Inhibition of melanoma growth by small molecules that promote the mitochondrial localization of ATF2.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Effective therapy for malignant melanoma, the leading cause of death from skin cancer, remains an area of significant unmet need in oncology. The elevated expression of PKCε in advanced metastatic melanoma results in the increased phosphorylation of the transcription factor ATF2 on threonine 52, which causes its nuclear localization and confers its oncogenic activities. The nuclear-to-mitochondrial translocation of ATF2 following genotoxic stress promotes apoptosis, a function that is largely lost in melanoma cells, due to its confined nuclear localization. Therefore, promoting the nuclear export of ATF2, which sensitizes melanoma cells to apoptosis, represents a novel therapeutic modality.

Experimental design

We conducted a pilot high-throughput screen of 3,800 comp

SUBMITTER: Varsano T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3690798 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature