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Beauchamp E, Gamma JM, Cromwell CR, Moussa EW, Pain R, Kostiuk MA, Acevedo-Morantes C, Iyer A, Yap M, Vincent KM, Postovit LM, Julien O, Hubbard BP, Mackey JR, Berthiaume LG. Multiomics analysis identifies oxidative phosphorylation as a cancer vulnerability arising from myristoylation inhibition. J Transl Med 2024; 22:431. [PMID: 38715059 PMCID: PMC11075276 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05150-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In humans, two ubiquitously expressed N-myristoyltransferases, NMT1 and NMT2, catalyze myristate transfer to proteins to facilitate membrane targeting and signaling. We investigated the expression of NMTs in numerous cancers and found that NMT2 levels are dysregulated by epigenetic suppression, particularly so in hematologic malignancies. This suggests that pharmacological inhibition of the remaining NMT1 could allow for the selective killing of these cells, sparing normal cells with both NMTs. METHODS AND RESULTS Transcriptomic analysis of 1200 NMT inhibitor (NMTI)-treated cancer cell lines revealed that NMTI sensitivity relates not only to NMT2 loss or NMT1 dependency, but also correlates with a myristoylation inhibition sensitivity signature comprising 54 genes (MISS-54) enriched in hematologic cancers as well as testis, brain, lung, ovary, and colon cancers. Because non-myristoylated proteins are degraded by a glycine-specific N-degron, differential proteomics revealed the major impact of abrogating NMT1 genetically using CRISPR/Cas9 in cancer cells was surprisingly to reduce mitochondrial respiratory complex I proteins rather than cell signaling proteins, some of which were also reduced, albeit to a lesser extent. Cancer cell treatments with the first-in-class NMTI PCLX-001 (zelenirstat), which is undergoing human phase 1/2a trials in advanced lymphoma and solid tumors, recapitulated these effects. The most downregulated myristoylated mitochondrial protein was NDUFAF4, a complex I assembly factor. Knockout of NDUFAF4 or in vitro cell treatment with zelenirstat resulted in loss of complex I, oxidative phosphorylation and respiration, which impacted metabolomes. CONCLUSIONS Targeting of both, oxidative phosphorylation and cell signaling partly explains the lethal effects of zelenirstat in select cancer types. While the prognostic value of the sensitivity score MISS-54 remains to be validated in patients, our findings continue to warrant the clinical development of zelenirstat as cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay M Gamma
- Department of Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Christopher R Cromwell
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Eman W Moussa
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Rony Pain
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Morris A Kostiuk
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Claudia Acevedo-Morantes
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Aishwarya Iyer
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Megan Yap
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Krista M Vincent
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Lynne M Postovit
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Olivier Julien
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Basil P Hubbard
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Luc G Berthiaume
- Pacylex Pharmaceuticals Inc., Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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2
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Tate EW, Soday L, de la Lastra AL, Wang M, Lin H. Protein lipidation in cancer: mechanisms, dysregulation and emerging drug targets. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:240-260. [PMID: 38424304 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00666-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Protein lipidation describes a diverse class of post-translational modifications (PTMs) that is regulated by over 40 enzymes, targeting more than 1,000 substrates at over 3,000 sites. Lipidated proteins include more than 150 oncoproteins, including mediators of cancer initiation, progression and immunity, receptor kinases, transcription factors, G protein-coupled receptors and extracellular signalling proteins. Lipidation regulates the physical interactions of its protein substrates with cell membranes, regulating protein signalling and trafficking, and has a key role in metabolism and immunity. Targeting protein lipidation, therefore, offers a unique approach to modulate otherwise undruggable oncoproteins; however, the full spectrum of opportunities to target the dysregulation of these PTMs in cancer remains to be explored. This is attributable in part to the technological challenges of identifying the targets and the roles of protein lipidation. The early stage of drug discovery for many enzymes in the pathway contrasts with efforts for drugging similarly common PTMs such as phosphorylation and acetylation, which are routinely studied and targeted in relevant cancer contexts. Here, we review recent advances in identifying targetable protein lipidation pathways in cancer, the current state-of-the-art in drug discovery, and the status of ongoing clinical trials, which have the potential to deliver novel oncology therapeutics targeting protein lipidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward W Tate
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Lior Soday
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Mei Wang
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hening Lin
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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3
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Yuan Y, Li P, Li J, Zhao Q, Chang Y, He X. Protein lipidation in health and disease: molecular basis, physiological function and pathological implication. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:60. [PMID: 38485938 PMCID: PMC10940682 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01759-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications increase the complexity and functional diversity of proteins in response to complex external stimuli and internal changes. Among these, protein lipidations which refer to lipid attachment to proteins are prominent, which primarily encompassing five types including S-palmitoylation, N-myristoylation, S-prenylation, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor and cholesterylation. Lipid attachment to proteins plays an essential role in the regulation of protein trafficking, localisation, stability, conformation, interactions and signal transduction by enhancing hydrophobicity. Accumulating evidence from genetic, structural, and biomedical studies has consistently shown that protein lipidation is pivotal in the regulation of broad physiological functions and is inextricably linked to a variety of diseases. Decades of dedicated research have driven the development of a wide range of drugs targeting protein lipidation, and several agents have been developed and tested in preclinical and clinical studies, some of which, such as asciminib and lonafarnib are FDA-approved for therapeutic use, indicating that targeting protein lipidations represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Here, we comprehensively review the known regulatory enzymes and catalytic mechanisms of various protein lipidation types, outline the impact of protein lipidations on physiology and disease, and highlight potential therapeutic targets and clinical research progress, aiming to provide a comprehensive reference for future protein lipidation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Peiyuan Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianghui Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiu Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
| | - Xingxing He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
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4
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McHugh D, Sun B, Gutierrez-Muñoz C, Hernández-González F, Mellone M, Guiho R, Duran I, Pombo J, Pietrocola F, Birch J, Kallemeijn WW, Khadayate S, Dharmalingam G, Vernia S, Tate EW, Martínez-Barbera JP, Withers DJ, Thomas GJ, Serrano M, Gil J. COPI vesicle formation and N-myristoylation are targetable vulnerabilities of senescent cells. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:1804-1820. [PMID: 38012402 PMCID: PMC10709147 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-023-01287-6] [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: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Drugs that selectively kill senescent cells (senolytics) improve the outcomes of cancer, fibrosis and age-related diseases. Despite their potential, our knowledge of the molecular pathways that affect the survival of senescent cells is limited. To discover senolytic targets, we performed RNAi screens and identified coatomer complex I (COPI) vesicle formation as a liability of senescent cells. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of COPI results in Golgi dispersal, dysfunctional autophagy, and unfolded protein response-dependent apoptosis of senescent cells, and knockdown of COPI subunits improves the outcomes of cancer and fibrosis in mouse models. Drugs targeting COPI have poor pharmacological properties, but we find that N-myristoyltransferase inhibitors (NMTi) phenocopy COPI inhibition and are potent senolytics. NMTi selectively eliminated senescent cells and improved outcomes in models of cancer and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Our results suggest that senescent cells rely on a hyperactive secretory apparatus and that inhibiting trafficking kills senescent cells with the potential to treat various senescence-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domhnall McHugh
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bin Sun
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Carmen Gutierrez-Muñoz
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Fernanda Hernández-González
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Pulmonology, ICR, Hospital Clinic, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Massimiliano Mellone
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- AstraZeneca, Immuno-Oncology Discovery, Oncology R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Romain Guiho
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, Birth Defects Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Imanol Duran
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Joaquim Pombo
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Federico Pietrocola
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jodie Birch
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Wouter W Kallemeijn
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Sanjay Khadayate
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Gopuraja Dharmalingam
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Santiago Vernia
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Edward W Tate
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Juan Pedro Martínez-Barbera
- Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, Birth Defects Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dominic J Withers
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Gareth J Thomas
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Manuel Serrano
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Altos Labs, Cambridge Institute of Science, Granta Park, UK
| | - Jesús Gil
- MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), London, UK.
- Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Lemarié FL, Sanders SS, Nguyen Y, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Full-length huntingtin is palmitoylated at multiple sites and post-translationally myristoylated following caspase-cleavage. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1086112. [PMID: 36711022 PMCID: PMC9880554 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1086112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. Huntingtin is subjected to multiple post-translational modifications which regulate its cellular functions and degradation. We have previously identified a palmitoylation site at cysteine 214 (C214), catalyzed by the enzymes ZDHHC17 and ZDHHC13. Reduced palmitoylation level of mutant huntingtin is linked to toxicity and loss of function. Moreover, we have described N-terminal myristoylation by the N-myristoyltransferases of a short fragment of huntingtin (HTT553-586) at glycine 553 (G553) following proteolysis at aspartate 552 (D552). Results: Here, we show that huntingtin is palmitoylated at numerous cysteines: C105, C433, C3134 and C3144. In addition, we confirm that full-length huntingtin is cleaved at D552 and post-translationally myristoylated at G553. Importantly, blocking caspase cleavage at the critical and pathogenic aspartate 586 (D586) significantly increases posttranslational myristoylation of huntingtin. In turn, myristoylation of huntingtin promotes the co-interaction between C-terminal and N-terminal huntingtin fragments, which is also protective. Discussion: This suggests that the protective effect of inhibiting caspase-cleavage at D586 may be mediated through post-translational myristoylation of huntingtin at G553.
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Shang S, Liu J, Hua F. Protein acylation: mechanisms, biological functions and therapeutic targets. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:396. [PMID: 36577755 PMCID: PMC9797573 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01245-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is involved in the pathogenesis of not only cancers but also neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. With the progress of metabonomics and proteomics, metabolites have been found to affect protein acylations through providing acyl groups or changing the activities of acyltransferases or deacylases. Reciprocally, protein acylation is involved in key cellular processes relevant to physiology and diseases, such as protein stability, protein subcellular localization, enzyme activity, transcriptional activity, protein-protein interactions and protein-DNA interactions. Herein, we summarize the functional diversity and mechanisms of eight kinds of nonhistone protein acylations in the physiological processes and progression of several diseases. We also highlight the recent progress in the development of inhibitors for acyltransferase, deacylase, and acylation reader proteins for their potential applications in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Shang
- grid.506261.60000 0001 0706 7839CAMS Key Laboratory of Molecular Mechanism and Target Discovery of Metabolic Disorder and Tumorigenesis, State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 100050 Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jing Liu
- grid.506261.60000 0001 0706 7839CAMS Key Laboratory of Molecular Mechanism and Target Discovery of Metabolic Disorder and Tumorigenesis, State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 100050 Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fang Hua
- grid.506261.60000 0001 0706 7839CAMS Key Laboratory of Molecular Mechanism and Target Discovery of Metabolic Disorder and Tumorigenesis, State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 100050 Beijing, P.R. China
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