MARCH1 negatively regulates TBK1-mTOR signaling pathway by ubiquitinating TBK1.

BACKGROUND: TBK1 positively regulates the growth factor-mediated mTOR signaling pathway by phosphorylating mTOR. However, it remains unclear how the TBK1-mTOR signaling pathway is regulated. Considering that STING not only interacts with TBK1 but also with MARCH1, we speculated that MARCH1 might regulate the mTOR signaling pathway by targeting TBK1. The aim of this study was to determine whether MARCH1 regulates the mTOR signaling pathway by targeting TBK1. METHODS: The co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay was used to verify the interaction between MARCH1 with STING or TBK1. The ubiquitination of STING or TBK1 was analyzed using denatured co-immunoprecipitation. The level of proteins detected in the co-immunoprecipitation or denatured co-immunoprecipitation samples were determined by Western blotting. Stable knocked-down cells were constructed by infecting lentivirus bearing the related shRNA sequences. Scratch wound healing and clonogenic cell survival assays were used to detect the migration and proliferation of breast cancer cells. RESULTS: We showed that MARCH1 played an important role in growth factor-induced the TBK1- mTOR signaling pathway. MARCH1 overexpression attenuated the growth factor-induced activation of mTOR signaling pathway, whereas its deficiency resulted in the opposite effect. Mechanistically, MARCH1 interacted with and promoted the K63-linked ubiquitination of TBK1. This ubiquitination of TBK1 then attenuated its interaction with mTOR, thereby inhibiting the growth factor-induced mTOR signaling pathway. Importantly, faster proliferation induced by MARCH1 deficiency was weakened by mTOR, STING, or TBK1 inhibition. CONCLUSION: MARCH1 suppressed growth factors mediated the mTOR signaling pathway by targeting the STING-TBK1-mTOR axis.

Euphorbia fischeriana Steud inhibits malignant melanoma via modulation of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway.

Euphorbia fischeriana Steud, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to inhibit the growth of various cancers by the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway and the inhibitory effect of Euphorbia fischeriana Steud on the growth and metastasis of melanoma B16 cells in vitro, and the underlying mechanisms. MTT assay results indicated that Euphorbia fischeriana Steud inhibited the growth of B16 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that Euphorbia fischeriana Steud markedly induced apoptosis of the B16 cells, with arrest at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. In addition, in a Transwell assay Euphorbia fischeriana Steud significantly suppressed the migration of B16 cells. Western blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were upregulated, and the phosphorylation of Akt was downregulated, which resulted in inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and the eventual suppression of its downstream targets, such as matrix metalloproteinase-2 mRNA, in B16 cells. The results demonstrated that Euphorbia fischeriana Steud inhibited the growth and migration of B16 cells, possibly via modulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and upregulation of PTEN expression levels, in addition to downregulation of p-Akt expression. The aforementioned findings suggest that Euphorbia fischeriana Steud may have broad therapeutic applications in the treatment of malignant melanoma.