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He W, Loganathan N, Tran A, Belsham DD. Npy transcription is regulated by noncanonical STAT3 signaling in hypothalamic neurons: Implication with lipotoxicity and obesity. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 586:112179. [PMID: 38387703 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (Npy) is an abundant neuropeptide expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. NPY-secreting neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus regulate energy homeostasis, and Npy mRNA expression is regulated by peripheral nutrient and hormonal signals like leptin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and fatty acids. This study demonstrates that IL-6, which phosphorylates tyrosine 705 (Y705) of STAT3, decreased Npy mRNA in arcuate immortalized hypothalamic neurons. In parallel, inhibitors of STAT3-Y705 phosphorylation, stattic and cucurbitacin I, robustly upregulated Npy mRNA. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation showed high baseline total STAT3 binding to multiple regulatory regions of the Npy gene, which are decreased by IL-6 exposure. The STAT3-Npy interaction was further examined in obesity-related pathologies. Notably, in four different hypothalamic neuronal models where palmitate potently stimulated Npy mRNA, Socs3, a specific STAT3 activity marker, was downregulated and was negatively correlated with Npy mRNA levels (R2 = 0.40, p < 0.001), suggesting that disrupted STAT3 signaling is involved in lipotoxicity-mediated dysregulation of Npy. Finally, human NPY SNPs that map to human obesity or body mass index were investigated for potential STAT3 binding sites. Although none of the SNPs were linked to direct STAT3 binding, analysis show that rs17149106 (-602 G > T) is located on an upstream enhancer element of NPY, where the variant is predicted to disrupt validated binding of KLF4, a known inhibitory cofactor of STAT3 and downstream effector of leptin signaling. Collectively, this study demonstrates that STAT3 signaling negatively regulates Npy transcription, and that disruption of this interaction may contribute to metabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyuan He
- Departments of Physiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Andy Tran
- Departments of Physiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Denise D Belsham
- Departments of Physiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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2
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Bettin I, Brattini M, Kachoie EA, Capaldi S, Thalappil MA, Bernardi P, Ferrarini I, Fuhrmann G, Mariotto S, Butturini E. Extracellular Vesicles based STAT3 delivery as innovative therapeutic approach to restore STAT3 signaling deficiency. N Biotechnol 2024; 82:43-53. [PMID: 38734368 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) have been proposed as a promising tool for drug delivery because of their natural ability to cross biological barriers, protect their cargo, and target specific cells. Moreover, EVs are not recognized by the immune system as foreign, reducing the risk of an immune response and enhancing biocompatibility. Herein, we proposed an alternative therapeutic strategy to restore STAT3 signaling exploiting STAT3 loaded EVs. This approach could be useful in the treatment of Autosomal Dominant Hyper-IgE Syndrome (AD-HIES), a rare primary immunodeficiency and multisystem disorder due to the presence of mutations in STAT3 gene. These mutations alter the signal transduction of STAT3, thereby impeding Th17 CD4+ cell differentiation that leads to the failure of immune response. We set up a simple and versatile method in which EVs were loaded with fully functional STAT3 protein. Moreover, our method allows to follow the uptake of STAT3 loaded vesicles inside cells due to the presence of EGFP in the EGFP-STAT3 fusion protein construct. Taken together, the data presented in this study could provide the scientific background for the development of new therapeutic strategy aimed to restore STAT3 signaling in STAT3 misfunction associated diseases like AD-HIES. In the future, the administration of fully functional wild type STAT3 to CD4+ T cells of AD-HIES patients might compensate its loss of function and would be beneficial for these patients, lowering the risk of infections, the use of medications, and hospitalizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Bettin
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Martina Brattini
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Elham Ataie Kachoie
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 15, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Stefano Capaldi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 15, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Muhammed Ashiq Thalappil
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Paolo Bernardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Isacco Ferrarini
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, Section of Hematology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Gregor Fuhrmann
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Biology, Pharmaceutical Biology, Staudtstr. 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Sofia Mariotto
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Elena Butturini
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie, 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
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Devitt L, Westphal D, Pieger K, Schneider N, Bosserhoff AK, Kuphal S. NRN1 interacts with Notch to increase oncogenic STAT3 signaling in melanoma. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:256. [PMID: 38705997 PMCID: PMC11071257 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01632-8] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma is a highly heterogeneous cancer, in which frequent changes in activation of signaling pathways lead to a high adaptability to ever changing tumor microenvironments. The elucidation of cancer specific signaling pathways is of great importance, as demonstrated by the inhibitor of the common BrafV600E mutation PLX4032 in melanoma treatment. We therefore investigated signaling pathways that were influenced by neurotrophin NRN1, which has been shown to be upregulated in melanoma. METHODS Using a cell culture model system with an NRN1 overexpression, we investigated the influence of NRN1 on melanoma cells' functionality and signaling. We employed real time cell analysis and spheroid formation assays, while for investigation of molecular mechanisms we used a kinase phosphorylation kit as well as promotor activity analysis followed by mRNA and protein analysis. RESULTS We revealed that NRN1 interacts directly with the cleaved intracellular domain (NICD) of Notch1 and Notch3, causing a potential retention of NICD in the cytoplasm and thereby reducing the expression of its direct downstream target Hes1. This leads to decreased sequestration of JAK and STAT3 in a Hes1-driven phosphorylation complex. Consequently, our data shows less phosphorylation of STAT3 while presenting an accumulation of total protein levels of STAT3 in association with NRN1 overexpression. The potential of the STAT3 signaling pathway to act in both a tumor suppressive and oncogenic manner led us to investigate specific downstream targets - namely Vegf A, Mdr1, cMet - which were found to be upregulated under oncogenic levels of NRN1. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we were able to show that NRN1 links oncogenic signaling events between Notch and STAT3 in melanoma. We also suggest that in future research more attention should be payed to cellular regulation of signaling molecules outside of the classically known phosphorylation events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Devitt
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Dana Westphal
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Dresden, a partnership between German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at TU Dresden, and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Katharina Pieger
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Nadja Schneider
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Anja Katrin Bosserhoff
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Silke Kuphal
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Fahrstrasse 17, Erlangen, 91054, Germany.
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4
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Xu K, Li J, Li WX. Simulation of STAT and HP1 interaction by molecular docking. Cell Signal 2023; 112:110925. [PMID: 37839545 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110925] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) is a major component of heterochromatin. Multiple proteins have been shown to interact with HP1 with the HP1-binding motif PxVxL/I, thereby affecting heterochromatin stability. The HP1-interacting proteins include the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) protein, which can be regulated by phosphorylation on a tyrosine around amino acid 700 in the carboxyl terminus. Previous research has shown that unphosphorylated STAT (uSTAT) binds to HP1 via a PxVxI HP1-binding motif and maintains the stability of heterochromatin, while phosphorylated STAT (pSTAT) dissociates from HP1, resulting in heterochromatin disruption. To understand the theoretical basis of the biochemical observations, we employed computational modeling to investigate STAT-HP1 binding configurations and the effect of STAT phosphorylation on their interaction. Using STAT3 and HP1α protein structures for molecular docking and thermodynamic calculations, our computations predict that uSTAT homodimers have a higher affinity for HP1 and a lower affinity for DNA than pSTAT homodimers, and that phosphorylation induces a conformational change in STAT, shifting its binding preference from HP1 to DNA. The results of our modeling studies support the idea that phosphorylation drives STAT from HP1-binding to DNA-binding, suggesting a potential role for uSTAT in both maintaining and initiating heterochromatin formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangxin Xu
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Jinghong Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Willis X Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, USA.
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5
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Al-Hetty HRAK, Abdulameer SJ, Alkubaisy SA, Zaid SA, Jalil AT, Jasim IK. STAT3 signaling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a candidate therapeutic target. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 245:154425. [PMID: 37019018 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis which is lethal in over 90% of cases despite the standard therapies. Mainly activated by Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a key transcription factor, capable of exerting the expression of multitude of genes involved in survival. Moreover, STAT3 activity is regulated by the interleukin 28 receptor α (IL28RA) and glutathione s-transferase mu-3 (GSTM3), up-regulation of both contributes to the invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells. In this regard, STAT3 overactivity has an important pathogenic role in the development of PDAC as it is associated with enhanced cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and metastasis. STAT3-associated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 and 9 are implicated in the angiogenic and metastatic behavior of the PDAC. Multitude of evidence underline the protective role of STAT3 inhibition against PDAC both in cell cultures and in tumor grafts. However, specific inhibition of STAT3 was not feasible until recently, when a selective potent chemical STAT3 inhibitor, termed N4, were developed and it turned out to be highly effective against PDAC in vitro, as well as in vivo. This review aims to discuss the most recent advances in our understanding of STAT3 role in the pathogenesis of PDAC and its therapeutic applications.
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Jaradat NJ, Alshaer W, Hatmal M, Taha MO. Discovery of new STAT3 inhibitors as anticancer agents using ligand-receptor contact fingerprints and docking-augmented machine learning. RSC Adv 2023; 13:4623-4640. [PMID: 36760267 PMCID: PMC9896621 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra07007c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
STAT3 belongs to a family of seven vital transcription factors. High levels of STAT3 are detected in several types of cancer. Hence, STAT3 inhibition is considered a promising therapeutic anti-cancer strategy. In this work, we used multiple docked poses of STAT3 inhibitors to augment training data for machine learning QSAR modeling. Ligand-Receptor Contact Fingerprints and scoring values were implemented as descriptor variables. Escalating docking-scoring consensus levels were scanned against orthogonal machine learners, and the best learners (Random Forests and XGBoost) were coupled with genetic algorithm and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) to identify critical descriptors that determine anti-STAT3 bioactivity to be translated into pharmacophore model(s). Two successful pharmacophores were deduced and subsequently used for in silico screening against the National Cancer Institute (NCI) database. A total of 26 hits were evaluated in vitro for their anti-STAT3 bioactivities. Out of which, three hits of novel chemotypes, showed cytotoxic IC50 values in the nanomolar range (35 nM to 6.7 μM). However, two are potent dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors and therefore should have significant indirect STAT3 inhibitory effects. The third hit (cytotoxic IC50 = 0.44 μM) is purely direct STAT3 inhibitor (devoid of DHFR activity) and caused, at its cytotoxic IC50, more than two-fold reduction in the expression of STAT3 downstream genes (c-Myc and Bcl-xL). The presented work indicates that the concept of data augmentation using multiple docked poses is a promising strategy for generating valid machine learning models capable of discriminating active from inactive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Jamal Jaradat
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan Amman 11492 Jordan +962 6 5339649 +962 6 5355000 ext. 23305
| | - Walhan Alshaer
- Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan Amman 11942 Jordan
| | - Mamon Hatmal
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University P.O. Box 330127 Zarqa 13133 Jordan
| | - Mutasem Omar Taha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan Amman 11492 Jordan +962 6 5339649 +962 6 5355000 ext. 23305
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7
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Sorafenib combined with STAT3 knockdown triggers ER stress-induced HCC apoptosis and cGAS-STING-mediated anti-tumor immunity. Cancer Lett 2022; 547:215880. [PMID: 35981569 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Sorafenib is the first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is difficult to alleviate this disease process using single-agent chemotherapy. Using combination therapies for advanced HCC has become a major trend. Given that STAT3 overexpression is involved in chemotherapy resistance and the immune escape of HCC cells, it has become a potential therapeutic target for HCC in recent years. GEO database analysis showed that STAT3 levels in tumor tissues from non-responders were significantly higher than those in responders to sorafenib. Our studies demonstrated that STAT3 knockdown promoted sorafenib-induced ER stress-induced apoptosis. Importantly, the DNA released by dead HCC cells stimulated the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in CD103+ DCs and promoted type I interferon production, thus, enhancing the anti-tumor function of CD8+ T and NK cells. In conclusion, our results revealed that the combination strategy of sorafenib and STAT3 knockdown might be a potential treatment strategy for HCC, directly and efficiently disturbing the tumor features of HCC cells while improving the tumor microenvironment via the cGAS-STING-Type I IFNs axis of DCs, inducing anti-HCC immune responses.
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8
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Diallo M, Herrera F. The role of understudied post-translational modifications for the behavior and function of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3. FEBS J 2021; 289:6235-6255. [PMID: 34235865 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) family of transcription factors is involved in inflammation, immunity, development, cancer, and response to injury, among other biological phenomena. Canonical STAT signaling is often represented as a 3-step pathway involving the sequential activation of a membrane receptor, an intermediate kinase, and a STAT transcription factor. The rate-limiting phosphorylation at a highly conserved C-terminal tyrosine residue determines the nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of STATs. This apparent simplicity is actually misleading and can hardly explain the pleiotropic nature of STATs, the existence of various noncanonical STAT pathways, or the key role of the N-terminal domain in STAT functions. More than 80 post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been identified for STAT3, but their functions remain barely understood. Here, we provide a brief but comprehensive overview of these underexplored PTMs and their role on STAT3 canonical and noncanonical functions. A less tyrosine-centric point of view may be required to advance our understanding of STAT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Diallo
- Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Cell Structure and Dynamics Laboratory, BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências integrativas, Lisbon, Portugal.,MOSTMICRO Research Unit, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB-NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Federico Herrera
- Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Cell Structure and Dynamics Laboratory, BioISI - Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências integrativas, Lisbon, Portugal.,MOSTMICRO Research Unit, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica (ITQB-NOVA), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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9
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Dong J, Cheng XD, Zhang WD, Qin JJ. Recent Update on Development of Small-Molecule STAT3 Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy: From Phosphorylation Inhibition to Protein Degradation. J Med Chem 2021; 64:8884-8915. [PMID: 34170703 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that regulates various biological processes, including proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, immune response, and chemoresistance. In normal cells, STAT3 is tightly regulated to maintain a transiently active state, while persistent STAT3 activation occurs frequently in cancers, associating with a poor prognosis and tumor progression. Targeting the STAT3 protein is a potentially promising therapeutic strategy for tumors. Although none of the STAT3 inhibitors has been marketed yet, a few of them have succeeded in entering clinical trials. This Review aims to systematically summarize the progress of the last 5 years in the discovery of directive STAT3 small-molecule inhibitors and degraders, focusing primarily on their structural features, design strategies, and bioactivities. We hope this Review will shed light on future drug design and inhibitor optimization to accelerate the discovery process of STAT3 inhibitors or degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyun Dong
- Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.,Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Cheng
- Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.,Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
| | - Wei-Dong Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiang-Jiang Qin
- Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.,Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China
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10
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Shiah JV, Grandis JR, Johnson DE. Targeting STAT3 with Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras and Next-Generation Antisense Oligonucleotides. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:219-228. [PMID: 33203730 PMCID: PMC7888537 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
STAT3 has been recognized for its key role in the progression of cancer, where it is frequently upregulated or constitutively hyperactivated, contributing to tumor cell proliferation, survival, and migration, as well as angiogenesis and suppression of antitumor immunity. Given the ubiquity of dysregulated STAT3 activity in cancer, it has long been considered a highly attractive target for the development of anticancer therapies. Efforts to target STAT3, however, have proven to be especially challenging, perhaps owing to the fact that transcription factors lack targetable enzymatic activity and have historically been considered "undruggable." Small-molecule inhibitors targeting STAT3 have been limited by insufficient selectivity and potency. More recently, therapeutic approaches that selectively target STAT3 protein for degradation have been developed, offering novel strategies that do not rely on inhibition of upstream pathways or direct competitive inhibition of the STAT3 protein. Here, we review these emerging approaches, including the development of STAT3 proteolysis targeting chimera agents, as well as preclinical and clinical studies of chemically stabilized antisense molecules, such as the clinical agent AZD9150. These therapeutic strategies may robustly reduce the cellular activity of oncogenic STAT3 and overcome the historical limitations of less selective small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie V Shiah
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Jennifer R Grandis
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Daniel E Johnson
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
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11
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Su Y, Zhang W, Patro CPK, Zhao J, Mu T, Ma Z, Xu J, Ban K, Yi C, Zhou Y. STAT3 Regulates Mouse Neural Progenitor Proliferation and Differentiation by Promoting Mitochondrial Metabolism. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:362. [PMID: 32509786 PMCID: PMC7248371 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor lay the foundation for brain development. In neural progenitors, activation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) has been found to promote proliferation and astrocytogenesis while suppressing neurogenesis. However, our study found that Stat3 conditional knockout in neural progenitors (Stat3 cKO) also results in increased proliferation and suppressed neurogenesis. To investigate how STAT3 regulates these processes, we attempted to identify potential STAT3 target genes by RNA-seq profiling of the control (CTL) and Stat3 cKO neural progenitors. We found that STAT3 promotes the expression of genes involved in the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and thereby promotes mitochondrial respiration and negatively regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In addition, we demonstrated that Stat3 loss-of-function promotes proliferation via regulation of mitochondrial metabolism and downstream signaling pathways. Our study provides novel insights into the relation between STAT3, mitochondrial metabolism and the process of embryonic neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixun Su
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - C Pawan K Patro
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jing Zhao
- Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tianhao Mu
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhongnan Ma
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Model Animal Research Center of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianqiang Xu
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kenneth Ban
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chenju Yi
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Neurobiology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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12
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Cui P, Wei F, Hou J, Su Y, Wang J, Wang S. STAT3 inhibition induced temozolomide-resistant glioblastoma apoptosis via triggering mitochondrial STAT3 translocation and respiratory chain dysfunction. Cell Signal 2020; 71:109598. [PMID: 32165236 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has demonstrated that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) gene are abnormally active in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), and this change is crucial for the tumor survival and chemotherapy-resistant. Certain preclinical pharmacology studies have focused on STAT3 phosphorylation and homodimerization, and have developed a class of salicylic acid-based inhibitors, which blocks the nuclear translocation-dependent canonical STAT3 signaling. In the present study, we demonstrated that the salicylic acid-based compound SH-4-54 was quite toxic to temozolomide (TMZ)-resistant GBM cells and could trigger apoptosis in these cells via enhancing mitochondrial translocation-dependent non-canonical STAT3 pathway. We demonstrated that incubation of TMZ-resistant GBM cells with SH-4-54 led to mitochondrial STAT3 (mitoSTAT3) activation and respiratory dysfunction reflected by disrupted (or suppressed) activities of oxidative phosphorylation complexes and oxygen consumption rate. Mechanistically, we proved that SH-4-54 could increase mitoSTAT3 transmembrane import via GRIM-19 and reinforce the association between mitoSTAT3 and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), indicating that SH-4-54 could facilitate the binding of mitoSTAT3 to mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) and negatively regulate mitochondrial-encoded genes, thus leading to the abnormal oxidation respiratory. Lastly, using GRIM-19 knockout cell line and subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model, we elaborately showed the enrichment of SH-4-54 in mitochondria by LC-MS/MS analysis. In conclusion, our data demonstrate thatthe salicylic acid-based compound SH-4-54 is quite effective in killing TMZ-resistant GBM cells and this cytotoxicity is attributed to mitoSTAT3 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Cui
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Cardiovascular Drugs Screening & Analysis, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Fen Wei
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Cardiovascular Drugs Screening & Analysis, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Jingjing Hou
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Cardiovascular Drugs Screening & Analysis, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Ying Su
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Cardiovascular Drugs Screening & Analysis, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Jijun Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, China
| | - Sicen Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center of Cardiovascular Drugs Screening & Analysis, Xi'an 710061, China.
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13
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Dutta P, Zhang L, Zhang H, Peng Q, Montgrain PR, Wang Y, Song Y, Li J, Li WX. Unphosphorylated STAT3 in heterochromatin formation and tumor suppression in lung cancer. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:145. [PMID: 32087696 PMCID: PMC7036253 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-6649-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant JAK/STAT activation has been detected in many types of human cancers. The role of JAK/STAT activation in cancer has been mostly attributed to direct transcriptional regulation of target genes by phosphorylated STAT (pSTAT), while the unphosphorylated STAT (uSTAT) is believed to be dormant and reside in the cytoplasm. However, several studies have shown that uSTATs can be found in the nucleus. In addition, it has been shown that tissue-specific loss of STAT3 or STAT5 in mice promotes cancer growth in certain tissues, and thus these STAT proteins can act as tumor suppressors. However, no unifying mechanism has been shown for the tumor suppressor function of STATs to date. We have previously demonstrated a non-canonical mode of JAK/STAT signaling for Drosophila STAT and human STAT5A, where a fraction of uSTAT is in the nucleus and associated with Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1); STAT activation (by phosphorylation) causes its dispersal, leading to HP1 delocalization and heterochromatin loss. METHODS We used a combination of imaging, cell biological assays, and mouse xenografts to investigate the role of STAT3 in lung cancer development. RESULTS We found that uSTAT3 has a function in promoting heterochromatin formation in lung cancer cells, suppressing cell proliferation in vitro, and suppressing tumor growth in mouse xenografts. CONCLUSIONS Thus, uSTAT3 possesses noncanonical function in promoting heterochromatin formation, and the tumor suppressor function of STAT3 is likely attributable to the heterochromatin-promoting activity of uSTAT3 in the non-canonical JAK/STAT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranabananda Dutta
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Huijun Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Shanghai Respiratory Research Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Peng
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Phillippe R Montgrain
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, CA92037, USA
| | - Yingxiao Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yuanlin Song
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Shanghai Respiratory Research Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinghong Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Willis X Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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14
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Yang J, Kunimoto H, Katayama B, Zhao H, Shiromizu T, Wang L, Ozawa T, Tomonaga T, Tsuruta D, Nakajima K. Phospho-Ser727 triggers a multistep inactivation of STAT3 by rapid dissociation of pY705-SH2 through C-terminal tail modulation. Int Immunol 2020; 32:73-88. [PMID: 31555812 PMCID: PMC10689346 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxz061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is involved in many biological processes, including immunity and cancer. STAT3 becomes phosphorylated at Tyr705 and Ser727 on IL-6 stimulation. Phospho-Tyr705 (pY705) stabilizes the STAT3 dimer with reciprocal interactions between pY705 and the SH2 of the other molecule and phospho-Ser727 (pS727) accelerates pY705 dephosphorylation. We study how pS727 regulates STAT3 in both structural and biological perspectives. Using STAT3 reconstituted in HepG2-stat3-knockout cells, we show that pS727, together with a handshake N-terminal domain (NTD) interaction, causes rapid inactivation of STAT3 for pY705 dephosphorylation and a chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1)-independent nuclear export, which is critical for faithful STAT3 response to the cellular signals. The various N-terminal tags, GFP-related Ruby and FLAG, rendered the export CRM1-dependent and especially FLAG-tag caused nuclear accumulation of STAT3, indicating the presence of conformational changes in inactivation. Impaired reactivation of STAT3 by S727A or FLAG-tag delayed or inhibited the IL-6-induced saa1 mRNA expression, respectively. The detailed analysis of the pY705-SH2 structure identified the C-terminal tail (CTT) from L706 to P715 as a key regulator of the CTT-CTT intermolecular and the CTT-SH2 intramolecular interactions that support pY705-SH2 association. The functional studies using multiple STAT3 mutants indicated that the degree of the two interactions determines the stability of pY705-SH2 interaction. Importantly, Pro715 was critical for the pS727's destabilizing activity and the known phosphorylation and acetylation at the CTT structurally inhibited the pY705-SH2 interaction. Thus, pS727 triggers pY705-SH2 dissociation by weakening the supportive interactions likely through CTT modulation, inducing rapid cycles of STAT3 activation-inactivation for proper function of STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhao Yang
- Department of Immunology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kunimoto
- Department of Immunology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Bumpei Katayama
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Immunology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takashi Shiromizu
- Laboratory of Proteome Research, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Lingyu Wang
- Department of Immunology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Ozawa
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Tomonaga
- Laboratory of Proteome Research, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tsuruta
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koichi Nakajima
- Department of Immunology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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15
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Revisiting the development of small molecular inhibitors that directly target the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) domains. Life Sci 2020; 242:117241. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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16
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de Araujo ED, Orlova A, Neubauer HA, Bajusz D, Seo HS, Dhe-Paganon S, Keserű GM, Moriggl R, Gunning PT. Structural Implications of STAT3 and STAT5 SH2 Domain Mutations. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1757. [PMID: 31717342 PMCID: PMC6895964 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11111757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Src Homology 2 (SH2) domains arose within metazoan signaling pathways and are involved in protein regulation of multiple pleiotropic cascades. In signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins, SH2 domain interactions are critical for molecular activation and nuclear accumulation of phosphorylated STAT dimers to drive transcription. Sequencing analysis of patient samples has revealed the SH2 domain as a hotspot in the mutational landscape of STAT proteins although the functional impact for the vast majority of these mutations remains poorly characterized. Despite several well resolved structures for SH2 domain-containing proteins, structural data regarding the distinctive STAT-type SH2 domain is limited. Here, we review the unique features of STAT-type SH2 domains in the context of all currently reported STAT3 and STAT5 SH2 domain clinical mutations. The genetic volatility of specific regions in the SH2 domain can result in either activating or deactivating mutations at the same site in the domain, underscoring the delicate evolutionary balance of wild type STAT structural motifs in maintaining precise levels of cellular activity. Understanding the molecular and biophysical impact of these disease-associated mutations can uncover convergent mechanisms of action for mutations localized within the STAT SH2 domain to facilitate the development of targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvin D. de Araujo
- Centre for Medicinal Chemistry, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada;
- Department of Chemical & Physical Sciences, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Anna Orlova
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria; (A.O.); (H.A.N.); (R.M.)
| | - Heidi A. Neubauer
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria; (A.O.); (H.A.N.); (R.M.)
| | - Dávid Bajusz
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Center for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (D.B.); (G.M.K.)
| | - Hyuk-Soo Seo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (H.-S.S.); (S.D.-P.)
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sirano Dhe-Paganon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (H.-S.S.); (S.D.-P.)
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - György M. Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Center for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (D.B.); (G.M.K.)
| | - Richard Moriggl
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine, A-1210 Vienna, Austria; (A.O.); (H.A.N.); (R.M.)
| | - Patrick T. Gunning
- Centre for Medicinal Chemistry, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada;
- Department of Chemical & Physical Sciences, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
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17
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Hu YS, Han X, Liu XH. STAT3: A Potential Drug Target for Tumor and Inflammation. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:1305-1317. [PMID: 31218960 DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190620145052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
STAT (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) is a cellular signal transcription factor involved in the regulation of many cellular activities, such as cell differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis in normal cells. During the study of the STAT family, STAT3 was found to be involved in many diseases, such as high expression and sustained activation of STAT3 in tumor cells, promoting tumor growth and proliferation. In the study of inflammation, it was found that it plays an important role in the anti-inflammatory and repairing of damage tissues. Because of the important role of STAT3, a large number of studies have been obtained. At the same time, after more than 20 years of development, STAT3 has also been used as a target for drug therapy. And the discovery of small molecule inhibitors also promoted the study of STAT3. Since STAT3 has been extensively studied in inflammation and tumor regulation, this review presents the current state of research on STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Sheng Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xu Han
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xin Hua Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
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18
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Shen X, Zhao L, Chen P, Gong Y, Liu D, Zhang X, Dai L, Sun Q, Lou J, Jin Z, Zhang B, Niu D, Chen C, Qi X, Jia D. A thiazole-derived oridonin analogue exhibits antitumor activity by directly and allosterically inhibiting STAT3. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:17471-17486. [PMID: 31594861 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) occurs in ∼70% of human cancers, and STAT3 is regarded as one of the most promising targets for cancer therapy. However, specific direct STAT3 inhibitors remain to be developed. Oridonin is an ent-kaurane plant-derived diterpenoid with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Here, using an array of cell-based and biochemical approaches, including cell proliferation and apoptosis assays, pulldown and reporter gene assays, site-directed mutagenesis, and molecular dynamics analyses, we report that a thiazole-derived oridonin analogue, CYD0618, potently and directly inhibits STAT3. We found that CYD0618 covalently binds to Cys-542 in STAT3 and suppresses its activity through an allosteric effect, effectively reducing STAT3 dimerization and nuclear translocation, as well as decreasing expression of STAT3-targeted oncogenes. Remarkably, CYD0618 not only strongly inhibited growth of multiple cancer cell lines that harbor constitutive STAT3 activation, but it also suppressed in vivo tumor growth via STAT3 inhibition. Taken together, our findings suggest Cys-542 as a druggable site for selectively inhibiting STAT3 and indicate that CYD0618 represents a promising lead compound for developing therapeutic agents against STAT3-driven diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Shen
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lin Zhao
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Peihao Chen
- School of Life Science, Peking University, Beijing 100084, China.,National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yanqiu Gong
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Dingdong Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lunzhi Dai
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qingxiang Sun
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jizhong Lou
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhong Jin
- Computer Network Information Center and Center of Scientific Computing Applications and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Baohua Zhang
- Computer Network Information Center and Center of Scientific Computing Applications and Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Dawen Niu
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ceshi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Xiangbing Qi
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing 102206, China
| | - Da Jia
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
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19
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Sabanés Zariquiey F, da Souza JV, Estrada-Tejedor R, Bronowska AK. If You Cannot Win Them, Join Them: Understanding New Ways to Target STAT3 by Small Molecules. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:13913-13921. [PMID: 31497709 PMCID: PMC6714540 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b01601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Signal transducer activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is among the most investigated oncogenic transcription factors, as it is highly associated with cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, chemoresistance, and immune evasion. Evidences from both preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that STAT3 plays a critical role in several malignancies associated with poor prognosis such as glioblastoma and triple-negative breast cancer, and STAT3 inhibitors have shown efficacy in inhibiting cancer growth and metastasis. Constitutive activation of STAT3 by mutations occurs frequently in tumor cells and directly contributes to many malignant phenotypes. Unfortunately, detailed structural biology studies on STAT3 as well as target-based drug discovery efforts have been hampered by difficulties in the expression and purification of the full-length STAT3 and a lack of ligand-bound crystal structures. Considering these, molecular modeling and simulations offer an attractive strategy for the assessment of the "druggability" of STAT3 dimers and allow investigations of reported activating and inhibiting STAT3 mutants at the atomistic level of detail. In the present study, we focused on the effects exerted by reported STAT3 mutations on the protein structure, dynamics, DNA-binding, and dimerization, thus linking structure, dynamics, energetics, and the biological function. By employing atomistic molecular dynamics and umbrella-sampling simulations to a series of human STAT3 dimers, which comprised wild-type protein and four mutations, we explained the modulation of STAT3 activity by these mutations. Counter-intuitively, our results show that the D570K inhibitory mutation exerts its effect by enhancing rather than weakening STAT3-DNA interactions, which interfere with the DNA release by the protein dimer and thus inhibit STAT3 function as a transcription factor. We mapped the binding site and characterized the binding mode of a clinical candidate napabucasin/BBI-608 at STAT3, which resembles the effect of a D570K mutation. Our results contribute to understanding the activation/inhibition mechanism of STAT3, to explain the molecular mechanism of STAT3 inhibition by BBI-608. Alongside the characterization of the BBI-608 binding mode, we also discovered a novel binding site amenable to bind small-molecule ligands, which may pave the way to design novel STAT3 inhibitors and to suggest new strategies for pharmacological interventions to combat cancers associated with poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesc Sabanés Zariquiey
- Chemistry,
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - João V. da Souza
- Chemistry,
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - Roger Estrada-Tejedor
- IQS
School of Engineering(IQS)—Universitat
Ramon Llull (URL), 08017 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agnieszka K. Bronowska
- Chemistry,
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU Newcastle, United Kingdom
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20
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Belo Y, Mielko Z, Nudelman H, Afek A, Ben-David O, Shahar A, Zarivach R, Gordan R, Arbely E. Unexpected implications of STAT3 acetylation revealed by genetic encoding of acetyl-lysine. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2019; 1863:1343-1350. [PMID: 31170499 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.05.019] [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: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) protein is activated by phosphorylation of a specific tyrosine residue (Tyr705) in response to various extracellular signals. STAT3 activity was also found to be regulated by acetylation of Lys685. However, the molecular mechanism by which Lys685 acetylation affects the transcriptional activity of STAT3 remains elusive. By genetically encoding the co-translational incorporation of acetyl-lysine into position Lys685 and co-expression of STAT3 with the Elk receptor tyrosine kinase, we were able to characterize site-specifically acetylated, and simultaneously acetylated and phosphorylated STAT3. We measured the effect of acetylation on the crystal structure, and DNA binding affinity and specificity of Tyr705-phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated STAT3. In addition, we monitored the deacetylation of acetylated Lys685 by reconstituting the mammalian enzymatic deacetylation reaction in live bacteria. Surprisingly, we found that acetylation, per se, had no effect on the crystal structure, and DNA binding affinity or specificity of STAT3, implying that the previously observed acetylation-dependent transcriptional activity of STAT3 involves an additional cellular component. In addition, we discovered that Tyr705-phosphorylation protects Lys685 from deacetylation in bacteria, providing a new possible explanation for the observed correlation between STAT3 activity and Lys685 acetylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Belo
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Zachery Mielko
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Hila Nudelman
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Ariel Afek
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Oshrit Ben-David
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel; The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Anat Shahar
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Raz Zarivach
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel; Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel
| | - Raluca Gordan
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Computer Science, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Eyal Arbely
- Department of Chemistry, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel; The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel; Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 8410501, Israel.
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21
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Fabbri M, Frixou M, Degano M, Fousteri G. Type 1 Diabetes in STAT Protein Family Mutations: Regulating the Th17/Treg Equilibrium and Beyond. Diabetes 2019; 68:258-265. [PMID: 30665954 DOI: 10.2337/db18-0627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Improvements in the immunological, molecular, and genetic technologies such as next-generation sequencing have led to an exponential increase in the number of monogenic immune dysregulatory syndromes diagnosed, where type 1 diabetes (T1D) forms part of the autoimmune manifestations. Here, we reviewed the mutations in the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) protein family, namely gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in STAT1 and STAT3 as well as STAT5b deficiency, that show strong association to T1D susceptibility. The equilibrium of T-helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) is often found altered in patients affected by STAT GOF mutations. While the increased number of Th17 cells and the concomitant decrease in Treg cells may explain T1D in STAT3 GOF patients, the reduced number of Th17 cells found in those carrying STAT1 GOF mutations added a new level of complexity on the exact role of Th17 in the pathogenesis of T1D. Here, we describe the possible mechanisms through which STAT3 and STAT1 GOF mutations may perturb the fate and function of Th17 and Tregs and explore how this may lead to the development of T1D. We propose that the study of monogenic diseases, and in particular STAT mutations, may not only improve our understanding of the function of the human immune system but also shed light onto the pathogenic mechanisms of T1D and the genetic variants that confer predisposition to the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Fabbri
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Diabetes Research Institute, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Mikaela Frixou
- School of Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, U.K
| | - Massimo Degano
- Biocrystallography Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Georgia Fousteri
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Diabetes Research Institute, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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22
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Two decades of research in discovery of anticancer drugs targeting STAT3, how close are we? Pharmacol Ther 2018; 191:74-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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23
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A high-throughput fluorescence polarization assay for discovering inhibitors targeting the DNA-binding domain of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Oncotarget 2018; 9:32690-32701. [PMID: 30220975 PMCID: PMC6135694 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-cancer drug discovery efforts to directly inhibit the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) have been active for over a decade following the discovery that 70% of cancers exhibit elevated STAT3 activity. The majority of research has focused on attenuating STAT3 activity through preventing homo-dimerization by targeting the SH2 or transcriptional activation domains. Such dimerization inhibitors have not yet reached the market. However, an alternative strategy focussed on preventing STAT3 DNA-binding through targeting the DNA-binding domain (DBD) offers new drug design opportunities. Currently, only EMSA and ELISA-based methods have been implemented with suitable reliability to characterize STAT3 DBD inhibitors. Herein, we present a new orthogonal, fluorescence polarization (FP) assay suitable for high-throughput screening of molecules. This assay, using a STAT3127-688 construct, was developed and optimized to screen molecules that attenuate the STAT3:DNA association with good reliability (Z’ value > 0.6) and a significant contrast (signal-to-noise ratio > 15.0) at equilibrium. The assay system was stable over a 48 hour period. Significantly, the assay is homogeneous and simple to implement for high-throughput screening compared to EMSA and ELISA. Overall, this FP assay offers a new way to identify and characterize novel molecules that inhibit STAT3:DNA association.
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Structural Biology of STAT3 and Its Implications for Anticancer Therapies Development. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19061591. [PMID: 29843450 PMCID: PMC6032208 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19061591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors are proteins able to bind DNA and induce the transcription of specific genes. Consequently, they play a pivotal role in multiple cellular pathways and are frequently over-expressed or dysregulated in cancer. Here, we will focus on a specific “signal transducer and activator of transcription” (STAT3) factor that is involved in several pathologies, including cancer. For long time, the mechanism by which STAT3 exerts its cellular functions has been summarized by a three steps process: (1) Protein phosphorylation by specific kinases, (2) dimerization promoted by phosphorylation, (3) activation of gene expression by the phosphorylated dimer. Consequently, most of the inhibitors reported in literature aimed at blocking phosphorylation and dimerization. However, recent observations reopened the debate and the entire functional mechanism has been revisited stimulating the scientific community to pursue new inhibition strategies. In particular, the dimerization of the unphosphorylated species has been experimentally demonstrated and specific roles proposed also for these dimers. Despite difficulties in the expression and purification of the full length STAT3, structural biology investigations allowed the determination of atomistic structures of STAT3 dimers and several protein domains. Starting from this information, computational methods have been used both to improve the understanding of the STAT3 functional mechanism and to design new inhibitors to be used as anticancer drugs. In this review, we will focus on the contribution of structural biology to understand the roles of STAT3, to design new inhibitors and to suggest new strategies of pharmacological intervention.
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25
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Yang T, Shi X, Kang Y, Zhu M, Fan M, Zhang D, Zhang Y. Novel compounds TAD-1822-7-F2 and F5 inhibited HeLa cells growth through the JAK/Stat signaling pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 103:118-126. [PMID: 29649626 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.03.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical carcinoma remains the second most common malignancy with a high mortality rate among women worldwide. TAD-1822-7-F2 (F2) and TAD-1822-7-F5 (F5) are novel compounds synthesized on the chemical structure of taspine derivatives, and show an effective suppression for HeLa cells. Our study aims to confirm the potential targets of F2 and F5, and investigate the underlying mechanism of the inhibitory effect on HeLa cells. In this study, Real Time Cell Analysis and crystal violet staining assay were conducted to investigate the effect of F2 and F5 on HeLa cells proliferation. And the analytical methods of surface plasmon resonance and quartz crystal microbalance were established and employed to study the interaction between F2 and F5 and potential target protein JAK2, suggesting that both compounds have strong interaction with the JAK2 protein. Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining study and PCR was conducted to investigate the molecules of JAK/Stat signaling pathway. Interestingly, F2 and F5 showed diverse regulation for signaling molecules because of their different chemical structure. F2 increased the expression of JAK2 and downregulated the level of P-JAK1 and P-JAK2, and decreased P-Stat3 (Ser727). While F5 could increase the expression of JAK2 and naturally decrease the phosphorylation of JAK1 and Tyk2, and decreased the expression of P-Stat6. Moreover, F2 and F5 showed the same downregulation on the P-Stat3 (Tyr705). Therefore, F2 and F5 could target the JAK2 protein and prevent the phosphorylation of JAKs to suppress the phosphorylation of the downstream effector Stats, which suggested that F2 and F5 have great potential to be the inhibitors of the JAK/Stat signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianfeng Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta Weststreet, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China
| | - Xianpeng Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta Weststreet, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China
| | - Yuan Kang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta Weststreet, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China
| | - Man Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta Weststreet, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China
| | - Mengying Fan
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta Weststreet, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China
| | - Dongdong Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta Weststreet, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China.
| | - Yanmin Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76, Yanta Weststreet, #54, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China.
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Verdura S, Cuyàs E, Llorach-Parés L, Pérez-Sánchez A, Micol V, Nonell-Canals A, Joven J, Valiente M, Sánchez-Martínez M, Bosch-Barrera J, Menendez JA. Silibinin is a direct inhibitor of STAT3. Food Chem Toxicol 2018; 116:161-172. [PMID: 29660364 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2018.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We herein combined experimental and computational efforts to delineate the mechanism of action through which the flavonolignan silibinin targets STAT3. Silibinin reduced IL-6 inducible, constitutive, and acquired feedback activation of STAT3 at tyrosine 705 (Y705). Silibinin attenuated the inducible phospho-activation of Y705 in GFP-STAT3 genetic fusions without drastically altering the kinase activity of the STAT3 upstream kinases JAK1 and JAK2. A comparative computational study based on docking and molecular dynamics simulation over 14 different STAT3 inhibitors (STAT3i) predicted that silibinin could directly bind with high affinity to both the Src homology-2 (SH2) domain and the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of STAT3. Silibinin partially overlapped with the cavity occupied by other STAT3i in the SH2 domain to indirectly prevent Y705 phosphorylation, yet showing a unique binding mode. Moreover, silibinin was the only STAT3i predicted to establish direct interactions with DNA in its targeting to the STAT3 DBD. The prevention of STAT3 nuclear translocation, the blockade of the binding of activated STAT3 to its consensus DNA sequence, and the suppression of STAT3-directed transcriptional activity confirmed silibinin as a direct STAT3i. The unique characteristics of silibinin as a bimodal SH2- and DBD-targeting STAT3i make silibinin a promising lead for designing new, more effective STAT3i.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Verdura
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain; Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Elisabet Cuyàs
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain; Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | | | - Almudena Pérez-Sánchez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular (IBMC), Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Vicente Micol
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular (IBMC), Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Elche, Alicante, Spain; CIBER, Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición, CIBERobn, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CB12/03/30038), Spain
| | | | - Jorge Joven
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV, Rovira i Virgili University, Reus, Spain
| | - Manuel Valiente
- Brain Metastasis Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Joaquim Bosch-Barrera
- Department of Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain; Department of Medical Sciences, Medical School, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.
| | - Javier A Menendez
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain; Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain.
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Galoczova M, Coates P, Vojtesek B. STAT3, stem cells, cancer stem cells and p63. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2018; 23:12. [PMID: 29588647 PMCID: PMC5863838 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-018-0078-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor with many important functions in the biology of normal and transformed cells. Its regulation is highly complex as it is involved in signaling pathways in many different cell types and under a wide variety of conditions. Besides other functions, STAT3 is an important regulator of normal stem cells and cancer stem cells. p63 which is a member of the p53 protein family is also involved in these functions and is both physically and functionally connected with STAT3. This review summarizes STAT3 function and regulation, its role in stem cell and cancer stem cell properties and highlights recent reports about its relationship to p63.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Galoczova
- Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Philip Coates
- Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Borivoj Vojtesek
- Regional Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
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28
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Noman MAA, Hossain T, Ahsan M, Jamshidi S, Hasan CM, Rahman KM. Crispenes F and G, cis-Clerodane Furanoditerpenoids from Tinospora crispa, Inhibit STAT3 Dimerization. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2018; 81:236-242. [PMID: 29397715 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Two new cis-clerodane-type furanoditerpenes, crispenes F and G (1 and 2), together with seven known compounds, were isolated from the stems of Tinospora crispa. Crispenes F and G (1 and 2) inhibited STAT3 dimerization in a cell-free fluorescent polarization assay and were found to have significant cytotoxicity against a STAT3-dependent MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cell line, while being inactive in a STAT3-null A4 cell line. These two compounds share structural similarities with a previously reported STAT3 inhibitor, crispene E, isolated from the same plant. Molecular docking studies suggested that the molecules inhibit STAT3 by interacting with its SH2 domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Abdullah Al Noman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Dhaka , Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
| | - Tasnova Hossain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Dhaka , Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
| | - Monira Ahsan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Dhaka , Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
| | - Shirin Jamshidi
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London , 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, U.K
| | | | - Khondaker Miraz Rahman
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London , 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, U.K
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Stark GR, Cheon H, Wang Y. Responses to Cytokines and Interferons that Depend upon JAKs and STATs. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:cshperspect.a028555. [PMID: 28620095 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a028555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Many cytokines and all interferons activate members of a small family of kinases (the Janus kinases [JAKs]) and a slightly larger family of transcription factors (the signal transducers and activators of transcription [STATs]), which are essential components of pathways that induce the expression of specific sets of genes in susceptible cells. JAK-STAT pathways are required for many innate and acquired immune responses, and the activities of these pathways must be finely regulated to avoid major immune dysfunctions. Regulation is achieved through mechanisms that include the activation or induction of potent negative regulatory proteins, posttranslational modification of the STATs, and other modulatory effects that are cell-type specific. Mutations of JAKs and STATs can result in gains or losses of function and can predispose affected individuals to autoimmune disease, susceptibility to a variety of infections, or cancer. Here we review recent developments in the biochemistry, genetics, and biology of JAKs and STATs.
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Affiliation(s)
- George R Stark
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195
| | - HyeonJoo Cheon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195
| | - Yuxin Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195
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30
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Integrated structural biology to unravel molecular mechanisms of protein-RNA recognition. Methods 2017; 118-119:119-136. [PMID: 28315749 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 02/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in RNA sequencing technologies have greatly expanded our knowledge of the RNA landscape in cells, often with spatiotemporal resolution. These techniques identified many new (often non-coding) RNA molecules. Large-scale studies have also discovered novel RNA binding proteins (RBPs), which exhibit single or multiple RNA binding domains (RBDs) for recognition of specific sequence or structured motifs in RNA. Starting from these large-scale approaches it is crucial to unravel the molecular principles of protein-RNA recognition in ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) to understand the underlying mechanisms of gene regulation. Structural biology and biophysical studies at highest possible resolution are key to elucidate molecular mechanisms of RNA recognition by RBPs and how conformational dynamics, weak interactions and cooperative binding contribute to the formation of specific, context-dependent RNPs. While large compact RNPs can be well studied by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, analysis of dynamics and weak interaction necessitates the use of solution methods to capture these properties. Here, we illustrate methods to study the structure and conformational dynamics of protein-RNA complexes in solution starting from the identification of interaction partners in a given RNP. Biophysical and biochemical techniques support the characterization of a protein-RNA complex and identify regions relevant in structural analysis. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a powerful tool to gain information on folding, stability and dynamics of RNAs and characterize RNPs in solution. It provides crucial information that is complementary to the static pictures derived from other techniques. NMR can be readily combined with other solution techniques, such as small angle X-ray and/or neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), which provide information about overall shapes, internal domain arrangements and dynamics. Principles of protein-RNA recognition and current approaches are reviewed and illustrated with recent studies.
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31
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Li WM, Huang CN, Lee YC, Chen SH, Lin HH, Wu WJ, Li CC, Yeh HC, Chang LL, Hsu WC, Ke HL. Over-expression of Activated Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma. Int J Med Sci 2017; 14:1360-1367. [PMID: 29200949 PMCID: PMC5707752 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.17367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (STATs) play important roles in gene regulation, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation. We aimed to establish the relationship between phosphorylated STAT3 (p-Ser-STAT3) expression and the prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 100 patients with pathologically confirmed UTUC at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital. We quantified the expression of p-Ser-STAT3 in cancer cells by immunohistochemistry, and determined the clinicopathological significance of p-Ser-STAT3 expression and prognostic outcomes in patients with UTUC. Results: High p-Ser-STAT3 expression was detected in 52% of UTUC patients. High p-Ser-STAT3 expression was associated with poor recurrence-free survival (p = 0.018) and overall survival (p = 0.026). In advanced cancer samples (stage T3/T4), p-Ser-STAT3 expression is the only independent prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio = 5.91, p = 0.01) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio = 8.83, p = 0.039). Conclusions: The expression of p-Ser-STAT3 can be a potential prognostic marker for cancer recurrence and survival in UTUC, especially in advanced stage cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Ming Li
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, Ministry of Health and Welfare Pingtung Hospital, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Nung Huang
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chen Lee
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Han Chen
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Hui Lin
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Jeng Wu
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Stem Cell Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Chia Li
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Chih Yeh
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Lin-Li Chang
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Microbiology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chi Hsu
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Lung Ke
- Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Furtek SL, Matheson CJ, Backos DS, Reigan P. Evaluation of quantitative assays for the identification of direct signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitors. Oncotarget 2016; 7:77998-78008. [PMID: 27793003 PMCID: PMC5363639 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.12868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In many forms of cancer the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) transcription factor remains constitutively active, driving cancer survival and progression. The critical role of STAT3 in tumorigenesis has prompted a campaign of drug discovery programs to identify small molecules that disrupt the function of STAT3, with more recent efforts focusing on direct STAT3 inhibition. There are two target binding sites for direct STAT3 inhibitors: the SH2 dimerization domain and the DNA-binding domain. An in vitro fluorescence polarization assay, using recombinant STAT3 protein, has successfully identified compounds that target the SH2 domain; however, no assay has been reported to identify inhibitors that bind the DNA-binding domain. The lack of such a quantitative assay has limited the identification and development of STAT3 DNA-binding domain inhibitors. Here, we report a modified DNA-binding ELISA to incorporate recombinant STAT3 protein to evaluate small molecules that prevent STAT3-DNA binding. The concomitant use of the ELISA and fluorescence polarization assay enables the classification of direct STAT3 inhibitors by their site of action. Our data provide further support that niclosamide inhibits STAT3 through interaction with the DNA-binding domain. Furthermore, the ELISA can support medicinal chemistry efforts by identifying DNA-binding domain inhibitors and allowing the determination of an IC50 value, supporting the ranking of inhibitors and development of structure-activity relationships. Therefore, we propose a tandem evaluation approach to identify small molecules that target the SH2 domain or the DNA-binding domain of STAT3, which allows for quantitative evaluation of candidate STAT3 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffanie L. Furtek
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Christopher J. Matheson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Donald S. Backos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Philip Reigan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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Moens L, Schaballie H, Bosch B, Voet A, Bossuyt X, Casanova JL, Boisson-Dupuis S, Tangye SG, Meyts I. AD Hyper-IgE Syndrome Due to a Novel Loss-of-Function Mutation in STAT3: a Diagnostic Pursuit Won by Clinical Acuity. J Clin Immunol 2016; 37:12-17. [PMID: 27844301 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-016-0351-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leen Moens
- Laboratory Medicine, Experimental Laboratory Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Heidi Schaballie
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Childhood Immunology, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Barbara Bosch
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,St. Giles Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arnout Voet
- Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xavier Bossuyt
- Laboratory Medicine, Experimental Laboratory Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean-Laurent Casanova
- St. Giles Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA.,The Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM U1163, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France.,The Imagine Institute, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France.,The Pediatric Hematology and Immunology Unit, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France
| | - Stephanie Boisson-Dupuis
- St. Giles Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Rockefeller Branch, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,The Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, Necker Branch, INSERM U1163, Necker Hospital for Sick Children, Paris, France.,Paris Descartes University, Imagine Institute, Paris, France
| | - Stuart G Tangye
- Immunology Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, University of NSW Australia, Darlinghurst, Australia
| | - Isabelle Meyts
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Childhood Immunology, University Hospitals Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Abstract
STAT6 participates in classical IL-4/IL-13 signaling and stimulator of interferon genes-mediated antiviral innate immune responses. Aberrations in STAT6-mediated signaling are linked to development of asthma and diseases of the immune system. In addition, STAT6 remains constitutively active in multiple types of cancer. Therefore, targeting STAT6 is an attractive proposition for treating related diseases. Although a lot is known about the role of STAT6 in transcriptional regulation, molecular details on how STAT6 recognizes and binds specific segments of DNA to exert its function are not clearly understood. Here, we report the crystal structures of a homodimer of phosphorylated STAT6 core fragment (STAT6CF) alone and bound with the N3 and N4 DNA binding site. Analysis of the structures reveals that STAT6 undergoes a dramatic conformational change on DNA binding, which was further validated by performing molecular dynamics simulation studies and small angle X-ray scattering analysis. Our data show that a larger angle at the intersection where the two protomers of STAT meet and the presence of a unique residue, H415, in the DNA-binding domain play important roles in discrimination of the N4 site DNA from the N3 site by STAT6. H415N mutation of STAT6CF decreased affinity of the protein for the N4 site DNA, but increased its affinity for N3 site DNA, both in vitro and in vivo. Results of our structure-function studies on STAT6 shed light on mechanism of DNA recognition by STATs in general and explain the reasons underlying STAT6's preference for N4 site DNA over N3.
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Mitochondrial STAT3: Powering up a potent factor. Cytokine 2016; 87:20-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2016.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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36
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Protocol for a Steady-State FRET Assay in Cancer Chemoprevention. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1379:165-79. [PMID: 26608299 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3191-0_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Cancer chemoprevention is an important strategy to prevent, reverse, or suppress the development of cancer. One of the target pathways that has emerged in recent years is the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE system that regulates the protection of cells against various carcinogens and their metabolites. Increased concentrations of the redox transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) induces the activation of antioxidant and phase 2 detoxifying genes. Nrf2 is regulated by substrate adaptor protein Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) that can target Nrf2 for ubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome. The interaction between Nrf2 and Keap1 can be disrupted at the protein-protein interface in order to increase Nrf2 activity for potential therapeutic purposes. This chapter describes a protocol for a steady-state fluorescence or Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay to examine the Keap1-Nrf2 protein-protein interaction (PPI), to investigate the effects of Nrf2 mutations on Keap1 binding and finally to identify potential inhibitors of this PPI. In the assay system Keap1 is conjugated to an YFP protein at the N-terminus whereas an Nrf2-derived 16-mer peptide containing a high-affinity "ETGE" motif is conjugated to a CFP protein at the N-terminus.
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Intermolecular disulfide bond influences unphosphorylated STAT3 dimerization and function. Biochem J 2016; 473:3205-19. [PMID: 27486258 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor activated by the phosphorylation of tyrosine 705 in response to many cytokines and growth factors. Recently, the roles for unphosphorylated STAT3 (U-STAT3) have been described in response to cytokine stimulation, in cancers, and in the maintenance of heterochromatin stability. It has been reported that U-STAT3 dimerizes, shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus, and binds to DNA, thereby driving genes transcription. Although many reports describe the active role of U-STAT3 in oncogenesis in addition to phosphorylated STAT3, the U-STAT3 functional pathway remains elusive.In this report, we describe the molecular mechanism of U-STAT3 dimerization, and we identify the presence of two intermolecular disulfide bridges between Cys367 and Cys542 and Cys418 and Cys426, respectively. Recently, we reported that the same cysteines contribute to the redox regulation of STAT3 signaling pathway both in vitro and in vivo The presence of these disulfides is here demonstrated to largely contribute to the structure and the stability of U-STAT3 dimer as the dimeric form rapidly dissociates upon reduction in the S-S bonds. In particular, the Cys367-Cys542 disulfide bridge is shown to be critical for U-STAT3 DNA-binding activity. Mutation of the two Cys residues completely abolishes the DNA-binding capability of U-STAT3. Spectroscopic investigations confirm that the noncovalent interactions are sufficient for proper folding and dimer formation, but that the interchain disulfide bonds are crucial to preserve the functional dimer. Finally, we propose a reaction scheme of U-STAT3 dimerization with a first common step followed by stabilization through the formation of interchain disulfide bonds.
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Namanja AT, Wang J, Buettner R, Colson L, Chen Y. Allosteric Communication across STAT3 Domains Associated with STAT3 Function and Disease-Causing Mutation. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:579-589. [PMID: 26774853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2015] [Revised: 01/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
STAT3 is a member of STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) transcription activators. Aberration in STAT3 activity due to constitutive activation or mutations leads to diseases such as cancer and hyper-immunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES). STAT3 contains several structured domains including the Src homology 2 domain (SH2), linker domain (LD), DNA-binding domain (DBD) and the coiled-coil domain. Here we report the discovery of inter-domain allosteric communications in STAT3 from studies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and other methods. We found that pTyr-peptide interactions with SH2 cause structural and dynamics changes in LD and DBD. The inter-domain allosteric effect is likely mediated by the flexibility in the hydrophobic core. In addition, a mutation in LD found in HIES (I568F) induces NMR chemical shift perturbation in SH2, DBD and the coiled-coil domain, suggesting conformational changes in these domains. Consistent with conformational changes in SH2, the I568F mutant reduces SH2's binding affinity to a pTyr-containing peptide. This study provides an example of dynamics-dependent allosteric effects, and due to the structural conservation of the STAT family of proteins, the inter-domain allosteric communication observed in STAT3 likely occurs in other STATs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Namanja
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Jianghai Wang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ralf Buettner
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Loren Colson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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Langenfeld F, Guarracino Y, Arock M, Trouvé A, Tchertanov L. How Intrinsic Molecular Dynamics Control Intramolecular Communication in Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription Factor STAT5. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145142. [PMID: 26717567 PMCID: PMC4696835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription STAT5 is a key mediator of cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. While STAT5 activity is tightly regulated in normal cells, its constitutive activation directly contributes to oncogenesis and is associated with a broad range of hematological and solid tumor cancers. Therefore the development of compounds able to modulate pathogenic activation of this protein is a very challenging endeavor. A crucial step of drug design is the understanding of the protein conformational features and the definition of putative binding site(s) for such modulators. Currently, there is no structural data available for human STAT5 and our study is the first footprint towards the description of structure and dynamics of this protein. We investigated structural and dynamical features of the two STAT5 isoforms, STAT5a and STAT5b, taken into account their phosphorylation status. The study was based on the exploration of molecular dynamics simulations by different analytical methods. Despite the overall folding similarity of STAT5 proteins, the MD conformations display specific structural and dynamical features for each protein, indicating first, sequence-encoded structural properties and second, phosphorylation-induced effects which contribute to local and long-distance structural rearrangements interpreted as allosteric event. Further examination of the dynamical coupling between distant sites provides evidence for alternative profiles of the communication pathways inside and between the STAT5 domains. These results add a new insight to the understanding of the crucial role of intrinsic molecular dynamics in mediating intramolecular signaling in STAT5. Two pockets, localized in close proximity to the phosphotyrosine-binding site and adjacent to the channel for communication pathways across STAT5, may constitute valid targets to develop inhibitors able to modulate the function-related communication properties of this signaling protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Langenfeld
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Cachan, France
- Centre de Mathématiques et de Leurs applications, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Cachan, France
| | - Yann Guarracino
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Cachan, France
| | - Michel Arock
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie Appliquée Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Cachan, France
| | - Alain Trouvé
- Centre de Mathématiques et de Leurs applications, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Cachan, France
| | - Luba Tchertanov
- Centre de Mathématiques et de Leurs applications, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Cachan, France
- * E-mail:
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40
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Srivastava J, DiGiovanni J. Non-canonical Stat3 signaling in cancer. Mol Carcinog 2015; 55:1889-1898. [PMID: 26649644 DOI: 10.1002/mc.22438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Stat3 is a member of the signal transducers and activators of transcription family and is a known regulator of essential biologic processes including angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and cell migration. Canonical Stat3-mediated signaling involves tyrosine phosphorylation on specific residues that leads to homodimerization and translocation to the nucleus. For many years it was presumed that most, if not all, of the functions of Stat3, both normal and aberrant, were due to the canonical cytokine and growth factor signaling mechanisms. Recent studies suggest that Stat3 functions through alternate non-canonical pathways to bring about some of these biological functions both in normal cells as well as during cancer development and progression. A number of studies have now shown that Stat3 has a function in mitochondria and that unphosphorylated Stat3 (uStat3) can also function as a transcription factor broadening the potential mechanisms involved in Stat3 action. In this review article, we discuss these two main non-canonical functions of Stat3 and their potential roles in oncogenesis. Given the many facets of Stat3 signaling, additional comprehensive investigations are required to fully understand the role of non-canonical Stat3 signaling in cancer and whether these pathways can be targeted for cancer prevention and treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaya Srivastava
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - John DiGiovanni
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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41
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Hu T, Yeh JE, Pinello L, Jacob J, Chakravarthy S, Yuan GC, Chopra R, Frank DA. Impact of the N-Terminal Domain of STAT3 in STAT3-Dependent Transcriptional Activity. Mol Cell Biol 2015; 35:3284-300. [PMID: 26169829 PMCID: PMC4561728 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00060-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor STAT3 is constitutively active in many cancers, where it mediates important biological effects, including cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and angiogenesis. The N-terminal domain (NTD) of STAT3 performs multiple functions, such as cooperative DNA binding, nuclear translocation, and protein-protein interactions. However, it is unclear which subsets of STAT3 target genes depend on the NTD for transcriptional regulation. To identify such genes, we compared gene expression in STAT3-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) stably expressing wild-type STAT3 or STAT3 from which NTD was deleted. NTD deletion reduced the cytokine-induced expression of specific STAT3 target genes by decreasing STAT3 binding to their regulatory regions. To better understand the potential mechanisms of this effect, we determined the crystal structure of the STAT3 NTD and identified a dimer interface responsible for cooperative DNA binding in vitro. We also observed an Ni(2+)-mediated oligomer with an as yet unknown biological function. Mutations on both dimer and Ni(2+)-mediated interfaces affected the cytokine induction of STAT3 target genes. These studies shed light on the role of the NTD in transcriptional regulation by STAT3 and provide a structural template with which to design STAT3 NTD inhibitors with potential therapeutic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiancen Hu
- Center for Proteomic Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Postdoctoral Program, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer E Yeh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Luca Pinello
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaison Jacob
- Center for Proteomic Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Srinivas Chakravarthy
- Biophysical Collaborative Access Team/Illinois Institute of Technology, Sector 18ID (Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory), Lemont, Illinois, USA
| | - Guo-Cheng Yuan
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rajiv Chopra
- Center for Proteomic Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David A Frank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Biophysical Collaborative Access Team/Illinois Institute of Technology, Sector 18ID (Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory), Lemont, Illinois, USA Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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42
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Minus MB, Liu W, Vohidov F, Kasembeli MM, Long X, Krueger MJ, Stevens A, Kolosov MI, Tweardy DJ, Sison EAR, Redell MS, Ball ZT. Rhodium(II) Proximity-Labeling Identifies a Novel Target Site on STAT3 for Inhibitors with Potent Anti-Leukemia Activity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201506889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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43
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Minus MB, Liu W, Vohidov F, Kasembeli MM, Long X, Krueger MJ, Stevens A, Kolosov MI, Tweardy DJ, Sison EAR, Redell MS, Ball ZT. Rhodium(II) Proximity-Labeling Identifies a Novel Target Site on STAT3 for Inhibitors with Potent Anti-Leukemia Activity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 54:13085-9. [PMID: 26480340 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201506889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Nearly 40 % of children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) suffer relapse arising from chemoresistance, often involving upregulation of the oncoprotein STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3). Herein, rhodium(II)-catalyzed, proximity-driven modification identifies the STAT3 coiled-coil domain (CCD) as a novel ligand-binding site, and we describe a new naphthalene sulfonamide inhibitor that targets the CCD, blocks STAT3 function, and halts its disease-promoting effects in vitro, in tumor growth models, and in a leukemia mouse model, validating this new therapeutic target for resistant AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Minus
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005 (USA)
| | - Wei Liu
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA)
| | - Farrukh Vohidov
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005 (USA)
| | - Moses M Kasembeli
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA)
| | - Xin Long
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA)
| | - Michael J Krueger
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA)
| | - Alexandra Stevens
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA)
| | - Mikhail I Kolosov
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA)
| | - David J Tweardy
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA).
| | - Edward Allan R Sison
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA)
| | - Michele S Redell
- Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030 (USA).
| | - Zachary T Ball
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005 (USA).
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Sgrignani J, Olsson S, Ekonomiuk D, Genini D, Krause R, Catapano CV, Cavalli A. Molecular Determinants for Unphosphorylated STAT3 Dimerization Determined by Integrative Modeling. Biochemistry 2015; 54:5489-501. [DOI: 10.1021/bi501529x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Sgrignani
- Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB) and Universitá della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via Vincenzo
Vela 6, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Simon Olsson
- Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB) and Universitá della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via Vincenzo
Vela 6, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Laboratorium
für Physikalische Chemie, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dariusz Ekonomiuk
- Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB) and Universitá della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via Vincenzo
Vela 6, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Davide Genini
- IOR Institute of Oncology Research, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Rolf Krause
- Institute
of Computational Science, Faculty of Informatics, Universitá della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, CH-6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Carlo V. Catapano
- IOR Institute of Oncology Research, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB) and Universitá della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via Vincenzo
Vela 6, CH-6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lansfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
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Botta A, Sirignano E, Popolo A, Saturnino C, Terracciano S, Foglia A, Sinicropi MS, Longo P, Di Micco S. Identification of Lead Compounds as Inhibitors of STAT3: Design, Synthesis and Bioactivity. Mol Inform 2015; 34:689-97. [PMID: 27490969 DOI: 10.1002/minf.201500043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
STAT3 belongs to the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) family. It has been demonstrated that STAT3 is constitutively activated in many tumors, playing a role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. For this reason, it has being considered a potential target for cancer therapy. In this context, we have designed, synthesized and evaluated 1,4-dimethyl-carbazole derivatives, targeting the STAT3 protein. Moreover, MTT assay performed on A375 and HeLa, showed significant antiproliferative activity of some of synthesized compounds (3-5). The same compounds (3-5) considerably reduced STAT3 expression, as demonstrated by Western blot analysis. Our multidisciplinary approach shows that 1,4-dimethyl-carbazoles are potential building blocks to develop more affinity ligands of STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Botta
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy phone/fax: +39 089969176 (S. D. M.); +39 089969769 (C. S.); +39 089969602 (fax)
| | - Esther Sirignano
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy phone/fax: +39 089969176 (S. D. M.); +39 089969769 (C. S.); +39 089969602 (fax)
| | - Ada Popolo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy phone/fax: +39 089969176 (S. D. M.); +39 089969769 (C. S.); +39 089969602 (fax)
| | - Carmela Saturnino
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy phone/fax: +39 089969176 (S. D. M.); +39 089969769 (C. S.); +39 089969602 (fax).
| | - Stefania Terracciano
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy phone/fax: +39 089969176 (S. D. M.); +39 089969769 (C. S.); +39 089969602 (fax)
| | - Antonio Foglia
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy phone/fax: +39 089969176 (S. D. M.); +39 089969769 (C. S.); +39 089969602 (fax)
| | - Maria Stefania Sinicropi
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia, Università degli Studi di Salerno Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Pasquale Longo
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Scienze della Salute e della Nutrizione, Università della Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Simone Di Micco
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy phone/fax: +39 089969176 (S. D. M.); +39 089969769 (C. S.); +39 089969602 (fax).
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Huang W, Dong Z, Chen Y, Wang F, Wang CJ, Peng H, He Y, Hangoc G, Pollok K, Sandusky G, Fu XY, Broxmeyer HE, Zhang ZY, Liu JY, Zhang JT. Small-molecule inhibitors targeting the DNA-binding domain of STAT3 suppress tumor growth, metastasis and STAT3 target gene expression in vivo. Oncogene 2015; 35:783-92. [PMID: 26073084 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively activated in malignant tumors and has important roles in multiple aspects of cancer aggressiveness. Thus targeting STAT3 promises to be an attractive strategy for treatment of advanced metastatic tumors. Although many STAT3 inhibitors targeting the SH2 domain have been reported, few have moved into clinical trials. Targeting the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of STAT3, however, has been avoided due to its 'undruggable' nature and potentially limited selectivity. In a previous study, we reported an improved in silico approach targeting the DBD of STAT3 that resulted in a small-molecule STAT3 inhibitor (inS3-54). Further studies, however, showed that inS3-54 has off-target effect although it is selective to STAT3 over STAT1. In this study, we describe an extensive structure and activity-guided hit optimization and mechanistic characterization effort, which led to identification of an improved lead compound (inS3-54A18) with increased specificity and pharmacological properties. InS3-54A18 not only binds directly to the DBD and inhibits the DNA-binding activity of STAT3 both in vitro and in situ but also effectively inhibits the constitutive and interleukin-6-stimulated expression of STAT3 downstream target genes. InS3-54A18 is completely soluble in an oral formulation and effectively inhibits lung xenograft tumor growth and metastasis with little adverse effect on animals. Thus inS3-54A18 may serve as a potential candidate for further development as anticancer therapeutics targeting the DBD of human STAT3 and DBD of transcription factors may not be 'undruggable' as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Z Dong
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Y Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - F Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - C J Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - H Peng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Y He
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - G Hangoc
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - K Pollok
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - G Sandusky
- IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - X-Y Fu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - H E Broxmeyer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Z-Y Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - J-Y Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Department of Computer and Information Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - J-T Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,IU Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Mantaj J, Rahman SMA, Bokshi B, Hasan CM, Jackson PJM, Parsons RB, Rahman KM. Crispene E, a cis-clerodane diterpene inhibits STAT3 dimerization in breast cancer cells. Org Biomol Chem 2015; 13:3882-6. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ob00052a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Crispene E inhibited STAT3 dimerization in a cell-free fluorescent polarization assay and was found to have significant toxicity against STAT3-dependent MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cell line and selectively inhibited the expression of STAT3 and STAT3 target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mantaj
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science
- King's College London
- London SE1 9NH
- UK
| | - S. M. Abdur Rahman
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- University of Dhaka
- Dhaka 1000
- Bangladesh
| | - Bishwajit Bokshi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- University of Dhaka
- Dhaka 1000
- Bangladesh
| | - Choudhury M. Hasan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- University of Dhaka
- Dhaka 1000
- Bangladesh
| | - Paul J. M. Jackson
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science
- King's College London
- London SE1 9NH
- UK
| | - Richard B. Parsons
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science
- King's College London
- London SE1 9NH
- UK
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48
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Resetca D, Haftchenary S, Gunning PT, Wilson DJ. Changes in signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) dynamics induced by complexation with pharmacological inhibitors of Src homology 2 (SH2) domain dimerization. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:32538-47. [PMID: 25288792 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.595454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity of the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is dysregulated in a number of hematological and solid malignancies. Development of pharmacological STAT3 Src homology 2 (SH2) domain interaction inhibitors holds great promise for cancer therapy, and a novel class of salicylic acid-based STAT3 dimerization inhibitors that includes orally bioavailable drug candidates has been recently developed. The compounds SF-1-066 and BP-1-102 are predicted to bind to the STAT3 SH2 domain. However, given the highly unstructured and dynamic nature of the SH2 domain, experimental confirmation of this prediction was elusive. We have interrogated the protein-ligand interaction of STAT3 with these small molecule inhibitors by means of time-resolved electrospray ionization hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry. Analysis of site-specific evolution of deuterium uptake induced by the complexation of STAT3 with SF-1-066 or BP-1-102 under physiological conditions enabled the mapping of the in silico predicted inhibitor binding site to the STAT3 SH2 domain. The binding of both inhibitors to the SH2 domain resulted in significant local decreases in dynamics, consistent with solvent exclusion at the inhibitor binding site and increased rigidity of the inhibitor-complexed SH2 domain. Interestingly, inhibitor binding induced hot spots of allosteric perturbations outside of the SH2 domain, manifesting mainly as increased deuterium uptake, in regions of STAT3 important for DNA binding and nuclear localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Resetca
- From the Center for Research in Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada and
| | - Sina Haftchenary
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Patrick T Gunning
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Derek J Wilson
- From the Center for Research in Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada and
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49
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Wilson T, Omelchenko I, Foster S, Zhang Y, Shi X, Nuttall AL. JAK2/STAT3 inhibition attenuates noise-induced hearing loss. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108276. [PMID: 25275304 PMCID: PMC4183445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a stress responsive transcription factor that plays a key role in oxidative stress-mediated tissue injury. As reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a known source of damage to tissues of the inner ear following loud sound exposure, we examined the role of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 signaling pathway in noise induce hearing loss using the pathway specific inhibitor, JSI-124. Mice were exposed to a moderately damaging level of loud sound revealing the phosphorylation of STAT3 tyrosine 705 residues and nuclear localization in many cell types in the inner ear including the marginal cells of the stria vascularis, type II, III, and IV fibrocytes, spiral ganglion cells, and in the inner hair cells. Treatment of the mice with the JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor before noise exposure reduced levels of phosphorylated STAT3 Y705. We performed auditory brain stem response and distortion product otoacoustic emission measurements and found increased recovery of hearing sensitivity at two weeks after noise exposure with JAK2/STAT3 inhibition. Performance of cytocochleograms revealed improved outer hair cell survival in JSI-124 treated mice relative to control. Finally, JAK2/STAT3 inhibition reduced levels of ROS detected in outer hair cells at two hours post noise exposure. Together, these findings demonstrate that inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is protective against noise-induced cochlear tissue damage and loss of hearing sensitivity.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cochlea/metabolism
- Cochlea/pathology
- Cochlea/physiopathology
- Epithelium/metabolism
- Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Hair Cells, Auditory/metabolism
- Hair Cells, Auditory/pathology
- Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/metabolism
- Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/pathology
- Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced/physiopathology
- Inflammation Mediators/metabolism
- Janus Kinase 2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Janus Kinase 2/metabolism
- Male
- Mice
- Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous
- Phosphorylation
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
- STAT3 Transcription Factor/antagonists & inhibitors
- STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Wilson
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Irina Omelchenko
- Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Sarah Foster
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Xiaorui Shi
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Alfred L. Nuttall
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Kresge Hearing Research Institute, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Butturini E, Darra E, Chiavegato G, Cellini B, Cozzolino F, Monti M, Pucci P, Dell’Orco D, Mariotto S. S-Glutathionylation at Cys328 and Cys542 impairs STAT3 phosphorylation. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:1885-93. [PMID: 24941337 DOI: 10.1021/cb500407d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
STAT3 is a latent transcription factor that promotes cell survival and proliferation and is often constitutively active in cancers. Although many reports provide evidence that STAT3 is a direct target of oxidative stress, its redox regulation is poorly understood. Under oxidative conditions STAT3 activity can be modulated by S-glutathionylation, a reversible redox modification of cysteine residues. This suggests the possible cross-talk between phosphorylation and glutathionylation and points out that STAT3 is susceptible to redox regulation. Recently, we reported that decreasing the GSH content in different cell lines induces inhibition of STAT3 activity through the reversible oxidation of thiol groups. In the present work, we demonstrate that GSH/diamide treatment induces S-glutathionylation of STAT3 in the recombinant purified form. This effect was completely reversed by treatment with the reducing agent dithiothreitol, indicating that S-glutathionylation of STAT3 was related to formation of protein-mixed disulfides. Moreover, addition of the bulky negatively charged GSH moiety impairs JAK2-mediated STAT3 phosphorylation, very likely interfering with tyrosine accessibility and thus affecting protein structure and function. Mass mapping analysis identifies two glutathionylated cysteine residues, Cys328 and Cys542, within the DNA-binding domain and the linker domain, respectively. Site direct mutagenesis and in vitro kinase assay confirm the importance of both cysteine residues in the complex redox regulatory mechanism of STAT3. Cells expressing mutant were resistant in this regard. The data presented herein confirmed the occurrence of a redox-dependent regulation of STAT3, identified the more redox-sensitive cysteines within STAT3 structure, and may have important implications for development of new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Butturini
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Elena Darra
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Giulia Chiavegato
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Barbara Cellini
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Flora Cozzolino
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate and Department of Chemical Science, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Maria Monti
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate and Department of Chemical Science, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Piero Pucci
- CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate and Department of Chemical Science, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples 80138, Italy
| | - Daniele Dell’Orco
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
| | - Sofia Mariotto
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Biochemistry Section, University of Verona, Verona 37134, Italy
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