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Capoferri D, Mignani L, Manfredi M, Presta M. Proteomic Analysis Highlights the Impact of the Sphingolipid Metabolizing Enzyme β-Galactosylceramidase on Mitochondrial Plasticity in Human Melanoma. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3062. [PMID: 38474307 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25053062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial plasticity, marked by a dynamism between glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation due to adaptation to genetic and microenvironmental alterations, represents a characteristic feature of melanoma progression. Sphingolipids play a significant role in various aspects of cancer cell biology, including metabolic reprogramming. Previous observations have shown that the lysosomal sphingolipid-metabolizing enzyme β-galactosylceramidase (GALC) exerts pro-oncogenic functions in melanoma. Here, mining the cBioPortal for a Cancer Genomics data base identified the top 200 nuclear-encoded genes whose expression is negatively correlated with GALC expression in human melanoma. Their categorization indicated a significant enrichment in Gene Ontology terms and KEGG pathways related to mitochondrial proteins and function. In parallel, proteomic analysis by LC-MS/MS of two GALC overexpressing human melanoma cell lines identified 98 downregulated proteins when compared to control mock cells. Such downregulation was confirmed at a transcriptional level by a Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of the genome-wide expression profiling data obtained from the same cells. Among the GALC downregulated proteins, we identified a cluster of 42 proteins significantly associated with GO and KEGG categorizations related to mitochondrion and energetic metabolism. Overall, our data indicate that changes in GALC expression may exert a significant impact on mitochondrial plasticity in human melanoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Capoferri
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Luca Mignani
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Marcello Manfredi
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, 13100 Novara, Italy
| | - Marco Presta
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Biotecnologie (CIB), Unit of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
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2
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Feng L, Zhang N, Luo L, Liu J, Yao Y, Gao MS, Pan J, He C. Investigation of the Proteasome 26S Subunit, ATPase Family Genes as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Manag Res 2024; 16:95-111. [PMID: 38370535 PMCID: PMC10874222 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s449488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Several studies suggest that Proteasome 26S Subunit, ATPase (PSMC) family genes are of great importance in tumor progression and spreading, but the study for systematic evaluation of the function of PSMC genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently lacking. Methods The functions of PSMC genes in HCC were analyzed using multiple online databases, including the TCGA database, GEO database, HPA database, cBioPortal database, DAVID, and KEGG pathway. Experiments were later conducted to verify PSMC expression. Results High levels of PSMC gene expression were detected in HCC tissues and PSMCs exhibited potentially powerful abilities in diagnosing HCC patients. All PSMC proteins are expressed to varying degrees in HCC tissues and high expression of the PSMC genes lead to poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Moreover, DNA methylation involves the regulation of the expression of PSMC2 and PSMC5 in HCC, and the levels of methylation of PSMC2 or PSMC5 correlate positively with patient overall survival in HCC patients. The copy number alteration and mutation of PSMC genes were observed and related to the expression of PSMCs in HCC. Functional enrichment analysis showed that many highly co-expressed genes of PSMCs had a potential role in tumor progression and metastasis, which merited further in-depth study. Functional network analysis also suggests that the primary biological function of PSMC genes is the regulation of protein homeostasis and energy metabolism in HCC. Moreover, the expression levels of PSMCs are related to immune cell infiltrates and immunomodulatory factors in HCC. Conclusion Our study indicates that PSMC genes are the potential target for precision immunotherapy and novel prognostic biomarkers for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Feng
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ning Zhang
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lan Luo
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Liu
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yong Yao
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming-Sheng Gao
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin Pan
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cai He
- The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yibin Second People’s Hospital, Yibin City, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China
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3
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Cheng D, Wen Z, Chen H, Lin S, Zhang W, Tang X, Wu W. Hepatocyte-targeting and tumor microenvironment-responsive liposomes for enhanced anti-hepatocarcinoma efficacy. Drug Deliv 2022; 29:2995-3008. [PMID: 36104946 PMCID: PMC9487930 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2022.2122635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
To increase the antitumor drug concentration in the liver tumor site and improve the therapeutic effects, a functionalized liposome (PPP-LIP) with tumor targetability and enhanced internalization after matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2)-triggered cell-penetrating peptide (TATp) exposure was modified with myrcludex B (a synthetic HBV preS-derived lipopeptide endowed with compelling liver tropism) for liver tumor-specific delivery. After intravenous administration, PPP-LIP was mediated by myrcludex B to reach the hepatocyte surface. The MMP2-overexpressing tumor microenvironment deprotected PEG, exposing it to TATp, facilitating tumor penetration and subsequent efficient destruction of tumor cells. In live imaging of small animals and cellular uptake, PPP-LIP was taken up much more than typical unmodified liposomes in the ICR mouse liver and liver tumor cells. Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT)-loaded PPP-LIP showed a better antitumor effect than commercially available HCPT injections among MTT, three-dimensional (3 D) tumor ball, and tumor-bearing nude mouse experiments. Our findings indicated that PPP-LIP nanocarriers could be a promising tumor-targeted medication delivery strategy for treating liver cancers with elevated MMP2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongliang Cheng
- School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Zhiwei Wen
- School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Hui Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Shiyuan Lin
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Xin Tang
- School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Wei Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
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4
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Hölzen L, Syré K, Mitschke J, Brummer T, Miething C, Reinheckel T. Degradome-focused RNA interference screens to identify proteases important for breast cancer cell growth. Front Oncol 2022; 12:960109. [PMID: 36313646 PMCID: PMC9598039 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.960109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteases are known to promote or impair breast cancer progression and metastasis. However, while a small number of the 588 human and 672 murine protease genes have been extensively studied, others were neglected. For an unbiased functional analysis of all genome-encoded proteases, i.e., the degradome, in breast cancer cell growth, we applied an inducible RNA interference library for protease-focused genetic screens. Importantly, these functional screens were performed in two phenotypically different murine breast cancer cell lines, including one stem cell-like cell line that showed phenotypic plasticity under changed nutrient and oxygen availability. Our unbiased genetic screens identified 252 protease genes involved in breast cancer cell growth that were further restricted to 100 hits by a selection process. Many of those hits were supported by literature, but some proteases were novel in their functional link to breast cancer. Interestingly, we discovered that the environmental conditions influence the degree of breast cancer cell dependency on certain proteases. For example, breast cancer stem cell-like cells were less susceptible to depletion of several mitochondrial proteases in hypoxic conditions. From the 100 hits, nine proteases were functionally validated in murine breast cancer cell lines using individual knockdown constructs, highlighting the high reliability of our screens. Specifically, we focused on mitochondrial processing peptidase (MPP) subunits alpha (Pmpca) and beta (Pmpcb) and discovered that MPP depletion led to a disadvantage in cell growth, which was linked to mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Hölzen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Syré
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jan Mitschke
- Center for Translational Cell Research, Department of Internal Medicine I - Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tilman Brummer
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Biological Signaling Studies BIOSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF), University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Cornelius Miething
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Translational Cell Research, Department of Internal Medicine I - Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF), University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Reinheckel
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Biological Signaling Studies BIOSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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5
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Tan XP, Xiong BH, Zhang YX, Wang SL, Zuo Q, Li J. FXYD5 promotes sorafenib resistance through the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 931:175186. [PMID: 35977595 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Tumor chemoresistance is often a major cause for the failure of chemotherapy. The resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells to sorafenib significantly limits its therapeutic effect in HCC patients. For the first time, we found that FXYD domain-containing ion transport regulator 5 (FXYD5) is highly expressed in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. In addition, the protein expression level of FXYD5 was markedly higher in HCC tissues than in paracancerous tissues. Remarkably, downregulation of FXYD5 expression in Huh7/sora cells reversed their resistance to sorafenib. Moreover, overexpression of FXYD5 reduced the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib, while the downregulation of its expression in HCC cells had the opposite effect. We also found abnormal activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in Huh7/sora cells. Furthermore, MK2206, an Akt inhibitor, was found to significantly increase the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. More importantly, the expression level of p-Akt was positively correlated with the expression of FXYD5 in HCC tissues. Therefore, mechanistically, FXYD5 enhances the resistance of HCC cells to sorafenib by activating the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study showed that the activation of the FXYD5/Akt/mTOR signaling axis plays key role in the resistance of HCC cells to sorafenib, and FXYD5 may represent a new potential target for HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Peng Tan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ben-Han Xiong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Xu Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shen-Li Wang
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Zuo
- Department of Breast Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jing Li
- The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China.
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6
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Liu Y, He R, Qu Y, Zhu Y, Li D, Ling X, Xia S, Li Z, Li D. Integration of Human Protein Sequence and Protein-Protein Interaction Data by Graph Autoencoder to Identify Novel Protein-Abnormal Phenotype Associations. Cells 2022; 11:2485. [PMID: 36010562 PMCID: PMC9406402 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding gene functions and their associated abnormal phenotypes is crucial in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment against diseases. The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) is a standardized vocabulary for describing the phenotype abnormalities associated with human diseases. However, the current HPO annotations are far from completion, and only a small fraction of human protein-coding genes has HPO annotations. Thus, it is necessary to predict protein-phenotype associations using computational methods. Protein sequences can indicate the structure and function of the proteins, and interacting proteins are more likely to have same function. It is promising to integrate these features for predicting HPO annotations of human protein. We developed GraphPheno, a semi-supervised method based on graph autoencoders, which does not require feature engineering to capture deep features from protein sequences, while also taking into account the topological properties in the protein–protein interaction network to predict the relationships between human genes/proteins and abnormal phenotypes. Cross validation and independent dataset tests show that GraphPheno has satisfactory prediction performance. The algorithm is further confirmed on automatic HPO annotation for no-knowledge proteins under the benchmark of the second Critical Assessment of Functional Annotation, 2013–2014 (CAFA2), where GraphPheno surpasses most existing methods. Further bioinformatics analysis shows that predicted certain phenotype-associated genes using GraphPheno share similar biological properties with known ones. In a case study on the phenotype of abnormality of mitochondrial respiratory chain, top prioritized genes are validated by recent papers. We believe that GraphPheno will help to reveal more associations between genes and phenotypes, and contribute to the discovery of drug targets.
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7
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Zhou L, Zou M, Xu Y, Lin P, Lei C, Xia X. Nano Drug Delivery System for Tumor Immunotherapy: Next-Generation Therapeutics. Front Oncol 2022; 12:864301. [PMID: 35664731 PMCID: PMC9160744 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.864301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy is an artificial stimulation of the immune system to enhance anti-cancer response. It has become a powerful clinical strategy for treating cancer. The number of immunotherapy drug approvals has been increasing in recent years, and many treatments are in clinical and preclinical stages. Despite this progress, the special tumor heterogeneity and immunosuppressive microenvironment of solid tumors made immunotherapy in the majority of cancer cases difficult. Therefore, understanding how to improve the intratumoral enrichment degree and the response rate of various immunotherapy drugs is key to improve efficacy and control adverse reactions. With the development of materials science and nanotechnology, advanced biomaterials such as nanoparticle and drug delivery systems like T-cell delivery therapy can improve effectiveness of immunotherapy while reducing the toxic side effects on non-target cells, which offers innovative ideas for improving immunity therapeutic effectiveness. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of tumor cell immune escape and focus on current immunotherapy (such as cytokine immunotherapy, therapeutic monoclonal antibody immunotherapy, PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, CAR-T therapy, tumor vaccine, oncolytic virus, and other new types of immunity) and its challenges as well as the latest nanotechnology (such as bionic nanoparticles, self-assembled nanoparticles, deformable nanoparticles, photothermal effect nanoparticles, stimuli-responsive nanoparticles, and other types) applications in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Manshu Zou
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Yilin Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Peng Lin
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Chang Lei
- Institute of Innovation and Applied Research in Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Xinhua Xia
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
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8
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Zheng Y, Zhang W, Xu L, Zhou H, Yuan M, Xu H. Recent Progress in Understanding the Action of Natural Compounds at Novel Therapeutic Drug Targets for the Treatment of Liver Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 11:795548. [PMID: 35155196 PMCID: PMC8825370 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.795548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related death following lung and stomach cancers. As a highly lethal disease, liver cancer is diagnosed frequently in less developed countries. Natural compounds extracted from herbs, animals and natural materials have been adopted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices and reported to be effective in the development of new medications for the treatment of diseases. It is important to focus on the mechanisms of action of natural compounds against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in terms of cell cycle regulation, apoptosis induction, autophagy mediation and cell migration and invasion. In this review, we characterize novel representative natural compounds according to their pharmacologic effects based on recently published studies. The aim of this review is to summarize and explore novel therapeutic drug targets of natural compounds, which could accelerate the discovery of new anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannan Zheng
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenhui Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China.,School of Chinese Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongxi Xu
- Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Kunová N, Havalová H, Ondrovičová G, Stojkovičová B, Bauer JA, Bauerová-Hlinková V, Pevala V, Kutejová E. Mitochondrial Processing Peptidases-Structure, Function and the Role in Human Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1297. [PMID: 35163221 PMCID: PMC8835746 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial proteins are encoded by both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. While some of the essential subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes responsible for cellular ATP production are synthesized directly in the mitochondria, most mitochondrial proteins are first translated in the cytosol and then imported into the organelle using a sophisticated transport system. These proteins are directed mainly by targeting presequences at their N-termini. These presequences need to be cleaved to allow the proper folding and assembly of the pre-proteins into functional protein complexes. In the mitochondria, the presequences are removed by several processing peptidases, including the mitochondrial processing peptidase (MPP), the inner membrane processing peptidase (IMP), the inter-membrane processing peptidase (MIP), and the mitochondrial rhomboid protease (Pcp1/PARL). Their proper functioning is essential for mitochondrial homeostasis as the disruption of any of them is lethal in yeast and severely impacts the lifespan and survival in humans. In this review, we focus on characterizing the structure, function, and substrate specificities of mitochondrial processing peptidases, as well as the connection of their malfunctions to severe human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eva Kutejová
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská Cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia; (H.H.); (G.O.); (B.S.); (J.A.B.); (V.B.-H.); (V.P.)
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10
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Bian J, Zhang D, Wang Y, Qin H, Yang W, Cui R, Sheng J. Mitochondrial Quality Control in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:713721. [PMID: 34589426 PMCID: PMC8473831 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.713721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria participate in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by modifying processes including but not limited to redox homeostasis, metabolism, and the cell death pathway. These processes depend on the health status of the mitochondria. Quality control processes in mitochondria can repair or eliminate “unhealthy mitochondria” at the molecular, organelle, or cellular level and form an efficient integrated network that plays an important role in HCC tumorigenesis, patient survival, and tumor progression. Here, we review the influence of mitochondria on the biological behavior of HCC. Based on this information, we further highlight the need for determining the role and mechanism of interaction between different levels of mitochondrial quality control in regulating HCC occurrence and progression as well as resistance development. This information may lead to the development of precision medicine approaches against targets involved in various mitochondrial quality control-related pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinda Bian
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yicun Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hanjiao Qin
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ranji Cui
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiyao Sheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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11
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Li TT, Mou J, Pan YJ, Huo FC, Du WQ, Liang J, Wang Y, Zhang LS, Pei DS. MicroRNA-138-1-3p sensitizes sorafenib to hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting PAK5 mediated β-catenin/ABCB1 signaling pathway. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:56. [PMID: 34340705 PMCID: PMC8327419 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00752-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sorafenib is a kinase inhibitor that is used as a first-line therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the existence of sorafenib resistance has limited its therapeutic effect. Through RNA sequencing, we demonstrated that miR-138-1-3p was downregulated in sorafenib resistant HCC cell lines. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-138-1-3p in sorafenib resistance of HCC. Methods In this study, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western Blot were utilized to detect the levels of PAK5 in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells and parental cells. The biological functions of miR-138-1-3p and PAK5 in sorafenib-resistant cells and their parental cells were explored by cell viability assays and flow cytometric analyses. The mechanisms for the involvement of PAK5 were examined via co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), immunofluorescence, dual luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). The effects of miR-138-1-3p and PAK5 on HCC sorafenib resistant characteristics were investigated by a xenotransplantation model. Results We detected significant down-regulation of miR-138-1-3p and up-regulation of PAK5 in sorafenib-resistance HCC cell lines. Mechanistic studies revealed that miR-138-1-3p reduced the protein expression of PAK5 by directly targeting the 3′-UTR of PAK5 mRNA. In addition, we verified that PAK5 enhanced the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of β-catenin that increased the transcriptional activity of a multidrug resistance protein ABCB1. Conclusions PAK5 contributed to the sorafenib resistant characteristics of HCC via β-catenin/ABCB1 signaling pathway. Our findings identified the correlation between miR-138-1-3p and PAK5 and the molecular mechanisms of PAK5-mediated sorafenib resistance in HCC, which provided a potential therapeutic target in advanced HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong-Tong Li
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China.,Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng, 224005, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Mou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, 221006, China
| | - Yao-Jie Pan
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Chun Huo
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Qi Du
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Liang
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan-Sheng Zhang
- Department of Oncological Radiotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
| | - Dong-Sheng Pei
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People's Republic of China.
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Fornari F, Giovannini C, Piscaglia F, Gramantieri L. Elucidating the Molecular Basis of Sorafenib Resistance in HCC: Current Findings and Future Directions. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:741-757. [PMID: 34239844 PMCID: PMC8260177 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s285726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Sorafenib is the first multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for HCC and it has represented the standard of care for advanced HCC for almost 10 years, offering a survival benefit when compared to placebo. However, this benefit is limited, showing rare objective responses and a disease control rate approaching 50–60%, with most patients experiencing disease progression at 6 months. These scant results dictate the urgent need for strategies to overcome both primary and acquired resistance. Herein we report several mechanisms supporting resistance to sorafenib in HCC patients, including activation of oncogenic pathways. Among these, the AKT/mTOR pathway plays a crucial role being at the crossroad of multiple driving events. Autophagy, multidrug-resistant phenotype, hypoxia-related mechanisms and endoplasmic reticulum stress are gaining more and more relevance as crucial events driving the response to anticancer drugs, including sorafenib. Several HCC-specific miRNAs take part to the regulation of these cellular processes. Remarkably, molecularly targeted strategies able to overcome resistance in these settings have also been reported. So far, the vast majority of data has been derived from laboratory studies, which means the need for an extensive validation. Indeed, most of the possible drug associations displaying promising effects in improving sorafenib efficacy herein described derive from preclinical explorations. Notably, data obtained in animal models can be inconsistent with regard to the human disease for efficacy, safety, side effects, best formulation and pharmacokinetics. However, they represent the necessary preliminary step to improve the management of advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fornari
- Centre for Applied Biomedical Research - CRBA, University of Bologna, St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy.,Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, Rimini, Italy
| | - Catia Giovannini
- Centre for Applied Biomedical Research - CRBA, University of Bologna, St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, 40138, Italy
| | - Fabio Piscaglia
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Gramantieri
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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13
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Song W, Zheng C, Liu M, Xu Y, Qian Y, Zhang Z, Su H, Li X, Wu H, Gong P, Li Y, Fan H. TRERNA1 upregulation mediated by HBx promotes sorafenib resistance and cell proliferation in HCC via targeting NRAS by sponging miR-22-3p. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2601-2616. [PMID: 33839325 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common malignancies and has an unfavorable prognosis. The hepatitis B virus-encoded X (HBx) protein is closely associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Sorafenib is a unique targeted oral kinase inhibitor for advanced HCC. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) mediate HCC progression and therapeutic resistance by acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). However, the ceRNA regulatory mechanisms underlying sorafenib resistance in HBx-associated HCC remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that translation regulatory lncRNA 1 (TRERNA1) upregulation by HBx not only promoted HCC cell proliferation by regulating the cell cycle in vitro and in vivo but also correlated positively with poor prognosis in HCC. Importantly, TRERNA1 enhanced sorafenib resistance in HCC cells. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis indicated that NRAS proto-oncogene (NRAS) is a potential target of TRERNA1 that mediates aspects of hepatocellular carcinogenesis. TRERNA1 acts as a ceRNA to regulate NRAS expression by sponging microRNA (miR)-22-3p. In summary, we show that increased TRERNA1 expression induced by HBx reduces HCC cell sensitivity to sorafenib by activating the RAS/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway. We reveal a novel regulatory mode by which the TRERNA1/miR-22-3p/NRAS axis mediates HCC progression and indicates that TRERNA1 might constitute a powerful tumor biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Song
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China; School of Life Science, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China; Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Chuqian Zheng
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Min Liu
- School of Life Science, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China
| | - Ying Xu
- School of Life Science, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China
| | - Yanyan Qian
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hongmeng Su
- School of Life Science, Southeast University, Nanjing 210018, China
| | - Xinxiu Li
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Huazhang Wu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Pihai Gong
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yiping Li
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Hong Fan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Developmental Biology, Medical School of Southeast University, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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14
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common lethal diseases in the world, has a 5-year survival rate of only 7%. Hepatocellular carcinoma has no symptoms in the early stage but obvious symptoms in the late stage, leading to delayed diagnosis and reduced treatment efficacy. In recent years, as the scope of HCC research has increased in depth, the clinical development and application of molecular targeted drugs and immunotherapy drugs have brought new breakthroughs in HCC treatment. Targeted therapy drugs for HCC have high specificity, allowing them to selectively kill tumor cells and minimize damage to normal tissues. At present, these targeted drugs are mainly classified into 3 categories: small molecule targeted drugs, HCC antigen-specific targeted drugs, and immune checkpoint targeted drugs. This article reviews the latest research progress on the targeted drugs for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shui Ma
- Cancer Institute, 377323Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, China.,Department of Radiology, 12485The Forth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Central Laboratory for Medical Research, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 12476Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ji-Bin Liu
- Cancer Institute, 377323Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, China
| | - Ting-Miao Wu
- Department of Radiology, 12485The Forth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Da Fu
- Cancer Institute, 377323Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, China.,Central Laboratory for Medical Research, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, 12476Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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15
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Zhang Z, He CZ, Qin YQ, Liao JJ, Huang ST, Mo S, Li HM, Lin JY. Exploring the mechanism of resistance to sorafenib in two hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:24255-24269. [PMID: 33234725 PMCID: PMC7762478 DOI: 10.18632/aging.104195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sorafenib has long been the only approved systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but most patients show primary or acquired drug resistance. In the present study, RNA was extracted from sorafenib-resistant and -sensitive clones of the HCC cell lines HepG2 and Huh7. Protein-protein interaction networks of the up- and down-regulated genes common to the two sorafenib-resistant cell lines were extracted and subjected to modular analysis in order to identify functional modules. Functional enrichment analysis showed the modules were involved in different biological processes and pathways. These results indicate that sorafenib resistance in HCC is complicated and heterogeneous. The potential regulators of each functional module, including transcription factors, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, were explored to construct a comprehensive transcriptional regulatory network related to sorafenib resistance in HCC. Our results provide new insights into sorafenib resistance of HCC at the level of transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530022, Guangxi, China
| | - Cheng-Zu He
- Department of Oncology, the People’s Hospital of Binyang County, Binyang 530405, Guangxi, China
| | - Ya-Qin Qin
- Department of Liver Disease, The Affiliated Nanning Infectious Disease Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and The Fourth People’s Hospital of Nanning, Nanning 530023, Guangxi, China
| | - Jian-Jun Liao
- Department of Oncology, the People’s Hospital of Binyang County, Binyang 530405, Guangxi, China
| | - Shang-Tao Huang
- Department of Oncology, the People’s Hospital of Binyang County, Binyang 530405, Guangxi, China
| | - Steven Mo
- YuanDong International Academy of Life Sciences, Nanning 530229, Guangxi, China
| | - Hong-Mian Li
- Department of Medical Laboratory Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530022, Guangxi, China
| | - Jian-Yan Lin
- Department of Public Health, The Affiliated Nanning Infectious Disease Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and The Fourth People’s Hospital of Nanning, Nanning 530023, Guangxi, China
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