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Iacopetta D, Costabile C, La Chimia M, Mariconda A, Ceramella J, Scumaci D, Catalano A, Rosano C, Cuda G, Sinicropi MS, Longo P. NHC-Ag(I) and NHC-Au(I) Complexes with N-Boc-Protected α-Amino Acidate Counterions Powerfully Affect the Growth of MDA-MB-231 Cells. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:1567-1575. [PMID: 37974945 PMCID: PMC10641922 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00360] [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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) metal complexes are attracting scientists' interest as an alluring class of metallodrugs. Indeed, the versatile functionalization of NHC ligands makes them optimal scaffolds to be developed in medicinal chemistry. Besides, amino acids are great biological ligands for metals, such as silver and gold, even though their use is still under-investigated. Aiming to shed light on the anticancer properties of this kind of complex, we investigated a series of silver and gold complexes, stabilized by NHC ligands and bearing carboxylate salts of tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc)-N-protected glycine and l-phenylalanine as anionic ligands. The most active complexes, AuM1Gly and AuM1Phe, powerfully affect the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, with IC50 values in the low nanomolar range. Further studies demonstrated the blockade of the human topoisomerase I activity and actin polymerization reaction at 0.001 μM. These unique features make these complexes very interesting and worthy to be used for future in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Iacopetta
- Department
of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Chiara Costabile
- Department
of Chemistry and Biology “A. Zambelli”, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Marina La Chimia
- Laboratory
of Proteomics, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Research
Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Annaluisa Mariconda
- Department
of Science, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano
10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Jessica Ceramella
- Department
of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Domenica Scumaci
- Laboratory
of Proteomics, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Research
Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Alessia Catalano
- Department
of Pharmacy−Drug Sciences, University
of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Camillo Rosano
- U.O.
Proteomica e Spettrometria di Massa, IRCCS
Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cuda
- Laboratory
of Proteomics, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
- Research
Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Maria Stefania Sinicropi
- Department
of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Pasquale Longo
- Department
of Chemistry and Biology “A. Zambelli”, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
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Scumaci D, Olivo E, Fiumara CV, La Chimia M, De Angelis MT, Mauro S, Costa G, Ambrosio FA, Alcaro S, Agosti V, Costanzo FS, Cuda G. DJ-1 Proteoforms in Breast Cancer Cells: The Escape of Metabolic Epigenetic Misregulation. Cells 2020; 9:cells9091968. [PMID: 32858971 PMCID: PMC7563694 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhanced glycolysis is a hallmark of breast cancer. In cancer cells, the high glycolytic flux induces carbonyl stress, a damaging condition in which the increase of reactive carbonyl species makes DNA, proteins, and lipids more susceptible to glycation. Together with glucose, methylglyoxal (MGO), a byproduct of glycolysis, is considered the main glycating agent. MGO is highly diffusible, enters the nucleus, and can react with easily accessible lysine- and arginine-rich tails of histones. Glycation adducts on histones undergo oxidization and further rearrange to form stable species known as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). This modification alters nucleosomes stability and chromatin architecture deconstructing the histone code. Formation of AGEs has been associated with cancer, diabetes, and several age-related diseases. Recently, DJ-1, a cancer-associated protein that protects cells from oxidative stress, has been described as a deglycase enzyme. Although its role in cell survival results still controversial, in several human tumors, its expression, localization, oxidation, and phosphorylation were found altered. This work aimed to explore the molecular mechanism that triggers the peculiar cellular compartmentalization and the specific post-translational modifications (PTM) that, occurring in breast cancer cells, influences the DJ-1 dual role. Using a proteomic approach, we identified on DJ-1 a novel threonine phosphorylation (T125) that was found, by the in-silico tool scansite 4, as part of a putative Akt consensus. Notably, this threonine is in addition to histidine 126, a key residue involved in the formation of catalytic triade (glu18-Cys106-His126) inside the glioxalase active site of DJ. Interestingly, we found that pharmacological modulation of Akt pathway induces a functional tuning of DJ-1 proteoforms, as well as their shuttle from cytosol to nucleus, pointing out that pathway as critical in the development of DJ-1 pro-tumorigenic abilities. Deglycase activity of DJ-1 on histones proteins, investigated by coupling 2D tau gel with LC-MS/MS and 2D-TAU (Triton-Acid-Urea)-Western blot, was found correlated with its phosphorylation status that, in turn, depends from Akt activation. In normal conditions, DJ-1 acts as a redox-sensitive chaperone and as an oxidative stress sensor. In cancer cells, glycolytic rewiring, inducing increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, enhances AGEs products. Alongside, the moderate increase of ROS enhances Akt signaling that induces DJ-1-phosphorylation. When phosphorylated DJ-1 increases its glyoxalase activity, the level of AGEs on histones decreases. Therefore, phospho-DJ-1 prevents glycation-induced histones misregulation and its Akt-related hyperactivity represents a way to preserve the epigenome landscape sustaining proliferation of cancer cells. Together, these results shed light on an interesting mechanism that cancer cells might execute to escape the metabolic induced epigenetic misregulation that otherwise could impair their malignant proliferative potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Scumaci
- Laboratory of Proteomics, Research Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia Universityof Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (E.O.); (C.V.F.); (M.L.C.); (S.M.); (G.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Erika Olivo
- Laboratory of Proteomics, Research Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia Universityof Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (E.O.); (C.V.F.); (M.L.C.); (S.M.); (G.C.)
| | - Claudia Vincenza Fiumara
- Laboratory of Proteomics, Research Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia Universityof Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (E.O.); (C.V.F.); (M.L.C.); (S.M.); (G.C.)
| | - Marina La Chimia
- Laboratory of Proteomics, Research Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia Universityof Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (E.O.); (C.V.F.); (M.L.C.); (S.M.); (G.C.)
| | - Maria Teresa De Angelis
- Stem Cell Laboratory, Research Center of Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University Magna Graeciaof Catanzaro, S. Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Sabrina Mauro
- Laboratory of Proteomics, Research Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia Universityof Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (E.O.); (C.V.F.); (M.L.C.); (S.M.); (G.C.)
| | - Giosuè Costa
- Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Campus S. Venuta, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (G.C.); (F.A.A.); (S.A.)
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Campus S. Venuta, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Francesca Alessandra Ambrosio
- Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Campus S. Venuta, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (G.C.); (F.A.A.); (S.A.)
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Campus S. Venuta, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (G.C.); (F.A.A.); (S.A.)
- Net4Science Academic Spin-Off, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Campus S. Venuta, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Valter Agosti
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, CIS for Genomics and Molecular Pathology, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (V.A.); (F.S.C.)
| | - Francesco Saverio Costanzo
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, CIS for Genomics and Molecular Pathology, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (V.A.); (F.S.C.)
| | - Giovanni Cuda
- Laboratory of Proteomics, Research Center on Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Græcia Universityof Catanzaro, S Venuta University Campus, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (E.O.); (C.V.F.); (M.L.C.); (S.M.); (G.C.)
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