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Izadi M, Ali TA, Shurrab FM, Aharpour E, Pourkarimi E. Tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase-1 (WARS-1) depletion and high tryptophan concentration lead to genomic instability in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:165. [PMID: 38575580 PMCID: PMC10995160 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01917-4] [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: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The fidelity of translation is ensured by a family of proteins named aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs), making them crucial for development and survival. More recently, mutations in the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (WARS1) have been linked to various human diseases, from intellectual disability to various types of cancer. To understand the function of WARS1, we investigated the effect of WARS-1 depletion during the mitotic and meiotic cell cycle in the developing germline of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and demonstrated the role of WARS-1 in genome integrity. wars-1 knockdown results in cell cycle arrest of the mitotically active germ cells. Such mitotic arrest is also associated with canonical DNA damage-induced checkpoint signaling in mitotic and meiotic germ cells. Significantly, such DNA checkpoint activation is associated with the morphological anomalies in chromatin structures that are the hallmarks of genome instability, such as the formation of chromatin bridges, micronuclei, and chromatin buds. We demonstrated that knocking down wars-1 results in an elevation of the intracellular concentration of tryptophan and its catabolites, a surprising finding emphasizing the impact of cellular amino acid availability and organismal/individual dietary uptake on genome integrity. Our result demonstrates that exposing C. elegans to a high tryptophan dosage leads to DNA damage checkpoint activation and a significant increase in the tryptophan metabolites. Targeting tryptophan catabolism, the least utilized amino acid in nature, can be important in developing new cancer therapeutic approaches. All in all, we have strong evidence that knocking down wars-1 results in defects in genomic integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Izadi
- Division of Genomics and Translational Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Tayyiba Akbar Ali
- Division of Genomics and Translational Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Farah M Shurrab
- Division of Genomics and Translational Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | | | - Ehsan Pourkarimi
- Division of Genomics and Translational Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110, Qatar.
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Lin SJ, Vona B, Porter HM, Izadi M, Huang K, Lacassie Y, Rosenfeld JA, Khan S, Petree C, Ali TA, Muhammad N, Khan SA, Muhammad N, Liu P, Haymon ML, Rüschendorf F, Kong IK, Schnapp L, Shur N, Chorich L, Layman L, Haaf T, Pourkarimi E, Kim HG, Varshney GK. Biallelic variants in WARS1 cause a highly variable neurodevelopmental syndrome and implicate a critical exon for normal auditory function. Hum Mutat 2022; 43:1472-1489. [PMID: 35815345 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24435] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are essential enzymes for faithful assignment of amino acids to their cognate tRNA. Variants in ARS genes are frequently associated with clinically heterogeneous phenotypes in humans and follow both autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance patterns in many instances. Variants in tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (WARS1) cause autosomal dominantly inherited distal hereditary motor neuropathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Presently, only one family with biallelic WARS1 variants has been described. We present three affected individuals from two families with biallelic variants (p.Met1? and p.(Asp419Asn)) in WARS1, showing varying severities of developmental delay and intellectual disability. Hearing impairment and microcephaly, as well as abnormalities of the brain, skeletal system, movement/gait, and behavior were variable features. Phenotyping of knocked down wars-1 in a C. elegans model showed depletion is associated with defects in germ cell development. A wars1 knockout vertebrate model recapitulates the human clinical phenotypes, confirms variant pathogenicity and uncovers evidence implicating the p.Met1? variant as potentially impacting an exon critical for normal hearing. Together, our findings provide consolidating evidence for biallelic disruption of WARS1 as causal for an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental syndrome and present a vertebrate model that recapitulates key phenotypes observed in patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Jia Lin
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Barbara Vona
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hillary M Porter
- Children's National Hospital, Rare Disease Institute, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Mahmoud Izadi
- Division of Genomics and Translational Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Kevin Huang
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Yves Lacassie
- Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Head Division of Clinical Genetics and Dept. of Genetics Children's Hospital 1986-2016, 200 Henry Clay Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.,Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Saadullah Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26000, Pakistan
| | - Cassidy Petree
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Tayyiba Akbar Ali
- Division of Genomics and Translational Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Nazif Muhammad
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26000, Pakistan
| | - Sher Alam Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26000, Pakistan
| | - Noor Muhammad
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26000, Pakistan
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.,Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marie-Louise Haymon
- Children Hospital New Orleans Louisiana, Pediatric Radiology, Tulane Associate Professor of Radiology, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Franz Rüschendorf
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 13125, Berlin, Germany
| | - Il-Keun Kong
- Department of Animal Sciences, Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four), Gyeongsang National University, 52828, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Linda Schnapp
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Natasha Shur
- Children's National Hospital, Rare Disease Institute, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Lynn Chorich
- Section of Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility & Genetics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 30912, Augusta, USA
| | - Lawrence Layman
- Section of Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility & Genetics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, 30912, Augusta, USA
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ehsan Pourkarimi
- Division of Genomics and Translational Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, 34110, Qatar
| | - Hyung-Goo Kim
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, 34110, Doha, Qatar
| | - Gaurav K Varshney
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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Hashem S, Ali TA, Akhtar S, Nisar S, Sageena G, Ali S, Al-Mannai S, Therachiyil L, Mir R, Elfaki I, Mir MM, Jamal F, Masoodi T, Uddin S, Singh M, Haris M, Macha M, Bhat AA. Targeting cancer signaling pathways by natural products: Exploring promising anti-cancer agents. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 150:113054. [PMID: 35658225 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and significantly burdens the healthcare system. Due to its prevalence, there is undoubtedly an unmet need to discover novel anticancer drugs. The use of natural products as anticancer agents is an acceptable therapeutic approach due to accessibility, applicability, and reduced cytotoxicity. Natural products have been an incomparable source of anticancer drugs in the modern era of drug discovery. Along with their derivatives and analogs, natural products play a major role in cancer treatment by modulating the cancer microenvironment and different signaling pathways. These compounds are effective against several signaling pathways, mainly cell death pathways (apoptosis and autophagy) and embryonic developmental pathways (Notch pathway, Wnt pathway, and Hedgehog pathway). The historical record of natural products is strong, but there is a need to investigate the current role of natural products in the discovery and development of cancer drugs and determine the possibility of natural products being an important source of future therapeutic agents. Many target-specific anticancer drugs failed to provide successful results, which accounts for a need to investigate natural products with multi-target characteristics to achieve better outcomes. The potential of natural products to be promising novel compounds for cancer treatment makes them an important area of research. This review explores the significance of natural products in inhibiting the various signaling pathways that serve as drivers of carcinogenesis and thus pave the way for developing and discovering anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheema Hashem
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tayyiba Akbar Ali
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sabah Akhtar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sabah Nisar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Shahid Ali
- International Potato Center (CIP), Shillong, Meghalaya, India
| | - Sharefa Al-Mannai
- Division of Translational Medicine, Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha 26999, Qatar
| | - Lubna Therachiyil
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Rashid Mir
- Prince Fahd Bin Sultan Research chair, Department Of Medical Lab Technology, FAMS, University of Tabuk,Saudi Arabia
| | - Imadeldin Elfaki
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Muzaffar Mir
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farrukh Jamal
- Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya, India
| | - Tariq Masoodi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mayank Singh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
| | - Mohammad Haris
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar; Laboratory Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar; Center for Advanced Metabolic Imaging in Precision Medicine, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Muzafar Macha
- Watson-Crick Centre for Molecular Medicine, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Kashmir, India.
| | - Ajaz A Bhat
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
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Nisar S, Bhat AA, Masoodi T, Hashem S, Akhtar S, Ali TA, Amjad S, Chawla S, Bagga P, Frenneaux MP, Reddy R, Fakhro K, Haris M. Genetics of glutamate and its receptors in autism spectrum disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2380-2392. [PMID: 35296811 PMCID: PMC9135628 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01506-w] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental impairment characterized by deficits in social interaction skills, impaired communication, and repetitive and restricted behaviors that are thought to be due to altered neurotransmission processes. The amino acid glutamate is an essential excitatory neurotransmitter in the human brain that regulates cognitive functions such as learning and memory, which are usually impaired in ASD. Over the last several years, increasing evidence from genetics, neuroimaging, protein expression, and animal model studies supporting the notion of altered glutamate metabolism has heightened the interest in evaluating glutamatergic dysfunction in ASD. Numerous pharmacological, behavioral, and imaging studies have demonstrated the imbalance in excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, thus revealing the involvement of the glutamatergic system in ASD pathology. Here, we review the effects of genetic alterations on glutamate and its receptors in ASD and the role of non-invasive imaging modalities in detecting these changes. We also highlight the potential therapeutic targets associated with impaired glutamatergic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabah Nisar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ajaz A Bhat
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tariq Masoodi
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sheema Hashem
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sabah Akhtar
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Tayyiba Akbar Ali
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sara Amjad
- Shibli National College, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, 276001, India
| | - Sanjeev Chawla
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Puneet Bagga
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Michael P Frenneaux
- Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ravinder Reddy
- Center for Advanced Metabolic Imaging in Precision Medicine, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Khalid Fakhro
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, P.O. Box 24144, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohammad Haris
- Laboratory of Molecular and Metabolic Imaging, Sidra Medicine, P.O. Box 26999, Doha, Qatar.
- Center for Advanced Metabolic Imaging in Precision Medicine, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Laboratory of Animal Research, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
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5
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Abstract
The characteristics of intracranial tuberculoma on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are not well known. The authors present a patient with an intracranial tuberculoma in whom the diagnosis was confirmed only after surgical excision.
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Affiliation(s)
- R K Tewary
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
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El-Rufaie OE, Bener A, Abuzeid MS, Ali TA. Psychiatric screening among Type II diabetic patients: Validity of the General Health Questionnaire-12. Saudi Med J 1999; 20:246-250. [PMID: 27614600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version.
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Affiliation(s)
- O E El-Rufaie
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Abstract
This was a primary health care (PHC) study aiming at the investigation of the prevalence and nature of sexual dysfunction among a sample of type II diabetic men, in comparison with the control groups of hypertensive men and apparently healthy men with no chronic medical illness. Subjects were assessed by PHC physicians using a sexual dysfunction semistructured questionnaire and a questionnaire designed for medical history and sociodemographic data. Clinical assessments for peripheral vascular disease and peripheral neuropathy were carried out for the diabetic group only. The estimated high prevalence rate of sexual dysfunction among the diabetic group (89.2%) was significantly greater than the hypertensive group (43.6%), and the apparently healthy group (16.7%). The commonest clinical presentations of sexual dysfunction among the diabetic men were impaired morning and spontaneous erections, erectile weakness, and ejaculatory disturbances. Lesser common presentations were reduced sexual interest and complete erectile failure. There were no significant associations between the sexual dysfunction and clinically obvious physical complications of diabetes, or factors that might affect sexual functioning (i.e., alcohol or drug misuse or marital disharmony). However, the validity of these results is questioned due to the small numbers used for statistical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- O E el-Rufaie
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
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Rowsell KV, Ali TA. A difference in the incorporation of 14C into hippurate glycine from DL-(2-14C)-glutamate and DL-(5-14C)glutamate in guinea pigs. Biochem J 1975; 152:357-63. [PMID: 1220690 PMCID: PMC1172478 DOI: 10.1042/bj1520357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The specific radioactivity of urinary hippurate glycine was determined after injecting guinea pigs with benzoate and either dl-[2-(14)C]glutamate or dl-[5-(14)C]glutamate. The isotope dilution factor for the formation of [(14)C]glycine was significantly greater (30%) with C-2 labelled glutamate. With either form of labelled glutamate the hippurate glycine was largely carboxyl-group labelled. The observations suggest a route for the incorporation of glutamate carbon into glycine that involves C-5 but not C-2. A hypothesis for glycine biosynthesis from l-glutamate is advanced, consistent with these findings, that includes conversion of l-glutamate to 4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutarate, the scission of the latter to glyoxylate and pyruvate, and the formation of glycine by transamination.
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