were included for constructing an accurate molecular signature. The overall survival of patients was remarkably worse in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. We further analyzed the difference in immune cells between high-risk and low-risk groups. M0 and M2 macrophages were significantly increased in the high-risk group. Our results suggested that ERSRGs might play a critical role in the development of IPF by regulating the immune microenvironment in the lungs, which provide new insights on predicting the prognosis of patients with IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Department of Medical Aspects of Specifc Environments, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zikai Liu
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Haihong Pan
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hongxu Yang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qing Wu
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Lv
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tong Shen
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Banabazi MH, Freimanis G, Goatley LC, Netherton CL, de Koning DJ. The transcriptomic insight into the differential susceptibility of African Swine Fever in inbred pigs. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5944. [PMID: 38467747 PMCID: PMC10928096 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56569-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a global threat to animal health and food security. ASF is typically controlled by strict biosecurity, rapid diagnosis, and culling of affected herds. Much progress has been made in developing modified live virus vaccines against ASF. There is host variation in response to ASF infection in the field and under controlled conditions. To better understand the dynamics underlying this host differential morbidity, whole transcriptome profiling was carried out in twelve immunized and five sham immunized pigs. Seventeen MHC homozygous inbred Large white Babraham pigs were sampled at three time points before and after the challenge. The changes in the transcriptome profiles of infected animals were surveyed over time. In addition, the immunization effect on the host response was studied as well among the contrasts of all protection subgroups. The results showed two promising candidate genes to distinguish between recovered and non-recovered pigs after infection with a virulent African swine fever virus (ASFV) pre-infection: HTRA3 and GFPT2 (padj < 0.05). Variant calling on the transcriptome assemblies showed a two-base pair insertion into the ACOX3 gene closely located to HTRA3 that may regulate its expression as a putative genomic variant for ASF. Several significant DGEs, enriched gene ontology (GO) terms, and KEGG pathways at 1 day and 7 days post-infection, compared to the pre-infection, indicate a significant inflammation response immediately after ASF infection. The presence of the virus was confirmed by the mapping of RNA-Seq reads on two whole viral genome sequences. This was concordant with a higher virus load in the non-recovered animals 7 days post-infection. There was no transcriptome signature on the immunization at pre-infection and 1 day post-infection. More samples and data from additional clinical trials may support these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Banabazi
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7023, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | | | - Dirk-Jan de Koning
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7023, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Thach B, Wang Y, Heng S, Nie G. HtrA4 is required for human trophoblast stem cell differentiation into syncytiotrophoblast. Placenta 2024; 147:68-77. [PMID: 38325051 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2024.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The syncytiotrophoblast (STB) of the human placenta facilitates vital maternal-fetal communication and is maintained by fusion (syncytialization) of cytotrophoblasts. Serine protease HtrA4 (high temperature requirement factor A4) is highly expressed only in the human placenta and was previously reported to be important for BeWo fusion. This study investigated whether HtrA4 is critical for differentiation of human trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) into STB. METHODS Primary TSCs were isolated from first trimester placentas (n = 5) and validated by immunofluorescence (IF) for CD49f, CK7 and vimentin. TSCs were then differentiated into STB and the success of syncytialization was confirmed by RT-PCR, IF and ELISA of known markers. TSCs were next stably transfected with a HtrA4-targetting CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid, and cells with severe HtrA4 knockdown (HtrA4-KD) were analyzed to investigate the impact on STB differentiation. RESULTS Primary TSCs were confirmed to be of high purity by staining positively for CD49f and CK7 but negatively for vimentin. These TSCs readily syncytialized when stimulated for STB differentiation, significantly increasing β-hCG and syncytin-1, substantially decreasing E-cadherin, and markedly losing cell borders. While TSCs produced very low levels of HtrA4, upon stimulation for STB differentiation the cells drastically upregulated HtrA4 expression; secretion of HtrA4 protein also increased sharply, correlating positively and significantly with that of β-hCG. The HtrA4-KD TSCs, however, failed to show this surge of HtrA4 production upon stimulation, and ultimately remained primarily mononucleated with no significant STB differentiation. DISCUSSION This study demonstrates that HtrA4 plays a critical role in TSC differentiation into syncytiotrophoblast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bothidah Thach
- Implantation and Pregnancy Research Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Yao Wang
- Implantation and Pregnancy Research Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Sophea Heng
- Implantation and Pregnancy Research Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Guiying Nie
- Implantation and Pregnancy Research Laboratory, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia.
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Zhao D, Li W, Wang Y, Zhang G, Bai X, Yu H. HTRA1 expression is associated with immune-cell infiltration and survival in breast cancer. Transl Cancer Res 2023; 12:3503-3521. [PMID: 38197075 PMCID: PMC10774071 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Background High temperature requirement A1 (HTRA1), a member of the HTRA family, is a serine peptidase involved in many crucial bioprocesses such as proliferation, mitochondrial homeostasis, apoptosis, and protein quality control. It also plays an important role in the development of various tumors. However, the potential role and mechanisms of action of HTRA1 in breast cancer (BRCA) remain unclear. We conducted a bioinformatics-based study to investigate HTRA1 expression in BRCA alongside its associations with immune-cell infiltrates and survival outcomes. Methods The expression of HTRA1 in BRCA samples was analyzed using RNAseq datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus. R software was employed to assess the relationship between HTRA1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and immunity-associated biomarkers in BRCA. MethSurv and cBioPortal database were utilized to evaluate DNA methylation and genovariation within the HTRA1 DNA. Receiver operating characteristic curves, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox regression were performed to estimate the impact of HTRA1 on diagnosis, prognosis, and response to chemotherapy in BRCA. Results HTRA1 expression was significantly downregulated in BRCA tissues compared to adjacent normal breast tissue controls. Differentially expressed genes associated with HTRA1 expression primarily enriched in cell proliferation pathways. Furthermore, altered HTRA1 expression significantly correlated with patient age, tumor histological type, T stage, progesterone receptor/estrogen receptor status, and PAM50 subtype of BRCA. Both positive and negative associations were observed between HTRA1 levels and the abundance of different types of immune cells, as well as immune biomarkers, including resting mast cells, follicular helper T cells, PD-L1, p53, and Ki67. Low HTRA1 expression was related with pathological complete response in luminal B BRCA patients undergoing chemotherapy. Additionally, lower HTRA1 expression in BRCA was associated with inferior overall survival and relapse-free survival. Conclusions HTRA1 expression is associated with immune-cell infiltration, response to chemotherapy, and survival outcomes in BRCA. HTRA1 has the potential to serve as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Zhao
- Department of Breast Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Wanfeng Li
- Department of Breast Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Breast Cancer, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Gengyue Zhang
- Jilin Province Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Xinhua Bai
- Department of Pathology, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Jilin Province Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
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Awoyemi T, Zhang W, Rahbar M, Cribbs A, Logenthiran P, Jiang S, Collett G, Cerdeira AS, Vatish M. A cross-sectional analysis of syncytiotrophoblast membrane extracellular vesicles-derived transcriptomic biomarkers in early-onset preeclampsia. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1291642. [PMID: 38099221 PMCID: PMC10720444 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1291642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder affecting 2%-8% of pregnancies worldwide. Biomarker(s) for the disorder exists, but while these have excellent negative predictive value, their positive predictive value is poor. Extracellular vesicles released by the placenta into the maternal circulation, syncytiotrophoblast membrane extracellular vesicles (STB-EVs), have been identified as being involved in PE with the potential to act as liquid biopsies. Objective The objective of this study was to identify the difference in the transcriptome of placenta and STB-EVs between preeclampsia and normal pregnancy (NP) and mechanistic pathways. Methods/study design We performed RNA-sequencing on placental tissue, medium/large and small STB-EVs from PE (n = 6) and NP (n = 6), followed by bioinformatic analysis to identify targets that could be used in the future for EV-based diagnostic tests for preeclampsia. Some of the identified biomarkers were validated with real-time polymerase chain reactions. Results Our analysis identified a difference in the transcriptomic STB-EV cargo between PE and NP. We then identified and verified the differential expression of FLNB, COL17A1, SLC45A4, LEP, HTRA4, PAPP-A2, EBI3, HSD17B1, FSTL3, INHBA, SIGLEC6, and CGB3. Our analysis also identified interesting mechanistic processes via an in silico prediction of STB-EV-based mechanistic pathways. Conclusions In this study, using comprehensive profiling of differentially expressed/carried genes of three linked sample subtypes in PE, we identified potential biomarkers and mechanistic gene pathways that may be important in the pathophysiology of PE and could be further explored in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toluwalase Awoyemi
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Zhang
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Maryam Rahbar
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Cribbs
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Prasanna Logenthiran
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shuhan Jiang
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin Collett
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Sofia Cerdeira
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Manu Vatish
- Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Cui L, Shi X, Li H, Wang S, Guo L, Lan Z, Dai Y, Zhang Q, Wu Y, Liu W. Crystal structures and solution conformations of HtrA from Helicobacter pylori reveal pH-dependent oligomeric conversion and conformational rearrangements. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125274. [PMID: 37301353 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125274] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium that infects over 50 % of the world's population, making it a major risk factor for chronic gastritis, ulcer diseases of the stomach and duodenum, MALT lymphoma, and gastric cancer. The clinical consequences of H. pylori infection are closely linked with the expression of virulence factors secreted by the bacterium. One such virulence factor is high temperature requirement A (HtrA), which possesses chaperone and serine protease activity. In the host stomach, HtrA secreted from H. pylori (HpHtrA) disrupts intercellular adhesions by cleaving epithelial adhesion proteins including E-cadherin and desmoglein-2. This disruption causes intercellular junctions to open, allowing the bacterium to pass through the epithelial barrier, access the intercellular space, and colonize the gastric mucosa. HtrA proteases are well known for their structural complexity, reflected in their diverse oligomer forms and multi-tasking activities in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In this study, we determined crystal structures and solution conformations of HpHtrA monomer and trimer, which revealed large domain rearrangements between them. Notably, this is the first report of a monomeric structure in the HtrA family. We further found a pH-dependent dynamic trimer-to-monomer conversion and concurrent conformational changes that seem closely linked with a pH-sensing ability through the protonation of certain Asp residues. These results advance our understanding of the functional roles and the related mechanisms of this protease in bacterial infection, which may shed light on the development of HtrA-targeted therapies for H. pylori-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwei Cui
- Institute of Immunology, PLA, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Hainan Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China
| | - Xiangrui Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Huiling Li
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Hainan Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Ling Guo
- Institute of Immunology, PLA, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Center for drug evaluation and inspection of Chongqing Medical Products Administration, Chongqing 401120, China
| | - Zhu Lan
- Institute of Immunology, PLA, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yujie Dai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Qinghua Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
| | - Yuzhang Wu
- Institute of Immunology, PLA, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
| | - Wei Liu
- Institute of Immunology, PLA, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
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Pei CZ, Choi BC, Park JH, Park HY, Paek J, Lee KJ, Yun BS, Kim YJ, Baek KH. Cellular Functions of High-Temperature Requirement Factor A4 in Placenta. Cells 2023; 12:1459. [PMID: 37296580 PMCID: PMC10252923 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of High-temperature requirement factor A4 (HtrA4) mRNA is significantly lower in the chorionic villi of patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) than in the control group. We conducted an investigation into the cellular functions of HtrA4 using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and shRNA-HtrA4 to create knockout BeWo cells and HtrA4 knockdown JEG3 cells. Our results indicated that the knockout BeWo cells exhibited reduced capacity for invasion and fusion, but increased levels of proliferation and migration, with a significantly shortened cell cycle compared to wild-type cells. Wild-type BeWo cells highly expressed cell invasion- and fusion-related factors, while knockout BeWo cells highly expressed migration-, proliferation-, and cell cycle-related factors. The shRNA-HtrA4 JEG3 cells showed a decreased capacity for invasion, but an increased capacity for migration, accompanied by a decrease in the expression of cell invasion-related factors and an increase in migration-related factors. Moreover, our ELISA results revealed that the serum HtrA4 level was lower in patients with RPL than in the controls. These findings suggest that HtrA4 depletion may be associated with placental dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Zhu Pei
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea; (C.-Z.P.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Bum-Chae Choi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CL Women’s Hospital, Gwangju 61917, Republic of Korea; (B.-C.C.); (H.Y.P.)
| | - Jun-Hyeok Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea; (C.-Z.P.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Hyo Young Park
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CL Women’s Hospital, Gwangju 61917, Republic of Korea; (B.-C.C.); (H.Y.P.)
| | - Jinyoung Paek
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gangnam CHA Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul 06135, Republic of Korea;
| | - Kyung-Ju Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea;
| | - Bo-Seong Yun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ilsan CHA Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul 06135, Republic of Korea;
| | - Young Ju Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ewha Woman’s University College of Medicine, Seoul 07985, Republic of Korea;
| | - Kwang-Hyun Baek
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cell and Gene Therapy Research Institute, CHA University, Seongnam 13488, Republic of Korea; (C.-Z.P.); (J.-H.P.)
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Nasimian A, Al Ashiri L, Ahmed M, Duan H, Zhang X, Rönnstrand L, Kazi JU. A Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Sensitivity Prediction Model Identifies AXL Dependency in Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043830. [PMID: 36835239 PMCID: PMC9959897 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite incredible progress in cancer treatment, therapy resistance remains the leading limiting factor for long-term survival. During drug treatment, several genes are transcriptionally upregulated to mediate drug tolerance. Using highly variable genes and pharmacogenomic data for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we developed a drug sensitivity prediction model for the receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib and achieved more than 80% prediction accuracy. Furthermore, by using Shapley additive explanations for determining leading features, we identified AXL as an important feature for drug resistance. Drug-resistant patient samples displayed enrichment of protein kinase C (PKC) signaling, which was also identified in sorafenib-treated FLT3-ITD-dependent AML cell lines by a peptide-based kinase profiling assay. Finally, we show that pharmacological inhibition of tyrosine kinase activity enhances AXL expression, phosphorylation of the PKC-substrate cyclic AMP response element binding (CREB) protein, and displays synergy with AXL and PKC inhibitors. Collectively, our data suggest an involvement of AXL in tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance and link PKC activation as a possible signaling mediator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Nasimian
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22381 Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lina Al Ashiri
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22381 Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Mehreen Ahmed
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22381 Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hongzhi Duan
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22381 Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Xiaoyue Zhang
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22381 Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lars Rönnstrand
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22381 Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Radiation Physics, Skåne University Hospital, 22185 Lund, Sweden
| | - Julhash U. Kazi
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22381 Lund, Sweden
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-462226407
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12
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Gao M, Qiu Y, Cao T, Li D, Wang J, Jiao Y, Chen Z, Huang J. Insufficient HtrA2 causes meiotic defects in aging germinal vesicle oocytes. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2022; 20:173. [PMID: 36539842 PMCID: PMC9764539 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-022-01048-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-temperature requirement protease A2 (HtrA2/Omi) is a mitochondrial chaperone that is highly conserved from bacteria to humans. It plays an important role in mitochondrial homeostasis and apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the role of HtrA2 in mouse oocyte maturation. METHODS The role of HtrA2 in mouse oocyte maturation was investigated by employing knockdown (KD) or overexpression (OE) of HtrA2 in young or old germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes. We employed immunoblotting, immunostaining, fluorescent intensity quantification to test the HtrA2 knockdown on the GV oocyte maturation progression, spindle assembly checkpoint, mitochondrial distribution, spindle organization, chromosome alignment, actin polymerization, DNA damage and chromosome numbers and acetylated tubulin levels. RESULTS We observed a significant reduction in HtrA2 protein levels in aging germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes. Young oocytes with low levels of HtrA2 due to siRNA knockdown were unable to complete meiosis and were partially blocked at metaphase I (MI). They also displayed significantly more BubR1 on kinetochores, indicating that the spindle assembly checkpoint was triggered at MI. Extrusion of the first polar body (Pb1) was significantly less frequent and oocytes with large polar bodies were observed when HtrA2 was depleted. In addition, HtrA2 knockdown induced meiotic spindle/chromosome disorganization, leading to aneuploidy at metaphase II (MII), possibly due to the elevated level of acetylated tubulin. Importantly, overexpression of HtrA2 partially rescued spindle/chromosome disorganization and reduced the rate of aneuploidy in aging GV oocytes. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our data suggest that HtrA2 is a key regulator of oocyte maturation, and its deficiency with age appears to contribute to reproduction failure in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 51000, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, School of Life Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yanling Qiu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, School of Life Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Tianqi Cao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, School of Life Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Dungao Li
- The Reproduction Medicine Center of Hui Zhou Municipal Central Hospital, Huizhou, 516001, China
| | - Jingwen Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, School of Life Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yiren Jiao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, School of Life Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Zhiyun Chen
- The Reproduction Medicine Center of Hui Zhou Municipal Central Hospital, Huizhou, 516001, China.
| | - Junjiu Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 51000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, School of Life Sciences and the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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