scholarly journals STIM and ORAI proteins: crucial roles in hallmarks of cancer

2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (7) ◽  
pp. C509-C519 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Fiorio Pla ◽  
K. Kondratska ◽  
N. Prevarskaya

Intracellular Ca2+ signals play a central role in several cellular processes; therefore it is not surprising that altered Ca2+ homeostasis regulatory mechanisms lead to a variety of severe pathologies, including cancer. Stromal interaction molecules (STIM) and ORAI proteins have been identified as critical components of Ca2+ entry in both store-dependent (SOCE mechanism) and independent by intracellular store depletion and have been implicated in several cellular functions. In recent years, both STIMs and ORAIs have emerged as possible molecular targets for cancer therapeutics. In this review we focus on the role of STIM and ORAI proteins in cancer progression. In particular we analyze their role in the different hallmarks of cancer, which represent the organizing principle that describes the complex multistep process of neoplastic diseases.

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cho ◽  
Kim ◽  
Baek ◽  
Kim ◽  
Lee

Rho GDP dissociation inhibitors (RhoGDIs) play important roles in various cellular processes, including cell migration, adhesion, and proliferation, by regulating the functions of the Rho GTPase family. Dissociation of Rho GTPases from RhoGDIs is necessary for their spatiotemporal activation and is dynamically regulated by several mechanisms, such as phosphorylation, sumoylation, and protein interaction. The expression of RhoGDIs has changed in many human cancers and become associated with the malignant phenotype, including migration, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to anticancer agents. Here, we review how RhoGDIs control the function of Rho GTPases by regulating their spatiotemporal activity and describe the regulatory mechanisms of the dissociation of Rho GTPases from RhoGDIs. We also discuss the role of RhoGDIs in cancer progression and their potential uses for therapeutic intervention.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1239
Author(s):  
Leila Jahangiri ◽  
Tala Ishola ◽  
Perla Pucci ◽  
Ricky M. Trigg ◽  
Joao Pereira ◽  
...  

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess properties such as self-renewal, resistance to apoptotic cues, quiescence, and DNA-damage repair capacity. Moreover, CSCs strongly influence the tumour microenvironment (TME) and may account for cancer progression, recurrence, and relapse. CSCs represent a distinct subpopulation in tumours and the detection, characterisation, and understanding of the regulatory landscape and cellular processes that govern their maintenance may pave the way to improving prognosis, selective targeted therapy, and therapy outcomes. In this review, we have discussed the characteristics of CSCs identified in various cancer types and the role of autophagy and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in maintaining the homeostasis of CSCs. Further, we have discussed methods to detect CSCs and strategies for treatment and relapse, taking into account the requirement to inhibit CSC growth and survival within the complex backdrop of cellular processes, microenvironmental interactions, and regulatory networks associated with cancer. Finally, we critique the computationally reinforced triangle of factors inclusive of CSC properties, the process of autophagy, and lncRNA and their associated networks with respect to hypoxia, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and signalling pathways.


2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 3107-3116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anindya Ghosh-Roy ◽  
Bela S. Desai ◽  
Krishanu Ray

Toward the end of spermiogenesis, spermatid nuclei are compacted and the clonally related spermatids individualize to become mature and active sperm. Studies in Drosophila showed that caudal end-directed movement of a microfilament-rich structure, called investment cone, expels the cytoplasmic contents of individual spermatids. F-actin dynamics plays an important role in this process. Here we report that the dynein light chain 1 (DLC1) of Drosophila is involved in two separate cellular processes during sperm individualization. It is enriched around spermatid nuclei during postelongation stages and plays an important role in the dynein-dynactin–dependent rostral retention of the nuclei during this period. In addition, DDLC1 colocalizes with dynamin along investment cones and regulates F-actin assembly at this organelle by retaining dynamin along the cones. Interestingly, we found that this process does not require the other subunits of cytoplasmic dynein-dynactin complex. Altogether, these observations suggest that DLC1 could independently regulate multiple cellular functions and established a novel role of this protein in F-actin assembly in Drosophila.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 540
Author(s):  
Mariam Markouli ◽  
Dimitrios Strepkos ◽  
Kostas A. Papavassiliou ◽  
Athanasios G. Papavassiliou ◽  
Christina Piperi

Gliomas account for most primary Central Nervous System (CNS) neoplasms, characterized by high aggressiveness and low survival rates. Despite the immense research efforts, there is a small improvement in glioma survival rates, mostly attributed to their heterogeneity and complex pathophysiology. Recent data indicate the delicate interplay of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in regulating gene expression and cell differentiation, pointing towards the pivotal role of bivalent genes. Bivalency refers to a property of chromatin to acquire more than one histone marks during the cell cycle and rapidly transition gene expression from an active to a suppressed transcriptional state. Although first identified in embryonal stem cells, bivalent genes have now been associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Emerging evidence indicates the implication of bivalent gene regulation in glioma heterogeneity and plasticity, mainly involving Homeobox genes, Wingless-Type MMTV Integration Site Family Members, Hedgehog protein, and Solute Carrier Family members. These genes control a wide variety of cellular functions, including cellular differentiation during early organism development, regulation of cell growth, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, therapy resistance, and apoptosis. In this review, we discuss the implication of bivalent genes in glioma pathogenesis and their potential therapeutic targeting options.


2005 ◽  
Vol 184 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Estrada ◽  
A Espinosa ◽  
C J Gibson ◽  
P Uhlen ◽  
E Jaimovich

Ca2+ oscillations are one of the most important signals within the cell. The mechanism for generation of Ca2+ oscillations is still not yet fully elucidated. We studied the role of capacitative Ca2+ entry (CCE) on intracellular Ca2+ oscillations induced by testosterone at the single-cell level in primary myotubes. Testosterone (100 nM) rapidly induced an intracellular Ca2+ rise, accompanied by Ca2+ oscillations in a majority of myotubes. Spectral analysis of the Ca2+ oscillations revealed a periodicity of 20.3 ± 1.8 s (frequency of 49.3 ± 4.4 mHz). In Ca2+-free medium, an increase in intracellular Ca2+ was still observed, but no oscillations. Neither nifedipine nor ryanodine affected the testosterone-induced Ca2+ response. This intracellular Ca2+ release was previously shown in myotubes to be dependent on inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Intracellular Ca2+ store depletion in Ca2+-free medium, using a sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-pump inhibitor, followed by re-addition of extracellular Ca2+, gave a fast rise in intracellular Ca2+, indicating that CCE was present in these myotubes. Application of either testosterone or albumin-bound testosterone induced Ca2+ release and led to CCE after re-addition of Ca2+ to Ca2+-free extracellular medium. The CCE blockers 2-aminoethyl diphenylborate and La3+, as well as perturbation of the cytoskeleton by cytochalasin D, inhibited testosterone-induced Ca2+ oscillations and CCE. The steady increase in Ca2+ induced by testosterone was not, however, affected by either La3+ or cytochalasin D. These results demonstrate testosterone-induced Ca2+ oscillations in myotubes, mediated by the interplay of IP3-sensitive Ca2+ stores and Ca2+ influx through CCE.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Traverso ◽  
Roberta Ricciarelli ◽  
Mariapaola Nitti ◽  
Barbara Marengo ◽  
Anna Lisa Furfaro ◽  
...  

Glutathione (GSH) plays an important role in a multitude of cellular processes, including cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis, and disturbances in GSH homeostasis are involved in the etiology and progression of many human diseases including cancer. While GSH deficiency, or a decrease in the GSH/glutathione disulphide (GSSG) ratio, leads to an increased susceptibility to oxidative stress implicated in the progression of cancer, elevated GSH levels increase the antioxidant capacity and the resistance to oxidative stress as observed in many cancer cells. The present review highlights the role of GSH and related cytoprotective effects in the susceptibility to carcinogenesis and in the sensitivity of tumors to the cytotoxic effects of anticancer agents.


Cells ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Concetti ◽  
Caroline L Wilson

Current evidence strongly suggests that aberrant activation of the NF-κB signalling pathway is associated with carcinogenesis. A number of key cellular processes are governed by the effectors of this pathway, including immune responses and apoptosis, both crucial in the development of cancer. Therefore, it is not surprising that dysregulated and chronic NF-κB signalling can have a profound impact on cellular homeostasis. Here we discuss NFKB1 (p105/p50), one of the five subunits of NF-κB, widely implicated in carcinogenesis, in some cases driving cancer progression and in others acting as a tumour-suppressor. The complexity of the role of this subunit lies in the multiple dimeric combination possibilities as well as the different interacting co-factors, which dictate whether gene transcription is activated or repressed, in a cell and organ-specific manner. This review highlights the multiple roles of NFKB1 in the development and progression of different cancers, and the considerations to make when attempting to manipulate NF-κB as a potential cancer therapy.


Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Condelli ◽  
Fabiana Crispo ◽  
Michele Pietrafesa ◽  
Giacomo Lettini ◽  
Danilo Swann Matassa ◽  
...  

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) molecular chaperones are a family of ubiquitous proteins participating in several cellular functions through the regulation of folding and/or assembly of large multiprotein complexes and client proteins. Thus, HSP90s chaperones are, directly or indirectly, master regulators of a variety of cellular processes, such as adaptation to stress, cell proliferation, motility, angiogenesis, and signal transduction. In recent years, it has been proposed that HSP90s play a crucial role in carcinogenesis as regulators of genotype-to-phenotype interplay. Indeed, HSP90 chaperones control metabolic rewiring, a hallmark of cancer cells, and influence the transcription of several of the key-genes responsible for tumorigenesis and cancer progression, through either direct binding to chromatin or through the quality control of transcription factors and epigenetic effectors. In this review, we will revise evidence suggesting how this interplay between epigenetics and metabolism may affect oncogenesis. We will examine the effect of metabolic rewiring on the accumulation of specific metabolites, and the changes in the availability of epigenetic co-factors and how this process can be controlled by HSP90 molecular chaperones. Understanding deeply the relationship between epigenetic and metabolism could disclose novel therapeutic scenarios that may lead to improvements in cancer treatment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 4156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glatzel-Plucińska ◽  
Piotrowska ◽  
Dzięgiel ◽  
Podhorska-Okołów

Carcinogenesis is a long-drawn, multistep process, in which metastatic spread is an unequivocal hallmark of a poor prognosis. The progression and dissemination of epithelial cancers is commonly thought to rely on the epidermal-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. During EMT, epithelial cells lose their junctions and apical-basal polarity, and they acquire a mesenchymal phenotype with its migratory and invasive capabilities. One of the proteins involved in cancer progression and EMT may be SATB1 (Special AT-Rich Binding Protein 1)—a chromatin organiser and a global transcriptional regulator. SATB1 organizes chromatin into spatial loops, providing a “docking site” necessary for the binding of further transcription factors and chromatin modifying enzymes. SATB1 has the ability to regulate whole sets of genes, even those located on distant chromosomes. SATB1 was found to be overexpressed in numerous malignancies, including lymphomas, breast, colorectal, prostate, liver, bladder and ovarian cancers. In the solid tumours, an elevated SATB1 level was observed to be associated with an aggressive phenotype, presence of lymph node, distant metastases, and a poor prognosis. In this review, we briefly describe the prognostic significance of SATB1 expression in most common human cancers, and analyse its impact on EMT and metastasis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (13) ◽  
pp. 1768-1781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Valdivia ◽  
Silvia M. Goicoechea ◽  
Sahezeel Awadia ◽  
Ashtyn Zinn ◽  
Rafael Garcia-Mata

Circular dorsal ruffles (CDRs) are actin-rich structures that form on the dorsal surface of many mammalian cells in response to growth factor stimulation. CDRs represent a unique type of structure that forms transiently and only once upon stimulation. The formation of CDRs involves a drastic rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, which is regulated by the Rho family of GTPases. So far, only Rac1 has been consistently associated with CDR formation, whereas the role of other GTPases in this process is either lacking or inconclusive. Here we show that RhoG and its exchange factor, Trio, play a role in the regulation of CDR dynamics, particularly by modulating their size. RhoG is activated by Trio downstream of PDGF in a PI3K- and Src-dependent manner. Silencing RhoG expression decreases the number of cells that form CDRs, as well as the area of the CDRs. The regulation of CDR area by RhoG is independent of Rac1 function. In addition, our results show the RhoG plays a role in the cellular functions associated with CDR formation, including macropinocytosis, receptor internalization, and cell migration. Taken together, our results reveal a novel role for RhoG in the regulation of CDRs and the cellular processes associated with their formation.


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