Mitochondrial localization of SESN2

SESN2 is a member of the evolutionarily conserved sestrin protein family found in most of the Metazoa species. The SESN2 gene is transcriptionally activated by many stress factors, including metabolic derangements, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and DNA-damage. As a result, SESN2 controls ROS accumulation, metabolism, and cell viability. The best-known function of SESN2 is the inhibition of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 kinase (mTORC1) that plays a central role in support of cell growth and suppression of autophagy. SESN2 inhibits mTORC1 activity through interaction with the GATOR2 protein complex preventing an inhibitory effect of GATOR2 on the GATOR1 protein complex. GATOR1 stimulates GTPase activity of the RagA/B small GTPase, the component of RagA/B:RagC/D complex, preventing mTORC1 translocation to the lysosomes and its activation by the small GTPase Rheb. Despite the well-established role of SESN2 in mTORC1 inhibition, other SESN2 activities are not well-characterized. We recently showed that SESN2 could control mitochondrial function and cell death via mTORC1-independent mechanisms, and these activities might be explained by direct effects of SESN2 on mitochondria. In this work, we examined mitochondrial localization of SESN2 and demonstrated that SESN2 is located on mitochondria and can be directly involved in the regulation of mitochondrial functions.

Treatment of cancer cells with chemotherapeutic drugs results in profound changes in expression of genes encoding aldehyde-metabolizing enzymes

Using RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, and bioinformatics we have studied the influence of a wide spectrum of chemotherapeutic drugs on transcription of AKR1B10, AKR1C1, ALDH1A1, and ALDH1A3 genes, which encode the major aldehyde-metabolizing enzymes. The strongest alterations were detected in case of AKR1B10 mRNA that was significantly upregulated in wild type p53 cancer cells, but downregulated in mutant p53 cancer cells. Subsequent experiments demonstrated the significant and consistent decrease in the AKR1B10 mRNA content in sera of colon cancer patients, as compared to sera of healthy donors (p<0.0001, SPE=92.9%, SNE=79.3%, AUC=0.889), which implies that this RNA is a valuable marker for serological diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Moreover, we have found that ALDH1A3 protein is a key inactivator of ROS-generated aldehydes, which is a perspective target for the development of new chemotherapeutic drugs.

Oncolytic Activity of the Vaccine Strain of Type 3 Poliovirus on the Model of Rat Glioma C6 Cells

Rat glioma cell line C6 expressing human poliovirus receptor (PVR) and susceptible to polioviruses (C6-PVR-BFP) was used to produce a clone with knockout of IFNα/β (Ifnar1) receptor subunit 1 gene (Ifnar1). The sensitivity of C6-PVR-BFP cells to the vaccine strain of poliovirus type 3 (PV3) depended on the signaling pathways of the cell response to type 1 IFN. Using the model of subcutaneous tumor xenografts, we demonstrated oncolytic activity of PV3 against C6-PVR-BFP cells that depended on the expression of PVR and increased considerably upon disturbances in IFN response pathways.