RESUMO
The insulin receptor (IR) is a type II receptor tyrosine kinase that plays essential roles in metabolism, growth, and proliferation. Dysregulation of IR signaling is linked to many human diseases, such as diabetes and cancers. The resolution revolution in cryo-electron microscopy has led to the determination of several structures of IR with different numbers of bound insulin molecules in recent years, which have tremendously improved our understanding of how IR is activated by insulin. Here, we review the insulin-induced activation mechanism of IR, including (a) the detailed binding modes and functions of insulin at site 1 and site 2 and (b) the insulin-induced structural transitions that are required for IR activation. We highlight several other key aspects of the activation and regulation of IR signaling and discuss the remaining gaps in our understanding of the IR activation mechanism and potential avenues of future research.
Assuntos
Insulina , Receptor de Insulina , Humanos , Receptor de Insulina/genética , Receptor de Insulina/química , Receptor de Insulina/metabolismo , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Insulina/química , Insulina/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , FosforilaçãoRESUMO
The TAM receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs)-TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK-together with their cognate agonists GAS6 and PROS1 play an essential role in the resolution of inflammation. Deficiencies in TAM signaling have been associated with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Three processes regulated by TAM signaling may contribute, either independently or collectively, to immune homeostasis: the negative regulation of the innate immune response, the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, and the restoration of vascular integrity. Recent studies have also revealed the function of TAMs in infectious diseases and cancer. Here, we review the important milestones in the discovery of these RTKs and their ligands and the studies that underscore the functional importance of this signaling pathway in physiological immune settings and disease.
Assuntos
Homeostase , Imunidade/fisiologia , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Animais , Suscetibilidade a Doenças , Humanos , Ligantes , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/química , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genéticaRESUMO
Intricate relationships between endocytosis and cellular signaling, first recognized nearly 40 years ago through the study of tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors, are now known to exist for multiple receptor classes and to affect myriad physiological and developmental processes. This review summarizes our present understanding of how endocytosis orchestrates cellular signaling networks, with an emphasis on mechanistic underpinnings and focusing on two receptor classes-tyrosine kinase and G protein-coupled receptors-that have been investigated in particular detail. Together, these examples provide a useful survey of the current consensus, uncertainties, and controversies in this rapidly advancing area of cell biology.
Assuntos
Endocitose/fisiologia , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/metabolismo , Animais , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Endossomos/metabolismo , Humanos , Lisossomos/metabolismo , Transporte Proteico , Transdução de SinaisRESUMO
Cardiomyocytes are subjected to the intense mechanical stress and metabolic demands of the beating heart. It is unclear whether these cells, which are long-lived and rarely renew, manage to preserve homeostasis on their own. While analyzing macrophages lodged within the healthy myocardium, we discovered that they actively took up material, including mitochondria, derived from cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes ejected dysfunctional mitochondria and other cargo in dedicated membranous particles reminiscent of neural exophers, through a process driven by the cardiomyocyte's autophagy machinery that was enhanced during cardiac stress. Depletion of cardiac macrophages or deficiency in the phagocytic receptor Mertk resulted in defective elimination of mitochondria from the myocardial tissue, activation of the inflammasome, impaired autophagy, accumulation of anomalous mitochondria in cardiomyocytes, metabolic alterations, and ventricular dysfunction. Thus, we identify an immune-parenchymal pair in the murine heart that enables transfer of unfit material to preserve metabolic stability and organ function. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Assuntos
Macrófagos/metabolismo , Mitocôndrias/metabolismo , Miócitos Cardíacos/metabolismo , Idoso , Animais , Apoptose , Autofagia , Feminino , Coração/fisiologia , Homeostase , Humanos , Macrófagos/fisiologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mitocôndrias/fisiologia , Infarto do Miocárdio/metabolismo , Miocárdio/metabolismo , Miócitos Cardíacos/fisiologia , Fagocitose/fisiologia , Espécies Reativas de Oxigênio/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , c-Mer Tirosina Quinase/metabolismoRESUMO
The causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, highlighting an urgent need to develop antiviral therapies. Here we present a quantitative mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics survey of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vero E6 cells, revealing dramatic rewiring of phosphorylation on host and viral proteins. SARS-CoV-2 infection promoted casein kinase II (CK2) and p38 MAPK activation, production of diverse cytokines, and shutdown of mitotic kinases, resulting in cell cycle arrest. Infection also stimulated a marked induction of CK2-containing filopodial protrusions possessing budding viral particles. Eighty-seven drugs and compounds were identified by mapping global phosphorylation profiles to dysregulated kinases and pathways. We found pharmacologic inhibition of the p38, CK2, CDK, AXL, and PIKFYVE kinases to possess antiviral efficacy, representing potential COVID-19 therapies.
Assuntos
Betacoronavirus/metabolismo , Infecções por Coronavirus/metabolismo , Avaliação Pré-Clínica de Medicamentos/métodos , Pneumonia Viral/metabolismo , Proteômica/métodos , Células A549 , Enzima de Conversão de Angiotensina 2 , Animais , Antivirais/farmacologia , COVID-19 , Células CACO-2 , Caseína Quinase II/antagonistas & inibidores , Caseína Quinase II/metabolismo , Chlorocebus aethiops , Infecções por Coronavirus/virologia , Quinases Ciclina-Dependentes/antagonistas & inibidores , Quinases Ciclina-Dependentes/metabolismo , Células HEK293 , Interações Hospedeiro-Patógeno , Humanos , Pandemias , Peptidil Dipeptidase A/genética , Peptidil Dipeptidase A/metabolismo , Fosfatidilinositol 3-Quinases/metabolismo , Inibidores de Fosfoinositídeo-3 Quinase/farmacologia , Fosforilação , Pneumonia Viral/virologia , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , SARS-CoV-2 , Glicoproteína da Espícula de Coronavírus/metabolismo , Células Vero , Proteínas Quinases p38 Ativadas por Mitógeno/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Quinases p38 Ativadas por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Receptor Tirosina Quinase AxlRESUMO
Larotrectinib is a small-molecule kinase inhibitor that targets NTRK fusions that occur in multiple types of cancer. Its FDA approval represents the first instance of a treatment indication being designated "tumor-agnostic" from the outset, being based on actionable genomic insights. To view this Bench to Bedside, open or download the PDF.
Assuntos
Pirazóis/metabolismo , Pirazóis/farmacologia , Pirimidinas/metabolismo , Pirimidinas/farmacologia , Receptores Órfãos Semelhantes a Receptor Tirosina Quinase/metabolismo , Humanos , Neoplasias/genética , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores Órfãos Semelhantes a Receptor Tirosina Quinase/agonistas , Receptor trkB/metabolismoRESUMO
Two microglial TAM receptor tyrosine kinases, Axl and Mer, have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, but their roles in disease have not been tested experimentally. We find that in Alzheimer's disease and its mouse models, induced expression of Axl and Mer in amyloid plaque-associated microglia was coupled to induced plaque decoration by the TAM ligand Gas6 and its co-ligand phosphatidylserine. In the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, genetic ablation of Axl and Mer resulted in microglia that were unable to normally detect, respond to, organize or phagocytose amyloid-ß plaques. These major deficits notwithstanding, TAM-deficient APP/PS1 mice developed fewer dense-core plaques than APP/PS1 mice with normal microglia. Our findings reveal that the TAM system is an essential mediator of microglial recognition and engulfment of amyloid plaques and that TAM-driven microglial phagocytosis does not inhibit, but rather promotes, dense-core plaque development.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/imunologia , Microglia/patologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , c-Mer Tirosina Quinase/metabolismo , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/metabolismo , Precursor de Proteína beta-Amiloide/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/citologia , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/patologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Humanos , Microscopia Intravital , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Microglia/imunologia , Microscopia Confocal , Microscopia de Fluorescência por Excitação Multifotônica , Fagocitose/imunologia , Presenilina-1/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/genética , RNA-Seq , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genética , Análise de Célula Única , c-Mer Tirosina Quinase/genética , Receptor Tirosina Quinase AxlRESUMO
Cell signaling is dominated by analyzing positive responses to stimuli. Signal activation is balanced by negative regulators that are generally considered to terminate signaling. Rather than exerting only negative effects, however, many such regulators play important roles in enhancing cell-signaling control. Considering responses downstream of selected cell-surface receptors, we discuss how receptor internalization affects signaling specificity and how rapid kinase/phosphatase and GTP/GDP cycles increase responsiveness and allow kinetic proofreading in receptor signaling. We highlight the blurring of distinctions between positive and negative signals, recasting signal termination as the response to a switch-like transition into a new cellular state.
Assuntos
Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Animais , Retroalimentação Fisiológica , Humanos , FosforilaçãoRESUMO
Zika virus (ZIKV) persists in the semen of male patients, a first for flavivirus infection. Here, we demonstrate that ZIKV can induce inflammation in the testis and epididymidis, but not in the prostate or seminal vesicle, and can lead to damaged testes after 60 days post-infection in mice. ZIKV induces innate immune responses in Leydig, Sertoli, and epididymal epithelial cells, resulting in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. However, ZIKV does not induce a rapid and abundant cytokine production in peritubular cell and spermatogonia, suggesting that these cells are vulnerable for ZIKV infection and could be the potential repositories for ZIKV. Our study demonstrates a correlation between ZIKV and testis infection/damage and suggests that ZIKV infection, under certain circumstances, can eventually lead to male infertility.
Assuntos
Infertilidade Masculina/virologia , Testículo/virologia , Infecção por Zika virus/virologia , Zika virus/fisiologia , Animais , Citocinas/metabolismo , Epididimo/patologia , Epididimo/virologia , Humanos , Infertilidade Masculina/patologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptor de Interferon alfa e beta/genética , Testículo/patologia , Internalização do Vírus , Zika virus/isolamento & purificação , Infecção por Zika virus/patologia , Infecção por Zika virus/transmissão , Receptor Tirosina Quinase AxlRESUMO
Clinically acquired resistance to MAPK inhibitor (MAPKi) therapies for melanoma cannot be fully explained by genomic mechanisms and may be accompanied by co-evolution of intra-tumoral immunity. We sought to discover non-genomic mechanisms of acquired resistance and dynamic immune compositions by a comparative, transcriptomic-methylomic analysis of patient-matched melanoma tumors biopsied before therapy and during disease progression. Transcriptomic alterations across resistant tumors were highly recurrent, in contrast to mutations, and were frequently correlated with differential methylation of tumor cell-intrinsic CpG sites. We identified in the tumor cell compartment supra-physiologic c-MET up-expression, infra-physiologic LEF1 down-expression and YAP1 signature enrichment as drivers of acquired resistance. Importantly, high intra-tumoral cytolytic T cell inflammation prior to MAPKi therapy preceded CD8 T cell deficiency/exhaustion and loss of antigen presentation in half of disease-progressive melanomas, suggesting cross-resistance to salvage anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. Thus, melanoma acquires MAPKi resistance with highly dynamic and recurrent non-genomic alterations and co-evolving intra-tumoral immunity.
Assuntos
Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases/efeitos dos fármacos , Melanoma/tratamento farmacológico , Melanoma/genética , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/metabolismo , Apoptose , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos/imunologia , Metilação de DNA , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Fator 1 de Ligação ao Facilitador Linfoide/metabolismo , Melanoma/imunologia , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição , Proteínas de Sinalização YAP , beta Catenina/metabolismoRESUMO
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the most common histological subtype, accounts for 40% of all cases. While existing genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) recapitulate the histological progression and transcriptional evolution of human LUAD, they are time-consuming and technically demanding. In contrast, cell line transplant models are fast and flexible, but these models fail to capture the full spectrum of disease progression. Organoid technologies provide a means to create next-generation cancer models that integrate the most advantageous features of autochthonous and transplant-based systems. However, robust and faithful LUAD organoid platforms are currently lacking. Here, we describe optimized conditions to continuously expand murine alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells, a prominent cell of origin for LUAD, in organoid culture. These organoids display canonical features of AT2 cells, including marker gene expression, the presence of lamellar bodies, and an ability to differentiate into the AT1 lineage. We used this system to develop flexible and versatile immunocompetent organoid-based models of KRAS, BRAF, and ALK mutant LUAD. Notably, organoid-based tumors display extensive burden and complete penetrance and are histopathologically indistinguishable from their autochthonous counterparts. Altogether, this organoid platform is a powerful, versatile new model system to study LUAD.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/genética , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/metabolismo , Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão/patologia , Animais , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Camundongos , Organoides , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismoRESUMO
A spectrum of cancers arises from chromosomal translocations that fuse receptor tyrosine kinase domains to oligomerization domains from unrelated proteins. Tulpule et al. (2021) demonstrate that fusion proteins with the ability to assemble higher-order cytoplasmic protein granules can activate RAS signaling in a lipid membrane-independent manner.
Assuntos
Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases , Transdução de Sinais , Carcinogênese , Humanos , Oncogenes/genética , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genética , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Translocação GenéticaRESUMO
Despite their apparent lack of catalytic activity, pseudokinases are essential signaling molecules. Here, we describe the structural and dynamic properties of pseudokinase domains from the Wnt-binding receptor tyrosine kinases (PTK7, ROR1, ROR2, and RYK), which play important roles in development. We determined structures of all pseudokinase domains in this family and found that they share a conserved inactive conformation in their activation loop that resembles the autoinhibited insulin receptor kinase (IRK). They also have inaccessible ATP-binding pockets, occluded by aromatic residues that mimic a cofactor-bound state. Structural comparisons revealed significant domain plasticity and alternative interactions that substitute for absent conserved motifs. The pseudokinases also showed dynamic properties that were strikingly similar to those of IRK. Despite the inaccessible ATP site, screening identified ATP-competitive type-II inhibitors for ROR1. Our results set the stage for an emerging therapeutic modality of "conformational disruptors" to inhibit or modulate non-catalytic functions of pseudokinases deregulated in disease.
Assuntos
Moléculas de Adesão Celular/química , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/química , Receptores Órfãos Semelhantes a Receptor Tirosina Quinase/química , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Baculoviridae/genética , Baculoviridae/metabolismo , Sítios de Ligação , Moléculas de Adesão Celular/antagonistas & inibidores , Moléculas de Adesão Celular/genética , Moléculas de Adesão Celular/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular , Clonagem Molecular , Cristalografia por Raios X , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Camundongos , Modelos Moleculares , Células Precursoras de Linfócitos B/citologia , Células Precursoras de Linfócitos B/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica , Conformação Proteica em alfa-Hélice , Conformação Proteica em Folha beta , Domínios e Motivos de Interação entre Proteínas , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/química , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genética , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores Órfãos Semelhantes a Receptor Tirosina Quinase/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores Órfãos Semelhantes a Receptor Tirosina Quinase/genética , Receptores Órfãos Semelhantes a Receptor Tirosina Quinase/metabolismo , Receptores da Família Eph/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores da Família Eph/química , Receptores da Família Eph/genética , Receptores da Família Eph/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Células Sf9 , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequenas/química , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequenas/farmacologia , Spodoptera , Homologia Estrutural de Proteína , Especificidade por SubstratoRESUMO
The probability of a given receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) triggering a defined cellular outcome is low because of the promiscuous nature of signalling, the randomness of molecular diffusion through the cell, and the ongoing nonfunctional submembrane signalling activity or noise. Signal transduction is therefore a 'numbers game', where enough cell surface receptors and effector proteins must initially be engaged to guarantee formation of a functional signalling complex against a background of redundant events. The presence of intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) at the plasma membrane provides a mechanism through which the probabilistic nature of signalling can be weighted in favour of the required, discrete cellular outcome and mutual exclusivity in signal initiation.
Assuntos
Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases , Transdução de Sinais , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Probabilidade , Sistemas de Liberação de MedicamentosRESUMO
The adult nervous system is plastic, allowing us to learn, remember, and forget. Experience-dependent plasticity occurs at synapses--the specialized points of contact between neurons where signaling occurs. However, the mechanisms that regulate the strength of synaptic signaling are not well understood. Here, we define a Wnt-signaling pathway that modifies synaptic strength in the adult nervous system by regulating the translocation of one class of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) to synapses. In Caenorhabditis elegans, we show that mutations in CWN-2 (Wnt ligand), LIN-17 (Frizzled), CAM-1 (Ror receptor tyrosine kinase), or the downstream effector DSH-1 (disheveled) result in similar subsynaptic accumulations of ACR-16/α7 AChRs, a consequent reduction in synaptic current, and predictable behavioral defects. Photoconversion experiments revealed defective translocation of ACR-16/α7 to synapses in Wnt-signaling mutants. Using optogenetic nerve stimulation, we demonstrate activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and its dependence on ACR-16/α7 translocation mediated by Wnt signaling via LIN-17/CAM-1 heteromeric receptors.
Assuntos
Caenorhabditis elegans/fisiologia , Receptores Colinérgicos/metabolismo , Via de Sinalização Wnt , Animais , Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans/genética , Proteínas de Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolismo , Pareamento Cromossômico , Mutação , Sistema Nervoso , Junção Neuromuscular , Plasticidade Neuronal , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genética , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores Órfãos Semelhantes a Receptor Tirosina Quinase , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/genética , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/metabolismo , Receptores Nicotínicos/genética , Receptores Nicotínicos/metabolismo , Proteínas Wnt/metabolismoRESUMO
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)1 and the related leukocyte tyrosine kinase (LTK)2 are recently deorphanized receptor tyrosine kinases3. Together with their activating cytokines, ALKAL1 and ALKAL24-6 (also called FAM150A and FAM150B or AUGß and AUGα, respectively), they are involved in neural development7, cancer7-9 and autoimmune diseases10. Furthermore, mammalian ALK recently emerged as a key regulator of energy expenditure and weight gain11, consistent with a metabolic role for Drosophila ALK12. Despite such functional pleiotropy and growing therapeutic relevance13,14, structural insights into ALK and LTK and their complexes with cognate cytokines have remained scarce. Here we show that the cytokine-binding segments of human ALK and LTK comprise a novel architectural chimera of a permuted TNF-like module that braces a glycine-rich subdomain featuring a hexagonal lattice of long polyglycine type II helices. The cognate cytokines ALKAL1 and ALKAL2 are monomeric three-helix bundles, yet their binding to ALK and LTK elicits similar dimeric assemblies with two-fold symmetry, that tent a single cytokine molecule proximal to the cell membrane. We show that the membrane-proximal EGF-like domain dictates the apparent cytokine preference of ALK. Assisted by these diverse structure-function findings, we propose a structural and mechanistic blueprint for complexes of ALK family receptors, and thereby extend the repertoire of ligand-mediated dimerization mechanisms adopted by receptor tyrosine kinases.
Assuntos
Quinase do Linfoma Anaplásico/química , Quinase do Linfoma Anaplásico/metabolismo , Citocinas/química , Citocinas/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/química , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Quinase do Linfoma Anaplásico/classificação , Quinase do Linfoma Anaplásico/genética , Sítios de Ligação , Ativação Enzimática , Fator de Crescimento Epidérmico/química , Glicina , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Modelos Moleculares , Complexos Multiproteicos/química , Complexos Multiproteicos/metabolismo , Mutação , Ligação Proteica , Domínios Proteicos , Multimerização Proteica , Especificidade por SubstratoRESUMO
Congenital myasthenia (CM) is a devastating neuromuscular disease, and mutations in DOK7, an adaptor protein that is crucial for forming and maintaining neuromuscular synapses, are a major cause of CM1,2. The most common disease-causing mutation (DOK71124_1127 dup) truncates DOK7 and leads to the loss of two tyrosine residues that are phosphorylated and recruit CRK proteins, which are important for anchoring acetylcholine receptors at synapses. Here we describe a mouse model of this common form of CM (Dok7CM mice) and a mouse with point mutations in the two tyrosine residues (Dok72YF). We show that Dok7CM mice had severe deficits in neuromuscular synapse formation that caused neonatal lethality. Unexpectedly, these deficits were due to a severe deficiency in phosphorylation and activation of muscle-specific kinase (MUSK) rather than a deficiency in DOK7 tyrosine phosphorylation. We developed agonist antibodies against MUSK and show that these antibodies restored neuromuscular synapse formation and prevented neonatal lethality and late-onset disease in Dok7CM mice. These findings identify an unexpected cause for disease and a potential therapy for both DOK7 CM and other forms of CM caused by mutations in AGRIN, LRP4 or MUSK, and illustrate the potential of targeted therapy to rescue congenital lethality.
Assuntos
Proteínas Musculares/genética , Mutação , Síndromes Miastênicas Congênitas/tratamento farmacológico , Síndromes Miastênicas Congênitas/genética , Envelhecimento , Agrina/genética , Agrina/metabolismo , Animais , Animais Recém-Nascidos , Anticorpos/imunologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Proteínas Relacionadas a Receptor de LDL/genética , Proteínas Relacionadas a Receptor de LDL/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Terapia de Alvo Molecular , Fibras Musculares Esqueléticas/química , Fibras Musculares Esqueléticas/metabolismo , Proteínas Musculares/química , Proteínas Musculares/metabolismo , Síndromes Miastênicas Congênitas/imunologia , Fosforilação , Fosfotirosina/genética , Fosfotirosina/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-crk/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/agonistas , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genética , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/imunologia , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Recidiva , Sinapses/metabolismoRESUMO
DNA aptamers have emerged as novel molecular tools in disease theranostics owing to their high binding affinity and specificity for protein targets, which rely on their ability to fold into distinctive three-dimensional (3D) structures. However, delicate atomic interactions that shape the 3D structures are often ignored when designing and modeling aptamers, leading to inefficient functional optimization. Challenges persist in determining high-resolution aptamer-protein complex structures. Moreover, the experimentally determined 3D structures of DNA molecules with exquisite functions remain scarce. These factors impede our comprehension and optimization of some important DNA aptamers. Here, we performed a streamlined solution NMR-based structural investigation on the 41-nt sgc8c, a prominent DNA aptamer used to target membrane protein tyrosine kinase 7, for cancer theranostics. We show that sgc8c prefolds into an intricate three-way junction (3WJ) structure stabilized by long-range tertiary interactions and extensive base-base stackings. Delineated by NMR chemical shift perturbations, site-directed mutagenesis, and 3D structural information, we identified essential nucleotides constituting the key functional elements of sgc8c that are centralized at the core of 3WJ. Leveraging the well-established structure-function relationship, we efficiently engineered two sgc8c variants by modifying the apical loop and introducing L-DNA base pairs to simultaneously enhance thermostability, biostability, and binding affinity for both protein and cell targets, a feat not previously attained despite extensive efforts. This work showcases a simplified NMR-based approach to comprehend and optimize sgc8c without acquiring the complex structure, and offers principles for the sophisticated structure-function organization of DNA molecules.
Assuntos
Aptâmeros de Nucleotídeos , Conformação de Ácido Nucleico , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases , Aptâmeros de Nucleotídeos/química , Aptâmeros de Nucleotídeos/metabolismo , Aptâmeros de Nucleotídeos/genética , Humanos , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/química , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/genética , Modelos Moleculares , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Ligação Proteica , Moléculas de Adesão CelularRESUMO
High-risk neuroblastoma (NB) is a significant clinical challenge. MYCN and Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK), which are often involved in high-risk NB, lead to increased replication stress in cancer cells, suggesting therapeutic strategies. We previously identified an ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related)/ALK inhibitor (ATRi/ALKi) combination as such a strategy in two independent genetically modified mouse NB models. Here, we identify an underlying molecular mechanism, in which ALK signaling leads to phosphorylation of ATR and CHK1, supporting an effective DNA damage response. The importance of ALK inhibition is supported by mouse data, in which ATRi monotreatment resulted in a robust initial response, but subsequent relapse, in contrast to a 14-d ALKi/ATRi combination treatment that resulted in a robust and sustained response. Finally, we show that the remarkable response to the 14-d combined ATR/ALK inhibition protocol reflects a robust differentiation response, reprogramming tumor cells to a neuronal/Schwann cell lineage identity. Our results identify an ability of ATR inhibition to promote NB differentiation and underscore the importance of further exploring combined ALK/ATR inhibition in NB, particularly in high-risk patient groups with oncogene-induced replication stress.
Assuntos
Neuroblastoma , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases , Humanos , Camundongos , Animais , Quinase do Linfoma Anaplásico/genética , Receptores Proteína Tirosina Quinases/metabolismo , Proliferação de Células , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neuroblastoma/tratamento farmacológico , Neuroblastoma/genética , Neuroblastoma/patologia , Reparo do DNA , Dano ao DNA , Proteínas Mutadas de Ataxia Telangiectasia/genéticaRESUMO
TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK constitute the TAM family of receptor tyrosine kinases, activated by their ligands GAS6 and PROS1. TAMs are necessary for adult homeostasis in the immune, nervous, reproductive, skeletal, and vascular systems. Among additional cellular functions employed by TAMs, phagocytosis is central for tissue health. TAM receptors are dominant in providing phagocytes with the molecular machinery necessary to engulf diverse targets, including apoptotic cells, myelin debris, and portions of live cells in a phosphatidylserine-dependent manner. Simultaneously, TAMs drive the release of anti-inflammatory and tissue repair molecules. Disruption of the TAM-driven phagocytic pathway has detrimental consequences, resulting in autoimmunity, male infertility, blindness, and disrupted vascular integrity, and which is thought to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. Although structurally and functionally redundant, the TAM receptors and ligands underlie complex signaling cascades, of which several key aspects are yet to be elucidated. We discuss similarities and differences between TAMs and other phagocytic pathways, highlight future directions and how TAMs can be harnessed therapeutically to modulate phagocytosis.