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Survivin, a homodimeric protein and a member of the IAP family, plays a vital function in cell survival and cycle progression by interacting with various proteins and complexes. Its expression is upregulated in cancers but not detectable in normal tissues. Thus, it has been regarded and validated as an ideal cancer target. However, survivin is “undruggable” due to its lack of enzymatic activities or active sites for small molecules to bind/inhibit. Academic and industrial laboratories have explored different strategies to overcome this hurdle over the past two decades, with some compounds advanced into clinical testing. These strategies include inhibiting survivin expression, its interaction with binding partners and homodimerization. Here, we provide comprehensive analyses of these strategies and perspective on different small molecule survivin inhibitors to help drug discovery targeting “undruggable” proteins in general and survivin specifically with a true survivin inhibitor that will prevail in the foreseeable future.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN), a sole cytosolic enzyme responsible for de-novo lipid synthesis, is overexpressed in cancer but not in normal non-lipogenic tissues. FASN has been targeted, albeit no such inhibitor has been approved. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), approved for digestive disorders, were found to inhibit FASN with anticancer activities in attempting to repurpose Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. Indeed, PPI usage benefited breast cancer patients and increased their response rate. Due to structural similarity, we thought that their metabolites might extend anticancer effects of PPIs by inhibiting FASN. Here, we tested this hypothesis and found that 5-hydroxy lansoprazole sulfide (5HLS), the end lansoprazole metabolite, was more active than lansoprazole in inhibiting FASN function and regulation of NHEJ repair of oxidative DNA damage via PARP1. Surprisingly, 5HLS inhibits the enoyl reductase, whereas lansoprazole inhibits the thioesterase of FASN. Thus, PPI metabolites may contribute to the lasting anticancer effects of PPIs by inhibiting FASN.

eIF3a (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3a), a subunit of the eIF3 complex, has been suggested to play a regulatory role in protein synthesis and in cellular response to DNA-damaging treatments. S6K1 is an effector and a mediator of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) in regulating protein synthesis and integrating diverse signals into control of cell growth and response to stress. Here, we show that eIF3a regulates S6K1 activity by inhibiting mTORC1 kinase via regulating Raptor synthesis. The regulation of Raptor synthesis is via eIF3a interaction with HuR (human antigen R) and binding of the eIF3a-HuR complex to the 5ʹ-UTR of Raptor mRNA. Furthermore, mTORC1 may mediate eIF3a function in cellular response to cisplatin by regulating synthesis of NER proteins and NER activity. Taken together, we conclude that the mTOR signaling pathway may also be regulated by translational control and mediate eIF3a regulation of cancer cell response to cisplatin by regulating NER protein synthesis.

In recent times, the combination therapy has garnered enormous interest owing to its great potential in clinical research. It has been reported that disulfiram, a clinical antialcoholism drug, could be degraded to diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) in vivoand subsequently result in the copper–DDTC complex (Cu(DDTC)2) toward ablating cancer cells. In addition, the ultrasmall copper sulfide nanodots (CuS NDs) have shown great potential in cancer treatment because of their excellent photothermal and photodynamic therapeutic efficiencies. Herein, by taking advantage of the interactions between CuS and DDTC, a new multifunctional nanoplatform based on DDTC-loaded CuS (CuS–DDTC) NDs is successfully fabricated, leading to the achievement of the synergistic effect of photothermal and copper enhanced chemotherapy. All experimental results verified promising synergistic therapeutic effects. Moreover, in vivobiocompatibility and metabolism experiments displayed that the CuS–DDTC NDs could be quickly excreted from the body with no apparent toxicity signs. Together, our findings indicated the superior synergistic therapeutic effect of photothermal and copper-enhanced chemotherapy, providing a promising anticancer strategy based on the CuS–DDTC NDs drug delivery system.

The overdeveloped lysosomes in cancer cells are gaining increasing attention toward more precise and effective organelle-targeted cancer therapy. It is suggested that rod/plate-like nanomaterials with an appropriate size exhibited a greater quantity and longer-term lysosomal enrichment, as the shape plays a notable role in the nanomaterial transmembrane process and subcellular behaviors. Herein, a biodegradable platform based on layered double hydroxide-copper sulfide nanocomposites (LDH-CuS NCs) is successfully prepared via in situ growth of CuS nanodots on LDH nanoplates. The as-prepared LDH-CuS NCs exhibited not only high photothermal conversion and near-infrared (NIR)-induced chemodynamic and photodynamic therapeutic efficacies, but also could achieve real-time in vivo photoacoustic imaging (PAI) of the entire tumor. LDH-CuS NCs accumulated in lysosomes would then generate extensive subcellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in situ, leading to lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) pathway-associated cell death both in vitro and in vivo.

Survivin, a homodimeric member of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (IAP) family, is required for cancer cell survival and overexpressed in almost all solid tumors. However, targeting survivin has been challenging due to its “undruggable” nature. Recently, we used a novel approach to target the dimerization interface and identified inhibitors of two scaffolds that can directly bind to and inhibit survivin dimerization. One of the scaffolds, represented by the compound LQZ-7, contains an undesirable labile hydrazone linker and a potentially nonfunctional furazanopyrazine ring that we attempted to eliminate in this study. We found one compound, 7I, that is more active than the parent compound, LQZ-7, and when given orally effectively inhibits xenograft tumor growth and induces survivin loss in tumors. These findings indicate that 7Iwith a stable linker and a quinoxaline ring can be used as a lead for further optimization of this novel class of survivin inhibitors.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively activated in malignant tumors and plays important roles in multiple aspects of cancer aggressiveness. Thus, targeting STAT3 promises to be an attractive strategy for the treatment of advanced metastatic tumors. Bisindolylmaleimide alkaloid (BMA) has been shown to have anti-cancer activities and was thought to suppress tumor cell growth by inhibiting protein kinase C. In this study, we show that a newly synthesized BMA analog, BMA097, is effective in suppressing tumor cell and xenograft growth and in inducing spontaneous apoptosis. We also provide evidence that BMA097 binds directly to the SH2 domain of STAT3 and inhibits STAT3 phosphorylation and activation, leading to reduced expression of STAT3 downstream target genes. Structure activity relationship analysis revealed that the hydroxymethyl group in the 2,5-dihydropyrrole-2,5-dione prohibits STAT3 inhibitory activity of BMA analogs. Altogether, we conclude that the synthetic BMA analogs may be developed as anti-cancer drugs by targeting and binding to the SH2 domain of STAT3 and inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Disulfiram (DSF) is a conventional alcohol-aversion drug that has recently been explored as a chemotherapeutic agent and has shown excellent anticancer activity in cooperation with Cu2+ions. However, the existing DSF delivery system has multiple shortcomings, including low drug loading and Cu2+delivery efficiency, hindering its clinical applicability. Here, we demonstrated a simple but efficient strategy for realizing the controllable loading of hydrophobic DSF into Cu2+-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Cu-MSN) by using supercritical CO2technology with ultra-high drug loading efficiency. Benefiting from the unique environment of high pressure and solubility, DSF was well dispersed in supercritical CO2and immersed into the carriers with controllable drug loading. Factorial experiments indicated an optimal condition (55 °C, 250 bar, and 6 h) for the DSF loading up to 30.8 %. In vitroand in vivoexperiments demonstrated high Cu2+-enhanced chemotherapeutic efficacy of DSF. In particular, in cooperation with Cu2+ions in MSN, the formation of complex (CuET) greatly enhanced and prolonged the antitumor effect. Together, our findings indicated that DSF-loaded Cu-MSN prepared using supercritical solvent impregnation (SSI) enhanced the antitumor effect and had potential in anticancer therapy.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays important roles in multiple aspects of cancer aggressiveness including migration, invasion, survival, self-renewal, angiogenesis, and tumor cell immune evasion by regulating the expression of multiple downstream target genes. STAT3 is constitutively activated in many malignant tumors and its activation is associated with high histological grade and advanced cancer stages. Thus, inhibiting STAT3 promises an attracting strategy for treatment of advanced and metastatic cancers. Herein, we identified a STAT3 inhibitor, inS3-54, by targeting the DNA-binding domain of STAT3 using an improved virtual screening strategy. InS3-54 preferentially suppresses proliferation of cancer over non-cancer cells and inhibits migration and invasion of malignant cells. Biochemical analyses show that inS3-54 selectively inhibits STAT3 binding to DNA without affecting the activation and dimerization of STAT3. Furthermore, inS3-54 inhibits expression of STAT3 downstream target genes and STAT3 binding to chromatin in situ. Thus, inS3-54 represents a novel probe for development of specific inhibitors targeting the DNA-binding domain of STAT3 and a potential therapeutic for cancer treatments.

The 1,7-dioxadispiro [5.1.5.-pentadecane spirocyclic architecture is the main structural feature in the aculeatins which attracted scientists interesting for the remarkably high cytotoxicity, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoal activities. A prophase study on concise synthesis of the core 1,7-dioxadispiro [5.1.5.-pentadecane spirocyclic architecture of aculeatins was accomplished by using Mukaiyama aldol reaction.

A highly convergent formal synthesis of Ieodomycins A and B was achieved in 7 steps. The key features involved in the synthetic sequence of Ieodomycins A and B are the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation and the Mukaiyama aldol reaction[. The synthesis of C-3 epimer of Ieodomycins A and B was also accomplished in good yields, but now just Heptyl diene aldehyde was getted thought 4 steps. Use Geraniol as meterials to make the corresponding aldehyde (1) via Swern oxidation. Though epoxidation, Wittig reaction and HIO4 oxidation to get the intermediate . Useing it though few steps, the target molecule can be getted.

Although gemcitabine is the most commonly used drug for treating pancreatic cancers, acquired gemcitabine resistance in a substantial number of patients appears to hinder its effectiveness in successful treatment of this dreadful disease. To understand acquired gemcitabine resistance, we generated a gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell line using stepwise selection and found that, in addition to the known mechanisms of upregulated expression of ribonucleotide reductase, 14-3-3σexpression is dramatically upregulated, and that 14-3-3σoverexpression contributes to the acquired resistance to gemcitabine and cross-resistance to cytarabine. We also found that the increased 14-3-3σexpression in the gemcitabine-resistant cells is due to demethylation of the 14-3-3σgene during gemcitabine selection, which could be partially reversed with removal of the gemcitabine selection pressure. Most importantly, the reversible methylation/demethylation of the 14-3-3σgene appears to be carried out by DNA methyltransferase 1 under regulation by Uhrf1. These findings suggest that the epigenetic regulation of gene expression may play an important role in gemcitabine resistance, and that epigenetic modification is reversible in response to gemcitabine treatment.

Synthesis of the series of compounds, which could be put into extract copper , contained hydroformylation, etherification, oximation. Resorcinol as the starting material was transformed to 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, and then converted to 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, which oximated to (E)-2-hydroxy-4-alkoxybenzaldehyde oxime.

A kind of novel (E)-2-hydroxy 5-alkoxyl salicylaldoximes copper extractants was designed and synthesized. The synthetic route was started from 1, 4-dihydroxybenzene and the reaction sequence employed for the preparation of the (E)-2-hydroxy-5-alkoxyl salicylaldoxime included monoetherification, formylation and oximination.

(R)-2,2-Dimethyl-3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-4-ethynylox-azolidine, an intermediate of the natural product jaspine B, which was isolated from various sponges and endowed with cytotoxic activity against several human carcinoma cell lines, was synthesized from L-Serine in overall yield 43% through seven steps, including esterification, Boc protection, acetonization, reduction, Swern oxidation and Corey-Fuchs reaction.

(S)-methyl 2-(2, 2, 5, 5-tetramethyl-1, 3-dioxolan-4-yl) thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester, the unit containing thiazole of a cyclic depsipeptide Lyngbyabellin A which exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against KB and LoVo cells, was synthesized from methyl 3, 3-dimethylacrylate in overall yield 13.8% through nine steps, including asymmetric dihydroxylation, 2, 2-dimethoxypropane protection, saponification, coupling reaction, sulphonation, diazotization, cyclization, oxidation, and so on.

Novel preparation methods for preparing (hydroxy modified) PBI monofilament fiber and PBI resin are investigated and developed by the co-polycondensation of new AA-monomer 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene tetrahydrochloride (TAB•4HCl) respectively with BB type monomers 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (2,5-DHTA), hydroxyterephthalic acid (HTA) and terephthalic acid (TPA). Effects of process conditions (monomer concentration, P2O5content, temperature and polymerization time) on polymerization and fiber spinnability are studied systematically.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of palmitate, the precursor of major nutritional, energetic, and signaling lipids. FASN expression is upregulated in many human cancers and appears to be important for cancer cell survival. Overexpression of FASN has also been found to associate with poor prognosis and higher risk of recurrence of human cancers. Indeed, elevated FASN expression has been shown to contribute to drug resistance. However, the mechanism of FASN-mediated drug resistance is currently unknown. In this study, we show that FASN overexpression causes resistance to multiple anticancer drugs via inhibiting drug-induced ceramide production, caspase 8 activation, and apoptosis. We also show that FASN overexpression suppresses tumor necrosis factor-α production and nuclear factor-κB activation as well as drug-induced activation of neutral sphingomyelinase. Thus, TNF-α may play an important role in mediating FASN function in drug resistance.

2-(1-tert-Butoxycarbonylamino-2-methyl-butyl)-thiazole-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester, the chiral unit containing thiazole of a novel cyclic depsipeptide Lyngbyabellin A which exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against KB and LoVo cells, was synthesized from N-t-Boc-L-isoleucine and L-serrine methyl ester monohydrochloride in overall yield 15% through six steps, including condensation, TBS protection, thionation, deprotection, cyclodehydration and aromatization. The ee value of the title chiral thiazole unit is up to 98％.

Pitipeptolide A can be disconnected across the amide bind to afford t-Boc-glycine, the linear depsipeptide and the Dhoya fragment. 2,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-7-octynoic acid unit was prepared in eight steps from 1,5-pentanediol monobenzyl ether. including oxidation, TBS protection, deprotection and Saponification with (1M) sodium hydroxide solution gave the Dhoya unit (8) in 75% overall yield.

The hindered N-methyldipeptide (N-Ns-N(Me)-L-Ala-N(Me)-L-Ile-OtBu), a segment of the new cyclodepsipeptide Apratoxin A[1] , which exhibit cytotoxycity against human tumor cell lines, was synthesized from L-Alanine and L-iso-Leucine through ten steps in overall yield of 49.4%.

(s)-3-(t-butyldimethylsilyloxy)-7,7-dichloro-2,2-dimethyloctanoic acid (9), a segment of the new cyclodepsipeptide lyngbyabellin A[1] (14) , which exhibits moderate cytotoxycity against human cancer cell lines, was synthesized through six steps. The key stereoselective synthesis of (9) was achieved by the enantioselective aldol reaction developed by Kiyooka[2].

The nucleotide excision repair pathway catalyzes the removal of bulky adduct damage from DNA and requires the activity of more than 30 individual proteins and complexes. A diverse array of damage can be recognized and removed by the NER pathway including UV-induced adducts and intrastrand adducts induced by the chemotherapeutic compound cisplatin. The recognition of DNA damage is complex and involves a series of proteins including the xeroderma pigmentosum group A and C proteins and the UV-damage DNA binding protein. The xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein is unique in the sense that it is required for both transcription coupled and global genomic nucleotide excision repair. In addition, xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein is required for the removal of all types of DNA lesions repaired by nucleotide excision repair. Considering its importance in the damage recognition process, the minimal information available on the mechanism of DNA binding, and the potential that inhibition of xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein could enhance the therapeutic efficacy of platinum based anticancer drugs, we sought to identify and characterize small molecule inhibitors of the DNA binding activity of the xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein. In silicoscreening of a virtual small molecule library resulted in the identification of a class of molecules confirmed to inhibit the xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein−DNA interaction. Biochemical analysis of inhibition with varying DNA substrates revealed a common mechanism of xeroderma pigmentosum group A protein DNA binding to single-stranded DNA and cisplatin-damaged DNA.

To explore the distribution frequencies of four common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MRP1ABCC1in a mainland Chinese population and investigate whether these SNPs affect the expression and function of the MRP1ABCC1.

Human ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporter) belong to an extremely important superfamily of membrane transporters. They use energy from ATP hydrolysis to transport a wide variety of substrates across the cellular membrane. Due to the physiological and pharmacological importance of their diverse substrates, ABC transporters have been shown to have close relationship with various human diseases such as cystic fibrosis and multi-drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. While it has been thought traditionally that functional ABC transporters exist as monomeric full or dimeric half transporters, emerging evidence indicates that some ABC transporters oligomerize on cellular membranes and this oligomerization seems to have functional relevance. Therefore, this oligomerization process might be a promising drug target for ABC transporter-related human diseases, especially in overcoming multi-drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. In this review, we perform a critical analysis of the past studies on the oligomerization of ABC transporters.

ABCG2 is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily. Its overexpression causes multidrug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. Based on its apparent half size in sequence when compared with other traditional ABC transporters, ABCG2 has been thought to exist and function as a homodimer linked by intermolecular disulfide bonds. However, recent evidence suggests that ABCG2 may exist as a higher form of oligomers due to noncovalent interactions. In this study, we attempted to create a cysless mutant ABCG2 as a tool for further characterization of this molecule. However, we found that the cysless mutant ABCG2 is well expressed but not functional. Mapping of the cysteine residues showed that three cysteine residues (Cys284, Cys374, and Cys438) are required concurrently for the function of ABCG2 and potentially for intramolecular disulfide bond formation. We also found that the cysteine residues (Cys592, Cys603, and Cys608) in the third extracellular loop are involved in forming intermolecular disulfide bonds and that mutation of these residues does not affect the expression or drug transport activity of human ABCG2. Thus, we conclude that Cys284, Cys374, and Cys438, which may be involved in intramolecular disulfide bond formation, are concurrently required for ABCG2 function, whereas Cys592, Cys603, and Cys608, potentially involved in intermolecular disulfide bond formation, are not required.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) membrane proteins comprise a superfamily of transporters with a wide variety of substrates. Humans have 49 members in this superfamily. Several human ABC transporters, such as ABCB1 and ABCC1, have been attributed to cause multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer treatment when over-expressed. In the past, an MDR cancer cell line MCF7/AdVp3000 has been selected, and overexpression of ABCG2 was thought to cause MDR in this cell line. However, ectopic overexpression of ABCG2 in MCF7 cells could not explain the high drug resistance level observed with the selected cell line. In this study, we designed an AmpArray analysis to profile whether other ABC transporters were also selected to contribute to the increased drug resistance in MCF7/AdVp3000 cells. We found that 16 ABC transporters, including ABCG2, had ≥1.5-fold altered expression in MCF7/AdVp3000 compared with the parental MCF7 cells. In particular, the expression of ABCA4 and ABCC3 was increased by 132- and 459-fold, respectively, whereas ABCG2 was increased by ∼3000-fold. Furthermore, the elevated expression of these three transporters reversed with the reversed drug resistance phenotype, and silencing ABCC3 expression in MCF7/AdVp3000 cells significantly reduced doxorubicin resistance. Thus, other ABC transporters in addition to ABCG2 are likely to contribute to the MDR selected in MCF7/AdVp3000 cells. This study also shows that AmpArray can be used as a quick and easy tool to profile the expression of ABC transporters in resistant cell lines and tumor samples for potential use in individualized design of therapy.

l-Mimosine, a plant amino acid, can reversibly block mammalian cells at late G1 phase and has been suggested to affect translation of mRNAs such as p27, the CDK inhibitor. However, the mechanism of this effect is not known. Regulation of translation generally occurs at the initiation step that, in mammalian cells, is a complex process that requires multiple eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) and ribosome. The effects of mimosine on initiation factors or regulators consequently will influence translation initiation. P170, a putative subunit of eIF3, has been suggested to be nonessential for eIF3 function to form preinitiation complexes and it may function as a regulator for translation of a subset of mRNAs. In this article, we tested this hypothesis and investigated whether eIF3 p170 mediates mimosine effect on mRNA translation. We found that p170 translation was dramatically reduced by mimosine due to its iron-chelating function. The decreased expression of p170 by mimosine caused diminished de novo synthesis of tyrosinated α-tubulin and elevated translation of p27 before cell cycle arrest. These observations suggest that p170 is likely an early response gene to mimosine treatment and a mediator for mimosine effect on mRNA translation. The effect of p170 on the synthesis of tyrosinated α-tubulin and p27 in a reciprocal manner also suggests that p170 functions as a regulator for mRNA translation.

Multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette membrane transport superfamily and is responsible for multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Currently, there are nine known human MRPs. Distinct from many other members of the ATP-binding cassette superfamily, human MRP1 and four other MRPs have an additional membrane-spanning domain (MSD) with a putative extracellular amino terminus. The functional significance of this additional MSD (MSD1) is currently unknown. To understand the role of MSD1 in human MRP1 structure and function, we studied the amino-terminal 33 amino acids. We found that the amino terminus of human MRP1 has two cysteine residues (Cys(7) and Cys(32)) that are conserved among the five human MRPs that have MSD1. Mutation analyses of the two cysteines in human MRP1 revealed that the Cys(7) residue is critical for the MRP1-mediated drug resistance and leukotriene C(4) transport activity. On the other hand, mutation of Cys(32) reduced only moderately the MRP1 function. The effect of Cys(7) mutation on MRP1 activity appears to be due to the 5-7-fold decrease in the maximal transport rate V(max). We also found that mutation of Cys(7) changed the amino-terminal conformation of MRP1. This conformational change is likely responsible for the decrease in V(max) of LTC(4) transport mediated by the mutant MRP1. Based on these studies, we conclude that the amino terminus of human MRP1 is important and that the Cys(7) residue plays a critical role in maintaining the proper structure and function of human MRP1.

As an alternative to the scanning mechanism of initiation, the direct-internal-initiation mechanism postulates that the translational machinery assembles at the AUG start codon without traversing the entire 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the mRNA. Although the existence of internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) in viral mRNAs is considered to be well established, the existence of IRESs in cellular mRNAs has recently been challenged, in part because when testing is carried out using a conventional dicistronic vector, Northern blot analyses might not be sensitive enough to detect low levels of monocistronic transcripts derived via a cryptic promoter or splice site. To address this concern, we created a new promoterless dicistronic vector to test the putative IRES derived from the 5′-UTR of an mRNA that encodes the translation initiation factor eIF4G. Our analysis of this 5′-UTR sequence unexpectedly revealed a strong promoter. The activity of the internal promoter relies on the integrity of a polypyrimidine tract (PPT) sequence that had been identified as an essential component of the IRES. The PPT sequence overlaps with a binding site for transcription factor C/EBPβ. Two other transcription factors, Sp1 and Ets, were also found to bind to and mediate expression from the promoter in the 5′-UTR of eIF4G mRNA. The biological significance of the internal promoter in the eIF4G mRNA might lie in the production of an N-terminally truncated form of the protein. Consistent with the idea that the cryptic promoter we identified underlies the previously reported IRES activity, we found no evidence of IRES function when a dicistronic mRNA containing the eIF4G sequence was translated in vitro or in vivo. Using the promoterless dicistronic vector, we also found promoter activities in the long 5′-UTRs of human Sno and mouse Bad mRNAs although monocistronic transcripts were not detectable on Northern blot analyses. The promoterless dicistronic vector might therefore prove useful in future studies to examine more rigorously the claim that there is IRES activity in cellular mRNAs.

ABSTRACTAs an alternative to the scanning mechanism of initiation, the direct-internal-initiation mechanism postulates that the translational machinery assembles at the AUG start codon without traversing the entire 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the mRNA. Although the existence of internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs) in viral mRNAs is considered to be well established, the existence of IRESs in cellular mRNAs has recently been challenged, in part because when testing is carried out using a conventional dicistronic vector, Northern blot analyses might not be sensitive enough to detect low levels of monocistronic transcripts derived via a cryptic promoter or splice site. To address this concern, we created a new promoterless dicistronic vector to test the putative IRES derived from the 5′-UTR of an mRNA that encodes the translation initiation factor eIF4G. Our analysis of this 5′-UTR sequence unexpectedly revealed a strong promoter. The activity of the internal promoter relies on the integrity of a polypyrimidine tract (PPT) sequence that had been identified as an essential component of the IRES. The PPT sequence overlaps with a binding site for transcription factor C/EBPβ. Two other transcription factors, Sp1 and Ets, were also found to bind to and mediate expression from the promoter in the 5′-UTR of eIF4G mRNA. The biological significance of the internal promoter in the eIF4G mRNA might lie in the production of an N-terminally truncated form of the protein. Consistent with the idea that the cryptic promoter we identified underlies the previously reported IRES activity, we found no evidence of IRES function when a dicistronic mRNA containing the eIF4G sequence was translated in vitro or in vivo. Using the promoterless dicistronic vector, we also found promoter activities in the long 5′-UTRs of human Sno and mouse Bad mRNAs although monocistronic transcripts were not detectable on Northern blot analyses. The promoterless dicistronic vector might therefore prove useful in future studies to examine more rigorously the claim that there is IRES activity in cellular mRNAs.

It is thought that the topology of a polytopic protein is generated by sequential translocation and membrane integration of independent signal-anchor and stop-transfer sequences. Two well-characterized cell-free systems (rabbit reticulocyte lysate and wheat germ extract) have been widely used to study the biogenesis of secretory and membrane proteins, but different results have been observed with proteins expressed in these two different systems. For example, different topologies of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) were observed in the two systems and the cause was thought to be the source of ribosomes. To understand how the ribosome is involved in dictating membrane translocation and orientation of polytopic proteins, individual signal-anchor sequences of Pgp were dissected and examined for their membrane targeting and translocation in a combined system of wheat germ ribosomes (WGR) and rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL). Addition of wheat germ ribosomes to the rabbit reticulocyte lysate translation system can enhance, reduce, or have no effect on the membrane targeting and translocation of individual Pgp signal-anchor sequences, and these effects appear to be determined by the amino acid residues flanking each signal-anchor. Ribosomes regulate the membrane targeting and translocation of Pgp signal-anchors in a polytopic form differently from the same signal-anchors in isolation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ribosomes regulate the membrane targeting and translocation of each signal-anchor cotranslationally and that this activity of ribosomes is associated with the 60S subunit. Based on this and previous studies, we propose a mechanism by which ribosomes dynamically dictate the membrane targeting and translocation of nascent polytopic membrane proteins.

Multidrug-resistance-associated protein (MRP) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) membrane-transport superfamily and is responsible for multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Distinct from other members of the ABC superfamily, MRP has three membrane-spanning domains (MSDs) and the N-terminus is located extracellularly. It has been shown that the first MSD (MSD1) with an extracellular N-terminus is important for MRP function. To address what ensures the generation of this structural organization of MRP and to understand in general the molecular mechanism of membrane folding of polytopic proteins with extracellular N-termini, the biogenesis of MSD1 in human MRP1 was examined using an in vitro expression system. Surprisingly, the second transmembrane segment (TM2) in MSD1 was found to play a critical role in the correct membrane translocation and folding of MSD1 in human MRP1. TM2 not only plays an essential role to ensure the N-terminus-outside/C-terminus-inside orientation of TM1 with an extracellular N-terminus, it can also translocate into membranes post-translationally in a signal-recognition particle and ribosome-dependent manner to provide an additional insurance for correct folding of MSD1 in MRP. These findings suggest that TM2 in a polytopic membrane protein with an extracellular N-terminus may play a critical role in controlling correct membrane translocation and folding of the protein in general.

Multiple topological orientations of the carboxyl-terminal half of P-glycoprotein have been observed. One orientation is consistent with the hydropathy-predicted model and contains six transmembrane (TM)-spanning regions. In another orientation, the cytoplasmic-predicted loop between TM8 and TM9 is extracellular and glycosylated. In support of this “alternative” topology, TM8 was previously established to function as a signal-anchor sequence to insert with its amino-terminal end in the cytoplasm and the carboxyl-terminal end in the extracytoplasmic space. However, it is unclear how downstream TM segments fold in the membrane when TM8 functions as a signal-anchor sequence. Here, we created several chimeric Pgp molecules to examine the membrane insertion of TM segments 9 and 10 using a cell-free system. We found that TM9 functions as a stop-transfer sequence when following the signal-anchor sequence, T8S. However, the stop-transfer activity of TM9 depends on the presence of TM1O. In the absence of TM1O, TM9 partially translocated across the membrane into the endoplasmic reticulum lumen. In contrast, TM9 efficiently stopped the translocation event of the nascent chain in the presence of TM1O. Our results suggest that the membrane insertion of TM8 and TM9 establishes the extracellular loop between TM8 and TM9. Formation of this loop apparently involves the interactions between Pgp TM segments, which facilitate proper folding of the Pgp carboxyl-terminal half.

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is a membrane protein that transports chemotherapeutic drugs, causing multidrug resistance in human cancer cells. Pgp is a member of the ATP-binding cassette superfamily and functions as a transport ATPase. It has been suggested that the conformation of Pgp changes in the catalytic cycle. In this study, we tested this hypothesis by using limited proteolysis as a tool to detect different conformational states trapped by binding of nucleotide ligands and inhibitors. Pgp has high basal ATPase activity; that is, ATP hydrolysis by Pgp is not rigidly associated with drug transport. This activity provides a convenient method for studying the conformational change of Pgp induced by nucleotide ligands, in the absence of drug substrates which may generate complications due to their own binding. Inside-out membrane vesicles containing human Pgp were isolated from multidrug-resistant SKOV/VLB cells and treated with trypsin in the absence or presence of MgATP, Mg-adenosine 5ʹ-[β,γ-imido]triphosphate (Mg-p[NH]ppA) and MgADP. Changes in the proteolysis profile of Pgp owing to binding of nucleotides were used to indicate the conformational changes in Pgp. We found that generation of tryptic fragments, including the loop linking transmembrane (TM) regions TM8 and TM9 of Pgp, were stimulated by the binding of Mg-p[NH]ppA, MgATP and MgADP, indicating that the Pgp conformation was changed by the binding of these nucleotides. The effects of nucleotides on Pgp conformation are directly associated with the binding and/or hydrolysis of these ligands. Four conformational states of Pgp were stabilized under different conditions with various ligands and inhibitors. We propose that cycling through these four states couples the Pgp-mediated MgATP hydrolysis to drug transport.

The membrane assembly of polytopic membrane proteins is a complicated process. Using Chinese hamster P-glycoprotein (Pgp) as a model protein, we investigated this process previously and found that Pgp expresses more than one topology. One of the variations occurs at the transmembrane (TM) domain including TM3 and TM4: TM4 inserts into membranes in an Nin-Coutrather than the predicted Nout-Cinorientation, and TM3 is in cytoplasm rather than the predicted Nin-Coutorientation in the membrane. It is possible that TM4 has a strong activity to initiate the Nin-Coutmembrane insertion, leaving TM3 out of the membrane. Here, we tested this hypothesis by expressing TM3 and TM4 in isolated conditions. Our results show that TM3 of Pgp does not have de novo Nin-Coutmembrane insertion activity whereas TM4 initiates the Nin-Coutmembrane insertion regardless of the presence of TM3. In contrast, TM3 and TM4 of another polytopic membrane protein, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), have a similar level of de novo Nin-Coutmembrane insertion activity and TM4 of CFTR functions only as a stop-transfer sequence in the presence of TM3. Based on these findings, we propose that 1) the membrane insertion of TM3 and TM4 of Pgp does not follow the sequential model, which predicts that TM3 initiates Nin-Coutmembrane insertion whereas TM4 stops the insertion event; and 2) “leaving one TM segment out of the membrane” may be an important folding mechanism for polytopic membrane proteins, and it is regulated by the Nin-Coutmembrane insertion activities of the TM segments.