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Zhao W, Ouyang C, Huang C, Zhang J, Xiao Q, Zhang F, Wang H, Lin F, Wang J, Wang Z, Jiang B, Li Q. ELP3 stabilizes c-Myc to promote tumorigenesis. J Mol Cell Biol 2024; 15:mjad059. [PMID: 37771073 PMCID: PMC11054291 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
ELP3, the catalytic subunit of the Elongator complex, is an acetyltransferase and associated with tumor progression. However, the detail of ELP3 oncogenic function remains largely unclear. Here, we found that ELP3 stabilizes c-Myc to promote tumorigenesis in an acetyltransferase-independent manner. Mechanistically, ELP3 competes with the E3-ligase FBXW7β for c-Myc binding, resulting in the inhibition of FBXW7β-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of c-Myc. ELP3 knockdown diminishes glycolysis and glutaminolysis and dramatically retards cell proliferation and xenograft growth by downregulating c-Myc, and such effects are rescued by the reconstitution of c-Myc expression. Moreover, ELP3 and c-Myc were found overexpressed with a positive correlation in colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. Taken together, we elucidate a new function of ELP3 in promoting tumorigenesis by stabilizing c-Myc, suggesting that inhibition of ELP3 is a potential strategy for treating c-Myc-driven carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
- Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Neuroscience, Fujian Key Laboratory of Brain Tumors Diagnosis and Precision Treatment, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China
| | - Cong Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Chen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Jiaojiao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qiao Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Fengqiong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Huihui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Furong Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Jinyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Zhanxiang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Neuroscience, Fujian Key Laboratory of Brain Tumors Diagnosis and Precision Treatment, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Brain Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Qinxi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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2
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Ascanelli C, Dahir R, Wilson CH. Manipulating Myc for reparative regeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1357589. [PMID: 38577503 PMCID: PMC10991803 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1357589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The Myc family of proto-oncogenes is a key node for the signal transduction of external pro-proliferative signals to the cellular processes required for development, tissue homoeostasis maintenance, and regeneration across evolution. The tight regulation of Myc synthesis and activity is essential for restricting its oncogenic potential. In this review, we highlight the central role that Myc plays in regeneration across the animal kingdom (from Cnidaria to echinoderms to Chordata) and how Myc could be employed to unlock the regenerative potential of non-regenerative tissues in humans for therapeutic purposes. Mastering the fine balance of harnessing the ability of Myc to promote transcription without triggering oncogenesis may open the door to many exciting opportunities for therapeutic development across a wide array of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Catherine H. Wilson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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3
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El Baba R, Herbein G. EZH2-Myc Hallmark in Oncovirus/Cytomegalovirus Infections and Cytomegalovirus' Resemblance to Oncoviruses. Cells 2024; 13:541. [PMID: 38534385 DOI: 10.3390/cells13060541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Approximately 15-20% of global cancer cases are attributed to virus infections. Oncoviruses employ various molecular strategies to enhance replication and persistence. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), acting as an initiator or promoter, enables immune evasion, supporting tumor growth. HCMV activates pro-oncogenic pathways within infected cells and direct cellular transformation. Thus, HCMV demonstrates characteristics reminiscent of oncoviruses. Cumulative evidence emphasizes the crucial roles of EZH2 and Myc in oncogenesis and stemness. EZH2 and Myc, pivotal regulators of cellular processes, gain significance in the context of oncoviruses and HCMV infections. This axis becomes a central focus for comprehending the mechanisms driving virus-induced oncogenesis. Elevated EZH2 expression is evident in various cancers, making it a prospective target for cancer therapy. On the other hand, Myc, deregulated in over 50% of human cancers, serves as a potent transcription factor governing cellular processes and contributing to tumorigenesis; Myc activates EZH2 expression and induces global gene expression. The Myc/EZH2 axis plays a critical role in promoting tumor growth in oncoviruses. Considering that HCMV has been shown to manipulate the Myc/EZH2 axis, there is emerging evidence suggesting that HCMV could be regarded as a potential oncovirus due to its ability to exploit this critical pathway implicated in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranim El Baba
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB EA4266, University of Franche-Comté UFC, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - Georges Herbein
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB EA4266, University of Franche-Comté UFC, 25000 Besançon, France
- Department of Virology, CHU Besançon, 25030 Besançon, France
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4
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Behrens K, Brajanovski N, Xu Z, Viney EM, DiRago L, Hediyeh-Zadeh S, Davis MJ, Pearson RB, Sanij E, Alexander WS, Ng AP. ERG and c-MYC regulate a critical gene network in BCR::ABL1-driven B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj8803. [PMID: 38457494 PMCID: PMC10923517 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj8803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Philadelphia chromosome-positive B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), characterized by the BCR::ABL1 fusion gene, remains a poor prognosis cancer needing new therapeutic approaches. Transcriptomic profiling identified up-regulation of oncogenic transcription factors ERG and c-MYC in BCR::ABL1 B-ALL with ERG and c-MYC required for BCR::ABL1 B-ALL in murine and human models. Profiling of ERG- and c-MYC-dependent gene expression and analysis of ChIP-seq data established ERG and c-MYC coordinate a regulatory network in BCR::ABL1 B-ALL that controls expression of genes involved in several biological processes. Prominent was control of ribosome biogenesis, including expression of RNA polymerase I (POL I) subunits, the importance of which was validated by inhibition of BCR::ABL1 cells by POL I inhibitors, including CX-5461, that prevents promoter recruitment and transcription initiation by POL I. Our results reveal an essential ERG- and c-MYC-dependent transcriptional network involved in regulation of metabolic and ribosome biogenesis pathways in BCR::ABL1 B-ALL, from which previously unidentified vulnerabilities and therapeutic targets may emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Behrens
- Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Natalie Brajanovski
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zhen Xu
- Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Elizabeth M. Viney
- Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Ladina DiRago
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Soroor Hediyeh-Zadeh
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Melissa J. Davis
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- The Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
- The South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Richard B. Pearson
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Elaine Sanij
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Australia
- Department of Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Warren S. Alexander
- Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Ashley P. Ng
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
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5
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Lu Y, Berenson A, Lane R, Guelin I, Li Z, Chen Y, Shah S, Yin M, Soto-Ugaldi LF, Fiszbein A, Fuxman Bass JI. A large-scale cancer-specific protein-DNA interaction network. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.24.577099. [PMID: 38352498 PMCID: PMC10862707 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.24.577099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Cancer development and progression are generally associated with dysregulation of gene expression, often resulting from changes in transcription factor (TF) sequence or expression. Identifying key TFs involved in cancer gene regulation provides a framework for potential new therapeutics. This study presents a large-scale cancer gene TF-DNA interaction network as well as an extensive promoter clone resource for future studies. Most highly connected TFs do not show a preference for binding to promoters of genes associated with either good or poor cancer prognosis, suggesting that emerging strategies aimed at shifting gene expression balance between these two prognostic groups may be inherently complex. However, we identified potential for oncogene targeted therapeutics, with half of the tested oncogenes being potentially repressed by influencing specific activator or bifunctional TFs. Finally, we investigate the role of intrinsically disordered regions within the key cancer-related TF estrogen receptor ɑ (ESR1) on DNA binding and transcriptional activity, and found that these regions can have complex trade-offs in TF function. Altogether, our study not only broadens our knowledge of TFs involved in the cancer gene regulatory network but also provides a valuable resource for future studies, laying a foundation for potential therapeutic strategies targeting TFs in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunwei Lu
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Anna Berenson
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ryan Lane
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Isabelle Guelin
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Zhaorong Li
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yilin Chen
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sakshi Shah
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Meimei Yin
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | | | - Ana Fiszbein
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Juan Ignacio Fuxman Bass
- Biology Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemistry Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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6
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Li M, Yu J, Ju L, Wang Y, Jin W, Zhang R, Xiang W, Ji M, Du W, Wang G, Qian K, Zhang Y, Xiao Y, Wang X. USP43 stabilizes c-Myc to promote glycolysis and metastasis in bladder cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:44. [PMID: 38218970 PMCID: PMC10787741 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06446-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
A hallmark of tumor cells, including bladder cancer (BLCA) cells, is metabolic reprogramming toward aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect). The classical oncogene MYC, which is crucial in regulating glycolysis, is amplified and activated in BLCA. However, direct targeting of the c-Myc oncoprotein, which regulates glycolytic metabolism, presents great challenges and necessitates the discovery of a more clarified regulatory mechanism to develop selective targeted therapy. In this study, a siRNA library targeting deubiquitinases identified a candidate enzyme named USP43, which may regulate glycolytic metabolism and c-Myc transcriptional activity. Further investigation using functional assays and molecular studies revealed a USP43/c-Myc positive feedback loop that contributes to the progression of BLCA. Moreover, USP43 stabilizes c-Myc by deubiquitinating c-Myc at K148 and K289 primarily through deubiquitinase activity. Additionally, upregulation of USP43 protein in BLCA increased the chance of interaction with c-Myc and interfered with FBXW7 access and degradation of c-Myc. These findings suggest that USP43 is a potential therapeutic target for indirectly targeting glycolytic metabolism and the c-Myc oncoprotein consequently enhancing the efficacy of bladder cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Li
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingtian Yu
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lingao Ju
- Department of Biological Repositories, Human Genetic Resources Preservation Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yejinpeng Wang
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wan Jin
- Department of Biological Repositories, Human Genetic Resources Preservation Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Euler Technology, ZGC Life Sciences Park, Beijing, China
| | - Renjie Zhang
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wan Xiang
- Department of Biological Repositories, Human Genetic Resources Preservation Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Ji
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenzhi Du
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Biological Repositories, Human Genetic Resources Preservation Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kaiyu Qian
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Biological Repositories, Human Genetic Resources Preservation Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Euler Technology, ZGC Life Sciences Park, Beijing, China.
- Center for Quantitative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yu Xiao
- Department of Biological Repositories, Human Genetic Resources Preservation Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Xinghuan Wang
- Department of Urology, Laboratory of Precision Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Wuhan Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wuhan, China.
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7
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Epasto LM, Pötzl C, Peterlik H, Khalil M, Saint‐Pierre C, Gasparutto D, Sicoli G, Kurzbach D. NMR-identification of the interaction between BRCA1 and the intrinsically disordered monomer of the Myc-associated factor X. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4849. [PMID: 38037490 PMCID: PMC10731500 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The breast cancer susceptibility 1 (BRCA1) protein plays a pivotal role in modulating the transcriptional activity of the vital intrinsically disordered transcription factor MYC. In this regard, mutations of BRCA1 and interruption of its regulatory activity are related to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Interestingly, so far, MYC's main dimerization partner MAX (MYC-associated factor X) has not been found to bind BRCA1 despite a high sequence similarity between both oncoproteins. Herein, we show that a potential reason for this discrepancy is the heterogeneous conformational space of MAX, which encloses a well-documented folded coiled-coil homodimer as well as a less common intrinsically disordered monomer state-contrary to MYC, which exists mostly as intrinsically disordered protein in the absence of any binding partner. We show that when the intrinsically disordered state of MAX is artificially overpopulated, the binding of MAX to BRCA1 can readily be observed. We characterize this interaction by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy chemical shift and relaxation measurements, complemented with ITC and SAXS data. Our results suggest that BRCA1 directly binds the MAX monomer to form a disordered complex. Though probed herein under biomimetic in-vitro conditions, this finding can potentially stimulate new perspectives on the regulatory network around BRCA1 and its involvement in MYC:MAX regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Martina Epasto
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute for Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Christopher Pötzl
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute for Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Mahdi Khalil
- CNRS UMR 8516, LASIREUniversity of LilleVilleneuve d'Ascq CedexFrance
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Sicoli
- CNRS UMR 8516, LASIREUniversity of LilleVilleneuve d'Ascq CedexFrance
| | - Dennis Kurzbach
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute for Biological ChemistryUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Chemistry (DoSChem)University of ViennaViennaAustria
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8
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Kubickova A, De Sanctis JB, Hajduch M. Isoform-Directed Control of c-Myc Functions: Understanding the Balance from Proliferation to Growth Arrest. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17524. [PMID: 38139353 PMCID: PMC10743581 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor c-Myc, a key regulator of cellular processes, has long been associated with roles in cell proliferation and apoptosis. This review analyses the multiple functions of c-Myc by examining the different c-Myc isoforms in detail. The impact of different c-Myc isoforms, in particular p64 and p67, on fundamental biological processes remains controversial. It is necessary to investigate the different isoforms in the context of proto-oncogenesis. The current knowledge base suggests that neoplastic lesions may possess the means for self-destruction via increased c-Myc activity. This review presents the most relevant information on the c-Myc locus and focuses on a number of isoforms, including p64 and p67. This compilation provides a basis for the development of therapeutic approaches that target the potent growth arresting and pro-apoptotic functions of c-Myc. This information can then be used to develop targeted interventions against specific isoforms with the aim of shifting the oncogenic effects of c-Myc from pro-proliferative to pro-apoptotic. The research summarised in this review can deepen our understanding of how c-Myc activity contributes to different cellular responses, which will be crucial in developing effective therapeutic strategies; for example, isoform-specific approaches may allow for precise modulation of c-Myc function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Kubickova
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hnevotinska 1333/5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (A.K.); (J.B.D.S.)
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hnevotinska 1333/5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Juan Bautista De Sanctis
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hnevotinska 1333/5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (A.K.); (J.B.D.S.)
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hnevotinska 1333/5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marian Hajduch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, Hnevotinska 1333/5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (A.K.); (J.B.D.S.)
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University in Olomouc, Hnevotinska 1333/5, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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9
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Zhang Y, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Xu H, Wei Z, Wang X, Li Y, Guo J, Wu F, Fang X, Pang L, Deng B, Yu D. c-Myc inhibits LAPTM5 expression in B-cell lymphomas. Ann Hematol 2023; 102:3499-3513. [PMID: 37713124 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-023-05434-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Myc is a pivotal protooncogenic transcription factor that contributes to the development of almost all Burkitt's lymphomas and about one-third of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. How B-cells sustain their uncontrolled proliferation due to high Myc is not yet well defined. Here, we found that Myc trans-represses the expression of murine LAPTM5, a gene coding a lysosome-associated protein, by binding to two E-boxes in the LAPTM5 promoter. While the product of intact mRNA (CDS+3'UTR) of LAPTM5 failed to suppress the growth of B-lymphomas, either the protein coded by coding sequence (CDS) itself or the non-coding 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) mRNA was able to inhibit the growth of B-lymphomas. Moreover, Myc trans-activated miR-17-3p, which promoted tumor growth. Strikingly, LAPTM5 3'UTR contains 11 miR-17-3p-binding sites through which the LAPTM5 protein synthesis was inhibited. The functional interplay between low LAPTM5 mRNA and high miR-17-3p due to high Myc in B-lymphomas leads to further dampening of tumor-suppressive LAPTM5 protein, which promotes tumor progression. Our results indicate that Myc inhibits LAPTM5 expression in B-lymphoma cells by transcriptional and post-transcriptional modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqing Zhang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
- Department of Pathology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Institute of Clinical Science, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Han Xu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Zichen Wei
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Junrong Guo
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Xiao Fang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China
| | - Lei Pang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Bin Deng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Duonan Yu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Yangzhou University Medical College, Yangzhou, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yangzhou University Medical College, 136 Jiangyang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225009, China.
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10
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Jha RK, Kouzine F, Levens D. MYC function and regulation in physiological perspective. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1268275. [PMID: 37941901 PMCID: PMC10627926 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1268275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
MYC, a key member of the Myc-proto-oncogene family, is a universal transcription amplifier that regulates almost every physiological process in a cell including cell cycle, proliferation, metabolism, differentiation, and apoptosis. MYC interacts with several cofactors, chromatin modifiers, and regulators to direct gene expression. MYC levels are tightly regulated, and deregulation of MYC has been associated with numerous diseases including cancer. Understanding the comprehensive biology of MYC under physiological conditions is an utmost necessity to demark biological functions of MYC from its pathological functions. Here we review the recent advances in biological mechanisms, functions, and regulation of MYC. We also emphasize the role of MYC as a global transcription amplifier.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David Levens
- Gene Regulation Section, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD, United States
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11
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Dahal L, Graham TGW, Dailey GM, Heckert A, Tjian R, Darzacq X. Surprising Features of Nuclear Receptor Interaction Networks Revealed by Live Cell Single Molecule Imaging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.16.558083. [PMID: 37745337 PMCID: PMC10516011 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.16.558083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Type 2 Nuclear Receptors (T2NRs) require heterodimerization with a common partner, the Retinoid X Receptor (RXR), to bind cognate DNA recognition sites in chromatin. Based on previous biochemical and over-expression studies, binding of T2NRs to chromatin is proposed to be regulated by competition for a limiting pool of the core RXR subunit. However, this mechanism has not yet been tested for endogenous proteins in live cells. Using single molecule tracking (SMT) and proximity-assisted photoactivation (PAPA), we monitored interactions between endogenously tagged retinoid X receptor (RXR) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR) in live cells. Unexpectedly, we find that higher expression of RAR, but not RXR increases heterodimerization and chromatin binding in U2OS cells. This surprising finding indicates the limiting factor is not RXR but likely its cadre of obligate dimer binding partners. SMT and PAPA thus provide a direct way to probe which components are functionally limiting within a complex TF interaction network providing new insights into mechanisms of gene regulation in vivo with implications for drug development targeting nuclear receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza Dahal
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, United States
| | - Thomas GW Graham
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, United States
| | - Gina M Dailey
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States
| | - Alec Heckert
- Eikon Therapeutics Inc., Hayward, California, United States
| | - Robert Tjian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, United States
| | - Xavier Darzacq
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States
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12
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Yao R, Zhang Y, Zeng Y, Zhang Y, Liu L, Gao J. Novel c-Myc G4 stabilizer EP12 promotes myeloma cytotoxicity by disturbing NF-κB signaling. Exp Cell Res 2023; 431:113759. [PMID: 37625768 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell malignancy characterized by the excessive proliferation of bone marrow plasma cells and the production of abnormal immunoglobulins. Despite advances in therapeutic strategies, it remains an incurable disease. Recently, innovative anticancer drugs have been developed and approved, leading to improvements in MM therapy; however, drug resistance continues to be a major obstacle that results in treatment failure. Therefore, the development of novel agents is imperative to achieve superior therapeutic outcomes for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Previously, we identified EP12 as a c-Myc G4 stabilizer that could induce cytotoxicity in MM cells in vitro. However, further investigation is required to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and anti-MM activity of EP12 in vivo. In this study, we have discovered that the compound EP12 effectively inhibits primary myeloma growth in vivo by destabilizing c-Myc and disrupting the canonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Overall, our findings suggest that EP12, as a potent c-Myc inhibitor, holds great promise as a therapeutic agent for MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruosi Yao
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China; Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yindi Zeng
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaxin Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Linlin Liu
- College of Medical Imaging, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jian Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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13
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Kotekar A, Singh AK, Devaiah BN. BRD4 and MYC: power couple in transcription and disease. FEBS J 2023; 290:4820-4842. [PMID: 35866356 PMCID: PMC9867786 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The MYC proto-oncogene and BRD4, a BET family protein, are two cardinal proteins that have a broad influence in cell biology and disease. Both proteins are expressed ubiquitously in mammalian cells and play central roles in controlling growth, development, stress responses and metabolic function. As chromatin and transcriptional regulators, they play a critical role in regulating the expression of a burgeoning array of genes, maintaining chromatin architecture and genome stability. Consequently, impairment of their function or regulation leads to many diseases, with cancer being the most predominant. Interestingly, accumulating evidence indicates that regulation of the expression and functions of MYC are tightly intertwined with BRD4 at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Here, we review the mechanisms by which MYC and BRD4 are regulated, their functions in governing various molecular mechanisms and the consequences of their dysregulation that lead to disease. We present a perspective of how the regulatory mechanisms for the two proteins could be entwined at multiple points in a BRD4-MYC nexus that leads to the modulation of their functions and disease upon dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Kotekar
- Experimental Immunology Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amit Kumar Singh
- Experimental Immunology Branch, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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14
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Hurd M, Pino J, Jang K, Allevato MM, Vorontchikhina M, Ichikawa W, Zhao Y, Gates R, Villalpando E, Hamilton MJ, Faiola F, Pan S, Qi Y, Hung YW, Girke T, Ann D, Seewaldt V, Martinez E. MYC acetylated lysine residues drive oncogenic cell transformation and regulate select genetic programs for cell adhesion-independent growth and survival. Genes Dev 2023; 37:865-882. [PMID: 37852796 PMCID: PMC10691474 DOI: 10.1101/gad.350736.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The MYC oncogenic transcription factor is acetylated by the p300 and GCN5 histone acetyltransferases. The significance of MYC acetylation and the functions of specific acetylated lysine (AcK) residues have remained unclear. Here, we show that the major p300-acetylated K148(149) and K157(158) sites in human (or mouse) MYC and the main GCN5-acetylated K323 residue are reversibly acetylated in various malignant and nonmalignant cells. Oncogenic overexpression of MYC enhances its acetylation and alters the regulation of site-specific acetylation by proteasome and deacetylase inhibitors. Acetylation of MYC at different K residues differentially affects its stability in a cell type-dependent manner. Lysine-to-arginine substitutions indicate that although none of the AcK residues is required for MYC stimulation of adherent cell proliferation, individual AcK sites have gene-specific functions controlling select MYC-regulated processes in cell adhesion, contact inhibition, apoptosis, and/or metabolism and are required for the malignant cell transformation activity of MYC. Each AcK site is required for anchorage-independent growth of MYC-overexpressing cells in vitro, and both the AcK148(149) and AcK157(158) residues are also important for the tumorigenic activity of MYC transformed cells in vivo. The MYC AcK site-specific signaling pathways identified may offer new avenues for selective therapeutic targeting of MYC oncogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Hurd
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Jeffrey Pino
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Kay Jang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Michael M Allevato
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Marina Vorontchikhina
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Wataru Ichikawa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Yifan Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Ryan Gates
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Emily Villalpando
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Michael J Hamilton
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Francesco Faiola
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Songqin Pan
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Yue Qi
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Beckman Research Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
| | - Yu-Wen Hung
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Beckman Research Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
| | - Thomas Girke
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - David Ann
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Beckman Research Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
| | - Victoria Seewaldt
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA
| | - Ernest Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA;
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA
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15
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Doha ZO, Sears RC. Unraveling MYC's Role in Orchestrating Tumor Intrinsic and Tumor Microenvironment Interactions Driving Tumorigenesis and Drug Resistance. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY 2023; 30:400-419. [PMID: 37755397 PMCID: PMC10537413 DOI: 10.3390/pathophysiology30030031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor MYC plays a pivotal role in regulating various cellular processes and has been implicated in tumorigenesis across multiple cancer types. MYC has emerged as a master regulator governing tumor intrinsic and tumor microenvironment interactions, supporting tumor progression and driving drug resistance. This review paper aims to provide an overview and discussion of the intricate mechanisms through which MYC influences tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance in cancer. We delve into the signaling pathways and molecular networks orchestrated by MYC in the context of tumor intrinsic characteristics, such as proliferation, replication stress and DNA repair. Furthermore, we explore the impact of MYC on the tumor microenvironment, including immune evasion, angiogenesis and cancer-associated fibroblast remodeling. Understanding MYC's multifaceted role in driving drug resistance and tumor progression is crucial for developing targeted therapies and combination treatments that may effectively combat this devastating disease. Through an analysis of the current literature, this review's goal is to shed light on the complexities of MYC-driven oncogenesis and its potential as a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinab O. Doha
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
- Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, Taibah University, Al-Madinah 42353, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rosalie C. Sears
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
- Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
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16
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Yang R, Han Y, Guan X, Hong Y, Meng J, Ding S, Long Q, Yi W. Regulation and clinical potential of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT/hTERT) in breast cancer. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:218. [PMID: 37612721 PMCID: PMC10463831 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01244-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT/hTERT) serves as the pivotal catalytic subunit of telomerase, a crucial enzyme responsible for telomere maintenance and human genome stability. The high activation of hTERT, observed in over 90% of tumors, plays a significant role in tumor initiation and progression. An in-depth exploration of hTERT activation mechanisms in cancer holds promise for advancing our understanding of the disease and developing more effective treatment strategies. In breast cancer, the expression of hTERT is regulated by epigenetic, transcriptional, post-translational modification mechanisms and DNA variation. Besides its canonical function in telomere maintenance, hTERT exerts non-canonical roles that contribute to disease progression through telomerase-independent mechanisms. This comprehensive review summarizes the regulatory mechanisms governing hTERT in breast cancer and elucidates the functional implications of its activation. Given the overexpression of hTERT in most breast cancer cells, the detection of hTERT and its associated molecules are potential for enhancing early screening and prognostic evaluation of breast cancer. Although still in its early stages, therapeutic approaches targeting hTERT and its regulatory molecules show promise as viable strategies for breast cancer treatment. These methods are also discussed in this paper. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruozhu Yang
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Yi Han
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Xinyu Guan
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Yue Hong
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Jiahao Meng
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Shirong Ding
- Department of Oncology, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China.
| | - Qian Long
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China.
| | - Wenjun Yi
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, 139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, China.
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17
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Markovits E, Harush O, Baruch EN, Shulman ED, Debby A, Itzhaki O, Anafi L, Danilevsky A, Shomron N, Ben-Betzalel G, Asher N, Shapira-Frommer R, Schachter J, Barshack I, Geiger T, Elkon R, Besser MJ, Markel G. MYC Induces Immunotherapy and IFNγ Resistance Through Downregulation of JAK2. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:909-924. [PMID: 37074069 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of advanced melanoma. Because the pathways mediating resistance to immunotherapy are largely unknown, we conducted transcriptome profiling of preimmunotherapy tumor biopsies from patients with melanoma that received PD-1 blockade or adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. We identified two melanoma-intrinsic, mutually exclusive gene programs, which were controlled by IFNγ and MYC, and the association with immunotherapy outcome. MYC-overexpressing melanoma cells exhibited lower IFNγ responsiveness, which was linked with JAK2 downregulation. Luciferase activity assays, under the control of JAK2 promoter, demonstrated reduced activity in MYC-overexpressing cells, which was partly reversible upon mutagenesis of a MYC E-box binding site in the JAK2 promoter. Moreover, silencing of MYC or its cofactor MAX with siRNA increased JAK2 expression and IFNγ responsiveness of melanomas, while concomitantly enhancing the effector functions of T cells coincubated with MYC-overexpressing cells. Thus, we propose that MYC plays a pivotal role in immunotherapy resistance through downregulation of JAK2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettai Markovits
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ortal Harush
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Erez N Baruch
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Eldad D Shulman
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Assaf Debby
- Institute of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Dermatology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Orit Itzhaki
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Liat Anafi
- Institute of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Artem Danilevsky
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Noam Shomron
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Guy Ben-Betzalel
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Nethanel Asher
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Ronnie Shapira-Frommer
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Jacob Schachter
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Iris Barshack
- Institute of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamar Geiger
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ran Elkon
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal J Besser
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva, Israel
- Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Gal Markel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva, Israel
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18
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Oei V, Chuang LSH, Matsuo J, Srivastava S, Teh M, Ito Y. RUNX3 inactivates oncogenic MYC through disruption of MYC/MAX complex and subsequent recruitment of GSK3β-FBXW7 cascade. Commun Biol 2023; 6:689. [PMID: 37400551 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05037-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
MYC is one of the most commonly dysregulated proto-oncogenes in cancer. MYC promotes cancer initiation and maintenance by regulating multiple biological processes, such as proliferation and stem cell function. Here, we show that developmental regulator RUNX3 targets MYC protein for rapid degradation through the glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta-F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7 (GSK3β-FBXW7) proteolytic pathway. The evolutionarily conserved Runt domain of RUNX3 interacts directly with the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper of MYC, resulting in the disruption of MYC/MAX and MYC/MIZ-1 interactions, enhanced GSK3β-mediated phosphorylation of MYC protein at threonine-58 and its subsequent degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasomal pathway. We therefore uncover a previously unknown mode of MYC destabilization by RUNX3 and provide an explanation as to why RUNX3 inhibits early-stage cancer development in gastrointestinal and lung mouse cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Oei
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Graduate School, Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Linda Shyue Huey Chuang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Junichi Matsuo
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Supriya Srivastava
- Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ming Teh
- Department of Pathology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yoshiaki Ito
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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19
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Ding J, Liu L, Chiang YL, Zhao M, Liu H, Yang F, Shen L, Lin Y, Deng H, Gao J, Sage DR, West L, Llamas LA, Hao X, Kawatkar S, Li E, Jain RK, Tallarico JA, Canham SM, Wang H. Discovery and Structure-Based Design of Inhibitors of the WD Repeat-Containing Protein 5 (WDR5)-MYC Interaction. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37307526 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
WDR5 is a critical chromatin cofactor of MYC. WDR5 interacts with MYC through the WBM pocket and is hypothesized to anchor MYC to chromatin through its WIN site. Blocking the interaction of WDR5 and MYC impairs the recruitment of MYC to its target genes and disrupts the oncogenic function of MYC in cancer development, thus providing a promising strategy for the treatment of MYC-dysregulated cancers. Here, we describe the discovery of novel WDR5 WBM pocket antagonists containing a 1-phenyl dihydropyridazinone 3-carboxamide core that was identified from high-throughput screening and subsequent structure-based design. The leading compounds showed sub-micromolar inhibition in the biochemical assay. Among them, compound 12 can disrupt WDR5-MYC interaction in cells and reduce MYC target gene expression. Our work provides useful probes to study WDR5-MYC interaction and its function in cancers, which can also be used as the starting point for further optimization toward drug-like small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Ding
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Lulu Liu
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ying-Ling Chiang
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mengxi Zhao
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hejun Liu
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Fei Yang
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Lingling Shen
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ying Lin
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Huiwen Deng
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jingyan Gao
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - David R Sage
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Laura West
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Luis A Llamas
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Xin Hao
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Sameer Kawatkar
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - En Li
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Rishi K Jain
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - John A Tallarico
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Stephen M Canham
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - He Wang
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Shanghai 201203, China
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20
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Kedia-Mehta N, Pisarska MM, Rollings C, O'Neill C, De Barra C, Foley C, Wood NAW, Wrigley-Kelly N, Veerapen N, Besra G, Bergin R, Jones N, O'Shea D, Sinclair LV, Hogan AE. The proliferation of human mucosal-associated invariant T cells requires a MYC-SLC7A5-glycolysis metabolic axis. Sci Signal 2023; 16:eabo2709. [PMID: 37071733 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abo2709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are an abundant population of innate T cells that recognize bacterial ligands and play a key role in host protection against bacterial and viral pathogens. Upon activation, MAIT cells undergo proliferative expansion and increase their production of effector molecules such as cytokines. In this study, we found that both mRNA and protein abundance of the key metabolism regulator and transcription factor MYC was increased in stimulated MAIT cells. Using quantitative mass spectrometry, we identified the activation of two MYC-controlled metabolic pathways, amino acid transport and glycolysis, both of which were necessary for MAIT cell proliferation. Last, we showed that MAIT cells isolated from people with obesity showed decreased MYC mRNA abundance upon activation, which was associated with defective MAIT cell proliferation and functional responses. Collectively, our data uncover the importance of MYC-regulated metabolism for MAIT cell proliferation and provide additional insight into the molecular basis for the functional defects of MAIT cells in obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Kedia-Mehta
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland
| | - Marta M Pisarska
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland
- National Children's Research Centre, Dublin 12, Ireland
| | - Christina Rollings
- Division of Cell Signaling and Immunology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Chloe O'Neill
- National Children's Research Centre, Dublin 12, Ireland
| | | | - Cathriona Foley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland
| | - Nicole A W Wood
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland
- National Children's Research Centre, Dublin 12, Ireland
| | - Neil Wrigley-Kelly
- St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland
- University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | | | - Gurdyal Besra
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ronan Bergin
- National Children's Research Centre, Dublin 12, Ireland
| | - Nicholas Jones
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
| | - Donal O'Shea
- National Children's Research Centre, Dublin 12, Ireland
- St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland
- University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Linda V Sinclair
- Division of Cell Signaling and Immunology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Andrew E Hogan
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland
- National Children's Research Centre, Dublin 12, Ireland
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21
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Smith BAH, Deutzmann A, Correa KM, Delaveris CS, Dhanasekaran R, Dove CG, Sullivan DK, Wisnovsky S, Stark JC, Pluvinage JV, Swaminathan S, Riley NM, Rajan A, Majeti R, Felsher DW, Bertozzi CR. MYC-driven synthesis of Siglec ligands is a glycoimmune checkpoint. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215376120. [PMID: 36897988 PMCID: PMC10089186 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215376120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The Siglecs (sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins) are glycoimmune checkpoint receptors that suppress immune cell activation upon engagement of cognate sialoglycan ligands. The cellular drivers underlying Siglec ligand production on cancer cells are poorly understood. We find the MYC oncogene causally regulates Siglec ligand production to enable tumor immune evasion. A combination of glycomics and RNA-sequencing of mouse tumors revealed the MYC oncogene controls expression of the sialyltransferase St6galnac4 and induces a glycan known as disialyl-T. Using in vivo models and primary human leukemias, we find that disialyl-T functions as a "don't eat me" signal by engaging macrophage Siglec-E in mice or the human ortholog Siglec-7, thereby preventing cancer cell clearance. Combined high expression of MYC and ST6GALNAC4 identifies patients with high-risk cancers and reduced tumor myeloid infiltration. MYC therefore regulates glycosylation to enable tumor immune evasion. We conclude that disialyl-T is a glycoimmune checkpoint ligand. Thus, disialyl-T is a candidate for antibody-based checkpoint blockade, and the disialyl-T synthase ST6GALNAC4 is a potential enzyme target for small molecule-mediated immune therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. H. Smith
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Anja Deutzmann
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | | | - Corleone S. Delaveris
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Renumathy Dhanasekaran
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Christopher G. Dove
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Delaney K. Sullivan
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Simon Wisnovsky
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jessica C. Stark
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - John V. Pluvinage
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - Srividya Swaminathan
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA91016
- Department of Pediatrics, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA91010
| | | | - Anand Rajan
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA52242
| | - Ravindra Majeti
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Dean W. Felsher
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Carolyn R. Bertozzi
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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22
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Chen Y, León-Letelier RA, Abdel Sater AH, Vykoukal J, Dennison JB, Hanash S, Fahrmann JF. c-MYC-Driven Polyamine Metabolism in Ovarian Cancer: From Pathogenesis to Early Detection and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:623. [PMID: 36765581 PMCID: PMC9913358 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
c-MYC and its paralogues MYCN and MYCL are among the most frequently amplified and/or overexpressed oncoproteins in ovarian cancer. c-MYC plays a key role in promoting ovarian cancer initiation and progression. The polyamine pathway is a bona fide target of c-MYC signaling, and polyamine metabolism is strongly intertwined with ovarian malignancy. Targeting of the polyamine pathway via small molecule inhibitors has garnered considerable attention as a therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer. Herein, we discuss the involvement of c-MYC signaling and that of its paralogues in promoting ovarian cancer tumorigenesis. We highlight the potential of targeting c-MYC-driven polyamine metabolism for the treatment of ovarian cancers and the utility of polyamine signatures in biofluids for early detection applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Johannes F. Fahrmann
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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23
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Low JY, Ko M, Hanratty B, Patel RA, Bhamidipati A, Heaphy CM, Sayar E, Lee JK, Li S, De Marzo AM, Nelson WG, Gupta A, Yegnasubramanian S, Ha G, Epstein JI, Haffner MC. Genomic Characterization of Prostatic Basal Cell Carcinoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 193:4-10. [PMID: 36309102 PMCID: PMC9768679 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the prostate is a rare tumor. Compared with the more common acinar adenocarcinoma (AAC) of the prostate, BCCs show features of basal cell differentiation and are thought to be biologically distinct from AAC. The spectrum of molecular alterations of BCC has not been comprehensively described, and genomic studies are lacking. Herein, whole genome sequencing was performed on archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of two cases with BCC. Prostatic BCCs were characterized by an overall low copy number and mutational burden. Recurrent copy number loss of chromosome 16 was observed. In addition, putative driver gene alterations in KIT, DENND3, PTPRU, MGA, and CYLD were identified. Mechanistically, depletion of the CYLD protein resulted in increased proliferation of prostatic basal cells in vitro. Collectively, these studies show that prostatic BCC displays distinct genomic alterations from AAC and highlight a potential role for loss of chromosome 16 in the pathogenesis of this rare tumor type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Yih Low
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Minjeong Ko
- Division of Public Health Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Brian Hanratty
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Radhika A Patel
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Akshay Bhamidipati
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christopher M Heaphy
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Erolcan Sayar
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - John K Lee
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington; Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Shan Li
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Angelo M De Marzo
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - William G Nelson
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anuj Gupta
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Gavin Ha
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington; Division of Public Health Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jonathan I Epstein
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Michael C Haffner
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington; Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
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24
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Tanaskovic N, Dalsass M, Filipuzzi M, Ceccotti G, Verrecchia A, Nicoli P, Doni M, Olivero D, Pasini D, Koseki H, Sabò A, Bisso A, Amati B. Polycomb group ring finger protein 6 suppresses Myc-induced lymphomagenesis. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/8/e202101344. [PMID: 35422437 PMCID: PMC9012912 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Max dimerizes with Mga to form the repressive complex PRC1.6; another PRC1.6 subunit, Pcgf6, suppresses Myc-induced lymphomagenesis but, unexpectedly, does so in a Mga- and PRC1.6-independent manner. Max is an obligate dimerization partner for the Myc transcription factors and for several repressors, such as Mnt, Mxd1-4, and Mga, collectively thought to antagonize Myc function in transcription and oncogenesis. Mga, in particular, is part of the variant Polycomb group repressive complex PRC1.6. Here, we show that ablation of the distinct PRC1.6 subunit Pcgf6–but not Mga–accelerates Myc-induced lymphomagenesis in Eµ-myc transgenic mice. Unexpectedly, however, Pcgf6 loss shows no significant impact on transcriptional profiles, in neither pre-tumoral B-cells, nor lymphomas. Altogether, these data unravel an unforeseen, Mga- and PRC1.6-independent tumor suppressor activity of Pcgf6.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mattia Dalsass
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) - IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Paola Nicoli
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) - IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirko Doni
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) - IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Olivero
- Laboratorio Analisi Veterinarie BiEsseA, A Company of Scil Animal Care Company Srl, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Pasini
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) - IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Haruhiko Koseki
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Advanced Research Departments, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Arianna Sabò
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) - IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Bisso
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) - IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Bruno Amati
- European Institute of Oncology (IEO) - IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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25
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Metz EP, Wilder PJ, Popay TM, Wang J, Liu Q, Kalluchi A, Rowley MJ, Tansey WP, Rizzino A. Elevating SOX2 Downregulates MYC through a SOX2:MYC Signaling Axis and Induces a Slowly Cycling Proliferative State in Human Tumor Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:1946. [PMID: 35454854 PMCID: PMC9025961 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Slowly cycling/infrequently proliferating tumor cells present a clinical challenge due to their ability to evade treatment. Previous studies established that high levels of SOX2 in both fetal and tumor cells restrict cell proliferation and induce a slowly cycling state. However, the mechanisms through which elevated SOX2 levels inhibit tumor cell proliferation have not been identified. To identify common mechanisms through which SOX2 elevation restricts tumor cell proliferation, we initially performed RNA-seq using two diverse tumor cell types. SOX2 elevation in both cell types downregulated MYC target genes. Consistent with these findings, elevating SOX2 in five cell lines representing three different human cancer types decreased MYC expression. Importantly, the expression of a dominant-negative MYC variant, omomyc, recapitulated many of the effects of SOX2 on proliferation, cell cycle, gene expression, and biosynthetic activity. We also demonstrated that rescuing MYC activity in the context of elevated SOX2 induces cell death, indicating that the downregulation of MYC is a critical mechanistic step necessary to maintain survival in the slowly cycling state induced by elevated SOX2. Altogether, our findings uncover a novel SOX2:MYC signaling axis and provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms through which SOX2 elevation induces a slowly cycling proliferative state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan P. Metz
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (E.P.M.); (P.J.W.)
| | - Phillip J. Wilder
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (E.P.M.); (P.J.W.)
| | - Tessa M. Popay
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (T.M.P.); (W.P.T.)
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (J.W.); (Q.L.)
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (J.W.); (Q.L.)
- Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Achyuth Kalluchi
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (A.K.); (M.J.R.)
| | - M. Jordan Rowley
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (A.K.); (M.J.R.)
| | - William P. Tansey
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (T.M.P.); (W.P.T.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Angie Rizzino
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (E.P.M.); (P.J.W.)
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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26
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Targeting an MDM2/MYC Axis to Overcome Drug Resistance in Multiple Myeloma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061592. [PMID: 35326742 PMCID: PMC8945937 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MDM2 is elevated in multiple myeloma (MM). Although traditionally, MDM2 negatively regulates p53, a growing body of research suggests that MDM2 plays several p53-independent roles in cancer pathogenesis as a regulator of oncogene mRNA stability and translation. Yet, the molecular mechanisms underlying MDM2 overexpression and its role in drug resistance in MM remain undefined. METHODS Both myeloma cell lines and primary MM samples were employed. Cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis assays, siRNA transfection, quantitative real-time PCR, immunoblotting, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), soft agar colony formation and migration assay, pulse-chase assay, UV cross-linking, gel-shift assay, RNA-protein binding assays, MEME-analysis for discovering c-Myc DNA binding motifs studies, reporter gene constructs procedure, gene transfection and reporter assay, MM xenograft mouse model studies, and statistical analysis were applied in this study. RESULTS We show that MDM2 is associated with poor prognosis. Importantly, its upregulation in primary MM samples and human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) drives drug resistance. Inhibition of MDM2 by RNAi, or by the MDM2/XIAP dual inhibitor MX69, significantly enhanced the sensitivity of resistant HMCLs and primary MM samples to bortezomib and other anti-myeloma drugs, demonstrating that MDM2 can modulate drug response. MDM2 inhibition resulted in a remarkable suppression of relapsed MM cell growth, colony formation, migration and induction of apoptosis through p53-dependent and -independent pathways. Mechanistically, MDM2 was found to reciprocally regulate c-Myc in MM; MDM2 binds to AREs on c-Myc 3'UTR to increase c-Myc mRNA stability and translation, while MDM2 is a direct transcriptional target of c-Myc. MDM2 inhibition rendered c-Myc mRNA unstable, and reduced c-Myc protein expression in MM cells. Importantly, in vivo delivery of MX69 in combination with bortezomib led to significant regression of tumors and prolonged survival in an MM xenograft model. CONCLUSION Our findings provide a rationale for the therapeutic targeting of MDM2/c-Myc axis to improve clinical outcome of patients with refractory/relapsed MM.
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27
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Normal and Neoplastic Growth Suppression by the Extended Myc Network. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040747. [PMID: 35203395 PMCID: PMC8870482 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the first discovered and most prominent cellular oncogenes is MYC, which encodes a bHLH-ZIP transcription factor (Myc) that both activates and suppresses numerous genes involved in proliferation, energy production, metabolism and translation. Myc belongs to a small group of bHLH-ZIP transcriptional regulators (the Myc Network) that includes its obligate heterodimerization partner Max and six "Mxd proteins" (Mxd1-4, Mnt and Mga), each of which heterodimerizes with Max and largely opposes Myc's functions. More recently, a second group of bHLH-ZIP proteins (the Mlx Network) has emerged that bears many parallels with the Myc Network. It is comprised of the Myc-like factors ChREBP and MondoA, which, in association with the Max-like member Mlx, regulate smaller and more functionally restricted repertoires of target genes, some of which are shared with Myc. Opposing ChREBP and MondoA are heterodimers comprised of Mlx and Mxd1, Mxd4 and Mnt, which also structurally and operationally link the two Networks. We discuss here the functions of these "Extended Myc Network" members, with particular emphasis on their roles in suppressing normal and neoplastic growth. These roles are complex due to the temporal- and tissue-restricted expression of Extended Myc Network proteins in normal cells, their regulation of both common and unique target genes and, in some cases, their functional redundancy.
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28
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Brown IN, Lafita-Navarro MC, Conacci-Sorrell M. Regulation of Nucleolar Activity by MYC. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030574. [PMID: 35159381 PMCID: PMC8834138 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleolus harbors the machinery necessary to produce new ribosomes which are critical for protein synthesis. Nucleolar size, shape, and density are highly dynamic and can be adjusted to accommodate ribosome biogenesis according to the needs for protein synthesis. In cancer, cells undergo continuous proliferation; therefore, nucleolar activity is elevated due to their high demand for protein synthesis. The transcription factor and universal oncogene MYC promotes nucleolar activity by enhancing the transcription of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and ribosomal proteins. This review summarizes the importance of nucleolar activity in mammalian cells, MYC’s role in nucleolar regulation in cancer, and discusses how a better understanding (and the potential inhibition) of aberrant nucleolar activity in cancer cells could lead to novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella N. Brown
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
| | - M. Carmen Lafita-Navarro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
- Correspondence: (M.C.L.-N.); (M.C.-S.)
| | - Maralice Conacci-Sorrell
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Correspondence: (M.C.L.-N.); (M.C.-S.)
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29
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Llombart V, Mansour MR. Therapeutic targeting of "undruggable" MYC. EBioMedicine 2022; 75:103756. [PMID: 34942444 PMCID: PMC8713111 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 70.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
c-MYC controls global gene expression and regulates cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell cycle, metabolism and apoptosis. According to some estimates, MYC is dysregulated in ≈70% of human cancers and strong evidence implicates aberrantly expressed MYC in both tumor initiation and maintenance. In vivo studies show that MYC inhibition elicits a prominent anti-proliferative effect and sustained tumor regression while any alteration on healthy tissue remains reversible. This opens an exploitable window for treatment that makes MYC one of the most appealing therapeutic targets for cancer drug development. This review describes the main functional and structural features of the protein structure of MYC and provides a general overview of the most relevant or recently identified interactors that modulate MYC oncogenic activity. This review also summarizes the different approaches aiming to abrogate MYC oncogenic function, with a particular focus on the prototype inhibitors designed for the direct and indirect targeting of MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Llombart
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, Department of Haematology, London WC1E 6DD, UK
| | - Marc R Mansour
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, Department of Haematology, London WC1E 6DD, UK; UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Developmental Biology and Cancer, London, UK.
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30
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Lourenco C, Resetca D, Redel C, Lin P, MacDonald AS, Ciaccio R, Kenney TMG, Wei Y, Andrews DW, Sunnerhagen M, Arrowsmith CH, Raught B, Penn LZ. MYC protein interactors in gene transcription and cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 2021; 21:579-591. [PMID: 34188192 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00367-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor and oncoprotein MYC is a potent driver of many human cancers and can regulate numerous biological activities that contribute to tumorigenesis. How a single transcription factor can regulate such a diverse set of biological programmes is central to the understanding of MYC function in cancer. In this Perspective, we highlight how multiple proteins that interact with MYC enable MYC to regulate several central control points of gene transcription. These include promoter binding, epigenetic modifications, initiation, elongation and post-transcriptional processes. Evidence shows that a combination of multiple protein interactions enables MYC to function as a potent oncoprotein, working together in a 'coalition model', as presented here. Moreover, as MYC depends on its protein interactome for function, we discuss recent research that emphasizes an unprecedented opportunity to target protein interactors to directly impede MYC oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Resetca
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cornelia Redel
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Peter Lin
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alannah S MacDonald
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Roberto Ciaccio
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tristan M G Kenney
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yong Wei
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David W Andrews
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maria Sunnerhagen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brian Raught
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Linda Z Penn
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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31
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Gonzalez-Pecchi V, Kwan AK, Doyle S, Ivanov AA, Du Y, Fu H. NSD3S stabilizes MYC through hindering its interaction with FBXW7. J Mol Cell Biol 2021; 12:438-447. [PMID: 31638140 PMCID: PMC7333476 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjz098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The MYC transcription factor plays a key role in cell growth control. Enhanced MYC protein stability has been found to promote tumorigenesis. Thus, understanding how MYC stability is controlled may have significant implications for revealing MYC-driven growth regulatory mechanisms in physiological and pathological processes. Our previous work identified the histone lysine methyltransferase nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 3 (NSD3) as a MYC modulator. NSD3S, a noncatalytic isoform of NSD3 with oncogenic activity, appears to bind, stabilize, and activate the transcriptional activity of MYC. However, the mechanism by which NSD3S stabilizes MYC remains to be elucidated. To uncover the nature of the interaction and the underlying mechanism of MYC regulation by NSD3S, we characterized the binding interface between both proteins by narrowing the interface to a 15-amino acid region in NSD3S that is partially required for MYC regulation. Mechanistically, NSD3S binds to MYC and reduces the association of F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 (FBXW7) with MYC, which results in suppression of FBXW7-mediated proteasomal degradation of MYC and an increase in MYC protein half-life. These results support a critical role for NSD3S in the regulation of MYC function and provide a novel mechanism for NSD3S oncogenic function through inhibition of FBXW7-mediated degradation of MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Gonzalez-Pecchi
- Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Albert K Kwan
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sean Doyle
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Andrey A Ivanov
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yuhong Du
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Haian Fu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory Chemical Biology Discovery Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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32
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Mathsyaraja H, Catchpole J, Freie B, Eastwood E, Babaeva E, Geuenich M, Cheng PF, Ayers J, Yu M, Wu N, Moorthi S, Poudel KR, Koehne A, Grady W, Houghton AM, Berger AH, Shiio Y, MacPherson D, Eisenman RN. Loss of MGA repression mediated by an atypical polycomb complex promotes tumor progression and invasiveness. eLife 2021; 10:e64212. [PMID: 34236315 PMCID: PMC8266391 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
MGA, a transcription factor and member of the MYC network, is mutated or deleted in a broad spectrum of malignancies. As a critical test of a tumor suppressive role, we inactivated Mga in two mouse models of non-small cell lung cancer using a CRISPR-based approach. MGA loss significantly accelerated tumor growth in both models and led to de-repression of non-canonical Polycomb ncPRC1.6 targets, including genes involved in metastasis and meiosis. Moreover, MGA deletion in human lung adenocarcinoma lines augmented invasive capabilities. We further show that MGA-MAX, E2F6, and L3MBTL2 co-occupy thousands of promoters and that MGA stabilizes these ncPRC1.6 subunits. Lastly, we report that MGA loss also induces a pro-growth effect in human colon organoids. Our studies establish MGA as a bona fide tumor suppressor in vivo and suggest a tumor suppressive mechanism in adenocarcinomas resulting from widespread transcriptional attenuation of MYC and E2F target genes mediated by MGA-MAX associated with a non-canonical Polycomb complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haritha Mathsyaraja
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Jonathen Catchpole
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Brian Freie
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Emily Eastwood
- Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Ekaterina Babaeva
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Michael Geuenich
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Pei Feng Cheng
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Jessica Ayers
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Ming Yu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Nan Wu
- Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Sitapriya Moorthi
- Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Kumud R Poudel
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Amanda Koehne
- Comparative Pathology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - William Grady
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of MedicineSeattleUnited States
| | - A McGarry Houghton
- Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Alice H Berger
- Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Yuzuru Shiio
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science CenterSan AntonioUnited States
| | - David MacPherson
- Human Biology and Public Health Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
| | - Robert N Eisenman
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleUnited States
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Wu QN, Luo XJ, Liu J, Lu YX, Wang Y, Qi J, Liu ZX, Huang QT, Liu ZK, Lu JB, Jin Y, Pu HY, Hu PS, Zheng JB, Zeng ZL, Ju HQ, Xie D, Zhao Q, Xu R. MYC-Activated LncRNA MNX1-AS1 Promotes the Progression of Colorectal Cancer by Stabilizing YB1. Cancer Res 2021; 81:2636-2650. [PMID: 33782099 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) are involved in tumorigenesis and drug resistance. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer are still unknown. In this work, through transcriptomic profiling analysis of 21 paired tumor and normal samples, we identified a novel colorectal cancer-related lncRNA, MNX1-AS1. MNX1-AS1 expression was significantly upregulated in colorectal cancer and associated with poor prognosis. In vitro and in vivo gain- and loss-of-function experiments showed that MNX1-AS1 promotes the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. MNX1-AS1 bound to and activated Y-box-binding protein 1 (YB1), a multifunctional RNA/DNA-binding protein, and prevented its ubiquitination and degradation. A marked overlap between genes that are differentially expressed in MNX1-AS1 knockdown cells and transcriptional targets of YB1 was observed. YB1 knockdown mimicked the loss of viability phenotype observed upon depletion of MNX1-AS1. In addition, MYC bound the promoter of the MNX1-AS1 locus and activated its transcription. In vivo experiments showed that ASO inhibited MNX1-AS1, which suppressed the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells in both cell-based and patient-derived xenograft models. Collectively, these findings suggest that the MYC-MNX1-AS1-YB1 axis might serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in colorectal cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: This study highlights the discovery of a novel colorectal cancer biomarker and therapeutic target, MNX1-AS1, a long noncoding RNA that drives proliferation via a MYC/MNX1-AS1/YB1 signaling pathway. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/81/10/2636/F1.large.jpg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Nian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Xin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi-Tao Huang
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Kun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Bin Lu
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Heng-Ying Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pei-Shan Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Disease, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital (Guangdong Gastrointestinal and Anal Hospital), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jia-Bo Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhao-Lei Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huai-Qiang Ju
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ruihua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. .,Research Unit of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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34
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Integrative pan cancer analysis reveals epigenomic variation in cancer type and cell specific chromatin domains. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1419. [PMID: 33658503 PMCID: PMC7930052 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21707-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the initiation and development of cancer, and epigenetic variation promotes dynamic gene expression patterns that facilitate tumor evolution and adaptation. While the NCI-60 panel represents a diverse set of human cancer cell lines that has been used to screen chemical compounds, a comprehensive epigenomic atlas of these cells has been lacking. Here, we report an integrative analysis of 60 human cancer epigenomes, representing a catalog of activating and repressive histone modifications. We identify genome-wide maps of canonical sharp and broad H3K4me3 domains at promoter regions of tumor suppressors, H3K27ac-marked conventional enhancers and super enhancers, and widespread inter-cancer and intra-cancer specific variability in H3K9me3 and H4K20me3-marked heterochromatin domains. Furthermore, we identify features of chromatin states, including chromatin state switching along chromosomes, correlation of histone modification density with genetic mutations, DNA methylation, enrichment of DNA binding motifs in regulatory regions, and gene activity and inactivity. These findings underscore the importance of integrating epigenomic maps with gene expression and genetic variation data to understand the molecular basis of human cancer. Our findings provide a resource for mining epigenomic maps of human cancer cells and for identifying epigenetic therapeutic targets.
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35
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Aftabizadeh M, Li YJ, Zhao Q, Zhang C, Ambaye N, Song J, Nagao T, Lahtz C, Fakih M, Ann DK, Yu H, Herrmann A. Potent antitumor effects of cell-penetrating peptides targeting STAT3 axis. JCI Insight 2021; 6:136176. [PMID: 33491667 PMCID: PMC7934871 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.136176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, there are no inhibitors that directly and specifically target activated STAT3 and c-Myc in the clinic. Although peptide-based inhibitors can selectively block activated targets, their clinical usage is limited because of low cell penetration and/or serum stability. Here, we generated cell-penetrating acetylated (acet.) STAT3, c-Myc, and Gp130 targeting peptides by attaching phosphorothioated (PS) polymer backbone to peptides. The cell-penetrating peptides efficiently penetrated cells and inhibited activation of the intended targets and their downstream genes. Locally or systemically treating tumor-bearing mice with PS-acet.-STAT3 peptide at low concentrations effectively blocked STAT3 in vivo, resulting in significant antitumor effects in 2 human xenograft models. Moreover, PS-acet.-STAT3 peptide penetrated and activated splenic CD8+ T cells in vitro. Treating immune-competent mice bearing mouse melanoma with PS-acet.-STAT3 peptide inhibited STAT3 in tumor-infiltrating T cells, downregulating tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T regulatory cells while activating CD8+ T effector cells. Similarly, systemic injections of the cell-penetrating c-Myc and Gp130 peptides prevented pancreatic tumor growth and induced antitumor immune responses. Taken together, we have developed therapeutic peptides that effectively and specifically block challenging cancer targets, resulting in antitumor effects through both direct tumor cell killing and indirectly through antitumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qianqian Zhao
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and.,Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Christoph Lahtz
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and.,Sorrento Therapeutics, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Marwan Fakih
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics and
| | - David K Ann
- Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Hua Yu
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and
| | - Andreas Herrmann
- Department of Immuno-Oncology and.,Sorrento Therapeutics, San Diego, California, USA
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36
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Amjadi-Moheb F, Paniri A, Akhavan-Niaki H. Insights into the Links between MYC and 3D Chromatin Structure and Epigenetics Regulation: Implications for Cancer Therapy. Cancer Res 2021; 81:1925-1936. [PMID: 33472888 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
MYC is embedded in the transcriptional oasis of the 8q24 gene desert. A plethora of genomic elements has roles in MYC aberrant expression in cancer development by interacting with transcription factors and epigenetics regulators as well as altering the structure of chromatin at the MYC locus and tissue-specific long-range enhancer-promoter contacts. Furthermore, MYC is a master regulator of several human cancers by modulating the transcription of numerous cancer-related genes through epigenetic mechanisms. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the three-dimensional genomic organization around MYC and the role of epigenetic machinery in transcription and function of MYC as well as discusses various epigenetic-targeted therapeutic strategies in MYC-driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Amjadi-Moheb
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Alireza Paniri
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Haleh Akhavan-Niaki
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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37
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Moser B, Hochreiter B, Basílio J, Gleitsmann V, Panhuber A, Pardo-Garcia A, Hoesel B, Salzmann M, Resch U, Noreen M, Schmid JA. The inflammatory kinase IKKα phosphorylates and stabilizes c-Myc and enhances its activity. Mol Cancer 2021; 20:16. [PMID: 33461590 PMCID: PMC7812655 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-021-01308-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The IκB kinase (IKK) complex, comprising the two enzymes IKKα and IKKβ, is the main activator of the inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, which is constitutively active in many cancers. While several connections between NF-κB signaling and the oncogene c-Myc have been shown, functional links between the signaling molecules are still poorly studied. Methods Molecular interactions were shown by co-immunoprecipitation and FRET microscopy. Phosphorylation of c-Myc was shown by kinases assays and its activity by improved reporter gene systems. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout and chemical inhibition were used to block IKK activity. The turnover of c-Myc variants was determined by degradation in presence of cycloheximide and by optical pulse-chase experiments.. Immunofluorescence of mouse prostate tissue and bioinformatics of human datasets were applied to correlate IKKα- and c-Myc levels. Cell proliferation was assessed by EdU incorporation and apoptosis by flow cytometry. Results We show that IKKα and IKKβ bind to c-Myc and phosphorylate it at serines 67/71 within a sequence that is highly conserved. Knockout of IKKα decreased c-Myc-activity and increased its T58-phosphorylation, the target site for GSK3β, triggering polyubiquitination and degradation. c-Myc-mutants mimicking IKK-mediated S67/S71-phosphorylation exhibited slower turnover, higher cell proliferation and lower apoptosis, while the opposite was observed for non-phosphorylatable A67/A71-mutants. A significant positive correlation of c-Myc and IKKα levels was noticed in the prostate epithelium of mice and in a variety of human cancers. Conclusions Our data imply that IKKα phosphorylates c-Myc on serines-67/71, thereby stabilizing it, leading to increased transcriptional activity, higher proliferation and decreased apoptosis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12943-021-01308-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Moser
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Hochreiter
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - José Basílio
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Viola Gleitsmann
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anja Panhuber
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alan Pardo-Garcia
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bastian Hoesel
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuel Salzmann
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Resch
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mamoona Noreen
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes A Schmid
- Institute of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Schwarzspanierstraße 17, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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38
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Thng DKH, Toh TB, Chow EKH. Capitalizing on Synthetic Lethality of MYC to Treat Cancer in the Digital Age. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:166-182. [PMID: 33422376 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2020.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Deregulation of MYC is among the most frequent oncogenic drivers of cancer. Developing targeted therapies against MYC is, therefore, one of the most critical unmet needs of cancer therapy. Unfortunately, MYC has been labelled as undruggable due to the lack of success in developing clinically relevant MYC-targeted therapies. Synthetic lethality is a promising approach that targets MYC-dependent vulnerabilities in cancer. However, translating the synthetic lethality targets to the clinics is still challenging due to the complex nature of cancers. This review highlights the most promising mechanisms of MYC synthetic lethality and how these discoveries are currently translated into the clinic. Finally, we discuss how in silico computational platforms can improve clinical success of synthetic lethality-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexter Kai Hao Thng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tan Boon Toh
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Edward Kai-Hua Chow
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore; The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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The Molecular 'Myc-anisms' Behind Myc-Driven Tumorigenesis and the Relevant Myc-Directed Therapeutics. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249486. [PMID: 33322239 PMCID: PMC7764474 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MYC, a well-studied proto-oncogene that is overexpressed in >20% of tumors across all cancers, is classically known as “undruggable” due to its crucial roles in cell processes and its lack of a drug binding pocket. Four decades of research and creativity led to the discovery of a myriad of indirect (and now some direct!) therapeutic strategies targeting Myc. This review explores the various mechanisms in which Myc promotes cancer and highlights five key therapeutic approaches to disrupt Myc, including transcription, Myc-Max dimerization, protein stability, cell cycle regulation, and metabolism, in order to develop more specific Myc-directed therapies.
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40
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Development and survival of MYC-driven lymphomas require the MYC antagonist MNT to curb MYC-induced apoptosis. Blood 2020; 135:1019-1031. [PMID: 31978211 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019003014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulated overexpression of MYC is implicated in the development and malignant progression of most (∼70%) human tumors. MYC drives cell growth and proliferation, but also, at high levels, promotes apoptosis. Here, we report that the proliferative capacity of MYC-driven normal and neoplastic B lymphoid cells depends on MNT, a MYC-related transcriptional repressor. Our genetic data establish that MNT synergizes with MYC by suppressing MYC-driven apoptosis, and that it does so primarily by reducing the level of pro-apoptotic BIM. In Eμ-Myc mice, which model the MYC/IGH chromosome translocation in Burkitt's lymphoma, homozygous Mnt deletion greatly reduced lymphoma incidence by enhancing apoptosis and markedly decreasing premalignant B lymphoid cell populations. Strikingly, by inducing Mnt deletion within transplanted fully malignant Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells, we significantly extended transplant recipient survival. The dependency of lymphomas on MNT for survival suggests that drugs inhibiting MNT could significantly boost therapy of MYC-driven tumors by enhancing intrinsic MYC-driven apoptosis.
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Ting TA, Chaumet A, Bard FA. Targeting c-Myc with a novel Peptide Nuclear Delivery Device. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17762. [PMID: 33082422 PMCID: PMC7576588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73998-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Biologics such as peptides and antibodies are a well-established class of therapeutics. However, their intracellular delivery remains problematic. In particular, methods to efficiently inhibit intra-nuclear targets are lacking. We previously described that Pseudomonas Exotoxin A reaches the nucleoplasm via the endosomes-to-nucleus trafficking pathway. Here, we show that a non-toxic truncated form of PE can be coupled to peptides and efficiently reach the nucleoplasm. It can be used as a Peptide Nuclear Delivery Device (PNDD) to deliver polypeptidic cargos as large as Glutathione- S-transferase (GST) to the nucleus. PNDD1 is a fusion of PNDD to the c-myc inhibitor peptide H1. PNDD1 is able to inhibit c-Myc dependent transcription at nanomolar concentration. In contrast, H1 fused to various cell-penetrating peptides are active only in the micromolar range. PNDD1 attenuates cell proliferation and induces cell death in various tumor cell lines. In particular, several patient-derived Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas cell lines die after exposure to PNDD1, while normal B-cells survive. Altogether, our data indicate that PNDD is a powerful tool to bring active cargo to the nucleus and PNDD1 could be the basis of a new therapy against lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinda Anne Ting
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Alexandre Chaumet
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Frederic Andre Bard
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, 138673, Singapore. .,Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119077, Singapore.
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Feng YC, Liu XY, Teng L, Ji Q, Wu Y, Li JM, Gao W, Zhang YY, La T, Tabatabaee H, Yan XG, Jamaluddin MFB, Zhang D, Guo ST, Scott RJ, Liu T, Thorne RF, Zhang XD, Jin L. c-Myc inactivation of p53 through the pan-cancer lncRNA MILIP drives cancer pathogenesis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4980. [PMID: 33020477 PMCID: PMC7536215 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18735-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The functions of the proto-oncoprotein c-Myc and the tumor suppressor p53 in controlling cell survival and proliferation are inextricably linked as “Yin and Yang” partners in normal cells to maintain tissue homeostasis: c-Myc induces the expression of ARF tumor suppressor (p14ARF in human and p19ARF in mouse) that binds to and inhibits mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) leading to p53 activation, whereas p53 suppresses c-Myc through a combination of mechanisms involving transcriptional inactivation and microRNA-mediated repression. Nonetheless, the regulatory interactions between c-Myc and p53 are not retained by cancer cells as is evident from the often-imbalanced expression of c-Myc over wildtype p53. Although p53 repression in cancer cells is frequently associated with the loss of ARF, we disclose here an alternate mechanism whereby c-Myc inactivates p53 through the actions of the c-Myc-Inducible Long noncoding RNA Inactivating P53 (MILIP). MILIP functions to promote p53 polyubiquitination and turnover by reducing p53 SUMOylation through suppressing tripartite-motif family-like 2 (TRIML2). MILIP upregulation is observed amongst diverse cancer types and is shown to support cell survival, division and tumourigenicity. Thus our results uncover an inhibitory axis targeting p53 through a pan-cancer expressed RNA accomplice that links c-Myc to suppression of p53. c-Myc and p53 operate in a negative feedback manner to maintain cellular homeostasis. Here, the authors report a long noncoding RNA, MILIP as a downstream target of c-Myc and that MILIP represses p53 to support tumorigenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen Feng
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiao Ying Liu
- Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China
| | - Liu Teng
- Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China
| | - Qiang Ji
- Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China
| | - Yongyan Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, the first affiliated hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Jin Ming Li
- Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, the first affiliated hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Yuan Yuan Zhang
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Ting La
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Hessam Tabatabaee
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Xu Guang Yan
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - M Fairuz B Jamaluddin
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Didi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, John Hunter Hospital, Hunter New England Health, Newcastle, 2305, NSW, Australia
| | - Su Tang Guo
- Department of Molecular Biology, Shanxi Cancer Hospital and Institute, Taiyuan, 030013, Shanxi, China
| | - Rodney J Scott
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia
| | - Tao Liu
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia for Medical Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2750, NSW, Australia
| | - Rick F Thorne
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China
| | - Xu Dong Zhang
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia. .,Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China.
| | - Lei Jin
- Translational Research Institute, Henan Provincial People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053, Henan, China. .,School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, 2308, NSW, Australia.
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Gunda V, Pathania AS, Chava S, Prathipati P, Chaturvedi NK, Coulter DW, Pandey MK, Durden DL, Challagundla KB. Amino Acids Regulate Cisplatin Insensitivity in Neuroblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092576. [PMID: 32927667 PMCID: PMC7563727 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Neuroblastomas mostly show poor response to the Cisplatin therapy. Amino acids serve as building blocks for proteins, which are acquired either through diet or protein breakdown. Our study reveals high amino acid pools and dependence of Cisplatin-tolerant neuroblastomas cells on amino acids for their survival, especially, in drug treated conditions. Our study also demonstrates that response of neuroblastomas to Cisplatin can be improved by decreasing cellular amino acid levels either by reducing amino acid supplements or by applying autophagy inhibitor, Hydroxychloroquine. Thus, our findings establish that neuroblastomas can be sensitized to Cisplatin by targeting amino acid metabolism. Abstract Neuroblastoma are pediatric, extracranial malignancies showing alarming survival prognosis outcomes due to their resilience to current aggressive treatment regimens, including chemotherapies with cisplatin (CDDP) provided in the first line of therapy regimens. Metabolic deregulation supports tumor cell survival in drug-treated conditions. However, metabolic pathways underlying cisplatin-resistance are least studied in neuroblastoma. Our metabolomics analysis revealed that cisplatin-insensitive cells alter their metabolism; especially, the metabolism of amino acids was upregulated in cisplatin-insensitive cells compared to the cisplatin-sensitive neuroblastoma cell line. A significant increase in amino acid levels in cisplatin-insensitive cells led us to hypothesize that the mechanisms upregulating intracellular amino acid pools facilitate insensitivity in neuroblastoma. We hereby report that amino acid depletion reduces cell survival and cisplatin-insensitivity in neuroblastoma cells. Since cells regulate their amino acids levels through processes, such as autophagy, we evaluated the effects of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a terminal autophagy inhibitor, on the survival and amino acid metabolism of cisplatin-insensitive neuroblastoma cells. Our results demonstrate that combining HCQ with CDDP abrogated the amino acid metabolism in cisplatin-insensitive cells and sensitized neuroblastoma cells to sub-lethal doses of cisplatin. Our results suggest that targeting of amino acid replenishing mechanisms could be considered as a potential approach in developing combination therapies for treating neuroblastomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venugopal Gunda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (V.G.); (A.S.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Anup S. Pathania
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (V.G.); (A.S.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Srinivas Chava
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (V.G.); (A.S.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Philip Prathipati
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki City, Osaka 567-0085, Japan;
| | - Nagendra K. Chaturvedi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (N.K.C.); (D.W.C.)
| | - Don W. Coulter
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (N.K.C.); (D.W.C.)
| | - Manoj K. Pandey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, 401 South Broadway, Camden, NJ 08103, USA;
| | - Donald L. Durden
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Science Drive, MC-0815, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;
- SignalRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 8330, Loveland Drive, Omaha, NE 68124, USA
| | - Kishore B. Challagundla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; (V.G.); (A.S.P.); (S.C.)
- The Children’s Health Research Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-402-559-9032
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Augert A, Mathsyaraja H, Ibrahim AH, Freie B, Geuenich MJ, Cheng PF, Alibeckoff SP, Wu N, Hiatt JB, Basom R, Gazdar A, Sullivan LB, Eisenman RN, MacPherson D. MAX Functions as a Tumor Suppressor and Rewires Metabolism in Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancer Cell 2020; 38:97-114.e7. [PMID: 32470392 PMCID: PMC7363581 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive and lethal neoplasm. To identify candidate tumor suppressors we applied CRISPR/Cas9 gene inactivation screens to a cellular model of early-stage SCLC. Among the top hits was MAX, the obligate heterodimerization partner for MYC family proteins that is mutated in human SCLC. Max deletion increases growth and transformation in cells and dramatically accelerates SCLC progression in an Rb1/Trp53-deleted mouse model. In contrast, deletion of Max abrogates tumorigenesis in MYCL-overexpressing SCLC. Max deletion in SCLC resulted in derepression of metabolic genes involved in serine and one-carbon metabolism. By increasing serine biosynthesis, Max-deleted cells exhibit resistance to serine depletion. Thus, Max loss results in metabolic rewiring and context-specific tumor suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Augert
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Haritha Mathsyaraja
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ali H Ibrahim
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Brian Freie
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Michael J Geuenich
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Quest University Canada, 3200 University Boulevard, Squamish, BC V8B 0N8, Canada
| | - Pei-Feng Cheng
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Sydney P Alibeckoff
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Nan Wu
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Joseph B Hiatt
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ryan Basom
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Adi Gazdar
- University of Texas, Southwestern, USA, 6000 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - Lucas B Sullivan
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Robert N Eisenman
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - David MacPherson
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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45
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Esser AK, Ross MH, Fontana F, Su X, Gabay A, Fox GC, Xu Y, Xiang J, Schmieder AH, Yang X, Cui G, Scott M, Achilefu S, Chauhan J, Fletcher S, Lanza GM, Weilbaecher KN. Nanotherapy delivery of c-myc inhibitor targets Protumor Macrophages and preserves Antitumor Macrophages in Breast Cancer. Theranostics 2020; 10:7510-7526. [PMID: 32685002 PMCID: PMC7359087 DOI: 10.7150/thno.44523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) enhance tumor growth in mice and are correlated with a worse prognosis for breast cancer patients. While early therapies sought to deplete all macrophages, current therapeutics aim to reprogram pro-tumor macrophages (M2) and preserve those necessary for anti-tumor immune responses (M1). Recent studies have shown that c-MYC (MYC) is induced in M2 macrophages in vitro and in vivo where it regulates the expression of tumor-promoting genes. In a myeloid lineage MYC KO mouse model, MYC had important roles in macrophage maturation and function leading to reduced tumor growth. We therefore hypothesized that targeted delivery of a MYC inhibitor to established M2 TAMs could reduce polarization toward an M2 phenotype in breast cancer models. Methods: In this study, we developed a MYC inhibitor prodrug (MI3-PD) for encapsulation within perfluorocarbon nanoparticles, which can deliver drugs directly to the cytosol of the target cell through a phagocytosis independent mechanism. We have previously shown that M2-like TAMs express significant levels of the vitronectin receptor, integrin β3, and in vivo targeting and therapeutic potential was evaluated using αvβ3 integrin targeted rhodamine-labeled nanoparticles (NP) or integrin αvβ3-MI3-PD nanoparticles. Results: We observed that rhodamine, delivered by αvβ3-rhodamine NP, was incorporated into M2 tumor promoting macrophages through both phagocytosis-independent and dependent mechanisms, while NP uptake in tumor suppressing M1 macrophages was almost exclusively through phagocytosis. In a mouse model of breast cancer (4T1-GFP-FL), M2-like TAMs were significantly reduced with αvβ3-MI3-PD NP treatment. To validate this effect was independent of drug delivery to tumor cells and was specific to the MYC inhibitor, mice with integrin β3 knock out tumors (PyMT-Bo1 β3KO) were treated with αvβ3-NP or αvβ3-MI3-PD NP. M2 macrophages were significantly reduced with αvβ3-MI3-PD nanoparticle therapy but not αvβ3-NP treatment. Conclusion: These data suggest αvβ3-NP-mediated drug delivery of a c-MYC inhibitor can reduce protumor M2-like macrophages while preserving antitumor M1-like macrophages in breast cancer.
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46
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Feng W, Dean DC, Hornicek FJ, Spentzos D, Hoffman RM, Shi H, Duan Z. Myc is a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in osteosarcoma. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2020; 12:1758835920922055. [PMID: 32426053 PMCID: PMC7222246 DOI: 10.1177/1758835920922055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the past four decades, outcomes for osteosarcoma patients have plateaued as there have been few emerging therapies showing clinical results. Thus, the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to address these primary obstacles in patient care. Although the Myc-oncogene has known roles in oncogenesis and cancer cell growth, its expression and function in osteosarcoma are largely unknown. Methods Expression of Myc was determined by Western blotting of osteosarcoma cell lines and patient tissues, and by immunohistochemistry of a unique osteosarcoma tissue microarray (TMA) constructed from 70 patient samples with extensive follow-up data. Myc specific siRNA and inhibitor 10058-F4 were applied to examine the effect of Myc inhibition on osteosarcoma cell proliferation. The clonogenicity and migration activity was determined by clonogenic and wound-healing assays. A mimic in vivo assay, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model, was performed to further validate the effect of Myc inhibition on osteosarcoma cell tumorigenic markers. Results Myc was significantly overexpressed in human osteosarcoma cell lines compared with normal human osteoblasts, and also highly expressed in fresh osteosarcoma tissues. Higher Myc expression correlated significantly with metastasis and poor prognosis. Through the addition of Myc specific siRNA and inhibitor, we significantly reduced Myc protein expression, resulting in decreased osteosarcoma cell proliferation. Inhibition of Myc also suppressed the migration, clonogenicity, and spheroid growth of osteosarcoma cells. Conclusion Our results support Myc as an emerging prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in osteosarcoma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Dylan C Dean
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Francis J Hornicek
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dimitrios Spentzos
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Musculoskeletal Oncology Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert M Hoffman
- AntiCancer Inc., San Diego, CA, USA Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Huirong Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Zhenfeng Duan
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 615 Charles, E. Young. Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Beaulieu ME, Castillo F, Soucek L. Structural and Biophysical Insights into the Function of the Intrinsically Disordered Myc Oncoprotein. Cells 2020; 9:E1038. [PMID: 32331235 PMCID: PMC7226237 DOI: 10.3390/cells9041038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myc is a transcription factor driving growth and proliferation of cells and involved in the majority of human tumors. Despite a huge body of literature on this critical oncogene, our understanding of the exact molecular determinants and mechanisms that underlie its function is still surprisingly limited. Indubitably though, its crucial and non-redundant role in cancer biology makes it an attractive target. However, achieving successful clinical Myc inhibition has proven challenging so far, as this nuclear protein is an intrinsically disordered polypeptide devoid of any classical ligand binding pockets. Indeed, Myc only adopts a (partially) folded structure in some contexts and upon interacting with some protein partners, for instance when dimerizing with MAX to bind DNA. Here, we review the cumulative knowledge on Myc structure and biophysics and discuss the implications for its biological function and the development of improved Myc inhibitors. We focus this biophysical walkthrough mainly on the basic region helix-loop-helix leucine zipper motif (bHLHLZ), as it has been the principal target for inhibitory approaches so far.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Soucek
- Peptomyc S.L., Edifici Cellex, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; (F.C.); (L.S.)
- Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Edifici Cellex, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Bellaterra, Spain
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Bisso A, Sabò A, Amati B. MYC in Germinal Center-derived lymphomas: Mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. Immunol Rev 2019; 288:178-197. [PMID: 30874346 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The rearrangement of immunoglobulin loci during the germinal center reaction is associated with an increased risk of chromosomal translocations that activate oncogenes such as MYC, BCL2 or BCL6, thus contributing to the development of B-cell lymphomas. MYC and BCL2 activation are initiating events in Burkitt's (BL) and Follicular Lymphoma (FL), respectively, but can occur at later stages in other subtypes such as Diffuse Large-B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). MYC can also be activated during the progression of FL to the transformed stage. Thus, either DLBCL or FL can give rise to aggressive double-hit lymphomas (DHL) with concurrent activation of MYC and BCL2. Research over the last three decades has improved our understanding of the functions of these oncogenes and the basis for their cooperative action in lymphomagenesis. MYC, in particular, is a transcription factor that contributes to cell activation, growth and proliferation, while concomitantly sensitizing cells to apoptosis, the latter being blocked by BCL2. Here, we review our current knowledge about the role of MYC in germinal center B-cells and lymphomas, discuss MYC-induced dependencies that can sensitize cancer cells to select pharmacological inhibitors, and illustrate their therapeutic potential in aggressive lymphomas-and in particular in DHL, in combination with BCL2 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bisso
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Sabò
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Bruno Amati
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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Farahmand S, Riley T, Zarringhalam K. ModEx: A text mining system for extracting mode of regulation of transcription factor-gene regulatory interaction. J Biomed Inform 2019; 102:103353. [PMID: 31857203 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2019.103353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcription factors (TFs) are proteins that are fundamental to transcription and regulation of gene expression. Each TF may regulate multiple genes and each gene may be regulated by multiple TFs. TFs can act as either activator or repressor of gene expression. This complex network of interactions between TFs and genes underlies many developmental and biological processes and is implicated in several human diseases such as cancer. Hence deciphering the network of TF-gene interactions with information on mode of regulation (activation vs. repression) is an important step toward understanding the regulatory pathways that underlie complex traits. There are many experimental, computational, and manually curated databases of TF-gene interactions. In particular, high-throughput ChIP-Seq datasets provide a large-scale map or transcriptional regulatory interactions. However, these interactions are not annotated with information on context and mode of regulation. Such information is crucial to gain a global picture of gene regulatory mechanisms and can aid in developing machine learning models for applications such as biomarker discovery, prediction of response to therapy, and precision medicine. METHODS In this work, we introduce a text-mining system to annotate ChIP-Seq derived interaction with such meta data through mining PubMed articles. We evaluate the performance of our system using gold standard small scale manually curated databases. RESULTS Our results show that the method is able to accurately extract mode of regulation with F-score 0.77 on TRRUST curated interaction and F-score 0.96 on intersection of TRUSST and ChIP-network. We provide a HTTP REST API for our code to facilitate usage. Availibility: Source code and datasets are available for download on GitHub: https://github.com/samanfrm/modex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Farahmand
- Computational Sciences PhD program, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, USA; Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, USA
| | - Todd Riley
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, USA
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Chava S, Reynolds CP, Pathania AS, Gorantla S, Poluektova LY, Coulter DW, Gupta SC, Pandey MK, Challagundla KB. miR-15a-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-16-5p inhibit tumor progression by directly targeting MYCN in neuroblastoma. Mol Oncol 2019; 14:180-196. [PMID: 31637848 PMCID: PMC6944109 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid malignancy in children. Despite current aggressive treatment regimens, the prognosis for high-risk NB patients remains poor, with the survival of less than 40%. Amplification/stabilization of MYCN oncogene, in NB is associated with a high risk of recurrence. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutics. The deregulated expression of microRNA (miR) is reported in NB; nonetheless, its effect on MYCN regulation is poorly understood. First, we identified that miR-15a-5p, miR-15b-5p, and miR-16-5p (hereafter miR-15a, miR-15b or miR-16) were down-regulated in patient-derived xenografts (PDX) with high MYCN expression. MiR targeting sequences on MYCN mRNA were predicted using online databases such as TargetScan and miR database. The R2 database, containing 105 NB patients, showed an inverse correlation between MYCN mRNA and deleted in lymphocytic leukemia (DLEU) 2, a host gene of miR-15. Moreover, overexpression of miR-15a, miR-15b or miR-16 significantly reduced the levels of MYCN mRNA and N-Myc protein. Conversely, inhibiting miR dramatically enhanced MYCN mRNA and N-Myc protein levels, as well as increasing mRNA half-life in NB cells. By performing immunoprecipitation assays of argonaute-2 (Ago2), a core component of the RNA-induced silencing complex, we showed that miR-15a, miR-15b and miR-16 interact with MYCN mRNA. Luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-15a, miR-15b and miR-16 bind with 3'UTR of MYCN mRNA, resulting in MYCN suppression. Moreover, induced expression of miR-15a, miR-15b and miR-16 significantly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NB cells. Finally, transplanting miR-15a-, miR-15b- and miR-16-expressing NB cells into NSG mice repressed tumor formation and MYCN expression. These data suggest that miR-15a, miR-15b and miR-16 exert a tumor-suppressive function in NB by targeting MYCN. Therefore, these miRs could be considered as potential targets for NB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivas Chava
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - C Patrick Reynolds
- Childhood Cancer Repository, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Anup S Pathania
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Santhi Gorantla
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Larisa Y Poluektova
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Don W Coulter
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Subash C Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Manoj K Pandey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, USA
| | - Kishore B Challagundla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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