靶向蛋白质泛素修饰及降解在前列腺癌治疗中的机遇与挑战

前列腺癌是中国发病率增长最快的男性肿瘤,抗雄激素治疗耐药是导致前列腺癌患者预后差的主要原因。因此,解决耐药性难题是前列腺癌转化研究的关键问题。哺乳动物细胞利用泛素-蛋白酶体系统实现蛋白质的靶向降解。因此,前列腺癌中关键的癌基因如雄激素受体（AR）的上游泛素化调控因子（如去泛素化酶）是潜在的治疗靶点。然而,这些酶具有较广的底物谱系,存在脱靶的可能性。近来,基于泛素-蛋白酶体系统开发的蛋白质降解靶向嵌合体（proteolysis-targeting chimeras,PROTAC）技术是最具前景和革命性的新型抗癌药物研发技术,能够利用特定E3泛素连接酶对靶蛋白进行降解而不影响其他底物。与传统小分子抑制剂相比,PROTAC分子在克服耐药性以及针对不可成药的靶点方面拥有巨大优势。目前,针对AR的PROTAC降解剂已在II期临床取得了成功,靶向蛋白质泛素化及降解途径的新技术将有望为前列腺癌的临床治疗带来新的突破。     

蛋白降解靶向嵌合体临床前及临床研究进展

蛋白降解靶向嵌合体(proteolysis targeting chimera,PROTAC)是一种可以同时结合E3连接酶和靶蛋白的异双功能小分子,能够借助泛素-蛋白酶体系统特异性降解靶蛋白。目前PROTAC药物大多处于临床试验阶段,配体主要为非共价化合物,具有克服耐药性、降解“不可用药”靶蛋白的优势,但非共价配体会使PROTAC产生钩效应(hook effect),影响药效发挥。而共价配体凭借自身优势,可以避免该现象的发生,对于PROTAC的发展具有极大的帮助。本文总结了临床前及临床研究阶段,PROTAC分子在核内蛋白、跨膜蛋白和胞浆蛋白3种蛋白靶点中的应用,并以此为基础进行了讨论与展望,以期为今后PROTAC的发展提供一定的研究思路和参考。     

靶向递送蛋白水解靶向嵌合体在癌症治疗中的研究进展

小分子抗癌药物通过靶向特定蛋白来抑制肿瘤生长,但大部分致病蛋白被认为是“不可成药”的。蛋白水解靶向嵌合体(proteolysis targeting chimeras,PROTAC)通过靶向降解目标蛋白来抑制肿瘤细胞生长,是一项非常有潜力的新技术。本文在介绍传统多肽型PROTAC和小分子型PROTAC基础上,详细总结了靶向递送型PROTAC的最新研究进展,主要包括识别分子介导靶向PROTAC、纳米材料介导靶向PROTAC和可控激活小分子PROTAC前药。研究表明,靶向递送型PROTAC在提高肿瘤细胞特异性、减少脱靶效应和降低生物毒性等方面具有潜在应用价值。最后,本文对PROTAC的成药性进行了展望。     

泛素连接酶SCF~(FBW7)调控的靶蛋白研究进展

FBW7(F-box and WD repeat domain-containing7,FBW7)为F-box蛋白家族成员,是SCF型泛素连接酶复合物的底物识别蛋白,介导细胞内多种蛋白质经泛素-蛋白酶体途径降解。FBW7通过靶向降解多种癌蛋白如Mcl-1、Notch、HIF-1α、Cyclin E和KFL5等,参与调控细胞增殖、分化、凋亡及肿瘤转移等多种生物学过程。作为一种肿瘤抑制蛋白,FBW7基因突变或缺失存在于多种人类肿瘤中,如白血病、乳腺癌、卵巢癌、胆管癌等,并在这些肿瘤的发生和发展中发挥重要作用。因此,针对FBW7的深入研究有助于理解肿瘤的发生发展机制以及开发肿瘤治疗新方案。本文就FBW7调控的癌蛋白研究进展作一综述。     

泛素介导的蛋白质降解与肿瘤发生

泛素介导的蛋白质降解途径是降解细胞内蛋白质的主要途径, 在维持细胞正常的蛋白质代谢中起着至关重要的作用。泛素介导的蛋白质降解途径的异常与许多疾病特别是肿瘤的发生密切相关。通过介绍泛素介导的蛋白质降解途径在细胞周期、DNA修复、细胞凋亡中的作用, 系统阐述了泛素介导的蛋白质降解途径与肿瘤发生的关系。     

蛋白质的泛素化修饰在细胞应激反应中的作用

泛素是真核细胞内广泛存在的一种高度保守的蛋白质。在特定泛素化酶催化下实现的蛋白质泛素化修饰反应能够高选择性地降解细胞中的特定信号蛋白质,对维持细胞正常的生理功能具有非常重要的作用。另外,某些泛素化修饰反应也能够实现与蛋白质降解无关的功能调控作用。p53、NF-κB和GADD45α是在细胞应激损伤反应中具有广泛调控作用的信号蛋白,发生在这些分子上的泛素化修饰反应是它们发挥相关分子机制的重要基础。     

自噬与泛素化蛋白降解途径的分子机制及其功能

细胞内所有的蛋白质和大多数的细胞外蛋白都在不断的进行更新,即它们在不断地被降解,并被新合成的蛋白质取代。细胞内蛋白的降解主要通过两个途径,即自噬和泛素蛋白酶体系统。自噬是一种由溶酶体介导的细胞内过多或异常蛋白质的降解机制。在细胞内主要有3种类型的自噬,即分子伴侣介导的自噬、微自噬和巨自噬。泛素蛋白酶体系统是由泛素介导的一种高度复杂的蛋白降解机制,它参与降解细胞内许多蛋白质并且这个过程具有高度特异性。细胞内蛋白质的降解参与调节许多细胞过程,包括细胞周期、DNA修复、细胞生长和分化、细胞质量的控制、病原生物的感染反应和细胞凋亡等。许多严重的人类疾病被认为是由于蛋白质降解系统的紊乱而引起的。文章综述了自噬和泛素化途径及其分子机制,以及蛋白质降解系统紊乱的病理学意义。     

细菌体内的蛋白质降解

摘要:为了适应多变的外界环境,细菌利用蛋白降解来清除体内不需要的蛋白质。AAA+蛋白酶降解机制在细菌蛋白质质量控制系统中发挥重要作用,而在放线菌中发现的蛋白酶体揭示了原核生物体内一个崭新的蛋白质降解机制。蛋白酶只识别携带降解决定子的底物,确保了蛋白质降解的特异性,除此之外细菌还通过一些其他方式调控蛋白质的降解与否。随着真核生物体内泛素依赖的蛋白酶体降解途径的发现,蛋白质降解过程参与调控机体生理活动的功能也逐渐为人所知。研究发现,蛋白质降解参与调控细菌的生长、分化,并与细菌的应激反应以及毒力等相关。本文将对细菌中存在的AAA + 蛋白质降解机制,包括其结构、对底物的降解过程及其生理功能等进行阐述。     

泛素化和磷酸化协同作用调控蛋白质降解

在真核细胞中,泛素化和磷酸化是2种常见的蛋白质修饰方式。泛素在蛋白酶体降解途径中发挥重要的靶向作用,细胞外信号严格调控着目的蛋白的泛素化。在很多情况下,这种调控依赖于蛋白质的磷酸化。由磷酸化影响的调控步骤可能与E3泛素连接酶对底物的识别有关,也可能与实际的交联反应有关。这种调控是通过对底物或E3连接酶本身的磷酸化实现的。     

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径及其在植物生长发育中的功能

泛素/26S蛋白酶体途径是一种蛋白高效降解途径,主要负责真核细胞内蛋白的选择性降解.泛素分子主要通过泛素活化酶E1、泛素结合酶E2和泛素-蛋白连接酶E3将靶蛋白泛素化,泛素化的蛋白最后被26S蛋白酶体识别和降解.本文介绍了泛素/26S蛋白体介导的特异性蛋白质降解途经,并对其在植物激素信号、光形态建成、植物衰老、自交不亲和反应、细胞周期调控、花的发育、生物钟节律和非生物胁迫响应中的功能最新研究进展进行了综述.     

Design of a PROTAC that antagonizes and destroys the cancer-forming X-protein of the hepatitis B virus

The X-protein of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is essential for virus infection and contributes to the development of HBV-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a disease which causes more than one million deaths each year. Here we describe the design of a novel PROTAC (proteolysis targeting chimeric molecule) capable of simultaneously inducing the degradation of the X-protein, and antagonizing its function. The PROTAC was constructed by fusing the N-terminal oligomerization and C-terminal instability domains of the X-protein to each other, and rendering them cell-permeable by the inclusion of a polyarginine cell-penetrating peptide (CPP). It was predicted that the oligomerization domain would bind the X-protein, and that the instability domain would cause the X-protein to be targeted for proteasomal degradation. Addition of the PROTAC to HepG2 liver cancer cells, engineered to express full-length and C-terminally truncated forms of the X-protein, resulted in the degradation of both forms of the X-protein. A cell-permeable stand-alone form of the oligomerization domain was taken up by HepG2 cells, and acted as a dominant-negative inhibitor, causing inhibition of X-protein-induced apoptosis. In summary, the PROTAC described here induces the degradation of the X-protein, and antagonizes its function, and warrants investigation in a preclinical study for its ability to prevent or treat HBV infection and/or the development of HCC.     

Pomalidomide hybrids act as proteolysis targeting chimeras: Synthesis,anticancer activity and B-Raf degradation

As the first intracellular signaling molecule and the most frequently mutated oncogene, B-Raf represents an important target in cancer therapy. Here we report several pomalidomide hybrids acting as proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for the degradation of B-Raf. Due to its high expression of B-Raf, MCF-7 cells are sensitive to these compounds. Among them, compound 2 can effectively kill cancer cells via inducing cells apoptosis. As a B-Raf degrader, compound 2 can accelerate the degradation of B-Raf by recruiting ubiquitin-proteasome system, and further affects the expression of Mcl-1, a downstream protein of B-Raf. The anticancer mechanism of compound 2 is quite different from its mother compound and cancer cells seem to be more sensitive to the degrader, hinting that degradation of B-Raf by PROTAC is a potential way for cancer treatment.     

Targeted intracellular protein degradation induced by a small molecule: En route to chemical proteomics

We have developed a heterobifunctional all-small molecule PROTAC (PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera) capable of inducing proteasomal degradation of the androgen receptor. This cell permeable PROTAC consists of a non-steroidal androgen receptor ligand (SARM) and the MDM2 ligand known as nutlin, connected by a PEG-based linker. The SARM-nutlin PROTAC recruits the androgen receptor to MDM2, which functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. This leads to the ubiquitination of the androgen receptor, and its subsequent degradation by the proteasome. Upon treatment of HeLa cells with 10microM PROTAC for 7h, we were able to observe a decrease in androgen receptor levels. This degradation is proteasome dependent, as it is mitigated in cells pre-treated with 10microM epoxomicin, a specific proteasome inhibitor. These results have implications for the potential study and treatment of various cancers with increased androgen receptor levels.     

Docosahexaenoic acid induces the degradation of HPV E6/E7 oncoproteins by activating the ubiquitin–proteasome system

The oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 proteins are essential for the onset and maintenance of HPV-associated malignancies. Here, we report that activation of the cellular ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) by the omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), leads to proteasome-mediated degradation of E6/E7 viral proteins and the induction of apoptosis in HPV-infected cancer cells. The increases in UPS activity and degradation of E6/E7 oncoproteins were associated with DHA-induced overproduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Exogenous oxidative stress and pharmacological induction of mitochondrial ROS showed effects similar to those of DHA, and inhibition of ROS production abolished UPS activation, E6/E7 viral protein destabilization, and apoptosis. These findings identify a novel role for DHA in the regulation of UPS and viral proteins, and provide evidence for the use of DHA as a mechanistically unique anticancer agent for the chemoprevention and treatment of HPV-associated tumors.     

Ubiquitin–proteasome system and the role of its inhibitors in cancer therapy

Despite all the other cells that have the potential to prevent cancer development and metastasis through tumour suppressor proteins, cancer cells can upregulate the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) by which they can degrade tumour suppressor proteins and avoid apoptosis. This system plays an extensive role in cell regulation organized in two steps. Each step has an important role in controlling cancer. This demonstrates the importance of understanding UPS inhibitors and improving these inhibitors to foster a new hope in cancer therapy. UPS inhibitors, as less invasive chemotherapy drugs, are increasingly used to alleviate symptoms of various cancers in malignant states. Despite their success in reducing the development of cancer with the lowest side effects, thus far, an appropriate inhibitor that can effectively inactivate this system with the least drug resistance has not yet been fully investigated. A fundamental understanding of the system is necessary to fully elucidate its role in causing/controlling cancer. In this review, we first comprehensively investigate this system, and then each step containing ubiquitination and protein degradation as well as their inhibitors are discussed. Ultimately, its advantages and disadvantages and some perspectives for improving the efficiency of these inhibitors are discussed.     

拟南芥ASK基因研究进展拟南芥ASK基因研究进展拟南芥ASK基因研究进展拟南芥ASK基因研究进展拟南芥ASK基因研究进展

泛素-蛋白酶体系统（ubiquitin-proteasome system, UPS）是广泛存在于真核生物中的一种重要的蛋白降解系统。拟南芥ASK （Arabidopsis SKP1-LIKE）基因编码拟南芥E3连接酶SCF复合物的一个亚蛋白, 在拟南芥SCF复合物中起到连接器的作用。近年来, 人们对ASK基因及其同源基因进行了很多表达规律、基因功能方面的研究。本文从ASK基因表达方式、对生理发育过程的调节、与F-box相互作用及ASK基因的进化方式4个方面对这些进展进行总结。已有的研究结果表明, ASK基因在拟南芥中广泛地表达并表现出各自不同的表达水平和表达方式, 它们在很多发育和生理过程中起到重要作用。     

Caspase信号通路在双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸诱导结肠癌细胞凋亡中的作用

目的探讨Caspase信号通路在双歧杆菌脂磷壁酸（LTA）诱导结肠癌细胞凋亡中的作用。方法RT-PCR检测经双歧杆菌LTA处理后,结肠癌Lovo细胞中MyD88和FADD mRNA的表达变化;AnnexinV检测经Caspase通用抑制剂（Z-Val-Ala-Asp-FMK）预先处理后,双歧杆菌LTA诱导结肠癌Lovo细胞凋亡率的变化;荧光法检测经双歧杆菌LTA处理后,Lovo细胞中Caspase-8活性的变化。结果经双歧杆菌LTA处理后,Lovo细胞中MyD88的mRNA表达明显升高（P〈0．05）,而FADD信号分子的mRNA表达无明显变化;双歧杆菌LTA能够增强Lovo细胞中Caspase-8的活性（P〈0．05）,且其诱导Lovo细胞凋亡的作用能够被Caspase抑制剂所抑制（P〈0．05）。结论MyD88信号分子在双歧杆菌LTA诱导Lovo细胞凋亡中可能起着承接上游分子TLRs与下游信号分子FADD的作用;而Caspase信号通路可能是双歧杆菌LTA诱导结肠癌Lovo细胞凋亡的主要信号传导途径。     

The ubiquitin-proteasome system in colorectal cancer

The proteasome is a multiprotein complex that regulates the stability of hundreds of cellular proteins and thus, it is implicated in virtually all cellular functions. Most of the time, to be recognized and processed by the proteasome, a protein has to be linked to a chain of ubiquitin molecules. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and motility, processes with particular importance for carcinogenesis are regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). In colorectal epithelium, UPS plays a role in the regulation of the Wnt/beta-catenin/APC/TCF4 signaling which regulates proliferation of colorectal epithelial cells in the bottom of the crypts and the inhibition of this proliferation as cells move towards colon villi tips. In most colorectal cancers APC (Adenomatous Polyposis Coli) disabling mutations interfere with the ability of the proteasome to degrade beta-catenin leading to uninhibited cell proliferation. Other key molecules in colorectal carcinogenesis such as p53, Smad4 and components of the k-ras pathways are also regulated by the UPS. In this review I discuss the role of UPS in colorectal carcinogenesis and colorectal cancer prognosis and aspects of its inhibition for therapeutic purposes.     

The COP9 Signalosome Mediates β-Catenin Degradation by Deneddylation and Blocks Adenomatous Polyposis coli Destruction via USP15

The Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway has important roles in normal cellular proliferation, development and angiogenesis. Many malignant transformations, including sporadic colorectal tumours, are caused by constitutive activation of the Wnt route due to mutations in the tumour suppressor protein adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) or the β-catenin oncogene, ultimately resulting in reduced β-catenin degradation by the ubiquitin (Ub) proteasome system (UPS). The COP9 signalosome (CSN) regulates the UPS by controlling cullin-RING Ub ligases (CRLs). We show here that the CSN and the β-catenin destruction complex cooperate in targeting β-catenin for degradation by the UPS. Together with the CRL that ubiquitinates β-catenin, they form a supercomplex responsible for β-catenin degradation. Wnt3A, glycogen synthase kinase 3β inhibitors or mutation of CSN-mediated deneddylation induce the disassembly of the supercomplex and the accumulation of β-catenin. Likewise, downregulation of the CSN in HeLa cells leads to retarded degradation of β-catenin. Additionally, we found that the knockdown of the CSN causes accelerated proteolysis of APC, an essential component of the β-catenin destruction complex, which is degraded by the UPS as β-catenin. We show here that APC is stabilised by the Ub-specific protease 15 (USP15) associated with the CSN. This is demonstrated by over-expression of siRNA oligonucleotides against USP15 or by over-expression of an USP15 mutant, which is unable to degrade poly-Ub chains. Thus, the CSN controls the Wnt/β-catenin signalling by assisting the assembly of β-catenin-degrading supercomplexes by deneddylation and, simultaneously, by stabilising APC via CSN-associated USP15. The CSN regulates the balance between β-catenin and APC. Disturbance of this balance can cause cancer by driving cell transformation, tumour angiogenesis and metastasis. A model is provided that proposes a role of CSN-mediated deneddylation in the formation of the β-catenin-degrading supercomplex and the protection of complex-bound APC via CSN-associated USP15.