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Xu Y, Sun F, Tian Y, Zeng G, Lei G, Bai Z, Wang Y, Ge X, Wang J, Xiao C, Wang Z, Hu M, Song J, Yang P, Liu R. Enhanced NK cell activation via eEF2K-mediated potentiation of the cGAS-STING pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 129:111628. [PMID: 38320351 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is characterized by a high mortality rate, attributed primarily to the establishment of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Within this context, we aimed to elucidate the pivotal role of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) in orchestrating the infiltration and activation of natural killer (NK) cells within the HCC tumor microenvironment. By shedding light on the immunomodulatory mechanisms at play, our findings should clarify HCC pathogenesis and help identify potential therapeutic intervention venues. METHODS We performed a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to determine the functions of eEF2K in the context of HCC. We initially used paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from patients with HCC to measure eEF2K expression and its correlation with prognosis. Subsequently, we enrolled a cohort of patients with HCC undergoing immunotherapy to examine the ability of eEF2K to predict treatment efficacy. To delve deeper into the mechanistic aspects, we established an eEF2K-knockout cell line using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. This step was crucial for verifying activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and the subsequent secretion of cytokines. To further elucidate the role of eEF2K in NK cell function, we applied siRNA-based techniques to effectively suppress eEF2K expression in vitro. For in vivo validation, we developed a tumor-bearing mouse model that enabled us to compare the infiltration and activation of NK cells within the tumor microenvironment following various treatment strategies. RESULTS We detected elevated eEF2K expression within HCC tissues, and this was correlated with an unfavorable prognosis (30.84 vs. 20.99 months, P = 0.033). In addition, co-culturing eEF2K-knockout HepG2 cells with dendritic cells led to activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and a subsequent increase in the secretion of IL-2 and CXCL9. Moreover, inhibiting eEF2K resulted in notable NK cell proliferation along with apoptosis reduction. Remarkably, after combining NH125 and PD-1 treatments, we found a significant increase in NK cell infiltration within HCC tumors in our murine model. Our flow cytometry analysis revealed reduced NKG2A expression and elevated NKG2D expression and secretion of granzyme B, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in NK cells. Immunohistochemical examination confirmed no evidence of damage to vital organs in the mice treated with the combination therapy. Additionally, we noted higher levels of glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation in the peripheral blood serum of the treated mice. CONCLUSION Targeted eEF2K blockade may result in cGAS-STING pathway activation, leading to enhanced infiltration and activity of NK cells within HCC tumors. The synergistic effect achieved by combining an eEF2K inhibitor with PD-1 antibody therapy represents a novel and promising approach for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xu
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China; Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Fang Sun
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuying Tian
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Guineng Zeng
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Guanglin Lei
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifang Bai
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yonggang Wang
- Senior Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xinlan Ge
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Chaohui Xiao
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaohai Wang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Minggen Hu
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxun Song
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Penghui Yang
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China.
| | - Rong Liu
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China.
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Piserchio A, Dalby KN, Ghose R. Revealing eEF-2 kinase: recent structural insights into function. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:169-182. [PMID: 38103971 PMCID: PMC10950556 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The α-kinase eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K) regulates translational elongation by phosphorylating its ribosome-associated substrate, the GTPase eEF-2. eEF-2K is activated by calmodulin (CaM) through a distinctive mechanism unlike that in other CaM-dependent kinases (CAMK). We describe recent structural insights into this unique activation process and examine the effects of specific regulatory signals on this mechanism. We also highlight key unanswered questions to guide future structure-function studies. These include structural mechanisms which enable eEF-2K to interact with upstream/downstream partners and facilitate its integration of diverse inputs, including Ca2+ transients, phosphorylation mediated by energy/nutrient-sensing pathways, pH changes, and metabolites. Answering these questions is key to establishing how eEF-2K harmonizes translation with cellular requirements within the boundaries of its molecular landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Piserchio
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Kevin N Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, The University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Ranajeet Ghose
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; The Graduate Center of The City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY 10016, USA.
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3
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Lkhagva-Yondon E, Seo MS, Oh Y, Jung J, Jeon E, Na K, Yoo HS, Kim WC, Esser C, Song SU, Jeon MS. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor controls mesenchymal stromal cell-mediated immunomodulation via ubiquitination of eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:812. [PMID: 38071243 PMCID: PMC10710493 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have great therapeutic advantages due to their immunosuppressive properties. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor whose signaling plays an important role in the immune system. AHR may be involved in the regulation of MSC-associated immunomodulatory functions. However, the mechanisms by which AHR controls the immunosuppressive functions of MSCs are not well understood. Here, we report that Ahr-deficient MSCs show decreased therapeutic efficacy against graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) compared to wild-type (WT)-MSCs. This was probably due to decreased iNOS protein expression, which is a key regulatory enzyme in MSC immunomodulation. The expression of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K), which inhibits the elongation stage of protein synthesis, is significantly increased in the Ahr-deficient MSCs. Inhibition of eEF2K restored iNOS protein expression. AHR is known to act as an E3 ligase together with CUL4B. We observed constitutive binding of AHR to eEF2K. Consequently, ubiquitination and degradation of eEF2K were inhibited in Ahr-deficient MSCs and by the AHR antagonist CH223191 in WT-MSCs. In summary, AHR regulates the immunomodulatory functions of MSCs through ubiquitination of eEF2K, thereby controlling iNOS protein synthesis and its product, nitric oxide levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enkhmaa Lkhagva-Yondon
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
- Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Seong Seo
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
- Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Yena Oh
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, College of Medicine Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonghun Jung
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
- Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunhae Jeon
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, College of Medicine Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwangmin Na
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Seung Yoo
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, College of Medicine Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Chul Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
| | - Charlotte Esser
- IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Düsseldorf, 40021, Germany
| | - Sun U Song
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, College of Medicine Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
- SCM Lifescience, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea
| | - Myung-Shin Jeon
- Translational Research Center, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, 22332, Republic of Korea.
- Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Molecular Biomedicine, College of Medicine Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
- SCM Lifescience, Incheon, 21999, Republic of Korea.
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Peng HY, Wang L, Das JK, Kumar A, Ballard DJ, Ren Y, Xiong X, de Figueiredo P, Yang JM, Song J. Control of CD4 + T cells to restrain inflammatory diseases via eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:415. [PMID: 37875468 PMCID: PMC10598003 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01648-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cells, particularly IL-17-secreting helper CD4+ T cells, play a central role in the inflammatory processes underlying autoimmune disorders. Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase (eEF2K) is pivotal in CD8+ T cells and has important implications in vascular dysfunction and inflammation-related diseases such as hypertension. However, its specific immunological role in CD4+ T cell activities and related inflammatory diseases remains elusive. Our investigation has uncovered that the deficiency of eEF2K disrupts the survival and proliferation of CD4+ T cells, impairs their ability to secrete cytokines. Notably, this dysregulation leads to heightened production of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17, fosters a pro-inflammatory microenvironment in the absence of eEF2K in CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, the absence of eEF2K in CD4+ T cells is linked to increased metabolic activity and mitochondrial bioenergetics. We have shown that eEF2K regulates mitochondrial function and CD4+ T cell activity through the upregulation of the transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Crucially, the deficiency of eEF2K exacerbates the severity of inflammation-related diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and ulcerative colitis. Strikingly, the use of C188-9, a small molecule targeting STAT3, mitigates colitis in a murine immunodeficiency model receiving eEF2K knockout (KO) CD4+ T cells. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of eEF2K in controlling the function and metabolism of CD4+ T cells and its indispensable involvement in inflammation-related diseases. Manipulating eEF2K represents a promising avenue for novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of inflammation-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Yun Peng
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Liqing Wang
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jugal Kishore Das
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Darby J Ballard
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Yijie Ren
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Xiaofang Xiong
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Paul de Figueiredo
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77845, USA
| | - Jin-Ming Yang
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science, and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
| | - Jianxun Song
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA.
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Lis A, Baptista CG, Dahlgren K, Corvi MM, Blader IJ. Identification of Toxoplasma calcium-dependent protein kinase 3 as a stress-activated elongation factor 2 kinase. mSphere 2023; 8:e0015623. [PMID: 37272703 PMCID: PMC10449493 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00156-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite whose tachyzoite form causes disease via a lytic growth cycle. Its metabolic and cellular pathways are primarily designed to ensure parasite survival within a host cell. But during its lytic cycle, tachyzoites are exposed to the extracellular milieu and prolonged exposure requires activation of stress response pathways that include reprogramming the parasite proteome. Regulation of protein synthesis is therefore important for extracellular survival. We previously reported that in extracellularly stressed parasites, the elongation phase of protein synthesis is regulated by the Toxoplasma oxygen-sensing protein, PHYb. PHYb acts by promoting the activity of elongation factor eEF2, which is a GTPase that catalyzes the transfer of the peptidyl-tRNA from the A site to the P site of the ribosome. In the absence of PHYb, eEF2 is hyper-phosphorylated, which inhibits eEF2 from interacting with the ribosome. eEF2 kinases are atypical calcium-dependent kinases and BLAST analyses revealed the parasite kinase, CDPK3, as the most highly homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae eEF2 kinase, RCK2. In parasites exposed to extracellular stress, loss of CDPK3 leads to decreased eEF2 phosphorylation and enhanced rates of elongation. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed that CDPK3 and eEF2 interact in stressed parasites. Since CDPK3 and eEF2 normally localize to the plasma membrane and cytosol, respectively, we investigated how the two can interact. We report that under stress conditions, CDPK3 is not N-myristoylated likely leading to its cytoplasmic localization. In summary, we have identified a novel function for CDPK3 as the first protozoan extracellular stress-induced eEF2 kinase.IMPORTANCEAlthough it is an obligate intracellular parasite, Toxoplasma must be able to survive in the extracellular environment. Our previous work indicated that ensuring that elongation continues during protein synthesis is part of this stress response and that this is due to preventing phosphorylation of elongation factor 2. But the identity of the eEF2 kinase has remained unknown in Toxoplasma and other protozoan parasites. Here, we identify CDPK3 as the first protozoan eEF2 kinase and demonstrate that it is part of a stress response initiated when parasites are exposed to extracellular stress. We also demonstrate that CDPK3 engages eEF2 as a result of its relocalization from the plasma membrane to the cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Lis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Carlos Gustavo Baptista
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Kelsey Dahlgren
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Maria M. Corvi
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Celular de Parásitos, Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (CONICET-UNSAM), Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (UNSAM), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ira J. Blader
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Knight JRP, Proud CG, Mallucci G, von der Haar T, Smales CM, Willis AE, Sansom OJ. Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase Activity Is Required for the Phenotypes of the Rpl24 Bst Mouse. J Invest Dermatol 2022; 142:3346-3348.e1. [PMID: 35850210 PMCID: PMC9708116 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- John R P Knight
- Beatson Institute, Cancer Research UK, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher G Proud
- Lifelong Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Giovanna Mallucci
- UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - C Mark Smales
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Anne E Willis
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Beatson Institute, Cancer Research UK, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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Gurbuz N, Kahraman N, Sonmez HE, Mokhlis HA, Kosar PA, Ozpolat B. miRNA-193b-5p Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer Cell Proliferation, Invasion, Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition, and Tumor Growth by Inhibiting eEF2K. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2022; 22:2607-2618. [PMID: 35718922 DOI: 10.2174/1871520622666220117123213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the US due to the lack of effective targeted therapeutics and extremely poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE The study aims to investigate the role of miR-193b and related signaling mechanisms in PDAC cell proliferation, invasion, and tumor growth. METHODS Using PDAC cell lines, we performed cell viability, colony formation, in vitro wound healing, and matrigel invasion assays following transfection with miR-193b mimic or control-miR. To identify potential downstream targets of miR-193b, we utilized miRNA-target prediction algorithms and investigated the regulation of eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF2K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathways and mediators of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). The role of miR-193b in PDAC tumorigenesis was evaluated in in vivo tumor growth of Panc-1 xenograft model in nude mice. RESULTS We found that miR-193b is under expressed in PDAC cells compared to corresponding normal pancreatic epithelial cells and demonstrated that ectopic expression of miR-193b reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT through downregulation of eEF2K signaling in PDAC cells. miR-193b expression led to increased expression of E-Cadherin and Claudin-1 while decreasing Snail and TCF8/ZEB1 expressions via eEF2K and MAPK/ERK axis. In vivo systemic injection of miR-193b using lipid-nanoparticles twice a week reduced tumor growth of Panc-1 xenografts and eEF2K expression in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that miR-193b expression suppresses PDAC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT through inhibition of eEF2K/MAPK-ERK oncogenic axis and that miR-193b-based RNA therapy might be an effective therapeutic strategy to control the growth of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilgun Gurbuz
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nermin Kahraman
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hafize Elif Sonmez
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey
| | - Hamada Ahmed Mokhlis
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Pinar Aslan Kosar
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Suzuki K, Kim JW, Nosyreva E, Kavalali ET, Monteggia LM. Convergence of distinct signaling pathways on synaptic scaling to trigger rapid antidepressant action. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109918. [PMID: 34731624 PMCID: PMC8590465 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ketamine is a noncompetitive glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist that exerts rapid antidepressant effects. Preclinical studies identify eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) signaling as essential for the rapid antidepressant action of ketamine. Here, we combine genetic, electrophysiological, and pharmacological strategies to investigate the role of eEF2K in synaptic function and find that acute, but not chronic, inhibition of eEF2K activity induces rapid synaptic scaling in the hippocampus. Retinoic acid (RA) signaling also elicits a similar form of rapid synaptic scaling in the hippocampus, which we observe is independent of eEF2K functioni. The RA signaling pathway is not required for ketamine-mediated antidepressant action; however, direct activation of the retinoic acid receptor α (RARα) evokes rapid antidepressant action resembling ketamine. Our findings show that ketamine and RARα activation independently elicit a similar form of multiplicative synaptic scaling that is causal for rapid antidepressant action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanzo Suzuki
- Department of Pharmacology and the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Ji-Woon Kim
- Department of Pharmacology and the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Elena Nosyreva
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9111, USA
| | - Ege T Kavalali
- Department of Pharmacology and the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Lisa M Monteggia
- Department of Pharmacology and the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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Mitroshina EV, Loginova MM, Savyuk MO, Krivonosov MI, Mishchenko TA, Tarabykin VS, Ivanchenko MV, Vedunova MV. Neuroprotective Effect of Kinase Inhibition in Ischemic Factor Modeling In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1885. [PMID: 33672819 PMCID: PMC7917718 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of many neuronal kinases to the adaptation of nerve cells to ischemic damage and their effect on functional neural network activity has not yet been studied. The aim of this work is to study the role of the four kinases belonging to different metabolic cascades (SRC, Ikkb, eEF2K, and FLT4) in the adaptive potential of the neuron-glial network for modeling the key factors of ischemic damage. We carried out a comprehensive study on the effects of kinases blockade on the viability and network functional calcium activity of nerve cells under ischemic factor modeling in vitro. Ischemic factor modelling was performed on day 14 of culturing primary hippocampal cells obtained from mouse embryos (E18). The most significant neuroprotective effect was shown in the blockade of FLT4 kinase in the simulation of hypoxia. The studies performed revealed the role of FLT4 in the development of functional dysfunction in cerebrovascular accidents and created new opportunities for the study of this enzyme and its blockers in the formation of new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V. Mitroshina
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.M.L.); (M.O.S.); (T.A.M.); (V.S.T.)
| | - Maria M. Loginova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.M.L.); (M.O.S.); (T.A.M.); (V.S.T.)
| | - Maria O. Savyuk
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.M.L.); (M.O.S.); (T.A.M.); (V.S.T.)
| | - Mikhail I. Krivonosov
- Institute of Information, Technology, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.I.K.); (M.V.I.)
| | - Tatiana A. Mishchenko
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.M.L.); (M.O.S.); (T.A.M.); (V.S.T.)
| | - Viktor S. Tarabykin
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.M.L.); (M.O.S.); (T.A.M.); (V.S.T.)
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mikhail V. Ivanchenko
- Institute of Information, Technology, Mathematics and Mechanics, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.I.K.); (M.V.I.)
| | - Maria V. Vedunova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, 23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (M.M.L.); (M.O.S.); (T.A.M.); (V.S.T.)
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10
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KODAMA T, OTANI K, OKADA M, YAMAWAKI H. Age-dependent increase in activity of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase in mesenteric arteries from spontaneously hypertensive rats. J Vet Med Sci 2021; 83:42-47. [PMID: 33191388 PMCID: PMC7870413 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.20-0564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) kinase (eEF2K) negatively regulates protein translation through the phosphorylation of its specific substrate, eEF2. We previously found that expression of eEF2K was increased in arteries from 13-15-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as well as in left ventricles of cardiac hypertrophy models. Furthermore, we demonstrated that eEF2K mediates the development of essential hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension in animal models. Protein expression changes with age during development of hypertension in SHR. In the present study, we examined whether activity and expression of eEF2K change in isolated mesenteric arteries dependent on the age. After superior mesenteric arteries were isolated from 4-10-week-old Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and SHR, Western blotting was performed. The phosphorylation of eEF2K at Ser500, an activating phosphorylation site, was increased in the arteries from 10-week-old SHR, whereas the phosphorylation of eEF2K at Ser366, an inactivating phosphorylation site, was increased in the arteries from 4-5-week-old SHR compared with WKY. The expression of eEF2K was increased in the arteries from 10-week-old SHR compared with WKY. The phosphorylation of eEF2 at Thr56 was decreased in the arteries from 4-5-week-old SHR, whereas it was increased in the arteries from 10-week-old SHR compared with WKY. We for the first time revealed that eEF2K activity is lower in prehypertensive stage but higher in hypertensive stage in SHR, suggesting that an inhibition of eEF2K activity may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of essential hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko KODAMA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Higashi 23, Bancho 35-1, Towada, Aomori
034-8628, Japan
| | - Kosuke OTANI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Higashi 23, Bancho 35-1, Towada, Aomori
034-8628, Japan
| | - Muneyoshi OKADA
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Higashi 23, Bancho 35-1, Towada, Aomori
034-8628, Japan
| | - Hideyuki YAMAWAKI
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Higashi 23, Bancho 35-1, Towada, Aomori
034-8628, Japan
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11
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Guan Y, Jiang S, Ye W, Ren X, Wang X, Zhang Y, Yin M, Wang K, Tao Y, Yang J, Cao D, Cheng Y. Combined treatment of mitoxantrone sensitizes breast cancer cells to rapalogs through blocking eEF-2K-mediated activation of Akt and autophagy. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:948. [PMID: 33144562 PMCID: PMC7642277 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03153-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oncogenic activation of the mTOR signaling pathway occurs frequently in tumor cells and contributes to the devastating features of cancer, including breast cancer. mTOR inhibitors rapalogs are promising anticancer agents in clinical trials; however, rapalogs resistance remains an unresolved clinical challenge. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which cells become resistant to rapalogs may guide the development of successful mTOR-targeted cancer therapy. In this study, we found that eEF-2K, which is overexpressed in cancer cells and is required for survival of stressed cells, was involved in the negative-feedback activation of Akt and cytoprotective autophagy induction in breast cancer cells in response to mTOR inhibitors. Therefore, disruption of eEF-2K simultaneously abrogates the two critical resistance signaling pathways, sensitizing breast cancer cells to rapalogs. Importantly, we identified mitoxantrone, an admitted anticancer drug for a wide range of tumors, as a potential inhibitor of eEF-2K via a structure-based virtual screening strategy. We further demonstrated that mitoxantrone binds to eEF-2K and inhibits its activity, and the combination treatment of mitoxantrone and mTOR inhibitor resulted in significant synergistic cytotoxicity in breast cancer. In conclusion, we report that eEF-2K contributes to the activation of resistance signaling pathways of mTOR inhibitor, suggesting a novel strategy to enhance mTOR-targeted cancer therapy through combining mitoxantrone, an eEF-2K inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidi Guan
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shilong Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wenling Ye
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xingcong Ren
- Department of Cancer Biology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Xinluan Wang
- Translational Medicine R&D Center, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518057, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Mingzhu Yin
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kuansong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410078, Changsha, China
| | - Yongguang Tao
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medicine, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - JinMing Yang
- Department of Cancer Biology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Dongsheng Cao
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Yan Cheng
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410011, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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12
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Liu J, Zuo Z, Zou M, Finkel T, Liu S. Identification of the transcription factor Miz1 as an essential regulator of diphthamide biosynthesis using a CRISPR-mediated genome-wide screen. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009068. [PMID: 33057331 PMCID: PMC7591051 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Diphthamide is a unique post-translationally modified histidine residue (His715 in all mammals) found only in eukaryotic elongation factor-2 (eEF-2). The biosynthesis of diphthamide represents one of the most complex modifications, executed by protein factors conserved from yeast to humans. Diphthamide is not only essential for normal physiology (such as ensuring fidelity of mRNA translation), but is also exploited by bacterial ADP-ribosylating toxins (e.g., diphtheria toxin) as their molecular target in pathogenesis. Taking advantage of the observation that cells defective in diphthamide biosynthesis are resistant to ADP-ribosylating toxins, in the past four decades, seven essential genes (Dph1 to Dph7) have been identified for diphthamide biosynthesis. These technically unsaturated screens raise the question as to whether additional genes are required for diphthamide biosynthesis. In this study, we performed two independent, saturating, genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens in human cells. These screens identified all previously known Dph genes, as well as further identifying the BTB/POZ domain-containing transcription factor Miz1. We found that Miz1 is absolutely required for diphthamide biosynthesis via its role in the transcriptional regulation of Dph1 expression. Mechanistically, Miz1 binds to the Dph1 proximal promoter via an evolutionarily conserved consensus binding site to activate Dph1 transcription. Therefore, this work demonstrates that Dph1-7, along with the newly identified Miz1 transcription factor, are likely to represent the essential protein factors required for diphthamide modification on eEF2. Diphthamide is a unique post-translationally modified histidine residue (His699 in yeast, His715 in all mammals) found only in eukaryotic elongation factor-2 (eEF-2). Mice that are deficient in diphthamide biosynthesis are embryonic lethal, attesting to the importance of diphthamide in normal physiology. It has taken four decades to identify the seven non-redundant genes in diphthamide biosynthesis, but whether additional factors are required and how the pathway is regulated remained elusive. To address these issues, we performed two saturating, independent, and unbiased genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens. The screens concluded independently that Dph1-Dph7 and additionally transcription factor Miz1 are the key factors required for diphthamide biosynthesis. Mechanistically, Miz1 binds to the Dph1 proximal promoter via an evolutionarily conserved consensus binding site to activate Dph1 transcription. While diphthamide biosynthesis machinery (Dph1-Dph7) exists across eukaryotes, Miz1 orthologues do not exist in lower species such as yeast, C. elegans, and Drosophila, indicating that the regulation of diphthamide modification by Miz1 emerged much later in evolution. The work opens a new avenue for understanding the role that diphthamide modification plays in normal physiology and bacterial toxin pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Aging Institute of University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Zehua Zuo
- Aging Institute of University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Meijuan Zou
- Aging Institute of University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Toren Finkel
- Aging Institute of University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Shihui Liu
- Aging Institute of University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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13
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Beretta S, Gritti L, Verpelli C, Sala C. Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase a Pharmacological Target to Regulate Protein Translation Dysfunction in Neurological Diseases. Neuroscience 2020; 445:42-49. [PMID: 32088293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Two major processes tightly regulate protein synthesis, the initiation of mRNA translation and elongation phase that mediates the movement of ribosomes along the mRNA. The elongation phase is a high energy-consuming process, and is mainly regulated by the eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) activity that phosphorylates and inhibits eEF2, the only known substrate of the kinase. eEF2K activity is closely regulated by several signaling pathways because the translation elongation phase strongly influences the cellular energy demand and can change the expression of specific proteins in different tissues. An increasing number of recent findings link eEF2k over activation to an array of human diseases, such as atherosclerosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, progression of solid tumors, and some major neurological disorders. Several neurological studies suggest that eEF2K is a valuable target in treating epilepsy, depression and major neurodegenerative diseases. Despite eEF2k is an ubiquitous and conserved protein, it has been proved that its deletion does not affect development in animal models and in general cell viability. Therefore, it is possible to postulate that inhibiting its function may not cause serious side effects. In addition, eEF2K is a peculiar kinase molecularly different from most of other mammalian kinases and new compounds that inhibit eEF2K should not necessarily interfere with other important protein kinases. In this review we will critically summarize the evidence supporting the role of the altered eEF2K/eEF2 pathway in defined neurological diseases and its implications in curing these diseases in animal models, and possibly in humans, by targeting eEF2K activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carlo Sala
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Milano, Italy.
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14
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Song J, Baer LA, Threlkeld MRS, Geng C, Wade CE, Wolf SE. Insulin and exercise improved muscle function in rats with severe burns and hindlimb unloading. Physiol Rep 2019; 7:e14158. [PMID: 31353827 PMCID: PMC6661272 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior work established that exercise alleviates muscle function loss in a clinically relevant rodent model mimicking the clinical sequelae of severely burned patients. On the basis of these data, we posit that pharmacologic treatment with insulin combined with exercise further mitigates loss of muscle function following severe burn with immobilization. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were assessed and trained to complete a climbing exercise. All rats followed a standardized protocol to mimic severe burn patients (40% total body surface area scald burn); all rats were immediately placed into a hindlimb unloading apparatus to simulate bedrest. The rats were then randomly assigned to four treatment groups: saline vehicle injection without exercise (VEH/NEX), insulin (5 U/kg) injection without exercise (INS/NEX), saline vehicle with daily exercise (VEH/EX), and insulin with daily exercise (INS/EX). The animals were assessed for 14 days following injury. The groups were compared for multiple variables. Isometric tetanic (Po) and twitch (Pt) forces were significantly elevated in the plantaris and soleus muscles of the INS/EX rats (P < 0.05). Genomic analysis revealed mechanistic causes with specific candidate changes. Molecular analysis of INS/EX rats revealed Akt phosphorylated by PDPK1 was increased with this treatment, and it further activated downstream signals mTOR, eEF2, and GSK3-β (P < 0.05). Furthermore, muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF-1), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, was reduced in the INS/EX group (P < 0.05). Insulin and resistance exercise have a positive combined effect on the muscle function recovery in this clinically relevant rodent model of severe burn. Both treatments altered signaling pathways of increasing protein synthesis and decreasing protein degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juquan Song
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Texas Medical Branch and Shriners Hospitals for ChildrenGalvestonTexas
| | - Lisa A. Baer
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHoustonTexas
| | | | - Calvin Geng
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTexas
| | - Charles E. Wade
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHoustonTexas
| | - Steven E. Wolf
- Department of SurgeryUniversity of Texas Medical Branch and Shriners Hospitals for ChildrenGalvestonTexas
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15
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Adaikkan C, Taha E, Barrera I, David O, Rosenblum K. Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II and Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase Pathways Mediate the Antidepressant Action of Ketamine. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:65-75. [PMID: 29395043 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, which on administration produces fast-acting antidepressant responses in patients with major depressive disorder. Yet, the mechanism underlying the antidepressant action of ketamine remains unclear. METHODS To unravel the mechanism of action of ketamine, we treated wild-type C57BL/6 mice with calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) specific inhibitor tatCN21 peptide. We also used eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) (also known as CaMKIII) knockout mice. We analyzed the effects biochemically and behaviorally, using the forced swim, tail suspension, and novelty suppressed feeding tests. RESULTS Consistent with the literature, one of the major pathways mediating the antidepressant action of ketamine was reduction of phosphorylation of eEF2 via eEF2K. Specifically, knocking out eEF2K in mice eliminated phosphorylation of eEF2 at threonine at position 56, resulting in increased protein synthesis, and made mice resistant both biochemically and behaviorally to the antidepressant effects of ketamine. In addition, administration of ketamine led to differential regulation of CaMKII function, manifested as autoinhibition (pT305 phosphorylation) followed by autoactivation (pT286) of CaMKIIα in the hippocampus and cortex. The inhibition phase of CaMKII, which lasted 10 to 20 minutes after administration of ketamine, occurred concurrently with eEF2K-dependent increased protein synthesis. Moreover, ketamine administration-dependent delayed induction of GluA1 (24 hours) was regulated by the activation of CaMKII. Importantly, systemic administration of the CaMKII inhibitor tatCN21 increased global protein synthesis and induced behavioral resistance to ketamine. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that drugs that selectively target CaMKs and regulate protein synthesis offer novel strategies for treatment of major depressive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elham Taha
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
| | - Iliana Barrera
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
| | - Orit David
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kobi Rosenblum
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel; Center for Gene Manipulation in the Brain, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
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16
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Will N, Lee K, Hajredini F, Giles DH, Abzalimov RR, Clarkson M, Dalby KN, Ghose R. Structural Dynamics of the Activation of Elongation Factor 2 Kinase by Ca 2+-Calmodulin. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:2802-2821. [PMID: 29800565 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K), the only known calmodulin (CaM)-activated α-kinase, phosphorylates eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2) on a specific threonine (Thr-56) diminishing its affinity for the ribosome and reducing the rate of nascent chain elongation during translation. Despite its critical cellular role, the precise mechanisms underlying the CaM-mediated activation of eEF-2K remain poorly defined. Here, employing a minimal eEF-2K construct (TR) that exhibits activity comparable to the wild-type enzyme and is fully activated by CaM in vitro and in cells, and using a variety of complimentary biophysical techniques in combination with computational modeling, we provide a structural mechanism by which CaM activates eEF-2K. Native mass analysis reveals that CaM, with two bound Ca2+ ions, forms a stoichiometric 1:1 complex with TR. Chemical crosslinking mass spectrometry and small-angle X-ray scattering measurements localize CaM near the N-lobe of the TR kinase domain and the spatially proximal C-terminal helical repeat. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and methyl NMR indicate that the conformational changes induced on TR by the engagement of CaM are not localized but are transmitted to remote regions that include the catalytic site and the functionally important phosphate binding pocket. The structural insights obtained from the present analyses, together with our previously published kinetics data, suggest that TR, and by inference, wild-type eEF-2K, upon engaging CaM undergoes a conformational transition resulting in a state that is primed to efficiently auto-phosphorylate on the primary activating T348 en route to full activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Will
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kwangwoon Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Fatlum Hajredini
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - David H Giles
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rinat R Abzalimov
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Facility, CUNY ASRC, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Michael Clarkson
- Molecular Structures Core, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Kevin N Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Ranajeet Ghose
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA; Graduate Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA; Graduate Program in Physics, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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17
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Jan A, Jansonius B, Delaidelli A, Somasekharan SP, Bhanshali F, Vandal M, Negri GL, Moerman D, MacKenzie I, Calon F, Hayden MR, Taubert S, Sorensen PH. eEF2K inhibition blocks Aβ42 neurotoxicity by promoting an NRF2 antioxidant response. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 133:101-119. [PMID: 27752775 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-016-1634-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Soluble oligomers of amyloid-β (Aβ) impair synaptic plasticity, perturb neuronal energy homeostasis, and are implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Therefore, significant efforts in AD drug discovery research aim to prevent the formation of Aβ oligomers or block their neurotoxicity. The eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF2K) plays a critical role in synaptic plasticity, and couples neurotransmission to local dendritic mRNA translation. Recent evidence indicates that Aβ oligomers activate neuronal eEF2K, suggesting a potential link to Aβ induced synaptic dysfunction. However, a detailed understanding of the role of eEF2K in AD pathogenesis, and therapeutic potential of eEF2K inhibition in AD, remain to be determined. Here, we show that eEF2K activity is increased in postmortem AD patient cortex and hippocampus, and in the hippocampus of aged transgenic AD mice. Furthermore, eEF2K inhibition using pharmacological or genetic approaches prevented the toxic effects of Aβ42 oligomers on neuronal viability and dendrite formation in vitro. We also report that eEF2K inhibition promotes the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (NRF2) antioxidant response in neuronal cells, which was crucial for the beneficial effects of eEF2K inhibition in neurons exposed to Aβ42 oligomers. Accordingly, NRF2 knockdown or overexpression of the NRF2 inhibitor, Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein-1 (Keap1), significantly attenuated the neuroprotection associated with eEF2K inhibition. Finally, genetic deletion of the eEF2K ortholog efk-1 reduced oxidative stress, and improved chemotaxis and serotonin sensitivity in C. elegans expressing human Aβ42 in neurons. Taken together, these findings highlight the potential utility of eEF2K inhibition to reduce Aβ-mediated oxidative stress in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asad Jan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Brandon Jansonius
- British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Alberto Delaidelli
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | | | - Forum Bhanshali
- Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Milène Vandal
- Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Laval, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry 1050, Avenue de la Médecine, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Gian Luca Negri
- British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Don Moerman
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ian MacKenzie
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Frédéric Calon
- Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Laval, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry 1050, Avenue de la Médecine, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Stefan Taubert
- Department of Medical Genetics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Poul H Sorensen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1L3, Canada.
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18
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Lee K, Alphonse S, Piserchio A, Tavares CDJ, Giles DH, Wellmann RM, Dalby KN, Ghose R. Structural Basis for the Recognition of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase by Calmodulin. Structure 2016; 24:1441-51. [PMID: 27499441 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2016.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Binding of Ca(2+)-loaded calmodulin (CaM) activates eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K) that phosphorylates eEF-2, its only known cellular target, leading to a decrease in global protein synthesis. Here, using an eEF-2K-derived peptide (eEF-2KCBD) that encodes the region necessary for its CaM-mediated activation, we provide a structural basis for their interaction. The striking feature of this association is the absence of Ca(2+) from the CaM C-lobe sites, even under high Ca(2+) conditions. eEF-2KCBD engages CaM largely through the C lobe of the latter in an anti-parallel 1-5-8 hydrophobic mode reinforced by a pair of unique electrostatic contacts. Sparse interactions of eEF-2KCBD with the CaM N lobe results in persisting inter-lobe mobility. A conserved eEF-2K residue (W85) anchors it to CaM by inserting into a deep hydrophobic cavity within the CaM C lobe. Mutation of this residue (W85S) substantially weakens interactions between full-length eEF-2K and CaM in vitro and reduces eEF-2 phosphorylation in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangwoon Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sébastien Alphonse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Andrea Piserchio
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Clint D J Tavares
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David H Giles
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rebecca M Wellmann
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kevin N Dalby
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Ranajeet Ghose
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; Graduate Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA; Graduate Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA; Graduate Program in Physics, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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19
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Moore CEJ, Wang X, Xie J, Pickford J, Barron J, Regufe da Mota S, Versele M, Proud CG. Elongation factor 2 kinase promotes cell survival by inhibiting protein synthesis without inducing autophagy. Cell Signal 2016; 28:284-93. [PMID: 26795954 PMCID: PMC4760274 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) inhibits the elongation stage of protein synthesis by phosphorylating its only known substrate, eEF2. eEF2K is tightly regulated by nutrient-sensitive signalling pathways. For example, it is inhibited by signalling through mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). It is therefore activated under conditions of nutrient deficiency. Here we show that inhibiting eEF2K or knocking down its expression renders cancer cells sensitive to death under nutrient-starved conditions, and that this is rescued by compounds that block protein synthesis. This implies that eEF2K protects nutrient-deprived cells by inhibiting protein synthesis. Cells in which signalling through mTORC1 is highly active are very sensitive to nutrient withdrawal. Inhibiting mTORC1 protects them. Our data reveal that eEF2K makes a substantial contribution to the cytoprotective effect of mTORC1 inhibition. eEF2K is also reported to promote another potentially cytoprotective process, autophagy. We have used several approaches to test whether inhibition or loss of eEF2K affects autophagy under a variety of conditions. We find no evidence that eEF2K is involved in the activation of autophagy in the cell types we have studied. We conclude that eEF2K protects cancer cells against nutrient starvation by inhibiting protein synthesis rather than by activating autophagy. Eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase helps cancer cells survive nutrient starvation and is an attractive anti-cancer target. eEF2K has been reported to promote autophagy; however, our evidence shows eEF2K does not modulate autophagy. eEF2K protects cells by inhibiting protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E J Moore
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom; South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA5000, Australia
| | - Xuemin Wang
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom; South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA5000, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA5005, Australia
| | - Jianling Xie
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom; South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA5000, Australia
| | - Jo Pickford
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - John Barron
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Sergio Regufe da Mota
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias Versele
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Christopher G Proud
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom; South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA5000, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA5005, Australia.
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20
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Tabe Y, Kojima K, Yamamoto S, Sekihara K, Matsushita H, Davis RE, Wang Z, Ma W, Ishizawa J, Kazuno S, Kauffman M, Shacham S, Fujimura T, Ueno T, Miida T, Andreeff M. Ribosomal Biogenesis and Translational Flux Inhibition by the Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) XPO1 Antagonist KPT-185. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137210. [PMID: 26340096 PMCID: PMC4560410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma characterized by the aberrant expression of several growth-regulating, oncogenic effectors. Exportin 1 (XPO1) mediates the nucleocytoplasmic transport of numerous molecules including oncogenic growth-regulating factors, RNAs, and ribosomal subunits. In MCL cells, the small molecule KPT-185 blocks XPO1 function and exerts anti-proliferative effects. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of this putative anti-tumor effect on MCL cells using cell growth/viability assays, immunoblotting, gene expression analysis, and absolute quantification proteomics. KPT-185 exhibited a p53-independent anti-lymphoma effect on MCL cells, by suppression of oncogenic mediators (e.g., XPO1, cyclin D1, c-Myc, PIM1, and Bcl-2 family members), repression of ribosomal biogenesis, and downregulation of translation/chaperone proteins (e.g., PIM2, EEF1A1, EEF2, and HSP70) that are part of the translational/transcriptional network regulated by heat shock factor 1. These results elucidate a novel mechanism in which ribosomal biogenesis appears to be a key component through which XPO1 contributes to tumor cell survival. Thus, we propose that the blockade of XPO1 could be a promising, novel strategy for the treatment of MCL and other malignancies overexpressing XPO1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Tabe
- Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensuke Kojima
- Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Shinichi Yamamoto
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Leading Center for the Development and Research of Cancer Medicine, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Sekihara
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
- Leading Center for the Development and Research of Cancer Medicine, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Matsushita
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tokai University of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Richard Eric Davis
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Wencai Ma
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jo Ishizawa
- Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Saiko Kazuno
- Laboratory of Proteomics and Biomolecular Science, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michael Kauffman
- Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc., Natick, MA, United States of America
| | - Sharon Shacham
- Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc., Natick, MA, United States of America
| | - Tsutomu Fujimura
- Laboratory of Proteomics and Biomolecular Science, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Ueno
- Laboratory of Proteomics and Biomolecular Science, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Miida
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Biomedical Research Center Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michael Andreeff
- Section of Molecular Hematology and Therapy, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
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Takahashi G, Gurumurthy CB, Wada K, Miura H, Sato M, Ohtsuka M. GONAD: Genome-editing via Oviductal Nucleic Acids Delivery system: a novel microinjection independent genome engineering method in mice. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11406. [PMID: 26096991 PMCID: PMC4476150 DOI: 10.1038/srep11406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Microinjection is considered the gold standard technique for delivery of nucleic acids (NAs; transgenes or genome editing tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 systems) into embryos, for creating genetically modified organisms. It requires sophisticated equipment as well as well-trained and highly skilled personnel to perform the micro-injection technique. Here, we describe a novel and simple microinjection-independent technique, called Genome-editing via Oviductal Nucleic Acids Delivery (GONAD). Using GONAD, we show that NAs (e.g., eGFP mRNA or Cas9 mRNA/sgRNAs) can be effectively delivered to pre-implantation embryos within the intact mouse oviduct by a simple electroporation method, and result in the desired genetic modification in the embryos. Thus GONAD can bypass many complex steps in transgenic technology such as isolation of zygotes, microinjection of NAs into them, and their subsequent transfer to pseudo-pregnant animals. Furthermore, this method can potentially be used for genome editing in species other than mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gou Takahashi
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
- Department of Bioproduction, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 196 Yasaka, Abashiri, Hokkaido, 099-2493, Japan
| | - Channabasavaiah B Gurumurthy
- Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Kenta Wada
- Department of Bioproduction, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 196 Yasaka, Abashiri, Hokkaido, 099-2493, Japan
| | - Hiromi Miura
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
| | - Masahiro Sato
- Section of Gene Expression Regulation, Frontier Science Research Center, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan
| | - Masato Ohtsuka
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan
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22
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Zhu H, Yang X, Liu J, Zhou L, Zhang C, Xu L, Qin Q, Zhan L, Lu J, Cheng H, Sun X. Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase confers tolerance to stress conditions in cancer cells. Cell Stress Chaperones 2015; 20:217-20. [PMID: 25248493 PMCID: PMC4326389 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-014-0545-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2014] [Revised: 08/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) is a member of the GTP-binding translation elongation factor family that is essential for protein synthesis. eEF2 kinase (eEF2K) is a structurally and functionally unique protein kinase in the calmodulin-mediated signaling pathway. eEF2K phosphorylates eEF2, thereby inhibiting eEF2 function under stressful conditions. eEF2K regulates numerous processes, such as protein synthesis, cell cycle progression, and induction of autophagy and apoptosis in cancer cells. This review will demonstrate the mechanisms underlying eEF2K activity in cancer cells under different stresses, such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and DNA damage via eEF2 regulation. In vivo, in vitro, and clinical studies indicated that eEF2K may be a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongcheng Zhu
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi Yang
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Liu
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu Zhou
- />Department of Neurosurgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital and Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liping Xu
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qin Qin
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liangliang Zhan
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Lu
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongyan Cheng
- />Department of General Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinchen Sun
- />Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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23
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Faller WJ, Jackson TJ, Knight JR, Ridgway RA, Jamieson T, Karim SA, Jones C, Radulescu S, Huels DJ, Myant KB, Dudek KM, Casey HA, Scopelliti A, Cordero JB, Vidal M, Pende M, Ryazanov AG, Sonenberg N, Meyuhas O, Hall MN, Bushell M, Willis AE, Sansom OJ. mTORC1-mediated translational elongation limits intestinal tumour initiation and growth. Nature 2015; 517:497-500. [PMID: 25383520 PMCID: PMC4304784 DOI: 10.1038/nature13896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Inactivation of APC is a strongly predisposing event in the development of colorectal cancer, prompting the search for vulnerabilities specific to cells that have lost APC function. Signalling through the mTOR pathway is known to be required for epithelial cell proliferation and tumour growth, and the current paradigm suggests that a critical function of mTOR activity is to upregulate translational initiation through phosphorylation of 4EBP1 (refs 6, 7). This model predicts that the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin, which does not efficiently inhibit 4EBP1 (ref. 8), would be ineffective in limiting cancer progression in APC-deficient lesions. Here we show in mice that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activity is absolutely required for the proliferation of Apc-deficient (but not wild-type) enterocytes, revealing an unexpected opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Although APC-deficient cells show the expected increases in protein synthesis, our study reveals that it is translation elongation, and not initiation, which is the rate-limiting component. Mechanistically, mTORC1-mediated inhibition of eEF2 kinase is required for the proliferation of APC-deficient cells. Importantly, treatment of established APC-deficient adenomas with rapamycin (which can target eEF2 through the mTORC1-S6K-eEF2K axis) causes tumour cells to undergo growth arrest and differentiation. Taken together, our data suggest that inhibition of translation elongation using existing, clinically approved drugs, such as the rapalogs, would provide clear therapeutic benefit for patients at high risk of developing colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas J Jackson
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit; Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - John Rp Knight
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit; Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | | | | | - Saadia A Karim
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Carolyn Jones
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit; Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | | | - David J Huels
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Kevin B Myant
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Kate M Dudek
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit; Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Helen A Casey
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | | | | | - Marcos Vidal
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Mario Pende
- Inserm U845, Université Paris Descartes, Necker Medical School, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Alexey G Ryazanov
- Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Pharmacology, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Nahum Sonenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Oded Meyuhas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IMRIC, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Michael N Hall
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Bushell
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit; Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Anne E Willis
- Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit; Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
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24
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Ashour AA, Gurbuz N, Alpay SN, Abdel-Aziz AAH, Mansour AM, Huo L, Ozpolat B. Elongation factor-2 kinase regulates TG2/β1 integrin/Src/uPAR pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition mediating pancreatic cancer cells invasion. J Cell Mol Med 2014; 18:2235-51. [PMID: 25215932 PMCID: PMC4224557 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.12361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the lethal cancers with extensive local tumour invasion, metastasis, early systemic dissemination and poorest prognosis. Thus, understanding the mechanisms regulating invasion/metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), is the key for developing effective therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer (PaCa). Eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2K) is an atypical kinase that we found to be highly up-regulated in PaCa cells. However, its role in PaCa invasion/progression remains unknown. Here, we investigated the role of eEF-2K in cellular invasion, and we found that down-regulation of eEF-2K, by siRNA or rottlerin, displays impairment of PaCa cells invasion/migration, with significant decreases in the expression of tissue transglutaminase (TG2), the multifunctional enzyme implicated in regulation of cell attachment, motility and survival. These events were associated with reductions in β1 integrin/uPAR/MMP-2 expressions as well as decrease in Src activity. Furthermore, inhibition of eEF-2K/TG2 axis suppresses the EMT, as demonstrated by the modulation of the zinc finger transcription factors, ZEB1/Snail, and the tight junction proteins, claudins. Importantly, while eEF-2K silencing recapitulates the rottlerin-induced inhibition of invasion and correlated events, eEF-2K overexpression, by lentivirus-based expression system, suppresses such rottlerin effects and potentiates PaCa cells invasion/migration capability. Collectively, our results show, for the first time, that eEF-2K is involved in regulation of the invasive phenotype of PaCa cells through promoting a new signalling pathway, which is mediated by TG2/β1 integrin/Src/uPAR/MMP-2, and the induction of EMT biomarkers which enhance cancer cell motility and metastatic potential. Thus, eEF-2K could represent a novel potential therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Ashour
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar UniversityCairo, Egypt
| | - Nilgun Gurbuz
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX, USA
| | - Sultan Neslihan Alpay
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX, USA
| | - Abdel-Aziz H Abdel-Aziz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar UniversityCairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Mansour
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar UniversityCairo, Egypt
| | - Longfei Huo
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX, USA
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX, USA
- Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX, USA
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25
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Steiner JL, Pruznak AM, Deiter G, Navaratnarajah M, Kutzler L, Kimball SR, Lang CH. Disruption of genes encoding eIF4E binding proteins-1 and -2 does not alter basal or sepsis-induced changes in skeletal muscle protein synthesis in male or female mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99582. [PMID: 24945486 PMCID: PMC4063727 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Sepsis decreases skeletal muscle protein synthesis in part by impairing mTOR activity and the subsequent phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and S6K1 thereby controlling translation initiation; however, the relative importance of changes in these two downstream substrates is unknown. The role of 4E-BP1 (and -BP2) in regulating muscle protein synthesis was assessed in wild-type (WT) and 4E-BP1/BP2 double knockout (DKO) male mice under basal conditions and in response to sepsis. At 12 months of age, body weight, lean body mass and energy expenditure did not differ between WT and DKO mice. Moreover, in vivo rates of protein synthesis in gastrocnemius, heart and liver did not differ between DKO and WT mice. Sepsis decreased skeletal muscle protein synthesis and S6K1 phosphorylation in WT and DKO male mice to a similar extent. Sepsis only decreased 4E-BP1 phosphorylation in WT mice as no 4E-BP1/BP2 protein was detected in muscle from DKO mice. Sepsis decreased the binding of eIF4G to eIF4E in WT mice; however, eIF4E•eIF4G binding was not altered in DKO mice under either basal or septic conditions. A comparable sepsis-induced increase in eIF4B phosphorylation was seen in both WT and DKO mice. eEF2 phosphorylation was similarly increased in muscle from WT septic mice and both control and septic DKO mice, compared to WT control values. The sepsis-induced increase in muscle MuRF1 and atrogin-1 (markers of proteolysis) as well as TNFα and IL-6 (inflammatory cytokines) mRNA was greater in DKO than WT mice. The sepsis-induced decrease in myocardial and hepatic protein synthesis did not differ between WT and DKO mice. These data suggest overall basal protein balance and synthesis is maintained in muscle of mice lacking both 4E-BP1/BP2 and that sepsis-induced changes in mTOR signaling may be mediated by a down-stream mechanism independent of 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and eIF4E•eIF4G binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Steiner
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Anne M. Pruznak
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gina Deiter
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Maithili Navaratnarajah
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Lydia Kutzler
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Scot R. Kimball
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Charles H. Lang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Ashour AA, Abdel-Aziz AAH, Mansour AM, Alpay SN, Huo L, Ozpolat B. Targeting elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2K) induces apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells. Apoptosis 2014; 19:241-58. [PMID: 24193916 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-013-0927-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is one of the most aggressive, apoptosis-resistant and currently incurable cancers with a poor survival rate. Eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2K) is an atypical kinase, whose role in PaCa survival is not yet known. Here, we show that eEF-2K is overexpressed in PaCa cells and its down-regulation induces apoptotic cell death. Rottlerin (ROT), a polyphenolic compound initially identified as a PKC-δ inhibitor, induces apoptosis and autophagy in a variety of cancer cells including PaCa cells. We demonstrated that ROT induces intrinsic apoptosis, with dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and stimulates extrinsic apoptosis with concomitant induction of TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors, DR4 and DR5, with caspase-8 activation, in PANC-1 and MIAPaCa-2 cells. Notably, while none of these effects were dependent on PKC-δ inhibition, ROT down-regulates eEF-2K at mRNA level, and induce eEF-2K protein degradation through ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Down-regulation of eEF-2K recapitulates the events observed after ROT treatment, while its over-expression suppressed the ROT-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, eEF-2K regulates the expression of tissue transglutaminase (TG2), an enzyme previously implicated in proliferation, drug resistance and survival of cancer cells. Inhibition of eEF-2K/TG2 axis leads to caspase-independent apoptosis which is associated with induction of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). Collectively, these results indicate, for the first time, that the down-regulation of eEF-2K leads to induction of intrinsic, extrinsic as well as AIF-dependent apoptosis in PaCa cells, suggesting that eEF-2K may represent an attractive therapeutic target for the future anticancer agents in PaCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Ashour
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Unit 422, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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Mirzoev TM, Vil'chinskaia NA, Lomonosova IN, Nemirovskaia TL, Shenkman BS. [Effect of 30-day space flight and subsequent readaptation on the signaling processes in m. longissimus dorsi of mice]. Aviakosm Ekolog Med 2014; 48:12-15. [PMID: 25087406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Some steps of anabolic and catabolic signaling pathways were investigated in postural/tonic m. longissimus dorsi of mice following the 30-day orbital flight of biosatellite "Bion-M1" and 8-day recovery. Western blotting was used for determining insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and AMR-activated protein kinase (AMPK) involved in reciprocal regulation of anabolic and catabolic pathways, as well as E3-ligase MURF-1, and elongation factor eEF2. Functioning of the IGF-1-dependent IRS-1 signaling pathway was activated in the recovery period only. Though the content of ubiquitinligase MURF-1 showed an increase after flight, on completion of the recovery period it did not exceed the pre-flight level unambiguously.
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Liu XY, Zhang L, Wu J, Zhou L, Ren YJ, Yang WQ, Ming ZJ, Chen B, Wang J, Zhang Y, Yang JM. Inhibition of elongation factor-2 kinase augments the antitumor activity of Temozolomide against glioma. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81345. [PMID: 24303044 PMCID: PMC3841121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common form of brain cancer with an average survival of less than 12 months, is a highly aggressive and fatal disease characterized by survival of glioma cells following initial treatment, invasion through the brain parenchyma and destruction of normal brain tissues, and ultimately resistance to current treatments. Temozolomide (TMZ) is commonly used chemotherapy for treatment of primary and recurrent high-grade gliomas. Nevertheless, the therapeutic outcome of TMZ is often unsatisfactory. In this study, we sought to determine whether eEF-2 kinase affected the sensitivity of glioma cells to treatment with TMZ. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using RNA interference approach, a small molecule inhibitor of eEF-2 kinase, and in vitro and in vivo glioma models, we observed that inhibition of eEF-2 kinase could enhance sensitivity of glioma cells to TMZ, and that this sensitizing effect was associated with blockade of autophagy and augmentation of apoptosis caused by TMZ. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These findings demonstrated that targeting eEF-2 kinase can enhance the anti-glioma activity of TMZ, and inhibitors of this kinase may be exploited as chemo-sensitizers for TMZ in treatment of malignant glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-yuan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - JianPing Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi-Jie Ren
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei-Qiong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zi-Jun Ming
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianrong Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- * E-mail: (JMY); (YZ)
| | - Jin-Ming Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Affiliated Changshu Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Pharmacology and The Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JMY); (YZ)
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Liu XY, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Yang JM. Roles of eEF-2 kinase in cancer. Chin Med J (Engl) 2012; 125:2908-2913. [PMID: 22932089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To provide a summary of the relationship between the eEF-2/eEF-2 kinase pathway and each phase of malignant neoplasms. The speci?c importance of this relationship in understanding and treating cancer was also explored. DATA SOURCES The data used in this review were mainly obtained from the articles listed in HighWire and PubMed in English. The search terms were "eEF-2 kinase", "oncogenesis", and "tumor progression". STUDY SELECTION This review relates the observation that the overexpression of eEF-2 kinase is seen in cancer, and highlights that it has emerged as promoting the development of many malignant phenotypes when unregulated. This includes increasing the replicative potential of cells, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, and evasion of apoptosis. RESULTS eEF-2 kinase is a structurally and functionally unique protein kinase. The increased activity of this protein in cancer cells is a protective mechanism to allow tumor growth and evolution, and resist cell death through the eEF-2/eEF-2 kinase pathway, but it also makes a potential target for therapy. CONCLUSION eEF-2 kinase fills critical niches in the life of a cancer cell and the eEF-2/eEF-2 kinase pathway is a key biochemical sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yuan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China
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Tekedereli I, Alpay SN, Tavares CDJ, Cobanoglu ZE, Kaoud TS, Sahin I, Sood AK, Lopez-Berestein G, Dalby KN, Ozpolat B. Targeted silencing of elongation factor 2 kinase suppresses growth and sensitizes tumors to doxorubicin in an orthotopic model of breast cancer. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41171. [PMID: 22911754 PMCID: PMC3401164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2012] [Accepted: 06/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K), through its phosphorylation of elongation factor 2 (eEF2), provides a mechanism by which cells can control the rate of the elongation phase of protein synthesis. The activity of eEF-2K is increased in rapidly proliferating malignant cells, is inhibited during mitosis, and may contribute to the promotion of autophagy in response to anti-cancer therapies. The purpose of this study was to examine the therapeutic potential of targeting eEF-2K in breast cancer tumors. Through the systemic administration of liposomal eEF-2K siRNA (twice a week, i.v. 150 µg/kg), the expression of eEF-2K was down-regulated in vivo in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model of a highly aggressive triple negative MDA-MB-231 tumor. This targeting resulted in a substantial decrease in eEF2 phosphorylation in the tumors, and led to the inhibition of tumor growth, the induction of apoptosis and the sensitization of tumors to the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin. eEF-2K down-modulation in vitro resulted in a decrease in the expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 with a concomitant increase in the expression of p27Kip1. A decrease in the basal activity of c-Src (phospho-Tyr-416), focal adhesion kinase (phospho-Tyr-397), and Akt (phospho-Ser-473) was also detected following eEF-2K down-regulation in MDA-MB-231 cells, as determined by Western blotting. Where tested, similar results were seen in ER-positive MCF-7 cells. These effects were also accompanied by a decrease in the observed invasive phenotype of the MDA-MB-231 cells. These data support the notion that the disruption of eEF-2K expression in breast cancer cells results in the down-regulation of signaling pathways affecting growth, survival and resistance and has potential as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Tekedereli
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - S. Neslihan Alpay
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Clint D. J. Tavares
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zehra E. Cobanoglu
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Tamer S. Kaoud
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ibrahim Sahin
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Anil K. Sood
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for RNAi and Non-Coding RNA, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for RNAi and Non-Coding RNA, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BO); (KND)
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Center for RNAi and Non-Coding RNA, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BO); (KND)
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Bewley MA, Pham TK, Marriott HM, Noirel J, Chu HP, Ow SY, Ryazanov AG, Read RC, Whyte MKB, Chain B, Wright PC, Dockrell DH. Proteomic evaluation and validation of cathepsin D regulated proteins in macrophages exposed to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mol Cell Proteomics 2011; 10:M111.008193. [PMID: 21474794 PMCID: PMC3108842 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m111.008193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2011] [Revised: 04/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are central effectors of innate immune responses to bacteria. We have investigated how activation of the abundant macrophage lysosomal protease, cathepsin D, regulates the macrophage proteome during killing of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Using the cathepsin D inhibitor pepstatin A, we demonstrate that cathepsin D differentially regulates multiple targets out of 679 proteins identified and quantified by eight-plex isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation. Our statistical analysis identified 18 differentially expressed proteins that passed all paired t-tests (α = 0.05). This dataset was enriched for proteins regulating the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis or inhibiting competing death programs. Five proteins were selected for further analysis. Western blotting, followed by pharmacological inhibition or genetic manipulation of cathepsin D, verified cathepsin D-dependent regulation of these proteins, after exposure to S. pneumoniae. Superoxide dismutase-2 up-regulation was temporally related to increased reactive oxygen species generation. Gelsolin, a known regulator of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, was down-regulated in association with cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Eukaryotic elongation factor (eEF2), a regulator of protein translation, was also down-regulated by cathepsin D. Using absence of the negative regulator of eEF2, eEF2 kinase, we confirm that eEF2 function is required to maintain expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1, delaying macrophage apoptosis and confirm using a murine model that maintaining eEF2 function is associated with impaired macrophage apoptosis-associated killing of Streptococcus pneumoniae. These findings demonstrate that cathepsin D regulates multiple proteins controlling the mitochondrial pathway of macrophage apoptosis or competing death processes, facilitating intracellular bacterial killing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trong K. Pham
- §ChELSI Institute, Department of Chemical and Processing Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Josselin Noirel
- §ChELSI Institute, Department of Chemical and Processing Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Hseuh-Ping Chu
- ‖Department of Pharmacology University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey, USA
| | - Saw Y. Ow
- §ChELSI Institute, Department of Chemical and Processing Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Alexey G. Ryazanov
- ‖Department of Pharmacology University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey, USA
| | - Robert C. Read
- From the ‡Medical School
- ‡‡Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and
| | | | - Benny Chain
- ¶Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Phillip C. Wright
- §ChELSI Institute, Department of Chemical and Processing Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Cheng Y, Li H, Ren X, Niu T, Hait WN, Yang J. Cytoprotective effect of the elongation factor-2 kinase-mediated autophagy in breast cancer cells subjected to growth factor inhibition. PLoS One 2010; 5:e9715. [PMID: 20300520 PMCID: PMC2838786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2010] [Accepted: 02/23/2010] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autophagy is a highly conserved and regulated cellular process employed by living cells to degrade proteins and organelles as a response to metabolic stress. We have previously reported that eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2 kinase, also known as Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase III) can positively modulate autophagy and negatively regulate protein synthesis. The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of the eEF-2 kinase-regulated autophagy in the response of breast cancer cells to inhibitors of growth factor signaling. Methodology/Principal Findings We found that nutrient depletion or growth factor inhibitors activated autophagy in human breast cancer cells, and the increased activity of autophagy was associated with a decrease in cellular ATP and an increase in activities of AMP kinase and eEF-2 kinase. Silencing of eEF-2 kinase relieved the inhibition of protein synthesis, led to a greater reduction of cellular ATP, and blunted autophagic response. We further showed that suppression of eEF-2 kinase-regulated autophagy impeded cell growth in serum/nutrient-deprived cultures and handicapped cell survival, and enhanced the efficacy of the growth factor inhibitors such as trastuzumab, gefitinib, and lapatinib. Conclusion/Significance The results of this study provide new evidence that activation of eEF-2 kinase-mediated autophagy plays a protective role for cancer cells under metabolic stress conditions, and that targeting autophagic survival may represent a novel approach to enhancing the effectiveness of growth factor inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology and The Penn State Cancer Institute, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Huaijun Li
- Department of Pharmacology and The Penn State Cancer Institute, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Xingcong Ren
- Department of Pharmacology and The Penn State Cancer Institute, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tingkuang Niu
- Department of Pharmacology and The Penn State Cancer Institute, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - William N. Hait
- OrthoBiotech Research and Development, Raritan, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jinming Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and The Penn State Cancer Institute, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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White-Gilbertson S, Kurtz DT, Voelkel-Johnson C. The role of protein synthesis in cell cycling and cancer. Mol Oncol 2009; 3:402-8. [PMID: 19546037 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2009.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2009] [Revised: 05/04/2009] [Accepted: 05/25/2009] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell cycling and protein synthesis are both key physiological tasks for cancer cells. Here we present a model for how the elongation phase of protein synthesis, governed by elongation factor 2 and elongation factor 2 kinase, both modulates and responds to cell cycling. Within this framework we also discuss survivin, a protein with both pro-mitotic and anti-apoptotic roles whose persistence in the cell is tied to protein synthesis due to its short half-life. Finally, we provide a brief overview of efforts of cancer researchers to target EF2 and EF2 kinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai White-Gilbertson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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Gregio APB, Cano VPS, Avaca JS, Valentini SR, Zanelli CF. eIF5A has a function in the elongation step of translation in yeast. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009; 380:785-90. [PMID: 19338753 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.01.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2009] [Accepted: 01/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The putative translation factor eIF5A is essential for cell viability and is highly conserved throughout evolution. Here, we describe genetic interactions between an eIF5A mutant and a translation initiation mutant (eIF4E) or a translation elongation mutant (eEF2). Polysome profile analysis of single and double mutants revealed that mutation in eIF5A reduces polysome run-off, contrarily to translation initiation mutants. Moreover, the polysome profile of an eIF5A mutant alone is very similar to that of a translation elongation mutant. Furthermore, depletion of eIF5A causes a significant decrease in total protein synthesis and an increase of the average ribosome transit time. Finally, we demonstrate that the formation of P bodies is inhibited in an eIF5A mutant, similarly to the effect of the translation elongation inhibitor cycloheximide. Taken together, these results not only reinforce a role for eIF5A in translation but also strongly support a function for eIF5A in the elongation step of protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana P B Gregio
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Rodovia Araraquara-Jaú, km 01, Araraquara, SP 14801-902, Brazil
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