KHK-A promotes the proliferation of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma through the up-regulation of PRPS1

Drug development advances in human genetics-based targets

Drug development is a long and costly process, with a high degree of uncertainty from the identification of a drug target to its market launch. Targeted drugs supported by human genetic evidence are expected to enter phase II/III clinical trials or be approved for marketing more quickly, speeding up the drug development process. Currently, genetic data and technologies such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), whole-exome sequencing (WES), and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) have identified and validated many potential molecular targets associated with diseases. This review describes the structure, molecular biology, and drug development of human genetics-based validated beneficial loss-of-function (LOF) mutation targets (target mutations that reduce disease incidence) over the past decade. The feasibility of eight beneficial LOF mutation targets (PCSK9, ANGPTL3, ASGR1, HSD17B13, KHK, CIDEB, GPR75, and INHBE) as targets for drug discovery is mainly emphasized, and their research prospects and challenges are discussed. In conclusion, we expect that this review will inspire more researchers to use human genetics and genomics to support the discovery of novel therapeutic drugs and the direction of clinical development, which will contribute to the development of new drug discovery and drug repurposing.

NRF2-directed PRPS1 upregulation to promote the progression and metastasis of melanoma

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase 1 (PRPS1) is the first enzyme in the de novo purine nucleotide synthesis pathway and is essential for cell development. However, the effect of PRPS1 on melanoma proliferation and metastasis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of PRPS1 in the malignant progression of melanoma. Here, we found PRPS1 was upregulated in melanoma and melanoma cells. In addition, our data indicated that PRPS1 could promote the proliferation and migration and invasion of melanoma both in vitro and in vivo. PRPS1 also could inhibit melanoma cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we found NRF2 is an upstream transcription factor of PRPS1 that drive malignant progression of melanoma.

Contribution of Model Organisms to Investigating the Far-Reaching Consequences of PRPP Metabolism on Human Health and Well-Being

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase (PRS EC 2.7.6.1) is a rate-limiting enzyme that irreversibly catalyzes the formation of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) from ribose-5-phosphate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This key metabolite is required for the synthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, the two aromatic amino acids histidine and tryptophan, the cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+), all of which are essential for various life processes. Despite its ubiquity and essential nature across the plant and animal kingdoms, PRPP synthetase displays species-specific characteristics regarding the number of gene copies and architecture permitting interaction with other areas of cellular metabolism. The impact of mutated PRS genes in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae on cell signalling and metabolism may be relevant to the human neuropathies associated with PRPS mutations. Human PRPS1 and PRPS2 gene products are implicated in drug resistance associated with recurrent acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and progression of colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. The investigation of PRPP metabolism in accepted model organisms, e.g., yeast and zebrafish, has the potential to reveal novel drug targets for treating at least some of the diseases, often characterized by overlapping symptoms, such as Arts syndrome and respiratory infections, and uncover the significance and relevance of human PRPS in disease diagnosis, management, and treatment.

Circular RNA circKIF2A Contributes to the Progression of Neuroblastoma Through Regulating PRPS1 Expression by Sponging miR-377-3p

Neuroblastoma is a malignant tumor originating from the primitive neural crest. Circular RNA (circRNA) Kinesin Superfamily Protein 2A (circKIF2A, also known as hsa_circ_0129276) has been reported to be upregulated in neuroblastoma. However, the molecular mechanism of circKIF2A participated in neuroblastoma is poorly defined. We analyzed the expression levels of circKIF2A, microRNA-377-3p (miR-377-3p), and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase 1 (PRPS1) in neuroblastoma tissues and cell lines (SK-N-AS and LAN-6) and explored their roles. The expression levels of CircKIF2A and PRPS1 were increased and that of miR-377-3p were decreased in 21 neuroblastoma tissues and cells. Functionally, the silencing of circKIF2A inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis, boosted apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells in vitro, and blocked the growth of subcutaneously transplanted tumors in nude mice. Mechanically, circKIF2A could work as a sponge of miR-377-3p to enhance PRPS1 expression. CircKIF2A knockdown impedes cell proliferation, metastasis, and glycolysis partly by regulating the miR-377-3p/PRPS1 axis, suggesting that targeting circKIF2A can be a feasible therapeutic strategy for neuroblastoma.