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Liu R, Zhou D, Yu B, Zhou Z. Phosphorylation of LZTS2 by PLK1 activates the Wnt pathway. Cell Signal 2024; 120:111226. [PMID: 38740232 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111226] [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: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), responsible for nearly half of lung cancer cases, is one of the most prevalent and lethal malignant tumors globally. There is increasing evidence suggesting that the oncoprotein PLK1 plays a role in the onset and advancement of different types of cancer, including LUAD. Nonetheless, the precise mechanism by which PLK1 promotes tumorigenesis remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate the upregulation of PLK1 in LUAD samples, which leads to a poor prognosis for LUAD patients. Intriguingly, PLK1 enables to bind to LZTS2 and promote its phosphorylation without affecting LZTS2 degradation. Furthermore, we identify that Ser451 is a key phosphorylation site in LZTS2 protein. LZTS2 exerts an anti-tumor effect by restricting the translocation of the transcription factor β-Catenin into the nucleus, thereby suppressing the Wnt pathway. PLK1 disrupts the interaction between LZTS2 and β-Catenin, resulting in the nuclear accumulation of β-Catenin and the activation of the Wnt pathway. Additionally, we reveal that LZTS2 inhibits the proliferation and migration of LUAD cells, which is rescued by PLK1. Finally, PLK1 inhibitors exhibit a dose-dependent suppression of LUAD cell proliferation and migration. Collectively, this study uncovers the pro-tumorigenic mechanism of PLK1, positioning it as a promising therapeutic target for Wnt-related LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi, 330006, China
| | - Dafa Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, 271018 Tai'an, China
| | - Bentong Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi, 330006, China..
| | - Zizhang Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, 271018 Tai'an, China; Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Bioresource Utilization of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China.
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Xu Y, Yu Y, Yan R, Ke X, Qu Y. Modulating β-catenin homeostasis for cancer therapy. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:507-518. [PMID: 38521655 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2024.02.006] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
β-Catenin is a well-established driver of many cancers; however, there are challenges in developing agents targeting β-catenin for clinical use. Recent progress has indicated that most of the pathological changes in β-catenin may be commonly caused by loss of protein homeostasis. Modulation of β-catenin homeostasis, especially by hyperactivation of β-catenin, potentially leads to robust antitumor outcomes. Here, we comprehensively dissect the protein homeostasis of β-catenin in terms of time, compartmentalization, supramolecular assemblies, and dynamics, with emphasis on changes in β-catenin homeostasis upon oncogenic mutations. We propose that altered β-catenin homeostasis could be deleterious for β-catenin-dependent cancers and that modulation of β-catenin homeostasis offers a novel avenue for targeting β-catenin for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Ying Yu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Rong Yan
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Xisong Ke
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
| | - Yi Qu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China.
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Park JE, Kirsch K, Lee H, Oliva P, Ahn JI, Ravishankar H, Zeng Y, Fox SD, Kirby SA, Badhwar P, Andresson T, Jacobson KA, Lee KS. Specific inhibition of an anticancer target, polo-like kinase 1, by allosterically dismantling its mechanism of substrate recognition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305037120. [PMID: 37603740 PMCID: PMC10629583 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305037120] [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: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is considered an attractive target for anticancer therapy. Over the years, studies on the noncatalytic polo-box domain (PBD) of Plk1 have raised the expectation of generating highly specific protein-protein interaction inhibitors. However, the molecular nature of the canonical PBD-dependent interaction, which requires extensive water network-mediated interactions with its phospholigands, has hampered efforts to identify small molecules suitable for Plk1 PBD drug discovery. Here, we report the identification of the first allosteric inhibitor of Plk1 PBD, called Allopole, a prodrug that can disrupt intracellular interactions between PBD and its cognate phospholigands, delocalize Plk1 from centrosomes and kinetochores, and induce mitotic block and cancer cell killing. At the structural level, its unmasked active form, Allopole-A, bound to a deep Trp-Phe-lined pocket occluded by a latch-like loop, whose adjoining region was required for securely retaining a ligand anchored to the phospho-binding cleft. Allopole-A binding completely dislodged the L2 loop, an event that appeared sufficient to trigger the dissociation of a phospholigand and inhibit PBD-dependent Plk1 function during mitosis. Given Allopole's high specificity and antiproliferative potency, this study is expected to open an unexplored avenue for developing Plk1 PBD-specific anticancer therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Eun Park
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Klara Kirsch
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Hobin Lee
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Paola Oliva
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Jong Il Ahn
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Harsha Ravishankar
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Yan Zeng
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Stephen D. Fox
- Protein Characterization Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD21702
| | - Samuel A. Kirby
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Pooja Badhwar
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Thorkell Andresson
- Protein Characterization Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD21702
| | - Kenneth A. Jacobson
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Kyung S. Lee
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20892
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Kim DE, Shin SB, Kim CH, Kim YB, Oh HJ, Yim H. PLK1-mediated phosphorylation of β-catenin enhances its stability and transcriptional activity for extracellular matrix remodeling in metastatic NSCLC. Theranostics 2023; 13:1198-1216. [PMID: 36793862 PMCID: PMC9925311 DOI: 10.7150/thno.79318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: β-catenin is a component for cell adhesion and a transcriptional coactivator in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Previously we found that catalytically active PLK1 drives EMT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), upregulating extracellular matrix factors including TSG6, laminin γ2, and CD44. To understand the underlying mechanism and clinical significance of PLK1 and β-catenin in NSCLC, their relationship and function in metastatic regulation were investigated. Methods: The clinical relevance between the survival rate of NSCLC patients and the expression of PLK1 and β-catenin was analyzed by a KM plot. Immunoprecipitation, kinase assay, LC-MS/MS spectrometry, and site-directed mutagenesis were performed to reveal their interaction and phosphorylation. A lentiviral doxycycline-inducible system, Transwell-based 3D culture, tail-vein injection model, confocal microscopy, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to elucidate the function of phosphorylated β-catenin in the EMT of NSCLC. Results: Clinical analysis revealed that the high expression of CTNNB1/PLK1 was inversely correlated with the survival rates of 1,292 NSCLC patients, especially in metastatic NSCLC. In TGF-β-induced or active PLK1-driven EMT, β-catenin, PLK1, TSG6, laminin γ2, and CD44 were concurrently upregulated. β-catenin is a binding partner of PLK1 in TGF-β-induced EMT and is phosphorylated at S311. Phosphomimetic β-catenin promotes cell motility, invasiveness of NSCLC cells, and metastasis in a tail-vein injection mouse model. Its upregulated stability by phosphorylation enhances transcriptional activity through nuclear translocation for the expression of laminin γ2, CD44, and c-Jun, therefore enhancing PLK1 expression by AP-1. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for the critical role of the PLK1/β-catenin/AP-1 axis in metastatic NSCLC, implying that β-catenin and PLK1 may serve as a molecular target and prognostic indicator of the therapeutic response in metastatic NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Eun Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea
| | - Sol-Bi Shin
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea
| | - Chang-Hyeon Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea
| | - Yeo-Bin Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea
| | - Hyun-Ji Oh
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea
| | - Hyungshin Yim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea.,Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Gyeonggi-do 15588, Korea
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Habib SJ, Acebrón SP. Wnt signalling in cell division: from mechanisms to tissue engineering. Trends Cell Biol 2022; 32:1035-1048. [PMID: 35717422 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Wnt signalling is an essential player in tissue formation, notably in the regulation of stem cell function. Wnt signalling is best known for its roles in G1/S progression. However, a complex Wnt programme that also mediates mitotic progression and asymmetric cell division (ACD) is emerging. Recent developments in this area have provided mechanistic insights as well as tools to engineer or target Wnt signalling for translational and therapeutic purposes. Here, we discuss the bidirectional relationship between Wnt activity and mitosis. We emphasise how various Wnt-dependent mechanisms control spindle dynamics, chromosome segregation, and ACD. Finally, we illustrate how knowledge about these mechanisms has been successfully employed in tissue engineering for regenerative medicine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shukry J Habib
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 7a, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Sergio P Acebrón
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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