1
|
Guo X, Fan A, Qi X, Liu D, Huang J, Lin W. Indoloquinazoline alkaloids suppress angiogenesis and inhibit metastasis of melanoma cells. Bioorg Chem 2023; 141:106873. [PMID: 37734192 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, targeting angiogenesis emerges as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of melanoma metastasis. Discovery of new antiangiogenic compounds with specific mechanism of action is still desired. In present study, a bioassay-guidance uncovers the EtOAc extract of a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus clavutus LZD32-24 with significant inhibitory activity against the angiogenesis in Tg (fli1a: EGFP) zebrafish model. Extensive chromatographic fractionation led to the isolation of 48 indoloquinazoline alkaloids, including 21 new analogues namely clavutoines A-U (1-21). Their structures were determined by the spectroscopic data, including the ECD, single crystal X-ray diffraction and quantum chemical calculation for the configurational assignments. Among the bioactive analogues, quinadoline B (QB) showed the most efficacy to suppress the zebrafish vascular outgrowth in zebrafish embryos. QB markedly inhibited the migration, invasion and tube formation with weak cytotoxicity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Investigation of the mode of action revealed QB suppressed the ROCK/MYPT1/MLC2/coffin and FAK /Src signaling pathways, and subsequently disrupted actin cytoskeletal organization. In addition, QB reduced the number of new vessels sprouting from the ex vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), and inhibited the metastasis of B16F10 melanoma cells in lung of C57BL/6 mice through suppressing angiogenesis. These findings suggest that QB is a potential lead for the development of new antiangiogenic agent to inhibit melanoma metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingchen Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Aili Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Xinyi Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Dong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China
| | - Jian Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
| | - Wenhan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicine, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu C, Huang Y, Zhao C, Hou Y. Mechanical properties of CTCs in patients with diagnosed ovarian cancer. J Biomech 2023; 160:111831. [PMID: 37820489 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111831] [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: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The incidence and mortality of gynecologic cancers have been constantly increasing in China over the last 2 decades, which become a major health concern for women. Survival rates of gynecologic cancers are generally not satisfactory and decrease along with the advancing stage, this is mainly due to the lack of a clear prognostic evaluation during the treatment, which brings difficulties to the treatment. Therefore, more accurate prognostic evaluation methods are urgently needed. To solve this problem, this article explores the changes in the biomechanical properties of cells. Changes in the biomechanical properties of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were explored by nano detection technology. The reference criteria for clinical evaluation of ovarian cancer (Age, FIGO stage, Histologic type, CA-125, Ascites, Single/Double, Residual lesion, and Chemotherapy) were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the average cell height of CTCs was 4.12 ± 0.83 μm before chemotherapy and 4.87 ± 0.71 μm after chemotherapy, with an average increase of 18.203 %. The apparent Young's modulus (E) was 3.884 ± 0.045 kPa before chemotherapy and 4.514 ± 0.025 kPa after chemotherapy, which increased by 0.63 kPa. The ROC analysis of FIGO stage of ovarian cancer patients showed that Young's modulus of cells could better reflect the accuracy of the evaluation of FIGO stage of patients, with the accuracy reaching 76.7 %, which was higher than the detection accuracy of CA-125 (72.6 %). In conclusion, the mechanical properties of CTCs can indicate the FIGO stage and diagnosis of patients and predict the prognostic risk of patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuanzhi Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, Jilin Province 130022, China.
| | - Yuxi Huang
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Chunru Zhao
- Changchun Tumor Hospital, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Yue Hou
- School of Life Science and Technology, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, Jilin Province 130022, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang K, Kong F, Qiu Y, Chen T, Fu J, Jin X, Su Y, Gu Y, Hu Z, Li J. Autophagy regulation and protein kinase activity of PIK3C3 controls sertoli cell polarity through its negative regulation on SCIN (scinderin). Autophagy 2023; 19:2934-2957. [PMID: 37450577 PMCID: PMC10549198 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2235195] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells are highly polarized testicular cells that provide a nurturing environment for germ cell development and maturation during spermatogenesis. The class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) plays core roles in macroautophagy in various cell types; however, its role in Sertoli cells remains unclear. Here, we generated a mouse line in which the gene encoding the catalytic subunit, Pik3c3, was specifically deleted in Sertoli cells (cKO) and found that after one round of normal spermatogenesis, the cKO mice quickly became infertile and showed disruption of Sertoli cell polarity and impaired spermiogenesis. Subsequent proteomics and phosphoproteomics analyses enriched the F-actin cytoskeleton network involved in the disorganized Sertoli-cell structure in cKO testis which we identified a significant increase of the F-actin negative regulator SCIN (scinderin) and the reduced phosphorylation of HDAC6, an α-tubulin deacetylase. Our results further demonstrated that the accumulation of SCIN in cKO Sertoli cells caused the disorder and disassembly of the F-actin cytoskeleton, which was related to the failure of SCIN degradation through the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Additionally, we found that the phosphorylation of HDAC6 at site S59 by PIK3C3 was essential for its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. As a result, the HDAC6 that accumulated in cKO Sertoli cells deacetylated SCIN at site K189 and led to a disorganized F-actin cytoskeleton. Taken together, our findings elucidate a new mechanism for PIK3C3 in maintaining the polarity of Sertoli cells, in which both its autophagy regulation or protein kinase activities are required for the stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton.Abbreviations: ACTB: actin, beta; AR: androgen receptor; ATG14: autophagy related 14; BafA1: bafilomycin A1; BECN1: beclin 1, autophagy related; BTB: blood-testis barrier; CASP3: caspase 3; CDC42: cell division cycle 42; CDH2: cadherin 2; CHX: cycloheximide; CTNNA1: catenin (cadherin associated protein), alpha 1; CYP11A1: cytochrome P450, family 11, subfamily A, polypeptide 1; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; ES: ectoplasmic specialization; FITC: fluorescein isothiocyanate; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GCNA: germ cell nuclear acidic protein; GJA1: gap junction protein, alpha 1; H2AX: H2A.X variant histone; HDAC6: histone deacetylase 6; KIT: KIT proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; MAP3K5: mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 5; MAP1LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; OCLN: occludin; PIK3C3: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3; PIK3R4: phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 4; PNA: arachis hypogaea lectin; RAC1: Rac family small GTPase 1; SCIN: scinderin; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; SSC: spermatogonia stem cell; STK11: serine/threonine kinase 11; TJP1: tight junction protein 1; TubA: tubastatin A; TUBB3: tubulin beta 3 class III; TUNEL: TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling; UB: ubiquitin; UVRAG: UV radiation resistance associated gene; VIM: vimentin; WT1: WT1 transcription factor; ZBTB16: zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kehan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feifei Kong
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuexin Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiayi Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Youqiang Su
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yayun Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhibin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, International Joint Research Center on Environment and Human Health, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li D, Yang Y, Lv C, Wang Y, Chao X, Huang J, Singh SP, Yuan Y, Zhang C, Lou J, Gao P, Huang S, Li B, Cai H. GxcM-Fbp17/RacC-WASP signaling regulates polarized cortex assembly in migrating cells via Arp2/3. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202208151. [PMID: 37010470 PMCID: PMC10072221 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202208151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The actin-rich cortex plays a fundamental role in many cellular processes. Its architecture and molecular composition vary across cell types and physiological states. The full complement of actin assembly factors driving cortex formation and how their activities are spatiotemporally regulated remain to be fully elucidated. Using Dictyostelium as a model for polarized and rapidly migrating cells, we show that GxcM, a RhoGEF localized specifically in the rear of migrating cells, functions together with F-BAR protein Fbp17, a small GTPase RacC, and the actin nucleation-promoting factor WASP to coordinately promote Arp2/3 complex-mediated cortical actin assembly. Overactivation of this signaling cascade leads to excessive actin polymerization in the rear cortex, whereas its disruption causes defects in cortical integrity and function. Therefore, apart from its well-defined role in the formation of the protrusions at the cell front, the Arp2/3 complex-based actin carries out a previously unappreciated function in building the rear cortical subcompartment in rapidly migrating cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yihong Yang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chenglin Lv
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingjie Wang
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoting Chao
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiafeng Huang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Ye Yuan
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengyu Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jizhong Lou
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pu Gao
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shanjin Huang
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Huaqing Cai
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Filić V, Weber I. Rho GTPases in Model Systems. Cells 2023; 12:cells12050779. [PMID: 36899915 PMCID: PMC10000384 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of their role in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton 30 years ago, Rho GTPases have taken center stage in cell motility research [...].
Collapse
|
6
|
Brunet T, Booth DS. Cell polarity in the protist-to-animal transition. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 154:1-36. [PMID: 37100515 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
A signature feature of the animal kingdom is the presence of epithelia: sheets of polarized cells that both insulate the organism from its environment and mediate interactions with it. Epithelial cells display a marked apico-basal polarity, which is highly conserved across the animal kingdom, both in terms of morphology and of molecular regulators. How did this architecture first evolve? Although the last eukaryotic common ancestor almost certainly possessed a simple form of apico-basal polarity (marked by the presence of one or several flagella at a single cellular pole), comparative genomics and evolutionary cell biology reveal that the polarity regulators of animal epithelial cells have a surprisingly complex and stepwise evolutionary history. Here, we retrace their evolutionary assembly. We suggest that the "polarity network" that polarized animal epithelial cells evolved by integration of initially independent cellular modules that evolved at distinct steps of our evolutionary ancestry. The first module dates back to the last common ancestor of animals and amoebozoans and involved Par1, extracellular matrix proteins, and the integrin-mediated adhesion complex. Other regulators, such as Cdc42, Dlg, Par6 and cadherins evolved in ancient unicellular opisthokonts, and might have first been involved in F-actin remodeling and filopodial dynamics. Finally, the bulk of "polarity proteins" as well as specialized adhesion complexes evolved in the metazoan stem-line, in concert with the newly evolved intercellular junctional belts. Thus, the polarized architecture of epithelia can be understood as a palimpsest of components of distinct histories and ancestral functions, which have become tightly integrated in animal tissues.
Collapse
|
7
|
Actin dynamics in protein homeostasis. Biosci Rep 2022; 42:231720. [PMID: 36043949 PMCID: PMC9469105 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20210848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell homeostasis is maintained in all organisms by the constant adjustment of cell constituents and organisation to account for environmental context. Fine-tuning of the optimal balance of proteins for the conditions, or protein homeostasis, is critical to maintaining cell homeostasis. Actin, a major constituent of the cytoskeleton, forms many different structures which are acutely sensitive to the cell environment. Furthermore, actin structures interact with and are critically important for the function and regulation of multiple factors involved with mRNA and protein production and degradation, and protein regulation. Altogether, actin is a key, if often overlooked, regulator of protein homeostasis across eukaryotes. In this review, we highlight these roles and how they are altered following cell stress, from mRNA transcription to protein degradation.
Collapse
|
8
|
Mijanović L, Weber I. Adhesion of Dictyostelium Amoebae to Surfaces: A Brief History of Attachments. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:910736. [PMID: 35721508 PMCID: PMC9197732 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.910736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dictyostelium amoebae adhere to extracellular material using similar mechanisms to metazoan cells. Notably, the cellular anchorage loci in Amoebozoa and Metazoa are both arranged in the form of discrete spots and incorporate a similar repertoire of intracellular proteins assembled into multicomponent complexes located on the inner side of the plasma membrane. Surprisingly, however, Dictyostelium lacks integrins, the canonical transmembrane heterodimeric receptors that dominantly mediate adhesion of cells to the extracellular matrix in multicellular animals. In this review article, we summarize the current knowledge about the cell-substratum adhesion in Dictyostelium, present an inventory of the involved proteins, and draw parallels with the situation in animal cells. The emerging picture indicates that, while retaining the basic molecular architecture common to their animal relatives, the adhesion complexes in free-living amoeboid cells have evolved to enable less specific interactions with diverse materials encountered in their natural habitat in the deciduous forest soil. Dissection of molecular mechanisms that underlay short lifetime of the cell-substratum attachments and high turnover rate of the adhesion complexes in Dictyostelium should provide insight into a similarly modified adhesion phenotype that accompanies the mesenchymal-amoeboid transition in tumor metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucija Mijanović
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Igor Weber
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ancient Origins of Cytoskeletal Crosstalk: Spectraplakin-like Proteins Precede the Emergence of Cortical Microtubule Stabilization Complexes as Crosslinkers. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105594. [PMID: 35628404 PMCID: PMC9145010 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105594] [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: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Adhesion between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) is one of the prerequisites for multicellularity, motility, and tissue specialization. Focal adhesions (FAs) are defined as protein complexes that mediate signals from the ECM to major components of the cytoskeleton (microtubules, actin, and intermediate filaments), and their mutual communication determines a variety of cellular processes. In this study, human cytoskeletal crosstalk proteins were identified by comparing datasets with experimentally determined cytoskeletal proteins. The spectraplakin dystonin was the only protein found in all datasets. Other proteins (FAK, RAC1, septin 9, MISP, and ezrin) were detected at the intersections of FAs, microtubules, and actin cytoskeleton. Homology searches for human crosstalk proteins as queries were performed against a predefined dataset of proteomes. This analysis highlighted the importance of FA communication with the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton, as these crosstalk proteins exhibit the highest degree of evolutionary conservation. Finally, phylogenetic analyses elucidated the early evolutionary history of spectraplakins and cortical microtubule stabilization complexes (CMSCs) as model representatives of the human cytoskeletal crosstalk. While spectraplakins probably arose at the onset of opisthokont evolution, the crosstalk between FAs and microtubules is associated with the emergence of metazoans. The multiprotein complexes contributing to cytoskeletal crosstalk in animals gradually gained in complexity from the onset of metazoan evolution.
Collapse
|
10
|
Pessoa J, Teixeira J. Cytoskeleton alterations in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Metabolism 2022; 128:155115. [PMID: 34974078 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2021.155115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to its extremely high prevalence and severity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) is a serious health and economic concern worldwide. Developing effective methods of diagnosis and therapy demands a deeper understanding of its molecular basis. One of the strategies in such an endeavor is the analysis of alterations in the morphology of liver cells. Such alterations, widely reported in NAFLD patients and disease models, are related to the cytoskeleton. Therefore, the fate of the cytoskeleton components is useful to uncover the molecular basis of NAFLD, to further design innovative approaches for its diagnosis and therapy. MAIN FINDINGS Several cytoskeleton proteins are up-regulated in liver cells of NAFLD patients. Under pathological conditions, keratin 18 is released from hepatocytes and its detection in the blood emerges as a non-invasive diagnosis tool. α-Smooth muscle actin is up-regulated in hepatic stellate cells and its down-regulation has been widely tested as a potential NALFD therapeutic approach. Other cytoskeleton proteins, such as vimentin, are also up-regulated. CONCLUSIONS NAFLD progression involves alterations in expression levels of proteins that build the liver cytoskeleton or associate with it. These findings provide a timely opportunity of developing novel approaches for NAFLD diagnosis and therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- João Pessoa
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - José Teixeira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|