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Adegbola PI, Adetutu A. Genetic and epigenetic modulations in toxicity: The two-sided roles of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the environment. Toxicol Rep 2024; 12:502-519. [PMID: 38774476 PMCID: PMC11106787 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2024.04.010] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This study emphasizes the importance of considering the metabolic and toxicity mechanisms of environmental concern chemicals in real-life exposure scenarios. Furthermore, environmental chemicals may require metabolic activation to become toxic, and competition for binding sites on receptors can affect the severity of toxicity. The multicomplex process of chemical toxicity is reflected in the activation of multiple pathways during toxicity of which AhR activation is major. Real-life exposure to a mixture of concern chemicals is common, and the composition of these chemicals determines the severity of toxicity. Nutritional essential elements can mitigate the toxicity of toxic heavy metals, while the types and ratio of composition of PAH can either increase or decrease toxicity. The epigenetic mechanisms of heavy metals and PAH toxicity involves either down-regulation or up-regulation of some non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) whereas specific small RNAs (sRNAs) may have dual role depending on the tissue and circumstance of expression. Similarly, decrease DNA methylation and histone modification are major players in heavy metals and PAH mediated toxicity and FLT1 hypermethylation is a major process in PAH induced carcinogenesis. Overall, this review provides the understanding of the metabolism of environmental concern chemicals, emphasizing the importance of considering mixed compositions and real-life exposure scenarios in assessing their potential effects on human health and diseases development as well as the dual mechanism of toxicity via genetic or epigenetic axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Ifeoluwa Adegbola
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Science, First Technical University, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Adewale Adetutu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
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2
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Jansen RA, Mainardi S, Dias MH, Bosma A, van Dijk E, Selig R, Albrecht W, Laufer SA, Zender L, Bernards R. Small-molecule inhibition of MAP2K4 is synergistic with RAS inhibitors in KRAS-mutant cancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319492121. [PMID: 38377196 PMCID: PMC10907260 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319492121] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homologue KRAS is among the most commonly mutated oncogenes in human cancers, thus representing an attractive target for precision oncology. The approval for clinical use of the first selective inhibitors of G12C mutant KRAS therefore holds great promise for cancer treatment. However, despite initial encouraging clinical results, the overall survival benefit that patients experience following treatment with these inhibitors has been disappointing to date, pointing toward the need to develop more powerful combination therapies. Here, we show that responsiveness to KRASG12C and pan-RAS inhibitors in KRAS-mutant lung and colon cancer cells is limited by feedback activation of the parallel MAP2K4-JNK-JUN pathway. Activation of this pathway leads to elevated expression of receptor tyrosine kinases that reactivate KRAS and its downstream effectors in the presence of drug. We find that the combination of sotorasib, a drug targeting KRASG12C, and the MAP2K4 inhibitor HRX-0233 prevents this feedback activation and is highly synergistic in a panel of KRASG12C-mutant lung and colon cancer cells. Moreover, combining HRX-0233 and sotorasib is well-tolerated and resulted in durable tumor shrinkage in mouse xenografts of human lung cancer cells, suggesting a therapeutic strategy for KRAS-driven cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin A. Jansen
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam1066 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Mainardi
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam1066 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Matheus Henrique Dias
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam1066 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Bosma
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam1066 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Emma van Dijk
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam1066 CX, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Stefan A. Laufer
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen72074, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery and Development, Tübingen72074, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies” (EXC 2180), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
| | - Lars Zender
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery and Development, Tübingen72074, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) “Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies” (EXC 2180), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen72076, Germany
- German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg69120, Germany
| | - René Bernards
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam1066 CX, The Netherlands
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3
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Wang J, Liu Y, Guo Y, Liu C, Yang Y, Fan X, Yang H, Liu Y, Ma T. Function and inhibition of P38 MAP kinase signaling: Targeting multiple inflammation diseases. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 220:115973. [PMID: 38103797 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115973] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Inflammation is a natural host defense mechanism that protects the body from pathogenic microorganisms. A growing body of research suggests that inflammation is a key factor in triggering other diseases (lung injury, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.). However, there is no consensus on the complex mechanism of inflammatory response, which may include enzyme activation, mediator release, and tissue repair. In recent years, p38 MAPK, a member of the MAPKs family, has attracted much attention as a central target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. However, many p38 MAPK inhibitors attempting to obtain marketing approval have failed at the clinical trial stage due to selectivity and/or toxicity issues. In this paper, we discuss the mechanism of p38 MAPK in regulating inflammatory response and its key role in major inflammatory diseases and summarize the synthetic or natural products targeting p38 MAPK to improve the inflammatory response in the last five years, which will provide ideas for the development of novel clinical anti-inflammatory drugs based on p38 MAPK inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Wang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Yongjian Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Yushi Guo
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Cen Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Yuping Yang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Fan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Hongliu Yang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
| | - Yonggang Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China.
| | - Tao Ma
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China.
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Lin CY, Zhang YM, Li BZ, Shu MA, Xu WB. Identification and characterization of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) from the mud crab Scylla paramamosain in response to Vibrio alginolyticus and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV). DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 147:104755. [PMID: 37295629 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4), serves as a critical component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, facilitating the direct phosphorylation and activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 families of MAP kinases in response to environmental stresses. In the current research, we identified two MKK4 subtypes, namely SpMKK4-1 and SpMKK4-2, from Scylla paramamosain, followed by the analysis of their molecular characteristics and tissue distributions. The expression of SpMKK4s was induced upon WSSV and Vibrio alginolyticus challenges, and the bacteria clearance capacity and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) genes' expression upon bacterial infection were significantly decreased after knocking down SpMKK4s. Additionally, the overexpression of both SpMKK4s remarkably activated NF-κB reporter plasmid in HEK293T cells, suggesting the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. These results indicated the participation of SpMKK4s in the innate immunity of crabs, which shed light on a better understanding of the mechanisms through which MKK4s regulate innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yang Lin
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yan-Mei Zhang
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Bang-Ze Li
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Miao-An Shu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Wen-Bin Xu
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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McNamara B, Harold J, Manavella D, Bellone S, Mutlu L, Hartwich TMP, Zipponi M, Yang-Hartwich Y, Demirkiran C, Verzosa MSZ, Yang K, Choi J, Dong W, Buza N, Hui P, Altwerger G, Huang GS, Andikyan V, Clark M, Ratner E, Azodi M, Schwartz PE, Burton EA, Inagaki H, Albers A, Zhang C, Bollag G, Schlessinger J, Santin AD. Uterine leiomyosarcomas harboring MAP2K4 gene amplification are sensitive in vivo to PLX8725, a novel MAP2K4 inhibitor. Gynecol Oncol 2023; 172:65-71. [PMID: 36958197 PMCID: PMC10192120 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Uterine leiomyosarcomas (uLMS) are rare, highly aggressive tumors. Up to 30% of uLMS may harbor gain of function (GOF) in the MAP2K4 gene, important for tumor cell proliferation, differentiation and metastasis. We investigated the in vivo activity of a novel MAP2K4 inhibitor, PLX8725, against uLMS harboring MAP2K4 gene-amplification. METHODS Two fully characterized uLMS (i.e., LEY-11 and LEY-16) were grafted into female CB-17/SCID mice. Treatments with control vehicle or PLX8725 (50 mg/kg) were given via oral gavage daily on weekdays for up to 60 days. Tumor volume differences were calculated with two-way ANOVA. Pharmacokinetic (PK) and mechanistic studies of PLX8725 in uLMS PDX models were also performed. RESULTS Both uLMS tumors evaluated demonstrated GOF in MAP2K4 (i.e., 3 CNV in both LEY-11 and LEY-16). Tumor growth inhibition was significantly greater in both PDX LEY-11 and PDX LEY-16 treated with PLX8725 when compared to controls (p < 0.001). Median overall survival was also significantly longer in both PDX LEY-11 (p = 0.0047) and PDX LEY-16 (p = 0.0058) treatment cohorts when compared to controls. PLX8725 oral treatment was well tolerated, and PK studies demonstrated that oral PLX8725 gives extended exposure in mice. Ex vivo tumor samples after PLX8725 exposure decreased phosphorylated-ATR, JNK and p38, and increased expression of apoptotic molecules on western blot. CONCLUSION PLX8725 demonstrates promising in vivo activity against PDX models of uLMS harboring GOF alterations in the MAP2K4 gene with tolerable toxicity. Phase I trials of PLX8725 in advanced, recurrent, chemotherapy-resistant uLMS patients are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blair McNamara
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Justin Harold
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Diego Manavella
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Stefania Bellone
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Levent Mutlu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Tobias Max Philipp Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Margherita Zipponi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Yang Yang-Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Cem Demirkiran
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Miguel Skyler Z Verzosa
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Kevin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Jungmin Choi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, 02841 Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Weilai Dong
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States of America
| | - Natalia Buza
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States of America
| | - Pei Hui
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, United States of America
| | - Gary Altwerger
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Gloria S Huang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Vaagn Andikyan
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Mitchell Clark
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Elena Ratner
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Masoud Azodi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Peter E Schwartz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | | | - Hiroaki Inagaki
- Plexxikon Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America
| | - Aaron Albers
- Plexxikon Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America
| | - Chao Zhang
- Plexxikon Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America
| | - Gideon Bollag
- Plexxikon Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States of America
| | - Joseph Schlessinger
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America
| | - Alessandro D Santin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, CT 06520, United States of America.
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6
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Pan C, Su Z, Xie H, Ning Y, Li S, Xiao H. Hsa_circ_0081069 facilitates tongue squamous cell carcinoma progression by modulating MAP2K4 expression via miR-634. Odontology 2023; 111:474-486. [PMID: 36181561 DOI: 10.1007/s10266-022-00746-0] [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: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the progression of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the intrinsic mechanism of circ_0081069 in TSCC progression. The expression levels of circ_00081069, miR-634, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MAP2K4) in TSCC tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell counting kit 8 assay, Edu assay, and flow cytometry assay were used to detect cell proliferation and cell cycle distribution. Transwell assay was used to detect cell migration and invasion abilities. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the protein expression. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the targeting relationships of circ_0081069, miR-634 and MAP2K4. Immunohistochemical staining was used to measure MAP2K4-positive cells in tissues. The effect of circ_0081069 silencing on tumor formation in TSCC in vivo was explored by xenograft tumor assay. Circ_0081069 was highly expressed in TSCC tissues and cells. Silencing of circ_0081069 inhibited cell proliferation, cell cycle progress, cell migration and invasion in vitro, as well as hindered tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circ_0081069 targeted miR-634 to negatively regulate miR-634 expression, and inhibition of miR-634 was able to weaken the inhibitory effect of circ_0081069 knockdown on proliferation, migration, and invasion of TSCC cells. MiR-634 targeted MAP2K4 and negatively regulated MAP2K4 expression, and overexpression of miR-634 inhibited TSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while co-overexpression of MAP2K4 was able to reverse the effects of miR-634 in TSCC cells. Circ_0081069 is involved in the regulation of proliferation, cycle progress, migration, and invasion of TSCC cells through the miR-634/MAP2K4 axis and has the potential to serve as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Pan
- Department of Endodontics, Changsha Stomatological Hospital, No. 389, Youyi Road, Tianxin District, Changsha City, 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Zhijian Su
- Department of Endodontics, Changsha Stomatological Hospital, No. 389, Youyi Road, Tianxin District, Changsha City, 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Honghui Xie
- Department of Endodontics, Changsha Stomatological Hospital, No. 389, Youyi Road, Tianxin District, Changsha City, 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yanyang Ning
- Department of Endodontics, Changsha Stomatological Hospital, No. 389, Youyi Road, Tianxin District, Changsha City, 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Shuangjing Li
- Department of Endodontics, Changsha Stomatological Hospital, No. 389, Youyi Road, Tianxin District, Changsha City, 410008, Hunan Province, China
| | - Haibo Xiao
- Department of Endodontics, Changsha Stomatological Hospital, No. 389, Youyi Road, Tianxin District, Changsha City, 410008, Hunan Province, China.
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Fagbohun OF, Gillies CR, Murphy KPJ, Rupasinghe HPV. Role of Antioxidant Vitamins and Other Micronutrients on Regulations of Specific Genes and Signaling Pathways in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076092. [PMID: 37047063 PMCID: PMC10093825 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is an escalating global issue, with 19.3 million new cases and 9.9 million deaths in 2020. Therefore, effective approaches to prevent cancer are urgently required. Diet plays a significant role in determining cancer risk. Nutrients and food bioactives influence specific signaling pathways in the body. Recently, there have been significant advances in cancer prevention research through nutrigenomics or with the effects of dietary components on the genome. Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus databases were used to search for peer-reviewed articles between 2017 and 2023. Criteria used were vitamins, minerals, tumors, cancer, genes, inflammation, signaling pathways, and nutrigenomics. Among the total of 1857 articles available, the highest relevant 90 articles that specifically discussed signaling pathways and genes on cancer cell lines and human cancer patients were selected and reviewed. Food sources are rich in antioxidant micronutrients, which are effective in activating or regulating signaling pathways involved in pathogenesis and cancer therapy by activating enzymes such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase C (PKC), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). The micronutrients are involved in the regulation of β-catenin (WNT/β-catenin) including mutations in Kras and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) alongside inhibition of the NF-kB pathway. The most common mechanism of cancer prevention by these micronutrients is their antioxidative, anti-inflammation, and anti-apoptosis effects. This review discusses how nutrigenomics is essential and beneficial for developing cancer prevention and treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oladapo F Fagbohun
- Department Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N 2R8, Canada
| | - Caroline R Gillies
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N 2R8, Canada
| | - Kieran P J Murphy
- Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - H P Vasantha Rupasinghe
- Department Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N 2R8, Canada
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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Schnöller LE, Piehlmaier D, Weber P, Brix N, Fleischmann DF, Nieto AE, Selmansberger M, Heider T, Hess J, Niyazi M, Belka C, Lauber K, Unger K, Orth M. Systematic in vitro analysis of therapy resistance in glioblastoma cell lines by integration of clonogenic survival data with multi-level molecular data. Radiat Oncol 2023; 18:51. [PMID: 36906590 PMCID: PMC10007763 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-023-02241-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite intensive basic scientific, translational, and clinical efforts in the last decades, glioblastoma remains a devastating disease with a highly dismal prognosis. Apart from the implementation of temozolomide into the clinical routine, novel treatment approaches have largely failed, emphasizing the need for systematic examination of glioblastoma therapy resistance in order to identify major drivers and thus, potential vulnerabilities for therapeutic intervention. Recently, we provided proof-of-concept for the systematic identification of combined modality radiochemotherapy treatment vulnerabilities via integration of clonogenic survival data upon radio(chemo)therapy with low-density transcriptomic profiling data in a panel of established human glioblastoma cell lines. Here, we expand this approach to multiple molecular levels, including genomic copy number, spectral karyotyping, DNA methylation, and transcriptome data. Correlation of transcriptome data with inherent therapy resistance on the single gene level yielded several candidates that were so far underappreciated in this context and for which clinically approved drugs are readily available, such as the androgen receptor (AR). Gene set enrichment analyses confirmed these results, and identified additional gene sets, including reactive oxygen species detoxification, mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (MTORC1) signaling, and ferroptosis/autophagy-related regulatory circuits to be associated with inherent therapy resistance in glioblastoma cells. To identify pharmacologically accessible genes within those gene sets, leading edge analyses were performed yielding candidates with functions in thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin metabolism, glutathione synthesis, chaperoning of proteins, prolyl hydroxylation, proteasome function, and DNA synthesis/repair. Our study thus confirms previously nominated targets for mechanism-based multi-modal glioblastoma therapy, provides proof-of-concept for this workflow of multi-level data integration, and identifies novel candidates for which pharmacological inhibitors are readily available and whose targeting in combination with radio(chemo)therapy deserves further examination. In addition, our study also reveals that the presented workflow requires mRNA expression data, rather than genomic copy number or DNA methylation data, since no stringent correlation between these data levels could be observed. Finally, the data sets generated in the present study, including functional and multi-level molecular data of commonly used glioblastoma cell lines, represent a valuable toolbox for other researchers in the field of glioblastoma therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon Emanuel Schnöller
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Piehlmaier
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics (ZYTO), Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Peter Weber
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics (ZYTO), Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Group 'Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer' Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Nikko Brix
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Felix Fleischmann
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Edward Nieto
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Selmansberger
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics (ZYTO), Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Theresa Heider
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics (ZYTO), Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Julia Hess
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics (ZYTO), Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Group 'Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer' Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Niyazi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany.,Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BKFZ), Munich, Germany
| | - Claus Belka
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Group 'Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer' Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany.,Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BKFZ), Munich, Germany
| | - Kirsten Lauber
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Group 'Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer' Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany
| | - Kristian Unger
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics (ZYTO), Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany. .,Clinical Cooperation Group 'Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer' Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Michael Orth
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU München, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany.
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Li X, Wang X, Yang C, Lin L, Yuan H, Lei F, Huang Y. A de novo assembled genome of the Tibetan Partridge (Perdix hodgsoniae) and its high-altitude adaptation. Integr Zool 2023; 18:225-236. [PMID: 36049502 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The Tibetan Partridge (Perdix hodgsoniae) is an endemic species distributed in high-altitude areas of 3600-5600 m on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. To explore how the species is adapted to the high elevation environment, we assembled a draft genome based on both the Illumina and PacBio sequencing platforms with its population genetics and genomics analysis. In total, 134.74 Gb short reads and 30.81 Gb long reads raw data were generated. The 1.05-Gb assembled genome had a contig N50 of 4.56 Mb, with 91.94% complete BUSCOs. The 17 457 genes were annotated, and 11.35% of the genome was composed of repeat sequences. The phylogenetic tree showed that P. hodgsoniae was located at the basal position of the clade, including Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), and Mikado Pheasant (Syrmaticus mikado). We found that 1014, 2595, and 2732 of the 6641 one-to-one orthologous genes were under positive selection in P. hodgsoniae, detected using PAML, BUSTED, and aBSREL programs, respectively, of which 965 genes were common under positive selection with 3 different programs. Several positively selected genes and immunity pathways relevant to high-altitude adaptation were detected. Gene family evolution showed that 99 gene families experienced significant expansion events, while 6 gene families were under contraction. The total number of olfactory receptor genes was relatively low in P. hodgsoniae. Genomic data provide an important resource for a further study on the evolutionary history of P. hodgsoniae, which provides a new insight into its high-altitude adaptation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejuan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoyang Wang
- School of Biological and Environmental Engeering, Xi'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chao Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.,Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
| | - Liliang Lin
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hao Yuan
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fumin Lei
- Key Laboratory of the Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
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10
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Cai L, Wu ZR, Cao L, Xu JD, Lu JL, Wang CD, Jin JH, Wu ZB, Su ZP. ACT001 inhibits pituitary tumor growth by inducing autophagic cell death via MEK4/MAPK pathway. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:2386-2396. [PMID: 35082393 PMCID: PMC9433416 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00856-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
ACT001, derived from traditional herbal medicine, is a novel compound with effective anticancer activity in clinical trials. However, little is known regarding its role in pituitary adenomas. Here, we demonstrated that ACT001 suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell death of pituitary tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. ACT001 was also effective in suppressing the growth of different subtypes of human pituitary adenomas. The cytotoxic mechanism ACT001 employed was mainly related to autophagic cell death (ACD), indicated by autophagosome formation and LC3-II accumulation. In addition, ACT001-mediated inhibitory effect decreased when either ATG7 was downregulated or cells were cotreated with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). RNA-seq analysis showed that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was a putative target of ACT001. Specifically, ACT001 treatment promoted the phosphorylation of JNK and P38 by binding to mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MEK4). Our study indicated that ACT001-induced ACD of pituitary tumor cells via activating JNK and P38 phosphorylation by binding with MEK4, and it might be a novel and effective anticancer drug for pituitary adenomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Cai
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Ze-Rui Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Lei Cao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Jia-Dong Xu
- Department of Cardio‑Thoracic Surgery, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan, 316021, China
| | - Jiang-Long Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Cheng-de Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Jing-Hao Jin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Zhe-Bao Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center of Pituitary Tumor, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Zhi-Peng Su
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
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11
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Transcriptomics analysis reveals key lncRNAs and genes related to the infection of porcine lung macrophages by Glaesserella parasuis. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105617. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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12
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Park HB, Baek KH. E3 ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes regulating the MAPK signaling pathway in cancers. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188736. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Cruz-Gregorio A, Aranda-Rivera AK, Pedraza-Chaverri J, Solano JD, Ibarra-Rubio ME. Redox-sensitive signaling pathways in renal cell carcinoma. Biofactors 2022; 48:342-358. [PMID: 34590744 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most lethal urological cancers, highly resistant to chemo and radiotherapy. Obesity and smoking are the best-known risk factors of RCC, both related to oxidative stress presence, suggesting a significant role in RCC development and maintenance. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for localized RCC; however, this neoplasia is hardly diagnosable at its initial stages, occurring commonly in late phases and even when metastasis is already present. Systemic therapies are the option against RCC in these more advanced stages, such as cytokine therapy or a combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors with immunotherapies; nevertheless, these strategies are still insufficient. A field poorly analyzed in this neoplasia is the status of cell signaling pathways sensible to the redox state, which have been associated with the development and maintenance of RCC. This review focuses on alterations reported in the following redox-sensitive molecules and signaling pathways in RCC: mitogen-activated protein kinases, protein kinase B (AKT)/tuberous sclerosis complex 2/mammalian target of rapamycin C1, AKT/glycogen synthase kinase 3/β-catenin, nuclear factor κB/inhibitor of κB/epidermal growth factor receptor, and protein kinase Cζ/cut-like homeodomain protein/factor inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)/HIF as potential targets for redox therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Cruz-Gregorio
- Laboratorio F-225, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ana Karina Aranda-Rivera
- Laboratorio F-315, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - José Pedraza-Chaverri
- Laboratorio F-315, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - José D Solano
- Laboratorio F-225, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - María Elena Ibarra-Rubio
- Laboratorio F-225, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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14
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Pua LJW, Mai CW, Chung FFL, Khoo ASB, Leong CO, Lim WM, Hii LW. Functional Roles of JNK and p38 MAPK Signaling in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031108. [PMID: 35163030 PMCID: PMC8834850 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members integrate signals that affect proliferation, differentiation, survival, and migration in a cell context- and cell type-specific way. JNK and p38 MAPK activities are found upregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Studies have shown that activation of JNK and p38 MAPK signaling can promote NPC oncogenesis by mechanisms within the cancer cells and interactions with the tumor microenvironment. They regulate multiple transcription activities and contribute to tumor-promoting processes, ranging from cell proliferation to apoptosis, inflammation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Current literature suggests that JNK and p38 MAPK activation may exert pro-tumorigenic functions in NPC, though the underlying mechanisms are not well documented and have yet to be fully explored. Here, we aim to provide a narrative review of JNK and p38 MAPK pathways in human cancers with a primary focus on NPC. We also discuss the potential therapeutic agents that could be used to target JNK and p38 MAPK signaling in NPC, along with perspectives for future works. We aim to inspire future studies further delineating JNK and p38 MAPK signaling in NPC oncogenesis which might offer important insights for better strategies in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment decision-making in NPC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Jia Wei Pua
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.J.W.P.); (C.-O.L.)
- Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), Institute for Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (C.-W.M.); (A.S.-B.K.)
| | - Chun-Wai Mai
- Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), Institute for Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (C.-W.M.); (A.S.-B.K.)
| | - Felicia Fei-Lei Chung
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia;
| | - Alan Soo-Beng Khoo
- Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), Institute for Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (C.-W.M.); (A.S.-B.K.)
| | - Chee-Onn Leong
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.J.W.P.); (C.-O.L.)
- Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), Institute for Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (C.-W.M.); (A.S.-B.K.)
- AGTC Genomics, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Wei-Meng Lim
- Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), Institute for Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (C.-W.M.); (A.S.-B.K.)
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (W.-M.L.); (L.-W.H.)
| | - Ling-Wei Hii
- Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI), Institute for Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (C.-W.M.); (A.S.-B.K.)
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (W.-M.L.); (L.-W.H.)
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15
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Caliz AD, Vertii A, Fisch V, Yoon S, Yoo HJ, Keaney JF, Kant S. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 in inflammatory, cancer, and neurological diseases. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:979673. [PMID: 36340039 PMCID: PMC9630596 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.979673] [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: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7) is a member of the dual-specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase family. In the human body, MKK7 controls essential physiological processes, including but not limited to proliferation and differentiation in multiple tissues and organs. MKK7, along with the MKK4 pathway, has been implicated in stress-activated activities and biological events that are mediated by c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling. Although numerous studies have been performed to identify the role of JNK in multiple biological processes, there are limited publications that focus on dissecting the independent role of MKK7. Recent research findings have spurred testing via in vivo genetically deficient models, uncovering previously undocumented JNK-independent functions of MKK7. Here we discuss both JNK-dependent and-independent functions of MKK7 in vivo. This review summarizes the role of MKK7 in inflammation, cytokine production, cancer, and neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amada D Caliz
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anastassiia Vertii
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Vijay Fisch
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Soonsang Yoon
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hyung-Jin Yoo
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - John F Keaney
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shashi Kant
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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16
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The p38 MAPK Components and Modulators as Biomarkers and Molecular Targets in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010370. [PMID: 35008796 PMCID: PMC8745478 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family is an important bridge in the transduction of extracellular and intracellular signals in different responses at the cellular level. Within this MAPK family, the p38 kinases can be found altered in various diseases, including cancer, where these kinases play a fundamental role, sometimes with antagonistic mechanisms of action, depending on several factors. In fact, this family has an immense number of functionalities, many of them yet to be discovered in terms of regulation and action in different types of cancer, being directly involved in the response to cancer therapies. To date, three main groups of MAPKs have been identified in mammals: the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and the different isoforms of p38 (α, β, γ, δ). In this review, we highlight the mechanism of action of these kinases, taking into account their extensive regulation at the cellular level through various modifications and modulations, including a wide variety of microRNAs. We also analyze the importance of the different isoforms expressed in the different tissues and their possible role as biomarkers and molecular targets. In addition, we include the latest preclinical and clinical trials with different p38-related drugs that are ongoing with hopeful expectations in the present/future of developing precision medicine in cancer.
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Liśkiewicz AD, Liśkiewicz D, Marczak Ł, Przybyła M, Grabowska K, Student S, Dębiec M, Sługocka A, Lewin-Kowalik J. Obesity-associated deterioration of the hippocampus is partially restored after weight loss. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 96:212-226. [PMID: 34087424 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Obesity is a multidimensional condition that is treatable by the restoration of a lean phenotype; however, some obesity-related outcomes may persist after weight normalization. Among the organs of the human body, the brain possesses a relatively low regenerative capacity and could retain perturbations established as a result of developmental obesity. Calorie restriction (CR) or a restricted ketogenic diet (KD) are successfully used as weight loss approaches, but their impact on obesity-related effects in the brain have not been previously evaluated. METHODS We performed a series of experiments in a rat model of developmental obesity induced by a 12-week cafeteria diet, followed by CR to implement weight loss. First, we assessed the impact of obesity on neurogenesis (BrdU incorporation into the hippocampus), cognitive function (water maze), and concomitant changes in hippocampal protein expression (GC/MS-MS, western blot). Next, we repeated these experiments in a rat model of weight loss induced by CR. We also measured mitochondrial enzyme activity in rats after weight loss during the fed or fasting state. This study was extended by additional experiments with restricted KD used as a weight loss approach in order to compare the efficacy of two different nutritional interventions used in the treatment of obesity on hippocampal functions. By using a modified version of the water maze we evaluated cognitive abilities in rats subjected to weight loss by CR or a restricted KD. RESULTS In this study, obesity affected metabolic processes, upregulated hippocampal NF-κB, and induced proteomic differences which were associated with impaired cognition and neurogenesis. Weight loss improved neurogenesis and enhanced cognition. While the expression pattern of some proteins persisted after weight loss, most of the changes appeared de novo revealing metabolic adjustment by overactivation of citrate synthase and downregulation of ATP synthase. As a consequence of fasting, the activity of these enzymes indicated hippocampal adaptation to negative energy balance during the weight loss phase of CR. Moreover, the effects on cognitive abilities measured after weight loss were negatively correlated with the animal weight measured at the final stage of weight gain. This was alleviated by KD, which improved cognition when used as a weight loss approach. CONCLUSIONS The study shows that cognition and mitochondrial metabolism in the hippocampus are affected by CR- or KD-induced weight loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiusz D Liśkiewicz
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice 40-752, Poland; Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice 40-065, Poland.
| | - Daniela Liśkiewicz
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice 40-065, Poland; Department for Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice 40-752, Poland
| | - Łukasz Marczak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan 61-704, Poland
| | - Marta Przybyła
- Department for Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice 40-752, Poland
| | - Konstancja Grabowska
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice 40-065, Poland; Department for Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice 40-752, Poland
| | - Sebastian Student
- Institute of Automatic Control, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice 44-100, Poland; Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice 44-100, Poland
| | - Magdalena Dębiec
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice 40-065, Poland
| | - Anna Sługocka
- Department for Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice 40-752, Poland
| | - Joanna Lewin-Kowalik
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice 40-752, Poland
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Tam SY, Law HKW. JNK in Tumor Microenvironment: Present Findings and Challenges in Clinical Translation. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092196. [PMID: 34063627 PMCID: PMC8124407 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Stress-activated c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are members of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Apart from having both tumor promoting and tumor suppressing roles in cancers due to its impact on apoptosis and autophagy pathways, JNK also plays complex roles in the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment (TME) and is involved in different tumorigenesis pathways. The JNK pathway influences various stressful and chronic inflammatory conditions along with different cell populations in TME. In this review, we aim to present the current knowledge of JNK-mediated processes in TME and the challenges in clinical translation. Abstract The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are a group of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). JNK is mainly activated under stressful conditions or by inflammatory cytokines and has multiple downstream targets for mediating cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, apoptosis, and immune responses. JNK has been demonstrated to have both tumor promoting and tumor suppressing roles in different cancers depending on the focused pathway in each study. JNK also plays complex roles in the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment (TME). JNK is involved in different tumorigenesis pathways. TME closely relates with tumor development and consists of various stressful and chronic inflammatory conditions along with different cell populations, in which the JNK pathway may have various mediating roles. In this review, we aim to summarize the present knowledge of JNK-mediated processes in TME, including hypoxia, reactive oxygen species, inflammation, immune responses, angiogenesis, as well as the regulation of various cell populations within TME. This review also suggests future research directions for translating JNK modulation in pre-clinical findings to clinical benefits.
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Wang Z, Liu L, Du Y, Mi Y, Wang L. The HNF1A-AS1/miR-92a-3p axis affects the radiosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer by competitively regulating the JNK pathway. Cell Biol Toxicol 2021; 37:715-729. [PMID: 33755848 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09595-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been widely reported that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) could affect the varieties of tumor response to radiotherapy. LncRNA HNF1A-AS1 is transcribed from HNF1A gene cluster's antisense strand. This work focused on the mechanism of how HNF1A-AS1 participated in the radiosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS The mRNA or protein expression of HNF1A-AS1, miR-92a-3p MAP2K4, and JNK in NSCLC cells and tissues was detected by qRT-PCR or western blotting. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) detection and luciferase reporting system were used to evaluate the relationship between HNFA-AS1 and miR-92a-3p or between miR-92a-3p and MAP2K4. Flow cytometry assays, colony formation, and MTT were performed to analyze the function changes in A549 and Calu-1 cells. The rescue experiment was also conducted to explore the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS HNF1A-AS1 was investigated in NSCLC cells and tissues and highly related to the advanced pathological stage. HNF1A-AS1 bound with miR-92a-3p, which was downregulated in NSCLC. It showed that miR-92a-3p was negatively related to HNF1A-AS1. Knockdown of HNF1A-AS1 impacted most cell biological behaviors in NSCLC cells, including restricting the proliferation and aggravating apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of HNF1A-AS1 dramatically enhanced radiotherapy sensitivity of NSCLC. Moreover, miR-92a-3p was found to target MAP2K4 and could reduce MAP2K4 expression. Inhibition of HNF1A-AS1 elevated radiotherapy sensitivity and retarded the progression of NSCLC cells, followed by decreasing expression levels of MAP2K4. Besides, MAP2K4 mimic rescued the si-HNF1A-AS1 effects on the biological behavior of NSCLC cells. CONCLUSION HNF1A-AS1 is highly expressed in NSCLC. MiR-92a-3p is the target gene of HNF1A-AS1 and involved in tumor progression by regulating the MAP2K4/JNK pathway. HNF1AS1/miR-92a-3p/MAP2K4 axis plays important roles in radiotherapy resistance of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyu Wang
- Department of Oncology immunology, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, 050011, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Liu
- Tumor Institute, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, 050011, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuankun Du
- Periodical press of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, 050011, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Mi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, 050011, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, 050011, People's Republic of China.
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Singh S, Meena A, Luqman S, Meena A. Acacetin and pinostrobin as a promising inhibitor of cancer-associated protein kinases. Food Chem Toxicol 2021; 151:112091. [PMID: 33647348 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2021.112091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein kinases associated with cancer genes play vital role in angiogenesis, invasion, motility, proliferation, and survival. Therefore, cancer prevention/treatment, targeting kinases with phytochemicals could be a promising approach. Given potential of phytochemicals in modulating cancer-associated kinases, present study aims to find inhibitory prospects of selected flavonoids for cancer-chemoprevention/treatment. The molecular docking interaction analysis was done by exploring binding potential of flavonoids with kinases (PI3K, Akt, mTOR, EGFR, MAPK, MKK4, Fyn, ZAP-70, B-Raf, JAK-2, STAT-1, STAT-3, STAT-4, STAT-5, and VEGF) involved in various carcinogenesis phases. Among flavonoids acacetin showed highest binding-energy against JAK-2 following Fyn > VEGF > PI3K > MKK4 > MAPK > BRaf > STAT-5 > STAT-1 > STAT-4 whereas pinostrobin depicts higher binding-energy with JAK-2 followed by B-Raf > MKK4 > VEGF > PI3K > MAPK > STAT-1 > STAT-4 > STAT-5. Further, molecular-dynamic simulation revealed that pinostrobin interacted with JAK-2 protein with binding-energy of -25.068 ± 1.08 kJ/mol whereas acacetin interacted with both JAK-2 and Fyn with binding-energies of -23.466 ± 0.9508 kJ/mol and-8.935 ± 1.3108 kJ/mol respectively. High binding-energy, low inhibition-constant, and drug-likeness of acacetin and pinostrobin provide a clue for their usage as a JAK-2 inhibitor which could be useful for molecular/cell-target based in-vitro and in-vivo investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Singh
- Bioprospection and Product Development Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashish Meena
- Aristos Labs, 141 Stockmans Lane, BT9 7JE, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Suaib Luqman
- Bioprospection and Product Development Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Abha Meena
- Bioprospection and Product Development Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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21
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Wang SS, Wang C, Chen H. MicroRNAs are critical in regulating smooth muscle cell mineralization and apoptosis during vascular calcification. J Cell Mol Med 2020; 24:13564-13572. [PMID: 33089928 PMCID: PMC7754013 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular calcification refers to the pathological deposition of calcium and phosphate minerals into the vasculature. It is prevalent in atherosclerosis, ageing, type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, thus, increasing morbidity and mortality from these conditions. Vascular calcification shares similar mechanisms with bone mineralization, with smooth muscle cells playing a critical role in both processes. In the last decade, a variety of microRNAs have been identified as key regulators for the differentiation, phenotypic switch, proliferation, apoptosis, cytokine production and matrix deposition in vascular smooth muscle cells during vascular calcification. Therefore, this review mainly discusses the roles of microRNAs in the pathophysiological mechanisms of vascular calcification in smooth muscle cells and describes several interventions against vascular calcification by regulating microRNAs. As the exact mechanisms of calcification remain not fully elucidated, having a better understanding of microRNA involvement in vascular calcification may give impetus to development of novel therapeutics for the control and treatment of vascular calcification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan-Shan Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Han Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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22
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Shevchenko E, Poso A, Pantsar T. The autoinhibited state of MKK4: Phosphorylation, putative dimerization and R134W mutant studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:2687-2698. [PMID: 33101607 PMCID: PMC7550801 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases are crucial components of the cell-signalling machinery that orchestrate and convey messages to their downstream targets. Most often, kinases are activated upon a phosphorylation to their activation loop, which will shift the kinase into the active conformation. The Dual specificity mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MKK4) exists in a unique conformation in its inactive unphosphorylated state, where its activation segment appears in a stable α-helical conformation. However, the precise role of this unique conformational state of MKK4 is unknown. Here, by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations (MD simulations), we show that this inactive state is unstable as monomer even when unphosphorylated and that the phosphorylation of the activation segment further destabilizes the autoinhibited α-helix. The specific phosphorylation pattern of the activation segment has also a unique influence on MKK4 dynamics. Furthermore, we observed that this specific inactive state is stable as a dimer, which becomes destabilized upon phosphorylation. Finally, we noticed that the most frequent MKK4 mutation observed in cancer, R134W, which role has not been disclosed to date, contributes to the dimer stability. Based on these data we postulate that MKK4 occurs as a dimer in its inactive autoinhibited state, providing an additional layer for its activity regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Shevchenko
- Dept of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Strasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Antti Poso
- Dept of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Strasse 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tatu Pantsar
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Corresponding author.
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23
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Dogan M, Guresci S, Acikgoz Y, Ergun Y, Kos FT, Bozdogan O, Bal O. Is there any correlation among MKK4 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4) expression, clinicopathological features, and KRAS/NRAS mutation in colorectal cancer. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2020; 20:851-859. [PMID: 32552144 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2020.1784728] [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: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to evaluate the correlation between MKK4 expression and clinicopathological features, KRAS/NRAS mutation in colorectal cancer. METHODS MKK4 expression was assessed by immunoreactivity score (IRS). Staining intensity(SI) and percentage of positively stained cells (PP) were used for IRS (IRS = SI×PP). Cutoffs were explored with ROC analysis. Patients were grouped as WIR ('weak immunoreactive'; IRS:0-2) and SIR ('strong immunoreactive'; IRS: >3). RESULTS We enrolled 95 patients. 63.2% had metastasis. Median follow-up was 31.4 months. KRAS/NRAS mutation rate was 45.2%. Median values for OS, DFS, and PFS were as 31.6, 17.2, and 10.3 months. WIR group had longer OS (p = 0.03). Recurrence rate was 36.8%. Median DFS was longer for recurrent patients in WIR group (p = 0.055). KRAS or NRAS wild-type patients and those with left-sided tumors in WIR group had longer OS (p = 0.029, p = 0.024, p = 0.03). There was no PFS difference (p: 0.15). In correlation analysis, there was a negative correlation between MKK4 expression and KRAS mutation, NRAS mutation, OS, PFS, DFS (r: -0,06; r: -0,02; r: -0,10; r: -0,06; r: -0,34). Only the correlation for MKK4 expression and DFS was significant (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION MKK4 expression inversely correlates with survival outcomes. Patients with KRAS/NRAS wild-type, left-sided tumors with WIR had longer OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mutlu Dogan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dr Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital , Ankara, Turkey
| | - Servet Guresci
- Department of Pathology, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital , Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Acikgoz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital , Ankara, Turkey
| | - Yakup Ergun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital , Ankara, Turkey
| | - Fahriye Tugba Kos
- Department of Medical Oncology, Lokman Hekim Medical Center , Ankara, Turkey
| | - Onder Bozdogan
- Department of Pathology, Gulhane Training and Research Hospital , Ankara, Turkey
| | - Oznur Bal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital , Ankara, Turkey
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24
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Semba T, Sammons R, Wang X, Xie X, Dalby KN, Ueno NT. JNK Signaling in Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Differentiation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2613. [PMID: 32283767 PMCID: PMC7177258 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
C-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs), which belong to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, are evolutionarily conserved kinases that mediate cell responses to various types of extracellular stress insults. They regulate physiological processes such as embryonic development and tissue regeneration, playing roles in cell proliferation and programmed cell death. JNK signaling is also involved in tumorigenesis and progression of several types of malignancies. Recent studies have shown that JNK signaling has crucial roles in regulating the traits of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Here we describe the functions of the JNK signaling pathway in self-renewal and differentiation, which are essential features of various types of stem cells, such as embryonic, induced pluripotent, and adult tissue-specific stem cells. We also review current knowledge of JNK signaling in CSCs and discuss its role in maintaining the CSC phenotype. A better understanding of JNK signaling as an essential regulator of stemness may provide a basis for the development of regenerative medicine and new therapeutic strategies against malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Semba
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rachel Sammons
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.S.); (K.N.D.)
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xuemei Xie
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (R.S.); (K.N.D.)
- Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Naoto T. Ueno
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.S.); (X.W.); (X.X.)
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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25
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Kumar S, Lun XK, Bodenmiller B, Rodríguez Martínez M, Koeppl H. Stabilized Reconstruction of Signaling Networks from Single-Cell Cue-Response Data. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1233. [PMID: 31988302 PMCID: PMC6985232 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56444-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inferring cell-signaling networks from high-throughput data is a challenging problem in systems biology. Recent advances in cytometric technology enable us to measure the abundance of a large number of proteins at the single-cell level across time. Traditional network reconstruction approaches usually consider each time point separately, resulting thus in inferred networks that strongly vary across time. To account for the possibly time-invariant physical couplings within the signaling network, we extend the traditional graphical lasso with an additional regularizer that penalizes network variations over time. ROC evaluation of the method on in silico data showed higher reconstruction accuracy than standard graphical lasso. We also tested our approach on single-cell mass cytometry data of IFNγ-stimulated THP1 cells with 26 phospho-proteins simultaneously measured. Our approach recapitulated known signaling relationships, such as connection within the JAK/STAT pathway, and was further validated in characterizing perturbed signaling network with PI3K, MEK1/2 and AMPK inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
- Sleepiz AG, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xiao-Kang Lun
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bernd Bodenmiller
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | | | - Heinz Koeppl
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
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26
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Chen X, Hao A, Li X, Ye K, Zhao C, Yang H, Ma H, Hu L, Zhao Z, Hu L, Ye F, Sun Q, Zhang H, Wang H, Yao X, Fang Z. Activation of JNK and p38 MAPK Mediated by ZDHHC17 Drives Glioblastoma Multiforme Development and Malignant Progression. Theranostics 2020; 10:998-1015. [PMID: 31938047 PMCID: PMC6956818 DOI: 10.7150/thno.40076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) almost invariably gain invasive phenotype with limited therapeutic strategy and ill-defined mechanism. By studying the aberrant expression landscape of gliomas, we find significant up-regulation of p-MAPK level in GBM and a potent independent prognostic marker for overall survival. DHHC family was generally expressed in glioma and closely related to the activation of MAPK signaling pathway, but its role and clinical significance in GBM development and malignant progression are yet to be determined. Method: Bioinformatics analysis, western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to detect the expression of ZDHHC17 in GBM. The biological function of ZDHHC17 was demonstrated by a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Pharmacological treatment, flow cytometry, Transwell migration assay, Co- Immunoprecipitation and GST pulldown were carried out to demonstrate the potential mechanisms of ZDHHC17. Results: ZDHHC17 is up-regulated and coordinated with MAPK activation in GBM. Mechanistically, ZDHHC17 interacts with MAP2K4 and p38/JNK to build a signaling module for MAPK activation and malignant progression. Notably, the ZDHHC17-MAP2K4-JNK/p38 signaling module contributes to GBM development and malignant progression by promoting GBM cell tumorigenicity and glioma stem cell (GSC) self-renewal. Moreover, we identify a small molecule, genistein, as a specific inhibitor to disrupt ZDHHC17-MAP2K4 complex formation for GBM cell proliferation and GSC self-renewal. Moreover, genistein, identified herein as a lead candidate for ZDHHC17-MAP2K4 inhibition, demonstrated potential therapeutic effect in patients with ZDHHC17-expressing GBM. Conclusions: Our study identified disruption of a previously unrecognized signaling module as a target strategy for GBM treatment, and provided direct evidence of the efficacy of its inhibition in glioma using a specific inhibitor.
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27
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Zhang L, Li H, Yuan M, Li M, Zhang S. Cervical Cancer Cells-Secreted Exosomal microRNA-221-3p Promotes Invasion, Migration and Angiogenesis of Microvascular Endothelial Cells in Cervical Cancer by Down-Regulating MAPK10 Expression. Cancer Manag Res 2019; 11:10307-10319. [PMID: 31849520 PMCID: PMC6910095 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s221527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Cervical cancer (CC) is recognized as a common cancer with a high risk worldwide. Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have received attention for their increasing potentials in CC therapy. In this study, we identify the involvement of miR-221-3p in CC progression by affecting angiogenesis of microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs). Methods Microarray-based gene expression profiling was conducted to retrieve the differentially expressed genes in CC. The expression patterns of miR-221-3p were measured by RT-qPCR, while Western blot analysis and RT-qPCR were performed to determine the expression of MAPK10 in the CC tissues and cells, followed by verification of the interaction between miR-221-3p and MAPK10 using dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Then the effects of miR-221-3p and MAPK10 on cell activities were assessed through gain- and loss-of-function experiments in CC. Subsequently, the impact of exosomal miR-221-3p on MVEC proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis was examined after exosomal isolation from CC cells and co-cultured with MVECs. Results Gene expression profile showed that MAPK10 might participate in CC with a low expression. Moreover, miR-221-3p was highly expressed and MAPK10 was poorly expressed in CC tissues and cells. It was observed that miR-221-3p targeted MAPK10. Depletion of miR-221-3p blocked the cell proliferation, invasion and migration in CC by up-regulating MAPK10. Moreover, CC cells-derived exosomes carrying miR-221-3p accelerated MVEC proliferation, invasion, migration and angiogenesis in CC by regulating MAPK10. Conclusion CC cells-derived exosomes harboring miR-221-3p enhanced MVEC angiogenesis in CC by decreasing MAPK10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Huihui Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Yuan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingbao Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuquan Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
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28
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Liu S, Huang J, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Zuo S, Li R. MAP2K4 interacts with Vimentin to activate the PI3K/AKT pathway and promotes breast cancer pathogenesis. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:10697-10710. [PMID: 31761784 PMCID: PMC6914392 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MAP2K4) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activator family. MAPK signaling plays a significant role in cell proliferation, differentiation, transcriptional regulation, and development. However, specific function and mechanism of MAP2K4 in breast cancer have not been clarified. According to our study, overexpressed MAP2K4 in breast cancer cells increased proliferation, migration, and invasion in vivo and in vitro, while MAP2K4 knockdown restored the effects. Subsequent mechanistic analyses demonstrated that MAP2K4 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by activating phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling, the downstream proteins, c-JUN, the G1/S cell cycle, and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Meanwhile, MAP2K4 interacted with Vimentin and further propagated the malignant phenotype. Furthermore, patients with high MAP2K4 and Vimentin expression levels had poorer overall survival rates than those with low expression levels of both proteins. Our studies demonstrated that MAP2K4 has the potential to serve as an oncogene in breast cancer and it activates the phosphorylated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to activate downstream cycle-associated proteins and EMT signals while interacting with Vimentin to promote breast cancer cells proliferation, migration, and invasion. In our study, MAP2K4 and Vimentin co-expression is confirmed to be an unfavorable factor in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Liu
- Southern Medical University, Nanfang Hospital, Department of Oncology, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, P. R. China.,Guizhou Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Guiyang 550003, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Juan Huang
- Southern Medical University, Nanfang Hospital, Department of Oncology, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Yewei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Yiyi Liu
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510310, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Shi Zuo
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550001, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Rong Li
- Southern Medical University, Nanfang Hospital, Department of Oncology, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, P. R. China
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Mishra RK, Deibler KK, Clutter MR, Vagadia PP, O'Connor M, Schiltz GE, Bergan R, Scheidt KA. Modeling MEK4 Kinase Inhibitors through Perturbed Electrostatic Potential Charges. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:4460-4466. [PMID: 31566378 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
MEK4, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4, is overexpressed and induces metastasis in advanced prostate cancer lesions. However, the value of MEK4 as an oncology target has not been pharmacologically validated because selective chemical probes targeting MEK4 have not been developed. With advances in both computer and biological high-throughput screening, selective chemical entities can be discovered. Structure-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling often fails to generate accurate models due to poor alignment of training sets containing highly diverse compounds. Here we describe a highly predictive, nonalignment based robust QSAR model based on a data set of strikingly diverse MEK4 inhibitors. We computed the electrostatic potential (ESP) charges using a density functional theory (DFT) formalism of the donor and acceptor atoms of the ligands and hinge residues. Novel descriptors were then generated from the perturbation of the charge densities of the donor and acceptor atoms and were used to model a diverse set of 84 compounds, from which we built a robust predictive model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rama K Mishra
- Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery , Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine , Northwestern University , Chicago , Illinois 60611 , United States
| | - Kristine K Deibler
- Department of Chemistry , Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Matthew R Clutter
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute , Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine , Northwestern University , Chicago , Illinois 60611 , United States
| | - Purav P Vagadia
- Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery , Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Matthew O'Connor
- Department of Chemistry , Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States
| | - Gary E Schiltz
- Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery , Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine , Northwestern University , Chicago , Illinois 60611 , United States.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine , Northwestern University , Chicago , Illinois 60611 , United States
| | - Raymond Bergan
- Knight Cancer Institute , Oregon Health & Science University , Portland , Oregon 97239 , United States
| | - Karl A Scheidt
- Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery , Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States.,Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine , Northwestern University , Chicago , Illinois 60611 , United States.,Department of Chemistry , Northwestern University , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States.,Chemistry of Life Processes Institute , Northwestern University , 2145 Sheridan Road , Evanston , Illinois 60208 , United States.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine , Northwestern University , Chicago , Illinois 60611 , United States
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30
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Deibler KK, Schiltz GE, Clutter MR, Mishra RK, Vagadia PP, O'Connor M, George MD, Gordon R, Fowler G, Bergan R, Scheidt KA. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 3-Arylindazoles as Selective MEK4 Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2019; 14:615-620. [PMID: 30707493 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Herein we report the discovery of a novel series of highly potent and selective mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MEK4) inhibitors. MEK4 is an upstream kinase in MAPK signaling pathways that phosphorylates p38 MAPK and JNK in response to mitogenic and cellular stress queues. MEK4 is overexpressed and induces metastasis in advanced prostate cancer lesions. However, the value of MEK4 as an oncology target has not been pharmacologically validated because selective chemical probes targeting MEK4 have not been developed. Optimization of this series via structure-activity relationships and molecular modeling led to the identification of compound 6 ff (4-(6-fluoro-2H-indazol-3-yl)benzoic acid), a highly potent and selective MEK4 inhibitor. This series of inhibitors is the first of its kind in both activity and selectivity and will be useful in further defining the role of MEK4 in prostate and other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine K Deibler
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Gary E Schiltz
- Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Matthew R Clutter
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.,Chemistry of Life Process Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Rama K Mishra
- Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Purav P Vagadia
- Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Matthew O'Connor
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Mariam Donny George
- Chemistry of Life Process Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Ryan Gordon
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Graham Fowler
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Raymond Bergan
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Karl A Scheidt
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.,Center for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.,Chemistry of Life Process Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
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Ulu A, Frost JA. Regulation of RhoA activation and cell motility by c-Jun N-terminal kinases and Net1. Small GTPases 2018; 11:385-391. [PMID: 30332929 DOI: 10.1080/21541248.2018.1536638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Jnks are mitogen activated protein kinases that are best known for regulating transcription and apoptotic signaling. However, they also play important roles in controlling cell motility and invasion by phosphorylating many actin and microtubule regulatory proteins. These mechanisms have important implications for normal cell motility as well as cancer metastasis. Jnks are activated by growth factors and cytokines that stimulate cell motility, and this often requires upstream activation of Rho GTPases. Our recent work indicates that Jnks may also regulate Rho GTPase activation. Specifically, we found that Jnk-dependent phosphorylation of the RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF) Net1A promotes its cytosolic accumulation to drive RhoA activation and actin cytoskeletal reorganization. Net1A is unusual among RhoGEFs in that it is sequestered in the nucleus to prevent aberrant RhoA activation. Importantly, Jnk-stimulated cytosolic localization of Net1A is sufficient to stimulate cell motility and extracellular matrix invasion in non-invasive breast cancer cells. Since Net1A expression is critical for cancer cell motility and invasion in vitro, and breast cancer metastasis in vivo, these data uncover a previously unappreciated regulatory mechanism that may contribute to metastasis in multiple types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arzu Ulu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Frost
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston, TX, USA
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Girnius N, Edwards YJ, Garlick DS, Davis RJ. The cJUN NH 2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway promotes genome stability and prevents tumor initiation. eLife 2018; 7:36389. [PMID: 29856313 PMCID: PMC5984035 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women. Analysis of breast cancer genomic DNA indicates frequent loss-of-function mutations in components of the cJUN NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. Since JNK signaling can promote cell proliferation by activating the AP1 transcription factor, this apparent association of reduced JNK signaling with tumor development was unexpected. We examined the effect of JNK deficiency in the murine breast epithelium. Loss of JNK signaling caused genomic instability and the development of breast cancer. Moreover, JNK deficiency caused widespread early neoplasia and rapid tumor formation in a murine model of breast cancer. This tumor suppressive function was not mediated by a role of JNK in the growth of established tumors, but by a requirement of JNK to prevent tumor initiation. Together, these data identify JNK pathway defects as ‘driver’ mutations that promote genome instability and tumor initiation. As cells in our body grow and divide, their DNA can experience changes or damage. Most of these ‘mutations’ are harmless, or quickly fixed by the body. Yet, sometimes a mutation can trigger a chain of genetic events that drives the cells to multiply uncontrollably, which leads to tumors. Identifying these ‘driver mutations’ is complex, but key to understanding how cancers start and can be fought. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. Large studies have focused on sequencing the DNA of cancerous breast cells to try to identify the mutations that started the cancer. Results show that, in these cells, a biological mechanism called the JNK signaling pathway is often inactivated because mutations affect the molecules that take part in this process. Like a chain reaction, the proteins of the JNK pathway act on each other until the last one, called JNK, gets switched on. This protein then goes on to participate in a number of cellular processes such as DNA repair. Is it possible that mutations in this pathway actually drive cancer, and if so, how? Girnius et al. addressed these questions by inactivating the JNK pathway in the breast cells of mice. Over the next year and a half, the JNK-deficient animals were more likely to get breast cancer than normal mice. Further experiments showed that, in breast cells, the JNK protein prevented tumors from appearing. However, once the tumors were present, it was less effective at stopping them from growing. The DNA of the breast cancer cells with no JNK protein also contained more genetic changes and mistakes. This suggests that the JNK signaling pathway helps to keep the genetic information ‘healthy’. This may be because, normally, the JNK protein activates processes that fix DNA mutations. Taken together, the results presented by Girnius et al. show that genetic changes which inactivate the JNK pathway can drive the development of breast cancer. Certain anti-cancer drugs kill cancerous cells by damaging their DNA. Breast tumor cells with inactive JNK pathways are less able to repair their genetic information, and so these drugs could potentially work well on them. Future experiments will be needed to test this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nomeda Girnius
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - Yvonne Jk Edwards
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
| | - David S Garlick
- Histo-Scientific Research Laboratories, Mount Jackson, United States
| | - Roger J Davis
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, United States
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de Silva MB, Tencomnao T. The protective effect of some Thai plants and their bioactive compounds in UV light-induced skin carcinogenesis. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2018; 185:80-89. [PMID: 29879588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Skin cancer, represents a major public health concern. While the vast majority is non-melanoma skin cancers, melanomas are mostly responsible for mortality. Solar UVB radiation is mutagenic and carcinogenic. It is primarily responsible for both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers via excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which mediate changes in inflammation and immunity, and have been implicated in all three stages of skin cancer development. Due to their regulatory role in numerous functions of cells, signaling pathways are targets for chemoprevention. The current standards in melanoma therapy are targeted and combination therapies, which, albeit prolong survival responses, are still prone to development of drug resistance. To this extent, drugs of natural origin continue to spark great interest. Thailand has a rich biodiversity of indigenous flora, which have traditionally been used to treat a variety of pathologies. The active components in plant extracts that have medicinal properties, termed 'bioactive compounds,' are efficient chemopreventive agents due to their antioxidant, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, and carcinogen detoxification properties. Thai plants and their bioactive compounds have shown protective effects on UV light-induced skin cancer in different experimental models. This warrants further in vivo investigations and translation to clinical studies to determine efficacy and safety, for use as lead compounds in targeted/combination therapy or adjuvant therapy with existing regimes. Coupled with a strategy for prevention, this offers a promising outlook for protection against photocarcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhura B de Silva
- Age-Related Inflammation and Degeneration Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Rama I Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tewin Tencomnao
- Age-Related Inflammation and Degeneration Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 154 Rama I Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
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Pavan S, Meyer-Schaller N, Diepenbruck M, Kalathur RKR, Saxena M, Christofori G. A kinome-wide high-content siRNA screen identifies MEK5-ERK5 signaling as critical for breast cancer cell EMT and metastasis. Oncogene 2018; 37:4197-4213. [PMID: 29713055 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0270-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
An epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been correlated to malignant tumor progression and metastasis by promoting cancer cell migration and invasion and chemoresistance. Hence, finding druggable EMT effectors is critical to efficiently interfere with metastasis formation and to overcome therapy resistance. We have employed a high-content microscopy screen in combination with a kinome and phosphatome-wide siRNA library to identify signaling pathways underlying an EMT of murine mammary epithelial cells and breast cancer cells. This screen identified the MEK5-ERK5 axis as a critical player in TGFβ-mediated EMT. Suppression of MEK5-ERK5 signaling completely prevented the morphological and molecular changes occurring during a TGFβ-induced EMT and, conversely, forced highly metastatic breast cancer cells into a differentiated epithelial state. Inhibition of MEK5-ERK5 signaling also repressed breast cancer cell migration and invasion and substantially reduced lung metastasis without affecting primary tumor growth. The results suggest that the MEK5-ERK5 signaling axis via activation of MEF2B and other transcription factors plays an important role in the induction and maintenance of breast cancer cell migration and invasion and thus represents an exploitable target for the pharmacological inhibition of cancer cell metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Pavan
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, 4058, Switzerland.
| | | | - Maren Diepenbruck
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
| | | | - Meera Saxena
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, 4058, Switzerland
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Abdou AG, Marae AH, Shoeib M, Dawood G, Abouelfath E. C-Jun expression in lichen planus, psoriasis, and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, an immunohistochemical study. J Immunoassay Immunochem 2018; 39:58-69. [PMID: 29144206 DOI: 10.1080/15321819.2017.1395347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The AP-1 transcription factor complex is a key player in regulating inflammatory processes, cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell transformation. The aim of the present study is to investigate C-Jun (one of AP-1complex) expression and its proliferative role in skin samples of lichen planus, psoriasis as common inflammatory skin diseases and squamous cell carcinoma using immunohistochemical method. The present study was carried out on skin biopsies of 15 psoriatic patients, 15 lichen planus patients, 15 SCC, and 15 normal skin biopsies. Nuclear expression of C-Jun was detected in basal and few suprabasal layers of epidermis of normal skin. C-Jun was expressed in the whole epidermal layers of both psoriasis (14/15) and lichen planus (15/15) in addition to its expression in lymphocytic infiltrate in the latter in about half of cases (8/15). C-Jun was also expressed in 93.3% (14/15) of SCC in a percentage lower than that of psoriasis, lichen planus, and normal skin. The percentage of C-Jun expression in SCC was significantly associated with an early stage (p = 0.000), free surgical margins (p = 0.022), and small tumour size (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS The marked reduction of C-Jun in SCC in comparison to normal skin and inflammatory skin dermatoses may refer to its tumour suppressor activity. C-Jun expression in SCC carries favourable prognosis. Absence of significant association between C-Jun and Ki-67 either in SCC or inflammatory skin diseases indicates that it does not affect proliferative capacity of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Gaber Abdou
- a Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine , Menoufia University , Shibin Elkom , Egypt
| | - Alaa Hassan Marae
- b Dermatology Departments, Faculty of Medicine , Menoufia University , Shibin Elkom , Egypt
| | - Mohammed Shoeib
- b Dermatology Departments, Faculty of Medicine , Menoufia University , Shibin Elkom , Egypt
| | - Ghada Dawood
- c Dermatology Departments , Shibin Elkom Teaching Hospital , Shibin Elkom , Egypt
| | - Enas Abouelfath
- c Dermatology Departments , Shibin Elkom Teaching Hospital , Shibin Elkom , Egypt
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36
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Wei S. Yin-yang regulating effects of cancer-associated genes, proteins, and cells: An ancient Chinese concept in vogue in modern cancer research. Biosci Trends 2017; 11:612-618. [PMID: 29238002 DOI: 10.5582/bst.2017.01259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Great achievements have been made in human cancer research, but most of this research is focused on conditions at the microscopic rather than the systemic level. Recent studies have increasingly cited the ancient Chinese theory of yin-yang in an effort to expand beyond the microscopic level. Various cancer-associated genes and proteins such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), p38, p53, c-Myc, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, NF-κB, Cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and cells such as T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and fibroblasts have been reported to regulate various types of cancers in a yin-yang manner. These studies have brought the theory of yin-yang into vogue in cancer research worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyong Wei
- College of Animal Science, Southwest University
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37
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Maniswami RR, Prashanth S, Karanth AV, Koushik S, Govindaraj H, Mullangi R, Rajagopal S, Jegatheesan SK. PLK4: a link between centriole biogenesis and cancer. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 22:59-73. [PMID: 29171762 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2018.1410140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Polo like kinase (PLK) is known to play a pivotal role in various cell cycle processes to perpetuate proper division and growth of the cells. Polo like kinase-4 (PLK4) is one such kinase that appears in low abundance and plays a well-characterized role in centriole duplication. PLK4 deregulation (i.e. both overexpression and depletion of PLK4), leads to altered mitotic fidelity and thereby triggers tumorigenesis. Hence, over the last few years PLK4 has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of various advanced cancers. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the basic structure, expression, localization and functions of PLK4 along with its regulation by various proteins. We also discuss the role of altered PLK4 activity in the onset of cancer and the current pre-clinical and clinical inhibitors to regulate PLK4. Expert opinion: PLK4 mediated centriole duplication has a crucial role in maintaining mitotic correctness in normal cells, while its deregulation has a greater impact on genesis of cancer. Henceforth, a deep knowledge of the PLK4 levels, its role and interactions with various proteins in cancer is required to design effective inhibitors for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sindhu Koushik
- a Jubilant Biosys Ltd, Bioinformatics , Bangalore , India
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Wang J, Tai G. Role of C-Jun N-terminal Kinase in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development. Target Oncol 2017; 11:723-738. [PMID: 27392951 DOI: 10.1007/s11523-016-0446-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most frequently occurring cancers and the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. Identification of the signaling pathways regulating liver carcinogenesis is critical for developing novel chemoprevention and targeted therapies. C-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a member of a larger group of serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinases known as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. JNK is an important signaling component that converts external stimuli into a wide range of cellular responses, including cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, as well as the development of inflammation, fibrosis, cancer growth, and metabolic diseases. Because of the essential roles of JNK in these cellular functions, deregulated JNK is often found to contribute to the development of HCC. Recently, the functions and molecular mechanisms of JNK in HCC development have been addressed using mouse models and human HCC cell lines. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that the activation of JNK by oncogenes can promote the development of cancers by regulating the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad pathway, which makes the oncogenes/JNK/Smad signaling pathway an attractive target for cancer therapy. Additionally, JNK-targeted therapy has a broad potential for clinical applications. In summary, we are convinced that promising new avenues for the treatment of HCC by targeting JNK are on the horizon, which will undoubtedly lead to better, more effective, and faster therapies in the years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, 126 Xinmin Street, Jilin, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Guixiang Tai
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, 126 Xinmin Street, Jilin, Changchun, 130021, China.
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Dyari HRE, Rawling T, Chen Y, Sudarmana W, Bourget K, Dwyer JM, Allison SE, Murray M. A novel synthetic analogue of ω‐3 17,18‐epoxyeicosatetraenoic acid activates TNF receptor‐1/ASK1/JNK signaling to promote apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. FASEB J 2017; 31:5246-5257. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201700033r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Herryawan Ryadi Eziwar Dyari
- Discipline of PharmacologySchool of Medical SciencesSydney Medical SchoolUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- School of Bioscience and BiotechnologyFaculty of Science and TechnologyUniversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Bangi Malaysia
| | - Tristan Rawling
- School of Mathematical and Physical SciencesFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Technology Sydney Ultimo New South Wales Australia
| | - Yongjuan Chen
- Discipline of PharmacologySchool of Medical SciencesSydney Medical SchoolUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - William Sudarmana
- Discipline of PharmacologySchool of Medical SciencesSydney Medical SchoolUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Kirsi Bourget
- Discipline of PharmacologySchool of Medical SciencesSydney Medical SchoolUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Julie M. Dwyer
- Discipline of PharmacologySchool of Medical SciencesSydney Medical SchoolUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Sarah E. Allison
- Discipline of PharmacologySchool of Medical SciencesSydney Medical SchoolUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Michael Murray
- Discipline of PharmacologySchool of Medical SciencesSydney Medical SchoolUniversity of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
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Kim JS, Kim EJ, Kim HS, Kurie JM, Ahn YH. MKK4 activates non-canonical NFκB signaling by promoting NFκB2-p100 processing. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 491:337-342. [PMID: 28733031 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.07.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The NFκB family of transcription factors is crucial for innate or adaptive immunity, inflammation, and diseases including cancer. The two NFκB signaling pathways (canonical and non-canonical) differ from each other in extracellular signals, membrane receptors, signaling adaptors, and dimer subunits. The p52 (NFκB2) subunit, which participates in the non-canonical pathway, is generated by ubiquitin-mediated processing of the p100 precursor. Here, we found that NFκB2 processing and activation were mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-4 (MKK4) and its substrate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). In MKK4-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), serum- and lymphotoxin β receptor (LTβR) antibody-induced processing of p100 and nuclear translocation of p52 were found to be defective. Serum and LTβR antibody activated the MKK4-JNK signaling pathway, and SP600125, a JNK inhibitor, blocked p100 processing. Cellular senescence, one of the responses regulated by the non-canonical NFκB pathway, was observed more frequently in MKK4-null MEFs than in wildtype cells. These results suggest that the MKK4/JNK-dependent pathway regulates NFκB2 processing/activation and, through this mechanism, MKK4 and NFκB2 control cellular growth and senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Seon Kim
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07985, South Korea
| | - Eun Ju Kim
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07985, South Korea
| | - Hee-Sun Kim
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07985, South Korea
| | - Jonathan M Kurie
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Young-Ho Ahn
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Tissue Injury Defense Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07985, South Korea.
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The role of MAP2 kinases and p38 kinase in acute murine liver injury models. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e2903. [PMID: 28661486 PMCID: PMC5584575 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 05/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mediates hepatotoxicity through interaction of its phospho-activated form with a mitochondrial outer membrane protein, Sh3bp5 or Sab, leading to dephosphorylation of intermembrane Src and consequent impaired mitochondrial respiration and enhanced ROS release. ROS production from mitochondria activates MAP3 kinases, such as MLK3 and ASK1, which continue to activate a pathway to sustain JNK activation, and amplifies the toxic effect of acetaminophen (APAP) and TNF/galactosamine (TNF/GalN). Downstream of MAP3K, in various contexts MKK4 activates both JNK and p38 kinases and MKK7 activates only JNK. The relative role of MKK4 versus 7 in liver injury is largely unexplored, as is the potential role of p38 kinase, which might be a key mediator of toxicity in addition to JNK. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) to MKK4, MKK7 and p38 (versus scrambled control) were used for in vivo knockdown, and in some experiments PMH were used after in vivo knockdown. Mice were treated with APAP or TNF/GalN and injury assessed. MKK4 and MKK7 were expressed in liver and each was efficiently knocked down with two different ASOs. Massive liver injury and ALT elevation were abrogated by MKK4 but not MKK7 ASO pretreatment in both injury models. The protection was confirmed in PMH. Knockdown of MKK4 completely inhibited basal P-p38 in both cytoplasm and mitochondria. However, ALT levels and histologic injury in APAP-treated mice were not altered with p38 knockdown versus scrambled control. p38 knockdown significantly increased P-JNK levels in cytoplasm but not mitochondria after APAP treatment. In conclusion, MKK4 is the major MAP2K, which activates JNK in acute liver injury. p38, the other downstream target of MKK4, does not contribute to liver injury from APAP or TNF/galactosamine.
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Artemov AV, Mugue NS, Rastorguev SM, Zhenilo S, Mazur AM, Tsygankova SV, Boulygina ES, Kaplun D, Nedoluzhko AV, Medvedeva YA, Prokhortchouk EB. Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiling Reveals Epigenetic Adaptation of Stickleback to Marine and Freshwater Conditions. Mol Biol Evol 2017; 34:2203-2213. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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43
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Dunnill CJ, Ibraheem K, Mohamed A, Southgate J, Georgopoulos NT. A redox state-dictated signalling pathway deciphers the malignant cell specificity of CD40-mediated apoptosis. Oncogene 2016; 36:2515-2528. [PMID: 27869172 PMCID: PMC5422712 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
CD40, a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily, has the capacity to cause extensive apoptosis in carcinoma cells, while sparing normal epithelial cells. Yet, apoptosis is only achieved by membrane-presented CD40 ligand (mCD40L), as soluble receptor agonists are but weakly pro-apoptotic. Here, for the first time we have identified the precise signalling cascade underpinning mCD40L-mediated death as involving sequential TRAF3 stabilisation, ASK1 phosphorylation, MKK4 (but not MKK7) activation and JNK/AP-1 induction, leading to a Bak- and Bax-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. TRAF3 is central in the activation of the NADPH oxidase (Nox)-2 component p40phox and the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is essential in apoptosis. Strikingly, CD40 activation resulted in down-regulation of Thioredoxin (Trx)-1 to permit ASK1 activation and apoptosis. Although soluble receptor agonist alone could not induce death, combinatorial treatment incorporating soluble CD40 agonist and pharmacological inhibition of Trx-1 was functionally equivalent to the signal triggered by mCD40L. Finally, we demonstrate using normal, ‘para-malignant' and tumour-derived cells that progression to malignant transformation is associated with increase in oxidative stress in epithelial cells, which coincides with increased susceptibility to CD40 killing, while in normal cells CD40 signalling is cytoprotective. Our studies have revealed the molecular nature of the tumour specificity of CD40 signalling and explained the differences in pro-apoptotic potential between soluble and membrane-bound CD40 agonists. Equally importantly, by exploiting a unique epithelial culture system that allowed us to monitor alterations in the redox-state of epithelial cells at different stages of malignant transformation, our study reveals how pro-apoptotic signals can elevate ROS past a previously hypothesised ‘lethal pro-apoptotic threshold' to induce death; an observation that is both of fundamental importance and carries implications for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Dunnill
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
| | - K Ibraheem
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
| | - A Mohamed
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
| | - J Southgate
- Jack Birch Unit of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - N T Georgopoulos
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
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Quercetin and Cisplatin combined treatment altered cell cycle and mitogen activated protein kinase expressions in malignant mesotelioma cells. Altern Ther Health Med 2016; 16:281. [PMID: 27514524 PMCID: PMC4982421 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1267-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Background Malignant mesothelioma is a locally aggressive and highly lethal neoplasm of pleural, peritoneal and pericardial mesothelial cells without successful therapy. Previously, we reported that Quercetin in combination with Cisplatin inhibits cell proliferation and activates caspase-9 and -3 enzymes in different malignant mesothelioma cell lines. Moreover, Quercetin + Cisplatin lead to accumulation of both SPC111 and SPC212 cell lines in S phase. Methods In present work, 84 genes involved in cell growth and proliferation have analysed by using RT2-PCR array system and protein profile of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) family proteins investigated by western blots. Results Our results showed that Quercetin and Quercetin + Cisplatin modulated gene expression of cyclins, cyclin dependent kinases and cyclin dependent kinases inhibitors. In addition genes involved in JNK, p38 and MAPK/ERK pathways were up regulated. Moreover, while p38 and JNK phosphorylations were increased, ERK phosphorylations were decreased after using Quercetin + Cisplatin. Conclusion This research has clarified our previous results and detailed mechanism of anti-carcinogenic potential of Quercetin alone and incombination with Cisplatin on malignant mesothelioma cells.
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Galani V, Kastamoulas M, Varouktsi A, Lampri E, Mitselou A, Arvanitis DL. IFNs-signaling effects on lung cancer: an up-to-date pathways-specific review. Clin Exp Med 2016; 17:281-289. [PMID: 27416926 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-016-0432-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
IFNs have found important applications in clinical medicine, including the treatment of lung malignancies. The biological effect of the IFN-receptor signaling is regulated essentially by three factors: the expression profile of the IFN itself, the profile of the receptor, and the expression of target genes. IFNs initiate their signaling by binding to specific receptors. The activated IFNs can directly induce gene transcription and/or multiple downstream signaling that both induce diverse cellular responses including the cell cycle arrest and the apoptosis in tumor cells. We provided evidence that IFN-γ enhances the pro cell death effects of Fas/CD95 in human neoplastic alveolar epithelial cell line, A549. We also found that p27 protein plays a pivotal role in the inducing cell death of IFNγ-CH-11-treated A549 cells, since it is involved in the Ras/Raf signaling pathway. This article discusses recent insights into these possible additional functions of IFNs in lung cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Galani
- Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Michalis Kastamoulas
- Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
| | | | - Evangeli Lampri
- Department of Cancer Biobank Center, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Antigoni Mitselou
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Dimitrios L Arvanitis
- Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
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Chen T, Wang Z, Zhou W, Chong Z, Meric-Bernstam F, Mills GB, Chen K. Hotspot mutations delineating diverse mutational signatures and biological utilities across cancer types. BMC Genomics 2016; 17 Suppl 2:394. [PMID: 27356755 PMCID: PMC4928158 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2727-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An important step towards personalizing cancer treatment is to integrate heterogeneous evidences to catalog mutational hotspots that are biologically and therapeutically relevant and thus represent where targeted therapy would likely be beneficial. However, existing methods do not sufficiently delineate varying functionality of individual mutations within the same genes. Results We observed a large discordancy of mutation rates across different mutation subtypes and tumor types, and nominated 702 hotspot mutations in 549 genes in the Catalog of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) by considering context specific mutation characteristics such as genes, cancer types, mutation rates, mutation subtypes and sequence contexts. We observed that hotspot mutations were highly prevalent in Non CpG-island C/G transition and transversion sequence contexts in 10 tumor types, and specific insertion hotspot mutations were enriched in breast cancer and deletion hotspot mutations in colorectal cancer. We found that the hotspot mutations nominated by our approach were significantly more conserved than non-hotspot mutations in the corresponding cancer genes. We also examined the biological significance and pharmacogenomics properties of these hotspot mutations using data in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Cancer Cell-Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), and found that 53 hotspot mutations are independently associated with diverse functional evidences in 1) mRNA and protein expression, 2) pathway activity, or 3) drug sensitivity and 82 were highly enriched in specific tumor types. We highlighted the distinct functional indications of hotspot mutations under different contexts and nominated novel hotspot mutations such as MAP3K4 A1199 deletion, NR1H2 Q175 insertion, and GATA3 P409 insertion as potential biomarkers or drug targets. Conclusion We identified a set of hotspot mutations across 17 tumor types by considering the background mutation rate variations among genes, tumor subtypes, mutation subtypes, and sequence contexts. We illustrated the common and distinct mutational signatures of hotspot mutations among different tumor types and investigated their variable functional relevance under different contexts, which could potentially serve as a resource for explicitly selecting targets for diagnosis, drug development, and patient management. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2727-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tenghui Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zixing Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Wanding Zhou
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zechen Chong
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Funda Meric-Bernstam
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gordon B Mills
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ken Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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刘 春, 江 庆, 林 丹, 陈 炜, 肖 艳, 林 莉, 邓 渊, 蒋 惠, 郭 遂. [Coexpression of MAP2K4 and vimentin proteins in human endometrial carcinoma and its clinicopathological significance]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2016; 37:157-164. [PMID: 28219857 PMCID: PMC6779670 DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-4254.2017.02.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the expression of MAP2K4 and vimentin in human endometrial carcinoma (EC) and their association with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients. METHODS MAP2K4 and vimentin expressions were detected immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 128 patients with EC, and the correlation of MAP2K4 and vimentin expressions with the clinicopathological factors of the patients was analyzed. RESULTS MAP2K4 and vimentin proteins were positively expressed in 49 (38.3%) and 83 (64.8%) of the patients, respectively. A positive expression of MAP2K4 was negatively correlated with FIGO stage of the tumor (P=0.010) and lymph node status (P=0.016); a positive expression of vimentin was positively correlated with FIGO stage of the tumor (P=0.025), histological grades (P=0.017), depth of myometrial invasion (P=0.044) and lymph node status (P=0.032). MAP2K4 was inversely associated with vimentin expression in EC(r=-0.598, P<0.001). Patients positive for MAP2K4 tended to have a higher overall survival rate (P=0.002), and those positive for vimentin tended to have a lower overall survival rate (P=0.007); patients positive for MAP2K4 but negative for vimentin had the longest survival time, while those negative for MAP2K4 and positive for vimentin had lowest survival rate (P=0.004). CONCLUSION Detection of MAP2K4 and vimentin might help in early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of patients with EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- 春花 刘
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - 庆萍 江
- 广州医科大学第三附属医院病理科, 广东 广州 510150Department of Pathology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510150, China
| | - 丹 林
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - 炜 陈
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - 艳怡 肖
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - 莉 林
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - 渊润 邓
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - 惠萍 蒋
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - 遂群 郭
- 南方医科大学第三附属医院妇产科, 广东 广州 510630Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510630, China
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Marusiak AA, Stephenson NL, Baik H, Trotter EW, Li Y, Blyth K, Mason S, Chapman P, Puto LA, Read JA, Brassington C, Pollard HK, Phillips C, Green I, Overman R, Collier M, Testoni E, Miller CJ, Hunter T, Sansom OJ, Brognard J. Recurrent MLK4 Loss-of-Function Mutations Suppress JNK Signaling to Promote Colon Tumorigenesis. Cancer Res 2016; 76:724-35. [PMID: 26637668 PMCID: PMC4740929 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-0701-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
MLK4 is a member of the mixed-lineage family of kinases that regulate the JNK, p38, and ERK kinase signaling pathways. MLK4 mutations have been identified in various human cancers, including frequently in colorectal cancer, where their function and pathobiological importance have been uncertain. In this study, we assessed the functional consequences of MLK4 mutations in colon tumorigenesis. Biochemical data indicated that a majority of MLK4 mutations are loss-of-function (LOF) mutations that can exert dominant-negative effects. In seeking to understand the abrogated activity of these mutants, we elucidated a new MLK4 catalytic domain structure. To determine whether MLK4 is required to maintain tumorigenic phenotypes, we reconstituted its signaling axis in colon cancer cells harboring MLK4-inactivating mutations. We found that restoring MLK4 activity reduced cell viability, proliferation, and colony formation in vitro and delayed tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic investigations established that restoring the function of MLK4 selectively induced the JNK pathway and its downstream targets, cJUN, ATF3, and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors CDKN1A and CDKN2B. Our work indicates that MLK4 is a novel tumor-suppressing kinase harboring frequent LOF mutations that lead to diminished signaling in the JNK pathway and enhanced proliferation in colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Marusiak
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie L Stephenson
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Hayeon Baik
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor W Trotter
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Yaoyong Li
- Computational Biology Support, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Blyth
- Colorectal Cancer and Wnt Signalling Group, The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Mason
- Colorectal Cancer and Wnt Signalling Group, The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Phil Chapman
- Computational Biology Support, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Lorena A Puto
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California
| | - Jon A Read
- Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Chris Phillips
- Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Isabelle Green
- Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca, Cheshire, United Kingdom
| | - Ross Overman
- Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca, Cheshire, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ewelina Testoni
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Crispin J Miller
- Computational Biology Support, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom. RNA Biology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Hunter
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Colorectal Cancer and Wnt Signalling Group, The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - John Brognard
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
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Chan KC, Ho HH, Lin MC, Huang CN, Huang HP, Wang CJ. Impact of polyphenolic components from mulberry on apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2016; 96:381-391. [PMID: 25614977 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.7100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that mulberry polyphenolic compounds have an anti-atherosclerotic effect in rabbits. Apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is the key determinant of the number of VSMCs in remodeling. To examine the effect of mulberry polyphenol extracts (MPEs) on the apoptosis of VSMCs and thus the prevention of atherosclerosis, this study investigated the ability of MPEs to induce apoptosis in vitro and the underlying mechanism. RESULTS It was found that MPEs initially activated JNK/p38 and p53, which in turn activated both Fas-ligand and mitochondrial pathways, thereby causing mitochondrial translocation of Bax and a reduction in Bcl-2. This then triggered the cleavage of procaspases, finally resulting in apoptosis of VSMCs. CONCLUSION This study shows that MPEs may suppress atherosclerosis through stimulating apoptosis of VSMCs via activating JNK/p38 and p53 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuei-Chuan Chan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Hsieh-Hsun Ho
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Cheng Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Ning Huang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Pei Huang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
| | - Chau-Jong Wang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, No. 110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan
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Shah K, Bradbury NA. Kinase modulation of androgen receptor signaling: implications for prostate cancer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 2. [PMID: 28580371 DOI: 10.14800/ccm.1023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Androgens and androgen receptors play essential roles in the development and progression of prostate cancer, a disease that claims roughly 28,000 lives annually. In addition to androgen biding, androgen receptor activity can be regulated via several post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination, acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation & SUMO-ylation. Off these modifications, phosphorylation has been the most extensively studied. Modification by phosphorylation can alter androgen receptor localization, protein stability and transcriptional activity, ultimately leading to changes in the biology of cancer cells and cancer progression. Understanding, role of phosphorylated androgen receptor species holds the key to identifying a potential therapeutic drug target for patients with prostate cancer and castrate resistant prostate cancer. Here, we present a brief review of recently discovered protein kinases phosphorylating AR, focusing on the functional role of phosphorylated androgen receptor species in prostate cancer and castrate resistant prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalpit Shah
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Sciences, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Neil A Bradbury
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Sciences, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
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