Bcl-2 regulation of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor and calcium signaling in normal and malignant lymphocytes: potential new target for cancer treatment.

The anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 is a versatile regulator of cell survival. Its interactions with its own pro-apoptotic family members are widely recognized for their role in promoting the survival of cancer cells. These interactions are thus being targeted for cancer treatment. Less widely recognized is the interaction of Bcl-2 with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R), an InsP3-gated Ca(2+) channel located on the endoplasmic reticulum. The nature of this interaction, the mechanism by which it controls Ca(2+) release from the ER, its role in T-cell development and survival, and the possibility of targeting it as a novel cancer treatment strategy are summarized in this review. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Calcium signaling in health and disease. Guest Editors: Geert Bultynck, Jacques Haiech, Claus W. Heizmann, Joachim Krebs, and Marc Moreau.

Chemical phylogenetics of histone deacetylases.

The broad study of histone deacetylases in chemistry, biology and medicine relies on tool compounds to derive mechanistic insights. A phylogenetic analysis of class I and II histone deacetylases (HDACs) as targets of a comprehensive, structurally diverse panel of inhibitors revealed unexpected isoform selectivity even among compounds widely perceived as nonselective. The synthesis and study of a focused library of cinnamic hydroxamates allowed the identification of, to our knowledge, the first nonselective HDAC inhibitor. These data will guide a more informed use of HDAC inhibitors as chemical probes and therapeutic agents.

Discovery of histone deacetylase 8 selective inhibitors.

We have developed an efficient method for synthesizing candidate histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors in 96-well plates, which are used directly in high-throughput screening. We selected building blocks having hydrazide, aldehyde and hydroxamic acid functionalities. The hydrazides were coupled with different aldehydes in DMSO. The resulting products have the previously identified 'cap/linker/biasing element' structure known to favor inhibition of HDACs. These compounds were assayed without further purification. HDAC8-selective inhibitors were discovered from this novel collection of compounds.

Context dependent effects of ascorbic acid treatment in TET2 mutant myeloid neoplasia.

Loss-of-function TET2 mutations (TET2MT) are common in myeloid neoplasia. TET2, a DNA dioxygenase, requires 2-oxoglutarate and Fe(II) to oxidize 5-methylcytosine. TET2MT thus result in hypermethylation and transcriptional repression. Ascorbic acid (AA) increases dioxygenase activity by facilitating Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox reaction and may alleviate some biological consequences of TET2MT by restoring dioxygenase activity. Here, we report the utility of AA in the prevention of TET2MT myeloid neoplasia (MN), clarify the mechanistic underpinning of the TET2-AA interactions, and demonstrate that the ability of AA to restore TET2 activity in cells depends on N- and C-terminal lysine acetylation and nature of TET2MT. Consequently, pharmacologic modulation of acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases may regulate TET dioxygenase-dependent AA effects. Thus, our study highlights the contribution of factors that may enhance or attenuate AA effects on TET2 and provides a rationale for novel therapeutic approaches including combinations of AA with class I/II HDAC inhibitor or sirtuin activators in TET2MT leukemia.

Symbiotic Origin of Aging.

Normally aging cells are characterized by an unbalanced mitochondrial dynamic skewed toward punctate mitochondria. Genetic and pharmacological manipulation of mitochondrial fission/fusion cycles can contribute to both accelerated and decelerated cellular or organismal aging. In this work, we connect these experimental data with the symbiotic theory of mitochondrial origin to generate new insight into the evolutionary origin of aging. Mitochondria originated from autotrophic α-proteobacteria during an ancient endosymbiotic event early in eukaryote evolution. To expand beyond individual host cells, dividing α-proteobacteria initiated host cell lysis; apoptosis is a product of this original symbiont cell lytic exit program. Over the course of evolution, the host eukaryotic cell attenuated the harmful effect of symbiotic proto-mitochondria, and modern mitochondria are now functionally interdependent with eukaryotic cells; they retain their own circular genomes and independent replication timing. In nondividing differentiated or multipotent eukaryotic cells, intracellular mitochondria undergo repeated fission/fusion cycles, favoring fission as organisms age. The discordance between cellular quiescence and mitochondrial proliferation generates intracellular stress, eventually leading to a gradual decline in host cell performance and age-related pathology. Hence, aging evolved from a conflict between maintenance of a quiescent, nonproliferative state and the evolutionarily conserved propagation program driving the life cycle of former symbiotic organisms: mitochondria.