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Zhang C, Yang Z, Li X, Zhao L, Guo W, Deng W, Wang Q, Hu X, Li M, Sham PC, Xiao X, Li T. Unraveling NEK4 as a Potential Drug Target in Schizophrenia and Bipolar I Disorder: A Proteomic and Genomic Approach. Schizophr Bull 2024:sbae094. [PMID: 38869147 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbae094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Investigating the shared brain protein and genetic components of schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar I disorder (BD-I) presents a unique opportunity to understand the underlying pathophysiological processes and pinpoint potential drug targets. STUDY DESIGN To identify overlapping susceptibility brain proteins in SCZ and BD-I, we carried out proteome-wide association studies (PWAS) and Mendelian Randomization (MR) by integrating human brain protein quantitative trait loci with large-scale genome-wide association studies for both disorders. We utilized transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) to determine the consistency of mRNA-protein dysregulation in both disorders. We applied pleiotropy-informed conditional false discovery rate (pleioFDR) analysis to identify common risk genetic loci for SCZ and BD-I. Additionally, we performed a cell-type-specific analysis in the human brain to detect risk genes notably enriched in distinct brain cell types. The impact of risk gene overexpression on dendritic arborization and axon length in neurons was also examined. STUDY RESULTS Our PWAS identified 42 proteins associated with SCZ and 14 with BD-I, among which NEK4, HARS2, SUGP1, and DUS2 were common to both conditions. TWAS and MR analysis verified the significant risk gene NEK4 for both SCZ and BD-I. PleioFDR analysis further supported genetic risk loci associated with NEK4 for both conditions. The cell-type specificity analysis revealed that NEK4 is expressed on the surface of glutamatergic neurons, and its overexpression enhances dendritic arborization and axon length in cultured primary neurons. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore a shared genetic origin for SCZ and BD-I, offering novel insights for potential therapeutic target identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - ZhiHui Yang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liansheng Zhao
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Deng
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xun Hu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ming Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Pak Chung Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution and Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Tao Li
- Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Dutt P, Haider N, Mouaaz S, Podmore L, Stambolic V. β-catenin turnover is regulated by Nek10-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2300606121. [PMID: 38683979 PMCID: PMC11087748 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300606121] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
β-catenin has influential roles affecting embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and human diseases including cancer. Cellular β-catenin levels are exquisitely controlled by a variety of regulatory mechanisms. In the course of exploring the functions of the Nek10 tyrosine kinase, we observed that deletion of Nek10 in lung adenocarcinoma cells resulted in dramatic stabilization of β-catenin, suggestive of a Nek10 role in the control of β-catenin turnover. Nek10-deficient cells exhibited diminished ability to form tumorspheres in suspension, grow in soft agar, and colonize mouse lung tissue following tail vein injection. Mechanistically, Nek10 associates with the Axin complex, responsible for β-catenin degradation, where it phosphorylates β-catenin at Tyr30, located within the regulatory region governing β-catenin turnover. In the absence of Nek10 phosphorylation, GSK3-mediated phosphorylation of β-catenin, a prerequisite for its turnover, is impaired. This represents a divergent function within the Nek family, whose other members are serine-threonine kinases involved in different elements of the centrosomal cycle, primary cilia function, and DNA damage responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Previn Dutt
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Nasir Haider
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Samar Mouaaz
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lauren Podmore
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Vuk Stambolic
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, Toronto, ONM5G 1L7, Canada
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Vizcarra EA, Ulu A, Landrith TA, Qiu X, Godzik A, Wilson EH. Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor expression defines a T cell memory population during chronic Toxoplasma infection that enhances IFN-gamma and perforin production in the CNS. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 114:131-143. [PMID: 37604212 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Within the brain, a pro-inflammatory response is essential to prevent clinical disease due to Toxoplasma gondii reactivation. Infection in the immunocompromised leads to lethal Toxoplasmic encephalitis while in the immunocompetent, there is persistent low-grade inflammation which is devoid of clinical symptoms. This signifies that there is a well-balanced and regulated inflammatory response to T. gondii in the brain. T cells are the dominant immune cells that prevent clinical disease, and this is mediated through the secretion of effector molecules such as perforins and IFN-γ. The presence of cognate antigen, the expression of survival cytokines, and the alteration of the epigenetic landscape drive the development of memory T cells. However, specific extrinsic signals that promote the formation and maintenance of memory T cells within tissue are poorly understood. During chronic infection, there is an increase in extracellular glutamate that, due to its function as an excitatory neurotransmitter, is normally tightly controlled in the CNS. Here we demonstrate that CD8+ T cells from the T. gondii-infected brain parenchyma are enriched for metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR's). Characterization studies determined that mGluR+ expression by CD8+ T cells defines a distinct memory population at the transcriptional and protein level. Finally, using receptor antagonists and agonists we demonstrate mGluR signaling is required for optimal CD8+ T cell production of the effector cytokine IFNγ. This work suggests that glutamate is an important environmental signal of inflammation that promotes T cell function. Understanding glutamate's influence on T cells in the brain can provide insights into the mechanisms that govern protective immunity against CNS-infiltrating pathogens and neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A Vizcarra
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Arzu Ulu
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Tyler A Landrith
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Xinru Qiu
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Adam Godzik
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Emma H Wilson
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States.
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4
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Cheng Y, Sun F, Alapat DV, Wanchai V, Mery D, Guo W, Cao H, Zhu Y, Ashby C, Bauer MA, Nookaew I, Siegel ER, Ying J, Chen JR, Gai D, Peng B, Xu H, Bailey C, Al Hadidi S, Schinke C, Thanendrarajan S, Zangari M, Chesi M, Bergsagel PL, van Rhee F, Janz S, Tricot G, Shaughnessy JD, Zhan F. High NEK2 expression in myeloid progenitors suppresses T cell immunity in multiple myeloma. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101214. [PMID: 37794587 PMCID: PMC10591052 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) growth is supported by an immune-tolerant bone marrow microenvironment. Here, we find that loss of Never in mitosis gene A (NIMA)-related kinase 2 (NEK2) in tumor microenvironmental cells is associated with MM growth suppression. The absence of NEK2 leads to both fewer tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and inhibitory T cells. NEK2 expression in myeloid progenitor cells promotes the generation of functional TAMs when stimulated with MM conditional medium. Clinically, high NEK2 expression in MM cells is associated with increased CD8+ T effector memory cells, while low NEK2 is associated with an IFN-γ gene signature and activated T cell response. Inhibition of NEK2 upregulates PD-L1 expression in MM cells and myeloid cells. In a mouse model, the combination of NEK2 inhibitor INH154 with PD-L1 blockade effectively eliminates MM cells and prolongs survival. Our results provide strong evidence that NEK2 inhibition may overcome tumor immune escape and support its further clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Cheng
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Fumou Sun
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Daisy V Alapat
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Visanu Wanchai
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - David Mery
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Wancheng Guo
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Huojun Cao
- Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Department of Endodontics, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Yuqi Zhu
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Cody Ashby
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Michael Anton Bauer
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Intawat Nookaew
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Eric R Siegel
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Jun Ying
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Jin-Ran Chen
- Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Dongzheng Gai
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Bailu Peng
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Clyde Bailey
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Samer Al Hadidi
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Carolina Schinke
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Sharmilan Thanendrarajan
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Maurizio Zangari
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Marta Chesi
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - P Leif Bergsagel
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Frits van Rhee
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Siegfried Janz
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Guido Tricot
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - John D Shaughnessy
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Fenghuang Zhan
- Myeloma Center, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
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Chen L, Ballout F, Lu H, Hu T, Zhu S, Chen Z, Peng D. Differential Expression of NEK Kinase Family Members in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Barrett's Esophagus. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4821. [PMID: 37835513 PMCID: PMC10571661 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen rapidly during the past four decades, making it the most common type of esophageal cancer in the USA and Western countries. The NEK (Never in mitosis A (NIMA) related kinase) gene family is a group of serine/threonine kinases with 11 members. Aberrant expression of NEKs has been recently found in a variety of human cancers and plays important roles in tumorigenesis, progression, and drug-resistance. However, the expression of the NEKs in EAC and its precancerous condition (Barrett's esophagus, BE) has not been investigated. In the present study, we first analyzed the TCGA and 9 GEO databases (a total of 10 databases in which 8 contain EAC and 6 contain BE) using bioinformatic approaches for NEKs expression in EAC and BE. We identified that several NEK members, such as NEK2 (7/8), NEK3 (6/8), and NEK6 (6/8), were significantly upregulated in EAC as compared to normal esophagus samples. Alternatively, NEK1 was downregulated in EAC as compared to the normal esophagus. On the contrary, genomic alterations of these NEKs are not frequent in EAC. We validated the above findings using qRT-PCR and the protein expression of NEKs in EAC cell lines using Western blotting and in primary EAC tissues using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Our data suggest that frequent upregulation of NEK2, NEK3, and NEK7 may be important in EAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Farah Ballout
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Heng Lu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Tianling Hu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Shoumin Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zheng Chen
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Dunfa Peng
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (L.C.); (F.B.); (H.L.); (T.H.); (S.Z.); (Z.C.)
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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Li P, He Y, Yang Q, Guo H, Li N, Zhang D. NEK7 inhibition attenuates Aβ 42-induced cognitive impairment by regulating TLR4/NF-κB and the NLRP3 inflammasome in mice. J Clin Biochem Nutr 2023; 73:145-153. [PMID: 37700846 PMCID: PMC10493210 DOI: 10.3164/jcbn.22-105] [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: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
NEK7 is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates cell mitosis and the activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like (NOD-like) receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and is related to neuroinflammation and neuronal damage. The purpose of this study was to explore the role and mechanism of NEK7 in cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). BV2 cells, a microglia cell line, was treated with Aβ42. NEK7 expression was measured with reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. An apoptosis kit was used to determine the apoptotic rate. APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice were used as an in vivo AD model. The experimental mice were infected with sh-NEK7 lentivirus to downregulate NEK7. The Morris water maze was conducted to explore the effect of NEK7 downregulation on cognitive ability. The results showed that Aβ42 significantly upregulated NEK7 in BV2 cells. Silencing NEK7 suppressed the decrease in BV2 viability and the increase in inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by Aβ42. NEK7 mediated it effects through the TLR4/NF-κB signalling pathway and the NLRP3 inflammasome. Finally, inhibition of NEK7 alleviated the cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice. In conclusion, Silencing NEK7 suppresses Aβ42-induced cell apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress, and improves cognitive performance in AD mice. NEK7 may be a potential target for AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- Department of Neurology, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710068, China
| | - Yifan He
- Graduate School, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710021, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neurology, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710068, China
| | - Hena Guo
- Department of Neurology, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710068, China
| | - Nini Li
- Department of Neurology, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710068, China
| | - Dongdong Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, 521 Hospital of NORINCO GROUP, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710065, China
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Yanda MK, Ciobanu C, Guggino WB, Cebotaru L. CFTR and PC2, partners in the primary cilia in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 325:C682-C693. [PMID: 37519231 PMCID: PMC10635646 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00197.2023] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Defects in the primary cilium are associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). We used a combination of animal models, Western blotting, and confocal microscopy and discovered that CFTR and polycystin 2 (PC2) are both colocalized to the cilium in normal kidneys, with the levels of both being decreased in cystic epithelia. Cilia were longer in CFTR-null mice and in cystic cells in our ADPKD animal models. We examined septin 2, known to play a role in cilia length, to act as a diffusion barrier and to serve as an enhancer of proliferation. We found that septin 2 protein levels were upregulated and colocalized strongly with CFTR in cystic cells. Application of VX-809, the CFTR corrector, restored CFTR and PC2 toward normal in the cilia, decreased the protein levels of septin 2, and drastically reduced septin 2 colocalization with CFTR. Our data suggest that CFTR is present in the cilia and plays a role there, perhaps through its conductance of Cl-. We also postulate that septin 2 is important for localizing CFTR to the apical membrane in cystic epithelia.NEW & NOTEWORTHY CFTR is present in the primary cilia together with polycystin 2 (PC2). Ablation of CFTR makes cilia longer suggesting that CFTR plays a role there, perhaps through its conductance of Cl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murali K Yanda
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Cristian Ciobanu
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - William B Guggino
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Liudmila Cebotaru
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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Mann JR, McKenna ED, Mawrie D, Papakis V, Alessandrini F, Anderson EN, Mayers R, Ball HE, Kaspi E, Lubinski K, Baron DM, Tellez L, Landers JE, Pandey UB, Kiskinis E. Loss of function of the ALS-associated NEK1 kinase disrupts microtubule homeostasis and nuclear import. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi5548. [PMID: 37585529 PMCID: PMC10431718 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi5548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Loss-of-function variants in NIMA-related kinase 1 (NEK1) constitute a major genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), accounting for 2 to 3% of all cases. However, how NEK1 mutations cause motor neuron (MN) dysfunction is unknown. Using mass spectrometry analyses for NEK1 interactors and NEK1-dependent expression changes, we find functional enrichment for proteins involved in the microtubule cytoskeleton and nucleocytoplasmic transport. We show that α-tubulin and importin-β1, two key proteins involved in these processes, are phosphorylated by NEK1 in vitro. NEK1 is essential for motor control and survival in Drosophila models in vivo, while using several induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-MN models, including NEK1 knockdown, kinase inhibition, and a patient mutation, we find evidence for disruptions in microtubule homeostasis and nuclear import. Notably, stabilizing microtubules with two distinct classes of drugs restored NEK1-dependent deficits in both pathways. The capacity of NEK1 to modulate these processes that are critically involved in ALS pathophysiology renders this kinase a formidable therapeutic candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R. Mann
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Elizabeth D. McKenna
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Darilang Mawrie
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Vasileios Papakis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Francesco Alessandrini
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Eric N. Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Ryan Mayers
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Hannah E. Ball
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Evan Kaspi
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Katherine Lubinski
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Desiree M. Baron
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Liana Tellez
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - John E. Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Udai B. Pandey
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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9
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Bhoir S, De Benedetti A. Targeting Prostate Cancer, the 'Tousled Way'. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11100. [PMID: 37446279 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been the mainstay of prostate cancer (PCa) treatment, with success in developing more effective inhibitors of androgen synthesis and antiandrogens in clinical practice. However, hormone deprivation and AR ablation have caused an increase in ADT-insensitive PCas associated with a poor prognosis. Resistance to ADT arises through various mechanisms, and most castration-resistant PCas still rely on the androgen axis, while others become truly androgen receptor (AR)-independent. Our research identified the human tousled-like kinase 1 (TLK1) as a crucial early mediator of PCa cell adaptation to ADT, promoting androgen-independent growth, inhibiting apoptosis, and facilitating cell motility and metastasis. Although explicit, the growing role of TLK1 biology in PCa has remained underrepresented and elusive. In this review, we aim to highlight the diverse functions of TLK1 in PCa, shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the transition from androgen-sensitive (AS) to an androgen-insensitive (AI) disease mediated by TLK1, and explore potential strategies to counteract this process. Targeting TLK1 and its associated signaling could prevent PCa progression to the incurable metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC) stage and provide a promising approach to treating PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhant Bhoir
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA
| | - Arrigo De Benedetti
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71103, USA
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10
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Guo W, Wang H, Tharkeshwar AK, Couthouis J, Braems E, Masrori P, Van Schoor E, Fan Y, Ahuja K, Moisse M, Jacquemyn M, da Costa RFM, Gajjar M, Balusu S, Tricot T, Fumagalli L, Hersmus N, Janky R, Impens F, Berghe PV, Ho R, Thal DR, Vandenberghe R, Hegde ML, Chandran S, De Strooper B, Daelemans D, Van Damme P, Van Den Bosch L, Verfaillie C. CRISPR/Cas9 screen in human iPSC-derived cortical neurons identifies NEK6 as a novel disease modifier of C9orf72 poly(PR) toxicity. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:1245-1259. [PMID: 35993441 PMCID: PMC9943798 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are hexanucleotide repeats in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72). These repeats produce dipeptide repeat proteins with poly(PR) being the most toxic one. METHODS We performed a kinome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out screen in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) -derived cortical neurons to identify modifiers of poly(PR) toxicity, and validated the role of candidate modifiers using in vitro, in vivo, and ex-vivo studies. RESULTS Knock-down of NIMA-related kinase 6 (NEK6) prevented neuronal toxicity caused by poly(PR). Knock-down of nek6 also ameliorated the poly(PR)-induced axonopathy in zebrafish and NEK6 was aberrantly expressed in C9orf72 patients. Suppression of NEK6 expression and NEK6 activity inhibition rescued axonal transport defects in cortical neurons from C9orf72 patient iPSCs, at least partially by reversing p53-related DNA damage. DISCUSSION We identified NEK6, which regulates poly(PR)-mediated p53-related DNA damage, as a novel therapeutic target for C9orf72 FTD/ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Guo
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Haibo Wang
- Division of DNA Repair Research, Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Arun Kumar Tharkeshwar
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julien Couthouis
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Elke Braems
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pegah Masrori
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evelien Van Schoor
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yannan Fan
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karan Ahuja
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Moisse
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Jacquemyn
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Madhavsai Gajjar
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sriram Balusu
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tine Tricot
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole Hersmus
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Francis Impens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Proteomics Core, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vanden Berghe
- Translational Research Centre for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven–University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ritchie Ho
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dietmar Rudolf Thal
- Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven-Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Muralidhar L. Hegde
- Division of DNA Repair Research, Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Neuroscience Research at Neurological Surgery, Weill Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- UK-Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- UK-Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Dirk Daelemans
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- VIB, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Verfaillie
- Stem Cell Institute, Department of Devolpment and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Nguyen K, Boehling J, Tran MN, Cheng T, Rivera A, Collins-Burow BM, Lee SB, Drewry DH, Burow ME. NEK Family Review and Correlations with Patient Survival Outcomes in Various Cancer Types. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072067. [PMID: 37046733 PMCID: PMC10093199 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Never in Mitosis Gene A (NIMA)–related kinases (NEKs) are a group of serine/threonine kinases that are involved in a wide array of cellular processes including cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair response (DDR), apoptosis, and microtubule organization. Recent studies have identified the involvement of NEK family members in various diseases such as autoimmune disorders, malignancies, and developmental defects. Despite the existing literature exemplifying the importance of the NEK family of kinases, this family of protein kinases remains understudied. This report seeks to provide a foundation for investigating the role of different NEKs in malignancies. We do this by evaluating the 11 NEK family kinase gene expression associations with patients’ overall survival (OS) from various cancers using the Kaplan–Meier Online Tool (KMPlotter) to correlate the relationship between mRNA expression of NEK1-11 in various cancers and patient survival. Furthermore, we use the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database to identify NEK family mutations in cancers of different tissues. Overall, the data suggest that the NEK family has varying associations with patient survival in different cancers with tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects being tissue-dependent.
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12
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Gerovska D, Araúzo-Bravo MJ. Skeletal Muscles of Sedentary and Physically Active Aged People Have Distinctive Genic Extrachromosomal Circular DNA Profiles. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032736. [PMID: 36769072 PMCID: PMC9917053 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
To bring new extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) enrichment technologies closer to the clinic, specifically for screening, early diagnosis, and monitoring of diseases or lifestyle conditions, it is paramount to identify the differential pattern of the genic eccDNA signal between two states. Current studies using short-read sequenced purified eccDNA data are based on absolute numbers of unique eccDNAs per sample or per gene, length distributions, or standard methods for RNA-seq differential analysis. Previous analyses of RNA-seq data found significant transcriptomics difference between sedentary and active life style skeletal muscle (SkM) in young people but very few in old. The first attempt using circulomics data from SkM and blood of aged lifelong sedentary and physically active males found no difference at eccDNA level. To improve the capability of finding differences between circulomics data groups, we designed a computational method to identify Differentially Produced per Gene Circles (DPpGCs) from short-read sequenced purified eccDNA data based on the circular junction, split-read signal, of the eccDNA, and implemented it into a software tool DifCir in Matlab. We employed DifCir to find to the distinctive features of the influence of the physical activity or inactivity in the aged SkM that would have remained undetected by transcriptomics methods. We mapped the data from tissue from SkM and blood from two groups of aged lifelong sedentary and physically active males using Circle_finder and subsequent merging and filtering, to find the number and length distribution of the unique eccDNA. Next, we used DifCir to find up-DPpGCs in the SkM of the sedentary and active groups. We assessed the functional enrichment of the DPpGCs using Disease Gene Network and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. To find genes that produce eccDNA in a group without comparison with another group, we introduced a method to find Common PpGCs (CPpGCs) and used it to find CPpGCs in the SkM of the sedentary and active group. Finally, we found the eccDNA that carries whole genes. We discovered that the eccDNA in the SkM of the sedentary group is not statistically different from that of physically active aged men in terms of number and length distribution of eccDNA. In contrast, with DifCir we found distinctive gene-associated eccDNA fingerprints. We identified statistically significant up-DPpGCs in the two groups, with the top up-DPpGCs shed by the genes AGBL4, RNF213, DNAH7, MED13, and WWTR1 in the sedentary group, and ZBTB7C, TBCD, ITPR2, and DDX11-AS1 in the active group. The up-DPpGCs in both groups carry mostly gene fragments rather than whole genes. Though the subtle transcriptomics difference, we found RYR1 to be both transcriptionally up-regulated and up-DPpGCs gene in sedentary SkM. DifCir emphasizes the high sensitivity of the circulome compared to the transcriptome to detect the molecular fingerprints of exercise in aged SkM. It allows efficient identification of gene hotspots that excise more eccDNA in a health state or disease compared to a control condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gerovska
- Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
- Correspondence: (D.G.); (M.J.A.-B.)
| | - Marcos J. Araúzo-Bravo
- Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
- Basque Foundation for Science, IKERBASQUE, Calle María Díaz Harokoa 3, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
- CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERfes), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Röntgenstr. 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Correspondence: (D.G.); (M.J.A.-B.)
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Voltage-Gated T-Type Calcium Channel Modulation by Kinases and Phosphatases: The Old Ones, the New Ones, and the Missing Ones. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030461. [PMID: 36766802 PMCID: PMC9913649 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium (Ca2+) can regulate a wide variety of cellular fates, such as proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. More importantly, changes in the intracellular Ca2+ level can modulate signaling pathways that control a broad range of physiological as well as pathological cellular events, including those important to cellular excitability, cell cycle, gene-transcription, contraction, cancer progression, etc. Not only intracellular Ca2+ level but the distribution of Ca2+ in the intracellular compartments is also a highly regulated process. For this Ca2+ homeostasis, numerous Ca2+ chelating, storage, and transport mechanisms are required. There are also specialized proteins that are responsible for buffering and transport of Ca2+. T-type Ca2+ channels (TTCCs) are one of those specialized proteins which play a key role in the signal transduction of many excitable and non-excitable cell types. TTCCs are low-voltage activated channels that belong to the family of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Over decades, multiple kinases and phosphatases have been shown to modulate the activity of TTCCs, thus playing an indirect role in maintaining cellular physiology. In this review, we provide information on the kinase and phosphatase modulation of TTCC isoforms Cav3.1, Cav3.2, and Cav3.3, which are mostly described for roles unrelated to cellular excitability. We also describe possible potential modulations that are yet to be explored. For example, both mitogen-activated protein kinase and citron kinase show affinity for different TTCC isoforms; however, the effect of such interaction on TTCC current/kinetics has not been studied yet.
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NEK6 Regulates Redox Balance and DNA Damage Response in DU-145 Prostate Cancer Cells. Cells 2023; 12:cells12020256. [PMID: 36672191 PMCID: PMC9856815 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
NEK6 is a central kinase in developing castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the pathways regulated by NEK6 in CRPC are still unclear. Cancer cells have high reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and easily adapt to this circumstance and avoid cell death by increasing antioxidant defenses. We knocked out the NEK6 gene and evaluated the redox state and DNA damage response in DU-145 cells. The knockout of NEK6 decreases the clonogenic capacity, proliferation, cell viability, and mitochondrial activity. Targeting the NEK6 gene increases the level of intracellular ROS; decreases the expression of antioxidant defenses (SOD1, SOD2, and PRDX3); increases JNK phosphorylation, a stress-responsive kinase; and increases DNA damage markers (p-ATM and γH2AX). The exogenous overexpression of NEK6 also increases the expression of these same antioxidant defenses and decreases γH2AX. The depletion of NEK6 also induces cell death by apoptosis and reduces the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein. NEK6-lacking cells have more sensitivity to cisplatin. Additionally, NEK6 regulates the nuclear localization of NF-κB2, suggesting NEK6 may regulate NF-κB2 activity. Therefore, NEK6 alters the redox balance, regulates the expression of antioxidant proteins and DNA damage, and its absence induces the death of DU-145 cells. NEK6 inhibition may be a new strategy for CRPC therapy.
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de Castro Ferezin C, Lim Kam Sian TCC, Wu Y, Ma X, Chüeh AC, Huang C, Schittenhelm RB, Kobarg J, Daly RJ. Identification of biological pathways and processes regulated by NEK5 in breast epithelial cells via an integrated proteomic approach. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:197. [PMID: 36550548 PMCID: PMC9773587 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-01006-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific members of the Nima-Related Kinase (NEK) family have been linked to cancer development and progression, and a role for NEK5, one of the least studied members, in breast cancer has recently been proposed. However, while NEK5 is known to regulate centrosome separation and mitotic spindle assembly, NEK5 signalling mechanisms and function in this malignancy require further characterization. To this end, we established a model system featuring overexpression of NEK5 in the immortalized breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A. MCF-10A cells overexpressing NEK5 exhibited an increase in clonogenicity under monolayer conditions and enhanced acinar size and abnormal morphology in 3D Matrigel culture. Interestingly, they also exhibited a marked reduction in Src activation and downstream signalling. To interrogate NEK5 signalling and function in an unbiased manner, we applied a variety of MS-based proteomic approaches. Determination of the NEK5 interactome by Bio-ID identified a variety of protein classes including the kinesins KIF2C and KIF22, the mitochondrial proteins TFAM, TFB2M and MFN2, RhoH effectors and the negative regulator of Src, CSK. Characterization of proteins and phosphosites modulated upon NEK5 overexpression by global MS-based (phospho)proteomic profiling revealed impact on the cell cycle, DNA synthesis and repair, Rho GTPase signalling, the microtubule cytoskeleton and hemidesmosome assembly. Overall, the study indicates that NEK5 impacts diverse pathways and processes in breast epithelial cells, and likely plays a multifaceted role in breast cancer development and progression. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Castro Ferezin
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Terry C. C. Lim Kam Sian
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Yunjian Wu
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Xiuquan Ma
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Anderly C. Chüeh
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Cheng Huang
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Ralf B. Schittenhelm
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Monash Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
| | - Jörg Kobarg
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roger J. Daly
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Cancer Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800 Australia
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Never-in-Mitosis A-Related Kinase 8 (NEK8) Regulates Adipogenesis, Glucose Homeostasis, and Obesity. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:1947067. [PMID: 36506932 PMCID: PMC9729029 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1947067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background Adipogenesis is a complex biological process and the leading main cause of obesity. We evaluated the role of never-in-mitosis A-related kinase 8 (NEK8) in adipocyte development and insulin sensitivity in the present study. Methods NEK8 expression was manipulated using a specific shRNA or the NEK8-full-length expressing recombinant plasmids. The interaction between NEK8 and Tafazzin (TAZ, an oncogenic transcriptional regulator) was examined by Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and confocal immunofluorescence staining. Western blot assay was performed to determine the protein expression. The in vivo role of NEK8 was explored in a mouse model of high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced insulin resistance. Results During adipogenesis, the expression of NEK8 was elevated while TAZ was downregulated. Overexpression of NEK8 promoted lipid accumulation and expression of markers for adipocyte differentiation. Mechanically, NEK8 interacted with TAZ and suppressed its expression in adipocytes. Functionally, lentiviral-mediated NEK8 inhibition ameliorates HFD-induced insulin resistance in adipocytes. Conclusion These findings suggest that NEK8 plays a critical role in adipocyte proliferation, providing novel insight into the link between NEK8 and type 2 diabetes- (T2DM-) related obesity.
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Impaired Carbohydrate Metabolism and Excess of Lipid Accumulation in Offspring of Hyperandrogenic Mice. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12121182. [PMID: 36557220 PMCID: PMC9788294 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12121182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine-metabolic disorder of unknown etiology. Hyperandrogenism (HA) is the main diagnostic criteria for PCOS, in addition to being a risk factor for developing several disorders throughout the patient's life, including pregnancy. However, the impact on offspring is little known. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of maternal HA on glucose metabolism and hepatic lipid accumulation in adult offspring. We used Balb/c mice treated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for 20 consecutive days. The ovary of DHEA-treated mice showed hemorrhagic bodies, an increased number of atretic follicles, and greater expression of genes related to meiotic cell cycle and DNA repair. The DHEA offspring (O-DHEA) had low birth weight, and some pups showed malformations. However, O-DHEA individuals gained weight rapidly, and the differences between them and the control group became significantly greater in adulthood. Moreover, O-DHEA presented higher serum glucose after a 6 h fast and a larger area under glucose, insulin, and pyruvate tolerance test curves. Oil Red O staining showed a more significant accumulation of fat in the liver but no changes in serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. In summary, our results show that HA, induced by DHEA, affects gene expression in oocyte, which in turn generates defects in embryonic development, insulin resistance, and alteration in hepatic gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism in O-DHEA, thereby increasing the risk of developing metabolic diseases.
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Fabro F, Kannegieter NM, de Graaf EL, Queiroz K, Lamfers MLM, Ressa A, Leenstra S. Novel kinome profiling technology reveals drug treatment is patient and 2D/3D model dependent in glioblastoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1012236. [PMID: 36408180 PMCID: PMC9670801 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1012236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the deadliest brain cancer. One of the main reasons for poor outcome resides in therapy resistance, which adds additional challenges in finding an effective treatment. Small protein kinase inhibitors are molecules that have become widely studied for cancer treatments, including glioblastoma. However, none of these drugs have demonstrated a therapeutic activity or brought more benefit compared to the current standard procedure in clinical trials. Hence, understanding the reasons of the limited efficacy and drug resistance is valuable to develop more effective strategies toward the future. To gain novel insights into the method of action and drug resistance in glioblastoma, we established in parallel two patient-derived glioblastoma 2D and 3D organotypic multicellular spheroids models, and exposed them to a prolonged treatment of three weeks with temozolomide or either the two small protein kinase inhibitors enzastaurin and imatinib. We coupled the phenotypic evidence of cytotoxicity, proliferation, and migration to a novel kinase activity profiling platform (QuantaKinome™) that measured the activities of the intracellular network of kinases affected by the drug treatments. The results revealed a heterogeneous inter-patient phenotypic and molecular response to the different drugs. In general, small differences in kinase activation were observed, suggesting an intrinsic low influence of the drugs to the fundamental cellular processes like proliferation and migration. The pathway analysis indicated that many of the endogenously detected kinases were associated with the ErbB signaling pathway. We showed the intertumoral variability in drug responses, both in terms of efficacy and resistance, indicating the importance of pursuing a more personalized approach. In addition, we observed the influence derived from the application of 2D or 3D models in in vitro studies of kinases involved in the ErbB signaling pathway. We identified in one 3D sample a new resistance mechanism derived from imatinib treatment that results in a more invasive behavior. The present study applied a new approach to detect unique and specific drug effects associated with pathways in in vitro screening of compounds, to foster future drug development strategies for clinical research in glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Fabro
- Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Martine L. M. Lamfers
- Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Sieger Leenstra
- Department of Neurosurgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Sieger Leenstra,
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19
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NEK2 Serves as a Novel Biomarker and Enhances the Tumorigenicity of Clear-CellRenal-Cell Carcinoma by Activating WNT/β-Catenin Pathway. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:1890823. [PMID: 36212952 PMCID: PMC9536896 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1890823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective. Currently, cumulative evidence has shown that loss of NEK2 function suppresses tumor growth. However, complete studies on the regulatory role of NEK2 in clear-cellrenal-cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are rarely reported. Methods. The GEPIA database was used for information mining to analyze the gene expression differences between ccRCC tumor and normal tissues. At the same time, we analyzed the protein expression of NEK2 in clinical ccRCC samples and ccRCC cell lines. We detected the effect of NEK2 on the biological behavior of ccRCC at the cell level and further verified the biological effect of NEK2 on ccRCC cells in vivo by nude mouse tumorigenesis experiment. The expression of WNT/β-cateninpathway-related proteins and downstream proteins related to cell function were detected by Western blotting. Results. Using the GEPIA database, we observed that NEK2 expression level in ccRCC tissues was significantly higher than that in normal kidney tissues and was also related to tumor grade. The survival time of patients with ccRCC with high NEK2 expression was shorter than that of patients with low NEK2 expression. Compared with adjacent carcinoma and normal renal tubular epithelial cells, NEK2 levels were highly expressed in ccRCC tissues and ccRCC cell lines. NEK2 interference restrained ccRCC cell growth, migration, and invasion. NEK2 regulated the malignant behavior of ccRCC cells through the WNT/β-catenin pathway. Nude mouse tumorigenesis assay results showed that the transplanted tumors from NEK2 silenced mice grew more slowly and were smaller in size than those from control mice. Conclusions. NEK2 elevation may be associated with poor prognosis in ccRCC, and NEK2 enhances ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability by activating the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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20
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Su W, Hu H, Ding Q, Wang M, Zhu Y, Zhang Z, Geng Z, Lin S, Zhou P. NEK2 promotes the migration and proliferation of ESCC via stabilization of YAP1 by phosphorylation at Thr-143. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:87. [PMID: 35705994 PMCID: PMC9199137 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00898-0] [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: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) was characterized as a regional-prevalent and aggressive tumor with high morbidity and mortality. NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2) is an interesting oncogene, the alteration of which leads to patients-beneficial outcomes. We aimed to explore the role of NEK2 in ESCC and excavate its mechanism. METHODS RNA-seq data were downloaded from TCGA and GEO and analyzed by R software. The protein levels were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or western blot (WB), and mRNA expression was detected by qRT-PCR. The in vitro role of proliferation and migration was detected by Transwell migration assay and by colony formation assay, respectively. The in vivo roles were explored using a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model, where immunofluorescence (IF) and IHC were employed to investigate expression and localization. The interaction between proteins was detected by immunoprecipitation. The stability of proteins was measured by WB in the presence of cycloheximide. RESULTS A higher level of NEK2 was found in ESCC than normal esophageal epithelia in GEO, TCGA, and tissue microarray, which was associated with worse prognoses. The NEK2 knockdown impaired the proliferation and migration of ESCC, which also downregulated YAP1 and EMT markers like N-cadherin and Vimentin in vitro. On the contrary, NEK2 overexpression enhanced the migration of ESCC and elevated the levels of YAP1, N-cadherin, and Vimentin. Additionally, the overexpression of YAP1 in NEK2 knocked down ESCCs partly rescued the corresponding decrease in migration. The knockdown of NEK2 played an anti-tumor role in vivo and was accompanied by a lower level and nucleus shuffling of YAP1. In mechanism, NEK2 interacted with YAP1 and increased the stability of both endogenous and exogenous YAP1 by preventing ubiquitination. Moreover, the computer-predicted phosphorylation site of YAP1, Thr-143, reduced the ubiquitination of HA-YAP1, strengthened its stability, and thus influenced the migration in vitro. CONCLUSIONS NEK2 is a prognostic oncogene highly expressed in ESCC and promotes the progression of ESCC in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NEK2-mediated phosphorylation of YAP1 at Thr-143 protects it from proteasome degradation and might serve as a promising therapeutic target in ESCC. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Su
- Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Endoscopy Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Endoscopy, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Endoscopy Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Endoscopy, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qiurong Ding
- Institute of Nutrition Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Endoscopy Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Endoscopy, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhaochao Zhang
- Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Endoscopy Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Endoscopy, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zihan Geng
- Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Endoscopy Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Endoscopy, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shengli Lin
- Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Endoscopy Center, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Endoscopy, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Pinghong Zhou
- Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Endoscopy Center, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Endoscopy, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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21
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Riva N, Pozzi L, Russo T, Pipitone GB, Schito P, Domi T, Agosta F, Quattrini A, Carrera P, Filippi M. NEK1 Variants in a Cohort of Italian Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:833051. [PMID: 35495032 PMCID: PMC9048593 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.833051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction In the last few years, different studies highlighted a significant enrichment of NEK1 loss of function (LoF) variants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and an additional role for the p.Arg261His missense variant in the disease susceptibility. Several other missense variants have been described so far, whose pathogenic relevance remains however unclear since many of them have been reported in both patients and controls. This study aimed to investigate the presence of NEK1 variants and their correlation with phenotype in a cohort of Italian patients with ALS. Methods We sequenced a cohort of 350 unrelated Italian patients with ALS by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and then we analyzed the clinical features of NEK1 carriers. Results We detected 20 different NEK1 rare variants (four LoF and 16 missense) in 33 unrelated patients with sporadic ALS (sALS). The four LoF variants (two frameshift and two splice-site variants) were all novel. The p.Arg261His missense variant was enriched in the patients’ cohort (p < 0.001). Excluding this variant from counting, the difference in the frequency of NEK1 rare missense variants between patients and controls was not statistically significant. NEK1 carriers had a higher frequency of flail arm (FA) phenotype compared with the other patients of the cohort (29.2% vs. 6.4%). Nine NEK1 carriers (37.5%) also harbored variants in other ALS-related genes. Conclusion This study confirms that NEK1 LoF and p.Arg261. His missense variants are associated with ALS in an Italian ALS cohort and suggests a correlation between the presence of NEK1 variants and FA phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilo Riva
- Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Nilo Riva,
| | - Laura Pozzi
- Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Russo
- Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Paride Schito
- Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Teuta Domi
- Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Angelo Quattrini
- Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Carrera
- Unit of Genomics for Human Disease Diagnosis, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neurology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Neurophysiology Service, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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22
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Yang M, Guo Y, Guo X, Mao Y, Zhu S, Wang N, Lu D. Analysis of the effect of NEKs on the prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma based on bioinformatics. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1705. [PMID: 35105934 PMCID: PMC8807624 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05728-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
NEKs are proteins that are involved in various cell processes and play important roles in the formation and development of cancer. However, few studies have examined the role of NEKs in the development of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). To address this problem, the Oncomine, UALCAN, and the Human Protein Atlas databases were used to analyze differential NEK expression and its clinicopathological parameters, while the Kaplan-Meier, cBioPortal, GEPIA, and DAVID databases were used to analyze survival, gene mutations, similar genes, and biological enrichments. The rate of NEK family gene mutation was high (> 50%) in patients with NSCLC, in which NEK2/4/6/8/ was overexpressed and significantly correlated with tumor stage and nodal metastasis status. In addition, the high expression of NEK2/3mRNA was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC, while high expression of NEK1/4/6/7/8/9/10/11mRNA was associated with good prognosis. In summary, these results suggest that NEK2/4/6/8 may be a potential prognostic biomarker for the survival of patients with NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxia Yang
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yikun Guo
- Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Guo
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Mao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410005, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijie Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China
| | - Ningjun Wang
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China.
| | - Dianrong Lu
- Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, People's Republic of China.
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23
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MicroRNA-323a-3p Negatively Regulates NEK6 in Colon Adenocarcinoma Cells. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:7007718. [PMID: 35096064 PMCID: PMC8791743 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7007718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective. The activity of NEK6 is enhanced in several cancer cells, including colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) cells. However, there are few reports on the microRNA (miRNA/miR) regulation of NEK6. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of miRNAs targeting NEK6 in COAD cells. Methods. Public data and online analysis sites were used to analyze the expression levels of NEK6 and miR-323a-3p in COAD tissues as well as the relationship between NEK6 or miR-323a-3p levels and survival in patients with COAD and to predict miRNAs targeting NEK6. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were performed to determine the levels of NEK6 and miR-323a-3p in COAD cells. The targeting of NEK6 by miR-323a-3p was verified using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine assay, propidium iodide (PI) staining, annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/PI staining, and transwell assay were employed to test the proliferation, apoptosis, migration ability, and invasiveness of COAD cells. Results. In COAD cells, NEK6 was highly expressed, whereas miR-323a-3p was expressed at low levels and negatively regulated NEK6. Upregulating the level of miR-323a-3p impaired the proliferation, migration, and invasion of COAD cells and promoted apoptosis, whereas supplementing NEK6 alleviated the damage of the proliferation, migration, and invasion of COAD cells caused by miR-323a-3p and inhibited miR-323a-3p-induced apoptosis. These findings indicate that miR-323a-3p regulates the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of COAD cells by targeting NEK6. Conclusion. miR-323a-3p downregulates NEK6 in COAD cells; this provides a novel basis for further understanding the occurrence and development of COAD.
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24
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Wang C, Huang Y, Ma X, Wang B, Zhang X. Overexpression of NEK2 is correlated with poor prognosis in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2021; 35:20587384211065893. [PMID: 34910592 PMCID: PMC8689635 DOI: 10.1177/20587384211065893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Never in mitosis gene A-related kinase 2 (NEK2) has been implicated in tumorigenesis in various tissues, but its function in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tumorigenesis is unclear. We evaluated the correlation between NEK2 expression and ccRCC. Methods: Immunohistochemistry analysis of NEK2 protein was done on high-density multi-organ Human Cancer tissue microarray derived from the patient samples from clear cell renal cell carcinoma. We used multiple clinical cohorts to analyze the NEK2 immunohistochemical staining expression across human cancers. The cancer genome atlas (TCGA) data analysis of NEK2 was done through UALCAN web servers. Association of NEK2 and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was done on both of our clinical database and available TCGA datasets. Results: Using the UALCAN cancer transcriptional data analysis website, we found that NEK2 is overexpressed in ccRCC, and its expression was associated with overall survival. According to the analyses of our own clinical database and immunohistochemical staining, protein levels of NEK2 were elevated in renal carcinoma compared to adjacent normal tissues. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of both UALCAN and our database showed that high expression of NEK2 was associated with a poor prognosis. Multivariate and univariate analyses showed that NEK2 expression was closely related to a poor prognosis. The findings suggest that NEK2 is associated with ccRCC. Conclusion: These studies show that NEK2 is over-expressed in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and plays an essential role in cancer cell survival, as such NEK2 could serve as a novel potential target for therapeutic intervention in ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenfeng Wang
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.,Department of Urology/State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Urology/State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Ma
- Department of Urology/State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Baojun Wang
- Department of Urology/State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Urology/State Key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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25
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Anuraga G, Wang WJ, Phan NN, An Ton NT, Ta HDK, Berenice Prayugo F, Minh Xuan DT, Ku SC, Wu YF, Andriani V, Athoillah M, Lee KH, Wang CY. Potential Prognostic Biomarkers of NIMA (Never in Mitosis, Gene A)-Related Kinase (NEK) Family Members in Breast Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:1089. [PMID: 34834441 PMCID: PMC8625415 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11111089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer remains the most common malignant cancer in women, with a staggering incidence of two million cases annually worldwide; therefore, it is crucial to explore novel biomarkers to assess the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer patients. NIMA-related kinase (NEK) protein kinase contains 11 family members named NEK1-NEK11, which were discovered from Aspergillus Nidulans; however, the role of NEK family genes for tumor development remains unclear and requires additional study. In the present study, we investigate the prognosis relationships of NEK family genes for breast cancer development, as well as the gene expression signature via the bioinformatics approach. The results of several integrative analyses revealed that most of the NEK family genes are overexpressed in breast cancer. Among these family genes, NEK2/6/8 overexpression had poor prognostic significance in distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in breast cancer patients. Meanwhile, NEK2/6 had the highest level of DNA methylation, and the functional enrichment analysis from MetaCore and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) suggested that NEK2 was associated with the cell cycle, G2M checkpoint, DNA repair, E2F, MYC, MTORC1, and interferon-related signaling. Moreover, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) results showed that the transcriptional levels of NEK2 were positively correlated with immune infiltration of B cells and CD4+ T Cell. Collectively, the current study indicated that NEK family genes, especially NEK2 which is involved in immune infiltration, and may serve as prognosis biomarkers for breast cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangga Anuraga
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Wei-Jan Wang
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung 40604, Taiwan;
| | - Nam Nhut Phan
- Institute for Environmental Science, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam; (N.N.P.); (N.T.A.T.)
| | - Nu Thuy An Ton
- Institute for Environmental Science, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam; (N.N.P.); (N.T.A.T.)
| | - Hoang Dang Khoa Ta
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Fidelia Berenice Prayugo
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Do Thi Minh Xuan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Su-Chi Ku
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
| | - Yung-Fu Wu
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan;
| | - Vivin Andriani
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Muhammad Athoillah
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana, Surabaya 60234, Indonesia;
| | - Kuen-Haur Lee
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
- Cancer Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yang Wang
- PhD Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (G.A.); (H.D.K.T.); (K.-H.L.)
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (F.B.P.); (D.T.M.X.); (S.-C.K.)
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26
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Archana Vasuki K, Jemmy Christy H, Chandramohan V, Anand DA. Study of mangal based naphthoquinone derivatives anticancer potential towards chemo-resistance related Never in mitosis gene A-related kinase 2-Insilico approach. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2021.1948545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Archana Vasuki
- Department of Bioinformatics, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai-, India
| | - H. Jemmy Christy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai-, India
| | - Vivek Chandramohan
- Department of Biotechnology, Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur, India
| | - Daniel Alex Anand
- Department of Bioinformatics, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai-, India
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27
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Matossian MD, Elliott S, Van Hoang T, Burks HE, Wright MK, Alzoubi MS, Yan T, Chang T, Wathieu H, Windsor GO, Hartono AB, Lee S, Zuercher WJ, Drewry DH, Wells C, Kapadia N, Buechlein A, Fang F, Nephew KP, Collins-Burow BM, Burow ME. NEK5 activity regulates the mesenchymal and migratory phenotype in breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 189:49-61. [PMID: 34196902 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06295-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Breast cancer remains a prominent global disease affecting women worldwide despite the emergence of novel therapeutic regimens. Metastasis is responsible for most cancer-related deaths, and acquisition of a mesenchymal and migratory cancer cell phenotypes contributes to this devastating disease. The utilization of kinase targets in drug discovery have revolutionized the field of cancer research but despite impressive advancements in kinase-targeting drugs, a large portion of the human kinome remains understudied in cancer. NEK5, a member of the Never-in-mitosis kinase family, is an example of such an understudied kinase. Here, we characterized the function of NEK5 in breast cancer. METHODS Stably overexpressing NEK5 cell lines (MCF7) and shRNA knockdown cell lines (MDA-MB-231, TU-BcX-4IC) were utilized. Cell morphology changes were evaluated using immunofluorescence and quantification of cytoskeletal components. Cell proliferation was assessed by Ki-67 staining and transwell migration assays tested cell migration capabilities. In vivo experiments with murine models were necessary to demonstrate NEK5 function in breast cancer tumor growth and metastasis. RESULTS NEK5 activation altered breast cancer cell morphology and promoted cell migration independent of effects on cell proliferation. NEK5 overexpression or knockdown does not alter tumor growth kinetics but promotes or suppresses metastatic potential in a cell type-specific manner, respectively. CONCLUSION While NEK5 activity modulated cytoskeletal changes and cell motility, NEK5 activity affected cell seeding capabilities but not metastatic colonization or proliferation in vivo. Here we characterized NEK5 function in breast cancer systems and we implicate NEK5 in regulating specific steps of metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven Elliott
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - T Van Hoang
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Hope E Burks
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Maryl K Wright
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Madlin S Alzoubi
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Thomas Yan
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Tiffany Chang
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Henri Wathieu
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Gabrielle O Windsor
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alifiani Bo Hartono
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sean Lee
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - William J Zuercher
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - David H Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carrow Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nirav Kapadia
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aaron Buechlein
- Indiana University Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Fang Fang
- Indiana University Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Kenneth P Nephew
- Indiana University Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Matthew E Burow
- Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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Short Linear Motifs Characterizing Snake Venom and Mammalian Phospholipases A2. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13040290. [PMID: 33923919 PMCID: PMC8073766 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13040290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake venom phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) have sequences and structures very similar to those of mammalian group I and II secretory PLA2s, but they possess many toxic properties, ranging from the inhibition of coagulation to the blockage of nerve transmission, and the induction of muscle necrosis. The biological properties of these proteins are not only due to their enzymatic activity, but also to protein–protein interactions which are still unidentified. Here, we compare sequence alignments of snake venom and mammalian PLA2s, grouped according to their structure and biological activity, looking for differences that can justify their different behavior. This bioinformatics analysis has evidenced three distinct regions, two central and one C-terminal, having amino acid compositions that distinguish the different categories of PLA2s. In these regions, we identified short linear motifs (SLiMs), peptide modules involved in protein–protein interactions, conserved in mammalian and not in snake venom PLA2s, or vice versa. The different content in the SLiMs of snake venom with respect to mammalian PLA2s may result in the formation of protein membrane complexes having a toxic activity, or in the formation of complexes whose activity cannot be blocked due to the lack of switches in the toxic PLA2s, as the motif recognized by the prolyl isomerase Pin1.
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29
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Baumann G, Meckel T, Böhm K, Shih YH, Dickhaut M, Reichardt T, Pilakowski J, Pehl U, Schmidt B. Illuminating a Dark Kinase: Structure-Guided Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of a Potent Nek1 Inhibitor and Its Effects on the Embryonic Zebrafish Pronephros. J Med Chem 2021; 65:1265-1282. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Georg Baumann
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tobias Meckel
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kevin Böhm
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Yung-Hsin Shih
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Mirco Dickhaut
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Torben Reichardt
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Johannes Pilakowski
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ulrich Pehl
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Biopharma R&D, Discovery and Development Technologies, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Boris Schmidt
- Clemens Schöpf−Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
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30
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Ferezin CDC, Basei FL, Melo‐Hanchuk TD, de Oliveira AL, Peres de Oliveira A, Mori MP, de Souza‐Pinto NC, Kobarg J. NEK5 interacts with LonP1 and its kinase activity is essential for the regulation of mitochondrial functions and mtDNA maintenance. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:546-563. [PMID: 33547867 PMCID: PMC7931231 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about Nima-related kinase (NEKs), a widely conserved family of kinases that have key roles in cell-cycle progression. Nevertheless, it is now clear that multiple NEK family members act in networks, not only to regulate specific events of mitosis, but also to regulate metabolic events independently of the cell cycle. NEK5 was shown to act in centrosome disjunction, caspase-3 regulation, myogenesis, and mitochondrial respiration. Here, we demonstrate that NEK5 interacts with LonP1, an AAA+ mitochondrial protease implicated in protein quality control and mtDNA remodeling, within the mitochondria and it might be involved in the LonP1-TFAM signaling module. Moreover, we demonstrate that NEK5 kinase activity is required for maintaining mitochondrial mass and functionality and mtDNA integrity after oxidative damage. Taken together, these results show a new role of NEK5 in the regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and mtDNA maintenance, possibly due to its interaction with key mitochondrial proteins, such as LonP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Castro Ferezin
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
| | - Fernanda Luisa Basei
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
| | | | - Ana Luisa de Oliveira
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
| | | | - Mateus P. Mori
- Departamento de BioquímicaInstituto de QuímicaUniversidade de São PauloBrazil
| | | | - Jörg Kobarg
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
- Instituto de BiologiaDepartamento de Bioquímica e Biologia TecidualUniversidade Estadual de CampinasBrazil
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31
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Pavan ICB, Peres de Oliveira A, Dias PRF, Basei FL, Issayama LK, Ferezin CDC, Silva FR, Rodrigues de Oliveira AL, Alves dos Reis Moura L, Martins MB, Simabuco FM, Kobarg J. On Broken Ne(c)ks and Broken DNA: The Role of Human NEKs in the DNA Damage Response. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030507. [PMID: 33673578 PMCID: PMC7997185 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
NIMA-related kinases, or NEKs, are a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases involved in cell cycle and mitosis, centrosome disjunction, primary cilia functions, and DNA damage responses among other biological functional contexts in vertebrate cells. In human cells, there are 11 members, termed NEK1 to 11, and the research has mainly focused on exploring the more predominant roles of NEKs in mitosis regulation and cell cycle. A possible important role of NEKs in DNA damage response (DDR) first emerged for NEK1, but recent studies for most NEKs showed participation in DDR. A detailed analysis of the protein interactions, phosphorylation events, and studies of functional aspects of NEKs from the literature led us to propose a more general role of NEKs in DDR. In this review, we express that NEK1 is an activator of ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR), and its activation results in cell cycle arrest, guaranteeing DNA repair while activating specific repair pathways such as homology repair (HR) and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. For NEK2, 6, 8, 9, and 11, we found a role downstream of ATR and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) that results in cell cycle arrest, but details of possible activated repair pathways are still being investigated. NEK4 shows a connection to the regulation of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair of DNA DSBs, through recruitment of DNA-PK to DNA damage foci. NEK5 interacts with topoisomerase IIβ, and its knockdown results in the accumulation of damaged DNA. NEK7 has a regulatory role in the detection of oxidative damage to telomeric DNA. Finally, NEK10 has recently been shown to phosphorylate p53 at Y327, promoting cell cycle arrest after exposure to DNA damaging agents. In summary, this review highlights important discoveries of the ever-growing involvement of NEK kinases in the DDR pathways. A better understanding of these roles may open new diagnostic possibilities or pharmaceutical interventions regarding the chemo-sensitizing inhibition of NEKs in various forms of cancer and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isadora Carolina Betim Pavan
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Andressa Peres de Oliveira
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Pedro Rafael Firmino Dias
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Fernanda Luisa Basei
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Luidy Kazuo Issayama
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Camila de Castro Ferezin
- Graduate Program in “Biologia Funcional e Molecular”, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-857, Brazil;
| | - Fernando Riback Silva
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Ana Luisa Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Lívia Alves dos Reis Moura
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
| | - Mariana Bonjiorno Martins
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
- Graduate Program in “Biologia Funcional e Molecular”, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-857, Brazil;
| | | | - Jörg Kobarg
- Graduate Program in “Ciências Farmacêuticas”, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), R. Cândido Portinari 200, Prédio 2, Campinas CEP 13083-871, Brazil; (I.C.B.P.); (A.P.d.O.); (P.R.F.D.); (F.L.B.); (L.K.I.); (F.R.S.); (A.L.R.d.O.); (L.A.d.R.M.); (M.B.M.)
- Graduate Program in “Biologia Funcional e Molecular”, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-857, Brazil;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-19-3521-8143
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Zhang Y, Chen W, Zeng W, Lu Z, Zhou X. Biallelic loss of function NEK3 mutations deacetylate α-tubulin and downregulate NUP205 that predispose individuals to cilia-related abnormal cardiac left-right patterning. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:1005. [PMID: 33230144 PMCID: PMC7684299 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03214-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Defective left–right (LR) organization involving abnormalities in cilia ultrastructure causes laterality disorders including situs inversus (SI) and heterotaxy (Htx) with the prevalence approximately 1/10,000 births. In this study, we describe two unrelated family trios with abnormal cardiac LR patterning. Through whole-exome sequencing (WES), we identified compound heterozygous mutations (c.805-1G >C; p. Ile269GlnfsTer8/c.1117dupA; p.Thr373AsnfsTer19) (c.29T>C; p.Ile10Thr/c.356A>G; p.His119Arg) of NEK3, encoding a NIMA (never in mitosis A)-related kinase, in two affected individuals, respectively. Protein levels of NEK3 were abrogated in Patient-1 with biallelic loss-of function (LoF) NEK3 mutations that causes premature stop codon. Subsequence transcriptome analysis revealed that NNMT (nicotinamide N-methyltransferase) and SIRT2 (sirtuin2) was upregulated by NEK3 knockdown in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in vitro, which associates α-tubulin deacetylation by western blot and immunofluorescence. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis further identified defective ciliary ultrastructure in Patient-1. Furthermore, inner ring components of nuclear pore complex (NPC) including nucleoporin (NUP)205, NUP188, and NUP155 were significantly downregulated in NEK3-silenced cells. In conclusion, we identified biallelic mutations of NEK3 predispose individual to abnormal cardiac left–right patterning via SIRT2-mediated α-tubulin deacetylation and downregulation of inner ring nucleoporins. Our study suggested that NEK3 could be a candidate gene for human ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, and Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 201204, Shanghai, China
| | - Weicheng Chen
- Pediatric Cardiovascular Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, 201102, Shanghai, China
| | - Weijia Zeng
- School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhouping Lu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 201204, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangyu Zhou
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 201204, Shanghai, China.
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Xu T, Zeng Y, Shi L, Yang Q, Chen Y, Wu G, Li G, Xu S. Targeting NEK2 impairs oncogenesis and radioresistance via inhibiting the Wnt1/β-catenin signaling pathway in cervical cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:183. [PMID: 32907622 PMCID: PMC7488040 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01659-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND NEK2, a serine/threonine kinase involved in mitosis, has been found to function in chromosome instability, tumor progression and metastasis, but its role in cervical cancer radioresistance remains unknown. METHODS We detected the protein levels of NEK2 in cervical carcinoma tissues and paired paracarcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry. The roles of NEK2 in oncogenesis were examined using cell growth and colony formation assays, EdU assay, apoptosis assay as well as in vivo mouse model. γ-H2AX and Rad51 foci formation, neutral comet assay and clonogenic cell survival assay were applied to determine the radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. RNA-seq was performed to identify the downstream effector of NEK2. The gene expression levels were measured by Real-time PCR. RESULTS We report that NEK2 protein level is overexpressed and correlated with the tumor stage and lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer tissues. Furthermore, we provided evidence that depletion of NEK2 impairs oncogenesis and enhances radiosensitivity in cervical cancer. Using RNA sequencing, we identify Wnt1 as a key downstream effector of NEK2. Knockdown of NEK2 downregulates the mRNA and protein levels of Wnt1, thereby inhibiting the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. More importantly, the observed consequences induced by NEK2 depletion in cervical cancer cells can be partially rescued by Wnt1 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that NEK2 activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via Wnt1 to drive oncogenesis and radioresistance in cervical cancer, indicating that NEK2 may be a promising target for the radiosensitization of cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tie Xu
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yulan Zeng
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Linli Shi
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Qin Yang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yeshan Chen
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Gang Wu
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Guiling Li
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
| | - Shuangbing Xu
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
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Thom CS, Voight BF. Genetic colocalization atlas points to common regulatory sites and genes for hematopoietic traits and hematopoietic contributions to disease phenotypes. BMC Med Genomics 2020; 13:89. [PMID: 32600345 PMCID: PMC7325014 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-020-00742-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic associations link hematopoietic traits and disease end-points, but most causal variants and genes underlying these relationships are unknown. Here, we used genetic colocalization to nominate loci and genes related to shared genetic signal for hematopoietic, cardiovascular, autoimmune, neuropsychiatric, and cancer phenotypes. METHODS Our aim was to identify colocalization sites for human traits among established genome-wide significant loci. Using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics, we determined loci where multiple traits colocalized at a false discovery rate < 5%. We then identified quantitative trait loci among colocalization sites to highlight related genes. In addition, we used Mendelian randomization analysis to further investigate certain trait relationships genome-wide. RESULTS Our findings recapitulated developmental hematopoietic lineage relationships, identified loci that linked traits with causal genetic relationships, and revealed novel trait associations. Out of 2706 loci with genome-wide significant signal for at least 1 blood trait, we identified 1779 unique sites (66%) with shared genetic signal for 2+ hematologic traits. We could assign some sites to specific developmental cell types during hematopoiesis based on affected traits, including those likely to impact hematopoietic progenitor cells and/or megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor cells. Through an expanded analysis of 70 human traits, we defined 2+ colocalizing traits at 2123 loci from an analysis of 9852 sites (22%) containing genome-wide significant signal for at least 1 GWAS trait. In addition to variants and genes underlying shared genetic signal between blood traits and disease phenotypes that had been previously related through Mendelian randomization studies, we defined loci and related genes underlying shared signal between eosinophil percentage and eczema. We also identified colocalizing signals in a number of clinically relevant coding mutations, including sites linking PTPN22 with Crohn's disease, NIPA with coronary artery disease and platelet trait variation, and the hemochromatosis gene HFE with altered lipid levels. Finally, we anticipate potential off-target effects on blood traits related novel therapeutic targets, including TRAIL. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide a road map for gene validation experiments and novel therapeutics related to hematopoietic development, and offer a rationale for pleiotropic interactions between hematopoietic loci and disease end-points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Thom
- Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania - Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania - Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania - Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin F Voight
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania - Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania - Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania - Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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35
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Fractionation-Dependent Radiosensitization by Molecular Targeting of Nek1. Cells 2020; 9:cells9051235. [PMID: 32429458 PMCID: PMC7291120 DOI: 10.3390/cells9051235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
NIMA (never-in-mitosis gene A)-related kinase 1 (Nek1) is shown to impact on different cellular pathways such as DNA repair, checkpoint activation, and apoptosis. Its role as a molecular target for radiation sensitization of malignant cells, however, remains elusive. Stably transduced doxycycline (Dox)-inducible Nek1 shRNA HeLa cervix and siRNA-transfected HCT-15 colorectal carcinoma cells were irradiated in vitro and 3D clonogenic radiation survival, residual DNA damage, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis were analyzed. Nek1 knockdown (KD) sensitized both cell lines to ionizing radiation following a single dose irradiation and more pronounced in combination with a 6 h fractionation (3 × 2 Gy) regime. For preclinical analyses we focused on cervical cancer. Nek1 shRNA HeLa cells were grafted into NOD/SCID/IL-2Rγc−/− (NSG) mice and Nek1 KD was induced by Dox-infused drinking water resulting in a significant cytostatic effect if combined with a 6 h fractionation (3 × 2 Gy) regime. In addition, we correlated Nek1 expression in biopsies of patients with cervical cancer with histopathological parameters and clinical follow-up. Our results indicate that elevated levels of Nek1 were associated with an increased rate of local or distant failure, as well as with impaired cancer-specific and overall survival in univariate analyses and for most endpoints in multivariable analyses. Finally, findings from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) validation cohort confirmed a significant association of high Nek1 expression with a reduced disease-free survival. In conclusion, we consider Nek1 to represent a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for drug development in the context of optimized fractionation intervals.
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