scholarly journals Pharmacological inhibition of PRMT7 links arginine monomethylation to the cellular stress responses

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena M Szewczyk ◽  
Yoshinori Ishikawa ◽  
Shawna Organ ◽  
Nozomu Sakai ◽  
Fengling Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Proteasome Inhibitors ◽  
Arginine Methylation ◽  
Protein Arginine Methyltransferases ◽  
Hsp70 Family ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
A Cell ◽  
In Cells

AbstractProtein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) regulate diverse biological processes and are increasingly being recognized for their potential as drug targets. Here we report the discovery of a potent, selective and cell active chemical probe for PRMT7. SGC3027 is a cell permeable prodrug, which in cells, is converted to SGC8158, a potent, SAM-competitive PRMT7 inhibitor. Inhibition or knockout of cellular PRMT7 resulted in drastically reduced levels of arginine monomethylation of HSP70 family members and other stress-associated proteins. Structural and biochemical analysis revealed that PRMT7-driven in vitro methylation of HSP70 at R469 requires an ATP-bound, open conformation of HSP70. In cells, SGC3027 inhibited methylation of both constitutive and inducible forms of HSP70, and led to decreased tolerance for perturbations of proteostasis including heat shock and proteasome inhibitors. These results demonstrate a role for PRMT7 and arginine methylation in stress response.

scholarly journals Epigenetic control via allosteric regulation of mammalian protein arginine methyltransferases

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (38) ◽  
pp. 10101-10106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanishk Jain ◽  
Cyrus Y. Jin ◽  
Steven G. Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Metastasis ◽  
Gene Activation ◽  
Kinetic Studies ◽  
Arginine Methylation ◽  
Histone H4 ◽  
Protein Arginine Methyltransferases ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Substrate Concentrations

Arginine methylation on histones is a central player in epigenetics and in gene activation and repression. Protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) activity has been implicated in stem cell pluripotency, cancer metastasis, and tumorigenesis. The expression of one of the nine mammalian PRMTs, PRMT5, affects the levels of symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) at Arg-3 on histone H4, leading to the repression of genes which are related to disease progression in lymphoma and leukemia. Another PRMT, PRMT7, also affects SDMA levels at the same site despite its unique monomethylating activity and the lack of any evidence for PRMT7-catalyzed histone H4 Arg-3 methylation. We present evidence that PRMT7-mediated monomethylation of histone H4 Arg-17 regulates PRMT5 activity at Arg-3 in the same protein. We analyzed the kinetics of PRMT5 over a wide range of substrate concentrations. Significantly, we discovered that PRMT5 displays positive cooperativity in vitro, suggesting that this enzyme may be allosterically regulated in vivo as well. Most interestingly, monomethylation at Arg-17 in histone H4 not only raised the general activity of PRMT5 with this substrate, but also ameliorated the low activity of PRMT5 at low substrate concentrations. These kinetic studies suggest a biochemical explanation for the interplay between PRMT5- and PRMT7-mediated methylation of the same substrate at different residues and also suggest a general model for regulation of PRMTs. Elucidating the exact relationship between these two enzymes when they methylate two distinct sites of the same substrate may aid in developing therapeutics aimed at reducing PRMT5/7 activity in cancer and other diseases.

scholarly journals Neuroepithelial cell competition triggers loss of cellular juvenescence

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faidruz Azura Jam ◽  
Takao Morimune ◽  
Atsushi Tsukamura ◽  
Ayami Tano ◽  
Yuya Tanaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Mechanism ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
Neuroepithelial Cell ◽  
Cell Competition ◽  
Early Brain Development ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Model Cell ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Model Expression

Abstract Cell competition is a cell–cell interaction mechanism which maintains tissue homeostasis through selective elimination of unfit cells. During early brain development, cells are eliminated through apoptosis. How cells are selected to undergo elimination remains unclear. Here we aimed to identify a role for cell competition in the elimination of suboptimal cells using an in vitro neuroepithelial model. Cell competition was observed when neural progenitor HypoE-N1 cells expressing RASV12 were surrounded by normal cells in the co-culture. The elimination through apoptosis was observed by cellular changes of RASV12 cells with rounding/fragmented morphology, by SYTOX blue-positivity, and by expression of apoptotic markers active caspase-3 and cleaved PARP. In this model, expression of juvenility-associated genes Srsf7 and Ezh2 were suppressed under cell-competitive conditions. Srsf7 depletion led to loss of cellular juvenescence characterized by suppression of Ezh2, cell growth impairment and enhancement of senescence-associated proteins. The cell bodies of eliminated cells were engulfed by the surrounding cells through phagocytosis. Our data indicates that neuroepithelial cell competition may have an important role for maintaining homeostasis in the neuroepithelium by eliminating suboptimal cells through loss of cellular juvenescence.

scholarly journals PTP4A3, A Novel Target Gene of HIF-1alpha, Participates in Benzene-Induced Cell Proliferation Inhibition and Apoptosis through PI3K/AKT Pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 910
Author(s):  
Yunqiu Pu ◽  
Fengxia Sun ◽  
Rongli Sun ◽  
Zhaodi Man ◽  
Shuangbin Ji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Target Gene ◽  
Akt Pathway ◽  
Proliferation Inhibition ◽  
Cell Proliferation Inhibition ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Novel Target ◽  
In Cells

Benzene, a commonly used chemical, has been confirmed to specifically affect the hematopoietic system as well as overall human health. PTP4A3 is overexpressed in leukemia cells and is related to cell proliferation. We previously found that HIF-1alpha was involved in benzene toxicity and PTP4A3 may be the target gene of HIF-1alpha via ChIP-seq. The aim of this study is to confirm the relationship between HIF-1alpha and PTP4A3 in benzene toxicity, as well as the function of PTP4A3 on cell toxicity induced by 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ). Our results indicate that HIF-1alpha could regulate PTP4A3 with in vivo and in vitro experiments. A cell line with suppressed PTP4A3 was established to investigate the function of PTP4A3 in 1,4-BQ toxicity in vitro. The results revealed that cell proliferation inhibition was more aggravated in PTP4A3 low-expression cells than in the control cells after 1,4-BQ treatment. The relative oxygen species (ROS) significantly increased in cells with inhibited PTP4A3, while the rise was inferior to the control cells at the 20 μM 1,4-BQ group. An increase in DNA damage was seen in PTP4A3 down-regulated cells at the 10 μM 1,4-BQ group, whereas the results reversed at the concentration of 20 μM. Moreover, the apoptosis rate increased higher in down-regulated PTP4A3 cells after 1,4-BQ exposure. In addition, PI3K/AKT pathway was significantly restrained in cells with inhibited PTP4A3 after 1,4-BQ treatment. Our results indicate that HIF-1alpha may regulate PTP4A3 to be involved in benzene toxicity. Inhibition of PTP4A3 could aggravate cell proliferation suppression and apoptosis by regulating PI3K/AKT pathway after 1,4-BQ treatment.

scholarly journals Discovery and Pharmacological Evaluation of STEAP4 as a Novel Target for HER2 Overexpressing Breast Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioanna-Maria Orfanou ◽  
Orestis Argyros ◽  
Andreas Papapetropoulos ◽  
Sofia Tseleni-Balafouta ◽  
Konstantinos Vougas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Iron Chelator ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Malignant Breast ◽  
Novel Target

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly heterogeneous disease encompassing multiple subtypes with different molecular and histopathological features, disease prognosis, and therapeutic responses. Among these, the Triple Negative BC form (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with poor prognosis and therapeutic outcome. With respect to HER2 overexpressing BC, although advanced targeted therapies have improved the survival of patients, disease relapse and metastasis remains a challenge for therapeutic efficacy. In this study the aim was to identify key membrane-associated proteins which are overexpressed in these aggressive BC subtypes and can serve as potential biomarkers or drug targets. We leveraged on the development of a membrane enrichment protocol in combination with the global profiling GeLC-MS/MS technique, and compared the proteomic profiles of a HER2 overexpressing (HCC-1954) and a TNBC (MDA-MB-231) cell line with that of a benign control breast cell line (MCF-10A). An average of 2300 proteins were identified from each cell line, of which approximately 600 were membrane-associated proteins. Our global proteomic methodology in tandem with invigoration by Western blot and Immunofluorescence analysis, readily detected several previously-established BC receptors like HER2 and EPHA2, but importantly STEAP4 and CD97 emerged as novel potential candidate markers. This is the first time that the mitochondrial iron reductase STEAP4 protein up-regulation is linked to BC (HER2+ subtype), while for CD97, its role in BC has been previously described, but never before by a global proteomic technology in TNBC. STEAP4 was selected for further detailed evaluation by the employment of Immunohistochemical analysis of BC xenografts and clinical tissue microarray studies. Results showed that STEAP4 expression was evident only in malignant breast tissues whereas all the benign breast cases had no detectable levels. A functional role of STEAP4 intervention was established in HER2 overexpressing BC by pharmacological studies, where blockage of the STEAP4 pathway with an iron chelator (Deferiprone) in combination with the HER2 inhibitor Lapatinib led to a significant reduction in cell growth in vitro. Furthermore, siRNA mediated knockdown of STEAP4 also suppressed cell proliferation and enhanced the inhibition of Lapatinib in HER2 overexpressing BC, confirming its potential oncogenic role in BC. In conclusion, STEAP4 may represent a novel BC related biomarker and a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of HER2 overexpressing BC.

scholarly journals Concentration and dosage sensitivity of proteins driving liquid-liquid phase separation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazanin Farahi ◽  
Tamas Lazar ◽  
Shoshana J. Wodak ◽  
Peter Tompa ◽  
Rita Pancsa
Keyword(s):  
Phase Separation ◽  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Liquid Phase Separation ◽  
Condensate Formation ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Liquid Liquid Phase Separation ◽  
In Cells ◽  
Dosage Sensitivity

AbstractLiquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is a molecular process that leads to the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs), i.e. functionally specialized liquid-like cellular condensates formed by proteins and nucleic acids. Integration of data on LLPS-associated proteins from dedicated databases revealed only modest overlap between them and resulted in a confident set of 89 human LLPS driver proteins. Since LLPS is highly concentration-sensitive, the underlying experiments are often criticized for applying higher-than-physiological protein concentrations. To clarify this issue, we performed a naive comparison of in vitro applied and quantitative proteomics-derived protein concentrations and discuss a number of considerations that rationalize the choice of apparently high in vitro concentrations in most LLPS studies. The validity of in vitro LLPS experiments is further supported by in vivo phase-separation experiments and by the observation that the corresponding genes show a strong propensity for dosage sensitivity. This observation implies that the availability of the respective proteins is tightly regulated in cells to avoid erroneous condensate formation. In all, we propose that although local protein concentrations are practically impossible to determine in cells, proteomics-derived cellular concentrations should rather be considered as lower limits of protein concentrations, than strict upper bounds, to be respected by in vitro experiments.

Using FRET to measure the time it takes for a cell to destroy a virus

Nanoscale ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 9124-9132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candace E. Benjamin ◽  
Zhuo Chen ◽  
Olivia R. Brohlin ◽  
Hamilton Lee ◽  
Arezoo Shahrivarkevishahi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Cell ◽  
Viral Nanoparticles ◽  
Open Question ◽  
In Cells

The emergence of viral nanotechnology over the preceding two decades has created a number of intellectually captivating possible translational applications; however, the in vitro fate of the viral nanoparticles in cells remains an open question.

scholarly journals A gene-expression screen identifies a non-toxic sumoylation inhibitor that mimics SUMO-less human LRH-1 in liver

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miyuki Suzawa ◽  
Diego A Miranda ◽  
Karmela A Ramos ◽  
Kenny K-H Ang ◽  
Emily J Faivre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Toxic Chemical ◽  
Primary Hepatocytes ◽  
Humanized Mouse ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Sumo Modification ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Primary Gene ◽  
In Cells

SUMO-modification of nuclear proteins has profound effects on gene expression. However, non-toxic chemical tools that modulate sumoylation in cells are lacking. Here, to identify small molecule sumoylation inhibitors we developed a cell-based screen that focused on the well-sumoylated substrate, human Liver Receptor Homolog-1 (hLRH-1, NR5A2). Our primary gene-expression screen assayed two SUMO-sensitive transcripts, APOC3 and MUC1, that are upregulated by SUMO-less hLRH-1 or by siUBC9 knockdown, respectively. A polyphenol, tannic acid (TA) emerged as a potent sumoylation inhibitor in vitro (IC50 = 12.8 µM) and in cells. TA also increased hLRH-1 occupancy on SUMO-sensitive transcripts. Most significantly, when tested in humanized mouse primary hepatocytes, TA inhibits hLRH-1 sumoylation and induces SUMO-sensitive genes, thereby recapitulating the effects of expressing SUMO-less hLRH-1 in mouse liver. Our findings underscore the benefits of phenotypic screening for targeting post-translational modifications, and illustrate the potential utility of TA for probing the cellular consequences of sumoylation.

scholarly journals Characterization of a new series of non-covalent proteasome inhibitors with exquisite potency and selectivity for the 20S β5-subunit

2010 ◽  
Vol 430 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Blackburn ◽  
Kenneth M. Gigstad ◽  
Paul Hales ◽  
Khristofer Garcia ◽  
Matthew Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Covalent Binding ◽  
Proteasome Inhibitors ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
26S Proteasome ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Core Particle ◽  
In Cells

The mammalian 26S proteasome is a 2500 kDa multi-catalytic complex involved in intracellular protein degradation. We describe the synthesis and properties of a novel series of non-covalent di-peptide inhibitors of the proteasome used on a capped tri-peptide that was first identified by high-throughput screening of a library of approx. 350000 compounds for inhibitors of the ubiquitin–proteasome system in cells. We show that these compounds are entirely selective for the β5 (chymotrypsin-like) site over the β1 (caspase-like) and β2 (trypsin-like) sites of the 20S core particle of the proteasome, and over a panel of less closely related proteases. Compound optimization, guided by X-ray crystallography of the liganded 20S core particle, confirmed their non-covalent binding mode and provided a structural basis for their enhanced in vitro and cellular potencies. We demonstrate that such compounds show low nanomolar IC50 values for the human 20S β5 site in vitro, and that pharmacological inhibition of this site in cells is sufficient to potently inhibit the degradation of a tetra-ubiquitin–luciferase reporter, activation of NFκB (nuclear factor κB) in response to TNF-α (tumour necrosis factor-α) and the proliferation of cancer cells. Finally, we identified capped di-peptides that show differential selectivity for the β5 site of the constitutively expressed proteasome and immunoproteasome in vitro and in B-cell lymphomas. Collectively, these studies describe the synthesis, activity and binding mode of a new series of non-covalent proteasome inhibitors with unprecedented potency and selectivity for the β5 site, and which can discriminate between the constitutive proteasome and immunoproteasome in vitro and in cells.

scholarly journals The J domain of sacsin disrupts intermediate filament assembly

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afrooz Dabbaghizadeh ◽  
Alexandre Pare ◽  
Zacharie Cheng-Boivin ◽  
Robin Dagher ◽  
Sandra Minotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Cultured Fibroblasts ◽  
Filament Assembly ◽  
A Cell ◽  
J Domain ◽  
Initial Assembly ◽  
In Cells

Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of the Charlevoix Saguenay (ARSACS), is caused by loss of function mutations in the SACS gene, which encodes sacsin, a giant protein of 520 kDa. A key feature of the absence of sacsin in cells is the formation of abnormal bundles of intermediate filaments (IF) including neurofilaments (NF) in neurons and vimentin IF in fibroblasts, suggesting a role of sacsin in IF homeostasis. Sacsin contains a J domain (SacsJ) homologous to Hsp40, that can interact with Hsp70 chaperones. The SacsJ domain resolved NF bundles in cultured Sacs-/- neurons, however, its mechanism is still unclear. Here, we focused on the role of SacsJ in NF assembly. We report that the SacsJ domain directly interacts with NF proteins in vitro to disassemble NFL filaments, and to inhibit their initial assembly, in the absence of Hsp70. We generated a cell-penetrating peptide derived from this domain, SacsJ-myc-TAT, which was efficient in disassembling both vimentin IF and NF in cultured fibroblasts and Sacs+/+ motor neurons as well as NF bundles in cultured Sacs-/- motor neurons. Whereas a normal NF network was restored in Sacs-/- neurons treated with the SacsJ peptide, there was some loss of IF networks in Sacs+/+ fibroblasts or neurons. These results suggest that SacsJ is a key regulator of NF and IF networks in cells, with implications for its therapeutic use.

scholarly journals Bcl-2 inhibits the mitochondrial release of an apoptogenic protease.

1996 ◽  
Vol 184 (4) ◽  
pp. 1331-1341 ◽  
Author(s):  
S A Susin ◽  
N Zamzami ◽  
M Castedo ◽  
T Hirsch ◽  
P Marchetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Permeability Transition ◽  
Chromatin Condensation ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Permeability Transition ◽  
Mitochondrial Inner Membrane ◽  
Nuclear Changes ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Apoptosis Inducing Factor ◽  
In Cells

Bcl-2 belongs to a family of apoptosis-regulatory proteins which incorporate into the outer mitochondrial as well as nuclear membranes. The mechanism by which the proto-oncogene product Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis is thus far elusive. We and others have shown previously that the first biochemical alteration detectable in cells undergoing apoptosis, well before nuclear changes become manifest, is a collapse of the mitochondrial inner membrane potential (delta psi m), suggesting the involvement of mitochondrial products in the apoptotic cascade. Here we show that mitochondria contain a pre-formed approximately 50-kD protein which is released upon delta psi m disruption and which, in a cell-free in vitro system, causes isolated nuclei to undergo apoptotic changes such as chromatin condensation and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. This apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is blocked by N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp.fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD.fmk), an antagonist of interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE)-like proteases that is also an efficient inhibitor of apoptosis in cells. We have tested the effect of Bcl-2 on the formation, release, and action of AIF. When preventing mitochondrial permeability transition (which accounts for the pre-apoptotic delta psi m disruption in cells), Bcl-2 hyperexpressed in the outer mitochondrial membrane also impedes the release of AIF from isolated mitochondria in vitro. In contrast, Bcl-2 does not affect the formation of AIF, which is contained in comparable quantities in control mitochondria and in mitochondria from Bcl-2-hyperexpressing cells. Furthermore, the presence of Bcl-2 in the nuclear membrane does not interfere with the action of AIF on the nucleus, nor does Bcl-2 hyperexpression protect cells against AIF. It thus appears that Bcl-2 prevents apoptosis by favoring the retention of an apoptogenic protease in mitochondria.

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