Project description:The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) chaperone functions as a protein-folding buffer and plays a unique role promoting the evolution of new heritable traits. To better understand how Hsp90 can affect mRNA translation we screened more than 1600 factors involved in mRNA regulation for physical interactions with Hsp90 in human cells. The mRNA binding protein CPEB2 strongly binds Hsp90 via its prion domain. In a yeast model, transient inhibition of Hsp90 resulted in persistent activation of a CPEB translation reporter even in the absence of exogenous CPEB that persisted for 30 generations after the inhibitor was removed. Ribosomal profiling revealed that some endogenous yeast mRNAs, including HAC1, show a persistent change in translation efficiency following transient Hsp90 inhibition. Thus, transient loss of Hsp90 function can promote a non-genetic inheritance of a translational state affecting specific mRNAs, introducing a new mechanism by which Hsp90 can promote phenotypic variation.
Project description:Low response rates and immune-related adverse events limit the impact of cancer immunotherapy. In the quest for improved clinical outcomes, preclinical studies have shown that combining immune checkpoint blockade therapies with N-terminal Hsp90 inhibitors resulted in improved efficacy, even though induction of an extensive heat shock response (HSR) with these inhibitors limited their clinical efficacy as monotherapies. We discovered that Enniatin A (EnnA) binds to the interface between the middle domains of the Hsp90 dimer and destabilizes Hsp90 client oncoproteins without inducing an HSR. We found that EnnA induces cancer cell immunogenic cell death in aggressive breast cancer models and exhibits superior anti-tumor activity compared to Hsp90 N-terminal inhibitors. Further, we show that EnnA reprograms the tumor microenvironment in syngeneic mouse models to promote CD8+ T cell-dependent anti-tumor activity mediated through the CX3CR1 signaling pathway. We propose that EnnA is a promising anti-tumor agent with a novel mechanism of action involving immunogenic cancer cell toxicity and the mobilization of CD8+ T cells into the tumor site.
Project description:The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is mainly a respiratory syndrome that can affect multiple organ systems, causing a variety of symptoms. Among the most common and characteristic symptoms are deficits in smell and taste perception, which may last for weeks/months after COVID-19 diagnosis owing to mechanisms that are not fully elucidated. In order to identify the determinants of olfactory symptom persistence, we obtained olfactory mucosa (OM) from 21 subjects, grouped according to clinical criteria: i) with persistent olfactory symptoms; ii) with transient olfactory symptoms; iii) without olfactory symptoms; and iv) non-COVID-19 controls. Cells from the olfactory mucosa were harvested for transcriptome analyses. RNA-Seq assays showed that gene expression levels are altered for a long time after infection. The expression profile of micro RNAs appeared significantly altered after infection, but no relationship with olfactory symptoms was found. On the other hand, patients with persistent olfactory deficits displayed increased levels of expression of genes involved in the inflammatory response and zinc homeostasis, suggesting an association with persistent or transient olfactory deficits in individuals who experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Project description:Inhibition of the HSP90 chaperone results in depletion of many signaling proteins that drive tumorigenesis, such as downstream effectors of KRAS, the most commonly mutated human oncogene. As a consequence, several small-molecule HSP90 inhibitors are being evaluated in clinical trials as anticancer agents. To prospectively identify mechanisms through which HSP90-dependent cancer cells evade pharmacologic HSP90 blockade, we generated multiple mutant KRAS-driven cancer cell lines with acquired resistance to the purine-scaffold HSP90 inhibitor PU-H71. All cell lines retained dependence on HSP90 function, as evidenced by sensitivity to short hairpin RNA-mediated suppression of HSP90AA1 or HSP90AB1 (also called HSP90α and HSP90β, respectively), and exhibited two types of genomic alterations that interfere with the effects of PU-H71 on cell viability and proliferation: (i) a Y142N missense mutation in the ATP-binding domain of HSP90α that co-occurred with amplification of the HSP90AA1 locus, (ii) genomic amplification and overexpression of the ABCB1 gene encoding the MDR1 drug efflux pump. In support of a functional role for these alterations, exogenous expression of HSP90α Y142N conferred PU-H71 resistance to HSP90-dependent cells, and pharmacologic MDR1 inhibition with tariquidar or lowering ABCB1 expression restored sensitivity to PU-H71 in ABCB1-amplified cells. Finally, comparison with structurally distinct HSP90 inhibitors currently in clinical development revealed that PU-H71 resistance could be overcome, in part, by ganetespib (also known as STA9090) but not tanespimycin (also known as 17-AAG). Together, these data identify potential mechanisms of acquired resistance to small molecules targeting HSP90 that may warrant proactive screening for additional HSP90 inhibitors or rational combination therapies.
Project description:Inhibition of the HSP90 chaperone results in depletion of many signaling proteins that drive tumorigenesis, such as downstream effectors of KRAS, the most commonly mutated human oncogene. As a consequence, several small-molecule HSP90 inhibitors are being evaluated in clinical trials as anticancer agents. To prospectively identify mechanisms through which HSP90-dependent cancer cells evade pharmacologic HSP90 blockade, we generated multiple mutant KRAS-driven cancer cell lines with acquired resistance to the purine-scaffold HSP90 inhibitor PU-H71. All cell lines retained dependence on HSP90 function, as evidenced by sensitivity to short hairpin RNA-mediated suppression of HSP90AA1 or HSP90AB1 (also called HSP90α and HSP90β, respectively), and exhibited two types of genomic alterations that interfere with the effects of PU-H71 on cell viability and proliferation: (i) a Y142N missense mutation in the ATP-binding domain of HSP90α that co-occurred with amplification of the HSP90AA1 locus, (ii) genomic amplification and overexpression of the ABCB1 gene encoding the MDR1 drug efflux pump. In support of a functional role for these alterations, exogenous expression of HSP90α Y142N conferred PU-H71 resistance to HSP90-dependent cells, and pharmacologic MDR1 inhibition with tariquidar or lowering ABCB1 expression restored sensitivity to PU-H71 in ABCB1-amplified cells. Finally, comparison with structurally distinct HSP90 inhibitors currently in clinical development revealed that PU-H71 resistance could be overcome, in part, by ganetespib (also known as STA9090) but not tanespimycin (also known as 17-AAG). Together, these data identify potential mechanisms of acquired resistance to small molecules targeting HSP90 that may warrant proactive screening for additional HSP90 inhibitors or rational combination therapies.
Project description:Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an essential evolutionarily conserved molecular chaperone in eukaryotes. Cancer cells rely on Hsp90 to chaperone activated oncoproteins, and its involvement in numerous signaling pathways makes it an attractive target for drug development. Surprisingly, however, the impact of Hsp90 inhibitors on cancer cells is most commonly cytostatic, and efforts to enhance the anti-tumor activity of Hsp90 inhibitors in the clinic remain a significant challenge. In this study, we show that dual inhibition of Wee1 tyrosine kinase and Hsp90 causes prostate cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Gene-expression profiling revealed that induction of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway by this drug combination coincided with transcriptional down-regulation of Survivin and Wee1, an outcome not seen in cells treated separately with either agent. At the translational level, expression of these two proteins as well as activated Akt was completely abrogated. Similar results were obtained in prostate cancer xenografts. These data establish a novel therapeutic strategy to enhance the efficacy of Hsp90 inhibitors in prostate cancer, and they provide a mechanistic rationale for stimulating the pro-apoptotic activity of Hsp90 inhibitors. In order to explore the mechanism underlying the enhanced cell death caused by Wee1 inhibitorII and 17-AAG combination, we performed microarray analysis using PC3 cells treated with Wee1 inhibitorII alone, 17-AAG alone, or the two drugs in combination. There are 12 samples in total. There are three experimental replicate. Samples 1, 5 and 9 are control (C) (untreated PC3- prostate cancer cells). Samples 2, 6, and 10 are cells treated with Wee1 inhibitor II (W). Samples 3, 7, and 11 are treated with 17-AAG (A), (an Hsp90 inhibitor). Samples 4, 8, and 12 are treated with both Wee1 inhibitorII and 17-AAG (WA). Samples 5 was removed from our analysis due to weak signal.
Project description:Using 4 primary melanoma cell lines for which autologous tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) were available, a screen of clinically-relevant small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs) was performed to find SMIs that could synergistically enhance tumor cell killing by autologous TILs. Among positive results were SMIs targeting topoisomerase I (TOP1) or HSP90. Of note, as implied by the fact that these SMIs had synergistic effects, there was relatively little direct cytotoxicity of the SMIs when used alone. Gene expression profiling was undertaken to identify changes induced by SMIs of TOP1 or HSP90. SN38 is the active metabolite of irinotecan, a standard-of-care clinical TOP1 inhibitor. Ganetespib is a newer generation HSP90 inhibitor, reported to exhibit greater potency in preclinical tumor models and reduced toxicity in rodents, compared to other 1st and 2nd generation HSP90 inhibitors, consistent with its favorable safety profile in patients.
Project description:Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone involved in the regulation and maturation of kinases and transcription factors. In Caenorhabditis elegans, it contributes to the development of fertility, maintenance of muscle structure, the regulation of heat-shock response and dauer state. To understand the consequences of Hsp90-depletion, we studied Hsp90 RNAi-treated nematodes by DNA microarrays and mass spectrometry. We find that upon development of phenotypes the levels of chaperones and Hsp90 cofactors are increased, while specific proteins related to the innate immune response are depleted. In microarrays, we further find many differentially expressed genes related to gonad and larval development. These genes form an expression cluster that is regulated independently from the immune response implying separate pathways of Hsp90-involvement. Using fluorescent reporter strains for the differentially expressed immune response genes skr-5, dod-24 and clec-60 we observe that their activity in intestinal tissues is influenced by Hsp90-depletion. Instead, effects on the development are evident in both gonad arms. After Hsp90-depletion, changes can be observed in early embryos and adults containing fluorescence-tagged versions of SEPA-1, CAV-1 or PUD-1, all of which are downregulated after Hsp90-depletion. Our observations identify molecular events for Hsp90-RNAi induced phenotypes during development and immune responses, which may help to separately investigate independent Hsp90-influenced processes that are relevant during the nematode’s life and development. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression after RNAi-mediated Hsp90 knock-down.
Project description:Background. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is essential for the stability and the function of many client proteins, such as ERB2, C-RAF, CDK4, HIF-1 aplha and AKT. Recent reports demonstrated that inhibition of Hsp90 modulates multiple functions required for survival of human cancer, such as myeloma (Mitsiades et al, Blood:107, 1092, 2006), however, the precise mechanism of anti-cancer effect of Hsp90 inhibition is still uncertain. Aim. The aim of this study is evaluate the effect of Hsp90 inhibition, and to identify molecular pathways responsible for anti-proliferative effect on ATL cells. Method. For Hsp90 inhibition, Geldanamycin derivates, 17AAG (17-allylamino -17-demethoxygeldanamycin) and 17DMAG (17-(dimethylaminoethylamino) 17-demethoxygeldanamycin) were used in this study. Interleukin 2-independent ATL cell lines (MT-2 and MT-4) and an interleukin 2-dependent ATL cell line (TaY) were incubated, with or without Hsp90 inhibitors. Fresh ATL cells obtained from patients were also used after obtaining informed consent. Cell numbers at 48 h after incubation with or without Hsp90 inhibitors were assessed with the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay (Dojindo Molecular Technologies, Gaithersburg, MD, USA). For detection of apoptosis, we used Annexin V-biotin apoptosis detection kit (Calbiochem, La Jolla, CA, USA). Gene expression analysis was done using a DNA microarray (NCBI Gene expression omnibus; GPL 2531) and statistical analysis was done by a GeneSifter (VizXlabs, Seattle, WA, USA). Results. We found cell death induced by Hsp90 inhibitors in all the 3 ATL cell lines as well as patient specimens. Inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 17AAG in 3 ATL cell lines was 300 to 700 nM, and that of 17DMAG was 150 to 200 nM. Fresh ATL cells obtained from patients were more sensitive for either 17AAG or 17DMAG. Gene expression analysis of ATL cells revealed that up-regulation of HSPA1A encoding Hsp70, and genes related to cell cycle arrest (i.e. CDKN1A). Genes regulating cell proliferation or anti-apoptosis (i.e. MYC, BCL2 and Cyclin C), genes related to cytokine or chemokine (i.e. IL9, CCL 17, and CCL27), and notably, genes involved in Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway (i.e.TCF7L2 and TCF4), were remarkably repressed. Inhibition of AKT at the protein level was also evident, suggesting the possibility that AKT may down-regulates -catenin/ TCF7L2 pathways in response to Hsp90 inhibitors in ATL cells. Conclusion. Our results have provided new insights into the complex molecular pharmacology of Hsp90 inhibitors, and suggest that Hsp90 inhibitors might be beneficial as anti-proliferative agent in treating ATL patients. Six samples treated with Hsp90 inhibitors (17-AAG or 17-DMAG) were analyzed in biological duplicate.