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Loh YY, Anantharajan J, Huang Q, Xu W, Fulwood J, Ng HQ, Ng EY, Gea CY, Choong ML, Tan QW, Koh X, Lim WH, Nacro K, Cherian J, Baburajendran N, Ke Z, Kang C. Identification of small-molecule binding sites of a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme-UBE2T through fragment-based screening. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4904. [PMID: 38358126 PMCID: PMC10868430 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
UBE2T is an attractive target for drug development due to its linkage with several types of cancers. However, the druggability of ubiquitin-conjugating E2 (UBE2T) is low because of the lack of a deep and hydrophobic pocket capable of forming strong binding interactions with drug-like small molecules. Here, we performed fragment screening using 19 F-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and validated the hits with 1 H-15 N-heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) experiment and X-ray crystallographic studies. The cocrystal structures obtained revealed the binding modes of the hit fragments and allowed for the characterization of the fragment-binding sites. Further screening of structural analogues resulted in the identification of a compound series with inhibitory effect on UBE2T activity. Our current study has identified two new binding pockets in UBE2T, which will be useful for the development of small molecules to regulate the function of this protein. In addition, the compounds identified in this study can serve as chemical starting points for the development of UBE2T modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Yao Loh
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Jothi Anantharajan
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Qiwei Huang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Weijun Xu
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Justina Fulwood
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Hui Qi Ng
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Elizabeth Yihui Ng
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Chong Yu Gea
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Meng Ling Choong
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Qian Wen Tan
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Xiaoying Koh
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Wan Hsin Lim
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Kassoum Nacro
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Joseph Cherian
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Nithya Baburajendran
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Zhiyuan Ke
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - CongBao Kang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
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Ma N, Li Z, Yan J, Liu X, He L, Xie R, Lu X. Diverse roles of UBE2T in cancer (Review). Oncol Rep 2023; 49:69. [PMID: 36825587 PMCID: PMC9996685 DOI: 10.3892/or.2023.8506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
As a leading cause of mortalities worldwide, cancer results from accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic alterations. Disruption of epigenetic regulation in cancer, particularly aberrant ubiquitination, has drawn increasing interest in recent years. The present study aimed to review the roles of ubiquitin‑conjugating enzyme E2 T (UBE2T) and its associated pathways in the pathogenesis of pan‑cancer, and the development of small‑molecule modulators to regulate ubiquitination for treatment strategies. The current study comprehensively investigated the expression landscape and functional significance of UBE2T, as well as its correlation with cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Multiple levels of evidence suggested that aberrant UBE2T played important roles in pan‑cancer. Information was collected from 16 clinical trials on ubiquitin enzymes, and it was found that these molecules had an important role in the ubiquitin‑proteasome system. Further studies are necessary to explore their feasibility and effectiveness as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, or as up/down‑stream and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nengqian Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Zhuhui, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, P.R. China
| | - Zhangzhan Li
- Radiotherapy Center, Department of Oncology, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Zhuhui, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, P.R. China
| | - Jingting Yan
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Hengyang Central Hospital, Zhuhui, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, P.R. China
| | - Xianrong Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Zhuhui, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, P.R. China
| | - Liyan He
- Department of Pain Rehabilitation, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Zhuhui, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, P.R. China
| | - Ruijie Xie
- Department of Hand and Microsurgery, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Zhuhui, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, P.R. China
| | - Xianzhou Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, Zhuhui, Hengyang, Hunan 421002, P.R. China
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Lei X, Hu X, Lu Q, Fu W, Sun W, Ma Q, Huang D, Xu Q. Ubiquitin‑conjugating enzymes as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for digestive system cancers (Review). Oncol Rep 2023; 49:63. [PMID: 36799184 PMCID: PMC9944987 DOI: 10.3892/or.2023.8500] [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: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Digestive system cancers are the leading cause of cancer‑related death worldwide due to their high morbidity and mortality rates. The current treatment methods include surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endoscopic treatment, and the precisely targeted therapy of digestive system cancers requires to be further studied. The ubiquitin‑proteasome system is the main pathway for protein degradation in cells and the ubiquitin‑conjugating enzymes (E2s) have a decisive role in the specific selection of target proteins for degradation. The E2s have an important physiological role in digestive system cancers, which is related to the clinical tumor stage, differentiation degree and poor prognosis. Furthermore, they are involved in the physiological processes of digestive system tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, stemness, drug resistance and autophagy. In the present article, the progress and achievements of the E2s in gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were reviewed, which may provide early screening indicators and reliable therapeutic targets for digestive system cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangxiang Lei
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoge Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China
| | - Qiliang Lu
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266000, P.R. China
| | - Wen Fu
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266000, P.R. China
| | - Wen Sun
- Second Clinical Medical Institute, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Qiancheng Ma
- Institute of Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China
| | - Dongsheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Dr Dongsheng Huang or Dr Qiuran Xu, The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Gongshu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China, E-mail:
| | - Qiuran Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Dr Dongsheng Huang or Dr Qiuran Xu, The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, 158 Shangtang Road, Gongshu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China, E-mail:
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Qi S, Guan X, Zhang J, Yu D, Yu X, Li Q, Yin W, Cheng XD, Zhang W, Qin JJ. Targeting E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UbcH5c by small molecule inhibitor suppresses pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:70. [PMID: 35272681 PMCID: PMC8908661 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01538-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide. The IAPs function as E3 ubiquitin ligases and contribute to pancreatic cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. Although IAP-targeted therapies have been developed and shown anticancer efficacy in preclinical settings, none of them has been approved yet. METHODS Transcriptome data from public datasets were used to analyze the correlation of IAPs and E2s, and the biological function of E2 UbcH5c in pancreatic cancer. A structure-based virtual screen was used to identify UbcH5c inhibitor, and surface plasmon resonance analysis and cellular thermal shift assays were employed to evaluate the binding affinity. The anticancer activities were demonstrated through in vitro and in vivo assays, while the related mechanisms were explored through transcriptomic and proteomic analyses and confirmed by western blot, immunofluorescence, and qRT-PCR. RESULTS UbcH5c is positively correlated with the expression of IAPs in pancreatic cancer. We further found that UbcH5c is overexpressed and associated with a poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer. We identified a small-molecule UbcH5c inhibitor, termed DHPO, which directly bound to UbcH5c protein. DHPO inhibited cell viability and colony formation, induced apoptosis, and suppressed migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. The compound inhibited UbcH5c-mediated IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation, which is critical for its anticancer activity. Furthermore, DHPO suppressed the tumor growth and metastasis in two orthotopic pancreatic tumor mouse models. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that inhibiting UbcH5c is a novel and effective strategy for treating pancreatic cancer and DHPO represents a new class of UbcH5c inhibitor and may be further developed as an anti-pancreatic cancer therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Qi
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Xiaoqing Guan
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Shanxi Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Dehua Yu
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Xuefei Yu
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qinglin Li
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenjuan Yin
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Cheng
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Jiang-Jiang Qin
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China.
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
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Chen F, Li M, Wang L. LncRNA CASC11 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Upregulation of UBE2T in a m 6A-Dependent Manner. Front Oncol 2021; 11:772671. [PMID: 34900723 PMCID: PMC8652064 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.772671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Besides, it has been revealed that long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) cancer susceptibility candidate 11 (CASC11) is involved in cancer progression. However, the functional role and underlying mechanism of CASC11 in HCC remains largely unknown. In this context, here, it was found that CASC11 was upregulated in HCC tissues and associated with tumor grades, metastasis, and prognosis of HCC patients. Functionally, CASC11 facilitated HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and enhanced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, CASC11 associated with and stabilized Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T) mRNA. To be specific, it decreased UBE2T N6-methyladenosine (m6A) level via recruiting ALKBH5. Moreover, CASC11 inhibited the association between UBE2T mRNA and m6A reader protein YTHDF2. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the epigenetic mechanism of CASC11 in the regulation of UBE2T expression and possibly provide a novel therapeutic target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Meijun Li
- Department of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
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