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Biswas U, Roy R, Ghosh S, Chakrabarti G. The interplay between autophagy and apoptosis: its implication in lung cancer and therapeutics. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216662. [PMID: 38309614 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining cellular homeostasis relies on the interplay between apoptosis and autophagy, and disruption in either of these processes can contribute to the development of cancer. Autophagy can hinder the apoptotic process, and when autophagy is inhibited in such instances, it can enhance the rate of apoptosis. However, evidence suggests that excessive autophagy can also lead to apoptotic cell death. Also, excess autophagy can cause excessive digestion of cellular organelles, causing autophagic cell death. Targeting autophagy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of lung cancer, can be very tricky due to the dual nature of autophagy. According to genetic analysis, various mutations in p53 and EGFR, G:C to A:T transversions seem responsible for the development of lung cancer in smokers and non-smokers. These events trigger cytoprotective autophagy or induce apoptotic cell death through different but interconnected signalling pathways. Lung cancer being the leading cause of death worldwide, calls for more attention to disease prognosis and new therapeutics in the market. However, molecules responsible for autophagy to apoptosis transition are yet to be studied elaborately. Also, the role of effector caspases during this shift needs to be elucidated in future. To comprehend how therapeutics operate through the modulation of autophagy and apoptosis and to target such pathways, it is crucial to emphasize these intricate connections. Many therapeutics discussed in this review targeting both apoptosis and autophagy have shown promising results in vitro and in vivo, however, few have crossed the hurdles of clinical trial. Nevertheless, the quest for safer and better efficacious agents is still alive, with the sole aim to develop novel cancer chemotherapeutic(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Urmita Biswas
- Department of Biotechnology and Dr. B. C. Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Ranita Roy
- Department of Biotechnology and Dr. B. C. Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Swarnasree Ghosh
- Department of Biotechnology and Dr. B. C. Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Gopal Chakrabarti
- Department of Biotechnology and Dr. B. C. Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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Alotaibi MO, Alotaibi NM, Alwaili MA, Alshammari N, Adnan M, Patel M. Natural sapogenins as potential inhibitors of aquaporins for targeted cancer therapy: computational insights into binding and inhibition mechanism. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38174738 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2299743] [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: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane proteins that facilitate the transport of water and other small molecules across biological membranes. AQPs are involved in various physiological processes and pathological conditions, including cancer, making them as potential targets for anticancer therapy. However, the development of selective and effective inhibitors of AQPs remains a challenge. In this study, we explored the possibility of using natural sapogenins, a class of plant-derived aglycones of saponins with diverse biological activities, as potential inhibitors of AQPs. We performed molecular docking, dynamics simulation and binding energy calculation to investigate the binding and inhibition mechanism of 19 sapogenins against 13 AQPs (AQP0-AQP13) that are overexpressed in various cancers. Our results showed that out of 19 sapogenins, 8 (Diosgenin, Gitogenin, Tigogenin, Ruscogenin, Yamogenin, Hecogenin, Sarsasapogenin and Smilagenin) exhibited acceptable drug-like characteristics. These sapogenin also exhibited favourable binding affinities in the range of -7.6 to -13.4 kcal/mol, and interactions within the AQP binding sites. Furthermore, MD simulations provided insights into stability and dynamics of the sapogenin-AQP complexes. Most of the fluctuations in binding pocket were observed for AQP0-Gitogenin and AQP4-Diosgenin. However, remaining protein-ligand complex showed stable root mean square deviation (RMSD) plots, strong hydrogen bonding interactions, stable solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) values and minimum distance to the receptor. These observations suggest that natural sapogenin hold promise as novel inhibitors of AQPs, offering a basis for the development of innovative therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. However, further validation of the identified compounds through experiments is essential for translating these findings into therapeutic applications.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Modhi O Alotaibi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nahaa M Alotaibi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maha Abdullah Alwaili
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nawaf Alshammari
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Adnan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mitesh Patel
- Research and Development Cell, Department of Biotechnology, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences, Parul University, Vadodara, India
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Feng C, Zheng W, Han L, Wang JK, Zha XP, Xiao Q, He ZJ, Kang JC. AaLaeA targets AaFla1 to mediate the production of antitumor compound in Alternaria alstroemeria. J Basic Microbiol 2024; 64:68-80. [PMID: 37717245 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202300319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Endophytic fungi are an important source of novel antitumor substances. Previously, we isolated an endophytic fungus, Alternaria alstroemeria, from the medicinal plant Artemisia artemisia, whose crude extracts strongly inhibited A549 tumor cells. We obtained a transformant, namely AaLaeAOE26 , which completely loses its antitumor activity due to overexpression of the global regulator AaLaeA. Re-sequencing analysis of the genome revealed that the insertion site was in the noncoding region and did not destroy any other genes. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the level of secondary antitumor metabolic substances was significantly lower in AaLaeAOE26 compared with the wild strain, in particular flavonoids were more downregulated according to the metabolomics analysis. A further comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that a gene encoding FAD-binding domain protein (Fla1) was significantly downregulated. On the other hand, overexpression of AaFla1 led to significant enhancement of antitumor activity against A549 with a sevenfold higher inhibition ratio than the wild strain. At the same time, we also found a significant increase in the accumulation of antitumor metabolites including quercetin, gitogenin, rhodioloside, liensinine, ginsenoside Rg2 and cinobufagin. Our data suggest that the global regulator AaLaeA negatively affects the production of antitumor compounds via controlling the transcription of AaFla1 in endophytic A. alstroemeria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Feng
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Zheng
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Long Han
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Kang Wang
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing-Ping Zha
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Xiao
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhang-Jiang He
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji-Chuan Kang
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
- Southwest Biomedical Resources of the Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, People's Republic of China
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Seo Y, Lim C, Lee J, Kim J, Kim YH, Lee PCW, Jang SW. Sakurasosaponin inhibits lung cancer cell proliferation by inducing autophagy via AMPK activation. Oncol Lett 2023; 26:501. [PMID: 37920436 PMCID: PMC10618918 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2023.14088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sakurasosaponin (S-saponin; PubChem ID: 3085160), a recently identified saponin from the roots of Primula sieboldii, has shown potential anticancer properties against various types of cancer. In the present study, the effects of S-saponin on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell proliferation and the underlying mechanisms, were investigated. The effect of S-saponin on cell proliferation and cell death were assessed CCK-8, clonogenic assay, western blotting and Annexin V/PI double staining. S-saponin-induced autophagy was determined by confocal microscopic analysis and immunoblotting. S-saponin inhibited the proliferation of A549 and H1299 NSCLC cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner, without inducing apoptosis. S-saponin treatment induced autophagy in these cells, as evidenced by the increased LC3-II levels and GFP-LC3 puncta formation. It activated the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway, which is crucial for autophagy induction. Inhibition of AMPK with Compound C or siRNA-mediated knockdown of AMPK abrogated S-saponin-induced autophagy and partially rescued cell proliferation. Therefore, S-saponin exerts anti-proliferative effects on NSCLC cells through autophagy induction via AMPK activation. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of S-saponin in NSCLC cells could provide insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulyeong Seo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
- Asan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and Technology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Chungun Lim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
- Asan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and Technology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Jimin Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
- Asan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and Technology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinho Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
- Asan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and Technology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Hyoung Kim
- Department of Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Peter C W Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Wuk Jang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
- Asan Medical Institute of Convergence Science and Technology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea
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Zhu M, Sun Y, Bai H, Wang Y, Yang B, Wang Q, Kuang H. Effects of saponins from Chinese herbal medicines on signal transduction pathways in cancer: A review. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1159985. [PMID: 37063281 PMCID: PMC10090286 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1159985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer poses a serious threat to human health, and the search for safe and effective drugs for its treatment has aroused interest and become a long-term goal. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM), an ancient science with unique anti-cancer advantages, has achieved outstanding results in long-term clinical practice. Accumulating evidence shows that saponins are key bioactive components in TCM and have great research and development applications for their significant role in the treatment of cancer. Saponins are a class of glycosides comprising nonpolar triterpenes or sterols attached to hydrophilic oligosaccharide groups that exert antitumor effects by targeting the NF-κB, PI3Ks-Akt-mTOR, MAPK, Wnt-β-catenin, JAK-STAT3, APMK, p53, and EGFR signaling pathways. Presently, few advances have been made in physiological and pathological studies on the effect of saponins on signal transduction pathways involved in cancer treatment. This paper reviews the phytochemistry and extraction methods of saponins of TCM and their effects on signal transduction pathways in cancer. It aims to provide theoretical support for in-depth studies on the anticancer effects of saponins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingtao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao (Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine), Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Yanping Sun
- Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao (Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine), Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Haodong Bai
- Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao (Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine), Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Yimeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao (Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine), Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Bingyou Yang
- Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao (Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine), Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
| | - Qiuhong Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qiuhong Wang, ; Haixue Kuang,
| | - Haixue Kuang
- Key Laboratory of Basic and Application Research of Beiyao (Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine), Ministry of Education, Harbin, China
- *Correspondence: Qiuhong Wang, ; Haixue Kuang,
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Yang W, Liang Y, Liu Y, Chen B, Wang K, Chen X, Yu Z, Yang D, Cai Y, Zheng G. The molecular mechanism for inhibiting the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells using polymethoxyflavonoids purified from pericarp of Citrus reticulata 'Chachi' via HSCCC. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1096001. [PMID: 37180721 PMCID: PMC10174288 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1096001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymethoxyflavonoids (PMFs), the main bioactive compounds naturally occurring in the pericarp of Citrus reticulata 'Chachi' (CRCP), possess significant antitumor action. However, the action of PMFs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is currently unknown. The present research study was conducted to investigate the inhibitory mechanisms of PMFs from CRCP on NPC growth in vivo and in vitro. In our research, we used high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) to separate four PMFs (nobiletin (NOB), 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone (HMF), tangeretin (TGN), and 5-hydroxy-6,7,8,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone (5-HPMF)) from CRCP. CCK-8 assay was used to preliminarily screen cell viability following exposure to the four PMFs. Colony formation, Hoechst-33258 staining, transwell, and wound scratch assays were performed to assess the anti-proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis-inducing effects of HMF on NPC cells. NPC tumors in xenograft tumor transplantation experiments were also established to explore the effect of HMF (100 and 150 mg/kg/day) on NPC. The histopathological changes in the treated rats were observed by H&E staining and Ki-67 detection by immunohistochemical techniques. The expressions of P70S6K, p-P70S6K, S6, p-S6, COX-2, p53, and p-p53 were measured by Western blot. The four PMFs were obtained with high purity (>95.0%). The results of the preliminary screening by CCK-8 assay suggested that HMF had the strongest inhibitory effect on NPC cell growth. The results of the colony formation, Hoechst-33258 staining, transwell, and wound scratch assays indicated that HMF had significant anti-proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis-inducing ability in NPC cells. Moreover, HMF suppressed NPC tumor growth in xenograft tumor transplantation experiments. Further investigation suggested that HMF regulated NPC cells proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion by activating AMPK-dependent signaling pathways. In conclusion, HMF-induced AMPK activation inhibited NPC cell growth, invasion, and metastatic potency by downregulating the activation of the mTOR signaling pathway and COX-2 protein levels, as well as enhancing the p53 phosphorylation level. Our study provides a crucial experimental basis for the clinical treatment of NPC, as well as the development and utilization of PMFs from CRCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanling Yang
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiyao Liang
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yujie Liu
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baizhong Chen
- Guangdong Xinbaotang Biological Technology Co., Ltd., Jiangmen, China
| | - Kanghui Wang
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqian Yu
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Depo Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Guodong Zheng, ; Yi Cai, ; Depo Yang,
| | - Yi Cai
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Guodong Zheng, ; Yi Cai, ; Depo Yang,
| | - Guodong Zheng
- Guangzhou Municipal and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Target and Clinical Pharmacology, The NMPA and State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Guodong Zheng, ; Yi Cai, ; Depo Yang,
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