Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8(7H)-one derivatives as BRD9 inhibitors

BRD9 is the subunit of mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex (BAF). SWI/SNF complex mutations were found in nearly 20% of human cancers. The biological role played by BRD9 bromodomain remains poorly understood, and it is therefore imperative to identify potent and highly selective inhibitors to effectively explore the biology of individual bromodomain proteins. In this paper, we synthesized a series of imidazo[1,5-a]pyrazin-8(7H)-one derivatives as potent BRD9 inhibitors and evaluated their BRD9 inhibitory activity in vitro and anti-proliferation effects against tumor cells. Gratifyingly, compound 27 and 29 exhibited robust potency of BRD9 inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 35 and 103?nM respectively. Docking studies were performed to explain the structure-activity relationship. Furthermore, compound 27 potently inhibited cell proliferation in cell lines A549 and EOL-1 with an IC₅₀ value of 6.12?μM and 1.76?μM respectively. The chemical probe, compound 27, was identified that should prove to be useful in further exploring BRD9 bromodomain biology in both in vitro and in vivo settings.     

Co-targeting BET bromodomain BRD4 and RAC1 suppresses growth,stemness and tumorigenesis by disrupting the c-MYC-G9a-FTH1axis and downregulating HDAC1 in molecular subtypes of breast cancer

BET bromodomain BRD4 and RAC1 oncogenes are considered important therapeutic targets for cancer and play key roles in tumorigenesis, survival and metastasis. However, combined inhibition of BRD4-RAC1 signaling pathways in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer including luminal-A, HER-2 positive and triple-negative breast (TNBC) largely remains unknown. Here, we demonstrated a new co-targeting strategy by combined inhibition of BRD4-RAC1 oncogenic signaling in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer in a context-dependent manner. We show that combined treatment of JQ1 (inhibitor of BRD4) and NSC23766 (inhibitor of RAC1) suppresses cell growth, clonogenic potential, cell migration and mammary stem cells expansion and induces autophagy and cellular senescence in molecular subtypes of breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, JQ1/NSC23766 combined treatment disrupts MYC/G9a axis and subsequently enhances FTH1 to exert antitumor effects. Furthermore, combined treatment targets HDAC1/Ac-H3K9 axis, thus suggesting a role of this combination in histone modification and chromatin modeling. C-MYC depletion and co-treatment with vitamin-C sensitizes different molecular subtypes of breast cancer cells to JQ1/NSC23766 combination and further reduces cell growth, cell migration and mammosphere formation. Importantly, co-targeting RAC1-BRD4 suppresses breast tumor growth in vivo using xenograft mouse model. Clinically, RAC1 and BRD4 expression positively correlates in breast cancer patient''s samples and show high expression patterns across different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Both RAC1 and BRD4 proteins predict poor survival in breast cancer patients. Taken together, our results suggest that combined inhibition of BRD4-RAC1 pathways represents a novel and potential therapeutic approach in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer and highlights the importance of co-targeting RAC1-BRD4 signaling in breast tumorigenesis via disruption of C-MYC/G9a/FTH1 axis and down regulation of HDAC1.     

Structural and functional properties of mSWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes revealed through single-cell perturbation screens

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Remodeling and spacing factor 1 (RSF1) deposits centromere proteins at DNA double-strand breaks to promote non-homologous end-joining

The cellular response to ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in native chromatin requires a tight coordination between the activities of DNA repair machineries and factors that modulate chromatin structure. SMARCA5 is an ATPase of the SNF2 family of chromatin remodeling factors that has recently been implicated in the DSB response. It forms distinct chromatin remodeling complexes with several non-canonical subunits, including the remodeling and spacing factor 1 (RSF1) protein. Despite the fact that RSF1 is often overexpressed in tumors and linked to tumorigenesis and genome instability, its role in the DSB response remains largely unclear. Here we show that RSF1 accumulates at DSB sites and protects human cells against IR-induced DSBs by promoting repair of these lesions through homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Although SMARCA5 regulates the RNF168-dependent ubiquitin response that targets BRCA1 to DSBs, we found RSF1 to be dispensable for this process. Conversely, we found that RSF1 facilitates the assembly of centromere proteins CENP-S and CENP-X at sites of DNA damage, while SMARCA5 was not required for these events. Mechanistically, we uncovered that CENP-S and CENP-X, upon their incorporation by RSF1, promote assembly of the NHEJ factor XRCC4 at damaged chromatin. In contrast, CENP-S and CENP-X were dispensable for HR, suggesting that RSF1 regulates HR independently of these centromere proteins. Our findings reveal distinct functions of RSF1 in the 2 major pathways of DSB repair and explain how RSF1, through the loading of centromere proteins and XRCC4 at DSBs, promotes repair by non-homologous end-joining.     

Stepwise activities of mSWI/SNF family chromatin remodeling complexes direct T cell activation and exhaustion

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The N-terminal Region of Chromodomain Helicase DNA-binding Protein 4 (CHD4) Is Essential for Activity and Contains a High Mobility Group (HMG) Box-like-domain That Can Bind Poly(ADP-ribose)

Chromodomain Helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) is a chromatin-remodeling enzyme that has been reported to regulate DNA-damage responses through its N-terminal region in a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-dependent manner. We have identified and determined the structure of a stable domain (CHD4-N) in this N-terminal region. The-fold consists of a four-α-helix bundle with structural similarity to the high mobility group box, a domain that is well known as a DNA binding module. We show that the CHD4-N domain binds with higher affinity to poly(ADP-ribose) than to DNA. We also show that the N-terminal region of CHD4, although not CHD4-N alone, is essential for full nucleosome remodeling activity and is important for localizing CHD4 to sites of DNA damage. Overall, these data build on our understanding of how CHD4-NuRD acts to regulate gene expression and participates in the DNA-damage response.     

组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂(HDACi)对小麦基因编辑效率的影响及转录组学分析

主要研究组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂(HDACi)与染色质状态以及CRISPR/Cas9的编辑效率之间的关系。利用不同浓度的尼克酰胺(0,2.5和5 mmol/L)和丁酸钠(0,5和10 mmol/L)对小麦幼苗处理7 d和14 d,结果显示丁酸钠处理会抑制幼苗的生长,而尼克酰胺对幼苗影响较小。对尼克酰胺处理的小麦幼苗进行转录组测序,发现了一些有利于促进染色质状态开放的基因:6个甲基转移酶合成通路基因。此外对未发生编辑的TaAGO4a基因编辑转基因小麦材料的T2代进行尼克酰胺处理,结果显示5 mmol/L处理14 d时检测到1株3A和3B基因组均杂合编辑的植株,编辑效率从0提高到8.3%,其它处理组和对照组均没有检测到编辑。本研究证明尼克酰胺确实可以提高小麦基因编辑效率,为提高小麦基因编辑效率提供了一种新策略。     

The SUMO Ligase Su(var)2-10 Controls Hetero- and Euchromatic Gene Expression via Establishing H3K9 Trimethylation and Negative Feedback Regulation

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huGM-CSF(9-127)-IL-6(29-184)融合蛋白的复性及纯化研究

利用Q Sepharose H.P.离子交换柱层析在8mol/L尿素变性条件下对huGM-CSF(9-127)-IL-6(29-184）融合蛋白进行初步纯化,然后再利用Sephacryl S-200分子筛柱层析复性及纯化后获得目的蛋白,其纯度达到95％以上。该纯化方案成功地解决了稀释复性或透析复性产物在进行Q Sepharose H.P.离子交换柱层析时目的蛋白不稳定而沉积于柱上的问题,获得了较好的复性效果,复性率达到80％以上。使用该纯化方案,1天内便可基本完成重组蛋白的复性及纯化过程,而且也便于扩大。     

骨形成蛋白9对人膀胱癌BIU-87细胞增殖和迁移的影响

目的:人骨形成蛋白9(bone morphogenetic protein 9,BMP9)对人膀胱癌BIU-87细胞增殖和迁移的影响。方法:使用过表达BMP9基因的腺病毒(AdBMP9)感染BIU-87细胞,采用定量PCR检测BMP9 mRNA的表达,Western blot检测BMP9蛋白及BMP9下游相关信号通路蛋白的表达;MTT及集落形成实验检测BIU-87细胞增殖能力;划痕愈合实验及Transwell ^TM小室迁移实验检测BIU-87细胞迁移能力。结果:感染AdBMP9后,BIU-87细胞中BMP9的mRNA水平和蛋白质水平均显著增加;过表达BMP9后,BIU-87细胞的体外增殖和迁移能力明显增加;Western blot结果显示BMP9可明显激活AKT信号通路。结论:高表达BMP9可能通过激活AKT信号通路促进人膀胱癌BIU-87细胞的增殖和迁移。