Project description:Small molecule compounds that sense the nucleic acid sequences, promise the attractive venue for drug development. Such an unusual effect has been observed in the natural product Rocaglamide A (RocA) from Aglaia plant, proving to exhibit anti-tumor effects by clamping eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A onto mRNA polypurine sequences. Although eIF4A has been speculated the unique target of RocA, the insensitization of eIF4A in human cells only partially rescued the translation repression from RocA, suggesting another alternative target of this compound. Here, we revealed that DDX3 is an alternative target of RocA. Developing a RocA derivative with an O-nitrobenzoxadiazole unit (RocA-O-NBD), which can covalently bind to proximate proteins and provide fluorescence to them, we identified DDX3 bound to RocA. As observed in eIF4A, RocA locked the DDX3 protein onto polypurine sequences of RNA in an ATP-independent manner. De novo assembled Aglaia plant transcriptome uncovered the natural amino acid substitutions in Aglaia DDX3 to protect itself from RocA toxicity. Because of the dominant negative effect of RocA, we also proved the protein abundance of eIF4A and DDX3 in cancer cells determines their sensitivity to RocA. Overall, this study discovered DDX3 as another target of RocA and suggests the probability to predict tumor toxicity of RocA by the target abundance.
Project description:Small molecule compounds that sense the nucleic acid sequences, promise the attractive venue for drug development. Such an unusual effect has been observed in the natural product Rocaglamide A (RocA) from Aglaia plant, proving to exhibit anti-tumor effects by clamping eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A onto mRNA polypurine sequences. Although eIF4A has been speculated the unique target of RocA, the insensitization of eIF4A in human cells only partially rescued the translation repression from RocA, suggesting another alternative target of this compound. Here, we revealed that DDX3 is an alternative target of RocA. Developing a RocA derivative with an O-nitrobenzoxadiazole unit (RocA-O-NBD), which can covalently bind to proximate proteins and provide fluorescence to them, we identified DDX3 bound to RocA. As observed in eIF4A, RocA locked the DDX3 protein onto polypurine sequences of RNA in an ATP-independent manner. De novo assembled Aglaia plant transcriptome uncovered the natural amino acid substitutions in Aglaia DDX3 to protect itself from RocA toxicity. Because of the dominant negative effect of RocA, we also proved the protein abundance of eIF4A and DDX3 in cancer cells determines their sensitivity to RocA. Overall, this study discovered DDX3 as another target of RocA and suggests the probability to predict tumor toxicity of RocA by the target abundance.
Project description:New and effective therapeutics are urgently needed for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The eIF4A/DDX2 RNA helicase drives translation of mRNAs with highly structured 5’UTRs. The natural compound silvestrol and synthetic analogues are potent and selective inhibitors of eIF4A1/2 that show promising activity in models of hematological malignancies. Here, we show silvestrol analogues have nanomolar activity against PDAC cell lines and organoids in vitro. Moreover, we see single agent activity in the KRAS/p53 mouse PDAC model and also against PDAC xenografts and primary, patient derived PDAC tumors. These therapeutic effects occur at non-toxic dose levels. Transcriptome-wide ribosome profiling, analyses of protein and gene expression, and translation reporter studies reveal that eIF4A inhibitors block an oncogenic translation program in PDAC cells that includes G-quadruplex containing mRNAs such as KRAS, MYC, YAP1, MET, SMAD3, TGFβ and others. Together, our data indicate that pharmacological inhibition of eIF4A disrupts oncoprotein production and shows efficacy across several PDAC models.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal malignancy with limited treatment options. Although metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of many cancers, including PDA, previous attempts to target metabolic changes therapeutically have been stymied by drug toxicity and tumour cell plasticity. Here, we show that PDA cells engage an eIF4F-dependent translation program that supports redox and central carbon metabolism. Inhibition of the eIF4F subunit, eIF4A, using the synthetic rocaglate CR-1-31-B (CR-31) reduced the viability of PDA organoids relative to their normal counterparts. In vivo, CR-31 suppresses tumour growth and extends survival of genetically-engineered murine models of PDA. Surprisingly, inhibition of eIF4A also induces glutamine reductive carboxylation. As a consequence, combined targeting of eIF4A and glutaminase activity more effectively inhibits PDA cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our work demonstrates the importance of eIF4A in translational control of pancreatic tumour metabolism and as a therapeutic target against PDA.
Project description:Ribosome profiling of MDA-MB-231 cells treated with Silvestrol to monitor transcriptome wide, eIF4A-dependent changes in translation efficiency Translation efficiency (TE) of mRNAs dervied from ribosome footprints was monitored in the presence or absence of 25 nM Silvestrol, an inhibitor of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A). Transcripts with reduced TE in the presence of Silvestrol were compare to transcripts with reduced TE in the presence of INK128, a catalytic mTOR inhbitor.
Project description:Rocaglamide A (RocA) typifies a class of protein synthesis inhibitors that selectively kill aneuploid tumor cells and repress translation of specific mRNAs. RocA targets eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A), an ATP-dependent DEAD-box RNA helicase; its mRNA selectivity is proposed to reflect highly structured 5â² UTRs that depend strongly on eIF4A-mediated unwinding. However, rocaglate treatment may not phenocopy the loss of eIF4A activity, as these drugs actually increase the affinity between eIF4A and RNA. Here, we show that secondary structure in 5â² UTRs is only a minor determinant for RocA selectivity and RocA does not repress translation by reducing eIF4A availability. Rather, in vitro and in cells, RocA specifically clamps eIF4A onto polypurine sequences in an ATP-independent manner. This artificially clamped eIF4A blocks 43S scanning, leading to premature, upstream translation initiation and reducing protein expression from transcripts bearing the RocA-eIF4A target sequence. In elucidating the mechanism of selective translation repression by this lead anti-cancer compound, we provide an example of a drug stabilizing sequence-selective RNA-protein interactions. Bind-n-Seq and iCLIP-Seq
Project description:Protein synthesis-targeting agents against eIF4A activity, including rocaglates, are actively pursued as anticancer and antiviral therapies. Yet, their full effect on the translational landscape is unknown, especially with regards to up-regulated proteins and drug-activated translation factors that mediate rocaglates’ remarkable anticancer potency. Here, we investigated rocaglate-driven global translational remodeling in cancer cells. Proteomic translatome analysis by TMT-pulse-SILAC revealed an extensive repertoire of rocaglate-inducible proteins that regulate hitherto unrecognized mechanisms of cytotoxicity. As proof-of-concept, we show that GEF-H1 induction activates anti-survival RHOA/JNK signaling. Intriguingly, rocaglate responses persist in eIF4A-depleted cells. Global MATRIX survey of translation machinery adaptations to rocaglates revealed augmented translational activities of the general translation factor eEF1ε1, and the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX17, which drive rocaglate-specific protein induction and drug response. This original unbiased proteomic interrogation of rocaglate-driven translational reprogramming transforms the current definition of rocaglates as one-dimensional eIF4A inhibitors to comprehensive remodelers of the protein synthesis landscape.
Project description:The translational control of oncoprotein expression is implicated in many cancers. Here we report an eIF4A/DDX2 RNA helicase-dependent mechanism of translational control that contributes to oncogenesis and underlies the anticancer effects of Silvestrol and related compounds. For example, eIF4A promotes T-ALL development in vivo and is required for leukaemia maintenance. Accordingly, inhibition of eIF4A with Silvestrol has powerful therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo. We use transcriptome-scale ribosome footprinting to identify the hallmarks of eIF4A-dependent transcripts. These include 5'UTR sequences such as the 12-mer guanine quartet (CGG)4 motif that can form RNA G-quadruplex structures. Notably, among the most eIF4A-dependent and Silvestrol-sensitive transcripts are a number of oncogenes, super-enhancer associated transcription factors, and epigenetic regulators. Hence, the 5'UTRs of selected cancer genes harbour a targetable requirement for the eIF4A RNA helicase. Comparison of ribosome-protected RNA for drug treated and DMSO treated KOPT-K1 cell, two replicates of ribosome-protected RNA sequencing and three replicates of RNA-seq.